Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- The True Cost of Corruption – Everyone Loses
- The MPAJ Cover Up (Episode 2)
- Akjan, go ahead and sue!
- Guan Eng Concealed Full Truth
- Is Mahathir really the brave Malay hero who does not fear the US or the Jews?
- That Effing Show #69: Say X to X'mas!
- Malaysia: Revoke Law Banning Same-Sex Sexual Relations
| The True Cost of Corruption – Everyone Loses Posted: 24 Dec 2011 11:38 PM PST By Md Ikhram As we brace ourselves for an impending election and speculate over who will emerge victorious, I think it may be apt for us thinking Malaysians to ponder our role in creating a Malaysia that is equitable. The sketchy approach, the approach that most of us may be subscribing to is, change the government and we'll have a better Malaysia. I deliberately say "sketchy approach' because it is not an entirely wrong approach, just incomplete. Creating a nation that is equitable to all, regardless of race and creed, is every Malaysian's responsibility and it is not enough to vote out one government in exchange for another. Yes, on an elementary level, a strong two-party system could be exactly what we need. We need to get rid of politicians intoxicated with power, money, and greed – inevitable results of staying too long in power. Voting out UMNO and its cohorts in the BN could resuscitate our country and provide the momentum we need to drive real change. But that is only one half of the equation. The other half is us; you and I. Great people inspire change by becoming the change they want to be. Our responsibility in effecting a change goes beyond casting our vote. It includes changing certain behavior and attitudes that are deeply rooted in our psyche. So deeply rooted, that some of them though despicable, have become the norm. One such case in point is corruption. I would like to bring your attention to this pestilence and humbly submit that curing our wounded nation from this disease will be a catalyst towards a more just Malaysia. When it comes to corruption, the big picture eludes most of us. Money exchanging hands between a police officer and a traffic offender has no dire repercussions, does it? Most of us think it doesn't but nothing can be further from the truth. There is the butterfly effect here. Corruption allows criminals to operate without fear. Crime bosses have nothing to fear as long as the law can be bought. It means that Ah Longs can walk into your house and hurt your poor family for a missing relative's debt without reprimand. Corruption breeds incompetence. The corrupted feel no compulsion to perform their jobs if there is no money offering. It could mean that you have to wait 1 hour for the police to come to your rescue when your house is being robbed. It could mean that you cannot get fair treatment unless you're rich. It could mean that you have to live with potholes and sub-standard roads even in your posh, urban neighborhood. Corruption raises the cost of enterprise. Government and businesses end-up paying above market prices for goods and services. Someone has to pay for this additional cost and inevitably it comes out of your pocket in the form of higher prices or higher costs. Corruption puts lives in danger. If you've been privy to the local news, you must know of schools, stadiums, and bridges collapsing. You would know of sub-standard hospitals and military helicopters. Corruption means innocent people get harmed by the very institutions founded to protect them. The cost of corruption to you and me is high and it affects everyone. If you're ever tempted to engage in corruption, even for business opportunities, remember that it comes back to bite you in so many other ways, that in the end it is just not worth it. Recently, the government allocated RM 530 million to give school students a one-off RM 100 aid. Of this amount, RM 50 million went to private school students. Private schools? One cannot be faulted for wondering if this was a gross misuse of the tax payer's money for political expediency. This is happening when there are schools that cannot afford to pay their electricity bills because of a lack of funds from the government. Nearly RM 500 million was paid as commission to Perimekar for the purchase of submarines. Schools could have used those funds. In fact, every teacher in Malaysia could have received a RM 3,433 raise with the combined allocation for the one-off school aid and submarine commission. More competent individuals would become teachers with wages like that and your children would not have to go to private schools. RM 250 million was allocated for the NFC and according to reports I'm reading, over RM 20 million has been spent in luxury condominiums. The NFC is supposed to be committed to helping farmers and entrepreneurs in the local cattle industry. How many deserving farmers and entrepreneurs were neglected in this spending spree? It could be you, an uncle, or a friend. These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. Much, much more is wasted every year at the expense of your children's education, your right to equal justice, competitive wages, and your lives. Will a change in government fix this problem? Maybe. But a change in our attitudes towards corruption will certainly do more good. We need to understand that for corruption to work there must be two parties; the corrupt and the corrupter. We need to focus on the big picture. Let's treat corruption with the same disdain we accord to murder because at some point, corruption can lead to loss of lives. Let's have zero tolerance towards corruption. No matter if it is a RM 10 bribe for a parking offense. Send a strong message. When someone you know engages in corruption, whatever the scale, frown upon him. Make it socially unacceptable. Educate your children on the cost of corruption. Let anyone, be it a Minister or clerk, face humiliation and rejection by their own social circle when they indulge in corruption. It may be idealistic to expect that the overwhelming majority of Malaysians will one day reject corruption fully and abhor it on any scale. However, a journey of a thousand miles begins with a step, and if this essay inspires a single person to say no to corruption, then we're one step closer. Perhaps when there is enough momentum, any government we elect will be free of corruption and we as citizens of this country will have truly brought about change for the better. A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the souls of its people – M.K Gandhi |
| Posted: 24 Dec 2011 11:31 PM PST For those uninformed, there exist a widening rift between the Selangor PKR Chief, the Selangor MB and PKR EXCO. On June the 27th, 2010 PKR appointed Azmin Ali as the Selangor PKR Chief, a post traditionally reserved for the Menteri Besar. Could the Anwar clique be attempting to wrestle power from Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and appoint Azmin Ali as the next Selangor MB should PKR win the subsequent Selangor State Government? By Hakim Joe First of all, I would personally like to thank Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, the Menteri Besar of Selangor for officially initiating an internal investigation on Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya (MPAJ) and the MP of Ampang, YB Zuraida Kamaruddin for their alleged involvement However, it is rather disappointing and unacceptable that the Selangor PKR Chairman and PKR vice-president Mohamed Azmin Ali, would not officially sanction this investigation on his deputy chairperson for reasons unbeknownst to anyone except himself (and probably his For those uninformed, there exist a widening rift between the Selangor PKR Chief, the Selangor MB and PKR EXCO. On June the 27th, 2010 PKR appointed Azmin Ali as the Selangor PKR Chief, a post traditionally reserved for the Menteri Besar. Could the Anwar clique be attempting to wrestle power from Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and appoint Azmin Ali as the next Selangor MB should PKR win the subsequent Selangor State Government? Regardless of the speculation that Azmin Ali is being groomed to be the next Selangor MB, both himself and the existing MB should disassociate themselves from the suspect in this current issue. Although the sum of RM19,000 is but paltry (as compared to the cost to For those who are not informed, Bazar Larut Malam @ Midnite Jelatek was a concept introduced by the PKR Wanita Chief way back in 2008 but did not receive official approval from MPAJ until 2010 and after constant and repeated pressure from the Ampang MP. Even though this well intended proposal could have taken off and remained successful, the reluctance for proper management and enforcement from MPAJ and the intense involvement of the Ampang MP herself has doomed this project from the very start. Bazar Larut Malam @ Midnite Jelatek was abandoned a mere nine months later. As with any pasar malams, hawkers' licensing fees were collected prior to its launch but the monies involved were never remitted to MPAJ and hence the outstanding status on its book keeping. Who collected these fees on behalf of MPAJ and why were the hawkers willing to give these license fees to anyone else rather than MPAJ directly? The more pertinent question remains why MPAJ is not actively seeking the return of this outstanding amount. It is widely known amongst the MPAJ inner circle that the MPAJ Councillor in charge of Jelatek, Ketua Zon Kak Hayati is a softie and is incapable of such actions. Furthermore, she does not possess the authority to do so as it infringes on municipal regulations. The only two people possessing sufficient clout to supersede this municipal regulation are the MPAJ Chief, Yang Dipertua (YDP) Dato' Mohammad Yacob (who rejected the Bazar Larut Malam concept from the very beginning), and the Ampang MP, YB Zuraida Kamaruddin (who proposed the Bazar Larut Malam concept from the very beginning). Lastly, unknown to the majority of people in Selangor and during the time between 2008 and 2010 (before Bazar Larut Malam @ Midnite Jelatek was finally approved), yet another bizarre proposal was submitted to MPAJ for the widening of all sidewalks surrounding No points for guessing the name of the MP who put forward this proposal to MPAJ. |
| Posted: 23 Dec 2011 03:22 PM PST Daniel J Jambun Datu Akjan's media conference in which he said that there was never an Projek IC and the call for an Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) was ill-intended and can damage interracial relations was the strangest event with the most stupid statement I have ever seen in my years of political observations! I know that in politics we may sometime meet certain characters who are extra daring and say a lot of shocking things, purposefully to agitate society for the sake of cheap publicity. But there is a limit to everything. One can overdo things and behave in a way that goes beyond what is acceptable and respectable, and this is what Akjan had done to himself. It seems that he had not learned anything form his huge blunder in declaring himself as Sultan of Sulu on Malaysian soil. After all the nationwide ridicule and insulting remarks about him because of the declaration, and after the arrest and investigation, it seems he has not grown up enough to behave in a civil and educated manner. Now he had taken a most ridiculous action by saying there was no such thing as a Projek IC, when in fact he himself was arrested under the ISA for his direct involvement in the project. I fully support Datuk Wilfred Madius Tangau for pointing out to Akjan about the court ruling in the election petition for Likas, in which the judge made a ruling based on the sworn testimony if Hassnar Ibrahim about his involvement in Projek IC. Why doesn't Akjan make a statement to say that Hassnar Ibrahim, Jabar Khan and many others who had confessed about their involvement in the project, are liars? And why not also say the judge in the Likas election petition was unprofessional and should be defrocked and disbarred? Why not sue these people, including the judge? And for goodness sake, how is an RCI going to cause ill-feeling between the races? Who indeed is causing ill-feeling between people and between the people of Sabah and the Federal Government? It thought it was those people who produced the false ICs. But now Akjan is saying those people who want the RCI are causing the ill-feeling. What kind of logic is this? The whole state wants and RCI except for him, why? Obviously Akjan is trying to defend the illegal immigrants and wants the huge problems of illegals immigrants in Sabah to continue and become worse. Again, why? Is it because he himself is an illegal immigrant who managed to get a MyKad through his own Projek IC (as proven by Mutalib M.D. in his book IC Palsu)? How come he had sued Mutalib? By his statement we are reminded that Sabahans are losing their position as masters of their own future, because now an immigrant is saying it is wrong to investigate illegals. If Akjan really believes there is no Projek IC and no illegal immigrants, why not let this be proven with an RCI? The RCI will clear up everything, and settle the issue once and for all. There will be no ill feeling against anyone, including aliens, as long as they are legal. What we don't want is a lot of questions about people like Akjan claiming to have been born in Limau-Limauan Kudat but the people there swear they don't know him, or Pakistanis holding ICs saying they are from a village in Ranau and they don't know a word of Dusun. Are the people of Semporna happy that they are being outnumbered by aliens by five to one? So if Akjan is offended and believes he is right, I challenge him to go ahead and sue. By suing and the case going to trial we will be able to know the real story behind why he was arrested under the ISA for manufacturing false ICs, how many aliens benefited from his unpatriotic act, how much money those people involved managed to make to enrich themselves, and whether Akjan himself is an illegal immigrant. He had admitted that he is not a Malaysian by declaring that he is the Sultan of Sulu. His personal history raises a lot of questions, but he has all the opportunity to prove himself by proceeding to sue on the matter. But then again, I would also like to ask if he still considers himself a Sultan of a foreign country, in which case he has no business trying to be a Sabahan and a Malaysian or interfering in our state affairs. DANIEL JOHN JAMBUN Advisor, UK-based Human Rights Foundation Malaysia
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| Posted: 22 Dec 2011 08:25 PM PST Tan Cheng Liang When Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng claimed that the Penang state government had sliced RM600 million or 95% off the state's debt since taking over in 2008, he was craftily deceiving voters into thinking that the Pakatan Rakyat-run government had reduced the state's debts. But the truth which Guan Eng conveniently forgets to reveal is that, on 2 June 2011, the Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBAPP), a state-owned company had entered into a water restructuring agreement with the federal government via Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB), a company under the Ministry of Finance. The water deal saw Penang's outstanding loan of RM655.24mil owing to the federal government to be converted into a grant. In short, the federal government has shouldered the debt of Penang State government. Thus, the real scenario is that the Pakatan Penang state government has thrown the debt to the federal government. When Pakatan Rakyat blamed the federal government for the federal RM 20.5 billion debt, they opted not to inform that actually RM 600 million of the debt hailed from the Penang state government. Perak, not Penang with the highest volume of debt reduction The Penang state government claimed that it is the state which has highest reduction in debt but that is a misinformation. In reality, it is Perak under the Barisan Nasional administration which has the highest reduction in debt. Penang reduced its debt by transferring this burden from RM600mil to RM29mil with huge publicity! But Perak reduced its debt from RM970mil to RM78mil with no self praise nor fanfare. Pakatan's surplus a continuation of BN's surplus The Pakatan Rakyat state government of Penang keeps saying that Penang never had surpluses before, but based on the state's financial report for the respective years, the previous Penang state government under BN before 2008 also recorded surpluses. Details are as followed: 2004 – RM28 million surplus 2005 – RM 83 million surplus 2006 – RM 10 million surplus 2007 – RM 43 million surplus Hike in operating expenditure The Penang state government adopts "CAT" in governance i.e. Competency, Accountability and Transparency. They should reduce the expenditure, but their operating expenditure increased from RM 252 million in 2007 to RM299 million in 2009. Promise not inserted into Buku Jingga Pakatan Rakyat also claims that they want to abolish prepaid mobile user service tax. But such a promise is not mentioned in the Buku Jingga or Pakatan Rakyat Alternative Budget 2012.
TAN CHENG LIANG is Wanita MCA Deputy Secretary General
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| Is Mahathir really the brave Malay hero who does not fear the US or the Jews? Posted: 22 Dec 2011 08:13 PM PST By Ken Truth is not what matters to Mahathir but perception, in particular what the Malays perceive him to be. This is why Mahathir is vehemently denying that he had asked for loans from the World Bank (an institution he had labelled, together with the IMF, as being "Zionist, American Imperialist, etc."), even though it is apparent to all that Malaysia HAD RECEIVED loans from the World Bank AFTER Anwar's sacking in Sept. 1998. If the majority of the Malays even suspect that Mahathir had approached the World Bank for any help, that would destroy the image that he had so craftily and cunningly built up over decades, as a brave and defiant "Malay" who dared to take on even the most powerful nation in the world, the US. There is ample evidence, however, to show that Mahathir, in reality is anything but anti-US. The US was and is one of the biggest investors and trading partners of Malaysia. Mahathir launched the billion dollar MSC on the strength and support of major US companies such as Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, Cisco, Dell, AMD, DHL, etc. Malaysia spent billions of dollars on military purchases from the US during Mahathir's tenure as PM. Mahathir engaged and consulted American economic advisors and writers such as Jeffrey Sachs and Naisbit. Mahathir loves the Western life style - he stayed on a "Precinct" (that's as American as you can get) in Putrajaya when he was PM and now lives in a "Swiss" mansion in the Mines. Mahathir secretly allowed the US military to conduct exercises on Malaysian soil when he was PM (see Barry Wain's "Malaysian Maverick"). Openly, however, Mahathir has been a vitriolic critic of the US. But secretly he has been not just a close ally but a lackey of the US. That is why Mahathir is still around because he remains a lackey of the US and is of use to the US in global Islamic matters and the super-power's interests in Malaysia and the region. Just consider this. Who is Mahathir compared to the Marcos and Suhartos and other notable dictators of the world in terms of strength, control and influence? They fell, or rather the US allowed them to fall, when they were no longer of use to the US or their continued dictatorships were no longer tenable. It would have been kid's play for the US to destroy Mahathir, the PM of a country which has marginal influence on the world stage in terms of military, political, strategic or economic power. The US's track record shows that they would have most certainly done so in response to Mahathir's regular and often ridiculous out-bursts against the US, unless he served a greater purpose for the US and the open criticisms were merely distractions from the truth that he, Mahathir, was a US lackey. In order to hide his close links with the US, Mahathir often diverted the people's attention through his harsh and often illogical rhetoric against the US and would subsequently make up with the US when the rhetoric goes beyond the limits – e.g. Mahathir's million dollar payment to the Heritage Foundation to meet George Bush in 2002 to "normalize" relationships (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x480020). Furthermore, Mahathir, despite his open vitriol against the Jews, is in fact also a close friend of the Jews. Mahathir's reason for the open animosity for Jews is the same as that applicable to his diatribes of the US - the open animosity is a diversion so that Mahathir's close relationship with the Jews will not be apparent, and he can continue to deceive the Malays and the Islamic world. Let us look at the facts. Mahathir was a close buddy of Soros (a Jew) in hedge-fund deals and currency manipulation, later blamed Soros for the financial crisis of 1997/1998 and called him a "moron", and subsequently absolved Soros of any responsibility for Malaysia's financial crisis when Soros visited him after his retirement (http://minaq-jinggo.fotopages.com/?entry=1017436 ). Was Mahathir a hypocrite, lambasting first then later embracing and absolving Soros? Mahathir had engaged Saatchi & Saatchi, Goldman Sachs and other Jewish firms for various projects and tasks during his tenure as PM. In fact, he engaged Salmon Smith Barney, a Jewish firm, to advise him on how to manage the financial crisis and implement currency controls in 1998. Mokhzani, Mahathir's son, worked for Lehman Brothers, a Jewish firm. Another of Mahathir's son, Mirzan, worked for Salomon Brothers, another Jewish firm. Prof Jeffrey Sachs from Harvard, one of Mahathir's top economic advisors, is a Jew. Mahathir (ok, some unknown person) engaged Abramoff, a Jew, to arrange the meeting between Mahathir and George Bush mentioned above. Could Mahathir make an enemy of the Jews (who, according to Mahathir himself, control the world) and still survive, unless he had been granted leeway? Mahathir's October 16, 2003 speech at the OIC meeting contained some of the most outrageous statements any leader of a country has made publicly against the US and the Jews. Mahathir explicitly labelled the US and Jews as the enemy of Muslims and said that Muslims need "guns and rockets, bombs and warplanes, tanks and warships for our defense." How is it that Mahathir is still alive and kicking and can even visit the US after having seriously offended the most powerful nation in the world (the US) and the most powerful people in the world (the Jews), not once but repeatedly? Something to think about. Something that must be clearly explained to the Malays so that they will know the real Mahathir. |
| That Effing Show #69: Say X to X'mas! Posted: 22 Dec 2011 08:11 PM PST By Mark Teh It's been a tough year for our brothers and sisters of the cross. Their plans to install a Christian Prime Minister was foiled. Their efforts at converting Muslims was thwarted. Every one of their attempts at sedition and subversion was left for naught. Proving once and for all that it really is hard out there for a pimp. But it's Christmastime. Mistletoe and wine. 'Tis the season folks. A time to be merry. A time to be jolly. A time to forgive and forget. Or is it? You decide as we take a look back at the all the Christian shananigans of 2011. |
| Malaysia: Revoke Law Banning Same-Sex Sexual Relations Posted: 22 Dec 2011 08:33 AM PST Drop Case against Ex-Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH (New York) – The Malaysian government should revoke its colonial-era law criminalizing consensual sexual acts between people of the same sex, Human Rights Watch said today. The authorities should drop their criminal case alleging consensual "sodomy" against opposition leader and former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is awaiting the verdict in his trial that began in February 2010. "The Malaysian government uses its outdated sodomy law to slander political opponents and critics," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Whether or not Anwar Ibrahim engaged in consensual 'sodomy' is irrelevant. It's time to reject this law and end the farcical political theater that promotes discrimination based on sexual orientation and destroys people's lives."
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