Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- 'CCM being abused to prop up Isa'
- Zaid Ibrahim’s KITA opts out of polls, to back Pakatan
- ‘We won’t surrender an inch’
- Nurul Izzah: ‘Balai Polis Kerinchi’ a voter in Lembah Pantai
- PM: Asia has fastest growing defence expenditure
- No charge for KR1M
- Pua ‘shoots’ down ‘arrogant’ Zahid
- Kit Siang demands Najib, Cabinet explain CPI rankings slide
- Fernandes: We didn’t ask for new baggage system
- MACC panel: Foreigners not needed
- Malaysia Moving Steadily Toward Cloud
- Chua told to apologise over latest anti-Islam jibe
- Karpal: Datukships put DAP in ‘awkward spot’
- Choose wrongly at nation’s peril, Najib warns voters
- Ex-Perlis MB denies graft claims over power plant
- "Pekida and Govt must work together to ensure survival of BN"
| 'CCM being abused to prop up Isa' Posted: 05 Dec 2011 07:28 PM PST (Harakah Daily) - Felda Settlers' Children Association (ANAK) is claiming that the Federal government is involved in the manipulation of Felda's cooperative wing Koperasi Permodalan Felda (KPF), including in the controversial appointment of former Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar and current Felda chairman Isa Samad (right) to head KPF. ANAK chairman Mazlan Aliman said the government was also meddling in the affairs of the Cooperative Commission of Malaysia in its bid to ensure Felda Global Venture Holding's listing at the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange."It seems like the government is bent on manipulating all agencies including CCM to ensure Isa not only becomes member of KPF, but also its chairman to ensure the successful listing of Felda Global Venture Holding (FHVH) at Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange," Mazlan told Harakahdaily. He added that reliable information had been received about CCM's backing to Isa ahead of KPF's extraordinary annual meeting on January 5, 2012. ANAK, he said, would apply for a court injunction to stop the meeting from taking place. Mazlan, who is also PAS central committee member, said ANAK disagreed with CCM's approval of Isa as a KPF member citing he was not qualified. Last October 18, a report was lodged by Bangkit, another whistleblower group within Felda, against CCM over the appointment of Isa, a non-employee of Felda, as KPF chairman. It was understood that after Isa and his lawyers met with CCM, the commission made an about-turn and accepted Isa. "This is a cunning move by Isa Samad and it raises suspicions," said Mazlan (left). Isa's chairman status Mazlan also pointed out that Isa's status as Felda chairman was being disputed following a letter sent by CCM three days ago to Bangkit chairman Abdul Rahman Ramli which stated that Isa's appointment had yet to be confirmed. "However, a letter by the prime minister's private secretary implied that Isa has been confirmed as Felda chairman. We demand an explanation about Isa's status," he added. Last October, Isa, once suspended for money politics during UMNO party polls, created an uproar within the Felda community after he was said to have self-appointed himself based on a recommendation letter by prime minister Najib Razak. |
| Zaid Ibrahim’s KITA opts out of polls, to back Pakatan Posted: 05 Dec 2011 07:26 PM PST By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KITA, a party founded by former Umno-turned-PKR politician Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, announced today it will not be contesting in the coming polls and promised to offer its "unconditional support" to the federal opposition. In a statement posted on its website today, the party said it had decided to reverse its earlier decision to contest in the polls as it wanted to maintain solidarity with the opposition and not jeopardise its chances. "Whilst we disagree with some of the opposition's policies, we believe that despite these shortcomings the opposition will not destroy racial harmony in Malaysia ... unity demands that smaller parties, such as ourselves, give way to larger political parties to ensure optimum results in the election," it said. The party also came out in defence of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) amid the ongoing barrage of Umno-led attacks against DAP as a "racist" party. During the just-concluded Umno annual general meeting (AGM), delegates took turns to warn against DAP's purported dominance in PR, claiming if the pact claims Putrajaya, the Malays would lose power to the Chinese. Calling the accusations "dangerous and irresponsible", KITA said the statements would only widen current divisions in society. |
| Posted: 05 Dec 2011 04:25 PM PST Only BN can safeguard position of Malays and Islam, says PM |
| Nurul Izzah: ‘Balai Polis Kerinchi’ a voter in Lembah Pantai Posted: 05 Dec 2011 02:33 PM PST By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar claimed today that there were 97 discrepancies in the Lembah Pantai postal voters' list, including one voter with the name "Balai Polis Kerinchi". The MP for the constituency told reporters today that while the identity card number RF161872 corresponded to a Mohd Faizul Mohd Yusop on the Election Commission's (EC) online database, "Balai Polis Kerinchi is on the official electoral roll that will be used." "We don't know if it's Balai bin Polis Kerinchi or Balai Polis bin Kerinchi," she said. "This is the gazette for the third quarter. If elections are held tomorrow, this is the list we will use." She also claimed 96 other errors in the list of 2,180 postal voters such as ICs that were not on the EC's online database, voters who can cast their ballot in two constituencies and also two different places in Lembah Pantai itself. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has repeatedly complained of errors in the electoral roll with DAP Youth chief Anthony Loke recently claiming that military ICs were used to register both a male and female postal voter each. Tens of thousands had poured into the streets of the capital to demand free and fair elections in the July 9 Bersih rally that resulted in a bipartisan parliamentary select committee to improve the electoral system. The panel made 10 interim recommendations last week including the use of indelible ink to prevent multiple voting, a royal commission on allegations of foreigners being given the right to vote in Sabah and allowing Malaysians residing overseas to vote.
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| PM: Asia has fastest growing defence expenditure Posted: 05 Dec 2011 02:31 PM PST (The Star) - LANGKAWI: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak opened the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2011 (LIMA '11), underscoring that defence and security are of paramount importance to regional and national strategic interests. The Prime Minister pointed out that defence and security ensured not only territorial integrity but also the sovereignty that all countries hold dear. He said that Asia today enjoyed the fastest-growing economy in the world, and defence expenditure was no exception. "Aerospace and maritime spending is surging, and is set to rise yet further as governments continue to tackle both traditional and non-traditional security threats," he said at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre (MIEC). More than 400 companies from 35 countries at taking part in the 11th edition of LIMA. Najib said the government would provide the best tools for the men and women in uniform as "there can be no doubting (their) bravery and heroism." "That means giving them the latest, safest, most cutting-edge equipment capable of meeting the challenges of modern warfare." He noted that LIMA was not just about the latest military technology as it was also about the commercial sectors of the maritime and aerospace industries which were exhibiting here for the first time. Over half of the world's top 100 maritime and aerospace suppliers are present for the show. According to LIMA organisers, on display are 65 aircraft as well as 14 warships from around the world. |
| Posted: 05 Dec 2011 02:29 PM PST By Pauline Wong, The Sun PETALING JAYA (Dec 6, 2011): The suppliers of Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M), which has been hit by food item recalls, will not be punished for mislabelling the products – despite this being an offence under two food laws. Health Ministry director-general Datuk Seri Hasan Abdul Rahman confirmed that the KR1M management has been told to remove 13 affected products from its shelves and relabel them accordingly. Mislabelling or providing inaccurate information on a product's nature and content is an offence under the Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985. Those found guilty face a fine or three years jail term under the Food Act, and RM5,000 fine and maximum two years' jail, or both under the Food Regulations 1985. Pressed again if KR1M suppliers will be charged, Hasan replied, "No, we have asked them to relabel the affected products." However, the decision not to charge KR1M has riled the Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (Fomca), whose president Datuk Marimuthu Nadason berated the ministry for its lack of action. "Shame on the Health Ministry for not taking firm action. The law is the law. There can be no double-standards (in this matter). "Our food regulations are some of the best in Asia but if they look good only on paper, without implementation, you might as well disregard them," he said. A senior official of the Domestic Trade, Consumerism and Cooperatives Ministry, which oversees the KR1M initiative nationwide, said it had no jurisdiction over food items. The officer, however, said, "We are serious about asking suppliers to adhere to Health Ministry regulations." The officer said the mislabelling could be a mistake born of ignorance as many suppliers were small-medium enterprises and stressed that it was not a food safety issue. However, Marimuthu claimed mislabelling was not the only concern and hit out at the management of KR1M, which sells generic household items and foodstuff at up to 50% cheaper than other house brands. "We want those who are responsible for these stores to follow the standards and regulations as laid out in the Food Act and Food Regulations," he said. He said the intention might have been noble, but the products must be capable of building "confidence" among consumers or it would go to waste. The products sold at the KR1M came under scrutiny after several opposition MPs raised issues of contamination, misleading food labels and products not compliant with regulations. On Saturday, the Health Ministry ordered 13 KR1M branded products – fresh milk, sweetened condensed creamer, condensed milk, oyster-flavoured sauce, fruit jam, canned chicken curry, mango cordial, ghee compounds, peanuts, peanut butter and sardines – removed from the shelves for relabelling. It also confirmed that the KR1M fresh milk tested positive for E. coli bacteria contamination, a strain of bacteria which cause food poisoning. Following this, KR1M management said in a statement on Sunday that it will re-test some 250 products. It said the tests for all 250 1Malaysia products would cost up to RM300,000 and be borne by the suppliers and manufacturers. Marimuthu said Fomca had tested the products and will present its results to the Domestic Trade, Consumerism and Cooperatives Ministry on Thursday. He did not reveal what the tests were, but said he would clear up the matter and seek assurance of consumer safety. When contacted, Mydin Mohamad Holdings managing director Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin said the management had taken appropriate action to address concerns, starting with recalling the mislabelled products. Mydin manages the KR1M stores, including supplies. "Like any responsible retailer, when there is an issue with the products, the priority is to recall the products and return to the market as soon as possible," he said. He dismissed concerns over food safety, insisting that it was only mislabelling, and added that some of the products had been relabelled and put back on the shelves. Ameer Ali said consumers who bought any of the 13 recalled products could return them for a full refund. |
| Pua ‘shoots’ down ‘arrogant’ Zahid Posted: 05 Dec 2011 02:26 PM PST By Stephanie Sta Maria, FMT PETALING JAYA: Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi came under heavy fire from the opposition for "arrogantly" shooting down a bi-partisan parliamentary oversight committee on defence expenditure. Petaling Jaya Utara DAP MP, Tony Pua, launched the salvo at Ahmad Zahid, saying the latter's "contemptuous arrogance" proved the ministry's "complete lack of interest" in transparency and accountability. Pakatan Rakyat has pushed for the setting up of such a committee in the wake of unexplained multi-billion ringgit defence deals involving the ministry. But Ahmad Zahid attacked the recommendation yesterday, declaring his confidence in the ability and transparency of the evaluation committee of the three branches of the Malaysian Armed Forces. He added that as such, scrutiny of defence deals by the opposition was unnecessary. In a press statement today, Pua retaliated, saying that Ahmad Zahid's statement explained why Malaysia had received a dismal "transparency" rating. In the inaugural "Transparency of Defence Budgets Report last month, Transparancy International (TI) gave Malaysia a rating of only 4.5 points out of a maximum of 12. "Malaysia is ranked alongside Afghanistan, Rwanda, Georgia and Azerbaijan in the report, well below other countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea," Pua said. "The results of the research indicate that some 14 percent of the countries under review in this study scored high and these are primarily developed countries with strong democratic systems in place." Secret programmes The director of the International Defence and Security Program for TI in United Kingdom, Mark Pyman, had explained that Malaysia ranked far below other countries because the (defence) budget lacked details and no audits were undertaken of the secret programmes. Pua also said that Ahmad Zahid's disdain towards transparency and accountability was clearly evident in his reply to Pua's question on the ministry's purchase of 257 armoured personnel carriers. Pua, who is also DAP national publicity secretary, had demanded an explanation for the gap between the RM7.55 billion paid for the carriers to Deftech Sdn Bhd and the RM1.7 billion that Deftech would later pay to Turkish defence manufacturer, FNSS Defences Systems, for the same items. Deftech is a subsidiary of DRB-Hicom Bhd based in Pekan, Pahang, a company controlled by Syed Mokhtar Syed Bokhari. "The minister had acknowledged the above transactions, but had the gall to claim 'no knowledge' of the Deftech-FNSS transactions and wasn't able to explain the difference between the two contracts," Pua said. "He (Ahmad Zahid) was also not forthcoming in explaining other sizeable transactions such as the RM6 billion purchase of six second generation patrol vessels as well as the RM2.3 billion acquisition of 12 Eurocopter EC725 helicopters."
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| Kit Siang demands Najib, Cabinet explain CPI rankings slide Posted: 05 Dec 2011 02:24 PM PST By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider The Prime Minister and his entire Cabinet must explain Malaysia's poor Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranking as it cannot continue to remain "the elephant in the room" for the government, Lim Kit Siang said today. In a report released by Transparency International (TI), Malaysia's CPI dropped for the third year running, slipping to 4.3 this year, leaving it in 60th place out of 183 countries compared with 37th place when Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over as prime minister in 2003. "Datuk Seri Najib Razak should give a full and detailed explanation as to why after 32 months of his premiership, Malaysia has suffered the national ignominy of the worst-ever ranking of No. 60 and lowest-ever score of 4.3 in TI CPI 2011 for the past 17 years.
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| Fernandes: We didn’t ask for new baggage system Posted: 05 Dec 2011 12:54 PM PST AirAsia denies requesting Malaysian Airports Holdings Bhd for a sophisticated baggage handling system. (Free Malaysia Today) - AirAsia chief executive officer, Tony Fernandes, in a tweet this morning denied requesting Malaysian Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) for a sophisticated baggage handling system (BHS) to be installed in Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2). "The baggage system is a red herring by MAB. We didn't ask for it. But whatever it is, it didn't cost RM3.9 billion. Or delay terminal by almost two years," he said. KLIA2, or commonly referred as the New Low-Cost Carrier Terminal project, was announced in 2010 and was originally slated to be completed in April next year to accommodate 30 to 35 million passengers. Fernandes' statement comes after MAHB released two letters signed by Tony and MAHB's CEO and managing director Bashir Ahmad. In the letter dated June 16, 2011, Fernandes stated that he would prefer installation of the most sophisticated fully automated BHS (baggage handling system) in KLIA2, reported the New Straits Times today.
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| MACC panel: Foreigners not needed Posted: 05 Dec 2011 10:00 AM PST By T K Letchumy Tamboo, The Malay Mail KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) advisory panel has lambasted the proposal by the Selangor government to bring in foreign experts to investigate the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal. They believe such a move would be "a disgrace and an insult" to the institution, and any foreign assistance should be used only as a last resort. Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim yesterday declared the State government's willingness to hire foreign experts to probe the NFC issue. MACC advisory committee member Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas said the move would be demeaning and humiliating to the institution. "It will be a very sad day if all our national scandals are going to be investigated by foreign experts. It just portrays and reflects our weaknesses," he told The Malay Mail in a telephone. Megat Najmuddin said the proposal by the Selangor government was a "politicisation of sorts". "Face it, our society is now split to two. One is the Opposition and the other is the government. This is a proposal to try to politicise the enforcement of law in the country and it is not right," he said. "If they are not happy, there are certain ways to express it and there are certain ways to express it and there are certain ways to do it. We have had countless Royal Commissions of Inquiry (RCI) and they could have suggested to have one for the NFC controversy." Megat Najmuddin also said the NFC scandal may be a misuse of funds and not really a criminal case. "I do not see any criminality in the NFC sacndal. The police have said there is no criminality involved in it. The MACC has also said there is no evidence of corruption in the issue and as such it is not under their jurisdiction," he said. "There may be a misuse of funds but that's not even a crime. If you take a loan from a bank and use it for other purposes, how could it possibly be a crime? Exhaust all local avenues first "We cannot simply convict people based on suspicion and hearsay. I have no idea what the Selangor government is screaming about. They are just trying to politicise the whole issue." Former chairman of the MACC panel on prevention and consultation Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam felt it was not proper or fair at this stage for any political group to invite foreign experts to investigate the NFC scandal. "This issue must be approached professionally and not politically. If the MACC is not investigating the matter further, then it should be left to the police," he said. "Only after that investigation in Malaysia should other avenues be sought." Ramon said that in the event of dissatisfaction on the outcome of the initial investigation, there would be nothing to prevent any parties from starting investigations on their own, be it with foreign experts' help or without. "We have to follow our own traditional methods with integrity and transparency," he said. MACC advisory board member Tan Sri Simon Sipaun, who offered his personal views, said the proposal may mean that the Selangor government lack confidence in the MACC. "They may not have faith in us but it is their prerogative to bring in foreign experts," he said. "MACC, upon its investigation, found that the scandal has no elements of corruption and that was why they passed the baton to the police in the fi rst place. "I think, from what I read in the newspaper reports, this whole controversy is just an abuse of public funds." |
| Malaysia Moving Steadily Toward Cloud Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:49 AM PST By Roger Strukhoff, Sys-Con Media Malaysia seems to be moving steadily toward cloud computing, at least according to results of the latest Cloud Maturity Index study conducted by Forrester Research on behalf of WMware's Singapore office. Of the 158 Malaysian companies surveyed, 64% respondents said they have deployed or are actively planning cloud initiatives. Insurance companies led the way among current deployers with 67% reporting current cloud initiatives. The education sector led among groups planning to deploy, with a positive response rate of 69%. These results can be viewed in context with research earlier this year by Asia Cloud, a non-profit based in Hong Kong. This organization's Cloud Readiness Index, which considered more than a dozen factors, ranked Malaysia in seventh place in Asia. Malaysia emerges as a star performer overall in the Tau Index research I've been conducting over the past year. In my research, I weigh a number of technology and social measurements into a recipe that delivers a "pound-for-pound" ranking of national ICT expenditures. This mixed bag results in a strong overall ranking for Malaysia within the Tau Index. The country has its shortcomings, to be sure, but is clearly headed in the right direction. It's the prototype "not-quite-highly-developed" nation. It also leads the pack among its immediate neighbors, with the exception of the wealthy Singaporean city-state. |
| Chua told to apologise over latest anti-Islam jibe Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:44 AM PST (Harakah Daily) - Muslim youth group ABIM today joined PAS leaders in condemning MCA president Chua Soi Lek's latest 'Islamophobic' statement that Islamic laws would drive away investors from the country. ABIM secretary-general Mohamad Raimi Ab Rahim also expressed the movement's disappointment over "failure by certain quarters to give him (Chua) the necessary information" on the subject of hudud and Islamic laws.Yesterday, Chua (right), whose statements deriding Islamic customs went unpunished by the authorities, told his party's forum called "Hudud and its Implications on non-Muslims" that Islamic laws were not fair to women and contravened human rights because it prescribed 'cruel' punishments for serious crimes. To prove his theory, Chua said Genting, which hosts Malaysia's only casino in Genting Highlands, Pahang, would be shut down by PAS resulting the loss of 15,000 jobs, 20 million tourists and RM1 billion in taxes. "Then we will have difficulty in attracting investment and even existing investors may pull out," said the former Health minister, who resigned after a video clip of him engaging in sex with a Chinese prostitute became public. According to Raimi, Chua's statement not only exposed his ignorance and malicious intentions which could spark tensions among adherents of different religions, but also his disrespect towards Muslim sensitivities. Urging the authorities to take action against Chua, ABIM said he should publicly apologise to Muslims in the country. PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man meanwhile said Chua's criticisms of Islamic laws were nothing new, and said it was more disappointing to note UMNO's approval of his remarks by remaining silent. "Having failed to convince the Chinese community to support BN, he now resorts to lambasting the hudud laws. But what is really sad is that UMNO chooses to remain silent amid the ongoing insults," said Tuan Ibrahim. Referring to the now familiar claim by UMNO leaders that PAS was being exploited by DAP to undermine Islam, Tuan Ibrahim (left) pointed out that Chua's latest derogatory remarks about Islamic laws only proved who was being exploited. He said Chua had been over the years been emboldened by UMNO's criticisms of hudud enactments in Kelantan and Terengganu which it dismissed as deviation from Islamic laws. "PAS has repeatedly urged them to show us where we had committed the error (in the enactments). If what we enacted is not the true hudud as alleged, then UMNO should enact the true hudud enactments and we at PAS will definitely support them," said Tuan Ibrahim. 'UMNO Ustads sell their souls' PAS Central Committee member Dzulkefly Ahmad (left) said UMNO leaders should instead try to allay fears about Islam among the non-Muslims, but were doing the opposite. "Islam is lambasted on MCA's stage for the sake of popularity in the next general election," said Dzulkefly, referring to UMNO's representatives Kamal Saidi and Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya, who participated in the anti-hudud forum. "Clearly, UMNO would do anything including selling off Islam to gain a few votes while the men of religion in UMNO sell their souls for MCA's sake," said the Kuala Selangor member of parliament. Earlier, the anti-hudud forum by MCA saw the withdrawal of Muslim non-governmental organisation Islamic Renaissance Front, saying the BN party attempted to use it for its narrow political agenda. "At no certain terms would we have agreed to participate in this forum if the intention of MCA was made clear to us beforehand. We agreed on good faith that there would be an intellectual discussion on this issue. However it seems that Dr Chua Soi Lek has twisted the facts and turned it to become a front supporting the Prime Minister and anti-opposition," said IRF director Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa. This was followed by another NGO slamming Chua for trying to make political mileage. "I accepted the invitation in good faith, based on the understanding that it will be an open discussion on the topic. I did not expect the MCA president to suddenly turn the forum into a propaganda briefing," said Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs's Wan Saiful Wan Jan. |
| Karpal: Datukships put DAP in ‘awkward spot’ Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:40 AM PST (The Star) - DAP national chairman Karpal Singh regrets that two party leaders had accepted the Datukship awards bestowed on them by their respective Rulers, reported Nanyang Siang Pau. He said Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Selangor Assembly Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim's acceptance of the award had put the party in an "awkward spot". "Their acceptance was not in line with the party's stand and principle as only party members who had retired or were not politically active are allowed to accept titles," he said. Ngeh and Teng were conferred titles in 2008 and 2010 respectively. Asked if their refusal would be perceived as an insult to the Rulers, Karpal said it was the party's stand and therefore, would not be deemed an insult.
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| Choose wrongly at nation’s peril, Najib warns voters Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:38 AM PST By A Ruban, The Star SHAH ALAM: Choose the wrong side in the coming general election and risk the nation going downhill, warned Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Citing Barisan Nasional's impressive track record, Najib said only the current coalition knew how to rule the nation and take it to greater heights. "If we miscalculate and choose the wrong side, our country could very much end up like Greece. What Barisan built today could be destroyed in a flash if the wrong side rules the country tomorrow. "We may be strong now and we may have good resources, but we could face a similar predicament like Greece if the wrong side is chosen," he said at the Islamic Propagation and Welfare Organisation of Malaysia (Pekida) assembly here yesterday. Referring to the Opposition as "they", Najib said most plans made by them were against the nation's development and focused more on seizing power. "They are not in power yet but are already criticising the Malay rulers and expressing hope to change the Jalur Gemilang. "In the civil service, they have said that hundreds of civil servants would be stopped from working when they come to power," he added. Unlike the Opposition, Najib said Barisan was concentrating on developing the nation for the benefit of the people. He cited the RM100 assistance to students and RM500 to all households with incomes of less than RM3,000 as among the good deeds done by the Barisan government. "Poor families and students are given assistance. There's more room for improvement, especially in the rural areas. "For this, we will continue to ensure that the gap between the rich and poor is narrower," he said. Najib added that he was confident that Barisan would triumph once again in the coming election. "As a prime minister, I will continue to do the best for the people and we will not step back. "We will show that Barisan can do it because only with us, you can dream of a fisherman's son or farmer's son to be a minister or CEO of a big company," Najib said, pointing at Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar, who he said came from a poor family. Commenting on the assembly, Najib said it was the job of Pekida to ensure that Malay rights were taken care of. He noted that Pekida had been on track and had been doing a good job in championing Malay rights. "Pekida must continue to flex its muscles and bring up the Malays in the country," he said. |
| Ex-Perlis MB denies graft claims over power plant Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:32 AM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Despite a finding by Swiss authorities after exhaustive investigations, Umno veteran Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Pawanteh has denied accepting a bribe from French engineering giant Alstom for a power plant in Perlis. The former Perlis mentri besar and Dewan Negara president was responding to the Singapore's Straits Times that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officials raided his Teknologi Tenaga Perlis Consortium's (TTPC) office last week as he was directly implicated in Alstom's indictment for bribery in securing foreign contracts.
"I wish to categorically state that the allegations contained in the above report are totally baseless and malicious," Abdul Hamid (picture) said in a statement to The Malaysian Insider last night. He stressed that the company's board of directors, including Ti Chee Liang who was named in the Swiss court papers, did not receive "7.5 million Swiss francs (RM25.5 million) to help Alstom Malaysia secure a contract to build a power plant in Perlis in late 1995". "I confirm that no monies were received by any Board members including me," the Umno veteran said. Abdul Hamid explained that the decision to award the contract was unanimous and the contract was later awarded on November 30, 1999 when he was the board chairman. He was Perlis mentri besar between 1986 and 1995 before being made TTPC board chairman from 1996 to 2005. The politician also disclosed that he was unaware of ongoing investigations into Alstom Malaysia by the Swiss authorities. "To date, I have not been notified or called by thern to make any statements or provide any details. I am shocked that the Swiss authorities have accused Ti and me of wrongdoings, financial or otherwise. "For this reason, I have instructed solicitors in Switzerland to initiate proceedings to clear my name. I welcome any investigation pertaining to these baseless allegations," Abdul Hamid said in his statement. In the report picked up by The Malaysian Insider, the Singapore Straits Times said both Abdul Hamid and his former business partner Ti were singled out in the criminal summons against Alstom. According to ST, Alstom was fined €31 million (RM130 million) by the Swiss Attorney-General two weeks ago for failing to implement proper controls to prevent bribery by company executives in Malaysia, Latvia and Tunisia, an offence under Swiss law. Alstom is a major player in Malaysia in the power business, and is credited with supplying key equipment for nearly 7.5 gigawatts of the country's installed power generation capacity, the paper added. Last month, Alstom's Malaysian office denied it was aware of local investigation regarding the RM130 million fine by Swiss authorities involving contracts awarded to the company here. "There is no probe ongoing in Malaysia that we are aware of and Alstom has co-operated fully in Switzerland. The fine is for corporate negligence in the past and not for bribery," Alstom Malaysia president Saji Raghavan said in a statement. "In fact, investigation confirms there is no systematic bribery and sufficient controls are in place," he pointed out. The company had described itself as a "subcontractor of a consortium" and a "victim of the actions of some of its employees, who would have benefited from kickbacks", according to a previous Reuters report.
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| "Pekida and Govt must work together to ensure survival of BN" Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:16 AM PST (Malaysian Digest) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said there is no other option that can guarantee a bright future for the country except by maintaining the existing government. He said political power comes from the people in which if the struggle is based on the interests of the people, then the people will continue to support the present government. READ ALSO Pekida: 'Kami bukan gengster, kami tolong Melayu' Najib to aid Pekida in return for election support What is this outfit called Pekida?
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