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Posted: 17 Oct 2011 02:19 PM PDT

By Kim Quek

The unexplained delay in submitting the annual Auditor General's report to parliament is shaping up to be a major scandal.

Sin Chew Daily reported today that when asked when the AG's report will be presented in parliament, an official from the AG's office casually replied that it will be on the first of December, which is the last day of the current parliamentary session.

When the reporter finally managed to contact the deputy AG, he said he was not at liberty to answer any question, including whether the report is completed or when it will be presented to Parliament. He suggested that questions be directed at Minister in the PM's Department, Nazri Aziz.

And Nazri Aziz, who is in charge of parliamentary affairs, was reported by Sin Chew to have said on Oct 10 that he was uncertain of the time of presentation of such report to Parliament, as such function falls under the finance ministry. Nazri was further reported in the Internet on Oct 11 to have said that he expected the report to be released two weeks after the cabinet has gone through it in the cabinet meeting on Oct 14.

Now, is the report completed?

PKR member of Parliament Johari Abdul provided the answer when he told reporters in parliament on Oct 13 that he personally called the AG's office the previous day and was told that "the report was completed much earlier than last year, and the officers there were proud because they had done a better job". In fact, the officers were shocked when told that the report had not reached the MPs.

It has been the tradition for the AG's report to reach parliamentarians in time for the annual budget debate, and this year's long delay (10 days after the budget was presented on Oct 7) despite persisting battering by opposition MPs is most unusual. From utterances of Nazri and AG officials, there is little doubt that the current year's report is ready but has been hijacked somewhere between the AG and parliament.

Tampering with the AG's function is a serious breach of the constitution, as the AG is an independent institution enjoying the same degree of independence as the judiciary and the election commission.

Apart from being appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the AG's remunerations and terms of service are determined by Parliament, and he may not be dismissed from service other than through a tribunal as that accorded to the judges (Article 105 of the federal constitution). The AG's reports go directly to the Agong, who shall cause them to be laid before parliament (Article 107).

It is obvious that such meticulously devised provisions in the constitution to accord independence to the AG are to ensure that the he can operate freely as a neutral body to check on the financial management of the government without any interference from the Executive. Note the channel of communication has been designed to by-pass the Executive. It is from the AG to the Agong, and from the Agong to Parliament.

It is clear that the Executive has no role to play in the formulation of AG's reports or its presentation to parliament.

So it is of great concern that we should be told that the report has to be deliberated by the cabinet and its release up to the ministry of finance.

And with the latest revelation that the report will only be released on the last day of the current parliamentary session and the deputy AG gagged to divulge any information, the picture is now clear.

The Auditor General, who has been much lauded in the past for having provided independent appraisals of the government's financial management, has become the latest victim to Barisan Nasional's ubiquitous tentacles which have subjugated the independent roles of virtually every other institution in this country.

To save the institution from being completely subsumed as a BN-controlled agency, Auditor General Ambrin Buang must now stand up to speak courageously to inform the nation when and to whom he has submitted his annual report, and whether there has been any attempt from the Executive to alter the content or delay the release of the report.

And Prime Minister Najib Razak must come clean with what actions the Executive has taken with respect to the AG's report.

Failing which, parliamentarians must immediately move a motion to censure the Prime Minister for such breach of the constitution.

Kim Quek

Ignorance on top

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 12:13 PM PDT

By R. Nadeswaran, The Sun

THE Malaysian civil service has over the years come under severe criticism – sometimes unfounded but most of the time on target. Bloated as it may be and described as such, civil servants keep in motion the machinery that keeps the government ticking. From collecting taxes to enforcing rules of the state and from drawing up economic forecasts to implementing development projects, these are left in the hands of people whom we perceive as competent, knowledgeable, experienced and capable.

Heads of department including directors, directors-general and permanent secretaries are appointed after they have proven themselves and many start at the bottom and work their way up, based on merit. If you don't know the General Orders, you are likely to remain stagnant; if you do not know financial procedures, you are not likely to be given the responsibility of handling taxpayers' money running into millions. On the same score, only the best and brightest get to move up the ladder, with meritocracy being the deciding factor.

We have to take that at face value and respect appointments made in the belief that they are in the best interest of the country and its people. But after a period of time, when it is discovered that not-so-competent people and not-so-knowledgeable people have been put in places of responsibility which have caused the country financial loss, who do you hold responsible?

If one headed, say, the Department of Environment at state level, he or she would have to be competent in related laws, rules and procedure. If he or she is promoted to a higher posting at federal level, handling administrative matters, can he or she plead ignorance of provisions of the law relating to pollution? Similarly, if one had served in the Treasury and was subsequently transferred to another department, surely you don't leave behind what you learnt on finance when you are promoted to another statutory body.

I have to sympathise with Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, the current Chief Secretary to the Government. He seems to have inherited a team of leaders whose competency and knowledge on matters they are responsible for seem to have suddenly abandoned them. It may not have been permanent loss of memory or temporary amnesia. They had been dealing with millions of ringgit in people's money and making decisions on multi-million ringgit projects undertaken by the government and yet, when it is crunch time, what they learnt for their degree in university fades away, what they learnt for the Master's on government money becomes discoloured and the civil service is made a laughing stock of.

Mohd Sidek has set high standards not only for his officers, but also for himself. He replies his email promptly, delegates authority, adjudicates fairly and does not micro-manage. Above all, he is competent and knowledgeable on all matters related to his portfolio and much more. This, we are told, comes with working in the International Trade Ministry under the tutelage of Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, where everyone was trained to acquire knowledge and skills, to think outside the box and apply these intelligently. Not surprisingly many of "Rafidah's Babes" have worked themselves up the ladder to head quite a number of government departments.

This brings us to the "knowledge" and "skills" of our top civil servants. Do they know what is going on in the outside world? Do they read the newspapers? Do they read journals relating to their profession? What do they acquire on lawatan sambil belajar and other related programmes to enhance their knowledge and skills? Despite displaying, at times, what can be described as sheer foolhardiness, how do they sit on the boards of international organisations?

If one of our junior reporters had told the editor "I don't know anything about bonds", he or she would have been told to go and read up on it before showing his or her face on the editorial floor. But when someone who has worked in the Treasury says "I don't know about bonds", it becomes worrying because the Treasury is supposed to be the financial nerve centre of the government. Is the Treasury not the place where you have to be on the ball because of fluctuating markets, currency rates, bond rates, etc? Such a claim could have been forgiven if it was told in jest by a clerk in a local municipality, but not by a senior civil servant with 30 years of experience. To add insult to injury, such a statement was made under oath.

Prior to that, at a parliamentary hearing, the same civil servant who had been involved in million-ringgit dealings and approvals declared that "I do not know about cash flow". Are we to assume that the top brass in our civil service have nincompoops for company? Is it suggested that incompetent people have been appointed to head government agencies and oversee government expenditure running into millions? If that is the case, it is not Mohd Sidek but his predecessors who have more than just a case to answer.

Forward, back but don’t touch

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:57 AM PDT

By Karim Raslan, The Star

The allegation that Malaysia had violated Indonesian territory is symptomatic of political issues in Indonesia – they rise, gather momentum, seemingly explode and then just as quickly disappear.

WITH Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono preparing for their annual bilateral meeting in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, tomorrow, this tukang cerita found himself pondering over the ever-changing landscape of bilateral relations: first at a gleaming, if half-deserted upscale shopping mall and, secondly, at a rooftop party high above the Jakarta skyline.

The Belleza Permata Hijau is a flamboyantly rococo shopping centre in the heart of Jakarta. It also happens to be almost empty.

I had been invited to participate in a talk show (called Big Baz) for the recently-launched Kompas TV station. Our topic was the latest Indonesia-Malaysia bilateral spat – over allegations that Malaysia had violated Indonesian territory – and the show's host was an old friend and fellow columnist Pak Budiarto Shambazy.

Since we columnists stick together, I'm here despite knowing next to nothing about border markers, the 1824 Anglo-Dutch Treaty, MOUs or Camar Bulan and Tanjung Datu in West Kalimantan ("Kalbar").

The Belleza's echoing atrium provided an elegant, if slightly surreal backdrop for the weekly show.

There was also a string quartet of four pretty girls in brightly coloured dresses practising their music.

They appeared to be having difficulty keeping the time. Truth be told, they're not that tuneful either.

In the meantime, the producers and cameramen were testing the sound and lighting.

For some reason, I was sweating profusely. I tried not to think about how wet my hair was or the moisture on the back of my batik shirt. The thought of looking drenched on national television made me sweat even more.

So, in an effort to cool down, I sat and chatted with my fellow guests: a leading PDI-P politician, Pak TB Hassanuddin (who's partly responsible for the way the issue exploded into the public domain); a nervous bureaucrat, Pak Sutrisno; and a supremely calm and efficient foreign policy specialist, Connie Bakrie – who assured me that she wasn't a member of "that family".

Since I had been totally baffled by the controversy, I asked Pak TB (who's also a former general) to explain what's going on. Given that he's the deputy head of the influential First Commission of the Indonesian Parliament which deals with issues of national security, I received a thorough briefing.

Later (and on air), I suggested that he should visit Kuala Lumpur to explain to the Malaysian public what's going on since most people, including me, are both bemused and confused by the whole affair.

Pak TB and I had faced each other many times on Indonesian TV. As such, our encounter was accompanied by a good deal of gentle joshing. Indeed, the last time we met he even threatened to eat me!

The actual taping was slightly disappointing.

The Belleza had terrible acoustics and we could barely hear one another speak. A number of scenes had to be retaken and Pak TB's robust enthusiasm was swamped by the technical details.

Finally, in the penultimate section, a sinetron star – Marcella Zalianty – joined the panel. This immediately caused a frisson of excitement.

Tall, fair-skinned and very good-looking, Marcella had earlier released a documentary called Cerita dari Tapal Balas ("Stories from the Frontier") that delved into the lives of ordinary Indonesians at Kalbar's Entikong border crossing.

Her presence reminded me how the lines between celebrity, politics and activism were blurred in Indonesia.

Sadly, even with Marcella on board, the technical details still overwhelmed the rest of the production.

Finishing up, I salam my fellow guests as Pak TB introduced me to the latest and youngest addition to his family. We laughed and agreed to meet for lunch.

Jumping into my car, I headed off for a party in Jalan Sudirman.

As I watch the city pass by my window, I realise that there's a certain rhythm to political issues in Indonesia. They rise, gather momentum, seemingly explode and then just as quickly disappear.

What I'd just experience was the tail-end of the latest bilateral spat – an issue that was reaching its natural end.

Later, and high above Jakarta's streets on a hotel balcony with the glittering lights of the city's countless skyscrapers below me, I watched the party guests dancing the poco-poco.

Swaying gently, the dancers moved forward then back, their footwork surprisingly neat and precise. There's a lilt to the poco-poco and subdued energy as all the focus was directed into maintaining the overall form while the dancers' bodies never touched.

The restrained elegance of the dance – with its careful self-containment – is an apt metaphor for our bilateral relationship: maju, undur tapi gak sentuh.

Have fun in Lombok, guys!

Muhyiddin Whips Up Anti-BN Support Again

Posted: 17 Oct 2011 10:41 AM PDT

By Mariam Mokhtar

Cabinet ministers must think us stupid. Any unexpected improvements to a normally dilapidated area can only mean two things – a forthcoming by-election or a ministerial visit.

Residents throughout Malaysia are aware of the tell-tale signs: Potholes are repaired, instant gardens appear, buildings are given a face-lift and the much touted problems of litter, blocked drains and public toilets disappear overnight – like a fairy godmother has waved her magic wand.

In addition, the area is heavily policed to prevent crime, drug addicts are forcibly removed and homeless people are moved on.

And so it was for the Ampangan community which noticed the frenzied activity in the days before the visit of the Deputy Prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

Muhyiddin arrived last Saturday for his scheduled walkabout to Ampangan. After he toured the UDA flats, the wet market and Pasar Tani, he then presented the government's case to the public, with a view to winning their votes.

Sadly, Muhyiddin rubbed the residents up the wrong way.

Instead of treating the rakyat with respect and humility, Muhyiddin talked down to them and told them that the BN government had done much to improve the lives of Malaysians. He told the audience that we should be 'grateful' to BN.

Muhyiddin might be seen as a chubby cherub in his Ministry but his arrogance is enough to vote him out of office.

Since when has a government servant, who was elected to serve the people, been so obtuse and insolent? Being patronising will cost him votes.

Cynics might ask if we should be grateful for BN's racist and discriminatory policies. Or for its flip-flop policies in education which are destroying the future of our youth, teachers and educational establishments.

Did he want us to be thankful that our country has one of the highest levels of corruption in all levels of public office? What about the low wages given to our workers? Or the preferential treatment for migrant workers who have more voting rights and privileges than many Malaysians?

Has Muhyiddin forgotten that criminal acts by those in high office are unchecked by the enforcement agencies? And that our women and children are discriminated against?

Muhyiddin told the public: "It's not easy to be the government; the opposition is only good at making promises which they never have to fulfil."

He could have added: "Just like BN."

Muhyiddin also said that Malaysia would go bankrupt, if the opposition were to win the general election.

But his claims are not substantiated by economic successes in Selangor and Penang.

Many will recall that earlier in the year, the DPM had already chastised Pakatan for their 100-day reforms when he said: "Pakatan can promise the sun, moon, stars and mountains... But that is not the way of the BN government. We cannot squander our nation's wealth."

Really, Muhyiddin?

What about those multi-billion ringgit projects with commissions to high ranking politicians and their cronies that go undetected, or if they are reported, are swept under the carpet? Think Scorpene, the offshore patrol boats and other arms deals. Think of all the timber exports from Sarawak and the Bakun dam.

What about the millions paid out by his boss, the Prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, to media companies like FBC and CNBC, to paint a glossy picture of Malaysia under Najib's rule. Our PM flits about the world spending millions on air travel, but many of our people can't afford one decent meal a day.

Muhyiddin must live in his own dream world. People are disillusioned with 54 years of Umno/BN and we are more divided than ever.

Zimbabwe was once the Bread-Basket of Africa, but look at it now. Malaya was a colony that was once the pride and joy of the British Empire but our economy is failing and our status diminished. We might soon join President Robert Mugabe, in the world ranking of failed nation states.

Standards in education are pitiful, the civil service is expanding but is less productive, whilst our defence spending has spiraled into orbit.

So Muhyiddin claims that Pakatan never fulfils their promises.

Does he remember the time when Umno's Kalabakan MP Abdul Ghapur Salleh submitted a full report on the terrible condition of the schools in East Malaysia, including structurally unsafe schools in Tawau and schools in Sibu, where holes in the ground served as toilets?

Abdul Ghapur complained that Muhyiddin's Ministry sat on the report for over a year without doing anything about it.

Perhaps, these students, their parents and the teachers should have been smarter and requested an official visit from Muhyiddin. At least that way, they can be assured of some cosmetic changes to their buildings.

That was the same conclusion reached in Ampangan.

Dr Mohamad Rafie Abdul Malik from the PKR supreme council, doubts BN's sincerity to help the public and he estimated the cost for beautifying the area in preparation for Muhyiddin's visit, at a few hundred thousand ringgits.

Others speculate that the bunting and banners to publicise the DPM's visit cost another few hundred thousand ringgits.

He said, "I'm not questioning the upgrading and instant development, which will benefit the residents here. But why wait for Muhyiddin's visit to do this upgrading?"

Apparently, the complaints by residents, about lack of maintenance to the building's infrastructure, went unheeded for years, until the DPM's visit.

Muhyiddin must think us blind. BN's frenetic activity only occurs in the weeks before the election and not in the years between general elections.

On the other hand, Muhyiddin's promises of aid for Ampangan could have been fuelled by Pakatan Rakyat claims that a marginal five per cent swing in four key seats in the state would unseat the BN government.

This desperate pouring of assistance for the area is driven by fear. Should the rakyat be grateful to BN for that?

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Selasa, 18 Oktober 2011

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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