Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- First Lady Michelle Obama and First Lady Rosmah Mansor
- New Italian, Greek governments race to limit damage
- Sex, Politics & Seksualiti Merdeka
- Is sustainable development possible?
- Ambiga now Umno’s troubled nightmare
- China unlikely to budge on thorny South China Sea dispute
- Shall we dread or welcome the dragon?
- Karpal: Strong Umno move to ‘knock off’ Najib
- The Bangsar beef pie in the sky
- ‘Rosmah, a thorn in Najib’s side’
- SPOTLIGHT: A test of Umno's reinvention
- Cometh the ‘third force’
- MAIS now has free hand over zakat’s millions
| First Lady Michelle Obama and First Lady Rosmah Mansor Posted: 14 Nov 2011 12:01 AM PST
First lady Michelle Obama greets Datin Sri Rosmah Mansor, wife of the Prime Minister of Malaysia before the APEC Spousal Luncheon at Kualoa Ranch in Ka'a'awa, Hawaii.
http://forum.lowyat.net/topic/2108374
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| New Italian, Greek governments race to limit damage Posted: 13 Nov 2011 05:07 PM PST "This has become a crisis for our common currency, the euro, which does not have the support that every currency should have," he said in a video message. REUTERS Technocrat leaders in Italy and Greece were rushing to form governments as they sought to limit the damage from the euro zone debt crisis today, with stocks and the euro rising when markets opened in Asia. Italy's president asked former European Commissioner Mario Monti yesterday to form a government to restore market confidence in an economy whose debt burden is too big for the euro bloc to bail out. Investors will pass initial judgment on his leadership when Italy's Treasury asks investors today to bid for up to €3 billion (RM12.9 billion) in five-year government bonds. At an auction last week, the government's borrowing costs surged above six per cent and kept rising to levels well beyond what the country could afford to pay over the longer term. In Asia, stocks and the euro rose on hopes that Monti and Greece's new prime minister, Lucas Papademos, would take decisive action. "Symbolically perhaps it's (Berlusconi's exit) a positive — it sends the message that it's putting a certain chapter behind them but the fact remains is that this is difficult medicine to administer and it doesn't really matter who gives the order, it's going to be a difficult pill to swallow," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Trust in Chicago, which oversees US$50 billion. Onus on governments Outgoing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi made a parting call yesterday for the European Central Bank to become a lender of last resort to prop up the euro. "This has become a crisis for our common currency, the euro, which does not have the support that every currency should have," he said in a video message. But ECB policymakers have made plain they want to keep the onus on governments to bring their debt burdens under control and have rebuffed world leaders who want the bank to ramp up its intervention on bond markets to defend Italy and other vulnerable debtors. "Monetary financing (of government debt) will set the wrong incentives, neglect the root causes of the problem, violate the legal foundations on which we work, and destroy the credibility and trust in institutions," ECB governing council member Jens Weidmann told the Financial Times, adding he was confident "Italy will be able to deliver".
 Polls published in Greek newspapers show new leader Papademos has the support of three in four Greeks. — Reuters pic While Italy's problems and the long-drawn-out departure of the flamboyant Berlusconi have pushed the collapse of the much smaller Greek economy backstage, the IMF and European leaders will keep Papademos, under pressure to implement radical reform aimed at staving off bankruptcy. Papademos succeeds George Papandreou, whose proposal to hold a referendum on the country's bailout terms prompted EU leaders to raise the threat of a Greek exit from the currency bloc. The new Greek leader, a former central banker who oversaw his country's entry to the euro zone in 2002, must win a Wednesday confidence vote in his cabinet before meeting euro zone finance ministers in Brussels on Thursday, state television reported, where he will be expected to outline next year's draft budget before putting it to parliament. Polls published in yesterday's newspapers show Papademos has the support of three in four Greeks. But he will face his first protest in front of parliament this afternoon from left-wing demonstrators who accuse the new government of working in the interests of bankers. Meanwhile inspectors from the "troika", the International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank and European Union, are due to start arriving in Athens on Monday, piling the pressure on Greece to qualify for a second bailout worth €130 billion and an €8 billion tranche from the earlier bailout, needed to finance bond payments due at the end of the year, according to Reuters data. "It's unfortunately turning into a vicious cycle," said Harris Trust's Ablin. It's a banking crisits that turned into a sovereign crisis and now that's boomeranging back into a banking crisis."
 Italy's president asked former European Commissioner Mario Monti yesterday to form a government to restore market confidence in Italy's economy. — Reuters pic EU monetary affairs chief Olli Rehn has said the EU and IMF will not release the tranche without written assurances from all Greek parties that they will back the measures, but New Democracy leader Antonis Samaras, who has given only tepid backing to the unity government, has said he will sign no pledge under external pressure. In Rome, people sang, danced and opened bottles of champagne, and an impromptu orchestra near the palace played the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah when news spread on Saturday that the scandal-plagued Berlusconi, one of Italy's richest men, had resigned. German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomed signs of an end to the weeks of uncertainty in Italy, saying the approval of a reform package in parliament on Saturday was "heartening". She also urged euro zone states yesterday to give more powers to Brussels and push towards closer fiscal union. She told Germany's ZDF television: "We want to keep the euro, along with all the other states that have it. But that requires a fundamental change of our policy and 'more Europe'."
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| Sex, Politics & Seksualiti Merdeka Posted: 13 Nov 2011 03:06 PM PST By Mong Palatino, The Diplomat First organized in 2008, the Seksualiti Merdeka festival has been an annual celebration of sexual diversity and gender rights in Malaysia. It promotes the human rights and acceptance of the LGBT community through films, art workshops, stage plays, and seminars. Themed 'Queer Without Fear,' this year's vision is for everyone "to be free from discrimination, harassment and violence for their sexual orientations and their gender identities." According to organizers, festival attendance grew from 500 people in 2008, to 1,500 last year. A bigger number was expected this year, but unfortunately, the police decided to be a party pooper by banning the festival activities. They even threatened to arrest any individual who defies the ban; the organizers were also summoned for questioning. Police justified the ban by arguing that the festival "could create disharmony, enmity and disturb public order." The police could, truth be told, be referring to the tiny but loud protests of conservative groups that denounced the festival for promoting "free sex" and the gay lifestyle. They are the same groups that expressed opposition to the upcoming Elton John concert in Malaysia. The festival organizers, which represent a coalition of groups that includes the Malaysian Bar Council and Amnesty International, reminded the government about their right to conduct peaceful forums, workshops and performances. They added that the "intimidating displays of hatred and ignorance towards us, and calls for us to be shut down, demonstrate why we absolutely need a safe space and event like Seksualiti Merdeka." They should also note the fact that Malaysia was a signatory to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from 1948 before becoming a member of the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, "vowing to respect sexual rights as universal rights based on the inherent freedom, equality and dignity of all human beings." According to MP Charles Santiago of Klang, the government and police have exposed themselves to the world as "callous, intolerant and homophobic" when they banned Seksualiti Merdeka. But he also believes there's a more sinister reason why the festival was banned: "Driven by the need to stay in power, the government has fashioned the controversy surrounding the festival for its own political mileage. Clearly the ban demonstrates the ongoing persecution against Ambiga." Aside from being a supporter of Seksualiti Merdeka, Ambiga is a Malaysian lawyer who spearheaded Bersih 2.0, a popular movement for electoral reforms that damaged the credibility of the ruling political coalition. The ban generated an international outcry from human rights groups and LGBT networks, which sent protest letters to the Malaysian government. They demanded the lifting of the ban against Seksualiti Merdeka, they asked police not to arrest or intimidate the festival organizers, and they called for the protection of the organizers from private actor violence. The groups added that the ban also proved that it's necessary to "conduct a public awareness campaign about equality before the law and non-discrimination, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity." They asked authorities to train police officials with regard to LGBT rights "to end arbitrary harassment of LGBT individuals, their speech and assembly." But organizers of the Seksualiti Merdeka festival perhaps should also thank the government and the police for banning their event since it made a lot of noise in the news and the public actually came to know more about LGBT rights, gender equality and sexual tolerance (or the lack of it) in society. Unlike in previous years, the festival's objectives became popular this year because of the ban. The opposition should also use this opportunity to remind the people that as the prime minister talks about his 1Malaysia national unity slogan, his actions and policies are actually creating more divisions in the country.
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| Is sustainable development possible? Posted: 13 Nov 2011 02:47 PM PST By Ampersand and KW Mak, The Nut Graph WHEN residents talk about development in an urban environment, the discussion primarily focuses on ensuing traffic problems for the existing neighbourhood. Developers would, in turn, talk about how they are bringing in much needed economic activity into the area to justify the project. Any discussion without a base framework to start from would invariably lead to disagreements, as I have often enough witnessed in objection hearings for development projects. To provide that base framework, I shall present today's topic – sustainable development. Defining "sustainable development" The Town and Country Planning Act (TCPA) has a provision for each state government to prepare a development policy document called a state structure plan. This plan governs how land is used and how development would take place within each state. In providing the specifics on how to prepare the state structure plan, Section 8(3) of the TCPA states: "The draft structure plan shall be a written statement – for the improvement of the physical living environment, the improvement of communications, the management of traffic, the improvement of socioeconomic well-being and the promotion of economic growth, and the facilitating of sustainable development" (my emphasis). Following this instruction, the Selangor Town and Country Planning Department came up with the Selangor State Structure Plan (SSP) in 2002 and gazetted the document in 2007. Its role in governing development is clear, as the document states that developers must refer to and comply with the policies within when preparing development proposal reports. In describing what constitutes sustainable development, the SSP states: "Sustainable development will enable the current generation to satisfy their needs without compromising the needs of future generations." To achieve this, the SSP prescribes numerous policies for development (economic, social, physical and environmental), a land use strategic plan, and specific instructions on how all these policies shall be implemented. These policies cannot be ignored either. Section 22(4) of the TCPA clearly states that any application for planning permission shall be rejected if it is found to not comply with any development plan – which is what a state structure plan is. Thus, the SSP is an expansive document that defines sustainable development and is also legally binding on the government and developers. This makes it a good reference point for any disputes and arguments residents and developers may have over a particular development proposal. Development policies The SSP policies are categorised according to issues and how to solve them. Examples of problems for development in an urban area include traffic congestion, waste disposal and open spaces. Let's focus on the traffic congestion bit since this is a popular and valid issue. The SSP mentions the uncontrolled urban development along main roads as a problem. Such developments contribute towards traffic congestion and the degradation of environment quality. Several policies were formulated to help mitigate this issue, among which are as follows:
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| Ambiga now Umno’s troubled nightmare Posted: 13 Nov 2011 02:30 PM PST By Jeswan Kaur, FMT Ambiga Sreenevasan, former Bar Council president and recipient of the US Secretary of State's 2009 International Women of Courage Award and France's topmost honour, the Chevalier de Legion d'Honneur(Knight of the Legion of Honour) award, has become Umno's most troubled nightmare. The Malay party has post-July 9 left no stone unturned in making life difficult for this former Convent Bukit Nanas student, who has been honoured with the two awards for her dedication to human rights and rule of law. When Ambiga, who is also election watchdog Bersih 2.0 chairperson, spearheaded the "Walk for Democracy" rally on July 9 and did so successfully, it was the beginning of a nightmare that has since refused to end for Umno. Some 50,000 people turned up in support of the rally, a bitter reality which Umno refuses to digest. The July 9 rally's aim was noble – to fight for electoral reforms and put an end to the corruption and dirty tactics employed by the Barisan Nasional at the polls. And the people backed Bersih 2.0 all the way, a move which shell-shocked both the BN and Umno. While all ways and means are being employed by BN president and prime minister Najib Tun Razak to win the people's trust, Umno has however turned vindictive against Ambiga, whom it regards as its biggest threat post-July 9. Ambiga, however, remains unflappable, objective and wise. With all sense of decorum, she had prior to the July 9 rally approached the police and asked that they chart out the rally routes to avoid any untoward incident. But the police, obviously under great pressure from the "powers that be", refused to cooperate. Not only that, extremist politicians in a cowardly fashion joined in and demanded that Ambiga be dealt with severely. The likes of Ibrahim Ali, the Pasir Mas MP, and other Umno honchos, went after Ambiga's blood, so to speak. She was character-assassinated all because this gutsy lawyer dare speak out against injustice. So threatened had Umno become that Ibrahim and even Malacca Chief Minister Ali Rustam screamed for Ambiga's citizenship to be revoked. Ali Rustam had remarked that it was "better to just lose one person than to lose a lot of lives". Now, it is the Malay Education Movement (Gagasan) which is demanding Ambiga's citizenship be revoked, alleging her "wild" actions could cause chaos in the country, referring to her support for the Seksualiti Merdeka 2011 festival. Gagasan secretary-general Syed Anuar Syed Mohamad in an Utusan Malaysia report on Nov 6 said Ambiga should no longer be called a human as she had gone against "human norms" by raising issues deemed sensitive in a Muslim-majority country. "She should be punished accordingly, like banishment or any other severe sentence, to make her realise her mistake," he told Mingguan Malaysia, the paper's Sunday edition. He added that the Conference of Rulers could punish Ambiga as she had touched on Islam when she "spread morality issues" banned by the religion. "Although Malaysia is a democratic country, it does not mean Ambiga is given the freedom to do whatever she likes with her perverse ideology," he said. The Ambiga factor
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| China unlikely to budge on thorny South China Sea dispute Posted: 12 Nov 2011 03:55 PM PST "ASEAN does not even have a common stand on the South China Sea dispute and has a poor track record in settling issues like this," said Rommel Banlaoi, executive director of Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research. Reuters Pressured at home and increasingly sensing a concerted regional effort to contain its territorial claims, China will be in no mood to make concessions on vast areas of the disputed South China Sea at two key east Asian summits in Indonesia this week. China has the most extensive historic sovereignty claims in the potentially oil and gas rich South China Sea, including uninhabited atolls near the equatorial northern coast of Borneo. Vietnam, the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei are the other claimants to parts of the sea, and along with the United States and Japan, are pressuring Beijing to try and seek some way forward on the knotty issue of sovereignty, which has flared up again this year with often tense maritime stand-offs. But China, growing in confidence and military power, will see no reason to back down, a foreign policy analyst said. "It's pretty prominent and pretty powerful now, so why back down now?" Kerry Brown, head of the Asia Programme at Chatham House, a London foreign policy institute. "It would be odd for it to do so when you consider how big its strategic needs are, its energy needs, and the potential that these disputed territories have to fulfil those," he added. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao is attending first a summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), followed straight after by the East Asia Summit on November 19, both on the Indonesian resort island of Bali. The East Asia Summit has been held every year since 2005. It gathers senior officials or leaders from Southeast Asia, China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea and New Zealand. US President Barack Obama is also due to attend this year. Diplomats say the South China Sea will most likely be raised during the two meetings. Claimants to the sea have been trying to cool tension after a series of disputes this year, including when Chinese patrol boats threatened to ram a Philippine-contracted survey ship in the Reed Bank in March. China and Vietnam last month signed an agreement seeking to contain the dispute, but the wording was vague and contained little new that the two sides had not agreed on previously. "It's really only a question of time before we see another incident of the kind we saw earlier this year," said Ian Storey, a fellow at Singapore's Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. "China opposes any discussion of the issue at these kinds of forums," he added. "It opposes the 'internationalisation' of the problem. That's a limiting factor because China is obviously the key player in all of this and if it doesn't want to talk you're not going to make much headway." China insists the dispute can only be resolved by bilateral talks between the parties directly concerned and has reacted angrily to attempts by the United States or old enemy Japan to get involved. India too has entered the frame via an oil exploration agreement with Vietnam. With US bases to the east in Japan and South Korea, China fears its southern flank could be threatened if the United States stepped up its naval presence in the South China Sea, even if, as Washington says, it only wants to protect freedom of navigation. Expecting ASEAN to play a role could also be wishful thinking. "ASEAN does not even have a common stand on the South China Sea dispute and has a poor track record in settling issues like this," said Rommel Banlaoi, executive director of Philippine Institute for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research. China's state-run press has given wide coverage to the dispute. Last week, the overseas edition of the People's Daily warned East Asian countries against letting the United States poke its nose in prickly questions like the South China Sea. "Everything shows that the United States will provoke the contradictions which exist between countries in this region for its own benefit," it said in a commentary. As well, more than 80 per cent of respondents to an on-line survey the Global Times' website said force should be used to resolve the issue, putting a degree of public pressure on the government not to surrender or weaken its claims. "Whatever happens, I hope the country does not let its people lose face over this," wrote one on-line reader of the popular tabloid, run by Communist Party mouthpiece the People's Daily. A former Chinese naval officer and academic at China's National Defence University warned in the Global Times on Friday that China risked "leaving fallow one's own land" if it were not more active in the South China Sea. "Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines have all established a presence. We should be more proactive in strengthening our presence and control," Fan Jinfa wrote.
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| Shall we dread or welcome the dragon? Posted: 12 Nov 2011 03:40 PM PST Chinese astrologers have no clear answer about what to expect next year. There may be turmoil ahead, or there may be peace At present, one of the mostly hotly debated controversies is the end-of-the-world prediction of the Mayans. According to the calendar of that ancient civilisation, the end will come on Dec 21, 2012. It has been speculated that it will come about as a result of Earth colliding with some object from space, or a coronal mass ejection from the sun, or an explosion of a black hole. Stanley Koh, Free Malaysia Today The water dragon will rule in the Chinese year of 4709, which runs from Feb 4, 2012 to Feb 9, 2013. What do the energies of this fabulous creature have in store for humanity? The optimists would like to think that we are entering a period of civility, compassion and spiritual advancement, the kind of fairy tale world you see depicted in so many of those traditional Chinese paintings. The realists, however, see little good news on the horizon. Recent reports about the world population exceeding seven billion, coupled with fears of extreme weather conditions, have raised new concerns about the future of humanity. According to some astrologers, some of the energies brought by the dragon are similar to those brought by the dog in terms of their karmic effects on society. They say many natural disasters and manmade catastrophes have happened in dragon or dog years or even in months, days, hours or seconds in which one of these animals was on the ascendant. The South Asia tsunami of Dec 26, 2004, for example, happened during the hour of either the dragon or the dog. The Sept 11, 2001, terrorist attack on New York happened in the hour of the dragon. The 2010 massacre of Hong Kong tourists in Manila took place in the hour of the dog. However, not all is bleak in dragon years. In 1952, which was also a water dragon year, Elizabeth II was crowned Queen of England. The Mousetrap, a play based on an Agatha Christie story, opened in London and became the longest continuously running theatre production in history. And medical history was made with the first separation of Siamese twins at Mt Sinai Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. Many successful personalities were born in 1952, and they include people who have become CEOs of Coca Cola, Exxon, Mobile, Time Warner, Colgate and ITT. Dragons, as characters in mythology and folklore, are not exclusive to Chinese tradition. They appear in Mesopotamian lore as well as many European myths. The English word "dragon" is derived from the Latin "draconern" for "huge serpent". In Western myths, dragons are fearsome creatures. They destroy villages, abduct maidens and wreak all kinds of havoc on mankind. The Chinese, however, regard this creature with a respectful awe. Many emperors and dynasties adopted the image of the dragon as symbols of power and wealth. To pessimists, the global scene in the 21st century will continue to be unpleasant, if not more so, regardless of astrological changes. They believe the powerful and influential are likely to go on seeking more power, fame and wealth and dominating this dog-eat-dog world. Nobody has ever won any prizes for accurately predicting disasters and catastrophes, but Chinese astrologers were not too far off the mark when they predicted that the current Year of the Rabbit would be a year of social and political upheavals in some parts of the world.
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| Karpal: Strong Umno move to ‘knock off’ Najib Posted: 11 Nov 2011 05:14 PM PST If the next election ends with a hung-parliament, then there should be a re-election, says Karpal Singh Immediately after the fall of Pakatan's Perak government in Feb 2009, Karpal rapped Anwar for predicting a usurpation of Putrajaya administration few months earlier via the backdoor of parliamentarian crossovers from Barisan Nasional. Athi, Shankar, Free Malaysia Today DAP national chairman Karpal Singh believes Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah) president Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah is 'living in his own world' and unrealistic in his view that snap polls should not be held until after reforms have been carried out. Karpal said the former Semangat 46 president had 'missed his opportunities' of becoming Malaysia's Prime Minister after he dissolved Semangat 46 and rejoined Umno. "His own people like Rais Yatim and Ahmad Shabeery Chik have betrayed him to become ministers," said Karpal. He slammed Razaleigh, who is commonly known as Ku Li, for not having the stamina to last in opposition politics and succumbing to former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed' political trap. Touching on Prime Minister Najib Razak, he said the premier was under tremendous internal pressure to call for a snap poll by next March to ensure his own survival rather than in larger public interests. He pointed that a recent book titled 'Kesilapan-kesilapan Najib' (Najib's Mistakes), authored by former Wangsa Maju deputy Umno Youth chief Shahbudin Husin, documented frequent criticisms by Ku Li and Mahathir and clearly showed there was a strong Umno factional move to knock Najib off his perch. "Pressure is piling up on Najib to call for at least a snap parliamentary poll to secure a fresh mandate for his rule," stressed Karpal. On the PAS state government's insistence to implement the Islamic hudud law in Kelantan, he said the DAP would oppose any unconstitutional move to implement it in the country. He called on PAS to stop the hudud politics to avoid frightening off the non-Muslim voters. "The groundswell favours Pakatan to form the next federal government. "PAS should not scuttle it," he said. Anwar still DAP's choice On the this issue of Anwar Ibrahim, Karpal said that DAP was under no illusion as to who would be premier if Pakatan Rakyat came into federal power. The party's choice, Karpal said, is undoubtedly Anwar, who is parliamentary opposition leader. Karpal said both his party and another Pakatan ally, PAS, backed the PKR supremo as the coalition's premier-designate because of his proven credentials as political leader and government administrator. Anwar was previously the deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister. He has also held other ministerial positions during his 16-odd years in the federal ruling party, Umno. Describing Anwar as an astute politician, Karpal said the Permatang Pauh MP was fit and competent enough to become the Prime Minister. "For DAP, Anwar is the right man for the job," he insisted Karpal, who is the leading counsel defending Anwar in the on-going Sodomy II trial, however expressed hope that the PKR leader would not be disqualified (vis-vis a conviction) from contesting in next polls. "It will definitely complicate matters if he was convicted," Karpal told a press conference during his Bukit Gelugor parliamentary constituency visit here today. He was responding to a question raised by MCA president Chua Soi Lek on whether Karpal would still back Anwar as the premier after criticizing the PKR leader on his Sept 16 takeover fiasco three years ago. Karpal in turn has challenged Chua to stand in any Chinese-majority seat against top DAP leaders to prove that MCA had the community support. "Chua can stand in Ipoh Timur, Bagan or even Bukit Gelugor," said Karpal. He counseled the MCA leader to first look into stabilizing his own rocking party rather than going around challenging others without any substance.
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| The Bangsar beef pie in the sky Posted: 10 Nov 2011 05:37 PM PST
THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER It is understandable that Khairy Jamaluddin wants to defend fellow Umno ex-officio vice-president Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil over excess public funds for a cattle-farming project being used to buy a luxury condominium in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. It makes good financial sense. Get into real estate rather than livestock and see your money multiply quickly in the capital city's upscale residential suburb. Except, the money for the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) project wasn't for such investments. The money is part of public funds for a project to reduce Malaysia's dependence on beef imports. And the NFC and the National Meat and Livestocks Corporation (NMLC), a management company owned by Shahrizat's family, is in the business of cattle-farming, not real estate. If Putrajaya wanted to make quicker money, it might as well play poker in the casinos. Or buy and sell properties in Bukit Tunku, Bangsar and Ampang to reduce the federal deficit. The Umno Youth chief said today that when the government ran out of funds to develop satellite cattle farms, NMLC was left with surplus funds that had been disbursed to it and that it decided real estate investment was a good way to get returns. "Should they have left the money in the current account which does not have a high yield while waiting for the satellite farms or should they have invested the money while waiting?" asked Khairy. "The management made a decision that the best return on investment would have been from real estate." He was referring to PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution's statement yesterday that the luxury apartment at One Menerung, Bangsar, was recorded by NFC, a cattle-farming project managed by the minister's family, as part of a RM83 million "loan" to the NMLC. Khairy also said the condo has since been rented out and has also appreciated in value since it was purchased but did not specify the rental yield. His explanation might make sense to Umno delegates at its annual congress at the end of November as much as one can believe there's a pie in the sky but not to the public or even civil servants who have to account for every sen spent for specific projects. If anything, Khairy's stout defence of Shahrizat and her family, while admirable, only draws further scrutiny to the project that the government auditor said was "in a mess". Right now, the stench from the project has just become a lot more overwhelming.
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| ‘Rosmah, a thorn in Najib’s side’ Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:43 PM PST
Umno grassroots members wish BN would lose at the polls just so her antics and extravagant lifestyle can be toned down, says the author of 'Kesilapan-kesilapan Najib'. Several of the chapters headings include: 1Malaysia Silap Pertama Di Hari Pertama Sebagai PM (1Malaysia the first mistake on the first day as PM); Pelantikan Apco (Engaging foreign public relations consultancy firm Apco Worldwide) and; Gagal Mengawal Karenah dan Gaya Mewah Rosmah (Failure to control (his wife) Rosmah (Mansor)'s luxurious lifestyle. Tarani Palani, Free Malaysia Today The author of "Kesilapan-kesilapan Najib" (Najib's Mistakes), Shahbudin Husin, said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should step down if he does not rectify his errors soon. Shahbudin, a member of Umno's Wangsa Maju branch, said: "It serves as a warning… he should correct his mistakes before the next general election." "If he fails to do so, then he should step down. We support our party but we cannot support a weak leader," added the former deputy Youth chief of Wangsa Maju. Shahbudin's 267-page book touched on various issues, including Najib's 1Malaysia concept, his use of international public relations firm Apco and the alleged influence of his wife Rosmah. Several of the chapters headings include: 1Malaysia Silap Pertama Di Hari Pertama Sebagai PM (1Malaysia the first mistake on the first day as PM); Pelantikan Apco (Engaging foreign public relations consultancy firm Apco Worldwide) and; Gagal Mengawal Karenah dan Gaya Mewah Rosmah (Failure to control (his wife) Rosmah (Mansor)'s luxurious lifestyle. "I even caught my 12-year-old child's friends discussing Rosmah's hairstyles and her luxurious spending. Her antics have not gone unnoticed by many of the Umno grassroots members." "Many didn't like ex-premier Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) because he crossed so many people. But no one made nasty comments about his wife Siti Hasmah. Rosmah gets everyone talking," he told FMT. Shahbudin added that her antics were so distressing to some Umno members that they wish Najib will not retain two-thirds in the polls so as prevent Rosmah's antics from getting worse. He also touched on the US$24 million (RM73 million) diamond ring fiasco implicating Rosmah, which was exposed by Pakatan Rakyat NGO, Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM). Its president, Badrul Hisham Shaharin, claimed that the ring had passed through Customs without import duties paid on it. 'No smoke without fire' Pro-Umno bloggers came to Rosmah's defence, claiming that the ring was brought into the country for a four-day private display. Forced to respond to the issue, Najib denied that the ring was purchased by Rosmah or used for private display. Asked if he, as an Umno member, believed that pro-Pakatan bloggers may have exaggerated the issue, Shahbudin said that there was no smoke without fire. "I believe there has to be a basis for such an extravagant story. In three to four days they wanted to return the ring. But why did it come here in the first place?" he asked. He said that history has shown many leaders fell because of their spouses such as former Philippine president, Ferdinand Marcos, and his infamous wife Imelda Marcos. But Najib seems to pay no heed to it. Shahbudin whose first book, "Najib, the last Prime Minister", which was also highly critical of the premier's leadership, denied that he was sponsored by any faction within Umno. "I did it on my own time and money. I paid for the 13,000 copies of the first book with my own money. In fact, I was quite embarrassed to approach Harakah daily to advertise my book because I'm an Umno member. "So how can people say that someone within Umno or even the opposition is funding me?" he asked.
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| SPOTLIGHT: A test of Umno's reinvention Posted: 10 Nov 2011 04:23 PM PST
The Umno general assembly in three weeks' time will be closely watched for proof that the party has reformed and prepared itself for the next general election "How the assemblies of Umno's three wings, Wanita, Youth and Puteri, take shape will indicate what can be expected at the general assembly proper the next day. The wings are the movers, their assemblies are a prelude to the main assembly," said Prof Datuk Mohamed Mustafa Ishak, head of the politics, security and international affairs cluster of the National Council of Professors.
Umno, the linchpin of the 13-party ruling Barisan Nasional, holds its general assembly in less than three weeks -- likely its last before the 13th general election. |
| Posted: 09 Nov 2011 04:48 PM PST
The third force in Malaysian politics is getting more crowded as they vie to be the kingmaker in the event of a hung Parliament but some, like Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, may be eyeing the Prime Minister's post. The third force groups range from small political parties like Parti Cinta Malaysia and KITA, headed by millionaire lawyer Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, to civil society groups like the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) headed by Haris Ibrahim. Even Perkasa is a third force group in its own right. ANALYSIS By JOCELINE TAN, The Star TENGKU Razaleigh Hamzah was all dressed up for what seemed like a normal press conference. For someone who once admitted that he is colour blind, he was a picture of immaculate grooming. Actually, he could have been mistaken for a prosperous banker or, dare we say, a Prime Minister-in-waiting? The Kelantan royal politician had called the press conference to announce that Angkatan Amanah Merdeka, the NGO headed by him, was now open for business as it has been officially registered. Amanah has joined a crowded field of what has become known as the "third force" in Malaysian politics, except that Tengku Razaleigh has still got one foot in Umno. The third force groups range from small political parties like Parti Cinta Malaysia and KITA, headed by millionaire lawyer Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, to civil society groups like the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) headed by Haris Ibrahim. Even Perkasa is a third force group in its own right. At one level, these groups are signalling there is a niche out there for those who have rejected the old politics of Barisan Nasional but have not completely bought into the so-called new politics of Pakatan Rakyat. At another level, they are essentially politicians aspiring to be the "king-maker" in the event of a hung Parliament in the next general election. "Each group comes to the table with a slightly different political message to sell," said political analyst and UCSI academic Dr Ong Kian Ming. MCLM, said Dr Ong, comprises pro-Pakatan activists and intellectuals who aim to address the issue of poor quality of candidates in Pakatan, especially from PKR. KITA, on its part, has emerged as the only Malay-led party that has stood up for equal rights among all Malaysians and is not afraid to say it openly. It has even spoken up for religious conversions. As Dr Ong noted, some of these groups are looking for a platform and voice, some comprise individuals who are looking for political survival while a few are hoping to cash out at the right time. "On their own, they cannot knock out the established parties but they can cause a stomachache or headache," said publisher Datuk A. Kadir Jasin. Some of the third force groups are having headaches of their own. For instance, KITA, which was launched with a big bang earlier this year is embroiled in an internal feud even before it can really take off. MCLM caused a stir when it was launched from London with the support of blogger-in-exile Raja Petra Kamarudin. It has since nominated the well-known human rights lawyer Malik Imtiaz Sarwar and the less-known dentist Dr Nedunchelian Vengu to run in the general election. The next general election is going to be fierce and there will be a wild scramble to be candidates. Pakatan is going to have as big and as ugly a headache as the Barisan in managing people fighting to be candidates. Amanah, insisted its vice-president Wan Saiful Wan Jan, is strictly a civil society body. "It is not like MCLM or KITA nor is it about election candidates or where they should run. It's about a group of people who want to make a difference," he said. Nevertheless, Tengku Razaleigh's claim that he needs a new platform to speak because Umno restricts him does not really add up. It is indeed a selective process to be picked to speak at the Umno general assembly but over and above that annual event, no one has been able to stop Tengku Razaleigh from speaking his mind and he has caused ripples with many of his comments. He has a blog and journalists rush to his Langgak Golf "White House" each time he schedules a press conference. In fact, he makes news because he is such a famous Umno face, he says things other Umno leaders would not say. Speaking as the head of yet another NGO would not have the same impact. In the meantime, the perception that he is positioning himself for the Prime Minister post will persist. Actually, he is more experienced and accomplished than the other aspiring candidates, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Datuk Seri Hadi Awang put together. According to a Pakatan Rakyat insider, he could have been the catalyst had he come on board Anwar's Sept 16 scheme in 2008. He and Anwar met several times in the days leading up to Sept 16 but nothing happened because they simply did not have the numbers and even if they did, they would have ended up fighting each other for the top post. Tengku Razaleigh has missed the boat one time too many and he is now banking on his final boat.
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| MAIS now has free hand over zakat’s millions Posted: 09 Nov 2011 04:13 PM PST
The July amendments to a state law has allegedly removed Selangor's Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) accountability to the state government. Selangor zakat money, he said, came up to about a third of the state government's annual revenue which was roughly RM1.4 billion. With this in tow, MAIS, according to an anonymous Pakatan Rakyat leader, could do whatever it wished with its companies without worrying about the state assembly looking over its shoulder. Patrick Lee, Free Malaysia Today It's a bitter pill to swallow for many Selangor assemblymen now that the government may have lost control over the state's Islamic administrative matters and the estimated tens of millions of ringgit in annual zakat collections. The amendments made in July seemingly allowed the state's Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) to be accountable only to the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafudin Idris Shah, bypassing the state government in the process. The amendments affected the Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003. Previously, Section 16 of the Enactment – which was passed at the July State Legislative Assembly sitting – enabled the director of Selangor's Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) to be appointed as MAIS's secretary. The secretary would also act as the council's chief executive officer and administrator, and was responsible for carrying out MAIS's policies and resolutions. However, the July amendments took that detail out, and allowed the Ruler "on advice of the Majlis" (MAIS) to appoint the council's secretary. Speaking under condition of anonymity, a state assemblyman said that the change allowed MAIS to snub summonses from the State Legislative Assembly's committee. "In one occasion, MAIS was summoned by a House committee overseeing statutory bodies and subsidiaries. They refused to appear on the grounds that they were not subject to the committee," he told FMT. Zakat money The assemblyman added that MAIS was a statutory body created by the Enactment, and had financial autonomy in its affairs. "They still have to table their audited accounts before the House… They can appoint their own auditors… But they are not duty-bound to come before the committee." "The effect of this, politically, is a government within a government, and Islamic affairs are taken out of the control of the state government," he said. This was of special concern, the assemblyman added, given that the amendments also gave MAIS the power to collect and distribute zakat as well as fitrah. Selangor zakat money, he said, came up to about a third of the state government's annual revenue which was roughly RM1.4 billion. With this in tow, MAIS, according to an anonymous Pakatan Rakyat leader, could do whatever it wished with its companies without worrying about the state assembly looking over its shoulder. "At the policy and state level, MAIS has six or seven government-linked companies under it… They said that the (state) government has no shared interest in MAIS' corporations. "So they tried to twist this (to their advantage), by saying that the administration (of MAIS) is under the Sultan… If we raised our voice (against it), they will raise the issue of derhaka (betrayal)," the leader said.
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