Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Broken Promise: PM Has Not Lived Up To Malaysia Day 2011 Pledge
- Musa ‘reluctant’ to fight for Sabahans
- Assembly law allows persecution of Pakatan MPs, claims Anwar
- In Johor, Pakatan partners see pitfalls of PKR swagger
- War drums at PKR congress
- Malaysia – Defending the Constitution
- Are we stupid enough to fall for the same scam?
- BN lacks innovative policies, sincerity for the people
- Peaceful Assembly Act 2011
- Open apology to Dato Seri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa Group Chief Executive Officer, Telekom Malaysia
- Tengku Razaleigh As Interim Prime Minister
- Kecaman Mahathir dan nurani Saifuddin
- Perak’s debt reaching a dizzying billion ringgit
- WIKILEAKS: Anwar tells the US he has documentary evidence of Najib's corruption
- Economic policies that do not add up
- A last hurrah for the labour movement?
- Shahril to be president, group CEO of merged Sapura-Kencana group
- Air: Utusan cuba perbodoh rakyat Kelantan
- Crisis in the Chambers
- The 13th GE: Its an open field
- Don organises assembly to protest Bill
- Race-based affirmative action needed for now
- Emergency laws lifted, EO void
- Komen yang hina rakyat Kelantan
- Sultan Selangor tegur Aziz Bari
- Students allowed to join political parties
- Najib urged to consult Anwar on election date
- Aunty Bersih: I’ll walk again
- Isu Royalty minyak : Muhyiddin cuba memulas tangan rakyat Kelantan
- Sabah, Sarawak to be major shareholders of MasWings
- The case against MCA
- Populist policies undermine reform
- PAC tells govt to buck up
- Return BN to power if you want development, Kedah folk told
- Opposition riles Taib with questions on contracts
- Finance Minister II dodges NFC query
| Broken Promise: PM Has Not Lived Up To Malaysia Day 2011 Pledge Posted: 24 Nov 2011 10:08 AM PST By Lim Chee Wee, President, Malaysian Bar via Malaysian Mirror The Peaceful Assembly Bill ("Bill") was tabled in Parliament for its first reading on 22 November 2011, which we believe was the same day that Members of Parliament first received copies of the Bill. It must be noted that advance notice was not given, save for speculation in the media that the Bill would be tabled on 24 November 2011. In addition, the second reading of the Bill began in Parliament today, merely two days after the first reading. There appears to be unseemly haste in introducing this far-reaching and crucial legislation, without sufficient time for Members of Parliament themselves to review the Bill fully, and without adequate public consultation. The Bill, in replacing the present legislative provision in section 27 of the Police Act 1967, introduced several controversial and objectionable provisions. For instance: (1) Prohibition of street protests (defined widely as "open air assembly which begins with a meeting at a specified place and consists of walking in a mass march or rally for the purpose of objecting to or advancing a particular cause or causes"); (2) Prohibition of organisation of assemblies by persons below the age of twenty one years; (3) Prohibition of participation in peaceful assemblies of children below the age of fifteen years; (4) Unduly onerous responsibilities and restrictions on organisers and assemblies; and (5) Excessive fines for non-compliance of the Bill. These restrictive provisions in the Bill effectively render meaningless our constitutional guarantee, by constraining assembly to very limited circumstances. This stands in stark contrast to the words of the Prime Minister in his speech on the eve of Malaysia Day 2011. That speech was widely applauded by the Malaysian Bar, and by Malaysians in general, in their honest belief that there would be real and genuine reforms. The Prime Minister had stated: I often opine that long gone is the era in which the government knows everything and claims monopoly over wisdom. . . . The Government will also review section 27 of the Police Act 1967, taking into consideration Article 10 of the Federal Constitution regarding freedom of assembly and so as to be in line with international norms on the same matter. . . . (emphasis added) Be confident that it is a strength and not a weakness for us to place our trust in the Malaysian people's intelligence to make decisions that will shape the path of their own future. . . . It is absolutely clear that the steps I just announced are none other than early initiatives of an organised and graceful political transformation. It stands as a crucial and much needed complement to the initiatives of economic transformation and public presentation which the government has outlined and implemented for over two years in the effort to pioneer a modern and progressive nation. . . . In closing, I wish to emphasise that free of any suspicion and doubt, the Malaysia that we all dream of and are in the process of creating is a Malaysia that practices [sic] a functional and inclusive democracy where public peace and prosperity is preserved in accordance with the supremacy of the Constitution, rule of law and respect for basic human rights and individual rights. The Malaysian Bar recommends that the Bill be referred to a Parliamentary Select Committee, which would engage in a public consultation process consistent with the Prime Minister's promise of "a Malaysia that practices [sic] a functional and inclusive democracy". Further, the Malaysian Bar is now wary as to the form and substance of the two proposed pieces of legislation that will replace the Internal Security Act 1960, given this disappointing experience. We urge the Prime Minister to hold steadfast – with courage and determination – to his laudable Malaysia Day pledges, and fulfil the rakyat's expectations.
LIM CHEE WEE is President of Malaysian Bar |
| Musa ‘reluctant’ to fight for Sabahans Posted: 24 Nov 2011 09:49 AM PST By Luke Rintod, FMT KOTA KINABALU: A well-known consumer activist has criticised the Sabah government for lacking the courage to strike a deal with the federal government to bring down the prices of goods, especially food items, in the state. "Yesterday, during the State Legislative Assembly sitting, the Sabah government told the house that it was still awaiting the report from Federal Maritime Institute on how to deal with the cabotage policy in reducing the costs of goods in Sabah," he said.
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| Assembly law allows persecution of Pakatan MPs, claims Anwar Posted: 24 Nov 2011 09:45 AM PST By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider The Peaceful Assembly Bill legitimises persecution of Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers and prevents them from conducting ceramahs and gatherings, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has charged. The PR de facto leader told Parliament today the new law regulating public assembly made it more difficult for the federal opposition to hold ceramahs and dialogue sessions. Citing the 30 days' advance notice provision within the new law, Anwar (picture) said the procedures would be a problem for PR. "The Peaceful Assembly Bill prohibits, prevents Pakatan Rakyat from explaining to the rakyat about current issues on abuse of power, corruption, discrepancies by the ruling government," he said. The Permatang Pauh MP alleged Section 21 (3) of the new law, which allows protesters arrested by police to be fined up to RM20,000 would be used against opposition lawmakers. "The stipulation which sets a fine up to RM20,000 if found guilty allows the government to drag Pakatan Rakyat MPs to court if they conduct ceramahs, explanations and gatherings which is one of our ways to explain daily issues to the rakyat," he said. The government had earlier this week tabled the Peaceful Assembly Bill, two months after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak first pledged reforms to laws on security and public assembly. Shortly after it was unveiled, Pakatan Rakyat leaders said the new bill was "worse" than previous laws on public assembly, and that it simply meant "people could not gather anywhere in Malaysia." PR described the Peaceful Assembly Bill as repressive and restrictive of civil freedom, claiming it accords the police even more power to arrest individuals. Najib today declared it a "revolutionary" law and a "giant leap" towards improving individual freedom. The prime minister pointed out to opposition lawmakers in Parliament that, under the new legislation, the powers of the police would be capped and punitive action against protestors reduced to only fines instead of jail sentences. Section 27 of the bill states that public gatherings cannot be held in the following areas: petrol stations, hospitals, fire stations, airports, railways, land public transport terminals, ports, canals, docks, bridges, places of worship, kindergartens and schools as well as dams and reservoirs. It states that no street protests are allowed, and bars any assembly in or within a 50 metre buffer zone around the listed prohibited areas. Section 9 (5) of the bill allows the police to fine organisers up to RM10,000 if no advance notice of a planned assembly is given to the authorities. Section 20 (1) (c) allows for police to arrest anyone who brings or recruits children in an assembly. The new law says that there also must be 30 days' advance notice for assemblies except for designated areas defined by the home minister. The assemblies can then proceed unless there is objection by the police.
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| In Johor, Pakatan partners see pitfalls of PKR swagger Posted: 24 Nov 2011 09:39 AM PST By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider PKR begins a weekend assault on the Umno bastion of Johor today intent on taking over the state but its coalition partners fear that the move will fuel concern among voters, especially the Malays, that the state Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lacks top-calibre leaders from the dominant community. De facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will outline the party's plans to win the state in a general election expected soon when addressing the main wing tomorrow during its national congress in the luxurious Pulai Springs Resort here.
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| Posted: 24 Nov 2011 06:52 AM PST The weakest link in the opposition grouping has seen its support falling since the 2008 polls The public's perception of PKR's ketua umum is not all that promising. A survey conducted by International Islamic Universiti concluded that Anwar, Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had declined in popularity.
PARTI Keadilan Rakyat convenes its annual meeting from today with a focus on the 13th general election. Its eighth national congress at Pulai Springs Resort, near Johor Baru, will show if PKR, an adolescent among the country's much older mainstream parties, is ready to face the national polls. De facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will not miss the opportunity to rally his troops. |
| Malaysia – Defending the Constitution Posted: 24 Nov 2011 06:47 AM PST Sonia Randhawa, New Mandala Malaysia is on the brink of fundamental change. It should have been apparent to all following the unprecedented election results in March 2008. The Federal Opposition has since faced numerous challenges, and it has taken a beating on many issues. But the turnout at the recent Bersih rally on 9 July, showed that there is still unmet demand for change. And the Government has recognised this. The Prime Minister announced that the ruling coalition will abolish the Internal Security Act. This has been met with cynicism by many – understandably. In the months since the announcement, there has been much backtracking. But the announcement itself was remarkable. A Prime Minister from the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the party which has held power since Independence, announced the repeal of the ISA. And this was a direct result of public pressure – a public that overwhelmingly supported the law and its use less than a decade ago. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had also announced that he will be ending the numerous states of emergency in force in Malaysia for over three decades. This will automatically signal the end of the other major piece of legislation that allows for detention without trial, the Emergency Ordinance. There should have been mass jubilation on the part of those who participated in the Bersih rallies, those who have been pushing for the repeal of this legislation for decades, but there wasn't. The government acted just as the cynics predicted. The repeal of the ISA, the ending of the emergencies, are now being supplemented by a raft of legislation that will ironically strip Malaysians further of their fundamental liberties enshrined in the Constitution. And the Government has also promised that it will be drafting and putting before Parliament new 'anti-terror' legislation that will bring back detention without trial. The Orwellian titled Peaceful Assembly Bill is a bill that bans street protests – marching from one place to another in support of (or objecting to) a cause. So the Terry Fox run is out. It also bans non-citizens and children from taking part in any assemblies. Children are allowed to take part in four types of assembly – religious, funerals, assemblies related to custom or those approved by the Minister. Nature walks, trips to a science museum, even a school assembly must all fall under one of these categories, or the organisers, children and parents face hefty fines or other legal action. Organisers of an assembly must be over the age of 21. I would have been in big trouble – as a child I organised activities to raise money for various charities. Some of these included assemblies of various kinds. Non-citizens are not allowed to organise or participate in assemblies – and given that around twenty five percent of Malaysian workforce is estimated to comprise migrant workers, this has huge implications for labour relations. The Third Schedule of the Bill outlines the type of activities that do not require notification. It includes wedding parties, but not birthday parties, anniversary celebrations or other private functions. It includes family days held by employers for their employees, but not trainings, talks or lectures. The Bill outlines the role of the police, which says nothing about respecting the rights of citizens to gather – it says the policy may arrest, may detain, and must be listened to.
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| Are we stupid enough to fall for the same scam? Posted: 24 Nov 2011 01:10 AM PST By Kee Thuan Chye I can't help but wonder if the government really thinks that Malaysians are stupid. So stupid that we can be hoodwinked into believing that the changes they propose to our laws amount to actual reform.Two months ago, when Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that newspapers would no longer have to renew their publishing licences annually, he might have expected us to go ga-ga and applaud and say that the media would now be freer. But if we had done that, we would indeed have been stupid. Because we would not have realised that there is really no change. Even if the newspapers need not renew their licences every year, the fact remains that the home minister still retains the power to suspend or close down any newspaper at any time - if he feels it is too free in expressing its views, or for whatever reasons.  So, whether there is renewal or not, it does not matter. As long as the home minister is still as powerful as before, your newspaper can still get into trouble with him. What's more, his decision cannot be challenged in court.Ah! If you now say that stinks like a scam, that the government is actually trying to deceive us, you would be right. But if you still think, like the mainstream media does, that there is actual reform in that licence renewal waiver, then the government would be right in thinking that Malaysians are stupid. Or, at least, some Malaysians. You may be surprised that there are indeed such stupid Malaysians. They are the ones who continue to support the ruling party and defend its policies, including its numerous flip-flops. They are the ones who will vote for that party at the next general election and say it is better to go with the devil they know than the devil they don't know. They are the ones who don't know they are being fooled. They might even be people who know they are being fooled, but still choose to go with the devil who is fooling them. Needless to say, the ones who know they are being fooled and still continue to support the party are even more stupid. Disturbing restrictions And they will continue to be stupid if they believe that the Peaceful Assembly Bill, which the government tabled two days ago, is a step forward, guarantees more freedom, and will lead to Malaysia being "the best democracy" as promised by Najib. Their stupidity will not allow them to see that it's another attempt to hoodwink Malaysians. They will say it's good because it allows Malaysians to gather in public without having any need to apply for a police permit. Yes, on the surface, it looks good that a police permit is no longer required. But now consider the other conditions. The most disturbing one is this - although you don't need a police permit, your assembly cannot proceed if there is objection by the police. What? Isn't that like getting a police permit?  Let me repeat. You don't need a permit but if the police object, your assembly can't go on. So, what does that mean? Your assembly is still dependent on police approval, isn't it? So what's new?If you straight away say, "That police permit waiver is a scam!", then you're not stupid. Because there is no change. And you can see it for what it is. In fact, it has now become worse. You have to give the police advance notice of your assembly 30 days before it is due to be held. Thirty days! That's a long time to plan. And what happens if you want to stage a spontaneous assembly? What if the government does something cruel and unfair and unlawful and citizens feel compelled to take to the streets to protest against it immediately? Well, that will be considered illegal. And if you don't provide the 30-day notice, you can be fined up to RM10,000! Youth discriminated And did I mention the words "streets" and "protest"? Well, according to the new bill, no street protests will be allowed. What? Then what's the point of an assembly? Only for socialising? For merely hanging about in public? No placards? No cheering? No chanting?  The new bill is obviously designed to protect the government, not to give more democratic space to the citizens. It is designed to prevent people from protesting against the government.In fact, the new bill transgresses the rights of freedom guaranteed in the federal constitution. One, if you are below the age of 21, you cannot organise an assembly. Is that fair? Are those below that age not citizens who should enjoy equal rights? Is this democracy? Is this "the best democracy"? Two, if you are below the age of 15, you cannot take part in an assembly except cultural and religious ones, like funeral processions, or events approved by the home minister. Again, discrimination. Again, power to the home minister. Three, areas at which public gatherings cannot be held have now been specified. Has this ever been done before? Bill gives cops more power And if you were to look at the list of prohibited areas, which include petrol stations, hospitals, mosques, fire stations, kindergartens, schools, etc, you would see that the democratic space - also in physical terms - has become even smaller. Especially since there must also be a buffer zone of 50 metres around each of these areas that public gatherings cannot traverse. Most districts, especially in city centres, have a few of such areas in close proximity to one another. As such, the interstices between the buffers would be too small to accommodate a mass of people. How then would a public assembly be able to fill these little spaces? This condition is clearly aimed at discouraging assemblies in city centres. Four, the police have even more power now. They can decide to arrest any assembly participants they deem a problem, and those arrested can be fined up to RM20,000. Is that providing more freedom or more deterrence? And who is to say the police decisions may not be arbitrary?  So, my fellow Malaysians, are we going to be stupid? Are we going to accept this bill that discriminates against some of us, throttles our freedom and disregards the constitution?Are we going to be fools and be thankful to the government and say the bill is providing reform and taking Malaysia forward, and should therefore be passed into law? Are we going to be twice bitten by the same scam and not be aware of it? Well, there's no fine imposed yet for taking to the streets. And there's still leeway to do it without giving 30 days' advance notice. Once the law is passed, however, it will be too late. |
| BN lacks innovative policies, sincerity for the people Posted: 24 Nov 2011 01:05 AM PST By Jackson Ng, Retired Journalist WITH the next and 13th General Election touted to be around the corner, the Barisan Nasional, especially Umno and MCA, is getting desperate. This is shown by the way Umno and MCA are dishing out goodies and financial aid to the people which they had actually condemned the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state governments for doing so after the 2008 political tsunami. It also shows BN's lack of innovative policies to help ease the financial burden of the people. BN is only good at copying the PR. That too is carried out without sincerity and sustainability. Also, what the BN could not do or deliver in 54 years, the PR did in its maiden rule in its states. The following are three significant examples: The BN slammed the PR state governments' innovative people-friendly policies and described the initiatives as just populist political gimmicks. However, the "gimmicks" in Penang and Selangor have remained sustainable. Compare what the PR state governments have introduced and implemented with the BN and MCA's one-time financial aid to the people. The BN and MCA's recent announcement of cash aid to the people are clearly insincere, made just to "buy" votes for the coming general election. Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, in his Budget 2012 presentation, announced a RM100 aid to all public school children. He also announced a one-time payment of RM500 assistance to households with an income of RM3,000 and below. This was followed by MCA's announcement that it would allocate some RM30 million to distribute RM100 to help its members and RM200 for a new-born. This is only a one-time payment as it is unsustainable and a massive drain on the party funds. Also, funds raised for the 1MCA Medical Foundation are now being described as just another mode of income tax collection and a twisted gimmick. If not for the people's support for the PR in 2008 followed by the political pressures from the PR's style of governance, the BN and MCA would not have made the above people-friendly efforts. In fact, the people should wisely accept and take the goodies from BN and MCA but continue to support the PR in the next general election. Without the pressures from the PR, the BN and MCA will not bother to even consider any such massive financial aid to the people. Should the PR secure federal power in the next general election, there is every indication that the people are set to benefit more with the PR's access to federal funds. This is just simple logic based on what the PR state governments had been able to do or deliver since securing the mandate to rule in 2008. |
| Posted: 24 Nov 2011 12:56 AM PST Additionally, it shall be up to any police officer on the scene to determine if the assembly is peaceful or otherwise. Immediate arrests without the need of an arrest warrant is granted. By TAKDENAMA NEWS REPORT. MMXI. Breaking News. Malaysia. The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz tabled the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 in the Malaysian Parliament on Tuesday this week. This is one of the new laws to be enacted to replace the Internal Security Act (ISA), the other new law being the Domestic Defense Act. When questioned of this new legislation, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said that this new law is one of the many concerted efforts initiated by the current government to undertake the transformation of the existing legal framework, in relation to the constitutional rights of citizens to assemble. It seeks to permit Malaysian citizens to organize and participate in assemblies peacefully and without arms. However he stressed that these assemblies are subjected to restrictions deemed necessary and in the interest of public order and security. When asked to further elaborate on the restrictions that shall be imposed, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz stated for a fact that all assemblies are restricted to areas deemed "non-prohibitive" and that the assemblies cannot be extended to being street protests. Public places and all federal governmental office areas are deemed prohibited areas and that the people participating in the assembly are off limits to a 50 meter radius of It is not known to the Auditor-General but a firm order has been placed with an Israeli government-linked company for the supply of one million units of portable laser rangefinders at USD100,000 per unit. Unconfirmed sources from within Radio Shack of the US of A has indicated that they shall be supplying these items to the Israeli company who in turn shall sell them to the an unnamed individual in the PM's Department who in turn will supply to the GOM. In another totally unrelated news, a Chinese electronic toy maker has received a firm order from Radio Shack to manufacture one million units of portable laser rangefinders. The Bill also stipulates that the organizer of an assembly must guarantee the assembly is in compliance with the laws and does not commit any act or make any statement that could promote ill-feeling, discontent or hostility amongst the public nor disturb the public tranquility, while a participant should adhere to the orders given by the police or organizer to conduct the assembly orderly. Additionally, it shall be up to any police officer on the Clause 8 of the Bill also sets out the responsibilities of the police, where a police officer may take any measures deemed necessary to ensure orderly conduct of the assembly, in accordance with the Act or any other written law. In another unrelated news, the same Chinese toy maker has been ordered to manufacture another one million units of tasers. Under Clause 14, an officer in charge of a police district is required to respond to a notification of assembly within 12 days, upon receipt of the notification, which he also needs to respond to organizers, any restrictions and conditions to be imposed. Clause 15 sets out the conditions and restrictions that may be imposed by the officer in charge of the police district such as date, time and duration, and place of assembly, manner of the assembly and conduct of participants during the assembly. The Bill, when passed, will empower a police officer to arrest, without warrant, any organizer or participant who refuses or fails to comply with any restriction and condition imposed. Clause 21 also empowers a police officer to issue an order to disperse, if the assembly did not comply with the laws stated above. Clause 23 will allow a police officer to make any form of recording of an assembly while Clause 24 allows any media representative to have reasonable access to a place of assembly and use any equipment to report on the assembly. Meanwhile, in consequence to the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011, the Police Act 1967 (Act 344) will also be amended. The Bill will seek to delete sections 27, 27A, 27B and 27C of the Act 344, which does away with the requirement for a license to convene or collect assembly or meeting or to form a procession in any public place. This new law, if passed basically means that no police permits are now required but the organizers of an assembly will be required to notify the PDRM two weeks before the event and that the assembly can only be held in areas that are approved by them. Furthermore, if the assembly is deemed disorderly or racial or anti-government or within prohibited areas, the organizers can and will be held fully responsible and be arrested. Similarly, any When asked of the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department whether he will set up a counter within his office in Putrajaya akin to the one set up by the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said that he is seriously considering it, "Paper are not cheap anymore … especially in triplicate…" |
| Open apology to Dato Seri Zamzamzairani Mohd Isa Group Chief Executive Officer, Telekom Malaysia Posted: 24 Nov 2011 12:51 AM PST Now that the real owner, Selangor Networking Consortium (SNC) is revealed, I am redirecting my open letter to them. Hopefully this will awaken their conscience and they will do the right thing by dismantling the tower which I believe is now fully functional. By Bobby Chiah Dear Dato Seri, Immediately after the May 1st. extended holidays (the three days when the tower was erected) a member of our Joint Management Body (JMB) went to Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS) to seek answers. He was told that not only the tower belongs to Telekom Malaysia but TM also bypassed them by directly approaching Putrajaya for approval. And that is the reason why they cannot stop the installation. They portrayed themselves as the innocent and hapless party when in reality nothing is further from the truth. They were caught lying later when they admitted in their letter to YB William Leong that they in fact were the ones who issued the approval letter. But none of us ever suspected that MPS would go to the extent of making an innocent party the scapegoat. And that is why until clarification from TM, all of us were under the impression that the tower belongs to TM. Now that the real owner, Selangor Networking Consortium (SNC) is revealed, I am redirecting my open letter to them. Hopefully this will awaken their conscience and they will do the right thing by dismantling the tower which I believe is now fully functional. If I have to, I will post our predicament internationally to seek support from those whom I quoted in my letter. Whether it is a coincidence or not, after the tower became functional recently, both my grand-daughters and myself have fallen ill with the same symptoms which are lingering fever, bodyache, headache, nausea and bouts of vormiting. Medications do not help. Is it a coincidence or is it because my granddaughters are too young and I am too old that our immune systems cannot withstand the malevolent effects of the EMFs from the tower? I don't know. But if it is what I fear it is then God help us all. |
| Tengku Razaleigh As Interim Prime Minister Posted: 24 Nov 2011 12:34 AM PST Yesterday was a very long day. Even spent time traipsing around a durian plantation. It was full of new information, new experiences and finally last nite I even took a test. (I think I passed). Yesterday evening I attended a seminar where the closing session discussed Malaysia's politics in 2012. Upon request by the organiser (a dear friend) I cannot say which seminar. Some of you folks were there as well - I am sure. The topic was the 13th General Elections. When will the 13th General Elections be held? One speaker pointed out that the GE is not due until 28 April 2013. And Constitutionally it can even be postponed by another two months. Lim Guan Eng has said that if the GE is called before June 2012, then the Pakatan held States will not dissolve their State assemblies. Karpal Singh is not in agreement. Some other folks I met say that the 13th GE will be held about six months after that Parliamentary subcommittee to study the Electoral reforms has been appointed. The subcommittee has just been appointed in November. Six months hence is therefore April 2012 - still a year before the full term ends. My view is it depends on whether the Crown Prince of Sungei Buloh is sent back to sit on his throne in Sungei Buloh. If he is sentenced to sing-sing, there will be some outcry and some sympathy. It will take about six months before the sympathy dies down. His backaches will also start again within about six months of being put in sing-sing. I can already imagine all those pictures of him - wearing braces and sitting in a wheel chair - being smuggled out of sing-sing. (All this is based on whether he is found guilty or not ok). Anyway one of the speakers said (to my surprise) that he had spoken to the Crown Prince's lawyers who do not feel confident that their client will be found innocent. In other words they also feel he will be found guilty of the charges. So six months from a guilty verdict will be about just right to have the Elections. My own view is that lets have the elections in 2013. We need more time to put things right. The time is not right yet. And the PM needs to really revamp the Cabinet. No revamp - can get mauled in the General Elections. Two other things were mentioned yesterday. One speaker said that possibly 70% of voters have already made up their minds who they want to vote. It will be very difficult to change their minds. The battle is actually (or always has been) for that remaining 30% fence sitters. I think there is some truth in this. At the last General Elections, many people decided to vote for the Opposition - no matter what you said or did, they were going to vote Opposition. Post 2008, I once embarrased (just pulling their leg) a group of hard core UMNO supporters at a dinner by asking 'Whoever DID NOT vote for the Opposition please raise your hands'. No one raised their hands. I think had voted for the Opposition in 2008. Everyone just wanted to be rid of Slumberjack and the corrupt SIL. Anyway, the clever lady who spoke yesterday said something else which I feel is extremely important. And for this round, the Prime Minister better take note of this point extremely very well. She said that the last 10 - 14 days before the General Elections are very crucial to help people make up their minds. Since most General Elections only have about two weeks campaigning period, this means a sizeable number of people (possibly that 30% of undecided voters) will actually make up their minds within 10 - 14 days before Polling Day. By that time, all the candidates representing all the parties will be known to everyone. This time around if folks like the "Lembu Condo" people appear on the ballot, there will be a price to pay. If the Mat Rempit fellow appears on the ballot, or the SIL, there will be a price to pay. Times have changed.
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| Kecaman Mahathir dan nurani Saifuddin Posted: 24 Nov 2011 12:27 AM PST Bagaimanapun, Mahathir yang dilihat lebih percaya kepada Muhyiddin Yassin, turut menyindir Perdana Menteri yang juga Presiden Umno, Najib Razak: "Umno memerlukan banyak masa supaya ia boleh diperkuatkan. Tapi beliau pun sibuk dan tidak mempunyai masa yang cukup. Pemimpin-pemimpin Umno yang lain pula belum ada kredibiliti dan masih baru." (Khabarnya Mahathir tidak senang dengan kegemaran Najib yang kerap melancong keluar negara). Ahmad Lutfi Othman, Harahah Daily Wawancara Mingguan Malaysia, Ahad lalu dengan Dr Mahathir Mohamad, mengenai persiapan Umno menjelang PRU13, sempena perhimpunan agung parti itu, bermula 29 Nov ini, dikatakan mencetuskan rasa tidak puas hati ramai pemimpin dan aktivisnya. Mingguan dan Utusan Malaysia nampaknya masih menjadikan bekas Perdana Menteri itu sebagai sumber berita utama berbanding akhbar arus perdana yang lain.
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| Perak’s debt reaching a dizzying billion ringgit Posted: 24 Nov 2011 12:25 AM PST (Harakah Daily) - Perak's state debt has sky-rocketed some 535 percent from RM182 million in 2000 to RM975 million currently, with a RM72 million increase in the past 12 months.
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| WIKILEAKS: Anwar tells the US he has documentary evidence of Najib's corruption Posted: 23 Nov 2011 05:09 PM PST
Anwar raised as examples the alleged cover-up in the Altantuya murder case and kick-backs paid to fronts for DPM Najib Tun Razak for the procurement of French submarines and the 2003 purchase of Sukhoi aircraft. He felt emboldened to raise these matters in recent press conferences because he possessed solid information, including documentary evidence in the case of the Sukhoi deal. Much of the information about the latter cases came directly from senior officials who met with Anwar, including the Director General of at least one ministry and a senior officer at the Central Bank. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
Classified By: AMBASSADOR CHRISTOPHER J. LAFLEUR, REASON 1.4 (B AND D). Summary 1. (S) Former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, speaking with polchief January 18, amplified his recent attacks on Deputy Prime Minister Najib, alleging official cover-up of Najib's connection with the Altantuya murder case and Najib's involvement in corrupt military procurements. Anwar (protect) asserted that DPM Najib's aide-de-camp ordered the killing of Altantuya and that Anwar possessed firm evidence of the 2003 Sukhoi kick-back scheme. A January 19 court affidavit by jailed Najib confidante Razak Baginda revealed a link to Najib's ADC, allowing Anwar to sharpen his public calls for police to question the Deputy Prime Minister. Anwar expressed hope that PM Abdullah's "weakness" could allow for a somewhat fairer playing field for Malaysian opposition parties in the next national elections and asserted that opportunities for democratic reform would end if and when DPM Najib took over. Anwar now is attempting to shift his political opposition role into higher gear. At this point, however, it is not clear that Anwar has a winning game plan and his expressed electoral hopes are very modest at best. End Summary. Najib-Linked Scandals Damage Malaysia's Integrity 2. (C) Former Deputy Prime Minister and opposition politician Anwar Ibrahim, accompanied by his wife Wan Azizah, told polchief during their January 18 meeting at Anwar's Damansara home that high-level corruption had reached dangerous levels and had damaged the nation's integrity. Anwar raised as examples the alleged cover-up in the Altantuya murder case and kick-backs paid to fronts for DPM Najib Tun Razak for the procurement of French submarines and the 2003 purchase of Sukhoi aircraft. He felt emboldened to raise these matters in recent press conferences (picked up mainly by internet news services) because he possessed solid information, including documentary evidence in the case of the Sukhoi deal. Much of the information about the latter cases came directly from senior officials who met with Anwar, including the Director General of at least one ministry and a senior officer at the Central Bank. 3. (S) On the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder (see below), Anwar (protect in this paragraph) claimed that Najib had been romantically involved with the Mongolian woman prior to her relationship with Abdul Razak Baginda (Najib's confidante accused of abetting the woman's murder), and implied that Altantuya had intended to incriminate Najib as well as Razak Baginda. Leaning forward and in a hushed voice, Anwar asserted that he had firm information that Najib's aide-de-camp ordered the two members of Najib's security detail (who are charged with murder) to kill Altantuya. Based on his information, Anwar said he had called publicly for the police to question Najib. (Comment: In December we heard from one of Anwar's lawyers that Razak Baginda's wife was in contact with Anwar and Wan Azizah, suggesting one possible source for Anwar's information. End Comment.) Background on Altantuya Murder Case 4. (C) Note: In November 2006, Malaysian police arrested urbane think tank analyst Razak Baginda, a close confidante of DPM/Defense Minister Najib and a beneficiary of an enormous broker's fee for the Defense Ministry's purchase of French submarines. Police charged Razak with abetting the October 19, 2006, murder of a young Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaariibuu, with whom he reportedly had an affair. Police also brought murder charges against two police officers assigned to the Special Operations Force that protects the Deputy Prime Minister. Publicly the case has attracted sensationalist media coverage, while privately the rumor mill has gone into overdrive fueled by speculation of Najib's possible connection to Altantuya and her murder. Perceived irregularities on the part of prosecutors and the court, and the alleged destruction of some evidence, suggested to many that the case was subject to strong political pressure intended to protect Najib. The trial phase will begin in March 2008. Razak's Affidavit Supports Anwar's Public Calls 5. (SBU) Note continued: Anwar used his January 10 press conference to urge police to question Najib, while clarifying that, "we are not inferring that (Najib) is in the know or gave the instructions (to murder Altantuya)." On January 19, Abdul Razak Baginda presented a court affidavit in support of his unsuccessful bail application. According to press accounts, Abdul Razak Baginda's affidavit confirmed that he sought the help of Musa Safri, later identified by reporters as Najib's ADC. On January 20, Anwar told a political rally, "It was clearly stated that Abdul Razak had gone to the deputy premier's office to meet with the head of Najib's bodyguards. Why can't we question this? Why can't we investigate?" Mainstream media subsequently carried articles citing the Altantuya family's lawyer asking for prosecutors to reopen the case based on new information in the affidavit. End Note. Abdullah's Weakness Creates (Limited) Political Opening 6. (C) Anwar confided to polchief that Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's "weakness" and his inability to control fully the government, police and party apparatus could allow for a somewhat fairer playing field during the next national elections. PM Abdullah, however, had already shut down discussion of significant electoral reforms, which the Electoral Commission chairman had urged in public comments made in early January. Anwar expected the government would continue to shut off his access to the mainstream media. (Comment: There has not been a complete black-out on mainstream press coverage of Anwar; however, his activities and public remarks find rare mention in major papers, and none that we have noticed on television. End Comment.) Democratic openings and prospects for reform would end, Anwar argued, if and when the DPM replaced Abdullah, given Najib's character and his inner circle of supporters. 7. (C) Anwar's Malaysian People's Justice Party (Keadilan) and the Democratic Action Party (DAP) identified opportunities to make some electoral gains in Penang, Sabah and Selangor states in the next national election. Anwar noted that he spent a large amount of time brokering meetings between DAP and the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) in order to foster a better working relationship among these opposition parties. Given limited access to the media, Anwar stated that he had difficulties reaching rural Malay voters to explain his positions, particularly his opposition to the current Malay set-aside programs, which he believes should be based on need, not race. Polchief raised 2006 polling data that indicated a strong racial divide among young Malaysians and, when asked, Anwar did not identify any trend away from race-based politics. 8. (C) Anwar stated that he was encouraging foreign democracy NGOs to initiate activities in Malaysia in hopes their programs and presence would contribute to a freer political climate. He was reaching out to organizations from the U.S. (NDI, IRI), Europe, Turkey and Indonesia. Anwar noted, in particular, the importance of non-American groups taking up issues of democracy in Malaysia, and indicated his own desire not to become closely identified with the U.S. out of concern his opponents would use this against him. Anwar noted he would continue to engage in international meetings, but would curtail or resign from official roles in some overseas organizations to better position himself for politics in Malaysia. Expressing disappointment with the limited influence of MAFREL, an election monitoring NGO, Anwar supported efforts to stand up a more high-powered, independent election watchdog, possibly headed by noted lawyer and former UN special envoy Param Cumaraswamy (who is part of Anwar's legal team in his suit against former Prime Minister Mahathir). 9. (C) Anwar, surrounded by boxes in his home, told polchief he had sold the house in the elite Damansara neighborhood and purchased a large home in a poorer neighborhood further from the city. He implied that the reasons for the move were financial. Comment 10. (C) Due to his conviction in April 1999 for misuse of his official position, Anwar remains barred from seeking political office until April 2008. However, he now is clearly back in Malaysian politics and attempting to shift his political opposition role into higher gear after spending much of his time overseas following his 2004 prison release. Using press conferences to lob bombshells focused on Najib-linked corruption and the sensationalistic Altantuya murder case is a tactic whose impact is limited by Anwar's modest coverage in the government-dominated mainstream media but which is in keeping with the gadfly function traditionally played by the weaker Malaysian opposition parties. 11. (C) Political gossip is Malaysia's favorite indoor sport, and some here speculate that Anwar nurses bigger ambitions. Najib personifies the privileged UMNO elite into which he was born and lacks Anwar's Islamic activist credentials or personal magnetism. However, after Abdullah, UMNO currently has no serious alternative to Najib. By chipping away at Najib's reputation, Anwar could be looking to raise doubts inside UMNO about the wisdom of that succession and perhaps weaken resistance to Anwar's eventual return to the fold and perhaps even to leadership. Some speculate, too, that Abdullah is well aware of this dynamic and intends to use Anwar to keep Najib in check. However, as Anwar also continues to take pot shots as well at Abdullah, there remains uncertainty about the likelihood of real reconciliation with the PM. 12. (C) At this point, it is not clear to us that Anwar in fact has a winning game plan and his expressed electoral hopes seem very modest at best. In 2006, former Prime Minister Mahathir's challenge to PM Abdullah ironically stole much of the opposition's thunder, or at least the public's attention. With the Mahathir threat largely diffused for the time being, the field may be more open for Anwar to stake out a position as Malaysia's primary opposition voice in the year ahead. LAFLEUR (2007)
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| Economic policies that do not add up Posted: 23 Nov 2011 04:39 PM PST The lack of economic expertise in Pakatan Rakyat underlines the many difficulties the Opposition would encounter if it captures Putrajaya. Except for Tony Pua, the DAP MP for Petaling Jaya Utara, there are no competent economic advisers working with Opposition controlled states that are struggling to line up economic advisors, the cable noted. By Baradan Kuppusamy, The Star WHILE Pakatan Rakyat has been quick to capitalise on Barisan Nasional's political setbacks like the current controversy over the National Feedlot Corpora-tion, it is weak in its economic policy formulation, and one reason is the lack of qualified economists. This shortcoming would weigh heavily on the coalition if it were ever to capture Putrajaya. Its weakness in formulating economic policies like the Alternative Budget 2012 that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim read out to reporters a day before Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak presented his Budget in Parliament, is a sign of its incompetency in ruling the country. The Pakatan Rakyat budget was a wishy-washy affair. More thought should have gone into it beyond a cursory glance at where revenue is coming from and the expenditure incurred. Instead Anwar just "handed out cash to the poor, teachers and farmers". The failure to formulate a serious, alternative Budget is yet another example of the weakness of the coalition that would affect their ability to rule the country. Its inability to go beyond making unrealistic and populist demands and criticising the policies formulated by the experts i.e. Bank Negara economists, is a setback to Pakatan growing into a valid and competent coalition. Populist policies are easily made but their implementation is hard, if not totally unrealistic. For instance, Anwar campaigned in 2008 that if you voted for him and he takes Putrajaya, the price of oil would be lowered the very next day.. He can do it by further subsidising the price of "subsidised oil" and that is economic madness and unsustainable. Furthermore, Anwar is economic adviser to the Selangor government, earning a fee of just RM1 another populist measure that gels well with the rakyat in the state. But how much FDI (foreign direct investment) has he brought into Selangor? Beyond sloganeering like merakyatkan ekonomi, what are the realistic economic steps that he has taken thus far? The lack of qualified economic formulators is glaring and shows how the Barisan federal government is far superior in that respect to the proposed Pakatan government when it comes to administering the economy, warts and all. This lack of economic know-how was apparent in a leaked US State Department cable by Wikileaks on Nov 8, which stated that Pakatan lacked economic policy formulators within its ranks and how this shortcoming weighs on them as a coalition. It also speculated why this was so and suggested that it could be due to Pakatan's failure to give them high wages and that "politics" could have frightened them away. The lack of economic expertise among them underlines some of the many difficulties they would encounter if they capture Putrajaya. While the Opposition-run states are struggling without competent experts, their politicians also show little aptitude for heavy economics. Except for Tony Pua, the DAP MP for Petaling Jaya Utara, there are no competent economic advisers working with Opposition controlled states that are struggling to line up economic advisors, the cable noted. Pua is a one-man-band and he has his hands full. Besides, "one swallow does not make a summer". And, if Pakatan captures Putrajaya, PAS will pull the country one way and PKR in another and the DAP, a third way demanding that affirmative action policies are abolished immediately. Each is committed to its own constituents in different ways. There is little cooperation among them on economic matters beyond agreeing on political matters like seat sharing and working to capture Putrajaya. There's is no deal on how Pakatan would rule the country, no documents stating the basis of their rule and no power-sharing formula. They have no shadow Cabinet. Their power-sharing formula, in the event they capture Putrajaya, is simply that Anwar would be prime minister and his deputies would be DAP's Lim Kit Siang and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang. There is also not much difference between Barisan and Pakatan in the broad policy framework for the country. They are both for an open economy and for FDI to grow the economy. But there the similarities end and the differences emerge. There are differences over affirmative action policies that is favoured by Barisan, PKR and PAS but not by the DAP. This is a cause for dissension. While all three Pakatan parties are against corruption along with Barisan there is a realisation that much of the corruption is linked to the affirmative action policies and that corruption can only be defeated if that policy is abolished. This is the DAP's stand and it is markedly different from the rest. Pakatan's weakness in economic matters would show immediately and in a serious manner if they ever were to capture power. There would be chaos as they find their bearings, if at all. The state will be pulled in different ways between Anwar's populist promises, PAS' Islamic economics and the DAP's desire to streamline the civil service and abolish affirmative action.
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| A last hurrah for the labour movement? Posted: 23 Nov 2011 04:18 PM PST Although a nationwide protest organised by the Malaysian Trades Union Congress on Nov 3 was declared a success by its organisers, the modest turnout of some 2,000 people at 18 locations nationwide signals that workers themselves do not feel empowered to send the authorities a strong message about the proposed amendments. Written by R B Bhattacharjee, The Edge The storm that is brewing over the proposed amendments to the Employment Act 1955 has so far not blown as hard as it could, considering the fundamental changes to labour relations that could result from the revised enactment.
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| Shahril to be president, group CEO of merged Sapura-Kencana group Posted: 23 Nov 2011 04:15 PM PST (The Edge) - Sapura Group president and chief executive officer Datuk Seri Shahril Shamsuddin will be the president and group chief executive officer of the merged SAPURACREST PETROLEUM BHD and KENCANA PETROLEUM BHD. According to documents sighted by The Edge FinancialDaily, Sapura group chairman Datuk Hamzah Bakar will be the chairman of the new board while Kenaca's executive chairman Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir will be appointed the executive vice chairman. Both the president & group CEO and executive vice chairman will report directly to the board. Currently, the integration committee for the merger exercise is jointly chaired by Shahril and Mokhzani. Both companies will be seeking shareholders' approval at an EGM on Dec 14 for the proposed merger. The Securities Commission has already given its go-ahead for the merger. In July, the petroleum-related companies announced the merger which would be undertaken by Integral Key Sdn Bhd (IKSB), a special purpose vehicle. IKSB had then made a RM11.85-billion offer to acquire all their assets and liabilities in a share swap. The merger of equals will have a combined market capitalisation in excess of RM10 billion. According to the documents, Shahril said the integration committee was set up to achieve a successful merger and to formulate the strategic direction of the new merged entity moving forward. He had also said that it is "critical that we put in place a strong and dynamic organisational structure that would ensure business continuity and realisation of the synergies we hope to derive as a merged entity. I would like to assure each and everyone of you that you will continue to be an important part of the new organisation moving forward".
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| Air: Utusan cuba perbodoh rakyat Kelantan Posted: 23 Nov 2011 04:11 PM PST "Cuba bayangkan pula usaha kerajaan negeri mahu meningkatkan bekalan air tidak mendapat kerjasama kerajaan pusat dalam tempoh begitu lama. Selama 13 tahun Kelantan diketepikan mendapat sebarang peruntukan. Usahkan peruntukan, pinjaman pun tidak diberi pada awalnya," ujarnya.
Ini kerana setiap hari mereka boleh minum, mandi, membasuh dan apa-apa sahaja kegiatan menggunakan air bersih dibekalkan Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB). Malah, pelabur tetap memilih Kelantan sebagai destinasi pelaburan mereka. Seandainya bekalan air di sini kritikal mengapa mereka memilih mengembangkan operasi perniagaan di Kelantan. Apakah agenda setting Utusan peringkat tertinggi itu mampu memperbodohkan rakyat Kelantan. Jawapannya tidak. Begitu juga dakwaan isu air dicemari bakteria E.coli, mangan dan arsenik, sedangkan kadarnya lebih rendah berbanding negeri-negeri lain. Misalnya kadar kandungan E.coli di Kelantan hanya sekitar 0.88 peratus berbanding Pahang (1.12 peratus), Perak (0.90 peratus), Perlis (1.21 peratus) dan Wilayah Persekutuan Labuan (1.01 peratus). Pengurus Besar AKSB, Ir Mohamad Hanafi Mahmud berkata, kadar kandungan bakteria E.coli hanya dalam peratusan kecil, dan diatasi segera setelah dikesan kandungannya. Lagi pun katanya setiap minggu sampel air di semua loji rawatan air AKSB dihantar ke Pejabat Kesihatan untuk dianalisis.
Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Perumahan, Kerjaraya, Utiliti dan Alam Sekitar, Datuk Mejar (B) Md Anizam Abdul Rahman (kiri) berkata, sebanyak 3531 sampel air dianalisis Jabatan Kesihatan dan hanya 31 kes sahaja dikesan ada kandungan E.coli. "Persoalannya sekarang mengapa Kelantan sahaja yang digegerkan dalam media sehingga setiap hari disiarkan kenyataan negetif. "Ini seolah-olah menggambarkan negeri lain tidak ada E.coli. Tidak selamanya rakyat mudah ditipu dengan maklumat berat sebelah seperti yang menjadi mainan Utusan Malaysia sekarang," katanya di sini. Malah kata beliau akhbar terbabit juga lupa tanggungjawab menyediakan perkhidmatan bekalan air adalah di bawah kerajaan pusat, dan kerajaan negeri cuma menyalurkan sumber air. "Mengapa mereka tidak cuba rujuk kepada perlembagaan yang secara jelas menerangkan perkara itu. Jangan cuba hendak kelirukan rakyat. "Memandangkan tugas tersebut tidak dilaksanakan kerajaan pusat, kerajaan negeri terpaksa mengambil alihnya bagi memastikan kesejahteraan kehidupan rakyat. "Cuba bayangkan pula usaha kerajaan negeri mahu meningkatkan bekalan air tidak mendapat kerjasama kerajaan pusat dalam tempoh begitu lama. "Selama 13 tahun Kelantan diketepikan mendapat sebarang peruntukan. Usahkan peruntukan, pinjaman pun tidak diberi pada awalnya," ujarnya. Beliau berkata, sepanjang tempoh itu prasarana bekalan air tetap juga dipertingkat termasuk mendapat pinjaman daripada institusi kewangan. Hanya pada 2003 barulah pinjaman mudah diluluskan sebanyak RM600 juta, itu pun diberi bukan sekaligus, sebaliknya sedikit demi sedikit. Menurutnya Md Anizam hasil kesungguhan kerajaan negeri sehingga sekarang hampir 70 peratus rakyat Kelantan mendapat bekalan air bersih disediakan AKSB.
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| Posted: 23 Nov 2011 04:02 PM PST More and more senior DPPs are throwing in the towel and the list includes Solicior-General II Mohd Yusof. Sources claim that the AG is to be blamed for this. (Free Malaysia Today) - Allegations of internal politicking, nepotism and cronyism are swirling in the Attorney-General's Chambers and fed-up deputy public prosecutors (DPPs) are tendering their letters for optional retirement. Those interviewed by FMT agreed to voice their grievances on condition of anonymity. These legal eagles believe that the rot is beyond repair and pin the blame on Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail himself. According to them, it is an open secret that those loyal to Gani rise up the ranks and are given key tasks irrespective of whether they are qualified for the job or otherwise. Those considered hostile or critical of the AG's decisions often land in cold storage. "The only criteria (required) is that the DPP must be close to him (Gani) and not go against his or his men's word," said a former senior DPP who served for nearly 30 years. Initially, only a handful felt upset with Gani but the number has grown over the years and they are tendering their application for optional retirement. "The AG in his capacity as the head of the department is approving the applications without the slightest of hesitation," said another vexed DPP. In their application, most of the DPPS cite "personal reasons" for their decision. "It's very difficult for them to state the actual reason since only the AG has the discretionary power whether to approve their applications or not. They will be asking for trouble if they state 'AG's conduct' as being the reason," said the DPP. Quizzed on their grouses regarding Gani and his men, one DPP cited the management of the International Centre for Law and Legal Studies (ICELLS), where the AG's son and daughter-in-law are attached to. "Both of them have less than five years experience in the service but have already been promoted to Grades L48 and L52 respectively. In our service, there was never such a promotion exercise. "As far as I know, it is only in Malaysia that the AG and his next-of-kin are working in the same department and same building," he said. He added that initially research division head K Muniandy was slated to helm ICELLS. "Muniandy was the former deputy head of prosecution and highly respected in the legal fraternity but he was sidelined, prompting him to put in his optional retirement papers at the age of 50. "He was the only 'Jusa A' Indian officer in the Chambers and probably in the entire civil service. So there must be something seriously wrong when someone of his calibre and experience chooses to quit," he added. For the record, besides Muniandy, other senior DPPs who have left the service are S Devanandan, Ahmad Firuz Zainal Abidin, Dr Sabirin Jaafar, Shamsul Sulaiman and Sallehuddin Saidin.
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| The 13th GE: Its an open field Posted: 23 Nov 2011 03:56 PM PST SAKMONGKOL AK47 Rahim Tamby Chik (RTC) says there are attempts by the opposition parties to invite Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to become PM. This will happen Rahim says, if there is a hung parliament. Such a situation is untenable says Rahim because it will create political instability. So UMNO must work hard to get a 2/3rd majority. Those were the observations and musings by (RTC) on the political possibilities after the GE13. What is intriguing was his warning that a hung parliament will create instability. I hope we will not be in such a situation. Malaysians would prefer a clear cut victory one way or the other. I am not going to respond to his nervous prognosis; being more interested on how such a scenario can possibly happen and what are the implications if it does. I don't think we are going to have a hung parliament. It will be clear cut either way. I am also bemused at his attempt to involve Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in such a scenario. To qualify as a participant in any future negotiations should a hung parliament comes into being, TRH must be head of a political party. Right now, TRH is in UMNO and doesn't head a party nor is he a leader of any faction in UMNO. Could Rahim's advice be another attempt to isolate TRH from UMNO? TRH is far too principled to agree being appointed as leader of government on a personal to holder basis. He will be a figurehead. Oh, because Tengku has never disowned the ambitions to become PM, comes the answer from UMNO people. So my answer is- why should he not have that ambition? He was cheated to becoming one before. He has all the credentials to become one. Here is an interesting piece of information. When certain UMNO people wanted to kick out Abdullah Badawi , they approached Tengku Razaleigh for a solution. Their agenda was only one- because of Najib's hesitation they went to see Razaleigh asking him to stand as UMNO president and Muhyidin as Deputy President. This group was made up of powerful people, united at that time, by their intense disapproval and loathing of Dollah Badawi. My point is this- at that time, they didn't think it was inappropriate for Tengku Razaleigh to become UMNO president and if he had won, go on to become PM. Tengku's ambition wasn't an issue. His age wasn't an issue. The fundamental objective was to remove Pak Lah. Why should the opposition parties invite Tengku Razaleigh to become PM, if they could win the elections on their own? PAS has Haji Hadi, DAP has Lim Guan Eng and PKR has Anwar Ibrahim? This assessment presupposes that between the 3, neither one accepts the leader of each party as a future PM. It also assumes further, that Tengku Razaleigh commands a number of elected MPs to give him standing in future negotiations. Where will he get the MPs? Rahim says 20-30 people are being lined up to stand as MPs who are aligned to Tengku Razaleigh. Where are these people? In UMNO? Within the opposition camp? So now, let us build up a case, why a hung parliament cannot happen. Just for the moment, let's not talk about how UMNO and BN can lose. Let's talk about HOW the opposition- DAP, PAS, PKR can WIN. Let's begin by asking, will the PR lose its current 82 seats? Possible, but very unlikely. The seats which they lost when some people jumped ship, will become theirs again. We won't see the likes of Zahrain and his types in parliament again.
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| Don organises assembly to protest Bill Posted: 23 Nov 2011 03:50 PM PST Wong Chin Huat of Monash University says that the Bill has tested his 'tolerance for idiocy'. (Free Malaysia Today) - An academic has decided to thumb his nose at the recently tabled Peaceful Assembly Bill by doing exactly what the Bill aims to prohibit. Wong Chin Huat of Monash University has organised a peaceful assembly called "Malaysians Can Walk Freely In KLCC Without Police Permit" to take place this Saturday afternoon at the mall. As of last night, 300 people have indicated their attendance via the event's Facebook page. But Wong isn't out to recreate Bersih 2.0. For him even 50 people would be enough to drive home the absurdity of the Bill and show the government that the people will not accept the Bill in its current form. Touted by the opposition and NGOs as being even more repressive than the Police Act 1967, the Bill seeks to ban street protests and empowers the police to impose restrictions on public assemblies. "My tolerance for idiocy has reached its limit with that Bill," an exasperated Wong told FMT. "Would you need a police permit to hold a wedding dinner or to go to the pasar malam with friends?" "So why do you need one for an assembly with a cause attached to it? The government isn't banning personal and professional assemblies, so why ban political ones?" Wong explained that he also wanted the public to rethink their notion of a demonstration in that it needn't involve banners, placards and shouting. "That just gives the police a legit excuse to stop the demonstration," he pointed out. "So we will show them that we can still demonstrate without any of that." "If the people feel strongly enough they can bring a flag because we are there for our country. Or they can bring balloons or flowes because rallies are meant to be fun."
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| Race-based affirmative action needed for now Posted: 23 Nov 2011 03:49 PM PST In saying this, an academic however adds that its programmes must be made more effective so that they can one day be removed. (Free Malaysia Today) - An academic believes that while race-based affirmative action has failed in its mission to unify the country, it can never be replaced by need-based considerations. Lee Hock Aun, a senior lecturer of development studies at the Faculty of Economics and Administration in Universiti Malaya, said that need-based considerations should in fact be enforced within race-based actions so as to achieve the best results. "Need-based considerations complement measures to redress racial under-representation by targeting the socio-economically needy with the beneficiary group. "Addressing need-based issues alone isn't going to engender a change in upward mobility sufficiently or at a politically acceptable pace. And politics are important here for a symbolic and substantial change, " he added during a talk entitled "Affirmative Action in Malaysia versus Affirmative Action in South Africa" at the LoyarBurok Community Centre here last night. Lee explained that while need-based considerations would be feasible in the realm of education, it would be a tangled mess where employment and business dealings are concerned. He pointed out that it is universally acceptable that children should not be denied an education just because they are born into unfortunate circumstances. Need-based considerations, therefore, would seamlessly factor into this situation. But he questioned whether an employer would then also be expected to give preference to candidates based on their socio-economic background and an assessment of their needs. Or whether a contract should be awarded to the vendor who is deemed to be in greater need of business. "It's practically very difficult," Lee said. "If need-based considerations are replacing race-based actions, then a framework with thorough guidelines is needed." "But perhaps more importantly is to make the current race-based actions more effective so that one day it will be no longer needed and can be removed entirely." Here the executive director of the Research for Social Enhancement (Refsa), Teh Chi-Chang, interjected with an observation that the implemantation of Article 153 is arguable. He pointed out that the second provision refers to the reservation of places for the Malays in institutions of higher learning. "But the approach today has been the establishment of Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) colleges that are strictly for Bumiputeras," Teh said. "It's not reservational any longer since there is now a whole new section that excludes other communities. In a different climate you could challenge that as unconstitutional. " Another participant then pointed out that many students from Mara colleges floundered upon entering public universities as their educational foundation proved to be weak.
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| Emergency laws lifted, EO void Posted: 23 Nov 2011 03:46 PM PST The government lifts the existing three emergency proclamations which in effect makes the Emergency Ordinance void. (Free Malaysia Today) - The government today lifted the three existing emergency proclamations, rendering the Emergency Public Order and Prevention of Crime Ordinance 1969 (EO) void. In accordance with clause (7) Article 150 of the Federal Constitution, the EO would lapse in May, six months after the proclamations are lifted. The three proclamations are:
1977 Emergency Proclamation issued in Kelantan on Nov 8, 1977 to resolve the state's political disputes. "The reason the proclamations are lifted is because the emergency situation which threatens the security, economic livelihood and public order does not exist at the present moment," Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak told the Dewan Rakyat. He also informed the House that with the EO rendered void, a need arises for the government to take the necessary steps to ensure that there would be no difficulties or obstacles for the authorities to control crime, protect economic livelihood and ensure public order. The existence of the proclamations also gave the government, under Article 150 of the Federal Constitution, to make laws without passing them through Parliament. However, Najib said with the lifting of these proclamations, the government no longer has the power to make laws under Article 150.
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| Komen yang hina rakyat Kelantan Posted: 23 Nov 2011 03:43 PM PST "Orang Indonesia mentalitinya lebih rendah sedikit dari rakyat Kelantan tapi persamaannya mereka bersifat fanatik dan kenegerian yang melampau," begitulah bunyi satu komen pembaca di dalam akhbar Berita Harian semalam. Nazli Ibrahim, Free Malaysia Today Aduhai Berita Harian, hampir saya tidak terkata apa-apa apabila terbaca sahaja komen yang bersifat penghinaan yang bukan sahaja terhadap rakyat Indonesia malah lebih teruk lagi ditujukan sesama sendiri iaitu warga Malaysia dari Kelantan. Apabila terbaca komen seperti ini, cuma tiga perkara yang secara automatik terlintas dalam fikiran saya iaitu komen bodoh, komen bodoh dan komen bodoh. Selepas itu barulah saya terfikir lagi, kalau komen ini adalah komen bodoh dari seorang pembaca akhbar itu, bagaimana pula dengan editor yang melepaskan tulisan-tulisan seperti ini? Saya tidaklah mahu mengatakan yang editornya lebih bodoh berbanding orang yang mendapat ilham menulis komen ini, tetapi tidakkah tuan editor ini dapat berfikir dengan jelas kesannya nanti. Sudahlah kredibiliti akhbar ini yang dianggap sebagai sebuah akhbar dari aliran media arus perdana semakin diragui, ditambah lagi dengan menyiarkan komen seperti ini hanya menyebabkan bilangan yang meragui kredibiliti akhbar ini semakin bertambah. Ini menyebabkan saya tertanya-tanya lagi kepada ketua editor akhbar itu pula, tiada apa-apakah yang mampu dibuatnya berhubung komen berbentuk penghinaan yang dilepaskan oleh editornya itu? Selain itu, adakah penulis komen yang menggunakan nama samaran Lamputoslet dan editor akhbar ini tidak menyedari ada di antara wira muda yang menjulang nama negara dalam acara bola sepak Sukan SEA itu berasal dari Kelantan. Tidak sedarkah yang Khairul Fahmi Che Mat, Syahrul Azwari dan Wan Zaharul Nizam adalah anak-anak Kelantan yang bermain untuk negara yang mereka cintai? Cuba tanya Khairul Fahmi, setiap kali dia menyarung jersi kebangsaan adakah dia merasakan dia bermain untuk negeri Kelantan atau Malaysia. Begitulah bertubi-tubi persoalan yang timbul dalam fikiran saya selepas membaca komen Lamputoslet itu. Sekali lagi, aduh mak, gara-gara komen bodoh seperti ini, tidak pasal-pasal ada yang sudah mula berbalas maki-hamun sesama sendiri di laman sosial face book. Mentaliti rendah Yalah, siapa yang tidak panas hati apabila diri kita dikatakan memiliki mentaliti yang rendah, lebih-lebih lagi komen seperti itu dibuat di akhbar dan boleh dibaca oleh sesiapa sahaja. Kalau pembaca yang lemah mindanya seperti si pemberi komen itu, mudah untuk menganggap komen itu adalah benar-benar berlaku. Saya bukanlah berasal dari Kelantan, tetapi seorang warganegara Malaysia yang memegang mykad dengan kod ditengah-tengahnya '01′. Meskipun saya bukan anak Kelantan, saya memang bersetuju sangat kalau ada di kalangan rakan-rakan di Kelantan yang berhajat membuat laporan polis. Kenapa tidak, bukankah membuat laporan polis memang sudah menjadi satu trend terbaharu dalam masyarakat negara ini dan tidak lagi suatu yang membosankan seperti orang dahulu-dahulu mengembala sekawan lembu contohnya. Apa yang penting, seperti yang selalu dilakukan, selepas sahaja membuat laporan polis jangan lupa berdiri di depan lip-lap pancaran dari flash kamera media sambil memegang satu salinan laporan polis!
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| Sultan Selangor tegur Aziz Bari Posted: 23 Nov 2011 03:40 PM PST Baginda turut menasihatkan Aziz agar tidak membuat sesuatu kenyataan yang boleh mengelirukan dan meresahkan rakyat terhadap integriti MAIS dan LZS. (Free Malaysia Today) - Sultan Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah melahirkan rasa dukacita berhubung kenyataan Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari, yang mengatakan akaun Majlis Agama Islam (MAIS) dan Lembaga Zakat Selangor (LZS) tidak diaudit. Baginda bertitah kenyataan pensyarah Undang-Undang Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM) itu adalah tidak tepat. Tuanku turut menasihatkan Aziz agar tidak membuat sebarang kenyataan kerana ia mengundang kekeliruan dan keresahan di kalangan rakyat terhadap integriti MAIS dan Lembaga Zakat Selangor. Titahnya, Aziz perlu mendapatkan fakta yang tepat dan betul sebelum mengeluarkan sebarang kenyataan. "Beta sangat dukacita apabila dimaklumkan terdapat satu laporan yang menyatakan bahawa Prof Aziz ada membuat kenyataan bahawa akaun MAIS dan LZS tidak diaudit dan bebas daripada diaudit. "Kenyataan beliau ini adalah tidak tepat kerana Beta disembah maklum bahawa akaun MAIS dan akaun LZS telah diaudit oleh Jabatan Audit Negara dan mendapat Sijil Bersih daripada Ketua Audit Negara pada setiap tahun serta akan terus diaudit oleh Jabatan Audit negara pada tahun-tahun akan datang. "Beta harap Prof Aziz jangan membuat sesuatu kenyataan yang boleh mengelirukan dan meresahkan rakyat terhadap ketelusan dan integriti MAIS dan LZS sebelum mendapatkan fakta-fakta yang tepat dan betul," titah baginda. Baginda menyampaikan titah berkenaan ketika merasmikan Wisma Audit Negeri Selangor di sini hari ini. Turut hadir Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, Ketua Audit Negara, Tan Sri Ambrin Buang dan Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Selangor (Adun) lain. Aziz dalam laporan media 11 November lalu dilaporkan berkata, Sultan Selangor telah melampaui kuasa dengan menitahkan Adun untuk meluluskan rang undang-undang tanpa dibahaskan dalam sidang Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) pada Julai lalu. Aziz berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas mengenai titah Sultan Selangor semua Adun meluluskan pindaan peruntukan Rang Undang-Undang Enakmen Pentadbiran Agama Islam (Negeri Selangor) (Pindaan) 2011 yang membolehkan MAIS mengelak dari diaudit oleh jawatankuasa audit awam. Aziz yang juga seorang pakar perlembagaan berkata, perlembagaan tidak memberikan apa-apa kuasa kepada Sultan.
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| Students allowed to join political parties Posted: 23 Nov 2011 03:37 PM PST Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak says the undergraduates are mature enough as they had reached the legal age. (Free Malaysia Today) - Prime Minister Najib Razak today annouced that Section 15 of the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA) will be amended to allow undergraduates to be members of political parties. Najib said this in the Dewan Rakyat today while tabling a motion to lift the emergency proclamations. He said that the undergraduates were mature enough as they had reached a legal age. "The government believes in the maturity and intelligence of the undergraduates. In order to respect the constitutional right of the undergrads who have reached the legal age, or age of majority, the government will amend Section 15 of UUCA to allow them to become members of political parties." "But we will be strict in not allowing politics to enter the campuses," he said. This effectively allows undergraduates above the age of 21 to participate in political activities, barring that activities are not held on university grounds. Najib, the Pekan MP, however, said that the government will appeal against the Court of Appeal's decision's on Oct 31, which ruled that the UUCA was unconstitutional as it violates freedom of expression as enshrined in Article 10 of the Federal Constitution. "The government will file an appeal as the decision has far-reaching implications on the principles of law in the country," he said. In April 2010, four Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) students were caught campaigning during the Hulu Selangor by-election, which was in breach of the UUCA. The four then challenged UKM in the High Court for allegedly violating their freedom of expression, which is guaranteed under the Federal Constitution. However, the High Court dismissed their case, prompting them to appeal against the decision. Many student activists have claimed that the UUCA restricts them as adults of legal age to their right to participate actively in politics, if they wish to do so. Najib's said that his announcement was in line with spirit of the Government Transformation Program (GTP), which provides for a more open society.
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| Najib urged to consult Anwar on election date Posted: 23 Nov 2011 03:35 PM PST A consensus between BN and Pakatan makes greater democratic sense and shows political maturity, says PKR man. (Free Malaysia Today) - A PKR leader wants Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to meet with Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to jointly fix the date of the next general election. "It will settle the question of whether the four Pakatan Rakyat-ruled states should hold separate elections from the parliamentary one," said Sim Tze Tzin, Penang PKR's info chief. "The way forward for Malaysia is a bipartisan consensus on when to hold elections as this reflects political maturity and a greater democratic sense," he said. The country is heading towards a two-party system where neither side have absolute power. A check and balance system can eventually lead to good governance, Sim said. Therefore, an important milestone such as a general election, should be decided on a consensus between BN and Pakatan, he added. "It's unfair for one man to decide the fate of 27 million citizens on the date of an important event such as an election. Once the date is known, people would settle down unlike now, where there are intense lobbying and politicking." Sim cited the example of former British premier Gordon Brown, who after consulation with all stakeholders, set an early election date for his country. This, he said, reflects Britain's recognition of due electoral process, and it is an element which Malaysia can also adopt since both share similar Commonwealth constitutional law. Sim said an early election date would also boost the economy as the markets would react positively to the news. "Businessmen and investors hate uncertainty. An early date would spill over to the markets and bring about more economic activities." Sim said if Pakatan refuses to hold concurrent state elections with a parliamentary one, both political blocs would lose out while the people would shoulder the burden of voting twice. Having separate elections can benefit either BN or Pakatan, he contended, as both blocs have their own advantages if there are separate elections in the four states. Speculation is that the BN-led federal government may dissolve Parliament anytime from now, paving the way for a national-level election for 222 parliamentary seats. Pakatan states do not plan to follow the parliamentary-level election, creating a possibility that voters in Kedah, Penang, Selangor and Kelantan may end up voting twice, one for parliament and at a later date for their respective states. Meanwhile, DAP leaders here seemed to be in two minds over whether the four Pakatan states should hold a separate state election. DAP chairman Karpal Singh said both state and parliamentary elections should be held at the same time to save costs but in a recent statement, Penang DAP chairman Chow Kon Yeow begged to differ after a challenge by MCA Youth head Wee Ka Siong. His reason was separate polls will be a waste of the taxpayers' money, a logistical nightmare, and troublesome for voters who will have to travel to their constituencies twice.
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| Posted: 23 Nov 2011 03:28 PM PST
In an FMT Raw interview, she calls upon Malaysians to speak up and fight against injustice. You must come out and walk. If just Twitter and Facebook, and you have a big group, and you do not appear in yellow on a Saturday, what exactly are you doing? Im going again,with permission from my daughter. With this bill coming out, I am going out on Saturday at KLCC. I've been invited and would very much love to be there. Teoh El Sen, Free Malaysia Today She became an instant celebrity when a photograph of her – a lone figure in yellow, soaked in rain and chemical-laced water, walking in front of a row of riot police – pulled at the heartstrings of the Malaysian public. At first, retired English teacher Annie Ooi Siew Lan, 65, was a reluctant hero of the July 9 Bersih rally. She felt too ordinary to deserve the epithets "Aunty Bersih" and "Malaysian Lady of Liberty". But, although she still prefers to be called just "Anne", she has since found her voice and is beginning to accept that she has an important role to play in improving democracy in Malaysia. "I'm not a celebrity like Tiger Woods," she said. "Am I a Bersih hero? I don't think so. But I know now I have things to do. I have to speak up. I have to be the voice to speak for so many who cannot speak, who do not know the situation." She said she would always stand up for the "underdogs", those who, like her, are bullied by the power of the state. In a live interview with FMT Raw yesterday, Anne spoke passionately about being spurred to speak up for others. Often grimacing and frowning whenever she mentioned the things the government does that she did not like, Anne said she was ready to walk again, especially after reading about the Peaceful Assembly Bill. "Now you tell me, 'Don't assemble.' I'm going to assemble. If they say don't gather, I'll gather," she said. "Now with the new bill, you don't need a permit. So what? The police can arrest anyone. They can do a lot of things if the bill is passed." CzvWTB4w-oA Najib should admit his mistakes Anne said she was ready to gather a group of like-minded people soon and see what the police would do to deny them their right to assemble peacefully. Asked if she had hoped for a better law for freedom of assembly, she said: "Hope always runs strong in every human heart. We hope until hope dies itself. I also always hope that Najib would understand the mistakes and just admit it lah. It's to his interest. "I do not know much about law, but hope was there that it would come out right. But no, it was 'tipu' (cheating) again, nothing was right. Nothing was good about it." She also said it was not right for the new bill to prohibit children below 15 from participating in public protests. "Children will be everywhere the parents are. The parents don't want them to put their children elsewhere, when they are doing something good. They want their children to learn too." Anne said her hobby was "pulling grass", singing, and dancing. But the feisty grandmother has also worked for the welfare of the poor as well as refugees. "If I was a politician, if I could walk with beggars every day, I would do it," she said. However, she dismissed any possibility of her being in active politics because that would mean associating with greedy, unintelligent people who did not care about the rakyat. "I'm not going to be among that group. Thank you." EXCERPTS FROM THE INTERVIEW:
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| Isu Royalty minyak : Muhyiddin cuba memulas tangan rakyat Kelantan Posted: 23 Nov 2011 03:23 PM PST ASPAN ALIAS TS Muhyiddin Yassin berkata isu royalty minyak akan mudah di selesaikan jika PAS dan UMNO berada dalam satu pasukan. Moral politiknya ialah Muhyiddin sedang cuba mengumpan PAS untuk bersama UMNO dan bersatu bagi penyelesaian isu royalty minyak yang sedang di tuntut oleh kerajaan negeri Kelantan. Dengan ungkapan Muhyiddin ini ianya menjelaskan satu dua perkara kepada kita. Pertamanya UMNO dan kerajaan persekutuan mengakui yang kerajaan negeri Kelantan ada hak ke atas royalty minyak seperti yang termaktub di dalam perjanjian yang ditanda tangani di antara pertronas dan rakyat negeri Kelantan pada bulan mei 1975 dahulu.
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| Sabah, Sarawak to be major shareholders of MasWings Posted: 23 Nov 2011 01:55 PM PST By Marhalim Abas and Sulok Tawie, The Sun PETALING JAYA (Nov 23, 2011): Sabah and Sarawak state governments will be the major shareholders of MasWings when the airline becomes a regional airline. Aviation industry sources told theSun yesterday that the several prominent businessmen from both states have also agreed to buy stakes in the airline which was expected to be relaunched by the middle of next year. The sources however said that the both state governments will continue to hold a major share of the new airline to ensure that the service would not suffer to 'whims and fancies of the owners". The sources said negotiations were being conducted and were expected to be made public soon. It was learnt that the plans for the new airline was put in motion after Malaysia Airlines took over the jet service of its subsidiary, Firefly, last month. The takeover meant Firefly no longer services Sabah and Sarawak, handing back the low fare sector to Air Asia. Sources told theSun, the decision to end the Firefly service was taken poorly by the people in Sabah and Sarawak, prompting both state governments to lobby Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak to acquire MasWings. It was learnt that negotiations were being carried to wet-lease at four narrow body jets so the airline could start servicing the Sabah/Sarawak to peninsula route soon. (The wet lease of an aircraft is an arrangement whereby the lessor provides at least some crew, maintenance and fuel.) Initially it was planned that the airline was to make two daily flights from both Kuching and Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur. Other routes for the airline may include KK to Tawau, Kuching to Bintulu/Miri and Kuching to KK. The airline may also lease turbo-props planes to add to the six ATR-72s turbo-props already operated by MASWings for flights in both states. Meanwhile, in Kuching, Sarawak Tourism Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Openg confirmed that the state may become the major shareholder of the airline. "At this moment, it is still too premature to say much, but definitely, we will have something in mind," he told reporters when launching the Sarawak Tourism Calender for 2012 at the Media Room of the State Legislative Assembly. He said with more shares, the State would have better say in the running of MasWings in its operations. Abang Johari said if all goes according to plan, MasWings will start operating as a regional airline next year. "But first, it must acquire at least four jetliners before it can start operating at a regional airline," he said, adding that currently MASWings is operating a fleet of ATR turbo-prop aircraft. "As a regional airline, MASWings will have to fly to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Hong Kong. These are important hubs in the region," he added when asked to elaborate on his statement when winding up the debate in the State Legislative Assembly today. On the Sarawak Tourism Calender, Abang Johari said that his ministry will organise a series of events next year as a prelude to the state's 50th anniversary in the formation of Malaysia. "We have declared the year 2013 as a special year to mark the 50th anniversary," he said. "Events and festivals will be our major attraction to entice immediate arrivals into the state," he added. |
| Posted: 23 Nov 2011 01:52 PM PST By Joyselling Ton via The Malaysian Insider Not a day goes by without Dr Chua Soi Lek and his gang trying to get Malaysian Chinese to support them — and they do not do so by showing themselves to be a superior product than the competition, namely, the DAP, but by scare-mongering. These are the favourite tools and tactics devised by the MCA's war room, which is helmed by MCA politicians and The Star journalists like Wong Chun Wai, and assisted by funds from Huaren. 1) The hudud scare. MCA hopes that by constantly harping on PAS and hudud law, the Malaysian Chinese voters will desert DAP and Pakatan Rakyat, and give their support to MCA and Barisan Nasional. But these self-serving politicians from MCA and their propaganda machine, The Star, do not want to acknowledge one fact that cannot be challenged: Malaysia was declared an Islamic state by Umno and it was under Umno that religious intolerance has become noticeable here. And while this was happening, MCA politician collaborated with their Umno partners. A case in point is the legislation in Selangor that allowed Jais officials to raid the Damansara Utama Methodist Church. The enactment was passed in the Selangor assembly under the then Barisan Nasional government. So it is really disingenuous for MCA now to talk about DAP selling out to PAS, or stoke talk about hudud. And another point to ponder: Given Umno's track record of trying to outdo PAS, isn't it likely that the extremists of Umno will introduce some form of hudud sooner than later? And then, like the political eunuchs they are and proven to be, the MCA will be silent. 2) Let MCA be the check and balance. According to the party officials in Penang, the people there should give MCA a chance to keep the Pakatan Rakyat government there honest. This plea is interesting on two counts: it acknowledges that the voters of Penang are likely to return Lim Guan Eng and comrades to power and, by extension, this would mean that the DAP/PR government have done a good job. So why should the voters give MCA a few seats? They have performed poorly in the assembly and were completely cowed by Umno Penang when the state was under the control of BN. 3) Notice how silent Dr Chua Soi Lek and MCA have been on the National Feedlot scandal. Do they dare to condemn Shahrizat Jalil or Khairy Jamaluddin for his ridiculous defence of the mismanagement and abuse? Do they even dare to challenge Utusan Malaysia when it makes scurrilous allegations against non-Malays? The MCA is a party of politicians interested in their own welfare. It is helmed by a president who still harbours hopes of being a minister despite moral failings. It is a party that has presided over the biggest financial scandal in history: The PKFZ. This is a scandal that could cost the taxpayers RM12 billion! And they ask us to be afraid of PAS and hudud. Heck, they have been castrating us all these years even without hudud. If I have one wish, it is for the likes of MCA and Gerakan to be annihilated at the comings polls. Because they have collaborated with a party that has damaged our beloved Malaysia. |
| Populist policies undermine reform Posted: 23 Nov 2011 01:47 PM PST By Dr Kua Kia Soong, Director, Suaram WATCHING recent events and statements by Malaysian politicians, the urgent need for reform in our country risks being undermined by populism on both sides of the political divide as they jostle for votes in an impending general election. From the Barisan Nasional, we have seen the free handouts of RM100 to students in the school system without any form of means testing. We have also recently witnessed the extreme form of populism – "mobocracy", whereby mob rule can dictate that a perfectly legal and peaceful event such as Seksualiti Merdeka be banned by the police.Pakatan Rakyat has also indulged in populism since it came into power, which makes us wonder about the substance of reformasi. First, the Selangor government gave away free water without any form of means testing or "demand management" which is crucial to water conservation. Now, to the suggestion that we should look into making the civil service lean and mean, PR says that while this makes economic sense, it is politically foolhardy. One wonders if the promised rescission of the New Economic Policy will later be similarly jettisoned because of "political consideration". During the fifties and sixties, Malaysian schools had some form of means testing to ensure that deserving students (i.e. those from lower-income families) could have access to fee waivers, free textbooks and even free meals. Such a progressive policy was a prudent use of valuable resources and did not create resentment among better-off students. In contrast, the handout of RM100 to students regardless of income is not only an imprudent use of taxpayers' money, it is likely to be ridiculed as meaningless by students from rich families. Likewise, the populist granting of free water by the Selangor government to all and sundry. Why should those who squander water washing their cars every day be entitled to free water? How do the orang asli feel about such wastage when they were displaced from their ancestral land for the Selangor Dam supposedly because they had been told the dam was vital for the needs of the Klang Valley? Is such a populist measure congruent with the call for demand management which is crucial to water conservation everywhere in the world? It makes nonsense of the call for rainwater harvesting when we can have access to free treated water. Every organisational transformation – especially in loss-making government agencies – needs a full audit and swift remedial action to follow. That is what the BN government's recent razzmatazz about "transformation this and transformation that" ought to be about. Nowhere is this more obvious than in our heavily bloated civil service. For example, our power plants have failed to run at full capacity, about which I have repeatedly called for thorough audits. The crisis in our energy industry is certainly not just due to the current gas shortage. The same can be said for the decades-old mismanagement and inefficiencies in KTM. In my title last year, "Questioning Arms Spending in Malaysia", I not only called for a drastic reduction of our defence budget but also the conversion of arms production to socially useful production and the promotion of a culture of peace. The billions of ringgit saved could be used to create thousands of jobs. Likewise, any shake-up of our civil service need not necessarily lead to unemployment, but to leaner and more efficient organisations, jobs retraining and the creation of more alternative sectors. Many highly profitable industries such as our highways and public utilities could be nationalised and operated by civil servants. Since the end of the jungle war, the police field force can be redeployed for community policing and not to break up peaceful assemblies. To better serve the local community, social services such as the provision of public housing, education and transport needs to be professionally and productively managed, decentralised and handled by elected local authorities. We should apply our minds to retraining and redeploying our human resources. Remember World War II when we were forced to develop our domestic industries and grow our own food as a result of restrictions on foreign imports. Then again, when the war came to an end, every country had to convert its war production machinery to civilian production. This was no easy transition but every country managed to achieve this transformation. Failure to demonstrate such flexibility and implement necessary reforms will see us going down the slippery slope that countries such as Greece and Italy find themselves in today. We can say goodbye to reformasi if the national agenda for change is usurped by populist desperadoes. Dr Kua Kia Soong is a director of human rights organisation Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram). |
| Posted: 23 Nov 2011 01:34 PM PST (The Sun) - GEORGE TOWN (Nov 23, 2011): The Penang state government wants an amicable solution to resolve a deadlock in implementing the newly gazetted State Housing Board. The obstacle in the setting-up of the housing board is due to the federal Public Services Department (PSD) holding back the appointments of the essential personnel to serve in the board. Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state is still waiting for a positive response from the PSD, so that the state could activate the board to start implementing its housing policy, programme and projects. "Our efforts to provide affordable quality housing for the poor is being frustrated because of the PSD failure to make the appointments of personnel. We want an amicable solution, and we hope to have further discussions." Lim said this after handing over emergency aid cheques to three families whose houses were destroyed by fire here on Tuesday. The funds were provided through a policy put in place since 2008 for aid to be given to fire victims within 24 hours of the incident Lim said the affordable housing issue was too important to be politicised and that other states like Sabah and Sarawak have successfully formed similar housing boards. The Penang version was started through an enactment passed by the State Assembly last year. But the Special Committee to Study Higher Level Posts decided to postpone making any appointment to serve in the Penang board. Asked if the state can go ahead and appoint its own staff, Lim said it may not be legally possible, adding that "we don't want to come down to that." Lim said that the Penang state government will, however, proceed with plans to have an affordable housing project in Batu Kawan, despite the setback with the board. Lim also said that the state government has also launched a RM500 million Affordable Quality Home Fund to serve the whole state. |
| Return BN to power if you want development, Kedah folk told Posted: 23 Nov 2011 01:33 PM PST (Bernama) - SUNGAI PETANI (Nov 24, 2011): Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today advised the people of Kedah to return the Barisan Nasional to power in the state if they want development. It is hoped that the people will consider well before picking the party to administer Kedah, he said in his speech after breakfast with the people in Sungai Lalang Lama town here as he kicked off his day-long visit to the state. "The federal government will continue to help the people of Kedah to lead a comfortable life. The people have a choice ... to seek aid from the prime minister or the menteri besar," he said. Muhyiddin arrived at the town by express bus from Butterworth at 8.50 am and was greeted by leaders and members of BN component parties MCA, MIC, PPP and Gerakan. He had flown into the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Butterworth at 8.15 am and was welcomed by Kedah Umno Liaison Committee chairman Datuk Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah and Kedah BN leaders. Also with Muhyiddin at the breakfast were Ahmad Bashah, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom and Merbok Umno Division chief Datuk Tajul Urus Mohd Zain. Muhyiddin pledged to give due consideration to the request from the people of the town for aid to build a mosque and toilets. After alighting from the bus, Muhyiddin entered Yi Ding Xian Restaurant and chatted with the patrons. Then he visited each of the shops nearby. He also met the people at the market and the staff of the rural clinic before having breakfast with about 1,000 people. Tajul Urus, in his speech, pledged that the voters of Merbok parliamentary constituency will not disappoint the BN in the next general election. At about 10 am the deputy prime minister left for Universiti Teknoloji Mara (UiTM) in Merbok where he is scheduled to have a meeting with the people and retired teachers and present aid to religious schools as well as the one-off |
| Opposition riles Taib with questions on contracts Posted: 23 Nov 2011 01:26 PM PST By Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: Sarawak's Chief Minister Taib Mahmud lost his cool in the State Legislative Assembly yesterday when an opposition assemblyman sought clarification over contracts awarded to his son Abu Bekir Mahmud's company Titanium Management Project Sdn Bhd. Kota Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen hit a raw nerve in Taib when he stood up to raise a point of order, interjecting Taib's winding-up speech during the final day sitting of the state assembly. Chong wanted to know from Taib himself the number of contracts given to Abu Bekir's company. A visibly angry Taib challenged Chong to repeat the allegation outside the house. Chong, who has been exposing irregularities in the awarding of contracts by the state government, accepted the challenge. At a press conference later, Chong repeated what he said in the state assembly. He said Titanium Project Management had been awarded construction of a few hundred bridges worth RM1,178,410,000 without open tender. The five-year contract for the bridges was awarded in 2008. In 2001, the government awarded the construction of 384 bridges to Titanium Management Sdn Bhd for RM500 million. The company managed to complete 332 bridges or 80 percent of the job, but over the years the cost had spiralled. According to Chong, the government now has to pay the company RM948 million. He reiterated that Titanium Management belonged to Abu Bekir. Chong had submitted questions on the awarding of the government contracts to Titanium Project Management, but Speaker Awang Asfia Nassar had rejected them. Hansard tampered Meanwhile, the House also rejected a motion by Padungan (DAP) assemblyman Wong King Wei seeking to reinstate his statement involving Daya Syukra Sdn Bhd into the official Hansard dated Nov 18, 2011, at page 63. According to Wong, his statement: "Daya Syukra Sdn Bhd is owned by four children of Yang Amat Berhormat Chief Minister in equal shares of 100,000 each namely Jamilah Hamidah Taib, Mahmud Abu Bekir Taib, Hanifar Hajah Taib and Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib" had been removed from the Hansard. That part of Wong's speech was expunged from the Hansard when he spoke during the debate on the state budget last week on the subject of businesses owned by Taib's four children. When Wong sought clarification from Asfia as to why that part of his speech was expunged, a heated argument ensued resulting in the speaker giving Wong the marching order. Wong was advised to give a notice of motion to the Dewan if he wanted to raise a point of order regarding the matter. Wong then submitted the notice early on Wednesday morning and was heard in the afternoon after the chief minister had concluded his winding-up speech. During the debate on Nov 18, Wong had said that a company named Shoreline Development Sdn Bhd had been alienated parcels of state land situated at Tanjung Lobang in Miri.
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| Finance Minister II dodges NFC query Posted: 23 Nov 2011 01:22 PM PST By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 24 — Datuk Seri Husni Hanadzlah today declined to elaborate on the standard procedure for disbursing government loans in the wake of allegations that a publicly-funded cattle venture had misused its federal funds. "The National Feedlot issue is already under police investigation. Let that be completed... "This is under their jurisdiction. Let them handle it," the second finance minister told reporters after delivering his keynote address at the 16th Malaysian Capital Market Summit here. The National Feedlot Centre (NFC) has been dogged by allegations of corruption and fund misappropriation after it made it into the pages of this year's Auditor-General's Report, which described the project "as a mess". PKR has alleged that NFC funds were used for minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil's personal expenses and that of her family, as well as to purchase two condominium units at the luxurious One Menerung in Bangsar for RM13.8 million. Shahrizat's husband and NFC chairman Datuk Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail broke his silence last week to defend the property buy as an investment and to deny that the project was a failure. Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar has also said the NFC was never brought up in Cabinet during the previous Abdullah Ahmad Badawi administration, as it was under the purview of the Cabinet Committee for High-Impact Projects, then chaired by Datuk Seri Najib Razak. PKR further alleged on Monday that the funds meant for the NFC were used to pay for umrah packages and set up two Singapore-based companies, both owned by Shahrizat's family. The opposition party claimed to have proof that Mohamed Salleh had ordered a payment of RM31,580 to be made for his haj pilgrimage and that of his son Izran in 2010. PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution has urged the police and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to probe all transactions between the NFC and its associated companies, the National Meat and Livestocks Corporation (NMLC) and Real Food Company (RFC). Both NMLC and RFC are majority-owned by Mohamad Salleh and his children Izran and Izmir.
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Reacting to this, Taiping member of parliament Nga Kor Ming (pic) said the state's debt for last year was greater than the budget for all state projects such as the micro scheme credit, housing aid, food aid, festival aid, Tabaruk scheme and family economic cluster scheme.
Nga said some 192,000 families in the state earned less than RM2,300 a month, representing 12.2 percent of all families in the country under the poverty group.
(HARAKAH) - Biar pun lima siri laporan khas dimuat Utusan Malaysia bagi memburukkan Kelantan berkaitan isu bekalan air bersih, namun ia dianggap belum mampu mengocak jiwa rakyat.
"Setakat ini tiada pun teguran dibuat jabatan terbabit berkaitan isu yang ditimbulkan sebuah akhbar arus perdana sekarang," katanya.
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