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WIKILEAKS: Power struggles in Perak

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:00 AM PDT

The BN now has firm control of Perak and is working to regain some of its lost influence among voters, having allocated resources into projects to win back support of the people. With the Chinese vote firmly supporting the opposition, the deciding votes in any future election rest with the ethnic Malays, not because they hold a majority among the populace (they represent just over 50%), but because their support is most split between the ruling coalition and the opposition.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 KUALA LUMPUR 000107

SIPDIS

FOR EAP/MTS AND INR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2020

TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, KJUS, MY

SUBJECT: POWER STRUGGLES IN PERAK: RULING COALITION WORKING HARD TO REGAIN VOTERS' SUPPORT

 

REF: A. 09 KUALA LUMPUR 342 -- PANDEMONIUM IN PERAK STATE ASSEMBLY

        B. 09 KUALA LUMPUR 78 -- NAJIB LEADS TAKEOVER OF PERAK

        C. KUALA LUMPUR 92 -- COURT DECISION IN PERAK

 

Classified By: Political Counselor Brian D. McFeeters for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

 

Summary and Comment

1. (SBU) Poloff and Pol Specialist visited the politically turbulent state of Perak from February 1-3.  Perak is one of five states won by the opposition People's Alliance (PR) coalition in the March 2008 general elections, but through political defections in February 2009 it subsequently reverted back to authority of Malaysia's ruling National Front (BN) coalition (refs A and B), and is firmly under BN control after a February 9, 2010 Federal Court decision affirming the BN Chief Minister (ref C). 

Perak is a microcosm of Malaysia's ethnic diversity with party affiliation drawn clearly along ethnic and religious lines. Ethnic Malays are split between the BN's dominant United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party and the opposition's People's Justice Party (PKR) and Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS), while nearly all ethnic Chinese and a slight majority of ethnic Indians support the opposition PR over the BN, according to a February 5 Merdeka Center poll.

2. (C) Comment:  Events in Perak are significant for two reasons.  First, for the past year it has been ground zero for the fight between the two political coalitions.  Perak is the only state that had an active fight over control of the state for the past 12 months, so the issues there reflect national sentiment.  Second, the fight and ultimate victory by the BN in Perak was a successful political power play both in terms of brute and refined power, reminding us that of the two coalitions, only the BN has the clout, money, and ability to manipulate the government system (election commission, courts) to muscle its way to power. 

The BN now has firm control of Perak and is working to regain some of its lost influence among voters, having allocated resources into projects to win back support of the people.  With the Chinese vote firmly supporting the opposition, the deciding votes in any future election rest with the ethnic Malays, not because they hold a majority among the populace (they represent just over 50%), but because their support is most split between the ruling coalition and the opposition.  That said, while the opposition PR is united in its criticism of the ruling BN coalition, they remain somewhat fragmented both within their coalition, and within their component parties.  End Summary and Comment.

Setting the Scene: Political Background

3. (SBU) Perak had been a bastion of the ruling BN coalition since Malaysia's independence in 1957 until the March 2008 general election, when the opposition PR coalition stunned the BN and took control of the state government by winning 31 of 59 state assembly seats. 

Within the PR, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) won 18 seats; the People's Justice Party (PKR) won 7 seats; and the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) won 5 seats.  Although the DAP earned more seats than their coalition partners combined, the position of Chief Minister went to PAS assemblyman Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin, because the Perak state constitution stipulates that only a Muslim can hold the position of Chief Minister (CM).

On the BN side, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) won 27 of their 28 seats while the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) took the remaining seat.  Two other BN partners, the Malaysian Peoples Movement Party (Gerakan) and Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), were all but rendered obsolete as neither won a single contested seat. 

The DAP's dominance came as a result of ethnic Chinese and Indian discontent with the MCA, Gerakan, and MIC, who traditionally have represented their interests within the BN coalition.  In February 2009, after 11 months in power, the PR state government lost its majority in the state assembly following the defection of three PR state assembly members to become independents friendly to the BN. 

The net change in 3 seats left the BN with the majority of seats and resulted in a protracted controversy when the Sultan of Perak replaced PR Chief Minister Nizar (equivalent to a governor of a U.S. state) with BN's Zambry.  The Federal Court ruled on February 9 that the change of chief minister was legal (ref C).

Insights from Perak Politicians

4. (C) Poloff and Pol Specialist visited Perak from February 1-3, and met with representatives from every major political party in peninsular Malaysia:  from the ruling National Front (BN) coalition, the coalition-leading United National Malays Organization (UMNO), the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), Gerakan, and the Malaysian Indian Coalition (MIC); from the opposition People's Alliance (PR), politicians from the People's Justice Party (PKR), the Democratic Action Party (DAP), and the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS). 

In a February 1 meeting with PAS Perak committee members at their headquarters, including former Perak Chief Minister (CM) Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin and Perak PAS Chief Ustaz Abu Bakar Hussain, Nizar called the policies implemented by the PR government from March 2008 thru February 2009 "successful and people friendly."  He noted that the current BN government has copied and implemented many of the PR's government policies while claiming full credit for them. 

DAP MP Fong Po Kuan later told Poloff that she didn't mind if the BN claimed credit for these policies, stating that it was more important that they were implemented, and that "they clearly benefitted the people." 

Nizar also claimed that during his term of office, the PR state government had managed to increase revenues by cutting waste and promoting open tenders.  In the past the BN government only extended "negotiated tenders to their cronies."

5. (SBU) In a brief February 1 meeting, current Chief Minister Zambry (UMNO), exuded confidence in his performance during his first year.  He saw himself as the rightful Chief Minister because "it is clearly the will of the people."

Zambry opined that the BN in Perak has acted in a more professional and competent manner than the PR did when they were in power.  Noted Zambry: "We were a responsible opposition for eleven months," but when the opposition lost the majority, they "refused to abide by democratic principles."  

Zambry commented that in the 12 months since the BN took back control of Perak, the BN has been working very hard to gain the confidence of the people, noting that the BN had embarked on "people friendly policies" -- the same term Nizar used -- by focusing on poverty eradication irrespective of race and a good economic development policy.

Perak State Secretary Dr. Abdul Rahim Hashim reiterated that the two policies were the main thrust of the BN government policies in the state.  Zambry said the results of the BN were showing, noting that when compared to opposition gatherings, "there is marked increase in support for BN gatherings" and that he has received feedback that "the people are generally happy with the BN state government."

6. (C) On February 2, Chang Ko Youn, the state chief and national deputy president for the marginalized Gerakan party, admitted that the Chinese voters "deserted the BN by droves" in the last general election. 

(Note: Gerakan went from 10 to 2 MP seats in the March 2008 general elections, and from 4 to 0 seats in the Perak state assembly.  End Note.) 

He cited UMNO's "racist policies" as one cause, adding that the Chinese media were "unfriendly" towards BN.  Chang pointed out that, unlike the government-influenced mainstream media, the Chinese newspapers are more independent and at times favor the opposition rather than BN parties.  The veteran leader said it would be difficult for BN to win over the Chinese voters in the next general election. 

7. (C) Dr. Mah Hang Soon, the MCA state youth chief and sole non-UMNO state assemblyman for the BN, was a bit more optimistic.  Mah noted that the BN is "now more aware of the Chinese problem" and is "working on overcoming it."  He cited the case of Chinese farmers, who have farmed on state land for decades, who were recently given land titles.  The state government has also started funding the nine independent Chinese schools in the state, whereas in the past the BN state government had completely ignored the plight of independent Chinese schools.  Mah opined that the previous PR government only "made promises" but the BN state government "is now delivering" on them.

Dr. Mah also noted that the Chinese community was especially concerned about the ongoing inquest into the July 2009 death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock while under investigation, opining that the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) needs to get to the bottom of this soon, even if they themselves are to blame.

8. (C) MIC Perak state secretary and new Perak state Speaker R. Ganesan echoed Mah's views, claiming that the 12-month old BN government has enacted numerous polices for the benefit of non-Malays.  Ganeson proudly stated that for the first time the state government has allocated funding for Hindu temples.

(Note: The previous PR government started the policy of allocating funds to non-Islamic religious institutions, but it is the BN who is seeing this through.  End Note.) 

Ganesan added that he could see the Indians returning to the BN based on the number of people attending BN-sponsored meetings and political rallies.

Both Sides at Risk as Snap Elections too Risky to Consider

9. (SBU) Prior to the February 9 court decision, both Zambry and Nizar publicly claimed that they had enough support from voters to win any snap election, fueling speculation that regardless of how the decision panned out, the legitimized Chief Minister would call for elections and end the controversy once and for all.  Zambry told Poloff on February 1 that if snap elections were held, he was confident the BN would win 34 out of 59 seats in the state assembly, citing discontent with PKR and PAS among voters. 

When asked by Poloff if he would call for snap elections should he win the February 9 decision, Zambry said he would not dissolve the state assembly, saying that "the Perak BN state government does not operate based on the dictates of the opposition."

Nizar, in turn, countered that he had the support of 80% of the Chinese and Indian vote, and at least 50% of the ethnic Malay vote, challenging Zambry that the only way to prove his claim would be to call for a snap election in Perak.

Nizar told Poloff that even with fresh elections, there is no guarantee that the PR would win a majority of seats to form a government.  Nizar stated that the BN has managed to "poison the minds of the rural Malays" by convincing them that he was "a lackey of the DAP" and "had committed treason by defying the Sultan" after the defections.  PAS State Treasurer Abdul Rahim Ariff concurred with Nizar's view, adding that if elections were held today the Malay votes would split evenly between UMNO and PAS, unlike in March 2008 when there was clear swing of Malay votes towards PAS and PKR.

10. (SBU) State senior UMNO Cabinet Minister Ramly Zahari concurred with the Chief Minister's views that the BN has no reason to dissolve the state assembly.  He stated that the opposition is the one who "started the game" by wooing BN Members of Parliament and state assembly to cross the floor. As such the veteran state UMNO leader added that when the BN managed to outflank PR, "the opposition now wants to rewrite the rules." 

(Note: Ramly is referring to an UMNO assemblyman who crossed over to the PR in January 2009.  A few days after the crossover, he returned to the BN and was joined by the three ex-PR assemblyman who claimed to be BN-friendly independents.  The opposition believes that the initial crossover was orchestrated by UMNO to prepare the ground for the three others to jump to the BN side. End Note.)

11. (SBU) DAP Perak State Chief Ngeh Khoo Ham and DAP State Secretary Nga Kor Ming (who are first cousins) were optimistic on February 2 that magic of March 2008 would continue to prevail in Perak if snap elections were held.

While admitting that there is a slight shift in Malay support in favor of the BN, Ngeh stated that a majority of urban Malays and most of the Chinese and Indians would vote for a PR coalition party.

After the Ruling: What's Next for PR and BN?

12. (C) PKR Vice President and MP in Perak Lee Boon Chye told Poloff on February 2 that despite the setback caused by the BN takeover and subsequent court rulings, the PR is still very popular in Perak.  Lee claimed that "80 percent of Perakians are still behind us." 

Ngeh and Nga (DAP) claim that the opposition has continuously been harping in their numerous political gatherings through out the state that the current state government "is an illegal court appointed entity" and vowed they would continue their disharmonious campaign after the Federal Court ruling of February 9.

However, Nizar announced after the court decision that the opposition would instead cooperate with BN.

13. (C) Zambry said on February 1 that PR leadership in Perak was becoming increasingly desperate.  Decreased numbers and a general lack of enthusiasm at recent opposition rallies showed that people were tired of the PR acting like a sore loser, and were ready to move on.  As a result, claimed Zambry, the PR has embarked on a strategy to smear the image of the BN-led state government. 

He cited two examples of the smear campaign: that he was accused of being denied entry to the US recently for "being involved in terrorist activities," and news reports that investors are shunning Perak since the BN wrested power. 

Zambry is suing the PKR newspaper "Suara Keadilan" for RM 400 million for what he says were libelous claims about his US trip.  He noted that investments have actually increased since the BN took over, claiming that the Perak state government has attracted RM11 billion (about USD 3 billion) in one year.

(Note: Regarding the investments, Nizar and other PR leaders in Perak dispute this figure, claiming that some of the investments came to the state when the PR was in power.  End Note.)  

Zambry expected the opposition to continue with their smear tactics, commenting that "their position is increasingly under threat."

Coalition, Party Infighting Continue to Impact Opposition

14. (C) DAP MP and Vice President Kulasegaran admitted that all is not well with the DAP in Perak.  Kula claimed that the "Ngeh-Nga clan" referring to the cousins, is running the show in Perak.  The veteran DAP leader claimed that the top party leadership is unable to control the two, as they have managed to bring the state DAP machinery completely under their control. 

Kula claimed that due to their dominance, the DAP may face some problems in the future because they are not popular among all the Chinese in the state.  For example, the cousins tried to force out popular DAP MP Fong Po Kuan from running in the 2008 general election in order to replace her with their own crony, but her constituency fiercely resisted this move against the three-term MP, forcing the cousins to back down. 

Poloff raised this topic while meeting Fong for lunch, but she refused to be drawn into a conversation on this issue.

Poll: Voters Split Along Ethnic Lines

15. (U) The independent Merdeka Center announced results of a poll taken of Perak voters on February 5.  Current CM Zambry has an approval rating of 43%, while former CM Nizar has an approval rating of 46%.  Zambry's base of support comes from 2/3 of the ethnic Malays and 1/2 of the Indians; Nizar's support comes from the remaining 1/3 of the Malays, the other 1/2 of the Indians, and nearly all of the Chinese. 

(Note: the ethnic breakdown for Perak's 2 million citizens is approximately 52% Malay, 32% Chinese, 13% Indian, and 3% others.  CM Zambry is an ethnic Indian but is Muslim by religion.  End Note.) 

In addition, 38% of respondents believed Perak is moving in the right direction, up from 31% polled in April 2009, while 44% believed the state was moving in the wrong direction, with distinct differences of opinion when broken down by ethnic lines.

KEITH

 

WIKILEAKS: Islam as a tool of Umno's political game

Posted: 24 May 2011 01:00 AM PDT

In the current case, the three women, previously unknown to the public, were caned and the public was not informed for over a week.  The canings were administered by federal prison officials in a federal women's prison.  This gives rise to a possible violation of federal law that the GOM has yet to explain or address.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 KUALA LUMPUR 000108

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/19/2020

TAGS: KTIP, KCRM, KWMN, PGOV, PHUM, PREL, SMIG, MY

SUBJECT: CANING OF THREE WOMEN REFLECTS UMNO'S POLITICAL TACTICS

 

REF: A. KL 20 WHAT IS GOING ON IN MALAYSIA?

     B. KL 14 UPDATE ON THE ALLAH ISSUE

     C. KL 11 OVERNIGHT ATTACKS ON 3 CHURCHES

     D. KL 03 GOM APPEALS KL HIGH COURT RULING ON USE OF THE WORD ALLAH

     E. 09 KL 716 CANING PUNISHMENT POSTPONED

 

Classified By: Political Counselor Brian McFeeters for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

 

--- SUMMARY AND COMMENT ---

1. (SBU) Summary: On February 17, Home Minister Hishammuddin announced that three women and four men who had been found guilty of illicit sex under Syariah law had been caned on February 9.  The three became the first women to be caned in Malaysia. 

Caning of women in Malaysia had recently become the subject of international scrutiny, and Malaysian legal scholars are wondering what the decision means for the legal system, since caning of women is against federal law. 

On July 20, 2009, Malaysian Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, a Muslim woman, was sentenced by a state-level Syariah court to six lashes with a cane and a fine for consuming alcohol in public.  To date, Kartika has not yet been caned.  Viewing the caning as a political maneuver, the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) was critical of the GOM's actions contending they were not consistent with Islam.  NGOs too were critical of the caning contending that it does not comport with federal law.  End Summary.

2. (C) Comment:  Kartika's case put Prime Minister Najib's new administration in the difficult position of balancing the competing forces fighting for Malaysia's Muslim identity. While concerned about preserving Malaysia's image as a moderate Muslim State, Najib has been unwilling to date to criticize Syariah law or otherwise downplay the seriousness of Kartika's offense for fear that it could damage United Malays National Organization's (UMNO) Islamic bona fides.

That the GOM chose to cane three anonymous women, rather than the internationally renowned Kartika, seems to be a tactical maneuver by UMNO to retain or lure back conservative Malay voters as well as perhaps a testing of the waters presaging Kartika's caning.  That Najib feels the need to placate the most conservative Malays suggests that his stated intent to change to a more inclusive, less Malay-centric economic and political model is facing considerable, resistance within his own coalition.  End Comment.

--- FIRST WOMEN CANED IN MALAYSIA ---

3. (SBU) Home Minister Hishammuddin announced on February 17 that GOM officials caned four Muslim men and three Muslim women found guilty of illicit sex under Syariah law.  Sex out of wedlock is unlawful under Syariah law.  The canings took place on February 9, and the three women are believed to be the first women to be caned under the law in Malaysia. 

Two of the women received six strokes of the cane and the other received four.  The women were caned in a female prison.

According to the Home Minister, one was released on February 14, one will be released in the coming days, and the third will be released in June.

--- MALAYSIA'S DUAL LEGAL SYSTEM ---

4. (SBU) Article 3 of the Malaysian Constitution states that "Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation."  Article 3 further provides that issues of Islamic law are state, rather than federal, matters.  Thus, states, and the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory, have individual Syariah law codes and have established Syariah courts, with jurisdiction over Muslims, to deal with family law and certain infractions under Islamic law. 

The constitution makes clear that federal law has precedence over state law (articles 4 and 75, "if any State law is inconsistent with a federal law, the federal law shall prevail and the State law shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void").  Hence, because Syariah law is a state matter, any inconsistencies between these two legal systems should, according to the language of the Federal Constitution, be resolved in favor of the federal system.

However, Article 121(1A) of the Constitution, added under former Prime Minister Mahathir in 1988 says, "the courts referred to in Clause (1) (the High Courts) shall have no jurisdiction in respect of any matter within the jurisdiction of the Syariah courts."  This amendment introduced ambiguity about Syariah versus civil law that has yet to be resolved clearly.

--- CANING IN MALAYSIA ---

5. (SBU) Under federal law, Malaysian judges routinely include caning in sentences of individuals convicted of kidnapping, rape, and robbery.  The law also prescribes caning for illegal immigrants and their employers and as an additional punishment for those convicted of some nonviolent crimes such as narcotics possession, criminal breach of trust, and alien smuggling. 

The caning is carried out with a half-inch wooden cane that can cause welts and scarring. Federal law exempts men over 50 and all women from caning. Conversely, some states prescribe caning under Syariah law, for which there are no exceptions for women. 

In Syariah caning, a smaller cane is used and the caning official cannot raise the cane above his shoulder.  Additionally, the subject is fully clothed so that the cane will not touch the flesh.

Local Islamic officials claim that the intent is not to injure but to make the offenders ashamed of their sins and repent.

--- THE CURIOUS ROLE OF THE GOM IN CANING THREE WOMEN ---

6. (C) In the February 9 case, the three women were sentenced to caning for committing adultery in violation of Section 23(2) of the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Syariah Criminal Offenses Act of 1997.  The sentencing of women to such corporal punishment under Syariah law contradicts the federal law outlined in Section 289 of the Criminal Procedure Code that states that women are not to be subject to caning. 

In the current case, the three women, previously unknown to the public, were caned and the public was not informed for over a week.  The canings were administered by federal prison officials in a federal women's prison.  This gives rise to a possible violation of federal law that the GOM has yet to explain or address.

7. (SBU) The federal government has highlighted its role in meting out these sentences, indicating that the decision had Najib's support.  Home Minister Hishamuddin (Prime Minister Najib Razak's cousin) placed himself at the forefront of this issue, announcing on February 17 that the women had been caned, commenting that "the punishment is to teach and give a chance to those who have fallen off the path to return and build a better life for the future," sounding much like an Islamic cleric. 

In a February 19 interview, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin did not address the legal issue, focusing instead on the need to explain that Syariah caning is ritualistic rather than severe.  The government-influenced daily, Bernama, on February 19, quoted Minister for Religious Affairs in the Prime Minister's Department Seri Jamil Khir Baharom as saying that the women were remorseful and "welcomed their sentence." 

In a separate article, Bernama reported that Minister of Women, Family, and Community Development Shahrizat, said that her Ministry will monitor future caning of women noting that "as the minister in charge of women affairs in this country, I really hope that the whipping sentence on Muslim women will be carried out fairly and judiciously."

--- REACTION FROM PAS ---

8. (SBU) When the canings were announced, some observers wondered whether the punishments could be seen as an effort to divide the opposition coalition People's Assembly, expecting PAS to support the punishments, while the secular Democratic Action Party (DAP) would likely oppose the canings. However, PAS Central Working Committee Member and Member of Parliament Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad of Selangor urged his party not to fall into the trap of allowing UMNO to portray itself as the defender of the Islamic agenda. 

He asserted that there is a political motive behind the caning of the three women.  If UMNO were sincere about upholding the principles of Islam, it would address the source of problem rather than just implementing the sentence and would be combating corruption, abuse of power, cruelty, and embezzlement of the wealth of the country by political cronies.  

9. (SBU) PAS Women's Movement Chief Nuridah Salleh asserted that the GOM's caning of the seven individuals did not conform to Islamic principles because it was done in private and not in the open as required by Islam.  She explained that canings are to be public in order to educate and instill awareness among the people and to ensure the violators do not commit the crime again.  She called on the Home Minister to remember this intent prior to carrying out future caning sentences.

--- REACTION FROM CIVIL SOCIETY ---

10. (SBU) Civil society groups have condemned the GOM caning of the women.  The Malaysian Bar Council, on February 18, issued a press release expressing its "shock and disappointment" and elaborating, "given that the Kartika issue remains unresolved and the public outcry on issues of constitutionality in regards to the fact that corporal punishment is forbidden for women under Section 289 of the Criminal Procedure Code, it is indeed shocking that the Government has made the announcement only after the punishment has been carried out."

Similarly, Sisters in Islam questioned the GOM's motive behind caning the Muslim women while the issue of Kartika's case remains unresolved. All Women's Action Society president Sophia Lim asserted that "the Home Minister needs to explain why the government allowed the punishment to be carried out in secret on an issue that is of high public interest with very far ranging and damaging consequences."

KEITH

 

WIKILEAKS: Shazryl Eskay Abdullah tells the US that Malaysia is a terrorist safe haven

Posted: 22 May 2011 01:00 AM PDT

Even on Malaysian soil, Thai Malay militants did not feel safe from possible assassination or kidnapping.  On at least one occasion, a Thai bounty hunter had bribed local Malaysian police to abduct a separatist who was in Malaysia.  Eskay had intervened to release the target, whom the Malaysian police officer had locked in the trunk of his police car.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 KUALA LUMPUR 000263

 

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EAP

 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/13/2027

TAGS: PREL, PGOV, PTER, PINR, MOPS, ASEC, TH, MY

SUBJECT: HONORARY CONSUL NOTES MALAYSIA AS SAFE HAVEN FOR THAI INSURGENCY, RELEVANCE OF OLD GUARD

 

REF: A. 06 KUALA LUMPUR 1764 - NO TEARS FOR THAKSIN

     B. 06 KUALA LUMPUR 1976 - SURAYUD'S VISIT

Classified By: Political Section Chief Mark D. Clark for reasons 1.4 (b and d).

Summary

1.  (S) The Honorary Thai Consul in Langkawi, Malaysian businessman Shazryl Eskay Abdullah (protect throughout), described Thai Malay separatist use of Malaysian territory as a safe haven and insurgents' views of the conflict during a February 5 meeting with polchief. 

Eskay, who was a leading Malaysian facilitator of the dialogue with Thai insurgents hosted by former Prime Minister Mahathir, argued that the older generation insurgency leaders, mostly resident in Malaysia, remained relevant as they provided needed support services and safe haven to younger leaders.  He identified only one old guard leader as actively ordering attacks, and estimated that criminal gangs and Thai security services were responsible for 70 percent of the recent violence. 

He said he did not see links yet between the Thai insurgents and regional or international terrorists, but recognized the potential and encouraged the U.S. to keep a close watch.  He also noted, however, that the insurgents received financial assistance via Singapore from unknown sources.  The now-ended peace initiative by Mahathir produced a ten-page "peace proposal" signed by old guard leaders, but which failed to gain much response from Bangkok.  Eskay believed that the February 11-12 visit to Thailand by Prime Minister Abdullah would result in the Malaysian external intelligence organization (MEIO) taking up a "facilitation" role in discussions between Thai intelligence and southern insurgents, though Eskay was pessimistic as to the prospects.

Eskay shared a 12-page paper on the insurgency and Thai Malay views, resulting from his interviews with numerous separatist leaders, which he had submitted to MEIO February. End Summary.

Honorary Consul as Mediator with Separatists

2.  (S) Polchief called on the Honorary Thai Consul in Langkawi, Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, on February 5 as part of a February 5-9 visit to Malaysian states along the border with Thailand (septel).  Eskay, a Malaysian businessman of mixed Malaysian-Thai parentage, described his significant "mediator" role in the 2005-2006 dialogue with Thai Malay insurgents, which featured former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, and his frequent interaction with separatists on both sides of the border. 

Eskay said he carried out his work on the Thai insurgency largely independent of the Thai and Malaysian governments, and maintained direct links with most known Malay separatist leaders resident in Malaysia.  To bolster his credentials, he showed polchief video footage he had recorded of various meetings with men he described as elder separatist leaders and younger operators.

Old Guard Not Calling the Shots, but Still Relevant

3.  (S) Eskay noted that most of the older generation of Malay separatist leaders lived in Malaysia with the Malaysian Government's knowledge and acquiescence.  The older generation included those affiliated with the United Pattani Freedom Front (BERSATU), and the constituent groups the National Revolutionary Front (BRN-Congress), the Pattani Mujahiddin Movement (GMP), and the Pattani United Liberation Organization (PULO). 

In addition, Eskay confirmed that younger generation separatists, including those involved in recent attacks in southern Thailand, frequently entered Malaysia, particularly when the situation became "too hot" and they required safe haven.  The GOM was not always aware of the identity and travel of younger separatists.  With some exceptions, the older generation did not direct the actions of the younger insurgents.  However, Eskay argued that the relevance of the "old guard" should not be underestimated.

The older leaders, with well-established networks in Malaysia, constituted the support service for the insurgents, providing shelter and transportation, and arranging jobs, including in Thai restaurants and on rubber estates.  Because the older generation provided needed safe haven services, they remained influential and relevant to a potential peace dialogue with Thailand's Malay south.  (Comment:  Many of our other interlocutors dismissed the Mahathir-led dialogue because it focused on the older Malaysia-based separatists who no longer represent the insurgency on the ground.  End Comment.)

The Murky Business of Violence

4.  (S) Like many other Malaysians we interviewed during our trip to northern Malaysia, Eskay described the Malay insurgency as splintered, with operations currently carried out by very small cells, comprised of two or three persons.

"Brokers" would task the cells with orders and money.  Often times the affiliation of the brokers would not be clear to the cells, opening the possibility that they represented other parties, but cells would carry out "orders" nonetheless both for monetary gain and for fear that they otherwise would run afoul of other insurgents.  The cell members generally were technically unsophisticated and the brokers often provided the improvised explosive devices to be planted and detonated by the cells. 

Eskay crudely estimated that Malay separatists accounted for only 30 percent of attacks in the south with Thai army, policy and intelligence agency factions, along with criminal gangs, responsible for the balance. 

Eskay relayed that many insurgent leaders believed deposed Prime Minister Thaksin and Thai Rak Thai party advisor General Chavalit were funding much of the recent violence.  Insurgent members had denied association with New Year's Eve bombings in Bangkok.  They also disassociated themselves from many of the attacks on schools. 

The fracturing of the separatist movement and use of small cells added to the complexity and the difficulty in identifying any leaders for dialogue.  Eskay named only one old guard leader, BRN-Congress Vice President Abdullah bin Idris, as responsible for ordering some of the ongoing attacks in southern Thailand.

Safe Passage

5.  (S) In addition to the Mahathir-led dialogue and frequent informal meetings with Thai separatists, Eskay said he had arranged meetings between Malaysian intelligence and various insurgents operating in Thailand, meetings which included an understanding of safe passage within Malaysia. 

Even on Malaysian soil, Thai Malay militants did not feel safe from possible assassination or kidnapping.  On at least one occasion, a Thai bounty hunter had bribed local Malaysian police to abduct a separatist who was in Malaysia.  Eskay had intervened to release the target, whom the Malaysian police officer had locked in the trunk of his police car.

No International Terror Links...Yet

6.  (S) Eskay stated that he had seen no evidence the Malay separatists had linked up with external terrorist groups such as Al Qaeda or Jemaah Islamiyah.  He noted, however, that some insurgents received funds from a bank in Singapore (NFI), which passed through money changers in the Malaysian border town of Padang Besar, Perlis state.  Eskay did not know the origin of the funds. 

Though there was in his view a clear potential for a link-up with terrorist groups, Eskay commented that Malaysian intelligence did not pay adequate attention to this risk and he encouraged the U.S. to keep a close watch on developments.

February 2006 "Peace Proposal"

7.  (S) The Mahathir-led dialogue had resulted in a "peace proposal" in February 2006, signed by old guard leaders of BERSATU, BRN-Congress, GMP, and PULO, Eskay noted.  This had met with no substantive response from the Thai Government, but might constitute a good starting point for future dialogue.  Eskay provided us with a copy of the ten-page document, which demanded Thai Government actions in eight areas, namely:

-- Improvements in "leadership," through appointment of a Muslim Affairs Minister and a Muslim affairs coordinating body.

-- Improved government communication and networking with Malay Muslim communities.

-- Confidence-building measures, including establishing ethnic Malay quotas for government service and security forces in the south.

-- Steps to promote investment and economic development.

-- Improvements in the education infrastructure.

-- Amnesty, with individual cases approved by a Board of Review.

-- Establishment of a tribunal to investigate and try cases of human rights violations.

-- Establishment of a monitoring committee to ensure implementation of the above steps.

Malaysian External Intelligence May Take the Lead

8.  (S) Eskay said the Mahathir initiative was now over, and the Malaysian Government had made clear that the phase of "NGO involvement" in dialogue with Thai Malay separatists had come to an end.  The February 11-12 visit to Thailand by Prime Minister Abdullah likely would confirm a role for the Malaysian External Intelligence Organization (MEIO) as a "facilitator" for  future informal talks between Malay separatists and Thai Government intelligence.  Eskay supported a Malaysian Government mediation role, but he was pessimistic MEIO and its Thai counterparts would make progress.  Instead, Eskay anticipated continued violence.

The Honorary Thai Consul shared a 12-page "confidential" paper on the insurgency and Thai Malay views, resulting from his interviews with numerous separatist leaders, which he had submitted to MEIO February 1.  Eskay requested that we not share the paper and February 2006 "peace proposal" with others (we have forwarded the documents via classified email to EAP/MTS and Embassy Bangkok).

Comment

9.  (S) Eskay credibly appeared to have contacts with a large pool of old guard leaders, insurgents, and sympathizers from Thailand's Malay south.  His views on the insurgency were the most detailed we heard during five days of travel in northern Malaysia and tracked well in many respects with information and opinions from others.  His belief in the usefulness of engaging the old guard, however, contradicted the opinion of Malaysian politicians, officials and police who generally dismissed the old timers as irrelevant.  Several Malaysians volunteered they were suspicious of Eskay's contacts with Malay separatists and alleged Eskay had been involved in controversial business deals in the past (unrelated to Thailand).  Eskay informed us that he had lived some ten years in the United States circa the 1980s.

LAFLEUR

 

WIKILEAKS: The people with the big cables in Malaysia (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)

Posted: 18 May 2011 04:38 PM PDT

Today, we are revealing this first of almost 4,000 cables specifically on Malaysia that were leaked to Wikileaks. Today's seven-page cable is about the political and business cronies of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Some of these names may be familiar to you but many of you were probably not aware who the personalities behind Najib are. These are the people with 'big cables' who decide what happens in Malaysia.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 05 KUALA LUMPUR 000268

SIPDIS

FOR EAP/MTS AND INR

 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2029

TAGS: PGOV, PINR, PINS, ECON, MY

SUBJECT: NAJIB'S NETWORK - A PRELIMINARY LOOK

 

REF: A. KL 266 - NAJIB UNVEILS CABINET

     B. KL 253 - NAJIB SWORN IN AS PM

     C. KL 78 - NAJIB LEADS TAKEOVER OF PERAK

     D. 08 KL 193 - NEW MINISTER PORTFOLIOS

     E. 08 KL 192 - MALAYSIA'S NEW CABINET

Classified By: Political Counselor Mark D. Clark for reasons 1.4 (b and d).

Summary

1.  (C) This cable provides a preliminary review of Prime Minister Najib Razak's close aides and political associates, known associated companies, and business contacts, as well as summary information on Najib's four brothers.  The review is based on information available prior to Najib's confirmation as Prime Minister on April 3 and his formation of his Cabinet on April 9.  Najib's aides could find themselves in positions of influence with the PM's office, while four political associates from his inner circle have taken positions in Najib's cabinet.  Post identified 16 companies with strong links to Najib and his family, with many of the companies having substantial business interaction with the government.

Among the 19 key business leaders listed, Rohana Mahmood stands out as deeply embedded in the Najib family's commercial interests.  Najib's family has personal links to the Sultan of Perak, of note given Najib's involvement in wresting control of the state from opposition hands in February (ref B).  Syed Mokhtar Albukharry, a major Malaysian investor in Iran, has significant business operations in Najib's constituency and in the defense sector. 

The Embassy provides this information, not as a definitive study, but to help guide Department offices as they examine Najib's emerging administration and policy decisions, and identify actors of influence.  End Summary.

Political Aides

2.  (C) According to Embassy's information, including one well-placed source, Najib's three closest advisors are Shahlan Ismail, Alias Anor, and Shafie Mohd Abdullah.

Previously, Alias was Najib's political secretary, but has since assumed the role of a key advisor.  Shahlan and Shafie are Najib's current political secretaries, with Shahlan filling the position since April 2008.

Political Associates

3.  (C) Post developed the following list of close political associates by speaking with informed observers, including those on Najib's current political team, and by identifying individuals who have worked closely with Najib, some since he was the UMNO Youth Chief from 1988-1993.

-- Hishamuddin Tun Hussein, named Home Minister in Najib's new cabinet.  He was the former UMNO Youth Chief and Minister of Education under PM Abdullah Badawi.  Najib and Hishamuddin are cousins (their mothers are sisters).  Hishamuddin was elected to one of three UMNO Vice President posts during the March party elections. 

-- Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Najib's choice as Defense Minister. He was a Minister in the PM's Department for religious affairs under PM Abdullah Badawi.  He was also a former political secretary to Najib and former UMNO Youth Chief. Ahmad was elected to one of three UMNO Vice President posts during the March UMNO party elections.

-- Nazri Abdul Razak, retained by Najib as Minister in the PM's Department in charge of parliamentary affairs, a position he also held under former PM Abdullah Badawi.

Former UMNO Perak Youth Chief and was the UMNO International Bureau Chief when Najib was the Youth Chief.  Nazri had lobbied for the position of Foreign Minister in Najib's new cabinet.

-- Shafie Apdal, named by Najib as Rural Development Minister.  He was Minister of National Unity, Culture, Arts, and Heritage under former PM Abdullah.  He is Najib's point man in Sabah, former UMNO Youth Sabah chief and was Najib's deputy at the Ministry of Defense (1999-2004).  Shafie was elected to one of three UMNO Vice President posts during the recently concluded party elections in March.

-- Jamaluddin Jarjis, former UMNO Youth Chief for the state of Pahang.  He was Najib's chief campaign strategist during the party's elections in March.  Jamaluddin is a member of UMNO's Supreme Council.  Some observers expected Jamaluddin to be included in Najib's Cabinet, but he was not.

-- Johan Jaafar, former editor in chief of Utusan Malaysia newspaper owned by the ruling party, is Najib's media point man.  According to sources, Johan will be appointed as executive director of The New Straits Times Press Berhad (NSTP) (the publisher of the government-dominated mainstream newspapers New Straits Times, Berita Harian and Harian Metro) as well as chair of Media Prima Berhad, which operates all of Malaysia's private television stations and two private radio stations. 

-- Mohd Zin Mohamed, Minister of Works under PM Abdullah and former UMNO Youth leader.  He is a member of UMNO's Supreme Council.

Political Ally

4.  (C) Newly-named Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin emerged as a key Najib ally over the past year.  Muhyiddin was the most prominent UMNO leader responsible for forcing former Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi to agree to step down in favor of Najib after the March 2008 elections.  Najib personally but quietly supported Muhyiddin as the choice for Deputy UMNO President after Ali Rustam, Melaka Chief Minister and former UMNO Senior Vice President, was barred from contesting for the post for corruption. 

During the March 24 - 28 UMNO General Assembly, Muhyiddin pledged to be "ultra loyal" to Najib.  Muhyiddin won the UMNO deputy president post, which by tradition carries with it the Deputy Prime Minister position.  In addition, Najib made Muhyiddin Education Minister, an important patronage position but without access to the central levers of power. 

Observers debate how close Muhyiddin really is to Najib as some consider him as ambitious and a possible rival to Najib under certain circumstances.  Some observers have indicated Muhyiddin has yet to completely satisfy Najib of the new DPM's loyalty.  Their relationship bears watching before we can draw firm conclusions. 

Associated Companies

5.  (C) Post used both open as well as informed sources to build an initial picture of the companies associated with Najib and or his family members.  The companies listed below all have Najib or one of his immediate family members on their executive boards.  Most of the companies listed also hold government contracts or are believed to have substantial business interaction with the government.

-- Commercial International Merchant Bankers (CIMB) Group: Malaysia's second largest financial services provider and the fifth largest in Southeast Asia.  It is owned by Bumiputra-Commerce Holding Berhad (BCHB), which is listed on Malaysia's stock exchange, the Bursa Malaysia, with a market capitalization of 26.6 Billion ringgit (about USD7.4 billion). 

-- Symphony House Berhad: A publicly listed company mainly involved in business process outsourcing.

-- Johan Holdings: A publicly listed company involved in manufacturing ceramic tiles, distribution and sale of health foods and supplements, property development, and resorts and hotels.

-- Sapura Group: Has businesses interests in the secured communications and oil & gas industries with investments in Australia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Pakistan and China. 

-- Hong Leong Group: A Malaysian-based conglomerate with investments in financial services, manufacturing, and property and infrastructure development.  The group's shares are listed on the stock exchanges of Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Europe.

-- Paramount Corporation Berhad: A publicly listed company with diverse interests in property development and investment, construction, and educational services.

-- TH Group Berhad: A publicly listed company involved in plantations, contracting, biohealth care and information technology.

-- Dijaya Berhad: A publicly listed company involved in property development, investment, and management as well as investment holding and manufacturing.

-- MMC Group: A utilities and infrastructure group with interests in transportation and logistics, energy and utilities, engineering, and construction.  Its international business dealings focus on the Middle East, with investments in utilities and logistics in that region.

-- DRB Hicom: The largest totally integrated automotive company in Malaysia, with operations in the manufacturing, assembly, and distribution of passenger and commercial vehicles.  It also is involved in property and infrastructure development, and provides the Malaysian military land-based vehicles.

-- Hiap Teck Venture Berhad: A publicly listed company, it is the leading manufacturer of steel products in the country.

-- Mamee Double Decker Berhad: A publicly listed company involved in the manufacturing and marketing of a wide range of soft drinks, food and dairy products; other activities include property development.

-- Delloyd Ventures Berhad: An investment holding company with subsidiaries engaged in the manufacture and sale of automobile parts and accessories, palm oil plantations, repair and maintenance of motor vehicles, manufacture and export of agrichemicals, and magazine publishing.

-- Yeo Hiap Seng Berhad: Principally involved in the production, marketing, and sale of food, beverages, and sweetened condensed milk.

-- Nylex Berhad: Manufactures and markets vinyl-coated fabrics, calendered film and sheeting, and other plastic products, including geotextiles and prefabricated sub-soil drainage systems.

-- Daiman Development Berhad: Principally involved in property development and trading.

-- Ethos Capital: A boutique investment company chaired by Rohana Mahmood.

Business Leaders

6.  (C) Post compared the executive boards, used open sources, and spoke with informed contacts to identify key individuals within businesses that are linked to Najib and his family.

-- Rohana Mahmood, Chairman and partner of Ethos Capital, a RM200 million (about USD56 million) private equity firm. Rohana also sits on the boards of Paramount Corp Bhd, TH Group Bhd and Dijaya Corp Bhd.  She and another close aide of Najib, Abdul Razak Baginda, co-founded an independent think-tank, the Malaysian Strategic Research Centre (currently dormant).  (Note: Razak was acquitted in October 2008 of abetting the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya. End note.)  Rohana appears connected in some manner to most of the companies associated with Najib.

-- Azman Mokhtar, the managing director of Khanazah Nasional Bhd. He has been playing a prominent role in the reforms of government-linked companies (GLCs).

-- Mohamed Azman Yahya, director of Khazanah, and founder and group chief executive officer of Symphony House Bhd, an outsourcing firm.  He is also the ex-CEO of Pengurusan Danaharta Bhd and sits on several advisory panels for the development of the capital market, venture capital, and public service delivery system.

-- Tan Kay Hock, chair and chief executive of Johan Holdings Berhad.  Najib and Tan Kay Hock have known each other for a long time and are golfing buddies.  Tan is also a member of the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA).

-- Shahril Shamsuddin of Sapura Group, which has interests in communications, information technology, and oil and gas.

-- Syed Mokhtar Albukharry, whose privately owned company, SKS Ventures Sbd Bhd, has announced involvement in major oil and gas deals with Iran's National Iranian Oil Company, including to develop Iran's southern Golshan and Ferdos gas fields.  He also controls DRB-HICOM, and is one of the largest employers in Pekan, Pahang, Najib's parliamentary constituency, and political base. 

Syed operates a huge vehicle assembly plant there.  He also owns Defense Technologies Sdn Bhd or Deftech a DRB subsidiary and Malaysia,s leading supplier of land-based defense vehicles.

Syed Mokhtar also is believed to have a good (and some say stronger) relationship with Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin.

-- Danny Tan Chee Sing, Group Chief Executive Officer of Dijaya Berhad and Vincent Tan's brother.

-- Nor Yusof, an ex-banker, who was the former managing director of Malaysia Airlines and past chair of the Securities Commission.  He is currently director and chair of Khazanah's executive committee.  He has a wealth of experience in banking and a keen insight on capital markets.

-- Mohd Nadzmi Mohd Salleh, chair and MD of express bus operator Konsortium Transnational Bhd.  The former Proton boss was called upon by the Government in 1996 to revive the ailing public transport company.  He was former PM Mahathir's prodigy and has expertise in transportation. 

-- Dr. Gan Wee Beng, the executive director of CIMB Group (the CEO is Najib's brother Nazir Abdul Razak).  Gan was a consultant to Bank Negara (the central bank), the Economic Planning Unit, Finance Ministry, and the World Bank.

-- Omar Mustapha Ong, a former special assistant to Najib, is the co-founder of Ethos Capital with Rohana Mahmood.  His father, Mustapha Ong, was the diplomat in Washington who allegedly tried to bribe a limousine driver in Washington to fabricate evidence against deposed Deputy Prime Minister (and current opposition leader) Anwar Ibrahim in 1998.

-- Quek Leng Chan, Chairman and Chief Executive of Hong Leong group of Companies.

-- Teo Chiang Quan, Group Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer, Paramount Corporation Berhad.

-- Lei Lin Thai, Group Managing Director, TH Group Berhad.

-- Pang Tee Chew, Chief Executive Officer, Mamee Double Decker Berhad.

-- Kenneth Eswaran, CEO Multi Vest Resources Bhd (MVest), whose primary business interest is the palm oil sector. Informed sources say he is close to Rosmah Mansor, Najib's wife.

-- Vincent Tan, Berjaya Group, a former Mahathir crony who is now close to Najib.  Tan managed to obtain a lucrative license to conduct additional lottery draws after Najib became Finance Minister in October 2008.  He is also rumored to be close to Rosmah Mansor.

-- Bakke Salleh, CEO of Federal Land Development Authority (FELDA) Holdings Berhad.  Najib is the Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on FELDA, the land authority established by his father.

-- Lodin Wok Kamarudin, Chief of Armed Forces Fund Board.

Najib and his Brothers

7.  (C) Najib, who is the eldest son of former Prime Minister Abdul Razak, is said to consult closely with his four brothers, who all have extensive commercial ties.

-- Johari Razak, the second eldest brother and a close friend of Perak Crown Prince Raja Nazrin Shah.  He is a lawyer and senior partner at Shearn Delamore & Co, a large law firm in Kuala Lumpur.  His areas of practice include corporate and commercial joint ventures, mergers and acquisitions; corporate restructuring; and the listing of public companies.

He is also the Chairman of Courts Mammoth Pte Ltd and Daiman Development Berhad, a director of Hong Leong Industries Berhad, Nylex Berhad, Daiman Golf Berhad, and Deutsche Bank (Malaysia) and a non-executive director in several publicly listed companies.

-- Mohamed Nizam Razak studied politics, philosophy, and economics at Oxford University.  He was a stockbroker and CEO of PB Securities Sdn Bhd in the 1990s.  He is currently a non-executive director in several publicly listed companies including Hiap Teck Venture Bhd, Mamee Double-Decker (M) Bhd, Delloyd Ventures Bhd, and Yeo Hiap Seng (M) Bhd.  Like Johari, Nizam is also a director of Deutsche Bank.

-- Mohamed Nazim Razak, the fourth brother, studied architecture in the UK.  He is Chairman of Meru Utama an outdoor advertising company that received a seven-year advertising concession in 2007 to advertise the Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Low-cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT).

He is also Chairman of the Governing Council of Masterskill, a private University/College (the Pro Chancellor is Raja Azureen Raja Azlan Shah, the daughter of the Sultan of Perak) and Director of OYL Industries (a subsidiary of Hong Leong Group of Companies).

-- Nazir Razak, the youngest brother, is the most well known. He obtained a Master of Philosophy at Cambridge University. He is a career banker, joining CIMB Investment Bank almost 20 years ago and rising through its executive ranks to become its CEO in 1999.  Following the merger of CIMB and Bumiputra-Commerce Bank, to become Bumiputra-Commerce Holdings Bhd (BCHB), Nazir became CEO of the merged group.

Under his watch, the BCHB group, which is branded as CIMB group, was transformed into a GLC bank that could compete with its peers in the private sector regionally.  Informed observers widely believe Nazir advises Najib on finance and economic policy issues. 

KEITH

 

Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-post_20.html

 

Tan Sri Dato' Dr. Khoo Kay Peng

Posted: 16 May 2011 06:23 PM PDT

 

Ah, but then we must not forget the 'hedging of bets' and 'putting your money on all the horses' that only the Chinese tycoons know best how to do. And the likes of Vincent Tan, Francis Yeoh, Khoo Kay Peng and Tan Kay Hock will not hesitate to donate generously to Ibrahim Ali's 'cause' just to keep him off their backs.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Back in the 1980s, Khoo Kay Peng became the target of the Malay Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The joke then was that 'Ku' Kay (Khoo Kay Peng) and Ku Li (Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah) were 'brothers'.  

They were of course referring to the close association between the two.

When Ku Li was the Minister of Finance, Khoo Kay Peng was reported to have received a lot of favours from the government. And this riled up the Malay Chamber of Commerce who saw the newly launched New Economic Policy (NEP) as mere lip service while Chinese tycoons like Khoo Kay Peng received more favours than the entire Bumiputera business community combined.

And this was one of the reasons for Ku Li's failure to win the Umno Deputy Presidency -- which would have resulted in him becoming the Deputy Prime Minister and possibly, later, the Prime Minister of Malaysia. The Umno and Malay Chamber of Commerce members perceived Ku Li as a tool of the Chinese tycoons, in particular Khoo Kay Peng.

It was believed that if Ku Li were to become the Deputy Prime Minister, and later the Prime Minister, then Chinese tycoons like Khoo Kay Peng would become the Lord of the Malaysian corporate scene. So the Malays rejected Ku Li in favour of Musa Hitam, a Malay nationalist who was considered loyal to the Malay cause.

Khoo Kay Peng and his flagship company, Malayan United Industries Berhad (MUI), were untouchable. The fact that Khoo Kay Peng financed Ku Li's political activities, in particular his bid for the Deputy Presidency of Umno, made 'Ku' Kay very powerful.

One wonders why Khoo Kay Peng survived the political fallout when his 'horse', Ku Li, did not. This is because, as is customary for all Malaysian Chinese tycoons, Khoo Kay Peng financed all sides. He not only financed Ku Li but all the other top Umno leaders as well.

Umno leaders come and go. Khoo Kay Peng, however, remained powerful. And his policy on placing his money on all the horses in the race ensured this. Chinese tycoons are notorious for hedging their bets in case their horse does not win the race. So never mind who eventually wins the race in the bid for the Umno leadership. In the end, whoever wins or loses, they who financed all sides end up the winner.

But Khoo Kay Peng is smarter than the other Chinese tycoons. While those such as Vincent Tan, Francis Yeoh, Robert Kuok, etc., are always in the news, not much is written about Khoo Kay Peng. The only thing that most people know about him is that he is a staunch Born Again Christian like that slime-ball from PKR, Chua Jui Meng. And, just like Chua Jui Meng, Khoo Kay Peng is not exempted from un-Christian activities as well.

Talk amongst the Chinese tycoon community is that Khoo Kay Peng's MUI Bank lost RM500 million in a bad deal and in 1994 was sold to Hong Leong Credit Berhad and renamed Hong Leong Bank.

Nevertheless, Khoo Kay Peng is still unknown so the many moves he is making is hidden from the public eye. But a storm is about to hit. The shareholders of MUI are questioning why RM400 million of the shareholders' money has been illegally transferred to the Hope Foundation, an arm of the Born Again Christian movement. Many are asking why what is clearly a crime of criminal breach of trust is going unpunished.

When Teoh Beng Hock has to die for an alleged RM2,000 or so, how can this crime of RM400 million get amnesty and immunity and go unpunished?

Another shady deal is the acquisition of Eon Bank, which is a fait accompli. Khoo Kay Peng and Tan Kay Hock are trying to sabotage the deal and take it for themselves.

Khoo Kay Peng owns The Bank of East Asia Limited in Hong Kong, which in turn owns 20% of Affin Bank, while Tan Kay Hock owns Johan Holdings Berhad.

It is no secret that Tan Kay Hock is linked to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and on Thursday we shall publish the Wikileaks cables to show you the link between the two.

What is Ibrahim Ali doing about this? He is screaming about how the Chinese control Malaysia's economy and how the Malays are second-class citizens in their own country. But when these shady deals involving two Chinese tycoons, Khoo Kay Peng and Tan Hock Hock, are perpetuated, Ibrahim Ali is as silent as a church mouse.

Ah, but then we must not forget the 'hedging of bets' and 'putting your money on all the horses' that only the Chinese tycoons know best how to do. And the likes of Vincent Tan, Francis Yeoh, Khoo Kay Peng and Tan Kay Hock will not hesitate to donate generously to Ibrahim Ali's 'cause' just to keep him off their backs.

And that is how the 'smart partnership' between the Malays and Chinese are perpetuated in Malaysia. The Malays do all the screaming and the Chinese do all the feeding. So the Malays will focus on screaming about the Chinese opposition while leaving the Chinese tycoons alone no matter how crooked they may be.

And that is why Chinese tycoons like Khoo Kay Peng can buy off the Malays, conduct their shady deals, and escape punishment.

Anyway, we shall continue on Thursday with the Wikileaks cables from the US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur that were sent to Washington to show the links between the Malays in the corridors of power and the Chinese tycoons who finance these Malays and get away with murder because of this political patronage.

So stay tuned for more.

*****************************************

Laura Ashley Holdings PLC

Tan Sri Dato' Dr. Khoo Kay Peng serves as Non-Executive Chairman of Laura Ashley Holdings PLC. He joined the Board in February 1999.

He is the Chairman and Chief Executive of The MUI Group, which is a diversified group with business interests in the Asia Pacific region, the United States of America and the United Kingdom. He is also the Chairman of Corus Hotels Limited, UK and Morning Star Resources Limited, Hong Kong. Tan Sri Dr Khoo is a Director of Pan Malaysian Industries Berhad, Malaysia, SCMP Group Limited (South China Morning Post) and The Bank of East Asia Limited in Hong Kong.

Previously, Tan Sri Dr Khoo had served as the Chairman of the Malaysian Tourist Development Corporation (a Government Agency), the Vice Chairman of Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank) and a Trustee of the National Welfare Foundation, Malaysia.

Tan Sri Dr Khoo is a trustee of the Regent University, Virginia, USA, and a board member of Northwest University, Seattle, USA. He also serves as a Council Member of the Malaysian-British Business Council, the Malaysia-China Business Council and the Asia Business Council. Tan Sri Dr Khoo is Chairman of the Nomination Committee as well as the Remuneration Committee.

The Bank of East Asia

Incorporated in Hong Kong in 1918, The Bank of East Asia ("BEA") is dedicated to providing comprehensive commercial and retail banking services to its customers in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and other major markets around the world.

BEA is the largest independent local bank in Hong Kong, with total consolidated assets of HK$534.2 billion (US$68.7 billion) as of 31st December, 2010.  The Bank is listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong and is one of the constituent stocks of the Hang Seng Index.  BEA also operates one of the largest networks of any bank in Hong Kong, with 87 branches, 57 SupremeGold Centres and 3 i-Financial Centres throughout the city. 

In Mainland China, BEA's operational presence dates back to the opening of the Bank's Shanghai Branch in 1920.  Today, BEA Group operates one of the largest networks of any foreign bank, with nearly 100 outlets in major urban centres nationwide.

(Read more here: http://www.hkbea.com/hk/ci/company_profile/index.htm)

Malayan United Industries Berhad

Malayan United Industries Berhad (MUI) is listed on the Main Market of  Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad. It was incorporated in Malaysia on 28 May 1960 and listed on 30 June 1971.

MUI is an investment holding company. Through its subsidiaries and associated companies, the MUI Group is primarily engaged in retailing, hotels, food & confectionery, financial services, properties and travel & tourism.

With its corporate headquarters based in Malaysia, the Group's international operations span the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, the United States, China and the Asia Pacific region.

The MUI Group today has total assets of RM2.8 billion and shareholders' funds of RM698.6 million. The corporate philosophy of the Group has remained constant for over 45 years, conceptualized by three key attributes defined as strong, efficient and trustworthy, which together form the guiding principles for its business practices and corporate governance.

(Read more here: http://muiglobal.com/)

  

Behind the curtains

Posted: 14 May 2011 03:23 PM PDT

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

 

The day Big Dog demanded RM400 million from Ku Li (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)

Posted: 11 May 2011 04:02 PM PDT

In that sense Ku Li maintained his principles although after the meeting Big Dog grumbled that Ku Li is so rich but so kedekut (stingy). He could afford RM400 million easily, lamented Big Dog. If he hopes to win the Umno Presidency without paying any money then good luck to him, said Big Dog.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Pro-Umno blogger Zakhir Mohamad a.k.a. 'Big Dog' a.k.a. 'Christian PM basher' is actually quite a delightful character. Many a time have we met for dinner and drinks together with Sallahuddin Hashim a.k.a. 'A Voice' a.k.a. 'Another Brick in the Wall'.

Wow, everyone is using a.k.a.s nowadays. (For the less English proficient readers of Malaysia Today, a.k.a. means 'also known as').

Big Dog is not only a delightful character but highly intelligent as well. And I have this penchant for intelligent people. Whether they are from the opposition or Umno/Barisan Nasional, I enjoy meeting up with them to eat, drink and shoot the breeze. And Big Dog is one such 'enemy' I used to love to meet and spend hours with to stuff our faces and talk about politics and other issues.

Anyway, there was this one fasting month (Ramadhan) when John Pang (Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's strategist) phoned me and asked me to arrange a meeting (followed by a buka puasa) with Umno and opposition bloggers and political activists. The number of 30 was agreed on -- the number of people who should be invited.

I then sat down and worked on the invitation list to make up that figure of 30 and passed it to Tengku Razalaigh Hamzah's (a.k.a Ku Li) office for them to invite these people.

Almost everyone we invited came. And it was great to see bloggers and political activists from both sides of the political divide sitting in the same room to discuss how to make Ku Li the next Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Nik Azmi Nik Daud a.k.a. Bulat a.k.a. Bul gave his opinion -- which was actually quite a stupid idea and I could see Ku Li cringe with a 'can you sit down and shut up' look on his face.

I thought Bul's idea was most stupid and it sounded as if he had just learned politics yesterday. No wonder Ku Li has never done well in politics. With Bul as one of his strategists I doubt Ku Li could even win the post of Chief Dog Catcher.

Big Dog then asked Ku Li whether he was prepared to spend RM400 million to win the premiership. That, according to Big Dog, was what it was going to cost Ku Li.

Earlier Big Dog had told me that it is going to cost at least RM400 million to 'buy' 40 Umno divisions if Ku Li wants to become Prime Minister. I said that that was quite a lot of money and Big Dog replied that Ku Li could afford it. He is worth much more than that, said Big Dog.

Ku Li looked hard at Big Dog -- as if he could not believe his ears -- and said that he is not prepared to 'buy' the premiership. If he spends RM10 million to buy each of the 40 Umno Divisions (total RM400 million) just to get 40 nominations so that he can contest the Umno Presidency, then what difference would he be to the other Umno leaders who play 'money politics'?

He wants to become the Umno President and Prime Minister so that he can clean up the party and the government. If he gets in by using bribery, then how can he later clean up the party and the government when he himself is dirty?

So Ku Li rejected Big Dog's proposal, not because he could not afford RM400 million, but because it would not have been ethical to buy the party elections on a platform of trying to get in to rid the party of corruption. You can't get in using corruption and then scream that you are against corruption.

Some of you may remember that I wrote about this some years back. I said then that the task ahead of Ku Li is to get his 40 nominations. If he can get 40 nominations, winning the Presidency is easier. It is getting the 40 nominations which is difficult.

In that sense Ku Li maintained his principles although after the meeting Big Dog grumbled that Ku Li is so rich but so kedekut (stingy). He could afford RM400 million easily, lamented Big Dog. If he hopes to win the Umno Presidency without paying any money then good luck to him, said Big Dog.

Big Dog and I met Ku Li a couple more times, once around midnight in his private residence. But try as we may, we could not get Ku Li to agree to all the different ideas that were bandied about on how he could get his 40 nominations and go on to contest and win the Umno Presidency, which would be the route to becoming the new Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Some ideas were actually quite seditious and treasonous and Ku Li once chided one of the chaps who proposed it and told him that what he was proposing could end up with all of us being charged for treason with a death sentence thrown in. (Yes, some of the ideas were actually quite dangerous and could have ended with us sitting in death row if someone had talked).

Anyway, in the end nothing happened and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a.k.a. Pak Lah resigned and Najib Tun Razak took over as Prime Minister and Ku Li continued sitting in his house waiting for the day when he would become Prime Minister.

Well, at least he is not RM400 million poorer, which would have happened had he listened to Big Dog.

I must admit that Umno politics is far more interesting compared to opposition politics and I must also admit that I enjoyed myself immensely running with that pack of wolves. Learned a lot as well, which of course we can now use against them.

 

Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-post_14.html

 

Why Pakatan Rakyat is NOT going to form the next federal government (UPDATED with Chinese ...

Posted: 10 May 2011 06:48 PM PDT

This is not a new subject matter. I have written about this so many times in the past. Some of you may remember my article entitled "Votes do not translate into seats"? Well, today, I have no choice but to repeat what I have already told you before.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

My friend Nat Tan has hit the nail on the head in his article entitled 60pc of vote, 93pc of seats? published in The Malaysian Insider today (which you can read here: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/article/60pc-of-vote-93pc-of-seats/)

A similar article written by Nia Nymue in his Blog entitled PAP won 90% of seats but only 60% of votes can be read here: http://nianymue.wordpress.com/2011/05/11/pap-won-90-of-seats-but-only-60-of-votes/

They were of course talking about the recent Singapore elections. But they could easily have also been talking about the Malaysian elections. And this is what I want to talk about, again, today -- in spite of sounding like I am repeating myself too many times.

On 11th May 1969 (two days before 'May 13'), the ruling party (then the Alliance Party of Umno, MCA and MIC) won less than 50% of the votes. Yet it managed to form the federal government because it still won more the 50% of the seats in Parliament (66% of the seats to be exact).

In 1974, the newly formed ruling coalition called Barisan Nasional won less than two-thirds of the votes (60.7%) but it still won 88% of the seats in Parliament.

In 1978, the votes for the ruling coalition dropped to 57.2% but it sill won 84% of the seats in Parliament.

In 1982, the votes for the ruling coalition were still below two-thirds (60.5%) but it managed to win 86% of the seats in Parliament.

In 1986, the ruling coalition's votes dropped to 55.8% but it won 84% of the seats in Parliament.

In 1990, the ruling coalition's votes dropped even further to 53.4% but it still won more than two-thirds of the seats (71%).

In 1995, the ruling coalition 'recovered' by winning 65.2% of the votes which gave them 84% of the seats in Parliament.

1999 was a blow to the ruling coalition. That was the era of Reformasi and the Anwar Ibrahim 'Sodomy 1' crisis. In November of that year the ruling coalition won only 56.5% of the votes. Yet it won 77% of the seats in Parliament.

2004 was the best performance in history for the ruling coalition. It won more than 90% of the seats in Parliament. But it managed this on less than two-thirds of the votes (63.9%). So the best Barisan Nasional could do is less than two-thirds of the votes.

Then we come to the 'landmark' March 2008 general election. The ruling coalition did its worse since May 1969. It won only 52.2% of the votes (because of Sabah and Sarawak -- if not then less than 50% like in 1969). And for the first time since May 1969 it lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament when it won only 63% of the seats.

So, 2004 was the best since Merdeka for the ruling party. And 2008 was the worse in history. But can you see what the figures show? And that is Barisan Nasional loses votes but wins seats. And it is the seats that give it the federal government, not votes.

Note this also.

In the first election (Municipal elections) two years before Merdeka in 1955, Umno and its cronies swept the country in a landslide election victory (they lost only one seat to the opposition).

In the second election (the First Parliamentary election) two years after Merdeka in 1959, the ruling coalition went down.

In the third election in 1964 (the Second Parliamentary election), the ruling coalition went up.

In the fourth election in 1969 (the Third Parliamentary election), the ruling coalition went down.

In the fifth election in 1974 (the Fourth Parliamentary election), the ruling coalition went up.

In the sixth election in 1978 (the Fifth Parliamentary election), the ruling coalition went down.

In the seventh election in 1982 (the Sixth Parliamentary election), the ruling coalition went up.

In the eighth election in 1986 (the Seventh Parliamentary election), the ruling coalition went down.

In the ninth election in 1990 (the Eighth Parliamentary election), the ruling coalition went down.

In the tenth election in 1995 (the Ninth Parliamentary election), the ruling coalition went up.

In the eleventh election in 1999 (the Tenth Parliamentary election), the ruling coalition went down.

In the twelfth election in 2004 (the Eleventh Parliamentary election), the ruling coalition went up.

In the thirteenth election in 2008 (the Twelfth Parliamentary election), the ruling coalition went down.

In the fourteenth election, (2011, 2012, or 2013) whenever it may be, (the Thirteenth Parliamentary election), the ruling coalition will go up or down? If according to the 'trend' since 1955 then it must certainly be UP -- unless trends lie.

Now, the two points I want to make is this.

The ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional, can still form the federal government even with a minimum of votes. The question would be whether it is with a two-thirds majority or a simple majority. But it will still form the government nevertheless.

The second point is the ruling coalition yoyos from one election to another. It goes down one election and up the next. 2008 was the 'down' period. Will the next election be 'up' if this trend proves consistent?

Ponder on that. To kick out Barisan Nasional it requires a huge mother of all Earthquake-cum-Tsunami. A slight swing is not enough. Just an Earthquake or just a Tsunami will also not do. It must be a combination of an Earthquake and a Tsunami.

Malaysia Today's readers are experts when it comes to grumbling, bitching, complaining, lamenting, and blowing hot air. Expert cakap banyak. What are YOU going to do about this sorry scenario? Are you prepared to bite the bullet?

Never mind whether Raja Petra Kamarudin has done a U-turn. Never mind if Raja Petra Kamarudin has sold out or gone over to the other side. Forget about Raja Petra. Fuck Raja Petra. Raja Petra is just one man amongst 28 million Malaysians and he is no longer even living in Malaysia. What are YOU doing?

The billion ringgit question is what are YOU going to do about this predicament other than grumble, bitch, complain, lament, blow hot air, cakap banyak and use Raja Petra Kamarudin as a punching bag to vent your frustrations at not even having the balls to reveal your true identity in Malaysia Today?
 

Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-post_5707.html

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

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Powerless or Powerful?

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 11:58 AM PDT

By Tony Pua

The Minister of Energy, Water and Green Technologies, Peter Chin had earlier in the week expressed that the Government is helpless in "declassifying" the Power Purchasing Agreements (PPAs) between the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) in the light of the demand by the public.

The Ministry's reply to me back in 29 February 2009 for my parliamentary question said the exact same thing, which at the very least showed that they are steadfast and consistent in backing the interest of the IPPs.

The Minister then had replied to me that "dokumen Perjanjian Jual Beli Tenaga (PPA) merupakan satu dokumen perjanjian antara dua entiti swasta, iaitu di antara Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) dan pihak penjana bebas (IPP) yang terbabit. Di bawah perjanjian tersebut, kedua-dua pihak perlu memberikan persetujuan terlebih dahulu sebelum mana-mana kandungan perjanjian tersebut boleh diumumkan. Sekiranya pihka TNB bercadang untuk menamatkan perjanjian PPA tanpa sebab yang kukuh, TNB perlu memberi pampasan penuh kepada pihak IPP."

The Ministry's reply to me on 23 March 2010 again emphasized the Government's sheer reluctance to right the wrong in the PPAs which make the rakyat pay significantly more for its electricity.

"Kerajaan sentiasa menghormati sebarang perjanjian atau kontrak yang telah ditandatangani oleh pihak Kerajaan. Oleh yang demikian, Kerajaan tiada rancangan untuk merombak semula atau menamatkan kontrak Perjanjian Pembelian Tenaga (PPA) secara unilateral dengan pihak IPP sebelum tamat tempoh kontrak tersebut. Sebaliknya, pendekatan yang diambil oleh Kerajaan ialah supaya PPA tersebut dirundingkan semula.Memandangkan rundingan semula PPA merupakan perkara yang rumit dan memerlukan tempoh masa yang agak lama untuk menentukan hasilnya, ia akan ditangani secara berasingan."

The "powerless" nature of the BN government when it comes to declassifying and renegotiating the PPAs, is in direct contrast to the "powerful" role it played to ensure that the IPPs were ensure astronomical profits.

In a revealing interview published by The Star on 26 June 2006,  former TNB chairman, Ani Anope who was "involved" in the power agreements with the IPPs had said:

"There was no negotiation. Absolutely none. Instead of talking directly with the IPPs, TNB was sitting down with the EPU. And we were harassed, humiliated and talked down every time we went there. After that, my team was disappointed. The EPU just gave us the terms and asked us to agree. I said no way I would."

As for the pricing and terms of the contracts, "It was all fixed up. (They said) this is the price, this is the capacity charge and this is the number of years. They said you just take it..."

Hence when TNB was forced to sign these lobsided PPAs, it was the Prime Minister's all-powerful Economic Planning Unit (EPU) which dictated all terms. But when it comes to making public these PPAs, its now TNB's own choice as a "private company" and there's not the Government can do about it.

The responses from the Minister are at best "misleading" and at worst a lie, for the Government has a vested interest in not declassifying these contracts, for it was the BN government itself who dictated the terms of these contracts to be signed. Now it just does not want the public to know what it did, and the fact that it prioritised the astronomical profits of these IPPs at the expense of the man-on-the-street.

In fact Ani Anope disclosed that an agreement has been struck between TNB and an IPP, understood to be Genting Sanyen for the former to purchase electricity at 12 sen per kWh. However the "EPU said that unless the IPP raised its price, the contract would not be given to the IPP. So he got it for 14 sen per unit," while other first generation IPPs got 16 sen per kWh.

Now that the interest of the IPPs have been served, the Government reverts to its meek and timid role using the excuse that its an agreement between "private entities" and that any renegotiations can only be done after the existing contracts expire.

On the contrary, as there is no "contract" between the Government and the rakyat, the Government can choose to raise electricity tariffs any time it so chooses, even if it were to mean that these IPPs were to continue to profit at the expense of increased sufferings of the rakyat.

The Prime Minister, Najib Razak must demonstrate moral and economic leadership by doing what is right and just for the people, instead of dithering over the declassification of the PPAs as well as their renegotiation.  Otherwise, all the rhetoric of "transformation" becomes just a facade for continuity and business as usual, where political cronyism comes first.

 

TONY PUA is DAP National Publicity Secretary and MP for Petaling Jaya Utara

Targeting RM800b oil 'field'

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 11:55 AM PDT

By Eileen Ng, NST

KUALA LUMPUR: A one-stop centre to coordinate and promote the country's oil field services and equipment (OFSE) industry, to be known as Malaysia Petroleum Resource Corporation, will be set up, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

This government body will look into creating an attractive business environment for industry players and investors.

"The government is in the midst of establishing the corporation to attract multinational companies by ensuring administrative ease as well as to promote Malaysian OFSE industry to overseas companies and investors," he said in his speech at the 13th Asian oil, gas and petrochemical engineering exhibition (OGA 2011) yesterday.

Touted as the largest oil and gas show in the region, the event attracted some 1,500 oil and gas companies from over 50 countries, with products worth more than RM100 billion on display.

Saying that the global OFSE market stood at RM800 billion and had undergone an annual growth rate of 25 per cent in recent years, Muhyiddin said the Asian market for oil field services alone had grown by 20 per cent per year over the past decade, primarily driven by the shift towards more technically challenging fields and increases in the price of crude oil.

Currently, there were gaps in the domestic OFSE industry, with Malaysian companies lacking capabilities and experience, limiting their ability to gain a strong share in the regional market, he said.

Muhyiddin said Malaysia's aspiration was to attract 10 to 20 major international companies to bring 10 per cent of their OFSE business operations to Malaysia.

"This could translate to around 40 per cent of their regional activities and would mean positioning Malaysia as a cost-competitive base for engineering, procurement and construction as well as a strategic base for installation activities in the Asia-Pacific region.

"As Malaysia is undertaking aggressive efforts and developing innovative solutions to drive the reserve growth and get more from existing fields, advanced technology and capability is crucial for us.

"International companies have the cutting edge technology and expertise to assist Malaysia in the deep water sector and exploration services. Our local oil and gas players can also grow their capabilities by working together with these international companies."

He said Malaysia was targeting five per cent annual growth for the energy sector from last year until 2020. "This target translates into an increase of RM131.4 billion in the period from 2010 to 2020.

"There are significant number of business opportunities in the oil, gas and energy sector. Malaysia's offshore producing fields are more mature than those of our Southeast Asian neighbours.

"There will be tremendous commercial opportunities for maintenance and replacement of assets in addition to development of new fields, which will continue to drive growth in this key sector."

Muhyiddin added that another growing business opportunity was the regional midstream logistics market for oil and oil product storage, with crude oil consumption expected to grow by 420,000 barrels per day annually from 2010 to 2015.

Malaysia, he said, was well-placed to complement Singapore and collectively operate a hub similar to Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp.

"This hub can complement each other in areas of refining capacity, independent storage and blending capacity as well as access to markets."


Where is Sabah’s oil money going?

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 11:51 AM PDT

By Queville To, Free Malaysia Today

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah, as major gas producing state in the country, should not be included in the electricity tariff hike or in any fuel susbidy cuts.

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) women's wing chief Melanie Chia said yesterday that there "is no reason to revise electricity tariff in Sabah, more so when Sabah is a major producer of gas in the country".

Chia, who is the state assembly representative for Luyang, questioned the logic behind the increase, citing that being a net exporter of crude oil, the government was supposed to be making a huge profit each time there is an increase in the oil prices in the global market.

"The government has repeatedly said that they need to review the subsidies because of the increase in the prices of oil and gas.

"But it has been reported that every time the price of oil and gas increased by US$1, there is an additional income of RM500 million.

"The US$1 increase will increase the subsidy by RM350 million, there is still a net excess of RM150 million.

"So, where has this excess gone to?

"By this calculation, the recent increases in the prices of oil and gas should have brought about a win-win situation to the government and the people of Malaysia.

"If the government has to cry foul each time the price increases, we need to ask the government where has the excess due to the higher prices of our natural resources gone to?

"Instead of a win-win accruing from our natural endowment, we are burdened with the eventuality of higher cost of living.

"Where is the logic?" she asked.

Why a refinery in Johor?

SAPP is also demanding accountability and transparency in the dealings of Petronas since Sabah is a major producer of oil and gas in the country, but is not represented in the advisory board of national oil company.

"Before our natural endowment in oil and gas is depleted, the Malaysians living in Sabah need to be assured that Sabah will benefit from the exploitation of the oil and gas here.

READ MORE HERE.

Is Pairin winding down his political career?

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 11:49 AM PDT

By Luke Rintod, Free Malaysia Today

KOTA KINABALU: Speculations are rife that a subtle power shift may be taking place in Parti Bersatu Sabah.

Indication of change came to light with rumours that Kota Marudu parliamentarian Maximum Ongkili was shifting his political base to his hometown in Tambunan where his family is building a big house on an ancestral land, just a stone's throw from his uncle Joseph Pairin Kitingan's home.

Pairin is currently Tambunan assemblyman and also Keningau MP.

Pairin, 71, is said to be contemplating winding down his public roles, which have reportedly been quite taxing for him. He's had to deal with complaints about his productivity and efficiency.

The aging Pairin has been an assemblyman for Tambunan for the past 35 years, uninterrupted since 1976 when he was still with Berjaya.

He also is the 'Huguan Siou' or paramount leader of the Kadazandusun, a Deputy Chief Minister-cum-state Minister of Rural Development, president of Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), president of KDCA (Kadazandusun Cultural Association) and sits in many committees, including the Asean Eminent Persons Committee.

Maximus, 58, being a senior deputy president of PBS and also KDCA, seems the obvious choice to takeover some of Pairin's
roles.

But observers say there is discontent with Maximus, both within PBS circles and in Kota Marudu, lending credence to rumours that he might be moving to Tambunan or Keningau in the coming general election.

Maximus, who is a federal minister, has held Kota Marudu since 1985 when it was known as Bandau.

His fourth term as MP, has seen a steady fall in his popularity which has been translated into less votes in Dusun majority areas.

Poor track record

In the 1995 general election, when pitted against another uncle, Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, then of Barisan Nasional, Maximus won by garnering 64% of the total votes cast.

In 1999, while PBS was still in opposition, Maximus defeated yet another BN candidate, local boy Maijol Mahap, but garnered only 51% of the total votes.

In 2004 general election, Maximus, who by then was in the ruling BN, retained his seat, defeating his closest rival, the relatively unknown Anthony Mandiau, by garnering 56% of the votes.

In the 2008 general election, he once more defeated Mandiau but his previous popular votes was slashed by 2%.

Maximus has been in the federal cabinet since 2004, but his vast constituency of Kota Marudu is still lagging in infrastructures and economic opportunities.

In many places the roads are in a deplorable condition.

READ MORE HERE.

PAS — opposition power house or federal ruling party?

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 11:47 AM PDT

By Sheridan Mahavera, The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 — There are two competing but telling narratives of PAS, the Islamist and second largest party in Malaysia post-2008.

In Kedah, there are grassroots members and Muslims who voted for them who complain that there are more karaoke joints and pubs that have sprouted up in the past three years where the Islamist party has been in power.

Also in Kedah and every other state in the peninsula, there are significant numbers of non-Muslim supporters who compare PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat to Mahatma Gandhi, the world symbol of all non-violent revolutions.

Both of these groups of people helped give the party its historic 23 parliamentary seats and its two state governments. The party also scored a bonus by getting the post of mentri besar in three of the five states Pakatan Rakyat won.

Yet these sentiments also pose a dilemma. If PAS decides to please its traditional supporters and go back to the PAS of old, with its focus on anti-vice laws, moral policing and its version of an "Islamic state" it alienates its new non-Muslim and moderate Muslim support base.

But if it holds off on realising hudud law (which calls for cutting off the hands of thieves and stoning adulterers), some its most hardcore supporters feel they've been betrayed. 

And then there is the possibility of co-operating with arch-nemesis Umno. Though it has been fervently refuted by its leadership, the matter still crops up and haunts the imagination of many members.

So when the party meets from today for its 57th party muktamar (assembly), it will have to decide which narrative or combination between the two will decide the party's direction moving into the 13th general election.

Its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partners the DAP and PKR are keenly watching this muktamar. Not just because of the elections taking place but because the party's leadership will have to chart PAS's direction going into the 13th general election which they expect to be later this year.

What comes out of the muktamar will determine if PAS can live up to its billing as the "Umno of PR" who will gain the necessary Muslim support to propel PR into federal power.

Movement or ruling party?

PAS members, says one Kedah party activist, can be roughly divided into two types. And no, it's not "Erdogan"/professionals versus ulama/conservatives.

One type believes that PAS is, first and foremost, an Islamic movement. Its main purpose is to spread the religion and pressure the government to adopt so-called "Islamic laws" such as hudud and qisas and to outlaw unIslamic practices such as gambling.

"The idea is that PAS should just preach Islam to the public, regardless as to whether people listen or not," says Mohd Monier Mat Din, a member from Padang Serai.

READ MORE HERE.

Malaysia plays hardball over asylum swap deal with Australia

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 11:46 AM PDT

(The Malaysian Insider) - KUALA LUMPUR, June 3 — Malaysia is pushing hard over the proposed refugee swap agreement with Australia and has removed all references to human rights in the deal.

According to the draft agreement obtained by Australian broadcaster ABC TV's Lateline, Malaysia wants to decide which asylum seekers it accepts and for Australia to cover almost all costs of the refugee exchange.

"Where the Transferee do (sic) not agree to return to their country of origin, voluntarily forced returns may be necessary. In this event, the Government of Australia will be fully responsible to accept and ensure voluntarily forced returns," stated the document, as quoted by ABC.

ABC said Malaysia has insisted on sending 4,000 refugees to Australia, regardless of how many asylum seekers it accepted in return.

Malaysia also does not want the United Nations Refugee Convention, which it is not a signatory of, to cover its side of the agreement.

"The treatment of the Transferee while in Malaysia will be in accordance with the Malaysian laws, rules, regulations and national policies," said the document.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed concerns with Malaysia's amendments to the agreement that were made last Monday.

"What the document shows is that there is a real reluctance by Malaysia to commit to a clear inclusion of human rights standards and guarantees," Australia's Refugee and Immigration Legal Centre co-ordinator David Manne was quoted as saying.

"For example, in the document refugees are referred to as illegal immigrants. There's no reference to the word asylum seeker. There's certainly no reference to human rights," he said.

An internal UNHCR document has also suggested that Australia had a position on sending children to Malaysia, according to ABC.

"AUL (Australia) doesn't want to provide exceptions for UAMS (unaccompanied minors) and vulnerable individuals for fear if (sic) this being a pull factor exploited by smugglers," the document said.


READ MORE HERE.

PAS ulama to table motion on sex video at party assembly on Friday

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:19 AM PDT

(BERNAMA) - The PAS ulama assembly unanimously passed a motion Thursday to bring the sex video issue involving a man resembling an opposition leader for debate at the party's 57th muktamar (general assembly) on Friday.

The motion will be tabled by a member of Kelantan PAS ulama council, Nik Razi Nik Mat, and seconded by a delegate from Kubang Pasu, Kedah.

Nik Razi is Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat's youngest brother.

He said the move would allow the delegates to identify the reasons behind the distribution of the sex video recording.

Perkasa: Respect Malay rights, then talk national unity

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:07 AM PDT

National unity can only be forged if all Malaysians respected the special privileges accorded to the Malays, says the Malay rights group

(Free Malaysia Today) - Only when the special privileges accorded to the Malays is respected by all races can national unity be forged, said Malay extremist group Perkasa.

Its secretary-general, Syed Hassan Syed Ali, disputed MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek's call yesterday to think as Malaysians first to work together to maintain a peaceful nation.

He said it was not wrong for Perkasa to voice out issues affecting the Malay community.

"Even other races vent out on issues affecting their respective communities," said Syed Hassan.

The English daily, The Star, quoted Chua as urging Malaysians to stop identifying themselves with the racial group they belonged to and accept the multi-racial reality of the country.

Syed Hassan said national unity could only be forged if all Malaysians respected the special privileges accorded to the Malays under the Federal Constitution.

"We respect anyone who identifies himself as a Malaysian but we will continue voicing out for the Malays as long as we are neglected," said Syed Hassan.

On whether Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties such as Umno should the spearhead the unity call by turning itself into a multi-racial party, Syed Hassan said Malaysians were still not ready for it.

"Even when DAP calls itself a multi-racial party, who calls the shots? Do the Malays get equal representation in the party?

"However, BN itself is multi-racial as it has all the races in the coalition," he said.

Umno MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan echoed Chua's sentiments but pointed out that not everyone who fights for their own race were racists.

"Umno is the protector of the Malays and we are not shy about it. However, that doesn't make us racists," said the Kota Belud MP.

'Respect the nation's history'

He said that it all boiled down to how people interpreted what being Malaysian is all about.

"For me, a Malaysian is one who adheres to the Federal Constitution, knows our historical background and respects the understanding that allowed the formation of our country," said Rahman.

Citing an example, Rahman said it was all right for a citizen to think as a Malaysian and a Bumiputera at the same time.

READ MORE HERE

 

Get your ‘concert’ act together, Pakatan told

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:05 AM PDT

On the MTV concert in Shah Alam, Pakatan Rakyat leaders are at cross-purposes. The mentri besar is all for the show ,while his PAS colleagues are against it.

(Free Malaysia Today) - Pakatan Rakyat leaders in Selangor have been urged to stop confusing the people with "inconsistent" statements on the MTV concert to be held in i-City, Shah Alam, on July 24, Kedah Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang said.

"DAP should come out and state its stand. PKR and PAS, too. Better yet, all Pakatan Rakyat leaders should come out with a collective stand, and not confuse the people," he said.

"Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim is saying one thing, and PAS MP for Shah Alam Khalid Samad is saying something else ," said Tan.

Yesterday, the Selangor government gave the go-ahead for the MTV World Stage concert despite protests by Shah Alam residents and PAS.

The menteri besar said approvals for the concert were given last year and there is "no problem with the event", though some restrictions should be observed.

The restrictions were to ensure a minimum sound system impact on the neighbourhood and decent standards of dress and behaviour.

"This may be just a concert, but the implications are bigger than this. If PAS and Khalid (Samad) said it's about infrastructure, I can accept that, that's a fair comment… but is it really the reason behind their protest?

" If it is about western cultures which they deem immoral, then I think its wrong," said Tan, who thinks that PAS was trying to impose their own religious views on other non-Muslims.

"A concert is just an entertainment event where performers show off their singing and dancing. If there's a striptease, then it's immoral," he said.

"You remember when they wanted to ban alcohol in Selangor: first they wanted the ban (imposed), then the MB said there was no ban… what does that really mean? Pakatan leaders tend to portray themselves differently when a problem arises," said Tan.

Coalition of convenience

He said that Pakatan was merely a coalition of convenience and it is not good for the country to have a coalition that cannot have a common stand as it would cause instability.

MCA vice-president and Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Gan Ping Sieu had reportedly said yesterday: "As usual, PAS is imposing its prejudices on things they don't even understand… sometimes, they are just playing to the gallery."

However, Khalid Samad today claimed that Gan had misunderstood PAS, which has started a petition campaign against the concert.

READ MORE HERE

 

WIKILEAKS: Power struggles in Perak

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:00 AM PDT

The BN now has firm control of Perak and is working to regain some of its lost influence among voters, having allocated resources into projects to win back support of the people. With the Chinese vote firmly supporting the opposition, the deciding votes in any future election rest with the ethnic Malays, not because they hold a majority among the populace (they represent just over 50%), but because their support is most split between the ruling coalition and the opposition.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 04 KUALA LUMPUR 000107

SIPDIS

FOR EAP/MTS AND INR

E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/18/2020

TAGS: PGOV, KDEM, KJUS, MY

SUBJECT: POWER STRUGGLES IN PERAK: RULING COALITION WORKING HARD TO REGAIN VOTERS' SUPPORT

 

REF: A. 09 KUALA LUMPUR 342 -- PANDEMONIUM IN PERAK STATE ASSEMBLY

        B. 09 KUALA LUMPUR 78 -- NAJIB LEADS TAKEOVER OF PERAK

        C. KUALA LUMPUR 92 -- COURT DECISION IN PERAK

 

Classified By: Political Counselor Brian D. McFeeters for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

 

Summary and Comment

1. (SBU) Poloff and Pol Specialist visited the politically turbulent state of Perak from February 1-3.  Perak is one of five states won by the opposition People's Alliance (PR) coalition in the March 2008 general elections, but through political defections in February 2009 it subsequently reverted back to authority of Malaysia's ruling National Front (BN) coalition (refs A and B), and is firmly under BN control after a February 9, 2010 Federal Court decision affirming the BN Chief Minister (ref C). 

Perak is a microcosm of Malaysia's ethnic diversity with party affiliation drawn clearly along ethnic and religious lines. Ethnic Malays are split between the BN's dominant United Malays National Organization (UMNO) party and the opposition's People's Justice Party (PKR) and Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS), while nearly all ethnic Chinese and a slight majority of ethnic Indians support the opposition PR over the BN, according to a February 5 Merdeka Center poll.

2. (C) Comment:  Events in Perak are significant for two reasons.  First, for the past year it has been ground zero for the fight between the two political coalitions.  Perak is the only state that had an active fight over control of the state for the past 12 months, so the issues there reflect national sentiment.  Second, the fight and ultimate victory by the BN in Perak was a successful political power play both in terms of brute and refined power, reminding us that of the two coalitions, only the BN has the clout, money, and ability to manipulate the government system (election commission, courts) to muscle its way to power. 

The BN now has firm control of Perak and is working to regain some of its lost influence among voters, having allocated resources into projects to win back support of the people.  With the Chinese vote firmly supporting the opposition, the deciding votes in any future election rest with the ethnic Malays, not because they hold a majority among the populace (they represent just over 50%), but because their support is most split between the ruling coalition and the opposition.  That said, while the opposition PR is united in its criticism of the ruling BN coalition, they remain somewhat fragmented both within their coalition, and within their component parties.  End Summary and Comment.

Setting the Scene: Political Background

3. (SBU) Perak had been a bastion of the ruling BN coalition since Malaysia's independence in 1957 until the March 2008 general election, when the opposition PR coalition stunned the BN and took control of the state government by winning 31 of 59 state assembly seats. 

Within the PR, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) won 18 seats; the People's Justice Party (PKR) won 7 seats; and the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS) won 5 seats.  Although the DAP earned more seats than their coalition partners combined, the position of Chief Minister went to PAS assemblyman Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin, because the Perak state constitution stipulates that only a Muslim can hold the position of Chief Minister (CM).

On the BN side, the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) won 27 of their 28 seats while the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) took the remaining seat.  Two other BN partners, the Malaysian Peoples Movement Party (Gerakan) and Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), were all but rendered obsolete as neither won a single contested seat. 

The DAP's dominance came as a result of ethnic Chinese and Indian discontent with the MCA, Gerakan, and MIC, who traditionally have represented their interests within the BN coalition.  In February 2009, after 11 months in power, the PR state government lost its majority in the state assembly following the defection of three PR state assembly members to become independents friendly to the BN. 

The net change in 3 seats left the BN with the majority of seats and resulted in a protracted controversy when the Sultan of Perak replaced PR Chief Minister Nizar (equivalent to a governor of a U.S. state) with BN's Zambry.  The Federal Court ruled on February 9 that the change of chief minister was legal (ref C).

Insights from Perak Politicians

4. (C) Poloff and Pol Specialist visited Perak from February 1-3, and met with representatives from every major political party in peninsular Malaysia:  from the ruling National Front (BN) coalition, the coalition-leading United National Malays Organization (UMNO), the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), Gerakan, and the Malaysian Indian Coalition (MIC); from the opposition People's Alliance (PR), politicians from the People's Justice Party (PKR), the Democratic Action Party (DAP), and the Islamic Party of Malaysia (PAS). 

In a February 1 meeting with PAS Perak committee members at their headquarters, including former Perak Chief Minister (CM) Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin and Perak PAS Chief Ustaz Abu Bakar Hussain, Nizar called the policies implemented by the PR government from March 2008 thru February 2009 "successful and people friendly."  He noted that the current BN government has copied and implemented many of the PR's government policies while claiming full credit for them. 

DAP MP Fong Po Kuan later told Poloff that she didn't mind if the BN claimed credit for these policies, stating that it was more important that they were implemented, and that "they clearly benefitted the people." 

Nizar also claimed that during his term of office, the PR state government had managed to increase revenues by cutting waste and promoting open tenders.  In the past the BN government only extended "negotiated tenders to their cronies."

5. (SBU) In a brief February 1 meeting, current Chief Minister Zambry (UMNO), exuded confidence in his performance during his first year.  He saw himself as the rightful Chief Minister because "it is clearly the will of the people."

Zambry opined that the BN in Perak has acted in a more professional and competent manner than the PR did when they were in power.  Noted Zambry: "We were a responsible opposition for eleven months," but when the opposition lost the majority, they "refused to abide by democratic principles."  

Zambry commented that in the 12 months since the BN took back control of Perak, the BN has been working very hard to gain the confidence of the people, noting that the BN had embarked on "people friendly policies" -- the same term Nizar used -- by focusing on poverty eradication irrespective of race and a good economic development policy.

Perak State Secretary Dr. Abdul Rahim Hashim reiterated that the two policies were the main thrust of the BN government policies in the state.  Zambry said the results of the BN were showing, noting that when compared to opposition gatherings, "there is marked increase in support for BN gatherings" and that he has received feedback that "the people are generally happy with the BN state government."

6. (C) On February 2, Chang Ko Youn, the state chief and national deputy president for the marginalized Gerakan party, admitted that the Chinese voters "deserted the BN by droves" in the last general election. 

(Note: Gerakan went from 10 to 2 MP seats in the March 2008 general elections, and from 4 to 0 seats in the Perak state assembly.  End Note.) 

He cited UMNO's "racist policies" as one cause, adding that the Chinese media were "unfriendly" towards BN.  Chang pointed out that, unlike the government-influenced mainstream media, the Chinese newspapers are more independent and at times favor the opposition rather than BN parties.  The veteran leader said it would be difficult for BN to win over the Chinese voters in the next general election. 

7. (C) Dr. Mah Hang Soon, the MCA state youth chief and sole non-UMNO state assemblyman for the BN, was a bit more optimistic.  Mah noted that the BN is "now more aware of the Chinese problem" and is "working on overcoming it."  He cited the case of Chinese farmers, who have farmed on state land for decades, who were recently given land titles.  The state government has also started funding the nine independent Chinese schools in the state, whereas in the past the BN state government had completely ignored the plight of independent Chinese schools.  Mah opined that the previous PR government only "made promises" but the BN state government "is now delivering" on them.

Dr. Mah also noted that the Chinese community was especially concerned about the ongoing inquest into the July 2009 death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock while under investigation, opining that the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) needs to get to the bottom of this soon, even if they themselves are to blame.

8. (C) MIC Perak state secretary and new Perak state Speaker R. Ganesan echoed Mah's views, claiming that the 12-month old BN government has enacted numerous polices for the benefit of non-Malays.  Ganeson proudly stated that for the first time the state government has allocated funding for Hindu temples.

(Note: The previous PR government started the policy of allocating funds to non-Islamic religious institutions, but it is the BN who is seeing this through.  End Note.) 

Ganesan added that he could see the Indians returning to the BN based on the number of people attending BN-sponsored meetings and political rallies.

Both Sides at Risk as Snap Elections too Risky to Consider

9. (SBU) Prior to the February 9 court decision, both Zambry and Nizar publicly claimed that they had enough support from voters to win any snap election, fueling speculation that regardless of how the decision panned out, the legitimized Chief Minister would call for elections and end the controversy once and for all.  Zambry told Poloff on February 1 that if snap elections were held, he was confident the BN would win 34 out of 59 seats in the state assembly, citing discontent with PKR and PAS among voters. 

When asked by Poloff if he would call for snap elections should he win the February 9 decision, Zambry said he would not dissolve the state assembly, saying that "the Perak BN state government does not operate based on the dictates of the opposition."

Nizar, in turn, countered that he had the support of 80% of the Chinese and Indian vote, and at least 50% of the ethnic Malay vote, challenging Zambry that the only way to prove his claim would be to call for a snap election in Perak.

Nizar told Poloff that even with fresh elections, there is no guarantee that the PR would win a majority of seats to form a government.  Nizar stated that the BN has managed to "poison the minds of the rural Malays" by convincing them that he was "a lackey of the DAP" and "had committed treason by defying the Sultan" after the defections.  PAS State Treasurer Abdul Rahim Ariff concurred with Nizar's view, adding that if elections were held today the Malay votes would split evenly between UMNO and PAS, unlike in March 2008 when there was clear swing of Malay votes towards PAS and PKR.

10. (SBU) State senior UMNO Cabinet Minister Ramly Zahari concurred with the Chief Minister's views that the BN has no reason to dissolve the state assembly.  He stated that the opposition is the one who "started the game" by wooing BN Members of Parliament and state assembly to cross the floor. As such the veteran state UMNO leader added that when the BN managed to outflank PR, "the opposition now wants to rewrite the rules." 

(Note: Ramly is referring to an UMNO assemblyman who crossed over to the PR in January 2009.  A few days after the crossover, he returned to the BN and was joined by the three ex-PR assemblyman who claimed to be BN-friendly independents.  The opposition believes that the initial crossover was orchestrated by UMNO to prepare the ground for the three others to jump to the BN side. End Note.)

11. (SBU) DAP Perak State Chief Ngeh Khoo Ham and DAP State Secretary Nga Kor Ming (who are first cousins) were optimistic on February 2 that magic of March 2008 would continue to prevail in Perak if snap elections were held.

While admitting that there is a slight shift in Malay support in favor of the BN, Ngeh stated that a majority of urban Malays and most of the Chinese and Indians would vote for a PR coalition party.

After the Ruling: What's Next for PR and BN?

12. (C) PKR Vice President and MP in Perak Lee Boon Chye told Poloff on February 2 that despite the setback caused by the BN takeover and subsequent court rulings, the PR is still very popular in Perak.  Lee claimed that "80 percent of Perakians are still behind us." 

Ngeh and Nga (DAP) claim that the opposition has continuously been harping in their numerous political gatherings through out the state that the current state government "is an illegal court appointed entity" and vowed they would continue their disharmonious campaign after the Federal Court ruling of February 9.

However, Nizar announced after the court decision that the opposition would instead cooperate with BN.

13. (C) Zambry said on February 1 that PR leadership in Perak was becoming increasingly desperate.  Decreased numbers and a general lack of enthusiasm at recent opposition rallies showed that people were tired of the PR acting like a sore loser, and were ready to move on.  As a result, claimed Zambry, the PR has embarked on a strategy to smear the image of the BN-led state government. 

He cited two examples of the smear campaign: that he was accused of being denied entry to the US recently for "being involved in terrorist activities," and news reports that investors are shunning Perak since the BN wrested power. 

Zambry is suing the PKR newspaper "Suara Keadilan" for RM 400 million for what he says were libelous claims about his US trip.  He noted that investments have actually increased since the BN took over, claiming that the Perak state government has attracted RM11 billion (about USD 3 billion) in one year.

(Note: Regarding the investments, Nizar and other PR leaders in Perak dispute this figure, claiming that some of the investments came to the state when the PR was in power.  End Note.)  

Zambry expected the opposition to continue with their smear tactics, commenting that "their position is increasingly under threat."

Coalition, Party Infighting Continue to Impact Opposition

14. (C) DAP MP and Vice President Kulasegaran admitted that all is not well with the DAP in Perak.  Kula claimed that the "Ngeh-Nga clan" referring to the cousins, is running the show in Perak.  The veteran DAP leader claimed that the top party leadership is unable to control the two, as they have managed to bring the state DAP machinery completely under their control. 

Kula claimed that due to their dominance, the DAP may face some problems in the future because they are not popular among all the Chinese in the state.  For example, the cousins tried to force out popular DAP MP Fong Po Kuan from running in the 2008 general election in order to replace her with their own crony, but her constituency fiercely resisted this move against the three-term MP, forcing the cousins to back down. 

Poloff raised this topic while meeting Fong for lunch, but she refused to be drawn into a conversation on this issue.

Poll: Voters Split Along Ethnic Lines

15. (U) The independent Merdeka Center announced results of a poll taken of Perak voters on February 5.  Current CM Zambry has an approval rating of 43%, while former CM Nizar has an approval rating of 46%.  Zambry's base of support comes from 2/3 of the ethnic Malays and 1/2 of the Indians; Nizar's support comes from the remaining 1/3 of the Malays, the other 1/2 of the Indians, and nearly all of the Chinese. 

(Note: the ethnic breakdown for Perak's 2 million citizens is approximately 52% Malay, 32% Chinese, 13% Indian, and 3% others.  CM Zambry is an ethnic Indian but is Muslim by religion.  End Note.) 

In addition, 38% of respondents believed Perak is moving in the right direction, up from 31% polled in April 2009, while 44% believed the state was moving in the wrong direction, with distinct differences of opinion when broken down by ethnic lines.

KEITH

 

Scorpene deal: Najib must come clean

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:00 AM PDT

Suaram's suit over the Scorpene deal will be heard in a French court soon, and the onus is on Najib to prove his innocence, says PKR's Saifuddin Nasution.

(Free Malaysia Today) - Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak must come clean on the trip his associates made in connection with the Scorpene submarine deal.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said little is known about about the 2002 travel destinations made by his associates to broker the submarine deal.

He said the onus is now on Najib to prove his innocence in the RM6.27 billion deal between the Malaysian government and French company DCNS following an allegation of a "third person" in the negotiation that took place in Macau.

The allegation was made by local human rights group Suaram which also said that Mongolian Altantuya Shariibuu, who was murdered for her alleged connection in the deal, was also present in the meeting.

Saifuddin claimed it has now been established that the deal was brokered by Najib's close associates, including his one-time adviser Abdul Razak Baginda and Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT) chief Lodin Wok Kamaruddin.

Businessman Lodin Wok has recently been cited by WikiLeaks as one of Najib's close friends.

Lodin Wok was also stated to be one of the directors of Perimekar Sdn Bhd until last year.

Perimekar had acted as the go-between for the procurement of two French-made submarines by the Malaysian Defence Ministry. In the process, the company made RM534.8 million in commission.

Saifuddin said of the players one of them is already dead, and one of them was charged in court.

"One more is still alive and could be holding a high position… we don't know, but we will know when the trial starts," he told a press conference here today.

READ MORE HERE

 

Will PAS delegates rally behind Nik Aziz?

Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:00 AM PDT

The battle for top posts will be a bellwether for the party as it gears up to face the coming general election.

(BERNAMA) -  As PAS delegates go to the polls at the party's muktamar (general assembly) tomorrow, many political observers are keenly watching if they will heed PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat's call for candidates from Kelantan to be elected to the party leadership.

Nik Aziz, who is also Kelantan menteri besar, has openly called on the delegates to pick candidates who can bring about what he called the "Kelantan experience" to the national level as he is seen to be very determined this time around to have leaders from the state at the highest level of the party hierarchy.

In the last party election in 2009, candidates from Kelantan were wiped out from the top leadership, including his (Nik Aziz's) golden boy Husam Musa, who was vying for the deputy presidency then.

"It is difficult to say. If Kelantan emerges as the winner this time, it will pose a big challenge for Hadi (PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang). It will show that there is persistent support for Nik Aziz.

"No doubt it will be a very hard tussle between all candidates, but I don't think they would settle for both Husam and Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah this time around," said political analyst Sivamurugan Pandian, who is a lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Husam and Nik Mohd Amar are Kelantan state executive councillors and both of them are contesting for the vice-president posts against incumbents Salahudin Ayub and Mahfuz Omar as well as two other newcomers, namely Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin and PAS information chief Idris Ahmad.

Sivamurugan believes it will still be difficult for the leaders from Kelantan to make a breakthrough at this party election simply because he thinks the delegates will not want any split in the party as it faces the next general election.

"The same goes for the deputy president post. At the last election, the (Kelantan) group was pushing for Husam. This time around, they are pushing for Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who is also Nik Aziz's nephew. There must be some persuasion in order for Tuan Ibrahim to contest the number two post. However, I still find it difficult for the (Kelantan) group to make a breakthrough in this election," he said.

Trump card

Even though the PAS leadership has denied there is any such tussle between Hadi's supporters or better known as the "Terengganu Group" and Nik Aziz's "Kelantan group", some political observers believe the rivalry does exist.

They said even through Hadi has been unchallenged as president for the fifth term, the observers said things had not been normal since the 2009 election, which was billed as the most intense in the party's history and caused a rift of sorts between its leaders in Kelantan and Terengganu.

Some claimed that Nik Aziz still has not got over his disappointment that Husam lost in the fight for the No 2 post and this may explain why in this party election, the leaders from Kelantan have been making a strong bid for the number two and number three posts in the party.

Party insiders believe Tuan Ibrahim, a former lecturer, is the "trump card" by the leaders from the Kelantan group to split the ulama (religious leaders )votes while at the same time trying to persuade incumbent Nasharudin Mat Isa to give way.

However, till now, the effort has not been successful as Nasharudin, who is said to be aligned to Hadi, has said that he is staying put to defend the number two post.

Despite the setback, some leaders still believe Tuan Ibrahim will make it in this election as he is considered acceptable to all quarters.

"Tuan Ibrahim is known as the person who is very well accepted by the ulama as well as the professionals. The delegates will not have problems accepting him as he was voted in as vice-president in the last party election," said an insider.

However, PAS central committee member Kamaruddin Jaafar said the relationship between Hadi and Nik Aziz had improved as there were no more open clashes as had reportedly happened before.

Whether there are clashes or not, many are in agreement that the contest between Tuan Ibrahim, Mohamad Sabu and Nasharudin for the party number two post is still the most keenly watched by the political observers and party members in this election.


Behind and Beyond the IPPs

Posted: 01 Jun 2011 10:12 PM PDT

"There is nothing much TNB can do as long as there is no revision to the Power Purchase Agreements (PPA).

The IPPs were given favourable terms that cushioned them from many risks, which propelled them from obscurity to great fame and fortune. Business savvy and innovation do not account for their financial success. It is due to the one-sided and lucrative PPAs."

By Masterwordsmith

 

As we all know, power rates have increased by an average of 7.12% or 2.23 sen per kilowatt hour (kWh). Natural gas will rise to RM13.70 per British thermal unit (mmBtu) from RM10.70 and go up by RM3 every month until December 2015, after which market rates will apply (Source: FMT).It is a hefty increase to a retiree like me. Filled with much indignation, I started to read up on IPPs to unravel the true story behind the energy puzzle.


According to Jeff Rector in his paper The IPP Investment Experience in Malaysia:

A massive blackout in 1992 shut down much of the country for up to 48 hours, prompting a fierce public outcry and threats of lawsuits against Tenaga. An inquiry cleared Tenaga of negligence but the incident severely damaged its reputation.


In response to the blackout, Kuala Lumpur dismantled Tenaga's monopoly on generation and aggressively pushed forward the IPP program to restore an adequate safety margin of capacity and to ensure that the country could meet its anticipated future power needs. It seems that doubts over the managerial capacity of Tenaga were more important than a perceived lack of internal financing capabilities in the
decision to aggressively move forward with the IPP program.


The IPP licenses were highly sought after: when the IPP policy was first announced, more than 150 applications flooded in to the Economic Planning Unit.


Politically wellconnected groups were formed to bid for IPP licenses and investors in the first five winning IPPs included some of the biggest corporate names in Malaysia: gaming company Genting, media and telecoms group Malaysian Resources, giant multinational Sime Darby and construction firm YTL Corp, the state-owned investment company, Permodalan Nasional, and "tycoon" Ananda Krishnan.


It seems that experience in the power sector was not a necessary qualification for securing a concession, while the strength of connections to the government was of central importance. This may have made it difficult to get lending from some international financial institutions. "What has raised concern among banks is the companies getting the licences," reported a Singapore-based international banker. "They are run by well-connected individuals who are after lucrative contracts."


"The good news is the government is getting the IPP program going," said one analyst. "The bad news is that politics and connections are playing too big a role in the way the whole process is being carried out."


Tenaga became a twenty percent or ten percent minority shareholder in all but one of the first IPPs and a was a shareholder from the project inception for later IPP projects in order to hedge its bets and get into what was believed to be a very profitable sector in the business.


After being awarded concessions, these IPPs signed long-term power supply contracts with Tenaga. While the contracts were ostensibly ordinary private contracts, they were completed with the mediation, guidance and imprimatur of the government. According to separate interviews with a Tenaga official and an IPP owner, the PPA negotiations and some of the financing conversations were three way negotiations including the IPP, Tenaga, and the government.
 
READ MORE HERE.

Longing For A Free Mind (Part 13 of 14)

Posted: 01 Jun 2011 09:52 PM PDT

What I prefer would be to have the Koran taught in the best oral tradition, in the Socratic manner of open discussions and questionings. You are more likely to elucidate the truth of the message than with the current ritualistic and mindless recitations.

By M. Bakri Musa

[Presented at the Fifth Annual Alif Ba Ta Conference at Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, organized by UMNO Club of New York-New Jersey, January 29, 2011.]

Q&A (Cont'd): Islamic State and Leaders

Q9: Would you prefer a Muslim leader who is corrupt and incompetent over a non-Muslim who is both honest and competent?

A9: One of the speakers commented earlier that this is a difficult question. To me the choice is glaringly clear. Go for competence and honesty.

Let me go further. I want my leader to share my values and aspirations for my country. If a leader no matter how honest, brilliant and competent were to lead my country towards totalitarianism, I will be the first to express my opposition against her.

I also believe that there are leaders who do not share my faith but subscribe to my values and aspirations. They may believe in or pray to another God, but that does not make any difference to me. It is after all the same God, isn't it?

Your question gives a false choice; it implies that we lack honest and competent Muslim leaders. Yes, looking at the world today one cannot be faulted for drawing such a conclusion. For Malaysia, may I remind you that there was a time when we do not lack for Malay leaders who were both competent and honest!

The follow up questions should be: Why are Muslim specifically Malay leaders today so corrupt and incompetent? The other, how can we groom future honest leaders who are honest and competent? I hope the panel discussions we had helped answer that.

Q10: You criticized (former) Minister of Education Hishammuddin for making Malay school children read the entire Koran by end of their primary school. Do you not believe that there is merit in reading the Holy Book and that the exercise itself has educational value?

A10: Yes, there is great merit in reciting the Koran. The Koran is a guidebook from Allah to lead us along the Straight Path. When the Koran is recited properly giving due diligence to its exquisite tajweed, it brings tears to listeners. There is innate poetry and music to the verses of the Koran, quite apart from the spiritual values. However, far too often the Koran is recited merely as a ritual, with the overriding objective of getting it over as quickly as possible so food could then be served, or the sermon be over with and we can then leave.

I fail to see the educational value of having our kids recite the entire Koran in class. I would rather have them be taught a few short verses, especially the early Meccan ones, and to learn from those the beauty of the cadence, imagery and language, among others. Read the various translations of those verses and try to appreciate the differences.

The messages of the Koran were delivered to Prophet Muhammad at a time when the Arabs were still steeped in the oral tradition; the culture had not yet transited into the written word; thus the style. To read the Koran as you would a book (as Hishammuddin is advocating in our schools) would be as boring and as to hear somebody giving a speech reading from a text. Add a soporific voice and it would beat Ambien hands down in putting you to sleep.

What I prefer would be to have the Koran taught in the best oral tradition, in the Socratic manner of open discussions and questionings. You are more likely to elucidate the truth of the message than with the current ritualistic and mindless recitations.

Earlier Dr. Waleed asked you to cite a verse of the Koran that was most meaningful to you and why. An excellent exercise! I was touched by some of the remarks. That simple exercise conveys the richness of the Koran and its messages. It also made you think and communicate your ideas! So why not give our school children similar exercises, like giving their personal examples of what is meant to be gracious and merciful – the Arr Rahman and Arr Rahim of the al Fatihah, the opening and most recited verse.

Let me share a contrasting experience. I took an upper level year-long (two semesters) course on Shakespeare during my undergraduate days. Despite a full year-long course, we covered only about 15 percent of his works. Out of that we discussed in class only about a third, while the rest in the form of term papers and other out-of-class assignments. Meaning, at best we covered in class only 5 percent of Shakespeare's corpus.

However, by studying intensively only that 5 percent we could then on our own pursue the rest at our leisure. I favor that approach to studying the Koran in school.

Q11: Is Malaysia an Islamic state, and if it is not, should it be one?

A11: I have no clue what an Islamic state is. Those who vociferously advocate for one, whether from UMNO or PAS, have yet to clarify what they mean. What do they hold as the model Islamic state, Iran? Pakistan? Saudi Arabia? I shudder to think that we would aspire to be anywhere close to any of those states.

Tun Mahathir had at various times asserted that Malaysia is already an Islamic state. If that is so, then I would suggest that the further away we are from an Islamic state, the better. I want to be as far away as possible from where corruption is accepted and rampant, and where our basic human rights are being trampled daily as with the ISA and other brute laws. That is where Malaysia is today.

To Emory University's Abdullah An Naim, there is no such thing as an Islamic State; there never was. The concept of a state as a political entity is fairly recent. Up till the Middle Ages the world was essentially a collection of fiefdoms and villages headed by the various dukes and other hereditary rulers. So were the Arabs at the time of the Prophet, s.a.w.

Those advocates of an Islamic state look longingly to the leadership of Prophet Mohammad, s.a.w., who was not only a spiritual but also a political leader. His was a special circumstance, although many Muslim leaders today delude themselves into thinking that they are the modern re-incarnations of the prophet.

If those currently advocating for an Islamic state, however nebulous that concept may be, would instead focus on achieving the ideals of Islam in the administration of the state, then they would be much further ahead. By that I mean a state and leaders that, among others, respect the sanctity of our basic human rights and value us as individuals beyond our race or ethnicity. If that is what they mean by an Islamic state, then all Muslims would agree and few non-Muslims would disagree.

Instead what most advocates of an Islamic state are consumed with are such inanities as whether Muslim women should shake hands with men and non-Muslims, and whether the Azzan should be blasted in the early morning hours.

Get rid of corruption, eradicate poverty, respect your citizens' rights; those are the true path towards an Islamic state, or a state that cherishes Islamic values.

Q12: Why are we arguing about an Islamic state or doubt the ability of Islamic laws to carry our country forward? The answers to all our problems are right there in the Koran. Why not look there?

A12: As a Muslim, I believe the Koran carries the "message for all mankind, at all times, and until the end of time." That is a matter of faith for me as for all Muslims. Again, like all Muslims I regard the Holy Book and its message with deep reverence.

To treat it like a Merck Manual, where you would look up the index and then flip to the appropriate page to seek the remedy for what ails you, would be disrespectful if not downright blasphemous, quite apart from insulting the intelligence of Muslims.

The late Fazlur Rahman, the distinguished University of Chicago scholar, suggested an enlightened approach to understanding the Koran. The Koran teaches through parables, anecdotes, and concrete examples taken from the ordinary lives of those Arabs during the Prophet's time. That was the only and effective way to take the message to the people.

Obviously we Malays are very different from those ancient Bedouins, so too our culture, aspirations and environment. We live in a humid not dry climate, in lush jungles not sparse desert. We use water buffaloes not humped camels.

Fazlur suggested that we should deduce from the particularities of the Koran its underlying guiding principles. To do so intelligently would require us to understand the totality of the message, and to discern the texts and the contexts, to use the language of social scientists. Once we have established those underlying principles, then we should apply them to the particular problems we face today. Both exercises demand considerable intellectual exertion, not to mention humility.

Let me illustrate this point. If I were to explain gravity to the simple kampong folks, I would relate to them the apple (I would of course substitute coconut!) falling to the ground, as per Newton's original observation. Now if I were to take those folks on a Ferris wheel ride with an apple in their hands and then asked them to release it when they are at the top, the apple would fall skywards (assuming that the velocity was sufficiently high so the centrifugal force would exceed the gravitational pull). You all being engineers would readily comprehend what I am saying. To the village folks, however, the coconut falling towards the sky would seem to defy the laws of gravity. Thus we have to explain to them the more general and universal underlying principle to explain the apparent contradiction.

Now if I were to explain gravity right away as g=md2, where "g" is gravitational force, "m" the mass; and "d" the distance between the two masses, the elegant simplicity of the formula would enthrall only math geeks; those village folks would have their eyes glazed over.

Likewise in reading the Koran; we should go beyond the literal and simplistic apple falling to the ground and instead try to seek the underlying universal principles. The easiest and intellectually lazy way out would simply be to quote selected passages to support whatever viewpoint you advocate. Yes, the Koran says stoning to death for adultery. However, to have the necessary four eyewitnesses for conviction as specified in the Koran, you would have to be fornicating in the open park, and during broad daylight!

Far too often in our zeal with our newfound favorite verse to support our conviction, we forget the numerous other messages extolling the greater virtues of mercy and forgiveness.

I always have difficulty when I hear an Imam or scholar recite the Koran and then confidently if not arrogantly assert, "And it means …." Imagine! All translations are at best interpretations, yet that does not in any way disabuse these folks of their ingrained certitude. I have made it my practice whenever quoting the Koran to add the proviso, "approximate translation."

We carry that same certitude and arrogance in our understanding of hadith and sharia. There is a hadith to the effect that the ummah will be divided into 73 sects, and all but one will be doomed to Hellfire.

To many Muslims that hadith implies that his or her sect is the only right one, and the others wrong or misled. What is the consequence to that thinking? A messianic urge to "correct" the others; in the process we also become intolerant of their beliefs.

You are all engineers, comfortable with probabilities and quantitative valuations. If you were being told that you have a 1 in 73 chance (less than one and a half percent) of being right, what do you conclude? If I were to tell my patient that she has only a 1 in 73 chance of surviving an operation, no one except those with a secret death wish would submit to my operation.

So why not accept the quantitative risk expressed by the Prophet and assume that your sect is one of those 72 that have been misled. After all there is an over 98.5 percent chance of that being so. The immediate effect of such a posture would be that you become humble and tolerant of other sects and possible interpretations of our faith. Because you believe that your interpretation has a high probability of being wrong, you would want to learn about the other sects. You would have the urge or inspiration to learn from others, or at least be inquisitive of their interpretations. You would become more receptive and forgiving of those who disagree with you. And if you are a leader you would not likely condemn or arrest members of the other 72 sects lest you risk arresting those destined for Paradise and thus incur God's wrath.

As is evident, your whole attitude and mindset change towards being more healthy and positive. Remember this when someone quote you a Koranic verse or hadith and then confidently assert his translation is the only true one.

Back to the second part of your question about all the answers being in the Koran, Hamka once said that Allah in his wisdom and generosity had given us two Korans. One he revealed to Prophet Muhammad, s.a.w., which Caliph Othman, r.a., had codified in a written form. That is the Koran familiar to all Muslims.

The other Koran is the vast universe that Allah had bequeathed upon us. As His vice-regents, we have an obligation to also study this Koran. Just as Allah has provided us with Prophet Muhammad to guide us to the first Koran, He (Allah) too has provided us with the necessary tool to understand this second Koran: He has endowed us with an intellect, a gift unique only to humans. To me, cosmonauts exploring the outer reaches of the universe are studying this second Koran, just as the scientists slicing the genes are studying our inner living universe.

Likewise on Monday when you go back to the lab to discover the properties of a material or try a new circuitry, you too will be studying this second Koran. Yes the answers are all there in the Koran, the book as well as the universe, but we have to exert intellectually to find the answers. The answer will not come merely by looking at the index and then flipping the pages. Come to think of it, no one has indexed the Koran, and wisely so.

Next: Q&A (Cont'd) Contemporary Leaders

 

Politik dan Garis Politik

Posted: 01 Jun 2011 09:48 PM PDT

DARI JELEBU

Hishamuddin Rais 

Justeru untuk saya, perjuangan politik ialah untuk melupuskan kuasa kumpulan kaya yang sedikit dan mengambil alih punca-punca ekonomi yang ada dalam tangan mereka. Harta kekayaan wajib diambil kembali untuk di agih-agihkan kepada rakyat terbanyak.

BANGUN MELAWAN!



POLITIK DAN GARIS POLITIK

Saya selalu membaca dan mengamati tulisan, komentar dan analisa politik terkini tentang negara kita ini. Saya membaca dalam Bahasa Melayu dan juga Bahasa Inggeris. Ada yang menarik: sayangnya banyak pula yang membosankan. Membosankan kerana sang penulis hanya bergelut dengan personaliti individu - si politikus. Tidak lebih dari itu.

Politik bukan hanya tentang individu. Politik ialah tentang kuasa. Perjuangan politik ialah perjuangan untuk merebut kuasa. Merebut kuasa bertujuan untuk merebut punca-punca ekonomi. Di belakang punca ekonomi ialah kelas. Perjuangan politik ialah perjuangan kelas.

Kelas dan ekonomi tidak dapat dipisah macam santan dengan kelapa. Setiap sosok manusia tergulung ke dalam satu kelas. Secara kasar – ada dua kelas: yang memerintah dan yang di perintah i.e yang berkuasa dan yang tidak berkuasa. Yang berkuasa ialah mereka yang memiliki harta dan kekayaan. Yang tidak berkuasa ialah mereka yang tidak memiliki harta kekayaan dan gulungan miskin.

Dalam sistem ekonomi kapitalis seperti dalam negara kita ini – gulungan miskin adalah kaum tani, kaum nelayan dan kaum buruh. Mereka ini adalah kumpulan terbanyak. Manakala kumpulan terkaya tidak ramai. Kumpulan kaya amat sadikit – mereka adalah kumpulan minoriti. Tetapi mereka menjadi pemilik harta kekayaan yang terbanyak. Justeru melalui harta kekayan, mereka dapat membeli kuasa.

Ini bukan tulisan propaganda. Ini hakikat – fakta saheh - yang boleh di rujuk kepada Jabatan Statistik Negara. Fakta fakta – ekonomi dan kelas ini - menjadi kabur atau sengaja dikaburkan dengan agenda agama, dengan agenda bahasa, dengan agenda kaum dan bangsa. Politik ialah agenda merebut kuasa. Period. Khalas. Agenda-agenda yang lain hanyalah alat dan taktik untuk mengolah persetujuan orang ramai untuk bangun merebut kuasa.

Justeru untuk saya, perjuangan politik ialah untuk melupuskan kuasa kumpulan kaya yang sedikit dan mengambil alih punca-punca ekonomi yang ada dalam tangan mereka. Harta kekayaan wajib diambil kembali untuk di agih-agihkan kepada rakyat terbanyak. Ini seperti yang telah dan sedang dilakukan oleh kerajaan Selangor. Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat telah mengambil kembali hak air dari syarikat Syabas dan memberikan secara percuma pada orang ramai.

Justeru berlaku perlawanan yang maha hebat antara Pakatan Rakyat dengan gerombolan United Malays National Organisation di Selangor. Perlawanan ini ialah perlawanan untuk merebut punca ekonomi. Ini adalah perlawanan dua kelas – kelas kaya yang menindas sedang berlawan dengan rakyat. Suara orang teramai - suara rakyat - diwakili oleh Pakatan Rakyat.

Hingga ke tahap ini, jika masih ada penulis dan pemberi komentar politik tidak memahami hakikat kelas dan ekonomi maka si Mamat atau si Minah itu wajib rajin membaca dan mentelaah. Panjangkan akal dan panjangkan ilmu. Sehingga ke hari ini memiliki akal fikrah yang kritikal masih belum dicukai lagi.

Read more at: http://tukartiub.blogspot.com/2011/06/memahami-garis-politik.html 

7 sins of addiction

Posted: 01 Jun 2011 09:39 PM PDT

The poorer you are, the harder you should work

By Lee Wee Tak

Najib has pin-pointed the cause of decades of budget deficits – Malaysia has a bunch of irresponsible addicts that consume petrol subsidy like as if there is no tomorrow and the solution is really market forces efficiency.

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http://wargamarhaen.blogspot.com/2011/05/fuel-susbsidies-are-like-opium-to.html

Fuel susbsidies are like "opium" to M'sians: Najib tells Oxford ...really..!!!
……

He said his government had budgeted for fuel subsidies to cost the economy RM11 billion this year but that the estimate had soared to around RM18 billion because of high international crude oil prices.

"Subsidies as a whole are like opium. Once you take opium it's hard to kick the bad habit; once you provide subsidies it's hard to take them away without some political cost," he told an audience at Oxford University's Centre for Islamic Studies
.

In March, Najib said he was committed to cutting subsidies long term, adding that the savings should be targeted to help lower- and middle-income people.

"Good economic and macro-management entails you reduce subsidies on a gradual basis. Then you will allow market forces to allocate resources efficiently

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Yeah, like Proton "another 10 years please", IPP "sign here or go, Ayob" and NEP which deviated from its original purpose beyond recognition*. All within the reaches of middle and low income groups.

(If Najib's dad bothered to speak to me, I would just like to point out NEP's corner stone should be 1) building up resilience and positive work ethic 2) have a deadline to avoid complacent mindset being cemented3) avoid the pitfall of making the target groups think it's source of easy comfort (the poorer you are, the harder you should work).

Anyway, since we are on the subject of opium and addiction, this is my personal list of top 7 opium and addiction in Malaysia:

1. Addiction to no competition
Some Malaysians are too nice and don't like competition. For example, Proton does not like competition from abroad.

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http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/business/article/proton-wants-investments-protected-in-liberalised-market/

Proton wants investments protected in liberalised market

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Some students are also willing to forgone academic competition to remain in a calm state, not even by a mere 10% .

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UiTM student protest spreads to Permatang Pauh campus

BUKIT MERTAJAM (Aug 15, 2008): About 5,000 students from the Permatang Pauh campus of Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) held a peaceful protest against the suggestion by Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim that the university open its doors to non-bumiputeras


Source: sun2surf website
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As a result, it is ok to produce non-competitive, non-employable graduates who end up in the only silo/refuge they can seek.

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http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/guest-columnists/35843-best-bloated-bureaucracy-to-bleed-bolehland-to-bankruptcy

With 1.3 million civil servants to a population of 26 million, Malaysia has one of the highest civil servants-to-population ratio in the world by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development standards.

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1.3 mil civil servants have to be remunerated by 15% of the population who pay taxes and 15% of 26 million is 3.9 million and gosh, the ratio of civil servants to tax paying Malaysians is a whopping 33%!

And if you think that 15% include persons who are both a civil servant and a tax payer then the ratio of civil servants to private sector tax payers is much higher than 33%! It turns my stomach to see the quality of public service in Malaysia, having sampled first hand the public services of Hong Kong and Singapore.

It gets worse because the daddy/mommy who grew up in a competition adverse environment, will pass on "tak apa" mentality to their offspring. There will be no end to this.

Read more at: http://wangsamajuformalaysia.blogspot.com/2011/06/7-sins-of-addiction.html

A riposte to Mukhriz's defence of brain drain policies of the father

Posted: 01 Jun 2011 09:30 PM PDT

He states that the NEP serves to "eradicate poverty, irrespective of race''. I believe we need to be convinced that the implementation matches the rhetoric. Sometimes it appears like "eradicate (some) race irrespective of poverty".

By Ice Cream Seller

Having got somewhat tired of the cesspool that has become of our politics, I found something to whet my appetite in reading Deputy Minister Mukhriz response to Shaun Tan's essay (World Bank 2011 - Brain Drain).

Reading the writings of his (Mukhriz's) sister Marina, it is difficult to believe they are siblings! Maybe she took after her mother!

Coming back to Mukhriz's article, he states that the NEP serves to "eradicate poverty, irrespective of race''. I believe we need to be convinced that the implementation matches the rhetoric. Sometimes it appears like "eradicate (some) race irrespective of poverty".

He contends that 70 % of our economy is private sector driven and not affected by NEP type policies. Then why can't all private sector companies bid for government projects or contracts? Take for example private sector developers. Can they sell their houses without imposition of a percentage for Bumiputras by local councils? Take the MNCs. Can they employ their management staff free of quotas?

When I got my first job in Malaysia, my expat MD told me that I got the job in part because they couldn't find a "chicken with teeth' (as he put it). That was in 1981!!!!!

He writes that he is pained to see structural discrimination being practised by those in the private sector.

No doubt, discrimination exists but let's look at the underlying reasons. After independence for 53 years, we are capable of looking at the larger picture. Private sector organisations are driven to make profits and they will employ people, consultants, systems that help meet that objective foremost. The ones most hungry, capable, honest, diligent, loyal and competent are always sought after. A competent Malay, capable Chinese, diligent Indian, loyal Eurasian put together in a team can be formidable. Even if one has one leg, 12 fingers or 3 kidneys, is he up to it and can he deliver?

This begs the question - who are hungry, capable, honest, diligent, loyal and competent? I suppose it depends to an extent through which lens one looks through. In the case of Ibrahim Ali, the lens will be as opaque and dense as that between his ears.

He attempts to have us believe that "the public sector (as the name implies) is open to public scrutiny whereas the private sector is 'kept nice and private'.

For starters, the public sector is synonymous with the OSA to many. We would like to scrutinise the accounts for example of some of the ministries - eg what it costs to run the NS.

Private (without govt. involvement) companies are not necessarily 'private' in many instances. Private sector companies which are listed are under very public scrutiny. On the contrary, 'public'corporations like Petronas are kept very private!!

An assertion is made that the wealthiest 20 in Malaysia are dominated by one race but argues that this is because of the conducive environment created by BN. With due respect, it should be stated as "DESPITE the environment created by BN". As I see it, with all the obstacles put in the way , they made it. It should be remembered that many of our 'businessmen' make a handsome sum clearing 'obstacles'.

Tellingly, he states that the big corporations that secured gaming and telecommunication licences SURELY DID NOT GET THEIR BIG BREAKS PURELY ON MERIT ALONE!!!!!! THEY WERE GIVEN IN EXCHANGE FOR THEIR IDEAS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND TAXES. That says it all doesn't it? What great idea is there in gaming? Was the exchange just ideas, entrepreneurship and taxes?

Deputy Minister Mukhriz refers to a pea to a durian example when relating to Singapore and Malaysia. To a degree he is right. But let's not forget that "pea'' was once part of our durian tree. In a biblical context, Jesus (Nabi Isa) asserted that if the tree bears bad/no fruit, cut the tree!!!! (Which is what I did to my durian tree at home after waiting for years for it to bear fruit. Should have called it the NEP tree!)

Towards the end of his article, he postulates that the government has to help rural folk keep up with the Joneses. I do believe most want dignity, basic amenities that work, good education, health services more than keeping up with the Joneses - or the Zakarias and Toyos.

Finally, he touches on the issue of corruption - by pointing the finger at the 'briber'. At least we agree that it takes two to tango. But let's stop the music and haul both the dancers into the sin bin. After all, the Mufti of Perak in his wisdom has outlawed the Poco Poco - let's extend it to the tango. Haramkan 'tango'!

What say you Mufti?

Umno has lost Malay middle class, says EIU

Posted: 01 Jun 2011 05:45 PM PDT

(The Malaysian Insider) - Despite continued support from rural voters, Umno appears to have been rejected by urban Malays, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).

Its latest country report on Malaysia said that the "decline in support may have intensified" among middle-class Malays due to Internet sites "exposing government corruption and political intrigues of individual members of the ruling administration."

"Although voters in the rural heartland of Peninsular Malaysia continue to support Umno, there have been suggestions that the party has lost the support of a significant number of educated, liberal middle-class Malays," the research arm of the London-based Economist weekly said.

But the EIU also warned that "conservative Malays have meanwhile been voicing concerns about the government's plan to reform policies favouring Bumiputera (ethnic Malays and other indigenous peoples), as they believe that the special rights accorded to them in the constitution may be rescinded."

Racial and religious tension has escalated of late with right-wing Malays accusing the Chinese community of trying to usurp political power.

A few weeks ago, Umno's Utusan Malaysia accused church and DAP leaders of plotting to install a Christian prime minister and turning Malaysia into a Christian state.

The Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) has also strung together consecutive by-election victories recently in rural and semi-urban constituencies with an increased majority among Malay voters.

But observers say that the April 16 Sarawak election saw an urban-rural divide which resulted in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties more than double its tally from seven to 15 seats in the 71-member state assembly.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is expected to call a general election within the year where BN will expect an improvement on the 2008 result.

READ MORE HERE

 

WikiLeaks Disclosures and Diplomacy

Posted: 01 Jun 2011 04:31 PM PDT

What did the diplomatic dispatches amount to? One view is that they are proof that the US was struggling to get its way in the world, a superpower entering a long period of decline. Another is that they showed the State Department staff to be competent and professional, hardworking and committed. 

Malaysia Digest

The release of US State Department diplomatic cables by a maverick website WikiLeaks since November 2010 has caused widespread embarrassment to many political leaders in countries around the world. The United States has been discomfited by the exposure of its secret communications and discussions about its friends and foes. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hit out at the concerted action as an attack not just on the US but also the international community. Some European and American politicians liken the massive disclosures to a diplomatic equivalent of the 911 attacks on New York's Twin Towers and the Pentagon in 2001. It is not clear if these politicians were referring to the leaked State Department cables alone or also the earlier release by the same website of 391,000 classifies military reports on the war in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Whatever the case it is a moot question if the leaks had any substantive impact on US national security or cleared or clouded up the smoke and mirrors of US foreign policy. So what were the State Department cables all about? What are the implications for relations and intelligence exchange between nation states? The cables were dispatches from US embassies and consulates around the world, over 350 of them, ranging administrative matters to political reports and appraisals of the countries of their accreditation. There were some frank and unflattering assessments of political leaders. There were analyses, some of them of good quality, as well as comments about personalities, reports and records of meetings and summations of situations. There were essays on US-China relations or intractable problems and conflicts in the Caucasus. They highlighted the geopolitical interests and preoccupations of the US, such as nuclear proliferation and illicit drug trafficking, the supposed threat from Iran, the hard to control military situations Afghanistan and security threats in Pakistan.

The US embassy cables offered an incomparable detailed mosaic of life and politics in the early 21st century, as observed by American eyes. They also included disclosures of things that were of concern to citizens of the US and the world: human rights violations, corrupt practices and dubious financial ties between leaders of advanced countries. They spoke of corporate espionage, dirty tricks and hidden bank accounts.

What did the diplomatic dispatches amount to? One view is that they are proof that the US was struggling to get its way in the world, a superpower entering a long period of decline. Another is that they showed the State Department staff to be competent and professional, hardworking and committed. Most of the diplomatic corps were working to advance their nation's interests and their government's policies.

Implications for Relations

What are the implications for relations between the US and the countries reported on, and among those countries and third parties? Some leaders brushed off the embarrassing revelations, at least in public, while others went on the offensive. In some cases the US found it prudent to withdraw its ambassadors as their ability to function was compromised. In less prickly situations the offended countries registered their protests to the State Department.

Some examples from West Africa and North Africa are illustrative. Iran's President Ahmedinejad, who was depicted in the cables as being unpopular in the Gulf region, dismissed the WikiLeaks disclosures as "psychological warfare". He claimed that the US must have deliberately leaked its own files in a plot to discredit him. Saudi King Abdullah was reported to be discomfited by reports that he had urged the US to cut off the head of the snake, referring to the Iranian President's defiant posture on developing a nuclear capacity.

In Tunisia and Libya there was short-term fallout. Washington pulled out its Ambassador in Tripoli because Gaddfi has been stung by comments about his attachment to his "voluptuous blonde Ukrainian nurse". The US Ambassador in Tunis was similarly withdrawn though his unflattering reports Zein al Abdine bin Ali, the Algerian President and his son and the risks to the regime's long term stability, proved to be prescient. Within a month of the publication of the cable Tunis was the grip of what some called the first WikiLeaks revolution in Jasmin Square. Gaddafi warned Tunisians not to be tricked by WikiLeaks which, he said, "published information written by lying ambassadors in order to create chaos". Turkish Prime Minister reacted furiously to cables that suggested he was a corrupt closet Islamist. Mexico's President was enraged by negative reports of his conduct of the drug war in his country.

Damage Control

Secretary Clinton visited the Middle East in January 2011 on what she described half jokingly as an "apology tour". She had to reach out to leaders and others who had concerns abut either the general message of American confidential comments being exposed in this way or specific questions about their countries or themselves. That aspect of it had receded, she said, adding:  "I have not had concerns expressed about whether any nation will not continue to work with and discuss matters of importance going forward."

A study by IISS observed that the comparatively limited overall damage done to US diplomatic interests reflected the reality of the continuing indispensability of the US. As summed up by Defense Secretary Robert Gates," some governments deal with because they fear us, some because they respect us, most because they need us". Foreign governments, the report observed, have long recognized the "leakiness" of Washington and that the administration cannot guarantee that information or views will be immune from authorized disclosure.

The WikiLeaks deluge of secret diplomatic traffic, however, was extraordinary. And it came about as a consequence of a deliberate policy of the State Department to distribute data more widely across government departments. Under a post-911 information sharing initiative called Net-centric diplomacy, embassy cables were routinely distributed via SPIRNet (Secret Internet Protocol Router Network), a military operated b the US Department of Defense.

Communications that were marked SIPDIS for distribution via SIPRNt would be accessible to State Department employees as well as all members of the US military with "secret" security clearance. This meant that several million people had access to them. SPIRNet constituted an enormous bucket of information with huge potential for leaks. Recognizing this, US intelligence agencies stood aside from it and so have been peripherally affected b the latest disclosures. All it took was one disgruntled soldier or a low level analyst, based in Iraq, to spring the leak. He is said to have downloaded the cables on to rewritable CDs without being detected. Secretary Clinton has reportedly withdrawn the State Department from participation in SPIRNet.

Diplomatic Fallout

The US is not alone in sharing and exchanging assessment with other countries, particularly with allies and friends. Diplomats of friendly countries exchange notes about third parties in confidence. The online news portal Asia Sentinel published on January 20, 2011 the full cable from the US embassy in Canberra reporting an exchange of intelligence between officials of the US State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research and Australia's Office of National Assessments in October, 2008. They traded assessments on a wide range of subjects from Iran to Japan and Southeast Asian countries and their leaders. The officials exchange notes about what regional officials had told them about the politics and personalities of certain countries.

These comments, published by Australian newspaper, evoked strong reactions from regional leaders concerned. Indonesian President Bambang Susilo Yudhoyono was obliged to protest and dismiss suggestions of corrupt political funding by his acolytes prior to his election. Malaysian leaders too conveyed their displeasure with Singapore officials over their private comments about Malaysian political personalities, which they said were unjustified. Singapore's Foreign Minister (George Yeo) sought to play down the leaked cables and brushed them off as hearsay or gossip which did not form the basis of bilateral relations. In Thailand reports of comments by senior officials about the role of the monarchy in its tumultuous political events and the question of royal succession led to exchange of accusations of les majeste between political opponents.

In India the impact of the leaked cables was to compound the serial exposes of corruption which paralyzed the national parliament for weeks. In Japan the cables showed the tension between the US and Japanese governments over the relocation of a Marine air base in Okinawa and revealed how the two sides sought to promote or protect their national interests. Being the superpower it is, it is not surprising that the US employed "sharp elbows" occasionally, commented an academic analyst. The cables also showed how China exercised its influence on its neighbors through private diplomacy while making public pronouncements as measured instruments for conveying pressure.

In order to counter the WikiLeaks effect, government agencies need to strike a balance between the wider public's need to know and the value of confidentiality of their private negotiations. Two guiding principle are suggested: first, to be open about the ground for secrecy, with clear criteria which can be defended; second, protect less but protect it better. There is a vast amount of information that governments keep secret, argued a historian. Many of the reports classified as secret could easily have appeared as news analysis pieces in newspapers. Having decided what they really need to keep secret they should make sure to keep it secret, and not upload it to a data base accessible to all and sundry.

Long Term Impact on Diplomacy

The assessment of the impact of the WikiLeaks disclosures has wound down to a more realistic one of embarrassment to parties concerned, but no real harm done to the US and its partners. The exposures of corrupt practices or crooked acts in some developing countries or illicit deals between developed countries have had lasting effect on the countries concerned, because those are common knowledge to their people. The cables have shown that American diplomats are hardworking, well informed, quite reliable in their reporting and astute in assessing the situation in their host countries. They are assiduous in compiling profiles of political leaders and key officials to assess whether they are pro or against US interests. The cables are a trove of information or observations about countries and leaders around the world.

These cables serve as examples of what most diplomatic representatives do or should do for countries of major interest to their governments. Collecting information and assessing people, places, actions and events form the staple of the tasks of diplomatic missions, beside the promotion of good relations and exchanges of communications and visits between the leaders and officials of their countries. That aspect of diplomatic work will continue. And so will the collection of intelligence by agents and representatives of intelligence agencies posted overseas.

However, if anything, the US cables have shown the need for officials and political personalities to be more discreet and circumspect in sharing views about politics and personalities of neighboring countries with diplomats from the US and indeed all countries. The disclosures would probably result in a more cautious environment for diplomats in their interactions with local contacts and sources; the latter could well begin with a disclaimer that what they said was off the record, and certainly not for passing to WikiLeaks!

*Taken from dinmerican.wordpress.com. Mushahid Ali is a Singapore Ambassador and Senior Fellow of the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. The views expressed here are the personal opinion of the writer.

 

Blogger given 14 days for defence over Rais suit

Posted: 01 Jun 2011 04:27 PM PDT

(NST) - A blogger sued by Information, Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim over alleged defamatory articles was given 14 days by the High Court to defend himself.

Counsel Norhani Nordin, representing Rais, told the media that Judicial Commissioner Amelia Tee Hong Geok Abdullah ordered Ahmad Mutalib Mohamed Daud to file his statement of defence within 14 days from May 30.

Norhani said that Tee set June 30 for case management after meeting her and Michelle Yesudas, representing the blogger, with mention of the case fixed for today.

She said that Ahmad Mutalib had filed a memorandum of appearance on May 30. On May 23, Tee gave Ahmad Mutalib until today to file the memorandum of appearance.

In the last proceeding, Norhani had said that Rais would enter a judgment against Ahmad Mutalib if he or his counsel failed to appear in court on June 2.

With today's development, Noraini said, Rais would not enter the judgment against Ahmad Mutalib.

Rais filed the suit on Feb 10 after four articles he regarded as libellous, dated Jan 1, Jan 3, Jan 5 and Jan 7, were uploaded by Ahmad Mutalib on the Sabahkini weblog.

Ahmad Mutalib, a blogger who provides independent news via his weblog, has his registered address in Kota Kinabalu.

In his statement of claim, Rais said that certain words which appeared in the articles were malicious and defamatory, and gravely injured him personally and his professional reputation nationally and internationally, where he had suffered considerable embarrassment, distress and damage.

He also said the articles were absurd and wicked in misrepresentation of his character and office.

Rais is claiming general, special, aggravated and exemplary damages and also an injunction to compel Ahmad Mutalib to remove all the libellous words and passages in the articles.

 

Khairy calls IPP contracts ‘unfair’ to the public

Posted: 01 Jun 2011 04:08 PM PDT

(The Malaysian Insider) - Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has added his voice to the growing chorus against the power purchasing agreements signed with independent power producers (IPPs), calling them "unfair" and "lopsided".

The highly-profitable IPPs have come under renewed scrutiny following the government's decision to raise electricity prices earlier this week, prompting concerns that it would worsen inflationary pressures.

Khairy (picture) said the system of procuring power from private producers needs to be revamped and instead of the concession-type purchasing power agreements (PPAs), which have thus far remained a secret, the government needed to move towards a transparent auction-based system instead.

"Look at transparent auction systems for power in the future, not lopsided PPAs like those signed early on in the '90s. Those were unfair to the government and ultimately the people," said Khairy during a chat session with the public hosted by Internet portal Yahoo! Malaysia today.

He added however that IPPs were still needed as Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) "cannot be the sole generator".

The PPAs signed by the IPPs and TNB have been criticised as "sweetheart deals" but have remained confidential thus far.

The prime minister said two days ago he would look into opening the books even as his Cabinet colleague Datuk Seri Peter Chin, who is in charge of the Energy, Green Technology and Water portfolio, said Putrajaya had no power to reveal the PPAs as the deals were between private companies.

Malaysian Bar president Lim Chee Wee said today the federal government should and could make public the controversial PPAs in the public's interest based on the law.

In a 2006 interview with The Star, former TNB chairman Tan Sri Ani Arope gave some insight into the PPAs when he claimed that TNB was "humiliated" by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) and directed to accept terms and conditions that were "grossly unfair."

"There was no negotiation. Absolutely none," Ani said. "Instead of talking directly with the IPPs, TNB was sitting down with the EPU. And we were harassed, humiliated and talked down every time we went there. After that, my team was disappointed. The EPU just gave us the terms and asked us to agree. I said no way I would."

READ MORE HERE

 

Anwar Gets SNAPPED: The Failure of an Opposition Leader Comes Home to Roost

Posted: 01 Jun 2011 03:56 PM PDT

Hantu Laut

In a development that should be viewed as welcome by supporters of one of the relatively few functional Muslim-majority democracies in the world, signs are continuing to mount that Anwar Ibrahim's opposition coalition may be beginning to crumble.

Earlier this month, Anwar was sharply criticized by Sarawakians for only offering the Sarawak National Party (SNAP) three seats, which many Sarawakians considered to be an insultingly lowball number. Anwar attempted to deflect criticism for this move by claiming that he had an agreement signed in writing with the President of SNAP in which SNAP agreed to only contest three seats. SNAP's response, essentially, was to call Anwar a liar:

Sarawak Nasional Party (SNAP) has strongly rebutted PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's claims that it had signed an agreement with the party, to contest only in three seats a few months before the recent Sarawak election.

SNAP Youth chief Dayrell Enterie said Anwar's statement was "totally incorrect".

"This statement of his (Anwar) is totally incorrect as neither SNAP nor its president (who was erroneously named Stanley Jugol in the Malaysiakini article) had entered into any written agreement whatsoever on seat allocations with PKR."

Fortunately (or, one suspects, unfortunately) for Anwar, his claim was not that he had a formal understanding or a verbal agreement with SNAP regarding the allocation of seats, but that he had an agreement in writing. Therefore, this whole matter ought to be easy to clear up for Anwar – all he has to do is produce the written agreement and all will be well. Given SNAP's flat denial of its existence, and given Anwar's failure to produce the written agreement when he first claimed it existed, it is not difficult to guess whether or not Anwar is lying about this agreement.

More ominous than SNAP's flat rebuttal of Anwar's specific claim, though is the clear signal from SNAP that it is willing to walk away from Anwar and PKR, if necessary:

"SNAP wishes to reiterate that it is not a push-over party for any West Malaysian entity nor is SNAP a Pakatan stooge," he said in a statement mailed to FMT.

These political troubles are anything but welcome for Anwar, who is trying together a bizarre coalition with disparate interests – almost none of which are any sort of good news for Western interests or for the ultimate fate of Democracy in Malaysia, especially given that Anwar has been apparently caught on a DNA test doing what the kids today refer to as "pulling a Dominique Strauss Kahn."

READ MORE HERE

 

Anwar says SPNB now cash cow for UMNO

Posted: 01 Jun 2011 03:45 PM PDT

(Harakahdaily) - Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has charged that funds from government-owned housing development company Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad were now channeled to UMNO.

Anwar said SPNB, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Minister of Finance Incorporated which was established to undertake construction of affordable housing, had now become irrelevant and was acting like private developers.

"The political interference in the management of the company has turned SPNB into a centre to enrich UMNO leaders," he was quoted as saying by Suara Keadilan.

On the 'My First Home' scheme lanched by prime minister Najib Razak recently, Anwar said the project only eased the younger generation to apply for loans.

"But it fails to tackle the reak problem, which is lack of affordable houses in the marked," he said.

Anwar, who is Selangor state government's economic advisor, said the government must play an active role to balance the housing market currently monopolised by private developers.

He reminded that Pakatan Rakyat in its Orange Book suggested a National Housing committee to build houses and control house prices in order to make them affordable to people.

Anwar, whose tenure as the Finance minister saw the launching of SPNB, said the PR-led state government in Selangor had revived housing projects which had been abandoned by Barisan Nasional administration, including the RM79 million project in Bukit Bota and RM120 million in Alam Perdana.

"The residents in Bukit Bota were given a choice to buy the house rebuilt at a discount, RM99,000 compared to the original price of RM170,000.

To solve the problem of spiralling house prices, Anwar said Selangor recently launched its 'Affordable Housing' project, with plans to construct 2,000 houses across the state.

"It is based on the concept, affordable and comfortable, conducive design with 750 to 850 square feet offered at a maximum cost of RM100,000.

"Selangor Economic Development Body (PKNS) and few other private developers have been tasked for the project with the emphasis that it will be sold to buyers aged 35 and below," he added.

Meanwhile, the state government yesterday launched the Private Home Ownership Scheme to help Selangorians own homes with flexible payments on premiums.

According to Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, the scheme would help people who could not pay entirely the land premium, to be the official owners by just paying RM1,000.

"They will only need to settle the entire premium according to current market price, if the property is sold or there is change of ownership," he said.

 

'General election this month'

Posted: 01 Jun 2011 03:44 PM PDT

(Harakahdaily) - A political analyst has predicted that general election will be held this month.

Ooi Heng, writing in his column in news portal Merdeka Review, said prime minister Najib Razak would dissolve the parliament to make way for the polls as early as June.

"A lot of factors have been thrown in this wild guess. But I opine that regardless of the impact from the hike in power tariffs, Prime Minister Najib Razak will meet Yang di-Pertuan Agong to dissolve the 12th Parliament in the nearest time – as early as June this year, yes, as early as this month!" said Ooi Heng, executive director of the political research group Kajian Politik Untuk Perubahan.

As in past years, political observers and politicians have been offering their prediction of a date for the next general election, with many believing that it would be held before the month of Ramadan, which this year begins early August.

The recent moves by the Barisan Nasional government to increase power tariffs however got a section of analysts concluding that elections would be delayed amid public displeasure.

PAS's Kuala Selangor member of parliament Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad predicted that the election would be held in July, saying Najib would be satisfied with a simple majority.

"Najib is not going to get much of the 'feel-good' factor if he were to delay his timing for the 13th GE, only after the Budget 2012. The adverse impact of spiralling prices of daily goods and essential services is not going to be reversed by the many goodies packaged and handed out by Najib in the Budget 2012," wrote Dzulkefly recently on Harakahdaily.

Earliest date so far

Ooi's prediction of a June election is the earliest date given todate.

He argued that it was too risky for BN to postpone the dissolution of the current parliamentary session, saying Najib had "nothing concrete to be shown."

"Although report is emerging one by one from the daily presses on the so-called 'KPI (Key Performance Index) achievement' on transformation plan, any real or meaningful development is nowhere to be seen," wrote Ooi, referring to the government's much trumpeted Government Transformation Programme.

Ooi further said that UMNO members were just interested to involve themselves in the so-called 'transformation' so that the government would award projects and contracts to them, bypassing the earlier announced New Economic Model (NEM) concept mooted by Najib.

"The response from UDA Holdings chairman Nur Jazlan Mohamad regarding the allegation on the Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC) clearly shows desperation and impatience among some UMNO groups to boost their wealth before the 13th general election," he added.

Jazlan recently questioned leaders from right-wing group Perkasa and UMNO accusing UDA Holdings of forsaking Bumiputera contractors in the development of the BBCC worth some RM6.7 billion.

"Among phrases used by Nur Jazlan like 'I am also an UMNO member, this is not the opposition who hits us, but our own UMNO members' and 'the Bumi agenda has its costs and UDA can no longer bear this cost anymore' ... all these clearly display the low confidence level among UMNO members in winning the 13th general election," said Ooi.

Ooi compared Najib's dilemma to his predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who launched a series of grand economic corridors projects during his tenure.

 

Kes Felda saman Suara Keadilan Julai depan

Posted: 01 Jun 2011 03:39 PM PDT

"Kita sudah bersedia menghadapi kes ini," kata Ahmad Maslan.

(Free Malaysia Today) - Kes saman Felda terhadap Suara Keadilan akan mula dibicarakan di Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur pada Julai depan, kata Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Ahmad Maslan.

"Ini yang diberitahu oleh peguam Felda, Datuk Hafarizam Harun. Kita sudah bersedia menghadapi kes ini," katanya ketika ditemui di pejabatnya di sini petang semalam.

Pada 17 Ogos lalu, Felda dan syarikat pelaburannya memfailkan saman fitnah bagi menuntut ganti rugi RM200 juta terhadap enamdefendan termasuk penerbit dan pencetak akhbar Suara Keadilan kerana didakwa menyiarkan artikel fitnah bertajuk 'Felda Bangkrap'.

Felda dan Felda Global Ventures Holdings Sdn Bhd (plaintif) menamakan Presiden PKR, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail dan bekas timbalannya, Dr Syed Husin Ali, sebagai pemegang jawatan dalam PKR mengikut Seksyen 9 (c) Akta Pertubuhan 1966, sebagai defendan pertama dan kedua.

Plaintif menyaman PKR sebagai penerbit akhbar Suara Keadilan yang sudah tamat tempoh permit penerbitannya pada 30 Jun lalu.

Empat lagi defendan adalah penerbit akhbar itu, Pelita Koridor Sdn Bhd; pencetak, Percetakan NPK Sdn Bhd; penyunting, Dzulkarnain Taib dan penulis artikel itu, Rusnizam Mahat.

'Felda Bangkrap'

Artikel tersebut disiarkan di halaman muka depan Suara Keadilan keluaran 22 hingga 29 Jun 2009. Beberapa pemimpin utama PKR turut membawa isu itu dalam ceramah-ceramah politik mereka.

Sementara itu, 766 peneroka Felda Serting di Negeri Sembilan memfail saman RM200 juta terhadap Felda di Mahkamah Tinggi Seremban, Mac lalu.

READ MORE HERE

 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net
 

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