| Report card launched for voters to rate MPs’ performance Posted: 18 Nov 2011 10:56 AM PST By Wani Muthiah, The Star Voters will soon be able to rate the performance of their elected representatives. This is made possible through the Laporan Rakyat (People's Report) launched by the Centre for Public Policy Studies (CPPS) and UndiMsia! Under the programme, constituents will be given a report card to assess their MPs and assemblymen. UndiMsia! representative Edmund Bon told a press conference yesterday that the first part of the exercise would be launched in the Hulu Langat parliamentary constituency with the state constituencies of Kajang, Dusun Tua and Semenyih. Hulu Langat MP Che Rosli Che Mat is from PAS, Dusun Tua assemblyman Ismail Sani and Semenyih assemblyman Johan Aziz are from Umno while Kajang assemblyman Lee Kim Sin is from PKR. Bon said Hulu Langat was chosen because the incumbents' margin of victory in the last general election was less than 5%. He said the purpose of Laporan Rakyat was to make politicians accountable as well as encourage people to participate more actively in the country's political landscape. CPPS director Ng Yeen Seen said many elected representatives they had spoken to were supportive of the idea. "There is a disconnect between the MP or state assemblyman and the people,'' she said. Ng said they hoped to complete the exercise and come out with a report by March. CPPS chairman Tan Sri Dr Ramon Navaratnam said the report was also aimed at encouraging voters to be aware of their rights and to vote wisely. He added that the onus was on voters to choose the right representatives. The report card can be downloaded from CPPS and UndiMsia! websites. |
| DPM: School aid fund balance must be returned to Govt Posted: 18 Nov 2011 10:52 AM PST (Bernama) - Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has instructed schools to return any remaining balance from the RM100 school assistance fund to the Government if the money is not claimed by the parents. Parents have a choice as to whether they want to accept the assistance or wish to contribute it to the school, he said. However, they must claim the money first before they decide to make it a contribution, said Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister. "It's all right if parents say they don't need the assistance. "We have instructed the schools to return any balance to the ministry and it will be put back into Government funds, as it is Government's money. "It's up to the parents. Our aim is to ease their financial burden at the beginning of the year. "But if parents say they can afford it or have other resources or think they want to contribute, they have to claim the money first," he said after the launch of Unesco Day here yesterday. He hoped the distribution of the money could be completed within this month. If it is still not claimed by parents for any reason, the supervisor or headmaster can make a decision on the matter, he added. "If the parents are far away or overseas, it's not a problem as the money can be kept for them." Distribution of the RM100 school assistance to 5.3 million students from Year 1 to Form 5 commenced on Tuesday. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced the financial aid during the tabling of the Budget 2012 last month. Muhyiddin, who is also president of the Malaysian National Commission for Unesco, said the country had almost reached its target of "education for all" (EFA) earlier than the original target year of 2015. Based on Unesco's 2011 EFA Global Monitoring Report, he said Malaysia was ranked 65th out of 127 countries in the Middle Category Group compared to its previous placing of 69th out of 128 countries. He said the Malaysian Unesco Day will be celebrated annually to allow people the opportunity to evaluate the nation's ranking in Unesco and the organisation's contribution to the country. - Bernama |
| Intelligence led to arrest of suspected Sabah militants, says IGP Posted: 18 Nov 2011 10:51 AM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - The arrest of 13 suspected militants in Sabah earlier this week was the result of both internal and foreign intelligence received by the police, Tan Sri Ismail Omar was reported by Bernama Online as saying today. The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) told the news portal he had acted as soon as the police had received the intelligence because it was an issue of security that could possibly threaten other countries in the region. He added he had acted in accordance with current laws that are relevant to the case and that he had briefed Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein on the matter. When asked to comment on a statement by Sabah PAS commissioner Mohd Aminuddin Aling in which he asked the police to clarify the circumstances surrounding the arrests, Ismail stressed that the move was a pre-emptive measure conducted in the interest of national security. The IGP announced yesterday that seven Malaysians and six foreigners were arrested in Sabah on Monday under Section 73(1) of the Internal Security Act to thwart their alleged efforts at reviving a militant movement in the state. The police have not disclosed the identity of the militant movement. Bernama Online reported, however, an English daily has linked the individuals to the Abu Omar group, which is better known as the Kaltim group that uses Kalimantan as its base. According to the daily, the group was using Tawau as a transit point to amass firearms procured from south Philippines. |
| Bank Negara unveils new financing rules Posted: 18 Nov 2011 09:13 AM PST (The Star) - Malaysians will have to go through a more exhaustive process when applying for loans starting next year after Bank Negara issued guidelines on responsible lending by banks. Following the new guidelines, the maximum tenure for car loans will be capped at nine years with immediate effect. Starting July next year, borrowers will not be penalised heavily for early settlement of their loans. Instead, banks will only be allowed to charge for the cost incurred in processing the loan and not for profit loss from the early settlement of the loan. At a media briefing yesterday following the release of third quarter economic data where the economy grew by 5.8%, Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz said the objective of the guidelines was to inculcate responsible lending practices by financial institutions which include commercial banks and development financial institutions. "We don't want to restrict growth but we want to set parameters which are transparent," she said, adding that the guidelines also provide for clear information and disclosure on financial products. As the industry becomes more competitive in a challenging environment, Zeti said the central bank wanted to ensure responsible lending practices did not erode. Starting Jan 1, banks must make clear to the borrowers the implications of the loans they take, illustrating to them just how much more they will have to pay should the base lending rate go up. The guidelines would be applicable to home and vehicle financing, credit and charge cards, personal financing including overdraft facility as well as financing for the purchase of securities except for share margin financing which comes under stock exchange rules. Zeti said as part of measures to ensure borrowers do not migrate to cooperatives to get their loans, the Cooperatives Commission would also be imposing requirements on responsible financing practices on credit cooperatives. Furthermore, the debt-service ratio of civil servants would be capped at around 60%. For others, the banks will determine for themselves and not have a fix ratio in determining what the maximum amount of loan a borrower can take. The guidelines will include a more stringent "suitability and affordability assessment" which would ensure borrowers have the ability to pay without recourse to debt relief or substantial hardship. To improve assessment of individual affordability and provide suitable and responsible advice to customers on their capacity to take on additional financing, there would now be appropriate enquiries by lenders on income after statutory deductions and debt repayment obligations. Zeti added that other objectives of the guidelines were to foster a healthy and sustainable credit market which in turn would contribute to economic and financial stability as well as further strengthen the protection of consumer interests. |
| Euro rises on ECB lending hope, world stocks fall Posted: 18 Nov 2011 09:06 AM PST (Reuters) ― The euro gained yesterday on hopes that the European Central Bank may get involved in a plan to help struggling euro zone countries, but world stocks fell as many investors continued to fear a spread of the region's debt crisis into core European economies. Key US stock indices were mixed in the late afternoon, though supported by reports that the ECB is considering lending to the International Monetary Fund to bail out troubled euro zone economies. US Treasury prices fell as the borrowing costs of troubled European countries declined slightly, reducing the appeal for safe-haven assets. Yields on Spain's bonds eased modestly before weekend elections. Speculation that the ECB could also step up purchases of European sovereign debt helped shore up investor sentiment. Either ECB approach would be satisfactory, said Andrew Busch, senior currency strategist at BMO Capital Markets in Chicago. "The broader point is that the ECB is finding a way to stabilise the European debt crisis," he said. Economists say only the ECB would have enough fire power to quell a confidence crisis spreading throughout the euro zone. But EU law forbids the bank to finance government borrowing directly, thus the possible arrangement with the IMF. "This third-party lending arrangement not only works around ECB laws, but also provides an avenue for the ECB to create enough funding to stabilise the crisis while maintaining its appearance of independence," Busch added. The euro zone common currency rose 0.4 per cent to US$1.3509 (RM4.36), pulling away from a five-week low of US$1.3420 struck on Thursday. Apparent disagreement between Germany and the UK about how to solve the European debt crisis kept investors on the edge, however. At a news conference in Berlin, the leaders of both countries sent out conflicting messages to markets, with British Prime Minister David Cameron calling for "decisive action" to stabilise the euro zone and German Chancellor Angela Merkel favouring a "step-by-step" approach. Wall Street indexes were mixed, with the S&P 500 holding above a key resistance level around 1,200. The Dow Jones industrial average up 31.29 points, or 0.27 per cent, at 11,802.02. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was up 0.04 point, or 0.00 per cent, at 1,216.17. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 13.81 points, or 0.53 per cent, at 2,574.18. In Europe, the FTSEurofirst 300 finished 0.7 per cent lower. World stocks, measured by the MSCI All-Country World Index .MIWD00000PUS, declined 0.4 per cent. "The (market's) scepticism comes from the realisation that there is no magic bullet in place to solve this crisis," said Giancarlo Perasso, chief economist at Redux-Matrix. US crude oil prices settled US$1.26 down at US$97.67 (RM208.63). Benchmark 10-year US Treasury notes fell 13/32, sending their yield up to 2.01 per cent, as a decline in Italian government bond yields reduced their safe-haven bid. Yields on Italian 10-year bonds eased to 6.7 per cent but stayed near levels investors consider unsustainable. Spanish 10-year bond yields fell to 6.4 per cent from Thursday's 6.5 per cent before weekend elections in which the centre-right People's Party is expected to win a resounding mandate to slash public spending. |
| Rival groups table proposals to resolve KGNS land dispute Posted: 18 Nov 2011 08:56 AM PST By Jahabar Sadiq, The Malaysian Insider Rival groups have tabled alternative proposals to resolve Kelab Golf Negara Subang's (KGNS) land dispute with Putrajaya in a fiery emergency meeting tomorrow to keep its 330 acres of pristine greenery here after the club leadership allowed a caveat to purposely lapse. Documents seen by The Malaysian Insider reveal that a group aligned to the general committee wants to set up a corporate body to manage and control the club after winning an official lease from the Federal Land Commissioner while another group wants to establish a task-force to solve the issue upon instructions from all the members. At the heart of the matter is whether the members will have final say over the club's fate or they will have to leave it to the proposed Perbadanan Padang Golf Subang (PPGS) to decide the fate of the club and its leased land. A notice of motion filed on November 17 proposed three resolutions, including to defend a suit filed by the Federal Land Commissioner to compel KGNS to pay market rates for the land which sits squarely in the middle of both established and rapidly developing areas such as Subang Jaya, Ara Damansara, Kelana Jaya and Bandar Sunway. The second resolution called for the setting up of the PPGS "be empowered to take on the responsibility for the management and control of Kelab Golf Negara Subang (KGNS) in accordance with the Subang Golf Course Corporation Act 1968 (Act 509) after obtaining a lease of land held under Hakmilik Lot PT No. 221 HS (D) 3458 (148046), Mukim Damansara, District of Petaling Jaya, State of Selangor, from the Federal Land Commissioner and the creation of a sub-lease in favour of KGNS." "That Kelab Golf Negara Subang (KGNS) be authorised to negotiate the terms of settlement of the land the management and control of the Club with the relevant authorities and that the terms thereof be tabled at the General Meeting of the Club for rectification and approval," said resolution three of the motion. The Malaysian Insider understands that the motion was filed after a rival group called for a special task force to "deal with all issues that have arisen in respect of the status of land presently occupied by Kelab Negara Golf Subang (KGNS) with the Federal Land Commissioner, the Subang Corporation Bhd and/or any other Government Agencies pertaining to the said land." The group called for seven members to form the special task force which "shall be independent of the management committee". It said the special task force should regularly review civil suits in the case but will have no right or power to commit KGNS to any agreement or compromise on the status of the land. "The Special Task Force Committee should be independent and should not be anyway hampered by direction from the Management Committee as in the past, and the interests of the members must always be primary," according to a member supporting the resolution who declined to be identified. "The line of communication must be extremely clear. The Management Committee has in many ways abdicated its duty to the members by not reporting the progress of the issues and keeping matters to itself," he added. The Malaysian Insider reported last Saturday that a KGNS task force allowed a caveat to lapse on its leased land last June in order to preserve the club president's ties with the Najib administration. The panel's move without seeking the members' approval could now cost the club billions as the official land owner, the Federal Land Commissioner, has gone to court to compel them to pay market rates for the 330 acres of land. The clubs's land issue task force met on June 17 this year, six days before the caveat filed in 2004 was due to expire when it decided not to extend the caveat. That meeting was chaired by club president Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Khas and attended by several other members. "We are not intimidating the government who is the rightful owner of the land. READ MORE HERE. |
| ROSMAH'S US$55,000 BRACELET Posted: 17 Nov 2011 10:35 PM PST 
I was in Beijing on 16th for a meeting at the Shangri-la Hotel, Zizhuyuan Road, Beijing and walked into a pearl shop at the hotel foyer with a friend who wanted to buy a bracelet for his wife. He picked up this beautiful diamond bracelet only to find out that it cost US$55,000. The sales girl then pointed us towards a photo on the wall and said that the President's wife bought the same bracelet. And it was none other than Rosmah. By Ah Cheong |
| Civil servants: Tony Pua is right Posted: 17 Nov 2011 10:30 PM PST Reading the AG report and encountering them on a daily basis make tax payers, at least this one, feel that a lot of them do not deserve to be in their position. Many of them should be sacked, tried for offences and ill-gotten gains confiscated and returned to the people in accordance with the MACC Act. Instead, they get blanket bonus without basic performance appraisal. By Lee Wee Tak Tony Pua is right about the need to reduce the size of civil servants. By virtue of his position as a MP from DAP, his political opponents are obliged to, or even eager to, seize any opportunity to take a pop shot at him; turning a technical matter into a racist, counter-productive and down right detrimental course of arguments. Let technical people make technical decision. For those with vested interest or with skewered intention, butt out! Then again these shallow minded people are unable to debate real issues with commonsense and can only resort to what they know best, which may not be the best for the rest. As a tax payer and not an elected MP from Pakatan Rakyat, I am free to speak my mind on this matter. I pay my taxes hence their salaries, perks, office supplies, pension, equipment, amenities, maternity leaves, bonus, parking lot and even their toilet soap. The statistics of our bloated civil service is well documented elsewhere and for this post, I depart from my usual research base way of writing and just conclude my thoughts base on materials I have come across at one time or the other. FACT: Malaysian civil servants are not comparable to first world countries. I have dealt with civil servants in Hong Kong and Singapore. I went to the Hong Kong income tax department to register a new tax payer, submit his assessment and get his tax clearance within 3 hours. In Malaysia, it would be lucky to get this done in 3 weeks. I have observed the following incidence first hand: · Despite the victim producing written confession from the assailant who attacked him, an officer at Gombak police station refused to take action against the culprit · Staff at general hospital Seremban only prescribe panadol to a man dying of hemorrhage · Nurses at the same hospital refused to find and handover urinal pan to an invalid old lady who was wailing for one and me, as an outsider, came to her aid by locating the utensil myself · I have to renew the work permit of my company's expatriate and have to drive all the way from Kuala Lumpur to Putrajaya just because I rang the immigration office dozens of time to ask some simple question and no one bothered even to pick up the phone! Other more hideous proofs of the competency level of the civil service are for all to see: · The annual read and weep report from AG, and just when you think such act cannot be surpassed, MACC out performed by declaring the Marine Park scandal is not a scandal · The infamous 3 fingered out by Teoh Beng Hock's RCI · The money recovered from the airport robbery went missing inside the police station · Unnecessary deaths due to gross incompetence of ambulance service Social re-engineering is one thing but first and foremost, put competent people in charge of life and death decisions. There is no social re-engineering to speak of when you only have dead people around. And these ring wing opportunists say that they deserve their iron rice bowl, able to enjoy no responsibility and accountability? Fine, if they want to look at it from race point of view then: 1) Who is responsible for making Malaysian civil service populated mainly by 1 race only? 2) Isn't the same administration also responsible for excessive size of civil service?
Maybe it is beyond the racists' comprehension but when we have excessive debts, continuing deficit budgets, we have to trim spending and avoid the fate that befell the PIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain). Any accountant will tell you that to cut cost, one has to study the cost drivers and one of the biggest cost component is headcount. Those employed in private sector are facing numerous challenges such as sales targets, deadlines, response time, retrenchment, constructive dismissals, overtime without pay etc. Who are these cry babies to complain when they have such comfortable environment and became little napoleons?
In fact, there are dubious "civil servants" such as those JKKKs appointed by BN federal government in Pakatan controlled states, which result in duplication. With mass privatization of public services such as water, electricity, sewerage, healthcare, waste management, education services in Malaysia, (even hospital linen cleaning services are privatized !) how could BN justify let alone embarked on mass expansion of civil service population? In fact, GLCs' staff are probably categorized as private sector staff when their behavior and allegiance may not totally reflective of a private sector staff.
Reading the AG report and encountering them on a daily basis make tax payers, at least this one, feel that a lot of them do not deserve to be in their position. Many of them should be sacked, tried for offences and ill-gotten gains confiscated and returned to the people in accordance with the MACC Act. Instead, they get blanket bonus without basic performance appraisal.
Read more at: http://wangsamajuformalaysia.blogspot.com/2011/11/civil-servants-tony-pua-is-right.html |
| REPLY TO ARTICLE - BN is the one short-changing us, not PR Posted: 17 Nov 2011 10:26 PM PST We refer to an article entitled "BN is the one short-changing us, not PR" published in Malaysia Today - MT Columns on November 10, 2011. We hereby would like to make some clarification of the article related to the minimum wage. By Corporate Communication Unit, Ministry of Human Resource, Putrajaya GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES TO IMPLEMENT MINIMUM WAGE IN MALAYSIA: A GRAVE CONCERN
The New Economic Model introduced by the government has looked seriously towards providing assistance to the rakyat through one of its noble intention in implementing the minimum wage in the private sector with the main objectives of primarily to ensure all basic needs of workers and their families are met; to provide sufficient social protection to workers; to reduce nation's dependency on unskilled foreign labour; and to encourage industry to move up the value chain by investing in higher technology and increase labour productivity. The government has agreed, on 15 October 2010 to implement the national minimum wage, and thereafter has progressively undertaken initiatives in moving forward towards the implementation of the minimum wages.
These actions saw a series of workshops by the Ministry of Human Resources in drafting the minimum wage legislation from October through December 2010, involving major Stakeholders comprising the Trade Union, Employer Associations as well as the State Legal Department of Sabah and Sarawak. Anticipating the volume of study and research, the Ministry of Human Resources has sought the assistance from the World Bank through the consultancy work in conducting the minimum wage study. The Ministry, in collaboration with the World Bank has conducted a series of Labs and Workshop since February 2011. Simultaneously, the minimum wage legislation was robustly developed by the ministry together with the AG Chambers which was ultimately tabled and passed by Parliament on 30th June 2011. The legislation has given way to the establishment of the National Wages Consultative Council to deliberate on the minimum wage on the rates and coverage and to make recommendation to the government. Assisting the Council and to compliment the World Bank study, the Technical Committee was established in April 2011 to conduct its internal research based on national data and also to conduct public consultation relating to minimum wage implementation.
National Wages Consultative Council was establishment of the on 28th of September 2011 and has aggressively deliberated on the World Bank Report as well as the Technical Committee's report on two official meeting on 27th October 2011 and 10th November 2011 respectively. The Council hopes that the recommendation on the minimum wages could be escalated to the government soon and for the government to announce by the end of the year. The government has truly and aggressively conducted its sincere attention towards the implementation of the minimum wage. The thorough study took concern not only to provide minimum wage that brings decent wage to workers but also looking seriously into the impact of minimum wage to the economy and the nation as a whole.
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| Recent ISA Arrest : Flagrant Hypocrisy of Najib’s Announcement on Malaysia Day Posted: 17 Nov 2011 10:24 PM PST Lawyers For Liberty is appalled to learn the recent arrest under the ISA which clearly manifests flagrant hypocrisy of the announcement made on the historic Malaysia Day by Prime Minister Najib Razak. On this year's Malaysia Day, Prime Minister Najib Razak surprised the nation by announcing that the draconian Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA) will be abolished in the hope of building a nation that "practices functional and inclusive democracy where peace and public order are safeguarded in line with the supremacy of the Constitution, the rule of law and respect for basic human rights". The announcement stands in stark contrast to the recent arrest of 11 individuals in Tawau, Sabah who have been accused of terrorism under the ISA despite Prime Minister's undertaking that the draconian ISA to be abolished. It is important to be reminded that allegations made against individuals under the ISA remain mere allegations no matter how serious the nature of the said allegations is. These individuals have not been given any opportunity to challenge their detention or the allegations as the ISA allows detention without trial and it denies the basic right of the detainees to be tried in court. Lawyers For Liberty is appalled to learn the recent arrest under the ISA which clearly manifests flagrant hypocrisy of the announcement made on the historic Malaysia Day by Prime Minister Najib Razak. This recent arrest shows that Najib's administration continues to commit this legalized injustice despite sitting on the UN Human Rights Council where pledges have been made that Malaysia would uphold the highest standards of human rights before its re-election to the Council in 2010. The ISA allows detention without trial where the police have the power to arrest a person up to 60 days and the Home Minister may authorize further detention up to 2 years and the period may be further extended indefinitely. This draconian piece of legislation goes against the fundamental principle of the right to trial which has been guaranteed under the Constitution and crystalized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It is to be noted that there has been a trend to progressively reduce preventive detention powers and the ISA-like anti-terrorism laws do not exist in countries like the UK, Canada and Australia post 9/11. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention in its report dated 8 February 2011 stated that the ISA is no longer necessary to be in force in Malaysia since the Penal Code has been amended to make terrorism a specific offence. Lawyers For Liberty condemns the continued use of preventive laws such as the ISA under the pretext of combatting terrorism as it is tantamount to a gross violation of human rights. There are sufficient laws in Malaysia to combat terrorism and it is the duty of the police to carry out effective investigation and intelligence work to fight terrorist activities which can be established under the existing laws and proved in court. Lawyers For Liberty therefore demands the immediate release of all ISA detainees and the immediate abolition of the draconian ISA. |
| Statement of the ASEAN Parliamentary Group of the German Parliament on the trial of Malaysian ... Posted: 17 Nov 2011 10:17 PM PST Our suspicions were confirmed that the trial may well be a process of eliminating political opponents. By Chair of the ASEAN Parliamentary Group Dr. Thomas Gambke Chair of the ASEAN Parliamentary Group Dr. Thomas Gambke, within the framework of the "MPs protect MPs" program in sponsorship of Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, says on behalf of the Board: "We are carefully observing the trial of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim which is set to resume on November 23 and due for completion in December. During a visit to Malaysia at the start of 2011, our suspicions were confirmed that the trial may well be a process of eliminating political opponents. The team of lawyers defending Anwar Ibrahim were gravely disadvantaged during the entire two years of the drawn-out trial. We believe that the timing of the impending conviction of Anwar Ibrahim on sodomy charges has been planned to coincide with the Parliamentary elections due in spring 2012. If convicted, the opposition leader would lose his parliamentary seat thus weakening the entire opposition movement. We appeal to the Malaysian government to respect and regard seriously the goals of the movement for democratic reform of the electoral system, whose leading figure is Anwar Ibrahim. Measures to prevent electoral fraud should be introduced together with greater access to the public media for the opposition parties which to date are in control of five of the thirteen States of Malaysia. A politically motivated trial of Anwar Ibrahim would only damage the international image of Malaysia." The Board of the ASEAN Parliamentary Group (Brunei, Indonesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand,
Vietnam) includes its chairman, Dr. Thomas Gambke (Alliance 90/The Greens), and deputy chairman Dr Michael Fuchs (CDU / CSU), Holger Ortel (SPD), Dr. hc Jürgen Koppelin (FDP) and Caren Lay (THE LEFT.)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Original German text:
Stellungnahme der Parlamentariergruppe ASEAN zum Prozess gegen denmalaysischen Oppositionsführer Anwar Ibrahim Der Vorsitzende der Parlamentariergruppe ASEAN, Dr. Thomas Gambke, derim Rahmen des Programms "Parlamentarier schützen Parlamentarier"
die Patenschaft für den malaysischen Oppositionsführer Anwar Ibrahim übernommen hat, erklärt im Namen des Vorstands der Parlamentariergruppe:
"Wir beobachten aufmerksam und kritisch den Verlauf des Prozessesgegen Oppositionsführer Anwar Ibrahim, der nach einem
abschließendenVerhandlungstag am 23. November voraussichtlich im Dezember zumAbschluss kommen wird. Bereits während eines
Delegationsbesuches inMalaysia Anfang 2011 fanden wir den Verdacht bestätigt, es könne sichum einen Prozess handeln, mit dem ein
politisch unliebsamer Gegnerausgeschaltet werden soll. Die Verteidigung von Anwar Ibrahim wurde in dem sich über mehr alszwei Jahre hinziehenden Verfahren immer wieder in ihrer Arbeitbehindert. Die Tatsache, dass nun Ende dieses Jahres mit einerVerurteilung von Anwar Ibrahim wegen des Vorwurfs des homosexuellenVerkehrs zu rechnen ist, scheint uns nicht zufällig in zeitlicher Nähezu Parlamentswahlen im Frühjahr 2012 zu stehen. Mit einer Verurteilungwürde der Oppositionsführer sein Abgeordnetenmandat verlieren und wäredie gesamte Oppositionsbewegung geschwächt. Wir appellieren an die malaysische Regierung, die Bewegung für einedemokratische Reform des Wahlsystems, deren führender
RepräsentantAnwar Ibrahim ist, zu respektieren, und deren Ziele ernst zu nehmen. Maßnahmen zur Verhinderung von Wahlbetrug und mehr Möglichkeiten fürOppositionsparteien, die heute in bereits fünf der insgesamt dreizehnRegionen Malaysias regieren, in öffentlichen Medien für ihre Ziele zuwerben, sollten geschaffen werden. Eine politisch motivierteVerurteilung von Anwar Ibrahim würde dem internationalen AnsehenMalaysias schaden." Dem Vorstand der Parlamentariergruppe ASEAN (Brunei, Indonesien, Kambodscha, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippinen, Singapur,
Thailand, Vietnam) gehören als Vorsitzender Dr. Thomas Gambke (BÜNDNIS 90/DIEGRÜNEN) sowie als stellvertretende Vorsitzende Dr. Michael Fuchs(CDU/CSU), Holger Ortel (SPD), Dr. h.c. Jürgen Koppelin (FDP) undCaren Lay (DIE LINKE.) an. |
| Enough of bullshitting! Posted: 17 Nov 2011 10:12 PM PST So, has public funds benefited Malaysians? Not even cows. Only Wanita Umno chief and minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and her husband and children's family companies benefited. By Jackson Ng, Retired journalist ENOUGH of bullshitting! Stop assuming Malaysians and the world are plain stupid. The latest cock and bull story has come from the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) and its cow condo scandal. Please look up in the dictionary, be it printed or electronic, for the meaning of the words ethics, accountability and trustworthy. Are these words foreign or not in the dictionary of the NFC and its backers? These three words command the greatest respect of genuine and authentic investors – not dubious dealers. When public funds are allocated for a project for specific purposes, the custodians are expected to do just that. Not what they think is right. The NFC has no bloody business to use the money and risk it in other investments. That is against the rule of the law. That's unethical. It is not about whether the money is invested wisely into condominiums to bring about fat returns. The NFC was reported to have finally broke its silence today (Nov 17, 2011) to defend its RM12 million purchase of two multi-million luxury condominum units in Bangsar as a "good business decision". The issue is not about "good business decision". The issue is about public funds released to boost beef production so that all Malaysians, especially the poor, can enjoy affordable beef. If the government had wanted to invest into real estate, it would have allocated funds for such purpose to real estate professionals – not cow breeders. If public funds allocated for specific project purposes can just be used for other purposes by any Tom Dick and Harry with political patronage, then the financial system of the country is akin to a free-for-all – anyone can do anything with funds allocated for projects. In short – chaos is the order of the day. Do you goons now understand the implications of cow breeders using money allocated for cow breeding to buy condominiums? Is it a wonder that the Auditor-General (A-G) has concluded that the NFC project is a flop, failing to meet its target of beef production? Many real estate experts have concluded that Kuala Lumpur is facing a glut of luxury properties, with rental yields falling as much as 50 per cent in some cases. The Auditor-General's Report released last month had criticised the NFC, pointing out that it was now "in a mess". The report said production in 2010 was only 3,289 head of cattle or 41.1 per cent of the target set. So, has public funds benefited Malaysians? Not even cows. Only Wanita Umno chief and minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and her husband and children's family companies benefited. Plain and simple, don't you think so? If you still cannot understand such simple observations, do Malaysians and Malaysia a favour – go jump into the Straits of Malacca. Thank-you. |
| Open Letter to Hasan Ali Posted: 17 Nov 2011 08:29 PM PST 
That is all I want to say, Yang Berhormat Datuk. I am sorry if I sound very blunt and abrasive but that is how I do things and even Tuanku can tell you that I spare no one, not even Sultans. I just hope that my message gets through to you so that you can spare me the agony of having to launch a campaign to send you into retirement in a most unceremoniously and inglorious manner. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin Yang Berhormat Datuk Dr Hasan Haji Mohamed Ali, I trust you still remember me. We first met probably ten years or so ago in the royal town of Kelang. I thought I should write to you because I feel, as a member of Kerabat Selangor, it is my duty to save Pakatan Rakyat Selangor, PAS Selangor, the Selangor Malays, and you, further embarrassment. Furthermore, it is my duty as a cousin to His Highness the Sultan to raise this issue as it is my personal opinion you are putting Tuanku in a very dicey situation with your continued irrational antics. I say this because if Tuanku were to remain silent it would be perceived as Tuanku is not upholding Islam when it his duty as head of religion in Selangor to do so and, on the other hand, if Tuanku responds to your so-called revelations it would make Tuanku appear outdated, small-minded, easily-manipulated, hypocritical, and much more. Sometimes I wonder whether all your so-called revelations are done in good faith or whether there is an element of mala fide with a hidden agenda to force Tuanku into a corner so that if Tuanku responds Tuanku is damned and if Tuanku does not respond Tuanku is also damned. I have a deep-rooted suspicion that this is a conspiracy to embarrass the monarchy and put it under attack so that there would come a time when people would question the relevancy of the monarchy and ask whether Malaysia is better off as a republic. I am aware that many Islamists such as you favour an Islamic republic over what you perceive as a corrupt and un-Islamic monarchy. I would not be surprised if this is a very subtle plan to bring down the monarchy. I am fully aware that you are a politician standing on the platform of Islam and that makes you a politician, period. I, for one, do not consider you a theologian because, if you were, you would not become a politician. You would instead serve God rather than serve your own very personal and narrow interest of seeking power. Politics is dirty. So it would be very difficult to serve God when your motivation is the quest for power. You need to be un-Islamic and do many things contradictory to Islam if you want to gain power. That is the reality of the situation. Clean or Islamic politics are as rare as virgin prostitutes. If you were to resign from PAS and retire from politics then maybe what you say would sound credible. Now I can only assume that you have a dark and hidden agenda for what you are doing. Yang Berhormat Datuk, let me be blunt. In politics, you serve the devil, not God. That is the bottom line and there are no two ways about it. And you, Yang Berhormat Datuk, are worse than a 'normal' politician. At least normal politicians are honest about their dishonesty. You exploit God's name while doing the devil's work. We must not forget you were once a Director of BTN, the government-owned propaganda and brainwashing arm that is the cause of much of Malaysia's racial problems today. In other words, if you were really motivated by Islam, and if your agenda was to serve God, you would have distanced yourself from BTN. How can a man of the cloth be involved in racism and discrimination, the very thing that the Prophet Muhammad forbade in his sermon in Arafah the final year of his life? Yang Berhormat Datuk, the world has changed. You need to drag yourself screaming and kicking into the real world and not remain stuck in a world of fantasy that you appear to have difficulty extricating yourself from. Today, people talk about human rights, freedom, and civil liberties. I know it is a hard concept to grasp for someone like you who feels that the world must dance to your tune and live the life as you see it. But that is the reality of what is happening in the world today and is something that can't be avoided and something you cannot prevent. Today, people no longer accept faith based on dogma but demand faith based on reasoning. In fact, faith itself has been placed under the microscope and people no longer accept faith based on theological arguments but expect tangible evidence to support belief. Actually, Yang Berhormat Datuk, this is not a Muslim problem. This problem is not confined to just Islam. This is a universal problem faced by all religions the world over. You will be surprised that in Iran, the seat of the Islamic Revolution of 1979 that changed the way the world perceives Islam and triggered what historians 100 years from now will call 'The Period of Islamic Revival', Muslims are leaving Islam in droves. Even Iran has to accept this fact and there is nothing the mullahs can do about it. I have personally met Iranians who scoff at religion as old wives' tales, folklore, myths, and so on. We have to accept one very basic fact: and that is humankind today is free-spirited, is able to contemplate and rationalise issues, and is brave enough to take a stand based on what they believe is the truth. In this type of situation you can only explain but you will have to allow them to decide what they wish to accept and what they wish to reject. You can no longer force them to accept what you consider to be the truth. They will decide the truth and falsity of the information and will come to their own conclusion and decision. So, Yang Berhormat Datuk, it is time you toned down your religious rhetoric. You are beginning to look like a court jester. No one takes what you say seriously any longer. In fact, if you were to conduct a poll, the majority being polled would vote that you are a Trojan horse working for Umno whose job is to hurt Pakatan Rakyat. Please rest assured I am not in the least concerned about your image, if you still have some left. My concern is Tuanku. If you continue this way you are going to place Tuanku in jeopardy. Tuanku just can't ignore you considering you are the EXCO Member in charge of Islam. However, if Tuanku were to act on your so-called revelations, it would not augur well for Tuanku. That is all I want to say, Yang Berhormat Datuk. I am sorry if I sound very blunt and abrasive but that is how I do things and even Tuanku can tell you that I spare no one, not even Sultans. I just hope that my message gets through to you so that you can spare me the agony of having to launch a campaign to send you into retirement in a most unceremoniously and inglorious manner. RAJA PETRA BIN RAJA KAMARUDIN |
| Talking Bibles: PAS won’t entertain Hasan Posted: 17 Nov 2011 07:13 PM PST Selangor PAS Commissioner says that responding to Hasan would be giving a small issue great importance. (Free Malaysia Today) - Selangor PAS Commissioner, Abdul Rani Osman, today said that PAS will not entertain the latest claim by his predecessor, Hasan Ali, that solar-powered talking Bibles are being used to convert Muslims in Selangor. Hasan, who heads the state's Islamic affairs portfolio, yesterday announced this as part of research conducted by the state's religious authority (JAIS). His statement has earned him a tongue-lashing from Islamic scholar, Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, for insulting both Muslims and the Islamic faith. But no PAS leader has publicly chastised Hasan as yet and Abdul Rani said he doubted that any would take the bait. "Hasan's statement is a provocative move and unfortunately we don't have a state disciplinary body," he said. "But entertaining this would only have a negative affect on Pakatan Rakyat." Hasan's claim comes just three months after a controversial raid by JAIS on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) following allegations of proselytisation during a charity dinner there. But Abdul Rani dismissed speculation that it could further resurrect tensions between Muslims and Christians in the state. "PAS is not at all worried about that because this issue is not as big as certain quarters hope to make it," he said. "So we will turn a blind eye rather than add fire to it. With elections around the corner, we have bigger issues to focus on like corruption."
Baptism certificates Abdul Rani, the Meru assemblyman, also confirmed rumours of controversial booklets being distributed in Selangor aimed at triggering Muslim-Christian conflict. According to a source, these booklets are being circulated by suraus in the state and depict Muslims holding baptism certificates with a background image of DUMC. READ MORE HERE |
| Rafizi: NFC akhirnya mengaku… Posted: 17 Nov 2011 07:10 PM PST Wanita PKR pula akan membuat laporan polis dan Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) di seluruh negara pada Rabu depan. (Free Malaysia Today) - Pengarah Strategik PKR Rafizi Ramli berkata pihaknya bersedia menghadapi tindakan saman daripada National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFC) berhubung skandal projek lembu di Gemas dan pembelian kondominium One Menerung di Bangsar. Malah beliau menerimanya dengan terbuka memandangkan dakwaan yang dibuat PKR selama ini tidak dinafikan Pengerusi Eksekutif NFC, Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail. "Tiga pengakuan Mohamad Salleh mengesahkan keresahan rakyat bahawa anugerah projek ini kepada sebuah syarikat milik keluarga menteri mempunyai unsur-unsur penyelewengan," katanya dalam sidang media di Ibu Pejabat PKR di sini hari ini. Pengakuan itu adalah NFC tiada kepakaran dan pengalaman untuk mengendalikan projek ini sehingga menyebabkan syarikat menghadapi masalah operasi dan kewangan, serta perjanjian RM250 juta "tidak menyatakan jadual pembayaran balik". "Ini mengesahkan pendedahan PKR sebelum ini bahawa walaupun dana RM250 juta disebut sebagai pinjaman, ia lebih berupa geran kerana NFC tidak dikenakan sebarang jadual pembayaran atau caj faedah seperti pinjaman biasa," katanya. Beliau turut kesal dengan kenyataan Mohamad Salleh yang bukan sahaja mengesahkan pendedahan PKR tentang pembelian kondominium mewah yang bukannya RM9.8 juta, tetapi RM13.8 juta. Katanya, ketiga-tiga pengakuan NFC mengingatkan rakyat bahawa isu pokoknya adalah soal kebertanggungjawaban menteri dan kerajaan menjaga wang rakyat. Surat debat kepada Khairy Sehubungan itu, beliau menggesa supaya Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak segera menjawab sama ada berlaku penyelewengan di peringkat kabinet semasa penganugerahan projek kepada NFC dan penglibatan Shahrizat dalam proses membuat keputusan. READ MORE HERE |
| Fidlot: Rafizi hantar surat ajak Khairy debat Posted: 17 Nov 2011 07:01 PM PST  
(Harakah Daily) - Pengarah Strategi PKR, Rafizi Ramli hari ini mengutus surat jemputan kepada Ktua Pergerakan Pemuda Umno, Khairy Jamaluddin untuk berdebat berhubung isu skandal National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) Sdn Bhd. Dalam surat yang salinannya dihantar kepada Harakahdaily hari ini, beliau menyatakan tarikh cadangan debat tersebut dibuat pada 12 Disember ini.
"Mengambil kira kekangan jadual kerja seperti yang saudara suarakan di dalam media, saya mencadangkan supaya debat tersebut diadakan pada hari Isnin 12 Disember 2011," kandungan surat itu dipetik.
Beliau melalui surat tersebut juga mencadangkan supaya perkara-perkara lain seperti tempat dan format debat dipersetujui bersama setelah tarikh debat dimuktamadkan
"Saya percaya saudara seorang pemimpin Umno yang berjiwa besar dan memiliki kekuatan intelek yang mengkagumkan.
"Kesudian saudara untuk membahaskan isu-isu rakyat seperti penyelewengan wang rakyat melalui NFC akan dikenang orang muda selama-lamanya," ujar Rafizi.
Khairy Jamaluddin beberapa hari lalu memaklumkan beliau bersedia untuk bertemu Rafizi dalam debat berhubung dakwaan penyelewengan RM250 juta oleh NFC iaitu syarikat milik anggota keluarga Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.
Beliau ini memberitahu bahawa "saya sentiasa bersedia untuk berdebat dengan sesiapa pun."
"Pada dasarnya saya bersedia. Tetapi soalannya adalah masa," kata beliau dengan merujuk kepada perhimpunan agung tahunan partinya akhir bulan ini.
Sebelum ini, Rafizi telah mencabar Khairy agar berdebat dengannya sambil mendakwa Ahli Parlimen Rembau itu sebahagian daripada "Budak Tingkat Empat" — yang merujuk kepada pengaruhnya ke atas Pejabat Perdana Menteri ketika era pentadbiran Tun Abdullah.
Pentadbiran Abdullah meluluskan Pusat Fidlot Kebangsaan pada 2006.
Minggu lalu Khairy mempertahankan projek itu dengan merujuk kepada pembelian hartanah kondominum hampir RM10 juta di Bangsar menggunakan wang projek tersebut.
Khairy menyifatkan pembelian itu sebagai pelaburan yang selamat. 
|
| Release Them Now Posted: 17 Nov 2011 06:38 PM PST MCLM PRESS STATEMENT MCLM takes umbrage to the arrest of thirteen religious teachers and Islamic activists who were arrested in Tawau under the Internal Security Act (ISA) by a team of police officers from federal police headquarters Bukit Aman. Together with other concerned citizens and NGOs, MCLM condemns this outrageous move and demands that the police release these detainees to uphold Najib's pledge on Malaysia Day to do away with draconian laws including the ISA, Banishment Act 1959 and the Restricted Residence Act 1933. That this arrest happened barely two months after the announcement undermines the credibility of his pledge. If Najib is truly sincere about his pledge to ensure "a modern, mature and functioning democracy", he would have immediately called for their release upon learning about these arrests. MCLM is also very outraged that these detainees were arrested by fully armed police personnel nabbed the 'suspects' in front of their wives and children. MCLM is very concerned about the emotional and mental impact of such high-handed arrests as the police were heavily armed and rough. They also seized several laptops and cash. The arrests were carried out without warrants, notice or any prior information. MCLM views with concern that those arrested were all PAS members or supporters, including respected religious teachers in the Tawau district. Are the police carrying out religious profiling by carrying out such arrests? MCLM demands the immediate release of these detainees without conditions or for them to be charged in court.
Haris Ibrahim
President
MCLM
19 November 2011 |
| NFC scandal: Will BN do it right? Posted: 17 Nov 2011 06:33 PM PST The facts before us point irresistibly to an abuse of power in the award of this project, as well as criminal negligence (of the government) and breach of trust (of the project operator) in the misuse of public funds. The correct thing to do is to nail the culprits, recover the fund and appoint a competent entrepreneur to spearhead the project. Kim Quek After almost one month of inexplicable silence, National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFC), which is the target of brick-bat and center of swirling controversy both inside and outside Parliament, finally broke its silence. Mohamad Salleh Ismail, chairman of NFC and husband of Women, Family and Community Developmet Minister Shahrizat Jalil, gave a press conference on Nov 17 to defend NFC. He said everything was dandy; the project was right on target, and there was no impropriety. But the facts given by him are far from convincing. In fact, they are merely cover-ups for a botched job, in line with a series of stubborn denials advanced by BN leaders before him. Before we go into the main subject, let me touch on two side issues. FIRST, Salleh's press conference was an exclusive event that admitted 6 media that consisted of only the Malay press and TV channels. All others, including all the Chinese press were barred from the press meet. If NFC is sincere in telling the truth, why should it be fearful of journalists other than those from the BN-controlled media, which are generally regarded as BN's propaganda instruments? Isn't it obvious that NFC has no confidence to take on questions from reporters who are not under the tight control of BN? Isn't it obvious that BN wanted to ensure that what the public read is what BN wanted them to read? CONDO PURCHASE EXCUSE UNACCEPTABLE SECOND, Salleh wanted us to believe that his purchase of two luxurious condominiums at RM14 million was a legitimate deployment of the government soft loan by telling us that these condos fetch fantastic returns. He said monthly rental for one condo is RM70,000, which no one seems to have believed. Credibility aside, who does Salleh think he is that the public wouldn't mind lending his family a long term loan at 2 % interest for them to earn returns (exorbitant or not) from real estate investment? The excuse that it was only a temporary investment for surplus cash that could only be utilized later for the project is unacceptable, as NFC shouldn't have requested and the government shouldn't have granted the disbursement of such large amount of idle cash from the Special Loan Account in the first place, the disbursement from which were supposed to be under the strict scrutiny and control of both the Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Agriculture. Or, is NFC telling us that no projected cash flow and projected profit and loss account for the project had been presented prior to the government awarding this contract to NFC? That such misuse of funds has occurred indicates that the government has failed to safeguard public funds, or even worse, criminal conflict of interest (known as corruption) for awarding a contract to a crony without proper basis, if there was no proper project paper considered sufficient to justify such an award. Now, let us look at the facts presented by Salleh to support his claim that this project is doing well. PROJECT 'SUCCESS' AN ILLUSION Salleh said this is only the third year of its operation, and teething problems are expected. Wrong. His own son, Wan Shahinur Izran, the then CEO, said during the signing ceremony for the RM250 million facilities on 6 Dec 20027 that "operations are scheduled to begin in February next year". So, four years have lapsed since then. Salleh said his company had "raised" 8,016 head of cattle in 2010, "surpassing its target of 8,000 head of cattle". Wrong. The criterion should be the number of cattle slaughtered, not "raised", as this is a beef supply project. The number of cattle in the feedlot cannot be the measure of production, otherwise, large numbers of freshly arrived cattle from overseas could be counted as "production". So, the Auditor General was right in his report that the 3,289 head of cattle slaughtered in 2010 constituted 41% of the scaled down target of 8,000. The original target was 60,000 per year as announced by CEO Wan Shahinur Izran during the loan signing ceremony. Salleh further said that "at the outset of operation in 2009, NFC had yet to find the market while abattoir was only approved in April that year, halal certification two months later and the Veterinary Health Mark, which was compulsory before meat could be sold, in 2010." Salleh also added that NFC needed to send its employees for training to acquire specific skills to run the operation. These words from Salleh seem to be those uttered by a novice in this field who is appealing for understanding for his faltering performance. They stand in stark contrast to the stirring speech by CEO Izran back then in 2007 when he said: "We intend to play an instrumental role to lead, structure and transform the industry to meet 40% self-sufficiency". Izran further said the company's activities will "include cattle feedlotting and fodder production through contract and satellite farming, slaughtering, processing, marketing, and other upstream and downstream activities." As for contract farming, NFC would "assist the selected parties in getting financing, provide start-up and follow-up training in production and business administration as well as supply feeder cattle, feed materials and veterinary services". In fact all these activities are also found in NFC's website as its scope of activities. INEPTITUDE CONFIRMED It is apparent that there is a huge gap between rhetoric and realities in the NFC adventure. Salleh said, NFC only started operation in 2009. But why not in 2008 since it was already granted a huge loan earlier? (Incidentally, was the company operating completely on the soft loan without significant equity input from its shareholders? If so, this would be another anomaly that would pile on the case of criminal impropriety in awarding the contract to the recipient.) Salleh indicated that market demand had been a constraint that caused its slow pick up even in 2010, but how could that be when the country has been importing 80% of its beef from overseas? Such complaint only reveals the lack of wherewithal to run a business. As for the slow procurement of approval for this and that, these are lame excuses that reflect the ineptitude of the company to take on a project of this size. The facts before us point irresistibly to an abuse of power in the award of this project, as well as criminal negligence (of the government) and breach of trust (of the project operator) in the misuse of public funds. The correct thing to do is to nail the culprits, recover the fund and appoint a competent entrepreneur to spearhead the project. Will the BN government do what is right, or will it be business as usual? |
| Few non-Malays in vocational schools Posted: 17 Nov 2011 06:31 PM PST (The Malay Mail) - Malays and Bumiputeras seem to dominate the government's vocational and technical secondary schools as well as its tertiary training institutions, leaving Malaysia's other ethnicities behind with only a two per cent representation in these establishments. This was the concern highlighted by the Action Committee on Technical and Vocational Education Malaysia who tried to submit a memorandum titled: Malaysian Technical and Vocational Education in Malaysia's Future Development to Deputy Prime Minister also Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Sadly, the Committee was left disappointed despite attempts to meet an officer from the Deputy Prime Minister's Department. "We emailed them, called them, sent them letters time and again for months without success. So today we decided to come here and try our luck but all we got was to submit it to the Department's mailroom," said the disappointed Committee's Programme Director Ho Yock Lin. The Committee chairman Tan Chin Yim said he believed the government needs to take a more pro-active reasure to ensure an ethnic balance in vocational and technical institutions in light of the nation's move towards being a developed nation by 2020. |
| It’s a mad, mad world Posted: 17 Nov 2011 06:19 PM PST In our own country, 54 years of single-party incumbency is now unravelling and showing similar symptoms. After many failed attempts, a scheme to construct a monolithic dam in Bakun, Sarawak was put into motion, with the outlandish idea of sending hydroelectricity to the peninsula via 670 kilometres of undersea cables. Zairil Khir Johari, The Malaysian Insider Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad. So goes the ancient phrase that has, throughout the millennia, remained an appropriate and relevant dictum to this very day. The systemic trait of madness has been an inherent hallmark of declining autocratic regimes since time immemorial. Take, for example, the story of the Roman emperor Caligula, whose reign began with much promise and great popularity, but who quickly succumbed to the luxuries of power and who, towards the end of his short-lived rule, attempted to appoint his favourite horse as a consul of the Roman Senate. And then of course there is the late totalitarian President Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan who, apart from styling himself Turkmenbashi (Leader of Turkmens), also deigned to rename calendar months after members of his own family, in addition to outlawing long hair and beards for Turkmen men and advising the citizenry to gnaw on bones in order to strengthen their teeth, because apparently it works for dogs. History is rife with more examples of self-aggrandising eccentricities and excesses by leaders inebriated by power. Of the African and Middle Eastern variety, we have colourful characters such as the tyrannical Ugandan President Idi Amin, who insisted on being called the King of Scotland and Conqueror of the British Empire, and of course the recently-deceased erratic demagogue Colonel Muammar Gaddafi and his coterie of 40 virgin Amazon bodyguards. Closer to home, who can forget the epitome of public extravagance, Imelda Marcos? The Filipino Iron Butterfly was the pillar supporting her husband's iron-fisted rule, while making headlines for her multi-million dollar shopping sprees and famed collection of 2,700 pairs of shoes. The lesson to bear in mind, however, is the fact that every single one of the above megalomaniacal regimes eventually found themselves pulled, almost willingly, into an inescapable whirlpool of self-destruction. Truly, delusion and egomania are signs of a waning regime. In our own country, 54 years of single-party incumbency is now unravelling and showing similar symptoms. After many failed attempts, a scheme to construct a monolithic dam in Bakun, Sarawak was put into motion, with the outlandish idea of sending hydroelectricity to the peninsula via 670 kilometres of undersea cables. A decade later, after billions of ringgit in cost overruns and the successful displacement of 10,000 indigenous people, we have a spectacular white mammoth (an elephant in this case an unbefitting term) that can produce 2,400 MW of electricity for a state that would be hard-pressed to consume even half that amount. At the very least, the untenable idea of sending electricity through cables on the seabed has been safely buried, along with a crooked bridge that an infamous prime minister wanted to build halfway to Singapore. Remember that one? Another rampant scam involving public funds is the Port Klang Free Zone fiasco, where at least RM12.5 billion of public funds has been squandered in an elaborate scheme that involves a trail of prominent characters leading all the way to the federal Cabinet. False claims, payments for imaginary works and ministerial "support letters" are all part of the unfolding drama. Daylight robbery in this country is also often accompanied by grandiose acts of personal extravagance, such as a late Selangor state assemblyman who (illegally) built a 16-bedroom palatial mansion in the midst of a low-income working-class neighbourhood, complete with a tower that loomed condescendingly over his fiefdom. But he was really only trying to emulate his boss the former mentri besar who, besides constructing an even larger palace, also spent millions of state funds on purported "study trips" to Europe, Hawaii and Disneyland with his family. READ MORE HERE |
| SUBSIDI UNTUK MALAYSIA ATAU SUBSIDI UNTUK ORANG FILIPINA? Posted: 17 Nov 2011 06:10 PM PST Saya ingin menyumbang pendapat mengenai pembelian aset-aset Esso/Mobil di Malaysia oleh syarikat arak Filipina, San Miguel. Ingin saya bertanya, mengapakah syarikat dalam industri strategik minyak negara, yang menerima subsidi kerajaan, boleh dijual dengan begitu mudah kepada orang asing? Untuk meringankan beban rakyat Malaysia dari kenaikan harga di pasaran minyak global, kerajaan membayar subsidi kepada syarikat-syarikat minyak seperti Petronas, Shell, Esso/Mobil dan BH Petrol. Syarikat-syarikat ini sama ada mempunyai kepentingan majoriti yang dipegang GLC, atau telah melabur berbilion ringgit demi menyumbang kembali kepada pembangunan negara kita – oleh itu, justifikasi untuk syarikat-syarikat ini untuk menerima subsidi minyak adalah wajar. Akan tetapi, dengan penjualan stesen-stesen minyak Esso dan Mobil kepada syarikat pembuat dan pengedar arak San Miguel dari Filipina, tiada justifikasi langsung untuk San Miguel menikmati subsidi minyak kerajaan (dan secara langsung wang dari kocek rakyat Malaysia). Tawaran San Miguel tidak menyebut tentang apa-apa cadangan pelaburan dalam negara. Para pembaca lihatlah sendiri jadual di bawah: 
Dari perspektif lain, penyata kewangan ExxonMobil bagi tahun berakhir 31 Disember 2010 menunjukkan ExxonMobil menerima subsidi kerajaan bejumlah RM152,939,651 (sila rujuk mukasurat 47 fail ini: http://announcements.bursamalaysia.com/EDMS/subweb.nsf/7f04516f8098680348256c6f0017a6bf/6c54e41a288ee4c74825787d002c5f4e/$FILE/ESSO-Page%2012%20to%20ProxyForm%20(2.6MB).pdf). Inilah jumlah (tidak termasuk pelepasan cukai) yang akan disalur keluar dari negara kita ke Manila, dan seterusnya ke kocek San Miguel setiap tahun, untuk membuat lebih banyak arak. Saya hairan kenapa kerajaan Malaysia mengambil masa begitu lama untuk menolak pembelian stesen-stesen Esso/Mobil oleh San Miguel. Kenapa sunyi sangat dekat Kementerian Perdagangan Dalam Negeri, Koperasi Dan Kepengunaan? Dah kena sogok ke? Jangan lupa, duit San Miguel tu duit arak, haram tu… Pada pendapat saya, Petronas harus campur tangan dan mengambil alih pembelian stesen-stesen Esso/Mobil dari San Miguel. Petronas sendiri mempunyai sasaran menambah sebanyak 250 stesen dalam masa 5 tahun akan datang (http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/pdg25/Article/). Petronas bukan sahaja mempunyai wang dan aset yang mencukupi, bahkan sebagai syarikat minyak negara, Petronas boleh menjadi penyelamat pemilik-pemilik stesen Esso/Mobil Bumiputera yang akan dipaksa San Miguel menjual arak yang haram di stesen-stesen mereka. Nik Azahari Kota Bharu, Kelantan ******************************************** Petronas unit eyes top spot in petrol retail mart (NST) - Petronas Dagangan Bhd (PDB) expects to invest up to RM2 billion over the next five years to set up as many as 250 petrol stations, as it aims to become the number one player in the petrol retail segment within three to five years. The company currently has more than 950 petrol stations nationwide and controls a volume market share of about 32 per cent. About three years ago, its market share was below 30 per cent.
Over the next five years, PDB plans to spend RM250 million to RM400 million annually to build 30 to 50 new petrol stations a year.
"Although overall we are the market leader, but if you look at the sub-segments, there are areas that we are still not number one, and retail is one of them.
"We hope to become the number one player in that space within three to five years, with a market share of 40 per cent. It's going to be very challenging but that's our goal," said Amir Hamzah Azizan, PDB managing director and chief executive officer.
The capital expenditure will be funded via internally-gene-rated funds.
The company hopes to achieve better margins moving forward as it grows its non-fuel business such as sales from its convenient stores, as well as expands its petrol station network.
Amir Hamzah said with more stations, the company can secure better prices on goods and services from its suppliers.
PDB may consider buying smaller rivals if opportunity arises and if the deal makes sense.
"We won't do mergers and acquisitions (M&As) for the sake of M&As. It has to be beneficial and bring synergies to the company," he said.
PDB's net profit rose 41 per cent to RM228.45 million during the fourth quarter ended March 31 2011, against RM161.11 million in the same period last year. Its revenue for the quarter rose 17 per cent to RM6.38 billion.
For the full year, its net profit rose 15.5 per cent to RM869.73 million, while revenue rose 12.5 per cent to RM23.27 billion.
"Overall, I believe the company had a good year, especially against the backdrop of the economic recovery market," he said.
The company also aims to push its lubricant business segment to the number one spot, with a 32 per cent market share from the current 22 per cent.
"For the lubricant business, it's going to be an aggressive market penetration and promotions, with strong backing from Petronas Lubricants International," Amir Hamzah said.
For the commercial and liquefied natural gas segments, he said PDB would focus on maintaining its leadership position with quality services and marketing. |
| Chua Soi Lek (CSL), A Political Dwarf Against Lim Guan Eng (LGE), A Political Giant Posted: 17 Nov 2011 06:04 PM PST Nicole Tan Lee Koon This is in response to Chua Soi Lek's press statement dated 16th Nov, 2011 (http://www.mca.org.my/en/chua-dap-has-no-right-to-an-apology-from-mca/). In that press statement, CSL said that he shall abstain from responding to LGE's demand for MCA to apologise unless LGE replied his questions on hudud law. In the same statement CSL claimed that he is not against overseas Malaysians voting. I would like to remind the MCA President that the main issue is the Malaysian citizen's constitutional right to vote (CCRTV). CSL should be defending CCRTV instead of just "not opposing". CSL is reluctant to implement CCRTV as a leader and he is evasive by using lame excuses such as logistical nightmare and "out of touch" (which he later denied). Lame because how can one use logistics to deny a constitutional right? Further, he tried to sidestep the issue by referring to their only ammunition (hudud law) which is being used ad nauseam. To set the record straight, LGE did respond to the hudud issue (http://mychiefministerlimguaneng.blogspot.com/2011/10/guan-eng-hudud-not-in-common-agenda-of.html) and (http://mychiefministerlimguaneng.blogspot.com/2011/09/guan-eng-dap-top-leadership-will-quit.html). CSL tried to brush off LGE's challenge for him to apologise for the overseas voting issue. Who is CSL to brush off LGE's challenge? CSL is only a political dwarf compared to LGE who is a political giant. Why? Because CSL has no courage to defend CCRTV like LGE. CSL's only courage was to own up to a sex video (CCTV) which made him well known to all Malaysians, Asians and the whole world. He was even rewarded by the MCA's delegates to be the President, immediately after that ! Speaks volumes of the quality of delegates that MCA has by electing a porn star to represent Malaysia. Whereas LGE's courage is quite different. He was incarcerated for defending an underaged girl whom he does not know. He suffered in jail for 18 months and he was also disqualified from standing for public office for a period of five years. He was the David fighting the Goliath in the form of big bullies, Barisan Nasional. He never gave up. For his courage and sacrifice, he was rewarded by the Rakyat to be the Chief Minister of Penang. CSL was given a new lease of life and yet he committed the greatest mistake by not defending the Rakyat's constitutional right to vote. CSL has no choice but to state his stand in defending CCRTV. He has to act as a leader. Failing to do so, he will go down in history as a MCA leader who refused to defend CCRTV. Even worse, in doing so he has denied CCRTV! Nicole Tan Lee Koon, Hon. Secretary, Seremban branch, NS DAP |
| Ex-minister: Saifuddin has distorted NFC cattle purchase Posted: 17 Nov 2011 06:02 PM PST (The Star) - A former minister has slammed PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution for allegedly distorting the facts surrounding the purchase of cattle from the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC). Ex-federal territories minister Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique admitted there was a delay in the payment for 25 cows bought to celebrate Hari Raya Aidil Adha three years ago, but it was because the invoice was only sent a month later. He said NFC only faxed the invoice for the RM70,000 purchase to his service centre in Setiawangsa on Jan 28, 2009 more than a month after the purchase on Dec 17, 2008. "Upon receipt of the invoice, the service centre issued full payment on Jan 29, 2009, via a cheque handed over to NFC on the same day," he said in a statement yesterday. Saifuddin was quoted in news portals yesterday as claiming that Zulhasnan had bought the cows on credit in 2008 and only settled the debt in 2009. Zulhasnan, who is also Setiawangsa MP, accused Saifuddin of taking his statement in bad faith. "It was a manipulation of facts in an attempt to make political insinuations," he said. Works Minister Datuk Seri Shaziman Abu Mansor, meanwhile, said NFC had donated two cows worth RM5,281.87 to the poor in the Tampin constituency in 2009. Shaziman, who is also Tampin MP, said he was shocked to learn of the Opposition's claim on Wednesday that the cattle was given to him, and had ordered an immediate investigation. |
| Malaysia’s economy likely to slow despite earlier boom Posted: 17 Nov 2011 06:01 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Malaysia should brace for a protracted economic slump despite the expected announcement today that its economy has grown by up to 4.8 per cent in the past three months, analysts have warned, as the mushrooming debt cloud from the US and Europe spreads eastwards. As the country heads into the last six weeks of the year, Bloomberg News reported today that most Asian currencies have been falling in the past three months on concern the nations that led the recovery from the 2009 global recession will falter.  File photo of a weekly night market in Kota Kinabalu. Analysts have said Malaysia should brace itself for a slump despite the recent growth in the economy. — Reuters pic "It's part of monetary easing if they let their currencies weaken," the business news agency reported United Overseas Bank economist Ho Woei Chen as saying. The ringgit has fallen more than five per cent in the past three months while the Thai baht has weakened 3.3 per cent but neither countries have cut their rates even as Indonesia and Australia lowered borrowing costs in this last quarter. "Probably they are not cutting interest rates that aggressively but letting their currency depreciate," Ho said, adding he expects Malaysia and Thailand to highlight the risks to growth going forward. Citing United Overseas Bank Ltd, Bloomberg reported that policymakers throughout the region may allow more weakening to support non-oil exports to Europe and the US, which have been crashing across the board in Singapore. The republic's main electronics sector has been battered and dropped by 31 per cent last month compared to the same period last year due to poor demand for disk drives and integrated circuits which plunged more than 50 per cent. Analysts observed that Malaysia's growth spurt in the last quarter was due to its strong domestic demand and export before the sovereign debt-crisis deepened in Europe. READ MORE HERE |
| Businessman says Khairy non-factor in ECM Libra’s RM330m valuation Posted: 17 Nov 2011 05:59 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Businessman Datuk Seri Kalimullah Hassan denied today Khairy Jamaluddin's involvement with ECM Libra Bhd resulted in the investment bank's valuation to rise to RM330 million in the reverse takeover of South Peninsular Industries (SPI) in March 2004. The former New Straits Times Press (NSTP) deputy chairman told the High Court here in his defamation suit against lawyer Matthias Chang that the son-in-law of then-Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi only joined the company as "a junior staff" after the deal was done. Chang's lawyer Datuk R. Kamalanathan had said that ECM Libra was preparing to make the Rembau MP a shareholder "on the basis of his relationship with the prime minister, who was also the finance minister", allowing the board of directors to value the company at 10 times its projected earnings for the year. "Absolutely not true. Khairy is not relevant. That is untrue and scurrilous," Kalimullah said. He said the valuation was based on "industry norms and a willing buyer, willing seller basis," citing Kencana Petroleum's recent 25 times valuation in its merger with SapuraCrest. Kalimullah said "there is nothing wrong" with hiring Khairy as a director in ECM Libra for his connections but stressed that this was "not just politicians but with industries, this is how business is done." "Wouldn't you agree that this is entirely corrupt? Stealing a march on an ordinary person who has no connections?" Kamalanathan asked. "Then every investment banker in town is corrupt," Kalimullah replied. READ MORE HERE |
| The Oracle on Economics and Business Posted: 17 Nov 2011 05:53 PM PST SAKMONGKOL AK47 Some economics lessons from Oracle. These are some recent opinions from the Oracle of Syed Putera. He has been away for an extended period this time darting in and out of the country, traversing different climatic zones and all that. For that, he was still nursing flu when I met him last week. He was already prepared with a small note on the topics he wanted to speak about and through experience, for me to write on. Before he could share with me the contents of the note, I asked him about the listing of Felda Ventures. Why is the issue about Felda listing evolving into a very hot topic? Isn't it illogical and highly unreasonable for any right thinking individual to oppose the listing that would result in more cash in the hands of ordinary Felda settlers? To oppose the listing would be selfish and even envious on the part of the objector over the benefits that would go to settlers. That would be a very reasonable argument indeed. Our objection to the proposed listing is based principally on our concern that businesswise, the listing isn't aimed at actually giving Felda settlers long term benefits. IPOs are usually used as a means, by the underwriting banks to make money as well as the people in the listing company to reap sudden windfalls. Two groups make big money. One, the underwriting bank or banks. Two, the people with large block of shares- those who got pink forms and have money to subscribe to the IPO. After the initial euphoria, look at the long term price of stocks belonging to GLCs. They stay just above par value for the next 10 years. So, the stakeholders, namely Felda settlers maybe who own 5,000 to 10,000 worth of stocks cannot expect to make big money. Those who make money are those owning more than 250,000 shares. How many are of this type in the Kumpulan Permodalan Felda presently? Maybe 2. The basic philosophy of our economics is wrong. The listing of Felda Global Ventures for instance. Felda should stay close to its core business which is plantations and its related business. That's where its business skills are. It can't compete here except under a protective regime yet it wants to compete in global business. It has to be managed by a team which knows how to compete in global business in a variety of ways. We are told, the new listed company will be managed by the team that is managing the present unlisted FGV. The record there is dismal having an accumulated loss of RM 500 million. This raises a cause of concern whether the new entity will be managed by capable team. It does place KPF berhad( the cooperative arm representing the Felda settlers) which has been making money and declaring dividends, potentially at risk. The problem with our economics managers here is they have flouted the first fundamental law. If the thing is unbroken don't try to fix it. Improve on it yes, but not alter its entire character. Before something happen everyone is buoyant. We can write beautiful treatises and working papers in support of our business model. The man who helped Salleh Budu prepare his paper on the NFC project in order to get money from MOF/MOA must have given a detailed model to succeed getting RM 240 million. Did it also prescribe buying a high end condo at 1 Menerung to earn revenue? If it did, then NFC is also in the property business. Because of that we get the funds we aim for. If it fails, how do we justify that? We can't say we worked hard as hindsight. Prostitutes work hard. GRO in Karaoke joints do so. The touts asking for donations on 1001 religious orphanages and schools work hard with patrons at eateries and petrol stations. We can't defend by saying we haven't disbursed the money fully. Then the borrower can say we fail because we don't have sufficient funds. It's even more disingenuous saying its ok, we placed the money in escrow account. Show it then. If placing public funds in escrow account, we have to have a lawyer in charge of that account. Ask him or her to speak about the escrow account. If placing public fund in escrow accounts is good policy, then perhaps we will be better off placing the entire appropriated fund from our consolidated fund aka the budget in escrow accounts. By giving all those excuses we are skirting around the issue. We seem to miss the point. The point is managing our assets and public money responsibly and accountably. These are the issues. Back to Felda listing. There is the real question of managerial capabilities. You are going to place felda in a wide ranging business fields. If listing is an all-consuming obsession, then it would be rationally better to list the successful KPF rather than having it team up with FGV which has a bad record. You are putting the interests of the 220,000 settlers at risk by teaming up a poorly performing business arm and have it listed. FGV is then riding off KPF. Can FGV go listing on its own? It can't right? It has to depend on KPF. If that is the case, KPF is the entity that should go for listing, not FGV. IPO can't be an excuse for Felda to get funds right? It has and can borrow from our EPF funds. In any case it says it has money and large reserves. Ahmad Maslan once threatned to sue people over allegations that Felda funds are so low. So why want to do an IPO? What is the typical spread between the issuing company and the public? The public is usually given 25% of the listed shares. Out of that maybe 5% is reserved for directors, Felda employees, selected persons. Those who can and are able to subscribe more than 250,000. For these people, a moratorium is a small price for waiting. Ananda Krishan took his public company private because he reasoned out, the public isn't appreciative of his business. We can't argue with the owner if he feels it that way. Delisting his company and making it private allows him to control the business and gives him more freedom. When you go for listing there are some many rules and regulations and protocols with which you now must adhere. Every 3 months, you prepare voluminous reports to the SC. Not that SC necessarily reads them, but that is the protocol by law. You have to submit quarterly reports. That means a lot of paper work for a long time. Then you have to maintain the reporting accounting firms. You retain them to monitor the public listed company on a fee costing a few million Ringgit a year. That means, you take up more costs not associated at all coming from business operations. These are additional administrative costs. But if the FGV thinks it can absorb all these costs, who are we to argue with them? We wait for them to publish escalating administrative costs in the next few years. READ MORE HERE |
| PAS stirs more discomfort in Kedah Posted: 17 Nov 2011 05:23 PM PST MCA has alleged that non-Muslim business operators in the state are being forced to 'close-shop' for 15 minutes during prayers times. (Free Malaysia Today) - A directive by the local councils in Kedah for non-Muslim shops to cease operations for 15 minutes during prayer times has riled the Kedah MCA. Crying foul, the party cited several other regulations imposed by the local councils which infringe on the rights of non-Muslims. In a statement today, Kedah MCA chairman Chong Itt Chew criticised the Pakatan Rakyat led state government for emulating Kelantan in its approach which he described as 'a failure'. Kedah is helmed by PAS' Azizan Abdul Razak (photo). "Although the Syariah Criminal Enactment, which was passed in Kelantan in 1993, has yet to be enforced in the state itself, Kedah's local councils readily adopted its doctrines," said Chong. For starters, Chong said, business premises including those that belonged to non-Muslims, are told to cease operations for 15 minutes during Muslim prayer times. "They are also forced to close their business at 3pm during Ramadan," alleged Chong. Threat to license He claimed that the local councils had also threatened to confiscate their business licenses should the businessmen fail to comply with the regulation. Chong also raised the unresolved issue of the 40-year swine abattoir which was demolished in 2009. READ MORE HERE |
| Missing a large hole in Sarawak kitty Posted: 17 Nov 2011 03:59 PM PST How on earth did the Auditor-General give Sarawak's finances a 'clean bill of health' when for the past nine years billions have been chanelled to 'phantom agencies'? How can the Auditor-General not see this annual big drilled hole in the state public accounts? This kind of criminal act is akin to bank robberies where a robber or gang of robbers would drill a big hole into the bank strong room to get the hard cash out. Awang Abdillah, Free Malaysia Today The annual Auditor-General's Report which is supposed to be professional and independent is grossly inaccurate, especially on Sarawak. Giving the state government a clean bill of health for nine consecutive years (until 2010) is not only inaccurate but unbelievable and disgusting. In fact, it is simply the Audtor-General lying to the public . For professional accountants coming up with such reports only show that the Auditor-General's officers are either not qualified to check the financial health of a government or that they are "on the take". "On the take" here means the officers were rewarded to cover up bad practices and financial criminal acts committed by the head of government, which is tantamount to not only making false reports but can be construed as being an accomplice to the wrongdoing . Of the two possibilities, I am of the opinion that the second one is the right answer. The Auditor-General's officers should read the reports from the on-going international investigations into the ill-gotten wealth and investments of the Chief Minister (Taib Mahmud) overseas. They should not ignore the claims made by the opposition parties and the information from online news portal. They must research and obtain a fair, better and accurate picture of the public accounts of the state government. The Auditor-General should check and investigate the following gross malpractices perpetuated by the Sarawak government: Allocation of state funds to phantom agencies According to the DAP reports, the following are the biggest irregularities in the state budget estimates: Year allocation of funds (in billions) 2007 – RM1.257 2008 – RM1.719 2009 – RM1.825 2010 – RM1.416 2011 –RM1.7 These huge allocations were channelled to unknown recipients. A client without identity would make it difficult for the Auditor-General's office to monitor or check how these funds are spent, which is understandable. But they can still question and check from the state finance ministry the actual funds spent and given out to these phantom agencies based on these budget estimates. And reports could be made accordingly.
Missing the large hole
How can the Auditor-General not see this annual big drilled hole in the state public accounts? This kind of criminal act is akin to bank robberies where a robber or gang of robbers would drill a big hole into the bank strong room to get the hard cash out. Don't tell me the investigating police officer cannot see the big hole! The only deduction we can make is that the money, all those years, was channelled to the Chief Minister's own private companies and later these funds were transferred overseas. These public account malpractices are widely reported in the online media news portals which the Auditor-General cannot ignore but should check before making the final reports, which are not only improper but a scam and a crime. For public accounting principles and rules, the most serious abuse of public funds is insider stealing/theft of public money . The chief minister is literally stealing the public funds which should be the Auditor-General's priority to investigate and expose. If your investigation proves to be true, then your office should report to the Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission (MACC) accordingly. I have never heard of any government allocation of funds of such a magnitude approved by a State Legislative Assembly only to be stolen later by politicians who control the government! This kind of unique practice is only found in Sarawak. These funds are taken out from the development funds, which is supposed to be for development projects for the people. Our brothers at MACC are another kind who do not bother who steals what. Looks like the Auditor-General and MACC are two birds of the same feather. Closed-door tenders given to Taib's family and cronies Contracts worth hundreds of millions of ringgit are given every year to Titanium (Management), CMS (Cahaya Mata Sarawak) and Naim (Holdings) without going through the open tender system. The prices of these projects are marked up way beyond the actual prices. Since the projects do not go through the open tender system, they themselves will do the "fix-and-approve" of the prices, according to their greed. The Auditor-General should check the prices they quoted vis-à-vis the actual costs of these projects. Substandard works
Not satisfied with the profits from the mark-up prices from these projects, Taib and his cronies build the projects without following the standard building/construction procedures. That is why the road infrastructures in Sarawak are in bad shape and need repairs. Even roads in Kuching city are of substandard quality. Substandard infrastructure then calls for maintenance jobs. Again the contracts go to the same companies.
Maintenance jobs Maintenance works for roads and bridges again go to the chief minister and his bandits without the open tender system. A large sum of state funds is paid out every year for such purpose. As to whether they do the job or not, the national auditor should check these out. READ MORE HERE |
| Empty vessels make the most noise Posted: 17 Nov 2011 03:56 PM PST MCA leaders are gutless con artists pandering to the demands of Umno just to ensure that they still get a slice of the pie. When you have dissenting voices within a coalition, this is normal and healthy as a form of public debate. Throughout this entire episode, not once did the DAP say that it would abandon Pakatan Rakyat. Wee represents a party which has no say, so expressing its own views on national issues is an alien concept. Douglas Tan, Free Malaysia Today Remember the adage: silence is golden? I'm sure many parents have taught their children that if you do not have anything nice to say, you should keep quiet. However in politics these days, we have mud-slinging from both sides of the political divide. It appears that the less relevant you have become, the more you have to shout at the top of your lungs. For the MCA, it is able to see that it is fast disappearing off the political scene just like Gerakan. The party has been criticised over the years for being gutless and pandering to the demands of Umno, just to ensure that it still gets a slice of the pie. It arrogates to itself the divine duty of representing and fighting for Chinese interests in Malaysia. Are we still under the illusion that we need elected representatives of the same ethnicity? If Barisan Nasional component parties still believe this after having the "1Malaysia" concept shoved down their throats and pinned on their lapels, it quickly becomes clear that they are only interested in serving themselves. The Malaysian Chinese diaspora in Malaysia is made up of clans which include the Hokkien, Cantonese, Hainanese, Hakka, Foochow, Teochew, among others. From the beginning, they settled in this country and worked hard to get to where they are today. What has the community asked for? Just freedom to do business, educate their children well and be allowed to live and prosper. However, even going back to the days when Umno pushed forward the NEP (New Economic Policy), did the MCA speak up at all? Bashing the DAP Nowadays, the MCA has resorted to attacking the DAP at every opportunity it gets. Not a day goes by without Dr Chua Soi Lek or Wee Ka Siong making a press statement in The Star and the Chinese language press about the "shortcomings" of the DAP, with their favourite targets being Lim Guan Eng, Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh. Kit Siang and Karpal Singh have been a constant thorn in the side of the MCA. Due to the consistency of the DAP as both a party and a state government, the MCA has struggled to find issues to harp on. So it brings up old issues or flogs dead ones. Wee has just hit out at Karpal, after the latter expressed his support for Anwar Ibrahim to be the next prime minister. Going back to the Sept 16, 2008 fiasco, Karpal was not impressed that Anwar wanted to form a government with frogs coming over from the Barisan Nasional. This issue has been long resolved as the event has already taken place. When you have dissenting voices within a coalition, this is normal and healthy as a form of public debate. Throughout this entire episode, not once did the DAP say that it would abandon Pakatan Rakyat. Wee represents a party which has no say, so expressing its own views on national issues is an alien concept. Hudud again? Not stopping there, Wee then continues to flog the hudud horse and how it would infringe on the rights of non-Muslims. After discussing the matter with several Malay friends and colleagues, it is clear that the principle of hudud is seriously misunderstood. The MCA is guilty of propagating misinformation in order to make its position look better. Although opposition parties are not immune from doing this, at the very least the MCA could be creative about it, apart from its "No to Hudud" and "No to DAP" campaign. The DAP and PAS have already reached a consensus about the issue. Constitutionally, it has been clearly established that hudud cannot be implemented. Despite this, the debate rages on, fuelled by the irresponsibility of BN component parties, especially the MCA, to spook the non-Muslim community. READ MORE HERE |
| RM100mil meant for Miri port repairs missing Posted: 17 Nov 2011 03:49 PM PST Barisan Nasional's 'crony-orientated policies' has also been blamed for the 30-year-old squatter problem in Miri. (Free Malaysia Today) - KUCHING: Where has the RM100 million federal allocation to resolve the silting problem in Miri port gone? This question was posed by Piasau assemblyman Ling Sie Kiong during the debate on the state's 2012 budget. "And what had happened to the RM5 million fund allocated for study and RM100 million allocated by the federal government to solve the Miri port problem?" he asked. Ling said Miri port is facing problems of shallow waters due to silting and big ships can no longer dock there. Hence many ships now bypass Miri for Bintulu port instead. "The Miri port is the notorious 'white elephant' that is grossly under-utilized after its costly construction and expensive maintenance to keep it running. "There is still a never-ending debate about whether to dredge the waters regularly at heavy costs or relocate the port further away from the river mouth, " he said. He described the Miri port as an epic wastage and a result of bad planning by the BN government. "The same can happen with dams, and such situation must be avoided for the sake of the people and environment," he said referring to the Bakun dam and the proposed 12 other dams. "Hydro-electric power dams are both a boon and a bane for the people around the world, and the larger they are, the larger their effects," he added. 30-year-old squatter issue Ling, who slayed his six-term predecessor and former deputy Chief Minister George Chan in the April 16 state election, also highlighted Miri's perennial squatter issue. He blamed Miri's unresolved squatter problems on the government's crony-orientated politics. He said there was no reason for sprawling Miri division to experience squatter problems. "It is ironic that the largest state in the country could not even provide land to house the poor and needy people in the large division of Miri, when so much state land in Miri had been alienated to big companies over the past few years. READ MORE HERE |
| Our third submarine stirs up muddy waters Posted: 17 Nov 2011 03:47 PM PST How much did the Malaysian taxpayer pay for the Agosta-class submarine? When was it purchased and when was it decided to hand it over to Ali Rustam? Why has there been no mention of the Ouessant until we hear that it will be made into part of Malacca's maritime museum? Gaining ownership of the Ouessant is akin to learning to drive in a 20-year-old Proton Saga, then buying the car for RM200,000 only to use it as a reban ayam (chicken coop). Mariam Mokhtar, Free Malaysia Today When the Malaysian government signed a deal in 2002 with the joint naval builders, DCNS of France and Navantia of Spain, to commission two Scorpene-class submarines, it did not realise that the purchases would create an international scandal. The controversy surrounding the Scorpene-class submarines refuses to sink into oblivion. Now, attention is focused on the little known Agosta-class submarine, the Ouessant (S623), which was completed in 1978 and served the French navy until she was decommissioned in 2001. It appears Malaysia also owns the Ouessant. A few readers may recall very sketchy details about a third submarine which was used to train the Malaysian submariners. That was the Agosta-class Ouessant, which the "Asia Sentinel" described in its reporting on the Scorpene scandal as a "retired submarine manufactured by a joint venture between DCN and Spanish company Agosta". Opposition politicians have bombarded Umno with questions about the submarine deal but have been thwarted by unintelligent and conflicting answers from the Defence Ministry. Now, the curious case of the Agosta-class submarine, the Ouessant (S623), is only just surfacing. "The Asia Sentinel" stated in April 2010 that this third ageing submarine was leased for training purposes. However, we are now told that the Malaysian Navy has bought the Ouessant, the Agosta-class submarine. If so when? And, for how much? Why has there been no mention of the Ouessant until we hear that it will be made into part of Malacca's maritime museum? Gaining ownership of the Ouessant is akin to learning to drive in a 20-year-old Proton Saga, then buying the car for RM200,000 only to use it as a reban ayam (chicken coop). So, was the Agosta thrown in as as sweetener for the purchase of the two Scorpenes? Did the French try to appease the Malaysians because one of the Scorpenes was faulty? Malaysians first read of the Agosta-class submarine in a rather obscure report by Bernama on April 22, 2011, when the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) chief Admiral Abdul Aziz Jaafar said that the Ouessant was unsuitable for naval operations but would be converted into a museum piece to show the progress made by the RMN. Abdul Aziz said, "We are expecting its arrival in August. There will be a signing ceremony between the Defence Ministry secretary-general and the French side before it is handed over to us. "It is a second-hand submarine we bought for training RMN personnel. Now that its services are no longer needed, it will be brought to the Lumut naval base in August".
RM12.6 million museum project
Abdul Aziz explained that the Ouessant had been used as a training submarine for the submariners of the two Scorpene-class submarines KD Tunku Abdul Rahman and KD Tun Abdul Razak, which were commissioned in 2009 and 2010. Then on the Sept 23, the Malaysian Ambassador to France, Abdul Aziz Zainal and the Director of International Development in the French Defence Ministry Yves Blanc, signed the documents for the transfer of ownership of the Ouessant. The submarine was then transported on a floating dock to Malaysia in early October in an operation organised by Felda Transport. After being at sea for 32 days, the Ouessant arrived off the Malacca coast. Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam said that the submarine would be transported to the exhibition site at the 1Malaysia Square, Klebang. During the site visit, Ali explained that the Malacca government had been given custody of the French-made Ouessant. The submarine museum project, he said, had cost RM12.6 million and would attract more tourists to Malacca. Earlier, Abdul Aziz denied that Malaysia's first two Scorpenes, KD Tunku Abdul Rahman and KD Tun Abdul Razak, were not operational and he affirmed that they were "in the open sea and operating smoothly". He also rubbished claims that kickbacks were involved in the purchase of the two Scorpenes, and by way of assurance, stated that neither the European Union nor the RMN condoned such acts. Is Abdul Aziz really that naïve? The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) convention states that it is a crime to bribe foreign public officials in international business transactions. The OECD convention may have been signed by countries in Europe but it didn't prevent former premier Tony Blair from stopping investigations into allegations of kickbacks by the arms company BAE and the Saudi royal family, under the guise of national interest and security for Britain. There are numerous questions about the purchase of Malaysia's Scorpene submarines. Why did the Malaysian government omit to procure the weapons systems for the two submarines and why did they purchase submarines that were not fitted out for use in tropical waters? The empty shells that were purchased then had to be equipped with torpedoes, sea-to-surface missiles and mines, all of which cost the taxpayers several millions more ringgit. Perimekar Sdn Bhd, which received the kickback in the Scorpene deal, is intricately linked with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak through his friend Razak Baginda and Baginda's wife, Mazalinda. Baginda and his wife are co-owners of Perimekar and it is alleged that the Scorpene deal involved kickbacks, money-laundering and a series of unexplained "co-ordination services". READ MORE HERE |
| When both BN and Pakatan will fail us Posted: 17 Nov 2011 03:35 PM PST Corruption is the mother of all problems which neither Barisan Nasional nor Pakatan Rakyat want to sort out, says Zaid Ibrahim. Stolen moneys will have to be refunded. Those ill-gotten assets will be confiscated. Laws will be passed so that any corruption and abuse of power of more than a million but less than RM10 million will attract mandatory five-year jail sentence. Zaid Ibrahim, Free Malaysia Today In the coming general election the people have an excellent opportunity to elect good and responsible governments at both the state and federal levels. But regrettably, the people will probably continue to be disappointed after the election euphoria dies down. If the Barisan Nasional wins, there will be more of the same: there will be no institutional independence and integrity; corruption will still be rife; wastage and senseless over-spending will continue; the national debt will keep on rising; and EPF will still lend money to the government regardless of the risks involved. Malaysia will be bankrupt in 2020. If the Pakatan Rakyat wins and Anwar Ibrahim is the PM there will not be any meaningful reform either. We can expect them to espouse generalities like "Justice" and "Fairness for All". In fact the first violation of institutional integrity will take place. For Anwar to be PM, Pakatan will need to appoint an Attorney-General who will play ball to help clear Anwar of the crimes he is charged with. For this, Pakatan will not have a truly independent inquiry because they want Anwar exonerated at all costs. They cannot allow "God's gift to Malaysia" (or so Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail describes him) and the "man touched by God" (as Chua Jui Meng calls him) not to be the Prime Minister. For them the ends justify the means. This is exactly the sort of questionable ideology they have always accused BN of obeying. So, the first thing they will do is to violate the integrity of the Attorney-General's Office. They have already said they will not do anything about the bloated civil service. They will not reform the education system—they have said this as well. They are against the Goods and Services Tax and they have said so. By that they probably mean to do nothing to make fiscal polices more progressive and attractive to increase government revenues. Of course they say they will reduce corruption and wastage, but this is something easier said than done. Doling out taxpayers' money to Pakatan assemblymen is corruption, and yet they are proud to match the BN's political strategy in this. Handing out cash to win votes is also corruption but both the BN and Pakatan do this routinely. READ MORE HERE |
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