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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• Silence is easy
• BR1M oath: 'By Allah, I will vote for BN'
• GE13 Hotspot: Johor (aka How One Chinaman Will Lose Johor for UMNO)
• What was inside Kiram’s lost letter to Aquino?
• Nik Aziz brands Umno as communists
• A manifesto that hoodwinks voters
• No way Pakatan can fulfil manifesto, says Tunku Aziz
• Busy fighting the enemy within
• Samy: MIC has addressed all Indian problems
• Hey, where's my share?
• Najib’s RM1.40 per day food budget
• Sabah Standoff: Diplomatic Drama After Filipino Militants Storm Malaysia
• Collapsed Cyberjaya flyover was closed for repairs, say PKNS, Works Ministry
• 'RCI pointless if Dr M, Anwar not summoned'
• Letter from the Institute of Engineers, Malaysia
• PI Bala: A lot of hot air but no 'bomb'
• Anastacia Breast Cancer: Singer Diagnosed With The Disease For Second Time
• ‘There will be no political tsunami in Sabah’
• BN’s Tengku Adnan admits Pakatan leading social media battle
• Bank Islam defends suspending chief economist
• Pakatan’s manifesto: Populist or Reformist?
• Storm brewing in Perak PKR following candidacy dispute
• Three possible outcomes seen
• Can PI Bala deliver anything for Pakatan?
• Ten-Figure Fortune
• Pakatan generals and sweaty palms
• Umno members among armed group?
• Suaris Interview: Future of Malays #5
• Coping with inevitable Evil created by Government
• Pakatan's tolls policy: a polls ploy?
• Politics, Manifestos and the difference between a Sponsorship guy and a Marketing man
• SYA : 17 Reasons Why Pakatan Rakyat Manifesto Is A Reason That We Should Not Vote For CHANGE
• PR Manifesto has opened the doors wide for HINDRAF to talk to Najib
• Picture worth thousands of votes?
• The war for military votes
• Is Pakatan Really Ready To Rule?
• Ulama need reformasi for PAS to move forward
• Kedah MB sidelines ringleader and drops two others as GE candidates
• Cabinet & Parliamentary Rebalancing (Part 3): A Weightier Parliament and a Slimmer Cabinet
• Public Opinion Survey 2013
• Hindraf: Pakatan manifesto a big letdown
• Are Filipinos Malays?
• PR manifesto is ‘hardly transformational’
• Pakatan will always have Malay bedrock, says DAP
• Removal of Defamatory Links
• Pakatan vows to phase out NEP
• Pakatan: Life beyond Anwar Ibrahim
• Of election manifestos
• British investors sue ex-Umno treasurer Azim over RM12.8m
• Pakatan targets RM49.5b yearly savings to fund programmes

Silence is easy Posted: 28 Feb 2013 12:08 PM PST   Let's start by speaking up. I am Muslim. And I love dogs. Elza Irdalynna, Free Malaysia Today  By now, many Malaysians are aware of Pak Mie and his heroic deeds of rescuing and caring for over 500 dogs in Alor Setar, Kedah. Most of us are amazed by his spirit, and have even rallied together to help him in his cause. Yet a note that keeps recurring in the articles and videos that feature Pak Mie and his wife is one that disgusts me, as I'm sure it has for anyone with a heart. Despite Pak Mie's purest intentions, a majority of his Malay community has shunned and condemned him, labelling him as an infidel and morally corrupt. Why are the Muslims of this country (particularly the Malay Muslim group) so filled with hate toward the canine species? Growing up, I was ill-informed and learned that Muslims weren't allowed to own dogs. I later understood that this was a simplified version of the teachings, and untrue. Dogs are considered to be dirty, and there are specific ways to cleanse oneself according to Islam when touching a dog when it's wet or its feces and urine. However, it was and had never been haram for a Muslim to own a dog. Why the silence? Yet it is common for many Malaysians to see dogs getting beaten, objects or hot boiling water thrown at them, and I've even heard of cases where razor blades are stuffed into sausages and fed to the dogs. A friend of mine had his dog poisoned by his Malay neighbour. Dogs aren't just considered a nuisance by this group of people; they're a target for violence. Still, what angers me most is not the cruelty of these misguided Malay Muslims. What makes me angry is the silence of other Muslim dog lovers. I know there are plenty of us out there who not only are against cruelty towards dogs, but are also Muslims who own dogs. Yet whenever such disgusting acts take place, where is your voice? Why must we keep our ownership a secret? We fear judgment and so we leave the fight for the rights of these animals to the non-Muslim community. Last October, I lost my six-month-old Shetland Sheepdog in a hit-and-run. We were coming back from our morning walk, and his leash fell out of my hand. He ran back to the park near our house. When I caught up to him, his dying body was twitching in the middle of the road, his head soaked in blood. As I cradled my baby, neighbours rushed to my side. I was touched by their assistance – one ran back to her house to get some blankets, another went to get a bag, and two other dog owners walked me home, comforting me. I am forever grateful to them for their kindness. Jaqen was a very friendly dog. He was popular among the kids and other dog owners at our park, and would show off his "fetching" skills when we played ball. But I recall little kids who played with him, asking me, "Are you Malay?", and upon my reply would say, "My mother says Malays cannot have dogs." I would patiently correct each misinformed child but I was annoyed at how parents nonchalantly pass this information to their children. It's bad enough you hate dogs; must you also teach your children to do the same? Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/03/01/silence-is-easy/

BR1M oath: 'By Allah, I will vote for BN' Posted: 28 Feb 2013 11:40 AM PST   (Harakah Daily) - "I hereby solemnly swear and promise, in the name of Allah, that I will vote BN in the coming election, and that I will work to help UMNO to unite Muslims under the United Malays National Organisation, not to disunite Muslims, unlike Hj. Abdul Hadi Awang who wants Muslims and Malays in Malaysia to be destroyed and fall apart." The above is the oath which is stapled together with the 1Malaysia cash aid (BR1M) voucher. The oath typed wholly in capital letters in Bahasa Malaysia was distributed during a ceremony to distribute the cash aid at a secondary school in Beris Panchor, Bachok, Kelantan. Prior to this, several blogs and Facebook postings have reported of such an oath being required from recipients of BR1M. Bachok PAS vice chairman Hassan Mohamood said such a requirement from recipients made a mockery of UMNO leaders' claim that the cash aid had nothing to do with the looming general election.  "Such is UMNO's dirty tactic which is desperately using the government machinery to salvage whatever left of their power," Hassan said. He however was confident that recipients would not support UMNO because they were aware that the party "is on a life-support". Meanwhile, during a separate BR1M distribution programme held at a school in the same constituency of Tawang, one recipient passed out while waiting for speeches by local UMNO leaders to end. Yaakub Ibrahim from Kampung Budi said his brother-in-law Nik Mahmud Nik Ismail who suffers from diabetes had arrived early to receive the cash aid. However, he grew tired waiting through a lengthy speech by the UMNO leader at the ceremony. He was later admitted at the Raja Perempuan Zainab II Hospital in Kota Bharu.

GE13 Hotspot: Johor (aka How One Chinaman Will Lose Johor for UMNO) Posted: 28 Feb 2013 11:12 AM PST   Azman A. Yahaya  As many of us are aware, despite Pakatan Rakyat's growing popularity among voters in various states in Peninsular Malaysia, Johor has been widely acknowledged as Barisan Nasional's 'safe deposit'. I am here to tell you: That is no longer the case. A strong wave of disenchantment is brewing among us anak-anak Johor over the actions of one Chinaman from Sabah, the so-called 'Property King of JB' and 'de-facto Johor MB' Lim Kang Hoo who is being handed the assets of our beloved state of Johor on a silver platter, all thanks to his puppet MB Ghani Othman and fellow UMNO cronies.   1. KFC In 2012, Johor Corporation Bhd (JCorp)'s controversial decision to sell its cash-cow KFC was met with resistance, especially the Malay community because we were worried that KFC would end up in the hands of non-Bumis. JCorp's official reason for selling KFC was that immediate cash was needed to cover its RM3.6 billion debt. But then again, it shot down the Malay Chamber of Commerce's counter-offer, which was of 10 sen more per share. Major questions were raised and things went quiet after that. And now, our worst fears have come true: Tan Sri Lim Kang Hoo has surfaced as the majority owner of KFC through his vehicles CVC Capital Partners, Credence Resources Sdn. Bhd. and Iskandar Waterfront Holdings Sdn. Bhd. To get his slimy hands on KFC, Lim Kang Hoo used a complex system of layered deals, as shown below:   Looking at the flow of money in the diagram, it is obvious that the complicated layers of deals were used to cover Lim Kang Hoo's hand in the grab and mask the public's eye over the 'hanky panky' transactions involved.   2. JCORP'S PROPERTIES The entire KFC 'restructuring exercise' includes the signing of questionable agreements with dubious terms and conditions between Lim Kang Hoo and JCorp. One of the hidden clauses in the agreements include a so-called 'safety net compensation' for Lim Kang Hoo whereby if Triple Platform Sdn. Bhd. is not listed within 4 years, he stands to grab more than RM600 million worth of 'pre-determined properties' from JCorp. Considering the fact that JCorp owns key properties such as JB's Menara Ansar, Puteri Pan Pacific, Persada Convention Centre, KOMTAR and KL's Pusat Bandar Damansara, Lim Kang Hoo knows this deal is a finger-lickin' good one. Should this clause trigger however, the ramifications to JCorp's very existence is at stake. Even a seasoned Chinaman developer like Lim Kang Hoo needs help to pull something like this off. This is where his puppet, JCorp Chairman and Menteri Besar Johor Abdul Ghani Othman comes in along with Ghani's cronies, including: Dato' Ahmad Zaki Zahid, former member of Pak Lah's 'Fourth Floor Boys' and former JCorp man, current Ketua Pemuda UMNO Putrajaya and EXCO Pemuda UMNO. To no one's surprise, he has been appointed MD of Triple Platform Sdn. Bhd. Wan Ahmad Firdaus Wan Ahmad Fuaad, drinking buddy and fellow BOD member of JCorp with Ahmad Zaki, who has since quit JCorp to join JP Morgan. To no one's surprise again, JP Morgan was the appointed advisor for this deal. To hell with any conflict of interests. Ghani, Zaki and Fridaus a.k.a. Lim Kang Hoo's Three Stooges – What's with the red baju and ties? Nak mintak Lim Kang Hoo kasi angpau ke?   My parents are born and bred Johoreans and they are old-school UMNO members. They worked very hard to send me to Australia for an education with the hope that one day I can contribute to our beloved state, party and community. Even as I am doing my best to fulfill my parents' wishes, I will not stand idly by while a Sabahan Chinaman, aided by 3 traitorous Malays, waltzes into JB and grabs our rightful Malay heritage land and forcing the locals to be displaced put into little flats for his convenience to steal our billions. I thought UMNO is supposed to defend our Bumiputra rights. UMNO is not doing this but instead is helping a Chinaman rape our Malay assets. What happened to Janji Ditepati, Satu Malaysia and the New Economic Policy (NEP)? Has it become Janji Dilepasi, Sapu Malaysia and the Never Ending Penipu?

What was inside Kiram’s lost letter to Aquino? Posted: 28 Feb 2013 11:05 AM PST   (Borneo Insider) - WHAT WAS in that letter so that Sultan Jamalul Kiram III could say that had the President paid attention to it, he and his followers would not have taken matters in their own hands? It was lost not in translation but in the appreciation of its urgency and significance. That is what happened to the letter sent to President Aquino in 2010 by Agbimuddin Kiram, crown prince of the sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo, expressing his clan's stand on the Philippine claim to the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah and the peace process in Muslim Mindanao. After congratulating and expressing his clan's support for the new Aquino administration, Agbimuddin informed Aquino about the creation of the Interim Supreme Royal Ruling Council (ISRRC) under the sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo as a result of the series of consultations in Simunul, Tawi-Tawi; KM-4 Indanan, Sulu; and Kawit, Zamboanga City, on June 20, 25 and 26, 2010. There is probably another reason why the letter got lost in Malacañang. The letter was dated June 28, 2010, two days before Aquino took his oath as President. Technically, then, he was not yet officially the sitting President. The letter was coursed through the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp) but since Secretary Teresita Deles had not yet assumed office at the time, another officer there received the letter and it was this officer who decided it was "not urgent." Dismissed as such, the letter was relegated to the pile of papers deemed not needing presidential attention. The Opapp officer who made the decision was considered an expert in Muslim affairs. After the Sabah standoff began three weeks ago and the letter was mentioned in the early reports of the Inquirer, a source in Malacañang said the President inquired about it. Aquino was reportedly disappointed to learn that no one kept the letter or a copy of it. The same source, who asked not to be identified, quoted the President as saying: "Next time, when a letter is addressed to me, give it to me so I can read it." Seeking guidance Specifically, Agbimuddin in the letter asked for guidance from the new President on what course of action the ISRRC should take, especially involving the Sabah claim. "With highest esteem, may we inform His Excellency that during the consultation process, we asked our supporters what action, under the guiding light of your administration, the ISRRC of the sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo would take or adopt anent the Sabah issue, which became the national contract between the government of the Philippines and the sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo pursuant to the filing of such claim in the United Nations against Great Britain and Malaysia in 1962," Agbimuddin said. Anticipating Aquino's participation in international forums such as the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) leaders' summit, Agbimuddin stated his clan's position on the Sabah claim to guide the President in discussions on the issue in meetings with representatives of Malaysia. International forums Agbimuddin wanted Aquino to articulate two points for the clan: The special power of attorney given by the sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo to the Philippine government was revoked in August 1989 for lack of political will to push forward the claim by previous administrations from the time of then President Diosdado Macapagal, and the ISRRC had been legally established instead, taking over all actions pertinent to the Sabah claim. Agbimuddin was appointed chairman of the ISRRC by his elder brother, the sultan, in June 2010. Ignored for five decades Abraham Idjirani, secretary general and spokesman of the sultanate of Sulu, said the appointment of Agbimuddin as ISRRC chairman was the basis for the crown prince's exercising "authority" over Sabah, thus the six-hour "journey back home" to Sabah on Feb. 11 (most reports date the Sabah trip to Feb. 9). In his letter to Aquino, Agbimuddin expressed his clans' exasperation at being ignored through five decades of the discussions of the Sabah claim. Read more at: http://borneoinsider.com/2013/03/01/what-was-inside-kirams-lost-letter-to-aquino/

Nik Aziz brands Umno as communists Posted: 28 Feb 2013 10:58 AM PST   (The Star) - PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who has branded Umno as an apostate and infidel party, is now branding the party as communists. In his latest posting in his Tok Guru blog (www.blogtokguru.com), he said that Umno should be labelled as communists because it had rejected Islam although the party had built mosques. The posting was published on Wednesday after he delivered his speech at the Pakatan Rakyat convention which was held recently in Shah Alam. The Kelantan Menteri Besar claimed that Umno's version of Islam was that the religion was unsuitable for Malaysia because the country had a multi-racial population. "If that is so, what is the difference between Islam and the communists? The communists also built mosques, just like Umno, which is famous for building mosques. Hence, there is no difference between Umno and the communists," he added. "If we were to go to Singapore, Thailand, London or America, Islam is also unsuitable for these countries because of their multi-ethnic population. "This is what Umno wants if we were to subscribe to the party's Islamic ideology," he added. Nik Aziz said the Chinese members and supporters from DAP had accepted Islam because they wore shirts with PAS logos on them. "It means that Islam has been accepted not only in the peninsula, but also in Sabah and Sarawak," he added. Last week, Nik Aziz caused an uproar when he reportedly said the 1Ma­­­lay­­sia People's Aid (BR1M) handout was like feeding padi and coconut husk to poultry and livestock and only meant to bring the farm animals closer to those who gave them the fodder. He later back-pedalled and tried to do damage control by reasoning that he made the analogy about BR1M recipients because Umno was responsible for the culture of giving cash to the people as a political bait and, therefore, treating them like animals. In an immediate reaction, Kelantan Umno information chief Datuk Dali Hussin said Nik Aziz and PAS were now desperate because Umno had become a serious threat to them. "It is also unbecoming for an ulama like him to liken Umno to the communists after he hurt all Malaysians with his BR1M remark. "His comments are getting ridiculous by the day in his desperate bid to gain political support. "This time, he has gone overboard by saying such things against Umno members, many of whom had fought the communist terrorists," Dali said.

A manifesto that hoodwinks voters Posted: 28 Feb 2013 10:52 AM PST People in a peaceful rally against the Selangor government for failing to provide preschool allowance as promised in the 12th general election manifesto. Selangor menteri besar has stated that a manifesto is not a promise. NOT COST-EFFECTIVE: It's baffling why Pakatan is insisting on emulating bankrupt countries Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, NST  PAKATAN Rakyat has unveiled its manifesto.  It is all about reducing government revenues and increasing spending. This is to be achieved by lowering taxes, reducing the number of taxpayers by raising tax-free allowances, doing away with tolls, and more. On the other hand, the salary bill will be increased because of an increase in minimum wage, there will be free education for everyone and roads and highways will be built and maintained. With 1.1 million employees, the government's salary bill is very big. By increasing the minimum wage to RM1,100, not only will those drawing less than the minimum wage get an increase but those earning more must also be given a wage increase to maintain their status as superiors to those below them. The salary scales of all grades will have to be increased in order to do this. It is not about raising the salaries and wages of those earning below the minimum wage only. This will be in addition to the RM2 billion because of the recent rise of the minimum pay to RM900. The cost of education will also increase by more than RM2 billion because of free education. The repair and maintenance of highways will also run into several billions of ringgit. Currently, the cost of petrol subsidies is about RM18 billion. If petrol prices were to be lowered, then several more billions of ringgit will have to be added to government subsidy. On the other hand, revenues will decrease by several billions of ringgit with taxes lowered, the number of people paying taxes reduced and highways made toll-free. Revenues will also decrease as higher wages for the business sector are bound to reduce profits as well as the taxes paid to the government. Some businesses may have to close down or move to other countries. There will be less investment, both foreign and domestic. And more unemployment.   At one time, the manufactured goods sold in Malaysia carried European brands. Today, they are almost all from Japan, Korea and China. Except for German cars, all the motor vehicles on the roads are from Asian countries. For decades, the Europeans and Americans have been increasing wages and providing perks to their workers. The prices of their products increased accordingly and could not compete in the market. They lost the market. But they keep increasing their high cost of living. Today, they are facing an irreversible financial crisis. Greece, Spain, Portugal and even Italy are on the verge of bankruptcy or have become bankrupt. Even Britain and France are in financial trouble. The United States is also in deep financial crisis. It faces the need to reduce government spending (sequestration) or increase taxes. Sequestration will mean less money for education, healthcare and defence. The number of teachers would have to be reduced. Even the control towers at some airports would have to cease operations. Military bases, weapons and personnel would have to be reduced. An austerity programme will slow down growth and increase unemployment. Like the Europeans, the Americans also do not like to reduce their spending. They refuse to pay more taxes. In fact, the rich are demanding tax reduction. The financial crisis in Europe and America is basically because of overspending. Until they cut back on their spending and increase taxes, their economy will not recover. Pakatan's manifesto advocates the very things that have bankrupted Europe and America. If Pakatan is responsible, it should work out the cost. It is not too difficult to do this as government employees' salaries as well as developmental and maintenance needs are known. We know the number of people who will get a pay increase; we know the cost of maintaining educational and healthcare institutions; we know the cost of maintaining roads and highways; and we know the cost of development. Instead of merely commenting, economists and financiers should work out the mathematics. Then, the people will understand what the manifesto really represents. But, on the other hand, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has said a manifesto is not a promise. Obviously, Pakatan is preparing to renege on its manifesto. This is not surprising. In Selangor, the Pakatan government has failed to honour its promise, including providing free water and allowance for single mothers. Pakatan's manifesto is obviously meant to hoodwink the electorate.

No way Pakatan can fulfil manifesto, says Tunku Aziz Posted: 28 Feb 2013 10:47 AM PST   (NST) - BAD TRACK RECORD: Opposition playing 'silly games' for votes KUALA LUMPUR: FORMER DAP vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim said the opposition coalition's manifesto is just another list of promises that will not be fulfilled. "Those who believe and rely on those promises will be left disappointed," he said, adding that the nature of the manifesto only prove that the opposition do not have the experience to govern a nation. "Based on their track record, many promises will go unfulfilled," said Tunku Aziz at a press conference in Tropicana Golf and Country Resort here yesterday. "If Pakatan Rakyat leaders had any experience in their hands, they would realise that their promises cannot be delivered." He added that the opposition's plan of raising the income of Malaysians was just following what the Federal Government had laid out, but with an increase in figures. "Unlike Pakatan Rakyat, the government figures are prepared by teams of experts from the Finance Ministry, the Economic Planning Unit and Bank Negara Malaysia. "Are they (opposition leaders) doing this to get people excited? To win a few votes? "They are playing silly games. We have to think whether they are in a position to deliver." Experience, Tunku Aziz said, cannot be replaced by expectations or promises. He added that the opposition leaders should be a little more modest and learn more before beginning to make such promises to the people. "We cannot have this kind of behaviour in people who aspire to lead us and the future of our complex country, and we should take all these things much more seriously." On a separate matter, Tunku Aziz called on the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to investigate the "technical glitch" that happened during the DAP central executive committee elections in Penang in November last year. He said if DAP leaders were good and responsible, they would voluntarily step down while the RoS investigated the matter. "The CEC was improperly constituted, and the appointment of the top leadership cannot by any means be regarded as valid. "Now, we see the flaws of the DAP system. The convention in Penang made it very clear."

Busy fighting the enemy within Posted: 28 Feb 2013 10:39 AM PST   Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak has survived several health scares and is moving to secure his Mentri Besar post as well as to put in place his choice of successor in Kedah. Joceline Tan, The Star  IT is quite fortunate that Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak has a great sense of humour given the periodic speculation about his health. The Kedah Mentri Besar has grown quite used to people imagining that he is about to meet his maker. For instance, there was a death in his house on the outskirts of Alor Setar last Sunday. His sister-in-law, the elder sibling of Azizan's first wife, had passed away and there were cars parked outside the house and people milling about. When a reporter called to tell him that people had wondered what was going on, he quipped: "Is that why you phoned me? To ask if I had died?" That is why many reporters like him he is terribly witty when in a good mood and sharp-tongued when feeling grouchy, but never boring. Actually, Azizan is looking quite healthy these days. He seems to be responding to treatment after a series of health scares over the past year. He has put a bit of weight back on and looks like his old distinguished self. However, curiosity over the activity at his house last weekend had more to do with his political health. For the last week or so, PAS supporters had been staging protests against Azizan with some of them going to the extent of asking him to step down. As such when people heard about the busy scene at Azizan's house, they thought he was bowing to the pressure to call it a day. It was wishful thinking because that is the last thing on his mind. Azizan has made it clear that he will be leading his party into the general election. He intends to defend his Sungai Limau seat and he has not discounted the fact that he will still be Mentri Besar after the election. His supporters argue that if Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who is 81 and sickly, is still contesting the election, Azizan who is 13 years younger can do the same. But the problem is that Azizan is planning to put his opponents in PAS out of his way. He has submitted a fresh list of election candidates to the PAS central leadership that will effectively cut his opponents off from below the knee. In the new list, Datuk Phahrolrazi Mohd Zawawi, who is Azizan's chief threat to the Mentri Besar post, will be sent from the Pengkalan Kundor state seat to the Jerlun parliamentary seat. Datuk Dr Ismail Salleh andDatuk Dr Hamdan Mohd Khalid, the two assemblymen aligned to Phahrolrazi, will be dropped. It was as good as sending Phahrolrazi, who is the party's No 2 man in Kedah, into political exile. Phahrolrazi's state seat is located in the Kuala Kedah area where he is also the PAS division chief. Being sent to Jerlun is akin to being plucked from a tree in his own garden and chucked into a new and hostile backyard to grow anew. But who can blame Azizan for wanting Phahrolrazi out of the way? Phahrolrazi's group had tried but failed to topple Azizan when he was lying on a hospital bed recovering from a heart attack. Azizan would have to continually look over his shoulder if Phahrolrazi continues as an assemblyman. Last year, Phahrolrazi declined to be reappointed as a state exco member. The PAS central leadership had to intervene and when Phahrolrazi relented and rejoined the state exco, Azizan demoted him to a less important portfolio and promoted another loyalist Datuk Taulan Mat Rasul over Phahrolrazi. The state civil servants say the two men are barely talking. However, the two nemeses exchanged broad plastic smiles and even shook hands in front of their president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang during the Chinese New Year do in Alor Setar. Phahrolrazi was on a talk show on Astro Awani last week during which he described his boss as a three-cylinder engine car. As everyone knows, a three-cylinder car is economical to maintain but it cannot go as fast as, say, the BMW, which has a six-cylinder engine. Phahrolrazi is an engineer and it was his way of saying that the Mentri Besar was under-performing when he should be zooming ahead at the speed of a BMW car. And if that was not enough, he said he was prepared to take on the top job if that is what the top leadership wanted. It was a touchy interview and the boss did not appreciate being described as a three-cylinder vehicle. Read more at: http://thestar.com.my/columnists/story.asp?col=joceline&file=/2013/3/1/columnists/joceline/12774309&sec=Joceline

Samy: MIC has addressed all Indian problems Posted: 28 Feb 2013 10:36 AM PST   (fz.com) - Former MIC President Datuk Seri Samy Vellu vehemently denied that there are major problems plaguing the Indian community and insisted that he is still closely monitoring the solutions he had put in place to solve all the community's problems.   Samy Vellu, who was the MIC's longest serving president until his resignation in 2010, was commenting on the opposition's claims that the Indian community is facing major problems including a lack of education, poverty and documentation issues.    In an interview with fz.com, Samy Vellu said it was during his time that Maju Institute of Education (MIED) – the education arm of MIC – was formed.    "The education problems of the Indians have been taken care of by MIC when I was the president. We spent RM120 million to educate (Indians) by building colleges and universities.    "We have trained 45,000 Indian students to be craftsmen and we have even given out scholarships.    "We have built a university, Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) for the Indian students to become doctors and there are also other races studying there," said Samy Vellu in defence of MIC.    Samy Vellu said that despite stepping down from the president's post in MIC, he is still helming the efforts to assist Indians.   "I am still the chairman of MIED, which owns the AIMST," said Samy Vellu.     On whether poverty is rampant in the Indian community, Samy Vellu said that it has always been the policy of MIC to give the poor Indians jobs.   "We have an organisation called Yayasan Pemulihan. Whenever we see people in poverty, we get them a job. We have started an organisation called Yayasan Strategik Sosial as well," said Samy Vellu.   On the statelessness issue of Malaysian-born Indians, especially those in the estates, a problem which was highlighted by PKR, Samy Vellu said that the issue was merely being politicised.   "I don't think the opposition have any knowledge of the statelessness issues of the Indians. What is the opposition? They just open the mouth and talk - they are only doing politics - but we are doing politics and social work.    "All the stateless Indians have gotten citizenship and MIC has done it for many thousands of people. During my time itself, we had separate departments to look into the activities of Indians. Until today, I still see people for seven hours every Tuesday and record what they need and then after that I get them the needed help," said Samy Vellu.  Read more at: http://fz.com/content/samy-mic-has-addressed-all-indian-problems

Hey, where's my share? Posted: 28 Feb 2013 10:31 AM PST   The irony is, all these goodies are coming out of my tax dollars. Yet, because I am single, over 30, earn a living income and already have purchased an apartment (closer to hovel when you consider property prices in PJ), I get zippo.   N. Shashi Kala, fz.com   I HAVE a confession to make... with all the talk of elections and goodies being handed out willy nilly, I'm feeling kinda left out.   I mean, there's BR1M for senior citizens and for those from poor households, RM200 smartphone rebate for youths under 30, RM200 book vouchers for students, RM100 school aid for each child, Kedai Makan 1Malaysia for cheap meals, KR1M for household goods, PR1MA for first-time house buyers, TR1M for taxi drivers and a host of other goodies.   The irony is, all these goodies are coming out of my tax dollars. Yet, because I am single, over 30, earn a living income and already have purchased an apartment (closer to hovel when you consider property prices in PJ), I get zippo.   Yes, I fall squarely in the middle class with high taxes and few reliefs or rebates (the yearly RM1,000 book rebate is one few I enjoy).   The rich – who usually have their own businesses – tend to find ways to avoid paying or at least substantially reduce the amount of taxes they pay (thanks to creative accounting and undeclared income stashed overseas).   But for salaried employees like me, the IRD gets first dibs on my money even before I do.   It has been years since the government has shown any kindness to those like me, for whom finishing a 7-year car loan is cause for celebration – never mind that the repairs bills have been on the up and up.   Also, I suspect that those in this group are among the more regular charitable donors, as they have more disposable income.   You could say that, hey, you're not exactly suffering, so why do you need help? But that's not quite true.   My generation bought our homes by ourselves – we did not have the luck of having our parents put down a hefty down payment for it. We left home right after school (to work or go to uni) and never moved back in.   When I wanted to buy my first car, I used my savings and took a loan to buy a small, second-hand Charade. The monthy loan repayment cost RM384, a huge sum for someone pulling slightly less than a thousand salary.   Nowadays, most of the twenty-somethings I know drive brand new Myvis or Protons paid for by their parents.   I guess the point I am trying to make is that nothing was given to us – we worked hard to get here. And cost of living increases strike us just as hard.   Escalating cost of private healthcare, and car prices that border on the ridiculous (seriously, paying 300K or more for a depreciating asset is ludicrous, unless you are very rich) are just some of the examples.   We are stuck in between the rich – for whom shelling out 20K for a handbag is just a shopping footnote - and the poor who end up diluting infant formula purchased at Kedai 1Malaysia to make it last longer.   We are stuck in middle class hell and it feels like all our hard-earned money is being siphoned off as handouts to special interest groups. But these kind of populist, one-off measures do nothing to improve the lot of the poor.   Read more at: http://fz.com/content/hey-wheres-my-share

Najib’s RM1.40 per day food budget Posted: 28 Feb 2013 10:29 AM PST   (The Rocket) - RM41.60 is enough to feed a family for a week, according to Prime Minister Najib Razak. In a speech boasting about the impact of the BR1M government welfare assistance program, Najib said that receipients of the RM500 aid would be able to buy food for one year. "We have calculated that on average, a family can buy groceries such as 10kg of rice, 5kg of cooking oil and other essentials per month with RM41.60. That means they have enough to buy food for 12 months with the RM500 BR1M," he told the crowd when  officiating the Terengganu state level "Program Jelajah Janji Ditepati" in Dataran Syahbandar, as reported by news agency Bernama. Based on Najib's calculations, each family would have a household daily food budget of RM1.40. Rising food prices Netizens have ridiculed Najib for his comment, calling him out of touch with the actual cost of living struggles faced by ordinary citizens. Threads in the popular forum lowyat.net are discussing Najib's statement, juxtaposing it together with actual food prices. A forum user calling himeself "t3arsCulprit" pointed out that the cheapest price for a 10kg packet of rice costs RM20 and a 5kg bottle of oil cost RM15. User "scorptim" went further to divide the amount of rice that an individual could afford to consume within a month with a 10kg limit and three daily meals, working out to be 111g of rice per meal. Users "Mie131085″, "exBlasTer" and "Acher13″ also doubted that the RM500 would be sufficient to cover living expenses for a year. Illogical calculations Meanwhile, PAS's Parit Buntar member of parliament Mujahid Yusof Rawa called Najib's calculation "illogical", pointing out that the threshold level for poverty is a household income of RM1,200 a month. "It's hilarious, whether Najib said it wrongly or he said it unconsciously, but he was wide awake," Mujahid said. DAP's MP for Bukit Bendera, Liew Chin Tong called Najib "a political prince" who has no understanding of the lives and aspirations of the ordinary Joe. Liew said Najib's statement showed that he has no inkling of what the people endure in an economy that doesn't help the bottom 60 per cent. In his speech, Najib added that this showed that Barisan is a government that looks after the people. As such, he stressed that the people should now realise the truth and reject the opposition coalition. More than 20,000 people attended the event, including Najib's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said.

Sabah Standoff: Diplomatic Drama After Filipino Militants Storm Malaysia Posted: 28 Feb 2013 10:25 AM PST   (Time) - Some observers believe that the timing of the occupation is designed to disrupt the Malaysian national elections that are due before the end of June, and the issue has now become a political hot potato domestically. A diplomatic crisis is engulfing part of Borneo, after Filipino rebels seized control of a remote section of Malaysia's Sabah state as part of an unresolved territorial dispute that stretches back centuries. Malaysian security forces have surrounded 100 to 200 members of the Royal Army of Sulu, who have holed up in the village of Lahad Datu for the past two weeks in order to press their historic claim to the land. The Philippine and Malaysian governments are now engaged in tense negotiations in order to resolve the dispute without the use of force. The rebels, who hail from the autonomous island province of Sulu in the southwestern Philippines, had been given until midnight on Tuesday to voluntarily leave the area, but Manila has been desperately trying to negotiate an extension to this deadline to avoid bloodshed and a tense standoff currently hangs in place. The leader of the rebel unit is the brother of Jamalul Kiram III, one of the two main claimants to the title of Sultan of Sulu. Back in the 17th century, before the Philippines existed in its present form, the two principle sultanates in the region were Sulu and Brunei. In 1658, the Sultan of Brunei for some reason gave Sabah to the Sultanate of Sulu, which today is considered part of the Philippines. However, the picture is further complicated by an 1878 deal between the Sultanate of Sulu and the British North Borneo Company, in which Sabah was leased to the Europeans on a rolling contract. To this day, the Malaysian government pays a token sum, equivalent to around $1,500, to the Philippines every year in recognition of this continuing arrangement. The Royal Army of Sulu interprets this deal as a lease that can be canceled, while Malaysia believes that it represents the permanent transfer of the territory. It does not appear that the Malaysian authorities are willing to give up the land, which boasts valuable petroleum reserves, palm-oil plantations and also serves as an agricultural and manufacturing hub. Regional commentators have accused the Sulu rebels of trying to exploit past claims as a gateway toward ensuring future prosperity. "The governments of Malaysia and the Philippines are trying to manage this incident carefully," Jonah Blank, senior political scientist specializing in Southeast Asia for RAND Corp., a global policy think-tank, tells TIME. "We've seen many Muslim rebel groups arise or take refuge in the southern part of the Philippines, and Malaysia has brokered a fragile cease-fire: neither Kuala Lumpur nor Manila is eager to see that fall apart." Read more at: http://world.time.com/2013/02/26/sabah-standoff-diplomatic-drama-after-sulu-militants-storm-malaysia/#ixzz2MFdLX5NT

Collapsed Cyberjaya flyover was closed for repairs, say PKNS, Works Ministry Posted: 28 Feb 2013 10:13 AM PST   (The Malaysian Insider) - The flyover near the Selangor Science Park 2 (SSP2) here that collapsed today was closed for repair works since last November, the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) said today. PKNS general manager Othman Omar said that the flyover, which was originally built by PKNS but has been handed over to highway operator PLUS Malaysia Berhad, was closed to repair a road that had begun to sink beneath it. However, PLUS has denied the flyover was handed to it, saying it is still under the purview of PKNS. Othman said that both PKNS and PLUS began investigations last December after noticing damage to the flyover from excavation works. "Before we could finish the investigation, the flyover has collapsed," Othman told reporters here. Minister of Works Datuk Seri Shaziman Abu Mansor said in a statement today that the flyover and the road below it were closed since December 7 last year, and will remain closed until December 31 this year, depending on the speed of repair works. "On December 7, I visited the bridge after I was informed by the Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) that there was movements on one of the pillars at the Science Park 2 tiered interchange that connects to Putrajaya and Cyberjaya," said Shaziman. Shaziman's statement was confirmed by PKNS' deputy general manager Abdul Ghani Hashim, who said that four pillars on the Cyberjaya side suffered from structural problems. According to PKNS, the peaty land in the area caused the road underneath to sink, causing PLUS to hire a third party to run repair works. PKNS insisted that the flyover was in perfect condition when it was handed over to PLUS, but it was not designed to withstand deep excavation underneath which has caused structural disturbance. Othman today promised that works to rebuild the flyover will be started as soon as possible, with clean-up expected to take three weeks, and construction another eight months. "We don't want this to be a war of pointing fingers ... We want to take pro-active measures, we will fix this first. Hopefully along the way we will resolve this issue," he said. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/collapsed-cyberjaya-flyover-was-closed-for-repairs-say-pkns-works-ministry

'RCI pointless if Dr M, Anwar not summoned' Posted: 28 Feb 2013 05:19 AM PST (Daily Express) - Kota Kinabalu: SAPP Youth is urging the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah to call former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and several present government leaders to testify in the hearing. Its leader Edward Dagul, who gathered along with more than 50 members and supporters at the courthouse compound, Wednesday, said: "The public hearings will never be complete and Sabahans will never be satisfied unless these top leaders at the time like Dr Mahathir, Anwar and several present government leaders are called to answer many questions in the minds of the people. "People are worried that there is little time left for the RCI to bring these persons to testify in public because the next sessions are scheduled for March 5 and March 18, when it is expected that the election campaign will be in full swing. "Both Dr Mahathir and Anwar have expressed willingness to testify. Dr Mahathir and his administration have been implicated by earlier witnesses who appeared before the RCI. "As for Anwar, he has been specifically mentioned by two ex-Prime Ministers, namely Dr Mahathir and his successor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as being involved (in the issuance of citizenship documents to unqualified foreigners in some way)". "The next RCI hearing is the last chance for the people to be fully informed of the facts of Project IC and the illegal immigrant issue before the people make their choice of government in the ballot box. "We urge the RCI to take heed of the people's demands and expectations that the whole truth of the "Project IC" fiasco be revealed for the purpose of doing justice to the people of Sabah, whose dreams upon forming Malaysia have been dashed," he said. Also present were Likas assemblyman Datuk Liew Teck Chan and Luyang assemblywoman Melanie Chia.

Letter from the Institute of Engineers, Malaysia Posted: 27 Feb 2013 10:27 PM PST LIFTS ARE DESIGNED TO BE "FAIL-SAFE" -  Highlighting the basic safety features of lifts We refer to the news reports on 20th February 2013 whereby a woman was killed when a lift plunged five floors after its cable snapped in a 10-storey apartment block at the Lumut naval base in Perak. It is shocking to note that yet another public facility failed to function and killed a woman passenger. We should be thankful the lift was not fully occupied. The loss of a single life is horrible enough. The question that begs to be asked is why did this incident happen? Could we have taken necessary precaution to ensure such incidents do not occur? The answer is a resounding yes and hinges on a good and committed maintenance programme. For centuries lifts have proven to be effective vertical transportation systems and as engineers we can attest to this.  We also know poor maintenance and even negligence can result in mishaps but we do have preventive measures that can save lives. Let us take a closer look at the safety features of a lift. Each lift has a minimum of five hoisting cables and in the event one cable snaps the remainder four would ensure safe travel in the lift. So why did all five cables give way simultaneously? This wire rope must be properly installed, aligned and calibrated by an experienced technician to function effectively. Even with the snapped hoisting ropes the free falling lift car would be stopped by the mechanical brakes on the main guide rails as the last line of defence before it slammed on the buffer in the pit. What is baffling is how all these safety features failed to work. The mechanical and material specialists will be able to give their professional and analytical views on this impulse force which was so powerful that all strands of wire rope failed instantly and all at the same time. We can definitely speculate that poor maintenance or even no maintenance could be the cause for this incident. The persons assigned to conduct regular maintenance work should provide a definitive explanation on the level of maintenance that has been carried out. The question is whether the quality of maintenance service provided was below par.  Were skilled technicians assigned to carry out maintenance works? Were genuine spare parts used? If the answers are NO, it is only right that the appropriate action in accordance with the relevant regulations be taken against the maintenance supplier. We also believe that that Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) should do their part to ensure that only authorised lift vendors are registered as maintenance companies to perform maintenance. We further urge the regulatory agency to oversee all such maintenance companies to ensure only competent and qualified individuals are appointed to carry out all maintenance work and to certify the work done at the site. We understand that there is a shortage of competent and qualified persons specialising in lift installation and maintenance work. We strongly recommend for DOSH to certify more of such persons under a National Occupational Skill Standard (NOSS). The IEM hopes that proper investigations will be carried out to determine the cause of the mishap.  If there is a need, the IEM will be pleased to offer its services.     Ir. Prof. Dr Jeffrey Chiang Choong Luin Honorary Secretary THE INSTITUTION OF ENGINEERS, MALAYSIA

PI Bala: A lot of hot air but no 'bomb' Posted: 27 Feb 2013 06:10 PM PST (Yahoo News) - "Bala! Bala!" The crowd cheered as private investigator P Balasubramaniam walked with his hands raised into a packed hall at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH). And thus the night began with an air of anticipation – that something "big" will be revealed. Hundreds of people poured into the hall last night while others watched on a screen provided outside despite the rain yesterday evening. Close to 1,000 people from all walks of life -- from a young man with skinny jeans and eyeliner to elderly grandfather wearing a kopiah -- anxiously waited for the main event. The night began like a concert with opening acts to warm up the audience. Controversial political cartoonist Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque or Zunar and Suaram director Cynthia Gabriel took to the stage to fire up the crowd and set the backdrop for Bala's "revelations". After more than an hour, Bala finally took the stage and sat with Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin, who was the moderator. Bala, who had just returned home on Sunday, Feb 24, after being in hiding since 2008, was now centre stage, looking visibly nervous. He started his two-hour-long "talk" by recounting how he met Abdul Razak Baginda to the day he issued his second statutory declaration (SD). Bala, the key witness in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial, had linked the then deputy prime minister Najib Razak to the murder in his first SD. However, he retracted the passage regarding Najib in the second SD the next day. - See more at: http://fz.com/content/pi-bala-back-arrives-klia-heros-welcome Bala was the key witness in the Altantuya Shaariibuu murder trial, and he had linked the then deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to the murder in his first SD. However, he retracted the passage regarding Najib in a second SD the next day. Bala stumbled on his words, constantly referring to PowerPoint slides to help remember the events, and it went on for so long that he even took a toilet break. "I am very sorry. I haven't been in the country for so many years so I hope you will have patience with me," he apologised to the crowd. Although Bala repeated and revealed nothing new, the audience were at the edge of their seats, glued to his words. The crowd cheered and jeered every time Bala mentioned the names of the prime minister and his wife. Bala also gave his version of what happened when he met businessman Deepak Jaikishan after he issued his first SD. "We went to one Chinese shop in Rawang and he (Deepak) was asking what do you get by doing that SD one? Then suddenly I received a call from my wife that she getting harassed by two Malay men outside the house... He (Deepak) said 'don't worry. If you can prepare this SD then everything will be solved'. Bala also claimed that he had allegedly met Datuk Nazim Razak at The Curve and that Nazim had threatened Bala's family because of the first SD. Badrul later promised that last night was the first of many public forums that SAMM planned to organise with Bala nationwide, promising to drop more "bombs" in Kelantan, Johor and Sabah. Bala declined to speak to reporters.

Anastacia Breast Cancer: Singer Diagnosed With The Disease For Second Time Posted: 27 Feb 2013 05:28 PM PST (Huff Post) - Anastacia has revealed she has been diagnosed with breast cancer again. The 'I'm Out Of Love' singer has cancelled her European tour after finding out she was battling the disease for a second time. Fans were told of the news via a statement on her official Facebook page on Wednesday. "I feel so awful to be letting down all my amazing fans who were looking forward to 'It's A Man's World Tour'. It just breaks my heart to disappoint them" she said. The statement added that she is determined to beat the disease and live by her motto of, 'Don't ever let cancer get the 'Best of You!''. "A born survivor, Anastacia has one goal and that is to make a full recovery with the support of her family, friends and everyone around her," it added. The 44-year-old previously battled breast cancer in 2003 and made a full recovery through successful surgery and radiotherapy. She is to continue writing and recording her new album despite her diagnosis, and is hoping to reschedule the tour - which was due to start in London on 6th April - 'as soon as possible'.   1QTWnd3bnaw  SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QTWnd3bnaw   TnOy6HEf7HU  SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnOy6HEf7HU

‘There will be no political tsunami in Sabah’ Posted: 27 Feb 2013 04:49 PM PST Salleh observed that PKR also lacked credible Kadazandusun leaders and "no credible Muslim-Bumiputera leaders to strengthen Muslim support in PKR". (Bernama) - Najib Tun Razak, the architect of numerous government transformation programmes and 1Malaysia concept, is the preferred choice of Sabahans to continue as the Prime Minister of Malaysia, said Sabah Legislative Assembly Speaker Salleh Said Keruak. He also reiterated that "there will be no political tsunami hitting Sabah in the upcoming general election". He said this was evident from strong grassroots support and large turnout to welcome Najib during his recent visit to Sabah to drum up support, ahead of the crucial general election that has been called "the mother of all battles" Salleh said this was consistent with the findings of a recent survey conducted by the Merdeka Centre, rating Najib's popularity amongst Sabahans at the comfortable level of more than 70 per cent. "With the magic touch of Najib's 1Malaysia concept in transforming the country for a better future, I believe the voters will return BN in the 13th general election to continue to rule Sabah with a comfortable majority. "Having said that, I do not think polls tsunami will hit Sabah," he said in his lecture, entitled "Malaysian 2013 General Election: Will Polls Tsunami Hit Sabah?, to the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, today. Salleh said the 13th general election was an important election for the ruling BN as "it is perceived as a test to Najib's popularity as he needs a strong mandate to continue to rule Malaysia". The former chief minister expressed confidence that although the state BN component parties – PBS (Parti Bersatu Sabah), LDP (Liberal Democratic Party), UPKO (United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation), PBRS (Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah) MCA and Gerakan are likely to face a tough challenge in certain areas from the opposition, BN will win the Sabah state election, with "Umno is expected to retain all the 32 seats it currently holds". PKR lacked credible leaders According to Salleh, his confidence was based on several factors, including the failure of the opposition in Sabah to form a strong pact and the absence of a strong Chinese leader in the opposition. Salleh observed that PKR also lacked credible Kadazandusun leaders and "no credible Muslim-Bumiputera leaders to strengthen Muslim support in PKR". Apart from Pakatan Rakyat (PKR, PAS and DAP), there are two other opposition parties namely Sabah-based SAPP (Sabah Progressive Party) and Sarawak-based State Reform Party (STAR), and for now, it appears both Pakatan Rakyat and SAPP or STAR will fight each other rather than one-to-one fights against the ruling coalition. He said there were 25 parliamentary seats and 60 state seats at stake in Sabah, and of the 25 parliamentary seats, 20 are currently held by BN and five by the opposition. Salleh said of the 25 parliamentary seats, 11 are Muslim-Bumiputera majority, eight Kadazandusun Murut (KDM) seats, two Chinese and four mixed seats respectively while out of the 60 state seats, 31 are Muslim-Bumiputera majority, 17 are KDM-majority, eight are Chinese-majority, and four are mixed seats. During 2008 general election, Sabah BN nearly made a clean sweep, winning 59 of 60 state seats and 24 of 25 parliamentary seats contested. However, SAPP left the BN on Sept 17, 2008. He said with Sabah's contribution of 24 parlimentary seats, the state had since been regarded as BN's "stronghold or fixed deposit" and is expected to be the frontline battleground for the 13th general election, particularly in urban and suburb areas. Pairin Kitingan still strong On the recent establishment of the much-awaited Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI)on illegal immigrants that was well-received by political leaders and the people alike in Sabah, he described it as a step in the right direction which symbolised the federal government's seriousness in tackling the perennial problem. Expressing optimism about the ruling BN's chances in the coming general election, Salleh said the opposition in Sabah appeared to be "organisationally and structurally weak" as evident from their failure to form a united force to take on the giant size of BN machinery. "The "Semenanjung Agenda" vs "Borneo Agenda" has deepened the animosity between the Pakatan Rakyat and the United Borneo Front (UBF)," he added. Salleh stressed that the Kadazandusun Murut community support for charismatic Joseph Pairin Kitingan remains firm as many have shunned STAR Sabah Chapter chairman Jeffrey Kitingan's "Sabah for Sabahans" battle cry. "The show of unity by Pairin, Joseph Kurup and Bernard Dompok recently is a symbolic gesture that all the Kadazandusun leaders are prepared to set aside their differences to ensure a big win for the BN," he said, adding the opposition had failed to establish itself as an alternative party to BN in Sabah.

BN’s Tengku Adnan admits Pakatan leading social media battle Posted: 27 Feb 2013 04:22 PM PST Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT Barisan Nasional (BN) admitted today that its rivals may be leading in the social media battle but described it as merely a superficial appeal that may not necessarily translate as votes. "Voters may not follow us on social media because we are the government and maybe they think we have the mainstream media. Tengku Adnan (second from left) launches the Skuad BN campaign in Kuala Lumpur on February 28, 2013.— Picture by Choo Choy May"The other side may have more hits but that doesn't mean they (voters) would vote for them," coalition secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor told reporters at the launch of its "Skuad BN" campaign. Yesterday, BN chairman and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Election 2013 will be Malaysia's first "social media election", which echoed views that sites like Facebook and Twitter will be a key battlefront to BN's defence of Putrajaya. "The coming months will be a fascinating period for people in both politics and the Internet. "I can confidently predict that this will be Malaysia's first 'social media elections'," Najib, who himself has more than one million followers on Twitter and some 1.2 million "likes" on Facebook, told the Malaysian Social Media Week event. The statement comes just after the country's sixth prime minister admitted recently that social media could be a double-edged sword for his party Umno, conceding that the Net was among the chief causes of BN's record loses in the last polls. BN lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority in the historic 2008 general election that saw four states — Perak, Penang, Kedah and Selangor — falling to the loose coalition of PAS, PKR and the DAP, that later formed Pakatan Rakyat (PR). Political analysts have said that Malaysians are turning more to the Internet to get information, which has led to politicians setting up Facebook and Twitter accounts to reach out to voters, bypassing the mainstream media that has seen lower newspaper circulation and smaller broadcasting audiences. There are currently about 13.6 million Facebook users in Malaysia out of a 28.3 million-strong population, which is a 48 per cent penetration of the population, according to monitoring website socialbakers.com. According to the Oxford Internet Institute, Malaysia, along with Brazil, has the highest Twitter use in the world. A total of 29 per cent of Facebook users in Malaysia are aged between 25 and 34 years. A recent survey released shows this demographic forms the largest pool of fence-sitters, with about five million of them now registered voters. This new tech-savvy group will be the new kingmakers at Election 2013. Analysts said much of PR's success came from its pivotal early recognition and exploitation of the Internet as an effective campaigning platform. To this day, the Internet is still seen an opposition-dominated domain. But Tengku Adnan argued that the scenario has changed since 2008 and the ruling coalition was fast catching up on the trends. "We have our thing too but if you only focus on the opposition side of course you won't see what we are doing," he said.

Bank Islam defends suspending chief economist Posted: 27 Feb 2013 04:03 PM PST Internal investigations revealed that Azrul had sent out series of e-mails relating to the bank's official documents from his office to third parties. - See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/02/28/bank-islam-defends-suspending-chief-economist/#sthash.kv75NiyK.dpuf Internal investigations revealed that Azrul had sent out series of e-mails relating to the bank's official documents from his office to third parties. (Bernama) - Bank Islam Malaysia Bhd has come out in strong defence of its recent move to suspend its chief economist pending the outcome of an internal inquiry for alleged "serious breaches of discipline". "In this country, people are free to make all kinds of predictions on the election. After all, they are mere personal opinions that don't in anyway affect financial institutions like us. "But in our internal investigation following Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajuddin's remarks made at a regional forum in Singapore, we discovered evidence of violations of the bank's internal policies. These were listed out in detail in a show-cause letter handed to him," the source told Bernama. In the bank's view, the breaches were so serious that warranted it to lodge a report with the commercial crime division of the police, he added. The source said Bank Islam's rules on its officers invited to public forums were clear. "They have to seek approval from the management to participate in the forum and have their presentation vetted. "Azrul did not do all these. He went to Singapore completely without our knowledge and on the bank's time," he added. Further internal investigations by the bank also revealed that Azrul had, in recent months, sent out series of e-mails relating to the bank's official documents from his office to third parties, including highly confidential minutes of Bank Islam's board meeting. "He is not a board member of the bank and is not supposed to be possession of those minutes. "We discovered from the bank's computer server that other confidential bank matters were forwarded to outsiders. "These are very serious breaches of office policies and discipline that left us with no choice but to act firmly," he said. Asked to comment on the half-page advertorial taken out by non-governmental organisations and activitists in a newspaper on Feb 14 to voice their support for the beleaguered bank executive, the source: "To be fair to us, these people should have read the attachments we included to his show-cause letter where we listed out in great detail serious breaches which, in our view, warrant our action". "I would urge all of them to read the show cause letter and these attachments before jumping to conclusions," he said of the advertorial. "We are doing whatever it takes to protect the bank's interest. What we are doing is no different from what any other institution would do in similar circumstances. And, I'm confident our customers are behind us in this," he said. He said Azrul was due to appear before the bank's disciplinary board in March to defend himself based on the show-cause letter.

Pakatan’s manifesto: Populist or Reformist? Posted: 27 Feb 2013 03:58 PM PST However the manifesto is silent on how it is going to achieve its promises. It does not explain how this nation is going to be able to afford some new subsidies, grants, freebies and payouts. The coalition left details on revenue streams aside. FMT LETTER: From Koo Kay Peng, via e-mail Pakatan Rakyat's manifesto contains a lot of promises, goodies and freebies. It is not difficult to mistake as the latest budget. For a start, the coalition promises every Malaysian family a monthly take-home household income of at least RM4,000. It sounds like almost Utopia and the nation's coffer is bottomless. It promises payment as small as RM50 per month to more significant allocation of RM2 billion to fund minimum wage. However the manifesto is silent on how it is going to achieve its promises. It does not explain how this nation is going to be able to afford some new subsidies, grants, freebies and payouts. The coalition left details on revenue streams aside. However, the manifesto is definitely a political document. It is designed to please housewives, undergraduates, civil servants, retired armed forces members and Felda settlers who are considered important constituents in the next GE. Sabah and Sarawak appear clear winners too with promises of 20% share of oil royalty, pan-Borneo railways and better infrastructures. It offers protection of Orang Asli land rights and assistance. However, it is going to be a bad news for big conglomerates. The manifesto has proposed an anti-monopoly law to curb and break up monopolies. Another question beckons, how are smaller companies going to be able to compete with larger foreign companies regionally? The manifesto has failed to identify reforms needed in way the federal government conducts its business. Firstly, the federal government has to manage its on-going deficit. This country cannot continue spending beyond its means and expect money to drop from the sky. A cursory look at the PR manifesto does not suggest that they have a strategy in place to cut budget deficit. Second, the manifesto touches very little about reforms and restructuring. It takes an antidote that money is the solution to all woes. This approach may not be too different compared to what PM Najib has done over the last 5 years. As a result, both coalitions may end up trying to prove who is a better Santa Claus. Let's look at some of the details: 1 Malaysian Women's Contribution Fund PR intends to make legally compulsory for husbands to contribute between RM10-100. Government to provide RM50 per month for wives. It sounds great but RM10-100 is a tad too small a sum to even help pay anything. What about working couples? What about couples who are business partners? How does the government intend to enforce the contribution? If the coalition wants to please housewives and full time moms, it should stick back to what it has preached – being need based. It should focus on single moms, health care for underprivileged women, capacity building and equal opportunities for all women. Inequality for women in some faiths should also be addressed to ensure that their rights are protected. 2 Senior Citizens' Bonus Scheme Again, the coalition is exposing its populist tendency. Each senior citizen aged 60 and above will receive a bonus worth RM1,000 each year to help ease their financial burdens. Private sector retirement age has been raised to 60 years old. Not all of those who are 60 and above are going to need the assistance. However, there are many who might need more than just RM1,000 a year to survive. The coalition should stick back to its old adage – focus on needs and not blanket welfare. A retired CEO, who has millions in his bank accounts, does not deserve the RM1,000. Meanwhile, those who really need assistance might also need a shelter, food, nursing care, healthcare and others. It would be better for PR to focus on providing a decent and dignified retirement to the deserving senior citizens. 3 Economic Policy 3.1 Monthly household take-home income of RM4,000 It would require the coalition to double our GDP per capita of almost RM22,000 to RM48,000 (assuming that there's a breadwinner per household). Doubling our GDP per capita is desirable but as easy as it sounds. It takes a systematic overhaul of the economy to ensure that better remuneration commensurates with better productivity and higher value of production. What is PR's strategy? Doubling of GDP per capita through subsidy or cash handout is not sustainable. 3.2 Add 1 million new jobs Malaysians are no longer working in industries such as plantations, the construction sector and the service industry. Pakatan Rakyat will introduce a comprehensive package to ensure one million new job opportunities for Malaysians in these sectors by progressive reduction of one million foreign workers within five years of Pakatan Rakyat rule. It is erroneous to assume that Malaysians are ready to fill up the vacancies vacated by the one million foreign workers. It is false to assume that local employers will be ready to replace these foreign workers with local ones. Granted, new jobs will have to be created but most of our foreign workers are low-to-semi skilled. We need to create higher value jobs for our workers and growing number of unemployed graduates. This can only be achieved with a total overhaul of our education system and our economic structure. If the coalition reduces intake of foreign workers, a number of our local companies are just going to close shop and move on to less labour intensive industries or adopt automation. It is not going to create 1 million new jobs for Malaysians as claimed in the manifesto. 3.3 Minimum Wage of RM1,100 The Pakatan Rakyat administration will introduce a minimum wage, where every worker will be paid at least RM1,100 per month. The initial financial burden incurred by the employer in the early stages of the minimum wage implementation shall be equally borne by the government. The Minimum Wage Implementation Facilitation Fund worth RM2 billion aims to provide automation incentives and minimum wage implementation grants to eligible companies, to ensure that the entire job market is not jeopardised by the implementation of minimum wage. The question is why should taxpayers' money be used to help offset the financial burden incurred by employers? At present, there are already grants and subsidies available to help companies to automate and new technology adoption. MIDA has allocated RM2 billion to assist local companies. Some of these are matching grants. It has been proven that more funds/grants do not help local companies especially SMEs to automate. A change of corporate mindset, more demanding consumers and more competitive business environment are needed to instill the survival instinct in them. 4 Education The proposal to set up 5 technical universities and 25 vocational schools are made in the right direction. The manifesto calls for an establishment of a RCI for education reform. Honestly, we have had enough of RCI. The government needs to revamp both the education and higher education ministries so that people of calibre and quality educators are picked to manage our education system. RCIs seldom meet our expectations. PR needs to understand that "free education" is not synonymous with "quality education". It is important to focus on quality education than free education. Its manifesto affirms that fees for higher education in all public institutions will be borne by the government. Fees for students in private institutions will be subsidised by the government to be on par with the public institution's rate. This proposal is again problematic. There is no ceiling for fees in private institutions. Why should taxpayers' money be used to subsidized fees for students in private institutions? PR manifesto affirms that all students in the public institutions will be provided with living cost allowance for food and lodging, books and transportation, except for those who are financially well-off. Students in private institutions can borrow from a special fund to cover their living costs for the duration of their studies. How is this different from the PTPTN? It is just another form of PTPTN; which is probably going to end up with the same fate as the current one – not sustainable in the long run. Most private institutions are not just offering education, they are also promoting lifestyle and consumerism. It is quite common to find designer outlets, eateries and cafes operating in their premises. Surely cost of living is higher in private institutions compared to public ones. The coalition should focus its resources on upgrading the quality of public institutions to provide excellent education and make them the institutions of choice. 5 Social Well-Being Pakatan Rakyat is committed to resolve the problem of traffic congestion in the Klang Valley and other major cities within 10 years of coming to power, with the aim of reducing congestion by 50% during its first term. Additional investment of RM2 billion in the first year to double the number of buses and bus routes in the Klang Valley. It is a noble promise but may be too optimistic. The provision of public transport like buses alone does not help to reduce congestion if the government cannot change our mobility culture. Car is a social status symbol to many Malaysians. How many are willing to ditch their car and walk to the bus stop? It takes education, awareness and policy intervention to promote public transport. RM2 billion is a lot of money but without a comprehensive policy intervention, it is money into the drain. The increased number of buses may end up contributing to more congestion! Worse, the coalition is determine to lower the car prices to as low as RM25,000! Singapore imposes a high COE price (certificate of entitlement) for a reason – to discourage private car ownership! How can PR achieve lower congestion by making it cheaper and easier to own a car? It proposes to abolish tolls. It sounds good for those of us who using the highways often. However, toll is used as an effective way to reduce congestion by making it expensive to drive during peak hours. In sum, PR needs to get a bit more serious about its policy making capability to ensure that its solution to reduce congestion is well thought out and comprehensive. It is easy to sound populist but some of these policies may end up contradicting each other and being rendered ineffective. 6 Civil Service PR has appeared to be quite cautious in suggestion a comprehensive restructuring of the civil service. A number of PR leaders are aware of the problems faced by the civil service. It is bloated and soaking a lot of resources from the country's annual budget. But the 1.4 million strong civil service is an important vote bank for the coalition. It has to be done but do not count it on PR to announce major reforms of the civil service. It has worded its manifesto quite diplomatically by promising to restore the prestige and honour of the civil service and to free them from undue political interference. It is left to be seen if any government of the day would willingly not impose any control and command over its civil service. Most of the top civil servants are reporting to the executives. The nexus between the government and the civil service has to be moderated by an independent check-and-balance mechanism e.g. anti-corruption agency and IPCMC. Ironically, the PR manifesto is silent on the implementation of the IPCMC but promised an allocation of RM200 million per annum to the police force for modernisation. In summary, the PR manifesto may appeal to certain voter groups but it is hardly transformational. It does contain some heart warming promises to halt Lynas and to review the Pengerang projects but it has promises very little drastic reforms that are direly needed.

Storm brewing in Perak PKR following candidacy dispute Posted: 27 Feb 2013 03:43 PM PST (The Star) - A storm is brewing over the PKR in Perak, following a dispute on the candidacy for the Kuala Sepetang state seat. It is understood the Bukit Gantang division is furious over an announcement by party vice-president Dr Lee Boon Chye that newcomer Sandrea Ng Shy Ching would be nominated as the PKR candidate for the seat. The problem arose because nobody in the division knows anything about Ng, who is said to be from Endau, Johor. Dr Lee had made the announcement during a press conference in Kuala Sepetang on Feb 21. A party source said that having a non-local parachuting into the state constituency went against the wishes of the division members and was an indication that incumbent assemblyman Tai Sing Ng would be dropped from contesting in the general election. "Dr Lee's action is disrespectful to the current assemblyman," the source said in an e-mail to The Star yesterday. The source said the division, at its annual general meeting last year, had unanimously agreed to have a local from the constituency or a division member to contest the state seat. "The division submitted its list of potential candidates for the Kuala Sepetang and Changkat Jering state seats in June last year. "The division members hope the national leaders will take note of this and take the necessary action to diffuse the unnecessary tension," he said. Dr Lee could not be reached for comment.

Three possible outcomes seen Posted: 27 Feb 2013 03:08 PM PST Michael Yeoh Oon Kheng, The Sun THE general election date has been the subject of speculation for almost a year and it is now expected to be held on April 14 or 21. There are three possible outcomes for the election: Scenario 1: The status quo remains; Scenario 2: A reduced majority for the BN; and Scenario 3: BN regains two-thirds majority in Parliament. There are 222 parliamentary seats in the country, of which, about 150 are Malay/bumiputra seats, 30 mixed and 42 Chinese majority. In the 2008 election, the BN won 140 seats and the Opposition 82 seats. Umno won 79 seats, MCA 15 seats, MIC 3 and Gerakan 2. PKR won 31 seats, DAP 28 and PAS 23. From our analysis, it is clear that the rural population has largely returned to BN, in particular the rural Malays. Umno is expected to win more seats than in 2008. It is likely that it may win 85 to 90 parliamentary seats. There is also a clear trend that Indian voters in rural and semi-urban areas have shifted back to BN. However, the urban voters are largely still with the Opposition. Even if more urban Malays were to support Pakatan, it will not increase Pakatan's seats as these urban seats are already held by DAP. The urban Chinese support for DAP is strong, and as high as 85% of urban Chinese may vote for it. This will increase DAP's seats from between 35 and 40, up from the 28 it won in 2008. The prime minister's hope is that his outreach programmes to the Chinese community can win over some of the undecided Chinese voters but that is still a difficult challenge. Most Chinese voters seem to have made up their minds. Some older Chinese and the Chinese business community may want to give Najib a chance. They value peace, stability and prosperity. In a study on the main concerns of the Chinese community organised by ASLI's Centre for Public Policy Studies, it was determined that the main issues were those of crime and corruption, education, cost of living, fairness and justice, religious issues, lack of civil service participation and lack of meritocracy. These have caused frustrations among the Chinese voters. However if the Malay and Indian voters swing back to BN is strong, it will help MCA and Gerakan in the mixed seats where Malay voters account for more than 40% of constituents and Indian voters between 10% and 15%. Many undecided voters will want to see who the candidates are and how the campaign unfolds. A gaffe or a mistake can be costly during the campaign period. Datuk Seri Najib Razak will campaign from a position of strength. His popularity, personality and hard work can win him a lot of support. Obviously, he is more popular than his party. His proven track record in the transformation programmes and economic performance with the 6.4% GDP growth in the 4th quarter of 2012 puts him and the BN government in good stead. On the other hand, there is some urban dissatisfaction over abuse of power, human rights violations, crime and corruption. In Sarawak, Tan Sri Taib Mahmud will deliver 100% of his PBB seats to the BN and hence secure the majority in the state. However, the PRS (Parti Rakyat Sarawak) and SPDP (Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party) may lose a couple of Dayak seats to PKR. The SUPP will come under strong challenge from the DAP and could lose all its Chinese majority seats – but win back Sibu with a new candidate and retain the Dayak seat of its deputy president, Datuk Richard Riot – hence winning two out of its six parliamentary seats. In Sabah, Umno should be able to do well, leading the BN to regain control of the state government. DAP will win in several more Chinese-majority seats. In Peninsular Malaysia, the MCA seats that will see tough fights are Gelang Patah, Kulai and Tanjung Piai in Johor, and Lumut in Perak. These seats are vulnerable. On the other hand, MCA has a good chance of winning back Padang Serai, Gopeng and Selayang should there be a strong Malay and Indian swing back to BN. In the state contest, Pakatan should retain Kelantan and Penang but will face a strong challenge from BN. In Penang, if the Malay swing is strong, Umno may win 17 Malay seats, and if MCA and Gerakan can win just four more seats, BN will regain Penang with a narrow margin. The fight for Selangor will be the toughest and it is 50:50 for either side. BN should win Kedah and Perak where the Malay swing back to Umno could help them win back some PKR and PAS seats in Perak – although the DAP will likely hold on to all its Chinese-majority seats in Perak. According to our final analysis, BN will win the 13th general election. Only the size of the majority remains uncertain. BN is expected to win between 123 and 135 seats. This is the most likely outcome. However, if the Malay and Indian voters swing back to BN is strong and Najib is able to bring back more undecided Chinese, then BN can win up to 150 seats – which will restore BN's two-thirds majority. The third scenario is that BN retains about the same number of seats – around 140 – it won in 2008. Nevertheless what can be certain is that the two big winners in the election will be Umno and the DAP. What is also important to consider is the shape of the post-GE13 government. Will there be a new political realignment? Will Umno seek a new alliance with PAS for Malay and Muslim unity, and how will this impact the non-Malays and non-Muslims? Will the two big expected winners (Umno and DAP) seek a new political realignment? Nothing is impossible. After all, there are no permanent friends or permanent enemies in politics. These are the sort of post-election scenarios that need to be considered too. Tan Sri Michael Yeoh Oon Kheng is CEO of ASLI and deputy chairman of the Centre for Public Policy Studies.

Can PI Bala deliver anything for Pakatan? Posted: 27 Feb 2013 02:43 PM PST Finally, somehow, private investigator P Balasubramaniam is back in Kuala Lumpur. I do not know how much money (if any) has been paid into what account to "persuade" PI Bala that he should become the White Knight coming to rescue the people, this nation from the plundering and pillaging of the Barisan Nasional government. I do not know what has been promised to Bala to ensure that his personal safety will be guaranteed. I do not know and I do not care because we will never know the whole truth – not even if Pakatan Rakyat is to win this coming general election. What we do know is that with the coming back of Bala to Malaysia, another nail has been hammered into Najib Tun Razak's coffin. Another nail into Umno and Barisan Nasional's coffins, too. Whether enough nails have been hammered into these coffins will not be known until after the general election – but be warned, the stakes are getting higher by the day. We know that in Malaysian politics it is a "winner takes all" situation. Everybody in the opposition and all of us who support Pakatan Rakyat – including Bala – understand what that means. And more critical so do Umno and Barisan Nasional. "Tiada maaf" for those on the losing side. So take sides if you must. All the "berani mati" foot soldiers must now take their position at the front of the army for Pakatan or BN, and be prepared to face whatever comes their way. Damaged goods For Bala, I know this: he has considered all options, financially and on a personal level. Like many others, he knows that he has to make a stand if he is to have any advantage over the result of the 13th general election. So far, we have seen that Deepak Jaikishan and Bala may have well tipped the scale against Najib on a personal level, but to what advantage to Pakatan? - See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/02/28/can-pi-bala-deliver-anything-for-pakatan/#sthash.KxDjc7td.dpuf Finally, somehow, private investigator P Balasubramaniam is back in Kuala Lumpur. I do not know how much money (if any) has been paid into what account to "persuade" PI Bala that he should become the White Knight coming to rescue the people, this nation from the plundering and pillaging of the Barisan Nasional government. I do not know what has been promised to Bala to ensure that his personal safety will be guaranteed. I do not know and I do not care because we will never know the whole truth – not even if Pakatan Rakyat is to win this coming general election. What we do know is that with the coming back of Bala to Malaysia, another nail has been hammered into Najib Tun Razak's coffin. Another nail into Umno and Barisan Nasional's coffins, too. Whether enough nails have been hammered into these coffins will not be known until after the general election – but be warned, the stakes are getting higher by the day. We know that in Malaysian politics it is a "winner takes all" situation. Everybody in the opposition and all of us who support Pakatan Rakyat – including Bala – understand what that means. And more critical so do Umno and Barisan Nasional. "Tiada maaf" for those on the losing side. So take sides if you must. All the "berani mati" foot soldiers must now take their position at the front of the army for Pakatan or BN, and be prepared to face whatever comes their way. Damaged goods For Bala, I know this: he has considered all options, financially and on a personal level. Like many others, he knows that he has to make a stand if he is to have any advantage over the result of the 13th general election. So far, we have seen that Deepak Jaikishan and Bala may have well tipped the scale against Najib on a personal level, but to what advantage to Pakatan? - See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/02/28/can-pi-bala-deliver-anything-for-pakatan/#sthash.KxDjc7td.dpuf Finally, somehow, private investigator P Balasubramaniam is back in Kuala Lumpur. I do not know how much money (if any) has been paid into what account to "persuade" PI Bala that he should become the White Knight coming to rescue the people, this nation from the plundering and pillaging of the Barisan Nasional government. I do not know what has been promised to Bala to ensure that his personal safety will be guaranteed. I do not know and I do not care because we will never know the whole truth – not even if Pakatan Rakyat is to win this coming general election. What we do know is that with the coming back of Bala to Malaysia, another nail has been hammered into Najib Tun Razak's coffin. Another nail into Umno and Barisan Nasional's coffins, too. Whether enough nails have been hammered into these coffins will not be known until after the general election – but be warned, the stakes are getting higher by the day. We know that in Malaysian politics it is a "winner takes all" situation. Everybody in the opposition and all of us who support Pakatan Rakyat – including Bala – understand what that means. And more critical so do Umno and Barisan Nasional. "Tiada maaf" for those on the losing side. So take sides if you must. All the "berani mati" foot soldiers must now take their position at the front of the army for Pakatan or BN, and be prepared to face whatever comes their way. Damaged goods For Bala, I know this: he has considered all options, financially and on a personal level. Like many others, he knows that he has to make a stand if he is to have any advantage over the result of the 13th general election. So far, we have seen that Deepak Jaikishan and Bala may have well tipped the scale against Najib on a personal level, but to what advantage to Pakatan? - See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/02/28/can-pi-bala-deliver-anything-for-pakatan/#sthash.KxDjc7td.dpuf So far, we have seen that Deepak and Bala may have well tipped the scale against Najib on a personal level, but to what advantage to Pakatan Rakyat? CT Ali, FMT Finally, somehow, private investigator P Balasubramaniam is back in Kuala Lumpur. I do not know how much money (if any) has been paid into what account to "persuade" PI Bala that he should become the White Knight coming to rescue the people, this nation from the plundering and pillaging of the Barisan Nasional government. I do not know what has been promised to Bala to ensure that his personal safety will be guaranteed. I do not know and I do not care because we will never know the whole truth – not even if Pakatan Rakyat is to win this coming general election. What we do know is that with the coming back of Bala to Malaysia, another nail has been hammered into Najib Tun Razak's coffin. Another nail into Umno and Barisan Nasional's coffins, too. Whether enough nails have been hammered into these coffins will not be known until after the general election – but be warned, the stakes are getting higher by the day. We know that in Malaysian politics it is a "winner takes all" situation. Everybody in the opposition and all of us who support Pakatan Rakyat – including Bala – understand what that means. And more critical so do Umno and Barisan Nasional. "Tiada maaf" for those on the losing side. So take sides if you must. All the "berani mati" foot soldiers must now take their position at the front of the army for Pakatan or BN, and be prepared to face whatever comes their way. Damaged goods For Bala, I know this: he has considered all options, financially and on a personal level. Like many others, he knows that he has to make a stand if he is to have any advantage over the result of the 13th general election. So far, we have seen that Deepak Jaikishan and Bala may have well tipped the scale against Najib on a personal level, but to what advantage to Pakatan? READ MORE HERE

Ten-Figure Fortune Posted: 27 Feb 2013 01:20 PM PST   Chen Lip Keong's Gamble On Cambodian Casino Makes Him A Billionaire (Forbes) - Malaysia now boasts 14 billion-dollar fortunes, up from 11 a year ago.  The year of the dragon was a lucky one for Chen Lip Keong. The Cambodian casino group he founded, NagaCorp, raked in profits as gambling revenue soared. Best of all, NagaCorp owns a monopoly on casinos in Phnom Penh until 2035. In November it broke ground on its Naga2 expansion, which will include two hotels, restaurants, an entertainment complex and a shopping area, and is set to be completed in 2015. Chen debuted on our annual list of Malaysia's richest with $195 million in 2009, and shares of his Hong Kong-listed company kept climbing. Then over the past year his wealth jumped 68%. That makes him a billionaire for the first time, with a net worth of $1.01 billion, and ranks him No. 13 on this year's list. Malaysia now boasts 14 billion-dollar fortunes, up from 11 a year ago. At No. 12 Shahril and Shahriman Shamsuddin, the brothers behind Sapura Group, break into the billionaire ranks after a $3.7 billion merger deal. (Merger partner Mokhzani Mahathir, No. 15, saw his wealth rise nearly $300 million but fall just short of $1 billion.) The third new ten-figure bundle belongs to auto magnate Tan Heng Chew and his family with $1.2 billion at No. 11. The impending parliamentary elections, which must be held by June 27, have weighed on the stock market. But the KLCI moved up 4% over the past year, and the country's gross domestic product rose 6.4%. So 23 members of the list saw their wealth increase, led by perennial No. 1 and No. 2, Robert Kuok and Ananda Krishnan. On the downside, some 14 people suffered losses. Retailer William Cheng was the biggest loser in percentage terms–his fortune plunged by a third, dropping him ten places on the list to No. 31. This year FORBES ASIA expands our roster of Malaysia's richest to 50, from 40 in previous years. That helped 9 new people appear. One is Loh Kian Chong, another car tycoon, who debuts at No. 28. At 36 he's the list's youngest member. No. 16, Desmond Lim Siew Choon, another newcomer, developed the posh Pavilion Kuala Lumpur shopping mall. Three tycoons returned after a hiatus of a year or more. One is No. 49, Nazir Razak, a banker who is the son of Malaysia's second prime minister and the younger brother of the current one. That makes two members whose fathers were prime ministers; Mahathir is the other one. Read: Special Report: Malaysia's 50 Richest

Pakatan generals and sweaty palms Posted: 27 Feb 2013 01:05 PM PST   A rumour has surfaced that the opposition's top brass will ditch their sure-win seats to tackle more hostile constituencies in the quest to capture Putrajaya. RK Anand, FMT  Pak Cik Kassim stared at his palms. The blisters and scars were testimonies to his hardship. But it was the sweat that worried him. Toiling in the farm was back-breaking labour and the returns never justified the effort. But he was grateful that Allah had given him the strength to earn an honest living. When confronted with trials and tribulations, he found solace in his faith. He had never given much thought about politics until now. In the past, whenever there was an election, he would cast his ballot for the Barisan Nasional candidate and return to work. He had heard strange rumours about this Datuk Seri and his wife but never paid much attention to such slander. To do so was a sin. But when he read the newspaper this morning, it shook him to the core, caused his palms to sweat and his fingers to tremble. He was in a dilemma, and his decision could affect both his life here on earth and his afterlife. At this point of time, it was difficult to be a Muslim in Pekan. To his horror, the newspaper had revealed that Tok Guru Nik Aziz would be contesting against Najib Tun Razak and that nagging voice in his head kept reminding him of the venerated Islamic leader's warning that those who voted for Umno would land in hell. He felt that it was wrong to brand Muslims who do not subscribe to a particular view as infidels but since he was not well-versed in the religion like Nik Aziz, he could be wrong. And that notion frightened him. Pak Cik Kassim did not want to go to hell. He was afraid of fire. Imagine if the PAS spiritual leader decided to challenge the caretaker prime minister in the latter's traditional stronghold in the coming general election. With all the skeletons said to be dangling between Najib and his wife, it would be interesting to witness Nik Aziz rummaging through their closets and pulling out bone after bone during the campaign period. And like Pak Cik Kassim, Najib's well-groomed palms would be perspiring as well. Perhaps a tad little more than the farmer's. Moving into hostile seats During times of war, generals hole up in shelters to churn out strategies and devise ridiculous code-names for the various operations to which troops would be dispatched for a rendezvous with death. As for the coming mother of all electoral battles, should she ever come, a different stratagem might be used. It was one that would place the generals in the line of fire instead. A rumour had surfaced that the top brass in the opposition bloc could step out of their respective comfort zones and move to hostile seats in their assault on the administrative capital while leaving the safe seats to the second or third echelons. Take Permatang Pauh. It was the fortress of Anwar Ibrahim and even if his neighbour's cat was nominated as the candidate, the BN hopeful would face an uphill battle in convincing the voters that he was a better choice. But that was until the last general election, when Penang was still under the rule of BN. Some observers now claim that the Malays were disenchanted with the DAP state leadership and this might affect the opposition leader's support. But to most, he was still the undisputed champion. Therefore, instead of retaining his title in the Permatang Pauh ring once again, Anwar could put on his boxing gloves for a punch-up elsewhere. Perhaps he could travel south to Lembah Pantai to knock out heavyweight and federal minister Raja Nong Chik. The latter was considered a serious contender for the seat held by Anwar's daughter, Nurul Izzah. For symbolic reasons, one observer suggested Kubang Pasu, the former seat of his arch nemesis Dr Mahathir Mohamad. If Anwar was victorious there, it would be a bitter pill for the doctor to swallow. With her charm and intellect, Nurul had managed to step out of her father's shadow to become a brand name in her own right. The princess of Reformasi was now a queen in the hearts of all races. Among others, she could be pitted against Umno's Oxford edition Khairy Jamaluddin, who was rumoured to be moving from Rembau to Kepala Batas, the seat which belonged to his father-in-law. Hadi versus Muhyiddin? To be fair to Najib, the opposition must ensure that Muhyiddin Yassin and the Muslim voters in Pagoh suffer from sweat-stained palms and premonitions of hell as well. This could come in the form of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang. PAS number two Mohamad Sabu and the Mandarin-speaking Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin could train their guns on the likes of Hishammuddin Hussein and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi instead. Meanwhile, the father and son team in DAP as well as Teresa Kok and other senior leaders could embark on a mission to assassinate the political careers of MCA bigwigs, including that of Chua Tee Yong. Karpal Singh, on the other hand, could be sent to Segamat to put Dr S Subramaniam in a rocketship to the moon. Whereas DAP's Professor P Ramasamy could drive up Cameron Highlands to ensure that the MIC president, who was expected to contest there, came tumbling down the hill. Fearful of such a prospect, the rumour mills claim that G Palanivel had struck a deal with the opposition to safeguard his position. - See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/02/28/pakatan-generals-to-the-frontline/#sthash.ORTrk8Wq.dpuf

Umno members among armed group? Posted: 27 Feb 2013 12:47 PM PST   (Free Malaysia Today) - KOTA KINABALU: The State Reform Party (STAR) wants the government to investigate claims that some of the more than 130 armed men currently surrounded by Malaysian security forces in Tanduo, Lahad Datu, are in fact Umno members. STAR chairman, Jeffrey Kitingan, said he has received disturbing reports that these men could also be holding dubious Malaysian documents as many of them had been here in the past and had sometimes been living in the east coast of Sabah. "I have been receiving reports that some of the armed foreign men currently holed up in Lahad Datu could be holding dubious Malaysian documents and, in fact, could be members of Umno or other Malaysian political parties," Jeffrey said when met by FMT at his residence in Penampang last night. He said the authorities including Umno must clarify the allegation so as to quash the rumours. The group landed in Lahad Datu earlier this month and settled in an oil palm plantation near the Felda Sahabat area. A tense stand-off has since ensued between the group and Malaysian police as well as the army. The group, which claimed to be a detachment of the Royal Sulu Army from the southern Philippines, is said to be armed with weapons that were already in the state, according to one of its leaders. The police have formed a perimeter around the village and the army is on standby. Malaysian authorities have said they wished to give the "invaders" a chance to withdraw without bloodshed. The latest deadline was yesterday. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/02/28/umno-members-among-armed-group/

Suaris Interview: Future of Malays #5 Posted: 27 Feb 2013 12:37 PM PST   We are obsessed with hudud and hijab while drug abuse and abandoned babies are rampant in our community. Why should we emphasize hudud and not zakat? We should be mandating zakat on every Muslim including the sultans. It is one of the five pillars of our faith; hudud is not.  M. Bakri Musa Suaris Interview: The Future of Malays #5: It appears that you are cynical towards things labeled "Islam." Many feel that you do not subscribe to conservative Islam as practiced by the vast majority of Muslims rather the basic teachings of our faith. What is your comment? [The original was posted on suaris.wordpress.com on Feb 13, 2013.] MBM: I am a Muslim, by birth and through practice. I believe in God and Muhammad, s.a.w, as His Last Messenger, as well as the five pillars of our faith. That of course is the belief of all Muslims. What is the essence of the teachings of our Holy Koran and Prophet Muhammad, s.a.w.? Command good and forbid evil! That is repeated many times in our Koran and hadith. That too is agreed upon by all Muslims. That is the "golden rule" of our faith. I am less interested in labels, those can be easily printed. Content is something else. If a state does not subscribe to the creed of doing good and forbidding evil, then I do not consider it to be Islamic regardless of the label. It is easy to carve the names "Allah" and "Muhammad" on arches and buildings; likewise for leaders to don overflowing robes and huge turbans. The question is whether corruption, bribery, and abuse of power are deemed "avoidance of evil." Likewise, if leaders ignore the sufferings and deprivations of their citizens, could that be considered "doing good?" When I make judgment on whether a state is Islamic, those are the crucial factors, not how often the leaders have been to Mecca or how exquisite their recitation of the Koran. A Singaporean once asserted that his country is more Islamic than neighboring Indonesia. In Singapore there is no corruption or abuse of power by its leaders. Citizens too are well taken care of and not poverty stricken. Poverty invites impiety, goes an ancient wisdom, and impiety in turn leads to infidelity to our faith. Visit nearby Riau and the wisdom of that observation would be readily self evident. The abject poverty there assaults your sensibilities. We cannot blame those poor Indonesians. The Chinese too were like that when they were plagued with poverty in their not-too-distant past. Based on the foundation of our faith – command good and forbid evil – it is hard to dispute the view of the Singaporean. I do not quite understand the meaning of conservative versus liberal as applied to Islam. While I understand the meaning of those two words in their original English, in Malay those terms have acquired diametrically opposite meanings. That is why I refrain from using either. It would be more meaningful if I were to give an example of an Islamic society and leader I hold in high regards and compare both with another I would be very hesitant in emulating. It is not my place to say which one is more Islamic and would enter Paradise. Only Allah knows that, and He is not telling me or anyone else. There are fewer than 15 million Ismailis in the world, about the same number as Malays in Malaysia. Those Ismailis do not even have a country of their own, but their power, influence and contributions to the world generally and Muslim community specifically far exceed their number. Ismailis emphasize the giving of zakat (tithe), and with that money they build schools and universities, as well as invest in companies that among other things manufacture pharmaceuticals. The Aga Khan University Hospital in Pakistan was built only in 1985 but it is already a well known center. The Ismailis could not care less whether their women don their hijab; they are more concerned that their women be trained as doctors, teachers and engineers so they could contribute to society, to be makhlok soleh (exemplary beings). Compare them to the Talibans in Afghanistan. Taliban means students, but those students are busy burning schools and splashing acids on young girls wanting to go to school. Taliban youths are busy leaning how to use C4 explosives and high-powered AK47 rifles; young Ismailis are busy solving problems in science and calculus. A society reflects its leaders. The leader of the Ismailis is the Aga Khan. Yes, he is wealthy, raises thoroughbreds, and his father was once married to Rita Hayward, the famed American actress. The current Aga Khan however, graduated from Harvard; he leveraged his networking with American intellectuals to entice them to teach at the universities he built in Asia. The leader held in high regards by the Taliban was Osama. He too was wealthy and qualified as an engineer from a Saudi university, but he expended his wealth and skills to destroy buildings and kill people. Who better "command good and forbid evil," Aga Khan or Osama? I let readers determine whether Malay society today is closer to the Ismailis or the Taliban. Again, I leave it to readers to decide whether the Ismailis or Taliban we should emulate. We are obsessed with hudud and hijab while drug abuse and abandoned babies are rampant in our community. Why should we emphasize hudud and not zakat? We should be mandating zakat on every Muslim including the sultans. It is one of the five pillars of our faith; hudud is not. If everyone (save the poor) pay their zakat (2.5 percent of their assets), and then we employ the smartest economists and investment bankers to manage those funds, there would be no end to the good those would bring. That is exactly what the Ismailis are doing, building schools and hospitals with their zakat. What are the benefits of the Taliban's zakat? If we emphasize hudud, many would end up with their hands chopped off. Who will feed them and their families? We best demonstrate our Islamic values by not tolerating the corrupt and incompetent, as well as those who have abused our trust in them. Our Koran commands thus. Yes, we have to accept Islam in its totality; we do not have the privilege of picking and choosing only those parts that please us. The crucial question is why should we emphasize hijab and the chopping of hands but tolerate rotten education and gross corruption? What should be our priority? That reflects our values. Consider education. Hamka once said that God gave us two Korans; one, the Koran we are all familiar with; two, the universe outside and within us. For the first, Allah had given us a prophet in the person of Muhammad, s.a.w., to guide us in studying it. For the second, God had blessed us with an intellect so we could reason and distinguish between good from evil, truth from falsehood. We have an obligation to study both Korans. Scientists elucidating the secrets of the polio virus could be viewed as studying this second Koran. The result was the discovery of a vaccine that had spared millions from the devastating disease. That is "doing good." The Taliban however, view the vaccine as a poison perpetrated by the infidels. Consequently polio still afflicts many in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Again based on the golden rule of our faith, is that "doing good?" In the early centuries of our faith, our ulama did not differentiate between worldly and religious knowledge. Both ultimately originate from God. Those ancient ulama were also proficient scientists, competent physicians, and skilled mathematicians. They were as diligent in studying this second Koran as the first. Today's ulama however, totally ignore this second Koran. To them it is not worthy of study. The ummah takes their cue from the ulama; consequently, Muslims have not contributed our share for the betterment of mankind. We should be concerned with such critical issues as how to educate our young so they could make their rightful contributions to society. Do good in this world and God will look kindly upon you on the Day of Judgment. He is after all Most Just! Consider this ahadith (approximately translated): A prostitute was admitted into heaven because she once saved a dog dying of thirst by giving it water. Do you think such women wear hijabs? Another ahadith has it that a man was admitted to Heaven because he once removed a thorn from a road. If that deed was worthy of admission to Paradise, imagine the rewards for someone who actually built the road, meaning, the engineers! Again, we best demonstrate our Islamic values by building safe roads and bridges. There is no point carving "Allah" and verses of the Holy Koran on such structures if our architects and engineers are incompetent, and the roofs they designed and build would collapse in the first storm and injure many, or if their bridges have more water flowing above than below! A few years ago there was a public debate between Datuk Asri Zainal Abidin and Astora Jabat on tajdid (reform in Islam). I admire both individuals; they are among the most thoughtful. However, in that three-hour debate, they argued on the minutiae of hudud, on whether a woman's hair is considered aurat and thus must be covered. Only towards the end did a brave soul ask why we should be bothered with hijab when our nation is crippled with rampant corruption. His query was never addressed. We must reform Islam so we could address pressing social problems that now blight our society. Don't be obsessed with hijab. The typical religious discourse on radio and television or at our mosques and universities is unidirectional, from speaker to listeners. The bulk of the time would be consumed with excessive salutations and endless quotations of Koran and hadith. When both are cited, discussions would have effectively been shut down. The Koran and hadith should be the beginning, not the ending of a discussion. Consider the ahadith that says the community would be divided into 73 sects, only one of which is true and genuine. The remainder 72 would presumably be headed for Hell. How we interpret that hadith has consequences. If every ulama feels that his is the only true sect, then he would have a messianic zeal to correct the rest, with the rationale of helping them enter Heaven! That's what motivates those Taliban to splash acid on schoolgirls. Statistically speaking, you have only one chance in 73 to be correct, less than 1.5 percent! That probability should humble and motivate us to learn from the others in the hope that one of them is the one true faith! I am blessed to live in America with its freedom. I can read Shia and Ahmaddiyah literature without being harassed by religious officials. There are none in America! In Malaysia, I would be jailed without trial, treated just like the communists of yore. Would such a stand conducive to peace and understanding or breed suspicion and enmity among Muslims? Like Astora Jabat, I do not subscribe to any figh (sect). I do not as yet know which of the 73 sects is genuine. What I do know is that piety, justness and wisdom are not restricted to any community. I can still learn from the Shias, Ismailis, Salafis and Wahabis, among others, on the truth and beauty of our faith. On the Day of Judgment, we would be held accountable for our deeds on this earth. We could not give the excuse that we were merely following the teachings of this ulama or that. Our faith is blessed not to have a defined clergy class. We have to think for ourselves. We decide whether to follow the ulama who command us to hate non-Muslims and consider those Muslims whose politics we disagree with as infidels. Back to the beginning, my understanding of Islam is simple and straightforward: Command good and forbid evil. The rest are but examples and illustrations. Cont'd: Suaris Interview The Future of Malays #6: Continuing on, what is your view on PAS and its leaders? Will their policies and activities usher Malays forward?

Coping with inevitable Evil created by Government Posted: 27 Feb 2013 12:23 PM PST   Joe Fernandez The latest statistics available from a variety of sources on the National Debt Burden of Malaysia make very disturbing reading. The people should keep cash. This is no time for investments. Cash is King. The Government continues to take solace in the fact that the vast majority of the people in the kampungs remain blissfully unaware and apparently continues to root for it under the tainted electoral system. Government borrowings, if used prudently as in the case of Singapore, is the key to the health of the financial system and the economy when coupled with foreign direct investment. Government borrowings by themselves, no matter how much, poses little systemic risk if most of it is sourced domestically as in the case of the US, the Government has the ability to repay and it (borrowings) is for prudent purposes. Otherwise, it will spook the economy no end. Foreign lenders and share market investors can cause a run on the currency as in 1997 during the Asian Financial Currency Crisis when Malaysia suffered, so we are told, from the contagion effect. Unfortunately, in Malaysia's case, we are headed for bankruptcy as an inevitability if the Barisan Nasional (BN) continues to remain in power for much longer. Ironically, the BN is saying that the Opposition will bankrupt the economy if it comes to power, indeed a belated acknowledgement of the fact that we have already reached the point of no return on the issue. There's no way that the Opposition, on its own, can bankrupt the economy in five years. The private sector is biting their nails and foreign investors are getting more jittery by the day. Things, they have decided, will get a whole lot worse before they become any better, if at all. They are tightening their purse strings and some like Tony Fernandes of Air Asia and Ananda Krishnan of Maxis have already voted with their feet after taking their businesses private. Tony F is placing his new hopes on untapped potential in Indonesia and India. In Ananda's case he re-listed locally not so long ago, amidst a scandal in India, but before long he will pull the same stunt of going private in Malaysia only to flee overseas with his cash for richer pickings. He can probably sell only to someone who can put their hands in the National Cookie Jar to pay him if he can't find anyone with deep pockets and a kamikaze mindset. Vincent Tan of Berjaya Group, emulating Ananda, wants to dispose half his assets for the right price, ostensibly to hand them over to certain charities. Selling in this market? Soon, Khazanah and other GLCs will probably be beating a path to his door with our money to pick up his assets at overpriced sums. Who's he kidding? Tan knows that Cash is King. He wants to be ready for the pickings when it comes. Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary, a known Mahathir Mohamad nominee and crony, wants to buy Malaysia Airlines after picking up the considerable assets of Proton, selling a worthless car, at a song. This is the same stunt pulled by Tajuddin Ramli on the tax payer. History is repeating itself. How many times is Malaysia Airlines going to be sold, declared bankrupt and bailed out? They should change the script and let it go to the wall like Bank Bumiputra which became a giant Ponzi Scheme to survive for a time after it insisted on lending only to people who had no intention of paying back the huge sums they borrowed. Much of Government borrowings have been clearly siphoned off by the ruling elite to feather their own nests overseas or to save them and their cronies from financial ruin after embarking on hare-brained schemes. It seems that the Government, like a gold digger looking for the non-existent precious yellow metal in the wrong place, cannot dig itself out of the financial and budgetry hole it finds itself in. We will only know the full extent of our financial and economic malaise when the ruling party falls from grace as in Greece. Under these circumstances, much of the analysis by well-meaning do-gooders who themselves profit, directly or indirectly, from our financial follies are worse than useless. Who will remember their upbeat newspaper headlines written by ang pow journalists when we become yet another failed state? Malaysia is not too big to fail. It's too small to succeed especially when headed unfortunately at the same time by a band of self-serving scoundrels for more than half a century. It's up to the people to decide when they should act. We should be running scared, to borrow a phrase which Lee Kuan Yew used to constantly remind Singaporeans in the early years after the island republic was expelled from Malaysia in 1965. Even so, the system myopically created by the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) in Singapore carries with it the seeds of its own destruction. The PAP can no longer remain in power and the labour-intensive economy can no longer function without opening the floodgates to foreign immigrants. The PAP needs foreign votes as much as the economy needs foreign labour. It's not talking so much about the Brightest and the Best from around the world leading the way for all in the island republic. The people in Singapore, low birth rate or no lo birth rate, will no longer stand for the continuing influx of foreign labour which can only be as before at their expense. This means the economy, as it's constructed, will fail and the PAP will fall from power one way or another to allow for a new Government to restructure the economy to be free of foreign labour. Call it karma for criminally exploiting the labour force, especially Malaysians and foreigners, for so long. Switzerland, the richest country in the world and with no foreign labour, points the way for the Singapore of the future. No people want their Government to continue to create jobs for foreigners when they themselves have numerous needs unmet. In Singapore, the PAP Government lives in fear of the people. In Malaya, at least one thing is sure. The people are against indefinite BN rule. If they are convinced that the BN cannot be dethroned by the electoral and democratic process, they will take to the streets either for an Interim All-Party Government which will clean up the electoral rolls for free and fair elections; or create a Revolution as in Egypt where Mubarak used to win every presidential election. Revolution in Malaya will be the liberation of Sabah and Sarawak from Malaysia. Malaysia has become weak and is getting weaker by the day as evident in the fact that we are unable to act, and act decisively, when a rag tag bunch from the Philippines seizes our territory in Lahad Datu, Sabah. The Lahad Datu intruders know that the BN Government cannot ensure the security of Sabah which is now at the mercy of the wolves in the region. We are fast becoming a laughing stock in the region with our two submarines in Sabah and yet the BN Government continues to keep up pretences instead of biting the bullet and taking the bull by the horns. We will all know what is going to happen in Sabah when the two submarines are scuttled or flee for dear life to Malaya. Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak is going beserk as his voice gets squeakier by the day in a betrayal of his deepest fears and misgivings. He convinces no one and no wonder his popularity continues to fall, 61 per cent now compared with the 74 per cent enjoyed by his ill-fated predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2008. Mahathir, the Architect of All Evil in Malaysia, is trying to convince the people that any Government head by the Opposition will be (as) corrupt and that nepotism, cronyism and collusion will (also) be the order of the day. So, is he suggesting that we keep BN as the lesser of two evils? So-called social scientist Dr Chandra Muzzafar, another Malayalee, thinks that corruption will not end with a change of Government. In short, he seems to be shamelessly suggesting like Mahathir that it's better to keep the BN warts and all. Where are his principles? Since when did he sell his soul from a future reincarnation as well to the devil (Mahathir)? Between Najib, Mahathir and Chandra, the future of the BN is being prophesised.

Pakatan's tolls policy: a polls ploy? Posted: 27 Feb 2013 12:17 PM PST Pakatan's highway tolls policy as announced in its Manifesto is a dishonest carrot dangled before unsuspecting voters. It is a fraud designed to trap voters into thinking that tolls will be abolished immediately. Nothing could be further from the truth. Mohamed Tahir Ismail  The pledge has no substance and what it promises is no different from the current practice.   The Manifesto reads: "The Pakatan Rakyat government will take over the highways in stages for the purpose of abolishing tolls. As promised in the Orange Book (Buku Jingga), Pakatan Rakyat will take over the highways with the intention of gradually abolishing tolls."   Under the existing 'build-operate-transfer' concession agreements, all highways will eventually revert to the Government at the end of the concession periods. The Government then is at liberty to abolish tolls if it so wishes. So, what Pakatan is promising is exactly what the BN government had been practising all along.   To hold Pakatan to its promise therefore, the people will have to wait until the expiry of the concession period which could be anything from 10 to 20 years from now!   So, Pakatan will not have to do anything for the next decade or two (assuming it assumes power and stays in power for that period of time).   Even if Pakatan wishes to abolish tolls (albeit in the far distant future), this promise is a red herring. Because, tolls are a fact of life and an accepted way of life all over the world. It is a more equitable method of taxation because it only taxes the users unlike income tax.   Tolls are a common practice in all countries that have privatised the construction, operation and maintenance of public infrastructure. Even decades after their operation and long after the end of concession periods, hefty highway tolls are collected in the US, Japan, UK as well as in newly-emerging economies.   Ha, Ha, Pakatan's tolls policy is a polls ploy!

Politics, Manifestos and the difference between a Sponsorship guy and a Marketing man Posted: 27 Feb 2013 12:11 PM PST   Anas Zubedy    Once I was asked to consult for a bank.    The top management was to listen to a marketing plan prepared by the new Marketing Director. Within minutes I knew that this was a Sponsorship guy pretending to be a Marketer.   He spent the next 45 minutes showing his plan to build the Brand via sponsorship and giving away goodies to thousands and thousands of potential customers thus winning them over to the Brand.   Those in the meeting were non-marketing people and as such were somewhat impressed with the presentation, including the Bank's second in command – the person who employed the new Marketing Director.   The Second in Command (who did not agree that the MD engaged us) turned cockily towards me and asked, "Hah…Consultant, ada apa-apa nak komen ka? ".   I smiled and asked the new Marketing Director, "Brother, you have shown me how to spend money. Can you show me now how you are going to make them? "   The meeting was adjourned.

SYA : 17 Reasons Why Pakatan Rakyat Manifesto Is A Reason That We Should Not Vote For CHANGE Posted: 27 Feb 2013 12:01 PM PST I would like to ask and challenge any Pakatan Rakyat supporter and leader to tell me where and in which page, sentence or word of their manifesto http://www.pakatanrakyat.my/files/ENG-Manifesto-BOOK.pdf that there is anything allocated or promises for Indian, Chinese and Youth in Malaysia?  1. Women Humiliation Our women's empowerment policy aims to meet a target of 30% participation of women in managerial, leadership and administration of both public and private sectors by 2017. The Malaysian Women's Agenda shall be fully implemented to further enhance the position of women in society. – Pakatan Rakyat Manifesto It is a great lie that Pakatan Rakyat plan to empower our women to meet a target of 30% participation of women in our country when even less than 1% of the Women Leaders in Pakatan Rakyat make it to the hierarchy and organization system in DAP, PKR and PAS. If they cannot even promote their own women leader in their political party to be inside their party National and State organization with even the rate of 5% then what false hope of 30% are they trying to give to our Malaysian Women? How on earth in Pakatan Rakyat PAS version of Islamic policy that restrict our Malaysian Women on billboards and to perform on stage can further to empower our Women in the nation?   Every wife shall be entitled to the Malaysian Women's Contribution Fund, a social safety net programme to protect their welfare.Husbands will be legally obliged to provide towards a contribution fund, proportionate to their income (between RM10 per month to RM100 per month). The contribution sum may be withdrawn by wives under certain circumstances such as divorce, natural disasters, accidents and upon reaching the age of 50 years old. –Pakatan Rakyat Manifesto Such fund contradicts with their vision to empower our women in our country where earlier they claim that they wanted to increase women to play a role in part of our nation building and now they allocate a special funds to women as if humiliating and insulting women in Malaysia is least capable and independent than the man and male in our country. Such fund is giving an impression that Malaysian Women need to be dependent and rely on man to survive. At the same time, Pakatan Rakyat disrespecting the women who do not get married in our country when this fund is only allocated specially for married women. Perhaps they should rephrase it to Wife Fund rather than women fund. No wonder in Selangor they had cheated more than 10 000 poor, pitiful and lonely single mother of their fund allocation promises (they are no longer a wife). If they really have faith in their policy to increase more women workforce in our country , then why should they even allocate a monthly RM 10 – RM 100 to only WOMEN WHO ARE MARRIED (wife) in our country? Is Pakatan Rakyat actually empowering our destroying our Malaysian Women for discriminating and disrespecting them? 2. Funds For The Animals From A Firaun ( Devil ) When Barisan Nasional gave RM 500 (BR1M) to all the needy in Malaysia, PAS President claim that it is an act of Firaun and their Spiritual leader Nik Aziz claim that those who receive the fund are like animals. Please do not forget that in their manifesto there an allocation to give RM 1000 each senior citizen aged 60 and above. Welfare assistance paid by the Social Welfare department will be increased from RM300 a month to RM550 a month. All families with income below RM 500 a month will be eligible to receive welfare assistant in order to eradicate hardcore poverty. How on earth can by giving RM 550 a month Pakatan Rakyat dare to declare that they are being able to eradicate poverty? Barisan Nasional BR1M is according to needs but Pakatan Rakyat fund is according to age limit where is only for those who are above 60. Perhaps is an indication of having too many old politicians in Pakatan Rakyat that is easily above 70 year old that do not want to give way to young blood like Hadi Awang , Nik Aziz, Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh, Chua Jui Meng and etc etc who need the RM 1000 from Pakatan Rakyat manifesto fund more. Perhaps what Hadi Awang say is true that those who receive money, fund and help from Firaun/Devil (Pakatan Rakyat) are animals? I am not so sure about this. 3. Pakatan Rakyat Continue To Uphold The Supremacy of the Malays ,Bumiputera  and Islam while Neglecting the Others    UPHOLD THE NATIONAL LANGUAGE, ENSURE THE RIGHTS OF MOTHER-TONGUE LANGUAGES AND IMPROVE THE COMMAND OF ENGLISH IN A NATIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM THAT GUARANTEES FREE EDUCATION FOR ALL MALAYSIANS PRESERVING ORANG ASLI CUSTOMARY LAND RIGHTS AND WELFARE 5,000 educational scholarships will be awarded annually to Orang Asli children from school to university level RESPECTING THE POSITION OF ISLAM AS THE OFFICIAL RELIGION REFORMING ISLAMIC AND RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS   The administration of Islamic institutions will be strengthened with higher and better allocations (such as allocations for Islamic religious departments in Pakatan Rakyat states)Add value to wakaf land that will generate economic welfare for the people Enhance the Islamics institutions' image in the eyes of the people by freeing them from political manipulation Target to double the current Tabung Haji fund amount within ten years of Pakatan Rakyat administration – PR Manifesto What equality and fairness are they (Pakatan Rakyat) talking about when they only have special policy, promises and manifesto for the Malays, Bumiputera, Malay Language and Islam in our country while neglecting the Chinese, Indians, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and both Chinese and Tamil languages at the same time? Why in Pakatan Rakyat policy there special allocation for the Islamic institution but they do not even allocate a single cent for the Buddhist, Christian and Hindu Institution? Why should they (Pakatan Rakyat) neglect our Temples and Churches in Malaysia? Why should they (Pakatan Rakyat) continue to give false hope to deceive and manipulate the non Malays and Muslims in our country for either Anwar or Hadi Awang to further their Malays Supremacy and Islamic agenda in our country while discriminating the rest? Why should they  (Pakatan Rakyat) shout for meritocracy in our education and scholarship system but there a special scholarship allocated just for BUMIPUTERA only? 4. Should The Rakyat Continue To Trust Pakatan Rakyat Technical Error Lies? Increasing royalty paid to oil- and gas- producing states from 5% to 20% The conspicuous absence of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang as states entitled to full oil royalties in the Pakatan Rakyat manifesto was due to "human error", says PAS central working committee member Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. The Kuala Selangor MP attributed the oversight to a "typo", saying that the final version included all oil-producing states."I'm not sure how this error came about but we are most certainly not excluding the other three states." However, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution said it was "an error by the manifesto committee"."It should have read oil-producing states', and this not only covers Sabah and Sarawak, but also Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang." DAP vice-chairman M. Kulasegaran admitted that an error had been made on the manifesto but said Pakatan would explain in detail at a press conference today. The 10-point manifesto, which was revealed on Monday, has drawn flak for listing only Sabah and Sarawak as oil-producing states that will receive royalties from Petronas should the Opposition come to power. During DAP latest internal election fraud they put the blame on Microsoft Excel and now again they want to put the blame on Microsoft Word ? Even earlier Kedah impose a law where women performer cannot perform on stage during Chinese New Year was reported as a technical error in their state official letter? How Pakatan Rakyat wanted the people to trust them to rule and govern when there always so much technical error and lame excuses as their political defence? Read more at: http://1sya.com/?p=5027

PR Manifesto has opened the doors wide for HINDRAF to talk to Najib Posted: 27 Feb 2013 11:56 AM PST   The HINDRAF blueprint was submitted to PR leaders who in general had agreed in 'principal' to it but it is rather surprising that they had not made a mention of it in their Election Manifesto. Paraman Subramaniam FELDA vs DISPLACED ESTATE WORKERS, TRANSCENDING RACIAL GROUPS? FELDA (Federal Land Development Authority) which is one of the world's largest association of plantation owners and managers, covering over 2 million acres of rubber and palm oil plantation estate and having more than 115k families which some believe consists of more than 98% Malays/Muslims, is doing extremely well. Recently it was announced that as of Dec 2012, 112,635 FELDA settlers will receive a dividend of almost RM 1k. Not only FELDA settlers are provided the best of facilities and technology to maintain and increase the productivity of their lands, they are also provided with an admirable support system in terms of facilities, healthcare, housing, education for their children and much more. Looking at it macroscopically, FELDA through federal aid provides 'cradle to grave' assistance to these settlers in their everyday needs. In terms of education, facilities available like community rehabilitation centres, family literation centres, Permata, Semai Bakti Hostel, FELDA Tuition Schemes and Science Learning Centres, is truly remarkable. Children from age one onwards can be enrolled. Tuition for students in standards 5 and 6 and forms 3 and 5 numbering close to 59k are provided to assist them to get good grades for the government exams like UPSR,PMR and SPM. 370 schools which consist of 100 secondary schools and 270 primary schools have been provided for the convenience of FELDA settler's children. Subsequently the government provides certificate courses (6 to 24 months), diploma courses (2 1/2 to 3 years) and major courses like Licensed Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (LAME), Trainees Junior Technician (TJT), cadet pilot etc. FELDA scholars also get to enroll in top varsities of the world. With just a minimum grade of at least 2A's in the SPM examination, they may be able to get scholarships from FELDA/PSD/MARA/Petronas to do degree courses in medicine, dentistry, actuary, computer science, engineering and accounting. FELDA management also has started the FELDA Entrepreneurship Incentive Scheme (SIUF) whereby the younger generation of FELDA settlers are encouraged to get involved in non-farm activities such as processing or manufacturing poultry, seafood, fruits or vegetable businesses so that they can become future leaders and entrepreneurs. Some of these settlers claim they lead a very comfortable life, earning more than RM 5 k salaries per month which is even more than what junior doctors and lawyers earn in the govt. In terms of housing, hundreds of millions of ringgit has been earmarked under the FELDA Family Housing Scheme (PWF), with its aim to provide the new generation of settlers a chance to own affordable and comfortable homes costing around RM 35-42k for a 3 room unit, where loans are easily available.  Even with all these existing benefits, the PR Election Manifesto sees the need for 'Justice for Felda Settlers'. It goes on to state that PR will defend the dignity, performance and reputation of FELDA to ensure the economic position and land ownership of the settlers. PR will also review all compensation claims as a result of the Grade Extraction Rate (GER) and pay compensation to affected FELDA settlers.  The HINDRAF blueprint which is based on social justice as the foundation, had proposed specific pointed and targeted program of rehabilitation measures to a specific group of community, Displaced Estate Workers (DEW), An independent study from the Centre for Policy Studies concluded in 2000, that 600,000 estate workers had been forcibly displaced. This massive forced displacement is a direct result of state development programs operating in the milieu of Institutional Racism. It is the spurious outcome of the Malaysian socio-economic political system. That number of DEW is estimated to be more than 800,000 today. In being displaced, these estate workers lost everything from their jobs, homes, schools, communities, temples, social system, and opportunity for ancillary income. They now constitute a significant section of the urban poor. It is no wonder that the DEW who constitute the poorest section of the Indian community primarily, have the lowest demographic index in the country. The measures advocated in the HINDRAF blueprint are: 1) DEW Land allocated farming program 2) DEW Housing Program 3) Rebuilding the DEW youth through retraining and reskilling 4) DEW places of worship and burial grounds. The HINDRAF blueprint was submitted to PR leaders who in general had agreed in 'principal' to it but it is rather surprising that they had not made a mention of it in their Election Manifesto. It is even more distressing to note that PR can openly support the multi billion ringgit existing Felda settlers program for more assistance but cannot even begin a DEW program from scratch for the needier marginalized Indians. How could one accept that the PR Election manifesto transcends racial groups whereas in the DEW issue it very clearly does not?

Picture worth thousands of votes? Posted: 27 Feb 2013 11:54 AM PST   They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  Yes, this picture speaks for itself. In fact, it speaks volumes about the lack of adequate political representation in Pakatan Rakyat. Not only is this picture worth a thousand words, it is also worth thousands of votes. Thousands and thousands of votes, but not for Pakatan.  The votes will go to BN. P.M. Sivalingam  Why? These will be the protest votes by groups which have been marginalised by Pakatan. For starters, the Indian community will not give Pakatan its vote. Why? Look at the picture again.  How many Indians do you see? This photo was taken during the recent Pakatan Rakyat Convention in Shah Alam. Also, where are the natives of Sabah and Sarawak? Pakatan comprises three political parties while in the Barisan there are 13, representing all nationalities in the peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak.  But the most glaring of all is the absence of Indians, despite Pakatan's claim to look after the interests of the Indian community.  Surely Indians will teach Pakatan a lesson they will never forget, come GE-13. Having ridden on their backs to clinch crucial electoral gains in GE-12, Pakatan has effectively ditched Indians, as dramatically seen during the Kampung Buah Pala episode in 2009.  Said an observer at the Pakatan convention: "Pakatan's slogan was Bersihkan Malaysia, and they are using the Indians as the broom. This is the ultimate insult".  When asked why Indians were left out in the Pakatan Manifesto, Anwar Ibrahim offered a feeble response: He said their manifesto 'transcends racial groups'. How then does he explain the specific references to Orang Asli?  In that document, there are no less than nine references to Orang Asli but only one reference to Indians.  Anwar is a master at deflecting questions by changing the subject. When pressed for an answer, he said Tamil and Chinese schools, along with mission schools, would be assisted. Hullo, what do you think the BN government, and before that, the Alliance, has been doing these past 55 years?  Again he was quoted as saying: "This is the manifesto of the rakyat where we address issues of rising prices, commodities, lodging, good governance and support for all types of schools."  Hullo again, what do you think the BN government, and before that, the Alliance, has been doing these past 55 years?  Then, typically, Anwar throws in the red herring: "I met leaders of the Indian community last night in Hulu Selangor and generally, they are very receptive as education is a major problem, issues of marginalisation of the community and crime had been raised," he said. How does this tie in with the question of ignoring Indians in the manifesto?  The rainbow does not have enough colours for this chameleon that is now facing the toughest challenge of his political career.  And that challenge comes, not from outside, but from within the opposition coalition.  Ever since his ouster from the Barisan Government in 1998, Anwar has been single-minded about his plans to Occupy Putrajaya.  With that aim, he cobbled together a coalition with DAP and PAS and went to the polls in 2008. He thinks he is now perched for his final political onslaught and onwards to the coveted Premiership.  But then comes the spoiler - PAS.  PAS leaders have openly questioned Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's candidacy as Prime Minister should Pakatan Rakyat win.  "PAS top leaders said it was 'haram' (illegal) for Anwar to ask for the Prime Minister's post," a PR source told an online media recently, quoting discussions at a secret meeting between PAS and PKR leaders last Sunday.  Anwar will have to bow not only to PAS sentiments but also to political realities.  Should Pakatan win, the chances are that there will be more PAS candidates in Parliament than PKR. Obviously since the choice of Prime Minister will not come from the DAP, the contender will have to come from either PAS or PKR. With more seats than PKR, PAS will have more clout if there is a showdown.  When push comes to shove, Anwar will surely be the loser, unless he can persuade the rainbow to display more colours in its spectrum for another chameleonic change or shed his skin in the year of the snake.

The war for military votes Posted: 27 Feb 2013 11:46 AM PST   Mohsin Abdullah, fz.com  SEVERAL more retired armed forces "big wigs" are said to be joining Pakatan Rakyat anytime soon. This however cannot be independently verified. But what we do know is that the four retired high-ranking officers who joined PKR recently are already hitting the ceramah circuit with "guns blazing"(pardon the expression) against what they say are "irregularities, corruption and abuse of power of the BN regime".   The four are Datuk Abdul Ghafir Abdul Hamid, Datuk Abdul Hadi Abdul Khatab, Datuk Najmi Ahmad and Imran Abdul Hamid – ranked from General to Lt General to Admiral. All had held high and important posts when serving the forces.   The main target group is definitely the men and women of the Malaysian Armed Forces. There are some 161,000 personnel and spouses eligible to vote in the upcoming general election. Add that to the number of retired personnel, we'll have a massive figure to say the least. And don't forget the spouses.   The four retired generals are attracting attention. So far. Take the ceramah held in Keramat Wangsa in Kuala Lumpur a couple of weeks ago. It was well attended.   A strategist closely linked to the Umno president's office put the crowd at "around 3,000". He had gone to the ceramah "to see and study the situation".   So what were his "observations"? One was "the four generals are not whole-heartedly with Anwar – more of personal issues with the government and the BN leadership". Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was present at the ceramah.    "Of the four generals, three are more Islam centric. They should be at PAS ceramah, not PKR. Wrong place," said the Umno strategist. Except for Abdul Hadi Khatab, the other three donned kopiah and were attired like PAS leaders.   The strategist went on to say "ceramah did not have much traction in the area. Mostly outsiders came but not many non-Malays attended. Maintain same issues, Scorpene, missing jet engines etc, no meat."   The venue for the ceramah was in the vicinity, so to speak of Mindef and a military camp. Obviously meeting the "criteria of the Pakatan's target group". What more, the issues brought up – Scorpene, jet engines are all said to be close to the heart of armed forces personnel".   The strategist was right that many outsiders came, considering there were armed forces personnel in the crowd. Chances are they had come from the nearby military quarters and Mindef.   And as admitted by the Umno strategist "they were overawed by the presence of Najmi Ahmad". Najmi was former director for the armed forces religious corp or Kagat and brother of PAS leader-turned-Umno man Datuk Nakhaie Ahmad. "Najmi... yes, he might be a little bit of problem," said the Umno strategist.   But said the Umno strategist, of the four generals "Abdul Hadi Khatab is the fiercest but lacks oratory skills and is repetitive in his arguments. He said he will reveal all after the election. What for? Reveal now if he really has the facts. Talk rubbish."   Abdul Hadi Khatab had promised to expose more "scandals in the armed forces" after the election "so that action can be taken". His supporters believed he was talking in the context of Pakatan coming into power after the election.   However, flyers alleging Abdul Hadi Khatab's "involvement" in the missing jet engine issue have been widely distributed. But the retired general countered by saying "all these allegations came only after I joined PKR".   To a retired army major, "Umno/BN are very worried with this development."   Read more at: http://fz.com/content/war-military-votes

Is Pakatan Really Ready To Rule? Posted: 27 Feb 2013 11:42 AM PST   Would voters blindly vote for Pakatan parties without knowing who will be the country's leader if the opposition coalition happens to win? We will have to wait and see.   Syed Zahar, Malaysian Digest  EVERY Malaysian is well aware that the pending 13th General Election (GE13) would be the best chance for Pakatan Rakyat to take over the Federal Government. In terms of odds, many are saying that the possibility is 50-50 while others insist the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) will have no chance in reclaiming their traditional two-thirds majority in Parliament.     The extent of the loss of confidence in BN is arguable but the signs are there. For one, many agree that, despite the extensive time, money and effort spent on media campaign, particularly in the cyberspace battleground, the ruling coalition is losing its ground in the propaganda game.   In the run-up to the crucial polls, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had been going around stating that BN is going to win big in Penang and Kedah, but the reality is, the decision on who will end up ruling any state lies in the hands of the voters. So, it's always a better bet to listen to the voters rather than politicians to know the truth on who voter favors in the run-up for polls. Muhyiddin is anything but disillusioned, however, at this point of time, the deputy BN chairman's far-fetched statements are seen by those who know better as desperate attempts to propagate BN's confidence. Meanwhile, things aren't so rosy in the Pakatan camp either. Despite the PAS Syura Council's final decision – or rather indecision – on the usage of the word 'Allah' by non-Muslims, there seems to be no closure on the issue. There are protests against the decision not only from DAP but from within PAS itself. But the 'Allah issue' is not the only thing that Pakatan have been shilly-shallying over. Forget about the non-existent shadow Cabinet, the most vital matter over who will be Pakatan's choice as Prime Minister should Pakatan wrest federal power is still in question. Many would have thought the three Pakatan parties would unanimously pick their Opposition chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as their 'chosen one' but this is not the case. PAS of late have expressed its hesitance to accede to Anwar becoming PM despite agreeing to it previously. In addressing this matter, its information chief Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man Tuan Ibrahim had said that at the moment, in theory, all component parties will follow Pakatan's status quo. "But I believe we will have to take into consideration the election results as well. "We need to see which party is more dominant in terms of winning contested seats because it can determine who should become the PM," Tuan Ibrahim had told The Mole. He said there will be two deciding factors which will determine a leader's appointment to the post.  "Firstly, it depends on the number of seats won by the party. Secondly, all parties in Pakatan Rakyat must agree on the person to be appointed as the Prime Minister." Meanwhile, DAP national chairman Karpal Singh had maintained that Anwar will be PM if Pakatan wins in the next general election and dismissed such talks as a mere speculation. However, there are widespread rumors of PAS' Syura Council rejecting Anwar's as Prime Minister in waiting though it has not been officially confirmed or denied by the council. There are also rumors saying that Pakatan is also keen to have Umno MP for Gua Musang Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah as the candidate for the opposition coalition's Prime Minister. Tuan Ibrahim, however, dismissed these rumors as baseless speculations as Razaleigh or better known as Ku Li is not a member of any Pakatan parties. While there are mixed reactions to the current administration of Pakatan-ruled states (Penang-DAP, Kelantan-PAS, Kedah-PAS and Selangor-PKR), the uncertainty over who will be the coalition's chosen candidate for the PM post is a cause for concern for all Malaysians as election draws near. It has been more than four years since the last election and yet, Pakatan have failed to finalize on the matter…and it looks like the shadow Cabinet will never see the light of day. Read more at: http://www.malaysiandigest.com/top-news/268472-is-pakatan-really-ready-to-rule.html

Ulama need reformasi for PAS to move forward Posted: 27 Feb 2013 11:40 AM PST   (fz.com) - There is a need for reformation among the PAS ulama (religious scholars) so that they would be more closely guided by Islamic principles, said PAS Deputy President Mohamed Sabu and if need be, they should re-learn these principles from non-Muslims who are practising them. Mohamed, who is better known as Mat Sabu, said that ulama should not merely polish their appearance, but also update themselves on issues of corruption and social justice.    "Our ulama are not willing to read any books on socialism or communism, to know what these are about, and they need to open up more to the world. It is not only in Malaysia but the world over. There should be reform in Al Azhar University," he said.    "It will take time for one to change, but the top ulama have to accept that it is time to reform their thinking. You can keep your jubah and serban, but thinking has to be more open, especially on social justice," said Mohamed. However, he acknowledged that it will take time for Malaysian Muslims to stand up to seek reform among the ulama.   He was replying to the question of why PAS had failed in its governance of the Kedah state, as reflected in the Auditor-General's Report 2011, which had noted the weak financial performance of the state.    Since PAS took over the state in 2008, many of the promised projects for the people in Kedah had failed to take off.   The present menteri besar of Kedah Datuk Seri Abdul Azizan Razak is considered a member of the ulama as he is a graduate of Al Azhar University and was head of the Sharia' Department of the University of Malaya.   Mohamed said that in comparison, PAS has managed to rule Kelantan effectively as menteri besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat is an alim (religious scholar) who is also very open in his ideas.   "But then again, Nik Aziz is a gift of God to PAS," said Mohamed.   Mohamed warned that if ulama do not reform before they are given power, they will stray from the will of the people and become like the Mughals of India.   Read more at: http://fz.com/content/ulama-need-reformasi-pas-move-forward

Kedah MB sidelines ringleader and drops two others as GE candidates Posted: 27 Feb 2013 11:39 AM PST   (The Star) - Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak has made his move against the rebel group that had tried to topple him as Kedah Mentri Besar. He has sidelined the ringleader and dropped two other rebels in his list of candidates for the general election. Azizan, who is Kedah PAS commissioner, has cut off group leader Datuk Phahrolrazi Mohd Zawawi from the succession line by putting him in a parliamentary seat that is seen as an Umno stronghold. Phahrolrazi has been moved from the Pengkalan Kundor state seat to Jerlun, according to the list that Azizan submitted recently to the party's central leadership. Jerlun is now held by Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir. Assemblymen Dr Ismail Salleh and Dr Hamdan Mohamed Khalid, who were seen to be among the rebels, have been dropped as candidates in their respective constituencies of Alor Mengkudu and Tanjung Dawai. According to a highly-placed source, the new list was leaked recently, causing anger among supporters of Phahrolrazi and sparking public protests against Azizan. Several protesters have gone to the extent of asking Azizan to resign as Mentri Besar. More protests are reportedly being planned. Phahrolrazi's relocation is seen as an attempt to undermine his power base in the Kuala Kedah division where he is PAS chairman. This will pave the way for deputy Kuala Kedah chairman Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah, a strong ally of Azizan, to move up. Azizan, however, may not get his way. PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali confirmed that Azizan had submitted a fresh list that was different from an earlier list of election candidates but added that the central committee will have the final say on who will contest and where. Mustafa did not elaborate on either list. "We have received feedback from some people who are dissatisfied with the new list," he said. Azizan insisted that the changes were "a matter of strategy". "A lot of people qualify to be candidates but not everyone is suitable. Adjustments have to be made when issues crop up, if the candidate has problems," he said. He, too, declined to comment on specific names affected by the changes. "Elections are like giving birth. Before a baby is born, you can tell whether it will be a boy or girl but usually we won't name it yet," he said. The new list has also ruffled the feathers of some people who are not among the rebels. Pendang MP Datuk Dr Mohd Hayati Othman is believed to be unhappy about being moved from his parliamentary seat to the Sungai Tiang state seat, currently held by Kedah Umno's rising star Datuk Suraya Yaakob. The Pendang seat will go to PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu, who has been looking for a winnable seat. In the original list, Dr Mohd Hayati was supposed to contest in Tokai where PAS has a strong base. But Azizan has reinstated Tokai assemblyman Datuk Taulan Mat Rasul, who is his close ally. Taulan, a syariah lawyer, was to have retired because he will be 71 this year. The sources claimed that Azizan regarded Dr Mohd Hayati as a threat because the medical doctor's name had been bandied about as a potential mentri besar.

Cabinet & Parliamentary Rebalancing (Part 3): A Weightier Parliament and a Slimmer Cabinet Posted: 27 Feb 2013 11:31 AM PST   Imagine that you are the owner of a restaurant. Would you ask a waiter to oversee the manager's performance? No? But that is exactly what is happening with the management of our country! Refsa  In our Westminster-style model of democratic government, Parliament is supposed to be the watchman making sure the federal government acts in the best interests of the rakyat. However, less than 60% of Barisan Nasional members of parliament (MPs) are free to perform that role. These MPs also tend to be junior, as their senior colleagues are subsumed into the massive Cabinet mess of 68 ministers and deputies. It is no surprise, then, that BN ministers escape unscathed from scandals after scandals. Junior BN MPs have, by and large, shrunk back from critiquing their ministerial peers. It is the Pakatan Rakyat federal opposition and civil society that shoulder the burden of check and balance on the government. This makes it easy for ministers to shrug off criticism as 'opposition-led' or 'politically-driven', much like our under-performing restaurant manager can say  'It's just my competitors bellyaching'. Read more at: http://refsa.org/focus-papers/cabinet-parliamentary-rebalancing-part-3-a-weightier-parliament-and-a-slimmer-cabinet/

Public Opinion Survey 2013 Posted: 27 Feb 2013 05:07 AM PST READ THE FULL REPORT HERE: http://www.malaysia-today.net/files/01H-National-Poll-2013-26-Feb-2013.pdf

Hindraf: Pakatan manifesto a big letdown Posted: 26 Feb 2013 06:17 PM PST Its supremo, P Waythamoorthy, accused Pakatan of completely ignoring the needs and interests of the Indian community in its election pledges. He summed up Pakatan's so-called people's manifesto as one that has disappointed Indian Malaysians and does not value the community's support or needs. "In one stroke, the manifesto has said so many things that disappointed us. It is deeply distressing, not so much by what it says, but by what it does not say. "It failed to even acknowledge, let alone recognise, the community's longstanding woes," the Hindraf chairman said in a statement. In recent talks with Pakatan leaders, especially PKR, he said they failed to take note that Hindraf had been diligently working with them to bring solutions for these serious problems. When questioned on this, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said that Pakatan's manifesto transcends racial groups as well as subgroups including the Indian community. "If this was the case, how does Anwar justify specific pledges to the Malays, Chinese, Orang Asals, Sabah and Sarawakians, the ex-armed forces and Felda settlers in the manifesto? "The provisions there do not seem to transcend racial groups and subgroups," said Waythamoorthy. "Enough has been said of Pakatan moving away from racial politics but that is more a statement of its intent than the frame for its policies. "Pakatan has been using this once too often as a cover to ignore the problems of the Indian poor and marginalised. "That should leave anyone with a strong liberal and democratic conscience, disturbed," added Waythamoorthy. He said that it was time to address the Indian problem permanently, to eliminate its root cause – the institutional discrimination – and bring back the almost 1.3 million poor and working class Indians into the mainstream of economic development. He cited an independent study from the Centre for Policy Studies concluded in 2000 that 600,000 estate workers have been forcibly displaced in the country. - See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/02/27/hindraf-pakatan-manifesto-a-big-letdown/#sthash.mUvchnrg.dpuf Election pledges completely ignores Indians and even Anwar's pledge to resolve the 350,000 stateless Indians issue within 100 days is not mentioned, says Waythamoorthy - See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/02/27/hindraf-pakatan-manifesto-a-big-letdown/#sthash.mUvchnrg.dpuf Election pledges completely ignores Indians and even Anwar's pledge to resolve the 350,000 stateless Indians issue within 100 days is not mentioned, says Waythamoorthy Athi Shankar, FMT Pakatan Rakyat election manifesto has sidelined, isolated and marginalised the already much maligned ethnic Indian community, charged Hindraf Makkal Sakti today. Its supremo, P Waythamoorthy, accused Pakatan of completely ignoring the needs and interests of the Indian community in its election pledges. He summed up Pakatan's so-called people's manifesto as one that has disappointed Indian Malaysians and does not value the community's support or needs. "In one stroke, the manifesto has said so many things that disappointed us. It is deeply distressing, not so much by what it says, but by what it does not say. "It failed to even acknowledge, let alone recognise, the community's longstanding woes," the Hindraf chairman said in a statement. In recent talks with Pakatan leaders, especially PKR, he said they failed to take note that Hindraf had been diligently working with them to bring solutions for these serious problems. When questioned on this, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said that Pakatan's manifesto transcends racial groups as well as subgroups including the Indian community. "If this was the case, how does Anwar justify specific pledges to the Malays, Chinese, Orang Asals, Sabah and Sarawakians, the ex-armed forces and Felda settlers in the manifesto? "The provisions there do not seem to transcend racial groups and subgroups," said Waythamoorthy. "Enough has been said of Pakatan moving away from racial politics but that is more a statement of its intent than the frame for its policies. "Pakatan has been using this once too often as a cover to ignore the problems of the Indian poor and marginalised. "That should leave anyone with a strong liberal and democratic conscience, disturbed," added Waythamoorthy. He said that it was time to address the Indian problem permanently, to eliminate its root cause – the institutional discrimination – and bring back the almost 1.3 million poor and working class Indians into the mainstream of economic development. He cited an independent study from the Centre for Policy Studies concluded in 2000 that 600,000 estate workers have been forcibly displaced in the country. Pakatan taking the same path He added that Hindraf estimated the figure had reached at 800,000 now. "This massive forced displacement is a direct result of state development programmes operating in the milieu of institutional racism," said Waythamoorthy. By ignoring the problem with the "transcends race argument" and the acceptance of serious violation of human rights, he accused Pakatan of taking the same Umno-led BN path. He pinpointed that Anwar's pledge to resolve the 350,000 stateless Malaysian Indians issue within 100 days "found no mention in the manifesto". In its various meetings and communications, he said Hindraf had stressed to Anwar and Pakatan allies the need for a targeted and pointed programme to address this serious accumulated problem arising from all the human rights violations of the past 56 years. He said Hindraf's proposals were stipulated in its five-year blueprint for the Indian community submitted to all Pakatan parties – PKR, DAP and PAS. He said the blueprint sought to address issues of institutional discrimination and equal rights of land procurement for economic purposes, equal business opportunities which included business loans, permits and educational opportunities. He said the annual budget required to fully implement the blueprint was a mere RM4.5 billion or 1.8% of the 2013 annual national budget. This sum, he insisted, was a reinvestment on human capital to stimulate progress and development in lives of marginalised people. "Our proposed solutions are permanent, practical and comprehensive. Pakatan confirmed verbally that it was in principle agreeable with the blueprint," said Waythamoorthy. READ MORE HERE

Are Filipinos Malays? Posted: 26 Feb 2013 05:03 PM PST Yet Philippine hero Dr. Jose Rizal is often called the "pride of the Malay race." Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, for instance, has recognized Rizal as the "greatest Malayan," calling Rizal an "Asian Renaissance Man." Mong Palatino, The Diplomat If asked about their race, most Filipinos would identify as being Malay. Filipinos are taught in schools to be proud of their Malay heritage and encouraged to strengthen their ties with other Malays in Southeast Asia. But Filipinos wishing to migrate in Singapore have to deny this fundamental identification because the Singapore government rejects the classification of Filipinos as Malay. But if Filipinos are not Malay, what ethnicity are they? Officially, Singapore recognizes immigrants from the neighboring Philippines as part of the racial category referred to as "Other." But why refuse the Malay background of Filipinos in the first place? Perhaps it has something to do with the special privileges accorded to the Malay minority in Singapore. Article 152 of the Constitution of Singapore states that the government "shall recognize the special position of the Malays, who are the indigenous people of Singapore, and accordingly it shall be the responsibility of the Government to protect, safeguard, support, foster and promote their political, educational, religious, economic, social and cultural interests and the Malay language." Some legal issues could arise if new immigrants from the Philippines are identified as Malays. They could be given special privileges as well. If this were to happen, the indigenous Malays in Singapore might not be in favor of it. In fact, the recent publication of the government's population strategy triggered a parliamentary discussion on the race status of Filipinos. Zainal Bin Sapari of Singapore's Pasir Ris-Punggol district and a Malay-Muslim member of parliament asked for a clarification on the official race category for immigrants from the Philippines. He said: "There are those who said that citizens from the Philippines (who are) accepted as Singaporean citizens will be categorized as Malays because historically they are considered to have the same roots as Malays. Is this true? If it is true, this would mean that even though the percentage is maintained, the identity and the meaning of the label 'Malay' will change." Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority immediately replied: "This is not true. New Singapore citizens of Filipino origin are not classified as Malays. They are typically classified as 'Others' under the race category." READ MORE HERE

PR manifesto is ‘hardly transformational’ Posted: 26 Feb 2013 04:06 PM PST (The Star) - Pakatan Rakyat's manifesto has been described as "hardly transformational". Political analyst Khoo Kay Peng said the manifesto gave the impression that a Pakatan-run government would have a "bottomless" treasury, with little said on how its promises could be achieved. "The manifesto may appeal to certain voter groups but it is hardly transformational," he said in his blog khookaypeng.blogspot.com. Khoo added that the document failed to explain how the Opposition would fund various subsidies, grants and other payments if it came to power. He also said the manifesto did not focus on reform policies and seemed to suggest that money was the solution to Malaysia's problems. Khoo called it a "political document", saying that it was aimed at pleasing various voter groups in the general election. **************************************** Oil royalty blooper blamed on typo The conspicuous absence of Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang as states entitled to full oil royalties in the Pakatan Rakyat manifesto was due to "human error", says PAS central working committee member Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. The Kuala Selangor MP attributed the oversight to a "typo", saying that the final version included all oil-producing states. "I'm not sure how this error came about but we are most certainly not excluding the other three states." However, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution said it was "an error by the manifesto committee". "It should have read oil-producing states', and this not only covers Sabah and Sarawak, but also Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang." DAP vice-chairman M. Kulasegaran admitted that an error had been made on the manifesto but said Pakatan would explain in detail at a press conference today. The 10-point manifesto, which was revealed on Monday, has drawn flak for listing only Sabah and Sarawak as oil-producing states that will receive royalties from Petronas should the Opposition come to power.

Pakatan will always have Malay bedrock, says DAP Posted: 26 Feb 2013 03:51 PM PST Syed Jaymal Zahiid, TMI Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will always stand on a Malay foundation, whether in government or as the opposition, the DAP said today, countering a study predicting minority dominance in the federal opposition pact post-Election 2013. The statement comes after the Chinese language media reported think-tank ASLI projecting a larger share of seats for the DAP, considering much of PR support stems from the predominantly-Chinese urban areas. It also predicted the status quo would see the Malays and Chinese pitted against each other, with the former making up the government and the latter the opposition. "I don't know what is the intent of the report... but if you look at the seats distributions, we will always be a Malay-majority opposition," DAP national publicity chief Tony Pua told reporters at a party function here. The Petaling Jaya Utara MP explained that his party's study projected the predominantly-Malay PKR and Islamist PAS to win 85 out of the 125 targeted seats needed for PR to garner a simple majority and form the new government. PKR and PAS have both said they will contest the lion's share of the 222 available parliamentary seats, while the DAP is aiming to run in slightly above 60. Although PR has said the seats allocations talk have not been finalised, it is likely that the three component parties will stick to this formula. Pua noted that the DAP will also be looking to "possibly" field more Malay candidates at the upcoming polls, to preclude accusations of Chinese dominance within PR. READ MORE HERE

Removal of Defamatory Links Posted: 26 Feb 2013 03:41 PM PST Your news articles contains defamatory content and defamatory headings which is illegal posting under the Malaysian Penal Court. You must delete these posts because it's a very serious issue otherwise a court order will be issued against your website. Kindly take this matter seriously and remove those links as earliest. Riswan Habib   riswanhabib@brooklinshaw.com I would like to bring a very serious matter to your attention. There has been several links on your website against "NAJIB TUN RAZAK" Honorable Prime Minister of Malaysia. These Links are consistently harming his reputation in a negative manner. It seems to be illegally posting under the defamation act of 1957 act no. 286 under the section 7. So, terminate these links before it moves to some large legal court action.  The defamatory links on your website are: http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/newscommentaries/54253-its-too-late-for-sabah-umno-bn http://malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/newscommentaries/40515-wikileaks-releases-cables-on-najib-and-altantuya http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/newscommentaries/54332-shahrizat-blows-it-for-umno-in-swak http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/newscommentaries/54421-deepak-wants-najib-out-muhyiddin-in http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/guest-columnists/54183-kpru-najib-as-the-most-indecisive-prime-minister-of-malaysia http://malaysia-today.net/archives/archives-2012/50454-yet-another-nail-in-najibs-coffin http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/guest-columnists/54354-the-decline-and-fall-of-najib Advocate Riswan Habib, Senior Legal Advisor, Office of The Prime Minister Main Block, Perdana Putra Building, Federal Government Administrative Centre, MALAYSIA

Pakatan vows to phase out NEP Posted: 26 Feb 2013 03:36 PM PST Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has pledged to replace race-based affirmative action with means-tested policies that will see the eventual removal of the New Economic Policy (NEP) if it captures Putrajaya in Election 2013. PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli stressed that the opposition pact was focused on increasing household income to RM4,000 monthly, instead of pursuing a 30 per cent Bumiputera quota. "We are going to move from race-based to needs-based policies and that will automatically phase off the NEP," said Rafizi at a press conference at the PKR headquarters here today. "It's a matter of time [before] all these race-based policies are irrelevant," he added. Rafizi pointed out that under a PR government, Bumiputeras would enjoy equity exceeding 30 per cent. PR unveiled its election manifesto last Monday, promising a complete revamp of the country's economic approach with the aim to ensure every Malaysian household draws a minimum monthly income of RM4,000 by the end of its first term. The pact also enforced its pledge to drop fuel prices and electricity tariffs, scrap toll payments, reduce car prices, free education, as well as increase the ceiling for taxable income to those who earn a minimum of RM400,000 annually, instead of the current RM250,000. READ MORE HERE

Pakatan: Life beyond Anwar Ibrahim Posted: 26 Feb 2013 03:27 PM PST Ooi Kok Hin, The Malaysian Insider Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim flirted with his smartphone throughout the Fourth Pakatan Rakyat Convention on Monday. The fact that he took the convention so nonchalantly and let others run the show is a sign of how much things have changed in the opposition camp. Back in 1999 when DAP, PAS and Keadilan first formed a pact, the Barisan Alternatif, he was the shadowy overarching figure behind bars. Anwar Ibrahim, the man, was the glue, the purpose and the Messiah. Anwar is so deeply intertwined with the very existence of Pakatan and its predecessor that many people couldn't imagine how Pakatan can move together when Anwar is no longer around. However, while the former deputy prime minister is still a very influential leader, Pakatan has outgrown the man. The Making of Anwar and Pakatan To know how Pakatan can take on a life of its own beyond the PKR de facto leader, we have to understand why Anwar is so important at first. He's able to play the mediator role like no other politician, and in no small part, this is due to the fact that he and Tok Guru Abdul Hadi Awang has known each other for more than 30 years since their days in Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (ABIM). In fact Anwar was so closely associated with PAS in his youth days and him joining Umno was seen as an act of betrayal by some. But the bond they once shared was not broken, in fact resurrected in 1999. Anwar's relationship with PAS is a clue to understanding his political journey. He understands PAS's ideology, its values and its history. He knows how things work according to the party's tradition. Hence he is able to fit in and accepted by most leaders and members, discounting those who have personal feud with him or find his history in Barisan Nasional too much to swallow. The same principle applies to his association with DAP. Anwar's ability to churn out verses from the Quran is as good as his ability to quote Shakespeare and Edmund Burke. He's incredibly informed about secular and democratic principles which are cherished by the DAP. DAP's leaders and supporters have no better representation of an ideal Muslim-Democrat than Anwar, the Newsweek's Asian of the Year in 1998. This is no small matter in demonstrating why he's able to fit in. He understands them and they accept him as a man who knows their tradition and values. This is someone they can trust. That is also the main reason Anwar Ibrahim is Pakatan's prime minister candidate as agreed by Tok Guru Nik Aziz Nik Mat, Lim Kit Siang and well, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Ismail. Hadi Awang is the preferred candidate by some in PAS but that's precisely the limit of that claim. Lim Guan Eng is even more unlikely. This is something worth clarifying. It is not that a non-Malay cannot become prime minister. It is constitutionally legal as Article 43 makes no prohibition on this matter. But the prime minister must be someone trusted not only by the majority in Parliament but also by his or her political allies from the top to grassroots level. A non-Malay or/and a female will only become prime minister when he or she gains such trust on a large scale, like Barack Obama. And of course, good governance, fluency in the national language and appreciation of Islamic values improve one's chances. Beyond the man On December 2010, Anwar did not speak at the Second Pakatan Rakyat Convention. The rejuvenation process has started without many of us noticing. Anwar was planting trees under whose shadows he would not sit. It seemed that his colleagues and him agreed that it was necessary to not be over-dependent on him and hence let others take to the platform and shine. Over the last four years, we have seen the result of such deliberate strategy through the younger batch of leaders like Rafizi Ramli, Tony Pua and Mujahid Yusof Rawa who are playing more important roles. Faces which we barely recognize years ago are now the key spokespersons for their parties. Just like how Anwar, Hadi Awang and their cohorts first developed their association, Pakatan's next generation leaders are having the same, in fact more opportunity to cultivate trust and bonds. After five or more years of working together in their 30s and 40s, the crucial years in which one's political career, they must have established at least a working, if not a much appreciated relationship. More of such cross-party collaboration, understanding and unity are catalysts for creating trust among those young leaders. Indeed there are much more dynamic cross-party interaction and cooperation in Pakatan than ever before, especially in Selangor. At the Shah Alam Convention Centre, Rafizi, Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and M. Kulasegaran presented the coalition's new election manifesto. Pakatan's decision to let the next generation leaders craft and deliver the manifesto is a clever one. Indeed this is something Barisan must learn. Celebrated football coach Jose Mourinho said, "Individuals don't win you trophies. Teams win you trophies." READ MORE HERE

Of election manifestos Posted: 26 Feb 2013 03:19 PM PST PKR deputy president Azmin Ali disclosed that once the Pakatan Rakyat is in power, the New Economic Policy (NEP) will be replaced by a non-racial economic policy. It shows that Pakatan Rakyat knows the crux of economic stagnation. In addition to changing the policy, however, there should also be reforms in economic structure to release economic potential, increase the people's incomes and alleviate the burden of life. Lim Sue Goan, My Sinchew Pakatan Rakyat has unveiled its election manifesto even before the Parliament is dissolved, reflecting the opposition pact's high degree of confidence. The manifesto is divided into four parts, namely The People's Well-being; The Fraternity of the People; The People's Economy; and The People's Government. Commitments under the People's Well-being alone are attractive, including abolishing toll charges and the AES while lowering fuel prices, car prices, as well as water and electricity prices. It seems like the Pakatan Rakyat's manifesto has further implemented the welfare state idea of PAS. However, the country and the people have been caught in the middle-income trap with stagnated political reforms, declining management performances, rising cost of living and increasing number of livelihood problems. Pakatan Rakyat must explain how it will settle these problems once it is in power. Pakatan Rakyat has put forward some new ideas in economic and government transformations, such as creating one million of jobs in plantation, manufacturing and service sectors. It would also like to reduce one million of foreign workers by the fifth year after taking over the office. It is our first political party or coalition to include the target of reducing the number of foreign workers in election manifesto. However, the key lies on execution. PKR deputy president Azmin Ali disclosed that once the Pakatan Rakyat is in power, the New Economic Policy (NEP) will be replaced by a non-racial economic policy. It shows that Pakatan Rakyat knows the crux of economic stagnation. In addition to changing the policy, however, there should also be reforms in economic structure to release economic potential, increase the people's incomes and alleviate the burden of life. Pakatan Rakyat is quite forward-looking in government transformation, which has been neglected by Barisan Nasional. It includes the commitment to reform the judicial system, Attorney-General's Chambers, MACC and the police force to free them from political interference. The Parliament will also be reformed to enhance its overseeing function. All one sided regulations and laws limiting media freedom will also be repealed, including the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 ( UUCA) will also be repealed. In fighting for swing votes, Pakatan Rakyat also promised to stop the operation of Lynas rare-earth refinery and review the Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID) project in Pengerang, directly hitting BN's vital spot. Pakatan Rakyat also promised to recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC). The BN might face difficulties in gaining Chinese votes if it does not announce the recognition for the UEC before the election. Pakatan Rakyat is also concerned about law and order, as well as public transport. However, there is a fly in the ointment as no specific strategy to fight housing price rise is mentioned. The manifesto of Pakatan Rakyat is close to the people and it will indeed pressure BN. In fact, BN is also aware of its governance weaknesses. That is why Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak introduced the Government Transformation Plan (GTP) covering seven National Key Result Area (NKRA), namely reducing crime, fighting corruption, improving student outcomes, raising living standards of low income households, improving rural basic infrastructure, improving urban public transport and addressing cost of living. The coverage of the seven NKRAs is similar to Pakatan Rakyat's manifesto, but the standards of some areas have not yet been achieved. If Najib wishes to fight for the return of votes with this transcript, he should then work harder, particularly in terms of livelihood issues. I hope that the Pakatan Rakyat's manifesto can drive a healthy competition between the confronting coalitions, particularly in terms of policy, as well as political and economic transformations, instead of encouraging them to continue competing in social welfare which diverts the focus and cause their election manifestos to lose meaning.

British investors sue ex-Umno treasurer Azim over RM12.8m Posted: 26 Feb 2013 03:01 PM PST Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider Sixty British investors have sued former Umno treasurer Datuk Seri Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi and his IT company, Doxport Technologies Sdn Bhd, for allegedly misappropriating US$4 million (RM12.8 million) in 2009. Their lawyer, Hasnal Rezua Merican, said today that the British investors ― based in London and comprising both male and female professionals aged between 40 and 55 years, including bankers ― filed the suit in the High Court here last Wednesday against Doxport chairman Azim, director and CEO Sivalingam Thechinamoorthy, accounts department staff Gurmeet Kaur, and the firm. "They (the claimants) invested money into purchasing Telekom switches and equity in Doxport," Hasnal told The Malaysian Insider today. "They were promised that the Telekom switches would be theirs and they would hold it under equity in Doxport... but documents were falsified, just to give them an appearance that the switches are running in Malaysia," he added. Hasnal said that the 60 British citizens had invested about US$4 million into Doxport Technologies in January 2009, when Azim was Umno treasurer. Azim, who is currently the Bukit Bintang Umno division chief, was replaced by Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah in April 2009. Hasnal (left) and Kamarul said that the police's Money Laundering Investigation Division only started investigations last month. — Picture by Boo Su-LynHasnal said that the investors lodged a police report in 2011 after discovering that there were no such Telekom switches operating in Malaysia. "Some documents were generated to show that the switches were receiving calls through them. All these were given to our clients to believe that the switches were operating. But finally when they came down to Malaysia, no switches were visible... So they ended up without any equity in Doxport and without any switches," he said. The lawyer added that the investors had aimed to generate income from the traffic of calls recorded by the switches, which Doxport claimed would run in Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines. Hasnal said the investors had come to know of Doxport after the company's lawyer approached a British citizen in the Pakistani community in London. "The investors were duped into believing that Doxport was carrying business activities in Cambodia. On the strength of the representation, they were asked to invest. But it was found out later that Doxport was never licensed to operate anything in Cambodia," he said. The lawyer added that the police have sent investigation papers to the Attorney-General's Chambers, noting that the investigation took 14 months. He said that the investors had also lodged a complaint with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in 2011, but pointed out that the regulator later decided not to press charges. "The complaint was they (Doxport) were operating without licence. (But) the finding made by the investigators of MCMC is there seems to be no evidence that they are operating any business at all," said Hasnal. The lawyer said that the investors were suing for the return of their investments, besides seeking general and exemplary damages. READ MORE HERE

Pakatan targets RM49.5b yearly savings to fund programmes Posted: 26 Feb 2013 02:56 PM PST Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider Pakatan Rakyat (PR) aims to save about RM49.5 billion annually on federal government procurements and projects in order to finance economic programmes costing RM45.8 billion annually, should it win Election 2013. PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli told reporters today that the opposition pact would emulate the Selangor PR government that saved 24 per cent on road projects from January to September 2012. "We'll save RM49.5 billion, which is 24 per cent of the (RM206.4 billion) expenditure," said Rafizi, referring to the cost of existing government procurements and projects this year. Rafizi pointed out that PR's economic agenda would cost RM45.8 billion, comprising the scrapping of toll payments, the reduction of excise duties, a national housing scheme, teachers' special allowances, dismantling the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN), and 20 per cent oil royalties Other initiatives include the Caruman Wanita Nasional scheme, bonuses for senior citizens, a fund for minimum wage, People's Pioneer Scheme to train school-leavers, 20 per cent contribution to the Armed Forces Fund board (LTAT), veterans' dividends, an increase of buses in the Klang Valley, free wards at government hospitals, and an increase in welfare aid. PR unveiled its election manifesto on Monday, promising a complete revamp of the country's economic approach with the aim of ensuring every Malaysian household draws a minimum monthly income of RM4,000 by the end of its first term. READ MORE HERE

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