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Rabu, 2 Oktober 2013

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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Same shit every year

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 06:35 PM PDT

Insiders say that the projects should have cost about RM25 million apiece but the cost was doubled to cover a RM80 million donation to MCA. Others say MCA never received the RM80 million and that the money went to the Minister instead during the tenure of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Prime Minister.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The Auditor-General's Department has just released its annual report and, as usual, we are reading about all the shit. It is actually the same shit every year and is almost like this year's report is a photocopy of last year's report and of the reports the years before that and so on.

In short, nothing has changed.

There are so many issues in the Auditor-General's report that we just cannot cover everything. One thing I want to talk about, though, is regarding the incinerator fiasco because some things are not mentioned in the report, which I feel should be mentioned.

I remember years ago back in the 1980s when Terengganu announced the first incinerator project in Malaysia. That was back in the days of Menteri Besar Wan Mokhtar Ahmad and the late Bakar Daud, the head of Bandaran Kuala Terengganu at that time.

That project became a white elephant even before it could be commissioned and there were reports of massive corruption, which was never investigated.

The Edge has an interesting report about this in the article 'Greener combustion of waste' (READ HERE). Note the eleventh paragraph of this report where it talks about the failed Kuala Terengganu project of the 1980s.

Now, some of the people involved in that failed Kuala Terengganu project of 30 years ago are also involved in the Langkawi, Pangkor, Tioman and Cameron Highlands incinerator projects. And, according to the Auditor-General, these projects too have failed and have swallowed about RM200 million of the taxpayers' money.

The company behind these projects, XCN Technology Sdn Bhd, was also implicated in a RM100,000 bribery scandal. Furthermore, according to inside sources, the project is not RM200 million as reported but involved variation orders of an additional RM80 million -- which was not mentioned in the Auditor-General's report.

Insiders say that the projects should have cost about RM25 million apiece but the cost was doubled to cover a RM80 million donation to MCA. Others say MCA never received the RM80 million and that the money went to the Minister instead during the tenure of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Prime Minister.

Well, there you have it. I have just completed the Auditor-General's report and have highlighted what the Auditor-General's report did not mention.

Over to the MACC -- are we going to see a second corruption case involving XCN Technology Sdn Bhd and Caleb Khoo Nee Sien?

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

Govt officer charged over bank deposit

(Bernama, 6 May 2009) - A senior government officer pleaded not guilty in the magistrate's court here today on two counts of receiving a RM100,000 bank deposit one year ago.

Aw Joon Ching, 50, former principal assistant director in the Housing and Local Government Ministry, was alleged to have received the money from XCN Technology Sdn Bhd director Caleb Khoo Nee Sien in connection with the installation of incinerators in Pangkor and Langkawi islands.

Aw, who was attached with the Engineering Structure Unit of the ministry's implementation and maintenance branch, had managed the projects then.

Aw, who had since been transferred to the Public Works Department, was alleged to have received the money through the account of his sister-in-law, Tan Yee Pik, 41, at the Bangsar Baru branch of Malayan Banking Berhad between May 8 and June 30, 2008.

He was charged under Section 165 of the Penal Code and if convicted, he is liable to a jail term up to two years jail or fines or both.

Magistrate Nazran Mohd Sham fixed bail at RM5,000 bail and set June 10 for re-mention.

Joon Ching was represented by counsel Yusof Khan while Deputy Public Prosecutor Iznina Hanim Hashim prosecuted.

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

RM199m "burnt" as incinerators for waste management become white elephants

(TMI) - The Auditor-General Department revealed a waste of RM199 million which was spent on the construction of four incinerators by the National Solid Waste Management Department over the last four years, as there was no expertise to operate such machines once they were built.

The incinerators were built in Langkawi, Pangkor, Tioman and Cameron Highlands.

According to the AG Report released today, the construction of these incinerators was also delayed two to three times from their original schedule.

The report revealed that three of the incinerators were not in operation for between 223 and 642 days, due to the lack of expertise.

The plan to build the fifth incinerator in Labuan also did not take off.

"The Pahang government had spent nearly RM1 million last year to clean up the mess the old way," the report added.

The Federal Government had allocated RM337.5 million for the whole project.

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

Flaws in incinerator management

The 2012 Audit Report revealed that only one out of the four waste incinerators is up and running.

(FMT) - Audit findings revealed today that the overall management of waste incinerators by the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry are not satisfactory.

Out of the four projects, only one is in operation. Another two projects have been completed but not in operation yet, while the fourth was still under construction.

Under the Ninth and Tenth Malaysia Plan, a total of RM199.09 million out of the RM337.45 million allocated by the Federal Government was spent on the construction of the incinerators.

The ministry built incinerators using the combustion technology proposed by XCN Technology Sdn Bhd in Pulau Langkawi, Pulau Pangkor, Cameron Highlands and Pulau Tioman.

The audit finding proved that the all the incinerators were not completed during the scheduled period and only one was ready within the extended deadline.

Another two incinerators were completed between 46 days and 104 days after the extended deadline while one is still under construction.

Even the Pangkor incinerator could not operate at the set temperature range and is inefficient.

There were also flaws in the documents on the plant operation and maintenance contract.

The report also revealed that there were design flaws resulting in the incinerator not operating at optimal level.

Bad management was also due to non-compliance of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), Occupational Safety and Health Act and the Factories and Machinery Act.

The National Audit Department advised the ministry to provide an effective management of solid waste.

The audit also recommended raising public awareness on the importance of separation of solid waste.

The ministry was urged to improve the solid waste treatment so that autogenous combustion could be achieved in a more efficient manner.

 
Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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‘Fake degrees akin to fake Louis Vuitton’

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 09:05 PM PDT

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Shahidan-Kassim.jpg

 
Shahidan said: "If someone has a degree from an unrecognised university, there is nothing we can do.

"Maybe the person just wants to keep it for their own personal use, to frame it in their homes.


Anisah Shukry, FMT 


PETALING JAYA: Fake degrees and degrees obtained from degree mills are like "fake Louis Vuitton" — no action can be taken if it is for personal use.

Minister in the Prime Minister Department Shahidan Kassim said this in the Dewan Rakyat today, in response to Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming's question on whether the government was aware that two Cabinet Ministers, Serian MP Richard Riot and Ranau MP Ewon Ebin, had dubious degrees.

Ong had also claimed Baling MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, who is chairman of Lembaga Tabung Haji, and Mohammed Emir Mavani Abdullah, the chief executive officer of Felda Global Ventures Holdings Bhd had questionable qualifications.

Side-stepping the question entirely, Shahidan said: "If someone has a degree from an unrecognised university, there is nothing we can do.

"Maybe the person just wants to keep it for their own personal use, to frame it in their homes.

"If we want to create a law that people can only own degrees from recognised universities, it would also have to cover fake branded products such as imitation Louis Vuitton handbags.  That is too much work for us."

Elaborating on his analogy further, he said: "If you walk around with a fake Louis Vuitton handbag, people will just jeer you for carrying one. It's the same with fake degrees."

But he asserted that such degrees could not be used to apply for jobs, and action would be taken if individuals were caught doing so.

He said those guilty of using fake degrees or degrees from unrecognized universities to gain employment or promotion may be sacked, pointing out that there were two such cases, in 2007 to 2012.

But he declined to comment on the specific cases Ong had mentioned.

'I worked hard for my degree'

However, during his turn to answer a question, Riot took the opportunity to defend, saying that there was a difference between fake degrees and degrees obtained from unrecognized universities

"I worked very hard for my degree because I believe in life-long learning," said Riot, who is Human Resource Minister

"As a former deputy foreign minister, I have represented Malaysia outside the country and given speeches in English not less than 50 times."

Ong had previously highlighted Riot's Masters in Business Administration from Prestong University – a well-known bogus university

Meanwhile, Ewon's alma maters, the Golden State University in Wyoming and the Commonwealth Open University in the British Virgin Islands, are listed as 'unauthorised schools and invalid degrees' by the Oregon and Maine state governments, according to Ong.

READ MORE HERE

Learn from mistakes and stop the wastage

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 04:33 PM PDT

The Star

THE Auditor-General's Report 2012 tabled in Parliament yesterday has once again thrown up the usual slew of cases involving mismanagement of funds to downright corruption.

Some of the cases highlighted are bound to raise a chuckle or two, like how the Customs Department had to destroy RM602,089 worth of shoes bought for its staff because they did not meet specifications.

We are used to seeing Customs destroying goods confiscated in the line of duty but to destroy 7,659 pairs of new footwear bought for its own use is certainly not right.

This incident is no laughing matter. Neither is the loss of some RM1.3mil in assets, which include firearms, vehicles and handcuffs by police over the last three years.

This was among the wastage highlighted in the report which also found the police's management of missing assets unsatisfactory, especially at a time when we are so concerned about the spate of serious crime.

And the taxman, entrusted to making sure the government coffers are properly filled, also got ticked off for wasting up to RM9mil during the relocation of its processing centre from Pandan Indah to Bangi.

Or that the Education Ministry wasted RM2bil on unsatisfactory private security in schools.

The report cited the poor execution of security services with no monitoring at entry and exit points at school premises, insufficient guards, and guards who were either too old or failed to present adequate health and background security checks.

The problem with auditing, whether on government accounts or private companies, is that such incidents are revealed only after the fact.

And it does not help that errant officials are somewhat protected by anonymity and can be transferred to other departments after misdemeanours are discovered.

The primary purpose of auditing is to uncover impropriety, but it must also be the Auditor-General's hope that civil servants learn from such revelations.

The weaknesses highlighted by the A-G in his latest report seem to sound like an old record.

Among them are improper payments; work or supplies not meeting specifications, unreasonable delays, wastage and weakness in management of products and assets.

Once again, public officials have been implicated in issues of graft. The MACC has a lot on its plate and must act fast to restore confidence in the way we manage the public purse.

Let us be clear that all public officials must always be accountable to the public interest. They must know that every action is subject to scrutiny and must always be above reproach.

By the same token, let us also applaud those departments who have been given a clean bill of health by the AG, especially those who have learnt from the mistakes of others.

A huge government machinery like ours will definitely have its problems but we must be clear that even a little nut or bolt can bring the machinery to a halt.

We are only as good as our weakest link and we must send out a strong message that we do not tolerate any mismanagement of public funds.

 

The Auditor-General’s Report, a tale of greed from top to bottom

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 04:16 PM PDT

NEWS ANALYSIS BY THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER

One really troubling fact about the Auditor-General's Report released yesterday is that the poison of corruption, wastage and negligence has seeped right down to the lowest levels of government.

Not only have Malaysians got to be worried about corrupt politicians but also civil servants from the top to the bottom. How else do you explain nearly RM200 million being spent on incinerators without the know-how to operate the technology or RM3,000 on wall clocks or custom-made shoes left to rot because they did not meet the specifications?

Money is being spent and wasted like water. And the disease has infected every ministry, government-linked company and institution across the nation. Perhaps it was inevitable given that civil servants have witnessed politicians milking the system for decades and getting away with it.

So why not also jump on the gravy train? After all it is public funds, and it belongs to them to waste it as they see fit. Even more troubling is that no heads have rolled over the years for such sheer wastage and corruption. When was the last time anyone took responsibility for purchasing expensive printers, inks, shoes, clocks and scanners?

Which minister or secretary-general or director-general or even chief clerk has admitted they slipped up and quit to take responsibility for such negligence. Is there any concern that policemen can lose guns or even police cars without anyone having their knuckles rapped for it? Or that money is still being paid out to dead people? One can suppose these dead people are still on the electoral roll.

READ MORE HERE

 
Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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Khairy To Act On Auditor General's Report

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 09:21 PM PDT

http://m.themalaymailonline.com/uploads/articles/khairy-jamaluddin-240613_400_311_70.jpg 

(Bernama) -- Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin assured that no stones would be left unturned against those found responsible for misusing tax payers money.

Khairy said the 2012 Auditor General's report must be taken seriously as the ministry had to foot a hefty bill for organising the K-Pop concert during the Hari Belia 2012 celebration.

"What is certain is that we in the Ministry of Youth and Sports will take the necessary steps to ensure no wastage of funds because the government's funds are the peoples' money. We must be accountable for every Sen that we spend," he said.

Khairy said collective responsibility was a meaningful practice for him and said "I must answer and act if there is any wrong doing in my ministry."

"I cannot run away from the responsibility vested on me," he said in his Facebook posting, today when commenting on the Auditor General's 2012 report which found the RM1.1 million spent for the promotion and publicity of Hari Belia Negara 2012, as unreasonable.

"I view what was revealed by the Auditor General's report seriously. If we are serious about carrying out transformation in a transparent manner, the report cannot be taken lightly. The people do not want to see leaders in the government keeping mum over the report," he said.

Khairy said he cannot excuse himself by saying that the report involved expenditure of the ministry even before he was appointed Youth and Sports Minister.

According to the Auditor General's report, the Youth and Sports Department under the Ministry had spent RM2.94 million, including the RM1.6 million that was paid to the K-Pop group, in conjunction with the Million Youths Gathering in 2012.

Khairy said the Ministry had to pay the amount for the K-pop concert because the sponsors did not fulfill their obligation.

As for the Majlis Belia Malaysia's (MBM) repeated payment for a job that was already done, Khairy said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had carried out investigations and was in the final stage.

"As for other issues raised in the report, I have asked my officers to give me a detailed report before any action is taken," he said.

Anwar’s acquittal appeal on Dec 11 and 12

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 06:55 PM PDT

(Bernama) - The Court of Appeal here fixed Dec 11 and 12 to hear the prosecution's appeal against Anwar Ibrahim's acquittal on a charge of sodomising his former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Court of Appeal president Md Raus Sharif fixed the hearing dates for the appeal after the matter came up before him in chambers today for case management.

Appearing for the prosecution was Muhammad Shafee Abdullah while Anwar was represented by Karpal Singh.

Muhammad Shafee, a senior lawyer, was appointed by the Attorney-General by way of a "fiat" to lead the prosecution in its appeal in a bid to set aside the Kuala Lumpur High Court's decision on Jan 9, last year which acquitted and discharged Anwar of a charge of sodomising Mohd Saiful Bukhari, 26.

Karpal Singh said in the meantime, the Court of Appeal would have to prepare its grounds of judgment with regard to its (the Court of Appeal's) decision to dismiss Anwar's application to disqualify Muhammad Shafee from appearing as the lead counsel.

He (Karpal Singh) said this was to enable Anwar's appeal  (against the Court of Appeal's dismissal of  Anwar's application to disqualify Muhammad Shafee as public prosecutor) to be heard at the Federal Court before Dec 11.

A three-member Court of Appeal panel led by Justice Ramly Ali had on Sept 17, this year dismissed Anwar's application to disqualify Muhammad Shafee and held that his appointment as public prosecutor was valid and in accordance with the provisions of the law.

The opposition leader (Anwar) subsequently filed the notice of appeal on Sept 20, this year against that decision.

Anwar, 64, was accused of committing the offence at a Desa Damansara condominium unit in Bukit Damansara between 3.10pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.

On Jan 9, last year, High Court judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah in acquitting Anwar had ruled that there was penile penetration but it was uncorroborated by other evidence.

He had held that the court could not be 100% certain on the integrity of samples taken from Mohd Saiful for DNA testing as the samples could have been compromised before they reached the chemistry department for analysis.

 

Liow: I’m ready to face EGM

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 05:06 PM PDT

(The Star) - MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai says he is ready to face an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to censure him.

He expressed confidence that the central delegates were mature enough to make wise and important decisions.

Liow said this at a press conference here yesterday, flanked by central committee members Datuk Dr Hou Kok Chung, Datuk Hoh Khai Mun, Lee Wei Kiat, Wanita chief Datuk Yu Chok Tow and former Wanita chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun.

On Monday, 20 out of 43 from the MCA central committee (CC) petitioned for the EGM. One of the four resolutions was to censure Liow for refusing to accept and respect the party's collective decisions, and for failing in his duty as chairman of the general election preparation committee.

The petition stated that Liow's actions had provoked party infighting after the general election and tarnished the MCA's image.

Liow retorted by saying that MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek should bear the bulk of the responsibility when the party did badly in GE13 because it was "he who determined the party's strategy and direction for the polls".

"It was the president who decided on the candidates and discussed with Barisan Nasional chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on the exchange of seats and the giving up of seats," he said, chiding the 20 petitioners for going after the wrong person.

On the other three resolutions – for the party to accept appointments by the Federal Government, state governments and government-linked companies – Liow said he had always felt that the MCA should be part of the Government.

The MCA had previously resolved not to accept any government positions if the party's performance in GE13 was worse than that in GE12.

The MCA won seven parliamentary seats and 11 state seats in GE13 against 15 parliamentary seats and 31 state seats in GE12.

Subsequently, Sebatang Pulai assemblyman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong, who accepted a Johor executive councillor post in June, was suspended by the party.

Nevertheless, a majority from the CC had voted to lift the suspension last month after Tee appealed with a letter from the Johor palace stating his appointment was the Sultan's decision.

Liow said the CC, by doing so, had gone against the spirit of the resolution.

His faction failed to call for an EGM last month to reverse the CC's decision because their petition was submitted during the transition period when the party's divisional elections were already in progress.

Liow said he would ask the CC to add a resolution to discuss Tee's case.

Dr Chua is scheduled to chair a CC meeting at the party headquarters here tomorrow.

 

Rahmad calls on DAP to amend constitution

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 04:56 PM PDT

Penang Malay Congress leader, who dramatically quit the party last week, alleges that DAP is Chinese-centric and should therefore, amend its constitution to reflect so.

Hawkeye, FMT

The outspoken Penang Malay Congress leader Rahmad Isahak has now called on DAP to amend its constitution to reflect the party's positioning as a Chinese-centric party as it mostly championed issues of the community.

DAP should also do away with its multi-racial tagline and remove the slogan of "Malaysian Malaysia or Middle Malaysia," he said.

He added that its constitution should read that Chinese are the dominant members while the rest are minorities and the Malays are relegated to just token representatives.

In his first statement since recently quitting DAP in a huff over what he alleged to be an unfavorable treatment of the Malays, Rahmad said the outcome of the central executive committee (CEC) election line-up portrays DAP as a Chinese party where an overwhelming number of leaders from that community were retained.

This is despite PMC's constant clarion call for DAP to incorporate a multi-ethnic composition in view that it had become a dominant voice in Pakatan Rakyat, an alliance comprising reformists PKR and Islamists PAS.

Rahmad also believes that a standing instruction was issued to the 1,000 plus delegates to vote in the same CEC line-up as that in the earlier election in December.

"It shows that the election is merely for them to thumb their noses at the authorities such as the Registar of Societies. It is a show," he said.

According to him, the surprise was that the party icon Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng had each lost more than 200 votes in the re-election when compared to the previous elections last December.

Both finished behind Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong whose role as a political educational bureau chairman was seen as the catalyst for DAP outperforming all other political parties except Umno in the last general election.

Make Chin Tong the sec-gen

"Many may find this surprising but if one were to analyse the DAP voting pattern, the result also shows that the delegates have started erasing the long held perception that Lim dynasty controls the party. For me, Liew is a lightning rod," Rahmad said.

The votes may have also gone to DAP chairman Karpal Singh, who was also seen as creating a parallel dynasty with the rise of his two sons, Gobind and Jagdeep, in the party.

READ MORE HERE

 

IGP: Missing guns may have fallen into the sea

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 04:30 PM PDT

(MM) - Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said today that the missing guns highlighted in the just-released federal audit had not fallen into the wrong hands but could have "fallen into the sea", as he deflected criticisms against the police force for lacking accountability.

The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), in a press conference this afternoon, pointed out that checks with the weapons' identification codes have confirmed that they were not used for any criminal activity recently.

"Of the 37 missing guns, ballistic reports show that none of them have been used by criminals.

"The missing guns may not have fallen into the hands of criminals but it could have fallen into the sea from boats...and the weapons could not be recovered," he was quoted as saying at the press conference by news portal Malaysiakini. In the federal audit, however, it was claimed that the police had lost 44 units of firearms, instead of 37.

According to the Auditor-General's 2012 report released yesterday, the police had lost assets worth RM1.33 million in the past three years, including firearms, handcuffs and even vehicles.

The report said the police's management of missing assets was unsatisfactory, noting the late discovery of missing assets, the delay in reporting losses to the department head and to the police, the department head's delay in preparing an initial report on the missing assets, and the delay in action following a report on missing assets.

"In the auditor's opinion, the management of PDRM's missing assets is unsatisfactory because there are still many missing cases in 2010 and 2011 that have yet to be solved, as well as surcharges that have yet to be collected," stated the Auditor-General's 2012 report released today, referring to the police force with its Bahasa Malaysia initials.

"Besides that, records in Bukit Aman and state police contingent headquarters containing information on missing assets and the status of investigations need to be coordinated," it added.

The report noted that between 2010 and 2012, the police lost 156 units of handcuffs, 44 units of firearms, 29 vehicles, 26 walkie-talkies, 22 radios, six cameras, four computers, one cellphone, and 21 unspecified items.

It added that out of 95 missing asset cases in 2012, only two cases were solved as the missing assets were found; while 17.8 per cent out of 45 cases in 2011 and 43.8 per cent out of 73 cases in 2010 were solved and written off.

It also noted that a surcharge of RM63,346 was slapped on errant officers in 30 missing asset cases from 2010 to 2012, but only RM6,879, or 11 per cent, was collected at the end of 2012.

According to Khalid today, however, a total of 92 cases of the missing items have been resolved to date, following an internal inquiry.

A further 118 are still under investigation, the IGP added, according to Malaysiakini.

The news portal also reported Khalid as saying that those responsible for the missing firearms were told to pay for them and a total of RM197,984 have been collected so far.

"(The police force) views this issue seriously. We concede that there are weaknesses which must be fixed and we are in the process of studying this," he was quoted as saying. 

 

MCA meet quizzes party’s missing millions

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 04:23 PM PDT

(MM) - Close to 500 MCA members met today to demand answers on the millions of ringgit worth of party funds they alleged have been left unaccounted under the leadership of party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

The funds include, among others, RM212 million in dividends from the 42 per cent stake MCA holds in English daily The Star, and the sale of a donated piece of land in Bangi that was meant for the party's second headquarters.

"Where has the money gone to? We have a lot of questions to ask," said Datuk Yew Teong Look, who called himself the chairman of the MCA Safeguard Party Assets Action Committee.

Yew, who is also the Wangsa Maju division chief, led several division leaders today to question the RM107 million gained by the party, as claimed by Dr Chua recently.

He explained that the dividends from The Star's stock has by itself amounted to over RM319 million since 2010, when Dr Chua started helming the party.

The parcel of land in Bangi was also sold to property developer Mah Sing Group for just RM8 million he said, despite the land's estimated market value of RM20 million.

Yew claimed that party members present today have unanimously agreed for MCA to buy back the land "irrespective of its cost".

"We want MCA to buy back the land for the pride and dignity," he said.

READ MORE HERE

 

Dr M: Stop BR1M handouts

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 04:07 PM PDT

(Bernama) - Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) need not to be continued in the Budget 2014 in a bid to reduce the people's dependency on the government.

Instead, he said the government should find a way to train the people, especially the underprivileged, with certain skills that could become their source of income.

"We rarely appreciate the things we get for free, including the BR1M.

"That is why it should be given only to hardcore poor and those with disabilities," he told reporters after speaking at 'An Evening With Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad' programme here yesterday.

He said this when asked about his suggestions for the Budget 2014, scheduled to be tabled by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak on Oct 25.

Meanwhile, Dr Mahathir said Malaysia's economy would not suffer major impact following the United States (US) government shutdown as the bilateral trade between the two countries had declined over the years.

"More or less, the effect will be felt, but our trade is not with the US alone," he said.

The US government went into a partial shutdown as lawmakers missed the deadline to pass a budget amid differences in Congress over how to deal with President Barack Obama's health care programme.

Rais to ‘unite’ PAS, PKR, Umno leaders

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 04:05 PM PDT

(Bernama) - Social Affairs and Cultural adviser to the government Dr Rais Yatim plans to bring together leaders of three political parties soon in efforts to strengthen unity among the Malays and Muslims.

He said for a start, a meeting organised with the cooperation of several Malay intellectuals and non-governmental organisations, would be held in three places, namely Kelantan, Terengganu and Kuala Lumpur.

The three parties involved are Umno, PKR and PAS.

"This effort is underway and to make it happen, it must be done in the goodwill spirit," he told reporters after launching a seminar on 'Unity of the Ummah in Malaysian Civilization" at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI), here yesterday.

Rais said he saw the significance of Malay interests in the context of unity and not the name of their party, therefore, efforts to unite them were necessary to discuss issues on religion, race, language and the region.

"This is not about Umno politics, PAS politics or PKR politics but the Malay Muslim struggle."

He said this when asked by a panel member on how to strengthen unity among the Malays from various political parties in the country.

Meanwhile, on the seminar, he said Malays needed to push aside their ego in the interest of their own race and Muslims.

"Malay Bumiputeras need to protect the future of the Malays…besides avoiding racial politics, which will only weaken the community itself," he said.

The two-day seminar, organised by UPSI's Institute of Malay Civilization,  assembled political figures, academicians and non-governmental organisation leaders. Three working papers were presented to discuss the direction of Malay unity.

 

Pakatan: Set up council to stop wastage of funds

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 03:43 PM PDT

Pakatan Rakyat leaders want a special council formed to act against ministries and government agencies mismanaging funds

Anisah Shukry, FMT

The Pakatan Rakyat proposed today that a three-member council be set up to put a stop to the government's massive mismanagement of public funds as detailed in the Auditor-General's annual report.

The council must comprise the Opposition Leader and Auditor-General (AG), and chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, Pakatan leaders said today.

"The council should look into enforcement as well as prevention and undertake structural reforms to get to the bottom of the issue," DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng told reporters the parliament lobby today.

"The Auditor-General is there to look at each government agency. With the council in place, action can actually be taken against those who are squandering money," he said.

He added that among the steps, the council must ensure that tenders were open and transparent.

Lim said with such prominent figures in the council, firm action would be possible, unlike the toothless Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

He said the PAC was ineffective as it did not have the power to take action against agencies guilty of mismanaging public funds.

He added that the PAC only hauled up officials for questioning and produced reports on the issue.

"This wastage happens yearly and is never-ending. So as long as there is no serious action, we will see this happen again next year," said the Penang Chief Minister.

PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar said the report proved the government agencies had not learned their lessons.

READ MORE HERE

 

The plot thickens in MCA leadership drama

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 12:10 PM PDT

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(fz.com) - Money is what was left of the MCA after the party suffered a disastrous defeat in the May 5 general election. Many would say, therefore the fight for party posts is a fight for the party assets. 

The landscape within the MCA did not undergo a sea change after the division elections concluded on Sept 22, as the party president Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek continues to have tight control over about 70 per cent of the party's division chairmen.

However, there are small ripples that saw some new and young faces elected as central delegates. This category of central delegates may not belong to Chua's vote bank.

Currently, there are various forces in the party, which may not belong to deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai's camp but are anti-Chua, and they could get together to go against Chua.

Soon after the division elections, many division chairmen had openly stated their support for Chua to defend his presidency. There were 19 divisions out of 26 in Johor and 16 divisions out of 22 in Selangor and 21 divisions out of 24 in Perak which had called press conferences last week urging Chua to continue to lead the party.

This move struck many as déjà vu as the same plot has been playing out in almost every MCA party election, where leaders will openly state their support for a particular leader to go for the top post. This act is important at this juncture as Chua has not openly stated his wish to defend his post.

Although Chua had said that he will step down, as of now word circulating in the party is that he would defend his presidency.

A rough tally of Chua's support in the party after the division elections shows that he enjoys strong support in Johor, Selangor and Perak.

It is estimated that there are more than 2,700 central delegates that will cast their votes in the coming central committee election.

Going by the number of delegates at the 2010 party election, the three states form the biggest portion of the 1,136 central delegates. Citing a party source, Oriental Daily News reported that Chua controls about 70 per cent of these votes.

However, a few leaders who talked to fz.com had pointed out that control over the division chairmen does not equal to control over the central delegates. In some of the divisions, the president's man can only control half of the delegates or slightly more.

The latest requisition for an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) by Chua's camp to vote on a resolution to censure Liow for creating disunity in the party confirmed this view.

The requisition came as a surprise, but the resolution is unusual because of the lack of consequences accompanying it. If the resolution is passed, Liow will not have to face any consequences such as disciplinary action, but rather the moral judgment of the delegates.

One can read the action as a "motion of no confidence" against Liow if it is passed in the EGM, and Liow may then feel pressured to quit the race.

However, it is more than that.

Read more at: http://www.fz.com/content/plot-thickens-mca-leadership-drama 

With questions over RM1.3m in missing police assets, IGP pleads for time

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 12:06 PM PDT

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(MMO) - As the public wonders how guns are being smuggled across the border and onto our streets, the Auditor-General's Report 2012 released yesterday dropped a bombshell as it revealed the police lost 44 firearms between 2010 and 2012.

The question is, have the negligent officers been identified, and what is being done to recover these firearms?

The types of arms are not specified, but the report states they are among several police assets that have gone missing.

The audit found that overall, asset management at the police headquarters in Bukit Aman and at three police contingents (IPK) is unsatisfactory.

The police also lost 29 vehicles in the same period.

Apart from that, 156 handcuffs were reported to have gone missing, along with 26 walkie-talkies, a cellphone, six cameras, four computers, 22 radios, and 21 items filed under "others".

The missing assets amount to RM1.33 million, with Selangor recording the highest number of missing items, followed by Penang and Johor.

DAP's Seputeh MP Teresa Kok alleged that the police might know where criminals are getting firearms, citing the auditor-general's report.

Directing her criticism at  Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, Kok asked him to take a good look at the apparent weaknesses in the police force instead of pushing for the Prevention of Crime (Amendment and Extension) Bill through Parliament.

Kok, who is also the DAP crime action taskforce chairman, insisted on finding out how the police lost the 44 firearms, adding that they must also reveal what types of arms had gone missing.

"These negligent cops should be sacked and prosecuted if the missing guns are used by criminals to commit crimes," she said.

Kok said 44 was a huge number and she wanted to know if the policemen responsible had been identified.

Khalid requested some time to study the report before he could comment.

"Allow us to take a look at the report first, we will respond soon," he told The Malay Mail.

Also mentioned in the report are the late detection of these losses and how officers did not bother to report the missing items to their heads of departments immediately.

This led to a delay in reporting the missing property.

In general, the auditor-general's findings reveal an overall delay in the handling of the police's missing properties.

In an earlier response to the auditor-general, which is published in the report, the police say they would form a system to enable the police headquarters in Bukit Aman to be alerted once a report has been filed regarding a missing property at each police contingent/formation.

The system will be set up by the information technology department and the logistics department, and is aimed at detecting missing items early.

The police say there is a conflict in the statistics on the number of assets missing as there is no secretariat assigned to manage the matter.

The report also states that only two cases out of 95 in 2012 were settled after some of the missing items were recovered.

The auditor-general says regular procedural checks by the police are needed to prevent the late detection of missing assets.

He also suggests that the cause of these losses be identified, be it theft or negligence, and those involved should face disciplinary action to prevent items going missing in the future. 
Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

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Policies and the Constitution

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 12:30 PM PDT

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It makes no sense whatsoever if they can flout the Constitution with the excuse that they are making policy, not law. If that is the case, why have the Constitution at all since it won't be able to protect us against policies, only laws? 

Azmi Sharom, The Star 

A case can be made for policies, and not just laws, to be subject to constitutional requirements. An examination of the new Bumiputra Economic Empowerment Agenda gives an example of the grounds by which policies can be viewed as contravening the Constitution.

LET'S talk about the new Bumiputra Economic Empowerment Agenda (BEEA). From my understanding of the BEEA, it is a policy where the Government will actively direct business opportunities to bumiputra interests as well as a host of other endeavours, all with the purpose of boosting bumiputra economic presence.

I do not want to discuss the economic pros and cons of this new policy; I will leave that to the economists. Instead, I wish to examine this from the viewpoint of the Constitution. Specifically, I want to discuss if this policy can be deemed to be constitutional.

Before we begin, I wish to state here that I am in no way an economic liberal. I believe very strongly in affirmative action.

However, I believe that such affirmative action has to be properly justified, namely that it is designed to help those who are in need the most, specifically the poorer sections of a community.

Furthermore, any such action must be reviewable in an open and democratic manner in order to ensure that it is reaching its objective and that it is not abused nor implemented in such a way as to cause too great an imbalance to the principle of equality.

These basic guidelines are necessary because affirmative action is a type of policy which undoubtedly goes against the basic ideals of equality.

If we take equality as an ideal, then any deviation from it has to be done most carefully and for jolly good reasons.

Incidentally, I did not pluck these principles from out of my ear; they are found in a decision of the International Court of Justice in what is known as the Belgian Linguistic case.

Now, I am absolutely convinced that the founding fathers of this country understood and appreciated the ideal of equality.

They also understood the reality of Malaya in 1957, which is to say there was a massive economic divide in the country and that the majority of the populace, the Malays, were miles behind in terms of economic development.

It was unfortunate, but necessary therefore to take measures to correct that imbalance, although it was not something that was to be done in a blasé or light-hearted way.

In fact, the Sultans at the time stated in their comments to the Reid Commission that ultimately they envisaged a time when race did not enter the equation for governance.

This being the case, there was a delicate balancing act to be done and this balancing act can be found in the way the Constitution was drafted.

Firstly, the principle of Equality is enshrined in Article 8.

However, Article 8 also notes that there can be unequal treatment in the country, but, and this is a big but, such unequal treatment has to be specifically allowed for by the Consti-tution.

Don't take my word for it; here is that provision in full: "Except as expressly authorised by this Constitution, there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the grounds only of religion, race, descent, place of birth or gender in any law or in the appointment to any office or employments under a public authority or in the administration of any law relating to the acquisition, holding or disposition of property or the establishment or carrying of any trade, business, profession, vocation or employment."

And there is plenty of unequal treatment "expressly allowed by this Constitution".

They include things like the treatment of the orang asli, the holding of positions in religious institutions, personal law, membership of the Malay Regiment, and so on and so forth.

However, we are not interested in that here.

We want to see what it says about treating people unequally in economic terms.

For that we have to look at Article 153, which says there could be reserved for Malays and natives of Sabah and Sarawak a reasonable portion of permits and licences for the operation of trade or business as required by federal law.

Permits and licences: is that what the BEEA is all about?

If it is not, then surely such unequal treatment does not fall under the exception provided for in the Constitution, which says that breaching Article 8 can only happen if it is "expressly allowed by this Constitution".

The next question that arises is the nature of the BEEA. It is a policy and not a law.

An argument has been made therefore that policies are not subject to the Constitution.

Well, if that is the case then if we have an irresponsible government, we may very well find ourselves with all sorts of strange policies which cannot be challenged on constitutional grounds.

A government policy is something which the Executive has the power to create and enforce.

It is something which can affect the lives of the citizens. One of the purposes of having a Constitution is to check the power of the Executive so that it will not abuse that power.

It makes no sense whatsoever if they can flout the Constitution with the excuse that they are making policy, not law.

If that is the case, why have the Constitution at all since it won't be able to protect us against policies, only laws?

For example, in August, an American court held that the policy of New York police to racially profile people when conducting stop-and-frisk exercises was unconstitutional.

This shows that challenging executive power on constitutional grounds is not limited only to laws but also policy. As it should be.

Moderation

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 12:14 PM PDT

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Instead of focusing on how to make Muslims more resourceful and have a better economic life, they spend their days talking about how the enemies of Islam are causing the failures of Muslims. They will not admit that they are the real stumbling block to the growth of the Muslim community.

Zaid Ibrahim, TMI

The Prime Minister once reminded the world community in New York that moderation is the key to solving our many problems. He made particular reference to the Muslim community, within which sectarian killings and violence are taking a heavy toll on human lives.

Like other Muslim leaders, he took great pains to explain that Islam is a religion of peace and is moderate in its teachings. The question, then, is why the most violent and barbaric conduct is often being carried out by groups who call themselves Muslim, be it al-Shabaab , the Taliban or Al-Qaeda.

To answer this question, we have to examine the success story of Indonesia and the failing story of Pakistan.

Muslims form the biggest majority in Indonesia, yet after 60 years of independence their economic standing still lags behind that of non-Muslims in the country. Some sources say that as much as 70 per cent of the country's wealth is owned by non-Muslims. The Indonesian Government realised that in order for the economic situation of the country's Muslims to improve, Indonesia had to be a modern and viable democracy.

The Indonesian Government focused on building massive infrastructure projects as well as harnessing their human resources. Parliament did not waste time debating if Indonesia was an Islamic state or not, but on whether the lives of Muslims had improved. Economic matters took priority—although they did have to deal with occasional side issues like beauty contests and the publication of a local version of Playboy magazine.

The contrast with Pakistan is marked. The people spend all their money and resources on building nuclear bombs. They would rather go to war with India and other "Western stooges", burn buildings and kill Shiites. They much prefer blowing up schools and teachers than improving the lives of the people. The culture of hate and violence is rife among their community leaders and nothing is being done to stop this reign of terror. Pakistan is probably the most ungovernable Muslim country to date.

In Malaysia too, Muslims are economically weak despite being in power with absolute majority for over 50 years. We blame our history, our multiracial makeup and other silly reasons for our backwardness.

Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/opinion/zaid-ibrahim/article/moderation 

Hijabi pole dancers and then some

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 11:55 AM PDT

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"Religion to me is very personal. What and how I practise are the result of my upbringing and my own readings/research. A wise imam once said, 'Listen to the religion, not the people.' 


Dina Zaman 

Meet Vixen.

And Moxie.

The two young hijabs in front of me are married, well-educated, love Sephora and cats. They are the best of friends, and adhere to Islamic teachings faithfully. They both are professionals, and have gone far in their careers.

They are also pole dancers.

"This," Moxie says, tapping her own hijab, "is a sign of respect. R-E-S-P-E-C-T. We nurture our bodies and minds. Our bodies are not for show."

But you pole dance, I say.

"Well, the classes are women-only. So we're not showing our bodies to men and the public."

"And our husbands like it," Vixen smiles. They have poles installed in their homes.

They both look at me. "Do you want to come for a trial class?"

I fend them off. No thank you, I hear pole dancing is brutal, I say.

How do the two reconcile their faith, aurat with their hobby of pole-dancing?

Why not? Again they reiterate, this has nothing to do with syirik. It's exercise, and conducted in a closed class full of women. They don't perform in public.

I have been speaking with and following a couple of young women of the new generation of hijabs, who are worlds apart from their mothers, and me. 

In the 80s, when more Malay women took to covering their aurat, many wore black, and some took to the niqab, which spawned off the Hantu Kum-kum myth. 

Beginning from the Nineties, modest fashion began to be more colourful, as women took to wearing floral baju kurungs with pastel coloured scarves (tudungs). 

However, in the last eight years, the young have made modest fashion their own. Yuna, the singer, who is now making inroads in the highly competitive music industry in the US, paved the way for many young Muslim women. The Internet also influenced young Muslim women, as they poured over blogs, fashion websites, and adapted the latest trends in modest wear.

There had always been this perception: Malay women in hijab are less educated, less exposed to the world and are conservative. They are also perceived to be at the lower rung of the wage scale. 

Maybe this could have been true 20 years ago, but today, the hijabi professional and hipster hijabi come from upper-middle class backgrounds, are well educated,  and tote the latest designer IT bag.

The pole-dancing hijabs sitting in front of me are proof that veils and modesty to not equate to low IQ.

Read more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/opinion/dina-zaman/article/hijabi-pole-dancers-and-then-some 
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PEMANDU: 'Driving' down moral disaster

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 01:06 PM PDT

This expose will definitely makes one's blood boil.

If it doesn't, there is something morally wrong with your upbringing because it is about money meant for the poor. It is about opportunity to generate income for the hardcore poor. It is about public money.

And it is about corruption, and collusion of the highest order.

Fellow blogger, Goh Wei Liang tried hard to dispel the perception against PEMANDU [read here].

He felt some 'senior bloggers' have not been fair to pick on Fara Intan's personal life and described it as "perception manipulation and deceptive."

He is wrong. There is nothing personal against Fara.

Goh has been long enough in the blogosphere. He should know that we write based upon our conviction. 

Recently, Dr Ong Kian Meng exposed McKinsey & Co.'s RM20 million consultancy fee to do the Educational Masterplan which Tun Mahathir sarcastically brushed off as anyone can write masterplan.

McKinsey is an accomplice of PEMANDU in fleecing government money for flimsy papers of little implementable value. Diverting the budget under MOE, the sum of RM20 million easily dispel Goh's proof.

PEMANDU has stationed officers in Government Ministries, Departments and Corporation. Supposedly these young, genius and highly paid professionals will guide government officers and staff to improve delivery and performance.

Bigdog is already at it with PEMANDU's centerpiece of excellence in FGV, CEO Emir Mavani.

In his latest expose here, he exposed another case of stealing from the poor settlers-farmers.

Before this, he exposed here FGV purchased a suspiciously over priced plantation and hotel in London here.   

This expose will prove our point further. It may have also by-passed Goh's radar.  


Our expose involved an NKRA officer in a Ministry which turned out to be "harapkan pegar, pegar makan padi."

It is is not about crooked politicians or politicians' assistant but government officers which PEMANDU is supposed to think on how to address. In this case, the government in-house consultant supposed to stem leakage was the one orchestrating the corruption and kickback.

Stay focus and not be diverted into politics. Crooked politicians can be thrown out in elections but it is not easy throwing out crooked civil servants. More difficult will be to throw out PEMANDU, the golden child of the present government. 

PEMANDU is so powerful and influential that their area of responsiblity have gone beyond their scope of work and area of expertise. For instance, failed former MAS CEO and PEMANDU head, Dato Idris Jala is heading the committee on crime prevention.

He could even get Ministry of Finance approval for a government corporation in which the Chairman himself couldn't. The chairman happen to be a former KSU. 

We'll quit stalling and get back to the story


This is about the 1Azam fund that got into public attention arising from the detention for 5 days of questioning of former Political Secretary to the Minister for Women, Family and Community Development (MWFCD), Dato Suhaimi Ibrahim.

According to their website here, 1AZAM serve to "menyediakan peluang menjana pendapatan kepada rakyat berpendapatan rendah. Jangkaan pendapatan antara RM760 hingga RM2,300 sebulan." 

Suhaimi denied in a press conference of his involvement [read here] but to be held for 5 days for investigation, it make him highly suspicious.

Thus, one cannot understand why he is going around the country in Dato Hishamuddin Hussein Onn's campaign entourage. Minta nyawa(seeking a lifeline) or lobbying for position?

Whichever it is, as in the past, Hishamuddin does not seem to be thinking of the implication and public perception towards him. 

Actually, just after Suhaimi gave his press conference, we had asked around and was brought to a small time contractor who was awarded contracts in the 1Azam program. From there, we were led to many other suppliers and subcontractors.

Read more at: http://anotherbrickinwall.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/driving-to-disaster.html 

 

Discourse in Political Islam: Failures and (now) Challenges of Islamists.

Posted: 01 Oct 2013 12:02 PM PDT

It would be preposterous for me to ever say that Tariq Ramadan is right again (who are we and who am I..hehe) and to write anything on this subject matter along the line of Tariq's, would expose me to be accused of intellectual plagiarism. Regardless, I am glad that my writings on the subject matter are not far off from Tariq's pieces as he shall continue to be our source of intellectual inspiration of sort. (Defining Moment for Political Islam – The Edge Malaysia and Arab Spring and Post-Islamism?).

Tariq is in Oxford and a visiting professor in many renowned universities. His intellectual audacity is his greatest strength and very admirable. The last time I decided to call myself an 'Islamist Democrat' (for some good reason), i was 'ostracised' and almost 'crucified', regrettably, by none other than my own Islamist brethren from my own Islamist party. I am not as courageous but will continue to write without fear or favour regardless.

Tariq's current piece would surely shed more light of the typology of Islamists – from 'Jihadist to Democrat' and more importantly, this very unfortunate term of 'Islamism' that we "Islamists" have to live with.

 Tariq has what it takes to extricate this ummah out of the intellectual rut we found ourselves in. His thesis is both compelling and insightful much as it 'unconventional' of the usual 'Islamists' narrative'. Tariq's Beyond Islamism (part 2) is asserting that perhaps it's time to review priorities, to shift the paradigm; perhaps it is time for political Islam to cease being intrinsically 'political'…is surely 'revolutionary' and ahead of many an Islamist thinker.

If only Islamists leaders throughout the Muslim world (apart from the pro-Western Monarchs of the Gulf) care to read and understand the many imperatives of his many theses, the perennial predicaments of this ummah, perchance stand a good chance of being correctly addressed and be eventually remedied…God willing..BiiznilLah!

Read more at: http://drdzul.com/2013/10/01/discourse-in-political-islam-failures-and-now-challenges-of-islamists/ 
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