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Taib not properly appointed as CM Posted: 06 Dec 2011 08:13 AM PST Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud flouted every constitutional rule when he rushed his 'confirmation' at 10.30pm immediately after the April 16 polls. No doubt the democratic law recognises that a party which commands the most number of seats has the right to form the government. However, it does not state who, among the majority members of the legislature, should be selected to head a government. Awang Abdillah, Free Malaysia Today In a democratic system, after a general election is over, the process of forming a government will commence. Two standard democratic procedures are involved: the right to form a government based on the law of majority rule; and the power and functions of the legislature. The universal democratic law of majority rule recognises that whichever political party or association of parties obtain (s) the majority of the seats in the general election will have the right to form a government. Hence, a political party or an association of political parties that win (s) more than half of the total legislative seats will proceed to form a government. This is the democratic rule as practised by all democratic countries. Then comes the legislature which is one of the three branches of government, with each having its own independent function. The legislature is the supreme (legal ) authority in the country, which has the power to make and pass laws. It has a say in the appointment of the chief executive of the government, who will then proceed to form the Cabinet. In the event the chief executive ceases to command the confidence of a majority of the legislators, Parliament or the State Legislative Assembly has the power to direct the chief executive to tender his resignation or that of his entire Cabinet. The executive government is directly answerable to the House in matters concerning the state budget, its policies, duties and responsibilities to the state and people and the practice of good governance. False belief For too long the people were led to believe that the three branches of government – the Legislative, the Executive and the Judicial – are independent of one another. This is a false belief. In this democratic system of government, the executive or Cabinet is subservient to Parliament or the State Legislative Assembly. The Parliament is the body that makes and passes the nation's laws including the Federal Constitution, which will then be executed by the executive and these will constitute the body of laws of the judiciary. In Sarawak, the State Legislative Assembly formulates and passes laws known as the Ordinances as stated in Article 26 of the state constitution. No doubt the democratic law recognises that a party which commands the most number of seats has the right to form the government. However, it does not state who, among the majority members of the legislature, should be selected to head a government. A majority vote of the members of the legislature will decide who should lead the government. For the state, the authority is vested in the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) as stated in Article 6 of the state constitution. The state assembly has the jurisdiction to appoint the head of government as well as to remove him and his entire Cabinet through the democratric process of motion of loss of confidence in accordance with Article 7. Whoever is elected to the post of the chief executive of the government by the majority votes of the legislators will then become the prime minister or chief minister of the country or state accordingly. Legislators must select CM Only with this democratic right and power can the said parliamentarian or state assemblyman command the confidence of the majority of the members. Hence, winning a majority of the seats in the election is different from commanding the confidence of a majority of the members of Parliament or DUN. In some democratic countries such as Thailand, the appointment of the prime minister has to go through this standard democratic procedure to ensure that the most able and acceptable member chosen by Parliament, will lead the government . This procedure is not biased towards a party that wins the majority of seats because in most cases the party with the most seats will likely appoint its party leader as the chief executive, and the composition of the Cabinet will mainly come from the same party. What is good in this procedure is that the chances of the majority party abusing its power can be minimised or averted by letting the majority of the lawmakers (including the opposition) decide who is the best person to lead the government. This procedure provides for a check-and-balance mechanism in the House to ensure the practice of good governance. The leader of a party or parties which has won a majority of seats in the state election, may not automatically be accepted as the chief executive of the government in the DUN. He must prove that he actually commands a majority of the DUN. Power of the legislature This is because members elected to the DUN also consist of the opposition. Though members of the Barisan National (BN) coalition, some among them and the opposition may not agree to the automatic appointment of a particular leader of the party as the chief minister. In the case of Sarawak, the president of Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu (PBB), who is also the state BN chairman, cannot appoint himself as the chief minister in the DUN. The right procedure is to put it to the vote. The House will then elect one of the lawmakers nominated by the House to the post of the chief minister. Whoever is chosen by a majority votes among the contesting members of the House will then be declared as the chief minister. His command of the majority is vital because this is to ensure the most able and accepted member will lead the state government. It will also avert the possibility of a vote of no confidence in the chief minister later, which may then destabilise the government. The head of state will accordingly appoint the elected member officially as the chief minister of Sarawak. Malaysians do not realise the extent of the power of the legislature in a true democratic system. The legislature has the final say in the appointment of the chief executive of the government or in his removal or even that of the entire Cabinet. Motion of no confidence In the event the legislators later have lost confidence in any member of the Cabinet or the chief minister or the whole Cabinet, the former have the power to table a vote of no confidence in any one of the three without the need to hold a general or state election. Then the chief minister has to resign and all the assemblymen have to go though the process of choosing a new chief minister. In the latter case, the government has to resign en bloc and Parliament or DUN has to be dissolved and fresh election called. The introduction of the motion of no-confidence is another check-and-balance mechanism on good governance. The executive government or Cabinet should, by law, be directly answerable to Parliament or DUN for all its duties and responsibilities. It is also answerable to the people The legislative sessions should be regular and frequent in order for the executive government to explain its budgets, progress on development projects, its administrative and economic policies and the implementation of these policies. Since the legislature is a democratic institution, the Speaker has no right and power to stop or suppress the rights of any lawmaker to speak. As a lawmaker is part and parcel of the legislature, the Speaker therefore should not mess around with the rights and power of the opposition lawmakers. These assemblymen can make or break the leader of PBB-BN in the appointment of the chief executive in the DUN. READ MORE HERE

Anwar Ibrahim's Dubious Trial Posted: 05 Dec 2011 07:34 PM PST Unfortunately, what the evidence has shown most clearly is not that Anwar was guilty or not guilty of having what the government termed "unnatural consensual sex" with his former aide. It is rather that the trial was skewed so badly in the government's favor that the opposition leader demonstrably did not get a fair trial. By John Berthelsen, Asia Sentinel After nearly two years of conflicting and often suspect testimony, the so-called Sodomy II trial of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to finish this week in a Kuala Lumpur High Court, with final summations by both sides.  It is a trial that has been condemned internationally by legal scholars and human rights activists as designed to take Anwar out of Malaysia's political equation.  Political sources in Malaysia have been building several different scenarios. Given the tone of the trial so far, it appears likely that Anwar, the opposition leader of the three-party Pakatan Rakyat, will be convicted despite a vast number of prosecutorial missteps. That would probably make him a martyr in Malaysia because his followers – and many others – believe he is being railroaded into jail on false charges.  Under another scenario, the judge, acting under orders from the government, would declare him not guilty, which would be followed immediately by a prosecutorial appeal, which would keep Anwar embroiled in more months of legal entrapment that diverts time and energy away from leading the three-party Pakatan Rakyat opposition. It would also give the Malaysian judiciary a thin tissue of respectability.  A then-24-year-old aide, Mohamad Bukyairy Azlan Saiful, made the charge on June 29, 2008, shortly after Anwar had led Pakatan Rakyat coalition to a historic sweep of five Malaysian states, winning 82 parliamentary seats in 2008 national elections and breaking the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition's two-thirds majority hold on parliament. He was arrested at his home on July 16 of that year, by a contingent of 10 carloads of police commandos and was locked up overnight in a Kuala Lumpur jail.  The trial, which began in February 2010, has been marred by what appear to be egregious prosecutorial errors and a long series of prejudicial rulings by High Court Judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohamad Diah. Critics say the proceedings appear certain to once again tarnish Malaysia's reputation in international circles and play a role in destroying whatever confidence there was in the country's legal system. The case has been condemned by the Geneva-based Inter-Parliamentary Union, 60 members of the Australian parliament, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch and prominent leaders from Commonwealth nations including Paul Martin of Canada and others.  From the very beginning, when Saiful sought to get doctors to certify that he had been sodomized, doubts began to surface. Saiful first went to a private hospital, where a doctor found no evidence of penetration and told him to go to a government hospital. At the first government hospital, doctors also told him they had found no evidence of tearing or scarring that would have indicated his anus had been penetrated. He was forced to go to a third government hospital where he finally found a physician willing to say the act had taken place.  In the intervening months, as the trial has droned on, an array other doubtful factors have made the case look like it was manufactured to rid the Malaysian political scene of one of its most charismatic figures, and that the country's court system, never regarded as independent since former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad fired the Supreme Court in the 1980s, was bending over backwards to do the government's bidding.  Gordon Trowell, in a report for the Inter-Parliamentary Union, pointed out that the charges had been levied just as Anwar was making a spectacular return to the political scene from a long period in the political wilderness following his first sodomy trial in 1999, when he was jailed for six years on charges that have been universally condemned as rigged.  Mistakes made over DNA samples call into question whether the evidence could survive in a rational court of law. Police officials have testified that Saiful didn't offer to be tested for DNA samples until 56 hours after the alleged incident, and he said he hadn't defecated during those two days, which could have corrupted the sample.  Other testimony indicated that the samples taken from Saiful were kept unguarded in a police office for 43 hours without refrigeration before they were turned over to the laboratory for analysis. Chemists testified that as many as 10 different DNA samples had been found in Saiful's rear, making the whole analysis process suspect.  That any samples could be taken from Anwar is also questionable. Under Malaysian law at the time, suspects could refuse to give DNA samples. However, the Dewan Rakyat, Malaysia's parliament, passed a law repealing the consent requirement after Anwar's arrest. In most courts, law cannot be applied retroactively.  Although Anwar refused to give a DNA sample, items issued to him during his overnight stay in jail were analyzed and a sample was found. Zabidin in March handed Anwar a major victory by throwing out the purported DNA evidence because it had been taken without his permission. However, a week later, after the prosecution demanded it, Zabidin reversed himself and said the evidence could after all be entered into the court despite the retroactive nature of the law.  Then there is the series of meetings that Saiful has acknowledged in court, at the home of then-Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, on June 24, 2008, two days before the alleged sodomy took place and others with Rosmah's close confidant, the former track star Mumtaz Jaafar, as well.  Saiful also acknowledged meeting secretly twice with Rodwan Mohd Yusof, a senior assistant police commissioner, before the alleged offence took place. Rodwan became famous, or infamous, in Anwar's 1998 Sodomy I trial when he illegally removed Anwar's DNA samples from forensic custody and planted them on a mattress allegedly used by Anwar for a homosexual dalliance. To protect the integrity of the prosecution's case, the presiding judge, Augustine Paul, expunged the entire DNA evidence at the time.  There is also the question of entrapment. Saiful testified that on the day in question he had taken lubricant with him to Anwar's condominium – hardly the act of an innocent aide who had no idea that the then 63-year-old Anwar was about to jump him for unnatural sex. Surveillance cameras in filmed the former aide in a lift in the building but Anwar said he was having a meeting with a group of economists at the time Saiful allegedly showed up.  READ MORE HERE.

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• 'CCM being abused to prop up Isa'
• Zaid Ibrahim’s KITA opts out of polls, to back Pakatan
• ‘We won’t surrender an inch’
• Nurul Izzah: ‘Balai Polis Kerinchi’ a voter in Lembah Pantai
• PM: Asia has fastest growing defence expenditure
• No charge for KR1M
• Pua ‘shoots’ down ‘arrogant’ Zahid
• Kit Siang demands Najib, Cabinet explain CPI rankings slide
• Fernandes: We didn’t ask for new baggage system
• MACC panel: Foreigners not needed
• Malaysia Moving Steadily Toward Cloud
• Chua told to apologise over latest anti-Islam jibe
• Karpal: Datukships put DAP in ‘awkward spot’
• Choose wrongly at nation’s peril, Najib warns voters
• Ex-Perlis MB denies graft claims over power plant
• "Pekida and Govt must work together to ensure survival of BN"

'CCM being abused to prop up Isa' Posted: 05 Dec 2011 07:28 PM PST (Harakah Daily) - Felda Settlers' Children Association (ANAK) is claiming that the Federal government is involved in the manipulation of Felda's cooperative wing Koperasi Permodalan Felda (KPF), including in the controversial appointment of former Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar and current Felda chairman Isa Samad (right) to head KPF. ANAK chairman Mazlan Aliman said the government was also meddling in the affairs of the Cooperative Commission of Malaysia in its bid to ensure Felda Global Venture Holding's listing at the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. "It seems like the government is bent on manipulating all agencies including CCM to ensure Isa not only becomes member of KPF, but also its chairman to ensure the successful listing of Felda Global Venture Holding (FHVH) at Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange," Mazlan told Harakahdaily. He added that reliable information had been received about CCM's backing to Isa ahead of KPF's extraordinary annual meeting on January 5, 2012. ANAK, he said, would apply for a court injunction to stop the meeting from taking place. Mazlan, who is also PAS central committee member, said ANAK disagreed with CCM's approval of Isa as a KPF member citing he was not qualified. Last October 18, a report was lodged by Bangkit, another whistleblower group within Felda, against CCM over the appointment of Isa, a non-employee of Felda, as KPF chairman.   It was understood that after Isa and his lawyers met with CCM, the commission made an about-turn and accepted Isa. "This is a cunning move by Isa Samad and it raises suspicions," said Mazlan (left). Isa's chairman status Mazlan also pointed out that Isa's status as Felda chairman was being disputed following a letter sent by CCM three days ago to Bangkit chairman Abdul Rahman Ramli which stated that Isa's appointment had yet to be confirmed. "However, a letter by the prime minister's private secretary implied that Isa has been confirmed as Felda chairman. We demand an explanation about Isa's status," he added. Last October, Isa, once suspended for money politics during UMNO party polls, created an uproar within the Felda community after he was said to have self-appointed himself based on a recommendation letter by prime minister Najib Razak.

Zaid Ibrahim’s KITA opts out of polls, to back Pakatan Posted: 05 Dec 2011 07:26 PM PST By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider KITA, a party founded by former Umno-turned-PKR politician Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, announced today it will not be contesting in the coming polls and promised to offer its "unconditional support" to the federal opposition. In a statement posted on its website today, the party said it had decided to reverse its earlier decision to contest in the polls as it wanted to maintain solidarity with the opposition and not jeopardise its chances. "Whilst we disagree with some of the opposition's policies, we believe that despite these shortcomings the opposition will not destroy racial harmony in Malaysia ... unity demands that smaller parties, such as ourselves, give way to larger political parties to ensure optimum results in the election," it said. The party also came out in defence of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) amid the ongoing barrage of Umno-led attacks against DAP as a "racist" party. During the just-concluded Umno annual general meeting (AGM), delegates took turns to warn against DAP's purported dominance in PR, claiming if the pact claims Putrajaya, the Malays would lose power to the Chinese. Calling the accusations "dangerous and irresponsible", KITA said the statements would only widen current divisions in society.

‘We won’t surrender an inch’ Posted: 05 Dec 2011 04:25 PM PST Only BN can safeguard position of Malays and Islam, says PM (New Straits Times) - ONLY the current Barisan Nasional leadership can ensure that the position of Malays and Islam in the country remains unchanged, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday. In his rousing speech to more than 12,000 Pekida (Malaysian Islamic Missionary and Welfare Organisation) members at its general assembly, Najib also pledged that his party, Umno, would   not allow the Malay race to be oppressed  in its own land.  "We will not surrender even an inch!" he said to cheers from the audience at the Shah Alam polytechnic here. Najib said the government should be given more time to help  rural Malaysians to catch up  with those from the urban areas.  This  was needed to be fair to them. He  said the government would be extending its RM500 aid to families with monthly incomes below RM3,000 next month, just as it had recently extended the RM100  aid to all pupils nationwide, regardless of whether they were from public or private schools. Najib  asked the audience to question themselves on what would happen if the country's leadership were to fall into others' hands. "We should ask ourselves what will happen to Muslims if the leadership is in tatters. "What will happen to the religion if we lose our edge? What will happen to the sovereignty of our Malay rulers if we are no longer here to uphold their sovereignty?" he said, adding that the Malays were able to live as a dignified race because of the present leadership. He pointed out that even without power, the opposition had made  outrageous claims, such as reducing the civil service by half and declaring  its wish to change the flag. "They  also  tarnish the sovereignty of the rulers and Malays even when they have no power.  "Malays have never been an extreme, racist race. Since Merdeka, we have willingly shared  power with  non-Malays by extending our hands to them in creating a harmonious nation." He urged members to close ranks and stop any in-fighting in establishing Pekida as an organisation that was  at the forefront in championing Malay and Islamic causes. Its  president, Jamaluddin Yusof said Pekida understood the importance of defending the BN leadership in the 13th general election to ensure that opportunities for the Malay community were not sidelined.

Nurul Izzah: ‘Balai Polis Kerinchi’ a voter in Lembah Pantai Posted: 05 Dec 2011 02:33 PM PST By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar claimed today that there were 97 discrepancies in the Lembah Pantai postal voters' list, including one voter with the name "Balai Polis Kerinchi". The MP for the constituency told reporters today that while the identity card number RF161872 corresponded to a Mohd Faizul Mohd Yusop on the Election Commission's (EC) online database, "Balai Polis Kerinchi is on the official electoral roll that will be used." "We don't know if it's Balai bin Polis Kerinchi or Balai Polis bin Kerinchi," she said. "This is the gazette for the third quarter. If elections are held tomorrow, this is the list we will use." She also claimed 96 other errors in the list of 2,180 postal voters such as ICs that were not on the EC's online database, voters who can cast their ballot in two constituencies and also two different places in Lembah Pantai itself. Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has repeatedly complained of errors in the electoral roll with DAP Youth chief Anthony Loke recently claiming that military ICs were used to register both a male and female postal voter each. Tens of thousands had poured into the streets of the capital to demand free and fair elections in the July 9 Bersih rally that resulted in a bipartisan parliamentary select committee to improve the electoral system. The panel made 10 interim recommendations last week including the use of indelible ink to prevent multiple voting, a royal commission on allegations of foreigners being given the right to vote in Sabah and allowing Malaysians residing overseas to vote.   READ MORE HERE.

PM: Asia has fastest growing defence expenditure Posted: 05 Dec 2011 02:31 PM PST (The Star) - LANGKAWI: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak opened the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2011 (LIMA '11), underscoring that defence and security are of paramount importance to regional and national strategic interests. The Prime Minister pointed out that defence and security ensured not only territorial integrity but also the sovereignty that all countries hold dear. He said that Asia today enjoyed the fastest-growing economy in the world, and defence expenditure was no exception. "Aerospace and maritime spending is surging, and is set to rise yet further as governments continue to tackle both traditional and non-traditional security threats," he said at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre (MIEC). More than 400 companies from 35 countries at taking part in the 11th edition of LIMA. Najib said the government would provide the best tools for the men and women in uniform as "there can be no doubting (their) bravery and heroism." "That means giving them the latest, safest, most cutting-edge equipment capable of meeting the challenges of modern warfare." He noted that LIMA was not just about the latest military technology as it was also about the commercial sectors of the maritime and aerospace industries which were exhibiting here for the first time. Over half of the world's top 100 maritime and aerospace suppliers are present for the show. According to LIMA organisers, on display are 65 aircraft as well as 14 warships from around the world.

No charge for KR1M Posted: 05 Dec 2011 02:29 PM PST By Pauline Wong, The Sun PETALING JAYA (Dec 6, 2011): The suppliers of Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M), which has been hit by food item recalls, will not be punished for mislabelling the products – despite this being an offence under two food laws. Health Ministry director-general Datuk Seri Hasan Abdul Rahman confirmed that the KR1M management has been told to remove 13 affected products from its shelves and relabel them accordingly. Mislabelling or providing inaccurate information on a product's nature and content is an offence under the Food Act 1983 and Food Regulations 1985. Those found guilty face a fine or three years jail term under the Food Act, and RM5,000 fine and maximum two years' jail, or both under the Food Regulations 1985. Pressed again if KR1M suppliers will be charged, Hasan replied, "No, we have asked them to relabel the affected products." However, the decision not to charge KR1M has riled the Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (Fomca), whose president Datuk Marimuthu Nadason berated the ministry for its lack of action. "Shame on the Health Ministry for not taking firm action. The law is the law. There can be no double-standards (in this matter). "Our food regulations are some of the best in Asia but if they look good only on paper, without implementation, you might as well disregard them," he said. A senior official of the Domestic Trade, Consumerism and Cooperatives Ministry, which oversees the KR1M initiative nationwide, said it had no jurisdiction over food items. The officer, however, said, "We are serious about asking suppliers to adhere to Health Ministry regulations." The officer said the mislabelling could be a mistake born of ignorance as many suppliers were small-medium enterprises and stressed that it was not a food safety issue. However, Marimuthu claimed mislabelling was not the only concern and hit out at the management of KR1M, which sells generic household items and foodstuff at up to 50% cheaper than other house brands. "We want those who are responsible for these stores to follow the standards and regulations as laid out in the Food Act and Food Regulations," he said. He said the intention might have been noble, but the products must be capable of building "confidence" among consumers or it would go to waste. The products sold at the KR1M came under scrutiny after several opposition MPs raised issues of contamination, misleading food labels and products not compliant with regulations. On Saturday, the Health Ministry ordered 13 KR1M branded products – fresh milk, sweetened condensed creamer, condensed milk, oyster-flavoured sauce, fruit jam, canned chicken curry, mango cordial, ghee compounds, peanuts, peanut butter and sardines – removed from the shelves for relabelling. It also confirmed that the KR1M fresh milk tested positive for E. coli bacteria contamination, a strain of bacteria which cause food poisoning. Following this, KR1M management said in a statement on Sunday that it will re-test some 250 products. It said the tests for all 250 1Malaysia products would cost up to RM300,000 and be borne by the suppliers and manufacturers. Marimuthu said Fomca had tested the products and will present its results to the Domestic Trade, Consumerism and Cooperatives Ministry on Thursday. He did not reveal what the tests were, but said he would clear up the matter and seek assurance of consumer safety. When contacted, Mydin Mohamad Holdings managing director Datuk Ameer Ali Mydin said the management had taken appropriate action to address concerns, starting with recalling the mislabelled products. Mydin manages the KR1M stores, including supplies. "Like any responsible retailer, when there is an issue with the products, the priority is to recall the products and return to the market as soon as possible," he said. He dismissed concerns over food safety, insisting that it was only mislabelling, and added that some of the products had been relabelled and put back on the shelves. Ameer Ali said consumers who bought any of the 13 recalled products could return them for a full refund.

Pua ‘shoots’ down ‘arrogant’ Zahid Posted: 05 Dec 2011 02:26 PM PST By Stephanie Sta Maria, FMT PETALING JAYA: Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi came under heavy fire from the opposition for "arrogantly" shooting down a bi-partisan parliamentary oversight committee on defence expenditure. Petaling Jaya Utara DAP MP, Tony Pua, launched the salvo at Ahmad Zahid, saying the latter's "contemptuous arrogance" proved the ministry's "complete lack of interest" in transparency and accountability. Pakatan Rakyat has pushed for the setting up of such a committee in the wake of unexplained multi-billion ringgit defence deals involving the ministry. But Ahmad Zahid attacked the recommendation yesterday, declaring his confidence in the ability and transparency of the evaluation committee of the three branches of the Malaysian Armed Forces. He added that as such, scrutiny of defence deals by the opposition was unnecessary. In a press statement today, Pua retaliated, saying that Ahmad Zahid's statement explained why Malaysia had received a dismal "transparency" rating. In the inaugural "Transparency of Defence Budgets Report last month, Transparancy International (TI) gave Malaysia a rating of only 4.5 points out of a maximum of 12. "Malaysia is ranked alongside Afghanistan, Rwanda, Georgia and Azerbaijan in the report, well below other countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea," Pua said. "The results of the research indicate that some 14 percent of the countries under review in this study scored high and these are primarily developed countries with strong democratic systems in place." Secret programmes The director of the International Defence and Security Program for TI in United Kingdom, Mark Pyman, had explained that Malaysia ranked far below other countries because the (defence) budget lacked details and no audits were undertaken of the secret programmes. Pua also said that Ahmad Zahid's disdain towards transparency and accountability was clearly evident in his reply to Pua's question on the ministry's purchase of 257 armoured personnel carriers. Pua, who is also DAP national publicity secretary, had demanded an explanation for the gap between the RM7.55 billion paid for the carriers to Deftech Sdn Bhd and the RM1.7 billion that Deftech would later pay to Turkish defence manufacturer, FNSS Defences Systems, for the same items. Deftech is a subsidiary of DRB-Hicom Bhd based in Pekan, Pahang, a company controlled by Syed Mokhtar Syed Bokhari. "The minister had acknowledged the above transactions, but had the gall to claim 'no knowledge' of the Deftech-FNSS transactions and wasn't able to explain the difference between the two contracts," Pua said. "He (Ahmad Zahid) was also not forthcoming in explaining other sizeable transactions such as the RM6 billion purchase of six second generation patrol vessels as well as the RM2.3 billion acquisition of 12 Eurocopter EC725 helicopters."   READ MORE HERE.

Kit Siang demands Najib, Cabinet explain CPI rankings slide Posted: 05 Dec 2011 02:24 PM PST By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider The Prime Minister and his entire Cabinet must explain Malaysia's poor Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranking as it cannot continue to remain "the elephant in the room" for the government, Lim Kit Siang said today. In a report released by Transparency International (TI), Malaysia's CPI dropped for the third year running, slipping to 4.3 this year, leaving it in 60th place out of 183 countries compared with 37th place when Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over as prime minister in 2003. "Datuk Seri Najib Razak should give a full and detailed explanation as to why after 32 months of his premiership, Malaysia has suffered the national ignominy of the worst-ever ranking of No. 60 and  lowest-ever score of 4.3 in TI CPI 2011 for the past 17 years.   READ MORE HERE.

Fernandes: We didn’t ask for new baggage system Posted: 05 Dec 2011 12:54 PM PST AirAsia denies requesting Malaysian Airports Holdings Bhd for a sophisticated baggage handling system. (Free Malaysia Today) - AirAsia chief executive officer, Tony Fernandes, in a tweet this morning denied requesting Malaysian Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) for a sophisticated baggage handling system (BHS) to be installed in Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2). "The baggage system is a red herring by MAB. We didn't ask for it. But whatever it is, it didn't cost RM3.9 billion. Or delay terminal by almost two years," he said. KLIA2, or commonly referred as the New Low-Cost Carrier Terminal project, was announced in 2010 and was originally slated to be completed in April next year to accommodate 30 to 35 million passengers. Fernandes' statement comes after MAHB released two letters signed by Tony and MAHB's CEO and managing director Bashir Ahmad. In the letter dated June 16, 2011, Fernandes stated that he would prefer installation of the most sophisticated fully automated BHS (baggage handling system) in KLIA2, reported the New Straits Times today. READ MORE HERE

MACC panel: Foreigners not needed Posted: 05 Dec 2011 10:00 AM PST By T K Letchumy Tamboo, The Malay Mail KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) advisory panel has lambasted the proposal by the Selangor government to bring in foreign experts to investigate the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal. They believe such a move would be "a disgrace and an insult" to the institution, and any foreign assistance should be used only as a last resort. Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim yesterday declared the State government's willingness to hire foreign experts to probe the NFC issue. MACC advisory committee member Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas said the move would be demeaning and humiliating to the institution. "It will be a very sad day if all our national scandals are going to be investigated by foreign experts. It just portrays and reflects our weaknesses," he told The Malay Mail in a telephone. Megat Najmuddin said the proposal by the Selangor government was a "politicisation of sorts". "Face it, our society is now split to two. One is the Opposition and the other is the government. This is a proposal to try to politicise the enforcement of law in the country and it is not right," he said. "If they are not happy, there are certain ways to express it and there are certain ways to express it and there are certain ways to do it. We have had countless Royal Commissions of Inquiry (RCI) and they could have suggested to have one for the NFC controversy." Megat Najmuddin also said the NFC scandal may be a misuse of funds and not really a criminal case. "I do not see any criminality in the NFC sacndal. The police have said there is no criminality involved in it. The MACC has also said there is no evidence of corruption in the issue and as such it is not under their jurisdiction," he said. "There may be a misuse of funds but that's not even a crime. If you take a loan from a bank and use it for other purposes, how could it possibly be a crime? Exhaust all local avenues first "We cannot simply convict people based on suspicion and hearsay. I have no idea what the Selangor government is screaming about. They are just trying to politicise the whole issue." Former chairman of the MACC panel on prevention and consultation Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam felt it was not proper or fair at this stage for any political group to invite foreign experts to investigate the NFC scandal. "This issue must be approached professionally and not politically. If the MACC is not investigating the matter further, then it should be left to the police," he said. "Only after that investigation in Malaysia should other avenues be sought." Ramon said that in the event of dissatisfaction on the outcome of the initial investigation, there would be nothing to prevent any parties from starting investigations on their own, be it with foreign experts' help or without. "We have to follow our own traditional methods with integrity and transparency," he said. MACC advisory board member Tan Sri Simon Sipaun, who offered his personal views, said the proposal may mean that the Selangor government lack confidence in the MACC. "They may not have faith in us but it is their prerogative to bring in foreign experts," he said. "MACC, upon its investigation, found that the scandal has no elements of corruption and that was why they passed the baton to the police in the fi rst place. "I think, from what I read in the newspaper reports, this whole controversy is just an abuse of public funds."

Malaysia Moving Steadily Toward Cloud Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:49 AM PST By Roger Strukhoff, Sys-Con Media Malaysia seems to be moving steadily toward cloud computing, at least according to results of the latest Cloud Maturity Index study conducted by Forrester Research on behalf of WMware's Singapore office. Of the 158 Malaysian companies surveyed, 64% respondents said they have deployed or are actively planning cloud initiatives. Insurance companies led the way among current deployers with 67% reporting current cloud initiatives. The education sector led among groups planning to deploy, with a positive response rate of 69%. Among all respondents, 43% use or are considering a combination of private and public clouds, with 30% favoring private clouds only. Four in five of the companies said that smartphones and tablets will be driving significant traffic through their cloud deployments. The Cloud Maturity Index surveyed more than 6,000 organizations in eight countries: Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. Interviewees were senior business and IT decisionmakers. Cloud Readiness These results can be viewed in context with research earlier this year by Asia Cloud, a non-profit based in Hong Kong. This organization's Cloud Readiness Index, which considered more than a dozen factors, ranked Malaysia in seventh place in Asia. It followed Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. But it led its more directly comparable neighbors: China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Tau Index Ranking Malaysia emerges as a star performer overall in the Tau Index research I've been conducting over the past year. In my research, I weigh a number of technology and social measurements into a recipe that delivers a "pound-for-pound" ranking of national ICT expenditures. This approach measures dynamism and torque - rather than raw spending power - so tends to favor highly aggressive, developing economies. Malaysia has been highly committed to economic development through technological commitment for a couple of decades now, and is no longer considered to be a developing nation by many measures. Nevertheless, in the Southeast Asian region, it trails only Vietnam in my rankings. It is also ranks in the world's Top 20. What merits this distinction? Start with its national ICT spend of US$22 billion, which represents almost 12% of its overall economy - compare this to 7.3% in the US. Adjust that total for local cost-of-living (which is low compared to highly developed countries), and Malaysia's annual ICT spend represents 23.4% of its economy. This ranks second in the world, behind only Bangladesh, which is committing serious resources to IT relative to its still-impoverished population. I also factor income disparity and corruption against these raw numbers - the worse the news in these categories, the more the ranking is impacted. Malaysia maintains a very high level of income disparity, and mediocre corruption perception. I also factor bandwidth into the mix; Malaysia's relatively modest network bandwidth ranks it only 60th in the world. Not Quite There This mixed bag results in a strong overall ranking for Malaysia within the Tau Index. The country has its shortcomings, to be sure, but is clearly headed in the right direction. It's the prototype "not-quite-highly-developed" nation. It also leads the pack among its immediate neighbors, with the exception of the wealthy Singaporean city-state. Malaysia's status as a not-quite-highly-developed nation is further reflected in the Cloud Readiness Index. And I expect to receive additional, country-specific Cloud Maturity Index data from VMware soon, which will enable me to draw a contrast between Malaysia and its Asian brethren.

Chua told to apologise over latest anti-Islam jibe Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:44 AM PST (Harakah Daily) - Muslim youth group ABIM today joined PAS leaders in condemning MCA president Chua Soi Lek's latest 'Islamophobic' statement that Islamic laws would drive away investors from the country. ABIM secretary-general Mohamad Raimi Ab Rahim also expressed the movement's disappointment over "failure by certain quarters to give him (Chua) the necessary information" on the subject of hudud and Islamic laws. Yesterday, Chua (right), whose statements deriding Islamic customs went unpunished by the authorities, told his party's forum called "Hudud and its Implications on non-Muslims" that Islamic laws were not fair to women and contravened human rights because it prescribed 'cruel' punishments for serious crimes. To prove his theory, Chua said Genting, which hosts Malaysia's only casino in Genting Highlands, Pahang, would be shut down by PAS resulting the loss of 15,000 jobs, 20 million tourists and RM1 billion in taxes. "Then we will have difficulty in attracting investment and even existing investors may pull out," said the former Health minister, who resigned after a video clip of him engaging in sex with a Chinese prostitute became public. According to Raimi, Chua's statement not only exposed his ignorance and malicious intentions which could spark tensions among adherents of different religions, but also his disrespect towards Muslim sensitivities. Urging the authorities to take action against Chua, ABIM said he should publicly apologise to Muslims in the country. PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man meanwhile said Chua's criticisms of Islamic laws were nothing new, and said it was more disappointing to note UMNO's approval of his remarks by remaining silent. "Having failed to convince the Chinese community to support BN, he now resorts to lambasting the hudud laws. But what is really sad is that UMNO chooses to remain silent amid the ongoing insults," said Tuan Ibrahim. Referring to the now familiar claim by UMNO leaders that PAS was being exploited by DAP to undermine Islam, Tuan Ibrahim (left) pointed out that Chua's latest derogatory remarks about Islamic laws only proved who was being exploited. He said Chua had been over the years been emboldened by UMNO's criticisms of hudud enactments in Kelantan and Terengganu which it dismissed as deviation from Islamic laws. "PAS has repeatedly urged them to show us where we had committed the error (in the enactments). If what we enacted is not the true hudud as alleged, then UMNO should enact the true hudud  enactments and we at PAS will definitely support them," said Tuan Ibrahim. 'UMNO Ustads sell their souls' PAS Central Committee member Dzulkefly Ahmad (left) said UMNO leaders should instead try to allay fears about Islam among the non-Muslims, but were doing the opposite. "Islam is lambasted on MCA's stage for the sake of popularity in the next general election," said Dzulkefly, referring to UMNO's representatives Kamal Saidi and Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya, who participated in the anti-hudud forum. "Clearly, UMNO would do anything including selling off Islam to gain a few votes while the men of religion in UMNO sell their souls for MCA's sake," said the Kuala Selangor member of parliament. Earlier, the anti-hudud forum by MCA saw the withdrawal of Muslim non-governmental organisation Islamic Renaissance Front, saying the BN party attempted to use it for its narrow political agenda. "At no certain terms would we have agreed to participate in this forum if the intention of MCA was made clear to us beforehand.  We agreed on good faith that there would be an intellectual discussion on this issue. However it seems that Dr Chua Soi Lek has twisted the facts and turned it to become a front supporting the Prime Minister and anti-opposition," said IRF director Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa. This was followed by another NGO slamming Chua for trying to make political mileage. "I accepted the invitation in good faith, based on the understanding that it will be an open discussion on the topic. I did not expect the MCA president to suddenly turn the forum into a propaganda briefing," said Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs's Wan Saiful Wan Jan.

Karpal: Datukships put DAP in ‘awkward spot’ Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:40 AM PST (The Star) - DAP national chairman Karpal Singh regrets that two party leaders had accepted the Datukship awards bestowed on them by their respective Rulers, reported Nanyang Siang Pau. He said Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Selangor Assembly Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim's acceptance of the award had put the party in an "awkward spot". "Their acceptance was not in line with the party's stand and principle as only party members who had retired or were not politically active are allowed to accept titles," he said. Ngeh and Teng were conferred titles in 2008 and 2010 respectively. Asked if their refusal would be perceived as an insult to the Rulers, Karpal said it was the party's stand and therefore, would not be deemed an insult.

Choose wrongly at nation’s peril, Najib warns voters Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:38 AM PST By A Ruban, The Star SHAH ALAM: Choose the wrong side in the coming general election and risk the nation going downhill, warned Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Citing Barisan Nasional's impressive track record, Najib said only the current coalition knew how to rule the nation and take it to greater heights. "If we miscalculate and choose the wrong side, our country could very much end up like Greece. What Barisan built today could be destroyed in a flash if the wrong side rules the country tomorrow. "We may be strong now and we may have good resources, but we could face a similar predicament like Greece if the wrong side is chosen," he said at the Islamic Propagation and Welfare Organisation of Malaysia (Pekida) assembly here yesterday. Referring to the Opposition as "they", Najib said most plans made by them were against the nation's development and focused more on seizing power. "They are not in power yet but are already criticising the Malay rulers and expressing hope to change the Jalur Gemilang. "In the civil service, they have said that hundreds of civil servants would be stopped from working when they come to power," he added. Unlike the Opposition, Najib said Barisan was concentrating on developing the nation for the benefit of the people. He cited the RM100 assistance to students and RM500 to all households with incomes of less than RM3,000 as among the good deeds done by the Barisan government. "Poor families and students are given assistance. There's more room for improvement, especially in the rural areas. "For this, we will continue to ensure that the gap between the rich and poor is narrower," he said. Najib added that he was confident that Barisan would triumph once again in the coming election. "As a prime minister, I will continue to do the best for the people and we will not step back. "We will show that Barisan can do it because only with us, you can dream of a fisherman's son or farmer's son to be a minister or CEO of a big company," Najib said, pointing at Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar, who he said came from a poor family. Commenting on the assembly, Najib said it was the job of Pekida to ensure that Malay rights were taken care of. He noted that Pekida had been on track and had been doing a good job in championing Malay rights. "Pekida must continue to flex its muscles and bring up the Malays in the country," he said.

Ex-Perlis MB denies graft claims over power plant Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:32 AM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Despite a finding by Swiss authorities after exhaustive investigations, Umno veteran Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Pawanteh has denied accepting a bribe from French engineering giant Alstom for a power plant in Perlis. The former Perlis mentri besar and Dewan Negara president was responding to the Singapore's Straits Times that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officials raided his Teknologi Tenaga Perlis Consortium's (TTPC) office last week as he was directly implicated in Alstom's indictment for bribery in securing foreign contracts. "I wish to categorically state that the allegations contained in the above report are totally baseless and malicious," Abdul Hamid (picture) said in a statement to The Malaysian Insider last night. He stressed that the company's board of directors, including Ti Chee Liang who was named in the Swiss court papers, did not receive "7.5 million Swiss francs (RM25.5 million) to help Alstom Malaysia secure a contract to build a power plant in Perlis in late 1995". "I confirm that no monies were received by any Board members including me," the Umno veteran said. Abdul Hamid explained that the decision to award the contract was unanimous and the contract was later awarded on November 30, 1999 when he was the board chairman. He was Perlis mentri besar between 1986 and 1995 before being made TTPC board chairman from 1996 to 2005. The politician also disclosed that he was unaware of ongoing investigations into Alstom Malaysia by the Swiss authorities. "To date, I have not been notified or called by thern to make any statements or provide any details. I am shocked that the Swiss authorities have accused Ti and me of wrongdoings, financial or otherwise. "For this reason, I have instructed solicitors in Switzerland to initiate proceedings to clear my name. I welcome any investigation pertaining to these baseless allegations," Abdul Hamid said in his statement. In the report picked up by The Malaysian Insider, the Singapore Straits Times said both Abdul Hamid and his former business partner Ti were singled out in the criminal summons against Alstom. According to ST, Alstom was fined €31 million (RM130 million) by the Swiss Attorney-General two weeks ago for failing to implement proper controls to prevent bribery by company executives in Malaysia, Latvia and Tunisia, an offence under Swiss law. Alstom is a major player in Malaysia in the power business, and is credited with supplying key equipment for nearly 7.5 gigawatts of the country's installed power generation capacity, the paper added. Last month, Alstom's Malaysian office denied it was aware of local investigation regarding the RM130 million fine by Swiss authorities involving contracts awarded to the company here. "There is no probe ongoing in Malaysia that we are aware of and Alstom has co-operated fully in Switzerland. The fine is for corporate negligence in the past and not for bribery," Alstom Malaysia president Saji Raghavan said in a statement. "In fact, investigation confirms there is no systematic bribery and sufficient controls are in place," he pointed out. The company had described itself as a "subcontractor of a consortium" and a "victim of the actions of some of its employees, who would have benefited from kickbacks", according to a previous Reuters report. READ MORE HERE

"Pekida and Govt must work together to ensure survival of BN" Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:16 AM PST (Malaysian Digest) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said there is no other option that can guarantee a bright future for the country except by maintaining the existing government. He said political power comes from the people in which if the struggle is based on the interests of the people, then the people will continue to support the present government. He said this in his speech in an event with the Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah (Pekida) in Shah Alam this evening. In his speech, Najib also urged Pekida to work together with the government to ensure the survival of Barisan Nasional (BN) as the ruling power in the country. "Pekida is an organization that has never been dimmed. It still has the strength that cannot be denied at the grassroots level, the spirit, the soul, fighting all out in maintaining the Muslim Malay dignity," said Najib. "The current government objectives are in line with Pekida. Thereby it is our responsibility here to keep the existing government in order to make sure a brighter future," he added. Najib also added that if the existing government is not been upheld, then all the bright ambition will die and the future will turned into eclipse. "Democratic system allows all parties to the go here and there carrying various stories, including defamation. It causes the people confused. Therefore we have no choice other than to uphold the existing government," said Najib. He said, although the opposition has yet to rule the country, but they have shown their rudeness by the idea of reducing the number of public servants, polluting power of the king, polluting Malay and bumiputera policy in which the victim of all these are clearly Malays. About 10,000 members of Pekida from entire Malaysia came to meet the Prime Minister in person at Politeknik Shah Alam. Among other leaders who attend the ceremony was the Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam and Minister for Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Datuk Noh Omar. READ ALSO Pekida: 'Kami bukan gengster, kami tolong Melayu' Najib to aid Pekida in return for election support What is this outfit called Pekida?

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From Arab Spring to Malaysian Monsoon? Posted: 05 Dec 2011 01:14 PM PST The only credentials he attempted to present is Umno's supposed "glorious" records of past achievements, which are highly questionable, as this claim is debunked by the fact that Malaysia has slipped badly in every field against its former peers or inferiors like Singapore, Korea and Taiwan.  In fact, Malaysia is now struggling to keep pace with former laggards like Indonesia and Thailand. Kim Quek The restlessness for change triggered by the Arab Spring, and subsequently spread to Singapore and Thailand (as shown in their recent elections), has made the recently concluded Umno General Assembly a focus of much attention. Observers were looking for clues to answer the critical question in the backdrop of imminent election: Will Umno – one of the world's longest reigning political parties – also fall in the current wave of rising popular dissent? The clues are aplenty. As someone who has watched the live telecast of the opening session of the assembly, my first impression of the top hierarchy on stage is that they looked worried and disconcerted.  This feeling of diffidence was not dispelled by the President's opening speech, which lacked the kind of substance that reassures that all is well and the party has the wherewithal to move the country forward for the next five years. The next few days saw leaders engaged in the usual racial exhortations and opposition-bashing, and requests for more government patronage.  Rather unique to this assembly, leader after after leader pleaded for refrain from backstabbing and sabotage from within, for which the entire assembly took a collective oath to pledge their loyalty to party and party president. In the concluding speech, Party President Najib Razak warned the delegates point-blank that if Umno is defeated, it will be doomsday for the Malay race, the Islam religion and the Malay Royalties.  Turning to the "28 million Malaysians out there", he said bluntly that either they elect the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) for a brighter future or face destruction under the opposition. Assembly is only warmongering Reviewing the entire episode, my conclusion is that this Umno assembly is only an exercise of beating the war drums and calling members to battle.  There were no deliberations over the unprecedented challenges we face, and how BN will take the nation out of the current quagmire.  Najib's only reference to these issues is his oft-repeated recitation of his various "transformations", without coming up with convincing substance that these are anything but slogans. The only credentials he attempted to present is Umno's supposed "glorious" records of past achievements, which are highly questionable, as this claim is debunked by the fact that Malaysia has slipped badly in every field against its former peers or inferiors like Singapore, Korea and Taiwan.  In fact, Malaysia is now struggling to keep pace with former laggards like Indonesia and Thailand. The inescapable impression that one gets from the proceedings of this assembly is that Umno is fighting for its own survival and nobody else – certainly not for the country, nor for the Malays for that matter. If everything is fine as claimed, then why is the Malaysian government plunging more steeply than ever into record level of debt in recent years in an unbroken spell of 15 years of hefty budget deficits, despite enjoying unprecedented boom in petroleum prices?  Why has the private investment to GDP ratio stuck stubbornly at the doldrums of 10% (among the lowest in the region) since the nineties when it peaked at 37%? Why are the people crying out in pain over ever escalating costs against stagnant income? Transformation an illusion If Najib's "transformations" have worked, then why has corruption worsened as reflected in the unprecedented plunge in Corruption Perception Index monitored by the prestigious Transparency International, and the continuing massive leakages in the BN administration as recorded in the latest Auditor General's report? If BN has looked after all the races and communities well as claimed, why has the temperature of racial and religious tension risen sharply in recent years? Umno in this assembly adopted the strategy of demonizing the opposition and frightening the Malays with catastrophe to their race, and the country at large, with unspeakable disaster to the nation, if Umno is not re-elected to power. Umno claims that if Pakatan Rakyat comes to power, Chinese will rule the country through DAP, and Malays will be reduced to beggars, Islam substituted by Christianity, and the Malay Sultans' fate in peril.  But this nightmare scenario is easily lampooned when DAP points out that in the 2008 election, DAP only fielded 47 candidates, against 97 by PKR, and 66 by PAS for the contest to fill the 222-seat parliament. Besides, PAS is completely Malay and PKR is dominated by Malays.  So how can DAP overpower PKR and PAS – as well Umno for that matter – to become the super power in Malaysian politics?  The fact that Umno has to resort to construct such a ridiculous bogeyman to achieve its political object is manifest of its utter desperation and panic. Pakatan shines through Najib in his concluding speech said that Pakatan Rakyat, if elected, will destroy the country.  But how can that be when the Pakatan-controlled state governments have been consistently commended by the Auditor General for their prudent financial management, and distinguishing themselves for keeping corruption at bay and introducing transparency and accountability to their respective administrations? Isn't it a fact that their good governance has been recognized and confirmed through the robust influx of private investments, in spite of having suffered under ill treatment by the BN federal government? Isn't it a fact that the Pakatan state governments have treated all the races with fairness and justice? If the Pakatan political leadership has proven to be incorruptible and competent and just in their management of resources and treatment of the people, then isn't it logical to conclude that such a political leadership is exactly what Malaysia needs to check the current slide and restore confidence and good governance to move the country forward? I am quite sure that the people have the good sense to make the right choice, if informed of the true facts.  So the electoral battle ahead is a battle of information dissemination.  If Pakatan Rakyat succeeds in conveying the true picture to the majority of the people despite BN's stranglehold on the mass media, in time for the next poll, then the current Umno assembly may prove to be a watershed event.  It may go down in history as the advent that triggered the enlightenment of the people to the folly of clinging to a defunct feudal political system. Such enlightenment will cause a decisive break from the past – the replacement of race-centric politics by governance-centric politics – and sweep Pakatan to power to usher in a new era for the nation.

PKR no pushover in Sarawak Posted: 05 Dec 2011 08:58 AM PST The April 16 Sarawak election proved that despite Umno maligning Anwar Ibrahim, PKR still made 'inroads into Dayak ground'. Unless Umno people are sleeping or are busy shashaying in the lobby of Concorde Hotel and cockily holding fort in the coffee house, the wins tell us that the OPPOSITION CAN WIN. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, Free Malaysia Today There's a view that PKR cannot win any parliamentary seats in Sarawak and that all embattled Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) seats will go to DAP. Allow me to cite one observation passed to me by the Oracle of Syed Putera, who incidentally is the alter ego of former economic adviser Daim Zainuddin. You can almost say that whatever the Oracle spews is what Daim thinks. Recalling the April 16 Sarawak state election, the Oracle said the 100 percent victory by Taib Mahmud's Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) wasn't unexpected. PBB won all 35 seats it contested in the state election unlike Umno (in 2008 polls). But the Oracle was more concerned about the victory by PKR in the Sarawak state election. He said that Anwar Ibrahim (PKR de facto leader) with all the character assassinations carried out on a daily basis, had managed to assist Sarawak PKR chairman Baru Bian get three seats! What do the wins represent? Unless Umno people are sleeping or are busy shashaying in the lobby of Concorde Hotel and cockily holding fort in the coffee house, the wins tell us that the OPPOSITION CAN WIN. PKR made inroads into Dayak grounds. Then came the news about the sacking of one MP from the Sarawak Barisan Nasional coalition – Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party's (SPDP) Dr Tiki Lafe from Mas Gading. SPDP has four parliamentary seats. READ MORE HERE

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The GTP is delivering results Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:45 AM PST By Ravindran Devagunam, NKRA Director via The Sun We refer to the survey released by Transparency International on the Corruption Perception Index and the Corruption Barometer last Thursday. The Corruption NKRA is one of seven NKRAs identified by the government. In the 24 months since the GTP (Government Transformation Programme) was implemented, Malaysia has recorded outcomes that have impacted the rakyat positively across the NKRAs of reducing crime, improving urban public transport, rural basic infrastructure, improving student outcomes and rural basic infrastructure. In July, the government announced a new NKRA to manage the cost of living, with cash aid and book vouchers as initial initiatives for families with schoolchildren. We are under no illusion that the Corruption NKRA is a challenge but it is a challenge we are not backing down from. We should be mindful that the CPI reflects only one area of corruption, in this case Grand Corruption. It is not a measure of the entire Corruption NKRA and definitely not of the GTP on the whole. A large focus of the media has been on the Corruption Perception Index in which Malaysia's score dipped from 4.4 last year to 4.3 this year. However, little has been said about the Corruption Barometer, a public survey announced on the same day by TI. The Corruption Barometer (CB) measures the perception of the public on the government's efforts to fight corruption. Forty-nine per cent answered that they felt that the government's efforts were effective. This shows there has been an increase from 48% in the previous year when the Corruption NKRA was introduced. In that sense the momentum was not only maintained but showed that the Corruption NKRA proved effective, as the CB was only rated at 28% in 2009. This also shows that public perception towards petty corruption, efforts and initiatives implemented last year and this year are being felt and acknowledged by the public. Some of the deterrent measures such as the Name and Shame Database, the Whistleblower Protection Act and the establishment of compliance units within the five key enforcement agencies are building blocks that have contributed to the positive sway. As with the Whistleblower Protection Act, enforcement agencies have begun to receive reports and compliance units run integrity testing on all their officers to ensure the highest standards of ethics and integrity. The total score of 4.3 in 2011 is accumulated from 12 surveys, which is three more surveys done in comparison to nine last year. The three are the Political Risk Services Country Guide, the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index and TI's Bribe Payer Index (BPI). Benchmarking against the nine surveys of last year, Malaysia has increased its scores in five of the key surveys this year. Among which, the PERC Asian Intelligence Survey, Malaysia increased from 3.5 to 4.5. There was also an increase from 4.7 to 5.7 in the WEF Executive Opinion Survey. The Bertelsmann Transformation Index saw an increase from 4.5 to 4.6 this year. Of the new surveys, the BPI is a survey introduced this year and done to measure the propensity of Malaysians to paying bribes to parties outside Malaysia. It is also the only one conducted among 28 countries instead of all the countries that have been ranked in the CPI. Given that the CPI ranking is made up of an average score across all surveys conducted, the 28 countries in which had the BPI would naturally be impacted either positively or negatively. The component that was used in the overall CPI was the perception of the businessmen surveyed of corruption in this country. Therefore, we do understand why TI has chosen the BPI and we accept their decision but we also have to examine all the other surveys to gauge our progress. In 2010 and 2011, we put in place basic building blocks to effectively address the issue of petty corruption. As shown by the CB, there was a slight increase over last year's rating. We realise, however, a lot more focus is needed on the initiatives to combat grand corruption. If anything, the CPI has shown that we need to address Grand Corruption as it impedes our overall CPI scoring. This requires institutional and structural reforms. The government recognises this and the MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission) is putting in place a transformation programme, which among other things aims to strengthen its forensic investigative capabilities. We plan to also put more effort on delivering initiatives such as introducing a transparent consultation process for new laws as well as political financing. We are studying the details of the CPI report and we will continue to work with TI, MACC and other agencies to make required improvements. The TI's Bribe Payer Index is an interesting survey as it focuses on the giver, instead of the receiver. When the giving stops, the taking stops.

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‘Pekida, bantu pertahan k’jaan BN’ Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:04 AM PST Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata pemerintahan kerajaan (Barisan Nasional) dewasa ini adalah selari dengan matlamat dan tujuan Pekida ditubuhkan. Justeru beliau mahu Pekida menjalankan tanggungjawab untuk mempertahankan kerajaan memandangkan tiada pemerintahan lain yang dapat menjamin masa depan negara. "Tiada pilihan lain selain tegakkan pemerintahan sedia ada. Tanggungjawab yang digalas Pekida atas jemala adalah untuk mempertahankan pemerintahan sedia ada. "Apa akan jadi pada umat Islam jika pemerintahan tersungkur dan rebah. Apa akan jadi pada Islam jika hilang taring? "Asas dan pokok adalah berjuang untuk kelangsungan kuasa jika kuasa terlepas segala cita-cita terkubur dan masa depan akan bertukar jadi gerhana. Ini kerana asas untuk menjadi bangsa yang mulia dan bermaruah bergantung kepada pemerintahan sedia ada. "Ia akan jadi realiti dan kenyataan jika ada kuasa," katanya di hadapan 10,000 hadirin pada Majlis Perhimpunan Perdana Pekida Malaysia di Politeknik Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah di sini hari ini. Tegas Najib, pilihan alternatif yang ditawarkan oleh pembangkang belum tentu dapat menjamin kedudukan Melayu dan Bumiputera. Pembangkang hanya berperanan untuk meruntuhkan apa yang dibina oleh kerajaan selama ini. READ MORE HERE

Usah cuit perasaan Melayu Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:02 AM PST Sambil membidas pakatan pembangkang kerana belum lagi berkuasa sudah mempersoalkan dasar untuk membantu orang Melayu dan Bumiputera, Najib ketika berucap pada majlis Sepetang Bersama PM sempena Perhimpunan Perdana Persatuan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (PEKIDA), semalam, berkata: "Orang Melayu tidak pernah bersikap pelampau di bumi ini. Orang Melayu tidak pernah menjadi bangsa yang rasis. Orang Melayu sejak merdeka sanggup berkongsi kuasa dan memberi apa yang adil kepada mereka. "Kita mengamalkan wasatiyyah sebagai pendekatan kita sejak dulu. Kita menolak kefahaman keterlaluan, kefahaman ekstrem tidak menjadi dasar pegangan. Orang Melayu menghulur tangan kepada orang bukan Melayu untuk membina negara yang aman, bersatu dan lebih makmur. "Jangan sesekali mereka mencuit perasaan orang Melayu dengan nak ubah apa termaktub dalam perlembagaan kita. Apa yang kita rundingkan waktu merdeka dulu, perkara ini akan dipertahankan, PEKIDA akan pertahankan," katanya. Pada majlis yang dihadiri lebih 10,000 ahli PEKIDA, Najib menjelaskan tentu sekali bagi orang Melayu yang menjadi majoriti dalam negara yang pernah menjadi mangsa ketika zaman penjajah, memerlukan sedikit masa untuk membetulkan segala kepincangan. Beliau bertanya apakah padang sama rata kalau anak yang lahir dan membesar di kawasan pedalaman seperti ulu Tembeling, Ulu Kinta, Pangkor, Yan, Kodiang dan Baling sama gelanggangnya seperti mereka yang membesar di Pantai Hill, Damansara dan Lembah Klang. "Tentu sekali ini bukan gelanggang sama rata. Jadi, sudah tentu keberhasilan berbeza dan pencapaian tidak sama. Bagi persekitaran yang serba lengkap, sudah tentu mereka akan mencapai kejayaan jauh lebih tinggi daripada mereka yang tinggal di pedalaman," katanya. Perdana Menteri seterusnya mengajak ahli PEKIDA bertanya pada diri mereka apa akan terjadi kepada orang Melayu dan umat Islam jika pemerintahan dalam negara tersungkur dan rebah atau sudah kehilangan taring dan kekuatan. Katanya, apa akan terjadi kepada raja-raja Melayu dan anak cucu mereka kalau kerajaan tidak ada lagi untuk memuliakan dan tidak dapat menyokong dasar yang boleh mendokong nasib mereka. "Sebab itu perjuangan kita mulia dan suci kerana kita pada asasnya berjuang mempertahankan kelangsungan kuasa yang ada pada tangan kita. Jika kuasa terlepas, Nauzubillah, cita-cita kita akan terkubur. "Masa depan kita akan bertukar menjadi masa depan yang penuh gerhana kerana asas kita menjadi bangsa mulia dan bermaruah dan menjanjikan masa depan lebih cerah kerana pemerintahan hari ini. "Pemerintahan bererti kita ada kuasa. Kalau hendak melakukan sesuatu tentu sekali sesuatu itu mungkin menjadi kenyataan kalau kita ada kuasa," katanya sambil menambah dalam pemerintahan negara yang tidak mengamalkan sistem demokrasi, kuasa itu mungkin terbit dari laras senapang dan berdiri di atas rejim kuku besi. Katanya, negara seperti Malaysia yang mengamalkan sistem demokrasi secara terbuka, kuasa politik tetap datang dari rakyat dan selagi kerajaan berjuang untuk rakyat dan kerana rakyat, insya-Allah rakyat akan tetap mempertahankan kedudukan sekarang. Bagaimanapun, katanya, dalam sistem demokrasi yang membenarkan pelbagai pihak berjalan 'ke hulu ke hilir' membawa pelbagai cerita yang kadang-kala nista dan fitnah, ia boleh menyebabkan rakyat terkeliru atau sangsi sehingga dapat memesong sokongan rakyat dan akhirnya berlaku apa yang tidak diingini. Justeru, katanya, rakyat tidak ada pilihan melainkan menegakkan pemerintahan sedia ada.

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