Former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad yesterday denied allegations that he was behind the move to “cold storage” former Sabah Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) director Mohd Ramli Abdul Manan for investigating a minister, Tan Sri Kasitah Gaddam.
In an earlier interview with Malaysiakini, Ramli said he believed that it was the former premier who ordered him to be transferred out of Sabah and was put in “cold storage” at the ACA headquarters in Kuala Lumpur for investigating allegations of corruption involving former land and co-operative development minister Kasitah Gaddam.
He said he moved out of his post as Sabah ACA chief soon after he and his team of 15 officers had completed the probe on Kasitah Gaddam.
This is from Ramli’s interview with Malaysiakini:
Q. Was the ACA happy with the investigation?
They were not happy because a lot of political figures and a government company were involved.
Q. What happened after you finished your investigation?
We file it to the ACA headquarters.
Q. Who gave the orders to move you out of Sabah?
I think (it was ex-Prime Minister Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad) because when I ask them (ACA officers), they said it was orders from high up. That was in 2000.
A few Sabah ministers went to see Mahathir but I have no proof (of that). I asked ‘why are you all treating me like this’, and they said orders from the top. Who else? And they were afraid to put me in an important position (after that). Why were they afraid?
Q. Like (ACA chief) Zulkipli (Mat Noor), attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail is also from Sabah.
That was what I told the police officer (who was investigating the Zulkipli case). Gani Patail should not be involved in the (Zulkipli) case because they (Abdul Gani and Zulkipli) are quite close.
Both were recruited by Mahathir. At that time, Gani Patail was the deputy public prosecutor (DPP) and Zul was the Special Branch chief in Sabah.
Q. It was reported recently that Zulkipli’s term would expire this month. Do you think they’ll forget about it after he steps down?
Probably.
Q. Do you still have friends in ACA now that you have become ‘persona non grata’?
I don’t know. I don’t care about the ACA because I felt let down. They should back me up as I was doing my job. When they pulled me out of Sabah, ACA officers, directors or the DG (director-general) should have backed me up because I didn’t do anything wrong – I was just doing my job.
You (ACA officers) must tell the chief, “You can’t penalise your officers who are performing their job.” I’m particularly sore with the senior officers. The junior officers can’t do much, but then the DG (director-general) or deputy DG should have backed me up. After all, I was doing my job in Sabah.
Q. When you were in ACA, was the agency independent?
They have to get Mahathir’s permission first. That’s why Kasitah Gaddam’s case took so many years (before the ex-minister was charged). If Mahathir was around, Kasitah would have been discharged.
This should not be the case because (Abdul Gani) as the AG should look at the evidence. If there is evidence, they should act on it. The decision must be based on the evidence. If the evidence is sufficient, (and the AG can) prove that there is a prima facie case, you cannot withhold consent.
In his response yesterday, Mahahitr described Ramli’s claims as “baseless” and asked Ramli to “Show evidence that I have done this”.
It is noteworthy that Mahathir’s reaction to the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) report that Malaysia was perceived to be more corrupt than the previous year in its annual Asia Corruption Survey 2007 was that “it showed that efforts to reduce corruption had failed”.
While corruption has worsened in the past three years under the Abdullah premiership, as evidenced by the seven-placing drop from No. 37 to 44 in the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) from 2003 to 2006, Mahathir cannot disclaim responsibility for corruption surfacing as a grave national scourge for the first time in his country during his 22-year administration — as testified by the 14-placing drop in Malaysia’s TI CPI from No. 23 in 1995 to No. 37 when he stepped down as Prime Minister.
For this reason, Mahathir must bear responsibility for the breakdown in good governance in general and the ethics and culture of integrity in particular in in the country since the eighties.
Mahathir should now promote a culture of accountability, transparency and integrity by agreeing to appear before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity on Ramli’s charges that the former Prime Minister was behind the move to “cold-storage” the former Sabah ACA director for investigating former Minister Kasitah Gaddam.
By doing so, Mahathir will be setting a good example requiring top government leaders, past and present, to account for their good governance practices or the lack thereof — including the appearance of the Deputy Internal Security Minister, Datuk Johari Baharom over the serious corruption allegations and scandal of “Freedom For Sale” under the Emergency Ordinance.
With the ACA Director-General Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Nor and Ramli appearing before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity (PSCI) next Thursday over the serious corruption allegations of the latter against the former, and Mahathir’s preparedness to appear before the PSCI, there may finally be a redeeming feature in the present gloomy scenario of worsening corruption if the stage is set for Johari as well as other high-profile personalities to appear before the PSCI to underline the general acceptance of the national importance and priority that must be given to accountabillity, transparency and integrity.
TDM wont appear and the usual words like “Saya Tak Tau” will be used again. THis time teacher learn from student.
Integrity my foot. All can talk. WIth the powers of a PM, everyone also can be male chicken talkers. Who are they passing the buck to now?
Kit: You are a lawyer so you should know that what Ramli said was purely hearsay. There is no way that it can be proven that TDM ordered Ramli’s cold storage. I think we should move on – what is the past is gone, and we should worry about the future. We should concentrate on the present and the things that can be proven.
The holy/unholy ‘Trinity’ – TDM/GAni Patail/ Zulkipli?
Usually, trinitarians share a common purpose or goals, shared outlook and shared methodology of accomplishing their objectives.
Do you think the 3 form a trinity? If so, do you think it’s a holy or unholy trinity?
I get real worried when people in powerful positions form an unholy alliance.
Of course you cannot bring TDM into the picture. Ramli sai “I THINK TDM gave the orders”. He said it, it is his opinion only that TDM gave the orders.
1. Who else can give such an order to transfer a senior officer?
2. Why put him on cold storage?
Ramli seems to be credible person. One needs damn great courage to stand up against injustice in Bolehland.
It is an open secret that Mahathir interferes with the ACA. Didn’t he save Rafidah’s skin?
TDM made the WAWASAN 2020 got a story behind, just like the DA VINCI CODE ……… all the bad things and News are covered Until 2020 you will know the truth.
TUNGGULAH sampai 2020…..Sekarang ABB pula…..tunggulah Sampai 2057 (LIMA PULUH TAHUN lagi…..)
To be continued….
Politics 101 question: Who would you believe is telling the truth?
A. Tun Dr M
B. Zulkipli the ACA DG
C. Ramli the whistleblower
D. Gani Patel the AG
E. Tan Sri Kasitah Gaddam
If you fail to get the correct answer, you have been sleeping like our snoring wonder Pak Lah in Bolehland
Everyone knows there are corruption happen on TDM and everyone knows our government are doing bad thing, but no one could even push them down their seat, what happen?because the voter to BN are the payer for bribe.
F. Non of the above
The PSCI should just “invite” the Tuns, MM and Diam, to appear before it. Also Osu Sukam.
Unless the PSCI has got teeth and can be any kind of tea, then we are all wasting our time.
Dear Godfather, sorry that I had to disagree with you in your statement of “what is the past is gone”. If you look at it objectively this is one of the prime causes of the rots in the government. Political leaders and government servants with power will do havoc with impunity while in office because of the people’s “cepat lupa” mentality. In developed countries they will even go after you while you are 6 feet underground. This has indirectly contributed tremendously to a spin off in corruption. Look at many of the AP kings. They had previously ( don’t know whether it is still happening now) cheated the govt billions of ringgit by under declaring and thanks to you they are enjoying the luxury of life now without any fear.
The saddest part is when that person depart, history will repeat itself and the cycle will go on and on. If people are not made answerable to their past actions, how can you expect things to improve. If we prolong this culture, we will not see responsibility and in turn will give them more courage for corruption. Finally this country will be like Uganda with Idi Amin and will regress instead of progress and we will change the target date of developed status to 3057. The culture of “what is gone is gone” has bee the legacy of this country and this has impaired good governance which resulted in what is today and that is why me and you are trying hard to improve. Nothing sinister but just doing our job as a good and responsible citizen.
Coming back to TDM appearing before the PSCI, I will give my full support To YB Kit as it is the only discourse to find out who is speaking the truth. We had already heard too many of this accusations, from Dr Ani Arope, Tajuddin Ramli and now another Ramli and also not forgetting Anwar. All the three except Anwar ( who might have an axe to grind) had told something about the work of dirty hands and all these are of public concern. Not only this precedent will help put some brakes on those with the same aspirations, but putting TDM on the PSCI pedestal will help pave the way of doing away with the ACA under the PM ( because if we have a PM like Idi Amin which we are very likely,we and the future generations are all gone). It is of utmost important and most relevant now that we must do something to pave the way for ACA to be under a selected committee of untarnished parliamentarians.
to godfather, if forgetting e past is wat u would adopt, then how bout i rob u of all ur money, then get away w it, then u forget n earn back wat i stole, then i get my bro to rob u, then u forget again n work again, then i get my cousin to rob u… never ending… tt is was bn has been doing right? first himself, then family members, then cousins, then friends… nvr ending. how much can u forget when they keep on slapping ur face?
Pwcheng,
I totally agree what you said.
Germany is now even considering to revoke the citizenship of Adolf Hitler 62 years after his death.
Those criminals of the country should be charged, jailed and hanged irrespective how long the time has elapsed.
This one is hard to prove. There is no paper trail of the order here. Unless Ramli himself manage to produce a memo of TDM’s order with regards to this matter. If anybody manage to do that, then TDM would be screwed so hard. The only way I am seeing this is possible is for someone inside to leak the info out. Hopefully someone inside who is involved in the power struggle see this as an opportunity to leak something that implicates TDM in this matter. After all, the time for Ramli’s cold storage is definitely during TDM’s reign. Just have to produce some papers that show that he was the one giving the orders.
You got to put away the criminals, irrespective of their status and positions in the society, before they destroy the country.
They are setting a very bad example for their followers/members and tarnished the good name and achievements of the country from past and present selfless, honest and hardworking leaders and ordinary people.
The buck stops with the leader/s.
Does not the PSCI have the authority to summon the former PM to appear before the members?
Retirement does not render one immune.
God father: ‘what is the past is gone, and we should worry about the future ‘
Sorry to disagree with you. Its not just money changing hands. Some people’s lives or way of living can be changed, for example, a less compitative company been given the leg up from a better qualified company. Losses of earning etc etc. Hence with the proliferation of corruption, we will be having companies who have the right connections but not the right expertise.
Land development etc also can be affected. There are people affected then. They surely want justice.
And as mentioned in one of the earlier posts, too many prominent corporate figures have mentioned of corruption. This cannot be swept under the carpet. This must be addressed to improve the confidence from what it is today.
As long as there are accusations, it must be investigated to prove or disprove. Otherwise, like some one said, if repeated often enough, people will believe it.
Mahathir has retired from public office. Asking Mahathir to appear before PSCI is not a good idea, it may provokes him to come back into active politic and grab power from Abdullah so that he can put things in control. He will summon his old team mate like retired comrade Ling back to fight along with him, Samy will be quite delighted, then suddenly we have a new prime minister, the old Dr Mahathir. Hmmm… I dreaming I guess.. Old guards, old story, same Malaysia, waste time.
If anyone of you have evidence of wrongdoing, by all means expose them. We are only limited by the statute of limitations. We live by the rule of law, which is that a person is innocent until proven guilty, and that evidence is needed to adduce guilt. Not innuendos, not hearsay.
If anyone can proved that TDM asked for the cold-storage of Ramli, then come forward and provide that evidence. Ramli himself said he “thought” it was TDM. He said it was on orders from “higher-up”. What does that mean? Even if you call TDM to the the PSCI, he will just say what he said to Malaysiakini: “You think I spend my time as PM worrying about the future of an ACA director?”
We have to learn the lessons of history or we will be condemned to repeat it, but to flog a dead horse when more pressing things are crying for our attention is plain stupid.
“For this reason, Mahathir must bear responsibility for the breakdown in good governance in general and the ethics and culture of integrity in particular in in the country since the eighties.
Mahathir should now promote a culture of accountability, transparency and integrity by agreeing to appear before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity on Ramli’s charges that the former Prime Minister was behind the move to “cold-storage†the former Sabah ACA director for investigating former Minister Kasitah Gaddam.”
Asking Mahathir Bin Mohamad to appear before the PSCI hearings will be an exercise in futile.
PSCI will not be able to extract any useful info or admission of guilt from Mahathir Bin Mohamad. All Malaysians knew damn well that he is the “fox” which will destroy or cover any dirty trails meticulously that might be left behind.
To uncover the dirty trails of Mahathir Bin Mohamad would be near impossible. He also knew damn well, and he often said it in the public that, “corruption is hard to prove”. To him, he had always maximise this maxim to his greatest advantage, “corruption is hard to prove”.
This is further exasperated by the fact that ACA is under PM Dept, and all Malaysians knew that ACA is his lethal weapons against his enemies or any dissenters in his midst.
So help us God.
Ex-PM is too smart to leave a paper trail. You “slaves” (who were so frightened of him then) should have resigned, save your integrity and honor. Eat your heart out, morons, it’s too late now!
I am definitely inclined to associate with
pwcheng & Jefus.
Putting TDM on the PSCI pedestal is a PRESSING need in this circumstances and in a climate of extreme corruption in this country. We all know what his legacy has left behind. Hopefully it can change the landscape of Malaysia as a starting point to eradicate corruption. If an ex topmost guy can be pulled up to answer certain allegations, many will have to think before committing any misfeasance.
As to evidences we must trust those guys in the PSCI committee. They are put there to do a job and I have some confidence that they can do a good job. We must have confidence somewhere, otherwise we will never see the light of the day.
The proposal of YB Kit holds water and I am sure he has something in his mind and hope he can get the support of his fellow members. This is the chance that we should not miss for if this boat sails away we will be stranded for a long time to come.
Even if hauled before the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity, TDM the crafty devil will pretend to suffer memory loss or be sick or some other tricks to get off the hook. Just look at what Chen Shiu Bian’s wife did when summoned to appear in court on corruption charges. The mass murderers Suharto and Pinochet also got away from having to answer for their crimes by pretending to be sick.
sheriff singh Says:
March 15th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
The PSCI should just “invite†the Tuns, MM and Diam, to appear before it. Also Osu Sukam.
pwcheng Says:
March 15th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Coming back to TDM appearing before the PSCI, I will give my full support To YB Kit as it is the only discourse to find out who is speaking the truth. We had already heard too many of this accusations, from Dr Ani Arope, Tajuddin Ramli and now another Ramli and also not forgetting Anwar.
YB LKS, Sheriff’s & pwcheng’s suggestion is the next best thing since the invention of the court system!
Not only TDM but also AAB. If they can be compelled to appear before the PSCI and with some appropriate grilling, Parliament will be able to strike fear in the hearts of all the NApoleoons which include deviant parliamentarians. PSCI should roll out the red carpet for Tun DAim as well as suggested above. The Tuns have to prove their integrity before the PSCI! We must not think TDM’s holy talk and witty brand of sarcasm is equivalent to the truth; this Zorro for 22 years have been wearing his own mask. Unmask him.
Godfather says:
March 15th, 2007 at 5:16 pm
“If anyone of you have evidence of wrongdoing, by all means expose them. We are only limited by the statute of limitations”
Oh, no…Parliament is not bound by the statute of limitations. Parliament is sovereign; it can make and unmake any law. Besides, the statute of limitations applies to civil suits, not to criminal offences. This is why the Sword of Damocles always hang over a criminal’s head by a very slender hair regardless of passage of time. The long arms of the law can catch up with a criminal at any time. Remember the Great Train Robber Biggs…he finally served his sentence in British jail and eeventually died in jail some 30 or 40 years after the robbery had taken place.
Mahathir & Daim have much to fear if Anwar becomes the PM as crimes are never time-barred. This is why they must ‘finish’ off Anwar. But it’s the RAKYAT who decides.
So if the people wants justice or ‘keadilan’, vote for Parti Keadilan & DAP!
That’s great. Instead of concentrating your firepower and attention on Zulkipli and on why AAB extended his tenure twice, you are now throwing a red herring by demanding the presence of Mahathir. Mahathir may have ordered the removal of Ramli, but the crux of the issue remains the current charges against the ACA chief which should not be swept under the carpet. What Mahathir did or did not do has very little or no bearing on the coming elections, so why flog the dead horse ?
Obviously most of you do not know the standard modus operandi of TDM. If he wanted someone removed or cold-storaged, he had trusted lieutenants or aides who would carry out his orders, and everything was verbal. His loyal aides would never squeal and even if they did, it was always going to be their word against his.
In any case, I expect the March 22nd hearing to be called off. AAB cannot afford to be embarrassed by the hearing on Zulkipli, so all he needs to do is to lean on the BN members of the committee, and, presto, the meeting would be adjourned indefinitely by a majority vote.
Concentrate on the mission at hand, folks, and that is to try to break the BN two-thirds majority.
Well, in this Bolehland rumours can sometime turn out to be true. Remember prior to Anwar saga. Mahathir used to come out and say there is no problem between him and Anwar. He even went further by saying to Rakyat, you want me to peluk him whenever I see him. At the end what happen? TDM is a good orator and an entertainer of sort at this present moment.
The sentiment behind some inclined to ‘move on beyond Tun Dr Mahathir and let bygones be bygones’ is founded on the practical approach and implicit value judgment that, rightly or wrongly: –
· It is always better for civil society/opposition not to alienate Mahathir by trying to dig up the past to implicate him but to use him as a strong ally in the wider campaign to criticize and keep the present administration in check;
· For no matter how he would criticize, attack and expose the foibles of present leadership, he is invulnerable and the government won’t move against him;
· Much less any attempt by us to hold him accountable (whether by means of PSCI or other avenues), it would still not serve any purpose, as the government will just not seek to hold him accountable.
In principle, however, I would agree that no one is so mighty that he is above the law or accountability, if there were a reasonable ground for him to do so. I would also agree that there is no statute of limitation for crime, whether corruption or abuse of power.
Point is Mahathir has already responded : according to Malaysiakini’s reports, he has made a denial of whatever the whistleblower, former Sabah ACA chief Mohamad Ramli Abdul Manan said. Ramli said that this was only to be expected.
The other point is that the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity (PSCI) has no powers to summon and compulsorily require by force of law Mahathir to attend and answer Ramli’s charges.
So where does one proceed from there?
Yes, one can use but only moral suasion. One can say to Mahathir that he should, as senior statesman set a good example to top government leaders, past and present, on how to promote a culture of accountability, transparency and integrity by agreeing to appear before the PSCI. One can say that what he denied to the press is not as credible if he were do the same before the PSCI since any testimony he makes before the PSCI will, I assume, be under oath. One can also explain to him that the PSCI members take their esponsibilities seriously and make their decisions independently as evinced by the recent 8-3 decision of its members (predominently BN) to override and reverse Chairperson Bernard Dompok’s earlier decision to call off PSCI’s hearing of Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) chief Zulkipli Mat Noor and whistleblower Mohamad Ramli Manan.
But will any of these reasons persuade Mahathir? It is obvious that none of this will work on him!
Why would he entertain a request of PSCI to “grill him†with every risk of saying something incriminating to self when he is basically under no legal duty to accede to PSCI’s wish, whether expressed in the form of a summon or an invitation?
As far as Mahathir goes, no one can summon or grill him, not even the Prime Minister let alone PSCI.
Let’s keep our sights lower and be realistic and content to get to Zulkipli and Mohamad Ramli Manan to attend the PSCI hearing.
Yes, Jeffrey, pluck the low-lying fruits first, and not the ones at the very top. The challenge is to grill Zulklipi and ask the attendant question of why AAB extended his tenure twice. This serves our purpose more than that of possibly allowing TDM to make a mockery of the PSCI. Worse, it could well be an excuse for the present administration to pin the blame on the previous administration. Remember the favourite words of AAB like “Saya tak tahu” or “Bukan saya bikin”.
“This should not be the case because (Abdul Gani) as the AG should look at the evidence. If there is evidence, they should act on it. The decision must be based on the evidence. If the evidence is sufficient, (and the AG can) prove that there is a prima facie case, you cannot withhold consent.†Ramli
When has this practice ever been followed?
Especially, during Mahathir’s tenure as Prime Minister. It is not a coincidence that Mahathir was the first PM who was not a lawyer – Abdullah being second, and Najib (dare we say) being third?
For the sake of comparison, 8 U.S. attorneys were fired and there is evidence of a political-decision making by the AG – apparently acting on instruction from Karl Rove (the brain behind the Bush Administration), a political appointee of the President. Now the AG has to fight calls for his resignation!
Gani should come out with public statements of his own – or resign. He is unfit to hold the position. He is a disgrace to his profession. Prosecution in Malaysia has always been selective and politically motivated.
Mahathir always had this disdain for lawyers which stayed with him throughout his working life. Perhaps the Kedah State government should have allowed him to pursue a career in law, instead of sending him to the local university (as Singapore was then). Tunku was instrumental in that decision – and he never really forgave him.
To expect Mahathir to show respect and understanding for principles of law, less still to evidentiary rules of evidence like “prima facie†evidence is like expecting the monkey to appreciate the flower given to it. Don’t get me wrong. He understands but pretends to be the proverbial monkey and what it does with the flower. The law to him is a just another tool in his bag of tools he would use to get what he wants.
This man is a racist through and through who would not hesitate to indulge in a bit of Malay bashing when he sees fit to do so – like when he feels the Malays are “ungrateful†for all the things he did for them. He is ethnically a Pakistani who later adopted two Bangladeshi children (Tunku’s adopted children were mainly local Chinese – the Tunku living his life the way he believed). That should give some perspective about the man.
He would echo the thoughts of the average Malay: there can be nothing worse than an Indian who is also a lawyer – in private, of course. Those who know him well know that there is not one bone in his body that is not racist.
As for Kasitah Gadam, he is much like the fall guy and his prosecution is to whet public appetite for accountability, transparency and justice. He was only doing what the others in UMNO were doing and showed the same lack of respect for the law – others include Rafidah, Anwar Ibrahim etc. Dared they do this if the head of the executive branch was not corrupt?
Jeffrey QC,
Will the testimony in front of the Parliamentary Select Committee be under oath?
///It is always better for civil society/opposition not to alienate Mahathir by trying to dig up the past to implicate him but to use him as a strong ally in the wider campaign to criticize and keep the present administration in check;///
I disagree, we cannot stoop so low like opportunists. The present adminstration only lives out the culture created by TDM, and he criticises the present adminstration for his personal agenda. If we cannot get him for his sins, let us ignore him.
“He is ethnically a Pakistani who later adopted two Bangladeshi children” per Undergrad2. I am not aware that he is “ethnically a Pakistani” (if one means one of the parents from Pakistan).
” I disagree, we cannot stoop so low like opportunists. The present adminstration only lives out the culture created by TDM, and he criticises the present adminstration for his personal agenda. If we cannot get him for his sins, let us ignore him.”
Well said. Loh. I agree.
When Mahathir criticized Tunku of being half Thai – which is true in that his mother was Thai – Tunku pointed to Mahathir’s crooked nose as evidence that he was Pakistani – not a true blooded Malay as he claimed.
Iskandar is not exactly a native name for a Malay in the 50s.
His adoption of two Bangladeshi children shows his loyalty is elsewhere.
“If we cannot get him for his sins, let us ignore him.†Loh
Let’s leave God out of the picture since we advocate the separation of religion from state.
Jeffrey: “Why would he entertain a request of PSCI to “grill him†with every risk of saying something incriminating to self when he is basically under no legal duty to accede to PSCI’s wish, whether expressed in the form of a summon or an invitation?”
All these witnesses if they refuse to testify can they be subpoenaed?
Will their testimonies be under oath?
All above are serious stuff. Pls try below, take a break, life is short!
A woman decides to have a facelift for her 50th birthday. She spends $15,000 and feels pretty good about the results. On her way home, she stops at a newsstand to buy a newspaper. Before leaving, she says to the clerk, “I hope you don’t mind my asking, but how old do you think I am?”
“About 32,” is the reply.
“Nope! I’m exactly 50,” the woman says happily.
A little while later she goes into McDonald’s and asks the counter girl the very same question. The girl replies, “I’d guess about 29.”
The woman replies with a big smile, “Nope, I’m 50.”
Now she’s feeling really good about herself. She stops in a drug store on her way down the street. She goes up to the counter to get some mints and asks the clerk this burning question.
The clerk responds, “Oh, I’d say 30.”
Again she proudly responds, “I’m 50, but thank you!”
While waiting for the bus to go home, she asks an old man waiting next to her the same question.
He replies, “Lady, I’m 78 and my eyesight is going. Although, when I was young, there was a sure-fire way to tell how old a woman was. It sounds very forward, but it requires you to let me put my hands under your bra. Then, and only then can I tell you EXACTLY how old you are.”
They wait in silence on the empty street until her curiosity gets the best of her. She finally blurts out, “What the hell, go ahead.”
He slips both of his hands under her blouse and begins to feel around very slowly and carefully. He bounces and weighs each breast and he gently pinches each nipple. He pushes her breasts together and rubs them against each other.
After a couple of minutes of this, she says, “Okay, okay…How old am I?”
He completes one last squeeze of her breasts, removes his hands, and says, “Madam, you are 50.”
Stunned and amazed, the woman says,
“That was incredible, how could you tell?”
The old man says, “Promise you won’t get mad?”
“I promise I won’t.” she says.
“I was behind you in line at McDonald’s.”
Slowly slowly, catch the monkey!
Enormous damage with permanent, long term and far reaching consequences had been done to the country by the criminals, including those who incite hatred and violence.
We could only do our best to minimise the significant impact it might have on the country and her ordinary people.
To undergrad2
March 15th, 2007 at 10:58 pm
A Pakistani? But Hitler thought all along that a crooked nose was evidence that a person was Jewish– Gosh, was he lucky to escape being sent to Auschwitz-Birkenau. No wonder he became a serial anti-Semite… he blamed his crooked nose!
Mahathir may not be a lawyer nevertheless he has that formidable intellect and word power second to none in this region.
It is not going to be easy to call such person before a committee which is actually a toothless tiger. ( US congressional committee is a different kettle altogether) Nevertheless as Mahathir himself had been quoted that “blackening my name’ He may want that cleared up. Self Incrimination had been interpreted one way or other by our judiciary.
Mahathir has excellent political survival skills. It lasted him longer than some of us as old.
I think he has already thrown out the idea of having an esteemed standing in our history books under this watch.
Getting Tun Dr Mahathir to appear before Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity (PSCI) is, according to all reasonable calculations and expectations, a 99% likely exercise in futility.
[1% allowance is for the unpredictability of the man. Who would for example expect him who, whilst being prime minister, denied Malaysiakini a press credential card and after relinquishing power, to solicit the On-line Bulletin for exclusive interview, to vehemently criticize his anointed successor and also make a bid (unsuccessful as it turned out) to attend last UMNO General Assembly as one of Kubang Pasu delegate in order to chastise the successor?]
But here YB LKS is trying to juggle here two or three things.
The first is, BN’s 92% absolute majority in the 2004 General Election was obtained on the back of Pak Lah’s electoral promise of integrity governance.
It is only fair the Prime Minister should be held to his word. Especially when corruption is systemic in the body politic and culture of the country.
The culture of integrity cannot however be established until persons in public office, including senior government leaders and top officials, submit to an inquiry process that is verifiably independent and accountable.
We do not have an Ombudsman. Even the IPCMC playing a limited oversight role over the police has so far failed to be implemented.
In the absence of alternative institution or body that can play such oversight role, there’s where the PSCI come into the picture. LKS is ‘massaging’ it to evolve into playing that role.
And why not when it is supposedly non-partisan with a representatives from Opposition parties though out of 12 members only YB and Ab Halim Ab Rahman (PAS, Pengkalen Chepa) are from Opposition? PSCI’s deliberations have evinced some measure of independence if the recent 8-3 decision of its members (predominently BN) to override and reverse Chairperson Bernard Dompok’s earlier decision to call off its hearing of Zulkipli and whistleblower Mohamad Ramli Manan is any indication. Besides, PSCI has also done some other good in the past. For example, it heard the testimony by Jasin MP Datuk Mohd Said Yusof, who alleged that certain individuals were offered special privileges by Customs to buy seized vehicles cheap. The PSCI met with Finance Minister II Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop who agreed to its proposal to stop the special privileges and scrap this practice used by the Customs since 2000.
Admittedly, there are certain limitations that have to, on realistic level, be recognized.
To get the government to stop the special privileges given by the Customs since 2000 to certain VIPs persons is not the same as – and does not mean that it is equally possible – to get the government to make its ACA director general, deputy minister or former prime minister accountable to PSCI. It is a different kettle of fish, but there is of course no harm in trying, remote though prospects may be.
There are various other limitations.
Although it is true that “integrity†which the committee is mandated to exercise oversight function is a frame of reference that is wide and may encompass allegations against ACA director general, deputy minister or former prime minister, yet the special positions of these personalities within the political firmament of the country make any such attempt to make them accountable to PSCI difficult. Whether one likes it or not, the PSCI is still majority dominated by BN representatives who are bound, as Party Whip Tun Najib Razak once made clear, by BN’s party discipline to act according to party leaders’ directives.
The second limitation is the powers of PSCI in its oversight or investigative functions.
Theoretically speaking, a select committee can have wide powers including the power to require and compel witnesses to appear before a committee, produce documents to a committee for examination and answer to relevant committee questions under oath – provided that such power – derived from parliamentary privilege – has been delegated by Parliament to it in the first instance of its inception or if the standing orders of Parliament specifically allow so.
I am not familiar with PSCI’s terms of reference and scope of mandated powers or standing orders to express an opinion on Undergrad2 questions whether witnesses refusing to testify may be subpoenaed to do so under Oath. YB knows the answer to that.
In my opinion, it is unlikely the PSCI has been delegated or conferred such powers. It has no punitive powers. That is why it is consistently only “inviting†so and so to attend the hearing not summoning by subpoenae.
The select committees of which PSCI is one were formed at initiative of Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Parliament, Nazri Abdul Aziz as a body more to touch base with the people through various interest groups, lobby and civil societies who are invited to submit their views to these committees for deliberations and recommendation to the government for consideration. (Pak Lah felt that with such a big 92% parliamentary majority, there should be a mechanism via the select committees to get the feed back of the people).
It was never the intention of either Pak Lah or Nazri for the PSCI to be formed to act as a watchdog over the government and make it and all senior government officials accountable for the electoral promises of integrity governance.
On these premises, I surmise it is unlikely that the PSCI has more powers than that of just ‘inviting’ people to attend.
This of course does not suggest that the PSCI is a white elephant. Its recommendation to Ministry of Finance to scrap the practice of selling seized cars to certain VIPs has been accepted.
For those attending, its deliberations, discussion and conclusions on values, ethics and integrity based on the National Integrity Plan are publicized through the media and the public gets educated in the process.
If it is any consolation, this is what counts. According to great American Jurist, Judge Learned Hand, what is important is “that liberty, truth and conscience lie in the hearts of men and women. Once that dies, no constitution, no law and no court can save itâ€Â.
Jeffrey’s quote:
“According to great American Jurist, Judge Learned Hand, what is important is “that liberty, truth and conscience lie in the hearts of men and women. Once that dies, no constitution, no law and no court can save itâ€Â.
This applies to men with hearts. What do we do when BN’sters like gangsters have no hearts but are ruthless and corrupt to the core.
What to do? Vote the heartless BN out!
“…//…BN’sters like gangsters have no hearts but are ruthless and corrupt to the core…//…”per Endangered Hornbill.
When Judge Learned Hand refers to men and women in whose hearts lie or ought to lie liberty, truth and conscience, he means the ordinary men and women who are rakyat, the voters.
If their hearts are not infused with liberty, truth and conscience (which is what public discourse and debate is trying to educate and inculcate here), then they, the majority, will keep on giving their votes to ruthless and corrupt gangster politicians.
A dictionary defines the word sin to mean 1: an offence against God, and 2: misdeed, fault. So God may not be involved.
In so called democracy where polticians are elected to office based on votes of majority, what counts is the hearts of the majority voters and whether there lie liberty, truth and conscience with which they will always vote ruthless and corrupt political gangsters out in the electoral process, and without which they will always vote them in and perpetuate their power. This means that the aim of public discourse and debate – and the education that is sought from institutions like PSCI – is precisely directed at the ordinary men and women and voters, the majority of whom decide who governs and by virtue of which they justly install and maintain in power the government and type of leaders they deserve, at the pain and suffering of the minority.
Dear Godfather:
To move on and forget the past is way too easy as an excuse for ppl who commit crime and wrongdoing like M.
Try to talk to the police and Tax officer, to move on and forget the past for what i have done wongly and tax i have not paid. For sure, you will be thrown out from the window.
Accountability and The truth should be revealed so as ppl who commit wrongdoing will be “charged” no matter how long, how forgetful we are and justice should be brought in. Hoping that this serves as a deterrence for others.
I would say, we can forget the past, we move on but culprit like this horse should be “jailed” in the history book.
If the testimony before the PSCI is not under oath, then why bother to hear what they have to say.
It is going to be no more than “I say, he says” why bother? Any testimony before the Committee should be under oath – or it is worthless.
“I am not familiar with PSCI’s terms of reference and scope of mandated powers or standing orders to express an opinion on Undergrad2 questions whether witnesses refusing to testify may be subpoenaed to do so under Oath. YB knows the answer to that.” Jerffrey
So Kit, if you’re reading this we would like to know if the testimony before the PSCI is under oath.
Mahathir to appear before PSCI to promote culture of integrity??
Whenever I see the name Mahathir and ‘integrity’ appearing in the same sentence, I have a problem.
DiaperHead, The same goes for me too. However, Mahathir will never dare to appear before the PSCI. That’s for sure. Afterall, he is well protected.
Call a press conference and inform them that you are not a party to that decision to call off that hearing. Also send your objections to all the bloggers that they may take this up for you. Nowadays BN fear bloggers more than ghost!
MAHATHIR KE, DAIM KE, KASITAH KE, GARAM KE THEY ALL HAVE BUILT IN IMMUNITY, NOBODY CAN TOUCH THEM, EVEN THE HOLY ANGELS WOULD HAVE TO SEEK PERMISSION TO GET CLOSE TO THEM. SO WHAT THEY ARE GOD ALMIGHTY.
DONT WASTE YOUR TIME ON MAHATHIR AND HIS GANG AND GET ON WITH LIFE IN BOLEHLAND….
YOU WILL END UP WITH A BAD SORE THROAT OR INFLAME YOUR TONSILS BY SHOUTING