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Bernard Dompok’s resignation as PSCI chairman – red-light warning that Abdullah’s anti-corruption campaign run aground

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok has dropped a bombshell with his sudden and shock resignation as Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity (PSCI) yesterday.

Yesterday at 5.23 pm, I received a faxed letter from Bernard on his resignation, which reads:

15 Mei 2007
YB Tuan Lim Kit Siang
Ahli Parlimen Kawasan Ipoh Timur

Yang Berhormat,

Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Dewan Rakyat Mengenai Integrity

Dengan rendah hati, saya dengan ini ingin memaklumkan kepada Yang Berhormat bahawa saya telah membuat keputusan untuk meletak jawatan daripada Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Dewan Rakyat Mengenai Integrity.

Saya rasa sebagai salah seorang ahli Kabinet, saya mungkin tidak dapat berlaku adil terhadap tanggungjawab yang dimandatkan oleh Parlimen kepada Jawatankuasa. Saya sudah memberitahu keputusan saya ini kepada Yang di Pertua Dewan Rakyat.

Saya ingin mengambil kesempatan ini untuk mengucapkan terima kasih yang tidak terhingga kepada Yang Berhormat atas kerjasama penuh yang telah anda berikan kepada saya semasa saya menjadi pengerusi Jawatankuasa itu.

Yang ikhlas

(Tan Sri Bernard Dompok)

Earlier at 4.40 p.m. Bernard had informed me by phone that he had tendered his resignation as Chairman of the PSCI.

Bernard’s shock resignation as PSCI Chairman yesterday must be regarded as a red-light warning that the national integrity and anti-corruption campaign of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has run aground after 42 months.

Bernard’s resignation as PSCI chairman is not a matter which merely concerns him, because of his invidious and unenviable position of chairing the parliamentary select committee on integrity while being a Cabinet Minister. Continue reading “Bernard Dompok’s resignation as PSCI chairman – red-light warning that Abdullah’s anti-corruption campaign run aground”

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Two sexist BN MPs – Shahrizat gender-desensitised when she should have gender-sensitised Cabinet

The farce of the “apology to Po Kuan and all Malaysian women, then only to Malaysian women but not to Po Kuan, and then not even to Malaysian women” has shown the true colours of the two sexist Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs Datuk Mohd Said Yusof (Jasin) and Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (Kinabatangan) who had brought shame and dishonour not only to Poh Kuan, but Parliament, Malaysian women and the nation’s international reputation.

It is clear that both the duo had no sense of remorse or regret for their crude, vulgar, sexist gender-offensive remarks directed at DAP MP for Batu Gajah Fong Po Kuan in Parliament last Wednesday.

However, they were prepared to apologise to Po Kuan and women, as they did yesterday morning, if it is politically necessary for them to do so to continue as BN MPs.

They had tried to jump the gun yesterday morning by making public their apology to Po Kuan and Malaysian women for their sexist and gender-offensive remarks in Parliament last week because they were made to understand that the Cabinet would be directing them to issue such an apology.

But when they found that the Cabinet had made no such decision, they quickly retracted their apology, at first excluding Po Kuan and later even withdrawing their apology to all Malaysian women altogether.

This was cheap and low-class farce, bringing even more shame and dishonour to Parliament, Malaysian women and the nation.

All Malaysian women and men must now tell the two sexist BN MPs — that their apology whether tomorrow or in the future are totally worthless, and that they must be given appropriate punishment not only for their gender-offensive “male chauvinist” outbursts in Parliament last week but also for the low farce yesterday showing their utter contempt for common decency and public opinion. Continue reading “Two sexist BN MPs – Shahrizat gender-desensitised when she should have gender-sensitised Cabinet”

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False ICs of another kind

by R.Q.

I’m a Malaysian who has been working in Singapore for the past 12 years. (And yes, I am a proud Kuantan-ite)

I just wanted to let you know of two incidents at the Kuantan IC registration department, and perhaps you may want to warn readers of your blog who are Kuantan residents.

Last April 2006, I went back on Good Friday to apply for my MyKad in Kuantan. After they had taken my photo, I was directed back to the counter, where I was told that I could not make my IC there, since the computer records showed that the last time I made my IC, it was in the Petaling Jaya New Town office.

I questioned the officer there, asking why my records could be accessed, but I wasn’t allowed to do it in Kuantan. A supervisor came over, and told me the same thing. Grumpily, I left, since I had wasted a trip there, and had gone back with the sole intent of making my IC.

In November, I made a trip to the PJ office, and upon submitting my application, the man behind the counter said “You lost your MyKad is it?” to which I replied “No, first time applying.” Then he said “You collected your MyKad in July, what. It says here.” And again I said “No, this is the first time I’m applying for it.” He then turned his computer screen to me, and asked, “Then who is this? This is you, right?” And to my shock and horror, it was the photo I had taken in Kuantan!

(At that point, I was too stunned to even know how the photo got there, and only recalled later that I was sent to the photo-taking counter before being sent back to the regular application counter.) Continue reading “False ICs of another kind”