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PAC should investigate into RM50 million Pempena scandals and the role of 2 Ministers/3 Pempena Chairmen during the period

The Public Accounts Commtitee (PAC) should investigate into the RM50 million Pempena scandals and the role of two Ministers and three Pempena Chairmen during the period, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman, Datuk Kee Phaik Chin, Datuk Chor Chee Heung and Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun in the sorry tale of the multi-million ringgit fraud and criminal breach of trust of tourist promotion projects.

Current Pempena Sdn. Bhd executive chairman Chew Mei Fun convened a special media conference on Wednesday to declare that she would not answer and was not responsible for the RM50 million Pempena Group of Companies as what she wanted was to “focus on revamping the company”.

However, Chew has still to explain whether it is true that she was appointed to her RM10,000-a-month position in Pempena in mid-May but her appointment was backdated to April 1, 2008 – and whether she would return some six weeks’ pay as Pempena Chairman when she had not yet taken up the position.

Furthermore, Chew must explain why she had failed as Pempena executive chairman as she was unable to answer a simple question at the media conference whether “heads will roll” and action will be taken against those in the Tourism Ministry for the tens of millions of ringgit of losses because of fraud and criminal breach of trust.

Chew’s inability to give a simple answer whether those responsible for the RM50 million Pempena scandals would be held accountable is all the more inexcusable from the perspective of competence, accountability and integrity as the internal audit report exposing the financial irregularities, criminal breach of trust and fraud in the various Pempena Group of Companies had been completed and been in her hands for over three months. Continue reading “PAC should investigate into RM50 million Pempena scandals and the role of 2 Ministers/3 Pempena Chairmen during the period”

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Do Have some humility for P. Patto’s family

Letter
by Choo Sing Chye
former P Patto’s Political Secretary

The renaming of Jalan Silibin to Jalan P.Patto had caused an unusually large uproar from the businesses and residents in this particular area.

Although it is natural to have opposition to this plan to change the road name but it must be contained within the precinct of fair comment and good faith.

After reading the two news reports in The Star (18-11-08 and 19-11-08), one cannot deny the fact that there is a smack of insensitivity permeating into this whole affair of renaming.

If one has scant respect for P. Patto and has an unstoppable urge to comment, please do exercise some humility because P. Patto’s wife and his two daughters are still around and most important of all, P. Patto is not here to defend his name.

Disappointingly some of the comments had apparently gone overboard. As it stand, these have undeniably inflicted injury upon P. Patto’s family as it degrades what they have cherished so much of him as a good husband, a good father and an upright politician. Continue reading “Do Have some humility for P. Patto’s family”

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Not even Obama should have that much power

By Farish A. Noor

Now that the level of euphoria over the victory of Barack Obama has settled somewhat, it would pay to consider some of the ramifications of his recent victory as the latest occupant of the White House and by extension the most powerful man in the world.

In the lead-up to Obama’s victory, much was said and written about the man’s promise and hope of a new America; an America that would be proud of itself, confident in the world and able to address the challenges of today. There was much talk about the restoration of American pride and prestige and to regain the moral credibility that was squandered away after two terms of Bush junior in office.

But before the dust had settled and the last piece of confetti touched the earth, there were already disturbing revelations about the man and what he might or might not do as the President of the United States. Obama’s appointment of Congressman Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff did not bode well with many who know of Emanuel’s strong ties with Israel and the pro-Zionist lobby in the USA. It is also well known that Emanuel’s father, Benjamin Emanuel, was a member of the Irjun gang in the 1940s and in an interview with the press had bluntly stated that his son would try his best to ensure that American foreign policy under Obama would be pro-Israel and seek to secure the safety and security of Israel at all costs.

Perhaps those who were supportive of Obama were themselves glued to the TV screens and mesmerised by the image that he had created for himself, as the embodiment of hope and a new future for America and the world. But there precisely lies the problem: that living as we do in this unequal unipolar world where the power relations between the developed North and the developing South are so stark, the future of the United States as the sole hegemon in the world today is intimately linked to the future of the developing world as well. If America coughs, the whole world is affected, but never vice-versa. Continue reading “Not even Obama should have that much power”