In his post-Kuala Terengganu by-election interview with New Sunday Times (January 25, 2009), “Upping the ante on anti-graft enforcement”, the Chief Commissioner of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan declared categorically that money politics is corruption. This came in the concluding part of the Q and A:
Q: Do you see any difference between money politics and corruption?
A: When you pay people to vote for you, that is corruption. People call it money politics but not us. Under the law, anybody who sells or buys votes is guilty of corruption, so we go on that basis.
Q: Is the MACC focused on cleaning up Umno?
A: Not just Umno, please be clear about that. We will take action against any political party involved in corruption. It seems that way only because it is now Umno season. The party itself asked us for help.
Q: Why then are we hearing about corruption only in Umno?
A: Others do not report. They get the money and keep their mouths shut. Umno members on the other hand are factional and report against each other.
Today’s New Straits Times reported on two other Perak Umno State Assemblymen “rumoured to be on the verge of leaving the party” expressing their frustration and saying that “more defection to the Pakatan Rakyat could not be discounted”.
This was the immediate follow-up to the former Umno Bota Assemblyman Datuk Nasarudin Hasham’s quitting Umno for Pakatan Rakyat on Sunday.
This is from the New Straits Times report “2 more express frustration”:
Two assemblymen told the New Straits Times they were mulling over their options if the situation in Umno did not change.
Lintang state assemblyman Datuk Ahamad Pakeh Adam and Pengkalan Baharu’s Datuk Hamdi Abu Bakar said Umno had to stabilise itself in Perak and show that it cared and respected senior members serving as elected representatives.
Both Ahamad and Hamdi, who were Sungai Siput and Beruas Umno division chiefs respectively, lost their posts at divisional elections last year.
Ahamad said he was “frustrated” when told by Perak Umno liaison chief Datuk Seri Mohd Tajol Rosli Ghazali that he should not contest the Sungai Siput division chief’s post.
“How can Tajol Rosli tell me not to contest the division chief’s post? I am the only Barisan Nasional rep in the Sungai Siput constituency. Even Nasarudin was instructed not to contest the Parit division chief’s post.
“Yes, I admit I met state PR leaders recently to discuss my deep frustration with Umno leaders’ behaviour since the last general election.
“While I have not expressed my desire yet to join the PR, I may do so if things do not change for the better in Umno.
“People with money but who are not wakil rakyat have been elected as division chiefs because they were sanctioned to contest against incumbents who are elected reps,” he alleged.
Hamdi, reported as denying that he had met state PR leaders, “admitted that, like Ahamad, he was frustrated”.
Hamdi also claimed that money had been used to win division positions in the state.
I do not want to comment on Umno internal politics or the frustrations of Ahamad and Hamdi with UMNO. These are internal Umno matters.
However, Ahamad and Hamdi’s complaints about the use of money to defeat them as Sungai Siput and Beruas Umno division chiefs are not just internal UMNO matters but constitute corruption as clearly stated by the Chief Commissioner of MACC in the Sunday Times interview.
As Ahamad and Hamid would have ample evidence of the crime of corruption in the Umno divisional elections which caused their defeat as Umno chiefs in their respective divisions, so that those guilty of money politics in Umno division elections in Sungai Siput, Bruas and other Perak divisions could be arrested, charged and convicted for corruption, what is the MACC waiting for?
Interviews and talk is easy. Lets hope that Dato Ahmad can walk the talk. He does not need 6/6 vision to see all the corruption that is happening around him. Korrect, Korrect, Korrect. There is non so blind as those who would not see.
Hi ya, like all obedient dogs they are waiting for their Master commmands!
(MACC) Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan declared categorically that money politics money politics that constitutes corruption is “when you pay people to vote for you”. I suppose he means paying electors/voters not just in by – elections and general elections but also paying delegates/divisions heads to vote one into important party positions.
This is way way too narrow. It is tipping the tip of an iceberg.
According to MACC Act, “gratification” as ingredient of corruption is very wide including, not just money and other tangible gifts like donation, interest in property movable or immovable or other financial advantage but also all promises of any public office/positions, contract of employment or services, rendering of services in any capacity, any valuable consideration of any kind, not just discount, commissions percentage deduction, rebate but also any promise to forbear demanding any money or to forbear taking any official action, exercising any official power, right or duty or taking any action or proceedings of dsiplinary, civil or criminal nature……etc The means money politics includes not just the distribution of financial and material benefits (money, gifts and rents and their kind), but also symbolic values like status and “inclusion” from promises of political and public posts.
In addition money politics coming under “corruption” will also extend to the other side of from where and what sources (corporate or public) and by what methods and for what consideration given in exchange campaign funds are raised to fight by elections and general elections.
All things considered, there is not a single politician who will pass the test of not being ‘corrupt’ one way or another under the MACC definitions.
To the question “what is the MACC waiting for?” it also means that if the MACC director general and the public prosecutor were not “selective” in investigating or prosecuting, and were to go strictly by the book and the MACC Act, just about every politician will be investigated and prosecuted for infractions, whether big or small, and the entire political system will implode. :)
Nab one or two small fry from UMNO and hoodwinked the people into thinking that you gomen are seriously fighting against corruption.
That’s stup…id man.
Go back and do your homework,please!!!
We’re not touch at all!
What are you waiting for?
I bet you’re waiting for instruction from someone really stupid, who think we are that stupid.
MACC is just a puppet, that’s all!
Surely you don’t expect a dog to bite its owner on whom it depends for food and shelter?
Ai ya MACC is just the same old ACA but now called by a different name la. What can we rakyat expect from an UMNO’s toy??
the entire political system will implode.
And why not? It’s not like it was doing anything useful. Perhaps Hamdan is the person Malaysians are waiting for. He could secure his place in Malaysia’s history books as the ‘Father of Respectable Malaysia’ by acting on principle and uncovering the source of every last ringgit in every MP’s private slush-fund, or the provenance of flights, luxury hideaways, or even their mahogany floorboards.
Why not? Sooner or later one Malaysian is going to have to wave bye-bye to corrupt practice and send everybody else to court. Why shouldn’t he be the one? Come on, Hamdan start this week. One MP prosecuted per week, one more by-election per week. The funds available for vote-buying must dry up eventually, and then perhaps Malaysian politicians will be elected on the grounds of policies or ability, and they’ll have you to thank (but not materially reward) for it.
Think of it Hamdan! No colossal concrete cocks for you! No worstselling autobiography in which you lay eternal blame for your failures on your successors! Just good, honest, action for the betterment of Malaysia. The undying admiration, respect and love of all decent, sensible Malaysians, forever! Wow, what an opportunity… Come on Hamdan, sieze the day
Money politics may have overflow the banks and reaches the pockets of the custodians of anti-corruption agency. In the recent
by election in KT, UMNO was opening ‘buying’ votes and what did
the MACC do…Nothing!
Does’nt this tell you something?
MACC is waiting for signals from UMNO…like Batman
MACC or ACA, its the same old outfit in different clothings only lah. There has been no real effective change. As long as MACC continue to report to the PM’s department, nothing will change. It must report independently to the Parliament with an independent annual budget also from parliament. Right now, its justb serving its masters….
The minister is above everyone because he can convict anyone as criminals before the court does. Or perhaps he was referring to the police who killed the suspect??
PUTRAJAYA, Jan 28 — The people should not regard criminals as heroes and the police who enforce the law as demons, Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said today.
I am glad to know that there were such allegations between Air Asia and certain politicians. If not, how do you expect Air Asia to grow so rapidly and robbing MAS major domestic routes? With that MAS was torn apart and likely we will end up with nothing shall Air Asia escape from the service one day. Air Asia provides cheap service which is a point that we cannot deny, but it is also providing one of the lousiest service. Look at the terminal and the way the customers lining up, the counters, etc… Totally lack of order and discipline. It is like a zoo. The animals (cow or donkey or sheep or whatsoever) are rushing in and out of the cages all the time. There should be some decent service from the cheap airlines.
My ‘biggest mistake’ was to sponsor Khairy’s MyTeam
AirAsia boss Tony Fernandez has described his decision to sponsor Khairy Jamaluddin’s MyTeam football project as being the “biggest mistake” of his life.
Umno instigating demonstrations? No police permits?
PUTRAJAYA, Jan 28 — The Perak Barisan Nasional (BN) should organise a mass movement to demand that Bota assemblyman Datuk Nasaruddin Hashim gives up the seat to enable a by-election as he has chosen to cross over to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), said Umno Supreme Council (MT) member Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.
Rais, who is also Foreign Minister, said Nasaruddin won the seat on the BN ticket in the general election and by deserting the coalition, he had betrayed the trust the people had placed in him.
“If I were a Perakian, I would start mobilising all the NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and village chiefs now to demand his resignation. The Perak BN should take this step.
“We (Umno) have thousands of branches in Perak.
Why didn’t Rais the anak yatim call for mass movements to demand that PBS assemblymen who defected from Pairin’s PBS in 1986 to give up their seats to enable by-elections? Because they are not tuans like himself?
one of the lousiest service
No! I like Air Asia. I feel like I get what I pay for. What I want is no-frills transport between international airports, so I can travel as much as I like. Air Asia gives that to me.
The fact that it’s like fighting to get on a cattle truck is part of the experience. I don’t like that part, so I buy a book and wait for last call. You get personal service all the way to the plane, that way.
If MAS is losing market share to AirAsia, it’s because people prefer Air Asia.
just my opinion, k1980 i think it’s not very good to call Rais the anak yatim. I hope orphanages out there do not take offence.
MACC waiting for the green light to “swoop” but Najis is currently preoccupied with the C4 case. Then after the C4 case, there’s the saifool case. After the saifool case, there’s the Bala case. Then there’s the suitcase….
Reference is made here to what pulau_sibu posted at 20: 16.48 above :”…..The people should not regard criminals as heroes and the police who enforce the law as demons….”
YB ,
This sounds callous. Is there any proof that either of the persons found dead in custody – Kugan or Francis Udayappan – was a criminal?? If there were proof would they had died after being taken into custody and interrogated ? Who has arrogated himself to role of a judge here? How is the law enforced – what kind of an enforcement is this – when a suspect was taken into custody only to come out dead? Altantuya’s circumstances were even more dramatic: before sh e was taken into custody for harrassment or blackmail of Baginda, she was already dead! What kind of law enforcement when according to Kapar MP S. Manickavasagam, “initial results of the second autopsy on Kugan Ananthan is contrary to the one undertaken by government pathologists, and goes beyond “water in the lungs” as the cause of death? See: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/17061-kapar-mp-different-results-in-both-autopsies
What kind of law enforcement that treated grieving family and friends let into the mortuary by a hospital attendant to see the body of a deceased loved one as a mob out to tamper the remains?
What kind of law enforcement when MP YB Teresa Kok, Sin Chew reporter Tan Hoon Cheng were arrested under ISA last year for their own protection & safety? What kind of law enforcement was it when in 2005 a female detainee, identified as Hemy Hamisa Abu Hassan Saari, were ordered to do ear squats in the nude in lock up when there was no evidence she committed any criminal offence? S e e:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malaysian_prisoner_abuse_scandal
I am puzzled with what law enforcement means in all these cases.
“Q: Why then are we hearing about corruption only in Umno?
A: Others do not report. They get the money and keep their mouths shut. Umno members on the other hand are factional and report against each other.”
You gotta be a genius to understand this.
OrangRokjak ..
“Come on Hamdan, sieze the day”
i rather suspect that instead of hamdan seizing the day
it is the people at the end of the day who will want to
squeeze his balls…
if hamdan has any…
and using gloves…
Monsterball…
“MACC is waiting for signals from UMNO…like Batman”
nonsense! batman fights crime. macc is a piece
of ….
Umno have the problem of old men do not want to pass the baton to the young turk so is other political parties as well.
Macc also must investigate and audit the operation of all political parties to find out if there is an element of corruption . Take the recent KT by election have an audit to find out how much money was spent by each candidate and their machinary that coming from all over Malaysia.
YB Kit,
It is not a good idea at all for you (especially in circumstances of political defection or intending defection from BN to PR) to urge with alacrity and fervour the MACC to investigate/charge those whom BN defectors or intending defectors complain as having used money politics to defeat them as division chiefs – even if money politics is corruption !
This is because political defection from UMNO – the circumstances and reasons for it – are often laden with corrupt nuances, and to the extent that PR conduces, abets and facilitates such defections/crossovers – to make up the majority numbers in parliament to accelerate the earlier fall of the BN govt. before the next election – PR is equally implicated in corrupt acts as well under the same purview of the MACC as those whom these defectors accuse as corrupt for resorting to money politics to defeat them in divisional elections!
This means that as one points the forefinger at a wrong doer, the thumb is pointing back at the pointer. I will explain this a bit more in the next post(s) following.
UMNO’ s politics is patronage politics, which PR itself says is smacked of corrupt practices.
Politicians in ruling coalition vie to win divisional elections – for that matter other party positions – because of the patronage benefits/rewards that winning party post brings : eg chairmanship in various government or quasi government or government linked agencies, with the cream-in –the-pie being ministerial positions!
These positions avail opportunities to make money! So contenders view party positions as “high stakes”, and rightly so, because they are often co-terminous with lucrative government positions. So contenders and their financial backers pour in money to win the contest in order to have the opportunities to make more in the future. It is business, money makes more money! It comes with the territory and party norms!
What we have here are hypocritical cry babies who know the “rules of the game” – money politics – they and their financial backers could not come out with as much money as their challengers, they lose, and then they cry “ foul” on challenger‘s part for resorting to “money politics” to deprive them the position of representing the rakyat, and now want to defect to the PR. What hypocrisy!
PR should accept defectors into its fold with apology if not profound reservations/misgivings : because they bring into PR the very virus of patronage norms and money politics that they hypocritically complain against when they lose in that “game”. Come on, did they ever tell you that they are defecting because they are enamoured with any of PR’ s ideologies? Isn’t that a trifle too late after being in UMNO for so long and contesting under UMNO/BN ticket?
Their main grouse is against their own party leadership/policies of not being a fair arbiter of intra-party factionalism in a way ‘ fair’ and rewarding to them personally!
Invariably they are defecting to PR upon the promise of certain positions. PR is therefore implicated to this extent!
I draw your attention to the MACC Act.
It is an offence under section 16(b) of that draconian legislation for any person (which may include a political party) to “corruptly” give, promise or offer to any other person(s) (which may include a political defector) any “gratification (which may include offering party positions) as an inducement to, or a reward for, or otherwise on account of. ..any person doing or forbearing to do anything in respect of any matter or transaction, actual or proposed or likely to take place. . .”(which may include the act of political defection).
The key element is however the word “corruptly” : it must colour the entire transaction ie. the political defection of which PR here abets and facilitates.
The MACC does not itself define “corrupt “. We fall back on its ordinary meanings as explained in dictionaries : changing from a state of uprightness, correctness, truth, etc., to a worse state; vitiated; depraved; debased; perverted; marked by immorality and perversion; destructive or subversive of the principles of honesty or integrity.
I invite you to draw the proper conclusions.
Forgive me for so asking : does the Opposition leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim know what he is doing in actively soliciting and canvassing for political defections from BN to PR, from West to East Malaysia?
He seems obssessed about the earlier eviction of the BN from power well before the next general election at all costs and by whatever the methods, heedless of whatever the consequences.
The spectacular gains by PR in 308, 928 and 117 is because DSAI is able to hold/weld together disparate parties of conflicting ideologies ( like PAS & DAP) to galvanise large sections of Rakyat alienated with money/communal politics of BN.
Now – just to make up the numbers, and the more the merrier – he wants to bring into PR’s fold all kinds of politicians from the other side whose only eligibility is dissatisfaction with their own party’ s leadership for not giving them a vantage seat in the gravy train!
Anwar seems heedless that such defectors will bring into PR the very norms and practices from the other side that he criticises; that they may likely in the longer run destabilise the PR or infect it with same virus contaminating the BN.
Power and winning the coveted PM ‘s post is his main concern. All other principles can take the back seat!
Rithuaruddin has just concluded that the ‘sayaps’ of Umno are the cause of the money politics, this is simplistic. The main cause was and still is the among of cash that could be milked by those in power hence have the resources to bribe. It is the system created along NEP; and usurped to the hilt by the Super-EGO!
MACC or whatever name it is given will never be able to curb corruption in this country so long that all projects are negotiable, as propounded by Super_EGO.
All short-cut agreements of the past must be made public! The MACC should scrutinized them and if no reasonable explanation can be given, those who signed them should be hauled up.
Jeffrey, that is power! without the power of the Federal Gomen, most of the state Gomen can not do much. Hence he has to capture it to CHange. Otherwise, we will continue to write at this site till kingdom comes!
my only worry is whether they come with a clear conscience or at a price! If at a price, we will be back to the start. We should also be mindful that without convulsion, there would be no change!
It is easy to judge and comment.
That is exactly what Jeffery is doing…to Anwar Ibrahim.
All pro BN commentators have the same objectives…keep judging PR…with no shame nor any sense of proportions.
It also mean…these people are racialists..selfish and love to survive based on who they know..and not what you know…..supporting…to divide to rule and be second class citizens.
Jeffery is such a well educated systematic man. Why is he so blind to the real truths?
We must keep exposing these clever pro UMNO or MCA [deleted] and to remind Malaysian voters….they are all powerful.
And for this recent power….I wonder can Jeffery and the likes of him….. sincerely tell us….who has give them..the power…..Anwar or Abdullah.
UMNO have never paid heeds to comments or unsatisfied Malaysians until recently…only..after 12th election. UMNO is still .. saying things without any sincerity to change at all….just uttering.. sweet nothing words.
Why can’t Anwar apply his political advantages…when he has the opportunity…Jeffery?
The MACC is another pack of hounds that are kept on the leash. They are trained to be obedient and not to bite their masters. Straining at the leash they are just waiting for the chance to bite and tear their intended victims to shreds.
“Power and winning the coveted PM ‘s post is his main concern.” Jeffrey
The crapshooter is at it again ! Anwar is power crazy and is willing to admit criminals to his side as long as they are for his cause.
Did it ever occur to such naysayers that Anwar would have become PM if he just had toed the line with Mahathir ? If he had done everything that Mahathir and Daim wanted in the mid-90s. the “A” in RAHMAN would have been Anwar and not Abdullah ?
Don’t talk like you know Anwar and what he stands for. Just because he won’t publicly answer the questions on Hudud or his acceptance of cross-overs does not make him a power-crazed individual.
Ask Kit and Tok Guru why they support Anwar despite the allegations that Jeffrey has made about Anwar. Ask them and the rakyat why they don’t subscribe to your allegation of “all other principles can take a back seat.”
Many in UMNO are angry because of the injustices meted out by the leadership. UMNO practises selective prosecution, and many have been victimised as a result. Ask Zaid Ibrahim why he was suspended for 3 years many moons ago. Ask Nasaruddin why many divisional elections were rigged by the leadership.
Not everyone who walks out of UMNO walk out because the goodies were diverted to someone else.
Anwar seems heedless that such defectors will bring into PR the very norms and practices from the other side that he criticises; that they may likely in the longer run destabilise the PR or infect it with same virus contaminating the BN. – Jeffrey
——–
If that’s the case don’t you think that the voters will also teach him the same lessons as they taught the BN?
Sometimes you need to be sophisticated in your thinking and not to be of a one-track mind. The BN has to be eliminated because it is the proven evil now; it can never seem or want to learn. Anwar has to show that he is made of tougher stuff and to clean house without pity when the objective is met. If he can’t do this then he will suffer.
hello Lim Kit Siang, where are you hiding at the moment. How come you are very quiet on the Kugan death case. Whenever you want indian support and votes you always said indians are king makers, makkal sakthi, vanakkam nandri like what the Koh Su Koon guy does whenever indian support is needed. Practice what you preach. I notice only one very junior DAP guy at the funeral press, karpal’s son giving a fiery speech. where are u guys, karpal ,you ,kula etc.
NO NEED INDIAN SUPPORT NOW. ONLY DURING ELECTIONS LOOK FOR INDIAN SUPPORT. COME OUT WITH A VERY STRONG PRESS STATMENT ON THIS ISSUE. KUGAN HAS NOT BEEN PROVEN TO BE A CRIMMINAL YET. EVEN IF HE IS A CRIMMINAL ITS THE COURTS TO DECIDE HIS FATE NO THE DAMNED COPS. LETS HEAR FROM YOU
Why don’t the MACC start with reminding the government for list of asset declaration of all elected representatives as was supposed to be done a long, long time ago?
The danger is that when one keeps overarching focus on the ends/objective (ostensibly to capture and return power to the people) and start making compromises in one’s means/methods (eg. canvassing & soliciting political defections without too much concern for the motivations of defections or whether one gets implicated in acts that border on corruption) just to accelerate the getting of the numbers as soon as possible), it may, as experience will teach us, all too easily lead to the means over taking and subverting the ends itself.
Compromise to, and reluctance to draw the line on certain principles often pave the way easier to make more compromises down the slippery slope.
Just like sex, it gets easier after the first time, and if one is not vigilant to draw a line may lead to promiscuity and debauchery.
Especially what is fought for is over power, and we’ re reminded of Lord Acton’s dictum, “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely” – as it has happened in BN’s case, it could happen to PR if we’re not vigilant about its method of securing power via political defections of BN’s politicians having their seats on B N’s ticket.
I have taken pains in above posting to show how PR in soliciting, conducing, facilitating crossovers may be implicated in abetment of transactions which may come under the wide and uncertain purview of MACC Act.
One will recall Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim Malaysia’s most famous crusader for integrity and transparency [formerly vice chairman of Transparency International and founder President of the Kuala Lumpur Society for Transparency and Integrity, the Malaysian Chapter of Transparency International] and now DAP national vice chairman is on record for being dead set against Anwar’s gambit of securing political defections as means to securing earlier power.
One also recalls none of the DAP’s stalwarts including YB Kit Siang or Karpal Singh have publicly endorsed or commended this pl an/method of Anwar though, in interest of PR’s unity, they do not publicly oppose or criticize it, and hence are deemed to acquiesce that which they cannot change even if they have preferred so.
Silence/acquiescence is not approval, endorsement or blessing.
On Perak defections readers may read this report by The Malaysia Insider at this link: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/16939-defection-prompts-tajol-to-quit-as-perak-umno-boss-soon
One interesting excerpt in the article is this comment : “The veteran Perak leader has seen his influence diminish when he was moved from the Parit parliament seat constituency to the Bota state seat in the last elections. While he won the state seat, he lost his Felcra chairmanship, a position normally given to an MP.”
l
“Q: Is the MACC focused on cleaning up Umno?
A: Not just Umno, please be clear about that. We will take action against any political party involved in corruption. It seems that way only because it is now Umno season. The party itself asked us for help.”
Uncle Kit, are you going to ask MACC for helps when it is DAP season?
”…..The people should not regard criminals as heroes and the police who enforce the law as demons….”
Our policeman has the license to kill, period.
In response to waterfrontcoolie’s posting at 36:51, yes, we’re all aware of the imperatives why Anwar/PR would want to wrest power via political defections rather than wait for next general elections : eg. BN could resolve, with time, their factionalism and unite aginst Opposition; govt. could withhold, starve PR controlled states of the much needed federal/development funds; opposition heads could be harassed, as happened last year with Anwar charged for consensual sodomy, Teresa Kok detained under ISA for her own “protection” and so on.
This has to be balanced against the other reality that active poaching of BN crossovers/defectors may run foul of the draconian MACC Act, in particular section 16(b).
YB Kit, all you have to do is to check with your DAP legal advisers if it is true that active poaching of BN defectors constitutes a corrupt act under MACC.
If so, it is so easy to extinguish Pakatan Rakyat and its cause.
All one has to do on BN’s side is to plant an agent provocateur, a divisional head or something, to talk terms and reciprocal rewards, whether financial or in kind by way of posts and positions within PKR that would constitute “gratification” for defecting with Anwar….
After that report him (Anwar) to MACC…
This would nail him more securely and credibly than the consensual sodomy charges that public do not believe : but when it comes to poaching BN defectors everyone will believe – in fact he is the one who tells everyone of his intentions yet unrealised!
Agent provocateur whose role is to entrap by engaging in the transaction covered by MACC is immune from prosecution under the MACC Act! Fgor any financial consideration or otherwise Kataks who have no principles will spill their negotiations with Anwar to the MACC commissioner and yet enjoy immunity.
Don’t forget the quickest way to neutralise Pakatan Rakyat is to put away the man who welds disparate groups of Pakatan Rakyat together by a corruption charge.
MACC is draconian and gives a different complexion to the entire equation of crossovers.
There is no better way to neutralise Pakatan Rakyat and its cause by implicating the man who holds it together away on a charge of corruption under the MACC – what other better excuse/justification, since Pakatan Rakyat’s supporters & BN detractors complain corruption as main malaise of the ruling coalition?
Only blind supporters whose vision does not extend beyond the distance between the eye and tip of nose would not see this coming! :)
“…may….all too easily lead to…”
“…often…pave the way easier to…”
“…could happen to PR….”
“…may be implicated in abetment….”
“…may run foul….”
I would have fired my lawyer a long time ago if he crapshoots like this.
“Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely” – as it has happened in BN’s case, it could happen to PR if we’re not vigilant…..”
Since Jeffrey has openly admitted that corruption has occurred absolutely in BN’s case, then why the doublespeak about not giving PR the chance to show what it can do ?
As I said before, lawyers who say “on the one hand it is this, and on the other hand it is that” end up holding only one thing in both hands – and that one thing ends up getting beaten all the time.
“Sometimes you need to be sophisticated in your thinking and not to be of a one-track mind.” vsp said of the crapshooter.
Nah, he doesn’t have a one-track mind, he has two tracks but then the twain shall never meet.
Monsterball monsterball in his posting Today at 10: 04.03 (3 hours ago) said “it is easy to judge and comment.That is exactly what Jeffery is doing…to Anwar Ibrahim” and then asked me, “Why can’t Anwar apply his political advantages…when he has the opportunity…Jeffery?”
My short anwer is that what appears like “political advantages” may actually turn out to be political disadvantages if they could put him away for corruption under MACC Act for active poaching of political defections – read my preceding posting Today at 12: 57.55 (8 minutes ago).
“I would have fired my lawyer a long time ago if he crapshoots like this” – Godfather, that is if you can find a credible lawyer in the first place or know the difference between a credible one or not so credible one, since the credible one, to you, is one who agrees with you! :)
The truly credible may not of course want you as a client whatever the fee you pay since you would want him to advocate along lines that are in accord with your sentiments even if it may lose the case, in impairment of his reputation/standing. :)
> What is the MACC waiting for?
For guidance of course! Which of the corrupted small monkeys to prosecute and which of the big monkeys under the protective umbrella of BN NOT to prosecute.
Maybe, just maybe they are waiting for the big shot who ordered:
1. the erasure of the immigration records of Altantuya and
2. the execution of Altantuya and
3. with specific instructions as to the execution process that
4. she be shot and then her body blown to bits with C4 and
5. who might have been instrumental to put the fear in PI Bala to disappear or be C4d into oblivion.
The above are not just speculative theories but based on questions that to date have not been answered.
The PDRM which should have made a thorough and impartial investigation at arriving at the true nature of that dastardly crime seem to be more interested in putting up road blocks, arresting ordinary citizens, brutalizing detainees in police lockups which have resulted in more than 1500 deaths since 2003.
Under these circumstances MACC might be just waiting for THAT MAN with tons of absolute power to give them a call or a sms.
MACC should for once show that it is part of the rakyat of this country and go on a rampage and arrest all the corrupted ones in power and especially the person who is exercising ABSOLUTE POWER on life and death.
The DAP is not exactly in favour of Anwar’s strategy of courting crossovers of BN political factors.
The DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng is in favour of amending the Constitution to provide for legislation of anti hopping law. Guan Eng is reported to have said that there should be a byelection to allow those who want to defect to another party to first resign and re-contest the same seat.
See news report in The Star Published on Thursday January 29, 2009 by Zulkifly Mohamad under caption “Guan Eng: Need for anti-hopping law”.
Typo error – “crossovers of BN political defactors”.
Now even Umnoputra Halimi Kamaruzzaman from Maran alleged that he was abused during his detention at the MACC Pahang headquarters in Kuantan.
Can we trust PDRM and MACC?
Who is safe in this country?
Jeffery can twist and turn as much as he likes.
He is right by saying Anwar advantage may turn to be disadvantage.
How concern and wise he is..for Anwar. Is this real?
Day by day..Anwar have the People’s Power behind him…vast majority of Malaysian voters solidly supporting him…and growing.
It is not like before. The moment UMNO tries to find faults with Anwar…UMNO is at the disadvantage….not Anwar.
UMNO is at the lowest…and Awanr can be trusted….not UMNO.
He will not be afraid to talk ..act..for Malaysians..and if he does keep quiet..it is also his concern for peaceful situation.. in Malaysia.
One need to be very truthful and clear…UMNO is the one…who is afraid to loose control of the government….and those days of bullying…creating fears will not work.
Anwar will be PM…jail or free man.
Remember once when the gomen said that anything above RM 500 is considered corruption ? Then what about between 1 sen to RM 499.99 ? That is the mentality of what some people think of corruption. Then, what sort of standard do Malaysians want ? Totally completely zero sen corruption or somehow you allow some tiny hanky panky business to continue ?
“Guan Eng is reported to have said that there should be a byelection to allow those who want to defect to another party to first resign and re-contest the same seat.”
LGE is absolutely right. It is not about the principle of crossovers. It is all about bankrupting BN through a series of by-elections where everyone – the voters, the constituency, the Opposition – wins but the corrupt BN.
There are two constitutional provisons presently arrayed against the proposed anti-hopping law.
The first provision is Article 10(1)(c) on Freedom of Association. In 1992, when a PAS MP hopped over to BN, the High Court declared the anti-hop law unconstitutional as it went against the Freedom of Association.
Any attempt to resign as MP in order to re–contest by-election on the other side’s ticket confronts the second obstacle in Article 48(6) which provides that a person who resigns his membership of the House of Representatives shall, for a period of five years beginning with the date on which his resignation takes effect, be disqualified from being a member of the House of Representatives…
For so long as these two provisions are not amended, the anti-hopping law can neither be legislated nor will it work!
So, without such anti hopping law, and by reason of Article 48(6), prevailing practice of political defector is not to resign as MP (even though he won this ticket under the auspices of the party that he is leaving) but just cross over to the other side, without having to seek fresh mandate from voters of that constitutency in a by- election as suggested by DAP’s Lim Guan Eng.
What should be noted is that Anwar Ibrahim’s current to canvass cross-overs & defections to topple the BN is based on this prevailing deplorable practice stated in preceding paragraph.
DAP national vice chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim has criticized Anwar’s methods/ strategy that goes against the grain of what Lim Guan Eng said.
This is because such political defections actively canvassed by him are contrary to democratic precepts requiring the defector to first resign to re-seek fresh mandate from a by – election (which admittedly is presently not possible without constitutional amendment/anti hopping law in place).
It is not as if Anwar is pushing for constitutional amendments and antihopping law to be passed before he em barks on canvassing for defections. He is doing well before constitutional amendments and antihopping law – which makes current defections canvassed by him indefensible !
I criticise Anwar not only because his strategy of toppling BN by prevailing practice of political crossovers is undemocratic.
I question whether he knew what he was doing because the MACC newly enacted (esp section 16(b)) changes the whole complexion of elements within such political defections from the undemocratic to (arguably) the criminal/corrupt. He neither serves the cause of his own family, Pakatan Rakyat or the Country if, in the rush to topple the other side and secure power fast, he is unconcerned about the risks of being entrapped under the draconian provisions of MACC.
I don’t understand why some of you would so quickly defend him from criticisms in this respect.
Anwar’s answer to Jeffrey would be short and simple: I have a full coterie of lawyers to advise me, so you better start assuming that I know what I am doing, rather than assuming that I don’t know what I am doing.
Anwar also wants Jeffrey to talk to BN component parties about democracy. Talk to Ong Ta Kut about why he is sidelining a democratically elected deputy. Talk to Semi value about his “democratic” elections. Talk to UMNO too about their use of MACC and the Police for their own ends.
“undemocratic” is a word for people who doesn’t know which side they are on.
///Can we trust PDRM and MACC?
Who is safe in this country?///— bho-liao
The powers-that-be and those under their protection.