Day: August 18, 2009

Death toll from the A (H1N1) continues to mount unchecked and relentlessly, adding three more fatalities to a grand total of 67, the latest victims being a 71-year-old man, a 10-year-old girl and a 33-year old woman.

There has been considerable confusion emanating from the Health Ministry, for instance, whether a national health emergency due to the killer pandemic has been declared, as reported by some media, and what it implies.

Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said a health curfew would only be considered if the mortality rate goes above 0.4 per cent. He said the country’s mortality rate for A(H1N1) flu is currently between 0.1 per cent and 0.4 per cent.

It is clear that the Health Minister has no real notion of what is the current mortality rate for A(H1N1) as the statement that the current mortality rate between 0.1 per cent and 0.4 per cent is quite meaningless. Continue reading “Najib should convene an all-party conference involving all MPs and State Assembly members to launch a national emergency campaign in view of worsening A (H1N1) pandemic”

Bernama today headlined “No one accorded special treatment by MACC” on its report quoting the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner, Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan as saying that everybody who is investigated by the MACC for corruption is treated the same regardless of whether the individual is an ordinary person or a politician.

Ahmad Said said politicians, whether they were from the opposition parties or the government, were also treated the same.

He said: “Everybody is the same and no one is accorded special treatment.”

My response and the response of overwhelming majority of Malaysians to Ahmad Said’s statement is – Tell it to the Marines!

Ahmad Said’s claim that “no one is accorded special treatment in MACC” qualifies for the champion trophy for the year for any “Believe it or not?” competition for the category of a statement made by a public officer with the least public credibility!
Continue reading “Ahmad Said’s claim “No one accorded special treatment by MACC” – Tell it to the Marines!”

As Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin should stop playing “Jekyll and Hyde” on Malaysian nation-building and in particular with Prime Minister’s Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia concept.

Yesterday, Muhyiddin played Dr. Jekyll by talking like a Malaysian statesman, telling the National Level and International Invitation of Student Leaders’ Unity and Integration Gathering at Persada Johore by reminding Malaysians that the country’s biggest challenge would always be in maintaining unity and racial harmony among its people from various ethnic backgrounds.

He added: “It is the same foundation on which the 1Malaysia concept was based on which Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak implemented it to establish Malaysia as a united country, where its people readily accepted and respected one another and shared success and prosperity.”

But the for the past week, Muhyiddin was playing Mr. Hyde, launching a vitriolic attack on Pakatan Rakyat by remorselessly and relentlessly spearheading an Umno campaign to crank up communal sentiments starting with his repeated charge that Parliamentary Opposition Leader and PKR chief, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is “a traitor to the Malay race” (with Umno divisions mobilizing all over the country to support Muhyiddin in calling Anwar a Malay “traitor”), as well as other baseless and mischievous allegations that PAS has betrayed Islam by working with DAP and that DAP had insulted Islam by working with PAS! Continue reading “Muhyiddin – stop playing Jekyll and Hyde with Najib’s 1Malaysia”

The first question that must be asked right from the beginning of the Permatang Pasir by-election is whether the voters can trust a candidate who could even mislead his own political party about his disbarment by the Bar Council from practicing as a lawyer?

Various explanations have been given by Umno and Barisan Nasional leaders about the Umno/BN candidate Rohaizat Othman being struck off the rolls by the Bar Council and the revocation of his practicing licence as a lawyer.

Umno vice president and Penang Umno liaison chief Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said Rohaizat’s licence was revoked in 2003 following problems incurred by the former partner in the legal firm.

Zahid said:
“The Bar Council’s decision must be respected by the lawyers registered under it. Legally, Rohaizat is probably innocent, but morally, it can be questioned by his opponents.” (The Sun 17.8.09)

The New Straits Times of the same day also reported Zahid’s defence of Rohaizat as follows:
Continue reading “Why Rohaizat should honourably withdraw as a candidate in the Permatang Pasir by-election”

By Bosco Anthony

It is pointless for the Malaysian Chinese Association members to openly display their full support for their embattled leader Ong Tee Keat. It is further a fealty display by the Star Publication to make such news hit the front page of its publication on 17.08.2009.

Why is it so? It is clearly apparent with the announcement made by Mohd Shukri Abdull of the MACC that all political investigations will be suspended, with immediate effect, that is as of 15.08.2009.

The civil society is capable of reading in between the lines, of what that statement means. Do not doubt or insult our intelligence.

On 16.07.2009 a life was stamped out over an investigation of a paltry sum of some 2000 or so Ringgit. Now we have before us unexplained expenditure which runs into the hundreds of millions as stated by Azmi Khalid the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee.

So as Reinhold Niebuhr stated: “ EVIL IS NOT TO BE TRACKED BACK TO THE INDIVIDUAL BUT TO THE COLLECTIVE BEHAVIOR OF HUMANITY”.
Continue reading “Would Ong Tee Keat’s Deeds Reveal The Collective Behavior of The Barisan Government”

Dear all,

Not all who gets H1N1 gets pneumonia BUT all who died of H1N1 gets pneumonia.

So, we should focus on how we can prevent pneumonia if we get H1N1…..
not how to prevent H1N1.

For those high risk group, getting pneumococcal vaccination is one of the defense mechanism we could use against dying from H1N1. You might still get H1N1 but at least you have a 30% lower risk of dying from H1N1.

Studies have shown here that 30% of H1N1 pneumonia related deaths are due to Streptococcus pneumoniae. Getting yourself vaccinated means you have eliminated 30% of the possible risk of dying from H1N1 pneumonia.
Continue reading “Pneumococcal vaccination limits H1N1 death”

By Hussein Hamid

UMNO is a Party disunited by defeat. Uneasy sits the crown on Najib’s head because he knows that Muhyiddin is not only a possible leadership alternative but Muhyiddin is the Man Who would be King. How long will Muhyiddin wait? Unlike previous Deputy Prime Ministers who were appointed by the Prime Minsters and thus owe an allegiance of sorts to the man who put him there – we know that Najib did not choose Muhyiddin as his Deputy. Muhyiddin appointed himself to the number two position. And wisely he sees leading UMNO and Barisan in the present political climate as too big a challenge for him to take on. And so he waits.

There has been a realignment of loyalties and factionalism within UMNO as the rank and file ‘allow’ themself to be converted to either the Najib or Muyiddin camps. The fact that there are two strong leadership contenders within UMNO should be indicative of a healthy check and balances situation much sought in the pursuit of good governance in any organization – but not so UMNO. The Politics of greed and nepotism requires patronage and loyalty to be bought not earned. The catch phrase for any UMNO gatherings of any number of more then one is “ADA PROJEK?” Continue reading “Muhyiddin will wait …. for now”