By Tunku Abdul Aziz
I am told on good authority that you cannot make good china with poor clay, and it is so obvious that we should know it instinctively. By the same token, I expect you cannot form an effective cabinet with general election rejects. Appointing them to cabinet posts in such large numbers through the Senate is not illegal, but is it ethical? Jesse Jackson in a speech to the 1992 National Democratic Convention reminded his audience that what was morally wrong would never be politically right. Najib, as our Prime Minister, would do well to ponder and reflect on the wisdom of this self-evident truth so that he would feel encouraged and inspired to bring moral and ethical principles to bear on the governance of this nation. I naturally hope that in the process, and with God’s help, he will find some time to dwell upon his many grave lapses that have brought his fitness for the highest political office in the land into serious question.
Some months ago I had occasion to allude to the fact that no prime minister in our country’s history had come into office, bent over not with the burden of leadership which would have been understandable, but in Najib’s case, it was his oversize baggage comprising a mix of potent allegations of impropriety ranging from the sublime to the ridiculous. While some may be nothing more than coffee morning tittle-tattle among the leisure classes, and, therefore, to be treated with the contempt they deserve, one worrying aspect of Najib the man that refuses to evaporate into thin air is corruption.
People still point to the arms purchases made during his long stints as Minister of Defence, and what he got out of them through his redoubtable defence/political analyst, Razak Baginda. Would the MACC care to take a look at the wealth behind the man so as to give our 1Malaysia Prime Minister a chance to clear his name? And while they are looking at Najib, I think it only fair that they take a look at the wealth of Mahathir and his family. To show that they are not being selective, they might like to check out Badawi and his family. I am sure these great leaders of ours are dying to clear their names for the sake of their reputation, however defined.
To return to the blatant abuse of the function and role of the Senate in the constitutional life of our country, it is clear that Najib does not put great store by basic rules of the game. He obviously plays by his own rules that postulate the inevitability of immoral behaviour in politics and that scruples are not for the Prime Minister of Malaysia. This is a sad commentary on 50 years of Barisan Nasional rule that has seen this once proud country now on its unstoppable decline in social, political and economic terms. Is this the promised just reward for the people of this country for putting their blind faith in the UMNO leadership? It is also a sad reflection of the bankruptcy of ethical values that those whom the people of this country, exercising their rights to choose, cast aside in a democratic process, have now been brought back into the cabinet. Who are these recycled seconds supposed to represent? Even if they were a galaxy of Nobel laureates, it would still be totally indefensible for Najib to show such utter contempt and disregard for public opinion by appointing them to the cabinet. And these are by no means the crème de la crème of Malaysian brains-those that have not disappeared overseas.
Najib plays by his own rules. For him, offering inducements to voters as played out in the Hulu Selangor by-election with a repeat performance in Sibu was par for the course. He obviously could see no contradiction in urging the people to fight corruption while he himself breaks the law with complete impunity, as always aided and abetted by the ever independent Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, so it proclaims, and the equally fearless Elections Commission. When will Najib learn that there is no substitute for integrity in national life? It is within his power to clean up his act so as to lessen the burden of the negative views and innuendos that he carries on his back to the detriment of his effectiveness as PM. He must learn quickly that the ultimate decision whether he remains in office, and his party in power, will be made by the very people for whom he has shown such blatant contempt. He may, at this rate, be the last UMNO prime minister.
Najib made so many deals with MCA,MIC and SUPP,and he has to honour it by accepting rejects through the senate. I think such deals would cripple him and his government pretty soon. Hence it’s advisable for PR to be ever readied to take on the BN at any time to make it to Putra Jaya.
Thousands of such fine message written out by prominent well educated …well experienced people such as Tunku Aziz..all fell into deaf eras of UMNO B Supreme Council so call law makers.
All are considered rumor mongering by MACC..no witnesses…no solid proof.
You can bet your last ringgit…Najib will be proven innocent for not bribing “Rantang” Park..{maybe wrong spelling? Please excuse} residences..even a solid video tape is there to clear prove….RM5 million was offered as a bribe…to win the by-election.
International law makers have also voiced the sodomy case…and Najib said..nothing to do with hi. It’s the police case.
Who is the IGP?
Do all Malaysians say…..”wa we have the best IGP…so fair and righteous..bla bla bla?”
I know Tunku Aziz does not expect our PM to heed his advises ad opinions.
But all must talk till be drop dead.with no fear.
People’s Power is what Najib fear most.
What is his rating….more than 62% support him?
If so…why not have 13th GE right now?
Yes….Tunku knows…UMNO B must stay in power most important now….as Najib is fighting to cover up upon cover ups…to save all ministers..past and present for corruptions court hearings.
Once that come.UMNO B and BN parties..all reputations.. gone to the rocks.
That is also why…like LKS termed it……..”the King of the Rocks”…from Perkasa…is rocking and rolling..right now.
Yes we fight them with our voices….to speak like Tunku Aziz…loud and clear with no fear.
Chor is one of the biggest crooks in Malaysia and yet he is made a full minister by Jib!
it was very simple logic that chor is allowed to be in . we know he has a hand on pkfz and therefore this made easy to handle that is as simple as that.
Birds of a feather flock together
A big fat crook has 2 b surrounded by like-minded crooks, faham
It is absolutely wrong for the Prime Minister to appease a certain BN coalition party by offering senatorship to its members.
Slowly all crooks will be made TUNS…as it seems TUNS cannot be prosecuted.
Keep on reshuffling that same old cards till Malaysia go bankrupt in 2019. Then, hopefully, we will get new cards to shuffle and a new deal with Pakatan Rakyat. Can we?
Can someone explain to me what Nizar Zakaria (Parit MP) is doing on board MV Rachel Corrie?
If he gets detained by Israel, whose money will be used to send Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman to Amman to bring him back?
As an MP for Parit, isn’t he supposed to be busy with his consituency?
Is he representing people of Parit or Palestine?
According to local media, the ship is funded by Mahathir’s Perdana Global Peace (sic) Organisation.
Why the Palestinians are so special in the eyes of many Malaysians?
What is so special about them that you decided to neglect your own fellow Malaysians who are in need of this money so that you could help the Palestinians?
Why a poor state like Kelantan is willing to spend millions to educate Palestinians (who when they grow up later are more likely to join terrorist group Hamas than helping Malaysia’s economy) but is not willing to help fellow poor Kelantanese who are not bumiputera?
There are many poor non-bumiputera Kelantanese who need the money for education, but you guys in the corridor pf power prefer to spend it on educating Palestinian kids.
This country is hopeless!!!!
Former Home Minister Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar is the chairman of the new Land Public Transport Commi¬ssion (SPAD).
Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Asso¬¬¬ciation president Datuk Ashfar Ali said he welcomed the decision to appoint Syed Hamid.
“He is the right choice. As an experienced senior politician, he knows the right buttons to push to get things done at the federal and state levels,” he said.// quoted from the Star.
See how nincompoop we are. We must have a senior ex minister heading the SPAD, never mind if he knows nothing about land and city transportation. It is a very strategic and technical job which requires experience, technical skill, management and foresights. Seriously how much does Syed Hamid have? In no time this SPAD would be another white elephant, directionless and hopeless but continue to receive large allocation from the national budget. Anybody cares to wager with me on this. We don’t have much time left to solve our metropolitan transportation woes. Please, do us a favour, look at SPAD seriously, it is not another GLC or statutory body that you can play with.
See Pan Malaysian Bus Operators Asso¬¬¬ciation’s response – a good appointment to push the right buttons to get things done at the federal and state levels.
Can you see the whole nation already has this culture; we need people with connection and authority to push buttons. Jobs done were never based on ability and proper justification. It is based on who you know and the fancy of individuals in power.
Former international trade and industry minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz has urged Bumiputeras to focus on the growth aspect in the New Economic Model (NEM) instead of harping on their own personal agenda//quoted from Malaysia insider
I do not know to laugh or to cry. This is precisely our problem – when in office no one seems to know what is good for the country, what ethics is and what good governance is. When they no longer hold office, they seem able to see all the flaws within our system. So long Rafidah, whatever you said does not mean an iota to us, the people of this country.
Simple answer to #8 is religion religion nothing but religion.
Ha, ha, ha, now VT wanted 2 donate RM525 million 2 his Better Malaysia Foundation 2 convince ppl dat his sports betting licence is not a payback 4 his contribution 2 BN’s war chest 4 buy-election campaigns
He thinks he can fool ppl all d time
None of the newly appointed minister capable in handling their portfolio.
Syed hamid albar….mm..mm..this country very serious in brain drain.
Spot on…frankyapp.
God does work in mysterious ways.
Got a very good news phone call from one mighty high noble businessman….making my life more meaningful….at this old age.
I guess telling truth about Indians and make fun of them…works…as there is no selfish ulterior motives..from me.
I do same thing to my own children….now successful parents.
Do all recall how many years Time Square owned by VT took to build?
At least 20 years…yet no government suing for long long delays.
You buy a piece of land and if you do not for what have been stipulated…just watch what happen.
Sodomy II lead prosecutor Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden was among those who received Federal awards in conjunction with d King’s birthday 2day
What? Y Ful of sai not awarded datuk title? Not fair 1
Isn’t Chor was one of the Chairmen of Port Klang Authority when the lady GM was coordinating the $12.7 billion fiasco? Now that he is a Minister and OTK is out, the problem is resolved!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Once Anwar is found guilty and sentenced, Taipoh (Hokkien pronunciation for that 2-day-no-pangsai-sodomite) would get a Datukship plus Directorship of a GLC.
**He may,at this rate, be the last UMNO prime minister** ( Ungku Aziz )
I can’t agree more with the above opinion. I think he is not just the last UMNO PM but the last BN PM for that matter. If the PMship was not ‘given’ to him by AAB, the chances of NR to be the PM would have been comparable to that of winning a lottery jackpot. BTW the chances of winning a jackpot is the same whether you buy the lottery or not.
Judging from his performance of late and from the reactions from his deputy MY, it will not be a surprise if MY and his team ‘force’ him to hand over the PMship before GE13th. Why? Well, UMNO/BN will definitely be wiped out! A few months as PM is better than never,don’t you think?
Lets just hope that PR is ready for the heavy task ahead : to save Malaysia from bankruptcy. The most important thing PR must do is to ‘take back’ the monies from all the corrupted leaders. When all the billions have been recovered, perhaps achieving a developed status by 2020 is not a joke after all although that may seem impossible with the current government.
**…………** ( Tunku Abdul Aziz). sorry for the mistake.
This question of CSL’s son Tee Yong & others in MCA/MIC being given ministerial positions back door through appointment of senate positions – without being elected- is it right or not?
Constitutionally there’s nothing wrong, as it allows ministers to be appointed from senators. At least being senators they have the ‘pangkat’ to hold minister’s or deputy minister’s posts. Then the next question should they be appointed senators in the first place?
This is the trickier question, ethically as it vrelates to issue of abuse of power rather than constitutionally speaking.
Appointed persons must have, according to the Constitution, “rendered distinguished public service or have achieved distinction in the professions, commerce, industry, agriculture, cultural activities or social service or are representative of racial minorities or are capable of representing the interests of aborigines…This is the ‘Constitutional Criteria’.
What we have here is widespread perception that appointment to Senate positions has been abused. It is based on a myriad of reasons supportive of BN’s complex patronage system than the actual criteria stated above.
Senate positions are given to ruling party’s or coalition’s members – or their proxies, representatives and now children – who either lost elections or for other reason like having a scandal cannot otherwise be appointed directly to Cabinet as a quid pro quo reward for loyalty or favours done for the ruling party/coalition
In other words the criteria conforms to BN’s patronage scheme of arrangements – reward of senate position, and from senate to ministerial positions as “reward” for a chance to exercisre power, and a dig at the gravy train for whatever polituically expedient imperatives of the PM/ruling party than the actual “Constitutional Criteria” as earlier defined…
[This is consistent with other “rewards” whether promotion within bureaucracy or honorific titles conferred on police and pubnlic prosecutors].
To me its part of general malaise of national life based on feudalistic patronage political culture that honours and high positions in government and institutions are given to people loyal or doing favours to support existing regime and its ideology rather than constitutional criteria, merits or loyalty to country or rakyat of Malaysia permeating/broadening from apex position of cabinet/senate positions right down to GLCs’ executive positions and so on.
YB
Yes, it’s time they looked at where Maha Firaun got the money for to pen his bread outlets and ships for Gaza!!
The sleeping PM too for $6 million houses in Oz!!
Did Rosemajib declase his assets and wealth when he took office?
dpp
we are all of 1 race, the Human Race
another self glorifying comment from this repetitiuos sor-hylam. maybe his children is eagerly waiting for me to make a coffin for him.
///It is also a sad reflection of the bankruptcy of ethical values that those whom the people of this country, exercising their rights to choose, cast aside in a democratic process, have now been brought back into the cabinet. Who are these recycled seconds supposed to represent? /// – Tunku Abdul Aziz
Whilst we lament the appointment of senate/cabinet positions is based on improper criteria of patronage reward for regime loyalty – instead of the proper criteria of personal, professional merits, track record and contribution to society, nation and peoples and the “Constitutional Criteria”- we’re on “soft” ground if we take the Tunku’s view that without going to the baptism of election and electoral victory, as part of the democratic process, appointment to senate & cabinet is by that alone, disregarded, either improper or an abuse of democratic process.
This is not so. Senators by definition are not elected by rakyat. If they were, they would be in Dewan Rakyat (Lower House of Representatives) – not Dewan Negara (Senate). Senators are within our Federal system recommended by the states, with two senators for every state in the Federation, with rest apppointed by the King on PM’s advice supposedly having regard to Constitutional Criteria. In fact Senate was meant to act as a check and balance on the Dewan Rakyat when bills come out for reading. The Denocratic process is not abused because senators have not been elected by rakyat. It is abused when patronage criteria instead of proper Constitutional Criteria underpins senate appointment. For then instead of being a check against Dewan Rakyat it becomes a “rubber stamp” (based on you ‘sokong me for Senate I sokong you back” quid pro quo exchange system) for both the Dewan Rakyat as well as Executive (Cabinet)!
Same thing with Cabinet appointments. I disagree that per pre-eligibility requirements, appointment to cabinet should be based solely from the ranks of wakil rakyat. Wakil rakyat should be in parliament. If they are under our patronage system of politics usually given to party’s stalwarts with grass roots votes, this it is also part of the patronage reward system within party politics. Its nothing edifying. The one who gets most votes may be a populist demagogue who got his majority votes from making impassioned appeals on race and religion – not necessarily the best criteria to be appointed to cabinet and the government to run a plural and multiracial country!
So theres nothing wrong in the process of Najib’s appointing technocrats like Amirsham or Idris Jala through this Senate-Cabinet route and if we do so we would have to object to tun Pak Lah appointing Zaid Ibrahim to senator and then Minsite of Law via same route! We may argue about the criteria of appointment and qualifications of candidate via this short cut – senator to cabinet route – but not the propriety of the short cut process itself or to label it as inconsistent to democratic process just because the candidate has not won elections and got the peoples mandate so to speak.
Under the so called democratic US system for example the national security adviser position is a cabinet position which President Nixon gave to Harvard Professor Dr Henry Kissinger. Nixon was impressed by his doctoral thesis and book “Nuclear Weapons and Foreign Policy” thinking in the Age of Cold War with Soviet Union he was best qualified to conduct and manage foreigbn policy. He did help rapproachement between US and China leading to Nixon’s meeting with Mao.
What that asshole ex home minster Hamid can do about the public transport . It will definitely go hay-wire.
AP Queen,Rafidah shouldn’t forget how she used the koran always to shield from her accusers of abuses of APs
D nation is moving towards bankrupcy n is exporting citizens 2 other nations
Lately Malaysians fr Sarawak r making waves in Sg – a vicious gang of 6 or > Sarawakians, working in Sg, were nabbed by Sg polis as suspects involved in robbery, murder, n slashing ppl
M’sia truly boleh, semua pun boleh
Nepotism is harder matter to debate. It is favoritism whether in politics or business organisation granted preferentially to children and relatives .
Of course people don’t like it. They think they have merits and here somebody else’s son is parachuted to top position without having proven he has mettle ability and experience to climb up and hold that apex position.
That’s one side of the equation. The other is every father’s love for his children and desire to see his son rise in political heirarchy especailly if the son, like chip from the old block, evinces interest and ambition in politics.
We’re talking here of a very natural human sentiment and trait of a father to give his son every possible advantage within reasonable and acceptable limits.
It is hard to argue this issue. Sons who by reasons of fathers position have arisen to the top could do well or fare badly, depending.
If you like the father we say its semua OK but if we don’t like the father we say semua not Ok (and that’s also natural).
So Indira Gandhi became India’s PM being daughter of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru..the first prime minister of independent India; Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto became president by reason of father Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Myanmar’s democratic icon Aung San Suu Kyi’s father was Bogyoke (General) Aung San Burmese revolutionary, nationalist, and founder of the modern Burmese army, the Tatmadaw, instrumental in bringing about Burma’s independence from British colonial rule.Senator Aquino would win the 2010 Phillippine election because of his famous father Benigno Aquino’s role in opposing the despotic and corrupt rule of President Ferdinand Marcos leading to his wife Corazon Aquino becoming president. Even in Argentina Eva “Evita” Perón was elected president with the help of being married to popular politician Juan Perón.
Being Asians we look up to father, we also look up to sons: hence Najib, Hishamuddin Mukhriz all have political advantage & chance co’ their famous fathers but so does LGE or for that matter Lee Hsien Loong! So what?
The disadvantage of Tee Yong is that he has an ‘infamous’ father so to speak with many detractors.
It does not mean he does not have the good qualifications to make it on his own. If he has, he hasn’t proven it yet. Its just that people grouse over his appointment without going through the process of political contestation and struggle and hence no track record and they attribute his appointment to quid pro quo arrangement to give CSL something in lieu of his forgoing a claim at ministerial position by virtue of his having through elections won MCA’s presidency of the 2nd major component party that by convention entitled him to “reward” within the BN’s patronage system but cannot be officially given because of his sexual scandal in the circumstances of 1 Malaysia Cabinet in an Islamic state.
Tunku Abdul aziz,
What about you sir , a senatorship ,a gift from Kit , not even a long term Dap supporter like Monsterball get that kind of gift
Jeffrey, what you said is true but when it is excessive done, then we have the right to question the whole purpose of parliamentary representative democracy. No doubt at time there are people of distinction who have not sought for elected office but were appointed senators to tap into their extra-ordinary expertise and leadership qualities. However such appointments should be rare and far in between just as people with extra-ordinary ability are rare. You always have the tendency to argue from the legal point of view when the issue is essentially political and moral.
May I know what is VT’s personal foundation set up for? So far what charity has it supported? May be he should disclose a little, of course minus those he might have given to BAKTI or to avoid taxes.
YM Tengku Aziz,
with due respect to you, I would rather have you lecturing those attributes of integrity and honesty to monkeys and babboons than to Najib and gang.
To those latter groups, integrity, honesty, sincerity and trustworthy are completey non existent.
That is why our country is going to the drain. But they fear not because they already are prepared with mansions overseas and money
Chengho the gift of love for the country and people is priceless.
DAP is the political party to provide the hope for freedom ..equality and love for all..and Tunju Aziz is a DAP member…unless you do not know that.
Your usual senseless message expected.
UMNO B toads are so used to being bribed with gifts worth millions of RM using tax payers money with no shame…expects all to be like them….that Sibuans have spoken with a slap to Najib’s face.
[deleted]
[deleted]
As JK said ” Its a solid waste” Cabinet.
As you know, solid waste just won’t away. When you flush, they keep floating up.
The toilet must jammed. Call ‘Indah Water’.
When they become Ministers through Senatorships, they each get two salaries and later on two pensions. Who don’t want this?
Ask Tsu Koon. How many allowances is he entitled to? Or Nor Mohd Yakcop.
How much is the government paying all these allowances and pencens to all these people?
And you wonder why Idris Jala says we will soon go bankrupt if we are not careful.
good english and well said, but why say it here, is this not the wrong crowd and inside DAP’s domain .
Or these days even such people who normally are displeased with anything DAP have no other choice and now knows how blind they were before… or are just another looking for sympathisers,
That is why I suggest that a person should only be allowed ONE pension as a tax free payment – everything else should be treated as taxable income.
I also think the more Senators should have a proper mandate.
But we need to amend the constitution like this –
20% of senator posts are reserved for those with the highest votes who lose in the GE and the percentage goes up by another 10% each year until 40% of all senators are elected reps.
If you think about it, this one way that BN will actually get some senators in the next GE when they lose.
This is one method to ensure that people in the Senate have some experience in politics. Even the UK has electoral reforms so we too can evaluate such schemes.
http://malaysiawatch4.blogspot.com/2010/06/bn-way-to-bankrupt-malaysia.html
The bankruptcy reason is CORRUPTIONS more than anything else…..although what are written and if corrected should by government save millions per year.
We have also say…many government departments are over crowded by unproductive government servants. Have that been corrected?
Bottom lines are subsidies by the billions given each year to UMNO B non profitable investment arms and corporations.
Jeffrey,baby comes out from the front,this is a moral fact and anything coming from the back is morally wrong. I’m pretty sure the PM and Umno/Bn would not deny it. Problem is they don’t do what they preach. Ironical or hypocritical,these guys are really pathetic actors. Just wait when they become opposition member they would bark out loud and opposite it if the PR government would implement the same thing.
“When will Najib learn that there is no substitute for integrity in national life?”
Does anyone expect a zebra or a tiger to change its stripes or a leopard its spots?
Hey, look, Najib’s been in politics for close to 30 years after the demise of his famous PM dad, Tun Razak. But Najib is notoriously infamous for all his 30 or so years of service; scandals dogged his career.
Now I think malaysians deserve better. Najib and his kitchen cabinet deserves to be consigned to the dustbins of history come next GE.
OK, Malaysia?
He tried to justify the young Chua’s meteoric rise to his own illustrous career but the manner lacked any conviction. In his heart he must know that he rose quickly up the ranks based on patronage and not meritrocracy.
That is why he is facing immense pressure now – the heat in the kitchen must be blistering now.
///May I know what is VT’s personal foundation set up for?/// – LimKamPut#30 in reference to the brewing political controversy of the objections from many quarters to the licensing of sports betting, including stand taken by LGE to ban it in Penang and how our tycoon tries to diffuse it by proposing to donate RM525 profit from Ascot Sports to his listed Berjaya Corp to his Charity Foundation.
I am no expert on this – others who know more could elucidate – but generally this is a “smart” way of how to diffuse controversy by showing to public one’s “altruistic” intentions to donate to one’s favourite charity/causes and yet not lose out personally/financially in any way and this is the way how I think it works:-
The Charity Cause is of course real, whether its for handicapped, needy, but if I were the tycoon I’d choose Palestinian/Gaza – so that Muslim objections to betting may be quelled.
When profits are channelled to my Charity Foundation I would appoint myself, shareholders etc as president vice prsident & offcers of the Charity Foundation. I’d incorporate the Charity Foundation in Offshore Labuan because of tax savings – either 4% or RM20,000 max whichever higher! Then whenever I make payouts from this foundation I get further tax exemption/deductions because these payments are for charity. If payments were made to myself (had money been kept at company level instead of being shifted up to Charity Foundation level) I would pay corporate taxes of 28% not to mention dividend tax and personal income tax. The tax savings in a Charity Foundation are then used to fund charity. For easy example we just quantify tax savings at 30%. I don’t lose out because I am giving away tax savings of 30% which I otherwise will not get anyway had the profits been retained at company level and not shifted to Charity Foundation level! So I am not giving away anything that I could have retained had I not done charity, so to speak….The balance of 70% of profits retained in Charity Foundation – not given away – could be used by me without an iota drop in my lifestyle. The Charity Foundation could pay & my business cohorts huge sums by way of pay and other remuneration for Life.
A good illustration is the National Kidney Foundation Singapore scandal in 2005 (“NKF”) centred on sheninegans of its Chief Executive Officer T.T Durai relating to installation of a golden tap in Durai’s private office suite, his salary of $$600,000, use of company cars and first-class air travel. Former NKF patron Tan Choo Leng, wife of Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, sparked further outrage when she remarked that T.T Durai’s pay of “S$600,000 a year is peanuts” – [courtesy of Wikipedia]. Because of public outrage sparked by Durai’s foolish fight with Straits Times which was in the position of doing investigative reporting, everything was spilled out in open, Durai was arrested on 17 April 2006 and charged under the Prevention of Corruptions Act by the Police.
The advantage of incorporating a Charity Foundation especially one in Labuan under offshore Companies Act is that there is less stringent corporate governance regime as compared to (say) Companies Act regulating normal sendirian berhads, so what can do more things wothout accountability. The fact that it is “charity” means tax savings. You give tax savings to charity. You can’t benefit from them anyway if they reamined as corporate profits and not shifted to Charity Foundation. By doing “charity” you get goodwill and could make profits more in other areas. We all learn these from the Americans –eg Bill Gates & his wife’s Foundation!
The idea was started by Nelson Rockefeller by his foundation. One shifts family assets from company level up to the Foundation level. At foundation level, a portion of tax savings (Foundationbs are tax exempt entities) is donated to charity, the rest for investments by the Foundation in business or other areas which are given advantage and good will because of the cover of charity. This is the “modern” way to reconcile so to speak the need to create value and make money for one self and family and yet give back a biot to society by way of charity. The lifestyle of oneself and family is not affected, if anything its enhanced because appointed for life (unlike directors subject to rotation in a normal company) its up to one to define what one and ones family members appointed to the Board of the Foundation are entitled for life – and who would make noise if you are also doing charity which one does not lose out as it is from tax savings by virtue of charity status to which one is not entitled if there were no shift of assets from company to foundation???
Acid test of philanthropy is donating RM525 million profits from Ascot Sports sale DIRECT to other existing charities and not filter by Foundation tier by channelling them to one’s own Better Malaysia Foundation in order to control how they are to be distributed!
We were told dat VT n a handful of nonMalay super-rich tycoons serve as UmnoB’s nominees
Sanitizing haram $$$ 2 halal $$$
How much faith do we hv in a foundation set up by this slime ball
SUPP’s Georgie boy is worried abt Chinese support in d next general election
Yeah, Chinese n nonChinese Sarawakians MUST bury SUPP in d next election, sweep it OUT
Are we supposed to be that dumb to believe that so much money is suddenly given to charity? Look, a businessman’s preoccupation is money and wealth and this is despite whatever he has already owned. That is the raison d’être of his whole being. To suddenly give away such a large amount of money is simple beyond logic. He must have thought that Malaysians are idiots. Sometimes I do think that Malaysians in general are idiots, like that lady from Sabah who got cheated of 1.2 million. See, money must have come too easy for her.
Vincent Tan did not announce his RM525 donation earlier…but after so much rejections….why?
It shows his donation is not sincere but with calculated selfish motives.
All can view what he said…at Malaysiakini.
He appealed to Lim Guan Eng not to ban the new gambling license.
He said the ban will not work….as Penang folks can still gamble through phones.
ans said….football games will be more exciting with bets on.
Vincent Tan do encourages gambling…and there is no way Najib government can stop Muslims gambling.
Worse still, it demonstrate the “MULTI-PURPOSE MINISTER” syndrome in Malaysian politics. Imagine having a guy who knows nuts about health as Minister of Health, or some one who knows nuts about defence and weapons as Minister of Defence? These people are simply slotted into the portfolio without consideration of their qualifications but rather their appointment is based on CONNECTIONS!
Uncle Monsterball,
you are so confused , this is gaming not gambling…
Gaming is gambling. Dictionaries define gaming as “the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning (including the payment of a price for a chance to win a prize)”. Thats why our Act proscribing gambling is called the Common Gaming Act and not common Gambling Act.
The word “game” may be an euphemistic reference to hunting of wild animals in Africa as a sport but even in that context word “gaming” is not used.
That is why I suggest that a person should only be allowed ONE pension as a tax free payment – everything else should be treated as taxable income. HJ Angus
I think this is one area the country must seek to reform. Right now, politicians holding different government posts in the course of their careers (be they in civil service, executive, legislative or judiciary branches) are eligible for multiple pensions. With so much of vested interests, how then can we expect them to bring about reform and prudential financial management to this country? The country will be bankrupted by politicians’ pension alone. Look at Idris Jala for example. Upon his retirement, he can receive pension as senator and minister in addition to big EPF which he must have accumulated. And for KTK, he can receive pensions as state assemblyman, CM, MP, Senator and Minister. I think no country on earth has rewarded this much to politicians for their “service” (more of disservice). If we are not able to reform this, I believe soon PR politicians would also be trapped in the same situation. Theresa Kok, for example, would be able to get pensions as MP, State assembly woman, state exco etc.
One more point, with multiple pensions, they only have to pay tax on ONE pension and usually they will choose the lowest pension for tax purpose. This is Malaysia, the land of the nincompoops.
With all due respect to Tunku Aziz and everyone else, these points are not known to the urbanites whether those that support PR or don’t.
So what if Najib is just shuffling his cabinet and don’t have a game plan. The fact of the matter the system that UMNO/BN have been allowed to abuse over the years allow these kinds of luxuries. It is the UMNOputra/BNputra version of entitlement. Its Ketuanan UMNO, Ketuanana BN, UMNO special rights, BN special rights. The group of voters PR is trying to reach don’t understand it. They don’t get it how damaging it is to be directionless. They don’t comprehend how bad it, how wastefull it is, how indulgent it is. How it takes away their right and the root cause of failures of delivering the NEP to the masses.
If the Malays are to understand it, its got to be put in relevant context they understand so that they will act on it. The equivalence is Nero playing the flute while Rome burns. Sultan indulging in guilty pleasures while the country is falling apart. Perhaps more useful to even compare Samy Vellu giving excuses while the Indians fall behind..Even look at the Arabs who have so much oil and wealth but sat on their laurel and took for granted they did not have to educate and free their people’s mind.
Its got to be context that the Malays can identify with. The non-Malays already know the pathetic excuses and he has lost the vote.
We all know that a business that makes no money is a failure. At the same time Car Capitalist Henry Ford once said, “a business that makes nothing but money is also “poor business”.
How to reconcile? So that’s where the once Richest man in the world Bill Gates comes out with his idea of Charitable Foundation – what he called in his speech to Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in Jan 2008 as “creative and caring capitalism” – which in a nut shell is supposedly a “ WIN-WIN” FORMULA of how to use Charity to make even more money and to plough back a portion of the tax savings from such enlarged profits – by virtue of Charitable Foundation being tax exempt entities – to charity again on recurring basis.
If one expands “domestic charity” to “international charity” like donation to (say) Gaza humanitarian efforts against Israel one’s business through the cover of Charitable Foundation can tap (say) on even the Middle Eastern funds and markets as regulators there are partial in favour of the Charitable Foundation that promote Muslim Causes!
If (say) the Charity’s Foundation Articles of Association allow only 5% of profits to be donated for charity it means the Foundation can make profit if the tax savings from being Charitable Foundation exceed that 5%!
What Bill Gate’s Davos speech didn’t acknowledge is that profitable corporations can provide and already have provided money to communities and charitable causes DIRECT. They pay employees and managers, who are able to write checks to charity.
Once done & filtered through the the corporate tier of a Charity Foundation, it can then in other cases be abused, as the scandal surrounding the National Kidney Foundation Singapore of 2005 amply illustrates!
Charity and Avarice (Greed) are oxy-morons but this creative and caring capitalism is supposed to bridge that gap and use charity to satisfy avarice/greed…..
Its “Creative” indeed until a government short of amnd hungrey for money deems it timely to amend the tax lergislations to make thse charitable foundations pay corporate tax from enlarged profits made under banner of “charity”.
This I have to say to our local Malaysian entrepreneurs : think creative yourself instead of following everytime the Americans in everything.
Then again following does make one successful – eg the MC Donald Franchise and now hopefully Bill Gate’s creative and caring Capitalism extended to gaming – because we are always behind, our brains having migrated elsewhere and to the US.
We’ve had enough problem in this world already and because of iran and the north korea, we’re on the verge of third world war.
Now in our country, we’ve some troublemakers trying to be heros, recruiting activists and sending them in, on the pretext of aiding the palestinian as to provoke israel.
If their intention was genuine, they would have gone thru the proper channel but many have been misled by them just because of religion.
Because of their selfish action, I do believe that it will only escalate the tension where even god could no longer save us from total destruction.
Guess these sorts of people are tired of living!!!
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_BJGWfUvJNiQ/TAo0rjhVF-I/AAAAAAAAKZ8/DNHx5mKefJs/s1600/Picture1.jpg
Da greatest anti-crusader warrior since Salehudin the Great— Prebet Ah Khai from bolehland. (He ain’t no lance-corporal yet!)
http://imagineequality.blogspot.com/2010/06/private-khairy-to-rescue.html
Yessir Arafat and his Black September gang could not do it, but this private could drive the Jews into the sea
If these people wanna die, please go on and do your stunt.
Please don’t drag us along ‘cos we’re not with you.
Bring your whole “B” team along and we’re truly happy to bid you farewell, once and for all!
“…dog-eared pack of cards”?
Well, this pack has been pissed on by dogs and skunks included too.
It’s microbe infested; it’s got all d signs of chronic terminal disease as well.
It will be buried in the next GE. That I am sure. So may the devils help them when they burn in the everlasting lakes of fire, where worms die not and nerves survive to scream no end.
PR have to change their line of argument.
Sebenarnya, tidak selama ini tidak ada hak Istimewa Orang Melayu, hanya hak istimewa UMNO/BN. Selagi ada Ketuanan UMNO/BN, tidak ada ketuanan Melayu. Sebenarnya Dasar Ekonomi Baru adalah Dasar Ekonomi untuk UMNO/BN sahaja. Ketuanan Rakyat adalah Ketuanan Melayu kerana kebanyakan rakyat adalah orang Melayu.
Expanding on what Thor in posting #3 said: –
Religion tugs at heartstrings, especially the masses, so to politicize Religion is to enable elites to tap on support of masses to secure and maintain political power and indirectly via political positions to exercise power as to benefit oneself in making money. As long as Hamas – having control of Palestine – keep the Palestine issue alive making Israel the bogeyman its elites could tap funding for Palestine Cause from many sources: official contributions from rich Arab states including Saudi Arabia; the Palestinian Liberation Tax Fund, which taxes Palestinians worldwide; income from legitimate and illegitimate investments; donations from wealthy Palestinians and international organizations such as the UN and the EU; donations from humanitarian projects; funds from world wide “charitable” organizations used as veil and vehicle for slush funds and black market and laundered monies to sponsor both legitimate Palestinian Cause or illegal Al-Qeada and Hizballah activities.
Whilst these people pray to the Almighty for what comes hereafter, the now and present are hedged against by dedication to the Money God. Far from being tired of living by provoking incidents against Israel these sorts of people actually have the zest for living where money provides the zest. For to abjure money is to abjure life itself – the point made by J Salinger in his book Catcher of the Rye!
If one thinks that is hypocritical, then the legitimate question may be asked – what around the world is not???? Its not just BN even PR deems fit for political mileage to march to US embassy on the Freedom Flotilla issue heedless of whether accusations against Israelis forces stand in logic and fact! Here its not just our local tycoon but world’s richest man Bill Gates preaching how to have creative capitalism through charity foundation (to make money) under guise of socialism (charity) that he described in Davos as “creative capitalism”. Take an average man who gets married and vows to be faithful to his wife : how many of these do not have clandestine affairs? We also have men of cloth, priests and members of religious orders supposedly taking care of sick and teaching of children but abusing them sexually instead. At level of nations Uncle Sam attacked Taliban / Afghanistan blaming 9/11 attacks so as to enable control of the Unocal pipeline passing Afganistan as transit country just like charge against Sadamn Hussein for Weapons of Mass destruction – which were never found – when the intent was to have strategic geo political control of the oil pipe lines from Turkmenistan, not to mention defence contractors in US needed profits from weaponry deployed and reconstruction of war torn Iraq & Afganistan may be awarded to Halliburton related to key decision makers in US administration. And even “victim” Saddam – whose Baath party both secular and nationalist – suddenly and hypocritically became champion of Muslim Causes to threaten Israel with his missiles.
Hypocrisy is a necessary condition of Human Life and part of our nature. Intellectuals obsessed with truth may rail against it but salt of the earth ordinary people with ordinary common sense don’t – because whilst hypocrisy has got its bad points (principally deception of others), yet it also has its good points because hypocrisy enables to live in a bigger society and advance our self interests on basics especially to get more power influence and of course money and sex without conflicts with others (having the same desires) hood winked to avoid conflict/competition if our hypocrisy is not exposed! I am sure our former premier TDM would concur with this general position.
Bigjoe….why your reasons given on Bahasa?
Are you a Malaysian first…. and race second person in Malaysia?
There two kinds clearly seen…the other is race first…Malaysian second.
Both can never think alike…….and totally different attitudes and behaviors.
There is another group….that love to swing….waiting for signs..where the wind blows.
Those who organise the humanitarian aid ships should be held accountable for the death of “volunteers”. Why can’t they go there themselves or send their own sons and daughters. I guess there are too many nincompoop “freedom fighters” around – freedom fighters who were manipulated into extremists who think Israel has no right to exist.
The Palestinian cause must be kept alive at all cost so that sympathy money will continue to flow in. Monsterball should ask how much Yaser Arafat has amassed for himself and his family.
Waiting for where the wind blows is at least not as bad as the one who keeps creating foul “wind” everywhere.
come down to earth, if you cannot even save your own kind , how can you save others.
go to the pasar malam for a start,,,how come got professional beggars chaffeur driven daily and the social welfare bragged about what we should do and should not do, oh how cruel some of us can be…and how come still no news on the child kidnappers, do they come from overseas and the police bragged the crime rate has dropped so tremendiously that they praised themselves on the national news…
what about the the cruelty of so call corporate citizens like toll road concessionaires companies who can cut off access to landowners and forced use of their tolls roads…and the government even help them to enforce such use too…well you can in bolihland
What to do,,,when you are wealthy enough you have many choices, even can chose who to make enemy with…….and gather some small minds to work for you …are you so easily be moved by these clowns and be used ….cheapo
I believe most Malaysians do not know this:
Less than 8% of the working population in Sarawak who are paying income taxes. The remainder of the population just do not earn enough money to pay any taxes. And we have the bloody cheek to send activists to protest Israel’s policies in Gaza.
Also that in 2001, the Selangor state government encouraged government servants, other than those in the lower income bracket, to buy low-cost homes as an incentive. Up to 500 MBPJ officials who benefited from this scheme meaning that more than 500 of the displaced urban poor had been unable to secure a low-cost unit for themselves.
VT is truly loaded n 500 millions sup sup sway lah
No wonder several no-principle political toads benefited fr VT’s generosity in d tune of several RM millions
Many ppl want RM millions too, money, money, money
Malaysian can’t even take care of themselves and the federal government is not doing enough to help them.,Most of them especially in Sabah,such towns in Sandakan,Lahad Datu Tawau and Kennigau are afraid to go to the town centres after 6.00 pm as thousands of dubious citizens and illegals are among a few locals doing their petty trades.Why are they allow to do business without permit and rob the locals the opportunity ? Those malaysian activists should come to Sabah to help malaysian Sabahans to demonstrate and protest against the central government for allowing more and more illegals to enter and keeping squatting in Sabah instead of going to Gaza to help foreigners.Malaysians should think malaysian first and not foreigner first.
Those days that each minority race needs to save themselves are over.
Those days..you have no choice. One needs to agree to disagree to survive.
Sibu miracle have endorsed the signs of CHANGE.
Malaysians are geared for the change of government.
That’s why Najib…”Lets make a deal” with Sibuans backfired as not all Malaysians will stoop so low to forsake dignity and principles in life for money..which actually belong to all Malaysians.
Yes…vast majority Malaysians are dignified people and that shocked Najib..whose race and religion will not work with Malaysians anymore.
Najib and UMNO B politics are not only focusing on how to buy Malaysians votes.
UMNO B party .. is a party…clearly divided and with full of contradictions.
VT 2 PR-controlled state leaders: Hey, U know what I want, I know what U want, U help me, I help U, approve lah sports betting
KL , 8 places to retire in the world;
http://finance.yahoo.com/focus-retirement/article/109728/great-places-to-retire-youve-never-heard-of;_ylt=AvRjczKOpWmIWUT.flsqAzBO7sMF;_ylu=X3oDMTE1amQwMWx2BHBvcwMzBHNlYwNmaWRlbGl0eUZQBHNsawM4Z3JlYXRwbGFjZXM-?mod=fidelity-readytoretire
“It is within his [jib’s] power to clean up his act so as to lessen the burden of the negative views and innuendos that he carries on his back to the detriment of his effectiveness as PM. He must learn quickly that the ultimate decision whether he remains in office, and his party in power, will be made by the very people for whom he has shown such blatant contempt.”
Huh? “%$#@!*&^ Oh. Errrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ….. Weeeell …. Ask mother gobi about this shall we?
Some malaysian puns:
1) It’s time to send for the dogcatcher for corrupt Ministers.
2) The cabinet should wear dog collars so they toe the line. Some ministers howl like hyenas; others have their blinkers on.
3) Most cabinet ministers speak doggerel.
4) Malaysians are in for dogdays when subsidies are withdrawn
5) Is Raja Petra K winning the dogfight against najib? Scotland yard is the kennel keeper. (sorry, Pete. Just making a point about dogfights.)
6) Malaysians are fed dog-biscuits whilst top-dog UMNOputras are fed juicy dogbones.
7) how do you train a dog choir to sing in unison. Ask jib.
Thanks but not to Tunku Aziz and a bravo to Jeffrey for his well drawn comment. I once respected Tunku Aziz for his sincerity in fighting corruption and all his opinions but since regard him as another antics good for the shelve. He must accept that by writing one or two books on corruption don’t make you an expert. Being a former President of TI or giving talks on corruption don’t make you the referral resource person.
Yes, we had seen many politicians and their family members make tons of money over night. That shall not be construed as corruptly derived income or wealth. They may derive the wealth through genuine business opportunity or by business chances created by their position. It’s not corruption but we agree it is not ethical. No one shall be prosecuted for none ethical act as far as I have known, unless Tunku Aziz may have a law in his “pocket” to empower an investigation on members of a political figure accumulating wealth via legitimate business. Everyone should be made known that a person is innocent unless found guilty for an offense in a court of law. No one shall use the authority as a riding horse to defame or frustrate another.
Opinion and investigation are two separate thing which needs different kind of attitude to deal with. Opinions could be made which need no basis or facts but investigation needs many elements such as investigative power, offense stipulated in an act, information, witnesses, methodology etc. Let me give Tunku Aziz a lesson on the formula for an investigation = Information + witness + documents – abuse of power. While to prefer a charge for an offense = ingredients of an offense + facts + admissibility + corroboration – contradictions.
It’s not easy as being said. No authority shall use the legal arm to defame, ridicule, malice or frustrate anyone base on opinions but relity and facts. Once corruption or the will to fight corruption is being politicized then we are not helping to frustrate but encourage the opportunist. Everyone including Tunku Aziz must come to the sense and fight corruption not making statements that our country is full of corrupt practices to support the declination of CPI. No thanks to Tunku Aziz.
Now d MCA Gelang Patah MP Tan Ah Eng is crying wee wee all d way home 4 being cheated/sodomised by CSL who recommended only his precious son 2 NR
what to do?…UMNO loves yes-men like KCH (PKFZ solved already) and CCH ( i am just a normal person like you but got lucky because i am promoted now)…so, recycling and reshuffling is a must for them..
RAHMAN prophecy seems more and more likely. The question is what guarantee is there that Pakatan can do a better job when they can’t even ensure that their elected men and women stay loyal to the opposition? Anwar keeps falling into traps laid by pretty men.