Day: January 15, 2012

The freeze of the assets of the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) pending investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Police is not adequate and does not inspire confidence that this is a prelude to a no-holds-barred full inquiry into the RM300 million NFC scandal.

Announcing the freeze on NFC assets yesterday, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he had discussed with the Minister for Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil the decision to take three weeks leave from her ministerial duties, adding:

“I’ve discussed with her the decision to take leave. It is an appropriate decision as it allows the authority to carry out a thorough investigation.

“Datuk Seri Shahrizat said she was willing to be investigated fully. What happens after this will depend on the outcome of the investigation.”

Nobody expects Shahrizat to return to the Cabinet or Parliament after the expiry of her three-week leave expiring on Feb. 3, 2012.

But what is significant and ominous in Najib’s statement is the implication that before she was finally pressured to “voluntarily” go on three-weeks leave on January 12, she had successfully resisted any “full investigation” into her role in the RM300 million NFC scandal. Continue reading “Call for independent public inquiry into RM300 million NFC scandal – the role of implicated Ministers including Muhyiddin, Noh Omar and Shahrizat”

by Zairil Khir Johari
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 15, 2012

15 JAN — Sempena Persidangan Kebangsaan DAP 2012 tempoh hari, Jawatankuasa Tertinggi Pusat telah membentangkan “Deklarasi Shah Alam” sebagai juadah intelektual terbaru dalam agenda parti untuk Pilihan Raya Umum yang akan datang.

Perisytiharan yang dibuat ini melambangkan modal siasah baru yang cuba dipacu oleh DAP demi memupuk satu wadah kenegaraan yang berkisar pada dasar dan bukan sekadar isu-isu sensasi.

Teras asas dalam perisytiharan tersebut adalah isu ekonomi yang diulas melalui konsep “solidariti ekonomi”. Intisari perisytiharan tidak perlu diulangi di sini, namun saya ingin mengupas sedikit tentang tema yang boleh dikatakan menjadi “jiwa” yang menyelubungi jasad yang dipanggil Deklarasi Shah Alam ini.

Sesungguhnya tanggungjawab sesebuah kerajaan adalah untuk memastikan kualiti hidup yang selesa dan sejahtera bagi rakyatnya. Ini bermaksud kehidupan yang tidak dibebani hutang yang melampau, serta pendapatan yang memadai untuk membina rumahtangga dengan segala kelengkapan asas seperti rumah, kereta dan pendidikan anak-anak. Dalam erti kata lain, kesejahteraan ekonomi rakyat hendaklah dipelihara. Continue reading “Solidariti ekonomi penawar kemelut”

Himanshu Bhatt
The Sun
14 January 2012

ALOR SETAR (Jan 14, 2012): The Pakatan Rakyat will come up with an action plan to combat corruption, should they win the next general elections.

DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang said leaders of the three member parties – PKR, PAS and DAP – will discuss the matter and come with the plan prior the general elections, which must be held by April 2013.

“We will discuss the matter. And probably before the 13th general elections, we will come out with a proposal,” he at the PR’s 3rd annual convention at the Stadium Sultan Abdul Halim here.

“We want a graft free country,” he added in response to a query by guest speaker Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, who is also Bersih 2.0 chairman, Continue reading “Opposition will devise plan to make country graft free”

Yow Hong Chieh
The Malaysian Insider
Jan 14, 2012

ALOR STAR, Jan 14 — Lim Kit Siang today challenged prime minister to promise that Barisan Nasional (BN) will respect the outcome of the next national polls and guarantee free and fair elections.

The DAP parliamentary leader also dared Datuk Seri Najib Razak to make good on his call for moderation by retracting the vow he made at the Umno general assembly two years ago to “defend Putrajaya with our bodies and broken bones”.

“This is not the voice of moderation, this is not the voice of moderation,” he told the PR convention here.

“We want the prime minister and all Umno leaders to declare that they will accept the decision in the 13th general election, even if Pakatan Rakyat forms government and Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim becomes prime minister.” Continue reading “Kit Siang dares Najib to respect GE results if Pakatan wins”