Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | January 19, 2012
The Malaysian Insider
Gemas, now infamous for the National Feedlot Centre and the double tracking railway project scandals, is poised to be the epicentre of another political tsunami.
COMMENT
Usually those who are pressing for an early election are those from within Umno itself and who think they will contest as candidates replacing the incumbents.
In Umno replacing incumbents is not difficult – just mobilize a few dissenting and envious voices to create the necessary ‘public’ opinion.
Elevate personal anecdotes and personal sob and frustrated stories and exploit those as generalizations.
Then package all the lies and present it to a nervous and insecure Umno division head.
Never mind if he was the Deputy Prime Minister then and now Prime Minister.
I was in Gemas for the Rapat Rakyat programme on Jan 15. Anwar Ibrahim was there.
I would estimate the crowd to have been around 10,000 people. The local guy standing next to me in the crowd confided that he had never seen such a big crowd before attending a political gathering. And he’s been staying in Gemas since the 60s.
Umno will of course trivialize this observation by saying the opposition has always attracted large crowds to their rallies. But in the end, the Barisan Nasional will win.
10,000 crowd to hear Anwar
I hope for their sake, that simplistic response is true.
This time I think, the usual knee jerk response is just for self-assurance over the anxieties engulfing the BN camp.
The first three speakers spoke about local politics not about the big issues concerning and relating to Anwar, who was the last speaker.
The three who spoke first found unison in the voice from the crowd who were clearly primed up to eject (Menteri Besar) Mohamad Hassan and his team from Negeri Sembilan.
Gemas is special or should I say infamous for two things actually – the National Feedlot Centre and the double tracking rail to Johor.
The NFC cattle farm is located in Gemas. (Federal Minister) Shahrizat Abdul Jalil whose family members are currently embroiled in the RM250 million financial scandal surrounding the NFC cattle project chose Gemas as the site for the project.
Gemas has since gained the moniker of the cattle capital of Malaysia.
The NFC is clearly a blatant case of corruption involving many more people within Umno than the figures now under public scrutiny.
Watch Gemas
Gemas is also the starting point for the double tracking rail project from Gemas to Johor Baru.
That project is also shrouded in controversy. The original project was given to China Railway Engineering and Construction (CREC) on account of the company being a GLC of the Chinese government and also on account of its specialization in the construction of rail projects.
The Malaysian had cabinet approved it. Curiously later, this decision was rescinded and the project was instead given to China Harbours.
Now it seems, another private Chinese company has been given the project.
In between companies, rumors abounded about large amounts of money changing hands.
So Gemas appears to be at the epicenter of financial scandals.
As such it is fitting for Gemas to herald the wave of change that will soon snuff out the life of the corrupt and the mediocre in Negeri Sembilan.
Here’s more: Syed Mokhtar Bukhary is taking over Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB).
The double tracking project is for use by KTMB. What’s stopping KTMB from telling the government, it can do the Gemas-JB double tracking job?
Gamuda made lots of money for the northern portion of the double tracking job so why can’t KTMB under Syed Mokhtar do the same?
The writer is a former Umno state assemblyman and a FMT columnist. This is an excerpt from his blog sakmongkolak47
‘Gold mine’ in Gemas . Can’t dig enough huh??
That’s real good sign…Malaysians support change.
And that bloody Law Minister… said Ambiga is a nobody..and he is an elected somebody..representing millions.
And he said…ministers…no need to declare assets openly to the public…suggested by Najib.
That is clear signs…every UMNO b Minister can do or say as he likes to save their own skins.
That’s a clear sign…Malaysians want change and support Anwar as PM.
///Shahrizat strikes back with RM100mil libel suit
Leven Woon | 3:44PM Jan 19 | 101
UPDATED 6.05PM The minister sues PKR’s Zuraida Kamaruddin and Rafizi Ramli for RM100 million, and is confident NFC probe will prove her innocence.///–Malaysiakini
///6. Often the litigation is intended to shut the mouths of their opponents. In Malaysia when a case is being heard in a court, it becomes sub-judice and comments outside can constitute “contempt of court”. By suing the matter becomes sub-judice and the opponents’ mouths would be shut. Through repeated appeals the case can be prolonged and the defendants’ mouths would remain shut to the advantage of the litigant for years.
9. Because the cost to the litigant is so very little, the tendency is to sue for millions. This is grossly unfair to the defendants. If the law is intended to promote justice then the litigant should also suffer from the same anxieties for the length of time of the hearing and if his allegation is baseless he should pay his victim the same amount he sued for.
5. For Muslims they should be willing to swear properly that there is no truth to the allegations.///–Mamakthir at chedet.cc
Obviously Shahrizat did not agree with Mamakthir. She is not bothered to swear properly.
///Public disclosure of ministers’ assets ‘dangerous’
Hazlan Zakaria | 12:20PM Jan 19 | 137
UPDATED 6.05PM Releasing such details to the public may endanger the individuals, says Nazri Aziz.///–Malaysiakini
Nazri is circumspect since he knew that ministers’ assets are enormous and they would attract attention of robbers. That is dangerous to their life.
Granted the concern raised, but it shows that MACC should have the declaration of assets by ministers with copies given to parliamentarians so that they can follow up with MACC on investigation as to how ministers explain their income. If MACC has cause for action, then the ministers concerned has to seek police protection while they are being investigated. They are protected once they are in jail.
The BN government has failed to realize that CAT (competency, accountability, transparency) is the invaluable asset of any government. A government which is not founded on the CAT principle is prone to falter and may even collapse.
///Anonymous: This doctor has absolutely no knowledge or do not want to understand the legal system. In this case, Saiful the complainant has filed a report that Anwar has committed a criminal offence in breach of the law of the land.
The state (or the Crown), acting on the report, has filed a criminal charge against the offender (Anwar). Hence the trial of the offence is between the state (represented by the attorney-general) and Anwar.
Saiful is merely a witness to the offence. He is neither the prosecutor nor the defendant. If the court is of the finding that the evidence provided is not good enough for a conviction, who is the witness to say or decide that the state should appeal?///–http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/187010
Saiful Bukhari Azlan should now be charged for making false police report on two counts. Firstly, he falsely claimed that he had been forced into sodomy, or raped. Secondly, he has reported a wrong person for partaking in sodomy when he was an obvious partner.
//Saiful Bukhari Azlan should now be charged for making false police report on two counts. Firstly, he falsely claimed that he had been forced into sodomy, or raped. Secondly, he has reported a wrong person for partaking in sodomy when he was an obvious partner.//
These will happen once PR forms the federal govt. Also a certain Ah Jib Gor will be handcuffed and hauled to court over the Mongol’s ka-boooming.