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DAP: Gov’t manipulated laws to legitimise debt

Malaysiakini
Feb 17, 2012

DAP has blamed the country’s rising debt level to the ruling BN having raised the statutory borrowing ceiling “multiple times” to legitimise the debt.

DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua slammed the government for modifying the ceiling “at its whims and fancies over the past decade, rendering meaningless the legal debt ceiling”.

Therefore, he said, the government’s debt at 53.8 percent of GDP as reported in the Economic Report 2011/2 is below the statutory borrowing ceiling of 55 percent, is purely the result of the government’s “creative manipulation”.

“What is worrying is the fact that the ‘statutory borrowing ceiling’ has actually been raised multiple times by the BN government over the past decade to ‘legalise’ the federal government debt level which has been increasing at a much faster pace than our GDP.

The 55 percent statutory borrowing ceiling only came into effect in July 2009 by order of current second finance minister Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah.

“Prior to the revised limit, the limit was set at 45 percent in June 2008, barely 13 months before by the then second finance minister Nor Md Yakcop,” said Pua in a statement today.

He added that the limit was raised to 40 percent five years before that, by then second minister finance minister Jamaluddin Jarjis.

“Hence our statutory borrowing ceiling has been raised by 15 percent of our GDP in just six years. Continue reading “DAP: Gov’t manipulated laws to legitimise debt”

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At crossroads – MCA or Chinese community?

By Stanley Koh | February 17, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

Some equate truth and falsehood to water separating from oil. The Chinese proverb “shi zhen nan jia, shi jia nan zhen” means if it is the truth, it is impossible to falsify and likewise, equally difficult to make a truth out of falsehood.

This in mind, if MCA is at the crossroads, does it also mean that the Chinese community is facing the same predicament?

The symbolic relationship between MCA and the Chinese community is akin to fish to water and is destined to become irrelevant as more and more conscientious Chinese Malaysians abandon the party at the crossroads.

In the 2008 electoral tsunami, some 3.7 million Malaysians voted against the Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties of which the opposition DAP garnered more than one million votes against MCA’s 840,000 votes despite having a membership population of 1.3 million.
Continue reading “At crossroads – MCA or Chinese community?”

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Nasib masa depan Shahrizat adalah ‘prerogative’ PM, kata Najib

Oleh Aspan Alias | February 16, 2012
The Malaysian Insider

16 FEB — “Masa depan politik Shahrizat bergantung kepada Perdana Menteri” kata PM Najib. Sesungguhnya itulah hakikatnya jika dipandang dari sudut jawatannya sebagai ahli jemaah kabinet negara. Sememangnya jawatan menteri itu adalah ‘prerogative’ Perdana Menteri seratus peratus. PM boleh melantik sesiapa sahaja dalam jamaah menteri, waimma melantik orang yang tidak berguna kepada negara dan rakyat.

Begitu juga dengan pemilihan sesiapa yang hendak dilantik sebagai senator yang dicadangkan oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan. Itu juga adalah ‘prerogative’ Perdana Menteri. Oleh kerana ‘prerogative’ Perdana Menteri itulah maka kita lihat ramai menteri-menteri kabinet Najib itu ramai dikalangan mereka yang menjadi persoalan dan isu besar dalam politik negara pada hari ini.

Itulah sebabnya kita melihat ramai menteri-menteri yang masuk ke dalam jemaah menteri itu mengikut ‘pintu belakang’ kerana mereka telah ditolak oleh rakyat dalam pilihanraya yang lalu. Selalunya mereka ditolak oleh rakyat kerana bersebab. Tentulah penolakkan itu disebabkan kerana mereka tidak melepasi tahap kelayakan yang asas tetapi oleh kerana Perdana Menteri tidak menghormati pandangan rakyat, mereka ini dibawa juga ke dalam kabinet oleh Najib dan tentunya Najib mempunyai sebab yang tersendiri membawa yang ‘reject’ ini ke dalam jemaah menteri beliau.
Continue reading “Nasib masa depan Shahrizat adalah ‘prerogative’ PM, kata Najib”

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Of regime change and democracy in Malaysia

By Dr Mustafa K Anuar, Aliran Hon Secretary
16 February 2012

Aliran is troubled by the ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s recent prediction in warning Prime Minister Najib Razak that Israel and the United States were “conspiring to cause a regime change in Malaysia through ‘a puppet government’ to be led by Anwar (Ibrahim)”.

This political ‘forecast’ has serious implications and repercussions for the country. If there is any grain of truth to this international conspiracy, then our sovereignty, and political independence and security would indeed be in jeopardy.

The gravity and severity of this matter, therefore, demand that Mahathir presents incontrovertible evidence to support his allegation. This will enable Malaysia to safeguard itself and remain as an independent nation in the world community, without fear that it would be transformed into a “client state” of the US or any other world powers for that matter.

Mahathir’s honest response would enable Malaysians, particularly their leaders, to take the necessary steps available in order to safeguard the country’s independence and sovereignty.
Continue reading “Of regime change and democracy in Malaysia”

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The story of a prime minister

By Zairil Khir Johari | February 17, 2012
The Malaysian Insider

FEB 17 — This is the story of a man who became prime minister not very long ago.

This man had not, however, been elected into the premiership, and consequently never earned his own governing mandate. He had succeeded into the job when his predecessor was forced to resign under internal pressure. While the coup was not entirely of his own orchestration, this prime minister had played an important albeit implicit role in facilitating it.

His predecessor is an altogether different story. Initially elected with much fanfare by a buoyant nation on a platform of hope and change after years of rule by an authoritarian and right-of-centre leadership, his premiership had by its tail-end been reduced to a lethargic disappointment.

Though heavily criticised and the subject of mass ridicule, he was still able to pull through with a mediocre win at the general election. Remaining defiant, he announced that he would fulfil the mandate of the people and see through his term as prime minister.
Continue reading “The story of a prime minister”

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That Saturday with the Oracle (Part 2)

By Sakmongkol AK47 | February 16, 2012
The Malaysian Insider

FEB 16 — I think one commentator misread my article “Another Saturday with The Oracle”. He accused me of underestimating Bangsar Bala. I know Mr Bala personally and am aware of his capabilities as a political operative.

The sting of my short mention of Bangsar Bala isn’t Bala, but Raja Nong Chik.

He doesn’t fraternise with people like Bala and, when given casual assurance that the Indians are back with BN, is easily over enthused. His exuberance leads him to generalise on the thinking of Malaysian Indians. Anecdotal evidence on the other hand indicates that Malaysian Indians are not for BN. But let the illusion permeate the BN camp.

If Raja Nong Chik contests in Lembah Pantai, that will be his Waterloo. At the function he was asked some sharp questions and was clearly agitated in his response. Many people who know the lean Raja Ning Chik are aware of his short fuse.
Continue reading “That Saturday with the Oracle (Part 2)”