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Pakatan states proof of economic success, proper governance, say leaders

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 23, 2012

PETALING JAYA, Feb 23 — High investment figures, budget surpluses and reduction of debts in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) states are proof that the federal opposition is ready to take a shot at governing the country, its leaders have asserted.

PR leaders told participants at a DAP fund-raising function here last night that while Barisan Nasional (BN) could only resort to giving one-off RM500 aid to Malaysians while still pouring out billions of ringgit worth of taxpayers’ money in projects which are shrouded in secrecy, PR states have managed to save money as well as increase investment and productivity in less than four years.

Leading the fray was Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who gave the 3,500-odd crowd a blow-by-blow list of the state’s achievements and successes since 2008, and stressed that unlike BN, PR’s policies were not “divided by race” and that their goal was to help all Malaysians.

“Malaysia will become bankrupt because of cronyism, corruption. The (current) federal government debt is RM456 billion. If Malaysia goes bankrupt, who pays? Najib? Rosmah? It’s you and me, ordinary people,” exclaimed Lim to loud cheers from the Chinese-majority crowd. Continue reading “Pakatan states proof of economic success, proper governance, say leaders”

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MAS scandal: The gov’t must let the truth be told

Mat Zain Ibrahim | Feb 22, 2012
Malaysiakini

I am referring to the report made by MAS against Tajudin Ramli to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) almost three years ago. This report has been in the public domain since Aug 23, 2010, when it was first published by Malaysia Today. It’s still there until today.

On May 20, 2009, Shahari Sulaiman, then the managing director of MASKargo, on the instructions of MAS management, lodged a report with the MACC. He alleged that when Tajudin Ramli took over MAS in 1994, the national airline company had RM600 million cash in reserves but when he left, the company had accumulated losses to the tune of RM8 billion. Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad quoted the losses at RM9.4 billion as at 2000.

MAS also gave details of Tajudin’s various fraudulent dealings and also raised allegations of collusion between the police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers and in fact naming the parties alleged to be involved in the same report.

However, the report falls short of alleging the inaction of the former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is now MAS adviser, although it gave details of those senior MAS management who were present during the briefing by the former police director of the Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID), on March 26, 2007 at the Prime Minister’s Office. One of them is Idris Jala who is now a cabinet member. Continue reading “MAS scandal: The gov’t must let the truth be told”

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DAP milik siapa?

– Oleh Fairuz Azhan
Roketkini
22 February 2012

Apabila orang Melayu dilihat mendekati atau pun menyertai DAP, antara komen-komen yang biasa didengar adalah, “Apalah sertai DAP, kalau ya pun mahu sertai pembangkang, masuklah PAS atau PKR.”

Secara peribadi komen seperti ini sudah beberapa kali saya dengar secara peribadi daripada kalangan rakan-rakan, saudara-mara dan juga bekas-bekas pensyarah saya. Seolah-olah tanggapan orang ramai adalah DAP sebuah parti untuk orang bukan Melayu sahaja dan jika orang Melayu ingin turut serta dalam perjuangan DAP ia bagaikan sesuatu yang amat pelik seperti makhluk asing mendarat di bumi.

Memang tidak dinafikan bahawa orang Melayu sememangnya minoriti dalam DAP, sebagaimana kaum bukan Melayu minoriti PKR dan hampir tiada bukan Melayu dalam PAS.

Tetapi yang lebih teruk lagi, UMNO hanya membenarkan orang Melayu menyertainya, walau pun ada ramai keturunan India semakin menguasai parti itu. Begitu juga MCA dan MIC yang masing-masing hanya membolehkan kaum Cina dan India sahaja bersama mereka.

Kita harus bertanya dan mengkaji mengapa andaian yang bersifat kaum (tidak semestinya perkauman) ini terjadi apabila Melayu bersama dengan DAP. Continue reading “DAP milik siapa?”

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Huge O&G growth a poser for Malaysia’s future

By Lee Wei Lian
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 22, 2012

The government would be unable to finance its operational expenditure without oil revenues, according to the World Bank. When last year’s investment figures were released yesterday, one statistic stood out — the stunning 132.7 per cent growth in the mining sector — and painted a picture of a two-speed economy where oil-and-gas was booming while other sectors grew slowly or even registered declining investment.

This comes as the World Bank warned last November that Malaysia is too dependent on fossil fuel revenues, with its non-oil primary deficit having doubled in the last five years to almost 20 per cent of GDP.

The other concern is that oil and gas would continue to compete for talent and funds that could be used to broaden the country’s economic and wealth base, especially in home-grown science and high technology, areas in which Malaysia is an insignificant player. Continue reading “Huge O&G growth a poser for Malaysia’s future”

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Berniaga buluh kasap: Hujung hilang pangkal lesap

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 21, 2012

21 FEB — Saya terbaca berita yang beberapa veteran Umno telah bertemu secara tertutup untuk mencari jalan bagi menyelesaikan masalah yang dihadapi oleh orang Melayu. Diantara yang hadir itu ialah Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Ibrahim Ali, Presiden Perkasa, TS Sanusi Juned, Datuk Khalid Yunus serta beberapa orang kuat Perkasa termasuk ketua wirawatinya dan pemuda kepada pertubuhan yang sangat ‘famous’ itu.

Saya bersetujulah apa yang mereka lakukan itu, tetapi yang saya nak sentuh kali ini ialah mereka yang berjumpa itu ialah dikalangan orang-orang yang telah memecah belahkan umat Melayu dahulu. Bermula dengan tindakan Dr Mahathir menggunakan peguam Sri Ram untuk mematikan Umno dan terus menyekat usaha sekumpulan ahli Umno untuk menghidupkan Umno lama benar-benar telah memecah belahkan orang Melayu. Orang Melayu berada dalam dua kumpulan; yang satu adalah kumpulan yang sayangkan Umno asal itu dan yang satu lagi kumpulan yang membawa ahli-ahli Umno ke dalam pertubuhan baru yang bernama Umno baru.

Dalam perpecahan inilah tersingkirnya Ketua Hakim Negara semasa itu, Tun Salleh Abas yang telah mengambil keputusan untuk membawa semua sembilan orang hakim-hakim Mahkamah Agong untuk menghakimkan kes tuntutan bekas ahli-ahli Umno untuk menghidupkan parti itu. Dr Mahathir tidak bersetuju kerana beliau mahukan Umno yang baru untuk menyingkirkan semua pemimpin yang tidak sebulu dengannya. Continue reading “Berniaga buluh kasap: Hujung hilang pangkal lesap”

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The time has come for more public debates

Kee Thuan Chye | Feb 21, 2012
Malaysiakini

COMMENT

Why don’t we have more debates between our politicians, and have these debates telecast live? This is a thought on many minds after the debate between Lim Guan Eng and Dr Chua Soi Lek.

Why not, indeed? After all, people were still talking fervently about the debate the day after – in homes, offices, coffeeshops and social media.

We now have a clear indication that there are two main players in the political field – BN and Pakatan Rakyat – which makes it conducive for a series of debates on a series of national issues to be held between representatives from both sides.

Although some of their politicians are already addressing issues in their own ceramahs, such gatherings are being audited by only a small proportion of the people.

Live telecasts will bring their views to the major populace. And that is something essential for a healthy democracy. Continue reading “The time has come for more public debates”

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What I think

Joan Lau
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 21, 2012

FEB 21 — I was shocked to read our Home Ministry has ordered an immediate stop to the sale of “Where Did I Come From?”, an illustrated book for children that explains well… where we all come from.

I remember buying that book for my youngest brother when he was just six or seven years old.

It’s a lovely book that teaches you the proper names for the various parts of the anatomy (penis rhymes with peanuts) and told about how your parents fell in love, had sex and made you.

Sure, there are naked people in the book — illustrated, mind — but there is nothing pornographic about it. Continue reading “What I think”

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BN defensive as Penang tops manufacturing investment

By Lee Wei Lian
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 21, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — The performance of Pakatan Rakyat controlled states in attracting manufacturing investment prompted a minister today to play up the federal government’s role in their success.

The Ministry of International Trade and Industry released figures today that showed that the federal opposition controlled states of Penang and Selangor had recorded the highest levels of approved manufacturing investment in 2011, at RM9.1 billion and RM8.74 billion respectively.

This is the second year in a row that Penang and Selangor have topped the ranks for approved manufacturing investment and a sharp contrast to 2009 when Sarawak attracted the highest levels of manufacturing investment and Penang came in fourth.

Another Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state, Kedah came in fourth in 2011 with RM6.13 billion, behind Barisan Nasional (BN) controlled Sarawak which was in third place at RM8.45 billion.

The economic performance of PR states is closely watched as many voters and analysts use it as a gauge of whether the coalition is a viable alternative to the ruling BN. Continue reading “BN defensive as Penang tops manufacturing investment”

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Highway to hell

— Lucius Goon
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 21, 2012

FEB 21 — The thing that troubled me most about the latest expose in Malaysia is the seemingly cozy relationship between the current Umno lawyer and the former chief justice, who incidentally is a former Umno lawyer.

I am beyond griping that the contract was not awarded through an open tender because open tender means competition and competition means level playing field — all the things that our friends like Ibrahim Ali, Mahathir Mohamad don’t like.

But it does disturb me that there appears to be a business nexus between an Umno lawyer Hafirizam Harun and Tun Zaki Azmi. In most developed countries, judges and especially chief justices keep an arms length from lawyers because they don’t want to be accused of bias or bringing the judiciary into disrepute. The more strict judges do not even socialise with lawyers.

So I can’t imagine the head of the Supreme Court of the USA or India or even the Chief Justice of Singapore getting a government contract or being involved in a business with a lawyer, especially one who acts for the government. Continue reading “Highway to hell”

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Perak Pakatan demands explanation over highway contract

By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 21, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — Perak Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders cried foul today over the award of a lucrative RM2.2 billion highway contract to companies linked to former Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi and Umno lawyer Datuk Hafarizam Harun, two key figures in the Perak constitutional crisis of 2009.

They demanded both men and the Najib administration explain the award and yesterday’s allegation by controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin that the deal was Barisan Nasional’s (BN) gift for their help in toppling PR in the northern state.

“(Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib Razak and the Works Ministry must come out to refute this allegation with proof that they carried out an open tender process and the award was based on the firms’ proper qualifications, track record and expertise in the field.

“As an MP and the former mentri besar of Perak, I demand an explanation from the authorities… failing which, this allegation would hold true,” PAS’s Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin told The Malaysian Insider. Continue reading “Perak Pakatan demands explanation over highway contract”

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Najib has completely demolished MCA lie that “A vote for DAP is a vote for PAS” when he decided to be a Chua Soi Lek clone with his own warning to Malay voters that “A vote for PAS is a vote for DAP”

I am still intrigued what were the considerations behind the decision of the Prime Minister and UMNO President, Datuk Seri Najib Razak on Sunday to be a Chua Soi Lek clone, adopting the MCA President’s sophistry to warn Malays that “A vote for PAS is a vote for DAP” implying most falsely, irresponsibly and mischievously that DAP has an anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers agenda.

Is it beyond the political comprehension of Najib and his political strategists that the first consequence of Najib adopting the Chua Soi Lek sophistry is to completely demolish the MCA’s No. 1 political weapon against the DAP – falsely warning the Chinese voters that “A vote for DAP is a vote for PAS” resulting in an Islamic state and hudud Islamic laws? Continue reading “Najib has completely demolished MCA lie that “A vote for DAP is a vote for PAS” when he decided to be a Chua Soi Lek clone with his own warning to Malay voters that “A vote for PAS is a vote for DAP””

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The emasculation of our judiciary

— Art Harun
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 21, 2012

FEB 21 — In any Westminster-styled democracy, a country’s administration consists of three main machinations, namely, the Legislative, the Executive and the Judiciary. The Legislative makes laws. The Executive runs the country. Lastly, but by no means the least, the Judiciary adjudicates disputes and determines them.

The Judiciary does not only adjudicate disputes amongst private citizens but also, more importantly, disputes between the citizens and the Executive (the government). In a branch of law called “administrative law”, the Judiciary inherently has the power to issue four kinds of orders against the Executive. These are traditional judicial powers which are paramount towards ensuring that rules of law are complied with not only by the people but also by the Executive.

Firstly, the Court may issue a certiorari order to quash any decision of the Executive. Secondly, an order of prohibition may be issued to restrain the Executive from doing any act. These two orders are usually issued if the act complained of is illegal, improper or made without power (ultra vires). Thirdly, the Court may issue an order of mandamus to compel the Executive to do certain act.

Fourthly, and perhaps most importantly, a writ of habeas corpus, may be issued by the Court to compel the government to produce and free anybody who is improperly detained.

These are the traditional powers of the Judiciary. They exist for hundreds of years and have throughout the years been refined in order to keep up with the demands of modern governance. Continue reading “The emasculation of our judiciary”

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Of press prostitutes and cowed media

Comment
by Thomas Lee Seng Hock

Perhaps the most despicable matter that has come out of the great debate between DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and MCA president Chua Soi Lek on Saturday 18 February 2012 is the contemptible lie by a mercenary spin writer of a mainstream English daily that Guan Eng demanded another debate presumably to repair damaged over his scarred image for losing to Soi Lek.

The claim by such a contemptuous writer is certainly deliberately made to run down Guan Eng and present him in bad light among the general public, since it has been known, and even agreed to by Soi Lek a few days prior to the great debate, that Guan Eng wanted a second round to be held for the benefit of the non-Mandarin speaking public since the first debate was in Mandarin.

Furthermore, the paper this mercenary writer writes for has acknowledged and published a brief admission of its error in reporting a statement attributed to Guan Eng that claimed he said “We do not agree the prime minister must always be a Malay because we want the people to decide.” Yet, he repeated the erroneous statement in his comment, either deliberately to perpetually spread the lie, or is an ignorant fool who doesn’t know what is really happening.

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has expressed indignation at DAP national election publicity bureau chief Hew Kuan Yau for likening journalists to prostitutes, and demanded that he apologise for the derogatory comment.

Although, I understand the NUJ feeling on the matter, I cannot help but have to agree with Hew’s statement that there are journalists who will sell their principles and souls for material gains. The above mercenary spin writer is a good example. Continue reading “Of press prostitutes and cowed media”

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Budaya samseng: Itulah dalil jelas nak kehilangan kuasa

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 20, 2012

20 FEB — Hari ini saya mendengar apa yang berlaku di Semberong, Johor malam tadi. Mengikut laporan, kereta ketua pembangkang, Anwar Ibrahim, telah dibaling dengan berbagai-bagai objek pada 11.30 malam tadi dan ini merupakan satu budaya yang sedang terbentuk didalam Umno, iaitu budaya samseng. Budaya memaki hamun dalam Umno sudah meningkat kepada budaya samseng pula.

Tidak perlu seseorang itu untuk memihak kepada mana-mana pihak tetapi jika benar perkara ini berlaku, maka sahlah Umno sedang membentuk satu budaya samseng, sebagai satu lagi kaedah untuk menakut-nakutkan orang ramai dari menyokong pihak yang menentang Barisan Nasional.

Kelakuan kumpulan yang mengganggu program pihak PR ini adalah satu tindakan yang telah keluar jauh dari moral politik apatah lagi yang melakukan perkara yang tidak bertamaddun ini adalah di kalangan pemuda Melayu.

Tindakan mereka ini dibiarkan sahaja oleh pihak penguatkuasa undang-undang, iaitu pihak polis kita. Politik ini adalah perang psikoloji bukannya peperangan terbuka seperti peperangan tentera diantara dua negara yang bersengketa. Continue reading “Budaya samseng: Itulah dalil jelas nak kehilangan kuasa”

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BN political chicanery, mendacity and bankruptcy of first order with CSL warning Chinese voters “A vote for DAP is a vote for PAS” while Najib warning Malay voters “A vote for PAS is a vote for DAP”

This is a disgraceful episode Malaysians must never forget, especially in the forthcoming 13th General Elections which holds out the possibility for the first time in the 54-year history of our nation of effecting a change of government at the national level.

The message of the MCA President Datuk Seri Chua Soil Lek in his debate with DAP Secretary-General and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng on Saturday 18th February 2011 was his canard to Chinese voters warning that “A vote for DAP is a vote for PAS” resulting in an Islamic state and hudud Islamic laws.

Barely 24 hours later yesterday, the Prime Minister and UMNO President Datuk Seri Najib Razak decided to emulate the MCA President’s political chicanery and mendacity, producing his duly modified canard to Malay voters warning that “A vote for PAS is a vote for DAP” resulting in a “anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers” future for Malaysia – and which can only mean no Islamic State and no hudud Islamic laws!

Imagine the sheer political insanity of a Barisan Nasional campaign where MCA warns Chinese voters that “A vote for DAP is a vote for PAS” in the sense that DAP will just be a stooge of PAS while UMNO warns Malay voters that “A vote for PAS is a vote for DAP” in the sense that PAS will be a puppet of DAP!

And horror of horrors, Barisan Nasional leaders do not see the sheer illogicality, insanity and even idiocy of such a campaign line! Continue reading “BN political chicanery, mendacity and bankruptcy of first order with CSL warning Chinese voters “A vote for DAP is a vote for PAS” while Najib warning Malay voters “A vote for PAS is a vote for DAP””

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Seeking lessons from the star-studded debate

By Dr Mustafa K. Anuar | February 20, 2012
The Malaysian Insider

FEB 20 — Saturday’s much-hyped debate, “Chinese at a crossroads: Is the two-party system becoming a two-race system?”, between Democratic Action Party (DAP) Secretary-General (and also Penang Chief Minister) Lim Guan Eng and Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) President Dr Chua Soi Lek captured the attention and imagination of many concerned Malaysians and predictably made it to the front page of the MCA-owned Sunday Star.

Starting from the front-page story, headlined “Raising the bar”, the Sunday paper took the readers through to the inside pages, particularly pages 6, 8, 10 and 12, with everything that to do with the debate.

This ranged from news reports to interviews with individuals who had intensely watched the debate to commentaries by the paper’s usual columnists. The common thread that tied these items together was generally a positive slant towards the MCA president, i.e. the purported protagonist, which is really not news at all to mainstream media-weary Malaysians.
Continue reading “Seeking lessons from the star-studded debate”

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DAP and the PAS Islamic agenda

Comment by THOMAS LEE SENG HOCK

One of the most contentious issues that MCA president Chua Soi Lek raised at last weekend’s great debate is the so-called call PAS Islamic agenda, and the alleged failure of his opponent DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng to make a public stand on the matter.

Soi Lek and his MCA have been harping on this PAS issue consistently, persistently, and tediously since early 2011, trying to score political points rhetorically to undermine the credibility of Guan Eng and the DAP, using in particular the party-owned newspaper The Star in his unrelenting determined campaign against the DAP.

But does Soi Lek truly understand what the whole matter of the Islamic agenda is all about?

PAS, like any other political party all over the world is founded on a political idealogy, in its case the Islamic theocratic idealogy. The raison d’être for the founding of PAS is the promotion, advancement and establishment of an Islamic theocratic society. Without this mandate, PAS has no legitimate purpose to continue its existence.
Continue reading “DAP and the PAS Islamic agenda”

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The case of not leading by example

By Zakiah Hanum | February 20, 2012
The Malaysian Insider

FEB 20 — I was driving down the coastal road yesterday when I saw an army van ahead of me. The driver was in his fatigues, puffing away at the wheel.

While it may not be offence for people to smoke while driving, I find it unbecoming for a soldier on duty to do so. Fastidious you may think, but there is more as the said soldier drove through the red traffic light.

This type of errant behaviour amongst our uniformed personnel is not altogether unfamiliar, albeit this is the first time I have witnessed an army personnel flout the law. I have seen the police break traffic rules many times. I have also observed bad-manners and crass behaviour in local police officers on several occasions.
Continue reading “The case of not leading by example”

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Grounding Those High-Flying Kampong Boys

By M. Bakri Musa

As I reflect on the many sordid scandals that have blighted Malaysia over the years, I am struck by one sobering observation. That is, the principal players are Malays like me, and of my vintage.

There are exceptions, of course. The mega-ringgit Port Klang Free Zone Development is one. Then there was the Malaysian Chinese Association’s Deposit Taking Cooperative debacle of the mid 1980s. So as not to slight the Indian community, there was the equally ugly affair of MAIKA, the investment arm of the Malaysian Indian Congress.

In East Malaysia there was the Chief Minister of Sabah, one Osu Bin Haji Sukam, who skipped on his multimillion-pound gambling debt incurred in a London casino. His Haji father would roll over in his grave on that one. On a far grander scale with respect to sheer avarice and outrageous obscenity would be the still-to-be-fully-accounted glutton of another chief minister, this one of Sarawak. Purists may argue that these two characters are not Melayu tulen (“pure” Malays), so I will not focus on them.
Continue reading “Grounding Those High-Flying Kampong Boys”

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1 Care: Show us the mathematics

— John Teo
The Malaysian Insider
Feb 19, 2012

FEB 19 — 1 Care for 1 Malaysia sounds like a very good slogan but behind this impressive slogan and all the controversies, rhetoric, claims and counter claims lies a very big and fundamental question of where is the funding of such a massive overhaul of our healthcare system going to come from?

We know that the basic principle of part-government and part-public funding underlies this concept and the reason behind this shift of funding policy is the ever-escalating health costs which the government cannot continue to provide funding for indefinitely.

Let me quote two very important facts. 1) According to the 2012 Budget that was announced by our prime minister, the allocation for health totals RM1.8 billion, which is equivalent to 3.7 per cent of the total budget. There were other ministries that have higher budget, notable ones being the Ministry of Defence.

The World Health Organisation recommends that at least five to six per cent of a total budget be allocated to health. Many other countries allocate up to seven to eight per cent. Malaysia is way below that mark. Continue reading “1 Care: Show us the mathematics”