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GE13 – Make the Right Choice

By Kee Thuan Chye
from March 2013 issue of Penang Monthly

Voters, you have to decide soon. The 13th general election has to be held at the latest within two months of April 28, when the current government’s term expires. It may even be called next month if Prime Miniser Najib Razak has the gumption for it.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t decided yet which coalition – Barisan Nasional (BN) or Pakatan Rakyat (PR) – should win federal power for the next five years, consider this.

After 55 years of ruling this country, where has BN got us?

The country is more divided than ever. We have been polarised on racial and religious lines for decades, but now we are divided by political leanings as well.

What about our economic progress? Continue reading “GE13 – Make the Right Choice”

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The Coming Tsunami

by Allan CF Goh

The Coming Tsunami

Nobody saw the storm coming,
But it did, with people’s blessing.
Up North, there was a tsunami,
Which united folks, just like me.
It brought renewed hopes to people,
Held high as the highest steeple.
Now the tsunami is spreading;
Johoreans are now expecting,
A new dawning for their belief,
To realize their hope, relief.
Let the wind of change start to blow,
Let our dear nation grow and glow.
Continue reading “The Coming Tsunami”

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21-Day Countdown to 13GE – The empty drumbeats from Pemandu (Part 2)

The Pemandu Claims and a Reality Check

The Claim
We used a credible global yardstick – the World Bank’s approach to define our high income target. The World Bank’s current GNI per capita threshold for a high income economy is US$12,476. We factored in the World Bank’s published historical global inflation figure of two per cent until 2020 to arrive at a high-income threshold of US$15,000.

The Facts
Each year on July 1, The World Bank revises the classification of the world’s economies based on estimates of gross national income (GNI) per capita for the previous year…… As of 1 July 2012, the World Bank income classifications by GNI per capita are as follows:

  • Low income: $1,025 or less
  • Lower middle income: $1,026 to $4,035
  • Upper middle income: $4,036 to $12,475
  • High income: $12,476 or more

Source: http://search.worldbank.org/all?qterm=COUNTRY%20CLASSIFICATIONS

COMMENT: The calculations are done annually and are not comparable from year to year and cannot therefore be projected. Thus the figure of US$ 15,000 projected by PEMANDU is wholly meaningless.

The numbers cited by the Prime Minister earlier and now repeated in the Report are a fabrication and deviate widely from the GNI per capita numbers for Malaysia published by the World Bank on its web site : http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.CD/countries/MY-4E-XT?display=default Continue reading “21-Day Countdown to 13GE – The empty drumbeats from Pemandu (Part 2)”

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21-Day Countdown to 13GE – The empty drumbeats from Pemandu (Part 1)

The EPT Annual Report for 2012 prepared by PEMANDU and launched by the Prime Minister with great fanfare is nothing more than a public relations effort.

The report has been written and delivered as part of the electioneering effort mounted by a Government that is desperately attempting to convey to a disbelieving electorate a picture of progress and achievements together with promises of attaining the promised land of a High Income country by 2020.

Taken as a whole, the Report is a document that attempts to project illusions, highly massaged selective facts to lull the electorate. The primary objective is to gain a return to power at all costs.

The Report contains glossy charts and graphs and statements that cannot be substantiated.

It fails dismally by not providing a true and candid assessment of the challenges the nation faces because of squandered opportunities for mounting genuine economic reforms particularly needed in view of the uncertainties linked with weaknesses in the global economy that emerged in 2007. Continue reading “21-Day Countdown to 13GE – The empty drumbeats from Pemandu (Part 1)”

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22-Day Countdown to 13GE – Najib deserves an “F” in his National Transformation Program (NTP) report card for failing to acknowledge, much less tackle the issues of Corruption, Crime and Education

Najib released his National Transformation Program (NTP) Report Card yesterday evening in his ‘State of the Union’ address that was broadcast live on mainstream media and also online. To no one’s surprise, he gave himself top marks in both the Government Transformation Program (GTP) and the Economic Transformation Program (ETP).

Nearly all of the KPIs set were met, if not surpassed, in each of the National Key Results Areas (NKRAs) and the National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs).

But to borrow a phrase from a popular author, there are ‘lies, damned lies, and KPIs’.

If we compare the stellar achievements of Najib’s report card in just three areas – Corruption, Crime and Education – to reality and also other more credible evidence, we are left with no choice but to give Najib an “F” for his NTP Report Card. Continue reading “22-Day Countdown to 13GE – Najib deserves an “F” in his National Transformation Program (NTP) report card for failing to acknowledge, much less tackle the issues of Corruption, Crime and Education”

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Whistleblower on hidden truths of the pork import business

Introduction by Dr Lim Teck Ghee
Centre for Policy Initiatives

On 5 March 2013, CPI posted an article on ‘NEM at ground level: same old model, no paradigm shift’. The article revealed how pork importation has degenerated from a freer market to a semi-monopoly controlled by a business-political mafia and which involves the highest level of leadership in the Ministry responsible.

On 13 March, the Malaysian Association of Pork Importers (MAOPI) issued a press statement – apparently available only to the Chinese mainstream media – in which it denied the charges in the CPI article and alleged that the contents of the article were untrue and aimed at smearing the good name of MAOPI.

Since then we have received further damaging disclosure from both members and non-members of MAOPI on the subject.

We are reproducing below unedited excerpts from another informant. Continue reading “Whistleblower on hidden truths of the pork import business”

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Political suicide or stroke of genius?

Written by Mohsin Abdullah of fz.com
The Edge Malaysia
Wednesday, 20 March 2013 10:56

PAKATAN’S move in putting Lim Kit Siang to contest Gelang Patah is obvious. Political analysts say it’s to win all Chinese majority seats in the state of Johor. Not only Gelang Patah. Using Lim’s “image” and “stature” to garner the votes.

Still, before that, the analysts as well as strategists within Pakatan itself agree that the major challenge now is to get the entire Pakatan fraternity, in particular the grassroots in Johor, to “see the big picture”.

The big picture, of course, is winning GE13 and forming the federal government. But isn’t that obvious? Why reiterate the need to see the big picture? If not for anything else, it’s to “pre-empt any chance” of an “implosion” arising from the move of bringing in Lim to Johor.

Pakatan strategists agree “there can be problems”, citing the recent PKR-DAP spat as an example. Other “potential time bombs” could be a PKR backlash as Gelang Patah has always been their’s to contest and MCA man turned PKR leader Datuk Chua Jui Meng’s “disappointment” of being overlooked after eying the Gelang Patah candidacy for some time. Enter the big picture. Continue reading “Political suicide or stroke of genius?”

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An open note for Dr Chandra Muzaffar

by Choo Sing Chye
Malaysiakini
5:09PM Mar 18, 2013

Once your heart was filled with egalitarian ideals which copiously propagated into the pages of your books and Aliran Monthly.

I admired your courage to say these forbidden ideals which in the eyes of the Umno kingpins were seditious.

I believed that you had the passion then, to offer solace for the poor without fear of offending the BN elites of the day.

You didn’t speak for the opposition, nor the BN government, but you spoke up eloquently for the poor and injustices.

In your heart you felt the anguish, despair, misery and wretchedness of the poor.

But today I see a different you. Continue reading “An open note for Dr Chandra Muzaffar”

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Lim Kit Siang the ‘giant slayer’

Malaysiakini
9:48AM Mar 20, 2013

YOURSAY ‘Kit Siang could have stayed in Ipoh and nobody would fault him. But a general never sits still when the war is raging.‘

Confirmed! Kit Siang will do battle in Gelang Patah

MrM: Uncle Lim Kit Siang is getting on in his years. Last time, he mentioned that 2008 will probably be his last election.

It is understandable that he will choose to stand again to give Pakatan Rakyat a fighting chance in Johor. So people of Gelang Patah, it is up to you.

Give Uncle Lim a resounding victory so that it may be the finest hour in his career and he can retire in peace.

Observer_2013: Kit Siang in Gelang Patah? The reason is because Pakatan doesn’t have any strong candidate in Johor.

Where is PKR state chief Chua Jui Meng? Trouble in PKR camp? In reality, BN will retain Johor easily. Continue reading “Lim Kit Siang the ‘giant slayer’”

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The myth of the rich and poor

by Anas Alam Faizli
The Malaysian Insider
MARCH 20, 2013

MARCH 20 ― “They are simply lazy”

“His father is a Tan Sri”

“He knows someone from the inside”

“I made it purely out of effort; I worked hard to get where I am today”

These are some typical expressions that are sure to be heard in coffee chats, every time the topic of rich and poor is brought up. People have grown easily accustomed to brushing off the topic of inequality as welfarist or socialist.

This happens even amongst supposedly “middle class” Malaysians, not realising that they are in actuality, most likely top income earners and wealth owners. Households earning RM10,000 a month and above already qualify as top 4 per cent Malaysians!

In fact, while partisan voices continue their discourse in the racial imbalance tone, Malaysia has silently migrated into new battles, concerning intra-racial, income, and class-based imbalances.

It is often argued that the poor and the low income earners are plain lazy and do not work hard; that one earns what one deserves. This is not true. Many are simply unlucky, to be born to parents who lack education or skills to escape from the clutches of poverty.

Some were born with disabilities and diseases, while some others live in flood-prone or hazardous places. On the other hand, we have sub-quality undeserving businessmen linked to political patrons, estate and fortune inheritors, and individuals plainly lucky to be placed in lucrative industries with high economic rent. Accusations like laziness then become hardly the issue. The rich can be lazy too! Continue reading “The myth of the rich and poor”

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Johor tidak lagi simpanan tetap

oleh Subky Abdul Latif
The Malaysian Insider
March 20, 2013

20 MAC ― Bunyinya Datuk Ghani Othman tidak lagi dikekalkan sebagai Menteri Besar jika Barisan Nasional hendak mengekalkan Johor di bawah perintahnya.

Nama Datuk Khalid Nordin, Menteri Pelajaran Tinggi yang hampir menggantikan Ghani tahun 2008 dikatakan akan menggantinya kali ini.

Pemerhati yang dekat dengan Umno masih percaya Johor akan kekal di bawah BN tetapi kedudukannya tidak lagi seperti sepanjang separuh abad lalu. Nama Ghani mulai mewarisi dua Menteri Besar yang awal dulu iaitu Datuk Hassan Yunus dan Tan Sri Othman Saad sebelum mereka digantikan dengan Menteri lain.

Maka bagi memastikan Johor kekal dengan Barisan Nasional walaupun tidak segagah dulu, MB-nya mesti ditukarkan. Itu ikhtiar politik BN.

Pakatan Rakyat sangat yakin, Johor bukan lagi simpanan tetap Umno/BN. Inilah peluangnya yang terbaik untuk merampas negeri Datuk Onn, Musa Hitam dan Muhyiddin Yasin itu. Continue reading “Johor tidak lagi simpanan tetap”

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What Kit Siang hasn’t done

by Jimmy Chia
The Malaysian Insider
March 19, 2013

MARCH 19 – Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek today rattled off what Lim Kit Siang has not done – which is not serving his constituents as the DAP leader keeps switching parliamentary seats.

Soi Lek has a point there.

I’d like to help the MCA president by listing off what else Kit Siang has not done in his long career as a politician. After all, MCA needs all the help it can get these days when even Datuk Lee Hwa Beng is wondering how well this towkay party can do in GE13.

So, what else hasn’t Kit Siang done? Continue reading “What Kit Siang hasn’t done”

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23-Day Countdown to 13GE – Will Najib make a mockery of his signing of the Transparency International’s Integrity Pledge by not taking any action against Taib Mahmud and his family on the explosive video evidence produced by Global Witness?

On 20th February, 2013, almost a month ago, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak signed the Transparency International Malaysia’s Election Integrity Pledge with much aplomb in the presence of many BN leaders including the Chief Minister of Sarawak and leader of PBB, Taib Mahmud.

Today, international NGO, Global Witness released a shocking video involving a nexus of prominent figures all of whom connected to Taib Mahmud. These individuals included Norlia and Fatima Abdul Rahman, daughters of former Sarawak Chief Minister, Abdul Rahman Ya’akub and cousins of Taib Mahmud. Fatima was caught on camera admitting that she could ‘speak to the CM very easily’ in order to obtain the necessary approvals for a land sale to a Global Witness representative, land which Fatima said was given to them by Taib. This land sale would involve a company, Ample Agro Sdn Bhd, whose first six shareholders are all daughters of former Sarawak CM, Rahman Ya’akub which includes not only Norlia and Fatima but also Tanjong Manis MP Nora Abdul Rahman as well as Najib’s sister in law Khadijah Abdul Rahman.

Norlia is also caught on tape asking the potential ‘buyer’ from Global Witness to undergo an illegal transaction whereby only 10% of the sale price of the land would be booked in Malaysia while the rest would be booked in Singapore in order to avoid Reals Property Gains Tax (RPGT). Norlia also said that these sorts of deals ‘have been done before’ in order to assurance the buyer that this is a standard operating procedure. The lawyer for Ample Agro, Alvin Chong, also confirmed the nature of this transaction in the Global Witness video who also proposed ways for the potential buyer to evade the 49% foreign shareholding limitation by appointing nominees based in Singapore. Alvin was caught on video saying that “I’ve put this to use many a time”. Continue reading “23-Day Countdown to 13GE – Will Najib make a mockery of his signing of the Transparency International’s Integrity Pledge by not taking any action against Taib Mahmud and his family on the explosive video evidence produced by Global Witness?”

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As the Altantuya Murder Plot Thickens

By Kee Thuan Chye
from Yahoo! Malaysia

Private investigator P. Balasubramaniam is gone, and his untimely death from a heart attack makes it all the more pressing for Malaysians to find answers to the mystery of the murder of the Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Who actually did it? Logically, it would seem unlikely that the two police personnel who have been convicted acted on their own. What would be the motive of Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar and Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri? They didn’t even know Altantuya before they whisked her away and dealt the fatal blow. It would seem they were merely hitmen.

Furthermore, according to Sirul’s cautioned statement, they were offered RM50,000 to RM100,000 to dispose of Altantuya. If this is true, who made the offer?

Other questions float in limbo like ghosts whose souls have not been put to rest. How did these two men get their hands on the C4 explosive used to blow Altantuya’s body to smithereens? It’s something that is difficult to procure. Did they have help from certain quarters? Continue reading “As the Altantuya Murder Plot Thickens”