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World crude oil below US$78 a barrel – Najib should “burn midnight oil” to present lowered pricing for petrol on Monday

For the past month, two questions have obsessed Malaysians.

The first has been answered, viz: whether Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will bow down to pressures from inside Umno for a quick exit as Prime Minister by announcing that he would not defend the post of Umno President in the forthcoming Umno General Assembly.

The second question, still awaiting answer, is whether the government could respond nimbly to the rapid fall in world crude prices to undo its unconscionable 41% hike in fuel prices in June which had kicked off a relentless inflationary spiral hitting a 27-year high.

When the price of petrol in Malaysia was hiked by 41% by 78 sen from RM1.92 to RM2.70 a litre, the price of world crude oil was around US$140 per barrel.

World oil prices have plummeted to a one-year low below US$78 a barrel, but the price of petrol is RM2.45 or reduced by a mere 25 sen in two reductions.

This is clearly unacceptable and the situation is not made any more palatable with the statement yesterday by the Minister for Domestic Trade and Consumers Affairs Datuk Seri Shahrir Samad of the possibility that the price of petrol reverting to the old price of RM1.92 a litre if world crude oil price continues to dip below US$72 per barrel. Continue reading “World crude oil below US$78 a barrel – Najib should “burn midnight oil” to present lowered pricing for petrol on Monday”

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Black Friday – Najib should present revised 2009 budget on Monday

Today is Black Friday. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index plunged 34.88 points or 3.6 per cent to close at 934.01, falling to its lowest level since July 2006.

We are feeling the effects of the world financial meltdown as the United States Government’s US$700 billion (RM2.5 trillion) bailout has failed to inspire confidence that it is sufficient to avert a looming world economic depression.

But this is not the only bad news for Malaysia, which has been aplenty lately particularly our deteriorating national competitiveness.

Yesterday, for instance, it was announced that for the second consecutive year, not a single Malaysian university has succeeded to get listed in the 2008 THES-QS World Top 200 Universities while a fortnight ago, Malaysia’s ranking on the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index 2008 plunged 10 places to No. 47 in 2008 from No. 37 five years ago in 2003 when Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became Prime Minister.

What disturb Malaysians is that the Barisan Nasional government is totally at sea and unprepared to face the looming world financial crisis, as the Ministers and BN leaders are too preoccupied fighting for survival in their respective political parties to be able to plan out a strategy to save the Malaysian economy from the world financial meltdown. Continue reading “Black Friday – Najib should present revised 2009 budget on Monday”

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Selamat Hari Raya – Speak Truth To Power

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all Muslims in Malaysia.

As all Malaysians, Muslim and non-Muslim, celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri, it is appropriate that thought should also be given to recent major developments in the country, including:

• Blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin spending the Hari Raya Aidilfitri in Kamunting Detention Centre as an Internal Security Act detainee, not because RPK has committed any crime but because of his great act of patriotism to speak truth to power. Together with RPK in Kamunting Detention Centre are the Hindraf Five and some 60 other ISA detainees – all of whom should be released immediately and unconditionally.

• The last Hari Raya Aidilfitri for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Prime Minister as a very clear message has been made in the “926” Umno Supreme Council emergency meeting that the “knives will be out” if he does not heed the ultimatum to announce before October 9 that he will relinquish the post of Prime Minister by March next year and that he would not seek re-election as Umno President. In case the message is not clear enough, four UMNO divisions have publicly stated their intention to nominate Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin as candidates for Umno President and Deputy President respectively. Will there be a stampede of Umno divisions declaring their intention to nominate Najib and Muhyideen for the two top Umno posts in the next seven days should Abdullah continue to be ambivalent whether to re-contest as Umno President or not?

• Whether the Prime Minister presiding over the Hari Raya Aidilfitri next year will be Najib or Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim heading a new Pakatan Rakyat federal government; and Continue reading “Selamat Hari Raya – Speak Truth To Power”

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Any Najib apology for the rank racism of BTN indoctrination courses?

It is not just Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail who is guilty of rank racism with his derogatory, offensive, insensitive and chauvinistic reference to Malaysian Chinese as “pendatang”, “penumpang” and untrustworthy Malaysians, the Biro Tata Negara (BTN) also purveys such extremism and un-Malaysian prejudices and communal poison.

Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Umno President Datuk Seri Najib Razak has apologised on behalf of Ahmad Ismail to non-Malays “if it caused unhappiness”.

Is Najib next to apologise for the rank racism of BTN in purveying similar communal poison in its indoctrination courses?

I have received the following letter from an outraged parent at the trauma his daughter underwent in one such BTN indoctrination course for JPA scholars.

The BTN’s racist indoctrination course is a great disservice to both Malay and non-Malay JPA scholars as well as to Malaysian nation-building, the Merdeka social contract, the Malaysia Agreement, Rukunegara, Vision 2020 and Bangsa Malaysia.

It is time that the BTN’s racist indoctrination courses be exposed and all true Malaysians, both Malay and non-Malay, are invited to expose such extremist excesses and communal poison in BTN indoctrination courses as a prelude for its total revamp if not abolition! Continue reading “Any Najib apology for the rank racism of BTN indoctrination courses?”

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2-Year power transition – “headless government” in Malaysia?

A jumble of thoughts. A mish-mash of questions.

These describe my feelings when I sat in the cavernous plenary hall of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre for the official opening of the 54th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference this morning.

I made a special point to be punctual as the official invitation card asked all guests to arrive by 9.40 am, with the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi scheduled to arrive at 9.50 am to officiate the opening ceremony.

But Abdullah did not turn up. It was Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak who appeared instead.

Najib did apologise on behalf of the Prime Minister for being unable to attend the function but he did not explain what was the urgent business of state which had prevented Abdullah from fulfilling his long-standing engagement which would have been finalized well in advance with the Prime Minister’s Office.

One thought I could not push away at the KLCC this morning was whether we are witnessing a “headless” government in Malaysia – and whether this was the result of the two-year “power transition” plan announced by Abdullah on July 10 that he would hand over the offices of Umno President and Prime Minister to Najib in June 2010. Continue reading “2-Year power transition – “headless government” in Malaysia?”

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2 notorious cases challenge Malaysia’s modesty

International Herald Tribune
By Thomas Fuller

Friday, August 1, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: Government censors in this majority Muslim nation uphold an ethos of modesty by snipping sex scenes from films and ordering entertainers to avoid outfits that reveal too much on Malaysian stages – bare belly buttons and figure-hugging outfits are off limits.

But these days Malaysians looking to avoid R-rated content might be advised to read past news reports about their own leaders. Top politicians are embroiled in two scandals involving accusations of sodomy and the gruesome murder of a Mongolian mistress.

Reports on the finer points of a rectal examination and revelations about the sexual preferences of the dead mistress make other sex scandals that once shocked people here – such as Monica Lewinsky and her blue dress – seem almost Victorian.

This is not the first time that sex and politics have publicly collided in Malaysia. The trial of Anwar Ibrahim, a former deputy prime minister, for sodomy in the 1990s featured, among other highlights, a blood-stained mattress being hauled into the courtroom.

This time, wider use of the Internet has helped disseminate documents, facts and rumors that would otherwise have been filtered out of mainstream news media tightly controlled by the government.

The two scandals encompass much more than just sex. They are part of a broader clash between two men vying for power: Anwar is facing new allegations of sodomy at a time when he is vowing to unseat the governing party, while the other scandal involves Anwar’s principal political rival, Najib Razak, the deputy prime minister and anointed heir to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

What is worrying for many Malaysians is that the gloves appear to have come off in the high-stakes fight between Anwar and Najib. Continue reading “2 notorious cases challenge Malaysia’s modesty”

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Drop Anwar’s Sodomy II persecution – 1st step to end Abdullah’s freefall of public confidence in PM

“Abdullah: We do not fear Anwar – ‘Govt won’t stop him from contesting but due process of law cannot be ignored’” – this Star headline today is symptomatic of what is wrong with the Abdullah administration, that it is terribly obsessed and mortally worried about the Anwar factor in Malaysian politics.

Otherwise, why should Abdullah be dwelling on the subject of Anwar in the past two consecutive days, as if he has nothing more important to fret about – with the grave political, economic and nation-building crisis faced by 26 million Malaysians as well as his possible legacy to go down in history as the worst Prime Minister of Malaysia despite his glorious electoral mandate in 2004.

Instead of being haunted by the Anwar factor, Abdullah and his Cabinet should focus on the latest opinion poll of the independent Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research, conducted between July 4-16 from 1,030 Malaysians, which found among others the following:

1. For the first time, Abdullah’s popularity has plunged from a record high of 91 per cent in November 2004 to 61 per cent in January 2008 (just before the March 8 general election), down to 53 per cent in April 2008. With the unchecked free-fall in the past three months, Abdullah’s popularity rating has crashed below 50% in the latest survey to 42%.

2. The popular “satisfaction” quotient with the Barisan Nasional federal government has also fallen below 50%, with 54 per cent either “somewhat dissatisfied” or “very dissatisfied” with the Barisan Nasional government, while 44 per cent said they were either “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied”. Continue reading “Drop Anwar’s Sodomy II persecution – 1st step to end Abdullah’s freefall of public confidence in PM”

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Long Goodbyes Are Only For Lovers!

by M. Bakri Musa

Despite the apparent standing ovation Prime Minister Abdullah received upon announcing his retirement in front of UMNO members on July 10, 2008, there was no love lost between them. Likewise, despite the effusive tribute heaped upon Abdullah by his chosen successor Najib Razak on that same occasion, there is also no love lost between the two.

In announcing his resignation so far ahead, and thus ensuring a long drawn-out transition, Abdullah ignored a fundamental element in human (and also political) relationship. That is, long goodbyes are only for lovers! Abdullah should ponder the lyrics of the chorus line in Ronan Keating’s song, “The Long Goodbye.”

Come on baby, its over, let’s face it!

All that’s happening here is a long goodbye!

[For an accompanying music video, please click this link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5_k2pdvNTU ]

While it may be sentimental (and hence tolerable) for lovers breaking up to have long goodbyes, such a protracted political transition would be disastrous for a nation. Far from clarifying the leadership crisis, it only compounds the uncertainty.

Let’s face it. This belated ‘love’ between Abdullah and Najib will not last; neither will they, politically. The world of politics is like the animal world. When you are seen as weak, your predators will quickly pounce in for the kill. While it would be obscene to celebrate such an outcome, nonetheless it would be therapeutic for UMNO, Malays, and Malaysia.

I am uncertain of what a standing ovation after Abdullah’s announcement means. Perhaps they wanted to hear yet another statement reaffirming the same, only this time for him to make the date much earlier. They would then continue giving him ever more enthusiastic ovations – thus calling for even more announcements – until he declared his withdrawal right away! At which point he would bring the house down! Continue reading “Long Goodbyes Are Only For Lovers!”

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Can Abdullah deliver reforms in 24 months which he failed to do in five years?

The announcement by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday of a 24-month transition plan for him to step down as Umno President and Prime Minister in June 2010 and hand over power to his deputy, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is clearly the product of an intense multi-faceted power struggle involving various factions inside Umno as well as players outside Umno.

It was only two weeks ago that Najib made the startling public statement after a back-to-back Umno and Barisan Nasional supreme council meetings on the same day that the Prime Minister presented the Ninth Malaysia Plan Mid-Term Review in Parliament that he did not dismiss the possibility that he might contest the Umno presidency in the coming Umno party polls.

Such a statement did not really square with Najib’s declaration yesterday after Abdullah’s announcement that he had never won positions in the party through challenges against incumbents, adding: “Why then should I start now? I will not do something (challenge my boss), something I do not want to be done to me.”

It has been reported that Abdullah and Najib had discussed the power transition plan over five meetings in the past month, and if so, the public ultimatum by Najib two weeks ago that he could go for the Umno President’s post would have factored prominently in yesterday’s event. Continue reading “Can Abdullah deliver reforms in 24 months which he failed to do in five years?”

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Authoritarian solution?

( From Australian Broadcasting Corporation transcript of the Protes rally at the Kelana Jaya Stadium on Sunday. Clive Kessler is professor sociology at the University of New South Wales and one of Australia’s foremost Malaysia watchers.)

Clive Kessler: The situation in Malaysia at the moment is remarkable and that the brave hopes of independence have turned into an unbelievably sordid soap opera and the popular feeling among many people on the streets is precisely that. That in the sense they find the politics unbelievable, damaging and destructive and they see that more clearly than many of the political principles themselves.

Edmond Roy: He’s got a point. Consider this: the Opposition leader of the country is accused of sodomy.
The country’s Deputy Prime Minister is accused of conspiring to quash a murder investigation involving his private secretary and two of his bodyguards.

And last week, the Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak was accused of having sex with the murder victim, Mongolian translator Altantuya Sharribuu, whose body was blown up with weapons-grade explosives in a forest outside the capital. Continue reading “Authoritarian solution?”

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Balasubramaniam’s 2 contradictory SDs – the immediate concern

(Speech at the DAP Kuching Solidarity Dinner in Kuching on Saturday, 5th July 2008 at 9 pm)

In the past 36 hours, the country has been convulsed by the two contradictory statutory declarations by private investigator P. Balasubramiam over the linking of Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak with the murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

A great debate has been going on since Balasubramaniam’s second SD yesterday contradicting his first SD made public on Thursday with such devastating effect as to whether the private investigator had committed the crime of perjury, liable under the Penal Code to an offence which carries a maximum of seven years’ jail.

I think this question is secondary. My immediate concern of the two contradictory SDs by Balasubramiam is not whether he had committed a criminal offence, but his personal safety and a new low in public confidence in the police and justice systems. Continue reading “Balasubramaniam’s 2 contradictory SDs – the immediate concern”

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Altantuya/Najib link – PI Balasubramaniam SD1 vs SD2

Private investigator P. Balasubramaniam created shock waves yesterday when he made public his statutory declaration (SD) linking Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak with the murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, with several astounding assertions about the relationship conveyed to him by both Altantuya and Abdul Razak Baginda.

Today, Balasubramaniam created a second round of shock waves when within 24 hours he retracted his statutory declaration with a second statutory declaration, claiming that he was forced to make his earlier declaration under duress.

The initial public reaction to Balasubramaniam’s second SD is one of shock and disgust, with some dismissing and condemning the episode as a “Plague on both houses”!

Serious-minded Malaysians however cannot have the luxury of ignoring the SD acrobatics of Balasubramaniam as at stake are very grave issues about the integrity of the system of justice and good governance, the reputation of powerful office-holders and ordinary people(both dead and living).

As the initial feelings of shock and disgust settle down, it emerges that Subramaniam has done the impossible – making more Malaysians believe in his first SD by his second SD of retraction. Continue reading “Altantuya/Najib link – PI Balasubramaniam SD1 vs SD2”