Posted on

PM dispels fears of possible bankruptcy

Malaysian Insider
By Clara Chooi
June 08, 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today moved to quell fears raised by a minister that Malaysia would one day go the way of Greece and Iceland and become a bankrupt nation.

In a written response to a question by Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor) in Parliament, the premier gave an assurance that the government was taking steps to ensure that Malaysia’s debts would be reduced and maintained at a manageable level.

“Malaysia will not face problems like what is happening at present in Greece and Iceland. Continue reading “PM dispels fears of possible bankruptcy”

Posted on

Malaysia’s foreign debt – Parliament Question

SOALAN:
Lim Kit Siang (Ipoh Timur) minta PERDANA MENTERI menyatakan apakah tindakan yang telah diambil untuk memastikan bahawa Malaysia tidak akan mengikut jejak langkah Iceland dan Greece dan menjadi sebuah negara bankrap yang memerlukan penyelamatan dan masyarakat serantau atau antarabangsa.

JAWAPAN:
Tuan Yang di-Pertua,

  1. Untuk makluman Yang Berhormat, hutang negara adalah hutang luar negara yang terdiri daripada hutang luar jangka sederhana dan panjang bagi Kerajaan Persekutuan, Perusahaan Awam Bukan Kewangan (PABK) dan sektor swasta serta hutang jangka pendek sektor perbankan dan swasta. Peratusan hutang negara kepada Keluaran Dalam Negara Kasar (KDNK) dan tahun 2004 hingga 2009 kekal terurus dengan purata 34.6% dan pecahannya adalah seperti berikut:

    Tahun Peratus hutang negara kepada KDNK
    2004 42.3
    2005 37.8
    2006 32.1
    2007 29.2
    2008 31.9
    2009 34.3

    2. Continue reading “Malaysia’s foreign debt – Parliament Question”

Posted on

Anwar denied right to counsel at panel hearing

By Clara Chooi | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — The Parliamentary Rights and Privileges Committee has summarily rejected Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s application to allow his counsel to attend his hearing on the APCO-Israel issue today.

Committee members Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) and R. Sivarasa (PKR-Subang) told a press conference in Parliament after the panel concluded its meeting that the decision was made after the votes were taken from the members.

“Anwar Ibrahim (picture) has been denied counsel. He cannot appear with counsel.

“The decision was made whereby I and Subang (Sivarasa) were against it while all four Barisan Nasional committee members were for it.

“The vote was not unanimous,” said Karpal.
Continue reading “Anwar denied right to counsel at panel hearing”

Posted on

Question on 1Malaysia rejected

Twitter @limkitsiang :

My Q 2PM how many Ministers regard themselves Msian 1st race 2nd rejected 4offending rule agnst asking 4opinion abstract hypothetical matter
Monday, June 07, 2010 9:40 AM

How sad. Despite all publicity abt 1Malaysia PM dare not answer Q how many Ministers believe in it as 2rgd themselves as Msians 1st race 2nd
Monday, June 07, 2010 9:45 AM

Posted on

Two parliamentary questions on Najib’s three strategic initiatives to transform Malaysia but which have run aground

In the forthcoming parliamentary meeting beginning on Monday, I have given notice to pose two questions to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak on his three strategic initiatives to transform Malaysia but which have run aground because of strong opposition mostly from Umno and its outsourced organizations like Perkasa.

These three initiatives of Najib are his three strategic pillars which make up his roadmap to achieving Vision 2020 – an high-income advanced nation with inclusiveness and sustainability by 2020:

  • 1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now;

  • Government Transformation Programme; and

  • New Economic Model.

My two questions are to ask the Prime Minister:

Posted on

Najib’s most difficult question in the forthcoming five-week parliamentary meeting – how many Cabinet Ministers are Malaysian first, race second in keeping with 1Malaysia policy?

I have posed what is probably the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s most difficult question in the forthcoming 22-day parliamentary meeting:

“How many Ministers in his Cabinet, naming them, regard himself/herself as Malaysian first, race second in keeping with the 1Malaysia policy”.

It will test Najib to the limit of his intellectual prowess and political acumen to answer this question, as he will have to be a David Copperfield political magician to try to “square the circle” in view of two diametrically polar positions:

  • The declaration of the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme Roadmap that the goal of 1Malaysia is to create “a nation where every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second”; and

  • The declaration by the Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in December last year that he is Malay first, Malaysian second!

Continue reading “Najib’s most difficult question in the forthcoming five-week parliamentary meeting – how many Cabinet Ministers are Malaysian first, race second in keeping with 1Malaysia policy?”

Posted on

Proposal for a Parliamentary Caucus on Crime and Security to help Hishammuddin and Police to restore to Malaysians their fundamental rights – safe neighbourhoods, safe streets, safe homes and safe schools

In the past two weeks, the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein kept reminding the country that the street crime rate and the crime index have fallen by 39% and 15% respectively in the first quarter of the year, well beyond the 20% and 5% target set by the end of the year.

For the first quarter of last year 9,984 cases were reported while during the same period this year it went down to 6,158 cases.
Hishammuddin’s statement was repeated in a major local newspaper today.

There should be a sense of joy and relief that Malaysia is becoming a safer country, which is not only a fundamental right of Malaysian citizens and the most basic duty of any competent government in a civilized society, but also important in enhancing our international competitiveness to attract foreign investments so that Malaysia can take the quantum leap to escape the decade-long middle-income trap to become a developed high income country.

However, such a national sense of relief and joy is distinctly missing in public response and reaction to Hishammuddin’s repeated announcements in the past fortnight of a sharp drop of street crime rate and crime index in the first quarter of the year – to the extent that Hishamuddin’s announcement had to be repeated in a major national daily today.

Why is this so? Continue reading “Proposal for a Parliamentary Caucus on Crime and Security to help Hishammuddin and Police to restore to Malaysians their fundamental rights – safe neighbourhoods, safe streets, safe homes and safe schools”

Posted on

Another case of police shooting death involving 18-yr old Mohd Afham – PR proposes to convene another Parliamentary Roundtable on fatal police shootings as well as to revisit Dzaiddin Royal Police Commission Report 2005

Another case of police shooting death has surfaced – and I fully support the demand of the aggrieved mother Sapiah Elah, 52, from Simpang Waha Felda, Kota Tinggi for an independent commission to investigate into the fatal police shooting of her son on Mohd Afham Arin, 18, October 20 last year.

Sapiah said Mohd Afham was a good son who did not have any previous criminal record.

Mohd Afham, who was believed to be involved in snatch thefts, was riding the motorcycle with 19-year-old Mohd Firdaus Marsani as pillion rider, in Taman Johor Jaya after having dinner.
Mohd Firdaus, who also demanded justice in the case, refuted the police allegation that he had waved a machete at the policemen, thus forcing the policemen to shoot at them in self-defence.

He related yesterday that he and Mohd Afham were chased by three men on motorcycles. He said the three men were in plainclothes and did not show their authority cards, and out of fear Mohd Afham sped off towards Pasir Gudang with the three men giving chase. Continue reading “Another case of police shooting death involving 18-yr old Mohd Afham – PR proposes to convene another Parliamentary Roundtable on fatal police shootings as well as to revisit Dzaiddin Royal Police Commission Report 2005”

Posted on

DAP Sibu MP Wong Ho Leng will lead DAP policy debate on 10th Malaysia Plan in June Parliament to spell out the triple implications of the Sibu Miracle

For the past week, Sibu was on the lips of every Malaysian, igniting excitement and rekindling new hopes among Sarawakians and Malaysians that Sarawak and Malaysia are capable of far-reaching political changes in the near future.

The hard-fought DAP and Pakatan Rakyat victory in Sibu, where we turned around the 40%-60% odds on Nomination Day in the eight-day campaign to achieve a miraculous victory, has given to Sarawakians and Malaysians a glimpse of the possibility of New Politics and the replacement of the Barisan Nasional governments in Petrajaya and Putrajaya with  Pakatan Rakyat governments in the next 12 to 24 months.

The seismic Sibu by-election victory, akin to a Sibu Miracle, has brought with it great challenges and responsibilities to the Sarawak DAP state leadership.
Forget about “rest” until the two great battles of the next Sarawak state general elections and the 13th General Elections are over.
Continue reading “DAP Sibu MP Wong Ho Leng will lead DAP policy debate on 10th Malaysia Plan in June Parliament to spell out the triple implications of the Sibu Miracle”

Posted on

A foregone conclusion

By P Ramakrishnan President of Aliran

The decision to refer Anwar Ibrahim to the Rights and Privileges Committee did not come as a surprise to Malaysians. It was a foregone conclusion. Even before the debate began in Parliament, the outcome was very obvious.

The whole issue had descended into “Get your enemy at all cost – forget about justice and fair play.” In a game of numbers, there is no need to be moral about what you do. Just nail him. You have the numbers to achieve that!

The Rights and Privileges Committee – according to what Malaysians tend to believe – would find Anwar guilty and suspend him. His removal from Parliament would spare them from Anwar’s scathing attacks and more embarrassing revelations that would put them in a spot.
Continue reading “A foregone conclusion”

Posted on

Pakatan accuses BN of exploiting ‘brute majority’

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 — Lim Kit Siang attacked Barisan Nasional (BN) today for using what he called its “brute majority” in Parliament to persecute Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Together with his Pakatan Rakyat (PR) colleagues, he urged BN lawmakers to look into their conscience when deciding whether to refer the opposition leader to powerful Parliament’s Rights and Privileges Committee.

The DAP parliamentary leader also asked Parliament why Anwar’s claim that 1 Malaysia was linked to One Israel, was so “heinous.”

“This is dark day in Parliament. I am very saddened. What is so heinous about the accusation that 1 Malaysia is a carbon copy of One Israel? What is so big [about it]?

“If I say 1 Malaysia is [a] carbon copy of Malaysian Malaysia, then will I be referred to the committee? This is politically motivated through their brute majority” he said.
Continue reading “Pakatan accuses BN of exploiting ‘brute majority’”

Posted on

Tweet updates from Parliament

Updated – 2.58pm

In 90 minutes Parlmnt will be scene of brute majority bullying minority – illustration why BN must nvr b allowed 2get back 2/3 parl majority
Thursday, April 22, 2010 8:38 AM

What’s so heinous abt saying 1Malaysia is carbon copy of 1Israel dat parliamentary opp leader shld be referred Cttee Privileges n suspended?
Thursday, April 22, 2010 9:21 AM

BN Ministers/MPs make wildest even harebrained allgtns agnst Opposition R they all 2b hauled b4 Prvlgs Cttee? Then it will have 2meet daily
Thursday, April 22, 2010 9:39 AM

2day Najib Govt n Parliament in dock n not Anwar Case of gross violation of doctrine of separation of powers with Executive dictating 2Parl
Thursday, April 22, 2010 9:43 AM
Continue reading “Tweet updates from Parliament”

Posted on

Fastest withdrawal of Bill thanks to HS by-election – proposal to increase traffic compound fines from RM300 to RM1,000 pulled back after 48 hrs

It is an adverse reflection on the mediocrity of the Barisan Nasional Cabinet that the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill tabled in Parliament for first reading on Monday will now be withdrawn after 48 hours because of pressures from the Hulu Selangor by-election on Sunday.

When speaking in Batang Kali last night for the Hulu Selangor by-election campaign of the Pakatan Rakyat candidate, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, I had spoken specifically to censure the Transport Minister and former MCA President, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, other MCA Ministers and the MCA national leadership, as well as the entire Barisan Nasional Cabinet for tabling an amendment Bill to the Road Transport Act to increase compound fines for traffic offences by more than three-fold from RM300 to RM1,000.

I described this as “the act of a Transport Minister and government which are completely unconcerned and unsympathetic about the plight of the ordinary people in these difficult times”.

During the ceramah, the crowd in Batang Kali unanimously asked me to speak on their behalf in Parliament to demand that the proposal to increase compound fines for traffic offences from RM300 to RM1,000 should be withdrawn altogether or this would be one reason why the Barisan Nasional should be taught a lesson on the by-election polling day on Sunday, April 25, 2010.
Continue reading “Fastest withdrawal of Bill thanks to HS by-election – proposal to increase traffic compound fines from RM300 to RM1,000 pulled back after 48 hrs”

Posted on

Malaysia has degenerated into a “lebih kurang” nation thanks to four decades of Barisan Nasional “lebih kurang” government

In Tokyo yesterday the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Malaysia is no more a focused and high-achieving nation.

He said: “In Bahasa Malaysia, we have lebih kurang or more or less; we should be less lebih kurang but more precise.”

Hu Shih, noted Chinese scholar, philosopher and a leading light of the 1919 May Fourth Movement once wrote an article to pinpoint the ills of China which made China “the sick man of Asia”, entitled “The Story of Mr. Lebih Kurang” to explain why China had become a nation of sloths.

Najib has correctly diagnosed the “Lebih Kurang” disease which has afflicted Malaysia turning the country into a “lebih kurang” nation and why Malaysia had slipped from one of the most advanced nations on achievement of Independence in 1957 – second in Asia after Japan – to be caught in a “middle income trap”, left behind by other nations like Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong and Japan and now at risk in losing out to even more countries like Thailand, Vietnam and even Indonesia.
Continue reading “Malaysia has degenerated into a “lebih kurang” nation thanks to four decades of Barisan Nasional “lebih kurang” government”

Posted on

RPK and Bala not whistleblowers: Deputy minister

The Sun | 21 April 2010, page 6

DEPUTY Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and private investigator P. Balasubramaniam are not considered whistleblowers because they have revealed their identities.

Winding up the debate on the Whistleblowers Protection Bill, he told Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur), who raised the issue, the two individuals can seek protection under the Witness Protection Act instead.

“They have told the whole world who they are. Whistleblower protection is for those who we do not know who have given information to the authorities. We will never know the identity. That is the intention of this act,” Liew said.

“You don’t understand the difference between Whistleblowers Protection Act and Witness Protection Act. There is a lot of difference.”

Lim protested and said the meaning of whistleblower, as universally accepted, is “a person who informs on another or makes public disclosure of corruption or wrongdoing”.
Continue reading “RPK and Bala not whistleblowers: Deputy minister”

Posted on

Condemns “Alcohol” attack on Zaid Ibrahim – Pakatan Rakyat candidate in Hulu Selangor by-election

Section 6 provides that disclosure of improper conduct may be made against a member of Parliament or State Legislative Assembly.

Just received this Star news flash: “20/4 Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin pleaded guilty at the Gombak Timor Lower Syariah court to committing polygamy without the court’s consent.”

Does this fall within the “improper conduct” in Section 6?

Do the “drinking” habits of MPs fall under this term, as this has become the weapon used by Barisan Nasional in the Hulu Selangor by-election campaign in its “alcohol” attack on the Pakatan Rakyat candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, calling him “kaki botol”.

I challenge UMNO and Muslim Ministers, in particular the Umno Youth leader and MP for Rembau Khairy Jamaluddin, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak whether they dare to declare that they had never drank alcohol in their youth in the past!
Continue reading “Condemns “Alcohol” attack on Zaid Ibrahim – Pakatan Rakyat candidate in Hulu Selangor by-election”

Posted on

MIC/BN politicians acting like cattle which could be bought and sold at market place

When I read the Malaysian Insider report “Palanivel offered senatorship, likely deputy minister’s post” in return for not being fielded as Barisan Nasional candidate in Hulu Selangor parliamentary by-election, I immediately stood up in Parliament to protest at the political abuse and corruption signified by such a deal.

Parliament had just completed the division on the vote on the Foreign Ministry estimates during the committee stage of the debate on the 2010 supplementary estimates, and was starting debate on the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries.

I said that if there could be such blatant and cynical abuse of public trust and offices like Senatorship and Deputy Ministerships, what public confidence is there that there won’t be gross abuse of budget allocations approved by Parliament whether for the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries or other ministries.

I called on the Hulu Selangor voters to teach the Barisan Nasional and MIC leaderships a severe lesson by voting against the Barisan Nasional candidate in the by-election to protest against such breach of trust and flagrant disregard of the most rudimentary notions of ethical and honest political standards.
Continue reading “MIC/BN politicians acting like cattle which could be bought and sold at market place”

Posted on

What did Malaysia gain from Najib’s meeting with President Obama and visit to Washington apart from a photo op and new image projection at home?

Eight years ago, when the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad wanted to wangle a meeting with United States President Bush in the White House, lobbyist Jack Abramov had to be tapped and it cost RM4.6 million.

Eight years later, to wangle a meeting with United States President Barack Obama for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, RM77 million had to be spent to engage publicity consultancy agency APCO.

Let me ask a straightforward question: What did Malaysia get from the US side in the trip of the Malaysian Prime Minister to the United States? Thus far there does not appear to have been much apart from the 40 minute conversation with Obama and some other meetings with US officials. Perhaps the most direct benefit was in terms of a photo op and image projection at home in Malaysia.

Washington Post today in its report about the nuclear summit and about Obama seeking global help in sanctioning, as this to say:

“Obama also met Monday with Prime Minister Najib Razak of Malaysia. As a condition for Najib attending the summit, the Obama administration demanded that the Malaysian government adopt stricter import and export controls to prevent the country from being used as a transshipment point for smuggled nuclear materials and technology, officials said. “
Continue reading “What did Malaysia gain from Najib’s meeting with President Obama and visit to Washington apart from a photo op and new image projection at home?”