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Five issues for Najib to prove he is serious about “inclusive growth” to Sabahans

Finally, I want to end with a special reference to Sabah as ordinary Sabahans feel that they had been marginalised and left out of the national development and progress for since the formation of Malaysia some five decades ago.

If the Prime Minister is serious and sincere about inclusive growth, the Federal government should make Sabahans feel a full and equal part of 1Malaysia,and I recommend five priority areas for its immediate attention and action:

  1. Satisfactory resolution to the long-standing problem of illegal immigrants in Sabah, causing the Sabah population to multiply from some 400,000 during the formation of Malaysia in 1963 to over three million today. During his visit to Sabah last September, the Prime Minister had promised resolution of the illegal immigrant problem and this seems to have been completely forgotten.

  2. Eradication of poverty in Sabah. Barisan Nasional had promised to eradicate poverty in 2000 but it is now 2010 and Sabah has the highest poverty rate in the country.

  3. Massive development of basic infrastructure in Sabah to provide roads, piped water, electricity and broadband to Sabahans.

    4. Continue reading “Five issues for Najib to prove he is serious about “inclusive growth” to Sabahans”

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Lowest Chinese and Indian representation in the civil service in the 53-year history of Malaysia – 5.8% Chinese and 4% Indians as at end of 2009

The other two factors which can cause the failure of NEM as identified by the NEAC are:

  • Reform programmes have often met with strong resistance from powerful and vested interests, which subsequently forced their derailment; (Perkasa the extremist right-wing racist organization is one such “vested interests”) and

  • The implementing authorities failed to stay the course, either due to a lack of political will or inherently administrative weaknesses.

Although NEM proposes a “big push” in policy actions and initiatives to kick-start the transformation process, what ‘big results” have been achieved in the 1Malaysia concept in the past one year?

How can the public have confidence in the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) when there is no seriousness or commitment by Barisan Nasional leaders in the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP), as demonstrated by the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who had declared himself “Malay first and Malaysian second”?

It is sad and tragic that despite my challenge, not only Umno Ministers ran for cover, Ministers from MCA, Gerakan, MIC and other BN component parties also dare not declare that they are Malaysians first and their race whether Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan or Iban second in keeping with the 1Malaysia concept.
Continue reading “Lowest Chinese and Indian representation in the civil service in the 53-year history of Malaysia – 5.8% Chinese and 4% Indians as at end of 2009”

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Najib adopting extraordinary construction methods – building his 1Malaysia house with roof first then pillars without floor as NEM Part 2 has been deferred further from 10th Malaysia Plan to third quarter of the year

(Updated)

1. Ballooning budget deficit – Parliament has been presented with two sets of supplementary estimates, the second supplementary estimates for 2009 totalling RM11.36 billion (i.e. RM8.98 billion for Operating and RM2.39 billion for Development), after the earlier first RM10 billion supplementary estimates and the first supplementary estimates for 2010 totalling RM12 billion for both operating and development.

We are debating the second supplementary estimates for 2009 Budget which will be followed by the debate on the first supplementary estimates fo 2010 Budget.

These two sets of supplementary estimates before the current meeting of Parliament are most surprising, as the country was told by the Prime Minister cum Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak when presenting the 2010 budget on 23rd October 2009 that the fiscal budget of the Federal Government had reached a peak at 7.4% of GDP in 2009, and that the fiscal budget is expected to decline to 5.6% of GDP in 2010.

With these two sets of supplementary estimates, Malaysia’s budgeting has again gone awry with the budget deficit in 2009 shooting to as high as 7.9 per cent of GDP in 2009 and over 7% in 2010.
Continue reading “Najib adopting extraordinary construction methods – building his 1Malaysia house with roof first then pillars without floor as NEM Part 2 has been deferred further from 10th Malaysia Plan to third quarter of the year”

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Najib’s first anniversary marked with his 1Malaysia signature theme in complete tatters – will the NEM go the same way as 1Malaysia?

Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s first anniversary as sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia is marked with his 1Malaysia signature theme in complete tatters, raising the question whether the other pillar of his premiership, New Economic Model unveiled three days ago will go the same way as his 1Malaysia slogan.

When Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar made an arbitrary last-minute rejection of my amendment to the Motion of Thanks for the Royal Address late last night, provoking a collective protest walk-out of the Chambers by Pakatan Rakyat Members of Parliament from PAS, PKR and DAP, it was not only a black-letter day for parliamentary democracy but also for Najib’s 1Malaysia concept and slogan.

I had moved the amendment motion for the establishment of a Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme Roadmap to monitor and report on its progress and development at the conclusion of my speech in the debate on the Royal Address two weeks ago on March 18, and it was seconded by the PAS MP for Kuala Krai Dr. Mohd Hatta bin Mohd Ramli and had been accepted by the Chair.

It is against all parliamentary precedents and practices for the amendment motion, which had been properly moved, seconded and accepted two weeks ago, to be suddenly rejected at the last-minute just before voting on the specious ground that it had nothing to do with the Royal Address.
Continue reading “Najib’s first anniversary marked with his 1Malaysia signature theme in complete tatters – will the NEM go the same way as 1Malaysia?”

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Muhyiddin should resign as DPM if he is not prepared to declare that in accordance with 1Malaysia goal, he is Malaysian first and Malay second

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said in Parliament yesterday in his reply as Education Minister that he supported the Prime Minister’s message of 1Malaysia and instead accused me of trying to drive a wedge between Datuk Seri Najib Razak and him.

Muhyiddin said:

“Ipoh Timur has questioned my commitment to the concept of 1 Malaysia. For Ipoh Timur’s information, 1 Malaysia, which was created by the prime minister, is a pure idea aimed at strengthening racial unity which has been the basis of our strength as a nation.

“Unity reflected by 1 Malaysia is not a form of assimilation where one’s identity is erased and replaced with one identity. It is also not a concept which rejects the special rights of the Malays as propagated by Ipoh Timur through the concept of Malaysian Malaysia and lately Middle Malaysia.

“My relationship with the prime minister is very close and 1 Malaysia has the support of the nation. The allegations made are aimed at weakening Barisan Nasional. I am confident that Barisan Nasional lawmakers clearly understand the concept of 1 Malaysia.”

Continue reading “Muhyiddin should resign as DPM if he is not prepared to declare that in accordance with 1Malaysia goal, he is Malaysian first and Malay second”

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Pandemonium in the house as MP breaks procedures

Tweets @limkitsiang :

Gross abuse of standing orders by KotaBelud MP condoned by deputy speaker resulting in unprecedented pandemonium Parliament worst in 53yrs
03/22/2010 01:37 PM

Had warned if KotaBelud MP is allwd by dy speaker then dangerous precedent is set n PR MPs can do same. Chair failed resulting in 1hr chaos
03/22/2010 01:42 PM

2day most shameful episode in parliamentary history Standing Orders arbitrarily violated, Minister Nazri made unrepentant sexist remark
03/22/2010 01:56 PM

All bcos Umno obsession 2persecute Anwar 4 APCO-1Malaysia speech The hr-long bedlam was not over Anwar but abuse of parl process n sexism
03/22/2010 02:01 PM
Continue reading “Pandemonium in the house as MP breaks procedures”

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Call for Royal Commission of Inquiry on how the dreams and aspirations of Sabahans and Sarawakians in forming Malaysia had been fulfilled or betrayed in the past five decades

Last month, together with DAP MPs Hiew King Cheu (Kota Kinabalu), Teo Nie Ching (Serdang) and Lim Lip Eng (Segambut), I visited Kota Belud and Tuaran, which left us with one abiding impression – how the dreams of Sabahans in forming Malaysia had been betrayed in the past five decades.

In Kota Belud, 800 students and 54 teachers of SMK Tambulion have been suffering daily from the worst and most disgraceful 8km road which covered them in dust, turning them into orang putih, an ordeal which will last another year or two.

But this was not the only outrage in Kota Belud, for we visited Camp Paradise military complex meant to house 1,800 personnel. What we saw were impressive high-rise quarters which were virtually empty. Camp Paradise is now Ghostland Paradise with only some 35 personnel in a complex for 1,800 people – what a gross waste of public funds.

Will the Defence Ministry decide that no new army complexes would be built in the country until Camp Paradise is fully utilised?
Continue reading “Call for Royal Commission of Inquiry on how the dreams and aspirations of Sabahans and Sarawakians in forming Malaysia had been fulfilled or betrayed in the past five decades”

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Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme Roadmap headed by an Opposition Member of Parliament

Unfortunately, we do not have efficient, independent and professional national institutions whether the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Police, the Judiciary or the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to fairly and fearlessly uphold what is right and true as they all have bent themselves to serve the political dictates of their political masters although they vary from the national interests.

Malaysians are entitled to ask why the Home Ministry is completely insensitive, unconcerned and indifferent about the long-standing exploitation of the “race and religious” cards by Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian making a mockery of Najib’s 1Malaysia, while trigger-happy like the latest case concerning the China Press – for wrongly reporting that the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan has resigned when his termination would be effective and final in September!

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein has denied that the China Press editor is being pressured to resign or face three to six-month suspension of the newspaper – saying that only a show-cause letter had been issued.

Let Hishammuddin answer in Parliament – what is the big deal about the China Press report? It had made a mistake and a correction had been made.
Continue reading “Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme Roadmap headed by an Opposition Member of Parliament”

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Umno media are ironically furnishing the best evidence of the rise of Middle Malaysia

The 1Malaysia GTP talks about “promoting an all-inclusive 1Malaysia media”. It said:

“However, when some of the reporting and writing becomes too ethno-centric or even takes on a more race-centred angle, it raises, rather than breaks down, barriers. Further, instead of providing constructive and valid criticism, some writers abuse the greater freedom of expression now available to use terms and express feelings that are racist or inflammatory in nature and tone.

“While censorship is antithetical to democracy, there is a need to introduce, instill and internalize a commitment to journalistic professionalism, a sense of responsibility and self-restraint, with sensitivity to the divergent views and feelings of the diverse communities in Malaysia.”

Any independent survey of the mass media scene will show that those most guilty of the sins of being “too ethnocentric or even takes on a more race-centred angle” and abuses of using “terms and express feelings that are racist or inflammatory in nature and tone”, totally insensitive to “the divergent views and feelings of the diverse communities in Malaysia” in the past two years since the March 8 “political tsunami” of the 2008 general election are the Umno media of Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian.
Continue reading “Umno media are ironically furnishing the best evidence of the rise of Middle Malaysia”

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How many Cabinet Ministers, including the DPM, have the 1Malaysia DNA as to be able to pass three simple 1Malaysia tests? (Part 3)

I had proposed the establishment of an Opposition-headed Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia which had been met with indifference and disinterest from Muhyiddin and the overwhelming majority of Barisan Nasional Ministers.

This is really quite ridiculous as Muhyiddin and the Najib Cabinet should be persuading the Pakatan Rakyat MPs to agree to the establishment of a Parliamentary Select Committee on 1Malaysia and not the other way round!

Why is this so? Is this because the Najib Cabinet is full of Ministers who are quite skeptical about the 1Malaysia concept treating it as nothing more than political theatre not to be taken seriously?

Who are the Ministers in the Najib Cabinet who have the 1Malaysia DNA? I do not see anyone. No wonder neither Muhyiddin nor the other Cabinet Ministers comport themselves with any conviction that they are the standard-bearers of the 1Malaysia slogan and concept.

There are three simple tests as to whether Muhyiddin and Cabinet Ministers are sincerely and seriously committed to Najib’s 1Malaysia, viz:
Continue reading “How many Cabinet Ministers, including the DPM, have the 1Malaysia DNA as to be able to pass three simple 1Malaysia tests? (Part 3)”

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How many Cabinet Ministers, including the DPM, have the 1Malaysia DNA as to be able to pass three simple 1Malaysia tests? (Part 2)

I had occasion to ask publicly last month whether the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is sincerely and seriously committed to Najib’s 1Malaysia concept – whether he is the right-hand man of Najib or former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir as the custodian and surrogate of the Mahathir legacy in the Najib premiership.

I had asked Muhyiddin whether he had Najib’s endorsement and approval for all his utterances and actions which are inimical to the realisation of the 1Malaysia slogan and concept, including:

  • His defense of the racist “brain washing” and indoctrination on “ketuanan Melayu” by Biro Tata Negara despite criticisms and expose of its racist, divisive and seditious content for the past two decades;

  • His attempt to mitigate the Nasir Safar outrage claiming that it could have been “a slip of the tongue” when Najib’s senior political aide labelled Indians and Chinese in Malaysia as “pendatang”, alleging that the Chinese came as beggars and the Chinese women as “prostitutes”; claimed that Umno was solely responsible in drafting the constitution sidelining the contribution of MCA and MIC; and issued the threat to revoke the citizenship of those vocal about the subject cap for SPM examination.

    • Continue reading “How many Cabinet Ministers, including the DPM, have the 1Malaysia DNA as to be able to pass three simple 1Malaysia tests? (Part 2)”

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How many Cabinet Ministers, including the DPM, have the 1Malaysia DNA as to be able to pass three simple 1Malaysia tests? (Part 1)

In about a fortnight, Datuk Seri Najib Razak will be celebrating his first full year as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia.

In the past year, the slogan of 1Malaysia has dominated the media, the airwaves and the television channels while the 1Malaysia logo in different shapes and sizes had littered the national landscape.

Paradoxically, however, Najib is fighting a losing battle for his 1Malaysia slogan and concept and the most disturbing recent example of such failure was when early this month, a rational and level-headed Umno leader like the Second Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Husni Mohd Hanadzlah could make a racist remark when egged on by anti-1Malaysia elements when he came under the influence of Penang Umno.

Husni has yet to apologise for his racist remark at a dinner organized by the Penang Malay Chamber of Commerce, where he said: “Kalau orang Cina di Pulau Pinang buli kita, kita lawan balik orang Cina” and what Husni said had been caught on tape.

I am very surprised as DAP MPs have always found Husni as a very rational, level-headed and reasonable Deputy Minister and since Najib’s elevation as Prime Minister last April, as Second Finance Minister, and we find it most shocking that he could have uttered such a racially-laden statement, which runs counter to what Najib’s 1Malaysia represents.
Continue reading “How many Cabinet Ministers, including the DPM, have the 1Malaysia DNA as to be able to pass three simple 1Malaysia tests? (Part 1)”

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Twitter conversation – LKS and Kuli

limkitsiang: Oil royalty – Najib is Razak’s son or Mahathir’s heir? http://bit.ly/93SgAj
04:12 PM

razaleigh: My fellow dinosaur w/ a memory of a better day RT @limkitsiang: Najib: Razak’s son or Mahathir’s heir? http://bit.ly/93SgAj
04:22 PM

limkitsiang: @razaleigh shld not have 2depend solely on memory Shld have documents somewhere Petronas etc though mayb OSA Must wait 4regime change 1st?
04:30 PM

razaleigh: Why don’t I put the PDA up on my blog, YB RT @limkitsiang: @razaleigh shld not have 2depend solely on memory
04:34 PM

limkitsiang: @razaleigh good idea but PDA makes no mention of “offshore”. Aren’t there some documents/records somewhere referring to it?
04:42 PM
Continue reading “Twitter conversation – LKS and Kuli”

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Muhyiddin is among the most unqualified persons in the Najib Cabinet to talk about the doctrine of separation of powers

I never thought that a day would come when Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin could prate about the doctrine of separation of powers.

Who is he to suggest that I am confused and do not understand separation of powers for asking for an emergency Parliamentary meeting on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy2 charges.

This is because Muhyiddin is among the most unqualified persons in the Najib Cabinet to talk about the doctrine of separation of powers.

The doctrine of separation of powers among the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary suffered the worst erosion and emasculation, subversion and sabotage since the “mother of all judicial crisis” in 1988 when the then Lord President Tun Salleh Abas and Supreme Court judges were sacked for not complying with the whims and fancies of the then Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.

If Muhyiddin had any doubts about the perversion and subversion of the doctrine of separation of powers in the past two decades, he need only ask his Cabinet colleague, Datuk Dr. Rais Yatim who had written a doctoral thesis on the subject – although Rais had recanted his views to get back to the Cabinet.
Continue reading “Muhyiddin is among the most unqualified persons in the Najib Cabinet to talk about the doctrine of separation of powers”

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Just commission public opinion poll and Najib will know whether majority of Malaysians buy his claim that Anwar’s Sodomy 2 trial is “a personal, not political trial”

In rejecting my call for an emergency meeting of Parliament on Parliamentary Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy2 trial, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak does protest too much.

Najib said the Anwar Ibrahim Sodomy2 trial does not warrant a special sitting of Parliament as it is a private matter between two individuals, that it does not involve government policy and not a matter of national interest.

I challenge Najib to commission a public opinion poll and the Prime Minister will know whether the majority of Malaysians buy his claim that the Anwar Sodomy2 trial is “a personal, not political trial”.

Extend the opinion poll to all keen observers of Malaysian affairs world-wide and there can be no doubt that the overwhelming majority of opinion – whether national or international – will be of the view that the Anwar Sodomy2 trial is a political, not personal, trial!

Najib can entrust the Minister for KPI and 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon with the responsibility to commission such national and international opinion polls, and I have no doubt of their outcomes.
Continue reading “Just commission public opinion poll and Najib will know whether majority of Malaysians buy his claim that Anwar’s Sodomy 2 trial is “a personal, not political trial””

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Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid should give comprehensive ministerial statement on the scandal of the two missing jet engines when Parliament meets on March 16

It will be not be easy to pick the five top topics which dominated conversations and discussions among Malaysians during the Golden Tiger Chinese New Year celebrations as there are so many issues contending for a place among the top spots.

Undoubtedly, those contending for placing among the top five topics would include the following:

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Rejected: Motion on lower Petronas profits

Rahmah Ghazali | Dec 14, 09 4:12pm | Malaysiakini

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim failed in his bid today to move a motion in the Dewan Rakyat to debate the significant dip in the profits of national oil and gas company Petronas.

Deputy speaker Wan Junaidi Jaafar decided that the matter is not sufficiently urgent to be debated, although it is an issue of public importance.

Unhappy with the outcome, Anwar (PKR-Permatang Pauh) pointed out that it is important for the House to debate an issue which will have a huge impact on the economy.

Petronas’ net profit before tax for the first half of the financial year was RM31.2 billion, compared to RM63.3 billion in the same period last year, he said.
Continue reading “Rejected: Motion on lower Petronas profits”

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Government should respect PAGE and empower parents to decide whether to use English to teach/learn maths and science in primary/secondary schools

During the 2010 budget debate on the Education Ministry late this evening, I called on the government to respect the Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) and to empower parents to decide whether they want their children to use English to teach/learn mathematics and science in primary and secondary schools.

I reiterated the DAP stand that maths and science should be taught in the mother tongue or home language in Std. One and spoke on the decline in mastery of the English language by Malaysian students, all the way to the university level.

The government had been talking about the importance of ensuring fluency and proficiency of English students, especially university students, but little had been achieved going by the employers’ complaints about the poor English command of graduates.

This has undermined Malaysia’s international competitiveness as English is an international language and a language of competition in the world arena. Continue reading “Government should respect PAGE and empower parents to decide whether to use English to teach/learn maths and science in primary/secondary schools”