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Some 630 Malaysians leave the country every day

A total of 304,358 Malaysians left the country between March last year and August this year for better education, career and business prospects, Deputy Foreign Minister A Kohilan Pillay told Parliament yesterday. This is a big leap from 139,696 Malaysians who migrated to other countries in 2007.

This works out to some 630 Malaysians leaving the country every day.

Can Malaysia afford such a continuing brain drain?

This is a big vote of no confidence not only in the Abdullah premiership but also in the present Najib administration. Continue reading “Some 630 Malaysians leave the country every day”

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PAC must act fast – prevent another multibillion-ringgit Matrade 2 scandal after the 10-year RM287 million Matrade 1 scandal

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) must act fast – prevent another multibillion-ringgit Matrade 2 scandal after the 10-year RM287 million Matrade 1 scandal.

The PAC had previously held several meetings on the Matrade 1 scandal, but they were of no practical relevance or consequence as what the PAC did was to lock the stable door after the horses had bolted.

As far as I know, not a single sen had been recovered by the government despite solemn assurances in Parliament by the Ministers concerned to pursue legal actions and penalties against the defaulting parties – with the Umno cronies laughing all the way to the bank with their ill-gotten multi-million ringgit NEP gains.

In the first Matrade scandal, the 24-storey Matrade building took some 10 years to be completed at a RM120 million cost overrun resulting in a final cost of RM287 million, i.e. at over 70 per cent of the original estimates of RM167 million. For years, the cracked façade of the incomplete Continue reading “PAC must act fast – prevent another multibillion-ringgit Matrade 2 scandal after the 10-year RM287 million Matrade 1 scandal”

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Matrade gets expo centre for ‘free’, says Mustapa

The Malaysian Insider
Wednesday November 25, 2009

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 — International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed today defended the proposed expo centre in Jalan Duta from controversy after the RM628 million project was given to Naza TTDI, saying the government was getting it for free.

Mustapa explained that building-for-land deal is good value for the Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade).

“The valuation of the land in 2007 is RM197 million and we are getting RM628 million’s worth building so we are getting value for money for us. We need a big centre,” he told reporters in parliament here.

The mammoth expo centre being built on a 13.1-acre site in Jalan Duta here is to be developed by Naza TTDI, a unit of the Naza Group, in exchange for 62.5 acres of state land at RM226 per square foot although the market value of the land could reach RM1.5 billion. The entire project will have a gross development value of RM15 billion.

The Matrade centre is estimated to be 90,000-sq-m and set to be completed in 2013.

Mustapa noted that the currently available exhibition centres in the Klang Valley were too small to lure major investors. Continue reading “Matrade gets expo centre for ‘free’, says Mustapa”

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Lack of transparency in RM628 million Matrade expo centre deal for 65 acres of prime land in KL for Naza TTDI with GDV of RM15 billion could further plunge Malaysia’s competitiveness and corruption perception rankings next year

Just spoke in Parliament on the Ministry of International Trade and Industry. I started by asking Parliament and government to give serious thought to a Malaysian Insider report today, and in particular its catchy headline “Malaysia’s next export: Maids?”

The Malaysian Insider report states:

The nation’s mismanagement of talent could have serious repercussions not only on its ambitions to become a high income economy on par with that of developed nations but could also lead it to fall further behind even its counterparts in the region. Continue reading “Lack of transparency in RM628 million Matrade expo centre deal for 65 acres of prime land in KL for Naza TTDI with GDV of RM15 billion could further plunge Malaysia’s competitiveness and corruption perception rankings next year”

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More answers from Minister in PM Department on Corruption

(1) Jawapan Bertulis YB Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz, Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri semasa menggulung perbahasan Bajet 2010 peringkat dasar pada 9 November 2009

Tuan Yang di-Pertua

Berhubung kenyataan YB Ipoh Timur bahawa tiada political will (dengan izin) yang diperlihatkan oleh YAB Perdana Menteri dalam memerangi rasuah dan pembentukan SPRM serta pembaharuan lain bagi memerangi rasuah adalah tidak efektif, sebenarnya kenyataan YB mengenai perkara ini adalah tidak berasas sama sekali. Hakikatnya the record speaks for itself (dengan izin) telah membuktikan bahawa Kerajaan dan SPRM komited dan bersungguh-sungguh dalam menangani isu rasuah. Ini terbukti melalui perangkaan tangkapan dan pertuduhan terhadap ahli-ahli parti politik dan juga pegawai kanan Kerajaan yang telah saya bentangkan sebentar tadi.

Bukankah kesediaan Kerajaan pimpinan YAB Perdana Menteri untuk memperkenalkan Whistle Blower Protection Act (dengan izin) bagi menggalakkan pemberi maklumat untuk tampil membuat pendedahan jenayah rasuah merupakan satu contoh political will (dengan izin). Bukan setakat itu sahaja, Kerajaan juga akan menambah 14 buah Mahkamah Sesyen dan 4 buah Mahkamah Tinggi bagi mempercepatkan process perbicaraan sesuatu kes berbanding 4 buah Mahkamah Sesyen sedia ada.
Continue reading “More answers from Minister in PM Department on Corruption”

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Parliament question on DPM use of Nuri helicopter for Umno functions

Question:

To ask the Prime Minister the guidelines on the use of government aircrafts by Ministers for personal and political party purposes, and why no action has been taken against abuses of power in August by Deputy Prime Minister who had crash-land in Sabah when using RMAF Nuri helicopter for Umno functions.

Answer: (Dato Seri Mohd Nazri Aziz)

Mr Speaker, Sir,

The guidelines for the use of aircrafts are based on the Surat Pekeliling Am Sulit Bil. 1 Tahun 1987 Peraturan Peraturan Penggunaan Jet Eksekutif Kerajaan dan Pesawat-pesawat TUDM which allocates government executive jet aircrafts for the use of DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang Di Pertuan Agong, YAB Prime Minister and YAB Deputy Prime Minister.
Continue reading “Parliament question on DPM use of Nuri helicopter for Umno functions”

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Chief Secretary Sidek’s failure to carry out Cabinet decision of July 2007 to take action against culprits responsible for RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal a factor why Malaysia has worst ranking and score in 15 years in TI CPI 2009

During the 2010 budget debate on 29th October 2009, I questioned the Cabinet decision to set up a super task force headed by the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan to take over all investigations into the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal as it represented a “major step backwards in public accountability and good governance”, smacking of a super “cover up” instead of a demonstration of political will to get to the bottom of the “mother of all scandals”.

I argued that what is needed is a Royal Commission of Inquiry to conduct a comprehensive and no-holds-barred investigation into the “mother of all scandals” including relevant Ministerial and Cabinet aspects of the scandal instead of trying to sweep the whole issue back under the carpet.

I also posed the following question:

“In the first place, is Mohd Sidek the most appropriate person to head the super task force on the PKFZ scandal?
Continue reading “Chief Secretary Sidek’s failure to carry out Cabinet decision of July 2007 to take action against culprits responsible for RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal a factor why Malaysia has worst ranking and score in 15 years in TI CPI 2009”

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Personal Data Protection Bill put online as national service and to welcome public views

It has taken the government some two decades to finally come out with Personal Data Protection Bill which was presented in Parliament for first reading yesterday.

It is however not available online, which is a sad reflection on the government’s seriousness and commitment to ICT and e-government.

As a national service, the Personal Data Protection Bill is hereby put on-line and all public views and input are welcome before parliamentary debate next month.

In Parliament in April 1997, I spoke of eight principles which should be adopted in a Malaysian Data Protection Act, viz:

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Divyashree, one of three pupils drowned in Kuala Dipang bridge tragedy, scored 4 As 3 Bs in UPSR, had ambition to become orthopaedic surgeon

V. Divyashree, 12, one of the three pupils drowned in the bridge collapse tragedy at SK Kuala Dipang in Jeram, Perak on Oct. 26 scored 4 As and 3 Bs in the UPSR results yesterday.

But the UPSR results were no comfort to her or her family. Divyashree’s life and her ambition to become an orthopaedic surgeon were snuffed out when together with two other pupils, N. Dina Deve and M. Devatharshini attending a 1Malaysia camp organized by the Education Ministry’s Co-curriculum Centre, she was drowned when the Kuala Dipang suspension bridge collapsed because of criminal negligence.

This morning, together with Perak Pakatan Rakyat elected representatives including MPs Ngeh Koo Ham (Bruas), M. Kulasegaran (Ipoh Barat), Nga Kor Ming (Taiping) and Perak State Assembly members A. Sivanesan (Sungkai), legitimate and legal Perak Speaker V. Sivakumar (Tronoh), Leong Mee Ming (Jalong), I was at the Ipoh High Court to extend support, sympathy and solidarity to the parents of the three victims of the Kuala Dipang tragedy to file a hundred-million ringgit suit against the Education Ministry for their death.
Continue reading “Divyashree, one of three pupils drowned in Kuala Dipang bridge tragedy, scored 4 As 3 Bs in UPSR, had ambition to become orthopaedic surgeon”

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Another black day for Parliament and anti-corruption

Another black day for Parliament and for Malaysia’s anti-corruption campaign – when my motion for an emergency debate on Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2009 which saw Malaysia suffering the worst CPI rank of 56 and score of 4.5, as well as the worst single-year drop in CPI rank by nine placings from last year’s 47th position and fall of CPI score of 0.6 from last year’s 5.1, was rejected in chambers by the Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin as “not urgent”.

It is meaningless to talk about the TI CPI 2009 as a “wake-up” call, as it would appear that nothing is capable of waking up the Barisan Nasional government to clean up corruption in Malaysia except for a change of federal government in the next general elections.

A survey of the 15 annual reports of the TI CPI from 1995 to 2009 shows that Malaysia occupies dubious company, sharing with Philippines the dishonour of being two of the 12 Asian countries first surveyed in 1995 which had ended with both lower CPI ranking and score in CPI 2009 as compared to CPI 1995 – with Malaysia suffering a bigger drop in CPI score of .78 (5.28 in 1995; 4.5 in 2009) as compared to Philippines, which suffered a drop of .37 in the past 15 years (2.77 in 1995; 2.4 in 2009).
Continue reading “Another black day for Parliament and anti-corruption”

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Doctrine of separation of powers – Kula’s emergency motion on police killing of five Indians should have been allowed

DAP MP for Ipoh Barat M Kulasegaran was unsuccessful in his attempt this morning to move Parliament for an emergency debate on the police killing of five Indians in a shoot-out in Klang on November 8 for being suspected gang members.

Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaffar conceded that Kula’s motion met two of the three criteria of being definite and of public importance, but it was not “urgent” as police investigations were “ongoing”.

I stood up to support the protests by Kula and DAP MP for Teluk Intan, M. Manogaran for rejecting a debate on the motion and argued that “investigations under way” should not be used as an excuse to disallow a parliamentary debate as this will be against the doctrine of separation of powers.

“Ongoing police investigations” is an executive action, but under the doctrine of the separation of powers, it is the executive that must be answerable to Parliament and not Parliament having to kow-tow to the Executive.

The Malaysian public are concerned about police killing of people in police shoot-outs and this is a matter which should be debated in Parliament with the executive giving a full and satisfactory accounting as at stake are public confidence in the police as well as in Parliament. Continue reading “Doctrine of separation of powers – Kula’s emergency motion on police killing of five Indians should have been allowed”

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Heads must roll starting with the resignation of the MACC Chief Commissioner Ahmad Said for Malaysia’s worst single-year plunge in TI CPI ranking and score in past 15 years

Heads must roll – starting with the resignation of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan – for Malaysia’s worst single-year plunge in Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) ranking and score since the introduction of TI’s annual CPI in the past 15 years.

Malaysia’s TI CPI ranking and score from 1995 to 2009, which ranges between 10 (highly clean) and 0 (highly corrupt), are as follows:

Continue reading “Heads must roll starting with the resignation of the MACC Chief Commissioner Ahmad Said for Malaysia’s worst single-year plunge in TI CPI ranking and score in past 15 years”

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Nazri insists Kelantan not entitled to oil royalty

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 – The Parliament was in uproar this afternoon when Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz poured oil on the fire raging over the Kelantan oil royalty issue by insisting that the PAS-governed state has no legal right to demand the payment.

While winding up the Supply Bill debate, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department explained that former prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein had not specifically used the term “royalty” when debating the Petroleum Development Bill in 1974 that established Petronas and agreements with the various oil-producing states to receive 5 per cent of the oil revenues.

“The agreement was made as a promise so that future administrations will respect it. It is a promise but not a right and his son, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, is respecting this promise by giving goodwill payment to Kelantan,” Nazri told the Dewan Rakyat.
Continue reading “Nazri insists Kelantan not entitled to oil royalty”

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Corruption conviction rate against ikan yu – Indonesia 100% Malaysia 0%

During the parliamentary debate during the committee stage of the 2010 budget on the Prime Minister’s Department, I compared Malaysia to Indonesia on the anti-corruption front.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has declared that the war against corruption and fighting the “judicial mafia” would be a priority for his first 100 days of his second administration.

In Indonesia recently, there was a public movement and outcry in support of the country’s Corruption Eradication Commission or KPK (Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi) whose top officers and anti-corruption campaign were undermined and threatened by the “judicial mafia” comprising top officials in the police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers trying to protect the corrupt and those who abused their public positions and power.

If there is a public movement in Malaysia concerning the Malaysian Anti-Corruption (MACC), it will not be in support but in condemnation of MACC for its failure to make a dent on corruption and for lending itself to be the catspaw of Umno/Barisan Nasional in their campaign to destroy the Pakatan Rakyat.

What has the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak got to show on the anti-corruption front after his first seven months in office?

Continue reading “Corruption conviction rate against ikan yu – Indonesia 100% Malaysia 0%”

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Who is lying – father (2nd PM Tun Razak) or son (6th PM Najib Razak)?

I asked in Parliament today – “Who is lying – father (second Prime Minister Tun Razak) or son (sixth Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak”?

This was during the committee stage debate on the Prime Minister’s Department on the 2010 budget in Parliament.

On 3rd November, while replying during question time, Najib told Parliament that from a legal aspect, states such as Kelantan and Trengganu are not entitled to oil royalties for petroleum produced “off-shore” – as they are only entitled to oil royalties if the petroleum is drilled from its water.

Najib said:

“The offshore oil operations in their waters are defined as an area not more than three nautical miles, which is measured starting from the low watermark or the shoreline of the state.
Continue reading “Who is lying – father (2nd PM Tun Razak) or son (6th PM Najib Razak)?”

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Hishammuddin blames demonization of police for high crime rate – as outrageous as his keris-wielding in the past

Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s blaming of the country’s high crime rate on the demonization of institutions such as the police is as outrageous as his keris-wielding before the 2008 general election as Umno Youth leader.

This is Malaysian Insider’s report on Hishammuddin’s speech in Parliament yesterday in the winding-up of his Ministry during the 2010 Budget debate:

Hishammuddin: Demonisation of police main cause of high crime rate

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein blamed the country’s high crime rate on the demonisation of institutions such as the police.

He said this in Parliament yesterday evening, immediately drawing stinging criticisms from members of the Opposition. Continue reading “Hishammuddin blames demonization of police for high crime rate – as outrageous as his keris-wielding in the past”

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Hishammuddin “rubbishes” Home Ministry website opinion poll on crime

I was floored.

In response to my questioning on the deplorable crime situation when winding-up his Ministry in Parliament in the 2010 Budget debate, Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said the Home Ministry official website poll of some 10,000 respondents on crime in Malaysia do not reflect the actual situation as the number of persons involved do not come to even .01 per cent of the Malaysian population of 27 million.

I told Hishammuddin that this was a most shameful answer and demonstrated that the government was in serious denial, raising grave questions about its commitment to end the endemic crime situation to restore a safe country where citizens, tourists and investors can feel safe and secure.

The three findings of the recent Home Ministry website opinion polls were: Continue reading “Hishammuddin “rubbishes” Home Ministry website opinion poll on crime”

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UMNO MPs’ “ambush” for OTK foiled by Minister’s absence

The ambush by several UMNO MPs for MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat last night during his Ministry’s reply in the government winding-up of the 2010 budget debate was foiled when the Minister was absent.

The reason given by the Deputy Transport Minister, Datuk Robert Lau, who stood in for the Minister, that Ong was “busy” with the official visit of the Chinese President Hu Jintao as Ong is the “Minister-in-attendance”, did not go down well with the UMNO MPs concerned as Hu’s visit would only begin the next day.

Led by Umno MP for Sri Gading, Datuk Mohamad Aziz, at least three UMNO MPs questioned Ong for the RM28 million purchase of second-hand DMUs (diesel multiple units) by Keretapi Melayu Bhd (KTMB) instead of EMUs (electrical multiple units).

Mohamad even asked the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the Transport Minister for the DMU decision, which is the first time a Barisan Nasional backbencher had called for anti-corruption investigation into a Barisan Nasional Minister. Continue reading “UMNO MPs’ “ambush” for OTK foiled by Minister’s absence”

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PAC proposal to investigate CKC for cbt – testimony of MACC impotence/failure

Why must Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) wait for Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommendation for further investigation into former Transport Minister Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy for possible offence of criminal breach of trust in the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal when the first report was lodged with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) as far back as 2004?

Isn’t this testimony of the failure, ineffectiveness and impotence of MACC and its predecessor ACA?

These are the questions I posed to the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz in the ten minutes he touched on corruption in the government winding-up on the budget before he ended his reply for lunch-break today.

I remarked that Nazri was defending the status quo of a worsening corruption problem in Malaysia instead of spearheading an attack on corruption, as is happening in Indonesia.

Nazri was in his classic mode of denial and also disagreed that there is need for a parliamentary motion to adopt the PAC report on the PKFZ scandal for all MPs to take a stand on the PAC recommendations. Continue reading “PAC proposal to investigate CKC for cbt – testimony of MACC impotence/failure”

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MACC should be censured for failing to bring to court those guilty of abuses of power and corruption in the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal although the first report was lodged as far back as 2004

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should be censured for failing to bring to court even a single person of those guilty of abuses of power and corruption in the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal though the first corruption report was lodged as far back as 2004.

How can MACC convince Malaysians that it is now a Malaysian version of Hong Kong’s ICAC (Independent Commission Against Corruption) when all it has demonstrated is its overzealousness and even abuses of power in investigating a RM2,400 Pakatan Rakyat state assembly constituency allocation resulting in the mysterious death of Teoh Beng Hock, while it has completely nothing to show and totally impotent in the RM12.5 billion PKFZ “mother of all scandals’?

An exchange between Public Accounts Committee (PAC) member and DAP Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua and the MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan at the PAC meeting on 23rd June 2009 highlighted the hypocrisy of the MACC.
Continue reading “MACC should be censured for failing to bring to court those guilty of abuses of power and corruption in the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal although the first report was lodged as far back as 2004”