Crisis of Confidence – PM in waiting
Crisis of Confidence – PM
Hindraf ban – retrogressive/vindictive hampering nation-building healing process
The banning of Hindraf by the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hamid Albar must be deplored in the strongest possible terms.
It is a retrogressive, vindictive and petty step which will hamper the nation-building healing process vital for Malaysians to feel one and united people again.
Instead of reaching out to the Malaysian Indian community to resolve the root political, socio-economic, cultural and religious causes which have made Malaysian Indians an alienated and aggrieved community as the new underclass in the country, ham-fisted measures to ban Hindraf will only aggravate the disaffection among the Indian community.
Coming in his last five months as Prime Minister, the ban on Hindraf is also testimony to the failure of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to take nation-building to a new and more mature level. Continue reading “Hindraf ban – retrogressive/vindictive hampering nation-building healing process”
Salahlaku Ketua Polis Negara
1. Sewaan Helikopter. Pada pertengahan tahun 2007, Kementerian Keselamatan Dalam Negeri telah diarahkan oleh Perdana Menteri merangkap Menteri Keselamatan Dalam Negeri untuk menyewa 34 buah helikopter daripada syarikat Asiacopter selama 30 tahun.
Anggaran kos penyewaan ini ialah RM20 billion. Cadangan PDRM kepada kerajaan di bawah Rancangan Malaysia Ke-9 ialah membeli 8 buah helikopter dengan peruntukan sebanyak RM272 juta, dan saya difahamkan 8 helikopter adalah jauh lebih dan mencukupi untuk kegunaan PDRM.
Soalan saya ialah, apakah perlunya PDRM menyewa 34 buah helikopter daripada Asiacopter Sdn Bhd walhal cadangan PDRM kepada kerajaan pada asalnya hanya membeli 8 helikopter sahaja?
Apakah perlunya PDRM menggunakan wang sebanyak RM20 billion untuk menyewa 34 buah helikopter ini?
Kenapakah PDRM tidak menggunakan peruntukan ini dalam usaha pembasmian jenayah dan peningkatan gaji dan elaun anggota polis, tetapi ia disalurkan untuk menyewa 34 buah helikopter?
Kenapakah pihak KPN bersungguh-sungguh dengan projek ini sehingga menghantar surat bertarikh 12hb Febrari 2007 terus kepada Menteri Kewangan 2 untuk memohon kelulusan rundingan terus untuk perlaksanaan projek ini. Continue reading “Salahlaku Ketua Polis Negara”
Parliament 14 October 2008 – 2009 Budget Debate
Junket to Taiwan, what have BN BBC learned?
Revise the obsolete 2009 Budget
HSBB – High Speed BroadBand, why subsidy to Tm Net? Why no open access?
Eurocopter adding to the collection of defense purchase scandals; Scorpene Submarine, Sukhoi Jet
Police Helicopter Purchase and E-Police
Utusan again
Short story on killing of Teresa Kok
Mingguan Malaysia
12.10.08
Politik baru YB J
Sastera
CERPEN
Oleh Chamil Wariya
PAGI itu resah YB Josephine, yang lebih mesra dengan panggilan YB J sukar dikawal. Sepanjang perjalanan menuju ke Dewan Perhimpunan Warga Cha di ibu kota, fikirannya terganggu. Tuduhan bahawa dia anti-Islam dan anti-Melayu sungguh-sungguh menghantui perasaannya sejak malam tadi lagi. Entah mengapa baru sekarang dia begitu, dia sendiri tidak tahu. Dia juga tidak pasti sama ada pemandunya, Ahmad, menyedari gelora jiwanya ketika itu. Kalau dia tahu pun, peduli apa, YB Josephine berbisik sendirian.
Pemandu itu memang sedia maklum pendirian politiknya tentang kepentingan kaumnya vis a vis orang Melayu. Dan dia tahu Ahmad menghormati pendiriannya, walaupun dilihat anti- Melayu, anti-Islam sebagai hak asasi tinggal dalam sebuah negara demokrasi. Bukankah kebebasan asasi itu dijamin oleh Perkara 5 hingga Perkara 13 Perlembagaan Persekutuan. Tetapi YB J akui demokrasi ada yang tidak sempurna dan kerap disalahgunakan oleh pihak yang berkuasa. Tetapi hakikat itu tidak menghalang rakyat menempatkan pembangkang di Dewan Rakyat. YB Josephine adalah salah seorang daripadanya.
Ah, tudahan dia anti-Islam, anti-Melayu tuduhan yang melulu bentak YB J seolah-olah mahu menyedapkan dirinya.. Ia juga tuduhan yang tidak berasas, hati kecilnya bersuara lagi. Dia meyakinkan dirinya bahawa kenyataankenyataan yang dibuatnya atas nama pelbagai kaum untuk memperjuangkan kepentingan kaumnya, bukan sesuatu yang rasis. Amensty International, organisasi hak asasi antarabangsa akan menyetujuinya. Begitu juga dengan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu. Ketua Pembangkang, di Parlimen pun tidak pernah menganggapnya rasis. Yang menganggapnya rasis hanya orang Melayu di dalam Parti Orang Melayu (POM). Continue reading “Short story on killing of Teresa Kok”
The RM 2.4 billion Telecom HSBB (High Speed Broadband) subsidy
Why is Telekom subsidised with RM2.4 billion of tax payer’s money for the HSBB project when an alternative proposal do not require subsidy?
Why wasn’t there an open tender to choose the best proposal? Why does the government think Telekom is the best company to role out HSBB in spite of the fact that Telekom failed to achieve the national objective of high internet penetration after more than 10 years?
Simple economics will tell that a competitive environment will produce the results the country wants.
Besides failure to deliver the numbers (high internet and broadband penetration) and despite the fact that Telekom is a laughing stock because TMnet is well known for bad quality of service, the government persist to award the next generation broadband project to Telekom.
HSBT (High Speed Broadband Technology Sdn Bhd) has offered to build a similar network without subsidy. Even if the government deems HSBT inexperienced to carry out such a large project, wouldn’t the fact that their not requiring a subsidy tell them a subsidy may not be required? Continue reading “The RM 2.4 billion Telecom HSBB (High Speed Broadband) subsidy”
Our strong and weak economic fundamentals
Yesterday, the repetition by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that Malaysia will not be hit by the global financial meltdown is most disturbing as Malaysia has both strong and weak economic fundamentals.
Malaysia’s past economic performance was in part linked to high rates of domestic savings and FDI flows. Capital was readily available – it was directed by the state, not necessarily into the most productive sectors.
Paul Krugman, the much-acclaimed economist now awarded the 2008 Nobel Prize for Economics, in his analysis about the Malaysian economy had drawn attention to this issue and questioned the capacity of the country to remain competitive.
It is indeed remarkable that no heed was paid this feature in government policies. Both in the Mahathir and Abdullah eras the essential economic policies remained unchanged — directed investments into large projects with low returns; a less than transparent and accountable use of national resources thus contributing to the growing level of corruption and abuse. Continue reading “Our strong and weak economic fundamentals”
Parliament 13 October 2008 – Revise 2009 Budget
Parliament debate history of budget instead of Budget for 2009
Datuk Seri Najib Razak failed his first test in Parliament as Finance Minister as he was nowhere around this morning to present a revised 2009 Budget for debate or to explain why a revised 2009 budget is not necessary.
When the Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim spoke this morning, the two blocks of Cabinet benches were totally empty – not a single Cabinet Minister was present.
Not only the second Finance Minister even the two deputy Finance Ministers were absent.
Where have they gone to? What could be more important than the start of the parliamentary debate on the 2009 Budget unless Parliament is totally unimportant in their eyes.
In fact, as I pointed out to the House, there was not a single official representative of the government who was present in the House to respond to the Pakatan Rakyat demand that the new Finance Minister should present a revised 2009 budget because the whole set of the 2009 Budget data tabled in Parliament on August 29 had been made obsolete in the past six weeks by the worst economic crisis confronting the world in 80 years.
In fact, the Barisan Nasional government has lost all sense of direction and is presenting a spectacle of a “headless administration” in Parliament – may be this was why there was the need for an “agricultural” study tour of BN MPs to Taiwan last month! Continue reading “Parliament debate history of budget instead of Budget for 2009”
“Free MP Teresa Kok Perak State Assembly Caucus” to be formed tomorrow
The Perak Mentri Besar, Datuk Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin’s agreement and announcement that the “Free MP Teresa Kok Perak State Assembly Caucus” would be formed tomorrow to lend support, sympathy and solidarity to MP for Seputeh and Selangor Senior Exco Teresa Kok in her fifth day of detention under the Internal Security Act is one major stride forward for the cause of human rights for Malaysians and legislators.
Following a day after the establishment of the “Free MP Teresa Kok Parliamentary Caucus” yesterday, I call on all states to emulate this pioneering step of the Perak Mentri Besar and State Assembly members to be in the forefront to defend human rights by forming similar “Free MP Teresa Kok State Assembly Caucus” as all legislators, regardless of race, religion or party affiliation, whether at the national or state level, should find common cause in the demand for the immediate and unconditional release of Teresa Kok under the ISA.
When attending the inaugural meeting to establish the “Free MP Teresa Kok Parliamentary Caucus” in Parliament yesterday, Senator Datuk Zaid Ibrahim who had resigned from the Cabinet as a matter of principle in protest against the gross misuse of ISA against Teresa Kok, Raja Petra Kamaruddin and Sin Chew reporter Tan Hoon Cheng, said he disbelieved allegations that she was either anti-Malay or anti-Islam as her detractors alleged.
Zaid had personal acquaintance with Teresa Kok when she was the secretary in the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Caucus on Myanmar (AIPMC). Zaid was then AIPMC Chairman.
Zaid said:
Teresa Kok is a third-term MP and I dare say that every Minister in the current Cabinet, whether from UMNO or any other Barisan Nasional component party, would agree with Zaid’s description of Teresa.
I challenge any Minister who would disagree with Zaid’s verdict that Teresa is a “wonderful lady” whom nobody believes could be “anti-Islam, anti-Malay, anti-anything” to come forward to speak up. Continue reading ““Free MP Teresa Kok Perak State Assembly Caucus” to be formed tomorrow”
Zaid Ibrahim to attend – “Free MP Teresa Kok” parliamentary caucus inaugural meeting tomorrow
MP for Batu Gajah, Fong Po Kuan, co-ordinating secretary convening the inaugural meeting of the “Free MP Teresa Kok” parliamentary caucus in Parliament tomorrow (Wednesday 17.9.08) at 3 p.m. has informed me that Datuk Zaid Ibrahim will attend.
I phoned up Zaid from Kota Kinabalu where I am attending a Sabah DAP forum “Malaysia – Towards a New Era” and the first Minister in the nation’s history to have resigned from the Cabinet on a point of principle confirmed his concern for the incarceration of MP Teresa Kok under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and that he would attend the meeting of the proposed “Free MP Teresa Kok” parliamentary caucus.
I hope to see Barisan Nasional Ministers and MPs, as well as the Speaker and Deputy Speakers, attending the meeting to demonstrate the maturity of the Malaysian Parliament where Parliamentarians can distinguish between parliamentary and party considerations and unite on a single footing to advance the cause of a first-world Malaysian Parliament. Continue reading “Zaid Ibrahim to attend – “Free MP Teresa Kok” parliamentary caucus inaugural meeting tomorrow”
“Free MP Teresa Kok” Parliamentary Caucus
Too busy to blog since the media conference in Parliament at 11 am yesterday on the letter to the Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia on Teresa Kok’s detention under the Internal Security Act, with several events crammed one after another including the following events:
1. Habeas corpus application for the release of Teresa at the Kuala Lumpur High Court;
2. First visit of Teresa by her parents at Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur since her ISA detention on Friday (Sept. 12) night at 11.18 pm.
3. Candlelight vigil at Kinrara, Teresa’s state assembly constituency.
4. Pakatan Rakyat Malaysia Day rally at Kelana Jaya Stadium.
Before rushing off to airport, must blog about the convening of a meeting of MPs from all political parties which I announced in Parliament House yesterday to form a “Free MP Teresa Kok” Parliamentary caucus.
The inaugural meeting of this parliamentary caucus will be held in Parliament tomorrow, Wednesday, 17th September 2008 at 3 p.m and I hope that regardless of race, religion or political affiliation, MPs (and Ministers) will come together tomorrow to demand MP Teresa Kok’s immediate release in our capacity as a parliamentarian.
MP for Batu Gajah, Fong Po Kuan is the co-ordinating secretary convening the inaugural meeting tomorrow for the establishment of the “Free MP Teresa Kok” parliamentary caucus. Continue reading ““Free MP Teresa Kok” Parliamentary Caucus”
Teresa’s ISA arrest letter to Speaker
15th September 2008
YB Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia,
Speaker,
Dewan Rakyat,
Parlimen.
YB Tan Sri,
Detention of MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok under the Internal Security Act on baseless and non-existing grounds- a grave contempt of Parliament
Three-term DAP MP for Seputeh YB Teresa Kok Suh Sim was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) on Friday, 12th September 2008 at 11.18 pm like a common criminal on her return to her Kuala Lumpur condominium at the condo entrance and has since been held incommunicado as if she is a Malaysian version of Osama bin Laden posing a grave threat to the security and stability of Malaysia.
Parliament, as one of the three branches of government and in keeping with the doctrine of separation of powers, cannot take lightly the use of the detention-without-trial ISA against an elected Member of Parliament, as it is not just about the violation of an MP’s individual human rights and parliamentary responsibilities, but a serious assault on the institution of Parliament and the system of parliamentary democracy when an MP could be silenced and Malaysians deprived of their elected representative and spokesperson by arbitrary exercise of police and Executive powers.
Meeting with Speaker Pandikar Amin tomorrow on MP Teresa Kok’s ISA detention on totally baseless grounds
I will meet the Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia in Parliament tomorrow over the detention of DAP MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok under the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the actions which should be taken by Parliament over an MP’s arrest on totally baseless and non-existent grounds.
Home Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said yesterday that Teresa was detained under the ISA as she had questioned the sensitive issues such as the azan (call for prayers for Muslims) and that could cause ill-will and disharmony.
This allegation was first made by the former Selangor Mentri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr. Mohamad Khir Toyo, which was then sensationalised by Utusan Malaysia.
Teresa had made an immediate denial that she had tried to disallow azan in Kota Damansara Sri Serdang and Puchong Jaya. The mosque committees in both areas have endorsed Teresa’s denial with the Masjid Kota Damansara officials explaining that a damaged ampliflier had resulted in the calls to prayer to be made without the aid of a PA system while Masjid Kinrara mosque committee said Teresa had never set foot in Masjid Kinrara and was not involved in the azan petition issue in the area.
The PAS MP for Kota Raja Dr. Siti Mariah Mahmud had also lodged a police report against Khir on Thursday for his statement published in Utusan Malaysia on Tuesday, as it was “maliciously intended and aimed at raising the anger and anxiety of Malay Muslims”.
The police has no basis whatsoever therefore to detain Teresa under the ISA for the baseless and non-existent grounds linking her to any azan controversy.
As an active political leader, how can Hamid repeat the baseless claim of the police about Teresa’s questioning the azan issue as anyone following the news whether in the printed or electronic media would know that it was the irresponsible and sole concoction of Khir Toyo and Utusan Malaysia? Continue reading “Meeting with Speaker Pandikar Amin tomorrow on MP Teresa Kok’s ISA detention on totally baseless grounds”
Malaysia Today blocked – MSC Bill of Guarantees Violated
In my interjection during the debate on the DNA Bill in Parliament this morning, I had raised the blocking of popular website Malaysia Today on the directive of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the violation of the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Bill of Guarantees as “a gift to the world” of no censorship of the Internet by the Malaysian authorities.
I quoted it as the latest example of the rampant abuses of power by the government which explains why there is so little public confidence in the independence, professionalism and impartiality of the various enforcement agencies with the vast powers as proposed in the proposed DNA bill.
Almost all key institutions of the state, whether the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Police, the Anti-Corruption Agency or the judiciary have come under a grave cloud and lost the high respect and public standing they were held by Malaysians in the early years of nationhood.
The MCMC directive to block Malaysia Today and the violation of the MSC Bill of Guarantees must be roundly and unanimously condemned by all right-thinking Malaysians, and the reasons cannot be more eloquently summarised by Jeffrey in another thread: Continue reading “Malaysia Today blocked – MSC Bill of Guarantees Violated”
How petty can you be, Shabery?
All the newspapers reported on the front pages that Anwar Ibrahim would be sworn in as MP for Permatang Pauh today and that the swearing-in will be telecast live over RTM, which airs the first 30 minutes of the daily parliamentary sittings from 10 am.
It will be no exaggeration to say that since the introduction of the 30-minute parliamentary live telecast by RTM since April, there has never been such greater national interest in the RTM live telecast as this morning to witness the historic return of Anwar to Parliament after a decade-long enforced absence because of political persecution and victimisation.
I did not realise that there was no RTM live telecast of Anwar’s taking his oath as MP until I was asked about it by the press when I came out of the Chamber about an hour later and I received angry reactions by Malaysians who felt “cheated” of the live RTM telecast.
How petty can you be, Information Minister, Datuk Shabry Cheek that you should indulge in such puerile tactics as to veto RTM from proceeding with its live telecast of Anwar’s swearing-in?
Why are the Barisan Nasional Ministers and leaders so afraid of one man that there should be a ministerial directive to veto the live telecast of Anwar taking his oath of office – after the live RTM telecast had been announced and reported in all the newspapers today? Continue reading “How petty can you be, Shabery?”
Anwar takes his seat as Opposition Leader
Anwar Ibrahim has been sworn in as Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh when Parliament met this morning following his historic win in Tuesday’s by-election.
The Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin welcomed Anwar’s return to Parliament after an enforced absence of a decade and announced his appointment as Parliamentary Opposition Leader with immediate effect.
Like the SAPP MP for Sepanggar, Datuk Eric Majimbun (who asked the first question this morning) and the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, I took the occasion when putting up a supplementary question of Project Mahathir in Sabah to congratulate Anwar’s return to Parliament after being forced out of the highest legislative chamber of the land for a decade following a second political tsunami in the Permatang Pauh by-election.
I also remarked that Anwar’s return to Parliament is taking place at a time when the the Barisan Nasional ship of state is behaving like the Titanic before its unforgettable sinking into the bottom of the sea.
No smooth 2009 Budget presentation if Anwar is not sworn in as MP to become Opposition Leader
A spate of news reports quoting the Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia as saying that the oath-taking ceremony to swear in the winner of the Permatang Pauh by-election today would most likely be held in mid-October and that he did not see any urgency to “fix a quick date” has raised eye-brows all round and thrown up a flurry of questions.
There can be no doubt that if the Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Arif Shah Omar wins the Permatang Pauh by-election, he would definitely be sworn in as MP in Parliament this week, latest by Thursday if not tomorrow itself – so that it could be used by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as a much-needed confidence-booster after the devastation suffered by the Barisan Nasional in the March 8 “political tsunami” relegating the Barisan Nasional to the Opposition benches in five states – Penang, Selangor, Perak, Kedah and Kelantan – and depriving for the first time in Malaysian history of its two-thirds parliamentary majority.
I believe nobody in Malaysia doubts that if Arif could win the Permatang Pauh by-election today, he would be sworn in as MP in Parliament tomorrow or latest by Thursday.
Why then should the position be any different if Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is re-elected as MP for the constituency and storms back to Parliament with a historic majority?
Abdullah, the Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak who had spearheaded the Barisan Nasional Permatang Pauh by-election campaign to be a 4Ds campaign – the dirtiest and the most disgraceful, dishonourable and divisive election strategy – and other Barisan Nasional leaders may not want to see Anwar return to Parliament in triumph to take his seat as the Parliamentary Opposition Leader exactly opposite Abdullah for 2009 Budget presentation on Friday, but this is not for them but for the voters of Permatang Puah to decide today! Continue reading “No smooth 2009 Budget presentation if Anwar is not sworn in as MP to become Opposition Leader”