From an email forward:
Subject: Fwd: The Man that Serves Najib Tun Razak
Date: Saturday, 26 November, 2011, 13:347 mil for 27 mil population. ? and the rest goes elsewhere
The Man that Serves Najib Tun RazakUntil 2 weeks ago, 98% Malaysians were under the apprehension that precious resources of this country is being wasted on subsidy.
The main man behind the dissemination of this information is the esteem CEO of PEMANDU (equivalent to a Minister without a Portfolio in the Cabinet), Mr Idris Jala.
He had given a list of subsidies that has been paid out by the government totalling RM74 billion. A staggering sum considering Malaysia being a small nation.
Idris went on to say that should we fail to cut these subsidies, Malaysia will turn into a bankrupt nation by 2019.
The plan is to spread fear of seeing our children eating from garbage cans and sleeping on the streets among the electorate so as to create a mood among the people to accept painful cuts and increase in prices.
Many Malaysians swallowed this bait hook, line and sinker. Many have changed their minds about getting angry with the government for raising the price of petrol. In short, Idris's con has begun to work.
YOU CANNOT FOOL EVERYONE EVERYTIME
Suddenly, in a budget discussion presented by visiting associate professor Subramaniam Pillay, the truth came out.
True to the saying, "The Truth Shall Set You Free", every Malaysians felt liberated by Subra's presentation.
It turns out, the RM74billion figure quoted by Idris is nothing more than a storyline made by a con men to con people.
Half of RM74 billion (RM40 billion) actually goes into spending on Education and Health. Hardly a form of subsidy by any standard considering Health and Education is the responsibility of the government.
Idris was trying to sell government spending as a form of subdidy. Idris knows that in order to make space for one form of government spending, one is forced not to spend on another spending.
In short, in order to continue spending RM40 billion on healthcare and spending, the government will have to cut spending on other items. Naturally, this will upset the UMNO cronies and UMNOPUTRAs because it will definitely result in the rapid deflation of their respective wallets.
So, the ingenious way of cutting this item is masking it as subsidy and tell the people that subsidy is bad.Another good point made by Subramaniam is the subsidy on fossil fuel.
THe total subsidy spent on Fossil Fuel is RMRM23.5bil.
What Idris Jala conveniently left out is the one little detail about the majority of this subsidy going to the IPP. Out of RM23.5 billion, only RM7 billion goes to the people. The rest goes to UMNO cronies and UMNOPUTRA in the form of Independent Power Producers(IPP).
Idris also failed to mention the fact that ALL of the RM4.6billion subsidy for infrastructure goes to HIGHWAY CONCESSIONAIRES. It's not a secret that ALL HIGHWAY concessionaires are UMNO's CRONIES. So, essentially, UMNO is subsidizing their cronies.
In short, the bulk of the actual subsidies goes to UMNO's cronies in the form of Highway concessionaires and IPP Producers. We, the people, only get a small portion of the subsidies which has to be shared among the 27 million people.
Idris Jala is nothing more than a con-man, doing the bidding of his master, Najib TUn Razak, of course for a hefty rewards.
Thank god we have the internet, for the internet helped us to see lies like this very quickly.
Tulang Besi.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Malaysia subsidies is a con job
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
NGO’s in 6 countries wants Sarawak’s Taib Mahmud arrested
Sarawak has been called the corrupt UMNO/BN’s fixed deposit (vote bank) as Sarawak’s Chief Minister has plundered the state and now have massive financial means to corrupt other leaders and to buy votes plus use his money to ensure the the poor Sarawak’s voters ends up voting for him and his cronies such as hiring all the boats and helicopters come election time to deny the opposition access to the interiors where the poor dependent and somewhat ignorant (real news kept from them) lives.
Will Najib heeds their call? Not likely as he depends on Taib to keep himself in power plus he too has too many skeletons to hide in the cupboard. Below a post from Malaysiakini to keep as many Malaysians informed as possible
Arrest Taib and 13 family members, M'sia told
11:10AM Dec 13, 2011
NGOs based in six countries want Malaysia to arrest the Sarawak chief minister and 13 of his family members for ‘abuse of public office, corruption and conspiracy to form a criminal organisation’, among other accusations.
The groups include Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), Greenpeace and forest watch organisation Fern.
The full set of their allegations in the 10-page letter covers:
- Illegal appropriation of public funds;
- Abuse of public office;
- Illegal appropriation of state land;
- Fraud, larceny and corruption;
- Systematic exploitation of conflicts of interest;
- Suspected money-laundering; and
- Conspiracy to form a criminal organisation.
The letter, dated today, is being sent to the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the inspector-general of police. “We are calling Malaysia’s top prosecutors to immediately arrest and criminally prosecute (Abdul Taib Mahmud), his four children, his eight siblings and his first cousin, Abdul Hamed Sepawi,” said the NGOs based in Malaysia, Australia, Germany, Japan, Switzerland and the UK.
Three NGOS from Sarawak - Borneo Resources Institute Sarawak, The Network for Native Land Rights and the Sibu-based Institute for Development of Alternative Living - have endorsed the letter
Taib’s children were named as Jamilah Hamidah (left), Mahmud Abu Beki, Sulaiman Abdul Rahman and Hanifah Hajar. His siblings were identified as Ibrahim, Aisah Zainab, Zaleha, Onn Mohamad Alí, Mohd Tufail, Amar Hajar Fredahanum and Raziah.
Copies of the letter are being sent to all major foreign embassies in Malaysia, heads of government, cabinet ministers and prosecutors in seven countries, the top executives of 10 multinational corporations who conduct business in or with Sarawak and editors of leading media outlets.
The letter is includes 16 exhibits that are said to document the accusations against the Taib family.
Research by the BMF has shown that Taib and his immediate family members have a stake in 332 Malaysian and 85 foreign companies worth several billion US dollars.
The known family stake in the net assets of 14 large Malaysian companies alone exceeds US$1.46 billion.
"We allege that only the systematic breach of the law and the use of illegal methods have enabled Taib and his family members to acquire such massive corporate assets," the letter alleges.
"Taib has been a state-paid public servant and government minister ever since 1963 and did not possess any significant independent assets prior to taking up office."
Alleged money trail
The letter gives three examples of family-controlled Malaysian companies said to have been favoured by Taib as chief minister - Cahya Mata Sarawak, Achi Jaya Holdings and Ta Ann Holdings.
Cahya Mata Sarawak is said to hold a monopoly on cement production in Sarawak; Achi Jaya Holdings is said to hold a monopoly on timber export licences; and Ta Ann Holdings has allegedly been granted more than 675,000ha of timber and plantation concessions without public tender. The family is also said to be behind property companies in Canada (Sakto Corporation, City Gate International Corporation and others), in the UK (Ridgeford Properties Ltd), in the US (Wallysons Inc, Sakti International Corporation and others) and is also said to be closely linked to at least 22 companies in Australia.
Other companies, such as Regent Star and Richfold Investments in Hong Kong, are allegedly linked to a multi-million dollar kickbacks scheme uncovered by Japanese tax investigators.
The NGOs state that "the criminal nature of Taib and his family members' 'private' businesses can no longer be denied by anyone who is intellectually honest, desirous of seeing the truth and interested in the good of the Malaysian people and, in particular, the people of Sarawak".
"We would like to remind you that Malaysia, as a signatory to the UN Convention against corruption and the UN Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, has a strong international obligation to fight corruption and organised crime in an efficient, timely and expedient manner", they add in the letter.
Taib is already facing investigations in Malaysia and abroad following allegations that profits from timber industries in Sarawak have been used to enrich family-owned companies.
However Taib and other family members have consistently denied specific claims made about them.
Malays should know what UMNO has done to them and the country
The original UMNO which can be credited in helping many Malays eased into various professions and the middle class especially prior to this monster UMNO Baru created by Mahathir has used this Malay Supremacy thing to benefit themselves to a far greater extend than the average Malays and has actually made the Malays weaker and afraid of competition. However, it is not for the non-Malays to tell this to the Malay mass. It has to be left to another Malay to tell it as it is for it to be more believable and Hussein Hamid of SteadyAku47 in a long post Takkan Melayu Hilang Di Dunia? ...dream on ! to state it as it is and hopefully his message will reach the Malay mass to begin to see UMNO and its rabid politicians as it is:
I was in Singapore the last few days for work. Have not been to Singapore for over 20 years. The driver of the taxi that drove me from the airport to my hotel was Malay. On the ride to the hotel he pointed out that all the land along the coast that was now fully developed was reclaimed land. He said that Singapore could no longer buy sand from Indonesia or Malaysia – so Singapore now buys its sand from Vietnam. He suggested that maybe the Malaysian government should consider letting Singapore mine all the sand it needed from the Pahang and Perak river so that floods would not occur as frequently as they do now – this way Singapore would have their sand and Malaysia gets two strikes against Singapore: Payment for the sand and flood prevention! I quietly smiled at his logic. If only our politicians could think that clearly!
At night I would watch TV as I ate dinner and what I saw on Singapore TV gave me some explanation as to why Malaysia is so far behind Singapore. No I am not just talking about the physical aspect of development where a comparison between the two countries would be an exercise in futility: Where would you begin? From Changi airport, the taxis I took, the buses and trains that I used to the presence of a city confident in its growth and secure of its place globally, Singapore is everything that Malaysia is not!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
NFC CEO and Directors salary
CEO: RM100,000 per month
Eldest son age 31: RM45,000 per month
Second son age 27: RM35,000 per month
Third son age 25: RM35,000 per month
Total salary per month RM215,000 per month
Total salary per year: RM2.58 million for running a failed project on yours and my money,
Anak saya pun graduate juga. UPSR, PMR, SPM dapat semua A. Umur 24 tahun. Kerja swasta. Dia pun work hard. Balik kerja paling awal jam 9 malam. Kadang2 sampai 1 pagi. Gaji dia RM2,700/sebulan. Adakah anak saya akan sokong BN/UMNO kalau begini keadaannya? Saya dah tahu jawapannya. UMNO tak boleh kelentong orang cerdik. UMNO is not capable of changing, not with the current leaders.
When more than 50% of our working population is earning less than RM2k/month, tak tahu malu ke mereka-mereka ini. Merompak siang dan malam, 7 hari seminggu. Perompak Ali Baba P Ramli pun ada cuti hujung minggu.
8 December 2011 15:12
Source: A Single Spark that starts the prairie fire?
Friday, December 9, 2011
Voter registration Sunday 11 December 2011
Perlis: Pertubuhan Buddhist Perlis, Kangar
Kedah: Malaysia Hindu Sangam, Sungai Petani
Penang: M'sia Buddhist Association, Jalan Burmah, Georgetown
Perak: M'sian Hindu Sangam, Jalan Lumut (Ipoh), Tokong Hock Soon Keong (Teluk Intan), SMK Perempuan Perak (Ipoh)
Kelantan: Kelantan Buddhist Association, Kota Bharu
N. Sembilan: Punjabi Language Centre, Gurdwara Sahib, Seremban
Malacca: St Peter Church, Jln Bendahara
Johor: Sacred Heart Church (Taman Sri Tebrau, JB) & Carrefour (Batu Pahat)
Pahang: Malaysia Hindu Sangam, Jalan Beringin, Mentakab
Selangor: Gurdwara Sahib, P. Jaya
KL: Maha Vihara Brickfields
ABU (Anything but UMNO) launched
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
List of wanton waste by UMNO/BN
Want to know how much the corrupt and incompetent UMNO/BN. Here is a list in progress compiled by Hussein Hamid of SteadyAku47 and still increasing:
JASA BESAR KERAJAAN UMNO-BN KEPADA RAKYAT MALAYSIA.
1. PKFZ RM12bill
2. Submarine RM500mil
3. Sime Darby RM964mil
4. Paya Indah Westland RM88mil
5. Posmalaysia (transmile) RM230mil lost
6. Eurocopter deal RM1bil waste?
7. Terengganu Stadium Collapsed RM292mil
8. MRR2 repair cost RM70mil
9. Maybank Overpay for BII RM4bil
10. Tourism -NYY kickback RM10mil
11. 3 paintings bought by MAS— RM1.5M
12. Overpayment by Sport Ministry——- RM8.4M
13. London 's white elephant sports complex —-
RM 70M
14. MRR2 Repairs————————RM 70M
15. MATRADE repairs —————RM120M
16. Cost of new plane used by PM——RM 200M
17. InventQ irrecoverable debt ——RM 228M
18. Compensation for killing crooked bridge —–
RM 257M
20. Lost in selling Augusta ———— RM 510M
21. Worth of AP given out in a year ——RM 1.8B
22. Submarines (future Muzium Negara artifacts)-
RM 4.1B
23. PSC Naval dockyard ————RM 6.75B
24. The Bank Bumiputra twin scandals in the early
1980s saw US$1 billion (RM3.2 billion in 2008
ringgit)
25. The Maminco attempt to corner the world tin
market in the 1980s is believed to have cost
some US$500 million.(RM1.6 billion)
26. Betting in foreign exchange futures cost Bank
Negara Malaysia RM30 billion in the 1990s.
27. Perwaja Steel resulted in losses of US$800
million (RM2.56 billion).
28. Use of RM10 billion public funds in the
Valuecap Sdn. Bhd. operation to shore up the
stock market
29. Banking scandal of RM700 million losses in
Bank Islam
30. The sale of M.V. Agusta by Proton for one Euro
making a loss of €75.99 million(RM 348 million)
31. Wang Ehsan from oil royalty on Terengganu
RM7.4 billion from 2004 – 2007
32. For the past 10 years since Philharmonic
Orchestra was established, this orchestra has
swallowed a total of RM500 million.Hiring a
kwai-lo CEO with salary of more than RM1 M
per annum !!
33. In Advisors Fees, Mahathir was paid
RM180,000, Shahrizat AbdulJalil (women and
social development affairs) RM404,726 and
Abdul HamidOthman (religious) RM549,675 per
annum
34. The government has spent a total of RM3.2
billion in teaching Maths and Science in English
over the past five years. Out of the amount, the
government paid a whopping RM2.21 billion for
the purchase of information and computer
technology (ICT) equipments which it is unable
to give a breakdown. Govt paid more than RM6k
per notebook vs per market price of less than
RM3k through some new consortiums that
setup just to transact the notebook deal. There
was no math & science content for the teachers
and the notebooks are all with the teachers'
children now.
35. The commission paid for purchase of jets and
submarines to two private companies
Perimeker Sdn Bhd and IMT Defence Sdn Bhd
amounted toRM910 million.
36. RM300 million to compensate Gerbang
Perdana for the RM1.1 billion "Crooked Scenic
Half-Bridge"
37.RM1.3 billion have been wasted building the
white elephant Customs, Immigration and
Quarantine (CIQ) facilities on cancellation of the
Malaysia-Singapore scenic bridge.
38. RM 100 million on renovation of Parliament
building and leaks.
39. National Astronaut Programme – RM 40 million.
40. National Service Training Programme – yearly
an estimate of RM 500 million.
41. Eye on Malaysia – RM 30 million and another
RM5.7 million of free ticket.
42. RM 2.4 million on indelible ink.
43. Samy announced in September 2006 that the
government paid compensation amounting to
RM 38.5 billion to 20 highway companies.
RM380 million windfalls for 9 toll concessionaires
earned solely from the toll hike in 2008 alone.
44. RM32 million timber export kickbacks involving
companies connected to Sarawak Chief
Minister and his family.
45. Two bailouts of Malaysia Airline System RM7.9
billion. At atime when MAS incurring losses
every year, RM1.55 million used to buy three
paintings to decorate its chairman's (Munir)
office.
46. Putra transport system bailout which cost
RM4.486 billion.
47. STAR-LRT bailout costing RM3.256 billion.
48. National Sewerage System bailout costing
RM192.54 million.
49. Seremban-Port Dickson Highway bailout
costing RM142 million.
50. Kuching Prison bailout costing RM135 million.
51. Kajian Makanan dan Gunaan Orang Islam
bailout costing RM8.3 million.
52. Le Tour de Langkawi bailout costing RM 3.5
Million.
53. Wholesale distribution of tens of millions of
shares in BursaMalaysia under guise of NEP to
cronies, children and relatives of BN leaders
and Ministers worth billions of ringgits.
54. Alienation of tens of thousands of hectares of
commercial lands and forestry concessions to
children and relatives of BN leaders and
Ministers worth tens of billions of ringgits.
55. Since 1997, Petronas has handed out a
staggering 30 billion ringgit in natural gas
subsidies to IPPs who were making huge
profits.In addition, there were much wastages
and forward trading of Petronas oil in the 1990s
based on the low price of oil then. Since the
accounts of Petronas are for the eyes of Prime
Minister only, we have absolutely no idea of the
amount.
56. RM5700 for a car jack worth RM50
57. Government-owned vehicle consumed a tank of
petrol worth RM113 within a few minutes
58. A pole platform that cost RM990 was bought
for RM30,000
59. A thumbdrive that cost RM90 was bought for
RM480
60. A cabinet that cost RM1,500 was bought for
RM13,500
61. A flashlight that cost RM35 was bought for
RM143
62. Expenses for 1 Malaysia campaign paid to
APCO?
63. RM17 billion subsidy to IPP
64. USD24 million diamond ring for Ro$mah ---
cancellation of order -- how much
compensation? PLUS $M$ HANDBAGS!!
65. Cattle/Cow gate by family of Sharizat RM250
million
Monday, December 5, 2011
Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 mala fide
The PA Bill (Peaceful Assembly Bill) 2011 which was passed through the Parliament with such obscene haste had not only been vigorously opposed by lawyers (Malaysia Bar), civil societies and activist has now been tagged as mala fide by no less than former senior investigating police officer and former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim.
Mat Zain Ibrahim: "I question Najib’s motive in tabling the bill and having it passed speedily in the face of so many people objecting to it."
“Is it to stop protests and peaceful demonstrations over his own misconduct and abuse of power amongst his or senior officials of the government’s administration, past and present?
More from Malaysiakini: Peaceful Assembly Bill mala fide, says ex top cop
Parasitic UMNO and its members
Below is a post reproduced from Hussien Hamid of SteadyAku47, a prolific blogger commenting on matters affecting Malaysia. In this post, he talks about the leaches in UMNO plus what UMNO is doing to the Malays. This is a must read for Malays especially those in the rural communities. So hope you will read it, absorb it and spread it far and wide:
NINA in UMNO. No Income, No Assets but RICH
steadyaku47 comment: Saw this in Maran Matters..started reading it and realised that I wrote it sometime back...thought it still relevant today..so here it is again! I got a kick reading it myself...so enjoy!
In UMNO there are many Malays who have become rich without working for it, without any business acumen and without any brains!
In UMNO there are many Malays who have been given lucrative business opportunities without any financial risks for them. These are fail-safe cash cows with an iron clad money back guarantee - the government buys it back from you at a premium – not IF you fail but WHEN you fail! But here is where UMNO has failed these Malays.
Tajuddin Ramli, Amin Shah, Halim Saad…
These are the top of the heap of failed Malay ‘businessmen’ who epitomize those who benefited from selective government patronage and became part of the culture of greed now infused into many Malay consciousness. These individuals have been given every assistance, every fail- safe option to succeed. And yet they fail.
And then there are those like Mahathir’s son, Mirzan: whose ‘businesses’ have been kept afloat by billions of ringgits belonging to the people and this son of Mahathir considers himself a businessman of considerable abilities - the new rich Malays. Malays who are multi millionaires riding on the back of UMNO and the people’s money. But at least this son makes a show of running a business empire- a diverse conglomerate that covers a range of activities – mostly legal! But come on lah….what business empire?Given the breaks he has had, even a monkey can live in clover without ever running out of bananas for the rest of his life!
Then we have Malays like the late Zakaria Deros, Muhammad Taib, Isa Samad, Shahidan Kassim and of course the infamous Khir Toyo.
These are the scums of the earth. They do not even have the intelligence or decency to hide the wealth that they have stolen from the very people who have voted to put them in power. The hastiness in which Khir Toyo had proceeded to display his stolen wealth after losing office fills most of us with stomach wrenching disgust. But these are the people that UMNO has chosen to be leaders within UMNO.
But what is most damaging to the Malays are the many thousands of Malays who have been taught that money can be got by abusing the trust placed in them by other Malays.
A Ketua Cawangan gets a contract to build a primary school in his “kawasan”. Without any knowledge of business he is given a business opportunity way beyond his capacity to manage. All he knows is that he has to get someone… just about anyone…. who will take the contract off his hands and give him a handsome commission. He makes the 20% to 50% commission off the contract price. It does not concern him if the contract is successfully completed or not – what matters is how much he will make as commission from that contract – after all he has already spent the advance given to him by JKR to start the contract. To him this is a good way of doing business.And so UMNO teaches a Malay to do business without having any knowledge of the business that he does, without any working capital, without risks and certainly without any brains to be able to better himself by this business opportunity given to him by UMNO. While all this is going on the wheeling and dealing is most intense in thecorridors of power.
In Putrajaya and in the Government Ministries. Not only by the Minister himself but also by all his staff – anybody and everybody with access to the Minister will make their money. In Agriculture, Defense, Education, Trade, Energy, Water and Communication and the mother of all Ministries, The Ministry of Finance. And do not forget the Government Agencies and anywhere else a ringgit can be made. Hell there are money to be made even in Rela and the Anti-drugs Agency!
All this orgy of making money makes these Malays cash rich. Wine, women and song…big cars, nice clothes are easy enough habits to acquire but it does not teach them how to keep the money or how to use the money to make more money. And their ability to make money remains as long as their Minister stays a Minister – so make hay while the sun shines!
And so what does it do to these Malays? They become parasites. Parasite: “Somebody who lives off the generosity of others and does nothing in return” What they earn is not enough to keep them in the lifestyle that they want to live up to and so they take from us. While we have to live on the wages we earn UMNO eagerly opens up many sources of illegal income for those that pledge allegiance to the party.
These Malays are regarded by most Malays as the worst of the blight that UMNO has caused to the Malay race. The presence of these Malays makes real all that UMNO leaders have been saying about the Malays. That the Malays need to be spoon fed, that the Malays are unable to compete on a level playing field with the other races, that the Malays will always need Ketuanan Melayu or they will be no more Malays left in their own country! This is certainly true of the Malays in UMNO but not of the Malays outside UMNO!
I shudder to think of what the future will hold for these people. Where will they go and how will they survive when UMNO is out of government?We see a bit of the future for these people in the likes of Ibrahim and Mahathir
They know nothing but politics. Without politics they do not have a life…….even when they are past 80. But there are no more places for them within UMNO. And so we see them do what they do now and they become a pain to us in a place where the sun does not shine! Just think of the negative impact it will have on the country when this scenario is repeated thousand of times at various levels after the next generalelections when UMNO is ousted!
The way things are for UMNO they know it would be a mistake to send a message to the other races that UMNO only looks after their own – but what choice do they have?
What we need to understand is that UMNO has a fragmented political reality with real power residing outside cabinet. The extent to which this power is exercised will depend on the Prime Minister of the day.
Our history will show us that Tunku, Hussein Onn and Abdullah Badawi left office because of circumstances beyond their control. Circumstance created by those outside government but within UMNO. A weak PM like Najib will surrender power to this faction, or for the lack of a better word, to these warlords as and when dictated to do so.
Because UMNO has been identified with the Malays, UMNO’s problem is the Malay problem. UMNO’s crisis is a Malay crisis. And UMNO’s solution to their problem will also be a Malay solution. UMNO wants to lead but its ability to lead will depend on whether their intention to change is sincere. Whether it can be backed by positive change in the face of opposition from the powerful forces within UMNO that wants to maintain its present status quo. I think not. UMNO is deceit. UMNO is greed. UMNO is not our future!
As the Chinese says :“The harsh winter is gone and spring is around the corner”
….I think that spring is indeed around the corner for all of us. We await the 13th general Election with much impatience!!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Sharizat refused to respond to questions regarding NFC
What is wrong with Malaysia when tiny or non-irregularities are investigated and right or wrong, the party involved is prosecuted and persecuted for alleged minor offence like the infamous Teoh Beng Hock death incidence.
However, allegations of the improper use of the RM250 million to the NFC (National Feedlot Corporation) being given the the family of Sharizat allegedly being abused, like the funds being used for personal expenses, Umrah (pilgrimage) and holidays by Sharizat and family, purchased of high end condominiums and Putrajaya land are glossed and not given any explanation by Sharizat and the allegations are not denied. Worse, the irregularities are deemed non-criminal by the Police.
So what is wrong with this country? It is time for a regime change but change will not be easy to come.
Article below contributed by Malaysiakini: Sharizat unmooooved by questions about NFC.:
Shahrizat 'un-moooved' by questions on NFC
2:12PM Dec 1, 2011
Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil today refused comment on the over the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) fiasco, just a day after delivering a fiery speech condemning her critics on the subject.
At a press conference today after Umno president Najib Abdul Razak's policy speech at the Umno annual general assembly, Shahrizat was asked if she was a party to the cabinet's decision to approve the NFC project.
Instead, Shahrizat gave her response to Umno president Najib Abdul Razak's policy address and hurriedly left the press conference, ignoring further queries from the press.
Yesterday, Shahrizat had condemned her critics for attacking her and her family over the NFC project, which was highlighted in the Auditor-General's Report 2010.
Shahrizat avoiding press
The project was awarded to a company owned by Shahrizat's family in 2007 under Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's administration when Shahrizat was a serving cabinet minister.
Her critics, primarily PKR, had claimed NFC had abused a RM250 million soft loan to purchase luxury condominiums and funded oversea trips.
Just hours after Shahrizat's speech, PKR hurled fresh allegationson the NFC, accusing the company of abusing funds to buy land in the administrative capital of Putrajaya and a luxury car.
Following this, the normally affable and chatty Shahrizat did not call for any press conferences after her speech yesterday. In contrast, her Youth wing counterparty Khairy Jamaluddin met reporters twice.
DPM, KJ mum
At another press conference earlier today, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who has been backing Shahrizat thus far, declined comment on PKR's fresh allegations.
"I don't hope that the opposition will praise us. We work hard, they don't praise us; We do the right thing, they also don't praise us. It has become a norm to us," he said.
"I have not had a chance (to talk to her on the matter)," he told a separate press conference this morning.
Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, when met at the sidelines of the AGM, said Shahrizat is capable of assessing whether the issue will cause damage to Umno.
Asked if she should resign, Mahathir replied: "I don't know".
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Bumiputera contractors praised Penang for ending crony capitalism and patronage politics
Bumi contractors hail Penang for ending patronage politics
12:38PM Nov 30, 2011
Winning a government contract during BN rule in Penang used to be all about ‘know-who’, according to Class F Contractors Association of Penang president Tahir Jalaluddin Hussain.
"(It) had nothing to do with how efficient or competitive you are," he was quoted as saying in a focus paper released by non-profit group Research for Social Advancement (Refsa), which cited various sources.
"There was no other way. And you had better be prepared to pay a commission... they don't help you for free," he said.
“The biggest difference is that genuine Malay contractors are now getting contracts based on nothing but their own capabilities.”
In its analysis, Refsa considered this to be the most important achievement of the open tender system being implemented in Penang.
It also said rehabilitation of the image of Class F contractors is another positive outcome.
"Those who flourish in Penang do so, not as cronies but on ... merit. Professional pride is replacing the once negative image associated with Class F contractors," the paper said.
"More importantly, it has eliminated rent-seeking and patronage politics."
The paper noted that Malay contractors have won more than 70 percent of tenders awarded by the state government.
In the three years that the system has been implemented, the Malay contractors’ ‘win’ rate has exceeded 90 percent at several state government agencies.
Criticism of policy
Umno leaders had criticised the policy change as an attempt to curtail Malay entrepreneurship and an affront to bumiputera rights, said Refsa.
However, MCA had charged that Chinese interests have been threatened since the DAP came to power.
They also won 98 percent of state contracts through the Public Works Department from January 2008 to November 2010, valued at RM20.4 million.
Refsa, however, said it is "all in the numbers", since the federal government stipulates that only contractors licensed by the Finance Ministry may bid for contracts - and 94 percent of licensed contractors are bumiputeras anyway.
Furthermore, Class F licences for jobs below RM200,000 are exclusively for bumiputeras, the report noted.
"It follows then that most contracts in Penang are won by bumiputeras. The (Penang) government is not being discriminatory. It is complying with federal government policies," the report added.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) and Najib’s “Non-transformation programs”
NFC puts Najib's transformations in poor light
Kim Quek
1:08PM Nov 16, 2011
COMMENT By BN standards, the National Feedlot Corporation project scandal is no big deal, as it involves no more than RM300 million of public funds.
The current scandal is typical of BN misadventures with public funds; a large sum is given to an incompetent crony who squanders the money without bringing the project to fruition.
And the response by BN leaders, from the prime minister down, has been nothing but a series of cover-ups and excuses.
There has been no attempt to face the problem squarely and come up with effective remedial measures.
The culture of transparency and accountability seems to be alien to these people, despite hundreds of millions of taxpayers' ringgit being dumped to trumpet Najib's many ‘transformations' for the country.
The National Feedlot Corporation Sdn Bhd (NFC) was given the task to "transform the Malaysian cattle and beef industry into a world-class halal beef producer", according to news agency Bernama, reporting on the signing ceremony of the RM250 million soft loan on Dec 6, 2007.
Target production was 60,000 heads of cattle for Phase 1 from the feedlot in Gemas. Operation was scheduled to start in February 2008.
NFC in a mess
Four years on, the auditor-general in his 2010 report stated that the NFC project was in a mess. The total number of cows slaughtered was only 5,742 up to November last year.
Even by the scaled-down target of 8,000 cows per year, the project is a flop.
It looks like NFC will meet the same fate as so many other BN forerunners such as the PKFZ, Perwaja, etc - besides losing hefty public funds, the dream of transforming this or that is gone.
And who owns NFC? The family of Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Women, Welfare and Community Development Minister, and head of Wanita Umno.
Her husband, Mohamad Salleh Ismail, is the chairperson, and of her children, one is CEO and two are executive directors of the company.
Expertise and experience in the business of cattle production and beef supply of the Shahrizat family is nil.
There are more than 300 feedlot farms in this country, and many established businesses in the beef supply industry.
With our people's accumulation of expertise in this area, shouldn't we have entrusted the important mission of boosting domestic beef production to entrepreneurs who are better qualified than the Shahrizat family?
Top guns to the defence
Added to the comedy is the scrambling to defend NFC and Shahrizat by personages no less than the prime minister, the deputy prime minister, the agriculture and agro-based industries minister, the Umno Youth leader, and now the latest, former prime minister Abdullah Badawi.
The PM said in Parliament on Nov 11 that there was no wrong-doing, and that production will soon increase to "12,000 cattle from 6,000 previously".
Noh (left) denied any impropriety in the award of this project and called the project a "success", giving various reasons for the meagre production.
Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin, who holds no government post, has strangely emerged as the most vocal defender. However, his lengthy discourse seems to excel more in offensive language than in helpful facts.
And even former premier Abdullah Badawi has come to Shahrizat's rescue. He said on Nov 15 that there was no need for her to resign as she is not the CEO and hence not involved. This was in answer to repeated calls for Shahrizat to resign.
Strangely, no one seems to have called for the two ministers concerned to be brought to book - the previous agriculture minister (now DPM) Muhyiddin Yassin for having dubiously awarded the project to an incompetent recipient and the current minister Noh Omar for failing to properly oversee the execution of the project.
As for our corruption watchdog MACC, it had remained eerily silent since the scandal broke out almost three weeks ago until the scandal got overheated and it passed the buck to the police two days ago, saying that this is a police case, not a MACC case.
Will police do anything? Your guess is as good as mine.
There you are, Najib's transformations for you.
KIM QUEK is a retired accountant and author of the banned book ‘The March to Putrajaya’.
Source: Malaysiakini: NFC puts Najib's transformations in poor light
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Speech by Lim Guan Eng At Foreign Correspondents Club, Singapore
12 August, 2011
Changing Penang in a Changing World: Transforming Penang
Ladies and gentlemen thank you very much for inviting me here to speak. I come here as the Chief Minister of Penang, one of four states led by Pakatan Rakyat or the People's Pact, the opposition coalition in Malaysia. I am from the Democratic Action Party, one of three coalition partners. I am extremely proud to be given the opportunity to govern the beautiful vibrant state of Penang and delighted to have the opportunity to speak to you. I hope by the end of my remarks you will consider coming to visit and invest in Penang, as it continues to be an attractive location for business and pleasure alike.
It is wonderful to be in Singapore. We have so much in common; shared history and people. Our bonds are deeply intertwined, culturally, politically and economically. I would like to highlight some of our common features. We are both small states that have punched above our weight economically through the hard work and creativity of our people. We have both been successes despite our size and obstacles we share. Today, more than 25%Malaysia's exports in terms of value and volume come from Penang -
more than half of the country's electronics are produced there - and we are among the top tourist destinations in Malaysia with a record numbers of visitors. Like Singapore, we appreciate the importance of planning, a favorable market environment for investors and fiscal responsibility. We both have worked hard to put ourselves on the map internationally, and done so successfully.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Jphn R Malott says EC arguments seriously flawed
Why EC's arguments are seriously flawed
John R Malott
Aug 24, 11
7:53am
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COMMENT There has been much informed discussion in Malaysia over the past two months about electoral reform, with thoughtful proposals from reformers and counter-statements by the government.
In this article, the first of two, I take a look at some of the proposals that have been made and compare Malaysia's situation to that of other countries.
Lowering voting age
From an international perspective, Malaysia's 21 year age requirement is out of step with the rest of the world.
Wikipedia lists the voting ages in almost 240 countries and territories around the world, and overwhelmingly the predominant voting age is 18. Malaysia is one of only 12 countries where a voter must be 21.
Let's look at Malaysia's Asian neighbours. You need be only 18 to vote in Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Laos, Maldives, Mongolia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
In Indonesia and East Timor, it is 17; in South Korea, 19; and in Japan and Taiwan, 20. Together with Singapore, Malaysia is the only country in Asia to set the voting age at 21.
Let's also take a look at other nations in the Commonwealth, whose governmental structures and constitutions have all been influenced heavily by the British.
The voting age is 18 in Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Bermuda, Canada, Ghana, India, Jamaica, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe. Once again, Malaysia is an outlier.
In Malaysia, when citizens turn 18, they have the legal right to get married, have consensual sex, sign contracts, and buy alcohol and tobacco. They can leave school and work when they are 16, and they can drive when they are 17.
They do not, however, have the right to vote until they are 21. Why does this age gap exist?
Malaysia's age limit clearly is out of step with the rest of the world and also is inconsistent with the legal rights it grants its citizens at an earlier age, from marriage through employment.
Extending the campaign period
However, a number of Malaysian advocates of electoral reform have pointed out that in years past, Malaysia's election campaigns extended beyond 21 days.
Let's take a look at Wan Ahmad's justification for a short campaign and examine the campaign periods in other Commonwealth countries, with which Malaysia shares a political heritage.
The 2010 Australian elections were announced on July 17, and the polls were held five weeks later, on Aug 21.
Using Wan Ahmad's logic, Australia needs a longer campaign period because it is a big country. So let's look at some smaller-sized places, which also are technologically sophisticated.
The 2010 elections in the United Kingdom were announced on April 12 and held on May 6. That is a campaign period of 24 days.
This year's parliamentary elections in New Zealand were announced on Feb 2, but they will not be held until Nov 26, almost 10 months later!
What about Singapore, a nation that is only 582 sq km in area, just 0.2% of Malaysia's size? Their Parliament was dissolved on April 19 of this year, and the elections were held on May 7, which was 20 days later.
Wan Ahmad argues that the length of a campaign period is correlated to a country's size and sophistication, but as the examples of the UK, New Zealand, and Singapore show, the argument doesn't hold water.
Finally, while Malaysia's land area is smaller than other India or Australia, the physical separation of the nation into its eastern and western halves has an impact on national election campaigns. The flying distance between Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu is 1,624 km.
That is just 42km short of the distance between Bombay and Calcutta, and 123km less than the distance between New Delhi and Chennai. So for political leaders who need to criss-cross the country, the length of the campaign is important.
Using indelible ink
Bersih 2.0 advocates the use of indelible ink, which has proven to be a low-tech but effective method to prevent electoral fraud. EC deputy chief Wan Ahmad has made a number of points in opposition.
First, Wan Ahmad claims that Malaysia's Constitution would need to be amended, because the government cannot deny a registered voter his or her right to vote. This is incredibly perverse logic.
Wan Ahmad's second argument is chauvinistic. He says that indelible ink is for poorer, less sophisticated countries like India and Indonesia. Sophisticated countries like Malaysia deserve a more high-tech system like biometrics.
But then, in the same breath, he says that voters in the countryside are not sophisticated, and that they could be duped by people who dip their fingers in ink before they vote. So which is it - are Malaysians sophisticated or not?
But Indian ink - which is what the Malaysian government imported in 2008 - stays on the skin for 72 hours and cannot be removed.
The irony is that many Malaysians believe that the proposed high-tech biometric system will lead to more fraud and more problems, not less. The equipment and database will be under the control of the government. Some blog reports say that the Malaysian companies that provide this kind of equipment have close political and family connections to government leaders.
Furthermore, as we all know, any computer system and database is only as good as the information that we put into it. High-tech systems are also prone to crash.
Can Malaysia deploy biometric equipment to thousands of polling places across the country, train personnel, and ensure both electricity and Internet connectivity, especially in the rural areas? A low-tech solution - indelible ink - seems easier, cheaper, and more reliable.
Permitting foreign observers
When Wan Ahmad was asked last July whether Malaysia would invite foreign groups to observe the country's next elections, the EC deputy chief became emotional and nationalistic: “Why do we need foreigners... commenting on our election system? They don't know our election laws. They don't understand our values.”
It is a matter of pride, he said. Malaysians would be hurt by the negative comments of foreign observers. “They are foreigners. Who are they? Why do we need Germans commenting on our election system?”
The irony is that he made these comments just as his boss, Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof, was in Thailand on a five-day trip with four other Malaysian election commissioners to observe the Thai elections. The Malaysian group had been invited by the Thai Election Commission, along with 11 other countries.
As in Malaysia, voters in Thailand are divided on the question whether their elections are free and fair. An Asia Foundation survey in 2009 found a split - 47% of those Thai surveyed said their elections are free and fair, while 48% disagreed.
But when asked whether the presence of election observers would give them more confidence that the results of the elections were fair, 62% said yes. Only 34% said that it would not.
From that point of view, it is in the government's interest to invite both domestic and foreign groups to observe the next elections. The heavy-handed government crackdown last July 9 against the Bersih rally certainly got the world's attention and raised international concern that all might not be as it seems in Malaysia.
The government says that elections are free and fair. The world needs to be assured about the strength and integrity of Malaysia's democracy. Inviting foreign observers is not an issue of national pride; it is a question of national interest.
JOHN R MALOTT was the US Ambassador to Malaysia, 1995-1998, and continues to follow developments in that country closely.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Eye witness reports to Suhakam – Police attack on Tung Shin Hospital
REPORT TO
THE HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF MALAYSIA (SUHAKAM)
BERSIH 2.0, 9th july 2011
Summary of Eyewitness Reports on the “Attack”
on Tung Shin Hospital & Chinese Maternity Hospital by Enforcement Officers
An open call to the public was made via the Internet for members of the public who were at Tung Shin Hospital and Chinese Maternity Hospital on the 9thof July 2011, between 2.00 p,m. to 4.00 p.m. to give their statements on the Bersih 2.0 Rally. Eighteen eyewitnesses gave their statements, via email or through direct interviews (in person and over the phone). Below is a summary of the statements.
1. Evidence: 18 Eyewitness Statements
- 15 Eyewitnesses present at Tung Shin Hospital during the Bersih 2.0 rally
- 9 Eyewitnesses also present at Chinese Maternity Hospital during the Bersih 2.0 rally
2. Evidence: Photographic evidence of tear gas & water cannons fired into hospital compounds during the Bersih 2.0 Rally
- Photographs obtained from members of the public
- Videos obtained from members of the public
Summary of the Evidence:
“There was no provocation of the police forces by the crowd (no heckling, no chanting of offensive slogans, and no physical provocation) despite the fact that we had been corralled on either end of the road by police and were NOT allowed to disperse or to move on with the march.”
Consistent throughout the statements from the eyewitnesses near and in Tung Shin Hospital and Chinese Maternity Hospital was the expression of peacefulness and civility displayed by the participants at the Bersih 2.0 rally. This is contrary to statements published in the press of supposed unruly and provocative behavior displayed by the Bersih 2.0 participants. Additionally, none of the eyewitnesses stated that there was any destruction of property during the rally, with one stating that “no one (even) litter(ed)”.
The eyewitnesses who were asked for their reasons to participate were also clear that it was within their constitutionally guaranteed rights to assemble peacefully and to freely express their opinions, in this case to call for fair and clean elections. There were also clear statements of ‘unity’ witnessed among the participants of the rally, with one person describing it as a ‘carnival of solidarity’, as people sang the national anthem together, and chanted slogans such as “Hidup Rakyat” (“long live the people”).
"As we were somewhat close to the front, we sat down almost immediately. Suddenly, without warning (and without provocation from anyone), multiple shots of tear gas were fired at us. It was extremely strong. People started running for cover. As the hospital compound was the nearest and safest place for us to seek shelter in, we ran to it”
Out of the 18 statements, 15 individuals were in the compound of Tung Shin Hospital between 2.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. on the 9th of July 2011, while 9 participants were also in the compound of Chinese Maternity Hospital. One participant was on the road between both these hospitals, and gave testimony from her vantage point.
Several witnesses stated that before they were in the hospital compounds, they were on Jalan Pudu with thousands of other participants. The riot police and FRU trucks had ‘sealed’ off the area from both ends (on one end near Terminal Bas Puduraya, and on the other end near the Swiss Garden Hotel). As such, the participants were ‘trapped’ in a situation without anywhere to disperse to. When the FRU trucks and riot police moved closer to the crowds, some of the witnesses stated that they saw YB Sivarasa Rasiah move to the front of the crowd where he appeared to be negotiating with the enforcement officers. Some of the participants sat down at that point.
The firing of tear gas at the participants then happened “suddenly” and without warning. There was no mention, however, of provocation of the police by the participants, or any behavior that would reasonably justify an attack.
Running for shelter, the witnesses ended up in the compounds of either Tung Shin Hospital or Chinese Maternity Hospital, which both happened to be the nearest and safest places to seek refuge. It would not have been possible for participants to run further down the road on either direction as the area was cordoned off by FRU trucks and riot police.
The witnesses stated that they were in the compound of the hospitals to avoid tear gas and water cannons, recuperate from the effects of being hit previously with tear gas, and to wait until it was safe for them to either disperse peacefully or continue on with the march.
One witness stated that participants from the rally were initially not allowed to enter into the main building of Tung Shin hospital. A nurse, however, later opened the door to allow participants to enter. There were no statements of disturbances caused by the participants within the building, with one witness stating that the participants remained quiet in the waiting area of the hospital.
As the participants waited in the compound of Tung Shin Hospital, the police and FRU trucks moved into a line in front of the main entrance and exit to the hospital. This effectively prevented any participants from leaving the hospital, even if they wanted to.
“We thought we were safe. We were resting in an area. Then we got teargase(d). I am 52. I had a major infection and asthma attack. A few days later, I actually went back to Tung Shin Hospital for medical aid”.
While the participants were in the compound of Tung Shin Hospital, the police began to fire tear gas and water cannons into the hospital compound. One witness stated that she was standing near the Emergency entrance where the ambulances are parked when a tear gas canister dropped one foot away from her. Another witness stated that he saw smoke from tear gas canisters in the area of the open-air carpark of Tung Shin Hospital. Out of the 18 statements obtained, 16 witnesses explicitly stated seeing tear gas fired into hospital compounds, while 4 stated seeing water cannons fired into hospital compounds.
When the police and FRU trucks ‘retreated’ from the main entrance of the hospitals, the witnesses who were within Tung Shin Hospital began to leave the hospital and move back to the main road. The riot police, however, once more began to move towards the crowd, and more tear gas was fired at the participants. Some of the witnesses then ran into Chinese Maternity Hospital to seek refuge from the riot police.
“I witnessed about 10 participants being arrested at the Chinese Maternity Hospital. The police ran after the participants by grabbing their shirts and pants. Some were pushed down, beaten and handcuffed. When some of the participants started resisting the arrest, they were beaten up with baton. At Chinese Maternity Hospital, the police attack the participants as they were saying “Doa”.
One witness stated that there were approximately 100 participants who sought refuge in the compound of Chinese Maternity Hospital. The statements by some of the witnesses described how the police (approximately 20 personnel) charged into the hospital grounds with truncheons and plastic cable ties.
The statements reflect the police action of using excessive and wholly unjustified force to arrest some of the participants within the compound. There were descriptions by the witnesses of police beating other participants on the head, chest, back and torso. Some participants also witnessed persons being shoved, dragged and kicked by the police.
None of the 18 witnesses, however, were among those who had physical force inflicted directly on them by the police, nor were they arrested in the hospital compounds.
“I just felt really angry towards this unnecessary use of force and the lack of disrespect even at hospital grounds. Everyone who was there was really upset because we all thought hospital grounds to be neutral and safe. But to see for ourselves the extent of police abuse of power really angered us. We had the realization that if hospitals were not safe, nowhere is.”
All of the witnesses either in or near Tung Shin and Chinese Maternity hospitals opined that the police action of firing teargas and chemical-laced water cannons onto the participants of the Bersih 2.0 rally was completely unjustified as the crowd was peaceful and orderly.
The excessive and unnecessary force by the police while arresting participants of the rally was also strongly condemned by the witnesses. This was further emphasized as no participants were seen violently resisting arrest, or behaving in any manner that would warrant a heavy-handed approach by the police.
The ‘attack’ on Tung Shin and Chinese Maternity Hospitals with tear gas and water cannons was also unequivocally condemned by the witnesses. Hospitals are seen as ‘places of sanctuary’ that ought to be protected. Furthermore, witnesses expressed ‘disgust’ and ‘outrage’ that the health and well-being of patients within the hospital were endangered by the enforcement officers who shot harmful chemicals into the hospital. While one witness stated that she saw a man become ‘agitated’ within the compound of Tung Shin Hospital, she further stated that a group of participants immediately calmed him down successfully. Other than shouts of anger, frustration and shock by the participants at the firing of teargas and water cannons into the hospitals, all witnesses within Tung Shin and Chinese Maternity Hospitals firmly stated that there were no incidences of violence or untoward behavior by the participants within the compounds of the hospitals.
“Extreme discomfort; a burning sensation in eyes, mouth and skin; shortness of breath; nausea; breathing difficulties. Yes, the other protestors seeking refuge in the hospital compound complained of similar reactions.”
Witnesses who experienced the effects of tear gas and water cannons stated the adverse reactions to their immediate, and in one instance at least, extended, well being. Severe burning and tearing of the eyes, coughing, gagging, choking, nausea, vomiting, burning of the mouth and throat and itchiness of the skin were the effects of tear gas and water cannons described by the witnesses. One witness stated that she experienced a lung infection and an asthma attack which she had to seek treatment for. Another witness stated that the skin from her face had peeled off the morning after the rally, which she attributed to effects of the tear gas. Some witnesses expressed gratitude for the sharing of salt (which assisted in reducing the effects of teargas), kindness and support received by fellow participants.
“I believe my constitutional rights were violated. In particular, the right to express freely was violated. I believe I have a right to ask for a fair election”
The witnesses believed that their constitutionally guaranteed liberties, in particular their rights to freedom of assembly and freedom of expression were violated by the enforcement officers at the Bersih 2.0 rally. Furthermore, their right to be free from harm, a fundamental right as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, was also denied by the enforcement officers. By condoning and even defending these acts, the State is therefore also seen to be responsible for this violation of rights.
Conclusion
The testimonies of the 18 witnesses and the photographic evidence obtained demonstrate clearly that Tung Shin Hospital and Chinese Maternity Hospital were attacked by the enforcement officers with tear gas and chemical-laced water cannons, and that the police exercised brutal and excessive force against participants seeking refuge within the hospital compound. This violation of the principle of ‘hospitals as places of sanctuary’ and the police brutality witnessed must be taken by Human Rights Commission with utmost urgency.
As one witness said, ‘democratic voices must be heard, but (this) isn’t the case in Malaysia’. The State must be held accountable for the repression of the democratic rights of its citizens. The enforcement officers that abused their power and attacked the participants of the Bersih 2.0 rally must also be held accountable for their actions.
ENDS - Report by Tenaganita
Monday, August 1, 2011
Too many chiefs, too few Indians?
Malaysiakini: Too many chiefs, too few Indians?
Mariam Mokhtar
Aug 1, 11
11:19am
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When Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak promoted the MIC president, G Palanivel, to become a full minister, no one was shocked. It was typical of Najib's arrogance and lack of leadership to put politics over policies, material goods over meritocracy, enticement over engagement.
Whilst Palanivel's promotion served to highlight Najib's hubris, lack of focus and his deepening moral decline, it also showed his desperation to win the next general election. If policies won't work, then political manoeuvring will.
Isn't our Prime Minister's Department staffed with ministers who have come in through the back door or whom many consider bootlickers? Many will be familiar with the expression Too many chiefs and not enough Indians.
More importantly, the promotion does not make sense at a time when the government tells us to adopt austerity measures and that it, too, might go bankrupt.
What is so extraordinary about Samy Vellu, our 'special envoy' who is given a ministerial rank? What does he know? Why is he paid over RM27,000 monthly and given “conveniences and other allowances” as well as a staff of six and an office in Plaza Sentral, Kuala Lumpur?
Why will Najib not take stock of the situation? His lack of scruples meant he resorted to his “deal or no deal”, RM5 million election gimmick, as in Sibu - his “You help me, I help you” moment of infamy.
When will Najib understand that the public purse does not belong to him? When will this product of a respected English public school and a graduate of an equally prestigious university realise that blackmail and bribery would not be condoned by his alma maters?
He said, “The Indian community is waiting for your good moves, sir, good announcements and good plans. If you can fulfill all the requirements that I have put forward... you can rest assured that the Indian votes will automatically return to Barisan Nasional.”
Najib's response was: “There must be an understanding. Can you all deliver for Barisan Nasional? You can deliver and we will deliver”.
There are more questions raised by both Palanivel's and Najib's statements.
The most important being: What has BN and MIC done for the Indian community in the 54 years since independence?
Come every election, the Indians will be told that BN/MIC are the only parties for them. Then we hear that the MIC representative is hardly seen until the next election.
Facing a multitude of problems
The Indians face a multitude of problems such as the following: Not being issued with birth certificates or identity cards. Terrible conditions in Tamil schools. Tamil schools which are not legally sited. A lack of proper burial sites or graveyards. Demolition of temples. Temples without land titles. High suicide rates. High dropout rates in school. High crime rates and gangsterism. High levels of domestic violence in families. High levels of poverty.
These are not new problems. They have been around since independence but what have the elected MIC politicians done about resolving them? How strong is their commitment?
In the 2010 census, Indians made up 7 percent of the 28 million population. The Ninth Malaysian Plan stated that Indians controlled 1.2 percent of the corporate wealth. Contrast this decline with TimeAsia's report of 1.5 percent in 2000 with corresponding figures for the Malays (19.4 percent) and Chinese (38.5 percent).
So is looking after 2 million Indians very difficult? Or are there more Indians than the official statistics claim? Moreover, are the allegations about elected MIC politicians lining their own coffers and ignoring the electorate to be believed?
Both Palanivel and Najib have to realise that respect is earned, just as people's votes, have to be earned.
If the Indian vote is increasingly difficult for BN to command then perhaps it is the politicians who ought to realise that race can never be used to win votes.
Palanivel is wrong to say that the Indian votes “will automatically return to Barisan Nasional”. MIC does not represent all Indians.
If Palanivel thinks MIC is the champion of the Indians, he might want to do a lot of soul searching and footwork.
In Sungei Siput, some members of the community allege that during Samy Vellu's reign, the ex-MIC leader did very little to alleviate the suffering of the poor Indians in the community.
'Poverty did not exist in Sungei Siput'
When it came to election time, when freebies and food were in abundance at MIC functions, it was alleged that the ex-MIC leader would proudly boast that poverty did not exist in Sungei Siput.
He obviously did not do his homework or go on a walkabout. Families living on RM300 a month and living in dilapidated shacks were common. It was also alleged that anyone who dared contradict Samy Vellu with regard to poverty, would receive a visit from his thugs.
During the recent furore with the PSD scholarships, one poor Indian teenager in the area who scored 8 As was refused a scholarship to do medicine. She decided to ask an MIC politician for assistance to secure funds. He in turn, allegedly asked her, “What's in it for me?”
If Palanivel thinks the MIC can deliver the votes, he might want to reconsider his moves.
Actions always speak louder than words. But this advice should perhaps be heeded by Najib more than anyone else, for as we enter the fasting month of Ramadan, Najib might want to reflect on his deeds and his conduct.
How can he consider himself to be a true and pious Muslim when corruption is the order of the day in Umno/BN?
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a non-conformist traditionalist from Perak, a bucket chemist and an armchair eco-warrior. In 'real-speak', this translates into that she comes from Ipoh, values change but respects culture, is a petroleum chemist and also an environmental pollution-control scientist.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Why Najib Abdul Razak must go
Mariam Mokhtar
Jul 25, 11
1:42pm
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The rakyat is angry with all politicians, not just BN or the opposition.
We have had 54 years of Umno/BN rule and have things really got any better? The rich appear to get richer, whilst the numbers who make up the poor, are increasing.
The old class system was royalty versus the serfs. Then it was the colonialists against the Malayans. Now it looks like it is the Umnoputras versus the rest.
The Umnoputras are the new elite. Even royalty depends on the largesse of those who lead Umno/BN to get funding from the civil list.
When it suits them, BN will use emotional blackmail on the Malays to say that their heartland and their birthright is being threatened.
The British left us with a country that had enormous potential. Malaya had an abundance of wealth, from tin to timber, minerals to mining.
Singapore was only a trading port for all of Malaya's riches. Look at Singapore now.
Malaya was rich in natural resources and it was these riches that helped fund the British war effort in the First World War. However, one untapped resource then as it is now, are its people - the Malaysians - Orang Asli, Malays, Chinese, Indians, the East Malaysians, Eurasians and all the rest.
Over the years, all these people contributed towards the success that we now see in the country. It is not BN or Umno or the Opposition who are responsible. It is the hard work and fortitude of those Malaysians who love their country.
Prime minister Najib Abdul Razak (right) was not elected to the post. He leads the country by default. He has shown very little ability to govern or to engage with the rakyat.
He only pays lip service to his speech to delegates of the 65th United Nations General Assembly; he said that extremists should not be allowed. At home, Malay extremists were permitted to express their insensitive racist and religious views without being punished.
Tighten belts
His administration tells us to tighten our belts but it appears he does not have to heed his own advice. He freely uses taxpayers' money on his personal comfort. How does he have the gall to spend RM63 million on renovations on Seri Perdana when some people do not have a decent roof over their heads?
Taxpayers' money is also used to fund his expenses abroad. One trip to the US was combined with his daughter's graduation ceremony. Another trip to Kazakhstan with a large entourage of officials coincided with his daughter's engagement ceremony. Quite a few regarded it as morally wrong.
Perhaps Najib is not at all bothered about emptying the public purse. In comparison, if we owed a government department one ringgit, we would be hounded like criminals.
Najib and his administration are devoid of morality. He need not go on about the opposition and their spending when people who have been found practising money politics to head government institutions.
How can he claim that other Muslim nations should follow Malaysia's lead, because Malaysia's system of governance is based on moderate Islam and has worked?
What about corruption, the abuse of power, the use of racial or religious sentiments to divide the public and the lack of credibility of the country's institutions?
Why can Najib not make decisions which will lead to monumental improvements in democracy in Malaysia?
Instead he wants to build monuments to his vanity like the proposed 100-storey Warisan Merdeka. These are mere phallic symbols for Umno/BN.
Intolerance increasing
In Najib's Malaysia, levels of aggression and intolerance by some Malays towards non-Malays or non-Muslims have increased. Malays who make racial and religious slurs go unchecked, despite Najib's promises to eradicate extremism.
Bersih, which called for free and fair elections, has been outlawed by Najib. Is he not interested in clean elections? Does he not wish to prove that Umno has won every election by fair means? Why is he afraid of free and fair elections?
Why is he afraid of allowing international observers to oversee the elections? Surely, international observers would scotch all of the opposition's claims that Umno tampers with the election results.
On the other hand, the recent deportation of French lawyer, William Bourdon, can only mean one thing. There is something to hide.
If all is above board the parties involved would surely want to clear their name. Or even prove that the Scorpene scandal has nothing to do with them.
The shame is that other Umno/BN members are aware of the truth and that Najib is an incapable leader. However, these people are not willing to help the country because they only want to save themselves. Perhaps, they are themselves implicated or maybe they fear for their own safety.
But we, the rakyat, are telling Najib that it is time he went.
If he is still unconvinced that he is not the man for the job (of leading the country), he should have known by now, that being PM is a poisoned chalice.
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a non-conformist traditionalist from Perak, a bucket chemist and an armchair eco-warrior. In 'real-speak', this translates into that she comes from Ipoh, values change but respects culture, is a petroleum chemist and also an environmental pollution-control scientist.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Queen Elizabeth II yellow dress when meeting Najib is not a coincident
Let me tell you why the Queen wearing yellow when granting an audience to Najib was NOT a coincidence or a faux pas.
Dear Reader,
Let me tell you why Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II wearing yellow when granting an audience to our Prime Minister and his wife was not a coincidence or a faux pas. As much as UMNO would prefer to think otherwise.
Fact 1. The Queen, contrary to popular belief, is very much well-informed. She is constantly kept abreast of the latest developments and news pertaining to her realm and her government by her team of palace advisers, secretaries and civil servants. They, in turn, gather their information from various sources, including ministries, government departments, Scotland Yard, 10 Downing Street, and members of the press corp in the UK. (Scotland Yard, knowing that the Queen would be granting an audience to the Prime Minister of Malaysia, would have certainly informed the Palace of the many demonstrations in London by Bersih 2.0 supporters.)
When a visiting dignitary is scheduled to meet the Queen, she is always fully briefed on the background of her visitor, the current situation of her visitor's home country, and the DO's and DON'T's to observe. Particularly, she would be informed of developments in her own realm regarding the visitor. Scenes in London like the one in the photo below would not have escaped Her Majesty's team of advisers, who in turn would have briefed the Queen. So, to assume that she was not aware of Bersih 2.0 is untenable.
Fact 2. Royal wardrobe and fashion is strictly regulated, and the Queen and members of the Royal Family are always careful not to make any fashion faux pas or distress their guests. Her advisers would have advised her to stay away from wearing yellow, and explained the significance of the colour in present circumstances. As Sarawak Report suggests, “she MUST have been informed of the sensitivity of the colour yellow”.
My friend (and fashion writer) Sasha Bashir commented at my facebook, “I have read in several write ups about Princess Diana's wardrobe that English royals are always briefed on current issues and what colours should and should not be worn. One I can remember is that she visited some country where they had just lost an important football match and the whole country was upset about it. The baju she was going to wear at state formal dinner was same colour as flag of the other country, so she had to change her wardrobe plans. Kate Middleton is also following this kind of thing. On her trip to Canada recently, she wore white dress, red shoes and red maple leaf hat. Canada flag is red, white with maple leaf. The royals are not supposed to be fashion icons (even though people like Princess Di and Kate are), they are to be fashion diplomats. :)”
Fact 3. Besides attending public events, state dinners, receiving dignitaries and horse races, the Queen actually does paper work! Yes, Her Majesty, like many of us, has her daily duty of working at one of her many desks reading and signing state papers and official documents (often classified as secret). British fastidiousness with information and intelligence gathering is well-known. Her cache of papers would most definitely have included confidential dossiers on Najib Razak and Malaysia. And Bersih 2.0.
Copyright Press Association Images
Fact 4. Besides official papers, she also reads the newspapers. Knowing that she would be meeting the Prime Minister of Malaysia, an article in The Guardian, a respected British newspaper, with the headline "Malaysia's Najib must abandon the Mubarak model", would surely have caught her eye.
Fact 5. The Queen meets her Prime Minister once a week, every week. It would have been incumbent upon David Cameron to apprise the Queen of Najib Razak and Malaysia, in view that he would be visiting the UK on an official trip. News of the Bersih 2.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur, being reported globally the same week the Queen had her weekly meeting with David Cameron, would most definitely have been a topic of conversation. It is also a practice for the British Prime Minister to advise the Monarch on how to appropriately respond to political situations of the day, since she is constitutionally apolitical.
Did Cameron therefore gently suggest that the Queen wear yellow as a message to our Prime Minister and also to the people of Malaysia? Where Cameron could not publicly chastise Najib, the Queen could, with regal aplomb, send a strong message?
Fact 6. The Queen is a politically astute woman who has seen twelve British prime ministers serve under her reign, the liststarting with Winston Churchill, no less! Her vast experience in international relations and diplomacy is unchallenged and she would thoroughly understand the subtleties and symbolism attached to what one says and what one wears. To assume that Her Majesty has no political acumen is completely ludicrous.
Fact 7. Everything the Queen does is planned in advance and takes into consideration all factors. Everything has a reason, even right down to the colour of the flowers in her audience chamber! Nothing is coincidental, random or arbitrary where the Queen of the United Kingdom is concerned.
These seven facts alone allow us to reasonably conclude that the Queen was very much aware of Bersih 2.0 and the significance of the colour yellow, besides it being the royal colour for Malaysian royalty.
The question now is, knowing full well the sensitivity of the colour yellow, what was the reason behind Her Majesty deciding to wear yellow when meeting our Prime Minister and his lovely wife? The answer, dear reader, is yours to conclude.
The author read law and politics in the UK from 1989 to 1992, where he was greatly fascinated (and still is) with the British Royal Family, the Queen in particular.
Posted by Vernon Kedit at 6:12 PM
http://beingvernon.blogspot.com/2011/07/let-me-tell-you-why-queen-wearing.html
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