Hak Asasi Manusia Melebihi Kepentingan Akidah

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• Hak Asasi Manusia Melebihi Kepentingan Akidah
• Pujian penulis Israel jerat Anwar?
• ‘All contracts on Isthmus went to Taib’s family’
• Malaysia's Latest Proton Saga
• Malaysia’s RM456 billion of federal government debt does not take into consideration additional RM96.9 billion of “contingent liabilities”.
• Bar Council questions ‘express licence’ for Lynas
• Bankrupt in no time: Desperate BN set to raise borrowing limit again?
• Najib's pot of gold at the end of the GE-13 rainbow
• The richest Malaysians
• Najib crowned Champion of Doubletalk by top US paper despite splurging millions on 'image'
• Nurul wants an answer: Why were residents' funds channeled to Nong Chik's events
• Nik Aziz Tak Kisah Anwar Sokong Israel
• Much ado about an Honorary Doctorate?
• Tun M Lahirkan Simpati dan Sayang Pada Mat Sabu
• Change of government is only way to stop Lynas
• Guan Eng Bersedia Letak Jawatan
• ‘Debate’ on abolishing expressway toll to go on
• KOPI - Antologi cerpen Fixi yang pertama
• Tota's Open Letter to Dr. Chua Soi Lek
• Gara Gara Nurul Izzah,PM Di Hentam Kaum India

Hak Asasi Manusia Melebihi Kepentingan Akidah Posted: 18 Feb 2012 05:28 AM PST Bayangkan selepas ini jika berlakunya tangkapan terhadap pasangan yang berzina atau yang sedang membuat maksiat.Penguatkuasa agama yang menangkap mereka akan disaman kerana telah melanggar hak kebebasan dan hak asasi manusia. Bayangkan satu hari,jika anda persoalkan anak anda kenapa sanggup ditiduri oleh ramai lelaki,anak anda jawap itu hak dia mahu tidor dengan sesiapa pun.Inilah perumpamaan yang boleh kita tafsirkan cara yang cuba didakwahkan oleh pakatan ke dalam minda masyarakat Islam dinegara ini. Apa gunanya jika mempunyai badan berkuasa agama Islam jika tidak dapat menguatkuasakan undang undang syariah,apa gunanya pendidikan moral yang diberikan kepada anak anak jika akhirnya mereka akan terjebak kedalam kancah maksiat hanya kerana hak kebebasan mereka melakukan apa saja. Bekas Pesuruhjaya Pas Selangor, Datuk Dr. Hasan Ali berkata, terdapat pemimpin kerajaan Selangor termasuk daripada Pas sendiri menerima perbuatan maksiat oleh umat Islam sebagai satu cabang hak asasi manusia. Menurut beliau, dalam tempoh lebih tiga tahun menjadi anggota Exco menjaga hal ehwal Islam kerajaan Selangor, beliau cuba menegakkan Islam melalui peruntukan enakmen syariah negeri terhadap orang Islam, tetapi mendapat bantahan kuat daripada DAP dan PKR, dua parti yang bersama Pas membentuk kerajaan negeri Selangor. "Mereka memberi alasan apa yang saya buat bertentangan dengan prinsip hak asasi, kebebasan untuk buat pilihan dan ada yang menyatakan apa salahnya siang-siang sudah teruk bekerja dan biarlah malam dia melakukan sesuatu yang melegakan dengan girlfriend," katanya semasa ditemuramah dalam program bual bicara Helo Malaysia BernamaTV di saluran 502 Astro malam ini. Sesi selama satu jam itu dikendalikan bersama oleh Timbalan Ketua Pengarang Bernama, Datuk Zulkefli Salleh dan kolumnis Cuit akhbar Utusan Malaysia, Datuk Zaini Hassan yang juga Penolong Ketua Pengarang akhbar itu. Hasan berkata, dalam urusan pembangunan, beliau mendapat kerjasama cukup baik daripada rakan-rakan dalam kerajaan negeri tetapi dalam perkara untuk menegakkan Islam tentangan yang diterima amat kuat. Ketika ditanya tidakkah beliau mendapat sokongan Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim dalam urusan Islam, Hasan berkata: "Saya tidak boleh letakkan percentage pada ketua saya, tetapi apa yang saya boleh katakan dalam hal sedemikian saya tidak dapat sokongan padu daripada atas dan teman-teman Exco yang lain... bila tentang Islam, memang banyak halangan". Hasan, yang dipecat oleh Pas kerana didakwa melakukan perbuatan yang menjejaskan kepentingan parti, berkata prinsip sangat penting dalam perjuangan beliau dan kerana itu beliau sanggup mengorbankan jawatannya untuk menegakkan Islam, Melayu dan Raja. "Apa yang berlaku pada saya adalah di luar aspek konvensional di mana saya digugurkan bukan kerana salah guna kuasa, tidak bermoral, minum atau liwat, tetapi saya dipecat kerana hendak tegakkan Islam, martabatkan Melayu dan nak tegakkan institusi raja," katanya. Disebabkan sudah tidak mendapat ruang dalam Pas yang katanya, kini dikuasai oleh golongan parasit, beliau menubuhkan 'Jati' (Jalur Tiga), sebuah pertubuhan bukan kerajaan yang keahliannya adalah terbuka termasuk kepada ahli Pas dan UMNO jika niat mereka mahu memilih Islam sebagai kuasa ketiga. Hasan berkata, Jati tidak akan bertanding dalam pilihan raya tetapi akan menjadi kuasa penentu kerana, menurut beliau, ramai orang Melayu dan Islam hari ini sudah putus asa dengan senario politik sekarang. "Jati boleh bekerjasama dengan UMNO mahupun Pas jika perkara Islam, Melayu dan raja menjadi keutamaan," katanya. Menyentuh tentang apa yang beliau panggil golongan parasit dalam Pas, Hasan berkata, Pas harus dikembalikan ke tangan ulama. "Sekarang konsep negara Islam sudah ditinggalkan dan pemimpin (Pas) hari ini hanya bercita-cita untuk ke Putrajaya. Bagi saya Putrajaya itu adalah bandingan yang paling hampir, seharusnya bandingan perlu dibuat lebih jauh, lebih 1,000 kilometer. "Ini kalau setakat Putrajaya, dia bukan seorang yang layak menjadi pemimpin," katanya. Katanya, jika Putrajaya jatuh ke tangan golongan parasit itu, negara Islam tidak akan dapat ditegakkan kerana ini sudah dibuktikan di Selangor apabila syariat Islam yang kecil pun susah hendak dilaksanakan. Hasan melihat golongan parasit semakin mencengkam kuat Pas sehingga kini sudah menjadi majoriti dan memegang kuasa dalam parti itu. Katanya, dalam kerajaan Pas negeri Kelantan juga wujud parasit yang dekat dengan Menteri Besar, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. - BERNAMA Pisau kata "hak asasi lebih penting daripada hak akidah?"

Pujian penulis Israel jerat Anwar? Posted: 18 Feb 2012 01:33 AM PST Kenyataan penulis akhbar terkemuka Israel, The Jerusalem Post, Michael Ordman yang memuji pendirian Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim untuk melindungi negara tersebut memberi gambaran bahawa kenyataan Ketua Pembangkang dalam The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) itu adalah benar. Presiden Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (ISMA) , Abdullah Zaik Abd. Rahman berkata, pujian Ordman menunjukkan bahawa kenyataan Anwar mengenai perlindungan terhadap Israel adalah tepat. "Ini yang kita bimbang, dalam masa beliau (Anwar) cuba menafikan tetapi pihak Israel memuji kenyataan tersebut dan ini memberi gambaran apa yang disebut oleh Anwar dalam WSJ adalah benar," katanya ketika dihubungi di sini, hari ini. Beliau mengulas kenyataan Ordman yang menyambut baik sokongan Anwar terhadap segala usaha yang dapat menjamin keselamatan Israel. Ordman yang diiktiraf pemikirannya oleh Jerusalem Post kerana prihatin terhadap teknologi bagi menjamin kelangsungan Israel berkata, beliau secara peribadi gembira dengan kenyataan yang dibuat Ketua Pembangkang itu. Kenyataan Ordman dipetik dalam entri terbarunya bertajuk 'We have lift-off' yang ditulis pada 6 Februari lalu, di laman web Jerusalem Post, http://blogs.jpost.com. Abdullah Zaik menegaskan, Israel tidak mempunyai hak walau seinci terhadap negara Palestin, justeru sebarang usaha melindungi Israel mesti ditentang. Dalam pada itu, Pensyarah Kolej Kajian Undang-undang, Kerajaan dan Antarabangsa (COLGIS), Dr. Mohd. Azizuddin Mohd. Sani menegaskan, pujian yang diberi kepada Anwar itu tidak memberi kesan positif terhadap Ketua Pembangkang tersebut. "Sudah tentu apa juga yang positif mengenai Israel, pasti puak Zionis akan memberi sokongan dan pujian namun rakyat di negara ini akan tertanya-tanya apa akan jadi jika Anwar diberi peluang memerintah dan ini tidak memberi kesan positif kepada beliau," katanya. Beliau berkata, Anwar sendiri meletakkan dirinya dalam keadaan bahaya kerana mengeluarkan kenyataan yang bertentangan dengan pendirian umat Islam di seluruh negara. Sementara itu, Pensyarah Program Hubungan Antarabangsa Sekolah Sains Sosial Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS), Prof. Madya Dr. Mohd. Noor Yazid menegaskan pujian yang diberi oleh Ordman kepada Anwar mungkin mempunyai helah tertentu. "Kita tahu Israel mempunyai pelbagai helah namun rakyat Malaysia khususnya umat Islam boleh berfikir secara rasional perlukah lagi memberi sokongan kepada Anwar yang memberi jaminan terhadap keselamatan Israel," katanya.

‘All contracts on Isthmus went to Taib’s family’ Posted: 18 Feb 2012 03:15 AM PST Having given Taib Mahmud's family 275 acres of land at Isthmus, the government then went on to 'create' a commercial value to the area. KUCHING: Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's family-owned business, CMS Land Sdn Bhd, was given 275 acres of land in the Isthmus, eight km from Kuching, in 1998 and "to make the land [...]

Malaysia's Latest Proton Saga Posted: 18 Feb 2012 02:22 AM PST Questions of insider trading in national car shares remain unanswered a month after sale to a Mahathir crony For nearly three decades, Malaysia's national car project, Proton, has suffered through endless troubles, nearing its demise several times only to be propped up again and again by the government. The government has regularly sought foreign buyers to come in and save the project, Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd. The carmaker has cost the country's consumers billions in lost opportunity costs from the steep tariffs levied against other carmakers in addition to the losses the company made on its own, estimated at US$2-3 billion, plus the cost of building its factories. The preferential tariffs haven't stopped consumers from turning to other makes anyway. In January, DRB-Hicom Bhd, controlled by billionaire Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary, a longtime Mahathir friend and United Malays National Organization crony, agreed to take the ailing carmaker off the hands of Khazanah Nasional Bhd., the state-owned investment fund which owned 42.7 percent of the shares after taking the company over during an earlier period of distress. The subsequent events have raised many questions of insider trading, none of which have ever been addressed either by Proton, Hicom or Bursa Malaysia, the country's stock exchange.    In the two months prior to the announcement of the sale, Proton's shares went on a wild ride, beginning on Nov. 14, when the shares traded thinly, at only about 300,000 per day at a price of around RM2.70 (US88 cents)    According to official announcements by Bursa Malaysia, the Kuala Lumpur main board, the shares took off on Nov. 15, rising to RM3.21 on volume of 4.3 million traded. Over the next 12 days, daily volumes averaged 4.4 million shares. By Dec. 5, volumes increased to 20 million shares per day – 60 times the November average - with the price rocketing up by nearly 25 percent over the period to RM4.50 per share. Proton's Wild Ride It wasn't until Dec. 5, three weeks after the shares began to gyrate that Bursa Malaysia issued an Unusual Market Activity enquiry. On the next day, Proton announced: ""The Board of Directors of Proton wish to clarify that after making due enquiry with the Board of Directors and major shareholders, the company is not aware of any reason for the unusual market activity in the shares of the company recently, and further, that there is no material corporate development not previously disclosed." Certainly not! On Jan. 17, DRB-Hicom announced it would buy Khazanah's stake in the carmaker for RM1.291 billion, the equivalent of RM5.50 per share. That meant that those smart enough – or informed enough -- to buy the Proton shares in November at RM2.70 had effectively doubled their money in two months. Insider trading? "The above chain of events makes a bad overall impression. It looks very much that certain parties were privy to inside information," wrote M A Wind, who blogs for Asia Sentinel. "Why was Bursa Malaysia so late with its Unusual Market Activity query? The share price of Proton had increased already over three consecutive weeks by a whopping 70 percent while daily turnover had risen 20-fold when it finally took action." The announcement on December 6, 2011 by Proton that neither it nor Khazanah Nasional were aware of any unusual activity looks puzzling to say the least. The market was rife with rumor, but neither Proton nor Khazanah Nasional said they were aware of any activity. More suspiciously, the share price more or less stratified at RM 5.50 several days before the final announcement on January 16, 2011 – the DRB-Hicom offer price, which seems to suggest that unknown parties might have known what it would be. Also, both Proton and DRB-Hicom appeared remarkably passive in issuing announcements, both only responding to queries from Bursa Malaysia (most notably on Dec. 6, 8 and 13, 2011 and Jan. 9, 2012), not initiating the announcements themselves although the stock exchange's website says: "We place significant emphasis on timeliness, adequacy and accuracy of disclosure to enable investors to make informed investment decisions." "Let's be clear," said a Kuala Lumpur-based investment banker. "All of Malaysia is one big insider-trading casino. There aren't any other kind of trades." The banker declined to speculate on who made the killing. However, he said the clues point to top political figures. The car company was government-owned, the new ownership is close to top United Malays National Organization figures. One of the victims of the exercise appears to be Malaysian workers -- the Employee Provident Fund, which provides retirement benefits for 13 million private and public sector employees at about 485,000 institutions and companies in the country. The EPF acquired an additional 830,000 shares in 2007 in one of many bids to rescue the company, making Malaysia's taxpayers owners of the company whether they wanted to be or not. The EPF, presumably unassuming, sold off some 15 million shares for a price well below the mandatory general office price, which is estimated to have cost the fund roughly RM20 million to RM30 million on the trades. The next question is why Mokhtar wanted to take over the car project, initiated in the early1980s by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad against the advice of his advisors, all of his critics and common sense. It has been unable to achieve economies of scale that would allow it to survive and flourish. Although local media reported that the financier was considering a possible tie-up with Volkswagen AG of Germany, as long ago as 2004 – eight years ago – it had been vainly seeking buyers that included Volkswagen, the American giant General Motors and PSA Peugeot-Citroen of France -- none of the bids has ever worked out. However, Proton Holdings Bhd registered a first-half 2010-2011 pre-tax profit of RM186 million in the first half of its 2010/11 financial year, built on improved market sentiment and a 13 percent increase in vehicle sales. From an earnings point of view, the company is described by analysts nonetheless as "quite hopeless." But the company holds some valuable assets, including the land on which its old factory is sited in Shah Alam, and the UK-based Lotus manufacturer or sports and racing cars. The Net Asset Value is RM9.81 per share, well above the purchase price paid by Syed Mochtar. The company has RM1.3 billion in the bank and almost no debt. "If in three months time Lotus is sold for a huge price, then we know why," said an analyst. " Maybe Syed Mokhtar knows already how to unlock the value." Selling off the assets, however, would probably infuriate Mahathir, something the tycoon probably would not want to do for fear of retaliation by the still-powerful former premier. The 86-year-old Mahathir is said to be readying a return as a special advisor. On Feb. 6, he wrote an enthusiastic entry in his blog, Che Det, saying he had test driven a new model and found it to be an excellent car. Proton was the focal point of Mahathir's dream to turn Malaysia into an industrial powerhouse built on the country's considerable natural wealth of rubber, palm oil and crude. The car was one of a flock of mega-projects that Mahathir forced onto Malaysia in the 1980s and 1990s, creating steel mills, the US$475 million Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, a US$5.5 billion Putrajaya administrative capital, the US$2.4 billion Kuala Lumpur International Airport, the US$15 billion Multi-Media Super Corridor which was supposed to eclipse Silicon Valley. The Bakun Dam in Sarawak was to generate enormous amounts of electrical power to be piped through 1,500 kilometers of underwater cables to West Malaysia. A vast network of highways was flung across the country. Japan's Mitsubishi Corp persuaded Mahathir to retool an even-then ageing Lancer in 1985 and put an Islamic star and shield on the hood to create the first Proton Saga. Mitsubishi, however, quit in 2004 and sold its 16 percent stake back to Proton Holdings Bhd, the parent holding company. After Mitsubishi pulled out, the absence of newer models and the inability to find a reliable and technically sound foreign partner meant that sales began to decline. Although Proton had more than 60 percent of the market in 2002, that fell to 30 percent by 2006. It has hovered around 30 percent ever since, despite the preferential government treatment. A 2007 Wall Street Journal-Asia report suggests that Proton burned up RM300-500 million annually. Asia Sentinel.com

Malaysia’s RM456 billion of federal government debt does not take into consideration additional RM96.9 billion of “contingent liabilities”. Posted: 18 Feb 2012 02:07 AM PST Based on the Government's Economic Report 2011/2 published last year, our Federal Government debt will hit RM455.7 billion as at the end of 2011. This was a 11.9% increase from RM407.1 billion incurred in 2010. Our debt levels have been increasing rapidly in recent years compared to RM242 billion in 2006 and RM146 billion in 2002. As it stands, our Federal Government debt has hit 53.8% of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compared to 53.1% in 2010 and 44.6% in 2006. However, what is of greater concern is the Government "off-balance sheet" financing which isn't reported as Federal Government Debt. In recent years, the Government has increasingly issued debt papers via its statutory bodies and corporatised entities. These loans are obtain with guarantees provided by the Government, but are not reflected as Federal Government borrowings. In 2010, the "off-balance sheet" financing activities has hit a record high of RM96.9 billion in 2010, a 14.9% increase from RM84.3 billion in 2009. These are loans which have been taken with a Government guarantee i.e., the Government is obligated to pay should the borrowers fail to settle the debts. As an example, if the Federal Territories Foundation is unable to repay the proposed RM300 million loan from EPF to provide financing for the low-cost housing purchasers, then the Government will have to step in to make the RM300 million payment to EPF. Hence for all intents and purposes, even though these loans are not taken by the Government, they are essentially government debt or otherwise known as contingent liabilities. Adding RM96.9 billion to the current debt of RM455.7 billion, the effective debt which Malaysian tax-payers are liable for is RM552.6 billion. This expanded figure would then constitute 65.2% of our GDP, well above the 55% federal government loan limit as defined in the Loan (Local) Act 1959 and Government Funding Act 1983. The list of statutory bodies and corporate entities which have been given Government guarantees are as per Table 1 at the bottom. Based on the list, there are some serious concerns over the performance or non-performance of these loans which will require bail outs by the Federal Government. For example, the PTPTN and Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd owes RM17.0 billion (17.5%) and RM9.1 billion (9.4%) respectively and they have both been heavily criticized by the Auditor-General for their weak financial management and their inability to repay their loans. The list also includes Syarikat Penerbangan Malaysia Bhd (RM7.0 billion) which was set up to bail out Malaysian Airlines System (MAS); 1MDB (RM5.0 billion) which in turn lent nearly all its money to a questionable foreign company, PetroSaudi International Limited and Silterra Bhd (RM1.0 billion) which has made more than RM2 billion in losses to date. What is interesting is also the fact that loans of Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary-owned Port of Tanjong Pelepas (PTP) also received financial guarantees from the Government. PTP's "guaranteed" loans have in fact increased from RM715 million in 2009 to RM1.275 billion in 2010. Expert testimonies in 2009 in the United Kingdom Parliament has heavily criticized Government guarantees to statutory bodies, government-linked companies or "private-finance initiatives" as an attempt to hide real debt levels in order to achieve better credit ratings. Professor Dieter Helm of Oxford University said that such initiatives had succeeded as "an exercise to get investment off the public balance sheet so that the debt numbers look better than they otherwise would have done." The Greek financial crisis has similarly unraveled as a result of hidden contingent liabilities not reflected as official government debt or reported in its balance sheet. For a start the BN government must reflect all its guarantees and contingent liabilities in the annual Economic Report and Budget to be debated in Parliament and it must impose measures to slow down the rate of growth of Malaysia's debt levels. Malaysia should not wait for a major financial crisis of Greek proportions before attempting to reform our public sector finance. At the pace which our debts are increasing, we are accelerating and plunging headlong into a financial disaster. Tony Pua is the DAP MP for PJ Utara

Bar Council questions ‘express licence’ for Lynas Posted: 18 Feb 2012 02:04 AM PST The hasty manner in which the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) approved a temporary operating licence for the Lynas rare earth refinery was improper, said Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee. He said that the licence was issued on Jan 30, just four days after the closing date for a public feedback period. "It beggars [...]

Bankrupt in no time: Desperate BN set to raise borrowing limit again? Posted: 18 Feb 2012 01:58 AM PST The Barisan Nasional has modified the Statutory Borrowing Ceiling at its whims and fancies over the past decade rendering meaningless the legal debt ceiling for Federal Government. The Loan (Local) Act 1959 and Government Funding Act 1983 puts in place a 55% federal government debt limit relative to Malaysia's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as determined by the Ministry of Finance (MoF). Based on the Government's Economic Report 2011/2, our federal government debt will hit RM455.7 billion as at the end of 2011 which works out to 53.8% of our GDP, or a whisker away from the statutory borrowing ceiling. However, what is worrying is the fact that the "statutory borrowing ceiling" has actually been raised multiple times by the Barisan Nasional (BN) Government over the past decade to "legalise" the federal government debt level which has been increasing at a much faster pace than our GDP. The 55% statutory borrowing ceiling only came into effect in July 2009 by order of current Second Finance Minister Dato' Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah. Prior to the revised limit, the limit was set at 45% in June 2008, barely 13 months before by the then Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Md Yakcop. It was 5 years before that when the limit was raised to 40% in April 2003 by the then Second Finance Minister Dato' Sri Jamaluddin Jarjis. 15% of GDP jump in just 6 years Hence our statutory borrowing ceiling has been raised by 15% of our GDP in just 6 years. The question is if the ceiling is repeatedly raised with such nonchalance, why did the Government bother setting a limit at all? Given that our debt level is expected to increase beyond 55% over the next 2 years, are we expecting the Federal Government to once again raise the ceiling in Parliament to circumvent the breach? In fact, we are extremely concerned that the Federal Government, which is mindful of their debt level relative to the GDP, is using all sorts of creative measures to by-pass the limit set by law. It should be noted that the MoF will be raising approximately RM20 billion to fund the first phase of the Klang Valley MRT mega-project this year. However, based on the fact that the MRT was never debated in the 2012 Budget tabled in Parliament for approval last year, it is clear that the funding will be raised by a wholly-owned "special purpose vehicle" (SPV) known as Dana Infra, and guaranteed by the Government. This way, the BN Federal Government kills two birds with one stone. Firstly, the debt raised will not be part of the Federal Government debt (because Dana Infra is "not" Federal Government) and hence will not be perceived to jeopardise our credit standings. This is despite the fact that all parties are expecting MRT to be a financially loss-making project and that the Federal Government will have to fund Dana Infra's debt repayments at some point in the future. Secondly, by placing the debt and expenditure of the MRT project in a SPV, such expenditure then escapes the purview of direct parliamentary oversight because it is never debated in Parliament as an official Budget item. As mentioned earlier, there is not a single line item in the 2012 Budget approved at the last parliamentary sitting for the purposes of constructing an MRT despite the fact that this will be Malaysia's largest ever infrastructure project by far. Creatiive manipulation will bankrupt Malaysia Such creative manipulation of our federal government debt and expenditure is not limited to just the MRT project but many other multi-billion ringgit projects such as the construction of 74 police headquarters with government-guaranteed RM10 billion debt by MoF-owned Pembinaan BLT Sdn Bhd, or the proposed RM20 billion sukuk plan by Pengurusan Aset Air Bhd (PAAB) to restructure the country's water assets. Governments all over the world, especially in developed countries like the United Kingdom and Germany, are now changing their laws to require such debts and contingent liabilities to be incorporated into the Government's financial statement to ensure greater transparency and financial accountability. This is to avert a financial crisis which has already enveloped the Euro-zone over the past 2 years. However, it appears that the Malaysian government is still sitting back and resting easy, while making full use of the "loop-hole" in our government financial reporting standards to continue to recklessly in-debt future Malaysians with none of the checks put in place. Tony Pua is the DAP MP for PJ Utara

Najib's pot of gold at the end of the GE-13 rainbow Posted: 18 Feb 2012 01:44 AM PST Prime Minister Najib Razak has delayed making firm decisions on almost every issue. Whether or not the delay is intentional, as he has been accused of being manipulative, he has chosen to let the RM250 mil NFC financial debacle involving minister Shahrizat Jalil simmer even though it could trigger a backlash in public sentiment for his Umno party. He has also cut adrift the MCA, Gerakan and MIC, causing these parties to further weaken in the eyes of their communities. Even former premier Mahathir Mohamad tried harder, sending his deputy Ghafar Baba to troubleshoot at the components and help repair their common Barisan Nasional boat. But perhaps, the BN can no longer be saved anymore. Only once since inheriting the premiership from Abdullah Badawi in April 2009 has Najib tried to steer a direction for the BN. It was during the Sarawak state elections in April 2011, and Najib failed - miserably. He had set out to 'tame' Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud but ended being embarrassed by the wily older man. Taib managed to make Najib look foolish without even raising his voice. All he had to do was to ignore Najib's desperate and rather rude call for him to step down. It was after the Sarawak election was over that Malaysians, especially from the peninsula, realized that Najib is not omnipotent as his Umno party likes to make him out to be. So 'soft' was Najib that he could not even control his wife Rosmah Mansor or stop her from grabbing the First Lady of Malaysia title, which is actually meant for the Queen. Needless to say, he also had zero luck in getting her to stop her shockingly expensive shopping sprees. Suddenly on the offensive Suddenly, beginning 15th February, Najib started to move with more visible energy. He started to hurl verbal missiles at arch rival Anwar Ibrahim, calling the latter "two-faced" over an interview with the WSJ on the Israel-Palestin issue, which was also stirred up by Umno newspaper Utusan. His Umno elder Mahathir Mohamad fired the next volley, calling Anwar a spy out to help US and Israel set up a puppet government in Malaysia to overthrow BN. This is a perennial hot topic for Umno, especially in the olden days whenever it wanted to galvanize the Muslims into a voting bloc for the BN. Even Anwar believes GE-13 is close at hand, and has forecast a May-June 2012 balloting day. But this may be too soon. November 2012 might be the more likely, given the money-raising schemes Najib has in mind for Umno, BN and of course, himself. Cleaning up his image and tarnishing Anwar at the same time In one of his swifter moves, Najib has managed to convince Perak Mufti Harussani Zakaria that he and Rosmah were not bad Muslims for attending Thaipusam in Batu Caves, Selangor. Harussani had shocked the nation when he chastised the couple for being 'un-Islamic' and attending an "idolatrous" event. Within 2 days, national TV1 showed Najib meeting with the Mufti and clarifying the Batu Caves trip. Sure enough, Harussani admitted his mistake and declared a clean bill of Islamic health for both PM and wife. UMNO attacks PR and prepares to win Selangor On the same night, TV3 held a talk show with Umno's Satim Diman, the Selangor Opposition Leader and Sohaimi Shahadan, the Umno Youth Exco member. Both men rushed to highlight all the things that Pakatan failed to deliver in its election manifesto. The week before, Najib confirmed the appointment of Ong Tee Keat as the Selangor BN Chief. Last night amid criticism that his grand plans for recapturing Selangor was floundering as he could not even name a Mentri Besar of chief minister-designate, he appointed Mohd Zin, the Sepang Umno Member of Parliament to be the BN election campaign coordinator for Selangor. Speculation has swirled that Tee Keat may even be made the Selangor Menteri Besar if he gives up his Pandan parliamentary seat for a state assembly one. If true, this would indeed be a controversial move as it would be the first time Selangor had a non-Malay MB. However, all this would depend on the grace of the Sultan. Umno has also begun efforts to win back Kedah Umno's hand was sighted stirring unrest in the Pakatan Rakyat-led Kedah state government, with MCA-linked association heads lodging complaints that assistants to the Pakatan state assemblymen had demanded 'rebate' of between 25 to 30% of the funds due to them. This was followed by BN declaring Kedah a 'winnable' state. Indelible ink The Election Commission has just announced that indelible ink will be used in the GE-13, and that stock ordered must be used within three months of its shelf-life. So, the moment Customs announces the arrival of the first batch of ink, Malaysians will know GE-13 will be within three months from then! Strengthening BN Najib has also announced three new affiliate members to BN, namely Gabungan Wawasan Generasi Felda, Persatuan Bekas Anggota Kemas Malaysia and Persatuan Kontraktor Melayu Malaysia. The three bodies have members all over Peninsular Malaysia, who will be mobilized to help BN win GE-13, focusing on the rural areas and servicing the constituents there. Mahathir supporting the BN campaign Mahathir has upped the ante, and is trying to frighten the Malays in particular, by accusing Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim of collaborating with the US and Israel to topple BN and set up a puppet government here. The underlying message of course is that the fate of the Malays will be very uncertain under Pakatan Rakyat. At the same time Mahathir is trying to instil fear in the minds of the non-Malays that such a regime change will be resisted by the Malays. Violence could even break out, sending Malaysia to the dogs. Najib not taking any action against Taib After his April 16, 2011 lesson, Najib has given up on trying to push Taib out. The PM is going to continue closing an eye to Taib plundering the wealth of the Sarawak people, so long as the CM delivers the parliamentary seats to BN in GE-13. Effects of Budget handouts and economic growth Najib is also confident that the feel-good factor from the various Budget 2012 cash handouts to students and lower-income families will work in BN's favor. He is hoping the announcement by Bank Negara that Malaysia's economic growth was 5.2 per cent, exceeding the previous 4.2 per cent forecast, will bolster confidence in his management of the economy. But already, analysts complain the result was 'hiked up' and does not reflect a healthy trend at all  as it relied on consumer spending - at both government and private  level - to push up headline growth. Very glaring was the absence of growth in public and private investments. But are UMNO and Najib really ready? The answer is NO. Najib is still not happy with the present situation even though Rosmah has been conferred an honorary doctorate by Curtin University to help her redeem some credibility. There is also talk that Najib has in the works a popularity survey that will show him far ahead of Anwar in the people's esteem. This 'survey' is being held back until he is confident enough to dissolve Parliament. Najib not only wants to create a feel-good factor. He wants the people to regain confidence in the BN and help him achieve a two-thirds margin in Parliament. But even Rosmah would be able to tell him that might well be fat hopes! Najib needs more time and money Then, Najib also needs more money. It is significant that the Felda Global Ventures listing will hit the market in May-June. The IPO can be expected to jump on listing day and deliriously-happy Felda settlers can be expected to vote good-old Umno once again when called to the ballot box shortly thereafter. The grapevine in the Ministry of Finance is buzzing with talk that Umno will siphon out every single sen of spare funding from all the other government bodies on the pretext of implementing projects across the nation. Actually, the money will be used in a gigantic vote-buying spree, much like Rosmah's jaw-dropping shopping trips. The controversial 1Care will be bulldozed through, raising about RM11 billion for Umno-BN to siphon out once it is launched, perhaps by January next year. Umno will of course continue to milk the Employees Provident Fund. The Felda listing, expected to hit RM21bil upon debut, will be controlled by Koperasi Permodalan Felda (KPF), which will become the single largest shareholder of the listed Felda Global Ventures entity with a 37 per cent stake. No wonder, Najib was insistent on making Isa Samad the KPF chairman. This will allow Umno and its proxies in Felda to cash out and cart away huge sums raised from the share sale. PERKESO or Socso will also have its funds be diverted as well as Tabung Haji, the Umno-supported cooperatives, other statutory bodies and all the Government-Linked-Companies. Needless to say, these will all be called on to contribute huge portions of their resources to help Umno stay in power. Pot of gold at the end of the rainbow A question worth asking is, does Umno-BN really need so much money to hold GE-13? Obviously, the answer is NO. Najib and his cronies are also jumping on the bandwagon for their LAST GRAB, and Malaysians can be sure that the amounts they rake in will be many folds that actually spent on financing GE-13, including the 'allocations' set aside for vote-buying. Call it institutionalized cheating or corruption, but it won't stop Najib. For his plan to be successful, Najib will need time and he is willing to wait even until nearing the end of his term in 2013. The proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is just too much to ignore. Not even Mahathir can frighten him into holding GE-13 earlier. So given the current status of 1Care and the Felda listing, which are both still facing public resistance, GE-13 looks more likely to be held in November 2012 rather than in May-June. It could even be in 2013. Malaysia Chronicle

The richest Malaysians Posted: 18 Feb 2012 01:37 AM PST How sad – the combined wealth of the 40 richest Malaysians has dropped by 7 per cent since last year. But be happy. The Malaysian Business assures us, "On the bright side, there were 30 billionaires this year — three more than last year."   You know, that's very reassuring. Now I can sleep in peace. Not. A couple of years ago, we were even told that Malaysia had the most billionaires in Southeast Asia – as if that is something to be proud of. Here's a familiar cast of characters. But I suspect that there are a couple of politicians missing from this list who could well qualify to be included. The Top 20 Richest Malaysians 2012 (Wealth in RM million as at 20 January 2012). Source: The Star/Bernama 1. Robert Kuok Hock Nien 45,700.00 Kerry Group/KuokGroup 2. T Ananda Krishnan 42,998.00 Usaha Tegas 3. Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow 12,642.01 Public Bank 4. Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng 11,356.55 IOI Group 5. Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary9,530.00Albukhary Foundation 6. Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan 8,002.92 Hong Leong Malaysia 7. Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay 7,585.07 Genting Group 8. Puan Sri Lee Kim Hua 6,588.33 Genting Group 9. Tan Sri Tiong Hiew King 6,411.46 Rimbunan Hijau 10. Ong Beng Seng 4,919.56 Hotel Properties Ltd 11. Tan Sri Azman Hashim 3,470.00 Arab-Malaysian Corp 12. Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun2,541.74 Berjaya Group 13. Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir 1,937.27 Kencana Petroleum 14. Datuk Lee Yeow Chor 1,787.85 IOI Group 15. Tan Sri Tony Fernandes 1,772.42 AirAsia 16. Lee Yeow Seng 1,746.00 IOI Group 17. Tan Sri Lau Cho Kun 1,721.64 Hap Seng Consolidated 18. Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay1,711.84 YTL Group 19. Tan Sri Lee Oi Hian 1,589.97 Batu Kawan 20. Datuk Lee Hau Hian 1,586.18 Batu Kawan Anil Netto

Najib crowned Champion of Doubletalk by top US paper despite splurging millions on 'image' Posted: 18 Feb 2012 01:19 AM PST What a deafening silence from Prime Minister Najib Razak! While the world shook its head over the FBC Media scandal, where his administration used Malaysian tax-payers money to 'buy' favorable mentions on international prime-time television, Najib is no where to be heard or seen. It could be he is hiding his head in shame but given his past record, the Malaysian PM doesn't feel remorse or guilt easily. In a statement posted on the BBC website, the broadcaster said the "small number" of programmes that were aired on BBC World News between Feb 2009 and July 2011, broke the internal rules aimed at protecting its editorial integrity. "These rules ensure that programmes are free, and are seen to be free, from commercial or other outside pressures," read the statement. Financial relationship Although the nature of the programmes related to Malaysia were mentioned without much details, the BBC made it clear that 8 of these appeared to have a' financial relationship' with the Malaysian government. After much public tongue-lashing from the opposition, Najib finally admitted to Parliament that it had paid RM84 million to FBC Media between 2007 and 2010 for 'consultancy services, advice and management of a communication campaign' to spruce up Malaysia's image. Apart from painting a falsely flattering image image of himself, the documentaries also painted a rosy picture of Malaysia's oil palm industry and its treatment of indigenous peoples - which are in stark contract to the views from the ground. British daily The Independent, the newspaper that broke the scandal, reported that the BBC would be apologizing to an estimated 74 million people globally over the matter. The report said viewers from "Kuala Lumpur to Khartoum" will be able to watch the broadcast which is available to 295 million homes, 1.7 million hotel rooms, 81 cruise ships, 46 airlines and 35 mobile phone platforms, at four different time zones. According to the BBC statement, the BBC Trust's editorial standards committee had identified various breaches in editorial guidelines due to the errant programmes. "It agreed that given the serious nature of the breaches an on-air apology to the audience was appropriate," read the statement. But not a word from Najib or his team. Such a public roasting, and yet Utusan, Star and all its media organs carried not a word on the matter. Correct to demand an apology So when Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng demanded an apology from the Prime Minister, he was cheered on by the public even though they Najib would pretend to ignore the entire incident or condemn it as being as "opposition-instigated" demand. But did Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Rakyat pay RM84 million to the UK publicity firm? Who was it who instructed FBC to polish Najib's image, give an overly glowing report about the benefits of consuming palm oil, and praise the BN's handling of indigenous people? "Datuk Seri Najib Razak should direct his Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to apologise for paying RM84 million to burnish the Najib administration's image... just as the BBC is apologising for accepting payments in exchange for a positive image for countries with a poor record of democratic practices and corruption," Guan Eng wrote in a statement. However, in a sad reflection of his caliber, Najib has chosen to hide his head in the sand. The same goes for the UMNO-BN government he leads. They all seem content to stick their heads in the sand and wait for the whole matter to blow away. Who then apart from the opposition will keep an eye out for the Malaysian people? Will MCA ask Najib about the RM84 million sloshed down the drain? Will Gerakan, or the MIC? How about Umno? Yet, it is more than just another embarrassing moment for Malaysia and one which Najib should apologize for. That is the minimum to restore some degree of the global esteem lost through the ill-judged and unethical act of paying a mercenary media firm to basically plant false news and disseminate it to an unsuspecting audience. There was also APCO, Mr Cool and Ah Jib Gor ... No doubt, following the FBC expose, Putrajaya ended its RM96 million contract with FBC, which Najib began in 2009. But FBC is not the only media scandal. In his vanity and thirst to be larger than life, Najib had signed on other public relation strategists including the Zionist-backed APCO Worldwide to polish his personal image. Given his attack against arch rival Anwar Ibrahim for supporting a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, such an appointment is hypocritical to say the least, especially since Najib even gave APCO staff access to key communications facilities in the country. It is well-know that many of the top staff at APCO are former high-level officers at Shin Bet and Mossad, the Israeli secret services. What an awful joke and when Anwar, DAP chairman Karpal Singh, PKR leaders Azmin Ali and Sivarasa Rasiah took issue on the matter, fearing breach of national security, Najib had them suspended and locked out of Parliament for 6 months! Indeed, APCO's time in Malaysia was marked by controversy. So too was the most recent hire of a team purportedly comprising ex-staff of former British PM Tony Blair's "New Labour" campaign. This group was tasked to turn Najib into a 'Mr Cool' and to reinvent him as a moderate reformist. Once the news leaked, it was clear Najib had bungled again, losing millions of public money. Malaysian either laughed or disapproved at the 'nonsense' he was dishing out. Even his 'Ah Jib Gor' Facebook website has failed miserably. Aimed to attract the Chinese, it has been taunted as being silly, in bad taste, and a desperate political move. And the result - Najib crowned Champion of Doubletalk Proof that Najib's exorbitant media scams are not working and instead backfiring comes in the form of a stinging rebuke from the highly influential Washington post editorial, which describes Najib's government as the "champion of doubletalk". Mind you, even President Obama and Hillary Clinton read the Washington Post.  "His persecution has been facilitated by another champion of double-talk, the government of Malaysia, which claims to respect the rule of law but bundled Mr Kashgari onto a private Saudi jet Sunday in spite of a court order prohibiting his deportation," said the Washington Post. The Post was referring to Saudi journalist Hamza Kashgari whom Najib's cousin and Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein illegally deported to face near certain death in his own country over several tweets the Saudi authorities deemed blasphemous. As human rights activists the world over have warned, if Hamza is executed, there will be blood on Najib's hand.  So enough of the doublespeak. The game is up. You have been rumbled. Own up and apologize. Najib owes Malaysia an apology over the media scandals he created in his vanity, and for wasting the people's money so foolishly and flagrantly. Malaysia Chronicle

Nurul wants an answer: Why were residents' funds channeled to Nong Chik's events Posted: 18 Feb 2012 01:10 AM PST FT Minister Raja Nong Chik may have abused his power, channeling funds allocated for a public housing residents' association in Lembah Pantai to his own programs. The Apartment Sri Putra residents' association is allocated RM10,000 in assistance to run its program, which include a fire prevention training planned for April this year. But it had to be canceled after the funds were allegedly spent on a 'Raja Nong Chik meets with the locals' event organized by the local Umno branch. Seeking clarification, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah told of how her constituents tried to apply to City Hall or DBKL, but were turned away. "When they called DBKL to use their allocation, they were told that it was used for a programme organised by Umno which invited the minister.  But when we brought this matter up with DBKL, the mayor said that we have to bring the matter up to the ministry as he is only a civil servant," Nurul told a press conference on Friday. Big ambitions Raja Nong Chik is the head of the Lembah Pantai Umno division and aspires to be nominated as his party's candidate for the constituency at the next general election, widely expected to be held this year. If successful, he is likely to face Nurul, who won the seat in 2008 in a David vs Goliath contest against Women's minister Shahrizat Jalil. Now at the centre of a corruption scandal that Nong Chik has been accused of stirring up, Shahrizat is unlikely to be chosen to contest the seat. Speculation is rife she may soon have to step down as minister as well as head of Wanita Umno. Apartment Sri Putra residents' association committee member Abdul Rahim Mohd Noor, who was also at the press conference, said the remainder portion of the allocation was used for a 'maulidur rasul event' organized by the local surau committee. Malaysia Chronicles.com

Nik Aziz Tak Kisah Anwar Sokong Israel Posted: 17 Feb 2012 11:30 PM PST Nik Aziz kata tak menjadi persoalan jika Anwar tetap menyokong Israel,sekadar menegur takkan berubah hubungan kasih diantara PKR dan PAS,Israel sebagai negara berdaulat PKR tetap pertahankan. PAS memang menyedari taraf mereka didalam pakatan,pendirian PAS memang tidak begitu penting berbanding DAP dan PKR. Mudah,sokong PAS = sokong PKR = sokong Israel.Sama je lah pok nik tegur ker tidak..buang karan jer Satu lagi yang menarik,apabila Nik Aziz menghadiri majlis yang dianjurkan oleh PEKIDA,dah mula nak iktiraf geng songkok pulak?Dulu bukan main hentam bangsa melayu,takkan dah jilat balik ludah tu? Mursyidul Am Pas, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat menyifatkan tindakan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mempertahankan kenyataannya berhubung sokongan terhadap sebarang usaha bagi menjamin keselamatan Israel sebagai mewakili Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). Justeru, kata Menteri Besar Kelantan itu, beliau tidak peduli dengan kenyataan Ketua Pembangkang tersebut yang dilihat tidak menghormati pendirian Pas berhubung negara Israel dan isu pembebasan Palestin. "Itu dia punya pasallah, kenyataan saya ini untuk mewakili Pas, dia mewakili PKR. Itu tak apa (Anwar tidak menghormati pendirian Pas), dia punya pasal, tak ada apa," ujarnya. Beliau berkata demikian ketika ditemui selepas melancarkan Program Merealisasikan Amal Makruf Nahi Mungkar Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Pekida) Kelantan di Balai Islam Lundang dekat sini hari ini. Laporan muka depan Sinar Harian hari ini melaporkan Anwar tetap dengan pendiriannya mengiktiraf kewujudan negara Israel dengan syarat tentera negara tersebut perlu berundur dari tanah Arab, keganasan dihentikan serta aspirasi dan kewujudan rakyat Palestin dihormati. Anwar turut dilaporkan berkata, beliau memahami bahawa Pas berpendirian kewujudan negara Israel adalah haram dan parti itu tidak berhasrat mengadakan rundingan serta kerjasama dengan Israel. Pisau kata "Anwar dah tetap pendirian dengan Israelnya"

Much ado about an Honorary Doctorate? Posted: 17 Feb 2012 11:15 PM PST Why is Dr. Rosmah always at the receiving end? It has a lot to do with her persona in the public stage. There are other wives of Malaysian PM but only she attracted unwanted publicity and criticisms. There must be obvious reasons, like for being the first to prefer being addressed as First Lady of Malaysia. Her demands for special attention to details to her satisfaction are well known to those who were involved in preparations where she was due to appear as guest of honour. Examples of her high-handedness heard through the grapevines include 'no empty seats when she is delivering a speech'; 'pictures due to appear in the newspapers must be previewed and chosen by her'; 'sections of Harrods closed when she was shopping there'; and so on. Though such stories could have been made up to discredit her, I am sure a genuinely lovable person would have been able to be her natural self and disprove all such attempts. To put it simply, she is 'too fake' or 'too put on' to be likeable. Rumours of botox treatments seem to reinforce this perception. I am sure there must be some truth in claims that some obscure awards were arranged by PR firms and given publicity by them too. With too many instances of self-initiated image building, is it any wonder why an honorary doctorate awarded by a university is presumed to be bought, or at least a form of returning a favour or an inducement for preferential treatment? In Malaysia, it is common to find honorary doctorates awarded by universities or their foreign associates to those who were responsible for setting up such private institutions. In a way, to those rich enough, it is easier to get one via this route than to study for it. Then there are degree mills churning out degrees, Masters and PhDs to order, to those who are crazy enough to think such false credentials could impress people. The irony of it is that people who are genuinely great and well known in their respective industries are likely to be humble and prefer not to disclose their credentials. Sometimes, it was more because of organizers who wish to publicize such information in order to attract participants in seminars and so on. Are those who criticize Rosmah or Curtin University for awarding her the honorary doctorate being jealous of her or her success? First of all, she cannot stop people from wanting to criticize her, perhaps only when Facebook or other media decide to stop publishing them. She cannot stop those in coffee shops or bloggers. For those who understand that such honorary doctorates are easily given to those in power or who have contributed financially to the universities, they would not bother with such vain expressions of greatness. To those who are in the process of writing theses and defending them successfully before they are awarded the 'PhD' which entitled them to use 'Dr.' before their names, there might be some frustration over the ease some people could do so. As a father of someone pursuing a doctorate, which normally takes at least 4 years, it is a test of patience for both student and parent. When it involved having to forgo a fantastic job offer because of commitment to her new supervisor, then it just shows how unfair it is in life when some could have their cake and eat it too! Link

Tun M Lahirkan Simpati dan Sayang Pada Mat Sabu Posted: 17 Feb 2012 09:00 PM PST Pisau kata "lagi banyak Mat Sabu cakap lagi baguih"

Change of government is only way to stop Lynas Posted: 17 Feb 2012 07:03 PM PST The Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) was outraged and appalled by the announcement of the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) on 1 February to issue a pre-operational licence to Australia's Lynas Corporation for its controversial Gebeng rare earth refinery plant. Tan Bun Teet, the chairperson of SMSL commented: "The approval given by the AELB totally [...]

Guan Eng Bersedia Letak Jawatan Posted: 17 Feb 2012 07:00 PM PST Dah kantoi menipu didalam skandal 10billion ini,sudah pasti gerembolan DAP sedang menyiapkan strategi untuk menyerang balik semata mata mahu mengalihkan isu. Ingatlah setiap langkah yang akan diambil oleh DAP demi menyelamatkan skandal 10billion dollar men ini sudah pasti bakal penuh dengan manipulasi dan putar belit fakta.Guan Eng dan Ivory harus jelaskan kepada rakyat bagaimana proses tender ini dibuat. Ketua Menteri, Lim Guan Eng mungkin terpaksa bersara dari arena politik apabila cabarannya supaya UMNO membuktikan bahawa penjualan tanah seluas 41.6 hektar di Bayan Mutiara di sini dengan harga RM1.1 bilion tidak dilakukan secara tender terbuka berjaya ditunaikan. UMNO negeri hari ini mendesak Setiausaha Agung DAP itu mengotakan janji selepas berjaya mengemukakan beberapa bukti yang dilihat menimbulkan pelbagai persoalan terhadap proses tender terbuka tersebut. Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan UMNO negeri, Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman berkata, berdasarkan maklumat daripada laman web pemilik tanah berkenaan, Perbadanan Pembangunan Pulau Pinang (PDC), tarikh tutup tender adalah 31 Disember 2010. Bagaimanapun, tegasnya, menerusi laporan syarikat swasta yang berjaya memperoleh tender itu kepada Bursa Malaysia, permohonan untuk membeli serta membangunkan tanah tersebut hanya dibuat kepada PDC pada 3 Mac 2011, manakala surat persetujuan diterima 25 Julai tahun yang sama. "Terlalu banyak perkara yang menimbulkan kekeliruan dan kesangsian besar di kalangan rakyat. "Ini sudah cukup membawa kepada peletakan jawatannya sebagai Ketua Menteri kerana tiada ketelusan dalam pentadbirannya seperti slogan Cekap Akauntabiliti Telus (CAT)," katanya pada sidang akhbar di sini, hari ini. Guan Eng hari ini mencabar Zainal Abidin dan Ahli Parlimen Kota Belud, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan berundur dari politik jika gagal membuktikan penjualan tanah di Bayan Mutiara tidak dilakukan secara tender terbuka. Beliau juga sedia berbuat sama sekiranya bukti-bukti tersebut dapat dikemukakan. Zainal Abidin menambah, selain itu, terdapat laporan menunjukkan bahawa penilaian terhadap tanah terbabit hanya dibuat pada 3 Oktober 2011, iaitu selepas tarikh tutup tender. Jelasnya, selagi Guan Eng tidak memberi penerangan lengkap bagaimana proses tender itu dibuat, ia dilihat sebagai rundingan terus. "Sampai hari ini, Guan Eng belum sebut berapa ramai pihak yang masuk tender, siapa yang menilainya dan siapa di dalam jawatankuasa pemilihan tender berkenaan. "Maklumat yang kita dapat hanya dua syarikat yang membuat permohonan. Ini jarang berlaku dalam negara ini iaitu hanya dua syarikat masuk tender terbuka," ujarnya. Percayalah sampai mampus pun dia takkan letak jawatan,selagi boleh sakau,dia akan sakau sebanyak mungkin. Pisau kata " Italian Job "

‘Debate’ on abolishing expressway toll to go on Posted: 17 Feb 2012 06:24 PM PST February 18, 2012 Star GEORGE TOWN: Penang Pakatan Rakyat Youth is going ahead with its plan to hold a debate between Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop although the latter has not given an answer. The debate titled 'Abolishing expressway toll would bankrupt the country' will take place on Feb 29 at 10pm Dewan Besar Sungai Dua in North Seberang Prai, said event coordinator Syed Mikael Rizal Aidid. Syed Mikael, who is also Penang PKR Youth secretary, told a press conference yesterday that Lim would speak on the topic if Nor Mohamed did not show up.

KOPI - Antologi cerpen Fixi yang pertama Posted: 17 Feb 2012 05:24 PM PST Kulit Depan:   Kata Pengenalan saya: Dari usia remaja di alaf yang lalu hingga ke tahun 2011, saya ketagih sesuatu. Ketagihan itu tidak sihat dan saya sering cuba menghentikannya. Tiga kali cuba dan tiga kali gagal. Rupa-rupanya jawapannya ialah untuk mendapat bahan baru untuk dinikmati setiap hari; dan bahan itu adalah kopi. Saya ingin tahu lebih tentang minuman yang adiktif ini. Ada orang yang akan pergi ke Wikipedia saja. Tapi yang bikin lebih intrig kepada saya: apakah cerita yang boleh direka oleh penulis-penulis Fixi mengenai kopi? Pelawaan untuk menulis dihantar melalui emel pada 27 November 2011. Seminggu kemudian. hampir semua cerpen dalam buku ni siap ditulis! 'Kopi instan' yang tak sehebat kopi gourmet kah? Tapi adrenalin yang memungkinkan buku ni dihasilkan dengan kelajuan ni lebih kepada ghairah suatu 'quickie' — biarpun cepat berlalu, ia tetap menyegarkan.   Jemput! Line-up: KOPI 3 RASA : Shaz Johar BERSAKSI KOPI : Dayang Noor KOPI KOLA : Nadia Khan KOPI, DONAT DAN BAYANG GADIS BERAMBUT HIJAU : Adib Zaini CINTA KOPI : Gina Yap Lai Yoong LUWAK DAN KRETEK : Ridhwan Saidi KOPI PERCIK : Amal Hamsan KAU KOPIKOKU : Dheepan Pranthaman KOPI JANTAN KAW : Nik Adam Ahmad CETHU : Nabila Najwa BARISTA CINTA : Shafaza Zara Syed Yusof HARI INDITIH : Asyraf Bakti MALAM, DI MEJA TEMPAT KAU TERLENTOK : Hafiz Hamzah RITUAL : Luc Abdullah TANGAN BERULAT : Fadli Al-Akiti VENTI : Redza Minhat KOPI JULIA : Faizal Sulaiman SECANGKIR KOPI BERSAMA DIA : Syaihan Syafiq KOPI MIMPI : Raja Faisal KOPI dicetak 1,500 keping khusus untuk jualan online dan di events seperti pesta buku. Memang target ialah untuk soldout semasa kami di PWTC (27 April - 6 Mei) untuk Pesta Buku Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur nanti. KOPI tidak akan dijual di kedai. Antara sebabnya: tauke kedai sendiri kasitau saya tahun lepas, "Cerpen mana laku. Orang nak novel jewww!" Ironik. Sebab format cerpen itu sendiri amat relevan dengan zaman ADD kini. Tapi untuk berdekad, imej 'cerpen' di Malaysia telah dipalit oleh unsur didaktik/dakwah/patriotik yang menyebabkan ia dianggap boring. KOPI ialah salah satu usaha untuk menunjukkan cerpen ni syok sebenarnya. Pre-order untuk KOPI dah bermula! Kalau di Malaysia boleh order kat Fixi. Kalau di luar Malaysia boleh order di Amazon. Kalau sudi, folo perkembangan terkini di Facebook KOPI.   Majlis pelancaran KOPI ialah 24 Mac nanti sempena Art for Grabs di The Annexe, Central Market KL. Kami juga akan tayangkan beberapa filem pendek yang terinspirasi daripada cerpen-cerpen dalam buku nih. Jemput tonton juga!

Tota's Open Letter to Dr. Chua Soi Lek Posted: 17 Feb 2012 04:48 PM PST "For almost 50 long years, many Chinese Malaysians blindly gave their vote to the MCA. With their support, the Alliance/BN controlled Parliament and undermined democracy, points out Tota ahead of the Great Debate between Choi Soi Lek and Lim Guan Eng. Soi Lek, hold your silence, apologise to the Chinese Malaysian community and repent. You always claim that the MCA is the defender of 'Chinese rights' and that the party has done a great deal for the community. Your party's record shows otherwise. The MCA has been in the Alliance/BN since independence, but politically and economically the position of Chinese Malaysians has nose-dived because the MCA representatives in the Cabinet and state governments have behaved like political eunuchs. Their behaviour shows how successfully emasculated the MCA is..." the rest of the letter : http://aliran.com/8190.html Link

Gara Gara Nurul Izzah,PM Di Hentam Kaum India Posted: 17 Feb 2012 04:30 PM PST Berlaku satu kes di Lembah Pantai apabila satu program meraikan Tahun Baru Cina di Brickfield mendapat sambutan yang hambar.Kehadiran pada mulanya dijangka 3 ribu orang,tetapi malangnya sebaik saja ketibaan PM kehadiran hanyalah mencecah 350. Itu pun menurut sumber, setelah dikerah semua ahli PKR Bukit Bintang supaya hadir memenuhi majlis tersebut. Anwar kan dah lama berlagak nak jadi PM,semua haprak pakatan pun kata Anwar tu PM diaorang,jom baca kejadian yang menimpa PM pakatan haprak:- Pernahkah anda lihat rupa seorang yang bercita-cita nak jadi Perdana Menteri berterabur cabut bila rakyat datang minta tolong. Kalau tak pernah lihat, tengok saja muka Anwar Ibrahim, yang bergegas belah dalam sambutan majlis gegar Wilayah di Brickfields. Ceritanya begini. Seperti yang diceritakan sebelum ini, kehadiran Anwar dengan anaknya yang juga diangkat menjadi Bakal Perdana Menteri oleh kuncu-kuncu PKR (berapa banyak Bakal PM la ko punya family ni daa..) di Taman Seri Sentosa begitu hambar, siap dijerit-jerit pula oleh budak Cina PKR sendiri. Mengikut jadual, Anwar sepatutnya selepas dari Tmn Seri Sentosa, terus ke Majlis di Brickfields tepat jam 4 ptg dalam gerak-gempurnya ke kawasan-kawasan Parlimen KL pada Hari Wilayah itu. 5 khemah disediakan di Brickfields dgn jangkaan 3,000 tetamu akan hadir. Jika di Tmn Seri Sentosa, 10 khemah disediakan dgn jangkaan 5,000 dtg tapi hanya sekitar 350 yang hadir (kehadiran 7% dari jangkaan), di Brickfields pula kehadirannya pula dikira sukses untuk Program Nurul Izzah iaitu sekitar 300 org yang hadir dari jangkaan 3,000 orang (10%). Itupun di Brickfields patut pukul 4 mula tapi Anwar dtg lambat pasal kosong, so dia pusing2 tunggu org ramai sikit. Bila orang tak ramai-ramai juga, ramai org luar yg dipaksa bergegas datang. Banyak agaknya dr Bkt Bintang, sebab nampak ramai yg pakai baju PKR Bkt Bintang. Semasa Anwar berucap, terdengar laungan dari pengundi India, "you la penipu", "tipu kaum India". Tapi yg paling mahal sekali ialah peristiwa semasa Anwar nak masuk kereta. Sebelum masuk kereta, ada pakcik tua bawak baby dgn anak 18 tahun selamba datang jumpa Anwar mintak duit, "datuk seri, pls help me, want money". Anwar jem, dan terus taichi pakcik tua ni pada kuli barunya Naib Presiden PKR N.Surendran. Anwar sendiri cepat-cepat masuk kereta dan belah. Lepas dia belah, Surendran bagi pakcik tua tu RM100. Tapi entah apa yang jadi, Surendran marah2 pakcik tu, tinggikan suara. Entah apa yg Pakcik tu mintak tak lah dengar sangat, tapi Surendran suruh pakcik tu pergi ofis Nurul Izzah, Pusat Khidmat PKR di Lembah Pantai. Pakcik tu balas balik, dia kata dia dah 2 kali undi pakatan, dah banyak kali pergi ofis Nurul tapi tak dilayan. (Apa lah, orang Pusat Khidmat PKR ni pemalas ke hapa?) Semasa itulah anak Pakcik tu tadi, yang menjadi tajuk Artikel ini, bersuara lantang, Apa kata anak pakcik tu? Selamba je anak dia cakap di depan orang ramai, "appa i told you already appa, y u ask for help from pkr, they'll never help you, better ask from bn lah" Jem kepala otak semua penyokong PKR di situ. Dan yang tambah syoknya ialah bila Anwar belah, habis semua yg datang tadi dalam 300 orang, belah sekali. Tinggal lah 25-30 org. Nurul yang memang dijadualkan berucap pun mula lah berucap, tapi tinggal 25-30 org je dgr Nurul. Nurul oh Nurul, inilah akibatnya bila pandai berjanji dan bercakap, tapi kerja tak ada, pemalas, tahu nak glamer di luar negeri. Memang lingkuplah nampaknya Nurul Izzah kena penangan Raja Nong Chik pilihanraya kali ini.-BeritaLembahPantai Pisau kata " memang patut kaum India dah tak sokong PKR"

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