I would like to share this article written by Hannah Yeoh,which I feel can help to motivate us in our struggle for a better Malaysia.Lawan Tetap Lawan:
So many people have been telling me just how frustrated they are with the current political situation in our country. Some have told me that they regretted voting for change because of the political instability now and would prefer returning to their old style of voting - vote for stability and forget about having a stronger opposition and greater check and balance.I shudder at the thought of this!
One needs to remember the reason why we are seeing such great resistance for change is simply because there is much to lose for those who have been in power for so long. For decades there has been so much abuse of power, unchecked misuse of public funds and plain dirty corruption. With a stronger opposition now, they stand to lose their illegal sources of income and some may even be charged and sent to prison if they are found guilty. With this in mind, they will fight at all costs to reclaim back power and to ensure they can continue to steal public funds from the people for their own enrichment. We are not just dealing with differences in politics; we are combating evil forces who will not rest till they secure back their powers and illegal sources of income.
Sometimes I feel equally frustrated and disillusioned about the political situation too. Sometimes I lie awake thinking of how to effect change in this land. Some days I cry while driving in between meetings thinking of what's left for the future generation in this land if we give up now. I have endured much verbal attack from political enemies, accusation after accusation of me not doing anything for my constituents and etc. No one truly understands the resistance we face daily in discharging our duties except for my fellow PR assemblymen. Robert Kennedy once said *Progress is a nice word. But change is its motivator and change has its enemies.*
Our enemies are resisting change but we must stand firm and continue to push for a competent, accountable and transparent government. At the end of each day, as I lay myself to sleep, I ask God for strength, wisdom and protection to face the next. I look forward to the end of the term when I can tell the people of Subang Jaya that I have remained clean and have not stolen any of the taxpayers' funds.
As reminded by Raja Petra in his blog "*Please continue your struggle to make Malaysia a better place for our future generation. This country belongs to them and it is for them that we struggle."
All hope is not lost. Come the next election, vote out the corrupt once and for all. Hang in there, supporters and friends, the best is yet to come!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Zambry in hot soup for giving land worth RM6-8 mil to cronies
Malaysia Chronicle
Perak Mentri Besar Zambry Kadir has come under fire for alleged corruption after he gave a 50-acre piece of land worth between RM6 to 8 million to a company owned by an Umno crony.
The news comes amid a storm of Umno and MCA accusations against the DAP for issuing recommendation letters to help businesses win contracts from the Selangor state government.
“This is the biggest joke. Here they just hand over the state’s land to their cronies. Not once have they thought about the aqua farmers who have been toiling the land for more than 20 years,” Teja assemblyman Chang Lih Kang told Malaysia Chronicle.
Unkindest cut, and not the first time
Chang has lodged a complaint with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission over the land in Kampung Sungai Itek in Gopeng, Perak. He has also demanded that Zambry be suspended from the Land Committee and that approval granted to the crony firm is immediately revoked pending investigations.
“This is the unkindest cut of all. Zambry not only ignored the claims of the farmers who have worked on land and contributed to the state’s economy all these years but he actually gave away the land to his cronies. It is a clear case of abuse of power,” said Chang.
The land is currently being cultivated by ornamental fish breeders and farmers, who have for years been applying for land titles from the state authorities but to no avail. When they found out about Zambry’s grant, they complained to their assemblymen.
Chang then raised the matter in the Perak state assembly and a written reply revealed that the land had been given to a company called Safura House of Diamond Sdn Bhd under the state’s Proper Village Planning Plan. A check with the Companies Commission of Malaysia showed that one of Safura’s shareholders is the deputy chief of Umno Gopeng.
“It is actually the second time this sort of shenanigan has taken place. The first scandal also took place in Kampung Sungai Itek, where the UMNO Gopeng division chief was given 10 lots of land in the planned village scheme,” said Chang.
More farmers are being evicted
He warned that if the federal authorities ignored the charges against Zambry and if the MACC delayed taking action, more farmers would be expelled from the land.
“Their livelihood will be badly affected. It is the duty of the government to care for the people and not grab their land from them and give to their friends and families,” Chang said.
"Through the years, the farmers in Sungai Itek have invested a lot of their savings and if they are evicted, they will have nothing. Even if Zambry offers compensation, the water quality might not be suitable for fishes. So what is going on, where are the priorities?”
Expose any cronyism and let the people know the truth
Perak Mentri Besar Zambry Kadir has come under fire for alleged corruption after he gave a 50-acre piece of land worth between RM6 to 8 million to a company owned by an Umno crony.
The news comes amid a storm of Umno and MCA accusations against the DAP for issuing recommendation letters to help businesses win contracts from the Selangor state government.
“This is the biggest joke. Here they just hand over the state’s land to their cronies. Not once have they thought about the aqua farmers who have been toiling the land for more than 20 years,” Teja assemblyman Chang Lih Kang told Malaysia Chronicle.
Unkindest cut, and not the first time
Chang has lodged a complaint with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission over the land in Kampung Sungai Itek in Gopeng, Perak. He has also demanded that Zambry be suspended from the Land Committee and that approval granted to the crony firm is immediately revoked pending investigations.
“This is the unkindest cut of all. Zambry not only ignored the claims of the farmers who have worked on land and contributed to the state’s economy all these years but he actually gave away the land to his cronies. It is a clear case of abuse of power,” said Chang.
The land is currently being cultivated by ornamental fish breeders and farmers, who have for years been applying for land titles from the state authorities but to no avail. When they found out about Zambry’s grant, they complained to their assemblymen.
Chang then raised the matter in the Perak state assembly and a written reply revealed that the land had been given to a company called Safura House of Diamond Sdn Bhd under the state’s Proper Village Planning Plan. A check with the Companies Commission of Malaysia showed that one of Safura’s shareholders is the deputy chief of Umno Gopeng.
“It is actually the second time this sort of shenanigan has taken place. The first scandal also took place in Kampung Sungai Itek, where the UMNO Gopeng division chief was given 10 lots of land in the planned village scheme,” said Chang.
More farmers are being evicted
He warned that if the federal authorities ignored the charges against Zambry and if the MACC delayed taking action, more farmers would be expelled from the land.
“Their livelihood will be badly affected. It is the duty of the government to care for the people and not grab their land from them and give to their friends and families,” Chang said.
"Through the years, the farmers in Sungai Itek have invested a lot of their savings and if they are evicted, they will have nothing. Even if Zambry offers compensation, the water quality might not be suitable for fishes. So what is going on, where are the priorities?”
Expose any cronyism and let the people know the truth
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Realities of PKR 2010 Elections
Its not a pleasant time for PKR.The 'implosion' is threatening to break the party.However,the reformasi spirit is still very strong within the party and I am sure that it will live to fight another day.
What lessons can we draw from this very badly managed Elections,which was supposed to showcase PKR taking the lead ,of allowing each member the right to vote in their top guns?
1. Election system and process were not tight : Whether due to lack of manpower or expertise,this election was badly managed.This gave opportunities for all 3 groups to exploit,when it was to their advantage.Lots of opportunities for improvement.
2. Block voting cost the party to be split into 3 camps : Aspiring candidates had to team up with one of the 3 aspiring Deputy Presidents.Voting was not due to capability but by teams,how sad?. Many members were not comfortable with this development.
3. Division heads were partisan: At each Division, usually only one list of recommended candidates is made available.Most of the heads actively lobbied for the team that they backed. Should not all 3 lists be made available to members?Members can look at all 3 lists and decide who to choose.This would be more democratically correct.
4. Use of mass media damaged the party's image:Zaid in particular is the main culprit and the end result is that the road to Putrajaya is becoming extra long.Why have we not learned from past mistakes,I wonder?
5.Where were the leaders when the going got tough? :DSAI and Datin Seri have to take responsibility for this debacle.It always start with the top. DSAI have been uncharacteristically making a lot of mistakes lately.He must LEAD and accept CRITICISM.His down-lines must put the issues and expectations clearly to him.
I hope that DSAI would take on the challenge upfront and resolve these issues.Serious problems requires strong fixes and I hope that he will step up to it. The Rakyat expects him to deliver.
PKR ,with its multiracial appeal, is still the party for the new generation.Those who feel that the current problems makes it unfit to govern (as espoused by DPM,Muhyiddin Yassin),should think deeper.Isn't the Selangor Govt,led by PKR, better governed than when it was run by Khir Toyo?
What lessons can we draw from this very badly managed Elections,which was supposed to showcase PKR taking the lead ,of allowing each member the right to vote in their top guns?
1. Election system and process were not tight : Whether due to lack of manpower or expertise,this election was badly managed.This gave opportunities for all 3 groups to exploit,when it was to their advantage.Lots of opportunities for improvement.
2. Block voting cost the party to be split into 3 camps : Aspiring candidates had to team up with one of the 3 aspiring Deputy Presidents.Voting was not due to capability but by teams,how sad?. Many members were not comfortable with this development.
3. Division heads were partisan: At each Division, usually only one list of recommended candidates is made available.Most of the heads actively lobbied for the team that they backed. Should not all 3 lists be made available to members?Members can look at all 3 lists and decide who to choose.This would be more democratically correct.
4. Use of mass media damaged the party's image:Zaid in particular is the main culprit and the end result is that the road to Putrajaya is becoming extra long.Why have we not learned from past mistakes,I wonder?
5.Where were the leaders when the going got tough? :DSAI and Datin Seri have to take responsibility for this debacle.It always start with the top. DSAI have been uncharacteristically making a lot of mistakes lately.He must LEAD and accept CRITICISM.His down-lines must put the issues and expectations clearly to him.
I hope that DSAI would take on the challenge upfront and resolve these issues.Serious problems requires strong fixes and I hope that he will step up to it. The Rakyat expects him to deliver.
PKR ,with its multiracial appeal, is still the party for the new generation.Those who feel that the current problems makes it unfit to govern (as espoused by DPM,Muhyiddin Yassin),should think deeper.Isn't the Selangor Govt,led by PKR, better governed than when it was run by Khir Toyo?
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
PKR : Remember the famous words of Sir Winston Churchill -We shall never surrender
PKR is facing a massive onslaught by BN Machinery, aided sadly by its own turncoats.
1. My advice to PKR leadership is to learn from these mistakes but don't surrender.
2. My advice to party members,lets close ranks and don't wash dirty linen in public.
Those who damage the party due to their own misfortune in the 2010 PKR Election should leave.If fingers are to be pointed,it should be pointed to all levels-MPP right down to Cabang level.The so called "block voting" should not have been allowed.The results:PKR divided into 3 groups due to the "UMNO style of campaigning".
PKR Leadership must protect the party from this serious onslaught by its enemies .Remember the famous words of Sir Winston Churchill:
Sir Winston Churchill's famous speech during World War 2 (Dunkirk/Battle of Britain):
We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender
LAWAN TETAP LAWAN
1. My advice to PKR leadership is to learn from these mistakes but don't surrender.
2. My advice to party members,lets close ranks and don't wash dirty linen in public.
Those who damage the party due to their own misfortune in the 2010 PKR Election should leave.If fingers are to be pointed,it should be pointed to all levels-MPP right down to Cabang level.The so called "block voting" should not have been allowed.The results:PKR divided into 3 groups due to the "UMNO style of campaigning".
PKR Leadership must protect the party from this serious onslaught by its enemies .Remember the famous words of Sir Winston Churchill:
Sir Winston Churchill's famous speech during World War 2 (Dunkirk/Battle of Britain):
We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender
LAWAN TETAP LAWAN
Monday, November 8, 2010
Water, sand and Khir could cost Najib in Selangor
By FMT Staff
SHAH ALAM: Former Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo is turning into a liability and an embarrassment to the federal government now that the 'truth' about his dealings is available to the public.
Khir's questionable decisions when he was MB came to light after the Selangor government declassified several documents on water concessions.
Tomorrow's Cabinet meeting may well discuss Khir and his decisions on water concessions and the sand issues which have become a thorn in Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s side.
According to Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim’s political secretary Faekah Husin, the central government’s lack of censure of Khir for his ‘ways’, especially in the water issue will be costly. He was running the state like his own company.
She said the federal government not only failed to assist Selangorians secure free water but also did not act against Khir who had given away water concessions to a crony company.
The water issue arose when Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) was allowed to raise water tariff without considering its effect on the people still grappling with the economic crisis. Khir Toyo did not care for the welfare of the Selangorians and is only interested in filling his crony’s pocket as well as his.
She said the state BN government led by Khir had signed a water concession agreement with Syabas where the company was allowed to increase tariff every three years.
She said Khir’s agreement with Syabas allowed for the water concessionaire to raise tariff by 39% in year 2009, 25% in 2012 , 20% in 2015, 10% in 2018 and 5% in 2021. The PR state government stepped in to prevent the increase and even gave the first 20m3 free water to all the people in the state. These tariff raise is not in the interest of the Selangorians.
“Khir should be embarrassed and ashamed of himself. How dare he talk about people first on any issue for that matter, be it water or sand ? He was more interested in enriching himself and his cronies. This water agreement was wrapped up under OSA undoubtedly.
“It’s because of his greed and carelessness that Selangorians are unable to get the best water services and rates," she said in a statement. The water agreement aims to tax the people more despite the worsening economic conditions in the country. The result was almost all households must instal water filters to remove the brown particulates and sediments.
Possible legal action against Syabas
As a result of Khir’s irresponsible actions, the Pakatan Rakyat government was now forced to face an arrogant concessionaire who is brazen enough to make excessive demands on the state government’s move to takeover management of Selangor’s water resources.
Despite these setbacks, Selangor is constantly engaging the views of various quarters in relation to administration and policies, including avenues for (water) discounts and incentives.
"What is important is that the state government wants to ensure that the people directly benefit from its policies. We are still searching for the best way to overcome the situation with water in the state," she said.
"The people have the right to know the real story behind the water crisis and how Khir must be stopped from a moral perspective from voicing his views on administrative matters.
"Khir was the main reasons why we decided to declassify all documentations, agreements and audit reports in relation to the water crisis. This is so that the public will know the truth.
The people of Selangor had been kept in the dark over crucial matters like the water agreement and income of sand collection which directly benefitted BN’s cronies and he is now trying to divert attention by pointing out illegal sand mining in Selangor. What an irony ! These are issues that directly affect the welfare of the people of Selangor.
She said the Federal government must take a serious view of this issue. She added the state government was undaunted by the RM1 billion court summon secured by Syabas, who had Putrajaya’s backing.
“We’re keeping our options open...we are open to initiating legal action against Syabas for failing to fulfil its concessionaire agreement. It has already cost us (the state) no less than RM8 billion in losses
SHAH ALAM: Former Menteri Besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo is turning into a liability and an embarrassment to the federal government now that the 'truth' about his dealings is available to the public.
Khir's questionable decisions when he was MB came to light after the Selangor government declassified several documents on water concessions.
Tomorrow's Cabinet meeting may well discuss Khir and his decisions on water concessions and the sand issues which have become a thorn in Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s side.
According to Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim’s political secretary Faekah Husin, the central government’s lack of censure of Khir for his ‘ways’, especially in the water issue will be costly. He was running the state like his own company.
She said the federal government not only failed to assist Selangorians secure free water but also did not act against Khir who had given away water concessions to a crony company.
The water issue arose when Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas) was allowed to raise water tariff without considering its effect on the people still grappling with the economic crisis. Khir Toyo did not care for the welfare of the Selangorians and is only interested in filling his crony’s pocket as well as his.
She said the state BN government led by Khir had signed a water concession agreement with Syabas where the company was allowed to increase tariff every three years.
She said Khir’s agreement with Syabas allowed for the water concessionaire to raise tariff by 39% in year 2009, 25% in 2012 , 20% in 2015, 10% in 2018 and 5% in 2021. The PR state government stepped in to prevent the increase and even gave the first 20m3 free water to all the people in the state. These tariff raise is not in the interest of the Selangorians.
“Khir should be embarrassed and ashamed of himself. How dare he talk about people first on any issue for that matter, be it water or sand ? He was more interested in enriching himself and his cronies. This water agreement was wrapped up under OSA undoubtedly.
“It’s because of his greed and carelessness that Selangorians are unable to get the best water services and rates," she said in a statement. The water agreement aims to tax the people more despite the worsening economic conditions in the country. The result was almost all households must instal water filters to remove the brown particulates and sediments.
Possible legal action against Syabas
As a result of Khir’s irresponsible actions, the Pakatan Rakyat government was now forced to face an arrogant concessionaire who is brazen enough to make excessive demands on the state government’s move to takeover management of Selangor’s water resources.
Despite these setbacks, Selangor is constantly engaging the views of various quarters in relation to administration and policies, including avenues for (water) discounts and incentives.
"What is important is that the state government wants to ensure that the people directly benefit from its policies. We are still searching for the best way to overcome the situation with water in the state," she said.
"The people have the right to know the real story behind the water crisis and how Khir must be stopped from a moral perspective from voicing his views on administrative matters.
"Khir was the main reasons why we decided to declassify all documentations, agreements and audit reports in relation to the water crisis. This is so that the public will know the truth.
The people of Selangor had been kept in the dark over crucial matters like the water agreement and income of sand collection which directly benefitted BN’s cronies and he is now trying to divert attention by pointing out illegal sand mining in Selangor. What an irony ! These are issues that directly affect the welfare of the people of Selangor.
She said the Federal government must take a serious view of this issue. She added the state government was undaunted by the RM1 billion court summon secured by Syabas, who had Putrajaya’s backing.
“We’re keeping our options open...we are open to initiating legal action against Syabas for failing to fulfil its concessionaire agreement. It has already cost us (the state) no less than RM8 billion in losses
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Minimum pay and better terms
This issue has been raised during the last General Elections since 2008 and remains unresolved until now and possibly ,waiting for the next General Elections. In the meantime, the workers have to cope with the cost of living that went up more than 2 years ago.
The Govt.is dragging its feet on this issue.Who do they turn to for help?
The issue of better pay and conditions is actually an issue which involves the owner of the business and workers ,and logically,these must be championed by the trade union movement and the Employers Federation.
Leaving it to the politicians have not worked,so the workers must unite and chart their own future.Under the law, the workers are given that power under the Trade Union Act and the Industrial Relations Act.
Under the circumstances,it would appear that the responsibility must be shouldered by the Trade Union movement.The movement can remain relevant if it takes immediate steps to fill the void.
The Govt.is dragging its feet on this issue.Who do they turn to for help?
The issue of better pay and conditions is actually an issue which involves the owner of the business and workers ,and logically,these must be championed by the trade union movement and the Employers Federation.
Leaving it to the politicians have not worked,so the workers must unite and chart their own future.Under the law, the workers are given that power under the Trade Union Act and the Industrial Relations Act.
Under the circumstances,it would appear that the responsibility must be shouldered by the Trade Union movement.The movement can remain relevant if it takes immediate steps to fill the void.
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