1 Malaysia - between reality and fantasy!

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

KUALA LUMPUR,

I am one of the privileged few to have attended a local public university and learned the meaning of hate, thanks to the ever popular Biro Tata Negara.

All undergraduates were forced to attend this programme or else they would not be eligible for graduation.

The BTN under the Prime Minister’s Department brought in “intellectual” speakers who were supposed to enlighten the students about the meaning of being a Malaysian but instead it felt more like a communist propaganda camp brainwashing those attending about the importance of “Ketuanan Melayu”.

The camp would usually take place during the weekends. Students would have to register early in the morning and the programme would last the whole day.

The organisers were always on their guard, asking participants to show their student identification cards each time they entered the hall, fearing the presence of outsiders.

In the hall, students were asked to turn off their mobile phones.

During the lectures, questions were planted among the audience and the students were advised not ask raise any questions.

One speaker began with the history of Malaysia and how much the country had gone through, always emphasising the May 13 riots.

He stressed the point of how much the Malays had sacrificed and how the community should be united especially from outside threat — the Chinese community.

He said that the Chinese community were “the Jews of Asia ” and were just itching to take over when Malays were disunited and broken.

The speaker also revealed a greater Chinese conspiracy where the Chinese Malaysians were working together with Singapore to topple the Malay government.

“Do you want to become like the Malays in Singapore ?” he asked.

He also went so far as to criticise Malay girls for dating boys from other races.

He added that they should not be cheap and embarrass their families.

Once, a student told the speaker that as Muslims, we should also respect other races who are also Muslims.

“All Muslims are Malays so it does not matter if they are Chinese or Indians. If they are Muslims then they are Malays,” the speaker replied.

This is why I was relieved when I learned that the Selangor government had moved to ban its civil servants, employees of state subsidiaries and students at state-owned education institutions from attending any BTN courses with immediate effect.

However I believe racism in varsities does not end at BTN because classrooms have also become victims of ignorant scholars.

My friend was verbally abused during his sociology class when he did not agree with the points made by his lecturer.

“You must be DKK,” the lecturer told him.

“What is DKK?” he asked.

“You must be darah keturunan keling (descendents of Indians),” the lecturer said, pointing to his dark skin.

My Saudi friend was also shocked by the comments made by his lecturer in his Islamic civilisation class.

“We should save our Orang Asli from the Chinese people. They are like the Palestinians and the Chinese are Israel . We must fight the Jews,” the lecturer told his students.

The lecturer even failed one of his students in his oral exam when he quoted a Western scholar in his presentation.

“You should be ashamed of yourselves. You are a Muslim and should only use Islamic scholars,” he scolded the student.

I was personally saddened when my Islamic law lecturer compared Christianity to Head & Shoulder’s 3 in 1 shampoo in referring to the religion’s Holy Trinity.

I feel that racism has been institutionalised in our country and that BTN is only the tip of the iceberg.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin defended BTN yesterday and claimed that it was not racist but is line with the 1 Malaysia concept.

I have to humbly disagree and would like to suggest maybe the ministers should bring their overseas children home and let them have a taste of what BTN is.

Are the Sultans above scrutiny?

Questioning statements made by the Sultans should not be viewed as disrespectful in this day and age.

In a democracy ,all parties are subject to scrutiny. If the Sultan’s position is wrong, there must be a remedy to correct it, right? No one is above the law.

The former Lord President, Sultan Perak will surely remember the the oft-quoted aphorism "Not only must Justice be done; it must also be seen to be done."

On the same footing, Sultans must not only be fair but must be seen to be fair.They must walk the talk and be consistent in their actions. Otherwise, they would be failing in their Constitutional role.

The days of sovereign rulers are long gone. In a democracy, power lies with the Rakyat and the Sultans must remain neutral.

If a referendum is carried out, I wonder what the Rakyat's verdict  would be?It would be interesting to find out.. 

Persoalan Hudud.Bolehkah anda menjawabnya?

1. Kuasa untuk melaksanakan hudud sebenarnya ada ditangan UMNO(bukan PAS/PR).Selama 54 tahun UMNO memerintah tapi mereka belum bersedia untuk melaksanakanya.Kenapa?

2. UMNO selalu mengatakan bahawa Malaysia belum bersedia untuk melaksanakan hudud tetapi tiada sebarang tindakan telah diambil menyediakan rakyat untuk menerima hukum ini dimasa depan.Kenapa?

3. Raja Melayu bertanggung-jawab mengenai hal ehwal Islam tetapi berdiam diri dan tiada sebarang tindakan oleh mereka untuk melaksanakan hukum hudud.Kenapa?

4. Kerajaan negeri Kelantan dan Trenggannu telah meluluskan enakmen hudud semasa pemerintahan PAS tetapi enakmen ini tidak boleh dilaksanakan kerana tentangan dari Kerajaan Pusat,yang diterajui oleh UMNO.Kenapa?

5. Hukuman mati dan hukuman sebat oleh Makamah Sivil dapat diterima oleh rakyat tetapi rakyat dikatakan belum bersedia untuk terima hukuman hudud.Kenapa?

6. Hukum hudud tidak akan dijalankan terhadap org bukan Islam tetapi orang bukan islam dikatakan takut dengan hudud.Kenapa?

7. Org bukan islam telah hidup dalam suasana dimana Makamah Syariah menjalankan hukuman terhadap orang islam saperti kesalahan berkhalwat,mimuman keras,berjudi dsn tetapi dkatakan takut dengan hukum hudud.Kenapa?

9th JULY 2011: THE DAY FEAR DIED IN MALAYSIA

Never in the history of Malaysian politics was so much fear and pressure, exerted on the Malaysian public, to be Tak-Bersih.

The heavy hands of the authorities were used to disrupt, harass, thwart and discourage every Bersih initiative by all necessary means. Loads of rubbish was heaped on the Rakyat to ensure that they are Tak-Bersih compliant. The end justifies the means, so to speak.

 The means include the media, police, SPR, high ranking personalities and various pressure groups. Sadly, even Royalty and Armed Forces were not spared. 

A systematic diet of fear, intimidation and coercion were rolled out on a daily basis. 

Detaining citizens for wearing yellow is logical, never mind if we are the only country in the world to do so. And, wow! we made it into the Guinness Book of Records too!

90 odd Malaysian citizens were denied their right to be in Kuala Lumpur, their capital city on 9th July 2011. It’s alright to use preventive/emergency laws to curb the right to peaceful assembly, yes?The last I recalled, the Emergency rule was lifted many decades ago. 

Entry points into Kuala Lumpur were road-blocked and vehicle and commuters checked. Many train commuters were detained as soon as they got off the train. 

By the Police Chief’s standard, these detainees should be grateful for the excellent treatment accorded to them.Provided with free transport, food and lodging, it’s a small wonder why the detainees did not ask for an extended stay – a small price for loss of personal liberty, yes? 

Yet, against all odds, 60,000 people from all walks of life, many for the very first time in their lives, braved the fear and intimidation, to rally in the heart of the Capital, in clear defiance of their govt.

Among them were the 65 year old Lady of Liberty and my 62 year old lady cousin. All ages, sexes, races and creed, united as Malaysians, and speaking with one voice - one which is devoid of fear.

In the annals of modern Malaysian history, 9^th July 2011, will surely be recorded as the day Malaysians lost their fear of their own govt. Never again.

God Bless Malaysia.

Gutter Politics of Malay Malaysia

13 years ago,he was labeled a Jew Agent,a US Agent ,a Womanizer and a Sodomist .HE was a threat to  UMNO and he was jailed and put out of circulation for 5 years.

Upon his release, a political tsunami  was unleashed and the end result was that UMNO lost Selangor,Penang,Wilayah KL,Kedah ,Perak and Kelantan. It almost lost N.Sembilan .

For the damage he caused in PRU 12, Sdr Anwar Ibrahim will be jailed and put out of circulation once again.

A new remake of the old script is being played out .Let there be no doubt that the script will end with the jailing of Sdr Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim once again. At 63 years of age ,that will surely be the end of Anwar.

Or is it?

The best of plans can end in disarray. As they say, man proposes and God disposes.

Citizens all over the world are clamoring for a new world order .Injustice and corrupt status quo are out. Transparency, equality and shared values are in. We have seen this in Tunisia Eypt,Libya. In SEA, it was  called People Power .We saw it in Philippines ,Thailand and Indonesia. Recently, it reached Singapore.

We can do the same in Malaysia. 

We can free our country from the clutches of UMNO and let our   government institutions (Police/Army/SPR/EC/Judiciary) to function  independently.

Lets make it our personal responsibility to wake up our relatives, friends and colleagues from their slumber ,induced by UMNO media and propaganda  apparatus. Get them to register as voters and lets us use people power at PRU 13 to  vote UMNO out of power.

Once, the organs of govt.  are cleansed , the gutter politics of Malay Malaysia will have no place in Malaysia and Sdr Anwar will find the justice that should have been accorded to him as a citizen of Malaysia.

UBAH SEKARANG.SELAMATKAN MALAYSIA!

De-frogging PKR

It is unfortunate that when one thinks of katak lompat,PKR comes to mind. In the past, such references are usually reserved for politicians from Sabah & Sarawak but we now have our fair share of Katak Lompats from Semenanjung as well.


Why would a politician who is elected by the Rakyat betray their trust and jump ship?

There are always " push and pull factors" involved when a Wakil rakyat jumped ship.The push factors can be generalized as unhappiness/ dissatisfaction and the pull factors are options that are viewed as better or offering better potential.

In a nutshell a potential frog exists if a Wakil Rakyat is unhappy, dissatisfied (push) or is greedy, ambitious, unscrupulous, unethical(pull).

To counter this, a good attract and retain strategy must be developed-to resource,nuture and protect our Wakil Rakyats from leaving or being lured by our competitors. This is HR (Human Resource) territory.

How do we establish a good attract and retention strategy?Start by benchmarking best practices and talking to your star performers.

In HR, we say that to eliminate theft, we should not hire thieves. So,by extension,to defrog -don't recruit frogs! A good recruitment process can help to eliminate frogs or potential frogs from being hired. Again, past performance is good indicator of future performance.

Lets start rolling and put in a good recruitment and retention system to eliminate the Kataks .The Rakyat does not expect any less.

If you are a Malaysian patriot,please stand up

If I ask this question to the 30 odd million Malaysians ,I dare bet that everyone would standup in a blink.

What would such a response show? That all of us regardless of our political affiliation ,race,religious beliefs, gender, educational background, social status etc believe that we are Malaysians and this sense of belonging unites us as one.

We see this bond especially when we meet another Malaysian outside Malaysia.Yet, within our shores ,it is a different story.

But it was not like this before. People from the time of Independence ,did feel proud to be Malaysians but this feeling has waned today.

Why? Because we are not proud of what our Malaysia has become, right?

But if we believe ourselves to be Malaysian patriots, we must restore this pride by correcting the wrongs done against our beloved Malaysia.

The people of Egypt have demonstrated that they are patriots first regardless of their political affiliation.Its noteworthy that only one flag(not political party flags) is being waved,the Egyptian flag, a symbol of their unity.

The Egyptians stood up and took back their country from a corrupt regime and today they wave the Egyptian flag with pride.People power(Kuasa Rakyat) once again reigns supreme, as it has in the past ,under different names.

We too can restore Malaysia to its former glory but we can only do this if we stand up as One People.

As we begin this journey for a better Malaysia, lets rally and unite behind the Jalur Gemilang. Lets fly our Malaysian flag,include the flag in our blogs/websites/print media  and sing the Negaraku at every opportunity.And Godwilling ,we can be like the generation before us -fiercely proud to be Malaysians.

YES,we can!

Pakatan Rakyat should announce its Shadow Cabinet NOW

Pakatan Rakyat have recently launched its Orange Book (Buku Jingga),which outlines what it will do when it comes to power.This is quite impressive and gives the Rakyat the confidence of what to expect should PR take over Putrajaya.

The responsibility of executing the Orange Book will obviously fall on the shoulders of the Cabinet.To give the Rakyat further confidence of what to expect,PR should announce its Shadow Cabinet now.Members of this Cabinet should start their work so that they can function immediately,should PR take over Putrajaya.

In this regard ,the issue of who will be the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers,must also be addressed. There is a strong view that we should have 3 Deputy Prime Ministers, one from Semenanjung and one each from Sabah and Sarawak.Lets address this now so that the Rakyat know what will happen and will not be surprised.

Pakatan Rakyat must demonstrate that it is capable of governing and if the issues are worked on now,there is no reason why we cannot have a smooth takeover.Lets give the Rakyat the confidence that we have the people and we can govern.

Wikileaks:Dedahan yang ditunggu-tunggu

Teman tak sabar menunggu pendapat LKY dan diplomat Singapura mengenai pembunuhan Altantuya.Teman juga tidak sabar tunggu dedahan mengenai kematian Teoh Beng Hock yang konon nya membunuh diri, kehilangan enjin jet,kapal selam,Apco dan sebagainya.

Teman juga tidak sabar nak dengar mengenai pendapat Singapura mengenai pembabitan Dr.Mahatir dalam kes Sodomi 1.Hipokrit ini setuju dengan padangan LKY mengenai Anwar tapi tak setuju dengan pandangan rendah LKY terhadap kerajaan BN.

Teman juga ingin dengar dedahan mengenai pembabitan Najib dan Rosmah dalam Sodomi2.Juga pembabitan Musa Hassan dan Gani Patail dalam Sodomi1 dan Sodomi2.

Harap Utusan dedahkan semua ini, sepertimana ia menyebarkan Wikileaks terhadap Anwar. Mungkinkah juga Utusan akan dianggap sebagai Agen Singapura kerana menyiarkan pendapat LKY, sepertimana Anwar dilabelkan sebagai Agen Amerika? Kita tunggu dan lihat adegan adegan selanjutnya.

Inilah Malaysia BN. Satu Malaysia untuk pemerintah dan satu Malaysia lain untuk yang diperintah.

Wikileaks:Anwar Masuk Perangkap Seks

Anwar Ibrahim dikatakan memasuki perangkap seks yang melibatkankan Saiful Bukhari.Kalau ini benar,dimana videonya?

Dalam kes Ketua MCA,Dr Chua Soi Lek, ada video seks dan berdasarkan video ini,beliau telah membuat pengakuan.Tetapi tidak ada apa tindakan yang diambil oleh pihak Polis.

Didalam kes Anwar Ibrahim,Sodomi 2 dijalankan oleh polis,melibatkan ramai kakitangan polis dan forensik.Kalau perangkap ,mesti ada video.Dengan ada video,senang sekali untuk dapat pengakuan daripada Anwar,bukan? Tapi dalam kes ini,walaupun tidak ada pengakuan,pihak polis mengambil tindakan.

Polis/Pendakwa tak berat sebelah? Satu lagi kes pendakwaan pilihan?

Fikir fikir...

APA SUMBANGAN ANDA KEPADA MALAYSIA?

Apabila rasuah jadi kebiasaan,apabila ketidakadilan jadi warisan,apabila fitnah menjadi lumrah,apabila diri lebih penting dari masyarakat,apabila mata yang celik jadi buta,apabila telinga yang baik jadi pekak,apabila suara lantang jadi bisu,apabila ketakutan bermaharajalela,maka binasalah negara kita.


Apakah sumbangan anda untuk membawa perubahan untuk memulihkan negara kita ini? Ataupun, anda hanya mengeluh tetapi mengharap orang lain untuk selamat Malaysia anda.

Kenapa tidak anda mengambil initiatif untuk memyumbang? Setiap sumbangan walaupun kecil (mengikut kemampuan kita)dapat membantu kita untuk memulihkan keadaan negara kita.

Pejuang Rakyat mesti berjiwa besar untuk membuat perubahan, menghadapi setiap cabaran dan halangan yang akan dilemparkan kepada kita.Tidak ada tawar hati dan tidak ada pengunduran diri dalam perjuangan ini.Kerana perjuangan kita kerana Allah dan perjuangan kita berlandasan kebenaran.


Teruskan perjuangan,demi masa depan anak anak kita.

LAWAN TETAP LAWAN

Kenaikan Gaji Ditangan Pekerja-Gerakan Kuasa Pekerja

Selepas menang Galas dan Batu Sapi, BN/UMNO yakin bahawa mereka mendapat sokongan rakyat. Walaupun harga minyak dinaikkan,rakyat akan terus mengundi BN/UMNO.Agaknya,rakyat tidak kisah dengan kenaikan harga. Mungkinkah rakyat Malaysia sudah kaya ? Ataupun,tahap penahanan kesengsaraanya amat tinggi, ataupun rakyat Malaysia lemah dan senang diperlekehkan?

Bukan saja harga minyak yang naik.Semua barangan/servis lain juga telah naik secara mendadak, sejak dua tahun yang sudah, tetapi gaji rakyat tidak naik setanding dengan kenaikan kos sara hidup.

Pegawai kerajaan bernasib baik kerana gaji mereka naik dan sekarang secara amnya, pampasan/ imbuhan jawatan kerajaan lebih tinggi daripada jawatan swata.Tetapi malang nya,kerajaan mengabaikan kebajikan pekerja sektor swasta ,walaupun kerja disektor ini lebih stres.

Isu gaji minima juga telah dibangkitkan sebelum PRU 12 tetapi tidak ada apa apa perubahan yang telah dibuat oleh Pemerintah.Sehingga kini,gaji minima hanya jadi satu gimik politik.Hanya janji janji kosong sahaja.

Apa yang berlaku sekarang?

Ramai rakyat terutamanya yang berpendapatan rendah menghadapi kesempitan hidup.Gaji dan OT tidak cukup walaupun suami isteri bekerja.Apakah tindakan yang mereka boleh lakukan?

Kuasa pekerja adalah satu kuasa yang boleh mengegarkan lanskap negara. Pekerja swasta disarankan guna kuasa pekerja sebagai golongan majoriti dalam negara, untuk mengerakan aktiviti kesatuan sekerja ,untuk memperjuangkan untuk kenaikan gaji. Hakikatnya, hanya kuasa pekerja dapat membantu pekerja.Pemerintah yang akrab dengan pengusaha dan majikan,tidak simpati dengan keperitan hidup yang pekerja swasta sedang menghadapi.

Pekerja juga disarankan megunakan kuasa pekerja untuk membuat pertukaran kerajaan dalam PRU13.Kuasa perlu dikembalikan ketangan rakyat.Kita perlu buktikan kepada kuasa ditangan kita dan bukan ditangan UMNO/BN.

BERSATU TEGUH ,BERCERAI ROBOH

Make Malaysia a better place for our future generations

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!

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

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?

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

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

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.

Global anti-corruption watchdog ranks Malaysia 47th least corrupt, praises Penang

GEORGE TOWN, Sept 24 – Global corruption watchdog, Transparency International (TI), has ranked Malaysia as the 47th least corrupt nation in the world and commended the island state of Penang for its anti-corruption efforts.

Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden was listed by TI as the top three least corrupt countries as measured by the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), which ranks countries in terms of the degree to which businessmen and country analysts perceive corruption to exist among public officials and politicians.

Singapore , Finland , Switzerland , Iceland , Netherlands , Australia and Canada rounded off the top least corrupt countries.

Malaysia came in 47th out of 180 countries in the index, tied with Hungary and Jordan .

The CPI is part of TI's Global Corruption Report (GCR) 2009 released yesterday.

In its report on Malaysia, TI highlighted the Malaysian practice of the "revolving door" whereby individuals move from government to business, or business to politics, and back again, and estimated that corruption could cost Malaysia as much as RM10 billion a year.

"Significant government participation in the private sector and considerable business participation in politics means that the movement of gatekeepers to players and players to gatekeepers has a negative influence on the concept of checks and balances," said TI.

"The complexity of the relationships between politics and the public and private sectors means that corruption may take place with impunity. Until drastic action is taken to separate the cozy relationship between government, business and politics, the anti-corruption effort will remain no more than a token gesture," said TI.

Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng says he is "humbled" by the recognition by TI and added that he was concerned over the fact that that corruption could cost Malaysia as much as RM10 billion a year – an amount equivalent to 1 or 2% of GDP as pointed out by the GCR when it cited the findings of the special government business facilitation task force Pemudah and the World Bank.

Additional report contents that were of concern to Lim was Malaysia's per capita spending of only RM5 on anti-corruption efforts and the fact that only about 10%, or just 7,223 potential corruption cases, of the total 71,558 reported between 2000 and 2006 were investigated by the Anti Corruption Agency, the precursor of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, with a conviction rate of less than one percent.

"The GCR 2009 concluded that this illustration of the Malaysian government's inaction in the light of the serious corruption allegations, along with its seeming inability to catch the big fish instead focusing on the 'small fry', suggests that what anti-corruption efforts exist are mere tokens," said Lim.

"RM 10 billion in losses from corruption per year is a huge sum and there must be greater commitment from the Federal government towards fighting corruption to ensure that 27 million Malaysians can benefit from this RM 10 billion dividend from successfully combating corruption."

Lim also today announced that the state has managed to cut about RM36 million or 12% of in operating expenditure this year due to its efforts to curb corruption.

"Transparency International' s recognition of anti-corruption efforts by the Penang state government through CAT (Competency Accountability And Transparency) governance is backed up by savings of nearly 12 per cent of the 2008 Penang state budget of RM 36 million from operating expenditure. This RM 36 million savings has allowed the state government to carry out social programs and implement its people-oriented government," said Lim.

TI said that the Penang state is the first Malaysian state government to implement the open tender system for government procurement and contracts.

It also recognized the state government's directive barring administrators and state executive councilors from making any new land applications and efforts to attract professionals to serve on various boards, such as the Penang State Appeals Board.

"On behalf of the Penang state government, we feel humbled by the recognition given by a world renowned body such as Transparency International and would redouble efforts to ensure the anti-corruption reforms are institutionalized and ensure more professionals are appointed to key bodies. Fighting corruption generates savings for the people," said Lim.

He added that the two local authorities in Penang are expected to save another RM34 million over three years from a "transparent" negotiation over the price of solid waste disposal that reduced the rates agreed to by the previous Barisan Nasional administration by a further 42.4 per cent.

Lim said that the savings would go towards the state government's "3E" programme to "enable" the people with skills and knowledge so that they have an equal opportunity to create wealth, "empower" them with fundamental rights and basic freedoms, and "enrich" the people by sharing wealth and economic benefits.

Now it is Penang Boleh - Vote wisely for a better Malaysia.Malaysia pun boleh!

PENANG called Umno’s bluff over gambling money

PENANG called Umno’s bluff over gambling money
UPDATED @ 04:00:40 PM 03-10-2010
By Debra Chong
October 03, 2010

PETALING JAYA, Oct 3 — The DAP dared Umno lawmakers today to return their salaries to federal coffers to prove they were principled Muslims against being funded by gambling money, which is forbidden in Islam.

The dare came after Bayan Baru Umno chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Saibu’s stunt yesterday, which saw 50 teary-eyed elderly folk each hand over their RM100 compassionate allowance received from the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government after being told the money was “non-halal”.

“All Umno elected representatives should immediately return all their parliamentary and state assembly allowances to the government as the revenue source is even more dubious than in Penang,” its national publicity chief Tony Pua said in a statement today.

“These Umno leaders should not only return their allowances back to the Government, they should also demand that for future infrastructure projects such as highways built by the Federal Government, there should be lanes designated for Muslims and non-Muslims based on the proportionate breakdown of source of revenue used to build the roads,” the Petaling Jaya Utara MP said.

He slammed the grand old party for “lying through their teeth to gain political mileage” in persistently claiming the Penang state government’s welfare aid to senior citizens was funded by revenue from gambling.

He pointed out that Lim Guan Eng’s state government had clearly denied the welfare fund for Muslims was sourced from gambling money.

He stressed that Umno leaders’ attempt to distinguish halal and non-halal income for Penang was hypocritical and ridiculous, especially when Putrajaya controlled licensing for gambling activities.

Pua also highlighted the Finance Ministry’s written reply to his DAP colleague in Parliament on June 9 this year, which stated that taxes were channeled indiscriminately into a Consolidated Fund, which would then be distributed for government spending, which includes the salaries and allowances for ministers and legislators.

“Penang state opposition leader, Datuk Azahar obviously could not tell the difference when he claimed that ‘Umno assemblymen need not return their allowances as the state government’s income was from tax revenue’,” the DAP lawmaker said.

Pua accused Umno of playing the religious card to create fear among Muslims and split the races in order to remain in power and urged the public to reject the “ridiculous thoughts by Umno leaders”.

The Penang government has refuted allegations that it was using gambling revenue to fund compassionate payments to senior citizens.

State Religious Affairs committee chairman Abdul Malik Abul Kassim claimed last month that the allegation, made in a blog and by Umno Youth, was “imaginary”, not based on facts and made with bad intentions.

The funds, he said, were a direct result of the state administration’s frugality and adherence to the principals of competency, accountability and transparency (CAT), which allowed the state to set aside RM20 million for the welfare programme.

“From that allocation, we have spent as much as RM10.7 million and we still have an additional amount of RM9.3 million to continue with the programme for the senior citizens in the state.

“It has been explained clearly that the compassionate monies were not from gambling sources. They came from revenue made from our collection of assessments and other means — not from gambling.

“The state government also does not have the power to approve gambling licences. Only the federal government has the power to do so,” he said.

Umno Youth had urged the Penang government to clarify a blogger’s accusation that it had been using funds from gambling sources to make compassionate payments to senior citizens.

Its information chief Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican asked Lim to explain the claim made in the blog Pisau.net, which alleged that the annual payments of RM100 to senior citizens and RM1,000 to their beneficiaries were being funded through gaming revenue.

Reezal also claimed the rumours had caused discomfort among some of the recipients of the money, especially those who were Muslims.