innocreative

Cameron Highland Revisited

2010-09-13T01:40:00.000-07:00

View of Boh Tea plantation from the restaurant

Plucking strawberry on your own pace at the farm
The scenic tea plantation view at Boh Tea

Cameron Highland resort always appeal to me for its natural beauty, scenic landscape and cool weather. This vacation brought my family to visit the highland again since the last trip in 2006. The journey from the foot of the highland to the hill top is both long and winding. Drove up to the Highland last weekend and put up a night stay at one of the private 3 rooms fully furnished apartment at Tanah Rata, the main town of Cameron Highland. The room rate is quite reasonable at RM180 per day. The kitchen is also fully equipped with cooking utensils and the living room and bedrooms are generously spacious.

The highland cool weather is condusive for the planting of strawberry,flowers and vegatables which you cannot grow in the low land of Malaysia .Among the many fruits farm we went was the Strawberry farm where for a sum of RM20 you can pluck the fruits on your own pace but limited to 500 gram per plate.At night went to the Pasar malam ( night market ) at Brinchang, a small town just a few kilometre away from Tanah Rata. There you can find a variety of local fruits and vegetables displayed at the market. Fruits like strawberry and corns are popular to the local tourists. Later have steamboat for dinner at one of the Chinese restaurant at Tanah Rata.

Next morning visited the famous Boh Tea plantation and have breakfast at their scenic restaurant before driving back to Kuala Lumpur. It was an enjoyable and memorable trip for my family.

Vacation in Malaysia and Singapore

2010-04-09T10:58:00.000-07:00

Vegetarian lunch in Malacca with parents and mother in law

In front of Resort World Sentosa attractions In front of the Singapore Merlion at Sentosa

In front of Sentosa casino entrance

With Richard at one of the leading hotel in Sentosa

Dinner gathering with parents and sister's family

Reunion gathering of old school mates at Kota Laksama,Malacca.

Qing Ming Qie at Cheng, Malacca with parent and brother.

Was back in Malaysia last month for the annual Chinese Qing Ming festival. It was home sweet home after 6 months away in Abu Dhabi. During the first week went over to Singapore with my family for vacation. Visited the Resort World in Sentosa island where the Genting casino and the Universal studio are located. The casino was opened on the first day of the lunar Chinese New Year 2010 and the Universal studio started business later on the 18th of March 2010. The studio was not fully completed. Singaporean need to pay $100 entrance fees to the casino to discourage the local from gambling. Later took the cab to Orchard road where most of the established Shopping Malls in Singapore are located.

The second week was spent in KL and Malacca. Joined my parent and brother for the Qing Ming Festival in Cheng and Bukit Jelutong in Malacca. Qing Ming Festival or Qing Ming Qie in Chinese means Grave Sweeping Day.Managed to catch up with friends and some old school mates in Malacca and KL and have dinner gatherings with relatives before flying back to Abu Dhabi.

Visit to Ibn Battuta Shopping Mall

2010-02-15T01:33:00.000-08:00

Yap posed at Burjuman Shopping Mall

In front of the Chinese section.

Indian section at Ibn Battuta

In front of Egyptian section at Ibn Battuta Shopping Mall

Inside Dubai Metro train on the way to Ibn Battuta

Extensively designed teak wood ceiling finishes at Burjuman Shopping Mall

Burjuman lobby display.

Standing in front of Mahatma Gandhi potrait displayed at Burjuman

Burj Khalifa view from the Abu Dhabi-Dubai highway

Went to the much talked about Ibn Battuta shopping mall with Yap last month. We boarded the early bus from Abu Dhabi and disembarked at Burjuman shopping mall, an exclusive elite mall in Dubai. You can find many shops offering high end branded products. The internal decoration of the mall was awe inspiring particularly on the ceiling finishes. So much teak have been used in the mall to create a cosy enviroment.

Later took the Metro train to Ibn Battuta Shopping Mall. The fares was reasonable at only 11 dirham for return journey. It will easily cost you a bomb at about 80 dirham 1 way if you take the cab as taxi fares in Dubai is much more expensive compared to Abu Dhabi.Ibn Battuta Shopping Mall is a collection of all the major country visited by the traveller.The shopping was extensively decorated to reflect the architecture beauty of that particular nation.

On the way back on the train managed to catch the picture of the just completed Burj Khalifa,currently the highest building in the world, standing at 828m high.

Winter update from the Emirates

2010-01-04T10:11:00.000-08:00

Sunset in Burj Khalifa, Dubai UAE

Sunrise in Abu Dhabi, UAE

Seaview of Reem Island, Abu Dhabi UAE

In front of Deira City Center, Dubai, UAE

Mould making demonstration at Abu Dhabi Mall.

Moroccon dancer on stage performing in Abu Dhabi Mall

Aid Mubarak display at Abu Dhabi Mall

Abu Dhabi Police motorbike on display at Marina Mall

Time passed really fast and now I have spent my second winter in Abu Dhabi.Life is quite routine except for ocassional trips to Dubai and weekend shopping in the malls of Abu Dhabi.Taken some nice shots of interesting places and scenery for your viewing pleasure.

Pakatan pledges sweeping reforms- Malaysiakini

2009-12-20T01:29:00.000-08:00

The battle for Putrajaya has been raised a notched with the Pakatan Rakyat coalition today unveiling its common policy platform, containing promises of sweeping reforms and equality. In a direct response to its race-based rival Barisan Nasional, Pakatan's common policy promises to reduce race-based policies and enacting a Race Relations Act.

It further pledges to practice needs-based affirmative action, enact a Equal Opportunity Act and other merit-based policies, such as in the case of government scholarships. Special reference to the state of Sabah and Sarawak - where Pakatan has little influence - promises greater access to oil royalties and resolving long-standing problems faced by natives. Further promises include a royal commission to resolve the outstanding issue of illegal immigrants, which have been largely ignored by the federal government.

Reaching out to the two East Malaysian states is crucial to Pakatan's bid to wrest federal power from the BN as two states command about a quarter of the total number of parliamentary seats. Also addressed is the thorny issue of religion which had in the past caused schisms between the Islamic-conservative PAS and the secular DAP. Most prominently, the coalition pledges to establish a “comprehensive mechanism” to resolve cases where there is an overlap of civil and syariah law. A royal commission has also been pledged to “deeply study” issues related to this.

Decentralising state economy At the institutional level, Pakatan pledged to ensure full independence and transparency of the Judicial Appointment Commission to restore public confidence in the judicial system. Other reforms proposed include making the Election Commission, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), Petronas and other major government institutions directly accountable to Parliament. This would include having Parliament as the approval body for the appointment of important government posts such as the inspector general of police, attorney-general, MACC commissioner and auditor-general.

On the economy, Pakatan aims to decentralise state economic management which the policy document said will boost efficiency, productivity and balanced geographical development. This proposal involves distributing economic and administrative power and the implementation of infrastructure work to the state government. The one-day maiden Pakatan convention, held at the Shah Alam City Council auditorium, was attended top opposition leaders.
They are joined by 1,500 delegates - 500 from each component party - of whom 15 are to debate the common policy paper today.
The crowd, which comprised all races, turned the auditorium into a riot of colours with their green, red and blue party uniforms.

Salient points in common platform
Below are excerpts of other key areas of the policy statement:

Healthcare - Establishing a National Heath Commission to improve public healthcare.

Women - Ensuring 30 percent representation at the government's decision-making level.

Police - Establishing the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission.

Culture - Liberalising restriction on performances by artistes.Language - Promoting Bahasa Malaysia as the regional lingua franca but protecting mother tongue languages.

Labour - Minimum wage policy. Social security - Establishing a National Retrenchment Fund.

Elections - Redelineation of electoral boundaries to fulfil concept of 'one person, one vote'.

Public transport - Study the possibility of buying back North-South Highway and renegotiating highway concessions to reduce toll prices.

Media - Amending the Printing Presses and Publishing Act and enact a Freedom of Inforamtion Act to ensure media freedom

Eid Mubarak in Dubai

2009-12-01T00:47:00.000-08:00

During the recent Aid Holidays, went over to Dubai for vacation with my wife. During the 2 days stay,visited some interesting places like the Dhow Cruise, Deira City centre, Mall of the Emirates and Atlantis . Took the luxury bus service from Abu Dhabi to Dubai which cost only AED15.Upon reaching Dubai bus station, took the boat ride across the river to old Dubai. There we walk to the Dubai Chinatown where we had our lunch at one of the Chinese shop situated in Dubai Chinese Association building popularly known as Shoe City.

Joined the Dhow Cruise Dinner in the floating restaurant where Continental and Arabic buffet were served with some light music and entertainment. It was a memorable evening as the boat cruise along Dubai Creek by moonlight.

The next day took the Dubai Metro train to The Mall of the Emirates for breakfast before boarding a cab to Atlantis at Palm Jumeirah. Paid AED100 for entry to the Lost Chambers of Atlantis. It was an unforgettable themed marine experience in Ambassador Lagoon at the heart of Atlantis, 11.5 million litres of water and home to 65,000 marine animals in 22 different displays and habitats. It was really an awe-inspiring showcases of underwater world. During the construction of the resort, a complex series of passages was discovered, thought to have been buried thousands of years ago by the waters of the Arabian Gulf.

Malaysian Aide's July Death 'Probably Homicide'- Asia Sentinel

2009-10-25T06:51:00.000-07:00

Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand

A Thai pathologist testifies that opposition aide Teoh Beng Hock was probably thrown to his death Appearing before a coroner's court in Kuala Lumpur Wednesday, a respected Thai pathologist testified that an aide to an opposition leader whose body was found on July 16 under mysterious circumstances atop a building next to the headquarters of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission probably was murdered.

Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand said the odds were about 80 per cent that the death of Teoh Beng Hock was not a suicide although two government pathologists testified earlier that Teoh apparently had killed himself. Marks on Teoh's body, she testified, indicated he was probably beaten and sodomized with an unknown instrument before his death. Nobody has figured out why the 29-year-old aide, a former journalist, would have killed himself, since he was expected to marry his fiancé, who was two months pregnant, on the following Saturday.

Teoh's death is not the only one that Malaysian authorities have been studiously ignoring or put on the back burner. Earlier this year, the Indian community was inflamed by the case of a 20-year-old male named Kugan Ananthan who died in police custody five days after he was picked up for questioning in connection with a car theft case. A post-mortem indicated he had endured several severe beatings prior to his death. Other cases of extreme police brutality, visited upon Malays, Chinese and Indians alike, have been brought to public notice by families, only to have them ignored by authorities.

Dr Pornthip, 54, acknowledged that she had not examined either the site where Teoh's body was found or the body herself, but rather depended on auopsy pictures taken by Malaysian officials. She was hired by the Selangor state government, which is held by the Pakatan Rakyat opposition. That had some critics in Kuala Lumpur charging that she could be biased as a witness.Nonetheless Pornthip, the director-general of Thailand's Central Institute of Forensic Science, is the highly respected author of textbooks on autopsies.

She has carried out more than 10,000 autopsies including one on the actor David Carradine, who was found dead in a Bangkok hotel room closet earlier this year after apparently strangling himself in an act of autoeroticism. She was also involved in identifying victims of the disastrous Boxing Day tsunami in 2004. She said she has conducted more than 100 autopsies on individuals who had fallen from high places. Although she has been called a publicity seeker by Thai police, who have clashed with her on many occasions, her work has been praised by outsiders. She was the first to go public with accusations that 80 men had died of suffocation in the southern Thai city of Thakbai five years ago after they had been trussed up and piled on top of each other in army trucks.

Teoh, she testified, was apparently alive but unconscious when he hit the roof, judging from the lack of reaction wounds on his arms and legs that would have shown he instinctively tried to soften his fall at the last second, as victims are likely to do. According to local media, she said the aide's injuries indicated he could have been strangled.Teoh was being questioned over the use of RM2,400 (US$710) in public funds by his boss, Selangor State Executive Council Member Ean Yong Hian Wah, to buy flags for a Merdeka (freedom) Day celebration. Teoh drove himself to the inquiry, police said, adding that he had volunteered to appear for questioning. He had been questioned continually for several hours over the night and, investigators said, had asked for time to rest before driving himself home. No one apparently saw him after that.

The death has caused outrage across Malaysia, particularly in the Chinese community, which largely believes Teoh died in an interrogation gone wrong. According media reports, Pornthip testified that the tear in Teoh's anus, which measured 6 cm wide and 2cm long, appeared to have been caused by an object inserted forcefully into him. She noted that pathologists Khairul Aznam Ibrahim from the Hospital Tengku Rahimah Ampuan in Klang and Prashant Naresh Samberkar from the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur had previously called attention to the laceration, although they testified Teoh had probably committed suicide.Pornthip also testified that several stripes on Teoh's upper thighs just below the buttocks were inconsistent with injuries caused by a fall. The lines, she suggested, could have been the result of a beating with a stick. She also pointed out several bruises on Teoh's neck, which could have meant he had been strangled.

Teoh's skull fracture, she was quoted as saying, was not typical of an injury from a fall, but more compatible with the result of blunt force applied directly to the skull."I found contusions on a fracture line, so the fracture could be caused by blunt force injury directly on the skull," she was quoted as saying. Khairul and Prashant previously testified that Teoh might have sustained the head injuries in the fall from the 12th floor of the MACC Selangor headquarters. But, she said, acccording to local media, "For transfer of force, (you) only find ring fractures at the base of the skull along (the) spinal column, not a linear fracture and not a cervical spine fracture." She also contradicted the idea that one of Teoh's shoes might have come off from the impact, Instead, she said after inspecting the shoes, he might have been dragged to the window where he was thrown over.

Pornthip's testimony dovetails with accusations made in an anonymous letter written in Malay language on MACC stationery sent to the Teoh family's lawyer in August, charging that Hishamuddin Hashim, a top commission official, had conspired with Mohammad Khir Toyo, a leading united Malays National Organisation politician, to conduct corruption probes into opposition politicians, and that Teoh had been brought in for questioning as a part of that effort. The letter stopped short of accusing either Hishamuddin or other offices of being involved in the death. Since that time, opposition politicians have complained that the files of seven Chinese lawmakers were confiscated by MACC investigators on allegations of misuse of their annual office allocations and so far while the MACC have left Barisan Nasional lawmakers alone.

Kit Siang calls MACC 'Gestapo',asks for controls- Malaysian Insider

2009-08-15T01:47:00.000-07:00

By Neville Spykerman

PETALING JAYA, Aug 15 — DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang today slammed the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as the Gestapo for its high-handed manner in arresting political aide Wong Chuan How.The special assistant to Selangor executive councillor Ronnie Liu for the Barisan Nasional-held Sungai Pelek constituency was injured during a scuffle with MACC officers outside his office yesterday.

Lim said the MACC officers who when to meet Wong at his service centre in Sungai Pelek had gone back on their word by trying to arrest him. An appointment had been made earlier for Wong to meet the MACC as a witness in ongoing investigations into alleged impropriety in state allocations. But five officers turned up at the service centre said he was a suspect and wanted him to follow them to their office in Putrajaya.“How did he become a suspect when he was previously just a witness and this shows they are not sincere in their investigations,” the Ipoh Timur MP told reporters.

In light of what happened to Teoh Beng Hock who was found dead last month at the MACC office, two lawyers with Wong insisted he lodge a police report at the Sungai Pelek police station before he followed them to Putrajaya and the MACC officers agreed.However, three unidentified men tried to handcuff and drag Wong to their car as he walked out of his service centre.

There is no question about Wong resisting arrest because the men did not identify themselves, Lim said.In the struggle, Wong fell to the ground and injured his right leg while struggling with the men.Lim noted that MACC had broken their promise again and called on MACC advisory panels to rein in the MACC which seem to have even greater powers than the police.

He also pointed out that the MACC seems to be overly focus on Pakatan Rakyat while ignoring the ongoing RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo’s alleged RM24 million mansion and the RM10 million donation received by MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Kiat.

Wong, whose right leg was bandaged and was seen moving with the support of a walker, confirmed he did not know who the three men were and said he has no confidence in the MACC.
“The MACC is not independent and a tool which is being used by the Barisan Nasional to topple the Selangor government.” said Wong, adding he was not even found guilty yet but was treated like a criminal.

Wong's boss Liu took the MACC officers to task for refusing to identify the three men involved in grabbing his assistant.“I asked several officers to provide us their names but they themselves claim they did not know who they were,” Liu said, adding he did meet the men at the police station later. Liu added there is no doubt the MACC was being selective in their prosecution.
He claimed no investigations has been done on the previous Barisan lawmakers who had spent RM500,000 in annual allocations, in just two months, prior to the March 8 general elections last year.

Shaolin Show in Abu Dhabi

2009-08-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

I have the rare opportunity to witness the legendary Chinese Shaolin martial arts kungfu show in Abu Dhabi. The free performance was held from 5th till 11th August 2009 at the Abu Dhabi Mall. This unique show, highly physical yet rooted in spirituality.While many martial arts focus solely on performance, the Shaolin warrior monks start with the traditional roots of self-defence and authentic technique- a 1,500 year martial arts discipline based on the principle only self defence, no self offence.

Went for the second show last Thursday night with my colleague, which started at 9pm and ended at 9.40pm.There were 2 shows nightly, the first show started at 6.10pm. Managed to get a good view of the show at the first floor level of the Mall facing the center stage.The show was spectacular with many remarkable feats performed by the Shaolin monks.

The show was also accompanied by an exhibition of weapon sets, traditional Kung fu wear and a glimpse into the history of the Shaolin Buddhist sect.Managed to have photograph taken with the Shaolin monks before the show starts.

One Year in Abu Dhabi

2009-07-25T11:48:00.000-07:00

With Yap amd Yong at Dubai's Gold Souk early this month

Drinking with friends in one of the pub in a popular hotel in Abu Dhabi

Playing badminton in an international in school hall in Abu Dhabi

Posed in front of Burj Al Arab last August, the most expensive hotel in the world

Time passed really fast and I have spent a year in Abu Dhabi, UAE. Started to get used to the country,the people,the food and the weather here. Have learned the tough way of life away from the family and the comfort of home and nice home-cooked meal.This is the short term sacrifice we need to make for the long term financial need which we can hardly survive in Malaysia.

Just remembered vividly when I touched down in Abu Dhabi on the night of 15th July last year. It was a hot and humid summer and started work immediately the next day.It was tough. On the second day I was already faced with the accomodation problem but with the support of my colleague who managed to pool enough money to settle for the upfront of AED60,000 payment needed. In UAE you need to pay for the whole 12 months rental before you can move in.And rental of room here is extremely high. Here I pay for a little studio of 200 square feet for AED5,000 per month and in Malaysia you can get a nice luxury bungalow for that price.

Gradually I learned to be independent.I learned cooking and ironing in Abu Dhabi.Now I can prepare simple dish mostly steamed stuff whenever I cooked my rice. Transport is another problem in Abu Dhabi. Parking space is hard to find. To resolve my transport here, I invested in a bicycle for my short distant journey to the mall to do my shopping. Taxis here is hard to get during peak hour.Sometimes I take the bus service which is quite reliable and economical for my long distant journey.

I look forward after work to chat with my wife via Windows Live Messenger everyday.I try not to miss a single day communicating with her. Technology really bring me closer to my family. Just imagine we are away 7 hours by flight but we can see and hear each other so clearly. That's the beauty of technology. To pass my time after work, I subscribed to the local E-Vision channel to get the latest news and movies.

Weekend here is Friday and most Thursday night I will be drinking with my friends in one of the popular pubs in town.Most of my shopping are done on Friday, my off day. Sometimes we will travelled to Dubai for shopping and try some of the Chinese food over there for a change.

Managed to join a group of Malaysian playing badminton in one of the international school hall in Abu Dhabi. There are 4 courts in the hall and we played on Wednesday and Sunday night. Most of the Malaysian are in the construction industry but some are working as pilots in the local airline company. There is even a Malaysian embassy staff playing with us.

Michael Jackson : 1958-2009

2009-06-26T11:50:00.000-07:00

LOS ANGELES, June 26 – Pop giant Michael Jackson, who took to the stage as a child star and set the world dancing to exuberant rhythms for decades, died on Thursday after being taken ill at his home. He was 50.Jackson was pronounced dead at about 2.26pm PDT (5.26am Malaysian time) after arriving at a Los Angeles hospital in full cardiac arrest, said Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office.

The cause of death was not known and an autopsy would likely take place on Friday, he said.Jackson’s sudden death had been reported earlier by US media, which said he was taken ill at his Holmby Hills home and rushed to the hospital by paramedics who found him not breathing when they arrived.There was no immediate comment from spokespersons for Jackson, who was known as the “King of Pop,” for hit albums that included “Thriller” and “Billie Jean.”

Outside the hospital in Los Angeles about 200 fans and reporters gathered on Thursday, waiting for confirmation of Jackson’s death or condition.Some fans were crying and hugging each other, and others were climbing atop fences to get a better look at a microphone stand where a news conference was supposed to take place.He had been scheduled to launch a comeback tour from London next month.The entertainment website TMZ said that “We’re told when paramedics arrived, Jackson had no pulse and they never got a pulse back.”

Earlier, the Los Angeles Times said the singer had been rushed to a Los Angeles-area hospital by fire department paramedics.The newspaper said paramedics performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation at the scene before taking him to the UCLA Medical Center hospital.
Known as the “King of Pop,” for hits that included “Thriller” and “Billie Jean,” Jackson’s dramatic, one-gloved stage presence and innovative dance moves were imitated by legions of fans around the world.He transformed music videos and his lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, made him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.But Jackson’s belief that “I am Peter Pan in my heart”, his preference for the company of children, his friendship with a chimp, his high-pitched voice and numerous plastic surgeries also earned him critics and the nickname “Wacko Jacko.”

Jackson, who had lived as a virtual recluse since his acquittal in 2005 on charges of child molestation, had been scheduled to launch a comeback tour from London, starting July 13 and running until March 2010. The singer had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months.The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale in March.His lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, makes him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.
He lived as a virtual recluse since his acquittal in 2005 on charges of child molestation.
There were concerns about Jackson’s health in recent years but the promoters of the London shows, AEG Live, said in March that Jackson had passed a 4-1/2 hour physical examination with independent doctors.

Child star to megastar

Jackson was born on Aug. 29, 1958, in Gary, Indiana, the seventh of nine children. Five Jackson boys – Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, Marlon and Michael – first performed together at a talent show when Michael was 6. They walked off with first prize and went on to become a best-selling band, The Jackson Five, and then The Jackson 5.Jackson made his first solo album in 1972, and released “Thriller” in 1982, which became a smash hit that yielded seven top-10 singles. The album sold 21 million copies in the United States and at least 27 million worldwide.

The next year, he unveiled his signature “moonwalk” dance move while performing “Billie Jean” during an NBC special.In 1994, Jackson married Elvis Presley’s only child, Lisa Marie, but the marriage ended in divorce in 1996. Jackson married Debbie Rowe the same year and had two children, before splitting in 1999. The couple never lived together.Jackson has three children named Prince Michael I, Paris Michael and Prince Michael II, known for his brief public appearance when his father held him over the railing of a hotel balcony, causing widespread criticism.

–Reuters

Media abuzz over Kuan Yew's multi-state visit- The Straits Times

2009-06-11T23:54:00.000-07:00

Two veteran politicians, Menteri Besar Kelantan Dato Nik Aziz gave thumbs up on his meeting with Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew in Kota Bharu, Kelantan

Chief Minister of Penang Lim Guan Eng who is also DAP secretary general welcomed Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew who is also PAP founder to his office in Komtar building in Penang.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has set the Malaysian media abuzz, especially in the Chinese press and blogosphere, since his arrival for his first visit to the country in four years. Chinese papers such as the mass-selling Sin Chew Daily have given him substantial coverage daily, since he arrived on Monday to attend a dialogue and receive an award at the International Air Transport Association's annual general meeting here.
The next day, Sin Chew placed a picture of him meeting MCA leaders prominently on its front page.

The Chinese media has been tracking the calls he has made to different national leaders, and devoted significant column space to his visit. The Malay and English media, however, have been more muted. There was no coverage in the English daily New Straits Times, or in Malay papers Berita Harian and Utusan on Lee's first day in Malaysia. Subsequent coverage was also less extensive than that in the Chinese papers.

Lee has not made a multi-state Malaysian visit in years, and part of the Chinese media's enthusiasm stems from this fact. They pointed out that the last time he visited states outside of Kuala Lumpur was in 1989, when he was still Singapore's prime minister. That time, he went to Penang and Kedah. One Sin Chew Daily commentator felt that Lee had chosen this time to visit Malaysia because the country was going through drastic political change. Praising Lee's intelligence and experience in leading Singapore, he wrote: “Malaysia's leaders should learn from him how to manoeuvre out of the current political crisis.”

But another commentary in the Oriental Daily noted that Lee's visit also evoked unhappy memories of the spats between Malaysia and Singapore when he and former Prime MinisterTun Dr Mahathir Mohamad were leading their respective countries. Such historical baggage did not escape the attention of Malaysia's influential blogosphere too, which viewed Lee's visit with less fervour. While some netizens praised Lee's leadership of Singapore, others viewed his arrival with suspicion.

Former New Straits Times editor Datuk Kadir Jasin questioned the special treatment that Lee has been getting, likening it to that of a “Chinese emperor”. Kadir and other bloggers were clearly unhappy with the fact that Lee was meeting many Malaysian leaders.
“Why should Lee Kuan Yew visit Malaysia? And why is he allowed to meet so many leaders? Will a senior politician from Malaysia be allowed to meet Malay leaders, opposition and so on when he visits Singapore?” wrote one blogger. — The Straits Times

Rule of law in jeopardy- Malaysiakini

2009-05-07T23:17:00.000-07:00

Perak Speaker Sivakumar being dragged,abused and manhandled by security unknown individual out of Perak State Assembly .

Param Cumaraswamy May 8, 09 1:33pm

On March 4, I appealed to the Sultan of Perak to dissolve the state legislative assembly to avoid the crisis there leading to anarchy.Indeed what happened in the state legislative assembly yesterday was anarchy.

I have never seen or heard of such chaos in any legislature in the world. That such commotion could occur in a state where the ruler was once the Lord President of the Supreme Court is beyond belief.As I said previously he could have averted all these if he had dissolved the legislative assembly on Feb 5, and left it to the rakyat to elect a new government in accordance with the fundamentals of democracy.Rulers must not only be above politics but must be seen to be so.Lawyers will continue debating the validity of appointments and removals of the Menteri Besar and the speaker and the crude manner in which V Sivakumar was removed.They will continue to debate on the validity of motions adopted yesterday and at the previous meeting under the tree.Each will have an interpretation of the applicable provisions of the constitution and bye laws.As I said on March 4, this is not the time to look into the technicalities and strict interpretation of the law, constitution and bye laws.

That one disputed speaker could call in the police to assist the sergeant-at-arms to remove the other speaker who was indeed removed forcibly did not speak well of the calibre of these state representatives.Procedural fairness was thrown overboard in the assembly yesterday. The Perak Regent Raja Nazrin Shah's presence there and his delivery of the royal address may not be seen as the ruler not being above politics.What about the court ruling?What is most disconcerting is all these happened when there was pending before the High Court an application to determine who is the rightful Menteri Besar!Why the unholy haste to summon the legislative assembly? The state constitution does not expressly provide that if the assembly is not convened within six months since the last session the assembly is automatically dissolved.What happens if on Monday the High Court declares that the rightful Menteri Besar is Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin?

On the other hand if the court finds that Zambry Abd Kadir's appointment was valid, the public perception would be that the events of yesterday pre-empted the decision of the court.The independence and impartiality of the court would be called into question. .The ugly events of yesterday clearly showed that there can never be an orderly and stable government in Perak unless the legislative assembly is dissolved and fresh elections held.I therefore urge Sultan Azlan Shah to exercise his discretionary power under Article 36(2) of the state constitution and dissolve the legislative assembly.More than anybody else he should know better the finer principles of democracy and its values for a state under a just rule of law.

PARAM CUMARASWAMY is a former Malaysian Bar president (1986 - 1988). He also served as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers by the UN Commission on Human Rights from 1994 to 2003.

Mahathir's Return - Asia Sentinel

2009-04-24T12:58:00.000-07:00

The former prime minister is expected to complicate life for newly minted Premier Najib

With Malaysia expected to shed as much as 2.5 percent off its gross domestic product in 2009 and the country's politics riven with factionalism, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak looks unlikely to get a 100-day honeymoon, or even less of one. For one thing, he has former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad looking over his shoulder at every move.
The late-March conclave of the United Malays National Organisation that ratified Najib in power in particular demonstrates Mahathir's resurgence, and with him probably UMNO's old guard. With a US$16.26 billion stimulus package announced in March to increase employment, improve infrastructure and help the private sector, the test of whether there is a new UMNO or an old UMNO will be where the stimulus will be directed. Watch for the firms most closely connected to party stalwarts.

The problem is that while Najib may placate the Mahathir faction inside UMNO, the greater public at large continues to be disenchanted with the party's leadership of the country. After the March 2008 election which cost the ruling national coalition its two-thirds lock on parliament, Najib has lost four of five other by-elections to the opposition Pakatan Rakyat, winning only one in an isolated village in Sarawak in East Malaysia. He faces a revolt in the northeastern, conservative state of Terengganu, where 10 local assembly members refused to be seated last week in objection to the chief minister appointed to head the party there. In two by-elections on April 8, one in Perak and the other in Mahathir's own home state of Kedah, his personal return to the campaign trail appeared to have done little good, with both elections going to the opposition in greater numbers than in the 2008 general election.

Although Mahathir's hegemony over his old party is not 100 percent, and he says he is retired and intends to remain only an adviser, his return to UMNO leaves little doubt about his sway. After he left the party in a huff a year ago when it was announced that he faced a probe over judicial corruption, he devoted considerable space on his blog, Chedet, to blasting Najib when he wasn't ripping into Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whom he anointed as his successor only to turn on him with a vengeance. Party insiders say Najib, having got Mahathir back on his side, lives in fear that the former prime minister will go after him again if he doesn't get what he wants. Mahathir, party insiders say, regards Najib as weak and won't hesitate to blast the prime minister if he doesn't get his way.

In particular, party insiders say, one condition for getting Mahathir back into the party was the isolation of Khairy Jamalludin, former Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's son-in-law, even though Khairy was elected head of the important Youth wing of the party. Despite the position's importance, Khairy was denied a cabinet seat and his close associates within his faction of the party are being investigated for vote-buying although vote-buying was widespread on all sides during the UMNO conclave.
Mahathir's son Mukhriz, who lost out to Khairy in the contest for the youth wing job, was named minister of international trade and industry. That ministry in particular is the senior Mahathir's brainchild, the agency from which many of the grandiose projects of Mahathir's 22-year reign as prime minister sprang.

Daim Zainuddin, who was appointed finance minister by Mahathir in 1984, holds no official position. Daim became enormously rich -- and controversial -- under Mahathir. Although he apparently will have no official position, he is expected to play a major role in advising the government on Malaysia's economic outlook, perhaps joining the new council of economic advisers that Najib is establishing. It was Daim as much as Mahathir who advocated the creation of a class of Malay entrepreneurs through the award of vast contracts for government-linked projects to counterbalance the Chinese. That policy as much as anything is responsible for the quandary Malaysia finds itself in today, with a class of rent-seeking cronies who have become enormously rich while draining government coffers, particularly in the construction industry.
Although it is by no means certain, it also appears that some of Mahathir's cherished grandiose projects, which were cancelled by Badawi to Mahathir's eternal enmity, may be back. In particular, the so-called “crooked bridge” across the causeway whether Singapore wanted it or not, has made a reappearance, with a trial balloon floated last week in The Star, one of Malaysia's two English-language newspapers, which is owned by the Malaysian Chinese Association, the second-biggest component party in the Barisan Nasional, or ruling national coalition which is led by UMNO.

If the bridge does make an appearance, one UMNO stalwart told Asia Sentinel, it will demonstrate beyond doubt the sway Mahathir holds over Najib. It is certain to cause serious complications in Malaysia's relations with Singapore, which buys water from Malaysia, and sand, which Singapore needs in ever-increasing amounts in its bid to fill the Strait of Sumatra to make itself a bigger country. Singapore also wants airspace – liebensraum for its air force, which is bigger than Malaysia's and Indonesia's combined, and which can't get its wheels up before it leaves Singapore's borders.

Another project which will probably reappear soon, according to party insiders, is the dual-track railway that will run 329 km up Malaysia's spine from Ipoh to the Thai border. In 2007, the government approved a no-bid contract with Gamuda-MMC for RM12.5 billion (US$3.73 billion) but then shelved it again. The MMC part of the consortium is a construction company backed by Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, a longtime backer and fundraiser for UMNO. The contract, critics say, was far in excess of the amount necessary to actually build the project. It remains to be seen what company will get the contract this time.
On the other hand, time may be running out for the troubled Iskandar Malaysia project, a massive 2,200 square kilometer development in Johor, across from Singapore, which Badawi commissioned in 2006 and which has been flagging, particularly as the global economy has turned down. The development is to include port facilities and a huge panoply of petrochemicals projects and orther projects as well as condominiums. Besides being commissioned by Badawi, Mahathir has called it an extension of Singapore itself.

Local media quoted Mahatir as saying “after the land is sold, the Malays will be driven to live at the edge of the forest and even in the forest itself. In the end, the area in Iskandar Malaysia will be filled with Singaporeans and populated with only 15 per cent Malays.”
Whether the opposition can capitalize on the disarray within the coalition is another matter. The Penang deputy chief has quit the Parti Keadilan Rakyat opposition party amid corruption allegations over illegal quarrying activities, is threatening to expose further scandals in the Penang government. The opposition coalition has been under pressure across the country from Najib's attempts to pry away party members , with critics charging he had been offering large sums of money to get them to jump ship.

The stimulus package, the largest in Malaysia's history, represents 9 percent of GDP, but still is expected only to bring the export-oriented economy back to about neutral. With malaise growing, and critics at his back, Najib faces an unappetizing future.

The best is yet to come- Hannah Yeoh

2009-04-13T08:49:00.000-07:00

Hannah Yeoh- State Assemblyman N.31 Subang Jaya, Selangor and State Treasurer for DAP Selangor

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 have been so much abuses 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 lay 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!

Nizar elected, BN rejected; Perak elections needed- Malaysiakini

2009-04-09T04:39:00.000-07:00

By: P Ramakrishnan Apr 9, 09 4:51pm

The Barisan Nasional has suffered four deadly blows in a row. Umno has been soundly defeated on three occasions since March 8, 2009. The outcome of these by-elections have confirmed that there is no stopping Pakatan Rakyat no matter what crafty means the BN adopts.

For Umno, the results have been devastating. It has not recovered lost ground neither has it revived its fortunes. It has been downhill all the way in spite of changing its president and acclaiming him as the sixth prime minister of Malaysia.
Najib Abdul Razak is going down to the ground without any fanfare dressed in ordinary clothes; meeting ordinary people and eating vadai in crowded Brickfields; addressing the nation propounding the concept of one Malaysia; bringing in Dr Mahathir Mohamad to turn the tide on the last day of campaigning – all this did not make any difference.

Fixing a weekday for polling, imposing so many restrictions to handicap the opposition also did not provide any advantage to the BN. If anything, it only made the people angry and motivated the electorate to punish BN.
The peninsula victories of Pakatan over the BN has driven home the fact rather convincingly that the March 8 election was no fluke. They reaffirmed that the ground has indeed shifted in favour of the opposition.

The results must be viewed as a damning referendum on Najib, Umno, BN and the government. The electorate has rejected the BN overwhelmingly and have sent a clear signal that they are not going to tolerate any more nonsense from Umno and the BN.
When they elected a political novice and rejected a seasoned politician in Bukit Selambau, it was meant to spite the BN and MIC.

When they elected Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin in Bukit Gantang with a majority almost twice that of the previous one exactly a year later, it was meant to punish the BN and send a strong signal to Najib that they were thoroughly disgusted with him for engineering the fall of their duly-elected Perak state government.

The significance of Bukit Gantang must be seriously taken into account. It is abundantly clear that Perakians want Nizar’s government to continue to serve them. It is their preferred. chosen government and they have given the thumbs down to Zambry Abdul Kadir.
Aliran hopes that this message will not go unnoticed. This is why Aliran would like to appeal - yet again to His Royal Highness, the Sultan of Perak, to reconsider his decision.

The Perak government cannot be in a limbo, especially in these difficult times of economic uncertainties. We earnestly appeal to His Royal Highness to allow his subjects to decide on the government of their choice in a fresh election.
Aliran would also like to appeal to Zambry to do the only honourable thing for which he will be remembered. Please resign and pave the way for fresh elections.

The writer is President, Aliran.

Najib It Is - Asia Sentinel

2009-03-30T12:44:00.000-07:00

Malaysia's leading ethnic party names a scandal-ridden party hack as its head and the country's leader

On Friday, Malaysia is scheduled to end months of waiting to announce its new prime minister, Najib Tun Razak, after the United Malays National Organisation, the country's biggest ethnic party named him their leader during their annual convention.

Najib told the UMNO parley, held in Kuala Lumpur last week, that it is crucial that his party reform itself or it will lose its hold on the electorate. But Najib's history, and that of the party itself, portends instead a return to the politics and practices that got the national ruling coalition into trouble in the first place, losing its historic two-thirds majority in the national parliament in national elections last year. Najib's ascent to power more likely represents a clear preference by UMNO stalwarts to return to cronyism, money politics and corruption after an eight-year interregnum from the authoritarian reign of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad.

The new prime minister's history may make it problematical whether the leaders of major countries are going to want to be seen with him. Concerns include hundreds of millions of dollars in questionable contracts steered to UMNO cronies and friends, not to mention continuing allegations of his involvement in the murder of the Mongolian translator Altantuya Shaariibuu following the controversial purchase of French submarines and, more recently, his role in sabotaging the opposition in the state of Perak and his shuttering newspapers and thwarting opposition candidates during his own party's elections last week.

The convention itself was a good example. Opponents of the Najib team were denied places on the ballot by a panel supposedly charged with cleaning up money politics, although they let Najib's allies slide by after having committed the same offenses. The result was that the deputy president, Muhyiddin Yassin, and all three vice presidents are from the Najib faction although the Najib forces were unable to prevent Khairy Jamaluddin, the son-in-law of ousted Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmand Badawi, from becoming head of the important UMNO Youth wing. They also were unable to stop Shahrizat Abdul Jalil from defeating longtime party hack Rafidah Aziz to take over the Wanita, the women's wing of the party, also a Badawi ally.

The final election night erupted into name-calling, with allies of Mukhriz Mahathir, the son of the former prime minister, charging that Khairy had bought the votes to make him head of UMNO Youth. Mahathir Mohamad himself railed against the two candidates against his son, calling them corrupt. Rais Yatim, the foreign minister, who lost out in one of the vice president races, demanded that UMNO's disciplinary board investigate the entire new supreme council over allegations that they had delivered gifts and money to delegates in the effort to win their seats. Mahathir Mohamad has repeatedly launched furious attacks on UMNO leaders, calling them corrupt although he showed up at the last night of the convention to be seen with Najib and others.

The UMNO-owned New Straits Times described the top party positions as having "given much-needed breathing space to Najib as he sets out to unite UMNO and push the party to undertake the reforms he has promised. He will have less of a task to deal with the factionalism that so often arises after a bitterly fought contest in the party." But in fact, UMNO appears to be as much riven by factional politics as it was going into the convention.

As early as April 8, the party faces the first of three important by-elections – one for a seat in the Dewan Rakyat, or national assembly, and two more for state legislative seats. The first test is for a Perak seat in which support for the Barisan appears to be waning.
"The problem is not the opposition, but within our own ranks," a local leader told the Kuala Lumpur-based website Malaysia Insider, referring to the perennial problem of factionalism within Umno.

Najib has sought to nullify the opposition with force. Last Monday, a rally led by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim was broken up by police who fired tear gas at the audience. Other rallies have been cancelled as well. Two opposition newspapers were cancelled until after April 8, the date of the Perak national by-election, presumably because the two papers have hammered away at allegations of Najib's connections with the two men on trial for killing Altantuya in October of 2006 and her role in the €1 billion purchase of French submarines that netted one of his closest friends €114 million in "commissions."

To say Najib brings considerable baggage with him is an understatement. While attention has focused on allegations of corruption in the submarine purchases, the fact is that as defense minister from 1999 to 2008, Najib presided over a cornucopia of defense deals that poured a river of money into the coffers of his close friends and UMNO cronies. A September 24, 2007 story in Asia Sentinel quoted Foreign Policy in Focus, a think tank supported by the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, as saying that "many foreign arms manufacturers generally used well-connected Malaysians as their lobbyists for contracts."

Three contracts approved under Najib have been widely cited by the opposition and fit well into Foreign in Policy in Focus's patronage scale. They have been forced back into public attention by his ascension to the premiership and by the exoneration under questionable circumstances of Abdul Razak Baginda, one of his closest friends, for Altantuya's murder.

Spending for defense accelerated across the board after Najib, called "the driving force" behind Malaysia's military modernization program by Foreign Policy in Focus. The shopping list, the think tank reported, "includes battle tanks from Poland, Russian and British surface-to-air missiles and mobile military bridges, Austrian Steyr assault rifles and Pakistani anti-tank missiles. Kuala Lumpur was also negotiating to buy several F/A 18s, the three French submarines and Russian Suhkoi Su-30 fighter aircraft.

Global Recession Could Last Till End-2010 Or Longer- AFP

2009-03-07T10:27:00.000-08:00

NEW DELHI: The US professor nicknamed "Dr. Doom" for forecasting the financial crisis has said the global recession will last all of this year and probably next, India's Mail Today reported Saturday.New York University professor Nouriel Roubini said that in the best-case scenario, the recession will continue through 2010 in advanced economies while job losses will persist for an additional year, the paper reported.

He said world governments are falling behind the curve in tackling the crisis with "policymakers moving in the right direction--but (doing) too little too late."Speaking at a New Delhi conference, Roubini warned that the United States, Europe and Japan must "get their act together" to avoid the global economy sinking further.

"People were hoping it would be a V-shaped recession--a sharp fall, followed by an equally quick recovery," he said."But we are in the middle of an ugly U-shaped recession," he said Friday.
Roubini said the bottom of the "U"--the length of time the world economy will continue to contract--would last a minimum of three years starting from December 2007.But he said there was a "one-in-three chance" that recession would turn into an "L"--a prolonged period of stagnation or shrinking output, coupled with falling prices as demand dries up.

As early as 2005, Roubini said US home prices were riding a speculative wave that would soon sink the economy, but was dismissed as a doomsayer.In Delhi, he said the problems of the financial system and financial institutions were getting worse, but that the outlook could be improved by governments taking charge of insolvent banks, cleaning them up and then selling them to private investors.

"People say when the US sneezes, the rest of the world catches cold. In this case, the US is just not sneezing, it has a severe case of chronic pneumonia.""We all sink or swim together," he said, adding there is no way policy action in emerging economic giants India and China can pull the global economy out of the slump. (AFP)

Under a tree, assembly votes for fresh polls- Malaysian Insider

2009-03-03T05:17:00.000-08:00

Above photos courtesy from Nizar's facebook

Photo courtesy from Malaysiakini

Speaker Sivakumar in ceremonial attire addressing the assembly members.

IPOH, March 3 — In the shade of a rain tree with the State Secretariat just 200 metres away, Perak Speaker V Sivakumar convened an emergency sitting of the state assembly today which effectively voted to end the de facto Barisan Nasional (BN) government of Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.

Across town at the same time in the Ipoh High Court, BN lawyers were arguing to stay the proceedings of the state assembly, pending a law suit against Sivakumar for suspending from the assembly Zambry and his six executive council members.

On an eventful day, Perak’s administration has been thrown into chaos with both BN and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) questioning the legitimacy of each other’s actions.

The State Secretary’s directive to close off the building which houses the state assembly had added to the confusion over the administration of the state.

The directive resulted in riot police barring state assemblymen from entering the building.

All the lawmakers that had turned up this morning were from PR parties. BN legislators, not surprisingly, did not show up as they contend the assembly was invalid.

Sivakumar was the only person given permission to access the building, but he chose instead to walk nearby to convene the assembly with the presence of the PR assemblymen.

Dressed in his ceremonial black robes and songkok, the Speaker presided over a sitting, which on the face of it appeared legal as long as he was present.

The sitting proceeded to pass three votes – expressing their confidence in Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin as mentri besar; calling on Nizar to seek a dissolution of the state assembly; and endorsing Sivakumar’s suspension of Zambry and the de facto BN executive council.

Nizar told reporters later that he would seek an audience with the Sultan to ask for consent to dissolve the assembly.

At the Ipoh High Court, Judicial Commissioner Ridwan Ibrahim ruled that five lawyers, including constitutional expert Tommy Thomas, had no locus standi to represent the Perak Speaker in court.

He said the Speaker must be represented by the state legal advisor because he is part of the state government.

Thomas told reporters the team had no choice but to withdraw from the case.

Earlier this morning, a minor scuffle broke out when a group of unidentified men tried to stop Nizar and other PR assemblymen from entering the state assembly compound.

Subsequently, Nizar and the assemblymen were prevented from entering the state assembly by riot police, backed by two trucks with water cannons.

Yesterday, Zambry declared any attempt to hold an emergency sitting of the state assembly a “threat to national security.”

Nizar told reporters later that he would seek an audience with the Sultan to ask for consent to dissolve the assembly.

At the Ipoh High Court, Judicial Commissioner Ridwan Ibrahim ruled that five lawyers, including constitutional expert Tommy Thomas, had no locus standi to represent the Perak Speaker in court.

He said the Speaker must be represented by the state legal advisor because he is part of the state government.

Thomas told reporters the team had no choice but to withdraw from the case.

Earlier this morning, a minor scuffle broke out when a group of unidentified men tried to stop Nizar and other PR assemblymen from entering the state assembly compound.

Subsequently, Nizar and the assemblymen were prevented from entering the state assembly by riot police, backed by two trucks with water cannons.

Yesterday, Zambry declared any attempt to hold an emergency sitting of the state assembly a “threat to national seNizar told reporters later that he would seek an audience with the Sultan to ask for consent to dissolve the assembly.

At the Ipoh High Court, Judicial Commissioner Ridwan Ibrahim ruled that five lawyers, including constitutional expert Tommy Thomas, had no locus standi to represent the Perak Speaker in court.

He said the Speaker must be represented by the state legal advisor because he is part of the state government.

Thomas told reporters the team had no choice but to withdraw from the case.

Earlier this morning, a minor scuffle broke out when a group of unidentified men tried to stop Nizar and other PR assemblymen from entering the state assembly compound.

Subsequently, Nizar and the assemblymen were prevented from entering the state assembly by riot police, backed by two trucks with water cannons.

Yesterday, Zambry declared any attempt to hold an emergency sitting of the state assembly a “threat to national security.”

Dear Malaysian Politicians...

2009-02-27T11:58:00.000-08:00

A Malaysian businessman named Anas Zubedy bought a full-page advertisement in The Star on 26-2-2009 to deliver a message to our politicians.

Please stop the power chase, call for a truce and focus on the economy.I do not claim to speak on behalf of all Malaysians, but I have strong convictions that many share my sentiments. Our concern today is not who rules the country or heads the state governments but the looming bad economy.Whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat leads, it is meaningless if Malaysians have no job to go to, no money to pay rent and no means to put food on the table.

I am a business owner, like other business owners and managers of corporations I have a responsibility to ensure people under my care and payroll continue to have jobs and a decent income to take home. We work hard and willing to go the extra mile to make sure our nation not only survive this crisis but come out stronger and wiser. We need your help.Let me explain. I am in the business of Training, Development and Consultancy and have 20 people in my team.

Saedah is 42. She keeps the office clean and helps organise the training rooms. She has four children and her husband is unemployed. She was first hired on a part time basis, because she is very hard working and has a great attitude, we offered her a full time job to help provide a stable income for her family. Even then, when her third child started school this year, it was a struggle for her to buy new school uniforms and other necessities. Saedah lives on a ‘kais bulan, makan bulan’ basis, so, if she is jobless, her tap runs dry.

Samsuri is 27 years old. He lives with his sister and her family in a low cost government flat in Sunway. He does our despatch, helps with various clerical works and occasionally acts as a driver. During the first week at zubedy, we learned that he not only did not have money to buy new clothes and shoes for work, he had no money for lunch. Like Saedah, if he has no job, his tap runs dry too.

Alicia in Client Servicing turns 26 this year. She lives with her dad who is 71 years old and retired. Her mom passed away when she was little. Alicia is a hard-working team member, has a gentle caring outlook and fun to be with. (We like to poke fun at her as she blushes easily). Last May her dad went through a major operation, thank God he has recovered well. Alicia needs a job, both for herself and her dad.

Sudesh, 38, is one of our facilitators. When his father passed away last year, he moved back and lives with his mother in Seremban. He shuttles between Kuala Lumpur and Seremban daily, leaving home sometimes as early as 4 in the morning and returning late at night. He is no stranger to hard work and sacrifice, he knows what he needs to do to survive and to care for his mother, but he too needs a job.

Like fellow Malaysians, every one of us in zubedy needs employment, those that live from hand to mouth like Saedah and Samsuri and others like Alicia and Sudesh with family to care for. We Malaysians need the Malaysian economy to be strong. We need you, our leaders, to work hard and to work together to make our economy viable.

So this is my plea.Pakatan Rakyat, please stop your attempts to take over the federal government and persuade BN’s lawmakers to join you. Stop all legal proceedings, no more 916 and let go, just let go. The nation can wait till the next general elections if they want change. By doing so, Malaysians will see your party as caring, unselfish and gracious and give you their support in the next elections.

Barisan Nasional, please stop any attempts to take over PR states and win over PR’s lawmakers. You have proven your point with Perak. The nation can wait for the next general elections if they want your party. Focus all your talent, energy and hard work in steering the country out of an economic downturn. By doing so, Malaysians will see your party as caring, unselfish and smart and give you their support in the next elections.

BN and PR! Call for a truce. Get together and compromise. Someone has to give in. Or has hate consumed your heart till it blinds you? You can do it. You have enough intelligent people between you. I am sure you can find solutions. Take the nation to heart. That is why you are in politics in the first place.Focus on the people.Focus on the economy.

Anas ZubedyManaging DirectorZubedy (M) Sdn Bhd

Chinese New Year Celebration in Abu Dhabi

2009-02-20T12:10:00.001-08:00

Hundred of Malaysian queuing up for the food at the Embassy compound

Part of the Malaysian working in Abu Dhabi

Embassy staff welcoming the guests at the stage in front of the entrance

Malaysian Embassy in UAE organised a Chinese New Year lunch gathering at the Embassy compound in Abu Dhabi on 20-2-2009. Hundreds of Malaysian of different races, some working as far as Dubai came over to celebrate the event. The event which include a lucky draw was jointly sponsored by a leading Malaysian consortium ISZL working in Reem Island and a leading UAE developer Tamouh Investment.Malaysian food like teh tarik and mee goreng were served much to the delight of the many Malaysian who must have dearly missed the local Malaysian favourite.

How low can 'they' go?- The Malaysian Insider

2009-02-18T11:51:00.000-08:00

Elizabeth Wong- Photo courtesy of Malaysiakini

FEB 16 – It is nothing but despicable and gutter politics to use photographs of a woman, taken when she is at her most vulnerable, to tarnish her and attack the party she represents.
Selangor exco member Elizabeth Wong, single, has the misfortune of associating with a former boyfriend who probably took the photographs that are now being used by her political enemies to bring her down and consequently tar the Pakatan Rakyat as immoral.

How and when the photographs were taken by a person she had trusted and how the images were passed on, more likely sold, to her political enemies remains unknown.
Wong, who had a long-term relationship with a man that had ended recently, has lodged a police report at the Damansara police station after agonising over the matter with friends, consulting party colleagues and sympathetic lawyers who were all aghast at the ugly turn of events.
“This is dirty blackmail,” Wong told her colleagues who argued with newspapers editors over the weekend on the “immorality” of publishing the photographs.

Wong put up a brave face but said she was willing to take “any action necessary” to protect the PKR and the Pakatan Rakyat.
It is believed that the photographs were taken without her consent, most likely by a former boyfriend, while she was sleeping.

“It is blackmail, a gross invasion of my privacy and despicable to say the least,” Wong told The Malaysian Insider on Saturday. “I hope the police get the culprit who did this to me.”
Unidentified people have been sending the photographs to a number of newspapers, which carried the news but did not publish the photographs.

It is hoped that political blogs and news websites also desist from publishing the photographs simply because doing so is a despicable act, a serious violation of a person and an unwarranted assault on Wong.
But in a politically divided nation like ours where the demand for blood is overpowering, it might be too much to ask anyone to desist.

Already Selangor Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Mohd Khir Toyo is demanding the resignation of Wong, fondly called Eli by her friends.
“She is no longer fit to be a member of the government,” he said citing the case of former Health Minister Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek who quit all posts last year after admitting to infidelity that was secretly caught by a hidden camera set up by his political enemies in the MCA.
“This is about morality, whether the pictures were taken with or without consent is another matter, I cannot accept a lawmaker whose morality is questionable,” Khir told the Malaysian Insider today.

The pressure for her to quit would likely increase in the weeks ahead especially after PKR’s Kedah exco-member V. Arumugam resigned last week after being dogged by alleged bigamy.
But Arumugam and Wong are worlds apart not just in their intellectual makeup but also in the alleged “crimes” they have committed.
Wong is clearly a victim of unscrupulous individuals while whatever problems Arumugan had faced were of his own making.

Wong is also something of a radical activist learned in the lores of left wing activism who studied in Sydney University. She jumped into political activism like a duck takes to water and played prominent roles in the reformasi movement, human rights groups and in defending minorities.
She worked with Suaram, Hakam and other rights organisation before winning the Bukit Lanjan state seat on March 8, 2008 with a huge 5,000 vote majority and was promptly made an exco-member in charge of tourism and environment.

Intellectually Wong is probably a Marxist but one who also believes in the Hegelian concept that individuals, by their action, can also change history.
She is one of those unique Jane Fonda-type political activists fighting on many fronts at the same time. She was catapulted from the streets to the highest reaches of the Selangor state government where she had hoped to put her activism to good use by changing the way the government is managed.

While publicly she remains a loyal member of the PR coalition government in Selangor, privately she grumbled that many of the election promises i.e declaring assets, minimum wages and egalitarian principles of governance, were being compromised by political horse-trading.
As an activist, she was given to the “hard living, hard working” lifestyle ,spending most of her time huddled in heated discussions in the warongs like others in the Reformasi movement.
All that changed after Pakatan won big on March 8 and she became part of a ruling government.
“She took to the new job admirably ... she was committed and passionate but her past has caught up with her,” said a colleague.

Lion Dance in Abu Dhabi

2009-02-13T10:37:00.000-08:00

The Chinese legendary lion dance have landed in Abu Dhabi,UAE. Thanks to the initiative taken by a leading developer in UAE, the world renowned Lion dance troupe from Malaysia who is the current world champion fly over to give a great world class performance at Abu Dhabi.

Chinese New Year Celebration in Malaysia

2009-02-09T11:41:00.000-08:00

With my 3 angels at the St Paul Hill, Malacca

In front of the historical A Famosa in Malacca

2nd day at one of the leading hotel in Malacca with my angels

Dinner gathering with my Condominium residents association members in KL

After a long 6 months stay in Abu Dhabi, fly back Malaysia to celebrate Chinese New Year with family members. Reached KL on the 16th January 2009 and on the next day went back Malacca to visit parents.The next day have a dinner gathering with my Condominium Resident association members.On the eve of CNY went back Malacca again to have the traditional reunion dinner with the parents and relatives.Visited the historical A Famosa and the St Paul Hill in Malacca on the 2nd day of CNY.Managed to catch up with most friends and relatives during the 2 weeks vacation in Malaysia.

Perak Crisis: A Mockery of our Democratic system- Hannah Yeoh

2009-02-06T09:57:00.000-08:00

Nizar 'booted out' of MB's office- Malaysiakini photo

To those who argue that the political crisis in Perak now is a taste of Pakatan's own medicine (referring to the Sept 16 takeover plan), they have failed to see the key differences between the two.

If you remember what happened when Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim claimed to have the numbers to form the new federal government, he wrote to PM Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi requesting him to convene an emergency sitting of Parliament. This was rejected by the PM. The next constitutional option is to press for the dissolution of Parliament to make way for fresh new elections. That was also not entertained. Anwar Ibrahim exhausted the constitutional means that were available to him. If Pakatan were to act unconstitutionally and lure defections, then we will be having a new government today. But we didn't and we will not act unconstitutionally.

So you can't say that Najib's coup and Pakatan's plan were one and the same.Some may also say, well what about the earlier defection of Bota assemblyman, Datuk Nasarudin Hashim? Why did Pakatan Rakyat accept him? Why not force his seat to be vacated for a by-election? Let's keep things in perspective here. His defection was that of an opposition lawmaker to a governing lawmaker. His defection did not alter the balance of power in the State Assembly. Pakatan Rakyat remained as government, and BN as opposition. Status quo.

Logically and intelligently, anyone can safely assume that Pakatan Rakyat didn't need a defection from BN. Thus, he defected on his own accord and on his own will. There was no need for Pakatan Rakyat to force him to vacate his seat as he did not win the seat on a Pakatan ticket. The Pakatan government really has no standing in forcing him to vacate a seat which wasn't earned by Pakatan in the first place!

I must say that I had great respect for Sultan Azlan Shah. Until yesterday. I wonder how he could possibly consent to the formation of a new BN state government when constitutionally, a government is still in place. And to even approve to a new Menteri Besar when the existing one is still in office? How can any state have 2 heads of government at any one time? There can only be one Menteri Besar of Perak. This is a mockery. The Menteri Besar can only be removed by the State Assembly via a vote of no-confidence or via the dissolution of the assembly. And none of these two constitutional means has been requested by BN. How can anyone claim that Najib and Anwar are one and the same?

Next, the Sultan called for a "unity" government to be formed by BN and the Independents. Let's be clear about this. The Independents are in no way legally bound to represent BN. Well, at least not yet, not till they officially become members of a BN component party. All that the Sultan and Najib has from them is a verbal assurance that "we will be friendly to BN". And just by appearing in a press conference with Najib, it justifies the change of government?

What if next week these Independents were to be seen in a press conference with Pakatan? A real "unity" government envisioned by the Sultan should have been an all-inclusive government of Pakatan, BN, and the Independents. Pakatan and BN each have 28 seats, and the Independents 3. Thus, no single party or coalition has a commanding majority. If there is to be a "unity" government, it calls for a new coalition of PR-BN-Ind which is impossible.

Thus, what the Sultan has called for is simply a name without substance. What "unity" if it's going to consist of only single-minded representatives - all "friendly to BN"? That's not a "unity" government, it's a BN government. This is a mockery of the intelligence of Malaysians. A beginning of what is to come with this PM-to-be.

Christmas in Abu Dhabi

2009-01-02T03:27:00.000-08:00

Drinking at one of the pub in a leading hotel in Abu Dhabi

Scene in the city of Abu Dhabi with thick fog in one of the early morning

Celebrate Christmas at one of the contractor cafetaria in Abu Dhabi

Most buildings in Abu Dhabi decorated for the National day celebration till New Year

There are many holidays towards the end of the year. We have the Awal Ramadhan,Christmas and New Year day.Both Awal Ramadhan and New Year are declared holiday.However Christmas is a working day in UAE.Some private companies do give leave to their Christian staff to celebrate the ocassion.

Most shopping centre in Abu Dhabi are well decorated and lighted up for the festival.Attended a Christmas gathering organised by one of our contractor on Christmas day.Malaysian food were being served there and there were also Christmas events and songs played to entertain the guests.

Attended the New Year celebration at one of the hotel pub in the city where liqour are readily available.Scantily clads Filipinos dancers and singers performed every night at the pub where almost one third of the crowds are from Malaysia.

This year there is no fireworks display for the countdown to the new year as most of the Arab states included UAE have decided to forgo the celebration as a mark of respect for the Palestines whose land are being bombarded by the Israel.

Early morning in Abu Dhabi could be very cold and sometimes you will experienced thick fog which enveloped the city.Visibilty is so bad that some flight to Abu Dhabi airport have to be diverted.

Winter in Abu Dhabi

2008-12-19T00:33:00.000-08:00

Christmas decoration at Lulu Hypermarket in Al Wahda Mall.

In front of Al Wahda Mall shopping mall

Me, in front of the Malaysian Embassy during the Hari Raya Haji open house

Scene outside the Malaysian embassy in Abu Dhabi during the Hari Raya Haji open house gathering.

Giant UAE flag raised up at Al Wahda Mall for the UAE National Day celebration

Raining in Reem Island, Abu Dhabi.

Time passed really fast...have spent more than 5 months in the Emirates.Winter have arrived in Abu Dhabi and it will my first winter experience in my lifetime.Before winter, rain started to fall after more than 4 months without rain and it happened immediately after the sand storm.It was really a relief to see rainfall unlike in Malaysia which is we can experience almost every month.Many sports events in Abu Dhabi was postponed due to the unexpected rainfall and some parts of Abu Dhabi roads was even flooded.

On 2nd December 2008, UAE celebrated their 37th independence day and many major shopping centre here organised special events to commemorate the occasion.In Al Wahda Mall which is within walking distance from my villa,the mall organised traditional dance show to mark the event.Streets were decorated with colourful lightings and there was a fireworks display on the eve of the national day.

Hari Raya Haji which also falls within the same week is a big occasion here.The government offices was closed for more than a week to mark the occasion. Attended the Malaysian Embassy open house last Friday and it was great to interact with so many Malaysian working here.Some came as far as Dubai to enjoy the Malaysian food here like the bungkus nasi lemak and sateh which they missed dearly.Christmas is around the corner and many shopping centre have put up decoration to light up the occasion.

Iraqi shoe-thrower captures Mideast rage at Bush- Reuters

2008-12-16T10:25:00.000-08:00

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The hurling of shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush on his farewell visit to Iraq strikes many in the Middle East as a fittingly furious comment on what they see as his calamitous legacy in the region.

Arab and Iranian TV stations have gleefully replayed the clip, sometimes in slow motion, of an Iraqi reporter calling Bush a "dog" and throwing his shoes at him -- the Middle East's tastiest insults -- at a Baghdad news conference on Sunday.

The affront was a twisted echo of the triumphal moment for Bush when joyous Iraqis used their footwear to beat a statue of Saddam Hussein toppled by U.S. invading troops in 2003.
"It indicates how much antagonism he's been able to create in the whole region," former Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Maher told Reuters, adding that the incident was regrettable.
Bush had harmed America's reputation and the friendship many had felt for it. "Despite past mistakes in its policies, there was always a redeeming factor. In this particular case, there doesn't seem to have ever been a redeeming factor," Maher said.

Muntazer al-Zaidi, who works for independent al-Baghdadiya television, has shot to local stardom for his attack on Bush and his cry: "This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, dog."
He has also won instant fame abroad -- a poem on an Islamist website praises him as "a hero with a lion's heart" -- although the Iraqi government slated his "barbaric and ignominious act."
Zaidi's crude public display of disdain for an incumbent U.S. president hit a chord with many in the Middle East.

"The Iraqi journalist is a true and free Baghdadi," said a Saudi private sector employee who gave his name as Abu Faisal. "He was brave and did us proud. Bush destroyed (Iraq) so surely he deserved to be beaten with a shoe."
Khalid al-Dakhil, a Saudi university lecturer in social politics, said the incident summed up Bush's impact on the Middle East, which "will haunt this region for a long time."
Dakhil, who said Bush had committed war crimes in Iraq after launching a war based on "lies" that Saddam possessed weapons of mass destruction, nevertheless fretted about the shoe-throwing.

"While understandable, it wasn't the most sophisticated and constructive way to express one's anger at Bush, especially coming from an educated Arab journalist. It reinforces the stereotype ideas in the Western world about Arabs."
Some Palestinians, whose hopes of independent statehood have withered in the eight-year Bush era, relished the moment.

"A shoe company in Hebron claimed the attack on Bush and they will give the attacker shoes all his life," runs one joke being exchanged on mobile telephones in the Gaza Strip.

How to become very rich in Malaysia- The Star

2008-12-13T09:33:00.000-08:00

Connections and the ability to flip assets can get you going places

If you have ever wondered how to get rich in Malaysia – fabulously rich and very quickly at that – here’s a model that you might want to look at very closely. Not easy to do but if you do have a couple of projects in the bag, it will set you up for several lifetimes.

First you need connections – strong ones, the higher the better and if it goes right up to the top all the better. You need this because you need to convince the powers that be that your projects are good.But you might ask if your projects are so good, why do you need connections? Why don’t you just go out and execute? Good questions, those. Here’s the answer - you need the state to give you something to do the deal that will help the nation.

Still can’t figure it out? See, it’s like this. You want to help the country, right? The country needs say a port. But you can’t build a port just like that. You need land to build a port. You tell the state or federal government you need land – cheap land, preferably free to build the port.
Or to take another example, you want to help the country by building a power plant. But look, you need land too and not only that you need the power to be sold. So you want an agreement – an iron-clad one to sell the power to Tenaga Nasional and to pass through all costs.

You see, that’s your reward as an entrepreneur – you get someone else to build the power plant, they guarantee the performance of the plant and someone else guarantees to buy your power and pay for all your costs. Nice deal? You bet. Billionaires have been made that way.
Or you may want to start an air hub. If you are persuasive enough, you can even convince the government to compulsorily acquire the land and sell it to you cheap. Once you have cheap land, lucrative contracts and concession agreements, the sky’s the limit.

Let’s take it a step further. If you want to realise the value of all of these things that you have and still keep control of them, it’s nice to have a listed company into which you can inject them. Inject one asset for shares and you gain control of the company. And then inject others over the years for cash, taking the money out of the company. Who says you can’t have your cake and eat it too?

Do it right and get a flow of assets to inject in (you can do anything with discounted cash flow valuations – just change the discount rate, and presto, the value changes!), and you get a tidy flow of profits and cash into your personal accounts over the years. I mean a really tidy flow.
Just how much can you make this way, you ask? Why don’t you take a guess first? Did you say RM500mil? Guess again. RM1bil? How about five times that and you may be getting into the right order of magnitude.

One Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary actually made some RM4.5bil that way - actually more because he still controls the listed company. (MMC’s latest RM1.7bil deal irks investors7) We are not saying he is the only one, which makes your chances of joining the ranks better – if you are connected to high places that is.But then again, if things change – and that’s still a big ‘if’ – you might not find it so easy anymore.

P. Gunasegaram is managing editor of The Star. He thinks it is high time we changed the way we did business

IF OBAMA HAD BEEN A MALAYSIAN (MALAYSIAKINI)

2008-12-01T12:06:00.000-08:00

*From a Disappointed Member (Malaysiakini) Nov 14, 2008 4:20pm

It is nice to know that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi thinks anyone can become PM in Malaysia. He must think we are stupid and blind to the realities of being ethnic minorities in Malaysia.If Barack Obama was unfortunate enough to have been born in Malaysia, he couldn't even become the general manager of PKNS, never mind, president of the US, the most powerful country in the world.If he became a born-again Christian in his teenage years, keeping in view his father was African Muslim, Jakim would have hauled him off to a religious rehabilitation detention centre in Malaysia, and his kids would have been taken away from him.Michelle Obama would then have been advised by our racist religious authorities to divorce him.

Just for not being Malay, Umno would have overlooked his obvious talents and intelligence, and they would have denied him permanent residence or a citizenship and he can forget about any potential scholarships, job promotions or a place in a public university.Like Vijay Singh, world champion golfer, he would have been forced to emigrate to live elsewhere.If Barack Obama had advocated equal opportunity and equal rights in Malaysia, he would have been demonised by* Utusan Malaysia* as being anti-Malay and anti-Islam and taken into custody under the ISA just like what happened to Teresa Kok, and he would have had Molotov cocktails chucked into his parent's house, and had curly daggers waved at him.

If he had advocated rule of law like Zaid Ibrahim, they would called him a traitor to the Malay race.If he advocated democracy like Anwar Ibrahim, then Umno, the world champions of fitnah would have fixed him for sodomy.If like the jailed Hindraf 5 leaders, Barack Obama tells us to 'hope for change' and have the 'audacity of hope' then it would have been ISA and water cannons for him and his supporters.For practicing freedom of religion and conscience, and following the religion of his choice, he would have been charged with apostasy, and don't forget, some of our Malaysian politicians have advocated death for apostasy, just to prove their religious standing in the eyes of theirethnic voters.Abdullah Badawi's statement that anyone can be PM in Malaysia is a sick joke and a clear attempt to mislead the public, and to assuage the collective privileged guilt of Umno's wealthy and corrupt warlords who head a party dedicated to race supremacy, religious and racialapartheid, and the worst type of racial and religious politics.

I am so glad Barack Obama will be the next president of the US. It goes to show that ordinary voters in the most powerful country in the world are prepared to reject the evils of racism, and embrace solidarity with their fellow voters in the context of equal rights and equal citizenship.They have shown long-suffering ordinary Malaysians what real muhibbah looks like instead of the dagger-waving displays (Umno AGM), Umno Youth beating up women delegates at peace conferences (Apcet II, KL), and nameless criminals chucking Molotov cocktails into women MPs' houses - that is, what I would term the Biro Tata Negara brand of nation-building by Umno.

I doubt if Barack Obama can have any impact on Malaysia's racist politics but it is good to know that people in America can still make a common stand with their fellow voters across racial lines for the common good.I challenge Umno to invite Barack Obama to Malaysia to show him the political and judicial wonders of our Malaysian system.
I challenge Umno's gutless politicians to tell Barack Obama, president-elect of the United States of America what opportunities he would have had if he were born in Malaysia

Umno in way of open tender and transparancy- The Malaysian Insider

2008-11-13T23:18:00.000-08:00

NOV 14 — Just after the general election in March, a clutch of Umno MPs stopped a minister along the Parliament lobby, badgering and threatening him. Their bone of contention: their multimillion ringgit projects and contracts had not been approved.
A government official who witnessed the unsavoury encounter recalled to The Malaysian Insider: "It was not pleasant at all. The MPs were not interested in hearing any explanation. They were making all sorts of accusations and complained that they needed funds to carry out their political activities for the year.''
After being abused, the minister marched into Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s office in the tower block to seek guidance. Since then, senior government officials and other ministers have also complained of being pressured by elected representatives and Umno warlords over the award of contracts.
This anecdotal evidence suggests that Datuk Seri Najib Razak will face a tough task of making the open tender system the norm and making the procurement system in government more transparent when he becomes the prime minister in March.
In the past few weeks, he and other government leaders have sprinkled their speeches liberally with the open tender system. In his first meeting at the Finance Ministry, he made it clear that direct negotiation will be the exception rather than the rule.
In doing so, he sounded much like Abdullah in his first 100 days in office. The PM promised to dismantle the opaque manner of awarding contracts, which resulted in bloated concessions and privatisation projects being given to well-connected individuals and companies during the Mahathir era. But if he is honest, Abdullah will admit that he fell far short of his targets.
Despite leading the Barisan Nasional to a handsome victory in March 2004 and having a 91 per cent approval rating among Malaysians, more often than not he succumbed to pressure from Umno warlords and awarded contracts on the basis of direct negotiations.
A government official said: "I don't think there were threats involved because the PM's position was secure. It was a case of rewarding supporters and understanding that it is expensive to become a politician here.''
The pressure is going to be just as intense on Najib and Umno officials who occupy senior positions in government to deliver the largesse. More so in this election season where millions of ringgit are being spent by individuals who want to be elected as deputy president, vice-president, supreme council member, division chief, branch chief, etc.
In 2004, those vying for a place on the relatively unimportant Umno Youth exco spent close to RM1 million to buy support. This time, more than 40 individuals are competing for a place on the 20-seat exco.
The winners and losers expect to recover their "investment'' after the election season. The easiest way to do this is to enter direct negotiations with the government to build schools, bridges and other infrastructure. More senior party members will have their eye on more lucrative projects including the transmission cable to send electricity from Bakun to Peninsular Malaysia and the plan to develop prime real estate in Jalan Cochrane.
Yes, it is going to be tough to say no to these warlords bearing big brown envelopes. But some government officials argue that Malaysians should also accept that the open tender system is fraught with weaknesses.
"Our open tender system is not always transparent. Some parties seem to have access to inside information and know how to tailor their bids accordingly. What the government needs to do is ensure if there is direct negotiation, then parties have the capability to carry out a contract and do not profit excessively. And when there is an open tender, it must be a truly clean process. Only then there will be confidence in the government procurement system, '' said a senior government official.
Can the open tender system become the norm in Malaysia? Perhaps, one day when Umno politicians lose their sense of entitlement and political patronage is not so prevalent. Until then, we can only hope.

High Time for Samy to leave...

2008-10-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

After the disastrous General Election results in March, reform in the leadership of Barisan National component parties seems to be moving in the right direction with the changing of old guards taken place.Slowly but surely most of the leaders have to give way due to unpopular support from the grassroot members.UMNO President Abdullah Badawi have to step down to pave the way for his Deputy Najib to take over by March next year.

MCA, the second largest component party of the ruling front have just elected Ong Tee Kiat and Chua Soi lek as their new President and Deputy President respectively in the just concluded MCA election last weekend.This is possible as both Ong Ka Ting and Chan Kong Choy refuse to defend their present post.Another component party,Gerakan also see Koh Tsu Khoon returned unopposed as their new President after their veteren leader Lim Keng Yaik retired.

Among the old guards of Dr M era who are still around are MIC president Samy Vellu and UMNO Wanita Chief Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz.Interestingly Datuk Shahrizat, have qualified to contest for the Wanita President post after gaining enough nominations to challenge the incumbent Rafidah even though she have announce her intention not to contest for the President post.

However only MIC President, Samy Vellu have stubbornly refuse to step down even though he was humiliated after losing his Sg Siput Parliament seat.He had yet to see the reality of Malaysian politics.Now he is still keen to fight for his political survival as reported by Athi Veeranggan from Malaysiankini...part of the report are as follows...

Politics is the art of the possible and impossible possibilities becoming impossibilities and vice-versa. MIC president S Samy Vellu stands out among those who have mastered the art.Just two years ago, he backed G Palanivel to challenge and successfully oust incumbent S Subramaniam for the deputy president's post.Prior to that, Subramaniam had been stripped of his government post by the party supremo when he was dropped as MIC candidate for the Segamat parliamentary seat in the 2004 general election

Now, Samy Vellu is said to be planning a reconciliation with his old nemesis Subramaniam to oust Palanivel, with whom the MIC leader no longer sees eye-to-eye.Palanivel was widely regarded as Samy Vellu's successor as party president.Insiders stressed however, that Samy Vellu only wanted Palanivel as an interim deputy to eventually make way for another stalwart, S Sothinathan.The Samy Vellu-Palanivel partnership can be described as rocky at best, and things boiled over just before the March general election, in which many MIC leaders, including the party president and Palanivel, were booted out by voters across the country.Just before MIC's humiliating performance on March 8, Palanivel is believed to have told Barisan Nasional chairman and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that "he was ready to take over MIC" from beleaguered Samy Vellu, who had lost his commanding influence among Malaysian Indians.

US confronts possibility of long,deep recession- AP

2008-10-15T21:47:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK, Oct 16 - The United States has not endured a deep and prolonged recession in more than a quarter century — enough time for many Americans to forget what one feels like.
But unlike the last two relatively short recessions, this one could be much longer and more severe, potentially bringing with it anxiety and job losses not seen in many years.
“In thinking about recessions, people will naturally think back to the last couple” in the early 1990s and in 2001, said Paul Ashworth, senior US economist at Capital Economics in Toronto. “What they should be looking back at is further.”
That requires dredging up memories of the economic slides in the 1970s, when an Arab oil embargo starved the nation of energy, and the early 1980s, when unemployment and inflation soared.
The last recession — coinciding with the collapse of the tech stock bubble and the terrorist attacks of 2001 — lasted just eight months. It was known more for the slow “jobless” recovery that followed than for the depth of the downturn.
Many economists agree that the nation won’t be so fortunate this time.
“I don’t think we can escape damage to the real economy,” former Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker said this week in Singapore. “I think we almost inevitably face a considerable recession.”
The Fed’s current chairman, Ben Bernanke, delivered a more measured, but similarly grave assessment to economists, saying the recent financial turmoil “may well lengthen the period of weak economic performance and further increase the risks to growth.”
The signs of stress are starting to show: The US has lost 760,000 jobs since late last year, and retail sales in September plunged 1.2 per cent, the largest drop in three years.
Every recession is driven by its own dynamic and psychology. The current slump started with the collapse in the housing market and got worse with sharp restrictions on credit that pressured consumer spending and businesses.
That is a different environment from 1973, when an oil crisis was the culprit, squeezing US businesses and consumers. In the early 1980s, raging inflation and high interest rates took their toll.
Both periods saw millions of Americans out of work. In 1975, the unemployment rate peaked at 9 per cent. In 1982, it jumped to 10.8 per cent.
Most economists forecast a sharp increase in the number of people who lose their jobs. But they do not see it leading to unemployment on the scale of either the 1970s or 1980s.
The jobless rate is currently at 6.1 per cent, and many economists expect it to rise to about 7 per cent early next year — a level the country has not seen since 1993. Some analysts believe the unemployment rate could eventually climb close to 8 per cent, which hasn’t happened since 1984.
But this recession could begin to feel like those of the past not just because of lost jobs, but because of fear about the future.
In the 1980s, as the nation struggled with inflation and a transition from a manufacturing economy to one based on services, Americans had “a huge amount of uncertainty and anxiety that lingered on for a long period of time,” said Bart Van Ark, chief economist for The Conference Board.
“That element I find comparable to what we’re seeing today, but some of the underlying dynamics are very, very different.”
In 1973, the US economy had been growing for three years and unemployment had dropped to well below 5 per cent.
Then, on Oct 6, Egyptian and Syrian forces launched surprise attacks on Israeli-held territory while Jews were observing Yom Kippur. Arab members of OPEC soon cut off shipments of oil to the US and other countries that supported Israel.
Oil prices rose sharply and forced rationing of tight supplies. Drivers lined up at filling stations on odd or even days depending on the number on their license plates. Some stations ran out of gas.
A recession is typically defined as a period in which the economy shrinks for two quarters in a row. In the 2001 recession, the quarters weren’t even consecutive.
But in the 1970s, the recession stretched on for a year and a half. Nearly 2.2 million people lost their jobs. By the end of 1974, the Dow Jones industrial average had lost more than 40 per cent of its value. At the same time, the nation was focused on the Watergate scandal and the vacuum left by President Richard Nixon’s resignation in August 1974.
The economy began to recover in spring of the next year. But inflation, which had eased as the oil embargo was lifted, spiked again. By 1980, prices were rising at an annual rate of 13.5 per cent.
Anxious about a hostage crisis in Iran and President Jimmy Carter’s administration inability to tame inflation, Americans elected Ronald Reagan president. But it wasn’t at all clear how his plan to increase defense spending would cure the economy’s ills.
Volcker, appointed by Carter to lead the Fed in 1979, took on inflation by sharply raising interest rates. It worked, but made life even more difficult for consumers at a time when the nation was doubtful about its economic future.
“That was the feeling at that time: hopelessness, in terms of how do we get out of this situation,” said Anthony Campagna, author of “The Economy in the Reagan Years.”
The next recession did not come until 1990, as preparations for the Gulf War drove up the price of oil. But the 1.6 million jobs lost was much less severe than in the previous downturn, and this one lasted for just eight months.
When it recovered, the economy staged its longest expansion on record — 10 years of growth. The next recession, in early 2001, was similarly short-lived. The number of people out of work rose sharply, but compared with some past recessions, unemployment rate was relatively mild.
The fact that the last two recessions were so short, the damage relatively limited and the preceding good times so long has helped many people forget the pain of a more severe economic slump.
“We’ve become a little spoiled, actually,” said Todd Knoop, a professor at Iowa’s Cornell College and author of “Modern Financial Macroeconomics: Panics, Crashes and Crises.”
That could make this recession feel particularly intense.
Said Jay Bryson, global economist at Wachovia Corp.: “I think no matter how you measure it, this coming recession will be worse than the last one.” - AP

Businessmen close to Abdullah quit-The Straits Times

2008-10-12T21:47:00.000-07:00

Datuk Kalimullah Hassan, deputy Chairman of New Straits Times Press and group executive chairman of ECM Libra Investment Bank

From right: Datuk Patrick Lim with PM Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi and ex Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Koh Tsu Khoon looking at the model of Penang Global City Centre

More expected to leave as Najib erects his own inner circle of power

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 13 — Two businessmen close to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi are quitting their positions, as an expected exodus of his inner circle begins.
The two men — New Straits Times Press (NSTP) deputy chairman Datuk Kalimullah Hassan and Equine Capital chairman Patrick Lim — have been attacked in the past by former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, for allegedly benefiting from Abdullah's reign.
News of their resignations from their respective companies comes just days after Abdullah's announcement that he intended to step down as Premier in March.
With Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak set to take over the premiership in five months' time, the circle around him is expected to rise, political observers and bloggers say.
Kalimullah is also group executive chairman of ECM Libra Investment Bank, which has made headlines with major deals in the past few years.
But he is better known as the controversial editor-in-chief of the mainstream New Straits Times newspaper, and has been accused by Dr Mahathir of being a key "spin doctor" for Abdullah.
Dr Mahathir, who appointed Abdullah as his successor in 2003, has in recent years become his most bitter critic.
The former premier blames Kalimullah for allegedly blacking out his comments not only in the NST, but also in other mainstream media.
In a column in the NST on Friday, Kalimullah defended Abdullah's short reign and harshly attacked critics such as Dr Mahathir.
"One thing Najib will not have to worry about is a predecessor breathing down his neck, slandering him, his Cabinet, his party colleagues, his family, aides and friends. Because, for all his weaknesses, Abdullah is a decent, religious man," Kalimullah said in the column.
He joined NSTP in 2003 as group editor-in-chief before relinquishing the position in 2006 to become deputy chairman.
He tendered his resignation from the board on Sept 3, and it will take effect from Dec 31, online media TheEdgeDaily.com reported on Thursday.
As for Lim, his links with Abdullah were thought to be so close that Dr Mahathir had cynically referred to the businessman as "Patrick Badawi".
His resignation was officially announced to the Malaysian stock exchange in a statement on Friday. Among projects linked to him is the multimillion-dollar Monsoon Cup sailing regatta held annually in Terengganu. The event has drawn criticism for its ostentatious show of wealth before poor coastal villagers.
Lim was dealt a severe blow in August when a planned RM25 billion project in Penang was dropped. The Penang Global City Centre was nixed after opposition parties took over the state in the March general election.
There are widespread expectations that other top changes will occur soon in Umno-linked companies. These could include the Media Prima group, which controls the NST as well as several television networks, including TV3.
A former senior editor of a local daily said: "They will leave because they know where they stand." — The Straits Times

How Malaysia's PM fell from grace -from BBC

2008-10-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

When I asked him if he regretted being pushed, he gestured to the man sitting beside him, his deputy and heir Najib Razak, and to the other politicians around him from the ruling coalition.
He said: "Ask them if they have forced me out." A few shook their heads but Malaysia's fifth prime minister is not leaving office in March 2009 because he wants to. He is leaving because he has to.
There are still a few months to go but the epitaph will not be kind.
"He was weak, he was reluctant to do things which he should've done," says Chandra Muzaffar, a political analyst and academic.
After promising so much in 2004 when he secured a record victory at the polls, Dr Muzaffar believes Abdullah Badawi squandered a mandate for reform because he could not deliver.
"There is, I think, a personality factor at play - the reluctance on his part to antagonise people, to do things which a reform-minded prime minister will have to," he says.
'Power first'
The man who is almost certain to succeed him has been groomed for the job from the day he was born.

'Power first'

The man who is almost certain to succeed him has been groomed for the job from the day he was born. Najib Razak is the son of Malaysia's second prime minister. He has been in parliament since his early 20s.
"People expect him to be tougher," opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim told the BBC.
"The government under Najib will be ruthless."
He believes that little will change come next year when the handover takes place.
"Nothing is resolved, he is surrendering to a person who is badly tarnished," he told me.
That is a reference to sensational claims that the deputy prime minister was involved in the murder of a woman.
Najib Razak has strongly denied the allegation.
One of his closest advisors is on trial for the killing.
In an interview with the BBC last August, he did admit that there had been questions about his reputation but said: "I think I have cleared my name... my conscience is clear."
There are those who see this British-educated economist as the insider who can bring about change.
"Najib knows that if Umno [the United Malays National Organisation] and the Barisan Nasional [National Front] don't change, in the short term, they will be in deep trouble," says political analyst Dr Muzaffar.
But he believes that he will not promise a raft of radical reform, like the changes Abdullah Badawi promised for the judiciary and the corruption agency, adding:
"What impels him to bring about change is not so much a commitment to reform as a commitment to power."

Fatal slip

The reason Abdullah Badawi is going is because he came close to losing power.
In Malaysia's 51-year history that has never happened.
The same side has been in charge from Day One.
The country had continued its impressive economic growth under his watch.
But divisions which have haunted this multi-racial and multi-religious nation at times bubbled to the surface once more.
When his second general election as leader came around earlier this year, the people punished him.
Malaysia's minority Chinese and Indians deserted the government in droves. The prime minister was humiliated. The Barisan Nasional won but with a much reduced majority. Support for the opposition swelled to unprecedented levels.
In the days and weeks after the result, Abdullah Badawi faced down his critics.
Then came the first sign of mounting dissent in the ranks.
He agreed to hand over to his number two in 2010. That failed to allay the fears of those who thought the government was doomed unless it changed leader and direction.
So after months of in-fighting he is going, much earlier than he said he planned to go.
"In all my years of service, I've always been guided by my conscience - I've always placed the interests of the nation above all," Abdullah Badawi said as he announced his decision.
"It is with this in mind that I announce I will not be standing... in the coming party elections."
He said he was going to ensure unity.

End of the road

Unity is a crucial theme in Malaysia. This is a country of different races, different religions, with people of vastly differing wealth. For 51 years it has remained mostly stable and peaceful, but fundamental problems remain.
The increasing role of Islam, the religion of the Malay majority, worries the country's 35% non-Muslims.
A decades-old economic policy which gives preferential treatment to Malays still causes bitterness and anger. Malays can jump the queue for university places, government jobs and housing.
Abdullah Badawi's reign will stretch to almost six years by the time he steps down but he may be remembered most for events in the final months.
With an invigorated opposition threatening to take power, the prime minister and his government resorted to desperate acts.
An opposition member of parliament, a journalist and a prominent blogger were arrested and detained under strict security laws. They were deemed a threat to national security.
Anwar Ibrahim is facing a trail for sodomy, an accusation many believe is fabricated and politically motivated.
Malaysia is at a "historic crossroads" the prime minister said as he announced his departure.
"We must reform and mature," he added.
Now that responsibility will fall to someone else. The era of the man known affectionately as Pak Lah, meaning Uncle, is almost over.

Aid Mubarak at the Emirates

2008-10-05T13:03:00.000-07:00

In front of Souk Madinet at Jumeriah , Dubai.

In front of the Malaysian Embassy at Abu Dhabi, UAE

Malaysian Embassy Hari Raya open house gathering at Abu Dhabi

Posed in front of the camel

In front of the Land Cruisers after the sand duning drive

My wife and me with the Arabic costume

Belly dancer performing at the big stage under the clear skylit

For the first time, I am celebrating the Aid Mubarak ( Hari Raya Puasa ) and my birthday in the Emirates.My wife came down from KL for the celebrations.Aid Mubarak was celebrated one day earlier than Malaysia on 30th September.

Went over to Dubai on the 2nd day of Aid Mubarak and visited the Burj Al Arab the most expensive hotel in the world,the Mall of the Emirates and Souk Madinet at Jumeriah.On the 3rd day,we attended the Malaysian Embassy Raya open house and was served with many Malaysian food like Satey,Mee Goreng and Nasi Lemak which we miss so badly.Really enjoyed the food especially the Nasi Lemak after deprived of 2 months of Malaysian food.

On my birthday 3-10-2008, joined the half day Desert Safari tour which cost us 200 dirham each, quite a good rate I was told.A local Emiratis driver came over to pick us up at the hotel and was joined by about 10 Toyota Land Cruiser to the Safari.The first stop was at the camel farm where we were allowed to take photographs with the camels. Later we went for the drive over the sand dunes which was both thrilling and exciting and I am really impressed by the skill of the driver. Stop to watch the sunset from the dunes.

Our journey continued until we reached a traditional Arabic camp which is was quite isolated from the desert.There we were given opportunity to try a host of activities like camel riding,henna painting,wearing the traditional arabic clothings, Shisha smoking,the Arabic sweets and coffee significant to the Bedouin culture.

After sunset, a BBQ dinner was served under the starlit sky with belly dancing entertainment to ensure you have a memorable night.The desert sky was very clear and you can really gaze the twinkling stars.We were really treated the traditional Arabic hospitality with Arabic coffee and dates served as they have been served for centuries and continue to be served in the Emiratis homes today.

2nd Month in Abu Dhabi

2008-09-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

Playing badminton in one of the courts at Abu Dhabi

Emirates Driving Company where all driving lesson and test are conducted.

Have spent more than 2 months now in Abu Dhabi and still haven’t seen any rain yet.
However the weather has improved greatly and it is now 38 degree, about Malaysian weather. Not only rain I have yet to see any dogs running around, very unusual in Malaysia. Managed to play badminton here with my colleague and a group of Malaysian at one of the badminton hall at an international school at AD. Played on Wednesday and Sunday night same day as I played in KL.The hall is fully air-conditioned with 4 courts and is also equipped with free water dispenser.

To obtain a local driving license in UAE is not as simple as in Malaysia. It is not only costly but time consuming. Registered for my license early this month at the Emirates Driving Company at Mussafah which is about 20 minutes ride from AD. You need to get your Malaysian license translated first and get endorsement from the Malaysian embassy here. Then you need to pass your eye test before you are allowed to open a file. After this process you will have to attend for the theory class lesson which is spread over 4 days of 2 hours per day.

When you have attended all the 4 days lessons you have to pass the theory test before you are allowed to go for the road test. For all these you have to pay AED20 for the eyes test, AED100 for opening the file and AED780 for the theory class. I have passed the theory test and will be going for the road test next month. Then you need to pay for the license which is about AED250 but is valid for 10 years.

Surprising road drivers in UAE drive faster than KL drivers, maybe due to the wider roads over here.Ocassionally you can witness emergency brake at the traffic lights junctions. They like to speed and then suddenly apply their brake; very uncommon in KL.Parking is another problem in the Emirates due to limited parking space. Most of the cars parked haphazardly like in KL.

Teresa Kok Freed: From Malaysiakini

2008-09-19T06:23:00.000-07:00

DAP Seputeh MP Teresa Kok was released unconditionally at 1pm today, after being held under the Internal Security Act for seven days.

Kok, 43, walked out from the Jalan Travers police station at 1.40pm, accompanied by her lawyer Sankara Nair and her personal aide, Mandy Ooi.She was greeted by her visibly elated parents.Kok was immediately hugged by her 71-year-old mother, Poon Seh Kwon, who gave her daughter a bunch of white and pink roses.

I don't know what I've got into... I don't know what is the real reason (that) caused me to (be) put behind bars for one week," she told journalists as she left the police station.
Kok, who is also the Selangor state executive council member, expressed that she was still slightly shaken but glad that she was released."(There is) no reason at all to put me under ISA... What have I done? What have I said?" she asked.
During the whole one week, they didn't show any proof or evidence to show that I made statements that have caused racial and religious tension."The parliamentarian said that she felt like "fool" when she was incarcerated not knowing the grounds for her arrest.

When asked the reason for her release, Kok said, "I don't know... I don't know why I was charged... Of course, they have to release me; they find no case against me."Kok thanked all those who had campaigned for her release including those from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, such as "her friend" Zaid Ibrahim who had resigned as the de facto law minister following her arrest.
Deputy inspector-general of police Ismail Omar said that Kok was released after investigations showed that there was no reason to detain her any further.Kok held a press conference two hours later at the DAP headquarters in Petaling Jaya.

‘Honey, I'm home; I've had a hard day'Minutes after the IT-savvy and affable politician was released, she updated her social networking Facebook account.

At 1.35pm, she posted an entry in her Facebook saying, "Teresa sings ‘Honey, I'm home, I've had a hard day, pour me a cold one da da da...", which immediately attracted comments welcoming her release.DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang also appeared to be surprised by Kok's early release.

Lim wrote in his blog that he received a phone call with the caller identification ‘Teresa' at 12.56pm while he was having lunch in Ipoh, Perak and he had wondered who was using the MP's mobile phone."But it was her on the line and I wondered how she wangled the use of her phone while in detention. But no, she did no such improper thing. She told me that she was being released

Bravo. The irresistible pressures for her unjust and undemocratic detention had succeeded," wrote Lim, who is also the Ipoh Timor MP.Last Friday, Kok was arrested under Section 73(1) of the ISA at 11.18pm, allegedly for sparking religious and racial tension ostensibly for her role in an Islamic matter.She was arrested on the same day with controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin and Sin Chew Daily journalist Tan Hoon Cheng, who was however released after 18 hours.

The Start of the End?

2008-09-18T07:01:00.000-07:00

The current political situation in Malaysia is causing real economic uncertainty in the country with the KLCI on Bursa Malaysia plunged 36.25 points to 966.74 points as at 11:40am today...

This the full report from Wall Street Journal Asia....

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced this week that he has enough parliamentary support to unseat the current government, led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. If he does, Abdullah's lacklustre economic management will be largely to blame.

The prime minister has not introduced any substantive reforms during his nearly five years in office, preferring to rely instead on opening up the government purse. Under the Ninth Malaysia Plan announced in 2005, he expanded public-sector spending to RM200 billion annually from RM160 billion. In his Midterm Plan Review this year, he increased this outlay to RM240 billion. The national debt now stands at RM285 billion, up from RM192 billion in 2004. The official fiscal deficit has risen to 4.8% of GDP this year, from 3.2% last year. Revenue is being spent faster than it is coming in.

It's hard to argue that these outlays have served the broad public interest. Much of the funding has been channelled to elites in the majority Malay community, under the country's pro-Malay affirmation action programme. That has created discontent with many Malay who don't see the full benefits of the programme, and among the minority Chinese and Indians, who are excluded from it altogether.

Abdullah's stewardship has had a real impact on the economy. Capital flight has risen sharply; Malaysian investment abroad now exceeds inward foreign investment. The Kuala Lumpur stock exchange has lost almost one-fifth of its value this year to date. Malaysia's currency, the ringgit, saw its biggest one-month loss last month since the end of the dollar peg in 2005. Although GDP growth has averaged a robust 5% annual growth under Abdullah, that record is now under threat. Inflation reached a record 8.5% this summer. Job creation has reached record lows, as unemployment, particularly among young majority Malays, remains high. Ironically, only the opposition-led state governments are attracting new foreign investment — and without the federal government's help, no less.

Abdullah's 2004 attempts to promote growth and investment — such as through the promotion of the biotechnology and agricultural industries — have failed. He also fumbled discussions with the United States on a free trade agreement, which have now stalled. What Malaysia really needs is education reform and the liberalisation of its labour markets to improve its economic competitiveness.

The political opposition, in the form of Anwar and his Pakatan Rakyat coalition, have seized on these issues. They have promised to root out corruption and to implement a new economic policy to address the concerns of all ethnic communities in Malaysia. Their platform aims to move beyond populist spending to introduce structural reforms in government procurement programmes and in the management of government-linked companies.When Abdullah assumed office in 2004, he inherited an economy in need of structural reform. Malaysians have had to pay for his poor stewardship through higher prices, stagnating wages and growing private sector debt. Soon, Abdullah may have to pay the political price for that record.

Our MP won't learn anything in Taiwan : Feedback from Malaysiakini readers

2008-09-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

Zi-Zenn: Why are we suddenly sending 49 MPs for a study tour to Taiwan of all places? Are they going to study first hand how the ex-president squandered and laundered the nation’s money? Don’t they have more sensible things to do? Or have they forgotten their pledge to serve the rakyat?
This is an incredible move on the part of our seemingly mentally unstable if not near insane government. It’s the magnitude of inaptitude compounded by sheer propensity that is simply beyond comprehension.
The whole government machinery seems to be collapsing. While the people hunger for solutions to the soaring inflation and worsening unemployment, their elected representatives choose to fly away en bloc on public expense.
Is ours a despotic or deranged nation? All signs point to a resounding ‘yes’.

Arianna: Carrots await BN MPs on Taiwan agri tour’. That should have been the headlines. And if the Anti-Corruption Agency has any brains, it should start investigations into this so-called study tour. Any way one looks at it, it smells rotten.
The majority of us may not be products of Oxford but even a farmer can see the ruse behind the intent. No matter what Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and his deputy, Najib Tun Razak say about the trip, Malaysians know it was done to foil Anwar Ibrahim's September 16 plan to form a new federal government.
Never mind Sept 16. I want to know where the money for the trip came from. It has corruption written all over it.
Don’t talk to me, a Sabahan, about democracy and respecting the mandate of the people. You Umno and BN, yes, I am talking to you. Did you not set the precedent way back in 1994 in Sabah? Remember the coup d'etat? We in Sabah did not give the mandate to BN to form the state government but the Umno-led BN staged a coup d'etat that forced then opposition Parti Bersatu Sabah out of office.
But lo and behold, what goes around comes around. Now you Umno/BN leaders, know exactly how we, the rakyat, felt when you ignored our mandate, lured some unprincipled and mercenary MPs so that you could rule Sabah.
Now, it's your turn to cry.

Tim Finian: Bon voyage Bung. There's always a possibility of returning to find that your country has changed hands and you are without a job.
So, if I were you, I'd keep a level head with my feet planted firmly on the ground and not enjoy myself too much. You never know what's in store.
ChanCK: A lot of events happening these days are very coincidental.
Do we need 49 ministers to learn agriculture technology at this time? Since this is an agriculture boot camp, shouldn’t our agriculture minister and his deputy minister go on the trip, along with a handful of agriculture officers? This would have been cheaper than sending 49 ministers.
Furthermore, are the other 47 ministers so free as to attend this great agriculture boot camp? Haven’t they got more important things to attend to at their own ministries ?

JTB: A study trip to educate our members of parliament is certainly a good idea. Okay, so you have detractors saying that Barisan National is so afraid of its MPs crossing over to Pakatan Rakyaat that it is taking them out of the country. Whatever the reason, the fact remains that BN has been spooked by Anwar Ibrahim.
However, that is not my point. I am disappointed with the insensitivity of Tiong King Sing, the chairman of the Backbenchers Club. I find it highly offensive that Tiong has not taken into account that it is the month of Ramadan and most of our Umno Muslim members of parliament are supposed to be fasting. This is an appropriate time for them to contemplate and reflect on their deeds, not go gallivanting overseas.
Tiong is an East Malaysian and I do not know if he realises that Sept 16 is Malaysia Day, when Sabah and Sarawak joined the Federation. Tiong, do you not think this is a valid reason for you to be with your fellow rakyat in East Malaysia to commemorate this event instead of being a tour leader in Taiwan?
From your actions, it seems that you subscribe to the BN notion that Malaysia Day is not that important. If that is the case, say so, get out of East Malaysia and move to West Malaysia.

YUMCIOUS: Of all places in the world, why Taiwan? If you really want to learn agriculture, you should visit Israel and see how they manage to cultivate great products under the most hostile environment on earth. Oh wait, we have no diplomatic relations with the Zionists.
Perhaps these 49 MPs are there also to visit their Legislative Yuan to learn how to throw punches and have cat-fights? Isn’t that what Taiwanese representatives are famous for? Oh wait, we have no official diplomatic relations with the Taiwanese either.
Oh, I give up.

Ramadan in Abu Dhabi

2008-09-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

It is the first week of the holy month of Ramadan and I have spent almost 2 months in Abu Dhabi. The heat of the summer is gradually dropping to 41 degree. Observing the Ramadan month in the Emirates is different from Malaysia. All the food outlets are closed during this holy month. Non Muslims are strictly not allowed to eat in the public. We took our lunch at a designated room in the office.

Working hour at the construction site also change to observe the Ramadan month. There are 2 shifts. Morning shift is from 7am to 1pm and night shift from 8pm to 2pm.There is no site activity from 1pm to 8pm.Muslim staff at our office goes off at 3pm.

There are so many free things in Abu Dhabi. Water and electricity supply to the Emiratis are free. Bus service and parking is also free to the public and there is no Income Tax over here. It is really shameful to know that with so much oil in Malaysia, we are still struggling with budget deficit ever year and nothing is free in Malaysia.

Last weekend ( Weekend over here is Friday ) went to Marina Mall with Yong.Took the free bus service from my place to the shopping mall which is located about 5km away. The French hypermarket Carrefour and Ikea are located at the mall. Only Carrefour is open during the Ramadan, Ikea will open only at 8pm.There is also a Cineplex at the mall and cinema ticket is priced at 30 dirham each which is about RM27.

Dramatic Comeback for Anwar

2008-08-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

The new MP for Permatang Pauh, Anwar surrounded by Penang CM Sdr Lim Guan Eng and DAP advisor Sdr Lim Kit Siang. Photo courtesy from The Star

After 10 days of intensed campaigning by both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional camps, finally the people of Permatang Pauh have delivered their verdict, a bigger support for Anwar and the best Merdeka gift to the nation. Both camps pull in all their resources with BN even to the extend of reducing fuel rate by 15sen and the DAP controlled state government declaring polling day a state holiday to win this crucial by election.

Below are extract from Asiasentinel...

Can the opposition leader translate electoral success into a parliamentary majority?

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim staged a dramatic comeback Tuesday with a victory in a by-election that puts him again at the heart of Malaysian politics. With his apparent return to parliament, he has taken the first step towards his promised ouster of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition as prime minister.

The former deputy prime minister has vowed to take power for the opposition on September 16 by luring ruling coalition lawmakers to his side.

Anwar won about 60 percent of the votes in his rural northern district in Penang in a vote seen as a crucial test of ethnic loyalty in a country where race has long been the determining factor in political success. He soundly drubbed his opponent, Arif Shah Omar Shah, the candidate of the United Malays National Organisation, in a lurid campaign in which a variety of UMNO officials charged him with being a lackey of the United States and world Jewry in addition to having committed sodomy with a former aide.

UMNO also called Anwar a traitor to his race for proposing to replace the countr's 40-year-old New Economic Policy, an affirmative action program for the majority Malay race, with an income-based poverty eradication program. Anwar retaliated by saying UMNO betrayed the Malays because the system has enriched only a rent-seeking elite.

Some 70 percent of the voters in the district are ethnic Malays and Muslims, whose allegiance since the country’s independence has been with UMNO, the leading party in the ruling coalition. It appeared as the polls closed that voters had shrugged off the charges against him. An estimated 70 percent of eligible voters went to the polls.

The big question is not just whether Anwar can convince enough federal lawmakers to cross the line and join the opposition, which currently has 81 lawmakers in the parliament while the Barisan has 140. There are also nagging questions for the stability of Anwar’s unwieldy coalition of his own predominantly ethnic Malay and middle-class Parti Keadilan Rakyat, or People’s Justice Party; the largely Chinese and pro-socialist Democratic Action Party and the Islamic Parti Islam se-Malaysia, or PAS. There have already been serious strains between the fundamentalist PAS and members of the DAP and Keadilan.

Keeping the three ideologically opposed parties from breaking up will require enormous skill and a good deal of luck. Already, the three are fighting for membership, with PAS regarding attempts by the DAP to recruit ethnic Malays as an encroachment on the Islamic party’s turf and vice versa. Many political analysts forecast a long period of instability for what heretofore has been one of Southeast Asia's most stable countries.

For instance, Anwar also could face problems from a bill that governs the use of DNA in criminal cases, which was tabled in the parliament yesterday for second reading over opposition protests. Home Affairs Minister Syed Hamid Albar rather unconvincingly told reporters the timing of the bill was only coincidental

“There is no sinister motive, don't look at it as though there is one," Syed said yesterday after tabling the bill. Anwar, facing charges that he sodomized a 23-year-old aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, in June, refused to provide DNA to police, saying the sample might be misused in a bid to frame him.

The bill, which appears certain to pass given the current control by the national coalition, provides for compulsory extraction of DNA in sexual abuse cases. It would also provide for the establishment of a forensic DNA Databank, the use of DNA profiles and other provisions. Anyone refusing to give a sample would be liable to a fine of up to RM10,000 and a possible year in prison. Although it would be extremely unusual in commonwealth law to make the bill retroactive, the question is whether previous samples could be used as evidence.

Anwar, once an UMNO star politician and the protégé of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, was ousted from the party and arrested in 1998 on similar charges of sexual perversion. He was forced to give a DNA sample at that time. The charges, which were ultimately reversed after Mahathir left office, resulted in Anwar’s spending six years in prison.

Malaysian politics have been in turmoil since national elections on March 8, when the Barisan lost the two-thirds parliamentary majority it enjoyed for 50 years.

Since that time, UMNO has been engaged in a furious internal struggle, with Mahathir accusing Prime Minister Ahmad Abdullah Badawi of wrecking the economy and the political structure of the party itself. After charges were laid against the former prime minister for rigging the judiciary for political reasons, he quit the party and has since engaged in an effort to bring down Badawi.

The infighting has sapped the morale of the government and resulted in a descending stock market. Concerns over inflation and magnitude of the loss raise further questions about Abdullah Badawi's leadership and whether there will be more political instability. UMNO nominations start next month, with Badawi a target. UMNO's inability to thwart Anwar in the Pematang Puah by-election, despite the spending of vast amounts of money, doesn't help. Given questions over Badawi's leadership, the rising prices of energy and food have contributed to the souring of voter opinion on the Barisan. Widespread charges of corruption, particularly over the fixing of judicial posts, have also contributed to the malaise.

Day trip to Dubai

2008-08-22T21:39:00.000-07:00

Closed up view of Burj Dubai taking shape

Burj Dubai stands out among the skyscapers in Dubai

Skylines of Dubai city on the way back to Abu Dhabi

In front of Dragon Mart with Yong

Inside Souk Madinat Shopping Mall

River scene inside Souk Madinat Shopping Mall

Inside Souk Madinat Shopping Mall

Me at the Souk Madinat Shopping Mall river view

Me in front of the Beijing Olympics display at Dragon Mart

Me in front of the entrance of Burj Al-Arab hotel

Me and Yong on the boat ride across the Dhow river.

Scene at the Abra station across the Dhow River

Time passed really fast and I have spent more than a month in Abu Dhabi. Yesterday went over to Dubai for a day trip with Yong and Poh.We took the early bus from Abu Dhabi at 8am and reached Dubai two hours later. The bus ride was quite comfortable and we passed many tall buildings which were either completed or under construction. I was told that a quarter of the world construction machineries are in Dubai, the fastest transformed city in the world. The tallest building in the world, the Burj Dubai which is 162 storey high and scheduled to complete by next September 2009 is also located in Dubai, so is the most expensive hotel in the world, the Burj Al Arab hotel.

Dubai is a city of fascinating constrasts, offering a distinctive blend of old and new. It’s where East meets West. In less than a century, under the visionary leadership of Dubai’s ruling Al Maktoum family, it has transformed from a small fishing village into a modern city full of surprises.

The first place we visited, the Abra Station where we took the boat ride across the Arabian Dhow River near the commercial district. The river cruise only cost us 1 dirham each and it took only 10 minutes to reach the other side of the city. Board a cab to Dragon Mart which boasts to have about 3,000 shops in the Mall mostly operated by the Chinese. Took quite a number of photos at the Beijing Olympics displays at the Mart. Earlier crossed over the road where there are many blocks of apartments labeled with China and England apartments. Have our noodles at one of the restaurant run by the Chinese near the China’s apartments.

Our next stop was at the most expensive hotel in the world, the towering 7 star Burj Al Arab hotel. Took quite a number of shots at the hotel entrance and the Wild Wadi water park at Jumeirah.Went over to Souk Madinat Shopping Mall which was just a walking distance from the hotel. The shopping mall was quite traditional and they even have restaurants, bars and entertainment.

Cabs ride in Dubai is more expensive than Abu Dhabi and we spend quite a lot on taxi fares. Some ride could cost more than 60 dirham. Turned back by the long quee for the bus to Abu Dhabi and decided to take cab back AD which cost us 50 dirham each.

Permatang Pauh polling on Aug 26 -from Malaysiakini

2008-08-05T21:41:00.000-07:00

Latest report from Malaysiakini...Surprisingly the Election Commission have fix the date early inspite of BN still undecided on their candidate.Anwar will win convincingly as it sort of homecoming for him and it will be interesting to see who will be BN candidates and by how many votes Anwar will win...also for the Rakyat to be the judge on his sodomy issue...
Below is the full extract from Malaysiakini...

The Permatang Pauh by-election is slated to be held on Aug 26 (Tuesday) while the nomination day would be on Aug 16 (Saturday), announced the Election Commission this morning.

The EC also said that it would use the latest electoral roll for the by-election, which will see 57,969 registered voters being eligible to vote. There are also 490 postal voters.
The by-election is being called following the stepping down of PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail last week, to allow her husband Anwar Ibrahim to contest.The by-election allows Anwar his chance to go back to the constituency where he began his career 26 years ago. He is the overwhelming favourite to win the seat.Incarcerated in Sg Buloh prison for five years and suspended from running for elections for another five, Anwar is poised to reprise his role as the Permatang Pauh parliamentarian.In 1992, Anwar began his career in the little known Penang seat after beating PAS' Zabidi Ali and DAP's Tan Ah Huat. Despite being a newcomer, Anwar won comfortably with a 14,352-vote margin.Among his PAS victims are vice-president Muhamad Sabu, information chief Mahfuz Omar and Mazani Abdullah.During his imprisonment and suspension, his wife Wan Azizah defended the seat in 1999, 2004 and 2008.The closest Barisan Nasional ever came to wresting the seat from the Anwar family was in 2004 when Wan Azizah managed to hold on to it by a whisker of 590 votes against Umno's Pirdaus Ismail.However, with her husband beside her and the swing in voters' sentiments, Wan Azizah defended her seat with a commanding 13,398-vote margin in the March 8 polls.Although, BN deputy chairman Najib Abdul Razak had said that the coalition will defend the seat, BN has yet to decide on who they will field against the former deputy prime minister in Permatang Pauh.

More news from the Emirates

2008-08-01T21:19:00.000-07:00

Me with one of the Emiratis at the Mall

Me at Abu Dhabi Mall

Inside Abu Dhabi Mall

Abu Dhabi Shopping Mall

The subway where I take to go to Lulu Hypermarkets.

Lulu hypermarkets where I usually buy my Filipinos dinner

The laundry shop

My two friendly laundry assistants where I got my laundry done

The Kabus shop

The Pakistanis doing the Roti Nan type of bread called Kabus

My barber shop entrance

The barber shop where I have my haircut done for 10 dirham

Dear Comrades,

It is the beginning of August…weather had yet to reach the peak. Yesterday after our weekly dinner in one of the few Chinese Restaurants in Abu Dhabi, we went to the Gold Centre to shop at the many jewellery shops. There are also many shops selling furniture imported from Malaysia at the centre. Surprisingly there is not a single security guard at any of the gold shops while all the gold and diamond were openly displayed.Malaysian robbers will have a free time over here.

Partly due to the terrible heat over here, I need to have my haircut early and got it done in one of the Indian hair saloon for only 10 dirham. The villa I am staying is located very conveniently to the numerous groceries shops, hair saloon, and some big shopping centre like Al Wahda Mall centre and Lulu Hypermarket. Did my Window Live Messenger with my wife regularly at one of the Internet Café for only 5 Dirham per hour which is also walking distance to my villa.

It hardly rains in AD and there is no drainage system in their building layout.The landscaping here are maintain green by the sprinkle system which run underground.Newspapers here are sold for 3 Dirham but their paper quality are superior with glossy finish and come with 5 sections.

News from Abu Dhabi

2008-07-24T05:44:00.000-07:00

Part of the street of Abu Dhabi

Part of the city of Abu Dhabi

Part of the skylines in Abu Dhabi

Yong posed in front of the pub with a African bouncer

My buddy from KL enjoying his beer and steak with me at one of the pub in AD

One of the old building being demolished to give way to new buildings

Dear Comrades,

10 days have passed in AD...Slowly adapting to the life and weather over here.We work halfday on Thursday and rest on Friday. In the month of Ramadhan we stop at 3pm.Attended the orientation session for new staff at our head office today.There were mixture of nationalities in Tamouh Investment, mostly from the Philiphines,India,Malaysia and Gulf nations.Yesterday underwent the full medical check up given by the company.They even have my stool taken for examination.The dental check-up was good as it has been years I went for one since school days.The dentist adviced me to clean up my teeth deposits at the gum area and have make appointment to see him next week,We are only paying 20% of the cost.

Accomodation is a big problem in Abu Dhabi.A small little studio room is going for AED5,000 per month and you need to pay 12 months upfront to get the room.Cars here are cheap and you can buy a decent used car for less than AED10k. New cars are affordable and Kia Picanto is selling at less than AED30k.Parking is free even in Shopping centre and there is no road tax over here.There are so many types of luxury cars in AD which you can't find in Malaysia.

Crime is almost zero in AD.Ladies feel safe to walk in the street at night.The punishment for crime committed is serious.You will be send to the jail before deported to your country of origin.Policemen are paid AED30K per month with housing facilities provided.

The majority of the employee are either from Philpines,India,Pakistan and Gulf nations.The Pakistani are mostly taxi drivers or hard labourers,The indian operate the sundry shops and also as labourers,the Filipinos in the service industry as maids,clerical staffs,restuarants.The Gulf nation are from Egypt,Lebanons and are mostly semi-professionals.

The locals hardly work as they are filthy rich and mostly as government servants and sponsors.They usually dressed in their traditional white custumes with the headwear kondura.The construction work stop from 12noon to 3pm during the summer season.We are now experiencing the summer and weather now is touching 50 degree.

The joke here is there are plenty of water in UAE even though it is a desert but no water shortage.Unlike in KL where we have plentiful of rainfall but facing water supply crises issue.Will post more photos soon.

To be continue...

Update from Abu Dhabi

2008-07-17T00:44:00.000-07:00

Bahrain duty free shops during my transit to Abu Dhabi

Mr Richard Ibanez, a Filipino which I met during the 4 hours transit at Bahrain.He worked 1 year as a technician in Saudi Arabia and is leaving for Philipines for good.

Dear Comrades,

Safely arrived at Abu Dhabi on 16th July 2008 local time 10.10pm via Gulf Air flight transit at Bahrain. Started working the next day for the local property developer Tamouh Investment Company LCC. Weather terribly hot at 48 degree.Lodging is the biggest problem over here with the rental going up as high as Dirham 5,000.Our company have about 90% Malaysian with the Filipino filling up the clerical positions.Will post to you the photos from Abu Dhabi soon...

Farewell gathering with friends and relatives in KL and Malacca

2008-07-14T06:46:00.000-07:00

DAP Salak South N/V Chairman Abdullah Chong ( standing brown shirt) and secretary Fong Kok Leong white shirt at KFC Kuchai Lama restaurant

Farewell dinner organised by DAP Salak South at KFC Kuchai Lama

Lunch farewell given by my brothers and sister at New Kingdom restaurant in Malacca.

Farewell lunch with my brothers,sister and parents at New Kingdom restaurant, Melaka Raya

My childhood friend Richard Yeo, all the way from Johore Bahru to attend the farewell

My Malacca buddies enjoying dinner at farewell gathering in Malacca.

My colleagues, consultants and contractors at farewell lunch in a Thai Restaurant in Taman Melawati.

It was indeed a hectic weekend with many farewell gathering organised by friends and relatives before ny departure to Abu Dhabi. On the last day of my work on 9th of July 2008, my colleague,consultants and contractor treated me to a lunch at a Thai restuarant. Later in Malacca on Saturday night my Malacca childhood friends threw a farewell dinner at a Chinese restaurant in Melaka Raya.I was really touched by my buddy Richard and Quek who came all the way from JB and KL respectively to attend the dinner. On Sunday, my brothers and sister bought me lunch at New Kingdom restaurant at Melaka Raya.Meanwhile at night, DAP Salak South treated me Kentucky Fried Chicken at the Jalan Kuchai Lama KFC outlet. Will be leaving for Abu Dhabi on the 15th July 2008 for new job assignment.

Blood Donation Drive on 6th July 2008

2008-07-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

De Tropicana Condo Resident Association ( DTRA ) and National Blood Centre jointly organised the 8th blood donative drive at the condo Multi Purpose hall on Sunday 6th July 2008 from 10am to 4pm.The response from the public was more than the residents with 63 registered donors but only 53 qualified to donate. The next drive will be held next year January 2009.

Bolehwood Drama

2008-07-04T00:18:00.000-07:00

For more news on Bolehwood drama go to my blog at Malaysian Political update at http://yeo-malaysianpolitics.blogspot.com

DTRA 8th Blood Donation Drive

2008-06-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

De Tropicana Condo Resident Association(DTRA) and Pusat Darah Negara ( National Blood Centre) will jointly organise the 8th Blood Donation Drive as described below:

Date: 6th July 2008 ( Sunday )

Time: 10am to 4pm

Venue: De Tropicana Condominium Multi Purpose Hall

Jalan 2/116B, Off Jalan Kuchai Lama,

58200 Kuala Lumpur.

( Opposite Golden Sun Restaurant)

Dear Potential Donors:

1) Please have at least 6 hours of sleep before donating.

2) Refrain from taking alcohol 1 day before donating.

PLEASE PASS MESSAGE TO FRIENDS...

YOU GIVE...THEY LIVE...

Live from Stadium Shah Alam

2008-06-22T20:31:00.000-07:00

Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Kit Siang listening to Khalid speech at the VIP stand

DAP giant banners displayed at the stadium

Part of the strong 40,000 crowds at the stadium

Attended the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat 100 days celebration last Friday at Shah Alam stadium. The stadium was packed with more than 40,000 supporters and the guest of the night is none other than Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The event was also attended by DAP advisor Sdr Lim Kit Siang and other Pakatan Rakyat leaders.Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid in his opening speech announced many goodies to the Selangor rakyat which included free water supply and 14 days paternity leave to government servants.

The stadium was decorated with two giant sized DAP banners and other banners from PAS and Keadilan. There were also some banners asking the Pakatan Rakyat supporters to boycot the Utusan Malaysia papers.Two huge screen was erected in the stadium to provide better view to the the large crowds.

The crowd waited anxiously for Anwar speech anticipating for some important announcement from him. However there is no surprise speech from him. He praised SAPP leader Yong Teck Lee for his brave stance in fighting for the rights of the Sabahan and invited all Umno members to join forces with Pakatan Rakyat for the benefit of the nation. He questioned the logic of the petrol price hike by BN since Petronas is making an hefty 70 billion profit last year when petrol price was just 70 US per barrel and should be earning double profit due to the current price of US 130 per barrel.The government should not compare our fuel price with other developed countries like US and UK which have higher standard of living, he added.

No action against SAPP for now: Malaysiakini

2008-06-19T08:33:00.000-07:00

Barisan Nasional supreme council today resolved not to take action against Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp) until it gets an "official statement" from the party for its planned of no confidence vote against the prime minister.

BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Mansor said this today on behalf of all 13 component party members, minus Sapp which was not invited to the emergency meeting.After the two-and-a-half-hour-long meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre, Tengku Adnan read out the BN supreme council's decision to the media."All the BN component parties condemn Yong Teck Lee's (Sapp president) statement. His statement is unprincipled, unethical and is against BN's beliefs and spirit of unity."All the component parties also want Sapp supreme council to confirm or reject Yong's statement yesterday," said Tengku Adnan

Action would only be decided against Sapp after it's "official statement" pertaining Yong's statement, said the BN secretary-general.Another decision reached at the meeting was for parliamentarians from all BN component parties to attend all parliamentary sessions."They must also follow BN's instructions and reject any no-confidence motions against the prime minister. All the component parties here also voiced their support Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as the prime minister of Malaysia," said Tengku Adnan.

When asked why Sapp was not invited to today's meeting, he said: "We did not invite them because we were going to discuss about them".He said that BN component parties have been warned before not to air their grievances through the media but to bring it up at its supreme council meetings.Representatives of all component parties were present at the meeting.

However, one notable absentee was Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who could not return on time from his overseas trip.Also absent was PPP president M Kayveas and Upko chief Bernard Dompok, also believed to be overseas. However

The Alternatives News: Malaysiakini,Malaysia Today

2008-06-16T05:59:00.000-07:00

The mainstream media is slowly and surely getting less and less readership due to the preference of the Rakyat for a more balance and fast news which they can easily access from the alternative news online portal like Malaysiakini and Malaysia Today.Unlike Malaysia Today which is a free website, Malaysiakini need to be subscribe for a nominal fee.The former is manage by the controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin who was earlier charged under the Sedition Act, while the latter by Steven Gan.Both have quite a substantial viewership which could easily outperform the mainstream media like The Star and NST.

Sensing the change in the trend of readership and with the control of 5 states by the Pakatan Rakyat government, The Star was quick to change their pro government reporting to a more balanced news coverage and are able to maintain their readership which easily outbeat NST. However Utusan Malaysia still keep to their old style of coverage and was subsequently blacklisted from the Pakatan Rakyat coalition for their bias reporting.

During the recent 12th General Election, Malaysiakini idea of giving free viewership for 2 weeks was a good strategic move.The website was rewarded with very heavy traffic viewership which could only be access by HTML mode.The latest election news update was fantastic fast and accurate.While RTM and TV3 were slowly flowing out their election results on Sabah,Sarawak and none on the states won by the Opposition,the alternative news were already announcing the forming of the new government by the Opposition in the 5 states. The mainstream media need to take corrective action to change or they will slowly dissappear from the viewer screen.

Your say: 'There was never any subsidy' From Malaysiakini

2008-06-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

'BN has been cheating the people. If we follow their logic, then everything the government spends on is a ‘subsidy’ of one sort or another.'

On PM: Understand reasons for fuel hike

Al Tugauw: There was never any subsidy. The BN government is and has been cheating the people. If we follow their twisted logic, then everything the government spends on is a ‘subsidy’ of one sort or another.
It is the Malaysian people that have been subsidising shoddy government, mismanagement and extravagance, even sheer waste and corruption, the brunt of which is being borne by the hardcore poor of the oil-producing states, Sarawak, Sabah and Terengganu, who should rightfully have a far better claim for ‘subsidies’.

BH: Year in and out, we hear GLCs reporting increased pre-tax profits of certain percentage, we hear of toll operators reporting increased profits and we also hear of GLCs intending to increase charges to cover the so-called increased of utilities provision.
Hey, wait a minute. Despite all the hue and cry from the public, these corporations continued to increase prices and later at the end of the year, proudly announced their annual achievements of certain high figures
Doesn’t this sound like robbing from the poor to feed the rich? With all these crazy increases, we should be asking the government to reserve their savings from the subsidies to pay off the toll concessionaires so that all roads can be toll-free.
And return Petronas to the rightful owner - the citizens of Malaysia.

Put Off: This is another example of how the BN government does things without having thorough studies and discussions on the pros and cons of the decision made. I can understand how Sabah politicians feel over the manner of how the hike in fuel prices was decided upon.
So, what are you waiting for Sabah politicians? Umno treats you guys as 'invisible' or 'insignificant' in BN. At least Pak Lah should have consulted you guys in BN before making this harsh decision.

Johnny Koay: Malaysia exports its high grade crude and import the low grade for our usage.
In less than two years, the price of crude has risen five fold, hence the rise in transport and food prices.
This does have a significant effect on the lower-income groups. There will be a hike in utility tariffs again thus helping TNB’s annual profit soar higher than RM200 million ringgit. Why can't TNB take a smaller profit and helps the rakyat with no increase in the electricity tariffs?
If the BN government really cares for the rakyat they should instruct TNB to help. The BN government has bailed out MAS and other non-performing government companies. When they are in a fix, they ask the rakyat to ‘sabar’ or change our lifestyle.
How to change our life style with a poor, shambling public transportation? I think it is time for the opposition to look into this poor public transport system in their respective states and act upon it.
The BN government needs to be change instead of the rakyat needing to change. Perhaps then, our vision to be a developed country by 2020 can be achieved.

Mooshie Mooshie: You who call yourself the prime minister of Malaysia, you have sickened everybody by increasing the petrol price recently. You remember some clown from your cabinet saying the increase will be in August? Look at what has happened., another lie.
Can't anybody from your cabinet tell the truth anymore these days? Maybe you as a PM also like to lie too. Remember what you said about the last increase? The money would all go to improving public transport.
Do you see any improvement in the Klang valley? Or have the monies (about RM4 billion) saved gone ‘to don’t know where’? What happened to the savings promised to improve the public transport system. We are all very disgusted.

Aike Dopan: The PM has stopped listening. And if you recall, he asked fellow Malaysians for more time in office to show what we could do. He ended up not only not improving our lifestyles as citizens but instead advising us to change the way we live.
So what has he achieved so far? Yes, as long as we can keep him in his office, we are sure of one thing - he will continue to raise the cost of living in this country, period.

The Devil's Economist: The reduction in fuel and, by extension, electricity subsidies is painful reminder to both the rakyat (and the government) as to the price to be paid from the wallet (and politically from the fallout) when unsustainable subsidies are offered and eventually forced to be withdrawn.
There is a bigger unsustainable subsidy that will eventually be withdrawn despite Umno's desperate attempts to retain it as a pillar of their power through political patronage. I am referring to the NEP and its variously-named successor policies. When the NEP commenced, it was sustainable as about 45% of the population was subsidising the remaining 55% of the population.
Thanks to differential growth rates in the population (due in large part to BN government policies), that number today is closer 30% subsidising the remaining 70% of the population. Based on current population growth rates, the ratio will eventually reach 20% subsidising 80%.
Go further into the future and we'll reach 10% subsidising 90%. It’s a no-brainer that at some (tipping) point, those numbers are not sustainable. The drag on the economy will be so great that the government will be forced to withdraw the NEP overnight.
The longer the NEP is retained, the harder and more painful it will be for the government of the day to remove this unsustainable subsidy scheme. It may be better to contemplate a phased withdrawal of NEP over a five to 10-year period and give the subsidised population segment a chance to adapt than to be forced to cancel it overnight due to economic collapse. That would be the ultimate betrayal of that segment of the population which Umno claims to represent.
Let this be a reminder to all political parties (including Pakatan Rakyat) aspiring to govern - subsidies may earn you cheap political gain in the short-term but eventually you will pay the price in the future when these subsidies prove economically unsustainable.

Kuberan Perumal: The ex-Mayor of London - Ken Livingstone and some of the UK MPs used to travel using public transport to prove that their public transport really worked and at the same time they could judge for themselves the quality of the services provided.
My question will our MPs and ministers do so for a month just to get the feel of ours?

Rakyat Malaysia: What was the ruling government thinking when they decided on the hike in the fuel price? According to our beloved prime minister, ‘we can’t satisfy everyone’ so who are you satisfying here?
It is an unbelievable decision as though the government is out all the way to punish the voters as to their ‘defection’ in the last general election. The government should have discussed this hike issue in parliament so that the other elected members of parliament are given an opportunity to voice their concerns and be fair to the rakyat.

Stanley Iswara: With this increase in fuel prices I say: 1. Let Malaysians pay the market price for cars. 2. Stop wasting billions on protecting Proton. 3. Revoke the lop-sided agreements the government made with the crony IPPs.
4. Revoke the lop-sided agreements the government made with the crony toll operators. 5. Use the insane profits that Petronas made for over 40 years to offset the high petrol prices for the benefit of the people.
6. Revamp public transport. 7. Publish Petronas’ accounts to show how our petrol money was spent by Petronas and the government and 8. Stop all wasteful projects that benefit cronies.

Edmond Wee: The government implement policies that affect the country. However, many of the policies don't seem to care for the public. They do not appear to know what the general public is feeling. There is now to be paid 78 extra sen for every litre of petrol and RM1 extra for every litre of diesel. That's a big jump.
The government doesn't seem to be very sophisticated in handling this problem. Eight percent of our subsided fuel is smuggled out. Fishermen get their fuel at RM1.43. Wow! Smuggle to Thailand for easy money.
A big problem with Malaysia is that the government aka Big Brother (BB) likes to make all the decisions alone It's a good thing to lead but BB can only lead so much. The time is now fo rwe must make our grievances heard. No more subservience to Big Brother.
Meet your MPs, demand answers from them. Demand improvement from them. Don't stop until there's improvement.

MyMy: Actually, if the Malaysian government fully owns Petronas, then there is not really a subsidy. It is loss in income.

Thanneer: Here is a radical suggestion to fight the reduction in fuel subsidies. Target one of the petrol providers and boycott their stations completely. Once their revenues go down, theoretically they can either close shop or reduce prices.
If they choose to close shop, we can continue this with another company. This can be executed as long as we get mass cooperation from motorists.

Xroy: I, for one, believe that there is a case for the hike in petrol prices, and I am sure many other Malaysians believe so too though what irks the ordinary man-in-the-street is that this increase will have dire consequences on him and yet for others it will mean nothing but a few ringgit more.
For all their hard work, Malaysian workers have been completely ignored for ages by this government, whilst members of parliament and state assembly persons suddenly become rich and very rich.
The poor worker whose toil actually built this nation has been shown nothing but total contempt and disregard, treated with suspicion, and left in the lurch with nothing but empty promises.
The Singapore worker makes more than twice what his Malaysian counterpart does while Thai workers are fast catching up. Yet each time there is talk about minimum wage, the government shuts off the issue.
The gap in salary of the ordinary employee and his boss are light years apart, and yet it is these very people, the bosses, who lobby the government not to provide minimum wage. A comparative study of wages and the gaps between management and worker will reveal that Malaysian workers are indeed exploited, and exploited very badly.
Corruption is the biggest issue that ordinary man in the street is most angry about as corrupt politicians have amassed wealth for themselves and their families. What is the 40 percent rise in petrol prices to these peopleas there is still more to be made for the national coffers.
Now with this hike, the government is promising rebate payments to ‘ease the burden of the poor’. They must really be thinking that the rakyat are nothing more than a bunch of beggars and fools.

Must read! Readers comment from Malaysiakini on Petrol Hike.

2008-06-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

Your say: 'Leaders with the thickest skins on earth'
Jun 11, 08 8:58am

'When the rakyat can’t even afford to pump gas, they have the cheek to announce a so-called cost savings plan which still consists of fully-paid holidays but ‘only’ confined to Asean countries.'
On PM makes RM2 bil cost cuts after fuel hike

Lemon: We have leaders with the thickest skins on earth. When the rakyat can’t even afford to pump gas to go to work and we are turning off lights at home to save on electricity, our leaders have the cheek to announce a so called cost savings plan which still consists of fully paid holidays for ministers without a spending limit, and which ‘only’ confined to Asean countries. What?
If you guys wanted to for a holiday, shouldn’t you pay for your own as opposed to the government seeking additional funding from the rakyat? For goodness sake, the whole bunch of you, please just resign or you will be booted out of office.
Our most ‘caring’ leaders has also chosen to bleed the rakyat first before digging into their own pocket. Cost-cutting plans, which should have been kickstarted long time ago is only proposed now because the rakyat is getting very angry.

Lilian Tan: Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's proposed cost-cutting initiatives to placate Malaysians are truly laughable. Why on earth would we be impressed that our ministers can only now go to week-long vacations to Asean and local destinations when the livelihoods of so many Malaysians are in jeopardy?
To show that he feels for the people, the prime minister should sell his RM200 million jet and fly commercial like everyone else. And how about cutting down the number of ministers from 28 to 14 and replacing their gas-guzzling official cars of Mercedes Benzes and BMWs with Proton Perdanas?

Peter Ooi: At first glance Pak Lah's cost cutting exercise looked very impressive. But knowing that even a beggar in China could part with his last coin to donate to those unfortunate earthquake victims, it was not really of a sacrifice on the part of our ministers.
Before the oil price hike, many Malaysians were already living from hand to mouth. Many of the children of the poor have to labour for a few ringgit just to make sure that their families have two simple meals of broth with salted fish. Oh yes, some may even have to skip one daily meal.
Now the prices of goods would definitely rise higher and would make life for them extremely hard. In view of this scenario, limiting our ministers’ holidays to Asean countries is no big deal. Already they are having such good life.
It would be more reasonable to scrap all holidays for them. Remember beggars can part with their last coin for quake victims. Doing away with their holidays would not in any way make them poorer than the beggars.
One more act that Pak Lah should do is to ban ministers from taking their spouses along on overseas trips. Besides that, the PM should also withdraw servants allowances for ministers and top government officials.
In times of difficulties, their wives can help to cook and wash for the husbands. This is not too big a sacrifice for after all the pathetic conditions we are in are a result of their incompetency in managing the country.
Oh yes, Pak Lah, might have conveniently forgotten to scrap prestigious events like the Monsoon Cup and the Formula 1. Those two races are not actually enriching the lives of the poor and average. As I see it, it is more of an occasion for the rich and well-connected to mingle with celebrities.

Dr Krishnarajah: What? Did we queue up during polling day to vote in somebody in so that he can enjoy life like having free overseas holidays, entertainment allowance, police outriders? If I had known this I would have done some apple-polishing and got myself too to stand for elections, never mind even if it is at Tanjong Rambutan.
Who cares who I am supposed to serve? From what I see, the ministers care for no one but themselves and serve no one but only themselves. Now I understand why. Oh dear. No wonder some with lovely careers throw it away and give some pathetic reason that they want to serve the needs of the people and the country and so become ministers and politicians.
I am too disgusted to comment further – when the tiger has already tasted blood, you mean to say it will settle for 7-Up? No way, man.

Yumcious: In keeping with his performance so far, this PM is again introducing new half- measures. I'm sure I won't be the only one to raise a hue-and-cry about these so-called stand of solidarity the ministers are taking with the people (if you can believe what Najib is saying in the press).
We are still paying for the ministers' all-expenses paid holidays? And we are still paying for their monthly entertainment expenses, albeit 10% less? Half-measures, half-measures. If he is serious, take a pay cut and have no holidays on our dime, and have no ‘entertainment’.
Seriously, does he want to tell us that when they meet somebody, they will pay for the coffee and GROs? And when they have done all that, they then tell us they ‘understand our plight’. They should just shut up.

Yih Feng: The current mess is wholly and entirely the government's fault. Their gross economic mismanagement over the decades and their systematic monopoly of power to deny others a fair chance to manage the economy has resulted in this.
In fact, it is obscene for such fools to be paid close to what they are paid for doing essentially nothing. In any other job, they would have been sacked long ago. But with their many instruments (state-owned media, ISA etc.) they've prevented their own sacking.
I find it digusting that our DPM claims that the government is shouldering the burden just because they lose 10% of their close to RM20k 'entertainment' allowance a month. I find it even more disgusting that no apology has been made for their complete incompetence, and that they find it perfectly okay for the rakyat to be burdened with their own misdeeds.

Confused: It's a tough decision for Pak Lah to reduce the oil subsidy and raise the petrol prices as we really need to optimise our resources. However, what we cannot understand is that certain policies and wasteful projects continue to steam ahead.
Examples - the issuance of AP permits to a few fat rent-seekers. Why can’t we allow the motorists to bid for the AP permits and the onies go directly to the treasury? Why allow wasteful projects to continue but discontinue beneficial projects like the Penang monorail which is ‘green’ and provide an alternative for motorists there to save on petrol and avoid the nightmarish jams?

Nick Chang: Due to the fuel hike, our PM is always comparing the fuel price with other countries such as Japan, UK, US, etc but may I know did he ever think or compare our car taxes with those other countries?
The car taxes here alone are more then the car selling prices in other countries. Who can compare with this? Can somebody tell me? How many times have the rakyat requested for the government to show us the Petronas accounts but still there no news about this.
Why? Should we happy to be Malaysians as PM always says 'We should be proud of being Malaysian'? But what do we get instead?

KevinP: Firstly, thanks Mr PM for making it known to Malaysians the benefits of all the cabinet ministers and deputy ministers. In fact, it would be good to actually publish the salaries and all the terms of their employment. After all, we Malaysians put you there so I guess we have the right to know what are your perks while in office are right?
Secondly, Mr. PM, a 10% cut of their entertainment allowances? All the while I was led to believe that you were normally being entertained rather than the one doing the entertaining? No?

Rop: This barang naik government should do away with all the unnecessary perks and sky-high allowances for all their ministers and MPs who are slyly enjoying at the rakyat’s expense. If they really want to empathise and feel how the ordinary rakyat is going to experience the great, big financial crunch that is looming, why can't they tighten their belts like we have by paying for their own transport instead fo posh taxpaer-paid transport?
Why don't they force themselves to live and suffer like how we ordinary the rakyat are going to do in the near immediate future? The recent cuts announced are just a mere pittance compared with the perks and allowances they get. Cakap kena benar-benar serupa bikin.

Stv: The costing down of the BN government announced by Pak Lah is actually a symbolic move. The rakyat has no intention to cut the national leaders’ allowances and we even can increase their salaries and allowances by double if they are capable of managing the country well in terms of security, safety and the economy.
This costing down was only 2.86% of Petronas last year's profit (RM70 billion). We are more focused on the profit of national oil company and we want to know where has its profits gone?
To the BN government, please do not treat the rakyat as children. Cutting down on the allowances of ministers and deputy ministers will not divert the rakyat's attention from Petronas’ RM700 billion profit since its establishment in 1974.

One Rakyat: If these people (the ministers etc) are honest in serving the rakyat, there is really no necessity for an ‘entertainment allowance’ for them. Contentment in heart through doing a good job is enough to give satisfaction to good souls.
No necessity for an ‘entertainment allowance’ at the rakyat’s expense. The rakyat go on their holidays etc out of their own pockets. Why can’t these people do the same? After all, they have opportunities to make big money (like it or not, they do use their clout).
If these ministers don’t like the idea of a zero entertainment allowance, they are welcome to pack up and go. The rakyat do not really want them, Use the allowance and salary money to subsidise the fuel.

Anwar: I will resign if I fail to reduce petrol price

2008-06-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

By Kevin Tan The Edge Daily

PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is expected to become the prime minister if the opposition coalition takes over the government, said he will resign if he fails to reduce pump prices of petrol.

“As soon as Pakatan Rakyat forms the government, oil prices will be reduced. I will resign if oil prices are not reduced,” he told a press conference at Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) new headquarters here yesterday.

Anwar said Pakatan was committed to reduce the pump prices of petrol and would announce the mechanism to reduce the prices at the appropriate time. “I have no qualms (on reducing petrol prices). It is not an irresponsible statement as alleged,” he added.

He said the coalition would still reduce the pump prices of petrol even if the price of crude oil went above US$200 (RM650) per barrel. However, Anwar said he understood concerns of fund managers and economists about macroeconomic stability and the principle of subsidy reduction.

“I am a firm believer of market economy and I don’t believe that a huge subsidy will be sustainable in the long term but I am also a humanist,” he said.

He added that the income of common people might not increase even though Malaysia would amass the equivalent amount from its crude oil export when prices shot up to US$200 per barrel.

Anwar also hit out at the fact that the government could offer “incentives” to independent power producers (IPPs) while removing subsidies for the common people.

“You must support market economy but must temper it with a strong increase in welfare for the people and social justice. Otherwise, the economy cannot be sustainable,” he said.

Earlier, Anwar announced that Pakatan leaders from PKR, DAP and PAS would meet today to discuss the next course of action in response to the hike in fuel prices.

He said Pakatan-controlled state governments were urged to take whatever actions they could to show that they were aware and concerned about the hardship faced by the people.

On the claim that Pakatan would take over the government by Sept 16 this year as it already had more than 30 Barisan Nasional (BN) members of parliament who were willing cross over to the coalition, Anwar said it was on schedule and it had become more attractive following the fuel price hike.

“Under normal circumstances, we don’t encourage crossovers but only when they have absolutely no confidence in the Umno-led BN and the way they manage the economy.

“They are in a state of denial. They are refusing to recognise certain development and macroeconomic realities,” he said, adding there was no moral basis to support the leadership that had failed the nation.

Asked when he would announce the crossovers, Anwar said he had to deliberate the matter at length with other Pakatan leaders.

He explained that Pakatan had to do it cautiously as the current system in the country was still “quite repressive” and those from BN who wanted to discuss the matter had to quietly fly to the capital of neighbouring countries just to convey their message to him.

Anwar said he would not be involved in the undertaking without confidence but he also needed to protect his friends in the BN.

He also dismissed the notion that those who cross over would not sit comfortably with some leaders in Pakatan.

“They accept the fact and will consider the application of anyone who subscribes to the objectives of Pakatan, multiracial agenda with constitutional guarantees and the New Economic Agenda,” he said, adding that Pakatan would consider those who accepted these as part of the team.

On DAP chairman Karpal Singh’s remark that he had no confidence in those who cross over, Anwar said Karpal’s statement had been taken out of context.

“He is concerned, and I share his concern, if the arrangement is politically expedient and not talking in terms of the agenda. If the agenda is accepted, the people can accept the fact that this is the Pakatan Rakyat agenda and policies, he doesn’t have problem with that,” he added.

Asked what if those who were supposed to cross over did not do so by the deadline, Anwar said: “Why are you so pessimistic? I will say what will be will be. Que sera sera.”

He explained that Pakatan needed to be cautious on the matter as there was a racist agenda to thwart the plan by suggesting that there would be a shift of power from the Malays to non-Malays, which he described as a flawed argument with malicious intent.

Although he would not risk political stability, Anwar said it was not an excuse to continue with the present system.

On his trip to Manila, Anwar said he met Filipino leaders such as former presidents Cory Aquino, Fidel Ramos and Joseph Estrada. He also revealed that he met some members of parliament from Sabah and Sarawak.

When asked why Utusan Malaysia was barred from Pakatan’s press conference, Anwar said it had to bar the newspaper as it was allegedly playing a racist agenda and had a blatant disregard for ethics.

“I am not suggesting that the other media is completely free from that but they have gone to the extreme on this,” he added.

On why Pakatan did not sue Utusan Malaysia, he quipped: “In which court? In (Datuk) VK Lingam’s court?”

Anwar also announced the appointment of new supreme council members for PKR and accepted new members into the party yesterday.

He revealed that PKR headquarters had accepted 50,000 new membership applications, including many from BN, over the past three months.

“We are asking that the membership forms that are still with the state offices to submit them as soon as possible,” he said.

The 2nd Tsunami! ( Part 3)

2008-06-08T08:18:00.000-07:00

I Image extract from Malaysia Today

Image from indiadaily.org extract from Susan Loone's blog

After the flip flop policy on banning foreign registered car from filling up their gas tank, the Pak Lah administration now want to introduce softener measures to ease the Rakyat burden from the steep hike in petrol price. One day after the fuel increase, the construction sector faced an immediate increased in ready mixed concrete with an sudden jump of RM37 per metre cube.The transporter immediately raised their transport charges by 40%.

After raising the petrol by 40%, the flip flop BN government are discussing ways to mitigate the hardship faced by the Rakyat. Very simple, just revert the oil price to normal Not need to crack their head and can then go back to sleep again...

Meanwhile, The Star reported today that the impact of the fuel price rise is starting to affect consumers, with transport and crane operators now increasing their rates by between 29% and 45%. Sabah Federation of Lorry Transportation Associations president Chua Pui Ming said its members had increased rates by 45% since June 5. Under the new rates, traders who used to fork out RM600 to send a shipment of goods overland from Kota Kinabalu to Sandakan now have to pay RM870.

Stating that the federation's 3,000 members had no choice but to increase rates, Chua said the fuel subsidies that some of them received through the fleet card system was minimal.
In a statement issued yesterday, the Association of Tipper Lorry Owners of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur said they would increase their rates by 40% with immediate effect. President Lee Keen Seng said the increase was in the rate for transporting goods by tipper lorries.

In BUTTERWORTH, Mobile Crane Association North Malaya president Lee Tuck Woh said the association had decided to increase mobile crane charges in four states by RM100, effective Friday. “It is not just the price of diesel that has gone up. The cost of steel cable wires, tyres, batteries and spare parts have also increased in the past few months,” said Lee.
The RM100 increase is for seven types of cranes, ranging from seven to 60-tonne and sky-lift equipment.

Lee said they used to charge RM350 per day for a seven-tonne crane. He added that rental for 20m to 24m sky-lift equipment would now cost RM500 per day compared to RM400 previously. Although the new charges would affect the construction and industrial sectors and haulage industry, he said they had no choice in the matter. The association represents 60 members from Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak, who operate about 600 mobile cranes.

Reuter reported today that,Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said the government's unpopular decision to raise fuel prices will hasten its fall, as more members from the ruling coalition break ranks.The hike in line with a global surge in oil prices has stoked public anger against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is already battling for his political life after the worst electoral performance in his coalition's 50-year rule in March.

Small and scattered protests have taken place against the 41 percent increase in petrol prices and 63 percent for diesel, which Anwar said was the result of the government's failure to manage its finances well despite being a new oil exporter.The government says fuel subsidies have become financially crippling. Pump prices in Malaysia are still one of the cheapest in Asia.
"Politically, the message was clear on 8th of March, economically it's now a disaster. That is why we are calling on them to resign," Anwar told a news conference ahead of a rally called in the capital to build support against the ruling coalition.

Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, has previously said that he had enough lawmakers to topple Abdullah's government following the election on March 8 and was waiting for the right moment.On Sunday, Anwar, sensing blood, said the plan for a change in government was on track as more members from Abdullah's ruling Barisan Nasional coalition were drawn to his group, angry over what he said was the "highest single increase" in fuel prices around the world.
"Our timetable (for party crossovers) is still on. It's on schedule and now it's more attractive after the price hikes."

The 2nd Tsunami! ( Part 2)

2008-06-06T04:32:00.000-07:00

Malaysian experienced the first Tsunami on 8th March 2008 after the shocking 12th General Election results and is now feeling the effect of the second Tsunami from the drastic fuel hike.

In an immediate response to the sudden petrol hike from the government after the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, DAP have organised simultaneous protest against the price increase at Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh on the next morning. In Kuala Lumpur, among the DAP leaders who attended the protest were Teresa Kok, Fong Kui Lun, Tan Seng Giaw, Lim Lip Eng and Janice Lee which was lead by Cheras MP YB Tan Kok Wai.

"We want the Government to immediately announce that the increment will be stopped immediately because the public anger has reached to the maximum. We call on the Government to act wisely. Stop robbing the rakyat!" Tan pronounced.He warned that the Government's failure to do so would result in a nightmare.

His colleague, Teresa Kok, added that businesses would be seriously affected by the last-minute price increase and would thereby pass on the higher costs to the consumer."We can anticipate the prices going up. This is a serious inflation. We've been told the Lorry Association are going to increase their transportation costs."We're a petrol exporting country. All these years, the government earned so much from export (of oil). Instead of increasing petrol prices, they should be giving back to the people. They don't talk about this anymore," she noted.

This afternoon some 200 people held a peaceful assembly at Komtar in George Town, Penang.They held placards condemning the hike, chanted anti-government slogans and called on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down immediately.

Kebun Bunga state assemblyperson Jason Ong Khan Lee, who was at the scene, cautioned that the fuel hike would elicit social unrest and spark off new wave of criminality as middle and lower wage earners would struggle to meet the ends.He warned that the surging cost would force several industries to close down or downsize, resulting in economy collapse."The federal government should review the fuel hike immediately to prevent such socio-economic tribulations," he said.Change YOUR lifestyle BK Ong questioned whether the government leaders were prepared to change their lifestyle, a cliché used to the people, to adjust to the fuel hike."They should eat less, cook less, travel less, socialise less, tighten their belts, buy less cars, use less energy and perhaps live lifeless."Are they prepared to do so?" he shouted to the crowd, adding that politicians should not preach what they won't practice.

Meanwhile the reaction from the Sabah leaders were uncompromising.Sapp president Yong Teck Lee warned Abdullah Ahmad Badawi of a serious political fallout for the BN, the party's Youth wing went a step further by calling for the resignation of the prime minister and his cabinet."If the government losses the faith of the people, then it will find it even more difficult to govern," he said."For those who have just been earning enough to make ends meet every month, the fuel price increases will be a serious blow as they will have to now pay more at the petrol pump and when they buy groceries," Yong elaborated.

He said even middle-income earners would be reeling from the inflationary effect resulting from the fuel price hike.In this regard, Yong doubted the impact of the one-off RM625 rebate for vehicle owners and RM125 for motorcyclists as the there was a time lapse between when money was spent on fuel and when they could receive rebates.Yong further added that many people continue to question why Malaysia as a net petroleum exporting nation till 2014 was experiencing a negative impact from a spike in global oil prices."The man on the street is puzzled as to why Petronas is making so much money while the ordinary folks are losing out,"" he pointed out.Losing trust and confidence.

While Yong was merely sounding a warning bell, Sapp Youth chief was more straightforward in calling for leaders who "failed to safeguard people's interest" to step down.Au Kam Wah, in a statement issued from Kota Kinabalu, said these leaders should allow others who are more capable to take over.

Meanwhile The Malaysian Insider reported that during the Umno Supreme Council retreat, a few ministers disagreed with the decision to reduce subsidies and allow the pump price of petrol to increase to RM2.70 per litre. In this group were Muhyiddin and Rais. The Malaysian Insider understands that the Foreign Minister was also among a clutch of ministers who during the weekly Cabinet meeting on Wednesday felt that the government should hold off reducing the subsidies for a few months.

But the majority of ministers during the Cabinet meeting including Najib and Muhyiddin felt that the government could not afford to continue with high levels of subsidy for much longer. Since the 40 per cent petrol price hike was implemented on Thursday, there has been an adverse reaction on the ground, including from Umno members.
Stinging SMSes have been sent from the grassroots to politicians in the capital, questioning the fitness of Abdullah and the Cabinet to continue running the country and pleading with the leadership to show empathy.

This strong reaction from the Umno ground may have prompted Muhyiddin to have second thoughts about the timing of the price increase. With the branch elections only weeks away and anger against the hike percolating across the country, Umno politicians seeking higher office in the party will have to distance themselves from this unpopular decision of reducing subsidies.
There is a good chance of many more Umno ministers slamming the price hike before the branches start meeting in mid-July.

Hilary to end historic candidacy,support Obama

2008-06-05T06:15:00.000-07:00

WASHINGTON, June 5 — Hillary Rodham Clinton is ending her historic bid to become the first female president and will back rival Barack Obama on Saturday, capping a 17-month quest that began with the words "I'm in it to win it" with a more humble plea for party unity.
Hours after Barack Obama sealed the nomination, Democrats coalesced around his candidacy, sending a strong signal to Clinton that it was time to bow out. The former first lady told House Democrats during a private conference call yesterday that she will express support for Obama's candidacy and congratulate him for gathering the necessary delegates to be the party's nominee.
"Senator Clinton will be hosting an event in Washington, DC, to thank her supporters and express her support for Senator Obama and party unity. This event will be held on Saturday to accommodate more of Senator Clinton's supporters who want to attend," her communications director Howard Wolfson said.
Also in the speech, Clinton will urge once-warring Democrats to focus on the general election and defeating Republican presidential candidate John McCain.
The only degree of uncertainty was how. Clinton is exploring options to retain her delegates and promote her issues, including a signature call for universal health care.
The announcement closed an epic five-month nominating battle pitting the first serious female candidate against the most viable black contender ever.
Obama Tuesday night secured the 2,118 delegates to claim the Democratic nomination, but Clinton stopped short of acknowledging that milestone. Instead, she was defiant, insisting she was better positioned than Obama to defeat McCain in November.
"What does Hillary want? What does she want?" Clinton said, hours after telling supporters she'd be open to joining Obama as his vice-presidential running mate.
But by yesterday, other Democrats made it abundantly clear they wanted something, too: a swift end to the nominating contest.
Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean and the Democratic congressional leadership released a statement urging the party to rally behind Obama, and several lawmakers including Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin, Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar and Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu all endorsed their Illinois colleague.
Obama also announced he had named a three-person vetting team that included Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy.
An adviser said Clinton and her lieutenants had discussed various ways a presidential candidacy can end, including suspending the campaign to retain control of her convention delegates and sustain her visibility in an effort to promote her signature issue of health care. This adviser spoke on condition of anonymity because officials were not authorised to discuss the conference call Clinton held with her congressional supporters.
Other options include freeing her delegates to back Obama and ending her candidacy unconditionally. The official stressed that neither Clinton nor her inner circle had decided specifically what course to take other than to recognise that the active state of her bid to become the nation's first female president had ended. — AP

Johore Bahru Flooding

2008-06-05T04:51:00.000-07:00

My childhood friend Richard who is working in JB sent me the photos of the recent flood which hit the city last week.This is what he commented...

These are photos taken during the height of the flooding in JB last week. Even the habitat of the rats were not spared as rats were awaken from their hibernation and were seen struggling amidst the rising water as they could not swim !!!

Many cars which were parked at the basement of hotels and commercial buildings were submerged in the dirty and murky overflow water from the stinking and filthy Sungai Segget. What a shame, Johor Bahru !!!! This incident came under the spotlight of the press and The Star paper took the opportunity to give the notorious Johor Bahru a "free advertisement" by publishing the floodings at no cost to the town council !!

The 2nd Tsunami!

2008-06-04T08:05:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy from Malaysiakini

The sudden announcement of the petrol hike of 78 sen by the PM after the Cabinet meeting have caught many Malaysian by surprise.It contradicted with the earlier statement by the Domestic Trade and Consumer Minister, Datuk Shahrir that the actual implementation will only take place in August. The reaction from the ground was filled with anger and disappointment.Have earlier received the bad news from my buddy at 5.35pm and thought it was just another rumours but was confirmed later at 6pm by text messages.

Managed to have my tank fill up at one of the petrol station at Jalan Kuchai Lama.The terrible queue at all the petrol stations to meet the midnight deadline have caused unnecessary traffic congestion.

Now let's us compare the price of our petrol with other OIL PRODUCING countries

UAE– RM1.19/litre

Eygpt– RM1.03/litre

Bahrain– RM0.87/litre

Qatar– RM0.68/litre

Kuwait– RM0.67/litre

Saudi Arabia– RM0.38/litre

Iran– RM0.35/litre

Nigeria– RM0.32/litre

Turkmenistan– RM0.25/litre

Venezuela– RM0.16/litre

MALAYSIA– RM2.70/litre

The above statistics clearly show that we have the highest price among all the oil producing countries. Another Malaysian achievement! Malaysia Boleh!

Majority of Malaysian drive to work because we do not have an efficient public transport system like Singapore to rely on. This increase will definitely cut deep into the pockets of the ordinary Rakyat.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is taking a major political risk in removing subsidies on petrol. "It is not an attempt to be popular, we have to think in the best interests of the people,"
"God willing I hope Malaysians will not demonstrate over this," he said.

But his call may go unheeded as fresh protests over the price increases are likely, said PAS parliamentarian Mohd Hatta Ramli who led anti-inflation demonstrations earlier this year.
"This is a massive hike and will create big problems for all and sundry. It will have a knock-on effect of increasing prices of all kinds of goods," he said.
"We strongly feel that it is a severe misjudgement on the part of the government," he said. "In all probability, there will be a protest."

With the instability of the current BN government and the dependency of the East Malaysian party for support, the above political risk taken by the Pak Lah administration might have adverse repercussion.

Ezam Rejoined Umno

2008-06-01T04:38:00.000-07:00

PM Dato Seri Ahmad Badawi receiving Ezam application form to rejoin Umno- Photo courtesy from Malaysiakini

Ex-Parti Keadilan Rakyat Youth chief, Mohamed Ezam Md Nor rejoined Umno after being sacked from the party 10 years ago.He was accepted to the party by Dato Seri Ahmad Badawi in a simple ceremony but was given extensive coverage from both the mainstream and alternative media.His entry to the party was to help in the reform measures which will be undertaken by the Pak Lah administration to build the sagging popularity of Umno after the disastrous 12th General Election.

Meanwhile Ezam's decision to rejoin Umno was cautiously welcomed by Umno leaders.Displaying sign of uneasiness among Umno leaders, Umno Vice President Tan Sri Muhjiddin Yassin have asked Umno Supreme Council to consider Ezam's application thoroughly. He said that party members were not happy with the preferential treatment accorded to Ezam on his application. He said application to join Umno should go through the normal process which is through the branch chief.Ex-PM Tun Mahathir Mohd warned party members that his entry to Umno could paved the way for the entry of his mentor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to Umno. He also could be a 'Trojan Horse' for PKR.

In an extensive interview with the online political news portal Malaysiakini, the ex-political secretary to Anwar refuted claim that he has personal agenda for joining Umno. I have no agenda. I returned to Umno without a personal agenda for anybody - not for PKR or Umno, or even Abdullah. I am in Umno with a reform agenda. To be a spy is the lowest moral standing that any politician should have and that's definitely not my stand.

Certainly Ezam decision's to rejoin Umno has raised eyebrows from both Umno and PKR. Both sides are bound to keep a close watch on what his political game is with the looming Umno election schedule to be held by end of December 2008.He had earlier denied claim that he is fighting for the Umno Youth chief post which was quoted by many major dailies.

Dr M returns fromTokyo to some fanfare

2008-05-27T06:07:00.000-07:00

Reported by Debra Chong from Malaysian Insider

SUBANG, May 27 — Some had been waiting since 4pm while others started gathering at the layby leading to the private airstrip where Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s plane would touch down from about 5pm. The former prime minister was due back from Japan.
The 300 odd supporters – some from as far as Jerlun, Kedah – and members of the media had gathered by the side of the road to greet Tun Dr Mahathir. Banners and placards welcoming him home were in evidence and every other person was seen wearing a blue badge which read "Perjuangan mu belum selesai." This line echoed the title of a poem Dr Mahathir wrote way back in May, 1996 – "Perjuangan Yang Belum Selesai."
Meanwhile, moisture-laden rain clouds were overhead. Finally, a metallic silver SUV with Dr Mahathir on board headed down the road. It was part of a convoy of cars leaving the area. The time was 6pm and a few drops of rain were beginning to fall.
He popped up through the sun roof and the crowd cheered: “Hidup Tun! Hidup Tun!” Although he looked cheerful, he sounded a tad tired as he addressed the crowd with a megaphone.
Even though he only spoke for a few minutes, he did not miss an opportunity to take yet another dig at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. In an obvious reference to the loss of Pedra Branca, Dr Mahathir said, "Dengan Singapura pun takut."
He continued saying that Pak Lah was someone who "tidak kenang budi". This was another reference to Tun’s claim that Abdullah owes Dr Mahathir for bringing him back from the political wilderness, that he is where he is now because of Dr M’s kindness.
Finally he said he did not think he was treated any differently now that he had left Umno. Then he was off. The rain started coming down in earnest and the crowd disbanded. The three busloads from Jerlun, the ones from Tanah Merah, and the others from neighbouring Puchong drove away.
Dr Mahathir is back and we are sure to be hearing from him in the next few days.

Change Lifestyle to Curb Inflation- PM

2008-05-24T21:17:00.000-07:00

It amused me that our Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had to call upon Malaysian to change lifestyle to curb inflation. He made the statement in an interview with Japanese media in Tokyo. Interestingly on the same day it was also revealed in the Selangor state assembly that the wives of the former Barisan National state leaders ( Balkis ) made extreme expenses on

1. Use of Sports Facilites RM158,000
2. Batik Clothing for members & husbands RM128,000
3. Souvenir books RM49,000
4. Sports programme RM100,000
5. Deepavali & Hari Raya celebrations RM200,000
6. Sports uniforms RM100,000
7. Food for sports event RM30,000

I would suggest that the above advice should be directed to all BN leaders to change their lifestlye not to spend unnecessarily and not to the Rakyat who are actually living through their means from the high cost of petrol,rice and household products.They should follow the good example set by YAB Lim Guan Eng, the Chief Minister of Penang who not only refuse to stay at the CM residence but also fly in economic class.(reported in my earlier blog).

All those wasteful spending on Mega projects which does not really benefit the Rakyat should be stop. It was also reported that there are now many white elephant projects in Selangor which are hardly utilise like the Shah Alam Stadium and the 3C Complex in Subang Jaya.

Pulau Batu Puteh Verdict...The Winner is S'pore

2008-05-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

THE HAGUE, May 23 — Malaysia’s conduct since 1953 showed that sovereignty over Pulau Batu Puteh had passed over to Singapore, the International Court of Justice said today, ruling 12-4 in favour of the republic.
This decision resolves a thorny issue that has haunted bilateral ties between the countries for 28 years. But the ICJ decision will not be the final word on this matter in Malaysia where loss of territory to Singapore – even an outcrop of rocks – could turn into a political issue. For the past few weeks, Johoreans have been conducting special prayers in the hope that the court will decide in favour of Malaysia.
But the ICJ noted that the strength of Singapore’s claim lay in a letter sent by the state secretary of Johor in 1953 to the Singapore government where he informed that "the Johore government does not claim ownership of Pedra Branca." It could not accept Malaysia’s argument that the state secretary did not have authority or legal capacity to disclaim or confirm ownership of the island, said Judge Awn Shawkat al-Khasawneh.

Pulau Batu Puteh Judgement...KL or S'pore?

2008-05-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

May 21 — RTM1 will telecast live the judgment of the International Court of Justice on the sovereignty dispute over Pulau Batu Puteh from 4 pm on Friday, Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said today.
The live telecast from The Hague in the Netherlands would enable Malaysians, especially Johoreans, to follow the proceedings from the Malaysian angle, he told a briefing at Parliament House.
Shabery said many Johoreans had been holding special prayers for a favourable judgment as the matter was something close to their hearts.

Technorati

2008-05-21T07:46:00.000-07:00

Technorati Profile

Tun Dr Mahathir and Sanusi Junid quit UMNO.

2008-05-19T00:55:00.000-07:00

Malaysian National News Agency, Bernama reported that outspoken former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad have announced that he is quitting UMNO with immediate effect.The shocking announcement came while delivering his speech at the 'The Position of Malays post-12th General Elections' in Alor Star.His resignation appears to be part of his strategy to force Abdullah to step down in the wake of the ruling coalition disastrous results in the recent General Election.Meanwhile The Malaysian Insider reported Tan Sri Sanusi Junid, a party veteran, also leaves Umno.

In an immediate response as reported by Malaysiakini, Shahrir Samad, the minister for domestic trade and consumer affairs, said Mahathir's surprise move could trigger a flurry of resignations from the embattled party that could force Abdullah to hold fresh general elections.

The Star's website quoted Umno information chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib as saying he was surprised at Mahathir's abrupt departure.
"Every member has the right to join or leave the party," he said.
Asked whether Umno would convene an emergency meeting in response to the move, he said that "we will wait and see".

Meanwhile, The Malaysian Insider reported that Dr Mahathir's son Datuk Mokhzani said his father's decision was a sign of no confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is fighting for political survival with many party members calling for his resignation to take responsibility for the losses in the March 8 general elections. He has asked other members of the party to follow suit," Mokhzani, a businessman, said.

YAB Lim Guan Eng- Leadership by Example

2008-05-17T03:21:00.000-07:00

Extract from Ning's Manager Blog

As Ning and I were lining up to board our flight to Penang on Wednesdayafternoon, I spotted a familiar face standing in front of us in the queue.So I whispered to Ning.

Me: Look in front of us. It's Guan Eng.

Ning: Who? Me: YAB Mr. Lim Guan Eng, the Chief Minister of Penang.

Ning: No lah.

Me: Yes lah! I know how he looks lah. It's the CM lah.

Ning: Takkan CM jalan sorang sorang. If he's the CM, where's the bodyguards and the officers and the rombongan and kaum kerabat?

Me: Tak percaya? Watch and learn.

So I walked up to Yang Amat Berhormat, introduced myself and asked to takea picture. He smiled and obliged.

YAB CM: Hey, I know you! You're Ning Baizura!

Ning: YAB Lim, good afternoon.

YAB CM: Come, come, we take a picture. Vernon, here's my card. Email me the pictures OK.

Me: Definitely, sir.Ambik kau.

CM pun peminat katanya!Ning and I really felt honoured. But we felt more surprised that the ChiefMinister of a state was travelling all by himself like any normal rakyatjelata. But the biggest surprise in store for us was yet to come.As usual, we sat in First Class. I expected the CM to be seated somewherein front of us but then I realised he wasn't in First Class. Where did he
disappear to???

I popped my head round the curtain that veils First Class and Economy Classand guess who I saw sitting in the front row seat of Economy quietlyreading the newspapers?YAB Mr. Lim, you have my deepest respect. You have made history by beingthe first Chief Minister in this country to sit in Economy Class whilst inoffice as Chief Minister. You really mean what you say when you talk aboutcost-cutting. Sir, you have shown me leadership by example.

Of course I asked permission to take his picture sitting in Economy and helaughed. And I said I'd blogged about it and he laughed some more, and gavepermission. Ketua Menteri yang berjiwa rakyat.

My Alma Mater...more photos of Malacca High School

2008-05-15T07:24:00.000-07:00

Malacca High School assembly area where we used to assemble for our Monday Negaraku song

Malacca High School field surrounded by some of the old blocks and HSOBA building.

The school hall which was built from student and public donation during my time.

My Alma Mater, Malacca High School is the second oldest school in the country after Penang Free School. I was admited to Malacca High School in the year 1975 doing my Form 1 and left school after completed my Form 5. Even though I was qualified to attend Form 6 Arts, I opted to study Building Technology at Tunku Abdul Rahman College in Kuala Lumpur.

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-12T07:45:00.001-07:00

My wife cutting the Mother's Day celebration cake.

My three Angels with her mum in front of the cake.

The lovely Mother's Day cake

Last night we have a simple mother's day celebration at home. My three daughters bought a small cake for her mum from their own pocket money.

Grand Saga vs People Saga

2008-05-09T09:48:00.000-07:00

The Bandar Mahkota Cheras to Cheras Kajang Highway Map from Malaysiakini

The never ending dispute on the 3 feet concrete barricades put up by the Grand Saga toll concessionaire have caused much frustration and and anger to the surrounding residents of Bandar Mahkota Cheras. Not only they were forced to travel extra 6km but also have to pay extra 90 sen for the toll. After the change of the Selangor state government to Pakatan Rakyat, the residents are getting bolder and supported by their newly elected MP have taken down the concrete barriers on their own.

But with the help of the police, Grand Saga managed to erect back the barrier. However the concrete blocks were swiftly tear down again by the residents. Emotion ran high at yesterday incident which saw more than 1,000 residents and some 100 police forces involved in a showdown whereby teargas and water cannons were fired at protesters. The MP for Segambut was also injured in the tussle and was admitted to the hospital for observation.

Blogger@Jail.com.my

2008-05-07T08:58:00.000-07:00

Controversial political blogger Raja Petra chooses to go jail than to post for the RM5,000 bail over the Sedition charge. The clampdown on bloggers who are only offering their opinion and views on current issues are seen by many as a step backward by the Pak Lah administration.

Immediately after yesterday arrest a fundraisng was organised to collect fund for posting the bail and the updates as at 09.09am 7th May 2008 - Total Donation after they call off the campaign
From CIMB bank account : RM24,500.00
From Paypal account : $4,330.10 USD

The support from the public was fantastics and overwhelming. In an immediate response, the Bar Council expressed shocked and disappointment over the government's decision to charge Malaysia Today webmaster Raja Petra Kamaruddin with sedition.

Calling the Sedition Act 1948 an "archaic legislation which should be repealed", its president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said the Act was incompatible with Malaysian society. Meanwhile,

the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) and Writers Alliance for Media Independence (WAMI) are concerned that the Sedition Act continues to be used to harass bloggers, contradicting the positive attitude that the government exhibited towards bloggers post election.

Later today, Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin refused to meet his wife who went to the Sungai Buloh Prison to persuade him to post bail for a sedition charge.
Raja Petra's counsel Jadadish Chandra said Marina Lee Abdullah went to the prison with another counsel Matthias Chang at about 9am to facilitate the bail process.Jadadish said Raja Petra had informed prison officers he did not want to meet anyone including his wife."Raja Petra is refusing bail and officers had told Marina her husband had also refused to eat since Tuesday," he told Bernama.

Raja Petra charged with sedition- source The Malaysian Insider

2008-05-06T01:26:00.000-07:00

PETALING JAYA, May 6 — Prominent blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin was charged today with sedition for allegedly implying that the deputy prime minister was involved in the sensational killing of a young Mongolian woman.
Raja Petra, editor of the news portal Malaysia Today, pleaded innocent to the charge. He was allowed bail of RM5,000 but failed to post it. Hearing of his case has been set for Oct 6-10.
Dozens of opposition members and bloggers gathered to show support for Raja Petra outside the Petaling Jaya Sessions Court where police summoned him to be charged.
His supporters slammed the charge, which carries a maximum punishment of three years in jail, as a blow to freedom of speech.
"Raja Petra has done a lot to raise people's awareness of issues," said Nurul Izzah Anwar, an opposition member of Parliament and daughter of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

My Alma Mater...more photos of Banda Hilir

2008-05-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

The back gate of Banda Hilir English School where some of the students waited for their buses.

The school football field which still exist and the canteen at the background.

The school assembly area where we gather every Monday for the Negaraku and speeches

Banda Hilr school hall entrance which still exist.Remember watching the Mohd Ali boxing match live on TV in this hall.

I like to share with my schoolmates who were in Banda Hilr English School the inside photos of some of the school blocks and facilities. Most of the old blocks are still there while there are old blocks replaced by new buildings. However the school hall and library are still around and so is the football field.

Down Memory Lane...revisited my Alma Mater

2008-05-04T03:16:00.000-07:00

The main block of Malacca High School.

In front of Malacca High School Guard House entrance

Myself in front of Banda Hilir English School entrance

Signboard of Banda Hilir English School.

Returned back to my Alma Mater after a lapse of more than 30 years.Went back to visit my primary school which was then called B.H.E.S Banda Hilir English School.Last left the school in the year 1974 after completed my Standard 6.Luckily the guard was kind enough to let me in to take some photos. Most of the school buildings remain intact except with new coat of paint and some minor renovation.It was located in Jalan Banda Hilir and I can still recalled we waited for our school bus at a field opposite the school.However the field is now occupied by Dataran Pahlawan, a new shopping complex.

Later went over to Malacca High School,my secondary school which was just a walking distance away from BHES.Luck was again with me when the guard allowed me in to take photographs. Walked into the school field where there was a cricket game going on.Fond memories returned as I strolled along the school.Managed to snap some photos of the school blocks,canteen,field and assembly area.

Mother's Day Celebration in Malacca.

2008-05-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

Group family photos taken with mum and dad after the dinner

Myself with my parents and other family members.

My mum and dad enjoying the vegatarian dinner

Went back Malacca with my family to celebrate Mother's Day with my mum and dad.My brothers and sister also came with their family members.We gather without fail every year at one of the vegetarian restaurant at Melaka Raya.Usually we will celebrate early to avoid the crowd.

THE WINDS OF CHANGE- Source The Economist.

2008-05-02T08:51:00.000-07:00

AS MALAYSIA'S new parliament opened this week, a mood of change was in the air not felt since the country's independence from Britain in 1957. The governing coalition, led since then by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), is panicking after suffering its poorest-ever showing in the general election held in March. The knives are out for Abdullah Badawi, the prime minister. The opposition, newly assertive and, so far, united behind its leader, Anwar Ibrahim, claims that at least 30 MPs from the ruling coalition are preparing to defect, which would be enough for it to take power. A change of government in Malaysia—a fanciful notion until recently—now seems a real possibility.
To fend off calls for his resignation Mr Badawi has said that after UMNO's annual conference, which has been postponed until December, he will discuss handing the party leadership (and thus the prime ministership) to his deputy, Najib Razak. Not soon enough, say his internal critics, including Mahathir Mohamad, the prime minister's embittered predecessor, and Razaleigh Hamzah, a former finance minister and rival to Dr Mahathir, who intends to run for the leadership. Mr Badawi has pleaded with local party branches to stop calling emergency meetings to discuss the poor election result and question his leadership, so far to no avail.
In a bid to salvage his reputation, Mr Badawi has belatedly started keeping the bold promises of reform that he made on coming to office in 2003. Foremost among these was curbing corruption within the government. But the public thinks it has actually worsened under his administration. Last year, grave allegations against the then head of the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) and the national police chief were dismissed by the attorney-general's office for “lack of evidence”. The prime minister announced this month that the ACA, widely seen as subservient to the politicians it is supposed to supervise, would be replaced by a more independent body. Opposition leaders are pressing him to create an independent police-complaints body, a promise Mr Badawi had broken after meeting stiff resistance from police chiefs.
Another of Mr Badawi's pledges, unkept until now, was to reform the country's weak and mistrusted judiciary. The justice system was wrecked by Dr Mahathir in 1988, after the courts ordered UMNO's dissolution. Dr Mahathir had the constitution changed to strip the courts of their independence from government. He also sacked the head of the Supreme Court and five other senior judges. Last year the opposition highlighted the need for judicial reforms by releasing a video-clip of a top lawyer apparently boasting of his ability to fix judicial appointments. In his cabinet shuffle after the election Mr Badawi appointed a prominent legal reformer, Zaid Ibrahim, to shake up the justice system. Last month the prime minister announced that the changes would include a new, independent commission to recommend candidates for the judiciary. The six judges sacked in 1988 will be given compensation but no apology.
Other better-late-than-never measures from Mr Badawi include loosening the state's tight grip on the press. Mr Anwar's People's Justice Party is to be allowed to publish its own newspaper, a right it has been seeking for ten years. The government has also revoked its ban on Makkal Osai, a paper read by the country's ethnic-Indian minority, which had given ample coverage to the opposition's election campaign and to Hindraf, a radical protest group campaigning for the Indian minority's rights, which the government has accused of terrorist links. The government is also reconsidering some of its lavish public-works projects, which have a tendency to be awarded to UMNO-friendly firms. A high-speed “bullet” train link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, costing 10 billion Malaysian ringgit ($3.2 billion), was the first to come under review.
Welcome as they are, these moves seem unlikely to save Mr Badawi. Mr Anwar crows that his opposition coalition, the People's Alliance, will be in government by September. He says he is simply waiting until he has enough potential defections from the government benches to secure a comfortable majority before making his move. There have been a few defections at state level but, so far, no MPs have jumped. Mr Anwar has been courting support in the Malaysian part of Borneo, hoping that some of the gaggle of pro-government parties there—on which the ruling coalition now depends for its majority—might defect en masse.
Mr Anwar has been prime minister in waiting before. He was deputy to Dr Mahathir until 1998 but the two men fell out and the then prime minister had him jailed on dubious charges. A ban on Mr Anwar's taking political office expired last month. Rebranded as an anti-UMNO reformer, he can now stand for parliament again. His chances of success in his second shot at power hinge not just on whether he can attract enough government MPs—ideally principled ones, not just those available to the highest bidder—but on whether his opposition coalition, an uneasy mix of secularists, Islamists and ethnic-Chinese activists can hold together.

Anwar in Times Magazine 100 most influential people- Source Malaysian Insider

2008-05-02T04:25:00.000-07:00

KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 — He is not in Parliament yet and is still putting finishing touches on a coherent Opposition in Malaysia but Time magazine have picked Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as one of the 100 most influential people in the world for 2008.
He shares the platform with the Dalai Lama, Hu Jintao, Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, George Clooney, Oprah Winfrey, Aung San Suu Kyi, Rupert Murdoch, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal and others.
This is the fifth annual list of leaders, thinkers, heroes, scientists, sports stars drawn up by the US news magazine. The de facto leader of Pakatan Rakyat is one of a clutch of Asians who were listed in the leaders and revolutionaries category. The format calls for a prominent individual to write a short essay about each person on the top 100 list.
Anwar’s citation was penned by Paul Wolfowitz, the former US Deputy Secretary of Defence. This is what he wrote:
"During the 1990s, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and a group of US Senators organised a forum to exchange views among East Asians and Americans. Asked at one session about the role of Islam in politics, Anwar replied, 'I have no use for governments which call themselves Islamic and then deny basic rights to half their population.'
"This devout Muslim leader was an impressive and eloquent advocate of tolerance, democracy and human rights. So we were shocked by his arrest and trial in 1998 on charges of corruption and sodomy. I felt his real 'crime' had been to challenge Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, whose impressive record will be forever stained by his treatment of Anwar.
"I joined Senator Sam Nunn and others to speak out in Anwar's defence. When he was finally released from prison in 2004, US policy on Iraq was unpopular in Malaysia, and Anwar was harshly critical. It would have been easy for him to disown our friendship, but he is not that kind of person. He kept the channels of dialogue open, even while making clear our disagreements.
"Anwar, 60, is back in the centre of Malaysian politics. The coalition led by his wife Wan Azizah has become the main Opposition bloc. His future role can be determined only by Malaysians. One can hope that they will embrace his brand of tolerance, valuing dialogue across political differences, and that this courageous leader will continue to play a leading role on the world stage."
This recognition for Anwar comes at a time when he is still trying to stabilise the alliance between the DAP, PKR and Pas, and find a place for himself in the new political landscape of Malaysia. He was barred from contesting the election on March 8 because his conviction for abuse of power.
Over the years, Anwar has tried to fight off claims that he is a stooge of the United States and the West. That was one of the main planks in Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s attack on Anwar after sacking him from government and Umno in 1998. More recently, Anwar has had to defend his ties with Wolfowitz, who resigned as the head of the World Bank in shame and is viewed as one of the hawks in the Bush administration which encouraged the US to invade Iraq in 2003.
Still, Anwar’s inclusion in the top 100 list shows how far he has managed to rehabilitate his reputation since his conviction on sodomy was overturned by the Federal Court in 2004. In Malaysia, he has been touted as the prime minister-in-waiting and abroad Anwar has recaptured the media headlines.
There is a clutch of individuals on the list who will raise eyebrows, including Baitullah Mahsud, the alleged mastermind of the Benazir Bhutto’s assassination.
Time in its report said that he is known to be in his mid-30s and to lead thousands of militants, many of them Mehsud tribesmen, in Waziristan, a tribal region on Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. In his first television interview, conducted by al-Jazeera last year, Mehsud said his ultimate aim is to attack New York City and London.

Enter Mahathir the Blogger

2008-05-01T05:53:00.001-07:00

Finally our outspoken ex PM have created his own blog with his first comment on the Judiciary which have invited more than 300 comments. Quite a good start.Most are welcoming comments unlike those sarcastic comments on Khir Toyo and Ali Rustam blogs. This shows that Tun Dr.Mahathir still command the respect from the people.Have just added his blog to my Blogroll for your convenience. Happy blogging.

My Childhood Friends.

2008-04-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

Managed to get hold of my childhhood friends photograph taken during the last Chinese New Year gathering at Kee Tick house in Tengkera. It was indeed a feat to gather annually ever since we left Malacca High School. We have been gathering without fail for the last 30 years even though most of us are married and have our own family. From left Kok Tong,Johnny,Eng Ann,Kee Tick,Choo,Wai Yee,Myself,Quek,Richard and Raymond.

DAP Seputeh Thanksgiving Dinner

2008-04-06T08:07:00.000-07:00

With YB Teresa Kok, the newly elected Seputeh MP and Kinrara Adun at the Dinner function.

Last night DAP Seputeh throw a buffet dinner at Seri Petaling to thanks the election workers who like myself are mostly volunteers. The event started at around 7.30pm with the arrival of our Seputeh YB Teresa Kok who was greeted by the lion dance from Salak South.The above event have also invited many new DAP MP and ADUN to be the night speakers. Among them was the newly elected MP from PJ Utara Tony Pua, the youngest Singapore based CEO,MP for Segambut YB Lim Lip Eng,Serdang MP aka Serdang Chili Padi Ms Teo Nie Ching and the newly appointed Selangor Exco who is also Seri Kembangan Adun and Selangor DAP chief Mr Ean Yong Hian Wah.

We have actually cater for 100 tables, beer was served and roast pig sponsored by well wishers.Our MP Teresa who is also the Selangor senior exco delivered a lenghty speech where she thanks the volunteers who without them she would not be able to win the highest majority in the whole of Malaysia with a huge 36,492 majority.She also promised that she will still take care of Seputeh constituency even though she also have to attend Selangor state administration.Tony Pua who is an economist by profession spoke on how hardworking our new Penang CM YB Lim Guan Eng who called him in the wee hour of 1.30am to ask him to prepare a report and called again at 8am to check whether it was done.

After the dinner Teresa invited us for another round of supper at a newby restaurant opened by her friend. Managed to take some photos with our new YBs and have attached for your viewing pleasure.

After the Tsunami...the Aftershocks.

2008-03-29T08:40:00.000-07:00

Dear Comrades,

Our PM is precariously sitting on a 3 legged chairs.A slight sneeze from Umno will definitely throw him out from the PM post.After the unexpected lost of 5+1 states to the Barisan Rakyat,the PM is under tremendous pressure to step down.He is not only hummilated from the Rakyat but also from his own UMNO and BN partners who took advantage of his weakened position.

Three Deputy Minister have refused to accept the post which is unprecedented during Dr M premiership.Even UMNO youth go against him by refusing to take any action against Mukhrif on the letter send to him to ask him to resign.Later when Mohd Taib who was appointed by him to strengthen his position proposed that UMNO general election to be postponed next year,his proposal was thrown out during the UMNO Supreme meeting which was actually chaired by him.This shows that he have lost support even among his own UMNO members.

The latest bashing came from the Royalties.The Raja Perlis refused to accept the PM appointed man Dato Shahidan as the Menteri Besar and appointed his own man as the Menteri besar, unheard of during Dr M time.Taking advantage from the situation in Perlis, the Sultan of Terengganu exert his power to nominate Dato Ahmad Said as the Menteri Besar instead of Dato Seri Idris who was Pak Lah preferred choice.The stand off between the PM and the Sultan who was the current King finally resolved with the PM made to eat humble pie.

The Terengganu saga was a test of PM credibility which he failed miserably.He had disappointed the group of 22 state assemblymen who have been standing solidly behind him during the standoff.How are the UMNO members going to support him if cannot handle such an important situation.PM days are numbered and it will be a miracle if he can withstand the coming UMNO election due to be held this December 2008.His challenger will most likely be Tengku Razaleigh who have the support of Dr M and many disgruntled division heads.It won't be surprise if Tengku can muster more than 30% division support for him to qualify for the contest.

29th March 2008

To be continue...

After the Tsunami...

2008-03-22T08:15:00.000-07:00

Dear Comrades,

The unexpected results of the 12th GE have not only caught BN off guard but the Opposition ill prepare.Suddenly the Opposition alliance or some called it Barisan Rakyat or Anwar termed it as the Government in waiting stared at how to form the 4 new states governments.The most complicated state is Perak where you have DAP winning 18 states seat whereas PKR and PAS getting 7 and 6 respectively achieving a slim majority of 31 seats against BN 28 seats.As commented by Kit Siang in his blog,he thought he will have a well deserved rest after the election but he was fully occupied and hardly sleep to attend to all the new political development after the election.

Initially there were rumblings on the ground on who should be the Menteri Besar with even DAP and PKR threatened to pull out if PAS candidates were given the MB post.Hovever goodwill prevailed and a loose coalition have been agreed to run the state with PAS given the MB post and DAP getting the lion shares of the exco seats.This is what we call the birth of new cooperation between DAP and PAS and it will be interesting to see how they will run the state effectively.

Penang was one of the earliest state government controlled by BR which started work.The new CM Mr Lim Guan Eng immediately formed the new exco with 2 Deputy CM and the first Indian Deputy CM in Malaysian history.He announced new measures to curb corruption with the implementation of open tenders for all state projects and results posted in the website for all to view.He even refuse to stay in the CM residence preferring to put up at his father's place because the CM place is leaking and need RM300,000 to repair which he reluctant to spend.THIS IS THE TYPE OF LEADER WE NEED.

I remembered when the new MB for Selangor moved in,he spent lavishling on the MB residence.While waiting for the renovation to complete he stayed at the expense of the taxpayers money at one of the 5 star hotel in Selangor.Thats is where all our rakyat money gone due to their sheer waste of public money.

On the BN front, Terengganu is the only state without a MB.This is due to the dissatisffaction of the present Agung to some of the state issue before the GE namely the handling of the Bersih demo by the MB at Batu Buruk where gunshots were fired to disperse the crowds.This definately a slap to our PM after the Perlis saga where the PM preferred candidate was sidelined.Finally we can see the Royalties exert their power towards the Executives.

The new cabinets lineup announced by PM was quite unexpected with the dropping of the Iron Lady Rafidah Aziz but the appointment of Mohd Taib tainted with the Australian airport scandals have somehow prove that the PM have to outweigh his personal interest above national interest,to boost his sagging support for the upcoming Umno elections.

22nd March 2008

To be continue...

The dawn of a new era

2008-03-11T10:09:00.000-07:00

Exchanging of name cards during the election campaign for the Seputeh Parliamentary seat.From right DAP incumbent Teresa Kok and BN candidate Carol Chew.

Teresa Kok officially declared the newly elected Seputeh MP with her supporters in front of the Seri Petaling Community Hall with the highest majority of 36,ooo nationwide.

8th March 2008 was my happiest day in my life.The Rakyat have spoken loud and clear that enough is enough of the corrupt,arrogant and rotten BN government.Makkal Shakti, people's power have overthrowned 4 more states in West Malaysia to the hand of the Opposition.What a Tsunami effect and the swing towards the opposition was strong not only from the Indians and Chinese but also surprisingly by the Malays electorate.

The frustration by the Rakyat have been boiling over the years by the increased in fuel prices,crime rates,high cost of living. The Indian have been severely discriminated by the unlawful demolision of their temples,snatching of their corpse by Muslim religious authority,holding of the Umno AGM on Deepavali day with no due respect to the Hindus.The last straw was the detention of the 5 Hindraf activist under ISA.

Finally when our Sleeping PM announced the dissolution of the Parliament on 13-2-2008 and campaign period of 13 days,his lucky 13 have turned to be the unluckiest for him.The ceramah organised by the Opposition have attracted huge crowds and the amount of donation collected was tremendous.The biggest ceramah was the one organised by DAP in Penang which was able to atrract 40,000 people and collected RM123,000 two days before the Election.Kit Siang and Anwar were the star attraction in most of the ceramah held.

Went back Malacca to vote at Kota Melaka and rushed back to KL to assist DAP Seputeh as Polling agent at Salak South New Village.Sign of BN losing their grip started flowing in at 7pm when news report from our DAP Penang reported that all the 3 Gerakan CM designate lost to DAP candidates.The attendance at Salak South polling stream was surprisingly high at 88% compared to last election of 75%.This show that the Rakyat are coming full force to teach the BN a lesson.My polling stream result was DAP 424 and BN 67.

Later we were told that Teresa Kok won by a whopping 36,000 majority,the highest in the country.Went over to Sri Petaling polling centre to congratulate Teresa and she managed to speak to the reporters on how MCA have been teasing DAP all the years that we can only talk but can do.Now we can show them that we can even form a state government in Penang.

Few factors contributed to the downfall of BN in this election.The biased reporting in the mainstream papers,TV and radio have angered the people and an insult to their intelligent.However the Internet,SMS have really helped the Opposition to win this battle.Most people are frustated by the one sided reporting and have resorted to the internet to get the Opposition news.U tube also played the ceramah of the opposition to the comfort of their home.

DAP have really done a good groundwork for this election.They have their own campaign song,election tools,and group pf young and enterprising professionals like lawyers,activist and blogger to plan their strategy.In most of their ceramah,they effectively played their campaign song, JUST CHANGE IT.which was really touching and sent a strong message to the electorate.

To be continue...

Election Campaign update live from KL!

2008-03-07T10:09:00.000-08:00

With YB Fong Po Kuan aka Chili Padi at YMCA Brickfield on the Bocor Forum.

Have been busy helping up with DAP Seputeh putting up buntings and banners the last few nights and also assist them at the operation centre checking on the electorate polling centres. In between still managed to attend to some of the DAP ceramahs held at PJ,Seputeh and Klang.The response from the Rakyat was fantastic and overwhelming.Last night went all the way to Port Klang to witness one of the biggest DAP ceramah ever.The crowd estimated to 10,000 spilled over to the main road.The guest speaker of the night was none other than Lim Kit Siang.Surprisingly Indian make up almost 30% of the crowd.

One of the DAP candidate for the Bandar Klang state is the ISA datainee Mr Manoharan.Her wife,children and mother were there to lend support to her husband and looking at the strong support the Indians gave I am sure that Manoharan can win the state seat.Most of the crowds there waited eagerly for Kit Siang arrival even though it was drizzling the whole night.

Finally Kit Siang came at 11.15pm and was given a hero welcome from the huge crowd.Cries of Makkal Sakti ( People Power from Hindraf group) was echo from the Indian crowd when Kit Siang shouted the slogan.The DAP veteran leader spoke on the need to deny BN 2/3 majority so that there are check and balance towards BN policy and rampant abuse of power.

The supports from Klang supporters were fanstatic! Almost 50 cars and motorbike were colourfully decorated with DAP flags and posters.I can feel the edge of change is coming to Klang and the DAP campaign song really lived up the whole atmosphere.The total donation collected that night from the crowd was RM42,000.

Another interesting ceramah was at PJ SS2.PJU is a parliamentary seat contested by Tony Pua, the youngest Singapore listed IT company who resigned to join DAP. Attended two of the ceramah which was held on Monday to pull the Pasar Malam crowd.The weather was quite fine when the first few speaker spoke but when Raja Petra spoke,it was raining dogs and cats.Raja Petra the editor of the popular political web site Malaysia Today told the crowd that the rain was nothing compared to the chemical laced water cannon spray during the Bersih and Hindraf rally.

The crowd stood on throughout the whole speech during the rain.The guest attraction of the night was Fong Po Kuan aka Chili Padi.She came at about 11pm and was warmly welcome by the crowd and they really love the way she deliver her hard hitting speech.

Will be going back to Malacca to vote on Friday night and rush back to KL the next morning to help DAP Seputeh as a polling agent.

So friends, please vote for change,you can do it!

To be continue... live from the polling centre.

DTRA Chinese New Year Celebration 2008.

2008-02-16T04:47:00.000-08:00

De Tropicana Condo Resident Association have organised the annual Chinese New Year celebration at the Tennis Court on the 9th day of the CNY which was on the 15th of February 2008. The response from the residents was overwhelming.As usual, we invited the Lion Dance to performed and even have a line dancing performance from the children. We distributed oranges to the residents and ang pau to the children. Later we have the fireworks display at the vicinity.

DAP Puchong Fund Raising Dinner

2007-12-14T23:50:00.000-08:00

With YB Lim Kit Siang, the Opposition Leader and DAP Advisor at the dinner function.

DAP Puchong organised the Fund Raising Dinner last night to raise fund for the upcoming General Election widely speculated to be held next year before April 2008. It was also to raise fund for the Kinrara State seat which YB Teresa will be contesting. All the 100 tables costing RM1,000 each was fully taken up.

Among the invited speakers were YB Lim Kit Siang, the Opposition Leader and DAP advisor,Jeff Ooi, the prominent blogger who just joined DAP and Liew Chin Tong the DAP election campaign strategist.

NO JOKE IN IJOK!

2007-04-29T10:09:00.000-07:00

Dear Comrades,

How you guys doing? Hope everything’s fine. However something is not fine in Ijok.As you know, BN is facing one of the toughest by-election battles with Party Keadilan in Ijok. This time Anwar Ibrahim, our ex DPM is leading the opposition campaign with the full support of DAP and PAS. They have a very qualified candidate by the name of Tan Sri Khalid who was once the CEO for Guthrie and PNB. He is facing an MIC rookie from BN.The opposition is facing an uphill task to fight against the might of the BN machineries which went all out to win the election. All sorts of dirty tactics were employed by BN.Million of ringgit were spend at the expense of the taxpayers money to resurface the roads, donate sewing machines, give goodies, erect new lamp posts and traffic lights. It is really an insult to the rakyat that after more than 50 years, you can only now see so many developments just because they are so desperate to win. Someone was joking that we can only get so much development if your MP our State assemblymen are dead. It happened in Batu Talam, it happened in Machap and now in Ijok, so next time elects an old and sick candidate at your constituency.

To get first hand situation on the ground I have make 2 trips to Ijok and will be going again tomorrow night, the last day of campaign period .Came back from Ijok 2 days ago. Very heavy presence of police personnel in this constituency. The traffic leading to this small little town was screened by police road blocks. It looks as if they are going for war or to instill fear to the residents. Reached Ijok town at about 8.45pm after fetching my friend at Sg Buluh.Ceramah was going on with the speeches of DAP leaders like Dr Tan Seng Geow and Ms Chong Eng.About 20 minutes later as I was standing by the roadside, I saw a Mercedes Benz dropped Anwar Ibrahim who also one of the speaker of ceramah, very lucky to be able to shake hand with him. Anwar was warmly welcome by the crowd, majority of them Chinese residents of the town. He can really charmed the audience with his speeches on wide range of topics on how he was humiliated in the prison and how he really feel the need to change this rotten and corrupted Government. Can joke, can talk, really a talented speaker.

Anwar speech was interrupted by the arrival of the Opposition Leader, Mr Lim Kit Siang who was greeted with cheers from the one thousand odds residents. He was very upset with the cancellation of his earlier ceramah at Batang Berjuntai.He related how 3 trucks of FRU were there to disperse the crowds and this is the first time in Malaysia history that an election rally need a police permit. Something strike his mind that the BN feel threaten by the support of the voters and have to engage such an underhand tactic to scare the crowd, Luckily the ceramah at Ijok went on smoothly without any disturbance with the presence of so many police personnel.

To be continued…