As we travel our lifetime in this universe, we pass through gorges while at the same time enjoy the breeze. I will live this life to the fullest while sharing my thoughts in this cyber world.
Docendo disco, scribendo cogito (I learn by teaching, think by writing)
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak urged Malay entrepreneurs to rely on their own ability in order to be have dignity and be respected.
“Don't just talk about rights. What is more important is what are we doing to do to increase our wealth” Najib said when officially opening the newly-formed United Malay Economic Action Council (MTEM) in Serdang last night.
This is the second time in three days that the premier had spoken on the need to move away from preferential treatment for the Malay business class.
On Monday, the Najib told the Khazanah Megatrends Forum that bumiputera quotas will be done away with in the future in order to increase competition.
“We never took from other people. We created new projects in order for the people to feel that we did not take away the rights of others, so that there is fair distribution,” he said.
“We must change because our environment has changed. If (you) depend on (government) protection, it cannot guarantee our future,” he said.
Najib is courting trouble with Perkasa & hardcore UMNO businessmen who had depended on the government for handouts. These people will not like the message as their survival and fortune is at stake.
Former Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) Executive Chairman Tan Sri Ani Arope dubbed the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) as the "Economic Plundering Unit".
Ani Arope blames the EPU, saying the powerful agency, under the Ministry of Finance, forced TNB to sign lopsided purchase deals nearly 20 years ago.
In his Facebook posting three days ago, Ani Arope wrote: "You don’t need to go to a fanciful business school to figure out why we need a tariff hike — just revisit the terms given to some IPPs."
“With the take-or-pay clause and with the 40 per cent excess reserve that we have today, one only has to produce half of one’s capacity and be paid 80 per cent of the agreed capacity. Well done the then-EPU — Economic Plundering Unit,” he added, mocking the economic unit under the Prime Minister’s Department.
Tan Sri Ani refused to be forced, by those in power, to sign the imbalanced IPP deals and had to resign from his executive chairman post, which saw the first generation of IPPs created, such as YTL Power Services, Powertek and Malakoff during the Mahathir administration.
“TNB is the whipping boy. TNB has no control of the price it has to pay to the IPPs. Get to the source of the problem,” said Tan Sri Ani who is now in his early 80s.
The Malaysian Government announced a 7.12% hike in electricity rates in order to trim the subsidise that would otherwise double to RM21 billion this year.
But power prices will now rise by as much as 2.3 sen per kWh in areas taking TNB’s electricity supply, a potential source of public anger just ahead of a general election expected within the year.
So, who was the Finance Minister of Malaysia in 1990s? Anwar Ibrahim!
Who was the Prime Minister then? Dato' Seri Mahathir Mohamad (Now, Tun Mahathir)
Both of them cannot deny being responsible for the collaboration, though each may want to blame the other.
Surely, we can't exclude Tun Daim.
Those of us who are in the industry and who are part of the looting regime knows how it was operated. The ignorant ones must be the kampung folks.
Blame the Chinese? Hahaha ... they pay to get the loots!!! Who did they Pay? Your guess is as good as mine. Why did they pay? It was the system processes that provides the opportunities to those discriminated by the same system. Did Ibrahim Ali benefit from that system? Ask him ... he can swear; for everyone who is part of the pillaging system were all part of the fortune wheel. Did the Chinese become rich because of the system design setup? Ya!!! Thanks to Mahathir; we appreciated his NEP design and exceptional generosity while we partake. He has to continue to behave innocent and ignorant of the Golden train-ride.
There is no evidence good enough to indict anyone. You can't be guilty in law unless there is evidence beyond reasonable doubt - that is the law.
The economy is much better when Umno is the Government; not PKR, nor Pakatan, nor MCA or MIC or Gerakan. We need Umno, for Umno is beneficial to all Chinese, of which I am one.
Dr Khir Toyo believes Umno must take a radical leap outside its core Malay electorate to regain non-Malay support, if they hope to win back Selangor.
“Politically, Malays will continue to be spilt, so Umno needs to gain the support of non-Malays,” the former Selangor mentri besar told The Malaysian Insider recently.
He lamented that, two years after the polls, Umno appeared to lack a clear road map to win back the state.
“Umno members on the ground are restless and want to move but there’s no wave or road map for them,” he noted.
I slapped myself twice and use eye-MO to clean my eyes.
It's unbelievable and cannot come from one man and from an institution.
Khairy's new philosophical doctrine:
"Fulfilling the vision for our community's advancement would require the confidence to accept competition based on our own on merit and abilities. This is the meaning of 'civilisational confidence' – we fear not our own shadow."
That's damn profound! This must what was taught at Oxford and Cambridge. How did it took him so many years to deliver this theme?
He was absolutely right: the new doctrine of - "civilisational confidence" vs the old doctrine of "delusional supremacy".
There is so much intellectuality and wisdom in his speech today at the Umno Youth General assembly.
According to Khairy's new profound philosophy, "the Malays must get rid of their “siege mentality” and take on the mantle of true leadership, one which includes all the races of Malaysia while not neglecting the plight of the Malays."
Khairy asked the Malays to make the leap to a political struggle based on “civilisational confidence” and help the Prime Minister achieve his 1Malaysia vision.
Definition of Civilisational Confidence
In Khairy's own dictionary, he explained that: “Civilisational Confidence" means as Malays, we are confident of our own ability to move forward, setting out a vision for success without being afraid of our own shadow. This is our generation’s challenge.
In Khairy's own words, "for too long, Malays and Umno have been caught in a mindset that is negative and overly defensive. We feel as though we are constantly under siege, and all our efforts appear to be channeled towards protecting the Malay special position.
“I urge Malays, beginning with the youth, to get out of this siege mentality,” he said.
Khairy noted that Article 153 of the Federal Constitution guarantees the special position of Malays and bumiputras, and stripping it would require the approval of two-thirds of Parliament as well consent from the Council of Rulers.
“But consider this: Article 153 in itself does not guarantee progress and development for the Malays. Constitutional provisions do not make us ‘special’ or extraordinary, it is the performance and achievements of Malays that will determine if we are,” he said.
“Umno and the Malays as a whole must move away from a defensive setting, where we assume that our rights are under threat, to a people equipped with our own civilisational confidence – carving a vision of progress for the future.
“This is the new Malay dilemma, the generational question of our time which must be addressed: Are we going to defend symbols for their sake, or are we bold and courageous enough to accept the reality that there needs to be a change in both vision and mechanisms to see Malays forge ahead? I believe the answer lies in the latter,” he said.
“Guided by the spirit of 1Malaysia, Umno Youth has to abide by a new mission that will be the foundation of our contemporary struggle.
“This is our new mission: To win the support of all Malaysians, and not just the Malays. In our words, agenda and strategy, Umno Youth must operate based on this new mission – giving hope to all Malaysian regardless of race, religion and background,” he said.
“We are now at a crossroads of our cause, where we can choose to remain on the same path with the same style and methods. We can continue with the chest-thumping rhetoric, warning other races never to challenge this or that.
“This option is easy, and may promise a measure of popularity within the party, but we must ask ourselves, is this what Malaysians – Malays included – really want from Umno?
“For the 21st century Umno Youth, the courageous choice is to position ourselves as the pioneers of national unity through the spirit of 1Malaysia,” he said.
“Umno and Umno Youth will always fight for the Malays – protecting the status of Islam, the Malay rulers and the Malay language. These are the core elements of Umno’s struggle that will never dissipate from our agenda.
‘However, we must pursue these things based on two principles: Justice and compassion, especially when dealing with other races. This compass will underline our national agenda that is grounded not in the narrow concept of Malay dominance, but on the concept of Malay leadership – magnanimous as well as both just and compassionate,” he said.
He said that Islam has always guided Umno, and that there should be nothing strange in Malays also fighting for Malaysians as a whole.
“In fact, when we respect the beliefs of others, they too will better respect ours. Allah SWT commands in Surah Al An’am, verse 108: And insult not those who worship besides Allah, lest they insult Allah wrongfully without knowledge,” he said.
“Some may wonder if we should fight for other communities if they question our position as Malays.
“It is here that out leadership credentials will be tested. As the group of people given the responsibility and privilege to lead, Malays cannot simply follow the common beat – that would not be leadership.
“Instead, as leaders, Malays must rise above and go the extra mile. Only then will we have the ability to lead and be acknowledged as leaders who have wider recognition. This is another example of Malay leadership that I spoke of – a leadership that is just and compassionate, and accepted by all,” he said.
**********************************
I nearly reproduce his whole text speech culled from The Star news reported today.
Was it a profound discovery or was it his philosophical dictates? Or, was it dictated by 1Malaysia man?
Whatever it is, it was a scary speech. This new doctrine posed a new problematical political journey to a new unknown destination and much will be clearer in the year ahead as time will tell - the truth
How long can this new political philosophy last? We are so used to the discrimination, the suppression and threats; for over the decades we have developed the body and spirit to withstand the onslaught and survived the mental torture and kept our sanity. But now, we would have to breakdown our mental barriers and defenses in order to embrace this newly propounded "love and compassion", more so, as it now comes from one that we shivered to think of.
We now "received" love and compassion - we need to cry out loud; we need to go to churches and temples to offer our thanksgiving for the new extraordinary blessings and extraordinary love and compassion. It's so "cruelly kind" and "cruelly compassionate". We all must cry out loud and shout "hallelujah" .... thank you so much Mr. Khairy, for the love and compassion. Could you and would you remain steadfast to this principles which you had emphatically espoused today? It's hard to believe, but we will try to believe it is true and truthful.
You need to be aware of what those others are doing, "applaud" their efforts, acknowledge their "successes", and "encourage" them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, "everybody" wins.
Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has decided to shelve the temple relocation plan in Shah Alam following fierce objections from Section 23 residents at a two-hour public dialogue this morning.
“We should not be cowed by this group of people. Although this group will continue to be there, this will not stop us from finding the best solution for all, and we should not take this as a deterrent but as a challenge for us to prove them wrong,” said Abdul Khalid.
Section 23 residents' action committee chairperson Mahyuddin Manaf told reporters that the police should investigate both Khalid Samad and Rodziah for "posting seditious postings on their blogs". (read the article at: Malsysiakini: Vocal discontent, dissent and despair at temple talks
******************* Erh? what about the cow as khircow? Candle cannot? Cow can? What can and what cannot? Blur sotong!
About 60 members of the Ampang Umno division today gathered in the KL city centre in support of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the police.
The protest was led by division chief Ismail Kijo.
Also present were members from the Umno divisions in Pandan and Gombak.
Ismail said the MACC and the police should be allowed to continue to investigate Pakatan Rakyat leaders for corruption.
He also warned the people not to politicise the death of Teoh Beng Hock at the MACC building.
"Don't exploit his death and don't evoke racial sentiments," he warned.
***********************************************
Why I shall not be accepting Zaid’s offer by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah The Malaysian Insider
Excerpt
I am under no illusions that Umno is bound for destruction on its present course. Neither do I hold unrealistic expectations about the possibility of reform when the rot has gone so deep.
I am the last person to entertain illusions about the ease of reforming Umno. The party that I joined half a century ago as an idealistic young man has indeed lost its soul. It has become corrupt, this corruption has weakened it, and as it grows weaker it is tempted more and more to fan racial feeling and abuse public institutions to maintain power. This is a death spiral.
The Malay cause was not premised on an eternal zero sum game between the native and the immigrant. We meant to build a nation united by a prosperous, confident and enlightened Malay community, not a permanent state of divide and rule by political lowlife. We meant to foster Malay leadership worthy of national leadership, and we looked to our common future as Malaysia rather than to our past as people accidentally brought together by colonial history.
Our major public institutions and our political system have degenerated to the point that the public no longer trusts them. A democratic system of government cannot function below a certain threshhold of public confidence. The suspicious death of Teoh Beng Hock under the custody of a watchdog body reporting directly to a prime minister who has his own public confidence issues may have pushed us below that threshhold.
What we must do now goes beyond political parties. We need the rakyat to rise up to claim their institutions, and demand that our public institutions are answerable to them. We must wake up to our sovereignty as citizens, reclaim the constitution which constitutes us as a nation and guarantees our rights, and demand a comprehensively reformed government to restore public confidence. We must do this before it is too late.
"We were intoxicated by our own achievements and we became complacent. We believed that we had become all-powerful. We have put our own positions within the party first," Pak Lah told delegates attending the 59th Umno annual general assembly in Kuala Lumpur.
"Materialism has seeped into the party, making a number of party members greedy and avaricious," said Abdullah.
"The path that we choose will determine whether we continue to remain relevant or whether we are reduced to a forgotten footnote in the pages of history," he added.
Calling on Umno to come to its senses, Abdullah said many believe that if Umno and Barisan Nasional do not change, then the March 8 general election will be the last time BN forms government.
"After this (if we do not change), the people outside this hall will not vote for us again. Many have voiced the view that 'Umno needs to change'.
"But what I hope to hear is for you to say 'I will change' and that we have the courage to follow up those words with actions.
"It would be a grave travesty if we do not understand that we are Umno and as long as we do not change, Umno will not change," he added.
For Umno to remain relevant, Abdullah, said the party has to fuse its past strengths with new elements necessary for survival and success.
"Let us revive our willingness to sacrifice, strengthen our dedication, adhere to moderation and be governed by our humanity.
"Rid ourselves of our arrogance and conceit that we are the only ones who are right, that we are the only ones who know all.
"Distance ourselves from corruption. Let us be qual in our concern for all, be they Malays or non-Malays, party members or those who support our opponents," he added.
"Today everything that Umno does is seen as wrong, everything that Umno says is believed to be untrue.
"Indeed Umno, as well as BN, have become everyone’s favourite whipping boy, labelled as the cause of every defect and discordance, and blamed as the perpetrator of immoral behaviour and misconduct even when such actions are committed by those who are members of political parties opposed to Umno," he said.
Abdullah also said that Umno should not turn its back on its responsibility towards safeguarding the position of the Malays and bumiputeras but at the same time steer clear of a racist mindset.
"Umno must never adopt racial and religious positions that are extremist. Umno must never practice discrimination to the extent that non-Malays view it as a racist party," he added.
"Sadly there are still those who feel that we do not need to pursue reforms," Abdullah said.
"They believe that Umno will regain its glory if we revert to the old ways - the old order, by restricting freedom of our citizens and by silencing their criticisms," he added.
Abdullah said these quarters are of the view that Umno can continue to be in power if they safeguard the interests of certain individuals and give in to the demands of certain groups.
"There are those among us who gain comfort from these thoughts and are still lulled into a false sense of security," he added.
According to Abdullah, the old path is the wrong path.
"If we revert to the old path, I believe we are choosing the wrong path, one that will take us to regression and decay. It is the path that I fear will hasten our demise," he said.
"If we do not take courageous steps to reform in the face of dynamic transformation of society and the radical changes taking place, then we shall live to witness the end of our beloved Umno.
"What is the point of fighting tooth and nail for positions in the party if all that remains of us is an obsolete husk," he added.
Umno deputy-president candidate, Senator Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib, is aware that there are people talking about his apparent lack of fluency in English.
Muhammad said that he was the only Malay who graduated from Universiti Malaya with a first class honours in History in 1979.
“All my previous exams were also conducted in English - the London Cambridge Examinations and the Malaysian Cambridge Examinations.”
Muhammad added that when he was the Selangor Mentri Besar, he had managed to produce dozens of millionaires.
“The thing is, I am only the Rural and Regional Development Minister now which is why you would only be reading small stories about me.
“Try and give me the International Trade and Industries Ministry and you’ll see,” he quipped.
"As they say, you can't have the cake and eat it. You have to decide, do you want Umno to be seen as a clean party?
"We realise that there is some risk attached to it, but the biggest risk is if Umno is rejected by the people. We cannot afford that. Everyone has to sacrifice for the sake of the party," he added.
-- Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak statement on Malacca chief minister Mohd Ali Rustam who has been barred from contesting in the upcoming party polls.
Najib believes Ali will accept the Umno disciplinary committee's decision to bar him from contesting in the party polls amicably.
Najib suggested that there were times that the leaders were not at fault, as they were the victims of “overzealous” supporters.
Source: Malaysiakini.com: He will accept it 'with open heart'
**************************
Quote:
"Money politics exists in every party but in Umno it is practised more openly."
“The difference between Umno and other parties is that it is done more openly in Umno. ”
“The question is whether the party has the courage and accountability to make difficult decisions."
-- Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.
Source: The Star: Syed Hamid: Money politics more visible in Umno
Karpal warned Umno Youth not to play games with him and likened himself to the recent Bollywood blockbuster 'Singh is Kinng'.
A day after proclaiming that 'Singh is King', Karpal Singh finds himself mobbed by a group of angry Umno Youth members at the Parliament lobby.
At about 2.30pm, the wheelchair-bound Karpal was surrounded by about 30 Umno Youth members, who tried to prevent him from entering the Dewan Rakyat and demanded he apologise.
Karpal telephoned fellow DAP MP Fong Po Kuan, who arrived with a 'rescue team'.
During the ensuing drama, DAP MP for Segambut Lim Lip Eng claimed that he was assaulted as he tried to help Karpal escape the pushing and shoving which broke out at one of the entrances to Parliament.
According to Lim, he was hit a number of times on the face and his body.
Among the mob leaders were Serdang Umno Youth chief Ungku Salleh Ungku Jamal, Gombak Youth chief Megat Zulkarnain Omar Din and Petaling Jaya Utara Youth chief Lat Sharizan Abdullah.
Umno Youth secretary Abdul Rahman Dahlan confirmed members of the influential party wing were involved in the scuffle.
"It's a very serious accusation by Karpal as an experienced MP. We have 700,000 members and we might not be able to control all of them," he told AFP.
The opposition parliamentarians also complained that security personnel did not intervene until they made noise.
Karpal had in Parliament yesterday accused his political opponents for sending two bullets in the mail.
"Where did the damn Umno Youth fellows get the bullets?" Karpal asked. "Singh is King. I am not afraid. They made 100 police reports, sent me two bullets and demonstrated."
In the morning, Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin in an unrelated press conference challenged Karpal, whom he described as an "arrogant MP who thinks he knows everything", to repeat his accusation outside of the Parliament building.
"It is a wild and insane allegation... Khairy told reporters at the Parliament lobby.
"DAP always talks of a world class parliament but their chairman behaves in a very uncivilised and rude manner," added the Rembau MP.
Khairy said more than a hundred police reports were filed against Karpal when he threatened to sue Perak ruler, Sultan Azlan Shah, over the political turmoil in the state.
The Umno Youth leader urged the Attorney-General's Chambers to look into the reports and take action.
"We want to remind him that Umno Youth is not playing games and Karpal is the one who is playing with the sentiments of the rakyat, he is playing with fire.
"If he does not repent, then it would only serve to aggravate our anger and the anger of the people," he warned.
Umno Youth member Mukhriz Mahathir said Karpal should be charged with sedition for the bullets comment, and that he should show more respect to the constitutional monarchy.
Singh may be king, but Umno Youth members can be terrifying as their leaders proclaimed that they could not control their own members, and the security personnel at the parliment also could not control them too. I'm not sure whether the police are able to control them at all and we can't be sure whether the Prime Minister and his ministers can control them too. We are also not sure whether they can be controlled at all.
But I think if money is thrown around, they could possibly be controlled to some extend. That's after all, is money politics; which do work, at times.
Ku Li: Who has harmed Malay Rulers more than Umno? Extracted from The Malaysian Insider
“Today’s crisis in Perak is about the legitimacy of the process by which a new state government has been formed in Perak. It’s not about the status of the Rulers,” Tengku Razaleigh said in his latest post titled “1993”.
“In comparison, the constitutional crisis of 1993 arose from an ugly confrontation between Umno and the Rulers over a question that had direct and profound implications on their sovereignty and that of the Yang Dipertuan Agong. For good reason, the Head of State in most countries may not be prosecuted in an ordinary court of law. In 1993, the government campaigned to remove this immunity through amendments to the Constitution.
“I opposed these amendments,” the Gua Musang MP said emphatically.
Alluding to his political rival Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the veteran Umno leader said both the rulers and parliament were railroaded by the government of the day to pass the amendments.
“These are the very same amendments which today make it legal for a Ruler to be prosecuted. Mr Karpal Singh, though I disagree with him, was acting well within rights that an Umno-led government enacted in 1993 when he earlier proposed to sue DYMM the Sultan of Perak,” he added.
Reflecting on the irony, Tengku Razaleigh posed the question, “Umno serve the Rulers more genuinely by upholding and protecting the Constitution which guarantees their status, or by histrionic displays tuned for the coming Umno elections?”, in an apparent reference to candidates in the party elections who have taken to the streets and demanded action against the opposition.
"This had a bearing upon the kind of leaders and party that Umno members want," Tengku Razaleigh said.
“Was greater harm done to the sovereignty of the Rulers in 1993 through Parliament or a week ago on the streets of Perak?” Tengku Razaleigh asked.
“And is today’s Umno, with its inconsistent adherence to the rule of law, its inconstant respect for the key institutions of our country, a credible or effective defender of the Rulers and of the laws upholding this institution?
“Or do we actually harm what we claim to protect?” he said in ending his post, which also included two videos of his parliament speech in 1993 opposing the amendments when he was Semangat 46 leader after Umno was declared illegal in 1988. He rejoined Umno in 1995.
About 1000 people gathered at the Ipoh City Hall field this afternoon to declare their support for the Malay Rulers.
The event was organized by Umno Youth and several NGOs including GPMS.
Umno Youth members came in from other states like Selangor, Penang, Negri Sembilan and Kedah to joun their Perak counterparts at the gathering.
"Elements like Karpal Singh who do not respect the sultans should disappear from the face of the earth", According to GPMS vice-president Jais Abdul Karim.
The crowd held banners, one of which read 'Nizar penderhaka Melayu Zaman moden', and shouted 'Daulat Tuanku'.
In his short address at the gathering, Khairy Jamaluddin suggested that the Perak Sultan should banish Mond Nizar from the state as many started to burn posters of the ousted menteri besar on the field.
Do we all remember the displayed word - Natang?
I presumed those who understands Bahasa Malaysia knows what it means without the need of dictionary.
Did they forget this banner displayed in Terengganu by Umno and Umno Youth members?
What did they call our DYTM Yang di Pertuan Agong who is also the DYMM Sultan of Terengganu?
What did our PM says about the decision by DYMM Sultan Terengganu and our present Agong?
[Quote]
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi defended his choice of former MB Datuk Idris Jusoh for the post, saying “the appointment of anyone other than Idris is unconstitutional and invalid.” He said this was because the majority of the assemblymen in Terengganu wants Idris, the Jertih assemblyman to be reappointed the MB.
[Unquote]
Did Umno Youth forgot about their protest against the Sultan of Terengganu on the appointment of Ahmad Said?
[Quote]
Pergerakan Pemuda, Wanita dan Puteri Terengganu semalam sebulat suara membantah dan menolak campur tangan istana dalam pelantikan Menteri Besar yang tertangguh hampir dua minggu sejak Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-12, pada 8 Mac lalu.
[unquote]
Did they forgot about 1988 Constitutional crisis involving the Sultans?
Did they forgot about the Perlis MB saga in March 2008 where words used was contemptuous against the Sultan of Perlis?
[Quote]
"But the Raja's decision was to appoint another person, I do not know why," Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said. He also said that no one should go against Abdullah's decision but should instead respect his leadership. "This is Barisan Nasional's pride. If there is no respect for Barisan Nasional and Umno, who else will respect them?
[Unquote]
"No one should go against Abdullah's decision ... no respect for BN and Umno? The Sultan of Perlis went against Abdullah's decision and accordingly it must be construed as a disrespect to Umno and BN? Saying the Sultan had disrespect to Umno, must, in the context of GPMS earlier statement be construed as treason too!
Report from The Malaysian Insider and Malaysian Bar Website
[quote]
Tajudin: Oh, tak masuk lagi?
Kiandee: Dia tak bagi, Yang Berhormat. Tak bagi.
Tajudin: Dia tak masuk lagi? Dah lama tak masuk-masuk. Main tepi saja.
Mujahid: Yang Berhormat Pasir Salak sabarlah.
Tajudin: Bila nak keluar lagi air dia ?
[unquote]
He is untouchable. He can use swear words with impunity. He can spray sexist comments in the chamber and use sexual innuendo when he sees fit.
Datuk Tajudin Rahman, the Barisan Nasional MP for Pasir Salak can pretty much do as he pleases.
He is also living proof that some of the lessons of Election 2008 are being ignored and tossed aside by elected representatives. A walking advertisement that, despite being decimated in five states and having its customary two-thirds majority in Parliament taken away, arrogance and pride still courses through the veins of ruling coalition members.
More troubling perhaps for the average Malaysian is that Tajudin Rahman’s boorish behaviour is a reflection of the reality here – that the winds of change ushered in by the events of March 8 have begun to wane and that Malaysia is settling down once again to a state where apathy and fatigue reign.
Where the public feigns outrage at excesses of politicians and the government, then do a collective shrug of their shoulders and put it down to the way of life here.
Politicians from both sides of the divide know the drill. And that is why the likes of Tajudin Rahman and before him, Datuk Badruddin Amiruddin, Bung Mokhtar Radin and Mohd Said Yusof have shamed the House with outrageous remarks with the conviction that they will be untouched by any sanction or rebuke.
Still, it appears that Tajudin is in a class of his own. In this same Parliament session, he has called his nemesis, the DAP MP for Ipoh Barat a “bloody bastard”, introducing colourful language which the House has not heard before.
I wonder if Islam did allow a Muslim to behave such. Is yoga chanting far sinful than this chants from a Muslim Member of Parliament who had often portrayed to defend Islam and Malays? I don't know about your opinion but I am ashamed of such a man who calls himself a Muslim.
Pahang Memtri Besar and Umno liaison chief Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said allegations of money politics in Umno should be settled by swearing on the Quran. So ACA need not interfere.
"Those involved (the accusers and accused) should swear on the Quran to back their accusations or prove their innocence," Adnan Yaakob said after opening the Bentong Umno divisional meeting yesterday.
The menteri besar believed a true Muslim would not lie in such circumstances and those who did so knew that they would get punishment from God.
The Pahang menteri besar said money politics had worsened in Umno but party members were not willing to expose the crime due to the difficulty in providing proof.
The Raja Muda of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah said today that governments should not set down discriminatory laws or policies but must ensure inclusive development through empowerment.
"No segment of society must be disrespected, discredited and disenfranchised," he said in his address at the 21st LawAsia Conference here.
He said that no single group in any country should feel their contributions are unrecognized or unwanted.
This is a clear submission by our future King and current Regent of Perak, that our government do indeed set down discriminative policies and laws. Ironically, we observed that Umno leaders such as Ali Rustam, Khaled Nordin and Khir Toyo contextually are implying that there's not enough "discriminations done". As reported in Malaysiakini today, Mohd Ali Rustam says Umno must dictate government policy in order for the party to regain lost support. He says Umno members feel they have not had enough influence on government policy (Read the news at: Malaysiakini - Link).
"If Barisan Nasional wishes to regain the confidence of the Malays, the concept of parti menguasai kerajaan (the party heading the government) must be looked at seriously," he said.
Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin said that Umno had compromised and accept the policy of 30% Bumiputera equity ownership though they form 70% of the country's population (Read the news here).
To own 70%? You have to pay for it, not given to you, not free, unless you rob, steal and murder! You don't own wealth because you want it and lay sleeping and start threatening. Go work for it and earn it; you can have more if you have the ability and energy. I too want to be a billionaire!
"We had asked him to surrender his passport to the Malaysian High Commission, but he did not do that. How can his passport be cancelled when he never did so? In order to cancel a passport, we need to stamp it as 'cancelled'."
- Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar, Home Minister in response to accusations that he lied about the cancellation of Waytha Moorthy's passport.
Analogy:
How could you say the politicians are corrupt when they merely assisted the businessmen to get government projects and no physical money were transacted at the time of award. There may be money transaction thereafter or before, but not at the time of award.
How can there be a case of sodomy when there is consent and the two had done it eight times in places both decided to meet?
How can there be, if we apply the linguistic philosophy of Albarism?
Rais on money politics: Might as well let highest bidder win
“It would be just better for Umno to have a tender system so that anyone who contributes the highest amount can be a leader,” Dr Rais Yatim commented on the issues of money politics in Umno.
In Dr Rais' opinion, Umno must first admit it has a problem with money politics in order to resolve the pressing issue.
Dr Rais even suggested that Umno shoul look towards it's coalition partners MCA and Gerakan for ideas on how to stem money politics during party elections.
According to Rais, both MCA and Gerakan did not have such restrictions as requiring a certain number of nominations to contest for various posts.
“These parties don’t have as many restrictions as we do, but they are comparatively free of money politics,” Rais told reporters.
Rais also lamented that Umno is now “in the clutches of corporate personnel and businessmen,” judging from its culture of money politics.
On whether he would lodge a police report on his allegations of money politics, Rais said he could not as he did not have enough evidence of such wrongdoing.
Open tender for Umno position? Can those not in Umno also participate? They may be able to offer higher sum? Can I be an agent to solicit this business? It would be lucrative and if it can, I hope Umno election can be a yearly affair.
Rais Yatim said he had been asked to pay for votes in an upcoming contest for top posts, and warned that money politics would destroy the organisation.
Foreign Minister Rais Yatim said "the majority" of Umno members were more interested in making money out of the election than in voting for the right person.
"The majority of Umno people want to look for money and not for good leaders," said Rais, a member of Umno's decision-making committee who is vying for the vice-presidency.
"We have been approached under the cloak of assistance and cloak of contribution. (But) I'm not a player so you don't see my marks going up very high.
"If you want to be a good player, you have to say yes (to vote-buying)," he told reporters.
Rais, who has been with Umno for over 33 years, said the problem of money politics within the ruling party should be eradicated or it "will surely kill the party."
OCT 9 - Having witnessed the forced exit of Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is now training his guns on his other nemesis: Khairy Jamaluddin.
His sarcastic comments on his blog about the PM’s son-in-law mark the beginning of what is likely to be a campaign to make sure that the latter fails in his attempt at becoming the Umno Youth leader, and becomes a political footnote.
There is an added impetus for Dr Mahathir to succeed – Khairy’s failure could clear the path for Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir’s rise up the ladder in Umno.
Will Dr Mahathir succeed? Possibly. But really, Khairy’s chances of becoming the leader of the youth wing hinges more on what Najib does rather than what the former prime minister says. If Najib sends the signal that he wants the divisions to support Khairy, he will become the head of the youth wing.
The outgoing MCA leadership’s move to hastily set up a board of trustees to control the party’s assets said to be worth around RM1.5 billion.
The proposed MCA’s Central Board of Trustees (CBOT) is believed to have been submitted by the party treasurer-general Lau Yin Pin.
The board will be custodian to MCA’s vast financial assets reportedly with an estimated market value of between RM1.5 to RM1.6 billion.
There are widespread rumours alleging that a certain outgoing top leader of being interested in the CBOT chairman’s job, giving him control over the party’s enormous assets.
It is also learnt that CBOT’s role include the formulation of MCA’s investment policy.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak urged Malay entrepreneurs to rely on their own ability in order to be have dignity and be respected.
