The impact of Dr Mahathir’s resignation from Umno
Source
Malaysia Today
http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/7764/84/
Wednesday, 21 May 2008
It really doesn’t matter, I mean the way Umno works is that the people who decide on the Prime Ministership is probably a group of less than 2500 people, basically we’re talking about the Umno divisional heads and the delegates to the Umno convention.
Radio Singapore International
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has announced his immediate resignation from the United Malays National Organisation or Umno yesterday.
He made the decision in protest over Abdullah Badawi’s continued leadership as both the Prime Minister and President of the ruling Umno party.
Mr Abdullah Badawi has responded that he will not be stepping down.
Mahathir was at the helm of Malaysian politics and the dominant Umno party for more than two decades until 2003 when he handed power to Abdullah Badawi.
The departure of the long serving former Umno leader came amid uncertain and volatile times in the Malay party after it lost much support during the country’s 12th general elections in March.
To get a reaction on the latest twist in the Malaysian political landscape, Saifulbahri Ismail spoke with Professor James Chin (JC), political analyst from Monash University, Malaysian campus.
He wasn’t too surprised at Mahathir’s resignation :
JC : I think since about 2005, Dr Mahathir has been attacking the Prime Minister consistently especially on his leadership qualities and the attacks increased after the defeat of the Barisan Nasional in March 2008. I think what happened was that Dr Mahathir came to realize that it is not possible to remove the Prime Minister under the present system where if you want to challenge the Prime Minister or the President of Umno, you need 30 per cent nominations from the branches. Ironically, you would probably be aware that this system was actually brought in by Dr Mahathir himself to protect himself from being challenged by other leaders when he was Prime Minister. So, I think the general consensus here in Malaysia is that it would not have been possible for him to challenge Badawi with this 30 per cent nomination rule and that the only way to get rid of Badawi is to enforce mass resignations from the grassroots of the party.
Following Dr Mahathir’s resignation, he also urged all Umno ministers and party leaders to also quit the party and return only when Abdullah steps down. Now, this as you said is targeted to enforce mass resignations from Umno. Do you think Mahathir has enough influence to stir such a flurry of resignations and how will it affect Abdullah Badawi’s position as Prime Minister and President of Umno?
JC : It really doesn’t matter, I mean the way Umno works is that the people who decide on the Prime Ministership is probably a group of less than 2500 people, basically we’re talking about the Umno divisional heads and the delegates to the Umno convention. So, I’m not sure even if you have mass resignations this will necessary mean that Badawi will have to step down. You might see a lot of people resigning en masse just to show their support for Mahathir, or the other way of reading is that to show their unhappiness with Badawi. But I’m saying that Badawi’s position may not be necessarily threatened by this mass resignations. Badawi will only be threatened if the divisional chiefs and the delegates are against him.
There’s been a lot of reaction from Mahathir’s sudden decision to leave Umno. While others say that this might actually cripple the party, former Deputy Prime Minister, Tun Musa Hitam has described that Mahathir’s resignation is good for Umno. He said that a thorn in the flesh has been removed from the party. Do you think that this is really beneficial to Umno?
JC : That really doesn’t apply because whether he is inside or outside Umno he can still attack the Pak Lah’s leadership and being the former President of Umno, of course whatever he says would carry a lot of weight. So I think the membership is really not that important.
So do you think he can do even more damage outside Umno?
JC : I’m not sure he can do even more damage. I think he has already damaged the government substantially. As you recalled, straight after the elections, it was very clear that one of the people that Umno blames for the poor showing of the Barisan Nasional was Mahathir himself. As you recall Mahathir actually told many people not to vote for Umno or Barisan Nasional before the elections.
Leader of the opposition Islamic party PAS, Nik Aziz Nik Mat said Mahathir’s departure is good for the opposition. It will motivate and strengthen the position of the opposition coalition parties. Do you think Mahathir will join the opposition now he is out of Umno?
JC : I doubt it very much. I’m quite certain that he will not join the opposition, and I think we have to accept the words that he used during his resignation, which is that he will stay out of party politics until Pak Lah is removed and he will re-join Umno then.
That was Professor James Chin, political analyst from Monash University, Malaysian campus speaking with Saifulbahri Ismail.
Malaysia’s Domestic Trade Minister Shahrir Samad said on Tuesday that no members of the ruling Umno party were resigning despite Dr Mahathir’s call for them to quit.
Wednesday 21 May 2008
Friday 9 May 2008
Dr. M Letter on Why BN Losses and Pak Lah Must Go
Dr. Mahathir Letter to "The Sun" on Why BN Losses and Pak Lah Must Go.
Extracted from the following article
Why BN and Umno performed miserably
by Dr Mahathir Mohamad on 9 May 2008
Why UMNO Members voted for the Opposition?
(1) UMNO Members cannot speak their minds
Umno members did not want their party to lose. But they needed to send a message to Abdullah and his coterie of “Yes Men”. They could not speak their minds because all avenues were closed to them. Delegates to the Umno General Assembly were chosen because they would not criticise the president. My son Mukhriz had commented that there was nothing new in the president’s speech in 2006 and he was called up by the Umno Youth Committee, was scolded and told to choose between his father and the president.
Since Umno members could not express their real opinion regarding the government at any time and in any place, the only way they could convey their disenchantment with it was through voting at the general election. Voting was relatively secret and no action could be taken against them. So scared were the Umno voters that they might be found out that they never revealed to each other or to anyone of their intention to vote for the Opposition. And so it was that no one accurately forecast the massive swing in favour of the Opposition.
Some Umno members could not bring themselves to vote for the Opposition. And so they deliberately spoiled their votes. There were more than 300,000 spoilt votes in all, a record. It cannot be that after 50 years and 11 elections the voters still did not know how to vote
(2) UMNO CAndidates were not good.
Umno could have fielded really good candidates but despite the president assuring that all the candidates were clean and qualified, they lost. This was because the candidates were not good and they often replaced the giant-killers who had done well in the past. Most of the “parachuted” candidates were young and Umno members were angry because they suspected that these young candidates were chosen by one person. Do a survey and find out how many of these new candidates lost.
The leadership apparently believed that Umno members would vote for any candidate chosen by the party leader. The leadership, was grossly mistaken.
(3) PM Bring Family Unofficially into the Government
The first thing he did when becoming prime minister was to bring his family unofficially into the government. He can deny this but people know the activities of Khairy Jamaluddin and Kamaluddin Abdullah and their cronies, including those of the fourth floor. They often sit in meetings of government committees and when the prime minister met people.
Khairy’s winning the deputy Umno Youth post uncontested disgusted many people. Had it been a party veteran with years of service to the party winning uncontested, no one would object. But Khairy had been in Umno less than five years and had no record of service to Umno. How could he win uncontested?
(4) Mega Projects necessaries but cancelled.
Early in his term of office, Abdullah decided not to go ahead with the so-called mega projects initiated by me. That was his right. But what was not right and what caused people to think he was being vindictive was the suggestion that I was wasting money on my many “pet” projects so much so that the government no longer had money to continue with them. Actually people know the projects were necessary. Imagine Malaysia without the KLIA, Sentral Station, Penang Bridge, North-South Highway, double-tracking and electrification
(Malaysia Alternative Voices :
Double Track Project awarded to Gamuda costed RM14.5 Billion for Johor to Padang Besar in 2003 (when Pak Lah aborted the project
but was reawarded on Dec 2007 to Gamuda for RM 12.5 Billion for Ipoh to Padang Besar (less than half the initial project length)
- How many Billion has the Government/Peoples lost as a results of Abdullah Badawi decision to postpone the Projects.) - Personal View of Malaysia Alternative Voices - Not Dr. M view or Opinion.
, the LRT and monorail for Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya, toll roads, Westport, Tanjung Pelepas Port, Formula 1 circuit, KL Tower, ports, etc.
I will not mention the things he did which affected me alone and are not generally known to the public. This is because the voting public could not have been influenced by this.
(5) APs Issues
But what is known is his reaction to my criticism regarding the APs (Approved Permits) and the decision not to build the “crooked” bridge in Johor. He and his ministers publicly abused me and at one stage wanted to expel me from the party. Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz was extremely rude
(6) Singapore "Crooked" Bridge issue
If Singapore could not agree to build a straight bridge unless sand was sold to it, we could have gone on to build the “crooked” bridge which had nothing to do with Singapore. Irked by the refusal of Johoreans to sell sand and allow Singapore warplanes to fly over Johor air space, Abdullah disallowed the construction of even the “crooked” bridge. Why?
I am sure it was because the one billion cubic metres of sand he wanted to sell to Singapore was objected to by Johor. Someone stood to make RM1 billion or more over 20 years from the sale of sand. Singapore would like to have the sand at above market price even as the land reclaimed would be sold at S$3,000-S$5,000 per sq ft.
The objection by Johor was because mining the seabed sand would cause erosion of the shores, destroy fish breeding grounds and deprive Johor fishermen of their fishing ground. The royalty collected by Johor would be nothing compared to what Singapore could make from selling reclaimed land.
(7) Others Issues
There were other things done by Abdullah which the people did not like. These include matters related to
(1) the issuance of APs,
(2) the sale of MV Agusta,
(3) the CIQ building in Johor Baru,
(4) the double-tracking of the railway from JB to Padang Besar,
(5) miniature mosques and crystal mosques in Terengganu,
(6) the Monsoon Cup, the various corridors and
(7) the extensive renovation of Sri Perdana.
No matter how strongly he denies that he is the cause, no matter how many people he blames, he cannot explain why this catastrophe to the Umno, MCA, MIC and Gerakan and the BN had never happened under four previous prime ministers but happens only during this tenure. He cannot explain why the “sabotage” by Umno and the component party members in 2008 when in the past they had been very loyal and never failed to give the Alliance and the BN two-thirds majority in Parliament and control of almost all the states. If he refuses to go and tries to ignore the calls for his removal until the next election, the disgusted voters and party members will probably ensure the BN will be defeated at federal and state levels as the only way to end his premiership.
DAP and PAS will want to ensure that Abdullah remains until the next election because, as in 2008, the disgusted BN supporters will vote for the Opposition. This will be even more likely if PAS and DAP provide good government for the states under their care.
When that happens there will be no hope for Umno to make a comeback.
In Conclusion
In the final analysis, the responsibility for the losses sustained by the BN is with the prime minister himself. If he wishes to redeem himself and help resuscitate Umno and BN, he should resign now and let others rehabilitate the parties. As long as he remains Umno president, BN chairman and prime minister, recovery would be impossible
by Dr Mahathir Mohamad
Kuala Lumpur
in Letter to "The Sun" on 9 May 2008
Read Full Transcript of the letter
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=22185
Extracted from the following article
Why BN and Umno performed miserably
by Dr Mahathir Mohamad on 9 May 2008
Why UMNO Members voted for the Opposition?
(1) UMNO Members cannot speak their minds
Umno members did not want their party to lose. But they needed to send a message to Abdullah and his coterie of “Yes Men”. They could not speak their minds because all avenues were closed to them. Delegates to the Umno General Assembly were chosen because they would not criticise the president. My son Mukhriz had commented that there was nothing new in the president’s speech in 2006 and he was called up by the Umno Youth Committee, was scolded and told to choose between his father and the president.
Since Umno members could not express their real opinion regarding the government at any time and in any place, the only way they could convey their disenchantment with it was through voting at the general election. Voting was relatively secret and no action could be taken against them. So scared were the Umno voters that they might be found out that they never revealed to each other or to anyone of their intention to vote for the Opposition. And so it was that no one accurately forecast the massive swing in favour of the Opposition.
Some Umno members could not bring themselves to vote for the Opposition. And so they deliberately spoiled their votes. There were more than 300,000 spoilt votes in all, a record. It cannot be that after 50 years and 11 elections the voters still did not know how to vote
(2) UMNO CAndidates were not good.
Umno could have fielded really good candidates but despite the president assuring that all the candidates were clean and qualified, they lost. This was because the candidates were not good and they often replaced the giant-killers who had done well in the past. Most of the “parachuted” candidates were young and Umno members were angry because they suspected that these young candidates were chosen by one person. Do a survey and find out how many of these new candidates lost.
The leadership apparently believed that Umno members would vote for any candidate chosen by the party leader. The leadership, was grossly mistaken.
(3) PM Bring Family Unofficially into the Government
The first thing he did when becoming prime minister was to bring his family unofficially into the government. He can deny this but people know the activities of Khairy Jamaluddin and Kamaluddin Abdullah and their cronies, including those of the fourth floor. They often sit in meetings of government committees and when the prime minister met people.
Khairy’s winning the deputy Umno Youth post uncontested disgusted many people. Had it been a party veteran with years of service to the party winning uncontested, no one would object. But Khairy had been in Umno less than five years and had no record of service to Umno. How could he win uncontested?
(4) Mega Projects necessaries but cancelled.
Early in his term of office, Abdullah decided not to go ahead with the so-called mega projects initiated by me. That was his right. But what was not right and what caused people to think he was being vindictive was the suggestion that I was wasting money on my many “pet” projects so much so that the government no longer had money to continue with them. Actually people know the projects were necessary. Imagine Malaysia without the KLIA, Sentral Station, Penang Bridge, North-South Highway, double-tracking and electrification
(Malaysia Alternative Voices :
Double Track Project awarded to Gamuda costed RM14.5 Billion for Johor to Padang Besar in 2003 (when Pak Lah aborted the project
but was reawarded on Dec 2007 to Gamuda for RM 12.5 Billion for Ipoh to Padang Besar (less than half the initial project length)
- How many Billion has the Government/Peoples lost as a results of Abdullah Badawi decision to postpone the Projects.) - Personal View of Malaysia Alternative Voices - Not Dr. M view or Opinion.
, the LRT and monorail for Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya, toll roads, Westport, Tanjung Pelepas Port, Formula 1 circuit, KL Tower, ports, etc.
I will not mention the things he did which affected me alone and are not generally known to the public. This is because the voting public could not have been influenced by this.
(5) APs Issues
But what is known is his reaction to my criticism regarding the APs (Approved Permits) and the decision not to build the “crooked” bridge in Johor. He and his ministers publicly abused me and at one stage wanted to expel me from the party. Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz was extremely rude
(6) Singapore "Crooked" Bridge issue
If Singapore could not agree to build a straight bridge unless sand was sold to it, we could have gone on to build the “crooked” bridge which had nothing to do with Singapore. Irked by the refusal of Johoreans to sell sand and allow Singapore warplanes to fly over Johor air space, Abdullah disallowed the construction of even the “crooked” bridge. Why?
I am sure it was because the one billion cubic metres of sand he wanted to sell to Singapore was objected to by Johor. Someone stood to make RM1 billion or more over 20 years from the sale of sand. Singapore would like to have the sand at above market price even as the land reclaimed would be sold at S$3,000-S$5,000 per sq ft.
The objection by Johor was because mining the seabed sand would cause erosion of the shores, destroy fish breeding grounds and deprive Johor fishermen of their fishing ground. The royalty collected by Johor would be nothing compared to what Singapore could make from selling reclaimed land.
(7) Others Issues
There were other things done by Abdullah which the people did not like. These include matters related to
(1) the issuance of APs,
(2) the sale of MV Agusta,
(3) the CIQ building in Johor Baru,
(4) the double-tracking of the railway from JB to Padang Besar,
(5) miniature mosques and crystal mosques in Terengganu,
(6) the Monsoon Cup, the various corridors and
(7) the extensive renovation of Sri Perdana.
No matter how strongly he denies that he is the cause, no matter how many people he blames, he cannot explain why this catastrophe to the Umno, MCA, MIC and Gerakan and the BN had never happened under four previous prime ministers but happens only during this tenure. He cannot explain why the “sabotage” by Umno and the component party members in 2008 when in the past they had been very loyal and never failed to give the Alliance and the BN two-thirds majority in Parliament and control of almost all the states. If he refuses to go and tries to ignore the calls for his removal until the next election, the disgusted voters and party members will probably ensure the BN will be defeated at federal and state levels as the only way to end his premiership.
DAP and PAS will want to ensure that Abdullah remains until the next election because, as in 2008, the disgusted BN supporters will vote for the Opposition. This will be even more likely if PAS and DAP provide good government for the states under their care.
When that happens there will be no hope for Umno to make a comeback.
In Conclusion
In the final analysis, the responsibility for the losses sustained by the BN is with the prime minister himself. If he wishes to redeem himself and help resuscitate Umno and BN, he should resign now and let others rehabilitate the parties. As long as he remains Umno president, BN chairman and prime minister, recovery would be impossible
by Dr Mahathir Mohamad
Kuala Lumpur
in Letter to "The Sun" on 9 May 2008
Read Full Transcript of the letter
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=22185
Wednesday 7 May 2008
PM & the Oil for Food Scandal
PM & The Oil for Food Scandal
The Oil-for-Food Programme was established to allow Iraq to sell oil in exchange for food, medicine and other vital supplies. It did not take long however for the Iraqi government to abuse the programme by demanding kickbacks from companies. Several investigations were launched and voluminous reports written.
One of the names that cropped up in the final report of the Independant Inquiry Committee into The United Nations Oil-For-Food Programme was the Malaysian Prime Ministed Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Studying Chapter Two of the report, Malaysia was the fourth highest purchaser of oil under Phase IX of the programme (circa 2000 and above). This amounted to a figure of US$500 million or RM1.8 billion.
The report names Mastek Sdn Bhd as one of the companies that paid bribes to Iraqi officials amounting to US$10 million. The Prime Minister publicly denied any involvement in the scandal. He only recommended several people to participate in the Oil-for-Food Programme in his capacity as (then) Deputy Prime Minister. Malaysiakini was threatened by government officials for reporting on Abdullah Badawi's involvement.
The current Foreign Minister Syed Hamid issued a statement saying that the Prime Minister had nothing to gain from obtaining oil in Iraq. The Iraq Survey Group that prepared the report concluded that a person in the programme could profit by US$0.65 per barrel of oil obtained.
Returning to Mastek Sdn Bhd, it is listed as a saw timber company.
Mastek Sdn Bhd was at that time a dormant company which was revived by three persons, namely:
Noor Asiah Dato' Mahmood (Abdullah Badawi's sister-in-law)
Faek Ahmad Shareef (Noor Asiah's ex-husband)
Jaya Sudhir (businessman)
After it's revival it became a crude oil company, participating in Phase VII to Phase IX of the Oil-for-Food Programme. Currently Mastek Sdn Bhd is listed as a computer software develpoment company.
Prior to Phase IX, Mastek Sdn Bhd received roughly 7.5 million barrels of oil. During Phase IX however, Mastek Sdn Bhd's oil allocation rose to 39.5 million barrels. This coincided with the time when Abdullah Badawi cemented his position as the Deputy Prime Minister, after the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim. In fact, this was the single largest allocation of oil during the entire Oil-for-Food Programme.
The report specifically stated that Iraqi officials gave such a large allocation to Faek Ahmad because of his relationship to Abdullah Badawi. In written documents, Iraqi officials referred to Faek Ahmad as "Mr. Faek Ahmad Shareef/for the benefit of Abdullah". According to the definition of corruption as defined by the Anti-Corruption Agency, translated as below:
“Any officer of the civil service using his/her position or post in the service to obtain bribes/benefits regarding any decision made by the person or making a decision regarding any matter, in which he/her, his/her family members, friends or partners have a stake in the matter, whether direct or indirect.”
Abdullah Badawi's role in the scandal skirts dangerously close to the definition of corruption.
Besides Mastek Sdn Bhd, another Malaysian company implicated in the report is Tradeyear Sdn Bhd. Listed as it's non-contractual beneficiaries are Faek Ahamd as well as a certain "Mr. Abdullah Badawi".
Tradeyear Sdn Bhd was allocated 9.2 million barrels of oil, after paying surcharges (aka bribes) of US$116,000. 9.2 million barrels of oil translates to a profit of US$6 million. Looks like a certain "Mr. Abdullah Badawi" is laughing all the way to the bank.
A simple search of the report turns out another two Malaysian companies that implicated in kickbacks, Jawala Corp Sdn Bhd of Dato Majid Khan (US$1 million) and Petma Oil of Dato Paduka L.M.N Affendi (US$110,000). To it's credit, Petronas was charged with surcharges but refused to pay.
As far back as June 2006, Teresa Kok (MP for Seputeh) had raised the issue in Parliament. Now it is May 2007 and no action has been taken against the companies mentioned nor has any satisfactory explanation been given. It's no wonder that Parliament leaks. The report can be found here.
Source:
The above article was quoted from www.hubpages.com
http://hubpages.com/hub/PM__The_Oil_for_Food_Scandal
The Oil-for-Food Programme was established to allow Iraq to sell oil in exchange for food, medicine and other vital supplies. It did not take long however for the Iraqi government to abuse the programme by demanding kickbacks from companies. Several investigations were launched and voluminous reports written.
One of the names that cropped up in the final report of the Independant Inquiry Committee into The United Nations Oil-For-Food Programme was the Malaysian Prime Ministed Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Studying Chapter Two of the report, Malaysia was the fourth highest purchaser of oil under Phase IX of the programme (circa 2000 and above). This amounted to a figure of US$500 million or RM1.8 billion.
The report names Mastek Sdn Bhd as one of the companies that paid bribes to Iraqi officials amounting to US$10 million. The Prime Minister publicly denied any involvement in the scandal. He only recommended several people to participate in the Oil-for-Food Programme in his capacity as (then) Deputy Prime Minister. Malaysiakini was threatened by government officials for reporting on Abdullah Badawi's involvement.
The current Foreign Minister Syed Hamid issued a statement saying that the Prime Minister had nothing to gain from obtaining oil in Iraq. The Iraq Survey Group that prepared the report concluded that a person in the programme could profit by US$0.65 per barrel of oil obtained.
Returning to Mastek Sdn Bhd, it is listed as a saw timber company.
Mastek Sdn Bhd was at that time a dormant company which was revived by three persons, namely:
Noor Asiah Dato' Mahmood (Abdullah Badawi's sister-in-law)
Faek Ahmad Shareef (Noor Asiah's ex-husband)
Jaya Sudhir (businessman)
After it's revival it became a crude oil company, participating in Phase VII to Phase IX of the Oil-for-Food Programme. Currently Mastek Sdn Bhd is listed as a computer software develpoment company.
Prior to Phase IX, Mastek Sdn Bhd received roughly 7.5 million barrels of oil. During Phase IX however, Mastek Sdn Bhd's oil allocation rose to 39.5 million barrels. This coincided with the time when Abdullah Badawi cemented his position as the Deputy Prime Minister, after the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim. In fact, this was the single largest allocation of oil during the entire Oil-for-Food Programme.
The report specifically stated that Iraqi officials gave such a large allocation to Faek Ahmad because of his relationship to Abdullah Badawi. In written documents, Iraqi officials referred to Faek Ahmad as "Mr. Faek Ahmad Shareef/for the benefit of Abdullah". According to the definition of corruption as defined by the Anti-Corruption Agency, translated as below:
“Any officer of the civil service using his/her position or post in the service to obtain bribes/benefits regarding any decision made by the person or making a decision regarding any matter, in which he/her, his/her family members, friends or partners have a stake in the matter, whether direct or indirect.”
Abdullah Badawi's role in the scandal skirts dangerously close to the definition of corruption.
Besides Mastek Sdn Bhd, another Malaysian company implicated in the report is Tradeyear Sdn Bhd. Listed as it's non-contractual beneficiaries are Faek Ahamd as well as a certain "Mr. Abdullah Badawi".
Tradeyear Sdn Bhd was allocated 9.2 million barrels of oil, after paying surcharges (aka bribes) of US$116,000. 9.2 million barrels of oil translates to a profit of US$6 million. Looks like a certain "Mr. Abdullah Badawi" is laughing all the way to the bank.
A simple search of the report turns out another two Malaysian companies that implicated in kickbacks, Jawala Corp Sdn Bhd of Dato Majid Khan (US$1 million) and Petma Oil of Dato Paduka L.M.N Affendi (US$110,000). To it's credit, Petronas was charged with surcharges but refused to pay.
As far back as June 2006, Teresa Kok (MP for Seputeh) had raised the issue in Parliament. Now it is May 2007 and no action has been taken against the companies mentioned nor has any satisfactory explanation been given. It's no wonder that Parliament leaks. The report can be found here.
Source:
The above article was quoted from www.hubpages.com
http://hubpages.com/hub/PM__The_Oil_for_Food_Scandal
Top student denied place in university
Top student denied place in university
Malaysia Alternative Voices:
With references to the Letter to "The Star" Published on 5 May 2008 an 7 May 2008
To the Government / Relevant Authority
- Why are there no reply to these letters?
- What are the Criteria that is required for these Top Students to be rejected?
- Why are they rejected?
- What else should these poor student do?
Can the Ministry of Education / Relevant Authority / Government please reply and clarify?
We really would like to hear your side of the story
To MCA
- What have you done to help these poor Top Students?
- Have you not heard them?
To the Opposition / Pakatan Rakyat
- What happen to the "Ketuanan Rakyat" that you all pledge.
- Why are these issues never been raised? Sensetive , I guess is the answer
To Other affected
- Please continue to voice up until your voice is heard
Malaysia Alternative Voices Pledge :-
- We are not asking for equal rights with the Bumiputera, let the Bumiputera have their priviliges they deserved, we are only asking for Transparency and a well defined admision criterias
- We understand that the Government have limited spaces and scholarship, we are not asking the Government to admit everyone, we are only asking the Government to admit the deserving students and top performers. (Retain the Best Brain in Malaysia)
Is that TOO MUCH TO ASK ?
Let give the Students hope, dont kill off the the Younger Generation hope. It is sad to hear the younger generation say, "No need to study so hard, we are not getting to get into the Universities anyway"
Read on to the letter to "The Star", feel the Student pain and despair, it you all have a Heart.
Letter To the Star - No 2 : 7 May 2008
Top student denied place in university
I REFER to the letter “9A1s and no scholarship or place in local varsity” (The Star, May 5). At present, I am in the same situation as the writer.
I am a student of Indian-Muslim origin. In the 2007 SPM examination, I obtained 7A1s, 3A2s and 1B4. Right after receiving my results, I applied for admission to local universities as well as a PSD scholarship. I was confident of getting a place.
A few weeks later, I was called up for an interview for the PSD scholarship. I was quite happy then because I did not expect to be short-listed.
However, my dreams were dashed when I found out that I was denied a place not just in the local universities, but also in matriculation studies. It's not just me, but also my Chinese and Indian friends, who had equally good if not better results than me.
Right now most of them have resigned to their fate and they have no choice but to enter Form 6 or spend their own money to enroll in private institutions.
I studied in a Government school for a full 11 years and yet why is the Government not helping me to pursue my tertiary education? My friends and I studied hard for SPM and yet we have very slim chances in furthering our studies except by going through Form 6.
Right now, I am just waiting for the outcome of the PSD scholarship and also reply from a private learning institution. I hope the Government would do something about this and consider our feelings. Please don't punish us just because we are non-bumiputras. We are Malaysians too.
DISAPPOINTED & DEJECTED,
Kampar.
Letter To the Star - No 1 : 5 May 2008
9A1s and no scholarship or place in local varsity
I AM very desperate about my future. I obtained 9A1s, 2A2s and 1B3 in the 2007 SPM examination. Upon receiving my results, I immediately applied for a PSD scholarship, hoping to further my studies overseas.
However, my heart was broken when I found out that I was not even short-listed for an interview. I sent a letter to the Prime Minister via http://www.warkahuntukpm.com.my/ appealing for an interview. There was no reply.
I also applied for admission to the local universities and was confident that I could get a place. But again, I was disappointed when I checked the Higher Education Ministry's website yesterday.
Before that, I was also denied a place for matriculation studies.
Frankly, all my hopes for the country are diminishing due to the short-sightedness of our policy-makers. I just do not understand them. Deserving students should be given a chance to further their education.
Are we less deserving just because we are non-bumiputras?
DESPERATE STUDENT,
Kuala Lumpur.
Malaysia Alternative Voices:
With references to the Letter to "The Star" Published on 5 May 2008 an 7 May 2008
To the Government / Relevant Authority
- Why are there no reply to these letters?
- What are the Criteria that is required for these Top Students to be rejected?
- Why are they rejected?
- What else should these poor student do?
Can the Ministry of Education / Relevant Authority / Government please reply and clarify?
We really would like to hear your side of the story
To MCA
- What have you done to help these poor Top Students?
- Have you not heard them?
To the Opposition / Pakatan Rakyat
- What happen to the "Ketuanan Rakyat" that you all pledge.
- Why are these issues never been raised? Sensetive , I guess is the answer
To Other affected
- Please continue to voice up until your voice is heard
Malaysia Alternative Voices Pledge :-
- We are not asking for equal rights with the Bumiputera, let the Bumiputera have their priviliges they deserved, we are only asking for Transparency and a well defined admision criterias
- We understand that the Government have limited spaces and scholarship, we are not asking the Government to admit everyone, we are only asking the Government to admit the deserving students and top performers. (Retain the Best Brain in Malaysia)
Is that TOO MUCH TO ASK ?
Let give the Students hope, dont kill off the the Younger Generation hope. It is sad to hear the younger generation say, "No need to study so hard, we are not getting to get into the Universities anyway"
Read on to the letter to "The Star", feel the Student pain and despair, it you all have a Heart.
Letter To the Star - No 2 : 7 May 2008
Top student denied place in university
I REFER to the letter “9A1s and no scholarship or place in local varsity” (The Star, May 5). At present, I am in the same situation as the writer.
I am a student of Indian-Muslim origin. In the 2007 SPM examination, I obtained 7A1s, 3A2s and 1B4. Right after receiving my results, I applied for admission to local universities as well as a PSD scholarship. I was confident of getting a place.
A few weeks later, I was called up for an interview for the PSD scholarship. I was quite happy then because I did not expect to be short-listed.
However, my dreams were dashed when I found out that I was denied a place not just in the local universities, but also in matriculation studies. It's not just me, but also my Chinese and Indian friends, who had equally good if not better results than me.
Right now most of them have resigned to their fate and they have no choice but to enter Form 6 or spend their own money to enroll in private institutions.
I studied in a Government school for a full 11 years and yet why is the Government not helping me to pursue my tertiary education? My friends and I studied hard for SPM and yet we have very slim chances in furthering our studies except by going through Form 6.
Right now, I am just waiting for the outcome of the PSD scholarship and also reply from a private learning institution. I hope the Government would do something about this and consider our feelings. Please don't punish us just because we are non-bumiputras. We are Malaysians too.
DISAPPOINTED & DEJECTED,
Kampar.
Letter To the Star - No 1 : 5 May 2008
9A1s and no scholarship or place in local varsity
I AM very desperate about my future. I obtained 9A1s, 2A2s and 1B3 in the 2007 SPM examination. Upon receiving my results, I immediately applied for a PSD scholarship, hoping to further my studies overseas.
However, my heart was broken when I found out that I was not even short-listed for an interview. I sent a letter to the Prime Minister via http://www.warkahuntukpm.com.my/ appealing for an interview. There was no reply.
I also applied for admission to the local universities and was confident that I could get a place. But again, I was disappointed when I checked the Higher Education Ministry's website yesterday.
Before that, I was also denied a place for matriculation studies.
Frankly, all my hopes for the country are diminishing due to the short-sightedness of our policy-makers. I just do not understand them. Deserving students should be given a chance to further their education.
Are we less deserving just because we are non-bumiputras?
DESPERATE STUDENT,
Kuala Lumpur.
Amazing : Bribe on K'tan Voter but ACA No Charges (Despite Clear Evidence)
PM's reply on bribing K'tan voters amazing, says Kok
KUALA LUMPUR (May 6, 2008): Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) said the Prime Minister's reply to her question on money given by the Barisan Nasional (BN) to Kelantan voters to return to cast their ballots in the March 8 general election is "amazing".
"It's money politics ... I have all the photographs of voters receiving RM200 from the BN posted on my blog.
How could the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) say the evidence did not qualify for an offence under the Anti-Corruption Act 1997.
"Despite what have been reported in the papers, the ACA did not do anything.
This is definitely not in line with the prime minister's promise to curb corruption with an Independent Commission Against Corruption, just like in Hongkong," she told a press conference in the Dewan Rakyat lobby today.
R. Sivarasa (PKR-Subang) also expressed disappointment over the prime minister's reply.
He said the Coalition for Clean and Fair Election (Bersih) had held a press conference on March 17 to make the issue public.
"As far as I know, the ACA does not need an official complaint to initiate an investigation as long as it receives the information from known or anonymous sources.
"So, why is the ACA saying now that it did not receive an official complaint and therefore it could not find sufficient evidence as well as the Election Commission which said that it did not have any information nor knowledge on the issue raised by Kok," he said.
Read more on "Evidence of BN sending Phantom Voters to Kelanatn" in Teresa Kok blog
http://teresakok.com/2008/03/07/evidence-of-bn-sending-phantom-voters-to-kelantan-2/
Quoted by Malaysia Alternative Voices from Teresa Kok Blog
Evidence of BN Sending Phantom Voters to Kelantan?
March 7th, 2008 by Teresa
I was really surprised to see all the tents that has been set up by Barisan Nasional at the car park there. There was a card with the name of a Parliamentary constituency placed on top of each tent, like Pasir Puteh, Kubang Kerian, Pengkalan Chepa etc. There are blue uniformed workers in each tent, and most of them mainly Malays,qued up at each tent toregister. I met some reporters there and I told them that I suspected this is a phantom voters shifting exercise.
I then sat with a woman with two kids. She told me she was from Pengkalan Chepa. She showed me and to reporters an evelope containing RM200 that she had collected from the counter. The press then took photos of her and me. She was a bit hesitant to be photographed but then we assured her that her full face would not be published in the media.
KUALA LUMPUR (May 6, 2008): Teresa Kok (DAP-Seputeh) said the Prime Minister's reply to her question on money given by the Barisan Nasional (BN) to Kelantan voters to return to cast their ballots in the March 8 general election is "amazing".
"It's money politics ... I have all the photographs of voters receiving RM200 from the BN posted on my blog.
How could the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) say the evidence did not qualify for an offence under the Anti-Corruption Act 1997.
"Despite what have been reported in the papers, the ACA did not do anything.
This is definitely not in line with the prime minister's promise to curb corruption with an Independent Commission Against Corruption, just like in Hongkong," she told a press conference in the Dewan Rakyat lobby today.
R. Sivarasa (PKR-Subang) also expressed disappointment over the prime minister's reply.
He said the Coalition for Clean and Fair Election (Bersih) had held a press conference on March 17 to make the issue public.
"As far as I know, the ACA does not need an official complaint to initiate an investigation as long as it receives the information from known or anonymous sources.
"So, why is the ACA saying now that it did not receive an official complaint and therefore it could not find sufficient evidence as well as the Election Commission which said that it did not have any information nor knowledge on the issue raised by Kok," he said.
Khairy : The Richest Unemployed
The ‘richest unemployed (person) in the world.’
- Read more on Khairy Jamaluddin and ECM Libra on
http://malaysiavoices.blogspot.com/2007/05/khairy-jamaluddin-and-ecm-libra.html
This remark riled up Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau) who locked horns with veteran politician Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor) in the Dewan Rakyat today.
The shouting match started when Khairy interrupted Lim’s debate on the royal address, where the DAP supremo was stressing a point on the government’s anti-corruption fight.
Khairy asked Lim whether the other four states under the Pakatan Rakyat rule will follow Penang’s footstep and practise open tender for state projects.
“Are we going to see an uniformity in Perak, Kedah, Selangor and Kelantan as well for an open tender system?” asked the first time MP and son-in-law of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
This led Lim to ask Khairy if he agreed with the Penang state government’s move and a ruckus erupted when the DAP leader took a swipe at the Umno Youth deputy chief.
The backbenchers joined in the fray.
“It seems he (Khairy) agrees and supports (Penang’s move), so we thank you. Whether this will be done in other states, we will discuss but what is most important is the principle of accountability, transparency and good governance.
“Among others we want to know how did a person who has declared himself as unemployed can become the richest unemployed in the world? How an unemployed can sell off his shares in ECM Libra with losses? Unemployed? Where did the money come from?” said Lim.
‘A simple, constructive question’
Although Lim did not mention names, this was an obvious reference to Khairy, who gave up the stake in the investment advisory group two years ago.
The Rembau MP then cited the standing orders to defend himself. He however appeared calm and composed in rebutting Lim.
Khairy: Standing order 36 (9) states that no reference shall be made in any debate to the conduct or character of any MP other than the conduct in the capacity of MP… I ask a question which can be easily answered but I’m dragged into a question which is out of my conduct as a MP.
Deputy Speaker Ronald Kiandee: The standing order applies, we shall move on to another topic.
Lim: He is indeed the richest unemployed!
Nga Kor Ming (DAP-Taiping): Isn’t this is a case of siapa makan cili, siapa rasa pedas (the person who did wrong feels guilty)
Khairy: Ipoh Timor continues having the same attitude … I was only asking a constructive question, a simple question…
Deputy speaker: You can’t debate on a MP’s conduct (outside the House).
Lim: This is not about the conduct, this is someone who is the richest unemployed in the world!
Deputy speaker: Please proceed with other topics.
“Don’t become the richest unemployed then,” replied Lim, ending the shouting match and proceeding with his debate on the royal address.
Is there a division?
Despite being a rookie in Parliament, Khairy repeatedly interjected Lim’s debate since this morning and took on the seasoned politician, stealing much of the limelight in the process.
As Lim moved on to the post-election political scene, Khairy again interjected and questioned whether there was a division among the Pakatan component parties.
Citing Perak as an example, he said Menteri Besar Mohamed Nizar Jamaluddin from PAS has reinstated a state religious top official following the palace’s request, a move which was however questioned by Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) as unconstitutional.
“This (Parliament) is not the fourth floor,” retorted Lim, saying the BN-led state government had also faced a crisis with the palace over the Terengganu menteri besar post after the March 8 polls.
Earlier this morning, the duo had crossed swords over blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin who was charged with sedition today.
- Read more on Khairy Jamaluddin and ECM Libra on
http://malaysiavoices.blogspot.com/2007/05/khairy-jamaluddin-and-ecm-libra.html
This remark riled up Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau) who locked horns with veteran politician Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timor) in the Dewan Rakyat today.
The shouting match started when Khairy interrupted Lim’s debate on the royal address, where the DAP supremo was stressing a point on the government’s anti-corruption fight.
Khairy asked Lim whether the other four states under the Pakatan Rakyat rule will follow Penang’s footstep and practise open tender for state projects.
“Are we going to see an uniformity in Perak, Kedah, Selangor and Kelantan as well for an open tender system?” asked the first time MP and son-in-law of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
This led Lim to ask Khairy if he agreed with the Penang state government’s move and a ruckus erupted when the DAP leader took a swipe at the Umno Youth deputy chief.
The backbenchers joined in the fray.
“It seems he (Khairy) agrees and supports (Penang’s move), so we thank you. Whether this will be done in other states, we will discuss but what is most important is the principle of accountability, transparency and good governance.
“Among others we want to know how did a person who has declared himself as unemployed can become the richest unemployed in the world? How an unemployed can sell off his shares in ECM Libra with losses? Unemployed? Where did the money come from?” said Lim.
‘A simple, constructive question’
Although Lim did not mention names, this was an obvious reference to Khairy, who gave up the stake in the investment advisory group two years ago.
The Rembau MP then cited the standing orders to defend himself. He however appeared calm and composed in rebutting Lim.
Khairy: Standing order 36 (9) states that no reference shall be made in any debate to the conduct or character of any MP other than the conduct in the capacity of MP… I ask a question which can be easily answered but I’m dragged into a question which is out of my conduct as a MP.
Deputy Speaker Ronald Kiandee: The standing order applies, we shall move on to another topic.
Lim: He is indeed the richest unemployed!
Nga Kor Ming (DAP-Taiping): Isn’t this is a case of siapa makan cili, siapa rasa pedas (the person who did wrong feels guilty)
Khairy: Ipoh Timor continues having the same attitude … I was only asking a constructive question, a simple question…
Deputy speaker: You can’t debate on a MP’s conduct (outside the House).
Lim: This is not about the conduct, this is someone who is the richest unemployed in the world!
Deputy speaker: Please proceed with other topics.
“Don’t become the richest unemployed then,” replied Lim, ending the shouting match and proceeding with his debate on the royal address.
Is there a division?
Despite being a rookie in Parliament, Khairy repeatedly interjected Lim’s debate since this morning and took on the seasoned politician, stealing much of the limelight in the process.
As Lim moved on to the post-election political scene, Khairy again interjected and questioned whether there was a division among the Pakatan component parties.
Citing Perak as an example, he said Menteri Besar Mohamed Nizar Jamaluddin from PAS has reinstated a state religious top official following the palace’s request, a move which was however questioned by Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor) as unconstitutional.
“This (Parliament) is not the fourth floor,” retorted Lim, saying the BN-led state government had also faced a crisis with the palace over the Terengganu menteri besar post after the March 8 polls.
Earlier this morning, the duo had crossed swords over blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin who was charged with sedition today.
Tuesday 6 May 2008
PM & DPM Spending on Executive Jet
In Parlimen 30 April 2008.
Quoted from Tony Pua Blog.
Here's an interesting question posted by Abdul Hadi Awang (MARANG) last Wednesday, and the reply from the Prime Minister's office, in case you missed it in your local papers.
Berapakah jumlah perbelanjaan yang ditanggung oleh Kerajaan sepanjang tempoh kempen Pilihan Raya Umum ke 12 dari 24 Februari sehingga 7 Mac 2008 hasil dari penggunaan jet eksekutif Kerajaan bagi kegunaan YAB Perdana Menteri dan YAB Timbalan Perdana Menteri.
And the answer?
Bagi tempoh 24 Februari sehingga 7 Mac 2008, jumlah perbelanjaan untuk penggunaan jet eksekutif adalah sebanyak RM792,325.20.
Quoted from Tony Pua Blog.
Here's an interesting question posted by Abdul Hadi Awang (MARANG) last Wednesday, and the reply from the Prime Minister's office, in case you missed it in your local papers.
Berapakah jumlah perbelanjaan yang ditanggung oleh Kerajaan sepanjang tempoh kempen Pilihan Raya Umum ke 12 dari 24 Februari sehingga 7 Mac 2008 hasil dari penggunaan jet eksekutif Kerajaan bagi kegunaan YAB Perdana Menteri dan YAB Timbalan Perdana Menteri.
And the answer?
Bagi tempoh 24 Februari sehingga 7 Mac 2008, jumlah perbelanjaan untuk penggunaan jet eksekutif adalah sebanyak RM792,325.20.
Monday 5 May 2008
Probe on Multi-Billion Submarine Deal - Wan Azizah
Quoted from
The Sun
by Husna Yusop, Llew-Ann Phang and Giam Say Khoon
• Speaker wants full control
KUALA LUMPUR (May 5, 2008): Opposition Leader Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR-Permatang Pauh) challenged the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to set up an independent commission to probe the multi-billion ringgit purchases by the Defence Ministry.
She said the government’s integrity was severely affected when government leaders consented to corruption and wastage, practiced nepotism by distributing contracts and shares to family members and cronyism by enriching only a small group of society.
She quoted the purchase of military equipment or specifically the Scorpene submarine worth RM4.5 billion and the Sukhoi jet worth RM3.2 billion whereby massive amounts of commission were paid.
"The people’s perception is that these may not be commissions but bribes between the leaders and individuals who received the commissions,” she added.
read more in The Sun
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=22001
The Sun
by Husna Yusop, Llew-Ann Phang and Giam Say Khoon
• Speaker wants full control
KUALA LUMPUR (May 5, 2008): Opposition Leader Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR-Permatang Pauh) challenged the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to set up an independent commission to probe the multi-billion ringgit purchases by the Defence Ministry.
She said the government’s integrity was severely affected when government leaders consented to corruption and wastage, practiced nepotism by distributing contracts and shares to family members and cronyism by enriching only a small group of society.
She quoted the purchase of military equipment or specifically the Scorpene submarine worth RM4.5 billion and the Sukhoi jet worth RM3.2 billion whereby massive amounts of commission were paid.
"The people’s perception is that these may not be commissions but bribes between the leaders and individuals who received the commissions,” she added.
read more in The Sun
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=22001
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