THE CONSTANTLY GRUMBLING CHINESE

by Raja Petra Kamarudin

"...The Malays are split into four groups. There are the Malays who support Ketuanan Melayu and the New Economic Policy. These Malays will vote for Umno come hell or high water. And they will defend Ketuanan Melayu and the New Economic Policy with their six-inch keris to the death.

Then there are the Malays who support PAS, basically because they believe it is the Islamic thing to do.

Then there are Malays who want to see transparency, good governance, freedom of expression and assembly, independence of the judiciary, an end to abuse of power and corruption, an end to police brutality, and all those other ‘Western notions’. These Malays will vote for PKR.

Then there are those Malays who don’t care a damn and think that all politicians are hypocrites and politics is sheer bullshit. They don’t bother to come out to vote or even to register as voters.

The Malays are clear in their leanings. They don’t hide their feelings. They say it as they see it and you can go to hell if you don’t like what they say for all they care.

But you can’t say the same about the Chinese. They grumble and grumble till the cows come home. But they will do the exact opposite of how they feel. They equate Barisan Nasional as the reincarnation of the devil. But then they will vote for Barisan Nasional because it is the devil they know and the devil they know is better than an angel they don’t know..." Read more

UMNO PENGHALANG HUKUM HUDUD?

by pinkturtle2

"....Paling minima yang Umno lakukan adalah jangan terus mengeluarkan kata-kata bodoh dalam isu hudud ini. Ini kerana kamu bercakap tentang hukum Islam. Dalam perkara yang bukan agama jika kamu salah bercakap, kamu hanya membuat kesilapan dan kesilapan tersebut tidak akan menjejaskan aqidah kamu.

Sebaliknya isu agama lain. Jika salah bercakap sila-silap akan tergelincir aqidah. Atas dasar itu dalam isu hudud diamnya para pemimpin Umno lebih baik daripada mereka bercakap. Ini kerana jika mereka diam kita mungkin rasa mereka jahil dalam isu hudud ini sebaliknya jika mereka bercakap barulah kita sedar memang confirmlah mereka ini memang jahil...." Read more

IS UMNO STILL AT STONE AGE?

by pinkturtle2, http://pinkturtle2.wordpress.com/

"...Nak kata lawak, tak lawak. Nak kata tak lawak, macam lawak. Itu yang saya rasai selepas membaca laporan Utusan Malaysia yang menyebut bahawa seorang bekas Ketua UMNO Bahagian Hulu Langat, Datuk Ahamad Kuris Mohd Nor didapati bersalah melanggar tataetika parti kerana mengadakan blog untuk tujuan berkempen bagi jawatan Ketua Bahagian dan telah diberi amaran dalam perbicaraan yang berlangsung pada 17 Disember lalu....."

"...Kalau berkempen melalui blog menjadi kesalahan, maka UMNO kena hapuskan peraturan lapuk tu. Peraturan begitu bukan sahaja menjadikan orang ketawa, malah boleh membuat orang menjauhkan diri dari UMNO..."

"...bagaimanakah UMNO (atau BN) nak hadapi PKR dan PAS yang hebat menggunakan “new media” sedangkan ahli UMNO tak dibenarkan berkempen menggunakan blog. Kalau tak gunakan blog, Facebook, Myspace, Youtube, Friendster, chat dan lain-lain sewaktu pemilihan parti, bagaimanakah mereka nak mahir gunakan semua itu dalam pilihanraya umum nanti?...." Read more

BN, PAS, HUDUD, HUSAM, KHAIRY

by http://fikir2renung2.blogspot.com

".....Propaganda barat tentang Taliban Afghanistan. Mana ada media barat yang sokong Islam? Benda yang betul akan diputarbelitkan supaya Islam nampak zalim. Israel yang jelas zalim tidak diperbesar-besarkan bahkan bagaikan menjadi perkara biasa sahaja bila umat Islam Palestin dibunuh, diseksa dan bermacam-macam kezaliman lagi.

Dan media Malaysia tidak terkecuali bersekongkol menambah perisa propoganda tersebut. Siapakah mereka ini? Mereka terdiri dari wartawan, editor dan pemilik media cetak dan elektronik yang rela menjaga perut dari memelihara agama yang suci ini. Walhal mereka turut bersembahyang tetapi adakah sembahyang mereka itu diterima? Kerana hudud adalah nas yang soheh di dalam Al-Quran, menolak SATU HURUF dari Al-Quran sudah menjadi kafir dan kekal di dalam neraka selama-lamanya inikan pula secara jelas menolak sebahagian hukum dariNYa...." Read more

HUSAM'S POLITICAL TRANSFORMATION

by Khairy Jamaluddin,

"....Akibat pukulan dan desakan DAP ini, Dato' Husam yang tampak berani dan bersemangat tinggi semasa majlis Wacana di Balai Islam Kota Bharu, tiba-tiba pula menjadi ikon transformasi politik layu di mana dengan longlai dan lesunya tunduk kepada gertakan DAP. Tidak sampai dua hari selepas Dato' Husam dengan lantang memberi jaminan kepada penyokong tegar PAS di gelanggangnya sendiri bahawa hudud akan dilaksanakan sekiranya Pakatan Rakyat mengambil alih kuasa kerajaan persekutuan, beliau sudah pun "surrender" dan kata hukum hudud tidak akan dilaksanakan kerana memerlukan persetujuan rakan kongsi "senior" dalam Pakatan Rakyat yakni PKR dan DAP......" Read more

WHO INSTRUCTS TV3 TO ATTACK AHMAD SAID?

by Si Keldai, malaysiaaktif.com

"....Apa tujuan TV3 menyerang Ahmad Said (photo)? Berlaku pula ketika UMNO Terengganu sedang bersiap sedia untuk menghadapi pilihan raya kecil Kuala Terengganu. Barangkali ada kaitan dengan urusan pemilihan calon BN untuk pilihan raya itu. Agaknya Ahmad Said telah melukai perasaan orang-orang tertentu dalam memilih siapa yang layak dan tidak layak menjadi calon BN dalam pilihan raya kecil itu.

Disebabkan orang kuat di Bahagian Hal Ehwal Semasa TV3 adalah bekas Setiausaha Akhbar Pak Lah, maka peristiwa ini boleh menimbulkan tanggapan buruk terhadap Perdana Menteri. Seolah-olah TV3 menyerang Ahmad Said dengan restu Pak Lah. Tidak fasal-fasal Pak Lah yang dapat nama buruk..." Read more

KELANTAN UMNO BACKS HUDUD

by Leslie Lau, The Malaysian Insider

"...Kelantan Umno will lobby the federal government to allow the Islamist party Pas to introduce hudud law, which prescribes stoning, whipping and amputation as punishment for criminal offences, in what will certainly spark intense debate and rouse opposition from non-Muslims.
The Malaysian Insider understands the Kelantan state Umno leadership is planning to declare their support, which comes on the heels of Pas vice president Datuk Husam Musa's (photo)admission on Saturday that his party would introduce hudud if it wins federal power.
The support appears designed to place pressure on Pas, which has successfully gained support among more moderate Malaysians by appearing to place its stated aim of forming a theocratic Islamic state on the back-burner.
Pas has tried to project a more moderate and progressive image in recent years, but this has resulted in some restlessness from among its more conservative members, and a clear split in the party..." Read more

BATTLE OF THE EASTERN FRONT

by Raja Petra Kamarudin

"...Yes, Kuala Terengganu is not Kuala Terengganu. Kuala Terengganu is Batu Burok, Wakaf Mempelam, Ladang and Bandar. And Batu Burok is government officers, fishermen and farmers while Bandar is strong Chinese. And the Chinese, who form about 11% of the 80,000 or so voters, are Hokkien and Hainanese. This makes Kuala Terengganu most interesting and extremely unpredictable.Much will depend on the candidate chosen by PAS and Umno.

For PAS, there are four possibilities. Mustapha Ali, Wan Abdul Muttalib Embong, Mohamad Sabu (photo) and Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi (photo). All four have their strengths and weaknesses...."

"....Umno may probably choose Wan Farid Wan Salleh (photo), who is Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s Political Secretary but his hands are tainted with the shooting of the two Bersih demonstrators in Batu Burok awhile back. He is also implicated in the mismanagement and abuse of the RM1 billion a year Wang Ehsan or oil royalty.

Wan Farid’s brother, Wan Hisham, together with Patrick Lim, is the man behind the RM300 million a year Terengganu Monsoon Cup. Whether Terengganu folks can forgive Wan Farid for the shooting during the Bersih rally, plus for the abuse of billions of ringgit of oil royalty, is left to be seen because there would be a lot of issues to use against him..." Read more

MAHATHIR ON IJN'S PRIVATISATION

by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, http://test.chedet.com

".....If it is going to give the same service to civil servants and pensioners the Government will have to pay out the same amount of money after privatisation. How does the Government gain? Besides if the poor are going to be charged the same low fees and charges how does Sime Darby make money?

Or will the Government continue to subsidise an ever growing bill for treatment of the poor? If so why is there a need to privatise? How does Sime Darby, a business entity make money when 80 per cent of the patients are poor?

Some of the major surgeries performed there are so costly that the IJN lost money on them. Will Sime Darby shoulder these losses?

There are far too many questions about this privatisation which need to be answered. Some I think cannot be answered.

I seldom oppose privatisation but this is one instant when I feel privatisation is the wrong thing to do. Leave this institution as it is. It is our pride and it is doing a good job as it is.

The Barisan Nasional Government is not too popular today. Why do something that may give the opposition another issue to belabour the Government...." Read more

DEBATE SUMMARY; HUSAM, KHAIRY, PROF. AZIZ BARI

by ://pemudabesut.blogspot.com/

'....Husam kata berlaku transformasi politik yang hebat pada PRU-12. Khairy pula jawab sebenarnya rakayt hanya memberi undi protes kepada pakatan rakyat. Undi kepada pakatan rakyat hanyalah untuk mengajar UMNO. Khairy menegaskan rakyat akan mengundi BN semula pada PRU akan datang..."

"....Prof Aziz selaku orang yang pakar dalam undang2 begitu hebat mengkritik suruhanjaya baru yang dibentuk ini dakwanya ini satu lagi suruhanjaya ditubuhkan oleh BN. Azam itu ada tetapi pelaksanaan bakal pincang dengan mengambil contoh kegagalan SUHAKAM dalam membawa suara2 yang teraniaya. Sudah beberapa kali SUHAKAM menyediakan laporan untuk dibawa ke parlimen tp PM buat pekak bodoh jer..kata Prof Aziz...."

'...Isu UITM juga timbul apabila seorang penyokong UMNO bangun bertanyakan soalan kepada Husam. Belum sempat Husam ingin menjawab soalan itu dijawab oleh Prof Aziz bahawa itu adalah perkara kecil dan sudah basi. Sepatutunya soalan itu tidak ditanya lagi. Jawapan itu disambut dengan sorakan sokongan oleh penyokong2 PAS. Tambah Prof Dr Aziz lagi TPM Najib sendiri akan menghapuskan DEB. Kenapa UMNO tidak bising bila Najib nak hapuskan DEB?..." Read more

ABDUL LATIF; GOVT WILL NOT PRIVATISE IJN

KUALA TERENGGANU, Dec 20 — The government today assured the people that it will not sell nor privatise the National Heart Institute (IJN) so long as there is no alternative which provide similar service to the people, Deputy Health Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad said.
He said that while the idea to privatise the IJN was good because the government would no longer be burdened by the high costs of subsidising treatments at the institute, now was not the best time to do so.
“It is a good idea but what about those in the low-income group? Can they be assured of obtaining similar service?
“These are the things that the government needs to consider,” he told reporters after a dialogue with Terengganu Health Department staff here.
He also said that the people should not be worried as until an alternative service was available, the government would not entertain any proposal to privatise or sell IJN. — Bernama

HIGHEST PAID CEOS IN MALAYSIA

by http://skorcareer.com.my

".....The CEO of Genting, Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay was ranked as the highest paid CEO in the Malaysia’s corporate world with staggering earnings of RM86.5 million in 2007.

As for the GLC (Government-Linked Corporation) companies, the CEO of Bumiputra-Commerce Holdings (CIMB), Datuk Nazir Razak, became the highest paid GLC CEO with a disclosed earnings of RM9.35 million. Nazir is the key person behind the phenomenal success of CIMB, which grew by leaps and bounds through mergers, acquisitions and product expansions.

Other highly paid CEOs and top executives in Malaysia include Teh Ah Lek (Public Bank - RM6.2 million), Rozali Ismail (Puncak Niaga - RM5.2 million), Ralph Marshall (Astro - RM3.4 million), Amirsham Abdul Aziz (Maybank - RM2.7 million), Ahamad Zubir Murshid (Sime Darby - RM2 million), Yusli Mohamed (Bursa Malaysia - RM1.97 million) and Lodin Wok Kamaruddin (Bousted Holdings - RM1.85 million)....." Read more

IJN DOCTORS; DON'T MAKE US SCAPEGOATS

by the Star Online

".....National Heart Institute (IJN) doctors are happy to serve the institute in its present form and do not want to be made a scapegoat in the proposed privatisation of the institutue.

In a statement signed by 33 of the 35 medical consultants working for IJN, they stressed that the proposed privatisation was not a response towards their demands for better pay....." Read more

NAJIB'S STATEMENT ON IJN DOESN'T JIVE

by anotherbrickinwall.blogspot.com

".....In addition, I was informed that IJN is flush with about RM400 million cash reserves after netting for the RM250 million spent for new wing. The new wing provide for an additional 250 beds to its 150 beds.

IJN caters to 3,000 patienst a day and some 70% are from the low income. As a public institution that has been a centre of excellence, it has been receiving substantial donations to maintain its healthcare program for the people. Will a corporate takeover continue to encourage such donations?

With Sime Darby yet to do a due dilligence, how could they be so confident to maintain that fee structure? It seemed, as told by my insider, IJN generated profits of about RM100 miiion annually on its paid-up capital of about RM200 million...." Read more

IJN's INTRIGUES

by Rocky's Bru

"...1. Why would Government wish to sell IJN when MoH had plans to build some 5 new cardiac centres in the country?

2. With Sime Darby yet to do a due diligence, how could they be so confident to maintain that fee structure?

3. Is Najib reluctant to sell and is trying to stall?

4. Is this another of Omar Ong potentially failed and unimaginative advise, just like his failed Khazanah plans, Proton downsizing, and Airline rationalisation program?

5. When Zubir promise fee structure will not change, the question to be asked is not whether it will not change but for how many years is the promise good for?

6. Are we to expect another major failure in the making?

7. Why was Khairy and Shahrizat's hubby at yesterday's press conference by the Health Minister?....." Read more

IJN: FOR THE HEALTH OF THE PEOPLE OR SIME DARBY?

by A Kadir Jasin

"....As Finance Minister and the chief articulator of the Umno-led BN government he has the power to push through the sale of public assets and to justify it as he had done with the “fatal” backdoor takeover of Golden Hope and Guthrie Corporation by Sime Darby via Synergy Drive, which was the creation of his brother, Mohd Nazir (photo). Sime Darby was once a diversified and highly regarded company. Today, thanks to the merger and its sudden dependence on palm oil, Sime Darby is suffering....."

".....If the government makes the habit of selling premium public assets like IJN to the GLCs and private sector companies for short-term gain and narrow political consideration, the ordinary rakyat will never get to enjoy world-class services.They will forever be condemned to poorly equipped and staffed government hospitals, which are being deprived of specialists and good doctors on daily basis....." Read more

A MALAY VIEW OF KETUANAN MELAYU

by Dr Azly Rahman, http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com

"....The idea of social dominance and racial superiority might all be primarily about economics, if we are to read the history of the development of ideologies of superiority. But my question is - who has the right to claim that this or that land belongs to this or that group of people. At what point does culture and citizenship meet and negotiate the issue of egalitarianism? When does ‘the truth of one's culture’ reach its limit and the question of ‘the truth of citizenship’ dominate?

This is a very complex question Malaysians must answer after 50 years of Independence. We must open up the dialogue on this issue...." Read more

SHOULD WE ABANDON OUR MOTHER TONGUE?

by Dr. Azly Rahman, http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com

"...There is a call to sacrifice one's mother-tongue in order to stay relevant in Malaysian education.I do not know yet, if it is wise for Malaysians to teach Science and Mathematics in English, or in the Bahasa Melayu, Tamil, Mandarin, Iban, Kadazan-dusun, or any of the Dayak languages. I am presenting my perception of what the English language is, from an international political-economic point of view, based on its modern genealogy vis-a-viz Pax Britannica and Pax Americana.

Needless to say, I am a champion of all languages especially English. I have taught the language, use it to express my ideas, an comfortable with it now as my first language. I leave it up to you readers and policy-makers to think what is best for a country in need of progress but at the same time in fear of neo-colonialism...."

Read more as follows;

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5.

MORE EVIDENCE INDIA, ISRAEL AND U.S. BEHIND MUMBAI ATTACKS

by Kurt Nimmo, Prison Planet.com

It is becoming increasingly a hard sell to pin the blame for the Mumbai attacks on Pakistan and thus set the stage for an attack on Pakistan after Barack Obama enters the White House in a few weeks. It now appears Indian intelligence played a large part in the terrorist attacks. On Saturday, the Associated Press reported that a “counterinsurgency police officer (photo) who may have been on an undercover mission” was arrested for illegally buying mobile phone cards used by the gunmen. Mukhtar Ahmed is an Indian police operative who provided cell phone SIM cards to Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan terrorist group blamed for the Mumbai attacks....." Read more

AGONG NEVER HAD VETO POWER

By Deborah Loh, deborahloh@thenutgraph.com

".... Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is "misrepresenting" the Federal Constitution in calling for a return of royal veto on legislation as the monarchy never had such power in the first place. The constitution, prior to being amended, only gave the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong the power to delay indefinitely bills passed by Parliament that were sent to him for royal assent.

Universiti Teknologi Mara constitutional law expert Prof Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi said the constitution was amended in 1983 to "clarify the law" on the period of time the Agong could delay his assent...." Read more

PAHANG MB MAY CHANGE UPON NAJIB BECOMING PM?

by Pinkturtle

".....Ia berikutan rombakan kabinet yang akan dilakukan oleh Dato’ Najib Razak tatkala bergelar Presiden UMNO dan Perdana Menteri Mac 2009 nanti. Ramai muka-muka baru team Najib akan dimasukkan termasuk di negeri-negeri.

Terdapat satu berita yang kurang manis untuk didengar oleh Menteri Besar Pahang, Dato’ Seri Adnan Yaakob dan juak-juaknya dalam UMNO. Kami mendapat berita “panas” yang kedudukan beliau sebagai MB Pahang juga mungkin akan berubah selepas Najib berkuasa. Khabarnya Najib tidak mahu lagi Adnan menjadi MB di Pahang, dan tempatnya bakal digantikan dengan ADUN dari kawasan Parlimen Pekan sendiri....." Read more

SO, IS HE GOING ...OR STAYING

by The Malaysian Insider, http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

"...Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang says that Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should only step down as Prime Minister once he has fulfilled his slew of promises to Malaysians.

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah says that Abdullah can stay on as Prime Minister even if he is no longer the Umno president.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says that there is every possibility that Abdullah will go back on his word and remain in the top job after party elections in March.

What's happening? What is driving this sudden examination and speculation of Abdullah's options? Is Abdullah reconsidering his retirement plans?..." Read more

WAVING THE KERIS AND UMNO'S APOLOGISTS

Source;http://www.scandalasia.blogspot.com/

"......you don't show Malay spirit, courage and strength through raising knives in meeting halls. You show it through the possession of nuclear arsenal, being an economic giant, having global influence, having a deterrent force, producing Nobel Laureates, being an educational hub, being a regional power (at least), making your language a lingua franca and etc. Did Umno reach one target of the above? ....."

".....If Umno leaders are protecting the Malay Muslim culture, then they need to show nobility and refinery not thuggishness and brute force. Remember the advice The Holy Prophet (pbuh) gave to His Companion Abu Dzar that there "is no nobility better than polite manners." (Narrated by Ibn Hibban). They need to stop corruption, looting and swindling and that's the best way you show how supreme you are......" Read more

WALKING ON THIN ICE

by Raja Petra Kamarudin, MalaysiaToday

".....Barisan Nasional has 140 Members of Parliament, 79 of them Malays and 61 non-Malays. Pakatan Rakyat, in turn, has 43 Malay Members of Parliament against 39 non-Malays. This means both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat are ‘Malay-majority’ coalitions.

But what happens when 30 non-Malay Barisan Nasional Members of Parliament cross over to Pakatan Rakyat? This would still give Barisan Nasional 79 Malays but it will be reduced to 31 non-Malays. This would make Barisan Nasional even more Malay than it is now. But Pakatan Rakyat would now have only 43 Malays against 69 non-Malays. So, while Barisan Nasional has become even more ‘Malay’, Pakatan Rakyat would become a ‘non-Malay’ coalition. And this would also mean that a ‘non-Malay’ government now runs this country once Pakatan Rakyat, with its 112 Members of Parliament, forms the federal government.

This is what concerns the Malays, the Rulers included. And their concern is not that the Malays have ‘lost political power’ and that the non-Malays have now ‘taken over’ this country. Their concern is that Umno will use this issue to ‘prove’ to the nationalist Malays that, finally, the Malays have lost political power, as they had been saying all along since the 8 March 2008 general election in their many road-shows the length and breadth of this country....." Read more

IF UMNO FIGHTS FOR THE MALAYS WHY SUPPRESS MALAY-MAJORITY KELANTAN

by PAS Parit Buntar

PARIT BUNTAR, 8 Dis. : Sekiranya Umno benar-benar membela Melayu kenapa Kerajaan BN-Umno sanggup merampas royalti minyak hak rakyat Terengganu yang majoritinya Melayu semasa PAS memerintah Terengganu pada tahun 1999 ? Kenapa Kerajaan BN-Umno sanggup menindas rakyat Kelantan yang majoritinya Melayu sejak PAS mula memerintah Kelantan pada tahun 1990 ? Kenapa baru sekarang setelah kehilangan kuasa di beberapa negeri, Umno berlagak seolah-olah merekalah pejuang hak Melayu?.

Itulah antara soalan Dr. Mujahid Yusuf Rawa kepada Dato' Tajuddin Abdul Rahman yang mematikan hujah Ahli Parlimen Umno itu dalam Debat Perdana pada 6 Disember lepas.....Read more

NEED FATWA TO BAN CORRUPTION.... AND ISA

by TulangBesi, malaysiawaves.com

".....Therefore, the NFC must play a pro active role in curbing corruption especially now when innocent lives are being sacrificed for the benefit of the few. The NFC must appear in the society as a body that defends and assist the people, not as a tyrant trying to only impose rules and regulations while being oblivious to people’s sufferings.

In fact NFC must issue a fatwa on ISA of which RPK fell victim to twice (and counting). I suspect the NFC is secretly being used to come up with sensitive fatwa as to drive a bigger wedge between the various races and religions......" Read more