All is well?

Finally at 6.45pm today, DSAI left the turks and came back safely to Malaysia to continue fighting his course. A writ summon has also been filed against the coffee boy by DSAI's lawyers.

To continue on staying there with the turks does not help. It's becoming more like a charade. It's becoming more like a sympathy drive. Maybe for the PKR followers it's alright to do so (taking considerations of the reasons being given-read Malam Yang Panjang from Din Merican's blog) but for us non-partisan Malaysian it doesn't. A Prime Minister-in-waiting should not have run away like that. You don't hide when you are innocent. After all it's just a police report, and as being said from your side, it could have been mala-fide and done with malice. Just do a counter-report on the same.



It is not a good precedent to set for this peaceful nation. You don't want Paklah or Najib to do as such when they become the head of the opposition when Pakatan Rakyat comes into power, do you? Come on, we are not Zimbabwe, Myanmar or Pakistan. We are peace loving Malaysian. It's an insult to equate us with those nations, with all due respect. Read also here, here and here.

All is well now Dato' Seri? I certainly hope so. For our sake, the people of Malaysia.

From Another Angle

Meanwhile, Bernama reports that Foreign Minister Datuk Rais Yatim said Anwar was never invited to the diplomat's home nor had he sought political asylum from the Turkish government.

After meeting Turkish ambassador to Malaysia Barlas Ozener at Wisma Putra today, Rais told reporters that the diplomat had clarified that Anwar was never invited to his house and that the opposition leader had gone there on his own accord.

"The Malaysian government accepts this explanation. Anwar is not at the ambassador's house as an asylum seeker but as a guest. It has just been less than 24 hours. If he stays there for a longer period then we might have to take adifferent stance. The question of political asylum too does not arise," he said.

Read Anwar is play acting, charges Syed Hamid

UPDATED

An interestinbg insight, another angle from KTemoc Konsiders..... Saiful Bukhari Azlan - Victim or Villain?

Typical Anwar?

Why holed up in the Turkish embassy? Why the turks?

They lost in the semi-final, it's germany v spain for the final tonight, DSAI.

Read Accused of sodomy, Anwar takes refuge in Turkish embassy and Anwar drama heads for standoff with govt

Updated!

DSAI answered on why he chose the turks. Read here

Not Again! II

Paklah denies that BN had to do with anything that happened. Read

PM: BN not behind latest Anwar allegation (updated)

He said he or the Government did not instruct the police to take any action.

On Anwar's statement that the allegations were a complete fabrication to kill his political career, as in 1998 when he was sacked as Deputy Prime Minister, Abdullah said the Government had nothing to do with the police report.

"We are not (involved). Umno and Barisan Nasional did not plan to trouble, disturb or accuse him.

"I believe even my friends like (Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri) Najib (Tun Razak) did not have any intention to do such a thing to him," he told reporters here on Sunday after launching the Bumi Hijau programme.

And the following is from the PKR's camp. Excerpts from Din Merican's blog (read more here)

This is the accuser, Saiful Bukhari (picture in red neckie). My colleagues and I knew that he was planted by the other side. So we kept him under surveillance since the day he turned up in our office just before the March 2008 elections. It was a matter of time and we would have exposed him as someone with links to the office of the Deputy Prime Minister. He knew that the noose was tightening around his neck.

There was no security breach because he was not directly involved in the strategic activities of Parti KeADILan Rakyat. He was merely a coffee boy or a butler type.—Din Merican

hhmmmm....

What Anwar has to say...

The following is an official statement from DSAI concerning the latest buzz in town.

Official Press Statement by Anwar:
June 29, 2008, SHAH ALAM, MALAYSIA

The police report lodged against me earlier today is a complete fabrication. I believe we are witnessing a repeat of the methods used against me in 1998 when false allegations were made under duress. This is clearly a desperate attempt by the Barisan Nasional regime to arrest the movement of the Malaysian people towards freedom, democracy and justice.

The report has been organized by interested parties to attack me in retaliation for evidence I have recently obtained implicating IGP Musa Hassan and the AG Gani Patail in misconduct including fabrication of evidence in the cases launched against me in 1998-1999. This vile attack will not prevent me from releasing this dossier to the public.

Read more here

It's 1998 all over again? DNA this and DNA that. Conspiracy this and conspiracy that. I am in no mood for that. I don't think anyone is.

Not Again!

Here we go again! ..thought we have moved on beyond that already... sigh.

Let's wait and see. It could well be just another rumour. Or wait, maybe we are in some kind of twilight zone series... It's not 1998 all over again, I hope. We don't need that. Not with the economics uncertainties the nation is in currently in.

Wait! It could be just that. Read rocky's bru: Sodomy, Part Two , here and here. What's up Putrajaya? What's cooking DSAI?

The Malaysian Insider reported Opposition aide alleges sodomy by PKR politician.

The 23-year-old aide lodged a police report at the Bukit Travers police station today. He alleged that the incident took place several days ago in Kuala Lumpur.

The Malaysian Insider has learnt that PKR leaders were huddled in a meeting last night. Several party officials believe that the aide was coerced into lodging the police report and say that it is the beginning of a campaign by the Barisan Nasional government to discredit the PKR and the Opposition.

Malaysiakini had filed the following report two hours ago:

Aide alleges sodomy: Report lodged
Jun 28, 08 11:03pm
Updated June 29, 08 01.30 am

A police report has been lodged against PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim for allegedly sodomosing one of his aides - the second time that such an accusation had been made in over 10 years.The report was lodged by the 23-year-old victim at the Jalan Travers police station at 6pm. KL police chief DCP Muhammad Sabtu Osman has confirmed that the report had been made.

It is learnt that Anwar met with a number of party leaders at an emergency meeting late tonight. At 11.15pm, PKR sent out an SMS message stating that the police had detained Anwar’s special aide Saiful Bahari this afternoon and forced him to lodge a police report about being sodomised by his boss. It added that the police are expected to arrest Anwar soon.

Meanwhile, Anwar is expected to comment on this latest crisis at a pre-arranged press conference tomorrow.The press conference is scheduled to be held after a meeting between Anwar and all PKR members of parliament and state assembly persons. Read more Anwar expecting the worst

Baseless Allegations

Would you be quitting your job based on"baseless allegations"? Well, someone did.


Anwar's brother quits job after Ezam barb

By WANI MUTHIAH
The Star Online (latest)

SHAH ALAM: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s younger brother Rusli has resigned as special advisor to Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd president Datuk Abdul Karim Munisar.

Rusli said he resigned on June 25 due to “baseless allegations” made by former PKR stalwart Ezam Mohd Nor which was reported in a Malay daily recently.

Read more here.

I must say Ezam is really doing a good job now for UMNO! No looking back. I wonder why.

UMNO's Recovery Plan Committee...

....suggested a change in the leadership based on a focus group findings initiated by the said committee.

During the last Umno supreme council meeting, Datuk Idris Jusoh presented focus group findings involving lecturers and analysts. Among other things, they suggested a change in leadership of the party. Many in the council spoke up against the findings, saying that it was superficial. Idris is the head of Umno’s recovery plan committee.

Read more Abdullah not prepared to go meekly

But the findings apparently have been shot down by those in the supreme council. It was superficial they said. Now this is the problem with UMNO. Those in the supreme council feel that they too are supreme. Subconsciously they want to be completely detached from the obvious reality. It could also be self-serving. The reasons could be enormous on why they wanted to do that. How their president could then makes the right decision?

Somehow or rather you just can't put the blame solely on Paklah. He has been deceived. Completely blinded from the obvious reality and the surrounding political atmosphere derived from current political climate.

How could you set up a recovery plan committee but not willing to submit to its findings and proposals? What is superficial, the findings or the council itself?

As such you can't be blaming Najib for making that signal through his latest statement pertaining to the contest for No. 1 post in UMNO. All the uncertainties and the "virtual blinders", put up by the president's men (& women in the Supreme Council) to obscure their president's clear perception and discernment from the harsh political reality in UMNO and the nation currently, would make anyone in Najib's position to make such a statement.

It's all about political survival. It's nothing personal, it's just business.

You having fun?

It has been fun for everyone this couple of days. Everybody got their fair shares of potshots, jabs, hooks and what not against each other. Ian Chin v Che Det, BN v PR, Nazry Aziz v BBC, SAPP v BN, Mr & Mrs Najib v RPK, songkok v serban, Khalid v Yahya, ketuanan melayu v ketuanan rakyat, MB Kedah v Penang CM, Mustapha Ali v Penang CM, Kelantan MB v Kedah MB, Federal Gov't v Penang State Gov't and many more. It's a free for all!

Yes, it has been fun for everybody. Are you having fun as well? I'm not, sorry to say.

Have they provided us with concrete solutions to our current woes? Solutions, real and practical solutions and not just stop-gap measures. Hearing speeches about billions does not make my problems go away. While they are busy slinging shots at each other, time flies. And we are still at the same place as we were before.

Che Det's report card (unofficial) is out..

...with regard our Government performance 100 days after GE 2008. As expected, one short sentence is enough for him to describe it, read Dr M: It's a disaster (The Malaysian Insider)

Malaysia is still on the road to perdition, he said.

"This government is in total denial, refusing to listen to what people are telling them. As far as the country is concerned, this government is a total failure" he added. There's no mincing of words either when he sarcastically put that currently (as if) there is no government, everyone is concerned with their own politics.

Che Det agrees with Paklah though in defending the DPM and saying that the current allegation made by RPK in his SD is only a political ploy. However on this issue, am afraid there is disagreement between the two, Dr M says Umno must unite to kick Abdullah out .

Siapa kata ada kemelut KeADILan Selangor?

Itu penafian DSAI. Dakyah media UMNO-BN semata-mata katanya lagi.

KeADILan Selangor Tidak Tergugat Dengan Dakyah Media Umno-BN

By Anwar Ibrahim

Maka bertebaranlah desas desus kononnya KeADILan Selangor dilanda kemelut. Media Umno-BN terus memainkan peranan mereka.

Alhamdulillah saya dapat segera menghubungi Tan Sri Khalid sebaik kembali dari Madinah al Munawwarah. Kemudian saya turut ngobrol panjang dengan Sdr Yahya Sahri sambil menikmati mee mamak tanpa teh tarik. Baca lagi di sini.

Kita pula yang melihat dari luar bagaimana? Tepuk dada tanyalah selera!

Justice Chin strikes back..

Reproduced herewith, in verbatim, an article posted by The Malaysian Bar Council website;

Justice Ian Chin lashes out at the "serving judge" and Dr. Mahathir

Posted by Webmaster (Malaysian Bar Council)

Wednesday, 25 June 2008 03:15pm

In notes of proceedings of Wong Hua Seh v Abang Mohd. Porkan bin Haji Abang Budiman & Ding Kuong Hing on 24 June 12008 reproduced in full below (unedited), Justice Datuk Ian Chin lashed out at the "serving judge" mentioned in the News Straits Times report on 11 June 2008 and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad: On the "serving judge" "I can think of one reason and I can think of one judge (who is still serving) who will do that. This takes me back to 1996 or some other year, where Dr Mahathir had another group picture taken with the judges. To my disgust, this judge quickly planted himself behind the chair where Dr. Mahathir was to sit and when Dr Mahathir was about to be seated this judge declared: “Sir, I am always behind you.” It was disgusting even as a joke as it reduced the dignity of the office of a judge since the statement panders for endearment to Dr Mahathir. Since then I have always pondered whether this judge really meant what that statement would ordinarily convey which is that he will forever support Dr. Mahathir and to mean also, since it was made by a judge, he will decide what he thinks what Dr. Mahathir would like the verdict to be and worse still when told to." On Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad "Dr. Mahathir, by waving the supposed police report the way he did, lent support to the general held view that this prime minister kept a docket on everyone useful but with a skeleton in their cupboard so that he can manipulate then on pain of disclosing the skeleton. I thought only the STASI of the then Communist East Germany do such a thing but then it was done for the benefit of the state not for an individual. In my view he is trying to exploit this general believe to wave that supposed police report to get the public to believe that I have committed something unlawful which he is privy to and which the public is not unaware so that my integrity could be put under suspicion to make what I have revealed unbelievable. Let me declare to the public that I am as clean as a whistle and my life is an open book." Read more here and read also Somebody took the jam out of Ian Chin’s donuts! And all Che Det wants is his day in court. Here Updated! The Return of the Jedi. Read PRESS STATEMENT BY YABhg TUN DR MAHATHIR BIN MOHAMAD What being said by Che Det, among other things: 3. What he did not reveal is that there is a police report against him for breaches of Judge's Code of Ethics in hearing a case in which he has a personal interest. He presided on a case involving Dato Syed Kechik without revealing that he believed Syed Kechik was responsible for detaining his father and brother 20 years before. 30. It will be interesting to see whether the Government would set up a tribunal to examine the charges against Ian Chin J. 31. I suspect that it will not. And so this judge who obviously breached The Judges Code of Ethics by "being a judge in his own cause" will simply get away with his unethical behaviour while presiding over a case. 32. The public should question how a person such as Ian Chin J should have been recommended to become a judge. I cannot remember recommending him. He is a disgrace to the judiciary and to the legal profession. 33. Now Chin has changed his accusation of "veiled threat" to "the former premier did not say he would remove judges through a tribunal in those exact words but conveyed the threat by "dropping words to that effect here and there". I wonder what the words are. He will now be thinking and cooking up more stories. 34. This reflects the character of the man who presides over our courts and dispenses "justice". He makes use of his position as a judge and the courts to take revenge for alleged actions against members of his family.

What gives, dear MB?

Dear MB, what's up with all that?

"Now, even if the Federal Government gives us the RM100 million compensation, we will still cut down the trees," he said. Read more here.

Tree huggers surely would not be happy with that. What about sustainable development? Surely the Kedah state government has heard of this phrase before " development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." So, what gives?

Lies, Lies, Lies.

It's a total lies and fabrications said the DPM. The missus has also gave statements to the police. Now what?

Wednesday June 25, 2008 MYT 12:47:00 PM
The Star Online

Najib on Raja Petra claims: Total lies and fabrication

Kuala Lumpur: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dismissed Raja Petra Kamaruddin’s statutory declaration linking Najib’s wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansur to the Altantuya murder as “total lies and fabrication.”

Read Rosmah beri kenyataan kepada polis - Najib and here

Whither Pakatan? II (PKR: To badawi or not badawi?)

Is PKR about to do a *badawi too?

Read Kepimpinan Khalid Dipersoalkan Penggiat PKR and Menjelang 100 Hari Khalid Sudah Amal Kronisme (Another Brick in the Wall). Read also Pakatan Rakyat is losing the plot (Malaysia Today-The Corridors of Power).

Below are excerpts from the Malaysia Today's article;

The latest controversy involving Yahya Shahri, added to the MIA Port Kelang State Assemblyman, does not augur well for PKR. PKR already has to run twice as fast just to stay in pace with PAS and DAP. Falling behind PAS and DAP certainly does not help PKR one bit.

And why has the Port Kelang State Assemblyman not been taken to task? And why must Yahya resign in protest and instigate his supporters to demonstrate? Yahya should have welcomed the move to suspend him for two months until his name is cleared. This will give an impression that he is not taking things personally and has nothing to hide and that he only has the interest of the party’s image at heart. Now it appears like he only cares about himself and not about the party, like a true ex-Umno person.

Khalid, too, appears to be running around in circles. He makes snap announcements in a popularity exercise and then retracts them later when he discovers that it can’t be done after all due to legislation limitations or contractual obligations. This only strengthens the perception that PKR has absolutely no experience in running governments and that their policies are not thought through carefully before the announcements are made. Are a bunch of amateurs in charge of the Selangor government? We would like to believe not, but it is getting harder and harder to believe that this is not so.

Paklah to the rescue.

The boss has spoken for his no. 2 and the spouse!

Read Pak Lah: Najib, Rosmah not involved in Altantuya murder.

Something worrying though (for Najib & the Mrs.), he said ""No... I do not remember receiving anything and am confident that I did not receive anything. Nothing was sent to me."

That was not an unqualified denial. Knowing the Prime Minister, what if suddenly he remembers something? Paklah, for your no. 2's sake, please don't *badawi this later on!


Explanation:
*BADAWI [baa-daa-wee] - noun - To start something full of promise but end in failure / disaster.

Examples:
1. I'm trusting you to do this task well. Don't do a badawi, okay?
2. Whatever I do, I always find a way to badawise it.
3. France badawied their Euro 2008 campaign. England pre-badawied theirs, while Italy were guilty of over-badawification.

The hullabaloo on lipstick & high heels...

..should now end with statement issued by MPKB below. Why so late to clarify the matter? It should have been done when the "guidelines" were issued, not after it has become a national polemic to an extent Kelantan now been equated to "Darul Al Taliban" by some, which I personally do not agree.

No ban on lipstick and high heels
By IAN MCINTYRE

KOTA BARU: The municipal council (MPKB) has clarified that remarks on lipstick and high heel shoes in its circular in May, were meant to spread religious activities.
Its public relations director Azman Mohd Daham said the circular was not a compulsory guideline for Muslim female staff to follow but to encourage them to observe the Islamic dress code.
“Muslim women need not be unduly worried. No action would be taken if they wear thick make-up or high heel shoes,” he told journalists. Read more here

Sour je bunyinye tu...

"Saya pasti yang terbaik akan menang,"

"Saya tak takut dicabar...ini politik dan dalam UMNO kita amalkan demokrasi. Kita tengoklah dalam pemilihan nanti siapa menang siapa kalah,"

"Itu pendapat dia, ada ramai lagi yang tidak sependapat dengan dia."

Read Yang terbaik akan menang - Khairy (see video)

Of course you'll win brother. Who is this Azman Mohd Sah compares to you, Mr. MP Khairy Jamaluddin? How dare you, Azman to challenge Khairy. Don't worry so much now. "Kita tengoklah dalam pemilihan nanti siapa menang siapa kalah." You said it bro!

With the kind of form ( Khairy explains how to ease price hikes) you are in right now, you'll do just fine in the coming UMNO branch/divisional election. No, not just that, you'll do equally well if not better comes this December with the UMNO election. Champion-lah you!

Talk Only...

...when it come to Malaysian politics, you almost can smell what comes next. For instance, what happened in parliament today.

What vote of no confidence?

Read Tiada usul undi tak percaya terhadap PM hari ini

Datuk Wan Junaidi confirms no motion filed on no-confidence vote against PM before lunch. "There's no procedure to file such motion in Parliament. There has never been such a procedure...not even in any Commonwealth country...It is unlikely to see the light of day," he says. "Any motion needs support from at least 27 MPs and 14 days' processing after joining the queue behind government Bills." (visit The Malaysian Insider)

Anyway, 3 cheers for paklah & co! The chorus line triumphed once again. Also, price hikes , together with the (stop-gap) measures to overcome, now officially validated by your legislators. Malaysian, rejoice!

Barisan Nasional motion on price hikes was passed 129-78. Bloc vote called for only for the second time ever. (The Malaysian Insider)

SAPP, Pakatan Rakyat (aside from "naik basikal" lah), talk only?

Whither Pakatan?

Ezam says,

• "It is a desperate act to keep the (Pakatan) coalition together."

• "There is infighting, tension and Anwar needs a temporary diversion to cover the cracks."

• "All five Pakatan Rakyat states do not have a common policy and this is an indication that the coalition is fragile.""

• He said Anwar was resorting to dirty politics by claiming that Barisan Nasional parliamentarians were ready to cross over to Pakatan Rakyat on Sept 16.

• He alleged that RM200,000 was budgeted for Pakatan Rakyat's 100-day in office celebrations from state coffers, but further donations obtained from companies were deposited into PKR's account.

Read The SAPP Saga: Motion to 'divert attention'

Where do you go from here?

He's at it again...

Fuel subsidy rebates extended to 3000cc vehicle owners in Sabah, Sarawak
BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR, SUN:
The Government has decided to extend petrol and diesel subsidy cash rebate to owners of private vehicles up to 3,000cc in the interior areas of Sabah and Sarawak where such vehicles are widely used for transport, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced Sunday.

Stay tune, for more flip-flopping news...

Bicara Melayu di Kolej Melayu

“Anak bangsa yang telah berjaya, janganlah berperangai seperti si Tenggang, terlalu cepat bersifat angkuh, terlalu mudah berlagak bongkak, hingga melupakan asal keturunan, hingga memisahkan diri dari akar bangsanya, menjadi rakus, menjadi gopoh, hingga tergamak menebang pohon tempat bernaung dan mencantas dahan tempat bergantung,’

‘‘Di sinilah asuhan, di sinilah bimbingan dilakukan dalam usaha membina modal insan untuk meneruskan kelangsungan bangsa di bumi warisan turun temurun.

“Permata-permata bangsa ini diserahkan untuk digarap, dicanai oleh barisan para pendidik. Garap dan canailah permata-permata bangsa ini supaya dapat menyinar cahaya kepada bangsanya dan negara.

‘‘Bisikkan kepada mereka akan petua orang- orang tua bahawa kiambang adalah kiambang, biduk berlalu bertautlah ia.

‘‘Pesankan kepada mereka jangan terlalu cepat bermusuh dengan kawan dan jangan terlalu ghairah bersahabat dengan musuh kerana sejak zaman dahulu lagi, terlalu banyak musang yang berbulu ayam, terlalu banyak sokong yang membawa rebah.

‘‘Ingatkanlah mereka akan sejarah bangsanya yang bernegara berlandaskan adat rakyat bersultan, negeri beraja,’’

‘‘MCKK perlu senantiasa disuntik dengan nafas baru agar kekal dihormati sebagai institusi pendidikan menengah yang terunggul di negara ini.

‘‘Beta insaf betapa pentingnya kualiti, betapa mustahaknya taraf pendidikan di kolej ini ditingkatkan bertaraf dunia agar tradisi melahirkan barisan pemimpin yang berwibawa dapat diteruskan.

‘‘Dan keupayaan menghasilkan wira bangsa yang hebat berpencak di gelanggang dunia dapat dilaksanakan,"

Sedutan ucapan Raja Nazrin. Baca lagi di sini.

What a waste of votes!

My wife was telling me that I sounded like an angry man in my postings of late. Not good she said. You'll start losing your perspective. Admittedly I said to her that she may have a point. I have reached a point yesterday that I felt whatever I want to write felt like I have said it before. As if I am repeating the same thing over and over again. I told her it was not angry, angry but more like fed up, fed up with the attitudes of our so called leaders and policy makers, those up there. Not all but some. She said that's not a reason to rant away in my postings. It's not like by showing my anger and getting personal could change things. Some of them are beyond help she said. Well she did have a point. As such, I promised her to tone down a bit. I said to myself, okay from now on, there will be only "happy" ranting in Lawyer Kampung

Just when I thought I can blogged about "happy shiny people" from now on, I then came across this. An elected policy maker of a state who was so tasteless in his conduct, he even made a Head of State to say this out loud, "Ada yang kat sini, yang semalam atau yang hari kelmarin, yang menunjuk-nunjuk jaguh, yang tak mahu pakai senonoh, kalau hendak, ini jam keluar kat sini ". Read Johor Sultan unhappy with DAP's Gwee

And all that is for what? It's so petty, to start with. Just for show? Ostentatiously living up to a (sickening) principle for the benefit of those that has the same line of thinking and ideas? It may be faux pas to others but political scores for me?

That is all I can think in trying my level best to puzzle over why he did what he did. It’s just not justifiable. How for us to justify when the bloke himself (or his gang) can't even apologize to the Sultan for such gaffe. There is none whatsoever to date.

To the said YB and the gang, please take this for an example. Even an American President-to-be knows when to say sorry when it comes to issues of disrespect of one's culture and convention (coincidentally it is also about headgears), read Obama Mohon Maaf Kepada Wanita Bertudung. It's not that petty of an issue after all!

To think that that some may have voted for him as their elected representative. He could, for their sake, at the very least be fully attired, if not debating state's policies, when attending the State Legislative Assembly. Is that so hard to do? Sigh!

Yes, some of us may have voted for him and the gang in the last election.

What a waste of votes!

Updated!

Bentayan Assemblyman keeps mum on Sultan’s remarks

And so they endorsed it...

...despite pressure from all their Barisan Nasional counterparts. SAPP supreme council today ends all speculations and endorsed the motion (read SAPP council endorses no-confidence vote), upping the ante on their so-called "motion of no-confidence-in-waiting" against the PM.

But as many have said, paklah will not be taking all this lying down. Newton's 3rd law of motion has catch on Putrajaya, finally. It has been a while and as aptly put by The Malaysian Insider, "after many years of inertia.." (Newton's 1st law of motion, if am not mistaken), paklah is now ready to use his vast power. Read Finally, Abdullah fights back.

What more interesting on the above article by The Malaysian Insider is the following;

The ACA is not the only weapon in Abdullah's arsenal. Sources told The Malaysian Insider that authorities are looking at the income tax files of his trenchant critics and activities of others undermining him. Yong is only the start in a long and unpredictable battle for political survival.

Now, we all know what's coming already for Yong and the gang, but what about others, be it those in UMNO who's eyeing for his presidential seat and the guy from Pakatan Rakyat who's aiming for his premiership? Will they also face the wrath of paklah? ACA and now Income Tax! What will they think of next? That's it, if I were you, I would know declares my undying love and support to the Prime Minister. Be afraid, be very, very afraid. Everyone of them, you and I included, should now take cue from Samy Vellu and behaves like one, enough say! Go read I'm just a dust, says Samy Vellu and/or Samy kata ’saya kini hanya debu’

I have jobs to do...

Excerpts from BERNAMA news report, "I Cannot Be Distracted From My Responsibility, Says Abdullah" (June 19, 2008 22:46 PM)

Abdullah said he had been long in politics and that in politics, such a thing was not new. "I have jobs to do... I cannot be just thinking about all the criticisms levelled against me.
"As politicians, we are used to being criticised but the most important thing is to remain focus on the job and not be distracted or bothered by it," he said after chairing a BN supreme council emergency meeting here

Everybody got jobs to do. And when you got jobs to do, you got to do them well. Have you, paklah?

And what kind of answer was that? "..not to be bothered by it'? How could one not be bothered by it? The 1st time in history of Malaysia, a component party of BN expressing intention to kick you out of office by way of tabling a motion of no confidence in parliament.

Never mind the hurdles for them to do as such, the fact that they have that intention and publicly expressing the same would make any PM in his right mind to be bothered by it. But then again, you are you, one of a kind.

"I cannot be distracted.."? Sigh. Why? Easily distracted? He can't even answer a question posed to him. Can't you just answer "No!" for God sake? See below

When asked whether the political challenge to his leadership could affect the country's economic stability, Abdullah said, "we will have to manage our economy."

Apparently he's more concerned on what the "foreign media" thinks of his leadership. What about Malaysian? Remember us?

What Malaysian? As long as the foreign media is okay with me, I am good to go!

He said at the recent World Economic Forum on East Asia in Kuala Lumpur, several participants, including from the foreign media, had expressed their confidence to his leadership. "They said that they are used to seeing political situations in countries around the world and that Malaysia is stable and the activities are still going on, the economy is going on, the administration is going on... so far so well.

I can go on and on, but for what? He said it, "I have jobs to do... I cannot be just thinking about all the criticisms levelled against me" He does not even want to think! ....Think-lah paklah, please think!

Kalau lompat masuk BN?

Siasat kalau lompat keluar Barisan Nasional sahaja ke? Bagaimana kalau lompat masuk Barisan Nasional? Kalau bukan "wakil rakyat", tetapi "rakyat istimewa" macam apa ka nama dia tu, apa ka apa ka baru-baru ini, tak perlu siasat ke?

Untuk mulakan siasatan, kena ada report dulu ke atau automatik, bila BPR "take cognizance' atas "lompatan" berkenaan?

BPR siasat wakil rakyat lompat parti dengan menerima suapan

KOTA KINABALU: Badan Pencegah Rasuah (BPR) akan menyiasat mana-mana Ahli Parlimen dan Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) yang melompat parti berasaskan kemungkinan mereka menerima sogokan atau tawaran daripada pihak tertentu. Baca lagi di sini.

Tahniah BPR! Satu lagi contoh BPR sedang menuju "reform" yang sedang diperjuangkan oleh kerajaan pusat.

Jump-Van Halen

Aiiyaaa....

...wa ingat ini dewan aaa ale same macam itu market maaa... cannot wear like this maa??!

Read DUN DAP Bentayan diarah keluar sidang DUN Johor

JOHOR BAHRU: Speaker Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) hari ini mengarahkan Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Bentayan, Gwee Tong Haing, dari DAP keluar dari dewan kerana tidak memakai pakaian rasmi, termasuk songkok.

More news here and here.

Even DAP questions SAPP's move...

..how lah like this? Read DAP questions SAPP no-confidence motion and motive, on few statements made by Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng concerning the move by SAPP. See... what I've told you below. Be realistic.

Furthermore, they all love paklah. They all want him to stay on. It's easier to have someone like him at the helm, I guess.

Nazri Aziz came to the rescue already (Updated: Not really, I guess. Good for you Minister!). Even Lim Kit Siang sounded not that optimistic. Only Anwar Ibrahim commended the action and trying to keep the fire alive by emphasising on the words "tindakan awal". More to come ke Dato Seri?

...so, how la?

Newton's Third Law of Motion

"For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction."

You think this is going to be enough to thwart paklah's hold of the premiership? I don't think so. The effort is commendable but let's be realistic here. Unless there is a concerted efforts from all those that do not have anymore confidence in him, the exercise of tabling the motion will be futile.

Those around paklah are not morons. They will rally behind him. By end of the week, SAPP or at least those tabling the statement just now will be expelled from Barisan Nasional.

I also foresee even those from Sabah will also condemn the statement made. I don't want to be a party pooper, but as I said, let's be realistic.

And so it begins...

Votings on SAPP Blog

read SAPP's vote of no confidence against PM (Sources: The Star Online)

...& he knows nothing about it he said! Politics, politics and more politics-lah like this..

Updated!

read Rocky's Bru Vote of no-confidence against Badawi

By-election, anyone?

Mahkamah putus DUN Sanglang dikosongkan
18/06/2008 12:20pm
KANGAR 18 Jun - Mahkamah Tinggi di sini hari ini memutuskan kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Sanglang yang dimenangi oleh calon Barisan Nasional (BN) pada pilihan raya umum lalu dikosongkan apabila mahkamah menerima pemohonan petisyen yang dikemukakan bekas calon pilihan raya Pas bagi kerusi itu.
Hakim Datuk Zainal Adzam Abdul Ghani bagaimanapun menolak permohonan bekas calon Pas, Hashim Jasin supaya mengisytiharkan beliau sebagai pemenang kerusi DUN tersebut.
Keputusan itu bakal menyaksikan pilihan raya kecil untuk kawasan tersebut. - Utusan

Or have we had enough of politics already? Read more here and here. (Sources: The Star Online, Utusan Online & Malaysiakini)

100 Days Report: What about BN ruled governments?

Above: Penang's Report Card (NST's version)

Everywhere in the net and in the MSM, people are busy discussing and elaborating about PR led governments' performances and report cards on their 100 days being in office.

Penang, Selangor and elsewhere, Pakatan ruled governments have been busy holding Press Conferences about their progress in governing respective states. 

We seem to be forgetting about BN-led (federal and state) governments. Where are their report cards? Full of "F9"s? Is there nothing much to shout about? NST doesn't want to produce one like the one they did for Penang? 

Exempted kot?!

KJ Cabar AI

Amboi, gah sungguh bunyinya!

"Bentuk kerajaan pusat pada atau sebelum 16hb September ini, atau letak jawatan sebagai Penasihat PKR keesokan harinya!"

Itu cabaran KJ kepada AI. Saya terbaca di dalam The Malaysian Insider sebentar tadi, Khairy challenges Anwar on Sept 16 deadline.

Saya teringat temuramah AI dengan The Star dua, tiga purnama yang lepas. Kalau tak silap mata dan tak khilaf telinga, daripada ayat dalam temuramah itu, nampak macam AI suka kepada KJ. "He was very polite", tak silap ingat, itu kata AI mengenai KJ. Tapi kali ini dicabar AI pula jadinya anakmuda "polite" ini. Politik!

Sekiranya AI memang gagal bentuk kerajaan pada 16hb September, lepas letak jawatan sebagai penasihat PKR, apa pula? Bikin rencana baru? Kalau letak jawatan penasihat masih boleh jadi presiden PKR bukan? Jawatan Pengerusi Pakatan Rakyat pun perlu diwujudkan. Atau sertai UMNO seperti Ezam dan jadi sahabat KJ?

Izinkan saya mencuri-pakai kata-kata ungkapan AI sendiri sebagai penutup nukilan saya pagi ini. "Apa lagi? Ha, bersilatlah!"

Kendatipun sibuk berpolitik...

...beliau masih boleh berbicara sepakbola! Itulah kepelbagaian insan yang bernama Anwar Ibrahim. Nah, lihat sahaja di sini. Kata beliau,

Saya meminati corak permainan Brazil, justeru dalam Euro 2008 ini saya memilih ‘Brazil Eropah’ untuk menjadi juara. Siapa lagi kalau bukan Portugal!

Tidak goyah dengan keperluan untuk berpolitik secara terus-terusan, DSAI masih lagi boleh menyelitkan bicara mengenai bola di dalam blognya! Anak muda mana yang tidak akan tertarik dengan pemimpin sebegini? Bukan seperti politikus-politikus ulung negara masakini yang hanya berbicara berkaitan kekuasaan, bila mahu bertukar kuasa dan kesetiaan kepada penghulu semata. Itu pasti membosankan. Pembesar-pembesar ini perlu berguru dengan DSAI, mungkin.

Pasti lebih bermakna bila hari ini Mahkamah Persekutuan memberikan Perintah Kebenaran Merayu untuk beliau mencabar kesahihan pemecatan beliau sebagai TPM dan Menteri Kewangan di suatu ketika dahulu. Baca Anwar dapat lampu hijau cabar kesahihan pemecatannya .

Samada DSAI bersandiwara atau tidak dengan war-war beliau untuk memastikan Pakatan beliau menjadi kerajaan persekutuan menjelang dua, tiga bulan akan datang ini, hanya masa akan tentukan.

Yang pastinya, beliau akan tetap berada di sini, terus berusaha keras memastikan kerelevenan dirinya di arena politik negara. Lihat sahaja nukilan blog terbarunya berjudul Turun Harga Minyak Tidak Realistik? Siapa yang tidak akan tertarik dengan jualannya?

Ada yang sudi membeli?

"This Pakatan Rakyat thing is not fully formalised...

...and structured yet. Discussions are still on-going."

Those are the words of Penang CM, Lim Guan Eng, read here.

Now, my question is this, why is it still "on-going"? It feels like forever now. It's been like this since the day that the political tsunami hit the nation. It surely makes one wonder why "this Pakatan Rakyat thing" (borrowing the above words of the Penang CM) is not up and about by now.

Is it that hard for parties that believed in total racial integration and the idea of Malaysian Malaysia to come together and reach a consensus at least on the basics of such coalition?

These were the words of DSAI and Haji Hadi then, not mine;

Anwar and Abdul Hadi however were pressed on the significance of PAS wanting to form an Islamic state to which they both replied it was an issue that should not be made contentious anymore.

""It was not mentioned in the PAS manifesto and has not been mentioned for a long time. It is no longer an issue," Anwar said.

That was what being said then.

Therefore, it should not be that hard then to act like a proper coalition when all parties involved have previously pledges to "uphold the rights and interests of all Malaysians, regardless of religion or race, as enshrined in the Constitution". Yes, it should come easy then. That alone should have covered all the basics.

Having said that, why the current brouhaha then between PAS and the concerned state governments?

DSAI sounded so confident that this coalition will be ruling the nation come this September. To hear that the ruling coalition "in-waiting" is yet to be properly formalised and structured is a bit worrying, don't you think?

For now "this pakatan rakyat thing" as a coalition seems to be good only at holding demos and road-shows. It is certainly, for a fact, much easier to organize a full scale demonstration together than running a country. As such, will "this Pakatan Rakyat thing" be ready then to be a "workable" coalition government as what being trumpeted by their de facto leader currently?

Sadly, I have to say, the mentality it seems is still of an opposition rather than the ruling government although the coalition is now ruling five States.

16th September 2008 will come in no time. Are you really up to it, Pakatan Rakyat?

Is it true or is he just being sarcastic?

I thought he was being his usual sarcastic self on what he said here. After all, he was blogging about those foolish and childish allegations about him and his family having somewhat hundreds of million of RM in an Israel Bank. Come on, the Israelite bankers won't be bothered to have him as a customer, not with his "anti-Zionist" remarks over these years.

Now back to the issue at hand. Is he being sarcastic here? Che Det has this to say in his blog;

"3. UMNO can make a statement about the money I gave to Dato Abdullah when I stepped down. Better still Dato Abdullah can explain how much of the 1.4 billion Ringgit in cash, shares and property that my staff and one of his Ministers handed over to him is still with him."

I read those but did not give it much of a thought yesterday. But today when Rocky's Bru highlighted the same here, now that's worth a thought. Could this be true? RM 1.4 B is not small amount of money brother! Was it UMNO's money and assets? For what purpose and why?

Now did Che Det just given those in UMNO (who thinks that their president should pack up his bag and leave) another "bullet" to rattle paklah's grasp of UMNO's presidency?

In Conjunction of Father's Day

Our PM is saying this today, apart from appointing the MB as Terengganu UMNO Chief and vowing to hand over the management of Petronas Oil Royalty to the state;

"I will not let Umno be divided. In the north (of Peninsular Malaysia), Umno was founded by my father and grandfather," he said at a dinner in conjunction with his one-day visit to Kelantan.

Read more I will not harm Umno, says Pak Lah

That’s a promise made by one son to his father and his father's father. Just like what the TPM said recently with regard to his father and the legacy he left behind. To what extent the promises made by these 2 top leaders of the nation and UMNO are yet to be seen.

One thing for sure they have directly contributed to the state the nation and UMNO currently in. In pretty bad shape I would personally say. I guess it's true what people said all this time that "whatever the fathers help built, mostly the sons will help ruined".

I hope that these 2 sons have realized the damage they have done to the works and efforts their fathers have put in for their beloved country and party. Hopefully the two of them will get their acts together to at least minimize and remedy the damages incurred. Wishful thinking, you think? Time will tell.

Lastly, permits me to wish "Happy Father's Day" to my dad, to myself and to all the dads out there!

Now you're talking...

...if this is true, (provided that there will be no flip-flopping afterwards) my thanks to you Paklah. My guess is that you knew there was a demonstration in KL yesterday despite being in Kelantan. Good for you! Keep it up. Stay awake now!

More to come? Say abolishment of highway tolls, subsidies for NGV installation to private cars etc.?

Read Abdullah agrees to income tax relief (Source: The Malaysian Insider)

Well that's that. Let's get back to the match of the day. It's France v Holland, guys and gals!

Now we know....

• ....why Kelantan will never be ruled by Barisan Nasional! Gua Musang should consider itself as a "republic" from now on, best of luck to you Ku Li.... Read UMNO Kelantan ikrar tetap setia kepada Abdullah

• .....why Najib will never be Razak, read Pact with Najib on leadership change, says Pak Lah .

• ....why Paklah is Paklah. You can't afford not to be Paklah when you have Deputy and followers like the above. Yes, like it or not, Paklah will always be Paklah.

• ...why UMNO will always be UMNO? Because all the above.

What We Don't Know

Therefore what is that we don't know? When is the leadership change going to be? Right, we do not know that. Not to worry! We can afford not to know that as we already "know a lot". Let's recap. What do we know?

We know that:-

1. UMNO is UMNO, UMNO can't change, at least not while the boss is still the boss.
2. Najib will never be Razak, Najib is, well, Najib... period!
3. Paklah is the head of UMNO and will be our PM until God knows when!

Now, isn't that comforting? To know that you are "in the know"!

“If I am wrong, okay, they can arrest me,”

“If I am wrong, okay, they can arrest me”. That should be title of the news instead of "Dr M: Arrest me if you have proof" in the Star Online (latest). When you put it like what The Star did, it looks like the old man is challenging the authority.

But that's newspapers, right? They need to sell. They need headlines that sell!

By the way DSAI, for now, does not have any recollection whatsoever pertaining to the so-called "boot camp for judges" back in 1997. Now, from my humble opinion, that's no good for the authority if they want to proceed with investigating and/or prosecuting. That's one potential material witness gone down the drain. For now, that is. Memory can come and go depending on situation. The Star quoted him as follows;

“I remember addressing the Asean Law Conference in 1995 as deputy prime minister but I can’t recall attending any conference involving judges,” he said.

As far as I know there is Judges Conference all this while. It is an annual affair. That's when your hearing/mention gets postponed. "Judge is attending Judges Conference, court will give you next date" the court interpreter will tell the lawyers or the litigants themselves, once a year. Nonetheless here is an excerpt from CJ's speech at the Judges' Conference 2008 in order for us to at least apprehend what the judges do during such conference. From my reading of the CJ's speech, I believe its no "boot camp". An excerpt of the CJ's speech as follows;

Since this is the only conference that I will be chairing, I would like, as far as possible, to concentrate on the administration of justice rather than pure administrative matters. This is a matter of priority at this point of time. I believe that this Conference of the Council of Judges is required by law to be held at least once a year to discuss current legal issues and issues pertaining to the administration of justice rather than the size of the epaulet and the uniform of drivers even though I do not say that they cannot or should not be raised or discussed. The full speech here.

P/s

Apparently Former AG is also not happy with the disclosure made. Read BigDog's Former AG Slams Justice Chin if you want to get wider perspective on the above.

Long time no hear...

He spoke of vision 2020... I thought the government has moved beyond that. Isn't it vision 2057 or 2157 or 2257 or something like that now?

The Prime Minister said while the Budget would be formulated with the aim to achieve the national mission of Vision 2020, it would also introduce new initiatives for a better distribution and sharing of the nation's wealth among Malaysians from all walks of life. Read more here.

He also said the next Budget to be tabled shall be "Bajet 2009 untuk semua kaum, wilayah, negeri".

Interesting that he brought all that up now. What does it mean? Prior budgets tabled were not meant for all? And is Che Det (or his vision) becoming relevant once more?

Then again, it's paklah...

Updated!

...it's okay if you don't want to read too much into what he said. Better if we all now plan on how to go about and claim our rebates this Saturday (those who renewed or paid their road tax between April 1 and May 31) than dwelling into what he said just now. That's real money and it's coming to your pocket directly. Read Road tax: Get your rebates in 3mins.

Setia dan Konvensional

• “Saya anggota parti (UMNO) yang setia”

• “Saya datang daripada keluarga di mana ayahanda saya membantu menubuhkan parti (UMNO) dan saya bukan nya anak lelaki yang memusnahkan parti. Saya mahu terus menyambung membangunkan parti ini,”

• “percaya peralihan kuasa (dalam UMNO) perlu dilakukan secara tradisi konvensional dan bukannya dengan mewujudkan puak-puak”.

Itu kata TPM. Mungkin itu juga cara UMNO. Saya tidak tahu, saya bukan ahli UMNO. Nyata TPM adalah seorang yang amat setia kepada partinya, sayang kepada partinya dan seorang yang konvensional dalam caranya dalam menjejaki takuk-takuk kuasa dalam partinya.

Bapanya dahulu pun seorang yang amat setia kepada parti, sayang kepada partinya dan mungkin juga konvensional dalam caranya.

Sebaik sahaja UMNO dan Perikatan kalah teruk dalam Pilihanraya Umum 1969 (Mei 1969), Tun Razak telah memulakan langkah dengan memastikan peralihan tampuk kuasa partinya dan negara beralih daripada Tunku Abdul Rahman kepada beliau. Tun Razak mencapai objektif tersebut di dalam tahun 1970 (September 1970). Kalau mengikut wikipedia Tun Razak telah melakukan perkara berikut untuk memastikan peralihan kuasa di dalam UMNO.

After the May 13 Incident in 1969, his faction in UMNO overthrew Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra and imposed a State of Emergency, ruling by decree until 1970. On September 1970, Tun Razak succeeded Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra as the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Baca lagi di sini.

"Overthrew" adalah satu perkataan yang kuat dan kasar untuk menunjukkan "kesetiaan". Tetapi mungkin itu hanyalah cara "konvensional era tersebut, era 70an dan tidak terpakai lagi sekarang. Nyata juga perkataan "faction" di situ. Namun demikian itu hanyalah kata-kata di dalam "wikipedia". Sesiapa pun boleh menokok tambah di dalam wikipedia. Saya percaya TPM pasti lebih arif. Ahli-ahli UMNO juga pasti lebih tahu. Yang nyata, bagaimana dan cara Tun Razak dan puaknya berbuat sedemikian (memastikan peralihan kuasa parti) boleh kita perolehi dengan mudah daripada buku-buku sejarah mahupun di dalam internet. Mungkin TPM patut juga dapatkan sedikit "tunjuk ajar" tidak langsung cara dan kaedah yang digunakan oleh bapa beliau di dalam memastikan peralihan kuasa tersebut.

Ikutlah cara konvensional ayahanda Datuk Seri di atas. Nah, dengan sedemikian bukankah Datuk Seri akan tetap menjadi anak dan ahli umno yang setia yang terus memastikan kewujudan parti tersebut dengan cara "konvensional". Bukan begitu Datuk Seri?

Takut-takut kalau terus duduk menantikan buah yang tidak gugur ini, Datuk Seri sendiri dengan secara tidak langsung terbabit dalam memusnahkan parti UMNO ini kerana saya kira ramai di antara kami di luar ini sudah melihat bahawasanya parti Datuk Seri sebenarnya menuju kemusnahan ataupun telah musnah sedikit demi sedikit sejak dari tahun 2004 lagi, selepas Pilihanraya Umum ke 11.

Itu hanya cadangan saya yang dilabelkan sebagai orang Melayu di dalam kumpulan keempat, ketiga mahupun yang kedua di dalam nukilan Che Det hari ini. Pendapat kami mungkin tidak perlu didengar oleh Datuk Seri kerana kami "orang luar" UMNO.

Namun begitu "Masa adalah intipati", Datuk Seri. Hakikatnya, masa tidak menyebelahi Datuk Seri mahupun parti kesayangan Datuk Seri. Bertindaklah segera dan dengan bijaksana!

The timing of it all...

Che Det short reply in his blog should at least for now put things in perspective.

Read Dr Mahathir Mohamad: Snippets: "Dr M threatened judges

Both the New Straits Times and the Star today chose to splash Justice Dato Ian Chin’s “stunning” claims of my alleged interference in the judiciary, providing brief respite from the current issues of oil price hike etc etc

I will refrain from commenting for now and will do so in due time.

However, I am quite curious about what Ian Chin considers as “veiled threat”. Perhaps he could be more specific as his allegations are very serious."

Again, the timing of the disclosure speaks volume. Why now, why not 11 years, 5 years back? Why must it be right after the earlier revelation made by Che Det with regard to Tun Salleh Abas 1st letter to the then Agong? Why at this time when the government is in the spotlight with regard to the price hikes and in the need of some sort of diversion? Why, why & more why(s)? Just another coincidence? Read more of BigDog's ramblings on the same subject here.

Updated!

And this is what our dear PM has to say about it.

“We are going to implement the reforms. Tak habis-habis dengan cerita ini (The matter seems to be dragging on). I don’t see a reason for another commission,” he told reporters at his office here on Wednesday.

Read Judges boot camp shocker: No Royal Commission, says PM . To Che Det's detractors, don't worry! It's only what Paklah said. He can flipped and he can always later on flopped. He can even flipped back altogether. Hopefully not with regard to this though, read PM: No more petrol price increases this year

Revelations from the bench....

Read more here High Court judge makes explosive judicial disclosures (The Borneo Post Online)

In the name of fairness, parties involved may need to come forward to fully disclose what have transpired then as per the disclosures made by his Lordship Ian Chin J. It's not going to be pretty, that's for sure. An excerpt from the above news report as follows:

“The then prime minister went there to issue a thinly veiled threat to remove judges by referring to the tribunal that was set up before and stating that though it may be difficult to do so, it was still done. He said all that after he had expressed his unhappiness with what he termed ‘the Borneo Case’ and after he had asked whether the judge who decided that case was present or not.”

Chin said no one had any doubt that he was referring to the election case though he (then prime minister) did not mention it specifically which he decided on Feb 13, 1997.

Government Spending & The Public Burden

Kudos to Paklah & Co. for being considerate and "sensitive to the hardship faced by the people as a result of the recent increase in fuel prices". Thank you, seysey, nandri and terimakasih for proposing such moves to "ease" the public burden. The people's burden, our burden.

We know now that the measures taken by the government can ease public burden by RM 2 Billion. Come again? 2 B? Yes, overall cost cutting of government spending will save the nation RM 2 Billion. That's what Paklah said. RM 2 Billion for this year alone!

"We expect it will save RM2 billion a year," he said on the total that would be saved from the government's overall cost-cutting measures, emphasising on the word "billion". Read more here.

Marvelous, but from where such saving is mostly made? If only Paklah could identify the main culprit, the No. 1 source of all these "pembaziran", oopss.. my bad, government expenditure. From where? Is it the government office/building renovations? It can't be from the 10% entertainment allowance cuts. It doesn't come as much. Or is it actually? And I don't think "uniform/special attire for functions" cancellation could save as much. What about the cost of functions when officiating new buildings? No, can't be that either. Seminars? What then? From where? If we know that we may know from where the main cause of this unnecessary "government expenditure" (a.k.a wastage) is.

If we can save RM 2 Billion, why not make it RM 4 billion. Why cutting 10% when you can cut 20, 40% instead. Is it too much to ask?

But one thing is for sure from what has been proposed by Paklah. Over the years, too much of public money has been wasted on unnecessary causes. If not for the cost-cutting measures, it could well be RM2 Billion of unnecessary expenses for this year alone.

And again, as usual, another set of stop-gap measures have been proposed by our dear Prime Minister and our caring government to overcome yet another major crisis. Terima kasih. Jazakhumullah bi khairan.

"Yang berat sama dipikul, yang ringan sama dijinjing"? Wallahualam

Hush now!

Do not talk about malays needing help, they'll say that you are playing the rascist card. Never dwell on the issue that some Malays may need monetary assistance in their studies, some will say that's assabiyah. Whatever Malays, that's a no-no.

But you can say it out loud, I am tinkering whether to wear the songkok or not. Hey, you may even shout it out to the whole world, I don't want to wear them, because I am from DAP! Say it over and over again. And that's alright.

For Whom the Tolls Bell - Both Government and Opposition

Dear LK

I would like to give my 2 thoughts about what is currently happening in the country with regards to the huge oil price hike. Whilst I agree entirely with the proposed freeing up of the fuel price in accordance with market prices, the mechanism or method by which subsidy withdrawal is implemented leaves a lot to be desired. Why? Because given the whole bunch of Ivy Leaguers (so-called) employed or giving advise to the Government, nothing is given back to the rakyat. The only thing that the Prime Minister has said is that people must change their lifestyle and anybody who raise their price will be hauled. Come on!

So, what would I do if I was the policy maker? Lots of things can be done. Why not if the Government buys back a number of the tolled highways and bi-ways? Expensive? Not that expensive when you consider that the Government would not have to fork out RM40-50 billion if the oil prices were not subsidised. By the way, why don't the Government keep on charging toll? This will keep people employed and at the same time allow for some retention of money to maintain the roads. But keep it at nominal levels. KESAS for example charges RM2.20 per toll for 2 tolls if you are travelling from Bukit Jalil to Subang Jaya. Once the Government acquires it, lower it to RM1 per toll. So, if a guy commutes daily between Bukit Jalil and Subang Jaya, rather than spend RM8.80, he only spends RM4, and saves RM4. He travels faster and also saves on fuel consumption, which in turn spins off a number of other benefits. If I was to explain all, there are too many things to detail. But I believe given that you are a lawyer from the kampung, you know what I mean.

As a lawyer, you would probably ask me what about the contractual obligations that the Government owes to the concessionaires. Put in simple terms, why don't the Government offer to buy off at a good valuation with a certain premium. Say if the Government can offer a concessionaire RM2 billion cash, who in their right mind would not accept the offer? Financially, it would be better off for anybody to get RM2 b cash immediately rather than wait over 10-15 years to get RM3 b based on NPV. Anyway, the job of concessionaires should not be about collecting toll and collect compensation. They should be out there in the global market place building highways, as a global player.

Some would say what I have written are based on simple logic/thinking. I believe that if one thinks simply one would understand things better. The rich are the ones who think simply, not in complicated manners. Anyway, give it some thought and I think many would realise the many things that can be done.

By the way, I would just like to end my piece to you by saying that the above is not only said by the Government but also by the Opposition. So what gives? They're all the same.

Simple Minds

An E-Mail from Walk Long

Damage Control

Damage control is in motion. Read this, this and this . Read also proposals from none other than KJ himself here. It's good now that the government (& the son in law) is listening.

But the question is this. Why now? Why only after announcing and proceeding with such unpopular moves that the government (& the son in law) now is putting efforts to curtail the damage done? Don't tell me that you have not viewed and anticipated the consequences from all possible angles before announcing and (immediately) implementing such important policies. This is not good. On second thought, it's no drama, right? You flipped, you flopped and later you'll flip back? All purposely done just to look good later on? Don't-lah do this to us...

(Links: Utusan Online, The Malaysian Insider, Berita Harian Online & NST Online)

Someone deserving for the award of "Tun"

First time I appeared before him for a hearing in Penang High Court was way back in 1997. At the time, he was already a "Datuk". He presided in High Court 1, meaning that he was at the time the most senior Judge here in Penang. He's been there; correct me if I am wrong, since 1992. He was appointed as Judicial Commissioner of the High Court in 1990. He's been in Penang for quite sometime till the day he was elevated to the Court of Appeal (in the year 2000) and the Federal Court in 2003. Read here for his biodata.

The fact that it took quite sometimes for him to be elevated from the High Court to the Court of Appeal despite being the senior High Court Judge in Penang speaks volume. Obviously he did not have anyone to lobby for his elevation to the higher courts, no? Correct, correct, correct! Work wise, he has been delivering judgment after judgment, written and oral without problems since the day he was elevated to become a High Court Judge in Penang. A very good judge since then but a "Datuk" still.

Despite all that and his elevation to the higher courts (The Court of Appeal and The Federal Court), he was however a "Datuk" still, until very recently (after his appointment as Chief Justice) when he was bestowed with "Datuk Seri". It is pretty obvious that he is a man who works but do not seek for "titles" at the beginning of his name. That is someone, for me at least; truly worthy to be conferred with the title of "Tun". Ask any lawyers, Penang lawyers especially, you'll find out that they will talk of highly of him. He deserves it.

Congrats Yang Amat Arif Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad CJ!

Read here, it seems someone will not get the title "Tan Sri" after all. Did someone high-up read this, this and this? No worries, there is always a next time. What friends (up there) are for, eh? Wink!