Sah!! Anwar bertanding diKulim

Anwar sedang menyampaikan ucapannya diKulim. Dan baru sebentar tadi, Anwar telah mengumumkan bahawa beliau akan bertanding disana.

Peguam Zulkifli Nordin akan meletakkan jawatannya untuk membolehkan pilihanraya kecil diadakan diKulim -Bandar Baru.

Tunggu laporan seterusnya.

Patutkah PAS terus menganggotai Pakatan?

Pakatan Rakyat patut menimbang secara serius sama ada PAS patut dibenarkan terus menganggotai pakatan pembangkang itu, kata Pengerusi DAP, Karpal Singh.

Beliau mempertikaikan beberapa tindakan pemimpin PAS yang menurutnya telah menimbulkan keraguan terhadap kewibawaan parti itu.

"Selepas pilihanraya umum pada 8 Mac lalu, PAS telah mengadakan perbincangan dengan Umno untuk menubuhkan kerajaan campuran di Selangor," katanya yang menyifatkan tindakan itu berniat jahat kerana DAP dan PKR tidak dimaklumkan mengenainya.

Pakatan Rakyat yang dianggotai oleh DAP, PKR dan PAS, memerintah di lima negeri - Kelantan, Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Perak dan Selangor.

Tambahnya, PAS turut mengadakan satu lagi pusingan rundingan dengan Umno "atas nama perpaduan Melayu".

"langkah bersifat perkauman oleh PAS itu sebagai tidak sejajar dengan dasar DAP dan Pakatan Rakyat," katanya.

Karpal turut menyentuh cadangan Mursyidul Am PAS Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat semalam agar Umno dan PAS dibubarkan dan sebuah parti baru ditubuhkan bagi menyatukan semua orang Melayu.

"Pendedahan ini sungguh memeranjatkan dan memberi kesan dan implikasi yang serius," katanya dalam satu kenyataan.

Kenyataan Nasharuddin

Karpal yang juga merupakan peguambela Ketua Umum PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dalam kes liwat terhadapnya 10 tahun lalu, juga kecewa dengan pemimpin PAS, Nasharuddin Mat Isa berhubung tuduhan terbaru ke atas mantan timbalan perdana menteri itu.

Menurut Nasharuddin orang Melayu sudah mula mempercayai tuduhan liwat yang dihadapi Anwar Ibrahim.

"Kenapa Nasharudin buat kenyataan seperti itu? Dengan berbuat demikian, beliau membabitkan PAS secara menyeluruh memandangkan kedudukannya sebagai setiausaha agung (nasharuddin adalah timbalan presiden).

"Kenyataan Nasharudin itu bukan saja bersifat menghina dan tidak tepat, malah berupa satu serangan terbuka terhadap Anwar Ibrahim yang sedang bergelut berdepan dengan usaha untuk merosakkan kredibiliti beliau melalui dakwaan meliwat," katanya.

Karpal berkata, rakyat Malaysia telah memberi isyarat yang jelas apabila mereka tidak mengundi mengikut kaum dalam pilihanraya umum Mac lalu.

Katanya, PAS sebaliknya memilih untuk berusaha bagi menyatupadukan semua orang Melayu dan bukannya berusaha bagi menyatupadukan semua rakyat Malaysia.

"PAS tidak patut dan tidak boleh dibiarkan berlari bersama arnab dan memburu bersama anjing pemburu bagi mengelaknya daripada dibaham anjing berkenaan," kata Karpal.

-malaysiakini

Bangladeshis to get on-arrival visa to Malaysia

Dhaka, July 27 (bdnews24.com)—Bangladeshis may not require visas prior to visiting Malaysia in future as Kuala Lumpur has recently dropped Bangladesh from its 'blacklist', said foreign affairs adviser Iftekhar Ahmed Chowdhury Sunday.

The citizens of Bangladesh irrespective of their status or profession could get visas on arrival at Malaysian airports.

The Bangladesh mission in Kuala Lumpur has informed the expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry that Malaysia prepared a list of 27 countries, the citizens of which must need visas before leaving for Malaysia.

Bangladesh is not on the list, meaning Bangladeshis will not require prior visas to visit Malaysia, the Bangladesh High Commission in Malaysia said.

"It has been learnt that henceforth Bangladeshis can obtain on-arrival visas in Malaysia," Iftekhar, also in charge of the expatriates' welfare and overseas employment ministry, said in a statement Sunday.

read the rest [ here ]

Malaysia ruling party calls in anti-corruption body

Malaysia's ruling political party has asked the country's anti-corruption watchdog to help it battle vote-buying in the heated contest for top posts, a report said.

Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, secretary-general of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), said complaints would be referred to the Anti-Corruption Agency.

"The party's disciplinary board cannot check such complaints as it does not have the means to do so. If there is proof, we will refer them to the ACA," he was quoted as saying by the New Sunday Times.

"There have been complaints of money changing hands at party meetings, but we do not have proof.

Mr Tengku Adnan said party members had nothing to fear.

"We are serious about eradicating money politics," he said.

The party, led by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is holding branch meetings to nominate candidates for party elections in December.

Members have alleged that aspiring candidates are rewarding supporters with money in return for their votes, but UMNO has until now opposed involving the graft watchdog.

Elections to top party posts will be held during the UMNO general assembly from December 16 to 20.

Some leading figures are calling for the top two posts - the presidency, held by Mr Abdullah, and deputy presidency - to be open to contest also.

Mr Abdullah is facing calls for his resignation after a drubbing at the polls earlier this year and has said he will step down in 2010.

The March 8 polls saw the UMNO-led coalition lose a third of parliamentary seats and five states to the resurgent opposition, which now has ambitions of seizing power with the help of defecting government lawmakers.

-ABCNews

Nasir Ibrahim ganti Zaid Ibrahim

Salam rasanya semua sudah tahu tentang khabar angin yang Zaid telah meletakkan jawatannya sebagai Menteri Di Jabatan Perdana Menteri,dan ada sumber mengatakan bahawa orang yang menggantikan Zaid ialah orang dari Terengganu iaitu Dato Mohd Nasir Fikri,Ahli Parlimen Kuala Nerus.

Sebelum ini Zaid telah menimbulkan rasa marah dikalangan Ahli Parlimen kerana sikapnya yang amat buruk,antara Ahli Parlimen yang ditentangnya ialah Datuk Muhkriz,Ahli Parlimen Jerlun,Datuk Tajuddin Abd Rahman,Ahli Parlimen Pasir Salak.Zaid juga dikatakan akan ditimbang didalam badan disiplin Umno.Nasir yang sebelum ini ialah ADUN Bukit Tunggal dikatakan akan menggantikan Idris Jusoh pada 2008 tetapi tidak menjadi kenyataan apabila beliau ditukarkan bertanding di Parlimen"

-TKO

berita sebelumnya - Zaid Ibrahim Letak Jawatan, Dacing kepada Bulan Sa...

Malaysia to try to stabilise falling palm oil prices: report

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will put in place a series of measures to stabilise plummeting global palm oil prices including selling off crude stocks, a report said Sunday.

Peter Chin, minister of plantation industries and commodities, told the Sunday Star newspaper the government wanted to make sure that the almost 25-percent drop in prices in recent months did not become a long-term trend.

"The ministry expects palm oil to contribute up to 60 billion ringgit (19 billion dollars) in revenue to the country's coffers this year, but the substantial drop in the global price may upset this target," he said.

"We are worried this may be the start of a further decline in the price of palm oil and we will take counter-measures to maintain a good price," the newspaper quoted him as saying.

In the past week, palm oil prices fell to 3,095 ringgit per tonne from 3,500 ringgit. The price early this year was at 4,000 per tonne.

Chin said Malaysia will export crude -- not refined -- palm oil to China, India, Pakistan and the Middle East.

It will also increase exports to Western countries where palm oil can be used as bio-fuel during the upcoming northern hemisphere winter, he said.

Chin said other measures include increasing the usage of crude palm oil for bio-fuel production in Malaysia.

Oil palm cultivation occupies 67 percent of Malaysia's total agricultural land, and some 500,000 people are engaged in the sector. Malaysia hopes palm oil production will hit 20 million tonnes by 2020.

-TET

Pakatan, walau berbeza idealogi, tetapi ada titik pertemuan' - Presiden PAS.

IPOH, 27 Julai (Hrkh)- Presiden PAS, Tuan Guru Dato' Seri Abdul Hadi Awang menyanjung tinggi kerjasama Pakatan Rakyat khususnya pimpinan DAP dan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (KeADILam) di Perak yang memberi peluang PAS menerajui kerajaan tersebut.

Beliau memberi penghargaan kepada parti komponen pakatan dengan kerjasama itu lebih-lebih lagi dalam keadaan salah faham terhadap Islam berlaku.

Kesediaan PAS bersama di dalam Pakatan Rakyat disandarkan kepada wujudnya titik pertemuan di antara parti dalam Pakatan tersebut.

Kerjasama itu diasaskan kepada kesamaan dalam misi menegak keadilan, menentang akta yang zalim, penyellewengan dan kerana itu PAS sanggup bersama komponen parti Pakatan Rakyat walaupun berbeza dari segi ideolog, katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian dalam ucapan perasmiannya di Konvensyen PAS yang diadakan di Dewan Serbaguna Rapat Setia, semalam.

"PAS bersedia bertahaluf dengan rakan yang berlainan idealogi dan dipersetujui oleh Majlis Syura.Di sana ada titik persamaaan seperti, keadilan, menentang diskriminasi, penindasan. di atas titik yang sama ini Pakatan Rakyat ditubuhkan," jelasnya.

"Dalam masa yang sama ,katanya, PAS masih sanggup mengadakan muqabalah bukannya muzakarah dalam keadaan PAS ditekan yang sangat kuat oleh Umno.

"Sebelum ini ada pemimpn PAS yang dibunuh, ada pemimpin PAS di Terengganu difitnah berkhalwat pada tahun 50 -an., ketika PAS memerintah di Terengganu `dirompak' royati minyak, pengikut kita di kampung dinafikan hak kerana menyokong PAS, pelajar di luar negeri dinafikan haknya dan lain-lain lagi," ujarnya.

Sementara itu Pesuruhjaya PAS Perak, Ustaz Ahmad Awang dalam ucapannya pula menaruh keyakinan bahawa PAS Perak mampu merampas kerusi-kerusi yang dipertandingkan oleh wakil-wakil Umno dalam pilihan raya ke 13 akan datang.

Sejak awal lagi PAS berpendirian menolak kerjasama dengan Umno untuk menubuhkan kerajaan Perak.

Antara tetamu yang hadir, Pengerusi DAP Perak yang juga merupakan Exco Kanan, Dao' Ngeh Koo Ham , Timbalan Speaker Perak, Hee Yit Foong, Pengerusi KeADILan Perak, Ismail Yusof, Timbalannya Ustaz. Zukifli Ibrahim, Adun Simpang Pulai, Chan Ming Kai , Adun Hutan Melintang, Kesevan,

Turut hadir wakil-wakil dari yayasan orang Asli Perak, Pengerusi kelab-kelab Penyokong PAS kawasan-kawasan, Wakil Badan Bukan Kerajaan (NGO) Cina, dan Adun PAS Titi Serong, Gunung Semanggol, Selingsing dan Cangkat Jong./wann _

What cars may come

KUALA LUMPUR, July27 — What began as a somewhat commonplace — in our country at least — "executive decision" by Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said has become a huge issue in the current climate of "lifestyle change".

The state government's RM3.43 million purchase of 14 Mercedes-Benz E200 Kompressors has managed to grab a share of headlines alongside Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's takeover claims and Umno-Pas talks. This is due to what appears at first glance, the sheer audacity of Ahmad's administration in not just approving the purchase but then calling it a "cost-cutting measure".

To begin with, the figure that the state government released — RM1.1 million to upkeep 16 Proton Perdana V6 Executives since 2004 — already seems dubious, as it breaks down to an average of over RM17,000 per car per year. To put this into context, that's within a few thousand of a seven-year loan repayment for that same car.

When it was revealed that the maintenance of several cars, including that used by Ahmad's predecessor, Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh (RM131,449.83) had breached the RM130,000 retail price of the cars themselves – the highest figure was RM175,229 — in the four years they were utilised, it opened up another can of worms.

And then more and more cans were opened as other states revealed that they too had experienced high maintenance costs with their Perdanas. Selangor's new administration was more than happy to announce that the previous one had spent RM288,000 on 12 cars last year (RM24,000/car) with Pahang revealing figures of RM57,700, RM54,000 and RM49,000 for three cars last year alone. As compared to a couple of Mercs which
"only" hit RM42,000 and RM20,000 during the same period.

An expensive cheap car has led to cost-cutting measures via a cheap expensive car.

Never mind that this immediately calls into question whether Terengganu's new Mercs will actually be able to run for under RM17,000/year, the amount of money being spent on maintenance simply boggles the mind of the average car owner. Current market prices put a four-year-old Perdana Executive at under RM50,000.

"Obviously something is seriously wrong. The figures are more than the cost of the car. The only way is if you're completely rebuilding the car – changing the engine and gearbox and most of the body panels. Otherwise it's impossible unless Terengganu has been using the cars to haul timber or as oil tankers to smuggle fuel into Thailand," an industry veteran who has worked with both manufacturer and consumer concerns told The Malaysian Insider.

"This certainly warrants some investigation, if not I would like to be the one with the contract for maintaining the cars," he added.

High as it might be, will an E-Class actually cost less in the long run? An E200K apparently costs just RM700 to service per 12,000km. A senior service crew member said that over the first 10 years of the car's lifespan, an average annual budget of RM3,000-5,000 is adequate for the upkeep of the car.

As far as fuel consumption goes, the general idea that the V6 in the Perdana is a guzzler is statistically warranted since it drinks 7.5 litres per 100km at highway speeds, while the bigger and heavier E200K only uses 6.7.

With the Terengganu government somehow purchasing the 14 Es at the knockdown price of RM245,000 (instead of RM360,000), the four-year budget should be around RM300,000 including fuel. As far as their 16 Perdanas go, only one breached the RM300,000.

Two caveats however. One, The Es will have a higher resale value. Two, the car that breached RM170,000 in maintenance was that of exco member Toh Chin Yaw, which, according to authorised Proton servicer Tenaga Setia, had required repairs due to some "minor crashes".

'On average, the maintenance cost on his car came up to just about RM3,500 a month. Taking into account that the car covered a monthly average of about 4,000km, I would say the amount is more than reasonable," said its manager Tor Kok Seng, who obviously has a different sense of "reasonable" from most Malaysians.

Mercedes servicing staff readily agree that repairs on its cars — both on body panels and internal mechanics — would cost significantly more than Perdana's. In fact, one of the main grouses about the Perdana is its gearbox, which according to official Proton workshops in Terengganu, would cost RM8,300 (this after a 25% markup for late payment, yet another question mark over the state's administration) to replace or just RM3,000 if the owner was willing to install a reconditioned unit.

Mercedes gearboxes – which it maintains and is widely accepted to last a lot longer than a Perdana's – would go into five digits. Ironically, RM23,000 was spent to change the gearbox for Selangor exco Ronnie Liu's Perdana a few weeks ago. He said he was shocked when he learnt of the cost for the new gearbox claiming that he "was only informed after the bill had already been paid."

This state of affairs was met with a frown by a local senior employee at a carmaker who told us: "Surely you have to sign the quotation before accepting service work. Are they signing with their eyes closed? Doesn't the finance/accounts guy raise a red flag? RM3,500 per month for service? This car must be falling to pieces on a daily basis."

Proton has since rebutted these claims with two salient statements. Firstly, that they had not received any warranty claims from the Terengganu state government and secondly, their service records show that a mere RM542 had been spent on average per car per year for the state's full fleet of 35 Perdanas.

It looks like someone somewhere has got dirty hands here but whoever it is, the entire affair is a public relations disaster for all involved. Proton it seems, can do no right in the eyes of the public – one journalist commented that we've spent so many millions saving the company, maybe Ahmad was right to spend a few more to kill it off.

'The one empirical way of seeing if it were possible for Terengganu to end up being saddled with such a bill is to find out the number of lemons (jargon for badly manufactured car) per thousand units and then work out the odds of 14 lemons being delivered to the same customer," an industry expert said to The Malaysian Insider.

"But I don't think that's necessary. It's just not possible given that the Perdana has a high percentage of Mitsubishi parts and is not as localised as lower-end Protons. What this is actually riding on is that Proton has become an easy target due to the general sentiment where nobody has respect for Proton. It's easy to kick a man when he's already down."

Our veteran expert also regretted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi's weak stance in allowing Terengganu to keep the cars but only for important dignitaries visiting the state (it is illuminating to note that an exco member has already taken one of the E200K's down to Johor).

"Send one to each state then. How often will Terengganu have 14 VVIPs visiting it? Point is, whatever you do now, it's like trying to close the gate after the cows have run out. Pak Lah should have ordered Ahmad to sell them off and take the loss as punishment," he concluded.

Another politician who weighed in with an opinion was would-be comeback kid Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek but he was duly lambasted by commentors on his blog.

"Some Malaysians may be nationalistic in the wrong way. We are proud of the production of the Proton but pride should not blind us to the fact where quality is concerned, Proton can never measure up to Mercedes. My Proton Perdana Executive is four years old while my personal car, Mercedes 240E is six but it gave me less problems. It is a question of value for money. Since there is substantial savings in maintenance between a Mercedes and Proton Perdana Executive in the long term, it is wiser to purchase a Mercedes. Don't be penny wise and pound foolish. We can be patriotic in many other ways," he wrote.

He also made the error of claiming that the initial outlay for a Mercedes was only RM70,000 more. Not true in this case and not true even if it were the lower-end C-Class – although it does bring up the question of why Ahmad did not go for a C200K which would have cost less and saved more on fuel.

This simply shows the obtuseness of those who make the decisions. If indeed there is a huge cost associated to the running of the Perdanas, then would not an equivalent Japanese or Korean car suffice? Only Selangor has so far hinted at purchasing a fleet of RM140,000 Toyota Camrys should replacement vehicles be required.

The purchase of the Mercs instead, led to Malaysia's top automotive blogger, Paul Tan, tellingThe Malaysian Insider that the situation "is like a child who can't take care of goldfish now being given arowanas as pets. And then later, his father tells him that he's only allowed to display the fish when important relatives drop by for visits".

That the entire affair is rife with dodgy claims and certain unfathomable leaps of logic has led to at least one conspiracy theory. With Ahmad having effectively deposed Idris as MB, one wonders if he has sought to quash a future challenge by discrediting Idris — which would explain the erroneous RM235,123.08 figure for Idris's car that was released earlier.

To highlight the previous administration's heavy expenditure, he did something bizarre himself to provoke a media circus. In this way, should it be found that the high Perdana maintenance costs were due to hanky-panky, the blame for the RM3.43 million "cost-cutting exercise" could also be laid on Idris as it would be due to his "mismanagement" that Ahmad saw it fit to purchase the Mercs.

If this were true, it would be the perfect excuse for a petrolhead to use this pun: the plan has backfired!

-TMI

Tidak mustahil Umno-PAS bersatu, sejarah 70-an berulang?

(Dikemas kini) KUALA TERENGGANU: Sejarah lebih tiga dekad yang lalu berulang? Umno dan PAS akan bersatu di bawah satu bumbung sebagaimana disaksikan awal 1970-an selepas pilihan raya umum 1969?

Jawapan Menteri Penerangan, Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek ialah: "Ya."
Justeru, kata beliau, penyatuan antara Umno dan PAS bukan sesuatu yang mustahil kerana kedua-dua parti itu pernah bersatu di bawah sebuah pakatan sebelum ini.

Sehubungan itu beliau menegaskan, apa yang lebih penting, kedua-dua parti itu perlu berbincang dengan hati yang ikhlas bagi memastikan penyatuan itu dapat memberi kebaikan kepada mereka.

"Insya-Allah... tiada apa yang mustahil kalau kita lihat kepada sejarah dahulu pun pernah waktu yang lebih runcing lagi pada 1969, akhirnya kita boleh wujudkan satu formula yang lebih besar iaitu pakatan yang dinamakan Barisan Nasional (BN), bersama PAS," kata beliau dipetik Bernama.

• Umno, PAS dibubar tubuh parti baru satukan orang Melayu?

Ahmad Shabery mengulas mengenai cadangan Mursyidul Am PAS Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik semalam, supaya UMNO dan PAS dibubarkan dengan menubuhkan sebuah parti baru berlandaskan Islam bagi menyatukan orang Melayu dan sebagai tempat berlindung kepada semua pihak termasuk bukan Islam.

Menteri Besar Kelantan itu berkata, Islam menepati semua matlamat perjuangan termasuk politik dan perlu dijadikan asas kepada perjuangan manamana parti politik yang inginkan kepada perjuangan sebenar.

Mengulas perkara itu, Ahmad Shabery berkata, tiada sebab kenapa keduadua parti itu tidak boleh mencari formula untuk bersatu demi kepentingan negara pada masa depan dan ia tidak semestinya melihat hanya untuk orang Melayu dan Islam tetapi perpaduan yang boleh dimanfaatkan oleh semua kaum di negara ini.

Beliau berkata, kedua-dua parti berkenaan perlu melihat penyatuan itu dalam konteks yang lebih besar berbanding sebelum ini, terutama dalam menghadapi keadaan sekarang yang lebih mencabar.

"Kalau ada hasrat suci untuk melihat ada penyatuan di kalangan orang Melayu dan Islam, saya rasa baik kita kembali kepada asal iaitu pakatan yang pernah kita tubuhkan atas nama UMNO itu sendiri.

"Kalau kita ikhlas tentang soal penyatuan, soal apakah bentuknya tidak penting. Tetapi yang pentingnya kesediaan untuk kita duduk berbincang dan muzakarah, dapat kita teruskan.

"Kita tidak mengenakan apa-apa syarat sebab bagi PAS sendiri sekiranya dia boleh duduk bersama parti-parti lain yang tidak pun bercakap tentang soal Islam, yang ada rekod menentang negara Islam, kenapa ia ingin mengenakan pelbagai syarat dan bentuk kerjasama dengan UMNO," katanya.

-mSTAR Online

TP - Apakata kalau tajuk tu aku tukar jadi - "Mustahil UMNO-PAS bersatu, Sejarah 70an tak kan berulang"...ha...yang ni lagi sesuai rasanya...mimpi tak abis-abis puak-puak UMNO karat ni...ni last aku siar berita gabung-gabung ni...muak dah aku...puaka-puaka UMNO korang boleh pi mampuih...tukar jadik orang pulak...cukup-cukup la jadi puaka...

Zaid Ibrahim Letak Jawatan, Dacing kepada Bulan Sabit.

Assalamu'alaikum...

Zaid Ibrahim, peguam kontroversi yang sebelum ini menyaman kerajaan PAS kelantan berkenaan dengan pelaksanaan hudud khabarnya dah letak jawatan...

Rasanya kalangan pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO pun dah ramai yang tau hal ni tapi masing-masing ambil sikap zip mulut...yang dapat aku confirmkan ialah surat perletakkan jawatan dah dihantar ke PM Pak Lah bertarikh 7hb.julai,2008...

Sebab-sebab perletakkan jawatan - tekanan dari akar umbi dari dalam UMNO sendiri yang banyak tak bersetuju & bertelingkah pendapat dengan Zaid & antara yang hangat diperkatakan ialah berkenaan dengan kenyataan Zaid Ibrahim dalam 1 forum bertajuk “Dasar Ekonomi Baru: Eratkan hubungan ethnik atau sebaliknya” anjuran Jawatankuasa Peguam-Peguam Muda Nasional, Majlis Peguam (NYLC) dengan kerjasama Youth For Change (Y4C) dan Humanity Library, Persatuan Bahasa Tionghua Alumni Universiti Sains Malaysia.

Sebenarnya forum tu dah lama dah berlangsung tarikhnya 25hb.Januari,2007 ( yang dihadiri Zaid ) & anatara kenyataan Zaid yang menjadi sebab musabab pertelingkahannya dengan orang-orang UMNO ialah “Polisi-polisi ‘racist’ mesti dihapuskan, tetapi polisi-polisi yang bertujuan menolong sesuatu kaum, untuk tujuan dan masa tertentu boleh disokong”...

Aku tak nak komen banyak la pasal kenyataan Zaid tu sebab artikel aku ni bukan nak bincang pasal tu pun...yang aku nak bagitau ialah - Zaid Ibrahim dah letak jawatan...tu je...

untuk rujukan klik sini :
Siri Pemikiran Kritis (Segmen Pertama), Sessi Pertama
Siri Pemikiran Kritis (Segmen Pertama), Sessi Ke-2
Siri Pemikiran Kritis (Segmen Pertama), Sessi Ke-3

Apa yang diberitahu pada aku ialah, rata-rata ahli UMNO memang tak sebulu dengan Zaid bertitik tolak dari kenyataannya dalam forum tu tapi dari side Pak Lah lain pulak ceritanya...dalam erti kata lain Pak Lah masih perlukan Zaid dalam barisan Kabinetnya...

Yang menarik lagi ialah, khabarnya Zaid Ibrahim dalam rangka proses untuk bertukar dari dacing kepada bulan sabit dalam masa terdekat-terdekat ni...perbincangan pertukaran simbol dah diadakan lama dulu iaitu malam 9hb.March lagi sebaik keputusan PRU12 diumumkan dibeberapa tempat...individu yang buat mula-mula buat offer polak...dot dot dot...org kampung aku jugak ( Kelantan ) tak dapat la nak bagi tau...

Erm...lepas ni tunggu je lah...makin ramai bertukar lambang politik, agaknya impian untuk bentuk kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat seperti yang dijanjikan mungkin akan jadi kenyataan Insya Allah...

Tunggulah perkembangan seterusnya...

Mengaku diliwat Anwar, Saiful mungkin hidap sindrom ”Intellectual Disorder” yang kronik

Saiful yang mengaku diliwat Anwar mungkin mengalami ”Intellectual Disorder” atau “Kecelaruan Intelek” yang kronik. Sesiapa yang dijangkiti sindrom ”Intellectual Disorder” secara lazimnya gagal memahami dan menghubung kaitkan dirinya dalam soal atau erti pertalian sesama manusia, mempercayai dan dipercayai, silatulrahim dan juga keakraban. Sindrom ”Intellectual Disorder” tidak akan dapat dikesan secara fizikal tetapi ia dapat dikesan melalui keputusan peperiksaan terutama di peringkat pengajian tinggi.

Sikap ketara pengidap sindrom ”Intellectual Disorder” ialah memiliki nafsu ”MAHU” lebih dari ”MAMPU”. Menurut Susan Greener saorang pakar perkembangan manusia, sindrom ”Intellectual Disorder” berpunca akibat kerengganan hubungan kasih sayang ibubapa semasa dari usia 3 tahun lagi. Tekanan perasaan tanpa kasih sejati menyebabkan organisma 23 pasang ”Sell Chromosomes” dalam DNA Saiful gagal berfungsi dengan sempurna.

Ia adalah punca utama yang menyebabkan berlakunya (cognitive dissonance) iaitu kecelaruan pertumbuhan dan perkembangan kognitif Saiful. Kesan ”cognitive dissonance” menyebabkan Saiful mengalami kecelaruan illusi, visual dan material. Akibatnya Saiful tidak mampu berkeputusan sendiri dan hanya menyerah atau bergantung harap kepada keputusan yang dilakukan orang lain bagi pihak dirinya.

Pada lazimnya pengidap ”Intellectual Disorder”seperti Saiful akan memiliki kriteria-kriteria terserlah seperti berikut:

1. Mengalami defisit dalam keyakinan diri terkadang merudum ke tahap sifar.
2. Membuat keputusan untuk jangka pendek.
3. Mudah percaya dan terpedaya dengan penampilan fizikal, riak wajah atau bahasa badan seseorang yang berpangkat.
4. Mudah membentuk dan mengubah penampilannya fizikal supaya lebih menarik, nampak ceria sepanjang masa, mesra, mudah didekati, sukses, berkeyakinan.
5. Mampu menyesuaikan diri dalam apa juga keadaan.
6. Nampak cerdik tetapi hancur dan tohor pengetahuan am dan khusus.
7. Mudah dibeli dengan pujian, kata-kata perangsang dan sikap kononnya mereka perihatin terhadap dirinya.
8. Akan berlakunya kecelaruan fizikal mendadak jika dipuji.
9. Gagal untuk berhadapan dengan perkara baru dan gagal mengawal perasaan memantul.
10. Gagal belajar dari pengalaman dan tidak pernah dan akan serik.
11. Celaru dalam menentukan kemahuan, minat serta identiti seksual. (Sex chromosomes).
12. Gagal memahami konsep ruang, logik, realiti fizikal dan menentukan nilai-nilai etika dan moral.
13. Gagal menentukan arah dan halatuju tindakan kognitif dan intelektual diri.
14. Gagal mengenal apa erti benar dan salah, halal atau pun haram.

Apa-apapun pandangan saya terhadap ”Intellectual Disorder” yang mungkin disindromi Saiful, saya cadangkan supaya JANGAN BELI dari BAKUL..!! Mesti datang dan dengar sendiri mengenai apa, siapa dan bagaimana mengenai Saiful daripada Pegawai Khas Anwar, YB Saifuddin Nassution dan hujah hangat berapi YB Dr. Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi (ADUN N16) serta suara Ketua Angkatan Muda KeAdilan Terengganu, Saudara Fariz Musa seperti berikut.

Tarikh: 29 Julai 2008 hari Selasa jam 9 malam.

Lokasi: Perkarangan Pejabat PAS DUN Batu Burok,Kuala Ibai, 20400 K. Terengganu.

Yang celaru akan diperjelaskan, yang jelas akan diperkukuhkan lagi dengan fakta ”Benar Semata-mata Benar” sebagai sebahagian langkah dan usaha awal kita untuk menzahirkan Harapan Baru Malaysia.

-Siasah Daily

UMNO sedia perluaskan perbincangan dengan PAS

"Pasal istilah pun takkan nak berbalah, asalkan kita dapat berbincang dan mencari kata sepakat atas isu untuk membantu kepentingan ummah dan negara".

Itu jawapan Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak ketika ditanya para wartawan lepas satu majlis di Pekan Sabtu sama ada pertemuan kedua-dua parti itu atas nama muzakarah atau muqabalah.

Bagi Timbalan Perdana Menteri muzakarah antara UMNO dan PAS perlu diteruskan bagi mencari keputusan yang dilihat boleh memberi kebaikan kepada kepentingan ummah dan perpaduan kaum di negara ini.

Serentak dengan itu beliau membayangkan UMNO mengambil sikap terbuka dalam soal ini.Katanya jika PAS bersetuju untuk bermuzakarah, UMNO dan PAS boleh memperluaskan perbincangan terhadap perkara-perkara kepentingan negara yang difikirkan wajar.

"Eloklah muzakarah ini diteruskan, bukan sahaja perbincangan yang telah dibuat Presiden parti (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi sebelum ini), tapi kalau PAS bersetuju kita boleh perluaskan perbincangan (kepada) apa-apa yang wajar," katanya.

Najib berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas kenyataan Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang semalam bahawa PAS bersedia bermuzakarah jika pertemuan kedua-dua parti itu dapat memberi kebaikan kepada rakyat dan agama.

Sementara itu Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang yang ditemui para wartawan di Ipoh berkata parti itu menerima jemputan UMNO untuk mengadakan perjumpaan atau muqabalah kerana ia memberi peluang kepada PAS menyuarakan masalah yang perlu diselesaikan oleh kerajaan secara bersemuka.

"Umno telah membuka jalan kepada kita...ini satu anjakan yang berlaku kepada Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yang membuka peluang kepada kita (PAS) kemukakan masalah yang perlu diselesaikan oleh kerajaan," katanya.

Pimpinan PAS dan Umno telah mengadakan perjumpaan sebanyak tiga selepas pilihan raya umum Mac lepas.

Hadi berkata antara pandangan yang telah dikemukakan PAS ialah supaya kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) menghapuskan diskriminasi kepada negeri-negeri yang diperintah Pakatan Rakyat.

Katanya, kerajaan pimpinan Abdullah juga diminta membuat perubahan dan pemulihan terhadap badan kehakiman.

Beliau berkata Perdana Menteri telah menyatakan kesediaan untuk melakukan perubahan yang perlu secara berperingkat sepertimana dicadangkan oleh PAS.

Abdul Hadi sementara itu mengulangi bahawa keputusan sama ada muqabalah antara PAS dan Umno akan diteruskan bergantung kepada persetujuan mesyuarat Badan Perhubungan PAS Pusat yang akan diadakan tidak lama lagi.

Mesyuarat kepimpinan tertinggi PAS di Kota Baharu, Kelantan dua hari lepas bersetuju meneruskan pertemuan itu jika keadaan memerlukan demi menjaga kepentingan Islam dan perpaduan rakyat terutama di negeri-negeri yang diperintah oleh pakatan pembangkang.

Abdul Hadi turut menolak dakwaan berlakunya perpecahan di dalam PAS ekoran perjumpaan yang diadakan oleh pimpinan kedua-dua parti itu serta wujudnya rasa tidak selesa parti-parti lain dalam Pakatan Rakyat.

Katanya, perjumpaan dengan pimpinan BN bukan pertama kali diadakan kerana sebelum ini juga pemimpin PAS dan DAP pernah bersama-sama dengan kerajaan membincangkan isu negara termasuk dalam Majlis Perundingan Ekonomi Negara (Mapen).

Dalam perkembangan berkaitan Setiausaha Agung UMNO Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor memberitahu para wartawan di Putrajaya bahawa Perrdana Menteri Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi akan menjelaskan kepada parti komponen Barisan Nasional (BN) berhubung pertemuan UMNO dan PAS.

Beliau berkata Abdullah dijangka memberi penjelasan berhubung perkara itu pada mesyuarat BN, bulan depan.

"Selepas mesyuarat pengurusan pada 6 Ogos, saya akan memanggil satu mesyuarat penuh Barisan Nasional, jadi di situ, Perdana Menteri akan datang untuk memberi penjelasan.

"Kita akan mendapatkan satu tarikh daripada Perdana Menteri, mungkin beberapa hari selepas mesyuarat pada 6 Ogos itu," katanya kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan mesyuarat cawangan Umno Matahari di Presint 8 Sabtu.

Ketika mengulas pertemuan di antara UMNO dan PAS yang akan diadakan lebih kerap bagi membincangkan isu berkaitan agama Islam dan kepentingan orang Melayu, Tengku Adnan berkata pertemuan itu tidak akan merosakkan hubungan di antara parti komponen BN.

Di Machang Mursyidul Am PAS Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat mencadangkan supaya UMNO dan parti itu dibubarkan dengan menubuhkan sebuah parti baru berlandaskan Islam bagi menyatukan orang Melayu dan sebagai tempat berlindung kepada semua pihak termasuk bukan Islam.

Beliau berkata Islam menepati semua matlamat perjuangan termasuk politik dan perlu dijadikan asas kepada perjuangan mana-mana parti politik yang inginkan kepada perjuangan sebenar.

"UMNO bubar PAS pun bubar, tubuh parti lain dengan syarat berdasarkan kepada Islam," katanya kepada para wartawan selepas merasmikan Muktamar Dewan Ulama PAS Kelantan ke-37.

Nik Abdul Aziz yang juga Menteri Besar Kelantan berkata UMNO tidak ada sebab untuk menolak dasar Islam yang dicadangkan oleh PAS melalui parti itu kerana Islam milik semua kaum termasuk bukan Melayu di negara ini.

"Kalau tidak kena dengan Islam di mana-mana, cuba beritahu dan kalau UMNO itu benar dan tidak bertentangan dengan agama cuba beritahu," katanya ketika mengulas kenyataan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yang membayangkan kemungkinan diadakan kerjasama politik dengan PAS suatu masa nanti.

Nik Abdul Aziz berkata dengan cara demikian ia dapat mengembalikan kekuatan Islam di negara ini di samping merapatkan hubungan antara kaum termasuk bukan Islam.

"Islam untuk semua kaum, bukan untuk orang Melayu sahaja atau Cina, India dan Orang Putih, semua perlu bersatu di bawah Islam," katanya.- 26/7/2008

-Agenda Daily

Murder Most Foul

Malaysia’s legal pursuit of Anwar Ibrahim is destroying the country’s reputation...............

It is about time for Malaysia to drop the charade. Attempting to convict opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of forcible sodomy is an embarrassment in contrast with the completely ignored and much more serious allegations linking the deputy prime minister to the execution-style murder of his reputed former girlfriend.

As has been reported widely, two sworn declarations have been filed that raise reasonable suspicions that the October 2006 murder of Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu is tied directly to Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor. Yet instead of this high profile politician being in the dock to explain himself, one of those who filed a sworn declaration about his actions is about to go on trial for criminal libel. The other was dragooned into recanting his statement before he fled the country.

The courts and the legal system have deliberately overlooked allegations of Najib's complicity in the Mongolian woman's murder, and considerable related evidence of massive corruption on his part in the purchase of three French submarines for the Malaysian military - a purchase that Altantuya apparently participated in as a translator. This has been pushed under the carpet repeatedly and now the nation is being distracted by accusations of Anwar's peccadilloes, real or fabricated.

Mahathir Mohammad, the long-serving prime minister who quit in 2002, had a single ambition - to reach developed-nation status by 2020. But you cannot be a first-world country with a legal system whose main characteristics are shared by the likes of Zimbabwe, Burma and North Korea. Mahathir, of course, bears a major part of the blame for the legal system, starting from his destruction of the judiciary in the 1980s. But what is going on now, six years after he was succeeded by Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, is nothing more than the United Malays National Organisation's manipulation of the system a la Robert Mugabe in Zimbabwe. This has nothing to do with ideology but with the dubious necessity of maintaining a political party in power.

When the legendary American bank robber Willie Sutton once was asked why he robbed banks, he famously replied: "That's where the money is." Government in Malaysia is where the money is, and that is where UMNO intends to stay despite its disastrous March 8 election results, which cost the national ruling coalition the two-thirds hold on parliament it has enjoyed for half a century. There is no better example of this than the submarine and its ties to the murder of Altantuya.

As Asia Sentinel has repeated frequently, according to testimony in the trial of Altantuya's accused murderer Abdul Razak Baginda, her then-lover and one of the three men accused of killing her, the murdered woman accompanied him to Paris at a time when Malaysia's defense ministry, headed by Najib, was negotiating through a Malaysian company, Perimekar Sdn Bhd, to buy two Scorpene submarines and a used Agosta submarine produced by the French government under a French-Spanish joint venture, Armaris. Perimekar at the time was owned by a company called Ombak Laut, which was wholly owned by Abdul Razak.

The contract was not competitive. The Malaysian ministry of defense paid €1 billion (RM4.5 billion) to Amaris for the three submarines, for which Perimekar received a commission of €114 million (RM510 million). Deputy Defense Minister Zainal Abdidin Zin told the Dewan Rakyat, Malaysia's parliament, that the money was paid for "coordination and support services" although the fee amounted to a whopping 11 percent of the sales price for the submarines.

Altantuya, by her own admission in the last letter she wrote before her murder, had been blackmailing Razak, pressuring him for US$500,000. She did not say how she was blackmailing him, leaving open lots of questions.

Myriad questions have been raised by the year-long trial of Razak and two of Najib's bodyguards for Altantuya's murder. At every turn, those questions could have been answered by calling Najib to the stand. How could Razak, a civilian and Najib's closest friend, get the two bodyguards to kill Altantuya without Najib's knowledge? Najib could answer. How could the record of the victim being in the country disappear completely from Immigration Department records, as was sworn in court? Najib could answer. How could the murderers get their hands on the plastic explosives available only to the military used to blow up her body? Najib could answer. Why did neither the prosecution nor the defense push to investigate a statement made by Altantuya's cousin on the stand that she had seen a picture of Najib, Razak and Altantuya together at a dinner? Najib could answer.

The statutory declaration of P Balasubramaniam, the private detective hired by Razak to keep Altantuya away from him after their relationship had ended, is so closely detailed that it beggars disbelief that it was fabricated. It makes Najib an integral part of the case, something most of Malaysia's top government and judicial officials have been seeking to avoid ever since the trial began.

Balsasubramaniam released his sworn statement in the company of his lawyer, which makes it difficult to believe he was coerced. But immediately afterward he was summoned to a meeting with an assistant superintendant of police in Jalan Brickfields, where he was convinced - outside the presence of his lawyer that his memory was faulty. He then signed a statement that his original one had been compelled, and left the country.

In the original declaration Balasubramaniam said Razak told him he had been introduced to Altantuya "by a VIP...who asked him to look after her financially." Najib, the declaration said, had introduced Razak to Altantuya at a diamond exhibition in Singapore and that Najib had had a sexual relationship with her in the past. Razak was to look after the woman because Najib "did not want her to harass him since he was now the Deputy Prime Minister."

Is that true? Najib could answer.

Interestingly, according to the document, Razak told Balasubramaniam that Altantuya liked anal sex, which is illegal in Malaysia whether performed with men or women. Anwar might like to make that point to the authorities.

Balasubramaniam also detailed cell phone calls between Najib and Razak in the period after Altantuya's murder. Did the police check Razak's phone? Najib could answer.

Raja Petra Kamaruddin, the influential internet journalist, is expected to go on trial for criminal defamation for saying that Najib's wife was present at the murder. Rather than bringing in Najib and Rosmah to answer questions, they have gone after Raja Petra, who has threatened his own time bombs during his trial. Asked by Asia Sentinel what those revelations might be, he said he would prefer to save them for testimony under oath.

The one truly sad dupe in all this is the prime minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who in all of his sorry reign as prime minister has largely preserved his reputation for integrity despite his fecklessness. Badawi has defended his deputy's reputation in the face of the fact that virtually all of Kuala Lumpur's chattering classes have long since become convinced of the couple's complicity. Unleashing two thoroughly corrupt law enforcement officials to go after Anwar - Abdul Ghani Patail, the attorney general *, and Musa Hassan, the head of the police, who plainly fabricated evidence in Anwar's 10-year-old conviction on the same offense, is particularly egregious.

This isn't to say Anwar is innocent. The jury, to use a newly valid cliché, is still out. But compare the two. What kind of priorities does this government have in going after a 61-year-old opposition leader with a bad back who presumably would have had a hard time chasing down a mobile 23-year-old aide, when there is the possibility of finding the true perpetrators of an execution murder of a defenseless 28-year-old mother? This is the behavior of a despotic system with an eye only to its own preservation. The Malaysian people deserve better.

-malaysia today

Pemimpin politik boleh masuk IPTA

BANGI: Pemimpin parti politik, termasuk pembangkang boleh memberi ceramah kepada mahasiswa di institusi pengajian tinggi awam (IPTA) apabila Pindaan Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti 1971 (AUKU) yang dalam proses bacaan kali kedua di Dewan Rakyat Ogos ini, diluluskan.

Menteri Pengajian Tinggi, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, berkata mereka dibenarkan berbuat demikian dengan syarat memberi ceramah mengenai isu yang ada kaitan dengan pengajian dan akademik mahasiswa.

Beliau berkata, pindaan yang sudah diluluskan Kabinet itu, masih tidak membenarkan mahasiswa menganggotai atau terbabit dengan mana-mana organisasi atau parti politik, tetapi mereka boleh menganggotai persatuan atau pertubuhan tidak bertunjangkan politik.

Katanya, pindaan itu dibuat bagi memberi mahasiswa dan universiti persekitaran lebih kondusif dan kebebasan dalam mencapai tahap kecemerlangan.

"Terserah kepada mahasiswa atau pihak universiti jika hendak menjemput pemimpin pembangkang. Apakah maknanya seorang pelajar universiti jika mereka hanya dibenarkan jemput satu pihak saja.

"Kalau tidak dibenarkan pun mahasiswa boleh mengakses laman web, jadi lebih baik kerajaan benarkan dalam keadaan terpelihara, terkawal. Kita berada dalam dunia maklumat, setakat penguasaan ilmu saja tidak cukup kerana mahasiswa mesti ada 'talent' serta pemikiran yang tajam.

"Soalnya bukan hendak jemput parti politik kerajaan saja. Misalnya, jika mahasiswa mahu mendapatkan pandangan mengenai krisis minyak dunia dan kebetulan penceramah yang dijemput adalah daripada parti politik termasuk pembangkang, pindaan AUKU itu akan membenarkannya," katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian selepas melancarkan Konvensyen Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar IPTA 2008 serta pelancaran buku Majlis Kepimpinan Latihan Universiti-Universiti Malaysia (Maklum), dekat sini, semalam.

Minggu lalu, beliau dilaporkan berkata, pindaan AUKU itu dibuat bagi membolehkan mahasiswa membuat keputusan dan menentukan sendiri perkara yang baik dan buruk untuk mereka.

Mohamed Khaled berkata, melalui pindaan AUKU itu juga, mahasiswa yang melakukan kesalahan mengikut AUKU tidak lagi akan dihadapkan ke mahkamah.

"Jika dulu kesalahan mengikut AUKU boleh diambil tindakan mahkamah tetapi dengan pindaan ini semua penguatkuasaan kesalahan mahasiswa akan dipertanggungjawabkan sepenuhnya kepada universiti.

"Tetapi tidak bermakna seseorang pelajar itu tidak tertakluk pada undang-undang negara. Jika mereka buat kesalahan mengikut Kanun Keseksaan mereka masih lagi tertakluk di bawah undang-undang negara. Contohnya, jika seseorang mahasiswa terbabit dalam demonstrasi tanpa permit, maknanya tindakan akan diambil oleh pihak berkuasa," katanya.

Beliau berkata, pindaan baru AUKU juga membolehkan pelajar yang dikenakan tindakan disiplin termasuk digantung oleh pihak universiti untuk mengambil peperiksaan.

-BHO

TP - Ini orang moley pecaya ka?...lulu lulu pun ala ini maciam cakap juga ma...belakang a...lia ala tipu ma...mau kasi kita siok-siok saja ma...op...bukan kita, mau kasi olang lamai siok saja ma...belakang itu opposition punya menteli mau pigi a...macam diskliminasi ma...lagi a...itu sapa ajiak itu opposition punya menteli a...belakang misti mau kena punya ma...kasi potong ma...lulu-lulu pun ada ini maciam ma...

Teenager escapes from abductors' moving van

KAPAR: A quick-thinking 13-year-old girl escaped from her kidnappers by jumping out of a moving van minutes after being abducted at a bus stop near Sungai Indah Kapar yesterday.

The Form One student, who was gagged and had her hands tied by five men, pounced on what could have been her only chance of fleeing when the van door flung open while negotiating a bend.

She fell barely 20 metres from a police beat base but continued running until members of the public came to her rescue.

While the incident comes as a surprise to residents here, what was more shocking was the victim's revelation that she saw a picture of 5-year-old Sharlinie Mohd Nashar, who was kidnapped, in Taman Medan, on Jan 9.

She told police that the men, who appeared to be drunk, also had pictures of other young girls in the van with some faces marked with an "X".
Klang police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Mat Yusop, who confirmed that a manhunt was under way, said they had yet to ascertain the accuracy of claims that a picture of Sharlinie was among the pictures of girls in the van.

"She may have seen a missing person poster of Sharlinie which was widely distributed to the public but investigations are under way."

Technician K. Pradu, 23, who had seen her earlier as she walked past his shop, said he later saw her running in the distance.

"I thought she had wanted to cross the road to go to the bus stop but shortly after, I saw her running and falling down several times."

Pradu, who got into his van and drove towards her, found the girl gagged and her hands bound. He and other members of the public took several minutes to calm her.

"We then drove her to a nearby police station."

According to the girl, she was at the bus stop when the men drove up and ordered her to get into the van.

When she refused, they pulled her and drove off.

She told police that she recognised two of her abductors whom, she claimed, had robbed her family more than a year ago.

She said they had spoken among themselves during the incident about holding her for ransom.

Police took her to the Klang district police headquarters to have her statement recorded.

-TNST

TP - Hah...tak nak pulak buat roadblock besar-besaran bila ada kes jenayah macam ni? Sah bingai puaka-puaka PDRM ni...

It's Deja Vu for Malaysia's Opposition Leader

KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 - 'I was dumped into this high-security police lockup for, you see, these high-level criminals . . . On the cement floor, without any mattresses. That explains why I have to be back on this." Anwar Ibrahim gingerly peels up his shirt to reveal a corset-like back brace. And then he bursts into laughter.

For a man released from a night in jail only a few days earlier, Mr. Anwar is an awfully jolly man. Malaysia's opposition leader has been accused of sodomy by a former aide -- a criminal offence in this Muslim-majority country that could send him to jail for up to two decades. It's a bizarre deja vu for the bespectacled politician, who spent 1998-2004 behind bars on a trumped-up sodomy charge the last time he challenged for political power.

But he's pushing ahead: On Wednesday, Mr. Anwar vowed to run for parliament "imminently" in a by-election, with the aim of toppling the
government by September. If he's successful, he could be the next prime minister of Malaysia.

None of this would matter much outside Southeast Asia were it not for the fact that Mr. Anwar's political coalition espouses something unusual in the Muslim world: the virtues of a secular, free-market democracy. More Muslims live in Asia -- Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh -- than in the Middle East.

Mr. Anwar is unusually suited to bridge East-West divides. A Muslim, "though never typically very religious," he chuckles, he is a good friend of Saudi Arabia and the US alike -- a man who memorized "hundreds of Elvis Presley, Paul Anka and Ricky Nelson tunes" in his youth, but also attended weekend religious classes and, in his 20s, founded the Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia. He has never been afraid to argue that democracy and Islam are compatible forces -- or to make that case to undemocratic Arab regimes.

In many ways, Malaysia -- though it sports big urban centres and modern wonders like the Petronas Towers -- seems stuck in a time warp. The media is largely state-controlled, and the executive branch still locks up political dissidents without trial under the British colonial-era Internal Security Act.

Mahathir Mohamad's 22-year rule, which ended in 2003, did bring economic development to Malaysia. But Mr. Anwar says only a "fringe few" would ignore the widespread corruption that also occurred. Mr. Anwar, who was - Dr. Mahathir's deputy at the time, found himself accused of sodomy in 1998 when he started pushing for reform. His arrest and imprisonment brought thousands of people onto Kuala Lumpur's streets.

And the recent accusation against him? It is "unfortunate," Mr. Anwar said as we settled into conference room chairs at his People's Justice Party's new headquarters in a strip mall in a Kuala Lumpur suburb last week. But it's a sign that "the system is crumbling."

"Malaysia was resilient -- at least in the late '80s and '90s -- primarily because it was able to attract foreign investment," Mr. Anwar says. "It has lost that. So we have to see why? Well," he answers his own question, "economic policies considered obsolete -- particularly the New Economic Policy." He's referring to the pervasive pro-Malay affirmative-action program that reaches deeply into almost every corner of the economy and the university system. "There's no rule of law, endemic corruption and general incompetence" in Malaysia, he adds.

Malaysia's current government is trying harder than any other Asian regime -- save the little kingdom of Brunei -- to push closer to the Middle East, luring investment and Arab tourists to its shores. Women shrouded from head to toe are common sights in Kuala Lumpur's upscale shopping district. The country is an emerging center for Islamic finance, and Saudi-backed mosques are popping up everywhere.

Mr. Anwar thinks there's another way forward: by incorporating conservative Muslims into the democratic fold, and enforcing a secular
rule of law without exception. He also made this point in a chat we had at his home in Kuala Lumpur last month. "You need a free media and free and fair elections. Moderate democracies and parties don't accept radicalism. You must give them space. Muslims can't be made to feel that democracy can only be applied to certain groups. That's not healthy."

Mr. Anwar's party is largely Malay, and secular. But his three-party coalition also includes a Chinese party and a conservative Muslim party that advocates Islamic law. The latter, the Parti Islam se-Malaysia, has supported measures such as segregated grocery store lines for men and women, bans on lipstick and anti-fornication laws. Why does Mr. Anwar's multiethnic coalition include a party that embraces such a platform?

"We took some years to cement this relationship because I don't want it to be seen purely as a politically expedient exercise," he says. "We base it on a clear reform agenda. So what we did instead of using labels -- Islam, secularism, liberal -- we spell out what we want. So in the agenda, for example, we believe in 'democracy and freedom.' By this we mean freedom of religion, or worship, freedom of expression, freedom of conscience. Which means all laws to the contrary will have to be rejected."

Mr. Anwar returned to Malaysia in 2006 -- after teaching stints at Georgetown University and the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced
International Studies -- to launch a political comeback. He utilized every tool at his disposal outside the state-run media -- "SMSes, blogs, Web sites" -- to get out his message of anticorruption, freedom and religious tolerance.

His coalition romped home in March with more than one-third of the seats in the national Parliament, and the leadership of five of
Malaysia's 13 states. The result stunned the ruling United Malays National Organization, which has dominated Malaysian politics since independence in 1957.

Mr. Anwar gets almost giddy when I query him about the result: "People onthe ground, they couldn't care two hoots about this scurrilous attack on my character," he exclaims, referring to the latest sodomy accusation.

"They want to hear me talk about change . . . I think the old system -- the centre cannot hold. Remember that brilliant piece by Yeats?" Mr. Anwar is referring, aptly, to the poem, 'The Second Coming.'

He thinks political change in Malaysia could reverberate outside the country's borders, setting a "crucial" example for the rest of the Muslim world. But is the rest of the Muslim world ready to hear his message? What about Iran?

"I respect Iran as a nation, with such a great civilization, with great potential," Mr. Anwar says, evading the question with a grin. But "they know my views on democracy. They know my engagement with the West and with the Americans."

Being pro-American isn't popular in Malaysia, and Mr. Anwar is careful to stress his distance from Washington. "For example, the occupation of American forces in Iraq. I disagree, I totally disagree. But I don't treat America as my enemy. And I believe that we would gain immensely by maintaining very good diplomatic and economic relations, trade relations, with America. But it doesn't mean we must agree with them on many issues, or most issues."

It also doesn't mean that Mr. Anwar agrees with other Islamic powers, either. On a recent trip to Saudi Arabia, he met government officials and heard them talk of their modern education system. "I said I was impressed," but "quality education" needs "a liberal democratic space" and "creativity."

Could Malaysia serve as an example for the rest of the Islamic world, as a tolerant, Muslim-majority and multiethnic democracy? "Right now, it's certainly a very poor example," he says, laughing out loud. "But it has this enormous potential in terms of gender equality. Although you know, my wife wouldn't agree with that term. She says it's not that equal for now. . . . You should say, moving toward gender equality." Mr. Anwar's wife and one of his daughters are members of Parliament.

The sodomy accusation is meant not just to discredit Mr. Anwar, but to rip apart his nascent coalition. It was levied a few days before Mr. Anwar was scheduled to announce his candidacy for parliament. Fearing the worst, he fled to the Turkish embassy -- another moderate Muslim democracy -- for refuge.

Since then, photos purportedly showing his accuser meeting with high-level government officials began to circulate. The government denies any involvement.

"To allow for some segment or sector, groups, within the system to resort to these dirty machinations is pathetic," he says, then pauses. "To them, it may be necessary to pre-empt our next move, my contesting the by-election."

Malaysia's most prominent mufti, or religious scholar, Perak Mufti Datuk Seri Harussani Zakaria, has backed Mr. Anwar's cause. Around 2,000 supporters flocked to the police station last week when word got out that Mr. Anwar was spending the night there. "I've advised my supporters to remain calm," he says. "Don't overreact, don't be provoked. Because that's exactly what they want. In any authoritarian system, what they want to present is a near chaos so they can declare a state of emergency."

Why not pack it all in and retire with his wife and six children? "You come in with a clear conviction, that you believe in freedom, you believe in democracy," Mr. Anwar replies. "And you have so much affection for the people. You love your country. You want the country to succeed. And this is one, unique, multiracial, multireligious country with a Muslim majority that should prove to the world that we can co-exist and succeed with a vibrant economy. Now, there's a lot of intimidation, a lot of efforts to derail this. If I choose to surrender, keep quiet, then it would adversely affect the process."

He asks a rhetorical question: "If I, in my position, with my experience, have no courage, just because I was beaten up before, humiliated, then what do you expect from the people? What sort of leadership do you provide?"

Mr. Anwar's aides are gesticulating to him at the window outside his office -- he's late for his next appointment. "It's going to be tough," he says. "But this time, I am certain -- as we say, inshallah, God willing, we are going to make it." He laughs, and walks away, still smiling.

-the wall street journal

MAS denies Qantas senior pilot’s claims

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Airlines has refuted a Qantas pilot's allegation that maintenance of the Qantas Boeing 747 that suffered a ruptured fuselage on Friday had been outsourced to Malaysia, as being baseless.

The Australian-based airline has also confirmed the claim to be untrue.

MAS senior general manager Mohd Roslan Ismail in a statement yesterday said that MAS only handled the engineering and maintenance of Qantas’ Boeing 737 aircraft and not the 747.

He added that MAS’ engineering and maintenance division held an excellent track record.

“The increasing number of foreign airlines who outsource their aircraft to us is a testimony to our success in this field,” he said, adding that third party contracts comprise 40% of their business.

In a press conference in Sydney, Qantas head of engineering David Cox said all of the plane's servicing was undertaken in Australia.

An unnamed senior Qantas pilot yesterday told The Daily Telegraph, a Sydney tabloid, that a mid-air calamity on Qantas flight QF30 from London to Melbourne could have been caused by the airline’s outsourcing of maintenance to Malaysia.

A rupture on the fuselage of the 17-year-old aircraft occurred while flying at 8,839m over the South China Sea from a Hong Kong stopover and forced the pilot to perform an emergency landing in Manila at 11am.

None of the 346 passengers and 19 crew were hurt in the emergency landing.

A sheet of metal was torn from the front of the right wing. The plane had received a new interior at Victoria’s Avalon airport in March.

-mSTAR Online

Benarkah isu Mercedes Terengganu selesai…?

Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dan timbalannya Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak menegaskan isu pembelian 14 buah kereta Mercedes Benz oleh kerajaan negeri Terengganu telah selesai. Menteri Besar negeri itu, Datuk Ahmad Said juga kata isu itu sudah selesai.

Cuma maksud penyelesaian mereka tidak sama. Pak Lah dan Najib kata kabinet tetap melarang mana-mana negeri menggunakan Mercedes Benz sebagai kereta rasmi dan 14 buah kereta yang telah dibeli itu hendaklah digunakan untuk tetamu rasmi sahaja. Ahmad pula kata pihaknya telah mendapat lampu hijau untuk menggunakannya.

Timbul persoalan, yang mana satu? Namun, semalam, Pak Lah menegaskan keputusan muktamadnya iaitu kereta itu untuk tetamu sahaja!

Apabila sedemikian muktamadnya, timbul pula persoalan lain iaitu adakah Terengganu memerlukan 14 kereta untuk membawa tetamu? Banyak sangatkah tetamu-temau Terengganu sehingga 14 kereta dikhaskan untuk mereka?

Persoalan juga timbul tetamu mana atau siapakah yang layak dipelawa menaiki kenderaan tersebut. Bolehkah pemimpin negeri lain yang berkunjung ke Terenggau menggunakan kenderaan itu dan jika tidak, berapa ramai pula ketua Negara atau tetamu istimewa yang akan menggunakannya?

Takut nanti, dalam sebulan, hanya satu kereta tetamu yang bergerak dan dalam setahun masih ada dua lagi yang tidak berganjak. Bukankah ini juga membazir namanya. Dan pembaziran itu bermakna wang rakyat telah berkurangan kerana RM3.43 juta telah dibelanjakan untuk membeli 14 kereta tersebut.

Dikhuatiri nanti, kereta-kereta berkenaan akan menjadi besi buruk sahaja kerana paling banyak, Terengganu memerlukan dua kereta pelawat sahaja dan satu lagi bolehlah dijadikan kereta gentian. Ini bermakna, ada 11 buah lagi yang akan tersadai – kecualilah digunakan juga bertentangan dengan keputusan kerajaan persekutuan.

Sebagai jalan keluar, eloklah kerajaan persekutuan mengambil kereta tersebut dan mengembalikan wang rakyat Terenganu itu supaya ia boleh digunakan ke arah yang lebih bermanfaat dan tiada kontroversi.

Kerajaan Persekutuanlah yang mempunyai lebih banyak tetamu negara. Gunakan kereta-kereta berkenaan sebagai ganti kepada kereta sedia ada yang sudah sampai usianya untuk ditukarganti.

Tanpa bermaksud menunjukajar kerajaan, syor ini hanyalah sebagai langkah untuk mengelakkan pembaziran apabila kereta berharga RM3.43 juta tidak digunakan sepenuhnya.

Atau kereta-kereta berkenaan masih boleh dijual kepada umum kerana kerajaan negeri Terengganu membelinya tanpa perlu membayar cukai. Kerajaan boleh menjualnya kembali, dengan harga rendah, tetapi cukai jualan yang dikenakan oleh pihak kastam bolehlah digunakan untuk menampung kekurangan tersebut. Kaedah ini mungkin rumit, tetapi kita tetap percaya masih ada kaedah untuk menyelesaikannya.

Walau apapun penyelesaiannya, isu pembelian 14 buah Mercedes Benz oleh kerajaan Terengganu ini perlu terus disiasat selain dijadikan pengajaran. Perlu disiasat kerana kerajaan itu mendakwa kos senggaranya sangat mahal dan adalah lebih jimat jika menggunakan Mercedes Benz.

Perkembang-perkembangan seperti yang dilaporkan oleh pihak media, agak menarik juga untuk dikaji. Umpamanya, apabila dilaporkan Badan Pencegah Rasuah (BPR) telah memulakan siasatannya, tiba-tiba sahaja kos senggara berkurangan. Seorang kerani dipersalahkan kerana silap mengira sedangkan perkiraan itulah yang dijadikan justifikasi atau menghalalkan cara untuk membeli Mercedes Benz berkenanan.

Bekas Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Idris Jusohpun telah melantik peguam untuk menangani kemelut berkenaan kerana kereta yang digunakannya juga tersenarai di antara yang paling tinggi kos senggaranya.

Proton pula mendedahkan bahawa kos senggara tahunan hanyalah RM2,300 dan Persatuan Proton Edar pula mempersoalkan kenapa kerajaan negeri tidak menggunakan kemudahan servis selepas jualan yang dijamin oleh pihak pengeluar.

Syarikat yang membuat kerja-kerja senggaraan itu pula mengakui menaikkan surcaj sebanyak 25% dengan alas an bayaran lambat diterima. Adakah sebarang peraturan yang membenarkan pertambahan surcaj berkenaan?

Jika tiada, kajian dan iasatan lanjut harus dilakukan untuk menentukan insiden ini tidak berlaku lagi.

Elok sangat BPR menjalankan siasatan menyeluruh kerana semua orang ingin tahu, apakah motif sebenar plot cerita yang berbelit-belit ini! - 27/7/2008

-AgendaDaily

Penganjur Degil - Usaha ketiga anjur konsert Inul sebelum hujung Ogos

TP - Keras kepala betul la penganjur konsert ni...apa yang penting sangat nak bawak si inul ni bergelek kat Malaysia ni? Tak sedor lagi ke...2 kali dah Allah bagi signal suruh taubat...fikir...nak melawan lagi...elok la...orang dah tolong tutup pintu neraka jahannam...hang pulak gatai-gatai pi cungkil jugak...sat ni mampuih la hang kena bakaq!!! khak Ptuih!!! amik kau DNA aku..!

PETALING JAYA: Penganjur konsert Inul Daratista tidak putus asas! Pihaknya mahu terus berusaha mengadakan persembahan ratu dangdut Indonesia itu di ibu negara bulan depan.

Selepas kecewa dua kali dalam seminggu ekoran pembatalan minit-minit terakhir, Pengarah Urusan IMS Prima Sdn. Bhd., Nasir Abu Bakar berkata, pihaknya akan menemui pihak berkuasa minggu depan untuk mendapatkan lampu hijau bagi membolehkan Inul menemui kembali peminatnya.

"Kami bercadang untuk mengadakan konsert seperti yang dirancang sebelum Ramadan ini.

"Kami akan menemui pihak berkuasa termasuk kementerian-kementerian yang berkaitan Isnin ini bagi mendapatkan kelulusan mengadakan konsert Inul," kata beliau ketika dihubungi di Singapura lewat petang ini.

Nasir yakin pihaknya akan berjaya dalam percubaan kali ketiga ini selepas dua rancangan mereka sebelum ini dibatalkan minit-minit terakhir.

Pada sidang akhbar di ibu negara semalam, Nasir memberitahu, konsert yang sepatutnya berlangsung di Stadium Putra Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur esok (Ahad) dibatalkan ekoran keputusan Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) membatalkan permit konsert Inul.

Menurut Nasir, pembatalan yang dibuat pagi semalam sangat mengecewakan syarikat itu kerana Agensi Pusat Permohonan Penggambaran Filem dan Persembahan Artis Luar (Puspal) telah pun meluluskan penganjuran konsert tersebut.

Katanya, ekoran pembatalan dua kali berturut-turut persembahan Inul selepas konsert
Inul Live In Johor Bahru yang menerima nasib serupa minggu lalu, IMS Prima kini mengalami kerugian terkumpul lebih RM800,000.

Konsert Inul, 29, di Johor Bahru 19 Julai lalu dibatalkan kerana tidak mendapat persetujuan pelbagai jabatan kerajaan di Johor.

Inul pernah mengadakan konsert yang sama sebelum ini di Malaysia.

Dua tahun lalu, Inul dibenarkan membuat persembahan di Stadium Merdeka dan Genting Highlands.

Kedua-dua konsert itu mendapat sambutan baik tanpa sebarang insiden yang memalukan.

Tambah Nasir, DBKL memberikan soal keselamatan sebagai alasan pembatalan konsert tetapi mengambil kira persembahan masa lalu pihaknya sukar untuk menerima alasan berkenaan.

Oleh kerana usaha mengadakan konsert tersebut turut menerima sokongan Kedutaan Indonesia di sini, IMS Prima akan meneruskan usaha mendapatkan lampu hijau kerajaan, kata Nasir lagi.

Ketika ditanya sama ada pembatalan itu ada berkaitan dengan ideologi politik, beliau menjelaskan, pihaknya tidak pasti tetapi alasan keselamatan tidak logik.

Nasir memberitahu, beliau telah menghubungi Inul petang semalam dan artis tersebut kecewa dengan pembatalan kali kedua.

"Bagaimanapun beliau menerima dengan hati terbuka keputusan pembatalan," katanya.

-mSTAR Online

Anwar mulling seat options for Parliament

KUALA LUMPUR, July 27 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim cut his by-election deadline to a few days before thousands of would-be voters in Taman Bukit Anggerik, Cheras here last night. The neighbourhood is under the Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary constituency, one of the seats the Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader has set his eye upon.

He also revealed the reason why he has not made the announcement yet — a decision has yet to be reached.

“I can't make a final decision yet because other areas are asking me to run there as well. Kulim Bandar Baru (in Kedah) people have asked me and I will discuss with them tomorrow.

“Our friends in Sarawak and Sabah say, if you're serious about wanting us to join Pakatan Rakyat in bringing down Umno-BN, you have to enter Parliament first,” he said in his hour-long speech.

In setting the deadline, the prime minister-in-waiting made it clear that it was a 50-50 choice between Kulim Bandar Baru and Bandar Tun Razak — Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim is currently the MP.

Kulim Bandar Baru is waiting for an election petition to decide next month whether there would be a by-election. The current MP is Zulkifli Noordin from PKR.

While praising the new Penang state government under Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng of DAP, Anwar said: “I am from Penang too, but who knows, maybe next month, I will be from Bandar Tun Razak.”

“There is a possibility I will run here,” he said later in his ceramah.

With that in mind, Anwar called on the audience to obtain as much material on their agenda as possible to distribute among their neighbours who had yet to join his cause.

“Buy Harakah (the Pas party organ), buy Suara Keadilan (the PKR party organ) and give them to your neighbours. If they don't want to take it, give it together with some kuih (cookies). Tell them Anwar sends his regards, come on board quickly.”

He lambasted Umno’s role in the other headlining current topic — its attempts at muzakarah (dialogue) with Pas.

“Before the election they never talked about Malay unity,” he said as he poured doubt on Umno’s motives.

Anwar continues his national tour in Kulim tonight where he is likely to gauge support there before making his choice of parliamentary constituency.

-TMI

Ingkar arahan, Exco Terengganu guna Mercedes baru ke JB?

JOHOR BAHARU: Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kesenian, Kebudayaan dan Pelancongan Terengganu, Datuk Zaabar Mohd Adib telah dilihat hadir ke Festival Flora 2008 di sini dengan sebuah kereta Mercedes Benz hitam yang baru.

Kereta Mercedez berkenaan sepatutnya adalah bagi penggunaan untuk membawa tetamu-tetamu kerajaan negeri.

"Saya rasa isu ini telah diperbesar-besarkan," katanya sambil menambah beliau akan menyerahkan kepada Menteri Besar Terengganu, Datuk Ahmad Said untuk membuat keputusan mengenainya.

Beliau berkata, isu itu akan dibincangkan pada satu mesyuarat exco yang akan diadakan kelak.

Zaabar menggunakan Mercedes baru itu buat pertama kali Rabu lalu semasa ke Kuala Lumpur untuk menghadiri mesyuarat exco.

Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi semalam berkata Terengganu boleh menyimpan kesemua 14 kereta Mercedes Benz yang dibeli dengan harga RM3.43 juta barubaru ini tetapi mereka hanya boleh menggunakannya untuk membawa tetamu kehormat negeri berkenaan.

Dalam pada itu, Menteri Besar Perak, Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin hari ini menyifatkan keputusan kerajaan Pusat supaya 14 buah kereta Mercedes E200 Kompressor yang dibeli kerajaan negeri Terengganu tidak boleh digunakan oleh Menteri Besar, exco dan pegawai kanan negeri itu, sebagai satu pembaziran.

KERETA Mercedes Benz hitam yang baru, digunakan oleh Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kesenian, Kebudayaan dan Pelancongan Terengganu, Datuk Zaabar Mohd Adib, diletakkan di tempat letak kereta pekarangan lokasi Festival Flora 2008 dilangsungkan di Johor Baharu hari ini. - foto The Star oleh GLADYS TAY

Beliau berkata, ini kerana keputusan itu akan menyebabkan kenderaan-kenderaan yang baru dibeli itu tersadai tidak digunakan.

"Kita tidak tahu kenapa Kabinet buat keputusan tidak boleh pakai... sekarang sudah jadi pembaziran, 14 buah kereta bernilai RM3.4 juta tersadai kerana bukan harihari ada tetamu," katanya ketika diminta mengulas keputusan yang diumum Abdullah semalam supaya kereta baru yang dibeli kerajaan Terengganu itu hanya digunakan untuk membawa tetamu kerajaan negeri.

Mohammad Nizar berkata seperti di Perak, kereta Proton Perdana yang diguna turut melibatkan perjalanan yang jauh dan terdapat tiga kereta sering mengalami kerosakan dan mungkin perlu ditukar.

Beliau bagaimanapun berkata kerajaan negeri Perak tidak bercadang menukar kereta rasminya kepada model lain kerana menghormati arahan penggunaan kereta Nasional.

Menurut beliau pembelian Mercedes pada masa kini hanya akan membawa persepsi kerajaan yang membazir kerana ia memberi gambaran kemewahan.

"Walaupun kita mempunyai peruntukan membeli kereta baru yang diluluskan oleh kerajaan sebelum ini, kita mengambil keputusan menggunakan kereta sedia ada," katanya.

Beliau berkata keputusan untuk menggantikan kereta hanya akan dibuat apabila keadaan memerlukan serta mempunyai justifikasi dan apabila kerajaan negeri mempunyai kemampuan.

-mSTAR Online

Why Pakatan Rakyat is still the better choice to govern Malaysia

While BN has held the reins of power in Malaysia for the past 50 years, the scenario now has changed altogether and there is a real and viable alternative in Pakatan Rakyat.

To put it all in proper perspective, here's 6 compelling reasons why Pakatan Rakyat would still be the better choice to govern Malaysia :

1. PR is more committed to a just, efficient and democratic government

Unlike the BN which is famous for lip service, PR has so far practiced what they preached and if you look at the States where they are in charge, there's many good examples of their approach, their stand on issues and their standards of governance which reflect these ideals far better than what we've seen with BN.

2. The PR team is more trustworthy and clean

Of course, the cynics will say that every politician is a crook and no matter who sits up there, it'll be the same. However, do look at it from this perspective : Why would anyone still stick on to being in the Opposition for decades when they could have walked over to the ruling party for money? Why should they suffer being imprisoned under the ISA, why do they need to speak out on BN's abuses and why should they do all this if it were not for principles? Moreover, when you've been harping on justice and democracy and taking a strong anti-corruption stand for decades, these ideals would somehow become ingrained in you and on that basis, I would tend to have more faith in Pakatan Rakyat members than BN reps.

3. Pakatan Rakyat would be a more balanced government

In BN, UMNO is not just the dominant party -- it is the domineering party and the rest basically have no say. However, in the case of PR, it is a more balanced partnership as the parties have almost equal number of MPs and if the East Malaysian MPs cross over as well, it will basically be a Coalition with 4 groups wielding about 25% of the power each.

If PR were to take over the Federal government, PKR's candidate can be the Prime Minister and there could be 1 or 2 Deputy Prime Ministers, one of which would be from East Malaysia. A DAP man can helm the Finance portfolio and the Home Ministry can be under PAS. Then, the Trade portfolio can be with PKR and PAS or the East Malaysian group can take Defence while DAP can take Education and the rest of the Cabinet positions can be similarly spread out amongst the component parties. In this way, we can see a more balanced spread of power with the key functions in the Cabinet as compared to the present situation where UMNO basically monopolizes the main portfolios, leaving trivial, token or deputy positions to its other "partners"

4. BN would be better as an Opposition rather than the ruling party

No one would argue that a 2-party system would be the most ideal whether it's a 55:45 ( Ruling party vs. Opposition) or 60:40. However, I would say that BN would be much better in the Opposition rather than PR because "it takes a thief to catch a thief". As BN is so used to the abuses while in power, they would be able to immediately catch PR if the latter were involved in any abuse. Moreover, BN has so many skeletons in the closet and such scandals may not be uncovered (and action taken accordingly) if they still retain power, albeit with a much stronger Opposition.

5. It's not good to have one party monopolizing power for too long

BN has been in power for 50 years and it's not good to let any single party have that kind of unfettered run as over the course of time, things are taken for granted, those in power become emboldened by their continued tenure and that's when all the abuses will just set in. By giving a chance to Pakatan to take over, we can see what a fresh government can do and we can also stop the terrible abuses and improprieties that have become so rampant and outrageous.

6. You'll never know if you never give them a try

There's no way anybody can say PR cannot do the job unless we really let them try. What have we got to lose? BN has already brought Malaysia down to this level now. It can't get any worse, only better.

I urge all Malaysians to think hard and do what is right and necessary to buy insurance for our future and this calls for the removal of the monopoly of power in Malaysia by the BN. No one is going to save us if we don't want to save ourselves.

We are at the threshold of a brand new dawn in Malaysian politics where we could be moving towards a truly democratic, just, progressive and prosperous Malaysia. If we do not grab this opportunity now, we just might never get another chance or a better moment to do so.

-Malaysia Today