Syed Hamid qualifies for VP contest

breaking news updated 9.05pm Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar becomes the fifth candidate to qualify for the Umno vice-president race.

The veteran Umno leader picked up his 20th nominations from the Petaling Jaya Utara division in Selangor today.

Candidates vying for vice-president will need at least 20 nominations to be on the ballot paper for the contest.

Syed Hamid will now join Hishammuddin Hussein, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Khaled Nordin dan Shafie Apdal in the battle for the three vice-president posts.

Frontrunner Hishammuddin has so far bagged 79 nominations, while Zahid comes in second with 58, followed by Shafie (48) and Khaled (46).

Still yet to qualify are Rais Yatim (9), Isa Samad (8), Abdul Rahim Tamby Chik (8), Shahidan Kassim (6), Jamaluddin Jarjis (5), Mohamad Hassan (3), Musa Aman (2), Mohd Ali Rustam (1) dan Annuar Musa (1).

All 99 Divisions Back Najib

Meanwhile, in the deputy president contest, both Ali Rustam and Muhammad Muhd Taib added their haul of nominations with 23 and 15 nominations thus far.

Still, they are far behind runaway favourite Muhyiddn Yassin, who has garnered 63 nominations so far.

Najib continues to sweep the nominations from all the 99 divisions which has met since early this month.

His rival for the president post, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, has yet to pick up a single nomination.

Almost half of the Umno divisions have already completed their meetings while the other half will meet in the next two weeks.

Khir makes it a 3-way fight

breaking news updated 7.40pm Ex-Selangor Mentri Besar Mohd Khir Toyo has made the Umno Youth chief contest a 3-way battle after bagging his 39th nomination today.

His qualifying nomination is from Balik Pulau Umno Youth division in Penang, while he picked up his 40th nomination from his home state of Tanjung Karang.

He has subsequently gained a few more with the latest count being 43 nominations.

Khir Toyo, a dark horse in the race, will be facing frontrunner Mukhriz Mahathir, son of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Khairy Jamaluddin, son-in-law of outgoing Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Khairy, who many initially thought was the man to beat, qualified for the contest only yesterday while Mukhriz sprung a surprised by qualifying soon after the 191 Umno Youth divisions began meeting earlier this month.

About two-thirds of the Youth division have already met and decided on their nominations.

Potential candidates need at least 39 nominations to qualify for the contest for the Youth wing chief.

Proxy Fight

The post has been vacated by outgoing chief Hishammuddin Hussein, who is seeking a higher post in the ruling party - he is leading in the fight for one of the three vice-president posts.

Observers has called the Mukhriz-Khairy contest a proxy fight as the current premier is at odds with his predecessor, Mahathir.

Mukhriz has 66 nominations while Khairy has 47.

Meanwhile, Reezal Merican Naina Merican is intensifying his bid in the contest for deputy Youth chief.

Reezal, who has recently been appointed political secretary to the prime minister, has notched up 58 nominations, while frontrunner Razali Ibrahim has 77 nominations.

Kerajaan Pulau Pinang langgar semangat Perlembagaan?

Dekan Fakulti Sastera dan Sains Sosial, Universiti Malaya (UM), Prof. Datuk Dr. Zainal Kling berkata, kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang perlu dikenakan tindakan di bawah Akta Hasutan kerana secara terang-terangan melanggar semangat perlembagaan dan undang-undang negara.

Kerajaan Persekutuan digesa menimbangkan untuk membawa kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang ke muka pengadilan kerana membenarkan pemasangan papan tanda nama jalan dalam pelbagai bahasa di kawasan tapak warisan di Georgetown.

Yang ni pulak macam mana?cuba baca dulu kat sini MENGAJAR SAINS DAN MATEMATIK DALAM BAHASA INGGERIS dari blog che'det.

Heran sungguh para ilmuan sekarang ni.kalau yang syorkan benda alah tu orang-orang dari UMNO/BN, tak kira la macam mana pun risikonya tetap depa habaq betul.biarlah menyusahkan macam mana pun yang salah tetap betul kalau idea tu datangnya dari puaka-puaka UMNO/BN.

Pada aku la, penukaran papan tanda nama jalan dalam pelbagai bahasa memberi banyak kemudahan kepada pelancong-pelancong asing yang datang melancong kemana-mana tempat di Malaysia berbeza pulak dengan pembelajaran Matematik dan Sains dalam bahasa inggeris yang lebih kepada menyusahkan pelajar-pelajar tempatan dalam menimba ilmu.

Pada pandangan ilmuan tempatan pulak aku tak tau macam mana.mungkin depa pikiaq pakai kepala lutut manakala kepala otak depa pula hanya digunakan untuk membelit.

Hangpa pikiaq, kalau yang datang melawat tu Mat Saleh dari Britain yang bahasa Inggerisnya pekat mengalahkan Mat Saleh Amerika.nak pergi mana-mana tak berapa reti maklumlah pelancong, nak bertanya belum tentu orang tempatan faham loghat Mat Saleh depa... yang susah sapa?kita ni kerja lain tak dak ke?

Orang tempatan dah teruk gomen susahkan, ni pelancong pun gomen nak susahkan jugak ka?

Kalau nak komen pulak main komen je, tak payah pikiaq panjang, komen je asalkan sokong KERAjaan.salah betul belakang kira,janji sokong.

KERAjaan roboh rumah ibadat, sokong... pembangkang robohkan rumah ibadat, kecoh...

Semua berlumba-lumba nak tunjuk bangang.nama je ilmuan tapi akai pendek...kadang-kadang nampak macam tak dak akai langsung...bodoh betul...

Malaysia ditches Eurocopters on gloomy economic outlook

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 - Malaysia will ditch the RM2.3 billion Eurocopter defence deal as it battens down to face the global economic storm, sources said today.

Prime Minister and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi decided to cut out the EC725 military helicopter contract over the weekend when the government reviewed its expenses in light of falling revenues from crude oil and palm oil and slowing economic growth for the next few years.

"The Eurocopter deal is off due to the bleak economic times ahead," a source told The Malaysian Insider.

Opposition leaders and critics had savaged the purchase of the dozen EC725 helicopters, saying its RM193 million price tag per aircraft was more than double of Brazil's contract for 50 EC725 helicopters, which came tom RM84 million per aircraft. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said it will investigate the deal.

Abdullah had earlier said he will investigates claims of irregularities over the purchase of military helicopters after company representing a rival military chopper, the Kazan MI-172, said it offered to sell a dozen helicopters at RM898 million, RM1.5 billion less than the Eurocopter deal.

But the Kazan MI-172 is expected to be phased out of production soon although it shares similarities with the current Nuri helicopter fleet, particularly its rear ramp door that is used for troop and materiel transport.

Opposition parties had also lodged reports with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) asking for investigations as the tender was allegedly awarded before evaluations were completed and two days before Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak swapped the defence portfolio with Abdullah.

The government earlier through a Cabinet meeting on July 18, 2007 had made the decision to acquire new helicopters to replace the Nuri aircraft following a series of crashes for the ageing transport helicopters in the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF).

The Nuri or Sikorsky S-61A-4 came into Malaysian service in 1968. The medium transport aircraft has suffered 18 crashes and killed 95 servicemen and is due to be phased out in 2012. There reportedly only 31 left in RMAF service

However, sources said the Nuris would have been pressed into service with the Army Air Wing if the EC725s arrived on time. The Eurocopter EC725 or Cougar is a medium lift helicopter that is used for combat search and rescue missions.

The Cougar, which can carry up to 29 soldiers, beat out the Sikorsky H-92, the AgustaWestland EH-101 Merlin, the Boeing CH-47F and the Russian MI-172 in an open international tender issued at the Langkawi International Maritime and Air Show in December 2007.

Sources said Eurocopter won the deal as it also proposed to invest RM250 million to upgrade Malaysia's maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capacity in its Subang facility as part of its tender.

It has already invested about RM45 million in Malaysia and had plans to spend another RM20 million this year to expand its Subang facility as well as MRO facilities in Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

Apart from the Nuris, the RMAF operates the A109 light utility helicopters and Super Pumas for VIP service.

-TMI

No nominations, so Nur Jazlan quits Umno No 2 race

JOHOR BARU, Oct 26 - Umno upstart Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed today quit the race for the party deputy presidency, telling his Pulai division meeting that he will carry on as the voice of the young while trusting the incoming party leadership to push for changes and reforms.

Nur Jazlan, who announced his interest on Oct 4, has not received any nominations for the post. Instead party elders have criticised him with former president and prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad calling him and two others "jokers" for their quest. Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin leads the pack for the No 2 post with 52 nominations, followed by Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam with 16 and Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib with nine.

"I am withdrawing my candidacy but I remain the voice of the young pushing for reforms. I believe the new leadership can carry out the reforms," the two-term Pulai MP said when opening the division meeting here. He is defending his division post against his deputy Datuk Osman Sapian, who is also Kempas assemblyman, The 42-year-old chartered accountant was the deputy division chief between 2001 and 2003 and won the post in 2004.

Nur Jazlan, who joined Umno in 1988 at the behest of his father - former Umno secretary-general Tan Sri Mohamed Rahmat - was an Umno Youth exco member between 1996 and 2004, when he first stood in Mohamed's Pulai stronghold.

He also told the division he will leave his future to Umno delegates. "It is up to Umno to decide how and where I and other younger leaders can contribute to the party," Nur Jazlan said.

Former deputy prime minister and Umno deputy president Tun Musa Hitam lamented earlier this week that the party is in dire need of drastic change and young blood as its losing popularity among the public.

"I understand that the experience of seniors is needed for top posts like president or vice-president, but other than that, they should choose the younger ones," he said, adding the party had been raising the same issues which were raised 20 or 30 years ago, and bickering about emotional rather than substantial issues, such as the economy.

Musa claimed that Umno was "too introverted" by focusing on its own problems and looking for acceptance among its own members, but not the people, whose perceptions would determine its future.

"It is important for Umno to realise that it has lost its popularity because of public opinion. What the nation wants is a party that is sensitive to their needs and is one step ahead of citizens' thinking," the retired politician added.

The Umno supreme council last week debated reforms within the 62 year-old party while delegate conferences thus far have been nominating a younger set of leaders for the three vice-presidential slots.

Outgoing youth chief Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein is leading the pack of hopefuls followed by Datuk Shafie Apdal, Datuk Seri Abdul Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Khaled Nordin with all already qualifying for the vice-presidency.

The nominations period will end Nov 9 with 77 out of 191 divisions having conducted their meetings by last night.

-TMI

Najib has 82, Tengku Razaleigh still zero

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 - Despite being confident of snaring enough nominations for a tilt at the Umno presidency, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has yet to get a nomination as frontrunner Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak picked up another 14 yesterday to bring his total to 82.

The 14 divisions that met yesterday however split their nominations for the party's No. 2 post with Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin getting another eight nominations to bring his total to 54. He has already qualified to contest after getting the minimum 39 nominations.

His closest contender Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam picked up another four nominations for a total of 17. The only other contender is Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib with 11 nominations. Pulai Umno chief Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed dropped out of the race today.

In the vice-presidency contest, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi, Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin are the only candidates qualified to contest. Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamil Albar, who has 16 nominations, is closing in as he just needs another four to be eligible.

The party elections are slated for next March although several Umno leaders have grumbled about the long campaigning period.

The party supreme council will meet this Oct 30 and Najib had said the party elections dates could be discussed although party president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is firm about the March date.

-TMI

Shaziman: Tarif Elektrik Tidak Akan Dikurangkan

TAMPIN, 25 Okt (Bernama) -- Tarif elektrik tidak dapat dikurangkan lagi walaupun harga minyak di pasaran antarabangsa sudah turun, kata Menteri Tenaga, Air dan Komunikasi Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansur.

Katanya penurunan harga minyak serendah AS$60 satu tong tidak ada kaitan dengan senario bekalan tenaga elektrik di negara ini memandangkan kesemua stesen janakuasa elektrik tempatan menggunakan sumber gas, arang batu, hidro atau sumber tenaga yang lain.

Stesen janakuasa elektrik negara ini menggunakan sumber gas sebanyak 60 peratus, 30 peratus arang batu dan bakinya daripada sumber tenaga lain, katanya.

"Lagi pun, tarif elektrik di negara ini masih lagi murah malah di bawah kos pengeluaran tenaga itu," katanya kepada pemberita semasa majlis hari raya kawasan Parlimen Tampin di sini hari ini.

Shaziman yang juga anggota Parlimen Tampin berkata walaupun harga gas pada pasaran Malaysia masih rendah tetapi harga arang batu pada pasaran antarabangsa tidak stabil.

Oleh kerana elemen-elemen harga pada gas dan arang batu, Malaysia terpaksa menyemak harga tarif elektriknya pada setiap tahun terutama pada bulan Julai, katanya lagi.

Shaziman berkata beliau hanya boleh berjanji bahawa pada tahun ini tidak akan berlaku kenaikan tarif elektrik sehinggalah bulan Julai tahun depan.

Di bawah tarif baru bermula Julai lepas, Tenaga Nasional Berhad menetapkan tarif bagi kediaman sebanyak 21.8 sen untuk satu kilowatt jam (kWj) bagi penggunaan 200 kWj pertama sebulan manakala 34.5 sen bagi penggunaan unit seterusnya dan pelaksanaan tarif baru itu tidak menjejaskan pengguna yang menggunakan kurang daripada 200 kWj sebulan dengan anggaran bil elektrik kurang daripada RM43.60.