Bersatu information chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan today claimed that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s first address to civil servants today has failed to guarantee there will be no “witch hunt” against those accused of working against the administration.
The Tasek Gelugor MP also claimed PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli had threatened to target civil servants who were just doing their jobs, although the Pandan MP had only warned MACC chief Azam Baki that a new Pakatan Harapan government will revive the probe on his alleged shareholdings scandal.
“Does this act of revenge remain as a ‘silent policy’ of the Harapan government?
“Anwar should have given an urgent reassurance that a vindictive attitude towards civil servants will not be rampant in Putrajaya,” said Wan Saiful (above).
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (centre) addressing civil servants in Putrajaya this morning
Rafizi, while on the 15th general election’s campaign trail in Johor Bahru, had warned Azam as he claimed an MACC raid on his company Invoke Solutions Sdn Bhd was politically motivated.
Wan Saiful also claimed that Rafizi is lobbying for the finance minister’s post, while discussions are ongoing between Harapan, BN, and GPS regarding the cabinet’s formation.
“If this vindictive attitude is brought to such an important ministry, what will happen to the country’s administration?
“Is it possible that allocations will be cut on a whim if he (Rafizi) dislikes a particular individual?” said Wan Saiful.
“The first signal that important institutions in our country are in danger is that if senior government servants are transferred due to political revenge by the Harapan government,” he said.
PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli
This morning, Anwar in his speech at the Prime Minister’s Office urged civil servants to embrace change in order for the country to return to its former glory.
He also reassured that, despite needed reforms, the core service system will remain with the intention to uphold human dignity and service. - Mkini
Rosmah Mansor is accused of money laundering involving RM7.09 million and failing to declare her income to LHDN. (Bernama pic)
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court here was told today the prosecution in Rosmah Mansor’s money laundering and tax evasion case expects to call 13 or 14 witnesses to testify.
Deputy public prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn said this when the case was mentioned before Justice Zaini Mazlan.
“We need about 12 to 14 days to present our case,” he said.
In response, Zaini pointed out the case has been pending in court for four years already.
“Give this case priority, this is a 2018 case,” he said, adding that the court wished to fix hearing dates in February.
Lawyer Revin Kumar, representing Rosmah, told the court he needed to seek further instructions from lead counsel Geethan Ram Vincent on fixing trial dates.
The court fixed another case management on Dec 1 so both defence and prosecution can update it as to whether the trial can start in February.
Rosmah, who is the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, is facing 12 money laundering charges involving RM7.09 million and five charges of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).
She previously failed in an application to recuse Zaini from hearing the case on grounds of possible bias. An appeal from that decision is pending before the Court of Appeal.
Zaini was also the judge who found Rosmah guilty of three corruption charges involving the RM1.25 billion Sarawak rural schools’ solar energy project on Sept 1.
The court sentenced Rosmah to 10 years in prison for each of the three charges and ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
She was also fined RM970 million. In default of payment, she will have to serve another 10 years in prison, after she completes her initial 10-year sentence.
Rosmah has been released on bail pending her appeal. - FMT
The ECRL is one of the most high-profile projects under China’s grand Belt and Road Initiative. (Bernama pic)
The last time a Pakatan Harapan-led (PH) government was in power, it quickly put a stop to three mega infrastructure projects initiated under China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The biggest of the three projects was the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) while the other two were pipeline projects – the Trans-Sabah Gas Pipeline and a multi-product pipeline in Melaka. All the projects were undertaken by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government led by then prime minister Najib Razak.
After toppling the BN coalition in the May 2018 general election, the PH government under prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad vowed to renegotiate or cancel “unfair” Chinese infrastructure deals authorised by Najib. The suspension order was placed on the projects in July 2018.
The projects’ suspension threatened to throw a spanner into Malaysia-China ties, with some of the government’s critics claiming it could deal a devastating blow to the economy if China decided to retaliate economically.
It was only after months of negotiations that Malaysia and China agreed to resume construction of the ECRL in April 2019. The two sides agreed to cut the cost of the 688km rail line connecting Port Klang in Selangor to Kota Bharu in Kelantan to RM44 billion from the original RM65.5 billion. The other two pipeline projects were discontinued.
The ECRL is seen as one of the most high-profile projects connected to the BRI, Chinese president Xi Jinping’s grand plan to deepen trade links with Asia and Europe through massive infrastructure investments.
Now that PH is once again back in power with Anwar Ibrahim as the prime minister, he faces similar geopolitical pressures as Mahathir did in 2018.
It is reassuring that Anwar, at his maiden press conference after becoming prime minister, highlighted the importance of China as an “important neighbour” with whom Malaysia had to strengthen relations.
Its importance is reflected in the Malaysia-China trade figures. During the last 25 years, Malaysia’s exports to China increased from US$2.4 billion (RM10.8 billion) in 1995 to US$38.7 billion (RM173.4 billion) in 2020. During the same period, China’s exports to Malaysia increased from US$1.62 billion (RM7.3 billion) in 1995 to US$51.5 billion (RM230.7 billion) in 2020.
Anwar also said it was equally important to enhance ties with other key partners including the US, Europe, India and Asean.
He recognises the geopolitical realities in Asia, acknowledging China’s strategic importance while also stressing the need to enhance ties with the global superpower US.
Nevertheless, the worst thing Anwar could do is to get entangled in the great power competition playing out in the Indo-Pacific region between the US and China.
Anwar has been perceived, rightly or wrongly, by some as the poster boy for Malaysian democracy and the western powers’ preferred leader to helm the government.
So, any potential move by his government against China’s interests, be it political or economic, could be interpreted as taking sides against it in the intensifying geopolitical battle between the two great powers.
Such a scenario would be an economic disaster, given that China is Malaysia’s No 1 trading partner, as it is with most other countries in the region.
For a recent example of such a scenario, we only have to look at how Australia-China ties ruptured under Scott Morrison, who was booted out of the prime minister’s office after his Liberal National coalition lost Australia’s election last May.
Australia’s prosperity in recent decades has arguably been supercharged by a rising China, its No 1 trading partner, hungry for its resources. Bilateral ties between the two nations had been relatively good until Morrison came to power in 2018.
He quickly became the spear for US interests in the Asia-Pacific region, which seeks containment of China to prevent it overtaking America as the world’s pre-eminent economic and military superpower.
Morrison’s hawkish anti-China agenda greatly antagonised China, which responded with retaliatory economic measures that devastated key industries in Australia, resulting in billions of US dollars in lost trade annually.
Recent reports that the US plans to station nuclear-capable B-52 bombers in Northern Australia by 2027 are expected to further rile up China.
The Australian case study in how not to antagonise your biggest trading partner should be instructive for the new administration here.
Malaysia would do well to stick to Asean’s guiding principle for the past five decades – to remain neutral in relation to the superpowers.
In fact, it was in 1971 or 51 years ago in Kuala Lumpur that the then five Asean members – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand – signed the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality (Zopfan) declaration.
Zopfan is to keep Southeast Asia “free from any form or manner of interference by outside powers and broaden the areas of cooperation”. Neutrality has served the region well over the decades.
Let’s not be naïve. There will inevitably be pressure exerted by the superpowers – the US on the one side, and China-Russia on the other – on Anwar’s government.
However, adhering to Asean’s principle of neutrality while maintaining our national sovereignty will be in the best interest of the Malaysian people.
This essentially means not siding with any bloc but to be friends with all. Do business with China, do business with the US and Europe. Issues like territorial disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved through negotiations.
Ultimately, it should be a “win-win”, and not an “I win, you lose” scenario.
It is undoubtedly a delicate balancing act for Anwar. But if he can successfully navigate the minefields of great power competition in our neighbourhood, Malaysians will be the winners. - FMT
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.
Kerjasama BN-PH dalam kerajaan perpaduan juga bakal memberi kesan terhadap pola pengundian, menjelang pilihan raya negeri (PRN) Selangor kelak, menurut penganalisis.
PETALING JAYA: Selangor tidak boleh lagi dianggap kubu selamat Pakatan Harapan (PH) yang bakal menyaksikan pertembungan sengit di kawasan majoriti pengundi Melayu, pada pilihan raya negeri (PRN) tahun depan, kata penganalisis.
Mereka berpendapat ia susulan kejayaan Perikatan Nasional (PN) merampas beberapa kerusi Melayu seperti Kapar, Kuala Langat, Hulu Selangor dan Tanjong Karang, selain mengekalkan kemenangan di Sabak Bernam serta Sungai Besar.
“Sudah pastinya keputusan PN untuk tidak bersama PH dan BN dalam membentuk kerajaan persekutuan juga akan memberi kesan dalam pola pengundian.
“Pengundi sudah tentu akan memilih sama ada PH atau PN terutama bagi kawasan yang mempunyai majoriti penduduk Melayu Islam dan yang jelas akan terkesan adalah Umno yang bersama PH.
“Ini akan menyaksikan pertembungan lebih sengit di Selangor,” kata Noor Nirwandy Mat Noordin kepada FMT.
Pada pilihan raya umum ke-15 (PRU15), enam negeri – Selangor, Pulau Pinang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu dan Kelantan memutuskan tidak mengadakan pilihan raya serentak dengan Parlimen.
Tempoh penggal lima tahun bagi enam DUN berkenaan berakhir, pada Mei depan.
Nirwandy berkata, penerimaan penyokong kedua-dua blok Barisan Nasional (BN) dan PH susulan kerjasama di peringkat pusat juga dijangka diterjemahkan dalam pola pengundian, pada PRN Selangor tahun depan.
“Kerjasama kali pertama dalam sejarah negara antara PH dan BN menarik untuk diberi tumpuan. Sudah tentu ia akan mengubah pola pengundian pada PRN kali ini sama ada akan berlaku kecenderungan baru, sama ada orang Melayu terus berpaut kepada Umno atau memilih PAS sebagai bentuk parti Melayu Islam.
“…dan penyokong PH juga akan melihat kesannya sama ada mereka bersetuju atau mengambil langkah berkecuali atau mengubah pola pengundian (undi protes),” katanya.
Sementara itu, Azmi Hassan dari Akademi Nusantara, berpandangan kerjasama PH dan BN di peringkat pusat tidak akan diteruskan pada PRN depan.
Katanya, sekiranya BN dan PH bergabung, ia membuktikan BN sudah lemah dan memerlukan sokongan PH untuk meraih undi.
“Kalau BN bergabung dengan PH nampak sangat BN menagih simpati, nampak sangat BN lebih lemah memerlukan sokongan PH walaupun mereka boleh bekerjasama di Perak dan Pahang,” katanya.
Namun, Azmi berkata, BN masih mempunyai masa membuktikan gabungan itu merupakan parti teras pengundi Melayu, walaupun PN mendapat sokongan sebahagian besar pengundi Melayu, namun masih gagal menjadi kerajaan.
“Dalam PRU lepas walaupun sebahagian besar pengundi Melayu mengundi PN, tetapi mereka masih gagal menjadi kerajaan walaupun 30% sahaja mengundi BN.
“Jadi, pada PRN nanti masih ada masa lagi untuk memujuk 20 hingga 30% pengundi PAS (mengundi BN) kerana mereka (PN) gagal jadi kerajaan, kerana bila gagal jadi kerajaan sukar untuk menjaga kepentingan orang Melayu Islam,” katanya.
Beliau berkata, penolakan besar-besaran terhadap PH atau BN juga tidak akan berlaku pada PRN itu memandangkan kerajaan pusat didominasi PH, menjadikan kerajaan negeri sealiran seperti Selangor, Negeri Sembilan dan Pulau Pinang bertambah kuat. - FMT
Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says the cooperation between BN and PH is proof of the ‘political maturity and moderation’ in the country. (Bernama pic)
PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has sought to justify the coalition’s cooperation with Pakatan Harapan (PH), saying the principle of “No PKR, No DAP” is not applicable post-general election.
While BN had rejected working with Anwar Ibrahim and PH and Perikatan Nasional lynchpin Bersatu before the general election (GE15), Zahid said the BN-PH cooperation after the polls was intended to bring about stability and ensure the welfare of the people was taken care of.
He cited BN and PH’s cooperation to form the Perak and Pahang state governments as proof of “political maturity and moderation” in the country.
“This new approach will be a pioneer towards a united and harmonious government to ensure that the focus of development (of the nation) may continue.
“All of this is in line with the formation of the unity government decreed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” he said on Facebook.
Zahid, who is also the Umno president, assured Umno members that cooperation with other parties did not mean the party had compromised on its principles.
“Umno’s establishment as a vehicle for the progress and empowerment of Malays and Muslims remain intact,” he said. “The party will defend its policy to adopt a moderate yet progressive attitude to change.”
Zahid urged all party members to close ranks and to turn the page for a new chapter of politics in the country.
BN is part of the Anwar-led unity government, which also comprises PH, Gabungan Parti Sarawak and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, with support from MPs from Muda, Warisan, Parti Bangsa Malaysia and independents.
BN and PH also formed the Perak and Pahang state governments after no single party or coalition achieved a simple majority in the state elections. - FMT
The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has pleaded to the Kedah state government to consider extending operating hours for entertainment outlets in Langkawi. - NSTP file pic
LANGKAWI: The Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) has pleaded to the Kedah state government to consider extending operating hours for entertainment outlets in Langkawi.
The move is meant to drive the tourism island's recovery post Covid-19 pandemic.
MAH Kedah and Perlis chapter chairman Eugene Dass said such a move was necessary given that the Langkawi tourism sector is still facing sluggish recovery despite the reopening of international borders in April.
"At the moment, as for the hospitality industry, we have yet to record a steady recovery. It is still up and downs.
"Hence, MAH Kedah and Perlis chapter wish to appeal to the state government to consider extending entertainment outlets' operating hours," he told the New Straits Times when contacted.
Dass was commenting on a circular dated Oct 30 issued by Langkawi District Office reminding entertainment outlet operators on their permitted operating hours on the island.
According to the circular, entertainment outlets in Langkawi may not operate during the month of Ramadan.
The circular also reminded them that the entertainment outlets are also not allowed to operate between 6pm Thursday to 2.30pm Friday, unless they have written permission from the state authorities.
According to the circular, the permitted operating hours for normal days is between 7pm and 1pm and up to 2am on Saturday.
The reminder was issued in accordance with a decision made by the state executive council on May 25, 2022 based on the Entertainment License.
Premises operators who defaulted the permitted operating hours risk having their license revoked under Section 16(1) of Entertainment Enactment and Entertainment Premises 1997, according to the circular.
Dass added that there was nothing new on the circular, as the regulations had been in place for as far as he could remember.
"I've been in Kedah for 17 years now. The rules have always been there. But the enforcement has always been flexible.
"I am unsure of the reason behind issuing the circular to remind the entertainment outlet operators, as the terms have been clearly stated in the license all this while," he added.
Nevertheless, Dass said it was about time for the state to consider relaxing the ruling to spur Langkawi tourism sector recovery, which contributes 90 per cent to the island economy.
"We have yet to record the full volume of direct flights to the island as it was to before the pandemic while the occupancy rate for hotels is still hovering around 50 per cent.
"We are already facing plenty of challenges, such as labour shortages and limited passenger ferry services trips to Langkawi. - NST
While saying Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s planned vote of confidence would dispel doubts about his support among lawmakers, the analysts insisted that this was no guarantee Pakatan Harapan’s newfound allies would stay the course for the full term. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 29 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will need to tap all his reputed political shrewdness and charm to hold together the political parties making up his national unity government, said analysts.
While saying Anwar’s planned vote of confidence would dispel doubt about his support among lawmakers, the analysts insisted that this was no guarantee Pakatan Harapan’s newfound allies would stay the course for the full term.
Political analysts Professor Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid said Anwar would need to find ways to accommodate Barisan Nasional on his side of the aisle and do so without compromising himself and the PH coalition.
“For example, while his tough stance towards corruption is well chronicled, there still lies the potential danger of compromising sublime principles in exchange for parliamentary support as the realities of governing a coalition-based administration and the trappings of power set in.
“In Anwar’s rhetoric, he himself had often caricatured his Umno rivals as robbers, bandits, et cetera. Will he continue to do so now?” Ahmad Fauzi said.
As for PH, he said it would likely need to consider Umno’s Malay nationalist ideology when prioritising reforms to attempt, saying those of common interest should be the baby steps in their unlikely cooperation.
PH should also avoid more controversial aims from its previous time in power, such as recognising the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC) or ratifying the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).
Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun said Anwar would need to actively keep BN, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah lawmakers content as their coalitions were not locked to his coalition government.
“There is frankly nothing systematic that could prevent such political moves. Anwar could announce his Cabinet list soonest, composed of the leaders of his coalition parties’ leaders, in order to appease them,” he said when contacted.
While the coalitions backing PH chairman Anwar to be the prime minister did so en bloc, the support among their elected representatives was not universal.
Some, such as Umno’s Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, initially said he would rather be expelled than to cooperate with PH while former prime minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob also suggested he would have preferred to work with Perikatan Nasional.
PH won 82 seats in the 15th general election while second-placed PN took 73, but both were short of the 112 needed for a simple majority victory on their own.
The pockets of discontent within BN, in particular, triggered rumours of a conspiracy to oust the PH government when some of the coalition’s leaders were seen gathering at a golf resort in Petaling Jaya, eliciting fears of another “Sheraton Move”.
Senior Fellow at Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research Azmi Hassan said one way to prevent such rumours was to formalise the cooperation between PH, BN, GPS, and GRS in a legally-binding agreement.
“It needs to be in black and white, on paper; if not, any scenario where leaders are mentioned meeting in various places will be construed as them trying to create a new political bloc,” Amzi said when contacted.
“We could follow Canada’s example when they gave Prime Minister Justin Trudeau a few years to manage the minority government to ensure the country is run smoothly. So, a similar agreement here could work and until that time they feel like pulling out they can do so.”
Research fellow from the Institute of Malaysian & International Studies (IKMAS) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Muhamad Azwan Abd Rahman, said Anwar must waste no time in bringing his coalition partners into his new administration.
“The prime minister also urgently needs to form and announce an inclusive Cabinet before the vote of confidence scheduled on December 19 and to appoint a deputy prime minister who represents the importance of the bloc and regionality.
“It must be announced quickly to strengthen the coalition consensus and create a well-bonded and coherence among core leaders and followers in this coalition government.”
Decisive action in these three areas will “silence” further rumours of conspiracies and allow the Anwar administration to concentrate on governing effectively, he said.
With the support of the other coalitions aside from PN, Anwar has a majority of 140 seats out of the 222 in Parliament.
Following days of negotiations after GE15, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah announced Anwar as the next prime minister at the head of a national unity government.
Anwar had left the door open for PN to also join this national unity government but PN chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin declined and said his coalition preferred to serve as the Opposition in order to be a check-and-balance to the new administration. - malaymail
