Caliph Erdogan's Delusions Of Grandeur

Turkey's Failed Grand Design for the Middle East 

 

crisis between Qatar and Gulf last nail in coffin of Turkey's "grand design." 

Turkey trapped by ideological shallowness into betting on a losing horse.

Turks saw Arab Spring as opportunity to realize neo-Ottoman ambitions

Tunisia : Islamist brothers in arms Ennahdha Party come to power 

Rachid Ghannouchi admiration for Erdoğan's "stealth" Islamization 

Erdoğan failed to predict turn of political events in Egypt

investing all his political resources in Muslim Brotherhood

In Iraq he calculated could end Shiite rule 

In Gaza, Hamas is Erdoğan's ideological next of kin.
Qatar is Erdoğan's main ideological partner in region.

Bashar al-Assad Erdoğan's worst regional nemesis

Erdoğan expected pro-Sunni belt totally subservient to caliph Erdoğan

Erdoğan's grand design 

Qatar main ideological partner

• story not progressing according to script
• Hezbollah decided Erdoğan simply "too Sunni" for their tastes
• Tunisia's Ennahdha signed compromise with secular bloc 
• Brotherhood in Egypt lost power, legitimacy 
• Baghdad still Shiite and controlled by Tehran
• In Syria, Assad remains in power, backed by Iran and Russia
• emerging Kurdish belt in northern Syria a Turkish nightmare
• Hamas getting squeezed day by day
• Qatar in trouble, along with Erdoğan himself.

Gulf and Muslim world now strangling Qatar 

Trump declared Qatar "high-level sponsor of terrorism"

Erdoğan signed two treaties with Qatar 

to send troops to joint Turkish-Qatari military base in Qatar

Turkey to send food stocks to Qatar 

 
Erdoğan's Turkey stands on the wrong corner at the wrong moment. 

Turkey may be next in line for international sanctions 

he believes West too weak to sanction Turkey 

wrong on both counts

less Turkey-friendly Qatar may emerge. 

two staunch allies, Brotherhood and Hamas pruned by Arab world

 

My comments :  Muslims being not relevant again, even to their own fellow Muslims. To all my Muslim readers, remember this. You may think that you are "going to heaven". Well I am sorry to burst your fat egos.  I am not apologising. I just feel sorry.

I wish I can share the simple truth with you. You see I have some inside information  (because I try to read and understand a small guidebook called the Quran). But the simple truth is not so easily accepted.

In the 21st century, just like in the 20th century, 19th century, 15th century, 11th century etc, we see Muslim societies  (their leaders, sultans, kings, presidents, caliphs, government, military, religious leaders, their parents, mothers, fathers, children, son, daughters etc) exhorting each other to hate and destroy other Muslims and other human beings - all based on their religion.  They do not realise that they are under the influence of the satan. These were or  are satanic societies. 

Hence they have become not relevant even to themselves. Today even the underwear they wear is made for them by the non Muslims. They cannot provide each other basic amenities.

And the Muslims have certainly become not relevant to the rest of the world. 

The oil in the ground was not manufactured by the Arabs. 

It was there already. And they need the non Muslims to dig the oil out.

More importantly they need the non Muslims to find some use for the oil. 

The Arabs are not relevant at all in this equation.

So all these Sunni-axis, Shiah axis or whatever are just delusional nonsense by a nonsensical community. 

Can you imagine a whole community whose only sense of any achievement is "I am going to heaven" ! !  Who told you so ? 

Delusional ramblings.  

                                                   Correction : Aakhiru shaytan 'ala wajhil ardhi !!

Low Income Nation : 500 Clinics Tutup Kedai

Here is some news from The Star :

500 clinics run by (GPs) closed between 2014 and 2016 due to poor business

Medical Association (MMA) worried situation worsen

1,800 GPs widespread concern over financial sustainability

expenses for GP services increased due to changes in po­­licies 

and involvement of  unregulated third party administrators (TPAs)

70% of clinics saw < 30 patients a day

operating cost of clinic from RM50k to RM60k a month

drop in patients and increasing cost

natural death of GP practice

TPAs to blame as they removed patients from GPs
TPAs take away patients and pass them to other cli­nics

TPAs place restrictions on consultation fees, types of medication 

charge GPs a fee for every patient they see

overproduction of doctors and contract system in public service

Govt only take 50% of doctors after 4-year contract

rest likely to become GPs saturating sector even further

solution is cut down medical students 

5,000 medical students each year

other alternative is build more hospitals 

medical colleges should have own hospitals

clinics seeing below 30 patients a day unsustainable

A clinic needs at least 30 patients 

operating costs skyrocketed 

various licences needed for practice

medicine costs in­­crease every six months

GST  and rise in wages for nurses and assistants

poor economy for­cing public to visit govt clinics
Many doctors join emergency rooms, locum or join pharmaceutical companies

Read more at http://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2017/06/22/clinics-closed-due-to-poor-business-gps-seeing-fewer-patients-amid-rising-operating-costs/#sEtztFhUxJmuvVQ7.99

My comments :  

Abolish the GST ! 

I have been saying this for THREE years now. 

ABOLISH the GST.  

The domestic economy is grinding to a halt. 

500 private clinics have shut down. At least 500 doctors are out of work as doctors. Maybe some are Uber drivers as well. At least 1000 other clinic assistants must be out of work too. These would be Malaysians since Banglas and Indons do not work in clinics - yet.

The ketuanan folks do not understand economics, business or finance. 

It is the Malays who are suffering the most. BR1M is not enough to make the Malays and bumiputras a high income community.

People who live off BR1M are poor people.   

Now the 1000 or more clinic assistants will also join the BR1M. 

LOW INCOME COMMUNITY.

No RCI without Cabinet sanction, says retired judge

But there is a legal avenue to compel the Cabinet to set up an RCI on 1MDB, says Gopal Sri Ram.

PETALING JAYA: No Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on public interest issues can be held without the approval of the Cabinet, a retired judge said today.

Gopal Sri Ram said under the Federal Constitution, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who is head of state, can only act in accordance with the advice of the executive.

“Article 40 states the king is to act on the advice of the Cabinet or a minister,” he said.

Sri Ram, a retired Federal Court judge, said this in response to a call by opposition leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to the government to set up an RCI into the 1MDB issue.

Wan Azizah said she welcomed the Cabinet’s move to establish an RCI to investigate the losses suffered by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) due to foreign exchange (forex) trading between 1991 and 1993.

The RCI was established after a task force had made a preliminary finding on allegations that the central bank had incurred forex losses of at least US$10 billion (about RM44 billion).

“The same principle should be adopted to set up an RCI following the recent revelation by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ),” she said.

Sri Ram, however, said those with legal standing could resort to legal address to compel the Cabinet to set up the RCI on 1MDB.

“They may get an order of mandamus from the court to direct the Cabinet to set up an RCI,” he said, adding that this action had been suggested by the Privy Council in the 1979 case of Teh Cheng Poh v Public Prosecutor.

Sri Ram said the litigant, however, should have good grounds to support the mandamus application.

“This includes the DoJ’s findings in seeking forfeiture of property and valuables in the US,” he said.

The DoJ has filed three civil forfeiture suits to recover assets worth US$1.8 billion (RM7.7 billion) that it claims were bought with funds embezzled from 1MDB, making it the largest action brought by the DoJ’s Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative. -FMT

Concerns of militant leaders slipping into Sabah

Esscom commander says Filipino militant leaders may flee into Malaysia disguised as illegal immigrants or foreign fishermen.

PETALING JAYA: Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom) commander Wan Abdul Bari Abdul Khalid says there are concerns that Abu Sayyaf group leader Isnilon Hapilon and Maute group head Abdullah Maute could try to slip into Sabah.

He said the two Filipino militant leaders involved in the insurgency in Marawi city are on Esscom’s updated list of 18 names wanted for cross-border crimes, according to The Star.

“We are worried that they could try to flee into our country disguised as illegal immigrants or foreign fishermen,” he said in a statement today.

Wan Abdul Bari said the others on the list are Alden Bagde @ Sayning, Raden Abun, Halipa Ibrahim, Marajan Asiri, Marajan Asiri, Ben Yadah @ Ben Tatton, Sabril Madrasul @ Salip Jul, Las Pangit, Sangbas, Burham Luthien @ Vietnam and Salip Mura.

Also listed are kidnap-for-ransom gang figures Indang Susukan, Hatib Hajan @ Sawadjaan, Majan Sahidjuan @ Apo Mike, Boy Intel and Savador Muktadil @ Badong.

“Some of those on the wanted list may have already been killed during the Philippines security forces’ operations against them in Jolo island,” he added.

Wan Abdul Bari said anyone with information about these individuals could contact the Esscom operations room at 089-863 181 or via WhatsApp at 013-880 3585 or 019-230 5909, or relay such information to the nearest police station. -FMT

LPT 2 to see four-fold traffic increase during Hari Raya

Police officers and personnel will be placed along the East Coast Expressway 2 to help reduce traffic congestion, says Terengganu police chief.

KUALA BERANG: Terengganu police chief Aidi Ismail says some 600,000 vehicles are expected to use the East Coast Expressway 2 (LPT 2) during this festive season, a four-fold increase from the norm.

As such, he said, the police would place officers and personnel along the route to help reduce traffic congestion.

“Last year, about 500,000 vehicles used the route. This year, we expect the number to increase.

“The road is expected to be congested from June 22 to July 2,” he told reporters after an Ops Selamat 11/2017 Road Safety Campaign at the Ajil toll plaza here yesterday.

Aidi said traffic officers would also be stationed at exits from the highway to help ease congestion and monitor motorists for offences.

Besides the LPT 2, Aidi said, congestion was also expected along seven other routes in the districts of Kuala Terengganu, Besut and Setiu.

In Kuala Terenganu, the roads affected are Jalan Sultan Mohamad; Jalan Tengku Mizan, Bulatan Batu 6 heading towards Banggol Air Lilih and at the Kuala Terengganu toll plaza; while in Setiu, traffic congestion is expected at the Chalok and Guntung Luar intersections, and in Besut, at Jertih.

Aidi said policemen from other branches were also being mobilised to curb house-breaking and other thefts during the period. -FMT

Rahman Dahlan wrong on fees, says Zenith chairman

Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli says top officials from works ministry, including minister, had no objection during presentation on project and costs last April.

GEORGE TOWN: A federal minister’s claim that the Penang government overpaid consultants for three major road projects was based on wrong information, the company which won the RM6.3 billion open tender in 2013 said today.

Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd (Zenith) chairman Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli said the fees paid covered not only the three major roads, but the undersea tunnel as well.

On Tuesday, BN Strategic Communications director Abdul Rahman Dahlan said the Penang government had overpaid for a detailed design component covering the three major road projects alone, paying consultants RM177.5 million, which he said was four times the actual cost.

Rahman, who is also a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said detailed design costs should “only be slightly over RM41 million”, as per guidelines set by the Board of Engineers (BEM), a federal engineers’ body.

Zarul however explained that the RM177.5 million paid was well within reasonable limits.

He also argued that there was no objection to the costings by the works ministry (which administers BEM), and the Penang branch of the Institute of Engineers’ Malaysia (IEM), when the relevant documentation was presented to them.

Zarul said a “full-fledged” presentation was also made to Works Minister Fadillah Yusof on April 6 this year. Others in attendance were the ministry’s secretary-general Zohari Akob, director-general Roslan Md Taha, and Highway Board director-general Ismail Md Salleh.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and state exco Lim Hock Seng also attended the meeting between Zenith and top ministry officials.

“There were no adverse statements, remarks or comments raised during the briefing,” he said in a press conference at Komtar.

Prior to that, Zarul said the Penang government briefed IEM’s Penang branch on Sept 2, 2015, with details of the briefing published in its newsletter on Aug 5, 2016.

He said IEM even remarked that the RM305 million overall cost of the feasibility study, detailed design, and environment impact assessment was “reasonable and competitive”.

“It was also found to be within the scale of fees stipulated by the BEM,” he said.

The RM305 million in question was broken down into two components, namely RM129.6 million for professional civil and structural fees, with the remaining RM177.5 million put under the spotlight by Rahman.

“The professional fees of RM129.612 million is equivalent to 2.36% of the project costs of RM5,490 million (excluding land acquisition, FSDD & EIA costs).

“The 2.36% is within the BEM’s scale of fees.”

Zarul also explained what the RM177.5 million covered:

• civil, structural & geotechnical engineering design,
• land survey,
• detailed environment impact assessment,
• quantity surveying,
• land tunnel design,
• architectural design,
• mechanical and electrical works,
• project management,
• social impact study,
• traffic impact study, and
• financial feasibility and funding management

Zarul said since some of the projects’ scope of works was highly technical, Zenith had to engage the services of foreign consultants.

“As such, their fees are hard to be benchmarked as the current professional institutions in Malaysia do not have the standard scale of fees for special consultants to refer to.

“Therefore, their fees had to be benchmarked against international standard fees,” he said.

Zenith will build a 7.2km undersea tunnel by the coast of Gurney Drive to Bagan Ajam in Butterworth. The tunnel will be built at least 20 metres below the seabed.

The three major road projects are from Air Itam to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang and Jalan Pangkor-Gurney Drive junction to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway. (The project was previously called “three-paired roads”.)

It is expected to be completed in 2025.

The project is separate but part of the bigger RM27 billion Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), which aims to build a network of new roads and public transport lines. -FMT

KIT SIANG HAS FINALLY LOST HIS TONGUE

For more than 20 years Kit Siang has been shouting, screaming, moaning, bitching, and grumbling, demanding that a RCI be set up to bring those criminals who were behind Bank Negara’s forex losses to justice. And now that is going to happen. Better justice delayed than justice denied. Kit Siang is getting his 20-year wish to see all those behind the Bank Negara forex scandal being sent to jail. But then that poses another problem for Kit Siang. Mahathir, Daim and Anwar are now with Pakatan Harapan. So, if these three get sent to jail, Pakatan Harapan is going to suffer.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The fasting month can be quite tiring for many people and it appears like Lim Kit Siang is also one of those people who slow down a bit during the fasting month. Age could also be a factor considering he has been DAP’s leader for more than 50 years while Umno has seen six leaders and PAS has seen five in that same period.

Undoubtedly 50 years of shouting, screaming, moaning, bitching, and grumbling does tire a person out. And did Kit Siang not himself say he has spoken and written ten million words during that period? If you sit non-stop for 12 hours a day to speak or write ten million words — and you stop 12 hours every day to eat, sleep and bathe, etc. — it will take a you a whole year to finish.

So ten million words are a lot of words. And Kit Siang boasted that this is the number off words he has spoken and written as DAP’s leader — during which time Umno saw six leaders while PAS saw five. But since the last 24 hours Kit Siang has lost his tongue and has been incapable of saying a single word.

Kit Siang is no longer shouting, screaming, moaning, bitching, and grumbling

Normally Kit Siang is very fast. Within just a couple of hours of any event he would already be out there with long postings of more than 2,000 words slashing away right, left and centre like a Mongol barbarian. Six hours is too long for Kit Siang. What more 24 hours?

Thus far we have not heard a word from Kit Siang regarding the setting up of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) that the Cabinet approved more than 24 hours ago to investigate the US$10 billion losses suffered by Bank Negara Malaysia gambling of the foreign exchange (forex) back in the late 1980s-early 1990s.

It was Kit Siang who in 1993 brought this matter to the attention of the world when he raised the matter in Parliament. Of course, at that time Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad kept absolutely silent and never said a word while Anwar Ibrahim denied it and called the allegation lies and slander and opposition propaganda.

That is the only thing the opposition is good for, said Anwar, to lie and slander. The opposition is incapable to telling the truth and they politicise everything just to smear the country, the government, Umno, Barisan Nasional and the Prime Minister. The opposition will not recognise the truth even if it bit them in their rear.

Yes, Anwar was very angry. He was angry because in 1991 Mahathir and Tun Daim Zainuddin made him the Finance Minister with the sole purpose of covering up the Bank Negara forex scandal. And now Anwar has to earn that job but he knows that US$10 billion is too big a stink to hide. But then he accepted the job of Finance Minister with the terms attached so now he has to deliver by lying through his teeth to Parliament — a very serious offence indeed.

The following year, in 1994, Kit Siang again raised the matter in Parliament and accused Anwar of lying. Kit Siang was furious and demanded Anwar’s resignation for lying to Parliament. Anwar did not deny he lied to Parliament the year before and explained that the loss was actually a paper loss, not a realised loss, that the loss was very small, and that the culprit, the Bank Negara Governor, had already been punished for the crime.

Kit Siang accused Anwar of lying and demanded his resignation

That was actually another lie — a lie to cover a lie. First, the Bank Negara Governor was not the culprit. He was just the fall guy or kambing hitam (sacrificial lamb). Second, the loss was not small. It was huge and practically bankrupted Bank Negara. Third, it was not a paper loss (or loss on paper only). It was a real loss (Bank Negara actually had to pay out the money).

At that point of time, in any other country, Anwar’s political career should have ended. But then Anwar was lying on behalf of Mahathir and Daim and to protect Mahathir and Daim. Hence he had immunity and protection from the two most powerful people in Malaysia at that time. Anwar could do anything he wanted just as long as he was covering Mahathir’s and Daim’s backs and is making sure that the world does not know that Mahathir and Daim cost Malaysia’s taxpayers US10 billion, which today would be worth RM99 billion.

Yes, that is what US$10 billion then is worth today, RM99 billion — or, as they would say in America, RM100 billion with change.

Now you know why Mahathir is talking so much about 1MDB and the DoJ? He needs people to focus on and talk about 1MDB. So he keeps telling people that RM42 billion of 1MDB’s money has disappeared into thin air. This is a lie, of course. But he and Pakatan Harapan are repeating this allegation over and over again hoping that a lie, repeated many times by many people, gets transformed into the truth.

But now there is an even bigger issue to overshadow 1MDB. And that is the almost RM100 billion forex scandal of the late 1980s and early 1990s. And Mahathir is very scared of this because as much as he and Pakatan Harapan might say this is an old story, there is no statute of limitations on corruption, just like for murder.

I mean, WWII ended 72 years ago but they will still arrest and prosecute Nazi war criminals if any are still alive today. There is no such thing as an old story. And if they stumble across any assets belonging to Marcos they will still confiscate them even though he stole them decades ago.

These three burned what is now worth RM100 billion of Bank Negara’s money

However, the one person facing his worst nightmare is Kit Siang. It was he who in 1993 started this whole thing. And for more than 20 years he has been shouting, screaming, moaning, bitching, and grumbling, demanding that a RCI be set up to bring those criminals who caused the loss of RM100 billion of Bank Negara’s money to justice.

And now that is going to happen. Better justice delayed than justice denied. Kit Siang is getting his 20-year wish to see all those behind the Bank Negara forex scandal being sent to jail. But then that poses another problem for Kit Siang. Mahathir, Daim and Anwar are now with Pakatan Harapan. So, if these three get sent to jail, Pakatan Harapan is going to suffer.

Even if these three do not get sent to jail but are just exposed as those who were behind the robbery of US$10 billion, which is now worth RM100 billion with change, that is damaging enough. How to talk about a small problem like 1MDB when it is being overshadowed by a monster of a problem like Bank Negara’s stolen money?

Najib does not talk as much as Mahathir, Kit Siang and Anwar but when he makes his move it is always a killer blow

Now tell me, are Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his Boffin Boys clever or not?

Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail grumbled that this is all just a political ploy. What is wrong with this fan woman? Is she so dumb or what? Of course it is a political ploy? Is not the attack on 1MDB a political ploy? Is not the plan to talk about Rosmah Mansor’s diamond ring over this Hari Raya weekend while eating ketupat and rendang a political ploy?

Malays call that bodoh macam lembu. You use the 1MDB issue as a political weapon to attack Najib and Umno and then you grumble that the RCI on Bank Negara’s forex losses is political.

If you cannot stand the heat get out of the kitchen. And if you think the RCI on Bank Negara’s forex losses is the only thing coming then you are dumber than you look. The RCI on Bank Negara’s forex losses is just the beginning. There are many more coming. And by the time Najib and his boys finish with you, you will wish you were never born.

Now go enjoy your Hari Raya, if you still can.