PRU 13 date - Mahathir decides …

Three days ago, a reporter friend forwarded a text message to this columnist which says that the doctor has taken over Umno and right now the grassroots reports are being forwarded to him.

But the big news is that the doctor is planning to have the polls held in September. This is because it seems that the doctor has got tired of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s feet-dragging and lack of confidence.

Therefore he now enters the fray in order to have things up and running according to his way. Whether there is any truth or not in the text message is one thing but looking at it logically, it could be true. Najib has been dragging on the polls date for far too long after initiating it as a guessing game about two years ago.

Before the submarine scandal surfaces to sink the whole of BN, the doctor has made a firm decision to take control of Umno in order to steer the party to safety at the most crucial point in the party’s history. One must remember that during his tenure as prime minister, the doctor never had this nonsense about the polls date. He called for the polls when he called for the polls: in a decisive manner.

No guessing games, dragging or pussyfooting around. He just executed it, plain and simple. Unlike Najib who makes a great fanfare only to end up in zilch.

The doctor, according to the text message from this friend, is firm in wanting the polls to be held in September. And Sept 1, which is a Saturday, seems to be the ideal date as it is also after the 55th National Day celebrations on Aug 31 when everyone would be proud of the nation’s achievements.

Sept 1 is also more than 10 days after Aidil Fitri which will be celebrated on the third week of August or so this year.

This makes it an ideal time as the Malays who form the majority of the voters would be in a joyous and festive mood and, without anymore animosity, would be more likely to vote BN for “continued prosperity and progress”, which is BN’s well-known slogan.

Thus Sept 1 is the most ideal for the polls to be held as the national budget will be tabled on Sept 28. The budget can then be tailored accordingly but don’t be too sure of getting the goodies if BN wins big as goodies are only due to Pakatan Rakyat’s pressure on BN.

Sept 1 or Dec 1?

Of course, if Pakatan wins the 13th general election, then Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister will have to table the budget and knowing the state of the nation’s coffers, Pakatan will have a momentous task ahead but then it has many good financial experts in its team.

However, if Sept 1 is bunkered, then the next best option is Dec 1 which is also a Saturday. At this point in time, the Indians who have celebrated Deepavali in November will be in a good mood and the Christians too will be feeling joyful in anticipation of Christmas on Dec 25.

At the time of writing this piece, the 13th general election may only be two months away if the doctor has his way.

Najib is the type who wants to make sure that everything is in his favour before he proceeds and not only the doctor but many of the rakyat, especially those in the business community and the manufacturing sector, are fed up with this.

The doctor knows that the longer the polls is delayed, the worst it will be for BN. So he might as well take the initiative to rescue the situation before it gets worst. He can read the current situation well and he sees and knows that it is already beyond Najib’s control.

Najib is focusing on gift-giving to woo the voters but apart from that, the situation around him seems to be falling apart due to the power struggle between the warlords in his camp.Unlike the doctor who is a very slick and cunning reader of the game, Najib lacks vision, foresight and courage.

Many of this columnist’s Chinese friends have lost confidence in Najib because the Chinese view him as not capable when he cannot even do such a simple thing as dissolving Parliament. The Chinese reasoning is that when even such a simple thing is beyond him, he will surely be incapable of much larger things such as administering the country.

Based on this factor alone, he should be rejected. One has also to take note that he rejects political debates by saying it is not the Malaysian culture. Does butt-exercise to show one’s disagreement a part of Malaysian culture then?

Najib may have power and authority but his words cannot change black into white. On June 23, he has boasted that he can thrash the opposition with a score of 14-0 but does not suit action to words by dissolving Parliament that very instant. It is due to his weakness that the doctor’s influence is getting stronger.

The doctor has a game-plan and he will execute it in clinical fashion while Najib’s game-plan has gone “rojak” until he even needs to contemplate a second giving of the RM500 cash aid.

Looks like whether it is Najib or whether it is the doctor who is in control, the situation in Malaysia is full of uncertainty. Coupled with rampant corruption, will the nation go bust? - Selena Tay,FMT.




 Mahathir: Pengundi Cina tentu sapa menang dalam PRU 13...

Bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad percaya keputusan Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13) bakal ditentukan oleh pengundi Cina.

Beliau yang juga bekas Presiden Umno berkata, beliau melihat undi kaum itu bakal menjadi faktor penentu siapakah yang layak mentadbir negara memandangkan Melayu bukan lagi masyarakat majoriti di negara ini.

Dr Mahathir menegaskan, faktor itu juga menjadi punca meningkatnya politik perkauman.

"Hakikatnya kesemua tiga parti Melayu cuba memikat pengundi Cina dan jadi, mereka menjadi sangat perkauman," kata beliau dipetik Astro Awani.

Beliau berkata demikan pada majlis Politik dan Perniagaan: Kaitan Malaysia' di sini semalam.

Kata Dr Mahathir, untuk memastikan Malaysia menjadi sebuah negara yang maju dan kaya, rakyat perlu memberikan sokongan majoriti kepada parti yang mempunyai agenda serta idea pembangunan yang baik.

Dalam pada itu, dipetik Bernama, Dr Mahathir berkata, rakyat Malaysia tanpa mengira kaum hendaklah sanggup melepaskan sesuatu demi mencapai pembangunan ekonomi dan kestabilan sosial jangka panjang.

"Mana-mana kaum janganlah berfikir untuk mengambil semuanya untuk mereka. Anda mesti mengakui bahawa orang lain juga perlu mendapat sebahagian.

"Semua kaum hendaklah menumpukan ke arah membangunkan ekonomi bersama, supaya pembahagian setiap orang adalah lebih besar di samping mengurangkan jurang perbezaan," katanya.

Dr Mahathir berkata, semasa pilihan raya 1955, orang Melayu telah mengambil keputusan melepaskan kerusi di kawasan di mana pengundi kebanyakannya orang Melayu.

"Bagi memastikan semua kaum bekerjasama, kawasan pilihan raya orang Melayu diberi kepada rakan kongsi mereka daripada kaum Cina dan India serta memastikan mereka menyokong calon-calon daripada Perikatan," katanya.- sinar harian

Kingmakers in GE13 are not the Chinese voters but all Malaysian voters...

Salah Mahathir ooi... yang akan tentukan kemenangan dalam PRU 13 ini adalah pendatang2 haram Indon,Bangla, dan Myanmar yang telah dihalalkan oleh Najib & SPR sebagai pengundi...

cheers.

MAS AIRBUS A380 TOUCHES DOWN AT KLIA

KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysia Airlines' first Airbus A380 aircraft touched down at the KL International Airport (KLIA) Friday.

Commanded by Captain Norshid Ali, Flight MH5439 from Toulouse had 91 guests and selected MAS staff on board.

They included MAS Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, Malaysia Airports CEO Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad, Department of Civil Aviation Director-General Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman and senior Ministry of Finance officials, a MAS statement said.

The aircraft received a traditional water cannon salute as it taxied towards the airport's A380-equipped terminal.

Speaking at the welcoming ceremony, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said he was pleased to note that despite the mounting continuous challenges in the global commercial aviation industry, MAS has met its obligation to fulfil the corporate objectives required by the government.

"The arrival of the A380 today is proof that the national carrier has once again taken the lead to support the nation's aspirations to be a leader in trade and tourism activities," Kong said.

Earlier, Ahmad Jauhari said the A380 is part of MAS' fleet renewal initiative to bring a new level of product and experience to the airline's guests.

MAS will take delivery of more Boeing B737-800, Airbus A330-300 and another three A380 aircraft later in the year, he added.

MAS cabin crew also hosted a guided static tour of the double-deck aircraft for around 50 guests, comprising officials from the Ministry of Transport, senior airport officials and members of the media.

Meanwhile, in conjunction with the A380 arrival, the Transport Minister also officiated the opening of the upgraded Malaysia Airlines' flagship Golden Lounge at the KLIA Satellite Building, the statement added.

The upgraded Golden Lounge has two seating areas comprising the Platinum lounge for Enrich Platinum members and First Class guests, as well as another zone for Enrich Gold members, Business Class guests and front-end passengers of customer airlines.

The 43,284 sq ft (4,019 sq m) facility, which is open 24 hours daily, accommodates a maximum of 326 passengers in the Business Class zone and 64 passengers in the First Class zone.

To enhance the overall customer experience for Malaysia Airlines' guests, MAS cabin crew are on hand to serve guests in the Lounge, the statement said. (Bernama)

INVISIBLE BRIDGE IN SEMBULAN?

MISSING....Kassim and members of SAPP inspecting the bridges with missing wooden planks at Kg Sembulan. This bridge may be invisible during BN leader visit.

SAPP Sembulan Selatan Branch, Kassim Busok lamented that the authority should not turn a blind eye on the problems faced by the residents living in Kampung Sembulan.

Kassim said the people have to put up with the hips of rubbish, bad odour and the worse is risk falling into the sea when plying the broken bridges.

Kassim pointed out certain section of the bridge was completely without wood planks and it seems ridiculous and senseless that the authority should allow these to happen for such a long time.

“The government had recently spent RM24 to beautify the Sembulan River Park much for the sake of the tourists put not paying attention to the living conditions of the people in the same area, this is absolutely unfair," said Kassim.

“The 800 meters length Sembulan River Park costed RM24 is equivalent to RM30,000 per meter; the same amount of money could have been used to construction a few hundred low cost houses for the local people who could not afford a house, said Kassim.

A resident Tan said the Mayor and YBs visited the place not long ago but without trying out their skills by walking on the broken bridges and after they left nothings had happened to improve the situations there.

Kassim said the government must treat the people with dignity and not just spending huge amount of fund for glamorous but less useful projects.- Sabahkini

QUARRY WASTE USED ON ROAD SHOULDER

WASTE.... Edward showing the quarry waste on the road shoulder.

A PUBLIC complaint was received by the Sabah DAP vice chairman Edward Ewol Mujie over the query why large pieces of stone mixed with the quarry waste were placed on the road shoulders which are believed to be intended to be use in the upgrading and leveling of the road shoulders along the Tuaran road from Inanam to Menggatal.

The people said this quarry waste containing large pieces of stone is not suitable for the repairing of the road shoulders because of it size and eventually will cause damages to vehicles. They said why use the quarry waste instead of crusher-run which is of uniform sizes not more that 2 inches.

The common standard of repairing road shoulders are using crusher-run only to be compacted to a smooth leveled surface for the car to run on. In this case of using the big stone, we wonder how can this be compacted and leveled to a flat surface.

According to the quarry stone supplier, the quarry waste which is found along the road side is only cost RM 11 per ton and the crusher-run costs RM 28 per ton. Is it the reason that the contractor is using the cheaper material to carry out this work? The other way of looking at it, is the JKR allowing the contractor to use the unsuitable and cheaper material to do this work? Or the JKR is using a new method to do our road shoulder, new adopted specification?

Edward said this is definitely something not right, and he hopes JKR might be able to give a better explanation to this type of material being used on the road shoulder.

The whole Tuaran road needed cleaning and proper maintenance to the drains, grass and the road lighting, along with the road signs. Many U-turns are not properly fitted with appropriate road sign and it is dangerous to road users. - Sabahkini

GE-13: Najib out-flip flops Badawi: Admit it, BN has no confidence - Kit Siang

Confirmed!

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has out-flip flopped his predecessor Tun Abdullah Badawi.

The window for July for the 13th General Election has closed as Najib’s earlier plans for June or July to get his own mandate as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia has been completely scuttled by the disastrous government misjudgment and mishandling of the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28.

In fact, public alienation over the government’s misjudgment and mishandling of the Bersih 3.0 had intensified and aggravated over time with the series of irresponsible and insensitive developments post-Bersih 3.0, including:

Najib’s wild and baseless allegation that the Bersih 3.0 rally was an opposition coup attempt to topple the government; the ridiculous and unacceptable establishment of a purported “independent advisory panel” headed by former Inspector-General of Police Tun Hanif Omar who had publicly expressed his prejudicial views to find out what went wrong on April 28 when a peaceful gathering of hundreds of thousands of Malaysians regardless of race, religion, class, region, age or gender for a common national cause for a clean election could be marred by incidents of violence and brutality after 3 p.m that day; the shocking statement by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz in Parliament that “salt and plastic mineral water bottles” – which were all that some of the Bersih 3.0 protestors were “armed” with to defend themselves from reckless police firing of teargas and chemically-laced water cannon - could topple the Najib government; and the continued targeting, victimization and demonization of Bersih 3.0 organisers and Pakatan Rakyat leaders, in particular the Bersih co-chairperson Datuk Ambiga Sreenivasan – even to the extent of the demand in Parliament that Ambiga be “hanged” as a traitor when what had motivated her, the Bersih 3.0 organisers, the Pakatan Rakyat leaders and the hundreds of thousands of Malaysians who responded to the Bersih 3.0 rally were the highest and noblest sense of love and patriotism for Malaysia.

Although Najib went to great pains after the Barisan Nasional supreme council meeting last night to deny that he was deliberately delaying the date of the general election, claiming that there was no lack of confidence in the Barisan Nasional, the Prime Minister “doth protest too much”!

In fact, Najib sounded as if he was taking the case for the greatest flip-flop of his political life to close the window of the 13GE in July to a larger national audience because he sensed that he had not been able to fully convince the Barisan Nasional leaders at the BN Supreme Council with his argument that “the BN was given the mandate by the people for five years” and that “If we call for a snap elections, it means that we have shortened the period given to us by the people”!

Does Najib really believe his own reasoning?

If so, he is saying that his predecessors Tun Mahathir, Tun Hussein and Tun Abdullah were all wrong because the trio did not complete their full parliamentary five-year term before seeking their own mandate as Prime Minister by calling an earlier general election – in the case of Mahathir, the March 1982 general election was held one year and seven months before the completion of the government’s five-year tenure in October 1983.

Whatever Najib’s protestations, the fact and the truth cannot be hidden – that his earlier plans to hold the 13th general election in June or July this year has been completely scuttled by the Bersih 3.0 rally despite his recent bravado confidence of a “14-0” BN thrashing for Pakatan Rakyat early this week and his pretence of supreme confidence at a Felda settlement in Pahang on May 8 when he said: “If this is the kind of support that we are getting, then I think we can dissolve Parliament tomorrow”.

But Najib knew in his bones that there is no reason for him to feel any such confidence, what with the Malaysian eminence grise, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad (with some even calling him the “de facto Prime Minister”) constantly drumming home the point that the Najib government is still weak and not ready for the 13 General Election until after the fasting month.

Time is however running out for Najib for he has less than 10 months left – as under Article 55(3) of the Malaysian Constitution, Parliament stands automatically dissolved on April 28 next year, five years from the date of the first meeting of the present Parliament.

Lim Kit Siang is the DAP sec-gen and MP for Ipoh Timur

‘Where is our houses, BN?’

Residents in Taman Permata, Dengkil, wants the federal government to fulfill their end of the agreement by building 400 terrace houses.

PETALING JAYA: A total of 400 families, currently living in Taman Permata, Dengkil, want the federal government to keep its promise of building terrace houses for them.

“When is Barisan Nasional going to build the houses for us? We have been dumped by MIC and BN for the past 14 years.

“The ball is now in BN’s court to fulfill their word,” said residents committee member G Ramadas.

The 400 families were formerly estate workers in the area that was developed into the federal administrative capital of Putrajaya.

They were forced to move out in 1998 to Dengkil.

According to Ramadas, the residents held a 24-hour protest two years ago during which Selangor exco Dr Xavier Jayakumar promised that the land would be provided by the state government and the houses would be build by the federal government.

“Back then, Dengkil state rep Marsum Paing of Umno also told us that the state government should provide the land first,” he said.

He added that if it was indeed true that promises are kept as campaigned by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, then the federal government should start the construction of their terrace houses soon.

“The prime minister also says ‘People First, Performance Now’. We want to see whether we are given priority,” he said.

Ramadas also confirmed that a letter from the Dengkil Land Office dated last Friday had earmarked a land near Taman Permata Tamil school as the site for the new housing project.

To make matters worse, one of the five block of flats that they currently resided in was in a deplorable state.

Dr M welcomes PM Najib’s intention but…

The former premier says he welcomes the intention to honour the people's five-year mandate but warns that delaying the polls can also bring about problems.

TAIPING: Dr Mahathir Mohamad has welcomed the intention of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to honour the people’s five-year mandate for the Barisan Nasional government to administer the country.

The former prime minister said Najib should use the time left in the mandate (up to April next year) to inspire confidence in the ability and concern of the BN leadership for the people.

“But there’s a possibility, if the government allows a longer time to lapse (before calling for the next general election), they may face all kinds of demands, and threats of no support if the demands are not met,” he told reporters.

Yesterday, Najib said there was no question of the BN being insecure about the next general election, following allegations by the opposition that he was intentionally delaying it.

Najib said having the general election too early meant that the BN government would be shortening the term handed to it by the people.

The Umno president and BN chairman emphasised that BN was given a five-year mandate to prove its leadership and administration capability to develop the nation and take care of the people.

Mahathir said his view of the success of BN candidates being determined by Chinese voters was based on reality and not sentiment or other factors.

“Previously, the BN won because we had the Chinese voters’ support. When the Malays split, the Chinese determine the winner. When the Chinese split, the Malays determine the winner,” he said.

Commenting on claims that the BN was buying the people’s support, Mahathir said the cost of living was on the rise and affecting the lives of the poor.

Therefore, any direct monetary assistance from the BN government to the people to ease their burden should not be construed as an attempt to bribe them, he said.

-Bernama

Musa must be replaced, says Lajim

The Umno supreme council member claims that Sabah Umno is losing confidence because of its leader, chief minister Musa Aman.

KOTA KINABALU: Umno supreme council member Lajim Ukin claims that the party’s state liaison committee leadership is losing the confidence of not only its own divisional heads but also leaders of Barisan Nasional component parties.

The Beaufort division chief will be seeking an appointment with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to discuss about replacing the current state Umno leadership “to restore the confidence and trust of the people towards the coalition.”

Sabah Umno’s head is Chief Minister Musa Aman.

Lajim, who is also Federal Housing and Local Government Deputy Minister, said “little birds” are telling him that dissatisfaction is high among Umno leaders as well as component parties.

Sabah BN, also headed by Musa, comprises Umno, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), United Pasokmomogun Kadazan Organisation (UPKO), Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS), Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), MCA, Gerakan and MIC.

‘A leader who thinks of his friends only’

Without naming anyone, Lajim said in Kota Kinabalu certain Sabah Umno leaders must be changed, if not removed, for the good of the party in marching its force against the mounting strength of the opposition parties in the 13th general election.

“We do not want a leader who only thinks about the future of his friends. Umno is for all members and there are no leaders given special privileges except for the party’s number one – the prime minister,” he said.

Lajim wants this issue addressed as soon as possible – for Najib to make the necessary changes in Sabah Umno.

He also said that information reaching him indicated that he may not be fielded or given the opportunity to defend his Beaufort parliamentary seat.

Lajim, who was instrumental in the downfall of the PBS government in 1994, will not also defend his post as Beaufort Umno divisional chairman. He will stay as an ordinary member like former premiers Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

PBS lost gripped of the state government in 1994 even though it won on a PBS ticket the state election after Lajim (Klias) and Rubin Balang (Kemabong) ditched the party to cross over to Umno. When Umno took control of the state governmant, Lajim was made a cabinet minister while Balang assistant minister.

Meanwhile, Sabah Umno deputy head Salleh Said Keruak differed with Lajim’s assessment.

Salleh, who is also the state legislative asembly speaker, said Sabah Umno leaders, especially Musa, have continuously championed the cause of the people of Sabah through various approaches.

He said state leaders being part of Umno will be more effective and successful at solving problems faced by the atate and the population.

New Indonesian Website Names and Shames Corrupt Officials

(Wall Street Journal) - Hoping to impart a sense of shame among officials and other individuals who have been convicted of corruption, Indonesian activists and journalists recently launched a website publicizing their names and crimes.

Indonesia regularly ranks as one of the most corrupt countries in Transparency International’s closely watched Corruption Perception Index, and critics say graft remains rampant even though the fall of dictator Suharto in 1998 ushered in an era of wide-ranging reforms.

Now, Korupedia.org aims to be an online encyclopedia of corruption through which anyone can access details about corruption cases and individuals found guilty by courts, said Ratna Dasahasta, the web site’s chief editor. Not all convictions make it to the news, and few people have access to court documents, she said, which means residents need an easily accessible clearinghouse of who did what and when.

“We are concerned that many people convicted of corruption show no remorse and act as if they didn’t do anything wrong. After being released they regularly appear on TV talking about current issues and are courted by prominent figures,” Ms. Dasahasta said.

“This shows that corruption is seen as something ordinary and is not something to be ashamed of,” she added. “The list is some kind of social sanction for those people.”

Former cabinet ministers, governors, legislators, civil servants and businessmen have all been convicted by special corruption courts in recent years as part of attempts by successive post-Suharto governments to fight the scourge.

In one of the most recent cases, a court in East Kalimantan province convicted a former district chief of defrauding the state of seven billion rupiah ($742,000) and sentenced him to two years in prison this week.

So far the website has put online 120 names of people convicted of corruption and their photographs, and the list is expected to grow.

Administrators of the site are poring over documents from court verdicts from 900 corruption cases reviewed by the Supreme Court, Ms. Dasahasta said.

Founded by Teten Masduki, the former chairman of Indonesia Corruption Watch, and several journalists, the site has been viewed by more than one million visitors since it went live on June 12 and survived attempts by hackers to take it down, she said.

“We don’t know who the people who tried to hack the website are but obviously they are unhappy with its content,” she said.

The website also allows readers to check whether candidates running in myriad regional elections in the sprawling archipelago of 240 million people are on the list.

MIC Kapar using cash to lure BN support?

Thousands of Indian residents of Kapar, Selangor have reportedly been receiving cash handouts from MIC over several weekends last month in an alleged attempt to canvass support for the BN in the coming general election.

However, MIC Kapar division that was behind the exercise, has strongly denied that it was a vote-buying exercise, insisting the money was for MIC branch members only.

Kapar chief T Ganesan, when asked about reports of residents in Taman Sentosa, Kapar, receiving envelopes containing RM20, told Malaysiakini that residents only “goods” were distributed to them, not cash.

The RM20 handouts were “allowance” for local MIC members, not meant for the public, he said.

Explaining that as the exercise had been held in a public space, it was unavoidable that some members of the public who also happened to be there may have gotten hold of “a few the envelopes”.

“We can’t just say ‘don’t take it’,” he said, adding that such events were being carried out throughout Malaysia.

“I assure you that it is not pancing undi (fishing for votes),” he said when contacted by Malaysiakini yesterday.

Thousands received the cash 

The exercise reportedly began around the May 13 weekend, according to a resident from Taman Sentosa in Kapar town, who requested anonymity.

The technician in his early twenties claimed that MIC representatives from the constituency including Ganesan were holding events around town to distribute cash to the majority Indian population there.

He said that recipients were initially asked to vote for BN if they wanted the cash, but they soon dropped such direct references.

His family members as well as his neighbours had all received the RM20, adding that none are MIC members.

On the May 13 weekend, roughly 500 residents per day showed up to collect the cash, said the technician. 

The exercise was said to have continued over the next several weekends at different locations around the town.

He also complained that prior to the exercise, residents received anonymous phone calls and threatening text messages advising them to vote for the BN.

However, Malaysiakini was unable to secure a copy of the said SMS.

Residents were also told that they would receive RM200 for registering as voters at a nearby centre, although this never materialised, he added.

His accounts were corroborated by a neighbour, a lorry driver in his mid-twenties, who told Malaysiakini his wife’s family had also received the RM20.

Paid ‘vote checking’ exercise

Malaysiakini citizen journalist Annantharajan Palaniandy’s visit to one such event at Taman Sentosa on Sunday, May 27 also paints a different story from Ganesan’s.

Annantharajan confirmed that cash was being given out in envelopes at the event, but did not see any indication at the venue of the event being restricted to only MIC members.

Instead, the organisers on site claimed that it was an exercise to ‘check the eligibility’ of residents’ voter status.

Held at an open field near Jalan Kapar, the organisers erected tents and set up a counter to administer the handouts.

The event was split into morning and evening sessions, with the latter pulling over a thousand people.

Envelopes with RM20 notes were handed out to people “pre-registered” for the event with a photocopy of their MyKad, as their names were read off a list.

However, when the attendees exceeded the 400 registered recipients limit, the others were turned away.

When asked, Ganesan said the funds came from the party and the Prime Minister’s Department.

Questioned on the timing of the event, he denied it was meant to drum up support for MIC or the BN ahead of the coming general election.

“These are very traditional events. We’re sure all parties are doing the same,” he said, explaining that sometimes NGOs would approach them to organise such events.

The biggest parliamentary seat in Selangor, Kapar is a Malay-majority seat but has a sizeable Indian population, comprising about 15 percent of the electorate in the area.

MP: Kapar indians 'not stupid'

Kapar MP S Manikavasagam criticised the cash handouts as a case of “double standards” and an indication that the government was not serious about helping the Indian community.

“It is considered fine when BN hands out cash, but when Pakatan Rakyat distributes aid, it is deemed corruption,” he said when contacted by Malaysiakinion Thursday.

‘If they are really serious (about helping the people) then they should work on infrastructure, and raise people’s standard of living,” said the PKR parliamentarian (left).

He claimed that he was aware of such alleged vote-buying efforts in his constituency, saying that people had complained of MIC calling on Tamil schools and houses offering money.

However, he does not foresee such efforts undermining Pakatan’s performance in the coming polls, saying that “Kapar Indians are smart”.

Subang MP R Sivarasa also panned the cash handout practice, adding, however, that he had not heard of it occurring in his constituency.

“It is something that should be prohibited by law,” he said, explaining that in Malaysia such exercises were only barred during election campaign periods, leaving open the loophole for the praticise. 

He acknowledged that such tactics could still hold sway among some of the poorer communities, but said that as a whole, more people were “seeing the bigger picture”.

He added that he would personally feel insulted if offered RM20 to vote for the  BN.

“My reaction would be, ‘What do you think my worth is (to be bought over for RM20)?’,” he said when contacted by Malaysiakini.
    
Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad described the whole affair as “preposterous”, adding that he, too, has come to learn of 30 June 2012 such handouts in his constituency.

“That’s how they regard people, they think that with just RM20 they can buy people,” he said in a phone interview with Malaysiakiniyesterday, adding that the move degrades “the Indian community”.

Although his four years of service have not been perfect, the PAS parliamentarian believes his overall performance would be the more important factor, rather than cash handouts in his constituency.

RSC withdraws resolution on City Hall's discount call

Royal Selangor Club (RSC) members have rejected City Hall’s call for a 30 percent discount for civil servants membership in return for land title for one of the club’s buildings.

The resolution on the issue was unanimously opposed by members of the club at its annual general meeting today, with some describing the demand as “outrageous and preposterous”.
                  
The general council of the club was chastised for even discussing the matter with outgoing Kuala Lumpur mayor Ahmad Fuad Ismail (right).

Among the 10 who took to the floor and opposed the resolution, a retired senior appellate court judge and former president of the club said that the demand was as good as holding the club to ransom.

He explained that RSC had paid for the land and the plot was held under the trusteeship of the mayor. Therefore, the title must be made in favour of the RSC without any condition.

Following the stringent opposition, the club’s general council eventually withdrew the resolution.

A task force has been set up to settle the issue of the land title amicably without any compulsion from City Hall.

A senior member of the club said: “There was a heated argument, where members criticised the general council for bringing up the resolution on this high-handed demand by the City Hall, which tantamount to corruption. 

“It is outrageous and preposterous that the club’s council should even table such a resolution.”

MACC should haul up the mayor

Following the AGM which lasted about six hours, a club member toldMalaysiakini: “The City Hall cannot impose a demand where they would only approve the title for the Kiara Annex in return for the discounted membership for civil servants.

“The club must not introduce special privileges among members. The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should call up the mayor and interview him as to why he had demanded such a discount. 

“If the mayor sets such an example, then the staff below him will follow suit and demand favours or cash to approve minor requests by businessmen. This is synonymous to intimidation and daylight robbery.”

The City Hall request for the discount was communicated to the RSC, a prestigious club of who’s who in Malaysia, last year in a letter.

The resolution which was withdrawn today read:

• That the RSC attempt to recruit a fifth of its members from the ranks of the Malaysian civil service.

• That those members recruited be allowed a 30 percent discount on its entrance fees, and

• The club will refund entrance fees for this category of members on their retirement, leave the civil service or upon their death as they will no longer be members of this club under this category.

Rafizi turns up heat on Najib over LRT contract

PKR is pressing Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to disclose whether the RM1 billion Ampang Light Rail Transit (LRT) project has really been awarded to Konsortium George Kent, a day after he denied impropriety in the deal.

Zeroing in on the premier's reply yesterday that "everything was done properly", PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli said the statement did not answer whether the purported highest bidder had won the contract or not.

"This reinforces the speculation that Najib had forcefully interfered in the bid evaluation decision, which was in favour of other bidders," he said in a statement today.

According to Rafizi (left), the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) took away many official documents pertaining to the contract when theypaid a visit to Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd's (Prasarana) office yesterday.

Quoting an insider, he claimed one of the papers proved that Prasarana has returned Konsortium George Kent its tender bond, a form of cash deposits each bidder pays, as the company was disqualified in the early stages.

"I urge Shahril Mokhtar, Prasarana group managing director, to confirm whether the cash deposit has been returned to stem new speculation," he said.

Yesterday Najib had said there was nothing abnormal in the award of the RM1 billion Ampang Line Light Rail Transit (LRT) extension project to the purported highest bidder when quizzed by journalists on the allegations.

Rafizi had accused the prime minister of interfering in the award process to ensure that a consortium led by George Kent Bhd, said to have put in the highest bid, will land the job.

He claimed that he had "solid" evidence that the project was first went to Balfour Beatty-Invensys Consortium (Balfour).

However, a Jan 22 Business Times report said that George Kent was tipped to win the bid, said Rafizi, drawing the conclusion that the move had been executed on Najib's orders.

Rafizi has vowed to reveal more evidence of wrongdoing on the matter in the coming weeks.

Suhakam's Bersih 3.0 inquiry to kick off July 5

The Malaysia Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) will on July 5 begin its own inquiry into allegations of excessive force by the authorities during the April 28 Bersih 3.0 rally.

In a statement today, the commission’s secretary Rodziah Abdul announced the commencement saying they had completed perusing the submissions from the public related to the massive rally for electoral reform.

“As of June 21, 2012, the Commission has completed perusal of the public submissions it has received from the public in the form of documents, statements and video recordings, and identification of witnesses. 

“The commission is awaiting for a response from the police, to (our) request and subsequent reminder of (our) intention to interview the police personnel who were on duty during the 28 April public assembly,” she said.

Last month Suhakam declared that it could no longer wait for the government’s inquiry into the same matter, and unveiled its panel and terms of reference for its own inquiry.

They also called on the public to submit materials documenting the events during the rally to assist in their inquiry.

“The commission’s decision to conduct the public inquiry into allegations of the use of excessive force by the authorities during and after the public assembly on April 28 takes into account its own monitoring of the event and a number of other pertinent factors."

These factors, she said, include the submission of complaints, reports and memoranda from members of the public, human rights and professional groups, as well as other members of civil society, to the commission relating to the matter, all of which called for an independent inquiry into the said event.

Suhakam’s inquiry follows the government’s own highly criticised inquiry into Bersih 3.0, led by the controversial former police chief Hanif Omar.

The government had been slammed for allowing their inquiry to proceed despite Suhakam being the proper agency to carry out the task, casting doubts on the former’s sincerity in getting to the bottom of alleged police violence during the event.

Hanif himself had received much flak for having made prejudicial statements against Bersih prior to his appointment as head of the government inquiry.

Umno assemblyperson wants hudud for all in Johor

Umno's Kemelah state assemblyperson Ayub Rahmat has proposed that hudud law be implemented in Johor for all races.

When contacted by Malaysiakini, Ayub said he wanted to see Johor to be the first state to implement "true hudud law" which he said differed from PAS' version of the religious law.

The critical difference with PAS's hudud law legislated in Kelantan, he said, was that there would be no discrimination as it would have to cover all races in the state.

"The Syariah Criminal Code (II) 1993 State of Kelantan does not reflect the true requirements of Islam. it creates discrimination in terms of execution (among Muslims and non-Muslims)," Ayub (left)said.

Kelantan had adopted the law in 1993, three years after PAS captured the state but provisions in the federal constitution prevented its enforcement.

Ayub, who made the proposal on June 20, during the fifth sitting of the Johor state assembly said implementing such a move at the national level would require amendments to the federal constitution.

The crucial move now, he said, is to start on the steps to help non-Muslims understand the implementation of hudud law in Johor, which PAS had failed to do.

This, he added, had enabled other ethnic groups to accept hudud law during the reign of Prophet Muhammad.

Challenge issued to PAS

Ayub then threw down the gauntlet to PAS to back this proposal if it was sincere about upholding Islam.

"When Umno talks about hudud, PAS should lend support as well," he said.

The proposal comes as Pakatan Rakyat begins a concerted campaign to break the stranglehold of the BN in the southern state seen as the last bastion of the ruling coalition in peninsular Malaysia.

Pakatan Rakyat's top guns have in the last months criss-crossed Johor in the hope of improving its electoral performance there which saw the opposition winning only one parliamentary seat out of 26 and six state seats out of the 56 contested in the last polls.

EO repeal made scapegoat for S'gor crime surge

Deputy Selangor police chief A Thaiveegan today repeated the blame game on the repeal of the Emergency Ordinance (EO) as contributing to the recent crime surge in the state.

Thaiveegan said rising complaints of Selangor crime levels may be a result of the mass release of suspected criminals from Simpang Renggam detention centre following the EO repeal.

"The government is confident that they (the detainees) should be given a chance to start a new life so that they return to the right path, but do they return to the right path or not, we do not know yet.

"But we see there is a rise in crime (recently) because they've been in (detention) for too long, they need 'exercise', so they come out and immediately they carry out their activities," he said in his speech at a car and motorcycle theft prevention campaign in Subang Jaya this morning.

However, when approached later, Thaiveegan stressed that more time and evidence is required to establish whether there a direct link between the release and the surge in crime.

"There may be one or two cases here and there which we are handling, there could be reasons why there is a sudden surge, there are a few criminals who have returned to society and they may take time to change (their ways).

"I can't confirm yet (because of the EO). It could be, but we will need time to confirm that. Give us another month or two then we will confirm," he said.

Earlier in his speech, Thaiveegan said that in the overall, crimes in the state has still seen a dip in total cases.

"Today in Selangor, in the overall, all crimes have fallen by 11.2 percent, but of course people are still not happy... but we are doing our best," he said.

According to Home Ministry figures, crime in Selangor has gone down by 19.4 percent since 2009 and 24.7 percent nationwide during the same period.

Crime statistics disputed

However, the figures have been disputed by Pakatan Rakyat MPs, including Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua following the recent spat of violent crimes in the state.Earlier in his speech, Thaiveegan said that in the overall, crimes in the state have still seen a dip in total cases.

Pua (left) had complained that the Home Ministry had not been forthcoming in providing a statistical breakdown of crime in Selangor, providing him with three different set of figures for 2009.

The country's three emergency proclamations which had been in effect for up to 40 years wastabled in Parliament Nov 24 last year.

The move voided all ordinances set up during the emergency but allowed a grace period of up to 6 months for detainees under the law to be held in detention.

However, the government had begun releasing detainees in phases as soon as the emergency was lifted.

The law, allowing detention without trial, was often used against suspected underworld members when police lacked sufficient evidence to prosecute.

In recent months, several high-profile violent crimes have been highlighted.

The most recent was on Thursday, when a women was set ablaze outside her house in Ampang and a day later a father shot dead outside his son's school in Sri Kembangan.

A series of robberies targeting women in parking basements of shopping malls have also hit the headlines in the last few months, with at least two such incidences reported at The Curve and another at Mid Valley.