RON95, RON97 down five sen, diesel unchanged

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Prices for the RON95 and RON97 petrol will go down by five cents per litre respectively, taking effect tomorrow, petrol dealers said.

RON97 will cost RM2.05 a litre while RON95 will cost RM1.70 at the pump come midnight, while diesel prices will remain unchanged at RM1.70 a litre.

Diesel prices at the pump went up by 10 sen a litre last month.

The government determines the prices of fuel through a managed float system.

[More to follow]

-Mkini

A Parody of Sorts : PM Najib is on his way out and Why

 by Dr. Lim Teck Ghee

Tun Musa Hitam and his Political Mentor, Tun Dr. Ismail Abdul Rahman

According to former Deputy Prime Minister Musa Hitam in his book, “Frankly Speaking” there are three ways Malaysians can get rid of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. The first is through UMNO, which Musa thinks is “near impossible”; the second is through foreign intervention which is a greater impossibility despite the much publicised scare tactics used by his supporters to whip up anti-American sentiment; and the third is for Malaysians to decide whether they want Najib out through the next general election.

Musa omitted to mention a fourth way – the one which looks most likely to happen unless there is an extraordinary and unexpectedly rapid sequel to the IMDB and personal donation in the Prime Minister’s bank account controversies.

This fourth and most foreseeable way is Najib’s decision to voluntarily step down from his position as Prime Minister and President of UMNO and hand over of the leadership reins of the nation and party to the current Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO Deputy President, Dato Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

This decision may not take place immediately or even soon. But the odds are that BN and UMNO will not go into the next GE with Najib in charge and also that this decision will be made well before the election takes place.  Hence, if the 14th GE is held in early 2018, expect the announcement of his retirement from politics to take place in early or mid 2017 at the latest.

After The Great Escape

 There are personal and strategic reasons why Najib will want to leave the leadership scene earlier than most observers are expecting, and contrary to his earlier promise to “never back down or surrender” in his battle over the twin scandals.

Beleaguered Prime Minister

First, he must be feeling a great sense of relief – if not euphoria – for what appears to be the engineering of a great escape from being charged for his role in the wrongdoing and criminal conduct engaged in by the perpetrators of the 1MDB crisis. Now that the authorities (Bank Negara, Attorney General, the Public Accounts Committee and MACC, with the Police also expected to follow suit once they complete their investigation) have cleared the Prime Minister – or in the case of the PAC, it has not definitively pinned the Prime Minister down for responsibility in the IMDB mess – UMNO and the mainstream media can argue that he is leaving office with his head held up high and honour intact.

In April 2015, in his speech during the launch of the Performance and Delivery Unit’s Annual Report at Angkasapuri in Kuala Lumpur, he had called for everyone to be magnanimous (berjiwa besar).  He said: ”Believe me, when the truth shines out and reveals itself, all insults and imputation will disappear.” 

 Although the insults and imputation continue, and the truth has not been forthcoming, a year later, along with his claim of innocence in any wrongdoing, he will also want to claim victory against his two political enemies, Dr. Mahathir and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin whose efforts to dislodge him have produced the new party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia.

The more compelling reason for Najib’s decision to call it a day as Prime Minister is strategic. Foremost in the mind of Najib and UMNO leaders who have rallied behind him is the concern that PPBM may gain a strong footing among Malay voters. Despite downplaying the new party’s impact in public, it is apparent that UMNO’s leadership are nervously watching and analyzing how the new party may take away votes from UMNO leading to a tighter election outcome, and possible inroads into the party’s dominance in the next election.

Such a development is more likely to happen should Najib decide to remain as the incumbent Prime Minister as he will be leading his party into the election with a massive cloud hanging over his head, and with the difficult to refute charge that he is leading a kleptocratic government, sure to dominate the election campaign. 

The voluntary resignation of Najib will pose a dilemma especially for Dr. Mahathir and Tan Sri Muhyiddin on what to do with their new party since the main objective in setting it up may appear to have been achieved.  Does this mean that they will abandon their struggle to refashion Malay and Malaysian politics and return to the UMNO kleptocratic fold?  Even if they decide to stay the course of political opposition, how can they woo the Malay public to vote for them instead of UMNO which does not have Najib at its helm?

Prime Minister in waiting Zahid Hamidi is expected to take the Malays and Malaysia to higher heights of achievement and glory.

The Prime Minister’s resignation well ahead of the election makes sense for Najib and UMNO. His successor as Prime Minister, Zahid, can then present himself to the voters as a leader who, accompanied by a suitably brand new slogan of reform and clean government, can take UMNO, the Malays and Malaysia to higher heights of achievement and glory.

The shame, unresolved mess and financial black hole left by 1MDB and the mysterious “1MO” can then be ignored or isolated, and pushed into the far distance in the run up to the election, thus providing UMNO an easier path in its effort to maintain power.

As for Najib, he will take comfort that, with the continuation of UMNO’s control of Parliament and Putrajaya, his name will appear in the official write up and history books as a true Malay and Malaysian warrior whose sacrifices and contribution to the country’s development overshadow whatever minor mistakes may have been made during his administration. This ‘heroic’ depiction would especially gain credence should a panel of doctors – in the way the 1MDB accounts have been audited – find the Prime Minister unable to continue with his duties for medical reasons and recommend his immediate retirement to safeguard his health. 

In the coming days, we can expect these stories of the Prime Minister, and even his wife, wishing to take up gardening and wanting to forget or get away from his own created nightmare of 1MDB to grow stronger.

Hints of this impending scenario in the political affairs of the country have not appeared yet. But one faint indication is the Prime Minister’s recent disclosure that he will not disturb the leadership style of his successor especially by issuing various criticism openly after his retirement.

Stay or Quit: As the Late Lee Kuan Yew knew, Rosmah Mansor is the Decision Maker

Speaking in a question and answer session in the programme ’60 Minutes with the Prime Minister’ together with undergraduates from local and foreign universities and representatives of youth organisations, he said “I have a philosophy, I will retire and will not interfere with my successor when the time comes for me to go (as prime minister) later. My successor will do better than when I was helming the nation. That is continuity in any struggle.”

Gomen finances in deep sh*t

A few weeks back I posted someone's comment that if the IPIC arbitration (in London) is awarded that RM27 bilion against 1MDB our gomen (as owner and guarantor for 1MDB) would go bankrupt by July something of this year. 

The prepaid blogger pelacur went to town when July came to pass and the gomen did not go bankrupt. They said all sorts of things about me.   These are the semi educated prepaids who write for money (according to their testimony - not mine).   

Two things here. The IPIC arbitration indeed hangs like an axe over the super morons in gomen. 

And about the 'bankruptcy' well folks it looks like the situation is worse than the gomen going bankrupt by July 2016.  I would like to take back my words about the 'bankruptcy'. 

According to some info that I received the gomen has been technically "cashflow bankrupt" already - from way before July 2016. There is an embargo on saying anything further for the time being. But I will update this point, hopefully in a few days.

The gomen finances are indeed in deep sh*t.  I received this from a professor at a gomen university :

"..labs in my Faculty have not received money for equipment maintenance for 3 years. How the salaried lecturers/ lab assistants still managed to keep the practicals running is a tribute to their ingenuity. How long can this situation last?'

I have already mentioned that one supplier has repossessed photocopy machines from a Ministry after the Ministry failed to make lease payments.  The gomen is already 'cashflow bankrupt'. They cannot pay all their bills.

Folks, recall I have been harping (again and again) that the gomen may miss paying salaries for its 1.6 million Civil Servants?  Well keep reading this space. 

The economy is also dying, especially the GLC economy. Maybank has closed 27 branches, which is 7% of their total branches.

The latest news say CIMB has closed 23 branches. This is also about 7% of CIMB's 321 branches. 

That is a total of 50 bank branches.  50 branch managers, 50 assistant branch managers, 50 current account officers, 50 credit officers, numerous other officers, tellers, clerks and security guards have to be redeployed or laid off.  Both Maybank and CIMB are GLCs closely identified with the Malay corporate economy.

Have faith folks. All this can be fixed. The fix is easy. But that moron has to go. His whole team has to go.  These are the incompetents. They have been running the country into the ground.

In 2003 Dr Mahathir reintroduced English into the school system. Then he retired. After a few years they changed it back to all Malay. Imagine if they had not changed it but stuck with it we would already have had 13 years of English and Maths in English. 

My second son benefited from the switch to Maths and Science in English.  English helped him pass his UK 'O' Levels at 14 years of age (Ini bapak dia punya show off lah). After that at age 16 he scored three straight As in his UK 'A' Levels (Maths, Chemistry, Biology) all of which he studied in English. He is now a very young surgeon at a hospital.  The English language education did help.

My older boy simply could not stand the gomen university system. He went to a private university where not only the subjects but also the lingua france on campus was English.  After he graduated (Architecture) he took some time off,  went scuba diving around the region, rock climbing, travelling around the region and making his mum and me a bit worried if he was bumming too much.  Then he decided to get a job. He zeroed in on just one Architect's firm, was interviewed for two hours by his boss  and for three years now he is a design architect who designs condominiums, apartments,  commercial complexes and houses.  The lingua franca among the architects is English. 

What I am saying is that it is easy to fix our problems. The fixes are really easy.  Of course if  F Troop is put in charge, then all our kids are going to suffer. 

More later on the gomen cashflows being technically "bankrupt". 

KJ: Don’t rush elections when Opposition weak

Umno Youth chief believes Umno should go to war when it is strong and not rely on the enemy's weakness, adding there is need for new seat arrangements with BN parties.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Barisan Nasional should not call for early elections just because its political foes are “weak” at the moment, says Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

Speaking at an Umno Bandar Tun Razak divisional meeting today, Khairy said some Umno members had approached him and said the general election should be held as soon as possible.

This, the Umno members said, was because the Opposition parties were facing problems and suffering from infighting, while the BN had recently romped to victories in the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections.

Khairy, however, said he disagreed with such views.

“We go to war when we are strong. We do not rely on the weakness of our enemies.
“If we rely only on our enemies’ weakness, one day they could reunite and we will still face problems.”

Khairy said if Umno focused on strengthening itself and ensuring its election machinery was organised, it would not have to depend on the enemy being weak.

To be strong, Khairy said, Umno needed to be united and this was why it was important to focus on GE14 first, rather than party elections.

He said there was no point in people seeking positions within the party if Umno was defeated in the elections.

Other election strategies, Khairy said, were that winnable candidates be selected and that the right party be allowed to stand in certain areas to ensure maximum support from the people.
He said a new agreement was needed within the BN when it came to the division of seats in the next GE.

Khairy said some parties would stake claims to certain seats because they had previously contested those seats.

However, he said, new seat arrangements could be made with other component parties. It was all about giving and taking.

Khairy, who is also Youth and Sports Minister, said he supported Bandar Tun Razak Umno Division Chairman Rizalman Mokhtar’s suggestion that Umno contest the Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary seat.

In the battle for Bandar Tun Razak in GE13, MCA’s Tan Kok Eng stood for the BN against then PKR leader Abd Khalid Ibrahim, the former Selangor menteri besar, who is now an independent MP.

1 MDB : Promise of a RM 120 million reward makes AMBank and ANZ boards vulnerable to whistle blowers

by Ganesh Sahathevan



There is likely to be more than one AMBank employee who is aware of this and related transactions

ANZ's former CEO Mike Smith who led the bank's Asian expansion would know from the time he spent at HSBC in Kuala Lumpur that  Malaysians in general are always (and I mean always) on the look out for a deal to at least supplement meager incomes, if not get rich quick.

Given that deal making propensity ,news of the the SEC's recently reported USD 22 million payout (RM 88 million) to a whistle blower  ,the largest this year and second only to its record payout of USD 30 million (RM 120 million)  will prove too much for AMBank staff to resist.

Given the central role that AMBank and its ANZ led management played in the 1 MDB theft, which the US Justice Department described as the biggest case of kleptocracy ,fraud and theft it has ever seen, AMBank staff can be expected to have already done the math and determined that speaking to the SEC might well set them up for life.

David Gonski and ANZ's AMBank money laundering problem has gotten even worse.



END 

Whistleblower Gets $22 Million From SEC in Second-Biggest Award
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is giving $22 million, its second biggest payout ever, to a corporate insider who helped the regulator uncover a well-hidden fraud.

The whistleblower provided a “detailed tip and extensive assistance” that helped the SEC stop illicit conduct at the individual’s employer, according to a statement released Tuesday. The agency didn’t provide any information on the person’s identity or the company involved, citing federal law and the need to protect confidentiality.

The award was the largest since a $30 million payment announced in 2014. Whistleblowers are eligible for payouts if they voluntarily provide the SEC with unique information that leads to a successful enforcement action. Compensation can range from 10 percent to 30 percent of the money collected in a case beyond $1 million. The SEC said it has awarded more than $100 million since the inception of its whistle-blower program in 2011.




“Company employees are in unique positions behind-the-scenes to unravel complex or deeply buried wrongdoing,” said Jane Norberg, acting chief of the SEC’s Office of the Whistleblower. “Without this whistleblower’s courage, information, and assistance, it would have been extremely difficult for law enforcement to discover this securities fraud on its own.”

MALAYSIA'S GOT SCANDAL - Encik Wan MDB - "Che Det Tribute"

MAN WHO PAID RM10,000 TO ‘CUT QUEUE’ IN 2014 IS STILL WAITING

(The Star) – A day after the father of Sungai Pinang DAP assemblyman Lim Siew Khim (pic) was implicated in a scandal for allegedly soliciting money with the promise of getting people low-cost and affordable housing, another similar case has surfaced in Penang.

A “cut queue scheme” victim who said he had been on the waiting list for nearly 10 years, told The Star he was referred to an “agent” by a former special assistant of a local elected rep.

Leo Tan said the “agent” had even met him at a Komtar canteen frequented by civil servants back in 2014 and many state government staff seemed to know the man. It was at the canteen that Tan paid the man RM10,000.

A few months after handing over the money, Tan said the man called him to say that the approval had been granted but he needed to pay another RM20,000 to finalise it.

He refused to do so after realising he had been duped.

Tan said he tried looking for the man and had sought out the elected rep’s special assistant. The assistant had resigned and both men had gone missing since early this year.

“My parents applied for a low-cost flat on the mainland more than 30 years ago but never got it.

“I am now in my 40s and never owned a home. I don’t want to be like my parents who had to wait until they were in their 70s and 80s,” said Tan.

He said he applied for a RM200,000 unit in George Town and wondered why he was on the waiting list for so long even though he was eligible for it.

“The man told me if I didn’t pay up, I would always be on the waiting list. Until today, I am still looking for that former special assistant.”

When told of the matter, state Housing Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said these victims should contact the police.

He said incidents of such nature had occurred before, the most recent being reported in March.

“Three individuals made police reports against brokers who promised them public housing units with a certain amount being paid upfront.

“According to the police, one of them has been charged in court with cheating,” he said.

There are 35,229 Penangites on the waiting list for affordable homes. Those on the island are priced below RM400,000 and those on the mainland below RM250,000.

BALAI POLIS TUTUP PINTU PADA WAKTU MALAM KERANA BIMBANG KESELAMATAN

ACP Saiful Bahari

Sibu: Pintu pagar Balai Polis Lanang di Sarawak terpaksa ditutup menjelang waktu malam demi keselamatan anggota dan balai berkenaan.

“Bagaimanapun, masih ada anggota yang bertugas di dalam balai dan jika ada orang mahu membuat aduan, mereka barulah buka pintu,” kata Ketua Polis Daerah Sibu, ACP Saiful Bahari Abdullah yang dipetik See Hua Daily News, semalam.

Adun Bukit Assek, Irene Chang meminta polis meneliti aduan orang awam yang Balai Polis Lanang tidak dibuka 24 jam sehari, selepas seorang orang awam tidak dapat membuat laporan polis berkaitan kecurian motosikalnya pada jam 5.30 pagi, baru-baru ini, kerana balai itu dianggap tutup berdasarkan keadaannya yang gelap dan hanya lampu di pintu pagar bernyala.

Disebabkan itu, Irene berkata, pengadu tidak berani masuk ke dalam balai berkenaan, sebaliknya pergi ke Balai Polis Central di pusat bandar untuk membuat laporan.

Saiful Bahari berkata, sebelum ini ada pemandu kereta mabuk melanggar pintu pagar balai polis itu dan penjenayah yang berdiri di luar pintu pagar melontar batu ke arah balai polis.

Selain itu, ada juga individu yang membaling mercun ke kawasan lapang balai berkenaan.

Beliau berkata, bangunan menempatkan Balai Polis Lanang adalah kediaman pegawai di dalam kem Pasukan Gerakan Am (PGA).

“Bangunan itu sudah berusia 40 tahun, pencahayaan lampu di bangunan lama juga tidak terang, ditambah lampu jalan yang tidak mencukupi menyebabkan keadaan gelap (di balai),” katanya.

Beliau berkata, Balai Polis Lanang dibuka pada 2004 bagi memudahkan penduduk Lanang dan kawasan sekitar.

Sejak Januari tahun ini sehingga Ahad lalu, sebanyak 3,320 laporan diterima Balai Polis Lanang.

[VIDEO] Husam: Kenapa Aku Sertai AMANAH?

Cyberjaya: Spekulasi dan teka-teki berhubung kedudukan Datuk Husam Musa di dalam arena politik terjawab apabila bekas Naib Presiden parti itu mengumumkan penyertaannya dalam Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) di majlis Makan Malam Ambang Merdeka di Cyberjaya di sini malam tadi. 

Menurutnya, beliau menyertai Amanah kerana percaya parti itu merupakan platform baginya meneruskan perjuangan asal PAS yang telah dikhianati. 

"Kita tak nak Kelantan jatuh ke tangan UMNO yang lebih rakus dari PAS. Ia (UMNO) telah terkunci dengan GSTnya, 1MDBnya, segala korupsinya dan PAS pulak berada dalam keadaan goyang kaki. Tiga tahun kita memberi ruang kepada pemimpin-pemimpin kerajaan negeri Kelantan," katanya. 


Kata beliau, beliau nak tumpang bahtera Amanah dan mengucapkan selamat tinggal kepada bahtera PAS yang berpusing-pusing tak tahu mana arah tujuan. 

"Selamat tinggal bahtera Pas. Saya hairan bagaimana ahli boleh duduk dalam bahtera yang berpusing-pusing," ujarnya. 

Husam turut menyelar kerajaan PAS Kelantan kerana sampai sekarang masih belum habis membina rumah mangsa banjir namun sebaliknya membina tugu peringatan banjir. 

"Sebagai orang beriman kita senang dengan perjuangan di atas dasar Islam, sebab itu kita (sebelum ini) masuk PAS. Sekarang AMANAH ada, AMANAH pun ada dasar Islam, maka saya pilih AMANAH. Ia menteramkan hati saya," tambahnya lagi. 

"Bagi saya Amanah adalah parti yang meneruskan perjuangan asal PAS yang telah dikhianati oleh orang PAS sendiri," katanya. 

"Anda menuduh barisan ini sebagai pengkhianat, sebenarnya pada hemat saya, pemimpin PASlah yang telah mengkhianati rakyat Malaysia," ujarnya disambut dengan laungan takbir oleh mereka yang hadir. 

"Saya berdiri di sini dengan nama Allah, bertawakal, saya serahkan diri pada perjuangan AMANAH," ujarnya di hadapan kira-kira 500 hadirin yang hadir di majlis tersebut. 

Dengan penyertaan Husam ke dalam Amanah, parti Amanah kini sudah mempunyai kerusi parti Amanah di dalam DUN Kelantan. 

Turut hadir di majlis itu adalah Presiden Amanah Mohamad Sabu, Penasihat Umum Amanah, Ustaz Ahmad Awang serta sebilangan besar anggota pimpinan Amanah termasuk Sdra YB Hanipa Maidin yang datang berkerusi roda untuk meraikan penyertaan Husam ke dalam Amanah,

Husam yang juga Anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Salor telah dipecat keanggotaannya dalam PAS April lalu.

Ia susulan kelantangannya mengkritik Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang berhubung dakwaan parti itu mengadakan kerjasama dengan UMNO. 

Amanah bergabung dengan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) dan DAP dalam Pakatan Harapan. 

Sementara itu di media sosial pula, ramai yang menyambut baik langkah dan memuji tindakan Husam berkenaan. Kebanyakan menyatakan langkah Husam bukan saja akan memperkuatkan kedudukan Husam sendiri malah akan memperkukuhkan Amanah. -Greenboc


VIDEO

Aug 31, 1957: Independence, or a mere decolonisation?

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Aug 31, 1957 was the day the British left Malaysia. It was a very remarkable day back then, as Malaysians thought they are free when Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra chanted "Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!"

I could not imagine how happy my ancestors were when they witnessed our national flag raised high up in the sky for the very first time.

What happened after that? Am I happy when I chant ‘Merdeka’, as my ancestors were 59 years ago? The days after Aug 31, 1957, were normal as before, just without the presence of the Whites.

Did we really get our independence? In the Cambridge dictionary, independence means liberty or freedom. Are we really free? Do we own our liberty? Even holding a peaceful assembly today is an offence.

Our Federal Constitution gives us a very superficial guarantee for liberty, where it allows the government to enact laws that may restrict our liberty. It is undeniable that total liberty will cause chaos, like May 13, 1969, but it is unacceptable to see the constitution being misused to enact many draconian laws.

The recently enforced National Security Council Act (NSC Act) is my biggest fear. It grants the Malaysian authorities the power to carry out warrantless arrests, search and seize property and impose curfews at will.

NSC Act another political tool

This NSC Act may also be used by the authorities in the name of "national security" against any assembly held in future. Its not reasonable to fear this Act, for it may be another political tool used by the ruling goverment, although the government gives a guarantee not to misuse it for political reasons.

I still don’t trust the guarantee, since the previous ISA and the Sedition Act have mostly been applied against the ones who opposed the goverment.

Corruption? What more can I say when top officials are being arrested and accused of multi-level corruption involving public funds.

News? Never once have I seen any of the mass media broadcast about the opposition's achievements. The BN has never failed to be the "good boy" in every edition of Buletin Utama TV3, from the day I was born till now.

Racial equality? No comment.

Economy? Have a night walk around Kuala Lumpur city and watch how many of them are sleeping by the roadside and having cardboards as their mattress.

We Malaysians may have succeeded in getting ourselves decolonised, but we have yet to enjoy the true taste of independence. Everyone of us, as a citizen, must play a vital role in achieving the real independence.

The secret recipe for independence is just love, equal love for each and everyone of us, regardless of our skin colour. We need faith and courage in order to live in the country that all of us dream to have.

Blaming our leaders is a complete waste of time. The change is in our hands. The future of Malaysia is in the hands of all Malaysians.

Wake up and build the future of Malaysia. Spread the love for a better Malaysia. Malaysia has achieved its independence, but not we, Malaysians.

Happy 59th Independence Day, Malaysia.

MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA!

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ASHEEQ ALI SETHI ALIVI is a Malaysian who is in thirst of self-independence, and is also a Gabungan #TangkapMO1 activist.- Mkini