Bloggers bertemu Parthiban

Kami beberapa orang Bloggers hari ini bertemu wakil Barisan Nasional (BN) untuk Pilihanraya Kecil DUN N 11 Ijok, 28 April 2007 ini. En. K. R. Parthiban kelihatan ceria dan girang, walaupun jelas menampakan beliau letih dalam jadual berkempen terlalu ketat yang masuk hari kelima dan cuaca yang tidak begitu memaafkan itu.

Pertemuan ini berlaku pada pukul 430 petang, Selasa 24 April 2007 disebuah Kedai Kopitiam di Batang Berjuntai dan diaturkan oleh Pegawai Khas diPejabat Menteri Besar Selangor. Parthiban baru sahaja bertemu dengan beberapa wartawan media berbahasa Cina dan beliau ‘dicuri’ seketika, sebelum perlu berada dijalanan bertemu pengundi Ijok lagi.

Anak tempatan ini begitu yakin dalam temuramah ini. Perbualan membuka kata sempat kami memahami bahawa anak yatim piatu ini berkorban menentukan adik adiknya mendapat peluang ke menara gading dan banyak membelakangkan kepentingan peribadi, termasuk mencari pasangan hidup.

Beliau kini begitu fokus kepada isu isu penduduk dan pengundi Ijok dan tidak termakan langsung kedalam kancah taktik Parti Keadilan Rakyat memainkan isu isu tidak relevan dan rhetorik dalam Pilihanraya Kecil ini. Semasa temuramah ini, beliau menerima panggilan telefon mengenai ada orang meminta bantuan dalam tugas seharian beliau dalam Pejabat Pelajaran Kuala Selangor. Dalam kesibukan berkempen, Parthiban masih lagi meluangkan masa untuk melayan permintaan orang ramai, seperti mana sebelum kempen bermula.

Walaupun Parthiban bukan tokoh korporat terkenal seperti lawanya, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, mantan guru ini disenangi dan kenali penduduk tempatan. Ini kerana beliau pernah berkhidmat dalam kawasan Ijok sebagai guru. Beliau juga sekarang menjawat Pegawai Pelajaran Daerah Kuala Selangor dan Naib Presiden Majlis Belia Malaysia Kuala Selangor.

Parthiban memang mampu menyesuaikan diri dalam masyarakat setempat Ijok. Beliau boleh sikit sikit mengunakan loghat Jawa, kumpulan sub-etnik penduduk majoriti kawasan ini. Walaupun kami setika sahaja bersama bakal Y.B. di kedai kopitiam tersebut, jelas terpampang penduduk tempatan berbilang keturunan etnik mengenali beliau dan selesa dengan mesra bertegur sapa secara bersahaja. Beliau juga tidak canggung apabila berbual dengan pemerhati politik dari Kedutaan Amerika Syarikat, Kuala Lumpur.

Tidak syak lagi Parthiban merupakan calon yang sesuai mewakili BN dan seterusnya menentukan pembangunan dan keselesaan penduduk di N 11 Ijok diperjuangkan, sebagai seorang Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri. Berkhidmat kepada penduduk Ijok adalah sebati dalam jiwanya. Di akhir temuramah ini, kami Bloggers mengucapkan agar beliau berjaya Sabtu ini.

P/S: Temuramah dengan Cikgu K Parthiban ini dibawa dalam blog Rocky’s Bru, www.rockybru.blogspot.com, Zorro Unmasked, www.zorro-zorro-unmasked.blogspot.com dan Another Brick In the Wall, www.anotherbrickinwall.blogspot.com

Khalid kuda tunggangan Anwar, wakili Ijok?

Tan Sri Dato’ Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, 61, mantan Pengerusi Eksekutif Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd. dan CEO PNB kini diperkudakan Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) sebagai calon dalam Pilihanraya Kecil Ijok 28 April ini, sempena kematian ADUNnya, YB Dato’ K. Sivalingam. Beliau akan menentang K. Parthiban, 38, calon BN – MIC Sabtu ini.

Khalid, merupakan Pengerusi PKR Selangor bukanlah seorang yang baru dalam arena politik. Beliau pernah bertanding dalam UMNO Bahagian Kuala Selangor pertengahan 90an dahulu untuk merebut Ketua Bahagian tetapi gagal. Beliau kini sinonim dengan golongan kecewa dalam politik, mencari sekutu bersama Anwar Ibrahim dan mereka yang senasib seperti Dato’ Kamarul Bahrin dan Dato’ Nalla Karupan.

Jasa sudah dikenang
Khalid satu masa dulu pernah berjasa kepada PNB kerana dengan jayanya mengurus pembangunan dan penerbitan skim ASN dan kemudian ASB. Jasa jasa itu amat dihargai Kerajaan dan Perdana Menteri Dato’ Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad apabila beliau diberi peluang untuk menjadi Pengerusi Kumpulan Guthrie Bhd. dan pembelian-oleh-pengurusan (MBO 5% saham Guthrie pada nilai asas (par). Ini bermakna, Khalid dibenarnya mengambil alih saham Guthrie bernilai pasaran RM 50 juta tanpa membayarnya (dibiayai penuh pihak ketiga) dan diberikan moratorium untuk opsyen lain.

Apa yang dinikmati oleh Khalid kerana jasanya itu lebih banyak dari personaliti personaliti lain yang menjadi tunggak perintis PNB seperti Tan Sri Mohd. Desa Pachi dan Allahyarham Tun Ismail Mohd. Ali.

Peluang mendapat kekayaan ini tidak termasuk saham saham terbitan syarikat syarikat yang ingin disenaraikan diBursa Malaysia (masa itu KLSE). yang diperuntukan sebagai penglibatan pelabur / pemegang saham Bumiputra. Khalid dikatakan menguruskan agar sebahagian dari saham yang diperuntukan untuk Bumiputra (selebih dari yang mana diambil (subscribe) PNB) di’faraid’kan (private placement) kepada dirinya (melalui wakil wakil tertentu), termasuk menguruskan pembiayaanya sekali.

Ini memberikan Khalid peluang menjadi jutawan kaya dari seorang pengurus professional yang hanya makan gaji dengan sebuah agensi Kerajaan. Kekayaan ini menyebabkan Khalid mampu menyediakan rumah umpama istana tiga tingkat diJalan Setia Bistari 5, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur ini. Rumah yang berharga berjuta Ringgit ini, sebahagian besarnya dibuat dengan kayu cengal, merbau dan keras yang lain, yang diukir secara teliti dengan tangan oleh tukang tukang mahir yang didatangkan khas dari Terengganu.

Pengalaman Guthrie
Walaupun Khalid menguasai Guthrie sebagai pemegang saham minoriti, (ketika itu nilai pasaran saham terbitan dan berbayar berjumlah melebihi RM 1 billion), tetapi kerana kesefahaman PNB membelakangi beliau sebagai Pengerusi Eksekutif, Khalid berlagak umpama ‘tuan punya’ Kumpulan Guthrie dan seolah olah berkuasa mutlak.

Semasa dalam Guthrie, beliau dikatakan menjadi seorang pemimpin yang “bongkak dan angkuh”, walaupun personalitinya lembut dan beliau mudah tersenyum dan menyapa orang. Beliau pernah dikatakan mengelarkan diri sendiri sebagai “Penyelamat Bangsa Melayu” (Saviour of the Malay race).

Keangkuhan pengurusan beliau terserlah apabila beliau membuat banyak keputusan sendiri, tanpa mendapat persetujuan Lembaga Pengarah Kumpulan Guthrie, termasuk untuk keputusan keputusan strategik. Ini menimbulkan kemarahan dan perasaan tidak senang pengurusan tertinggi diperingkat PNB. Namun begitu, tiada tindakan diambil kerana Khalid dilihat sebagai ‘orang Anwar Ibrahim’ (masa itu, Timbalan Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Kewangan).

Guthrie banyak membuat pinjaman dan hutang baru dalam zaman pengurusan Khalid. Projek projek yang dikira sebagai pet project Khalid seperti Bukit Jelutong, Guthrie Corridor dan pembukaan ladang kelapa sawit di Indonesia banyak mendedahkan Guthrie kepada hutang, sehingga melebihi RM 1 billion dan hampir menyamai modal berbayar syarikat. Antaranya, ialah penerbitan kertas kommersial kompliant syariah yang dinamakan ‘Sukuk’, ditaja-urus oleh HSBC Amanah merupakan satu sejarah dalam kewangan Islam diperingkat antarabangsa. Khalid amat berbangga dengan ini dan kerap menengahkan kejayaan ini.

Dipercayai ini dilakukan Khalid dengan sengaja agar harga saham Guthrie boleh ditingkatkan dan EPS meningkat. Perancangan Khalid adalah agar beliau boleh mengambil 10% opsyen saham Kumpulan Guthrie dengan nilai par dan kerana saham ini akan di’lonjak’ ketahap harga tinggi, maka beliau boleh mendapat pembiayaan untuk skima yang berkepentingan peribadi ini. Malangnya, perancangan ini gagal direalisasikan dan moratorium yang PNB berikan kepada beliau menjadi matang.

Oleh demikian, selepas Anwar tidak lagi berkuasa, ‘perlindungan’ keatas Khalid lenyap. Oleh kerana pengurusan Khalid diGuthrie makin meruncing dan membebankan syarikat dan banyak keputusan unilateral yang dibuat Khalid makin disedari, makan pada tahun 2003, PNB menetapkan Khalid membayar penuh opsyen selebih 5% saham Guthrie yang beliau pada asalnya ingin miliki. Kegagalan ini juga memberikan peluang agar Lembaga Pengarah Guthrie mengundi beliau di’turun’kan dari kedudukan Pengerusi Eksekutif yang sangat berkuasa itu.

Kuda tunggangan Anwar
Kini Anwar mengunakan Khalid sebagai kuda tungganganya dalam Pilihanraya Kecil Ijok. Anwar Ibrahim perlu menunjukan bahawa PKR boleh menang kali ini, setelah pakatan Pembangkang kecundang diBatu Talam dan Machap. Ijok juga penting untuk menentukan bahawa beliau diterima sebagai perancang utama dan ‘Pemimpin Agung Pembangkang’.

Survival PKR juga bergantung kepada kemampuan Anwar membuktikan dirinya sebagai pemimpin politik yang masih ‘laku’ dan diterima rakyat. Ini kerana begitu ramai pemimpin PKR telah meninggalkan perjuangan PKR yang mereka anggap sia sia dan tiada visi itu. Ini termasuk Dr. Chandra Muzaffar, Marina Yusuf, Ruslan Kassim, Lukman Noor Adam dan Zainur Zakaria. Kini Dr. Syed Hussein Ali sudah berundur dan orang kanan Anwar sendiri iaitu Ezam Md. Nor juga sudah menunjukan bibit untuk meninggalkan PKR.

Pergolakan dalaman PKR makin terserlah. Dalam isu pemilihan calon mewakili PKR ini juga timbul pergolakan kecil antara pihak pihak dalam PKR. Isu perkauman sebenar ujud dalam PKR yang sedang mendemonstrasi sebagai sebuah parti politik pelbagai kaum yang paling berjaya.

Anwar perlu menang kali ini, terutama Kongress Tahunan PKR akan diadakan Mei ini. Sekiranya PKR gagal di Ijok ini, makin banyak persoalan tentang hala tuju dan justifikasi kewujudan PKR, dikalangan ahli ahli sendiri akan timbul. Ini jelas apabila pendebatan sengit antara Ezam dan 50 orang ahli PKR dirumah beliau di Seksyen 7, Shah Alam, dua bulan lepas. Anwar sendiri perlu menunjukan beliau bersungguh sungguh dengan PKR agar menghilang syak wasangka termasuk dikalangan ahli ahli PKR sendiri bahawa beliau tidak akan kembali kepada UMNO.

Khalid mahu berkhidmat?
Betulkah Khalid betul betul mahu berkhidmat kepada penduduk Ijok? Sungguh sungguhkah Khalid mahu ‘turun padang’, menyinsing lengan, mendengar rintihan dan aduan rakyat yang remeh temeh dan berusaha untuk menyelesaikanya, sebagai wakil rakyat? Adakah Khalid akan membawa pembangunan ke Ijok selepas menjadi wakil rakyat? Apa perancangan Khalid untuk membawa pembangunan dan meningkat keselesaan penduduk Ijok, terutama sebagai wakil rakyat Pembangkang? Mungkinkah Khalid mengeluarkan duit sendiri untuk menentukan keselesaan rakyat di Ijok meningkat?

Terlalu banyak persoalan.

Mungkin Abdul Khalid Ibrahim bukanlah calon yang terbaik untuk membela nasib dan menentukan pembangunan, langsung meningkat keselesaan penduduk terus dibawa kekawasan perladangan Ijok ini. Pilihan lain menunjukan keputusan yang lebih baik.

Thinking Award Bloggers

What have I done this time? It seems Rocky of Rocky’s Bru (www.rockybru.blogspot.com) has tagged me, again!

Since I have been honoured tagged by the bloggo-journo Rocky (thanks!) , I am taking a bow and must say, I have a big problem tagging five other bloggers for my choice of the Thinking Blogger Award. There are simply too many deserving blogs who should be listed as my personal Thinking Bloggers. Please refer to Rocky’s Bru or 3540 Jalan Sudin (www.nursamad.blogspot.com) for the rules.

However, I would like to nominate my Thinking Blogger Award to:

1. Dato’ A Kadir Jasin ‘s The Scribe (www.kadirjasin.blogspot.com) is no doubt one of the biggest bloggo-journo name of Malaysian political writing in the Bloggosphere today. The former Editor in Chief of NST has a persperctive on many interesting current issues in the news.

2. A M Ubaidah’s Tangents: Restless Musings of a Malay Mind (www.thoughtsintangents.blogspot.com) gives a very refreshing analysis on highly technical issues like Petrol prices and its affect on the economy and latest, the facts and arguments about Malaysia’s position on the FTA negotiations with the US.

3. A Voice of Another Brick In The Wall (www.anotherbrickinwall.blogspot.com) is a how ‘Hippie Blogger’ digest and analyse deeply on a lot of issues. His analysis on corporate games in rather quite good.

4. What’s In My Head (www.wimh.wordpress.com ), is a blog from a perspective of an early 30s young woman. She was a former journalist and she has amazing perspective about so many things.

5. Zorro Unmasked (www.zorro-zorro-unmasked.blogspot.com), a perspective from a retired former teacher and Good Year trainer. He patiently collects and arrange discussions from other blogs which are material to his arguments on certain issues. Of course, the wisdom of an old man.

Mukhriz Mahathir, the Peace Malaysia guy

 

 

Earlier this afternoon, I went to Ijok. In heat of the Sunday afternoon sun, Peace Malaysia started its mobile clinic for the people of Ijok during these by election days. This is an NGO that provided medical profession practitioners opportunity to serve the less fortunate public or disaster area, on voluntarily basis.

The Peace Malaysia mobile clinic was opened at the Bukit Badung JKKK Office and officiated by Dato’ Mukhriz Mahathir, UMNO Youth Exco in charge of International Affairs and NGO. Mukhriz is also the Peace Malaysia Co-Ordinator.

 

 

There were a few doctors who were at the clinic, providing free medical service and medicine, for the people in the area. The more serious cases were referred to the nearest hospitals. A lot of medicines were raised for this project. It also included formula milk for infants. When there were no patients in the clinic, some of these volunteer doctors made house to house call, especially amongst the older folks.

This is not the first such venture for Peace Malaysia. Also not for Mukhriz. Peace Malaysia has been setting up mobile clinic and field hospitals in some of the worse disaster areas, the past three-four years.

They operated one clinic in Acheh after the Boxing Day tsunami that hit the region and left more than a quarter of million people dead in the Northern Sumatra region. After that the were in Balakot, Pakistan during the Ramadhan of 2005, when the province was hit with a terrible earth quake. Then they were also in Jog Jakarta, also operating the same facility after its earthquake. Last August, Peace Malaysia mobile clinic team went to Syria and Lebanon, to provide emergency and post trauma medical care for the devastated area being attacked by the ruthless Zionist Israeli forces.

The Peace Malaysia clinic during the almost month long Johor floods is one of the longest mission they ever carried out. They cared for various relief centres around the vicinity of Parit Sulong.

Mukhriz personally is not new to this. His first humanitarian mission was in Ambon, few days before Eid-ul-Fitri in 2000. He was in all of these places Peace Malaysia clinic operated, including Syria and Lebanon. When he was there with the first Peace Malaysia medical team, he was actually exposed to the risk of hostile fire from Israeli fighter bombers.

Mukhriz also is involved with the peace process in the warring South Thailand Muslim majority provinces, under the Perdana Global Peace Organisation. As the Executive Director, one of his pet project is building a half million Ringgit mosque in Pasir Jawa, Saiburi District, Pattani Province. He chaired several session in the landmark Perdana Global Forum III 5-7 February 2007 at the Putra Word Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur, which theme was “Criminalize War”.

As the Co-ordinator of Peace Malaysia and UMNO Youth Exco in charge for International Affairs, Mukhriz has a different approach in engaging sensitive and prickly issues, especially pertaining another nation. He does not buy into the idea of rowdy demonstrations in front of the Embassy or crashing through Police barricade at international conferences. However, his methods are more constructive engagements sort. Example, in the issue of Israeli unlawful blatant attack and incursion into Lebanon last July, Mukhriz representing Peace Malaysia invited the US Ambassador and British High Commissioner for an open debate on the subject matter. The US Ambassador declined but the British High Commissioner was game for it. HE Mr. Boyd McCleary and his First Secretary were engaged in an open debate with Mukhriz and Dr. Chandra Muzaffar at the Securities Commission auditorium last September.

The aspiring future leader in UMNO is set to do more, if he is given the opportunity to continue his good work.

 

Anwar – Gore: Dances with the wolves

This is an article about Anwar Ibrahim adapted from Gore’s Racist Assault Against Malaysia

by Michael Billington April 13, 2007

It is no surprise to find Al Gore campaigning today against the phony “threat” of global warming allegedly posed by industrialization in both the “developed” and underdeveloped worlds, to anyone familiar with the history of his racist, anti-development, imperialist relations with Malaysia.

Here is a brief overview:

In November 1998, President Clinton had to skip an important meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) in Kuala Lumpur, due to a military crisis in the Balkans (which had been instigated by Al Gore and his pal Richard Holbrooke). Clinton sent Vice President Al Gore in his place to represent the United States. Only two months earlier, Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad had implemented currency controls and fixed currency rates to counter the attack on the Asian currencies by George Soros and his fellow hedge fund speculators.

Clinton had been considering a new international financial architecture, which would have seen the Malaysian move towards currency controls as a possible model for developing nations to protect themselves within a new monetary framework.

However, rather than building the needed relationship between the United States and Malaysia, Gore launched a public assault on Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir, and in defense of the deposed former Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who had defended the IMF’s conditionalities and rejected Dr. Mahathir’s controls. As Finance Minister (and Deputy Prime Minister), Anwar had implemented an “IMF austerity policy without the IMF”, before Dr. Mahathir dumped him.

‘We Should Fry Him’

Gore was the featured speaker at the APEC forum on Nov. 16 1998, sharing the podium with Dr. Mahathir. Outside the conference center, anarchists supporting deposed Anwar were rioting in the streets, making calls to bring down the government. Claiming that Malaysia could not protect his security, Gore demanded that the hotel management shut down the air conditioning, to prevent terrorists from putting poison in the ventilation system.

Then, before a sweaty audience, Gore incited the anarchists, “Democracy can give the stamp of legitimacy that reforms must have in order to be effective, and so, among nations who suffer economic crises, we continue to hear calls for democracy, calls for reform, in many languages. People power. (Reformasi). We hear them today, right here, right now, among the brave people of Malaysia.”

International Trade and Industry Minister Rafidah Aziz called it “the most disgusting speech I’ve heard in my life,” while Foreign Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (now the Prime Minister) said “Malaysia finds the incitement by the U.S. government to lawlessness by certain elements within the country, to use undemocratic means in order to overthrow a constitutionally elected government, most abhorrent.

Malaysians do not take kindly to sanctimonious sermonizing from any foreign quarter, especially the United States, a country which is known to have committed gross violations of human rights”.

Dr. Mahathir was more direct “We should fry him. Al Gore does not love Malaysia nor its people. Al Gore and his government only wants to manipulate and control our country”.

Gore did not apologize, but told Russian Prime Minister Yevgeni Primakov (another target for Gore’s intended “regime change”), “That is the American message and I am proud to deliver it here and anywhere go. Moving into the 21st century with a strong economy really requires democracy and self-government”.

Anwar’s Friends to the Rescue

When Anwar Ibrahim was convicted of corruption and sodomy (a crime in Malaysia) after a 14-month trial, in August 2000, his pal Al Gore, then in the heat of the Presidential campaign against George W. Bush, took time out of his campaign to speak out against the rule of law, “I am deeply disturbed by the verdicts handed down in Malaysia in the case of Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim…. The show trial [he was] forced to endure mocked the international standards of justice.”

Two days after the 1998 Gore tirade in Kuala Lumpur,the (Asian Wall Street Journal) offered the jailed Anwar Ibrahim their editorial page. Anwar showed his allegiance to the international financial institutions and to colonial policy, “Instead of pointing the finger at speculators and blaming ‘unrealistic demands’ set by international agencies acting as lenders of last resort, Asian nations would do well to put their houses in order first”, he wrote.

Asian nations must end “ambitious plans for outlandish projects” commit themselves “to wiping out corruption and nepotism”, remove tariff barriers and eradicate “subsidies, monopolies and favoritism. So many vested interests are at stake.

Unless the gale of creative destruction is unleashed on these rent-seeking and parasitic corporate activities [i.e., national industries], the Asian economy will never regain its past vigor.”

A few weeks later, speculator George Soros returned the favor in a speech at Johns Hopkins, calling for Anwar to be released, while accusing Dr. Mahathir of supporting his “cronies” at the expense of the economy, concluding “So I think what needs to happen is, he needs to be removed from power”.

When Anwar was released from prison in 2004, he was greeted by his two closest allies in the West, Al Gore and Paul Wolfowitz, who was then at the center of running a military version of “regime change” in Iraq. It was probably Wolfowitz who arranged for Anwar to get a position at the Johns Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington, where Wolfowitz had previously been the dean. Anwar also got a position at St. Anthony’s College in Oxford, England, where he met with Gore, who was by this time running his hedge fund in London, the Generation Investment Management. Anwar also spent time with his old friends from the British oligarchy, Chris Patten and Gordon Brown.

Returning to Washington, Anwar found another lucrative position working for Wolfowitz at the World Bank, imposing conditions on developing nations that reject his warped form of “democracy.” He also took on the leadership of a project sponsored by Dick Cheney and Cheney’s daughter Liz, promoting “regime change” through subversion in the Arab world, called “Foundation for the Future.”

When Paul Wolfowitz had to find a place to send his girlfriend because of a potential conflict of interest at the World Bank, Anwar took her in with open arms, turning his “anti-corruption” head the other way when Wolfowitz corruptly arranged to pay her a bloated tax-free salary on the World Bank tab. Wolfowitz may be out of a job as a result (see “Is Wolfowitz Dead Meat?”).

*photos courtesy of Malaysia Today

 

In February 2006, Gore shared the stage with Anwar at the Jeddah Economic Forum in Saudi Arabia. This year, Gore is sharing another position with a different Malaysian, which he might find less satisfying – both he and Dr. Mahathir have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. In Gore’s case, he is clearly campaigning for the “Peace of the Grave” for millions of the world’s poor.

“I did not apologize to Dato’ (Seri) Abdullah!”

That was what former Prime Minister YABhg Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad responded when asked to clarify about the Thurday’s (19 April 2007) Bernama and NST report on his apology for the ‘house in Perth’ issue, raised by Raja Petra Kamaruddin of Malaysia Today during the media conference after the keynote address at Perdana Discourse on “Media and National Development”, last Wednesday.

“I asked the apology from the public, for the error made”. He added after the loud laughter and hand clap simmered to the earlier response. This was during the question and answer time at the “Afternoon tea session with Tun Dr. Mahathir”, organized by Taman Chempaka UMNO branch, of the Pandan UMNO Division at the Kelab Darul Ehsan ballroom, this afternoon.

About 350 people turned up, mostly UMNO members around Ampang and Ulu Kelang area. Some as far away as Johor Bahru drove down for the event. Last 10 November 2006, the same branch organized a Hari Raya party for Tun Dr. Mahathir at their branch. However, he was hospitalized since two days earlier for a mild heart attack and his son, Dato’ Mukhriz Mahathir represented him.

When another man from the audience asked about Khairy Jamaluddin, Vice Head of UMNO Youth, Tun Dr. Mahathir coyly asked the audience back, “Khairy ni apa dia?” (What is this ‘Khairy’). Again, after the laughter simmered, he added “Ini ada satu orang brilliant”. However, Tun Dr. Mahathir questioned the leadership of Khairy as he is in his position today because no one contested him. Usually, people in UMNO who have the luxury or honour to be elected into position uncontested because he had served the party long and his service has immensely been acknowledged.

Most of what he said in this event, were the same issues that he raised previously in Johor Bahru on the 10 February and Kulai 29 March. He talked at length about how the nation evolved from autocracy into democracy. Before, the rakyat or common people could not even imagine able to be given the power to administer and manage the country as it was only the rulers’ privilege. Unity and the power of the people is another important issues brought up.

Tun Dr. Mahathir reminded the audience even when we gained our independence, they opted for the constitutional monarchy system, which is based on democracy. It means the people decide who should be in power to rule.

Democracy should be used with care. It could bring about positive results and it also would bring devastated outcomes. Tun Dr. Mahathir used Iraq as the example. During Saddam’s time, there was no democracy, but the people lived in much better condition than today. Even though there is a democratically elected government, Iraqis suffer worse than before, under Saddam’s iron fist dictatorial regime.

He reminded the UMNO members that UMNO had went through several pre matured leadership change. Even though the pre matured leadership changes were carried out against Presidents who have brought triumphant achievements and contributions to UMNO and the Malays, when they no longer suitable with aspirations of the majority, they were asked to leave. Each time this happened, Tun Dr. Mahathir added, UMNO became stronger and performed better.

This is a healthy democratic process, within UMNO.

Tun Dr. Mahathir also said there have been talks about him being expelled from the party. He asked the people who strongly felt that he should be sacked, study the reasons carefully. The democracy within UMNO today is about protecting self interests. He said, many people are ‘bought’ with so many ‘material’ tools like contracts and APs issued, concessions and appointed into influential positions.

Tun Dr. Mahathir also reiterated that now exist the culture to insulate the top decision makers from information and protect the interests of certain leaders, at all cost. So much so, the police have been calling up people to ensure certain events are not held and support not given to certain people. Tun Dr. Mahathir also experienced 14 of the invitations issued to him for speaking to various audiences were revoked as the organizers were ‘pressured’ to do so.

He told the UMNO audience that unity is very important if it brought strength and progress to the Malays. Unity should strengthen the Perjuangan and the Malays should continuously be looked after.

During the Q & A time, he was asked about his son Mirzan’s deal pertaining to the Konsortium Perkapalan and Tun Dr. Mahathir explained the story, in great detail. He said that Anwar Ibrahim would continuously say that Mirzan’s case was a bail out and it cost RM 2 billion where else Petronas profited (over USD 300 million) for the deal.

He also sarcastically talked about the culture of “Takut” (fear) lately. That was a response to a question whether exist a force that made situation like what is today be saying “Apa nak takut kepada kuasa besaq chet?” (What is there to be afraid from powers as tiny as fingernail?). Obviously, he was referring to the policy changes towards Singapore. “Memanglah dia tu tinggi sikit, tetapi apa nak takut dia?” . He was talking about Prime Minister Brig. Gen. (NS) Lee Hsien Loong. That drew hysterical laughter from the crowd.

Tun Dr. Mahathir was in the mood for sarcasm today. It brought a lot of cheer to the audience, which include his wife, Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah, Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Arif, Dato’ Mohd Nor Rejab, Dato’ Idris Tulis and Dato’ Ibrahim Ali.

 

Tun Dr. Mahathir’s press officer, En. Sufi Yusoff’s letter to The Star news paper (www.thestar.com.my), which was published this morning, is hereby referred:

Dr M only apologised for factual errors in speech

I would like to clarify a report “Dr M: Bloggers should always write the truth” The Star, April 19), where it was reported that:

“Dr Mahathir also apologised to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for accusing him of owning a house in Perth, Australia.

“He said he got carried away when he mentioned it at a talk in Kulai, Johor, on March 29 and added it was based on a rumour.”

I would like to point out that at the press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation on Wednesday, April 18, what Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had actually said in response to a question by Raja Petra Kamaruddin of Malaysia Today was:

“Well, I shouldn’t have made that statement because I was stating something based on rumours that I heard.

“The rumours repeatedly said that the house belongs to him (Abdullah)… and then of course when you are carried away giving a speech like that … and if you don’t censor yourself … and you are not too careful about what you say … so I said it.

“I’m sorry that I said something that was wrong and I stand to be corrected and … I am very grateful that people have actually paid attention to my allegations and they found that the person who owns the house is not the PM, and is not his son, but is somebody else.”

It is quite evident from the transcription that Tun had apologised for the factual errors that he had made.

In this case, unfortunately what appeared in The Star’s report is therefore factually inaccurate.

SUFI YUSOFF,

for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kelemahan PAS jelas dalam kes Lojing

Tiga minggu lepas, rakyat Malaysia digegarkan dengan pendedahan YB Dato’ Sazmi Miah, Setiausaha Parlimen Kementerian  Sumber Alam dan Alam Sekitar mengenai pembalakan rakus dan pencabulan (mungkin lebih sesuai digunakan ‘memperkosa’) alam sekitar sekitar Tanah Tinggi Lojing diUlu Kelantan. Paparan khas 25 Mac 2007 ini dibuat apabila YB Sazmi membawa krew pengambaran TV3 untuk meninjau kawasan dengan helikopter dan ianya jelas membawa kejutan kepada berjuta penonton harian Bulletin Utama, untuk beberapa hari dan menjadi buah mulut ramai.

Bagaimana ini boleh berlaku? 22 buah syarikat dan perniagaan dikatakan telah diberikan konsessi pembalakan (bertopengkan sebagai “pertanian”) oleh Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan. Memang ada cadangan asal untuk membangunkan kawasan pertanian sayuran sayuran kontan.  

Tempat alam sekitar dicabuli ini memang hutan dara. Kedudukanya adalah 22 km dari jalan utama, iaitu Jalan Lojing – Simpang Pulai. Bukit dan lereng bukit ditarah habis untuk membina jalan sementara untuk jentera berat pembalakan sampai ke kawasan ini. Apabila sampai, segalanya ditarah habis! Umpama padang jarak, padang terkukur jadinya. Begitu banyak flora dan fauna terjejas. 

Apabila penjarahan rakus ini dibongkar, Menteri Sumber Alam dan Alam Sekitar YB Dato’ Seri Azmi Khalid mengeluarkan arahan serta merta kepada Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan agar kawasan ini diwartakan sebagai tanah tinggi, untuk mengelakan sebarang pembalakan dan pencabulan seterusnya dan akan datang. Ini diberitakan Bernama (www.bernama.com):  

Kelantan Told To Immediately Gazette Lojing As Highland

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 (Bernama) — The Kelantan state government has been directed to immediately gazette Lojing in Gua Musang as a highland under the Land Conservation Act 1960 to prevent further environmental damage due to indiscriminate logging.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid said today the directive was conveyed to the Kelantan State Secretary Datuk Mohd Aiseri Alias, who is also chairman of the Lojing Highlands Main Committee, at his office in Putrajaya.

“This is to prevent further environmental damage to the 20,000 hectares in the area,” he told Bernama after the meeting with Mohd Aiseri.

Azmi said the ministry and the Kelantan government have agreed to take legal action against those who had caused the environmental damage in the area.

“We have agreed that legal action has to be taken immediately in accordance with the powers vested in the state government or federal government. We are very serious (as far as this matter is concerned) and no one will be exempted (from the action),” he said.

Azmi said he had also asked the Kelantan government to take immediate action to rehabilitate areas of the highland damaged by uncontrolled logging.

“The federal government views the Lojing issue with concern and hopes that we will be informed of any programmes to be implemented by the state government,” he said.

Azmi said his meeting with Mohd Aiseri, which lasted for about an hour, was conducted well in an open manner.

“He (Mohd Aiseri) came to the meeting as a professional without prejudice to enable the Lojing issue to be resolved,” he said.

Azmi said he informed Mohd Aiseri to get the Kelantan government to be honest and acknowledge its mistake when it issued a gag order to the state forestry officers on the development in the Lojing Highlands that resulted in the environmental damage there.

He also asked the Kelantan government to correct a statement by the Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob that such an order was not given.

“I informed him that the state government should withdraw the statement that no gag order was issued by the state government when it actually did.

“I also asked that the deputy menteri besar be advised not to make such incorrect statements because I have evidence on that,” he said.

The environmental damage at Lojing became an issue after Parliamentary Secretary to the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry Datuk Sazmi Miah raised the matter of excessive logging and environmental degradation in the area in Parliament two weeks ago.

The matter also received the attention of the Kelantan Sultan, Tuanku Ismail Petra, who in his speech at an investiture ceremony in conjunction with his birthday celebration a few days ago, rapped the state government for failing to address the problem.

Last Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Lojing should be gazetted and that this was within the authority of the state government and that not doing so would be a failure on the part of the state government.

— BERNAMA

*****************

Sebelum ini, Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan telah mengeluar konsessi kepada syarikat syarikat ini. Ini termasuk tiga syarikat ini, yang memohon pada 21 Mac 2005 dan Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan meluluskan permohonan itu pada 13 September 2006. Setiap syarikat diberikan konsessi 400 hektar, kegunaan tanah telah diklassifikasikan sebagai pertanian dan pajak milik sah selama 66 tahun.

Syarikat syarikatnya ialah Aspac Floritech Sdn. Bhd., Acomax Holdings Sdn. Bhd. dan CSN Enterprise Sdn. Bhd. Kesemua syarikat ini dimiliki melalui pegangan saham oleh All Green Holdings Sdn. Bhd. Personalitinya terdiri dari empat orang yang sama:

1. Sam Nyok Peng, IC No. 710628-01-5328, berasal dari Johor

2. Sim Yoke Keng, IC No. 691223-01-5476, berasal dari Johor

3. Lee Nee Soon, Passport (Singapura) No. S11383363B

4. Lee Geok Khuan, Passport (Singapura) No. S1179539J

Jelas menunjukan bahawa pembalakan haram, penjarahan dan pencabulan diTanah Tinggi Lojing ini atas kelulusan Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan, yang diperintah oleh PAS dan YAB Dato’ Nik Aziz Nik Mat sebagai Menteri Besar semenjak November 1990. Akibatnya, sumber air yang keluar dari kawasan ini teruk tercemar dengan keladak dan kekeruhan dan ini menjejaskan berpuluh ribu penduduk yang bergantung kepada sungai untuk sumber air dan mencari sumber kegiatan ekonomi dan pendapatan.

Memang semua syarikat syarikat ini menerima kelulusan dari Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan mengikut prosedur yang dibenarkan undang undang. Isunya, bagaimana Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan tergamak membiarkan sumber asli Negeri Kelantan ini dicabuli dan diperkosa, sebegitu rakus dan menjejaskan alam sekitar kawasan 25,000 hektar itu untuk jangkamasa yang amat lama?

Apa yang lebih memberikan kesan, sebahagian dari mereka yang di’lesen’kan untuk melakukan ‘jenayah’ alam sekitar ini adalah usahawan Cina dari Singapura! Ini kegagalan moral episod ini.

Penjarahan luar kawal ini menarik perhatian termasuk DYMM baginda Tuanku Al Sultan Ismail Petra, Sultan Kelantan. Dalam titah baginda sempena hari keputeraan baginda ke 57 baru baru ini (dipetik dari NST, www.nst.com.my) :

 

The Sultan of Kelantan has rapped the state government for excessive logging and warned of dire consequences should forests continue to be cut down.

“I want to remind the state government that uncontrolled logging meant to clear rubber and oil palm estates, among others, could lead to erosion and global warming,” Tuanku Ismail Petra said.

In his 57th birthday address yesterday, the sultan said deforestation had caused the state’s rivers to turn shallow, murky and full of sediment.

Concerned about environmental degradation, particularly for the future, he also deplored the uncleanliness of the state capital.

“If such activity (logging) is not controlled, the state may face the danger of great floods, like those that hit several states in 2006 and early this year,” he said.

The sultan advised the state government to be wary of business proposals seeking to profit from logging at the expense of the environment.

Allegations of illegal logging in the state’s protected areas, such as the Lojing Highlands, have been surfacing for years.

The state government has persistently denied the encroachments, although logging concessions remain the state’s top revenue earner.

Last week, state Finance, Public Administration, Economic Planning and Community Development Committee chairman Datuk Husam Musa said all tree-felling in Lojing had been stopped in March last year and no licences issued since then.

He was responding to a newspaper report that 22 companies were logging the area, only five of which had environmental approval.

The sultan urged the state government to look for alternative sources of income from the forestry sector, which is expected to contribute 23.86 per cent of revenue this year.

“We do not want our future generations to suffer from our mistakes.”

Tuanku Ismail expressed displeasure with Kelantan’s cleanliness, especially here, which he said was due to the absence of proper waste management.

“Kota Baru town’s cleanliness is not up to standard. We need a better plan to address this issue.

*********************

 

Kerajaan Negeri Kelantan dibawah kepimpinan PAS sememangnya tidak berjaya membangunkan Kelantan. Setelah 50 tahun merdeka, hampir 1/4 hasil Kerajaan Negeri masih lagi bergantung kepada hasil pembalakan. Ini bermakna Kerjaan PAS Kelantan gagal membangunkan prasarana industri dan perdagangan serta gagal menyediakan sumber kommersial lain dalam negeri kecuali menjarah hasil asli khazanah alam.

Jelas slogan PAS iaitu “Membangun bersama Islam” dan Kelantan Negeri Kelantan “Raja Tonggak Kedaulatan Bangsa” sebenar tidak dihayati dan praktikan oleh mereka yang mempunyai kuasa. Titah teguran baginda Tuanku Al Sultan itu cukup jelas membuktikan bahawa Negeri Kelantan ditadbir dengan lemah dan khazanah asli anugerah Allah s.w.t. sengaja dibiarkan dijarah sebegitu rakus hanya untuk sedikit imbuhan keduniaan.

Tun Dr. Mahathir “apologized”?

TV3 and Bernama last night reported that former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad had “apologized” to Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the alleged house in Perth, during his speech in Kulai late last month.

This is an excerpt from Bernama, www.bernama.com :

PUTRAJAYA, April 18 (Bernama) — Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Wednesday apologised to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for having alleged that the latter owned a mansion in Australia. Neither Abdullah nor his son, Kamaluddin, owned the mansion, estimated to cost RM60 million, located near the Swan River in Perth, as alleged by Dr Mahathir. It belongs to a Malaysian businessman, Datuk Patrick Lim. “Well, I shouldn’t make that statement because I was stating something based on rumours I heard and the rumours repeatedly said that the house belongs to him (Abdullah), “And then of course you know, when you are carried away after giving a speech like that, you don’t censor yourself and you are not too careful about what you say, so I said it and I’m sorry that I said something that was wrong,” Dr Mahathir said. Dr Mahathir told reporters this after delivering a keynote address at the 6th Perdana Discourse Series on “Media and National Development” at the Perdana Leadership Foundation here. The former prime minister made the allegation at a ceramah in Kulai recently. “I should be corrected and I’m very grateful that people have actually paid attention to my allegation and they found that the person who owned the house is not the PM, it’s not his son but somebody else,” he said. — BERNAMA

This is a spin! It is a work of the spinmaestroes in TV3 and soon, NST in the morning.

Actually, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad never apologized to the Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi or any of the member of the family. All Tun Dr. Mahathir said was, he apologized (in general – note highlight in blue). He apologized because he made a mistake not verifying rumours that he heard about the house. When he was stand corrected, he thanked Raja Petra Kamaruddin of Malaysia Today, www.malaysia-today.net, who highlighted the point during the media conference, right after the keynote address to the Perdana Discourse Series “Media and National Development”. (I was there, sitting next to Raja Petra)

Let’s say, Tun Dr. Mahathir ought to “apologize”, for his error. How about Khairy Jamaluddin? Shouldn’t he apologize too? Malaysia Today exposed that the house belongs to Cindy Lim, wife of Dato’ Patrick “Badawi” Lim, a very close friend of his brother-in-law, Dato’ Kamaluddin Abdullah. Alright, taken Tun Dr. Mahathir is not kin. Of course he wouldn’t know. But Khairy Jamaluddin, made a mistake or falsified information?

Excerpts from his interview with Agenda Daily (www.agendadaily.com), 3 April 2007:

Wartawan:Tentang dakwaan seolah Perdana Menteri miliki rumah bernilai RM60 juta di Perth pula bagaimana?

Khairy :OK.. sekarang ni orang buat tuduhan…tapi tak ada siapapun yang buat satu kenyataan yang katakan beliau miliki rumah yang dimaksudkan itu.

Tuduhan itu…orang kata…saya dengar …jadi ini untuk selamatkan diri dari tindakan undang-undang barangkali …

Jadi sampai sekarang tidak ada sesiapa yang kata YAB Perdana Menteri miliki rumah di Australia bernilai RM60 juta…tak ada siapa…sebab tak berani…

Wartawan:Jadi rumah yang dimaksudkan itu memang wujud?

Khairy: Rumah yang dimaksudkan itu..dimiliki oleh anak beliau…rumah Kamaluddin

Either which, he ought to apologize also. Bernama and TV 3 should demand that Khairy Jamaluddin apologize as well. That is only fair since Bernama and TV 3 reported that Tun Dr. Mahathir “apologized” to Pak Lah.

How long will this wayang bangsawan will carry on much further? Shakespeare once said, “The bigger the lie is, the more people would believe in it”. However, the Malays have a saying, “Sepandai pandai tupai melompat, akhirnya jatuh ketanah jua“.

 

Tun Dr Mahathir on “Media and National Development”

The two principles of media and freedom of press:

1. There is nothing absolute in this world. Freedom must always be limited with something and/or the environment that binds it

2. For every tool that we have, there is always more than one ways to use it; be it for good or evil deeds

That is what former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad said at the opening of his keynote address this morning, dedicating the Perdana Discourse Series titled “Media and National Development”, at Perdana Leadership Foundation, Precinct 8, Putrajaya.

Over 250 people turned up. His distinguished guests include Tan Sri Sanusi Junid, former MB Kedah and Cabinet Minister, Tengku Tan Sri Razaleigh Hamzah, former Cabinet Minister and party President, Tan Sri Michael Chen, former President of Senate and Cabinet Minister, Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad, former Ambassador and Executive Chairman of NSTP, Tan Sri Mazlan Noordin, former Editorial Adviser of NST, Tengku Tan Sri Mahaleel Arif, former CEO of Proton, Tan Sri Mazlan Ahmad, former Mayor of Kuala Lumpur, Tan Sri Abdul Halil Mutalib, former LADA General Manager and DG of Customs and Tan Sri Dr. Mustapha Babjee, former DG of Vetenary Services.

Some of the All Blogs people were also there like Rocky, Nuraina A Samad, Zorro Unmasked, Zahrin “Sang Kelembai” Yassin and Raja Petra Kamaruddin of Malaysia Today. So did ‘Rantings by MM’ blog operator, Dato’ Paduka Marina Mahathir. The media students from UiTM were also present as the co-organiser is the UiTM think tank for civilisation, InQKA.

Tun Dr. Mahathir also said that when any of the world media talked about the press being controlled, they will never fail to mention Malaysia. Media is very important to disseminate information. Like a knife, it can be used positively and also can be used, negatively.

He said further that information that media brings will help the process of decision making, especially when people are “in the dark” about situation that surrounds them. The people should be wise enough to study and select which information is positive for them and it will be used for progress. However, sometime choose to tell media a completely wrong story. For example, the economy is not doing so well but the media said everything is fantastic.

Information available today can damage the society. For example is pornography. Previous society have no access to free pornographic materials like today, so there were much less sexual related crimes, which also include those against children.

Sex, Violence & Popularity

Tun Dr. Mahathir shared with the audience, when he first started the Multimedia Super Corridor, members of the International Advisory Panel (IAP) warned him against any form of censorship over the internet. He said, it is inline with the principle of ‘the right to know’.

He said reminded that ‘Sex and Violence’ sells and makes money. Those are the themes of so many of Western media which include film, tv and even video games. He said the consumers tolerated the exploitation against women and many actually love it, especially semi or nude shots. Therefore the demand grew.

He said there should be a balance between the desire to make money and contribute something to the process of national development. Its is important that media continue to be economically viable but he reminded that what is popular, does not mean it is good, positive and progressive for the society and process of national development.

“Rarely a newspaper succeeded in being popular and sells (but at the same time), do the right thing for national development”, said the former Prime Minister. For example, if they wrongly interpret certain angles about certain issues, it will create racial disharmony and create discomfort in the society. People always do not act rationally in some sensationalized reportings. Common sense is not actually common. “Sometime, people can be irrational”, he reminded.

Blogs

On blogging, Tun Dr. Mahathir said the bloggers need to tell the truth. “The new media” will compliment the movement of information as there will be ‘spin doctors’ will ensure print media skewed some angle of certain news, especially that will affect an particular individual or collective individuals.

The intellectual discourse that followed afterwards on the topic “Media and National Development” include the thoughts of Dato’ A Kadir Jasin, former Chief Editor NST and now Malaysian Business editor and blogger, Steven Gan, founder of online newspaper ‘Malaysiakini’, an IT business startegist and renowned ‘Screenshots’ blogger, Jeff Ooi and Dr Kamalan Jeevan from International Medical University.

On the topic of moderation, Dato’ Kadir said practiced no restrains in his blog provided they adhere to simple universally accepted virtues like no profanities and incorrect facts.

Media Conference

At the media conference soon after, Tun Dr. Mahathir explained that he is still not shy to state that the Jews ruled the world by proxy and is in direct control of the western media. This is a fact and he will make no attempt to correct his earlier statements. The example he used was how the President was not supposed to declare a war unless Congress approved it.

On the issue about his earlier accusations that the Prime Minister own a house in Perth, he admitted it was the spur of the moment during the heat of the speech that he said that, based on rumours speculating around.

However, he thanked Raja Petra for correcting him and apologized openly about making the mistake that Khairy Jamaluddin himself made few weeks ago explained that his brother in law, Kamaluddin Abdullah is the one actually owns the property, where else two weeks ago Malaysia Today exposed that the house is registered under Patrick Lim’s wife’s name.

When asked about Proton merger with VW, then and now, Tun Dr. Mahathir explained that when VW went into merger mode with Proton a while ago, Proton was in a better position to bargain because their financial position was very strong and even had a lot of cash. Now the terms are different. His advice was “remove the management!”. He could cynically mean the management of another administration, in line with his speech in Johor Bahru on 10 February.

In this media conference, in response to the question about registering Bloggers, he reminded Bloggers that they should tell the truth and have a role to play to ensure that information is disseminated well to the public. “Stick to the truth. Do not embelish or make something up”, he uttered.

Tun Dr. Mahathir also said that the Sepang F1 racetrack is the greatest free annual advertisement for Malaysia which is worth at least RM one billion. It is sad for him to see Malaysia lost their annual Formula One series in the years to come, something successful since 1999.

On the issue of the Johor Menteri Besar announcing that they are interested to remove the Free Access Zone feature of Iskandar Development Region (IDR) but it was a Federal Government’s call, Tun Dr. Mahathir said the Government could explained the whole thing much earlier and quashed with all the uneasiness caused to the people, especially sensitivities against Singaporeans and other nationals through Singapore, freely enter into Johor, seamlessly without any inspection what so ever.

Jed Yoong pressured?

I know this young lady, Jed Yoong. She is a cheery, humorous, casual and an open minded person. She is an editor with “Rocket” (English version), Democratic Action Party’s (DAP) mouthpiece. She also blogs under the pseudonym, Freelunch2020, www.2020freelunch.blogspot.com. Her boss is Tony Pua, www.tonypua.blogspot.com, the Oxford biz-wiz recently cashed out his dot com listed company and assumed the position of Economic Adviser to the DAP Secretary General. Tony is also the Executive Editor of the “Rocket”.

We have met several times and now we are friends. Sometimes we talked about politics, other times we talked about a lot of other things. We respected each other’s turf. She is so open, she even once told me “If you were a neutral person, I would have asked you to write/translate for “Rocket”, Malay section”. Of course simply I can’t. “Rocket” is a party bulletin.

For almost two weeks, we did not see her around. She was very busy with the by-election campaign in Machap. She was so busy that her car was stolen. Anyway, she popped by NPC last Friday night and we caught up on missing stories. We talked about politics and shared each other’s aspirations. There are some common grounds.

On the way home, she expressed her thoughts on the Education Policy and Chinese Schools system. She vehemently felt that there should be only one school system with a uniformed syllabus and medium of instruction. Obviously, her thoughts were off tangent to her party’s policy.

The next day (Saturday, 14 April), I noticed she put her thoughts (which she shared in my car), into her blog. I thought that was bold. Then again, I thought she was a new breed of DAPSY who are not too comfortable with the Chinese chauvinistic policies and direction the DAP is going.

Suddenly, something went amiss. This was recorded in her blog, today:

“Dear all,

This will be my last post.
It has been a good run. And thanks for all the support.
All the bestest and c u guys around in cyberspace.
I will miss my blog and all the arguments n views.
But it will continue to exist in cyberspace. Capturing a time in Malaysia as the most exciting general election is about to begin.

Take care.

Regards,
Freelunch 2020 a.k.a. Jed Yoong”

 

I was flabbergasted. Why is Jed quitting the Bloggosphere? I looked further and found her Saturday’s posting about her thoughts on the Chinese schools have gone and instead there is this short notice:

 

“MY ANTI-CHINESE SCHOOLS VIEWS

Hi all. I would like to clarify that my stand on abolishing all government-funded schools with Chinese as the medium of instruction is strictly my own and does not represent the views of DAP. I support national schools with English as the medium of instruction, Malay taught as a compulsory language and an optional third or even fourth languages to be taught. This does not represent the views of DAP.”

I was still unable to speak to Jed about this, yet. I am assuming that some DAP hardliners stumbled upon her writings and must have caused some uneasiness, somewhere. I am also assuming that Jed Yoong was pressured to make these drastic actions and decisions.

But why? Isn’t there separation and distinction between Jed Yoong, her blog and DAP? So Jed Yoong is unable to express her own personal thoughts which are against party’s policies and struggle? What ever happened to her human rights and freedom to express?

That is the very principle that All Blogs stood for. Jed Yoong had her thoughts set on a liberal approach on the education system which could foster the national integration agenda and narrow the cultural and racial gap between races.

I was happy as a member-for-life UMNO man, I saw a middle path on something which I could agree upon, with a DAP woman. The same concept which could positively attribute progress for nation building, as Bangsa Malaysia.

Now, its short-lived. Obviously her writings attracted adverse opinion from her party hardliners.

If Jed Yoong was to be penalized by this posting, then I am sorry for her executioner! No one should take Jed Yoong’s thoughts away from her. Not now, not ever!

 

 

An update on Jed Yoong.

She was mugged by four men on two motor cycles near her home in Taman Megah, Kuala Lumpur earlier tonight (circa 10pm, 22 April 2007). He sling bag was grabbed. She lost a camera, her wallet which contained her MyKad, driver’s license and credit and bank cards and other personal item.

She screamed at the top of her lungs but no one heard her. She is lucky that she was not hurt. However, I must imagine she was traumatised by the frightful experience.

Poor Jed!