Shar101′s scoop on TRC

Well, it seemed Shar 101 has a scoop. Not bad for a newbie. Titled “KING IN WAITING?” (in bold capital letters), this is a story about a Pak Lah crony construction company, been enjoying all these wonderful direct negotiation projects and failed to do a good job (in the case of the runway lights failure at the Kuala Terengganu airport extension project).

Even the DYMM SPB YDP Agong and his majesty’s entourage were affected by this below par work at the Sultan Mahmud Airport in Kuala Terengganu (Bernama report):

Airport lights still out, King’s flight postponed

KUALA TERENGGANU: A special flight scheduled to take Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin back to Kuala Lumpur had to be cancelled last night as the runway lights were still not operating due to damaged power cables.

A palace spokesman said Tuanku Mizan was to return to the federal capital aboard a special aircraft at 10.45pm after gracing the prize-giving ceremony of the YDSMPENN Endurance Challenge 2007 at the Kelab Teluk Warisan in Pulau Duyong, near here.

“His Majesty’s special flight has been postponed to 8am tomorrow (today),” he said when contacted.

Tuanku Mizan had been in Terengganu since Tuesday to participate in the two-day championship which ended at Lembah Bidong, Setiu, yesterday.

On Saturday night, about 300 passengers were stranded at the airport after the runway lights failed to function, forcing all three night flights to be cancelled.

Malaysia Airport Holdings Bhd (MAHB) said in a statement last night that repair works on the cables were to have been completed yesterday morning.

It was learnt that the contractor engaged had carried out tests on the runway lights at 7.30pm but the lights did not function.

MAS, AirAsia and Firefly flights out of the airport last night were also affected. – Bernama

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So Shahrir Samad, Khalid Nordin and what looks like Norza Zakaria, were in collaboration in this company? What are you going to say now, Shahrir (www.shahrirsamad.blogspot.com)?

For the record, Australian trained chartered accountant Dato’ Mohd Norza Zakaria was an aspiring UMNO Youth Exco who wanted to go for the Deputy Head post in the Aug 2004 party elections. He bowed out in favour of Khairy Jamaluddin, who eventually won the seat uncontested. He was then rewarded the powerful Political Secretary to the Minister Finance II seat (because PM Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi already appointed Dato’ Reezal Merican as the more powerful Political Secretary to the Minister of Finance post, Norza had to settle for this job). The UMNO Wilayah Persekutuan Youth Head later was appointed as an UMNO Supreme Council member by the UMNO President.

So it seems TRC’s linkage is complete. This fashion of dishing out contracts listed under RMK 9 amongst selected same companies through direct negotiations is exactly what former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad was questioning when he commented on Dato’ Annuar Musa’s announcement that an extra RM three billion more is sought for Kelantan, yesterday, at the Majlis Tindakan Rakyat Kelantan’s Annual Lecture series in Kota Bahru.

* We at BigDogDotCom are in full support of the investigations be carried out by ACA and UMNO Disciplinary Board, to ensure that UMNO Leaders are free from corruption/misuse of power in the capacity as public office bearers. This is pertinent to for UMNO to weed out personalities that will eventually run the nationalist party to the dogs. We at BigDogDotCom take this matter very seriously when the UMNO Leader in question an aspirant to hold top party position and any misconduct of corrupt practices will reflect on public opinion on the UMNO led Federal Government and party itself.

 

Democratic Action Party is UNDEMOCRATIC!

Its final. The Democratic Action Party (DAP) is least of all, DEMOCRATIC! They deferred their party elections for 12 months, in anticipation of the 13th General Election soon. In 1999, they called UMNO “Undemocratic” for postponing party elections for the same reason. Now they are doing exactly that!

This is an excerpt from The Star (www.thestar.com.my) report on the issue:

DAP wants to contest more seats

By ZULKIFLI ABD RAHMAN

newsdesk@thestar.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR: The DAP wants to contest 54 parliamentary seats and 115 state seats in the next general election.

However, the final number is pending negotiation with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng yesterday.

The DAP insisted that it would not work with PAS in the election.

Speaking to reporters after the party’s special congress here yesterday, Lim said with all efforts concentrated on the election, the DAP also decided to postpone its triennial elections, originally scheduled for September, by up to 12 months.

The DAP, Lim said, would consult PKR on the seat allocations as it preferred straight fight with Barisan Nasional.

He also confirmed he would contest in election, adding that the party would focus on Penang, Perak, Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Sabah.

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Pot calling the kettle black, is it? It is fair to say that DAP have not been democratic, simply the same leadership is still leading the party now since 1969. In the same period, UMNO, MCA and PAS have had four different Presidents each and the sons of each Presidents were never an immediate successor to longtime leaders.

DAP have had too many good leaders/members fizzled out and faded away, even before they could complete their service to the rakyat. Why DAP stalwarts like Lee Lam Thye, Dr Kua Kia Soong, Kerk Kim Hock, Hu Sepang, Wee Choo Keong, Lee Ban Chien, Ronnie Liu, S K Soong, Teoh Teik Huat, Thing Chiek Ming, Lim Fui Ming, Fan Teng Yew, Sim Kwang Yang and Fung Ket Wing no longer in the mainstream menu of the party?

Why is it back to the Father, the Son and the dolly darling Daughter in law, over and over again? It only shows that DAP have been an avenue for this family to remain in power, indefinitely. Some might even say, it’s a revenue model for the family. Lim Kit Siang, who have been in direct control and power of the DAP since 1969 as the Secretary General, has been the Opposition Leader for almost 40 years (with the exception of 1999-2004, where Hj. Hadi Awang, PAS president assumed the position). For the record, The Opposition Leader is paid a handsome salary and other perks, on top of his Member of Parliament regular allowance and perks.

Melayu

– Usman Awang

Melayu itu orang yang bijaksana
Nakalnya bersulam jenaka
Budi bahasanya tidak terkira
Kurang ajarnya tetap santun
Jika menipu pun masih bersopan
Bila mengampu bijak beralas tangan.

Melayu itu berani jika benar
Kecut takut kerana bersalah,
Janji simpan di perut
Selalu pecah di mulut,
Biar mati anak

Jangan mati adat.

Melayu di tanah Semenanjung luas maknanya:
Jawa itu Melayu, Bugis itu Melayu
Banjar juga disebut Melayu, Minangkabau memang Melayu,
Keturunan Acheh adalah Melayu,
Jakun dan Sakai asli Melayu,
Arab dan Pakistani, semua Melayu
Mamak dan Malbari serap ke Melayu
Malah mua’alaf bertakrif Melayu
(Setelah disunat anunya itu)

Dalam sejarahnya
Melayu itu pengembara lautan
Melorongkan jalur sejarah zaman
Begitu luas daerah sempadan
Sayangnya kini segala kehilangan

Melayu itu kaya falsafahnya
Kias kata bidal pusaka
Akar budi bersulamkan daya
Gedung akal laut bicara

Malangnya Melayu itu kuat bersorak
Terlalu ghairah pesta temasya
Sedangkan kampung telah tergadai
Sawah sejalur tinggal sejengkal
tanah sebidang mudah terjual

Meski telah memiliki telaga
Tangan masih memegang tali
Sedang orang mencapai timba.
Berbuahlah pisang tiga kali
Melayu itu masih bermimpi

Walaupun sudah mengenal universiti
Masih berdagang di rumah sendiri.
Berkelahi cara Melayu
Menikam dengan pantun
Menyanggah dengan senyum
Marahnya dengan diam
Merendah bukan menyembah
Meninggi bukan melonjak.

Watak Melayu menolak permusuhan
Setia dan sabar tiada sempadan
Tapi jika marah tak nampak telinga
Musuh dicari ke lubang cacing
Tak dapat tanduk telinga dijinjing
Maruah dan agama dihina jangan
Hebat amuknya tak kenal lawan

Berdamai cara Melayu indah sekali
Silaturrahim hati yang murni
Maaf diungkap senantiasa bersahut
Tangan diulur sentiasa bersambut
Luka pun tidak lagi berparut

Baiknya hati Melayu itu tak terbandingkan
Selaga yang ada sanggup diberikan
Sehingga tercipta sebuah kiasan:
“Dagang lalu nasi ditanakkan
Suami pulang lapar tak makan
Kera di hutan disusu-susukan
Anak di pangkuan mati kebuluran”

Bagaimanakah Melayu abad dua puluh satu
Masihkan tunduk tersipu-sipu?
Jangan takut melanggar pantang
Jika pantang menghalang kemajuan;
Jangan segan menentang larangan
Jika yakin kepada kebenaran;
Jangan malu mengucapkan keyakinan
Jika percaya kepada keadilan.

Jadilah bangsa yang bijaksana
Memegang tali memegang timba
Memiliki ekonomi mencipta budaya
Menjadi tuan di negara Merdeka

This is, undoubtedly my most favourite Malay poem. It was written by a very talented poet, the late Dato’ Usman Awang (1929-2001). He received the national laureate award and stature in 1983. Also known by his pseudonym, Tongkat Warrant, too much was described in this poem.

He has produced other remarkable works. “Anak Jiran Tionghua” depicts the story of children living in a harmonious muhibbah state. “Tulang Tulang Berserakan” is his rendition to acknowledge the men and women in the Royal Malaysian Police service. Usman himself was a policeman, once.

Usman was a very patriotic man. His departure left an replacable void in the Malay literature kingdom. May Allah s.w.t. bless his soul.