It is ethically and morally wrong for MB Kelantan and PAS Murshidul Am Dato’ Nik Aziz Nik Mat to accept the luxurious RM65,ooo per person Hajj trip under ‘package scheme’ offered by TH Travel Sdn. Bhd. Accepting the offer should be classified as a bribe. However controversial Perbadanan Menteri Besar Kelantan Bhd. CEO Ariffahmi Abdul Rahman, who is also Nik Aziz’s son-in-law says it is was not wrong for the latter to accept the luxurious pilgrimage trip.

The Star has the story:

Published: Friday November 13, 2009 MYT 7:24:00 PM

Nik Aziz was not wrong in accepting paid trip to Mecca: Son-in-law

By SYED AZHAR

KOTA BARU: Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nikmat’s son-in-law Abdul Ariffahmi Abdul Rahman said there was nothing wrong in his father-in-law, who is a revered Ulama, to accept offers from people willing to sponsor him for Haj pilgrimage as they felt his presence would spiritually enhance their stay in Mecca.

He added that it was a norm for people to spend money to take Tok Gurus from Pondoks or Zawiya (monastery) in Kelantan to perform the Haj in Mecca.

“Its like this, he (Nik Abdul Aziz) is like other Tok Gurus and many people want to go to the Holy land with people like him because his knowledge of Islam is inspiring.

“Naturally many would want to perform Haj with him including me.

“We can benefit from his knowledge, tazkirah, his experience that would have an effect to our soul, he said this to reporters during an interview at his house in Pulau Melaka recently,” he said.

Abdul Ariffahmi, 35, who is also the chief executive officer of Kelantan Mentri Besar Incorporated (PMBK), was asked to comment on this issue after talk emerged that Nik Abdul Aziz had accepted a RM65,000 sponsorship to perform the Haj from Nov 18.

Earlier this week, Nik Abdul Aziz, who is also the PAS spiritual adviser, said it was okay to accept sponsorships from individuals to perform the Haj, saying that this was not an act of corruption.

Abdul Ariffahmi added that many Tok Gurus did not have enough money to perform the Haj and that it was not out of the ordinary for someone to volunteer to pay for the trip.

Abdul Ariffahmi said he was expected to leave for the Holy land on Sunday.

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For the record, the company which offered to pay for Nik Aziz’s Hajj trip Abroad Technology Sdn. Bhd. is a contractor for billboards all over Kelantan.

Nik Aziz, who is also PMBK Chairman should not be accepting gifts from contractors and/or suppliers to the state GLC. Legally and ethically, it is no difference if Nik Aziz and company were to be given an all expense shopping holiday in London and Paris.

It is extremely sad that this Ariffahmi’s statement is made. It demonstrate how PAS Leaders have little regards for moral and ethics and even willing to manipulate Islam for the purpose to justify their wrong doings. PAS has misled Muslims with their skewed and narrowminded intepretation of Islam to suit and justify their actions for so long.

For Ariffahmi to say “Its like this, he (Nik Abdul Aziz) is like other Tok Gurus and many people want to go to the Holy land with people like him because his knowledge of Islam is inspiring. We can benefit from his knowledge, tazkirah, his experience that would have an effect to our soul, he said this to reporters during an interview at his house in Pulau Melaka recently,” also means that as a Spirtual Leader and respected Tok Guru, only the affluent and connected persons are able to personally enjoy the wisdom, knowledge and benefits of such as man and not public at large. It short, Nik Aziz’s own practice just made his position as a Spiritual Leader as a ‘privileged commodity’, where only some persons can benefit.

This skewed and narrowminded intepretation of Islam to suit and justify their political actions and policies had gone a long way. In the early sixties, PAS ulamas issued a fatwa that it is wrong and sinful to work (in a coalition government) with Non Muslims. This was meant to justify that UMNO leaders were sinful working with MCA and MIC leaders in the Perikatan and Federal Governement. And yet since 1990, PAS has had working relationship and partnership with not only Non Muslims, but anti-Islam/Malay Chinese Chauvinists like DAP.

In 1999, to justify PAS lifelong member Shahnon Ahmad’s vulgar novel “Shit”, Nik Aziz said on national TV that “Allah also swear (Allah pun mencarut)!”. Then post 10th General Elections later in the same year, he proclaimed that “Its alright to work with Syaitan”, to justify the working relationship with anti-Islam/Malay Chinese Chauvinist DAP.

The most recent outburst of Nik Aziz is “Damn UMNO (Pergi jahanam UMNO)!”, on the suggestion of PAS President Dato’ Hadi Awang’s closing address of the PAS annual assembly for the possiblity of forming a ‘Unity Government’ with UMNO. This is unbecoming of a PAS Spiritual Leader and Chief Executive of a state and seen to create a new polemic to wedge further the disunity of the Malays.

*Updated 830am

The Leadership fracas in MCA is dragging far too long and complicated. It is also eroding the confidence and eventually votes of the Malaysian of Chinese ethnicity, As a founding member of Perikatan and an intergral part of Barisan Nasional (BN), MCA should consider shaping up or risk being shipped out.

There is a call for Prime Minister Dato’ Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak, who is the BN Chairman to intervene.

The Sun has the story:

MCA third force wants PM to intervene   by Giam Say Khoon Ling Liong Sik In a press conference, third force spokesman Datuk Tan Kah Choun said if Najib is unable to meet all past party chiefs, he should at least see two in particular: Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and Tan Sri Michael Chen. Ling helmed the party for 17 years, while Chen, who was MCA deputy president and the secretary-general of the Alliance during former prime minister Tun Abdul Razak’s tenure, did much to move Sino-Malay friendship forward, said Tan. “Some of the 11 past presidents and deputy presidents had undergone party crises and they have deep impressions and ideas on how to solve the present problem. The prime minister will get the most suitable idea and help to solve the crisis and it should not be seen as Umno interfering into MCA party matters. “If the above measures are unable to resolve the crisis, I strongly recommend the PM consult former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is also known as ‘Doctor Malaysia’, as he had successfully resolved at least three MCA crises,” he said. Tan said the third force, which emerged on the scene just before the Oct 10 MCA extraordinary general meeting (EGM), had succeeded in ousting both party president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek as both had their leadership rejected by the central delegates at the EGM. However, following this, the duo then joined forces to come up with a unity plan for MCA. He said the greater unity plan (GUP) is a positive approach for the party as Ong and Chua are prepared to work together for the benefit of the party unity and the nation. “This dramatic change proves the saying ‘in politics, there are no permanent friends or enemies’. Such dramatic change requires intelligence, wisdom, and mutual undestanding to make it a success. “I must reiterate that MCA does not have any resources to split and BN does not have time to wait (before the next General Election),” he said. Tan added that unfortunately, some of the central committee (CC) members were afraid or worried that they may be left out from the GUP and decided to call for a second EGM on Nov 28 to safeguard their own positions and interests. The Nov 28 EGM was requisitioned by vice-president Datuk Seri Liong Tiong Lai’s faction to call for a fresh party election as they felt that the incumbents have not respected the outcome of the Oct 10 EGM. Asked what the ideal solution is for the MCA, he said all parties should put aside their personal interests and make the GUP a success. “We do not mind who will be the president or the deputy president as long as the party can be united,” he said. Tan said if Ong and Chua can work together for party unity, Liow should try to adapt into this system and stop having other agendas.

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The legacy during Fourth Prime Minister and Third BN Chairman Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s tenure was a smart move. The wisdom of the BN Chairman for over 22 years and going through two MCA Leadership stand-off should be taken into consideration.

This has been done before. The ‘Team A’ Vs ‘Team B’ is now a tradition within MCA.

The first was when Tan Sri Michael Chen stood for the MCA Presidency against Tan Sri Lee San Choon who was the incumbent in the 1979. He lost and resigned as Housing and Local Government and eventually left MCA in 1981.  Then  it was the stand off between the factions of Tan Koon Swan Vs Dato’ Dr. Neo Yee Pan in November 1985. Then came Tun Dr. Ling Liong Sik having a Leadership stand off with Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek in 2ooo, which escalated again in 2003. The latest is Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting Vs Dato’ Seri Chua Ji Meng. In all stand off, the Leaders left or were made to leave. After these leaders leave, then MCA members via the central delegates are free to decide who to choose.

There were precedence Leadership fracas in MCA and UMNO Leaders in their capacity wearing the BN hat intervening. In the 1984-5 MCA stand off, Tun Ghaffar Baba (then BN Secretary General) moderated and an amicable solution was reached that kept MCA intact. Then the stand off between President Tun Ling Liong Sik and Deputy President Tan Sri Lee Kim Sai in the lates 80s was resolved by Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad moderating.  Then under the instructions of BN Chairman Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad after the request of the warring factions within the Chinese BN component party, Deputy BN Chairman PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was sent to moderate the long stand off between the MCA top leaders that saw Ling and Lim leaving simultaneously in 2003 and handing over the Presidency and Deputy Presidency to Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting and Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy respectively. Its time for MCA to allow PM Dato’ Seri Najib as the BN Chairman to step in and moderate an amicable solution for the party and keep the confidence and support for BN intact.

The right thing to do at the moment is to get BN Chairman PM Dato’ Seri Najib intervene and for President Dato’ Seri Ong Tee Keat and Deputy President Dato’ Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek to resign immediately. After all, the MCA Leadership fracas now is the personality of the two leaders clashed as the result of poor MCA succession planning. The prompt resignation will then lead to let another EGM to decide who should lead. It is also a good time for MCA central delegates to weed off all ‘undesireable’ personalities, whose true colours are shown this round.

If this MCA Leadership fracas is not resolved, then it will definitely effect the Malaysian Chinese support for BN. As the second most important partner and founding member of BN (then Perikatan), MCA has the moral obligations to set things right, now. BN cannot afford to prolong this. Especially as UMNO has managed to start to gain grounds amongst the Malays (who are the fixed deposit for BN) and now Pakatan Rakyat is having a lot of inter and intra party problems.

The fact is that, MCA is unable to do their bit. The 12th General Elections demonstrated that in the final analysis, MCA did not deliver the Chinese votes. In fact, MCA now enjoying 15 seats in Dewan Rakyat is out of the goodwill of the Malay fixed deposits, courtesy of UMNO’s grassroot effort at the respective constituencies. Neither were they able to improve the support amongst Malaysian Chinese voters in the series of by-elections since. So, MCA should buck and and get into shape. BN can no longer tolerate this slacking.

In short; MCA: Shape up or ship out, now!

*Updated 600pm

*Updated 700pm

The comments of Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy Chairman BN Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd. Yasin on the call for PM Dato’ Seri Najib to ‘intervene’ in the MCA Leadership fracas is captured by Malaysian Insider:

Muhyiddin hints at MCA intervention

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

PUTRAJAYA, Nov 13 – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin reiterated today that Barisan Nasional (BN) will only step in to mediate in an on-going MCA leadership tussle if such intervention is agreed to by the party’s central committee members.

The ruling federal coalition has thus far kept a hands-off policy in dealing with its second-biggest component party, which has seen its president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat and deputy Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek fight and make up, only to join forces against a “third force”.

“What we have said previously is that we do not want to interfere and prefer MCA leaders to find the way to a solution for the political crisis, which is taking too long,” the BN deputy chairman said here.

“But what has been said by the prime minister … if all of the central working committee members agree for us to play a role, then we are ready.

“It is certain that I and the prime minister are ready but we want a consensus because if only two agree and the rest don’t, then it will not happen,” he told reporters after presenting certificates to members of the Malaysian contingent to the World Robotic Olympiad 2009 here.

The Malaysian Insider understands that BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak favours the “greater unity plan” to be implemented in the next six months but is inclined towards fresh polls in MCA in the long run.

The deputy prime minister explained that intervention is an option only if a consensus for it could be reached by the party but stressed that BN has had a role in previous MCA crises.

“I am of the opinion that there must be a solution to this problem, which is becoming more complex, so maybe if they find it hard to solve the problem among themselves, then they might need to find a middleman.

“I remember during Tun Ghafar Baba’s time and Tun Dr Mahathir’s time, there have been cases … but that is the decision that they themselves must make and it is not because we purposely want to interfere in their problems,” he added.

MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Youth chief Datuk Wee Ka Siong have recently revealed that they are willing to meet with Najib to discuss ways to resolve the crisis.

Wee had said that that prime minister’s intervention would not be seen as an Umno leader meddling into MCA’s problems.

Today, MCA’s “third force” spokesman Datuk Tan Kah Choun, a central delegate, asked Najib to consult 11 MCA party veterans, in particular Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik and Tan Sri Michael Chen.

Other veterans named by Tan as men Najib should consult were Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu, Tan Sri Lee San Choon, Datuk Dr Neo Yee Pan, Datuk Mak Hon Kam, Tan Koon Swan, Tan Sri Lee Kim Sai, Tan Sri Lim Ah Lek, Ka Ting and Kong Choy.

As a last resort, he added, Najib should consult Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who had “solved three previous MCA crises.”

Dr Mahathir has also called on Najib to help MCA resolve its present leadership crisis.

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Its time for MCA members to pressure the CWC to invite PM Dato’ Seri Najib to ‘intervene’.

The recent developments of the economic planning and control of the nation’s wealth via Federal Government planning and spending within the last five years have left much to be desired. Depsite the national coffer Petronas dishing out to the amount of RM 253 billion in taxes, dividends, royalties, advance payments, capital market instruments and other forms, the economy is sluggish and no tanglible projects visible or in the pipeline.

Within the last five years, Malaysia saw:

1. The inception of  ’Level Four Boys’ in 2004 which effectively took over the role several of strategic Federal Government agencies such as EPU, ICU, MAMPU and even set the tone and direction of several Cabinet Committees. Several bad decisions were done by this inexperienced ‘kitchen cabinet’ with a serious deficit in macro planning and policy execution

2. The birth of the term ‘GLC’ (copycat from Singapore) and the restructuring of Federal Government investment arm Khazanah Holdings Bhd. All GLCs then after are given KPIs to focus and deliver on profitability,  return on investment (ROI) and ‘increasing value’ with enlarging market capitalisation in mind

3. The hiving off MOF Inc controlled Avenue Capital Resources Bhd. (ACRB) to ECM Libra for the ‘cover of a merger’ and the financial scandal presiding the exercise beginning December 2005. The exercise saw how irregular tactics such as the impairment of goodwill was carried out to devalue ACRB and pump up the market capitalisation of ECM Libra, the even out the value of ‘an anchovie eating a whale’.

4. The sharp and unplanned increased of retail petrol price from 1.62 to 1.92 per litre in mid 2006 and a economically suicidal but dissastrous jump from RM 1.92 to RM 2.70 mid last year. To alleviate the burden of high petrol cost of the rakyat, a subsidy scheme was introduced as a thought after and proven to be a failure.

5. The re-structuring of the automobile industry in 2006 which almost saw the slow and painful but certain demise of national car maker Proton and the scandal evolves the hiving off  the price motorcycle brand MV Agusta to Gevi SpA for an unbelievably meagre sum of Euro 1

6. The ‘Federalisation’ agenda on the state economic planning units with the inception of economic corridors since 2006, which saw macro management and exposure deficient professionals taken out from GLCs to do pseudo EPU-cum-implementor work at incredible cost and worst of all, progressed to little beyond the academic and theoretical approach

7. The borrowings that has been incurred by GLCs from the capital market since Khazanah restructuring is unbelievable. The amount of wastages and project failures that Khazanah investment is amazingly dangerous. Example is a a RM 200 million prawn rearing project in Setiu, Terengganu called “Blue Archipelago”.

8. The plan to systematically kill national icons such as KLIA with the proposal to develop a dedicated LCCT, a few kilometres away which got the imaginatons and very strong opposition from the Malaysian public

9 The plan to hive off IJN to Sime Darby and later when that proposal failed, to ‘privatise’ for the intent to IPO it in the future

10. The scandals involving the decisions made the Federal Goverment such as PKFZ in Port Klang and the redevelopment proposals in Penang (the home state of then MOF I PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and MOF II Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yaackop) such as the PGCC and PORR , that could seriously impair the confidence for the rakyat and market.

11. A more elusive by highly strategically damaging proposal is for Malaysia is the redevelopment proposal of KTMB Lands along its Singaporean track

12. Another elusive proposal in the pipeline is to list Petronas subsidiary MLNG, as an effort to boost the Bursa Malaysia. Some said even FELDA has been proposed to be listed as well.

At the helm of these dissastrous decisions and scandals still remain another constant personality which has yet to be reprimanded. Former Minsiter of Finance II and now Minister in charge of EPU Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yackop has his hands in all of these botched schemes.

Why he is still in the Cabinet under Prime Minister VI Dato’ Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak is still unclear. He has no political clout within UMNO and the market no longer regard him as a ‘national asset’. Probably he  was employed as Economic Adviser to the Prime Minister to do what he did best by then Fourth Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad; the revolutaionary and anti-IMF ‘Capital Controls and pegging of RM’ on 1 September 1998. His experience as a treasury man within Bank Negara has proven success to support Tun Dr. Mahathir’s remedy to the unique Malaysian economy.

There after, he was given more responsibilities. Of course, his success of co-ordinating the turn around and restructuring of so many GLCs post the sacking of Deputy Prime Minister Anwar “Mat King Leather” Ibrahim is something that can be proud of. Anwar “Darling of the Jews” Ibrahim was an advocator to IMF prescription, which saw many Malaysian coroprations suffering from certain and slow death due to high interest rates and shorters NPL period and RM to the USD rising as high as 4.88.

After the landslide BN win of 11th General Elections, PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Abdullah invited Nor Mohamed into the ‘Feel Good’ Cabinet. He was the Second Minister of Finance (MOF II) for one and a quarter term or five years to be exact. He was the ‘functional finance manager’ of the nation as 90% of this tenure PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Abdullah was the MOF I and it does not take much to figure out the latter was completely oblivion to the job. Hence, the spending pattern under Nor Mohamed is very worrying. From the Petronas figure, the Federal Government and some state government took RM 19 billion in 2004, RM 28.1 billion in 2005, RM 37.8 billion in 2006, RM 44.1 billion in 2007, RM 56.8 billion in 2008 and RM 67.8 billion for this year. The reason for the huge deficiency in Federal Government books must be due to poor management, on top very poor budgetting and tax planning work.

As the Minister in charge of EPU, he wold have a direct responsibility of the National Economic Advisory Council. So far, not much could be desired from this council which is filled with IMF alumnis. Presently, even the mechanics of the NEAC has yet to be completed. The only announcement that Nor Mohamed could be made responsible for is the revocation of the FIC ruling and the incorporation of the elusive and confusing Ekuinas as a substitute. The rakyat should also be made aware that under the second stimulus package, an SPV called Danajamin Bhd with a RM 1 billion paid up was incorporated designed to underwrite the issuance of syariah compliant commercial papers, which is something that existing structure like Takaful and Takaful Ikhlas could do with lesser operating cost.

Now that his usefulness has been saturated, it is time to reprimand him for his bad economic planning and execution. The more drastic approach is to ‘dismiss’ him from the Cabinet (the politically correct term be, ‘retire’). This could be politically boon or bane for the PM Najib. Boon is that he is willing to make decisive move, to restore the confidence of the rakyat and capital and financial services market. The bane is that, Nor Mohamed could turn around and bite him back where it hurts, especially at a point where Pakatan Rakyat particularly PKR and partyless-Opposition Leader Anwar “Drama King” Ibrahim are scandalously vulnerable and would use all opportunities no matter how insignificant  to remain afloat, even temporarily.

Otherwise, a ’softer’ approach would be to deduct RM 100.00 (One Hundred Ringgit Malaysia Only) a month from his pay will suffice. It is all about his KPI as the MOF II for five years and now Minister in charge of EPU. Obviously Nor Mohamed failed, at a mind blowing exorbitant cost. The planning and implementation of RM 253 billion dished out by Petronas within one electoral term  but no real and tanglible results being seen, felt nor believed in is undoubtably mind boggling to a point of very unacceptable.

 The call is made in the spirit of ‘1 Malaysia’, “Rakyat didahulukan, pencapaian diutamakan”.

*Updated at 200pm

Former Head of Policy in Prime Minister ‘Flip-Flop’ Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s office Dato’ Ahmad Zaki Zahid is set to be the next MRCB CEO. After the near humilating ouster of the Fifth Prime Minister, Zaki managed to arrange himself into a mainstream conglomerate which is into high end and premium property development and IPP.

The Star has the story:

Wednesday November 11, 2009

Who is the new man who is going to make more money for the EPF?

By TEE LIN SAY

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd (MRCB) group managing director Shahril Ridza Ridzuan has been tipped to become chief investment officer (CIO) of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), a post that has been left vacant since early this year.

According to sources, the announcement will be made as early as next week. Shahril, 39, will succeed Johari Muid.

MRCB executive director Datuk Ahmad Zaki Zahid looked set to take over the top position in the company, succeeding Shahril, sources said.

Zaki was appointed to the MRCB board in January 2005 and was redesignated as executive director in May this year.

Sources said Shahril’s appointment as CIO of the retirement savings fund, which currently has over RM350bil in its coffers, would help expand EPF’s investments beyond the traditional asset classes of Malaysian Government Securities, loans and bonds and equities.

Historically, property made up less than 1% of the fund’s total investment portfolio.

“It is hoped that Shahril, given his experience in turning around and driving the property group over the years, will be able to steer and expand the fund’s investment in property as well as private equity, areas it has long wanted to expand into,” one source said.

Observers say Shahril’s experience and track record of having turned around MRCB from a loss-making entity to a leading property and construction group and the visible success of the company’s flagship project KL Sentral development should hold him in good stead in his new job.

With an estimated gross development value of RM13.9bil upon completion in 2015, KL Sentral is the landmark development for MRCB, which currently has several ongoing projects with a total estimated gross development value of RM4.3bil.

MRCB’s majority shareholder is the EPF which has a 30.97% stake.

The EPF has generally invested a large portion of its money into fixed income, given that it is the safest option. But it has come at a price – returns or yields from fixed income has been relatively low.

As for equities, which makes up 20% to 25% of the fund’s investment portfolio, although the rewards can be relatively higher, so are the risks given the high volatility of equity prices.

With that in mind, the fund has been eager to expand its income by looking at alternative sources of investments while retaining capital preservation as its top priority.

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Zaki, a former Securities Commission man who later joined consulting firm Booze Allen Hamilton had his first stint in politics after the success of negotiating with Suqiu for the ‘17 Demands’ back in 2000 and taken as Special Officer in Minister of Youth and Sports Office, then Dato’ Hishamuddin Hussein. Hishamuddin was also the UMNO Youth Chief. In 2002, PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Abdullah, then Deputy Prime Minister took him in as a Special Function Officer. After the landslide and thumping BN success of 2004 11th General Elections, PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Abdullah brought in son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin as the Deputy Chief Secretary in Prime Minister’s Office and restructured the whole outfit, role and function. Hence, the creation the position of Head of Policy at PMO and they became very powerful as most decisions and policies are made by this outfit instead the Cabinet via advice from agencies such as EPU, ICU, MITI, NEAC etc.

The much talked about ‘Level Four Boys’ was born.

New policies such as economic corridors, particularly Iskandar Development Region (now Iskandar Malaysia) and Northern Corridor Economic Region was championed by Zaki. He envisaged the role and function of the State Economic Planning Units being ‘Federalised’ and co-ordinated by new form government outfits such as IRDA and NCIA, which get direct instructions and approval by his position, as the head policy adviser to then Prime Minister. For someone who has never been in macro management and planning especially for a nation which is the world’s 17th largest trading economy, this was incredibly risky game to play.

These economic corridors have spent hunreds of million tax payers money doing all sorts of planning and ‘blue prints’, which have yet proven to be anything worthwhile. This is because professionals from private sectors without any tangible and exposure to do macro management and planning are plucked in with ‘tall order to ‘Federalise’ SEPUs and bottomless pit coffers’ instructions. So far, little can be desired by these trial-and-error effort by professionals who thought they can do better but had to teach themselves first what they need to do, with an exorbitant cost.

It was reported that Petronas dished out RM 263 billion in taxes, dividends, royalties and other payments to the Federal Goverment and some state governments during PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Abdullah’s tenure should be considered. A very little and tangible can be seen with this spending and one often wonders where did the money go.

The nation must also be reminded that it was in Zaki’s time as policy adviser to PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Abdullah stewardship that decisions such as hiving off MV Agusta from Proton to an unknown buyer Gevi SpA at a mere One Euro (RM 4.60) was made (Gevi SpA eventually sold Husqavarna to BMW Motorad for a whopping Euro 93 million!). Malaysia also had a foreign policy shift to ‘lead a constructive engagement (meddle around and interfere) in a neighbour’s domestic politics’ when in Nov 2005 Head of Government ASEAN summit in KLCC Convention Centre led a charge to ‘discipline’ Myanmar into democratization.

Zaki, who was one of former Minister of Finance II (now Minister in charge of EPU) Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yackop’s trusted man is now set to take over a property and power producing conglomerate MRCB. With a book order of over RM 13 billion with RM 4.3 billion just on the KL Sentral property alone, there is a lot that an ambitious and cunning professional could manipulate.  Especially if there is a ‘hidden agenda’. MRCB is the rakyat’s interest as 30.6% of its shares is owned by EPF.

MRCB today is a cash rich conglomerate. In an economic storm and glut, MRCB is cash rich enough to issue a rights issue and satisfy the dividend yield. Zaki, who has been known to ‘make deals’, is sitting on a ‘gold mine’. KL Sentral has been eyed by Singaporean property players such as Capital Land, as part of the “6,000 mile radius hinterland plan”.

Nor Mohamed as the Economic Adviser recruited bright young Malay professionals as a process to clean and beef up GLCs, post Anwar “Mat King Leather” Ibrahim era. Chartered Accountans like Azman Mokhtar (then Binafikir founder and present CEO Khazanah Holdings Bhd.), Mohamad Zainal Shaari (then partner PWC and now Deputy CEO Khazanah Holdings Bhd.), Abdul Wahid Omar (then UEM CEO, later Telekom Malaysia CEO and now Maybank CEO), Che Khalib (then KUB CEO and now TNB CEO), Abdul Rahman Ahmad (then Media Prima CEO and  now Ekuinas CEO) and Shahril Riza (then MRCB CEO) surfaced from the world of investment banking and debt and capital market to answer the ‘national service’ call. As Rahman remembers it well when he first met PM then Dato’ Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad for the new assignment, the warning was simply  ”Don’t do side deals”.

Recently, Nor Mohamed hits the headlines again with the controversial decision of hiving off IJN to Sime Darby made public and later, another proposal with a privatisation agenda of for the national heart institute. On the proposal of privatisation of Plus Bhd., a statement made by Nor Mohamed was contradicted by PM Dato’ Seri Najib, even though he was then abroad.

This MRCB corporate move should be watched closely. For someone who has failed which led to PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Abdullah failed miserably must be remembered, so that a conglomerate like MRCB is not being made taken advantage of. So much can be gained from a very wealthy conglomerate like MRCB, which at the moment is a ‘gold mine’.

At the eve of this year’s Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) which will be hosted by Singapore, it is best that we Malaysians strategically relook into Iskandar Malaysia and what it stood for. Especially in the context of ‘prosper thy neighbour’, particularly Singapore.

Iskandar Malaysia evolved from Iskandar Development Region, which originally was planned as South Johor Economic Region. IDR was launched by PM ‘Flop-Flop’ Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi exactly three years ago, amidst a controversy of rejection by majority of Johoreans. Despite being a Federal Government initiative in Johor, the Johor state via UMNO Johor and the Johor Civil Service were ‘forced down the throat’ a Khazanah led plan which later became the IDR Act, passed in Dewan Rakyat late 2007. The draft which was recycled over eight times before JCS reluctantly agreed.

Like other corridors which were designed for the ‘Federalisation’ all state economic development function, SJER was initiated by then the ‘Level Four Boys’. Political Secretary Dr. Vincent Liew aspire that South Johor to be ’serving’ the high growth Singapore economy and argues that Johor could benefit from the ’spill over effect’. In actual fact, South Johor were to ’serve’ and ‘facilitate’ for the Singaporeans to concentrate on the high value industries and sectors and leave all the low value, ‘dirty and smelly’-backyard and potential hazard to the environment industries all over South Johor. In short, South Johor is the wet-kitchen for the Singapore’s gourmet economy serving premium dishes and goodies.

Of course investments will start to pour in. One would argue that Johor has had ten of thousands of Singaporean investments and businesses incorporated all over South Johor for over thirty years which created so many jobs, increased in aggregate demand and spur sales of properties, especially high end and commercial and all the benefits from the ‘Singapore catalyst’ to the Johor economy. However, there were never once it was done in a strategic, structured and intensified effort to woo the Singaporeans into Johor.

How will this economy, which is 69% dependent on service sector, providing a GDP per capita of USD 37,500, and having a foreign reserve of USD 174 billion ‘help’ the economy of South Johor?

It is obvious that Singapore would not ‘extend’ her high value industries with Johor. In fact, if there is any effort to develop similar programs within Malaysia which include Johor, the Singaporeans would do all they can to ensure that they will do better at the same time ‘kill’ their competition of. This ‘kiasu’ness of the majority Chinese with the Western flavour for greed and colonialisation aptitude. Even mainland Chinese regard Singaporean Chinese as ‘Banana’ (yellow on the outside, ‘white’ in the inside).

Many people believe that a lot of these services are ready to be out sourced to South Johor, thus creating jobs all around Johor Bahru. In actual sense, these jobs created for the people of South Johor are not high value operations for the service industry they support. On the paper, these jobs created might portray an impression of high value of nature such as project management, design and R & D, investment banking and co-operate advisory or consulting being the focul point of the exercise for Singaporeans to relocate their ’support’ services and industry of their high value economy. Reality, only menial jobs such as call centres, customer service or out sourced services such as printing of bills and statements.

Having  a large middle income and professional workforce is a very important ingredient for Singapore to sustain their high value industries growing at the pace that they planned. Officially, Singapore reached its 5 million population mark recently. Majority of them are the middle class and income bracket workforce. Most of the Singaporeans who migrate abroad are persons in this category. The rising cost of living and slowly becoming unbearable is usually the cause.

Hence, there is  strategic effort to make Singapore a city-state where only persons wih high value income live. It is suspiciously that the Lees intend to make Singapore like Lichtestein, Luxembourg and Monaco. The middleclass an working class to support these high value incomers should be residing outside of Singapore. What better than make South Johor the new habitat for  the Singapoean middle class. They live in Johor, shop all around JB in lower cost that Singapore, afford a high end lifestyle with middle income Singapore earnings and not loosing all their rights as Singaporeans. This makes sense as Singapore HR consulting groups are busy establishing themselves all over JB, for this ‘relocation program’.

As such, Singaporean developers are now making inroad into Malaysia, specifically South Johor. Iskandar Malaysia provide a perfect opportunity for Singaporeans to ‘invest’ in properties.

There are already plans for Singaporeans to set up nursing and old folks homes within South Johor. Naturally this  seen by many as a business opportunity. In reality, this ‘dumping program’ is nothing but Singapore’s dirty laundry is being processed in Malaysia. This a perfect cover for Singaporeans to shift their ‘problems’ into other peoples’ hands and only the fit and productive is left as wanted and appreciated people. Soon, South Johor will be made to process Singapore’s physical garbage and industrial waste.

It is obvious that the Singaporeans are envious of the Malaysian oil and gas success story, especialy Petronas. Of course, it is natural that they would want to carve part of the very lucrative pie of the Malaysian economy. Since the support for the oil and gas service industry is based in Singapore, mainly because of the history of the shipping industry, ship maintenance and building infrastructure, they are seriously eyeballing the most productive industry in Malaysia.

The property play is very important to the strategic interest of Singaporean tourism. The recent announcements  about theme parks such as Legoland in Iskandar Malaysia is a illustration more attractions are needed to complement Singaporean ambitious entertainment and tourism sector. With the upcoming Marina Sands Casino and Sentosa Genting Casino complexes and Universal Studio, the ambitious RM 750 million investment which 80% of it came from Khazanah Holdings Bhd. Legoland expect between 1.8-2 million visitors will pay RM 80.00/pax to throng the 40 acre park. Many doubt not many South Johorean families can afford to cough out that kind of money to sustain the 5-6,000 constant visitors daily.

The fact is that, Singapore economy has been ‘living of’ the reources of other lands. This is very much the cololianlist mentality that the Anglo Saxons and Europeans have, when they ‘own and live of the lands and resources of places far away’. They became masters and enslave the territories that they over power.

Now this ‘re-colonialisation’ is being seen in a different way. They set up menial operations elsewhere but make the head quarters being maintained within the city-state. They enjoy to fruit from the menial operations where else the real high value and ‘realisable control’ is captured as economonical and legal datas being  recorded in accounting terms at where the homebase is domiciled; the registered address. The high cost of production has now being shifted elsewhere. And yet, the Singaporean economy enjoy as these corporations are domiciled at home and pay taxes to the Singapore Government instead of where the bulk of the profits from these operations are derived from.

The fact is that Singapore were never interested in helping others, despite what other people did for them. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The issue of over 300,000 Malaysians who had but no longer serve the republic an never get to see their rightfully earned forced savings in the Central Provident Fund (CPF). And yet, till present the republic is still dependent on Malaysians to serve the menial workforce needs and exploit their RM2.40 to the dollar exchange rate.

The ‘power of purchase’ of the Singaporeans is really enormous. The Singapore bourse has a larger market capitalisation as compared in Bukit Mahkamah, Kuala Lumpur. This high value market capitalisation stock market is remarkable a perfect tool of Singaporean ‘players’, with the joint effort of the financial services sector (which is funded by Wall Street and The City) to control the Malaysian bourse. The ability to control the bourse will have a coherent effect on the perception and confidence of Malaysians at large.

The clout of the Singaporean financial services sector is really far reaching. Despite starting later than Malaysia, Singaporean financial institutions have managed to develop better and larger syariah compliant instruments. It also managed to attract West Asian deposits. The fact that Singapore investment arm Temasek Holdings is involved with so many blue chips financial powerhouse (in cohorts with Wall Street and The City) demonstrate the financial prowess that they can ‘prey’ onto economies such as Malaysia’s.

Through control via commercial banks, at the moment Singaporeans already have their hands in 19% of the loan and debt market in Malaysia. This is a figure that should be concerned. This is ‘invisible hands’ of the Neo Con Jews, which have far reaching implications.

This ‘power of purchase’ from the higher value market capitalisation and excess of enormous source of Neo Con Jewish funds, coupled with the large middle class Singaporeans that would be ‘relocated’ all over Iskandar Malaysia and the strategic participation of Singapore officials in policy decision made for Iskandar Malaysia is a recipe of the ‘annexation’ of South Johor into the ‘little red dot’ republic.

The ‘Annexation of South Johor’ is important for Singapore to develop herself into a high income and value market. The resources of Johor such as land, labour, raw materias, water and food supply are the lifeline ingredients for Singapore to survive. The strategic move to ensure these ingredients are protected is to ‘control’ at source.  The ‘control at source’ began when PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Abdullah reached an agreement with Brig. Gen. (NS) Lee Hsien Loong in Langkawi, May 2007.

Singapore’s attitude of kiasuness is clearly non negotiable. Nor can it be compromised. The ‘Scenic Bridge Replacing The Johor Causeway’  is a very good example. The paranoia of the ’seige mentality’ is very apparent and significant, despite their arrogance of the ’supperiority complex’ and chest-thumping. The ‘Mas Selamat’ episode is the clear example of the system failure despite superiority power. To top it all,  Singapore is Israeli’s strongest ally in South East Asia, which in the past raised some senstivities to the Muslim majority region and immediate neighbours. In a nutshell, Singapore has never been a ‘good, trustworthy and dependent neighbour’. And now with an agenda to ‘Annex Iskandar Malaysia’, this is worrisome.

This year’s APEC theme is ‘Sustaining growth, connecting the region’. The theme basically says it all for the ‘Annexation of Iskandar Malaysia’ agenda in parallel on them ‘biting the bullet and embracing for hardtimes’. It is almost like Fourth Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has described that  the control-freak “The little emperor of the ‘Middle Kingdom’” who has the ambition to be the South East Asia superpower as according to him, the “Singapore hinterland extends all the way 6,000 miles radius”. His agenda is reflective of his last visit here, the Malay heartland of South East Asia.

*Original source of graphics: The Edge 9-15 November issue

*Article was updated noon Tuesday 1o November 2009

Nik Aziz a 'thumbs up' endorsement to anti-Malay/Islam Singaporean Supremo Lee Kuan Yew

Kelantan Menteri Besar and PAS Spritual Leader Dato’ Nik Aziz Nik Mat has been admitted in IJN. Sources close to the Kelantan Supremo said that he was brought in at IJN last night for coughing blood.

It was reported that MACC offcials visited PMBK yesterday, a controversial Kelantan GLC now headed by Nik Aziz’s son-in-law Ariffahmi Abdul Rahman. It was said the cronyism practices within PMBK is making Kelantanese very unhappy.

Nik Aziz is known to have heart ailments and was seriously hospitalised last year. A team of IJN specialists were flown in to assist the USM Hospital cardiac team. His response to PM Najib’s announcement of ‘Compassionate Payment’ be accorded to Kelantan instead of the ‘royalty’ demanded is “Grateful but not satisfied“. Hence, the Kelantan State Government budget for 2010 would be the least on the minds of Nik Aziz and Azizistas at this point of time.

He is currently in Kuala Lumpur for the Rulers’ Conference. He is expected to deliver an address at the PAS political seminar at their Taman Melewar centre which was decided by the PAS Exco last week to replace his original suggestion to have an EGM and eventually ‘cleanse’ (sack) Deputy President Nasharuddin Mat Isa, Secretary General Dato’ Mustapha Ali and Selangor PAS Commissioner Dato’ Dr. Hassan Ali who are pro-’Unity Government’, with UMNO.

Nik Aziz in a Chinese Chauvinists anti-Islam/Malay DAP function with Lim Kit Siang

Ten days ago, Fourth Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad urged Nik Aziz to step down because “It’s about time he goes. Like me also lah, when you become old, you become nanyuk (senile),”.  Nik Aziz has been on the helm of Kelantan stewardship since the 1990 PAS’s success to wrest the state from UMNO/BN. Ten years ago, he created a national controversy when he proclaimed “Allah also swear (mencarut)”  in support of PAS life member Shahnon Ahmad outragous book “Shit”. Later, to justify PAS working with Chinese Chauvinist and anti-Islam/Malay DAP, he proclaimed “Its alright to work with syaitan (devil)”.

*Updated 956pm

NST reports the latest on Nik Aziz being IJNised:

Nik Aziz expected to leave IJN tomorrow

2009/11/06

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Fri: The Mentri Besar of Kelantan, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who is receiving treatment at the National Heart Institute (IJN) here is expected to be discharged tomorrow.

His private secretary, Rosdi Abdullah, said Nik Aziz was admitted into the IJN about 10.30am yesterday due to fatigue from lack of rest over a week.

“His condition is stable and he is expected to leave the IJN tomorrow morning and will continue with his duties as usual,” Rosdi said when contacted here today.

He said the Pas spiritual leader will attend the Pas Political Seminar at Markas Pas in Taman Melewar, Gombak tomorrow. — BERNAMA

*Updated Saturday 7 November 2009 1200noon

Despite being ill with cardiac related illness which causes fatigue for Nik Aziz , he insisted that he would show up at PAS Political Seminar organiseat Markas Tarbiyah PAS, Taman Melewar, Gombak this morning.

The Star has an update:

Published: Saturday November 7, 2009 MYT 10:49:00 AM
Updated: Saturday November 7, 2009 MYT 11:50:24 AM

A frail Nik Aziz leaves PAS seminar (Update)

KUALA LUMPUR: Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat attended the PAS political seminar but had to leave at 10.12am after listening to party president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang’s keynote address citing health reasons.

The PAS spiritual leader was earlier hospitalised at the National Heart Institute due to fatigue as a result of not getting enough rest over a week.

The seminar was a result of a call by Nik Aziz to hold a special muktamar to discuss issues caused by “problematic leaders.”

He had been unhappy with the pro-Umno stance of these leaders and wanted the party to make a clear stand regarding its role in Pakatan Rakyat.

Nik Aziz has been in Kuala Lumpur since Monday for the Rulers’ Conference.

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

This is most probably he needed to show his supporters that he is still very much able to ‘hold his fort’, as the event was PAS Exco’s compromise and substitute to his suggestion of holding an EGM ‘to cleanse (sack) some Leaders’, namely Deputy President Nasharuddin Mat Isa, Secretary General Dato’ Mustapha Ali and Selangor PAS Commissioner Dr Hassan Ali. The trio have been seen as “insincere in co-operating with Pakatan Rakyat partners” and ‘leaning towards working with UMNO/BN’.

The Murshidul Am has been seen as the ‘patron’ to the ‘Erdogan faction’ within PAS. The Erdogan faction such as Dato’ Kamaruddin Jaafar, Senior Kelantan Exco Dato’ Husam Musa and former DAP-puppet MB Perak Dato’ Seri Nizar Jamaluddin are PAS’s linkage with party-less Opposition Leader Anwar “Mat King Leather” Ibrahim.  Hence, this explains UM lecturer Dr Abu Hassan Hasbullah’s presentation on his survey that before the 8 March 2008 12th General Elections youths prefer the leadership of Nik Aziz over PAS President Dato’ Seri Hadi Awang. In another study, it was found that majority Young Malaysians lost faith in PAS’s ability to lead.

Nik Aziz was said to have gone to Rumah Kelantan to rest. The 78 year old MB Kelantan plans to show up at Bukit Jalil Stadium this evening to lend support for the Kelantan team in the Malaysia Cup Finals. If he is able to make it, then he would have amassed enough energy. It was told that if his health deteriorates as he rests in Rumah Kelantan, then he would have to be brought back to IJN for more treatment.

Petroleum or hydrocarbon is the most precious natural commodity in the modern world today. It is the bloodline of many communities, economies, countries, regions and even trading/economical/political bloc. Wars have been fought for the sourcing and control of the ‘black gold’. In Malaysia, it has been a political tool and agenda, especially now. Access and control of it will determine the political standing and clout.

Recently, the announcement of dishing out ‘Compassionate Payment’ (wang ehsan) to PAS controlled Kelantan is the hottest political issue for the week. For years, PAS has been asking Federal Government to dish out what they perceived as ‘royalty’ from the proceeds from the oil and gas extracted from fields off the coast of Kelantan.

Why Prime Minister VI Dato’ Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak announce this and now, it is still not clear. The Federal Government is dishing out the ‘Compassionate Payment’ to Kelantan via the various Federal Government agencies and not directly to PAS controlled Kelantan Government and/or their agencies.

The fact is that, Federal Government is not compelled to give any part of the earnings from oil and gas to any of the states, including Kelantan. The Petroleum Development Act does not provide such provisions but instead named Petroliam Nasional Berhad (Petronas) as the sole custodian to all matters pertaining oil and gas. As per reported, the agreement signed between the Petronas and Kelantan State Government dated 9 May 1975 still falls under the Petronas Development Act.

The state borders have been determined at lesser than three nautical miles from the shores. The international boundary is set at 12 nautical miles. The oil and gas fields of the Eastern Coast of Peninsular Malaysia is hundreds of kms from the shore. The drilling operations are actly carried out in Malaysian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which is 200 nautical miles (370  km radius) from the shore. Legally, that area should not be regarded as any part of any state. Hence, the right of claims made by the PAS Kelantan Government is invalid.

How the RM 1 billion demand was derived is still elusively unclear. If the amount is 5% of the ‘royalty’ from oil and gas extracted from Kelantan, it means that the oil and gas fields must have produced RM 20 billion worth of raw commodities.

Nineteen years under Opposition PAS control, Federal Government had not neglected Kelantan as per claimed by PAS. Social and economic development had been ongoing. Example is education. Not only MARA built another 3 MRSMs more, Kelantan now has it own university on top of the Kelantan branch of the UiTM and two polytechnics. Even the USM medical school and teaching hospital had been developed in Kubang Kerian.  It is a known fact that Kelantanese lead the admisision entrance into heavily subsidized IPTAs  and sponsored into IPTS.

The strength of retail as a tool to increase aggregate demand of the local economy is duly appreciated. To facilitate economic growth, Kelantan is the only state where Islamic and syariah compliant gold pawn system has been promoted and practiced. The Sultan Ismail International Airport also saw a brand new terminal. The petrochemical hub project in Pantai Senok, Bachok and fisherman wharf in Tok Bali, Pasir Putih are examples on how specific districts are being developed based on the suitable industry.

If PAS Kelantan controlled State Government has high hopes banking on the ‘royalty’ of oil and gas exploration as their ‘easy way’ but seemingly desperate attempt to generate income for the state coffers, then they would not go far with this bet. The truth is that, the oil and gas depository within Malaysia is actually depleting. Petronas is now extracting a little over 500,000 barrels day as compared to 650,000 barrels per day 10 years ago. This had been calculated to only another 8 years of productive explorations within existing fields. New fields is expected to be in deep waters and costlty. Petronas income from exploration is now at a 50:50 ratio between within Malaysia and abroad. If it is determined that the cost of production from these deep water deposits is high and demand for consumption is increasing, then it would not be too long that Malaysia becomes a net importer of oil as opposed to now, a net exporter.

Kelantan State Government should be examining their laws of prohibiting the transfer of land to non Kelantanese first. The liberalisation of land ownership and development restriction would be a catalyst for economic growth to spur and be generated. Recent commercial development projects within Kota Bahru illustrated the market sustainability for retail business is strong. Selangor has the history of how the state government, via PKNS manage to promote growth in new townships such as Shah Alam, Bangi, Klang, Kelana Jaya, Selayang and Ampang-Keramat since mid seventies.

The way forward for nation  alternative and renewable energy. Despite the quantum of oil and gas exploration has been reduced significantly, Federal Government is still subsidizing RM 15 billion worth of gas annually for domestic consumption. Power generation accounts 60% of this subsidy. It is time that a thorough and comprehensive review on oil and gas subsidy given for the domestic consumption, taking into consideration the hike of electricity tariff will affect the industry, cost of production and eventually household spending. The profitablity of TNB should also be considered.

It is doubtful that PAS could gain productive legal grounds on this ‘oil royalty’ demand even they take the matter to court. What it probably do is to capitalise the issue and earn political mileage, as a precursor to the 13th General Elections (13 GE), expected within the next 30 months. This will probably ensure PAS still manage to retain Kelantan despite UMNO’s ability to regenerate it under the helm of PM Dato’ Seri Najib with his ‘1 Malaysia’ agenda.

Kelantanese should accept the ‘Compassionate Payment’ and move on with the Federal Government agenda to develop the state and rakyat. In the final analysis, PAS is at their best to play politics and manipulate the sentiments through endless polemics. The ‘Compassionate Payment’ is a good issue to ride, at least to sustain their  existience into power by the 13 GE.

Perdana Menteri IV Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad hari ini menyatakan sokongan terhadap Sistem Satu Sekolah Untuk Semua (SSS) sebagai alat untuk merealisasikan agenda untuk menyemarakan perpaduan. Beliau juga menyelar golongan pendidik Cina yang disifatkan sebagai ‘chauvinis’ dan membelakangkan kepentingan negara dan usaha untuk menyatu padukan semua rakyat sebagai warga Malaysia.

Laporan Malaysiakini.com:

Dr M backs single-stream, slams Chinese educationists

 

Christine Chan
Nov 3, 09
6:24pm

Former premier Dr Mahathir today backed the proposal to introduce a single-stream school system in Malaysia, but lamented that the topic was still a taboo.

“You cannot even talk about it (merging the three school systems) in this country,” said the 84-year-old former premier, adding that the Chinese educationists were “vehemently” against the idea.

According to Mahathir at a press conference following the launch of an art exhibition by Raja Shahriman, he blamed the educationists for not wanting Chinese students to mix with Malay or Indian students.

“They must be Chinese first, not Malaysian,” he said.

Mahathir said that only Malaysia has the unique system of having different streams of education as other countries have only one stream despite having large migrant population. He cited United States, Canada and Australia as examples.

He also pointed out that even Switzerland, which has three official languages, has an education system which provides for students to learn all three languages in the same school.

“That is why I introduced the vision school (concept), which comprises three streams in one campus. That way, students of different races can at least meet each other,” he said.

However, he said that the system was rejected and that was the reason why Malaysians cannot achieve unity.

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

Apabila mengambil alih sebagai Perdana Menteri Malaysia VI Dato’ Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak telah melahirkan agenda ‘1 Malaysia’, untuk menyatukan semua rakyat Malaysia berlandaskan Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan prinsip Rukunegara. SSS merupakan alat terbaik untuk merealisasikan agenda ‘1 Malaysia’.

Pertubuhan Persatuan Sekolah Cina (Dong Jiao Zong) yang disifatkan setengah pihak sebagai Chauvinis Cina amat nyata dengan prinsip menolak SSS dan mengutamakan sekolah dalam bahasa ibunda. Ini jelas membelakangkan peruntukan Akta Perlajaran 1996 dalam Perlembagaan Persekutuan yang jelas menetapkan bahasa penghantar sekolah ialah Bahasa Melayu dan bahasa bahasa lain dibenarkan diajar sebagai subjek.

Ini juga selaras dalam Artikel 152, yang  memperuntukan:

Article 152

1. The national language shall be the Malay language and shall be in such script as Parliament may by law provide: Provided that-
   • (a) no person shall be prohibited or prevented from using (otherwise than for official purposes), or from teaching or learning, any other language; and
   • (b) nothing in this Clause shall prejudice the right of the Federal Government or of any State Government to preserve and sustain the use and study of the language of any other community in the Federation.

Tafsiran peruntukan ini bermaksud bahawa bahasa selain bahasa kebangsaan (Bahasa Melayu) dibenarkan diajar disekolah sekolah dan bukan dibenarkan pengunaan sebagai bahasa penghantar (dalam konteks ini, bahasa rasmi (otherwise than for official purposes), dimana bahasa penghantar dalam sekolah merupakan bahasa rasmi). Ini juga bermaksud, masyakarat Malaysia dibenarkan mengunakan bahasa ibunda mereka dalam masyakarat.

SSS sebenarnya telah berjaya dilaksanakan secara komprehensif dinegara lain, termasuk dimana penduduknya merupakan 75% etnik Cina. Oleh demikian, ianya tidak ada sebab kenapa SSS tidak boleh dijayakan secara komprehensif dalam negara ini juga. Cadangan asal SSS diutarakan Timbalan Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri Dato’ Mukhriz Mahathir semasa menjadi backbencher dalam tahun 2008, dimana sistem sekolah vernakular wajar dihapuskan.

Cadangan ini disokong oleh tokoh akademik dan sejarah Prof. Emeritus Tan Dri Khoo Kay Kim yang menegaskan bahawa sistem SSS merupakan pendekatan paling baik dan sesuai untuk perpaduan.

Laporan Utusan Malaysia:

Laksanakan sekolah satu aliran

Oleh ABDUL MUIN SAPIDIN
muin.sapidin@utusan.com.my

 BUKIT MERTAJAM 22 Okt. – Sekolah satu aliran wajar dilaksanakan bagi merealisasikan matlamat 1Malaysia, kata tokoh akademik tanah air, Prof. Emeritus Tan Sri Dr. Khoo Kay Kim.

 Sehubungan itu, beliau berkata, sistem pendidikan negara perlu disusun semula agar matlamat itu dapat dilaksanakan.

 Menurutnya, sekolah pelbagai aliran sekarang merupakan sistem peninggalan penjajah yang tidak mampu mewujudkan sebuah negara bangsa yang benar- benar bersatu padu.

 ”Sistem pendidikan sekarang tidak memerlukan sekolah pelbagai aliran kerana bahasa ibunda setiap kaum boleh dimasukkan sebagai sebahagian daripada kurikulum di dalam bilik darjah,” katanya.

 Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas menyampaikan ceramah umum bertajuk 1Malaysia: Cabaran dan Harapan sempena program Semarak Perpaduan dan Patriotisme Institut Pendidikan Guru Malaysia (IPGM) 2009 peringkat kebangsaan di sini hari ini.

 Beliau menjelaskan, sistem pendidikan sekarang menyebabkan rakyat sejak kecil lagi diasingkan mengikut aliran dan bahasa ibunda di sekolah masing-masing.

 Katanya, kesan daripada itu, golongan dewasa tidak dapat menghayati semangat perpaduan sejati serta persefahaman sukar dijalin kerana hidup dalam kelompok mengikut kaum selepas meninggalkan alam persekolahan.

 ”Isu bahasa ibunda sering dibangkitkan dalam sekolah satu aliran ini, tetapi itu bukan satu masalah kerana ia boleh diajar sebagai sebahagian daripada kurikulum di dalam bilik darjah,” katanya.

 Kay Kim juga berkata, pihak yang membantah kewujudan sekolah satu aliran perlu menilai semula sejauh mana sistem pendidikan ketika ini boleh membantu mengukuhkan pembentukan sebuah negara bangsa.

 Menurut beliau, sejarah menceritakan bagaimana penjajah British membenarkan penubuhan sekolah pelbagai bahasa di Tanah Melayu kerana kebanyakan pendatang pada ketika itu tidak mempunyai niat untuk menetap di negara ini.

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

Ramai pengkaji sejarah pendidikan berpendapat sistem sekolah vernakular kini sudah lapuk dan tidak menepati kerangka sistem fabrik sosial masyarakat Malaysia moden. Ini kerana sistem sekolah vernakular diujudkan penjajah British dalam abad ke 19 dan awal abad ke 20 bagi melengkapkan keperluan sistem sosial buruh immigran yang dibawa dari China dan India khusus untuk memenuhi keperluan pembangunan ekonomi semata mata. Berkemungkinan besar  sistem sekolah vernakular ini ialah sebagai dasar jangka serdehana. Prinsip asal sistem sekolah vernakular ialah agar buruh immigran ini mendapat pendidikan yang sama seperti tanah tumpah darah mereka agar satu hari nanti, anak keturunan mereka dapat kembali dan menyesuaikan diri dan assimilasi dengan mudah kepada tanah tumpah darah dan budaya asal mereka. Ini kerana penjajah British memberikan tumpuan kepada sistem pendidikan Inggeris dan mubaligh, yang lebih menepati keperluan mereka. Ini jelas dari dasar yang diterapkan oleh Richard O. Winstedt, yang lebih berminat untuk memberikan tumpuan sistem pendidikan yang mernagkumi masyarakat Melayu, majoriti penduduk Tanah Melayu awal abad ke 20.

Sekiranya Kepimpinan dan masyarakat Cina serious untuk menjayakan elemen perpaduan dalam agenda ‘1 Malaysia’, maka ianya wajar dimulaksan dari peringkat sekolah dan semua keturunan dan etnik  perlu melalui alam persekolahan satu sukatan. Agenda ‘1 Malaysia’ memerlukan pengorbanan dan sekiranya ada pihak amat tegar mempertahankan budaya tanah asal mereka melampaui kepentingan negara mereka sekarang, maka polemik bahasa penghantar sebagai modal politik akan sentiasa menjadi bahan untuk tidak menyatu padukan rakyat Malaysia sebagai proses pembinaan negara-bangsa.

Kesungguhan politik (political will) merupakan pendekatan paling berkesan untuk benar benarkan melaksanakan SSS bagi merealisasikan agenda perpaduan ‘1 Malaysia’, berlandaskan keperluan melaksanakan peruntukan Perlembagaan Persekutuan Malaysia dan prinsip Rukunegara.

*Notakaki

Kami diBigDogDotCom menjangkakan Chauvinis Cina Dong Jiao Ziong atau wakil mereka akan mengeluarkan kenyataan membidas Tun Dr Mahathir dan memajukan memorandum kepada Perdana Menteri VI Dato’ Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak mengenai isu ini sebagai menunjukan masyarakat Cna menolak cadangan ini, terutama setelah kenyataan “pendapat rakyat perlu diselidik untuk laksana SSS”.

More and more former close confidante of Anwar “Mat King Leather” Ibrahim making calls asking PKR President Wan Azizah to expel the ‘Drama King’ from the multiracial party. This time, it is Dato’ S. Nalla Karupan.

The Star has the story:

Tuesday November 3, 2009

Listen to Ezam and sack Anwar, Nalla tells Wan Azizah

KUALA LUMPUR: A former friend of PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to stop covering up her husband’s weaknesses.

Malaysian Indian United Party president Datuk K.S. Nallakarupan said the PKR president should take up former PKR Youth chief Ezam Mohd Nor’s challenge to sack her husband on moral grounds.

“She should put a stop to it,” he said.

“I agree with Ezam. Ezam knows Wan Azizah well. Other­wise, he would not be challenging her.”

Ezam had said that Wan Azizah was willing to cover up Anwar’s weaknesses for her family’s sake but at the expense of the party and the rakyat.

He reminded her that she had a responsibility to PKR.

He had also called on her to resign from the party if there was a conflict of interest and told Anwar to “stop hiding behind Wan Azizah’s skirt”.

“Wan Azizah should be given the best actress award for being able to play the same script for the past 12 years and people still believe her,” said Nallakarupan, adding that she knew everything that Anwar did.

“If she chooses to ignore Ezam’s challenge, the public can draw their own conclusion at the game the 3As (Anwar, Azizah and Azmin Ali, PKR vice-president) are playing,” he said, stressing that if she remained silent, he would eventually come forward and tell all.

Meanwhile, the father of Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who Anwar is accused of sodomising, has challenged him to face the charge without looking for excuses to delay the case.

Azlan Mohd Lazim said Anwar had been making statements, claiming that the case against him should be dropped because there was no evidence.

“If there was no evidence, why is he going up and down the court appealing and re-appealing for documents and DNA samples?” he asked.

The trial proper was to have begun on July 1 but it had been repeatedly postponed to dispose of, among others, applications to strike out the sodomy trial and to disqualify the entire prosecuting team.

The Court of Appeal will rule on Nov 6 if Anwar gets the documents and DNA samples that he claimed was crucial for his defence.

The sodomy trial and Anwar’s application to strike out the charge will be mentioned in the High Court today.

Azlan said he would not be surprised if Anwar pulled “more stunts” to delay the case.

He pointed out that even his lead counsel Sulaiman Abdullah had pulled out, citing health reasons, despite being seen attending to other cases in court.

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

Last week, former Anwar political secretary Ezam Md. Noor made the call. Ezam who went to jail for his conviction of supporting Anwar, recently described the latter’s relationship with PKR Vice President Azmin Ali as “bedroom community”, which now has escalated into a ‘Ketuanan Rakyat conspiracy’.

This serious internal infighting within PKR is already adversely affecting Pakatan Rakyat as a whole, particularly in Selangor where is the only state PKR is the Menteri Besar. Anwar, who is known to prefer Azmin Ali as the PKR MB for Selangor is thought to be in ‘collision’ with wife PKR President Wan Azizah, who appointed Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim instead. As is, MB Khalid is having a tough time in Selangor  with Azmin imminently clear ‘throwing spanner to the works’.

If this infighting within PKR escalating and his own personal problem of the second time sodomy trial crystalizing, one would expect Anwar “Anarchists Agent” Ibrahim would turn into the anarchy again (with the deployment of the Anwarista cyber-anarchists), as a tool to divert the rakyat’s attention to the real problem. He has successfully managed to stir up emotions of the rakyat over and over again in the past and anarchy has been the underlying premise of his carefully conceived ‘bizarre’ politics. Rakyat should be reminded of Anwar “Compulsive Liar” Ibrahim’s inability ‘to put to the money where his mouth is’, particularly with his promise that “31 BN MPs ready to ‘cross over’ and thus Pakatan Rakyat will form the Federal Government by 16 September 2008″.

For all intent and purpose, PKR’s only glimmer of hope to survive even this general election term is for partyless Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to be out of the multiracial party and life up to its prophecy to champion the rakyat’s cause for justice and equality. Obviously, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) would have to look up to another Leader, acceptable to Chinese Chauvinist party DAP and now what seemed to be ‘Pandemonic PAS’ and gell between the anti Malay/Islam, conservative ulamas, traditional Malay heartlanders and professional and pseudo-liberalist ‘Erdogans’. So far, PR has demonstrated little but ’strange bedfellows backstabbing each other’ in a ‘marriage of (in)convenience’.

So far not much could be desired from PR’s controlled states. In fact, Anwar as the PR defacto leader did not manage to convince the rakyat thoroughly these ’strange bedfellows’ could actually bring about much aspired changes and making the lives of rakyat being improved as compared to when they were under BN. What former abuse-of-power-convict Anwar Ibrahim’s leadership has demonstrated so far is ‘pandemonic primates’ and corrupt practices in exercising power in ‘new found wealth’ and abuse of power and positions. Of course, it is not without a series of PR elected assemblymen, namely Osman Jailu, Jamaluddin Radzi,  Hee Yit Fong, Fairus Khairuddin, Arumugam, Radzi Salleh and Badrul Hisham Abdullah leaving their struggle. PKR itself lost strong personalities such as Ezam Md. Noor, Nalla Karupan, Zaid Ibrahim, Jefrrey Kitingan and Christina Liew within the last 18 months.

Effectively, all of these issues have to be resolved within the next 24 to 30 months as Prime Minister VI Dato’ Seri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak slowly regaining the confidence, eventually the support of majority of Malaysians with his ‘1 Malaysia’ reforms and the rejuvenation and strengthening UMNO which inadvertently will positively affect the other BN component parties.

Recently, some of the world renown leading anti war and anti war criminal experts and activists met in Kuala Lumpur for the four day Kuala Lumpur Conference to Criminalise War Conference and Exhibition, which was followed by the Kuala Lumpur Criminalise War Commission meeting and Kuala Lumpur War Crime Tribunal presiding.

So much grounds gained from this event. Testimonies of people being taken by force against their will in a foreign country and then tortured by the Americans and British, which include in secret locations in another continent were presented. It was heart wrenching. Then event saw so many leading anti war ciminal activists acknowledged Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad’s work under the Perdana Global Peace Organisation to make war illegal and a crime and reprimand leaders who started war.

Then a pro-PM Dato’ Seri Najib Tun Razak blogger raised that Malaysia under Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad (then Fourth Prime Minister) and PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi (then Minister of Foreign Affairs) gave a nation’s award to Chilean Military Leader General Augusto Ramon Pinonchet, back in 1995. For the record, General Pinochet was the President of Chile from 1973-1990.

The argument put forth is that General Pinochet staged a coup d’etat in 1973 and arrested and tortured thousands of Chilean in their own prison.

The fact is that, General Pinochet was a Leader of Chile, who was a friend to Malaysia. Chile has had a continuous good diplomatic and economic relationship with Malaysia and an important friend in South America. In fact in 1992, Tun Dr. Mahathir then as the Prime Minister made a state visit Chile in a tour of South America. Chile, under General Pinochet did not wage an illegal war against another country. Nor did they they illegally extracted non Chileans in another country and prison and torture them in Chilean prisons or any prisons outside Chile manned by Chilean soldiers and military intelligence.

As far as Malaysia is concerned, Chile handled her own domestic issues. Malaysia has had a policy on non intervention into other country’s domestic issues. Same reason why Malaysia abstained entirely from the issue when Chinese military closed in on the Tiananmen Square protesters  and more than 2,600 non combatants were killed on the fatefully June 1989  Beijing incident. It is also reflected in the Tamil separatists insurgence against Sri Lanka.

It was a vast difference from what US Presiden George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair did. Bush and Blair waged an illegal war against Afghanistan and later Iraq and merciless extracted non Americans and British out of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq and take them to Guantanamo Bay and torture them. This has been going on for years and even a boy of 12 was subjected to this inhumanity. Until today, US and British troops are still carrying military operations that kill non combatant Afghans, including women, children, physically challenged and old people. Worse of all, they use weapons such as depleted uranium shell and chemical warfare in the military operations.

That is an act of an illegal war!

On that note, Chile never got around reprimanding General Pinochet for his crimes against the Chilean people (when they had all the opportunities). General Pinochet was even made a Senator and the Chilean Congress ammended their Consititution to acknowledge ‘ex-presidents’. He eventually died in a military hospital. Even Chilean military gave him a Commander in Chief’s funeral in full military honours (usually accorded to either a Statesman or War Hero), drapped in the Chilean flag and flags flew half mast across the nation. Hundred of thousand Chileans mourned his passing.

Most probably if had the Chileans reprimanded General Pinochet as a criminal before 1995, one would not  think that Malaysia would accord him with any awards. In 1995, Chile, Chileans and General Pinochet are friends to Malaysia. They still are. Same as China, Chinese and Chinese Leaders such as Deng Xiaopeng, Li Peng, Jiao Zemin, Zhao Ziyang, Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao.

*Updated Monday 2 November 2009 330pm

As of noon today, blogger Barking Magpie took out his posting “Under Mahathir, Malaysia gave the highest military award to a mass murdered?! So how!”, almost 17 hours after BigDogDotCom came out with this posting. Unfortunately, the reference of this article has now become invalid.