Contra voluntatemque maioris

It is obvious the liberals is grossly disrespectful of the aspiration and the will of majority, despite through democratic means and obtaining unanimous support from an augur house of a legislative chamber.

The pro-Anwarista story:

Hudud laws will signal Malaysia has abandoned moderation, says G25

Published: 25 March 2015 12:52 PM

Datuk Noor Farida Ariffin is the spokesperson for the group of eminent Malays. The group says that no state in Malaysia can currently satisfy the pre-conditions needed before implementing hudud law. – The Malaysian Insider pic, March 14, 2015.

Malaysia will send a signal to the world that it has abandoned moderation should the PAS-led Kelantan government be allowed to enforce hudud in the state, said the G25, a group of retired high-ranking Malay civil servants who want a rational discourse on Islam.

The group said Malaysia would be seen as a country governed by religious laws that were subjected to the interpretation of clerics, and urged Putrajaya to protect the Federal Constitution as the country’s supreme law.

“Since Independence, this country has chosen the path of moderation. The prime minister has continued to steer the government along this path and has launched the Global Movement of Moderates to show to the world that the country is committed to the principle of moderation.

“The imposition of PAS’s hudud laws will signify to the world that Malaysia has abandoned the moderate path. We will be seen as a country governed by religious laws which are subjected to the vagaries of interpretation of the ulama who are also fallible human beings,” G25 said in a statement.
The group said that a multiracial country with an open economy like Malaysia could not afford to alter the secular character of its Constitution to allow for the implementation of PAS’s hudud enactment.

G25 added that it supported Dr Chandra Muzaffar’s view that the Federal Constitution was not un-Islamic, and said any attempt to amend the Constitution to allow hudud’s implementation would violate the Malaysia Agreement.

It also raised doubts as to whether Kelantan’s hudud law, as detailed in the Kelantan Shariah Criminal Code (11) Enactment, 1993 (Amendment 2015) would succeed in upholding justice, given the diversity of juristic interpretations of the law.

G25 added that the Kelantan government was pushing for hudud without even having met the conditions required for its implementation, as outlined by Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the Chairman of the World Union of Muslim Scholars.

Al-Qaradawi had said that a society must ensure the economic needs of the people were met, employment opportunities were provided for all, and poverty was eradicated before hudud could be enforced, said G25.

“In light of the above elucidation by Sheikh Qaradawi, can any state in Malaysia claim to have satisfied the pre-conditions in order to allow for the implementation of Hudud?” said G25.

The group also cited Islamic scholar Professor Hashim Kamali, who analysed PAS’s original 1993 enactment and found that it “failed to be reflective either of the balanced outlook of the Quran or of the social conditions and realities of contemporary Malaysian society”.

Hashim, who heads the Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies (IAIS), also said, “the Hudud Bill exhibited no attempt to exercise Ijtihad (creative thought) over new issues such that would fulfil the ideals of justice and to encourage the development of a judicious social policy.”

G25 said that a perusal of the 2015 hudud enactment revealed it continued to emphasise punishment rather than repentance and rehabilitation as espoused in the Quran.

“Many other prominent Muslim scholars such as S.A.A. Maududi, Salim el-Awa, Muhamad al-Ghazali, Mustafa al-Zarqa and Cherif Bassiouni have opined that the application of hudud as an isolated case without providing the necessary context and environment is not only unrealistic, but is more likely to induce the opposite result and frustrate, rather than satisfy, the Islamic vision of justice and fair play.

“In addition, they emphasise that the Hadith, as recorded in Sahih Al-Bukhari, and which is also a legal maxim, provides that Hudud must be suspended in doubtful situations,” said G25.

PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang is seeking to table a private member’s bill in Parliament during the current sitting ending April 9, which, if passed, would allow the Kelantan government to enforce hudud in the state.

The bill is to amend the Shariah Courts Act (Criminal Jurisdiction) 1965, which limits the power of the Shariah courts to a maximum penalty of RM5,000 in fine, three years’ jail and six strokes of the rotan.

An amendment is required in this law to enable Kelantan to carry out hudud law, after the state assembly on Thursday unanimously passed the Shariah Criminal Code II Enactment 1993 (Amendment 2015).

If tabled in Parliament, Hadi’s private member’s bill only needs the support of 112 MPs, or a simple majority, for it to be passed if the full house of 222 MPs are sitting.

Barisan Nasional (BN) has yet to issue an official statement in support of hudud, while BN Back Benchers Club chief Tan Sri Shahrir Samad said the 87 Muslim Umno MPs and 10 Muslim PBB MPs may vote based on their conscience.

However, Umno MP Datuk Nur Jazlan has already stated he will not support the enforcement of hudud, while Padang Rengas MP Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz became the first minister from the party to dismiss attempts to implement hudud in Malaysia, saying such talk was “stupid” as it could never legally happen.

De facto law minister Nancy Shukri yesterday, similarly dismissed the chance of hudud being implemented in Kelantan, saying the private member’s bill on the issue will not get a single vote from Sarawak lawmakers in Parliament. – March 25, 2015.

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It is an utter shameful statement by former Ambassador Noor Farida Ariffin representing the so-called ’eminent educated and liberal Malays’ G-25, when such opinion are put forth publicly.

It is doubtful that these really exclusive club of has-been Malays tried to properly present their case on Hudud to any of the 45 Kelantan State Assemblymen before it was tabled, debated and voted last week. Hudud was not something that came out of the blue but instead was given a lot of hype, even through mainstream media well ahead before last week.

That would be the proper ‘moderate persons’ manner of addressing an issue, especially when it was brought before a legislative chamber to be tabled, debated and later decided by members voting the Bill.

Instead, they did not and now they resort to attack the unanimous decision by Kelantan State Assembly which such statements.

Uninamous decision by the Kelantan State Assembly means that all 45 Yang Berhormats agreed and voted with the Bill. During the debate, none of the State Assemblymen who are democratically elected by the people of Kelantan on 8 May 2013 13GE spoke against it.

It is regretful that Noor Farida who served the nation in the field of international diplomacy and trained professionally to hold decorum resorted to invoking personal opinion against a lawful decision undertaken by a State Assembly, just because it didn’t go her way.

If persons like her refused to address any issue the proper way through proper channel which include engagement before a draft was even tabled in a legislative chamber, she should claim to be ‘moderate’. Probably ‘spoilt’ is more appropriate, if not ‘radical’.

Single out the tree from the woods

The Chinese Chauvinist DAP leaders are able to single out a tree from the woods when they refuse to work with PAS President Dato’ Seri Hj. Hadi Awang but remained as part of the Opposition lose coalition of unholy-marriage-0f-inconvenience-between-backstabbing-strage-bedfellows Pakatan Rakyat,

Pro-Anwarista news portal story:

DAP stays in Pakatan but ends ties with PAS’s Hadi

Published: 24 March 2015 10:52 AM

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng says DAP has decided yesterday to end ties and cease to work with PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang. – Pic courtesy of DAP, March 24, 2015.

DAP says today it will end all ties with PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, a move which puts the opposition pact, Pakatan Rakyat, in limbo.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the DAP central executive committee meeting last night had decided to “end ties and cease to work” with Hadi although it remained committed to PR. The party will discuss the pact’s future with PKR.

“DAP is unable to work with a PAS president like Hadi Awang who persists in such dishonest and dishonourable acts,” Lim said in a statement today.

“As Hadi is the PAS leader in PR, DAP’s decision to end all ties with Hadi will effectively put the PR leadership council in limbo. DAP will meet the PKR leadership to discuss the future course of PR,” he said.
Explaining the party’s reasons for ending ties with Hadi, Lim said he had first, betrayed the collective decision made by the PR leadership council on the nomination of PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail last year as the sole candidate as the new Selangor menteri besar after Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim was sacked from PKR.

Lim said Hadi’s betrayal, by unilaterally nominating three PAS assemblymen instead, had “resulted in a full-blown and protracted crisis” that threatened to bring down the PR Selangor government.

Hadi had also failed to honour his own words at the leadership council meeting on February 8, where it was agreed that Kelantan PAS’s hudud bill to amend the state’s Shariah Criminal Code Enactment II (1993) would first be discussed by all three PR party leaders, before it was tabled in the legislative assembly.

And third, Lim said Hadi had gone ahead to submit a private member’s bill on March 18 to Parliament without presenting it first to the PAS central committee and to the PR leadership council.

Lim said these actions showed that Hadi was “cooperating with Umno to violate this spirit of consensus as well as the common policy framework”, actions which he said jeopardised the opposition pact.

Affirming DAP’s commitment to PR, Lim also stressed that the party’s 37 federal lawmakers would oppose Hadi’s private member’s bill should it be raised in Parliament.

Lim also reminded Prime Minister Datuk Seri Naji Razak to make a clear stand whether Barisan Nasional (BN) opposed or supported Kelantan’s hudud enactment, and whether the prime minister supported Hadi’s private member’s bill.

The DAP leader said it was Umno who had instigated PAS to push for hudud law in Kelantan by promising federal government support.

The Kelantan legislature unanimously passed the amendments to the state’s hudud enactment on March 19.

DAP and PKR cried foul, saying the amendments were more than just a few changes as PAS initially promised, and were in fact a new law.

Lim said Najib must also explain why Umno’s 12 assemblymen in the Kelantan assembly had voted in support of hudud.

PAS’s insistence on hudud almost became a catalyst for PR to split but some have said that breaking up the opposition would only serve BN’s agenda. – March 24, 2015.

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How is that possible, to recluse Hadi but continue to work with PAS?

Hadi is a democratically elected PAS President and the last time anyone checked, he had grassroots support amongst PAS members across the nation.

This is politics par excellence because it is a really lame mime act, to be dramatised in the next act of a dying thread of political play which should have stopped the day the curtain was raised.

The fact still remain that the Opposition Coalition is cracking into splinters but some leaders are trying to Uhu-it, so that it remained to be perceived as ‘intact’ amongst the anti-BN hopefuls and aspirants.

The Chinese Chauvinist DAP like it or not is still very much dependent on PAS to canvass for Malay support and votes, especially in seats like Gelang Patah.

Especially now that PKR is already deadish after the migration and expulsion of strategic leaders such as Khalid Ibrahim, Ezam Md Noor, Lokman Noor Adam, Zainur Zakaria, Salehuddin Hashim and many others who through the past 15 years abandoned the futile struggle based purely on one’s personal problems and desires. Most importantly, now the Anwar Ibrahim being incarcerated.

The 21 Dewan Rakyat seats held by PAS is still substantial even though DAP is holding 38 seats. This because DAP have limited number of constituency left to venture into, since they have already got all the Chinese majority and most of the mixed-ethnic seats.

Singling the tree out of the woods is about Chinese Chauvinist DAP leaders hoodwinking the Non Malays, especially the Chinese who are very uneasy with the unanimous newly enacted Hudud Law in Kelantan.

Dirgahayu Tuanku

 

Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar is now the fifth Sultan of modern Johor Sultanate.

The Star story, based on Bernama original posting:

Published: Monday March 23, 2015 MYT 10:34:00 AM
Updated: Monday March 23, 2015 MYT 12:42:50 PM

Sultan Ibrahim crowned fifth Ruler of modern Johor

 

Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar being crowned by state mufti Datuk Mohd Tahrir Samsudin

JOHOR BARU: Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar was crowned the fifth sultan of modern Johor with pomp and pageantry at the Istana Besar here on Monday.

Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah was also crowned, at the same ceremony, as the Permaisuri of Johor, a title used for the first time in the state.

The ceremony, which was aired live over RTM and TV3 and beamed to a large screen at Dataran Bandaraya, was witnessed by thousands of people in Johor and the rest of the country.

The ceremony was also witnessed by Sultan Ibrahim’s mother Enche Besar Hajah Khalsom Abdullah; the sultan’s elder sister Johor Tunku Puteri Tunku Kamariah Sultan Iskandar and the sultan’s younger sister Tunku Besar Zabedah Sultan Iskandar.

The Tunku Mahkota of Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and Che Puan Khaleeda Bustamam as well as the other children of Sultan Ibrahim also witnessed the historic ceremony. – Bernama

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

The elaborate majestic event was almost the same one his grandfather, Almarhum Sultan Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim had city fives years ago. His late father, Almarhum Sultan Iskandar Ibni Sultan Ismail chose not to have a coronation when he ascended the Johor throne thirty four years ago.

The full event which was covered by most TV stations, has been made available online by Jabatan Penerangan.

The most interesting bit about this coronation is that Sultan Johor is the only Ruler out of the nine Malay Rulers who is crowned with a crown, instead of a tanjak. The State Crown was actually designed in 1886 by jeweller J.W.Benson in London and was enhanced with more diamonds and rare gems by Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim in 1925.

The ripple that avalanched

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. Academician Daddy should not be complaining about the adverse reactions towards his daughter’s Aisyah Tajudin below the belt stunt, because probably he was indirectly part of the problem.

The Malay Mail story:

After threats to BFM presenter, father asks what has become of Malaysia

Friday March 20, 2015
08:32 PM GMT+8

 

 

KUALA LUMPUR, March 20 — The father of a radio presenter who was harassed over a video critical of hudud today asked if Malaysia remained a safe place to reside if simply expressing opposing views attracted such threats as rape and even death.

Noting that most of the threats appeared to originate from Malays, Professor Dr Mohamad Tajuddin Mohamad Rasdi asked how such a culture of hostility came to exist, questioning if it is rooted in the flaws of the country’s leadership or education.

“Is this country safe for our children to live in? If a simple point of view is raised against such an issue as hudud or even such an issue as democracy and clean elections can produce outbursts of murder, rape and burning people alive, what does it say about our country, its citizens and our leadership? Where did this culture come from?” Mohamad Tajudin said in letter published by news portal The Malaysian Insider.

“I have noticed that the ones making threats of this nature come from mostly Malays who I assume are Muslim. Where did we, as a nation go wrong in educating these Malays? What are we teaching in our secondary schools? More importantly are our public universities producing people of such culture?”

He expressed hope that none of those who issued the threats were products of Malaysia’s public universities, else they reflected poorly on vice-chancellors of such institutions.

“Yes, they are passable engineers and architects but are they barely passable Malaysian citizens, or passable Muslims or worse are they even passable human beings with a humane conscience? ‘Apa sudah jadi?’” he added.

Despite his anger over the incident Mohamad Tajudin said he was prepared to forgive Aisyah’s detractors, claiming that it was the society that created those blinded by rage.

Aisyah received the threats on various online platforms after a video titled “Hudud Isi Periuk Nasi? [Kupas] (Does hudud fill our rice bowls?)” was uploaded on the business radio station’s website and YouTube channel yesterday.

In it, she points out that even as Kelantan is attempting to implement hudud, the east coast state is facing other problems like its homeless flood victims, as well as increasing drug and divorce cases.

Users also urged the authorities to take action against Aisyah, accusing her of insulting Islam.

BFM later removed the video and apologised for any offence caused.

Kelantan, administered by Islamist party PAS, passed amendments to the Shariah Criminal Code II 1993 yesterday in a bid to enforce hudud law in the state ― despite fierce opposition from its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) allies, the DAP and PKR.

PAS is expected to table private members’ bills in Parliament to remove legal roadblocks in the implementation of the Islamic penal code that punishes apostasy with the death penalty and theft with the amputation of limbs.

– See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/after-threats-to-bfm-presenter-father-asks-what-has-become-of-malaysia#sthash.Ds8LROh1.dpuf

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It is obvious that Tajudin as an academician failed to impart the concept of ‘respecting others’, especially when this democratic right is made via the legal process of democracy.

It is unsure that as someone who is supposed to be learned, he should have stressed the fact that the bill was tabled, debated and voted by all Kelantan State Assembly representatives.

Tajudin of all should be very aware that globally of late, making a mockery if not making insulting statements out of something adherence in Islam received very adverse reaction.

It may not be universally acceptable but then again, why stir the storm by make these statements which knowingly will definitely draw anger if not physical reaction even by certain quarters. Even as a parody.

Tajudin is trying to rationalise that it is alright to slight and insult an enactment which was unanimously passed by Kelantan State Assembly, without the consequence of Newton’s third law?

Those who desire a ‘Moderate World By and With Muslims’ must also practice ‘moderation’ towards the majority Muslims.

If any of them are trying to be funny with all these values they try to impose onto others, then they must make extra effort to understand the values, principles and philosophy if not interpretation of faith on what these Muslim majority have been holding onto close to their hearts, generations after generations.

Tajudin also must be mindful that in the advancement of communication, ‘small and little talk’ go a long way especially when it is in the public domain. Obviously, it would strike much more nerves that one first imagined that it would provoked.

Crossing the liberium

Unless their understanding of matters pertaining to Islam is deep and wholesome, then liberal Malay-Muslims should be more intelligent in their sordid quest to win in arguments instead of using mockery and cynicism.

It is very low to bring irrelevant issues like socio-economic standing in an attempt to be thought-provoking challenging the wisdom and duty to implement what is all along Islam’s principle and philosophy of justice and recourse against crime.

Failed politician Zaid Ibrahim’s statement, reported by the oldest English daily:

Lazy, stupid’ Malaysians turning to religious laws, says Zaid

Thursday March 19, 2015
07:29 PM GMT+8

KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — Former minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim chided Malaysians today for becoming a “lazy, stupid and greedy” nation that is now prepared to let religious laws govern life.

Comparing Malaysia with his recent experience in neighbouring Vietnam, Zaid said this penchant for an easy fix has made Malaysians fascinated with religious laws that they think can somehow be a perfect panacea for the country’s many problems.

“We have had no such periods of difficulty and life was never that hard for us… This benign state of affairs, however, has proven to be a curse because it has made us lazy, stupid and greedy!” the former law minister wrote in his blog.

According to Zaid, Malaysians live in a world of fantasy, believing that the country’s wealth will never run out and political leaders never need to be held accountable.

“Lately, we have even become too lazy to think of all our problems, and we can’t be bothered to contemplate the potentially painful solutions we need to fix them,” said Zaid.

“We want easy answers for everything, which explains our newfound fascination for God’s laws. We want religious laws to regulate our lives and believe that, somehow, using God’s laws will make everything perfect.”

Zaid claimed that this fantasy manifested itself, among others, in the Malays’ purported belief that holy men should be their leaders, and moral policing would lead to honourable and corruption-free lives.

“We fantasise that moralising is government business, and to gratify ourselves with a sense of power we believe that others are always less perfect than we are,” he added.

“We think it’s harmless to divide and rule the people as we have done since Independence, and that we can dispense with having national unity or a national identity.”

The Kelantan state legislative assembly today passed amendments to the Shariah Criminal Code II 1993 to pave the way for the controversial implementation of hudud laws in the state.

Zaid is a staunch critic of hudud, with his column in English daily The Star today warning PAS that voters will punish it in the next general election for its insistence on pushing through its hudud plans in Kelantan.

The former Kota Baru MP also said that the Islamist party is desperate to remain relevant among voters, particularly in Kelantan, following the demise of the party’s spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat who wielded great influence in the Pakatan Rakyat ally.

– See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/lazy-stupid-malaysians-turning-to-religious-laws-says-zaid#sthash.0IosbS5c.dpuf

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Zaid, Aisyah and the like-minded Malay-Muslim liberals should be mindful that the Hudud Enactment which passed unanimously yesterday was tabled as a bill, debated and voted just like any law within any of the legislative chamber in Malaysia.

Or for that matter, it is the same process adopted by any Commonwealth nation which upholds the practice of democracy and Westminster-styled Parliamentary system.

What ever their hang ups against it, it was supposed to be brought into the forum in the augur house by any of the Kelantan Assembly representatives.

In reality, that did not happen. Either they did not try or could not get any of the Kelantan State Assembly YBs to voice it up when the bill was tabled and debated. Even the one who represented PKR, a party which supposedly carry the liberals’ aspiration of their interpretation of ‘justice’.

It is obvious liberals do not respect the principles of democracy, like how they falsely represent themselves to champion the vox populi.

They conveniently use their ‘for principles of democracy’ when it serves their intent and purpose. However, when democratically elected Kelantan State Assembly representatives unanimously voted for the Hudud Enactment Bill, they throw below the belt potshots.

How can the liberals be taken seriously when they behave like uneducated, under-loved, poorly brought up and intolerable spoilt-social-misfits, whenever their aspirations are crossed. Worse still, by the wish of the majority.

This is a trait of nothing but political anarchists.

Pointing towards dementia

Where Ku Li when Gua Musang was cut off from the massive floods late 2014? Was he part of the rescue and supplies effort to relieve his own constituent?

Disgruntled and multiple-times recycled out-dated politician Tengku Razaleigh should be reminded how he was elected as an MP, right from the start till the last GE before making rhetorical speeches to affirm his standing as a spent-bullet.

Pro-Anwarista news portal:

Whom do you serve, Ku Li asks MPs

BY EILEEN NG

Published: 17 March 2015 1:43 PM
Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah urged his fellow MPs today to decide whether they were willing to give up their powers to “forces” outside Parliament by putting party interests first in their decisions, or remember their pledge to serve the people.

Malaysia’s longest-serving federal lawmaker said this was because the power of Parliament had shifted to the leadership of political parties, a development that he termed as “outside the Constitution”.

He said it was also against the provisions of the Constitution and did not reflect a constitutional democracy.

“All elected reps have to make a decision if they want to fulfil the pledge they made when they were first elected as a member of this Dewan or if they are willing to relinquish their right to powers outside the Dewan Rakyat.
“The decision has to be a fundamental decision for the people. It is a historic decision if they want to serve and bow to the needs of the people or if they want to be with the party leadership,” he said when debating the royal address in Parliament today.

The Umno Gua Musang MP said parliamentarians should make their decisions based on their conscience.

He said this meant being brave to accept or reject suggestions in the interest of Malaysians the MPs represented, although it might mean going against the wishes of their respective parties.

“In the meantime, we also need to act as a group and as a team to offer ourselves to uphold the sovereignty of the people as well as voters,” said the lawmaker who is also known as Ku Li.

He added that the Parliament is the institution responsible for the wellbeing of the country and its citizens.

As members of Parliament, federal lawmakers have taken an oath to serve the country as well as uphold the Federal Constitution in the interest of the people.

“Let me remind you the pledge is not for any parties or their leaders,” he added.

Ku Li said the country is now faced with an unprecedented situation where its economy and institutions responsible to uphold the rule of law and parliamentary democracy had eroded, while national unity was on the decline.

He said this had caused a crisis which has seeped into the grassroots, causing economic and political gridlock.

“This situation presents an opportunity to the Dewan Rakyat to play an important role in the nation’s development. No other institution, be it political or non-political, can overcome this gridlock apart from the members of the House,” he added. – March 17, 2015.

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The Gua Musang MP since 1974 and the founding and only President of defunct Parti Semangat 46 did contest and win all the General Elections (GE) he participated under parties, not on his own name and as an independent entity.

It is unfair for Ku Li to make the rhetoric call and ask MPs to decide based on the perceived perception of some part of the rakyat they represent. Conveniently, that would ignore the fact that the party which propped any candidate all the way even after becoming an MP, does represent the majority of the constituency.

The fact is that Ku Li no longer speak on behalf even representing a fraction of the minority.

Historically, he failed in the race as UMNO Deputy President twice (1981 & 1984) and nearly missed trying to topple then Dato’ Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in the nail-biting “Team B challenging Team A” April 1987 party elections.

Consequently, he and some of his Team B mates (which include PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and former KKMM Minister Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim, Ph.D) sponsored twelve UMNO members to challenge the AGM. The outcome saw Kuala Lumpur High Court declared UMNO deregistered on 4 Feb 1988.

After failing to re-register UMNO as ‘UMNO 46’, Ku Li & Co. formed Semangat 46 which almost fragmented the Malays in half. His coalition with PAS, DAP and PBS under Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah was confident to topple BN in the November 1990 VIII GE.

The April 1995 IV GE saw Ku Li & Co, even with the coalition with DAP and PAS fail to unseat BN as the Federal Government. Hence, in 1996 he managed to convince his Semangat 46 posse to disband the Malay party and rejoin UMNO.

The face and impression of a politician in the same mindset, the past forty years

All the way when Ku Li contested his first GE in 1969 as a DUN candidate in Kelantan, he has been riding a party ticket. Unlike Tan Sri Shahrir Samad, Ku Li never contested and won any elections even bi-election on his own name as an independent entity.

Without doubt at 78 years old, Ku Li is the oldest MP if not Parliamentarian (taking the Dewan Negara into consideration as well). If Ku Li is still talking about rhetorics and ‘political romances’ of the past, then probably he is demonstrating signs of old age mind dysfunction.

One interesting point to note that since last year, there was this sporadic rumour that Ku Li is projecting himself as a worthily replacement to bind all the Opposition MPs if and when Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is incapacitated, probably for incarceration.

Rumours rife about him actively going around the country, particularly Sabah and Sarawak to instigate towards how the Federal Government has been depriving them from the consolidated revenues.

It is not sure how the Opposition politicians responded to this. However, it would not augur well with the growing young Malaysians who are getting into the eligibility as a voter. It is taking the consideration of his age if not his thought process, which is so obsolete and diverse from the expanding biggest stakeholders.

Regardless, he is way out of date and relevance.

Body languages

They say a picture paints a thousand words and body language tells much more than words could say.

So many persons are attempting to paint the picture that Fourth Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak are having a very rough relationship and the former is against the latter’s leadership.

Probably they would not remember how Tun Dr. Mahathir demonstrated his body language to PM ‘Flip-Flop’ Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in public, when the latter was serving the shortest tenure as a Malaysian Prime Minister..

Or at the Merdeka Day parade in Georgetown on 31 August 1998, in front of the world. That was something not many can forget.

The two leaders are still with each other. The nation would be the end loser if the two are succesfully wedged, for some subliminal personal and narrow agenda.

*Photos are from the closing ceremony of LeTour De Langkawi bicycle race

Siapa dalam Dewan (Rakyat) ini nak suarakan suara mangsa?

The banter in Dewan Rakyat yesterday between BN phalanx MP Azalina Othman Said and compulsive lying PKR VP Nurul Izzah Anwar.

The pioneer Puteri UMNO Head also asked the Lembah Pantai MP, who is eldest daughter of Opposition Leader and Sodomy Convict Anwar Ibrahim to plead her father to repent for his sins and despicable crime.

The Penggerang MP also sternly pointed in her address to the augur house that the PKR leader shouldn’t be politicising the case which was unanimously decided by the Apex Court and attacking the sanctity of the Federal Court and Judiciary.

Nurul Izzah used the immunity as an MP in the Dewan Rakyat to voraciously attack the Judiciary being lackey to political masters.

She also used the opportunity as the MP and an elected representative to utilise the address to thank His Majesty Seri Paduka Yang DiPertuan Agong and the immunity privilege to continue her father’s dead political agenda based on a forgone lost public support, sugarcoating lies on top of series of lies.

Better late than never

Settling debts is noble despite it is late. War bonds raised for the ‘Great War’ almost a hundred years ago was finally paid, yesterday.

London Evening Standard:

UK debt from First World War finally repaid

Debt repaid: a poppy installation at the Tower of London to commemorate the centenary of the First World War last year (Picture: Getty)

STANDARD REPORTER
Published: 09 March 2015 Updated: 12:44, 09 March 2015
Britain’s outstanding First World War debt has finally been repaid after the Chancellor redeemed £1.9billion from a bond.

The 3.5% War Loan was the most widely held of any UK Government bond with more than 120,000 holders, or 60% of all holdings of government gilts.

It comes as the Government looks to remove all other undated gilts in its portfolio, some of which have origins going back to the 18th century.

About 97,000 of these investors held less than £1,000 and almost 38,000 holders owned less than £100, according to the Treasury.

The 3.5% War Loan was issued in 1932 by the then-chancellor Neville Chamberlain in exchange for the 5% War Loan 1929-47, which was issued in 1917 as part of the effort to raise money to pay for the First World War.

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The Debt Management Office estimates that Britain has paid some £5.5 billion in total interest on the 5% and 3.5% war loans since 1917.

Current low interest rates mean the Government is able to refinance the debt with new bonds.

The Treasury is also looking to remove all six of the other remaining undated gilts in its portfolio, including some debt originally issued in the era of the South Sea Bubble in the 18th century.

The plan to repay the First World War debt was announced in December, when Chancellor George Osborne said: “We can, at last, pay off the debts Britain incurred to fight the First World War.

“It is a sign of our fiscal credibility and it’s a good deal for this generation of taxpayers. It’s also another fitting way to remember that extraordinary sacrifice of the past.”

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Imagine the war bonds and promisories  for World War II and the two Gulf Wars. The future generation of a great nation is eternally debated for the politics of previous leaders, who defined the “Britannia shall rule the waves” maxim.

Muhyiddin: Ketua Audit Negara wajar semak 1MDB

Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd. Yassin menyokong penuh saranan agar Ketua Audit Negara menyemak secara telus dan menyeluruh semua kedudukan kewangan, asset dan liabiliti, kegiatan, transaksi dan kommitmen 1MDB, agar segala tohmahan dan andaian dapat di jawab secara muktamad.

Kenyataan Muhyiddin:

KENYATAAN AKHBAR YAB TIMBALAN PERDANA MENTERI BERHUBUNG ISU 1MDB 6 MAC 2015

Dalam mesyuarat Jemaah Menteri pada 4 Mac 2015, Jemaah Menteri telah diberikan taklimat oleh 1MDB dan firma auditnya Deloitte berhubung beberapa dakwaan yang dibuat terhadap dana pelaburan strategik itu. Saya menyambut baik arahan YAB Perdana Menteri supaya Ketua Audit Negara mengesahkan secara bebas akaun 1MDB yang mana laporannya akan diserahkan kepada Jawatankuasa Kira-Kira Wang Negara untuk penelitian lanjut.

Saya berpandangan Ketua Audit Negara wajar mengaudit akaun 1MDB secara telus, bebas dan menyeluruh dengan meneliti akaun 1MDB sejak awal penubuhannya.

Ini kerana beberapa tuduhan penyelewengan yang dilemparkan terhadap dana pelaburan strategik itu adalah berhubung urusniaga yang dibuat sejak tahun 2009 yang tidak termasuk dalam tahun kewangan 2013 yang diaudit oleh firma Deloitte.

Ini termasuk tuduhan berlakunya penyelewengan dalam usahasama antara 1MDB dan PetroSaudi International seperti yang ditimbulkan oleh beberapa portal berita. Saya percaya pengauditan yang telus, bebas dan menyeluruh adalah penting untuk membersihkan nama dana pelaburan strategik milik kerajaan itu daripada sebarang tuduhan penyelewengan dan salah laku.

Oleh kerana dakwaan terhadap 1MDB melibatkan urusniaga korporat yang agak kompleks serta menyentuh kepentingan negara dan kerajaan, Ketua Audit Negara mestilah diberikan sokongan sumber, kepakaran dan tempoh masa yang tidak terlalu lama untuk menyiapkan satu laporan yang lengkap dan komprehensif. Ini penting untuk memulihkan reputasi 1MDB dan mengembalikan keyakinan pelabur.

Audit forensik hendaklah dilaksanakan untuk menentukan tiada penyelewengan kewangan berlaku dalam urusniaga 1MDB. Pada masa yang sama, Jawatankuasa Kira-Kira Wang Negara juga boleh memulakan siasatannya sendiri tanpa perlu menunggu Laporan Ketua Audit Negara disiapkan.

1MDB mesti memandang serius semua dakwaan yang dilemparkan terhadapnya terutama di media sosial. Untuk membersihkan nama 1MDB, tindakan undang–undang hendaklah diambil terhadap sesiapa sahaja yang melemparkan tuduhan tidak berasas.

Lembaga Pengarah 1MDB juga perlu mengambil tanggungjawab bersama dan bersedia menghadapi tindakan undang-undang sekiranya hasil siasatan mendapati terdapat kecuaian atau penyelewengan dalam urusniaga 1MDB.

Lembaga Pengarah perlu memberikan penjelasan tentang beberapa urusniaga yang kelihatan tidak memberikan keuntungan jangka panjang kepada syarikat dan kerajaan. Kerajaan juga akan menanggung kerugian jika penstrukturan semula 1MDB melibatkan penjualan tanah TRX dan Bandar Malaysia yang diperolehi pada harga yang rendah daripada kerajaan dan hasil penjualan digunakan untuk membayar hutang syarikat.

Saya juga ingin menegaskan bahawa sebarang usaha untuk menangani isu 1MDB tidak wajar melibatkan tindakan menyelamat (bail out) syarikat tersebut dengan menggunakan dana awam.

TAN SRI DATO HJ MUHYIDDIN HJ MOHD YASSIN

Timbalan Perdana Menteri

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Ini merupakan sejajar dengan kommitmen yang dibuat Perdana Menteri Dato’ Sri Mohd. Najib Tun Razak mengenai akaun dan kedudukan kewangan, asset dan liabiliti 1MDB perlu disahkan secara bebas oleh Ketua Audit Negara dan juruaudit bebas dan laporan itu akan disemak oleh Jawatankuasa Kira-Kira Awam (PAC).

Laporan Utusan Malaysia semalam:

Sahkan akaun 1MDB- PM arahkan Ketua Audit Negara,

-Laporan akan diserah kepada PAC

05 Mac 2015 1:08 AM

KUALA LUMPUR 4 Mac – Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak telah mengarahkan Ketua Audit Negara untuk mengesahkan secara bebas akaun 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).
Menurut kenyataan Pejabat Perdana Menteri hari ini, laporan Ketua Audit Negara akan dise­rahkan untuk pemeriksaan telus kepada Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Awam (PAC) yang bersifat bipar­tisan sepenuhnya dan mencerminkan komposisi Parlimen.
Ia menyatakan Perdana Menteri telah memberitahu Kabinet mengenai langkah itu.
“Jika terbukti ada salah laku, undang-undang akan dikuatkuasakan tanpa pengecualian,” kata Najib.
Kenyataan itu menerangkan perdana menteri hari ini memang­gil 1MDB dan juruaudit mereka, Deloitte menghadap Kabinet berikutan laporan media baru-baru ini berkaitan syarikat pembangunan strategik milik penuh kerajaan itu.
Setelah menerima penjelasan dari 1MDB dan Deloitte, Kabinet melahirkan keyakinan bahawa tidak terdapat sebarang salah laku dalam 1MDB, dan hasrat mereka supaya syarikat itu dibenar melaksanakan hasil semakan strategiknya yang dicadangkan,” kata kenyataan itu.
Walaupun demikian, ia mengambil perhatian bahawa kerajaan telah meminta Ketua Audit Negara memeriksa akaun 1MDB sebagai langkah lanjutan.
Ia berkata, 1MDB telah memberi taklimat mengenai situa­si semasanya dan menjawab siri pertanyaan dikemukakan oleh menteri-menteri kabinet, termasuk Perdana Menteri dan Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Deloitte katanya, memberi keterangan menyeluruh tentang urusan mereka dengan 1MDB dan mengesahkan bahawa firma itu telah mengaudit dan mengesahkan akaun syarikat berkenaan.
“Kabinet diberitahu bahawa dakwaan baru-baru ini yang ditujukan kepada 1MDB, adalah berkaitan transaksi pihak ketiga seperti Petrosaudi, bukan 1MDB.
“Pelaburan relevan 1MDB telah dikembalikan sepenuhnya dengan keuntungan signifikan yang tersedia diaudit,” menurut kenyataan itu.
Sementara itu, Presiden dan Pengarah Eksekutif Kumpulan 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), Arul Kanda berkata, adalah jelas semua serangan yang ditujukan kepada 1MDB hanya bermotif politik dan sengaja dibuat sebagai percubaan untuk melemahkan syarikat dengan menyebarkan dakwaan tidak berasas dan lebih bersifat spekulasi yang seterus­nya akan memberi kesan kepada ekonomi.
“Sehubungan itu, 1MDB amat mengalu-alukan permintaan Per­dana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak supaya Ketua Audit Negara mengesahkan akaun 1MDB, yang mana sebelum ini telah diaudit oleh Deloitte yang juga satu daripada firma terkemuka dunia.
“Kami akan memberi kerjasama sepenuhnya kepada Ketua Audit Negara dan berharap hasil penemuannya dapat menjawab segala spekulasi yang ditimbulkan baru-baru ini,” katanya dalam kenyataan di sini hari ini.
– See more at: http://www.utusan.com.my/berita/nasional/sahkan-akaun-1mdb-1.66125/najib-tun-razak-1.66130#sthash.HtUaMbbU.dpuf

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Apa yang menarik ialah keyakinan yang diunjurkan oleh Muhyiddin sebagai orang nombor dua dalam Kabinet dan Kerajaan dimana dana awam tidak akan digunakan untuk menyelamat (bail out) mana mana entiti dalam kumpulan 1MDB, sekiranya perlu berlaku sebarang penstrukturan modal, kedudukan kewangan dan asset, kommitmen dan liabiliti 1MDB.

Konglomerat yang bermula dari dana bernilai RM4 billion sebagai entiti pelaburan strategik semasa PM Najib mula mengambil alih sebagai Perdana Menteri ke VI,  kini mempunyai asset dinilaikan melebihi RM50 billion.

Antara program program pendidikan asas dan khidmat rakyat (CSR) oleh 1MDB

1MDB merupakan entiti kommersial pelaburan strategik Kerajaan, yang begitu kontroversi dan hebat dibincangkan oleh banyak pihak secara aktif terutama media baru dan sosial. Ianya lebih menarik perhatian umum apabila sering diulas secara kritikal oleh Perdana Menteri Malaysia IV Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad dan Mantan Menteri Kewangan Tun Daim Zainuddin.

Ianya dijadikan modal politik Pembangkang walaupun hakikatnya 1MDB banyak melakukan program program khidmat rakyat (CSR) melalui Yayasan 1MDB, yang dananya datang dari keuntungan melalui pelaburan dan pulangan 1MDB.

Setakat ini Kerajaan gagal menangani persepsi negatif mengenai 1MDB dan penjelasan yang diusahakan setakat ini terutama oleh politikus Kerajaan sebenarnya makin mengelirukan.

Ketua Pengarah Eksekutif 1MDB Arul Kanda bersama Timblan Menteri Kewangan Dato’ Hj. Ahmad b. Hj. Maslan

Ketua Pengarah Eksekutif 1MDB Arul Kanda telah memberikan terumramah eksklusif kepada Mingguan Malaysia, dalam usaha untuk meningkatkan kefahaman rakyat mengenai konglomerat pelaburan strategik Kerajaan itu, tiga minggu lepas.

1MDB tamatkan spekulasi

15 Februari 2015 12:09 AM

Kuala Lumpur 12 Februari 2015 TEMUBUAL bersama Presiden & Ketua
MUKADIMAH : Sebagai sebuah syarikat pembangunan strategik dimiliki sepenuhnya oleh kerajaan Malaysia, 1MDB dilanda satu demi satu isu daripada pelbagai entiti, yang kebanyakannya mendapat maklumat daripada pihak ketiga.
“Tiada siapa mahu datang bertanya terus kepada kami, walaupun kami membuka pintu untuk memberi penerangan,’’ kata Presiden dan Pengarah Eksekutif Kumpulan 1MDB, Arul Kanda . Jumaat lalu, beliau mengumumkan pembayaran penuh pinjamannya berjumlah RM2 bilion, sekali gus membuktikan dakwaan pelbagai pihak kononnya 1MDB gagal berbuat demikian, hanya spekulasi semata-mata. Dalam wawancara eksklusif bersama Mingguan Malaysia, yang merupakan sesi sulungnya dengan media sejak menerajui 1MDB pada 5 Januari lalu, Arul menyampaikan mesej yang terang dan jelas arah tuju 1MDB di bawah kepimpinannya. Arul menjawab dengan penuh keyakinan terhadap soalan-soalan yang dikemukakan dan sengaja tidak diberikan awal oleh Pengarang Berita Ekonomi, Johardy Ibrahim , Penolong Pengarang Berita Ekonomi, Fauzi Jaafar dan wartawan Zunaidah Zain on dalam wawancara di pejabatnya, kelmarin.
MINGGUAN : 1MDB melunaskan pembayaran hutang RM2 bilion, yang didakwa pihak tertentu sebagai “tertunggak” dan bakal diisytihar NPL (hutang tidak berbayar). Apa signifikannya?
Arul Kanda : Pinjaman tersebut dibayar lebih awal dari tarikh akhir, sejajar dengan perjanjian kemudahan pinjaman. Dengan lunasnya pembayaran ini, saya menegaskan komitmen 1MDB akan terus memenuhi kehendak hutang kami, apabila tiba tempoh akhirnya. Yang paling penting, apa yang kami lakukan Jumaat lalu, diharap akan menamatkan segala spekulasi yang tersebar tentang kami. Terdapat banyak laporan tentang perkara itu, antaranya hutang 1MDB akan dilangsaikan oleh ahli perniagaan terkemuka, Ananda Krishnan.
Sejujurnya, Ananda sendiri pun tidak pernah bercakap apa-apa tentang perkara ini. Ini adalah satu spekulasi yang dimulakan oleh pihak ketiga. Fikirlah. RM2 bilion adalah satu jumlah yang besar dan ini sepatutnya melibatkan RHB dan Maybank tetapi mengapa mereka tidak membuat apa-apa pengumuman rasmi berkenaan perkara ini? Apa yang saya boleh katakan, kami akan berjumpa dengan pemberi hutang apabila ia sudah sampai tarikh akhir. Dan Jumaat lepas, telah kami buktikan.
Laporan New York Times minggu lalu, mengaitkan saudara dengan Jho Low. Sebenarnya, apa hubungan saudara dengan hartawan itu?
Arul Kanda : Ya, saya pernah berjumpa dengannya di Kuala Lumpur. Ini sama seperti saya berjumpa dengan orang lain yang terlibat dalam dunia perniagaan kerana saya berada di sektor perbankan. Tetapi Jho Low tiada kaitan dengan 1MDB dan saya tidak menjumpai sebarang dokumen yang mengaitkannya dengan syarikat ini. Malah, dakwaan yang mengatakan ayahnya atau kawannya menjadi pengarah di 1MDB juga tidak tepat.
Ini satu lagi spekulasi. Jujurnya sebagai ahli perniagaan, saya tidak mahu memberi reaksi kepada sebarang aktiviti yang menjurus kepada berita-berita berbentuk spekulasi. Tetapi saya juga mempunyai kuasa untuk menghentikan apa jua cerita dibawa mereka. Apa yang boleh saya buat ialah akan terus bercakap secara jujur dan menerangkan fakta yang betul.
Nama saudara dikaitkan. Kenapa tidak mengambil tindakan menyaman pihak yang membuat tuduhan sedemikian?
Arul Kanda : Saya pernah terfikir (untuk menyaman) tetapi kita ada bisnes dan kita perlu pastikan projek kita dapat berjalan dengan baik. Kita tidak mahu semua perkara ini mengganggu apa yang telah kita rancangkan. Ini kerana, politik bukan bidang kepakaran kita. Sebenarnya, saya agak kecewa kerana setelah kita buka ruang untuk mereka datang berjumpa, masih ada lagi kenyataan-kenyataan tidak berasas dikeluarkan tanpa menyemak fakta yang betul dengan pihak kami.
Saya hanya boleh membuat kesimpulan bahawa kenyataan yang dikeluarkan itu lebih cenderung kepada politik semata-mata. Saya amat terbuka dan sudah berjumpa dengan semua media yang mengkritik kami. Tetapi pihak satu lagi, tidak berbuat demikian. Apa lagi yang boleh saya buat untuk menjelaskan kedudukan sebenar. Apa yang saya maksudkan “terbuka” dengan mereka adalah untuk mendapatkan maklumat yang betul tetapi bukanlah seperti menganjurkan debat atau forum. Malangnya, kadang kala bila saya buat kenyataan, ia diputar belit.
Selain itu, satu lagi perkara yang ingin disentuh ialah akaun tahunan syarikat. Walaupun, 1MDB sebenarnya ialah syarikat swasta dan bukan syarikat disenaraikan tetapi laporan akaun tahunan syarikat dibuat dengan teliti dan mempunyai 175 muka surat. Tetapi apabila kami terlalu terbuka pula, ada pula yang menyerang dengan menggunakan laporan tersebut.
Adakah 1MDB menetapkan tempoh tertentu untuk saudara pulihkan syarikat?
Arul Kanda : Lembaga Pengarah memberi ruang kepada saya untuk menilai segala keperluan dan mengambil kira pelbagai aspek sebelum mengambil langkah tertentu untuk pulihkan syarikat. Tiada sebarang tempoh masa diberikan untuk tindakan ini diambil. Untuk itu, saya melihat kepada semua aset yang ada demi manfaat rakyat. Cabaran sentiasa ada kerana kami sedar mempunyai hutang yang perlu dilunaskan dan akan memastikan dapat menjana segala aset itu dengan baik.
Apakah perancangan syarikat bagi tahun kewangan 2015 ini?
Arul Kanda : Kami akan meneruskan tanggungjawab untuk meningkatkan nilai ke atas aset. Saya tahu dan sedar disebabkan salah faham yang timbul, orang lebih banyak bercakap tentang hutang kami berbanding aset-aset yang dimiliki, misalnya loji jana kuasa, yang mana telah selesai penggabungannya, macam-macam boleh dibuat seperti disenaraikan, jual syarikat atau jual stesen jana kuasa persendirian ini. TRX pula, bila tanah plot dah sedia, kami boleh jualkan kepada pihak swasta yang berminat.
Apa yang saudara maksudkan “Lembaga Pengarah memberi ruang menilai segala keperluan”?
Arul Kanda : Maksud saya ialah kami juga mungkin mempertimbangkan beberapa keputusan yang sukar demi manfaat pemegang saham kerana mempunyai tanggungjawab yang perlu dipenuhi. Antara yang mungkin dilaksanakan termasuklah melupuskan aset, membatalkan projek, mempercepatkan projek atau letak lebih ekuiti ke atas sesebuah projek itu supaya lebih cepat dijalankan. Keputusan ini bukan satu perkara yang mudah kerana kami memiliki tanggungjawab yang harus dilaksanakan.
Lupuskan aset luar negara dahulu?
Arul Kanda : Saya tidak mahu membuat sebarang kenyataan berbentuk spekulasi berhubung keputusan yang akan dibuat. Kami sangat terbuka berhubung perkara ini. Saya memberi contoh, jika kita membeli sekeping tanah untuk disimpan selama lima tahun bagi meningkatkan nilai tetapi pada tahun ketiga kita berdepan masalah hutang dan perlu melangsaikan bayaran tersebut, jadi tindakan yang boleh diambil, mungkin kita terpaksa menjual tanah tersebut. Bagaimanapun, dalam langkah melupuskan aset, seperti yang dinyatakan, kita bercakap tentang aset yang pelbagai dan nilai pada aset tersebut. Tidak semestinya pada aset-aset luar negara sahaja.
Misalnya dengan aset tenaga yang kita ada, macam-macam kita boleh buat sebagai langkah untuk menjana hasil daripada aset tersebut, begitu juga dengan projek TRX dan juga Bandar Malaysia. Bagaimanapun, bagi projek Bandar Malaysia, ia mungkin mengambil masa kerana kita perlu mengalih tapak pangkalan tentera di Sungai Besi itu. Tetapi kita yakin apabila adanya kemudahan kereta api berkelajuan tinggi di Bandar Malaysia kelak, kita tidak dapat bayangkan nilai yang dapat dijana daripada pembangunan tersebut.
Saya ingin memberi contoh bagaimana tiga projek utama di Kuala Lumpur iaitu KLCC, Mid Valley dan KL Sentral yang menyumbang kepada peningkatan nilai. Kuala Lumpur perlu dibentuk semula dan pembangunan baharu seperti ini dapat memberi manfaat kepada negara dan juga rakyat khususnya.
Menyentuh tentang Pulau Cayman, masih ramai yang tertanya-tanya apakah rasionalnya meletakkan duit di situ?
Arul Kanda : Sebenarnya, kita tidak meletakkan duit di Pulau Cayman. Kita mendaftarkan dana di situ dan pelaburannya dibuat di seluruh dunia. Ini penting untuk kita fahami, bukannya duit yang kita laburkan di Pulau Cayman tetapi adalah dana yang didaftarkan.
Duit tidak diletakkan di Cayman?
Arul Kanda : Seperti yang dinyatakan, pelaburan itu dibuat di seluruh dunia dalam pelbagai instrumen dan lokasi. Cayman ialah satu daripada pengawal selia dana terbaik di dunia untuk membuka dana. Ini adalah kebenarannya dan kita boleh lihat beribu-ribu dana didaftarkan di Pulau Cayman. Dengan mengambil contoh Sime Darby, ia disenaraikan di Malaysia tetapi asetnya tidak semestinya hanya ada di negara ini sebaliknya ada di negara lain seperti Indonesia dan Papua New Guinea. Sama juga seperti dana, dibuka di bawah pengawal selia Pulau Cayman tetapi duit dilaburkan di seluruh dunia.
Saudara sedar kontroversi mengaitkan Cayman sebagai tempat menyorok wang oleh mafia?
Arul Kanda : Kita sedar ada yang mempertikaikan kenapa kita melabur dalam dolar Amerika Syarikat (AS), kenapa bukan di Malaysia dan kenapa bukan dalam Ringgit. Cuba lihat pada penyata kira-kira 1MDB, kami mempunyai AS$6.5 bilion (RM23.41 bilion) sukuk antarabangsa yang diterbitkan dan bila dapat liabiliti dalam dolar AS, kita perlu uruskan pendedahan mata wang memandangkan kita perlu bayar bon itu setiap tiga atau enam bulan. Jika kita simpan aset berasaskan dolar AS, secara tidak langsung akan mengurangkan risiko ke atas mata wang. Ini merupakan sebab mengapa wang itu disimpan dalam dana dolar AS dan ternyata mempunyai kelebihan dari segi cukai dengan berpandukan bidang kuasa dana.
Terutama dalam keadaan sekarang dengan penyusutan ringgit, secara tidak langsung memberi kelebihan kepada syarikat. Kita mempunyai aset dalam dolar AS dan dapat menebusnya untuk kegunaan kita. Saya difahamkan terdapat lebih 200 syarikat Malaysia bertaraf global yang juga mempunyai dana di situ. Jadi tidak timbul soal “mafia”. Saya pasti pihak berkuasa Pulau Cayman juga akan sedih jika mendengar tentang perkara seperti ini. Tidak ada apa-apa hendak disorokkan kerana semuanya dinyatakan dengan jelas dalam akaun tahunan.
Apa jadi pada 60 peratus pelaburan yang ditebus tahun lalu?
Arul Kanda : Kita sudah tebus 60 peratus daripada pelaburan itu tahun lalu dan penggunaannya semua dinyatakan dengan jelas dalam laporan tahunan itu. Tetapi malangnya, tiada siapa mahu melihatnya dari sudut positif. Kenapa orang yang menuduh ini tidak bercakap tentang ke mana duit itu, sebaliknya melihat tentang RM2.3 bilion. Tidak ada apa hendak disembunyikan. Menyentuh tentang baki 40 peratus itu pula, kita akan masukkan dalam laporan akaun selepas ini. Adalah tidak adil apabila orang mengharapkan kami untuk melakukan sesuatu yang di luar batasan kerana kami juga seperti syarikat-syarikat lain yang tertakluk kepada peraturan dan undang-undang syarikat.
Menyentuh tentang penyenaraian unit tenaga 1MDB, ada laporan media menyatakan akan dibatalkan kerana 1MDB akan menghentikan cadangan terbitan sukuk sebanyak RM8.4 bilion. Adakah ini juga satu spekulasi?
Arul Kanda : Maaf, saya tidak boleh memberi komen berhubung perkara ini kerana tertakluk di bawah garis panduan Suruhanjaya Sekuriti. Apa yang boleh saya nyatakan ialah tugas kami membangunkan aset di mana aset itu boleh dijanakan dan kami sentiasa mencari peluang terbaik untuk menjana aset berkenaan seperti aset-aset tenaga. Kami sentiasa meneroka peluang bagi meningkatkan nilai kepada pemegang saham.
Bagaimana dengan laporan tentang 1MDB akan menarik diri daripada projek jana kuasa 3B?

Arul Kanda : Sekali lagi, ini juga satu spekulasi dan kami tidak boleh mengeluarkan kenyataan lagi. Jika sesuai, kami akan umumkan kemudian, tetapi buat masa ini, kami tidak dibenarkan untuk berbuat demikian.
Bagaimana aset-aset milik 1MDB?
Arul Kanda : Berkaitan dengan aset, kami sentiasa mengambil kira kepentingan MoF dan juga rakyat. Sehingga 31 Mac 2014, aset dan liabiliti kami berjumlah RM51.4 bilion dan RM48.9 bilion.
Sebenarnya, apa yang orang di luar sana boleh harapkan kepada 1MDB

Arul Kanda : Kami akan terus fokus kepada perniagaan. Disebabkan isu hutang, orang lupa tentang asas syarikat ini, bahawa kami mempunyai 5,500 MegaWatt tenaga, antara terbesar di negara ini, terbesar di Mesir dan Bangladesh. Kami melihat ini satu pencapaian utama bagi syarikat.
Di samping itu, tanah kami di TRX yang berkeluasan 28.33 hektar mempunyai saiz yang hampir sama dengan KL Sentral. Cuba tengok KL Sentral 12 tahun dahulu dan sekarang, jauh berbeza. TRX akan dilengkapi stesen MRT terbesar di Kuala Lumpur dan kami juga akan menjalin kerjasama dengan sebuah syarikat pemaju hartanah yang berpangkalan di Australia, Lend Lease tidak lama lagi untuk pembangunan 6.88 hektar membabitkan pembinaan hotel, tiga menara kediaman dan pusat beli-belah dengan GDV dianggarkan RM8 bilion.
Bandar Malaysia pula yang melibatkan kawasan seluas 202.3 hektar di tengah bandar raya Kuala Lumpur akan menjadi hab komersial, budaya, pendidikan, sosial dan pengangkutan yang mesra alam. Apabila kereta api berkelajuan tinggi ditempatkan di situ, ini akan dihubungkan dengan MRT bersama pusat beli-belah Pavilion KL, KLCC, hotel termasuk pembinaan rumah mampu milik.
Orang sentiasa beranggapan hari ini dapat tanah terus boleh dibangunkan sedangkan ia melibatkan banyak kerja yang perlu diselesaikan pada peringkat awal seperti mendapatkan kelulusan Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) dan berbincang dengan pihak Telekom Malaysia atau Indah Water Konsortium. Kita tidak boleh terus bangunkan dengan serta-merta tanpa ada perancangan.
Bagi saya, TRX dan Bandar Malaysia ialah projek multi dekad yang dibangunkan setakat ini. TRX sebagai contoh akan disambung dengan terowong Smart dan kami juga sebenarnya pada masa sama cuba untuk memperbaiki Jalan Tun Razak. Sekarang kerja-kerja di TRX masih di peringkat gali tanah dan akan ambil masa untuk disiapkan. Dalam beberapa bulan akan datang, kami akan buat pengumuman terbaharu tentang rakan kerjasama.
Apakah 1MDB ada sasaran tertentu untuk dijadikan rakan kerjasama projek ini?
Arul Kanda : 1MDB amat terbuka dalam soal ini dan kita keluarkan permohonan cadangan (ROP) kepada mana-mana syarikat sama ada tempatan atau luar negara untuk membuat bidaan pada tender projek.
TRX ini akan menjadi platform awal bagi 1MDB untuk membawa masuk pelaburan langsung asing (FDI) ke negara ini, yang juga merupakan antara tugas utama kami.
– See more at: http://www.utusan.com.my/rencana/1mdb-tamatkan-spekulasi-1.59530#sthash.G6ZGPny1.dpuf

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Dalam masa yang sama, pihak 1MDB yakin serangan Pembangkang keatas konglomerat pelaburan strategik Kerajaan itu berupa niat jahat politik yang sememangnya berpotensi untuk menjejaskan ekonomi, terutama dalam cabaran ekonomi global semasa yang terjejas akibat kesan penurunan harga pasaran minyak.

Kenyataan Ketua Pengarah Eksekutif 1MDB Arul Kanda semalam mengenai ini:

Statement by 1MDB President & Group Executive Director Arul Kanda

“It is clear that the attacks being directed at 1MDB are politically motivated. These are deliberately coordinated attempts to undermine the company by spreading unsubstantiated allegations and speculation, which in turn could potentially harm the economy.

“In light of this, 1MDB welcomes the Prime Minister’s request for the Auditor General to verify 1MDB’s accounts, which have been audited by Deloitte, one of the world’s leading firms. We will cooperate fully with the Auditor General and hope that the outcome of his findings put to rest recent speculation.”

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Maklumat dari laporan Ketua Audit Negara dan juruaudit bebas ini kelak perlu diuruskan secara bijak untuk memberikan kefahaman bagi lebih ramai orang untuk faham keadaan sebenar. Pengurusan kommunikasi perlu effektif, progressif dan disesuaikan dengan kehendak masyarakat Malaysia sebagai pihak berkepentingan (stakeholders).

*Dikemaskini tengah malam