Nizar hands over house keys but keeps Camry

IPOH: Former Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin has handed the keys of the Mentri Besar’s residence to the State Secretary.
However, he is holding on to his Toyota Camry as a sign that he has not conceded to being the legitimate Mentri Besar, said his special officer Amran Harun. “The car will be kept as a symbol while we wait for the court decision.
“If the court says that Nizar is not the Mentri Besar, then we will return the car,” Amran said at the residence here yesterday after surrendering the keys to chief assistant to the State Secretary Shamshuzaman Sulaiman.
Shamshuzaman also asked for Amran’s cooperation as the instruction was to recover Nizar’s Toyota.
He was heard asking Amran: “What about the AJS10?””
“AJS10, MB kata tunggu keputusan mahkamah! (MB says wait for the court decision!)” Amran replied.
Amran said Nizar was using the car to travel throughout the state in the past three weeks to explain to the people what really happened when Barisan Nasional returned to power.
“The people are not getting the accurate information. Some are saying that Nizar committed treason (against the Sultan of Perak) but he wanted to tell them that it was not true,” said Amran.

tunku : if he is waiting for the court's decision, why he gave back the key to his official residence? why not the car? doesn't make any sense.the reason he's keeping his car is because he needs to travel up and down kl -ipoh to attend the court case.he really wants to run down the new camry as he had not enough of it yet.i pity nizar, may be someone should refer him to some psychologist.may be after some sessions with the psychologist he will be ok.

‘We did not touch Karpal’

SHAH ALAM: Two Selangor Umno Youth leaders who confronted Karpal Singh outside the Parliament tower block say they have nothing to fear because they did not “even touch Karpal or his wheelchair” during Thursday’s commotion.
Instead, Serdang Umno Youth chief Ungku Mat Salleh Ungku Abd Jamal and Gombak Umno Youth chairman Megat Zulkarnain Omardin claimed that it was an opposition MP who started the ruckus by pushing them.
Ungku Mat Salleh said the 20-odd Umno Youth leaders had gone to Parliament on their own without any prior planning or instructions from anyone.
The Youth leaders said that DAP chairman Karpal Singh, as a senior citizen and leader, should know how to behave instead of uttering the word celaka in reference to Umno Youth during his debate speech on Wednesday, or claim that Umno Youth was responsible for sending bullets to him.
Ungku Mat Salleh said he entered the Parliament compound after obtaining a visitor’s pass. He and a few other Umno Youth leaders had a smoke while waiting for Karpal Singh outside the tower block.
When they saw the Bukit Gelugor MP arriving, they approached him and asked him to retract his statement, or repeat outside Parliament his allegations against the movement.
“We did not even touch him or his wheelchair,” said Ungku Mat Salleh, adding that Karpal Singh refused to answer and accused the Umno Youth leaders of preventing him from entering Parliament.
A few minutes later, Ungku Mat Salleh said that Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng came and, after some heated words, pushed him and Megat Zulkarnain. Megat Zulkarnain also said that he went to Parliament on his own accord.
“I just wanted to hear for myself what Karpal Singh had to say about calling Umno Youth celaka, such a rude and unacceptable word.
“I spoke nicely to Karpal Singh but it was someone else who was rude,” he said.
On the eight-man investigation committee set up to look into Karpal Singh’s complaint that the group who confronted him had committed contempt against the House, both the Youth leaders said they were not afraid because they did not start the commotion, or did anything wrong to Karpal Singh.
Former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said Umno Youth would defend its dignity in whatever way necessary and warned opposition leaders to stop playing on racial sentiments.

tunku : show respect to someone who show respect, but a person like karpal (who's misusing his disability status) should not be shown any respect. they should have thrown dirty and smelly shoes on his face.karpal has gone too far and action need to be taken on him.now there is karpal junior which is being groom as "samsingh".

Government Committed To Eradicating Poverty

BUTTERWORTH, Feb 27 (Bernama) -- The Federal government remains committed to poverty eradication in its development strategy, Director-General of the Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Khalid Ramli said Friday.
Khalid said the introduction of the 'e-kasih' data bank was an important tool for strategic planning, implementation and monitoring of programmes to eradicate poverty, particularly hardcore poverty.
"The system is not only used as a databank but also to monitor the poverty status in all states online," he said after opening the Federal Development Office for Seberang Perai here.
He said the government had also embarked on the Poverty Mapping Programme to to identify marginalised areas and redirect infrastructure and services according to the needs of the poor.
"I hope that all the poor families will register under the e-kasih programme to enable the government to check and verify them under the poor group," he said, adding that the Poverty Mapping programme would be integrated with the 'e-kasih' system upon completion.
However, he said, the government agencies had to work closely with other stakeholders in tackling poverty, particularly urban poverty, given its multi-faceted nature.
He said there were certain criteria to identify individuals who were eligible for assistance, mainly children, single mothers, senior citizens, the disabled as well as the poor, to enable them to secure a decent quality of life.
The verification would be done by the statistics department, he added.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, when launching the Malaysia Social Safety Net programme specially to assist the poor earlier this week, was quoted as saying that the number of poor people had increased over the years due to the global economic crisis.

tunku : there is one cm, name guan eng, promised that there will be no more(zero) hardcore poverty in penang within a year from march 08. the figure has not decrease but instead keep increasing.this man doesn't walk his talk at all.he gave a stupid excuse that they can't open up a trustee account for donors to make their contribution.what rubbish. i thought he has a good way for eradicating hardcore poverty but he is depending for donors ( sedekah). very sad that is the mentality and capability of a cm who act smart but actually is brainless.don't talk big next time and promises moon and stars.

Gov't U-turn: Toll hike put off

In a dramatic reversal, the government has decided to suspend toll hike of up to 33 percent for five major highways in Klang Valley announced yesterday.
The decision was made by the cabinet at its weekly meeting today chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak.
Outgoing Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had yesterday call for the cabinet to reconsider toll hike of up to 33 percent for five major highways in Klang Valley.
Abdullah, who is attending an Asean defence ministers meeting in Thailand, said he was concerned that public anger over the latest hike could affect BN’s popularity especially ahead of three crucial by-elections.
The five affected highways are North-South Expressway (Plus), Sprint Highway (Sprint), Ampang Elevated Highway (Akleh), Sungai Besi Highway (Besraya) and New Pantai Expressway (NEP).
In an announcement yesterday, Works Minister Mohd Zin Mohamed said that toll rates in these five highways would go up on Sunday.
In a dramatic reversal, Mohd Zin said that the toll hike has been "deferred" in view of the public reaction and the ailing economy at a press conference at 4.30pm today.
"With that, my statement yesterday on the toll hike is cancelled," he said.
Toll increase put back to Dec 31
Mohd Zin said that the toll increase will be postponed to after Dec 31 this year.
With the 10-month delay, the government will have to pay RM287 million in compensation to the five toll concessionaires.
This is the second delay in toll hike for some of the highways.
The toll rate for Plus, Sprint and Akleh highways was supposed to have been increased on Jan 1, 2008 but this was deferred.
For that, the government to pay compensation totalling RM245 million - RM177 million to Plus, RM38 million to Sprint and RM30 million to Akleh.

tunku : THANK YOU GOVERNMENT.

Opposition leader Boo causes a stir at assembly

JOHOR BARU: State Opposition leader Dr Boo Cheng Hau caused quite a stir at the state assembly after he equated “bumiputraism” with the South African apartheid policy which discriminated against non-whites.
Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, who was visibly annoyed with Dr Boo’s choice of word, said that the state assemblyman was merely using the comparison to seek public attention.
“To me, his aim is to provoke negative feelings within some of the members of the public by using such terms in the assembly. It is very provocative,” he said.
In his 15-minute speech, the Skudai assemblymen alleged that some banks, in charging different interest rates to bumiputra and non-bumiputras were practising discrimination.
He said that the interest rates were differentiated according to member (bumiputra) and non-members (non-bumiputras).
“The non-bumiputras are charged a higher interest rate without taking into account their socio-economic status,” he said.
Dr Boo, who previously studied in Jamaica for five years, also said that the worse apartheid aspect was that socio-economic, education, cultural and language were based on “ketuanan” or “kebumiputraan”.
Abdul Ghani explained that certain banks such as Bank Rakyat that operated as a cooperative, gave better benefits to members compared to non-members.
“There is some differences there and coincidentally, the bank practises the syariah way of doing business,” he said, adding that there were also Malays who were non-members and they did not enjoy the benefits given to members.
Abdul Ghani explained that “ketuanan” carried the meaning of the owner (tuan) of the land that is the King (Raja Melayu).
“When the British left Malaya, which was their colony, they returned it to the owner (tuan) of the land that is the King,” he said, adding that the term “ketuanan” did not carry political elements.

tunku : bank charging different interest rates? which bank is doing that? i have not heard of this.about bank rakyat gave better benefits to members compared to non-members that is different as bank rakyat is a cooperative bank, of course more benefits given to the members. do not compare malaysia with south africa apartheid system.how will you call it apartheid when the so called discriminated group is the one who rule(economically) and own the businesses in this country ? again ketuanan melayu is being brought up, what about karpal's statement "singh is king" ? again and again this issue is being manipulated by the opposition.enough of this nonsense and get your feet on the ground and face the economy challenges that is our main concern now.

Christian publications can use the word “Allah"

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government has allowed Christian publications to use the word ``Allah'' to refer to God as long as they specify the material is not for the majority Muslims, a church official said Thursday.
The Feb 16 order issued by Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar is an apparent softening of its stand by the government, which had earlier banned the use of the word in all Christian texts.
The government argued that Allah is an Islamic word and its use by others might confuse Muslims, who might think Allah refers to their God.
The Herald, the Roman Catholic Church's main newspaper in Malaysia, has already started printing ``For Christianity'' on its cover, said its editor Rev. Lawrence Andrew.
The Herald publishes weekly in English, Mandarin, Tamil and Malay with an estimated readership of 50,000.
The ban on ``Allah'' concerns mainly the Malay edition, which is read mostly by indigenous Christian tribes in the eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak. The other three editions usually do not use ``Allah.''
Andrew said although the order ``makes things easier'' for the Herald, the paper will not drop its legal challenge against the ban. A court is due to hear arguments in the case on Friday.
The Herald is arguing that the Arabic word is a common reference for God that predates Islam and has been used for centuries as a translation in Malay.
Andrew said the new order is still a violation of religious freedom guaranteed by the Constitution because Christians will not be able to use any literature that does not carry the statutory warning on the cover, including a lot of imported material.
He said most Malay-language Bibles in Malaysia are imported from Indonesia, where the language is more widely spoken.
``If this (order) is enforced, it will be difficult to possess materials ... from Indonesia, and thus practicing our religion will not be easy. This goes against ... the Constitution,'' he told The Associated Press.
Andrew said the order also prohibits the use of three other Arabic words ``solat,'' or prayer, ``Kaaba,'' a holy site in Saudi Arabia, and ``baitullah,'' or house of God without the statutory warning.
Ministry officials could not immediately be reached for comments.
Home Minister Syed Hamid's aide said he would only be available for comment Monday.-AP

tunku : these arguments have been going on for quite sometime now and at last the government surrendered.actually i don't understand why the christian publications insist of using the word ALLAH in their malay publication..their argument is because it is the translation of malay language.please understand that ALLAH is an arabic word, it is not malay word. God in malay is Tuhan not ALLAH. Same goes with Solat(prayer)in malay is sembahyang not solat,Kaabah(holy site)in malay is tempat suci/rumah ibadat. why they are not using tuhan,sembahyang,rumah ibadat etc.why insist of using the arabic words? if they publish in arabic, then their argument is right.i don't understand why the government surrendered before the court decides whether they can use or not.

Banks slash interest rates

PETALING JAYA: Several banks have slashed interest rates imposed on loans and more are expected to join in the fray.
Four banks - RHB Banking Group, Public Bank Group, United Overseas Bank Bhd (UOB) and Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank) - have cut their respective base lending rates (BLR) from 5.95% to 5.55%.
RHB Bank and Public Bank will also be reducing each of its Islamic bank’s base financing rate (BFR) by the same quantum.
This follows the move by Bank Negara Malaysia to bring down the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) from 2.5% to 2% on Tuesday.
RHB Banking Group managing director Michael J. Barrett said customers will be able to pay less to service their existing loans with floating rates while individuals and businesses will enjoy lower borrowing costs.
“We want to be able to help borrowers during these challenging times and provide our customers with more financial support,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
Public Bank Group chairman Tan Sri Dr Teh Hong Piow said the bank’s new rates will take effect on Tuesday.
“The reduction of BLR and BFR is part of the group’s on-going commitment towards the creation of a more supportive monetary environment which will help to sustain economic growth in the country,” he said.
A UOB Bank spokesperson said the bank would reduce its BLR on March 6.
Maybank said on Wednesday that it would begin implementing its new rates on Monday.
It is learnt that other banks are currently taking initiatives to restructure their rates and will be announcing lower BLR soon.
The Association of Banks said in a statement that the downward revision of monthly loan repayment instalments was expected to be completed around the end of the first quarter of this year.
“Banks will be officially notifying their customers on the quantum of reduction of the loan repayment instalments and the effective date directly,” it said.

tunku : it's a good initiative by the banks to slash their interest rates.this is crucial time for all and the bank can help ease a little on the situation.we hope all the bank will follow these 4 banks initiative.at the same time we hope the banks will not be too strict on giving out loans.

I'll Ask Cabinet To Reconsider Toll Hikes - Abdullah

PATTAYA, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he will ask the Cabinet to reconsider the toll increase along five expressways between 0.68 sen and 50 sen effective March 1 because it was presently inappropriate.
He said the review would be discussed at the Cabinet weekly meeting tomorrow chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
"Review is the best thing to do. After that we will make a just decision," he told Malaysian journalists covering the Asean Defence Ministers Meeting here Thursday.
The prime minister said although the increase was in accordance with the terms of the concession agreements signed between the government and the highway concessionaires, the decision given by the Cabinet several weeks ago might not be appropriate with the current situation.
A new approach would be sought to deal with the issue including allocations under the second stimulus package that would be tabled in Parliament next month, he said.
Works Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed announced today the toll increase would involve the North-South Expressway, Western Kuala Lumpur Traffic Dispersal System Expressway, Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway, Sungai Besi Highway and New Pantai Expressway.
Abdullah said since the Cabinet discussed and decided on the toll rates, the situation had not improved and this prompted the government to disburse aid allocations in the form of the second stimulus package which would be tabled as a mini budget.
"If the government itself has taken this approach in view of the difficulties faced by the people and besides that the economy can be stimulated, I think this thing can be discussed again in the Cabinet taking into account the present situation," he said.
He refused to say whether the toll increase would be deferred but he did say that based on reports he had received, the people obviously could not accept the hike.
Any decisions had to take into consideration the present situation, he said.

tunku : i thought everything is discussed in the cabinet meeting before any announcement.they should have discussed this thing before they announce it. in the time of hardship it is not appropriate for any increase for the toll.the government should have learnt their lesson before,do not make the same mistakes over and over again. think carefully and discuss things before announcing it to the public. with this decision of toll increase ,bn can forget of winning in bukit gantang and bukit selambau.

Karpal mobbed, MP claims assault

DAP chairperson Karpal Singh was today mobbed by a crowd of angry Umno Youth members at the Parliament lobby, wanting him to apologise for his remarks and accusation made against the movement yesterday.
In the incident which happened at about 2.30pm, the angry Umno Youth members stopped Karpal from entering the House.
About 20 to 30 Umno Youth members were involved. They were believed to be from Selangor and Kuala Lumpur.
Karpal then made a telephone call to his party colleague Fong Pu Kuan who was in the House. She then arrived with other DAP MPs to ‘protect' the DAP chairperson from the crowd.
The DAP MPs also complained that the Parliament security personnel had not done anything to protect Karpal until they (the DAP MPs) made some noise.
DAP MP Lim Lip Eng (right) also claimed that he was assaulted by the Umno Youth crowd.
According to the MP, he was hit a number time on the face and his body.
In an immediate reaction, Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia expressed regret over the incident, which he said was the first time such an act had happened in Parliament.
He said that he would be instructing the Home Ministry to investigate the matter.
"And I will make sure that such an incident doesn't recur," he told reporters.
Khairy lambasts Karpal
Earlier, Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin challenged opposition stalwart Karpal, whom he described as an "arrogant MP who thinks he knows everything", to repeat his accusation outside of the Parliament building.
He was responding to the DAP national chairperson's charge that Umno Youth was behind the death threat and bullets he received via mail last week.
Karpal (left) further drew ire of the youth wing by calling them 'Pemuda Umno celaka'(Damn Umno Youth).
"It is a wild and insane allegation... Karpal should not hide behind his parliament immunity and face us outside," Khairy told reporters at the Parliament lobby.
Karpal had levelled the accusation and warned Umno Youth against playing games with him when debating on the motion of thanks on the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Meanwhile, Khairy said Umno Youth cannot take any legal action against Karpal because the accusation was made in Parliament.
"DAP always talks of a world class parliament but their chairman behaves in a very uncivilised and rude manner," added the Rembau MP.
'Give us proof or be branded a liar'
Khairy also challenged the veteran lawyer to provide proof of his allegation within 24 hours.
"If he doesn't show us the proof, then the people should consider Karpal a liar and that he has no credibility," he said.
Asked if an apology would be sufficient, the Umno Youth leader replied: "There is no use in asking him for an apology because he is an arrogant MP and he thinks he knows everything."
Furthermore, Khairy said more than a hundred police reports were filed against Karpal when he threatened to sue Perak ruler, Sultan Azlan Shah, over the political turmoil in the state.
The Umno Youth leader urged the Attorney-General's Chambers to look into the reports and take action.
"We want to remind him that Umno Youth is not playing games and Karpal is the one who is playing with the sentiments of the rakyat, he is playing with fire.
"If he does not repent, then it would only serve to aggravate our anger and the anger of the people," he warned.
In a related development, Jerlun MP Mukhriz Mahathir, who is vying for the Umno Youth chief's post, also lashed out at Karpal for his remarks.
He said Karpal should be charged with sedition for questioning the Sultan of Perak. He also reprimanded Karpal for his arrogance in stating that 'Singh is King'.
"It shows that he does not respect our rulers," he said in a statement.

tunku : karpal didn't deserve to be mobbed, he deserved to be stoned.he has gone to far, he had challenged from the Sultan to the people.enough is enough. The police should speed up their investigations on the reports made against karpal.don't test the people's patience. karpal is a coward, he's only brave in the parliament as he can say anything in parliament , try it outside. karpal had said that 'singh is king' in the parliament, does this statement not considered as racist by pakatan? what is the different from ketuanan melayu? the malays don't mind anyone saying anything about their races but when the malays say something about themselves, they expect others to do the same too and do not relate it to racist act.we are free to say our race is supreme, there's nothing wrong with it.malay supremacy, chinese supremacy , indian supremacy , iban/kadazan supremacy etc.every race has its own supremacy.

Najib: You lie, you pay

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak warned Thursday that anyone who makes a false report to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) will be prosecuted.
Those who abused the statutory declaration would also face the same action, the deputy prime minister said.
"They will pay the price," he told reporters after opening the Developing Eight (D8) Ministers Meeting on Food Security here on behalf of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Najib, who is also Finance Minister, was asked to comment on the action of two Pakatan Keadilan Rakyat state assemblymen who lodged reports with the MACC Wednesday claiming that they had been offered money and posts to leave the party.
Malim Nawar assemblyman Keshvinder Singh and Kuala Kurau assemblyman Abdul Yunus Jamahri lodged the separate reports against several Barisan Nasional and federal leaders at the Perak MACC office. Najib said it was up to the MACC to investigate the claims of the two assemblymen.
"I don't know what their allegations are. Let the MACC investigate," he said.
Asked about his name also being mentioned in the reports, he said: No. I did not make any offers to anyone."
On claims by the two that they had strong proof, he said: "Of course, they'll say that. Let the commission investigate. As I've said, if they make false reports they will pay for it." - Bernama

tunku : that is right, you lie, you pay. If there is no ground on their accusation, we want MACC to take action against those who lodge the false report.

Review Criteria For Choosing GLC Chiefs - Anifah

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25 (Bernama) -- A government backbencher has urged the government to review the criteria for choosing candidates to head government linked companies (GLC).
Datuk Anifah Aman (BN-Kimanis) said this was to ensure that the post of chief executive officer (CEO) at GLCs were filled by those academically qualified, have wide experience to meet the challenges posed by the economic downturn.
"The government is fond of appointing young professionals to run the business conducted by GLCs. Most are in their 30s or early 40s and consider themselves financial experts. This is based on their qualification as accountants and having studied at famous world universities.
"They are handpicked by the political leadership to manage public corporations like Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), Telekom Malaysia, Sime Darby and other giant companies," he said when debating the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's address in Dewan Rakyat here on Wednesday.
Anifah said a review of the criteria was necessary as the professionals helming GLCs were not businessmen and thus lacked business management skills.
"This not the case for world class business leaders like Tan Sri Teh Hong Piow (Public Bank), T. Ananda Krishnan (Maxis) and Tan Sri Azman Hashim (Kumpulan Ambank).
"They have shown their skills in business management which the GLC chiefs can learn and follow."
He praised the Petronas management for making the GLC one of the most profitable oil companies in the world and was shocked to hear rumours that there could be a change of the Petronas top management.
"I hope this is not true. If there is to be a change, then it must done to the management of GLCs that are making losses," he added.
Anifah also questioned the choice of Tenaga CEO and president Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh as CEO Of The Year 2008 organised by Business Times recently due to its erratic performance last year and the first quarter (Q1) of 2009.
"They (Tenaga) were said to be doing well but posted losses of RM944 million for the quarter ending Nov last year. For the quarter ending Aug 31, 2008, Tenaga posted losses of RM282.9 million."
He said the government should not only re-evaluate its choice of candidates for the post of CEO at GLCs but also how it gave recognition for effective leadership.
"I fail to understand the criteria as to how a company led by the country's best CEO can post huge losses," he added.
Meanwhile, Datuk Dr Mohamad Shahrum Osman (BN-Lipis) proposed that the government abolish the contractual service scheme and absorb the staff into the public sector's permanent service scheme.
"I have been told that there are some 50,000 contractual staff and that 70 percent of them have wide experience," he said when debating the royal address.
He hoped that the government could absorb the contractual staff and show more commitment in helping them.
The session continues Thursday.

tunku : i agree with anifah.the government should appoint only those with qualification and vast experience to head the GLCs not through political connection. we understand that the political parties wants their people to be in the GLCs, they can put them there but not as CEOs unless they are really qualified for the post.i am surprised too on how che khalib got the ceo of the year award when tenaga is making a lost. could it be that he prevented tenaga from making bigger lost?
as for petronas hassan merican is doing great job, and please do not touch him.petronas is blessed with good top managements.
najib should change all these mess once he's in as pm.after all he had promised a BIG CHANGE.

Pakatan Perak reps: We were offered millions to quit

Two Pakatan Rakyat state assemblypersons today filed a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) claiming that they were offered millions of ringgit to quit their respective parties and become Independents or join Barisan Nasional (BN).
According to a Bernama report, DAP's Keshvinder Singh (Malim Nawar) and PKR’s Abdul Yunus Jamsari (Kuala Kurau) filed the report at the MACC office in Ipoh.
Speaking to reporters later, Keshvinder claimed that he had received various offers from numerous agents claiming to represent Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
One of the agents, he said, was a local freelance journalist with the Chinese media.
The DAP leader claimed that he was offered RM20 million to quit his party and declare himself as an Independent as well as express support for BN.
The lawyer-turned-politician also said he had received other offers such as the prospect of being appointed Perak MIC chief if he joined the BN component party as well as being appointed a state executive councillor.
He said the exco appointment offer was the latest offer since the BN seized control of the state government earlier this month.
"I urge Najib to come forward and explain the matter because this shows that the federal government is corrupt and desperate," he added.
Abdul Yunus claimed that he was offered cash of between RM3 million and RM8 million.
He also said he was offered logging concessions if he quit his party.
He alleged that the offer was made by several agents comprising businessmen who claimed to be representing the Perak BN leadership.
When lodging the police report, the duo were accompanied by seven Pakatan Rakyat representatives - Ramli Tusin (Semanggol), A Sivasubramaniam (Buntong), Chan Ming Kai (Simpang Pulai), Chang Lih Kang (Teja), Sum Cheok Leng (Bercham), Leong Mee Meng (Jalong) and Khalil Idham Lim Abdullah (Titi Serong).
BN took control of the state after four Pakatan Rakyat representatives quit their respective parties. Three later declared themselves 'BN-friendly' Independents while the other rejoined Umno.

Zambry chairs exco meeting
Meanwhile in Teluk Intan, BN Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir and his six state exco members held their meeting at the Hilir Perak district office.
Zambry later told reporters that the state government had decided to hold the exco meeting in each of the districts in the state on rotation basis.
This is to enable all exco members to better appreciate the problems of the people at the grassroots level, he added.
At the exco meeting today, Zambry said that the annual vacation allowance of RM20,000 for each of the six exco members will be withdrawn and utilised to overcome the people's problems.
He said it would not be appropriate for the allocation of RM120,000 to be used as vacation allowance in the wake of the uncertain economic situation currently.
"The money will instead be utilised for the people who are in need," he was quoted as saying in Bernama.

tunku : looking at keshvinder, if he is offered only 1/2 million, he will surely jump ship. i don't understand why the pakatan is so desperate to accuse bn trying to buy them out. i wonder how a journalist can be agent .you think najib is so stupid to let his agent running around just like that if he has one? on the other note, all states excos and federal ministers should follow perak state's exco foot step in cutting their vacation allowance(if there is any). this is not the right time for them to go on vacation when the country is facing economy downturn. all the official functions should cut their budget.just make it simple without wasting money on unnessecary things.

Direct Elections Of MCA President, State Chairmen In 2 Years

PENANG: MCA will begin its slimming programme in March, and aims to have direction elections of president and state liaison committee chairmen two years later.
From the information available to Sin Chew Daily, MCA president Ong Tee Keat and party leadership will soon announce the party's slimming programme, requiring all MCA branches throughout the nation to re-register their members.
It has been known that the new party leadership will go ahead with the slimming cum purging exercise even if it means the party may have to lose more than half of its members as a consequence. The party says the re-registration of party members is the only way to resolve the issue of phantom party members, including those who have passed away or left the party.
Established 60 years ago, MCA once claimed that it had more than a million members. However, issues of phantom members and hibernation of organisation have plagued the party in the past.
If all members have to be re-registered, it is believed that the new membership might not exceed 500,000.
It has also been anticipated that under the re-registration programme, the number of branches may also be halved, while the number of central delegates in its more than 200 divisions nationwide may also be cut down by more than half.
It has been learned that MCA will also take disciplinary actions against recalcitrant party leaders, including termination of their memberships and freezing of their divisions or branches, as the party strives to purge itself and reinvent its political image.
If the purging process is completed within two years, MCA will hold direct elections of party president and state liaison committee chairmen. Under the new system, delegates from the various divisions and branches may be able to directly take part in the elections of party president and state chairmen.

tunku : not only mca should do the slimming programme but all the parties in bn should do it by now. for instance umno, which has close to 4 millions members.i don't think so that umno has that many now, if they do, umno won't have any problems in elections.many members have died or left the party.it is high time for bn to do re-registration of its members or every branch should collect and gather the informations and update of its members, whether they are still alive or still supporting the party.it's better quality than quantity.

Sultan Leaves To MB To Decide On Elizabeth Wong's Position

SHAH ALAM, Feb 25 (Bernama) -- The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, is leaving it to Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to decide on the position of Bukit Lanjan assemblyman Elizabeth Wong whose nude photographs were circulated recently.
The sultan's private secretary, Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani, said this was expressed by the sultan when Khalid had an audience with the ruler today to brief him on the political developments in the state and to get his advice on the issue involving Wong, who had offered to resign because of the pictures.
"The sultan had commanded me to inform that his royal highness could not offer any guidance or advice to the menteri besar in the matter related to Wong as it was still under police investigation and that it involved her political position.
"It is his stance as the Sultan of Selangor to be above politics," he said in a statement sent to Bernama here today.
Mohamad Munir said the sultan believed that whatever decision by Khalid would be made with "accurateness, fair and with wisd om" by taking into consideration the interests of the people and the state.
"His Royal Highness is upset and worried as of late the intrusion of someone's privacy and private rights is being used to destroy one's dignity and reputation," he added.
He said the sultan was sad and sympathised with Wong for the unfortunate event that befell her and hoped that she would remain calm and be patient in continuing with her life.
The sultan said it was a sad thing to have one's life and private rights made public and subjected to public scrutiny by publicising it in the mass media, he added.
Wong, 37, tendered her resignation to Khalid on Feb 17.
She is now believed to be abroad and has reiterated her stand to resign as state assemblyman and also state executive councillor despite advice from the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) leadership to reconsider her decision while on leave.
Wong, who is Wanita PKR information chief, won the Bukit Lanjan state seat in the March 2008 general election after defeating Barisan Nasional's Datin Paduka Yong Dai Ying with a 5,155-votes majority.

tunku : the Sultan has leave it to the selangor's mb to decide. i hope khalid ibrahim will accept the resignation as an exco member but not as state assembly person. we do not want by election in bukit lanjan as the time now is to concentrate on our economy problems.

Contracts under RM500,000 open via quotation

Finance Minister Najib Abdul Razak today said that government contracts valued RM500,000 and under can now be applied by Class E contractors by submitting a quotation rather than fishing from open tenders.
After a two-hour Economic Planning Unit (EPU) meeting at Parliament, Najib said that prior to this, only contracts awarded under the value of RM200,000 could be obtained by submitting a quotation.
Najib said this when asked about the measures being taken to ensure that funds allocated under the up- coming mini-budget are efficiently spent, especially in light of complaints that the RM7 billion stimulus package, introduced last year, was implemented too slowly.
"One way that we can quicken the pace of the implementation is by increasing the limit of contracts offered via quotation from RM200,000 to RM500,000.
"Therefore, ministries and agencies undertaking small-scale projects can accept submissions through quotations rather than open tenders," said Najib.
Najib, who is also the deputy prime minister, added that the new scheme would be enforced from today and a new circular would be sent out by the finance ministry soon, making the change official.
More comprehensive budget
The mini-budget which is expected to tabled in Parliament on March 10, is "expected to be bigger and more comprehensive", said Najib.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who chaired the EPU meeting today, said the main agenda of the day was the state of the country’s economy and the introduction and implementation of a good stimulus package.
"Ideas have been given by those who attended the council. There is a lot of expectation that the stimulus package which is going to be introduced will help the economy to remain resilient," said Abdullah.
The prime minster added that among the other things discussed today were the status of small and medium scale entrepreneurs and free trade agreements.

tunku : by making contracts under RM500k open via quotation will ensure fast implementation of the project is somewhat a good idea but if not monitored carefully can be easily abused. i think every quotation must be made open for public scrutiny once it is awarded. Reason will have to be given why the said contractor is chosen.we don't want the money to leak somewhere in the middle.it is meant for the public and to stimulate the nation's economy.

Cash rebates end next month

KUALA LUMPUR: The cash rebate system for vehicles under 2,000cc, which was implemented in June last year, will end on March 31, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Samad confirmed.
He said this was because the cash rebate system had completed its one-year cycle, which was the initial plan.
“March 31 is the last date. We will end it in March,” he told reporters after launching the “Malaysian Products are Our Choice,” and “Buy Malaysian Products” campaign here Tuesday. The campaign will last until March 1.
“Whoever has yet to collect their cash rebates, please do so,” he added.
On the Government’s plans for future subsidies, and if the cash rebate system would be implemented again, Shahrir replied:
“I don’t think we’ll be using this method of subsidising again, because I see that Malaysians prefer subsidised pump prices.
“They seem to prefer lower pump prices rather than having money given out to them,” he said, adding that about RM5bil would have been disbursed by March.
He also said the Government planned to set the value of RON95 petrol at RM1.70 when it is introduced in the middle of this year.
“We want to give consumers good value for their money. Now you’re paying RM1.70 for RON92, we’re planning to give RM1.70 for RON 95 as well.
“So you get better quality petrol at the same price as RON 92. RON 97 will still be there too, but we haven’t decided on the pricing,” he said.

tunku : the cash rebate system was a disaster system for all malaysian.it did not benefits all.if the government had not increased the petrol price extremely high last year, the prices of goods too had not increased tremendously. now the petrol price is cheaper but the goods are still the same.it is very hard for sellers to reduce their goods prices but easy for them to increase.this is where wise and smart decision is important for the nation and the person who came out with this lousy system made life difficult for many.

Batang Ai rep Dublin Unting Ingkot dies- More by-election

KUCHING: Sarawak Assistant Sports Minister Dublin Unting Ingkot, who was in a coma after suffering a stroke nine months ago, passed away at a private hospital here at 1:25am Tuesday. He was 56.
The long-serving Batang Ai assemblyman was Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) vice-president.
Ingkot, also the assistant minister for Agriculture (Research and Coordination), retained the seat after beating challenger Nicholas Bawin from the Sarawak National Party (SNAP) in the May, 2006 state election.
His remains would be taken to his uncompleted new house at Stutong here at about 2:30pm, according to Wilson Ugak, a political secretary to the Chief Minister.
Ingkot suffered a stroke following a radio interview.
He leaves behind widow Datin Froline Moriah Dimies Impoi and three children.

MAY HE REST IN PEACE

Call For Abdullah To Be Appointed Senior Minister

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 23 (Bernama) -- A backbencher on Monday suggested that Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi be given a role as senior minister after he steps down as prime minister next month, the same way Singapore appoints Lee Kuan Yew as minister mentor.
Datuk Mohamad Aziz (BN-Sri Gading) said the move was apt as Abdullah had done a lot of good deeds for the people, country and parliament throughout his career as a leader.
"When the prime minister relinquishes his post, he will become an ordinary member of parliament.
"Where then should he be seated in the Dewan Rakyat? He can't be sitting next to Kinabatangan (Datuk Bung Moktar Radin)... I don't think that would be appropriate.
"Can we then follow our neighbour and appoint him as senior minister?" he said when debating the motion of thanks on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's address in the Dewan Rakyat.
Mohamad said the suggestion was apt as Abdullah's predecessors neither "relinquished their post midway" nor contested in subsequent elections.
Responding to Dr Lo' Lo' Mohamad Ghazali (PAS-Titiwangsa) who interjected to ask who prompted Abdullah to resign, Mohamad said, no one should cast any suspicion on the leadership transition.
Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi (BN-Batu Pahat) also interjected and said that the power transfer was not an act of back-stabbing but rather a move to ensure stability and prevent any disruption.
Mohamad, who paid tribute to Abdullah, said the power transition was a process which had been accepted by the people.
Meanwhile Datuk Seri Abdul Ghapur Salleh (BN-Kalabakan) when debating the motion hoped that the new cabinet line-up under the leadership of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would carry out their duties to the best of their abilities.
Abdul Ghapur said the ministers should not just "sit in the office."
"I hope that ministers will be appointed from among those who can really work for the people," he said.
He said he himself was disappointed with the attitude of some ministers who seldom go to the grassroots to see for themselves the actual situation on the ground, particularly in Sabah, which still lacked basic infrastructure.
Some ministers were also absent in the Dewan Rakyat and therefore were not able to listen to what members had to say about the situation in their areas, he said.
"It cannot be that all ministers are busy. They should make an effort to attend the Dewan Rakyat sitting," he said.


tunku : first of all this sri gading member of parliament is insane and lost his brain somewhere in the air. he said let us follow singapore to appoint our ex pm as senior minister, why we didn't appoint Tun Mahathir in the first place? why now we want to appoint pak lah? he can still sit anywhere in the parliament.When Tun Mahathir resigned as pm , he was an ordinary member of parliament till the GE.so why can't pak lah be? is he special, he is.he has made bn lost 5 states, that is why he is so special.a sleepy head pm and now we want a sleepy head senior minister, what nonsense.
on the other note,pak lah said he would not embarass the government once he leaves the office, if he do that, he knows that there are many charges waiting for him and cronies.
this is pak lah's latest good deed for malaysian, read here.

RM123.7 million spent during 12th General Elections

A total of RM123.7 million was spent by the government to run the 12th general elections last year, while another RM989,000 was spent in the Permatang Pauh and Kuala Terengganu by-elections.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz told Azan Ismail (PKR-Indera Mahkota) that the Permatang Pauh by-election chalked up expenses totalling RM409,000.
"For the Kuala Terengganu by-election, it cost the government RM580,000," he said.
Nazri also said under the Elections Act, candidates are prohibited from spending more than RM200,000.
"We can only audit the spending of the candidate as a preventive measure to prevent unlimited spending. However, we cannot stop his friends from doing so if they wanted to," he said.
To a supplementary question from Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi (BN-Batu Pahat) who pointed out there is a tendency nowadays for elected representatives, especially those from the Opposition, to resign from their seat to force a by-election , Nazri said existing regulations are already in place to deal with such scenario.
He said elected representatives who force a by-election will be barred from contesting for five years.
Additionally, those who had completed their third year in office,from the first day of the seating, cannot force a by-election as they have served more than half their tenure.
"I hope there will not be any more by-elections, unless there it is caused by the death of an elected representative," he said.

tunku : i don't understand when nazri said that the government spent RM580,000 for the Kuala Trengganu by election when it was reported that the police alone spent RM15million for that by election. Is the police force not under the government?

Govt firm in decision to reject new Labu terminal: Najib

The government is firm in its decision to reject the plan by AirAsia Bhd and Sime Darby to build a RM1.6 billion low-cost carrier terminal (LCCT) Labu, Negeri Sembilan, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today.
He said the project cannot be continued according to the original plan as Sime Darby would not pay the RM800 million infrastructure construction cost.
"They will only sell the land to the party that is building the infrastructures. If Airport Malaysia (Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), it means sell to Airports Malaysia...they (Sime Darby) will not pay for the RM800 million infrastructure cost," he told Malaysian journalists covering the Special Asean+3 Finance Ministers' Meeting in this tourist resort here Sunday.
Najib, who is also Finance Minister said he had received confirmation in "black and white" from Sime Darby on the matter.
"If they (Sime Darby) did not contribute, there is no basis for the project to be considered," he said.

tunku : i hope that this is the final decision from the government.Few weeks ago there was news that government has cancelled this project but the next day ong tee kiat said it is stillunder discussion.few days ago in parliament again it was said that it's still under discussion.we hope the government will make an official announcement on their decision on this issue once and for all.

Accord Utmost Respect To Abdullah, Says Mukhriz

KOTA BAHARU, Feb 22 (Bernama) -- Umno members have been urged to accord utmost respect to Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi after he steps down as prime minister next month.
Member of Parliament for Jerlun Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir said he hoped Abdullah would continue to be accorded the respect befitting his stature and not ill-treated like his father, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. "Do not treat Pak Lah (Abdullah) like (Umno had been treating) Tun Mahathir (former prime minister), otherwise the people will hate Umno. Hold Pak Lah in high regard," he told reporters after joining Umno Youth candidates in introducing themselves to Kelantan Youth delegates here, Sunday.
Mukhriz, who is vying for Umno Youth chief post, said being grateful to leaders for their deeds was an integral part of the Malay culture but it was not the case when it came to Mahathir.
"The people of Kedah were angry with the way Tun Mahathir was treated and voiced their displeasure by voting the opposition in the last general election," he claimed.
On a proposal that Mahathir be appointed as an Umno adviser or a government adviser, Mukhriz said it was up to the party and the government to decide and it would be unwise for him to comment.
Speaking to reporters in Bentong, Pahang last night, Mukhriz urged Barisan Nasional (BN) to field an Umno candidate in the Bukit Selambau state by-election on April 7.
He said an Umno candidate would stand a better chance of wresting the seat based on the racial composition of the voters in the constituency.
Although the seat was allotted to MIC before, he said the BN leadership should respect the aspiration of the majority of the people in the constituency.
"BN can win the seat provided we have the right candidate. Going by the voting trend, the people gauge the candidate on his or her performance," he said after joining Umno Youth candidates in introducing themselves to Pahang Youth delegates.
"A win will mean a moral victory for BN as it signifies that the coalition is regaining its lost ground," he said, adding that, however, he would respect the BN's choice should an MIC candidate be fielded.

tunku : very sincere appeal to all umno members to accord utmost respect to the soon to be 'former prime minister'.mukhriz knew what the father went through and also the family. based on that he appeals that pak lah be respected. pak lah.......if only you had listened to the advices and didn't act arrogant.if only you had stopped your son in law, your family to meddle in government business and administration......

GMP To Stage Gathering Outside Istana Negara

JOHOR BAHARU, Feb 22 (Bernama) -- The Movement Opposing the Teaching of Science and Mathematics in English (GMP) has assured the police that a mammoth gathering being planned outside Istana Negara on March 7 will be non-violence.
"We have yet to obtain a police permit but we believe it will be approved as it will be a peaceful gathering," its chairman, Emeritus Prof Dr Abdullah Hassan told reporters here today.
National laureate Datuk A. Samad Said said the implementation of the policy contravened Article 152 (1) and 152 (6) of the Federal Constitution on the use of Bahasa Melayu for all.
"We are not opposing the use of English in the pursuit of knowledge but are upholding what is enshrined in the constitution on the use of Bahasa Melayu to unite the people," he said.
GMP committee member Ainon Mohd said the implementation of the policy did not justify the teaching and learning of English as a language.
She said to improve the command of English among students, the government should provide every school with an English laboratory while enhancing teachers' English teaching skills.

tunku : police should not allowed such gathering out side istana. they can have the gathering in appropriate place such as in a hall, stadium etc.this small group does not represent the majority, they are the minority who trying to "kill" the future of our kids and the future generation.

‘Serious’ may be what Umno needs

Umno’s thinking politician Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin spoke frankly to Sunday Star about how he decided to contest for the deputy president’s post only after getting the green light from incoming president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
TAN SRI Muhyiddin Yassin takes his work seriously and it shows in his face and demeanour.
Some of his own party people find him less than friendly and even a little on the grumpy side. Upon hearing this, he broke into a broad smile. It transformed his face. In fact, he has one of those somewhat shy and rather boyish smiles.
He is neither unfriendly nor grumpy, but he is certainly not Mr Smiley and simply has no propensity for frivolous talk.
Muhyiddin, as his low-profile wife Puan Sri Noorainee Abdul Rahman put it, was “born a serious man”.
His serious nature cost him in the party polls of 2004 when he came in third among the party’s three vice-presidents because delegates had gone for likeability over ability.
But so much has changed in the last one year and quite suddenly, his serious ways have become an asset rather than a liability.
Umno and the coalition that it leads is going through troubled times and some in the party are worried whether Umno can survive beyond the next general election or go the way of political parties like the Kuomintang in Taiwan or the Congress Party of India.
Serious times call for serious leadership and Muhyiddin’s hour may just have arrived.
The International Trade and Industry Minister, 61, is one of three candidates for the Umno deputy president’s post alongside Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, 59, and Rural Development Minister Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib, 63.
His opponents have been running a much more aggressive campaign than him.
But Muhyiddin’s message when he goes down to the ground is straight to the point. He talks about the rocky road that Umno is going through and he discusses what is needed to rebuild the party and to rebrand Barisan Nasional. Umno, as he readily admits, cannot survive alone.
In other words, he is telling them to give him a chance to help Umno regain its strength and standing. The thinking politician in him comes through very clearly in such encounters.
The last few weeks have been rife with talk of a consensus solution to the contest. It is true that senior leaders in the party are concerned the contest for the No. 2 post may cause a split but to date, talk of a consensus has remained just talk.
“I am prepared to talk and I will accept the outcome but sometimes it takes three to tango, the other two also have to agree,” said Muhyid­din.
He is in pole position in the contest but Mohd Ali is not far behind.
The Malacca politician is said to have the bac­king of none other than the Prime Minister, some­thing that his opponents cannot take lightly.
But Muhyiddin is said to be the preferred candidate of Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who has won the presidency unopposed.
He was right there beside Najib when the latter announced his bid for the presidency in Kuala Terengganu and he has represented Najib at functions the Deputy Prime Minister was unable to attend.
But the most unique part of Muhyiddin’s situation is that he is the only one on whom Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has bestowed his blessing. Dr Mahathir’s endorsement cannot be underestimated because after what they have been through in the last few years, very few in Umno would dispute that he is the greatest leader their party has ever had.
He is also aware of claims that Najib needs a weak deputy who would not challenge him or make him feel insecure.
“These are tough times for Umno. Two strong heads are definitely better than one,” he said.
But Muhyiddin’s greatest impact in Umno is that he has been the chief catalyst to the speeded up transition of power in Umno. He spoke without fear or favour after the March debacle and as many in Umno pointed out, “he said what we wanted to but did not dare to”.
For that, he is hailed as a hero by those who are for the change but condemned by those who wanted Abdullah to stay on.
He is hoping that his admirers and supporters will outnumber his critics when Umno votes on March 26.

Q. You secured the most nominations for the deputy president’s post.

A. I had expected that because people came up to me to voice approval for what I said and told me they want to support me. They told me I said what they felt in their hearts. What I did was not off-tandem. Even non-Malays agreed with what I said.
My record shows I have spoken up over the years, even during the leadership crisis of 1988.

Q. The Prime Minister was upset with you?

A. I did not mean to hurt his feelings. It was important for the party and I said what I felt was right. Maybe Allah gave me the strength.
I’m sorry if I touched on the nerves of the leadership but somebody had to do it. I would not have done it if I did not feel it was necessary for Umno to survive. Nobody likes to be the Prophet of Doom.

Q. Have you made peace with the Prime Minister?

A. I offered my apology at one supreme council meeting. It was Ramadan, a time to seek forgiveness. I told the PM at the meeting that, if what I said hurt your feelings and caused disappointment, it was without ill intention. I did it out of sincerity. If you were offended I seek your forgiveness. I did what I thought was right. Then I explained why I did it.
That was around the time when some people were going for my head over what I said when I was in Singapore. The PM just listened and nodded.

Q. Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam seems to have the backing of the Prime Minister.

A. I haven’t heard the PM making any statements seen as favouring Ali. Maybe people are reading his body language and interpreting his words. But I wish he would be neutral in a race of this sort and stay above the fray.

Q. But the incoming president is seen as leaning towards you.

A. I would love to think he has sent out signals to that effect. It’s always the incoming president that people look to, he is the future leadership. It certainly has more pluses than minuses.

Q. It is said Datuk Seri Najib appreciates your role in the transition.

A. I have had private discussions with Najib about the political situation from the beginning.
We had common concerns about what happened in the general election and the future of Umno. That went on for a month. I was in Tokyo when I received an SMS from Najib telling me that the PM had announced his transition plan for 2010. I asked Najib: Is it acceptable? Is it too long? Can you recover in time for the next elections? At that point, it was he who asked me to defend my vice-president’s post and that he would defend his own post.
Not long after that, the PM said he would not defend his position in Umno. Najib then told me he was going for the presidency and I should try for the deputy president’s post.
I remember he informed me a day before Pak Lah made his announcement. Even when Zahid (Bagan Datoh MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) suddenly said he was going for the No. 2 post, I asked Najib whether he had endorsed Zahid. Najib was just as surprised about Zahid and he called Zahid after that.
I wouldn’t offer myself for such a key post without seeking the views of the incoming president. By convention and tradition, the president always indicates who he feels most comfortable with as his deputy.
In this case, I would not have been so presumptuous as to go ahead without an indication. I sought Najib’s view when the transition was set for 2010 and again when it was brought forward to 2009. The first time he told me to stay put, the second time he asked me to go ahead.

Q. You also seem to have Tun Mahathir’s blessing?

A. I think Tun Mahathir sees me as a sort of voice of conscience.
He really loves Umno even though he is officially not a member. I feel proud in that sense. Some are critical of Tun and what he says but he talks a lot of sense even if he is sometimes overly critical. There is a lot of respect for him.

Q. What are the top concerns for Umno when the new team takes over?

A. One is to acknowledge that Umno is not as popular as in the past. We have to study the reasons why we lost the trust and support (of the people). It’s a question of survival and staying relevant.
Second is to strengthen the party, when we lost ground in March, some of us also lost our bearings because we did not foresee the tsunami and we are not used to rejection. We got too comfortable, took things for granted, became too self-serving. We have gone somewhat off track and we have to get our bearings again.
We are suffering from a perception problem that is compounded by the new media. There will have to be a major overhaul when Najib comes to power. There’s too much of what the party can do for you rather than what you can do for party. It’s going to be a difficult challenge with three million members and we have to start from the top.
Then there is the question of Umno vis-a-vis the other parties. The sands have shifted. How can we rebuild the strength of our component parties because we need each other to survive.
I am even thinking of a Barisan Nasional Baru. How can we present ourselves to Malaysians as a coalition that cares for all races and is for equality and justice? How can we rebrand the Barisan?

Q. Can Datuk Najib get the team he needs to revive Umno?

A. The Umno election will give him the political structure he needs as the president.
The Cabinet is the more important part. It will be key to his success as Prime Minister. It must comprise the capable and committed. It cannot be a carry-over from the past or a recycled team. He is very conscious of expectations of his premiership and the challenging time ahead.
I hope delegates think of that when they vote.

Q. You are such a serious man.

A. That’s the way I come across but don’t judge a book by its cover. When people start knowing me they know I can be friendly and attentive, maybe just a bit too serious.
But taking things seriously is my business. I have told people that I thought I laugh a lot but when I look in the mirror I can tell it’s not enough and that was when they start laughing.
When I go around I still shake people’s hands and look them in the eye. I guess, it’s in my genes, my father was a religious teacher and he did not take life lightly. God gave me this face and I don’t use botox, as you can see.(who is using botox out there??)

tunku : this is the best choice umno has for it's deputy president.if umno to revive then the delegate should vote for muhyiddin and not the other two.ali rustam is not deputy president or deputy prime minister type, as chief minister of a small state he is ok , to handle country.... beyond his capabilities.as for muhammad taib........God forbide, never such man be our deputy prime minister.he will surely make bn becomes opposition comes next GE.

Dr M: Stop banks from making money out of thin air

LONDON: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has called for a ban on the manipulation of “money to make money” to help resolve the global financial crisis.

The former Prime Minister said the main problem was that banks were empowered to create money out of thin air and lend money which they did not have.

He suggested that everyone should go back to producing goods and services although the profits would not be that massive.

“But the wealth from these activities will be real and the economy will be more sound,” he said in his talk at the “Leadership in Times of Crisis” seminar at the British Institute of Technology and E-Commerce here on Friday.

Dr Mahathir also expressed doubts of a recovery despite the US government talking of a trillion-dollar plan to save the economy.

He said there would come a time when the government would have to admit that the whole system had failed.

What was needed, he said, was a total write-off of the monies lost and the need to reduce the lavish lifestyles and per capita income in rich countries.

“The rich will have to sell their yachts and private planes as well as their holiday and palatial homes while the poor will become poorer,” he said.

If there is to be recovery, the world must accept that everyone – the rich and the poor – must take part in formulating a change in the system, he added.

Dr Mahathir said the most important reform was to ensure that money was created by governments and not by banks.

“Governments need to come back and supervise the banks. If the executives go beyond something, they’ll be punished,” he said.

He described as ridiculous the present system where executives were paid bonuses if they could show figures to their directors even if the banks lose money.

Describing the scenario as frightening, he said: “We have no control over money and we don’t know how much of it is in circulation.”

Dr Mahathir said when Malaysia was hit by currency speculators in 1997-1998, it was told that the trade in currencies was 20 times bigger than the total world trade.

“That’s a huge sum of money. But where does it come from?” he said, adding it was important to get rid of those who were playing tricks.

He also said government bailouts, which were effectively nationalisation, would not enable businesses to recover when the economy was in recession.

“We see governments furiously bailing out financial institutions and businesses but we have yet to see any results,” he added.

He also said the formulation of any new system must involve both the rich and poor countries as well as elements of Islamic banking principles.

Shahidan seeks support to contest OCM presidency

Malaysian Amateur Athletics Union (MAAU) president Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim today asked Olympic Council of Malaysia(OCM) affiliates to support his bid for the OCM presidency in May.
He said he hoped at least 16 of the 48 affiliates in OCM would come forward and state their support for him.
"If many parties want to bring about change in OCM, I am up to the task.
"If I get enough nominations, what''s wrong in my contesting the post?," he told reporters after chairing a meeting of MAAU''S board here today.
The former Perlis menteri besar, however, said he had yet to receive any nominations to date to unseat the incumbent, Tunku Tan Sri Imran Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Jaafar.

tunku : i think shahidan should lobby all out for the post and forget about politics.this is the best for shahidan as in politics,his star is not shinning any more.may he succeed in his new journey.OCM need a new president to rejuvenate and bring more success to the council.lucky for shahidan for not contesting the umno presidency.

Karpal wants Royal Commission to probe Kulim shooting

THE opposition will move a motion in Parliament for the setting up of a Royal Commission to investigate the shooting of six suspected criminals by the police in Kampung Kemunting here four days ago.
DAP chairman Karpal Singh said the setting up of the commission was crucial as it would allow the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan, to clarify to the families of the six victims, as well as the people, on the incident.
"Inspector-General of Police (Tan Sri) Musa Hassan should give special attention to this case because it involves six lives," he told reporters after accompanying S.Kumuthamalar, 37, the widow of one of those killed, to lodge a report on her husband's death at the Kulim police station here today.
Karpal said the families of the other five victims would also lodge similar reports.
In the incident on Monday, police shot dead six men who were believed to be involved in several armed-robbery cases reported in Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor.
They were Kumuthamalar's husband, contract worker R. Elangovan, 38; L. S. Santana, 34; contractor R. Pannir, 28; crane driver S. Vadivelan, 29; carpenter S. Gurusamy, 50, and lorry attendant R. Dilip Kumar, 20.
Kedah police chief Datuk Syed Ismail Syed Azizan said that two of them were wanted by the police for investigations into several crime cases.

tunku : hope that parliament will not waste its precious time in discussing about this royal commission.there are more serious matter that need to address than this baseless allegations by the people who trying to be popular. think about those lives which are lost because of criminals.don't expect policeman to die first before they can shoot back at the criminals.

MRCS: More Funds For Gaza

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- Despite not having sent any member to Gaza, Palestine, the Malaysian Red Crescent Society (MCRS) is on a mission to collect financial aid to send food and medical supplies to the Palestinians.
MRCS treasurer Fatimah Sulaiman said sufficient volunteers had already been sent to Gaza by the Red Crescent Societies worldwide in Palestine, Jordan and Egypt.
"However, we will go (to Gaza) if our medical specialists are needed," she told a press conference here today.
She hoped the public, non-governmental organisations and corporate sectors would continue donating to the Palestinian Humanitarian Fund.
Fatimah, who is also Selangor Red Crescent Society (SRCS) chairman, said fund-raising activities for Gaza would continue with a SRCS Humanitarian Service Carnival at the MRCS headquarters in Jalan Nipah here on March 1.
She said SRCS aimed to raise RM30,000 at the carnival.

People can send their contributions through Maybank account number 5144 2210 2657 or make out cheques to the "MRCS International Relief Fund" and written at the back should be 'GAZA CITY'.

Malaysian Children Show Support For Gaza's Kids

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- To date more than 2,600 letters, hand-made cards, postcards and drawings written and made by Malaysian children have been received for the "To My Friend in Gaza" project to show solidarity with the unfortunate children of war-ravaged Gaza.
Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir, who initiated and launched the project in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Malaysia, said they are now in the process of translating the messages into Arabic before sending them to the children of Gaza.
"It is important to show them that we care about them. Not just through money and other methods, but also through writing. Something simple, but meaningful," she told reporters after receiving 2,500 hand-made friendship cards from Cempaka School students here today.
She hoped more young Malaysians would contribute towards the project by showing their warmth and support towards Gaza's children through their messages.
"The idea is to invite Malaysian children to send letters, postcards, drawings to children in Gaza to tell them that they are thinking of them, wishing them well and praying for their safety," she said.
The humanitarian crisis due to Israel's attacks on Gaza is affecting women and children the most and over 800,000 children have been exposed to extraordinary levels of violence and insecurity and more then 300 children have died and some 1,600 injured.
For those who are interested to participate in the project they can send their material to "To My Friend in Gaza" c/o 48, Jalan Terasek Dua, 51900, Kuala Lumpur.

MACC Chief: Strong evidence of misuse of power by S’gor MB

GEORGE TOWN: Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan said that there was strong evidence to show that Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim misused his powers over the maintenance of his personal car and the distribution of 46 cows worth RM110,400 for slaughter during Aidil Adha celebrations in his parliamentary constituency of Bandar Tun Razak last December.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan said the commission had completed its investigations and the matter would be referred to the Attorney-General (AG) for further action.
“We would suggest that legal action and so on be taken, as we have strong evidence for both the cases that abuse of power has taken place.
“Although we can make a decision to press legal charges, but the commission feels that it is better if the AG makes a decision.
“Since it involves a VIP, it is better that the case is referred to the AG, as there might be certain parties not satisfied with the investigation by the commission ,’’ he told reporters after the ground-breaking ceremony of the building of the state commission’s staff housing on Friday.
This follows a report lodged on Feb 6 by Selangor Umno Youth, alleging that Khalid had used state funds to pay for the maintenance of his personal car.
Its Shah Alam head Azhari Shaari, accompanied by the Kuala Selangor, Ulu Selangor and Kota Raja Youth chiefs, lodged the report at the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in Shah Alam.
He said they were filing the report on behalf of the state Umno Youth and claimed that they had evidence that Khalid had misused his power.
On Wednesday, Khalid filed two defamation suits against Sungai Besar state assemblyman Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo over allegations related to his personal car, a Lexus, and the purchase of 46 cattle.
The suits were over “Lexus is my own, says Khalid”, a report in the News Straits Times on Jan 15, and “Lepaskan jawatan MB”, published in Utusan Malaysia on Jan 23.
“On my client’s part, there are no transgressions as he has the documents to back up his purchase of the Lexus and on the purchase of the cattle, which was made solely by PKNS and donor firms, without his involvement,” Khalid’s lawyer Sankara Nair had said then.

tunku : this is what happened when dirty people form up a dirty party to rule the country. they are full of dirt. pkr has too many scandals and corrupted leaders and pity their partners in pakatan which have to bear with them. yesterday we saw the pkr's gangster told reporter that if the reporter asked him again on the question of his relationship with Eli Wong he will smash the reporter's head.these is the type of leaders that pkr has. i suggest that dap and pas throw pkr out of pakatan.it is because of pkr they lost perak and looks like something is brewing up in selangor which is caused by pkr again.

Keep Boycottting

Don't stop your boycott on the israel's and their related companies product.
This effort have to continue until they return the land which they invaded from the Palestinians. Every cents you spend on their product is for a bullet to kill the Palestinians, think about it. GOD DAMN THE ZIONIST.

Former MB tried to bribe my man, alleges Anwar

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has alleged that former Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Mahadzir Khalid had offered PKR Kulim assemblyman Lim Soo Nee a bribe to crossover.
The bribe was offered by Mahadzir at a Sebarang Jaya hotel in December last year.
However, Anwar said what Mahadzir did not know was that there was an Anti Corruption Agency sting.
"Our assemblyman worked with the ACA. Umno people had approached him repeatedly and offered him money to cross," he said while debating the Royal Address.
However, Anwar said no action had been taken against the former Kedah Menteri Besar as the officer investigating the case was transfered out.
"The officer told Lim the meeting was the climax to the investigation and action on Mahadzir would follow soon after that," he said.
Anwar claimed the ACA closed the case following instruction from higher ups.

tunku : this moron is still trying to fool the public.he is the one who is going around and trying to buy out bn's mp and now accusing others. enough of your nonsense moron.you still remember when your team were chasing bn's mp in taiwan? you went till that stage to buy out bn's mp.cut the craps.