Special task-force to follow up on A-G’s report

PUTRAJAYA: The Government has set up a task force to be headed by Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan to study the 2008 Auditor-General’s report and take action against those responsible for the financial irregularities revealed therein, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said at a press conference at his office here on Friday.
The other members of the task force will be Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang, Treasury secretary-general Tan Sri Dr Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah and Public Services Department director-general Tan Sri Ismail Adam.
“If there’s a need, we will also call in the Attorney-General and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC),” said Najib, who is also the Finance Minister.
“We will have to look into the findings of the report, especially those involving the abuse of power and misappropriation and determine what action should to be taken against those involved.
“I want to state that the reason for setting up the task force is not to launch a witchhunt but to identify those who have intentionally and openly committed such offences -- they should not get away without any action taken against them,” Najib said.
However, he stressed that the findings by the task force would not necessarily lead to legal action.
“Administrative action such as demotions, freezing promotions or transfers can also be meted out,” he said.
The Auditor-General’s Report for 2008, which was tabled in Parliament on Oct 19, revealed that the lack of oversight by various ministries and departments in the procurement of goods and services cost the Government hundreds of millions of ringgit.
These range from multi-billion ringgit infrastructure projects to the procurement of laptops and maintenance of government assets.
For example, Kolej Kemahiran Tinggi Mara Balik Pulau in Penang paid RM84,640 for two laptop computers and spent RM2.08mil on computer software that was not used, among other things.
The Perak government spent over RM15mil on new cars and maintenance over the past four years and was still not able to manage its vehicles properly.
Weaknesses revealed in the report included the Finance Ministry’s public infrastructure maintenance programme, basic infrastructure programme and parliamentary constituency rural development projects involving RM4.59bil for 92,687 projects from 2005 to November 2008 that were still not satisfactorily implemented.
It said there were delays in project completion, work not done in accordance with the original scope of works, increased project costs due to the inclusion of procurement of equipment and assets in the scope of works, unutilised facilities upon completion, improper payments made for works not done and shortage of officers in project supervision.
The MACC has also set up a special team to investigate government agencies and departments based on the Auditor-General’s report.

tunku : this is a very good action taken by the government.we need to get these abuses to the roots.get rid of these people and save millions and millions of ringgit per year.macc should move fast and investigates all the cases brought up by the A-G's report.no one should be spared.take action without fear and favour.just imagine how many schools and clinics can be made from these abuses.the government should not hesitate to take action.let them go against the government later on as long as the government is doing it's job efficiently.this is what the slogan about, people first , performance now.

Nashrudin: I Am Not A Problematic Leader

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 (Bernama) -- PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa said Thursday he is not a "problematic leader" as claimed by the party's spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.
He said if he was a problematic leader, the delegates would not have elected him to the post during the party's annual general assembly in June.
"I'm shocked that my name is mentioned by Tok Guru (Nik Aziz). (But) it is normal for a leader to advise party members. In PAS, top and influential leaders like him will always give us advice.
"He has been reminding us on a number of things but in this case, the reminder came in the form of a blog entry," he told reporters at parliament lobby here.
This was Nashrudin's first reaction to the statement by Nik Aziz, which labelled him as among "two or three problematic leaders" in PAS.
Nik Aziz also suggested that the party hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to rid the party of these leaders.
Others mentioned in the blog at www.bloktokguru.com were secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali and Selangor PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Hassan Ali.
Nik Aziz claimed there was need to change key players in the party whom he said had been harping on the issue of a unity government with Umno.
Nasharudin said Nik Aziz had explained the content of the blog to PAS central committee Wednesday and that the committee decided to hold a political seminar on Nov 7 instead and not an EGM as suggested by the Kelantan menteri besar.

tunku : it is so obvious that nik aziz hates nasha because nasha has defeated husam musa in the party's election for the deputy president post. nik aziz wants his protege to be the deputy president.it is not nasha a problematic leader but it is their own tok guru the so called ulamak.

Anwar's sodomy case among reasons to quit

Port Klang assemblyperson Badrul Hisham Abdullah has cited PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy trial as among the reasons for him to quit the party.
At a press conference this evening, Badrul said he getting suspicious over Anwar's continuous delays in proceeding with the trial and his refusal to elaborate on the matter to party members.
"As a Muslim who steadfastly holds to Islamic principles, a leader's morals is paramount in gaining my support," he said, reading from a prepared text.
He also claimed that PKR president and Anwar's wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had refused to explain about the sodomy allegations.
"This is the main reason for my decision (to quit PKR) because I'm a Muslim and a public figure. I cannot compromise on moral issues, such as the ones faced by PKR leaders," he said.

tunku : actually everyone in pakatan knows that anwar is a sodomizer.hadi awang,lim kit siang,mat sabu,karpal and even wan azizah knows it but remain silence as they are gaining support by using anwar.it was the pas and dap leaders who brought up anwar's sodomizing activities before he was sacked from Umno and now they shut their mouth.this is the people who does not have morals.for them power is more important than moral.those who still have some values and morals in them, please leave pakatan.

No EGM, PAS Will Hold A Political Seminar Instead

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 (Bernama) -- PAS' central committee at its special meeting held at the party's headquarters here Wednesday night unanimously decided not to hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to iron out problems it is facing but will organise a political seminar instead on Nov 7 to address them.
PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang announced the decision after the 4-hour meeting that began at 9pm.
The meeting also instructed the party's disciplinary committee to probe Selangor PAS over issues raised concerning Selangor PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Hasan Ali.
"After much deliberation, we have agreed to, first, work towards strengthening Pakatan Rakyat and for PAS to play a more active role in the coalition," Hadi told the waiting media.
"We also agreed that there will not be an EGM and that it be replaced with a political seminar that will be attended party delegates from throughout the country to discuss ways to strengthen PAS," added Hadi.
The seminar will be held at PAS' field headquarters in Taman Melewar here.
On PAS Selangor, Hadi said the probe was called following complaints made by PAS Spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat in his (Nik Aziz's) blog that Hasan was one of the problematic leaders in PAS.
"All decisions taken were unanimous after taking into consideration the views of PAS' spiritual leader (Nik Aziz)," said Hadi.
Asked if Nik Aziz was satisfied with the explanation given to the issues he had raised," Hadi said:"Yes."
Nik Aziz left the meeting before the meeting ended without speaking to reporters. Other leaders who attended the meeting included PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa and PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali.
Nik Aziz, who is also Kelantan Menteri Besar, had called the meeting because he felt certain leaders of the party were being pro-Umno.
He had named Nasharuddin, Hasan and Mustafa as those who belonged in this category.

tunku: again pas swept the dirt under the carpet.i wonder if there were hugging scene at the end of the meeting but nik aziz left earlier. looking at the scenario they have not settle the issue and it is still tangling.they had agreed on strengthening pakatan but not their own party.the party is in a mess, so does pkr.how will the pakatan be strengthen? it is a pity for pas members that they have leaders like this.pas is lost.

1School for 1Malaysia

Single stream schools can help achieve unity

KUALA LUMPUR: The Government has been urged to restructure the education system including introducing single stream schools to achieve racial unity.
Hamim Samuri (BN-Ledang) said the current multi-stream schooling system did not help people understand the meaning of unity or the 1Malaysia concept promoted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He said the present system should be restructured where all secondary schools would be in a single stream, thus placing all races under one roof.
“The multi-stream schools can be retained at the primary level. The Government can take over and upgrade the secondary schools,” he said when debating the Supply Bill 2010 here Wednesday.
Datuk Ab Halim Ab Rahman (PAS-Pengkalan Chepa) agreed, saying that a study showed that the present education system had no objectives for the well-being of the people.
Tony Pua (DAP-Petaling Jaya Utara) also agreed that all multi-stream schools be united into a single stream at secondary level so that racial unity could be achieved.
He said the single stream schooling system had been mooted by historian and academician Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Khoo Kay Kim. -- Bernama

tunku : a single stream schools should be at the primary level, not secondary.6 years of separation (primary school) can put so much differences among the students.if everyone is really concern about racial unity and equality why not implement 1School for 1Malaysia.the opposition especially dap should not show their double standard here.all the schools can have multi language lessons like Mandarin,Tamil ,Iban,Kadazan etc.this is necessary in order to bring about a sense of togetherness among school children and to counter the increasing racial polarisation noticeable in the country in recent times.

Ibrahim Ali's Frogs And Blue-Eyed Houseflies Tales

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 (Bernama) — It is customary that every Dewan Rakyat sitting accounts the sharp insinuations of Pasir Mas Member of Parliment, Datuk Paduka Ibrahim Ali, which often result in laughter amongst his fellow MPs.
Today’s sitting brought tales of frogs and blue-eyed houseflies. These tales were told to mock the Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PKR-Permatang Pauh), who has often likened Ibrahim to a frog for his party-hopping ways.
The PKR leader hurled a jibe towards Ibrahimyesterday when debating a bill. “I want to speak of this frog; hopping frog, frog under a coconut shell whose brain does not expand, frozen,”, says the Permatang Pauh MP.
“The frog under the coconut shell hops from padi-field to padi-field, it does not hop to America, does not hop far, just nearby,” countered Ibrahim when debating the 2010 Supply Bill.
He went on to say that the hopping frog did not bear disease; instead he pointed that what carries disease is the green housefly. “The green housefly looks beautiful, blue eyes. Beautiful and makes a sound when flying but when it sets down anywhere it brings disease be it dengue, cholera and the like.
“Because it bears disease, so don't be a green housefly but certainly now we have problems with the green housefly. But the hopping frog can eat the green housefly,” he insinuated.
Earlier, Ibrahim, who did not allow for any interruption, put forward 32 points of various issues for debate including, issues related to maids, contract workers, padi subsidy, and issues related to Kelantan.
The Dewan Rakyat sitting resumes tomorrow. — Bernama

tunku : the green housefly turn out to be more dangerous as it is mating with all sort of animals and carrying a STD disease that will bring disaster to all.it does not spare anyone.we should get rid of the green housefly.this green housefly can change it colours too like the chameleon.

Ostracise War Architects, Says Tun Mahathir

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 (Bernama) -- Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad urged the international community to ostracise those who create war as a way to punish them.
"These people who have created war and killed so many people should be regarded as criminals, the people should not associate with them and should avoid them. Countries should take the same step," he told reporters after delivering a keynote address at the "Criminalise War Conference and War Crimes Tribunal 2009" here on Wednesday.
He said as an example, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who visited Sabah on August, should not be allowed to come to Malaysia because he could also be regarded a war criminal.
"We know he was in Sabah for holiday but he was actually invited to give a talk on justice, what does he know about justice? It is disgraceful that we should allow such a person to come to Malaysia and to talk about justice, it is ridiculous," he said.
Dr Mahathir had called Blair a war criminal for his role in supporting the United States in the invasion of Iraq.
The outspoken Dr Mahathir, who is also chairman of the Perdana Global Peace Organisation, said people including the leaders who launched wars should to be held accountable for the deaths and destruction resulting from their decision.
"It does not matter whether the aggressors win or not, they must be regarded as guilty and their leaders must be tried and punished, punished severely. Only this would deter the aggressive from resorting to war," he said
When asked on why he focused on the U.S as the main target, Dr Mahathir said the country was the major player in launching the war in Iraq.
"In Iraq, the Americans are the principal players, they are the ones who are arresting people and detaining them for years and years, torturing them," he said.
Dr Mahathir said the media can play a big role in making people realise that war was a crime and to tell the truth about war and killings.
"But the international media will not do so because for them, war is interesting. The war is nice because you can have a lots of picture, even can become a brave reporter to go into the war zone.
"War is much more interesting to the media, but I hope good sense will prevail in the media especially the eastern media not the western media," he said.
Earlier in his speech, Mahathir said the quest for the most powerful weapon should really be over as war should no longer be an option in the settlement of disputes between nations.
"Unfortunately, these great nuclear powers are still developing, testing and producing more nuclear weapons. They talk of safe nuclear bombs, of small nuclear bombs and tactical nuclear bombs.
"Already they are using depleted uranium in their bombs and missiles which are causing diseases like cancer to spread among hundreds of thousands who had survived their attacks," he said.

Leave before people get nasty, says Dr M

KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad reiterated yesterday that it was high time Pas spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat stepped down from his post.
Dr Mahathir said a leader should know when to quit.
"A person should not lead for a long time. He will become old-fashioned," he said.
"Before people start saying 'when is this old man going to go', the leader should leave, or they might start saying nasty things about the person.
"That way, people will still remember you," Dr Mahathir said after the opening of the second National Asset and Facility Management (Nafam) convention by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday.
The 78-year-old Nik Aziz was appointed by consensus as spiritual leader in 1987.
Dr Mahathir also commented on the Pakatan Rakyat leadership, saying Parti Keadilan Rakyat, DAP and Pas were in compatible and were bound to quarrel.
"It was a marriage of convenience. Now it has become inconvenient and (they) are finding fault with each other".
He said the alliance failed to rule Selangor, Penang, Kedah and Kelantan as they had been in opposition for too long.
"When you are the opposition, you don't have to do anything. The government has to do things.
"Now, they have formed a government but they do not know how to behave, except for being an opposition."

tunku : for pakatan, there is no such word as resign or quit in their dictionary.they will hold to their post till they die.just look at pas, nik aziz at 78 still wants to hold to his position though he is already confirmed a senile old man.dap with karpal and lim kit siang and pkr will have the melodrama moron queen.pakatan still behaving like the opposition in the states they rules.they have not done anything except blaming everything on BN and and talk craps.the people should know by now their capability.they will ruin this beloved country.we should not jeopardize our future in their hands.they can't even control their internal problems.

Government Mulling Special Unit To Address Maid Abuse

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 (Bernama) -- The Home Ministry is considering setting up a special unit by pooling the resources of several ministries to find the best way to address cases of maid abuse in the country, Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said Tuesday.
He would raise the matter at the Cabinet meeting, he told reporters at Parliament House when asked how the government would go about tackling the cases of maid abuse following the death yesterday of Indonesian maid Mantik Hani after alleged abuse by her employer recently.
Mantik, 36, died at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital yesterday, six days after she was admitted to the hospital where, Hishammuddin said, doctors tried their best to save her life.
The minister said the government would not compromise on the question of safety of the people, regardless of nationality.
"I will not compromise in such matters. Safety is a right of everyone ... not only Malaysians but anyone who is on Malaysian soil," he said.
Hishammuddin said he had learned from Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar, who headed the probe, that the investigation papers were being readied for submission to the Attorney General's Chambers.
"I hope the case will be brought to court as soon as possible because, in the context of bilateral relations with Indonesia, it is in the people's interest to see that the case is brought to court and judgement served immediately," he said.
Hishammuddin said the death of Mantik could not be construed as weakness on the part of the government in addressing such cases as it had to be seen in the overall context taking into account the 280,000 Indonesian maids in the country.
"I hope everyone will understand such abuse can happen because there are people who would go to the extent of doing it ... it is impossible for us to monitor all employers," he said.

tunku : only animal can do that to human being.i don't think that mantik's employer is a human being.it must a be a very wild animal.how can a human being do this type of disgusting act.we hope the police will put the employer behind bars asap.while we applaud the government effort in setting up a special unit to address maid abuse we want the government to set up a special unit to address maid misconducts too.

Opposition Assemblymen May Not Attend Perak Assembly Sitting

IPOH, Oct 26 (Bernama) -- Opposition assemblymen might not attend the Perak State Assembly sitting scheduled for Wednesday, if the police fail to give an assurance on their safety.
Opposition Backbenchers' Club chairman Khalil Idham Lim said the decision, however, would be finalised by the state opposition leadership.
"We aim to attend the sitting...we will leave it to the leadership to decide otherwise," he told a press conference at the Perak PAS headquarters here Monday.
Yesterday, Perak PAS Commissioner Abu Bakar Hussain said the opposition assemblymen would lodge a report to ask the police to ensure their safety before and during the sitting.
Perak police chief Datuk Zulkefli Abdullah, when contacted, said the police would ensure the safety of Barisan Nasional and opposition assemblymen during the sitting.

tunku : by all means, please don't come.stay away from the assembly as animals would only create havoc in the assembly.this is another drama staged by the pakatan.they know that they would create havoc at the assembly, so they are putting the blames on BN in advance.what a cheap and low budget drama.

Government Mulls Blacklisting Main Contractors Who Are Poor Paymasters

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 (Bernama) -- The government is studying the possibility of blacklisting main contractors of government projects who do not pay sub-contractors on time, said Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan.
Such contractors might be barred from further bidding for government jobs, he said when delivering the keynote address at a convention on the management of government assets at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) here today. The two-day convention was opened by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
"In this matter, it is civil servants who get blamed when in fact, the main contractor had been paid," he said.
Speaking to reporters later, he said he was proud of the commitment and dedication shown by the 1.27 million civil servants in the country.
"They deserve the praise for their role in the development we are enjoying in the country today," he said.
Mohd Sidek also thanked the media especially the Malay media and Bernama for the positive reports on the government's efforts to develop the country.

tunku : we applaud the government decision on blacklisting the main contractors who do not pay their sub-con on time. at the same time we want the government to show example to them by paying the main contractors on time too.we know that some main-con had the bad habit of not paying on time but most of them can't pay because the delay in payment from the government.some even have to wait 6 months to a year after they submit in their claims.when the government don't pay them on time, they too don't pay their sub-con on time.

Pakatan losing public confidence, warns Kit Siang

A top Pakatan Rakyat leader today warned the opposition alliance was suffering from a "bout of loss of public confidence" after it enjoyed unprecedented success in national polls last year.
Pakatan, a loose three-party coalition which seized control of a third of seats in parliament in the 2008 elections, has recently been hit by infighting.
DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang urged the alliance to "impose discipline among their leaders" to protect the opposition's image, especially after its defeat in a by-election earlier this month.
"Pakatan Rakyat had been suffering a prolonged and unceasing bout of loss of public confidence... to convince the Malaysian electorate in its credibility, cohesion, integrity and common sense of purpose," he said in a statement.
Lim cited BN's by-election victory in Bagan Pinang state seat in Negeri Sembilan two weeks ago as an example, saying the opposition "cannot take the setback lightly and must not be in denial about its weaknesses and faults".
BN had lost seven out of eight by-elections held since 2008 polls but it ended the opposition winning streak with a thumping victory in the latest vote, although it was criticised for fielding a popular but graft-tainted candidate.
The main Islamic party PAS is dogged by infighting after its spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat called for an extraordinary general meeting to remove several top party leaders he described as "problematic".
Nik Aziz, a highly respected figure in PAS, made the proposal over his unhappiness that some of the party leaders were keen on pursuing a pact with Umno, the largest party in ruling BN.
PKR was also divided after Zaid Ibrahim, a former cabinet minister who quit last September and later joined the multi-racial party, recently announced his plan to go on a six-month leave.
Zaid reportedly said he did not want to be "distracted by any internal party politics", fuelling speculation on the growing discord within PKR, led by former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.
- AFP

tunku : pakatan rakyat was created without clear and common principles.till now they have not form officially the so called 'pakatan rakyat' party. each of the party have their own personal agenda. each party have leadership problem.each person want to be the leader.just look at the opposition leader,the melodrama queen of moron,anwar which till today is partyless.the Malaysian should not risk the future by voting these jokers.take lim guan eng for example, he always boast that if pakatan given the chance to rule they can wipe out hardcore poverty within one year but in penang after more than a year of their ruling and also the 3 other states, there are still hardcore poverty and the numbers keep increasing.they never walk their talk.they only talk craps and tell fantasy stories to the people.

PAS Internal Crisis Should Be Resolved Through Discussions, Says Hadi

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 (Bernama) -- PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said the party's internal crisis should be discussed through 'musyawarah' (discussions) and not through the mass media and new media.
He said amicable discussions which had always been the culture and guideline in PAS should be the approach used as stipulated in the party constitution.
"In this regard, I am asking PAS leaders and members at all levels to be patient and calm in the face of this internal conflict," he said in a statement issued Sunday night.
This was Hadi's first statement after PAS' spiritual leader and Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat in his blog, www.bloktokguru.com suggested that an extraordinary general meeting he held to replace three problematic leaders.
The leaders referred to were party vice-president Nasharuddin Mat Isa, secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali and Selangor PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Hassan Ali.
Hadi said he had asked Mustafa to set a suitable date for a meeting to discuss the arising issues.
"We pray to Allah to always give us blessing and guidance for us to resolve issues and strengthen the party," he said.
Nik Aziz's call for the EGM to be held has drawn various reactions from party members, while those regarded as the problematic leaders have chosen to keep quiet or to seek clarification on his statement.
Party vice-president Salahuddin Ayub was today reported as saying that the question of holding an EGM did not arise anymore as the party would instead hold a special meeting to discuss the internal issues as proposed by Nik Aziz when they met in Kota Baharu yesterday.

tunku : one guy(hadi) wants to solve matters through discussion and the other guy(nik aziz) wants an egm to resolve matters.it is so obvious that pas leadership is divided into two team now. like what DS Najib said that pas is divided into two fraction, one that is more political while the other is more sincere about working for the Ummah.for sure the more political is nik aziz the senile old man's group.he doesn't care about unity of the ummah, for him his personal glory and ego is far more important and above all.

Principals of excellent schools to get incentives, rewards: Muhyiddin

PUTRAJAYA: Special incentives such as one or two months’ salaries are being considered in appreciation of the contribution of principals and headmasters in excellent performing schools.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said teachers would also enjoy these incentives as the success of a school was not just dependent on the principal or headmaster but was a joint effort.
“A committee at the ministry level is looking into this and more detailed information will be announced before the end of the year,” he told reporters after presenting prizes to winners of the RHB-The Star Mighty Minds Challenge national finals.
Muhyiddin who is also the Education Minister, said between three to four percent of principals and headmasters would qualify for this next year.
He said the deal would not be based solely on examination results or students’ achievements but on the school leadership.
“We are finalising the other criteria and will announce these soon,” he said.
When tabling the budget last Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the Government would ensure that schools were managed and administered professionally by principals and head teachers as well as their management teams.
For excellent performing schools, he said the Government would introduce the New Deal or Bai’ah as an appreciation of the contribution and performance of principals and head teachers.
Najib who is also the Finance Minister, said the Government would determine the performance targets that must be achieved, as agreed by principals and head teachers.
If targets were achieved, he said rewards in the form of monetary and non-monetary incentives as well as autonomy in school administration would be accorded.
However, he said necessary action would be taken against those who failed to meet the targets for two consecutive years.
On the national scholarships for the 30 creme de la creme students, Muhyiddin said this would start next year.
“It will be based on this year’s Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination results and other considerations,” he said.
He said the scholarships fall under the Public Services Department, adding that a committee would be set up to make the assessment.
The scholarships were announced as part of the budget last Friday as Najib said the Government intended to reward students who excel in their studies.
These scholarship recipients would further their studies in world-renowned universities.
On the Mighty Minds competition, Muhyiddin said it was a very good programme and congratulated both RHB and The Star.
“I have been told it’s going to be an annual event and I hope it can be expanded to many more schools,” he said.
Muhyiddin said the students who participated in the competition used skills, creativity and innovation in their work.
“I hope people can see how intelligent our students are,” he said.

tunku : this is a very good move by the ministry. hope by these incentives the principals/headmasters and teachers will give their best to educate our children.we hope these incentives will cover every single schools and not for certain schools only.the education ministry should implement KPI for each school and if the school did not progress ( given a time frame) the principal/headmaster will be transferred to other school. the headmaster/principal/teacher should not cover up any crime/wrongdoing in their school just to get the incentives.incentives should be given also to those schools that caught the wrongdoings of it's students and staffs.we have heard lots of news that the schools hide it's students or teachers wrongdoing just for the sake of it's good name.we can tackle this issue by giving them incentives for exposing it.

Hadi and Co should go : Nik Aziz

Nik Aziz Insists On EGM

KOTA BAHARU, Oct 24 (Bernama) -- PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said today he was firm in his decision about the party holding an extraordinary general meeting (EGM).
He said he was not bothered that some states were against the idea and that what was important to him was to save the party.
"I will not change my mind on this," he told reporters after opening a new mosque in Kampung Pasir Hor near here Saturday.
Also present was former foreign minister Tan Sri Tengku Ahmad Rithaudden, who bore the cost of building the RM500,000 mosque.
The Kelantan Menteri Besar is calling for the EGM so that the delegates could deliberate on the position of what he called "problematic leaders" in the party, referring to those who attempted to forge a unity government with the Barisan Nasional.
PAS is part of the opposition Pakatan coalition with the other members being the DAP and Parti Keadilan Nasional (PKR).

tunku : the war is on among the pas leaders.nik aziz insisted that he wants hadi awang and his team to be out from pas leadership.he want husam and co to take over the pas leadership.for nik aziz anyone who against his wish is his enemy.he can't tolerate if someone from pas wants to have any cooperation with umno but he blesses any cooperation with satan.the pas members should accept his suggestion on holding an egm meeting for pas, they should throw out this senile old man and his team which is controlled by pkr and dap.let see who will win this war, hadi or nik aziz.

Nik Aziz wants EGM to 'axe' Hadi

PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat today suggested that the Islamic party hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) to deal with 'several problematic leaders'.
He also suggested that the time has come for the party to change its president, Abdul Hadi Awang (right).
"Even the Indian community can go against (MIC president S) Samy Vellu.
"So why should it be odd if we (PAS) hold a special meet to deal with these errant leaders," jotted the veteran politician in his blog.
Nik Aziz, who is also Kelantan menteri besar, is upset with several party leaders, including Abdul Hadi, secretary-general Mustafa Ali and Selangor PAS commissioner Hassan Ali over the unity government proposal.
The trio were said to be supportive of the proposal to form a joint government with Umno, a move which was strongly opposed by Nik Aziz.
The issue had also caused rifts in the Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance.

PAS:Keperluan Muktamar Khas Luarbiasa???

Latarbelakang:
Jarangsekali hati saya menjadi tidak sedap sepanjang melibatkan diri dalam kepimpinan Islam. Hati saya pernah bergolak dizaman bekas Presiden PAS yang mahsyur iaitu di zaman Allahyarham Dato’ Haji Mohamad Asri.
Diperingkat itu, saya terpaksa bersuara dan menunjukkan sikap saya yang ada sebahagiannya dirakamkan melalui buku saya yang berjodol “kemuncupdalam perjuangan.” Di waktu itu, saya masih ingat betapa sukarnya saya untuk memilih antara menegur atau mendiamkan diri.
Namun, setelah teringat bahawa Nabi SAW juga pernah ditegur oleh Allah SWT, maka, saya memutuskan untuk berdiri dengan santun dan saya pun katalah jua apa yang munasabah untuk dikata. Saya memilih untuk mengambil sikap ini berasaskan adanya hujah nas yang memboleh, bahkan dalam keadaan-keadaan tertentu bersifat wajib untuk berbuat demikian. Sampai ke hari ini pun saya masih berpegang dengan pendirian ini.
Untuk lebih terpimpin, mari kita terlebih dahulu perhatikan tiga petikan surah dan latar peristiwa disekitar tiga kisah ini. Ia ada dirakamkan didalam kitab suci al-Quran.
i). Dalam peristiwa Badar setelah perang berakhir yang memberi kemenangan kepada tentera Islam, terdapat sejumlah 70 tawanan perang. Apabila Nabi SAW membuka perbincangan, apa yang patut dibuat dengan tawanan-tawanan perang ini, Saidina Umar berpandangan, mereka semua perlu dibunuh manakala Sadina Abu Bakar pula berpendapat lebih baik mereka dibenarkan bebas setelah diambil wang tebusan.
Ditakdirkan Allah, keputusan yang ada dilangit adalah selaras dengan syur yang dikemukakan oleh Saidina Umar. Ia berbunyi:
“Tidak patut bagi seorang Nabi mempunyai tawanan sebelum ia dapat melumpuhkan musuhnya di muka bumi. Kamu menghendaki harta benda duniawiah sedangkan Allah menghendaki (pahala) akhirat (untuk mu) dan Allah Maha Perkasa lagi Maha Bijaksana. Kalau sekiranya tidak ada ketetapan yang telah terdahulu dari Allah, nescaya kamu ditimpa seksaan yang besar kerana tebusan yang kamu ambil.” (Surah Al-Anfaal Ayat 67 – 6Cool.
Dari sini, jelas bahawa tidak ada sesuatu yang pelik dalam tradisi menegur pemimpin didalam Islam.
ii).Peristiwa kedua ialah sewaktu Nabi S.A.W. bersumpah tidak akan meminum sejenis madu dari bunga tertentu kerana menerima teguran dari salah seorang dari isteri baginda S.A.W. sewaktu berada di rumah salah seorang isterinya. Dalam peristiwa ini, sekali lagi Nabi S.A.W. ditegur dengan lafaz berbunyi:
“ Hai Nabi, mengapa kamu mengharamkan apa yang Allah menghalalkannya bagi mu; kamu mencari kesenangan hati isteri-isteri mu? Dan Allah Maha Pengampun lagi Maha Penyayang." (Surah At-Tahriim Ayat 1)
iii). Dalam surah ‘Abasa,sekali lagi kita dapat saksikan teguran Allah S.W.T. ke atas NabiS.A.W. yang dilihat tidak memberikan layanan kepada seorang buta ketika Baginda didatangi oleh pemimpin Quraish yang turut berada di dalam majlis yang sama pada waktu itu. Teguran Allah S.W.T. berbunyi:
“Dia (Muhammad) bermuka masam dan berpaling, kerana telah datang seorang buta kepadanya. Tahukah kamu barangkali ia ingin membersihkan dirinya(dari dosa). Atau dia (ingin) mendapatkan pengajaran, lalu pengajaran itu memberi manafaat kepadanya. Adapun orang yang merasa dirinya serba cukup, maka kamu melayaninya.” (Surah ‘Abasa Ayat 1 – 6)
Apa isunya?
Isu yang ada di hadapan kita sekarang ialah isu kepimpinan. Biar saya mulakan begini. Saya boleh bersetuju dengan sebahagian dari tulisan Dr. Aziz Bari yang ada tersiar dalam akhbar Sinar Harian pada 19 Okt.2009 di mukasurat N16. Antara lain, beliau mengemukakan teguran dan saranan seperti berikut :
“Dalam konteks sekarang Pakatan perlu dibenarkan membentuk kerajaan di peringkat Persekutuan supaya kita dapat membezakan kelainan mereka melaksanakan Perlembagaan.”
“Fungsi Dewan memantau kerajaan. Dalam sistem demokrasi berparlimen yang kita amalkan kerajaan pada hakikatnya dimiliki Dewan.”
“Dengan itu mungkin sudah sampai masanya Pas membuat langkah drastik, sama ada mendisiplinkan Exco Selangor, Datuk Dr Hasan Mohamad Ali atau menyingkirkannya terus.”
“Bagaimanapun, ini tidak mudah untuk berlaku kerana Hasan dilihat mewakili golongan yang pro-UMNO dalam PAS seperti Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang dan Nasharuddin Mat Isa dan penyokong mereka.”
“Dalam kekecohan di Selangor Abdul Hadi membisu sehingga di dalam parti sudah ada yang berkata bahawa Abdul Hadi adalah watak bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dalam PAS. Sementara itu Nasharuddin membela tindakan Hasan itu secara terbuka.”
“Saya fikir ada beberapa tokoh tertentu dalam PAS yang boleh merubah keadaan. Beberapa bulan kebelakangan ini imej dan kemampuan Menteri Besar Kedah, Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak agak menonjol dan kelihatannya beliau mempunyai kemampuan untuk memimpin parti.”
“Saya tertarik dengan kelicikan Azizan menyiku Azman Shapawi, Naib Ketua Pemuda PAS dalam isu penjualan arak beberapa bulan lalu. Dalam pada itu organisasi PAS di Kedah dikatakan lebih baik daripada apa yang ada di Terengganu.”
“Buat masa ini, hanya 32 peratus pengundi yang yakin dengan kemampuan Pakatan. Jika PAS kekal dengan kapten yang ada ini (sokongan) mungkin akan berkurangan.”
Pandangan Saya
Atas pandangan inilah saya berfikir dan terus berfikir. Setelah berfikir sambil berdoa, maka saya berpuashati untuk mengatakan begini :
Kalau UMNO boleh buat sesuatu dengan mengadakan Mesyuarat Agong Khas dan MCA pun boleh mengadakan EGMnya sehingga sempat menggugurkan Presiden danTimbalan Presidennya. Demikian juga dengan PKR yang telah membuat pindaan Perlembagaannya melalui Kongres Khas mereka. Maka kita?
Walaupun isu MCA benda lain, iaitu rasuah, kita lagilah tidak payah khuatir untuk adakan Muktamar Khas kerana kita bukan membawa isu rasuah . Isu kita ialah isu dua tiga kerat pemimpin bermasalah.
Masyarakat India pun boleh menentang Samy Vellu dengan mewujudkan parti lain. Maka pelik apa, kita panggil mesyuarat parti yang tergempar misalnya; mungkin dipanggil muktamar khaslah. Kalau nak kirakan, kitalah yang sepatutbuat dulu.
Demi “tajdid” kita perlu buat Mesyuarat Agong Luarbiasaini. Bila Mesyuarat Agong tak mahu tukar Presiden, misalnya maka tidak mengapalah. Kita pakat-pakat belalah. Begitu juga dengan isu-isudi sekitar Hassan Ali atau Mustafa Ali yang tak habis-habis dengan nak bekerjasama PAS dengan UMNO ke arah kerajaan Perpaduan atau UG. Tenggelam-tenggelam, timbul, kemudian dihidupkan. Kemudian dimatikan pula bila nampak orang marah. Apa ni?
Tidak boleh jadi ni, kita duk “ghok-ghak” (kacau) begini. Orang boleh terima atau tak boleh terima, bawa ke Muktamar Khaslah; senang cerita. Biar tentu sah, nak ikut yang mana. Kita nak kekal yang mana dan buang yang mana. Dengan Muktamar Khas yang boleh menjelaskan dan memutuskan banyak perkara ini,puak-puak atas pagar yang membuat swing votes dan mempengaruhi keputusan pilihanraya juga akan berpuas hati samada nak swing atau tak nak swing lagi kerana mereka sudah dijelaskan oleh keputusan Muktamar Khas berkenaan. Mereka jelas.
Biarlah kita ambil mandat baru sekali lagi. Mesyuarat biar ringkas;ambil sehari penuh atau dua hari penuh misalnya tetapi prosesnya mesti ringkas, dan keputusannya adil,telus, tepat, terus dan jelas. Undi perlulah sulit dan dilakukan diatas kertas .
Untuk kali ini, saya dengan kuat merasakan bahawa perlu ada perubahan dalam pemain-pemain penting yang menduduki kerusi kepimpinan PAS diperingkat pusat. Kalau nak kata ini persiapan ke arahPRU ke 13 pun, kata gi lah. Dan memang betul begitulah.

Tok Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat Mursyidul Am PAS/Menteri Besar Kelantan Bertarikh : 02 Zulkaedah 1430 / 21 Okt. 2009

tunku : there you go. anyone who does not listen to him or agree with him, he will label the person as traitor, irrelevant. this senile old man is the one that should resign and rest at home.he think he's always right.he's full of hatred.what kind of ulamak is this senile old man is? hope that pas members will open their eyes to such a disgusting character in their party.he is so frustrated that his blue eyed boy husam musa is not elected during their last election.his man mostly pro anwar lost in the election.so this senile old man is using this tactic to make the members force the leadership to call for egm.nik aziz said hadi awang is a sleepy head like pak lah.wow.let us wait the comment from hadi awang on this call by the senile old man.

No temple demolition in Selangor under Pakatan ?

MIC Sees Red Over Temple Demolition In Shah Alam

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- MIC president Datuk Seri S.Samy Vellu has denounced the opposition-led Selangor state government for allowing the demolition of a Hindu temple in Shah Alam today, describing it as 'an act of treachery'.
"The Selangor (state) government has committed treachery to the Hindu community by not stopping the demolition of the temple," he said when commenting on the demolition of the Mathurai Veeran Temple in Persiaran Kerjaya, Jalan Glenmarie, Seksyen U1, Shah Alam.
Samy Vellu said this was not the first incident as there was another demolition involving another Hindu temple in Selangor during the Pakatan Rakyat's rule in the state.
He was apparently referring to the demolition of the Sri Maha Kaliamman temple in Kampung Tasik, Jalan Baru in Ampang, Selangor on Sept 9 last year.
The MIC chief said despite an appeal by the Mathurai Veeran temple committee last March to the February 2009 notice sent by the Shah Alam Municipal Council (MPSA), the temple was still demolished without an alternative land offered.
"There were also no discussions with the temple committee and no recent notices given by the MPSA. They just went and demolished it.
"I salute the MPSA for taking direct orders from the Selangor government without consulting the temple committee," he quipped.
Samy Vellu also wanted the Selangor government, especially its state executive councilor Dr Xavier Jayakumar to explain the demolition, failing which the MIC would seek legal redress.
"He (Xavier) does not seem to worry about what is happening. Perhaps this (the demolition) is being carried out because the Indians are not united under the Pakatan Rakyat state government," he said.
Samy Vellu said the Selangor state government appeared to have 'a taste' for demolishing Hindu temples without first discussing with the temple committees and allocating alternative sites.
He said that if any temple were to make way for development or sitting on government or private land, the authorities should first identify a suitable alternative land for them.

tunku : anwar and pkr has made this as big issue(temple demolition) during the 12th GE and promised the Indians that if they are given the chance to govern, there will be no more temple demolished but just look at the scenario now, Selangor is under them.where is hindraf? i guess this will be good lesson for Indians who have voted the pakatan during last GE. will you vote them again in the next GE?

IJN Holdings Has No Plan To Privatise IJN

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- IJN Holdings Sdn Bhd has no intention to privatise the Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) or any section of the nation's premier heart centre.
It denied that any submission to do so has been sent to the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) in the Prime Minister's Department.
IJN Holdings, in a statement today, said the IJN Group remains committed to deliver the best cardiac care for the people in line with its corporatisation objectives.
The IJN Group consists of IJN Holdings as the holding company and has four subsidiaries. They are IJN Sdn Bhd, IJN Capital, IJN College and IJN International.
IJN Holdings, wholly-owned by MOF Inc, was incorporated in March 2005 as part of a corporate restructuring exercise approved by its board and the government to facilitate fund-raising for redevelopment of the National Heart Centre's facilities and its expansion into education and training.
It said the exercise had also consolidated IJN's key activities to create better focus in its areas of expertise.
"The 2005 restructuring was to support the IJN in achieving its vision of becoming a global centre of excellence in cardiovascular and acrdiothoraic care and ensuring the heart centre as an institution remain sustainable in facing future challenges," it added.

tunku : there are rumour of ijn privatisation as mentioned by rockybru in his blog.first sime darby tried to take over IJN but failed. we hope the government through MOF Inc will make sure that IJN will never be corporatised.this is one of the most important thing that government do for the people of Malaysia.this is where the slogan should be:people first,performance now.

Tun Mahathir on the economy outlook.

Tun Mahathir: See The Results Of Earlier 2 Packages First

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- The government needs to audit the results of the earlier two economic stimulus packages before introducing a third package to ensure that it is necessary for the economy, said former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
"What the government needs to do is to make a full audit of the results of the stimulus packages. Of course, if it is good, we should have more," he told reporters after delivering a talk at the 21st Federation of AFRO-Asian Insurers and Reinsurers conference here on Thursday.
Mahathir was responding to a question on whether Malaysia needed a third stimulus package to further boost the economy on top of the earlier packages totalling RM67 billion announced this year.
Research houses and analysts have been proposing the idea of a third stimulus package to further bolster domestic economy.
The former prime minister said there were many things to be done to determine the direction of the country as Malaysia has come to a different stage of development.
"What we did during my time cannot now be done because it is not going to work," he said.
Foreign direct investments alone is not enough, and the government should look into the kind of FDIs that the country needs now, he added.


Increase Savings To Cushion Economy Against Attacks - Tun Mahathir

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 22 (Bernama) -- Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has suggested that developing countries develop a healthy savings regime as it can help cushion the economy when attacked by foreign currency traders.
With a high savings rate, the country would have the financial resources to finance its economic development and recovery and not depend on external forces which might want to control the domestic economy, he said.
Dr Mahathir said the rules and regulations governing trade and industry must be structured that the country would not be too exposed to the changes in the international business regime.
As such, "the countries may be forced to build protective barriers and reduce foreign borrowings," he said in his speech at the Asian Insurers and Reinsurers Conference organised by Malaysian Reinsurance Bhd here on Thursday.
Dr Mahathir said it was imperative for emerging economies to take into account the threats posed by the new business environment and prepare for various eventualities.
For example, in the 1997-98 regional financial crisis, the countries of East Asia, including Malaysia, were attacked by currency traders, he said.
"By the traders devaluing the currencies of these countries, their economies could be destroyed. Even the offer of help from international institutions can be destructive to a country's economy," Dr Mahathir said.
He also warned that excessive inflows could result in foreign capitalists dominating the economy of a country which could be damaging if they pull out capital anytime they think fit.
Against such a backdrop, Dr Mahathir said: "Clearly, the geopolitical changes happening are relevant and are already having a lot of effect on the emerging economies."
"Much depends on how these economies manage their own governance and the politics of their country," he said.

Free flight for lifetime by Airasia !

Baby arrives prematurely on AirAsia flight to Kuching

PUTRAJAYA: A baby boy arrived unexpectedly during an AirAsia flight to Kuching.
Liew Siaw Hsia, a 31-year-old waitress from Taiping, took the flight from Penang last night when she was just 27 weeks pregnant, a week shy of the recommended travel ban for pregnant mothers.
When she boarded the flight, she said that there was already some discomfort.
But 20 minutes into the journey, she started feeling contractions and the flight crew immediately made an emergency diversion to Kuala Lumpur.
"When I started feeling a lot of pain, I was still too nervous to ask for assistance. It was when I couldn't take it anymore that I asked the passenger beside me for help," said Liew.
She said that the flight attendants tried to calm her down and to hold on from giving birth, but the pain was too unbearable.
"They immediately asked the other passengers sitting around me to move elsewhere, and asked for a doctor on the PA system," she said.
On the flight was Dr Ronald Tang, another passenger, who quickly volunteered his services to the nervous mother while the cabin crew held her hand throughout the entire ordeal.
The baby was safely delivered in mid-air when flight AK 6506 was being re-routed to Kuala Lumpur.
As soon as the aircraft landed, a waiting ambulance and paramedics whisked the baby and mother to the Putrajaya Hospital here.
AirAsia director of operations Moses Devanayagam visited the mother and child yesterday to congratulate them, and to also present them both with free flights for life.
"I would like to congratulate Liew and wish her all the best of luck.
"Delivering a baby at 2,000 feet is indeed a very rare experience, and certainly she will cherish the moment forever," he said.
Flight AK5606 was on its way to Kuching but had to be re-routed to the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Sepang when a pregnant passenger told crew members she was in labour pains.
Liew Siaw Hsia, 31, gave birth through the normal delivery to a premature but healthy boy, who became the first born in an AirAsia aircraft.
Edd Razhe, the personal assistant to the AirAsia chairman, said when the pilot was informed of the emergency, he contacted the control tower requesting a re-route to LCCT.
"The ambulance was already at the airport to take the woman and her baby to Putrajaya Hospital," he said when contacted here, today.
Edd said although it was an emergency, situation in the aircraft was normal and under control.
AirAsia will provide a lifetime of free flights to both Liew and her son to all destinations.

tunku : so it is confirmed that a baby that born in the flight while it's on the air gets free flight for lifetime and surprisingly the mother gets too.

Mad Tian Chua jailed 6mths for biting cop, to appeal

KUALA LUMPUR: Batu Member of Parliament Chua Tian Chang, aka Tian Chua, has been found guilty by the Magistrates Court here of voluntarily causing hurt to a police constable and stopping the latter from discharging his duty about two years ago.
Magistrate Mohd Faizi Che Abu sentenced Tian Chua to six months’ jail and a fine of RM3,000, which might see him disqualified from his parliamentary seat.
The 46-year-old PKR strategic director applied for and was granted a stay so that he can file an appeal, which his lawyers said would be done as soon as possible.
His previous bail of RM3,000 was maintained.
Tian Chua was charged under Section 332 of the Penal Code, which carried a maximum jail sentence of three years or a fine or both. If he is jailed for more than a year or fined more than RM2,000, he will be disqualified from his seat after the appeal process, if any, has been exhausted.
He had claimed trial to biting constable Rosyaidi Anuar at the entrance to the Parliament complex at 10.45am on Dec 11, 2007.
Rosyaidi is attached to the Narcotics Division of the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters.




tunku : this type of species should not be allowed to roam around in the street.they are dangerous creatures.how can he bite a policeman?what type of animal is he?i hope his sentenced stays.he should be disqualified from his seat asap.another gangster that have slapped a policeman from pkr, is gobalakrishnan(another mp).when is he going to be charged in the court? the court should not take this matter lightly as it can set a bad example for the people.

Ong agrees to meet Liow

KUALA LUMPUR: The extraordinary general meeting (EGM) called by MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat is being put on a backburner as Ong has agreed to meet with his newly-appointed deputy Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai to resolve the current party problems.
The party's secretary-general Datuk Wong Foon Meng said Ong had accepted Liow's olive branch to find ways to end the current impasse.
"The priority now is to get both together to talk. We will deal with the EGM later," he said at the parliament lobby yesterday.
The relationship between Ong and Liow became rocky when Liow, together with 21 other central committee members, openly disagreed with Ong's move to call for an EGM to let delegates decide on the need to have fresh polls to solve the current party problems.
They felt having another one -- so soon after the Oct 10 EGM which saw delegates rejecting both Ong and former deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek -- was detrimental to party stability.
Wong said the meeting was likely to be within the next couple of days.
"I hope both Ong and Liow can find the best way to resolve the party crisis," he said.
However, former vice-president Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn wants Dr Chua to be included in the meeting as well as Dr Chua commands nearly 50 per cent of support in the party.
"If you have a consensus between yourselves, you risk alienating Dr Chua's large group of supporters and this will be detrimental to the party."
He said all the stakeholders should put aside their personal interests to find ways to resolve the party problems in the meeting.

tunku : again ding dong here and there.i guess liow and the 21 CC members does not want election in the party as they are afraid of losing their position if election is held in MCA again.they are putting themselves above the party now.we hope that they will resolve the problem soon as it is affecting BN's effort to get 2/3 majority back.

Pak Lah happy Najib continuing with several projects he started

NEW YORK: Sleepy Head Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is happy that Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has continued with several major development projects that he implemented while he was prime minister.
He cited as example the growth corridor projects which he introduced to woo foreign investments to Malaysia.
“Fortunately, my successor (Najib) has been very kind to me,” he said during the Asia Society’s President Forum here on Monday.
Abdullah added that whatever the Government did, it must have the support of the people.
He admitted that Malaysian voters had very “high expectations” of the Barisan Nasional Government after they gave the coalition its strongest victory in the 2004 general election.
Abdullah was responding to a question on Barisan’s dismal performance in the 2008 general election and whether it reflected the people’s unhappiness that some of the things he proposed in his election manifesto did not work out.
“I wish I had more time (to implement),” he said, adding that change often took time.
“It is not something that takes one or two or three years.”
Abdullah, who was prime minister from 2003 until early this year, stressed that he had always believed in opportunities for all.
He added that incentives given to bumiputras under the New Economic Policy were not intended to last forever but until there was an equitable distribution of wealth in the country.
On the recent liberalisation measures introduced by Najib which he himself had not implemented while he was premier, Abdullah said:
“I had started to liberalise and my successor had further liberalised. That was part of the plan.” He also spoke at length about the Islam Hadhari concept he promoted for a moderate and progressive Muslim nation when he was premier.
The forum is part of a series of dialogues where the society’s president Vishakha N. Desai interviews prominent guests on a broad range of Asian and Asian American topics, including politics, economics, culture and Asian relations with the United States. Past guests have included the Dalai Lama and David Rockefeller.

tunku : najib continuing with several projects by his predecessor because he has no evil heart like you pak lah.when you became the pm, you stopped everything that was started by your predecessor for you to continue.you have a very disgusting and dirty heart.you did not just stopped those projects, but you ruined others too.you delayed everything.because of your stupid administration the present government have to suffer.the latest is the double track project, now government may have to bear with some of it cost just because you delayed the project.you are just disgusting human being.you have ruined the country's economy and ruined Umno.

Ibrahim Ali's Desire To Return To Umno To Be Studied: DPM

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 20 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Umno will study the appropriateness of taking back Pasir Mas Member of Parliament, Datuk Ibrahim Ali, if he makes an application to return to the party.
"Everyone now wants to enter Umno be they those who left and want to return or new aspirants, so if that is their desire we will not deter.
"Whatever it is, it will be brought before the supreme council, the management will study if it is appropriate (to take back Ibrahim), would it be based on his earnestness and sincerity, based on his past record, his ways, we have to evaluate as everybody knows Ibrahim Ali, his political ways are rather 'special'," he told reporters at the Parliament lobby here Tuesday.
Muhyiddin, who is also Umno deputy president, stressed that the party will not make a hasty decision and would make one after much study.
However, he confirmed that Umno had not yet received any application from Ibrahim.
Asked if the "special" brand of Ibrahim's politicking could be used to strengthen Umno's position in Kelantan were he to be in the party, Muhyiddin said the matter would have to be studied.
"People say there are pros and cons. I think we will have an open mind in the matter as maybe he has come to a realisation that the effective party to struggle for the race and nation is Umno and that he has been secluded, that's my view.
"For the party when there are persons interested we will look at it on a case by case basis, not in general," he said.
Ibrahim, who is an independent MP, joined Umno in 1982 but was removed from the party when the old Umno was declared illegal.
He then joined Semangat 46 in 1989 and represented the party in the 1990 general election when he defended his Pasir Mas parliamentary seat.
Ibrahim later resigned from positions in Semangat 46 in 1991 and rejoined Umno the same year before being sacked from the party after contesting as a independent candidate in the 2004 general election.

tunku : i guess ibrahim ali has some x factor in him that Umno need especially in Kelantan. ibrahim ali is not a criminal or been sacked for corruption.he had shown that his heart is still with Umno and BN.the kelantan Umno youth should not see ibrahim ali as a threat instead he is valuable to Kelantan's Umno. he is a special fighter and Umno will gain something from his contributions.

Auditor-general Reports Fuel Abuse Involving Government Vehicles

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 19 (Bernama) -- At 12.14pm on Dec 14 last year, a government-owned Proton Perdana vehicle filled up fuel for RM113 at a petrol kiosk in Raub, Pahang, and a minute later the same vehicle filled up for RM112 at the same kiosk, according to the Auditor-General's Report of 2008.
The same vehicle filled up fuel at the same kiosk at 6.35pm and 6.36pm on Dec 19, for a total of RM225, the report says, adding that the same thing was repeated on Dec 23, 24, 26 and 31, for a total fuel cost of RM1,349.95.
The report cites the case as abuse of the indent card for procurement of fuel for government vehicles, and says an audit check revealed 24 cases of filling up of fuel in a period of less than five minutes involving five vehicles of the Pahang state secretariat.
The report says no action was taken against the authorities in the matter and, as a consequence, the state secretariat had to bear the high consumption cost of fuel.
It says the state secretariat informed that the matter would be resolved with the cooperation of the Pahang branch of the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry by inspecting the system of fuel procurement applied by suppliers.
The audit department also found the maintenance cost of four Proton Perdana V6 Executive of the state secretariat to be excessive compared to the procurement cost of the vehicles.
For example, one of the vehicles, bought for RM117,062, had run up a maintenance cost of RM171,888 between 2005 and 2008 while another had a bill for RM192,743 between 2004 and 2008, the report says.
It says the feedback from the state secretariat was that the vehicles were used by state executive councillors and the maintenance cost was high due to faulty gear box and accidents.
The report says the maintenance cost of government vehicles in Perak was high because they were not sent to specified service centres, with a sample payment voucher showing the maintenance cost between 2004 and 2008 of RM262,256 for a Proton Perdana at a service centre compared to only RM15,197 at EON Service Sdn Bhd.
It says the state secretariat cited the need for speedy maintenance of the vehicles used by the state executive councillors.
The report cites abuse in the purchase of fuel as well as unreasonably frequent replacement of tyres of government vehicles in Penang, adding that the replacement of tyres in three to 34 months and for use between 1,700km and 21,900km for three vehicles was questionable.
Following this, the state secretariat requires replacement of tyres to have the approval of the principal assistant secretary (finance), it says.

tunku : this is only small "wonder things" that happens in government agencies.there are hundred of more abuse cases involving with payment. for me the person to be blamed for all these of course is the staff who directly involved in those transaction and also the head department.i learned that some government agencies are buying a ream of A4 paper for RM16 where the most expensive one are sold in the market for RM11-12. the department head should know that there is something fishy going on or may be he is getting his "part" too. just imagine how many millions of tax payer money goes to these people in a year. i think the country can cut its deficits by 10% if these things don't happen.we hope the administration of the country will look into this serious matter.

Nalla: Azmin and Anwar share a secret

PETALING JAYA: Datuk K.S. Nalla-karupan, a one-time close ally of PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, claims there is a “secret” as to why Azmin Ali is special to Anwar.
He added that it was time the “secret” over why the PKR vice-president is special to Anwar be revealed, but he would give the PKR adviser or his wife Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail the chance to spill the beans. “Otherwise, I will,” said the Malaysian Indian United Party president.
“One day I will come out and explain why Azmin receives special treatment from Anwar,” he said, responding to media reports on the split in Sabah PKR following Azmin’s appointment as state liaison chief there.
It is said that 18 leaders of the party’s 23 active divisions in Sabah signed a memorandum voicing their protest over Azmin’s leadership in the state.
Nallakarupan, who was once Anwar’s tennis buddy, said the adviser should explain his close relations with Azmin.
Pressed further, he said: “What Azmin has sacrificed for Anwar, nobody will in that way. Ask Anwar. I will not comment further.”
Nallakarupan said Anwar would adhere to decisions made by Azmin and fully trusted him.
Nallakarupan said there were several leaders in Sabah better suited for the post and that Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, a former Cabinet minister, was more experienced.
“Why was he (Azmin) simply appointed?” he asked.

tunku : there are lots of secrets, many. anwar is all rounder.gender is not a barrier for him. he takes all,anwar for all.one thing for sure is that azmin and anwar share a secret and that is they shared the same wife, the wife of azmin,shamsidar.remember the mattress? that is why no one could have sacrificed more than azmin, he gave his wife to anwar.

Ageing Ku Li gives up on Umno top post

KUALA LUMPUR: After three decades of mounting challenges for the Umno presidency, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has decided to give up the fight finally.
“I am too old. Too old,” he said when asked at the sidelines of the recent Umno special general assembly on whether he would consider contesting for the post with the quota system now abolished.
“I think it is time to give a younger person a chance,” he said.
However, the Kelantan prince will continue to be an active political commentator, providing insights into history as well as constructive criticism of both Barisan Nasional and the Opposition.
At the age of 72, he is the longest serving parliamentarian and Umno divisional leader but Tengku Razaleigh is likely to be featured in the annals of Umno history as the “nearly man.”
He came within a whisker of becoming party president at the infamous 1987 party elections, which eventually saw the party de-registered by the courts and the imposition of a quota system.
Tengku Razaleigh had also mooted a campaign in the recent party elections to contest the presidency against both Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and current president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He could only muster one nomination which was from his own Gua Musang Umno division.
The quota system was introduced to rein in excessive jostling for posts besides preventing the party from being taken to courts but instead, some exploited the loopholes for their own benefits and gave rise to the Umno divisional heads to become “warlords”.
Known as a “gentleman politician”, Tengku Razaleigh is someone who enjoyed ties with the who’s who among the nations politicians and headed Semangat 46, a splinter of the original Umno which broke up in 1987.
“I am a loyalist but if Umno does not heed the change for structural changes, I may reconsider (about the prospects of joining another party),” he added.

tunku : i guess at last ku li admits that he has no chance at all of winning the top post in Umno.he came very close to it in 1987 but after that it was too far. now that the constitution had changed with no quota required suddenly he said he's too old for it.may be last year he was young.as a loyalist one will never join opposition party.they may quit the party like Dr M did but stayed neutral but if you joins an opposition party than you are not a loyalist.history had shown us that ku li was never a loyalist.he fought with Umno before.lately everything seems not ok for ku li, may be because of the age.some gets old very fast.

Mukhriz encourages mosques to financially self-sufficient

ALOR STAR: Mosque communities in the country have been encouraged to venture into business to become financially independent and be able to fund mosque activities.
Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said by doing business, the mosque communities would not only be able to finance the mosque operational costs and activities, but also to play significant role in the society's socio-economic development.
"By setting up businesses, the imam and other mosque committee members would not longer be dependent on public contributions or donations to carry out their activities or cover the cost of maintenence for their premises.
"They could even contribute to the society's socio-economic development by offering jobs to the unemployed or the needy as well as organise more activities that would benefit the public," he said when officiating the inaugural entrepreneur development seminar for mosque communities here yesterday.
Mukhriz, who is also Jerlun member of parliament, suggested the mosque communities emulate the thriving business ventures at well known mosques in Saudi Arabia.
"They should be inspired by the business scenes there, but, more importantly, they have to be creative.
"The ministry is always ready to provide financial support or consultancy services for them through its various agencies," he said.

tunku : this is a very constructive idea. the mosque community should venture into business to finance the mosque activities and help the needy.for example a mosque should have a business center where people can buy anything there like religion's related items, household items or any other items.they can have a mini bazaar there.the profit will go to the mosque. the mosque can use the money for their activities.during ramadhan, the mosques should set up tents and give it for rental for bazaar ramadhan.i have seen few mosques doing this.this show that the mosque community people are active and not relying on government solely.there can be lots of thing more and further more like Mukhriz said, his ministry is always ready to provide financial support or cinsultancy services for them through its various agencies.

PAS changing it's name to PUS.

PAS Plans To Turn Non-muslim Supporters Club As Party Wing

PAS Plans To Turn Non-muslim Supporters Club As Party Wing KUALA TERENGGANU, Oct 17 (Bernama)-- PAS plans to turn the PAS supporters club, which also accepts non-Muslims as its members, into a party wing to further strengthen the party.
PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said the support from non-Muslims for the party appeared to be on the rise and this was proven by their eagerness in helping the party machinery in facing several by-elections previously.
"We have succeeded in breaking the barrier that separated us from the non-Muslims. We have not only reached a stage where we cooperated with the non-Muslim parties, but also non-Muslim individuals," he said.
He said this to reporters after opening the 13th Terengganu PAS Leadership Conference at the PAS headquarters, Kubang Lembik, Manir, near here Saturday.
The conference was also attended by Terengganu PAS commissioner Datuk Harun Taib and PAS national secretary Datuk Mustafa Ali.

tunku : first of all, will the pas members allow this? secondly, pas need to change it's name from PAS to PUS(parti untuk semua).they have to change their flag too, no more green. how about the pas constitution?definitely it has to change if it had non muslim members. pas is so desperate now especially after losing the bagan pinang by election.if hadi awang and nik aziz will have to shave off their beard to get votes, they will. it is high time for pas muslim members to leave the party which has divert from all of its struggles.oh yes the pas motto now is pas gives all.how low can you go pas?

Langkawi bridge will cause traffic jam, says Dr M

LANGKAWI, Sat: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said there is no need for the government to build a bridge linking Pulau Langkawi and the mainland as it will only cause traffic congestion on the island.
He said if too many vehicles converged on Langkawi, it would create traffic congestion and hamper efforts to turn the island into a tourist destination of international standard.
He said this when asked to comment on the request by the Langkawi Umno division head, Datuk Nawawi Ahmad, that the government build a bridge between the island and the mainland through Kuala Perlis for the convenience of the people on the island.
Nawawi said the islanders had requested that the bridge be constructed as this would save cost and time for them to travel between the island and the mainland.
Dr Mahathir said Langkawi would develop rapidly into a popular tourist destination because several villages such as the French Village, Italian Village and British Village had been created.

tunku : this nawawi must be out of his mind. leave langkawi as it is now.let is be what it is meant to be, an international tourist destination. don't ruin it with building a bridge that will make the island into a heavy traffic congested island and lost it charms.the most important bridge that the government need to build now is the bridge to singapore replacing the causeway.

How selfish of Cuepacs.

Cuepacs Demands Two Month Bonus For Civil Servants

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 (Bernama) -- The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Service (Cuepacs) has decided to demand for two months bonus for the 1.2 million civil servants.
Cuepacs president Omar Osman asked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to consider this matter when tabling the 2010 budget on Oct 23.
This decision was reached at a Cuepacs Congress meeting attended by about 120 of its members on Friday.
Omar said Cuepacs had received various reports and complaints following the government's announcement last month that an aid of RM500 would only be given to members of the support group, and not all government employees.
"We hope civil servants will get good news when the new budget is tabled," he told reporters after a Hari Raya function organised by Cuepacs at the Puspanita Building in Jalan Hose, here.

tunku : it is so unpatriotic of cuepacs to demand bonus when the country is facing difficulty in its economy and when the gdp is in the red zone(negative).they are asking not for 1 month but 2 month bonus,how greedy and selfish they are.think about the nation and the people who are not working for the government.they are the majority.90% of private sector staff for sure will not receive any bonuses this year.when the government staff get bonuses the goods price increases and all malaysian have to suffer.please cuepacs, see the situation and time.now it is not appropriate for you to demand for bonus.

Zaid goes on leave, crisis in PKR?

PKR leader and former minister Zaid Ibrahim today announced that he will be going on a six-month leave, strengthening rumours that all is not well in the opposition party.
The surprise announcement comes amid talk that the former Umno leader is locked in a squabble with PKR vice-president Azmin Ali.
With PKR deputy president Syed Husin Ali to bow out of the party soon, both Azmin and Zaid are seen to be potential candidates to fill the post.
There has been moves by Sabah PKR leaders to oust Azmin as the state party chief.
Malaysiakini has learnt that Zaid was to be dispatched to Sabah this weekend on a trouble-shooting mission under the guise of attending a hastily-arranged Aidil Fitri function.
Azmin, according to insider accounts, objected and claimed that Zaid could not be an honest broker.
In a statement released today, Zaid, who joined PKR in June, said he would not be attending the party's political bureau meetings.
The lawyer-turned-politician added that a letter to that effect has been submitted to the secretary-general of the party.
No sinister motive
"Lately, there have been reports of the political frictions of the PKR leadership with regards to Sabah and Sarawak and that I was in some way involved. I wish to reiterate that I am not at all involved in the leadership issue of PKR Sabah and Sarawak," he said in the statement.
"I have been invited to attend Hari Raya functions and gatherings by PKR leaders to meet the members, which I have accepted. Similarly, I have also been invited to meet some leaders of Sarawak in Kuching. I see no sinister motive in these invitations.
"I have no interest in the internal politics of PKR, nor of any of the other parties in Pakatan Rakyat. Neither do I aspire to assume a leadership role in PKR. I made this very clear to Anwar Ibrahim when I joined the party."
According to Zaid, he joined PKR to help put together a common policy platform for the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition, which he had been hard at work over the past few months.
"This common policy framework for the coalition of three parties, PKR, DAP and PAS respectively, are now in the final stages and I expect to submit the policy framework to the leadership of the respective parties next week," he added.
He expressed hope that the Pakatan Rakyat Convention in December 2009 will approved the proposed policy framework.
"We must move beyond the BN bashing and sloganeering stage. Only clearly defined policies and a united leadership of Pakatan Rakyat can convince Malaysians that we are a suitable choice for the rakyat."

tunku: this is what you get when you choose a corrupt party but zaid ibrahim too a corrupt leader. he was suspended before in Umno but when he joins pkr, he's clean like a piece of white cloth.i guess if kj joings pkr, he will be clean too. coming back to zaid's matter, there's no place in the top post for anyone in pkr except for anwar the moron's blue eyed boy,azmin the wife trader.everyone seems to have problem with him.may be zaid can join dap or pas after this.they will happily accept him especially dap.hope that during this leaves,zaid will devote himself more to God and stop "visiting" pubs and clubs.