PAS Erdogans face acid test

PETALING JAYA: Speculation is rife during the PAS muktamar (conference) this week that the Erdogan faction could be wiped out as resistance by the grassroots and the old guards' is said to be brewing into a “mini tsunami”.
The old guards are sceptical of the Erdogans' issue-based approach to aggressively gain political mileage as they have always believed in gaining public confidence for the long-term survival of PAS.
The central party elections on Friday will see two Erdogans (former Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin and Kelantan executive councillor Datuk Husam Musa), two ulama (PAS information chief Idris Ahmad and Kelantan executive councillor Datuk Amar Abdullah), and two incumbents (Datuk Mahfuz Omar and Salahuddin Ayub) contesting the three vice-president posts.
Of the 53 candidates vying for the 18 central committee posts, 15 are from the Erdogan faction while 14 are from the ulama faction.
Among the Erdogans contesting the central committee posts are elected representatives Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli, Khalid Abdul Samad, Dr Halimah Ali, Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar, Dr Lo'Lo Mohd Ghazali, Firdaus Abdullah, Muhammad Husain, Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa, Sa'ari Sungib, and Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud.
Non-elected representative Erdogans in the running for the central committee posts are Hanipa Maidin, Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed, Anuar Tahir and Aiman Athirah Al-Jundi.
PAS ulama chief Datuk Harun Taib said the party had survived since its inception because the ulama and the professionals had always complemented each other.
“The ulama do not feel threatened at all by the professional group.
“But the Erdogans appear to be aggressive and they may not have the capability to take the party forward because they seem to harp on issues to gain support.
“We cannot sustain support based on issues, as it does not guarantee sustainable victory during a general election.
“PAS has always focused on gaining public confidence and acceptance of the multiracial society as it is crucial for the long-term survival of the party,” he said, stressing that he did not know the entire Erdogan “clan” in the party.

tunku : if pas wants to survive longer and stronger they need to get rid of all the erdogan's group in pas.they are the virus in pas planted by anwar.

No takers yet for Rolls

Hurry up.where is there lookalike man.can someone produce him and get the Rolls Royce ? i am sure anwar can produce himself to get the car.

A Rolls Royce for anyone who finds a man resembling Anwar

PETALING JAYA: Find a man resembling Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and you can drive home a vintage Rolls Royce and with RM10,000 cash in hand.
That is the offer made by Kedah Kita chief Zamil Ibrahim to anyone who can find a person who looks like Opposition leader Anwar.
“The Rolls Royce (Silver 111, 6700cc) is mine, and the cash offer is made by someone who wants to remain anonymous.
“We are doing this to put an end to the prolonged saga following Anwar's claim that even if people say that the man in a sex video may look like him, it is not his tummy,'' he said.
Datuk T, comprising businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah, former Malacca Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik, and former Perkasa treasurer-general Datuk Shuib Lazim had, on March 21, revealed the existence of a video showing a man resembling Anwar having sex with a woman.
Anwar had lodged a police report claiming that he was not the man in the video and that it was part of a political conspiracy to topple him.
Zamil believes his offer can help throw light on the matter.
“The public are confused. I believe Anwar can finally clear his good name if we can help him find a man who looks like him, walk like him, and even smile like him,'' Zamil said.
Zamil also added that he would invite Eskay, Kita president Datuk Zaid Ibrahim and senator Ezam Moh Noor to sit in a panel to identify Anwar look-a-alike.
“The three of them were very close to Anwar. They can tell who looks exactly like Anwar,'' he said.
Several bloggers had also vouched to run naked around KLCC if a man resembling Anwar could be found.

tunku : what else is there to say about it........anwar, just admit it or at least follow like strauss kahn, resign from all political post and clear your name first.i don't understand why pas still believe in this man? count me in too, i will run naked around klcc too if a man resembling anwar in the sex video could be found.

MIC Wants Status Quo Maintained On Seat Allocation

KLANG, May 28 (Bernama) -- MIC wants the seats allocated to the party in the 2008 General Election (GE) to be maintained in the next election.
Its president Senator Datuk G.Palanivel said the party would work hard to ensure it wins the nine Parliamentary and 19 State seats in the next GE.
In the 2008 general election, MIC only won three parliamentary seats - Tapah, Cameron Highlands and Segamat and seven state seats. "We will never give up (in getting back the the parliamentary and state seats allocated to MIC)," he told reporters after officiating a Mother's Day carnival at a school near here.
Palanivel, who is also Deputy Plantation, Industries and Commodities Minister, said the possibility of any 'seat negotiations' would only take place if it involved a direct exchange and not parliamentary seats for senatorships.

tunku : the previous seat allocation can't be used any longer. if bn wants to win 2/3 majority they need to put candidates from the party that can wins the seat, not just based on party.gone are the days that we take it for granted. enough is enough. just give them the senatorship.PERIOD.palanivel should look into the mirror before making demands.

Dr Mahathir Discharged From IJN

KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 (Bernama) -- Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was admitted to the National Heart Institute (IJN) on May 18 for a chest infection, was discharged at 5pm today, said his aide Sufi Yusoff.
He said Dr Mahathir would be continuing chest physiotherapy and exercise at home.
"Doctors have also advised Dr Mahathir to continue resting to allow for a complete recovery," he said in a press statement here.
Accompanying Dr Mahathir home was his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali.

BN Not Worried About Facing Separate Elections - Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 (Bernama) -- Barisan Nasional (BN) is not worried over the possibility of facing a separate election should the opposition-held states refuse to dissolve their state assemblies, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.
"We cannot determine what they can do; we can only determine what we can do.
"So, I'm not worried about what they will do because I cannot control their actions. I will only give serious consideration to things that I can do," he told a media conference after chairing the Umno Supreme Council meeting at the party's headquarters Friday.
Najib said that under the Federal Constitution, state governments could advise the Sultan or the Yang Dipertua Negeri whether or not to dissolve their state assemblies.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had previously said that states under the opposition pact would not dissolve their state assemblies if the federal government was to dissolve parliament this year.

tunku : let's have separate election in those 4 states.it will be an advantage for bn if it is held separately.we dare the pakatan to do it separately if they are brave enough.i am 100% sure selangor,kedah and kelantan dare not do it separately.let guan eng barks at the tree,it is in his blood to bark at the tree.

MCA sticks to its 'no govt posts' call if party performs poorly in polls

KUALA LUMPUR: The MCA will stick to its 'no government posts at all levels' call, if the party performs poorly in the next general election, said president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
He said some quarters in the Chinese community had expressed their worries that they would have nowhere to go for help if MCA was not in the Government.
"We are not so fickle-minded.
"MCA has the integrity, courage and political morality to keep its words.
"If you still need us in the Government, you have to support us," he told a press conference here Thursday after a dialogue session with Chinese guilds and associations.
Dr Chua, backed by the party's presidential council, had recently called for MCA to give up government posts if the Chinese community did not support its candidates in the general election.

tunku : we hope mca will stick to it's call and show that they have integrity.now it is for mca to show their worth in BN.let us wait and see what mca will do.enough of backstabbing all these while.

Kedah Umno Charts Strategies To Address People's Problems : Mukhriz

SUNGAI PETANI, May 26 (Bernama) -- Kedah Umno will formulate a comprehensive strategic plan to understand and address people's problems in the state in hopes of gaining their support towards wresting Kedah back from the opposition in the next general election.
State Umno deputy liaison chief Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir admitted that the initiative may not solve all their problems.
"But we hope that they would be appreciative of our effort," he told reporters after presenting 10 computers to Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Mahajothi here Thursday.
Mukhriz, who is Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister, said the Kedah PAS government had failed to bring prosperity and development to the people of Kedah after three years at the helm.
"They have been trumpeting the slogan 'Kedah Sejahtera' 'Peaceful and Prosperous Kedah' for three years. The truth is, they have let Kedahans down," he said.
Mukhriz said the state government had also failed to respond to queries in the state legislative assembly with regard to its claim that it had delivered 80.7 per cent of its electoral promises in Kedah.
"They're playing around with figures, and this is not enough to substantiate claims that they have brought about development and transformation to the state," he added.

tunku : not only umno but the kedah bn should join hand in hand to help the people in kedah.go to the ground as one. don't do things separately.if bn wants to wrest back kedah from pakatan, they should mobilizes all their machinery from now as ONE unit.pakatan is not strong in kedah but bn must be stronger and united to defeat them.

Prices of RON95 petrol, diesel and LPG to remain the same: Ismail Sabri

PUTRAJAYA: In a move that will please many Malaysians, the government has decided to maintain the prices of RON95 petrol, diesel and liquefied petroleum gas for the time being.
Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the decision was made after an in-depth discussion on subsidy rationalisation at Wednesday's weekly cabinet meeting.
"The decision was made taking into consideration the interest of the people," he told a news conference at his ministry, here Wednesday.
The government would however continue to study the need for subsidy rationalisation in view of the increase in the prices of oil and gas in the global market.
Asked whether there was any discussion on the time frame for the prices to remain, Ismail Sabri said there was no discussion about time frame. The price of RON95 petrol is now RM1.90 per litre and diesel at RM1.80 per litre. LPG is priced at RM1.90 per kg.
The last time the prices for these three items were adjusted was in December last year.
Ismail Sabri said the decision to retain the prices of the three items meant that the government had to bear fuel subsidy totalling RM18bil.
Last year, the fuel subsidy was RM8.15bil. - Bernama

tunku : THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Kelantan Encourages Construction Of Syariah-compliant Hotels

KOTA BAHARU, May 25 (Bernama) -- Kelantan encourages the establishment of hotels in the state provided they comply with the stipulated regulations, Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yacob said.
He said hotels should not be a place for entertainment and vice activities which could tarnish the name of the industry.
"We would rather risk not being popular in the hotel industry than allowing vice activities in hotels," he said in his speech at the opening of Tune Hotel here by the Crown Prince of Kelantan, Tengku Muhammad Faiz Petra.
Meanwhile, Tune Hotels chief executive officer Mark Lankester told a news conference that the new facility here brought the number of the company's hotels to 13, including two in Indonesia's Bali and one in London.
He said plans were underway to set up several more hotels including in Haadyai, Thailand and in Australia and the Philippines.

tunku : why don't the state government build a syariah compliant hotel first.let see what it is and how it works.we don't want it is just the name syariah compliant but people like mat sabu can escape having close proximity with someone wife in the hotel room.

DAP to field Malay candidate.What about Pas?

Zahid Exposes DAP's Plan To Name Malay Candidates In General Election

ALOR GAJAH, May 22 (Bernama) -- Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has exposed a plan by the DAP to name Malay candidates in several states in the next general election.
He said DAP was now identifying suitable Malays to contest seats in states like Perak, Melaka and Negeri Sembilan.
"They're taking measures to ensure that the candidates (Malays) would be accepted by voters," he told reporters after opening the Masjid Tanah Umno divisional meeting here Sunday.
Ahmad Zahid, who is Defence Minister, said DAP planned to name Malay electoral candidates in Perak in hopes of conquering the state and naming one of its own as menteri besar.
"This is because the Perak constitution forbids non-Malay from becoming menteri besar. For this reason, the DAP is planning to name a Malay candidate to contest a state seat so that eventually a DAP menteri besar could be sworn in," he said.
In other states, he said, DAP was likely to name Malay candidates in Malay-majority constituencies and in areas where Barisan Nasional (BN) fielded non-Malay candidates.
Ahmad Zahid described the strategy as something that could be plausibly executed by DAP.
He noted that DAP had started a blogsite in Malay after using mainly English and Mandarin to reach out to the people all this while.
"We've managed to sniff out the plan which is concocted without the knowledge of PAS and PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat). I'd like to remind PAS and PKR not to become a mere tool of the DAP," he said.
Ahmad Zahid also reminded members of Umno and other BN component parties to be wary of the DAP's ploy.
"We shouldn't remain complacent in the face of DAP's actions. I'd like to urge Malays not to associate themselves with the DAP, whether by becoming their candidates or partners under Pakatan Rakyat," he added.

tunku : if dap fields malay candidates than pas should field chinese or indian candidates in non malays area.would dap allow that?for me those malays who associate themselves with dap are not malays at heart and some even not malay like lim guan eng's political secretary, zairil. pkr as we know is not a malay party but for pas they should be careful of dap's plan.they should disassociate themselves with dap for the sake of the malays.this is how dap plan to rule malaysia,first they uses pas and pkr then they field all their people so that they have absolute power.

Landslide: Search-and-rescue operation resumes; victims named

KUALA LUMPUR: The search-and-rescue operation resumed Sunday morning at the site of the landslides at an orphanage in Hulu Langat near here, although all 25 victims have been accounted for.
The follow-up operation being carried out by the police and the Fire and Rescue Department is to ensure no one else was trapped in the rubble of the landslide, which hit Rumah Anak-anak Yatim dan Anak-anak Hidayah Madrasah Al-Taqwa at the 14th mile, Jalan Felcra Semungkus, Hulu Langat, Saturday.
A non-stop search-and-rescue operation which began shortly after the landslide struck at 2.30pm Saturday ended some 15 hours later, at 5.30pm Sunday, after the 16th body was recovered at 5.05am. Nine people were rescued from the rubble.
A check at the scene Sunday found the situation calmer and more controlled.
All the access roads have also been reopened to the public. However, police have cordoned off an area up to 500m from the scene with yellow tape to prevent curious onlookers from getting too close.
"We need to monitor the area because we fear there may still be soil movement," said a policeman at the scene.
The headmaster of the orphanage, Idris Musa, was seen in the area this morning but he declined to be interviewed.
Two lorries of a consumer goods manufacturer provided instant noodles, snacks and drinks to rescue personnel and reporters. - Bernama

Meanwhile, the 16 who perished in the landslide are:

* Mohd Kamarul Amizan, 11

* Nurahimi Rosdi, 14

* Dzahir Haziq M. Muin, 11

* Ahmad Lokman Hakim, 11

* Farid Ibrahim, 34

* Mohd Azret Azahari, eight

* Wan Ahmad Hasril Hazim, 11

* Zahid Assawal Zamri, 19

* Mohd Mustakim Mamat, 12

* Mohd Naerzein M. Nor, eight

* Mohd Aiman Abdullah, 10

* Shahrul Nurimran Adnan, nine

* Mohd Zaid Azahari, 14

* Mohd Imal Fahad, nine

* Mohd Riezman Abdul Latif, nine

* Mohd Hazim Sapri, 10

The 16 bodies will be sent to Masjid Batu 14 in Hulu Langat for the final rites and then for burial at the Dusun Nanding cemetery Sunday afternoon.
Six of the injured are at the Ampang Hospital, two in the intensive care unit. All of them are reported to be in stable condition.

AL FATIHAH

Umno should get it members unite and BN should move as ONE.

Two New Elements In 'Juara Rakyat' Programme In Facing 13th GE

ALOR SETAR, May 21 (Bernama) -- Umno will incorporate two new elements in phase two of the Juara Rakyat (People's Champion) programme from this June to strengthen solidarity among Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties in facing the 13th general election (GE).
Its information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan said the new elements were talks on current issues and the involvement of all BN components.
He said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's warning in Baling Friday that the 13th GE would be tougher and unlike the previous GEs as the opposition parties had become increasingly aggressive, was timely.
"The changes to the Juara Rakyat programme this time are being made in the face of such a situation so that the BN supporters will not be swayed," said Ahmad after receiving membership forms to join Umno from 71 residents of Taman Arif/Kemuning, here, Friday night.
He said all party divisional leaders would each be receiving a letter asking them to reorganise the programme and to sign the letter within a week, with the party headquarters helping out with funding.
On Muhyiddin's warning that there should be no more in-fighting within the divisions, Ahmad said this was apt and he also likened the problem to "cah keting" (sabotage) which had cost BN five states in the last general election.
"Sorry to say...the problem also happened in Kedah, not just in Kelantan. In Manik Urai (by-election in 2009), we lost by only 65 votes because 300 Umno members did not vote because they disagreed with the choice of candidate.
"Bringing down one another cannot happen anymore in Umno. Our loss (of five states) in 2008 should be a bitter and invaluable lesson for us," he added.
Ahmad who is Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, also asked Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak to state the new things that have been implemented by the opposition pact since it took over the state government.
"I've not seen any new programmes, initiatives and ideas, nor investments coming from their own efforts. Kedah seems to slack and lag behind in development and the people will suffer because of this."
He said that proof of the inability of the PAS-led state government in raising funds was its rejection of Universiti Utara Malaysia's application for extension of quit rent rebate.
Kedah Umno liaison chief Datuk Paduka Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah was also present at last night's event.

tunku : umno MUST get it members to unite first before moving forward to attack the opposition. as muhyiddin has said that the 13th GE would be tougher and unlike the previous GEs, then umno should really work hard to unite its members before going to the 'war'. umno youth too should engage with the youth out there more aggressively.gone are the days where umno can seat back and relax.if you keep relaxing, you will lose the battle this time.every branch, every division now must work extremely hard and be actively engaged with the people.as for bn, it should move now as ONE. the old ways doesn't work anymore now where each party do the work separately.they should all join together to do activities.all the bn leaders must go to the ground as ONE.

Hadi's Continued Leadership, Is It A Sign Of A PAS-Umno Merger Becoming A Reality?

KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 (Bernama) -- With Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang's continued leadership as PAS president for the term 2011-2013, various interpretations have surfaced, among them, the unity issue with Umno.
The fact the he was returned unopposed for another three years shows that his leadership has the full support of the party grassroots who know of his inclination towards a PAS-Umno merger.
Can this be regarded as a message that the PAS-Umno merger is approaching reality for the sake of the Malays and Muslims and country's interests.
Perhaps, Abdul Hadi's message on the unity issue during the party's 55th general assembly at Malawati Stadium, Shah Alam in June 2009, is still fresh in the minds of his supporters that they decided to ensure that he continues to helm the party.
Regardless of the form of unity intended by Abdul Hadi, many PAS and Umno leaders are seeing the positive side of the move.
In fact, Umno Information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan is all geared towards bringing PAS into Barisan Nasional (BN) for the sake of Malay unity.
A PAS member who wanted to be known only as Abdul Hamid said the merger between PAS and Umno could be realised if both parties were serious because PAS used to be with Umno in BN before.
Political analyst, Dr Sivamurugan Pandian, said the decision by PAS' members in returning Abdul Hadi unopposed could be regarded unanimous and reflected their desire to maintain an ulama as their leader.
He said the nomination of Kelantan executive council member Datuk Husam Musa for the president's post by the party's Bukit Bintang division was more of a protest with some members wanting someone from the "Erdogan group" to take over the party leadership.
"I believe the grassroots want Abdul Hadi so that the party's objectives will not be eroded and to avoid a split in the party," said the Universiti Sains Malaysia political science lecturer.
Another political analyst, Abdul Ghapa Harun, a senior lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said the grassroots opted for Abdul Hadi because PAS had no other leaders as credible and wise as Abdul Hadi.
"Looking at his leadership, there is no one yet who can take over the presidency and capable of uniting the groups in PAS," he added.
He said there would not be much change in PAS' direction as the party would continue to focus on religious struggle.

tunku : as long as nik aziz and his group still around, it's quite impossible for umno to work along with pas.we hope hadi awang can do something about it.most of the grassroots wants the unity between umno and pas.it's for the best of Malaysia.

PAS Confident Of Retaining Kedah

BUKIT KAYU HITAM, May 19 (Bernama) -- PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang on Thursday expressed confidence that the party will retain Kedah in the next general election as it has administered the state well since the last general election.
He said the state PAS leadership had implemented a number of initiatives which had benefited the people, such as reducing poverty and paying off debts to the federal government although it had only been in power for less than a term.
"InsyaAllah (God willing) we'll be able to retain Kedah. We hope that there won't be another Terengganu like what happened in 2004," he said, alluding to PAS's one-term rule of Terengganu before being toppled by the Barisan Nasional (BN).
Abdul Hadi, who spoke to reporters while visiting a pineapple plantation belonging to a subsidiary of the state government here, was responding to claims by Kedah PAS that it had fulfilled 80 per cent of promises made in the party's election manifesto during the last general election.
He claimed that PAS lost Terengganu in 2004 because the Election Commission (EC) had conducted what he described as massive voter transfer.
Abdul Hadi also claimed that the EC was doing the same thing in Kedah and Selangor ahead of the next general election with a view to securing victory for the BN in the two states.
He said the party's 57th muktamar (general assembly) on June 3-5 would touch on preparations for the general election.
"Party polls that will take place will `cleanse' the party and strengthen our election machinery," he added.
Meanwhile, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak said he would announce the progress with regard to the implementation of the election manifesto revealed during the last general election in one or two days.

tunku : that is over confident i guess. most of kedahans i met always complaint about the pas administration in kedah. kedah has became a dumping ground.till today the state government can't even give good waste management to the people.water tariff increased,quit rents increased etc.the even failed miserably to help the people during the big flood last year.under the "islamic" rule of pas, the are more entertainment in kedah.massage parlours are mushrooming especially in sungai petani. keep the confident pas.

Tun Mahathir in stable condition : Mukhriz

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 (Bernama) -- Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was admitted to the National Heart Institute (IJN) today for a cough, is in stable condition and has been advised to rest, his son Datuk Mukhriz said.
Mukhriz said doctors had advised the former prime minister to take sufficient rest.
"There are no problems at all with his heart. Only a cough. Usually, when he has a cough, he needs adequate rest at IJN," said Mukhriz, who is deputy international trade and industry minister, when met at the IJN lobby after he had visited his father.
He said Dr Mahathir had to undergo physiotherapy as usual, take antibiotics and have adequate rest so as to recover fast, and that his outdoor activities had been curtailed in view of his present condition.
"My mother (Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali) is with him. We do not encourage visits by friends for the moment so as to prevent any infection," he told reporters.
Dr Mahathir, 85, was admitted to the normal ward at IJN at about 6am today after he developed fever and a cough over the last two days.

tunku : Alhamdulillah

Dr Mahathir hospitalised for chest infection

PETALING JAYA: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been admitted to the National Heart Institute (IJN) Wednesday for a chest infection.
He was admitted to the institute's normal ward at 6am after complaining of fever and cough over the last two days.
Dr Mahathir, who is Petronas adviser, is currently undergoing intravenous antibiotic treatment and intensive chest physiotherapy.
His special assistant Sufi Yusoff, in a statement said that Dr Mahathir is expected to remain in IJN for a week and that he was responding to treatment.
Doctors have also advised him against receiving visitors with the exception of close family members, he added.

tunku : God speed Tun's recovery.our doa are with you Tun.

Government Urged To Consider Burden On People Before Increasing Price Of RON95

TEMERLOH, May 17 (Bernama) -- The government has been urged to carry out an indepth study before making its decision to increase the price of RON95 petrol.
Umno vice-president, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, said the government should find other mechanisms to save on fuel subsidy.
"I believe Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has other mechanisms that can be used to bear the subsidy and increase in oil price.
"The government can also utilise other resources for the purpose," he told reporters after closing a gotong-royong programme jointly organised by the Sungai Gau Village Development and Security Committee and the Malaysian Armed Forces here Tuesday.
He said this in response to Umno Youth's call for the government to refrain from increasing the price of RON95 petrol as the public was already burdened with the increasing inflation.
On the gotong royong programme, Ahmad Zahid, who is Defence Minister, said it would continue to be carried out to foster closer rapport between the people and the armed forces.
At the function, Zahid made a personal contribution of RM20,000 to the Kampung Sungai Gau mosque.
Also present at the function was Temerloh Member of Parliament, Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, who is also Deputy Higher Education Minister.

tunku : we knows that the government will bear RM18bil in subsidies this year, an increase of RM10bil if price is not increase but we hope government will find ways to save on fuel subsidy.there are other mechanisms that can be used. increase tax for luxury items,luxury cars etc but not the fuel.listen to the people.we don't mind the increase for ron97 but not for ron95,diesel and lpg.

PAS President Hadi Awang returned unapposed

KUALA LUMPUR: PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang was returned unapposed the end of nominations for party elections on June 3.
When the list of nominations was announced on Tuesday six people were eligible to contest the deputy post but they have till May 26 to accept or decline the nominations.
For the three vice-presidents' posts, 14 people were declared elgible to contest.
The only other leadership post uncontested was the post of the head of Ulamak which was retained by Datuk Harun Taib.
The PAS 57th Muktamar will be held on June 3-5.

tunku : only hadi awang can save pas from great disaster that is by pulling out from pakatan coalition. hadi awang should be strong enough to sideline all the "erdogan's" group in pas.it is time for unity.

Anwar using Francis Siah to create tense in Sarawak

Francis Siah the chairman of MOSC Sarawak is demanding CM Taib Mahmud to resign by 30th August 2011.He is planning to do demonstration or whatever it takes to make Taib Mahmud to resign asap. Taib Mahmud had promised to step down by mid term so why the demand now? this is just a plot by anwar using the donkey francis siah to make sarawak as unstable state.they failed to deny BN 2/3 in sarawak so they are using dirty ways to fulfill their vulgar dream.sarawakian must beware of these people and do not give them way.anwar is also planning to create demos in whole Malaysia as time is near for him to enter his "palace" at Sunagi Buloh.his days are numbered and when that happens he will use all sort of dirty tactics to safe his neck.the police intelligence should be alert and act fast.
related news here.

Anwar sodomized Saiful , ordered to enter defence.

Sodomy II: Anwar ordered to enter defence

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court on Monday ordered Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to defend himself against a charge of sodomising his former personal assistant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan three years ago.
High Court judge Justice Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah determined that the prosecution had established a prima facie case and the 63-year-old PKR adviser must enter his defence.
He said complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan was a credible witness.
“The accused is charged with carnal intercourse against order of nature.
“The defence tried to paint Saiful as a witness who was not a credible witness and that he was not a good Muslim. With great respect to defence, these arguments are irrelevant,” he said.
“Saiful appeared to be a truthful witness and his evidence reliable, with the minute details given in his account.
“Therefore, the next question is whether there is evidence to corroborate Saiful's statements.
“The three doctors who testified confirmed that there was penile penetration.
“As for contamination of DNA evidence, all samples taken were immediately sealed. I find the possibility of contamination of samples to be remote.
“Based on all the above reasons, the prosecution has made a prima facie case against the accused. The defence is called,” he said.
A total of 27 prosecution witnesses were called to take the stand during 59 days of hearing.
On Aug 7, 2008, Anwar pleaded not guilty to performing carnal intercourse against the order of nature on complainant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at a condominium unit in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.
The alleged offence took place between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.
He is charged under Section 377B of the Penal Code and if convicted, could be sentenced to up to 20 years' jail and whipped.
Anwar remained composed after he heard the ruling on Monday. He smiled as he greeted supporters.
The lawyers then entered chambers.
Supporters said they were not surprised by the ruling as it was widely expected.

tunku : of course everyone expected it including anwar's supporters as they know that he is a sodomizer and also a pornstar.welcome back to the court anwar and what a lucky number today 16.....remember 16 september?

Anwar joined Umno to make millions.

Anwar Has No Regrets Joining Umno After Leaving Abim

SHAH ALAM, May 14 (Bernama) -- Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim Saturday said he did not regret leaving the Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim) and joined Umno in 1982.
He said he gained valuable experience while in Umno, although his colleagues in Abim were against his decision.
Anwar said this in his speech at a forum held in conjunction with Abim's 40th anniversary at the Selangor University campus here.
He said among his colleagues in Abim was former Pas president, the late Datuk Fadzil Noor, who was also among those who could not accept Anwar joining Umno, although they remained good friends.
Also present at the forum was Abim's first president, Dr Razali Nawawi.

tunku: he had made hundreds of million if not billion by joining Umno. most of the millions he made when he was the finance minister.why should he regrets? he is still living in super luxury lifestyle now from the "money" he made.

Put Them Under ISA

Najib meets Muslim and Christian leaders to resolve issue

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has weighed in personally on the latest religious controversy by meeting with Muslim and Christian leaders.

He held a meeting with Muslim leaders and intellectuals in Putrajaya yesterday. Today, he is due to have a talk with Christian leaders.

Najib's press secretary Datuk Tengku Sarifudin Tengku Ahmad said yesterday that the meetings had been planned in advance and were not called to address recent developments.

Representatives from the Roman Catholic Church, the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) and the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) will be attending the lunch meet.

Earlier in Putrajaya, Najib said everyone must accept the fact that Islam was the country's official religion and that this could not be changed in whatever form.

“This is because the reality is that we have the Federal Constitution and its provision on the position of Islam and the other religions is very clear,” he told reporters after the meeting with 22 Muslim leaders and intellectuals.

“Under whatever circumstances, the Federal Constitution cannot be amended and as such, no one should worry or feel uneasy over this matter,” he said.

Najib said several issues were discussed during the hour-long meeting, including that on “changing” the country's official religion as reported earlier.

“I normally meet the Muslim leaders from time to time. But under the present circumstances, it is most important for me to meet this group and again discuss the issue as well as other things,” he said.

He said that during the meeting, the Muslim leaders agreed that it was important to preserve harmony, peace and prosperity in the country.

As such, Najib stressed, everyone must control their emotions and not do anything that could jeopardise this.

On action against those who continued to exploit the issue, Najib said: “Firstly, whatever they want to do, it will not change the fact (that Islam is the country's official religion). Reality cannot be altered.”

He said the authorities could take action against those who tried to exploit the issue to the extent of jeopardising national harmony.

“We don't want any action taken by any group that will violate the country's regulations and law because of utmost importance is the peace and harmony prevailing in our country,” he said.

Asked if this advice was directed at any particular leader, Najib said: “The advice is directed at everyone that we must reject extremist ideology and extremism. It is regardless (of any group).”

Among the Muslim leaders and intellectuals present were Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria, Islamic Religious Education and Coordination Advisory Board chairman Tan Sri Dr Mohd Yusof Noor and National Fatwa Council chairman Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Abdul Shukor Husin.

tunku : Islam as the official religion is stipulated in the country's constitution. no one should dispute or argue about it anymore.those who were responsible telling lies about this sensitive issue should be held under ISA. if the group which jeff oii attended to said that they will want to change the constitution they should be held under ISA and if the bloggers told the lies then they should be held under ISA. bloggers can't just report based on hearsays or just rumours.they should investigate before reporting it.

Chinese voters : what's on the mind?

Chinese voters must decide
ON THE BEAT WITH WONG CHUN WAI

The question is whether the Chinese community wishes to be in the government or the opposition in the next general election.
IT’S a month now since the Sarawak state polls and Tan Sri Taib Mahmud, who was the target of the emotional election campaign, remains the Chief Minister.
He delivered 35 out of the 35 seats contested by Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu and convincingly won in his Asajaya stronghold, with his opponents losing their deposits.
The calls for Taib, the longest serving Chief Minister, to step down have since stopped.
Despite the cry for change, nothing has changed. Taib is still the man in charge and he still holds the key to the state’s 29 Barisan Nasional MPs in the safe deposit box.
Painful as it may sound, the reality is that the only change that has occurred is the Chinese voters have committed their representation to the opposition.
The fact is that Taib delivered in the state’s fiercest election, where over 200 candidates contested in 71 seats, and he made sure Barisan won with the two-thirds majority intact by winning 55 seats.
PKR, which contested the largest number of seats for Pakatan Rakyat, was a wash-out, managing to win only three of the 49 seats it went for.
PAS failed so badly, with some of its candidates losing their deposits.
The point is that the bulk of the Malay, Melanau and Dayak seats remained with the Barisan.
PKR generated much hype about capturing the state, with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim even declaring at mid-point of the campaign that Pakatan was looking beyond denying the Barisan the two-thirds majority.
It was a foregone conclusion even before the nominations that the urban Chinese voters would go to the DAP. And, as predicted, the DAP won 12 seats, almost wiping out SUPP.
It would not be wrong to deduce that Taib had gone to the polls knowing that the Chinese voters had abandoned him and SUPP could not deliver but the bumiputra votes would be solid.
Even in the suburbs of Kuching, where bumiputra voters are fully exposed to issues, they strongly backed the Barisan.
For all their euphoria, PKR and PAS could not deliver the bumiputra seats, and that meant capturing the state was impossible.
Essentially, the Chinese is now in the opposition.
The bottom line is that voting was along racial lines, much as some might wish to gloss over it. Even Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian – who was picked to be the new CM should Pakatan win but ended up as not even the state opposition chief – argued on the ethnic factor, snubbing the Pakatan Shadow Cabinet because he felt it did not have enough bumiputra representation.
Similarly, PAS has always consistently said its role is to push for an Islamic representation. It has always been honest about its goal and agenda.
Racial representation certainly does matter in any government, whether Barisan or Pakatan, as Baru Bian himself has acknowledged. And no matter how we argue, the DAP won in the Chinese areas.
The DAP has said that it makes no difference whether SUPP is in the state government or not. But that remains to be seen and evalua­ted in the next five years.
Now comes the question of the Chinese representation at federal level. Anti-establishment sentiments among the Chinese remain strong with their grouses pertaining to economic opportunities, places in public universities, career opportunities in public services, abuse of the affirmative actions and religious concerns.
The Chinese community has always placed strong emphasis on continued progression. Their migratory patterns to seek better lives have long been recorded. Even in countries that are predominantly Chinese – China, Taiwan and Singapore – the community always wants more.
Any politician who asks Chinese voters to be grateful would only commit political suicide, given the fact that the community makes up one of the largest group of personal income tax contributors in Malaysia.
Development is after all the duty of the government. That’s what politicians are supposed to do.
But it has also been frustrating for the MCA, the largest Chinese partner in the Barisan. It has a record in education which no Chinese-based party in Malaysia can match. Hundreds of thousands have graduated from Kolej Tunku Abdul Rahman and now Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman. It cannot be denied that even critics of the MCA have benefited in some ways from the party. As an example, many are sending their children to KTAR or Utar, which are heavily subsidised by the party and its supporters. It would be more acceptable to suggest that the MCA need to do more. At the MCA headquarters, every day there is such a long queue of people seeking help from the party’s officials. It resembles a busy hospital scene. Certainly, it has been dampening and even heart-wrenching for the party to be asked what it has done for the Chinese. It has now come to a head-on: Should the Chinese vote opposition but turn to the MCA for help?
It is clear that MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek is not accepting such an arrangement. The party has decided that should it fare worse than in the 2008 polls, the MCA would not accept any government position – not even municipal council, district committee or hospital advisory board posts.
The decision should be regarded not as a threat but as a matter of choice. The wishes of the community must be respected as massive defeats for the MCA in the next polls can only be seen as the wish of the voters to reject Chinese representation in government.
No dignified Chinese leader – whether MCA, Gerakan or SUPP – should accept a senator’s post after publicly pledging he would not accept any government post this time. It would be simply demeaning.
The MCA has readily admitted that it would have little legitimacy to be in government if it is rejected by the community. For sure, it would have little bargaining power if it is regarded as non-representative of the Chinese community.
If it does not perform well, then the MCA should pack up, accept the rejection, stay on the sidelines for the next five years and let its political opponent take up the interests of the Chinese community.
In the next general election, the likelihood is that the DAP has a good chance of retaining Penang. But there can never be a Penang factor elsewhere.
In Kedah, PAS is facing a strong challenge while in Perak, the political scenario has changed drastically with the Barisan regaining much ground.
Of the 222 parliamentary seats, only 40-odd seats are Chinese majority with over 65% Chinese votes. There are about 30-odd racially mixed seats. That means the Chinese political clout is restricted, and it has not helped with the population continuing to decline sharply.
In Selangor, the official statistic is that it is only 29% of the five million population, and in Penang with its more than one million population, the Chinese are reportedly no longer the majority.
In 1957, the Chinese made up 45% of the country’s population. But the projection is that by 2035, it will drop to 18.6% if the decline continues.
With the indication now that Malay and Indian votes have returned to the Barisan, the scenario is moving towards an unhealthy situation where Malays are in government and the Chinese are on the opposition.
PKR and PAS are fully aware of the Malay shift, with PKR re-emphasising its commitment to protecting Malay special rights while the Islamist party is expected to do the same at its general meeting next month in a move to regain the Malay votes.
The question is whether the Chinese community wishes to be the king-maker, to be in the government or the opposition, in the next general election.

tunku : what else the chinese want? what else should mca sacrifice? like the author said above, when they need help, they turn up to mca,gerakan or supp but when time to vote they vote for dap. i agree with mca stand not to accept any position by the government should it fare worse than in the 2008 polls.the chinese should realize that Malaysia is a heaven for them.it is not like other multiracial country where chinese is not the majority.just look like indonesia or even thailand, they can't even use a chinese name for themselves.they don't even speak their language there.there is no chinese school in those country, even singapore does not have one.would it be better for the community to continue voting for dap? dap doest not recognize the malaysian constitution.till today dap have not come out with the statement that it will uphold the country's constitution.if the constitution is not uphold,will there be peace in this country? would the chinese benefits if the country is not peace? think carefully.

Umno Youth To Step Up Voter Registration,is that so?

PARIT, May 8 (Bernama) -- Umno Youth aims to register more than 400,000 Umno members, including 140,000 from the party's youth wing, as voters before June.
Its membership and voter registration bureau chairman, Mohd Hisamudin Yahaya, said there was an urgency to do so as latest figures from the Election Commission showed that more than 3.9 million Malaysians who had reached the age of 21 had not registered themselves as voters.
In this regard, Umno Youth plans to establish a special task force led by its chief, Khairy Jamaluddin, to undertake the endeavour in the near future, he told reporters here Sunday.
He said Khairy would table a proposal for the setting up of the task force to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is Umno president, at the party's management committee meeting soon.
Mohd Hisamudin also urged all 191 Umno Youth divisional heads to step up voter registration efforts.
Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said that the party should give attention to voter registration ahead of the next general election.

tunku : is the umno youth leader @ "chief" exist? umno youth had been idled since the oxford became the leader.umno youth should learn from the Wanita Umno.they are the wing which is doing the great job right now in Umno.

PAS Now Struggles For DAP, Says Dr M

KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 (Bernama) -- Present-day PAS is not the party of its early leaders, with former enemies embraced as close allies, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Sunday.
The former Prime Minister said that PAS no longer focused on upholding Islam and was more concerned with defending the DAP.
The thinking of the Malays in PAS now was far different from what it was under past presidents like Prof Burhanuddin Al-Helmi and Datuk Asri Muda, he said when opening the Cheras Umno division delegates meeting here.
Dr Mahathir said that PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat "once could not bear to even look" at DAP chairman Karpal Singh for opposing the setting up of an Islamic state.
Now, he had become a stout defender of the DAP, Dr Mahathir said.
He said the split in the Malay community had begun with PAS when ulamas quit Umno to form the Islamic party.
"The reason (they left) was that people conversant in English were given a (high) place while those fluent in Arabic felt left out," Dr Mahathir said.

tunku : pas has dropped all of its struggle just because of few leaders in pas that had became the puppet of dap dan anwar. dap and anwar had brilliantly 'captured' pas. pas is more dap than the dap at this moment.now there are leaders in pas that willing to 'die' for dap leaders. shame on pas.

Daring Transformation in Umno ?

Umno needs daring transformation: Hisham

BESUT: Umno needs to carry out a more daring and drastic political transformation to ensure that it remains relevant under the current political environment and accepted by the people, said party vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.
He said that at the same time, Umno must also continue with the tradition of listening to the woes and demands of the people and to meet these demands.
"We are fortunate that, by meeting the demands of the people much earlier, we were able to avoid the situation occurring in other countries such as in the Middle East
"The opposition made their move prematurely. They staged street demonstrations much earlier, protesting against the ISA (Internal Security Act) and they intended to seize Putrajaya on Sept 16 (last year), but they were unsuccessful because we had implemented what the people desired," he told reporters after opening the Besut Umno divisional delegates meeting, here Saturday.
Also present were Besut Umno division head Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh and a representative of the Terengganu Umno Liaison Body, Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh. Earlier in his opening speech, Hishammuddin, who is also the Home Minister, said Umno leaders and members must strive to strengthen the party's struggles and be prepared to face the opposition parties in the 13th general election.
He said this was appropriate as the parties in the opposition pact were now at loggerheads with each other.
He said that Umno should also not fear PAS, which was now divided and had lost in several recent by-elections.
"We are not afraid of PAS, they are now divided. This shows how brittle they are in facing the BN (Barisan Nasional) which is bold, sincere and honest in championing the cause of the people and country," he added. - Bernama

tunku : for me the daring transformation in Umno would be hisham and zahid to be replaced.also need to be replaced is the umno youth leader and most of its exco members.than only we can say daring transformation in Umno. the vice president especially hisham and zahid has failed miserably.we can't see their effort at all.grassroots are fed up with them.for umno youth leader need not to describe further.it is in hibernation mode right now.Najib should do something in order to make Umno stronger, get rid of the under performing leaders. they must be strong in the government and also in the party.if members don't respect them,what to expect from others ? indeed, umno needs daring transformation very badly.

JMM Dares Anwar To Call Eskay A Liar

KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 (Bernama) -- The right wing non-governmental organisation Jaringan Melayu Malaysia today dared opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to openly call businessman Datuk Shazryl Eskay Abdullah a liar.
JMM president Azwanddin Hamzah said that Anwar should be brave enough to accept "this challenge" to support his assertion that he was a victim of a conspiracy and that he was not the man caught in a sex video.
Eskay, who revealed the video with a screening for representatives of the media on March 21, had on April 29 taken a "sumpah laknat" (oath-cum-curse) in a mosque, swearing that the man seen having sex with a prostitute was Anwar.
Azwanddin noted that Anwar had several times denied that he was the man in the video and accused the government, Umno and police of conspiracy against him.
"But what is strange is that Anwar has never accused Eskay of being a liar and a cheat," he said.
"As such, we in JMM urge Anwar to make an open statement that Eskay is a liar and a cheat in the episode of exposing the sex video," Azwanddin said.
"To show that he is a victim of a conspiracy, Anwar should dare to come forward and accept this challenge," he said.
If he failed to do so, Azwanddin said, the people would think that he had something to hide.

tunku : jmm dares anwar to call eskay a liar but i dare anwar to sue eskay in court as eskay had openly said that it is anwar in the video. one thing for sure is that anwar dare not sue eskay as more dark secrets of anwar will be revealed by eskay.

Mukhriz Urges PAS To Reflect On Fatah-Hamas Reconciliation

BESUT, May 6 (Bernama) -- PAS should reflect on the peace pact between Hamas and Fatah at a time when Umno is extending a hand of friendship and unity, said Kedah Umno liaison deputy chief Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir.
He said the latest development on the Hamas-Fatah reconciliation should be a yardstick in assessing how far PAS and Umno was willing to cooperate to achieve unity among Muslims in the country.
Mukhriz said that a reconciliation between the two biggest parties representing the Malays was needed for the sake of the race, religion and country.
"The long-standing feud between Hamas and Fatah in Palestine is coming to an end. When is our (PAS and Umno) turn?
"PAS and Umno have a lot more in common compared to Hamas and Fatah. For this reason, there's no excuse for PAS to reject reconciliation, a topic which has been brought up before," he told reporters after opening the Besut Umno Youth delegates' meeting here Friday.
However, Mukhriz, who is Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister, was doubtful that PAS and Umno would reconcile in the near future as PAS leaders had divergent views on this matter.
According to him, some PAS leaders and members felt that crossing over to another party was akin to betraying the party.
"They've also made sarcastic remarks to the effect that Umno is the one who's craving reconciliation with PAS, and that the idea hasn't come from PAS," he said.
However, he expressed hope that PAS leaders and members would be able to see the bigger picture.
"A reconciliation between the two parties will be mutually beneficial," he said.

tunku : i believe there are many pas members wants to reconcile with umno but leaders like nik aziz,husam,khalid samad are preventing it from happening.they are the hindrance in umno and pas reconciliation. just imagine if the malays are united in malaysia, i am sure the malays will move to greater height and get more shares in the country's economy.

SNAP quits Pakatan

KUCHING: After a brief but often tumultuous love-hate relationship with Pakatan Rakyat, SNAP has finally divorced the opposition coalition, citing irreconcilable differences.
The decision appears to have put paid to any hopes of merger talks between SNAP and DAP which the latter proposed immediately after the state polls last month.
SNAP said it decided to quit Pakatan after it was sidelined following disagreements on seat allocation in the recent state polls.
“We (SNAP) are no longer in Pakatan. We are now on our own,” declared secretary-general Stanley Jugol Friday.
The 50-year-old Dayak-based party was accepted into Pakatan about a year ago. With SNAP gone, DAP, PKR and PAS are now the only state Pakatan members.
Stanley said it was meaningless for SNAP to continue in Pakatan as the opposition alliance no longer invited his party to any council meeting or joint activities.
The last time SNAP attended a Pakatan joint council meeting was in March at DAP headquarters here to discuss seat allocations in the polls on April 16.
“After we disagreed with PKR over seat allocations, we were no longer invited to any Pakatan meeting or functions. This is the truth,” he said.
Due to the collapse of seat negotiations, SNAP and PKR were involved in multi-cornered fights with Barisan Nasional in 24 rural seats, most of them with Dayak-majority voters.
PKR has accused SNAP of being funded by the Barisan to split opposition votes but SNAP denied the allegation, arguing that Barisan was their common political enemy.
SNAP, which fielded 26 candidates, was wiped out in the polls, losing deposits in 25 of the seats while PKR won three of the 49 seats contested.

tunku : it is best for snap to merge with prs or spdp. spdp and prs too should merge for the best future of the natives in sarawak.snap made a wise decision to quit pakatan as pakatan is not a party that can bring good future for malaysia. they lost in sarawak but still fighting over a shadow cabinet.pakatan is not a party that can bring good to the people and country.

Pakatan fighting for shadow cabinet in Sarawak.

PR Shadow Cabinet Imbalance, Baru Bian

by baru bian
KUCHING – There has been much ado in the media about the formation of the Shadow Cabinet which was announced by my friend, YB Wong Ho Leng on the 1.5.2011. At the outset let me say that this idea of forming a Shadow Cabinet had been supported by PKR from the beginning. This is because it would lead to a more open and responsible Government as both parties on the political divide would be encouraged to discharge their respective duties as the Peoples’ Representatives with a sense of purpose, commitment and pride. True democracy will flourish to a new political height in Sarawak and Malaysia in general.
As to the recent announcement of the proposed line-up of the Shadow Cabinet, I wish to put the record straight and reiterate our position that no “proper discussion and prior consultation” had been done between the PR before the announcement on the 1.5.11. The first time I saw the line-up was at about 1.20 pm, 10 minutes before the 1.30 pm scheduled press conference which was sent to me by Encik Vernon Kedit via my blackberry.
If I may humbly state that from our perspective, the current proposed line-up does not reflect the proportional representation of the Muslim and non-Muslim Bumiputera majority in Sarawak vis-à-vis the portfolios proposed by DAP. As such, it would be expedient to redress this imbalance and to review the matter at the next Pakatan Rakyat State Council meeting.
Nevertheless, we do not want to dwell on the past but it is imperative that we move forward. The bigger picture is that we must keep the spirit of equal partnership and consensus within a coalition as our guiding principle both at the State and National level. The public would expect nothing less from us.

tunku : just imagine if they won, havoc in sarawak administration. this is just shadow cabinet and they are fighting about it,what if real cabinet.never trust pakatan cooperation. they don't have same vision and ideology.how to cooperate? dap had shown their thru colour.pas and pkr is still colour blind.

Guan Eng's sPICEy deal shrouded in mystery'

Penang wants freedom of information law, but blacks out details of RM300 million Relau convention centre expansion project, says Gerakan.
The BN today stopped short of labelling the state government a 'hypocrite' for initiating a Freedom of Information Act - but failing to disclose details of a RM300 million project of the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP).
State Gerakan local government bureau vice-chief Teh Leong Meng said the MPPP held a closed-door meeting with individuals and organisations in February to gather feedback for a project dubbed the 'Subterranean Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre (sPICE)'.
But Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who chaired the meeting, barred the press from attending
"To date, the state government has not disclosed any detail on the project to the public... there is a blackout on it," Teh (left) told a press conference at the Penang legislative assembly today.
Lim announced the plan for the project in January and gave members of the public two weeks to provide feedback to the state.
sPICE is to be constructed in front of the existing, poorly maintained Penang International Convention Centre (PICC) in Relau, which currently houses a stadium, an aquatic centre and a huge carpark as well.
To be built partially beneath the ground, the building is to have a basement car park and a green park on the roof top.
It is to be a 'green building'
Lim said the project was awarded to Eco Meridean Sdn Bhd based on the price, quality, world class building management and also because it would be a green building.
MPPP would bear RM50 million of the cost of the project while Eco Meridean Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of SP Setia Bhd, would bear the remaining RM250 million.
The company would manage the place for 30 years under a Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) scheme before transferring it to MPPP.
Teh accused the state government of breaching two laws and an MPPP guideline by allowing Eco-Meridean to build an additional 1,500 units of houses, which would go above the maximum permissible density, in other projects it proposes as part of the agreement for the sPICE project.
The laws are the 1976 Town and Country Planning Act and the 1976 Local Government Act, he added, saying that the breach would have far reaching implications on Penangites.
"Firstly, it is wrong for the state to breach the laws. It sets a bad precedent as in future, more developers will set terms and conditions to breach the laws. Also, the quality of life of the residents will be adversely affected," he added.
'sPICE to cost three times more'
Teh also said that the construction cost of RM300 million was three times higher than the the cost of building PICC, which is larger but cost only RM105 million.
On the other hand, he added, sPICE is merely a building within the compound of PICC, and until today, nobody knew details of its size or structure.
He also questioned why the company that had been given the contract to construct sPICE would be earning so much money - as much as RM530 million.
"Before construction starts, MPPP has to fork out RM50 million, including costs of repairing and refurbishing the existing buildings and lease a plot of land to the company to build a hotel," he said.
"Next, the company will make RM30 million when MPPP hands it to the company to operate for 30 years at RM1 million per annum . This income will go to the company," he added.
"Then, when the state allows the developer to build an additional 1,500 units of houses at RM300,000 a unit, the company will make RM450 million... the total of all this income is RM530 million," Teh said.
He then questioned if the Penang government was practising an open tender system for the controversial project and also why it was not awarded to a Penang-based company.
Teh called on the state government not to black out information on its sPICE project as this went against the grain of the FOI Bill that the state recently proposed to enact.
"Penangites have the right to know," he said, adding that the state should disclose all information, such as the drawings, terms and conditions of the proposals, before a project was announced to the public.

tunku : again project given without tender.i am sure there are many companies who are eligible and capable to do such project. lim guan eng should not give excuse that only eco meridean is capable. how much kick back eco meridean is giving to dap? dap is not a clean party like they portray they are. people should realize how dirty is dap.don't be fools penangites, don't vote for them again.

Kedah Government Rejects UUM's Application For Quit Rent Rebate

BALING, May 5 (Bernama) -- Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) has to pay the Kedah government RM1.7 million in quit rent as the state Land and Mines Office (PTG) has rejected the university's application for a rebate, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak said.
He said legal action would be taken against the university if it failed to make the payment within the stipulated period.
"The university has appealed, but PTG did not approve it. So the university has to pay soon or it can be charged a penalty of more than RM90,000 or the land will be seized," he told reporters after visiting the site for the construction of the Kolej Universiti Insaniah campus at Kuala Ketil here Wednesday.
He said the rate of RM0.20 per sq ft of the UUM land was far lower than the rate imposed on other universities, like Universiti Sains Malaysia in Penang, which was RM2.50 per sq ft, and Universiti Teknologi Mara, at RM0.50 per sq ft.
Last month, UUM, through its treasurer, had sent a letter to PTG seeking to be given a rebate on the quit rent for another five years after the expiry of the previous rebate in 2008.
During the rebate period, UUM only had to pay RM150,000 in quit rent.
On UUM's intention to turn its area into a duty free zone, Azizan said it would affect the quit rent rate.
"If it is a duty free area, we will consider a new rate because the rate for commercial land is different," he added.

tunku : this is how pas government works. azizan is talking craps.he only needs to direct PTG to give the rebate but no, they want to make money out of this too.why before 2008 PTG can give the rebate and not now? it is not PTG but the kedah state government which don't want to give the rebate. this is how they generate revenue for the state after they fails to get thru economic developments.

Anwar Ibrahim, (Shut Up) We Are Autonomous – DAP

KUCHING – DAP Sarawak has the autonomy to make their own decision concerning State DAP matters and PKR Sarawak should operate as such too, said Chong Chieng Jen, Sentosa State Assemblyman when asked on PKR defacto leader, Anwar Ibrahim who commented that the shadow cabinet is just a proposal.
Chong said he was not sure why Anwar should make such statement as the discussion on Sunday on the Shadow cabinet was carried out with the Vice president of National PKR, Datuk John Tenewi Nuek, Ibi anak Uding and PA to Baru Bian, Vernon Kedit.
Maybe Anwar was not briefed at that time. “I am not in the position to comment on PRK but in Sarawak, the matters concerning us would be decided by us. I also do not see the issue here. The PKR were with us during the meeting and they even make some changes,” he said.
Initially, he said PKR Batu Lintang See Chee How was given the Tourism portfolio but when a call was made by Vernon to him, See said he is more interested in Environment thus the portfolio was added to him.
Chong said even Baru Bian was consulted when the list was finalized and had agreed to it.
“It is a shadow cabinet and everyone was entrusted to do more of what they were assigned. The responsibility is huge and we will look at the performance of each individual. There is no withholding anyone doing more than was assigned. Even in future we could make a swap if one is better in the other on the posts,” he added.
Chong also wondered why the Barisan Nasional is kicking out a big fuss over the shadow cabinet. He said they may have been concerned about the PR’s intention of being serious in their jobs. He added that the questioning of Wong Ho Leng as an opposition is unfair to Wong who is a credible leader.

tunku : dap has slapped on pkr's face this time. i had said earlier, dap is much superior than pkr or pas,hence they are free to do what the want to. pkr and pas is just a tool for dap to get votes from the malays.the malays should realized this.they have been used by dap thru pkr and pas. what a shadow cabinet by pakatan in sarawak....it is overshadowed by dap representatives though dap has said that they will give the leader post to pkr even if they have lesser seats.this is just a shadow cabinet, what if real cabinet lineup.pkr and pas will be sidelined totally.beware of dap dirty tactics.

Dap greed of power

Sarawak Chief Minister’s post colour blind — DAP

KUCHING: It is possible for Sarawak to be ruled by a non-Bumiputera Chief Minister, said DAP Sarawak chairman Wong Ho Leng.
The state opposition leader said this was possible because the State Constitution is silent on the race of the state’s chief executive.
“To date, no constitution rules that only the Malays can be the Chief Minister of Sarawak. In Sarawak, the Iban, Melanau, Chinese and Malay can be the Chief Minister,” he told the press after announcing Pakatan Rakyat (PR)’s shadow Cabinet on Labour Day.
The first Chief Minister of Sarawak was Datuk Stephen Kalong Ningkan (1963-1966) followed by Datuk Tawi Sli (1966-1970), Tun Datuk Patinggi Abdul Rahman Ya’kub (1970-1981) and Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud (1981 – present).
Wong, who is also Sibu member of parliament and Bukit Assek assemblyman, said of course the Federal and State Constitution could be amended.
He conceded that PR Sarawak did arrive at a consensus that if they managed to form the state government then PKR Sarawak chief Baru Bian would be the Chief Minister, even if DAP won more seats than PKR.
However, this agreement became invalid after the 10th state election concluded, he said.
Wong was, however, quick to add that the PR coalition parties, namely DAP, PKR and PAS, would come up with a fresh proposal before the next state election.
“That (Baru be the Chief Minister) has lapsed and who will be the next potential Chief Minister… we will come to that later,” he said.
PKR won only three of the 49 seats it contested in the election last month. Baru won in Ba Kelalan.

tunku : so what if pakatan lost in sarawak.they should still fulfill their promises to make baru bian their leader.if dap is really sincere they should make baru bian as the opposition leader now not wong ho leng.this show clearly how dap can twist their tongue. i am sure dap will make their party leader as sarawak cm if they had won the sarawak election recently giving the same excuses that they won more seats than pkr.

Dap secret agenda to rule Malaysia.

DAP-SNAP merger can topple state BN — Lim

KUCHING: A local scholar has described SNAP as “an essentially dead party” and is puzzled why the DAP wants to merge with them.
Unimas’ Faculty of Social Sciences Associate Prof Dr Andrew Aeria wondered if DAP had thought it through before it proposed the merger recently.
“SNAP is essentially a dead party and has the DAP done its homework?” he directed this question at DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng during a public forum entitled ‘The Myth of 2011 Sarawak State Election: Only The Chinese Voters Swung to PR’ here last Sunday.
Dr Aeria’s question brought laughter to the hall before the Chief Minister of Penang addressed the doubt.
“It depends on how you define ‘dead’. There was this case in Penang where a doctor pronounced the death of a patient but the patient came to life later,” Lim quipped.
He added that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) aimed to see straight fights in Sarawak and the merger between DAP and SNAP would be seen as consolidating forces with the ultimate objective of taking down the present government.
Lim said the merger would also represent a sign of sincerity of the DAP in reaching out to the non-Chinese communities.
Hoping not to see animosity as a result of the merger talks, Lim said the move was targetted at tackling Barisan Nasional during elections to initiate radical changes.
Meanwhile, at a news conference on the same day, DAP Sarawak chairman Wong Ho Leng admitted that the party had held talks with SNAP’s senior leaders here. Another meeting would be held in Miri soon.
“The merger is to strengthen PR and not to weaken it. It is also one essential way to avoid multi-cornered fights in future,” he said.
The Sibu Member of Parliament and Bukit Assek assemblyman said the merger talks so far appeared positive but he came up with a different definition for the word.
“Positive here does not mean a successful merger,” asserted Wong, who is a lawyer by profession.
He pointed out that the merger, if materialised, would dispel the perception that DAP was a Chinese party.
DAP now has Bumiputera branches in places such as Sungei Merah, Sibu Jaya and Dudong in Sibu as well as Sri Aman and Balai Ringin.
“These are all Iban-majority, if not branches with all Ibans. DAP is not a single-race party although I cannot give you (reporters) off hand how many non-Chinese members we have,” he said.
Whether he agreed that SNAP “is an essentially dead party”, Wong replied: “I’m never able to agree that SNAP is a dead party as we should always support one another.”
He said no political parties deserved to be termed as ‘mosquito party’, regardless of their size and strength.
“No doubt that SNAP did not do well in the election but this is not the reason we cannot work together to strengthen Pakatan Rakyat. DAP must reach out to engage all races.”

tunku : why dap need to merge with snap? why not pkr? pkr has more native members than the dap. dap is slowly taking lead in pakatan and trying to get all the people so that when the time come they can ditch pas and pkr. it seems like they want to take all by themselves without the other two.pas and pkr is being RULED by dap right now.dap is aiming at taking over the country slowly and pkr and pas is helping them to achieve that mission without realizing that they will be kicked out one day by dap, they are just using pas and pkr.they had hold pkr in their fist by making karpal the lead counsel for anwar's sodomy case. they know everything about anwar and anwar now have to bow to them.pas stupidly following pkr footstep in becoming the donkey of dap.we hope pas and pkr members will realize of this secret agenda of dap and show them the door out before it's too late.

Abang Jo should be given the special task to plan and develop Sarawak.

BN to develop all areas — Abang Jo

KUCHING: Barisan Nasional (BN) is committed to develop all areas in Sarawak, including those that fell to the opposition.
Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy president Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said the success in the recent State election meant the people trusted the government.
“Even though we lost in places contested by Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP), we will work hard for mutual future, based on the Malaysia constitution. This is the holy document that we must hold in carrying out our duties,” Abang Jo said at a thanksgiving dinner for Satok constituency on Saturday.
BN won 55 out of 71 seats contested. PBB won all seats contested, SUPP (six), PRS (eight), and SPDP (six).
Abang Jo who is also Satok assemblyman said the recent polls showed not all youths support the opposition.
“It also proves that youths are with us to fight what is needed in the area and in Sarawak. Therefore, we must continue to work harder for our welfare,” he said.
Also present was Semariang assemblywoman Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali, Pantai Damai assemblyman Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, Demak Laut assemblyman Dr Hazland Ghazali, Santubong MP Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar and Petra Jaya MP Datuk Fadillah Yusof.

tunku : we agree with Abang Jo that BN must develop all areas in Sarawak but the emphasize or priority should be given to the rural areas compare to town like kuching,sibu and miri. spend more money in rurals and small towns like mukah,lawas etc.Abang Jo should be given the special task to plan and develop further the state as he will be the successor and the new cm.

Free wifi in Penang with very limited access

Free Wi-Fi A Waste And Deception, Says Gerakan Youth Chief

GEORGE TOWN, May 2 (Bernama) -- The free wi-fi service provided by the DAP government in Penang is a waste and a deception because it could not be fully uitilised and only available in non-strategic areas, said Gerakan Youth chief Oh Tong Keong.
"Chief Minister (Lim Guan Eng) announced the facility could be used within a radius of 100 metres of wi-fi routers but even within 20 metres, access cannot be made in housing estates and areas with large numbers of people. This is a waste," he told a press conference here Monday.
Earlier, Oh and his deputy H'ng Khoon Leng had made field tests on the free wi-fi facility in Lorong Argyll here.
Oh added that the state government should first get its act together on this first phase of its free wi-fi offering before embarking on its grand plan of the second phase which will cost RM8.49 million, involving the installation of 750 wi-fi routers.

tunku : the free wifi is just for show. the accessibility/connectivity is not important as the cm himself is busy in other states affair than in penang.he is currently in sarawak celebrating the 12 seats won by dap. administrating penang is not that important to him.penang cm spending precious time in sarawak for party celebration.hail the penangites who voted for him.after all the cm gave this project without open tender(direct nego).i was in penang last week and it was so frustrating in getting this free wifi even at the jetty.