KJ : Anwar Offering Yong DPM's Post?

KOTA BAHARU, June 20 (Bernama) -- Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Yong Teck Lee's declaration that his party has lost confidence in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is believed due to him being taken in by former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's offer.
Umno Youth vice chief Khairy Jamaluddin said he was made to understand that Yong would be appointed to the number two post in government if Anwar was to be Prime Minister.
"I heard loads were offered (to Yong) like the deputy prime minister's post and oil royalties.
"Actually I want to know what was the offer which came individually from Anwar to Yong. Was Yong offered the DPM's job if Anwar becomes PM?. If this is true, it proves it is not a stance based on principles but with conditions because they did meet," he told reporters at the Sultan Ismail Petra Airport here Friday.
Earlier, Khairy held a closed-door meeting with 14 Umno Youth heads in Kelantan.
He also criticised the move by Yong and the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser who held themeeting in Hong Kong.
"In terms of morality this is wrong because after admitting he had met Anwar and then wanting to support a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister, he still not being direct and said not leaving Barisan Nasional (BN). This raises questions.
"Why would they meet in Hong Kong? Afraid of people seeing? This raises a lot of questions. We know the Anwar and Yong history in 1994 which brought down the Sabah government. This is not something new," Khairy said.
The Rembau Member of Parliament said SAPP's move to table a motion of no-confidence against the Prime Minister also showed the party's inconsistent stance.
This was because, he said, it was inconceivable that BN component parties would want to support the motion of no-confidence against the BN chairman and at the same time wanted to champion the politics brought by the BN.
He said Yong had also been alleged to have used his position as party president to get their support on his stance with regard to the motion.
"I was made to understand most SAPP Supreme Council members disagreed with Yong's stance but he managed to get their approval.
"The question is, will those in SAPP who do not support Yong come forward to make a different stance that is more consistent, namely if they want to continue with the BN, must support the BN chairman? There is no choice for any party in the BN not to support its chairman," he said.
As a member of Parliament also, he said, he would see whether SAPP members of Parliament -- Chua Soon Bui of Tawau who is also the party's deputy president and Datuk Eric Majimbun of Sepanggar -- would table and support the motion.
"I hope the BN chief whip will take proper action if they proceed with the plan," he said.

tunku : kj questioned why yong teck lee met anwar in hong kong ? we want to ask kj,why he met anwar and also delivered anwar's passport to him few years back? any dealing between them? one more think is that it does not make sense to offer a party leader of deputy prime minister's post which only has 2 parliamentary seats.let us enjoy the soap opera of this two great con man, kj and anwar.

Senator, envoy posts offer smacks of bribery, says Yong

KOTA KINABALU: SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee claimed the offer of Senator and envoy posts smacks of bribery.
Yong claimed that he turned down the offer to be made a Senator and the envoy task for the BIMPEAGA region as a move to “shut his mouth” over issues his party had been highlighting to the leadership.
Showing the letter marked “rahsia (secret)” he said it was offered to him by Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman who told him that if he accepted it, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would announce it.
“I asked him why now. Is it to keep me quiet? He (Musa) said no, but I told him (Musa) I better not take it.
“Better offer it to some other SAPP member,” said Yong.
He said he received the offer letter on June 17, a day before he announced that SAPP MPs would table or support a motion of no confidence against Abdullah.
Yong said that when he met Abdullah on May 13, Abdullah had told him that there was a long list of people who would be appointed as Senators.
“I felt like I was being baited,” he said.
Stressing that he had nothing personal against Abdullah, Yong said that he had never asked for anything for himself from Abdullah who had claimed that he (Yong) was greedy.
He said issues raised by SAPP were strictly on the need to urgently tackle Sabah issues like illegal immigrants among others.
Yong also said that the Barisan Nasional supreme council meeting that asked SAPP to explain their stand on the no-confidence motion, failed to discuss the problems of Sabah raised by the party but instead looked at ways to act against the party.
Questioning why SAPP was not invited to the meeting, Yong said that they had not received any letter from the Barisan headquarters.
On Musa’s claim that issues raised were being addressed, he said such issues like illegal immigrants were long overdue but the federal government says that it still needed time.
“Street kids have become adults ... law and order is a duty of the government,” he said.
Asked what he intended to do by moving a vote of no confidence against Abdullah, Yong said SAPP wanted a change in the political landscape as the Prime Minister was unable to come to grips with the situation of the food and energy crisis facing the country.
Asked if Parti Keadilan Rakyat advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had given him a better offer during their meeting in Hong Kong and in Kuala Lumpur, Yong responded that his talks with Anwar was about Asian Renaissance and Asia.
“We also talked about the food crisis and other issues affecting the country as well as Sabah, particularly illegal immigrants and government matters,” he said.
“My mind is clear on what we want to achieve for the state and country,” said Yong who first confirmed his meeting with Anwar when announcing a motion of no confidence on Wednesday.

tunku : while some of yong's demand are too much but the offering of senatorship by pak lah is an act of bribery and abuse of power.hope aca will investigate this matter. don't just investigate those who opposes pak lah. where is the transparency , openness and god knows what else under this regime as louded by musa hitam, zaid ibrahim, shahrir samad etc.? as for yong teck lee it's clear that he is an opportunist leader.if he had call the motion sincerely not because the deal with anwar, he will have the supports even from the bn's camp.

I'm Just A Dust, Says Samy Vellu

KOTA BAHARU, June 20 (Bernama) -- Refusing to be drawn into a prolonged war of words with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, MIC President Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Friday he rather not reply to a statement made by the former prime minister.
Saying he was "just a dust", the former works minister said he would not make comments that could put the good name of his former boss in a bad light.
"I'm nobody, I'm just a dust. I cannot reply to him in any way that will belittle him. I don't want to cause any damage to his good name.
"He is my former boss. He had been a strong leader who had done a lot to develop the country... I rather not make comments about him," he told reporters after opening the Kelantan MIC general meeting here.
Samy Vellu said this when asked to comment on the statement by Dr Mahathir that he (Samy Vellu) was a racist for sympathising with the group Hindraf.
The former prime minister made the statement in his blog www.chedet.com, which was also published in several newspapers on Friday.
Samy Vellu said the main thrust of his previous remarks was the effort to unite the multiracial people in the country, which still needed to be done even though the nation had long achieved its independence.
"When I read the statement by Tun (Dr Mahathir Mohamad), I can only laugh. What else can I do?
"In my previous statements I had asked the Tun to be a leader for all races and as a leader for all, he should discuss problems with all communities.
"We should make effort to unite the people even after 50 years of independence. At the same time there are also problems... social problems, economic problems and so on. When a community voices out its grievances, it doesn't mean that the community is bringing up racial issues," he said.
Samy Vellu said he was, however, disappointed with Dr Mahathir's action in inciting the voters in Sungai Siput not to vote for him in the 12th general election.
"What is hurting me is that during the election, he had said things which are not true. He said I've never represented the (Indian) community, that I've never asked anyting for the community, that I've done nothing for the community, and therefore he wanted the people of Sungai Siput not to vote for me.
"He was the former Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, the former Umno president, how could he talk in that manner... to defeat a party which once helped boost his position as the country's leader," said Samy Vellu, who was Sungai Siput MP since 1974 until his defeat in the March 8 election.
He also called on BN component members to strengthen their respective parties and not to create internal problems that could weaken the coalition.
"Under the present scenario, we should give our support to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. If there are problems, we should discuss the solutions.
"MIC will also undergo a rebranding exercise to enable the party to face new challenges," he said.


tunku : a dust , you are worst than a dust. you don't tell your ex boss directly but you use your hatchet man( palanivel). why can't tun mahathir speak out the truth about you? you have been the leader for indians for more than 2 decades, what have you really done for them? yes you did some good work but only about 30%, 70% you did it for yourself and cronies.mic can only be rebranded under new leadership not under a dust.

Party gives backing for vote of no confidence

Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp) supreme council today decided to endorse party president Yong Teck Lee's call for a vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmah Badawi.
With this endorsement, the party sends a clear message to the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition that the motion of no-confidence was a party decision and not one made by only a handful of leaders.
BN yesterday had justified its no-action against the party on the grounds that the call of no-confidence against Abdullah was not Sapp's official stand.
At the Supreme Council meeting today, the party however failed to come to a conclusion if it should pull out of BN.
Instead, Yong told reporters to ask BN secretary general Tengku Adnan Mansor on Sapp's position in the coalition. The press conference is still ongoing.
The party had started its meeting at about 10am this morning to discuss Yong’s call for a no-confidence vote against the PM.
The meeting was expected to be a showdown between Yong and his deputy Raymond Tan, who is also Sabah deputy chief minister and infrastructure minister.
Tan has slammed his party leader’s move against the prime minister, stating that he was “confused and embarrassed” by Sapp’s decision.
He added that the party's supreme council was not consulted on the matter and blamed Yong of acting on his own.
It is learnt that Yong has been able to convince at least four of the party's six elected representatives to back him.
They include two MPs and two state assemblypersons, including state assistant minister Melanie Chia.
The other two state assembly persons, including Tan, are likely to break away if the party supreme council decides today to pull out from BN.
Before the meeting began this morning, Yong and Tan were seen having a 50-minute discussion.
Meanwhile, the Star reported that the Anti-Corruption Agency is investigating Yong over the alleged payment of RM5 million from the sale of shares belonging to a state-owned company to his agents in 1996 when he was Sabah chief minister.

tunku : now that sapp has backed yong teck lee, what say BN ? will they sack sapp ? will sapp pull out from bn? the only reason behind this is two morons, anwar and pak lah.

ACA probes Yong over RM5mil payment

KUALA LUMPUR: The Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) is investigating SAPP chief Datuk Yong Teck Lee over the alleged payment of RM5mil, from the sale of shares belonging to a state-owned company to his agents in 1996 when he was Sabah chief minister.
ACA's director of investigations, Datuk Shukri Abdul said officers from the ACA headquarters would handle the investigation.
"We will focus on the evidence given by a witness (former director of Briskmark Enterprise Sdn Bhd Datuk Wasli Mohd Said) in the High Court on Thursday.
"Everyone believed to be involved in the matter would be called up including Datuk Yong," he said after launching the closing ceremony of a course to better equip ACA investigators with the latest techniques to detect and fight corruption held in the ACA academy Friday.
He said ACA would conduct their initial investigations under Section 15 for abuse of power and Section 11(a) for accepting bribes, both under the same Anti-Corruption Act.
Datuk Wasli Mohd Said, who was then the general manager of the Sabah Land Development Board (SLDB) had testified that he had met Yong regularly at his office to brief him about the proposed management buyout of 40% shares in Sapi Plantation owned by SLDB.
He was testifying in the trial of former Land and Cooperative Development Minister Tan Sri Kasitah Gaddam, who is alleged to have used his position as SLDB chairman for financial gain by taking part in the decision to approve the proposed sale of 16.8 million Sapi shares held by SLDB to Briskmark.

tunku : when you oppose pak lah this is what you get.if you are his 'yes man' any wrongdoing is allowed but when you are not be prepared. now he will dig everything on yong teck lee, past , present and may be future.

Palanivel: Dr M should remember his roots

MIC deputy president G Palanivel today slammed former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad for accusing the party's long term chief S Samy Vellu of being a racist and warned such statements could fan deeper racial sentiments.
In a statement released today, Palanivel also said that the former prime minister's comments on Hindraf were short in accuracy and insensitive to the sentiment of Indians in the country.
"It is sad to note that Mahathir is not aware of the fact that Hindraf is not only made of Tamil people but includes many non-Tamil and even non-Hindus.
"He (Mahathir) is wrong when he said Hindraf leaders only represent Tamil racists," said Palanivel in defence to Samy Vellu who has recently joined in the bandwagon in advocating for the release of five Hindraf leaders detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).
Palanivel also said Mahathir should look into "his own roots" before manifesting such statements. Mahathir's forefathers are from South India.
The MIC man also added that Mahathir has "lost sight of the big picture" in his efforts to wage a war against the current prime minister and Samy Vellu.
"People have become more politically aware and Mahathir should know how people read him. He should not make unsubstantiated statements that are reckless and careless in nature," he said.
Palanivel added that the civil society was championing for "more freedom" together and people of other races also believe that the "ISA is proscriptive and hinders the process of democracy".
"To pick on any one race and say that such a request is racist is simply causing mischief.
"Past leaders and leaders who have lost their positions are busy apportioning blame on why Barisan lost and in doing so they are confusing both supporters and non-supporters," he stressed.
He highlighted that BN should focus on bringing the Indian votes back to the ruling coalition but it was not possible unless leaders unite and leave behind their self-centredness.
"Using rhetoric to subtly cover their self-interest is not going to work because people have now become more politically aware," he added.

tunku : samy's man at last came to his rescue with bringing up things like tun mahathir's roots.i think they want tun mahathir to champion hindraf actions just because his forefathers are from south india.what a stupid statement from a stupid deputy.if samy and you were strong leaders your party will not have lost so many seats which the president and deputy lost their seats too.palanivel said that past leaders and leaders who have lost their positions are busy apportioning blame on why Barisan lost and in doing so they are confusing both supporters and non-supporters, this includes his own boss samy vellu who blames tun mahathir's did nothing for the indian instead of taking it on his own shoulder as the president of mic. tun mahathir was the president of umno not mic.my advice to mic is stop talking and start working.

'Mahathir sought control of judiciary'

One of the six former judges implicated in the 1988 judiciary crisis today revealed how the integrity of the judiciary was encroached by the interference of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohammad.
Former Supreme Court judge Azmi Kamaruddin claimed that Mahathir had wanted to amend Article 121 of the Federal Constitution, a provision of the separation of power between the legislature, judiciary and the executive.
"I felt that he wanted to rule like a dictator. He (Mahathir) was already the head of legislature (and) he wanted the judiciary to be under his control as well, that was his intention," said Azmi.
Azmi was talking to reporters after receiving his ex-gratia payment from the de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim for his sufferings in the 1988 judicial crisis.
Azmi and five other top judges, including the then Lord President Salleh Abas was forced to face tribunals in 1988 which resulted in the sacking of three supreme court judges including Salleh Abas and the suspension of the rest.
As part of the government's effort to restore the integrity of the judiciary following pressure from the legal fraternity, current Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on April 17 said that ex-gratia payments will be made to the judges implicated.
Zaid also issued payment to Salleh in his house in Setiawangsa and Azmi.
Earlier this month senior High Court judge Ian Chin had accused Mahathir of threatening judges in 1997, a claim which was denied by the former premier.

tunku : what to expect from an ex judge who receiving monthly pension and on top of it received ex gratia payment(tax payer money) recently which has not been revealed the amount of it.i guess tun had explained the tun salleh saga and now azmi is just accusing without any facts.we will see Tun Mahathir's reply on this matter soon.

Time to quit, MIC Youth chief told

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC Youth chief S.A. Vigneswaran and several other leaders of the wing have been asked to vacate their posts with immediate effect as they have passed the age limit.
Party secretary general Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said the decision to ask them to vacate their posts was taken at the party’s central working committee (CWC) meeting nearly two weeks ago.
“The party’s constitution states that a Youth leader or members in the Youth wing should not exceed the age of 40. When they reach their 41st birthday, they need to vacate their positions in the Youth wing,” said Subramaniam, who is also Human Resources Minister.
Several other Youth leaders, including deputy chief S. Ramis, secretary M. Kumaresan, information chief K. Raj Kumar and youth representative to the CWC S. Murugesan, would also be given letters requiring them to relinquish their positions in the youth wing, he said.
Asked to comment on the ruling, Vigneswaran said: “We will consider our options and legal avenues only after receiving the letter.”
Party sources said the top leadership wanted another Youth representative to the CWC, T. Mohan, to run the wing until party polls in June next year. – Bernama

tunku : i wonder why there are none in mic to tell samy vellu it's time to quit.they will tell everyone but him. he has become god in mic, untouchable. samy and pak lah are same breed,stubborn and will never accept the facts because of power crazy.

Yong Was Offered Senatorship And Special Envoy, Says Abdullah

KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi revealed that he had offered Datuk Yong Teck Lee to become a senator and special envoy to the Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines-East Asean Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA).
The Prime Minister said that since Yong could not contest in the last general election because the seats allocated to the party had been filled, he had decided to offer the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president to be a member of the Dewan Negara.
"I remember when he was deciding on the candidates for the election he only decided his members to be candidates for the seats that are allocated to his party.
"But he wanted to be a candidate (but) since there was no more seat, he requested a seat allocated to another party," Abdullah told reporters after chairing the three-hour Barisan Nasional (BN) Supreme Council emergency meeting here.
Abdullah said Yong wanted to contest for the Kota Kinabalu parliamentary seat that was allocated to Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and the party was not willing to give way to Yong and he was unhappy about it. Abdullah said he had also planned to appoint Yong as Special Envoy to BIMP-EAGA.
"I told him 'you will be made Special Envoy with regard to BIMP-EAGA' so that he would have a role to play like in matters relating to promoting trade and tourism as well as matters relating to border problems and illegal immigrants.
"He said okay, that's good. I then began the move and informed Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and he was happy but suddenly, he takes this attitude," he said.
Abdullah said the offer could not be implemented immediately because it had to go through several procedures including making a submission to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
He said that when he was in Sabah recently and announced several incentives and development projects for the people in the state, Yong was absent because he was said to be in Sandakan. "It seems he has begun to take another course. So, why should I give (the offer to) him.
"At last, we know what he wants. Apparently, he is more interested in what Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser) is offering him. Perhaps, he wants something bigger. What is the offer? I don't know," he said.
Abdullah said he regretted Yong's actions because the former Sabah chief minister could have been able to fulfil his obligations to the Sabah people with the posts to be given.

tunku : what took pak lah so long to appoint yong teck lee the senatorship? if pak lah can appoint other senators in few days why yong's was a problem? more than 100 days after election still did not appoint him as promised, for sure he'll get angry and tense. anyway let see what yong teck lee has to say about this or anwar has offered him more than what pak lah has offered.

All other BN parties pledge support for PM

KUALA LUMPUR: All Barisan Nasional component parties except for SAPP, pledged support to the continued leadership of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as Prime Minister.
They condemned SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee's comments that he and the two SAPP MPs had lost confidence in Abdullah, saying that the move was unethical, without principles and went against the spirit of the coalition.
Barisan however said any action against SAPP would be decided only after its (SAPP) supreme council meeting so as to determine whether Yong's stance was his personal view or that of the party.
These decisions were made at the Barisan Nasional emergency supreme council meeting Thursday.
SAPP was not present at the meeting because the party was not invited to it.
Barisan Nasional component parties also agreed that they should make sure all their MPs attend the parliamentary sittings and reject any vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister.
Abdullah said that Yong was greedy because in the recent general election he wanted to contest seats that had already been allocated to other component parties.
He said Yong was swayed by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's promises of a higher post.
Abdullah said the controversial announcement by Yong did not bother him because as a politician he (Abdullah) had already been through a lot and as Prime Minister he had a lot of work to do.

tunku : as usual 'semua sokong'.every single person stand by the prime minister.that is a world record.after losing so much they are still backing the prime minister.i think this only happen in malaysia.najib is 'smart', on holidays.i wonder who instigate or supported (behind the scene) yong teck lee (sapp)to call for the motion?

Yong: SAPP will respond on Friday
KOTA KINABALU: Datuk Yong Teck Lee said his party will respond in full on Friday to the so-called decision of the Barisan Nasional emergency supreme council meeting in Putrajaya.
“Was the Barisan meeting held to take action against or expel SAPP from Barisan?
“What does Barisan headquarters consider to be the status of SAPP (for it) to be excluded from the meeting?” he said in an SMS when asked for the party’s reaction to the Barisan supreme council's decision.
SAPP, which was not notified of the emergency meeting, will hold its own supreme council meeting on Friday.

tunku : i wonder why sapp was not invited? well we wait for sapp's reaction on this matter and let see whether yong teck lee has spoken on behalf of his party or for himself as accused by pak lah.

Johor Sultan vows to find ways to reclaim Batu Puteh

JOHOR BARU: Sultan of Johor Sultan Iskandar Ismail has vowed to find numerous ways in order to reclaim Batu Puteh or Pedra Branca.
Sultan Iskandar said he wanted to remind all that he had not forgotten his island and that it was rightfully under the state’s sovereignty and not Singapore.
“Sampai bila masa, saya cari hatta ikhtiar balik benda itu ke Johor (It doesn’t matter how long it takes, but I will find ways until the island is returned to Johor),” he said in the closing of his speech before opening the Johor state assembly here Thursday.
The ruler said he was confident that the state would continue to prosper economically thus bringing benefits to the people and reminded the people to reject racial or religious extremism.
The Sultan’s words caught everyone off-guard.
Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said the state government "clearly heard" what the Sultan said.
"We heard and listened loud and what he has declared,” he said, without elaborating further.
On May 23, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Singapore had sovereignty over the disputed Batu Puteh or Pedra Branca, while Malaysia owned Middle Rocks.
On the other disputed territory of South Ledge, the ICJ ruled that it belonged to the country in whose territorial waters the rocky outcrop is located.
The ICJ decision brought to a close the 28-year-old territorial dispute between both countries, and was immediately described as a “win-win” outcome by Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, who led the Malaysian side at The Hague where the court is located.

tunku : i wonder how??? may be he has someways, who knows but our pm just accepted the decision with open heart not like the sultan of johor.

Sarawak’s Dayak parties to merge

KUCHING: Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) have mutually agreed to merge to consolidate the Dayaks’ political strength.
The breakthrough came following several rounds of talks between top officials of the two Dayak-based Barisan Nasional component parties.
With the agreement, the two parties have shortlisted three names for the merged new party: Bersatu Rakyat Sarawak (Beras), Demokratik Rakyat Sarawak (Deras) and Bersatu Progresif Rakyat Sarawak (BPRS).
The merged new party, which has 16 state assemblymen and 10 MPs, will beat Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) to become the second biggest component in the state coalition. SUPP has 11 assemblymen and six MPs.
Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) led by Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud is the state Barisan backbone.
SPDP's secretary-general Sylvester Entrie said his party and PRS had agreed to merge as it would be in their best interests.
He said the two parties would get feedback from the grassroots on which of the three proposed names should be picked for the merged entity.

tunku : this will be a very good move both for the Dayaks community and BN. Bn is having too many parties in it. Some of the smaller parties should merge.they will have more say when the number is big.for the dayak party,do not name it beras or deras.

Barisan supreme council to meet over SAPP

PETALING JAYA: The Barisan Nasional Supreme Council will hold an emergency meeting at 2.30pm to discuss Sabah Progressive Party’s (SAPP) no-confidence motion on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The party had yet to decide if one of its own Members of Parliament would table the motion in the next sitting of Parliament on Monday, or whether the motion would be tabled by an MP from another party.
The Barisan Council emergency meeting would take place at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur at 2.30pm Thursday, Barisan secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said.
Reaction within Barisan ranks to SAPP’s announcement on Wednesday was varied. Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the party can accommodate dissenting voices and didn’t think there was a need to expel SAPP from the coalition party.
“It’s their right to express their views,” he said.
However, other leaders came down hard, with Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam asking for SAPP’s expulsion, describing its motion as “undisciplined, undemocratic and irresponsible.”
SAPP’s unprecedented move was announced on Wednesday by party president Datuk Yong Teck Lee, who said the no-confidence motion could spark off a groundswell within Barisan in the peninsular, Sarawak and Sabah.
Sepanggar MP Datuk Eric Enchin Majimbun or Tawau MP Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui could propose the motion, said Yong, who also revealed that he had met Parti Keadilan Rakyat advisor and de facto opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim twice.
Yong cited the “continued insensitive attitude of the Government towards serious issues in Sabah” as the main reason SAPP decided to move a motion of no-confidence against the Prime Minister.
These issues included getting 20% oil royalties instead of the present 5%, the return of Labuan, poverty eradication, rural development, racial politics, illegal immigrants, crime and drugs.
He added that the people of Sabah were also suffering from high inflation because of recent “astronomical” and “unexpected” fuel price hikes, which was contrary to a Barisan election promise.
The SAPP blog is also running two polls on the matter.
The first is on whether its no-confidence motion was relevant at all. At press time, 590 had voted, with 559 (94%) saying yes.
The second, which began yesterday, was on whether SAPP should remain in Barisan. As at press time, 6,423 had voted, with an overwhelming majority (5,566 or 86%) saying it should leave Barisan and join the Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance.
Only 195 or 3% urged it to stay with Barisan, while 662 (about 10%) wanted it to leave Barisan but remain unaligned.

tunku : by right bn supreme council should had invited sapp to attend the meeting and express its opinions and the reason behind their call for the motion. after that they can exclude sapp and decide what they think right action for them to take. this is another act of arrogant by our leadership. we know that sapp has come hard and acted in hurry but give them a chance ,let them talk infront of all the bn leaders. the outcome can be good if there is good communication from both side.

Mukhriz sokong SAPP, mahu Najib ganti Pak Lah

KUALA LUMPUR: Ahli Parlimen Jerlun, Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir secara peribadi menyokong tindakan SAPP mengemukakan usul undi tidak percaya kepada Perdana Menteri di Parlimen Isnin ini.
Bagaimanapun, beliau hanya akan berbuat demikian jika SAPP tidak mempunyai kepentingan yang akan hanya menguntungkan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan Pakatan Rakyat.
Menurut Mukhriz, beliau menyokong tindakan itu kerana mahu peralihan kuasa dilaksanakan dengan segera sebelum Disember ini. Yang penting beliau mahu Datuk Najib Tun Razak yang menggantikan Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi bukannya orang lain.

Kedah approves logging activities

ALOR STAR: The Kedah Government has approved logging activities at the Pedu, Muda and Ahning dam catchment areas, a move that is expected to generate about RM16bil in revenue for the state.
Mentri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak said the move was necessary to cover the high expenditure incurred by the state following the petrol price increase.
He added that the state would call for tenders soon and award the logging contract to the highest bidder.
“We will discuss the logging method to be used with the Forestry Department,” he told newsmen after chairing the state executive council meeting yesterday.
He added that the Federal Government had promised to pay an annual compensation of RM100mil in 2003 following the state’s decision to cancel its proposed heli-harvesting project to log timber in catchment areas.
“However, until now the payment has not been made. We have also asked the Federal Government for financial assistance for the water supply to Penang and Perlis and for the rice we are producing for the country.
“Since the Government cannot assist us financially, we will carry on with the logging activities,” Azizan added.

tunku : this is the best solution pas can think off. in kelantan the rape the hills and in kedah now they will rape off the timber in the catchment areas.just think of the impact of doing logging activities in catchment areas but hey do they care about that. to them is all RM especially when they learned that the timber value estimated at 16 billion which they never dream off.when they were the opposition they asked bn government not to do so.click here PAS

I will follow party whip, says Razaleigh

KOTA BARU: Former Umno vice-president Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said he will follow the party whip if the proposed motion to pass a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi materialises.
If it reaches the voting stage, the Kelantan prince said that as a party member, he would likely vote for the party and follow the chief whip.
“I want what is best for Umno as I am an Umno member but the leaders at the top refuse to see the reality of things.
“They prefer spinning things and in the end, the party is now faced with possible defections from members of the Barisan Nasional coalition,” Tengku Razaleigh said.
“I hope and pray that this will not trigger an exodus by others who may have the same feelings as the SAPP,” he said.
Barisan and Umno, specifically, must start mending fences, consolidate its position and show strong leadership to prevent the political landscape from turning into chaos, he said.
He said his recent prediction that a Barisan component party might leave the coalition before the end of the month appeared to be coming true.
The sole independent MP, Pasir Mas’ Datuk Paduka Ibrahim Ali, said he would liase with PAS, which is his strategic ally, to determine his vote.
Ibrahim said the SAPP move was another example of how even Barisan component parties had lost confidence in Abdullah.
He said this may spark more parties or individual MPs to follow suit.
PKR strategic planning director Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, who is Machang MP, said all 31 MPs from PKR would vote en-bloc based on the party’s decision which would be made after a political bureau meeting.
Saifuddin said PKR would also consult PAS and DAP.

tunku : good move by kuli. right now the party is under threat not the prime minister.we don't care the future of the prime minister but we care the future of this nation.hence we have to act wisely.as for pak lah we will deal with him in other way and pak lah too have to realize that this is not a move showing supports for him but for the party and nation.if he has any shame and dignity, he should have quit by now.this man is shameless.

Government Must Be Sensitive To Demands By Sabah And Sarawak Components

KUALA LUMPUR, June 19 (Bernama) -- Gua Musang Member of Parliament Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said the government must be sensitive to the demands made by the Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties from Sabah and Sarawak to resolve whatever misunderstandings there may be.
He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Adullah Ahmad Badawi and the Umno leadership must be diplomatic and hold discussions with the leaders from Sabah and Sarawak.
Speaking to reporters after meeting with Umno leaders from the Federal Territory here Wednesday night, Tengku Razaleigh said without the component parties from the two states, the present government would not have obtained the mandate to govern the country as Umno's strength now was due to the success of the component parties from Sabah and Sarawak in the March 8 general election.
He said this when asked to comment on the announcement by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Yong Teck Lee that his party had lost confidence in the leadersip of the Prime Minister.
"From my understanding, the best way out now is for the Prime Minister to step down so that a more suitable candidate can take over and regain the people's confidence in Umno and the BN," he said.
He also alleged that there were Umno divisions in the peninsula that were dissatisfied with the Prime Minister's leadership.
"At a closed-door Umno meeting in Glenmarie, Shah Alam, recently there was also no unanimous decision reached whether to retain Abdullah in his current position," he said.
When asked whether he would withdraw from standing for the Umno presidency at the party's election in December if there were another candidate offering himself, he said: "I continue with my stance and I am not retreating. What I have started, I will finish it."
Meanwhile, in a separate statement faxed here, Tengku Razaleigh said he wanted the best for Umno and had put himself on the line to reform Umno.
"I want what is best for Umno and I have put myself on the line to reform Umno, if our leaders refuse to face reality, I fear the worst for the party and this government," he said.

tunku : yes the government should indeed be sensitive to the demands of sabah and sarawak as long as they are not over the limit.not only sabah and sarawak but all the states. there should be equality for all the states.as for pak lah, the people are not happy with him, he should resign asap.there will be more disaster for the country and bn if he stays longer.

BN partners come to PM's support

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who came under pressure today following Sabah Progressive Party's decision to move for a motion of no confidence against him on Monday, received some good news from several BN coalition partners today.
The coalition's second biggest partner MCA, third most senior partner MIC as well as Gerakan today threw their weight behind the embattled premier.
Their support came at a time when several Pakatan leaders were lauding Sapp's brave decision to put the premier, also the BN chairperson, under severe pressure.
MCA was the first to give a lift to Abdullah by stating that it would stand steadfastly with Abdullah and the BN coalition.
"The Malaysian economy is suffering from escalating inflationary pressures, rising food and fuel prices now. The country and the people of Malaysia are going through very challenging times. What the country needs now is political and economic stability," said MCA president Ong Ka Ting in a statement.
"It would be best that all of us, both the BN and the Pakatan, to accept the results of the 12th general election.
"Our priority should be to continue to work hard to fulfil our election pledges, restore confidence and stability for the nation," he added. MCA has 15 members of Parliament.
Will not let PM down
Meanwhile MIC, which suffered a hammering blow in the general election, said that it would remain loyal with BN and continue to support the prime minister.
"We will continue working with all BN component parties that support and remain loyal to Abdullah," said MIC president S Samy Vellu.
"As for the three MIC members of Parliament, I've instructed them to support the prime minister especially in Parliament. This is the first time we have a BN component party not supporting the prime minister.
"We will not let the prime minister down because he was elected by the people," he added.
And Gerakan, another party which also suffered humiliating defeat in the general election, similarly said that it would not support Sapp's motion in Parliament. Gerakan has two members of Parliament.
Gerakan acting president Dr Koh Tsu Koon said that it was important to sustain solidarity and stability in the face of severe challenges from the global fuel, food crisis and economic uncertainties.
"Gerakan feels that such a drastic political move will only add to the uncertainty, disrupting efforts in reforms," he said in a statement.
Give him more time
He also added that Sapp president Yong Teck Lee was not giving Abdullah enough time and chance to make changes, overcome problems and address the issues concerned.
"These issues should have been deliberated more thoroughly and sentiments expressed more clearly within the BN Supreme Council and through other existing channels of communication.
"Forcing a vote of confidence in this manner is not positive and constructive. Gerakan therefore will not support such a move," he said.
Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman also expressed disappointment over the move by Sapp in making the unprecedented move to call for a motion of no-confidence.
"I'm not sure what Sapp's real motive is in making such a move," he said in a statement.
"As a BN component party president, Yong's act was uncalled for and unprecedented in the spirit of camaraderie adopted by BN all this while," said Musa who is also the Sabah BN chairperson.
In an immediate reaction, Abdullah said: "I have not been able to satisfy his (Yong's) personal greed."
According to Bernama, the embattled prime minister did not elaborate on the matter.

tunku : if sapp make it clear that they just want a motion of no confidence then i believe they will get the support from some of the bn members but when sapp thinking of joining pakatan they had loss all the support they can get from bn leaders.when it's learned that yong teck lee met anwar twice regarding this matter that have make case worst.to me it's better that sapp don't wait till friday, just get out from bn asap.though we really want to see pak lah to get lost but in principle we can't support sapp motion as they are having pact with the devil.

Nazri: No-confidence vote cannot be tabled on Monday

KUALA LUMPUR: The vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi cannot be tabled on Monday as this has to be done in accordance with the Standing Orders of the Dewan Rakyat, said Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.
The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department who is in charge of Parliament said that under Standing Orders rule 27, a notice for any motion had to be given in writing 14 days in advance.
"So far, no such motion has been given as yet," he said when contacted.
Alternatively, Nazri said the vote of no confidence could be tabled through an emergency motion under Standing Orders rule 18(1).
He said this however had to fulfil three criteria -- it has to be a definite matter, urgent and of public interest.
In such a case, he said, it required only a day's notice.
"It would be up to the Speaker to decide whether to allow it or not. The Speaker wields a lot of power," he said

tunku : let see whether a sabahan speaker will allow the motion by fellow sabahan.otherwise sapp will have to wait for 14 days.

Mukhriz Calls For Abolishment Of Quota System

ALOR STAR, June 18 (Bernama) -- Member of Parliament for Jerlun Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir has joined the bandwagon in calling for the abolishment of the nomination quota system in the contest for Umno top posts and instead allow 3.5 million party members to nominate their candidates.
He said the quota system gave incumbents the edge over their rivals and encouraged money politics.
Following Barisan Nasional's dismal performance in the March 8 general election, he said Umno elections at the branch level in July would be an important chapter in the party's history.
"The people, especially the Malays, as well as foreign countries will be observing whether Umno is changing for the better or will retain its old ways," he told reporters after opening the MP for Jerlun Service Centre and a thanksgiving function to mark his first 100 days as Jerlun MP, at Padang Sera, near here, last night.
"Umno's image is tarnished because of the perception that money politics thrives in the party. As such, I am calling every branch to propose their list of candidates for the posts of president, deputy president, vice-presidents, supreme council members as well as Wanita, Youth and Puteri leaders.
"Only through this way, all 3.5 million members from the grassroots will be responsible in choosing their leaders, especially the president and deputy president, not 2,500 delegates who are representing them and the people," he said.
He said the divisions should accept candidates who receive more that 50 per cent of the nominations from the branches while the delegates should abide by the decision made.
"Previously, members at the branches nominated their candidates but the delegates had the final say on who should be the leaders.
"The probability of corruption is high. If my proposal is accepted, we can curb corruption as the decision is taken at the grassroot level," he said, adding that it would also make branch delegates' meetings more lively and well attended.
Mukhriz, who is also an Umno Youth Executive Committee member, said the quota system which gave advantage to the incumbents was unfair to new candidates.
He said it was funny that the power to abolish the quota system rested with the Supreme Council as it actually gave its members the advantage.
On his intention to contest the Umno Youth chief post, he claimed that he had received overwhelming support with about 65 per cent of the movement members backing him.
Mukhriz, who is also a Kubang Pasu Umno division member, however, has not decided whether he would contest for any post at the divisional level or transfer his membership to the Jerlun division.
On Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's efforts to get MCA and Umno MPs to join the opposition pact, Mukhriz said he believed they would remain loyal to Barisan Nasional although some had been vocally critical of the government.
"Anwar's action is more a psychological warfare or an enticement for BN MPs to party hop," he said.

tunku : it's too late now for the quota to be abolished.we hope the branches and divisions will have guts to name the challenger of pak lah .

Sapp MPs to move no-confidence motion

Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp) today announced that it would move a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi when Parliament resumes on Monday.
This appeared to be the opening move by the BN component member which may see the Sabah-based political party eventually leaving the coalition.
The announcement was made at the party headquarters in Kota Kinabalu at 2pm.
“Today is just the first step. There might not be any defections for now,” said a source.
Anwar needs 30 MPs
In recent weeks Sapp has been identified as the most likely party to leave BN and join forces with Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Rakyat.
Sapp is led by outspoken former chief minister Yong Teck Lee, who in recent months has questioned Abdullah's policies towards Sabah and the federal government's inability to solve the illegal migrants' problems in the state.
The party has two members of parliament and four state representatives.
Political commentators pointed out that even if the party pulled out of BN to join Pakatan, the defection of the two MPs would not be sufficient for rock Abdullah's BN.
Anwar needs 30 MPs to derail Abdullah and BN from power.
However, Sabah sources claim that other BN coalition partners would follow Sapp out of BN if the party starts the exodus.

The statement listed four areas of dissatisfaction with Abdullah's premiership:

1) That no concrete action had been taken on the issue of illegal immigrants, despite repeated requests by SAPP and other Barisan component parties;

2) That the government had offered no holistic economic solutions to cushion the blow of the sudden hike in fuel prices, which had greatly burdened the people and threatened further hardcore poverty;

3) That not enough attention had been paid to issues raised by the people of Sabah -- poor delivery systems, corruption, wastage, lack of transparency and accountability -- and that SAPP would have failed in its duty as elected representatives if these issues continued to be ignored; and

4) That the people have lost confidence in Abdullah, and that if he can't perform, he should step aside and make way for another leader to take over.

tunku : a good move to pressure pak lah to resign but will the old man listen?

Deep Trouble and No One, Absolutely No One, Knows How to Handle the Growing Crisis

by Matthias Chang
Future FastForward, Sunday, 15 June 2008 15:20


No Coherent Policies

Who would have thought that in just over four years, the once resilient, dynamic and determined Malaysia is now floundering and in a state of despair for want of leadership and good governance?
The knee jerk reaction of the Badawi regime to the recent surge in the crude oil price is but the tip of the iceberg and is an indication of the failure by the government to formulate timely policies to meet the challenges that were apparent years ago.
Some of my detractors may accuse me of being overly harsh on Abdullah Badawi as it was not possible to anticipate the surge in crude oil prices and that he is doing what he can at the moment.
This is a blatant lie and a foolish attempt to whitewash the failures and ineptitude of the Badawi regime.
Till to date, the Badawi regime has not formulated a coherent Energy Policy to meet the challenges and demands when Malaysia becomes a net importer of oil. Neither has the regime formulated any policies and strategies to address the current global financial crisis and its impact on Malaysia.
I seek your indulgence to read the following articles which I wrote between early 2003 and late 2004, namely:

1) Peak Oil: The Impending Energy Disaster (June 2003)
2) The Strategic Implications of the 1999 Washington Agreement (March 2004)
3) Horrendous Facts Leaders Need To Know About the US Economy (Nov. 2004)

They are reproduced in the “Malaysia Updates” folder of the website.
The first article was a “Strategic Brief” that I had prepared for the then Prime Minister when I was his Political Secretary. The latter two articles were prepared after my retirement and were also submitted to Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad and circulated to my former colleagues as they are supposed to strategise with their political masters.
It was apparent then that within four to five years, energy and the declining dollar would be the critical factors that would demand our utmost attention and that there was an urgent need to prepare Malaysia to meet the inevitable consequences that would ensue post-2nd Iraq War.
I identified eight critical issues and formulated them as follows:

1) The foremost issue and crucial question that needs to be addressed is when would production reach a peak? We go off the tangent, if we ask the wrong question, when are we running out of oil?

2) After peak comes decline. The world’s prosperity has been built on cheap, and what seemed to be abundant oil-based energy. This energy source was and still is the key to industrialization, modern agriculture and transportation, and has impacted even under-developed countries.

3) After achieving peak production, the world has to use less or find efficient and economical substitutes. However, non-conventional oil cannot replace conventional oil as the world’s economy and infrastructure are premised on the supply of cheap conventional oil.

4) Every country will have to make major structural adjustments.

5) There will be an escalation in international tensions and crisis, as countries vie for access to oil, which will become more costly to extract.

6) The US dollar will be under extreme pressures and its supremacy as the world’s reserve currency would be challenged and may even be toppled.

7) The world’s financial system would buckle because of the inevitable escalation in oil prices.

8) Malaysia must immediately assemble a Task Force to address these urgent concerns, and to formulate a New Energy Policy.

But my warnings and exhortations for urgent actions fell on deaf ears as the Badawi regime had as its policy strategists, “the 4th Floor Boys”, a team of inexperienced and immature wannabes whose only qualifications seem to be that they are former university mates and friends of Khairy Jamaluddin, the son-in-law of the Prime Minister. Driven by the lust for power and the opportunity to loot the treasury, the entire government machinery was subverted to fulfill their unbridled ambitions.
An opportunity to avert the crisis was missed and we are now paying the price of that folly!
No task force was established to formulate a new energy policy.
It is with much sadness that I read in the New Straits Times on the 6th June 2008 that the president and chief executive officer of Petronas, Tan Sri Hassan Merican lamented that:
“We are scrapping the barrel. We are bringing up five million or ten million barrels … Gone are the days of 100 million barrels. When you continue to develop the smaller reservoirs, it is costly. When you go further and further away from the shore, it adds to the costs. In addition, the national oil company is going into deep and ultra deep water development and the cost is tremendous”.
Tan Sri Hassan Merican has in those few words described about the crisis of peak oil.
In my third article in late 2004, I sounded this alarm to the Badawi regime:
“The amount of money pumped into the US economy is too much and too soon and is indicative of something drastic that is going to happen. Using past experiences, such injection of liquidity is to halt potential crashes and to fuel post crash recovery.
“Post November elections, it is the considered opinion that the world will wake up to the stark reality that we are in for a very, very bad time.
“Euro has appreciated against the dollar. The oil kingdoms are also diversifying their dollar holdings. The increase in the price of oil, inter-alia is also to offset the depreciation of the dollar. There is therefore a convergence of key factors that indicates that something big and bad is on the horizon.”
It was all apparent in 2003 /2004 but Malaysia did nothing to provide a safety net for her citizens. The Captain was sleeping on his watch. The son-in-law who boasts of having a common first degree from a British university counts for nothing when he and his band of wannabes cannot see beyond their nose!
The Governor of Bank Negara even had the audacity to state in March and as quoted by the New Straits Times that:
“We have done several simulations of different packages which can be implemented in the event of any significant slowdown which we do not see on the horizon at this point in time …”
She must have been in Alice’s Wonderland.
Is it any wonder that we are in a mess?
I cannot see anyone in government who has the skills, experience and more importantly, the confidence to address and resolve these issues other than the former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad.
This is not my call to him to return to government, but merely an observation that we are in dire straits. For the die-hards of Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Rakyat, let me say it loud and clear.
They don’t have the skills, experience and the knowledge in managing the country’s economy. They don’t even have enough human resources to fill all the posts in the Cabinet if they fail in seducing Barisan Nasional leaders to cross over. Those who pinned their hopes on a Pakatan Rakyat government to resolve these very complex issues will be disappointed.
The state of the Union as at June 2008 is dire and as far as I am concerned, and it matters not whether Anwar Ibrahim succeeds in toppling the Badawi regime or Badawi is able somehow to survive the UMNO crisis, Malaysia is fast sliding down the slippery slope to a failed state!
Maybe it is time for a different type of leader to lead and pull the country from the edge of the precipice – a leader who is above party politics, race and religion – to be chosen directly by the people and who is willing to do what is necessary without fear or favour.
I dare not contemplate the consequences in the event that we fail to elect such a leader. For sure, it will be worst than the break up of Yugoslavia!

tunku : a good one from matthias chang.the worst is yet to come, be prepared.i agree with matthias that anwar does not have the skills to run this country.he will be banking on IMF and his jews partners to rule this country if he is the pm.

BN's Sanglang state seat win 'invalid'

The Sanglang state seat in Perlis, which was won by Umno, has been declared vacant by the High Court in Kangar, paving way for a possible by-election.
Justice Zainal Adzam Abdul Ghani today ruled that Barisan Nasional's victory in Sanglang in the March 8 general election was invalid.
He however disagreed to allow an application by the losing candidate, Hashim Jasin (right) from PAS - who had held the seat for two terms - be automatically installed as the winner.
Umno's candidate Abdullah Hassan won the seat with a majority of 149 votes, bagging 3,384 votes as opposed to Hashim's 3,235.
Hashim, who is Perlis PAS commissioner, claimed that he should have won Sanglang based on initial Election Commission records.
He said that he should be declared the winner as the vote tallied from all counting centres showed that he had polled 3,333 votes against Abdullah's 3,286 and had thus won by a 47-vote majority.
Apart from Abdullah, Hashim also named returning officer Muhamad Daud Abdull Hamid and the Election Commission as defendants.
Hashim was the incumbent of this state seat which he first won in 1999 but failed to retain in March this year. In 2004, he managed to retain the seat with a razor-thin 45 votes.
The defendants can appeal against the decision to the Federal Court.
In the last polls, BN won 14 out of 15 state seats and all three parliamentary seats. It lost the neighbouring Simpang Empat state seat to PAS.

tunku: well sanglang people will be so lucky to have a by-election.lots of money coming in sanglang.best of luck.this will also challenge perlis umno unity this time around.

Khalid: Bandar Tun Razak least safe seat for Anwar

SHAH ALAM: Bandar Tun Razak might be the least safe parliamentary seat for PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to contest, said Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
Khalid, who is the Bandar Tun Razak MP, said although he would gladly make way if Anwar wanted to stand there, he felt that it would be a difficult seat to win in a by-election given what he had seen of the voters in the area.
He said after the March 8 general elections all 31 PKR members of parliament had offered to resign to allow Anwar to contest.
“He (Anwar) has his own method of calculating risks at each seat and will consider three or four seats before making a final decision,” he told the heads from various media organisations during a meeting at his official residence yesterday.
The Mentri Besar spent about two-hours fielding questions on various matters from privatisation projects, cohesion among the Pakatan Rakyat coalition members, local councils and attracting investors to the state.
On the establishment of an Islamic state or the implementation of the Hudud law in Selangor, Khalid said the people need not worry as the decision would need the Sultan’s consent and was not just up to the state government.
“The people have nothing to worry about it as I do not think that the Hudud law will be implemented in Selangor as it contravenes the right of non-Muslims,” he said, adding that the people also need not worry about all entertainment outlets in the state being closed down.
Asked to comment on the delay in announcing the list of local councillors, Khalid said, one of the biggest challenges was taking only four representatives from Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in each council when there were 20 such organisations registered in some districts.
“But we have settled most of the lists which feature quality representatives that even include a former Public Works Department engineer, and we will make an announcement on June 20,” he said.

tunku : i thought they have all the support from public, they can form the new government anytime but they are afraid to stand in Bandar Tun Razak.Why? No confidence in your party or in yourself? Come on anwar, stop being a jerk all the time.

Sultan to PAS: Call off protest or I call off matches

SHAH ALAM: An upset Sultan of Selangor has threatened to call off future Sultan of Selangor Cup matches between his state and Singapore if the protest by the state PAS Youth against two artistes performing for the event went ahead.
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah described the protest over rock queen Ella and dangdut singer Mas Idayu as “hypocritical” and “trivial”.
He said there were more important issues that the party could focus on.
“If this is going to be so difficult, we might as well hold this annual event in Singapore. I am sure they will be more than happy to play host,” he told The Star yesterday.
On Monday, Selangor PAS Youth submitted a memoradum to the Selangor Mentri Besar’s office to protest against plans to have Ella and Mas Idayu perform at the match on July 6.
State PAS Youth chief Sallehen Mokhyi said the movement felt that performances by the singers were inappropriate as it would be attended by many youngsters.
The youth wing threatened to stage a demonstration at the Shah Alam Stadium if Ella and Mas Idayu were allowed to performed.
Sallehen’s call came on the heels of a statement by national PAS Youth vice-chief Azman Shapawi that the party wanted all the Pakatan Rakyat states to implement Syariah laws.
The Sultan said yesterday Ella and Mas Idayu were chosen because they were good entertainers and that the organisers felt that they would be able to entertain the people before the match began.
The other singer is David Arumugam of Alleycats.
“The organising committee even planned for the performance by the singers to end before the maghrib prayers. They are performers suitable for the family and I don’t know what the fuss is all about,” he said.
The Tuanku said Selangor did not comprise of “just PAS and Muslims,” adding that the state had many political parties and people of other races and faith.
He said Pakatan Rakyat was a multi-racial coalition and the sensitivities of other races must be taken into account.
“The idea of holding the performance is to create goodwill and bring the people together before the match. Sports and music bring people together,” he said.
He added this was the seventh edition of the Cup and was organised to enhance friendly ties with Singapore through football, adding that the history of Selangor and Singapore’s friendly rivalry went back to before the Second World War.
The Sultan also clarified that the state government and its subsidiary Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd were not the sponsors of the match.
He said no government funds were used for the organisation of the match and so the issue of public funds for the performance and football match did not arise as it was all done through sponsorship.
He said organising chairman Datuk Karim Munisar, who is Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd president, was appointed by him to run the event annually because of Karim’s love for football and volunteerism.

Ella disappointed with PAS Youth

PETALING JAYA: Rock queen Ella is disappointed and angry at Selangor PAS Youth for seeking to prevent her and dangdut legend Mas Idayu from performing at the Sultan of Selangor Cup on July 6.
“They are judging me and making baseless accusations. No one can ever judge anybody. Only God can judge us,” she said yesterday.
“I have never broken any regulation when it comes to concerts and public events. I always follow the protocols. In fact, my show costumes are always in accordance to the theme of the event,” she told The Star.
“I am a public figure and a Muslim. I know exactly what to wear and what not to wear,” she said when commenting on movement's memorandum calling on the two singers to be dropped.
Ella said that she had no intention of becoming a bad example to youth.
“The kids are not stupid. They know how to think for themselves. We are living in a modern world today and the kids are exposed enough to know what is right and wrong,” she said.
Mas Idayu could not be reached for comments.


tunku: i wonder what will selangor pas youth action will be now, to continue with the protest or bow down. to bow down means they will be a party without principle.by right they should protest about the thousands of brothel or "rumah urut" in selangor which are growing day by day thanks to the new government.they can't protest that as it is approved by their big brothers that is dap and pkr.

Expert: Ku Li needs a strong 'running mate'

While the idea of going to branch leaders to garner support will no doubt help Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah re-connect with the Umno grassroots, he will still need a strong ‘running mate’ in his campaign for party leadership.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia political analyst Dr Mohamed Agus Yusoff said that the main problem for the Gua Musang division chief lies in the numbers involved.
“Umno has about 191 divisions and each one consists of an average of 100 branches,” said Mohamed Agus when contacted today.
“For him to reach out to each one is not easy task. And even if he gets the support of some branches, it may not automatically translate to divisional nominations.”
Added to the high number of nominations needed and the limited time Razaleigh has to complete his mission, the hurdle is formidable, said the UKM lecturer of political science.
Under the amended Umno constitution, presidential hopefuls need 30 percent of the total number of divisions to nominate them to contest at the party polls.
Over the last few weeks, Razaleigh, who is fondly known as Ku Li, has criss-crossed the country courting support from Umno branch leaders.
This is the third time Razaleigh is contesting for the top post in Umno.
In 2006, the former finance minister’s challenge fizzled out even before it began when he could only muster one nomination, his own Gua Musang, in his bid to oust Umno president and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Prior to that, his 1987 battle fell short of just 43 votes when he garnered 718 votes to incumbent Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s 761 in Umno’s general assembly.
“Besides going to branch leaders, Tengku Razaleigh must also make some attempt to get some of the divisions to back him,” said Mohamed Agus.
He needs to form alliances
The political science expert was nevertheless upbeat over Razaleigh’s strategy and said that it would bring confidence to his supporters.
“By going to the ground, he has signaled his seriousness and intentions to the members. And they won’t think of it as "main-main".
“There is a phenomenon of wanting change everywhere and Umno is not spared. Added to the fact that he is a charismatic leader and a party stalwart, he stands a good chance.”
However, Mohamed Agus warned that if Razaleigh wants to go all the way to the party polls in December, he would need strong allies.
“Muhyiddin (Yassin) would be a good strategic choice,” said Mohamed Agus.
The international trade and industry minister is from Johor and with the state having 26 divisions, it will be a force to reckon with, said Mohamed Agus.
Furthermore, Johor is a traditional Umno power base and is in a position to influence other states, he added.
“If he is able to form some kind of alliance with them, it will be a huge boost to his cause.”
On Sunday, 25 branches in the Pagoh division in Johor passed a joint resolution at a special meeting calling on Razaleigh and Muhyiddin to contest as president and deputy president respectively.
Muhyiddin is member of parliament for Pagoh and it appeared that the branches are sending a clear message to both leaders to team up to challenge Abdullah and his deputy, Najib Razak.
The extraordinary meeting also wants Umno to abolish the quota system in party elections.

tunku : if najib still hesitates to challenge pak lah i believe Kuli will receive the 30% required for the nomination.even if muhyiddin yassin has the guts to challenge pak lah, i believe he will get the support from umno members.people are fed up with pak lah, they want changes in the leadership and if najib has no guts then anyone who offer themselves will get the necessary support from the branches and divisions unless dirty tactics are used.

PM Says Not Aware Of Any Party Leaving BN

KOTA KINABALU, June 17 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Tuesday he was not aware of any move by a Barisan Nasional (BN) component party or members of parliament wanting to leave the coalition and form an independent grouping.
"I have not been told anything about it," he told reporters here.
Abdullah, who is BN chairman, was asked to comment on recent reports that a BN party was contemplating to leave the coalition.
Monday, Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said there was no indication so far that a state BN component party would leave the coalition soon, and described such talk as mere speculation.
Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Deputy President Datuk Raymond Tan also denied Monday that the party would leave the coalition, saying the party would remain a BN component.
On Sunday, Gua Musang Member of Parliament, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah of Umno, hinted that a BN party from East Malaysia might leave the coalition before the end of the month.

BN desertion to begin tomorrow?

Speculations are rife that a Barisan Nasional component party will be making an important announcement tomorrow that would leave Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's government hanging in a balance.
Sources told Malaysiakini tonight that the announcement by the Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp) tomorrow will "lead to a drastic change of the political scenario in Malaysia".
However the sources refused to reveal if the party would leave the 14-member BN coalition and join Anwar Ibrahim-led Pakatan Rakyat.
A party official confirmed that the party leadership will be making an important announcement tomorrow at a press conference to be held in Kota Kinabalu.
"You'll find out about it at the news conference," he said when pressed for more details.
He also stressed that the party's decision was made with the state's and people's interest in mind.
And all that he was willing to divulge was that his party was not the only one who would be making the "shocking move".
Anwar waiting in the wings
In recent months PKR's de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has claimed that he had the necessary members of Parliament who were willing to defect from BN to Pakatan Rakyat.
Anwar needs a total number of 30 BN MPs to be able to form government and become the new prime minister.
And on Sunday, Anwar openly asked the people to give his government a chance, stating that he had the necessary numbers to form the government.
He added that he had MPs from almost all major BN partners who were ready to jump the ship and be part of the Pakatan government. This was followed by denials from almost all BN coalition parties.
To make things interesting, Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah announced over the weekend that he was told during his visit to Sabah that one BN coalition party was ready to crossover before the end of this month.
While Razaleigh did not name the party, he was widely believed to be referring to Sapp.
Political manoeuvres
Yesterday Sapp deputy president Raymond Tan Shu Kiah denied that his party was about to defect to Pakatan.
When asked about this denial, the Sabah sources told Malaysiakini that Tan's remarks were just part and parcel of "political manoeuvres".
Sapp is led by outspoken former chief minister Yong Teck Lee, who in recent months has questioned Abdullah's policies towards Sabah and the federal government's inability to solve the illegal migrants' problems in the state.
Sapp has two members of Parliament and four state assemblypersons, which means that this party's defection alone, if it is announced in the press conference tomorrow or if it happens anytime soon, would not be sufficient for Pakatan to form the new federal government.
After winning the March 8 general election with the help of Sabah and Sarawak coalition partners, Abdullah has been under immense pressure to repay these two states for delivering the votes.
As a result, Abdullah has given some top posts in the Parliament to the Sabah and Sarawak MPs. He has also announced billion-ringgit projects for Sabah and Sarawak.
He is however still under fire for not giving enough sweeteners, especially in the cabinet.
Sources said that if Supp decided to leave BN tomorrow, their departure could lead the way for other parties to do the same, giving Abdullah's government a steep deadline to either call for a snap election or be ready to handover the government to Anwar's Pakatan.
PBS leader quits in protest
Meanwhile, in an unrelated development, a firm critic of Abdullah has decided to quit his party after having failed to force the premier to step down.
Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Supreme Council member Dr Chong Eng Leong tendered his resignation from the party today, to take effect immediately.
Chong, also the party's Luyang division chief, had been critical on the federal government and the prime minister for not taking concrete action on the calls to resolve the illegal immigrants and illegal issuance of MyKad to foreigners.
"Statements after statements begging our Prime Minister to hear our cry to defend our security and sovereignty in past years fell on deaf ears," he said in a statement.
"He (Abdullah) did not mean what he says. I want him to leave office but instead I was asked to leave PBS by PBS," he said.
He added that Abdullah had simply ignored Sabah leaders' calls for the formation of the Royal Commission of Inquiry on illegal immigrants and instead announced the formation of the federal cabinet committee, which he said was the same old committee set up in 2000.
PBS is also a BN coalition partner.

tunku : if it's true that a coalition party is leaving BN , do you think they will inform pak lah in advance ? so, for sure pak lah is not aware of it. if it is true Sapp leaving BN, it will not harm BN yet as it has only 2 members of parliament but it will be made a starting point for others to follow.if pak lah stays as pm till next year ,disaster will be waiting for BN.

Rafidah Ready To Defend Wanita Umno Chief Post

KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 (Bernama) -- Wanita Umno chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz said she would defend her post if she received enough nominations for the election in December.
She said it was up to Wanita Umno members to decide whether they still wanted her to serve the party.
"We cannot make our own decision because the power is in the hands of members at the grassroots level. Maybe some members feel that I have been holding the post for too long, but I do not think so.
"I am still enthusiastic about serving the party as long as the mandate is given to me and I am not fed-up yet," she told reporters after chairing the Wanita Umno Executive Council meeting here Tuesday.
Asked whether there was a succession plan in the movement's leadership, she said from the feebacks received, the executive council members wanted to retain her and Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil as chief and vice-chief respectively.
To a question whether she would contest if Shahrizat is nominated for Wanita Umno chief post, Rafidah said: "I had lost before but it is the responsibility. To me there are many other tasks that have to be carried out, and ironically we have been concentrating on party elections," she said, adding that the contest could cause disunity in the movement.
Rafidah also advised Puteri Umno members to think deeply if they wanted to vie for any posts in Wanita Umno.
"To these youngsters, do not be hasty to become the movement chief, consider two things before making your decision - is it for personal satisfaction or to strengthen the party?" she said.
Meanwhile, Shahrizat when asked whether she would vie for Wanita Umno chief post, said she would leave it to members to decide.
"I am monitoring the situation at the grassroots level before making the decision besides discussing about it with Tan Sri (Rafidah) first.
"I have to assess my position first, even now my own position is not safe," she said.
Wanita Umno executive council member Senator Datuk Maznah Mazlan said due the situation confronting Umno at the monent, all executive council members had unanimously agreed to defend the Rafidah-Shahrizat partnership.

tunku : if rafidah is really concern about umno ,then she should quit and let younger group rejuvenate wanita umno.she has been there for so long and she is consider obsolete piece in umno where she is not an iron lady any longer.when did she get the tan sri title? i had miss the boat.