Politikus Malaya

Cheese Bites 76 – Peace in our time? The follow up.

2006-10-17T18:16:00.000-07:00

Arising from UMNO’s Secretary General’s hints that a meeting between Superman and Pak Lah may happen before raya, most major newspapers carried this story – Superman revealed that the proposal to meet Pak Lah was made by Mubarak, the association of former Members of Parliament and State Assemblymen, which had advised the former premier to express his sentiments.

Superman said he was ready to meet Pak Lah before Hari Raya to tell him about “all my grievances and after that, it is up to the Prime Minister”.

Asked about the grievances, he said: “There are many. I have spoken of them before.”

According to UMNO Information Chief, Tan Sri Muhd Taib:

“It’s better for the two leaders to sit down and talk rather than for Tun Mahathir to go around the country criticising the Government. In that way, they can sort out these issues in private rather than in the media,”

As to whether the Prime Minister would be open to the meeting, Muhammad said:

“Pak Lah is always prepared to meet people for the good of the country.”

RT – The meeting is still scheduled before Aidil Fitri (Monday or Tuesday) or at the latest before UMNO General Assembly (mid Nov). Everyone will be letting out a big sigh of relief but it all depends on Superman’s “grievances” and whether the two men can see the middle ground regarding the “grievances”. Otherwise it’ll just be a nice photo-op.

Picture from: Taipei Times

Cheese Bites 75 – Daddy's Here....

2006-10-10T20:46:00.000-07:00

NST reported that the increasingly famous Senator Datuk Muhammad Abdul Ghani shovelled all the blame for the AP-clone scandal on his son. What made it more interesting is the good Senator’s statement:

”He (his son) is not clever at doing it ... to be a fraudster you need skills. Fraudsters should always be a notch above their victims. If one were smart, one wouldn’t clone all the APs in a week. There should at least be a three-month interval.

"He didn’t learn from me or I could have given him some tips,"

On Monday, Muhammad denied that he or his son were involved in this scam.

Yesterday, he blamed his son for his problems with the Customs.

He said he handed over the running of his company to his eldest son six years ago.

RT – I’ve seen the father taking the fall for the son a number of times. The times are-a-changing. “I can give him some tips” probably gives the character away. What are the differences between Rats and humans again?

Picture taken from Inkart.com

Cheese Bites 74 – Peace in our time?

2006-10-10T19:54:00.000-07:00

The Star reported that UMNO Secretary General Datuk Radzi Sheikh Ahmad has given broad hints that a meeting is finally on the cards between Pak Lah and Superman.

Radzi said “something good” was going to happen in this Ramadan month and he was praying for it.

Asked what it was, he replied:

“Something good lah. Who knows? The two men may have a change of heart.”

“We just pray. We have 13 days to go (before Ramadan ends). Insyallah (God-willing).”

On a related matter, Radzi said an invitation to Dr Mahathir to attend the Umno general assembly next month would be sent out after the Hari Raya break.

RT – Could it be?. Would Superman mend ties before the Assembly?. What is the consideration?. “Build the Bridge?”. Also interesting to note Superman’s statement against ASLI’s findings on NEP. After all the disagreements of late, any form of agreement between Pak Lah and Superman is eye opening. But the sight of the two men shaking hands will be hair raising. We rats have lots of those.

Picture from BBC

Cheese Bites 73 – Cabinet Strikes Back

2006-10-04T20:37:00.000-07:00

As usual our MPs had a busy few days:

1) On the issue of LKY:

NST reported that Lee’s letter to Prime Minister did not qualify as an apology. In fact, the ministers felt that the former Singapore prime minister had repackaged his jaundiced views about Chinese here being marginalised and compliant. They also said that since Lee said that he wanted good bilateral ties with Malaysia, the onus was on him to translate that into action.

2) On the issue of repair work for the two schools in Kepala Batas and Muar:

The Star reported that The Government has approved a RM500,000 allocation to repair and refurbish two vernacular schools where the work done was not up to the mark.

“We asked the Cabinet for the amount to repair the schools, and the Prime Minister has approved our request,”

“The Cabinet felt strongly that appropriate action must be taken against those responsible. Investigations are still ongoing on work done at Mah Hua, where only RM45,000 worth of work was done out of the RM90,000 allocation. For Kung Yu, the school block needs to be rebuilt,”

On when work would commence, he said, it would likely be by the end of this year.

3) Dewan Bahasa given power to fine

The Star reported that the Cabinet has given the DBP the power to advise and fine anyone not using the national language correctly on signboards.

“This step was outlined in a special memorandum between the Education Ministry and my ministry which was approved by the Cabinet to make sure the national language is not sidelined in any way,”

“DBP can now enforce the correct usage of the national language on the public and private sectors,”.

Rais said for a start, DBP would advise anyone found using the language wrongly.
Anyone refusing to follow an order by the DBP director-general can be fined up to RM1,000.

Rais also gave some examples of commonly used terms such as Touch ‘N’ Go and Boulevard that he would like to see changed to Bahasa Malaysia terms.

“The word for ‘Boulevard’ should rightfully be ‘Lebuh Perdana’,” he said.

4) My Cousin Brother in Parliament - Speedy Gonzalez

Dato’ Seri Nazri Aziz earned this nickname after he sped through the pages of his replies while winding up the debate on the Budget at policy stage on Monday. Many felt that even with limited time, a minister should allow at least one question from an MP.

Nazri’s contention was that he had 84 pages of replies to read and he could not afford to allow clarification.

“If there is any question, please ask me during the committee stage or write to me,”

Eight DAP MPs, including Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang, were so frustrated with Nazri that they walked out of the House as a show of protest. Fong and Karpal Singh stayed behind.

Although the opposition was unhappy with Nazri, the backbenchers seemed to think that it was “acceptable” for a minister not to give way. Deputy Speaker Datuk Lim Si Cheng, who had been chairing proceedings at the time, said Nazri was not going against any Standing Order as he had every right to refuse to give way.

“It is up to the minister. He can use his discretion when a backbencher stands up to ask for penjelasan (clarification).”

RT – Two “hot” issues were discussed by Cabinet (ie LKY’s statement and the two schools drama that saw infighting between the 2 prominent politicians in 2 prominent portfolios). In the process more power given to Dewan Bahasa, no more “Touch and Go” (“Raba dan Blah?”/”Pegang and Cabut?”). Although some time back, Dato Nazri aka Speedy Gonzalez takes the cake for events in Parliament.

Cheese Bites 72 - Superman Jr Speaks

2006-10-04T18:27:00.000-07:00

Bernama reported that Umno Youth Exco member Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir claimed that support for his father, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, has grown stronger after he exposed political corruption in the election of Umno Kubang Pasu.

"I also see that their efforts to frustrate my father have not only failed but also backfired on them,"

Mukhriz was commenting on the action by five branch leaders in Kubang Pasu division who submitted an official complaint to the Umno Disciplinary Board last Friday alleging bribes and other wrongdoings during the delegates election.

Mukhriz denied a statement by the divisional secretary Samsuddin Ahmad that the five branch leaders were his strong supporters.

"I know that they lodged the complaint not to confirm what my father said but to save Umno from political corruption,"

RT – Appears even Ramadhan can’t stop the politics. Are the complainants really strong supporters of Superman Jr? Even if it is, what actions would be taken? Is the second phase of the attack commencing soon with Superman Jr playing a more central role? If it is, is he willing to forego support from the current leadership?. His statements increasingly showing that he has thrown caution in the wind - "their efforts to frustrate my father". Who is "their" Superman Jr? Exciting time for the Rats these next few weeks.

Picture from The Star

Cheese Bites 71: More bad news for Politicians

2006-10-04T02:44:00.000-07:00

It was reported that Google Inc. boss Eric Schmidt believes the Internet will offer within five years.

According to Schmidt, politicians have yet to appreciate the impact of the online world, which will also affect the outcome of elections. He predicted that "truth predictor" software would, within five years, "hold politicians to account." People would be able to use programmes to check seemingly factual statements against historical data to see to see if they were correct.

"One of my messages to them (politicians) is to think about having every one of
your voters online all the time, then inputting 'is this true or false.' We (at
Google) are not in charge of truth but we might be able to give a probability"

RT – I think Malaysian politicians Internet skills are well honed compared to the Western countries. I think Ministers should send RPKs and Jeff Oois a thank you/selamat hari raya card for getting them prepared for the next wave.

Photo from: www.blogs4biz.info

Cheese Bites 70 – BN Youth to explain….

2006-10-04T01:52:00.000-07:00

The Star reported that Youth leaders in the Barisan Nasional will explain to their members the recent remarks made by Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin (Wonderboy).

To reiterate the point, BN Youth leader Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein advised those who want to speak on issues touching on Malaysia’s plural society to be careful so that their statements will not be misinterpreted.

Khairy was criticised by several Barisan parties for his remarks in August that non-Malay parties would take advantage of a weak Umno.

Hishammuddin said parties like the MCA and Gerakan had criticised Khairy and demanded an apology from him because no in-depth explanation was made at that time to give a clearer picture of the situation.

Hishammuddin said Barisan members had the right to seek clarification from the leadership as long as the correct channels were used.

“We will not allow issues touching on race and religion in a multi-racial country like ours to lead into never-ending emotional arguments,”

RT – Is Dato’ Hisham still angry at Wonderboy’s remarks in the UMNO meetings?. His tone was stern to say the least. Maybe it was a critical message that has to be sent across loud and clear. Watch this space for any developments from the volatile Youth wing

Picture from The Star

Cheese Bites 69 – Sorry No Cure

2006-10-04T01:04:00.000-07:00

It was reported today that the Prime Minister, Pak Lah said he has “taken note” of LKY’s explanation. However he felt that LKY’s statement on the Chinese community here could have incited the feelings of Malaysians.

He said Lee’s statement was uncalled for and not appreciated, and he did not agree with the remark that the Chinese community in Malaysia was being marginalised.

“I certainly reject the premise on which Lee had made the statement and I believe that such a statement does not contribute to good neighbourly relations.
“Whatever the reasons are, what he had said could have incited the people, and relations would not be that good.”

But Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said the Government did not consider Lee's letter of explanation as a letter of apology.

“It is not an apology, he was saying that he was sorry for causing discomfort, not that he was sorry for saying that. It is two different things.

“He just restated what he felt and it went beyond (what was) just a previous discussion,”.

RT – So was it even “sorry”?. His statement read - “I am sorry that what I said has caused you a great deal of discomfort”. Even mice can see evil this time.

LKY also returned a “bola tanggung” to Superman with his statement – “After a decade of troubled relations with your predecessor, it is the last thing I wanted”

Pictures From: bbc

Cheese Bites 68 – The Common Enemy

2006-09-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

When Singapore Prime Minister HSL said that Malaysia’s political situation is worrying the Republic, never in his wildest dream that the person that could bridge the divide was his Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.

On Sept 15, Reuters quoted Lee as saying that it was vital for the predominantly ethnic Chinese state to stand up to its two bigger, Muslim majority neighbours.

The Malaysian leaders were united in critising LKY’s remark.

Pak Lah, returning from London reiterated Najib Razak’s criticism over the remark. The Prime Minister said he agreed with his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak that Lee's statement was “naughty,” and would seek clarification over the matter.

Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said:

“I’m at a loss as to what his (Lee's) intention was.”

Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin called on Lee to apologise for making the “provocative remarks.”

The Backbenchers Club acting chairman Datuk Raja Ahmad Zainudin Raja Omar said the Singapore High Commission should explain to Wisma Putra what Lee meant by such remarks.
Superman too had launched a scathing attack on the statement.

Perhaps the loudest and most effective attack cam from his initial sake (LKY) Keng Yaik:

"We have a vast hinterland of rural areas that are fortunately or unfortunately
inhabited by Bumiputeras. In any developed country, there is always a problem
between the urban and rural, so if you don’t go and fill up the rural area then
there is discontent,"

So, what does Singapore know? It is a little city and it’s all urban areas, so
he (Lee) can talk about competition, the best, and all this in an urban area but
what about the rural areas? He doesn’t have to worry about that. "His
perspective is all wrong.

The Chinese here will not follow and listen to what he says."

RT - Refreshing to see the leadership united against "outsiders" making sweeping remarks to the International Community about life in Malaysia. However, don't expect to see shaking of hands and taps of the backs from the many camps. But we do love a common enemy...

Cheese Bites 67 - Superman – Flying without wings?

2006-09-10T01:28:00.000-07:00

So the much anticipated showdown at Kubang Pasu ended without much fanfare. According to newsreports, he received superstar treatment leading to the announcement of the polls but his plans to highlight his grievances with the Government in the coming Umno general assembly suffered a setback when he failed to be elected as a delegate for the Kubang Pasu division.

According to Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir , (who was successful)

“My father could not help feeling disappointed with the result, especially after the encouraging welcome he received during the delegates conference.

“That is the norm in politics. People may show support, but they need not translate the support into votes,”

The seven who made it are division committee members Ahmad Hamid who garnered 317 votes, Shamsudin Ahmad (311), Mohd Fazli Abdul Halim (296), Shuib Din (292), Mukhriz (289), Zulfitri Yaakob (286), and Abdul Manaf Kechik (270).

Kubang Pasu division chief Datuk Johari Baharom said his team had tried pleading with Dr Mahathir to withdraw from the contest to save him the embarrassment of losing.

“We knew the delegates did not want Dr Mahathir to lower his status and stand as a delegate. He is a statesman. As a former president, he will be invited as a guest to the Umno general assembly,” he said.

However,there were some good news for his other son, Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir who was elected as a delegate to Umno’s general assembly at the Merbok Umno division meeting. But he too wasn’t pleased with the outcome of Kubang Pasu:

“My father was humiliated in his own constituency. What happened at Kubang Pasu reflects how Umno treats its former leader,”

RT - So the unthinkable has happened. Kubang Pasu, the Superman's fortress sent a signal to the rest of the 191 UMNO divisions. But don't discount Superman's dramatic entry at the coming General Assembly. Get your tickets early...

Cheese Bites 66 – GE coming soon? Part II

2006-08-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

As Pak Lah denies a potential GE on the horizon, the Star reported that the Election Commission (EC) estimates that Malays make up 70% of the 4.5 million people who have yet to register as voters although they are eligible to vote.

“The situation is serious,” said EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, urging Umno and other political parties to address the matter fast.

He added that half of those who had yet to register were aged 21 to 25 while the rest were in the 40 to 45 age range and above.

According to him, the Opposition parties are more proactive in this matter and are garnering more supporters as they get people to register.

On a report that 660,000 Umno members have yet to register as voters, Abdul Rashid said the party should treat this as their priority.

“It is not our duty. The onus is on the party to register their members as voters,” he said, adding that if the EC were to meddle in such affairs there would be negative implications.

The biggest hint of an impending GE was given in this statement:

One the possibility of early general elections, he said: “We are ready with our machinery. “I have directed my officers throughout the country to be on standby.”

RT – Increasingly looking like a GE is on the cards. More than half a million UMNO members who are not registered voters?. Got to question the objectives of these members. Asking people to make a change when they are not exercising their position?. 70% of Malays?. Almost as many as rats, and we can’t even register to vote.

Cheese Bites 65 – Wonderboy vs MCA, Part II

2006-08-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

The Star reported that the MCA Youth wants the controversy over the remarks made by Wonderboy to be discussed at the BN supreme council and not through private meetings.

“The meeting between MCA Youth deputy chief Ling Hee Leong and Khairy (on Monday) was merely a private meeting,”

said MCA Youth secretary-general Dr Wee Ka Siong on Ling’s statement on Monday that Khairy, during a meeting between the two, had assured the MCA he had no intention of hurting feelings of the Chinese community.

He believed that he would not be the only Barisan leader that Khairy would meet, as Barisan Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein had said that Khairy would explain to other Barisan leaders.

RT - Appears Dr Wee is not satisfied with Ling's take on the matter and wants this to be taken up to the SC. Let's see what transpires. What is the impact of this split in opinion on MCA?

Cheese Bites 64 - No lah Hsien Loong

2006-08-22T01:24:00.000-07:00

The Star reported Pak Lah said the political differences between him and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will not affect Asean.

His statement was echoed by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he did not think that “deep political differences” in Malaysia could affect the “climate of Asean” as mentioned by Lee.

“Whatever differences there are, I would consider them purely domestic; and we will have to manage that without any adverse impact in terms of our economy, in terms of confidence towards Malaysia,”

Najib said the current situation was still manageable.

“Whatever the differences, they do not really change government policies and the commitment to be business and investor-friendly,”

RT - Personally felt that HL's statement regarding Malaysian politics was at the very least - irrellevant. Good to see the leadership in unison re this statement. HL probably thought his statement would prompt a response from Superman?. He did. Find it here.

Cheese Bites 63 – Wonderboy to explain

2006-08-21T17:51:00.000-07:00

The Star reported that Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin will explain to those who had been offended by his remark that the Chinese community would make demands if the Umno in-fighting continued.

His boss, Datuk Hisham Tun Hussein said Khairy had explained to him that his remark had been misunderstood.

“It is a learning process for Khairy also. This is something that concerned our friends and he (Khairy) agreed to justify it to them. To me it is good enough,”

“If he says that it (his statement) had been misunderstood, I believe that it had been misunderstood.

Hishammuddin was responding to reports in several Chinese dailies highlighting remarks by various MCA and Gerakan leaders over Khairy’s statement in Kedah last Friday.

RT - Apparently Wonderboy had ruffled a few feathers within the Chinese community with his remarks. But this time around, Dato' Hisham was quick off the blocks to diffuse the situation. Expect more of this considering politics is Wonderboy's main thing now.

Cheese Bites 62 – GE on the cards?

2006-08-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

Bernama reported that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the Barisan Nasional (BN) has a good chance of recapturing Kelantan from PAS based on the tremendous welcome the local people gave him on his visit to the state.

He said he had visited Kelantan many times but the positive reception on this visit was strikingly different and indicated the people in the state were willing to give an opportunity to the BN.

"I am very happy with the welcome at the airport (Sultan Ismail Petra) and Dabong (where he officially opened a bridge). There were so many people."It shows the Kelantan people are agreeable to cooperate and give their support to ensure the success of development promised by the federal government,"

The Prime Minister, who began a two-day visit to Kelantan Sunday, said he would visit the state more often to check on its development.On the Eastern Corridor encompassing Kelantan, Terengganu and east Pahang, he said the master plan being prepared by Petronas was expected to be ready by the end of the year.

RT – Sounds like Election talk to us rats. If he captures Kelantan then it would be a monumental endorsement of his leadership and that of the current office bearers. Will wait to see. Maybe Ibrahim Ali has other ideas. Who fetched Pak Lah from the airport is the real question to be asked

Cheese Bites 61 – What say you Hsien Loong?..

2006-08-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

Bernama reported that Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said that the overall outlook of Asean remains favourable although some member countries are facing difficulties, a situation which could affect "the climate of Asean”

In Malaysia, he said, the problem was the "deep political differences" between former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"I think everyone hopes it will be resolved soon,"

Lee made reference to Malaysia and several other Asean countries as he elaborated on the outlook and the challenges faced by the 10-member grouping which, he said, will indirectly affect Singapore.

On bilateral relations with Malaysia, Lee said that both countries "will work on the positive aspects of our relations".

"Negotiations over bridge, airspace and sand have ended. Still some other issues outstanding (but) these are on the backburner for the time being. Meanwhile, we will work on the positive aspects of our relations," he said.

RT – Probably my cousin brother in Kallang thought it was getting too quiet up here in Putrajaya. Maybe he wanted to awaken Superman and his bunch of superheroes again?

Cheese Bites 60 - DPM - UMNO is not just a party!

2006-08-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

The Star reported that Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Umno was not just a party but a political institution which could foster the unity of the Malays and Islam, and serve as the backbone of the Government.

“Despite attempts by former leaders who formed new parties to divert the attention of the Malays, the Malays have remained united because of Umno’s strength,”

“Many leaders, including Datuk Onn Jaafar, who tried to divert the attention of the Malays had failed. And then there was Tengku Razaleigh who formed Semangat 46 in 1987 to try and divert the Malays, but had also failed.

“Even Parti Keadilan (Rakyat), which was formed in 1998 when members had taken to the streets with demonstrations, had failed to draw the Malays, who had remained loyal to Umno.”

“It is proven that Umno has flourished under the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, where during the previous general election in Kedah alone, Umno and Barisan Nasional had won all the parliamentary seats in the state, making it impossible for PAS to gain a foothold in Kedah,” he added.

“So it is of utmost importance for the political institution to be protected and the current leadership be given undivided support for the party’s survival.”

He also said Abdullah should not be solely blamed for calling off the scenic bridge project in Johor, as the decision was collectively made by the Cabinet.

RT –DPM continues his strong stance behind Pak Lah as the UMNO leadership strengthen its stability in the public eye. But is this statement clipping the wings of the founders of S46 and Keadilan from mainstream politics?. Interesting theories abound.

Cheese Bites 59 - Its time to act..

2006-08-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Bernama carried this story:

ACA Can Probe Allegations 9MP Projects Given To Undeserving People

The Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) can investigate any allegation that certain projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) have been awarded to individuals before tenders for them were out.

State ACA Director, Jaafar Mahad said, the agency could investigate if there were information or complaints on such malpractice.

"We ask those with information on such allegations to come forward and file their complaints to us so that we can investigate,"

Jaafar said the ACA would not hesitate to take action if there were evidence that contracts had been awarded without following the proper procedure.

RT - Good news for transparency. Of late, it seems the Government is sincere about making a better place to conduct business and to lower the cost of doing business. Although read report that FDIs are going into Thailand and Indonesia at a higher pace, investor could return to our shores if we keep the transparency momentum up. Let's hope its not lip service.

Cheese Bites 57 - Selangor MB: Its not me…

2006-08-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

The Star reported that Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo has alleged that some of his officers signed away outdoor advertising rights to a private company last year.

He said he suspended the agreement after he discovered that the original contract allowing for advertising on pedestrian bridges had been expanded to include gantries, billboards and other forms of outdoor advertising.

Dr Khir said he wanted those responsible to explain why the original contract was not adhered to.

The Mentri Besar added that a newspaper report that the state government had granted exclusive rights to all outdoor advertising to one company was “not so accurate.”

When asked whether heads would roll because of this issue, Dr Khir replied:

“I want to know what happened from the people concerned (before making any decision).”

RT – Should this precedent be set?. Shifting the blame to the officers? Ministers must be able to trust their officers, otherwise it will be an administrative nightmare. Collective responsibility theorem.

Cheese Bites 57 - Sorry-lah Superman, No Hall in Perlis

2006-08-15T22:54:00.000-07:00

Appears that the busy Menteri Besar Shahidan Kassim managed to do his magic as the scheduled talk featuring Dr M has been called off.

An event which was to have featured a talk by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Beseri on Aug 26 has been cancelled.

Padang Besar Umno Division chief Datuk Zahadi Zainul Abidin said the talk could not be held because the division could not find a proper hall for the event.

RT – Cancelled as opposed to postponed? Whatever it is, Shahidan in the good books of UMNO again…..

Cheese Bites 56 - Life after ECM

2006-08-15T18:10:00.000-07:00

After selling off his entire stake in ECM, what is Wonderboy busy with apart from politics?.

Berita Harian shared some of the things that will keep him busy: My Team

My Team is expected to take over a Teluk Intan based club, Perak United Plantations Berhad (UPB).

“Memandangkan sudah ada persetujuan, MyTeam kini dalam proses membincangkan beberapa isu berkaitan serta cadangan meminda beberapa perlembagaan dalam pengurusan UPB.”

RT – Is there a MY Team II on the cards as well?. Judging from the success of My Team I (in terms of turnout), there is a strong possibility that it will be good for the sport to have another edition.

But is this enough for Wonderboy?

Cheese Bites 55 – DPM – Its Final!

2006-08-15T17:48:00.000-07:00

To supplement Pak Lah’s statement yesterday, DPM came out strongly to call on all parties to stop discussing the Government's decision to scrap the scenic bridge project.

According to The Star, DPM said the Cabinet had made a decision and the Government had explained why the bridge should not be built.

“We hope the issues will not be raised again. There should be a finality to this and it should not be prolonged,” he said after the launching the School Inspectors Golden Jubilee celebration yesterday.

This story was echoed in Bernama but went on further to suggest:

PETALING JAYA, Aug 15 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak Tuesday urged all parties to stop discussing issues pertaining to the bridge and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He found support in Wonderboy (KJ):

“I agree with the deputy president. Every Umno leader should stop discussing the issue on the scenic bridge.

RT – Further evidence that the stand taken by the current leadership is to remain united against the Superman threat at least until the Perhimpunan. Would there be finality of the issues/debate after this call by DPM?.

Cheese Bites 54 - Aziz vs Aziz?

2006-08-15T04:12:00.000-07:00

The Star reported that Nazri (Aziz) described the different views given by Umno leaders over the issue as reflecting disagreement within Umno.

He singled out Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Abdul (Aziz) Shamsuddin for misinterpreting his statement.

“I didn’t say that Tun Dr Mahathir wanted to wrest control of power. I just said that I had information that Tun wanted Pak Lah’s downfall.

“How can Tun say that what he did will not split the party? If the ministers themselves make conflicting remarks, what does it mean?”

Nazri also took a bite off Umno Youth Exco and son of Superman :

“Never mind. For me, he can go ahead. But don’t let other people tell us not to reply, like Umno Youth exco member Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir."

“I don’t understand, he said don’t raise issues about his father at the Umno general assembly, but if his father continues to level criticisms, we have to continue replying.”

RT – Been hearing a lot from Nazri since all this hoo haa began but Dato’ Aziz Shamsuddin has been pretty quiet. But he is not the lone Minister or Menteri Besar that has spoken recently but not on the Superman issue. Is there a political reading into this?

Cheese Bites 53 – Koh Eye to Eye with Pak Lah?

2006-08-14T20:44:00.000-07:00

Bernama: Koh Accepts Prime Minister's Advice To Listen To Malay Views

Wow. It gets stranger everyday. Moving on from the act of solidarity within UMNO, Bernama reported that Penang’s Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said that he accepted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's advice that the state government considers suggestions from the Malay community to protect their interests in the state.

"I welcome the advice of the Prime Minister. We can improve the situation,"

Abdullah Sunday said the state government had helped the Malays but the assistance was not as much as expected by the community, which could be the reason for dissatisfaction in the Malay community.

He said he was always ready to meet leaders of Umno Youth, whom he regarded as "partners and brothers" in the Barisan Nasional, for discussion.

"If there is anything, they can meet me or write me a letter or call me. Whatever it is, it is better to meet without exposing the differences in the media in line with the BN spirit," he said.

This story was also reported in the Star

RT – It appears as if the cracks that were so prominent before are slowly easing up. Post the TV3 Interview, Iblis, and today’s reports of “I am The Prime Minister”, Pak Lah looks like he has been awakened from a deep slumber and ready for a good fight. Anyone going to give it to him?. Let’s wait and see

Cheese Bites 52 - Please Don’t Superman…

2006-08-14T18:08:00.000-07:00

After the long silence, The Star reported that Wanita UMNO Chief, Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz emerged and made a plea to Superman.

“Please, Tun, remember what happened to you the last time (in the 1987 Umno election when the party was split)? Don’t let it happen to Datuk Seri Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi). We don’t need this.

“Please, let’s help the party, help the country. We recognise all your contributions but, please, let Abdullah run the Government,”

She said she was deeply saddened by the prolonged criticisms of the former Prime Minister against his successor.

Reminding Superman and the rest of Malaysia of the events in 1987, she further added:

“No Prime Minister enjoys 100% support. Dr Mahathir should be the first to know this because he was severely criticised during his tenure.

“He almost lost the presidency in the contest with Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (in 1987) and he could not even garner a 50-vote majority."

“He should remember the harsh criticism from Umno members and the public against him. But the majority of us rallied behind him and he won – but by a razor thin majority,”

As if illustrating the improvement of different leadership style, she added that Abdullah had allowed full debate during all the Cabinet meetings and while some of the decisions made might have been painful they were made with collective consensus.

RT - The Iron Lady revisits 1987 and serve the public a chilling reminder of the events that transpired then. Side note, UMNO has spoken, Wanita has spoken, Youth has...any wing missing from the support list?

Cheese Bites 51 - No Go Superman!

2006-08-14T17:58:00.000-07:00

Its loud and its clear. The Government will not budge from its decision to scrap the scenic bridge project, says Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. The Star reported.

“He can say anything but I am the prime minister and I have a job to do.

This stand was echoed by other key leaders within UMNO including the Deputy President, statements taken from here:

”Bukan kita sengaja nak batalkan, tetapi kerana ada masalah yang terlalu rumit terutama dari segi undang-undang antarabangsa dan perjanjian air dengan Singapura”

Vice President, Ali Rustam:

Kerajaan sudah putuskan projek itu tidak boleh diteruskan dan tidak akan menarik balik kerana ia dibuat untuk kepentingan rakyat serta negara.

Secretary General: Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad

“Dr Mahathir tidak boleh meletakkan sebarang prasyarat untuk beliau berhenti bercakap.”

RT - If there were confusion lately with Government, or UMNO's stand towards Superman's criticism and questions; the voice was unanimous yesterday. Some even went to say that this is blackmail.

Cheese Bites 50 - Is this it Superman?

2006-08-14T02:53:00.000-07:00

The NST carried this report today. Apparently in response to the question of Wonderboy’s ECM Libra share sales, Superman responded by saying:

"Oh yes... that is good. First, they have to sell, then they should leave the fourth floor and go away somewhere and Pak Lah has got to build the bridge. If he does that, I don’t have any more comments."

RT - If it is, I am afraid Malaysians all around would be very disappointed. After the furor Superman created with the Malaysian public, promising to be the voice for the fight against current administration on issues of democracy and a better Malaysia?. Build the bridge and no more comments?

Really, apart from the contractors, what do we really feel about the bridge?.

Cheese Bites 49 – Enter GPMS’ head honcho

2006-08-14T02:14:00.000-07:00

Bernama reported that the Federation of Peninsular Malay Students (GPMS) ’ advisor, Dato’ Sri Najib Razak announced that GPMS' leadership crisis had been resolved at a special meeting. The outcome: Datuk Suhaimi Ibrahim would officially hand over the leadership held by him to Reezal Merican Naina Merican.

"Datuk Suhaimi had made a big sacrifice in giving up the GPMS leadership to make way for Reezal. The government fully appreciates the noble gesture by Datuk Suhaimi and thank him for that," he said.

Following this, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak outlined three main missions for GPMS to assist the government in improving the performance of Malay students im education.

1. assist the government in resolving the problems of dropouts among Malay students
2. Raise the achievement level of Malay male students so that they could compete with female students.
3. assist the government in resolving the issue of unemployed Malay graduates

RT – After a long and very public tussle, appears Reezal Merican, (UMNO Youth Exco in charge of Economics. He is the former Political Secretary to Dato’ Sharizat Jalil is currently the Minister of Finance’s Political Secretary) wl be heading GPMS. Still a very relevant organization, Reezal has been given clear KPI’s expected of the organization. Despite contrary belief, there is work after the politicking. Will keep you updated on GPMS’ achievement(s) of the KPI.

MouseTrap 12 - Any news on Puteri UMNO?

2006-08-13T06:27:00.000-07:00

A quiter lot post Azalina, and seemingly shun from the current limelight , Puteri UMNO put its feet firmly in the race for UMNO news of the week with Dato' Radzi's revelations that 40% of its membes are not registered to vote.

"When it comes to work, they are a hardworking lot, but when it comes to registration as voters, they have no time," he told reporters after opening the Umno Shah Alam divisional delegates meeting.

RT - Imagine watching humans being ushered into schools to vote, reminded of their democratic duty and responsibilities. By non registered voters.

Cheese Bites 48 – Pak Lah Going for You?

2006-08-13T06:20:00.000-07:00

In a twist from the usual line of Q&A as dictated by Superman, Pak Lah came out with a first salvo when he said that the Government was studying the necessary action to be taken pertaining to the disposal of a 31 per cent stake in Pantai Holdings Bhd to Singapore-based Parkway Holdings Ltd.

"The share sale has become a problem, as it involves several matters related to the concession given to Pantai Holdings, that is a contract to supply hospital requirements,"

"The concession has changed hands, and it has gone to other people and (we) hope it would remain with the Malaysian side, and held by Malaysian citizens," he said.

Asked the type of action which may be considered by the government, Abdullah who is also Finance Minister declined to elaborate.

Earlier, news reports said that the former Prime Minister's son, Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir, had sold his shares in Pantai Holdings to Pantai Group Chief Executive, Lim Tong Yong.

The shares were sold gradually since 2001 and according to the reports, the 31 per cent interest in Pantai Holdings was sold by Mokhzani to Lim and was later sold to Parkway.

RT - Is this the warning shot before the floodgates open?. Stay tuned. Both sides not taking things lying down now.

Cheese Bites 47 - Enter the new kryptonite?

2006-08-13T06:07:00.000-07:00

The nation was intently reading Kalimullah’s revelation in The Edge (hardcopy version) that he, David Chua and KJ had sold their shares (KJ all).

As we read how Kali and the partners agreed to finance Wonderboy’s share acquisition, KJ came out with a statement as to why he decided to sell the shares seemingly at a significant loss.

"I want to focus hundred per cent on politics because there's a lot of work to be done in the increasingly challenging situation,"

"I want to ensure there is no dilution of shareholding by the Malays if the shares go to a company controlled by a Malay," he said.

Khairy said he left the company so that its image in the financial services industry would not be tarnished."I don't want other shareholders to be affected by what he is facing. It's not fair to the shareholders," he said.

In his speech, Khairy likened people who were still unsatisfied with Abdullah's replies to several issues and the cancellation of several projects, as dogs barking at hills.

RT – Appears Wonderboy's exit from ECM Libra had put the ball firmly back in Superman’s court. Effectively striking off the Investment Banker tag, he is now a bona fide politician with interest in Football (MY Team, which has not been attacked).The other allegations of influence put forward by TDM would be hard if not impossible to substantiate. Let’s see how TDM wl spin this. A lot of material for Superman to deal with this weekend.

Cheese Bites 46 - Anyone got Samy's number?

2006-08-13T05:33:00.000-07:00

All Malaysian leaders should try to emulate MIC President Samy Vellu. He had called on all Divisions with insufficient funds to call him personally. The Star had this story.

“You all have my number. Call me. If you have any suggestion or any problem, bring it to my attention so that I can bring it up in the Cabinet,” he said at the state-level MIC 60th anniversary celebrations on Friday.

RT - We rats are not constrained to poltical affiliations based on race. You got Dato's handphone number?. Got his office number but doubt can get through. Willing to give you 10%. fee (SOP).

Cheese Bites 45 - What's the Angle Superman?

2006-08-12T18:49:00.000-07:00

As UMNO leaders everywhere continued to express their support for the current leadership across the Nation, some offered reasons as to why Superman is attacking the Government.

Dato' Nazri Aziz believes Superman is planning to topple Pak Lah.

Some quarters believe his real grouse is the release of his kryptonite.

Superman continued his tirade against the Government at a PJU function yesterday. He continued to ask why the Government prevented him from speaking.

"What are they afraid of? This is what worries me. I think they are trying to hide something, that’s why they don’t allow people to hear,"

RT - Really, we would like to know too, what is the angle Superman?

Cheese Bites 44 - DPM - Of valuing peace and loyalty

2006-08-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows UMNO politicans are busy going around the nation to officiate the Divisions. In Bera yesterday, DPM Dato' Najib Razak reiterated his support for Pak Lah.

“I will be the best deputy possible as well as the best supporter of the prime minister,”

“I will stand by him and weather the storm together until the end."

“Just because there is a storm brewing, don’t think I will abandon the ship.”

His concerns were made clearer as another UMNO Vice President, Tan Sri Muhyiddin read out DPM's statement during the launch of the 8 series documentary on Malayan Emergency :

“It's easy to take for granted what we have now. Young Malaysians especially, who have never witnessed conflict, may not realise the full worth of the peace that they have known all along,”

Both DPM and TS Muhyiddin lauded Pak Lah's attitude in responding and accepting criticism.

RT - DPM making his stand very clear after the perceived silence highlighted by other blogs. Apparently Tun M is in Tropicana today adressing UMNOians of PJ Utara. Let's see what transpires.

Cheese Bites 44 - Desperate Duo. Pahang MB identifies 'catalysts'

2006-08-11T02:54:00.000-07:00

Dato' Adnan Yaakob pointed his accusotory fingers firmly on Ibrahim Ali and Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad as "desperate lots" that "are using Tun M to critisise Pak Lah". The full story here

Earlier, accusations were made by UMNO Information Chief but he declined to name anyone.

“I have no qualms in naming these people,” Adnan told a gathering of about 10,000 people who turned up to give Abdullah a rousing welcome at the Sukpa Indoor Stadium here yesterday.

RT - Does it make sense for the desperate duo (lets call them Batman and Robin) to influence someone with the capabilities of Superman?. Seems hard to believe. We'll wait for the retaliation from the Superheroes with great anticipation

MouseTrap 11 - His Son, My Son In Law

2006-08-11T01:54:00.000-07:00

Considering it is Friday had to share this story found in Berita Harian with all you humans.

Not too sure when it was reported but for you who missed it please find it here.

In relating the story to encourage KJ:

Tajol Rosli berkata, ketika bapanya dilantik sebagai MB pada September 1974, beliau baru setahun kembali ke Perak dan bapanya mengajak beliau tinggal bersama kerana adik-beradik yang lain tidak tinggal bersama.

Tajol Rosli berkata, lebih menarik ketika ayahnya ke luar negara dan Datuk Hisan Ibrahim diamanahkan menjalankan tugas sebagai Menteri Besar, ramai yang berkata saya yang menjalakan tugas ayah.

“Disebabkan `Hisan' bunyinya seperti `His Son' (anak dia) dalam bahasa Inggeris... tanpa soal selidik saya dituduh menjalankan tugas sebagai Menteri Besar menggantikan ayah,” katanya.

RT - Now that's an explanation if I have ever seen one.

Cheese Bites 43 - Malaysian Exponential Population Growth - 2010

2006-08-11T01:33:00.000-07:00

Bernama Online Reported that Malaysia would have more than five million Foreign Workers In Malaysia By 2010. Accroding to Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn, there is high probability of this if the current thirst of the country's employers for foreign labour is not quenched.

"Malaysia currently has about 1.8 million foreign workers working in the country. In the meantime, local employers are submitting a large number of applications monthly to the Home Affairs Ministry to employ more foreign workers.

"If this problem is not addressed now, it is highly probable that the total number of foreign workers in this country may well exceed 5 million by the year 2010," he said in a luncheon address at the Law Association for Asia and Pacific (Lawasia) Labour Law Conference here.

RT - I am quite suprised of the 1.8m foreign workers here currently. 5m appears a figure for concern. Probably we will achieve Vision 2020 with a total population of 45m. 20m worth of help from the foreign workers. Imagine the unemployment rate then.

MouseTrap 10 - Are you ready?

2006-08-10T23:36:00.000-07:00

In one scene, a man briefly touches a woman's breast. In another, a women climbs on top of a man and rubs herself sensuously against him.

No, this is not an excerpt from a sex website on the Internet. Its from the front page of today's Malay Mail

Some views: (Source Malay Mail)

* Mohd Rajman Ibrahim, 33:

Some of the daring scenes should not be allowed! Imagine our kids being exposed to them.Although I agree that local filmmakers should begiven freedom to show certain scenes, the board should be more careful in thier judgment.

* Nasha Shah, 21:

The scenes of Julia Hana with Aqasha were quite hot! It's like watching an international movie.I didn't know that local movies were allowed to show them.

* Zazley Zakaria, 21:

The hottest scene was that Farid Kamil with a woman in the towel. I'm surprised it's allowed!

But I don't have any problem with them. After all, some of the foreign movies shown here have similar scenes.

* Fauziana Ismail, 24:

My face turned red when I watched the scene where Julia rubs her body against Farid! That and several other scene are quite daring.

RT - After the Pussy Cat Fiasco, are we ready for this?. Well, development comes with a price. Ok then, I'm off to get the tickets for Rempit

Cheese Bites 41 - PACman's busy day..

2006-08-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

Fresh from questioning MoF's policy and strategy with regards to the Avenue transaction, Dato' Shahrir Samad further questioned the rationale of direct negotiation for Government contracts.

Bernama online reported that he blamed the Matrade building problem squarely on MoF's decision to award construction through direct negotiation. He also questioned the rationale of giving the contract on direct nego basis due to the need of "fast tracking" the completion of the building.

"This could still have been done via open tender which would have taken only three months," he said.

Shahrir said PAC proposed that the conditions for direct negotiation be tightened because it was clear that in the Matrade building, the Finance Ministry had failed to adhere to the procedures set by the government.

"We hope what happened in Matrade will be a lesson to the government not to be too hasty in opting for direct negotiation," he said.

The delays and repairs increased the cost to RM287.5 million.

The government is seeking to claim RM95 million in fines from PISB.

RT - Dato S Samad back in the forefront firing two salvos to MoF. But as I sit here with my coffee and cheese, I wonder if the other blogs would see this as a clear development of transparency and accountability in Malaysia. Think about it. Few years ago, an attack on the Minister of Finance would result in?.The glass is always half full

MouseTrap 09 - Of Demons and Iblis

2006-08-10T06:35:00.000-07:00

RT - Doing my browsing rounds as usual and read Jeff Ooi's latest entry.

Appears Pak Lah had used "scornful" language in his speech (apparently attended by DPM a well)in Pahang today.

What caught my attention was the parting shot:

I am worried for the country for a variety of reasons. There must be parties who don't want the PM to patch up with his annointer.
RT - Well, I am sure if all us bloggers (man and rats) tried hard enough to "patch things up" we can sleep easy without any worries for this great country of ours.

RT Latest - The rest of Pak Lah's "message" can be found in Bernama Online:

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wants all parties to concentrate on development efforts and not to be bothered by various problems which could lead to the projects being delayed or abandoned. The Prime Minister said all projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) must also be monitored fully so that they would bring an impact on the people's wellbeing.

"They (the parties involved) work as a team, help each other... need to create a conducive work environment which would help to build up confidence in the successful implementation of the projects which had been planned," he told reporters after visiting the Sungai Chereh Dam project, near Sungai Lembing here.Abdullah also said that in order for the projects to be successfully implemented, all aspects including payment to the contractors involved must stick to the schedule specified.

RT - Of course, there is not much juice in the Prime Minister ensuring his "masterpiece" stays its course despite all the politics.

Cheese Bites 40 - Perlis in the limelight.

2006-08-10T06:22:00.000-07:00

Umno State Chiefs Asked To Monitor Ceramah On Current Issues

From Bernama Online

Umno state committees have to monitor ceramah on current issues, especially those that could undermine the strength of the party, party secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said Thursday.

He said it was up to the individual state party chief to monitor and evaluate each ceramah to ensure it would not be used by the Opposition to promote their political interest.

Referring to the plan by Umno Padang Besar division chairman Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin to invite former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to address a ceramah on Aug 26, he told reporters that the Perlis party leadership would be responsible to monitor it.

Umno Perlis chief Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said Wednesday that disciplinary action could be taken against Zahidi if the ceramah was gate-crashed by Opposition party members.

RT - Couldn't help but to put the focus back on UMNO politics. For the Chief Minister of the smallest UMNO state, D Shah Kassim has been getting a lot of airtime lately. Superman pinpointed him and Perak MB the other day, and now the onus is on him to keep Padang Bear in check. A cousin brother rat told me Perlis thinking of changing its name from Perlis Indera Kayangan to Perlis Indera Ka..Got to love the rainbow coloured bridge there though.

MouseTrap 08 - When Good News is No News

2006-08-10T06:03:00.000-07:00

1) Malaysia's trade surplus up

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's trade surplus of RM8.6 billion in June this year was higher than the RM7.7 billion of June last year.

The Statistics Department said the 11.3% or RM 876.8 million increase in the surplus was due to the higher increase in exports by RM5.1 billion vis-à-vis imports of RM4.2 billion.

2) Kuala Lumpur is cheapest city in the world says report

Kuala Lumpur is the cheapest city in the world to live in says a report compiled by Swiss bank UBS.

Oslo and London are the world's most expensive cities, while Zurich and Geneva residents have the highest buying power, according to the report released on Wednesday.

Europe dominates the list of 71 cities compiled by Swiss bank UBS, while Asian cities - including Kuala Lumpur, followed by Mumbai - are among the cheapest places to live, based on the cost of a basket of 122 goods and services.

RT - Just browsing through the usual headlines and realised that some really important news to urban-ites and Malaysians in general are not touched at all by sites like Malaysia Today (busy upragding server) and Jeff Ooi (busy downgrading Avenue). Even rats know the retaliation would be - "Why do we need this in the blogs?. Its already in the mainstream media online version". Just thought some of you guys would want to discuss different things. Once in a while. Think of it as a break before Superman returns.

Fat Cat 05 - MoF To Explain

2006-08-10T04:25:00.000-07:00

PAC wants Finance Ministry to explain

From The Star Online

The Avenue Capital Resource Bhd and ECM Libra Bhd merger met statutory requirements but the PAC wants the Finance Ministry to explain the decision making process on how it was done.

The committee also wants to the position of Avenue Capital, a Government-linked company to be maintained and ensure that the Government does not lose control over its management.

PAC chairman Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad said the most debatable part was in terms of policies and strategies on the part of the Finance Ministry.

"They have complied with the statutory requirements. They have fulfilled in terms the Securities Commission and legal aspects but the only question that arises is in terms of politics and moral aspects," he told reporters after a briefing by the ministry and the Securities Commission officials in Parliament yesterday.

"In terms of politics, a Government-linked company that mergers with another company, should comply with the Government's requirement whereby the management and control on the company is maintained."

"We are not happy with the policy part of the ministry and in terms of strategies. In terms of legality; the role of regulator in assessing values of companies and merger, processing the undertaking of merger, interest of minority of shareholders has been adhered to."

RT - Will they respond to the PAC?. It gets more intertesting everyday.

Fat Cat 04 - Scomi Listing in Singapore

2006-08-09T19:54:00.000-07:00

Scomi to raise RM600m via division’s listing

The Star Online

Scomi Group Bhd has proposed to revamp its drilling fluids and oil waste management business and list the division on the Singapore stock exchange.

The exercise, targeted for completion early next year, is expected to raise up to RM600mil for the group.

The proceeds from the listing, said group chief executive officer Shah Hakim Zain, offered Scomi various options to invest in new businesses such as gas separation, and pare down the group's debts to improve gearing.

“What we are doing today is essentially raising money overseas but eventually bringing the money back to the country,'' he told a press briefing yesterday.

Under the plan, Scomi will group its oilfield services division (OSD) under a single company – KMC Oiltools Bermuda Ltd (KMCOB). The move would facilitate a refinancing of the group's borrowings prior to the listing.

Shah Hakim said the company would issue syariah-compliant bonds worth around RM630mil in October to repay its existing bank loans.

Scomi intends to sell 30% of Scomi Oilfield Ltd, a new company that owns a 100% equity interest in KMCOB, to investors as part of the listing exercise.

The exercise values KMCOB, which is believed to be the fourth largest OSD in the world, at around RM1.7bil.

Shah Hakim said Scomi's shareholders would be offered shares in the company as part of the initial public offering.

“The proposed listing of the OSD is expected to further unlock Scomi's initial investment in KMCOB and strengthen Scomi's balance sheet,'' he added.

RT - Perfect Timing. Scomi? Singapore Exchange?. I smell Distraction Phase III, coming out. Although the benefits are quite obvious, won't take any bets for Superman to spin the web.

Cheese Bites 37 - Distraction Phase II...Hold on to your seats

2006-08-09T19:04:00.000-07:00

From NST Online

There are several things which I will come out with, one at a time, evidence of corruption," he told a news conference after delivering a talk at the Perdana Leadership Foundation here.

The former prime minister said he had evidence of corrupt practices of a minister who served in his Cabinet.

"He was in my administration... I have some evidence but whether you can report to the police and expect proper investigation or not, is of course something else... I know the agency had investigated one person but there was no follow up. During my time, I thought that action was going to be taken, but no."

He also noted that certain Umno division heads and supreme council members were involved in money politics.

Dr Mahathir also said that he was still not satisfied with Abdullah’s rebuttal of the allegations raised by him.

"All he said is he didn’t do this, he didn’t do that. My son didn’t do this, didn’t do that."

Dr Mahathir said Abdullah did not answer questions on the sale of Proton-owned Agusta for one euro and the plan to sell sand to Singapore. Ministers and heads of government-linked companies have explained all the issues raised by the former PM.

He took a swipe at the New Straits Times for saying in a report that his children were also involved in business when he was in power.

Dr Mahathir said: "They can check how much money and how many tenders I have given to my children."

Asked whether he would meet Abdullah to settle their differences, Dr Mahathir said: "The problem is that he should not have done these things. He can undo what he has done.’’

Over the past few months, Dr Mahathir had accused Abdullah of reversing his policies, compromising on national sovereignty and running a Government with "no guts". It’s unclear what Dr Mahathir wants undone by Abdullah.

RT - Look like Superman is not through with the Politicking. After admitting his angst is on Projects and Policies, he upped the ante with potential "revelations". Many Minister(s), MTs and Division Heads would be feeling the heat. (Smell a rat: Why didn't he take action before? That would have set the tone for the current administration?). Wld Superman open the Pandora Box, more importantly, would the "keris makan tuan"?.

Cheese Bites 36 - Pak Lah won't get distracted..

2006-08-09T18:51:00.000-07:00

PM: I won’t be distracted

From TheStar Online

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has reiterated his responsibility to the people who gave him the mandate to run the country.

“The people have given us a big mandate during the last elections and we must work hard to fulfil it,” he said.

He said that he was determined to keep his mind focused and called on Malaysians not to be distracted with the recent criticisms and allegations (against his administration) to the extent that the priority to develop the country was forgotten.

“My first responsibility, besides Allah, is to the people who supported me. I will give my full attention and work with all my heart and soul and not get distracted.

“We must maximise the limited time we have, to succeed and not be misled by whatever that can divert our attention elsewhere from our goals,” he said in his speech at the Senators Club Malaysia dinner last night.

To questions by some on what was coming next after the TV3 interview, Abdullah said it was to continue to stay focused and get things done.

He said they needed to do what was best to realise the people's ambition so that the country could continue to develop and the nation could achieve Vision 2020.

“Some have asked me why I don't have my own Vision. For me, Vision 2020 is enough as it is aimed to develop the country but we must work hard to achieve this goal. “It is also important to add value to ourselves by increasing knowledge, moral values and inner strength,” he added.

He said the five thrusts under the 9th Malaysia Plan would help ensure the people enjoy development but stressed on the importance of implementing these projects and for all to work together to achieve the goal.

“Even during difficulties, keep our minds focused and ensure the gap between the wealthy and the poor, between the urban and rural areas and between the agricultural and industrial sector is reduced.”

Abdullah thanked the senators for their support and announced that their development allocation would be increased from RM150,000 per three-year term to RM200,000 for the same period.

Meanwhile, the Senators present reiterated their support for Abdullah and the present Government, with Senators Club president Datuk Abdul Rahman Suliman encouraging Abdullah to continue with his mission.

“Don't be bothered about the accusations and slander as it comes from people's bad desires in their minds,” said Suliman, who also asked whether the senators' tenure could be extended for more than two terms.

Dewan Negara president Tan Sri Dr Abdul Hamid Pawanteh in his speech encouraged Abdullah to keep the faith and stay on course.

RT - Pak Lah remains focus on his deliverables. Rats across Malaysia believes that politicking is exciting, but someone's got to do the work someday.Although we can't vote, his mandate is from the people of Malaysia, of which an equal percentage is not from UMNO. Hopefully, we can move on and focus on developing the country again. Wishful thinking. To the senators, kudos on the pay rise.

Cheese Bites 35 - Penang CM Responds..to UMNO Youth

2006-08-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

Koh Advises Penang Umno Youth To Analyse Rotation Proposal

From Bernama Online

Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon has advised Penang Umno Youth to "analyse" its proposal to call for the rotation of the chief minister's post whether the timing was right in terms of political strategy.

At the same time, he said, he has advised Gerakan Youth to remain calm and not overact to the proposal.

"I don't need to respond or comment on the matter," he told reporters at a reception held in conjunction with the birthday of Penang Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas Wednesday.

Koh, who is Gerakan deputy president, said the party had not discussed the issue.

"We discuss many things and, as a Barisan Nasional (BN) component party, we discuss matters relating to the interest and welfare of the people instead of who will hold which post or the position of someone in the party or government," he said.

Meanwhile, Penang Umno Youth chief Salim Bari told Bernama Wednesday that the movement's divisions in the state would go ahead to table the resolution calling for the rotation of the chief minister's post among BN component parties during their general meetings.

He said the resolution would also be tabled at the state Umno Youth meeting but whether it would eventually go to the Umno general assembly would be decided by the party's leadership.

Salim said the state movement regretted that certain people had claimed that the proposal was racial.

He said the post was not the exclusive property of any community as it was allocated based on the policy and understanding practised in BN.

Gerakan president and Minister of Energy, Water and Communications Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik last week told Penang Umno Youth not to stir up racial sentiments.

"In keeping with the BN spirit, don't ask for something not for the good of the state and the race they lead," he said.

RT - Another issue for the UMNO leaders to deal with. From Penang, mind you.

Cheese Bites 35 - Youth Chief: Pak Lah Did Not Intervene

2006-08-09T09:24:00.000-07:00

Umno Youth Chief Says PM Did Not Intervene In Khairy's Election

From Bernama Online

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 (Bernama) -- Umno Youth Chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said Wednesday Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi did not intervene in the election of his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin as Umno Youth deputy chief in 2004.

Hishammuddin said Abdullah did not intervene after he had asked the party president not to do so and that his compliance with the request was recognition of Umno Youth as an authoritative wing that could determine the future direction of Umno's struggle.

Hishammuddin was asked to explain a statement by Abdullah in the "Face-to-Face with the Prime Minister" programme on TV3 last Monday that he (Abdullah) did not intervene in the political career of his son-in-law and that Khairy's election to the Umno Youth deputy chief's post was at the choice of the movement.

Hishammuddin, who is Education Minister, was asked about Khairy's statement recently that he was prepared to step down from the Umno Youth post if he was considered a liability to the movement.

He said "this is not something strange" but a principle for leaders of the party to resign voluntarily if they had become a burden or undermined party credibility.He said he agreed with Khairy's move in going to the divisions of the movement to provide an explanation to the allegations hurled against him.

Umno Youth had given room to Khairy to do so and he had given sufficient explanation, and it is now up to the members to analyse the explanation.

"For those who do not want to listen, it will not bring much of a difference. Therefore, why expend much time to provide an explanation to them?" he said.

Asked whether former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was seen as a threat to the Barisan Nasional in the next general election, Hishammuddin said he did not think so.

He said the opposition and dissatisfaction voiced by Dr Mahathir relating to government policies and projects would not cause a rift in the party.He said it was important that Abdullah gave the explanation and for all leaders to go to the ground to "explain to those who want to listen",

adding that he held to the principle that the party was more important than the individual

RT - Dato' Hisham responds. Expect fiery reactions from the other blogs. Dato' Hisham's reaction carries a lot of weight considering the situtation in UMNO Youth has strong correlation to UMNO in general.Especially in this day and age.

Cheese Bites 34 - More Aye

2006-08-09T01:30:00.000-07:00

Allow Abdullah To Administer Country His Own Way, Says Umno Info Chief

From Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 (Bernama) -- Umno Information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhamad Taib Wednesday called on all quarters to allow Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to administer the country in his own way.He said the people should not listen to incorrect information being disseminated about the Prime Minister's administration as this would only frustrate national development efforts.

"I hope the people will continue to extend their support to the current administration because the accusations being circulated are only aimed at undermining the Prime Minister's leadership,"

he told reporters after opening a seminar on the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) for senior officers of the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (Risda), here.

Muhammad also urged these quarters, whom he clarified to be the people close to former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, to cease instigating Dr Mahathir by giving him incorrect information about Abdullah.

"Tun (Dr Mahathir) is a dynamic leader who has been successful in developing the country. Now, allow Datuk Seri Abdullah to develop the country in his own way,"

he said.

Muhammad said the situation became worse when the incorrect information was conveyed by Dr Mahathir to the people at the functions that he attended

."Although the statement is incorrect, it can upset the national development process because it (the statement) is made by Tun."

Muhammad also urged Umno members nationwide to ignore the allegations made by irresponsible people against the Prime Minister and focus instead on efforts to strengthen solidarity in the party.

RT - Information Chief's turn, let's see what the MTs have to say...

Cheese Bites 33 - All aye?

2006-08-08T17:38:00.000-07:00

Leaders: PM has answered his critics

From The Star Online

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's explanation on the criticisms and accusation hurled at him and his administration is a sincere one which will instil confidence in the Government among the people, his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“I see he had tried to give his explanation with an open heart which can create confidence among the people on the many issues that were raised earlier.

“His explanation comes without hiding any facts and shows that he is sincere in leading the country to the best of his ability,” he said.

Abdullah spoke frankly on a variety of issues especially on the attacks against him and his family in an interview aired by TV3 on Monday night.

Najib also did not believe that Abdullah intended to highlight personal aspects during his explanation, especially issues pertaining to his family, but had to do so as the nature of the “attacks” were personal.

Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin appealed to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to give Abdullah more time to prove himself.

“The prime minister was on air for 40 minutes clarifying all the issues that involved his family, his administration, his son-in-law, and in my opinion that was a complete explanation and he was sincere about it,” said Muhyiddin.

He said it was

unfair for Dr Mahathir to criticise the Government as it had caused a lot of concern to the extent that it shook the very core of the grassroots.

Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said he was sure the people fully understood the stand of the Prime Minister and his desire to provide development for the people and to bring in more investments.

“He is trying his best to fulfil the obligations entrusted to him by the people and he is working very hard towards achieving them,”

he said.

Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said Dr Mahathir’s criticisms against the present administration was probably due to him feeling sidelined after having been prime minister for a long time.

“I am sad, and the people are confused. I have to explain this to the people and pray that we will get through this period,” he said in his address at the ministry’s gathering yesterday.

Radzi said he touched on Dr Mahathir in his speech because civil servants were also citizens and they must know what was happening.

RT - There were questions posed in the other blogs regarding DPM's silence. The Deputy and Vice Presidents have spoken.

Cheese Bites 32 - Of Suits and more suits

2006-08-08T06:03:00.000-07:00

Zam: Greater threat of libel suits

MANTIN: The media faces a greater threat of being sued by companies and individuals for defamation than any action from the Government, said Information Minister Datuk Zainuddin Maidin.

He said editors should not be worried about the Sedition Act as well as the Printing Presses and Publications Act, if they believe the reports published were genuine.

Zainuddin pointed out that when he was the editor of Utusan Malaysia he was more disturbed by the libel suits filed against the company than the two Acts.

“The private companies, organisations and individuals are threatening the press, not the Government. They are the ones who filed libel suits against the media and asked for huge sums in damages,”

he said when asked about calls for the Printing Presses and Publications Act to be abolished.

Zainuddin said the Government would not abolish the Sedition Act 1948 (Revised 1969) and the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 for national unity purposes.

“The editors should understand that certain issues related to race and religion cannot be raised or questioned,” he told reporters at Kem Seri Perkasa here yesterday.

Earlier, Zainuddin presented copies of his book entitled Wira Tak Di Dendang to the camp as well as Kem Millennium Beranang, another national service training camp.

RT - Editors be forewarned. Did anyone buy his book?. What a title.

Cheese Bites 31 - Superman has no grudges against UMNO

2006-08-08T01:21:00.000-07:00

Dr M: I did not criticise Umno, but its leader

TRONOH: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has described his recent outburst as not criticising Umno but rather the leader of the party.

“I did not criticise Umno in my speeches. I only criticised the leader who swayed away from the wishes of Umno,”

he told reporters after giving a lecture on Challenges in Running a Country at Universiti Petronas here yesterday.

To a question, Dr Mahathir said he was not only open during his reign as Umno president but was even challenged by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Musa Hitam and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

They tried to topple me and I did not stop them from going to the kampungs and divisions to make speeches to topple me. I was almost defeated,” he said.

“Now they are stopping me. I can’t even speak to former Umno members.”

Dr Mahathir said he would attend the Kubang Pasu division meeting if he was picked as a delegate but he would not want to be selected as a delegate to the annual general assembly because he would not be allowed to speak.

Earlier, in his speech, Dr Mahathir said that a leader with power was always exposed to many opportunities and could also make wrong decisions for the country.

If leaders were not able to contain their desires and temptations, their actions would result in an abuse of power, he said.

He said a leader who came to power through the people’s mandate, must also demonstrate that he was confident of steering the country to greater heights.

RT - Superman quoting Pak Lah's alliance in 1987. Is he planning on returning the favour?. Asking for mandate to speak for a "pemilihan"?

Cheese Bites 30 - Pak Lah retaliates?

2006-08-07T09:18:00.000-07:00

Full text of PM's special interview

RT - Here are some excerpts. The full Interview can be found at this link.

3. Q: A total of RM15bil for 880 development projects have been allocated under 9MP. Is this all?
A: This is fiscal and it is not over yet.

This is just the first phase

. More will be announced in time.

4. Q: Previously, the public noticed that the Prime Minister was worried about the national deficit. But suddenly, we have this big RM15bil announcement. How did this come about?

A:

The country was facing a deficit economy when I took over the Prime Minister's post. The rate was quite high.

It should not be allowed to go higher or it could bring negative effects. As Finance Minister, I immediately took measures to successfully reduce the deficit from year to year. The deficit and inflation rates managed to be controlled and reduced over a period of time, and the economy became a bit healthier. This in itself is a good achievement. We then decided that we are ready to set aside money to spend (for the 9MP). In fact I will announce more development plans from time to time. But when the oil prices surged at that time, what can we do. So we decided to spend money and use other approaches like PFI.

8. People can see your determination. But the issues raised are on economic opportunities, tenders and how to get benefits from it. The media reports on the RM15bil projects was that it was an open tender but it had already been awarded.
A: That's not right. These allegations are giving the impression as if I had lied to the people. They give an impression that I'm lying and that I have given the RM15bil allocation to other people.

This is slander

. If it is true, then, put in writing. I want to know where did they get the information from. Berani kenar benar (Be brave because if it is the truth) and then we will take action.

I want proof, if there is none, then be prepared to face the consequences.

9. Are you ready to open your door to those with such proofs to come and see you and give information?

A: Write a letter to me, and make a copy to others such as the police, the Anti-Corruption Agency or the related agencies. Show me the proof.

I want an explanation on how he knows this happened.

If these are lies, they are trying to hina (insult) me and the Government. How can they do that?

10. Q: You are noted for your clean image here and internationally, but there are talks as if your name has been damaged. How can such situation occur?

A: I don't know how it had happened.

Such people are trying to belittle me and make wild accusations.

Maybe they are doing so because they have a hidden agenda.

If I'm accused of being corrupt, please write and tell all. But these people seemed to only know things and nothing else. That is not sincere.

11. Q: Some believe that you still have the clean image. Others say that people around you are very influential on you. For example, your son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin.

A: Khairy once worked with me. All officers have their roles. They give their reports and views but it is my decision whether to accept or reject their views and decision. When stories came up about an influential 28-year-old in the Government, he resigned and did not want to work with me anymore. But he has to make a living like the others. He bought a small amount of shares and became a partner in ECM Libra and he took his own loans. But there is no proof that he hijacked and took over a government project.

12. Q: Is it a dilemma to have a family member as a member and political influence in Umno?

A: I've spoken frankly when he wanted to become a youth member. I remember when Hishammuddin (Umno Youth Chief and Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein) was angry with me, he would say that he (Hishammuddin) decided and suggested that Khairy should be the deputy youth chief. He told me jangan kacau (not to interfere).

"Pak Lah jangan kacau. (

don't interfere). This is a youth matter and the youth chose who they want. We want him…" he told me. As a youth deputy, he has to do work and how far of an influence he has on the government depends on what he can do and the work he has achieved. I don't think him (Khairy) being the son-in-law is the number one factor. We can't do something just by assuming that he is anak sipolan (so-and-so's child). But as someone's child, people want to know how far is his capabilities. First, he was booed at the Umno AGM (Annual General Meeting). But when he has the capability to raise a motion on youth and economy, he was cheered and praised. Before that it was another story all together.

13. Where is the line between a family relationship and the relationship between a party president and the deputy youth chief. For example, when he comes up with business-related proposals. Does this happen and what happens then?

A: When he attended youth meetings, I was told that he never took part in pushing for this or that. When he attends youth meetings, he stands and speaks as an Umno youth representative. He has never spoken, asked, pressurised or threatened the government to give him anything. He has not come to me and said "this is my project and I want you to approve.

No, he has not done that as he knows I will not give it to him.

14. Q: Is there a possibility that he is being used by some people?

A: Maybe. Some people might be looking to use him. There are people out there when they want something from a person, they seek after the person's children, son-in-law, wife and best friends. I have had cases where people have sought after my old hometown friends. Some have gone to Kepala Batas looking for me. A person who wants something will find ways to achieve their goal. Some have accused me and said that I have become a Prime Minister for so long but until today, they have not received anything while there are others who just keep quiet and don't complain much. We have to be fair and can't just give just give things as we like.

15. Q: There were talks that the Prime Minister was being too careful and this resulted in delays in approval of development projects.

A: If its important we have to take the time to think over a matter, I only took over the Prime Minister’s job 2 and ½ years ago and yes I have immense powers but I have to be very careful and there was one thing I knew when I became the Prime Minister that whatever decisions I made, good or bad, would have a bearing on the people. If it is a bad decision the people would take the brunt of the consequences and if it is good, Alhamdullillah, but I worry when it is a wrong decision many would suffer in agony.

16. Q: You are known to be a man of a gentle character but the Machiavellian political concept says that a leader should be popular and feared. Do you agree with this?

A: As a Muslim we cannot adopt the Machiavellian concept as a practice. We cannot legalise our actions at any costs. That is not the way to go and I do not hold to such philosophy.

17. Q: Singapore had personality like Lee Kuan Yew and Malaysia Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammed and compare this with you, extremely gentle and sluggish.

A:

This is not a question of being gentle or tough.

The question is that are we able to be firm on our standpoint and what one’s think is true and appropriate. What is important is truth and justice and that is being firm in one’s decision. I normally make hard decisions but make it look easy and I have no reasons to show this to the general public.

18. Q: The media has a perception that there are Ministers that tackles issues in two different tones. What is your comment?

A: There are certain people who speak with an ordinary tone. Samy Vellu (Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu), for instance, speaks in a tough manner as if he wants to fight with someone. Others like Mustapa (Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed) who speaks normally without a high tone. What is important is not to differentiate from the substance aspect. I reprimanded some of them (tegur). Just read the papers. I give them a call and tell them that things should be rectified and asked them what were they talking about and told them to fix it. Previously, when Datuk Seri Law Hieng Deng was the Science, Technology and Environment Minister, I called him and asked him to check on open burning activities. He then rushed out to get to the bottom of the matter.

Another instance was when I read a story that 200 vegetable farmers were evicted although they claimed that they were legal farmers. I then asked Khir Toyo (Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo) to investigate the matter before things got out of hand and before there was a stand off between the Chinese group and the Malay-led government. I told him to handle the matter and get information and he came back and told me that the farmers had been there for quite some time and 80% of the vegetable supply in KL (Kuala Lumpur) came from this area. I solved this problem by approving the land, which is now being cultivated, by the Malays, Chinese and Indians and they have now set up a co-operative. Everything is well now.

19. Q: As we approach our 49th National Day, questions have cropped up about foreign ownerships of local companies especially by Singapore companies, which is a sensitive issue.
A:

This means they have confidence in our economy

. That is why they bought Malaysian business entities. The most important thing, however, is that our control over these companies are not taken over by foreigners. And none of our local companies have been taken over. Malaysian companies shares have been bought by US, Japan and Korea,

people keep quiet about it but they start furore when it involves a Singapore company. I don’t know why.

20. Q: At the Umno AGM (Annual General Meeting) last year, the party’s sentiments was on Proton. Today, some say it no longer receives attention under the Pak Lah era. What is your comment?

A: This project is getting the attention it needs, as this is a national project and the pride of the nation. I will not allow Proton to tersungkur (fail). I will do everything in my power to help Proton and I know Proton is a national company. Proton has many vendors. If Proton is ‘ill’, it will directly affect many vendors. I will make sure that Proton does not fold.

21. Q: Does this mean that the National Automotive Policy will be reviewed?
A: If there are shortcomings to the policy, it will be addressed quickly.

22. Q: You are known as Mr Clean and Mr Nice Guy. Sometimes that intention is disrupted because of business interests. Besides KJ (Khairy), your son Kamaluddin is also in business and has he misused or taken advantage of his relationship with you to excel in his business?

A: Kamal has never used his relationship with me to advance in business. His business is in a field which only has two companies in the world. Of the two integrated oil companies, one is in the US (United States) and the other is his. He is not involved in many other companies and he operates overseas. Sometimes people ask why is he overseas. He tells them that since his father has become the Prime Minister, it is difficult for him to make a living here. That is why he opted to do it overseas. Eighty percent of his contracts are from overseas and that is where he gets his rezeki (livelihood). Petronas usually participates in international open tenders. Any tenders he gets is too small compared to what he gets overseas and he also has to compete for the tenders with other companies. He usually gets tenders from companies like Shell and Esso because it is related with oil and gas. He has never asked for help from the Government.

There is also no bail out. None.

23.Q: In your capacity as the Finance Minister, has his company obtained government tenders?
A: No, not at all. To my knowledge, he has not received any. He does not manage the business and is only the major shareholder and had made a move to buy a Singapore company with 188 ships to transport coal.

24. Q: Some say that the Penang monorail is reserved for Kamal. Is that true?
A: Siapa cakap? (Who said so?) I tell you, it is hard to be nice.

25. Q: Maybe it is time now not to be too gentle?

A:

I am worried as well that things might turn out to be difficult if I push it too far.

26. Q: I cannot run away on why Datuk Seri is said to remain quiet on Dr Mahathir, to be evasive and not face reality

A: I chose to keep quiet because I do not want to quarrel with Tun (Dr Mahathir) in the newspaper. Tun said in a statement that he was slighted because he did not get the information he asked for and if the Prime Minister does not speak, let the ministers speak.

I chose to let the ministers speak.

There are a lot of things he raised come under the ministers' jurisdiction. They should be responsible to explain to the people. People want to know and many Cabinet ministers prefer that I don't speak. Many feel that it is better that I don't speak, many say that Paklah go on and speak. So it became chaotic. Let the ministers speak; this is not about being evasive. The questions raised were directed to the Government and the Government answers.

27. Q: Some questions were directed to you and your family members

A: I don't like to bring up matters relating to my family. That is my view. I know that my children are not involved in things as claimed by certain people. Since you asked, my answer is that my children are not involved in companies and concessions that are appointed by the Government or hope for the Government's assistance and bailout and ask for this and that. Khairy Jamaludin as a son-in-law does his own work. He looks for his own job.

He cannot live without a job, how to take care of his wife and children?

28. Q: The misperception, from a rumour can turn big. What are the steps that should be taken? As a leader you need to think about a powerful formula

A:

I felt that if I play football for less that 10 minutes, people should not punish me.

My style is different from Dr Mahathir's style. I don't run away from the Vision 2020 in view of the current situation, the escalating oil prices. So I have to choose my style and I am responsible for what I have chosen. People say that I do things as Khairy says. There is no such thing.

How can I suffer for so many years in politics until I become the Prime Minister and then surrender my power to him?

29. Q: You have a huge agenda for the people, but the Government seem to be giving more emphasis to the poor among the Malays rather than those among non-Malays.
A: We want to eradicate poverty regardless of race. We want to eliminate hardcore poverty at least by 2010. That policy has never changed, but many among the poor are the Malays. It seems as though we are focusing on the Malays and we neglect the Indians. Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu always asks for special allocation to help the Indians. I strongly uphold to the strategy that whatever developments must benefit the people. We can't run away from that. I am Barisan Nasional chairman, I am the Prime Minister to Barisan Government and all races. How can I not help other races? Justice must be upheld. I hold on to the fact that Allah wants me to be fair. Fair to the people, that is the responsibility entrusted by Allah. I hold on strongly to that. To me I should be a pious Prime Minister, fulfilling the fardhu kifayah, with the power as a Prime Minister certainly I want to increase charitable work, surely I want to be fair to all, that is my belief.

30. Q: When you took over with a huge mandate between three and six months after the elections, you reminded the Mentris Besar that their honeymoon is over. You honeymoon all your life with Endon.

A: Her love is fair and sincere. That is Endon. She does not doubt that and I proved it. My love is fair and sincere. That is my belief. That is why when people cannot see me, I feel sad. They say I have a lot of other work. I have to ask whether they come from far. If they come from far places, even how small their intentions are, they are big enough to them. How can they come from far and spend so much money unless they have high hopes that they could see me.

RT - Those are figthing words. No more Mr Nice Guy?

Cheese Bites 29 - "I'll Step Down...."

2006-08-06T17:22:00.000-07:00

KHAIRY: I’LL STEP DOWN IF...
06 Aug 2006

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KUALA LUMPUR: Khairy Jamaluddin said yesterday that he was willing to step down as the number two in Umno Youth — if that was what the party rank and file wanted.

By going down that route, the Umno Youth deputy chief was clearly sending a signal that he was not going to be influenced or pushed out by the views of individuals. Seeking ground endorsement is always a risky gambit but one that needs to be taken by a politician who has been the target of some venomous personal attacks.

Some have accused him of taking a second wife and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has painted him as the power behind the throne.

Over the next few weeks, Khairy will go around Umno divisions to answer the allegations and explain why arrows are being fired at him. The response from the ground will be a bellwether for him.

"I want to ask the view of Umno Youth members at the grassroots level whether I have become a liability to the party based on all baseless accusations against me.

"If I am a liability to Umno, then I will step down. But if you think I can help Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, I will always be with you," he told the Cheras Umno Youth delegates when opening their divisional meeting here yesterday

.

Khairy said he needed to know what party delegates thought of him.

"Only those who have given the mandate to a leader can decide. Nobody else can force someone out. Leaders carry out the mandate on behalf of the delegates. If a leader does not have credibility or has become a liability to that organisation, then he cannot hold on to that position," he said.

At a Press conference later, he spoke on allegations that the officers who occupied the fourth level of the Prime Minister’s Department in Putrajaya influenced government decisions.

"All government decisions are made by the Cabinet. To claim there are advisers or officers determining the country’s fate and future is a great insult to the Prime Minister.

"From what I heard, Level Four is said to be more powerful than Level Five (Abdullah’s office) because that’s where the Cabinet office is. If that is what people meant, then it could be true," he said.

The Prime Minister’s son-in-law also tackled an allegation that he had become a millionaire overnight after buying shares in investment bank ECM Libra.

Khairy said he bought the shares using the loan he managed to secure.

"I borrowed the money; it’s not my own money. I took a loan from those who sold me the shares."

During the Press conference he was asked whether he would meet his chief critic, Dr Mahathir.

He said that it was more important for him to explain to Umno Youth members the allegations against the party and the Government.

Earlier, Khairy had also opened the Wangsa Maju Youth delegates meeting.

Umno divisions, including the Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings, have begun holding their annual meetings, beginning on Thursday.

Divisions have until Sept 10 to conclude their meetings.

RT - Appears KJ has gone on the offensice, directly rebutting Superman's accusations. Wil update on any developments

Cheese Bites 28 - Where to KJ?

2006-08-06T17:19:00.000-07:00

PM: Up to delegates

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said his son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin, who has been the target of slander and allegations by various parties, would not hold the post of Umno Youth deputy chief if the delegates did not want him anymore.

Abdullah, who is Umno President, was asked to comment on Khairy’s statement yesterday that he was prepared to quit his post if the movement considers him a liability to the party.

Speaking to reporters after opening the Community Sports League at Padang Semarak in Angkasapuri here, the Prime Minister said all Umno leaders should hold the same principle.

“Yes, yes ... whoever it is, the principle is the same,”

he said.

On Friday, Khairy said he was ready to quit the movement if he was a liability.

But as a mark of respect for party members, Khairy said that only the movement’s delegates could decide on his position, as they were the ones who elected him.

Khairy said he wanted to seek the views of Umno Youth grassroots members as to whether he had become a liability what with all the talk about him.

RT - Read Joceline Tan's colum in The Star, appears KJ will be going to 30 Youth Divisions. Definitely able to gauge the support or lack thereof. What do you think?

Cheese Bites 27 - Internet Media

2006-07-31T03:55:00.000-07:00

Zam: Controls will enhance Internet media's credibility

KANGAR: Imposing some control on the Internet media will not make the medium less popular, but rather give it credibility, Information Minister Datuk Zainuddin Maidin said.

He said the mainstream media had gained credibility because of the laws making them responsible for what they published.

“We need to have a similar form of control over the Internet media and blogs, as the medium is used to spread unfounded allegations that posed a threat to national security and racial unity,” he said.

He was at the state-level “Seiring Melangkah Bersama” (Step Forward Together) function organised in conjunction with the 60th anniversary of agencies under the Information Ministry on Sunday.

Zainuddin said he supported Deputy Internal Security Minister Datuk Fu Ah Kiow’s statement that there should be some form of control over sensitive issues to protect national security.

He said some websites and blogs had touched on Islam and Malay rights, which threatened harmony in multi- racial Malaysia.

If left uncontrolled, the medium could be used as a tool to disturb the peace and stability in the country.

“It is not our intention to curb freedom of speech. It is all right to present views, but it is not acceptable if the content is instigative in nature,"

he said.

“We have come across cases and stories that are posted based on hearsay. Some of the comments and arguments are baseless.”

Zainuddin said the Government had no intention of jailing those who write about racial issues in blogs.

“We will not stop bloggers and Internet media operators from expressing their views, as long as the views are presented in an ethical manner,”

he added.

RT: Is this the end or just the beginning?

Cheese Bites 26 - Superman sprayed

2006-07-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

Dr Mahathir sprayed with chemical irritant, attacker identified

Update by The Star Newsdesk

KOTA BARU: A man sprayed a chemical irritant in the direction of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad moments after the former Prime Minister arrived at the airport here Friday morning.

In Putrajaya, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he was angry over the incident and ordered the police to conduct an immediate investigation and to take stern action against those responsible for the act.

According to police, former Umno strongman Datuk Ibrahim Ali took the brunt of the spray on his face while Dr Mahathir and his bodyguard were also affected.

The 11am (0300GMT) incident took place just as Dr Mahathir was entering a 4WD vehicle together with Ibrahim.

Dr Mahathir, who was seen taking off his glasses and wiping his eyes, was rushed from the vehicle by his other security personnel to a car nearby, which then drove away.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan told The Star that his officers have identified the man who sprayed the irritant and expect to make an arrest soon.

Musa said the police were investigating the incident under Section 328 of the Penal Code.

The section reads: "Whoever administer to or causes to be taken by any person any poison or any stupefying intoxication or unwholesome drug or other things with intent to cause hurt to such person or with intent to commit or facilitate the commission of an offence or knowing it to be likely that he will thereby cause hurt shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years and shall also liable to fine"

Later at a press conference,

Dr Mahathir described the attack as an attempt to stop him from speaking out.

Describing how he felt, Dr Mahathir said: “It felt something like a sore throat, my eys were stinging, I could not see clearly and removed my glasses.”

The former premier said he would continue with his scheduled talks Friday.

Dr Mahathir was on a one-day visit to Kelantan and was scheduled to attend a dialogue and dinner organised by the Kelantan People’s Action Council headed by Datuk Paduka Ibrahim Ali.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he was angry over the incident and ordered the police to conduct an immediate investigation and to take stern action against those responsible for the act.

"I regret and am very angry such an incident has happened," he said, adding that those responsible for the incident should be severely punished.

He said the matter should be immediately resolved to avoid negative implications and misconception among the public.

The Prime Minister also feared that certain quarters would take advantage of the incident by disseminating rumours, especially through the Internet.

RT - Pak Lah must make sure that stern actions be taken against the offender.

Cheese Bites 25 - Blair urged to stand up to Bush

2006-07-27T18:40:00.000-07:00

From the Independent UK

Tony Blair will face fresh pressure over the Middle East crisis today when he arrives in Washington to meet President George Bush. Senior Downing Street aides said the two leaders intended to show the world they were seeking an urgent end to the hostilities in Lebanon, despite the failure of the much vaunted Rome summit on Wednesday to deliver a unified call for a truce.

Israel's Justice Minister, Haim Ramon, added to the pressure yesterday, when he interpreted that indecision as a green light to continue the bloody assault on Lebanon

"We received yesterday at the Rome conference permission from the world... to continue the operation," he told reporters.

The Prime Minister's visit takes place as 42 leading figures in politics, diplomacy, academia and the media put their names to a declaration urging Mr Blair to tell the President that Britain "can no longer support the American position on the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in the Middle-East". Their declaration, printed on the front page of today's Independent, calls on the Prime Minister to

"make urgent representations to Israel to end its disproportionate and counter-productive response to Hizbollah's aggression".

After his stop-over in Washington, Mr Blair will fly on to California tonight to attend a conference with the media magnate Rupert Murdoch. An ally of Mr Murdoch, Irwin Stelzer, insisted Mr Blair was not Mr Bush's "poodle", but his "guide dog", particularly over the Middle East.

Downing Street officials said Mr Blair intended to respond to world criticism by showing urgency in seeking an end to the hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah. The Prime Minister and the President are planning to commit their governments to a lasting ceasefire by restoring the authority of the elected government against the unilateral action by Hizbollah.

Their joint appearance at the White House is likely to be met with scepticism. The Bush administration said this week it was seeking a "new Middle East", raising fears that the crisis in Lebanon was a proxy war between the US and Iran, Hizbollah's backers.

Senior officials in Downing Street said the Prime Minister supported the US strategy on the Middle East, which was agreed at the Sea Island G8 summit in 2004. Mr Blair is credited with persuading the President to pursue a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine problem. Mr Blair and Mr Bush will emphasise they are working behind the scenes to push for an urgent end to the violence on both sides in the Lebanon.

RT - Ladbrokes taking bets on this?. I'll bet my mouse house Blair will only smile sheepishly to Bush. Stand up?. No chance.

MouseTrap 07 - Jeff Ooi - The Brand New Malaysian?

2006-07-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

Intrigued by Jeff Ooi's comments about Black Tilapia, the tikus browsed to see what has been going on down in his blogs -

Came across a story about a blog - http://www.brandmalaysia.com/ and managed to read its last article; excerpts of which I paste here:

-Start-

We all have children, and no matter who we are, our children will more than likely be the ones whom we put everything aside for. That makes them easy targets for people who hate us. The Mafia knows this, and countless of movies have hit the silver screen about how it hurts most when someone we love most gets it bad. It hurts really bad.

It's unfair, but it is effective.

Jeff Ooi knows this, and he went for the jugular.

I will tell you that it worked beyond his wildest imagination. Because you see, he hit his enemy where it will hurt most, in the occasion where the man is trying to derive most joy. He found a person Kalimullah loves more than himself, and sent out a clear assault on the person's most precious moment.

It broke a father's heart. Jeff won. He finally striked fear into a powerful man, speculated on the front page of Harakah — a well read PAS publication in Kelantan — to have close ties with the Prime Minister and also is influential in the NSTP group, long associated with UMNO.

Kalimullah is scared, and he is worried. Not so much for himself, I reckon. Instead, he fears that his daughters wedding might be disrupted. It is no longer a private affair for family and friends. It's now a very public event.

Yes, I reckon that seals it.

Jeff won and Kalimullah lost.

That always happen when someone dear to us gets dragged into the fight.

Jeff has just sealed his reputation as Malaysia's most influential blogger.

By the way, I'm opting out of this. It's not the same anymore. Good night, Malaysia. It's been a great ride and thanks for the great time. You have made my days over and over again, more than 2.2 million times over the period of a year, and I am grateful for it, each time.

This is Mack Zulkifli, signing out for the last time on Brand New Malaysian.

- END -

RT - Aren't weddings a sacred and private event?. Have al ook at this entry: http://www.jeffooi.com/2006/06/soninlaw.php.

I still don't understand why he posted the invitation card. In all tradition - it's wrong. Anyway, Im still looking for the Black Tilapia.

MouseTrap 06 - Don Rahim Hits Back

2006-07-27T13:06:00.000-07:00

RT -Got this forwarded email. (My application for membership of Promuda Circle is pending)

Email from donrahim@gmail.com

-Start Email -

Dear friends,

I'm in the midst of my vacation abroad but was interrupted by a few calls back home saying that

dark and powerful forces are now at work to discredit or character assassinate my boss, Don.

At first I didn't believe this since I thought only the opposition would stoop to such a level. Obviously I'm wrong. Check out this link. Interesting read.

http://www.machai.net/weblog/machai.net/2006/07/bangsar_nights_tehtarik_with_y.html

I'm beginning to feel sorry for Don.

Well, this isn't a coincidence but the beginning of an orchestrated effort to discredit Don. Why? It's obvious that some people are not happy with Don especially when he defended Tun. Dr. M's right to air his views.

Also Don's string of analytical yet critical postings on various issues to this forum.

I'm sure many willing "actors" can be roped in to execute such a scheming act against Don. When the forces are powerful, I'm sure many are willing to line up to kiss their asses. Maybe they would even sell their soul just to get into the good books of such people. That is the reality of life.

In Malay, we call such people "barua". They come with a price.

Perhaps Don should start naming who these people are.

Some of the strategies that have been used against Don are:-

1. Strategy to create an internal revolt in Promuda to remove Don.
- This was tried for some time but didn't work. Kindly go and figure out the reasons.

2. Strategy to intimidate and create fear.
- Again, try to figure out what was done to intimidate. Maybe it worked on some people in the exco.

3. Strategy to discredit or character assassinate Don
- This is now being executed. What you see is only the begining.

The excuse used to stage a revolt (but unsuccessful) is that Promuda is now no longer apolitical because of Don's statement to defend Tun Dr. M's right to air his views.

Well, Don thinks this is sheer nonsense.

Making a statement to affirm Tun. Dr. M's right to air his views doesn't mean Promuda is no longer apolitical.

Don upholds certain principles like freedom of speech and _expression.

What more if the Govt now claims to be more open and transparent.

In the past, Don has made statements which could have angered even the most powerful Government in the world i.e the U.S Government. Check out this link;

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/FL21Ae01.html

But no one created a fuss at all about that statement. There were no threats of reprisal against him, no intimidation tactic, no effort to discredit or character assasinate him by the U.S Government or its agents and messengers. So when they say they're open, they really, really, really mean what they say.

But here in Malaysia, looks like Don is beginning to feel that this openness is just a big bluff.

It appears to Don that what these people wanted is that Don or Promuda should only make statements that pleases the powers-that-be. Saying Promuda is political or had strayed from its objectives is just a covenient excuse to camoulfage that intention.

So maybe we all can forget about intellectual discourse or criticial thinking etc. Let's all just become parrots and just echo what our leaders say, even when we believe they're wrong in certain issues. Appears that this is expected from Promuda or its Chairman.

Salam,

Din
p.a. to Don

- End Email -

RT - Have been getting a lot of information on Promuda of late. Apparently the revolt he mentioned is occuring with a handful of excos including the Deputy Chairman resigning (or forced to resign for not supporting him). Don't agree with his take on the "openess being a big bluff"...apparently from what he has been saying, he won't be around if this is true. Watch out for this space for more news on Promuda.

Cheese Bites 24 - Musa Aman explains

2006-07-27T12:28:00.000-07:00

July 27, 2006 22:18 PM

From Bernama

PM Accepts Musa's Explanation On Sipadan

KOTA KINABALU, July 27 (Bernama) -- Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman said Thursday he had explained to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on the clubhouse project on Sipadan Island.

He added, the Prime Minister was satisfied with the explanation and accepted it.

"I submitted the report on the whole project including on the construction of the clubhouse," he said when contacted Thursday.

Musa said that on May 24 he had directed that the project be postponed immediately.

A report on the front page of The Star Thursday quoted Abdullah as saying:

"I was really angry with Musa. I told him not to build it. I said too much corals would die and he promised to review the project."

According to the report, Abdullah had openly stated his dissatisfaction with Musa.

Earlier, Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat had said the state government was prepared to brief the PM on the latest development on Sipadan.

"We will brief the plan to construct the RM4.5 million project to him," he said to reporters when asked to comment on Abdullah's unhappiness with the state government for continuing with the project despite his opposition.

Chong, who is also state Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment said he did not know whether the project would be stopped completely but added that the state government might have to brief the PM on it.

The project was brought to a halt after a barge carrying some building materials damaged a coral reef measuring 372.94 square meters last May 14.

RT - What a way to find out things are done behind your back. Kapal terbalik. Not a diver / naturist myself but I can imagine how some would feel about over development at our national treasures

MouseTrap 05 - Fighting for Independence!!

2006-07-27T04:22:00.000-07:00

Lest we forget, the tikus' stand is simple:

We are for freedom of speech as it is an indication of Malaysia's development.

It reflects our supposed maturity and our readiness to make that great leap of faith.

So, Raja Tikus and his band of merrymen remain steadfast and focus to our "God -given" task - ensure the quality, integrity and ethical standards of Internet "news/communications" are at the optimal level at

ALL TIMES.

There will be instances when we appear to be against the Government (refer to 70% of our Cheese Bites), and there will be instances when

we appear to be against the bloggers

.

But our objective - Never to appear to be against the utopia of freedom of speech. The right freedom of speech. The freedom of speech we are proud to relay to our children (both men and rats).

Are all the views and opinions online currently "independent and formulated without favour nor prejudice?."

You decide....

Raja Petra, Malaysia Today -

To Mahathir, however, that is a principle and a principle he holds dear. The legendary Robin Hood too had principles if you want to go by that ‘philosophy’. He robbed from the rich and gave to the poor. Robbing would be an unprincipled act to most. But, to Robin Hood, the principle of robbing would only be unprincipled if one robs from the poor, or robs from the rich and keeps the loot all to oneself. But robbing from the rich to help the poor is not wrong if the objective is to help the poor. And keeping a small ‘service fee’ in the process to pay for the overheads of running your operation is also allowed -- or else how would you be able to continue helping the poor? Yes, the ends justify the means.

And that is why Robin Hood is the ‘goodie’, the hero of the story, and not the villain.

I smell a rat....

Raja Tikus

Cheese Bites 24 - Sarawak not sugar free

2006-07-27T04:18:00.000-07:00

No sugar shortage in Sarawak, says official

KUCHING: There is no limit to the amount of sugar a consumer can buy as there is no shortage in the supply in Sarawak.

Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman assured that there was enough supply to meet demand.

“If there is any disruption in supply in any areas, the Domestic Trade and Consumers’ Affairs Ministry officials will send the sugar there,”

Daud said panic buying by consumers, bulk buying by industries from wholesalers, hoarding by retailers and smuggling activities had resulted in sugar shortage in the past.

He said officials were now carrying out daily monitoring on retailers to check if there was any sudden surge in the sale of sugar in any outlet.

“If that happens, the supply to the retailer concerned would be stopped,”

he added.

RT: Like the IPPs my pals in Kuching are breathing sighs of reliefs.

Cheese Bites 23 - Iranian Minister coming to Malaysia

2006-07-26T22:26:00.000-07:00

Thursday July 27, 2006

Iranian foreign minister to visit Malaysia

From The Star Online

KUALA LUMPUR: Iran's foreign minister is expected to arrive on Thursday, apparently to discuss the Middle East crisis with Malaysia, the current head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference, officials said.

Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki will meet his Malaysian counterpart, Syed Hamid Albar, during the two-day visit, an Iranian Embassy official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.

The official said he has no other details.

Asked if the visit was related to the Middle East crisis, he said "Yes, I think so.''

A Malaysian Foreign Ministry official confirmed Mottaki's visit but also had no other details.

He would only say that Mottaki arrives Thursday afternoon and leaves Friday.

The visit comes amid rising tensions in the Middle East over Israel's military strikes on Lebanon and the retaliation by the Hezbollah group.

Malaysia is planning to host a summit of the 57-member OIC, the world's largest Muslim political grouping, to find ways to end the crisis.

The summit is tentatively set for Aug. 3, and it is hoped at least 15 or up to 20 heads of governments would attend, said the Malaysian official, also speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Malaysian government is still preparing a list of the leaders who can make it, but doesn't expect a near-full attendance, said the official.

Mottaki's visit will coincide with that of U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who also arrives later Thursday to attend a regional security meeting of Asian and Western powers that will focus on the North Korean nuclear crisis.

The Iranian nuclear programme was not expected to be discussed at the meeting, organized by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

Malaysia is the current chairman of ASEAN as well. - AP

RT - First Condi Rice, then Mr Mottaki. Ut has been a 'good' year for Malaysia as a venue for sensational politics.

Cheese Bites 22 - MCA ministers in Q-and-A on 9PPP

2006-07-26T18:21:00.000-07:00

MCA ministers in Q-and-A on 9PPP

From The Star Online

KUALA LUMPUR: Four MCA ministers will be at the party headquarters, Wisma MCA, here next Saturday for a question-and-answer session on the party’s nine-point party platform (9PPP).

The 9PPP – a document that outlines the future directions and plans of the party – covers matters like a healthy political culture, lifelong learning, revitalising education, Chinese language education, economic competitiveness, development and promotion of culture, new village development, a just and caring society, and Rakyat Malaysia.

The four ministers are MCA president and Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, deputy president and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy, vice-president and Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn, and vice-president and Health Minister Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.

Ong will deliver the keynote address after the welcoming speech to be given by Dr Chua.

The session will be conducted in English, said its organising chairman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng.

RT - The maturing of Malaysia's politics. At least 'components' of.

Fat Cat 03 - PPA won't be renegotiated

2006-07-26T18:11:00.000-07:00

Thursday July 27, 2006

From The Star Online

Power purchase agreements won’t be re-negotiated

By B.K. SIDHU

Supplementary accords and power exchange planned to tackle imbalance

PUTRAJAYA: Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik says while power purchase agreements (PPAs) will not be re-negotiated, supplementary accords will be drawn up and a power exchange set up to address the imbalance in the industry.

“We are working out a win-win (proposal) to address the imbalance in the industry. With that there would be a future for the independent power producers (IPPs) and they would not pass too much electricity to Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB),’’ he told journalists at his office here.

“What we are doing is giving the (IPPs) a future and (at the same time) take some of the 'pass-through' responsibilities now thrown at TNB,’’

he said, adding that the IPPs had mutually agreed to the proposed supplementary agreement.

Sources said the electricity exchange could be set up as early as next month but this could not be confirmed.

There have been various calls for re-negotiation of the PPAs between TNB and the IPPs. TNB was said to be paying a lot to the IPPs and that burdened it with huge debts, making it difficult for the powerhouse to move forward.

But to Lim, breaking the agreements is not the way forward. Supplementary agreements, he said, could help TNB while at the same time give the IPPs

“a role to play in the future’’.

Lim said the sought-after win-win solution was to extend the concession period and turn the concessions of the IPPs into licences for generating power, of which a portion would be sold on the exchange via a open bidding process. Such a move would help reduce TNB’s expenses in terms of fixed cost of power supply as TNB buys all the power produced by the IPPs.

Currently, the gas-fired plants have a concession period of 21 years and the coal-fired plants 23 years, while the power plant life is estimated at about 20 years.

TNB now pays 12 sen to 17 sen per kilowatt-hour to the IPPs for the electricity supplied while its own cost is 8 sen to 11 sen per kilowatt-hour.

The daily demand for power in the country is about 12,600 megawatts, of which half is produced by TNB.

It is learnt that under the new formula, about 70% of the balance 6,300 MW would be supplied by the IPPs at PPA rates. The rest would be bought via the exchange through a bidding process

RT - Few big sigh of reliefs across the city.

StaRat 05 - Actress Cum Model Court Case

2006-07-26T05:28:00.000-07:00

Nasha Aziz spy-camera case: Counsel - Not enough evidence to convict businessman

26 Jul 2006
KUALA LUMPUR:

There is not enough evidence to convict businessman Ahmad Bakhtiar Abdul Kayoom, if not for the cautioned statement to link him to the Nasha Aziz spy-camera case.Counsel Mohd Aris Abu Bakar said that prosecution did not have enough evidence, and the only one which they relied on was Ahmad Bakhtiar’s cautioned statement.He said the statement should not have been made admissible in court, and that the magistrate presiding the case had erred in doing so.

This was one of the four points raised by Aris in Ahmad Bakhtiar’s appeal against his six months’ conviction for trespassing on and installing a closed-circuit camera in the condominium unit
formerly rented by the actress-cum-model.

(On April 30, 2004, magistrate Ida Hanani Abd Karim sentenced Ahmad Bakhtiar, 27, to six months’ jail each for the offence of trespassing and insulting modesty, and ordered both the sentences to run concurrently from the date of conviction.)The other three points raised at the High Court yesterday before Judicial Commissioner Lim Yee Lan, to strike out the magistrate’s decision include:

• that the charge was defective as it did not include the exact time and date.
• the magistrate had mistakenly used similar facts as evidence.
• the exhibits such as the camera, tape recorder and television were not functioning, and that the prosecution did not show the operation of the camera to the television set.

In reply, DPP Noorin Badaruddin said the charge was not defective as it had stated the period in which the offence was committed.She said the prosecution could act on the statement independently, but were not relying on it per say, only corroboratively.

"The appellant had access to her apartment and knew the whereabouts of the recorded tape which he had handed to the police," she said, adding that the tape was kept in his "Superman" box.

Noorin said that besides the cautioned statement, there were overwhelming reasons to convict Ahmad Bakhtiar.

"The magistrate has made the correct decision to convict him, after carrying out a maximum evaluation,"

she said.

Noorin also informed the court that the prosecution had also made a cross appeal against the sentence, for the six months’ to run consecutively.Submissions will continue on Sept 13.

RT - Superman Box?.

International Tikus 03 - Wednesday Summary II

2006-07-26T05:09:00.000-07:00

Former Prime Minister Mahathir taunts successor, vows to continue fighting him
By EN-LAI YEOH
Associated Press Writer
503 words
22 July 2006
13:04
Associated Press Newswires
English
(c) 2006. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad vowed Saturday to carry on a fight against the government he calls incompetent and gutless, and accused his successor of running scared.

Mahathir, 81, returned Saturday from a European vacation to a welcome more befitting an opposition leader than a retired statesman. After he alighted from a private jet, some 600 supporters greeted him with slogans and banners that read "Mahathir, Save Malaysia" and "Mahathir Restore Our Country's Pride."

Many in the crowd, which included former Cabinet appointees and ruling United Malays National Organization party members, wore T-shirts with his picture on the front.

Addressing the crowd, Mahathir said he didn't expect such a reception. He said now that he has rested for 20 days he will continue his fight against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the man he had hand-picked to lead Malaysia.

"That man is afraid of me," he said. "What is he afraid of? If you think what you did is right, then why are you afraid?" he told his cheering supporters.

Mahathir, who retired in 2003 after 22 years in office as Malaysia's longest-serving leader, has launched blistering verbal attacks on Abdullah in recent weeks, accusing him of mishandling the economy and national interests. Analysts say he is upset his successor appears to have tarnished his legacy.

"Already the country is not doing well. Already we have lost respect, especially among the developing world," said Mahathir, standing on the back seat of a four-wheel drive vehicle, his head sticking out through the sunroof, outside Subang airport terminal used for chartered and special flights.

Mahathir's chief annoyances include Abdullah's decision to forsake several large projects that he started or proposed, including a bridge between Malaysia and Singapore.

Mahathir has also suggested that Abdullah's 31-year-old son-in-law and former adviser, Khairy Jamaluddin, is influencing the prime minister. His other main complaint is that Abdullah allegedly broke a promise to maintain his old policies.

Abdullah this past week broke his studied silence over Mahathir's jibes, denying all the accusations. He has also said he is hurt by Mahathir's actions, which analysts fear could destabilize the ruling party and derail the country's economy.

Although the Cabinet has stood firmly behind Abdullah, splits have appeared within the party since Mahathir launched his accusations.

Mahathir told his supporters that the fight is not just the result of a difference of opinions. "No! It's about the issues. The issues must be tackled. Show me."

He said he appeared alongside opposition Islamic fundamentalist party politicians at a forum for private groups last month to speak against the government because he had no choice.

"UMNO itself is not giving me an opportunity to speak," he said. "I am sad. If what you are doing is right why are you hiding?" he said.

RT - Former Cabinet appointees? UMNO split, PAS' platform. Doesn't make much sense to me

International Tikus 02 - Wednesday Summary

2006-07-26T05:05:00.000-07:00

Malaysia Ex-PM Wants Mtg To Voice Grievances Against Govt
457 words
25 July 2006
18:42
Dow Jones International News
English
(c) 2006 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

KUALA LUMPUR (AP)--Former Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad Tuesday said he was calling a gathering of ruling party members, claiming he was being deprived of opportunities to voice his opinion.

Mahathir said he was forced to seek a meeting of the United Malays National Organization because five invitations for him to address various audiences had been withdrawn in recent weeks after he stepped up criticism of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"I don't know what to do," Mahathir said, adding that he believed the media also were not fully reporting his views.

"So I would like to have an UMNO gathering, so that I can speak to the UMNO people," Mahathir told a news conference. "I'm going to organize an UMNO meeting...as soon as possible."

Mahathir, who retired in 2003 after 22 years in power, no longer holds any post in UMNO, but he remains a highly respected and influential figure.

In recent months he has launched a blistering verbal attack on his hand-picked successor, Abdullah, claiming his government's policies have eroded many of the successes made during Mahathir's tenure.

On Tuesday, Mahathir reiterated that his two biggest gripes with Abdullah's administration were that its policies weakened Malaysia's national car maker Proton and it that it had scrapped plans to build a bridge to Singapore on the city-state's objections.

Asked what would appease him, Mahathir said: "Very simple. Don't undermine Proton. Don't kowtow to Singapore."

Abdullah, who is UMNO's president, has defended his decisions, but acknowledged he feels hurt by his former mentor's assault.

Cabinet ministers have urged Mahathir to cease his criticism, fearing it could spark a split within UMNO, which forms the backbone of Malaysia's coalition government.

Mahathir confirmed that Khalil Yaakob, UMNO's ex-secretary general and currently governor of southern Malacca state, was trying to mediate between them.

He also rejected claims by prominent businessman Tajudin Ramli earlier this month that Mahathir directed him to buy a controlling stake in state-owned Malaysia Airlines, or MAS, to bail out the government.

Tajudin alleged his 1994 purchase of the stake for MYR1.8 billion, then worth $750 million, was not a normal commercial deal but a forced "national service" to rescue the central bank, which at the time was hit by multibillion ringgit foreign exchange losses.

"I don't remember instructing him to buy MAS shares," Mahathir said. "We didn't need his money." In 2000, the government repurchased Tajudin's stake for MYR8 a share, though the market price was around MYR3.60, causing an outcry that the government was bailing out a crony.

RT - Impeccable timing. Expect a fiery "Perhimpunan" this year

Cheese Bites 21 - Superman takes flight

2006-07-25T18:33:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Mahathir denies forcing tycoon to buy Malaysia Airlines

From Malaysia Today Online

(AFP) - Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has denied a bombshell allegation that he forced a local tycoon to buy Malaysia Airlines (MAS) to help bail out the central bank.

Businessman Tajudin Ramli is suing for compensation over the deal, which he said Mahathir forced him into in order to raise money after the airline's then owner Bank Negara suffered massive foreign exchange losses.

"I don't remember instructing him to buy MAS shares. At that time the goverment was not short of money. Yes we lost some money but we know what to do, how to recover, and we recovered,"

Mahathir told reporters.

"Perhaps you should ask him how he came up with the conclusion that I forced him to buy MAS,"

said the former premier, who had just returned from overseas and was responding for the first time to the charges aired earlier this month.

Tajudin reportedly purchased a controlling stake of 29 percent in Malaysia Airlines in 1994 from the central bank, paying about twice the market price for the ailing carrier.

The well-connected tycoon claims a conspiracy over the deal and is suing the government and a number of state-owned companies for 13.46 billion ringgit (3.69 billion dollars), according to Malaysia's Sun newspaper.

The daily said he took out a 1.8 billion ringgit loan for the purchase and that he was reluctant to buy the under-performing Malaysia Airlines, but that Mahathir told him he was performing "national service".

"I don't ask people to do national service,"

Mahathir said.

Recalling his version of events, the former premier said he was informed of Tajudin's interest in buying MAS by then finance minister Daim Zainuddin -- who himself has been dogged by corruption allegations.

In 2000 the government was criticised when it bought back the loss-making airline for more than twice its market value.

It was perceived as a bailout after Tajudin's loans became non-performing and were taken over by then-national asset management agency Danaharta.

Tajudin was one of a number of Malay entrepreneurs hand-picked by Mahathir in business dealings as part of efforts to boost the wealth of the country's majority ethnic group, or bumiputras as they are called.

Analysts have said the affair has shed light on long-held beliefs about government assistance given to bumiputra businessmen in the country.

RT - So now he has clear the agenda for Friday's 'revelations'. Hang on to your seats.

Cheese Bites 20 - Bloggers in the limelight

2006-07-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, July 25, 2006
Mainstream Media need not ape Websites, Bloggers - PM

From Malaysia Today

Mainstream media in the country need not compete with websites and "bloggers" on the Internet to publish speculative and sensational materials and news, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Tuesday.

Instead, they should bear the heavy responsibility of conveying information to the people with the realisation not to report on anything that could invite adverse reactions or create unhealthy situation, the Prime Minister said.

"People will still refer to what is reported by mainstream newspapers. Therefore, it is important for newspapers to be mindful of their role, don't be swayed to publish sensational news posted by this website and that,"

he told reporters after opening the Mass Media Conference 2006 themed "Media and Globalisation Era Challenges".

Abdullah was elaborating on the content of his speech which dwelled at length on the role of the media in the context of meeting its social obligations in the country.

Stressing that the mainstream media wielded influence and the people's attention, he said:

"No need to compete (with websites). Want to compete for what...don't write untrue news, speculative reports based on false information."

Abdullah stressed the importance for the media to be careful and responsible when reporting sensitive issues.

"Think very carefully before writing a piece of news. Don't sensationalise sensitive news because it can spark adverse reactions,"

he said.

Abdullah said although the country had progressed, the Malaysian society was still sensitive about matters related to religion and issues on their status and racial aspirations.

Statements by certain groups that could inflame and create tension or cause fights should not be given space in the media, he added.

Abdullah was also asked on the popularity of certain websites and blogs and the views that the credibility of the mainstream media had been affected for not reporting similar issues. -- BERNAMA

RT - Administration recognising the 'big shift'. Hard for mainstream media to compete anyway with greater IT infrastructure. But mypolitikus retains its quest for ethical Internet media reporting. Maybe the next step is contacting someone from PMO

International Tikus 01 - Now its Israel vs The World

2006-07-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

Deadly Israel raid on UN post overshadows Lebanon crisis meet

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From NST Online

An Israeli air raid on south Lebanon killed as many as four UN observers, overshadowing an international crisis meeting due to open in Rome, as Hezbollah vowed to fire rockets further into the heart of Israel.

The deaths, which UN chief Kofi Annan said were the result of Israel's "apparently deliberate targeting" of a UN post, also drew a strong protest from France, whose officers currently command the nearly 30-year-old UN force.

"I am shocked and deeply distressed by the apparently deliberate targeting by Israeli Defence Forces of a UN observer post in southern Lebanon that has killed two UN military observers, with two more feared dead,"

Annan said in a statement released in Rome.

French ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere, president of the UN Security Council for July, said:

"We condemn this bombing on a UNIFIL position."

The attack on the UN post in the hilltop town of Khiam, once the site of an infamous Israeli jail but now a Hezbollah stronghold, came amid an intensive bombardment of the border area as Israeli troops advanced further into Lebanon.

Fierce fighting was reported as Israeli troops took the town of Bint Jbeil, another bastion of the Shiite militant group.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed to hit back with rocket attacks into the heart of Israel as he made a new television appearance early Wednesday following repeated unsuccessful attempts by Israel to kill him in bombing raids.

"We are entering a new phase in the confrontation, the phase of (striking) beyond Haifa,"

Nasrallah told his group's Al-Manar television.

RT - Is US and UK going to stand for this?. Attacking a sovereign like Lebanon is insane enough. This is showing two fingers to the rest of the world with big brothers (US and UK) watching patiently.

MouseTrap 03 - Jeff Ooi Responds - Follow the Black Tilapia

2006-07-25T18:11:00.000-07:00

Jeff Ooi made light of accusations thrown at him in machai.net as highlighted in the earlier MouseTrap edition. Mypolitikus awaits excitedly at the response from machai.

Dear Jeff,

Apologies for going off tangent from the topic, but I am just wondering whether you will be responding to the accusations hurled at you on machai.net?.

Thanks.

Raja Tikus

His response:

JEFF OOI says: Whose machai? Since Jan 2, 2003, when I started blogging, I have set a tall standard for blogging, that blogger must claim responsibility over the content he/she published. A responsible blogger MUST put up his public face, his email and telephone contact to exemplify his/her sincerity and commitment to blogging per se. As such, I don't pay attention to blogs written behind anonymity. But I did usik-usik sikit when another commenter asked me the same question somewhere in this blog, days ago. My challenge still stays, so I don't have to repeat. Go search the archive. Just give you a clue: Follow that BLACK TILAPIA.

LINK

StaRat 04 - Actor Dies

2006-07-24T23:31:00.000-07:00

Actor Hani Mohsin dies

KUALA LUMPUR: Actor Hani Mohsin Hanafi, 43, collapsed and died at the low-cost carrier terminal in Sepang at 9.30am while waiting to board a flight to Alor Setar on Tuesday.

Mohsin was traveling with his nine-year-old daughter Hani Karmila -- from his previous marriage to Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina -- when he complained of chest pains before collapsing.

Hani Karmila immediately called her mother, who rushed to the airport with husband Datuk Seri Effendi Norwawi.

Mohsin's remains have been brought to hospital for an autopsy.

Mohsin was the host of popular TV game show Roda Impian before his death.

RT - Although he appeared fit...linking this with MoH's report regarding Malaysians obesity, its becoming a serious cause of concern. Go ahead, do that ECG.

Fat Cat 02 - Malaysia's love affair with cars continue..

2006-07-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

MIER: Auto industry in dismal state
By Isabelle Francis

From the Edge Daily

The automotive industry remains in a dismal state even after the unveiling of the National Automotive Policy (NAP) and is only expected to improve gradually, Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER) found in a survey.

MIER said the industry performance was still less upbeat despite the release of the NAP, stable economy and lower car prices.

Citing the survey findings at MIER's 21st National economic briefing in Kuala Lumpur on July 24, its research fellow Kevin Chew said the Automotive Industry Index (AII) inched up to 77.8 points in the second quarter of the year from 76.7 points in first quarter.

"This compares unfavourably with the much higher level of 123 in 2Q05. The AII has been below the 100-point threshold for the past four quarters,"

it said. AII is designed to be a leading indicator of economic activity in the sector.

Chew said the NAP had removed some uncertainty, but other factors such as the rise in interest rates, the drop in used car prices, and the escalating cost of living were dampening auto sales.

“Corresponding to the decline in new car prices, the prices of used cars have dropped even more, which is partly discouraging consumers from trading-in for new cars,”

he said.

Furthermore, he said the survey showed that respondents expected another rise in interest rates, triggered by the pick-up in the inflation rate.

“On top of that, the higher oil prices and electricity rates are biting a big chunk out of the consumers’ purchasing power. It will take a while before the auto industry gets back on a firmer footing,”

he said.

MIER said the number of respondents expecting sales to increase in the third quarter was higher at 42% (1Q: 36%) while 75% of them voted to maintain their auto prices in 3Q06 since price adjustments had already happened.

RT - Saga (no pun intended)continues. Probably Malaysia could use a 'scrap' policy similiar to UK's MOT can spur the second hand car market.

Cheese Bites 19 - PAC - Questions for ECM & Avenue

2006-07-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

PAC: Perjelas gabungan Avenue Capital, ECM Libra

JOHOR BAHRU 23 Julai – Jawatankuasa Kira-Kira Wang Negara (PAC) mahu kerajaan menjelaskan beberapa persoalan berhubung penggabungan syarikat Avenue Capital Resource Berhad dengan ECM Libra.

Pengerusi PAC, Datuk Sharir Abd. Samad berkata, soal penggabungan kedua-dua syarikat itu menimbulkan tanda tanya sama ada pengambilalihan itu menguntungkan kerajaan yang merupakan pemegang saham terbesar dalam Avenue Capital Resource.

Menurut beliau, kerajaan memiliki pegangan saham dalam Avenue Capital melalui MOF Incorporated iaitu salah satu syarikat diperbadankan oleh Kementerian Kewangan.

‘‘Sehubungan itu PAC akan mengadakan mesyuarat pada 10 Ogos ini dan memanggil wakil Kementerian Kewangan dan Suruhanjaya Sekuriti (SC) untuk memberi kita taklimat berhubung perkara itu,”

katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas merasmikan majlis penutup Program Motivasi dan Teknik Menjawab Soalan Pelajar Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) di Kolej Tun Razak Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), Skudai di sini hari ini.

Beliau mengulas mengenai laporan akhbar tempatan baru-baru ini mengenai rancangan kerajaan mengambil alih ECM Libra melalui Avenue Capital Resource.

Shahrir berkata, mesyuarat itu bagi mengetahui proses pengambilalihan syarikat tersebut dilakukan secara terperinci dan sama ada ia membawa keuntungan kepada kerajaan.

Beliau memberitahu, banyak desasdesus menuduh bahawa ECM Libra dipengaruhi oleh orang yang mempunyai pengaruh luar biasa dalam syarikat itu.

Tegas beliau, PAC perlu melihatnya secara rasional bagi mengelak sebarang sangkaan yang dibuat oleh pihak tertentu.

‘‘Kerajaan perlu membuat keputusan dan ia tidak seharusnya dari ‘pengaruh-pengaruh luar biasa’ tetapi berasaskan fakta,”

katanya.

Beliau berkata, ia penting supaya perkara itu tidak menjadi satu bahan perbincangan dan perbahasan di Parlimen kerana segala pandangan dikemukakan oleh Ahli Parlimen dan kerajaan negeri berhubung sesuatu projek tertentu adalah menjurus kepada kepentingan negara.

Tambahnya, parlimen bertanggungjawab mencari kebenaran supaya ia tidak ditimbulkan oleh mana-mana pihak mengenai soal itu.

RT - Story covered in Jeff Ooi first, appears PAC cracking the whip again..Any comments on this?.

MouseTrap 02 - Machai.net 1 , MyPolitikus 0

2006-07-24T03:48:00.000-07:00

Appears machai.net managed to 'uncover' the young Professional organisation Promuda scoop earlier than mypolitikus. Please follow this link HERE

As per my earlier postings, our analysis wl still be conducted.

Fat Cat 01 - GLCs must maximise impact of investments under 9MP

2006-07-24T00:34:00.000-07:00

21-07-2006: GLCs must maximise impact of investments under 9MP
By Kevin Tan

From the Edge Online

The government wants the government-linked companies (GLCs) to look into the multiplier effect on the economy when making investment decisions, Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Mor Mohamed Yackop said.

During a meeting with GLCs and government-linked investment companies (GLICs) on July 20, he urged them to play a leading role in the country’s development, particularly through greater investment under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).

“Companies should consider the multiplier effect on the economy when making their investment decisions, which will help maximise the impact of their investments,” he said.

Nor had told GLCs they could enhance their contribution to the local economy not only by cultivating a high-performance culture but ensuring they were contributing to national development also.

According to a statement issued on July 21 by Treasury’s Transformation Management Office, Nor Mohamed called on the GLCs to find ways to enhance the employability of graduates by providing them with on the job training and training in soft skills, as part of the GLCs human capital development programmes.

The statement said GLCs were on track to deliver on their transformation plans as they focused on implementing the various initiatives under the GLC Transformation Programme, which was launched a year ago.

The progress of the GLCs was conveyed to Nor Mohamed at the conclusion of the 10th meeting of the Putrajaya Committee on GLC High Performance (PCG), attended by heads of GLICs.

The GLICs were the Employees Provident Fund, Khazanah Nasional Bhd, Lembaga Tabung Amanah Tentera, Lembaga Tabung Amanah Tentera, Lembaga Tabung Haji and Permodalan Nasional Bhd.

Transformation Management Office, which acts as the secretariat to the PCG, said the meeting also saw membership of the GLC Roundtable of 15 top GLCs officially expanded to 20.

The five new companies were Chemical Company of Malaysia Bhd, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd, Pos Malaysia & Services Holdings Bhd, TH Plantations Bhd and UMW Holdings Bhd.

RT - Increasingly important for GLCs to find its place in Corporate Malaysia. Hopefully the much talked about 'transoformation' materialises.

Cheese Bites 18 - LKS hits back at his old nemesis

2006-07-24T00:09:00.000-07:00

Kit Siang says Dr M has a selective memory
24 Jul 2006

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IPOH: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has a selective memory, said Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang, pointing to the "silencing" of Tunku Abdul Rahman in the mainstream media when the former prime minister was in office.

"He (Dr Mahathir) did not mention the 1987 Operation Lalang clampdown of mass arrests of Opposition MPs and leaders, civil society activists as well as closure of newspapers, resulting in the ‘silencing’ of Tunku Abdul Rahman in the mainstream media."

Dr Mahathir should not escape responsibility and accountability for his 22-year premiership, said Lim when commenting on Dr Mahathir’s claims made on Saturday upon his return from overseas, that there were attempts to silence him.

Speaking at a DAP function in Buntong on Saturday, the party chairman and Ipoh Timur MP said Dr Mahathir’s remarks were the start of the "second round of the Mahathir-Abdullah political tussle".

He said the most effective way for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to counter Dr Mahathir’s challenge was to deliver his 2004 election pledge to reform the Government and fight corruption.

RT - Keadilan, PAS and now DAP. Everyone appears to be pulling away now that he has suceeded in making the Government sweat...who's next?. The Internet? em>

Cheese Bites 17 - Superman Live!!

2006-07-23T22:57:00.000-07:00
Monday, July 24, 2006

Mahathir LIVE from Kota Bharu

Malaysia Today

Malaysia Today will be broadcasting Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s event LIVE from Hotel Perdana, Kota Bharu, Kelantan. The two-and-a-half hour event is expected to kick-off at 3.30pm on Friday, 28 July 2006, and is the second in a series of dialogues being organised for Mahathir to explain current political issues to the Umno grassroots.

The broadcast will be repeated at 9.30pm that same night. Malaysia Today hopes it can continue broadcasting for about one week, three times a day. The air times have not been confirmed yet but the plan is to broadcast at 10.30am, 2.30pm and 9.30pm every day. After that the video will be put into the archives and will still be available for viewing.

Malaysia Today hopes to offer three formats: Broadband quality video, dialup quality video, and audio only for those who only need to hear without viewing.

The Kota Bharu event on 28 July is expected to be fiery in light of the recent attacks and exposes by the government on what is being painted as Mahathir’s mismanagement of the economy, blatant abuse of power, cronyism, wastage of the country’s financial resources on lavish ‘mega-projects’, and the RM30 billion Forex losses recently revealed by Anwar Ibrahim is his Malaysiakini interview.

RT - An innovative method of communication employed by Malaysia Today. Let's see what's going down this Friday.

Cheese Bites 16 - PAS doesn't want to be left out of the bandwagon

2006-07-22T07:36:00.001-07:00
PAS hanya sokong isu-isu yang dibangkitkan Mahathir

Fri | Jul 21, 06 | 06:50:43 PM

Oleh Harakahdaily KUALA LUMPUR, 21 Julai (Hrkh): Ahli Jawatankuasa PAS Pusat, Mahfuz Omar mengulangi penegasan bahawa PAS hanya menyokong isu-isu yang dibangkitkan oleh bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"Tidak timbul kita menyokong Dr Mahathir kerana beliau masih ahli Umno. Kita hanya menyokong Dr Mahathir dalam membangkitkan isu-isu yang dipersoalkannya, sama seperti kesediaan kita untuk bersama-sama beliau dalam dalam Majlis Syarahan Perdana Mengenai Isu Kemanusiaan Palestin (pada 8 Mei 2002 di Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka) ketika Presiden kita, Allahyarham Ustaz Fadzil Noor berucap bersama-sama beliau dalam majlis itu,"
beliau menjelaskan.

Isu kerjasama dengan Dr Mahathir juga tidak timbul, katanya, kerana
"Dr Mahathir tidak mewakili mana-mana organisasi atau pertubuhan selain Umno"
dalam kritikannya terhadap Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dan kerajaan.

"Tetapi itu tidak menghalang kita untuk menyokong isu yang dibawa oleh Dr Mahathir kerana ia amat berkait dengan kedaulatan dan ekonomi negara kerana kita juga amat cemas dengan pemilikan syarikat-syarikat Singapura ke atas syarikat-syarikat strategik Malaysia melalui kerjasama agennya yang mencengkam negara ini."

"Apabila secara kebetulan Dr Mahathir membangkitkan kebimbangan yang sama dengan apa yang kita bimbangi selama ini, kita memberikan kerjasama untuk menyokong isu-isu yang dibangkitkannya itu. Setakat itu sahaja dan sebarang spekulasi yang lain adalah nakal,"
tegas beliau.

Mahfuz menyatakan, PAS menyokong isu-isu yang dibangkitkan oleh Dr Mahathir bukan sahaja kerana isu-isu yang dipersoalkannya merupakan isu-isu negara tetapi lebih dari itu, kerana kemarahannya terhadap pihak ketiga yang cuba mengawal kerajaan.

"Kita tidak boleh menerima samasekali pihak ketiga ini,"
tegas beliau. Beliau seterusnya menjelaskan, krisis kali ini berbeza dengan krisis 1987 di mana ketika itu, yang berkrisis adalah sesama Umno untuk merebut jawatan parti.

"Kita tidak menyatakan sokongan kepada mana-mana pihak dan hanya berkerjasama dengan Tengku Razaleigh apabila beliau menubuhkan Semangat 46 yang menerima Islam sebagai ad-Din dan berjuang untuk menentang kemungkaran politik dan ekonomi."

"Begitu juga dalam krisis 1998, kita hanya mengambil keputusan untuk membela Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim apabila beliau ditahan tanpa bicara di bawah ISA dan kemudian dibelasah oleh polis."

"Kita tidak boleh memberitahu Dr Mahathir bahawa beliau tidak boleh menggunakan hak prerogatifnya sebagai Perdana Menteri untuk memecat dan melantik sesiapa dan kita juga tidak boleh masuk campur dalam mesyuarat Majlis Tertinggi Umno yang memecat Anwar. Tetapi apabila Anwar dizalimi, itu isu negara. Isu kita sebagai rakyat,"
jelas beliau lagi.

Beliau berharap kepada semua pihak supaya tidak membangkitkan persoalan pinggiran dan menumpukan perhatian dalam menuntut kerajaan supaya menjawab isu-isu yang dibangkitkan oleh Dr Mahathir.

"Malah, kita mesti menuntut supaya ditubuhkan suruhanjaya bebas untuk menyiasat tuduhan-tuduhan Dr Mahathir kerana jawapan yang diberikan kerajaan tidak dipercayai rakyat dan penerbitan buku-buku untuk membolehkan kerajaan menjawab Dr Mahathir hanya membazirkan wang negara sahaja,"
ujar Mahfuz.

RT - PAS spinning the web too. Uncanny resemblance with AI's stand. Appears TDM placed firmly on the highest shelf. Of the "expired" section. That's politics I guess. Next time you smell a rat, call the exterminator quickly.

Cheese Bites 15 - Superman (TDM) Returns

2006-07-22T06:24:00.000-07:00
Saturday, July 22, 2006

From Malaysia-Today Online

Mahathir vows to continue attacks on Malaysian PM Abdullah

(AFP) - Former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad vowed to continue his campaign against his successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, saying that Malaysia was losing its self-respect.

"This is a free country. Anyone can say anything. What is that you (the government) want to hide?"

Mahathir, 81, told a crowd of some 600 noisy supporters after returning home from a two-week holiday in London and Turkey.

"This is a transparent government. Anyone can say anything. If I want to speak, I will speak,"

he said after landing in a private jet at a military airport in Kuala Lumpur.

The supporters, many of them members of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), carried banners reading "Mahathir Save Malaysia," and "Wipe out the traitors of religion, race and the country".

Abdullah is the president of UMNO, the largest and most powerful political party in Malaysia with some 3.0 million members.

Mahathir has levelled a number of criticisms at Abdullah in recent weeks, including suggesting that Abdullah's advisors and his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin are controlling the administration.

Mahathir said his attacks on Abdullah's administration were in the interests of the country he led for more than two decades.

"Already the country is not doing well. Already we have lost our self-respect. I am not looking for people to pat my back,"
he said.

As the crowd shouted "Long Live Mahathir," the ex-premier lamented what he said were attempts to silence him, saying that he had been prevented from speaking to UMNO members.

Mahathir, who is responsible for turning Malaysia from an agriculture-based economy to one of Asia's most industrialised countries, expressed concerns about the health of the economy.

"Already, the country is not doing well. Already we have lost respect among the developing countries,"
he said.

Abdullah, who replaced Mahathir in 2003, had said he was hurt by the criticisms from Mahathir and upset about the "mean things" people were saying about him.

Zakhir Mohamad, a 38-year-old UMNO member who attended the protest, said he backed Mahathir for speaking out.

"Mahathir is not anti-UMNO. His concerns are shared by many grassroot UMNO members. Many are not happy with the government's policies like the sharp fuel hike,"
he said, referring to the government's moves to roll back subsidies.

RT - Nicely intertwinned with UMNO. Is the spin TDM making a comeback?. And to counter this, unleashing of the alternatif dragon?. Slept in today, missed the bus to Subang (rats can't drive to save their lives) what was the count?. TDM Homestead ~9000,Malaysia Today ~600,Malaysiakini ~200-300

Cheese Bites 14 - Jeff Ooi Attacked

2006-07-22T01:46:00.000-07:00
Screening Your Shots, Jeff?

From machai.net

Since we are in the business of exposing the real man behind the man, maybe it is time to look at Jeff Ooi of Screenshots. Born in Pendang, starting life as a copy writer, officially Jeff Ooi earns RM5,000 a month from his day time job. Officially.

His wife works in Bank Negara and there are rumours about some shady deal to sell properties owned by the Central Bank in Penang to Jeff's brother, a manager in the Department of Civil Aviation, but which was aborted at the last minute after all agreements had been drawn up by the lawyer for a back-to-back sale to Jeff by his brother. Got cold feet, ah?

But if you look at Jeff Ooi's lifestyle, you wonder whether his wife is taking the old notes targeted for incineration and using it to finance their lifestyle. He travels business class and first class all the time. When even corporate figures bitch about the high cost of fares, how does a small kichi rat like Jeff Ooi travel first class and stay in the best hotels worldwide?

His house in USJ 20 is constantly being renovated. Someone should go have a look and appraise whether that is the lifestyle of someone who earns RM5,000 a month?

Ya, ya… he is being paid by the Berkman Institute but that is not much. Maybe about USD5,000 a year. Yes, Abdul Kadir Jasin pays him but that's not more than another RM12,000 a year. Tan Sri Kernail Singh Nijhar, the MIC vice-president, pays him but that's about RM20,000 a year. Datuk Seri Lim Keng Yaik and Tan Sri Koh Tsu Khoon pay him for his advice on IT but that's not much, considering he is doing it for the Gerakan cause. But of course, Keng Yaik, as Minister of Multimedia, protects Jeff Ooi from being prosecuted. That is more value than money because that allows him to break the MCMC rules and get away with it.

So where does he get the bulk of his money from? CORPORATE BLACKMAIL.

Why does he attack Astro all the time and not MITV? The fact that Astro is controlled by an Indian (Ananda Krishnan) and MITV by a Chinese (Tan Sri Vincent Tan) is probably but one reason but could MITV be paying him?

Why does he regularly attack other banks but not Hong Leong?

Why does he always attack the New Straits Times and not The Star?

Again, the race element is a strong motivation for Jeff Ooi but could Steven Tan (MD of Star) be involved? He attacks Wong Sulong, a regular principled journalist, but not Wong Chun Wai or Wong Sai Wan who are his close friends. Playing power broker role ah Jeff? You want Sulong out and Chun Wai and Sai Wan in, is it?

Many more stories lah. Let Jeff Ooi answer these first, if he dares, and then we expose some more.

RT: Interesting article from this fairly new site. RT will email / leave a comment to ask Jeff Ooi to respond to these allegations soon.

MouseTrap 01 - Where is Malaysia-Today?

2006-07-21T17:54:00.000-07:00

RT- Mouse Trap is my Internet Watchdog column. Between 845 am to 909 am, after my daily dosage of the local dailies, I tried to log on to Malaysia Today. This is what I got...

Cheese Bites 13 - 5 Year Target For Police to Improve Efficiency

2006-07-21T17:45:00.000-07:00
A force to be proud of
Deputy IGP outlines five-year target to improve the efficiency of the police

From NST

22 Jul 2006
Alang Bendahara

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KUALA LUMPUR: Better investigators. Fewer cases of missing evidence. More police personnel sensitive to the rights of individuals. And tourist police who can converse in Mandarin and Arabic — the languages of the country’s top tourists.

A pipe dream? Not to the police. They have set a fve-year target to improve the image, efÞciency and competency of the 92,000-strong force. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said:

“Since last year, we have been bashed by many parties who accused us of failing in our responsibilities. This action plan is our response to the allegations.”

He said outstanding problems, including delays in completing investigations and prosecuting offenders, would be solved in stages.

Musa said this after closing an economic and cyber crime course at the Police College here yesterday. The plan calls for several changes to the police’s standard operating procedures, including making arrests and receiving reports from the public.

It also covers work discipline, respect for the rights of individuals, strict adherence to the law, and moral and ethical values.

The plan was mooted by the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Bakri Omar.

A draft of the five-year plan will be sent to all federal police directors, state chief police officers and district police chiefs next week.

After this, all top-ranking officers in the force will have a brainstorming session here. The plan will be put into action by year- end.

Recommendations made by the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operations and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police will also be incorporated.

This includes ways:

• to improve the frontline services at police stations;

• to enhance the quality of investigation and reduce errors in investigation papers;

• to build a community policing network; and

• to build an exhibit store where evidence will be kept in order to reduce the possibility of evidence going missing before cases go to court.

RT - It is timely. Let's see what the full OPP (not Outline Prospective Plan) but Our Police Plan looks like and how it affect our life. The public still needs to be convinced of the credibility of our force. Planning and Implementation requires two different skills sets altogether.

Cheese Bite 12 - 75% of alleged corruption cases in Sabah involve civil servants

2006-07-21T10:27:00.000-07:00
75% of alleged corruption cases in Sabah involve civil servants

From the Star Online

KOTA KINABALU: Three-quarters of the alleged corruption cases reported in Sabah in the first six months involved civil servants.

Sabah’s first Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) woman director Latifah Mohd Yatim said the agency had received about 500 pieces of information on alleged corrupt practices during the period.

“Seventy-five per cent of these were against civil servants and the remaining involved the private sector and general public,”
she said.

Latifah, who replaced Mohd Shukri Abdull correct, was speaking at her first press conference after the handing-over-of-duties ceremony Friday, witnessed by ACA investigations director Datuk Zakaria Jaafar.

She took over officially on July 15 from Shukri, who has been moved to the investigation unit in Putrajaya.

Based of the 500 pieces of information, Latifah said, the agency opened 286 investigation papers, which led to the arrest of 23 civil servants as well as nine employees of private companies and members of the public.

She said this had resulted in a total of 52 cases being brought to court, 52% of which involved false claims, 15% corruption, 26% abuse of power and 2.5% money-laundering.

The rest of the information, she added, had not been acted on because it did not involve corrupt practices although the findings in some cases had been forwarded to the relevant government departments for further action.

However, she declined to reveal the departments involved and if senior government officials or politicians had been investigated in relation to the cases.

RT - It takes a lady...seems they have been pretty busy up there in Sabah. With the 9MP rollout, hopefully the % of civil servants wont increase. Any stats on the rest of Malaysia?

StaRat 03 - All abuzz over Siti’s outfits

2006-07-21T10:20:00.000-07:00
All abuzz over Siti’s outfits

By S.S. YOGA

yoga@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Five fashion designers are probably the most frantic and envied people around now.

We are talking about the “chosen ones” – those who are lucky enough to be in the team designing the outfits for pop darling Siti Nurhaliza’s upcoming wedding to Datuk Khalid Mohamad Jiwa and the various related functions.

Radzuan Radziwill, who earlier said a meeting to discuss the details on the outfits would be held on Monday, told The Star it had been cancelled until further notice.

“But I know that I have to design three sets of clothes for the couple,”
he said.

“One is for the akad nikah (the solemnisation of the marriage), another for the reception at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) and the third either for the engagement or the other wedding reception at Siti’s hometown in Kuala Lipis.”

He added that for both the nikah and the KLCC reception, the colour theme would be white while the third outfit would probably be a shade of champagne.

Radzuan said that they would all have his signature combination of fine details featuring embroidery, beadwork, lace and songket.

He added that, from what he had gathered, the couple would arrive at the Aug 28 receptionin a horse-drawn carriage, and wearing Khoon Hooi’s outfit.

Then the couple will change into Radzuan's outfit when they sit on the grand dais.

During the cake cutting ceremony, they will don the outfits created by Michael Ong.

Khoon Hooi, though a hot designer, is not known as a wedding specialist.

“I have done many wedding outfits but they received very little publicity as they were quite exclusive events,”
he told The Star.

“I might be able to give a rough sketch of the outfits to Siti (today).”

Among the celebrity clientele of Radzuan, Ong and another of Siti's wedding fashion designers Natrah Hisham are Sheila Majid, Ning Baizura, Fauziah Latiff, Erra Fazira and Deanna Yusoff.

Khoon Hooi's creations have been worn by model/actress Elaine Daly, former TV host/ model Soong Ai Ling and Malaysian Idol Jaclyn “Jac” Victor.

The Star attempted to contact the sole Indonesian designer in the team, Anne Avantie.

Her personal assistant declined to comment as Siti had yet to officially inform Anne.

RT - Dato K' I was half expecting you'd pay for Giorgio Armani or Gianinni Versace to fly in. Then again, probably going for the "Cintai Barangan Malaysia" angle. News on the street is that people are actually trying to buy wedding invites.

My bet is that they are going for their honeymoon in Venice, if "Cintai Barangan Malaysia" then Pangkor Laut. Any takers?.

Cheese Bites 10 - Young and Confused

2006-07-21T04:11:00.000-07:00
Young and confused

From NST

21 Jul 2006
Koh Lay Chin, Shamini Darshni, Azira Shaharuddin, Wong Pei Chen and Audrey Kam

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
KUALA LUMPUR: The truth about Malaysian youth is out and it is full of contradictions.

Almost half of the nation’s youth have not registered as voters, yet they believe that voting gives them a voice.

Many of them are concerned about issues affecting their community, but only three per cent of the 18 to 32-year-olds feel they are able to solve them.

Most say they are personally responsible for making things better in society and yet less than one in 10 are actively involved in political or social organisations.

But these results, contained in a recent youth survey conducted by the Merdeka Centre, did not come as a surprise to the young people the New Straits Times spoke to.

Twenty-year-old student James Tan agreed that politics was important as it affected everyone.

But most of his peers did not talk much about politics as it did not feature in their lives.

"I don’t know much about it, probably just simple, general stuff. We only talk about things like that during rare occasions and that, too, if there is something that relates to us."

Merdeka Centre director Ibrahim Suffian said the survey, conducted in May and June, showed that youth were concerned but disconnected and that their involvement in organisations or volunteer work had very limited scope.

One third had volunteered for a cause or charity over the past year alone, but this did not extend into joining civil society organisations.

"It does not lead to wider appreciation of issues and impact on the wider society,"
he said.

Ibrahim also noted that ethnic backgrounds continued to colour perceptions and attitude.

The Malays, for example, were more likely to join organisations and community activities such as gotong-royong, but were less acquainted with information on issues and politics.

When it came to youth and news, the survey found that about 30 per cent followed world politics and issues closely, while 43 per cent of them were interested in local news and politics. Most young people are hooked on entertainment (65 per cent) and sports (72 per cent).

However, this does not mean they do not have their own opinions about politics and Government, as a significant number of youth in the focus groups feel that "politicians only showed interest when elections were near or if some programme they were promoting benefited them".

Most feel that open criticism against the Government means love for the nation and not a lack of loyalty to the country.

Hani Abdullah, 23, said she felt rather disappointed that most people her age had no inkling about government, had no involvement in charity work and did not care about politics, but found the time to criticise the Government for everything under the sun.

"They can criticise the Government and disguise it as love for the country, but real love means you care about the processes, try to find out more or get involved if you can. And even if you do not, the least they could do is exercise their right to vote,"
she said.

Most youth gave the thumbs up for democracy, saying elections were important, but only 27 per cent thought they were very free and fair.

"They think democracy is ideal but they view politics as dirty. They realise the Government needs check and balance and the majority want public oversight over government actions,"
Ibrahim said.

Lavinia Kathilingam, 28, said most youth probably do not register for elections because they felt "the system was a little biased anyway".

"But to be honest, looking at the results I think that it is a case of being young and just thinking about yourself, not looking so far into the future,"
she said.

"I now feel secure as I know how the country is, but when I have children I’ll worry more, and I would have to make a stand because I care for my children."

Despite the differences in interests and attitudes towards society and politics, the survey found that youth shared the same concerns and aspirations. They were firmly grounded in the practical concerns of everyday life, with nearly a quarter citing the desire to "raise a happy family" an important goal.

They also shared the same anxieties, saying they were concerned about high fuel and electricity prices as well as the rising cost of consumer goods.

Focus groups also revealed that many youth joined organisations or clubs due to influence from their friends, but they would have done so in universities if the current ban on political activities was lifted.

"They felt that if universities were freed up, they were likely to join such organisations and stay on that route even after they graduate. If they did not join such bodies, then it would be more likely that they would just enter the workforce without ever going through that phase,"
Ibrahim said.

RT - Din4Don, this is probably your cup of tea. I think my next MouseTrap analysis (after the AI - Malaysia Today axis) would be on Young Professionals and Promuda's role. Need to do some research on it first though...any bloggers can share insides on it?. The official website looks pretty 'domesticated'.

StaRat 02 - Datuk K Saga Continues

2006-07-21T04:07:00.000-07:00
Datuk K's ex-wife files claim for matrimonial assets
21 Jul 2006
R.S. Kamini

KUALA LUMPUR, FRI.:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The former wife of prominent businessman Datuk Khalid Mohamad Jiwa, or Datuk K, filed a claim for matrimonial assets at the Federal Territory Syariah Court today.

Tengku Zawyah Tengku Idzham is said to be seeking more than four types of properties including land, condominium and houses worth more than RM4 million.

Her counsel, Zulkifli Che’ Yong and Azmi Datuk Mohd Rais, who filed the claims on her behalf at the court registry, refused to elaborate on the value of the properties or their whereabouts.

The properties were those that were jointly acquired since her marriage to Datuk K on Dec 24, 1985.

She filed for divorce on Feb 1, 2004, and it was granted on April 13 last year.

Tengku Zawyah, 44, has four children aged between eight and 19 from her marriage to Datuk K. All four are under her care.

Zulkifli said both Tengku Zawyah and Datuk K, 47, had reached an agreement on the matrimonial assets on July 3 and wanted it to be recorded by the court.

“We are only claiming for Tengku Zawyah’s share of the jointly-acquired assets. Matters regarding ‘Mutaah’ or gift compensation after divorce are still being negotiated,”
said Zulkifli.

He added that the value, number and whereabouts of the properties claimed by Tengku Zawyah will be revealed when the case is heard at the Syariah High Court on July 28.

RT - I think with the amount of money he is getting from the Gossip Magazines/Newspaper of Malaysia can buy 8 more houses.

Cheese 08 -Mahathir has mismanaged country: Anwar

2006-07-21T02:25:00.000-07:00
Mahathir has mismanaged country: Anwar

But he says ex-PM should be allowed to criticise the government

By Reme Ahmad
The Straits Times

Friday, July 21, 2006

FORMER deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has joined the Abdullah-Mahathir spat by accusing his ex-boss, who put him behind bars, of mismanaging the country and trying to make a comeback.

But at the same time, he said Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad should also be allowed to criticise the current administration.

Analysts see this as a shrewd tactic to appeal to both sides of the divide, in order for Datuk Seri Anwar to further his own political ambitions.

'No one knows where he is heading to. Is he returning to Umno to help PM Abdullah as seen by some, or does he want to lead the opposition?'
asked political scientist Professor Mohammed Agus Yusoff.

In attacking Tun Dr Mahathir, Datuk Seri Anwar said his former mentor in his 22 years as prime minister mismanaged the country and failed to make amends.

'He has been given more than two decades - even in the last few years of his reign - to make amends. But he has failed.

'He destroyed the institution of civil societies and this is a major crime,'
Datuk Seri Anwar said in an interview with news portal malaysiakini.com.

Datuk Seri Anwar was sacked and imprisoned in 1998 after falling out of favour with Tun Dr Mahathir, who led Malaysia for 22 years before stepping down in 2003.

He was sentenced to six years in jail after being found guilty of abusing his powers. His second jail term for sodomy was quashed and he was released in September 2004.

He said he does not rule out the possibility that the attacks by Tun Dr Mahathir were a prelude to the former premier making a comeback to active politics.

But he doubted that the criticisms would cause large numbers of Umno members to turn against Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi.

Datuk Seri Anwar, though, was careful to hedge his bets rather than aim his attack solely at Tun Dr Mahathir. Despite anger in the Abdullah camp at the attacks by Tun Dr Mahathir, he said his former boss should be allowed to criticise the government openly.

And he accused Datuk Seri Abdullah of putting his trust in a man who allegedly caused the central bank to lose nearly US$10 billion (S$16 billion) through foreign exchange speculation in the early 1990s.

Datuk Seri Anwar accused Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, the current Second Finance Minister, of being partly responsible for the Bank Negara losses.

He named two other men he said were behind the forex debacle - Tun Dr Mahathir and former finance minister Daim Zainuddin.

He alleged in the interview:
'You are talking about a person who cost the country, 10, 15, 20 billion ringgit of real losses and yet you (Abdullah) promoted him as Finance Minister.'

Datuk Seri Anwar, an adviser to Parti Keadilan Rakyat which is led by his wife, said the opposition party must also be careful not to embrace Tun Dr Mahathir as an ally just because he is now a fierce critic of the government.

'I think it has helped us immensely, not only PAS but also myself and the opposition. But we have to draw the line.'

RT - Similiar to the earlier Malaysiakini post, found it on Malaysia Today. You got to smell what the rat is cooking...Wait for the analysis coming this weekend. (Still going over today's paperwork, DBKL decided to work today)

Cheese Bites 07: Pak Lah: My son-in-law is not my adviser

2006-07-21T02:09:00.000-07:00
Pak Lah: My son-in-law is not my adviser

News Update by MERGAWATI ZULFAKAR of The Star

PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has denied that his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin influences his decision-making.

“My son-in-law is not an adviser to me. He is not working with me anymore.

“Everybody tries to influence the Prime Minister - the rakyat, the politicians, the opposition try to influence me,”

he told reporters after chairing the 100th meeting of Mentris Besar and Chief Ministers.

Abdullah said he made his own decisions, based on what he thought would be good for the people and the country.

“I cannot prevent people trying to influence me. Some send letters asking for many things or criticising this and that.

“I am subjected to all sorts of influences,”

he said in reply to allegations that Khairy had a role in influencing his decisions.

Cheese Bites 06 - Anwar: A plot to bring back Dr M

2006-07-20T20:37:00.000-07:00
From Malaysiakini

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) adviser Anwar Ibrahim said the on-going attack against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi could be a plot to bring former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad back to the helm.

“I don't preclude the possibility of a plan that this huge challenge is to bring back Mahathir...,”
said the former deputy prime minister in an exclusive interview with malaysiakini.

“Remember, the whole basis of his (Mahathir's) criticism is not one or two policies but that the leadership has lost its focus."

“(Mahathir is contending that) the Malays cannot feel secure under the present leadership. He is contending that (under the current leadership) our (the Malays') interests are not protected and that interests have been sold to a foreign country and in particular to the Singapore."

“Certainly there is a racist connotation there or the message is that the Chinese (continue to be a threat)... and therefore you need a strong leader (Mahathir) to make amends and to chart a clear policy to protect the interests of this country before surrendering to whomever, and in this case, (deputy prime minister) Najib (Razak).”

However, Anwar conceded this could be an unlikely scenario as hurling criticisms against Abdullah would not be sufficient to bring about such a drastic outcome.

“I spoke to some of his (Mahathir’s) strong supporters or aides ... and they seemed very optimistic, encouraged by the resounding support given, including by some opposition leaders. But I think it is not really realistic to expect that Umno members are going to turn up in big numbers against Abdullah.”

Rough turbulence ahead

However, Mahathir nevertheless has the capacity to cause problems for Abdullah, whom Anwar predicts would be facing “rough turbulence” in months ahead.

“I think it is going to be a sustained and concerted effort on his (Mahathir's) part. And he has some supporters not only among the veterans but also at Umno's grassroots level. And they (Mahathir and his supporters) have the resources... they have hundreds and millions of ringgit at their disposal.”

Mahathir, who is currently on an overseas vacation until July 22, has been scathing in his criticism of the government for, among others, scrapping the ‘crooked bridge’ project to replace the Causeway to Singapore.

He has also questioned Abdullah's decisions pertaining to national car manufacturer Proton and the discrepancies in the issuance of Approved Permits. Mahathir had on one occasion wondered aloud if he had made the wrong choice in naming Abdullah as his successor.

Anwar however did not expect Najib to mount a challenge against Abdullah.

“He is never known to have strong views. We would probably have to consult (Najib's wife) Rosmah on her views too… but I don't foresee this sort of challenge,” he quipped.

But he said Najib's statements of support for the premier has been "far from convincing".

Racism against Singapore

In the two-hour interview last week at the malaysiakini office in Bangsar Utama, Anwar also alleged that Umno, which he was once part of, had amassed a cash horde of RM8 billion.

He said this was done through an opaque system of Umno-linked tycoons and companies holding the money on behalf of the party.

Anwar also noted that there was a tinge of racism in Mahathir's criticisms against the Singapore government, especially on the crooked bridge issue.

“This is Singapore, our neighbour - setting aside that it is a difficult neighbour - but still the subtle racist undertones to my mind is very irresponsible on his (Mahathir's) part,”
said Anwar, who served as deputy prime minister for almost six years before he was unceremoniously sacked by Mahathir over allegations of corruption and sexual misdemeanour.

“Not only (he raised the issue of) nationalism but (he) also (spoke) against the Chinese and Singapore (whom he claimed are) trying to act tough against the Malay leadership and that they (the Chinese leadership in Singapore) should be taught a lesson.”

RT - "Superman" Returns?. But would his kryptonite (AI) be in UMNO or Opposition?

Cheese Bites 05 - Anwar: Dangerous to back Dr M

2006-07-20T20:30:00.000-07:00
From Malaysiakini

Anwar: Dangerous to back Dr M
Arfa'eza A Aziz
Jul 20, 06 12:16pm

Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s attack on the current administration is not a licence for the opposition to pledge their support for him, said former deputy prime minister and Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Anwar Ibrahim.

In an exclusive interview with malaysiakini last week, he said it was dangerous to "endorse a person subscribing to an authoritarian rule" despite the spat between Mahathir and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi benefitting the opposition.

“I think Mahathir is doing a service (in criticising the government) by opening up a little democratic space...I think it has helped us immensely not only PAS but also myself and the opposition. But we have to draw the line.”

Anwar said he made this point clear during a recent meeting with PAS leaders, some of whom have been openly supporting Mahathir. This has caused some discomfort to the Barisan Aletrnatif (BA) alliance between PKR and PAS.

“I had a long discussion with (PAS president Abdul) Hadi (Awang) and (central working committee member) Mustafa Ali, I (told them) the perception of backing Mahathir is not right.

“What they said was the party was willing to accept Mahathir if he admitted his wrongdoings and made amends. But do you think he is going to do that?”
quipped Anwar, who was sacked by Mahathir in 1998.

“But if he does say: ‘I was wrong on this, on that, and please forgive me’, I would certainly forgive him. In fact, I may even be prepared to withdraw my civil suit against him.”

On June 24, PAS' deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa, vice-president Husam Musa and Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub were seen attending an open talk by Mahathir.

Will he return to his old seat?

In the two-hour interview held at malaysiakini’s office in Bangsar Utama, Anwar said while he was not optimistic about bringing the disparate opposition under one roof, there should at least be a common agenda.

“I had several discussions with PAS and DAP separately and the general consensus is that they will continue to work separately with me and PKR. To me, this is something very positive.”

He said although DAP was not keen to engage PAS, it did not object to PKR continuing its discussions with the Islamic-based party.

Anwar was also unsure whether he would return to his Permatang Pauh seat - now held by his wife PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail- in the event he was allowed to participate in active politics.

He said the grassroots in the constituency have expressed their views that they preferred Wan Azizah but the matter had yet to be finalised, adding that there were proposals for him to run for a multi-racial constituency

Commenting on the religious debates which arose following the death of Everest climber M Moorthy, Anwar said he had been approached by both Muslim and non-Muslim organisations who asked for his views to find a solution.

After talking to the two groups, he was surprised by the extent of prejudice, misinformation and disinformation that they had against each other.

According to him, the government’s lack of commitment to provide a solution worsened the situation.

He said the authorities were not taking the effort to get the conflicting groups to understand their differences.

“When you get them to talk you'd be surprise the extent of prejudice, misinformation or disinformation among each other. It is shocking that this is happening in this country...”

RT - So TDM's shelf life has expired?. Is this part of a much bigger "conspiracy theory" powered by the net. Watch this space for RT's analysis on the connections of these statements and the vastly popular Malaysia Today.

Cheese Bites 04 - Hishammuddin to teach sloppy contractors a lesson

2006-07-20T06:42:00.000-07:00

By SA'ODAH ELIAS

KUALA LUMPUR: Contractors who failed to deliver during the 8th Malaysia Plan will not get any jobs from the Education Ministry in future.

“We consider those contractors who betrayed the trust given them by the Government as traitors,”
said its minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.

“We will not repeat the mistakes we made in the 8MP where there were so many schools and computer laboratories which were shoddily built.

“They will never be given a second chance,”
he said.

As long as he was at the helm, these contractors would never again secure jobs either to build schools, laboratories or to supply information and communication technology gadgets to schools, he said.

In the first phase of the 9MP, the Ministry had received a RM400mil allocation to build schools and a further RM2.5bil to supply computers to all schools, he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Tuesday announced the breakdown of the first phase of projects to be implemented under the 9MP, which include 460 primary and secondary schools.

RT: 460 schools!. All my children can now go to school (we can marry more than four).Kudos YB Menteri, though "traitor" might be too soft a word. Hopefully you are able to honour this pledge.

Cheese Bites 03 - 880 projects all set to roll

2006-07-20T06:37:00.000-07:00
From The Star Online
By JAGDEV SINGH SIDHU

PUTRAJAYA: The tender documents for the 880 first rollout projects worth RM15bil under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) will be out in three months, open to contractors from Class A downwards.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the tender documents for the bigger projects would take longer to be drawn up as a lot more details and specifications needed to be set.

The first rollout projects include the building of 450 schools, roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

“In three months, the notices for tender will be circulated,”
Abdullah told a media briefing yesterday.

He said the projects under the first phase of the 9MP were prioritised based on need and location.

“So these are indications where we will build (things like hospitals and schools), and when. But we also look into locations to see what opportunities there may be,”
he said.

“But 880 projects have already been prioritised, and they have been sent to the relevant ministries.”

Abdullah said the 880 projects were just the first of a lot more planned under the 9MP, which would run its course over the next five years.

“So this does not necessarily mean that all 9MP projects will be up for tender in three months. We cannot have all projects tendered, because so many have been planned,”
he said.

Abdullah said there were projects that needed a long time to prepare, and it was not easy to get everything ready so quickly.

“Some long-term projects might even continue into the 10th Malaysia Plan as they may take a long time to prepare,”
he said.

RT: Let's hope open tender is more than hype. As a developed nation we should strive to open everything and be able to stand on our own. Open our doors, open press. Just don't open baju when in lokap (might cost you RM10m).

Can You Smell What the Rat Is Cooking? - I will lay me down(?)….

2006-07-17T09:40:00.000-07:00
Location: Corner in front of Devi’s Corner,
Emoticon: Jovial (Initially) as TGIF

On my off Friday (DBKL does its round in my area on Fridays so not much ‘paperwork’ to do) , I was awakened from my slumber (admittedly it was already late afternoon) to find this headline:
Goverment replies to Mahathir
Spot Light/ Setting the record straight for Malaysians: Why crooked bridge project was aborted

New Straits Times

The Government has declassified several confidential documents and extracts to allow Malaysians to understand why the bridge project to Singapore was aborted. In so doing, it seeks to set the record straight on a string of allegations raised by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, namely that:

• The Singapore Government had accepted Malaysia’s proposal to build a half-bridge.

• The bridge was not part of the package of outstanding bilateral issues.

• The Malaysian Government was "half-past-six" and "lacked guts" by not going ahead with the crooked bridge project.

• Malaysia had put the issue of selling sand and allowing the Republic of Singapore Air Force to use its airspace on the negotiating table.

This was only the second time in recent history that information protected by the Official Secrets Act has been cleared for public consumption — a sign of the Government’s seriousness in wanting the people who voted it into power to have the full facts so as to appreciate why the Government decided to abort the bridge project.

In the package of documents released is correspondence between Dr Mahathir and two of Singapore’s former prime ministers, Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong.

Also made public are extracts of the record of the meeting between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Goh in Kuala Lumpur in March 2005.

RT: Wow. This is is a big deal indeed, freedom of speech and public pressure in Malaysia has taken its big leap. Looking through the letters, I felt surely the Internet Media and its band of Journalists will at least hail the Government’s initiative in keeping its word in “unveiling the truth”

But, of course, this was not to be. Some ‘issues’ highlighted in the Internet Media post the release of the letters:

1. The disappearing NST report
The Straits Times [Singapore]

NOW you see it. Some minutes later, you don't.

The website of the New Straits Times yesterday ran a story about secret government documents that were declassified, before they were officially declassified.

Titled 'Setting the record straight for Malaysians: Why crooked bridge project was aborted', the news report contained details from a Prime Minister's Department statement that was released to the media only about four hours later.

The statement was supposed to be released late on Thursday, but was delayed. How it got into the newsroom of the government-friendly newspaper before its release, no one is telling.

The report was picked up by bloggers, before it was quietly taken down from the NST website.

2. Where is the sand?
Others argued that although the issue of the bridge and the airspace might have been cleared, the sand issue (big money it seems) have not been elaborated nor explained fully.

Worse, some ‘credible’ alternative websites just refuse to give it any airtime whatsoever.

Could it be? Can you smell what the rat is cooking?

1. Politicians and Ex Politicians – Somehow I question the motives of bringing this issue up in the first place. Are the findings tangible to the rakyat?. What do we do now?. How can we, collectively as a nation improve from this revelations?. Does it put cheaper petrol in your car? Does it decrease the interest rates you pay the bank for the same car?. If the reasons are purely political then they have committed the cardinal sin of manipulating the rakyat and even worse, make us the laughing stock of the region (especially our beloved neighbor Singapore – whose News Desk haven’t seen this much action since 1963). What is the end game?.

2. Internet Journalist / Internet Media – Somehow I question their motives of continually finding fault with the current administration. My theory is that the “real rakyats” are dissatisfied with certain fundamental occurrences in the economy (i.e Interest rates, oil prices). These are fair concerns. Fair concerns which should be highlighted and should be addressed accordingly. However, I tremble at the thought that the Internet Journalist (which adhere to what ethics in reporting exactly?) are spinning/ manipulating issues to achieve exactly what?. I trembled even more [rats trembling – not a pretty sight] to think that the spinning is also tinged with political motives.

Some say they are proponents of freedom of speech, it is their only concern – RT says, there is so much freedom of speech now in Malaysia, even rats are talking. This in itself is evidence that we are progressing as a nation.

Let’s take it one step at a time. Win battles before winning the war. As I logged of, heard these lyrics on my Ipod Nano (what, if rats can log on to the Internet, we sure as hell know how to operate an Ipod):

When youre down and out,
When youre on the street,
When evening falls so hard
I will comfort you.
Ill take your part.
When darkness comes
And pains is all around,
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down.

RT : How apt. People say the lyrics are meant to reflect a parent’s protective influence (bridge) when darkness comes and pain is all around. In my head I changed the lyrics to troubled bridge over water. Who, I wonder will lay us down now?

StaRat 01 : Siti Nurhaliza to marry Datuk K on Aug 21

2006-07-16T22:00:00.000-07:00
Source: The Star Online
Dateline: Monday July 17, 2006

KUALA LUMPUR: Pop star Siti Nurhaliza will wed businessman Datuk Khalid Mohamed Jiwa on August 21.
The engagement and akad nikah ceremony will be held at Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan, while wedding receptions are scheduled for August 28 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre (KLCC) and September 3 in Kuala Lipis, Pahang.

The couple have commissioned Datuk Raja Shah Reza from Nusantara Gems as wedding planner, with the reception at the KLCC to feature a "garden wedding" concept.

Fashion designers Radzwan Radzwill, Michael Khoon Hooi, Embun and Anana Avanti have been engaged to design the wedding costumes, which will feature traditional songket and tekat.

Makeup artistes Nurul Shukur and Mia have also been engaged for the events.

RT: Now this is newsworthy.

Cheese Bites 01: Cyberspace new battlefield for feuding leaders Bloggers provide a different take on Mahathir's rift with Abdullah

2006-07-11T10:11:00.000-07:00
By Leslie Lau
The Straits Times

RAJA Petra Kamarudin, a well-known political activist, claims about half a million hits on his Malaysia Today political website every day.

Since the row between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi broke out, that number has grown to 800,000.

And after Malaysia Today organised a public forum on June 24 where Tun Dr Mahathir again attacked the administration, the website has been receiving an average of 1.2 million hits a day.

The popularity of Malaysia Today shows how political battlefronts in Malaysia have in a small but significant manner shifted towards scores of blogs, websites and Internet forums.

'We have a no-holds-barred policy so there is no censorship. Unless people go overboard in their postings with swear words, I do not delete postings,' Mr Raja Petra told The Straits Times.

He said people often feel they can write what they want because of the anonymous nature of postings.

Malaysia Today compiles stories about Malaysian politics from various sources, including foreign newspapers and news agencies, providing readers with a different take on stories they see in local newspapers.

But its claim to fame must be a regular column called The Khairy Chronicles, which focuses on Mr Khairy Jamaluddin, the Prime Minister's son-in-law. It gives largely unsubstantiated details about what it claims are Mr Khairy's moves to promote his political ambitions.

Reading like a political soap opera with a rich cast of characters from the Prime Minister to journalists, it has provided background fodder to the Mahathir-Abdullah rift, with many critics blaming Mr Khairy for some of the changes made to the former premier's policies.

The latest conspiracy theory in cyberspace is that former deputy prime minster Anwar Ibrahim will be meeting Prime Minister Abdullah in Australia to explore the possibility of an alliance.

Surprisingly, Tun Dr Mahathir, who was never a champion of press freedom, has been actively courting bloggers and websites. His explanation is that the print media is against him.

Last week, his aide sent a letter to a number of blogs and websites, clarifying a point made in a commentary in the New Straits Times and claiming that the daily refused to publish it.

Recently, the combative former prime minister even gave an interview to Malaysiakini, a popular news website that was unpopular with his administration.

Mr Azmin Ali, a senior aide to Datuk Seri Anwar, says blogs are definitely the best way to reach young, urban professionals.

'It encourages a free flow of ideas and I can hear views which are the opposite of mine as well,' he told The Straits Times.

Mr Azmin's blog is one of the few that are critical of Tun Dr Mahathir. The latter is king on the blogs and forums that discuss Malaysian politics.

Among the bloggers who support him is Datuk A. Kadir Jasin, the former editor-in-chief of the New Straits Times group.

There are also a number of other Internet forums and blogs by Umno members championing the views of Tun Dr Mahathir.

These include Kelab Maya Umno, or the virtual Umno club, and Umno-Reform, both of which are popular among Umno members.

And more are likely to mushroom if the political temperature rises further.

Mr Raja Petra said: 'As long there is no real free speech, blogs will be popular.' 1.2m hits a day?. That’s more than my species in Malaysia!. the possibility that my long lost cousin Mickey will make Johor his latest residence). Just a point to ponder though, is this accurate? There are also a number of other Internet forums and blogs by Umno members championing the views of Tun Dr Mahathir.These include Kelab Maya Umno, or the virtual Umno club, and Umno-Reform, both of which are popular among Umno members… If its true, makes you wonder if they even know what they are fighting for under the banner of UMNO (the success of the Malay agenda, at the very least requires unity). Bites P/S – Always saddened to see my almost extinct Singaporean comrades. Country so clean, can’t even differentiate between the smell of a rat and reality…

Can You Smell What The Rat Is Cooking? - Why Messr Robert Frost Should Have Subscribed To Streamyx

2006-07-04T19:38:00.000-07:00

Location: Bangsar, what used to be Jolly Green Giant
Emoticon: Subdued

TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

-Robert Frost-

i) The Big Shift?

Lately(?), many readers are growing increasingly concerned and frustrated over the quality of reporting / censure of mainstream media (honestly, is this anything new?) and are increasingly turning towards the Internet as a significant source for the alternative view.

Although still only a small(ish) percentage of Malaysians have access to the Internet, its claim to be the fastest growing media tool is gaining credibility. People of all levels from students, executives, retirees are logging on and have mastered the art of blogging their mind, sharing their heartfelt opinions. Some sites boast 50,000 hits a day (this is not even one of the big websites), and you only have to look at the comments section to see the volume (nevermind the quality) of responses. If formatted to suit your local daily, one news thread could potentially run up to 10 pages.

Looking through idealistic eyes, this shift is a relevant and important check and balance for the ‘frustrating’ mainstream media. It’s a credible proxy, the voice of the people telling them, “cut the red bull and tell us the truth”.

ii) The Evolution

Granted, most of the popular blogs relate to issues of current affairs (read UMNO politics), Blog owners has evolved even further, outside the ambit of Internet by organising events featuring heavyweights of the golden era (?) of Malaysian politics. This has promoted blog access even further.

Using simple logic, this evolution provides an even stronger platform to promote check and balance in Malaysia. This evolution is certainly welcomed as every country that is hell bent on development must accept free speech as the trade off.

iii) Have we found Cyber-Utopia?

So we have found the truth!. But hang on a minute…, now, increasingly, many Internet readers too are concerned over the quality of reporting / accuracy of information of the blogs. Yes, like mentioned earlier, the contents found within the blogs are mind blogging (blogging I mean). Its breadth and width can safely put various printed daily to shame.

But let’s talk conscience. Can we safely say that the most visited alternative news sites base its report on well researched facts, analysis or merely “assumptions” and “gut feel”?. If so, would this help us (or even worse, sway us) in making our God given democratic right?

Even more dangerous (and apparently more frequent), are these blogs restricted to expression of opinions based on facts or writers spinning a certain angle to result in a predetermined conclusion?

Simply: Who watches these watchdogs? To me, a watchdog with an agenda is a fat cat (or chicken, you decide).

It all stems from Politics Malaysia’s dislike for the Middle Road. Politics is a loyalty game. All about portraying that loyalty. If your views go against the views of a ‘camp’, you are betraying the camp, you are not one of ‘them’. But what about Joe Public who are not interested in camps?. Joe Public which makes the biggest percentage of the voting public?.

iv. So, what’s the Big Deal?

Believe it or not, some people are very interested in making ‘informed’ decisions relating to matters of paramount importance – The Decision Makers of this country, the residents of Bangunan Parlimen, Kuala Lumpur.

If the mainstream media says the colour of the sky is black and the Internet media says it is orange, are we constrained to thinking that the sky is black or orange?. Can the sky one day be black and the next orange?. Why not put the readers out in the great outdoors and tell us what the colour of the sky is?.

So, Mr Robert Frost, you say:

I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

I don’t want to take the one less traveled by, especially not without knowing where the other road leads to. So, can I propose this blog travel down both roads?. Let’s say, in keeping with times I’ll whip out my Sony Vaio (wifi capability) and do a googleearth search on the two roads. Then I will do an Internet search on the destination (both the politically correct mainstream media and the blogs). Hopefully, I’ll obtain credible information which would enable me to conduct critical analyses on the pros and cons from both side of the roads in the yellow wood. Maybe Mr Frost, after all this sweatbreaking mind work I’ll even decide to stay put in the middle of the road.

Is there even such thing as a middle road? (no pun intended). They say if you sit on the fence too long your bottom might hurt. Well, I’d rather have an aching ass than a closed mind.

Is there even a vacuum?. Well let freedom of speech decide. If there is no vacuum, I’ll continue speaking to myself. (again, is this anything new?)

The objective? – Objectivity.

Welcome to a new world. Shall we call it.. “its about time..”?.....Anyway, Joe Public, welcome to the great outdoors…

Raja Tikus