The “war” between the Internal Security Ministry and the Police is definitely more warlike than the “all-out war against crime” or the earlier “all-out war against corruption” announced by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
The “all-out wars” against crime and corruption were just empty rhetoric but the “war” between the Internal Security Ministry and the Police have already sent sparks flying all over the country.
However, on a day when Malaysians are thoroughly disgusted and ashamed to read in the media of the RM200 million havoc at the grandiose Immigration Department headquarters at Putrajaya, where a burst pipe caused a torrent of thousands of litres of water flooding seven storeys of the building, forcing its closure and the evacuation of over 1,000 people thronging the immigration counters and the 600 immigration officers, the people are not amused at all by the ugly spectacle of the “cat-and-dog” fight between Internal Security Ministry and the Police.
Both incidents are disgraceful testimony that public service culture, standards and benchmarks have plummeted drastically in the 41-month premiership of Abdullah, with the “First-World Infrastructure, Third-World Mentality” Malaysian malaise becoming even more deeply-rooted and terminal instead of it being eradicated and replaced with a “First-World Infrastructure, First-World Mentality” mindset and ethos.
Deputy Internal Security Minister, Datuk Johari Baharum is incensed that his figures about the phenomenal increase of the crime index, in particular in the Federal Territory, had been contradicted by the police.
Johari had said that the crime index in Sentul district in Kuala Lumpur in the first three months of the year had soared by 90 per cent, with snatch thefts going up by 693.5 per cent.
However, Federal CID director Datuk Christopher Wan Soo Kee had contradicted him, saying that the crime index for the first quarter in Sentul had increased by 10.1 per cent while snatch thefts had dropped by 36.6 per cent.
How can the official crime statistics for the same period and locality between the Internal Security Ministry and the Police vary so widely, as to manifest a “heaven and earth” difference?
Johari has made two serious allegations against the police — firstly, that it had “manipulated the crime rate figures to confuse the public”; and secondly, that he “feared that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, may have also been given the wrong figures”.
This is the latest example of the direct result of the disastrous lack of leadership demonstrated by Abdullah although he is Prime Minister, Internal Security Minister and Finance Minister — to the extent that there is a public fall-out between the Deputy Internal Security Minister, who is the de facto Police Minister, with the Police!
At a time when Malaysians are despairing at Abdullah’s failure to fully implement the recommendations of the Royal Police Commission, in particular to establish the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), to create an efficient, incorruptible, professional police service to end the unchecked crime wave and to restore to Malaysians, visitors and foreign investors the right to be free from crime and the fear of crime, the public spat between Johari and the Police is most distressing and demoralizing to public confidence in the whole system of governance headed by Abdullah.
Parliament and Malaysians do not want any cover-up but insist that the whole truth about the real picture about the crime situation should be fully made public.
It is time that Abdullah end his “hands-off and mind-off” approach and attitude as Prime Minister, Internal Security Minister and Finance Minister, and he should come to Parliament on Monday to give a full ministerial statement about the real crime situation in the country, with particular reference to the latest crime index whether nation-wide or in the worst crime hotspots, as well as three other important issues, viz:
- the cause for the public spat between the de facto Police Minister, his Deputy Internal Security Minister and the Police;
- the detailed strategy and objectives of the “all-out war against crime” which he announced only last week; and
- the real status of the implementation of the 125 recommendations of the Royal Police Commission and in particular, the establishment of IPCMC.
#1 by Taiko on Thursday, 12 April 2007 - 3:58 pm
Not sure who is right but I’m rooting for Johari….
#2 by lakshy on Thursday, 12 April 2007 - 4:59 pm
Does not matter…with statistics, you just need a good spin doctor to say what you want to say. And that is what this government is good at doing.
Use statistics to give misleading reports such as not achieving 30% bumi equity, but covering the fact that the forced 30% bumi equity in many companies formed under the NEP are not taken into account.
We had loads of stats given by NST some weeks ago to show Malaysia is great. But world statistics in terms of Uni ratings and CPI ratings where we go down are ridiculed instead.
So dont get your hopes up guys. It will end up that both parties are right! Malaysia BOLEH. Apa apa pun boleh.
or as they say in Indonesia…..bisa pak!
#3 by Zeebra on Thursday, 12 April 2007 - 5:25 pm
I’ve said it and will repeat it again……these minister think we still live on top of trees.
#4 by HJ Angus on Thursday, 12 April 2007 - 5:43 pm
According to the Putrajaya PWD Director, it was “a problem waiting to happen”.
If they operate on such a basis, why do we even need the PWD?
http://malaysiawatch2.blogspot.com/2007/04/picture-paints-thousand-words.html
#5 by kurakura on Thursday, 12 April 2007 - 6:29 pm
One of my immediate family member was robbed. Two close friends were victims of snatched theft. Dad loses all wheels of cars in parking lot.
All this happened in less than a few months.
We do not need the statistics to see how bad the situation is because I am sure most Malaysians has their crime tales to tell almost everyday.
There is no need to declare all out war against crime. Just do it! When the results show, people and the press will take notice.
Time magazine will have a nice little feature of it etc etc.
Better than to declare something and be embarrassed for not achieving it. But oh well….leaders here have really thick skin.
If some screw up like the Immigration Department happens in Japan, the top person would be too ashamed to even continue his post and step down himself. This is called accountability which doesnt run in our system.
But even if there is somebody stepping down, the problem will not be solved because there is no open tender process to build he building to start with plus a host of other rotten problems.
Therefore, we are locked in a spiral of problems.
Maybe the a good starting point will be raising the ministers pay like Singapore that is benchmarked to the top industries. But then again, our ministers are too used to billions rather than the millions puny Singapore ministers have. Also, our top industries pay arent that high either (which is also caused by bad leadership) :(
#6 by fargowin on Thursday, 12 April 2007 - 7:20 pm
Malaysia has gone to the dogs. Not a day goes by without some report in the national dailies on the occurrence of armed robberies, bloody gang fights, child abuses, cold-blooded murders, gang rapes, road rage and snatch thefts.
And I don’t think the government of Badawi is doing enough to tackle this social malaise. But to be fair to the prime minister, he had inherited these social ills from his predecessor, and one just cannot expect him to stamp out the problem in a matter of two or three years.
Back to the dogs. Some time ago, a young woman’s body was found in a box. Some time ago, a young woman was walking back from work at night when she was shoved into a car and taken to a bungalow where she was allegedly gang-raped by some Africans.
Sound familiar? Remember the girl who was raped and then killed by the bus driver after a terror bus ride? There are countless others whose names I can’t recall, but the graphic images of the violence perpetrated against these victims remain. And of course, the case last occasion of the young woman who raped and killed while out jogging.
Well, it is more than just fate. Fate is just an explanation for those events that led one to being at the wrong place at the wrong time. But what caused the brutal murder?
The two decades under Dr Mahathir saw rapid economic development. Spanking new highways were built, crisscrossing the country, the world’s tallest buildings were built; new factories mushroomed overnight; illegal immigrants arrived in hordes; foreign direct investments flowed into the country, while the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange was turned into a virtual casino. Those were wonderful and heady times indeed.
When the stock market crashed in 1997, we cried foul; we blamed Soros for our financial sorrows. Did we blame ourselves? Of course not.
Who cares about ethics or values when you can make money at the expense of others? You want better roads? “No problem, we will give you better roads. Just pay your toll.”
But at what cost? It was two decades of social havoc. Money or material wealth became (still is) the new God. Corruption, greed and ugly money, and race politics set in. Religious and social values became subordinated to the new God.
#7 by DarkHorse on Thursday, 12 April 2007 - 9:22 pm
” But to be fair to the prime minister, he had inherited these social ills from his predecessor, and one just cannot expect him to stamp out the problem in a matter of two or three years.” fargowin
Now what have we got here?? An apologist for Badawi!
This man we call the country’s Prime Minister has been head of the country’s executive branch for how long? Almost half a decade? This man chose to live in his own world, who fancies himself as the ceremonial head of the executive – anything but a hands-on manager like his predecessor. He clings to the position of head of a number of key Ministries not by choice but because he could not resolve the issue as to who should head these Ministries – rather than risk the anger of key contenders to these posts he puts himself out as head. That’s not the way to manage!
He is weak as a manager. If he had been the CEO of a private company, there would have been a scramble by subordinates to exert control. And as a result no one person is in control – which today characterizes his Administration. With the pilot asleep at the controls it is not whether the plane will crash but when will it crash?
As a result we see a turf war going on consistently and between warring factions in the Administration. The number two in the Internal Security Ministry being contradicted by a police officer – with the IGP looking on. All sorts of figures are being put out there like a 40% surge in crimes from one source which appears arbitrary enough, calling for actions and blame to be attributed to those in charge of enforcement. At the same time we get to read ‘statements of disbelief’ from other sources. Lost in all this is the fact that a brave civil servant has chosen to take a stand against his political master to the point of publicly contradicting him. News about the head of the country’s agency in charge of corruption at logger heads with his then subordinate which only became public knowledge years after, who left only to return with his accusations which dominated the airwaves for weeks on end – without any resolution and finally left to resolve itself.
This is one head of the country’s the executive branch who does not see the need for him to attend Parliament long enough to hear all the allegations that are being made against his Administration. As a result other Ministers like the country’s fat lady also absents herself. To these people it is beneath their dignity, a waste of time for them to attend Parliament to answer questions from the floor. They rather busy themselves with their ‘work’ yet calling themselves elected representatives of the people, accountable only to them they say, and not Parliament.
All these are due to the singular fact that Badawi is weak and embattled and do not have the full support of his colleagues in his own Cabinet. What’s worse is he does not have the moral courage to answer allegations of corruption made personally against him.
We do not need a Badawi apologist on this blog.
#8 by shortie kiasu on Thursday, 12 April 2007 - 9:44 pm
“However, on a day when Malaysians are thoroughly disgusted and ashamed to read in the media of the RM200 million havoc at the grandiose Immigration Department headquarters at Putrajaya…”
This hits really hard at the heart of the government and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, slipshodness in everything they do.
Will the guilty parties be hauled up to answer for the ‘good works”??
The PM Ahmad Badawi should; to show his & government sincerety, political will and firmness in punishing the wrong doers.
#9 by shortie kiasu on Thursday, 12 April 2007 - 10:03 pm
Breaknews: BN won the Macap by election with slightly lower majority. There is no miracle happening. Next will be Iljok by election, no miracle too.
#10 by Jeffrey on Thursday, 12 April 2007 - 10:04 pm
1. I think it is a fact that there is a public fall-out between the Deputy Internal Security Minister, who is the de facto Police Minister, with the Police!
2. It is also a fact that there is a serious discrepancy of official crime statistics for the same period and locality given by the so called defacto Police Minister (90% rise in Sentul, with snatch thefts shooting up by 600%) from what Federal CID director Comm Datuk Christopher Wan said about the number of snatch thefts in Sentul having dropped by 142 cases or 36.6% for the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year (388 cases to 246 cases).
3. Who is right – no one knows. Maybe both are wrong but between the two, if one were right, then on the balance of probability, it is more likely to be the Federal CID director who has the facts and statistics.
4. Which means defacto Police Minister is wrong but how could he if he took his statistics of 90% rise in Sentul, with snatch thefts shooting up by 600% from the police themselves? I assume he did. He couldn’t have imagined or invented them; he couldn’t have plucked them from unverified Internet sources.
5. This means he obviously did not take those statistics from Federal CID director or the IGP with whom Federal CID director closely works. He was likely to have taken from some other sources within the police force, which only leads to the inference or lets just say, best speculation, right or wrong, that he is not exactly comfortable or in best terms with top brass.
6. As to why that might be so, best speculation again is that one side worked hard to arrest three top gangsters to incarcerate them under Emergency Ordinance that the other released blaming on the former’s procedures and lack of follow up.
7. Never mind who is right on 6. for the time being : if the defacto Police Minister cannot work in harmony with the police force for which he is responsible and accountable, the logical move is to replace him with one who can since it is not possible to replace the whole police force or its top brass esp when they detain whilst the other releases three top triad gangsters! That’s one view. Maybe some think otherwise.
8. This is where the Big Chief’s role comes in. He can’t have the wife and a mistress to share the same bed. He has to kick one of them out instead of hope that they reconcile and will seek mutual accommodation, over time.
#11 by grumpy on Thursday, 12 April 2007 - 10:42 pm
I really have to admire Lim Kit Siang’s dedication. You just keep writing your views on the broken govt even when things don’t turn out good. Unfortunately not many people read blogs to read your arguments. As for the Chinese youngsters who were supposed to vote and didn’t, shame on you. Just don’t complain about being held back anymore. I am sick and tired of hearing this and that and yet MCA is always elected. That is why I gave up long time ago. That is why I admire LKS’s perseverance.
#12 by ENDANGERED HORNBILL on Thursday, 12 April 2007 - 11:00 pm
Machap weighs heavily on my heart. Shakespeare would have lamented thus for Machap:
“The weight of this sad time we must obey,
Speak what we feel, not what we ought to say.â€Â
Democracy demands that we accept (’obey’) the verdict of the people; yet nothing can detract our sorrow for the blindness that darkened the sight of Machap-ites, who for a loaf of bread did give away their inheritance and for a fish did give away the entire seas!
BN’s victory is hollow; for what glory is there in victory purchased with deceit and bribery. The loser laments not; the battle’s outcome was decided by a dice, not by virgin Machap’s hearts.
#13 by grumpy on Thursday, 12 April 2007 - 11:13 pm
Hornbill, you said it eloquently. That is the problem with most Chinese in Malaysia. I can say that because I am a Chinese too. They always think about short-term comfort and easily swayed. The older people have always supported the BN; it is like ingrained in their senses. BN knew to target these older people and got them to vote. But the younger generation should know better. The Chinese youngsters are just overly optimistic.
I always vote even when my vote is a lost-cause because that is my civic duty; otherwise I have no right to complain if the govt is bad.
#14 by zack on Thursday, 12 April 2007 - 11:31 pm
Barisan wins Machap by-election
MALACCA: Barisan Nasional candidate Lai Meng Chong beat DAP’s Liou Chen Kuang in the Machap by election with a majority of 4,081 votes.
Lai, 56, a political secretary to Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn, received 5,533 votes while Liou, 33, a businessman from Malacca, garnered 1,452 votes in his second time contesting in Machap.
A total of 7,142 or 74.35% of 9,623 registered voters cast their ballot papers with 166 as spoilt votes.
(From l-r:) Barisan Nasional members Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Lai Meng Chong, MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy and Umno youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein Onn, raising their hands on stage after the annoucement that Barisan Nasional won the Machap by-election.
Majority of the voters were senior citizens.
An elated Lai was carried by Barisan supporters after the announcement was made by Returning Officer Hasim Ismail at the Machap Japerun Complex at Bukit Bulat at 8.24pm on Thursday.
Liou was present to congratulate Lai.
The Machap seat fell vacant following the death of its assemblyman the late Datuk Wira Poh Ah Tiam on March 15.
Poh, a state executive councillor, from Machap Baru, was the state assemblyman in Machap for three terms. In the last general election in 2004, Poh beat Liou by a majority of 4,562 votes.
#15 by smeagroo on Friday, 13 April 2007 - 12:02 am
The only way for the country to move forward is to hv more of these SA men to die so that the govt can “pour” in goodies. That’s the only time we can really see development and at its fastest too! When was the last time we really see a small kampung got such a boost? After all these years no money hv been allocated to them and u wonder what has Poh being doing. ALl the govt money have been used “somewhere” else to develop some cronies’ pocket. Machap folks cant be bothered abt scandals for they r new to it. They dont read it on a dialy basis and suddenly the Opposoiton went in and bombard them with such stories, surely they would be put off and many will hv their doubts. Such mind set change has to be done overtime same as how the govt uses the media to brainwash us…over time. The SUN reported that AAB has told the various inter dept not to bring their dirty laundry to the media and the media has been told not to publish such news for it portrays a weak govt. See how he can use the media to his own advantage? Whislt the tv news can highlight in detailed every demonstration done overseas and ppl protesting abt human rites and hikes in this and that, our own acts hv been subdued. They shld name the 8pm News Bulletin to Feel Good Bulletin.
#16 by Godamn Singh on Friday, 13 April 2007 - 12:50 am
“. He can’t have the wife and a mistress to share the same bed. He has to kick one of them out …” Jeffrey
You’re one naive little boy, Jeffrey.
My Chinese neighbor has five in his seven-room bungalow in Robson Heights and only one is his wife and the others are his mistresses, all living happily. Sometimes he’d have threesome and sometimes foursome.
It is a win-win situation and nobody gets kicked out!
#17 by undergrad2 on Friday, 13 April 2007 - 2:07 am
Didn’t I predict so?
It is not surprising that the constituents of Machap continue to support the ruling Party. It does not take a rocket scientist to see the futility of putting an Opposition state assemblyman in the State Legislative Assembly already controlled and dominated by the ruling Party. Also this is a state by-election.
Further the Chinese are a very practical people. They know which side of the bread is buttered. This election is fought on bread and butter issues and who is better able to deliver.
Loh, is familiar with my characterization. The choice is between a party willing and able to deliver and a party who is willing but cannot deliver. The choice is between asking a man not quite willing to use his legs to run a track and field event and a man with no legs to run.
DAP and PKR need to have an ideological platform to stand a chance. They could not even put a united front. For the Opposition to win in Machap, PKR has to deliver the Malay votes. Obviously they failed. They knew they could not which was why their top guns were not there to campaign.
#18 by edmondyjh on Friday, 13 April 2007 - 9:48 am
This is we so call “malaysian governtment”…they never learn..and waiting ppl to spoon feed them..
#19 by k1980 on Friday, 13 April 2007 - 10:36 am
What a great country we live in. Aid increased for mother after her 11-year-old son committed suicide due to poverty. So those who want aid will have to die first.
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Friday/National/20070413075245/Article/index_html
#20 by Godfather on Friday, 13 April 2007 - 10:38 am
Machap should be an eye-opener for those of you who still harbour hopes of booting out the thieves. Machap is a microcosm of the greater Bodohland – the people complain bitterly about escalating prices, rampant corruption, rampant crime, wasteful spending on megaprojects, UMNO’s racist behavior, etc etc. When the time comes to cast the vote, the average Malaysian tells himself not to rock the boat, because the options are not necessarily better.
Machap voters either don’t know or don’t care about the bigger picture. There’s nothing much we can do about it if voters don’t care, but there is something we can do about it if voters don’t know. Blogs alone aren’t enough – the opposition must be able to muster other avenues for disseminating information right down to the grassroots.
Time is running out for the opposition – constant moaning and groaning is simply making the voters weary. Time for some radical moves amongst PAS, DAP and PKR or the thieves will be voted in with the same massive majority.
#21 by Jong on Friday, 13 April 2007 - 10:54 am
That’s Machap today, 12 years under the late State Assemblyman Poh? We all saw that sleepy town with very basic amenities on all tv channels everyday the past weeks. Let’s see how Lai Meng Chong is going to deliver the millions of goodies as promised, if he is able to.
Machapites, that’s your buttered bread, Congratulations!
#22 by HJ Angus on Friday, 13 April 2007 - 12:25 pm
I think the Machap results should not be taken too seriously as adding an opposition seat into a BN majority legislature will not change matters much and I am sure the voters also took that into account.
The Opposition should start working harder now for the GE as another loss in Ijok will probably bring forward the Elections.
Winning in politics is not just winning some battles but winning the war.
The BA should work out some key planks for the GE like local elections, corruption, cronyism, security and transparency in government projects. I think about 10 major issues would suffice as no point promising the sky.
#23 by Winston on Friday, 13 April 2007 - 1:26 pm
By all means lament and rant but at the end of the day make sure you cast your votes for the DAP!
A vote for the DAP is a vote for the demise of the BN!
#24 by undergrad2 on Friday, 13 April 2007 - 7:09 pm
Machap is a classic example of the triumph of local politics and issues over national ones.
Can we blame Machap residents for wanting the economic benefits that a BN victory could bring to their sleepy hollow – even if these are in the form of promises?
To residents of this sleepy town, a village most of us have never heard exist until now, issues like democracy, corruption among politicians and civil servants, a $60 million house in far away Australia etc are issues almost alien and certainly irrelevant to them as they don’t affect their daily lives.
What does is the issue of land, schools, roads etc.
Had DAP/PKR won, could ‘victory’ at the polls then be translated into things tangible like land, roads, more street lights, schools etc.
The residents have made their choice – for now.
#25 by akarmalaysian on Saturday, 14 April 2007 - 2:11 am
whoever wins…lets hope those guys really deliver their promise for the good of malaysian machapians.its a well fought election for DAP even tho if DAP lost…u stood out for us for wat u believed in.thats wat really matters the most…and to most of malaysians who hv their faith in u.