Archive for June 19th, 2007

Samy Vellu playing the fool as Works Minister for 22 years?

Image Hosted by ImageShack.usWorks Minister, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu told Parliament during question time that he would not allow any person to “play the fool” whether in the Public Works Department or among contractors after the disgraceful litany of government building defects and public construction mishaps – with collapsing ceilings, cracking walls and floodings in new buildings from burst water or sewerage piping.

This prompted me to ask Samy Vellu whether he had been “playing the fool” for 22 years as Works Minister to explain the nation’s regression from “First-World Infrastructure, Third-World Mentality” to “Third-World Infrastructure, Fourth-rate Mentality and Ninth-class Maintenance”, with Malaysia facing shocking drop in public delivery standards which were unimaginable two or three decades ago.

Samy Vellu had been a Cabinet Minister for almost 28 years, with 22 years as Works Minister.

I asked Samy Vellu whether it was not time for the country to have another Works Minister.

At my supplementary question, Samy Vellu blew his top, exclaiming that Ipoh Timur should appoint a new Member of Parliament.

He boasted that whether he had been a Minister for 22 years, 28 years or even 48 years, it was all because of his capability.

I shot back to remark that whether Ipoh Timur should have a new MP is not for Samy Vellu to say, and this cannot be excuse for Samy Vellu to run away from his responsibility to be a competent Works Minister instead of seeing standards of public works falling year after year.

I also pointed out that under his leadership, the Indians have become the new underclass in the country with the most political, socio-economic, educational and citizenship problems. Read the rest of this entry »

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First urgent motion knocked out — no debate on Internet allegations of top cop corruption

The Speaker, Tan Sri Ramli Ngah has rejected the first of my three urgent motions this week to get Parliament to be relevant and debate issues of grave public importance.

My first urgent motion to debate Internet allegations of top cop corruption was chucked out on the ground that it was not urgent, that the Anti-Corruption Agency was investigating, although it is not clear whether the Speaker was referring to the allegations against the Deputy Internal Security Minister, Datuk Johari Baharom or the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan.

The subject of my urgent motion was – serious allegations of corruption and abuses of power against Johari and Musa on the Internet by both named and anonymous websites, and the failure to take satisfactory action to protect government credibility, integrity and authority.

There was no explanation why there was prompt investigation in the case of the RM5.5 million “Freedom for Sale” allegations against the Deputy Internal Security Minister for releasing three men held under the Emergency Ordinance although it was from anonymous websites, but no sign of any investigation in the case of serious and specific corruption allegations against the Inspector-General of Police although made by a known Internet source — on the Malaysia-Today news portal by Raja Petra Kamaruddin in his series The Corridor of Power”.

This is all the more regrettable as the former Inspector-General of Police, Tun Hanif Omar was reported in the Sun today, “Act if allegations untrue, says Hanif”, telling Musa to “take action if the allegations are untrue”. Read the rest of this entry »

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University student intake – season for frus and despair

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University intake for this year is out and its a season for frustration and despair at the injustices of the system.

I received the following sad letter from Clare:

I am writing to voice my dissatisfaction towards the Ministry of Higher Education who rejected my brother’s application into a local university.

When my brother told me that his application was “tidak berjaya”, I was very disappointed. Not that his result is bad, in fact, his result is very good compared to many other students (even better than mine). He got a CGPA of about 3.2 (I got 2.9 back then) and applied for ‘not-so-popular’ business-related courses and he was rejected.

I do not know what to tell my mum when she called to announce the result just now. My parents must be very disappointed, not with my brother, but with the higher education ministry. My brother has gone into exile because of that. I am not surprised if he has developed a mentality that the government is biased towards the handicapped (my brother is handicapped with cerebral palsy-as stated in one of the links in my post)

I do not know who else to turn to, Uncle Lim. Please advise.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Police lost control of crime – JB & Malaysia: Notice for urgent motion

19th June 2007
Yang di Pertua,
Dewan Rakyat,
Parlimen,
Malaysia.

YB Tan Sri,

S.O. 18 motion of urgent, definite public importance: Recent brutal robbery-cum-gang rapes in Johor Baru sparking public outcry nationwide over police failure to control and reduce crime with Malaysians feeling very unsafe in the streets, public places and privacy of their homes
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This is to give notice under S.O. 18(2) to move a motion of urgent definite public importance for the Dewan Rakyat sitting on Thursday, 21st June 2007, as follows:

“That under Standing Order 18(1), the House gives leave to Ketua Pembangkang YB Lim Kit Siang to move a motion of urgent, definite public importance, viz Recent brutal robbery-cum-gang rapes in Johor Baru sparking public outcry nationwide over police failure to control and reduce crime with Malaysians feeling very unsafe in the streets, public places and privacy of their homes.

“In the campaign for 100,000 signatures to restore to the people of Johor Baru their fundamental right to be free from crime and the fear of crime, some 80,000 signatures have been collected from all over the country from Malaysians in a matter of three days — an expression of frustration and despair that despite repeated promises of a war against crime whether by the Prime Minister and the Inspector-General of Police, the establishment of the Royal Police Commission as well as increased allocations and salary revision for the police, the violent crime index had worsened in the past three years.

“Unless the rampant crime and lawlessness not only in Johor Baru, which has become the capital of crime of the nation, but also in the various ‘black areas” like in Klang Valley and Penang are wiped out, even Visit Malaysia Year 2007 and all programmes to attract foreign investors, especially as multi-billion ringgit Iskandar Development Region project will be undermined. Read the rest of this entry »

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