Forum – “Can We Have Our Highways Back?”


Public Forum : “Can We Have Our Highways Back?”
Venue: Crystal Crown Hotel, Petaling Jaya (Map)
Date: 18 February (Wed) – TODAY
Time: 7.30pm

The panel speakers include:

* Sdr Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader
* Sdr Tony Pua, MP Petaling Jaya Utara
* Sdri Teo Nie Ching, MP Serdang
* Sdr Tommy Thomas, Corporate & Constitutional Lawyer
* Sdr Teh Chi Chang, Economic Advisor to DAP Secretary-General

  1. #1 by i_love_malaysia on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 - 3:10 pm

    We can and must have our highways back!!! Only BN govt will say cannot because they (UMNO and kuncu2 companies who own the highways) are the one who will lose out!!! But we must be careful with the propositon because they may just sell them off to govt at a much higher prices than they are worth as they are very the good in projecting the future profit into present time i.e. one female chick can have many female chicks and many female chicks can have hundreds of female chicks etc etc!!!

  2. #2 by yhsiew on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 - 3:22 pm

    I believe it won’t be that easy to have our highways back. UMNO cronies are all over the place in highway management. On the surface we only see simple official dealings between the government and the party which owns and operates the highways. I believe, deep down, UMNO cronies also have a share in the ownership and operation of the highways through “secret private arrangements” with the party that controls the highways and the government.

    As we do not know what these “secret private arrangements” are and they are not reflected in normal official meeting minutes, it is not easy to get everyone of them to agree to give up the highways.

  3. #3 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 - 3:25 pm

    PR building highways now?? Why no work??

  4. #4 by i_love_malaysia on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 - 3:44 pm

    Can the govt of today guarantee that the highways will not become like other federal roads with potholes after taken them back???

  5. #5 by hiro on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 - 3:47 pm

    Can we have our highways back? By all means, yes please.

    In the meantime, Citibank asks Malaysians to save more. This means one thing – Malaysians won’t be prepared for rainy days, no, tyhoon ahead.

    Politicians should look at this issue seriously – what is our long term plan as a nation in respect of those in old age, or those without insurance coverage – life or medical? How do we finance a social safety net?

    And what happens when the oil revenue runs out? Does Pakatan have a long term strategy to deal with this issue, or is the ship sinking no matter who helms the economy? Can the money saved from non-corrupt practice be truly enough to turn us around as nation?

    I believe those are tough questions that we need to refocus our national attention on – not Perak powergrab, not Eli Wong, not Najib’s ascension to power. None of these things will have any true consequence if we’re already sunk.

  6. #6 by i_love_malaysia on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 - 3:55 pm

    Bottomline is BN kuncu2 will win whether the outcome is a tail or head of a coin!!! Look no further with many “good” eg. Indah Water, Syabas, MAS etc etc the list is far too long to write.

  7. #7 by i_love_malaysia on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 - 5:22 pm

    hiro,

    BN govt only have max 5 years plan and with the biggest Ponzi scheme on earth!!! Citibank is asking people to save as per your statement, but BN govt is asking people to spend more especially EPF money to revive the economies, I always support the govt of the day, so I will listen to them and continue to feed the biggest group of govt servants per population on earth!!! Indonesia only have 4 millions govt servant out of 200 million people, we have 1.2 millions govt servant out of 26 million people!!! they only have 2% of the population as govt servants, but we have almost 5%, not including those who are not classified as govt servant but drawing money from govt account!!! BN govt will justify that they are providing the best service to the population!!!

  8. #8 by i_love_malaysia on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 - 5:25 pm

    BN govt claimed to have so much foreign reserves, but it aint show any impart on our currency strength??? show proof and I will believe!!!

  9. #9 by i_love_malaysia on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 - 5:32 pm

    BN govt dont have to do any thing more than just give every citizen RM1K to spend,period!!!

  10. #10 by wanderer on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 - 7:22 pm

    Putting our faith completely on UMNO, on the financial management of the country and not able to know the true picture, may one day end us up like Iceland.
    Transparency and accountability of the financial position is never honestly revealed to the public…we may too be driving the Highway to timbaktu!

  11. #11 by monsterball on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 - 7:34 pm

    I love to attend….and learn…but the traffic jams from PJ to KL turns me off.
    Great to see…DAP guys speaking non stop……not allowing those UMNO dirty politics to fool Malaysians.
    And from Malaysiakini…it seems 6 UMNO guys are suspended in Perak!!
    I do not know whether to laugh or be serious.
    All I know…..”Limbo Rock” by Chubby Checker should be played…all night long…as the new Perak State song.
    hahahahahaha…Now UMNO who is legally the Perak government…dare not hold any Assembly.
    Come to voting….they will be clobbered……..hahahahahahaha

  12. #12 by monsterball on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 - 7:44 pm

    You can also say….another history have been created by UMNO.
    They are managing Perak…while PR holds the majority……hahahahahahaha
    Malu tak?
    No way…those think skin munafiks…will now talk law and majority rule. They will say…they are appointed and recognized. So they will use that line….to stay in power…..until Najib can buy 7 more crossovers….hahahahahaha
    Love to listen to Sultan of Perak talking more laws.

  13. #13 by Jong on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 - 9:47 pm

    Perak State Assembly Speaker V Sivakumar suspends the entire State Exco today! Wow that’s the way to go, at least there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

    The bunch of ‘tipu’ highway robbers must be get rid of and that’s the wishes of Perakians who voted in a Pakatan Rakyat government!

  14. #14 by undergrad2 on Wednesday, 18 February 2009 - 11:46 pm

    “Can We Have Our Highways Back?”

    How can you have something back when it is never yours to begin with??

  15. #15 by chengho on Thursday, 19 February 2009 - 12:17 am

    Can some one tell V Sivakumar do not follow the scene of Tamil movie
    they have no style making a movie like bollywood…

  16. #16 by waterfrontcoolie on Thursday, 19 February 2009 - 7:20 am

    I don’t think we are against the idea of having better managed agencies to build and operate some of the projects mentioned; but the way they did it. Super_Ego follwed Thatcher only on her idea but in application. He was cunning enough to take advantage of the situation,of course with the obedince of Sami and LLS.
    The terms and conditions in the agreements are built-in inflation to the Malaysian public.
    Can’t PR take a legal stand to have ALL the agreements made public? And then use them as the basic for the GE13? Surely if the interests of the nation have been compromised there should be some standing, or let the GE13 decide!
    For a start, can the state Gomen connect some of the state roads to allow the users to by-pass of the the toll roads? Even for a little saving, it will please the general public! This is especially so in the Klang Valley where some of the roads could easily be connected through housing development projects, just ensure that some of the developers main a wide enough central roads in their development plans [ this is to avoid creating frustration to those living near by]. I think writing at this site can only create awareness but wont give any solution. What now Gomen Selangor!!

  17. #17 by taiking on Thursday, 19 February 2009 - 9:02 am

    Of course now pakatan can properly move a no confidence motion in perak and get rid of the mamak mb. Next, take over perak state government.

    And highway. Its the same story all over again. Privatisation has its merits. Its just the way umnoputras abused things. First abuse is to treat all those projects as if they own them or that the projects are part of their whatever goddamned privilege. Lets face it. Even the ordinary Joe Ahmad cant touch it. The whole affair has been twisted out of the original malay vs the rest thingy. Its now umnoputras vs the rest (non umnoputras). I prefer to address it as Tuan McBully vs Hamba deBully.

    Second abuse, the built-in profitability guarantee clause. What nonsense. What a load of nonsense. No matter how one looks at it or justifies it, it is still a nice pile of nonsense. Of course only umnoputras are capable of such nonsense. They were in power for too long. They have grown totally detached from the people and from their real duties as elected leaders. They have become arrogant and greedy and corrupt and power crazy and are power grabbing maniacs. Didnt samy velu once said that eventually all roads leading to kl would be toll roads. And we thought they already have chewed more than enough to grow obese.

    Cant the umno government use the guarantee paid-out to toll companies each year to maintain the highways instead? Its not a small sum after all. And the highways would be back in their direct control. Unless of course PWD is inefficient or incapable. But hey werent they doing that all along for decades before privitisation became a hit amongst umnoputras? And how odd? Now that privitisation is in place PWD logically has less things to do. Has the department expanded in the size of its staff since the start of privitisation in the 80’s? I bet it has and I dare to say by train loads. Why?

    Road tax is high. Petrol is expansive. Tolls too would increase every year (if not directly then indirectly through the guarantee paid-out using out tax money). But roads serve the economy. It should facilitate things and not be a burden to the people.

    Contractually the umno government is tied and cant undo the highway contracts. But surely they go to parliament and pass an act to undo the contracts. And Pakatan would be more than glad to vote in favour. But I cant be sure the umnoputras would be in favour of such a move for it affects the size of their already gigantic pockets.

  18. #18 by Jeffrey on Thursday, 19 February 2009 - 9:16 am

    YB,

    Apologies for being out of topic, but following what Jong posted on the other important development in Perak State Assembly where V Sivakumar suspended Datuk Dr Zamri & 6 state councillors based on its Rights and Privileges Committee’s findings, there would be a procedural objection, amongst other objections, that this suspension was done without putting the matter to vote and the prior approval of the larger Perak State Assembly.

    Next best thing is to now get the Perak State Assembly to immediately sit and take a vote to ratify the the Speaker’s decision & Rights and Privileges Committee’s findings.

    The next best procedural step short of prior approval/endorsement by Perak State Assembly of such decisions is an immediate subsequent ractification by it!

    By suspending 7 of the BN’s 28 state assemblypersons, the numbers have again tilted back to the former PR government of 28 seats against 24, so that the motion of ratification will be carried.

    This proceeds on the fundmantal assumption that the 7 of the BN’s 28 state assembly men would not be present to add to the numbers and vote against the motion to ratify.

    V Sivakumar could take the decision to exclude the 7 from being allowed into the Assembly and participate on the vote based on the well known principle that – even if the suspension could not take effect until subsequent ratification by Perak State Assembly (since opportunity of prior approval had been missed) – the 7 should not be allowed to enter into the assembly and participate to vote on an issue in which they have a direct interest in service of their own cause, in conflict of interests!

    I would imagine time is crucial and it would be a better course to cover this procedural loophole whilst you still could before other formidable challenges are thrown your way – such as for example V Sivakumar’s decisions usurping HRH Sultan of Perak’s prerogative of appointing Perak MB to form the BN state govt!

  19. #19 by k1980 on Thursday, 19 February 2009 - 9:36 am

    Sad to say, but it is umno and not Sivakumar who commands the security apparatus. Sivakumar is going to be incarcerated in Kamunting based on some trumped-up charges, such as sleeping in the nude, bigamy or even selling state secrets to Hindraf….

  20. #20 by boh-liao on Thursday, 19 February 2009 - 5:11 pm

    Have our highways back?
    Is Gamuda Bhd a key player of our highways?
    Is Generasi Setia (M) Sdn. Bhd a shareholder of Gamuda?
    Is Y A M Raja Dato’ Seri Eleena Azlan Shah on the Board of Gamuda?
    Is there big business connection between Umno and the various royal family members?

    Join the dots and the rakyat will see it’s not easy to have our highways back and why decisions taken by sultans favour Umno. Money is a great superglue!

  21. #21 by Onlooker Politics on Friday, 20 February 2009 - 3:00 am

    YB Kit,

    It seemed that there was a cyberattack on your blogsite at the time of around 2:00 am 20.02.2009 onwards. It was not easy to enter your blogsite because the downloading speed was slow!

    It won’t be surprised that BN may have started launching a full fledged attack on PR in the coming few months.

    Just beware of ISA arrest after April 7, 2009 by-election.

    I could smell that the political fights were getting more and more bloody. With the happening of such intimidation incident like bullets being sent out by someone to PKR State Assemblyman, LGE certainly had legitimate reason to show concern about his personal safety.

    It was sad to hear that another case of extra-judicial killing happened in Kulim, Kedah on 19.02.2009. This time it was said that 6 suspected robbers were fatally shot dead by the Police!

    I certainly find that Hindraf has very good reason to justify and legitimize their political activist movement. Why did the BN Federal Government declare Hindraf as an illegal organization? Is BN Federal Government going to further curb the freedom of speech and freedom of assembly when Najib takes over AAB as the new Prime Minister? These are some good questions which ponder my thought of the possibility of an emergency rule in Perak by BN after April 7, 2009 by-election! Najib will try to crackdown PR in the power struggle game by hook or by crook. His father’s coup de’tat in 1969 would provide him a good model for him to follow!

  22. #22 by ridiculed at work on Thursday, 26 March 2009 - 4:38 am

    I am a person who had worked hard with a non UMNO connected entity for 25 years. I have always been apolitical and had not vote until 1999 which I was barred. I voted and split my votes one for BN at Federal and the other PKR at state. I aim for a check balance approach. Race not an issue.

    However, since the last tsunami, I have been ridiculed being UMNO man, Khir Toyo’s man etc etc. This is basically me being Malay therefore assumed UMNO. So all the attacks on the UMNO is being simulated on my person although I am not a member. From education, house purchase discounts etc. No i didnt get any scholarship for further studies, Its my parents fund mortgaging their house from inheritance. And I didnt go for the discount but arranged to mark up the price to obtain a higher quantum of loan.

    I was not promoted for a long period and the reason was medical leave. which average 10-12 days. I had my tugged at by a superior who said the hair is a bit long and its unbecoming for a bank officer. This was done in an elevator with witnesses. I had an emergency situation requiring surgery, were visited by a group of my seniors who only stayed briefly only to pass on my Head’s remarks that I am not good for the job and to top the humiliation, they said this in front of my wife.

    I wanted to utilise my marriage leave and was not allowed because it extents my annual leave to longer period. Then when the next year came, the leave was revised from 7 to 10 days, I was not given the revised 10 days, Reason given was, I should have taken the marriage leave before i.e 7 days upon marriage the year before.

    I told them that I have an autoimmune condition and require regular checks. But I was sent to outstation places forcing me to frequently postpone or delay my visits. I have glaucoma and now they transferred me to a section where I have to scrutinie every fading text prints on vouchers and reports, I was being asked to do another full medical check up with another panel hospital where they want to have me under full body CT Scan. I protest because the previous hospital where I recovered from that emergency, already given their report that I have a chronic condition that needs to be managed. I checked with friend in the medical service about the CT Scan, and they were shocked since my condition is in the eye, a full CT Scan is giving me unnecessary radiation almost like getting it from a atomic bomb at a certain distant. And I may then get cancer. It was to fix me up in a dceitful way. I managed to outstep the situation by personally request medical examination at the same hospital but not under the company’s request and no CT scan done bit other checks. Hospital was caught in dilemma but at the end they force me to sign a declaration as they had “accidently” submit my personal record to my HR before they even showed to me. The whole idea was to medically board me out. This was also confirm by another doctor who is treating my eye, as she was being asked by my HR to cook up a report towards a medical board out situation for me.

    Not happy with what happen, they assigned me to a ad-hoc assignment where I had to be at a place where its damp dusty and moldy. I still yet to recover from my lung collaspe and still need to do heavy stuff at the main generator rooms of the building.

    So, now with all this happen, anybody can be as hypocrites and corrupted as those they accuse of because these people are now ardent supporters of those against BN. Some even say should someone at Kamunting were to die of hunger or medical failure, their parents in Penang will be sharpening the parangs, When I ask, who the parangs are for, they say for people like me.

    Now this come from a guy, who once in financial mess with Ah Longs and borrowing money from many times from me to feed his children has now turn partisan in his politics. There are loose talks, provocations and unsolicited debates, probably trying to indentify who backs what in the office,

    So its heating up now, there some who wants to go down the road of perdition and there are those who may wish things goes back to its usual. As for me , I just take care of my family and I have to wear my uniform becoz thats my uniform, a symbol of despise as shown in my workplace since I’m a minority. I think UMNO is not power crazy but the neccesity of the power is crazy now. If I had known that the company hidden agenda, I would not bother to indignified myself for 25 years. I’m in dangerous water now as there are some who thinks I am UMNO and on the other hand another thinks me as a liberal anti UMNO Malay or worse plain Chinese as I am mixed.

    So for those who thinks that its only UMNO the bad racist. No they are others equally as bad. UMNO may be a racist as being a response. As for others, you would do the same when you are in power.

    To Annuar, regretted wishing for your safety through your wife at Bandar Utama many years back.

    To YB Kit my regards to you , family and Hui Meng.

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