Archive for May, 2018

Malaysians are entitled to know how many of the heads of tens of thousands of GLCs in the country are paid millionaire or near millionaire salaries

The Transport Minister, Anthony Loke shocked Malaysians with his revelation that the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mycom) executive chairman Abdullah Ahmad earns a monthly salary of RM85,000, which is more than four times the basic salary of the Prime Minister.

Malaysians are entltled to know how many of the heads of the tens of thousands of government-linked companies (GLCs) in the country are paid millionaire or near-millionaire salaries.

Let there be transparency and public accountability in the wages of the GLC heads. There should be a website where the salaries and remuneration of all GLC heads and members are easily available to the public.

Out of the tens of thousands of the GLCs in the country, how many of them are filled with political appointees and how many of these UMNO/BN political appointees have resigned since the historic watershed development on May 9, 2018 which saw the first peaceful and democratic transition of power at the federal level in the nation’s history. Read the rest of this entry »

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New Malaysia needs a National Integrity Plan which will transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity within 10 years

New Malaysia needs a National Integrity Plan which will transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity within 10 years.

This National Integrity Plan for a New Malaysia should be debated and adopted by Parliament.

We should see results in the National Integrity Plan for a New Malaysia hopefully in the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2018 but steady and solid improvements in the from TI CPI 2019 without any turning back or the MACC Chief Commissioner and the members of the various anti-corruption monitoring bodies must assume personal responsibility to Parliament and the nation. Read the rest of this entry »

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Is Apandi Ali going to create dubious history by denying Malaysia with an Attorney-General for more than a month in a most crucial period in the nation’s history?

I said two days ago that Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali must be prepared to face the sack if he continues to stall from resigning honourably and with dignity as Attorney-General.

Is Apandi Ali going to create dubious history by denying Malaysia with an Attorney-General for more than a moth in a most crucial period in the nation’s history?

Today marks the full three weeks since the watershed day on May 9 when Malaysians surprised the world that they are capable of national self-correction and self-renewal by effecting a peaceful and democratic transition of power, placing Malaysia firmly on the path of a normal democracy.

It was not only a vote for no confidence for the Prime Minister and the UMNO/BN government, but more specifically, against the Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali because of the AG’s central and extraordinary role in one of the primary issues of the 14th General Election – the 1MDB interntional money-laundering scandal resulting in Malaysia being stained worldwide as a global kleptocracy.

I fully agree with the Amanah MP for Sepang, Hanipa Maidin, that the power accorded to the attorney-general to determine not to initiate criminal proceedings cannot protect the latter if he is found to have abused that discretion in order to protect criminals. Read the rest of this entry »

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The desperado politics of fear, hate, lies, race and religion of UMNO/BN in the 14GE was the culmination of years of indoctrination of racism, bigotry, intolerance and extremism by National Civics Bureau (BTN) and why BTN has no place in a New Malaysia

The desperado politics of fear, hate, lies, race and religion of UMNO/BN in the 14th General Election is the culmination of years of indoctrination of racism, bigotry, intolerance and extremism by the National Civics Bureau (BTN) and why BTN has no place in a New Malaysia.

It is no exaggeration to say that never before in previous thirteen general elections since 1959 had the country seen such intensity and viciousness in the politics of fear, hate, lies, race and religion as in the 14th General Election, reflecting the racism, bigotry, intolerance and extremism which had been the staple diet of BTN, to pit race against race and religion against religion instead of promoting the Malaysian Dream of a plural nation of diverse races, religions, cultures and languages.

From a bureau which should be dedicated to promote national civic consciousness in a plural society, the BTN degenerated over time into a propaganda outfit to brainwash civil servants and youngsters into mindless defenders of the UMNO/Barisan Nasional regime – even to the extent of supporting a kleptocratic regime!

It would appear that those responsible for BTN were blissfully unaware of the five principles of the Rukunegara and were the greatest opponents of Rukunegara, resulting in the BTN becoming the greatest obstacle to national unity. Read the rest of this entry »

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New Malaysia must not only purge the epithet of “global kleptocracy” but we must be recognized by the world as a leading nation of integrity

Malaysia was reborn on 9th May 2018.

History was not only made on that day, the Pakatan Harapan PACAs (Polling Agent/Counting Agent) volunteers throughout the country became history-makers.

But work for the rebirth of Malaysia is not done, but only at the beginning. I invite the some 100,000 PACA volunteers who helped make history on May 9 to take a greater part in shaping national events to ensure that with the historic and watershed event on May 9, we continue to make history and do not become history!

From the moving, touching and unforgettable accounts of the representatives of various sections of the Pakatan Harapan Segambut campaign of the historic eleven days from Nomination Day on April 28 to Polling Day on May 9; the story of the blood, sweat and tears of Malaysians in the 14th General Election; we can feel the energy, spirit, hope and dream that is the very essence of being a Malaysian – where we forgot our differences, whether racial, religious, regional or socio-economic and worked for the common goal for the fulfillment of the Malaysian Dream where Malaysia will be a better country and all Malaysians can feel proud as a Malaysian. Read the rest of this entry »

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Najib is right for first time for a long while – it will not only not benefit him at all but will be a great detriment to him to engage in a public discourse on the 1MDB scandal – the greatest global scam of recent times

Former Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said he does not see any benefit in engaging in a public discourse on the 1MDB and that he had been advised that it would be inappropriate to respond to Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s questions regarding 1MDB.

Najib is right for the first time for a long while – it will not only not benefit him at all but will be a great detriment to him to engage in a public discourse with Guan Eng or anyone on the 1MDB scandal, undoubtedly the greatest global scam in recent times.

Najib’s survival instinct seems to have kicked in as he had been living in a bubble of his own and that of his highly-paid advisers’ creation, completely divorced from reality.

It is not that Najib is unaware that the 1MDB is his Achilles’ heel but his greatest failure in life is to believe in the fairy tales of his highly-funded advisers that it is possible to bamboozle the country about the 1MDB scandal and that he could prove Hans Christian Anderson wrong and could get away with immunity and impunity by being a modern-day Emperor without clothes! Read the rest of this entry »

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Apandi must be prepared to face the sack if he continues to stall from resigning honourably and with dignity as Attorney-General

Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali must be prepared to face the sack if he continues to stall from resigning honourably and with dignity as Attorney-General.

It is coming to three weeks since the watershed development of May 9, 2018 and his refusal to resign as Attorney-General is nothing but a most untenable, unseemly and even indecent hanging on to the office of Attorney-General although he knows that the historic vote on May 9, 2018 was not only a thumping verdict of no confidence in Datuk Seri Najib Razak as Prime Minister but also on him as Attorney-General.

The constitutional stalemate is in fact a reflection that he should not have been appointed as Attorney-General in the first place in the disastrous last week of July 2015.

To save him from further ignominy, Apandi should not exploit the constitutional niceties and loopholes but resolve the three-week constitutional stalemate by submitting his resignation without any ado.

What does Apandi think he has to gain from prolonging such a constitutional stalemate?

(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 28th May 2018)

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Let UMNO Supreme Council hold an emergency meeting to decide whether it is officially laying claim to the seized assets at Pavilion Residences, especially the RM114 million in 26 currencies, and accept the consequences of such a claim

Three days have passed and the top UMNO leadership led by Acting UMNO President Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi and Acting UMNO Deputy President Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein have yet to confirm or deny that UMNO is officially laying claim to the assets seized by the police from the Pavilion Residences i.e. 72 bags out of which 35 bags contained RM114 million cash in 26 different currencies and 35 bags of jewellery and watches as well as 284 boxes of designer handbags.

Three days ago, there was a mysterious statement professing to be by UMNO’s Strategic Communications Unit wanting the police to return money that was seized as it was UMNO party funds.

It said UMNO badly needs the fund to rebuild itself after the 14th General Election and that UMNO is seeking to recover these funds, requesting the police to release and return them to the party after investigations are completed.

It said it was unfortunate that the funds were seized by police while being transferred to Umno’s acting leadership after Datuk Seri Najib Razak had resigned. Read the rest of this entry »

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Pakatan Harapan leaders, who made history on May 9, must ensure that history is made in Malaysia in the next five years to rebuild a New Malaysia with systemic and institutional reforms accompanied by mindset changes

I congratulate the DAP Ministers, Chief Minister, State Executive Councillors and State Ministers for they were all history makers in the political earthquake of May 9, 2018 to achieve a Malaysian Dream which generations of Malaysians had not thought possible to see come true in their lifetime.

Now the hard work has started, for the Pakatan Harapan leaders who made history on May 9 must ensure that history is made in Malaysia in the next five year to rebuild a New Malaysia with systemic and institution reforms accompanied by mindset changes. Otherwise, they will become history!

We must never lose sight that Pakatan Harapan at the Federal and State level, where we are also State Governments, must be always be a government for all Malaysians, regardless of whether they voted for Pakatan Harapan or otherwise – that we must truly serve all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or politics.

We want to build a New Malaysia which is united, democratic, just and progressive.

For a thriving democracy, we must operate in a new political environment and culture where checks and balances are institutionalised in our system of governance. Read the rest of this entry »

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Why none of the leaders of MCA, Gerakan, MIC or the other BN component parties dare to claim that the seized RM114 million are BN assets and not just UMNO assets?

One question which Malaysians are asking all over the country is why none of the leaders of MCA, Gerakan, MIC or the other Barisan Nasional component parties dare to claim that the RM114 million in 26 currencies seized by the Police from the Pavilion Residences are Barisan Nasional assets and not just UMNO assets?

This question reflects the nature for the so-called Barisan Nasional coalition, where one party is the hegemon and the other 12 component parties are mere minnows.

But other questions about the UMNO claim for the return of RM114 million in 26 currencies seized by the Police on the ground that they were being transferred to the new UMNO leadership following Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s resignation as UMNO President cry for answer from the new UMNO leadership, viz:

1. Why is the new UMNO leadership headed by Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein keeping strangely silent on this issue – is the UMNO claim made on behalf of the UMNO Supreme Council or a by a proxy on behalf of Najib?

2. If the claim is made by UMNO, does UMNO know how much of the RM114 million in 26 currency belonged to UMNO?

3. If this claim is not made with the sanction or authority of the new UMNO leadership, will the UMNO leadership repudiate such a claim – or it dare not say whether the claim is made with or without its authority and approval?

4. Will the new UMNO leadership demonstrate that it is now committed to the principles of integrity, transparnecy and accountability, and ask the police to investigate the source of the RM114 million in 26 currencies seized from the Pavilion Residences, whether they were legitimate or not, and whether any money was given in return for certain projects awarded to them?

UMNO has still to clarify whether its claim is limited to the RM114 million in 26 currencies from 35 bags seized by the police, or whether it extended to the 35 bags with jewellery and watches and the 284 boxes of designer handbags.

Be that as it may, these ill-gotten gains will be an acid test whether UMNO can break from its kleptocratic past and start anew as a clean and honest political party dedicated to the principles of integrity, transparency and accountability or whether there is way that UMNO can reform itself.

(Media Statement on Saturday, 26th May 2018)

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How much is UMNO claiming from the multi-million ringgit items seized by the police from the Pavilion Residences linked to Najib?

UMNO is seeking the return of funds which the police have seized, on the ground that they were being transferred to the new UMNO leadership following Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s resignation as UMNO President.

This is most intriguing, Does UMNO know how much it is claiming from the items seized by the police from the Pavilion Residences linked to Najib as belonging to UMNO, and if it is unable provide a list to enumerate the details on the total amount claimed, how can UMNO lay any claim to the funds seized by the police?

What about the 35 bags with jewellery and watches – is UMNO laying a claim to them on the ground that they belonged to UMNO?

What about the 284 boxes of designer handbags – is UMNO laying a claim to them as well? Read the rest of this entry »

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Zahid, you are wrong. You are not starting off as a good Opposition Leader and must learn to be constructive and honest

Let me tell the UMNO Acting UMNO President, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi – You are wrong. You are not starting off as a good Opposition Leader and must learn to be constructive and honest!

Zahid said on Tuesday that he believed that Barisan Nasional would be able to make a comeback against a government that is built on “hatred”, saying:

“A government that is built on hatred, on issues that (BN) could not respond to due to poor communication, or not being grounded in reality – eventually that government will be punished by the people.”

Speaking after chairing the Umno supreme council meeting on Tuesday, Zahid said BN can look to other countries where long-time parties were defeated but managed to make a comeback.

Firstly, Zahid should not follow the example of Datuk Seri Najib Razak who has not woken up from the bubble of his own making despite his disaster of a fortnight ago in the political earthquake of May 9, 2018.

Zahid was in fact describing what the UMNO/National Front had degenerated into when entering the 14th General Election, as it was a government “built on hatred” and not “grounded in reality”, and why it was punished by the people in the May 9 political earthquake! Read the rest of this entry »

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Fresh Perlis state assembly election is one option to resolve the Perlis constitutional crisis

Fresh Perlis state assembly election is one option to resolve the two-week-long Perlis constitutional crisis which cropped up after the May 9 general election.

Barisan Nasional won 10 out of 15 state assembly seats in Perlis constituting two-thirds assembly majority, but a fresh Perlis state general election is likely to see a change of government in the state, so as to fall in step with the change of Malaysian Government in Putrajaya from UMNO/BN to the Pakatan Harapan coalition.

In the swearing-in ceremony yesterday, Azlan Man, the State Assemblyman for Bintong, took the oath of office before the Raja of Perlis as the Mentri Besar, but the ceremony was boycotted by the other nine UMNO/BN State Assemblymen.

Hours after the swearing-in, Azlan was sacked from UMNO, making his position as Perlis Mentri Besar quite untenable.

The constitutional crisis in Perlis has caught the majority of Malaysians by surprise, as they had been more attuned to and focussed on the great changes unleashed by the political earthquake of May 9, 2018 at the federal level. Read the rest of this entry »

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The 33.9% of the popular vote for UMNO/BN and 16.6% of popular vote for PAS in the 14GE did not realise that their vote would be used to support or prop up a kleptocratic Malaysia

At the DAP breaking-of-fast in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, I was glad to meet for the first time after the 14th General Election some of the DAP Malay Members of Parliament and State Assembly representatives, including Member of Parliament for Raub, Tengku Zulpuri Shah bin Raja Puji; Selangor State Assemblyman for Dusun Tua, Edry Faizal Eddy Yusof and State Assemblywoman for Bandar Utama Jamaliah Jamaludin; Pahang State Assemblywoman for Ketari Young Syefura Othman (Rara) on an occasion which was attended by DAP Secretary-General and Minister for Finance, Lim Guan Eng, and the other DAP leaders like the DAP National Chairman and MP for Cheras, Tan Kok Wai, DAP Deputy Secretary-General and MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok, National Publicity Secretary and MP for Damansara Tony Pua, DAP National Political Education Bureau Chairman Liew Chin Tong, MP for Segambut Hannah Yeoh, MP for Kota Kinabalu Chan Foong Hin, MP for Ipoh Timor Ong Kah Woh, MP for Taiping Teh Kok Lim and many others.

I have yet to meet after the historic May 9 poltical earthquake the other DAP Malay State Exco/Assembly representatives, like Johore State Exco Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali (Paloh), Malacca State Exco Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Pengkalan Batu); Penang State Exco Zairil Khir Johari (Tanjong Bunga) and State Assemblywoman for Seri Delima Syerleena Abdul Rashid and Perak State Exco Dr. Abdul Aziz Bari (Tebing Tinggi).

But there is no doubt that the 14th General Election marked a major stride in the DAP’s struggle to fulfill the Malaysian Dream of all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or politics, where Malaysia can purged themselves of the infamy and ignominy of being regarded worldwide as a global kleptocracy; and become a “beacon of light for a disturbed and distracted world” by being a showcase of how a nation of diverse races, religions, languages and cultures can succeed as an united, harmonious, democratic, progressive and prosperous Malaysia.

In the 14th General Election, the DAP fielded the most representative and inclusive slate of candidates for the parliamentary and state assembly candidates in party history – a total of 148 candidates comprising Chinese 108, Indian 23, Malay 10, KDM 3, Iban 3, Orang Asli 1. Read the rest of this entry »

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Two-week stalling by Apandi from resigning as Attorney-General is petty and long enough – he should immediately resign without further ado if he does not want to become the greatest obstacle to legal reforms in Malaysian history

The two-week stalling by Tan Sri Mohamad Apandi Ali from resigning as Attorney-General is petty and long enough – he should immediately resign without further ado if he does not want to be the greatest obstacle to legal reforms in Malaysian history.

Apandi cannot pretend that his appointment as Attorney-General is not akin to a political appointment, whether in the form of a contract or otherwise, and with the earthquake development on 9th May 2018 bringing about the historic change of the Federal Government in Putranjaya in the 14th General Election, it is completely untenable and undignified for Apandi to contine a single day as Attorney-General especially as he does not enjoy any confidence whatsoever from the new Malaysian Government.

Leaving aside for the moment the most suspicious and even inauspicious circumstances in which his appointment as Attorney-General was made in July 2015, Apandi, who had been a Federal Court judge, should not to subject the high office of Attorney-General to further indignity of being asked to go on leave and other forms of public humiliation!

Let Apandi demonstrate to Malaysians that he can act with dignity and honour to face the fact that his time as Attorney-General was up when Malaysians shocked the world with the historic decision on May 9 to have a peaceful and democratic transition of power – the first in the nation’s history; and that the vote of May 9, 2018 was not only to throw out Datuk Seri Najib Razak as Prime Minister and the Barisan Nasional government in Putrajaya, but also a personal vote of no confidence in him as Attorney-General.

In fact, all political appointees, whether Senators or appointment to GLCs and public bodies, should have submitted their resignation in the last two weeks after the results of the 14th General Election for new appointments to be made.

Recently, the Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad revealed that there are some 17,000 political appointees in the country, but the state of civic and political consciousness among these former wielders of power and influence in the country is so low and primitive that until now only the former Johor Baru MP Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad had acted honourably in resigning as Felda Chairman after the general election.

What are these 17,000 political appointees waiting for instead of submitting their resignations without any further ado?

(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday May 23, 2018)

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Hadi’s PAS leadership appears to be Najib’s last line of defence in the unraveling of Najib’s kleptocratic premiership when even UMNO leaders are beginning to distance themselves from the former Prime Minister

Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s PAS leadership appears to be former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s last line of defence in the unravelling of Najib’s kleptocratic premiership when even UMNO leaders are beginning to distance themselves from the former Prime Minister.

Acting Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said that all quarters should respect the ongoing Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) probe against Najib, as long as it is conducted appropriately “within the appropriate hours”.

If this rule had been strictly observed, Teoh Beng Hock would not have died at the Selangor MACC premises in Shah Alam on July 16, 2009, and still awaiting for justice for nearly nine years – the reason why the Teoh Beng Hock case, like many other cases of injustices resulting in death, should be re-opened for justice to be finally done.

But apart from Zahid, there is thunderous silence from the other UMNO leaders like UMNO Vice President Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and the UMNO Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin on the 1MDB scandal and Najib’s “global kleptocracy”. Read the rest of this entry »

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Completion of three international challenges for the nation to be ready again to achieve our Malaysian Dream to be “a beacon of light for a disturbed and distracted world”

Malaysia must complete three international challenges for the nation to be ready again to achieve our Malaysian Dream to be “a beacon of light for a disturbed and distracted world”.

The first challenge was accomplished on May 9, 2018 when we surprised the world that Malaysians can undergo a peaceful and democratic transition of power, putting the country firmly on the path of a normal democracy.

The second challenge is to prove to the world that we can transform Malaysia from a global kleptocracy into a leading nation of integrity acknowledged and lauded by the international community.

The third challenge is to prove that the Malaysian Spring ushered by the 14th General Election does not end up disastrouksly like Arab Spring of 2010, but is a successful one resulting in greater freedom, more democacy, good governance and a better life for all Malaysians – an inspiration to other struggling democracies and democrats all over the world.

(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, May 22, 2018)

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Malaysians are entitled to know what happened in the Week of Long Knives in the last week of July 2015 involving the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Attorney-General among others on the 1MDB scandal

Former Prime Minister Datuk Najib Razak is suffering a global case of denial syndrome when he claimed that the reason for Barisan Nasional’s defeat in the 14th general election was due to slander by the coalition’s opponents.

Does that mean that recent news reports that police search of locations in the past few days linked to Najib which netted more than 100 kg of gold (costing over RM16 million) and excess of RM1 billion in cash, including 72 bags of money and jewellery as well as some 300 boxes of handbags (making Malaysians the most literate people in the world on Hermes Birkin bags, the “holy grail” of handbags in six to seven-figure price range) are all slander, and if so, why the former Prime Minister had not taken any action to vindicate himself?

In actual fact, it is Najib and the Barisan Nasional leaders who are most guilty of slander in the last general election, for instance his TV3 interview on the night of 7th May where he made the bizarre and astounding claim that there were no Malays attending Pakiatan Harapan ceramahs and that most of them were DAP supporters bussed in from outside the areas and therefore no likelihood of any “Malay tsunami” in the 14GE.

What is most shocking is that more than ten days after the watershed 14th General Election, Najib is still living in his own hallucination.

Isn’t it time for Najib to wake up? Read the rest of this entry »

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Netizens advised to check veracity of messages and video clips before they circulate them on the social media – as the video clip of a “fanatic” making the rounds of social media was definitely not that of Maszlee Malik

Since yesterday, a video clip of a “fanatic” had been circulated on the social media with the suggestion that receipients should forward it to as many as possible so as “to reach Tun before he became the education minister”.

The “he” was meant to be Maszlee Malik, the Education Minister-designate except that the person in the video clip was not Maszlee at all.

The person in the video clip was definitely making extremist and fanatical attacks on the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia, and about the marginalistion of the Malays in Malaysia – a theme which was false, divisive and dangerous but so ubiquitous in the last general election campaign, which could only disunite and polarize Malaysia further, when we should all be doing our utmost to put the politics of race, hate and fear behind us to usher in a New Malaysia where all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or political affiliation, are united and can feel proud of be a Malaysian – both inside and outside the country.

We are in the information age, but we should be aware of its promises and perils. Read the rest of this entry »

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Last week many KATAK! This week many KOTAK!

The events of the last 10 days since the watershed 14th General Election of May 9, 2018 when Malaysians inside and outside the country can once again feel proud as Malaysians have caused a wag to comment: “Last week many KATAK! This week many KOTAK!”

The change of the Malaysian Government in Putrajaya, the first in 61 years, through a peaceful and democratic process, is a dream that generations of Malaysians since the achievement of Merdeka in 1957 and the formation of Malaysia in 1963 had not thought possible to see come to fruition in their lifetime.

It is an exhilarating experience for Malaysians to breath the air of freedom on May 9, 2018, giving substance to theme of the 14th General Election (and the title of my 14th General Election booklet”) “Set Malaysia Free”.
Read the rest of this entry »

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