Archive for category Penang
Tanjong constituency had been a bastion of the Malaysian Dream for a free, just, democratic, and prosperous Malaysia for over three decades
Firstly, let me congratulate the voters of Tanjong for being the bastion of the Malaysian Dream for a free, just, democratic, and prosperous Malaysia for over three decades since 1986 when I first became Member of Parliament for Tanjong.
Secondly, I congratulate Penang DAP for excellent results in the 15th General Election where in four parliamentary constituencies, the opposing candidates to the DAP lost all lost their deposits.
Challenge to DAP and PH to do better in the state general election next year than the 15th Parliamentary general election
I am happy to be here tonight for quadruple celebrations:
Firstly, to Ramkarpal Singh for his stunning 63,112 vote-majority and re-election as the MP for Bukit Gelugor.
Penang must be in the national forefront to defend the Federal Court and nine judges who unanimously agreed to Najib’s conviction for corruption and sentence of 12 years’ jail and RM210 million fine
The Chief Justice of Malaysia, Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat has asked Malaysians, particularly politicians, to read the judgements of cases before criticising judges over the decisions.
After attending the second National Litigation Conference 2022 in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, she noted criticism of the Federal Court’s decision last month to uphold the conviction of Najib Razak. Read the rest of this entry »
Call on Penang to be the “fixed deposit” state in the Save Malaysia campaign to ensure Pakatan Harapan wins Putrajaya not only in 14GE but becomes the government for the next 10 to 20 years
Posted by Kit in Pakatan Harapan, Penang on Monday, 12 March 2018
We gather tonight to celebrate the tenth anniversary of a great political change in the “308” 2008 General Election – when a DAP-led coalition toppled the Barisan Nasional in Penang and went to make Penang a model state for good governance.
But we have two other objectives tonight:
Firstly, to enlarge this political change to the national landscape and declare Pakatan Harapan’s readiness to replace UMNO/Barisan Nasional in Putrajaya in the imminent 14th General Election and form the new Federal Government, which will the first change of Federal Government in the nation’s history since Merdeka in 1957; and
Secondly, to clearly and unequivocally our preparedness to be the Malaysian national government, not just for one term after the 14th General Election, but for many terms in the subsequent general elections. Read the rest of this entry »
Pakatan Harapan wants to change the national landscape not only in the next five years but the next 10 to 20 years
Posted by Kit in Election, Elections, nation building, Penang on Sunday, 11 March 2018
Today’s launch of the DAP Penang Ubah fleet of 113 vehicles for the Pakatan Harapan 14th General Election machinery sounds the bugle of battle for the 14GE – not a war of cannons, guns or knives but a battle to win the hearts and minds of Malaysians to exercise their peaceful, democratic and Constitutional right to decide the next Federal Government through the ballot box.
I remember that when I first contested in Tanjong parliamentary constituency 32 years ago in 1986, it was to make the Penang the beach-head for a national campaign to make Malaysia an united, democratic, just, progressive and prosperous nation which would be a model to the world of how a nation of diverse races, languages and cultures could unite, succeed and prosper. Read the rest of this entry »
Pakatan Harapan Federal Government will introduce a new Federalism to devolve more powers and allocate more funds not only to Sabah and Sarawak but also to the various state governments in Peninsular Malaysia
Posted by Kit in Election, Good Governance, nation building, Penang on Friday, 2 February 2018
As Penang DAP State Chairman and Penang Executive Councillor Chow Kon Yeow observed just now, this gathering is quite unique and historic as we have here three persons closely connected with the political development of Tanjong constituency, two former MPs and the current MP for Tanjong Parliamentary constituency, as I had been Tanjong MP for three terms from 1986 – 1999, Chow Kon Yeow MP for Tanjong for three terms from 1999 to 2013 and Ng Wei Aik, Tanjong MP since 2013.
When I moved from Kota Melaka to contest in Tanjong parliamentary constituency in 1986, the objective was to make Penang the front-line state for political change in Malaysia for democracy, human rights, justice, the rule of law and an united, harmonious. Read the rest of this entry »
Most shocking Najib did not condemn the thuggish ruckus and riot at the 1MDB “Nothing to Hide 2.0” forum but instead made a joke of it
Posted by Kit in Elections, Najib Razak, Penang on Friday, 18 August 2017
I regret that for six days, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had failed to condemn the thuggish ruckus and riot at the 1MDB “Nothing to Hide 2.0” forum at Shah Alam on Sunday when he should have been first to do so.
It is even more regrettable that Najib made joke of it, referring to “flying chairs” during his visit to PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s stronghold of Permatang Pauh.
Isn’t this the strongest indication of high-level UMNO “hand” in the thuggish ruckus and riot at the 1MDB “Nothing to Hide 2.0’” forum in Shah Alam, where there was rowdy and “samseng” behaviour of flying slippers, flying chairs and flying “flashes”?
The rowdy and thuggish ruckus at the 1MDB “Nothing to Hide 2.0” forum and the disrespect shown to the former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, is most regrettable, but the failure of the Prime Minister up to now to condemn such rowdy and thuggish behaviour is doubly regrettable. Read the rest of this entry »
10 and 5 formula sufficient for Pakatan Harapan to win Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Johor and retain Penang and Selangor
Last week, I discussed the possibility of Pakatan Harapan (PH) winning 113 parliament seats in Peninsular Malaysia with the help of a Malaysian tsunami which will rid the country of BN’s 60 year rule and allow us to start on a clean slate under a new government.
This Malaysian tsunami will take place if 10% of Malays and 5% of non-Malays were to switch their votes from the BN to PH and that voters make a clear distinction between supporting PH and support PAS.
Under these circumstances, even with PAS playing the role of a spoiler, PH will not only win the majority of parliament seats in Peninsular Malaysia, it will also win control of the state governments in Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Johor in addition to retaining Penang and Selangor with even larger majorities compared to GE2013 (See Table 1 below).
Read the rest of this entry »
Gerakan to file injunction to stop Penang undersea tunnel and three road projects.
Koon Yew Yin 1 July 2017
I refer to the article as carried by The New Straits Times on 30 June 2017 with the title “Gerakan to file injunction to stop Penang undersea tunnel and three road projects”. Gerakan Vice President Datuk Dr Dominic Lau said the party’s legal bureau is currently studying the matter and it would take some time as it involves many legal documents”. Gerakan is complaining that the Penang state Government is paying 4 times more than the normal scale of engineering consulting fees.
As I was one of the members of the Board of Engineers responsible in fixing the scale of fees for consulting engineering about 50 years ago, I would like to offer my opinion. If Datuk Dr Dominic Lau has any doubt regarding consulting fees, he should refer to the Board of Engineers, Malaysia for clarification. He should not simply blow his top in the public without checking.
I believe the Penang State Government is following the World Bank procurement guidelines to prevent corruption and abuse of power. Read the rest of this entry »
Who is the “master-mind”, Najib or “Rasputin”, behind Adnan’s proposal to make Penang a federal territory – which is not only undemocratic, unconstitutional but downright unMalaysian
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Corruption, Najib Razak, Penang on Monday, 6 February 2017
Four days ago, a Barisan Nasional leader issued a statement about “Disgusting, bankrupt Rasputins”, but it is obvious that this Barisan Nasional leader did not know what he was talking about.
But thanks to him, I thought of “Rasputin” in connection with the Federal Territories Minister, Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor’s shocking proposal to make Penang a federal territory – which is not only undemocratic, unconstitutional but downright unMalaysian!
Tengku Adnan has not been his usual self since he made the startling proposal to extinguish Penang as one of the 13 states in Malaysia by making Penang a federal territory – which would mean no Penang state elections, no Penang State Assembly, no Penang State Executive Council and no Penang Chief Minister!
Adnan created “shock and awe” not only by making such a preposterous proposal, but in the stubborn and persistent manner he had been pushing for the idea in the past few days, as if his whole political career depended on its adoption and implementation.
Tengku Adnan made the proposal to make Penang a federal territory in an interview in conjunction with Federal Territories Day on Feb. 1.
When Adnan’s proposal encountered opposition and derision, he not only did not back off, but fortified his proposal by declaring the idea to make Penang a federal territory is to help the Malays, repeating the canard that the DAP-led Penang state government does not care about the Malays.
When Adnan came under further criticism for his misconceived views coloured by a most racialist mindset, the Federal Territories tried to salvage the situation and postured as a Malaysian leader by claiming that turning Penang into a federal territory can help make home ownership affordable to Penangites.
Quite remarkable political acrobatics for Adnan of “kapchai ban and no-ban” infamy, as Adnan is not known for agility or nimbleness. But now, he could perform political gymnastics in a matter of hours – giving Malaysians the right to ask who is the “master-mind” of the proposal to extinguish Penang as a state by making Penang a federal territory. Read the rest of this entry »
Call for a new moral and ethical political culture involving Three Noes – No politics of fear, no politics of hate and no politics of lies
Posted by Kit in DAP, Elections, nation building, Penang on Monday, 6 February 2017
I said earlier today at the Penang DAP Chinese New Year Open House that in my 51 years in politics, I have not called anyone anti-Chinese, anti-Indian, anti-Kadazan, anti-Dayak, anti-Buddhist, anti-Christian or anti-Hindu as we cannot raise the quality or standards of Malaysian politics by indulging in the triple politics of hatred, fear and lies, as by hurling epithets and falsely attacking opponent of being “anti-Malay” or “anti-non-Malay”, “anti-Muslim” or “anti-non-Muslim”.
For this reason, I call for a new moral and ethical political culture involving Three Noes – No politics of fear, no politics of hate and no politics of lies.
The Federal Territories Minister, Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor’s proposal to make Penang a federal territory violates the “Three Noes” Rule.
Firslty, it violates the No Politics of Fear, as it is designed to create fear that if the people of Penang freely exercises their democratic right to choose the state government they want, they will lose the Penang state as one of the 13 states as provided in Article 1(2) of the Malaysian Constitution, losing the rights to free State Assembly elections, a Penang Chief Minister and a State Executive Council.
Secondly, it runs afoul of the No Politics of Hatred, as it is based on promoting animosities and distrust among the Malay and non-Malay voters in Penang.
UMNO’s Federal Territory proposal for Penang is admission that UMNO/Barisan Nasional have no hope of winning back non-Malay support and face prospect of losing more Malay support and more UMNO seats in 14GE
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Good Governance, nation building, Penang on Sunday, 5 February 2017
We are celebrating the Chinese New Year of the Fire Rooster under the cloud of Malaysia regarded worldwide as a global kleptocracy.
We hope that this is the only year national festivities in Malaysia are celebrated under a cloud of Malaysia as a global kleptocracy, as the 14th General Election should be held before the next Chinese New Year of the Dog on 16th February 2018.
For many months, Malaysians going overseas have been faced with the embarrassing situation when asked which country they come from.
Once Malaysians had no problem in proudly identifying themselves as coming from Malaysia, but now they hesitate whether to answer the question as they would be confronted with embarrassing questions about Malaysia becoming a global kleptocracy, the infamous international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal involving the Prime Minister which have caused the closure of banks and imprisonment of bankers for money-laundering in other countries, MO1 and many other difficult questions.
There is however a reprieve for Penangites, for they can proudly identify themselves as from Penang, which will win admiration and plaudits for restoration of Penang in the past eight years from “Garbage Dump of the Orient” back to “the Pearl of the Orient”. Read the rest of this entry »
In Penang State, UMNO is losing support of Malay voters while DAP and Pakatan Harapan + Bersatu are gaining more support of Malay voters
Posted by Kit in Pakatan Harapan, Penang, UMNO on Thursday, 2 February 2017
This is an era not only of “fake news” and “false stories”, but also the dissemination of myths and false perceptions.
It was the Prime Minister and UMNO President, Datuk Seri Najib Razak himself who kicked off the UMNO propaganda of Nazi-type Big Lies in his UMNO Presidential Speech on Nov. 30, claiming that
1. That the 14th General Elections will be a contest between UMNO and DAP;
2. That the DAP is anti-Malay and/or anti-Islam.
3. The “nightmares” Malay will suffer if UMNO loses power in the next general elections.
If there is any basis to these three “Big Lies”, Najib would have jumped at the opportunity to expose and tear me to pieces when I challenged him to a live television debate, but Najib knew better than to accept my challenge to a live television debate for there is no way he could substantiate his Nazi-style Big Lies.
But the UMNO leaders, propagandists and cybertroopers are also spreading myths and false perceptions, such as the Malays in Penang are being oppressed by the DAP-led Penang State Government and that the Malay voters in Penang have no confidence or support for the DAP-led Penang State Government. Read the rest of this entry »
My lawyers instructed to consider whether Hadi’s insinuation that I am anti-Islam is defamatory and cause for legal proceedings
Posted by Kit in DAP, Pakatan Rakyat, PAS, Penang on Saturday, 28 January 2017
What a haughty, arrogant but misconceived and misinformed response from Hadi.
It is PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s prerogative to dismiss any possibility of working with DAP, but he has no right to turn and twist facts to justify his position.
It is not the DAP but Hadi as PAS President who violated the Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework and the Pakatan Rakyat consensus principle that all decisions in Pakatan Rakyat coalition should be reached by consensus of all the three component parties.
But the last straw that broke the camel’s back was when Hadi vetoed what had been agreed by the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council with PAS represented by its Deputy President and Secretary-General, demonstrating that Hadi not only wanted to be a dictator in PAS but also in Pakatan Rakyat.
Hadi should look into the mirror when he alleged that the DAP has failed to look after the interest of the people of Penang, although it had one term to do so.
Lest Hadi forgets, DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat won 30 state assembly seats in the 2013 general elections as compared to 29 seats in the 2008 general election.
In the 2013 general election, DAP not only won all the 19 seats it won in the 2008 general elections, but with a bigger majority in everyone of the 19 seats, with majority as big as more than 300 per cent as in the case of Chong Eng in the Padang Lalang seat where she won with a 14,930- vote majority as compared to the 4,242-vote DAP majority in 2008 general election and of over 400% increase as in Padang Kota where Chow Kong Yeow won with 7,196-vote majority as compared to 1,661-vote majority in 2008; and in Pulau Tikus where Yap Soo Huey won with a 8,220-vote majority as compared to 1,714-vote majority in 2008 and in Seri Delima where RSN Ryer won with 9,227-vote majority as compared to 2,128-vote majority in 2008.
In contrast, Hadi was thrown out of the Terengganu state government after one term as Mentri Besar. In the 1999 Terengganu state general elections, thanks to the Anwar “reformasi” wave, Hadi became Terengganu Mentri Besar with PAS winning 28 out of the 32 state assembly seats, winning 87.5% of the popular vote in the state.
In the 2004 general elections, an astounding reverse took place, with Hadi thrown out as Mentri Besar when UMNO won 28 out of the 32 state assembly seats, leaving PAS with only 4 seats but its popular vote crashed from 87.5% in 1999 to 12.5%.
Can Hadi explain such a great contrast in popular support for the DAP-led state government in Penang as compared to his ignominious one term as Teregganu Mentri Besar? Read the rest of this entry »
Lesson of my two-day “Jelajah Desa Bersama Kit Siang” is that ordinary Malays like ordinary non-Malays want unity, peace, harmony, progress and prosperity for plural Malaysia and not racial or religious polarization to divide the country and cause tensions
One important lesson I have learnt from my two-day “Jelajah Desa Bersama Kit Siang” in Bukit Mertajam to Kampong Permatang Tok Subuh yesterday and to Sungai Gelugur in Bukit Gelugor today is that ordinary Malays like ordinary non-Malays want unity, peace, harmony, progress and prosperity for plural Malaysia and not racial or religious polarization to divide the country and cause tensions.
In the past eight years, irresponsible politicking and communalization have succeed in projecting a very misleading and even mischievous perception that the Malays are being oppressed and suppressed in Penang, that the DAP-led Penang State Government is anti-Malay and anti-Islam.
These are not borne out by the facts and the actual situation in the state.
In fact, the DAP-led Penang State Government has done more for the Malays and Islam as compared to what Barisan Nasional government of the past.
I myself have been demonized of being anti-Malay and anti-Islam. Read the rest of this entry »
Paradise in Penang
Noor Ashikin Abdul Rahman
The New Paper, Singapore
Jan 10, 2017
We are only 10 days into the new year, but if that all-too-familiar feeling called wanderlust is already creeping in, its not your fault.
Besides, it is never too early to start planning your next getaway.
If a short vacation that will not break the bank is what you are eyeing, consider Penang.
The Malaysian state is not just steeped in culture and tradition – it is also a haven for foodies.
The best part? We have done the calculations for you – the airfare will set you back less than $100, while decent accommodation will cost less than a $100 per night. Read the rest of this entry »
Second tranche of five questions for Salleh to answer before he can restore his right to demand answers from others
Posted by Kit in Corruption, PAS, Penang, UMNO on Monday, 19 December 2016
Yesterday, I said that the Minister for Communications and Multimedia, Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak has lost the right to ask questions and demand answers from others, when he as Minister which incorporated the Ministry of Information of the past, had failed to answer numerous questions about government scandals and failings.
I put to him the first tranche of five questions for him to answer to perform his Ministerial duty before he could start asking questions and demanding answers from others.
Today, I am putting forward to him the second tranche of five questions to answer in the process to restore his right to demand answers from others.
My second tranche of five questions are:
Question 6 –
In early October, the country was convulsed by reports of the rampant corruption in the Sabah Water Department, especially the revelation that 60 per cent of the RM3.3 billion earmarked by the federal government to improve water supply to residents, including those in remote areas in the Sabah State, had been “siphoned off” by corruption.
Would Salleh agree that the 60% corruption at the Sabah Water Department, for which no one has yet been charged in court for corruption, is proof that Malaysia is not serious about combating corruption, even less so with regard to grand corruption affecting top political and government leaders.
Can Salleh explain why China is catching “tigers” and Indonesia “crocodiles”, but Malaysia has not been able to catch a single “shark” at the national level in the war against grand corruption?
Read the rest of this entry »
Must Pakatan Harapan win Putrajaya before Penang International Airport ceases to be a “pasar malam antarabangsa Pulau Pinang” just as Penang only stop being “garbage dump of the Orient” when it is ruled by a DAP-led state government?
I was piqued by an Internet news item that “Shenzhen Airport, via its official Weibo account, stated it expects to welcome its 40th millionth passenger for the year on 15th December 2016”, the first time the airport’s annual passengers have exceeded 40 million, and I wondered what were the air passenger traffic for Malaysia for the major airports, particularly Penang International Airport.
I found that according to Ministry of Transport’s annual transport statistics, total air passenger traffic (excluding transit passengers) in the past ten years had slightly doubled from 42.9 million in 2006 to 85.9 million in 2015.
KLIA claimed the bulk of the air passenger traffic, from 23.6 million or 55.2% of total air passenger traffic in 2006 to 48.6 million or 56.6% of total air passenger traffic in 2015.
Kota Kinabalu International Airport occupied second place, with 3.86 million passengers or 8.99% in 2006 to 6.57 million or 7.64% of total air passenger traffic in 2015.
Penang International Airport (PIA) leapt from fourth place with 3.09 million passengers or 7.2% in 2006 to 6.25 million or 7.27% of total air passenger traffic in 2015.
Kuching International Airport slipped from third place in 2006 to fourth place in 2015, with 3.1 million or 7.2% in 2006 to 4.76 million or 5.5% of total air passenger traffic in 2015. Read the rest of this entry »
Challenge to UMNO Ministers to cite just one case that I had been anti-Malay or anti-Islam in my 50 years in politics or they should stop their politics of lies and hatred and focus on how to unite and build an united, great, just and prosperous Malaysia
The statement by the UMNO Minister for Rural and Regional Development, Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob in Sungai Besar is typical of the lies and politics of hatred spouted by UMNO leaders, even in this holy month of Ramadan.
Ismail accused former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir of working with a group who wants to reject Malay special rights and Islam, and said that if Mahahtir is “with Lim Guan Eng and Lim Kit Siang that speak for itself”.
I challenge UMNO Ministers to cite just one case that I had been anti-Malay or anti-Islam in my 50 years in politics or they should stop their politics of lies and hatred and focus on how to unite Malaysians of diverse races and religions in the country to build a great, just and prosperous Malaysia.
I can cite a list of the racist speeches by Ismail and other UMNO leaders, including Ismail’s infamous call to Malays last year to boycott Chinese businesses, but can they cite just one instance of my being anti-Malay or anti-Islam in my 50 years in Malaysian politics?
I do not think there is another political leader who had suffered more sustained and greater demonisation in the past 50 years than myself, as I had been accused of all sorts of dastardly and evil deeds especially through the Barisan Nasional-owned and controlled mainstream media.
I have been accused of being anti-Malay, anti-Islam, anti-Malay Rulers, anti-Chinese-educated Chinese, anti-English-educated Chinese, anti-Indian, an agent of Russian KGB, agent of American CIA, agent of British M16, agent of Australian Intelligence Services, and a host of unimaginable allegations.
I had been accused of causing the May 13, 1969 riots in Kuala Lumpur, of having led illegal processions through the streets of Kuala Lumpur hurling anti-Malay slogans and provocations and even urinating in the house of the then Selangor Mentri Besar, Datuk Harun Idris, in Kampong Baru in Kuala Lumpur, as was portrayed in the film “Tanda Putera”!
But I was never in Kuala Lumpur during the May 13, 1969 days as I had flown to Kota Kinabalu early on the morning of May 13, 1969 to help in the belated election campaigning in Sabah and Sarawak and I learnt about the tragic events of the May 13, 1969 riots in Kuala Lumpur when I was whispered the shocking news while speaking at a massive public rally at the Sabah capital. Read the rest of this entry »
Lim Guan Eng: Penang’s crusading chief minister
Posted by Kit in Lim Guan Eng, Penang on Saturday, 2 April 2016
Wataru Yoshida
Nikkei Asian Review
March 24, 2016
PENANG, Malaysia Lim Guan Eng, chief minister of Malaysia’s northern state of Penang, is invigorating the local economy through reforms and may inspire the country to set aside its protectionism to achieve sustainable growth.
On Feb. 8, Lim was celebrating the Chinese New Year with his supporters in a meeting hall in Penang. The hall was surrounded by about 30 men carrying placards denouncing him. “It is clear they have no respect,” Lim said. “If they had an issue to protest about, they could have done it at any other time.”
Lim is the only state chief minister of Chinese descent in Malaysia, which maintains a Bumiputera (“son of the land”) policy favoring ethnic Malays. Moreover, he comes from an opposition party. Eight years have passed since he became chief minister, and verbal attacks against him are still an everyday occurrence.
He has earned a reputation as a reformer. He introduced an open bidding process for state projects, abolishing the practice of awarding contracts preferentially to ethnic Malays and opening the door to all, including foreign and ethnic Chinese companies.
The state government handed over the operation of a golf course it owns to a Japanese company after the project was put out for tender. The decision led protesters to storm the golf course, but the company that won the order was relieved by Lim’s words: “To increase foreign visitors, foreign companies’ wisdom is needed.” Users of the golf course have grown 30% since the Japanese company took over the operation.
In another reform, he introduced performance-based pay for state employees, including those doing menial street sweeping jobs. “My dream is to transform Penang into an international and intelligent city. To wake up, we must be clean,” Lim said. The heaps of garbage littering the roadsides disappeared in a year. Read the rest of this entry »
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