Najib’s announcement of new category of PSD scholarship based on “pure merit” welcome though taken with a heavy pinch of salt
The announcement by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak of a new category of Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships next year based purely on ‘pure merit’, regardless of race, is welcome although it is taken with a heavy pinch of salt after repeated disappointments with previous promises of ‘meritocracy’ by the Barisan Nasional Government.
Firstly, some six years ago, Malaysians were promised a system of ‘meritocracy’ in the annual intake of university students but it proved to be a ‘fradulent’ meritocracy, as there continues to be two incomparable university entrance examinations, the world-class two-year course STPM and the inferior one-year matriculation course.
If Barisan Nasional government is serious about wanting to stop the sharp drop in standards of Malaysian public universities – best illustrated by the best Malaysian universities falling out of the league of the world’s Top 200 universities – and transform Malaysian universities into world-class institutions, the best lecturers and students must be recruited regarded of race or religion. Read the rest of this entry »
Challenge to OTK to five public debates on the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal where he could be assisted by five former Transport Ministers and five former PKA Chairmen
My three questions (No.88 to No. 90 on the 30th day in the current series) to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat on the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal today are:
Question No. 1: Speaking at the MCA Subang Division Delegates Meeting last night, Ong accused me of repeatedly telling lies about the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal. Yet he could not tell a single “lie” that I have told whether in Parliament or in the past 30 days of “three-questions-a-day on PKFZ scandal”.
Unlike him, I substantiate every statement I make, whether in Parliament or outside.
For instance, I said in Parliament that Ong is “hero outside, coward inside” Parliament, and I gave two instances: Read the rest of this entry »
One Perak!
Posted by Kit in Martin Jalleh on Sunday, 28 June 2009, 8:08 am
by Martin Jalleh
One man’s catchphrase of reform – “the culture of change” is in reality one potent chicanery and concoction of 4Cs – Corruption, Coercion, Crossovers and Coups. The self-proclaimed “people’s Prime Minister” with his recycled One Malaysia slogan, robs in broad daylight the people of Perak of their right to determine their State Government.
One haughty political party humiliated in the last general election and by a series of by-election losses, hangs on to power desperately. It hijacks a state government by high-handed, hideous and heinous means such as money politics, mysterious disappearances, mobs and manipulative manoeuvrings of the nation’s democratic institutions.
One fraudulent State Government is formed by the crossovers of two assemblymen charged with corruption, one assembly woman who compromised and reduced the price of democracy to cash and Camry – a threesome who made themselves “independent” of the will of the people – and the double-crossing over of one Umno assemblyman. Read the rest of this entry »
Does Ong agree that Parliamentary Standing Orders be amended to bar Deputy Ministers from replying in Parliament, making it compulsory for Ministers to personally respond on behalf of government?
My three questions (No.85 to No. 87 on the 29th day in the current series) to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat on the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal today are:
Question No. 1: Why is Ong continuing to evade the issue that up to now despite two weeks of parliamentary meeting, MPs have not received copies of the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) audit report and appendices on the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal?
Somehow Ong, who claims that he is the most “intellectual” MCA President in the history of MCA, just cannot understand this simple issue.
He forced the poor Port Klang Authority (PKA) Chairman Datuk Lee Hwa Beng to come out with a fierce statement attacking me for making statements which are “baseless” and “preposterous”, which completely avoided the issue (i) that MPs have after two weeks of Parliament not received or sighted the PwC report and appendices on the PKFZ; (ii) whether MPs will get the PwC report and appendices before Parliament adjourns on Thursday on 2nd July and (iii) if not, on what specific date MPs will get the PwC report and appendices on the PKFZ scandal.
Does Ong realise that the longer he drags out this issue, the more scandalous is his display of utter Ministerial impotence and ineptitude as he could not even do a most simple thing to get the PwC report and appendices tabled in Parliament to allow MPs to study them in trying to understand how the country is landed with the “mother of all scandals” – the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal?
Ong has four days next week to redeem himself by getting the PwC report and appendices tabled in Parliament without any ado, so that MPs can begin to study them. Read the rest of this entry »
Did the Cabinet discuss the scandalous million-ringgit fee to Jean Todt as Malaysia’s tourism ambassador or are the Cabinet Ministers deaf to the nation-wide howls of outrage when this news came out
Posted by Kit in Good Governance, MCA, Parliament, Tourism on Friday, 26 June 2009, 5:14 pm
Did the Cabinet which met this morning discuss the scandalous million-ringgit fee to former Ferrari Formula One owner Jean Todt as Malaysia’s tourism ambassador or are the Cabinet Ministers totally cut off from the ground and deaf to the nation-wide howls of outrage when this news came out?
Did the Cabinet review the need and efficacy of the million-ringgit payment to Todt and whole concept of appointing million-ringgit tourism ambassadors?
Parti Keadilan Rakyat MP for Gombak, Azmin Ali has said that the RM1 million fee to Todt, which has been confirmed by the Tourism Minister, Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen, included an annual fee of RM593,000 and another RM388,000 to pay for Todt’s holidays in Malaysia.
How many tourist ambassadors ala-Todt have been appointed by the Tourism Ministry to date, and have they all been given million-ringgit fees? Who is actually the first tourism ambassador appointed by the Tourism Ministry?
Read the rest of this entry »
Latest on RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal – A stonewall!
Posted by Kit in Parliament, PKFZ on Friday, 26 June 2009, 4:37 pm
Part 1
Najib should present ministerial statement in Parliament on Monday on various current Petronas issues
Posted by Kit in Good Governance, Najib Razak, Oil, Parliament on Friday, 26 June 2009, 12:36 pm
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should present a ministerial statement in Parliament on Monday on various current Petronas issues – a new CEO, his insistence to appoint defaulter Omar Mustapha as Petronas director, declining Petronas profits and most important of all, a new regime of Petronas accountability to Parliament.
Recently, what is making waves in Petronas and well-informed local circles and reported internationally, though completely swept under the carpet by the local mainstream media, is the repeated attempts by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to force the appointment of his aide, Omar Mustapha as director of Petronas.
The Singapore Straits Times has reported that the Petronas Board of Directors has rebuffed Najib’s attempt to foist the appointment of Omar for the second time this Wednesday, as the Board was directed by Najib to reconsider its decision last month rejecting Omar’s appointment.
The reason for the Petronas Board’s rejection of Omar as director is that Omar had defaulted on his scholarship loan agreement with Petronas two decades earlier. Omar did not complete the required number of years of service with the national oil corporation or a related government agency as stipulated in his scholarship agreement. Petronas also initiated legal proceedings against Omar in 2001.
Read the rest of this entry »
Michael Jackson rest in peace
Posted by Kit in globalisation, History on Friday, 26 June 2009, 11:13 am
Michael Jackson died. Whole generations in shock. Agree or disagree, he touched lives worldwide. Rest in Peace.
Farah Fawcett, Charlie Angels fame another star who died same day.Her intrepid fight against cancer helped many to look into “heart of darkness”
PKFZ scandal: Does Ong Tee Keat agree that the Speaker has put the cart before the horse in claiming that there is no point in tabling PwC report on PKFZ and appendices in Parliament without PAC report?
My three questions (No.82 to No. 84 on the 28th day in the current series) to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat on the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal today are:
Question No. 1: The Star today reported the Speaker, Tan Sri Pandikar Amin as saying that the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report on the PKFZ scandal will only be tabled in Parliament together with the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report on PKFZ.
Pandikar said that without the PAC report, the PwC report on PKFZ would have no relevance if tabled.
The Speaker is putting the cart before the horse in claiming that there is no point in tabling the Pwc report on PKFZ and appendices in Parliament without the PAC report.
Does Ong agree that without the benefit of the PAC report, there is no point in tabling the PwC report and appendices on the PKFZ scandal in Parliament?
Read the rest of this entry »
“You Are Not Qualified To Interpret my Religious Text”: How to Respond to Attempts to Close the Public Domain- Part 3
Posted by Kit in Farish Noor, Islam on Friday, 26 June 2009, 8:43 am
By Farish A. Noor
These days we often hear the accusation that someone or another is doing something nasty by interpreting a book or text out of context. The common refrain that follows goes something like this: “Who are you to interpret our holy book on your own without the guidance of our supreme religious elders who are so knowledgeable in scriptural knowledge that your own petty knowledge is like that of a gnat’s in comparison?” From this bombastic salvo there usually follows the same train of accusations and slander, which include the following: Muslim/Christian/Buddhist/Hindu feminists are simply reading and re-reading the holy scriptures with their own agendas in mind; that they are engaged in wilful and unregulated interpretation that goes against orthodoxy, etc.
Before we deal with the political nature and consequences of such accusations, let us return to the original premise and deconstruct it a bit. Read the rest of this entry »
RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal – the great expose in Parliament
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, Parliament, PKFZ on Thursday, 25 June 2009, 3:45 pm
Part 1 — Najib’s achilles heel
Part 2 — BN’s crisis of confidence : BN leaders have eyes that see not, ears that hear not, mouth that speak not or talk rubbish. Read the rest of this entry »
RM12.5 billiion PKFZ scandal – Parliament entitled to know the reasons why the Cabinet chopped and changed week-by-week its decision in October/November 2002 on the PKFZ land issue
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Parliament, PKFZ on Thursday, 25 June 2009, 3:01 pm
Today’s Star under the report “PKFZ probe under wraps for now” reads:
Malaysian Anti-Corruption (MACC) is not obliged to disclose the progress of investigations into the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
PAC member William Leong (PKR-Selayang) said MACC Commissioner had informed the PAC that the PKFZ issue was still under probe and Section 29 of the MACC Act 2008 does not allow the commission to disclose any information about the investigation to the PAC.
Unfortunately we were unable to get any information as to the situation of the investigation, when the investigation will end and whether any action would be taken against anyone,” he said.
Leong said he was disappointed with MACC’s reply, adding that several reports over the PKFZ were lodged with MACC, or ACA, since w2004.
Read the rest of this entry »
52 years of nationhood, 1Malaysia smashed into smithereens by Najib
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, nation building, UMNO on Thursday, 25 June 2009, 2:11 pm
Kit Siang mocks Najib over Malay unity plea to PAS
By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — The DAP’s Lim Kit Siang challenged what he feels is the absurdity of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s call for Malay and Muslim unity, and mocked the prime minister by asking today if Umno would give the nod to Chinese unity talks or similar discourse for other communities as well.
“Is he saying it is okay for Chinese unity talks? Indian, Kadazan, Iban unity talks?” the DAP parliamentary leader questioned.
The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) man was commenting on Najib’s plea yesterday for PAS to revive the idea of a unity government with Umno for the sake of Malay and Muslim unity.
Read the rest of this entry »
PKFZ scandal – Is OTK so useless he cannot ensure that the 300 copies of PwC report and appendices on RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal are tabled in Parliament on Monday
Posted by Kit in Parliament, PKFZ on Thursday, 25 June 2009, 11:49 am
My three questions (No.79 to No. 81 on the 27th day in the current series) to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat on the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal today are:
Question No. 1: This is the end of the second week of Parliament, which will adjourn next Thursday on 2nd July following a two-day extension.
Ong, who had absconded to France for the Paris Air Show instead of being Parliament when it met on June 15 to give an accounting of the PKFZ scandal, has now put up a great show of his commitment to the principles of accountability, transparency and integrity by claiming that 300 copies of the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) audit report and appendices on the PKFZ scandal have been sent to Parliament for MPs – but not a single MP whether from Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat has received it.
Ong may be trying to become a David Copperfield in Malaysian Parliament – conjuring up 300 sets of the PwC report and appendices which MPs cannot touch, see or read!
Is Ong so useless as Transport Minister, but good as Minister for Air Shows, that he could not even ensure that MPs and the media are instantly given copies of the PwC Report and Appendices?
Read the rest of this entry »
Would Ong propose in Cabinet tomorrow that two former MCA Transport Ministers, Ling Liong Sik and Chan Kong Choy be prosecuted for abuses of power in unlawfully issuing four Letters of Support?
My three questions (No.76 to No. 78 on the 26th day in the current series) to Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat on the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal today are:
Question No. 1:
MCA-owned Star, under the headline “Lim knows the facts, say Ong” reported:
PETALING JAYA: DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang deliberately misled the Dewan Rakyat on the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) issue despite knowing the facts of the project, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said.
Ong said Lim knew about the RM25 per square foot land purchase as he was engaged in the debate in Parliament, in 2007.
“He rudely interrupted my ministerial statement by accusing me of not referring to the Cabinet decision on Oct 23, 2002, that the land should be acquired at a lower price of RM10.16 per square foot.
Read the rest of this entry »
Parliament Video : Najib’s first 74 days as Prime Minister is the most uninspiring when compared with the past five Prime Ministers
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, Parliament, PKFZ on Wednesday, 24 June 2009, 4:06 pm
Part 1 — Minister of Transport or “Minister of International Air Shows”?
Part 2 — “Backdoor Ministers”, KPIs and KRAs Read the rest of this entry »
Is the Najib Cabinet serious about a KPI culture of high-performance?
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, Parliament, PKFZ on Tuesday, 23 June 2009, 10:00 pm
This morning, when Tsu Koon was giving his long answer to the question on KPIs for Ministers and ministries, the Ministerial front-benches were totally empty except for three Ministers who could not get elected and had to enter Parliament through the backdoor.
Is the Najib Cabinet serious about a KPI culture of high-performance?
If so, then no Minister should be allowed to abscond or go overseas from his or her responsibility of accountability to MPs when Parliament is meeting, except for important international functions which could pass muster with Parliament!
When Parliament reconvened last Monday on June 15, the Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat deliberately avoided parliamentary responsibility for the RM12.5 billion PKFZ scandal by flying off to France to attend the Paris Air Show.
Why is Ong’s attending the Paris Air Show more important than his appearance in Parliament to give a full, proper and satisfactory accounting for the PKFZ “mother of all scandals”?
What is the use of talking about KPIs and KRAs (key result areas) for the government servants when there is simply no high-performance culture among Cabinet Ministers?
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, Parliament on Tuesday, 23 June 2009, 9:45 pm
The first Najib Cabinet saw the removal of seven Ministers in the old Abdullah Cabinet, namely Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar (Home); Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (Tourism), Senator Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib (Rural and Regional Development), Senator Datuk Amirsham Abdul Aziz (Prime Minister’s Department), Datuk Ong Ka Chuan (Housing and Local Government), Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed (Works) and Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique (Federal Territories).
No one shed any tears for the dropping of the seven Ministers in the Abdullah Cabinet.
What outraged Malaysians is the new set of Ministers in the Najib Cabinet, for they are not only another set of “old faces” but include 11 new Ministers or Deputy Ministers who entered Parliament from the backdoor of the Senate.
Worse still, they include “political rejects” like Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun and Datuk Dr. Awang Adek Hussin who were trounced by the electorate in last year’s political tsunami in the March 8 general elections, making the Najib Cabinet even more unrepresentative and unpopular than the second and last Abdullah Cabinet.
Why has Najib shied away from seeking a confidence motion in the House?
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, Parliament, PKFZ on Tuesday, 23 June 2009, 9:20 pm
With every passing day, public confidence in the credibility, integrity and legitimacy of the Prime Minister has worsened, as illustrated by the two following indicators:
- In an opinion poll conducted by opinion research firm Merdeka Centre in his second month as Prime Minister from May 6-15 on 1,067 registered voters, Najib could only secure 45% popularity.
- In poll on the blog of the MCA President, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, 78% of those polled wanted MCA to get out of Barisan Nasional.
Now Malaysians have even more reasons why they have no confidence, the credibility integrity and legitimacy of Najib as Prime Minister – the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal; galloping crime in the country with Malaysians, tourists and investors losing their fundamental rights to be free from crime and the fear of crime; worsening of the crisis of confidence in independence of the judiciary.
This was why I had called on Najib to seek a vote of confidence when Parliament reconvened on June 15.
Najib facing deepening of the national and international crisis of credibility, integrity and legitimacy as 6th PM of Malaysia
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, Parliament on Tuesday, 23 June 2009, 6:10 pm
The Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau by-election results, with increased majorities for the Pakatan Rakyat candidates as compared to last year, are a clear and unmistakable endorsement of the March 8, 2008 political tsunami telling the nation and the world that what happened in the 12th general elections in March last year was neither accidental nor a fluke, to disappear like fireworks in the skies, but a major political paradigm shift representing the deep-seated and widely-held aspirations of Malaysians regardless of race or religion for democratic change.
Furthermore, that such fundamental political change is here to stay!
Although UMNO and Barisan Nasional leaders had claimed after the March 8 political tsunami, which toppled Barisan Nasional governments in five states and ended its unbroken two-thirds parliamentary majority, that they had heard and learnt the message of the voters, the verdicts in the Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau by-elections were loud and clear – that UMNO and Barisan Nasional had failed in the past 13 months to heed the message of the 12th general election results.
