Mar 26, 08 11:51am
The Cheras Umno division last night called for all top posts in the party, including those of president and deputy president, be contested in the coming party polls.
The division also said that it was time for the abolition of the quota system for nominations in order to contest the top posts.
This move by the Cheras division, the first division to do so in the run up to the party polls, comes at the back of an announcement by veteran Umno leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to contest for the president’s post.
However Cheras division head Syed Ali Al-Habshee quickly distanced himself and his division from backing Tengku Razaleigh.
"If the top two posts are not contested, we will not be able to know the actual strength of the president and deputy president in the party," he told reporters after the meeting last night.
He believed contests for the top two posts would not in any way weaken the party.
Two nominations enough
In all the division passed 12 resolutions at the special meeting, which also discussed Barisan Nasional's poor performance in the recent general election.
The division’s resolutions would be submitted to Umno's supreme council, which is meeting tomorrow.
On the resolution to abolish the quota system, Syed Ali said the party should revert to its original principles whereby a candidate only required two nominations in order to contest the top two posts.
Presently a candidate needs 35 and 20 nominations to contest for the post of president or deputy president respectively. This strict ruling has hampered many aspiring candidates to offer a successful challenge for the top posts.
In 2004, Tengku Razaleigh’s challenge against party president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi came to nought as a result of his failure to get the needed nominations. He got only one nomination then, from his own division of Gua Musang.
The Cheras division wants the party to amend its constitution to remove the nomination quota system for candidates wanting to contest the top posts.
Support for special meeting
While Syed Ali said that he was not backing Tengku Razaleigh for the top post, he nevertheless agreed with the Kelantan prince that the party should hold an extraordinary general meeting (EGM).
Tengku Razaleigh has been calling for the EGM to be held on May 11 for the party to look into its failures in the general election.
He said that it was important for the party leadership to hear views of members of the performance of the BN in the general election.
The party’s annual general assembly - and party polls - is due to be held this June.
However party information chief Muhammad Muhd Taib said yesterday that many divisions had asked Abdullah to defer the party polls and the annual meeting to next year.
According to him, their reasoning for the postponement was to avoid “disaster to the party”.
The party leadership is expected to decide on the matter at its meeting tomorrow.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
NS Umno: Don't delay party polls
Mar 26, 08 4:45pm
Negeri Sembilan Umno chief Mohamad Hasan, who is also the party’s supreme council member, today rejected the idea of deferring party polls to possibly next year.
“Why defer the elections? If you defer it now, wouldn't you need to hold it at a later date?” asked Mohamad, who is also the Negeri Sembilan menteri besar.
The polls are originally scheduled to be held this August but party information chief Muhammad Muhd Taib said on Tuesday that there were calls being made by state and divisional leaders for the adjournment.
“If elections are held now, it could prove disastrous for the party,” he said in what is widely seen as a move to protect party president and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi from challenges for his posts.
According to a report in the Star Online, Mohamad said that if the party was facing problems, there was no reason to run away from them. He however added that this was his personal view.
"I am one who believes we should never run away from problems. If we really have problems, we should solve them in the true Umno spirit.
"The last thing we should do is sweep whatever problems there may be under the carpet," he told reporters in Seremban.
He also said that a postponement of party polls could lead to more unnecessary problems for the party.
"Umno members must be rational and unite for the sake of the party. If you have personal agendas, then there are bound to be problems," he said.
The Umno election scheduled for last year was postponed because of the general election and must be held before June next year.
Talk to grassroots first
Meanwhile the former party state chief in Selangor Dr Khir Toyo said that it was important for the party to seek feedback from the grassroots first before deciding to adjourn the party elections.
The Star Online reported that most of the time, decisions were made at the top without getting feedback from the ground, adding that the general election results showed how important it was to take into these opinions into account.
"We need to study this - whether members want change. We want to know what exactly is happening on the ground. For me the best way is to go back to the branch chiefs and ask them what they think," he was quoted as saying today.
He added that just relying on the state or divisions chiefs for their views were inadequate as this might not reflect the exact sentiment on the ground.
"We must go back to the people and take it to them. Our weakness has often been our top-down approach. We need to get a broader perspective and seek the perception of the grassroots leaders on the ground who have been working really hard for the party.
"If their views are sought, then the people on the ground too will feel appreciated," he added.
Ku Li offers himself
The party is expected to decide on the party polls deferment at its supreme council meeting tomorrow.
Abdullah has come under severe pressure for the massive defeat suffered by BN and Umno in the recent general election.
While the party has gathered around Abdullah in showing their support, there are still calls being made for him to take responsibility for the defeats.
Umno’s former vice president Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has offered himself to challenge Abdullah for the top post in order to heal the party.
The Kelantan prince is also calling for the party to hold an emergency meeting on May 11 to discuss its performance in the general election.
Negeri Sembilan Umno chief Mohamad Hasan, who is also the party’s supreme council member, today rejected the idea of deferring party polls to possibly next year.
“Why defer the elections? If you defer it now, wouldn't you need to hold it at a later date?” asked Mohamad, who is also the Negeri Sembilan menteri besar.
The polls are originally scheduled to be held this August but party information chief Muhammad Muhd Taib said on Tuesday that there were calls being made by state and divisional leaders for the adjournment.
“If elections are held now, it could prove disastrous for the party,” he said in what is widely seen as a move to protect party president and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi from challenges for his posts.
According to a report in the Star Online, Mohamad said that if the party was facing problems, there was no reason to run away from them. He however added that this was his personal view.
"I am one who believes we should never run away from problems. If we really have problems, we should solve them in the true Umno spirit.
"The last thing we should do is sweep whatever problems there may be under the carpet," he told reporters in Seremban.
He also said that a postponement of party polls could lead to more unnecessary problems for the party.
"Umno members must be rational and unite for the sake of the party. If you have personal agendas, then there are bound to be problems," he said.
The Umno election scheduled for last year was postponed because of the general election and must be held before June next year.
Talk to grassroots first
Meanwhile the former party state chief in Selangor Dr Khir Toyo said that it was important for the party to seek feedback from the grassroots first before deciding to adjourn the party elections.
The Star Online reported that most of the time, decisions were made at the top without getting feedback from the ground, adding that the general election results showed how important it was to take into these opinions into account.
"We need to study this - whether members want change. We want to know what exactly is happening on the ground. For me the best way is to go back to the branch chiefs and ask them what they think," he was quoted as saying today.
He added that just relying on the state or divisions chiefs for their views were inadequate as this might not reflect the exact sentiment on the ground.
"We must go back to the people and take it to them. Our weakness has often been our top-down approach. We need to get a broader perspective and seek the perception of the grassroots leaders on the ground who have been working really hard for the party.
"If their views are sought, then the people on the ground too will feel appreciated," he added.
Ku Li offers himself
The party is expected to decide on the party polls deferment at its supreme council meeting tomorrow.
Abdullah has come under severe pressure for the massive defeat suffered by BN and Umno in the recent general election.
While the party has gathered around Abdullah in showing their support, there are still calls being made for him to take responsibility for the defeats.
Umno’s former vice president Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has offered himself to challenge Abdullah for the top post in order to heal the party.
The Kelantan prince is also calling for the party to hold an emergency meeting on May 11 to discuss its performance in the general election.
MB: 'Zero squatters' policy to continue
Mar 26, 08 2:14pm
Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said yesterday that his government will stay the course embarked by his predecessor Dr Mohd Khir Toyo to eradicate all 'squatter' settlements in the state.
Mohd Khir's 'zero squatters' policy - and the demolition of sometimes decades-old settlements that accompanied it - had caused outrage among many sectors of the civil society and political activists.
Therefore, it must come as a surprise to these quarters that the decision to continue with the stand comes from Khalid, whose party PKR was at the forefront of efforts to uphold the rights of, among others, the Kampung Berembang settlement off Jalan Ampang.
Khalid, however, said in addition to the housing claims by the urban settlers, the question of who the land belongs to as well as the interests of the landowner must be addressed as well.
"You can't allow people to become squatters in a state. There's the balance that we have to abide by," he told Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview at his office in Shah Alam yesterday.
"We want to accommodate the wishes of the squatters as much as we have to take into account the costs (incurred by) the developer," he added.
Can't please everyone
Acknowledging that there will be opposition to this position from many quarters, Khalid assured that the interests and rights of everyone concerned will be taken into consideration.
Nevertheless, it is impossible to please everyone of those with a stake in the matter, he said.
"We will continue to hear these grievances... I do not foresee that we will have a plain sailing exercise here.
"But we have to do what we have to do. Just like the illegal factories issue, this is also going to be a big issue, but we are not afraid to face it. We have to face it," he said.
Khalid said the state government will seek to go about the ‘zero squatters’ policy as humanely as possible and engage in dialogue with the communities in question in order to avoid a repeat of last year’s fracas in Taman Rimba Jaya, Shah Alam.
Many had criticised the manner in which the authorities carried out the eviction exercise in Rimba Jaya, which saw some municipal council personnel throwing stones towards the temples and other buildings targeted for demolition.
"We hope that it will not be repeated," stressed the new menteri besar.
"Just like my selection of 10 (state) excos will not please the remaining 25 excos, inevitably, I have to make a decision, and the decision will take into account the needs of the people, but it doesn't mean you have to please all the people," he added.
Foreign workers tax
Khalid also said the state government will seek to realise a system where companies that hire foreign workers will be 'taxed' RM9 per worker per month.
If this can be collected for all of the estimated 1.5 million foreign workers in Selangor, it can serve as a source of funding for skills training programmes for the state's youth. This, in turn, can contribute towards decreasing the dependence on foreign labour, said Khalid.
"I don't think the employers will grumble too much, because they are investing in the future of the state. Due to the decreased dependence on foreign labour, there will be less crimes, less social problems, less dependency on facilities and medical and so on.
"That is the tradeoff between the two. If I can do that, then I can move Selangor into the future," he said.
On the issue of bungalows built several years ago by the state government to serve as the state excos' official residences, Khalid said the "extreme suggestion" that they be sold off was widely discussed.
However, he said an alternative idea is to rent out the bungalows to CEOs and other such figures so as to be a source of continuous revenue for the state.
"I think we shouldn't be in a rush to sell state assets, because property values do rise over a period of time if you believe that the Selangor economy will grow.
"Possibly, we can rent out the bungalows and earn over many years. Later, we can redesign the entire place and make it into a gated community so that the CEOs of major corporations residing in Selangor would be able to stay in this place.
"Of course, we have to charge them rental that reflects the quality of that real estate," he said.
Asset declaration
Khalid also revealed that several state excos had requested that they not be made to declare their assets publicly.
He said this when asked if the Selangor government would go the way of the government in Penang, which had directed its excos and municipal council heads to declare their assets.
"We'll do it also ... but the timing of its implementation will take time.
"I'll have to ask my excos first. Some do not want to make their declarations public for 'family' reasons.
"If they feel they want to make it public, then we'll make it public. But there are reasons for this, because they say they do not want to show their shareholdings to the public," he added.
Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said yesterday that his government will stay the course embarked by his predecessor Dr Mohd Khir Toyo to eradicate all 'squatter' settlements in the state.
Mohd Khir's 'zero squatters' policy - and the demolition of sometimes decades-old settlements that accompanied it - had caused outrage among many sectors of the civil society and political activists.
Therefore, it must come as a surprise to these quarters that the decision to continue with the stand comes from Khalid, whose party PKR was at the forefront of efforts to uphold the rights of, among others, the Kampung Berembang settlement off Jalan Ampang.
Khalid, however, said in addition to the housing claims by the urban settlers, the question of who the land belongs to as well as the interests of the landowner must be addressed as well.
"You can't allow people to become squatters in a state. There's the balance that we have to abide by," he told Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview at his office in Shah Alam yesterday.
"We want to accommodate the wishes of the squatters as much as we have to take into account the costs (incurred by) the developer," he added.
Can't please everyone
Acknowledging that there will be opposition to this position from many quarters, Khalid assured that the interests and rights of everyone concerned will be taken into consideration.
Nevertheless, it is impossible to please everyone of those with a stake in the matter, he said.
"We will continue to hear these grievances... I do not foresee that we will have a plain sailing exercise here.
"But we have to do what we have to do. Just like the illegal factories issue, this is also going to be a big issue, but we are not afraid to face it. We have to face it," he said.
Khalid said the state government will seek to go about the ‘zero squatters’ policy as humanely as possible and engage in dialogue with the communities in question in order to avoid a repeat of last year’s fracas in Taman Rimba Jaya, Shah Alam.
Many had criticised the manner in which the authorities carried out the eviction exercise in Rimba Jaya, which saw some municipal council personnel throwing stones towards the temples and other buildings targeted for demolition.
"We hope that it will not be repeated," stressed the new menteri besar.
"Just like my selection of 10 (state) excos will not please the remaining 25 excos, inevitably, I have to make a decision, and the decision will take into account the needs of the people, but it doesn't mean you have to please all the people," he added.
Foreign workers tax
Khalid also said the state government will seek to realise a system where companies that hire foreign workers will be 'taxed' RM9 per worker per month.
If this can be collected for all of the estimated 1.5 million foreign workers in Selangor, it can serve as a source of funding for skills training programmes for the state's youth. This, in turn, can contribute towards decreasing the dependence on foreign labour, said Khalid.
"I don't think the employers will grumble too much, because they are investing in the future of the state. Due to the decreased dependence on foreign labour, there will be less crimes, less social problems, less dependency on facilities and medical and so on.
"That is the tradeoff between the two. If I can do that, then I can move Selangor into the future," he said.
On the issue of bungalows built several years ago by the state government to serve as the state excos' official residences, Khalid said the "extreme suggestion" that they be sold off was widely discussed.
However, he said an alternative idea is to rent out the bungalows to CEOs and other such figures so as to be a source of continuous revenue for the state.
"I think we shouldn't be in a rush to sell state assets, because property values do rise over a period of time if you believe that the Selangor economy will grow.
"Possibly, we can rent out the bungalows and earn over many years. Later, we can redesign the entire place and make it into a gated community so that the CEOs of major corporations residing in Selangor would be able to stay in this place.
"Of course, we have to charge them rental that reflects the quality of that real estate," he said.
Asset declaration
Khalid also revealed that several state excos had requested that they not be made to declare their assets publicly.
He said this when asked if the Selangor government would go the way of the government in Penang, which had directed its excos and municipal council heads to declare their assets.
"We'll do it also ... but the timing of its implementation will take time.
"I'll have to ask my excos first. Some do not want to make their declarations public for 'family' reasons.
"If they feel they want to make it public, then we'll make it public. But there are reasons for this, because they say they do not want to show their shareholdings to the public," he added.
Q&A: We will 'pursue' Khir Toyo
Fauwaz Abdul Aziz Mar 26, 08 3:17pm
The new Selangor menteri besar vows to pursue the allegations of wrongdoing against his predecessor. However, Khalid Ibrahim stresses on the importance of facts, and not sentiments.
Malaysiakini: What are your short-term and long term goals for Selangor?
Khalid Ibrahim: Selangor has got opportunities as much as challenges. One of the challenges is how to accommodate the growth in population. In Selangor and Federal Territory, the Malaysian population is around five million, while the total number of people is about eight million. At least 1.5 million of these people are foreign labourers.
They bring in economic resources to the state as well as social issues. I thought that over the years, if Selangor is to progress, we have to find ways and means to reduce our dependence on foreign labour. That is one of our objectives.
To solve that, I think we should also tackle the issue of employment among youth - those between the ages of 22 and 35. I want to make sure that all the youth in Selangor are eventually fully employed. What I want to do is to have a skills training programme to enhance the quality of the youth so that they can work in higher-income areas and be, for example, artisans such as specialised welders.
Young ladies can train to become nurses, dental assistants, or work as assistants in surgery rooms, for example. Young men could become audio and computer specialists, and move from low-skilled jobs to higher skilled jobs.
After two to three years in our programme, our target is for these youth to earn at least RM2,000 a month. If that happens, and say there were 500,000 youths in this programme, we would have reduced the income gap while at the same time create more consumer demand.
How will I fund this project? If we have about 1.5 million foreign workers, I would like to propose that our employers in Selangor who hire foreign workers allocate RM9 a month per foreign worker. This money would go towards helping to train the youths. RM9 a month is equivalent to about RM100 a year. If there are 1.5 million foreign workers, I will be accumulating RM150 million which serves the purpose of funding for the training.
I don't think the employers will grumble too much, because they are investing in the future of the state. Due to the decreased dependence on foreign labour, there will be less crimes, less social problems, less dependency on facilities and medical, and so on. That is the tradeoff between the two. If I can do that, then I can move Selangor into the future.
So you're trying to reduce the dependency on foreign workers.
We need to. It may not be so in the short-term, but it should work in the medium term. I do not think Malaysia can afford such dependency for long. Foreign labour imposes demands on our infrastructure and other facilities such as medical treatment, schooling for their children, and so on.
Foreign labourers are causing these demands?
Yeah. People would say I'm unfair and discriminatory in this regard. We like foreign labour to live and work with us, but we also want to develop our own home-grown capacity.
But in terms of social problems and crimes, police statistics have shown that the majority of crimes are not committed by foreigners but Malaysians.
That could be true.
Within the next two weeks, the chief police officer of Selangor will brief the state executive council (exco) on the issue of safety in Selangor, crimes, and all that. We want him to guide us on how to reduce the crime rate. We are making safety a major thrust.
Maybe there are a lot of things the state government can do to help the police force be more effective in terms of fighting crime, making sure there are less illegal activities and so forth. We want to work with the police force in Selangor.
When we talk about reducing foreign workers, we also have to talk about transforming industry practices, and so on, right?
Yes. One exco member has been specifically tasked with resolving the problem of illegal factories, which is prevalent in Selangor. Not that we want them to get out of Selangor. We just want them to comply with the standards.
I know they are trying to reduce their costs of production, and all that, but not to the extent of neglecting their social responsibilities. Many of these factories are situated in what we call river reserves. The pollution created there affects the environment at an enormous cost to us in terms of cleaning the rivers, and so on.
That is the crux of the matter. These issues need to be tackled head on. That's one of the reasons we have one exco to tackle this issue. He's going to visit all the illegal factories, help them to become legal and conform to the required standards, and so forth. We are not trying to chase them away, we are just trying to reduce the corrupt practices. I'm told that some of the illegal factories survive by paying officials for their illegal existence. We want them to understand their problems and their issues they are facing.
You mentioned calling the state CPO to discuss with the exco about the issue of security, and so on. What are your other short-term plans?
There are two parts in terms of the plans by the menteri besar's office. One pertains to the administration. For that, I'm being supported by the excos, like on education, infrastructure, welfare, economy, and so forth.
The other part relates to government-owned corporations, like (Selangor state development body) PKNS, the investments by the Menteri Besar Incorporated, and the privatisation ventures.
I need to make sure we operate profitably while practicing accountability and good corporate governance. Selangor must achieve over RM1 billion in investments in order to sustain its growth.
Also, I'm trying to work to help the federal government to rehabilitate some of the investment projects that have been undertaken by the state that are not operating in the manner that we have wished for.
For example, there is the Port Klang Free Trade Zone (PKFZ). I have not seen the final figures, but I have heard that there have been over RM4 billion poured into that, and it is not operating in the manner that we wanted, so I'm going to request the federal government that we be allowed to operate it so that the state can make use of these assets and enhance the economic activities of the port, and so forth.
I'm also looking at the water privatisation projects and how I can work with the concessionaires to make sure that, this time, the Selangor public will not be shortchanged by the enormous profit being given to the concessionaire which as been translated into higher costs and charges to the customers.
That is my programme. I want to sort out all the government-linked companies (GLCs) and priviatisation projects, to uplift them to a more effective and successful venture. Overall, over RM2 to RM3 billion of state's investments have to be managed properly to provide returns.
PKFZ is currently a private entity, you want to take over?
It has already been bailed out. I thought the bailout is not enough... to solve the problems. We need to manage it, the Selangor government, because it is Selangor land and it is within the Selangor state. Given my experience as chairman of Kontainer Nasional. I was involved in the privatisation of Port Klang. I will be able to provide some ideas and ways of resolving this problem.
It is now under the Port Klang Authority (PKA) which is under the Ministry of Transport. The state did not invest in this. The state provided the land last time, and then they started building it and all that. They wanted to sell this to investors and nothing happened, and the story of the bailout came out. I'm looking at that story and studying it further. I want to approach the federal government instead of wasting this investment. Then I could have a revisitation.
A couple of years ago before they started the PKFZ, PKA was supposed to be doing quite well. The former general manager said when he left PKA had RM400-500 million in reserves. Since that time...
I was involved. They privatised Port Klang. There are two ports now: Westport and Port Klang. When they privatised, Kontaner Nasional was one of the concessionaires with PNO of Australia. Then we became the leaseholder of the wharf PKA. Then PKA was landed with huge sums of cash and profits from that. Then they had ideas of creating an inland, and they used these resources to invest in that. It became a failure. They not only lost the port, they also lost funds available to them.
How do you think the federal government will react?
They should react positively! How on earth can they waste taxpayers money and not react positively (to our request to take over)? They should react positively. Here is a group of people who are willing to help the government to make it better.
We will take it over at book value of RM1 or RM2, and then we can do better, 1,000 acres being wasted.
What about issues within PKFZ? Of claims of conflict of interest, of irregularities, and so on?
We can help solve them at the same time. I don't think we will not stop at that (taking over PKFZ), we will help to solve those problems at the same time. What are the things that make the problems arise?
We shouldn't stop only at solving the paper exercise, we also should operate the thing. Can you imagine 1,000 acres of real estate that has not been utilised properly. It's a lot. To the tax-payers.
If you do take over PKFZ, you won't be ignoring the issues. You will be taking action?
The federal government should also not ignore the issues.
But you're also going to look into claims of corruption, and so forth.
Yes. That's important. Who are the subcontractors? What are the costs involved in that? We can help unravel all the issues to correct the position. I think the least the public expects is that people who benefited out of this must pay for their sins or crimes that need to be resolved.
If you leave it alone, it becomes a ghost town. You know why Selangor is also interested in it? If it is not being managed properly, it will create safety issues and crime issues for the state.
How?
You leave 10 or 20 buildings unattended, can you imagine who's going to stay there and the problems created as a result of that? There could be illegals going into the areas. Who's going to take care of that? It falls back to the state.
PKR has made accusations against former menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo. Will the current state government take any action against him?
I think we must first unravel the facts. What I have done is ask the relevant departments to give me a report on whether these accusations are real or just hollow accusations. Following that, we'll review them.
If there is a case for saying this is misappropriation or misuse of power or corruption, then the state will take necessary action. We are at the first stage, not the second stage. You ask me whether we will pursue it, my answer is yes. But we cannot pursue out of sentiments, we have to pursue with the facts.
Before the election, PKR candidates made a vow that they will expose all the wrongdoings of Khir Toyo.
Of course we will do it. Having said that, PKR has to give fairness to both sides. We have already experienced how injustice was done to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim. It means that the facts must be clear.
We have to show an example to Barisan Nasional that the way we do it is professional and proper. It's unfair to say that this chap has done wrong without any proof or evidence. We have to gather the proof and evidence and move from there.
On Istana Zakaria, nothing has happened to that. Will there be any legal action taken?
Zakaria Mat Deroas has passed away, we must be very humane and give the family time to recuperate from the loss. At the same time, we are questioning this matter. One of the excos in charge of local councils is Ronnie Liu.
He has indicated to me that he will be looking at the facts again and we will have discussions with the Klang local council on the matter. Maybe then we will correct the situation.
At the local level, can you confirm if the Exco Village will be sold off or not?
This suggestion is the initiative of our state assemblypersons. They felt that the excos should live in this village in view of its luxury. But if you left the place without using it, it would be a waste. Some of them have proposed some extreme suggestions like selling it so that the state would get the money, and so forth.
But my view is that we have to look at it professionally. I think we shouldn't be in a rush to sell state assets, because property values do rise over a period of time if you believe the Selangor economy will grow.
Possibly, we can rent out the bungalows and earn over many years. Later, we can redesign the entire place and make it into a gated community so that the CEOs of major corporations residing in Selangor would be able to stay in this place. Of course, we have to charge them rental that reflects the quality of that real estate.
So perhaps there will not be a selling of the exco village but rental of the bungalows?
There are various options available. If you sell the assets, you are selling the land. But if you think that Selangor will grow much more, invariably real estate in the area will go up. Either the excos stay (there) or we rent it out to the appropriate people.
What are the chances of the excos staying there?
I will be talking to them, but I think they'll most likely be reluctant to stay there. But we must act quickly to find people to rent the place and give us the desired income.
What are your thoughts on the RM10 billion Pahang-Selangor raw water transfer project? Will it go on?
It must continue. The project is a major project, it will both give revenue to the state of Pahang as well as to cater to the future needs of water in Selangor.
But some quarters say the financial costs as well as the environmental costs are more than the benefits.
That they don't have to worry about. We will do the arithmetic and we will do it better. We will inform the public later once I declassify the contracts that are under the Official Secrets Act.
After we have declassified the information, from time to time, I will inform the public about the costs of this project, who are the beneficiaries, how much the Pahang government will receive, how much the pipeline costs, how much the treatment plant costs, how much it costs to bring water to Selangor and so on.
Won't whole communities of Orang Asli and Malay farmers - who are living and working in the land targeted for the Kelau Dam part - experience severe dislocation on account of the inter-state water transfer project?
We have to sit down with them to discuss adequate compensation.
What about the considerable environmental costs of the project? Hundreds of species of plants and animals are said to be threatened once the Kelau Dam is built and begins operations.
We have to take care of the environment. If it cannot be done, we have to find other options to do that. I have not reviewed all of the environmental impacts, but I must say that the previous state government and the federal government would have considered that issue, hopefully in the sensitive manner that we wanted.
On the issue of the deputy menteri besar...
I think that is no more an issue. The Sultan of Selangor wanted the menteri besar and excos to get down to work immediately rather than dwell on the issue of deputy menteri besar. Furthermore, the deputy menteri besar only advises the menteri besar and does not have full power. Therefore, the Sultan doesn't see the need for a deputy menteri besar. The previous menteri besar did not have a deputy.
Yesterday you spoke about how "effectiveness and cohesion" would demand that there not be a deputy mentri besar at the moment. What did you mean by that? What is the problem with choosing a deputy menteri besar?
One, it is about accommodating the demand between the various parties. In some states, you have two menteris besar. In all, therefore, you have three positions of menteri besar, which, under all management principles is not the way to do it.
Secondly, the Selangor state is not so big to warrant its CEO having a deputy.
The Sultan said that if we prove that we really need the services of a deputy menteri besar in a later period, then the sultan will hear our request. It doesn't mean he will agree. He will just hear our request.
There seems to have been some disagreement between the political parties as to who should be the deputy menteri bear.
Well, we have resolved it. I don't know about other states, but Selangor resolved it by having just a menteri besar. Other states resolved it by having two deputy menteris besar.
Can we assume that with DAP’s Teresa Kok as the senior exco, she is first in line for the position of deputy menteri besar?
Well, whenever that occasion arises. But that's not an issue at the moment.
(DAP’s former Selangor opposition leader) Teng Chang Khim was said to have been sidelined.
I cannot answer on behalf of DAP as I'm wearing the that of Keadilan (PKR). But we have 36 state assemblypersons within our group from which we have to select 11 (to form the state exco). The remaining 25 will ask why they were not selected. We have every reason also to select the other 25.
In this way, I think the issue will be prolonged (if we don't stop the issue now). I'm not talking just about Teng. Even within PAS, Keadilan and others within DAP, if you see the qualifications of the other leaders who were slated to be excos, they were eligible. But we have limited seats.
Based on the recommendations submitted by all parties, I tried to pick the best from Keadilan, PAS and DAP.
Will Teng be appointed Speaker?
The attitude of PKR and DAP is, if there is a possibility of him being appointed Speaker, we will do so.
The Penang state government has directed its leading government officers to declare their assets publicly.
We'll do it also. I think we've also made the same statement, but the timing of its implementation will take time.
Will they declare to you or directly to the public?
I'll have to ask my excos first. Some do not want to make their declarations public for family reasons.
Even the Barisan Nasional-led federal government is directing cabinet ministers to declare their assets publicly.
Well, it's up to my excos. If they feel they want to make it public, then we'll make it public. But there are reasons for this, because they say they do not want to show their shareholdings to the public.
Doesn't that raise questions regarding the excos' transparency?
No, no, no. They will give their details, but they do not want it to be public. There's a difference. In some countries they do that. But most likely, we'll make it public. I must get their agreement.
Who is it that may be declaring their assets?
The excos and the menteri besar.
On the 'zero squatters' policy of the previous menteri besar...
We'll continue to work towards that.
You'll continue with that policy?
Yes. I don't think we'll want to avoid not to continue in that area. At the same time, we'll have an exco in charge of squatters.
That policy has been very controversial, like in Kampung Berembang...
But you can't allow people to become squatters in a state. There's the balance that we have to abide by. In Kampung Berembang, they want to live... (in proper housing) They do not want to become squatters. The issue is, where will they be placed?
In many of the squatter settlements, the squatters claim they have a stake and an interest in the land they have settled and lived on for decades.
But there is also the question as to whether it is state land or the land is owned privately. For private land, the squatters will have to pay compensation for staying there based on market value.
The squatters have to pay compensation?
If they want that land, they have to pay compensation based on market value, because you are not being fair to the landowner. Of course, what the government can do is to have a cross subsidy in that the developer will build a place for the squatters to stay...
What about Kampung Berembang specifically?
We'll have a re-look, a revisit (of the issue) shortly. We want to accommodate the wishes of the squatters as much as we have to take into account the costs to the developer.
There have been considerable grievances expressed against this zero squatters policy.
Oh yes. And we will continue to hear these grievances... I do not foresee that we will have a plain sailing exercise here. But we have to do what we have to do. Just like the illegal factories issue, this is also going to be a big issue, but we are not afraid to face it. We have to face it.
Related to this is the demolition of temples ordered by the former menteri besar...
We will be looking at the list of all places of worship. How many places of worship are there in Selangor, like the suraus, mosques, temples, churches, and all that? Then, we'll announce it to the public. We'll give an undertaking that any demolition or replacement of these places of worship must be with the concurrence of the users.
In the previous demolitions, like in Rimba Jaya, there were excesses recorded, such as instances of the enforcement officers themselves throwing stones (towards temples targetted for demolition)...
We hope that will not be repeated. We'll have a dialogue with the people.
One thing I must say, when you are dealing with 100 people, you may face 100 different opinions. I don't think you will please everybody. Just like my selection of 10 excos will not please the remaining 25 excos, inevitably, I have to make a decision, and the decision will take into account the needs of the people, but it doesn't mean you have to please all the people.
I have talked to the police about the so-called human rights issue of people having the right to voice their opinion, and all that. Now that we are in government, and there were groups of people who protested against (Penang DAP's statements about) the NEP, we didn't ask the police to go and chase them away. We said they should be given their adequate right to voice their opinions. We don't do that.
So people will be allowed peaceful gatherings.
Yeah, yeah. We should allow for peaceful demonstrations.
So if there's any police action against an assembly or gathering, it's not on the directive of the Selangor state government?
The state government will ensure that it does not happen. Unless they go and beat the police. The state government will also ensure that adequate permits are acquired. I have now the attitude that if people want to get together to voice their opinion, rather than going by the roadside, they can gather at the stadium provided they can take care of it... I'm willing to give the Shah Alam stadium for the people to gather.
But some people are of the opinion that there should be the right to voice one's views in the streets. Bersih, for example, had abut 40,000 people on Nov 10....
No, no, no. Bersih was also willing to go and voice (its opinions) in a stadium in view of the traffic problem (the procession would have caused), the complaints by the hawkers and the residents. The best compromise is to gather where you can voice your opinion while not disturbing the public.
But if people do gather in the streets, you're not going to order their dispersal...
No, but it will have to be within a short period of time. If not, we'll have a major problem of traffic and the safety of the commuters.
Among the grievances against the previous state government is the issue of hillside development. What's the state government's take on this?
We'll have a re-look at that issue. This morning, I had a discussion with our exco on local councils, who will go to Ampang (for example) to discuss with the local council chief on how we can resolve this issue of hillslope development there (in the Ukay Heights area).
Will there be a moratorium on such developments?
If it is found to be dangeroua to the environment, then we'll have to decide on how we could do it.
It's not a general moratorium, but a specific one for Ampang?
We have to go side by side. I don't think we can do it for everything. Mind you, the developer who has gone in, they have already gotten the approval of the state. We have to understand why the approval was given and how we can be assured that the hillslope development protects the environment and the people.
The problem, however, is that in some cases, approvals were issued for projects despite the danger that they pose.
We have to study it. I'm not going to be close-minded about the issue. If it's a danger to the community and a hazard, then we'll have to stop it. But that has to be on the advice of professionals. As you know, in property development, we have professional consultants like architects, engineers and quantity surveyors. We cannot ignore them. But if they themselves are not adhering to the ethics of their profession, they will lose their jobs and their business. For Ampang, I'm going to approach the professionals and ask why they recommended the project to proceed? How did they assure the people the safety of the community and that the quality of the environment will be maintained.
It will take some time... Of course, we'll also talk to the developer.
Any possibilities of you stepping down from the Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary seat to make way for Anwar Ibrahim?
Not really, not really. I don't want to be part of the speculation. Whatever the timing, Anwar will decide. His decision is a political decision. We also don't want to identify the place where, if ever, Anwar will contest, and this is obviously for strategic reasons. If they know Anwar will contest in Bandar Tun Razak, a lot of people will prepare (early).
So we have to have 15 to 20 places where Anwar may contest. A by-election is a very focussed thing and Anwar will have to find a place where the chances of a swing (against PKR) will not undermine his chances of victory.
You're ruling out stepping down as Bandar Tun Razak MP?
I'm not ruling it out. I'm just saying we're not going to identify the place because Umno, MIC and MCA will start canvassing which is not going to help Anwar in his objectives.
What's the status of the investigations into the shredding of documents that were alleged to be important documents pertaining to irregularities committed during the previous state government?
They've done the report. We're waiting for the exco to meet and discuss this.
The report is completed?
Partly.
The new Selangor menteri besar vows to pursue the allegations of wrongdoing against his predecessor. However, Khalid Ibrahim stresses on the importance of facts, and not sentiments.
Malaysiakini: What are your short-term and long term goals for Selangor?
Khalid Ibrahim: Selangor has got opportunities as much as challenges. One of the challenges is how to accommodate the growth in population. In Selangor and Federal Territory, the Malaysian population is around five million, while the total number of people is about eight million. At least 1.5 million of these people are foreign labourers.
They bring in economic resources to the state as well as social issues. I thought that over the years, if Selangor is to progress, we have to find ways and means to reduce our dependence on foreign labour. That is one of our objectives.
To solve that, I think we should also tackle the issue of employment among youth - those between the ages of 22 and 35. I want to make sure that all the youth in Selangor are eventually fully employed. What I want to do is to have a skills training programme to enhance the quality of the youth so that they can work in higher-income areas and be, for example, artisans such as specialised welders.
Young ladies can train to become nurses, dental assistants, or work as assistants in surgery rooms, for example. Young men could become audio and computer specialists, and move from low-skilled jobs to higher skilled jobs.
After two to three years in our programme, our target is for these youth to earn at least RM2,000 a month. If that happens, and say there were 500,000 youths in this programme, we would have reduced the income gap while at the same time create more consumer demand.
How will I fund this project? If we have about 1.5 million foreign workers, I would like to propose that our employers in Selangor who hire foreign workers allocate RM9 a month per foreign worker. This money would go towards helping to train the youths. RM9 a month is equivalent to about RM100 a year. If there are 1.5 million foreign workers, I will be accumulating RM150 million which serves the purpose of funding for the training.
I don't think the employers will grumble too much, because they are investing in the future of the state. Due to the decreased dependence on foreign labour, there will be less crimes, less social problems, less dependency on facilities and medical, and so on. That is the tradeoff between the two. If I can do that, then I can move Selangor into the future.
So you're trying to reduce the dependency on foreign workers.
We need to. It may not be so in the short-term, but it should work in the medium term. I do not think Malaysia can afford such dependency for long. Foreign labour imposes demands on our infrastructure and other facilities such as medical treatment, schooling for their children, and so on.
Foreign labourers are causing these demands?
Yeah. People would say I'm unfair and discriminatory in this regard. We like foreign labour to live and work with us, but we also want to develop our own home-grown capacity.
But in terms of social problems and crimes, police statistics have shown that the majority of crimes are not committed by foreigners but Malaysians.
That could be true.
Within the next two weeks, the chief police officer of Selangor will brief the state executive council (exco) on the issue of safety in Selangor, crimes, and all that. We want him to guide us on how to reduce the crime rate. We are making safety a major thrust.
Maybe there are a lot of things the state government can do to help the police force be more effective in terms of fighting crime, making sure there are less illegal activities and so forth. We want to work with the police force in Selangor.
When we talk about reducing foreign workers, we also have to talk about transforming industry practices, and so on, right?
Yes. One exco member has been specifically tasked with resolving the problem of illegal factories, which is prevalent in Selangor. Not that we want them to get out of Selangor. We just want them to comply with the standards.
I know they are trying to reduce their costs of production, and all that, but not to the extent of neglecting their social responsibilities. Many of these factories are situated in what we call river reserves. The pollution created there affects the environment at an enormous cost to us in terms of cleaning the rivers, and so on.
That is the crux of the matter. These issues need to be tackled head on. That's one of the reasons we have one exco to tackle this issue. He's going to visit all the illegal factories, help them to become legal and conform to the required standards, and so forth. We are not trying to chase them away, we are just trying to reduce the corrupt practices. I'm told that some of the illegal factories survive by paying officials for their illegal existence. We want them to understand their problems and their issues they are facing.
You mentioned calling the state CPO to discuss with the exco about the issue of security, and so on. What are your other short-term plans?
There are two parts in terms of the plans by the menteri besar's office. One pertains to the administration. For that, I'm being supported by the excos, like on education, infrastructure, welfare, economy, and so forth.
The other part relates to government-owned corporations, like (Selangor state development body) PKNS, the investments by the Menteri Besar Incorporated, and the privatisation ventures.
I need to make sure we operate profitably while practicing accountability and good corporate governance. Selangor must achieve over RM1 billion in investments in order to sustain its growth.
Also, I'm trying to work to help the federal government to rehabilitate some of the investment projects that have been undertaken by the state that are not operating in the manner that we have wished for.
For example, there is the Port Klang Free Trade Zone (PKFZ). I have not seen the final figures, but I have heard that there have been over RM4 billion poured into that, and it is not operating in the manner that we wanted, so I'm going to request the federal government that we be allowed to operate it so that the state can make use of these assets and enhance the economic activities of the port, and so forth.
I'm also looking at the water privatisation projects and how I can work with the concessionaires to make sure that, this time, the Selangor public will not be shortchanged by the enormous profit being given to the concessionaire which as been translated into higher costs and charges to the customers.
That is my programme. I want to sort out all the government-linked companies (GLCs) and priviatisation projects, to uplift them to a more effective and successful venture. Overall, over RM2 to RM3 billion of state's investments have to be managed properly to provide returns.
PKFZ is currently a private entity, you want to take over?
It has already been bailed out. I thought the bailout is not enough... to solve the problems. We need to manage it, the Selangor government, because it is Selangor land and it is within the Selangor state. Given my experience as chairman of Kontainer Nasional. I was involved in the privatisation of Port Klang. I will be able to provide some ideas and ways of resolving this problem.
It is now under the Port Klang Authority (PKA) which is under the Ministry of Transport. The state did not invest in this. The state provided the land last time, and then they started building it and all that. They wanted to sell this to investors and nothing happened, and the story of the bailout came out. I'm looking at that story and studying it further. I want to approach the federal government instead of wasting this investment. Then I could have a revisitation.
A couple of years ago before they started the PKFZ, PKA was supposed to be doing quite well. The former general manager said when he left PKA had RM400-500 million in reserves. Since that time...
I was involved. They privatised Port Klang. There are two ports now: Westport and Port Klang. When they privatised, Kontaner Nasional was one of the concessionaires with PNO of Australia. Then we became the leaseholder of the wharf PKA. Then PKA was landed with huge sums of cash and profits from that. Then they had ideas of creating an inland, and they used these resources to invest in that. It became a failure. They not only lost the port, they also lost funds available to them.
How do you think the federal government will react?
They should react positively! How on earth can they waste taxpayers money and not react positively (to our request to take over)? They should react positively. Here is a group of people who are willing to help the government to make it better.
We will take it over at book value of RM1 or RM2, and then we can do better, 1,000 acres being wasted.
What about issues within PKFZ? Of claims of conflict of interest, of irregularities, and so on?
We can help solve them at the same time. I don't think we will not stop at that (taking over PKFZ), we will help to solve those problems at the same time. What are the things that make the problems arise?
We shouldn't stop only at solving the paper exercise, we also should operate the thing. Can you imagine 1,000 acres of real estate that has not been utilised properly. It's a lot. To the tax-payers.
If you do take over PKFZ, you won't be ignoring the issues. You will be taking action?
The federal government should also not ignore the issues.
But you're also going to look into claims of corruption, and so forth.
Yes. That's important. Who are the subcontractors? What are the costs involved in that? We can help unravel all the issues to correct the position. I think the least the public expects is that people who benefited out of this must pay for their sins or crimes that need to be resolved.
If you leave it alone, it becomes a ghost town. You know why Selangor is also interested in it? If it is not being managed properly, it will create safety issues and crime issues for the state.
How?
You leave 10 or 20 buildings unattended, can you imagine who's going to stay there and the problems created as a result of that? There could be illegals going into the areas. Who's going to take care of that? It falls back to the state.
PKR has made accusations against former menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo. Will the current state government take any action against him?
I think we must first unravel the facts. What I have done is ask the relevant departments to give me a report on whether these accusations are real or just hollow accusations. Following that, we'll review them.
If there is a case for saying this is misappropriation or misuse of power or corruption, then the state will take necessary action. We are at the first stage, not the second stage. You ask me whether we will pursue it, my answer is yes. But we cannot pursue out of sentiments, we have to pursue with the facts.
Before the election, PKR candidates made a vow that they will expose all the wrongdoings of Khir Toyo.
Of course we will do it. Having said that, PKR has to give fairness to both sides. We have already experienced how injustice was done to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim. It means that the facts must be clear.
We have to show an example to Barisan Nasional that the way we do it is professional and proper. It's unfair to say that this chap has done wrong without any proof or evidence. We have to gather the proof and evidence and move from there.
On Istana Zakaria, nothing has happened to that. Will there be any legal action taken?
Zakaria Mat Deroas has passed away, we must be very humane and give the family time to recuperate from the loss. At the same time, we are questioning this matter. One of the excos in charge of local councils is Ronnie Liu.
He has indicated to me that he will be looking at the facts again and we will have discussions with the Klang local council on the matter. Maybe then we will correct the situation.
At the local level, can you confirm if the Exco Village will be sold off or not?
This suggestion is the initiative of our state assemblypersons. They felt that the excos should live in this village in view of its luxury. But if you left the place without using it, it would be a waste. Some of them have proposed some extreme suggestions like selling it so that the state would get the money, and so forth.
But my view is that we have to look at it professionally. I think we shouldn't be in a rush to sell state assets, because property values do rise over a period of time if you believe the Selangor economy will grow.
Possibly, we can rent out the bungalows and earn over many years. Later, we can redesign the entire place and make it into a gated community so that the CEOs of major corporations residing in Selangor would be able to stay in this place. Of course, we have to charge them rental that reflects the quality of that real estate.
So perhaps there will not be a selling of the exco village but rental of the bungalows?
There are various options available. If you sell the assets, you are selling the land. But if you think that Selangor will grow much more, invariably real estate in the area will go up. Either the excos stay (there) or we rent it out to the appropriate people.
What are the chances of the excos staying there?
I will be talking to them, but I think they'll most likely be reluctant to stay there. But we must act quickly to find people to rent the place and give us the desired income.
What are your thoughts on the RM10 billion Pahang-Selangor raw water transfer project? Will it go on?
It must continue. The project is a major project, it will both give revenue to the state of Pahang as well as to cater to the future needs of water in Selangor.
But some quarters say the financial costs as well as the environmental costs are more than the benefits.
That they don't have to worry about. We will do the arithmetic and we will do it better. We will inform the public later once I declassify the contracts that are under the Official Secrets Act.
After we have declassified the information, from time to time, I will inform the public about the costs of this project, who are the beneficiaries, how much the Pahang government will receive, how much the pipeline costs, how much the treatment plant costs, how much it costs to bring water to Selangor and so on.
Won't whole communities of Orang Asli and Malay farmers - who are living and working in the land targeted for the Kelau Dam part - experience severe dislocation on account of the inter-state water transfer project?
We have to sit down with them to discuss adequate compensation.
What about the considerable environmental costs of the project? Hundreds of species of plants and animals are said to be threatened once the Kelau Dam is built and begins operations.
We have to take care of the environment. If it cannot be done, we have to find other options to do that. I have not reviewed all of the environmental impacts, but I must say that the previous state government and the federal government would have considered that issue, hopefully in the sensitive manner that we wanted.
On the issue of the deputy menteri besar...
I think that is no more an issue. The Sultan of Selangor wanted the menteri besar and excos to get down to work immediately rather than dwell on the issue of deputy menteri besar. Furthermore, the deputy menteri besar only advises the menteri besar and does not have full power. Therefore, the Sultan doesn't see the need for a deputy menteri besar. The previous menteri besar did not have a deputy.
Yesterday you spoke about how "effectiveness and cohesion" would demand that there not be a deputy mentri besar at the moment. What did you mean by that? What is the problem with choosing a deputy menteri besar?
One, it is about accommodating the demand between the various parties. In some states, you have two menteris besar. In all, therefore, you have three positions of menteri besar, which, under all management principles is not the way to do it.
Secondly, the Selangor state is not so big to warrant its CEO having a deputy.
The Sultan said that if we prove that we really need the services of a deputy menteri besar in a later period, then the sultan will hear our request. It doesn't mean he will agree. He will just hear our request.
There seems to have been some disagreement between the political parties as to who should be the deputy menteri bear.
Well, we have resolved it. I don't know about other states, but Selangor resolved it by having just a menteri besar. Other states resolved it by having two deputy menteris besar.
Can we assume that with DAP’s Teresa Kok as the senior exco, she is first in line for the position of deputy menteri besar?
Well, whenever that occasion arises. But that's not an issue at the moment.
(DAP’s former Selangor opposition leader) Teng Chang Khim was said to have been sidelined.
I cannot answer on behalf of DAP as I'm wearing the that of Keadilan (PKR). But we have 36 state assemblypersons within our group from which we have to select 11 (to form the state exco). The remaining 25 will ask why they were not selected. We have every reason also to select the other 25.
In this way, I think the issue will be prolonged (if we don't stop the issue now). I'm not talking just about Teng. Even within PAS, Keadilan and others within DAP, if you see the qualifications of the other leaders who were slated to be excos, they were eligible. But we have limited seats.
Based on the recommendations submitted by all parties, I tried to pick the best from Keadilan, PAS and DAP.
Will Teng be appointed Speaker?
The attitude of PKR and DAP is, if there is a possibility of him being appointed Speaker, we will do so.
The Penang state government has directed its leading government officers to declare their assets publicly.
We'll do it also. I think we've also made the same statement, but the timing of its implementation will take time.
Will they declare to you or directly to the public?
I'll have to ask my excos first. Some do not want to make their declarations public for family reasons.
Even the Barisan Nasional-led federal government is directing cabinet ministers to declare their assets publicly.
Well, it's up to my excos. If they feel they want to make it public, then we'll make it public. But there are reasons for this, because they say they do not want to show their shareholdings to the public.
Doesn't that raise questions regarding the excos' transparency?
No, no, no. They will give their details, but they do not want it to be public. There's a difference. In some countries they do that. But most likely, we'll make it public. I must get their agreement.
Who is it that may be declaring their assets?
The excos and the menteri besar.
On the 'zero squatters' policy of the previous menteri besar...
We'll continue to work towards that.
You'll continue with that policy?
Yes. I don't think we'll want to avoid not to continue in that area. At the same time, we'll have an exco in charge of squatters.
That policy has been very controversial, like in Kampung Berembang...
But you can't allow people to become squatters in a state. There's the balance that we have to abide by. In Kampung Berembang, they want to live... (in proper housing) They do not want to become squatters. The issue is, where will they be placed?
In many of the squatter settlements, the squatters claim they have a stake and an interest in the land they have settled and lived on for decades.
But there is also the question as to whether it is state land or the land is owned privately. For private land, the squatters will have to pay compensation for staying there based on market value.
The squatters have to pay compensation?
If they want that land, they have to pay compensation based on market value, because you are not being fair to the landowner. Of course, what the government can do is to have a cross subsidy in that the developer will build a place for the squatters to stay...
What about Kampung Berembang specifically?
We'll have a re-look, a revisit (of the issue) shortly. We want to accommodate the wishes of the squatters as much as we have to take into account the costs to the developer.
There have been considerable grievances expressed against this zero squatters policy.
Oh yes. And we will continue to hear these grievances... I do not foresee that we will have a plain sailing exercise here. But we have to do what we have to do. Just like the illegal factories issue, this is also going to be a big issue, but we are not afraid to face it. We have to face it.
Related to this is the demolition of temples ordered by the former menteri besar...
We will be looking at the list of all places of worship. How many places of worship are there in Selangor, like the suraus, mosques, temples, churches, and all that? Then, we'll announce it to the public. We'll give an undertaking that any demolition or replacement of these places of worship must be with the concurrence of the users.
In the previous demolitions, like in Rimba Jaya, there were excesses recorded, such as instances of the enforcement officers themselves throwing stones (towards temples targetted for demolition)...
We hope that will not be repeated. We'll have a dialogue with the people.
One thing I must say, when you are dealing with 100 people, you may face 100 different opinions. I don't think you will please everybody. Just like my selection of 10 excos will not please the remaining 25 excos, inevitably, I have to make a decision, and the decision will take into account the needs of the people, but it doesn't mean you have to please all the people.
I have talked to the police about the so-called human rights issue of people having the right to voice their opinion, and all that. Now that we are in government, and there were groups of people who protested against (Penang DAP's statements about) the NEP, we didn't ask the police to go and chase them away. We said they should be given their adequate right to voice their opinions. We don't do that.
So people will be allowed peaceful gatherings.
Yeah, yeah. We should allow for peaceful demonstrations.
So if there's any police action against an assembly or gathering, it's not on the directive of the Selangor state government?
The state government will ensure that it does not happen. Unless they go and beat the police. The state government will also ensure that adequate permits are acquired. I have now the attitude that if people want to get together to voice their opinion, rather than going by the roadside, they can gather at the stadium provided they can take care of it... I'm willing to give the Shah Alam stadium for the people to gather.
But some people are of the opinion that there should be the right to voice one's views in the streets. Bersih, for example, had abut 40,000 people on Nov 10....
No, no, no. Bersih was also willing to go and voice (its opinions) in a stadium in view of the traffic problem (the procession would have caused), the complaints by the hawkers and the residents. The best compromise is to gather where you can voice your opinion while not disturbing the public.
But if people do gather in the streets, you're not going to order their dispersal...
No, but it will have to be within a short period of time. If not, we'll have a major problem of traffic and the safety of the commuters.
Among the grievances against the previous state government is the issue of hillside development. What's the state government's take on this?
We'll have a re-look at that issue. This morning, I had a discussion with our exco on local councils, who will go to Ampang (for example) to discuss with the local council chief on how we can resolve this issue of hillslope development there (in the Ukay Heights area).
Will there be a moratorium on such developments?
If it is found to be dangeroua to the environment, then we'll have to decide on how we could do it.
It's not a general moratorium, but a specific one for Ampang?
We have to go side by side. I don't think we can do it for everything. Mind you, the developer who has gone in, they have already gotten the approval of the state. We have to understand why the approval was given and how we can be assured that the hillslope development protects the environment and the people.
The problem, however, is that in some cases, approvals were issued for projects despite the danger that they pose.
We have to study it. I'm not going to be close-minded about the issue. If it's a danger to the community and a hazard, then we'll have to stop it. But that has to be on the advice of professionals. As you know, in property development, we have professional consultants like architects, engineers and quantity surveyors. We cannot ignore them. But if they themselves are not adhering to the ethics of their profession, they will lose their jobs and their business. For Ampang, I'm going to approach the professionals and ask why they recommended the project to proceed? How did they assure the people the safety of the community and that the quality of the environment will be maintained.
It will take some time... Of course, we'll also talk to the developer.
Any possibilities of you stepping down from the Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary seat to make way for Anwar Ibrahim?
Not really, not really. I don't want to be part of the speculation. Whatever the timing, Anwar will decide. His decision is a political decision. We also don't want to identify the place where, if ever, Anwar will contest, and this is obviously for strategic reasons. If they know Anwar will contest in Bandar Tun Razak, a lot of people will prepare (early).
So we have to have 15 to 20 places where Anwar may contest. A by-election is a very focussed thing and Anwar will have to find a place where the chances of a swing (against PKR) will not undermine his chances of victory.
You're ruling out stepping down as Bandar Tun Razak MP?
I'm not ruling it out. I'm just saying we're not going to identify the place because Umno, MIC and MCA will start canvassing which is not going to help Anwar in his objectives.
What's the status of the investigations into the shredding of documents that were alleged to be important documents pertaining to irregularities committed during the previous state government?
They've done the report. We're waiting for the exco to meet and discuss this.
The report is completed?
Partly.
T'ganu MB: Abdullah backs down?
Mar 26, 08 2:27pm
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is learnt to be having an urgent meeting with his candidate for the Terengganu menteri besar post, Idris Jusoh at Sri Perdana in Putrajaya now.
Earlier the premier had an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, who is also Sultan of Terengganu, over the controversy surrounding the appointment of Terengganu menteri besar.
It is reliably learnt that after the audience with the sultan, Abdullah had agreed with the appointment of the palace-backed Ahmad Said for the post in place of Idris, the incumbent MB.
The hour-long meeting between Abdullah and Idris was later confirmed Terengganu state Umno secretary Rosol Wahid, who however was unable to give any other information.
Earlier Abdullah was insistent that Idris was made the menteri besar, calling the appointment of Ahmad unconstitutional.
Ahmad, who received his appointment letter from the Terengganu palace on Sunday, assumed office yesterday although he has not been sworn in yet.
He also faces the sack from Umno for assuming the post against the wishes of the party.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is learnt to be having an urgent meeting with his candidate for the Terengganu menteri besar post, Idris Jusoh at Sri Perdana in Putrajaya now.
Earlier the premier had an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, who is also Sultan of Terengganu, over the controversy surrounding the appointment of Terengganu menteri besar.
It is reliably learnt that after the audience with the sultan, Abdullah had agreed with the appointment of the palace-backed Ahmad Said for the post in place of Idris, the incumbent MB.
The hour-long meeting between Abdullah and Idris was later confirmed Terengganu state Umno secretary Rosol Wahid, who however was unable to give any other information.
Earlier Abdullah was insistent that Idris was made the menteri besar, calling the appointment of Ahmad unconstitutional.
Ahmad, who received his appointment letter from the Terengganu palace on Sunday, assumed office yesterday although he has not been sworn in yet.
He also faces the sack from Umno for assuming the post against the wishes of the party.
Friday: Decision on S'gor water deal
Mar 26, 08 5:36pm
Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim said he will announce Friday the decision on a water supply agreement controversially entered by the previous state government with two companies on the eve of polling day.
At a press conference after chairing the new state government’s first executive council meeting today, Khalid promised to give the people the ‘best deal’.
However, he declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations.
"We’ll give you the best deal. We are talking about a win-win situation (between) the state, federal government and consumers. Last time, the calculation did not include the consumers.
"So support us, then we’ll deliver it to you. We will make an announcement in two days," he said with a smile.
The PKR leader also dismissed claims by Energy, Water and Telecommunications Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor who yesterday declared that the agreement was valid.
Commenting on this, Khalid said: "(The agreement) can stand but I think the consumers would want assurance from Shaziman that it was a fair deal to the people of Selangor."
"If it is not a fair deal to them, we will ask them to write letters to Shaziman that he has not acted in the interest of the people.
"Both the federal and the state governments can review the agreement. Selangor is also a party to the contract," he said.
Still relevant
Shaziman reportedly said that the concession agreement between the Selangor state government and Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd that was signed on the eve of the general election is still relevant.
He opined that the agreement for the operation and maintenance of the Sungai Sireh water treatment plant was a valid agreement unless the National Water Services Commission (Span) declares it null and void.
Khalid, in his first task as MB, decided to review this agreement which appeared lopsided in favour of certain quarters with an interest in the concession agreement.
On top of this, the agreement - entered by Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd (PNHB), Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) and the Selangor state government - was signed at a questionable period of time.
According to media reports, the agreement dated Dec 15, 2004 was to take effect on April 1, 2007 and due to expire on April 30, 2034.
However an agreement between the three parties and the federal government was signed on March 7, 2008 - a day before the general election.
Secretary to the state government Ramli Mahmud told reporters two weeks ago that this was nothing out of the ordinary as "some negotiations take a long time" to conclude.
The other questionable aspect of this agreement was that Ramli instead of former MB Dr Mohd Khir Toyo who inked it.
Mohd Khir was earlier quoted in media reports as having no knowledge of the deal.
Hillside development
In another development, Khalid said that exco member Ronnie Liu who is in charge of local government, research and development will be tasked to resolve hillside development-related problems.
"He will be meeting local government representatives in Ampang and other areas with hillside developments to advice the exco on what further action can be taken by us," he said.
Khalid also said land grants will no longer be given to individuals but to institutions with close relations to the state government.
He noted that schools and religious buildings will be charged a nominal rent of RM1 per year as a sign of support in their activities.
He added that state exco members plan to appear in the local state radio station to interact with listeners and get feedback from the people.
Selangor Mentri Besar Khalid Ibrahim said he will announce Friday the decision on a water supply agreement controversially entered by the previous state government with two companies on the eve of polling day.
At a press conference after chairing the new state government’s first executive council meeting today, Khalid promised to give the people the ‘best deal’.
However, he declined to comment on the ongoing negotiations.
"We’ll give you the best deal. We are talking about a win-win situation (between) the state, federal government and consumers. Last time, the calculation did not include the consumers.
"So support us, then we’ll deliver it to you. We will make an announcement in two days," he said with a smile.
The PKR leader also dismissed claims by Energy, Water and Telecommunications Minister Shaziman Abu Mansor who yesterday declared that the agreement was valid.
Commenting on this, Khalid said: "(The agreement) can stand but I think the consumers would want assurance from Shaziman that it was a fair deal to the people of Selangor."
"If it is not a fair deal to them, we will ask them to write letters to Shaziman that he has not acted in the interest of the people.
"Both the federal and the state governments can review the agreement. Selangor is also a party to the contract," he said.
Still relevant
Shaziman reportedly said that the concession agreement between the Selangor state government and Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd that was signed on the eve of the general election is still relevant.
He opined that the agreement for the operation and maintenance of the Sungai Sireh water treatment plant was a valid agreement unless the National Water Services Commission (Span) declares it null and void.
Khalid, in his first task as MB, decided to review this agreement which appeared lopsided in favour of certain quarters with an interest in the concession agreement.
On top of this, the agreement - entered by Puncak Niaga Holdings Bhd (PNHB), Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) and the Selangor state government - was signed at a questionable period of time.
According to media reports, the agreement dated Dec 15, 2004 was to take effect on April 1, 2007 and due to expire on April 30, 2034.
However an agreement between the three parties and the federal government was signed on March 7, 2008 - a day before the general election.
Secretary to the state government Ramli Mahmud told reporters two weeks ago that this was nothing out of the ordinary as "some negotiations take a long time" to conclude.
The other questionable aspect of this agreement was that Ramli instead of former MB Dr Mohd Khir Toyo who inked it.
Mohd Khir was earlier quoted in media reports as having no knowledge of the deal.
Hillside development
In another development, Khalid said that exco member Ronnie Liu who is in charge of local government, research and development will be tasked to resolve hillside development-related problems.
"He will be meeting local government representatives in Ampang and other areas with hillside developments to advice the exco on what further action can be taken by us," he said.
Khalid also said land grants will no longer be given to individuals but to institutions with close relations to the state government.
He noted that schools and religious buildings will be charged a nominal rent of RM1 per year as a sign of support in their activities.
He added that state exco members plan to appear in the local state radio station to interact with listeners and get feedback from the people.
Karpal: Consider it a form of amnesty
Mar 26, 08 4:28pm
DAP chairperson and Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh has defended the decision of the new Perak and Penang governments to waive summonses for hawking and parking offences.
Karpal said this should be viewed as a form of amnesty, taking into consideration the “exceptional” general election performance of the opposition parties which have formed the government in the two states.
“Amnesty even for a prisoner who have been convicted and imprisoned is usually granted for significant occasions,” he said in a statement.
“On the 25th Merdeka, several prisoners were released at the behest of the government. This is often done in other countries also on occasions that warrant it.”
Soon after taking office, both the Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (left) and Perak Menteri Besar Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin (right) waived payment for previous summonses, as a token of appreciation to the electorate.
Their actions were however criticised in various quarters, which claimed that the waiver contravenes the rule of law.
Karpal said both Lim and Nizar should not be unduly criticised as processing of the compound notices had not reached the stage of prosecution.
“There fore, the amnesty granted cannot be said to impinge on the powers of the public prosecutor who has the sole discretion to prosecute or not,” he said.
Kapral, a senior lawyer, also questioned detractors, particularly lawyers, for criticising Lim and Nizar unfairly.
“Various quarters, including lawyers, have criticised the move without appreciating the actual position. These personalities have been unduly trigger-happy. I am surprised the lawyers concerned do not have within their grasp elementary principles of law,” he added.
DAP chairperson and Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh has defended the decision of the new Perak and Penang governments to waive summonses for hawking and parking offences.
Karpal said this should be viewed as a form of amnesty, taking into consideration the “exceptional” general election performance of the opposition parties which have formed the government in the two states.
“Amnesty even for a prisoner who have been convicted and imprisoned is usually granted for significant occasions,” he said in a statement.
“On the 25th Merdeka, several prisoners were released at the behest of the government. This is often done in other countries also on occasions that warrant it.”
Soon after taking office, both the Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng (left) and Perak Menteri Besar Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin (right) waived payment for previous summonses, as a token of appreciation to the electorate.
Their actions were however criticised in various quarters, which claimed that the waiver contravenes the rule of law.
Karpal said both Lim and Nizar should not be unduly criticised as processing of the compound notices had not reached the stage of prosecution.
“There fore, the amnesty granted cannot be said to impinge on the powers of the public prosecutor who has the sole discretion to prosecute or not,” he said.
Kapral, a senior lawyer, also questioned detractors, particularly lawyers, for criticising Lim and Nizar unfairly.
“Various quarters, including lawyers, have criticised the move without appreciating the actual position. These personalities have been unduly trigger-happy. I am surprised the lawyers concerned do not have within their grasp elementary principles of law,” he added.
Pak Lah, you're missing the point
Mar 26, 08 10:49am
‘It was not the cyber-campaign that led to BN’s disastrous results in the recent elections. The reason for BN’s defeats lies simply in the frustration of being a Malaysian.’
On Abdullah: Big mistake to ignore cyber-campaign
Meng: With the above statement and with the reappointment of Muhammad Muhd Taib to the cabinet, it only shows that Pak Lah has not heard the rakyat. He still doesn’t get it. I am not sure if he is ill-advised.
It was not the cyber-campaign that led to BN’s disastrous results as the Internet only gave an avenue for the rakyat to release some tension and to vent their frustrations. Cyberspace helped each Malaysian realise that they were not the only ones who felt distressed but there were others who were equally frustrated.
Perhaps Pak Lah needs to know that the reason for BN’s fall is the frustration of being a Malaysian. From doing business to dealing with government civil servants; there is not an occasion when corruption and graft is absent. It is so rampant. Then in the backdrop, you have overt racist remarks spoken carelessly and without thought. There are difficulties in making ends meet with the rising costs of everything.
The call for the rakyat to change their lifestyle is matched with the extravagant lifestyles of our leaders. There is arrogance and a lack of sensitivity on the part of the government. This, dear prime minister is the reason for the rakyat’s anger and if you still cannot get it then I do not know how else to get this message across.
Fifty-something: Our PM and BN miss the mark again. I’m in my 50s. I read the online alternative media, various blogs and the international news sites. I do not read the local print media or watch the local TV news. It’s not only the young who have switched to the alternative media - it’s almost everyone!
The truth is that our PM and BN refuse to acknowledge that the rakyat are no longer sheep, that the world has changed, and that the old propagandist ways don’t work in today’s world. Until they do, they’ll continue to miss the mark with the rakyat.
Peter Yew: The prime minister is missing the point. Even if BN has campaigned in cyberspace it would still lose many seats because the people are fed-up with the lies and corruption they hear. The Internet just made it easier for people to get information that mainstream media had suppressed all these years. It is to the credit of the online alternative media that they helped bring BN to its knees.
It is Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's misfortune that the Internet has come of age in Malaysia during his first term in office as PM. Mahathir would not have been able to fight it even if he had stayed on as PM instead of resigning in 2003.
Such is the power of information and truth that has now, in the hands of the people, become effective weapons to keep the nation well-governed from now on.
Ravi Chitty: It was not that the Internet or cyber-war against the government linked MSM. Rest assured that truth prevailed over lies or mere propaganda and threats. BN could have used the Internet and cyber-network to the maximum and would still have performed disastrously.
Please give credit to the rakyat who can differentiate right from wrong and truth from lies. Whilst the Internet and cyber-network did not really topple the government of the day, they certainly aided the opposition to uncover and expose the blatant lies and scandals which were the main reasons BN performed badly
Remember that it was not the cyber-campaign that turned the tide. Rather it was the lack of truth and accountability that did.
Leon Chan: I believe our dear PM is still ignorant over what had hit him and BN. Even if they had put up a strong cyber campaign, similar in line with their print media, tv and radio, the result of the election would still have been the same.
BN lost because of their arrogance and blatant unfairness - not because they did not engage in cyber campaigning. The young people are looking at both the print media and the alternative media. Mr Prime Minister, didn't the voice of 'change' waken you?
On Idris apologises to sultan
Arianna: The appointment of a prime minister or menteri besar should not be made simply on the dictation of a political party which won a general election. Rather it should be made on whether the person is trustworthy, capable, clean, efficient and has the people's interests at heart.
If the candidate has been proven to have fall short of the criteria and yet his party insists on his appointment, then the head of state or ruler concerned should exercise his discretion to appoint one whom he thinks could be better entrusted with the responsibility.
The question of obeying the Rukun Negara is a non-issue in the appointment of PM, MB or CM. The party which won the election should appoint a PM, MB or CM who can do the job and not re-appoint the same person who cannot perform and has been proven inefficient.
If the party leadership fails to see this, then the ruler or head of states should step in and exercise their role to redress the situation. After all, we are not talking about the interests of political parties or its leaders but that of the people and the nation.
San: As a Malaysian, I must say that I am sad that the matter has been allowed to deteriorate to this stage. It appears that there has not been adequate dialogue between the palace and the PM on this appointment. The names given by the PM must be recognised and if not acceptable to the palace than a dialogue should have been held between the PM and the palace to resolve the issue. Unfortunately, the damage has been done and now needs to be undone.
On Terengganu's constitution clear: MB at Sultan's discretion
Rule of Law: The writer says the Sultan may forego the criteria spelled out in Article 10 of the Terengganu constitution in that 'in appointing a mentri besar, His Royal Highness may, in his discretion, dispense with any provision in Article 10 restricting his choice of a mentri besar, if, in his opinion, it is necessary to do so in order to comply with the provisions of this article’
It would be helpful if Academia can point out precisely what was it that was in the Sultan's views, necessary to forego Article 10 and what provisions of Article 14 the Sultan was, in exercising his discretion, attempting to comply? That is the only saving provision for the Sultan to intervene. If there are no grounds upon which to base his opinion, it is wholly inappropriate for a constitutional monarch to interfere in the political process.
On We serve all - says Perak PAS MP
Colour Blind: Isn’t it sad that people are still going on and one with blinkered views that only exco members of their race can serve them best? Certain quarters in Perak are lobbying for more Malays in the state exco to reflect the racial composition of the state. Similarly in Selangor, some people are demanding for more Indians in the exco line up.
Doesn’t competence count? Shouldn’t we be looking for the best men or women to take up these positions? Are we saying that only Malays can protect the interests of Malays or only Chinese can only represent the interests of Chinese, etc? Haven’t we seen enough cases where people such as Samy Vellu and Kayveas did absolutely nothing for thousands of Indians who needed help?
Similarly, lots of impoverished Malays were also not given any help by their Malay MPs. Are we prepared to sacrifice very capable people and put in place mediocre candidates just to satisfy the race ratio?
On Malay NGOs worried about non-Malay excos
A New Malay: Requiring the composition of the state exco to reflect the racial composition of that state is again back to the old BN mentality. If this is the case, then we are back to square one again. The opposition coalition governments will not be any better than the former BN government. We should discard the BN mentality. The appointment to any position in a government should be based on the capability and quality of an individual, not his or her race.
Peter Ooi: Ever since the opposition won a few states in the last general elections, there were so many problems created just to derail the smooth takeover of the administrations. There was the demonstration at Komtar by mostly Umno members, there was protest against the appointing of a non-Malay as deputy MB. Now we have the NGOs mostly made up of professionals expressing their worries about non-Malay excos.
The NGOs should be the last be express such fear. Bearing in mind that they are professionals and should be more liberal in their outlook. I am sure most of them understood the manifestos of the opposition. One of them is to ensure that the interests of all races would be taken care of. With the MB being a Malay himself, I doubt very much that he would allow Malays to be marginalised.
Just let the new state governments rule their states freely. If they do not perform to your satisfaction, just vote them out in the next general election.
HL Ooi: These Perak NGOs that are worried about non-Malay excos seem to live in the racist mould that has characterised Umno’s statements and actions. Their claim to being non-partisan is not very convincing. Shouldn’t we be more concerned about the competence of the Perak state exco members than their ethnicity? Will we be hearing enlightened Malay voices educating these dinosaurs (since these guys might not want to listen to others)?
On Gov't mulls law to stop MPs defecting
Lasung Lukas: The katak culture is nothing new. Malaysians in Sabah have lots of experience of this phenomenon. Remember when we cried ‘Injustice!’ and ‘Betrayal!' more than 10 years ago? Few even bothered to listen to their fellow Malaysians' plea. Now that there is a very real possibility of the katak culture happening in other parts of the country, almost everyone on both sides of the fence wants to enact an anti-hop law! Well, well. Sabah had an anti-hop law. And what happened to it?
Let's face the facts - any one can join any political party at any time. That's democratic freedom. However, an elected representative gets into office by virtue of the people's trust in the candidate's promises, platform and professed political principles. There is thus an unwritten contract to fulfil that pledge and to honour that trust. When that contract is broken by crossing party lines, he/she should vacate the seat and allow a fresh by-election. The people's trust must not be held to ransom to the shifting winds of political convenience.
On PKR Youth: 16 BN MPs ready to jump ship
Vijay: Please understand that any way you cut it, hopping from one party to another is nothing short of shameful and what makes it even more contemptible is that some of the hoppers expect ministerial posts should the Barisan government fall. Khairul Annuar's statement is as hypocritical as that of Umno secretary-general's accusation that the possible cross-overs would be the result of bribery.
Hello, where were the concerns for honesty and honour when in the past Barisan gladly welcomed ‘frogs’ into their fold? Was it not bribery then? If Barisan assembly persons or members of parliament are now convinced of the virtues of Barisan Rakyat, by all means join the opposition forces but before that, resign from your post and stand again under the aegis of Barisan Rakyat. If you then win, good for you and good for us.
On Thoughts on the elections
Peter Yew: I could not agree more. The issue at stake is not the party but the quality of governance. The Barisan Rakyat will be subject to the same, if not a higher standard of governance than before. Malaysian politics has until recently been a case of mass bribery. Bribery may work if there are good results to show and I believe Malaysians have been very tolerant thus far.
The decision not to vote for BN or its component parties is not the same as saying they are unqualified to govern. It is a wake-up call to them to turn back from their erring ways. The current infighting and squabbles within Umno make me think that the leadership has not really learned from the lesson of their election failures. Listen to what the people want. Stop the power struggles and no more hidden agendas.
On Param: Seek accountability, not apology
Honourable Malaysian: All honourable Malaysians should staunchly support Zaid's proposals on the judiciary, starting with an apology to all the judges who were dismissed and suspended in 1988. He should also urge the PM and the government to hold a royal tribunal to get to the bottom of the injustice committed against the judges and based on its findings, take appropriate court action against Mahathir for making the judiciary in Malaysia what it is today.
On Will Muhd Muhd Taib declare Aussie properties?
Anak Bay-Gong: It is laudable of the PM to state that his cabinet ministers must declare their assets. This is not a novel requirement. But the fact that the ex-Selangor MB had been reported to own six premium properties in Australia and NewZealand under his wife's name and has been included in the latest line-up makes nonsense of everything the PM stated. It is an old trick that you can vest your assets in any of your family members' names.
Declaration of assets should not pertain to the ministers alone. It should include their spouses. Even that is not foolproof enough.
On Where are the ink smugglers?
S Vijay: The tiny kingdom of Bhutan recently had its first election in its history. TV news footage of the election brought a wry smile to my face. The voters had their fingernails marked with indelible ink!
This coming from a country who has never knows what elections are and where democracy was widely seen as being forced upon its citizens by the country’s royals rather than being demanded for by the subjects.
I hope our Election Commission and its chief are utterly embarrassed that a small, isolated country can have free and fair elections where indelible ink did not pose any security threats.
‘It was not the cyber-campaign that led to BN’s disastrous results in the recent elections. The reason for BN’s defeats lies simply in the frustration of being a Malaysian.’
On Abdullah: Big mistake to ignore cyber-campaign
Meng: With the above statement and with the reappointment of Muhammad Muhd Taib to the cabinet, it only shows that Pak Lah has not heard the rakyat. He still doesn’t get it. I am not sure if he is ill-advised.
It was not the cyber-campaign that led to BN’s disastrous results as the Internet only gave an avenue for the rakyat to release some tension and to vent their frustrations. Cyberspace helped each Malaysian realise that they were not the only ones who felt distressed but there were others who were equally frustrated.
Perhaps Pak Lah needs to know that the reason for BN’s fall is the frustration of being a Malaysian. From doing business to dealing with government civil servants; there is not an occasion when corruption and graft is absent. It is so rampant. Then in the backdrop, you have overt racist remarks spoken carelessly and without thought. There are difficulties in making ends meet with the rising costs of everything.
The call for the rakyat to change their lifestyle is matched with the extravagant lifestyles of our leaders. There is arrogance and a lack of sensitivity on the part of the government. This, dear prime minister is the reason for the rakyat’s anger and if you still cannot get it then I do not know how else to get this message across.
Fifty-something: Our PM and BN miss the mark again. I’m in my 50s. I read the online alternative media, various blogs and the international news sites. I do not read the local print media or watch the local TV news. It’s not only the young who have switched to the alternative media - it’s almost everyone!
The truth is that our PM and BN refuse to acknowledge that the rakyat are no longer sheep, that the world has changed, and that the old propagandist ways don’t work in today’s world. Until they do, they’ll continue to miss the mark with the rakyat.
Peter Yew: The prime minister is missing the point. Even if BN has campaigned in cyberspace it would still lose many seats because the people are fed-up with the lies and corruption they hear. The Internet just made it easier for people to get information that mainstream media had suppressed all these years. It is to the credit of the online alternative media that they helped bring BN to its knees.
It is Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's misfortune that the Internet has come of age in Malaysia during his first term in office as PM. Mahathir would not have been able to fight it even if he had stayed on as PM instead of resigning in 2003.
Such is the power of information and truth that has now, in the hands of the people, become effective weapons to keep the nation well-governed from now on.
Ravi Chitty: It was not that the Internet or cyber-war against the government linked MSM. Rest assured that truth prevailed over lies or mere propaganda and threats. BN could have used the Internet and cyber-network to the maximum and would still have performed disastrously.
Please give credit to the rakyat who can differentiate right from wrong and truth from lies. Whilst the Internet and cyber-network did not really topple the government of the day, they certainly aided the opposition to uncover and expose the blatant lies and scandals which were the main reasons BN performed badly
Remember that it was not the cyber-campaign that turned the tide. Rather it was the lack of truth and accountability that did.
Leon Chan: I believe our dear PM is still ignorant over what had hit him and BN. Even if they had put up a strong cyber campaign, similar in line with their print media, tv and radio, the result of the election would still have been the same.
BN lost because of their arrogance and blatant unfairness - not because they did not engage in cyber campaigning. The young people are looking at both the print media and the alternative media. Mr Prime Minister, didn't the voice of 'change' waken you?
On Idris apologises to sultan
Arianna: The appointment of a prime minister or menteri besar should not be made simply on the dictation of a political party which won a general election. Rather it should be made on whether the person is trustworthy, capable, clean, efficient and has the people's interests at heart.
If the candidate has been proven to have fall short of the criteria and yet his party insists on his appointment, then the head of state or ruler concerned should exercise his discretion to appoint one whom he thinks could be better entrusted with the responsibility.
The question of obeying the Rukun Negara is a non-issue in the appointment of PM, MB or CM. The party which won the election should appoint a PM, MB or CM who can do the job and not re-appoint the same person who cannot perform and has been proven inefficient.
If the party leadership fails to see this, then the ruler or head of states should step in and exercise their role to redress the situation. After all, we are not talking about the interests of political parties or its leaders but that of the people and the nation.
San: As a Malaysian, I must say that I am sad that the matter has been allowed to deteriorate to this stage. It appears that there has not been adequate dialogue between the palace and the PM on this appointment. The names given by the PM must be recognised and if not acceptable to the palace than a dialogue should have been held between the PM and the palace to resolve the issue. Unfortunately, the damage has been done and now needs to be undone.
On Terengganu's constitution clear: MB at Sultan's discretion
Rule of Law: The writer says the Sultan may forego the criteria spelled out in Article 10 of the Terengganu constitution in that 'in appointing a mentri besar, His Royal Highness may, in his discretion, dispense with any provision in Article 10 restricting his choice of a mentri besar, if, in his opinion, it is necessary to do so in order to comply with the provisions of this article’
It would be helpful if Academia can point out precisely what was it that was in the Sultan's views, necessary to forego Article 10 and what provisions of Article 14 the Sultan was, in exercising his discretion, attempting to comply? That is the only saving provision for the Sultan to intervene. If there are no grounds upon which to base his opinion, it is wholly inappropriate for a constitutional monarch to interfere in the political process.
On We serve all - says Perak PAS MP
Colour Blind: Isn’t it sad that people are still going on and one with blinkered views that only exco members of their race can serve them best? Certain quarters in Perak are lobbying for more Malays in the state exco to reflect the racial composition of the state. Similarly in Selangor, some people are demanding for more Indians in the exco line up.
Doesn’t competence count? Shouldn’t we be looking for the best men or women to take up these positions? Are we saying that only Malays can protect the interests of Malays or only Chinese can only represent the interests of Chinese, etc? Haven’t we seen enough cases where people such as Samy Vellu and Kayveas did absolutely nothing for thousands of Indians who needed help?
Similarly, lots of impoverished Malays were also not given any help by their Malay MPs. Are we prepared to sacrifice very capable people and put in place mediocre candidates just to satisfy the race ratio?
On Malay NGOs worried about non-Malay excos
A New Malay: Requiring the composition of the state exco to reflect the racial composition of that state is again back to the old BN mentality. If this is the case, then we are back to square one again. The opposition coalition governments will not be any better than the former BN government. We should discard the BN mentality. The appointment to any position in a government should be based on the capability and quality of an individual, not his or her race.
Peter Ooi: Ever since the opposition won a few states in the last general elections, there were so many problems created just to derail the smooth takeover of the administrations. There was the demonstration at Komtar by mostly Umno members, there was protest against the appointing of a non-Malay as deputy MB. Now we have the NGOs mostly made up of professionals expressing their worries about non-Malay excos.
The NGOs should be the last be express such fear. Bearing in mind that they are professionals and should be more liberal in their outlook. I am sure most of them understood the manifestos of the opposition. One of them is to ensure that the interests of all races would be taken care of. With the MB being a Malay himself, I doubt very much that he would allow Malays to be marginalised.
Just let the new state governments rule their states freely. If they do not perform to your satisfaction, just vote them out in the next general election.
HL Ooi: These Perak NGOs that are worried about non-Malay excos seem to live in the racist mould that has characterised Umno’s statements and actions. Their claim to being non-partisan is not very convincing. Shouldn’t we be more concerned about the competence of the Perak state exco members than their ethnicity? Will we be hearing enlightened Malay voices educating these dinosaurs (since these guys might not want to listen to others)?
On Gov't mulls law to stop MPs defecting
Lasung Lukas: The katak culture is nothing new. Malaysians in Sabah have lots of experience of this phenomenon. Remember when we cried ‘Injustice!’ and ‘Betrayal!' more than 10 years ago? Few even bothered to listen to their fellow Malaysians' plea. Now that there is a very real possibility of the katak culture happening in other parts of the country, almost everyone on both sides of the fence wants to enact an anti-hop law! Well, well. Sabah had an anti-hop law. And what happened to it?
Let's face the facts - any one can join any political party at any time. That's democratic freedom. However, an elected representative gets into office by virtue of the people's trust in the candidate's promises, platform and professed political principles. There is thus an unwritten contract to fulfil that pledge and to honour that trust. When that contract is broken by crossing party lines, he/she should vacate the seat and allow a fresh by-election. The people's trust must not be held to ransom to the shifting winds of political convenience.
On PKR Youth: 16 BN MPs ready to jump ship
Vijay: Please understand that any way you cut it, hopping from one party to another is nothing short of shameful and what makes it even more contemptible is that some of the hoppers expect ministerial posts should the Barisan government fall. Khairul Annuar's statement is as hypocritical as that of Umno secretary-general's accusation that the possible cross-overs would be the result of bribery.
Hello, where were the concerns for honesty and honour when in the past Barisan gladly welcomed ‘frogs’ into their fold? Was it not bribery then? If Barisan assembly persons or members of parliament are now convinced of the virtues of Barisan Rakyat, by all means join the opposition forces but before that, resign from your post and stand again under the aegis of Barisan Rakyat. If you then win, good for you and good for us.
On Thoughts on the elections
Peter Yew: I could not agree more. The issue at stake is not the party but the quality of governance. The Barisan Rakyat will be subject to the same, if not a higher standard of governance than before. Malaysian politics has until recently been a case of mass bribery. Bribery may work if there are good results to show and I believe Malaysians have been very tolerant thus far.
The decision not to vote for BN or its component parties is not the same as saying they are unqualified to govern. It is a wake-up call to them to turn back from their erring ways. The current infighting and squabbles within Umno make me think that the leadership has not really learned from the lesson of their election failures. Listen to what the people want. Stop the power struggles and no more hidden agendas.
On Param: Seek accountability, not apology
Honourable Malaysian: All honourable Malaysians should staunchly support Zaid's proposals on the judiciary, starting with an apology to all the judges who were dismissed and suspended in 1988. He should also urge the PM and the government to hold a royal tribunal to get to the bottom of the injustice committed against the judges and based on its findings, take appropriate court action against Mahathir for making the judiciary in Malaysia what it is today.
On Will Muhd Muhd Taib declare Aussie properties?
Anak Bay-Gong: It is laudable of the PM to state that his cabinet ministers must declare their assets. This is not a novel requirement. But the fact that the ex-Selangor MB had been reported to own six premium properties in Australia and NewZealand under his wife's name and has been included in the latest line-up makes nonsense of everything the PM stated. It is an old trick that you can vest your assets in any of your family members' names.
Declaration of assets should not pertain to the ministers alone. It should include their spouses. Even that is not foolproof enough.
On Where are the ink smugglers?
S Vijay: The tiny kingdom of Bhutan recently had its first election in its history. TV news footage of the election brought a wry smile to my face. The voters had their fingernails marked with indelible ink!
This coming from a country who has never knows what elections are and where democracy was widely seen as being forced upon its citizens by the country’s royals rather than being demanded for by the subjects.
I hope our Election Commission and its chief are utterly embarrassed that a small, isolated country can have free and fair elections where indelible ink did not pose any security threats.
Opposition leader Wan Azizah unveils bold agenda
Mar 25, 08 4:41pm
The nation's first female parliamentary opposition leader, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, today unveiled an ambitious agenda to boost economic growth and fight corruption.
Wan Azizah is head of PKR and wife of former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, who rallied the three-party opposition alliance to unprecedented gains in March 8 elections.
The 55-year-old mother of six, who wears a traditional Muslim headscarf, set up PKR after Anwar was sacked and jailed in 1998 on sex and corruption charges. He is not allowed to stand for office until April.
Wan Azizah unveiled a five-point manifesto which focused on anti-corruption measures and equality for the various races in Malaysia, a country dominated by Muslim Malays but with large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.
"I will do my utmost to take this unique opportunity to move Malaysia forward towards a new dawn while continuing to safeguard the rights of all Malaysians under the constitution," she said.
The opposition parties claimed more than a third of parliamentary seats and five of the 13 states in the general elections, their successes giving them a new-found status and authority.
Access to equal opportunities
Wan Azizah said that on the economy, she will push for measures to encourage growth and attract investors, and ensure equal treatment for all - in a reference to positive discrimination policies for Malays which the opposition wants to reform.
"By continuing to speak out against corruption and wastage, we will continue to help guide Malaysia to a more robust, poverty-free economy," she said.
Wan Azizah said the opposition will ensure that race relations, which have become increasingly tense in recent years, will be strengthened.
"While we will ensure that the position of the Malays will not be threatened, the access to equal opportunities of Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Kadazans and all Malaysians will be protected with equal vigour," she said.
Wan Azizah said the opposition would push for free and fair judicial institutions to allow democracy to flourish, and that the Malaysian media must be given the freedom to report freely and fairly.
Opposition leaders say Parliament is expected to convene at the end of April or in early May.
Barisan Nasional will have 140 lawmakers in the new 222-seat parliament, against 199 in the outgoing 219-seat parliament. The opposition alliance won 80 seats from just 19 previously, with PKR in the lead.
The nation's first female parliamentary opposition leader, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, today unveiled an ambitious agenda to boost economic growth and fight corruption.
Wan Azizah is head of PKR and wife of former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, who rallied the three-party opposition alliance to unprecedented gains in March 8 elections.
The 55-year-old mother of six, who wears a traditional Muslim headscarf, set up PKR after Anwar was sacked and jailed in 1998 on sex and corruption charges. He is not allowed to stand for office until April.
Wan Azizah unveiled a five-point manifesto which focused on anti-corruption measures and equality for the various races in Malaysia, a country dominated by Muslim Malays but with large ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.
"I will do my utmost to take this unique opportunity to move Malaysia forward towards a new dawn while continuing to safeguard the rights of all Malaysians under the constitution," she said.
The opposition parties claimed more than a third of parliamentary seats and five of the 13 states in the general elections, their successes giving them a new-found status and authority.
Access to equal opportunities
Wan Azizah said that on the economy, she will push for measures to encourage growth and attract investors, and ensure equal treatment for all - in a reference to positive discrimination policies for Malays which the opposition wants to reform.
"By continuing to speak out against corruption and wastage, we will continue to help guide Malaysia to a more robust, poverty-free economy," she said.
Wan Azizah said the opposition will ensure that race relations, which have become increasingly tense in recent years, will be strengthened.
"While we will ensure that the position of the Malays will not be threatened, the access to equal opportunities of Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Kadazans and all Malaysians will be protected with equal vigour," she said.
Wan Azizah said the opposition would push for free and fair judicial institutions to allow democracy to flourish, and that the Malaysian media must be given the freedom to report freely and fairly.
Opposition leaders say Parliament is expected to convene at the end of April or in early May.
Barisan Nasional will have 140 lawmakers in the new 222-seat parliament, against 199 in the outgoing 219-seat parliament. The opposition alliance won 80 seats from just 19 previously, with PKR in the lead.
PAS: Umno showing true colours in MB protests
Mar 25, 08 2:11pm
Opposition party PAS today slammed Umno for questioning the royalty’s decisions on the appointment of the menteris besar in Terengganu and Perlis.
PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub said Umno is showing its true colours by openly challenging the decision of the Sultan of Terengganu and Raja of Perlis to appoint their chosen candidates to the post.
Umno, he said, is being hypocritical now, after having preached the concept of Malay supremacy since independence.
“They call themselves fighters for Malay rights but, at the same time, they are challenging the Malay Rulers by holding gatherings and displaying banners and slogans. This should not happen,” he told a press conference at PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur this morning.
He also questioned why Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has not proposed an alternative nominee for menteri besar, since it is clear that the Sultan of Terengganu has no confidence in incumbent Idris Jusoh.
“Why didn’t (Abdullah) propose a few other names? Why does he still want Idris Jusoh? The PM can propose any candidate, but he has opted to go against the system.
“To me, (the naming of the Sultan’s choice) is constitutional.” he said, countering Abdullah’s previous claim that the royal intervention is unconstitutional.
Saying that PAS believes that the monarchy plays an important role in preserving democratic processes, Salahuddin pledged continued support for a system that has been in place since Independence.
Corruption alleged
He further advised Umno members to behave like ‘gentlemen’ in handling the political crisis in Terengganu and not to resort to any action that could disrupt the peace, pointing out that PAS has experienced more unfairness from the government.
Referring to the situations in Perlis and Terengganu, he said these are clear indications that the Malay Rulers want someone clean and trustworthy to lead their respective states.
Salahuddin alleged that Idris had been “corrupt and misused his power” during his tenure as menteri besar.
“It is an open secret, even the orang kampung know the real Idris Jusoh. You just wait and see - we will reveal all the information at the next Parliament session,” he said.
During the press conference, he also showed a photograph of a banner with the words Kami Nak Idris, Natang - the banners have been found in strategic places in the state.
Youth secretary Ahmad Sabki Yusof said it is not clear whether natang - which means ‘animal’ in the Terengganu dialect - was directed at the Sultan or at new Menteri Besar Ahmad Said.
But he noted that the words are open to “all kinds of interpretation”.
Salahuddin said the Youth wing would lodge a police report this evening, adding “this is seditious, immediate action must be taken”.
Opposition party PAS today slammed Umno for questioning the royalty’s decisions on the appointment of the menteris besar in Terengganu and Perlis.
PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub said Umno is showing its true colours by openly challenging the decision of the Sultan of Terengganu and Raja of Perlis to appoint their chosen candidates to the post.
Umno, he said, is being hypocritical now, after having preached the concept of Malay supremacy since independence.
“They call themselves fighters for Malay rights but, at the same time, they are challenging the Malay Rulers by holding gatherings and displaying banners and slogans. This should not happen,” he told a press conference at PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur this morning.
He also questioned why Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has not proposed an alternative nominee for menteri besar, since it is clear that the Sultan of Terengganu has no confidence in incumbent Idris Jusoh.
“Why didn’t (Abdullah) propose a few other names? Why does he still want Idris Jusoh? The PM can propose any candidate, but he has opted to go against the system.
“To me, (the naming of the Sultan’s choice) is constitutional.” he said, countering Abdullah’s previous claim that the royal intervention is unconstitutional.
Saying that PAS believes that the monarchy plays an important role in preserving democratic processes, Salahuddin pledged continued support for a system that has been in place since Independence.
Corruption alleged
He further advised Umno members to behave like ‘gentlemen’ in handling the political crisis in Terengganu and not to resort to any action that could disrupt the peace, pointing out that PAS has experienced more unfairness from the government.
Referring to the situations in Perlis and Terengganu, he said these are clear indications that the Malay Rulers want someone clean and trustworthy to lead their respective states.
Salahuddin alleged that Idris had been “corrupt and misused his power” during his tenure as menteri besar.
“It is an open secret, even the orang kampung know the real Idris Jusoh. You just wait and see - we will reveal all the information at the next Parliament session,” he said.
During the press conference, he also showed a photograph of a banner with the words Kami Nak Idris, Natang - the banners have been found in strategic places in the state.
Youth secretary Ahmad Sabki Yusof said it is not clear whether natang - which means ‘animal’ in the Terengganu dialect - was directed at the Sultan or at new Menteri Besar Ahmad Said.
But he noted that the words are open to “all kinds of interpretation”.
Salahuddin said the Youth wing would lodge a police report this evening, adding “this is seditious, immediate action must be taken”.
Umno polls to be postponed?
Mar 25, 08 3:11pm
Umno may postpone its party election to next year in order to avoid “havoc”, said its information chief Muhammad Muhd Taib.
At a press conference in his office at the Rural and Regional Development Ministry today, Muhammad described this as a “big possibility”.
“We have received feedback from party leaders of all states and they have asked that the elections be postponed to next year,” he said, explaining that the feedback was obtained after leaders met with Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
“Almost all divisional and state leaders advised that the party elections be delayed for fear of creating havoc,” said Muhammad.
The Wanita, Puteri and Pemuda wings shared the view, he said.
Party polls were initially slotted for August, but postponement will not breach the party constitution. The delay will, however, fuel speculation of a deepening crisis due to feuding between leaders.
Muhammad was evasive when asked if his term “havoc” was in reference to Gua Musang division leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s challenge to the leadership.
“Things are blur right now and people cannot see clearly. There is no space to make a rational decision and when this happens, the outcome may be a regrettable one,” said Muhammad.
He also said that the matter would be discussed at the party's supreme council meeting on Thursday.
‘Accept reality’
The agenda will include a post-mortem on the party’s performance following its worst ever performance in the 12th general election.
“We want to know why the outcome was such, and will do everything to build the confidence of the rakyat in Umno again,” Muhammad stressed.
He said the people are not angry with Umno and BN per se, but that there are issues that bother them.
“If they really hate the BN, all states would have been wiped out (lost to the opposition). We have to accept the reality and identify these hidden or root causes,” he said.
Muhammad took office today as the rural and regional development minister, replacing Aziz Shamsuddin who lost the Shah Alam parliamentary seat in the polls on March 8.
The former Selangor menteri besar was reinstated as Selangor Umno chief, following Dr Khir Mohd Toyo’s resignation last Wednesday.
Muhammad said a post-mortem is being held into factors that led to the state falling into the hands of the PKR-DAP-PAS alliance.
Umno may postpone its party election to next year in order to avoid “havoc”, said its information chief Muhammad Muhd Taib.
At a press conference in his office at the Rural and Regional Development Ministry today, Muhammad described this as a “big possibility”.
“We have received feedback from party leaders of all states and they have asked that the elections be postponed to next year,” he said, explaining that the feedback was obtained after leaders met with Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
“Almost all divisional and state leaders advised that the party elections be delayed for fear of creating havoc,” said Muhammad.
The Wanita, Puteri and Pemuda wings shared the view, he said.
Party polls were initially slotted for August, but postponement will not breach the party constitution. The delay will, however, fuel speculation of a deepening crisis due to feuding between leaders.
Muhammad was evasive when asked if his term “havoc” was in reference to Gua Musang division leader Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s challenge to the leadership.
“Things are blur right now and people cannot see clearly. There is no space to make a rational decision and when this happens, the outcome may be a regrettable one,” said Muhammad.
He also said that the matter would be discussed at the party's supreme council meeting on Thursday.
‘Accept reality’
The agenda will include a post-mortem on the party’s performance following its worst ever performance in the 12th general election.
“We want to know why the outcome was such, and will do everything to build the confidence of the rakyat in Umno again,” Muhammad stressed.
He said the people are not angry with Umno and BN per se, but that there are issues that bother them.
“If they really hate the BN, all states would have been wiped out (lost to the opposition). We have to accept the reality and identify these hidden or root causes,” he said.
Muhammad took office today as the rural and regional development minister, replacing Aziz Shamsuddin who lost the Shah Alam parliamentary seat in the polls on March 8.
The former Selangor menteri besar was reinstated as Selangor Umno chief, following Dr Khir Mohd Toyo’s resignation last Wednesday.
Muhammad said a post-mortem is being held into factors that led to the state falling into the hands of the PKR-DAP-PAS alliance.
Idris apologises to sultan
Mar 25, 08 3:59pm
Former Terengganu menteri besar Idris Jusoh has sought the forgiveness of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin - who is also Sultan of Terengganu - over matters which had incurred the ruler’s wrath.
"As a Muslim, I made mistakes. It’s only human to make mistakes. I am willing to apologise for my mistakes," he told a press conference held at a hotel in Subang this afternoon.
Idris - the Barisan Nasional-backed candidate for the MB post in an ongoing tussle between the palace and government - said he tendered an apology to Tuanku Mizan during an audience with the King on Feb 23.
"During the audience with the King, I have explained that as a state leader, I made mistakes and I tendered my apology," he revealed.
However, he refused to elaborate on the grounds of his apology and declined to comment on whether the palace was unhappy over his handling of the Batu Burok and Rusila incidents in the state.
"It’s a general apology. Muslims always ask for forgiveness when we meet," he said when pressed by reporters on the matter.
Asked on his ties with Tuanku Mizan, he replied: "So far so good."
'I accept any decision'
According to Idris, he was supposed to have an audience with the King on March 9 - a day after the general election - but it was cancelled by the palace 10 minutes before the scheduled time.
"I was not given any room (to meet with the King)," said the former menteri besar, who was flanked by state Umno secretary Rosol Wahid and a group of state assemblypersons.
Idris, who took office in 2004, reiterated that he will accept any decision on the tussle, including the possibility of foregoing the post.
Asked on whether he could accept the palace-backed Ahmad Said as the new menteri besar, he replied: "I accept any decision for the good of the rakyat, what is good for the people is good for me."
However, he disputed Ahmad Said’s appointment on the grounds that the people’s wish must be respected.
"We must get to the basis of the matter right. We must understand the concept of the constitution and parliamentary democracy. We must respect the voters’ decision who voted for BN and BN has chosen its leader for Terengganu.
"We follow the basis of constitutional monarchy. We have the Malay rulers, we must be loyal to them but their powers are not absolute," stressed Idris, who was calm and composed throughout the 20-minute press conference.
'Unlawful' appointment
According to a statement distributed by Idris’ aide at the press conference, the former menteri besar described Ahmad’s appointment as "unlawful" and contravening the state’s constitution.
"As a result, the appointment was unconstitutional, unlawful and void ab-initio. In other words, Ahmad is prevented from discharging his duties as a MB based on the provisions in the constitution," read the statement.
He also emphasised that 22 BN state assemblypersons have pledged their unanimous support for him on three occasions.
Idris was also unfazed by rumours that 13 state assemblypersons who initially gave their backing to him have since pledged their support to the new menteri besar.
"I wouldn’t want to speculate... (but) they are all here with me," he said.
According to Idris, some 20 state assemblypersons were with him at a closed-door luncheon earlier at the hotel to celebrate the birthday of Kuala Besut state assemblyperson Dr A Rahman Mokhtar.
Asked whether it was appropriate for Ahmad to start work today while the controversy remains unresolved, Idris said the question should be dealt with by legal experts.
PM to meet King
The crisis over the MB post started when the Terengganu palace rejected Idris, who was Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s choice to lead the state for a second term.
Instead, the palace suggested that Ahmad helm the state and subsequently appointed him despite howls of protest from Umno.
The Idris-led BN government won 24 out of 32 state seats in the last general election. PAS won the remaining eight.
The state Umno has also threatened to sack Ahmad if he assumed the post. The party’s supreme council is expected to meet on Thursday to discuss the matter.
Meanwhile, Abdullah said today that he would be seek an audience with Tuanku Mizan to resolve the controversy as soon as possible.
In a related development, Malaysiakini learnt that Ahmad Said met with Abdullah at his Sri Perdana residence in Putrajaya for an hour this evening.
According to a source, the meeting took place at 5.30pm but not details were available.
Former Terengganu menteri besar Idris Jusoh has sought the forgiveness of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin - who is also Sultan of Terengganu - over matters which had incurred the ruler’s wrath.
"As a Muslim, I made mistakes. It’s only human to make mistakes. I am willing to apologise for my mistakes," he told a press conference held at a hotel in Subang this afternoon.
Idris - the Barisan Nasional-backed candidate for the MB post in an ongoing tussle between the palace and government - said he tendered an apology to Tuanku Mizan during an audience with the King on Feb 23.
"During the audience with the King, I have explained that as a state leader, I made mistakes and I tendered my apology," he revealed.
However, he refused to elaborate on the grounds of his apology and declined to comment on whether the palace was unhappy over his handling of the Batu Burok and Rusila incidents in the state.
"It’s a general apology. Muslims always ask for forgiveness when we meet," he said when pressed by reporters on the matter.
Asked on his ties with Tuanku Mizan, he replied: "So far so good."
'I accept any decision'
According to Idris, he was supposed to have an audience with the King on March 9 - a day after the general election - but it was cancelled by the palace 10 minutes before the scheduled time.
"I was not given any room (to meet with the King)," said the former menteri besar, who was flanked by state Umno secretary Rosol Wahid and a group of state assemblypersons.
Idris, who took office in 2004, reiterated that he will accept any decision on the tussle, including the possibility of foregoing the post.
Asked on whether he could accept the palace-backed Ahmad Said as the new menteri besar, he replied: "I accept any decision for the good of the rakyat, what is good for the people is good for me."
However, he disputed Ahmad Said’s appointment on the grounds that the people’s wish must be respected.
"We must get to the basis of the matter right. We must understand the concept of the constitution and parliamentary democracy. We must respect the voters’ decision who voted for BN and BN has chosen its leader for Terengganu.
"We follow the basis of constitutional monarchy. We have the Malay rulers, we must be loyal to them but their powers are not absolute," stressed Idris, who was calm and composed throughout the 20-minute press conference.
'Unlawful' appointment
According to a statement distributed by Idris’ aide at the press conference, the former menteri besar described Ahmad’s appointment as "unlawful" and contravening the state’s constitution.
"As a result, the appointment was unconstitutional, unlawful and void ab-initio. In other words, Ahmad is prevented from discharging his duties as a MB based on the provisions in the constitution," read the statement.
He also emphasised that 22 BN state assemblypersons have pledged their unanimous support for him on three occasions.
Idris was also unfazed by rumours that 13 state assemblypersons who initially gave their backing to him have since pledged their support to the new menteri besar.
"I wouldn’t want to speculate... (but) they are all here with me," he said.
According to Idris, some 20 state assemblypersons were with him at a closed-door luncheon earlier at the hotel to celebrate the birthday of Kuala Besut state assemblyperson Dr A Rahman Mokhtar.
Asked whether it was appropriate for Ahmad to start work today while the controversy remains unresolved, Idris said the question should be dealt with by legal experts.
PM to meet King
The crisis over the MB post started when the Terengganu palace rejected Idris, who was Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s choice to lead the state for a second term.
Instead, the palace suggested that Ahmad helm the state and subsequently appointed him despite howls of protest from Umno.
The Idris-led BN government won 24 out of 32 state seats in the last general election. PAS won the remaining eight.
The state Umno has also threatened to sack Ahmad if he assumed the post. The party’s supreme council is expected to meet on Thursday to discuss the matter.
Meanwhile, Abdullah said today that he would be seek an audience with Tuanku Mizan to resolve the controversy as soon as possible.
In a related development, Malaysiakini learnt that Ahmad Said met with Abdullah at his Sri Perdana residence in Putrajaya for an hour this evening.
According to a source, the meeting took place at 5.30pm but not details were available.
PM: Certain parties exploiting MB issue
Mar 25, 08 1:31pm
Certain quarters are exploiting the Terengganu menteri besar issue to further their personal agendas, said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today.
Despite this, Abdullah advised against tempers flaring.
"We know the situation on the ground. There are people exploiting the situation for their own ends. So there is a lot of confusion," he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.
"We have to remain cool and at the same time, not become oblivious of the issue which needs to be addressed," he stressed.
Abdullah was asked to comment on whether he still supported former Terengganu menteri besar Idris Jusoh to continue for another term.
The premier, in his capacity as Barisan Nasional (BN) chairperson, had nominated Idrish for the post but Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, who is also the current Yang di-Peruan Agong, appointed Kijal assemblyperson Ahmad Said instead.
Following this, Ahmad took office this morning despite 22 Umno state assemblypersons objecting the Sultan’s appointment. This leaves Ahmad as a potential menteri besar without a government.
Meeting the King
Despite being pressed by reporters on the issue, Abdullah refused to divulge a possible solution to the impasse. He also refused to confirm if Ahmad had been sacked from Umno as reported previously.
However, Abdullah confirmed that he would have an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong soon to discuss the matter.
To another question, Abdullah said that he would resolve the crisis in Terengganu "as soon as possible." "I wish I could have done it (resolved the problems) yesterday," he added.
Abdullah was speaking to reporters after delivering his keynote address at the Invest Malaysia 2008 conference at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Towards the end of his address, Abdullah deviated from his speech on investment policies to the voting trends among youths and the impact of the internet on the general election.
Cyber war
Admitting that the voters, particular the young technologically savvy ones, had sent a "strong signal" to the government, the prime minister pledged that the government would respond accordingly.
"We need to respond to the enthusiasm and ideals shown by the young people," he said.
Abdullah also admitted that BN had ignored the impact of the internet during the run-up to the general election.
"We thought it was not important... it was a very, very big mistake... we thought that newspapers were enough" said Abdullah, adding that not enough attention was given to the ‘cyber war’.
He said that young voters were influenced by SMSes and internet campaigns and this in return, affected BN’s performance in the polls.
Certain quarters are exploiting the Terengganu menteri besar issue to further their personal agendas, said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today.
Despite this, Abdullah advised against tempers flaring.
"We know the situation on the ground. There are people exploiting the situation for their own ends. So there is a lot of confusion," he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.
"We have to remain cool and at the same time, not become oblivious of the issue which needs to be addressed," he stressed.
Abdullah was asked to comment on whether he still supported former Terengganu menteri besar Idris Jusoh to continue for another term.
The premier, in his capacity as Barisan Nasional (BN) chairperson, had nominated Idrish for the post but Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, who is also the current Yang di-Peruan Agong, appointed Kijal assemblyperson Ahmad Said instead.
Following this, Ahmad took office this morning despite 22 Umno state assemblypersons objecting the Sultan’s appointment. This leaves Ahmad as a potential menteri besar without a government.
Meeting the King
Despite being pressed by reporters on the issue, Abdullah refused to divulge a possible solution to the impasse. He also refused to confirm if Ahmad had been sacked from Umno as reported previously.
However, Abdullah confirmed that he would have an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong soon to discuss the matter.
To another question, Abdullah said that he would resolve the crisis in Terengganu "as soon as possible." "I wish I could have done it (resolved the problems) yesterday," he added.
Abdullah was speaking to reporters after delivering his keynote address at the Invest Malaysia 2008 conference at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Towards the end of his address, Abdullah deviated from his speech on investment policies to the voting trends among youths and the impact of the internet on the general election.
Cyber war
Admitting that the voters, particular the young technologically savvy ones, had sent a "strong signal" to the government, the prime minister pledged that the government would respond accordingly.
"We need to respond to the enthusiasm and ideals shown by the young people," he said.
Abdullah also admitted that BN had ignored the impact of the internet during the run-up to the general election.
"We thought it was not important... it was a very, very big mistake... we thought that newspapers were enough" said Abdullah, adding that not enough attention was given to the ‘cyber war’.
He said that young voters were influenced by SMSes and internet campaigns and this in return, affected BN’s performance in the polls.
'Thank you, point taken': Pak Lah to voters
Mar 25, 08 4:29pm
The plunge in support for the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in the recent general election was a strong reminder to the government that it had not fulfilled its reform pledges, conceded Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Abdullah pledged that in his second-term as prime minister, there will be a "bold agenda" to address the people’s concerns.
The premier touched on this issue when delivering his keynote address at the Invest Malaysia 2008 conference in Kuala Lumpur this morning.
It was his first major public address since the March 8 polls which saw the opposition taking 82 parliamentary seats and storming into power in four additional states apart from Kelantan.
"The result of the elections was a strong message that I have not moved fast enough in pushing through with the reforms that I promised to undertake.
"I thank the Malaysian people for this message. Point well made and point taken," said Abdullah who was reading through a seven-page prepared text.
'Reform cabinet'
The prime minister said that the new government was already in the process of "rejuvenation" with the formation of his "reform cabinet" last week.
"Half of the cabinet comprises new faces - a number of them are independent personalities appointed to key portfolios," he added.
With the new cabinet in place, Abdullah stated that his main priority now was to support lower income groups who are suffering from surging prices of consumer goods.
"Firstly, we aim to mitigate the impact of rising world prices for lower income households, and limit the wastage and losses caused by subsidies.
"Secondly, we will review the implementation of our economic plans to ensure that its benefits will touch the lives of those who need them the most.
"Thirdly, we will continue our work towards reducing income gaps between and within ethnic groups, while ensuring fairness for all Malaysians," he said.
New and renewed pledges
Abdullah also pledged to "drastically" reduce the crime rate, tackle corruption aggressively, support judicial reform and ensure "a fair number of places of worship for Malaysians of all religions."
"These were the major issues that resonated with voters regardless of ethnicity, background, gender or age," he said.
While anti-crime and anti-corruption campaigns were part of Abdullah’s election pledges in 2004, his pledges on judicial reform and places of worship are fresh.
Opposition parties have been nitpicking on Abdullah’s previous administration based on these issues during the general election campaign.
Meanwhile, Abdullah also pledged to continue federal-backed economic corridors and signaled that discussion with non-BN state governments were in the pipeline.
"I remain, as I have always been, the prime minister for all Malaysians. Our manifesto has clearly stated our commitment to reduce the gaps between regions.
"Therefore, we intend to have productive working relationships with all state governments to ensure that the corridor plans will be successful," he said.
Fuel prices to go up?
At a press conference later, Abdullah said details on his policy on low-income earners will be unveiled in due time.
To a question, Abdullah hinted that price control mechanisms may undergo drastic changes. This includes the possibility of scrapping subsidies for certain goods.
"There are limitations to price control (mechanisms). Of course the market would be the most important determinant," he said.
Abdullah was also non-committal when asked if his administration would maintain present fuel prices.
"We have to live with the present prices. When we make the announcement (on fuel prices), it is hoped that the situation would have change," he said without elaborating.
New Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shahrir Samad had on Sunday called the current price controlling mechanism "a joke" and has signaled sweeping reforms to come.
The plunge in support for the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in the recent general election was a strong reminder to the government that it had not fulfilled its reform pledges, conceded Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
Abdullah pledged that in his second-term as prime minister, there will be a "bold agenda" to address the people’s concerns.
The premier touched on this issue when delivering his keynote address at the Invest Malaysia 2008 conference in Kuala Lumpur this morning.
It was his first major public address since the March 8 polls which saw the opposition taking 82 parliamentary seats and storming into power in four additional states apart from Kelantan.
"The result of the elections was a strong message that I have not moved fast enough in pushing through with the reforms that I promised to undertake.
"I thank the Malaysian people for this message. Point well made and point taken," said Abdullah who was reading through a seven-page prepared text.
'Reform cabinet'
The prime minister said that the new government was already in the process of "rejuvenation" with the formation of his "reform cabinet" last week.
"Half of the cabinet comprises new faces - a number of them are independent personalities appointed to key portfolios," he added.
With the new cabinet in place, Abdullah stated that his main priority now was to support lower income groups who are suffering from surging prices of consumer goods.
"Firstly, we aim to mitigate the impact of rising world prices for lower income households, and limit the wastage and losses caused by subsidies.
"Secondly, we will review the implementation of our economic plans to ensure that its benefits will touch the lives of those who need them the most.
"Thirdly, we will continue our work towards reducing income gaps between and within ethnic groups, while ensuring fairness for all Malaysians," he said.
New and renewed pledges
Abdullah also pledged to "drastically" reduce the crime rate, tackle corruption aggressively, support judicial reform and ensure "a fair number of places of worship for Malaysians of all religions."
"These were the major issues that resonated with voters regardless of ethnicity, background, gender or age," he said.
While anti-crime and anti-corruption campaigns were part of Abdullah’s election pledges in 2004, his pledges on judicial reform and places of worship are fresh.
Opposition parties have been nitpicking on Abdullah’s previous administration based on these issues during the general election campaign.
Meanwhile, Abdullah also pledged to continue federal-backed economic corridors and signaled that discussion with non-BN state governments were in the pipeline.
"I remain, as I have always been, the prime minister for all Malaysians. Our manifesto has clearly stated our commitment to reduce the gaps between regions.
"Therefore, we intend to have productive working relationships with all state governments to ensure that the corridor plans will be successful," he said.
Fuel prices to go up?
At a press conference later, Abdullah said details on his policy on low-income earners will be unveiled in due time.
To a question, Abdullah hinted that price control mechanisms may undergo drastic changes. This includes the possibility of scrapping subsidies for certain goods.
"There are limitations to price control (mechanisms). Of course the market would be the most important determinant," he said.
Abdullah was also non-committal when asked if his administration would maintain present fuel prices.
"We have to live with the present prices. When we make the announcement (on fuel prices), it is hoped that the situation would have change," he said without elaborating.
New Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shahrir Samad had on Sunday called the current price controlling mechanism "a joke" and has signaled sweeping reforms to come.
Selangor gov't seeks takeover of PKFZ
Mar 25, 08 6:23pm
The Selangor government wants to take over and manage operations at the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) as part of its overall revamp of troubled projects and corporations within the state to bring these back to the black.
Rather than letting this Port Klang project go to ‘waste’ at taxpayers’ expense, the state government will try to turn it around to make it economically viable, said Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.
“I’m going to request the federal government that we be allowed to operate it so that the state can make use of these assets and enhance the economic activities of the port,” Khalid said in an exclusive interview at his office in Shah Alam.
Otherwise, the 406 hectares of real estate on which PKFZ is sited and more than RM4 billion that has been committed to develop the project may be in danger of going to waste, given the lukewarm reception on the part of local and foreign investors, he said.
“We will take it over at book value of RM1 or RM2, and then we can do it better. If you leave it alone, it becomes a ghost town,” he said.
Owned by the transport ministry’s Port Klang Authority (PKA), PKFZ attracted considerable attention last year after reports surfaced of alleged mismanagement, conflict of interests involving political figures, and numerous other irregularities.
For example, its cost was found to have ballooned from RM2.3 billion - when the initial land and development agreements were signed between 2003 and 2004 - to more than RM4.68 billion.
The federal government later announced that it would extend a ‘soft loan’ amounting to RM4.68 billion to the PKA to ensure its success.
Unanswered questions
Khalid, however, said the government’s bailout of PKFZ has not resolved the ‘internal’ issues relating to the alleged irregularities, and has not assured its economic viability either.
“Who are the sub-contractors? What are the costs involved in that (project?). We can help unravel all the issues to correct the position,” said Khalid.
“I think the least (that) the public expect is that people who benefitted from this must pay for their sins or crimes (through legal action).”
Khalid also said he is in a good position to spearhead the effort to turn PKFZ around given his involvement in 1992 - as chairperson of then-Kontena Nasional Sdn Bhd which is owned by investment firm Permodalan Nasional Bhd - in the privatisation of Port Klang’s services.
Asked how he thinks the federal government will react to his proposal, Khalid said animatedly: “They should react positively! How on earth can they waste taxpayers money and not react positively? Here is a group of people who are willing to help the government to make it better.”
Khalid has been menteri besar for 12 days, following the success of the PKR-DAP-PAS alliance in the general election conducted on March 8.
The full interview with him will be published tomorrow.
The Selangor government wants to take over and manage operations at the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) as part of its overall revamp of troubled projects and corporations within the state to bring these back to the black.
Rather than letting this Port Klang project go to ‘waste’ at taxpayers’ expense, the state government will try to turn it around to make it economically viable, said Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.
“I’m going to request the federal government that we be allowed to operate it so that the state can make use of these assets and enhance the economic activities of the port,” Khalid said in an exclusive interview at his office in Shah Alam.
Otherwise, the 406 hectares of real estate on which PKFZ is sited and more than RM4 billion that has been committed to develop the project may be in danger of going to waste, given the lukewarm reception on the part of local and foreign investors, he said.
“We will take it over at book value of RM1 or RM2, and then we can do it better. If you leave it alone, it becomes a ghost town,” he said.
Owned by the transport ministry’s Port Klang Authority (PKA), PKFZ attracted considerable attention last year after reports surfaced of alleged mismanagement, conflict of interests involving political figures, and numerous other irregularities.
For example, its cost was found to have ballooned from RM2.3 billion - when the initial land and development agreements were signed between 2003 and 2004 - to more than RM4.68 billion.
The federal government later announced that it would extend a ‘soft loan’ amounting to RM4.68 billion to the PKA to ensure its success.
Unanswered questions
Khalid, however, said the government’s bailout of PKFZ has not resolved the ‘internal’ issues relating to the alleged irregularities, and has not assured its economic viability either.
“Who are the sub-contractors? What are the costs involved in that (project?). We can help unravel all the issues to correct the position,” said Khalid.
“I think the least (that) the public expect is that people who benefitted from this must pay for their sins or crimes (through legal action).”
Khalid also said he is in a good position to spearhead the effort to turn PKFZ around given his involvement in 1992 - as chairperson of then-Kontena Nasional Sdn Bhd which is owned by investment firm Permodalan Nasional Bhd - in the privatisation of Port Klang’s services.
Asked how he thinks the federal government will react to his proposal, Khalid said animatedly: “They should react positively! How on earth can they waste taxpayers money and not react positively? Here is a group of people who are willing to help the government to make it better.”
Khalid has been menteri besar for 12 days, following the success of the PKR-DAP-PAS alliance in the general election conducted on March 8.
The full interview with him will be published tomorrow.
Abdullah: Big mistake to ignore cyber-campaign
Mar 25, 08 2:45pm
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today said his "biggest mistake" in disastrous elections was to ignore cyber-campaigning on the Internet which was seized by the opposition.
The powerful Barisan Nasional coalition suffered its worst-ever results in March 8 polls that left five states and a third of parliamentary seats in opposition hands.
The opposition, which was largely ignored by government-linked mainstream media, instead waged an enormously successful online campaign using blogs, news websites and SMS text messages.
"We certainly lost the Internet war, the cyber-war," Abdullah said in in a speech to an investment conference.
"It was a serious misjudgement. We made the biggest mistake in thinking that it was not important," he said.
"We thought that the newspapers, the print media, the television was supposed to be important, but the young people were looking at SMS and blogs."
The comments are a major about-face for the government, which had vilified bloggers, calling them liars and threatening them with detention without trial under draconian internal security laws.
In line with promises to reform after the humiliating election results, Abdullah said the government would "respond effectively" and move to empower young Malaysians.
"It was painful ... but it came at the right time, not too late," he said.
Malaysia's mainstream media are mostly part-owned by parties in the ruling coalition, and what was seen as biased coverage in the run-up to last month's vote alienated voters and boosted demand for alternative news sources.
Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders ranks Malaysia 124 out of 169 on its worldwide press freedom index. It says mainstream media are "often compelled to ignore or to play down" opposition events.
Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today said his "biggest mistake" in disastrous elections was to ignore cyber-campaigning on the Internet which was seized by the opposition.
The powerful Barisan Nasional coalition suffered its worst-ever results in March 8 polls that left five states and a third of parliamentary seats in opposition hands.
The opposition, which was largely ignored by government-linked mainstream media, instead waged an enormously successful online campaign using blogs, news websites and SMS text messages.
"We certainly lost the Internet war, the cyber-war," Abdullah said in in a speech to an investment conference.
"It was a serious misjudgement. We made the biggest mistake in thinking that it was not important," he said.
"We thought that the newspapers, the print media, the television was supposed to be important, but the young people were looking at SMS and blogs."
The comments are a major about-face for the government, which had vilified bloggers, calling them liars and threatening them with detention without trial under draconian internal security laws.
In line with promises to reform after the humiliating election results, Abdullah said the government would "respond effectively" and move to empower young Malaysians.
"It was painful ... but it came at the right time, not too late," he said.
Malaysia's mainstream media are mostly part-owned by parties in the ruling coalition, and what was seen as biased coverage in the run-up to last month's vote alienated voters and boosted demand for alternative news sources.
Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders ranks Malaysia 124 out of 169 on its worldwide press freedom index. It says mainstream media are "often compelled to ignore or to play down" opposition events.
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