DEMI RAKYAT

18 Disember 2011 (Ahad)

Program 1) Pulau Pinang

11.00 pagi – Ucaptama Konvensyen Pembangunan Ummah Pulau Pinang

Lokasi: Evergreen Laurel Hotel, Gurney Drive, Pulau Pinang

Program 2) Kedah

1.30 – 2.30 ptg –  Ucapan di Pameran Koleksi Pedang Dan Seni Silat

Lokasi: Dewan Naza, Gurun, Kedah

Program 3) Pulau Pinang

4.00 ptg – Hi-Tea Dan Perasmian Ranting Bandar Tasik Mutiara

Lokasi: Bandar Tasik Mutiara, Simpang 4, Nibong Tebal

Program 4) Kedah

5.00 – 7.00 ptg – Majlis Penerangan Isu Semasa

Lokasi: Dewan Kattu Raja, Paya Besar, Lunas, Kedah

Penceramah:

1.    YB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim

2.    YB S. Manikumar

3.    YBhg N. Surendran

Program 5) Kedah

7.00 – 11.00 malam –  Majlis Jamuan Makan Malam

Lokasi: Dataran Tokong Cina, Lunas, Kedah

Penceramah:

1.    YB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim

2.    YBhg Dato’ Seri Chua Jui Meng

3.    YB Tian Chua

4.    YB Fauziah Salleh

5.    YB S. Manikumar

6.    YBhg N. Surendran

Program 6) Pulau Pinang

8.00 – 12.00  malam – Rapat Rakyat Bersama Pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat

Lokasi: Padang Awam, Taman Senangan, Teluk Air Tawar, Butterworth

Penceramah:

1.    YB Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim

2.    YB Lim Kit Siang

3.    YAB Lim Guan Eng

4.    YBhg Mat Sabu

5.    YB Azmin Ali

6.    YB Dato’ Mansor Othman

7.    YB Dato’ Salleh Man

8.    YB P. Ramasamy

9.    YB Chow Kon Yow

Malaysia Chronicle

There are many spooky legends about the dead, especially those who were brutally murdered, returning to haunt their killers. One way or another, these spirits will somehow seek revenge, so the superstition goes. Otherwise, their souls will never be in peace.

Altantuya Shaaribu, by all definitions, fits this legend. Indeed, the 28-year-old Altantuya – a Mongolian national murdered in Malaysia in 2006 – has now become a Malaysian legend!

There are also those who believe in jinx and to this group, the of-little-use Scorpene submarines which are tied to the Altantuya murder are indeed jinxed. As the Malay proverb goes, one cannot cover the carcass of an elephant without being noticed .

Top dollar for poor quality

In June 2002, the Malaysian government signed a EUR 1 billion contract with Armaris (now DCNS) and Spanish naval shipbuilder Izar (now Navantia) for 2 SSK Scorpenes and associated support and training. Both submarines have been delivered to Malaysia, and there has been some technical problems beginning with a malfunction of the cooling system, rendering them unable to dive plus the overall unsuitability of the subs for Malaysia’s shallow seas and tropical waters. The communication system was also insufficient so much so that it had to be upgraded, pushing the cost up to RM6.7 billion.

Malaysians were shocked when news leaked that Altantuya was closely connected to the Scorpenes deal via a EUR 114 million “commission” payment to Perimekar, a firm owned by a close associate of the then Defence Minister and current Prime Minister, Najib Raak.The Scorpene scandal involves kickbacks amounting to 114.96 million euros (RM574.8 million) allegedly paid to Najib through Perimekar.

Defence industry sources have estimate the cost of maintaining the submarines at RM270 million per year, eventually peaking at RM600 million per million when they are exposed to more wear and tear. This means the overall cost of the Scorpenes will cross the RM10 billion mark soon.

Another attempt to’ close’ the Scorpene scandal

Najib has repeatedly denied his involvement in the scandal. He has tried to distance himself from the case and bring it to a close by allegedly using the  Malaysian courts to pin the blame for Altantuya’s murder on two of his former bodyguards. Counter measures such as using the government-controlled media, swearing to Allah that he never knew Altantuya during the by-election campaign in Ijok were also used. Then when all his efforts came to no avail, Najib was forced to instruct others to defend him. However, the legend that Altantuya had become refused to die.

True to form, the scandal cropped again at the recent LIMA 2011 event, where the current Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi was questioned on why an UMNO blogger called Papagomo was given the special privilege to go onboard one of the Scorpenes for a dive along with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. Was it not wasteful spending host Guan Eng and the lkes of Papagomo for a 90-minute ride on the Scorpene just so that the BN media could ambush Guan Eng, who is also the DAP secretary-general, and try to make him say that the much-criticized Scorpenes were”hebat” or fantastic.

Soon after the ride, an SMS was circulated: LGE kena brainwahed oleh French intel agent but with French wine n girls on board. Zahid was tempted to join the s**** on board but his wife objected tho he is impotent.

Indeed, the dive has failed to yield much result or correct the perception that the corruption and murder scandal is related to Najib. If anything, Zahid’s desperate efforts have only highlighted the case once again to the people, while questions remain unanswered as to why the BN government paid such a huge cost to acquire two unsuitable subs, not to mention the still-unresolved alleged kickbacks to Najib via Perimekar, a firm controlled by his close friend Razak Baginda.

Chinese and Indians not patriotic enough to join Armed Forces

The 58-year-old Zahid is no stranger to controversy. His argument, in response to a query raised in Parliament, that the Chinese and Indians only made up a tiny proportion of the Armed Forces was because their “patriotism spirit is not high enough” was condemned. He was accused of being a racist and undermining Najib’s by-now defunct 1Malaysia concept of multiracialism.

Zahid either could not or simply refused to understand that the non-Malays are as patriotic as the Malays and patriotism manifests itself in various forms and not only by joining the military. Being a good, productive and law abiding citizen is also a form of patriotism. But is stealing the nation’s funds by siphoning it from the various money-making-schemes patriotic? Is not plundering the nation’s wealth and mismanaging the people’s money to the brink of bankruptcy unpatriotic? Some would say that was treason!

Ahmad Zahid also refused to acknowledge that the huge numbers of Malays in the army is simply because many are desperate to earn some money. With their lack of grades, skills, enthusiasm and entrepreneurial skills, where would these Malays end up if not joining the army? The non-Malays especially the Chinese are very resourceful and have an independent streak.

Even the US military found it difficult to recruit new intakes without enticing them with money and other benefits! But instead of facing up to the new reality, Zahid not only insulted the Chinese and the Indians, he also belittled the sacrifices of all the non-Malays in the army and navy. With a stroke of the pen, so to speak, he wiped away all their hard work and contribution to the nation.

Changing loyalties

The fact of the matter is that Zahid is just another sycophantic politician looking for a way to publicly show his support for Najib. He tried to divert our attention away from the jinxed Scorpenes by using Guan Eng to wipe clean the negative perception Malaysians have of the subs. With GE-13 around the corner, Zahid is keen to let Najib know which side he is on.

Zahid has been called a political chameleon in the past. Zahid was initially close to Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and after the fall out between Mahathir and Anwar, Zahid portrayed himself as a staunch supporter of Mahathir’s. Yet after Mahathir retired, Zahid had the nerve to be outspoken against Mahathir, calling for an end to cronyism and nepotism in the Malaysian government.

It is obvious Zahid still wants to be the Defence Minister after the GE-13. Cynics say he wants to preside over the purchase of other military hardware and arsenal. Other Umno colleagues also point out that Zahid may be gunning to be the next Mentri Besar of Perak. Speculation has been rife that he is on the hot list of candidates to replace Zambry Kadir, who has stepped on one too many toes.

Perhaps the superstitious are right after all. Maybe the restless, angry and roaming soul of Altantuya not only haunts those directly involved in her murder but also anyone who tries to cover it up and prevent the truth from emerging!

Keadilan Daily

KEADILAN menggesa Kerajaan segera memansuhkan Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti (AUKU) dan bukan sekadar hanya meminda akta tersebut.

“Perdana Menteri mesti menunjukkan keazaman politik jika serius untuk menentang kebebasan dengan memansuhkan AUKU keseluruhannya dan memperkenalkan undang-undang baru yang menjamin otonomi universiti, pensyarah dan mahasiswa,” kata Naib Presiden KEADILAN, Nurul Izzah Anwar.

Izzah berkata, Perdana Menteri sebelum ini mengumumkan Seksyen 15 AUKU akan dipinda untuk membenarkan mahasiswa aktif di dalam parti politik, namun dalam ucapan sama mengumumkan politik tetap akan diharamkan di kampus.

“Malangnya cadangan pindaan AUKU ini nampaknya sama seperti kegagalan agenda transformasi PM, Datuk Seri Najib Razak berhubung ISA dan Akta Perhimpunan Aman.

“Pengumumannya nampak berani pada mulanya tapi apabila diteliti sebenarnya masih meneruskan dasar-dasar lapuk yang sedia ada,” ujarnya ketika mengadakan sidang media di Ibu Pejabat KEADILAN hari ini.

Tambahnya, kekeliruan berlaku apabila yang terbaru 15 mahasiswa dari Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia yang mengadakan flash Mob di Kl Sentral ditangkap polis kerana membantah AUKU. (more…)

Keynote Address by HE Anwar Ibrahim, Opposition Leader

The story our economy for the last decade or so has been one of missed opportunities and unfulfilled promises. Due to weak policy prescriptions and poor governance, growth has been limited to an average of 4.3% between 2000 and 2009; a far cry from the average 9.2% growth enjoyed between 1990 and 1997, relative to the pace of growth of neighbouring countries.

Admittedly, we are now more vulnerable to the vagaries of the global economy which is set to cast further gloom. Thus, the challenges are formidable. We can take the road that leads to gradual but certain economic doom; or we can choose the one that will take us and our future generations to a brighter and better future.

OBSOLETE ECONOMIC APPROACH

Back in 1997 when the Asian financial crisis erupted, I spoke in New York about the Schumpeterian doctrine of creative destruction and said that out of that would spring new growth for a more resilient future. Recently, in the aftermath of the 2008 crisis economist Nouriel Roubini echoed somewhat the same sentiment but focussed it on regulatory overhaul. To my mind, this has equal application to our economy.

In the past, we pursued a combination of economic practices ranging from liberal capitalism, state economic intervention to rentier arrangements. This quasi capitalism with heavy state involvement fostered greed, abuse and corruption as attested to by the Auditor General’s Reports year in and year out.

Malaysia cannot realise its economic potential if this system remains in place. If the present system breeds an inherent culture of corruption that steadily cripples our economy, Roubini’s challenge to go beyond the status quo deserves immediate attention.

Fortunately, we are in a position to take a bolder and more radical remedy compared to other nations. We are a rich nation; blessed with natural resources and strong camaraderie among our resourceful people.

The government’s reliance on PETRONAS to finance its operations is a double edged sword that may come to haunt us in the near future. Our gas production is forecasted to decline at an alarming compounded rate of 5% each year; so much so that by 2025 it is only a paltry 25% of 2010’s production. With only 5.8 billion of oil equivalent (boe) reserves as of 2010, our crude oil and condensate reserves will be completely exhausted in less than 25 years.

The days when PETRONAS can bankroll the country are long gone. In fact, the government should never have acquired the habit of spending our petrol money lavishly because the addiction is hard to break. Yet, in between 2006 and 2009, this government had spent RM236 billion of our petrol money (equivalent to 55% of the cumulative payments ever made by PETRONAS to the Federal Government since its founding) without any real impact on the economy.

This imprudence is extended to other government-linked companies (GLCs) too. A close scrutiny of the Entry Point Projects (EPPs) under the much publicised Economic Transformation Program (ETP) reveals that 77% of the supposedly private investments amounting to RM173 billion announced as of August 2011 will be funded by GLCs or firms with large GLIC (government-linked investment companies) shareholding.

Therefore, the stakes are much higher now. The nation’s wealth and our savings are tied to these mega expenditures with high exposure to corruption and mismanagement. The obsolete economic approach of quasi-capitalism spiked with a high dose of corruption must be dismantled. If radical change is what it takes to guarantee Malaysia’s prosperity, change we must.

MISGUIDED NOTION OF EQUITY

Over the last four decades, the ruling echelons have propagated the misguided notion that a re-apportionment of the equity ownership of the nation’s economy is a prerequisite to a stable economy and a harmonious Malaysian society. While we acknowledge the relative success of the NEP in terms of social mobility and opportunities provided to emerging Bumiputra entrepreneurs, we must recognise its flaws and abuse by the ruling establishment. What is more disconcerting is when the notion of equity is being exploited to justify the enrichment of ruling family members and their cronies. In this respect, the economist Mancur Olson made a devastating critique of leaders who use impressive new mantras such as privatisation and deregulation as a pretext to justify daylight robbery of public assets.

In spite of lucrative projects, shares allocations, issuance of permits and quotas obtained in their names, the majority and Malays and Bumiputras continue to be the most marginalised and disadvantaged group economically. They form three out of four Malaysian households earning below RM1,500 per month. This only confirms our assertion that the policy is clearly biased in favour of a small well-connected group of Malay elite.

At the macro level, our attempt to move the economy from commodity-based and low-cost manufacturing-based activities to higher value added, knowledge-based sectors has not been successful due to the gap in skills required of our workforce.

This creates a vicious economic conundrum. A workforce that is largely employed in commodity-based and low-cost manufacturing-based activities can only earn so much. Without a commitment from the government through a tripartite wage setting mechanism to improve wages, workers cannot leverage their collective bargaining with employers for higher wages. This in turn impairs their ability to embark on skill upgrading programs that will further condemn them to a life of low wage employment.

Let me say with full conviction that a Pakatan Rakyat government will radically shift our focus towards improving household incomes of Malaysian families because what we take home and put on our table matters more directly and immediately than the measure of wealth of a few Bumiputras billionaires.

WRONG EMPHASIS, WRONG CAPITAL (more…)

Malaysia Chronile

For the first decade of the new century, Malaysia has lost a staggering RM1.08 trillion (US$338 billion) in illicit outflows which is the fourth highest in the developing world.

In the period 2000-2009, China lost US$2.74 trillion in illicit financial outflows and was the developing country with the largest illicit outflows, according to a country ranking published in the report. Mexico ranked second, with US$504 billion and Russia third with US$501 billion while our closest-ranked regional neighbour is the Philippines, who at 13th place lost US$121 billion.

Illicit outflows can be taken as a benchmark or indication of the scale of corruption. This means Malaysia has the most corrupt set of leaders in Southeast Asia, who are also the 4th most corrupt in the world, stashing the massive amounts of money they plunder overseas.

The Global Financial Integrity (GFI) reported in January that RM930 billion flowed out of Malaysia from 2000 to 2008, growing to RM218 billion per year from an initial RM71 billion in that period. Malaysia lost RM150 billion in illicit outflows in 2009. The report elaborated further by stating that the increase was “at a scaled seen in few Asian countries” and continued added, “The volume of illegal capital flight from Malaysia has come to dwarf legitimate capital inflows into the country in recent years.”

Bribery, theft and kickbacks

The warning bells were sounded as early as January 2011 by the likes of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, who questioned the apathy shown by the government towards the problem of illicit outflow via corruption and tax evasion practices.

Corruption – bribery, theft and kickbacks – accounts for the other half of illicit flows and dominate the Middle East, North Africa and developing Europe, the report said.

The falsification of import/export invoices, known as trade mispricing, accounts for just over half of all illicit financial flows and is particularly prevalent in Asia and the West.

To stem the tide, Bank Negara Governor, Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz, tabled the Money Business Services Act in March; an act that has since came into effect on December 1st. The new law supports the development of a more dynamic, competitive and professional money services business industry, while strengthening safeguards against money laundering, terrorist financing and illegal activities, according to Bank Negara. (more…)

Malaysiakini

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today warned that Malaysians will become poorer in 2020, with an additional 1.7 million people earning below RM1,500, under the current Economic Transformation Programmes (ETP).

In addition, he claimed the brainchild of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak will widen the income gap in society based on the projection of ETP.

During a dinner organised by Selangor state government at an upmarket hotel in the capital, Anwar delivered a speech titled ‘Debunking ETP: Widening Income Gap’ to some 150 guests including foreign ambassadors, economists, academicians, MPs, party leaders and journalists.

He said the two important assumptions made by the ETP to justify that Malaysians will earn a gross national income (GNI) per capita of RM48,000 by 2020 were questionable.

First, the 3.6 percent annual wage growth predicted from 2010 to 2020 is over optimistic, because the average growth was only 2.6 percent annually in the past 10 years according to the Human Resources Ministry, and the real wage growth from 1984 to 1997 in the manufacturing and plantation sectors was only 2.3 and 2.8 percent respectively, according to the Asian Development Bank.

“This is further verified by the National Employment Return Study of 2009, involving a sample of 24,000 employers and 1.3 million workers which found that 33.8 percent of the workers were paid below RM700 per month.

“If this were to be extrapolated nationally, it suggests that up to 34 percent of our workforce earn below the national poverty line,” he explained.

Another fundamental flaw, said the former finance minister, is the 2.8 percent average rate of inflation estimated for the period up to 2020, because the average inflation between 2001 and 2005 was 4.8 percent, and 6.6 percent between 2005 and 2009, as a result of the 2008 crude oil price rally worldwide.

“The inflation assumption is crucial to arrive at the magical target of RM48,000 GNI per capita by 2020 that has become the pillar of ETP.

“If inflation, as we have seen in the last few years, grows higher than 2.8 percent in the next few years, real wages will be lower and the GNI per capita target of RM48,000 is nothing more than a number on a fancy ETP brochure,” he elaborated, adding that the environment of high energy and high commodity prices will persist.

He then pointed out that if the inflation rate was 4 percent and wages were to grow at the unrealistic 3.6 percent rate annually for the next 10 years, there will be an additional one million Malaysians earning below the equivalent of today’s RM1,500 per month in 2020.

Should the inflation rate stay at an average of 6 percent, there would be an additional 1.7 million Malaysians earning the same amount in 2020, he warned.

Bleak picture

“The additional 1.7 million urban poor will complete the bleak picture that ETP tries hard to gloss – that is by 2020, there will be between 7 million to 8.3 million urban poor with monthly earnings of RM1,500 and below; according to ETP’s own projections,” he said.

Contrary to what was promised by the ETP, Anwar claimed that the rich will be richer in 2020 should the ETP model of economic development continues.

“Based on the information provided in the official ETP documents, one can construct a business model to ascertain the proportion of economic value going to the employees versus the profits retained by corporations.”

The analysis done by PKR based on the ETP information, he said, showed that ETP and Entry Point Projects (EPPs) will cause real wages to stagnate with only marginal increase over the years, while most of the economic benefits will be retained by corporations.

“In 2009, the GNI of RM661 billion, the ratio of employee compensation to GNI is 40 percent. This simply means that 40 percent of the economic value generated by our economy goes to workers in the form of wages. By 2020, this ratio will drop to 33 percent.

Anwar described the ETP as “nothing more than a continuation of a flawed economic model mired with corruption and a rent-seeking culture that rewards the ruling echelons at the expense of the majority”.

“Its promise to deliver a high income nation status by 2020 is also a fallacy,” he added.

The PKR de facto leader noted that the most important facet of the ETP are the 131 entry point projects (EPPs).

But most of them are nothing more that large-scale infrastructure projects that will consume a large amount of public funds either directly from the public coffers or through funding arrangements with government-linked companies (GLCs) or government-linked investment companies (GLICs).

“If the previous mega projects’ track records are anything to go by, these EPPs also come with huge financial risks to the public due to this government’s poor corporate governance,” he said, citing the example of the newly constructed palace where the project cost ballooned from the initial RM400 million to more than RM1 billion.

“There is also a risk that the diversion of public and GLC/GLIC funds into these EPPs may effectively reduce the nation’s flexibility to deploy fiscal means to manage the economy in the future as Malaysia continues to battle its deficit problems,” added Anwar.

The Washington Post

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim says a conviction in his sodomy trial would only strengthen his opposition alliance ahead of elections.

Anwar also vowed to keep fighting for justice even if he was put behind bars. He faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of sodomizing his male former aide.

The court announced Thursday it would deliver its verdict on Jan. 9.

Anwar says he is surprised at the early verdict date and questioned if it was being rushed to keep him from contesting national elections widely expected next year.

A conviction in the two-year trial would prevent Anwar from running in the polls.

Prime Minister Najib Razak has denied Anwar’s allegation that the government cooked up the charge to crush his political career.

Malaysia Chronicle

Tahukah anda, sejak daripada tahun 2008 sehinggalah pada penghujung tahun 2010, kerajaan persekutuan BN yang didominasi oleh Umno telah membelanjakan lebih daripada RM138 juta bagi membiayai kos operasi dan membayar elaun-elaun serta faedah ahli-ahli Jawatankuasa Kemajuan dan Keselamatan Kampung-Persekutuan (JKKKP).

JKKKP ini telah ditubuhkan di negeri-negeri yang diperintah oleh Pakatan Rakyat, seperti Selangor, Pulau Pinang, Kedah dan Kelantan yang sejak daripada dahulu lagi telahpun mempunyai Jawatankuasa Keselamatan dan Kemajuan Kampung (JKKK) lantikan peringkat negeri yang asal.

JKKKP ini telah ditubuhkan di semua perkampungan di negeri-negeri di mana BN telah dikalahkan dan kehilangan kuasa di dalam pilihanraya umum yang lalu bagi mencabar kewibawaan JKKK asal yang sedia ada.

Manakala bagi negeri-negeri yang masih ditadbir oleh BN, JKKKP tidak ditubuhkan kerana JKKK lantikan negeri masih dikuasai oleh mereka.

Tujuan pembentukan dan perlantikan JKKKP ini adalah jelas, BN tidak dapat menerima hakikat bahawa mereka telah ditolak oleh rakyat dan kekalahan mereka di dalam pilihanraya umum yang lalu, justeru daripada itu, menggunakan kaedah sedemikian (JKKKP) untuk mencabar dan melawan kesahihan JKKK di negeri-negeri di bawah Pakatan Rakyat.

Inilah disebut JKKK Klon yang digelar JKKKP.

Ada juga Penghulu Persekutuan!

Selain daripada JKKKP lantikan kerajaan persekutuan BN untuk mencabar kewibawaan JKKK asal yang sedia ada, BN turut melaksanakan perlantikan Penghulu-penghulu Persekutuan bagi mencabar para Penghulu-penghulu asal perkampungan yang telahpun dilantik oleh kerajaan-kerajaan negeri Pakatan Rakyat.

Perbuatan kerajaan persekutuan BN yang sehingga kini masih enggan mengiktiraf sepenuhnya kerajaan-kerajaan negeri di bawah pentadbiran Pakatan Rakyat yang dipilih oleh rakyat dengan melantik JKKKP dan Penghulu Persekutuan di kawasan-kawasan dan perkampungan-perkampungan di negeri-negeri tersebut telah mengakibatkan perbelanjaan boros wang rakyat yang langsung tidak berfaedah kerana wang-wang tersebut hanya diberikan kepada para penyokong BN yang menganggotai JKKKP dan menjadi Penghulu Persekutuan.

Dah ada Penghulu Klon pula yang bergelar Penghulu Persekutuan.

Wakil-wakil Rakyat Klon turut wujud

Dalam pada itu, kita juga dapati bahawa wakil-wakil rakyat klon turut wujud di kesemua kawasan-kawasan parlimen dan dewan undangan negeri yang dimenangi oleh Pakatan Rakyat, yang digelar sebagai Penyelaras Parlimen ataupun Penyelaras Dewan Undangan Negeri.

Para Penyelaras-penyelaras BN Parlimen dan Penyelaras-penyelaras BN Dewan Undangan Negeri ini adalah dilantik secara terus oleh kerajaan persekutuan BN melalui Jabatan Perdana Menteri (JPM) dan lantikan-lantikan mereka dikawal selia oleh Unit Penyelarasan dan Perlaksanaan (ICU) JPM. (more…)