PUTRAJAYA: Newly appointed Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull broke down when he recounted his time running away from Malaysian authorities to the United States.
This came in 2015 after his former boss Tan Sri Abu Kassim Mohamed at the MACC decided to indict former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak over the RM2.6bil that was found in his personal bank account.
Shukri said that the commission had well-founded basis to initiate an investigation into SRC International, a subsidiary of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), which had been accused of transferring millions of ringgit into Najib’s private account.
According to Shukri, Abu Kassim asked him whether he was ready for the consequences of indicting a sitting prime minister, which could have led to their dismissal.
“I said ‘no problem’, because I was willing to do it for the country,” Shukri told a press conference at the MACC headquarters here on Tuesday.
However, on the day in July 2015 when Abu Kassim was going to do indict Najib, former Attorney-General Gani Patail was removed from his position.
The announcement came along with the reshuffling of the Cabinet that also saw the sacking of the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal, who had also raised questions about 1MDB.
With all these sackings foremost in his mind, Shukri left for Washington on July 31, 2015, to bring up the 1MDB issue with US authorities.
Wary, he released misleading information that he was headed to Saudi Arabia, and he heard that people were waiting to arrest him in Jeddah.
Shukri said that before he left for Washington, he faced tremendous pressure.
“The witnesses I interviewed had been taken away.
“I was threatened to be fired, was told to retire early and was even threatened to be sent to the training division,” he said.
The trip to Washington had its own drama.
“I noticed someone was following me (in Washington). My team in the United States took pictures of the man who was following me.
“I sent the pictures to MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations) Datuk Azam Baki, and asked him to send it to the then Inspector-General Police,” he said, adding that he made it clear that he knew that men were following him.
Shukri said he felt unsafe in Washington and decided to go to New York, where he met up with a friend who worked in the New York Police Department (NYPD).
“I got protection from the NYPD and they provided me with three bodyguards,” he said.
Shukri said he then returned to Washington.
It was in recounting this episode during his Tuesday press conference that Shukri broke down in tears, saying he felt guilty when he was told that his men who were working for him had been incarcerated.
“I felt helpless and was frustrated for failing to protect my men.
“I cried in front of the mat salleh (Caucasians). My men and I had been accused of conspiring to topple the (Barisan Nasional) government,” he said.
Shukri finally retired in August 2016 at the age of 56. During his farewell speech, he hit out at an "individual" who had alleged that he was involved in a conspiracy to topple Najib and his administration.
Abu Kassim, who was appointed MACC chief in 2010, was also replaced by Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad in 2016.
Shukri served at the anti-graft body for 32 years before he retired. He first joined the then Anti-Corruption Agency in 1984 as investigations officer after graduating from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
He rose up the ranks and served as ACA director in Perlis, Kelantan and Sabah.
Upon his return to the headquarters in July 2006, he was promoted to the post of assistant investigations director and two months later, was promoted yet again to be the director of investigations.
In 2010, he took on the position of MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations), which he held till his retirement.
Pakatan Harapan appointed Shukri to head the MACC when it took over Putrajaya after GE14.
He clocked in for work at 10.29am on Monday (May 21), having received his appointment letter just about an hour before reporting for duty.
KUALA LUMPUR: It is not always that emerging economies get favourable
remarks from hard-boiled foreign media practitioners but Malaysia is
getting more laudatory remarks from foreign journalists these days.
He
wrote: “With much of the world economy experiencing anaemic growth at
best, it is hard to believe that any country would contemplate a project
on this scale.
“Yet Malaysia's economy is enjoying a
gravity-defying boom that is confounding sceptics. Second-quarter gross
domestic product figures out this week showed the economy grew by 5.4%,
way above consensus expectations of 4.6%, and the 4.9% recorded - after
an upward revision - for the previous quarter.”
Grant attributed
this development to big-ticket government spending, lending to business
by well-capitalised banks, and robust consumer demand, fuelled by pay
rises for civil servants and cash handouts that have even seen taxi
drivers receive vouchers for free replacement tyres.
“Malaysia's
stock market has been among the best performers in the world, buoyed by
big flotations including Felda, a state-controlled palm oil producer,
which was the second-largest initial public offering after Facebook when
it raised over USD2bil last month. Bankers are cashing in with a parade
of further IPOs expected within months,” he added.
“Much of the impetus behind the growth comes from the “economic transformation programme” initiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when he came to power in 2009.
This
involves dozens of government-backed projects designed to boost per
capita income to USD15,500 by 2020, from USD9,600 last year and lift
Malaysia out of its “middle-income trap”, Grant wrote.
Over
spending: Analysts say one nagging concern for Malaysia is the rising
household debt caused by the rapid growth in credit card usage.
The
Financial Times also quoted Christian de Guzman, an analyst at Moody's, a
rating agency, who admitted he was sceptical about the programme's
ability to spur private sector development when it was launched. De
Guzman is more convinced now, adding that “The proof of the pudding is
in the eating but so far they are on track. In aggregate there are just
so many things going on [in the economy].”
Grant wrote that “Not
only has Malaysia experienced strong domestic demand offsetting its
vulnerability to weakening demand for its exports - much of them
electronics destined for Europe; it has also benefited from deeper ties
with economies in Asia.
Moody's says that in 2006 the United
States was Malaysia's largest trading partner, absorbing 18.8 per cent
of its exports, while Asia Pacific accounted for 60 per cent. By last
year the US share had dwindled to 8.3 per cent while Asia Pacific jumped
to 69 per cent.
Malaysia's healthy economy - and the resulting
“feel good” factor - stands in contrast to growing anxiety among
Malaysia's neighbours in south-east Asia as the global downturn has
tarnished their economies.
Analysts point out one nagging concern for Malaysia: rising household debt, caused by rapid growth in credit card usage.
As the transformation programme's projects take root, Grant wrote that Bank Negara Malaysia is forecasting full-year growth at the upper end of its 4-5 per cent.
Amidst
this scenario, the Financial Times also quoted Rahul Bajoria, an
anaylst at Barclays, as saying that: “We expect momentum to remain
underpinned as the project-based nature of these investments means that
it is unlikely to be halted abruptly.” - Bernama
It is this type which frustrates the hardworking Malays, who have
worked so hard to bust the myth of the lazy Malay, the
subsidy-mentality-bumi, and gives them a bad name.
YOU would
have known at least two of this type: the young Malay boy in his late
20s to mid-30s who has the potential, but for no reason at all, seems
intent on ruining his life, by simply being lackadaisical and
complacent. He is the slacker.
It is this type which frustrates
the hardworking Malays, who have worked so hard to bust the myth of the
lazy Malay, the subsidy-mentality-bumi, and gives them a bad name.
The
latter, who come from various economic backgrounds, burn the midnight
oil at their corporate jobs. Some take on another as a side income or
work at two jobs.
Their partners or spouses are equally as
hardworking, but when drawn into conversation about the idle Malay boy,
both will throw their hands up in the air.
Talk to non-Malay professionals and they say nonchalantly, “That’s what you get when you hire these Malays.”
A
successful bumi businessman told me once that he hires only young
non-Malays, because he had been duped too many times by the boys he
wanted to help.
These boys, who seem to be mushrooming by the
day, are articulate, and do keep abreast of current events.
Interestingly, these boys mainly come from working class backgrounds.
They’re
not unintelligent. Have a chat with them – they can be so perceptive
that you wonder why they are not in politics or a think-tank. And yet,
they are in debt, and seem to relish in their financial piccadiloes;
when they are offered opportunities, they take and screw them up
halfway.
The reasons are unbelievable: I broke up with my girlfriend. I don’t have money. I don’t have the ilham. My friend owes me money. I owe myself money.
However,
despite their apparent flaws, they complain about how the world owes
them a living. The government should give me a grant. The government
owes me a living because I’m Malay and poor.
People don’t like me because I’m not connected. Girls don’t want to date me because I’m poor and directionless.
Granted, some do try. But they look for short cuts.
Some
of them become the “shadows” of the bodyguards, the lesser datuks and
proxies to the middleman to the PA to the right-hand man of the “Man
Himself”, in vain hopes for a small cut.
If they are lucky, they
take back RM5,000. They create small enterprises and mark up costs that
defy business logic, that in the end they have to close shop.
The opportunities are already there. Yes, our education system is not perfect, but many have come out from it better and richer.
I also do not deny that working or doing business is not easy either. Yet there are many Malaysian success stories.
Blame
the NEP if you want, but the truth is, many have also thrived sans it.
Some packed up their bags and moved abroad without a degree or
connections. The Internet is at your disposal – for all this talk about
not having money, a good number of these boys have a working computer.
Mac, no less. So work from home.
Work with clients from
everywhere! A friend once hired a Nigerian student in Nigeria to create
his website. That young boy from the sticks of Nigeria delivered a
really swoosh website within a month.
When asked why they are so
dismissive of politics and youth activities, they can tell you, “It’s a
waste of time. We’re not America. There’s a tradition of activism there,
not here. Besides, we’re the grassroots. The government should take
care of us and provide us with incentives.”
How can any government do so, and why should it? This is not about opportunities but attitude!
There is already a social and economic imbalance which will worsen.
Many marriages break down, and some of the increasing reasons I hear from my syariah lawyer friends are that these boys are complacent and do not contribute to the marriage financially.
They do not pick up the slack at home by being the housekeeper, and expect the wives to fund two families. Theirs and his.
Some resent their wives’ successes and create problems. Some of them bring their debts into the family equation.
Economically,
if more and more of these youths opt to be slackers, the country’s GDP
will go down greatly and crumble into a declining and worsening economy.
The
divide between the haves and have-nots will widen. The gender imbalance
is already there: More young (Malay) women are in tertiary institutions
and working very hard.
Quite a number have told me they fear
marriage because they do not want to be beholden to a spouse who cannot
contribute to a marriage.
At this juncture, this begs another question.
Why
are a good number of young and working class Malays complacent?
Sometimes, I feel that the foreign workers deserve citizenship because
they work and somehow manage to save for their families back home.
They live in the most deplorable living conditions, and some worse than the shacks I have seen in my kampung.
The
question should no longer be about whether Malay youths are politically
apathetic. The question should be how to make these boys work and be
motivated.
It is a study I greatly welcome and would like to do.
New York, Hong Kong, London...Kuala Lumpur? Malaysia is going gangbusters. Now, it must sustain the momentum.
The Southeast Asian nation is home to the world's second and third
largest initial public offerings this year—the $3.3 billion listing of Felda Global Ventures5222.KU0.00%
and IHH Healthcare's $2 billion IPO. Meanwhile, the benchmark KLCI hit a record Wednesday after rising almost 7% this year.
State
backing for Malaysian equities is a factor. Felda's IPO was largely
bought by government-backed investors such as individual Malaysian
states. Mandatory retirement savings boosts domestic pension funds that
typically invest a lot in the local market too.
The economy is also performing well. Unemployment is low. Inflation
is benign at about 2%. Gross domestic product growth is around 5%. That
is important because the Malaysian stock market is mainly comprised of
domestically focused companies.
Diverse exports are also relatively robust. Commodities like palm
oil, petroleum and gas make up about a quarter of exports, while
electronics and manufactured goods make up the rest. HSBC notes that
Malaysia's exports are down just 2% since last August, compared to a 13%
aggregate decline for shipments from Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and
the Philippines.
The country's banks look healthy too. Asset quality is strong and
deleveraging by European banks isn't a big threat, says Moody's. "Their
claims on the Malaysian economy amount to a mere 5% of GDP," notes the
rating company.
Still, there are risks that warrant caution. A prolonged slump in
global trade would hurt. Net exports are equal to about 16% of GDP—much
higher than the ratio for neighbors such as Indonesia and the
Philippines.
Politics is a wildcard too. Prime Minister Najib Razak wants to
improve infrastructure and boost investment in sectors including oil and
gas and tourism. Investors must hope that agenda stays on track
regardless of the outcome of an election expected by early 2013.
Much of the good news may be priced in. Malaysia's benchmark stock
index trades at about 15 times current earnings. Some analysts say that
is rich. Malaysia has momentum. But much now depends on domestic
politics and the depth of the weakness in global trade.
Debunking
claims by DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang that Mahathirism stoked racial
fears and went against decades of nation building, the former prime
minister said it was just a figment of Lim's imagination.
The former leader added that Mahathirism was dead and gone and there was no need to fear it.
Lim
had said in response to earlier remarks by Dr Mahathir that he did not
hate the former prime minister as a person but was only against the
Mahathirism policies that allegedly stoke racial fears and went against
nation-building efforts.
“I wonder why Kit Siang is so afraid of me, what he calls Mahathirism.
“I don't know what is Mahathirism but obviously it conjures in the mind of Kit Siang something fearful.
“So,
he has declared his intention to fight Mahathirism,” the country's
longest-serving prime minister said in his latest blog posting
yesterday.
“I don't care whether he destroys Mahathirism or not.
It is an exercise in futility as Mahathirism is a figment of his
imagination.
“He should not be afraid of this toothless tiger, figuratively speaking,” he said, adding Mahathirism died in 2003 when Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over as prime minister.
Furthermore, he added, Najib had his own team of advisers. “His policies are his own.”
Dr Mahathir admitted that he was actively campaigning for Umno and the Barisan, saying it was time to return the favour.
“I became prime minister because Umno and the Barisan backed me strongly.
“I
owe a debt of gratitude to them. And that gratitude can only be
manifested through helping them to be accepted by the people and to
win,” he said, adding he would go all out for his son, Deputy
International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, should he be chosen as a candidate.
He said he could now back Mukhriz as he was no longer in a position of power.
The second debate between MCA and DAP leadership was less about
convincing the audience about whose policies had better served the
people than two fierce Chinese leaders slugging it out for the Chinese
vote.
THERE was much less hype in the run-up to the second debate between the two leading figures in Chinese politics.
The novelty of the DAP and MCA leadership going head-to-head in a public debate had passed.
Both
MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and DAP secretary-general Lim
Guan Eng had proven after the first debate that they are more than
capable of taking on each other before a live audience.
As in the
first debate, Lim had the advantage of being the top dog because he is
the Chief Minister of Penang, an MP and an assemblyman.
Dr Chua,
on the other hand, has only his party post to ride on and his party is
struggling to regain the confidence of Chinese Malaysians.
Given
that Lim is in charge of one of the most developed states in the
country, he would have more bragging rights as regards the topic of the
debate – “Whose policies benefit the country most?”
But not long
after the opening remarks by both speakers, Lim went off the debate path
and ventured into ceramah mode and after a while, Dr Chua felt
compelled to address him on at that level.
Both launched into attack mode, with neither really answering the questions raised.
They were both more interested in scoring points with accusations rather than giving good, convincing answers on issues.
As
Fui Soong, the CEO of the CENSE think-tank, said in her forthright way:
“It was like cock-fighting. Lots of posturing and both men going at
each other, back and forth. There was not enough intellectual content.”
In fact, the whole thing became rather childish at times, an example being when Dr Chua poked holes at Pakatan Rakyat’s Buku Jingga.
Lim, instead of defending the allegations, said that Dr Chua must have read the wrong Buku Jingga.
That is the sort of answer one would give at a ceramah and not at a national debate.
He did that right at the start and again towards the end.
By
the time the moderator called for a five-minute break, the two debaters
had gone well off-topic and were instead taking well-aimed shots at
each other.
Dr Chua had accused DAP of being a chauvinist party
that is more interested in the “politics of hate and blame” rather than
nation-building while Lim declared Barisan Nasional as corrupt and
bashed Umno left, right and centre.
Lim is not exactly the best
orator on the political ceramah circuit but he is a seasoned speaker and
his ceramah style was in full display for much of the two hour-long
session.
He had a lot of punchy and pithy lines.
But the
thing about the ceramah mode of speaking is that it leans towards drama
and exaggeration which is entertaining, but less suited for a debate
audience.
Lim was in his street-fighter element when running down Barisan and mocking Umno.
This
forum, which comes more than four years into his Penang tenure, would
have been the ideal platform for Lim to showcase his achievements as the
chief administrator.
But through much of the debate, he was far
more successful in rubbishing Umno than convincing the audience that his
government and his policies had benefited the people more than the
policies of Barisan.
Dr Chua does not have the ceramah flamboyance of his rival.
But he has shown in both debates that his forte lies in being factual and analytical and he thinks quite well on his feet.
He
is no drama king and he does not embellish the facts to entertain the
people although he can be quite caustic in his rebuttals.
But as
many who watched the debate would agree, it is evident that Dr Chua
understands policies, is good at facts and figures and his experience in
the Government comes across quite clearly.
For instance, when
Lim tried to politicise the privatisation of the Penang port, Dr Chua
argued the rationale of the move with statistics.
His other
advantage was that he could sell the “Najib brand name” whereas Lim was
rather reticent about the “Anwar brand” even while endorsing him as the
prime minister candidate.
Dr Chua came across as rather staid and serious compared to Lim’s more showy style.
But Lim might want to moderate his ceramah style when speaking before a thinking audience.
He has what the Malays term a senyum kambing
side about him when running down his opponents and while that goes down
well with his supporters, those less acquainted with his style may find
it sarcastic or even arrogant.
A little humility would have served him better.
He is the Chief Minister of a key state and he should try not to sound like an Opposition leader.
Both men started well but as the debate progressed, Lim’s ceramah style put him ahead.
However,
Dr Chua made a much more sensible summing up while Lim went over the
top with a rousing speech rather than a conclusion.
Said Fui: “I feel kind of cheated. I had expected more but I feel like I didn’t learn anything new.”
ANALYSIS By JOCELINE TAN
Chua vs Lim debate: DAP & MCA: Whose Policies Benefit the Country More?
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA's Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek
and DAP's Lim Guan Eng took to the podium together for a second time in
months on Sunday as both leaders took each other on over whose policies
had better served the rakyat.
They engaged in a fiery two-hour
debate themed DAP & MCA: Whose Policies Benefit The Country More at
the Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre here yesterday, organised by the
Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli).
In his opening remarks, the MCA president highlighted the policies and programmes put in place by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak after he took over the nation's helm.
Lim,
who is Penang Chief Minister, spoke about the island state being the
“most liveable city in the country” while attacking MCA ministers with a
string of allegations.
At one point, Dr Chua, who spoke off the
cuff, took a swipe at his debate adversary, chiding him for reading from
a prepared text and turning the debate into a political ceramah.
Dr
Chua noted that with the government's policies in place, Malaysia's
share market continued to rise as proof of the local and foreign
investors rejecting DAP's theory of gloom and doom of the Malaysia
economy.
He hit out at Pakatan Rakyat, saying that its ultimate aim was to grab power in the coming general election “at all costs”.
Likening
Pakatan's battle cry, Ubah (change) to “Power First, and Chaos
thereafter”, Dr Chua said Pakatan was only good at instigating the
people to hate the Government, demonising the country's institutions and
causing friction among the various races in the country.
He also
pointed out that the coalition was known to be good at making promises
to the people when more than 95% of their promises had yet to be
fulfilled.
Lim spoke about the various improvements in Penang
including poverty reduction, adding it was the first state to provide
free WiFi access in public places.
Lim: "MCA is not qualified to talk about politics here, as it is not MCA who decides - it is Umno who decides.
"The MCA speaks only for the Chinese, and those from the Peninsula - not Sabah or Sarawak.
"It is different for DAP - we want to speak for all Malaysians. Malay, Chinese, Indians, Iban, Kadazan.
"We are all Malaysians. Look at the NFC scandal," he said.
"Who gains? The cronies. The losers are the citizens of Malaysia.
"For
last 50 years, consumed by race and religion. For the next 50 years,
let us be consumed with the tasks of economic wellbeing.
"BN has never spoken truthfully to the people. Let Pakatan Rakyat speak truthfully to you.
Dr Chua stressing a point during the debate with Lim listening intently
"DAP believes a clean government can always perform better than a corrupt government.
"If
Penang dares to review the assets of the CM, why is the PM afraid of
reviewing his assets and those of his ministers?" he said.
Dr Chua:
"Just now YAB asked why the PM didn't want to debate with Anwar. I want
to say here, it hasn't happened because he is the prime minister. He is
busy with the transformation policies, to improve the country. "From
2008 to 2011, the ease of doing business improved compared from 2003 to
2008. Malaysia is the fifth most favoured FDI nation in Asia.
"They
haven't been empty promises like those from Pakatan Rakyat. The
promises were fulfilled. These three years, the rakyat has gotten what
was promised under the leadership of Najib."
"Anwar is full of
rhetoric, no specifics, short on delivery. He has to convince us to
translate this rhetoric into what we call delivery.
"MCA
has been involved in nation building from day one. We were the one
involved in the fight against the communist insurgency, the resettlement
of the Chinese in new villages, the fight for independence, the rights
of citizenship after independence. That's why citizens like Guan Eng are
citizens of the country.
"We laid down the foundations. We have
progressed, advocated integration not assimilation. That's why Guan Eng
is not called Sukarno Lim.
"This is all history. All part of nation building. DAP has no role to play."
"What has PR done for us? No clear direction.
"Look at the four PR states, 95% of the promises are janji janji kosong.
A section of the crowd enjoying the debate
"Everyday tell the whole world you give hundred dollars to the old people.
"Two hundred to the newborn and they must be voters. We give RM200 to our newborn babies.
"State government giving RM100, RM200 all populist policies. Does not address fundamental problem of country."
"DAP
has only one thing to show. They collect a lot of money from the
rakyat. Despite calls of accountability, transparency - nothing to show.
Transparency, Accountability, where are they? Where has the money
collected gone to?
Question: Mr President... Many
urban voters perceive MCA has not done enough. The perception is that
many urban voters are not supporting MCA. What would you do to try
regain more support for MCA?
Dr Chua: We accept the fact
this is a multiracial country and the policy of BN is the policy of
balancing. DAP likes to tell the Chinese they are marginalised. The
poverty rate of the Chinese is still lowest among three major races.
Employment rates the highest. Property ownership largest. Cannot deny in
the implementaion process there are people who benefit more than
others, this is the bone of contention, causes a lot of Chinese to be
angry with the government and MCA bears the burden of this.
"DAP tries to portray itself as a multiracial party, but only dares to contest in Chinese constituencies.
"Why don't you contest in multiracial constituencies? We are a mono-ethnic party, but our aims are clear.
"In this country we have to balance the needs and sensitivities of all countries. No particular race will feel happy.
The crowd at the Debate 2.0
"In the same way we sometimes feel government giving too much to bumiputra. But some bumiputras not happy with government."
Question:
Many people still see DAP as Chinese-based party. Are you a Chinese
party or multi-racial party, how would you try to win more support among
other races if you are multiracial.
Lim: From the very
start we are a multiracial party. Our chairman is Indian, we have Indian
MPs, have Malay MPs and state assemblymen in the past. We are fair to
all regardless of race and religion. Would like the MCA president know
that not every Chinese rich as the MCA leaders.
Not every Chinese can apply for PR in Australia.
Don't forget that the Chinese community pays the most taxes in Malaysia.
At the same time we want to see justice and see our Malay brothers and sisters are assisted.
Why is it poor Chinese can't get scholarships but rich bumiputras can?
Don't go and talk about DAP forming a kindergarten. We are a political party to determine the future of Malaysia.
TAR
College is clearest example of failure of MCA. Why was it established?
Because of unfair quota policies where qualified students cannot enter
public universities. so you formed TAR College. Shame on you MCA.
Don't say we haven't built low cost housing. We have built. Don't lie.
Question:Is MCA scared of Umno, that they don't dare to question corruption claims? Is there equal partnership in BN?
Dr Chua:
I take objection to that question to say MCA is sacared of Umno. Not a
fair question. If I say - and I've always said - if the state Cabinet,
state exco and federal Cabinet, all the discussions are taped. The
government should declassify the tapes and then they understand better
the role of MCA in a multiracial country.
Why is DAP so quiet about Anwar's alleged account of RM3bil, this from a statutory declaration?
This
is equal partnership, let me tell you PR claims equal partnership but
until today PAS have never openly endorsed Anwar as prime minister.
You can't even agree on a party common symbol and logo and register the party.
Question:
I've read your Buku Jingga, stated among other things that if party win
GE, forms central government they are going to abolish all road tolls,
PTPTN and give income to houses that make less than RM4,000 to make up
that amount. Lots of other goodies. How are you going to implement these
policies bearing in mind annual revenue does not exceed RM200bil.
Lim:
This the first time I'm hearing from a minister admitting corruption
cost us RM26bil. Question is, what you doing about it? Are you accepting
the fact that BN permits corruption? That's why I say shame on you
again.
Don't talk about collections from public. When DAP
organises dinners, we don't give free dinners like MCA or Umno. We
charge because we rely on public funds to survive. We don't steal the
government's money. That is the difference between BN and PR, the
difference between MCA and DAP.
I think you need to read the
right Buku Jingga, I think you read the wrong one. Abolish tolls,
estimate of RM35mil. If you don't believe can be done, vote us into
power and we show you can be done.
Question: On Chinese independent schools.
Dr Chua:
I only wish DAP is more specific. Why is it not written more clearly
they will build more Chinese schools? Independent schools? Recognise
UEC?
I openly asked Anwar, are you going to build more Chinese schools? More independent schools?
Because if it is from DAP, I dont trust it. Why? Cos DAP will say this is not common policy framework.
Lim:We are not like MCA leaders who go to jail for cheating rakyat of its money.
When
you talk about building of schools, judge by the deeds of the PR
government in Selangor and Penang. We have given land, we have given
funding, we have given funding every year. If PR can give to all these
schools, independent, Indian, Chinese, every year funding, why BN cannot
do so?
Don't question our openess to allow independent Chinese schools.
When you talk about Anwar if PR wins power he will be Prime Minister.
Question: What national education policy should there be to generate competent citizens?
Lim:We cannot ignore the fact that human talent will be the future of our country.
Not a question of building human talent but retaining human talent.
Since Merdeka two million Malaysians left the country because they see no future for themselves or Malaysia.
They
see they don't have freedom, integrity or justice. That's why we are
fighting for freedom, democracy, integrity, justice. To fight corruption
is not hard, only depends on whether you got political will. No laws
(to combat corruption) in Penang but we have wiped out corruption in
Penang, I am proud to say.
If we win power in Malaysia, we will do the same in Malaysia. That is why so many people are afraid.
Dr Chua:
When people are educated or talented, they have economic independence
and social mobility. Almost all developing countries face brain drain.
This no justification. That's why when I say we trained 200,000 talented people, the Penang Chief Cminister says shame on us.
Look
at our meritocracy policy, number of non-Malays in tertiary gone up.
Last year, JPA gave more scholarships to all races, 20% to needy,
disadvantaged in Sabah and Sarawak.
Talent Corp
is another good example of reaching out. When we train talent they say
shame on you. If you can't do it, admit you can't. No country in the
world can meet needs of education for all citizens.
The panda loan from China is more than just a visit by two cuddly
animals — its significance goes beyond that as far as diplomatic and
economic relations are concerned.
PUBLIC excitement has risen
since Monday’s announcement that Malaysia will host a pair of giant
panda cubs from China for 10 years.
It’s a big deal. You cannot
put a value to this because the Chinese Government does not simply send
off their pandas to zoos around the world.
The universally loved pandas are regarded as national treasures and certainly deserve to be given the royal treatment.
Taking
a snooze: A giant panda resting on a tree stump in a giant panda
research centre in Wolong, China’s Sichuan province. The universally
loved pandas are regarded as national treasures. — Reuters
On
Friday, an agreement was signed by the China Wildlife Conservation
Association and Malaysia’s Wildlife and National Parks Department. It is
certainly a feather in the cap because the panda loan request was made
by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to his Chinese counterpart
Wen Jiabao during his visit to Nanning in April.
Besides
Malaysia, only eight other countries have reportedly been given the
honour of hosting these giant pandas, including Thailand and Singapore.
In the case of Malaysia, the loan is to mark our 40th anniversary of
diplomatic ties with China.
Singapore’s panda pair of Kai Kai and
Jia Jia are due to arrive in September, about six months later than the
originally planned date.
Their new home is River Safari in
Mandai, which is slated to be open by the year’s end. It has been
reported that the pandas will be placed in a 1,500 sq metre enclosure
that will cost Singapore S$8.5mil (RM20.9mil).
The enclosure,
which includes an outdoor area, a walkway that allows visitors to view
the pandas up close and an air-conditioned exhibit area, will be ready
by the end of this month.
Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS)
chairman Claire Chiang was quoted as saying that the environment had to
be at its best when the pandas arrived.
“The pandas are a
precious gift from the state, so we are exercising the highest level of
prudence and a heightened sense of responsibility,” she said.
When
the panda loan to Singapore was first announced, a television crew was
sent to Sichuan Province for a sneak preview of the pandas at the
Bifengxia base.
The authorities went on a public relations
campaign to boast of its “eco-friendly” food for the two pandas,
pointing out that a special bamboo plantation covering 8,000 sq metres
had been created to grow bamboo for the endangered animals.
In
Thailand, Chiangmai Zoo has been home to panda couple Lin Hui and Xuang
Xuang, on loan from China since 2003. The zoo has been really lucky
because Lin Hui gave birth to her first baby in May 2009.
The
panda birth created such a global sensation that visitors waited in long
queues just to catch a glimpse of baby Lin Ping through closed circuit
television during its first three months.
Shortly after the birth, The Nation
newspaper quoted zoo director Thanapat Pongamorn as saying that the zoo
had clinched a deal with cable television True to broadcast the life of
Lin Ping and other animals at the zoo for two years.
At the time
of the report, Lin Ping had already raked in 10 million baht (RM1mil)
for the zoo, with half of the zoo’s daily income of 100,000 to 200,000
baht (RM10,000 to RM20,000) coming from tickets for the panda section.
For
Singapore and Thailand, the authorities and the public wasted no time
in exploring the numerous opportunities available from the loan of the
pandas instead of engaging in time-consuming unproductive debate.
That
aside, it is important for us to note that diplomatic ties between
Malaysia and China are at its peak today. According to reports,
bilateral trade volume is set to hit US101bil (RM319bil) this year,
after reaching US$91bil (RM287bil) in 2011.
We are also
reportedly the third country in Asia to hit this milestone after Japan
and South Korea. Malaysia benefited from a surplus of US$30bil (RM95bil)
last year, with IT products making up 40% of bilateral trade and palm
oil being the biggest commodity export to China.
Relations with
China received a further boost when both sides launched the
China-Malaysia Qinzhou Industrial Park. There is already talk of setting
up an economic and trade cooperation zone in Malaysia.
The panda
loan is more than just a visit by two cuddly animals – its significance
goes beyond that as far as diplomatic and economic relations are
concerned. A lot is at stake, thus the pandas deserve nothing but the
best during their stay here.
As Malaysia rolls out the red carpet for the pandas, it is hoped
that China’s panda diplomacy can also help ease political tension in the
country.
ANYTHING about the Giant Pandas are a big hit and
when it was announced by our Natural Resources and Environment Ministry
on Monday that China had decided to loan two endangered baby pandas for a
10-year period, it made instant world news.
Pandas, from the bear family, are about the most easily recognised and loved animals in the world.
They
evoke excitement from viewers who line up for hours outside the zoos
from London to New York, Tokyo and Singapore, to get a glimpse of these
furry and cuddly animals.
The baby pandas, about a year to three
years old, are part of the loan system China has worked out since the
early 1980s after concerns were raised over their loss of habitat,
endangered status and the difficulty of breeding in captivity.
They
are only loaned to countries that China has established strong and
friendly relationship with or those that figure very highly on the list
of countries deemed important to China.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Najib Tun Razak had made the request when he met his counterpart
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in April when the two leaders opened the
joint Malaysia China industrial park in Chengdu, Nanning.
The
loan of the pandas, estimated to number about 1,600 in the wild and 268
in captivity, is an important gesture from China to Malaysia as well as
commemorating the strong diplomatic ties between the two countries.
It is also to commemorate 40 years of relationship between China and Malaysia.
The political overtones are unmistakable.
Najib’s
father Tun Abdul Razak made a path-breaking visit to communist China in
1974, shook hands with Mao Zedong and returned to call a snap election
which the enlarged, new coalition Barisan Nasional won handsomely.
It
was the first election after the May 13 riots in 1969 and the alienated
Chinese community had backed Razak in the hope that the new Barisan
Nasional he headed would usher in a new era in politics.
Forty
years later, Najib is not hoping to win over the Chinese voters – most
of whom are backing his political opponent Pakatan Rakyat – with his
“panda diplomacy” with China but the successful arrival of the furry
creatures is expected to definitively lighten the divisive atmosphere in
the country.
Overall, Najib’s engagement with China and the
continuing importance he is giving to China in trade, cultural and
education matters will have a desirable effect on voters, including
Chinese voters.
Having said that, pandas have always figured importantly in China’s diplomatic efforts.
The
practice reportedly existed as far back as the Tang Dynasty when
Empress Wu Zetian (625–705) sent a pair of pandas to the Japanese
emperor but in modern times, “panda diplomacy” really took off after USPresident Richard Nixon’s 1972 visit to China.
China gifted two
pandas – Ling Ling and Xing Xing – following that visit and the pandas
generated world headlines and a mad craze in America.
Millions of people lined up to see them in Washington and in one stroke, China scored an instant diplomatic victory.
Japan
reportedly dispatched two military aircraft to guard “Lan Lan” and
“Kang Kang” when they entered its airspace on arrival from China as part
of the now fine-tuned “panda diplomacy”.
West Germany rolled out the red carpet for its pair of pandas in 1974.
In
the years since, the rare pandas have become firmly established as an
important piece of China’s modern day diplomacy – to break the ice, ease
tension and promote goodwill.
But it is not all diplomacy with pandas.
They have to be kept in special enclosures being built at the wetlands park in Putrajaya.
Pandas
do nothing but laze around and eat special bamboos shoots (about 20kg a
day) – their favourite and only food, which has to be imported from
China or specially planted here.
They have to be kept in special,
fully air-conditioned enclosure with climate controlled at temperatures
ranging between 18°C and 22°C and humidity controlled at 50% to 60% all
year round.
Ambient conditions have to be adjusted to simulate the four seasons similar to their natural habitat in south-western China.
According
to one estimate, the cost can run up to RM20mil but the returns in the
form of gate collection, research and diplomacy, far outweighs the cost.
The reverse is also true. Any mishap will spark a diplomatic uproar and ruin relations as well.
On
arrival, the pandas will be quarantined for a month and five more
months for acclimatisation before they are opened for public viewing.
Malaysia,
the third country in South-East Asia after Thailand and Singapore to
get the pandas, will also get the chance to name the pandas in a
nationwide contest.
Hopefully, the arrival of the pandas,
celebrated for breaking the ice between nations and exciting people,
will also ease the tensions and divide in our nation.
COMMENT BY BARADAN KUPPUSAMY baradan@pc.jaring.my
Huge task in housing pandas
By FLORENCE A. SAMY florenceasamy@thestar.com.my
PETALING JAYA: The arrival of the two pandas is exciting news but
housing them here is no easy task and requires a big commitment, experts
said.
For a start, the Wetlands Park in Putrajaya, which has
been announced as the preferred location, would need to construct a
proper indoor habitat for the two baby pandas which are of opposite
genders.
The enclosure needs to be air-conditioned as the
adorable but endangered mountainous animals are not used to living in a
tropical climate.
“It must include a playground for the pandas to
exercise and a den for them to sleep in. There must also be a back-up
for the air-conditioning system as the pandas cannot wait for it to be
repaired if the air-condition breaks down.
“It is better for a
local keeper to head to China to be trained and be with the pandas for
at least six months to study its habits, likes and dislikes before they
are brought here,” experts said.
There must also be sufficient bamboo plants for them and it needs to be of a certain species.
A local team will head to China to study the bamboo species.
Chinese
conservation experts are also here and will visit the site and outline
strict specifications for the enclosure, sources said.
The park
also needs to consider building a nursery and possibly an incubator for
potential baby pandas since the two animals will be here for 10 years
and may procreate.
China had agreed to loan the pandas to
Malaysia for 10 years in recognition of the good bilateral ties and in
conjunction with the countries' 40th anniversary of diplomatic ties.
The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry announced the news of the pandas' arrival on Monday.
The Government will sign the agreement with the China Wildlife Conservation Association (CWCA) tomorrow.
Singapore,
which is expected to receive two pandas later this year, is building a
1,500 sq m enclosure at its new River Safari park.
Wetlands
International Malaysia senior technical officer Lee Shin Shin said the
team in charge of the pandas' care should be properly trained and
adequate allocation should be provided as it would be a long-term
commitment.
She is however disappointed that huge amounts of
money would be spent to bring the pandas over and said it could have
been used for local conservation.
Her views were echoed by Malaysian Nature Society president Prof Dr Maketab Mohamed who disagreed with bringing the pandas here and said priority should be given to conserving local endangered animals.
Malaysians are getting bear-y creative
By TERENCE TOH terence.toh@thestar.com.my
PETALING JAYA: From the run-of-the-mill to the outlandish, Malaysians have been ringing The Star radio stations to suggest names for the giant pandas from China.
Fatimah and Abdullah, Duri and Riang, Satu and Malaysia, Teh and Tarik Malaysians are a bear-y creative lot!
The radio stations under The Star media
group had invited listeners to suggest names for the lovable animals.
They were inundated with colourful and cheeky responses.
Amused: Yi Hui taking suggestions from listeners for names for the pandas.
Najib's invitation drew 222 replies from the public as at 8.15pm yesterday.
Among
the names suggested were Fufu and Yaya, Ali and Ahmad, Left and Right,
Flower and Bing Bing, Salt and Spring and Nini and Lola.
At Red
FM, deejay Lil Kev said many callers suggested the pandas be named after
local heroes (Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat), famous couples (Romeo and
Juliet), popular local food like Kaya and (roti) Tisu, Puttu and Mayam),
and even after local politicians.
Athena Tan, better-known as DJ Yi Hui to listeners of 98.8FM, said many callers made references to popular Chinese phrases.
She said examples included Xing Xing and Fu Fu (from xingfu, the Cantonese word for happiness) and Sam Sam and Si Si (from sam si, meaning to think twice).
Yi Hui said she liked the sound Tuan Tuan and Puan Puan.
“I think that's really cute,” she said.
“Plus, it's a must-learn phrase for anyone coming to Malaysia.”
The
loan is part of an agreement between the Malaysian Government and the
China Wildlife Conservation Association to mark the 40th anniversary of
the diplomatic ties between the two countries. The agreement will be
signed tomorrow.
To celebrate the event and the arrival of the pandas, there will be a nationwide contest to name the animals.
Pandas set to take Malaysia-China ties to greater heights
KUALA LUMPUR: China’s decision to send a pair of Giant Pandas to
Malaysia is an important goodwill gesture symbolising the harmonious
relationship between the two countries, said the Federation of Chinese
Associations Malaysia (Hua Zong).
Its president Tan Sri Pheng Yin Huah said he was glad the plan of bringing the mammals here was able to be done within a short period of time.
“They
are not just animals, they are treasures of China serving as goodwill
ambassadors to Malaysia, symbolising the harmonious relationship and
unity between the two countries.
“The father initiated the relationship, and now the son – Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak – has strengthened the ties. This means a lot to both countries,” he said.
Chinese newspapers reported in April that Malaysia would spend RM20mil for the upkeep of the pandas.
The
budget is expected to cover the construction of an air-conditioned
sanctuary for the pandas, the import of bamboos from China for their
meals as well as to train local handlers for the animals.
On
Monday, the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry announced that
China had agreed to loan two pandas to Malaysia for 10 years.
An agreement will be signed on Friday.
Malaysians will also get the chance to name the pandas in a nationwide contest.
Separately, a source said Putrajaya Corporation, which is in charge of developing the enclosure for the animals, was in the midst of planning and designing it.
Malaysia will be the third country in the region, after Thailand and Singapore, to receive Giant Pandas from China.
Thailand
received a pair of Giant Pandas in 2004, now in the Chiang Mai Zoo,
while the Singapore Zoo had two, called An An and Xin Xing on loan from
China for 100 days in 1991.
The Giant Panda is the rarest member of the bear family and among the world’s most threatened animals.
By BEH YUEN HUI and P. ARUNA newsdesk@thestar.com.my
The whole country is getting fidgety as Malaysians await the 13th general election.
IT’S
an extended silly season. Everyone is ultra sensitive and every event
or statement is examined with a fine toothcomb for any underlying
political message.
Hardly a day goes by that a politician does
not let fly a missile at one opponent or another. From cows, condos to
sex tapes, no one and nothing is spared.
One would have thought
that after months of this, politicians would have run out of ammunition,
and from the quality of the rockets being shot out, they are close to
scraping the bottom of the barrel.
Everyone is so tense that even the recent reduction in RON 97 by 10 sen is seen as an indication that the polls is near.
By
my vast experience of having covered the past five general elections,
the polls should have already been here, gone and dusted. But this time
round, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak seems intent on
dragging out the silly season for as long as he can.
His
opponents have joined him by declaring that Selangor and Penang would
not hold their polls together with the national elections. Selangor MB
Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had declared that his government would definitely
not follow if it is held this month.
A June general election
does not seem likely now (for some unexplainable reasons, the country
has never held a general election in the month of June). So does this
mean that Selangor will now follow suit if it is held next month?
No
way, says Khalid’s boss Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who wants Selangor to
go the full distance (sometime in April next year). The games of the
silly season continue.
One senior Barisan Nasional official
enquired with a party worker recently how things were going and was
shocked at the reply he got.
“Boss, we are all very tired. We
have been on war footing since October and we do not know how much more
we can take,” said the party worker.
Some of the
candidates-designate from both sides, who have been campaigning quietly
since January, are quietly complaining that they are running out of
funds and at the same time cannot do anything about raising money from
supporters.
“What am I to tell my supporters? No party will
announce its candidates so early for fear they may be bought over or of
sabotage,” said one aspiring candidate.
This is why some Umno
stalwarts are calling on the leadership to start naming the potential
candidates so that they can “be properly introduced” to the branches and
avoid any sabotage.
This, I suspect, will also allow these
people to make use of the official party machinery which means it will
be less taxing on his or her personal resources which can then be
reserved for the actual polling and campaign period.
This 13th GE
will be a watershed election for Malaysia and every seat will see tough
fights. “The mother of all battles” was how one senior journalist
described the coming polls.
Unfortunately, like all things that
are anticipated with such great expectations, I fear it will fall short
of everyone’s outlook. GE 13 can’t help but disappoint because we are
expecting so much from it.
Prior to last week, when it became
obvious that the polls would not be in June or July, everyone seemed
resigned to the election being held in September.
But then came Najib’s announcement that Budget 2013 would be tabled on Sept 28.
One
could almost hear the groans of frustration going up all over the
place. The so-called experts are now even suggesting November or January
as the new dates.
Dr
Mahathir tabled the budget in October 1999, allowed the Lower House to
debate the budget, but before it would be passed, he went to see the
King and had Parliament dissolved. He took his Budget as his manifesto
for the polls.
This senior Cabinet member said outright that
Najib would do exactly the same because it proved to be a masterstroke
by Dr Mahathir to defeat his foes then.
This conversation with the minister took place a month ago, long before Najib announced his Budget date.
So does this mean that the polls will be in October?
If
statistics are anything to go by, it is unlikely to be held then
because only the 1990 GE was held in the month of October (Oct 21 to be
exact).
The following are the exact dates of the past 12 elections.
1st GE - Aug 19, 1959;
2nd GE - April 25, 1964;
3rd GE - May 10, 1969
4th GE - Aug 24 and Sept 14 1974;
5th GE - July 8, 1978;
6th GE - April 22, 1982;
7th GE - Aug 3, 1986;
8th GE - Oct 21, 1990;
9th GE - April 25, 1995;
10th GE - Nov 29, 1999;
11th GE - March 21, 2004; and
12th GE - March 8, 2008
Hopefully,
someone out there can find a pattern from this list of dates and then
correctly predict the polling date that Najib is holding so close to his
chest and does not look likely to reveal any time soon.
Those claiming to know the man’s plans said we should examine Najib’s speech during last year’s Malaysia Day on Sept 16.
“He
made many promises there. Once he has fulfilled all those promises, I
am sure he will call for the elections,” said one of them.
The polls cannot come fast enough for most of us because we want to get back to some real work.
WHY NOT? By WONG SAI WAN
> Executive editor Wong Sai Wan has been on election footing since 2010 and will be glad when it comes.
EC: Register now and you can vote in September
KOTA KINABALU: Malaysians who are eligible to vote should register
this month to qualify to vote in the general election if it is held in
September.
“If they register in the second quarter of this year,
they will be able to vote if the election is held after August,”
Election Commission deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said yesterday after briefing 30 officials from 15 political parties in Sabah about electoral regulations.
There
are about a quarter million Sabahans above the age of 21 who have yet
to register while about 3.6 million eligible voters nationwide have not
registered.
Wan Ahmad said there were 946,638 registered voters in Sabah and 258,943 eligible voters have yet to register.
“I
hope they will register now,” he said, adding that if everyone
registered, Sabah would cross the one million mark and could reach
1,205,581 registered voters by September.
He also said there were
very few people, who had come forward to clarify the position of some
13,000 dubious voters when they exhibited the names for three months.
“We
believe many of these people are dead and their families did not report
the deaths to the National Registration Department. We can't remove
their names, so it remains in the rolls until their next-of-kin have not
come forward to clarify it.
“That's why sometimes you get cases of someone with an age of 120 who is still in the roll.
“We cannot remove it as we are not empowered by law to delete such names,” he added.
Wan
Ahmad also said they would be setting up 31 mobile election enforcement
teams to check on offenders for Sabah and Labuan's 26 parliamentary
constituencies.
He said there would be two teams each in Kota
Kinabalu and Sandakan while each constituency would have a team,
comprising an election officer, a police inspector, a local authority
official and representatives of contesting parties.
Related stories:
The modern day slacker
