Rolls-Royce may face legal fight

Australian officials probing last month's engine blast on a Qantas flight have warned that a "critical safety issue" with Rolls-Royce engines on Airbus A380s could lead to "catastrophic" failure.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said on Thursday that a misaligned component had thinned the wall of an oil pipe in the exploded engine, causing "fatigue cracking" that prompted leakage and a fire "central to the engine failure".

"This condition could lead to an elevated risk of fatigue crack initiation and growth, oil leakage and potential catastrophic engine failure from a resulting oil fire," the ATSB said, noting it was "understood to be related to the manufacturing process."

The ATSB issued a directive urging Rolls-Royce to address the safety issue and take actions necessary to ensure the safety of flight operations in planes equipped with Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines.

Qantas said it would immediately conduct further engine investigations as a result of the findings, but stressed it was just a precautionary measure and "there is no immediate risk to flight safety."

Legal action

The carrier also said it has begun court proceedings to allow it to pursue legal action against Rolls-Royce ""if a commercial settlement is not possible."

"Today's action allows Qantas to keep all options available to the company to recover losses, as a result of the grounding of the A380 fleet and the operational constraints currently imposed on A380 services," the airline said.

Qantas grounded all six of its Airbus superjumbos after the November 4 blast over the Indonesian island of Batam, which forced an A380 to return to Singapore airport trailing smoke.

Flights were resumed last week, though the superjumbo has been barred from trans-Pacific trips to Los Angeles due to the extra engine thrust required.

Qantas said it would determine whether further action would need to be taken after inspections were complete and it had consulted both Rolls-Royce and regulators.

Source:
Agencies

Article 153 equivalent to modern day Nazism & British catastrophe in perpetuity for Malaysians

By R. Shan (human being)
Whether we acknowledge it or not there is a similarity between Nazism and the practice against the Non-Malays for the last 53 years based on the ambiguity of Article 153.
Now, let’s look at Nazism. Naturally we can google up the whole history of this, that the whole world condemned it for a particular race to reign supreme on the ideology that they are a superior race to the rest. The practices outreached policies, methodologies and all possible ways to ensure that one race controls everything.    
The Nazi factor, as reasonably argued by this blogger, seems very obvious with the interpretation of Article 153. See  http://art-harun.blogspot.com/2010/03/article-153-on-special-position-of.html
We all know that Nazism was where the great Adolf Hitler put forward political and economic doctrines from 1933 to 1945 including totalitarian principles in order for the Aryan race of Germans to achieve and assume racial superiority and supremacy. Now when you look at the statistics of Malaya after independence in 1957 to at least early 1980, the balance was there. Then came our great Dr Mahathir, a reincarnation of Adolf Hitler to ensure his artificial Ketuanan Melayu survives not so much for the betterment of the society but to ensure his legacy that promoted and encouraged cronyism, nepotism, corruption in the name of Ketuanan Melayu. To some extent the blame also lies on the Non-Malays as we were captivated with material needs. Dr Mahathir was the chief architect to ensure that the race supremacy ruled beyond humane needs.
Let’s look at it this way; if I as a Non-Malay can make some money and achieve material needs with this Ketuanan Melayu, why make a fuss? We can talk all we want but this is the reality that is practiced whether you like it or not. Dr Mahathir knew how to manipulate the people and ensure he is able to sustain the false Ketuanan Melayu; but today we feel the long term effects.
Ketuanan Melayu is an artificial phrase that has been conveniently used. I must say both factions of the political divide run their own agendas, but we the public can’t speak up only when it fits our own agenda.
As for the British, there are numerous written constitutions since independence from Britain, the longest being India and the shortest being USA. All constitutions written had never given preference to a superior race but accepting and treating all equally. Even the archaic constitution of Medina instituted a number of rights and responsibilities for the Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Christian and pagan communities of Medina bringing them within the fold of one community that we call Ummah. Amongst them was the security of God is equal for all groups, non-Muslim members have equal political and cultural rights as Muslims. They will have autonomy and freedom of religion, there is to be no animosity between the two.
So, what is this Article 153 and the purported Ketuanan Melayu about?
The freedom for an individual within a society or a nation to prosper and enhance his socio-development should never be hindered based on a supremacy of a religion or their so called Ketuanan Melayu but more so the natural cultures of the societies that live together.
The British, to appease the royalty to maintain their status quo to continue to reap the benefits of Malaya, accommodated to such an unprecedented and unheard of written constitution akin to what Hitler was doing implicitly. Funnily, Dr Mathathir was able to strip these royalties of their power and all who shouted about Ketuanan Rakyat just sat and accepted it in those crisis years of 1980 & 1990s.
Who are the actual stakeholders in Malaysia, the Ketuanan Melayu race itself, which in its existence and birth is not the actual Bumiputras and has encroached onto the heritage of these actual stake holders of the land in Malaysia? How do we deal with the natives? And today, you and I are native Malaysians as this is our country of birth and this land is where our aspirations lie.
Just got this email!!! Interesting. When non-Malays do their religious obligations, that is not tax-deductible unless the Church or temple has applied and obtained the approval for tax exemption, which they are normally very stringent with and is seldom approved. Even if they are approved, it is only 10% of your aggregate income. Now let’s look at Zakat. Zakat qualifies 100%.
So, is Article 153 as interpreted today equals to Nazism?

Sultan is bound by the rakyat, say PAS leaders

Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad: “Rakyat’s interest supersedes Sultan’s.”

SHAH ALAM, Dec 3 — PAS leaders today accused Datuk Seri Nazri Mohamed Aziz of “humiliating” the Malay rulers by dragging the monarchy into the row on “ketuanan Melayu” and “ketuanan rakyat”.

They also said a Sultan was obligated to submit to the rakyat’s demands and place their interests above his own.

“Just as the rakyat is bound by him (the Sultan), so is he bound by the rakyat,” PAS central committee member Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad told The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

“The constitutional monarch . . . is well aware that the interest of his rakyat predominates and supersedes even his interest.”

PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar lambasted Nazri and accused the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department of attempting to instigate the Malay rulers into dismissing the electoral decisions of Malaysians.

“To me, Nazri’s statement is akin to trying to incite the rulers to disrespect the decisions of the people in our country,” said the Pokok Sena MP.

“This reduces the sovereignty and knowledge of our rulers who live in a democracy about ‘ketuanan rakyat’ (people’s supremacy). Nazri is humiliating the rulers.”

Dzulkefly also called Nazri “malicious” for interpreting “ketuanan Melayu” (Malay supremacy) as the sovereignty of the Malay rulers.

“When you talk about ‘ketuanan Melayu’, never equate it to ‘ketuanan Sultan’,” said Dzulkefly, who is Kuala Selangor MP. “That is abominable and malicious.

“Never drag the Sultan into this acrimonious debate of ‘ketuanan Melayu’ versus ‘ketuanan rakyat’.”

Nazri had told PKR leaders that “ketuanan rakyat” did not grant the people full power to decide their government leaders, reminding them that the Malay rulers still reigned supreme in Malaysia’s constitutional monarchy system.

Dzulkefly said the Sultan’s decisions must reflect the sentiment of the people as the Sultan was not an absolute monarch.

“Should the rakyat be overwhelmingly for something or against something, the constitutional monarch must, in the best interest of the nation and his position as a monarch, take this into account,” he said. “This means that he is not absolute.”

He said the Sultan was obligated to endorse proposed amendments to the Constitution by a two-thirds majority in Parliament.

“There is the fact that the rakyat can in fact amend the Constitution, given the two-thirds majority, whether it is Barisan Nasional (BN) or Pakatan Rakyat (PR), and the monarch has got to condone and endorse it,” said Dzulkefly.

The current row over the “ketuanan Melayu” concept started over the weekend when several PKR leaders, including president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and deputy president Azmin Ali, rejected the concept, pointing out that the Malay race was no more supreme than the others.

Wan Azizah’s husband, PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, joined the fray and propagated the “ketuanan rakyat” concept.

Mahfuz said yesterday that in the case of Perak, it was incumbent on the Sultan to uphold the political party that enjoyed a majority in the state assembly.

“The Sultan still chooses the party that is chosen by the majority,” he said. “He cannot choose others. This shows that the Sultan has to obey the choices made by the rakyat.”

He echoed Dzulkefly’s views and pointed out that the Malay rulers had always upheld the decisions of the electorate.

“It is the people who make their choices during elections,” said Mahfuz. “There is nothing in the Federal Constitution that denies the choices made by the people during elections.

“I see that even the Malay rulers respect the choices of voters.”

He said Umno was inciting the Malay rulers to fight the people over their democratic rights to elect the government.

“They are instigating the rulers to war with the rakyat, who are given the rights in a democracy to determine their government,” said Mahfuz.

Dzulkefly said “ketuanan rakyat” would always be safeguarded by “ketuanan sultan”.

“Ketuanan rakyat will also always uphold ketuanan sultan,” he said.

He said the Sultan was mandated to protect not just the special position of the Malays, but also the legitimate rights of other races, as stated in Article 153 of the Constitution.

“You must read (Article) 153 in one breath,” said Dzulkefly.

PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali agreed with his colleagues on the limited powers of the Sultan, noting that the Sultan could only appoint a prime minister who enjoyed support from the majority in Parliament.

“He (the Sultan) can appoint whoever he wants to be the prime minister. But he cannot appoint someone who doesn’t have a majority,” said Mustafa.

He, however, disagreed with the “ketuanan rakyat” concept and put forth “ketuanan Islam” instead.

“I agree with ‘ketuanan Islam’. It is not based on race,” said Mustafa.

“As long as you have the qualities prescribed by Islam, then you can be the prime minister.”
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4 new state police chiefs

Ismail Omar

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Tan Sri Ismail Omar yesterday announced the appointment of four new state police chiefs with immediate effect.
Police Air Unit Commander Datuk Chuah Ghee Lye has been appointed Melaka police chief replacing Datuk Mohd Rodwan Mohd Yusof who became Deputy Director II Commercial Crime Investigation Department (CCID) Bukit Aman.
Deputy Director II CCID Datuk Tajudin Md Isa was appointed Perlis police chief replacing DCP Ghazali Md Amin who was appointed Bukit Aman Secretary since Oct 29.
Management Training Division Principal Assistant Director Datuk Jamshah Mustapa was appointed Terengganu police chief replacing Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahalan who moved to Perak as police chief.
Mohd Shukri replaced Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah who was appointed Kuala Lumpur police chief on Oct 29.
Ismail was speaking to reporters after the Police Commission meeting chaired by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein in Bukit Aman.
He said the changes were part of restructuring of promotions and transfer of state police chiefs and state deputy police chiefs. — Bernama

BN selling an impossible dream

By Stanley Koh
COMMENT When one Malaysian dreams alone, it remains a dream. But when all Malaysians dream together, it can become a reality.
For decades after independence, most Malaysians dreamt alone. But in 2008, more than four million of them woke up from a nightmare and voted for an opposition coalition.
But the nightmare is now recurring. Some of the sleaze that makes Barisan Nasional so contemptible has somehow seeped into the opposition parties. Their effectiveness – and even credibility – has come under question.
Should ordinary Malaysians and civil society unite to remove the muck and slime that is tainting our dream? Of course. But how? Perhaps we can learn something from an examination of the rot that gives BN its disgusting character.
Indeed, it does not take much effort to convince the ordinary Malaysian in the street that the BN rot has gone to its core. It has been unable to take any lesson from its 2008 setback.
BN is still dishonest and obfuscating. It is intent on preserving itself, but it does this not by trying to cure itself of its disease.
Instead, it demonises its opponents and covers up its own monstrosities through stereotyping, cheap publicity and denial of facts. It raises emotive issues, plays to the gallery and turns half-truths into absolutes. It tries to keep itself opaque and it shuns accountability. Its leaders are intellectually bankrupt; they do not even care how ridiculous they look every time they run to the police station to lodge reports against critics.
The castration of BN in 2008
Barisan Nasional’s popular votes fell from 4.47 million votes in 2004 to 4.08 million in 2008.
Analysts say this setback was due to a wide range of factors, many of them related. They have cited, among other things, massive corruption, rampant abuse of power, arrogance of leaders, unevenness of the electoral playing field, lack of credibility of the Election Commission, cronyism, nepotism, failure to control inflation, blatant abuses of natural resources and denial of human rights.
Even at the best of times, Barisan Nasional (BN) never garnered more than 65% of popular votes despite its two-thirds majority in Parliament between 1974 and the 2008 fall day.
BN suffered a serious electoral setback in 1969, and this led to the May 13 riots. It was then a coalition of three parties called the Alliance. After the setback, it worked to widen its support base, and on June 1, 1974, BN was officially registered under the chairmanship of Tun Abdul Razak.
It appears that the 2008 setback is also prompting BN to institute changes. However, the current chairman, Razak’s son Najib, does not seem to have the imagination of his father. We hear that BN will change the design of its logo. Is Najib trying to fix his badly damaged engine of his car by changing the tyres?
That engine went through 22 years of abuse with Dr Mahathir Mohamad at the steering wheel.
The authoritarian Mahathir concentrated power in his hands, instilled a herd mentality among his lieutenants and nurtured a patron-client relationship between Umno and the other members of the BN coalition.
With his belief in a distorted version of democracy – he called it “guided democracy” – he gave the nation a political physiognomy.
In a blog article last year, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah recalled the constitutional crisis of 1993 and asked:
“Is today’s Umno, with its inconsistent adherence to the rule of law, its inconstant respect for the key institutions of our country, a credible or effective defender of the Rulers and of the laws upholding this institution? Or do we actually harm what we claim to protect?”
By 2008, when it was under Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s leadership, BN’s image had sunk to its lowest ebb and the beautiful words contained in the election manifesto released in that year – “We respect the separation of powers provided under the Constitution” – remain today as a sick joke.
Non-consumer product
No wonder the Najib administration keeps referring only to one feature of Abdullah’s legacy – the so-called feel-good factor.
Propaganda has it that this “non-consumer” product is rapidly regaining public confidence for BN. Of course, when the 3Ms – Money, Machinery and Manpower—are within reach of those who want to whip up the much-needed euphoria to win back support for this product, the effort can be seen to be as easy as flipping a coin.
Will the cosmetic changes intended for this unique non-commercial product be effective in pulling back electoral confidence and support?
A few political pundits actually accept the leadership’s denial that Umno’s decision to postpone its party elections has nothing to do with the next general election. Perhaps they think BN is smart enough to know that it needs plenty of time to format its survival plan.
Certainly, the BN government and administration remains unimpressive in performance. It has yet to address a long list of public grouses, including traffic congestion and spiralling food prices, to name only two of the most obvious.
BN’s component parties seem focused on quietly conducting electioneering training courses and equipping themselves with up-to-date computer software as part of the upgrading of campaigning logistics.
Are these unmistakable signs of an imminent early general election or part of a long-term plan?
The gospel truth is that the unity gathering of the BN’s top leaders at MCA’s home ground next weekend will not even remotely remember the stoking of racial fires at Umno’s annual general assembly in 2007.
Malaysian politics has its own brand of hypocrisy. Even shared hatred can bring forth unity.
In the eyes of certain BN leaders, only the opposition coalition members have ideological differences, power struggles and chair-throwing incidents, while BN history is full of noble sacrifices because no one in the coalition is power hungry.
Will Najib, in his BN chairman’s costume, unveil some details of Umno’s “new political model” for other coalition members to emulate?
One thing is certain: thinking Malaysians are unlikely to miss any heartbeat or bat an eyelid over any proposed changes in BN.
Many Malaysians also agree that the BN political culture has some imperishable characteristics. With Umno calling the shots, they say, the BN government is nothing more than a three-ring circus controlled by the executive, with the legislature, judiciary and even the enforcement agencies – and, of course, the mainstream media – dancing to every tune it plays.
The great legacies of the early Alliance leaders – people like Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Abdul Razak, Tan Siew Sin, VT Sambanthan, Tun Ismail Abdul Rahman and Hussein Onn – are lost forever.
Stanley Koh is a political observer who had in the past headed MCA's research unit.

What 'bread and butter' is Taib talking about?

By Joseph Tawie - Free Malaysia Today
KUCHING: Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian has slammed Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud's call for Sarawakians to focus on “bread and butter issues” and to be wary of “people who tried to brainwash them.”
The native customary land rights lawyer said Taib should first declare the names of those who own the timber concessions, quarry and oil palm plantation licenses and who benefitted from the many government contracts that were awarded arbitrarily, before advising people on "bread and butter."
"First the CM should openly name the people who benefitted from these development projects that he speaks off. Only a select few have benefitted, not the ordinary citizens
“We want the bread and butter to reach the tables of the people, and not end up on the gravy train,” he said.
Lambasting Taib's disclosure that Sarawak had achieved “great progress” and had “become prosperous”, Bian demanded to know why then was Sarawak the fourth poorest state in the country when it was the richest in natural resources.
“Let us be reminded that the funding of projects and development in the country or state comes from the coffers of the country and state, as well as taxes paid by the people. The funding does not come from the personal pockets of the CM and BN leaders.
“Let us be clear that it is the duty and responsibility of the government of the day to utilise and manage the coffers of the state for the benefit of the people. Development is not a choice. It is imperative and a right to be enjoyed by the rakyat,” he said.
“Even the worse totalitarian regimes in the world had to develop their countries, what more Malaysia and in particular Sarawak which purportedly practises parliamentary democracy," he added.
What track record?
Bian was commenting on Taib's call on Sarawakians not take development for granted and to be careful about who they choose to lead them.
"Needless to say, PKR and Pakatan Rakyat will offer good governance, better management of the state’s wealth, transparency, fair and equitable distribution of wealth, and implement an open tender system for all government projects and contracts," he said.
Bian also had his own take on Taib's interpretation of development.
“What is the track record and success rate of the BN government in executing the responsibility of developing the state?
"How has the government discharged its duties in the last 30 years ... why is that Sarawak, being the richest state in Malaysia in terms of natural resources, ends up the fourth poorest state in Malaysia?
"While we read internet allegations and reports that the chief minister and his family own overseas properties worth billions of ringgit. Why is there a huge disparity in terms of wealth between the rich and the poor in Sarawak?” he asked.
“And ironically, why are the poorest Malaysians to be found in the richest state in Malaysia, ie Sarawak, especially the Dayaks?" he added.
Bian said these were salient questions which go to show that the ruling regime had failed miserably in carrying out development in the state.
"The BN government and leaders have nothing to be proud of in terms of development in their 47 years of governing Sarawak... the people are still poor.
“In light of what the chief minister has said about bread and butter issues, I agree with him that we should not cloud the matter with rhetoric.
"I urge Sarawakians to first ask themselves some pertinent questions such as who owns the timber concessions, quarry licences and oil palm plantations..," he said.

Why we should worry about race change

By K Pragalath - Free Malaysia Today
COMMENT Only in Malaysia can one's race be changed through legal means. But this does not make it any less of a shock to read about civil servants reclassifying native children in Sarawak as Malays.
Not too long ago, the National Registration Department created quite a stir when some members of its staff decided on their own to determine the faiths of people applying for their identification cards.
This is a worrying trend, not only to the natives of Sarawak, but to the rest of Malaysian society as well.
Increasing the number of Malays through under-handed tactics such as these is a step towards changing Malaysia into a mono-ethnic nation.
Malaysia has always been proud of calling itself a multiracial country, and it is one of the qualities that make it interesting to outsiders.
If we deny our country its multicultural character, we take away one good reason for foreigners to visit us, and the slogan “Malaysia Truly Asia” would become meaningless.
This trend is of particular concern to non-Malays. If it continues, animosity between the races will probably get worse and efforts towards national unity will become more difficult.
It will also speed up the brain drain, as more non-Malays leave our shores for countries that have more respect for their identities.
Race reclassification will also lead to the decay of the customs and culture of the affected groups as they will be hindered from practising them.
Those opposing the long rule of the Taib Mahmud administration can use the latest cases as a trigger-off point in his dethroning.
The Najib administration, which has been trying hard to sell the 1Malaysia idea, ought to be ashamed.
The silence on the part of Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is Education Minister as well, boggles the mind.
When he finally speaks, he is likely to defend his officials, as he has done in the past over other issues. Nevertheless, we expect immediate action from him.
In the international arena, Malaysia’s ranking on the religious freedom scale will slide further. This is because race and religion in our country are tightly intertwined.

This duck is coming to dinner

On the Food Trail with Tiberius Kerk
THE popular notion in Petaling Jaya is that the Loong Foong Restaurant in Paramount Garden has the best roast duck within a five-mile radius.
If you need to verify this hearsay, show up on Christmas Eve and try to buy one. You will probably fail because many Chinese Christians have wised up to the fact that Xmas turkeys are now priced beyond their reach.
Naturally, the next best option is roast duck. Loong Foong sells them at RM45 a pop. That’s one medium-sized roast duck that will envelop the interior of your entire car with its fragrance as you rush home to your family dinner.
With the setting of the sun in the evening, Loong Foong Restaurant becomes the focal point for PJ diners who may be too lazy to cook another meal or they just want to have a sumptuous meal without physically taxing the lady cook in the house.
I am not a regular at Loong Foong but when I patronise its premises, my family makes sure we have a grand time. Forget about the bill, we all work hard enough to eat a decent meal now and then.
So one Saturday several weekends ago, we made a beeline for Loong Foong Restaurant, mainly on impulse. Our first mistake was we didn’t make a reservation.
On arrival, we quickly found out we were not the only greedy ones in the district. There were about 15 other customers looking around earnestly for an empty table.
Since we were basically “hardcore” diners, we hung around until some timid patrons were a little afraid of our intense glares and vacate their table. Before the waitresses could clear the soiled table, we planted ourselves squarely around the big round table.
Natural choice
The main course was obviously the roast duck. Since there were only four of us, we didn’t want to look too avaricious, so we settled for half a duck.
The next dish triggered a little family debate but it was soon decided that the next table had just what we wanted. It was called the Golden Pumpkin. Basically, it was a hollowed-out pumpkin filled with water chestnuts and other delectables that bring tears to a happy diner.
Since our Cantonese was a little below par, we eagerly pointed to the nearby table and told the waitress: “That one over there!”
A plate of greens was mandatory to add fibre to our evening meal and kai lan seemed the natural choice.
The fourth dish by popular demand was one of the house specialities – sizzling hot plate tau fu. When it arrived at our table, it attracted some attention from salivating diners nearby because of the sizzling noise caused by the hot plate and the wonderful aroma from the well-cooked tau fu.
Let me say it plainly: if you want to impress your family with a place of your choice, book a table at Loong Foong Restaurant the day before. Your family will be very impressed with your selection.
Don’t forget to pay for the dinner as well because that would simply put that “kiss of approval” on your forehead and henceforth you will be known as He-Who-Knows-Where-To-Eat.
The roast duck at Loong Foong sometimes defies description. I have tried roast duck at numerous places but at this restaurant, it is almost second to none.
However, it has a rival named Sunrise Restaurant which is located several roads away but that’s another story which I am saving for another day.
Worth every drop
Loong Foong’s roast duck has a flavour that tells your taste buds that you are as close to heaven as you will get. There’s no “ducky” aftertaste, and it’s all good from the first bite.
As for the sizzling hot plate of tau fu, the gravy alone is worth your trip to the restaurant. My advice is: don’t leave any trace of gravy behind. It is worth every drop.
The golden pumpkin slips down your throat and explodes into a million showers of gastronomical pleasure as it causes a chain reaction of sensory emotions that begin with the dilation of your
retina through sheer excitement. There’s no need to kiss my hand for introducing this dish to you.
Don’t forget to order a pot of Chinese tea. If your preference is Ti Kuan Yin, that’s fine. Otherwise you can let the waitress pick the selection of Chinese tea leaves for you.
As every Chinese diner knows, good Chinese tea helps to neutralise some of the fatty substances that come with the enormously satisfying dishes.
With that, I shall now book a table at Loong Foong for tomorrow’s dinner.
The address, my fellow friends, is No. 1, Jalan 20/13, Paramount Garden, PJ. Tel: 03-7876-9045. The restaurant is near the Giant hypermarket.

Ketuanan Rakyat to empower Malays and Malaysians

By Dr Chen Man Hin, DAP life advisor

Anwar Ibrahim by pushing ketuanan rakyat as a top objective of the PR agenda has show that he is a man of vision and a born leader.

Soon after the announcement, he immediately summoned a meeting of all heads of the five PR states for a discussion of the plan to tell the people of the importance of a ketuanan rakyat for the country.

Anwar is a man of principles and he practises what he believes in.

Critics say that this move was calculated to gain support in preparation for the coming general elections. This is not quite true, as the principle of ketuanan rakyat was proposed by PR some two years ago as a counter to Umno’s ketuanan melayu.

It is also an idea which is not familiar yet with the Malay community, and it will take patience and lots of explanation to win the people over. There is big task ahead to win support from the kampongs and rural areas. Umno will mount an attack on ketuanan rakyat. The battle in the kampongs will be intense.

However, Anwar will not be deterred. He believes in KETUANAN RAKYAT. It is his vision. He has a cause to achieve a better, just and prosperous Malaysia.

He really believes that ketuanan rakyat will be the political key that will inspire the people to be more united and struggle for a more progressive and prosperous society. He wants the people to know that they belong in this country, and they are all Malaysians.

Equally important, is his confidence that ketuanan rakyat will uplift his fellow comrades in the kampongs, urban towns and rural areas, and bring them into the modern global society. Through ketuanan rakyat, the Malays will be better educated, gain merit and competitiveness and ready to take on the world.

They will have more self-confidence and will not be dependent any more on the handouts given out by Umno. With ketuanan rakyat they will no longer be exploited by Umno putras.

50 years of Umno rule, forty years of the 30% bumi equity of New Economic Policy have not really helped the poor in the kampongs and rural areas. Half the households of Malays, Chinese and Indians earn less than RM3,000 a month. Rural homes are even poorer.

Umno wants a ketuanan Melayu policy so that Umno putras can enrich themselves. A recent analysis showed that Umno putras enriched themselves to the tune of RM60 billion or even more from the 30% bumi equity. No share for the kampong people. To continue the ketuanan Melayu policy would be disastrous. A government officer has predicted that with present policies, the country is heading for bankruptcy.

The time has come for a change. Our born leader, Anwar will lead PR to make the change. Embracing ketuanan rakyat will be the beginning of the change for a united, progressive and prosperous Malaysia.

Follow hilarious exposes on Syabas: http://twitter.com/#!/search/syabas

I should have blogged this much earlier, but I only hope better late than never.
There’s a growing movement in TwitterJaya to raise awareness about the piratisation of water.
Our endgame is to try and expose some mega-corruption and pressure Syabas and co. to sell their water concessionaires back to the Selangor state government.
Tweeps have been doing a great job, and you should see what they’re saying here:
http://twitter.com/#!/search/syabas
and then sign the petition:
www.airuntukrakyat.net/main/petition.php
or at the mirror site:
www.petitiononline.com/Water/petition-sign.html
and come for the rally at Masjid Negara, 5th December, 12pm, to handover a memorandum to the Agong.
I here reprint some background to the case. Please help spread the info, thanks!!!
In 1997, the Barisan Nasional state and federal governments began privatising the water industry in Selangor. Then Menteri Besar Muhammad Taib chose the treasurer from his Umno division, Tan Sri Rozali Ismail to be the main beneficiary of this privatisation exercise.
By 2010, the amounts of losses generated by leakage and corruption in the private water companies  have now run into the hundreds of millions. Amongst the many questionable financial practices found in the private water companies are:
1. An audit report on Syabas showed more than 72% of contracts, worth RM 600 million in total, was awarded to companies chosen through direct negotiation not by open tender process. Also, RM 325 million was found to be ‘missing’ in discrepancies between Syabas’ public accounts and the records of contracts awarded from 2005 to 2007.
3. In June 2005, Syabas contravened the terms of their concession when they imported RM 375 million worth of pipes from an Indonesian company instead of sourcing them locally. The Indonesian company was owned by Tan Sri Rozali Ismail, the CEO of Syabas.
4. Tan Sri Rozali Ismail’s salary is RM 5.1 million a year or RM 425,000 a month.
5. The four water companies have a combined debt of RM 6.4 billion. The federal government has given Syabas a soft loan of RM 320 million. The total interest on this 20 year loan is RM 250 million, and Syabas will not be required to pay a single sen of this amount. Instead, this cost will be fully borne by Malaysian taxpayers.
In light of this appalling financial mismanagement, the Selangor state government has prevented Syabas from raising water tariffs by 37%, and is now endeavouring to reacquire all water concessions from the private water companies. Their goal is to eliminate the element ofprivatised profit and socialised losses, stop the corruption and leakage, andensure quality delivery of water at affordable rates. This move requires public and support and pressure to succeed.

Russia, Qatar to host World Cups

Russia and Qatar will host the World Cup finals in 2018 and 2022 respectively, world soccer governing body Fifa said.

Thursday's decision, announced by Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, followed a bidding process involving 11 nations seeking a prize expected to bring a huge economic boost for the chosen hosts.

Both decisions were made following a secret ballot of football's world governing body, Fifa's 22 executive members in Zurich.

The vote by the executive committee of Fifa will spark huge cash investment by the successful nations, and bring them under intense scrutiny as the world watches to see if they can stand up to the challenge.

It is the first time that either Russia or Qatar has been chosen as host nation for the World Cup.

Russia 2018

The Russian bid was picked ahead of England, Spain-Portugal and Holland-Belgium to host the 2018 event.

Russia has never hosted the tournament before, which fits with Fifa's preference for new territories following the success of Africa's first World Cup in 2010.

It has a vast budget and the backing of the government.

Russia's selection comes despite the absence of Vladimir Putin, the Russian prime miniser, from the vote in Switzerland.

Putin had been expected to be a prominent figurehead for the Russian bid in the final days of campaigning but instead remained in Moscow.

Qatar 2022

Qatar got the better of the United States, Australia, Japan and South Korea to stage in 2022.

Qatar has promised air-conditioned and eco-friendly stadiums to combat 50C summer heat, and the chance to see more than one match per day due to the small size of the country.

With few of the stadiums or transport links yet built, Fifa is said to have taken a leap of faith in choosing Qatar.

But with billions in oil and gas revenue available to spend, the attraction of a first World Cup in the Middle East has tilted the scales in its favour.
Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies

Even PKR Selangor refuses to be guarantor for Indian poor homeless, S & P for low cost flats. 16 years outstanding and never ending.

(see Starmetro 2/12/2010 at page M8)
Like the previous UMNO regime all what the PKR, DAP and PAS Selangor State government wants is to throw out these homeless poor Indians out off their squatter homes and offering them another temporary solution as what UMNO has been doing in the previous 50 years.
Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice

Ibrahim Ali claims ‘Malay supremacy’ is a right

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — Datuk Ibrahim Ali argued today that the concept of “ketuanan Melayu” is a constitutionally guaranteed right for all Malays, warning that any attempts to denounce the concept would be a “human crime” to the Malay race.

The Perkasa president insisted today that the “ketuanan Melayu” concept was one which was borne out of Malaysia’s historical evolution, originating from the old Malay Sultanate kingdoms, despite the fact that the term itself was only coined during the 1980s.

“Ketuanan Melayu was not just plucked out from the heavenly sky...it is a right that is enshrined in our constitution. During the time of the Malay Sultanate, the laws (then) strengthened the ‘right ‘ that the Malays and the Bumiputra are the ‘Tuan’ of their Tanah Melayu. Unfortunately , the slogan is [now mis-]understood by some as ‘Tuan and servant’ relationship,” said Ibrahim (picture) in a statement today.

In an apparent attack on Pakatan Rakyat (PR) defacto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as well as PKR leaders, the outspoken independent MP proclaimed that Malays should never be apologetic for pushing or propagating the “ketuanan Melayu” slogan.

“We should not be apologetic in propagating the slogan of Ketuanan Melayu nor should it be taken as a sign of Malay weaknesses . We must prescribe the notion and the spirit of ‘Ketuanan Melayu ‘ for us to move forward for the order of change and achieving progress with dignity in all arenas. We have a cause and our cause is justified because it is our Tanah Melayu.

“Denouncing ‘ ketuanan Melayu ‘ is a crime and politicizing it , is a human crime to the Bangsa Melayu and its existence throughout the evolution of our Malay history and good values of Islam,” said Ibrahim.

Perkasa has been ramping up its attacks on Anwar as well as PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah over the past couple of days, over PR’s apparent rejection of “Ketuanan Melayu” over “Ketuanan Rakyat.”

Dr Wan Azizah had, during her policy speech at the PKR last weekend, called for the rejection of the ‘Malay supremacy’ concept which she claimed was only a slogan used by a small group of Malay elites to cheat others.

In turn, Perkasa Youth chief Arman Azha Abu Hanifah slammed the PKR president for her views, calling her a “political prostitute.”

Similarly, Perkasa Wirawati chief Zaira Jaafar accused Anwar of being not only “a demon sent to destroy the Malays but a traitor to his own race, a traitor to his country, a traitor to his religion and a traitor to his king.”

Today, Ibrahim said that Malays would have suffered the same fate as the Native Americans in the United States had there not been the existence of “Ketuanan Melayu.”

“Our forefathers knew that the Malays should not be like the native Indians of America .The natives Indians were alienated by the white Americans colonialists . As the result of the political and military power of the Whites , the natives lost their territories and culture . Today the native Indians ended living in a small-arid constructed reservation land reserved by the White government.

“Unlike them, the importance of Malay rights prevails under Article 153, 153 which strengthens the Malay position. Besides that, the rights of others are rightly respected and guarded due to our tolerance and acceptance,” said the Perkasa chief.

Salehuddin: PKR has lost the plot

By Teoh El Sen - Free Malaysia Today
PETALING JAYA: Former PKR secretary-general Salehuddin Hashim today urged party members to be wary of the party's "so-called transparent leadership" which has veered from its true path of reform.

In his first press conference since he exposed the alleged forgery of his signature in a letter sacking former deputy secretary-general P Jenapala, he said the party has now "lost the plot" in its journey towards a reformed government that cared about the people.

"My personal concern is the deliberate use of my name to facilitate a fraud, but my bigger concern as an activist is that a so-called reformist party is falling into the trap of abusing the secretariat (an institution under its total control) to further its aim to achieve power expeditiously at the expense of the rights of its members," he said.

Salehuddin said the problems in the party were not the fault of the members but were caused by leaders hungry for power.

"Many leaders are looking for power for their own interests rather than looking out for the interests of the rakyat. The leadership of PKR has lost the plot... it has hijacked reformasi," said Salehuddin, who quit PKR in January this year after a fallout with PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

In an affidavit filed on Nov 23, Salehuddin, who served as secretary-general from April 2008 till January 2010, claimed he had no knowlegde of the “letter of dismissal” (see below) purportedly signed by him, sacking Jenapala from the party.

Salehuddin lodged a report urging the police to investigate it as a criminal offence as the letter was never issued nor approved by him during his tenure in the party.

The alleged “dismissal letter” dealt a blow to Jenapala's bid to challenge PKR against disqualifying him from contesting the deputy presidency in the just-concluded party election.

(Jenapala filed a suit against PKR in the High Court on Nov 25 to get a declaration that he was entitled to contest the number two slot, but judge Aziah Ali dismissed it, saying the decision of a political party cannot be challenged in court as stipulated under Section 18 (c) of the Societies Act 1966 (revised 1987).

"All the abuses of power started off as small, almost insignificant acts of deceit, such as the one I'm highlighting now. Otherwise, it will be a case of 'alah bisa tegar biasa' (when you do something regularly, you become used to it)," said Salehuddin.

He said he was not so much concerned over the suitability of Jenapala to run in the election as much as the fact that his name and office were used fraudulently.

"This is not a political matter, this is a criminal matter," he said. "As it is now in the hands of the police, I shall leave it to them to investigate.

"I'm pleased that PKR officials have indicated their willingness to give their full cooperation, unlike Tian Chua, who has appointed himself spokesman of the police by saying that they will not be interested in the technical details.”

"It is the details that make up the whole, and it was poor attention to details that resulted in the poor control and management of the recent party elections," said Salehuddin.

'No single person can sack a member'

Stressing that Jenapala was never sacked and that the letter was forged, Salehuddin said that the letter itself was against the party's constitution.

"No single person in the party may decide on the sacking of a member, not even the president. The letter did not state if the sacking was deliberated by the supreme council or the political bureau.

"If we follow how the letter was written, then it meant that I could have sacked Anwar himself anytime," Salehuddin said, adding that a secretary-general is only a “messenger” and had no powers to dismiss anyone.

He questioned why in the minutes of a PKR meeting in August 2009 the political bureau had considered suspending the membership of Jenapala when the party claimed that he was sacked earlier.
"Why would the political bureau be considering disciplinary action against Jenapala seven months after he was purportedly sacked by me via that letter dated Feb 2, 2009?

"Evidently, Jenapala was a member and was never sacked. This could be seen when he took part in the party's functions and ceramahs in the presence of top officials of the party," he said.

Salehuddin chided current secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution who was quoted in the papers as saying that he merely found the files and would not have known if it had been forged.
"Any self-respecting secretary-general who does his job would have reacted in astonishment if he found the letter in the files," he said.

Salehuddin urged the police to haul up PKR leaders to the courts to explain the situation as several possible offences have been committed under the Penal Code, including cheating, forgery, making a false document and or criminal conspiracy.

Meanwhile, Salehuddin, who worked as a lawyer, said that he would act as a political watchdog from now and would start blogging under the name "Activist Reformasi".

"Once a week, as when necessary, I will jot down my observations of what is really going on in the reformasi movement. I still am a reformasi activist. It does not mean if you are against Anwar, you are against reformasi. It does not mean if you do not support PKR, you support Umno."

On whether he will support former PKR member Zaid Ibrahim's new party when it is formed sometime next year, Salehuddin said he needed to wait and see the party itself first.

"Perhaps Zaid is spurred by a desire to create a platform for those who have the reform spirit but does not have a place for it. I know many people in PKR who are contemplating leaving the party. Most are sincere and want change."

PKR is a cult organisation, claims Zaid

By Stephanie Sta Maria and G Vinod


FMT EXCLUSIVE  PETALING JAYA: The cool breeze from an earlier downpour seemed to have failed to soothe former PKR supreme council member Zaid Ibrahim: he is still full of resentment over his former party which he left on Nov 16.

Speaking from his luxury home in Tropicana here, he accused the party of being a “cult organisation” as it was fixated on “certain individuals”.

“Their (PKR) problem is that they do not want other people to come up unless they belong to the clique. It is like a cult organisation. Only certain people can rise in PKR,” said Zaid, who was seated at his patio.

He cited an example where the party's de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim, had made many empty promises to the people in the previous general election, but nobody questioned him as they were too engrossed in him.

“Anwar had promised a lot of things in this country... But no one asked him why he never delivered any of those things. This is because they are fixated on him,” he said, adding that this worrying trend would last forever.

Fending off attacks levelled against him by his former party comrades, Zaid claimed that no one had been able to provide evidence to substantiate allegations that he was a traitor to their cause.

“No one asked him (Anwar) to show proof that I am a traitor. Did anyone ask him, as a responsible leader, how could he allow so many traitors into his party? Is there no vetting procedure? What did they do? How much did Umno pay me?

“When leaders make certain accusations, they have to be substantiated. But in this country some people are exempted from this rule. He (Anwar) is a charmer... he can charm you. Because I am disturbing their dreams, they are taking it out on me. But when the dust settles, I am sure that I will be all right,” he said.

'PKR's days numbered'

Zaid gave PKR a warning: its days are numbered... the Pakatan Rakyat coalition will never step foot in Putrajaya as long as Anwar is helming the pact.

“People are so obsessed about changing the government that they will just support any leader for that (purpose). But I do not buy or believe it. I think that is stupid and emotional.

“You have to replace the existing leader with someone who is better. I do not see that happening today. On the menu, you have (Prime Minister) Najib Tun Razak and Anwar. Although I am in the opposition, I think that Najib is way ahead in terms of ability and integrity.

“So to replace one with the another... you need to have a good reason. I am not obsessed about changing anyone. It is the policies that I am concerned about. As long as Anwar leads Pakatan, the opposition pact will not be able to take over the government,” said Zaid.

Former deputy president, Syed Husin Ali, was also not spared from his venom. Zaid called the former leader an “arrogant” man for blindly dismissing those who wished to leave the party.
“Syed Husin, for example, was very arrogant when he said those who want to leave can leave; if you want to hang yourself, please do so.

“He himself was a leader who has not achieved much for himself,” said Zaid, the former law minister.
He added that when he (Syed Husin) merged his then-party Parti Rakyat Malaysia with then Parti Keadilan Nasional to form PKR, not many of his own followers joined the new entity.


'I don't endorse phony politics

When asked about party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's allegation that he was an “impatient person”, Zaid claimed that party members just threw those accusation at him for the sake of berating him.

“Some people say I am power-crazy. These people do not understand. What am I chasing? I joined PKR because I thought through the party, I could help transform the country in the way that I think political parties should do.

“I am not here to support or endorse phony politics... politics that are against the grain of good behaviour. Why should I do that? Why would anyone do that? Unless of course they are the ones who are power-crazy... to them as long as they get to Putrajaya, it does not really matter.”

He added that his detractors can continue slandering him but expressed confidence that people will understand his convictions soon enough.

“It is just that a lot of people are angry with me because I have disturbed their dream. They have this idea that the opposition is getting stronger, but I am giving them a wake-up call and no one likes to be woken up, especially if they are having a good dream,” he said.

However, Zaid expressed confidence that the Malaysian public will judge him on a more positive note in due time.
“I have been saying that there are a lot of flaws in this opposition system, in PKR especially; the leaders whom you think you know, you do not really know. They do not like hearing this. But over time I think they will understand and they will like me again... hopefully,” he smiled.

When asked about his relationship with other partners in the opposition coalition, PAS and DAP, Zaid said that it depended on how both parties viewed Anwar's role in the opposition.

“If Pakatan and my party find that we have common views, it will be up to them to decide whether they want to work with me. If PAS and DAP think that Anwar is indispensable and he is God's gift to Malaysia, then they cannot work with me.

“That is because I am not God's gift to anyone. I am just an ordinary Malaysian who wants to see a better set of policies and laws for this country,” said Zaid.

Musa and Shafie locked in 'dirty political duel'

By FMT Staff

KOTA KINABALU: A cloak-and-dagger style tussle between two powerful Umno warlords in Sabah has turned into an open “dirty” political duel over “filthy” Semporna.

The intensifying political battle between Chief Minister Musa Aman and Rural and Regional Development Shafie Apdal has turned “dirty” and re-ignited friction between the two camps which has been simmering for awhile.

Labelling the east coast town of Semporna as “filthy” is seen as a politically motivated power play between two.

Both Musa and Shafie want the coveted chief minister's seat. While tycoon Musa is for now firmly entrenched, Shafie is openly yearning for the post for at least once in his political career.

Shafie, an Umno vice-president, is seen to be allied to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak while Musa is hoping to establish himself as Sabah's undisputed warlord.

A brewing storm between these warlords could well deflect Najib's plan to spread his influence in Sabah.

Najib was to have announced the reshuffle following the recent Umno supreme council meeting but for some reason he did not.

While it bought time for Musa, it has however sparked a restless war between the two camps by way of Semporna, which incidentally comes under Shafie's purview.

The flood of bad press coverage over Semporna has greatly embarrassed Shafie.

Competing for credits

In the recent Batu Sapi by-election, both Musa and Shafie took credit for the overwhelming BN victory.

Musa claimed credit as director of the election for Barisan Nasional with ample funds from his war chest, and Shafie for delivering his kinsfolk votes from the Bajau/Suluk “fixed deposit” with resources from his ministry.

But what Musa did not take into account in his battle strategy to stay on top was the spirited response of the Bajau/Suluk Semporna Umno chiefs.

The chiefs took the state government spokesman, State Minister of Tourism and Environment Masidi Manjun, a Muslim Dusun, to task for sullying their town when similar dirty conditions existed in Manjun's own consituency, Ranau.

“Why pick on Semporna... it is no better in Ranau.

"For the record, Semporna has won two cleanliness awards in the past,” said an Umno leader from Semporna.

The leader speculated that the outburst from Masidi was delibrate as he is aligned to Musa.

Masidi rose to prominence after Kasitah Gaddam, another Umno potential chief minister candidate, was arrested for corruption while serving in former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's Cabinet.

It was the only high-profile case involving an Umno minister.

Kasitah was seen by Musa as a expendable Sabah sacrificial lamb to make Abdullah's national anti-graft campaign credible.

He was eventually found not guilty but his political career was left in ruins.

Shafie threat

But now, a new threat to Musa has risen in the form of Shafie.

After enjoying close ties with Abdullah, Musa has not had the same luck with Najib, who has kept him at arm's length.

On the sideline is another Umno potential chief ministerial candidate, State Minister of Local Government and Housing, Hajiji Noor.

He has tried to defuse the tensed situation by issuing a gag order to stop further mudslinging by rival camps.

Hajiji is the man who defeated current Tuaran division PKR leader Ansari Abdullah for the Sulaman state constituency during the last elelction.

Also on the list of potential candidate for the chief minister's post is Rahim Ismail. Rahim is not in the Musa camp.

On the last day of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly sitting last month, Musa blasted Rahim for not being around to listen to his (Musa's) explanation on the bonds issue undertaken by the state government.

Rahim, who was dropped from the state Cabinet after the last state election, queried the state government about the controversial bonds issue which had been marked as revenue in the state's Budget 2011.

Musa was also humiliated after the media highlighted the World Bank’s report on the poverty situation in Sabah.

Shafie rubbed it in by urging the state government to accept the report objectively instead of downplaying or refuting it.

Shafie’s kinsfolk form the bulk of the poor in Sabah.

Much of the bad blood between Musa and Shafie stems from the refusal of Shafie's ministry to hand over its funds for Sabah to Musa's state government.

Youth beaten black and blue by 'tensed' traffic cop

By G Vinod - Free Malaysia Today,

KUALA LUMPUR: Little did S Karthik suspect that an outing with his girlfriend would leave him black and blue after being allegedly beaten by a traffic cop, who was having a bad day.
The 20-year-old mechanic filed a report with the Setapak police station yesterday.
Speaking to FMT, Karthik said the 9.30pm incident occurred last Tuesday when he was travelling on his motorcycle with his girlfriend near Section 1, Wangsa Maju here.
“When I stopped at a traffic light, the traffic policeman came up to me and started beating me for no reason,” he said, adding that his assailant had also pounded him with a helmet.
Despite his shocked girlfriend's repeated pleas, Karthik said the policeman whacked him on the legs and stomach, and punched his face several times.
A passer-by who claimed to be a police officer came to his aid and stopped the attack, not before Karthik sustained bruises on his face and body.
“Then, the traffic policeman himself took me to a nearby clinic and paid for my medical bill. He also apologised and admitted that it was foolish of him to have attacked me,” he said.
And when Karthik asked why he had assaulted him, the mechanic claimed that the policeman told him that he was feeling “tensed”.
The policeman had also warned the youth against filing a police report, but Karthik said that when he discussed the matter with his father, both of them agreed that it should be pursued.
'Minister must look into this'
Meanwhile, an NGO specialising in tackling the woes afflicting the Indian community, Astivaaram Foundation, expressed outrage over the incident.
The foundation's public complaints bureau chairman R Sri Sanjeevan said this was not the first time such an incident had happened.
“The police should not beat up people even if they are suspected of being involved in a crime. Call them to the police station and investigate professionally,” he told FMT.
As for Karthik's case, he said that Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein should personally look into the matter.
“The minister must ensure such incidents do not happen again,” he said, adding that action must be taken against the errant policeman.
FMT could not reach Sentul district police chief ACP Zakaria Pagar for comments.

Sedap membaca sejarah ciptaan Dr Mahathir.

YB Bayan Baru Zaharin Hashim mencadangkan supaya supaya gelaran yang dianugerahkan kepada Anwar Ibrahim ditarik balik oleh mana Raja-Raja Melayu yang telah menganugerahkan gelaran-gelaran kepada Anwar dahulu. Zaharin telah menuduh Anwar mempersoalkan isu ketuanan Melayu didalam perhimpunan agung Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) baru-baru ini.

Zaharin menganggap Anwar tidak wajar menyimpan gelaran kerana tidak bersama membina apa yang dihebohkan oleh pemimpin Melayu yang beretorik tentang ketuanan Melayu. Zaharin menempelak Anwar kerana kononnya PKR tidak mahu bersama memperjuangkan ketuanan Melayu dan oleh sebab itu segala gelaran yang diterima Anwar wajar ditarik balik.

Media perdana telah memberikan liputan cadangan Zaharin ini dan Anwar telah menjawab yang itu adalah anugerah Tuanku-Tuanku yang berkaitan dan beliau tidak pernah merayu dan mengemis untuk mendapatkan gelaran-gelaran tersebut.

Bagi saya samada gelaran itu ditarik balik atau dikekalkan bukanlah menjadi isu tetapi saya mengambil persepsi yang Zaharin membuat kenyataan ini semata-mata kerana perasaan peribadinya terhadap Anwar semata-mata. Pada hal Zaharinlah yang menjunjung Anwar semasa gerakkan reformasi dan seterusnya mendapat tempat diDewan Legislative dan sekarang digelar Yang Berhormat.

Saya bukan hendak mempertahankan Anwar kerana saya sendiri tidak ada perasaan apa-apa terhadap pemimpin ini kerana Anwar bukanlah pemimpin yang saya kagumi. Tetapi apa yang saya persoalkan ialah Zaharin bukannya berkata-kata kepada landasan kejujuran tetapi oleh kerana ‘persona non grata’ beliau terhadap Anwar sahaja.

Kalau isu kelalaian Anwar terhadap bangsa Melayu mewajarkan gelaran ditarik balik, maka hampir kesemua pemimpimpin UMNO sepatutnya ditarik gelaran Datuk Seri, Datuk, Tan Sri dan sebagainya. Zaharin sepatutnya menyarankan gelaran kepada Dr Mahathir dilucutkan kerana beliau mengepalai barisan pimpinan UMNO (Baru) menghina Raja-Raja Melayu semasa krisis prlembagaan yang dicetuskan oleh UMNO yang diketuai oleh Dr Mahathir serta Ghaffar Baba pada tahun 1993 dahulu.

Semasa itu Perlembagaan Persekutuan telah melarang Raja-Raja Melayu diipersoalkan samada didalam Dewan Legislative atau diluar Dewan. Jika dilanggar individu-individu yang terlibat boleh dipenjara ‘mandatory’. Menghina Raja-Raja itu adalah penghinaan kepada orang Melayu dan isu itu patut disebut oleh Zaharin. Kenapa hanya Anwar dipersoalkan?

Kalau dibuat intrepitasi mengikut Perlembagaan Persekutuan Dr Mahathir, Anwar, Ghaffar Baba, Najib Tun Razak, Hj Khalid Yunus, Isa Samad, Anwar Musa dan terlalu ramai yang lain sepatutnya telah dipenjarakan dan ditarik semua gelaran kebesaran masing-masing semasa krisis cetusan UMNO (Baru) itu sedang hangat didebatkan oleh setiap lapisan masyarakat semasa itu.

Kepada penggiat politik yang masih berhingus masa itu tentunya tidak ingat dengan sejarah hitam semasa itu. Isu ii diperbesarkan oleh orang Melayu dalam UMNO yang mengampu pimpinan semasa itu dan tidak kedengaran semasa itu kritikkan kepada Raja-Raja Melayu dilakukan oleh bangsa lain.

UMNO telah melakukan penghinaan kepada Raja-Raja Melayu tanpa sempadan dan media letronik dan cetak telah memberikan sokongan agar Raja-Raja Melayu ditamatkan riwayat kewujuddan mereka. Ini sejarah yang begitu baru dan pada siapa yang berumur sebaya atau lebih tua daripada saya tidak akan mampu melupakan insiden hitam yang dihadapi oleh Raja-Raja Melayu sewaktu itu.

Pemimpin-pemimpin kita yang besar dan yang kecil semasa itu telah lupa daratan dan mereka seolah-olah tidak lagi memerlukan institusi Raja-Raja Melayu dan ramai yang bertempik dan bersorak mengkritik Raja-Raja Melayu didalam akhbar-akhbar perdana dan media letronik. Kepada sesiapa yang mushkil dengan kata-kata saya ini elok pergi keArkib Negara dan bacalah setiap berita yang tertulis didalam dada akhbar pada tahun 1993 dan saudara akan terbaca semua yang saya katakan tadi.

UMNO (baru) bersikap lebih buruk dari sikap British Malayan Union yang cuba untuk menurunkan martabat bangsa Melayu dengan mencemuh Raja-Raja mereka. Kalau Malayan Union itu adalah dari kaum Inggeris cuba untuk merendahkan mertabat Raja-Raja Melayu, UMNO (B) pula adalah dari rakyat yang hampir kesemuanya Melayu yang cuba untuk menjatuhkan institusi Raja-Raja Melayu mereka sendiri.

Walaupun pindaan terhadap perlembagaan yang bersabit dengan Raja-Raja tidak dibenarkan namun UMNO tetap memindanya dan itu merupakan penghinaan kepada bangsa Melayu. Semua yang mencadangkan pindaan itu adalah orang-orang yang telah mendapat gelaran dari Raja-Raja dan Zaharin patut mengeluarkan segala-galanya jika benar beliau serius untuk memperjuangkan apa yang kikatakan sebagai ketuanan Melayu.

Jika Zaharin tidak bersikap ‘limau masam sebelah’ elok beliau diberitahu bahawa Fasal 159(5) dan 181(2) telah di’repeal’ oleh UMNO pimpinan Mahathir dan ini merupakan ancaman gila yang tidak ada tolok bandingnya terhadap institusi Melayu yang unggul itu.

Tetapi UMNO mudah lupa; dalam krisis diPerak baru-baru ii UMNO telah menggunakan kuasa yang sikit-sikit berbaki kepada Sultan Perak untuk mengambil alih kerajaan pilihan rakyat dari PR. Barulah sekarang, apabila sudah terdesak UMNO mahu menerima kenyataan yang institusi Raja itu penting.

Sejak dari itu UMNO tidak mahu lari dari berlindung dicelah ketiak Raja Melayu. Bagi sekumpulan kecil dalam UMNO yang tidak bersetuju dengan tindakkan UMNO itu hanya mampu mendiamkan diri sahaja semasa itu tanpa berdaya melakukan sesuatu kerana semasa itu semua ahli-ahli UMNO haya bangun untuk membodek Dr Mahathir bagi kepentingan politik jangka pendek mereka.

Kami bersedih dan terkilan dengan penghinaan yang dilakukan oleh kepimpinan UMNO semasa itu. Semasa itu kami hanya berdoa agar Tuhan memberikan petunjuk terhadap kepimpinan yang sesat barat itu kembali kejalan yang benar.

Alhamdulillah, UMNO sudah sedar tentang pentingnya Raja-Raja Melayu, walaupu hanya setelah mereka hampir mati oleh tindakkan mereka sendiri. ‘BUT, it’s better late than never’ bak kata perbilangan Inggeris yang semua orang tahu.

Sesungguhnya sangat seronok membaca sejarah cetusan Dr Mahathir ini. Masalahnya saya tidak pandai menulis buku. Kalaulah saya seorang penulis buku sejarah, topik ini merupakan topik yang paling utama bagi saya supaya anak muda yang akan datang faham bahawa kita adalah orang Melayu yang telah dipunah ranahkan oleh pemimpin mereka sendiri.

Cukuplah setakat ini.

Indians and Chinese support Ketuanan Melayu

Umno, on its own, can’t uphold or propagate Ketuanan Melayu. It needs the support of the non-Malays to do that. So it is the non-Malays who make Ketuanan Melayu possible. The figures speak for themselves.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamaraudin
(Bernama) -- People's Progressive Party (PPP), a multi-racial party under the Barisan Nasional (BN) banner, has regarded Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's statement on 'Ketuanan Melayu' (Malay Supremacy) as a disgrace to Malays.
PPP vice president Datuk Nik Sapeia Nik Yusof said though PKR itself has championed Malay rights in the country, they (PKR) were willing to say such things just for the sake of achieving their objectives and greed for power.
"If PPP which is a multi-racial party are not questioning the rights of the Malays, it is strange for PKR who are just a budding party that is only a year old, is questioning Malay rights. This is a shame to Malays," Nik Sapeia told Bernama when commenting on Wan Azizah''s statement last week on the subject of 'Ketuanan Melayu'.
Nik Sapeia said PKR should instead be fighting for the rights of Malays and 'Ketuanan Melayu' since the PKR party is dominated by Malays, including its adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Speaking of PKR adviser Anwar''s offer of the Deputy Prime Minister's post to DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang if the Pakatan Rakyat won the 13th General Election, the Kelantan PPP Liaison Chief said it was made by someone who was disappointed with the confusion in the party.
"Since the Malays have lost confidence in him, he is pretending to offer DAP instead but everyone knows the promise was just a gimmick," said Nik Sapeia.

*****************************************

There you are. PPP, an Indian-based multi-racial party in the Barisan Nasional ruling coalition, supports Ketuanan Melayu. So why should PKR, a Malay-based multi-racial party in the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, question or oppose it?
This makes sense. Umno, on its own, can’t form the government. See the pie chart below.

In the 2008 general election, Umno garnered only 29.33% of the popular votes or 2,381,725 votes. It won only 79 seats or 35.6% of the seats in Parliament. Without the Indians, Chinese and other parties from Sabah and Sarawak, Umno would not be heading the government.
Umno, on its own, can’t uphold or propagate Ketuanan Melayu. It needs the support of the non-Malays to do that. So it is the non-Malays who make Ketuanan Melayu possible. The figures speak for themselves. And now PPP too has spoken. Are we now going to hear from MCA, MIC, Gerakan and all those parties from Sabah and Sarawak as well?
I suppose they need not say anything. The fact that they are in Barisan Nasional, and Umno is the lead partner in Barisan Nasional, and Umno upholds and propagates Ketuanan Melayu, means that the non-Malays also support Ketuanan Melayu. They don’t have to make statements saying they support Ketuanan Melayu. The fact that they remain silent and remain in Barisan Nasional is an indication of their support for Ketuanan Melayu.
And the non-Malays scream and curse Umno. How stupid when it is the non-Malays who make Ketuanan Melayu possible. Bodoh!
Now, on the issue of whether the Deputy Prime Minister should be Malay, Indian, Chinese, Dayak, Iban, Khadazan, Senoi, Siamese, Portuguese, Eurasian, Punjabi, or whatever, please look at Article 43 of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.
Article 43
   1. (1) The Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall appoint a Jemaah Menteri (Cabinet of Ministers) to advise him in the exercise of his functions.
   2. (2) The Cabinet shall be appointed as follows, that is to say -
          (a) the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall first appoint as Perdana Menteri (Prime Minister) to preside over the Cabinet a member of the House of Representative who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House; and
          (b) he shall on the advice of the Prime Minister appoint other Menteri (Ministers) from among the members of either House of Parliament;
Can you see it just says that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall appoint a Jemaah Menteri (Cabinet of Ministers)? His Majesty shall also appoint a Prime Minister.
Note there is no mention of the race, religion or gender of the Prime Minister. It could be an Indian-Hindu woman as far as the Constitution is concerned. It would be perfectly legal and constitutional.
Furthermore, there is no mention of Deputy Prime Minister. Malaysia does not need a Deputy Prime Minister. The Constitution does not make it mandatory that Malaysia has a Deputy Prime Minister. The Constitution only says Prime Minister and Cabinet of Ministers.
We can have no Deputy Prime Minister or we can have five Deputy Prime Ministers if we want to. And it does not matter whether they are men, women, Muslims, non-Muslims, Malays or non-Malays. The Constitution does not stipulate whether we must have none, one, or more than one, Deputy Prime Ministers and what race, religion and gender they must be.
Umno screams about respecting the law and the Federal Constitution of Malaysia. But those who scream about respecting the law and the Federal Constitution of Malaysia do not even know what it says.
Again, I can only say, bodoh punya orang Umno!

The Mecca Trip with Tajuddin Ramli’s Proxy: No Comment from the Attorney-General

No Comment from the Attorney -General on his relationship with Tajuddin Ramli’s Proxy

by Leven Woon Zheng Yang (December 1, 2010)

Attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail has declined to give any comments to define his relationship or friendship with former Malaysia Airlines System chairperson Tajuddin Ramli’s proxy, Shahidan Shafie.

Similarly, Shahidan, a lawyer and former police officer, also refused to comment on the issue when contacted by Malaysiakini. Malaysiakini had asked Abdul Gani on whether he was together with Shahidan on their recent haj pilgrimage to Mecca, but the attorney-general said, “Later you will quote me of saying all this.”

When asked further, Gani replied, “No comment” on whether he wanted to deny the allegations.Yesterday, Social Care Foundation chairperson Robert Phang Miow Sin (left) wanted Abdul Gani to go on record to clear up several allegations made on the Malaysia Today website over the adverse public speculation on the AG’s relationship with Shahidan.

This follows an allegation that Abdul Gani had allegedly decided not to take action against Tajuddin, despite recommendations made by former Commercial Crime Investigation Director Dato’ Ramli Yusof.

The allegation that Abdul Gani and his family had shared a trip with Shahidan on the same package was another reason for alarm, resulting in Phang calling for answers.

Phang, who is also a member of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s consultative and advisory panel, said the MACC is entitled to investigate the AG if there was a directive to do so by the Prime Minister’s Department.

The Malaysia Today website had in September and November claimed it was Shahidan who had convinced Abdul Gani not to press charges against Tajuddin.

Tajuddin, who was MAS’ executive chairperson from 1994 to 2001, has been largely been blamed for the national carrier suffering losses amounting to more than RM8 billion, which is mainly due to the move to relocate MAS’ cargo operations from Amsterdam and Frankfurt to a single hub in Hahn, Germany.

MAS had also filed several reports against Tajuddin with the MACC, and the national airline and the government had also initiated a suit against the former MAS chairperson. The entrepreneur had also launched a counter-claim.

‘Allegedly Tajuddin’s frontman’

Shahidan, as alleged by Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamaruddin, fostered good ties with Abdul Gani during his days as a police officer in Johor Bahru.

Shahidan was allegedly Tajuddin’s frontman and played a major role in new business ventures after the latter quit his post as MAS chairmperson.

The Malaysia Today portal had published records and pictures of the pair’s trip to Mecca under one package. Besides Abdul Gani, his wife and son had allegedly travelled with him on the same package.

It is learnt the charge for the package is said to be RM60,000 per person, and with three persons going the bill would come to at least RM180,000. The Malaysia Today portal also alleges that Shahidan had footed the bill for Abdul Gani’s family.

Meanwhile, Phang said he will resort to “various methodologies” to continue seeking responses from both the AG and Shahidan. “If they still haven’t answered after one month, I will call for another press conference,” he said.—www.malaysiakini.com

Baru Bian poses three questions to the Chief Minister on ‘Bread & Butter’ issues

By Haris Ibrahim,

Baru Bian issued this press statement earlier today.
_________________________________
On Wednesday 1st December, 2010, the Chief Minister of Sarawak, on the front page of the Borneo Post, said:
“I don’t ever take development for granted.” He urged the people to be wary of those who tried to brainwash and incite them to hate the government. This, he warned, would cause people to forget about the bread and butter issues like planning further development of the state and country. He said when people forgot about the bread and butter issues they would dwell on personal matters or think about things that were not related to their well-being. Speaking at length on development, Taib said Sarawak had achieved great progress and become prosperous”.
Let us be reminded that the funding of projects and development in the country or state comes from the coffers of the country and state, as well as taxes paid by the people. The funding does not come from the pockets of the CM and BN leaders.
Let us be clear that it is the duty and responsibility of the government of the day (BN) to utilise and manage the coffers of the state for the benefit of the people. Development is not a choice. It is an imperative and a right to be enjoyed by the rakyat. Even the worse totalitarian regimes in the world have to develop their countries, what more to say Malaysia and in particular Sarawak which purportedly practises parliamentary democracy.
However, what is the track record and success rate of the BN government in executing this responsibility of developing the state? It has failed miserably in the last 30 years in discharging this duty.
Let me pose three straightforward questions to the Chief Minister of Sarawak:
1. Why is it that Sarawak, being the richest state in Malaysia in terms of natural resources, ends up the fourth poorest state in Malaysia? Yet we have read internet allegations and reports that the CM and his family own overseas properties worth billions of ringgit.

2. Why is there a huge disparity in terms of wealth between the rich and the poor in Sarawak?

3. And ironically, why are the poorest Malaysians to be found in the richest state in Malaysia i.e. Sarawak, especially the Dayaks?
The fact that we can ask these salient questions goes to show that the BN government and her leaders have nothing to be proud of in terms of development in the their  47 years of government in Sarawak.
In light of what the CM has said about bread and butter issues, I agree with him that we should not cloud the matter with rhetoric and instead urge Sarawakians to ask themselves some pertinent questions:
1. Who own the timber concessions and licenses in Sarawak?
2. Who own the quarry licenses in Sarawak?
3. Who own the oil-palm plantations in Sarawak?
4. Who have benefitted from the many huge government contracts that have been awarded arbitrarily without open tender?
Therefore, it appears that the development the Chief Minister speaks of is for the selected few, not the ordinary citizens. Is this the bread and butter he is talking about?
On the other hand, PKR and Pakatan Rakyat will offer good governance, better management of the state’s wealth, transparency, fair and equitable distribution of wealth, and implement an open tender system for all government projects and contracts. We want the bread and butter to reach the tables of the people, and not end up on the gravy train.
__________________________________________________________________________________
For more information, please contact PKR State Publicity Chief Mr. See Chee How (0198886509) or Baru Bian’s Office (Vernon Kedit  at 0129880996).

Politik Kemiskinan Ala-Ketuanan Melayu UMNO

Dari Merdeka Review
Oleh Ooi Heng
Aku tahu benar rasa keperitan kerana miskin semenjak kecil lagi.  Ibu yang mengajar otak durianku erti kemiskinan.  Ibu mengopek udang.  Kakak mengopek udang.  Aku satu-satunya anak jantan “keluarga tanpa ayah” juga mengopek udang.  Di tempat perempuan mengopek udang dan berbicara panjang lebar mengenai politik kehidupan harian dan politik suami isteri, aku seekor jantan wujud tanpa disedari untuk satu tempoh yang agak panjang kerana ibuku menurunkan kromosom X yang terlampau berpengaruh terhadap rupa wajahku.  Maka mengalirlah di seluruh susuk tubuhku keinginan untuk melepaskan diri daripada belenggu gelanggang kewanitaan yang hanya aku sedar kemudian hari.
Kromosom X yang diturunkan oleh ibu kepada aku bukan sahaja mengubah cara aku menguruskan rambut otak durianku, tetapi yang paling berharga buat diriku ialah cara bagaimana aku mengharungi, merasai dan memahami kemiskinan sebelum aku sempat membaca karya Edward Said yang membuka mataku terhadap wacana orientalisme.  Jangan kita menghakimi kemiskinan orang Melayu dengan kaca mata orientalisme sehingga terpedaya dengan mentaliti pemikiran kolonialis lampau dan masa kini.  Lebih kurang begitulah salah satu dimensi penafsiranku terhadap teguran Allahyarham Syed Hussein Alatas yang meskipun pada satu ketika dahulu berderingan kuat dari jauh tetapi kini semakin sepi dan lembut suaranya.
Siapakah “kolonialis masa kini” dalam konteks politik kemiskinan domestik hari ini?  Bacalah paparan berita media perdana saban hari.  Perhatikanlah senarai syarikat yang mendapat projek besar setiap kali pengumuman dibuat oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan.  Telitilah ke mana perginya hasil ekonomi negara setiap tahun Belanjawan Negara diumumkan oleh Menteri Kewangan.  Kebarangkalian kumpulan-kumpulan orang yang sama mendapat projek besar terlalu tinggi.
Secara ringkas, dalam kalangan kumpulan tersebut, ada yang bergelar “kelompok Umnoputra”, ada juga yang bergelar “kelompok GLC”, yakni mereka yang berselindung di sebalik syarikat kerajaan berkaitan kerajaan.
Kumpulan-kumpulan sedemikianlah yang berbicara kuat mengenai pembasmian kemiskinan. Bahawa Dasar Ekonomi Baru masih diperlukan bagi mencapai objektif kerajaan berdasarkan statistik kerajaan mengenai kadar kemiskinan di Malaysia seperti berikut:
Pembasmian Kemiskinan Yang Telah Dilakukan Kerajaan BN

Tahun	Peratus (%)
1970	52.4
1988	17.3
1990	16.5
1999	7.5
2002	5.1

Bahawa Model Ekonomi Baru wajar dilihat sebagai kesinambungan Dasar Ekonomi Baru kerana Kerajaan Persekutuan yang kononnya prihatin terhadap kemiskinan rakyat akan meneruskan projek dan program yang dapat membantu dan menaik taraf status golongan rakyat dalam kategori 40% berpendapatan rendah.
Tidak cukup setakat retorik mengaitkan politik kemiskinan dengan program ekonomi yang sebenarnya lebih menguntungkan sekumpulan “kelompok Umnoputra” dan “kelompok GLC”.  Kelompok-kelompok elit seumpama yang kononnya prihatin dengan kemiskinan rakyat bawahan acap kali mengaitkan “Ketuanan Melayu UMNO” dengan politik kemiskinan.  Bahawa “Ketuanan Melayu UMNO” merupakan pembela orang Melayu maka akan membawa penyelesaian kepada kemiskinan orang Melayu.
Ironisnya, siapakah yang menghakimi kemiskinan Orang Melayu dengan kaca mata orientalisme tetapi bertopengkan Dasar Ekonomi Baru dan “Ketuanan Melayu UMNO” yang pada satu ketika dahulu berniat baik tetapi hari ini bercampur-adukkan dengan budaya “rent-seeking” yang terlalu “embedded” dalam sanubari Melayu UMNO?
Oleh kerana tidak berupaya menjalani proses transformasi diri secara yang berimpak, maka “kelompok Umnoputra” terus-menerus membawa wacana “Ketuanan Melayu UMNO” ke seluruh pelosok desa dan berbicara tanpa segan silu mengenai politik kemiskinan.
Tetapi yang jarang-jarang sekali dianalisi dalam mesej politik kemiskinan seumpama ialah: Pertahankan “Ketuanan Melayu UMNO” maka dipertahankan kepentingan “kelompok Umnoputra”.  Pertahankan kesinambungan politik kemiskinan ala-Dasar Ekonomi Baru meskipun dalam penjelmaan terbaru seperti Model Ekonomi Baru maka dipertahankan kepentingan “kelompok Umnoputra”.
Lihatlah senarai projek permulaan (EPP) yang ditandatangani sempena pelancaran Pelan Hala Tuju Program Transformasi Ekonomi (ETP) oleh Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak Program transformasi bukan mimpi, projek mana satu merupakan program pembasmian kemiskinan?

• Syarikat Jerman, LFoundry menempatkan dan melabur lima loji Fabrikasi Wafer di Taman Teknologi Tinggi Kulim, Kedah dalam tempoh lima tahun dengan pelaburan permulaan RM214 juta dan pelaburan keseluruhan RM1.9 bilion.
• Pemborong dan pengusaha peruncit tempatan, Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd melabur RM1 bilion bagi membuka 14 cawangan baru dalam tempoh tiga tahun.
• St Regis, jenama antarabangsa dalam bidang hospitaliti bertaraf enam bintang membina hotel 208 bilik dan 160 unit kediaman di KL Sentral membabitkan pelaburan RM1.2 bilion.
• Syarikat perkhidmatan medan minyak, Schlumberger membuka hab perkhidmatan, Eastern Hemisphere Global Financial Services Hub di Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya bagi menarik 100 syarikat multinasional untuk menempatkan operasi di Lembah Klang menjelang 2020.
• Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) memberi konsesi 25 tahun kepada syarikat pembinaan dan infrastruktur, WCT Bhd untuk membina dan mengendalikan operasi kompleks integrasi di Terminal Tambang Murah (KLIA2), Sepang bernilai RM486 juta.
• Syarikat pelaburan Asia Barat, Mubadala bekerjasama dengan 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) untuk membangunkan Daerah Kewangan Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur bernilai RM26 bilion di Jalan Tun Razak, Kuala Lumpur.
• Premium Renewable Energy Sdn Bhd akan membina lima loji minyak bio dalam tempoh lima tahun dengan kos loji pertama RM124 juta di Lahad Datu, Sabah.
• Asia e-University dilantik Kementerian Pengajian Tinggi sebagai Universiti Gateway untuk pembangunan pembelajaran dalam talian dan jarak jauh antarabangsa dijangka menghasilkan pendapatan negara kasar (PNK) RM341 juta.
• Genting Berhad membina Johor Premium Outlets di Genting Indahpura merangkumi hotel, taman rekreasi air antarabangsa dan pusat beli-belah besar membabitkan pelaburan RM150 juta.

Sebab itu Ketua Pembangkang Anwar Ibrahim (gambar kiri) ketika menyampaikan syarahan di Universiti Nasional Australia (ANU) pada 15 November 2010 berkata, Program Transformasi Ekonomi (ETP) yang dilancarkan Perdana Menteri hanya menumpukan perhatian kepada projek mega yang mengenyangkan kelompok kroni UMNO-Barisan Nasional tanpa perincian kepada program untuk membasmi kemiskinan tegar dan projek berteraskan kebajikan rakyat.
Jika aku orang Melayu yang hidup papa dan merana, setiap kali aku membaca berita atau mendengar pembesar politik berbicara mengenai kewajaran kelangsungan Dasar Ekonomi Baru dan Ketuanan Melayu pada abad ke-21, akan ku dapatkan segera pembesar suara, menghadapkannya ke arah akhbar atau pembesar politik tersebut, lalu aku memekik dengan kuat sekali: Hentikanlah ketaksuban berpolitik yang kononnya dapat menyelesaikan masalah kemiskinan orang Melayu dengan menggadaikan maruah orang Melayu.  Melayu bermaruah tidak lahir dalam konteks politik kemiskinan ala-Ketuanan Melayu UMNO.  Melayu bermaruah akan lahir dalam konteks baru Ketuanan Rakyat yang berjiwa rakyat dan berpaksikan keperluan golongan miskin dan golongan berpendapatan rendah tanpa mengira kaum.
*Ooi Heng ialah Pengarah Eksekutif Kajian Politik untuk Perubahan (KPRU).