BLOG - BLOG WAKIL RAKYAT: 06/07/11

Selasa, 7 Jun 2011

ZULKIFLI BIN NOORDIN

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 04:56 AM PDT

Salam 2 all.

"Over my dead body" kata Karpal Singh bila mengutuk PAS kerana mahu menubuhkan Negara Islam dan melaksanakan undang-undang Islam. Maka bertempiklah para mujahidin dan bakal syuhada didalam PAS menghentam dan memaki hamun Karpal Singh & DAP sehingga nak terbalik si punjabi tak berturban tu! Malah ada yang sanggup mati syahid untuk menentang Pengerusi DAP ini!

Belum pun mati si Karpal Singh, tau-tau Presiden Parti Islam SeMalaysia PAS mengisytiharkan pada hari Ahad 03 Rejab/ 06 Jun lepas bahawa PAS tidak akan memperjuangkan lagi penubuhan Negara Islam dengan fatwa "negara Islam tidak ada dalam Al Quran!!!".

Tentu tidur Karpal Singh nyenyak penuh dengkuran puas, pasti Kitsiang tersengeh meleret macam Anwar tengok China-doll melihat pendirian PAS yang terkulai kini. Tidak cukup dengan pemimpin PAS mengisytiharkan sanggup mati mempertahankan Karpal, kini PAS sudah sanggup mematikan perjuangan mendirikan sebuah Daulah Islamiyyah. Ini tidak ada bukti lain selain membuktikan bahawa cengkaman DAP sudah lengkap bukan sahaja keatas PKR, malah kini keatas PAS!!!

Apa yang menyedihkan teman ialah fatwa terbaru Ustadz Hadi ini sangat menghina para syuhada', mujahidin dan pejuang-pejuang PAS terdahulu yang bukan sahaja berkorban harta benda dan keringat peluh, malah ada yang membayar dengan nyawa demi mencapai impian Amanat Hadi untuk menubuhkan sebuah negara Islam. Ramai yang terpengaruh dengan Amanat Hadi sehingga ada yang mengkafirkan UMNO dan orang Melayu yang didakwa kononnya menolak penubuhan sebuah Negara Islam.

Akibat daripada Amanat Negara Islam Hadi ini, maka muncullah isu solat jemaah dua imam, pemboikotan kenduri walaupun dikalangan sanak-saudara, putus hubungan ahli keluarga, suami isteri ada yang bercerai berai, anak-anak kehilangan ibu bapa akibat dirasuk fahaman penubuhan Negara Islam melalui Amanat Hadi ini. Teman melihat sendiri orang kampung teman yang walaupun hidup kais pagi makan semalam, kais petang makan minggu lepas, tapi sanggup belanja duit untuk buat frame Amanat Hadi yang nak menubuhkan sebuah negara Islam. Rupanya 3o tahun pengorbanan mereka semua selama ini sia-sia, perjuangan yang mereka sokong selama ini tidak ada dalam Al Quran pun!!!

Dan persoalan besar iala

h: adakah perjuangan orang saperti Ustadz Ibrahim Libya selama ini sia-sia; sedangkan beliau difatwakan mati syahid kerana memperjuangkan sebuah Negara Islam, demi memenuhi Amanat Hadi tersebut. Pada teman, fatwa terbaru bahawa "perjuangan menubuhkan Negara Islam tidak ada dalam Al Quran" adalah satu penghinaan besar terhadap Assyahid Ustadz Ibrahim Libya dan para syuhada' yang lain!!!

Kalau ikut logik fatwa terbaru Ustadz Hadi itu, maka Negara Islam Madinah yang ditubuh oleh Rasulullah saw juga tidak ikut Al Quran lah jugak agaknya yop! Malah kalau ikut fatwa terbaru ini, PAS perlu ubah namanya kerana nama Parti Islam SeMalaysia pun tiada dalam Al Quran yop! Mungkin elok PAS tukar ke nama Parti Anwarinas Sejati aje yop!

Padanlah Rasulullah saw berpesan kepada kita, kelak kamu nanti akan diratah oleh kafir kerana walaupun kamu besar dan ramai, tetapi kamu terkena penyakit hubbud dunya wakarohiyatul maut - terlalu cintakan dunia, dan takut mati!!! Na'uzubillah min zalik!

Teman tahu dan cukup yakin ramai ahli akar umbi PAS yang terkejut dengan perubahan dasar perjuangan PAS ini. Ramai juga yang menghubungi teman melahirkan perasaan sedih dan dukacita mereka. Kepada para ahli akar umbi PAS, inilah harga yang perlu dibayar oleh PAS demi memenuhi nafsu seorang manusia yang ditabal isterinya sebagai anugerah tuhan. Teman pernah sebut perkara ini; jika PAS berterusan mahu bergayut kepada Anwar, PAS akan terpaksa membayar harga yang mahal. Cuma teman tak sangka ianya berlaku begitu cepat.

Dalam keadaan DAP bukan sahaja masih kekal dengan prinsip perjuangannya Malaysian Malaysia, perjuangan mahu menyamatarafkan semua agama dan kaum dalam negara ini, malah makin bertambah cauvinis, rasis dan biaDAP; tau-tau PAS pulak yang bukan sahaja tumPAS dan gagal mempertahankan prinsip perjuangannya untuk mendaulatkan sebuah Daulah Islamiyyah; malah menghalalkan tindakan mematikan perjuangan menubuhkan sebuah Negara Islam atas fatwa "ianya tidak ada dalam Al Quran!!!". Na'uzubillah min zalik! Moga ALLAH mengampuni kita semua.

Mungkin selepas ini para kuffar dan muysrik akan berebut mengundi PAS. Mungkin selepas ini para kaafirun dan musyrikun akan berasak-asak memangkah calon-calon PAS menjadi Yang Berhormat. Mungkin selepas ini para penghalal khinzir ini akan menobatkan kepimpinan PAS ke Putrajaya bersama Anwar, Karpal & Kitsiang. Mungkin selepas ini para taukeh judi & arak akan turut sama memenuhi tabung jihad PAS demi membiayai perjuangan negara kebajikan PAS. Tetapi apa guna itu semua jika prinsip tergadai, aqidah berkecai, perjuangan bersepai!!! Bolehkah para kuffar, musyrik, penghalal khinzir ini membantu kita dihadapan ALLAH nanti?!

Pesan teman kepada para ahli akar umbi PAS, suara majoriti bisu selama ini, bangkitlah mempertahankan PAS. Janganlah dikorbankan perjuangan PAS semata-mata kerana kilauan palsu Putrajaya. Kalau dahulu UMNO dikafirkan kerana kononnya tidak menerima Negara Islam, bagaimana pula dengan dakwaan pemimpin PAS sendiri yang memfatwakan Negara Islam tidak ada dalam Al Quran? Tepuk dada tanyalah iman masing-masing yop.

Dari ALLAH kita datang, kepada ALLAH kita kembali. Semoga ALLAH memberikan kita semua hidayah dan istiqamah, dan memberi petunjuk kepada kaum yang perlu diberikan petunjuk. Amin.

Adios amigos, grasias senorita.

Wallahua'lam & Wassalam.

Zulkifli Bin Noordin
Selasa
05 Rejab 1432
07 Jun 2011

MY VOICE FOR NATION

Buddhism exhibition attracts 40,000 visitors - 2011/06/07 - NST

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 10:02 PM PDT

The Unchanged BN

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 08:43 PM PDT

Dr. Boo Cheng Hau's Trilingual Blog: SAY WHAT YOU LIKE

Recent Interview With Malaysiakini

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 01:17 AM PDT

Part 1:

www.youtube.com/embed/WBSPrCtvFIc

Part 2:

www.youtube.com/embed/pYVc7IMwElw

Dr Shafie Abu Bakar

Bandar Bukit Mahkota Dan Bandar Seri Putera: Antara Dua Darjat

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 04:07 PM PDT

Philosophy Politics Economics

BN Government "Powerless" to Protect Rakyat

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 05:33 PM PDT

The reluctance of the Government to make public the PPAs shows that it is "powerless" when needed to protect the interest of the rakyat, but "powerful" where maximising the profits of IPPs are concerned

The Minister of Energy, Water and Green Technologies, Datuk Peter Chin had earlier in the week expressed that the Government is helpless in "declassifying" the Power Purchasing Agreements (PPAs) between the Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) in the light of the demand by the public.

The Ministry's reply to me back in 29 February 2009 for my parliamentary question said the exact same thing, which at the very least showed that they are steadfast and consistent in backing the interest of the IPPs.

The Minister then had replied to me that "dokumen Perjanjian Jual Beli Tenaga (PPA) merupakan satu dokumen perjanjian antara dua entiti swasta, iaitu di antara Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) dan pihak penjana bebas (IPP) yang terbabit. Di bawah perjanjian tersebut, kedua-dua pihak perlu memberikan persetujuan terlebih dahulu sebelum mana-mana kandungan perjanjian tersebut boleh diumumkan. Sekiranya pihka TNB bercadang untuk menamatkan perjanjian PPA tanpa sebab yang kukuh, TNB perlu memberi pampasan penuh kepada pihak IPP."

The Ministry's reply to me on 23 March 2010 again emphasized the Government's sheer reluctance to right the wrong in the PPAs which make the rakyat pay significantly more for its electricity.

"Kerajaan sentiasa menghormati sebarang perjanjian atau kontrak yang telah ditandatangani oleh pihak Kerajaan. Oleh yang demikian, Kerajaan tiada rancangan untuk merombak semula atau menamatkan kontrak Perjanjian Pembelian Tenaga (PPA) secara unilateral dengan pihak IPP sebelum tamat tempoh kontrak tersebut. Sebaliknya, pendekatan yang diambil oleh Kerajaan ialah supaya PPA tersebut dirundingkan semula.Memandangkan rundingan semula PPA merupakan perkara yang rumit dan memerlukan tempoh masa yang agak lama untuk menentukan hasilnya, ia akan ditangani secara berasingan."

The "powerless" nature of the BN government when it comes to declassifying and renegotiating the PPAs, is in direct contrast to the "powerful" role it played to ensure that the IPPs were ensure astronomical profits.

In a revealing interview published by The Star on 26 June 2006, former TNB chairman, Tan Sri Ani Anope who was "involved" in the power agreements with the IPPs had said:

"There was no negotiation. Absolutely none. Instead of talking directly with the IPPs, TNB was sitting down with the EPU. And we were harassed, humiliated and talked down every time we went there. After that, my team was disappointed. The EPU just gave us the terms and asked us to agree. I said no way I would."

As for the pricing and terms of the contracts, "It was all fixed up. (They said) this is the price, this is the capacity charge and this is the number of years. They said you just take it..."

Hence when TNB was forced to sign these lobsided PPAs, it was the Prime Minister's all-powerful Economic Planning Unit (EPU) which dictated all terms. But when it comes to making public these PPAs, its now TNB's own choice as a "private company" and there's not the Government can do about it.

The responses from the Minister are at best "misleading" and at worst a lie, for the Government has a vested interest in not declassifying these contracts, for it was the BN government itself who dictated the terms of these contracts to be signed. Now it just does not want the public to know what it did, and the fact that it prioritised the astronomical profits of these IPPs at the expense of the man-on-the-street.

In fact Tan Sri Ani Anope disclosed that an agreement has been struck between TNB and an IPP, understood to be Genting Sanyen for the former to purchase electricity at 12 sen per kWh. However the "EPU said that unless the IPP raised its price, the contract would not be given to the IPP. So he got it for 14 sen per unit," while other first generation IPPs got 16 sen per kWh.

Now that the interest of the IPPs have been served, the Government reverts to its meek and timid role using the excuse that its an agreement between "private entities" and that any renegotiations can only be done after the existing contracts expire.

On the contrary, as there is no "contract" between the Government and the rakyat, the Government can choose to raise electricity tariffs any time it so chooses, even if it were to mean that these IPPs were to continue to profit at the expense of increased sufferings of the rakyat.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib must demonstrate moral and economic leadership by doing what is right and just for the people, instead of dithering over the declassification of the PPAs as well as their renegotiation. Otherwise, all the rhetoric of "transformation" becomes just a facade for continuity and business as usual, where political cronyism comes first.

"The Tiger That Lost Its Roar" - Penang Book Launch!

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 09:24 AM PDT

I'll be going on a roadshow over a few cities to promote my new book on Malaysia's political economy "The Tiger That Lost Its Roar".

The first stop will be in Penang, where Penang Chief Minister as well as DAP Secretary-General, Lim Guan Eng will be officiating the event.

In conjunction with the Book launch, a public forum with distinguished speakers will be held to discuss how the Malaysian "Tiger" can regain its "Roar". The speakers once confirmed, will be updated here.

You can also order your advance copy here, before it hit the bookstores.

The details of the event are as follows:

Date: 12 June (Sun)
Time: 4pm
Venue: Eastern & Oriental Hotel (Arshak Suite), 10 Lebuh Farquhar, Penang

To help us gauge attendance, please RSVP at our Facebook Event

page. Join us, for a lively, no-holds-barred discussion on our children's political and economic future!

p.s., the next stop will be in Petaling Jaya on 23 June evening. Details soon!

念群与沙登人民同在 | Nie Ching for Serdang

[Malaysiakini] Lawmaker fails to register child as 'anak Malaysia'

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 07:19 AM PDT

Fully support the move of Hannah Yeoh and her hubby. We all are anak Malaysia, stop discriminating one due to his/her race.

~ Kuek Ser Kuang Keng

In a bid to reject racial politics, a state assemblyperson attempted to register her daughter's race as 'Anak Malaysia' but was told by national registration officers that the current system does not allow this.

NONE The six-day-old baby girl, Shay Adora Ram, who almost became the nation's first official 'anak Malaysia', is the first child of Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh and Ramachandran Muniandy.

The parents went to the National Registration Department headquarters in Putrajaya today to register Shay for her birth certificate.

"We were given a form to fill up. So we put 'anak Malaysia' in the column for 'race', but we were told by the officer that her race must be defined according to the parents' race, which is Chinese or Indian," Yeoh (right) told Malaysiakini when contacted today.

"We replied that my daughter is not Chinese or Indian."

Yeoh then opted to leave the column blank but this was again rejected by the officer.

"They said there is no provision to leave it blank. The system is incapable of registering our child. We must choose either one race," said the DAP lawmaker, adding that the lain-lain (others) category was also not available for her daughter.

The frustrated couple decided not to complete the registration process today, but was told that late registration would be more complicated and might affect the child in terms of medical treatment and other matters.

(More......)

[June 9@KLSCAH] Chinese Forum: Politics Can Be Young!

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 06:58 AM PDT

MP for Serdang, Teo Nie Ching will be launching her maiden book "念念有群" which is a compilation of her Chinese column articles over the past 2 years, which is published by DAP.

In conjunction with the book launch, she's organising a forum entitled "Politics Can Be Young!". It certainly can, for she's the youngest MP in the House. The forum will be conducted in Mandarin. I've also been invited as one of the speakers at the forum.

Date: 09-06-2011 (Thursday)

Venue: Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall ( KLSCAH | 隆雪华堂一楼会议室 ; Click here to view MAP )

Time: 8.00pm

Guest speakers: Petaling Jaya MP Tony Pua, Political Commentator Leng Kek Mun

(More......)

Lim Guan Eng

Subsidy Reduction Can Improve The Living Standards of The People if Supported by A Minimum Wage (en/bm/cn)

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 07:23 AM PDT

Subsidy Reduction Can Improve Competitiveness, Efficiency And The Living Standards Of The People If Supported By A Minimum Wage, Increasing Real Wages And Removing Gas Mega-Subsidies For The Independent Power Producers(IPPs).

DAP does not agree with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak that Malaysia provided among the largest amounts of subsidy in the world for daily essential goods such as petrol, sugar, gas, electricity tariffs and rice. In fact Malaysia provided the largest gas subsidies in the world per capita in terms of population.

Up to end 2010, Petronas has extended about RM131.3 billion in gas subsidy to both the power and non-power sectors. If the gas prices remain unchanged (power sector at RM10.70 per MMBTU; non-power sector at RM15.35 per MMBTU), about RM27 billion in 2011 would have to be incurred.

The greatest beneficiaries of the RM131.3 billion gas subsidies are IPPs who also benefit from a guranteed buyer through the compulsory Power Purchase Agreement signed by Tenaga Nasional Bhd. The Economic Planning Unit or EPU's role in this sorry episode resulted in Tan Sri Ani Arope resigning in protest as CEO of Tenaga, who also referred the EPU as the "Economic Plundering Unit"

That is why BN's failure to remove gas subsidies for IPPs does not lend credibility to Najib's assertion that BN's subsidy policy is to provide reasonable amounts of subsidy to the needy target groups. Are IPPs amongst the eligible and needy target groups when they earn billions of ringgit in extraordinary profits from enjoying RM131.3 billion in gas mega subsidies?

Subsidy reduction can improve competitiveness, efficiency and the living standards of the people if it is supported by measures such as the setting of a minimum wage, increasing real wages and removing gas mega-subsidies for the IPPs. Reports show that 40% of households in Malaysia earns less than RM1,500 in average monthly income.

How then can our poor maintain their standard of living with such rising costs when subsidies are removed but our wages have not kept up with inflation? Between 2000 and 2010, wages increased by only 2.6 per cent, meaning that in the last ten years, there has been wage stagnation and our wages cannot match the rising cost of living.

A minimum wage and increasing real wages is necessary towards a fairer and more prosperous society. Najib's admission that less than two million of the 12 million workers pay taxes demonstrates the severity of wage disparities and caused by the lack of minimum wage and rising real wages. There is a need to develop the services sector and a consumption-based economy to graduate to a high-income economy, therefore requiring economic policies that leads to job creation, wage increases, sustainable industries and innovation is essential.

Malaysia is seen to be running a budget deficit that is fast spiralling out of control in proportion to its growth. Household debt to gross domestic product (GDP) is highest in Asia after Japan, from approximately 64% in 2008 to close to 76% or RM581 billion in 2010. In other words, our budget balance and debt control is deemed to be unsustainable in the long run.

That is why DAP questions the rationale, logic and justice of subsidy cuts for small items like sugar and diesel that saves hundreds of millions but not big-ticket items like gas mega-subsidies to independent power producers (IPPs).

The Prime Minister claims that subsidies are akin to 'opium', then why not first remove the 'Big Opium' like corruption that costs RM 28 billion yearly or gas mega subsidies to independent power producers (IPPs) that would cost RM25 billion this year? Any people-centric government would do that first before removing the 'Small Opium' of subsidies in sugar, diesel and petrol which hurt directly the masses, 10 million Malaysians who does not even earn enough to pay taxes.

Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 7 June 2011.

—– BM Translation ——

Pengurangan Subsidi Dapat Meningkatkan Daya Saing, Kecekapan Dan Taraf Hidup Masyarakat Sekiranya Disokong Oleh Kadar Upah Minimum, Peningkatan Gaji Dan Menghapuskan Subsidi Minyak Kepada 'Independent Power Producers' (IPPs).

DAP tidak bersetuju dengan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak bahawa Malaysia menyediakan subsidi terbesar di dunia untuk barangan asas seperti minyak petrol, gula, gas, penggunaan dan tarif elektrik serta beras. Hakikatnya, Malaysia menyediakan subsidi terbesar gas di dunia per kapita dalam hal populasi.

Sehingga akhir 2010, Petronas telah menambah sejumlah RM131.3 bilion subsidi bagi kedua-dua sektor janakuasa dan bukan janakuasa. Sekiranya harga gas tidak berubah (bagi sektor janakuasa pada RM10.70/mmBtu; dan sektor bukan janakuasa pada RM15.35/mmBtu), kira-kira RM27 bilion dalam tahun 2011 harus ditanggung.

'. Penerima faedah RM131.3 bilion subsidi tersebut adalah IPPs yang juga menerima manfaat daripada pembeli-pembeli yang dijamin melalui Perjanjian Pembelian Kuasa yang ditandatangani oleh Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB). Peranan Unit Perancang Ekonomi atau EPU dalam hal ini telah menyebabkan Tan Sri Ani Arope melepaskan jawatan beliau menunjukkan protes beliau sebagai Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif di Tenaga, yang turut merujuk EPU sebagai "Economic Plundering Unit".

Kegagalan BN untuk menghapuskan subsidi gas kepada IPPs tidak menunjukkan kreadibiliti dan ketegasan Najib bahawa polisi subsidi BN adalah untuk memberi sejumlah subsidi yang sewajarnya kepada mereka yang sepatutya. Adakah IPPs adalah dalam kalangan kumpulan sasaran yang memerlukan dan memenuhi syarat sedangkan mereka memperoleh berbilion ringgit dengan keuntungan yang luar biasa daripada untuk menikmati subsidi berganda bernilai RM131.3 bilion?

Pengurangan subsidi dapat meningkatkan daya saing, kecekapan dan taraf hidup masyarakat sekiranya disokong oleh penetapan kadar upah minimum, meningkatkan gaji dan menghapuskan subsidi gas berganda untuk IPPs. Laporan menunjukkan bahawa 40% isi rumah di Malaysia memperoleh pendapatan kurang dari RM1,500 sebulan.

Jadi, bagaimana masyarakat miskin mengekalkan taraf hidup mereka sekiranya kos sara diri meningkat apabila penghapusan subsidi dibuat tetapi pendapatan atau gaji tidak mampu menyaingi kadar inflasi? Antara tahun 2000 sehingga 2010, kadar pendapatan meningkat hanya sebanyak 2.6%, bermakna dalam tempoh sepuluh tahun yang lalu, pendapatan tidak berubah dan kadar pendapatan masih tidak mampu menyaingi peningkatan kos sara hidup.

Penetapan kadar upah minimum dan peningkatan gaji adalah perlu untuk memastikan masyarakat menikmati keadilan dan kesejahteraan hidup. Najib mengakui bahawa kurang daripada dua juta berbanding 12 juta pekerja yang membayar cukai menunjukkan jurang pendapatan dan menyebabkan kadar upah minimum tidak ditetapkan serta tiada kenaikan gaji. Adalah perlu untuk mengembangkan sektor perkhidmatan dan ekonomi berasakan kepenggunaan untuk beralih kepada ekonomi yang berpendapatan tinggi, maka suatu polisi ekonomi yang mengarah kepada pembentukkan peluang pekerjaan, peningkatan gaji, perkembangan industri yang berterusan dan perkembangan inovasi adalah penting.

Malaysia mengalami anggaran defisit yang berlegar-legar di luar kawalan dalam ketidakseimbangan pertumbuhannya. Hutang isi rumah berbanding keluaran dalam negara kasar (KDNK) adalah yang tertinggi di Asia selepas Jepun, antara 64% pada tahun 2008 kepada hampir 76% atau RM581 bilion pada tahun 2010. Dalam erti kata lain, baki belanjawan dan kawalan hutang adalah tidak seimbang untuk jangka masa panjang.

Inilah sebabnya kenapa persoalan DAP adalah rasional, logik dan adil terhadap pemotongan subsidi ke atas barangan seperti gula dan diesel yang mampu menjimatkan ratusan juta ringgit tetapi bukan pemotongan subsidi ke atas barangan seperti subsidi gas berganda kepada IPPs.

Perdana Menteri mendakwa bahawa subsidi adalah 'candu' atau opium, jadi mengapa tidak menghapuskan 'Big Opium' seperti rasuah yang menyebabkan kerugian RM28 bilion setiap tahun atau subsidi gas berganda kepada IPPs berjumlah RM25 bilion tahun ini? Mana-mana kerajaan yang berjiwa rakyat seharusnya melakukannya dahulu sebelum menghapuskan 'Small Opium' seperti subsidi gula, minyak disel dan petrol yang pasti akan menyebabkan masyarakat umum menanggung beban, 10 juta rakyat Malaysia tidak mampu membayar cukai.

———– Mandarin Translation ———-

若要通过取消津贴提高竞争力、效率和人民的生活水平，其前提条件必须是制订最低薪资、增加实际工资、取消独立发电厂所享有的巨额天然气津贴。

行动党不认同首相拿督斯里纳吉的说法，即马来西亚是世界上为日用品提供最多津贴的国家如汽油、白糖、天然气、电费、白米。实际上，以人口来计算，马来西亚提供最高的天然气津贴。

截至2010年，国油已经为发电业及非发电业提供1313亿令吉的天然气津贴。如果天然气价格维持不变（发电业每MMBTU 10令吉70仙，非发电业每MMBTU 15令吉35仙），2011年的津贴额将是270亿令吉。

上述1313亿令吉天然气津贴的最大受益者就是独立发电厂，因为国能签署了强制购电合约，他们的电供买主也是受保障的。经济策划署（EPU）当年陷于这种难堪的局面时，其主席丹斯里阿尼阿洛为了表示抗议而辞职，他还将EPU 形容为"经济掠夺署"（Economic Plundering Unit）。

这也是为什么国阵无法取消独立发电厂天然气津贴，却无法让公众信服纳吉所说的"国阵的津贴政策是为了提供合理的津贴给有需要的一群"。难道独立发电厂就是所谓的"合格的"、"需要津贴的一群"？除了享有1313亿令吉的巨额津贴，他们还可以赚取额外几十亿令吉的利润。

若要通过取消津贴提高竞争力、效率和人民的生活水平，其前提条件必须包括制订最低薪资、增加实际工资、取消独立发电厂所享有的巨额天然气津贴。报告显示，我国有40%以下的家庭每月平均收入仍低于1500令吉。

贫穷家庭要如何在津贴取消、薪水调涨比不上通膨的情况下，维持他们的生活水平？在2000年至2010年间，薪金调幅只有2.6%，意味着在过去10年，我们的薪资一直停滞，一直追不上物价上涨的指数。

我国有必要制订最低薪资、调涨薪资，打造一个更公平、更繁荣的社会。纳吉已经承认，在1200万名劳工当中，不到200万名劳工是有缴税资格的，这显示我国的薪资差距问题多么严重，这是因为我国没有最低薪资、也没有调涨薪金。我们有必要发展服务业和消费型经济以转型成为高收入经济体，因此，我们需要可以创造就业机会、让薪金调升、可持续工业及鼓励革新的经济政策。

马来西亚看来处于近乎失控的预算赤字局面，并与它的成长不成正比。我国的家庭债务占国内生产总值的比例排亚洲第二，仅次于日本，2008年的比率为64%，2010年比率占76%或5亿8100万令吉。换句话说，我们的预算平衡和债务控制长期看来是无法持续的。

这也是为什么行动党置疑政府取消像白糖、柴油这种小样物品津贴的合理性、逻辑性及公义性，这么做只能省下区区几亿令吉，与取消独立发电厂津贴所能节省的巨额相比，简直微不足道。

首相把津贴比喻为"鸦片" ，那么，为何不首先对付像贪污那样的"大鸦片"，贪污造成我国每年损失280亿令吉；或者取消独立发电厂的巨额津贴（今年给它们的津贴将高达250亿令吉）？任何一个民本政府都会优先考虑上述两种做法，因为取消白糖、柴油、汽油这些物品的"小鸦片"津贴会冲击到普罗大众，其中包括1000万名收入不足以缴税的国人。

DAP insists that all top SPM scorers should get an overseas PSD scholarships and not 1MDB grants(en/bm/cn)

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 07:47 PM PDT

DAP insists that all top SPM scorers should get an overseas Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships and not 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) grants to study in local public and private universities in the interests of fairplay, reward performance based on excellence not mediocrity and demonstrate the country's commitment to retain our human talent.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz announced yesterday that 500 special education grants would be disbursed by 1MDB to the rejected applicants. The scholarships to public universities would be worth RM7,500 a year and scholarships for study of critical courses in private universities would be worth RM15,000 a year while grants for non-critical courses would be worth RM7,500.

At the same time, DAP condemns the BN government for failing to uphold transparency and accountability by making public the detailed results of all those who were awarded overseas scholarships. MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has still not explained why MCA Ministers failed to fulfil Chua's promise to award all top SPM scorers with PSD overseas scholarships. Chua would do well to read the article by his predecessor Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat in Malaysiakini that BN's failure to award overseas PSD scholarships equally to all SPM top scorers has reflected negatively on BN.

Instead of responding to MCA's failure that even his predecessor Ong had criticised, MCA is trying to distract attention by attacking the Penang PR state government for lying that Penang does not have enough money to provide scholarships to top students. MCA claims that Penang has vast wealth to spend on overseas scholarships because Penang came out top in investments with RM 12.2 billion in 2010.

If MCA can not differentiate between foreign and domestic investments with revenue then MCA does not deserve to be part of government. Investments are held by the private sector to spend to generate jobs and economic growth, not revenue for the state government to spend. Perhaps all MCA leaders should undergo a basic course of finance. Further the Penang PR state government is still trying to clean up years of BN's misrule and abuse of power in the state that caused RM230 million in losses to Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai(MPSP) until MPSP became practically bankrupt and the Tang Hak Ju land scam that costs the state RM40 million.

Despite these revenue constraints, Penang PR has continued to award loans at local public universities to all deserving Penang students equally. Penang PR has also increased the primary and secondary school grants(not loans) to poor students. DAP pledges that unlike Barisan Nasional (BN), all deserving top students in the country will be awarded the same scholarships if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) wrins control of the federal government.

This pledge to award overseas scholarships equally to all top students is necessary to win Malaysia's future by escaping the middle-income trap to become a high-income economy with USD15,000 per capita income. Malaysia would be sending a wrong message if we reward mediocrity instead of excellence, do not have a level-playing field that is fair to the best and brightest and allow the brain drain to continue. The time has come to invest our resources in the future by spending tens of billions of ringgit on human talent instead of squandering it on corruption and white elephant projects likes the RM 5 billion 100-storey Menara Warisan.

Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister And DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng In Penang On 7 June 2011.

—– BM Translation—-

Kenyataan Akhbar oleh Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang merangkap Setiausaha Agung DAP, Lim Guan Eng di Pulau Pinang pada 7 Jun 2011

DAP berkeras menyatakan bahawa kesemua pelajar cemerlang SPM sewajarnya diberi biasiswa pengajian luar negara Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) dan bukannya jaminan biasiswa pengajian '1Malaysia Development Berhad' (1MDB) yang menawarkan pengajian di universiti awam tempatan dan universiti swasta tempatan sebagai langkah untuk berlaku adil terhadap pelajar tersebut, ganjaran sewajarnya berdasarkan prestasi cemerlang dan bukannya kepada pelajar yang mempunyai pencapaian sederhana serta menunjukkan komitmen negara mengekalkan tenaga kerja mahir dan berbakat.

Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz mengumumkan semalam, 500 geran khas pengajian akan diberikan oleh 1MDB kepada pemohon (JPA) yang gagal. Biasiswa bernilai RM7,500 setahun adalah untuk pengajian di universiti awam tempatan manakala bagi pengajian di universiti swasta tempatan dalam pengajian atau bidang kritikal akan diberikan biasiswa bernilai RM15,000 setahun dan RM7,500 bagi bidang lain.

Pada masa yang sama, DAP mengecam tindakan Kerajaan BN kerana gagal untuk menegakkan prinsip ketelusan dan kebertanggungjawaban dengan mengeluarkan butiran atau maklumat terperinci pelajar-pelajar yang telah mendapat tawaran biasiswa pengajian luar negara. Presiden MCA, Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek masih berdiam diri dan tidak memberi sebarang kenyataan berkaitan kegagalan menteri-menteri MCA untuk memberi biasiswa pengajian luar negara kepada kesemua pelajar cemerlang SPM. Chua sepatutnya membaca artikel oleh Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat dalam Malaysiakini yang menyatakan bahawa kegagalan BN memberi biasiswa pengajian luar negara JPA kepada kesemua pelajar cemerlang SPM tersebut telah memberi tanggapan yang negatif kepada BN.

Kegagalan MCA dalam mendapatkan biasiswa tersebut yang juga turut dikritik oleh mantannya, Ong, sepatutnya menjadi isu tetapi sebaliknya MCA cuba mengalihkan perhatian umum dengan membuat serangan terhadap Kerajaan PR Pulau Pinang yang dikatakan menipu bahawa Pulau Pinang tidak mempunyai dana yang mencukupi untuk memberi biasiswa kepada pelajar-pelajar cemerlang. MCA mendakwa Pulau Pinang mempunyai dana yang cukup besar untuk diberikan sebagai biasiswa pengajian luar negara memandangkan Pulau Pinang telah mendahului senarai pelaburan tertinggi pada tahun 2010 dengan nilai RM12.2 bilion.

Sekiranya MCA tidak mampu membezakan antara pelaburan luar negara dan pelaburan dalam negara dengan pendapatan, maka MCA tidak layak untuk menjadi sebahagian daripada jentera kerajaan. Pelaburan yang dimiliki oleh sektor swasta adalah untuk mencipta peluang pekerjaan dan pertumbuhan ekonomi, bukan menjana pendapatan Kerajaan Negeri untuk berbelanja. Mungkin para pemimpin MCA perlu menghadiri kursus asas kewangan. Tambahan pula, Kerajaan PR Negeri Pulau Pinang masih lagi cuba untuk membetulkan serta membersihkan penyalahgunaan kuasa dan salah laku sehingga menyebabkan kerugian berjumlah RM230 juta yang terpaksa ditanggung oleh Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai (MPSP) sehingga memaksa MPSP muflis secara praktikalitinya dan isu skandal tanah Tang Hak Ju yang menyebabkan Kerajaan Negeri terpaksa membayar RM40 juta.

Walaupun pendapatan terhad, Pulau Pinang masih lagi memberi pinjman kepada pelajar cemerlang universiti awam tempatan di Pulau Pinang yang layak mendapatkannya. Kerajaan PR Pulau Pinang turut menambah peruntukkan (bukan pinjaman) kepada pelajar-pelajar miskin sekolah-sekolah rendah dan menengah. DAP berjanji bukan seperti BN, bahawa semua pelajar cemerlang layak mendapat biasiswa pengajian yang saksama sekiranya Pakatan Rakyat (PR) menang pilihanraya akan datang dan mengambil alih pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan.

Janji untuk memberi penghargaan biasiswa pengajian luar negara kepada semua pelajar cemerlang secara saksama adalah keperluan dalam memastikan Malaysia tidak berada dalam lingkungan 'middle-income' atau berpendapatan sederhana sebaliknya menjadi negara yang berada dalam lingkungan berpendapatan tinggi dengan pendapatan per kapita USD15,000 pada masa hadapan. Malaysia akan memberi gambaran yang salah sekiranya kita memberi penghargaan kepada pelajar yang sederhana berbanding pelajar cemerlang, tidak mempunyai ruang keadilan dan kesaksamaan kepada pelajar yang menonjol dan cemerlang serta secara berterusan membenarkan para cendakiawan dan cerdik pandai berhijrah. Masanya telah tiba untuk kita melabur usaha dan tekad kita untuk masa hadapan dengan membelanjakan puluhan bilion ringgit dalam melahirkan tenaga kerja mahir berbanding menghabiskan wang ringgit untuk rasuah dan projek-projek 'gajah putih' seperti pembinaan Menara Warisan seratus tingkat yang menelan belanja RM5 bilion.

—– Mandarin Translation——

槟州首席部长兼民主行动党秘书长林冠英于2011年6月7日在槟城发表声明：

民主行动党坚持，所有大马教育文凭（SPM）特优生都应该获得公共服务局颁发的海外奖学金，而不是一个马来西亚发展有限公司（1MDB）的国内及私立大学奖学金，以显示当局公平对待、绩效为先而不是平庸，以展现我国留住人才的决心。

首相署部长拿督斯里纳兹里昨天宣布，一个马来西亚发展公司将发出500份特别教育奖励金给被拒绝的申请者。这笔国内大学奖励金每年7500令吉，而那些在私立大学修读热门科系的学生每年可以获得1万5000令吉奖励金，而修读非热门科系的学生每年奖励金为7500令吉。

同时，行动党谴责国阵政府不透明、无公信力，他们一直没有公布那些获得海外奖学金的学生成绩资料。马华总会长拿督斯里蔡细历还没有解释，为什么马华部长无法实现蔡细历的承诺，让所有SPM特优生都获得海外奖学金？如果蔡细历读了他的前总会长拿督斯里翁诗杰在《当今大马》的文章，他可能会做到好一点，翁诗杰的文章指出，国阵无法公平地颁发海外奖学金给所有SPM特优生，已经为国阵带来负面的影响。

就连前总会长翁诗杰也已经批评，马华不但没有检讨自己为什么失败，而且还企图转移视线，指槟州民联政府没有足够资金颁发奖学金给特优生是在撒谎。马华还说，槟城有很多钱颁发海外奖学金，因为槟州在2010年获得总投资额122亿令吉。

如果马华分不清什么是国内外投资额，什么是税收，那些马华根本不配成为执政成员党。投资额是私人企业的资金，用来制造就业机会和促进经济成长，不是州政府可以动用的税收。或许全体马华领袖应该要上一堂基础金融课。再说，槟州民联政府还在收拾国阵治理期间因管理不当和滥权所留下来的一大堆手尾，导致威省市政局损失2亿3000万令吉，近乎破产，而陈合裕土地丑闻也导致州政府损失4000万令吉。

尽管槟州的税收有限，但是，槟州民联政府还是继续公平地提供国内大学贷学金给所有应被奖励的学生。槟州民联也已经增加为贫苦学生提供的中小生奖励金（非贷款）。行动党保证，如果民联执政联邦政府，国内所有特优生都会受到公平对待，获得同等的奖学金，绝不会像国阵那样。

我们必须如此保证，公平颁发海外奖学金给所有特优生，才能赢回我国的未来，逃离中等收入陷阱，转型成为人均收入每年1万5000美元的高收入经济体。如果我们奖赏平庸者而非卓越者，无法提供公平竞争的平台给最好、最出色的一群，让人才继续外流，马来西亚发出的是错误的讯息。是时候让我们把资源投资在未来，用数十亿令吉来栽培人才，而不是把钱浪费在贪污及白象工程上如：计划中耗资50亿令吉的100层独立遗产大楼。

林冠英

魏宗贤文打烟之声 Gwee Tong Hiang for Bentayan

Mengenali DAP: Bahagian Ketiga – Tekanan politik dan masalah barisan pembangkang

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 02:22 AM PDT

i n t a n h i j a u

DUIT AKU DUIT AKU, DUIT KERAJAANPUN DUIT AKU ...

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 06:13 AM PDT

Penggunaan duit rakyat atau dana awam bagi membiayai lawatan Perdana Menteri dan rombongannya ketika merisik perkahwinan anak perempuan Datuk Seri Najib Razak di Kazakhstan adalah salah dari segi moral, kata ahli parlimen Kuala Selangor, Dzulkefly Ahmad.

pakatan pc on spr ban pondok panas 280409 dzulkefly ahmad

pakatan pc on spr ban pondok panas 280409 dzulkefly ahmad

"Tindakan Najib ini tidak ada kelas langsung iaitu menggunakan wang kerajaan dan rakyat untuk urusan peribadi.

"Ini pula bukan pertama kali. Semasa anaknya menerima ijazah di Universiti Georgetown, Washington, Amerika dia dan keluarga juga ke sana dengan program rasmi kerajaan.

"Saya bimbang ia menjadi rujukan pemimpin bawahan beliau sebagaimana bidalan Melayu, bapa kencing berdiri anak kencing berlari," katanya.

Menurut pemimpin PAS itu, tidak menjadi kesalahan bagi perdana menteri merisik perkahwinan anaknya di Kazakhstan tetapi Najib sepatutnya mengambil cuti rasmi dan tidak membelanjakan dana awam.

Nooryana Najwa dijadualkan berkahwin dengan seorang pembesar kerajaan Kazakhstan.

Dalam sejarah Islam, kata Dzulkefly, Khalifah Umar Abdul Aziz pernah mempunyai dua batang lilin berlainan yang ditempatkan di sisi katilnya.

Guna duit sendiri

Jika baginda dikejutkan pada waktu malam kerana urusan rakyat, Khalifah Umar akan menyalakan lilin yang dibeli dari dana awam. Sebaliknya jika dikejutkan oleh kawan-kawan atau ahli keluarganya untuk membincangkan hal peribadi, baginda menggunakan lilin yang dibeli melalui wangnya sendiri.

"Mana pergi good governance, intergriti kepimpinan dan ini akan menghakis keyakinan rakyat kepada beliau," kata Dzulkefly.

NONE

Menurut beliau jika Najib dan isterinya, Datin Seri Rosnah Mansor benar-benar bertanggungjawab, mereka berdua akan menyusun jadual cutinya untuk kepentingan keluarga dan peribadinya bukannya mengambil kesempatan atas urusan kerajaan.

"Hentikanlah, cukuplah tu.....susunlah cuti dengan baik, guna duit sendiri untuk lunas tanggungjawab kepada anak dan keluarga, inilah mulanya penyelewengan....bila kepimppinan tertinggi tunjukkan sikap hodoh dan buruk," katanya sambil menambah perbuatan mereka itu sebagai langkah yang 'tidak ada kelas langsung'.

Sebelum ini, di Dewan Rakyat pernah dibangkitkan perbelanjaan besar yang dibuat oleh Rosmah.

"Dari segi moralnya ia sangat salah," kata Dzulkefly.

Sementara itu, ahli parlimen Shah Alam, Khalid Samad meminta Najib supaya telus dan tidak mengambil kesempatan di atas urusan rasmi untuk sebarang urusan peribadi apatah lagi apabila menggunakan wang kerajaan yang juga wang rakyat.

"Kalau benda (dakwaan) ini betul kenapa Najib nak rahsiakan? Beliau kena cakap terus teranglah. Kalau betul beliau ke sana atas urusan peribadi janganlah guna harta kerajaan dan harta rakyat. Jangan berselindung di sebalik lawatan rasmi.

"Kalau betul anaknya akan berkahwin dengan anak pembesar Kazakhstan saya ucapkan tahniah tapi gunalah duit sendiri yang sudah banyak tu..tak payahlah guna duit rakyat.," kata beliau kepada Harakahdaily.

OBJEKTIF NEGARA BERKEBAJIKAN

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 04:15 PM PDT

(Sedutan Daripada Ucapan Dasar Presiden PAS)

OBJEKTIF NEGARA BERKEBAJIKAN
27. Dalam negara berkebajikan, kerajaan mengambil tanggungjawab dalam perkara yang menjadi rukun hidup, keperluan asasi kemudahan asas, makanan, pakaian, tempat tinggal, kesihatan, pendidikan dan lain-lain. PAS wajib menghapuskan budaya mendapat hasil secara membebankan rakyat yang menjadi amalan kerajaan UMNO/BN, sehingga mengambil kesempatan mendapat hasil melalui rukun hidup rakyat. Rakyat yang berniaga pula terpaksa berdepan dengan kerajaan yang berniaga. Kerajaan yang berniaga menerusi GLC pula, mengagihkan keuntungan kepada pemegang saham kroni tertentu, manakala kerugian perniagaan pula ditanggung oleh kerajaan, yang akhirnya dibebankan kepada rakyat menerusi sistem cukai yang menekan mata pencarian hidup rakyat jelata. Akhirnya GLC ini akan hilang daya saingnya kerana sentiasa menerima bantuan dari kerajaan.

28. Islam menjadikan kerajaan tidak membebankan rakyat dengan cukai yang tinggi atau cukai paksaan. Contohnya dengan mewajibkan bayaran zakat kepada orang Islam, dan cukai kepada bukan Islam dengan kadar kemampuan dan galakan yang meningkatkan produktiviti pendapatan mereka. Kerajaan juga tidak boleh menyekat kekayaan yang halal, tidak menipu, tidak menindas dan tidak rasuah.

29. PAS percaya bahawa perolehan pendapatan negara bukannya dengan cara membebankan rakyat dengan kaedah menaikkan cukai atau menyebabkan kenaikan harga barangan keperluan. PAS yakin bahawa keadilan sosial yang berteraskan kebajikan kepada rakyat dan amalan yang adil membawa berkat yang mengembangkan hasil negara.

30. Maka PAS telah melaksanakan sebahagian daripada konsep negara berkebajikan di negeri yang diperintahnya, mengikut kemampuan dan bidang kuasa yang ada di Kelantan dan Kedah, pernah di Terengganu dan Perak dan memperkenalkan di negeri PAS menyertai kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat di Selangor dan Pulau Pinang.

31. PAS bersama Pakatan Rakyat telah memperkenalkan konsep negara berkebajikan melalui Buku Jingga yang dilancarkan. Sebenarnya sebahagian daripada Buku Jingga pernah dilaksanakan di negeri yang kita perintah, seperti pembatalan tol, pembatalan cukai yang membebankan rakyat dan memudahkan perkhidmatan asas yang menyentuh rukun hidup rakyat.

RM10,000 electricity bill shock

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 10:58 AM PDT

Cemetery wall to be repaired this month

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 10:53 AM PDT

国能指电錶被“动手脚”‧屋主被追討逾万电费

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 10:49 AM PDT

Khalid Samad

Court Rejects Utusan's Application, Khalid's Suit Goes For Full Trial

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 11:20 PM PDT

KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 (Bernama) -- A defamation suit filed by Shah Alam Member of Parliament Khalid Abdul Samad against Utusan Melayu (Malaysia) Berhad will go for full trial on July 25.

High Court Judicial Commissioner Dr Prasad Sandosham Abraham set July 25 an 26 to hear the suit after dismissing Utusan Melayu's application on preliminary issues whether the words complained about in the article referred to Khalid.

Counsel Rohanidah Shafee representing Utusan Melayu told reporters that the court held that the words published in the article may refer to the plaintiff (Khalid), and that the court set dates to hear the suit.

The court made the ruling in chambers after hearing submissions from Rohanidah and counsel Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, who acted for Khalid.

In the suit filed last year, Khalid of PAS, named Utusan Malaysia and Mingguan Malaysia Group Editor-in-Chief Datuk Aziz Ishak and the publisher of Utusan Malaysia and Mingguan Malaysia as the defendants.

Khalid claimed that on Sept 11, 2009, Aziz, as the Group Editor-in-Chief for both newspapers, with malice, had allowed the publication and printing of defamatory words on him on the front page of the newspapers.

He also said that the article titled "Zulkifli bidas "Pak Janggut" (Zulkifli admonishes Bearded Man) directly or indirectly referred to him even though his name was not mentioned.

Khalid claimed that the words referred to him as he was the Member of Parliament for Shah Alam and he was also a bearded individual.

He claimed that the words, in their original and common interpretation, meant that he was willing to manipulate a verse from the Quran to defend the construction of a Hindu temple in Section 23, Shah Alam; that he did not respect the Holy Quran; and that he was a deviant.

He said the words, which were not true, had defamed him and caused him to suffer humiliation and they had deliberately published those words without making any verification.

Khalid contended that the article had done with malice to sensationalise news to sell the two newspapers. He is seeking general, exemplary and aggravated damages, interest, cost and other relief deemed fit by the court.

The defendants, in their defence statement filed on Jan 7, said the news was republished by them based on a comments made by Kulim-Bandar Baharu Member of Parliament Zulkifli Noordin in his official blog in Sept 9, 2009.

They claimed that the news was republished as Zulkifli's public statement.

Courtesy of BERNAMA

-Pejabat YB Khalid Samad-

Anwar Ibrahim

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Aktiviti Perniagaan Tapak Semaian Tanaman Sungai Buloh Perlu Dikaji Semula

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 06:24 AM PDT

KENYATAAN AKHBAR
JUN 7, 2011

Menteri Besar Selangor Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim hari ini telah memberitahu pengusaha tapak semaian Sugai Buloh yang juga dikenali sebagai "Green Lane" bahawa tanah yang mereka usaha itu adalah rizab keselamatan kerana terdapat dua batang paip bertekanan tinggi yang membekalkan air kepada lebih satu juta penduduk.

Beliau berkata Kerajaan Negeri sepatutnya tidak membenarkan apa-apa aktiviti dijalankan diatas tapak semaian seluas 20 ekar namun, perkara ini tidak dilakukan oleh kerajaan yang terdahulu walaupun mengetahui kedudukan paip tersebut.

“Pada waktu dahulu, semua pihak lepas tangan dan tidak mahu menyelesaikan masalah ini walaupun mereka mengetahui paip tersebut berada di situ. Ianya begini ketika pengswastaan air berlaku pada 2001. Kerajaan, mahupun Syabas (Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor) tidak mahu membuat apa-apa sebelum ini.

“Sebagai Menteri Besar yang bertanggungjawab, saya tidak boleh tutup mata kepada masalah ini,” kata Tan Sri Abdul Khalid kepada pengusaha tapak semaian yang wakili oleh Sunny Low, presiden Landscape and Agriculture Nursery Operators of Subang Association.

Perjumpaan tersebut telah juga dihadiri oleh setiausaha kerajaan negeri Dato' Khusrin Munawi, Dato' Bandar Petaling Jaya, Dato Roslan Sakiman, pegawai daerah Petaling, Dato Zulkifli Yaakob, pegawai daerah Gombak Ahmad Zaharin Mohd Saad.

Setelah dimaklumkan semua isu-isu yang terlibat, Menteri Besar berkata Kerajaan negeri telah membuat keputusan untuk menolak semua permohonan TOL termasuk permohonan yang dibuat oleh Yayasan Selangor.

Namun begitu, beliau prihatin dengan kebajikan lebih 60 pengusaha di Green Lane dan akan memastikan penyelesaian yang diambil tidak akan menjejaskan perniagaan mereka.

“Oleh itu, kami meminta Yayasan Selangor untuk menyediakan satu kajian (feasibility study) bagi memastikan sekiranya aktiviti mengusaha tapak semaian di kawasan Green Lane selamat atau tidak. Jika boleh, kita mahu tahu bentuk pembangunan apakah yang boleh dibuat dan siapakan yang boleh ditugaskan untuk menjaga kawasan tersebut agar tidak berlakunya perkara yang tidak diingini.

“Dan jika ianya tidak selamat, kerajaan negeri akan memastikan pengusaha akan diberi tempat lain untuk meneruskan perniagaan mereka,” kata menteri besar.

Beliau juga menjemput badan wakil pengusaha tapak semaian melantik pakar jurutera untuk membuat laporan yang sama. Mereka telah diberi masa satu bulan untuk menyiapkan laporan tersebut.

Sementara menunggu laporan tersebut, beliau telah mengarahkan pejabat tanah dan galian serta pejabat daerah untuk mencari kawasan alternatif untuk pengusaha di kawasan berdekatan.

Tan Sri Khalid berkata tanah berdekatan dipunyai oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan dan Kerajaan Negeri akan menulis kepada ketua pengarah tanah dan galian jika ada tanah yang sesuai.

“Saya harap tiada siapa yang akan mempolitikkan perkara ini kerana ianya soal keselamatan. Sepatutnya kerajaan persekutuan berkejasama dengan kerajaan negeri dalam menyelesaikan perkara ini.

Walaubagaimanapun, jika meraka tidak mahu, saya akan cuba mendapat penyelesaian untuk semua," tambah beliau.

Dikeluarkan oleh:

SEKRETARIAT AKHBAR
PEJABAT DATO MENTERI BESAR SELANGOR

The Winds of Change Across The Middle East

Posted: 07 Jun 2011 01:38 AM PDT

Keynote address by Anwar Ibrahim at the Conference on Islamic Funding in Development, Kuwait, June 7th, 2011

The Islamic finance sector, having grown by leaps and bounds over the last few decades, is no longer confined to retail borrowing or lending or partnerships and joint ventures. At its inception, Islamic finance as a global phenomenon was mentioned as if it were merely a fantasy. It was regarded more as a kind of spiritual escape route for those who were more religiously inclined. Many skeptics even linked it as part of some type of voodoo economics that would only appeal to backward Muslim countries.

And even after these initial prejudices were overcome, and business common sense prevailed, a host of factors operated against the industry and saw a lack of interest in Islamic funding particularly for long-term projects. There was the belief that compared to the conventional funding, Islamic financing was uneconomical, or that the returns were not commensurate with the risks taken.

There was this persistent myth of the lazy and inefficient Muslim enterprise where things tend to grind to a halt and delays are legendary. Thus, a typical loan transaction would incur increased costs apart from the greater burden in administering the loan. Or if push comes to shove, Islamic funding merely served as a last resort to cover shortfalls in funding.

But the reality tells us a different picture. Islamic funding has not only shaken off that undeserved association but has proven to be able to cater to large-scale infrastructure projects. In the wake of the recent financial crisis, Islamic finance institutions stepped up to the challenge to fulfill the funding needs for many of the large infrastructure projects which were once the exclusive turf of the conventional finance market.

I'm sure the experts will be talking about the development of the Islamic capital sector as well considering the phenomenal growth of the sukuk market. It is noteworthy that this sector which also incorporates Shari'a compliant securities, unit trusts and other related products is moving in tandem with the conventional capital market. But as the saying goes, there is no such thing as a recession-proof bond market as the recent sukuk default shows. But having said that, one must caution against throwing the baby with the bath water. Though investor confidence must never be unconditional, it should not be irrational. In this regard, it can be said without exaggeration that the Islamic finance and capital markets have weathered the recent financial crisis quite well. As things have emerged, Islamic funding has now become not just accepted but widely used.

To begin with, Islamic funding in development must be seen in holistic terms in as much as it is Shari'a compliant. And as we know, the Shari'a is not piecemeal but holistic. It is a comprehensive scheme of human behavior and a code of law as well as a code of morals. The first proposition therefore would be that the role of Islamic funding in development may not be gauged purely in legalistic terms. I believe the overriding concern must remain the promotion of justice and equity.

This flows naturally and logically from the concept of the Maqasid al-Shari'a, and today much discourse has been generated on the maslaha or public good of Islamic finance. I only wish to emphasize that the categories are not closed. Hence, the maslaha pertaining to development apart from setting the critical physical infrastructure would also encompass the protection and maintenance of the environment, the eradication of poverty, and generally the promotion of social justice.

Viewed in this light, any assessment of the role of Islamic finance must therefore look beyond the issue of Shari'a compliance though that must remain a prerequisite to the validity of the transactions. But it needs to be emphasized that adherence to Shari'a requirements is not the same thing as the realization of the maslaha. There is often the danger or the temptation to overlook the principles of equity and good conscience in the pursuit of profits.

The demands of a holistic approach mean that Muslims need to integrate all aspects of life within a just and equitable system. In this regard, we cannot overstate the importance of supporting strong families, education, and protecting the environment or fighting poverty and redressing other social inequities. There should also be a corresponding commitment to public works, consumer protection regulation and community welfare.

The time is ripe for the emergence of a global Islamic finance architecture defined by the highest standards of corporate governance, accountability, and transparency. As poverty eradication still remains low in priority, we could begin by giving more attention to those areas where funding is needed most. The finance industry should also introduce social safety net programs while initiating modern infrastructure in order to integrate the economy into the global networks of commerce and industry.

Islamic banking and financial market is now well diversified in the various subsectors and is still expanding. There is no doubt that the world is watching the pattern and trajectory that the growth will be taking.

I was personally involved in the formative years of the industry, and as Finance Minister had spearheaded several key areas in the capital and corporate banking and takaful arenas. Today, as some have said, gulf states and Malaysia are at the pole position but new entrants are already working overtime to catch up and should there be any slacking the rivals may soon beat Malaysia at the finishing line.

Innovation would therefore be at the top of the requirements for increasing competitiveness. Simply offering Shari'a compliant substitutes to conventional products won't be sufficient. In this regard, mere provision of funding will not work in the long term. Drawbacks in regulatory infrastructure must be urgently addressed. Inadequate sector diversification will also be detrimental.

Even companies continue to demonstrate leadership in making international forays, they need to move out of the comfort zone, into greater profit and risk sharing losing sight of their social obligations. The impending entry of the mega Islamic banks may be boon or may be disaster. The ball is at the court of the financial institutions. They must respond accordingly.
Winds of change across the Middle East

I now come to the winds of change blowing across the Middle East. Much has been said about the so-called Arab spring but there is the danger of using terms too loosely which at best may just end up as convenient clichés signifying very little. It was in Doha more than five years ago at the U.S.-Muslim World Forum that I sounded the call for leaders in the region to seize the day for reform, and that democratization in the region would be sooner than later.

We know that the tide of political reform may rise and ebb according to the strength or weakness of our commitment to democracy and freedom. As I've said before, if this progress is to be meaningful, it must strengthen the cause of democracy and not weaken it, improve governance and not condone corruption and cronyism. Commitment to this change should enhance economic growth with clear commitment to ensure economic justice and equitable distribution of income.

Those who are under the impression that the reform movements sweeping the region appear to have just sprung up overnight could do well to remember that many of the states in the Middle East, particularly those of the GCC, had already initiated progressive measures in the direction of freedom and democracy. I myself have spoken on several occasions regarding this matter and have gone on record to remark that the countries in the region were not averse to upholding the system of international rules in the economic sphere. In the political arena, the question was whether we still need to be harangued by the world into taking the path that we know is good for us, or should we instead seize the day and embark on it ourselves.

The lessons of Tunisia and Egypt remind us that in an enduring democratic society, power and authority must be based on the rule of law. Greater openness and transparency must be promoted in the administration of the state. Hence, some of the GCC states took the initiative, as first steps, to holding free and fair elections.

The question arises as to whether all freedom and democracy will jeopardize development particularly for nascent economies. As a firm believer in the role of business as a catalyst towards reform, my answer therefore is a definite 'no'. The only rider to this is that business must be subject to a culture of corporate governance that values transparency and ethical practices. There must be the political will to fight corruption and stop rogue corporations from colluding with autocrats to rape the land and destroy the environment. We see this happening in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.

Political reform goes in tandem with economic reform. Economic planning must carry a clear social program to bring about a humane economy. State resources must therefore be put to an effective social agenda which includes poverty eradication, public health and housing, and substantive investment in human capital development.

The problems that plague the Arab world are not unique to the Middle East. Muslim countries all over the world save a few are plagued by similar problems – gross inequities of income, poor infrastructure, antiquated education systems, inadequate health care and rising food prices and the costs of shelter.

As the storm of democracy swept across the sands of Tunisia spreading eastward to Egypt, then to Jordan and then Yemen, it has left in its trail a region completely transformed. It has made the unthinkable, thinkable. When the East Europeans rampaged through their capitals and brought down their leaders, it was never really seen as something quite extraordinary. Sure, there was much media attention but there was no suggestion that democracy was not the definitive answer to autocracy. However, when it comes to the Middle East both perceptions and expectations take on an entirely different dimension. For the West, the news is treated at least initially, with alarm rather than excitement, reluctant resignation at best rather than unbridled joy that freedom and democracy has finally reached the shores of North Africa and the land of the Pyramids.

We see the Western powers, particularly the United States, dragging their feet while weighing their options and engaging in linguistic waffling. This ambivalence has spread to Southeast Asia where leaders of sham democracies continue to get red-carpet treatment from administration officials.

The time for rhetoric is past. The region is fundamentally changed. Now it is true that in the Middle East, the accretions of historical influence and cultural conditioning impacted the polemics about Islam and democracy and impaired the ability and undermined the conviction to bring about the convergence of Islam and democracy.

European colonization gave rise to a deep-rooted sense of resentment understandable considering the past glory of Islam's own vast empire. Thriving on parasitically to this "influence of anxiety" – with apologies to Harold Bloom – autocrats, dictators and kleptocrats in the Muslim world present themselves as moderate and progressive Muslims who will be the bulwark against Islamists, in fact against the ascendency of Islam itself. The West therefore must throw their weight behind them or risks the eventuality of Islamists taking over. That has been the logic and that has been the rationale hitherto.

If the U.S is really serious about promoting freedom and democracy it should begin by setting priorities in its foreign aid programs. For instance, rather than military aid, I believe Egypt needs more economic aid and this would help to promote social justice, help reduce poverty, increase employment opportunities and raise the living standards of the people – these are essential safeguards against radicalism and extremism.

The Arab winter of discontent can only turn into spring when constitutional democracies are finally established in place of the old systems. Civil liberties must be guaranteed and basic institutions of civil society be allowed to flourish. The transition to democracy must ensure the existence of an effective check and balance against executive powers, violation of fundamental liberties and maintain the rule of law.

Thank you.

Harga Naik: Rakyat Mula Mengeluh

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 10:21 PM PDT

Dari Malaysiakini

Pengurangan subsidi ke atas barangan keperluan asas, termasuk gula dan petrol RON97 dan terbaru gas asli yang menyebabkan tarif elektrik terpaksa dinaikkan mula memberi kesan kepada orang ramai daripada pelbagai lapisan.

Pengurangan subsidi itu menurut mereka telah melonjakkan harga makanan dan menjejaskan perbelanjaan seharian mereka. Malah, ada mahasiswa mendakwa terpaksa ‘mencatu’ makanan akibat kesan berantai itu.

"Makanan mahal, kena belanja (lain) lagi. (Kami) kurangkan perbelanjaan makanan, kurang makan," kata pelajar Pusat Teknologi dan Pengurusan Lanjutan (PTPL) N Mahesh Nanthakumar.

Mahesh, 21, malah turut menyatakan keinginan untuk menyertai demonstrasi bagi meluahkan rasa tidak puas hatinya jika ada pihak yang menganjurkannya.

"Saya akan sertai demonstrasi," kata Mahesh (kanan) ketika ditanya kesediaannya itu ketika ditemui di KL Sentral di ibu negara, semalam.

Daripada tujuh orang yang ditemubual Malaysiakini secara rambang semalam, semua mereka mempunyai pandangan berbeza-beza berhubung kenaikan harga barang yang dikritik hebat pembangkang.

Kerja sambilan

Sejak beberapa bulan kebelakangan ini, harga subsidi barangan keperluan dikurangkan. Antaranya, petrol RON97 kini mencatatkan paras tertingginya pada RM2.90 seliter.

Tarif elektrik pula naik dengan purata 7.12 peratus bermula 1 Jun manakala harga gula meningkat 20 sen kepada RM2.30 sekilogram berkuatkuasa pada Mei.

Menurut sesetengah ahli ekonomi, kenaikan itu, terutamanya tarif elektrik, secara tidak langsung akan membebankan pengguna apabila pengeluar memindakah kos yang lebih tinggi kepada golongan itu.

Sementara itu, seorang penuntut Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) Syazana Shah Lan, 21, memberitahu, beliau kini terpaksa berfikir terlebih dahulu sebelum membeli makanan.

"Terasalah (peningkatan harga), yang itu memang terasalah. Sebab (saya) duduk universiti, duduk asrama, hendak makan kena fikir. Makanan memang mahal, makan sekali, dua kali (sehari) macam itulah," katanya.

Namun bagi seorang pelajar yang hanya mahu dikenali sebagai Alvin, kehidupan hariannya tidak terjejas secara langsung dengan pengurangan subsidi oleh kerajaan itu.
Mahasiswa sebuah kolej swasta di Sungai Buloh itu, bagaimanapun, mengakui beliau masih tidak puas hati kerana keluarganya kini merasai tempiasnya.

Mahu tukar kerajaan

"Kalau waktu cuti, saya bantu ayah (kerja sambilan)," katanya lagi.

Justeru, Alvin, 22 berharap agar kerajaan dapat menggalakkan lagi pelaburan asing ke dalam negara bagi menstabilkan semula kenaikan harga barang.

Keadaan ini hampir sama dengan nasib seorang pelajar German Malaysian Institute (GMI) Mohd Amiruddin Roslan yang masih tinggal bersama keluarganya.

"Saya tak rasa mana, saya tinggal dengan mak ayah," kata Mohd Amiruddin, 18, sambil memberitahu orang tuanya merupakan seorang guru.

Bagi Harzuki Ismail – pegawai teknikal di sebuah pengeluar minyak terkemuka – pula, kenaikan harga petrol tidak sepatutnya berlaku kerana Malaysia merupakan negara pengeluar komoditi itu.

Harzuki, 53, berpendapat, keadaan sekarang amat merungsingkan kerana ia memberi kesan kepada kenaikan harga barang dalam keadaan nilai pendapatan makin menurun.

Lebih drastik lagi, beliau merasakan sistem pemerintahan negara perlu ditukar.

"(Tetapi) demonstrasi tak perlu, cuma tukar pimpinan negara. Tak payah (ada) pertumpahan darah. Pemikiran orang kita (harus) tukar, itu lebih penting," katanya.

‘Kerjaaan juga perlu berjimat’

Bagi Alan Tan – seorang orang kurang upaya (OKU) – pula, walaupun beliau tidak bersetuju dengan kenaikan yang berlaku, beliau berharap tujuan kerajaan melakukannya dapat diselami terlebih dahulu.

"Mereka juga ada komitmen (pada rakyat), ada (beri) subsidi," katanya yang diberhentikan kerja setelah lumpuh sebelah badan akibat serangan angin ahmar sebelum ini.

Manakala seorang jurujual Norjamilah Mohd Halim juga mengaku turut terkesan dengan kenaikan harga barang-barang tersebut kerana gaji orang kebanyakan "tak sebesar mana".

"Dari segi makanan tidak berbaloi, ambil sikit (pun) harga mahal," katanya wanita berusian 29 tahun itu.

"Kalau boleh turunkan harga barang," katanya lagi.

Sebahagian besar mereka juga berkata selain subsidi rakyat yang dikurangkan, kerajaan juga harus membuktikan kesungguhan dengan mengamalkan perbelanjaan berhemah dan menghentikan projek mewah serta tidak membawa manfaat kepada orang ramai.

Securency Money Trail Nudges Malaysia’s Political Royalty

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 10:16 PM PDT

From The AGE

THE Reserve Bank firm Securency hired a company owned by a close relative of Malaysia’s Prime Minister and Home Affairs

Minister – the two men with whom the Gillard government is negotiating to swap asylum seekers – to help win banknote contracts.

The revelation comes amid growing sensitivity within the federal government about the Australian Federal Police investigation of Securency and the potential for Australia’s international relations to be harmed if foreign officials allegedly linked to the RBA firm’s bribes are named.

The Age has learned that Securency signed Kuala Lumpur firm Liberal Technology as its Malaysian agent in 2009. The biggest individual shareholder in Liberal Technology is businessman Haris Onn Hussein.

Haris Onn Hussein is well connected – his cousin is the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Najib Razak, and his brother is Home Affairs Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, who is expected in Canberra soon to sign the deal under which Australia will transfer 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia and accept 4000 refugees in return.

Securency hired Haris Onn Hussein in the hope he would offer it access to, and influence over, Malaysia’s top politicians.

It is a common in parts of Asia for the relatives of politicians to be hired by foreign companies as agents.

The Age understands that some officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and other agencies are keen for the AFP not to identify certain foreign dignitaries or their relatives who are alleged to be linked to Securency in order to protect Australia’s broader overseas interests.

Securency, half-owned and supervised by the Reserve Bank, has for two years been investigated by the AFP and the British Serious Fraud Office for allegedly bribing public officials in Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Nigeria to win banknote supply contracts.

Under Australian law, it is a criminal offence for a company or individual to pay, or offer a benefit to, a foreign government official or their close relatives to obtain a business advantage.

Australia is yet to prosecute a foreign bribery case, but Securency – which has four RBA-appointed directors on its board – may be the first, given the two-year AFP investigation and the arrest and questioning of some employees and agents last year. No charges have yet been laid.

Haris Onn Hussein and Hishammuddin Tun Hussein are political royalty in Malaysia. Their father, the late Tun Hussein Onn, was Malaysia’s prime minister between 1976 and 1981. He was succeeded as prime minister by Mahathir Mohamad. Their grandfather, Dato Onn Jaafar, was the founder of Malaysia’s ruling United Malays National Organisation political party.

Hishammuddin Tun Hussein is vice president of UMNO.

Haris Onn Hussein owns shares in or sits on the board of several companies that have benefited from Malaysian government concessions.

In 2006, the Malaysian finance ministry told cigarette and alcohol manufacturers that they would need to buy security labels provided by Haris Onn Hussein's Liberal Technology to legally sell their products. Haris Onn Hussein is also associated with a company given a 34-year concession to operate a major Malaysian toll road.

Under Securency's corporate structure, its board should have been informed and approved of Mr Haris Onn's company being signed as an agent.

The Age can also reveal Securency engaged Malaysian state MP and a former UMNO branch treasurer, Dato Abdullah Hasnan Kamaruddin, as another agent. Mr Kamaruddin was the UNMO party treasurer in Dr Mahatir's home state of Kedah, a position that gave him substantial influence.

Despite engaging the extremely well-connected Liberal Technology as agent in 2009, Securency is believed not to have won any further banknote supply contracts.

The company won its last major Malaysian contract in 2004. At that time, Mr Razak was the country's defence minister and Hishammuddin Tun Hussein the education minister. It also won a smaller contract in 1998.

The Age is not suggesting Mr Razak nor Hishammuddin Tun Hussein were involved in Securency's deals.

The company's 1998 and 2004 contracts involved another Malaysian agent, businessman, arms broker and former UMNO official, Abdul Kayum Syed Ahmad.

He has since been arrested and questioned by Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Commission over the Securency deals and his use of commissions paid by the RBA firms.

The AFP began investigating Securency in May 2009 after The Age revealed its payment of tens-of-millions-of-dollars in commissions to politically connected middlemen to win contracts in Nigeria, Vietnam and India.

The company wired millions of dollars into tax haven bank accounts in an effort to conceal the beneficiaries of its payments in an apparent breach of the RBA's rules.

The AFP and Britain’s Serious Fraud Office have conducted several raids on the offices of Securency and its British half-owner, Innovia Films. Properties owned by serving and former executives and agents have been raided and several arrests made. No charges have been laid yet.

Securency's managing director, Myles Curtis, and chief financial officer, John Ellery, were forced out of the company in March last year. Securency's deputy chairman, English businessman Bill Lowther, resigned in October following his arrest by the Serious Fraud Office.

RBA governor Glenn Stevens has defended his bank's appointees who have chaired and sat on the Securency board since 1996, telling a federal parliamentary committee in November that he had not seen any evidence to suggest they had acted inappropriately.

The RBA plans to sell Securency.

This material is subject to copyright and any unauthorised use, copying or mirroring is prohibited.
**
Dari Keadilan Daily

Skandal cetak mata wang libatkan adik Hishamuddin, sepupu Najib?

KUALA LUMPUR: Skandal rasuah dalam pemberian kontrak mencetak mata wang negara kemungkinan turut mengheret sepupu Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yang juga adik Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein.

Menurut laporan akhbar Australia, The Age, Reserve Bank Australia (RBA) melantik sebuah syarikat yang dimiliki Haris Onn Hussein, pemegang saham terbesar dalam firma, Liberal Technology.

Liberal Technology diupah syarikat Securency, sebuah anak syarikat RBA sebagai agen bagi memenangi kontrak berkenaan.
"Pendedahan muncul ketika sensitiviti memuncak dalam kerajaan persekutuan berhubung siasatan Polis persekutuan Australia (AFP) terhadap Securency dan potensi hubungan antarabangsa Australia menjadi bahaya jika pegawai asing yang dikatakan terlibat dengan rasuah RBA dinamakan," lapornya.

Menurut The Age, media itu difahamkan Securency menandatangani perjanjian dengan Liberal technology sebagai agen di Malaysia pada 2009. Kali terakhir syarikat itu memenangi kontrak bagi mencetak mata wang negara pada 2004.

Laporan itu juga menyebut seorang lagi ahli perniagaan turut terlibat dinamakan sebagai Abdul Kayum Syed Ahmad yang juga bekas pemimpin Umno.

The Age melaporkan Abdul Kayum pernah ditahan dan disiasat Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) berhubung kes itu dan pemberian komisen yang diterima dari firma RBA berkenaan.

Menurut The Age, AFP memulakan siasatan terhadap Securency pada Mei 2009, selepas akhbar itu mendedahkan pembayaran komisen berjuta dollar kepada orang tengah yang mempunyai kaitan rapat dengan ahli politik di Nigeria, Vietnam dan India.

Menurut akhbar itu lagi, di bawah undang-undang Australia, adalah satu kesalahan jenayah bagi sesebuah syarikat atau individu untuk membayar, atau menawar faedah kepada pegawai kerajaan asing atau kenalan rapat untuk mendapatkan kepentingan perniagaan.

Namun The Age juga melaporkan, ia menjadi perkara biasa bagi ahli politik di negara Asia melantik saudara mara mereka sebagai ejen kepada syarikat-syarikat asing.

Akhbar Suara Keadilan tahun lalu pernah mendedahkan skandal berkenaan, yang dikatakan melibatkan komisen bernilai RM11.4 juta yang diterima usahawan tempatan daripada syarikat membekal bahan polimer Securency dan Note Printing Australia.

Dua anak syarikat RBA itu didakwa merasuah ahli perniagaan Malaysia, yang didakwa mempunyai kaitan rapat dengan Umno, namun individu itu tidak pernah didedahkan sebelum ini meskipun kes itu dikatakan pernah disiasat SPRM.

Ahli perniagaan itu juga sebelum ini dikatakan bertindak selaku orang tengah bagi memenangi kontrak mencetak dan membekalkan mata wang negara antara 1990 hingga 2005.

Skandal itu sebelum ini turut menggemparkan masyarakat antarabangsa apabila Securency dikatakan turut merasuah Timbalan Gabenor Bank Pusat di negara Asia dengan menawarkan khidmat pelacur Asia bagi mendapatkan kontrak pencetakan mata wang.

Antara nama negara yang disebut termasuk Malaysia, Nigeria dan Vietnam.

Malah lebih serius skandal rasuah itu juga didakwa melibatkan kegiatan mencetak wang berganda untuk kegunaan Umno-BN merasuah pengundi ketika kempen pilihan raya.

Ahli Parlimen Indera Mahkota, Azan Ismail baru-baru ini sekali lagi menimbulkan isu itu dengan mendakwa ia bukan hanya melibatkan skandal rasuah yang menyamai pembelian kapal selam Scorpene, tetapi juga dipercayai berkait dengan sindiket mencetak mata wang berganda.

Lambakan wang kertas yang mempunyai nombor siri yang sama itu dibimbangi menyebabkan nilai matawang negara jatuh dan mengheret negara kepada inflasi.

Senator Tunku Abdul Aziz sebelum ini pernah menggesa Gabenor Bank Negara, Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz membersihkan nama baik institusi itu yang turut terpalit dengan skandal berkenaan.

Bloggers Universe Malaysia (BUM) 2011 Forum to Feature Star-Studded Speakers

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 10:09 PM PDT

A field of star-studded speakers has been lined up for the BUM2011 Forum to be held at the KLSCAH Auditorium on Saturday, June 11, 2011.

Themed "Bloggers' Solidarity with the Press?", the forum which is being held to mark "World Press Freedom Day" (which fell on May 3, 2011), will start at 7.45PM with a Keynote Address by Selangor's Seri Setia State Assemblyman YB Nik Nazmi
Nik Ahmad on "Legislating Freedom of Information Act in Parliament".

The forum that follows will feature Mr Cheam Toon Lee, a veteran journalist who had served as a former editor-in-chief in Sabah/Sarawak, Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque, popularly known as Zunar, Malaysiakini cartoonist, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, former Bar Council president and current Bersih 2.0 chairperson, and Mr Hata Wahari, former senior journalist at Utusan Malaysia who was also serving as President of the National Union of Journalists when his employer sacked him from his job recently.

CPI director Dr Lim Teck Ghee said that with the political environment becoming more hotly contested and the mainstream media working overtime as cheerleader and fear leader for the establishment, it is vital that bloggers and those with integrity in the mass media quickly close ranks and provide Malaysians with truthful, fair and objective news and analysis.

"I hope this forum will serve to galvanise media practitioners and bloggers to reassert their adherence to the norms of journalistic ethics and independent reporting," Lim added.

BUM2011 Organising Committee chairman YL Chong aka Desiderata said this year's event almost never got off the ground as the Sarawak State elections came in April and interrupted the preparations as the previous BUM gatherings were all held in the month of May.

"Nevertheless, I was motivated to press ahead after learning about Hata Wahari's plight of his sacking by his employer and that explains the theme for our fifth BUM outing," he added.

Admission to the forum — being co-organised by a group of bloggers in their individual capacities, the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH), and the Centre for Policy Initiatives (CPI Malaysia) — is free and open to the public.

More background and updates on the event are posted at our dedicated website bum4msia.wordpress.com.

KUALA LUMPUR
June 7, 2011

Pertahan Prinsip Keluhuran Beragama dan Menyanggah Faham Melampau

Posted: 06 Jun 2011 09:41 AM PDT

KENYATAAN MEDIA
6 JUN 2011

Kita menyedari agama Islam mempunyai kedudukan yang unik di negara ini dan di rantau Asia Tenggara. Peranan mubaligh yang menerapkan pesan Islam secara aman dan berperingkat telah berupaya membentuk weltanschauung umat Islam yang terbuka dan toleran (tasamuh) terhadap kemajmukan budaya. Islam juga telah berperanan merungkai minda umat Melayu yang sebelumnya berasaskan mitos serta tahyul kepada pemikiran yang rasional yang sejajar pula dengan pesan- pesan Al Quran.

Agama Islam merupakan agama yang menjunjung prinsip Keadilan, cintakan keamanan, menghormati hak penganutnya dan juga hak penganut agama lain untuk mengamalkan kepercayaan mereka. Prinsip utama syariah yang dikenali sebagai maqasid syariah merumuskan bahawa adalah satu keutamaan untuk melindungi agama, nyawa, keturunan, aqal, harta dan maruah.

Makanya berteraskan kefahaman Islam yang tepat, penghayatan agama yang tuntas oleh umat Islam untuk memastikan cara hidup yang berintegriti. Umat Islam yang mahu memenuhi maksud ihsan dan keadilan sebagaimana yang sering dianjurkan pastinya menolak penindasan, rasuah serte segala bentuk penyelewengan. Oleh itu tidak hairanlah ramai dari kalangan umat Islam kesal dengan sikap pimpinan Umno serta media kongkongannya yang tidak konsisten dalam penghayatan agamanya. Apatah lagi rasuah dan penyelewengan kuasa masih berleluasa.

Mutakhir ini, ada pimpinan Umno dan media yang dimilikinya mencuba menggugat keamanan antara penganut agama di Malaysia dengan retorika perkauman sempit yang tajam, dangkal dan tidak berasaskan prinsip Keadilan sebagaimana dianjurkan Islam. Upaya mereka semata mata mahu menakut-menakutkan umat Islam serta menimbulkan prasangka antara kita.

Kita kesal kerana retorika serta propaganda pimpinan Umno dan media yang dimilikinya hanya membantutkan usaha baik dari kalangan kita demi memenuhi maksud pesan Li ta’arafu, iaitu berusaha kenal mengenali antara kita yang berbeza kepercayaan dan budaya.

Dengan nada yang sama maka kami juga ingin menyanggah kecenderungan sebahagian yang menyarankan faham melampau di kalangan penganut agama mereka tanpa menghiraukan sensitiviti umat Islam di negara ini.
Maka kepada wakil wakil badan Islam serta agama agama Buddha, Kristian, Hindu dan lainnya, kami ingin mengulangi komitmen mempertahankan prinsip keluhuran hidup beragama yang termaktub dalam Perkara 3, Perlembagaan Persekutuan.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Selasa, 7 Jun 2011

A field of star-studded speakers has been lined up for the BUM2011 Forum to be held at the KLSCAH Auditorium on Saturday, June 11, 2011.

Nuffnang