Tuesday, December 15, 2009

The Day the Govt Almost Lost the Parliament

  This is the news of the day:

Speaker slams opposition in narrow Budget vote



















By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 15 — Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia today criticised the Pakatan Rakyat for taking advantage of missing Barisan Nasional lawmakers to try defeating the Budget 2010 last night.
Pandikar called it dishonourable to catch the government with ‘their pants down” during the third and final reading of the budget proposals before it goes to the Senate.
“The opposition should not have taken advantage of the situation when there wasn’t enough BN MPs,” he said when commenting on the narrow 66-63 approval for Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s first Budget as prime minister.

Trivial Parliament

Let's look at the following excerpt from a news report:

Anwar's motion to discuss drop in Petronas' revenue rejected

By: By Husna Yusop and Hemananthani Sivanadam at the Dewan Rakyat (Mon, 14 Dec 2009)




Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi
KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 14, 2009): THE Dewan Rakyat today rejected a motion by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PKR-Permatang Pauh) to discuss the 37.5% drop in Petronas' half-year revenue this year to RM98.2 billion from RM157.2 billion in the same period last year.

Deputy Speaker Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said although the issue was specific and of public importance, it was not urgent to be debated.


When his decision was questioned by several opposition MPs, Wan Junaidi said the government has considered the facts before drafting the 2010 Budget and Petronas has said it would be able to meet payments to the government.

He also said the House was rushing to approve the budget at committee stage and the issue could be brought up later when debating other bills.

In his motion, Anwar said that according to the Petronas financial report, the national oil company suffered a serious drop in revenue amounting to RM58 billion for the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Hari AIDS Sedunia

Bahaya AIDS sentiasa mengancam kita.  Jangkitan HIV boleh berlaku secara sukarela atau sebaliknya.  Yang dimaksudkan dengan sukarela ialah apabila seseorang begitu 'adventurous' menjerumuskan diri ke dalam kancah aktiviti seks yang terlarang oleh agama.  Tanpa rela ialah apabila jangkitan berlaku melalui insiden seperti pemindahan darah.

Monday, November 30, 2009

BTN: Dolak Dalik BN Melucukan

Dolak-dalik BN dalam isu BTN berterusan dan rakyat sedang menonton drama yang melucukan.  Dalam BN sendiri, tidak ada kata sepakat tentang BTN.  Ada suara menentang (contoh: orang baru Idris Jala), ada yang mahu digubal semula (contoh: pragmatis Nazri),  ada yang mempertahankan (contoh: statis dan denialis Shahrizat), dan ada yang cuba menjustifikasikannya (contoh: Ketua Penerangan UMNO cum Timbalan Menteri di JPM Ahmad Maslan).

Sistem Dua Parti untuk Kestabilan Politik

Sehingga Mac 2008, Malaysia sebenarnya mengamalkan sistem satu parti. Sama ada rakyat suka atau tidak, mereka akan pilih BN untuk memerintah negara. Tiada pilihan lain. Benar wujud banyak parti politik. Tetapi selain BN semuanya kecil, lemah, kerap dicantas sebelum dapat berdiri teguh, atau ditelan oleh BN yang gagah perkasa itu. Ketiadaan parti kedua yang cukup gagah boleh menjuruskan negara kepada kehuruharaaan apabila rakyat tidak puas hati dengan prestasi BN, sedangkan tiada jalan yang sah di segi undang-undang untuk menyuarakannya.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

BN Atau BTN?

Rakyat Malaysia dahagakan kejujuran - daripada pemimpin mereka.  Rakyat Malaysia mahu menghormati pemimpin mereka, tetapi terlalu kerap mereka digagalkan, malah dikhianati. Tanda rakyat Malaysia dahagakan kejujuran dapat dilihat di sana sini; PRU12 hanya satu daripadanya.  Keupayaan menbaca isyarat yang diberikan rakyat Malaysia sangat penting untuk kejayaan sebuah gagasan politik, dan kestabilan negara.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Alahai Muhyiddin ...

Read the following piece taken from the Malaysian Insider, and draw your own conclusions.  If you do not have much time, just read the two highlighted paragraphs.

DPM defends BTN courses against racist brainwashing charges




Muhyiddin says BTN courses are not for ‘converting’ participants. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin defended the controversial Biro Tata Negara (BTN) courses today as a form of nationalism in line with the 1 Malaysia concept despite growing criticisms of racism and political indoctrination.
The deputy prime minister denied that the courses, which are compulsory for civil servants and public university undergraduates, are aimed at “converting” participants to the political ideology of Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN).
His defence of the BTN courses comes a day after the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) administration moved to bar its civil servants and students from state-owned institutions from the course described as racist and a form of political indoctrination by the federal government.
PR leaders have accused the federal government of using the BTN courses to “brainwash” participants.
It has been reported that participants of BTN courses were repeatedly told of the concept of Ketuanan Melayu, or Malay superiority. Participants are also told not to question “Malay rights” and the “social contract.”
“There are no ulterior motives. These courses are well intended,” Muhyiddin said in Muar today.
He claimed that the Selangor state government had been misinformed and given a wrong impression of the courses.

But his comments today appear to run counter to a proposal by his own Cabinet colleague Datuk Seri Idris Jala to revamp BTN courses in an acknowledgement that it did not promote the 1 Malaysia concept.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Tidak Ada Bonus Tahun Ini!

Tidak ada bonus tahun ini untuk kaki tangan awam.  Setelah tahun demi tahun menerima bonus, tidak mendapat bonus tahun ini merupakan satu kejutan bagi mereka.  Realitinya ramai yang telah menjadikan tabiat mereka 'mengira ayam sebelum telur mengetas':  mereka merancang bajet berdasarkan pendapatan 13 bulan.  RM500 separuh daripada apa yang setengah mereka biasa terima, dan kurang separuh untuk yang lain.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Agenda Pendoktrinan BTN


Biro Tata Negara (BTN) satu badan milik Kerajaan Malaysia. Kos operasinya ditanggung oleh pembayar cukai. Programnya sewajarnya mendatangkan keuntungan kepada rakyat Malaysia. Namun peranannya sering dipersoalkan, sehinggakan ada yang mengatakan bukan sahaja BTN membazir wang rakyat, tetapi juga menyusahkan kakitangan Kerajaan dengan agenda pendoktrinannya, malah mengkhianati rakyat Malaysia seluruhnya.

Siapakah seteru Singapura?

Singapura gigih sekali membangunkan ketenteraannya.

1.  Dengan peralatan yang canggih dan persiapan yang robust di setiap sayap - F16 untuk tentera udara, kapal selam untuk tentera laut, latihan tentera darat yang kerap - persoalan yang timbul ialah negara manakah yang berada di sasaran pada masa tenteranya menjalani latihan?
2.  Jika di lihat daripada kata-kata kesat LKY terhadap Malaysia ('Singapura titisan merah di lautan hijau', 'Malaysia melayani Singapura persis negara itu melayani kaum minoritinya', dsb), Singapura mungkin berhasrat menyelesaikan banyak isu dengan negara jirannya melalui kekuatan tentera.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

'Anwar Ibrahim Tak Reti Mengira'

'Anwar Ibrahim tidak pandai ekonomi,' sergah Khir Toyo.  'Anwar akan bankrapkan Selangor,' tokok Tun Mahathir.  Memang menjadi tugas mantan MB dan PM menyumbang idea, walaupun tanpa dipohon.  Selain membantu Najib, tugas mereka memberi propaganda negatif terhadap pentadbiran Pakatan Rakyat.  Program hitam 'Anwar bashing' akan terus kedengaran.

When the goin' gets tough, the toughs get goin'

I qoute a piece from the Malaysian Insider, 17 Nov 2009:

Malaysia seen as more corrupt than ever


KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 17 - Malaysia is now seen to be more corrupt than ever, anti-graft watchdog Transparency International said in its global corruption perception index 2009 launched today.


Malaysia now ranks 56 out of 180 countries in the world with a corruption index score of 4.5 out of 10, with 10 being the least corrupt, said the world corruption watchdog. Last year, it placed 47 with a CPI score of 5.1.


The three least corrupt countries in the world are, in order, New Zealand, Denmark and Singapore.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

The Star 25 Oct 2009 Andrew Sia: 'The truth emerges'

A former minister shares eyebrow-rising inside stories from his long political career.

UNLESS the name on the cover is Mahathir or Badawi, ministerial memoirs wouldn’t usually be greeted with bated breath.

But the book by Tan Sri Mohamed Rahmat that was released on Oct 12 has been causing quite a stir.

He was, after all, the person who controlled for more than a decade what the Malaysian public saw and heard on Government TV and radio channels as Information Minister from 1987 to 1999.

Now, aged 71 and suffering from diabetes and cancer, Tok Mat, as he is known, freely admits that his job was really as a Propaganda Minister.

In his political memoirs, Umno: Akhir Sebuah Impian (Umno: The End of a Dream), he explains how his ministry’s campaigns, such as Setia (Loyalty), were actually a response to the Team A versus Team B split in Umno in 1987.

Penyelewengan Sistem Demokrasi

Falsafah demokrasi menegaskan bahawa kebenaran dan kebaikan itu ditentukan oleh majoriti.  Sama ada kita setuju dengan ideologi ini atau tidak, yang jelas tidak wujud amalan demokrasi yang tulen dalam dunia kini. Tambahan pula, ada negara yang demokrasinya langsung diselewengkan.

Friday, November 13, 2009

1Malaysia, Kelantan & Royalti Minyak

Pelaksanaan 1Malaysia diperhebatkan. Antara sasaran terkini ialah Kelantan. Isunya royalti minyak.

Sedikit Ulasan: 'The Truth Emerges'

Saya ada kepilkan sorotan buku Tok Mat yang terbit dalam akhbar The Star 25 Oktober 2009. Walaupun sorotan itu pendek, tetapi ia berjaya menyentuh noktah-noktah yang signifikan dan relevan dalam konteks politik semasa tanah air kita. Apa yang penting bagi seorang rakyat yang berfikir ialah mengekstrapolat pemerihalan Tok Mat itu untuk kini dan selanjutnya.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

1Malaysia: Gagasan atau Hanya Slogan?

Tatkala PM Najib mengambil alih tampuk pemerintahan daripada PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, dia melancarkan gagasan 1Malaysia dengan slogan '1Malaysia Pencapaian Diutamakan'. Sejak hari itu '1Malaysia' merupakan slogan yang menanti dipenuhi makna. Pada hemat saya, walaupun 1Malaysia merupakan sebahagian strategi Najib dalam usaha mengembalikan sokongan rakyat Malaysia terhadap BN, isi atau substans 1Malaysia masih belum ditanggapi sepenuhnya oleh pasukan think-tank yang merangkanya.

Thursday, May 21, 2009

Hubungan Malaysia-Singapura

Hubungan Malaysia-Singapura sangat rumit.

Geografi dan sejarah menggariskan bahawa dua entiti ini berasal daripada satu jasad yang sama. Tetapi politik telah memisahkan dua negara ini. Adakah penyatuan semula satu kepastian akhirnya? Walau apapun, jalan ke arah penyatuan semula penuh dengan ranjau dan duri, dan jika ditaqdirkan berlaku akhirnya, ada pihak yang akan kerugian.