The Selangor Menteri Besar Poser

A Kadir Jasin

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THE APPOINTMENT of the PKR President and Anwar Ibrahim’s wife, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, as the first woman Menteri Besar in Malaysia may not yet be a done deal.

The incumbent, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim is still fighting to keep his post. In the latest development, he issued a challenge to state assembly members to table a no confidence vote against him.

That is not very likely to happen. So Dr Wan Azizah’s appointment as the Menteri Besar of Selangor has to wait a while longer if at all.

The Kajang state assemblywoman was supposed to take over from Abdul Khalid after the Hari Raya. It may not happen that soon.

If Dr Wan Azizah is eventually made MB, she will create history and will put the PKR ahead of other political parties in giving a higher level of recognition to the growing importance of women in the Malaysian politics.

Dr Wan Azizah - In For A Fight

 It will even put the PKR ahead of its Pakatan Rakyat partners in recognising the role of women. The DAP did its part earlier by nominating Hannah Yeoh Tseow Suan as Speaker of the Selangor State Assembly and PAS by nominating Dr Halimah Ali as a member of the Exco.

This will have the effect of further endearing the younger female voters to the party and the PR coalition. The down side is she has no administrative experience beyond holding the PKR together on behalf of her husband when he was away in prison. Anwar could once again be heading in the same direction, also on sodomy charge.

Abdul Khalid's Choices

Abdul Khalid’s day as MB may be numbered but he does not appear to want to walk into the sunset quietly. He may continue fighting within the party or outside.

There already are speculations that he may exit the PKR and join Umno – his old party. But that is a good as cutting the nose to spite the face. His other option is to join PAS, where he can make a greater difference than rejoining Umno.

Abdul Khalid - Not an Amicable Goodbye

He wasn’t particularly successful in Umno. But if he joins PAS, he will make the party stronger in the state assembly and hence strengthening his own position.

Should he choose that route, he will help PAS to become the largest PR party in the state assembly – raising its ranks from 15 to 16 and reducing PKR’s tally to 13. The DAP has 15 seats. The Barisan Nasional is the smallest with 12 seats.

But the big question mark is will PAS dare take advantage of the turmoil in the PKR?

On the other hand Abdul Khalid may choose to stay on in the PKR and become the thorn in the rear for Dr Wan Azizah and her supporters.

Umno can benefit from the turmoil in PKR. Unfortunately it is too weak and rudderless to take advantage of the PKR squabbles.

The PKR can capitalise on Dr Wan Azizah’s appointment as the first woman MB in history to enlist the support of female voters and young electors.

But Azizah’s lack of administrative experience and managerial could prove to be a handicap compared to Abdul Khalid’s vast experience in both areas.

Wallahuaklam.

MH17: Kita Masih Tidak Tegas

A Kadir Jasin

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UPDATE, July 23 - Malaysian protestors made demand on Putin.

The Malaysian Insider picture by Najjua Zulkefli 

ORIGINAL POST

TERIMA kasih kepada masyarakat antarabangsa dan pemimpin dunia kerana peduli kes penembakan jatuh pesawat MH17 milik MAS di sempadan Ukraine-Rusia Khamis lalu.

Pada hari Jumaat Presiden Amerika, Barrack Obama menyifatkan peristiwa itu sebagai “outrage of unspeakable proportions” dan mengisytiharkannya sebagai amaran keras kepada pemimpin Eropah.

Igor Girkin, bekas pegawai Tentera Rusia "mengaku" tembak MH17

Apa yang Obama tidak lakukan secara terbuka dan tersurat adalah menuduh Rusia terbabit dalam perbuatan terkutuk itu. Namun beliau berkata, pemberontak pro-Rusia di Ukraine mustahil mempunyai keupayaan untuk menembak jatuh sebuah pesawat yang sedang terbang di paras 33,000 kaki tanpa bantuan atau campur tangan Rusia.

Di negaranya sendiri Obama dikritik dan dikutuk kerana membuat kenyataan sambil lewa mengenai penembakan jatuh MH17 beberapa jam selepas ia berlaku. Ini memaksa beliau membuat kenyataan lebih tegas semalam.

Di pihak kita pula, saya tertanya-tanya adakah pemerintah kita cukup tegas, keras dan pantas? Adakah kita membawa kes itu ke persada antarabangsa, khususnya kepada Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB)? Saya berharap dan berdoa begitulah.

Pada malam kejadian, saya menghantar SMS kepada seorang pengarang di New Straits Times bertanya apakah  Wisma Putra telah memanggil Duta Rusia dan Duta Ukraine.

Saya kecewa dengan  tindakan lembik (terlalu diplomatik) pemerintah kita dalam hal ini. Pemerintah kita sepatutnya dari awal lagi membuat kenyataan tegas dan keras meminta campur tangan PBB dan agensi-agensi penerbangan antarabangsa serta mengutuk mana-mana negara yang terbabit secara langsung atau tidak langsung dengan perbuatan ganas itu.

Bukan sama cakap klise

Tidak cucup sekadar membuat kenyataan mengenai “swif justice” (keadilan serta-merta) dan klise “we will leave no stone unturned.” Realitinya kita tidak pun mempunyai kapasiti untuk terbalikkan beberapa ketul batu. Tidak perlulah kita berpura-pura dan berlagak sombong.

Lihat sajalah misteri kehilangan MH370 pada 8 Mac lalu. Sebenarnya, selepas 132 hari kita masih seperti kelawar di siang hari. Itu pun setelah dibantu oleh berpuluh-puluh buah negara sahabat yang lebih maju daripada kita.

Pemerintah Tidak Lagi “Hands-on”

Pemerintah kita juga perlu mengaku bertanggungjawab kerana tidak mengambil berat mengenai operasi MAS yang terus menggunakan laluan berbahaya itu walaupun banyak negara dan syarikat penerbangan antarabangsa telah lama mengelakkannya.

Inilah sikap buruk kita yang banyak membawa mudarat dan musibah yang berulang kali dan semakin hari semakin teruk. Kita lalai dan suka mencari jalan mudah. Kita seolah-olah menyerah kepada nasib.

Cakap pemimpin semakin tidak dipedulikan hatta oleh kakitangan awam sendiri. Ini adalah kerana ramai yang dipilih dan diberikan mandat oleh rakyat semakin jauh daripada realiti kehidupan seharian rakyat jelata. Mereka tidak lagi “hands-on” macam Tun Abdul Razak Hussein dan Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Dalam tragedi MH17 ini, waris penumpang mempunyai asas meminta ganti rugi luar biasa atau mengenakan saman ke atas MAS.

Dalam kaitan yang sama, rasanya eloklah pemerintah meletakkan MAS di bawah kelolaan “Administrator” (pentadbir) sebelum dibaikpulih, dijual atau ditutup.

Maaf cakap, saya rasa pengurusan MAS tidak berdaya lagi menangani isu-isu harian apatah lagi menangani krisis imej yang teruk akibat tragedi MH370 dan kini MH17.

MAS tidak dapat lagi menjanjikan “reasonable safety” (keselamatan yang berpatutan) kepada penumpang, khususnya yang menaiki pesawat MAS melalui perkongsian kod (code sharing). Wallahuaklam.

MAS MH17 "Shot Down" In Ukraine

A Kadir Jasin

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — A Ukrainian official said a passenger plane carrying 295 people was shot down Thursday over a town in the east of the country, and Malaysian Airlines tweeted that it lost contact with one of its flights over Ukrainian airspace.

Anton Gerashenko, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister, said on his Facebook page the plane was flying at an altitude of 10,000 meters (33,000 feet) when it was hit by a missile fired from a Buk launcher. A similar launcher was seen by Associated Press journalists near the eastern Ukrainian town of Snizhne earlier Thursday. The Buk missile system can fire missiles up to an altitude of 22,000 meters (72,000 feet).

Debris of MH17

Malaysia Airlines said on its Twitter feed that it "has lost contact of MH17 from Amsterdam. The last known position was over Ukrainian airspace. More details to follow."

(Good Morning America) - Malaysia Air said it "lost contact" with one of its passenger planes today over Ukraine near the border with Russia.

The airline said in a tweet that the plane, Flight MH17 from Amsterdam, had its "last known position was over Ukraine airspace."

MH17 wreckage

The plane was headed to Kuala Lampur with 294 people on board. 

Masya-Allah.

Footnote: The saddest thing is we are no longer able to feel a deep sense of shock and sympathy because we have been bombarded with so many bad news and tragedies in recent years. Just over four month ago, on March 8, MH370 with 239 souls on board. It is yet to be found. Now MH17 with 295 people on board.

It is hard not to ask, what is happening to us? Why are we experiencing so many bad things and tragedies in rapid succession?

I am afraid many of us are becoming numb and are unable to show emotions anymore. Still our hearts and prayers go to families and loved ones of the passengers and crew of MH17.

For those of us who are Muslims, we may want to ask, is this another  “bala” (trial) or could this be the “pembalasan” (punishment)? I am sorry for raising this at this juncture. Wallahuaklam.  
 

Petronas Terus Meningkat Dalam Senarai Fortune

A Kadir Jasin

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BUKAN semua berita di bumi 1Malaysia buruk. Bukan semua jabatan dan agensi kerajaan teruk. Sekali-sekala ada juga berita gembira.

Manakala penceroboh, penjahat dan penculik asing dengan mudah memecah masuk wilayah kita akibat kurang siap sedia agensi pertahanan negara, agensi lain pula berjaya memecah masuk pasaran dunia untuk menjadi penyelamat kita.

Tidak syak lagi bahawa pendahulu kepada agensi negara yang mengharumkan nama Malaysia di dunia antarabangsa ialah Petronas.

Perbadanan petroleum nasional kita itu adalah satu-satunya syarikat Malaysia yang menganggotai kelab eksklusif “Fortune 500” yang menyenaraikan 500 buah syarikat terbesar dunia.

Dalam senarai tahun 2013 yang disiarkan dalam keluaran 21 Julai majalah Amerika itu, Petronas menduduki tempat ke-69 – naik daripada nombor 75 tahun lepas. Pada tahun 2008 Petronas menduduki tempat ke-95.

Tahniah kepada lembaga pengarah, pengurusan dan kakitangan Petronas yang seramai 49,183 orang itu.

Mengikut laporan Fortune, tahun lalu Petronas mencatatkan pendapatan lebih AS100.7 bilion (kira-kira RM321.4 bilion) – naik 6.9% daripada tahun 2012.

Pendapatan Petronas kurang sedikit daripada syarikat kereta Jerman, BMW dan lebih daripada syarikat pengeluar makanan Switzerland, Nestle.

Daripada jumlah itu, Petronas membuat keuntungan AS$17.18 bilion (RM54.8 bilion), naik 7.4% dan  menjadikannya syarikat ke-22 paling besar di dunia dari segi keuntungan.

Petronas mengalahkan raksasa petroleum Royal Dutch Shell (UK&Belanda) yang menduduki tempat ke-25. Royal Dutch Shell adalah syarikat kedua terbesar di dunia selepas Wal-Mart Stores (Amerika Syarikat) dalam senarai Fortune.

Dengan kedudukannya di anak tangga ke-69, Petronas mengalahkan syarikat minyak Thailand, PTT di tempat ke-84 dan Pertamina Indonesia di tempat ke-123.

Harapan kita ialah Petronas terus maju tanpa campur tangan yang merugikan oleh kerajaan manakala dividen yang dibayarnya kepada kerajaan (RM27 bilion tahun lepas) digunakan dengan sebaik-baiknya tanpa pemborosan dan pembaziran.

Wallahuaklam.

 

Young and Thoughtful

A Kadir Jasin

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THE PM, Mohd Naijb Abdul Razak and his ministers should take note of this.

Or is the government afraid of young volunteers like her because they care more about the unfortunate than some ministers?

A 24-year-old International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) graduate has been awarded the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award by the United States Embassy of Kuala Lumpur for her efforts to feed and help the needy.

Mastura Mohd Rashid is the founder of the Nasi Lemak Project, a soup kitchen that distributes food to the homeless in Brickfields, Ampang, and Chow Kit on Fridays.

Mastura Mohd Rashid (right) with Nasi Lemak Project assistant manager Nurul Najihah. – The Malaysian Insider pic, July 11, 2014. - See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/soup-kitchen-founder-wins-muhammad-ali-humanitarian-award#sthash.YsOEl6EB.dpuf

Mastura Mohd Rashid and Friends- Malaysian Insider

"I never knew even knew about the award until my nomination in April," Mastura told The Malaysian Insider. (Read more here).

Soup Kitchens vs 1Malaysia

A Kadir Jasin

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UPDATE, July 10 - AFTER a week of being roasted by the new and social media for banning soup kitchens in Kuala Lumpur, the Prime Minister reportedly made a visit to one such centre last night.

He was accompanied Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, who declared the ban a week ago, and Rohani Abdul Karim.

Putrajaya had since delayed the ban on soup kitchens from a 2-kilometre radius of Lot 10 in the Bukit Bintang until after August 16 purportedly in view of Ramadan when charitable acts are encouraged.

ORIGINAL POST

I AM in full support of the Federal Territory Ministry’s decision to differ the ban on the operation of soup kitchens within the 2-km radius of Lot 10 in Bukit Bintang.

I will also support any decision to ban any kind of soup kitchen operation altogether, not only in Kuala Lumpur but also in the whole country, IF (very big if) the government can ensure that every person – man, woman and child – now fed by the volunteers, are taken care of.

To the government of Mohd Najib Abdul Razak, I say this: Those selfless NGOs, volunteers and donors came forward to help because the authorities had not done much to feed and assist these poor people.

A street child benefiting from Pertiwi's soup kitchen

So now, if Mohd Najib and his ministers – the likes of Tengku (Teuku) Adnan Tengku (Teuku) Mansor (Federal Territory) and Rohani Abdul Karim (Women, Family and Community Development) – are ready to take care of these downtrodden, the NGOs, the volunteers and the donors can move to do something else for the society.

1Malaysia will be more meaningful if ministers walk the talk

For this latest FT Ministry’s decision, my question is, why specifically to 2 km away from Lot 10? What is so special about Lot 10 anyway?

I hope it is not because it belongs to YTL Corporation, whose Managing Director, Francis Yeoh Siok Ping, had famously declared that he was not Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s crony.

I am sure other high-end property owners also do not like soup kitchens to be operating in the vicinity of their establishments. So why did the government single out Lot 10 for this preferred treatment?

Finally, this issue of urban destitution should be seen within the larger context of economic inequality, unemployment, poverty and the lack of safety net for the poor and the destitute.

Share the smile with the rakyat, make private walkabouts

Our ministers will be more aware of the life of the ordinary rakyat if they spend less time in their posh offices or being rushed around in escorted convoys and spend a bit more time on the ground. A little walkabout on their own - like Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad did when he was PM - may even make them healthier.

1Malaysia will be more meaningful if they show a bit more sincerity and honesty in fulfilling the promises of people first (rakyat didahulukan) and performance now (pencapaian diutamakan).

Incidentally, if you find that Internet is slow that’s because our beloved Malaysia has one of the slowest Internet speed in the world as we dream of becoming a developed nation by 2020. Read here.

Wallahuaklam.

Beberapa Ekor Kerbau Bawa Lumpur 1Malaysia Terpalit

A Kadir Jasin

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MUTAKHIR – Khidmat pesanan ringkas (SMS) The Star memetik Wisma Putera sebagai berkata Muhammad Rizalman Ismail akan dihantar balik ke New Zealand bagi menghadapi tuduhan pecah rumah dan menyerang dengan tujuan merogol.

POSTING ASAL

KALAU pada suatu masa dulu kita benci kepada "the ugly Americans" - orang Amerika yang berperangai buruk apabila di luar negara, kini kita berdepan dengan kecelakaan yang sama.

Semakin ramai warganegara Malaysia membuat kerja-kerja kotor di luar negara sehingga membusukkan nama negara.

Ada yang ditangkap kerana menyeludup dadah dan hidupan liar. Ada yang ditangkap kerana menipu kontrak. Ada yang menjadi anggota sindiket judi dan pelacuran. Ada yang dipenjarakan kerana mendera anak.


Bernama melaporkan yang dalam enam bulan pertama tahun 2012, seramai 2,500 rakyat Malaysia ditahan di penjara luar negara atas pelbagai kesalahan. Dewan Negara diberitahu antara kesalahan yang dilakukan ialah menyeludup dadah, membunuh, memalsukan kad kredit, kesalahan komersial, mencuri, kesalahan imigresen, menipu serta memalsukan dokumen, dan penyeludupan manusia.


Yang terbaru seorang anggota Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (ATM) dikenali sebagai Pegawai Waran 2 Muhammad Rizalman Ismail yang bertugas di Suruhanjaya Malaysia di New Zealand dituduh pecah rumah dan mencabul kehormatan.

Masya-Allah! Kalau betul dakwaan kerajaan New Zealand itu, malu besarlah kita. Melayu dan Islam pula tu!

Kerbau bawa lumpur 1Malaysia terpalit

Kita mempunyai perhubungan yang sangat baik dengan negara itu. Ia telah memberi bermacam-macam bantuan kepada negara kita sejak tahun 1949 lagi, termasuk memerangi komunis.

Kalau orang Islam dan orang Melayu tidak mahu terpalit dengan lumpur akibat peristiwa ini, mereka wajib mengutuknya. Sungguh malang. Nama ambil sempena nama Nabi tetapi perangai, masya-Allah.

Kalau Wisma Putra dan Kementerian Pertahanan tidak bertindak tegas, mereka juga wajib dikutuk. Saya cabar Menteri Luar dan Menteri Pertahanan agar bertindak tegas demi membersihkan nama negara.

Saya kenal siapa kedua-dua menteri itu. Jadi tidak perlulah saya sebut nama mereka di sini. Yang dari Sabah itu saya kenal zaman mudanya sebagai ahli perniagaan. Yang dari Johor saya kenal sejak dia menteri belia lagi. Bapanya pun saya kenal.


Mengenai ATM, saya tidak mahu ulas panjang. Kita semua sudah tahu prestasi ATM, khususnya TUDM dalam peristiwa kehilangan MH370 pada 8 Mac lalu.

Sebagai haiwan purba yang tidak pupus, saya nostalgia mengenai masa lampau ATM yang cemerlang melawan komunis dan mengharumkan nama Malaysia di Congo dan merata pelosok dunia.

Jadi bapak-bapak menteri dan bapak-bapak jeneral tolonglah tunjuk kesungguhan dan profesionalisme. Janganlah lembik, lembut dan apologetik tidak kena tempat.

Khusus buat para YB menteri, sila buktikan yang anda ada tulang belakang.

Jangan biarkan 1Malaysia terpalit kotor akibat beberapa ekor kerbau yang bawa lumpur.

Wallahuaklam.