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.

Harapan Besar Kepada Kabinet XXL

A Kadir Jasin

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BANYAK orang kita suka catat rekod. Tapi kebanyakan rekod yang orang kita catat adalah dalam kategori lawak atau standard Malaysia saja.

Jadi, sebagai rakyat Malaysia yang tidak gemar kepada rekod lawak, saya bersyukur kerana kita (mungkin) belum berjaya mencatatkan rekod kabinet terbesar di dunia. Itu pun belum tentu. Minta pencerahan para pembaca.

Dan oleh sebab pasukan bola kita masih dalam kategori jaguh kampung maka tidak adalah rekod pemain kita melakukan perbuatan yang mencatat rekod seperti yang dilakukan oleh penjaring gol Uruguay, Luis “the biter” Suarez.

Suarez ada rekod gigit

Sebagai penyokong Uruguay, saya menyokong penuh keputusan Fédération Internationale de Futbol Association (FIFA) menggantung beliau sebanyak sembilan perlawanan Piala Dunia dan mengharamkannya selama empat bulan kerana menggigit pemain Itali, Giorgio Chiellini. Suarez ni dia ada rekod suka tokak!

Sumbangan Biar Besar Juga

Berbalik kepada penambahan bilangan anggota kabinet Mohd Najib Abdul Razak kepada 35 orang pada 25 Jun, ia mungkin berupa rekod nasional. Minta sesiapa sahkan!

Saya tidak ingat kalau ada Perdana Menteri sebelum beliau yang mempunyai kabinet sebesar itu. Nampaknya Perdana Menteri kita ini suka besar. Kalau beliau melawat kampung dan pekan, beliau khabarnya mahu sambutan besar-besaran.

Tun Abdul Razak Hussein bertongkat melawat kampung, memanjat tiang bulat rumah rakyat miskin untuk mencari penyelesaian dan membawa pembangunan. Tidak ada sambutan raksasa, tidak ada siaran langsung.

Satu laporan tahun 2011 berkata, Uganda mempunyai kabinet ketiga terbesar di dunia - 71 orang anggota. Kalah kepada Korea Utara dan Kenya.

Tetapi apabila saya menghitung anggota kabinet Korea Utara dalam Wikipedia, saya dapati hanya ada 34 orang dan Uganda 30. Kalau betul laporan Wikipedia itu, maka kabinet Mohd Najib lebih besar daripada kabinet Korea Utara dan Uganda.

Mengikut laporan 2011 itu lagi, purata bilangan ahli kabinet negara di dunia adalah 30. Jadi dengan 35 orang, kita telah “berjaya” mengatasi purata dunia.

Oleh sebab Perdana Menteri suka besar maka kita pun berhak untuk berharapan besar juga. Jadi harapan XXL kita adalah  kabinet XXL Mohd Najib akan membawa manfaat XXL kepada rakyat jelata.

Rugi XXL lah kita kalau kabinet XXL itu sekadar meramaikan majlis dan menghabiskan beras saja.

Wallahuaklam. Selamat berpuasa Ramadan.

Mohd Najib-Muhyiddin Uneasy Partnership

A Kadir Jasin

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UPDATE, June 25 – IN line with his policy of appeasement towards the Chinese, making everybody happy and keeping things big, the Prime Minister added three more ministers to his cabinet and retained the rest.
 
The new ministers are MCA President Liow Tiong Lai, his deputy Dr Wee Ka Siong, and the Gerakan President, Mah Siew Keong.

Liow is transport minister while Dr Wee and Mah are ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department. With the new additions, he now has 34 ministers to lord over. Ten of these people are in his department. There are 35 including him. This is not counting 28 deputy ministers

Big is unavoidable, says PM - Malaysiakini

The MCA, despite its mediocre performance at last year’s general elections, also received three deputy ministers' posts. The appointees are vice-presidents Datuk Lee Chee Leong (International Trade and Industry), Datuk Chua Tee Yong (Finance) and Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun (Women, Family and Community Development).

So all the talks and speculations about Muhyiddin leaving and Hishammuddin going up are a waste of time and space. The PM and his merry men march on!

Apologies: Mohd Najib was Finance Minister under Abdullah.

ORIGINAL POST

NOT long before last year’s Umno election, Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin, made known to allies that he would not challenge Mohd Najib Abdul Razak for the post of president and gave “tiredness” as his reason.

When I asked him some time later, he repeated the same reason – penat. – Additionally he did not want to be accused of being unable to work with any Prime Ministers having been instrumental in hastening (Tun) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s resignation as PM in 2009.

The excuse that he was tired was flimsy. I would have given some credence had he said he was to challenging Mohd Najib because the latter was doing a good job or something like that. I could not remember him saying such a thing.

This latest talk that he wants out could have been members’ interpretation of his recent statements at party meetings that Umno must prepare for succession and take steps to train younger leaders.

Muhyiddin isn’t exactly old. He is 67 and is not known to have health problem. The late (Tun) Abdul Ghafar Baba became DPM at 61 and (Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad remained PM until he was 78.

Even if Muhyiddin has differences with Mohd Najib, it should not be an excuse for him to step down. Many Umno leaders, including ministers, have issues with Mohd Najib. They should stay and fight for the party instead of forsaking it out of distaste for Mohd Najib.

PM Needs Muhyiddin

ON the other hand, Mohd Najib may shudder at the thought of not having Muhyiddin by his side in the cabinet.

This is even more so if Muhyiddin’s intention is to spend time building up Umno. That could be a dangerous proposition for Mohd Najib.

He needs Muhyiddin close to him for two reasons. First, Muhyiddin is popular with Umno members. For that reason, Mohd Najib has left much of party work to him.

Second, because of Muhyiddin’s popularity with Umno members, it’s risky for Mohd Najib to let him take charge of the party away from his scrutiny. He has to keep Muhyiddin in his sight.

That could have been the reason why Mohd Najib came out strongly to deny that Muhyiddin was leaving the Cabinet.

But we have to take such a denial with a pinch of salt. Dr Mahathir too denied strongly the allegations against Anwar Ibrahim by Ummi Hafilda in 1997.

Muhyiddin’s aides acknowledged that their boss had raised the matter of his “advancing” age with Mohd Najib. According to them Mohd Najib told Muhyiddin that he needed him.

But now there is a new twist to the issue. According to aides, Muhyiddin had started to feel uneasy when speculations that he was leaving the Cabinet began to spread in the press.

He felt that there might be attempts to pressure him to leave or to make Mohd Najib feels that he can no longer rely on him (Muhyiddin).

The Hishammuddin Factor

Surely Muhyiddin is not unaware that there are others in Umno who aspire to take over his job as DPM. For a start, talks are rife that Mohd Najib is preparing his cousin, Hishammuddin Hussein to take over the post although Hishammuddin himself is said to be uncomfortable with the speculation.

He is said to have told friends that such a speculation could have a negative effect on his chances of advancing in the party and Cabinet.

Like Muhyiddin, Hishammuddin is a Johorian. It is well-known that Johor Umno leaders do not always get along well with each other.

And talks about Hishammuddin’s being groomed as Muhyiddin’s successor does not help to calm matters down.

Whether this is true or not will depend on where Hishammuddin goes when Mohd Najib finally reshuffled his Cabinet. It is widely speculated that Hishammuddin would take over the Finance Ministry from Mohd Najib.

Whether or not Hishammuddin is a Finance Minister material is debatable. But if he is given the post he will automatically become very powerful although not a single Finance Minister had risen to become PM.

The unofficial version of the story had it that Muhyiddin had told a very senior Supreme Council member that he was leaving because he could not anymore cope with the goings-on in the government.

Muhyiddin may remain DPM but may let go of the Education Ministry and take on a smaller portfolio so that he can spend more time managing Umno but on condition that he remains loyal to Mohd Najib.

Furthermore, under Mohd Najib's 1Malaysia, Muhyiddin is its Malay face. His "Malay first" assertion is popular with the Malays, especially those in Umno. 

Wallahuaklam.

Rombak Kabinet: PM Gugur Najib?

A Kadir Jasin

[KOMEN anonymous DAN KESAT tidak akan disiarkan. Sila guna Google Account, OpenID atau Name/URL untuk mengulas. Boleh guna nama samaran.]

DALAM 1Malaysia macam-macam ada, satu jenaka SMS yang sedang diedarkan berbunyi:

“Cabinet reshuffle soon. The PM is dropping Najib.” (Rombakan Kabinet tak lama lagi. Perdana Menteri akan gugurkan Najib.)

Serah kepada pengguna telefon pintar untuk “menjenakakan” dan meremehkan segala perkara. Tetapi lebih baik mereka berjenaka daripada mengamuk kerana hilang punca! Laughter is the best medicine. Ketawa penawar lara.

Tetapi apabila saya memanjangkan (forward) jenaka itu kepada dua wartawan kanan bergelaran di raja, kedua-dua mereka menyangka saya tersalah taip - typo error.

Jenaka atau tidak, saya rasa Perdana Menteri perlu memikirkan semula kedudukan Mohd Najib sebagai Menteri Kewangan.

Bukan saja pengurusan kewangan negara di bawah  Mohd Najib telah mencetuskan pelbagai isu dan persoalan, ia juga berupa konflik kepentingan.

Apabila PM juga bertindak sebagai Menteri Kewangan maka tidak wujud lagilah proses pemisahan kuasa dan timbang tara. Kalau ada menteri yang tidak puas hati dengan peruntukan atau tindak-tanduk Kementerian Kewangan, kepada siapa mereka hendak mengadu?

Prestasi Menteri Kewangan

Sejak Mohd Najib menjadi Menteri Kewangan pada tahun 2009, pertumbuhan ekonomi negara terus terperangkap dalam lingkungan 5%. Antara 2009 dan 2013, ekonomi negara tumbuh purata 4.28% saja. Menurut seorang bekas Menteri Kewangan, kadar itu adalah “biasa” saja kerana ekonomi Malaysia mempunyai potensi untuk berkembang dengan lebih pesat.

Para ekonomis adalah dipelawa untuk menambah, menolak, menjawab dan menafikan fakta, perangkaan dan kesimpulan yang tersasar. Kebanyakan perangkaan dalam rencana ini adalah daripada sumber rasmi kerajaan.

Defisit belanjawan meningkat daripada 3.2% Keluaran Dalam Negara Kasar (GDP) pada tahun 2008 (zaman Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) kepada 6.7% pada tahun 2010 yang berupa belanjawan pertama Mohd Najib sebagai Menteri Kewangan. Purata defisit belanjawan antara 2010 dan 2014 adalah 5%.

Hutang Kerajaan Persekutuan pula meningkat dengan mendadak sejak Mohd Najib menjadi Menteri Kewangan, iaitu daripada 41.24% KDNK pada 2009 kepada 52.8% pada tahun 2010. Tahun ini (2014) hutang kerajaan dianggarkan naik kepada 54.8% KDNK.

Jumlah hutang kerajaan meningkat daripada RM362.3 bilion pada tahun 2009 kepada RM519.3 bilion pada akhir tahun lalu.

Defisit belanjawan yang tinggi dan hutang kerajaan yang semakin meningkat menyebabkan agensi penarafan antarabangsa Fitch menurunkan penarafan hutang (credit rating) Malaysia daripada stabil kepada negatif pada bulan Julai lalu. Ia adalah tamparan kepada Mohd Najib.

Hutang kerajaan melambung hingga 80.7% pada tahun 1990 akibat krisis ekonomi tahun 1980-an, tetapi turun secara progresif kepada paras paling rendah dalam sejarah, iaitu 31.8% pada tahun 1997. Hutang kerajaan yang kecil itu membantu mengurangkan kesan buruk krisis mata wang Asia 1997/98.

Selain defisit belanjawan dan hutang kerajaan, prestasi ringgit Malaysia juga menimbulkan tanda tanya walaupun Bank Negara tidak putus-putus memberi jaminan bahawa ia "ok".

Antara tahun 2009 hingga September 2013, ringgit Malaysia jatuh 6.3% berbanding dolar Amerika, 6.1% berbanding dolar Singapura, 6.2% berbanding pound sterling, 8.1% berbanding Euro dan 7.8% berbanding mata wang China renminbi. Hanya dengan Yen Jepun, ringgit naik – 7%.

Inflasi yang juga menjadi tanggungjawab Bank Negara, meningkat daripada 0.6% pada tahun 2009 hingga kepada 3.2% pada tahun 2011. Purata kadar inflasi sejak 2009 adalah 1.84%.

Teknokrat Boleh Jadi Menteri Kewangan

Jadi PM perlu menilai semula prestasi (KPI) Mohd Najib sebagai Menteri Kewangan. Lagipun PM perlu tumpu lebih banyak masa mengurus pentadbiran negara yang semakin mencabar.

Umno dan BN memerlukan lebih banyak perhatian beliau kerana masa empat tahun sebelum PRU akan datang bukan lama.

Menteri Kewangan tidak perlu seorang ahli politik. Teknokrat pun boleh. Masakan Malaysia ketandusan bakat ekonomi dan kewangan sehingga tidak ada lagi teknokrat dan ahli perniagaan macam Tun Daim Zainuddin yang dua kali menyelesaikan krisis ekonomi negara?

Pendirian saya dalam hal ini konsisten. Sejak zaman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad turut menyandang jawatan Menteri Kewangan lagi saya telah menulis bahawa PM tidak wajar menjadi Menteri Kewangan apatah lagi apabila kepakaran mereka dalam bidang itu cetek dan dipersoalkan.

Seorang Menteri Kewangan bukan sahaja perlu luas pengetahuan mengenai ekonomi, belanjawan dan mata wang, malah lebih daripada itu dia perlu berani dan tegas. Ini bukan jawatan untuk orang lembik, kurang inisiatif dan kerja ikut pejabat!

PM juga tidak perlu bermuka-muka dengan parti-parti Cina dalam BN. MCA masih dalam mode cakap, tetapi belum ada bukti yang ia kembali mendapat perhatian orang Cina apatah lagi sokongan mereka.

Orang Cina tolak BN, jadi buat apa Mohd Najib terhegeh-hegeh melayan MCA dan Gerakan. The Chinese had said loud and clear they do not need the BN. Let them be!

Tetapi isu jawatan menteri untuk Gerakan sudah menjadi kewajipan kerana itu yang dijanjikan dalam Pilihan Raya Kecil Teluk Intan.

PM perlu utamakan kaum majoriti (ertinya Melayu dan Bumiputera Sabah serta Sarawak) yang daif. Mereka inilah yang menyelamatkan BN pada Pilihan Raya Umum lalu.

Buang Menteri Melayu/Bumiputera yang hambar dan ganti dengan yang lebih muda dan baik.

Manfaatkan duit pembayar cukai. Kurangkan bilangan anggota Kabinet. Hentikan pemborosan. Dahulukan rakyat, utamakan pencapaian. Walk the talk.

NOTA Kaki: Boleh sesiapa beritahu di mana Jho Lo aka Low Taek Jho, wajah 1Malaysia Development Berhad, berada? Lama tidak dengar cerita beliau. 1MDB sudah dua kali tangguh IPO. Apasal?  Wallahuaklam.

World Cup: Let Us Enjoy the Games

A Kadir Jasin

[NO anonymous comments. Please use Google Account, OpenID or Name/URL. Pseudonym accepted. Thank you]

I AM not a kaki bola – a football fanatic. But I like the games in and out of the fields. It tells us so much about ourselves and the world around us.

Take the World Cup that begins in Brazil later today as an example.

Time wise, Brazil is 11 hours plus behind us. So when the opening ceremony starts at 1pm at the Corinthians Stadium, Sao Paulo, the time in Malaysia will be 12 midnight.

So there will be a lot of sleepy heads and a huge lost of productivity for the next one month. Doctors will receive more visits from kaki ponteng seeking MCs, 24-hour eateries will be doing roaring business and illegal betting syndicates will have a field day.

ALL IN ONE RHYTHM

The opening games between football juggernaut and five times champions Brazil and the tiny, but brave Croatia, will take place at 4am Friday, June 13 Malaysian time.

I am betting on Brazil winning by a three-goal margin, but I will support Croatia. I do not consider Brazil winning a big deal. Consider the following:

Brazil is playing at home. They are champions five times and had played in the World Cup 19 times. Brazil has been an independent country since 1822 and has a population of 203 million.

Croatia has been an independent state only since 1991 (as a result of war and the break up of former Yugoslavia) and has a population of 4.5 million but in that short period of time has qualified for the World Cup thrice.

We have been independent since 1957 - 56 years plus - and have a population of 28 million but I can’t remember how many times we have qualified for the World Cup. Can someone please enlighten me!

What I know is our FIFA ranking is lousy – 153 out of 207 member countries and territories.

But that does not stop our football officials from fighting and quarrelling to keep their posts. I think if they stop fighting and organise themselves into a team, they may very well do better than our deadbeat Harimau Malaysia.

My team for this World Cup is Uruguay, Argentina’s northern neighbour across the mighty Rio de La Plata. I was in that country once in the late 1990’s.

I have always been impressed with the small nation (population 3.3 million) and its equally small neighbour, Paraguay (6.8 million). They are football powers. But Paraguay did not qualify this time. 

Uruguay had made 11 appearances at World Cup and won twice – in 1930 and 1950.

Other small nations that put us to shame by qualifying for this World Cup include second timers Jamaica (pop 2.7 million), Kuwait (2.7 million) and Trinidad & Tobago (1.3 million) and third timer Slovenia - another former Yugoslavia state - (2 million). (For more click here).

Knowing our mentality of looking up to big nations, I don’t think our football officials learn anything from the success of these small countries. I wonder how many of them have heard of Trinidad & Tobago, Costa Rica (4.8 million) and Honduras (8 million).

It speaks volume when so many smaller and/or poorer countries like Maldives, Grenada, New Caledonia, Cyprus and Lesotho are ahead of us in FIFA ranking.

No worry though. Few nations can challenge us for the title of “Jaguh Kampung.” We are truly village champions.

But for the next one month, let us forget about the misery of our football and in the spirit of “ALL IN ONE RHYTHM” enjoy the world’s greatest games.

ISU Tanah Johor: Siakap Senohong Gelama Ikan Duri...

A Kadir Jasin

RANG Undang-Undang Lembaga Perumahan dan Hartanah Johor diluluskan oleh Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN). Semua 38 Adun Barisan Nasional menyokong dan semua 18 Adun Pakatan Rakyat dilaporkan “tidak mengundi”.

[Peringatan: Komen menggunakan anonymous tidak akan disiarkan.]

Tetapi siapa rakyat hendak percaya. Pengerusi Majlis di Raja Johor Abdul Rahim Ramli, dilaporkan berkata Sultan bukan orang di belakang rang undang-undang itu.


Rang undang-undang itu dilaporkan memberi kuasa kepada Sultan dan dikritik keras oleh banyak pihak di dalam dan luar Umno.


Seandainya betul Sultan bukan di belakang rang undang-undang itu, siapa lagi kalau bukan Menteri Besar Umno Khaled Nordin?


Tentu bukan orang bunian dari Seri Bunian, Pontian!


Atau ini cerita sorong papan tarik papan, buah keranji dalam perahu versi politik ajaib era Mohd Najib Abdul Razak?


Sorong papan tarik papan. Buah keranji di dalam perahu. Suruh luluskan aku luluskan. Rakyat benci aku buat tak tahu.


Abdul Rahim memberitahu sidang akhbar di Johor Baru, Sultan tidak campur tangan dalam hal-ehwal kerajaan negeri dan rang undang-undang itu (yang kononnya ditulis semula untuk mengurangkan kuasa Sultan) dikarang oleh kerajaan.


"Bukan Sultan (yang mewujudkan rang undang-undang itu). Sultan tidak campur tangan dalam pentadbiran negeri.  Adalah hak kerajaan negeri mencadangkan mana-mana undang-undang yang boleh membawa manfaat kepada rakyat," kata beliau.


Siakap senohong gelama ikan duri. Cakap bohong lama-lama rakyat tak bagi undi.


Gurindam kanak-kanak zaman dulu - ABC keladi hutan, tikus mati kucing makan.

ABC Keladi Hutan.....(greenlife-ranjeet.blogspot)

Gurindam politik 1Malaysia macam-macam ada - ABC keladi hutan, kucing kembiri tikus jadi tuan.


Wallahuaklam.