Suspending Newspapers May Not Be the Answer

A Kadir Jasin

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FURTHER UPDATE, DEC. 23 - The Star, a Wall Street Journal report, said The Heat violated provisions of its printing permit. 

The Heat now claimed that it responded to the show cause letters and the Ministry agreed to its request to change from an economic journal to current affairs. (Read here).

So who is not telling the truth?

UPDATE, Dec. 23 - Weekly newspaper The Heat was suspended because it had violated provisions mandated under its printing permit, said the Home Ministry.

A ministry spokesman told the Wall Street Journal that the suspension was not linked to a recent story the newspaper ran on expenditures incurred by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.

"Any accusations to the contrary are without merit," he said - The Star.

ORIGINAL POST


THE weekly newspaper, The Heat was unknown to most Malaysians until its was suspended indefinitely by the Home Ministry on Dec 19.

Its offence was unclear. According to media reports, the ministry did not say and the newspaper appeared reluctant to talk about it.

Media reports suggest that it was being punished for a front-page story alleging big spending by the Prime Minister.

I have also been advised (and warned) by some delegates to the Kedai Kopi Assembly (KKA) and commentators of this blog to be more careful and circumspect when commenting on the government.

They advised me to go easy on the Prime Minister and lay off his wife. I told them that since we are the rakyat then there must be a government. The rakyat elected the government and pay the taxes. So it is our right and privileges to let the government know what we feel.

In any case, it was the PM who once said that the era of the governing knowing all was over.

Banning Not the Answer

Banning or suspending newspapers and other forms of publication is not new in Malaysia. And not every newspaper banned or suspended in the past disappeared.

Some made a comeback with a vengeance. They might not come back as a crusader or an irritation that they formally were. But a few like The Star and Sin Chew Daily went on to become a huge commercial success.

The two papers had their publishing permits suspended in the aftermath of the Operasi Lalang in1987. But the smaller and financially weak Malay weekly, Watan that was also suspended went out publication. Attempts to revive it failed.

Today, The Star is the largest paid English newspaper and the Sin Chew is the largest Chinese language newspaper. They are beaten only by the sensational Malay tabloids, Harian Metro and Kosmo.

For The Star and the Sin Chew, the 1987 suspension raised their profile and improved their sales when they resumed publication although they became more pliant towards the government.

In the post May 5 general elections, when its controlling shareholder – the MCA – did badly, The Star appears to be more open and impartial.

So suspending a newspaper is not always a productive thing to do, more so when strong reasons are not given or worse still when the reasons for such a tough action are frivolous.

PM’s Pledges Contradicted

In ordering the suspension of The Heat, the Home Ministry might have forgotten (or not known) that the PM had made a strong pledge to support freedom and liberty.

This is what he said in his official 1Malaysia website.

"Since I took office back in 2009 I have been clear in my vision for Malaysia as a modern, progressive and forward-looking democracy in which the people’s fundamental rights and freedoms are protected.

To that end, I have implemented the most far-reaching package of political reforms since Malaysia’s independence: the State of Emergency ordinance has been ended; the colonial-era Internal Security Act, which permitted indefinite detention without trial, has been repealed; restrictions on newspaper publishing licenses have been scrapped; the ban on students joining political parties has been lifted and I have pledged to review the Sedition Act. I have also introduced the Government Transformation Programme to make Malaysia’s public services more efficient and responsive to people’s needs, as well as clamping down on corruption.

These are truly far-reaching reforms that will benefit the Malaysian people, will see our country take its place among the world’s high income nations and will secure our reputation as a rising Asian powerhouse where political liberties flourish alongside economic growth.” (To read more).

Politicians and their officials appear to have not learned a lesson from their mishandling of the blogs under a decade ago. It was that mistake that promoted and propelled the success of the otherwise little known medium.

Ministers called bloggers “goblok’ (Javanese for a stupid person) and “penembak curi” (sniper) while Khairy Jamaluddin, then an Abdullah aide, called them monkeys.

Their attacks against bloggers were widely reported by the mainstream media. This had resulted in making the public curiosity about the blogs and they soon started to surf the internet to find what the commotion was all about. Many went on to become ardent followers of blogs.

Repeating Same Old Mistake

They are doing it all over again and even this blog is not spared.

Several debaters, delegates to the KKA and people I met along the byway, had eluded to the complicity of senior Umno politicians like Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Tun Daim and Tan Sri Sanusi Junid in our debate on the governmentlately.

I should be honoured if that’s the case. Unfortunately, it was not.

Why should Dr Mahathir want to use this blog when he has an even bigger blog to his name. And Tun Daim? Why should he wants to get his hand dirty here when he is known to have written nasty letters directly to past and present Prime Ministers?

Those accusing this blog of being the mouthpiece of Daim should ask the Prime Minister how many letters of advice he had received from Daim.

I believed people like Dr Mahathir, Daim and Sanusi had said as much or more directly to the Prime Minister than we dare say in this blog.

People who are alleging Dr Mahathir’s, Daim’s and Sanusi’s involvement in this blog should perhaps direct their energy to respond to this blog in defence of the PM and the government.

To my understanding, the PMO has many individuals and groups monitoring the media for him, including the high-powered Communication Action Group (CAG). Instead of pointing fingers at past leaders, these people and groups should take on this blog head on.

Kalau anak jantan apa nak takut?

Empower the Bumiputera, Everyody Gains

A Kadir Jasin

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

THE Kedai Kopi Assembly (KKA), unlike the UGA or the annual general meetings of other political parties, is a multi-racial gathering.

Naturally some members asked why only Bumiputera Economic Empowerment. Why only Malays and Bumiputeras? They asked. No one is poor among non-Bumiputeras? What has happened to 1Malaysia (people first) and New Economic Model (inclusiveness)? Even the Malay members asked the same questions.

Nobody objects fighting poverty and inequality. Even Pope Francis had declared: "We have to say, ‘thou shall not’ to an economy of exclusion and inequality."

I Heaar - Empowering Bumiputera Economy

The KKA noted that the government failed to meet target for Malays and other Bumiputeras after 42 years. Why not the government get together 10 or 20 best economists and successful Bumiputeras to help chart a new policy for the government to implement.

Stop employing foreign consultants. If civil servants are not capable as one minister said, why not use the expertise of local economists and the successful Bumiputeras?

What has happened to Uda, Bernas, Finas, Fama, Mampu and all other agencies that are supposed to assist the government in creating the Bumiputera business and industrial community? Some had been privatised to individuals. What are these individuals doing to help their bangsa?

What good is transformation, KPI and NKRA when things don’t improve and the people don’t believe?  Then we had the report card systems and things progressed. Now things got worse. The 2008 results were bad and the 2013 result were worse. If the government is serious about the KPI, the grandmaster must go down to Padang, visit all Umno branches, pray at the suraus and talk to the petty traders. Show leadership by example.

Tengku took leave officially to visit all divisions. Even when he was on the way out he continued to meet the rakyat. If anak raja could do that, why can’t the son of a former Prime Minister? Don’t just think of holidaying in Monaco, Sydney and Las Vegas.

If the wives are good at networking as being regularly claimed by some ministers, bring them along to meet the rakyat. They can also network with the rakyat. Enough of holidaying di London, New York, Monte Carlo for shopping and attending fashion shows.

A kaki lawak suggested that new constituency, preferably a shopping mall, be created for the hardworking PM’s spouse to contest. She may win unopposed and then, like I say a zillion times, make her Minister.  It may be a jenaka by some, but I am committed to the idea of legitimising the position of the PM’s wife so that all of us can be above board, transparent and accountable.

Only Umno invites people from all over the world for its annual assembly. Who pays for their trips? It is very lavish compared even to Chinese Communist Party. Party portrays government. If the party is lavish, do not expect government to be thrifty and careful with taxpayers’ money. If the KPI is genuine, some minister would have been sacked. The non-performing ministers stay and the grandmaster instead appoints advisors with ministerial rank. Who runs the country – the PM, the ministers or the advisors?

So at assembly literally nobody talked abuse of power, corruption, wastage of funds and other hot topics that are widely discussed outside like the 1MDB, the ringgit depreciating and the KLIA2 cost overrun (from RM2billion to RM4billion). Not just KLIA2, literally every construction project eventually costs much more than the awarded price. Nobody talked about personal debt which is one of the highest in the world. What about NPL? Any attack on IMDB or Khazanah  is seen as an attack on PM.

Launching Imported Blue Ocean Strategy

 Is the role of the GLCs to produce UMNO millionaires? Some debaters made it to sound as if joining UMNO is about making money and the GLCs must now make UMNO members rich. How to do it, they did not say. The grandmaster said he would himself monitor GLCs. What was he doing before this? Has he not always been the Khazanah chairman? Or was he relying solely on deputy chairman and chairman of Khazanah Exco, Nor Mohamed Yackop who lost over RM30 billion of Bank Negara’s money.

Nor Mohamed was MOF II during Pak Lah’s sleeping era and later under Mohd Najib’s 1Malaysia. During that period national debt rose to over RM500 billion.

Of course Umno supports Bumiputera economic empowerment. It’ was a capital for the recent party election. The non-Bumiputeras were initially upset, but they are less unhappy now because in implementing the pemerkasaan, the Chinese as usual will get the most. They have money and they know money talks with many Umno politicians. They have experienced many similar policies since 1971 and they always come out better.

During the recent general elections, many Chinese tycoons played double game. In the open they supported the BN. Behind the scene they gave tens of millions to the Pakatan Rakyat.

If Mohd Najib has guts, he should assemble these Tan Sris and Datuks and told them he knows who gave what to the PR. He should tell that unfortunately the PR did not win and he is still the PM, and they better not play ball with him. But he would not do that.

If he is serious about Bumiputera economic empowerment, he should have a team outside hid office to chart out this policy. The PMO people and his foreign consultants have failed. They could not even get him a good result at the election. Even his political secretaries and special assistants lost.

Now that he is chairing it himself. He should be doing economic planning for country. But his ministers said our civil servants are not up to the standard, so Mohd Najib paid billions to employ foreign consultants. During the election, his foreign consultants proposed the slogan "I love PM". Lucky, he won narrowly in 3 sets.  The next time round, it’s not too sure that he can still win in 3 sets. Tun M won all five general elections in straight sets.

Next: More agencies, but Bumiputera economy is getting worse.

Pemuda No Longer A Pressure Group

A Kadir Jasin

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

UPDATE, Dec. 16 – THE KKA, now in session in Damansara Utama, takes note of the explanation by the wife of the Prime Minister, (Datin Seri) Rosmah Mansor, on her using government’s executive jets. (Read here).

ORIGINAL POST

 

Mandela aka Madiba (1918-2013). At The Datai, Langkawi 1998

 

Sunrise in Sydney, Australia

THE Kedai Kopi Assembly (KKA) was almost unanimous that between Wanita and Pemuda, under the current leadership, the Pemuda holds a better hope.

The Wanita members have become so pliant that they are not likely to want other than Shahrizat as their Ketua. And Shahrizat knows there isn’t anybody in the movement that can beat her in a contest.

So the KKA’s debate on the Pemuda was more extensive and exhaustive. The general view is that Pemuda is no longer a pressure group. To be more visible and effective, its Ketua, Khairy Jamaluddin, has to take the movement back to the days when it was a pressure group respected by friends and foes. 

Many Questions for Khairy to Answer

Khairy and his team have to answer the following questions: 1. Did Pemuda deliver at the last GE? 2. Did it do the post mortem and what were the findings? 3. They can talk about winning over young voters, but what are their plans? 4. Does Pemuda know what young voters want?

5. What is Pemuda’s stand and stance on corruption, abuse of power, wastages of government funds, inflation, cost of houses and rentals and unemployment among graduates?

Ok for Pemuda to do the grandstanding by attacking the TNB on the new electricity tariff. But the tariff was approved by Cabinet and Pemuda Chief is a member and he is touted as the future PM.

Did he oppose the tariff increase in the Cabinet?

Sounds like Anwar. In the Cabinet agreed. Outside the Cabinet was another stroty.

At the end of the UGA, the grandmaster aka the Prime Minister had to explain to the press that the TNB needed the increase. Will Khairy continue to criticise so that the raise is abandoned or reduced? Or is he merely seeking cheap publicity?

(I personally have high hopes for Khairy although I damned him for his excesses during his father-in-law’s era. He has to make amend. But the majority of the KKA delegates were less forgiving. They still crave for his blood.)

There were many more issues for the Pemuda to address - drug addiction, poor communication skills among local graduates and low income of young workers.

Why on the power tariff only? What about sugar, fuel and just a few days ago the LRT fares? So can we blame the people if they say BN stands for “barang naik”?

Does he know that many street corner Malay traders and kueh sellers have ceased doing business because they can’t cope with inflation?

For all the uproar over the Selangor Assembly members’ salary, the Cabinet gaji also goes up!

Khairy is beginning to sound like Anwar. In the Cabinet agreed, outside he told supporters he disagreed.

Khairy and Malaysian Sports

DID he not say that the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) “buta” (blind)? Maybe “rabun” (poor vision) is more accurate because many of its office bearers are senior citizens.

The KKA is dissatisfied with the FAM too. But to be “biadab” is another thing. The KKA applauded Siti Nurhaliza for criticising the Youth and Sports Minister. As a young Melayu minister born, raised and educated abroad, he has to learn to be polite especially to those older than him.

A kaki lawak of the KKA, reminded the meeting of the story of a custody case when the mother given custody of her child. But the boy refused. When asked by the judge, he said she beat him. He was then placed in the custody of his grandmother. He said she too beat him. “Then where do you want to go?” the exasperated judge asked. “The FAM,” said the boy. The judge was bewildered. “For what good reason, young sir?” the curious English-trained judge asked. “Because the FAM never beat anybody,” said the boy. The football crazy judge concurred and the boy was handed over to the FAM. (Laughter).

If we want to raise the standard of our football, don’t ape the BPL or England. Learn from South Korea and Japan who are now in the World Cup league. These are teams we used to beat in the 1960’s.

Why just football and FAM? What about badminton and squash, and other games? How long more can we depend on Lee Chong Wei and Nicole David to bring glory to our country. If he is to worth his salt as a sports enthusiast, Khairy has to lay the foundation for the rejuvenation of our sporting prowess.

This is Khairy’s last term at Pemuda chief. He has given notice that at the next Umno election, his sight is set on the elected Vice President post.

The KKA is unanimous that Khairy is still the man in a hurry like Anwar was in the 1990’s. After all, as a brilliant undergraduate in the early 1990’s, he was mentored, among others, by Anwar under the programme Students for Vision 2020.

He is 37 and may not get to become Prime Minister at 40 as he told friends when he first ventured into politics. But he is as ambitious as ever. So watch out the Vice Presidents and take notice Yang Amat Berhormat Presiden and YAB Timbalan Presiden!

Puteri Needs Training and Acceptance

The KKA holds a high hope for Puteri. They are young,  beautiful faces learning politics. Apart from bringing young Malay women into Umno, the party hopes that the movement will challenge and attract young male voters to choose UMNO.

To do that they have to be trained and, most crucially, the Wanita must accept them as a bona fide wing of UMNO and not a rival in beauty and substance. Otherwise, their role is just to add colour to Assembly.

Bomoh Jawapan Bola Sepak Kita?

A Kadir Jasin
 

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SAMBIL menanti hansard sesi kedua Kedai Kopi Assembly (KKA) siap, izinkan saya menyebut sikit mengenai bola sepak tanah air.

Sebelum itu, saya perlu jelaskan yang saya bukan kaki bola atau peminat tegar sukan. Namun saya baca mengenai sukan kerana sejak lebih sedekad, tabiat saya adalah membaca akhbar dari belakang ke hadapan. Sukan, antarabangsa dan ekonomi. Kalau ada semangat yang kuat barulah baca berita di hadapan yang sering memeningkan.

Daripada apa yang saya baca, tonton dan dengar dari media massa dan diceritakan oleh kaki bola, nampaknya macam-macam sudah dilakukan bagi menaikkan taraf bola sepak negara. Tahniah kepada semua pihak terlibat.

Kerajaan sudah beri bantuan. Kaki bola (Khairy Jamaluddin) sudah jadi Menteri Belia dan Sukan. Pemain dan pelatih luar sudah diimport. Gaji pemain bola lumayan. Persekutuan Bola Sepak Malaysia (FAM) sudah pecat-memecat. Pintu stadium sudah dirempuh dan padang bola sudah ditakluki.

Menteri Bola Wajib Bukti Prestasi - sayasukamalek.blogspot

Kita ada akademi bola. Kita ada Harimau Muda. Kita ada Harimau Malaya. Boleh kata macam-macam sudah ada. Peminat bola bertambah ramai dan semakin fanatik sampai sanggup bergaduh.

Saya dimaklumkan oleh seorang kawan yang dua tahun jadi sukarelawan Harimau Muda bahawa itulah satu-satunya harapan masa depan bola sepak Malaysia yang menunjukkan harapan. Jadi jangan rosakkan mereka dengan politik bola dan sogokan.

Jangan Rosakkan Mereka Dengan Sogokan

 Mengapa Mutu Bola Terus Hambar?

Malaysia masih “jaguh kampung”. Dalam penarafan (ranking) terbaru FIFA (2013), Malaysia jatuh nombor 158 (ya satu ratus lima puluh lapan) daripada 207 negara dan wilayah di dunia yang menjadi ahli FIFA (baca di sini).  Kalau di Asia, hanya Vietnam, Indonesia, Laos, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Taiwan, Mongolia, Brunei, Macau dan Bhutan lebih teruk daripada kita.

Jadi kalau macam-macam Malaysia sudah buat, tapi mutu bola sepak masih half past six, apakah sebabnya?

Fikir punya fikir, saya rasa ada satu saja sebab. KITA ABAIKAN BOMOH BOLA. Bomoh ada macam-macam bomoh. Ada bomoh yang kita boleh percaya sebab mereka guna kaedah Islam atau yang tidak bercanggah dengan akidah. Tapi majoriti buat kerja-kerja bidaah.

Saya bukan sekali-kali peminat bomoh kelas dunia. Tapi bagi bola sepak Malaysia, nampaknya yang belum dibuat atau, kalau sudah buat, tapi sembunyi-sembunyi adalah memperkasakan bomoh bola.

Negeri Mana Dah Main Bomoh Ni? - Faizsaaid.com

Justeru itu, boleh jadi kaki bola hendak cadangkan kepada FAM dan persatuan negeri supaya lantik bomoh bola.

Zaman saya remaja dulu, kaki bola amat hormat kepada bomoh bola. Lagi-lagilah bila pasukan yang dia jadi bomoh, menang. Tabik spring.

Bomoh bola sama naik dengan pawang buaya. Atas daripada bomoh guna-guna dan lebih dihormati daripada bomoh nombor ekor.

Kalau kita kekurangan bomoh bola sebab sudah lama diabaikan, FAM boleh benarkan pasukan bola import bomoh bola asing sebagai langkah sementara.

Kawan saya, Zainol Fakir, bekas pengarang Mastika beritahu saya, bomoh Siam hebat. Tapi ada yang kata bomoh dari India, Burma, Indonesia dan Afrika pun hebat juga. Kalau bomoh Afrika, kemungkinannya mereka amalkan voodoo.

Ikut cerita, orang yang kena jampi bomoh voodoo boleh jadi zombi (mayat hidup). Bayangkan Malaysia lawan Singapura. Bomoh voodoo kita jampi pemain Singapura jadi zombi macam dalam drama TV “The Walking Dead”. Fuyoo! Atau Kelantan buat pemain Pahang kembung perut.

Jangan Buat Lawan Jadi Macam Ini

Zainal kata, bomoh Siam boleh buat perut kembung sampai meletup. Dia kata, ada beberapa orang pencuri lembu di Sik, Kedah meletup perut kena jampi bomoh Siam yang diupah oleh tuan lembu.

Tidak kiralah bomoh tempatan atau bomoh import, asalkan tidak langgar peraturan FIFA. Tapi kalau FIFA tidak benarkan, jangan cuba sebab takut kena gantung atau dipecat terus.

Tapi sebelum FAM terima cadangan saya ini, elok tanya Ustaz Kazim dan mana-mana ustaz moden yang faham hal bomoh dan bola. Kita tidak mahu langgar akidah.

Maju Sukan Kerana Negara!

Wallahuaklam.

Wanita Chief and the Grandmaster

A Kadir Jasin

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

SUNRISE in Las Vegas. 

WHEN the Umno General Assembly (UGA) was in session (Dec 2 to 7), the kedai kopi assembly (KKA) was also in session. The debate at the latter was no less lively.

The UGA is over, but the KKA continues. That explains why we have so many 24-hour coffee shops. And the debate is getting hotter, thanks to a large part to the reporting in the Internet-based media. The independent portals and blogs have revealed the juicier stuff that the mainstream media could not.

The following are the summaries of the KKA (aka Perhimpunan Kedai Kopi) hansard.

Shahrizat’s Grandmaster Master

The Wanita chief, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, said Najib is a grandmaster at chess. A member of the KKA gleefully asked: “Did she mean chest?” (laughter but some members objected).

Let us look at the grandmaster. Did he not try to appoint a PAS member to the Majlis Tertinggi (MT)? Luckily for Shahrizat’s grandmaster, the televangelist Ustaz rejected the offer. Did the grandmaster not ask the Ustaz if he was willing to joint the Supreme Council? Luckily, PAS wasn’t brilliant either. In fact it was daff for the party to attack the Ustaz. It should have kept quiet, let him join the MT and have a spy in very heart of its rival. So why complain if other countries are spying on us? Here the grandmaster himself has invited a spy to join the MT.

The Master at his game

Or is it because UMNO now is a rakyat’s party that the grandmaster can invite anybody to be a member of MT? Do not be surprised if he soon invites the DAP and Keadilan members as well.

We think only Anwar is an entertainer. Now Umno has produced its own entertainer.

Clueless About the States

Not only the grandmaster failed to recapture Selangor, he did worse than Pak Lah. “At least Pak Lah could claim that he was sleeping”, interjected a smart Alex (laughter). When the grandmaster became PM, he dropped Zain from cabinet, probably not happy with him performance or because he “urut” Pak Lah’s legs and begged him not to resign.

But the grandmaster put him in charge of BN Selangor. After last general election he dropped Noh Omar from Cabinet and put him in charge of BN Selangor. The grandmaster does not know what to do with Selangor. He has thrown in the towel. This is Shahrizat's grandmaster.

The KKA passed the following resolution:- THAT Shahrizat to tell the Umno masses and the rakyat what she genuinely thinks of the grandmaster and his cousin, Hishammuddin, the ways she told her friends in private.

Umno almost lost Terengganu and barely retained Perak. In Johore the opposition made a strong inroad and forget about Penang.

Morality and Responsibility

Anwar was sacked because he was not fit to be in UMNO on moral ground. But Chua Sooi Lek could lead the MCA. What about Shahrizat the enchantress herself?

The grandmaster does not know? The Pergerakan Wanita does not know? That is why, in NFC case, although she stayed in same house and slept in same bed with her spouse, she did not know what he and their children were doing. People understand. They are not stupid.

If her husband got the NFC privatisation and an RM240-million government loan to fatten the cattle, Shahrizat asked for a Bank Wanita. Lucky Najib ignored it. The rakyat asked: Was it for Wanita or for her?

No Bank Wanita for now

 Shahrizat enchanted Tun Dr M into establishing the Kementerian Wanita and she became its minister.  She got solid support from the Wanita but Accountant General should check when she was Minister, were the books in order?

Now the chief of the Tulang Belakang (backbone) of Umno (as she described the Wanita movement) is no longer a minister. It is the first time in history that Wanita has no minister in Cabinet but she is a ministerial-level advisor to PM and she got Academy Wanita, which she wanted to lead. But the Government does not know where to put it because Minister in charge Women’s Affairs does not want it. It has to be parked at Intan.

Rafidah paid the price for trusting her. Grandmaster better watch out. After crisis of '98, banks were consolidated and reduced in numbers.  Any new bank formed will be under Bank Negara. Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia may be good, but is it under Bank Negara?  AIM now can lend and under a minister losses are not a problem. Just write off. If a banking licence is given to Wanita, would Pemuda not want one too?

NEXT the KKA will discuss Pemuda.

Fotenote: Members of the KKA take note of the warning “jangan kacau” and “jaga-jaga”. InyaAllah.

PAU 2013: Antara Cinta dan Jasa

A Kadir Jasin

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DALAM banyak-banyak tajuk berita media arus perdana dan media baru mengenai Perhimpunan Agung Umno (PAU) yang berakhir semalam, satu yang menjadi bahan perbualan adalah puji-pujian yang Presiden Umno merangkap Perdana Menteri, Mohd Najib Abdul Razak curahkan kepada isterinya, Rosmah Mansor.

Berucap menggulung perbahasan pada 7 Disember, Mohd Najib memuji Rosmah kerana jasanya kepada negara (baca di sini).

Dia menyebut dua peristiwa di mana Rosmah membantu negara. Pertama, menolong membebaskan seorang pelajar Malaysia yang ditahan pihak berkuasa Mesir kerana disyaki pengintip.

Kedua, menggunakan hubungan baiknya dengan keluarga Diraja Arab Saudi bagi membenarkan pelajar Malaysia yang lari daripada pemberontakan Mesir untuk masuk ke negara itu tanpa visa.

Berpandukan maklumat Mohd Najib itu, eloklah beliau menimbang semula kedudukan Menteri Luar Negeri, Anifah Aman kerana ternyata beliau tidak seberkesan Rosmah dalam menyelesaikan krisis antarabangsa.

Begitu juga Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Perindustrian, Mustapa Mohamed, Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat, Rohani Abdul Karim dan Menteri Pelajaran, Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin kerana Rosmah juga terlibat di sana-sini dalam tugas-tugas yang sepatutnya dilaksanakan oleh menteri-menteri berkenaan.

Dengan cara ini kita boleh menggugurkan menteri-menteri yang tidak “perform” dan sekali gus menjimatkan perbelanjaan negara dengan mengurangkan bilangan kementerian.

Saya dah berbuih mulut macam lembu kena penyakit kuku dan mulut mencadangkan agar Rosmah masuk politik, dilantik jadi menteri. Malah menjadi Perdana Menteri jika mendapat kepercayaan rakyat jelata.

Lembu kena penyakit kuku dan mulut (FMD)

Walaupun PRU telah berlalu, PM dan penyokong-penyokong Rosmah masih boleh melakukannya dengan melantik beliau Senator dan seterusnya menteri.

Apabila ini dilakukan, tidak ada siapa boleh membantah campur tangan beliau atau menuduh suami beliau dan Kabinet menyalahgunakan kuasa dengan membenarkan beliau menggunakan kemudahan kerajaan. Jawatan yang sesuai bagi beliau ialah Menteri Tugas-tugas Khas.

Tetapi saya sangat kecil hati dengan salah seorang penyokong PM yang menuduh semua lelaki, kecuali Mohd Najib tidak sayangkan bini. Saya bantah sekeras-kerasnya tuduhan beliau itu.

Media massa melaporkan wakil Wilayah Persekutuan, Affandi Zahari sebagai berkata bahawa isteri Perdana Menteri elok dibenar menggunakan jet eksekutif kerajaan demi memberi ketenangan kepada suaminya.

“Bolehkah anda bayangkan tekanan emosi yang Perdana Menteri Mohd Najib Abdul Razak akan tanggung sekiranya sesuatu yang buruk berlaku kepada isterinya ketika terbang dengan pesawat komersial?” kata beliau.

Menurut laporan, Affandi berhujah sedemikian bagi mempertahankan Rosmah yang dikritik kerana menggunakan jet eksekutif kerajaan untuk perjalanannya.

Kata Affandi, kalau Rosmah berada dalam jet eksekutif, Mohd Najib tidak perlu bimbang keselamatannya dan menambah, yang orang bodoh pun tahu terbang dengan jet eksekutif lebih mahal daripada terbang dengan jet komersial, tetapi kita kena lihat aspek keselamatan.

"Bayangkan tekanan emosi ke atas PM jika sesuatu (yang buruk) berlaku kepada isterinya.

"Dia sayangkan isterinya, tidak seperti lelaki-lelaki lain.” (Baca di sini).

Tidak mengapalah kalau Affandi hendak pertahankan Mohd Najib dan Rosmah. Itulah pun tugas pembahas PAU. Tetapi kalau benar dia mengatakan lelaki-lelaki lain tidak sayang (love) isteri, saya rasa itu satu cemuhan dan penghinaan yang sangat dahsyat.

Takkanlah Osman Koping (tu bulan tu bintang, atas pokok kayu ara, tu dia sudah datang, orang korporat kampung kita – seloka Johan Jaaffar) tak “love” bini?

Cuma sebagai penggali kubur (yang mengaku ahli korporat) tentulah Osman Koping tidak mampu membayar isterinya terbang dengan jet eksekutif tidak kira sehebat mana “love” dia kepada isterinya.

Nenek moyang kita yang bijaksana dan budiman mengingatkan kita tentang sokong yang membawa rebah. Wallahuaklam.

Sejak Bila Umno Bukan Parti Rakyat Jelata?

A Kadir Jasin

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MUTAKHIR, 7 Dis - PRESIDENT Umno Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak memberikan mandat (amanat?) yang cukup bererti kepada 3.4 juta anggotanya apabila beliau menuntut kesediaan mereka untuk berkorban demi memastikan kelangsungan parti, agama, bangsa dan negara, lapor Berita Harian Online (baca disini).
 

MUTAKHIR - LIMA ahli Parlimen Pakatan Rakyat (PR) hari ini membuat laporan polis berhubung dakwaan salah laku Peguam Negara, Abdul Gani Patail, oleh Bekas Ketua Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah Mat Zain Ibrahim yang, antara lain, mengaitkan Abdul Gani dengan kekalahan kes Pulau Batu Puteh. Soalnya adakah perwakilan Umno berani membahaskan isu ini atau mereka akan mengutuk pembangkang kerana membuat laporan berkenaan?

Posting Asal

TAJUK berita akhbar The Star pada 3 Disember berbunyi “Najib: We must be the people’s party”. Dalam bahasa Melayu “Najib: Kita wajib menjadi parti rakyat”. “Kita” dalam ayat di atas merujuk kepada Umno.

Soalnya, sejak bila pula Umno bukan parti rakyat? Atau, jadi benarlah seperti didakwa oleh sesetengah pihak bahawa Umno sudah menjadi parti orang bangsawan, parti “warlords” dan parti laki-bini.

Ataupun Mohd Najib Abdul Razak sebagai Presiden Umno mengakui selama ini parti itu tidak cukup mengutamakan rakyat jelata, terutamanya orang Melayu dan Bumiputera?

Itulah yang terserlah ketika Pilihan Raya Umum (PRU) 5 Mei lalu apabila Mohd Najib begitu menguar-uarkan undi Cina dan India sebagai pemangkin kemenangan Barisan Nasional (BN).

Tetapi yang akhirnya menyelamatkan beliau daripada dihanyutkan oleh tsunami Cina adalah orang Melayu dan Bumiputera di kampung-kampung.

Umno Dahulukan Rakyat?

Berita Harian pula, pada hari yang sama, memetik beliau sebagai berkata kepemimpinan parti “perlu beri isyarat jelas bahawa Umno sentiasa dahulukan rakyat.”

Dalam Mohd Najib berikrar, berjanji mendahulukan rakyat, muka depan The Star memuatkan berita bertajuk “Painful but necessary” (sakit tapi diperlukan) yang merujuk kepada kenaikan 14.89 peratus tarif elektrik bagi Semenanjung dan 16.9 peratus bagi Sabah mulai 1 Januari ini.

Tarif tidak naik di Sarawak kerana negara itu memilih untuk melaksanakan autonominya dengan tidak menurut jejak kerajaan pusat. Sarawak menjana dan mengedarkan sendiri keperluan elektriknya.

BN Sarawak pun tidak serupa dengan BN pusat. Ia terdiri sepenuhnya daripada parti-parti politik negeri. Baru-baru ini, Johor pun menggunakan juga autonominya yang terhad untuk mengembalikan cuti hujung minggu daripada Sabtu dan Ahad kepada Jumaat dan Sabtu.

Apakah perhimpunan Umno akan menutup mata kepada keingkaran sivil yang sedang dipamerkan oleh negeri-negeri, termasuk yang diperintah oleh BN, terhadap kuasa kerajaan pusat?

Negeri-negeri jelas tambah berani mengambil kesempatan daripada kelemahan kerajaan pusat berikutan PRU 5 Mei lalu untuk melakukan hal-hal yang mereka tidak berani lakukan sebelum ini.

Berubah atau business as usual?

 Soalnya, adakah para pembesar Umno dan perwakilan yang berhimpun di PWTC untuk persidangan tahunan parti itu sekarang sedar akan perubahan yang sedang melanda mereka atau bagi mereka, “it’s business as usual”?

Apakah slogan rakyat didahulukan akan terus menjadi pemanis kata dan perwakilan akan memberi ‘standing ovation” kepada setiap patah perkataan yang Presiden ucapkan?

Kalau benar seperti kata Ketua Pemudanya, Khairy Jamaluddin bahawa persidangan Pemuda Umno perlu memberi fokus kepada isu rakyat dan kepada peranan kerajaan, melalui agensinya untuk menangani masalah rakyat serta kepentingan Melayu, adakah beliau tahu apakah isu-isu yang mengacau fikiran rakyat?

Adakah Pemuda sedang menyusuri laluan yang sama dengan Wanita?

Adakah beliau, seorang yang pandai dan memimpin pergerakan yang ramai orang cerdik, berani bercakap dan bertindak isu-isu rakyat seperti beliau ikrarkan?

Adakah beliau berani bertindak membanteras rasuah, penyalahgunaan kuasa, pembaziran serta kefoya-foyaan pembesar Umno, anak bini dan konco-konco mereka?

Adakah beliau berani menghurai mengapa 1MDB, sebuah syarikat milik negara menghantar RM7 bilion ke syurga cukai (tax haven) Cayman Islands sedangkan kita mempunyai tax haven sendiri di Labuan?

Atau adakah Khairy juga sudah disedut ke dalam lubang hitam (black hole) politik yang tidak ada jalan keluar melainkan kemusnahan dan Pemuda Umno sedang menyusuri laluan yang sama yang menjadikan Pergerakan Wanita bahan senda kawan dan lawan?

Dan adakah Pergerakan Puteri sekadar penyeri majlis sahaja atau menjadi suara lantang generasi baru wanita Malaysia?

Adakah isu mendesak seperti inflasi, pengangguran graduan, rundingan Perjanjian Perkongsian Trans-Pasifik  (TPPA) yang diilhamkan oleh Amerika, ekonomi Bumiputera yang makin terumbang-ambing dan diskriminasi sektor swasta terhadap pekerja Bumiputera akan mendapat tempat dalam perbahasan?

Cintakan Bangsa, Agama dan Negara atau Cintakan PM?

Atau ia akan terus menjadi pentas memuji memuja ala “I love PM” atau menunjukkan kehebatan berlawak jenaka ala Raja Lawak?

Wallahuaklam.

Leaving Petronas Gives Dr M More Leeway

A Kadir Jasin

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TOLD by his doctors “to slow down”, (Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad stepped down as adviser to Petronas effective Dec 1.

Why Petronas? Isn’t he not also the adviser to Proton?  Petronas is way larger and more glamorous than Proton.

"I have been with Petronas for 10 years, I feel that Petronas has performed well and made a huge profit.

"I hope Petronas will continue to play its role in nurturing young entrepreneurs," The Star quoted him saying.

That bit about continuing to nurture young entrepreneurs is loaded because he was recently embroiled in a tussle of sorts with Petronas management over allegations that the national oil company was not doing enough to help Bumiputera businessmen.

I will take the doctors’ advice at face value. They treated him and should know better.

But what I know is, he does not have to climb 88 floors to get to his office at Petronas and the job was not 9 to 5, seven days a week. He can even advise without being there.

But he often said that he was a Malaysian adviser. Unlike a British adviser during the colonial days, being a Malaysian adviser he has no power and his advice was not always accepted.

My own diagnosis of the malady that led to his resignation as Petronas adviser is this. He is better off letting go of the Petronas job than hanging on to it and risk suffering the heartache of being spurned by The Power that now controls the national oil company.

Everybody knows that the single most influential person in Petronas board member Omar Ong and everybody knows that Dr Mahathir objected to his appointment.

Breaking away from the government may be good for Dr Mahathir. He can now say and write things about the government without having to look over his shoulders. He is not beholden to the government anymore.

Although he was quoted as saying that he was leaving the national oil corporation “to concentrate on his health”, we all know that his good health and clarity of thought (at 88) are the products of the many good battles that he fought. So leaving Petronas might very well accord him more time and energy to fight other battles.

He might have already fired the first salvo at the government when he said there was corruption during his time as Prime Minister, but it is worse now.

Wallahuaklam. 

Belajar Mengurus Daripada P Ramlee

A Kadir Jasin

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UPDATE, 2 Dis - Akhbar The Sun melaporkan pada 1 Julai lalu bahawa rizab kewangan kerajaan Selangor berjumlah RM1.8 bilion.

POSTING ASAL

SEANDAINYA P Ramlee masih hidup, saya yakin kita boleh nobatkan beliau sebagai “management guru” Tanah Melayu.

Beliau sangat peka mengenai P & L (akaun untung rugi) dan konsep “reward & punishment” (anugerah dan hukuman). Malah beliau adalah seorang pemikir dan pengkritik masyarakat yang sangat tajam.

Dalam filem “Ali Baba Bujang Lapok” (1960), penyamun yang membawa balik banyak rampasan diberi bonus. Yang membawa balik sedikit rampasan atas alasan cuti umum dikenakan potongan gaji. Setiap barang yang disamun disimpan di dalam gua dan dihitung.

P Ramlee amalkan sistem "reward and punishment"

Kalau ditakdirkan P Ramlee menjadi Perdana Menteri atau Menteri Kewangan atau kedua-duanya sekali, rasa-rasanya belanjawan negara lebih mantap, seimbang (balanced) dan kakitangan awam diberikan ganjaran mengikut produktiviti bukan mengikut musim pilihan raya.

Bertitik-tolak daripada logik P Ramlee itu maka ahli Dewan Undangan Selangor, termasuklah dari pembangkang Barisan Nasional berhak menerima “bonus” dalam bentuk kenaikan gaji, elaun dan kemudahan. Cuma yang menjadi pertikaian adalah nisbah kenaikan.

Hatta Anwar Ibrahim, boss Abdul Khalid Ibrahim pun berasa kuantum yang Abdul Khalid cadangkan itu terlalu tinggi.

Sejak menjadi Menteri Besar Selangor pada tahun 2008, Abdul Khalid telah membina dan menambah rizab kewangan kerajaan Selangor.

Baru-baru ini, Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Selangor meluluskan kenaikan gaji bagi semua 56 ADUN bermula tahun depan, dengan Timbalan Speaker mendapat kuantum kenaikan tertinggi, iaitu 373.3 peratus.

Gaji MB naik daripada RM14,175.15 sebulan kepada RM29,250, Exco daripada RM6,109.29 kepada RM20,250, Speaker daripada RM6,109.29 kepada RM22,500, Timbalan Speaker daripada RM3,327.50 kepada RM15,750 dan ADUN biasa daripada RM6,000 kepada RM11,250. Ada 44 ADUN PR dan 12 BN dalam DUN Selangor.

Berpandukan kepada kebijaksanaan yang sama oleh P Ramlee maka Perdana Menteri merangkap Menteri Kewangan, Mohd Najib Abdul Razak wajib dikenakan potongan gaji kerana sejak beliau mengambil alih pemerintahan negara pada 2009, kewangan kerajaan pusat semakin buruk.

Walaupun gaji beliau nampak kecil tetapi beliau menikmati pelbagai elaun, kemudahan dan keistimewaan.

Kita boleh memahami mengapa ahli Exco dan ADUN Selangor boleh diberikan kenaikan gaji, elaun dan kemudahan yang besar.

Pertama, Selangor sebagai sebuah negeri kaya dan kukuh kedudukan kewangan mampu berbuat demikian.
 
Kedua, kalau dua negeri BN yang miskin (Sarawak dan Kedah) boleh buat, mengapa tidak negeri PR yang kaya.

Tetapi alasan ketiga ini rasanya lebih tepat. Abdul Khalid sebagai “lulusan” sekolah politik dan pentadbiran Umno/BN, tahu punca kelemahan pengurusan kewangan Kerajaan Umno/BN. Beliau belajar daripada pengalaman itu dan melakukan sebaliknya bagi memperbaiki kedudukan kewangan Selangor.

Bagaimanapun, Abdul Khalid nampaknya masih terbawa-bawa dengan kemewahan yang dinikmatinya ketika dalam Umno dengan memberikan kenaikan gaji yang dianggap melampau oleh banyak pihak.

Dalam banyak hal, Abdul Khalid masih Umno. Cuma dalam Umno, beliau tidak begitu berjaya di arena politik. Beliau lebih berjaya sebagai ahli perniagaan kerana keakraban luar biasanya dengan Pengerusi PNB ketika itu, Allahyarham (Tun) Ismail Mohd Ali sehingga “diserahkan” Kumpulan Guthrie dalam nyiru perak (on a silver platter).

Selangor Berhak, Pusat Tidak

Walaupun media arus perdana dan blogger pro-pemerintah serta beberapa kerat pembesar BN mengkritik tindakan kerajaan Selangor itu, saya rasa dalam hati berlainan.

Kalau boleh, negeri-negeri BN dan kerajaan pusat pun hendak melaksanakan kenaikan gaji, elaun dan kemudahan.

Cuma kerajaan pusat tidak mempunyai kemampuan kewangan dan banyak negeri BN mengalami defisit belanjawan yang kronik.


Itu pun belum tahu. Mereka boleh mencipta pelbagai alasan untuk menaikkan gaji. Wakil rakyat pembangkang yang dapat tumpang sekaki pun tentu tidak memprotes.

Cuma yang mereka mungkin tidak berani sebut sebagai alasan adalah inflasi dan kenaikan harga sebab selama ini mereka menafikan bahawa kadar inflasi dan kenaikan harga barang dan perkhidmatan sangat membebankan rakyat jelata.

Cadangan saya kepada Perdana Menteri dan para politikus yang sentiasa melaungkan slogan rakyat didahulukan dan pencapaian diutamakan supaya “walk the talk”. Kotakan kata-kata anda.

Caranya mudah saja. Dahulukan rakyat dalam perbelanjaan negara. Jangan suruh rakyat jimat duit sendiri tetapi mereka boros duit negara. Utamakan pencapaian dengan mengurangkan pemborosan, pembaziran dan bermewah-mewah. Kukuhkan kewangan kerajaan dan tambah rizab negara.

Lakukan semua itu dahulu sebelum rakyat jelata dan pembayar cukai dituduh tidak patriotik dan sebelum mereka dipujuk dan dirayu agar menerima GST sebagai “penawar” kewangan negara.

Lakukan Transformasi atau Berhenti

Seperti P Ramlee (selaku ketua penyamun dalam filem Ali Baba Bujang Lapok) memotong gaji penyamun yang tidak “perform” maka saya cadangkan supaya gaji anggota Kabinet dipotong.

Ketika negara dilanda krisis ekonomi pertama pada pertengahan tahun 1980-an, gaji ahli Kabinet, pegawai kanan pentadbiran awam dan pengurusan atasan GLC dipotong.

Hatta sektor swasta pun turut mengurangkan gaji pengurusan kanan mereka dan membantu mengurangkan beban negara dengan mewujudkan skim graduan menganggur.

Bezanya pada waktu itu yang jadi Menteri Kewangan adalah (Tun) Daim Zainuddin yang dituduh kedekut oleh banyak pihak. Dia kedekut sebab itu bukan duit dia. Tapi selepas itu, buruk atau baik prestasi kewangan dan ekonomi negara, gaji tidak dipotong malah terus naik.

Kesimpulannya, gaji, elaun dan kemudahan anggota Kabinet dan Exco negeri, ahli Parlimen dan DUN boleh dinaikkan jikalau ada kenaikan produktiviti serta kemampuan kewangan. Cuma kuantumnya hendaklah berpatutan.

Mana-mana menteri dan ahli Exco yang tidak perform, malas, tidak boleh bangun pagi atau asyik hendak berkepit dengan bini, silalah lakukan transformasi atau berhenti!

Wallahuaklam.