The Beginning Of The End.....Najib Worse Than Pak Lah

Hantu Laut

It seems Najib is continuing to lose support of many pro-UMNO/BN bloggers, who supported him in the 13th GE. 

Disheartened by Najib's total failure to do what he had promised these bloggers have turned against him.

These are genuine unpaid bloggers, paid only by the belief that Najib can bring about feasible political changes for the benefits of all Malaysians. The man didn't make the cut, he fared worse than Pak Lah. 

As self-consolation, the dickheads in UMNO claimed they have increased winning in Malay areas and as dickheads should be forgot that victory was handed over by Sabah and Sarawak. There weren't enough Malay seats in Peninsula Malaysia for BN/UMNO to win on Malay votes exclusively. In urban areas the Malays have abandoned them.

The nation is now like a ship foundering in heavy seas with a captain unable to steer the ship to a safe harbour. Najib had failed miserably to deliver on his promises.The nation is lingering on the edge of a dangerous racial and religious turmoil.

It is obvious that Najib lent too much of his ears to swashbuckling buccaneers and political prostitutes and ignored the groundswell of public opinion.

I was not wrong when I gave up on the man much earlier than some of these bloggers.

Two of his most avid supporters "Outsyed The Box" and "APANAMA" have started to question his political integrity and performance and I predict more pro-bloggers will follow soon.

Read APANAMA's article on "Najib Worse Than Pak Lah"

If Najib thinks blogs and social media are not pivotal in changing public opinion, he is mighty wrong. The erosion of support for BN/UMNO and its current dilemma are brought about by the new stingers.

Mahathir,Pak Lah And Advice That Will Bankrupt The Nation.

Hantu Laut

I have tried numerous times posting Tun Mahathir's articles to Facebook but failed to get through. 

I suppose, Facebook has blanket banned his blog and installed a Firewall to the link.

Sadly, Facebook had become victim of its own device and succumbed to biased, unbalanced and distorted reporting made by Mahathir haters. Hate campaign carried out against him by the oppositions and political kernel that Facebook failed to see.

Facebook have arbitrarily taken to criminalisation of opinions expressed online. This, to me, is a gross violation of freedom of expression.


I can't figure out any semblance of hate speeches in his writings as conjectured by his detractors and blindly accepted by Facebook. 

I suppose, he has to pay the price for being a controversial and well-known figure.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

Below is Mahathir's response and rebuttal to Abdullah Badawi's "Awakening",  short, concise and profoundly written in layman's language.

ADVICE THAT WILL BANKRUPT THE NATION

1. I am happy that Tun Abdullah has explained that he did not write about how the nation would be bankrupt if he had followed my advice. It was the interviewer.

2. I hope he does not mind my clearing my name over what the interviewer wrote in “The Awakening”. Yes, I agree that I was a spendthrift Prime Minister who finished all the government money building the North South Expressway, Penang Bridge, West Port, KLIA, Putrajaya, Cyberjaya and an assortment of others.

3. Had Tun Abdullah succeeded me earlier all these would be stopped to save Malaysia from bankruptcy. As it is, he managed to stop the crooked bridge and the railway double-tracking and electrification project.

4. The bridge would have cost just under 1 billion Ringgit. The cancellation cost the Government 200 million Ringgit in compensation and unfinished work.

5. The railway project from Johor Bahru to Padang Besar was going to cost 14 billion Ringgit – slightly more than 2 billion per year for six years. Fourteen billion Ringgit was saved. But then it was found necessary to build the electrified double track from Ipoh to Padang Besar. The cost is 12 billion Ringgit.

6. A contract was given to a foreign company to build the track from Seremban to Gemas. I don’t know what it cost. Looks like the 14 billion saved was spent on very much shorter tracks, about one-third in length.

7. Still there must have been a lot of money saved. The small jet I used was good only for the Deputy Prime Minister. A big jet was bought not through the usual channels but by some private individual. There was denial by the Government that the A320 was bought for the use by the Prime Minister. But the aircraft is even today used by the Prime Minister. Wonder why the deal was struck. Who really owns the aircraft? How much money has been saved by the Government from this deal?

8. Then there were these corridors to be developed. Each would cost 70 billion Ringgit. Then it is learnt that the allocation include private sector investments. Before Government budget is about how the Government will spend Government money. Under Tun Abdullah the Government budgets for the private sector to spend. But that’s allright because the figures look good.

9. However since none of the corridors took off, billions were saved.

10. It must have been a very rich Government which went for the 12th General Election. Sadly the people did not appreciate the billions that were saved. They rejected the Government party, giving 5 states and one federal territory to the opposition, and just a small majority to the thrifty party.

11. Just imagine how many billions more would be saved if I had stepped down earlier before building the North-South Highway, Penang Bridge, KLIA, West Port, Putrajaya, Cyberjaya, the twin towers of Petronas and a host of other mega projects. We would be sitting on a mountain of Ringgits.

Bribe probe hits former Malay PM

Nick McKenzie and Richard Baker

July 5, 2011

...........................................................................................

The Reserve Bank of Australia's banknote firms are suspected of attempting to bribe former Malaysian prime minister Abdullah Badawi in order to get his help to win a $31 million currency contract.

Mr Abdullah is one of a several highly influential Malaysian political figures whom anti-corruption authorities believe Securency and Note Printing Australia— firms respectively half and fully owned and overseen by Australia's reserve bank— allegedly sought to bribe using part of $4.2 million in commission payments made to two Malaysian middlemen.

Malaysian sources confirmed to The Age that the Australian Federal Police have gathered information about attempts to bribe Mr Abdullah by Securency and Note Printing Australia, which are respectively half and fully owned and overseen by the RBA.

The Age sought comment from Mr Abdullah last night.

Asked about the approach to Mr Abdullah yesterday, an AFP spokesman said: "Given that matters relating to investigations into Securency International and Note Printing Australia are currently before the court, the AFP is unable to make any further comment."

It is understood the attempt to bribe Mr Abdullah related to contract negotiations that occurred around 2003, the year he became prime minister and finance minister. He served as prime minister until 2009.

Before becoming prime minister, Mr Abdullah was deputy to long-serving Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad.

The alleged attempt to bribe of Mr Badawi, who remains a serving MP, adds to the list of high-profile Asian politicians and central bank officials targeted by the RBA firms.

The AFP last week alleged Securency bribed Vietnam's former central bank governor by paying his son's English university tuition fees. Authorities in Malaysia last Friday arrested a former Malaysian central bank assistant governor accused of receiving two bribes from NPA.

The revelations about the attempt to bribe Mr Abdullah come as the fallout from Australia's plastic note bribery scandal continues to spread, with The Age reporting yesterday about the intimate involvement of senior officials from the Australian government trade agency Austrade in Securency's allegedly corrupt Vietnam dealings.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/bribe-probe-hits-former-malay-pm-20110704-1gz6c.html#ixzz1RE2QHCby

Wikileaks,Pak Lah, Najib And The Altantuya Murder

Tuesday, 17 May 2011

Asia Sentinel

Cables show the US embassy in KL feared "prosecutorial misconduct" during the sensational 2009 trial.

The US Embassy in Kuala Lumpur closely followed the trial of the accused killers of Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu and frequently discussed whether current Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was involved in the killing, according to diplomatic cables supplied to Asia Sentinel by the WikiLeaks website.

The diplomats, like much of the public, also speculated that the trial was being deliberately delayed and feared what one cable calls "prosecutorial misconduct" that was being politically manipulated. The embassy officials based their concerns on sources within the prosecution, government and the political opposition.

The cables also draw attention to an intriguing allegation that then Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi may have attempted to use the proceedings to implicate Najib, a claim that was quickly hushed up in the Malaysian press.

Altantuya was murdered in October 2006 by two of Najib's bodyguards, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri, 30 and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, 35. who stood trial and were pronounced guilty in April 2009. Abdul Razak Baginda, one of Najib's best friends and Altantuya's lover, was accused of participating in the murder but was freed without having to put on a defense.

The murder has been tied closely to the US$1 billion acquisition of French submarines by the Malaysian ministry of defense, which Najib headed as defense minister during the acquisitions. Altantuya reportedly acted as a translator on the transaction, which netted Razak Baginda's company a €114 million "commission" on the purchase. Reportedly she had been offered US$500,000 for her part in translating. After she was jilted, she vainly demanded payment. A letter she had written was made public after her death saying she regretted attempting to "blackmail" Razak Baginda.

French lawyers are investigating whether some of the €114 million was kicked back to French or Malaysian politicians. Despite the scandal, the US government has not publicly backed away from Najib. In April 2010, Najib visited the White House and was praised by President Barack Obama for the parliament's passage of an act allowing Malaysian authorities to take action against individuals and entities engaged in proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The cables are replete with accounts of a long series of meetings with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who repeatedly told the Americans that Najib was connected to corrupt practices in the acquisition of the submarines as well as the purchase of Sukhoi Su-MCM-30 Flanker fighter jets from Russia. Anwar also called attention to Najib's connection to the Altantuya case.

A Jan. 24, 2007 cable, marked "secret," wrote that "Perceived irregularities on the part of prosecutors and the court, and the alleged destruction of some evidence, suggested to many that the case was subject to strong political pressure intended to protect Najib."

In a Feb. 1, 2008 cable, the embassy's Political Section Chief, Mark D. Clark, wrote that a deputy prosecutor had told him "there was almost no chance of winning guilty verdicts in the on-going trial of defendants Razak Baginda, a close advisor to Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, and two police officers. She described the trial as interminably long." (That, of course, turned out to be wrong. Sirul and Azilah were ultimately convicted and have appealed their sentence)

Clark called the trial a "a prosecutorial embarrassment from its inception, leading many to speculate that the ineptitude was by design. On the eve of the trial,Malaysia's Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail dropped his lead prosecutors and replaced them with less experienced attorneys. Similarly, a lead counsel for one of the defendants abruptly resigned before the trial 'because of (political) attempts to interfere with a defense he had proposed, in particular to protect an unnamed third party.'"

The protracted nature of the case, Clark continued, led "at least one regional newspaper to speculate that 'the case is being deliberately delayed to drive it from public view. Malaysia's daily newspapers rarely mention the case's latest developments, and it is unprecedented in Malaysian judicial history that a murder trial could drag on for seven months and still not give the defense an opportunity to present its case. Such an environment has led many to conclude that the case was too politically sensitive to yield a verdict before the anticipated general elections."

A January 2007 cable called attention to Razak Baginda's affidavit confirming that he sought the help of Musa Safri, later identified by reporters as Najib's aide-de-camp, in ridding him of the jilted woman, and in other cables pointed out that Musa had never been called for questioning.

In another cable, dated May 16, 2007, Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, a deputy home affairs minister in former Prime Minister Ahmad Abdullah Badawi's cabinet told US Embassy officials that he was "certain that government prosecutors would limit their trial activities to the murder itself and the three defendants; prosecutors would not follow up on allegations of related corruption or other suspects."

In a Jan. 27, 2007 cable, marked "Secret," embassy officials wrote that "In December we heard from one of (Anwar's) lawyers that Razak Baginda's wife was in contact with Anwar and Wan Azizah, suggesting one possible source for Anwar's information."

Razak Baginda's wife, during one of his first appearances in court, screamed that her husband "doesn't want to be prime minister." That was taken by observers as a reference to the fact that Najib reportedly had been having an affair with Altantuya but passed her on to Razak Baginda because it would be unseemly to have a mistress when he succeeded Abdullah Badawi as premier. Najib has offered to swear on the Koran that he had never met the woman.

However, in July 2008, P Balasubramaniam, a former policeman and private detective who had been hired by Razak Baginda to protect him from Altantuya, filed a sworn statement saying he had been told by the accused man that Najib not only knew the murdered woman but had an affair with her and introduced her to him, passing her on because he did not want the onus of having a mistress in the event that he would become prime minister.

In a telephone interview on May 9, Anwar, however, told Asia Sentinel that Razak Baginda's wife was not the source of his knowledge of Najib's connection and that instead he had been told of the connection by Setev Shaariibuu, Altantuya's father, who said he had wished to present evidence of Najib's involvement, but was not allowed to do so. Multiple attempts to contact Setev by Asia Sentinel have been unsuccessful.

Almost immediately after he made the statement, Balasubramaniam was picked up and driven to a police station, where he was forced to withdraw the statement and write a new one saying Razak Baginda had told him nothing of the sort. Balasubramaniam fled Malaysia for India. He later said Najib's brother, Nizam, and wife, Rosmah Mansor, had met with him and that he was offered RM5 million (US$1.48 million) to forget his statement connecting Najib to Altantuya. Balasubramaniam displayed a flock of checks drawn on the account of an associate of Najib's wife. The former private detective has made a a series of statements from outside the country about Najib's involvement.

A February 2008 cable from Political Section Chief Clark gives a hint that Abdullah Badawi himself may have been trying to get rid of Najib by forcing Razak Baginda to implicate him in the murder.

"In the latest turn of the ongoing Altantuya murder trial (reftels), accused political insider Abdul Razak Baginda, who has remained calm and composed through most of the proceedings, unleashed an emotional tirade shortly after the February 20 noon recess on the trial's 90th day," Clark wrote. "Referring to the Prime Minister by his nick-name 'Pak Lah,' Razak reportedly exclaimed: 'You can die, Pak Lah! (in Malaysian - Matilah kau, Pak Lah!) I'm innocent!' according to unpublished journalist accounts. Read more.

Be Careful Whom You Select As Your Leader

Hantu Laut

Limbang in the pocket,oil rich blocks in the pocket.

Tell me how could someone be so stupid as to even consider sitting at a negotiating table for something already in the hands and under his full control?

Can a prime minister and his cabinet, without the approval of Parliament, dissolved sovereign rights over part of its territory, disputed or otherwise, to another country?

As a layman, not knowledgeable in constitutional law, I don't know, but I do know my common sense tells me it sounds not right.Something seriously amiss here.

Why was there no disclosure for a decision of such magnitude which deprived Malaysians in general and Sabah in particular of huge economic benefits?

Pak Lah only told half a story when he said Brunei has dropped the claim on Limbang which, sadly, was refuted by Brunei the next day making him looking like a fool.

Why was the surrender of the oil fields not mentioned before? Why were Pak Lah and the whole cabinet tight-lipped over the whole affair? Did Pak Lah bulldozes the thing through and presents it as a fait accompli to the cabinet giving them no choice but to endorse it?

The story only come to light when Murphy Oil have to make disclosure to the NYSE.

Did any member of the cabinet voice their objection to this rather unusual bilateral agreement that's more favourable to Brunei.If the area comes under Brunei why weren't they there first to stake a claim and start oil exploration?

Limbang should not be the subject of a claim.This territory was annexed during the times of the White Rajah and the sovereign right was reaffirmed when Sarawak was made a colony.Request by Brunei for return of the territory was rejected by the British on the ground that the people of Limbang do not want to be part of Brunei.Why Pak Lah and his cabinet members not bothered to look at the historical background is most puzzling.There shouldn't be any negotiation with Brunei on Limbang or the oil fields.

If Brunei can reclaim Limbang than the Philippines can reclaim Sabah and Thailand can reclaim some of the northern states of Peninsula Malaysia. It is absurd that based on disputed claim we caved in and gave away a goldmine.

What can Brunei do if we don't agree? Can they go to war with us? Will the British help them to go to war with us? These are pertinent questions we should ask ourselves before we sat at the round table.

We hold the trump card yet we lost.

We'll wait and see how Najib and the cabinet handle this very dicey issue.

A Tale Of Two Tuns

From the blog ARTiculations. An interesting read. Bullseye!

A Tale of Two Tuns

If ever there was a wish which I would want to be granted when I grow really old, - this is not to say that I am not already old, it is just that I am not that old, yet - that would be a wish that I could be given the wisdom of knowing when to keep my mouth shut. Because really, people who are pass their "best-before" date could really sound curious and funny, especially when what they are saying now goes against what they have been saying and doing while they were younger.

Amidst all the grief and disbelief caused by the tragic lost of life of an innocent son of Malaysia in the past week, two Tuns were also hogging the headlines over what they said. In a way, these two Tuns had almost connived to provide me - and many others, I believe - with much needed comic relief in times when such relief was really needed.

And so, I should have perhaps thanked both of them but for the fact that their statements were laced with so much irony and insidiousness.

Firstly it was Tun Abdullah. He was apparently conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Democracy by Universiti Utara Malaysia.

It is now of course fashionable within the ruling elite to have the prefix "Dr" somewhere between the array of prefixes preceding their name. Like Tun Tan Seri Datuk Seri Dr Hj So and so. It gives them the comfort of being in possession of something extra. Something which others do not have. Or so they think. Like when they buy a Mercedes, they must buy a Brabus. Things like that. Sorry, I digress.

Anyway, yes, Tun Abdullah was conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Democracy by UUM. I would not go into whether or not such conferment was justifiable - because this article would be too long otherwise - but what he said during his acceptance speech was what, in my opinion, precipitated the saying "silence is golden".

Upon being conferred, our newly minted Doctor in Democracy proceeded to the microphone and, in what was believed to be nothing short of an astounding moment, called for the abolishment of the ISA. I really hope he had read his prepared speech before delivering it. And if he had read it, I hope he understood what he was saying. If anything, I hope he was awake while he was doing so.

That call would have, in the normal course of things, been met with jubilant celebrations of orgasmic proportion. However, coming from an ex Premier under whose administration there were 82 arrests; 76 new detention orders and 87 renewal of detention orders under the ISA as at the end of 2007 (figures are from the SUARAM's Human Rights Report 2007), that call was as funny as - if not funnier than - a drunken kangaroo spinning like a top on its tail while shouting "kangaroo boleh!"

Added to that, under his administration, the ISA was abused beyond anything which was thought possible when Raja Petra Kamaruddin and Teresa Kok were arrested for apparently "insulting Muslims and Islam". Raja Petra, as we all know, was later detained at Kamunting before a brave Judge, Justice Dato' Syed Helmi of the Shah Alam High Court, released him (the government's appeal against that release is still pending in the Federal Court).Read more....

Misquoted ?

Hantu Laut

How can Pak Lah repeatedly make this kind of mistake? The latest one is most embarrassing as it involved a foreign country.Is it because he is such a simple person he always misunderstood others or he is misunderstood ?

He said the Sultan of Brunei has agreed to drop the Limbang claim here.

Brunei refuted his statement here.

Was he misquoted ?

There was no retraction from him instead he said this.

Changing Of The Guard:The City Slicker And The Kampong Boy

Hantu Laut

So much and so many have been written about the Perak crisis. Maybe, we should now go back to more pressing problem and one that seems to take the back seat of the government's list of priorities, the ECONOMY !

Before I get there, let's ponder for a while and see what the government has been up to all this while.

At the apex of this list of priorities sits the UMNO elections due in March. The lobbying and jockeying for positions have intensified big time.The amount of cash changing hand is said to be reaching epidemic proportion, so much so, even the MACC had given up trying to nap the runners for the warlords.The MACC has now shifted its interest to the oppositions and is busy looking into the opposition's shenanigans.

Other than the president post there is no safe seat in this battle for supremacy.Unlike MCA where money may not get the respect of the rank and file as much as smut is, those in UMNO have not resorted to the smutty business yet.

If you are holding high public office and happened to be happily married but need to spice up you sex life, just be careful, the next time you have a tryst with your lover make sure you comb the entire room for bugs. You never know who is watching you.You can buy bugs detector, they are not expensive. Don't sting, buy the better ones.Chua Soi Lek could probably give you an advice or two after his dreadful experience of being caught on candid camera.The past has come back to haunt him.Maybe, he should change his middle name.

The only man that need not spend a single cent is Najib, the rest seem to have no choice, spend money or die! Muhyiddin is torn between the devil and the deep blue sea.If money speaks louder than word than Muhyiddin may have a chink in his armour.

Will Abdullah Badawi step down as prime minister ? The doyen of Malaysian politics former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad doesn't think so.This fiercest critic of Abdullah with his never ending admonition of him thinks Abdullah would just relinquish his post of President of UMNO and continue as PM.Is the former premier trying to rattle Najib's bones for him to stage a coup if Abdullah refused to step down? We have to wait and see how it will be staged in a few weeks time.

From the sublime to the ridiculous, even shit hot politician like Anwar Ibrahim wanted him to stay.This is the man who run the gauntlet on Abdullah just a few months back and attempted a vote of no confidence against him. After the failed attempt to throw Abdullah out it looks like Anwar contemplates Abdullah a weaker opponent and less dangerous to the oppositions. His fear of Najib seems greater than the man who sent him to the slammer about a decade ago. Najib's opening salvo has sent fear reverberating in the Pakatan's camp.The loss of Perak may be just the beginning.

Joining in the cry for the 'Save Abdullah' campaign is Nik Aziz of PAS. This religiously staunch and incorruptible Muslims leader is an enigma.His messages are equally enigmatic.The contradictions may have come with age.He seems to share Anwar's fear and dislike for Najib.Remembering old wounds could be another reason he was dead against PAS joining UMNO as coalition partner. Anwar against Najib, I can understand, but why is the Tok Guru worried of Najib becoming prime minister? Is he privy to something we don't know ?

Politicians can't get to where they wanted to go without sycophants, hangers-on and opportunists circling around them. Some are ridiculously out of sync just to curry favour with the bosses, without looking at the merit of their proposals.A government backbencher, one Mohd Aziz(BN-Sri Gading) proposed that Abdullah be made a senior minister after he stepped down as PM. Is Abdullah, who served only one full term as PM more deserving than Mahathir who had more than 22 years of premiership and a track record to go with it? It is not that Abdullah is less worthy but it would look absurd if he accepts the appointment after being forced out of office.

I am glad Abdullah has more sense than the balls carrier who made the proposal. He has affirmed his intention of not getting involve in government after he stepped down. He said he is basically a kampong boy and wish to go back to planting vegetables and fruits and play more golf. Unlike Mahathir, he says he wouldn't do anything to embarrass the government.

I believe Abdullah will keep his word.

You see, just like the government, I got carried away, I forgot about the economy.

I'll save it for another day.

Judging Najib

Hantu Laut

Kuala Terengganu (KT), the last time I was there must be over twenty years ago when it was still a sleepy little town and the Primula Hotel just open its doors for the first time.

Terengganu and Kelantan share some similarity with Sabah. Facing the South China Sea, somehow,blessed these three states with some of the nicest beaches and coral reefs in the country.Similarly, they have also been thorns in the BN's flesh before, for being the only states that ever fell to the oppositions, long before the March 8 General Elections.

Kelantan has always been a PAS stronghold and the people have no love lost with UMNO.Kelantanese are rare breed among all Malays and are the most parochial and conservative.It is also the only state where the Chinese are very assimilated with local Malays, speaking the lingua franca, which is the Kelantanese Malay and conspicuously adopting some Malay culture and only practice the Chinese culture with less conspicuousness.Not unlike Indonesia, but very unlike the rest of Malaysia, sometimes, it is difficult to tell a Malay from a Chinese just by listening to his speech in Kelantanese Malay.Most Indonesian Chinese speak Bahasa Indonesia  among themselves and even when they are overseas.Kelantan almost fell to the BN in the 2004 Elections.

Sabah became an opposition state in 1985 when personal clash between Harris Salleh, the then Chief Minister of Sabah resulted in him sacking Joseph Pairin Kitingan, a minister in his cabinet, who later formed a new party PBS (Parti Bersatu Sabah), contested and won the state elections.Pairin became chief minister and ruled Sabah as opposition under PBS for almost two terms.

Terengganu fell to PAS in 1999.Mahathir quickly abrogate the oil royalty payment to the state and stated that the Federal government was under no obligation to give the money to the state government.It was a kind of sanction against Terengganu for voting PAS.The state reverted to BN in 2004 when Malaysians were euphoric about Badawai's clean image and gave him a thumping victory at the polls. The people had high expectations that 'Mr Clean' as he used to be popularly known would bring, as promised, reforms and clean up the administration of corruptions and abuse of power.That failed promise would cost him dearly.The euphoria turned to disgust. The thumping victory he got in 2004 turned out to be the biggest embarrassment for the BN in the 2008 General Elections.It lost its two-thirds majority, lost 5 states to the oppositions and revived the political career of Anwar Ibrahim.

Abdullah is not by any definition cut from the same cloth as former strongman and former Prime Minister Mahatir Mohammad.After 22 years of Mahathir's autocratic ways Malaysians are not used to his meekly style.His weak leadership, inconsistencies and wanting to please everybody took a heavy toll on his leadership and personality.He was eventually pressured to step down by his own party and hand over the reins to his deputy in a transition deal that will see his exit as PM and President of the party in March 2009.

Can Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak restore BN's former glory ?

The testing ground for Najib's future as Prime Minister and the future of UMNO would be Kuala Terengganu.If UMNO wins the by-election on the 17th of this month than we can safely agree with former PM Mahathir than it was Abdullah's leadership that was the cause of BN poor showing in the March 2008 Elections.If UMNO loses, than it, maybe, sayonara for the party in the next general elections, unless Najib can quickly initiates reforms expected by the people.

The loss of Permatang Pauh to Anwar Ibrahim should not be used as a barometer to gauge Najib's and UMNO's popularity.It has always been Anwar's stronghold and has not wavered since the day he was thrown in prison.The fact is, his popularity actually rose while he was in prison.No matter what muck you made out of him, Anwar Ibrahim is still very popular among the youths and this group now holds the majority in the electoral votes.

They see in Anwar the embodiment of a new Malaysia, one that is free of corruptions and abuse of power.A perception that may not necessary hold water.

Although, I wouldn't exactly equate it to be the same, the misreading of Pak Lah was probably one of the best examples of "Judging a book by its cover",  even the man nearest to him have admitted he made a mistake choosing him and had soured the relationship to become his biggest opponent.

In the March 2008 Elections, UMNO won the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat on a wafer-thin majority against PAS. The Chinese votes probably tipped the scale in UMNO's favour.There appears to be equal division of the Malay votes between UMNO and PAS and the minuscule Chinese votes had become crucial for both political parties.The Chinese in KT had become the balancing power and kingmaker.Can Najib entice the Chinese to vote for UMNO's candidate Wan Ahmad Farid Salleh, reputedly to be very arrogant and unpopular?

Najib himself carry the same baggage tag.Not only the 'sombong' tag but also excess baggage, which would not endear him to the Terengganu voters. Anwar's PKR is trying very hard to drag his name through the mire by reminding the voters of his association with the murdered Mongolian model Althantuya Sariibuu, an allegation that was never proven but stays on as ammunition in the opposition's camp.If that's not enough, his image took an even more vile impression by his wife's lack of social skills.Grace may not be in every woman's makeup, it's partly nature, partly nurture. Social graces and etiquette are certainly nurtured.

It appears that Najib is going all out to win this battle.It was reported  that he was dishing out humongous amount of contracts to small-time Malay contractors through a method he called 'lucky draw' which he claimed "a world first" He said"In this lucky draw, every one wins.Every one gets a contract".He further reiterates that there will be more projects if UMNO won the by-election.

The contracts valued between RM30,000 to RM200,000 were distributed at random to contractors by bringing them on stage to click on a computer.The computer randomly picked the contract.No vetting and no question asked.Not to worry, no need to check the background of those so-called contractors, most of the contracts would eventually land in the hands of the China men.With a huge war chest, it would be hard to break the BN's money bag.Asia Sentinel has the report here.

It would be a neck to neck race to the finishing line and PAS seems to be the favourite among Pakatan supporters, punters and the blogging fraternity, but Najib might just pull this one off.

Winning the KT by-election would be his saving grace.Do not rule out possibility of the Malays returning to the fold.

The Irascible Tun Mahathir Mohammad

Hantu Laut

Is former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad sounding like a sour grape?It seems he has not given up throwing stones at Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.He said "The choice of the candidate is really very bad because people see him as a proxy to be used if Najib becomes prime minister".

Sure, he is entitled to his opinion but for 'goodness sake' the man is leaving does he need to be insulted and admonished more than he already had.

I am not a great fan of Abdullah but I believe there must be a limit to this kind of political posturing and grandstanding, more so from a man who have had an exemplary leadership and respected for his contributions to the nation's progress.

It is also hard to understand what does he mean by referring to Wan Ahmad Farid as a proxy to be used if Najib becomes prime minister. If ? I thought it was very clear that Najib would be prime minister come this March.Does Mahathir still harbour any doubt that he wouldn't be and Abdullah would renege on the deal ?

When he was prime minister didn't he choose people he can trust and loyal to him? When he chose Abdullah over Najib as his successor wasn't it because he wrongly read Abdullah's character and credentials, because he thought Abdullah would be easier to wrap around the fingers and more likely to carry on his agenda and unfinished works.

It appears that the man who love UMNO very much is also out to destroy it over personal grudge.He knew very well that UMNO is walking the tightrope in the Kuala Trengganu parliamentary by-election.The thin majority obtained by UMNO candidates in 2004 Elections and in March 2008 speaks for itself how dangerously close they have been to losing the seat to PAS.

Mahathir's mounting campaign against Abdullah might just as well be sending message to the voters in Kuala Trengganu not to vote for the UMNO candidate Wan Farid and if he loses, which is very likely that he would, than he would say, just to prove his point, that it was rejection of Abdullah's leadership, not UMNO.

I am sure the people of Trengganu would still remember what he did when PAS took the state in the 1999 Elections.He withheld the 'Wang Ehsan' and peter out development projects.The American did the same to Hamas when they won and become the government in Gaza, the American feared that with the aid money they would buy guns and other weapons.

I have great admiration for our former Prime Minister for the progress he brought to this nation but he's what the young people would say "chill out, baby" give Abdullah a little bit of space to breath before he makes his exit.

It's best that UMNO leaders and members ignore this kind of political posturing and concentrate on winning the by-election.Can they ?

MalaysianInsider:

Three confirmed in race

Startlingly Clean ?

Hantu Laut

Hey presto! So the bills were passed without further ado.Great ! The Prime Minister said there wouldn't be any corruption or very little of it after this and more foreign investors would come to Malaysia knowing it has a startlingly clean government and judiciary.

I am sure with such heavy penalties for whistle blowers there wouldn't be any corruption in this country and we all know the reason why.

I agree those making false report should be punished but, if I am not mistaken,there are already existing law to deal with such offence.

At the end of the day it is the will rather than what's written that decide whether we can get rid of this scourge.

Read the PM exaltation here.

MACC:To Be Or Not To Be

Hantu Laut

It is said both opposition and government lawmakers still have reservation and find it less than ideal that the two bills - the Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC) and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) be passed in such a hurry.

In spite of their reservations the opposition say they would still give support to the bills.Giving an 'Aye' without studying the proposed bill thoroughly?

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has told all BN lawmakers to give their supports.Parliamentary Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has given conditional support but wanted the power to prosecute to be given to the MACC not the AG. (Attorney General).

Our former colonial masters must have given serious thought to the laws, separation of powers and the institutional set-up for its enforcement.You do not change the law because of one man complaint against the AG or an AG who failed in his duties.You change the AG not the law.Anwar seems more concern about stripping the AG's power to prosecute rather than a deep desire to see reform of the ACA. Anwar's objection to the AG as the ultimate power to prosecute was born out of personal conflicts rather than a desire to see major reforms.

Giving the ACA the power to prosecute but still makes it answerable to one man is certainly not a major reform by any measure.To make the ACA totally independent and away from political interference and pressure, the only viable solution is to make it answerable to a 'Parliamentary Committee' comprising not less than 10 MPs with equitable representations from the opposition and the government.The power to prosecute should remain with the AG in order to avoid abuse of power.To give both power to investigate and to prosecute to the MACC is even more dangerous than the present setup.There must be separation of powers.Unrestrained, the MACC could become a monster that could well be the lawmakers biggest nightmare.

There is nothing wrong with the present setup - the power to investigate to the police and ACA and the power to prosecute with the AG.Anwar's allegation of misconduct against the AG should not form the basis of a debate of the bill in Parliament in asking for removal of the AG's power to prosecute.

The whole concept of the bill is wrong, the power to prosecute should not be the principal factor for change for as long as it is still under the control of the executive. The ACA is no way near being called independent as long as it is still answerable to the Prime Minister.Giving the MACC the power to prosecute, as entailed by Anwar, is only moving the object from the Prime Minister's left hand pocket to his right hand pocket.The whole essence of wanting to reform should be nothing less than total independence, answerable only to a Parliamentary Committee.

Half a cupful is the same as half empty.The proposed bill is a waste of time.

Mahathir's Most Profound

Hantu Laut

"For 50 years political stability was what attracted investors. Now a weak government has tried to regain popularity by pandering to the demands of extremists. The floodgates are open and all kinds of sensitive issues are being debated. The result is the resurgence of racism on the part of all ethnic groups, " he said.

Probably the most profound statement made by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad since he left office.He thinks Malaysia is unlikely to achieve Vision 2020 as envisioned by him when he was Prime Minister.

I share his views that the present government is weak and was trying to appease the different racial groups in the country but have achieved the opposite, there are more racial and religious tensions now than ever before.Not only there is a tendency to move toward Islamism, even minority groups are pushing their own extreme agenda of their own version of their religions.One such group is Hindraf.

The one that have taken the extremity of racial and religious issues are the Indians under Hindraf, conveying an over-exaggeration of mistreatment of Indians in this country.Most Malaysian Indians are now ardent supporter of Anwar Ibrahim's PKR as one can see from the turnout at his ceramah.Although many Malaysians might not agree with me I believe Hindraf is a religious extremists organisation and highly motivated by politics and Hindu extremism.

PPP, an insignificant Indian led party and a member of BN have jumped on the bandwagon of anti-ISA and threatened the government of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi that it would leave the BN if the ISA is not abolish.

Most small components of the BN were scaredy cats when the BN was almighty and wouldn't dare squeak a word of dissent or disagreement on anything including the ISA.Their leaders were very happy with UMNO and the BN leadership then.

Political opportunism is a good as 'Necessity is the mother of invention'

Well Done! Pak Lah.

Hantu Laut

Yes, ask them to go.A mosquito party with a big appetite and a sickening attitude, resorting to political blackmail.If they don't leave sack them!.Bunch of ingrates.

I wouldn't waste too much words on those scheming political scums.

M'Kayveas and PPP stop threatening, if you want to leave, go ! I say, Good riddance !.

Well done, Pak Lah here.

Badawi's State Of Euphoria - Revisited

Hantu Laut

Should we worry about the state of the economy? Our government have assured us that this country would be spared from the global recession and we have the safeguards to ensure we wouldn't be caught with our pants down.Do you believe them? Is there something they know that we don't? Surprisingly, even the Governor of Bank Negara had confidently said that there wouldn't be a recession in Malaysia.

How much money have the government spent to prop up the ringgit and the stocks market? Without intervention the ringgit would have depreciated much more against the US dollar.All major currencies except the Japanese Yen have depreciated against the dollar.The ringgit had no reason to stay at its present level other than two possibilities..... our export receipts have increased tremendously where we convert US dollars to ringgit or more likely Bank Negara is spending our money to prop up the ringgit.The latter sounds more plausible.

Below are US dollar against ringgit and other major currencies for July/Nov 2008:

US$1.00 to:

British Pound - July 0.49 Nov 0.69 -40.8%
Australian Dollar - July 1.01 Nov 1.53 -51.4%
Euro - July 0.62 Nov 0.80 -35.5%
Ringgit - July 3.26 Nov 3.53 -8.3%
Singapore Dollar - July 1.36 Nov 1.49 -9.6%
Japanese Yen - July 107 Nov 99 +7.5%

From the above you can see that the ringgit is seemingly a strong currency, is it ? The ringgit had also appreciated against other major currencies not because of its own strength but more due to the depreciation of those currencies against the dollar.I expect the ringgit to find its own level when the intervention stopped.

The bull run on the dollar was mainly due to China propping it up to protect its huge foreign exchange reserve of US$1.5 trillion in dollars and gold.How long the exercise would prevail is hard to tell.

Below is an article I wrote in January 2008 on the contagious US recession.


Badawi's State Of Euphoria

Written by Hantu Laut

Wednesday, 30 January 2008

It’s whistling past the graveyard to think that Malaysia is going to escape a US downturn unscathed Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is probably wrong if he is as confident as he says he is that that Malaysia is positioned to avert any negative fallout from a threatened US recession by virtue of trade with the rest of Asean, which on its surface outweighs that of the US. Following the Davos conference in Switzerland, the prime minister pointed out that 86 percent of Malaysia's GDP is domestically generated and added: "This has become one of our economic strengths (as we are no longer acutely dependent on external trade), and these strengths have come from the policies that we have drawn up and implemented, which are far-sighted.” The speech and figures, probably prepared for him by the Ministry of International Trade and Industry, are hardly realistic. While the Malaysian economy has been robust over recent years, his boast that the country is immune from a US recession is incorrect. There are direct and indirect elements that can make a US recession contagious, not only to Malaysia and other countries in Asia. Using data from Malaysia’s state-owned External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), the US is still Malaysia’s biggest trading partner, with total trade of MR170.80 billion in fiscal year 2006. In 2006 Malaysia exported RM589 billion to all markets. Almost 77 percent came from manufactured products, 62 percent of that from electronic items. The small domestic market would not be able to consume excesses from a contracting export market. The major manufactured products for export, especially electronic and electrical products, are not suitable for domestic use. What are Malaysians going to do with a few billion dollars worth of unsold semiconductors, computer chips and other high-technology products? In the same year, export trade with Asean countries was RM154 billion. It is safe to assume that more than 60 percent of exports to Asean countries went to Singapore. Malaysia’s trade with Singapore was MR146.9 billion, making it the second largest trading partner after the U.S. With the exception of Thailand, trade with other Asean countries was insignificant. Lumping Singapore together with other Asean countries to show market diversification is self-deceiving and unjustified. Being the second largest trading partner and for the sake of clarity, Singapore should be classified individually. There also seems to be a great discrepancy between MATRADE figures and those given by an independent body SUITE101.com, which quoted Bridgesingapore.com, usembassy.com and the CIA World Factbook as its sources. The data shows Singapore's total trade with Malaysia in 2006 was US$77 billion. Taking an exchange rate at a constant US$1.00 - RM3.40, trade with Singapore was a whopping RM262 billion, not the RM146.9 billion MATRADE uses, making it the biggest trading partner, bigger than the US. Was the huge difference a result of under- and over-invoicing? It's difficult to say which figures were correct. This can only be established if the external trade corporation were to openly dispute the figures from the other sources. The majority of exports to Singapore are re-exported, with a big portion going to the US. In 2006, Singapore re-exported S$204 billion out of total exports of S$432 billion. Singapore exports have weakened over the past few months, signalling slower growth in 2008. Abdullah Badawi's assurance that trade with other Asean countries outweighs that with the US thus doesn't hold water. The biggest single entity in the Asean region is still Singapore, as has always been the case. It will continue to be Malaysia's biggest trade partner for a long time to come. A recession in the U.S would bring reduced volumes of purchases and falling prices which will subsequently affect Singapore's imports from Malaysia. Another motivating factor for Malaysian exporters to use Singapore is the practice of under-invoicing, in which certain amounts of export proceeds are retained in Singapore. (Many Malaysian exporters use this facility to keep some funds outside the country. Similar practices have been carried out by log exporters from Sabah and Sarawak, using Hong Kong as their base. With millions stashed overseas, some Malaysian companies from Sarawak have become the biggest loggers in the world, partly financed by the Malaysian Inland Revenue Department, in the form of tax evasion.).Read more......

The Return To Mahathirism

Hantu Laut

Members of UMNO are beginning to show some political maturity and greater sense of democracy.Gone were the days of Mahathir's autocratic style of leadership where challenge to the top leadership were frown upon and made difficult by changing the party constitution to increase the height of the hurdles making it a daunting task for a challenger to take on the incumbent.

The no challenge concept for the two top positions had given UMNO a stagnated political mindset.Political ideology more suited for the 18th century rather than in today's modern democracy.The party is in dire need of new ideas and new democratic ideals.

Although, I must admit it has worked well during Mahathir's tenure , times are changing, a liberal policy and more freedom should be allowed in the rank and file to choose leaders of their choice.The hurdles should be removed to allow for new crop of political thinkers and leaders to reach the top tiers of the party.

There are new kind of political awareness in the country.People are more conscious of their rights.The old ways will not work anymore, in fact the old ways had worked against the party.The outcome of the 8 March General Elections was the telling sign that Malaysian are generally fed up with the way the country are being run.

With the party nomination of candidates closed, the stage is set for a fierce battle for positions of the Deputy President and Youth Chief, the two most to be closely watched races.Those predicted to reach the chequered flag first may not make it if money politics ruled the day.

In pole position for the deputy president is Muhyiddin Yassin.For the youth chief the leading contender is Mukhriz Mahathir.

Muhyiddin who initially thought it would be plain sailing for him now found himself challenged by two others, Ali Rustam of Melaka and Muhammad Taib of Selangor.Although he is the favourite to win, an upset shouldn't be ruled out by any of the other two contenders.He has been portrayed as the most qualified due to his educational background and better command of the English language.

Speaking good English may not be a criteria to winning party elections and is not the yardstick to judge a person's intelligence.Like any other languages it is just a medium of communication and happened to be widely spoken and understood internationally.

Muhyiddin is also seen as playing it safe and has not been vociferous in pursuing the Malay agenda as much as the others.The other most crucial element in this game is which of the three will throw the most money.To think that only those at the lower level used money to buy favours is blissful ignorance.

In 1987 when Mahathir was challenged by Tengku Razaleigh for the Presidency, Mahathir got three-fourth of the division nomination but only won by a measly majority of 43 votes.In his case the huge nomination he got was meaningless and misleading, he won by the skin of his teeth.Will Muhyiddin face the same situation or worse still loses out to the so-called non-starters.

If money and return to Mahathirism are not the deciding factors than Muhyiddin would win handsomely but if money is the object and the delegates wanted a balance between Mahathirism and Pak Lah's openess policy than Muhyiddin may have a challenge on his hand.

With Najib as President and Muhyiddin as Deputy President, if he won the election, the return to Mahathirism is imminent as both candidates were endorsed by him.Greater emphasis would be given to the Malay agenda,ossifying the social contracts and die-casting the ketuanan Melayu.Najib would not make the same fatal mistakes as Pak Lah, ostracising Mahathir can be deadly as Pak Lah has just found out a little too late.

One only need to see the number of hits the former premier gets for his blog to know how popular he is out of office than when he was in office.From reading the comments on his blog one can safely assume that majority of his fans are in their youth.Since its inception some eight months ago his blog has received 9.4 million hits.In comparison the Deputy Prime Minister who started his blog recently didn't seem to attract that many comments and has no hit meter to show the traffic to his blog.

Mahathir still has widespread support in UMNO and had been the catalyst in the forthcoming departure of Pah Lah as Prime Minister and President of the party.Over the past three decades he has serially destroyed the politicial career of Musa Hitam,Tengku Razaleigh,Anwar Ibrahim and now Abdullah Badawi.

After his departure as PM, Abdullah is unlikely to be playing significant role in the party.

Anwar Ibrahim had made a political comeback due to a weakened UMNO but as good as it gets he would likely be staying in the opposition for a long while or worse in prison.His sodomy case is still hanging over his head like the sword of Damocles.

His son Mukriz whose political future looked bleak when he followed his father's foot step and started to decry Abdullah's incompetence after the March General Election has now taken a sudden upswing in support from the Youth wing of the party.He is leading in nomination for the post of Youth Chief and is expected to win against Khir Toyo and Khairy Jamaluddin, the bright rising star that's beginning to dim and falling out of favour with the rank and file because he soon won't be the Prime Minister's son-in-law.

Ironically, among the three, Khir Toyo seems to be the most popular if blogs were to play party to winning an election.His blog attracts hundreds of comments and have had reasonably good hits while the other two have very few comments and didn't install visible site meters. Khairy posted most comments good or adverse,Mukriz only posted selected comments in praise of him.

Some called him the most hated man in the country, aggressive,arrogant and too smart for his own good.Khairy Jamaluddin had been accused of pulling the rugs from under other UMNO warlord's feet and stole their lucrative contracts.How much truth to these allegations ? Khairy called it an 'urban legend' in his recent interview with the Star newspaper.He has also denied his ambition to be PM by 40.True or not he certainly has what it takes and UMNO should not ignore his ability to return as Khairy the son of Jamaluddin and not as Khairy the son-in-law of Abdullah Badawi.

The real fight may be between Mukriz and Khir Toyo but things can change as they approach nearer elections day.Mukriz may have the highest number of nominations but, unlike his father, he lacks the grit and forcefulness of a leader.When proposed to a debate with Khairy he refused to take up the challenge and said:

"Pemilihan UMNO adalah soal keluarga dimana kita tak seharusnya berbincang mengenainya untuk tontonan umum, lebih -lebih lagi untuk tatapan pembangkang. Perjuangan UMNO ialah sesuatu yang tersirat dan ianya tak perlu dibahas-bahaskan secara terbuka dan disensasikan.Kita menggunakan pemilihan ini untuk memperkukuhkan parti, dan perlu elak dari membuat sebarang perkara yang mampu melemahkan parti tatkala kita dalam keadaan yang agak tidak kuat berbanding dulu. Dengan pencalonan yang sedang dilaksanakan dan pengundian yang bakal dijalankan, terbukti perwakilan dah kenal calon-calon dengan rapat dan matang untuk buat pilihan".

Ikhlas,

Mukhriz Mahathir

With the return to Mahatirism there would be greater emphasis on the Malay agenda and tightening of the noose on the liberal opposition currently allowed in the country.

Everything Alright Now ?

Hantu Laut

The Prime Minister managed to pacify Bernard Dompok by promising to set up a petrochemical industry in Sabah. Whether this promise will materialise is hard to say. Are there other considerations that we are not privy to? Pak Lah is leaving office soon and good luck to Dompok if he thinks that's going to happen.

Pak Lah has less than 5 months in office and the project has a gestation period of 5 years.Will Najib makes good Pak Lah's promise or would it end up the same as way as Pak Lah's promise to Mahathir to continue his legacy but didn't ?

You can read the story here

Reversal Of Fortune: 'Melayu Cepat Lupa'

Hantu Laut

Most people especially the Malays would probably still remember Mahathir's famous or infamous lamentation of 'Melayu cepat lupa' (Malays have short memory), depending on how one wish to interpret, it can be taken as an advice or an insult.

Judging by the going on in UMNO politics with the soon to exit Abdullah Badawi, his controversial remark may not be off the mark.They seem to have a knack for 'cepat lupa' and Mahathir knows best because he had been in that position after he stepped down from power.These are facts of life that politicians have to accept especially those that have held long unbridled power.As the popular Anne Lennox's song 'Sweet Dreams' reflects in some of the wordings of the lyrics of the song.

"Everybody's looking for something
Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused"

For some going down can be very unpleasant and for those forced to go down is even worse, it is excruciatingly painful and shameful.

It looks like the Malays in UMNO have already started to abandon the Prime Minister even before he handed over the helm to Najib, blue-eyed boy of the former prime minister and one he said he favoured to be PM instead of Abdullah but he chose Abdullah as his successor because of age and seniority. Mahathir places loyalty above everthing else including merits.

The former premier also wrote in his blog that not only Abdullah had to be gotten rid of but all of his men too.

Sometimes, no matter how angry we are, things are better left unsaid. Abdullah might have not been the ideal prime minister but like all of us humans he has feeling too.His bitterness against Abdullah has clearly muddled his thinking and make him sound terribly unreasonable.

Abdullah's biggest mistake and one that brought his downfall is his complete lack of nastiness.His character is such that he is constrained by his conscience.Many leaders have gone down either for lack of conscience or over-conscientious.Those overtly nice can be construed as sign of weakness.

The former premier might have forgotten that when Abdullah took over from him he also took over all his men and none of them had been removed.All those with Abdullah were his men before and they would have to toe the line of the leadership similar to when he was the prime minister.Are these the men he wanted to be removed?

This 'cepat lupa' syndrome can be seen in the nominations for the Youth Chief.This unexpected reversal of fortune is a clear sign that in UMNO the power to give wealth is the only consideration.The moment you lose this power you are as good as dead.The prodigal son-in-law would have fared much better if Abdullah had not announced or delayed his time of departure.

As we all know in politics there are no permanent enemies and friends.Who knows,one day, Mahathir may have to use Kahiry Jamaluddin to remove Najib if he is not happy with him.

One thing I agree with Mahathir, Najib must not make the same mistake, he must dismantle the 4th Floor.Tutup kedai (close shop).

The 4th Floor had been another one of Abdullah's biggest mistake.

Pak Lah:It's 'sap sap soi' no need to apologise

Hantu Laut

As they say in Hakka 'sap sap soi'. It's a small matter you don't need to apologise at all.Your apology does not make any different.The question is whether the price agreed upon is a fair price to pay for those machines. The meagre difference of RM93 million is not something you should worry about.What you should worry about is whether there were element of corruption or payment of excessive commissions to a third party.

Pak Lah has apologised over a small mistake he made on the price of the Eurocopter.You can read it here.

It is ridiculous that the boys at the Ministry of Defence want the Prime Minister to correct such petty amount and if they think that would satisfy the thirst of the conspiracy theorists, they are awfully wrong.

Lim Kit Siang:Incessant Barking

Hantu Laut

They have taken the meaning of their roles literally in every sense of the word and opposed for the sake of opposing.More often then not some of them acted like a bunch of spoilt brats making incomprehensible and useless noises that have no constructive contributions to the betterment of society and the nation.They are all noises but no punches.

The rumoured appointment of the next Chief Justice was a case which didn't merit any controversy but yet the oppositions, for the sake of making noises, were critical and condemned the choice of Tan Sri Zaki Azmi just because he was an ex-legal adviser to UMNO.Zaki have yet to be officially appointed to the post.

The most vocal critic is the head honco of DAP, the iriscible and self-opinionated Mr Lim Kit Siang who have never found a drop of goodness in the government since time immemorial.He is also the loudest and noisiest vessel in Parliament.A man who sees evil lurking in every nook and cranny of government.A man drowning in his own false dogmas of morality.

The nomination of names are the prerogative of the Prime Minister who would submit the names to the Agong, who, in consultation with the Conference of Rulers would than give his royal assent to the appointment.The final choice lies with the Agong and Conference of Rulers, not the Prime Minister.

There is nothing illegal or constitutionally wrong in the appointment of the Chief Justice or for that matter of all the judges for all the courts in the country.The vetting and selection process have gone through sufficient filtering and the appointment is in accordance with Article 122B of the Constitution.

From the Prime Minister to the Agong, to the Conference of Rulers and back to the Agong.Isn't that more than sufficient.To question the choice is showing disrespect for the Agong and the Conference of Rulers.

With his usual rhetoric and opposition to anything and everything he has put the cart before the horse and questioned albeit indirectly the competency of the Agong and Conference of Rulers in their decision making.

Below is part of what he wrote in his blog.

"This is not only not so, the Prime Minister has shown utter disregard and contempt for the widespread objections of the legal community and civil society to the appointment of the first Umno Chief Justice in the 51-year history of the nation!

In the circumstances, it is most regrettable and deplorable that Abdullah had stuck to his guns that Zaki be appointed the new Chief Justice, despite being forewarned that it would plunge the country into a new judicial crisis of confidence and a new era of judicial darkness.

Is Zaki capable of providing the necessary judicial leadership to ensure that Malaysia can rise above the past two decades of judicial darkness, plunging from one judicial scandal and crisis of confidence to another, and which reduced the Malaysian judiciary from its previous high international standing into a laughing stock for lack of independence, impartiality and integrity of the judiciary?

Pakatan Rakyat MPs must now decide whether to invoke Article 127 of the Malaysian Constitution which empowers the tabling in Parliament a substantive motion to debate the suitability and the merits/demerits of Zaki as the new Chief Justice provided it has the support of at t least a quarter of the Members of Parliament, i.e. 55 MPs.

If such a substantive motion is presented in Parliament, it would be the first time in Malaysian parliamentary and constitutional history."

The system of appointment of our Chief Justice and judges of the various courts in the country is better than that of the US.In the US the President nominates the name and the Senate approves it.In the UK, the Lord Chancellor similarly was appointed by the monarch upon the advice of the Prime Minister.

Lim Kit Siang talk of invoking Article 127 of the Malaysian Constitution is a disrespect for the Agong and the Malay rulers.His prejudgement that the man is already guilty even before the commission of the crime is I would say most unbecoming of him as a veteran politician.

I believe the the invocation of Article 127 is appropriate and makes more sense to call for substantive motion to discuss the behaviour of an errant Chief Justice or judges who were already on the job and has committed serious breach of judicial duties or some other criminal act.Lim is putting the cart before the horse.

How does he know that Zaki is going to be a bad judge? Who says there is widespread objections from the legal community and civil society? Has Lim done a reliable public opinion polls to claim the truth of his allegations.Why must the government listen to the Bar Council when they have shown partiality and bias against the government?

The government is duly elected by the people and it is absurd and a mockery of the democratic system if it has to consult every lawyers in town or the people, every now and then, before making any decision.What's the point of having elections ?

Obviously, empty vessel makes the loudest noise.