Of Conduct Unbecoming

Hantu Laut

I am not going to walk, touch or talk on the subject of the Budget.Too many have commented, some with hardly a full sentence.We should leave it to the experts to dissect it and come to their own conclusion.This is an imperfect world and just like beauty,imperfection too is in the eyes of the beholder.

It would be foolish to think that the oppositions would have nice words for Abdullah's budget. Anwar Ibrahim although was a former finance minister chose to play to the gallery by saying Malaysia is the only oil-producing country that have a deficit budget.It's pure posturing and grandstanding.He should know what he says meant nothing in macroeconomic terms. There are many other indicators that determine the economic health of a nation, like balance of payment ,external debt,GDP growth and many others that are the essentials.

The United States had been on budget deficit for umpteen years and yet it is the wealthiest nation on earth.Of course there are differences between the U.S. and Malaysian economy, but overall the principles should be the same.

Anwar only tells you one side of the story.He didn't tell you that Malaysia consumed almost three-quarters of its oil production,some directly and some through import replacement, therefore, the net surplus is the quantity exported which is not by any measure considered huge and put Malaysia in the league of oil-exporting nations.If you don't have over a million barrels a day you are considered a non-entity and can't even enter the exclusive club---OPEC.

Oil is not Malaysia's staple export.To look at as a cash cow as suggested by Anwar Ibrahim is foolhardy.

I do agree wasteful spending and corruptions had some adverse effect on the economy but it is not anything dissimilar from the time he was deputy prime minister and finance minister when he had the chance to do something about it but chose not to for well known reasons.

Across the South China Sea, on the other side, in the 'Land Below The Wind' former Chief Minister and former President of LDP Chong Kah Kiat said what the people are witnessing today are leaders who once were lavishly praising the BN leadership barely four months ago, but now condemning the same publicly.

Without mentioning any quarters by name he said "It incredulous.Before we see them hugging and hovering around our PM and DPM and talking highly about them".He said the rakyat have good memory and remember what they have said earlier.

I couldn't agree more with Chong of the low moral standard of some of our politicians.Some of them think they can fool the rakyat with their audacious rhetoric.Some pretend not to remember the abuse of power and corruption they indulged in when they were in power and have the audacity to accuse others of the same.

In Sabah the President of SAPP had questioned Chief Minister Musa Aman on the fresh injection of capital of RM200 million into Amanah Saham Sabah to revive its unit share price.Many Sabahans lost their whole life-saving in this badly managed State investment arm.

The whole of Sabah knew the huge losses at ASS occurred during Yong's time as Chief Minister. This is also the very same man who did nothing about the illegal immigrants during his tenure as Sabah Chief Minister and is now harping and howling at the Prime Minister and accusing him of not doing anything about this long standing issue and ordered his MPs to pass a vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The only chief minister that had taken action against illegal immigrants was Chong Kah Kiat.

Some politicians seemed not to have any sense of shame and don't give two hoots of what people think of them as long as they can satisfy their greed.It's telling on your character if with the blink of your eyes you can flip over your tongue and say something in complete contradiction of your earlier statement.

The MPs of SAPP have attempted to remove the PM but failed to do so and the party is still in the BN.

There are two things Yong Tet Lee can do, he either take SAPP out of the BN or failing which, he should resign from SAPP.

That should be the way of an honourable man.

ELECTION 2008: DO OR DIE

Hantu Laut

This coming election will see the demise of some political parties in Sabah.

One that faces mass desertion from some of its senior leaders is LDP (Liberal Democratic Party), formerly headed by former Chief Minister Tan Sri Chong Kah Kiat. Due to the Mazu controversy and a falling out with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, he resigned all his ministerial positions and as President of LDP and handed over the presidency to his deputy, Datuk Liew Vun Keong.

In 2004 LDP was given 1 parliamentary and 3 state seats in the ruling coalition. It lost the Sandakan parliamentary seat to an independent. Out of the three state seats, two were traditionally UMNO seats given to LDP during Tun Mahathir's rule. Objection from Sabah UMNO at that time was set aside by Mahathir. Chong was seen as his blue-eyed boy.Although his party only have 3 state seats at that time, he was made Chief Minister under the rotation system, to the consternation of other component parties in Sabah BN.Both seats, Tanjung Kapor and Merotai have predominantly Muslim voters.

Voting trends among BN coalition partners are based on comradeship. Every member of the coalition must deliver their support to any chosen candidate from any partner in the coalition irrespective of whether they like it or not. Occasionally there would be underhand tactics and sabotage if the candidate is not acceptable with other coalition partners, as was the case with LDP's loss of the Sandakan seat, which they blamed on SAPP headed by Datuk Yong Tet Lee. The seat was also coveted by SAPP on the basis of that it is a bigger party and has more members and supporters.

On Tuesday night nearly 200 Sandakan LDP members announced their resignation en bloc from the party due to dissatisfaction and objection to the fielding of an outsider to contest the Sandakan parliamentary seat. The candidate was the president himself, Datuk V.K.Liew. Sandakan LDP members have thrown their support behind Fong Vun Fui, LDP ex-State Deputy Youth Chief who resigned from the party and is standing as an independent against Datuk V.K.Liew. It appears that Liew is fighting an uphill battle and may lose the seat. Political pundits in Sandakan predicted he may even lose his deposit and rumours has it that the bookies are busy taking betting odds not in his favour.

The two state seats that are likely to end up the same way as Sandakan are Merotai and Tanjung Kapor. The dissatisfaction and objection was similar, putting an outsider to contest the seats.

The incumbent for Merotai Datuk Liew Vun Fah, although being a Chinese was a popular figure with the electorates in his constituency, was dropped as he was seen to be too close to Chief Minister Musa Aman. An outsider, Pang Yuk Ming was fielded in his place. LDP may have overlooked or didn't care that he obtained a majority of 4305 votes in 2004. The Muslims dominated constituency of Tanjong Kapur with eight-cornered fight would also see an uphill battle for LDP.

It is predicted that LDP may end up with zero seat or at the most only one, Karamunting in Sandakan, which was also given a slim chance.

Would it be do or die for LDP ?