Monday, March 12, 2012
Shahrizat Coming Home To Roost
Shahrizat sacrificed herself says the PM. She should have in the first instance when the scandal was exposed to the public tendered her resignation voluntarily.
She rejected the clarion call for her to step down gracefully.She ignored ignominious public opinion against her. Sad to say a little too late, the damage is done, her resignation has lost its value.
Though the PM tried to save her the embarrassment and soften the blow to her pride, it's obvious she was under pressure to resign.As they say pride comes before a fall.
UMNO leaders should discard their politics of arrogant if they want to win the coming election.
Najib should also drop half of his cabinet ministers from contesting the elections.I will not name who are the deadwoods as the PM should himself know who they are.
Story here.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Cows And Condos As Election Symbols
Labuan: Independent candidate in the last general election here, Lau Seng Kiat, suggested that the Election Commission (EC) allow cow and condominium to be used as symbols by Independent candidates in the coming general election.
"These two things are now very popular. The cow reflects hard work while condominium reflects prosperity of the nationÉthey are meaningful symbols and appropriate," said Lau, in response to EC's plans to withdraw some of the election symbols.
After the last general election, the EC said some of the symbols used by Independent candidates, such as umbrella, tiger head, scissors and smoking pipe, would be withdrawn.
The symbols considered for replacement were bulb, brief case, television and hibiscus along with the older symbols like fish, rooster, coconut tree and tractor.
In the last election here, Lau, who is now DAP Chairman, used the umbrella as his symbol and collected 2,014 votes, and managed to retain his deposit in the Barisan Nasional's (BN) stronghold.
The cow and condominium have become popular nationwide following the cattle scandal involving the family of Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, who is Women, Family and Community Development Minister and national Umno Wanita Chief.
The issues were connected to the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) run by the Minister's husband and siblings.
Many called it a "cow and condominium" scandal due to the purchase of expensive property by NFL though this was not seen as relevant to NFC's core business.
Commenting on the NFC scandal, Lau said he was delighted that Kinabatangan Member of Parliament Datuk Bung Moktar Radin had boldly criticised the alleged dealings of NFC and repeated his accusation though a few other Umno leaders had defended the Minister.
Lau said it was the Auditor-General's Report that exposed the NFC was in "a mess."
For anyone to challenge this would be tantamount to saying the Report was flawed, said Lau.
Monday, November 24, 2008
The Lady Is A Shrew
In my earlier article "Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned" I said I place my bet on Shahrizat winning the race against Rafidah.I still do and the ground swell is moving in favour of Shahrizat.
Rafidah has burned almost all her bridges to the top leadership in UMNO including former PM Tun Mahathir Mohammad and Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.She only respect those who wield power and have no qualms about running them down once they ceased to be of any use to her.The many years of being in one of the most important ministries has made her lost her balance and made her arrogant,abrasive and completely inconsiderate.She has no finesse and social grace in dealing with her colleagues and the public.She and Azalina both need to go to finishing school.You can be tough yet graceful but unfortunately both of them are not.
During his tenure as prime minister Mahathir ignored the many allegations of abuse of power and corruptions against her and closed his eyes and ears to such talk.When Mahathir announced his resignation she was one of the first on stage, cried and pleaded to him not to resign.Her recent tussle with Mahathir on the issue of AP(Approved Permit) is a lingering reminder of her imperious,ungrateful and opportunistic nature.
Her biggest undoing maybe her recent barbs at Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.She told him he was so unpopular that he wouldn't be able to get enough nominations to contest the presidency and asked him to cut short the transition plan .This is the man who defended her from Tun Mahathir attacks during the AP controversy.Gratitude is not in her lexicon.
Isn't she "The pot calling the kettle black" by asking Abdullah to cut short the transition period.What is she doing contesting the Wanita Chief post and hand it over three months later.Isn't there element of insincerity in that promise.Since she going to forgo the position why not just let Shahrizat contest it and be done with it.
I believe majority of members of Wanita UMNO had already decided who they want as their leader.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned
The contest for the top post of Wanita UMNO is taking on the shape of a match between David and Goliath.It seems so but might not be so.
The shrewed, aggressive and volatile incumbent Rafidah Aziz got 117 nominations against potential challenger Shahrizat Jalil who got an impressive 73 nominations in spite of the fact that she is supposed to contest the deputy post and not the chief post.There are voices of discontent in Wanita UMNO against Rafidah pushing her luck.
Rafidah didn't expect someone to spring a surprise and challenge the deputy Wanita position putting the whole succession plan in disarry and a threat to Shahrizat's chance of taking the deputy post and successor to the Wanita Chief position when Rafidah step down in June next year. Her refusal to bring forward the succession plan to March as requested by Shahrizat and the new development is likely to cause Shahrizat to challenge her.Do not underestimate her capability to spring a surprise of her own.The demure Shahrizat may not be as aggressive and volatile as Rafidah but she could be a wolf in sheep clothing.
The ground is swelling in opposition to Rafidah's power crazy decision to contest the Wanita Chief post which she had held since 1984 with a short break of three years when she lost to Dr Siti Zaharah Sulaiman.Many in the Wanita wing felt she has been there far too long.
Many leaders in UMNO have surpassed their shelf-life but refused to go, wanting to keep their position for life and Rafidah is one of those that may have reached the end of her shelf-live.How she obtained such high number of nominations is a mystery.
She has also been implicated in the over-indulgence of issuing of Approved Permits (AP) for the benefits of a few people close to her.Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad blamed her for the losses at Proton due to the big invasion of imported cars that compete with the national car.In spite of this allegation the issuance of AP continued unabated during her tenure.
Prime Minister Abdullah has said he would mediate the two to resolve the problem.I think the Prime Minister should leave the two ladies alone, let them fight it out.There is no such thing as the tussle would split the party, it is good for the party, it should teach people how to compete.Such argument is reserved only for those who are coward, unsure of themselves and feared being challenged.
Shahrizat felt she has been played out and I don't blame her for being so.With more than sufficient nominations there is no reason why she shouldn't take on Rafidah.Better to die fighting the champion than die fighting an unknown killer.
They say 'Hell hath no fury like a women scorned'. Shahrizat can surely rock the boat in a sea of discontent and send Rafidah plunging into the sea.
I place my bet on Shahrizat.