Anwar: I Can't Get No Satisfaction

Hantu Laut

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has thrown the ball in the UMNO Supreme Council's court for a decision on the Penanti by-election.Surely, there will be some heroes who think UMNO can wrest the seat from under the very nose of Anwar Ibrahim who is playing catch me if you can with UMNO. Many more of these games will be played out in the very near future to denigrate Najib, disparage UMNO and to display a concocted cohesion of the coalition for the consumptions of the adherents

Former Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi says the BN has good chance of winning the seat as the Malays are now moving back to supporting the BN particularly UMNO. Your guess as good as mine whether this claim can hold water.If what Abdullah says is true than it's must be true and Mahathir was right that the near fiasco of the March 2008 General Elections was a rejection of Abdullah's leadership.Can Najib regain the support of the Malays in such a short period ? I doubt!

To regain the lost legacy would need major changes in policies.The BN lost its lustre mainly on the people's grouses of massive corruptions and abuses of power.These are critical areas that Najib needs to look into and make solicitous changes. Such solicitude must be seen, felt and appreciated. Pouring billion into development projects and still using the old formula will not buy back the hearts of the people.Politicians have the habit of saying one thing and doing something else and those in UMNO and PKR are the worst offenders.

It's time to say enough is enough.The government can't afford by-election every few months.It has a duty to govern and stabilise the economy.By-election, unless by reason of death, insanity or criminal acts, are major distraction and a waste of public funds, time and manpower.

I would be surprise if UMNO could win this one.

Anwar should be left to his own device and like the Rolling Stones let him get no satisfaction.

Sabah On The Platter:Windfall For Gerakan ?

Hantu Laut

Gerakan may get a windfall in Sabah if party-less Deputy Chief Minister Raymond Tan joins the party.

Tan has been a pain in the arse for other component parties in Sabah BN after he left SAPP and become a man without a party.

SAPP jumped one step too fast into believing Anwar Ibrahim's mission impossible of taking over the Federal Government on 16 Sept 2008. They discarded Abdullah Badawi and the BN to the political dustbin, prematurely. Alas! The day of reckoning for the BN never came. Abdullah has been replaced, BN is still the boss, Anwar Ibrahim is still chasing the elusive dream and new Prime Minister Najib is busy doing his walk-about.He is now in Sabah.

There were chorus of calls for him to step down from his ministerial posts both from the oppositions as well as BN component parties, particularly LDP who is eyeing the positions for the party.

Tan is Minister of Infrastructure as well as Deputy Chief Minister.It was also rumored that Au Kam, the assemblyman for Elopura might join him. If what was reported is true than MCA would be in a quandary.Gerakan will get 2 state seats on the platter while MCA has only 1 state seat after having contested in 2 general elections in Sabah.

Which party Tan wish to join is his prerogative and the component parties should not squabble over it. Keeping him as minister is also the prerogative of Chief Minister Musa Aman who probably didn't want to upset the applecart. Getting Tan to resign or dismissed would create even bigger problems, there would be intense lobbying and infighting among the BN components in Sabah to try get the positions.

Ghafur Salleh lamented that the BN has never agreed to Independent BN supporters, a remark either made out of ignorant, arrogant or just sheer foolishness.

A government can appoint anyone as minister if it can't find one suitable from its own stable. Many advanced democracies especially those in the West, go beyond party politics, to fill ministerial or other critical positions with people or professionals that are more qualified to do the job.

Prime Minister Najib is in Sabah and we would know by to-night whether Gerakan is getting the windfall.

The Picture Tells A Story

Hantu Laut

When I was younger, occasionally, I like to play 'spot the difference' like the one below:


Below is a photograph of a PAS gathering with Husam Musa who is expected to contest the deputy president of the party.A good and charismatic politician with an economic degree behind him. He should go for the president post.



There is something not quite right in the picture. Can you spot it ?

Ex-Judge Playing Politics

Hantu Laut

He might have been a judge before but he is also a shining example of the proverbial pot calling the kettle black.His summing up of the Perak crisis transcends the true verdict of the Sultan of Perak rights and powers under the Constitution, telling half a story.

I replicate below the relevant articles of the Perak State Constitution:

12. Appointment of Mentri Besar.
(1) His Royal Highness shall appoint by instrument under his
sign manual and State Seal, a Menteri Besar pursuant to paragraph
(a) of Clause 2 of Article 16.
(2) No person shall be appointed to be Mentri Besar unless he is
of the Malay race and professes the Muslim Religion:
Provided that His Royal Highness may in His discretion waive
either or both of the foregoing requirements of this paragraph
relating to race and the Muslim Religion whenever he shall consider
it expedient so to do.

16. The Executive Council.
(1) His Royal Highness shall appoint an Executive Council.
(2) The Executive Council shall be appointed as follows, that
is to say-
(a) His Royal Highness shall first appoint as Mentri Besar to
preside over the Executive Council a member of the Legis-
lative Assembly who in his judgment is likely to command
the confidence of the majority of the members of the Assem-
bly; and

b) he shall on the advice of the Mentri Besar appoint not more
than ten nor less than four other members from among the
members of the Legislative Assembly;
but if an appointment is made while the Legislative Assembly is
dissolved a person who was a member of the Last Legislative Assem-
bly may be appointed but shall not continue to hold office after the
first sitting of the next Legislative Assembly unless he is a member
thereof.

(3) Notwithstanding anything in this Article, a person who is a
citizen by naturalisation or by registration under Article 17 of the
Federal Constitution shall not be appointed Mentri Besar.
(4) In appointing a Mentri Besar, His Royal Highness may, in
his discretion, dispense with any provision in the Constitution of the
State restricting his choice of a Mentri Besar, if in his opinion it is
necessary to do in order to comply with the provisions of this Article.
(5) The Executive Council shall be collectively responsible to the
Legislative Assembly.
(6) If the Mentri Besar ceases to command the confidence of the
majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly, then, unless at
his request His Royal Highness dissolves the Legislative Assembly,
he shall tender the resignation of the Executive Council.
(7) Subject to Clause (6) a member of the Executive Council
other than the Mentri Besar shall hold office at His Royal Highness'
pleasure, but any member of the Council may at any time resign his
office.

The relevant articles are 16.2(a) and 16.6 which His Majesty Sultan of Perak has complied with.Article 16.2(a) clearly spelled out that " who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of the Assembly"

There is nothing in the Constitution that says that the Sultan must meet both parties before he decides who should he appoints as menteri besar as espoused by our learned judge below:

Q: Why do you think the people are angry?

A: Do you know why the Perakians were up in uproar against the Sultan of Perak?

It's because, as any lawyer will tell you, especially as he was Lord President before, that before you make a decision, you cannot see the parties. If you want to meet any of the parties, both of them must be present. You never do so by seeing one and then making a decision. The moment you do that, to the losing side or to any observer will think you have been influenced. So it's the impression that counts.

They were angry with the Sultan because they can sense it in their bones that it is wrong to make a decision to see the other side first.

Sure! the uninitiated men in the streets would be in uproar if too many half-cooked foods are thrown on the streets to feed them.

The Sultan had acted to the letter of the Constitution.To interpret otherwise is mischievous and rousing the rabble.

I must compare what the Sultan did and what I experienced in my many years of doing business.

I used to manage one of the biggest timber exporting companies in this country with markets that span the entire globe from Japan,Korea,the Middle East,Europe and the Americas.

A shipment that takes an entire ship can cost a couple of million ringgit.All the documents and the Bill of Lading would be submitted to the bank to negotiate the L/C (Letter of Credit).As long as all documents are in order and in compliance with the terms and conditions of the L/C the bank would pay you the full sum and get reimbursement from the issuing/reimbursement bank.

The Bill of Lading is the key document to show proof that you have shipped the goods for delivery to the buyer. The bank is only responsible in dealing with documents and not the cargo itself.It is not their business to check whether you have actually shipped the cargo or not or whether the Bill of Lading is genuine or forgery.You can ship a ton of shit as far as you are concerned or not ship anything at all and the bank would still pay you if they deemed your documents are in order.

The same goes with shipping companies.They only deal with carriage of goods and not responsible for what you ship.Take for example plywood in crates or coffee beans in sacks the content of which are not visible.A fly by night or crooked businessman could have loaded broken bricks in the crates and sacks and the shipping company wouldn't have a clue what it is and it is not their responsibility to check the content.They will issue the Bill of Lading and you joyfully go to your bank and get your money.That's why in international business there are a lot of mutual trust and where doubts exist buyer would either send inspectors or surveyors to check and survey the cargo before shipment.

I believe Sultan Azlan Shah has not been wrong in what he did, he deals with the constitution not with emotions and sentiments.

Read the ex-judge full interview here.