TMI - Pakatan akan umum ‘manifesto bersama’ di konvensyen kebangsaan

KUALA LUMPUR, 24 Dis — Pakatan Rakyat akan mendedahkan manifesto bersama parti perikatan itu pada konvensyen kebangsaan bulan depan di mana pemimpin tertinggi percaya ia akan menekankan dan membantu menyatukan persediaan mereka dalam menghadapi pilihan raya umum ke-13.

Difahamkan manifesto Pakatan Rakyat berbentuk “mudah, ringkas” dan “halus” untuk memberikan dan menjelaskan maklumat penting apa yang ditawarkan gabungan tiga parti itu kepada rakyat.

Sebelum ini The Malaysian Insider melaporkan Pakatan Rakyat berkemungkinan akan mengadakan konvensyen kebangsaan yang terakhir di Kedah pada 14 Januari depan untuk merangka strategi pilihan raya mereka.

“Sekarang, ia (manifesto bersama) akan diperkenalkan semasa konvensyen kebangsaan. Butirannya belum dimuktamadkan tetapi kami kerap bertemu untuk menyiapkan semuanya,” kata Pengarah Straregik PKR Rafizi Ramli.

“Manifesto ini akan mengandungi dasar-dasar yang paling penting dan matlamat tiga parti dalam Pakatan Rakyat...ia akan diperhalusi. Kami tidak boleh membawa begitu banyak mesej semasa pilihan raya, jadi pengundi akan mudah faham dengan apa yang ditawarkan kami iaitu sebagai satu gabungan dan bakal kerajaan,” tambahnya.

Manifesto Pakatan Rakyat akan “menyatukan” kedua-dua Rangka kerja Bersama dan Buku Jingga, menurut Rifizi.

Buku Jingga yang dibentuk secara bersama menawarkan beberapa aspek utama dalam tempoh 100 hari selepas menawan Putrajaya termasuk memberikan elaun bulanan RM500 kepada guru yang akan membelanjakan kos keseluruhan sebanyak RM3.2 bilion setiap tahun.

Ia juga turut akan mengambil langkah tertentu untuk memansuhkan Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negara (ISA), memansuhkan sistem tol serta menawarkan akses perkhidmatan Internet tanpa wayar di kawasan bandar dan luar bandar.

Bagaimanapun Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak telah melakukan transformasi dalam pentadbiran termasuk memansuhkan ISA, menggubal undang-undang perhimpunan aman serta membenarkan pelajar berumur 21 tahun ke atas untuk menyertai politik luar kampus.





read more at TMI.com

TMI - Konvensyen nasional Pakatan bulan depan, fokus spesifik hadapi PRU-13

KUALA LUMPUR, 22 Dis — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) akan mengadakan konvensyen kebangsaan bulan depan, dilihat sebagai yang terakhir sebelum pilihan raya umum ke-13 - pertemuan yang akan memfokus persiapan menghadapi pilihan raya umum.

The Malaysian Insider difahamkan konvensyen itu akan diadakan di Kedah pada 14 Januari.

Konvensyen-konvensyen sebelum ini masing-masing diadakan di Selangor dan Pulau Pinang - kedua-duanya ditadbir oleh kerajaan negeri Pakatan Rakyat.

Konvensyen nasional itu yang akan bertindak sebagai usaha melancarkan hubungan kerja antara komponen PR - PKR, PAS dan DAP juga akan memfokus ‘game plan’ mereka menghadapi Barisan Nasional (BN).

“Kami merancang untuk memfokus pendekatan terperinci dalam mencapai visi dan tawaran kami bagi rakyat Malaysia.

“Pelannya ialah memperhalusi pelbagai rancangan kami bagi Malaysia, jika diberi peluang untuk menerajui peringkat pusat,” kata Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah Anwar (gambar) kepada The Malaysian Insider.

Naib Presiden PKR ini berkata, fokus konvensyen sangat spesifik - pemimpin-pemimpin PR akan menyediakan ahli-ahlinya membuat persiapan menghadapi pilihan raya, dengan menjelaskan mereka isu-isu yang perlu ditangani ketika bercakap dengan pengundi berpotensi.





read more at TMI.com

FMT - Pakatan, be prepared for the worst

A statesman believes that political power comes from the people and that entrusted power should be used for the enrichment of the people and nation.

A dictatorial political leader, however, believes that political power can be won or usurped by force and used to establish an authoritarian government.

An undemocratic leader believes in the art of false leadership. The undemocratic leader bulldozes his way to secure political power from the people and will go to any length to maintain such power.

Very often the border-line between an undemocratic political system and that of a dictatorial system overlaps.

It is not surprising then for an undemocratic politician to walk through the corridors of power of an authoritarian government.

Such different kinds of leadership and political system are based on the value system a leader adopts as explained in my earlier articles.

In Malaysia, we have a number of political leaders who practise the undemocratic system where all kinds of malpractices are the hallmarks of their governance.

Over a period of time this bad system will become worse when it turns into an undemocratic-dictatorial government and then, if unchecked, could turn into a worst kind – the undemocratic-despotic rule.

read more at FMT.com

FMT - Is Pakatan ready for Putrajaya?

PETALING JAYA: With general election just around the corner, talk is rife whether Malaysia’s opposition is ready to helm the federal government.
Certain parties, especially the ruling BN government, have rubbished this notion. Their claim is that of chaos – that the country will fall into disarray if Pakatan Rakyat takes over.

However, several political observers interviewed by FMT, say the opposition, backed by their state government experience, can take Putrajaya, and keep it.

Going by 2008 general election, independent analyst Khoo Kay Peng said that Pakatan had no idea it was going to be in control of several state governments.

“Which alternative government is ready? Were they (Pakatan) ready in Penang and Selangor? I don’t think they were ready, but those places did not collapse,” he told FMT.

Khoo said that despite their inexperience, previous Auditor-General Reports have given Pakatan-run states a good mark.

He disagreed with claims that Pakatan needed to run their individual state governments for another term before going for the federal jugular.

“All the parties have had a hand and experience in running their state governments. You see it with Penang and Selangor,” he said.

Although admitting that Malaysia had a long way to go in terms of governance, Khoo said that Pakatan would succeed if it was “smart” and “got rid of the corrupted people”.

The March 2008 general election saw a major political shift, with many voters backing Pakatan, instead of Barisan.

Four states (Penang, Kedah, Selangor and Perak) fell into the hands of the opposition, in addition to Kelantan which was retained by PAS. BN however won back Perak through a constitutional crisis in 2009.

read more at FreeMalaysiaToday.com

TMI - Najib dakwa masa depan Melayu ‘gerhana’ jika Pakatan menang PRU

SHAH ALAM, 5 Dis – Datuk Seri Najib Razak memberi amaran masa depan orang Melayu akan “gerhana” jika Barisan Nasional (BN) pimpinannya tidak lagi kekal berkuasa dalam pilihan raya umum ke-13.

Susulan ketegasan pada Perhimpunan Agung Tahunan Umno hujung minggu lalu, perdana menteri memberitahu sebuah pertubuhan bukan kerajaan yang mendakwa mempunyai keahlian lebih dua juta orang bahawa menjadi tanggungjawab mereka untuk mempertahankan kerajaan semasa.

“Pilihan alternatif, adakah mereka lebih baik daripada apa yang ada sekarang? Adakah mereka boleh menjamin kuasa kita tidak dibuang atau kedudukan kita tidak terhakis? Bagaimana dengan maruah Islam dan orang Melayu?” kata beliau (gambar) pada pertemuan anjuran Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia’s (Pekida) di sini hari ini.

Najib juga memberi amaran negara akan menghadapi pelbagai ancaman sekiranya Pakatan Rakyat mengambil alih tampuk pemerintahan negara.

“Kita akan terus mempertahankan pemerintahan sedia ada dan berjuang berhabis-habisan untuk menegakkan pemerintahan yang memperjuangkan martabat Melayu dan Islam.

“Mereka (Pakatan) menawarkan janji alternatif yang menarik, sedangkan mereka sendiri belum tahu sama ada dapat menunaikannya atau tidak,” kata Najib.

read more at TheMalaysianInsider.com

TMI - For Umno, Islam in danger under Pakatan rule

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — Despite being religion of the federation, there is a prevalent fear within Umno delegates that Islam’s position still lies on shaky grounds.

The Malay nationalist party believes that only a federal government under Barisan Nasional (BN) will ensure that Islam-deeply embedded within the country’s Malay majority populace remains an important aspect within the government administration.

Party delegates wasted little time this morning in launching salvos and sounding alarm bells as to what would happen if Pakatan Rakyat were to take over federal power.

They claim that if this scenario were to take place, the importance of the religion and the practice of the faith among Malays would be in jeopardy.

Delegates have insisted that this was “not impossible”, and that events which have unfolded since Election 2008 have proven just that.

“The opposition, what they excel in is bringing up sensitive matters. Take a look with what issues they have championed...pluralism, Seksualiti Merdeka, Kalimah Allah. They will do anything to win votes,” Umno’s Rizalman Mokhtar told delegates here today.

The Wilayah Persekutuan delegate charged that PR supported causes and issues which were unIslamic and went against religious norms.

Seksualiti Merdeka, a movement championing the freedom of sexual orientation and gender identity, has been holding its festival annually since 2008 but sparked heated debate after the authorities banned this year’s celebration.

The issue of the usage of “Allah” among non-Muslims sparked heated debates and controversy last year, resulting in attacks against churches and mosques.

Rizalman said that although Islamist party PAS is part of PR, it was unable to do anything or voice out its concerns.

“DAP has replaced PAS in determining the formation of an Islamic state. Where is it now, what PAS wants?” said the Umno leader sarcastically.

PAS has previously pushed for the concept of an Islamic state, armed with hudud Islamic laws which was consistently opposed by DAP.

read more at TheMalaysianInsider.com

FMT - Akta baru akan halang ceramah parti politik

KUALA LUMPUR: Rang Undang-Undang Perhimpunan Aman 2011 boleh menghalang parti politik khususnya Pakatan Rakyat daripada mengadakan ceramah mingguan.

Ahli Parlimen Batu Tian Chua yang juga naib presiden PKR berkata, undang-undang itu memberi kuasa kepada polis untuk menghalang pengeluaran permit ceramah kerana memperuntukkan permohonan selama sebulan, berbanding seminggu ketika ini.

Begitu juga dengan larangan kehadiran kanak-kanak dan warga asing dalam ceramah yang pastinya menyukarkan penganjur parti politik.

“Keadaan ini seperti mahu mengharamkan terus ceramah politik Pakatan Rakyat.

“Kita tak mampu kawal jika ada orang asing yang turut serta atau orang awam yang bawa anak-anak dengar ceramah…kalau tak penganjur didenda sehingga RM20,000,” katanya di luar bangunan Parlimen di sini hari ini.

Beliau juga tidak menolak kemungkinan rang undang-undang ini akan diluluskan dalam masa terdekat, berkemungkinan minggu hadapan memandangkan ia dibahas secara tergesa-gesa.

read more at FreeMalaysiaToday.com

Video - Lab test shows bacteria in 1M'sia milk, say Pakatan MPs

FMT - Pua: Pakatan will tackle oil revenue in Putrajaya

KUALA LUMPUR: Petronas will be among Pakatan Rakyat’s top priorities should the opposition coalition take over Putrajaya in the upcoming general election.

Petaling Jaya Utara MP, Tony Pua, told a recent forum that the depletion of Petronas’ earnings by the government was very troubling particularly as the bulk of it is spent on exorbitant operational expenses instead of on reinvestments.

“International oil companies usually retain 60% of their profits and give out 40% as dividends to their shareholders,” he said during a talk on “Economic Transformation: For Better or Worse?”

“In Malaysia last years’ retained pre-investment profits were only 11.8%. The rest was sucked up by the government.”

Pua pointed out that Petronas was obligated to pay an annual RM30 billion in dividends to the government regardless of how the year fared. Petronas was consistent in fulfilling this obligation last year even when plummeting global oil prices pushed its profits lower.

“This is a problem because oil money is lottery money,” Pua stated. “It has nothing to do with whether we’re productive as a nation or efficient as a country.”

“And yet every single sen we collect from oil money is spent almost completely on the government’s operational expenses.”

Pua then pulled up a chart displaying the rising operational expenditure over the years. The numbers had more than doubled from RM68.7 billion in 2004 to RM180.2 billion this year.

The government’s overspending had also tripled from 3.4% to 10.7% in the same period. The biggest increase was seen in emolument and pension which rose from RM20 billion in 2000 to RM64 billion in 2012. This portion eats up 35% of the entire operation budget.

“If you’re a businessman and looking at this sort of operating expenditure you had better make sure that your company is making hefty profits every year,” Pua said.

“Operating expenditure is the single most challenging problem that we have to resolve if we take over Putrajaya. Much of our surplus revenue comes from oil but we burn it without any saving for a rainy day.”


read more at FreeMalaysiaToday.com

TMI - Pakatan says won’t slash civil service size

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) says it will not trim the bloated civil service if it takes over Putrajaya, but will instead focus on making government staff more efficient.

In what appeared to be a move to quell public sector anger over DAP publicity chief Tony Pua’s proposal to reduce civil service headcount, the opposition pact today pledged to retain existing staff should it come to govern Malaysia.

“Pakatan Rakyat would like to clarify that the position of the 1.2 million civil servants and officers will be guaranteed, as enshrined in [Articles 132 and 135] of the Constitution,” Salahuddin Ayub told reporters in the Parliament lobby.

The PAS vice president was flanked by PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar and PAS central committee member Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Salahuddin pointed out that PR had acknowledged in its alternative Budget the important role civil servants played in carrying out government policies and any attempt to suggest otherwise was slander.

He said the opposition understood that political interference had led to a drop in public sector efficiency and promised a stop to such intervention if PR seized Putrajaya.

Nurul added that PR also intended to get rid of the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) and consultants if voted in as the government, to cut Putrajaya’s operating expenditure.

Pua had previously said that DAP would work towards progressively improving the efficiency of Malaysia’s bloated civil service by terminating government staff who failed to perform once PR secures federal power.

read more at TheMalaysianInsider.com

TMI - Guan Eng: Anwar tetap PM jika Pakatan tawan Putrajaya

KUALA LUMPUR, 7 Nov ― Setiausaha Agung DAP Lim Guan Eng menegaskan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tetap akan menjadi perdana menteri jika Pakatan Rakyat mengambil alih Putrajaya meskipun Ketua Pembangkang itu disabitkan kesalahan dalam kes liwat semasa.

Lim mengulas laporan media bahawa Presiden MCA Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek mempersoalkan siapa yang akan menjadi perdana menteri jika Pakatan Rakyat memerintah kerajaan pusat kelak.

“Kami telah pun mengatakan banyak kali. Anwar (gambar) akan menjadi perdana menteri,” kata Lim yang juga Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang.

“Kami telah pun mengatakan siapa yang akan menjadi perdana menteri apabila Pakatan Rakyat menang (kerajaan pusat). Jadi, ia sangat jelas,” kata Lim dalam rakaman sidang media yang diadakan di George Town hari ini.

Anwar, Ketua Umum Pakatan Rakyat, sedang berhadapan kes liwat ― yang kedua sejak 1998 dan kini berada peringkat penghujahan selepas pihak pembela selesai membentangkan kes mereka.

read more at TheMalaysianInsider.com

TMI - Affordable housing, the new way to win votes in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 — Both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) are vigorously selling their own housing schemes to Malaysia’s cash-strapped middle class in the hope of winning support among young adults, especially in the country's richest state, Selangor.

But a closer look at these schemes reveals some shortcomings including a lack of ways to curb speculation and questions of how really affordable they are in the first place.

The Selangor PR government had launched its scheme some three months after the BN federal government’s 1 Malaysia Housing Programme (PR1MA).
The message the PR wanted to send to the public was the same.

That it, like the BN government, was listening to people like Amir and Azlin, two newly-weds who are shopping for a house that they can afford on their combined RM5,000 income.

It’s not just house prices that they’re worried about, but how to service a house loan while dealing with the rising cost of food and fuel.

“God willing we will be able to afford one. We will really have to watch what we spend. There’s very little room for impulse buying,” says Azlin, a manager in a government statutory body.

According to government figures released in Parliament in 2008, about 79.3 per cent of Malaysians make RM5,000 or less a month.

The schemes make not only public policy-sense but also political sense. Each coalition is striving to prove that their programmes are better at tackling cost of living worries that will influence voters in the coming elections.


read more at TheMalaysianInsider.com

Video - 1000 Days of BN Perak

TMI - Pakatan vows to maintain pressure over cattle project

GEMAS, Nov 3 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) vowed today not to let up in its attacks over the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) until Putrajaya admits that the RM250 million project is a failure.

PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli said the opposition intends to turn the NFC into a national talking point as it was a prime example of how taxpayers’ monies had been misused to enrich those in power.


Rafizi (centre) speaks to a NFC worker through the gates about letting a PR delegation inspect the centre. — Picture by Jack Ooi
“There are a lot people in Gemas who can raise cattle. Why were people from Kuala Lumpur brought in to raise cattle, (to the point where) the cattle died?
“RM250 million, you should have given it to as many farmers as possible, not one company,” he told reporters outside the main gates of the NFC here.

Rafizi, with PR assemblymen Aminuddin Harun (Sikamat), Ravi Munusamy (Port Dickson), P. Gunasekaran (Senawang), Mohamad Taufek Abdul Ghani (Paroi) and Ng Chin Tsai (Temiang) had earlier tried to enter the NFC.

MC - Pakatan vs BN: No room for reconciliation in Malaysia

One fact is clear, there will be no room for reconciliation in Malaysia. In the event Pakatan Rakyat takes power in this election, the people will demand justice for the crimes that have been committed against them. At which point Pakatan had best not suggest forgiveness or reconciliation for the worst of the BN politicians or their cronies. Or for any of them.

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has said that he has forgiven the crimes committed against his person and against his long-suffering family. That is his prerogative.

A bitter hatred has developed

Most people in the country, however, will not be so forgiving. There are many who have never been investigated who must be investigated. There are those walking free who deserve to be behind bars, with the key thrown away. The crimes that have been committed against Malaysia cannot be forgotten. The divide between the two political sides in Malaysia has grown too wide. What was once political differences has now evolved into bitter hatred.

The blame for this must rest with the fast-fading Barisan Nasional. In their flailing desperation to hang on to power, they have resorted to the most vile methods. They do not hesitate to pit race against race and religion against religion. Opposition protestors are beaten, brutalized and locked up. Pro-government protestors are encouraged and patted on the back. Thuggish groups like Perkasa are supported by Umno and Umno luminaries like Mahathir. Prosecutions of anti-government figures are based on the flimsiest of reasons, while BN personages get away with murder.

Anwar, viewed as the single most dangerous threat to BN, is being charged on the most blatantly fabricated of charges. Yet there are few who doubt he will be found guilty. And when that happens, the hatred and anger against the BN will go up another notch or more.

read more at MalaysiaChronicle.com