The Prime Minister shows his true colours when chastising the civil service

Najib's reference to "Umno" as opposed to "Barisan Nasional" clearly shows the party's racial priorities when referring to "our survival" which could only refer to "Malay survival in the context of the civil service being dominated by Malays and Umno being a party exclusively for Malays. 

By Tony Pua, DAP National Publicity Secretary, MP Petaling Jaya Utara

The Prime Minister shows his true colours when chastising the civil service for not demonstrating blind loyalty to Umno

In the Prime Minister's speech when launching an Umno Club for retired senior government officers at his official residence, Seri Perdana yesterday, Datuk Seri Najib Razak claimed he is baffled that there are civil servants and government pensioners who preferred to support the opposition. 

Bernama reported that he said the "civil servants should know better that it is only Umno that can ensure our survival".

Firstly, the Prime Minister is clearly unable to differentiate between loyalty to the Government as opposed to loyalty to a particular political party. While the civil service needs to be loyal to the Government of the day and carry out its policies diligently and professionally, the civil servants are allowed to have their own political ideals and preferences.

With Malaysia seeking to become a develop nation by 2020, the Prime Minister should perhaps start behaving like one for a developed country for countries like Japan, USA, UK, France or Australia are able to switch governments without the loyalty and political affiliation of the civil servants being questioned.

Secondly, Najib's reference to "Umno" as opposed to "Barisan Nasional" clearly shows the party's racial priorities when referring to "our survival" which could only refer to "Malay survival in the context of the civil service being dominated by Malays and Umno being a party exclusively for Malays.

However what was perhaps most damning in Najib's speech was his use of racial rhetoric and falsehoods to incite anger among the Malay civil servants.

"I want to ask who were the ones who questioned Article 153 in the Constitution? Malay privileges; who questioned them?

Who caused the incident of not offering prayers for the well-being of the king? Who wanted Universiti Teknologi Mara to be opened to the non-Malays. Not Umno, but the other side," he said.

Najib asked the questions like a true Perkasa "hulubalang" and gave away his true colours as a Prime Minister who is "Malay first" instead of "Malaysian first" as defined in his own 1Malaysia concept in the Government Transformation Programme (GTP).

It fully explains he lack of willingness to mete out harsh punishments against those who has spewed racist comments over the past few years including Penang's Ahmad Ismail, the teachers who insulted minority races, his own special assistant Nasir Safar as we'll as most recently, the BTN Deputy Director who referred to Indians as "Si Botol".

His speech marks a 180 degree about turn from his call for "moderation" to fight the global extremists at the United Nations three weeks ago. It is also in total contrast from his call for drastic reforms in the New Economic Model such as for affirmative action to be "market-friendly and merit-based" as opposed to being entirely race-based.

Who exactly was Najib referring to who questioned the Article 153 of the Federal Constitution? We would however question those who abuse to articles of the constitution to grant special privileges to political cronies, the already rich and influential.

The accusation of the King's name being replaced by others by the Penang state government in prayers at the mosque has been explained as being completely unfounded. Najib's lie is hence completely unethical and made with ill-intent.

At the same time, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim's innocent suggestion of making UiTM a little more multiracial was to encourage greater diversity and exhange of ideas within the university has been taken completely out of context by Najib, Umno and Utusan as threatening Malay rights to frighten the Malays.

Under the spirit of the New Economic Model, the Prime Minister should be open to such ideas to ensure that Malaysia will be able to produce higher quality human capital and become more productive and competitive.

However, Najib has instead succumbed to Perkasa's tactics of stirring race discord with racial rhetoric, proving himself to be like his Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who had proclaimed himself to be "Malay first, Malaysian second". It also explains why Najib has taken extra pains not to criticise Perkasa for their non-stop racist and extremist posturing, despite them causing increased racial tensions and dissatisfaction in the country.

The above will severely jeopardise our goal of achieving the high income status with the Government and Economic Transformation Programme. Malaysian talents overseas will resist returning while foreign and local investors will seek greener pastures elsewhere if unequal opportunities and unbridled race-based policies continue to be practiced.

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What’s Worse Than Corruption?

By Zairil Khir Johari

Stealing money from the poor. Seriously.

I have refrained from making direct comments about the mindless cacophony UMNO has been trumpeting about the alleged use of gambling-derived income for state-sponsored aid programmes for senior citizens and the poor in Penang.

In my previous post, I made a passing observation on the issue, which I felt at the time was merely the latest in a long line of ‘baseless allegations of the week’, and that the matter would soon meet its natural demise. In any case, how many times can you tell the same lie and hope to get away with it?

Quite a few times, as it turns out. One, two, three sessions have so far been organized to steal money from the poor.

It all started two weeks ago when UMNO Youth Information Chief Reezal Merican, lately devoid of publicity, mooted the idea that the Penghargaan Warga Emas and Rakan Anti-Miskin programmes could have been funded by a sizable donation from the Penang Turf Club.

Of course, if we lived in a world of facts, where logic trumped lunacy, then the suggestion would have failed to ignite, due to any number of the following reasons:

Failure 1: The donation, as the state government has already clarified, has yet to be touched.

Failure 2: Moreover, the money has been allocated to non-Muslim poverty cases. (Already, on its own initiative, a clear delineation.)

Failure 3: Not a single sen will be/has been used for the warga emas programme.

Failure 4: Notwithstanding the above, even if the money were to be used, as Dr Asri states, it wouldn’t even be haram. If it were, then our federal government’s consolidated fund [a collection of, amongst other things, sin taxes from alcohol, cigarettes and gaming revenue], which funds the government’s salaries, development, etc would also fall into this category.

As we are all too painfully aware, however, we do NOT live in such a world, and thus we have to put up with unnecessary instances of gross stupidity.

The first two sessions, which saw a total of 100 senior citizens return their ‘ill-gotten gains’, were organized over a weekend by (no prizes for guessing) Penang Opposition Leader Azhar Ibrahim. This was followed by a demonstration by a group of ‘conscientious youths’ upon the return of the Chief Minister from overseas.

At this point, I thought the issue, which had absolutely no gas of truth to begin with, would begin to dissipate. But this is what you get for wishful thinking: a third ‘return the money’ session was organized last week, this time graced by Dr Hilmy Yahya, a former Deputy Chief Minister of Penang.

Prior to this, I’ve heard very fair comments about Dr Hilmy. He is said to be a good worker, intelligent, and happy to do his bit for the people. In short, I thought he had some semblance of credibility. Not any more.

It is really shameful and disappointing to see these purported ‘leaders’ perpetuate and encourage blatant lies, and all without a hint of guilt or irony! And the most frustrating part of it all, at least for me, is that I know for a fact that every one I have named in this article knows better. Sigh.

As the veritable Malay poet, Hishamuddin Rais, puts it [excerpt edited]:

Melayu kena tipu gerombolan…

Kesian mak cik dan pak cik miskin…

Sudah laaa miskin… Melayu pulak…

Sudah lah Melayu… kena tipu pulakkkkk…

Stealing from the poor. Seriously??

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Nurul Izzah is the victim of dubious play

By Aizuddin Danian

Nigel de Jong did something terrible during Man City's last game against Newcastle: within the first 3 minutes of the game, he scythed down Hatem Ben Arfa, breaking his leg in two places. In sport, that's what dirty players do -- they disable their opponent's best player with whatever means necessary early on in the game.

Seems that this principle holds true in politics as well, in a place where we least expect it.

PKR is all about transparency, accountability and the rule of law. Chest thumping believers of the democratic process. See? We changed our constitution to allow for direct elections in our party! We are walking the talk.

What a farce it has all become. The protracted character assassination of Zaid Ibrahim; well, he isn't a tooth fairy but it did seem to me that the greater the threat he presented, the harder the PKR-influenced machinima came down on him. The mess that was the division elections at certain strategic locations; allegations of electoral impropriety, phantom votes, tampered ballot boxes. And now, if RPK is to be believed, the dismissal of Nurul Izzah from the race just as we were about to start in earnest.

I wouldn't blame you if all the things i'd described was something we'd expect to see from an UMNO election, or even our nation's general elections past present and future. But this is all coming from our champion of a "better Malaysia" -- PKR. The political home of the de facto leader of the Opposition of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim. What a freaking mess. Surely, the watching public expected better.

It's easy to say PM Najib is a "talk a lot, do nothing" leader. Well, i say, put the shoe on the other foot, and all we hear is deafening silence from Anwar Ibrahim as well. Anwar is a great statesman, able to go toe-to-toe with the great thinkers of the world. But his influence upon his own party seems so subtle, we may be mistaken to think that it doesn't exist at all. 

Back to Nurul Izzah. I care for this young woman, she has some amazing qualities, and that's why i come to her defence.

RPK reported that she received two additional nominations on Monday, after the "deadline" for nominations had lapsed. The problem here is that it seems no one knew that Sunday was the deadline. No memo, no circular, certainly nothing was heard in the Press or around the blogs. That smells suspiciously fishy, almost as though the goalposts have been moved. 

The fact that she did receive the necessary nominations albeit late according to the PKR EC, reveals that the divisions had intention to put her up as their candidate; if they were cognizant of the mystery deadline, you would think that they would have declared their nominations earlier. If they had decided to remain silent all along, then why bother saying anything on Monday, knowing that the deadline had already passed?

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Umno is beginning to look better than PKR

These shenanigans have got to stop. PKR is starting to look like a party of slime-balls and scumbags. Are they so scared of Nurul Izzah that they need to play dirty to disqualify here?

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Nurul fails in bid for PKR deputy presidency

(Free Malaysia Today) - Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar was unsuccessful in her bid for the PKR deputy presidency when she failed to get enough nominations.

She needed two nominations to pull through but had only one nomination to contend with.

Confirming the nomination results, PKR election committee member Wong Hoy Cheong said candidates must obtain at least two nominations but Nurul Izzah had obtained only one -- from Keningau, Sabah, at the close of nomination on Sunday.

The PKR Lembah Pantai division had nominated PKR central committee member Zaid Ibrahim for the deputy presidency.

Wong said according to the nomination list, three candidates will vie for the PKR presidency and seven for the deputy presidency.

He declined to disclose details.

Twenty-seven candidates have enough nominations for seven vice-president posts and 209 for 20 central leadership council posts, he said.

The list of those who qualified to contest party top posts are being filtered before their names are announced on Saturday, he added.

Besides Nurul and Zaid, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, PKR vice-presidents Mustafa Kamil Ayub and Mohamed Azmin Ali, and Zaid have entered the fray for the deputy presidency.

The party polls will be held from Oct 31 to Nov 21 while the national congress from Nov 26 to 28.

***************************************

PKR announced that Nurul Izzah obtained only one nomination. And since she requires at least two she is therefore not eligible to contest the party deputy presidency. What they did not announce is that she obtained another two nominations on Monday. So that makes three nominations that she obtained.

The party also announced that she received the one nomination as at the closing date on Sunday. Therefore, the two that she obtained on Monday, which the party did not mention, does not count.

But who decided that nominations close on Sunday? Was this a party supreme council decision or was it the decision of an individual or ‘committee’?

I suppose they will now say that the supreme council decided to give the mandate and sole discretion to one person or to the election committee. Therefore, whatever this one person or committee decides becomes ‘law’.

Alright then, if this is the case, was this ‘law’ gazetted? All laws must be gazetted before they become law.  In other words was an announcement made informing everyone that the closing date for all nominations is Sunday and that all nominations received after this date will be rejected and will regarded as null?

A check with a few divisions reveals that they never received any gazette or circular from the party headquarters informing them that the closing date for nominations is Sunday.

Was it a ‘silent law’? Or did they expect everyone to read the minds of the people in the party headquarters? Mental telepathy maybe?

And when did they decide that Sunday is the closing date for nominations? Was this decided the following day, on Monday, after two more nominations for Nurul Izzah came in? In other words did they decide on the Sunday closing date on Monday when they realised that Nurul had received an additional two nominations and that this would therefore qualify her to contest the party deputy presidency?

I smell a rat here, a dead rat. And the smell stinks to high heaven. It appears like PKR is even dirtier than Umno. Now, even Umno is looking better than PKR.

These shenanigans have got to stop. PKR is starting to look like a party of slime-balls and scumbags. Are they so scared of Nurul Izzah that they need to play dirty to disqualify here?

Rules are fine. We need rules or else all hell will break loose and chaos will reign. But changing the rules, practicing unwritten rules, not informing players of the rules and then catching them unexpectedly, and moving the goalposts halfway through the game to win by fraud is just not on.

Play fair. Let Nurul contest. If she losses she must learn how to manage defeat. That would be a good lesson for her. And if she wins then it is the members’ choice. But disqualifying her because of a rule that no one knew about are things Umno does and not something that PKR should ape.

Sigh…I expect when ex-Umno people head PKR then we should not be surprised when they use Umno tactics in PKR. A leopard never changes its spots. So why should the ex-Umno people in PKR change their Umno habits as well?

I suppose we can always just sit back and watch PKR self-destruct. Then, come the next election, we can choose either DAP or PAS to vote for. Of course, there is always PSM or PRM in the event that DAP or PAS are not contesting in that particular constituency. Or we can persuade Gerakan to change its outdated and expired shelf-life leaders and then leave Barisan Nasional whereby we can all rally behind Gerakan as the new Third Force and multi-racial party like how it started out back in 1968.

I think I will go join Gerakan if they promise to revamp the party and change its leaders and leave Barisan Nasional to start life anew as a Third Force for all Malaysians fed up of both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat.

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