Friday, February 27, 2009

Fox bosses quit

Brenden Pereira has offered to resign from Fox Communications after the public relations firm, envied for the number of lucrative government contracts that have gone its way in such a short time, lost its jewel in the crown Sime Darby.

Shaik Akmal Halayuddin, one of the founders of Fox, has also offered to quit.

Brenden made news after this blogger and Jeff Ooi (now MP for Jelutong) alleged him for plagiarism. He is a close friend of Kalimullah Hassan and politician Khairy Jamaluddin. Brenden quit the NSTP soon after the plagiarism scandal to join Wong Sulong, the former Star editor-in-chief, to form Fox.

Fox was said to be the brainchild of Kali and old pal MoF II, Nor Mohd Yaakob. Its major accounts included Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's various economic corridors.

Over dinner with bloggers two nights ago, Tun Musa Hitam, the Sime Darby chairman, blamed "poor PR" strategy for it losing IJN and Labu. Read Nuraina's Moving on with .. better PR and A. Kadir Jasin's Sime Promises Better PR.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Doing the Scuffle at Malaysian Parliament




UMNO vs DAP. Democracy has arrived in Malaysia!
p.s. No, nobody died. I hope the fighting scenes in "Singh is King!" are better than this.

Btw, Mukhriz Mahathir, a candidate for the Umno Youth chief post, has a message for Karpal Singh: Jangan takbur dan besar kepala ... Read here.

Pics courtesy of Knights Templar.

Dear Malaysian Politicians ...

Can you please get down to work? A dude named Zubedy bought a full-page ad in The Star today to deliver a message to our politicians. He speaks for most of us, I believe.

Read his message at Knights Templar h e r e. The picture is Templar's.

Tak boleh freeze ke?

First, they gave us the good news:
24/2 Charges for Salak Jaya toll on Sg Besi highway abolished as of 12:30pm, Works Minister also announces RM649mil extension of the highway/STAR
Two days later, they whack you with the bad news:
26/2 Toll rates for the North-South Expressway, Sprint Highway, Ampang Elevated Highway, Sg Besi Highway, and the NPE will be increased on March 1/STAR
It's not funny, I tell you. Good news involving one toll and then you're told to pay more at 5 other tolls! Apa ni, brother? We are on the verge of an economic slowdown, and I think the Works Minister should find a way to ease the people's woes. Try freezing any increase in toll charges until better times, for example, it would gel nicely with the government's Economic Stimulus Package.

As it is, the rates for the New Pantai Expressway, especially, are excessive. The short drive from Bandar Kinrara, where I live, to Bangsar is RM4.20 one way (three toll gates: RM1, RM1.60 and RM1.60). Fortunately, there is still an alternative way to get from Bandar Kinrara to Bangsar. In some cases, there are no alternative routes left and one has to pay toll whether one likes it or not.

updates:
Toll Hike = Inflation + Political Suicide

Post-Fox Sime Darby

Bloggers had dinner with Tun Musa Hitam, the Sime Darby chairman, and Group Chief Executive Ahmad Zubir Murshid last night.

I agreed to the meeting for three reasons:

1. I have always liked Musa Hitam
2. I believe in constructive engagement between bloggers and the blogged
3. Fox Communications is no longer in the picture

Read The Scribe's take here. I hope to update this posting soon.

Updates:
Ena on Musa Hitam turning 75 this April, here.
De Minimis says "spinning won't help dodgy deals" here

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

You decide, Khalid!

NST 25/02: Selangor Sultan not giving advice on Elizabeth Wong's case yet as cops still probing nude pix. Leaves it to MB to decide

25/2 Selangor Sultan is above politics; will leave it to MB Khalid to decide fate of exco Elizabeth Wong, now abroad following photo scandal/STAR

Passing the buck back. Why anyone thinks that the Sultan of Selangor should decide on Eli Wong's future beats me. I was quite anxious as to how the HRH would decide. You know, damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. We still remember Sultan Perak's Dilemma, don't we?

The full press statement by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, over the controversy involving Bukit Lanjan state assemblyman Elizabeth Wong, issued by his private secretary, Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani

“I am pleased to inform that Yang Amat Berhormat Tan Sri Dato’ Abdul Khalid Bin Ibrahim, the Dato’ Mentri Besar Selangor has sought an audience with His Royal Highness, The Sultan of Selangor, on Wednesday, 25th February 2009 and duly informed His Royal Highness on the political development and the issue which involved Yang Berhormat Elizabeth Wong Keat Ping, the Selangor State Assemblyman for Bukit Lanjan who is also the State Selangor Exco Member.

His Royal Highness, The Sultan of Selangor, has commanded me to inform that His Royal Highness could not offer any guidance or advice to the Yang Berhormat Dato’ Menteri Besar of Selangor in the matter related to the issue of Yang Berhormat Elizabeth Wong Keat Ping as it was still under police investigation and it involved her political position. It is His Royal Highness’ stance as the Sultan of Selangor to be above politics.

His Royal Highness believes that whatever decision that is going to be made by the Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Mentri Besar of Selangor will made with accurateness, fair and with wisdom by taking into consideration the interest of the Rakyat in particular and the State of Selangor generally. His Royal Highness is upset and worried as of late the intrusion of someone’s privacy and private rights was being used to destroy one’s dignity and reputation. It is a sad thing as one’s life and private rights were being made public and subject to public scrutiny by publicising in the mass media.

To Yang Berhormat Elizabeth Wong, His Royal Highness felt sad and sympathised with her as to the unfortunate event she had suffered and hoped that Yang Berhormat Elizabeth Wong will remain calm and be patient in continuing with her life henceforth.”

Dato’ Haji Mohamad Munir bin Bani Dato’ Lela Bakti Private Secretary to His Royal Highness The Sultan Of Selangor

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Police report against comments in Bru

Anti-Raja comments. I spent my whole afternoon after lunch at the Cyber Crime Unit in Bukit Aman for an "interview" following a police report lodged in Sg Petani recently against certain comments left by posters under the article Glass and Diamond, and a Silver Jubilee which I wrote on Feb 14 at the height of the Perak state assembly crisis.

Our cyber cops have been rather busy these past few days. Apparently, there has been a rise in the number of police reports lodged against bloggers or comments posted by others in their blogs.

Blogger Jed Yoong was called in yesterday and spent nearly 4 hours at the police headquarters. [Click the image above to enlarge].

The cops are investigating Jed following a police report lodged in Johor on 13 Feb against her posting the previous day entitled Time for PAS to stop trusting the Malay Rajas.


Monday, February 23, 2009

Troubled Fox?

Fox, the PR outfit led by former MSM top editors Wong Sulong and Brenden Pereira, could be running out of luck soon. One of their most lucrative "cows", Sime Darby, has effectively terminated its contract, I was told.
That contract, according to Sime Darby Watch, was worth RM250,000 a month. I have asked my sources, who said it's "slightly less" than that.
Fox still handles the various economic corridors initiated during the Abdullah Administration.
Fox was a work of magic and is probably the most financially succcesful PR outfits Malaysia has ever seen [over RM100 million billings during its short existence, according to a source, but I won't bet too much money on it].
What's clear is that the country's PR industry will never be the same again after the Foxes slip and slide away after March.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

It ain't over ...

Updated 2pm, 23/2/08
It Is Over, says Najib.
Read here.

Original posting:
Labu again? While many of us who campaigned against the Labu LCCT thought it's all over, Apanama remains the cynical one. Read his latest posting h e r e and you might just wonder who really has the last say with regards to Labu.

p.s. I heard Tony Fernandes had an audience recently with the statesman Dr M, a big opponent of the Labu project, but it could have been on anything. Like thanking the former PM for giving him the big break ...

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Brother in Arms, Brother-in-Law

I wrote about Pak Lah's Midnight Regulations back in January, about the time a small band of us bloggers were campaigning against the takeover of IJN and later the Labu airport.

Yesterday I read this on Bernama. If I'm not mistaken, the company MTU Services Sdn Bhd belongs to one Datuk Muhd Fathil Ambak. And last time I checked, he was the PM's brother-in-law.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The most dangerous airport in the world?

No, not KLIA. Airports are made to be safe, very safe. That's why you have the most sophisticated CCTVs at airports, and metal detectors, roaming K9 squads, uniformed and undercover security personnel, traffic cops, VVIP bodyguards, other uniformed people (immigration, customs, pilots), etc etc. In some airports, you have soldiers guarding the parameters.

Why? Simply because an airport is a high-security zone. Airport security officers are dealing daily with potential terrorists, hijackers, bombers, etc.

KLIA had a relatively good record where security is concerned but blogger-journo Ahmad A. Talib discovered upon returning from Gaza the other day that touts and cheating cabbies may not be our only worries. A group of Peruvian crooks have been going about robbing arriving passengers, he found out later. This was after his Vaio, which survived 9 days of the war in Gaza, was nicked from right under his nose.

But what really pissed Ahmad off is finding out that the CCTV wasn't working ...!

Read his experience in CCTV at KLIA: Is that the cartoon network?

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Malaysia's CEO of the Year?

Che Khaleb!? I thought it was a joke, an early April Fool's joke. I have nothing personal against the Tenaga Nasional boss. We've never been introduced. But there are several reasons why I think he should not have won what will surely now be known as a "once-coveted award", and the latest reason being TNB's dismal performance, as in A monopoly's RM944 million loss.

But Business Times, a paper I once headed, decided that Che Khaleb's a deserving winner. So maybe he can now demand for his 100% pay increase.

Read Che Khaleb's Shining Leadership, according to BT.


Azmi's latest Despatch

"... inspired by Anwar". I am quite surprised that Azmi Anshar used this line in "The King's Tacit Message to Paktan - Respect Sultan Azlan's decision." The last time I said some people were inspired by Anwar, they took real great offence ...

By: Azmi Anshar
DEWAN RAKYAT Feb 16, 2009

In the confusing, sound-byte laden and boisterously outrageous aftermath of the Perak crisis of state governance, a pitiable circumstance has emerged - the feeble idea that you can cling on to your seat of power although you, in polite terms, have been instructed to vacate the position, or in harsh terms, have been sacked, no less by the Ruler of your state ...

So who got inspired by DSAI this time? Just click here to read MORE.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Agong's Titah

Smooth Transition, please. I've just read YB Jeff Ooi's posting from Parliament entitled Abdullah's fate sealed.

Abdullah's fate sealed

BLOGGING FROM PARLIAMENT

Rocky's Bru, and for that matter Najib's boys who hinted at an unprecedented Vote of Confidence in Abdullah Badawi in the Parliament to enable him carry on as the PM post-M arch, is dashed.

The Agong recorded his thanks to Abdullah for his service in his Royal Address at the Parliament today. The Agong also wished for a smooth leadership transition in March.

Also, blogs and bloggers were mentioned for their perceived negativity in the Royal Address. I may have pioneered socio-political blogging, but just don't blame me for the government's inability to handle the phenomenon of blogs in this digital age.

It does look like I'd be proven wrong in my blogpost here.

I hope that will the case.

Read the Agong's titah here and here.

Tok Guru on Karpal

"An Old Man". I hope the Bernama reporter who interviewed Nik Aziz, the PAS spiritual leader, has a tape recorder (or whatever it is they used these days for recording) just in case someone wans proof that the Tok Guru did indeed say what he purportedly said when asked about Karpal Singh's behavior towards Sultan Perak.

Because for the Tok Guru to say Karpal Singh is "an old man" whom "many among the young in the DAP are no longer taking seriously" is, quite simply, damaging.

Read the full story here.


Rally for Sultan. By the way, look who's hitting the streets these days. Khir Toyo, fresh from a rally in Penang to protest Karpal Singh's behavior towards Sultan Perak, led another one in Shah Alam yesterday in support of Sultan Selangor.

More pictures here at Jinggo, pictures and story by Husin Lempoyang.

Read also Aziz Hassan's Karpal's Delay Making It Worse

Shamsul Yunus posted Nik Aziz's statement earlier here but is skeptical. "...Opposition leaders are all the same, they shoot off their mouth without thinking about the consequences but yet they want us to put them in charge of the country... If they want to move forward they will have to get rid of Karpal, Kit Siang, Hadi and Anwar Ibrahim."

Saturday, February 14, 2009

Glass and Diamond, and a Silver Jubilee

update 15/2 at 1.50am:
SUNDAY RALLY FOR SULTAN. There will be a gathering in front of the Istana Kayangan Shah Alam this morning [Sunday, 15 Feb 2009] at 9.30 a.m. The gathering is a show of support for the Sultan of Selangor's special statement on the state of affairs in Perak. A memorandum will be submitted to the Sultan.

Note: There have been several comments against the Sultans under this thread which are excessive but which I have published anyway in the name of freedom of expression.
I would like to remind all my dear commenters that you are responsible for what you write here.

Original posting:-
“Barulah kita kenal siapa kaca, siapa permata”
(Now we know which is glass, which is diamond).

The events in Perak have led the Sultan of Selangor to come out strongly in the defence of the Sultan of Perak.
“Political developments, instances of street demonstrations and disputes between various parties, relating to the recent appointment of the new Perak state government, to the extent of displaying rudeness to the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, have saddened and disappointed me.”
Read the Sultan's special press statement. [It was issued yesterday, the eve of the Sultan of Perak's Silver Jubilee celebrations today].

Selangor is one of the five states won by Pakatan Rakyat last March. Perak was, too, until the defections of 4 Aduns to BN that compelled the Perak Sultan to request Nizar (whom he had appointed as MB for the Pakatan state government last March) to quit and pave way for the BN, which now commands the majority in the state assembly, to form a new state government.

Nizar responded by begging to defy (menderhaka) and Karpal Singh, the DAP chairman, has vowed to sue the Sultan. Nizar has also filed a suit to challenge the appointment (by the Sultan, of course) of new MB of BN, Zamry.

What happens in Perak can happen in Selangor, and I think the Sultan of Selangor is aware of this.
“I hereby wish to advise with the utmost sincerity by taking into consideration the future of the religion, Malaysian nation and our beloved country. Please do not be misled by actions and behaviours that will only disgrace our integrity, invite high risks to our process of progress, and eradicate the foundations of national sovereignty through the display of rudeness, treachery, arrogance, ignorance in knowledge and lust for power."
Interestingly, former Selangor MB Khir Toyo was picked up by police in Penang yesterday for taking part in a rally against Karpal Singh's "seditious remarks" against the Perak Sultan. The Barnama story, here.

The issue has also led to a major feud between a Malay blogger and a non-Malay blogger.


Friday, February 13, 2009

Next, a motion of confidence in Pak Lah?

It's weird, to say the least. I told my source (note: always challenge your source, no matter how many times he's been right in the past) that it's too fantastic!

I mean, just last September Anwar Ibrahim had demanded for a special parliamentary session to table a motion of NO CONFIDENCE against the Prime Minister. I was rooting for that unprecedented motion but any fool would know it was not going to happen.

And now, a month or so before Pak Lah is about to step down, they want to table another unprecedented something: a motion of CONFIDENCE in the Prime Minister!

Too fantastic to believe. Or is it?
Think again, Rocky: Hadi did go on record to say (after Pakatan Rakyat's emphatic victory in the Kuala Terengganu by-election) that Hadi wanted Pak Lah to stay as Prime Minister. Hadi said Pak Lah has got reforms to complete and that Pakatan Rakyat would be solidly behind the Prime Minister to continue as PM and not step down as scheduled so that he could achieve these reforms. Read Hadi to Abdullah: Stay on as PM, Jan 19.

Now, if I'm not mistaken, neither PKR nor DAP have commented on Hadi's statement. So an unprecedented Motion of Confidence is not a bad idea at all.

p.s. Pak Lah is due to step down as PM on March 31. The next day is April Fool's. Parliament starts next Monday.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

The Quintessential Man

updated: Pak Lah officiated at the late-tea launch of the book, which was attended by quite a few captains of industry and corporate leaders, including Khazanah's Amok, Jamal of TM International, Hassan Merican, who played host, and ministry sec-gens and former sec-gens.
I was attracted by the tribute to the late Azizan by his childhood friend Omar Hashim, especially the part about "defending Petronas from the predators". Omar said Petronas is proud symbol of the ability of the Bumiputeras to make it big in the international corporate arena.

Original post:



Tan Sri Azizan Zainul Abidin
by Azam Aris
384 pages
RM100 [hard cover]
Crestime Holding/Utusan Publications and Distributors


Available NOW at all leading bookstores


The giant who led a giant. Back then we had difficulty deciding who was bigger: Azizan or Petronas. Oil prices were below US$20 per barrel and several of us, young journos, including Leslie Lopez (now Straits Times Singapore) and I, were competing with one another to specialize in the oil industry for Business Times, then Malaysia's only financial daily.
But Azizan took a liking for Azam and gave him many exclusives. And this biography, The Quintessential Man, is the biggest scoop yet.

What Azam has given us is not just a story of one of the most important architects of modern Malaysia but the story about this Land itself, from Francis Light (twho Azam describes as a conman who founded Penang on deceit and lies) to Putrajaya ["a city that both of us planned and one which he (Azizan) turned into reality" - Dr Mahathir].

Et tu, Brute?

update, abt 5pm:
Lim Kit Siang was shocked and hurt by Karpal's statement the other day, but he hasn't expressed his feelings yet about RPK's outburst in The Star. Click here to know what Kit's commenters are saying.

original posting:
RPK wants Anwar Ibrahim to quit? I say, I think The Star might have misquoted him or taken what he said out of context. RPK has dedicated many years of his life trying to put Anwar Ibrahim up there. RPK is the man who led the Free Anwar Campaign. He's been with Anwar Ibrahim through thick and thin.

Heck, he even went to jail for Anwar Ibrahim!


Monday, February 09, 2009

PKR Adun in Kedah may have to quit

-----------------------------
Original posting:
Randy Spiderman. A Kedah assemblyman who shares the name of Malaysia's best football goalkeeper ever is embroiled in a scandal that could mar further the good name of PKR.

Read Big Dog's expose here.
-------------------------------------

updated 7pm: The MSM have confirmed the story. This one's from NST on-line:



Pakatan needs Anwar more, Karpal

Why Pakatan Rakyat won't go with Karpal Singh. Karpal Singh says here Anwar Ibrahim is not fit to fit Pakatan Rakyat. He says Anwar Ibrahim should step down as Ketua Umum.

Even if Karpal Singh was right, we will NOT see Anwar Ibrahim stepping down.

Why?

Because Pakatan Rakyat needs Anwar more than Pakatan Ralyat needs Karpal Singh.

That's the simple truth.

Nik Aziz knows it, and that's why he won't comment. Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng know it. Husam knows it. Karpal knows it. And Anwar Ibrahim, especially, knows it.

Like it or not, Pakatan Rakyat is mince meat without Anwar Ibrahim. Pakatan Rakyat needs Anwar Ibrahim more than Pakatan needs Karpal Singh.

In the end, Karpal Singh's outburst will be reduced to "just his personal view".


General February 09, 2009 00:51 AM
Karpal Expressing His Personal Views, Says Anwar


IPOH, Feb 9 (Bernama) -- Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said DAP chairman Karpal Singh was only expressing his personal views in hitting out at him and that this would not jeopardise unity in the Pakatan Rakyat alliance of PKR-DAP-PAS.

The Permatang Pauh member of parliament said Karpal Singh's tirade against him today was because he (Anwar) did not agree with the decision by the DAP leader to take legal action against Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak for asking Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin to resign as Menteri Besar.

Anwar, who is also Pakatan Rakyat chief, also denied Karpal Singh's allegation that he was responsible for bringing "party hopping culture" into the opposition coalition.

Met by reporters at the Perak Menteri Besar's residence here Sunday night, Anwar also said that he would be meeting Karpal Singh to thrash out the issue.

He was responding to Karpal Singh's remarks at a press conference in Penang earlier that Anwar was not fit to lead the Pakatan Rakyat because of his propensity to seek defectors from the Barisan Nasional to shore up the Pakatan Rakyat and "creating trouble" in the opposition coalition.

Also present were PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP deputy chairman, Tan Seng Giaw.

However, DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang and his son Lim Guan Eng, who is DAP secretary general and Chief Minister of Penang, did not turn up at the residence tonight to show support for the embattled menteri besar although it had been reported that they would come.

Nizar has defied the Sultan's order and made the residence his "seat of government".

-- BERNAMA

p.s. Btw, who's there if Anwar Ibrahim were to step down? Considering that Karpal Singh has also blamed Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng for the current mess in Pakatan Rakyat, that leaves a small pool of potential succesors. Azmin of PKR? Husam from PAS? Ibrahim Ali the Independent candidate?
So who do you think will make the best Opposition leader? by Pasquale

Images taken from Mat Cendana's Blog Review.

Saturday, February 07, 2009

Ketuanan Pakatan Rakyat

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

KESETIAAN KEPADA RAJA DAN NEGARA
- the second pillar of our Rukunegara

Is this the Ketuanan Rakyat that we've been promised?
The right to give the Sultan your middle finger and pelt his prince's official car when you don't agree with them. Is that your idea of Ketuanan Rakyat? The right to accuse the HRH of "failing in thinking as a Ruler of his subjects"? [Who the duck is K. Kabilan to pass that kind of judgment on a Sultan, anyway? Read here]. Does Ketuanan Rakyat mean that you leave it to the Sultan to decide but defy him if his decision goes against you? And profess "Daulat Tuanku" only if you think you can use the Sultan to fight for your political battles?

This is no Ketuanan Rakyat.

This is what I'd call Ketuanan Pakatan Rakyat. You are either with them or against them!

I am placing the Daulat Tuanku logo up there for an indefinite period. I'm asking you to do so, if you have a blog or on your Facebook, etc. It's not in support of any political party; it's about preserving an Institution that is part and parcel of the Rakyat and the Negara.

If Karpal or Nizar or Anwar or Hadi want to drag the Sultan to Court to defend what you think is the right of your political party, that's their right so go ahead. I only ask for one thing: Biar beradab, jangan biadap dan tak payah derhaka.
And remind ourselves of the nuances: it's not just Kesetiaan Kepada Raja; it's Kesetiaan Kepada Raja dan Negara.

p.s And I hope no one resorts to hanging the Perak flag or the portrait of HRH Sultan Azlan Shah upside down to counter this blog campaign

Must read:
1. Ketuanan Rakyat Anwar Ibrahim by Zakhir
2. Pas kena kuda lagi by Shamsul
3. Perak Politics: Reality of Realpolitik by A Voice
4. Despicable Act! by Ong Chong Tek @ DSAI's
5. Implikasi Tumbangnya Kerajaan PR Perak by A. Kadir Jasin
6. Puisi untuk Sultan by Ron
7. Perak, a Constitutional Crisis by Malik Imtiaz
8. Sultan can Dismiss MB @ mySinChew

Updates 1.40am 8/2
Early support for this campaign:
An act of Treason by Barking Magpie
Nizar sacked himself (Stop blaiming the Sultan) by Shamsul Yunus
Jangan Derhaka by Ibrahim Tiger
Keep Tuanku out of Politics by Apanama
Daulat Tuanku by Hard T
Mad deposed MB ... by Big Dog
Rizal Hashim
Demi Negara

More support ...
This Finger is For You by Zainal A. Kasim
Retorik Pakatan Rakyat by Fosgate [Bonus: An old video on "The 31 Defectors"]
Kesetiaan Kepada Raja Dan Negara by Kembara Politik
A Piece of My Mind by Wei Liang Goh
Wassapening by Ajimsam
Daulat Tuanku [translated into 5 languages] by PPC
CTanggang by Si Tanggang
Sinatra Z - Dua Sen Saya by Sinatra Z
Budak Raban by DNL
Khalifah yang tak Berakal by Kalam Jauhari
Juruterer Malaya
Daulat Tuanku by Cucu Tok Selampit
Mat Cendana's Blog Review
Bujai's Just Read!

Jebat Must Die's The Crybabies of Pakatan Rakyat
Pesanan Untuk Nizar by Parpukari

Not supporting the campaign but read you must:
What more to say? by RPK

Friday, February 06, 2009

I know what Sultan Azlan did last March ...

DO YOU? But first, it is quite obvious that Anwar Ibrahnim and Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin are trying to push the issue to the streets. All the ingredients seem to be there: disregard the Sultan's wishes, to hell with the state's Constitution! This morning, Nizar reported for duty as usual despite the Sultan having asked him to step down and pave way for a new state government.
NST 10.07 am Nizar and exco members have entered state secretariat building after minor scuffle, Nizar says he will remain in office
BH 09:58 pagi Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin dan Exco masuk ke pejabatnya di SUK jam 9.43 pagi. Katanya tiada arahan tinggalkan pejabat dan kediaman rasmi.
Nizar is fighting "till the last drop of his blood". So the police had to come in.
NST 10:27:21 MB's office taken over by police who receive orders to escort Nizar and exco members out. Press conference interrupted by state secretary
STAR 10:27:47 Nizar was escorted out of his now emptied room at the state secretariat at 10:15am by Ipoh OCPD who stopped Nizar press conference
What now? Another mammoth rally to show the Sultan the might of "Ketuanan Rakyat"?

What the Sultan did last March. I was reliably informed of this story only yesterday. So, before anyone thinks of burning down Ipoh and Kuala Kangsar or fight till the last drop of blood, listen up. This was how it was told to me:

"I know that you do not know what Sultan Azlan Shah did last March when UMNO, the party with the biggest number of ADUN seats, sought his consent to re-form the state government of Perak. Not many people know. I'm going to tell you so that you will know that the Sultan has acted in the best interest of his State and his Rakyat in the case of Nizar.

"You see, on the night of March 8, after securing more Adun seats than the other parties, UMNO made a representation to the Sultan to form a new state government.

"But Sultan Azlan is a wise Sultan. He knows the law and he could read the situation well. He did not accede to UMNO's request even though UMNO had won the most number of seats compared with DAP, PAS, or PKR.

"So the Sultan told UMNO that he had a feeling that DAP, PAS and PKR would join hands and if they do so UMNO will not have the support of the majority in the state assembly. He requested that UMNO wait until had had mete the reps from DAP, PAS and PKR.

"That was how the Sultan called in all the DAP, PAS, and PKR state assemblymen. He decided after that to allow Pakatan Rakyat to form the new state government in Perak. The rest is history. Or, rather, was history.

"You see, Sultan Azlan, our former Yang diPertuan Agong, is a professional and he knows his law better than you and I, Nizar or Anwar. He was the former Lord President."

In Malaysian cyberspace, "reliably informed" could mean a tall story, so don't just take my word for it. Read also what constituional law expert Prof Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi had to say here [Not in Constitution, but Sultan can dismiss MB].

And Big Dog writes about "ingkar", which is the correct Malay translation for defiance against one's Sultan.
.


Thursday, February 05, 2009

Defiance in Perak


update, 6 Feb/2 am: In defence of the Sultan of Perak.
Defiant Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin said last night he would fight till the last drop of his blood.

Who is the enemy, Nizar? Our Sultan?

I've written in my original article below about "Derhaka". With the defiance shown by Nizar, more Netizens have come out to caution the MB.

By far, the harshest critics are:
1) Pasquale, who writes here that Nizar has committed treason;
2) Aziz Hassan
, who thinks Nizar's defiance is going to end in Emergency Rule; and
3) Jebat Must Die, who reminds Netizens of what Anwar had been saying about turncoats and defections recently in Anwar's playacting is encyclopedic! (Part 4) here.


Original article:

PM Abdullah tells Pakatan to accept that Perak has fallen, just as BN had to accept the results of the general election last March/STAR

NST 05/02: Pakatan Rakyat to ignore Perak Sultan's request for MB and exco to resign, seeking second audience

NST 05/02: Police and FRU take over control of state secretariat building in Ipoh, exco members told to vacate their offices

Derhaka? I don't know. I am relying on info from friends and journalists on the ground. And there is an SMS "news alerts" war going on between the Star and the NST, Berita Harian and Harian Metro. I've compiled some of the "sms news alerts" that I have been receiving since before noon. Click here to read.

Bujai, in his sembah takzim, pleads with the Sultan to allow for fresh polls. We may disagree with him, but the way he does it is right and beradab, and that's still important. I would like to request for commenters to observe their adab when addressing the Sultan. Take the cue from Bujai, here.

I notice that some people profess Daulat Tuanku only when they want something out of the Sultan for themselves or for their agenda. That's low.

Sultan Perak's Dilemma

Damn if the Sultan does, Damn if the Sultan doesn't. That's the Sultan of Perak's predicament now, as I see it. Anwar Ibrahim has summoned all Pakatan followers to gather for a massive rally of 100,000 people at 7 tonight. If the Sultan decides against Pakatan and allow the Barisan Nasional to form a new State Government, tonight's Pakatan rally will, in effect, be against the Sultan's decision.

I'd rather that Anwar had waited for the Sultan to decide first.
BH 05/02: TPM berkata Sultan Perak mempunyai hak mutlak putuskan sama ada terima BN tubuhkan kerajaan atau bubarkan DUN negeri.

Anti-War Forum, today at Crowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel

E-mail from Cynthia McKinney, received a few days ago:

Hello,

I'm so sorry to fill your box with so many messages lately, but a lot is happening. I am on a long layover in Seoul, Korea on my way to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Many of you will recall that I was there with former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at the founding of his Kuala Lumpur Tribunal to Criminalize War in its effort to bring Bush et al to justice.

Unfortunately, Israel's ongoing actions in Gaza have caused Dr. Mahathir to call another meeting, "Forum for Palestine," at the Crowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel on February 5, 2009 at which he will deliver a major address. I have been invited to tell of my experience aboard the Dignity pleasure boat carrying 3 tons of medical supplies for the people of Gaza that was rammed by the Israeli Navy in the international waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

I have received several requests for information about "Dignity: A Movement for Peace and Justice," the t-shirt I've been wearing lately and my comments about the people's need for a lobby for peace and justice since our elected representatives in Congress, who are supposed to be our lobby, consistently fail to represent our values. I am working feverishly, when I am not on travel, to organize our Dignity movement effort appropriately. I will tell you more about our Dignity movement as the planning progresses.

Here is the information on the Forum for Palestine:

FORUM FOR PALESTINE

SPECIAL ADDRESS

Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad

CHALLENGING ISRAEL'S BLOCKADE

Cynthia McKinney, US Presidential Candidate and Former Congresswoman,

Will Tell Her Experience How the Israeli Navy Rammed Her Boat

THE HIDDEN AGENDA BEHIND THE GAZA GENOCIDE

Prof. Michel Chossudovsky

THE UNYIELDING SPIRIT OF PALESTINIAN RESISTANCE

Matthias Chang

INDICTING ISRAEL FOR WAR CRIMES

Prof. Gurdial Singh Nijar

KUALA LUMPUR WAR CRIMES TRIBUNAL

Prof. Salleh Buang

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ORGANISED BY THE KUALA LUMPUR FOUNDATION TO CRIMINALISE WAR

Call For Enquiries – 019-384 3913, 012-227 0159

At The Crowne Plaza Mutiara Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

5th February 2009 (Thursday) – 9.00 AM TO 5.00PM

Registration Fee: RM50.00 Payable at Venue Entrance

All Proceeds To Be Donated To Victims of Israel's War of Aggression

Wednesday, February 04, 2009

Perak Porak Peranda

NEW GOVERNMENT IN PERAK: BH 04/02: BN kini memiliki majoriti dalam DUN Perak apabila empat Adun Pakatan Rakyat sebelum in umum keluar parti dan sokong BN: TPM

Updates:

1. MB Perak gets audience with Sultan at 5pm. The Sultan was in KL. Legally, the Perak State Assembly HAS NOT been dissolved yet even though the MB had told the Press so.
2. 16:43pm 4/2 Perak assemblymen Jamaluddin Radzi, Osman Mohd Jailu, Datuk Nasarudin Hashim and Hee Yit Foong are now in DPM Najib office/STAR

Original posting:
Four from Pakatan to cross over to Barisan Nasional? It's a mess right now in Perak. The Menteri Besar, fearing defections from the Pakatan to BN, was trying to dissolve his 11-month old state government to pave way for a statewide by-election.

According to a Harian Metro alert, it was believed that the State Assembly had, indeed, been dissolved. But if that news is true, then the MB would have resolved his state government without Royal Consent. That won't be possible, of course, as you need Royal Consent to dissolve a state assembly. The Sultan, I heard, is in Kuala Lumpur. [update by Bernama: MB dissolves first, seeks Royal Consent later]

And I'm getting smses about a Press Conference in Putrajaya that the DPM was calling. I was told that the two PKR reps who were resigned by their party (the resignations were subsequently ruled unlawful by the Election Commissioner) were also on their way to Putrajaya. I also learned that two other reps from Pakatan (probably from DAP) would be joining the other two.

If the 4 are defecting to BN, there'll be a new state government in Perak tomorrow.

I voted in Perak last March. I voted for change. That was less than a year ago, but look at what we have now!

Sirul says "I'm a Scapegoat"!

NST's Rita Jong has the story, here.

Many will get into a frenzy over Sirul's "revelation". It's the kind of copy journalists would die for.
And DSAI has already done a link to the Malaysiankini report, here.

Demi Negara, Demi Agama ..

"Oh Tuhan, won' t you buy me a Mercedes-Benz ...?".
Another significant blogger has come out very strongly against the attempt to hijack the name "Allah" from the Muslims in this country. Demi Negara says the great urge to use "Allah" in Malay translation of the Bible is NOT due to a sudden patriotic love for Bahasa Malaysia on the part of certain quarters.

Rather, it is an attempt to confuse and deceive, he writes here.

Some notes: This is the third posting on the "Allah" issue I've linked in the last week or so [read here and here]. Some people are claiming that the use of the word Allah in Malay Bibles is opposed only by Syed Hamid Albar, the Minister, and Umno. That is NOT true. The Christian Herald's demand to use the word "Allah" is causing a quiet but growing anxiety among the Malay-Muslim community in blogosphere and out there. And it's gone beyond our shores here.

Tuesday, February 03, 2009

A Petition to the Pope

Pope Benedict XVI
Holy See, Vatican
Rome, Italy

Your Holiness Pope,

In the Name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful[1]

(i) We, the Christian peoples of Malaysia as undersigned below, would like to obtain a holy decree from you ascertaining that the name of the Deity mentioned in the bible is indeed Allah.
(ii) For more than 20 centuries this Deity has not been mentioned by name and we now understand that His holy name is Allah, the same one that has been used in the Quran of the Muslims ...

Click on The Name Allah: Quid Pro Quo on the Christian Community to read the entire petition.

Read it more than once if you plan to sign it.
Click here and here for some context.

Monday, February 02, 2009

Defections and [hail Pak Lah!] more defections

You can check out anytime you like
But you can never leave. - Hotel California
I'm not sure what or how to make out of the circus in Perak.
1. Did the two PKR men quit or were they sacked? [Two PKR Assemblymen in Perak resign]
2. Were they abducted by their political rivals or did they stay away from their pursuing comrades? [Two PKR State assemblymen deny quitting]
3. Are their resignations legal and Constitutional? [Resignations Unconstitutional]

One thing I'm sure about is that those who want Pak Lah to stay on as PM will hail him no matter what. And Pak Lah says there WILL BE defections from PKR. [Pakatan Rakyat reps may join Umno]
So hail Pak Lah, no?
"They want to join because they are confident of Umno's struggle, so we will accept them. When they submit their forms, then we will make an announcement." - [Defection drama in Perak]
If you are suffering from headaches over the defection issue, despair! Because Panadol Actifast dah habis di Ipoh.

Btw, my view on defections is quite simple: it's politician nature. You want to stop defections, you introduce anti-hopping laws. Some says that will stifle democracy but they stifle democracy anyway.
My view on defectors is also simple: they are turncoats. You can't really trust them. But then, who really trust politicians, anyway?
Additional notes: It is different if you are an ordinary member of Umno and decides to quit to join Pakatan or you are a member of PKR and you decide to quit to join BN. That, in my book, is not a defection.
But if you are a Member of Parliament or State Assemblyman of BN and you defect to Pakatan and suddenly you are a PKR MP or Adun, that's something else.

Sunday, February 01, 2009

Takziah buat Hafifi


My friend Hafifi Hafidz, the former Harian Metro editor, is tested yet again by the Almighty.
A few years ago, he was diagnosed with cancer. He beat the cancer. Yesterday Hafifi lost his 7-year old boy to a heart ailment.
After the burial in Shah Alam this morning, I could offer only a hug. I could not utter a word of comfort. There is none.

Innalillah & Alfatihah.

Tonight, Di Bawah Langit Gaza

Nasi lemak and Poetry. Catch Papa Rock (pic) and Samad Said, among others, in this charity do to raise awareness about Gaza.
TV9, Persatuan Penulis Nasional (Pena) and Yayasan Salam are organising. Sponsors include Kelantan Delights and several nasi lemak vendors, incl the famour Nasi Lemak Tanglin.

Event: Malam Puisi "Di Bawah Langit Gaza"
Date/Time: Feb 1, 8.30 pm
Venue: Rumah Pena, No 734 Jalan Lapangan Terbang Lama, KL 50470


p.s. The dude who initiated the idea won't be able to make it as he's stuck in Gaza. His latest posting and pictures [here].

Labu Shelved


Updated, 2pm Feb 1:-
1. "I will always thank him for allowing me to fly to Balikpapan, a destination on our SEAsian map that I always wanted to visit but MAS does not fly there ... but I hope ...". -Pasquale in Hope Tony is not like Luncai ....
2. "Nothing is more sickenings than an Airliner who operates a business emulating a pirated DVD operator, and bragging his blog's high hits as indicative of his popularity." - A Voice [here].

Original posting:
I'm happy that Tony Fernandes is happy with the outcome of his meeting with Najib and Nor Mohamed Yakcop on Friday. I told Astro Awani in a phone interview for that night's 9pm news that the decision to shelve the Labu LCCT project was wajar. Air Asia should focus on its forte, which is to fly passengers. It should now work closely with MAHB and the other industry players to realize the nation's aviation potential.

In my last phone conversation with Tony, he said Labu was a do-or-die thing for Air Asia. I didn't buy that and I told Tony so. I've watched how Tony grew the airline and fought the bullies back when he was the underdog. This guy can still do it. In fact, I believe he'll do it better without having to contend with Labu.[I can't say the same for Sime Darby, which is Air Asia's partner in the Labu project]. I think Tony will do it even much better if he knows how to get rid of the hangers-on.

I can't tell how badly my friendship with Tony has suffered because of the blog campaign I helped initiate against the Labu LCCT issue. I hope it's not beyond repair.

Bloggers against Labu included:
Op-Ed - Air Asia to build LCCT in KLIA - Meeting just ended
Sime Darby Watch - Najib not in favor of KLIA@East
Wee Choo Keong - KLIA@East at Labu shelved for good?
Apanama - Bye-Bye Labu, Thank You Najib
Ashraf Abdullah - Najib says "NO" to KLIA@East
Nuraina Samad - Najib not in favour of Labu LCCT
and
Chedet.com - Labu Airport Again

Read also:
OutSyed The Box's LCCT ditolak vs Decision on LCCT soon
Ancient Mariner's On-Off KLIA East

p.s. Sime Darby Watch's "mouse trap" logo stays on this blog until the Cabinet next week confirms the decision to shelve Labu. This is, after all, still very much a flip-flop Administration. The logo above is the version preferred by Jeff Ooi.