Monday, December 17, 2018

Fireman Adib is dead; I hope they all hang



 

Alfatehah, Adib Bomba. Nowhere in the world has a fireman been beaten to death for doing his job, for trying to help. Only in Malaysia.
For you, adik Adib, I hope for Jannah.
I hope Waythamoorthy does the right thing and die. Everyone else involved in the murder should hang. Bastards. 
And they should close the temple, voluntarily. 


Related news and postings
Farewell, Adib: Fireman dies of injuries sustained in Nov 27 riot 
Rest In Peace, Adib - Annie
Segera dakwa pembunuh Adib: Selangor MB
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Temple won't be demolished, says Waytha
Court dismisses bid to postpone takeover of temple
Tycoon Vincent Tan proposes fund to save temple
Fund reaches RM2 mil
Sgor MB: Temple should return land and RM1.5 mil compensation

Ex Utusan vs Utusan


Ex-Utusan's bebasnews.my

Digital news war. Last month, scores of journalists from Utusan Malaysia left the daily under a voluntary separation scheme. Last week, led by former editors Zaini Hassan, Gamal Nasir and Aziz Sharif, the journalists started Bebas News, a bilingual news analysis portal that will compete with Utusan's own digital paper and dozens other political news sites. Bebas is Malay for "free" or "liberal".
Zaini, author of the political column Cuit Sikit, told pals that Bebas News will be critical, daring and independent. Critical and daring have been Zaini's own trademarks as a journalist of some 30 years. As for being independent and everything else, we'll just have to wait a little and see. 
For now,  the Prime Minister's mugshot and caption on the top right-hand side of the portal's pages will attract the curios, though: is that little corner reserved for the Old Man to dish out his words of wisdom or are they meant to be a reminder to the PM himself? 
Meanwhile, Utusan Malaysia, under new executive director Ibrahim Yahya, is also planing to go very big digitally in 2019, or so I was told ...  

Read also
Aziz  quits as Utusan's exec chairman after 6 months


The hypocrisy over the indiscriminate smoking ban etc

Note: The Prophet and the angels is a sign for us to take a breather from political commentaries. Perhaps for the rest of the year, which will be good for our well-being. We won't be lacking issues to explore: journalism, health, sports, business, books, movies, cycling ... 


Courtesy The Star

I'm an ex-smoker, so I shouldn't care about the smoking ban at eateries (including open air ones) come the New Year, right? The Health Ministry says it will "help make Malaysia tobacco-free", so that's a good thing, kan? 
Nope. On the contrary, I think it's a damn stupid ruling the Ministry is trying to justify with the darndest "make Malaysia tobacco-free" excuse. If you want to make Malaysia tobacco-free, the thing to do is stop the sale of tobacco altogether. Wage war against cigarettes, like we have been waging the war on drugs. Ciminalize smoking and hang the tobacco smugglers. 
But the government is not doing that. Why? Because the government makes money from cigarettes.  A lot of money. Every year it collects over RM1 billion in cigarette taxes and now that "the government has no money" (or so says the minister Khalid Samad; [refer to the clip in my previous posting h e r e] we can expect it to up the taxes so that it can earn even more. 
Well, if it means more government revenue, I say go ahead and collect more taxes. But, please, let's not be hypocrites by like banning smoking at Q Bistro and telling people like me who go there frequently and co-exist with smokers who sit peacefully in their designated smoking area that it will help make this country tobacco-free. Because that's not what you want.

And what good does a smokeless environment do? Just look at the ban on smoking in Parliament. Have that made our politicians cleverer or their debates healthier? If anything, it's the contrary. Again, the antics of Khalid Samad comes to mind. And have you not been paying attention to what the likes of  Mazlee Malik and Mujahid Yusuf have been spewing lately?
Not forgetting Yeo Bee Yin, who have refused repeated requests from Lynas workers to visit them at their workplace and choosing instead to write them a most-condescending open letter to employees in this country, telling them that she had it equally tough if not tougher growing up on a farm and that she sympathised with the workers if they lose their jobs because of her crusade for a larger good. 


Ah, but I digress ...

Back to the ban. It won't hurt business, says Deputy Health Minister Dr Lee Boon Chye. "I don't see why their business will be affected, as customers go to the restaurant to eat, not to smoke," he said. The eateries are claiming otherwise: the ban will discourage smoking patrons from coming and that will affect their business.

My greatest problem with the ruling is that it makes me feel that we are becoming such a regimented nation all of a sudden. Macam Singapore, pulak. Why can't we leave it to the eateries to decide. Their decision will be dictated by patrons and not by government or politicians. As a regular patron of eateries that have smoking and designated non-smoking sections, I have always found the arrangement a happy one for both. Why fix something that ain't broke?

Plus, the Ministry should focus on bigger and more urgent healthcare issues.


Read also

Sunday, December 16, 2018

The Prophet and angels in Malaysian politics




Khalid Samad has done it again. Not that he cares, I suspect. And if you're wondering how this joker could so recklessly liken his government's failures to the Prophet's own, don't look far. Just the other day his Boss said that even angels make mistakes.
Apt pupil or leadership by example?
On the other side of the political divide, someone responded on Facebook to news of the sad passing of Zainuddin Maidin, a strong supporter of Dr Mahathir Mohamad's, with an "Alhamdulillah". Totally unacceptable.
 So rotten.

Read also:
Asyraf Wajdi says Khalid Samad is too much
Avoid U-turns or risk pushing investors away, MIA tells Government

Friday, December 14, 2018

The road to a "truly Malaysian car"


Pic from Paul Tan's
If anyone had any doubts about the ties that bind Proton and its maker, the 121218 launch of the much-anticipated X70 cleared the air. Clearly, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad holds Proton very close to his heart. This is his big baby, after all. And much as he was not overly pleased about Proton's marriage to China's Geely in 2017, he could hardly conceal his excitement with their firstborn: the X70. The pictures of Tun Dr Mahathir and his wife with the Proton SUV, against a nostalgic backdrop, tells a thousand words. And while Dr M's wish that the marriage would give birth to a "truly Malaysian car" may never come true, we can expect this Malaysian car manufacturer to start making truly great cars.

A discerning millennial'a take on the X70:


Read also Handsome old man and the X70 by Annie (who is certainly not a millennial)


Wednesday, December 12, 2018

Tying to stay colour blind ...



Pictures sometimes lie. But these Lynas workers who are fighting to keep their jobs look like Malays, all of them. And those who want to close down Lynas (and make those Malays jobless) have always been predominantly Chinese.  
Am I wrong to see a clash of colours here?  
But Annie, I notice, is experiencing the same symptoms. Her latest posting Why YBY and gang want to close down Lynas contains words like "overwhelming Chinese majority", "the support of the Chinese community" and "DAP". 
I'm hoping it's just the light, playing tricks on our eyes ..

p.s. The Star has a clip on the rallying Lynas workers at Parliament today. While DAP's anti-Lynas rallies have always been picnic-like, the workers look grim. One was even crying. Watch laaah.

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

Tabung Haji vs Tabung Haji (or is it PWC vs EY?)

Updated, Melayu vs Melayu: Apa punya manusia, Tabung Haji pun mereka noda oleh A. Kadir Jasin vs Isu Tabung Haji: Apa yang perlu kita tahu oleh Cucu Tok Selampit



Inexperience + Arrogance = ? This government's problem is not so much that too many of its ministers are green but that they can be arrogant like hell. The Malay has a most apt description for it: bodoh sombong. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department for Islamic Affairs, Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa (pic), would be the quintessential BS if you were to ask his growing army of detractors. His latest statements on the Tabung Haji affair could seal that reputation for him. Read h e r e where the minister said that from 2014 to 2017, TH was paying dividends to its depositors "illegally". 

The facts of the matter, however, are:

1. TH cannot - dulu, kini dan selamanya - pay any dividend without the approval of the Auditor-General. And Ambrin Buang, in this Feb 2016 article, clearly deemed it "legal" for dividends to be paid to the 9 million depositors. Bank Negara was also satisfied with TH's ability to pay, according to the same article:





 2. Other than the AG, external auditors have always been in the picture. PWC was appointed after Pakatan Harapan won the general election in May (Mujahid did mention this) but before that it was Earnst & Young. It was learned that from 2015 to 2017, the auditors reported asset surplus over liabilities for TH: some RM1.4 billion in 2015, over RM701 million in 2016, and well over RM350 million in 2017.

Now, could Mujahid have been selective or even ignorant when representing PWC's findings? It won't be the first or most radical with this government: Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng pushed Malaysia's debts to over a trillion ringgit almost overnight despite the rosier reality (Moody's maintains Malaysia debt burden at 50.8 per cent of GDP). 

But why? Politics, of course!

If one is not convinced that TH is being used as a pawn for the (new) political masters, then try swallowing Mujahid's assurance (at the same press conference where he had just revealed the RM4 billion "hole" in TH) that the depositors will get their dividends this year (2018):

“Now that the restructuring plan is here, if we can fulfil two conditions and if there is profit, then definitely we will get (dividends). 

"But that will be announced before the end of the year, we have not close our (sic) accounts for the year yet.” - Mujahid: Tabung Haji paid dividends illegal since 2014 as debts exceeded assets

Writing on his Facebook yesterday, Azmi Arshad, accountant and social media journalist, is clearly disturbed:

"He was trying to give the impression that TH was never in the financial position to pay hibah. But…. MAGICALLY…. Tabung Haji will be able to pay dividend in 2018. Why? How? You’ll have to ask Mujahid how he will suddenly pluck RM4 billion cash out of nowhere, especially when the stock market has plunged under the present government – it closed today at a nearly 2-year low." - Mujahid's TH Horror Story - Another PHollywood Production

How, indeed?

p.s. I totally agree with former deputy minister in charge of Islamic affairs Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, who said this government may spook depositors with its alarmist statements on TH. Read Stop issuing alarmist statements and sue TH bossesNeither green nor arrogant, this Umno Youth leader. Not in this instant, anyway.

Saturday, December 08, 2018

Walking against ICERD


In spirit I walk with my fellow Malaysians today. They are, even as I write this, gathering in growing numbers to show appreciation of the Government for deciding NOT to ratify the UN's International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination (ICERD). 



Thank you, especially, to Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for making the timely U-turn on the matter. It could not have been easy for him. But perhaps the good doctor realised how flawed this UN convention is in the context of our nation. Or perhaps he did not wish to risk the wrath of the "lazy" and "corruptible" Malays. Either way, it's one U-turn of his that gets my thumbs-up.  
Lim Kit Siang says the ICERD episode shows that Malaysia has "a long way to go to accomplish our new goal of a new Malaysia, which is to make Malaysia a top world-class nation and not a divided and fractured one, warring against itself".  
As if ratifying ICERD will make us a top world class nation tomorrow.  
But, to be fair to him, the DAP leader also concedes that considering the multi-cultural nature of Malaysia, the country should not ratify the treaty as long as the majority of Malaysians do not want it. 
As I see it, the reason why Dr Mahathir decided there was no need to ratify ICERD is simple: ICERD is flawed and will not do Malaysia any good. This country has been progressing well - certainly better than its neighbours including, in some departments, even Singapore - and the people have enjoyed peace and unity all this while (except for a brief period in 1969 which was sparked by politicians at the time, many of who are still alive and active today).
What we have ain't broke. Far from it. 
But threatening to "fix" the system - and the Malays/Bumiputeras - compelled the "lazy" race to come out in numbers today to show their displeasure. And if you didn't know, Melayus generally keep their word: when they've decided to do something, they don't backtrack. Pantang undur. So when Dr Mahathir decided on the U-turn, they gently turned a potentially angry demonstration into one big, gentle thanksgiving where they show their appreciation and say their doas.
Amiin.

Read also:
The illusion of power in post-Reformasi Malaysia by Tajuddin Rasdi
... Discrimination against Malay-Muslims by Mak Khuin Weng
Lynas, ICERD, and DAP by A Voice
Malaysian Opposition garners support with protest march by Straits Times Singapore

Friday, December 07, 2018

Political hysteria behind Lynas ... among other things




Ho-ho-ho! [apologies to Santa Claus and the wonderful spirit of Christmas], Fuziah Salleh ain't gonna be too happy with Akramshah Sanusi for this unexpected stinger on Lynas (Judge Lynas on merit, not political hysteria, says PPBM leader). 

In a nutshell, Akramshah has accused the PKR Kuantan MP of acting irresponsibly and that she and her "larger cabal" including DAP MP Wong Tack "were seeking forgiveness for their irresponsibility by claiming that their environment, or the environmental health of their community, was their priority". 

He also said Fuziah was taking political hysteria to new heights.

The chemical engineer questioned the push by Fuziah and Wong Tack for the removal of waste on grounds of environmental health when the main threat to the health and safety of Kuantan's community was the bauxite industry which "regularly paints the town red with dust".

Akramshah said many other things. 

So I think it's better that I re-post the entire FMT article here:

Judge Lynas on merit, not political hysteria, urges PPBM leader

PETALING JAYA: A PPBM Supreme Council member has urged the government to judge Lynas Malaysia based on merit, not “political hysteria”.
Akhramsyah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi, who is also a chemical engineer, accused PKR’s Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh of leading such sentiments since 2011, which he said had led to many missed opportunities for the Malaysian economy.
In a statement, he referred to a proposed 2012 joint venture between Siemens and Lynas to manufacture high-end rare earth magnets in Kuantan. He said the plan never materialised due to the perceived high political risk.
Siemens instead built the plant in Vietnam, exemplifying, he said, why no similar rare earth-dependent manufacturer had chosen to build a supply chain in the area.
This is despite Lynas producing 22% of the world’s rare earth elements necessary for producing high-tech products, from mobile phones and flat-screen televisions to turbines for wind generators and electric vehicle motors.
Accusing Fuziah of acting irresponsibly in the matter, he said she and her “larger cabal”, which included Bentong MP Wong Tack, were “seeking forgiveness for their irresponsibility by claiming that their environment, or more specifically, the environmental health of the community, is their priority”.
He noted that Lynas had a six-year track record of safe operations supported by audit reports from both government regulators such as the Department of Environment (DoE) and Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB), as well as the International Atomic Energy Agency and the review committee commissioned by the new government.
He said the review committee, led by Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin, and comprising experts previously critical of the Lynas Advanced Material Plant (LAMP), had published a report that supported its continued operations.
However, he claimed Fuziah was taking the “hysteria” to “new heights” by “spinning the reported findings and through emotive misinformation”.
“Bahagian 8 from page 91 of the LAMP Review Committee Report endorses the building of a permanent disposal facility (PDF) for all the waste, including the mildly radioactive waste, and urging completion of the research for the conversion of the said waste to safe materials such as fertilisers with the ongoing support of local universities,” he said.
“Exporting the waste is only seen as an option should the first two recommended efforts be deemed unsuccessful.”
He also questioned the push by Fuziah, Wong Tack and others for the removal of waste on grounds of environmental health when in fact the main threat to the health and safety of Kuantan’s community was the bauxite industry which “regularly paints the town red with dust”.
He voiced concern that the Cabinet might decide on Lynas’ fate based on a case presented by a minister who had been influenced by such claims.
“Yeo was publicly opposed to Lynas before her appointment as the minister, and now presides over the plant’s regulators, the DoE and AELB. As a Pakatan Harapan leader, our higher standards should have led her to recusing herself from decisions pertaining to Lynas, instead of being the one that instructs the regulators.
“As she has chosen not to recuse herself, one would expect her to at least demonstrate her impartiality by visiting the plant formally before forming any recommendations on Lynas’s fate. She has not.”
He said the Cabinet must stand above political hysteria and residual bias as Malaysia’s reputation as a high-end industrial and technological investment destination was at stake, in addition to the livelihoods of Lynas’ employees, suppliers and their families.
“At the very least, as a chemical engineer who has operated a hazardous plant before, I recommend that key Cabinet members, even the prime minister, visit the Lynas plant before deciding on its fate.”

p.s. I got to know Akramshah during the blogging heydays (circa 2006) when he regularly shared his thoughts on Tangents: Restless Musings of a Malay Mind. I was pleasantly surprised just now to discover that his blog is still alive although the last entry was in August this year about the proposed third national car. Before leaving Umno for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's Pribumi Bersatu in 2016, Akram actively campaigned against the MRT's decision to build lines too close to some homes, including in his neighbourhood.

Monday, December 03, 2018

Vincent Tan's strange crusade to save the USJ temple



I call it strange not because Vincent Tan is the Prime Minister's good friend but because I didn't know the Seafield Seri Maha Mariamman temple at USJ 25 needed saving. From what I read in the media, all parties involved in the relocation of the temple had mutually agreed to it. There's a consent court agreement in 2014, a RM1.5 mil compensation and even a new site for the temple on one of the two plots of land given to the temple committee by the developer.

Vincent Tan's idea of a RM15 mil fund to save the temple seems to have come out of nowhere. He spoke as if  One City, the developer, will have no choice but to agree to sell the 1.1 ha of land where the temple has sat for four decades. 

The developer hasn't said a word but I'm sure they could feel the "weight" of the tycoon's words:

I'm sure (the developer) will come up with a solutionSolet's wait for themThey could be very charitable and maybe they want to give a very big discount and maybe they want to donatethe entire land ..." - Vincent Tan in RM2 mil raised so far by temple fund.

Strange too is the fact that Vincent Tan's fund was announced after the riots had come under control and the court had rejected a last-minute bid to block the relocation. 

Even Muhammad Adib, the 24-year old on-duty fireman who was beaten to a coma by the rioters, has regained consciousness. I would have found it less strange (and equally if not more noble) if Vincent Tan had set up a fund to help Adib, seeing that he may not be able to return to active duty anytime soon.

Don't get me wrong. I have no doubt that Vincent Tan means well. 

But is this the way we respond to criminals and puppet masters now? [Read also Riot at temple criminal, not racial, says Dr M]

If this is how we resolve problems of this nature, I am sure many will be happy. The bewildered residents of Taman Tun Dr Ismail, for example, can't wait to welcome Vincent Tan and his friends to try and save their Rimba Kiara from a legal and binding agreement signed between the previous government and another group of developers.

Those fighting for the Kinrara Oval will be thrilled, too, seeing that Vincent Tan, the Cardiff football club owner, is a big supporter of sports. So will those who don't believe that developers should take away one of the few public golf courses in the country in Bandar Kinrara to build more condominiums. The long-suffering UKRC folks, who have been in and out of courts to save their miserable field, would see Vincent Tan as a god-sent, almost divine. The list goes on ...