Wanita Umno, don't just whack the Melayu Tan Sri, get the Chinese one as well ..

Now anyone can steel. It was good to see the Wanita Umno leaders last week openly deriding Azran Osman-Rani, the Air Asia X chief executive officer, for his so-called personal views against press freedom and Malay paper racism. I know the ladies came out only because it involves Utusan Malaysia, the last paper standing and defending Umno tooth and nail, but as a post-PRU13 sout-searching exercise, it is refreshing. 

Malaysia's Iron Lady

They have even taken to task their former boss, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, who is AAX chairman, for not making her CEO openly apologize for his FB diatribe. [Isu Air Asia X: Wanita Umno Tegur Rafidah, Sinar Harian, 28 Mei; Wanita Umno terus bidas Air Asia, Malaysian Digest, 30 Mei].  

But the Wanita leaders must not stop there. One swallow does not a summer make. They must continue to defend. And since they have brought Rafidah into the picture, I suggest they ask their ex-boss to have a heart-to-heart with Tan Sri William Cheng, the Lion Group boss, for causing so much distress to the small players in the local steel industry. Rafidah is chairman of Megasteel. Lion Group owns Megasteel. William Cheng owns Lion.

William Cheng

One badly distressed company is Mycron, the only Bumiputera cold rolled coils manufacturer in the world, which may have to gulung tikar if the Government goes ahead with plans to force it to buy from Megasteel Sdn Bhd. 

The Megasteel drama is expected to resume at Miti again this week after the PRU13 "interval". While I have nothing against the government bailing out Chinese-owned companies and tycoons (something this government has been doing for decades), it should never again be at the expense of a Malay-Bumi player, small or big. 

Wanita Umno can help make sure that doesn't happen.

For backgrounder, read also Govt mulls assistance for Megasteel, The Edge, 24/9/11; Megasteel susahkan kontraktor Bumiputera, Utusan Malaysia, Mei 2013

Why Nurul Izzah should support the decision to refuse her entry into Sabah

Updated: Umno minister describes "(politcally) naive" Nurul Izzah's threat to sue Sabah CM as "stupid". Nazrri: Decision to stop Nurul Izzah from entering Sabah based on law, Bernama

Kata mahu bagi autonomi, baa? In an open long  letter to YB Nurul Izzah binti Anwar [Embargo, Kuasa Mutlak Ketua Menteri - Sabahkini, 1 June 2013], the Lembah Pantai MP gets an education on why the Sabah Chief Minister has the right to refuse her entry into the state.

She is also told that being labelled persona non grata does not make her greater or more special than others who have been labelled as such by the state before.

".. maka tidak ada hebat atau bezanya saudari jika dibandingkan dengan Peguam Kanan Sugumar Balakrishnan yang pernah dihalang daripada memasuki Sabah, sedangkan beliau mempunyai PR Sabah seperti saya dan puluhan ribu pemegang PR di Sabah yang tidak boleh membantah jika PR mereka dibatalkan kerana kuasa mutlak Ketua Menteri."

She gets a reminder by the author of the letter that it was her father's Pakatan Rakyat that had boldly promised greater autonomy to Sabah for Sabahans' votes in the May 5 general elections. As such, Nurul Izzah should defend the autonomy exercised by Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman.

"Adalah mustahil, sebagai seorang Ahli Parlimen Malaysia dan warganegara Malaysia, saudari tidak menyedari wujudnya 'Kuasa Mutlak' Ketua Menteri Sabah yang WAJIB dilaksanakan oleh Pengarah Imigresen Sabah untuk menyekat kemasukan sebarang pergerakan rakyat Malaysia ke Sabah. 

"Anggapan saudari bahawa adalah tidak rasional dan menganggap tindakan sekatan ini merupakan salah guna kuasa yang melampau dan cukup anti-demokratik; hanyalah 'Gurauan Nakal' seorang Ahli Parlimen Muda yang tidak tahu menghormati 'Tuan Rumah'.
Sebagai 'Tuan Rumah' atau Ketua Menteri, Musa Aman tidak perlu memberikan sebarang penjelasan kerana Seksyen 67 Akta Imigresen 1959/63 sudah cukup jelas; malah tidak menghalang saudari menggunakan hak Perlembagaannya untuk memfailkan saman mencabar keputusan Kerajaan Negeri Sabah. 

"Sewajarnya mulai sekarang, saudari patut belajar menghormati Perlembagaan Negeri Sabah dan Perlembagaan Persekutuan sebelum berbahas di dalam Dewan Parlimen kerana orang bijaksana berbahas dengan minda dan bertingkah dengan tinta; bukannya demonstrasi atau membuat publisiti murahan seperti sekarang.

Read the entire epistle h e r e.

Halim and Nor Mohd Yakcop, and mother of all corporate lawsuits

The news in Focus Malaysia, June 1-7 issue

Nor Mohamed Yakcop, former Bank Negara adviser and former Minister, used to be known as Top Cat. I forgot the story behind the nickname but a cat is supposed to have nine lives and NMY has had many. In fact, after the massive forex losses that were attributed to him in the 1990s, many thought they would never see him again. But he came back and served Dr Mahathir, and served Abdullah, and then Najib Razak. He was dropped as a candidate in the the 5th May general elections, which made his many detractors so thankful to the Prime Minister. Short-lived. Last week, he came back, again, officially! This time NMY oversees Khazanah, which oversees billions and bilions of ringgit of government investment and mis-investments locally and overseas, all the GLCs and their employees, and the future well-being of this country. As Khazanah deputy chairman, NMY will be more powerful than most ministers in Najib's Cabinet.

But with a past so rich, you'd expect some of it to haunt him. And, so, even before Top Cat could warm up his new seat, Halim Saad, a still-familiar name in the Malaysian corporate circles, has slapped the mother of all lawsuits on Khazanah and its new boss. 

NMY will need another life or lifeline to get through this.  

p.s. Ah, they did not make him a Tun in conjunction with the Agong's birhtday today. The list of award recipients for 2013 h e r e.