RACUN PENAWAR

Bersama Y Bhg Datuk Fatmi Che Salleh di Jabatan Perdana Menteri

2011-09-19T21:47:00.003+08:00

Datuk Haji Mohamad Fatmi Che Salleh bersama Datuk Naim Mohamad

Malaysia Day gift - Internal Security Act to be abolished

2011-09-17T10:32:00.000+08:00

Internal Security Act to be abolished, says Najib

15^th September, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR: The Internal Security Act (ISA) 1960 will be abolished and two new laws will be introduced to safeguard peace and order, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

The prime minister also announced that the government would repeal the Banishment Act 1959 and reviewing other laws to be in line with current needs.

A comprehensive study will be carried out on the Restricted Residence Act 1993 and the Printing Presses and Publication Act 1984 where annual renewals would be done away with, and replaced with issuance of licence until it is revoked.

Announcing the matter tonight in his special Malaysia Day message, Najib said the two new laws would be formulated "under the spirit and umbrella" of Article 149 of the Federal Constitution to prevent subversive elements as well as fighting organised terrorism and crime, in order to safeguard peace and public order.

In the message delivered in front of 800 people at Angkasapuri and aired live over TV1 and TVi, the prime minister said the new laws replacing the ISA would provide for a shorter detention period.

He added that extension of detention can only be done through a court order, except in the law concerning terrorism where the power remained with the minister.

"Generally, the power to extend the detention period will shift from the executive to the judiciary, except in matters concerning terrorism," he said.

Najib had promised when he first took over the helm of the country's administration on April 3, 2009 that he would carry out a comprehensive review of the ISA.

Najib said tonight that the government would ensure that the rights of those being taken action under the new law would be safeguarded in line with the spirit of the Federal Constitution.

He said the government also assured that individuals would not be detained because of their political ideologies.

"The government will also review Section 27 of the Police Act 1967, taking into account the provision in Article 10 of the Federal Constitutions concerning freedom of assembly," he said.

Najib stressed however that stern action would remain against street demonstrators.

He said that the permit to assemble would be given under certain set of criteria to be determined later, taking into consideration the norms at the international level.

Najib said the government would not hesitate to amend or repeal laws which are no longer relevant. -- BERNAMA

THERE'S WORK STILL TO BE DONE

2011-01-09T03:47:00.001+08:00

There's still room for improvement: PM

2011/01/08

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KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he is generally satisfied with inputs from his meeting today with Barisan Nasional MPs, but believe they is still room for them to improve their service to the people.

The Prime Minister and BN Chairman said that some of the problems brought up to the MPs were beyond their capacity to solve.

"This is the real purpose (of the meeting) based on our catch phrase that BN puts the people first," he said.

Najib said the MPs need the support of the federal and state governments and must be able to bring problems of the people to the top leadership for a solution.

This way the MPs will be more effective, he told reporters after the meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre here.

Najib said that 105 MPs, including deputy ministers, came for the meeting out of the 112 invited.

Those who did not attend had written to explain why they could not be present. Ministers were not included because they had other opportunities to meet Najib.

The meeting -- which was a series of sessions with a group of MPs at a time -- started at 9.30am and ended at about 5.30pm.

Najib said the meeting was a good way for him and BN Secretary General Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor to learn about problems in BN constituencies and consider how MPS could serve more effectively.

Asked whether the meeting indicated an early general election, he said it was part of the political transformation process which he announced at the Umno general assembly in 2009.

He said the transformation had begun with amendments to the Umno constitution and proposed amendments to the BN constitution.

Najib said that political transformation was important for BN as a coalition that put the people first.

He said he will also meet division heads in parliamentary constituencies not under BN. - BERNAMA

tHE LEAVES DO NOT SHAKE WHEN THERE'S NO WIND

2011-01-09T03:44:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR: The meeting of Barisan Nasional (BN) Members of Parliament (MP) with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was focused on development in constituencies and preparations for the General Election.

Keningau MP and Deputy Chief Minister of Sabah Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan when met after his meeting with Najib said it was a fruitful meeting aimed at developing the respective Parliamentary constituencies and preparations for the next general election.

"He urged MPs to always go to the ground and meet the people to know their problems or needs," he said.

Johor Baharu MP Datuk Seri Shahrir Samad said the initiative by the Prime Minister was a good practice because it was not a 'one way traffic' system whereby MPs just received directives or orders from the top.

"The meeting was centered on grassroots and as the people's representative, I put forward problems, needs and strategy to retain the Johor Baharu seat and ensure it remained with BN," he said.

Pulai MP Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the meeting was an update of what was happening in their respective constituencies and Najib had also directed his officers to monitor the development.

"What the PM is doing this is a very structured way, a very technical approach. He's gathering information to make sure the information from us tallied with his.

"He shared his information with us, and he also listened to our opinion. Maybe he will be calling for a snap general election, but I'm not pretty sure. But in Pulai, we are ready (for general election) and we will win," he said.

The meeting that started in the morning took a break for lunch and resumed at 2.30pm and by 4pm about 80 MPs had met Najib.

Among those who met Najib after lunch were former Prime Minister and Kepala Batas MP Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin and Jerlun MP Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir.

"My meeting with the Prime Minister was straight forward, direct to the point and focused on issues in my constituency. Actually the Prime Minister already has a picture of what was happening in the respective constituencies as he already has received a report.

"So, it will be impossible to say something different or incorrect," he said.

Abdullah who said he had expressed confidence of regaining Penang, said it was a very positive initiative by the Prime Minister to restore the confidence of the people. - Bernama

Teoh Beng Hock

2011-01-07T23:44:00.001+08:00

By	:	DATO' SRI MOHD NAJIB BIN TUN HAJI ABDUL RAZAK PERDANA MENTERI MALAYSIA
Venue	:	PUTRAJAYA
Date	:	07/01/2011
Title	:	KEWUJUDAN SURUHANJAYA DIRAJA - KES KEMATIAN TEOH BENG HOCK

Pejabat Perdana Menteri

1. Pada 5 Januari 2011, Majistret Mahkamah Majistret Shah Alam telah membuat satu keputusan terbuka di dalam inkues yang telah dibuat ke atas kematian mendiang Teoh Beng Hock.

2. Saya telah dimaklumkan oleh Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Peguam Negara bahawa beliau akan memfailkan satu permohonan semakan (“revision”) di Mahkamah Tinggi Shah Alam bagi menyemak keputusan Majistret tersebut.

3. Walau bagaimanapun, pihak kerajaan akan meneruskan keputusan yang telah dibuat sebagaimana yang telah saya nyatakan pada 22 Julai 2009 (seperti yang dilampirkan), untuk mewujudkan satu Suruhanjaya Diraja dengan terma-terma khusus, untuk meneliti dan mengkaji peraturan berkaitan soal siasat yang diguna pakai oleh Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia dan untuk menentukan sama ada berlaku pencabulan hak asasi semasa proses soal siasat terhadap mendiang Teoh Beng Hock.

4. Sehubungan dengan itu, satu Suruhanjaya Diraja di bawah Seksyen 2 Akta Suruhanjaya Siasatan 1950 (Akta 119) yang diberi kuasa untuk menyiasat perjalanan atau pengurusan Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia dan di mana sesuai untuk menyiasat kelakuan mana-mana pegawai Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia, akan diwujudkan.

5. Suruhanjaya Diraja tersebut akan diwujudkan dengan terma-terma khusus yang akan ditetapkan dan pihak kerajaan akan melantik ahli-ahli Suruhanjaya yang terdiri daripada orang-orang yang terbilang (“eminent”) dan dihormati. Suruhanjaya ini akan diwujudkan selama tempoh masa tiga bulan selepas satu tauliah perlantikan Pesuruhjaya dikeluarkan oleh Yang DiPertuan Agong (“YDPA”) di bawah seksyen 2 Akta 119 dan boleh dilanjutkan untuk tempoh masa sepertimana yang dibenarkan di bawah seksyen 5 Akta 119.

Flashback

By	:	DATO' SRI MOHD NAJIB BIN TUN HAJI ABDUL RAZAK PERDANA MENTERI MALAYSIA
Venue	:	PEJABAT PERDANA MENTERI
Date	:	22/07/2009
Title	:	KEPUTUSAN KABINET MENGENAI KES KEMATIAN TEOH BENG HOCK

1. Kabinet pada mesyuaratnya hari ini telah membincangkan dan mengambil maklum pandangan semua pihak berhubung kematian Saudara Teoh Beng Hock pada minggu lepas. Bagi pihak Jemaah Menteri saya mengucapkan takziah kepada keluarga Saudara Teoh di atas pemergiannya.

2. Selaras dengan konsep “1 Malaysia Rakyat Didahulukan Pencapaian Diutamakan,” saya telah memaklumkan kepada Kabinet bahawa institusi kerajaan diwujudkan hanya untuk menjaga hak dan kepentingan rakyat. Oleh itu semua institusi kerajaan bertanggungjawab memberi perkhidmatan yang terbaik kepada rakyat. Institusi kerajaan tidak boleh bertindak bertentangan dengan kepentingan rakyat, membelakangkan kepentingan rakyat serta melebihi undang-undang dan perlembagaan negara.

3. Maka dengan itu, Kabinet mahu penyiasatan kematian Saudara Teoh dilakukan dengan menyeluruh bagi mencari punca kejadian tersebut. Oleh itu, Kabinet hari ini mengambil keputusan berikut:

i) Pihak Kementerian Dalam Negeri dan pihak polis telah diarahkan menyelesaikan siasatan kes ini dengan secepat mungkin dan laporan ini akan diumumkan.

ii) Satu inkues yang diketuai oleh seorang majistret akan dijalankan bagi menentukan punca kematian Saudara Teoh. Saya difahamkan inkues ini mungkin dapat dimulakan pada minggu depan.

iii) Satu Suruhanjaya Diraja akan diwujudkan dengan terma-terma khusus, iaitu meneliti dan mengkaji peraturan berkaitan soal siasat yang diguna pakai Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia dan menentukan sama ada berlaku pencabulan hak asasi semasa proses soal siasat terhadap Saudara Teoh. Ini bertujuan memastikan perkara seperti ini tidak berulang lagi.

4. Langkah-langkah ini mencerminkan kesungguhan dan komitmen kerajaan untuk mencari punca kejadian tersebut agar keluarga Saudara Teoh dan masyarakat mengetahui sebenarnya apa yang berlaku. Saya ingin menegaskan bahawa kerajaan akan melakukan apa saja yang perlu untuk mencari kebenaran dalam kes ini. Saya juga akan memaklumkan sendiri kepada keluarga Saudara Teoh hasil siasatan ini nanti kerana saya telah dimaklumkan bahawa keluarganya minta kerajaan mencari kebenaran punca kematiannya. Apabila ada dapatan tertentu saya akan sampaikan kepada keluarganya.

5. Oleh itu, saya harap semua pihak bersabar dan tidak membuat kenyataan yang mengelirukan rakyat yang menimbulkan persepsi yang salah serta menjadikan kes ini satu isu politik sementara proses siasatan berjalan. Kita tidak sepatutnya campur aduk kes ini dengan urusan politik kerana yang penting ialah mencari kebenaran punca kematian beliau.

“We want to establish the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth in this case. The process of investigations will be forthright and transparent. We regard every human life to be sacrosanct, and civil liberties to be inviolable, and these are important values under 1Malaysia concept as well”.

Tengku Razaleigh will lead BN against PAS

2010-10-09T13:11:00.001+08:00

Galas by-election: Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah agrees to be BN election director

2010/10/09
By Patrick Sennyah

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SEPANG: Gua Musang Member of Parliament Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said today he has agreed to be the Barisan Nasional (BN) election director for the Galas state by-election on Nov 4.

However, he added, the question of him being the BN candidate in the by-election did not arise as he would have to first meet with Prime Minister and BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, probably on Monday.

"I have yet to have a meeting. I may meet with the prime minister on Monday.

After the meeting, I will hold a news conference and announce the outcome of the meeting," he told reporters at the KL International Airport here after flying in from London following an overseas trip.

He was greeted at the airport by Kelantan Umno Liaison Committee Chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and Umno Information Chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan.

Tengku Razaleigh said his appointment as the BN election director for the by-election, nomination for which is on Oct 26, reflected his responsibilities as an Umno member and head of the Gua Musang Umno Division for almost 50 years as well as his role as the member of parliament for Gua Musang.

Galas is one of the three state seats in the Gua Musang parliamentary constituency in Kelantan.

The seat fell vacant following the death from colon cancer of the PAS assemblyman, Che Hashim Sulaima (rpt) Sulaima, 46, on Sept 27. He had won the seat in the 2008 general election by beating Mohd Saufi Deraman of the BN by a majority of 646 votes.

At the end of last month, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had announced the appointment of Tengku Razaleigh as the BN election director for the by-election, saying the Gua Musang MP was most experienced and influential and was well respected by the constituents of Galas.

Muhyiddin had also hinted that Tengku Razaleigh was the most suitable individual to be fielded as the BN candidate in the by-election. BN is expected to name its candidate on Oct 24.

PAS had alleged that Umno was trying to destroy Tengku Razaleigh's political career by involving him directly in the by-election.

Replying to a question on the matter, Tengku Razaleigh said that was the view of PAS and he respected it.

However, he added, the opposition party should also respect the view of Umno.

Asked about the alleged attempts by PAS to manipulate the issue of the Kelantan oil royalty, Tengku Razaleigh said the matter was subjudice as the PAS government in Kelantan had referred it to the courts.

When told that PAS had expressed confidence in retaining the Galas seat in the by-election, he said: "Let's see (what happens) on Nov 4." - BERNAMA

Pak Lah's view on whats happening in Penang.

2010-02-08T09:33:00.000+08:00

Pak Lah: PKR angry at Lim

2010/02/08

By Audrey Dermawan

KEPALA BATAS: The public outburst by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) leaders against Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng shows there were weaknesses in the latter's administration, said former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Bada-wi. He said the attacks also showed that PKR leaders were disappointed with Lim's attitude to and stance on several state matters.

He said there was truth to criticisms levelled against Lim especially since PKR Bayan Baru member of parliament Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim had used strong words to hit out at Lim.

"From what I see, this is the work of dissatisfied party leaders in Pakatan Rakyat and has nothing to do with others.

"This is clear evidence that there are problems in Lim's DAP-led state government," he said after presenting red packets and Chinese New Year goodies to senior citizens here yesterday.

Abdullah had been asked to comment on the political crisis in the state.

Zahrain had labelled Lim as a dictator, a Chinese chauvinist and a communist-minded leader. His colleague, PKR Nibong Tebal MP Tan Tee Beng, called Lim a chief minister with no class.

"I think this situation (political crisis) will continue and lead to shortcomings in the state government.

"Lim has to realise by now that there is a vast difference between his role as a state government (now) and as an opposition (then)."

Abdullah scoffed at claims that Barisan Nasional, particularly Umno, was responsible for the rift between PKR and DAP.

He said there was no need for anyone to interfere in the dispute. "This is especially so since PKR leaders are not afraid to speak their mind about the chief minister."

Truly Malaysian

2009-12-11T21:19:00.003+08:00

A truly Malaysian flight, from left Bujang Sapawi (a Malaysian from Sarawak, Selvam Senggaram ( a Malaysian Indian), Hj Nasib Sarpin (a Malaysian from Sabah) and Naim Mohamad (a Malaysian malay). They golf and unite at GOLF UNTE.

Faction ketiga dalam MCA?

2009-11-23T01:48:00.000+08:00

Tiong Lai bertegas adakan EGM

Oleh SANTHY MUTHALU
santhy.muthalu@utusan.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR 21 Nov. – Naib Presiden MCA, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai bertegas untuk mengadakan mesyuarat agung luar biasa (EGM) kedua pada 28 November ini.

Bagaimanapun beliau berkata, pihaknya akan akur jika semua perwakilan bersetuju untuk mengadakan pemilihan parti yang akan ditentukan tarikhnya secepat mungkin.

“Buat masa ini, EGM masih diteruskan seperti yang dicadangkan sebelum ini. Jika semua pihak bersetuju untuk mengadakan pemilihan parti, maka EGM itu tidak perlu diadakan,” katanya kepada Mingguan Malaysia di sini hari ini.

Dalam pada itu, ketika ditanya mengenai pertemuan dengan Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak semalam, beliau berkata, Perdana Menteri menyambut baik cadangan untuk mengadakan pemilihan parti.

“Perdana Menteri berpendapat pemilihan parti akan menjadi satu wadah untuk menyelesaikan krisis dalaman MCA kebelakangan ini.

“Bagaimanapun, kami (perwakilan MCA) harus meneliti beberapa perkara penting sebelum mengambil apa-apa keputusan berhubung EGM mahupun pemilihan parti,” jelasnya.

Ujar beliau, apa-apa keputusan yang diambil dengan persetujuan perwakilan MCA, pihaknya akan mengumumkan secepat mungkin.

“Apa yang penting bagi kami adalah menyelesaikan masalah dalaman parti seperti yang dikehendaki oleh beberapa pihak termasuk Perdana Menteri.

“Timbalan Presiden MCA, Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek turut setuju dengan cadangan pemilihan parti. Maka, kini tugas kami adalah mendapatkan pandangan daripada semua perwakilan MCA,’’ jelasnya.

Khabar Angin atau Angin Khabar?

2009-11-23T01:45:00.000+08:00

Husam letak jawatan?

Oleh AZRAN FITRI RAHIM
azran.rahim@utusan.com.my

KOTA BHARU 21 Nov. – Timbalan Pesuruhjaya II Pas Kelantan, Datuk Husam Musa dikatakan mahu melepaskan semua jawatan dalam parti dan juga kerajaan yang merupakan satu lagi episod yang menggambarkan perpecahan dan kekusutan dalam parti itu.

Namun hasrat itu tidak dipersetujui oleh Mursyidul Am Pas yang juga Menteri Besar Kelantan, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

Nik Aziz sebaliknya memberikan cuti selama lima hari bermula hari ini kepada Husam yang juga exco kanan kerajaan negeri untuk berehat dan menenangkan fikiran.

Tindakan Husam untuk melepaskan semua jawatan dalam parti dan kerajaan yang dikatakan berpunca daripada pendedahan kemelut dalaman Perbadanan Menteri Besar Kelantan (PMBK) yang diterajui Ir. Abdul Ariffahmi Ab. Rahman.

Abdul Ariffahmi yang kini sedang disiasat Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) merupakan menantu Nik Abdul Aziz.

Namun Pas Kelantan melalui Setiausaha Badan Perhubungannya, Mohd. Zaki Ibrahim berkata, perkara itu hanya khabar angin dan mereka tidak mahu mencampuri isu yang dihadapi Nik Abdul Aziz kerana menyifatkan ia tidak ada kena-mengena dengan politik.

Sumber memberitahu, hasrat Husam untuk berundur telah dikemukakannya kepada Nik Abdul Aziz yang juga Pesuruhjaya Pas Kelantan pada pertemuan empat mata Selasa lalu.

“Husam bertemu dengan Nik Abdul Aziz untuk menjelaskan bahawa beliau tidak terlibat atau menjadi dalang di sebalik apa yang berlaku dalam PMBK dan penjelasan itu diterima, tetapi hasratnya untuk meletakkan jawatan ditolak.

“Nik Abdul Aziz telah mengumumkan Husam cuti selama lima hari bermula hari ini pada mesyuarat Badan Perhubungan Pas Kelantan di kediaman rasminya, JKR 10 pagi tadi. Beliau (Husam) tidak hadir pada mesyuarat ini,” kata sumber itu kepada Mingguan Malaysia di sini hari ini.

Hari ini, sebuah portal berita melaporkan Husam mendakwa wujud konspirasi untuk menyingkirkan beliau daripada pentadbiran kerajaan negeri dengan mencetuskan perbalahan di antara beliau dengan Nik Abdul Aziz.

Malah khabar angin menyatakan bahawa Mursyidul Am Pas itu sedang menimbangkan untuk menggugurkan Husam daripada barisan Exco Kelantan ekoran isu pemecatan Syed Azidi Syed Abdul Aziz sebagai Pengarah Perhubungan Korporat PMBK minggu lalu.

Syed Azidi yang lebih dikenali dengan laman blognya Kickdefella, pula dilihat sebagai antara orang kanan Husam.

Sumber itu berkata, dalam tempoh cuti tersebut, Husam juga akan menjalani pembedahan tulang belakang selepas ditangguhkan sejak dua bulan lalu.

“Husam sebelum ini beberapa kali menyatakan kesediaannya untuk berundur sekiranya beliau menjadi liabiliti kepada parti.

“Tetapi khidmat beliau masih diperlukan dalam membantu Nik Abdul Aziz mentadbir negeri ini,” katanya.

Sementara itu, Mohd. Zaki menafikan perkara tersebut dan menyifatkannya sebagai khabar angin.

Katanya, Pas Kelantan tidak mahu mencampuri isu berkaitan yang dihadapi Nik Abdul Aziz kerana menyifatkan ia tidak ada kena-mengena soal politik.

“Ia khabar angin sahaja dan jika benar sudah tentu dalam mesyuarat hari ini ada dibincangkan (perkara ini).

“Kita tidak pernah membincangkan soal ini, sebaliknya ia masalah pentadbiran yang boleh diselesaikan sendiri Tok Guru (Nik Aziz) selaku Menteri Besar,” katanya.

OTC and CSL decided to opt for my option one, maybe in the spirit of 1Malaysia

2009-10-26T01:57:00.004+08:00

When MCA had their Extraordinary General Meeting, no one expect the extraordinary to happen. But the vote of no confidence to OTC was passed and the reinstatement of CSL was rejected. As I have mentioned in my earlier posting, if only they had used their brain instead of their brawn, it can save all these embarrassments.

Datuk Wong Chun Wai's reasoning and findings can be followed and read here, The Storm's over..

My posting as the The Third Eye can be followed from the trancripts below or here,

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Eyeing what the MCA delegates up to

On second thoughts, if they had used their brains rather than their brawn, both of them could still be working together constructively in a party where the Chinese Community put their hopes on in the political landscape of Malaysia. Now the community that is represented by the delegates at the extraordinary general meeting had shown them the way, the leadership decisions is questionable and did not get the confidence of their mandate and that the dismissal should not be done and at the same time there is no place for characters which have a reputation which can erode the good image of the Chinese Party.

The way forward,

one is for OTK and CSL quickly search their soul and ask for forgiveness and mend their rifts because it is proven that they are equally strong and if they are united, it is a very strong and formidable combination for the party subject to the endorsement of their supporters.

two, if they cannot get to terms, then the MCA needs to find a new force to bring the chinese community together and rebuild the Chinese political vehicle to be accepted by Barisan Nasional and Malaysians at large with dignity and respect so that they will be trusted to represent the ommunity in the next general election.

Menjunjung tradisi parti, menzahirkan perubahan

2009-10-15T12:45:00.003+08:00

Presiden UMNO YAB Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak menyemarakkan semangat para perwakilan yang berada di Dewan Merdeka, Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC) melalui ucapan sulungnya sebagai Presiden UMNO pada Perhimpunan Agung Umno 2009 pada 15hb.Okt, 2009.

Dalam ucapan perasmian tersebut, beliau yang juga Perdana Menteri telah menyusur semula perjuangan UMNO dengan mengaitkan kepada peristiwa-peristiwa semasa termasuklah penggubalan dasar-dasar dalam kerajaan yang membawa kepada kemajuan rakyat keseluruhannya.

“Untuk menongkah masa depan yang cemerlang, kita perlu berakar teguh, dengan beriktibar daripada sejarah dan sistem nilai, barulah kita berupaya untuk tegak menghadapi masa mendatang,” katanya.

Lantas dengan susur galur UMNO sejak ditubuhkan hinggalah mengharungi pelbagai krisis terbukti keteguhan UMNO tidak ada bandingannya sama ada krisis politik dalam negara atau krisis antarabangsa termasuklah kemelesetan ekonomi dunia.

“Umno tidak boleh lagi kelihatan sebagai parti yang hanya dilihat condong kepada satu-satu pihak sahaja,” katanya dengan penuh semangat.

Menurut beliau lagi, selama ini UMNO dihormati dan disegani sebagai sebuah parti politik disebabkan ia mendapat sokongan majoriti dari orang-orang Melayu dan Bumiputera, lantas kekuatan UMNO adalah bergantung kepada ahlinya.

Beliau juga turut menempelak pihak yang mengatakan UMNO parti perkauman kerana hakikatnya UMNO dan orang Melayu amat terbuka dan bertolak ansur dengan kaum lain.

“UMNO akan terus mendapat tempat selama mana kehendak dan kemampuan rakyat dapat dizahirkan dalam perjuangan, seterusnya dimanifestasikan dalam gerak kerja demi kepentingan rakyat menyeluruh,” katanya.

Beliau berkata sebagai tonggak parti pemerintah, UMNO akan terus menjuarai soal kebajikan dan periuk nasi semua rakyat dan mahukan gerak kerja parti selari dengan tuntutan zaman.

“Khidmat UMNO harus merata. Kita akan tetap menjadi parti yang pro kepada pertumbuhan ekonomi berdaya tahan, pengagihan kekayaan yang adil, jaringan keselamatan sosial menyeluruh dan kos hidup terkawal,” ujar beliau lagi kepada para perwakilan yang berjumlah 2,541 orang.

Dalam ucapan tersebut juga, beliau turut menyeru semua bangsa Melayu untuk bersama-sama membentuk satu saf yang berasaskan pertautan pemikiran dan memulih silaturrahim demi kepentingan bersama.

“Apa yang penting, ahli-ahli UMNO perlu mewajahkan peri laku mulia dan nilai-nilai murni sebagai asas jati diri dan kekuatan parti,” tegasnya.

Beliau yang mengambil alih tampuk kepimpinan parti melalui proses peralihan daripada pemimpin sebelumnya Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Mac lalu turut berpesan kepada golongan pemimpin di semua peringkat lapisan agar sentiasa melakukan muhasabah dalam diri, melihat kelemahan dan memperbetulkan kekhilafan.

“Janganlah segan untuk turun ke bawah dan merapatkan diri dengan akar umbi sekalipun kita menyandang jawatan tinggi – ini kerana mereka yang menunjukkan keikhlasan dan merasai keseronokan menabur bakti kepada rakyat akan menjadi pemimpin yang disanjung.”

Dalam proses perubahan UMNO juga, beliau menegaskan bahawa kriteria dalam menentukan calon pilihan raya akan diubah kerana calon itu perlulah seseorang yang diterima masyarakat tempatan di samping mempunyai kualiti untuk berkhidmat kepada tiga peringkat penting iaitu peringkat rakyat, peringkat parti dan peringkat negara.

Beliau juga mengajak agar ahli-ahli UMNO berhijrah meninggalkan gejala negatif seperti politik wang supaya UMNO menjadi parti yang bersih dan dihormati setelah pindaan perlembagaan parti dibuat pada Perhimpunan Agung Khas UMNO.

Katanya pindaan itu bukan bersifat kosmetik mahu pun tempel-tempelan, sebaliknya ia adalah perubahan secara tuntas dan signifikan.

Madu dan racun untuk memulihkan UMNO

2009-10-14T10:45:00.000+08:00

AHMAD A. TALIB Najib's reality check for party

2009/10/14

By Ahmad A. Talib

IF not for the tone of the speech, Datuk Seri Najib Razak's pre-assembly briefing to delegates at the Umno general assembly would have been described as harsh and hurtful.

It was hard-hitting no doubt, said delegates coming out of the closed-door session. In fact, the Umno president took the delegates to task for some of their questionable behaviour and got away with cheers and applause.

A delegate from Perak, who declined to be named, said he felt embarrassed when Najib highlighted the known bad habits of members. He was sure that many in the Dewan Merdeka at the Putra World Trade Centre where the session was held felt just as ashamed.

"But the light-hearted way in which Najib outlined these party-survival issues made the whole exercise less painful. But make no mistake, the words hit us deep. He ripped us apart, but did so with a big dose of humour and measured cynicism. He made us feel guilty and embarrassed," the 40-something delegate said.

Party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak at the pre-assembly briefing at the Putra World Trade Centre last night.

A seasoned campaigner from Negri Sembilan said he had not heard a speech delivered like that in recent years.

"At this point in time, Umno needs someone who can rally us and give us a reality check. I can tell you, we got it yesterday. We need to atone our misdeeds quickly," the man said.

The session was closed to the media. But delegates who shared their thoughts with reporters were in unison giving Najib the thumbs up.

Delegates came to the assembly expecting their president to speak from the high ground but were pleasantly surprised when he spoke in a language they could all understand.

They were happy and came out of the briefing with a renewed sense of purpose after hearing Najib's hour-long speech. Najib, delegates said, touched on money politics, ego problems, internal bickering and destructive behaviour which had alienated many good Malays from joining and serving the party.

A member of one of Umno's bureaus, who came from Terengganu, was also glad that Najib paid tribute to the ongoing efforts to consolidate the party in his state.

The internal dispute has lingered for several months and threatened unity and party machinery.

The delegate explained that what Najib did was to highlight the negative elements in the party and thrust them in the face of those present.

He did so with the right balance of humour and serious warning that if the members were to rest on their laurels, the important win in the Bagan Pinang by-election last week would have been meaningless.

Indeed, Najib set the tone for the proceedings over the next three days on a high note. It is now up to the delegates to move with the party leadership to chart a new way forward for Umno as it faces challenges ahead in the next few years.

ahmadt51@gmail.com

ITS DECISION TIME

2009-09-28T04:54:00.002+08:00

Its not going to be easy for anyone to decide whether Tan Sri Isa Samad should or should not contest in the Bagan Pinang by election. It is easier said than done for UMNO to get out of the rut and be clean, some drastic measures should be taken some time, some sober actions should be taken other times. In my opinion, if Tan Sri Isa Samad is not loyal to UMNO, Negri Sembilan would also be an opposition state now and if he had contested as a PR candidate, he would be Negri Sembilan's Menteri Besar now. Should he be compensated for his loyalty now. Whatver, it is decision time.

Should Samy Velu be asked to leave MIC after winning uncontested in the last Annual General Meeting. Again it is easier for a non MIC member to comment against MIC's members' wishes. If the majority of MIC members had heeded to public opinion there is no issue. They chose not too. This must be respected. Its not up to anybody else outside MIC. Its for Samy Vellu and MIC to decide. Whatever, it is decision time.

Eyeing food shelf life

2009-08-26T20:18:00.000+08:00

Some good info to share with you.
This is very useful, please share with your friends if you find it useful too.

How long can that bottle of ketchup stay in your fridge before it goes bad?

I'm thinking 5 or 10 years but if you want an experts opinion, go to the web site below.

This site lists all kind of foods and how to keep them fresh longer as well as when to get rid of them.

CLICK ON LINK BELOW

http://www.stilltasty.com/

Dato Seri Najib selamat pulang dari bercuti

2009-08-22T20:23:00.003+08:00

Kelihatan YAB Dato Seri Najib dan Y A Bhg Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor mengaminkan doa selamat pulang ke tanah air di Kompleks Bunga Raya Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

Eyeing Cycling Development Costs

2009-07-07T03:26:00.001+08:00

2009/07/06

Cycling: Massive savings for NSC programmes

By : Arnaz M. Khairul

Email to friend Print article

THE national road and track cycling programmes will be getting a long awaited boost in a deal that will provide the National Sports Council (NSC) with massive savings with Australia's Teschner Technologies Group as bike suppliers.

Years of questionable sums spent by the NSC on purchase of bicycles from local suppliers will be somewhat calmed in a deal that only awaits the official approval from the Malaysian National Cycling Federation's (MNCF) executive committee.

MNCF deputy president Datuk Naim Mohamad said the track sprints squad based in Melbourne will be the first to receive the Teschner bicycles, with the road squad preparing for the Asian Championships to follow suit.

"This is part of a deal outlined in a cooperative sports agreement between Malaysia and Australia," said Naim.

More details on the agreement are expected to be announced by Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith at the Australian High Commission.
"In principal, all our executive committee members have agreed to the deal and it is just about making it official in a meeting," said Naim.

"What is also important is that this frees up more space and budgets, so that more cyclists can benefit from our development programmes."

On a separate note, Naim said, more riders from the back-up programmes will be having stints in Melbourne, while those in the elite squad will continue to be based there.

"This will be on an ad hoc basis. Eventually, the back-up riders will be the ones to fill in spaces left by the current elite squad so it is only ideal that they be exposed to what they can expect to be part of once they move up," said Naim.

"At the same time, the back-up riders will need to know where they stand in comparison to the elite riders and other better riders in Australia, where there are more high level competitions than what we have available here."

1 Malaysia on its way

2009-06-27T02:01:00.001+08:00

MCA and Chinese groups plan to fete Najib

KUALA LUMPUR: The MCA and 15 major Chinese guilds will host a welcome dinner for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. The event will be held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre tomorrow.

Among the organisers are the Malaysian Seven Major Clans Association, the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia, the Malaysia Lion and Dragon Dance Association, the Eight Malaysian Chinese Organisations and the SMI Association of Malaysia.

Organising chairman and MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said some 2,200 people have been invited to the dinner.

They are mainly leaders from the Chinese guilds, Chinese chambers of commerce and Barisan Nasional component parties.

“The dinner is to show our support for Najib,” Liow said.

Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia president Tan Sri Lim Gait Tong said the event will be a platform to forge closer ties between the Chinese community and Najib.

They forgot about the signboard

2009-06-18T08:53:00.003+08:00

This picture of a signboard in Kelana Jaya was taken on the 15th of June, 2009. Either Majlis Bandaran Petaling Jaya or Celcom must be unaware of this. What is the PKR Government doing? They don't seem to be aware as well. Signboards are for awareness. Nobody seems to be aware of this.

Dominant but not dominating

2009-06-07T22:14:00.000+08:00

Datuk Dr Agoes Salim is an an economist and first secretary-general of the National Unity Ministry. He is also former chairman of Bank Pertanian. He was on the public service secretariat of the National Operations Council following the riots and helped draw up both the Rukun Negara and the NEP
anizad@nst.com.my

A Very Wise View

Dominating role not healthy for nation,

I THINK we are farther apart now than we were in 1969.

But you have to remember that I grew up going to an English school, to a university where there were people of all races. At that time, although we did think in terms of race, it wasn’t in the way people do now. We felt that we were Malayans. We socialised much better than we do now.

Bahasa Malaysia can be a unifying factor. But it can be a factor separating people, too.

As Sukarno would say, “The important thing is the jiwa.”
You don’t have to have a common language, if you have the same jiwa (heart, spirit, passion, devotion). This is what we don’t have right now.

In 1956, the historical society of Universiti Malaya went to India.

There were lots of Indians in the group, but they didn’t think of themselves as Indians, they thought of themselves as Malayans.

That’s the jiwa.

But later on, because of certain reactions, suddenly people stayed away from this jiwa — they don’t feel as though they are fully Malaysian. They are made to feel that way.

When I was in the service, there were lots of non-Malays in the civil service, holding good positions. But do you see them now? If you go to the universities, where are the non-Malay professors?

After 1969, suddenly there was this drive to make sure that all university vice-chancellors and faculty deans were Malay. So, in the end, we chased away all the best brains among the non-Malays.

When schools say you must start school with a doa (Muslim prayer recitation), you push away all the non-Muslims. When I was at school, we never had any prayers. Whatever we learnt in religious class was a separate thing.

I think it’s more important that we bring people together, rather than pushing religion so hard that it alienates other people. This is what’s happening. I can’t blame the Chinese and Indians; why should they go to a sekolah kebangsaan (national school), when they have to do all these things?

All the things are breaking down. Our school system is not as it used to be. We are producing supposedly so many students with so many As, but what do they know? Are we happy about it? The leaders seem to be happy about it.

We came up with the Rukun Negara because, after 1969, there was the feeling that the nation was breaking down. People had forgotten what it was all about. So, we thought we could bring people back together — unite them. That’s what the first part of the Rukun Negara is about: the objectives of the nation.

Unfortunately, we did practically nothing to promote an understanding of the Rukun Negara. And when schools make mistakes, nobody corrects them. That should have been the role of the Department of Information.

In the beginning, Tan Sri Ghazali Shafie did try to apply the test of whether something was in consonance with the Rukun Negara or not. But then, the government just forgot about this.

We are supposed to be a united nation, not only in terms of state, but also in terms of people: that they would all consider themselves as Malaysians, and that this was their country and their nation. We wanted all these people to share the wealth of the nation.

One of the things we thought contributed to ’69 was the economic disparities, joblessness.

The New Economic Policy was a policy for all Malaysians; not just for the Malays. But we wanted to restructure the economy so that the Malays would come out of the rural agriculture sector into the commercial sector.

We wanted Malay participation at all levels of economic activity. We wanted to uplift the Malays without reducing the position of the others.. — “eradicating poverty regardless of less”.

And this was supposed to be in a situation of growth. Not just sharing the existing cake, but the cake must grow, so that these people also have the opportunity to grow.

At the same time, we also hoped that the Malays would grow a little faster. So, they set this target of 30 per cent equity in 20 years. I was not much in favour of that because I didn’t think it was achievable. I felt that participation was more important than wealth.

We never thought that we would produce multi-billionaires. That was never the intention of the NEP. If some people can come up as everyone comes up, it’s okay. But it wasn’t supposed to be about some people getting contracts.

We did say that we should have Malay millionaires just as we should have Chinese and Indian millionaires, but not so much so that you don’t have to do anything.

You must differentiate between dominance and domination. As Tun Dr Ismail said, “We want to be dominant, but we don’t want to dominate.”
Dominant in the sense that we wanted the Malays to be everywhere; but not to dominate all the others.

But we seem to be dominating; and I don’t think that’s healthy for the nation. It’s not about taking your share and not caring about the rest.

Husam wants to be always on top

2009-06-06T11:15:00.001+08:00

Pas deputy president aspirant Datuk Husam Musa said it is too late for his rival Nasharuddin Mat Isa to deny that the party has no plans to join Umno. "It's too late to deny it... I am part of the party top leadership so I know what really happened behind the scenes. The truth will come out sooner or later," he told reporters after the opening of the 55th Pas Muktamar at the Melawati Stadium in Shah Alam.

Husam, who is going for broke, stressed that Pas must be an alternate party to arch-rival Umno.

In referring to the Pakatan Rakyat's plan to form the federal government, the Kelantan senior exco pointed out that a prime minister could come from Pas.

"The PM should be from Pas but if you team up with Umno, you'll be a Minister in PM’s Department. I won't be satisfied because my boss will be under Umno," he said.

He stressed there will not be any co-operation with Umno to jointly govern the country.
"If Pas works with Umno, we will become a lackney. Umno will remain the dominant party, and that's the end for Pas. If Umno lost the elections later and they want to work with us, its okay, provided Pas on top and Umno below. If Umno on top and Pas below, finished," he said.

Good news from CHINA

2009-06-06T01:14:00.000+08:00

China offers Sime Darby multi-billion development project

By WONG SAI WAN and CELESTE FONG

BEIJING: Sime Darby has been offered a multi-billion dollar development project in the Weifang prefecture city covering almost 700 sq km – making it one of the biggest venture ever undertaken by a foreign company in China.

Calling it an “iconic milestone project”, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the development would be undertaken by Sime Darby as the lead agency with many Malaysian companies involved.

“This is definitely more than a township project. This is massive and has great potential for many Malaysian companies. This is very exciting,” said Najib to Malaysian reporters at the end of his first official visit to China as Prime Minister.

He said he had met the Communist Party secretary of the Shandung province over the offer to Sime Darby.

“He has given it in writing confirming the offer and Sime Darby has confirmed its interest. We will follow up on this,” Najib added.

Weifang is known as the kite capital of the world because it is a popular past time for the locals and international kite-flying festivals are held there annually.

The present city has a population of 8.5 million and covers some 15,000 sq km. It is located 500km South of Beijing.

Najib disclosed that the Malaysian and Chinese Governments had also come to an understanding on several other huge projects in China and Malaysia.

In his discussions with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao, Najib said he told the Chinese leader that Malaysia was considering offering the rail double-tracking project from Gemas to Johor Baru to a Chinese company.

Asked if this was the same project that was to have been undertaken by a Chinese company before it was shelved in 2003, Najib said it was a different one as the double tracking had already reached Gemas.

The China Government in return, was willing to offer soft loans for this project from a US$10bil fund they had set aside for infrastructure projects meant for Asean countries.

They were also willing to extend a US$15bil trade credit facility.

Najib said he also offered China a commercial banking licence in Malaysia provided the same was offered to a Malaysian bank and the two central banks had been instructed to follow up on this matter.

In their discussions, the Chinese side also expressed the need for the Mengkuang Dam project in Penang to be given to a Chinese company as was agreed upon previously and Najib said this project would be given to the Chinese firm to build the dam on a joint-venture basis with a Malaysian company.

China had also expressed interest in the energy sector especially in the Bakun project as well as the transmission of the power to the peninsular.

Najib said two multi-billion projects in Sarawak – the pulp paper mill and the aluminium smelting plant – was likely to go ahead as “both sides seems to have sorted out most of the problem.”

On Thursday, Acacia Cellulose International Sdn Bhd (a joint-venture company based in Sarawak) signed a memorandum off understanding with China National Machinery and Equipment Import and Export Corporation for the Chinese firm to build the mill.

The project is estimated to be worth over RM4bil.

Najib said he had also given Malaysia’s undertaking to honour the deal on the construction of the Second Penang Bridge that it is to be jointly constructed by a China construction company.

“The first progress payment of RM300mil has already been paid and we are now studying the details of the soft loan being offered by the Chinese Government for this project,” he added.

Fifteen other MoUs and agreements were also signed and it is estimated that the projects, if they went ahead would be worth some RM6.4bil.

In his discussions with Chinese leaders, Najib said he identified five sectors that big companies from China could invest in Malaysia.

These are infrastructure, energy, certain manufacturing industries, services and finance.

On the 16 MoUs, Najib said the Malaysian government had scrutinised all of them and found them to be viable and likely to take off.

“We rejected many other MoUs because of some doubts. This is despite intensive lobbying by those in the private sector,” he added.

A big YES for Najib but ........

2009-06-05T06:32:00.002+08:00

45% happy, 16% not happy and maybe 39% undecided. The Malays and Indians looks like they have understood what one Malaysia is. The chinese are always very suspicious? Lets have another poll after the China trip. If the China Chinese can appreciate Najib, why not the Malaysian Chinese?

The Sudan Connection

2009-06-02T00:36:00.003+08:00

Mr. Khalil Ibrahim Ahmed, Datuk Naim Mohamad, Datuk Mustapha Yaakub, HE Nadir Yousif Eltayeb, Mr Ahmed Abdelbagi Hammad and Mr Syed Othman Al Kherid.

Tuan Syed Othman and Puan Hasnah Ali

The UMNO General Assembly 2008 from 24/3 to 28/3/2009

2009-04-23T18:08:00.002+08:00

Naim addressing the foreign delegates

Foreign Party delegates meeting with the new UMNO President

Receiving a gift from Vietnam

A photo with the First Lady

Receiving a gift from Sri Lanka

NAJIB'S cabinet

2009-04-09T07:24:00.005+08:00

Whoever YAB Dato Seri Mohd Najib appoints today in his cabinet will be his prerogative. His privilege and his exclusive right as the Prime Minister of Malaysia. As president of UMNO, I am sure he will consult the polit bureau. As Chairman of Barisan Nasional, I am sure he will consult the supremos of the component parties.

Najib's cabinet will have to be the people's cabinet if he wants to convincingly get back the two thirds majority. UMNO and Barisan Nasional alone will not be able to deliver that for now. He has to dig deep and have a cabinet that the people will like and that the people will trust in handling the affairs of the nation.

Pak Lah was not that successful with the rakyat of Malaysia in forming his cabinet, we hope and pray that YAB Dato Seri Mohd Najib will not repeat his predecessor's mistake.

Whatever is the list, they should be given time to prove themselves. The vote of confidence or no confidence on the choice of cabinet members should only be given when after some time, they perform or do not perform.

The come back kid

2009-04-06T09:43:00.003+08:00

Welcome back to UMNO Tun Mahathir Mohamad and family.

Najib kills three birds with one stone?

2009-04-06T09:26:00.002+08:00

There are three by elections which will be decided by the 7th of April, 2009 (by the way the number seven is my lucky number) and who says Najib is not campaigning. The walk through Petaling street (China Town), Brickfields (Litte India) and Kampong Kerinci kills three birds with one stone. Its like being in Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Batang Ai at the same time.

In his sincerety to walk his talk, he is reaching the voters in the three by elections at the same time. This is real politics and politics of the highest order. Down to earth people friendly programmes will go a long way in making Malaysia "numero uno" again. Yes ONE MALAYSIA is not only uniting Malaysia where we Malaysians will act as one, but we as Malaysians will also be number one in all that we do (nothing less).

Syukur Alhamdullilah. Tahniah YAB Dato Seri Najib

2009-04-03T11:19:00.003+08:00

Semoga Malaysia dan rakyatnya akan maju dan sejahtera di bawah pimpinan YAB Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak sebagai Perdana Menteri Malaysia yang ke enam. Naim 3 hb April, 2009.

The Sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia

2009-04-03T11:12:00.003+08:00

YAB Dato Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak

The Sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia

2009-04-03T11:12:00.000+08:00

YAB Dato Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak

The Seventh President of UMNO

2009-04-03T11:11:00.000+08:00

YAB Dato Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak

A Very Good Picture

2009-03-29T23:52:00.003+08:00

YB Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, YAB Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak, Tun Mahathir and Pak Lah.

Pak Lah to see Agong on the 2nd of April, 2009.

2009-03-29T23:47:00.002+08:00

Giving way to YAB Dato' Seri Najib to be the 6th Malaysian Prime Minister. Can we propose the swearing in date to be 4-4-2009.

Barack Obama's Video

2009-01-18T10:29:00.000+08:00

Naim --

I have some exciting news to share about the future of this grassroots movement.

I recorded a personal message for you. Please take a minute to watch the video:

http://my.barackobama.com/thefuture

What you built can't stop now. Together with our partners at the Democratic National Committee and its new chairman, Governor Tim Kaine, this movement will continue organizing and bringing new people into the political process.

The challenges facing our country are too great, and our journey to change America is just beginning.

I look forward to working side-by-side with you in the months and years ahead.

Thanks,

Barack

Michelle's call for service

2009-01-13T05:41:00.002+08:00

from	Michelle Obama

to		Naim Mohamad
date		Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 5:07 AM
subject		Your call to service
mailed-by		bounce.bluestatedigital.com

hide details 5:07 AM (33 minutes ago)

Naim

One week from today, on January 19th, Barack and I will join thousands of people all across the country for an extraordinary day of service.

I recorded a short video to tell you more about this important effort. Please take a minute to watch it and sign up to host or attend a service event near you.

Volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are committing to renew America together, one community at a time.

Whatever service activity you organize or take part in -- cleaning up a park, giving blood, volunteering at a homeless shelter, or mentoring an at-risk youth -- you can help start this important journey. But this is about more than just a single day of service, it's the beginning of an ongoing commitment to your community.

Monday, January 19th, is also Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Dr. King taught us to live a life of service, and he led by example. He once said:

"If you want to be important -- wonderful. If you want to be recognized -- wonderful. If you want to be great -- wonderful. But, recognize that he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. That's a new definition of greatness."

Barack and I will be volunteering in Washington, D.C., our new home. I hope you'll join us by taking part in this national call to service in your community:

It will take ordinary citizens working together with a common purpose to get this country back on track. This national day of service is an important first step in our continuing commitment.

Now is the time to remind all Americans what ordinary people can accomplish when we stand together.

Thank you,

Michelle

Israel will pay for it one day

2009-01-10T19:56:00.003+08:00

The GAZA massacre
I honestly thought that we had solved the problem back then when there is an agreement of the ceasefire and the upliftment of the blockade and also the intervention of the Group of FOUR.
I am sure Israel's attempt to wipe out the Palestinian's cause will not end when the bombings, carnage and the killings stop.

Kuala Trengganu By Election 2

2009-01-08T07:52:00.004+08:00

In the Kuala Trengganu Parliamentary by election, PAS named the Wakaf Mempelam State Assemblyman as their candidate.

He will be up against Wan Farid of the Barisan Nasional and another Independent candidate.

Even though Wan Farid is the underdog in this battle for Kuala Trengganu, there is no guarantee that this son of Mohd Endot will be getting it easy.

There is no certainty that the three state constituencies that the PAS controlled as against the solo constituency that is with the Barisan Nasional can ensure a PAS victory.

Kuala Trengganu By Election 1

2009-01-08T07:46:00.003+08:00

Wan Farid with his other candidates and Wan Farid swearing in as a Senator

Kuala Trengganu By Election

2009-01-04T16:43:00.002+08:00

Barisan Nasional is now the under dog in the Kuala Trengganu Parliamentary seat by election. It is
going to be an uphill task for all the BN workers whilst the PAS workers can be rest assured they will get the support from the three constituencies that they have captured in the 12th G E.
The less than 700 majority that the BN Parliamentarian won on behalf of Barisan Nasional is too small a margin for any comfort. But nevertheless, Kuala Trengganu is not Permatang Pauh. So the underdog still have a good chance to retain that Parliament Seat although the symbol looks smaller.

Merry Christmas Michele Obama

2008-12-25T00:41:00.000+08:00

from	Michelle Obama
reply-to		info@barackobama.com
to		Naim Mohamad
date		Wed, Dec 24, 2008 at 12:50 AM
subject		Happy holidays
mailed-by		bounce.bluestatedigital.com
Images from this sender are always displayed. Don't display from now on.

hide details 12:50 AM (23 hours ago)

Naim --

This holiday season, the grassroots movement you helped build can make a big difference for those in need.

I hope you will join me in supporting your favorite charity or contributing to causes that are especially meaningful to me and my family.

While many of us will spend the holidays counting our blessings and sharing dinner with loved ones, millions of people around the country won't be so fortunate. Donating to your local food bank will help provide a holiday meal to people in your community who can't afford one.

Talking with the families of deployed troops was one of the most rewarding experiences I had during the campaign. Giving to Operation USO Care Package is a great way to send members of our military stationed around the world a reminder that someone back home is thinking of them.

This is a time to celebrate our blessings, the new year, and a new era for our country. But it's also a time to come together on behalf of those who need our help.

Do what you can to help today by locating your local food bank and giving your support:

http://my.barackobama.com/foodbanks

Or send a care package to an American in uniform:

http://my.barackobama.com/carepackage

Thank you for all that you do and have a very happy holiday season,

Michelle

Bless them all

2008-12-15T13:06:00.002+08:00

If you woke up this morningwith more health than illness,You are more blessed than the million who won't survive the week. If you have never experienced the danger of battle,the loneliness of imprisonment,the agony of torture or the pangs of starvation, You are ahead of > 20 million people around the world.

If you have food in your refrigerator,clothes on your back, a roof overyour head and a place to sleep,You are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank,in your wallet, and spare change in a dish some place, You are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy. If your parents are still married and alive,You are very rare, especially nowadays. If you hold up your head with a smileon your face and are truly thankful,You are blessed because the majority can,but most do not.

If you can hold someone's hand, hug them or even touch them on the shoulder,You are blessed because you can offer God's healing touch. If you can read this message,You are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read anything at all. You are so blessed in ways you may never even know. If you are feeling blessed, repay the blessings bestowed unto you and do something for others. Remind others that they are also blessed in many ways and to be grateful always.

ZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....................

2008-12-08T15:34:00.002+08:00

Our Prime Minister catching a few winks

Our Prime Minister in deep thought

The Obama small deed

2008-11-29T09:47:00.000+08:00

Obama Helped Stranger 20 Years Ago

Oct 05, 2008

The Norwegian newspaper VG has reported a truly amazing story about a newly-wed trying to get to Norway to be with her husband, and the stranger who helped pay an unexpected luggage surcharge.

The blog 'Leisha's Random Thoughts' has translated the story:

It was 1988, and Mary Andersen was in line at the Miami airport checking in for a long flight to Norway to be with her husband. When it was finally Mary's turn, she got the message that would crush her bubbling feeling of happiness.

"You'll have to pay a 103 dollar surcharge if you want to bring both those suitcases to Norway ," the man behind the counter said.

Mary had no money. Her new husband had travelled ahead of her to Norway , and she had no one else to call.

"I was completely desperate and tried to think which of my things I could manage without. But I had already made such a careful selection of my most prized possessions, " says Mary.

As tears streamed down her face, she heard a 'gentle and friendly voice' behind her saying, "That's okay, I'll pay for her."

Mary turned around to see a tall man whom she had never seen before. He had a gentle and kind voice that was still firm and decisive. "The first thing I thought was, Who is this man?"

Although this happened 20 years ago, Mary still remembers the authority that radiated from the man. He was nicely dressed, with brown leather shoes, a cotton shirt open at the throat and khaki pants, says Mary.

She was thrilled to be able to bring both her suitcases to Norway and assured the stranger that he would get his money back. The man wrote his name and address on a piece of paper that he gave to Mary. She thanked him repeatedly. When she finally walked off towards the security checkpoint, he waved goodbye to her.

Who was the man?

Barack Obama.

Twenty years later, she is thrilled that the friendly stranger at the airport may be the next President and has voted for him already and donated 100 dollars to his campaign:

"He was my knight in shining armor," says Mary, smiling.

She paid the 103 dollars back to Obama the day after she arrived in Norway . At that time he had just finished his job as a poorly paid community worker in Chicago , and had started his law studies at prestigious Harvard university.

Mary even convinced her parents to vote for him: In the spring of 2006 Mary's parents had heard that Obama was considering a run for president, but that he had still not decided. They chose to write a letter in which they told him that he would receive their votes. At the same time, they thanked Obama for helping their daughter 18 years earlier.

And Obama replied. In a letter to Mary's parents dated May 4th 2006 and stamped "United States Senate, Washington DC ' Barack Obama writes:

'I want to thank you for the lovely things you wrote about me and for reminding me of what happened at Miami airport. I'm happy I could help back then, and I'm delighted to hear that your daughter is happy in Norway . Please send her my best wishes. Sincerely, Barack Obama , United States Senator'.

The parents sent the letter on to Mary.

Mary says that when her friends and associates talk about the election, especially when race relations is the heated subject, she relates the story of the kind man who helped out a stranger-in- need over twenty years ago, years before he had even thought about running for high office.

UPDATE: Also, remember this was 1988, when 100 dollars was quite a bit of money, compared to today's value.

Truly a wonderful story, and something that needs to be passed along in the maelstorm of fear-and-smear politics we are being subjected to right now.

All the best to the two girls

2008-11-21T11:11:00.003+08:00

Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz is the incumbent Chief of the Women's wing
and Dato Seri Sharizat Jalil is the incumbent Deputy Chief. So they
have decided to have a go at each other instead of adhering to the
compromy agreed earlier on. Shahrizat supporters do not want to
wait that long till June, 2009 and Kamiliah had pressured not to bow
down to all the understandings that had been reached amongst the EXCO.

In the recent General Election, Shahrizat lost to a younger woman, in accepting
to challenge Rafidah, she must have thought that her chances are and will be
better against an older woman. If young is strong and old is weak, than she had
decided on a risk which she can gain rather than lose. But if more nominations
means strong and less nominations means weak, she has to turn the table around.

Best of luck ladies. The men used to say BMW (best man win), but in this case of
BMW (may the BEST MOTHER WIN). Hopefully the women members of UMNO
can unite quickly after the contest to face the daunting task of winning the next GE.

AMERIKA SYARIKAT BOLEH

2008-11-05T14:58:00.006+08:00

Barack Obama telah berjaya didalam pilihanraya Presiden
di Amerika Syarikat dan akan menjadi Presiden Kulit Hitam
Pertama Amerika sebagai Presiden Amerika Syarikat yang ke
empat puloh empat (44). Apa yang hendak diperjuangkan oleh
President Elect Obama ialah AMERIKA SYARIKAT BOLEH.

Pertabalan Barack Obama akan berlangsung pada 20 hb Januari, 2009.
Sejarah Besar Dunia akan di cipta dalam masa 76 hari lagi.

CONGRATULATIONS YAB Dato' Seri Mohd Najib

2008-11-03T07:30:00.002+08:00

Congratulations YAB Dato' Seri Hj Mohd Najib bin Tun Hj Abdul Razak for winning the UMNO's Presidency without contest. Under the UMNO election rule, anyone contesting the President's post must obtain at least 30% of the nominations from the 191 UMNO divisions. As at 4-11 pm on the 2nd of November, 2008 - YAB Dato' Seri Hj Mohd Najib had obtained 134 nominations.
YBM Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah had obtained 1 nomination. By the end of the day, YAB Dato' Seri Hj Mohd Najib would have secured another 5 more nominations bringing it to a total of 139 nominations from 140 UMNO divisions. Even if YBM Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh gets all the balance nominations, he still will not qualify. There are another 51 UMNO divisions to complete their meetings and one foresees that the President's nomination will go to YAB Dato' Seri Hj Mohd Najib bin Tun Hj Abdul Razak. Congratulations to Pak Lah for making a very wise decision not to contest the President's post. Now UMNO can and should unite under the new President to move forward to champion the cause of the Malays and Malaysians.

PENGKHIANAT UMNO?

2008-10-29T23:14:00.004+08:00

Kenapa kah UMNO akan hancur dan dihapuskan dari muka bumi ini?

Ini akan hanya dapat dilakukan oleh ahli ahli UMNO sendiri. Tidak ada musuh didunia ini akan dapat melumpuhkan UMNO kecuali ahli ahli UMNO sendiri. Tindak tanduk ahli ahli perwakilan UMNO pada pemilihan UMNO yang akan datang ini akan secara langsong mempamerkan sama ada UMNO akan boleh dipercayai atau tidak.

Sejumlah 191 Bahagian UMNO akan menghantar seramai ( 191 X 13 ) dua ribu dua ratus lapan puloh tiga perwakilan ke perhimpunan akan datang. Perwakilan bahagian ini dipilih oleh Mesyuarat Perwakilan Bahagian yang terdiri dari perwakilan dari Cawangan Cawangan UMNO. Cawangan cawangan UMNO bersidang dan memilih perwakilan kemesyuarat perwakilan bahagian. Di Persidangan Cawangan, pencalonan tidak dijadikan sebagai ajenda persidangan cawangan. Pencalonan jawatan jawatan tinggi UMNO diadakan sebagai satu ajenda didalam mesyuarat perwakilan bahagian.

Selain dari mencalonkan pemimpin pemimpin untuk memimpin UMNO, mesyuarat perwakilan bahagian juga memilih 7 orang perwakilan ke perhimpunan agong UMNO bersama sama dengan enam orang lagi (Ketua UMNO Bahagian, Timbalan Ketua UMNO Bahagian, Naib Ketua UMNO Bahagian, Ketua Wanita, Ketua Pemuda dan Ketua Puteri).

Maka apabila sesuatu Bahagian telah mencalonkan pemimpin pemimpin nya, menjadi wajib perwakilan bahagian itu mengundi mereka yang telah dicalonkan oleh bahagian nya. Dengan cara ini perwakilan bahagian ke perhimpunan agong telah melaksanakan tanggongjawab yang telah diamanahkan kepada mereka.

Jika 100 bahagian telah mencalonkan seseorang pemimpin, maka pemimpin itu sewajarnya menerima 1.300 undi. Dan jika seseorang pemimpin itu menerima 20 pencalonan maka secara lojik nya dia harus dan wajib menerima 260 undi sahaja. Ini tidak termasuk undi undi dari Majlis Tertinggi, perwakilan Wanita, Pemuda dan Puteri. (Lebih kurang 160 undi lagi).

Tetapi apabila ada perwakilan UMNO yang tidak amanah oleh kerana kepentingan kepentingan lain, maka timbul lah segala masaalah yang dihadapi oleh UMNO sekarang. Apabila perwakilan UMNO mengkhianati kehendak akar umbi UMNO yang diwakili nya dari peringkat cawangan ke peringkat bahagian, maka perjuangan nya sudah mula tidak diberkati kerana mereka telah pecah amanah. Dan pecah amanah ada lah satu jenayah. Apabila jenayah politik ini berleluasa, maka segala amalan buruk saperti politik wang, rasuah jawatan, rasuah peluang kontrak dan perniagaan, rasuah penganugerahan akan berlaku. Secara langsong kredibiliti UMNO akan runtuh dan orang ramai tidak akan mempercayai UMNO sebagai satu pertubuhan yang bersih dan amanah yang boleh di yakini dan di percayai untuk memerintah Malaysia.

Tanggongjawab sebagai perwakilan disetiap peringkat adalah berat. Jika iman mereka tidak kukuh dan mantap maka sudah tentu akan dapat dipengaruhi oleh kepentingan kepentingan yang lain. Dan apabila penyakit ini ujud dalam UMNO, maka harapan diberi kepada mereka yang walau pun mendapat pencalunan yang sedikit, ada peluang untuk memenangi jawatan yang ditanding nya.

UMNO tidak logik lagi, sifir dalam UMNO tidak akan dapat dikira lagi dan oleh kerana itu UMNO akan hancur dan musnah. Apabila pimpinan tidak diberkati maka banyak masaalah akan dihadapi.

Kepada ahli ahli UMNO yang telah sesat, tidak terlambat untuk balek ke pangkal jalan. Jika amanah dari cawangan dan bahagian tidak dapat dilaksanakan dengan baik, bagaimana kah UMNO hendak memikul amanah untuk memerintah negara.

Semua Ahli UMNO boleh menawarkan diri untuk berkhidmat kepada Parti dan Negara dengan mendapatkan pencalonan dari akar umbi UMNO. Apabila pencalunan telah di buat, mereka perlu akur dengan keputusan itu. Jangan lah mengharapkan untuk membeli undi, mempengaruhi undi dan mula membuat segala amalan yang akhirnya tidak memperkukuhkan UMNO sebagai satu pertubuhan yang disegani dan dihormati dan dimana rakyat boleh bergantung untuk masa depan mereka.

Jangan jadi pengkhianat kepada UMNO!

Dato Seri Najib pass the century

2008-10-27T22:48:00.001+08:00

As of the 27th October, 2008 at about 8-00 pm, the status of the nominations for the UMNO leadership positions are as follows:

President:
YAB Dato' Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak with 104 nominations

Deputy President:
1. YB Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin with 64 nominations
2. YAB Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam with 23 nominatons
3. YB Tan Sri Muhammad bin Muhammad Taib with 17 nominations

Vice Presidents:

1. YB Dato Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein with 83 nominations
2. YB Datuk Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi with 63 nominations
3. YB Datuk Seri Panglima Shafie Apdal with 48 nominations
4. YB Dato' Mohd Khaled Nordin with 49 nominations
5. YB Dato Seri Syed Hamid Albar (20)

Other Vice President hopefuls are:

YB Dato Seri Rais Yatim (10)
Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Tambychik (9)
Tan Sri Isa Samad (9)
YB Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (6)
YB Dato' Seri Jamaludin Jarjis (7)
Tan Sri Rahim Tambychik (5)
YAB Dato Seri Muhamad Hassan (4)
YAB Datuk Seri Panglima MUsa Aman (2)
YAB Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam (1)
Dato' Seri Anuar Musa - telah menarik diri (1)

UMNO Elections update 25th October, 2008

2008-10-25T23:45:00.003+08:00

As of the 25th October, 2008 at about 10-00 pm, the status of the nominations for the UMNO leadership positions are as follows:

President:
YAB Dato' Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak with 80 nominations

Deputy President:
1. YB Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin with 52 nominations
2. YAB Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam with 17 nominatons
3. YB Tan Sri Muhammad bin Muhammad Taib with 11 nominations

Vice Presidents:
1. YB Dato Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein with 66 nominations
2. YB Datuk Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi with 47 nominations
3. YB Datuk Seri Panglima Shafie Apdal with 37 nominations
4. YB Dato' Mohd Khaled Nordin with 37 nominations

Other Vice President hopefuls are:
YB Dato Seri Syed Hamid Albar (15)
YB Dato Seri Rais Yatim (8)
Tan Sri Isa Samad (8)
YB Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (6)
YB Dato' Seri Jamaludin Jarjis (5)
Tan Sri Rahim Tambychik (5)
YAB Dato Seri Muhamad Hassan (3)
YAB Datuk Seri Panglima MUsa Aman (2)
Dato' Seri Anuar Musa - telah menarik diri (1)

As at 5.15 pm today, another 10 nominations for DSN

2008-10-25T21:16:00.002+08:00

Dato' Seri Najib have got 77 nominations as of this evening for the President's post of UMNO

For the Deputy President's post:
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin 49 nominations (qualified)
Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam 17 nominations (still to qualify)
Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib 11 nominations (still to qualify)

Transition Plan - the big question?

2008-10-24T23:44:00.002+08:00

In reality, there is no transition of power. In reality YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi did not contest the UMNO's President post only. In reality there is no transfer of power. YAB Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak still have to be nominated and if there is a challenger needs to win the contest for the top UMNO position.

For the Deputy President's post, even though YB Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had qualified, he still need to slug it out with his contenders if they too qualified.

In reality, time is bought for four months for the present holder to pass it to the rightful owner. In reality UMNO and Barisan Nasional will lose four months of valuable constructive time so that Pak Lah can complete his reforms which should have been done two, three or four years ago.

Weather Alert-Time for BN to act

2008-10-24T10:42:00.002+08:00

The cabinet committee on disaster should be activated and act fast to help the Northern States.

Stormy weather wreaks havoc in northern states

The newly formed government of the northern states may not have the experience to cope with the natural disaster that they are experiencing now. The Barisan Nasional federal machinery should be activated to help and assist them.

MONEY POLITICS BACK IN TOWN

2008-10-23T12:28:00.002+08:00

This message is only for the eyes of those who had reached maturity and are already immune to the dark ages of the Malaysian Political Scene where vote buying in UMNO politics was rampant and to a certain extend abusive.

The UMNO divisional meetings is progressing normally until this week when desperate candidates who want to qualify for positions are not getting the required nominations. So strong supporters of the candidates are accused of using money to get the nominations. It was claimed that previously the Divisional Heads will take full responsibilty in getting the nominations but now the nominations are the authority of the floor. So if the accussation is true, then money need to be spent not only on the divisional leadership but also the branches delegates. It looks like money politics is back in town.

UMNO need to resolve this matter urgently. If not UMNO will no longer be relevant because only people with money to spend will rule UMNO but not necessarily getting the support of the Malaysian Citizens at large.

When money is used to gain position then the positions will be used to cover back whatever money that is spent and may even be much more to sustain the position.

UMNO has to be serious about curbing and cleaning money politics from its system.

Muhyiddin Yassin surges ahead

2008-10-21T02:20:00.002+08:00

As of the 20th of October, 2008 after 64 UMNO divisions had completed their meetings, Honourable Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who is the incumbent Vice President of UMNO vying for the Deputy President's post had secured 43 (forty three) nominations.

Thus he had already qualified himself to contest the Deputy Presidency of UMNO.

Trying to make the promotion in UMNO

2008-10-20T10:47:00.004+08:00

As of the 20th of October, 2008 there are 64 (sixty four) UMNO divisions that had completed their meetings. The aspirant Deputy President candidates Right Honourable Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam (DAR) had secured 13 nominations whilst Honourable Tan Sri Mohd Muhamad Taib (TMMT) had secured 8 nominations.

Its a long way to go and supporters of both candidates are praying very hard for their nominations in the coming weeks.

Keahlian Terus Barisan Nasional - sebagai penawar

2008-10-17T14:08:00.003+08:00

Pendahuluan:

Masyarakat berbilang kaum dan agama diMalaysia memerlukan satu forum politik yang baru untuk menempoh fasa Malaysia sebagai negara maju (developed country) apabila Wawasan 2020 berjaya dilaksana dengan sepenohnya dalam masa 12 tahun lagi. Asas nya(foundation)wajib dimulakan sekarang untuk di uji dalam sekurang kurang nya dua pilihanraya umum.

Tujuan dan matlamat:

Mengujudkan satu forum dimana rakyat Malaysia dari pelbagai latar belakang agama, keturunan dan kaum dapat menjadi anggota kepada satu badan siasah untuk melaksanakan tanggongjawab politik mereka bagi menyelesaikan masaalah ekonomi dan sosial yang dihadapi oleh negara sebagai satu bangsa Malaysia.

Perlaksanaan:

Pada peringkat pertama nya Barisan Nasional perlu menerima keahlian secara terus (direct membership).

Syarat keahlian terus ialah sesaorang yang ingin memohon mestilah seorang pengundi yang berdaftar dan mempunyai alamat email.

Kelulusan keahlian adalah secara otomatik.

Keahlian nya sah di lokaliti nya sahaja (bila ada perpindahan perlu mendaftar semula).

Sistem perwakilan:

Ahli ahli di caucus lokaliti (L) akan memilih seorang wakil ke caucus daerah mengundi (DM).

Ahli ahli di caucus daerah mengundi (DM) akan memilih seorang perwakilan ke caucus Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN).

Ahli ahli di caucus DUN akan memilih seorang perwakilan ke caucus Parlimen.

Ahli ahli di caucus Parlimen memilih tiga wakil untuk menganggotai Majlis Tertinggi Barisan Nasional.

Pemilihan perwakilan di setiap peringkat akan dicapai dengan pengundian secara sulit melalui pengundian secara pos dan atau online yang ditadbir urus oleh Bahagian Keahlian Terus Barisan Nasional (HQ).

Ahli di setiap peringkat akan mendaftarkan minat untuk menawarkan diri sebagai perwakilan di peringkat mereka ke Bahagian Keahlian Terus Barisan Nasional (HQ) melalui borang atau template online yang disediakan.

Jadual pemilihan perwakilan:

Januari – Wakil (L) ke (DM)‏

Februari – Wakil (DM) ke (DUN)‏

March – Wakil (DUN) ke Parlimen

April – Wakil Parlimen ke Majlis Tertinggi

(Perwakilan disetiap peringkat dipilih satu tahun sekali dan boleh menjadi perwakilan sekali sahaja seumur hidup).

Perwakilan di setiap peringkat akan bertindak sebagai Pegawai Perhubungan HQ di peringkat masing masing.Untuk tempoh tahun yang disandang jawatan sebagai perwakilan peringkat

ahli itu memainkan peranan sebagai pegawai perhubungan (moderator) diperingkat yang mereka dipilih sahaja.

Data Keahlian:

1. Nama

2. Tarikh Lahir

3. Negeri

4. Kod Lokaliti

5. Kod Daerah Mengundi

6. Kod Dewan Undangan Negeri

7. Kod Parlimen

Nota:

Untuk keberkesanan perlaksanaan, satu sistem pengkalan data perlu dibina dan komunikasi diantara ahli dan juga dengan ibu pejabat dilaksanakan melalui email.

Log in Ahli ialah nombor kad pengenalan nya sementara password peringkat pertama ialah kod pemilih pilihanraya nya. Ahli boleh mengubah password nya satelah lulus keahlian.

The Barisan Nasional.

Kota Melaka UMNO Youth Divisional Meeting

2008-10-12T11:35:00.004+08:00

The Guest of Honour, Acting Division Head Hon.Datuk Latip Tambychik with Mr.Ashakari Hj Abu Noh the outgoing UMNO Youth Kota Melaka head who is the UMNO Melaka Youth Head flanked by the Permanent Chairman and the Assistant Secretary of the Youth movement.

Seen here from left Mr Abidullah Salleh (Treasurer), Mr Ibrahim Fadhil (Vice Chairman), Datuk Naim Mohamad (Guest of Honour), Mr Kamaruddin Ali (Committee Member) of UMNO Kota.

The UMNO Kota Melaka UMNO Youth convened its annual General meeting on the 10th of October, 2008 at the Grand Continental Hotel,Melaka. The meeting elected in Mr Abdul Razak as the new Youth head and Mr Shadan Osman as the new vice head of the Youth division.

Time to unite

2008-10-09T05:09:00.003+08:00

Malaysia's deputy leader Tuesday called for an end to political squabbles in the country, urging the people to unite to face the global financial crisis that he said could derail the country's growth.

Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak said the government may have to cut its growth target of 5.5 to 5.7 percent this year "if there is more bad news out of the U.S. and if the current situation leads to a significant downturn."

"Malaysians need to remain united and cohesive as the country prepares to face the global financial economic challenge," Najib, who is also finance minister, told reporters.

The National Front coalition, which has led Malaysia since independence in 1957, faces the threat of being ousted by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, who has moved to engineer defections from the ruling party.

"Now is not the time for politicking, speculation and political game by anybody. The government will act responsibly and swiftly to address any eventuality to safeguard the interest of the people and the nation," Najib said.

Pak Lah made a good decision

2008-10-08T22:49:00.003+08:00

At last Pak Lah had made a very good decision for himself, UMNO, Barisan Nasional and Malaysia. He showed his trueself and sacrificed a position of power for the sake of Malaysians at large and his country as a whole. And his honest intention was for UMNO not to be split. So that UMNO will be united and continue to play an important role in Malaysian politics. Pak Lah is back to the nice man that we had known him as before and that was loved by one and all.

So the new leadership must take heed of this important wish of Pak Lah who had sacrificed himself for the sake of unity in UMNO. Therefore, Tun Mahathir should rejoin UMNO. Yang Berhormat Mulia Tengku Razaleigh should not contest the Presidency but can be appointed in the Cabinet and participate in the UMNO Supreme Council. Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin can play a very effective role as the Deputy President. Datuk Seri Ali Rustam, Datuk Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Shafie Afdal can be very useful as Vice Presidents. Dato Nur Jazlan and the rest can aspire to be very good Supreme Council members.

We pray Dato Seri Najib, the son of Tun Abdul Razak, can play an effective role to orchestrate the UMNO Unity theme and consolidate UMNO in enhancing and strengthening Barisan Nasional for the good of Malaysians and Malaysia.

2008-09-28T01:23:00.003+08:00

NST says:

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will step down as prime minister much earlier than the planned date of June 2010, possibly by March next year.
At an emergency Umno supreme council meeting, Abdullah declined to expressly state when he would vacate the prime minister's position.But he said the transition plan that he had outlined in July -- where he would hand over power to his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak in June 2010 -- was "no longer in place".

The STAR says:

Najib to take over sooner
By SHAHANAAZ HABIB, JANE RITIKOS, FLORENCE A. SAMY and LISA GOH
Umno special supreme council meeting
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will hand over power to his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak earlier than June 2010, it was announced yesterday.
Umno has also postponed its annual general assembly and supreme council elections to next March to facilitate the “early transition of power,” said Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi after chairing a special supreme council meeting yesterday.

Racun says:

Can somebody please tell Pak Lah and Najib that they do not decide on UMNO's future. UMNO's future is to be decided by UMNO (the branch delegates to the divisional meetings and after that the divisional delegates to the UMNO General Assembly). There are occassions when leadership guides the decision. This is allowable when the party is in a commanding position and respected.
But the situation now is very different. UMNO is not in command and the people is rejecting the Leader. So rightfully UMNO's grassroots will have to rally behind a strong leader which will be given a chance to prop up the confidence of UMNO members and also its component partners in the Barisan Nasional.

Penawar says:

Its good that the leadership postphonement is scheduled for March, 2009 so that Pak Lah can really prepare for his retirement. The Divisions can then nominate and vote in the new leaders from 9th October to 9th November. When these new leaders won uncontested, (because the grapevine says that if Najib doesn't want to go for the number one post then there will be retractors who will back KuLi, if all the divisions agreed to Nominate Najib to take over, the nominations in the divisional meetings from 9/10 to 9/11, then KuLi will not get the splinter nominations.

UMNO will be strengthened with the new leadership and all UMNO members will rally behind and be united to face the future challenges together with renewed confidence and influence of their component partners in the Barisan Nasional.

Conclusion says:

Pak Lah is very wise to suggest this option, so that within now until March, 2009 (about 6 months time) he can systematically hand over the reign of the country to Dato Seri Najib.

The ideal situation says:

If this is the case, then the handover should be done by the 9th of October, 2008 so that UMNO is in a position to lead the BN pact before the other component parties had sorted out their leadership changes. UMNO is the backbone and it still has to be the spine for the reconstruction of Malaysian politics.

Pressure Pressure Pressure

2008-09-20T16:46:00.002+08:00

In the year 2008, today is only 2009 (20th September) not yet 2010 (the 2oth of Ocotober).

If the transition is to happen in 2010, then its in another month's time.

Saturday September 20, 2008

Pak Lah under pressure to exit

By JOCELINE TAN

PETALING JAYA: The Prime Minister is under pressure to fast-forward the transition plan that would have seen him handing over power to his deputy in 2010.

Umno supreme council members had reportedly told Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in their meeting on Thursday that the political situation was not improving and that he should consider an earlier exit.

At the same time, Abdullah’s supporters are rallying around him to ask him to stick to the transition plan and defend his president’s post, if need be.

Stepping out of line, Zaid

2008-09-12T22:51:00.003+08:00

Wah! Wah! Wah! Who is this Zaid Ibrahim? Still green and making such comments!

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 12 (Bernama) -- Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim Friday came out guns blazing against International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who Thursday asked the transfer of power fixed for 2010 be brought forward.

The de facto law minister said if Muhyiddin was not happy with the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, he should either resign or be sacked by Abdullah.

First of all Zaid, the appointment of Ministers is the prerogative of the Prime Minister including your position. You are of the same status. You cannot be asking the Prime Minister to do something which you do not have "local standi". We know lah you are obliged to defend the Boss. But look left and look right lah. You are a suspended UMNO member once, and I think because of your behaviour and the way you have been giving donations and contributions in Kota Bharu, Kelantan Darul Naim, you might be suspended again (money politics). YB Tan Sri Mahyudin Yassin is an UMNO Vice President. You think you are a Minister, you so big already kah? Sedar lah diri sikit.

The Prime Minister will know what to do lah. If not he should resign lah. What YB Tan Sri Mahyudin is doing is just voicing out the sentiments of the UMNO grassroots, the ordinary malays who are not getting any benefits and priviledges from joining UMNO, not like you tak semena mena jadi Menteri. Tak pa lah. UMNO dont mind you jadi Menteri kalau you betul layak dan tahu perasaan UMNO. Jangan lah sombong buta dan pekak tuli mentang mentang dah jadi Menteri.

I am priviledged to these comments because if to compare your services and contributions to UMNO as compared to me, you are no where. You got all the benefits from UEM, UMNO feed you and make you rich and that does not mean that you have the right to tell the Prime Minister or YB Tan Sri Mahyudin what to do. (Because we are fasting and this is the month of Ramadhan, I will reserve my other comments on your intervention in the Tan Sri Mahyudin matter.

The Ahmad Ismail phenomena - a 119 call for MALAYSIA

2008-09-11T00:09:00.003+08:00

It sure is disturbing. Ahmad Ismail is a friend (rakan seperjuangan) during our younger days. We were very active in our own ways when I was in Kota Melaka and he was and still is and now no more in Bukit Bendera.

I was puzzled by his outburst and strong headedness (kepala batu) on a very sensitive issue like the Malays and the Chinese and the history of Independent Malaya. Why oh why Saudara at this time? We all have to be responsible for our actions and words. Why want to irritate the Chinese community with such remarks? Why want to ask a member of the Barisan component party to leave the pact? Why so bold and arrogant? Why so ignorant for the fact that the Penang Malays are standing on quicksand? Very very questionable? If its for your personal benefit, then good luck Saudara ku. As a friend, I do not personally think that what you have done is for the good of the Malays.

The real Malays who are Tuans of Malaysia looks after everybody and anybody including the illegal immigrants that comes from all over. That's what our forefathers had decided and agreed upon to make us worthy of rightful owners of the land.

For getting UMNO into trouble, a three year ban is a small price to pay. "Kerana mulut badan binasa". These few words are for an individual. But the damage done to UMNO is not going to be easily mended. Sad to say this, you are still my friend like my many other friends who had betrayed UMNO, but you are no longer my "rakan seperjuangan".

A seven day notice to Anwar's 16th of September

2008-09-09T02:14:00.004+08:00

The Federation of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah merged on the 16th of September, 1963 to become Malaysia (the bigger Malaysia). But on the 9th of August,1965 Singapore was forced to be independent against its own will when the Parliament of Malaysia evicts Singapore from the merger. So the smaller Malaysia actually comes into being on the 9th of August, 1965.

Anwar is going back to 16th September to take over the country, that's the date when Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah merged to become Malaysia. So Anwar actually was counting on Singapore's support to take over Malaysia and playing on the sentiments of the Sarawak and Sabah MP's. If many of us can remember, there are a lot of communal problems during the two years preceeding that day. If he is thinking of Malaysia for Malaysia, his most appropriate date would be the 9th of August. Thats when the real Malaysia was reborn without the racial tensions and disorders and successfully grew till today.

So beware, do not let history repeats itself. Trouble and chaos all the while for two years after 16th September,1963. Peace and harmony after 9th August, 1965 except for the remnance of the 16th September problems (Malaysian Malaysia) which emerge in May,1969. Do not let Anwar bring us back to the dark ages of that Malaysian Malaysia campaign.

After being the US puppet during the Financial Crisis, now Anwar is becoming Singapore's pawn to ruin Malaysia?

In the month of Ramadhan when all Satans are under lock and key. This Satan is creating chaos and mockery. God forbids his evil intentions in this auspicious month.

Sincere hope from Anak Malaysia to all Malaysians especially to MP's in purportedly Anwar's crossover list.

Andai nya ini Ramadhan Terakhir

2008-09-07T16:07:00.000+08:00

andai kau tahu ini Ramadhan terakhir
tentu siangnya engkau sibuk berzikir
tentu engkau tak akan jemu melagukan syair rindu
mendayu..merayu...kepada-NYA Tuhan yang satu
andai kau tahu ini Ramadhan terakhir
tentu solatmu kau kerjakan di awal waktu
solat yang dikerjakan...sungguh khusyuk lagi tawadhu'
tubuh dan qalbu...bersatu memperhamba diri
menghadap Rabbul Jalil... menangisi kecurangan janji
"innasolati wanusuki wamahyaya wamamati lillahirabbil 'alamin"
[sesungguhnya solatku, ibadahku, hidupku, dan matiku...
kuserahkan hanya kepada Allah Tuhan seru sekalian alam]

andai kau tahu ini Ramadhan terakhir
tidak akan kau sia siakan walau sesaat yang berlalu
setiap masa tak akan dibiarkan begitu saja
di setiap kesempatan juga masa yang terluang
alunan Al-Quran bakal kau dendang...bakal kau syairkan

andai kau tahu ini Ramadhan terakhir
tentu malammu engkau sibukkan dengan
bertarawih...berqiamullail...bertahajjud...
mengadu...merintih...meminta belas kasih
"sesungguhnya aku tidak layak untuk ke syurga-MU
tapi...aku juga tidak sanggup untuk ke neraka-MU"

andai kau tahu ini Ramadhan terakhir
tentu dirimu tak akan melupakan mereka yang tersayang
mari kita meriahkan Ramadhan
kita buru...kita cari...suatu malam idaman
yang lebih baik dari seribu bulan

andai kau tahu ini Ramadhan terakhir
tentu engkau bakal menyediakan batin dan zahir
mempersiap diri...rohani dan jasmani
menanti-nanti jemputan Izrail
di kiri dan kanan ...lorong-lorong ridha Ar-Rahman

Duhai Ilahi....
andai ini Ramadhan terakhir buat kami
jadikanlah ia Ramadhan paling berarti...paling berseri...
menerangi kegelapan hati kami
menyeru ke jalan menuju redho serta kasih sayangMu Ya Ilahi
semoga bakal mewarnai kehidupan kami di sana nanti

Namun teman...
tak akan ada manusia yang bakal mengetahui
apakah Ramadhan ini merupakan yang terakhir kali bagi dirinya
yang mampu bagi seorang hamba itu hanyalah
berusaha...bersedia...meminta belas-NYA

andai benar ini Ramadhan terakhir buat kita…

…MAAFKAN SEMUA KESALAHAN YANG PERNAH KULAKUKAN…

Japanese Prime Minister Resigns

2008-09-03T02:27:00.000+08:00

Japan Begins Search for New PM After Fukuda's Resignation
By VOA News 01 September 2008

Yasuo Fukuda (File)

Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party has begun the process of selecting a successor to Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda after his surprise resignation.

Party leaders met Tuesday morning to discuss a schedule for electing a new party president, who is all but assured of becoming the country's next prime minister.

LDP Secretary-General and former Foreign Minister Taro Aso is seen as a frontrunner. Aso, who narrowly lost to Mr. Fukuda in last year's race for prime minster, has not said if he will run.

Mr. Fukuda announced his resignation on Monday, after less than a year in office. He said late Monday that Japan needs new leadership to face parliament when it opens September 12.

The prime minister has had low approval ratings since taking office last September. The opposition-controlled upper house of parliament has blocked many of his promised reforms.

Problems in Thailand

2008-09-03T02:19:00.000+08:00

Thai prime minister declares emergency in capital

By JOCELYN GECKER – 3 hours ago

BANGKOK, Thailand (AP) — Thailand's prime minister declared a state of emergency in the capital Bangkok on Tuesday after a week of political tension exploded into violent street clashes between supporters and opponents of the government that left one person dead.

Under sweeping powers that give the military the right to restore order, authorities can suspend certain civil liberties, ban all public gatherings of more than five people and bar the media from reporting news that "causes panic."

The military, which has staged 18 coups since the country became a constitutional monarchy in 1932, said the army did not want to step into the crisis but if it had to, it would not use force against the public.

Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej was confronted with another threat Tuesday when the Election Commission recommended his People's Power Party be disbanded for electoral fraud during December elections. Samak and other top party leaders would be banned from politics for five years if the ruling is upheld by judicial authorities, though members could form a new party and retain power by winning new elections.

Samak gave no timeframe for how long the emergency decree would stay in effect but said it would be over "moderately quickly."

"I did it to solve the problems of the country," Samak said in a televised news conference at a military headquarters in Bangkok. "I had no other choice. The softest means available was an emergency decree to end the situation using the law."

The overnight violence heightened a national crisis that started a week ago when thousands of opponents of Samak occupied the grounds of his office and refused to move until he resigned.

The right-wing People's Alliance for Democracy accuses Samak of being too close to ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and of trying to change the constitution to help him avoid prosecution on corruption charges. Thaksin was ousted in a 2006 coup and recently fled to Britain to escape an array of corruption charges. The same group organized the massive anti-Thaksin demonstrations in 2006 that helped spark the bloodless coup.

Many of the same issues — corruption, stifling the media and the ruling party's buying votes from the rural poor with cash and other benefits — have come to dominate the protests against Samak.

The alliance and their sympathizers — a mix of royalists, the urban elite and union activists — complain that Western-style democracy with one-man, one-vote gives too much weight to Thailand's rural majority, who protesters say are susceptible to vote buying that breeds corruption. They have proposed a system under which most lawmakers would be appointed rather than elected.

The prime minister has repeatedly insisted he will not bow to pressure by resigning or dissolving parliament to call new elections.

Samak declared the state of emergency after a week of protests turned violent overnight.

Di Majlis Perkahwinan anak Datuk Mustapha Yaakub

2008-08-16T23:17:00.002+08:00

Md Nor, Naim, Alias dan Abu

Pada 16hb Ogos, 2008 Datuk Hj Mustapha Yaakub dan Datin Azizah telah melangsungkan perkahwinan anak mereka Shamsul (Alang) dengan Rafidah Razali di Dewan Jamuan Bangunan Sultan Abdul Aziz di Shah Alam. Kelihatan digambar kawan kawan yang telah turut sama meraikan kedua mempelai.

Must Hentam Abdullah Till He Is Removed (MAHATHIR)

2008-08-04T00:06:00.001+08:00

STRANGE POLITICS

Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at August 3, 2008 1:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (136) | TrackBacks (0) | Previous Blog

Something strange is happening in Malaysian politics. Suddenly there is a lot of talk about cooperation and even merger between UMNO and PAS. Friendly and unfamiliar sounds are being heard from all sides.

I wonder whether it is a sudden concern about the need for Malay unity or it is the realisation that both PAS and UMNO have become very weak. True PAS has won more seats in Parliament than it had ever done before. It has even won control over the State of Kedah. But PAS is the weakest party in the opposition coalition or Pakatan Rakyat. This cannot be what PAS aimed for when it decided to soft pedal its Islamic State ambition in order to work with DAP and PKR.

PAS must want to replace UMNO as the dominant party in Malaysia. But despite its success in the 2008 General Election it is not even dominant in the opposition coalition.

Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on the other hand must be irked by his failure to get a two-third majority in Parliament. It is therefore unable to revise the amendments to the constitution made by previous Barisan Nasional Governments or to introduce his own amendments to the constitution. In any case not getting the usual two-third majority is like losing almost.

He knows he is regarded as a weak leader of a weak Government. His coalition partners do not show much respect for him even though they themselves are weak. And the opposition openly declare they want him to go on leading simply because he is weak; a kind of backhanded compliment.

To become strong he might want to embrace PAS as a coalition partner. Then he would have his two-third majority.

To do this he will have to offer his sweeteners - his usual solution to all problems. Maybe he would offer a second Deputy Prime Minister to (PAS President) Abdul Hadi Awang and Ministership to some other PAS leaders.

But his coalition partners may not take kindly to this plan. MCA, Gerakan and MIC are not likely to welcome this move. Neither would Sabah UMNO members and the other coalition partners in Sabah and Sarawak. The BN Government with PAS as a member would therefore be very shaky. UMNO itself would be very shaky as not every UMNO member would relish the idea of nice positions being given to their erstwhile rivals.

Such a coalition may give BN the two-third majority but it is not likely to please the elctorate. The Malay voters may or may not welcome this unity bid but their concern is with the leadership of Dato Seri Abdullah. They want him out. Participation by PAS in a BN still lead by Dato Seri Abdullah will not mean things would be any better.

By associating with Dato Seri Abdullah, accepting the sweets and soft pedaling PAS' Islamic State raison d'etre, PAS is likely to lose support.

The net gainer may be PKR, Anwar notwithstanding. After all there is clear evidence that many voters voted PKR simply because they wanted to be rid of Dato Seri Abdullah.

Malay unity is not a matter of Malay political parties embracing each other. Malay unity should be entrusted to politically uncommitted Malays. Neither UMNO nor PAS have the credibility needed for this task.

PAS has already laid down conditions. If UMNO accepts these conditions it will lose its non-Malay partners. On the other hand if PAS gives up its stated views on hudud and qisas etc it will lose the support of its followers.

Maybe a compromise can be worked out. But any compromise will result in a loss of faith and support by enough supporters of both parties to weaken them.

This is the dilemma if UMNO seeks PAS' support for achieving a two-third majority or PAS seeks UMNO's support to make it the dominant party in the opposition.

The solution to the present Malay feeling of insecurity is not a merger or some kind of co-operation between the Malay political parties. It lies in restoring UMNO to its previous strength. And this cannot be done for as long as Dato Seri Abdullah is there. There are several leaders in UMNO who are qualified to take over from him, leaders who are not influenced by the greed of their families, leaders who are willing to make sacrifices in order to restore pre-eminent position of UMNO within the BN. One of them could be Rais Yatim. Maybe in the end it would be Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, with Rais as deputy.

It is not the system that is wrong. For 50 years, half a century, the system had worked well. If it fails today it is not because it is wrong but because the leadership had failed to make it work.

The solution: Remove the leader responsible.

A must read opinion

2008-07-27T22:49:00.000+08:00

Another beutiful and blessed article on a Sunday - racun penawar.

TUNKU ABDUL AZIZ: Cut the theatrics, Anwar, and let Malaysians get on with their lives

By : Tunku Abdul Aziz

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IT seems to me that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is suffering from paranoid delusions. His preoccupation with what he sees as political conspiracy against him is doing his reputation and credibility, such as it is, enormous damage.

To compound the growing cynicism about his version of events, he has not, to date, been able to produce any verifiable evidence to support his contention.

As far as I am concerned, and for all practical purposes, his claim of victimisation at the evil hands of the authorities is just so much political posturing, and has to be viewed, sadly, as a ploy to gain sympathy for his cause and confuse the gullible in our midst.

And there are many who see a conspirator in every nook and corner, in much the same way that Americans, at the height of McCarthyism, looked under the bed before retiring for the night, half expecting to find a communist lurking there.

While Anwar expects the highest standards of proof in others, he is somehow both careless and cavalier about his own. He has made the preposterous accusation that the charge of sodomy brought against him by his former aide is part of a diabolically clever plot to stop his prime ministerial ambitions dead in their tracks.
That, too, must remain a matter for conjecture unless it can be proved otherwise. Many Malaysians await Anwar's irrefutable evidence with bated breath.

Does he not realise that many people can, and will, draw their own conclusions about the real reason behind his persistent refusal to give his blood for the purpose of a DNA test?

Let us get that over and done with so that the police can make a quick determination as to whether or not he had been maliciously accused of something he is innocent of.

Readers will no doubt recall that when he was in custody 10 years ago, he accused the authorities of administering arsenic to poison him.

All very dramatic, and the world was understandably aghast and shocked by that revelation.

Independent tests done in Australia, however, proved negative. Anwar showed absolutely no remorse about his having blackened his country's good name and reputation.

On the premise that there is one law for all, no one should reasonably expect normal police criminal investigation procedures to be set aside or compromised on the spurious ground of a lack of trust in the police. What is the evidence for this?

Anwar, for all his political savvy, now runs the risk of being likened to "the boy who cried wolf" -- once too often.

He should submit himself voluntarily to the DNA test, and if need be, under an independent expert observer group if this would help.

The police have been more accommodating in his case than I have seen in some others. And if he is innocent of the charge against him, there is "nothing to fear, but fear itself".

Conspiracy or no, even Anwar must know that the devil is in the detail: how does he propose to seize power except by resorting to unprincipled political machinations and manipulations?

He has to show that he has not totally abandoned his moral and ethical principles and this is the only way that he will ever recover the moral and intellectual high ground that he once occupied.

The moral support of right thinking people everywhere that he could at one time take for granted is beginning to wear thin.

What has happened to the mass exodus to his camp of ethically deficient political malcontents from The Land Below The Wind, across the South China Sea, that he predicted with an almost messianic zeal and prophetic certainty to help him topple the government and transform the nation?

He has done our Sabah politicians grave injury to their reputation. They have proved that they stand by certain personal values and standards of ethical behaviour.

I cannot imagine anything baser and more grotesque than attempting to corrupt and seduce perfectly decent and honourable parliamentarians to betray the trust of the voters who had put them there in the first place to represent them in their constituencies.

What kind of message is Anwar sending to the people of this country, and in particular to the young people now beginning to take an interest in political issues?

Dislodge the government by all means, if this is your purpose in life, but there is a time and place as provided under our electoral process.

The place is the ballot box, and the time is the 13th general election.

This is all part of our democratic system and what business have any of us to bring about a change of administration outside of the legal electoral framework?

I am well aware of the opposition song-and-dance about what they claim to be a defective electoral system before every election. But this constant refrain about the unfairness of it all is muted, now that the same defective process that they used to vent their spleen on with demonic vehemence has catapulted them into power in five states.

I suppose even they must now admit that it has not been that bad, after all, for those who were not expected to pick more than a few crumbs off the floor.

Anwar has made great play of his having to remove his clothes for his medical examination and implied that he was being singled out for special treatment.

I am assured by my doctor friends that it is normal procedure for certain types of examination. Many of us have been through this and we were none the worse for wear.

In my own case, on my visit to Israel two years ago, I was asked very politely to remove all my clothes by airport security.

More than at any time in my entire life, faced with the prospect of having to bare all, and not even paid for it in front of total strangers, I remembered my mother, thinking how right she had been to remind my brother and I always to wear clean underpants!

Like Anwar, I did not like the strip act one little bit, but unlike him, I did not kick up a fuss and neither did I call a press conference to denounce this "barbaric" practice against a senior United Nations official which was what I was at the time.

If I had been gripped by paranoia, I suppose I would have seen the whole exercise as being specially devised to humiliate me, a Muslim.

It was a security requirement and I respected their right to do everything possible in the interests of their country's security.

Anwar should desist from involving the international community in what is essentially a simple case. He somehow feels that the United States, the European Union and Japan should fight a proxy war against his country to shield him from the due process of law of his country.

I do not claim, naturally, to speak for other Malaysians, but there are people I know personally who are beginning to suspect his motives. It is poetic justice.

We must all take responsibility for our actions, and if we feel that we have been defamed or otherwise unfairly accused, we should place ourselves in the hands and at the mercy of the courts.

Anwar should submit himself to the country's criminal justice system like the rest of his fellow Malaysians and lead by example.

He is, after all, according to his supporters, a prime minister-in-waiting. I hope they are not holding their breath.

We are all getting a little sick and tired of the "Anwar factor" that is turning out to be an absolutely unnecessary distraction at a time when we need to get on with our lives.

* The writer is a former special adviser to the United Nations secretary-general on ethics.

A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

2008-07-23T12:27:00.004+08:00

The First President of UMNO Dato' Onn Jaafar (who is from Johor) followed by the second President that YAM Tuanku Abdul Rahman Putra Al Haj (Kedah)

The third President of UMNO was Tun Abdul Razak Hussein (Pahang) and the fourth President of UMNO is Tun Hussein Onn (who is from Johor).

The fifth President of UMNO is Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (from Kedah).

The sixth President of UMNO is Dato Seri Abdullah Hj Badawi (who is from Penang).

The chain is broken and that is why the Leadership is facing problems.

The Johor Kedah Pahang chain had been broken when Pak Lah became the UMNO President.
Instead of Johor, Kedah, Pahang it had become Johor, Kedah, Penang. The transition of power from Pak Lah to Dato Seri Najib will hopefully put the chain in order again.

Happy Birthday Dato Seri Najib

2008-07-23T11:26:00.005+08:00

Its Dato' Seri Najib's birthday today.

Happy Birthday YAB Dato' Seri,

Many happy returns and wish you all the best of health.

Your friends, as you know, will be with you in good and bad times.

What are friends for anyway?

MUZAKARAH

2008-07-23T11:20:00.000+08:00

ZAINUL ARIFIN: Inevitability of Umno-Pas 'muzakarah'

By : Zainul Arifin

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IT would have happened anyway, the meetings between Umno and Pas, if they had not already.

For despite the seemingly insurmountable differences in ideologies and sabre-rattling, there remain, at heart, two common denominators -- their members are overwhelmingly both Malay and Muslim.

Talks of meetings between the two to discuss issues affecting the ummah began surfacing soon after the 12th general election, once the dirty business of campaigning and electioneering were out of the way.

In fact, the talks were probably hastened by the outcomes of the elections.

Non-Umno Barisan Nasional component members in West Malaysia did disastrously for what is believed to be their affiliations with Umno -- remember the posters "A vote for BN, is a vote for Umno"?
The Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim-led Opposition managed to tap into the latent anger among non-Malays that BN was too Umno or Malay-centric. The buzzwords were of course Ketuanan Rakyat and no longer Ketuanan Melayu.

The victories of those -- Parti Keadilan Rakyat, Pas, DAP, etc -- promising to temper Umno's Malay dominance doctrine have suddenly made it politically incorrect and dangerous, even for the BN, to champion Malay issues.

At the same time many Malays were uncomfortable by the very public debates on what they perceived to be their rights and privileges, including that of Islam.

A major opposition leader could even belittle a monarch -- the very symbol of Malayness -- with nary a peep from Malay politicians in PR.

Perhaps it is a trade-off to nurture the nascent PR.

Thus, paradoxically, despite their numbers, the Malays seem to be losing their grip on arguments affecting them. Their fractious political base has made them politically benign.

Among the Malay-dominated parties, it is now left to Umno to talk on Malay issues, as Pas talks of Islam, and PKR, the new libertarian, champions no Malay agenda, per se.

Umno is not in the best of health of late, and PR is a Malay majority coalition, with no dominating Malay agenda.

Race has always been a factor in our politics, as in any country with multiracial make up. The difference is that for us race has always been touted as a rallying point for political activism.

From there, parties form coalitions and partnerships to bridge racial differences.

Political realities and political nirvana are obviously two different things.

Political realities are often grounded on messier constituents, such as race and religion, which both Pas and Umno claim to generally represent and idealise.

Obviously both of them cannot be right.

But on issues such as race and religion the consequences of disagreements, of course, can be dire.

Putting religious values to political affiliation have led to -- kafir-mengkafir -- labelling non-party members as infidels, even disallowing marriages between family members of different parties, and declaring haram meat slaughtered by others.

This rabid political loyalty, while much courted during polls, divides and splits the Malays, at times irreparably. Hence, the muzakarah, whose ultimate aim is for the coming together of the Malays, even if not politically.

Understandably, PKR and DAP while publicly nonchalant about the meetings, were obviously not too happy. Their leaders all said that PR was still strong, but you could sense the blue funk building up.

Is the muzakarah the pre-cursor of Pas re-joining BN, which many in PR are wary about?

Pas spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said it would mean being bitten by the same snake from the same hole, again.

A merger is unlikely as there exist fundamental ideological differences, which makes PKR joining BN to be a likelier possibility than Pas' second leap of faith.

Perhaps the talks could bring Umno and Pas to a common ground on certain issues affecting Islam and Malay rights, while agreeing to disagree on how best they would approach the issues.

It is akin to what many suspect to be the "cooperation" between Chinese-led parties like MCA, DAP and Gerakan on issues affecting common interests, such as on Chinese schools or language.

At the very least the Umno-Pas talks could lead to less excessive politicking and lessen the burden of Malay Muslims having to live with political fatwas and dictates.

UMNO PAS UMNO PAS UMNO PAS

2008-07-21T23:00:00.003+08:00

Apa pendapat Racun Penawar?

Belum

Belum

Belum

Belum ada pendapat lagi !

Transition of Power

2008-07-11T11:07:00.001+08:00

You’re my man: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi giving a pat on the shoulder to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak after announcing Najib as his successor. Abdullah said he would step down in June 2010 and hand over his duties to his deputy. – ART CHEN / The Star

Friday July 11, 2008

Politicians must work together to face crisis

Comment by V.K.Chin

IT will be great if all political parties and non-governmental organisations can sink their differences and work to face the serious financial and economic issues caused by the global rising cost of fuel.

Politicians from different camps must naturally take the lead since they have been given the support to look after voters’ interests and meet their aspirations and expectations.

However, those from the ruling party, that is the Barisan Nasional, must take the lead since they hold the reins of power and can make key decisions to ensure a better future for the people.

Barisan leaders will have to come up with concrete and workable policies to alleviate the people’s present hardship due to rising costs of fuel, food, utilities, services and transport.

But the opposition Keadilan, DAP and PAS must also give their support to such efforts when the nation is facing a financial and economic crisis, which could have dire consequences if not properly handled.

The public is getting uneasy with the continuing political bickering being engaged almost on a daily basis with both sides trying to smear each other to score points.

The people feel that all this sniping and undermining must stop and they expect all those elected, especially the Opposition, to give their full attention to curb the rising cost of living.

They are dismayed that in spite of giving the Opposition a stronger mandate, these elected representatives are not doing a proper job either in Parliament or state assemblies.

Some of these MPs appear to be more active outside Parliament than inside.

Instead of raising their plight in Parliament, many government and opposition members are spending too much time quarrelling with each other rather than debating bread-and-butter issues.

If the present trend continues, the people may get so fed up that they may take things into their own hands and may not take part in future elections.

Therefore, both government and opposition members must start realising that they have been elected to shape policies beneficial to the people and not to create a scene to disrupt meetings.

Once this difficult stage has been overcome, then they can play politics again. While the Barisan has been taught a good lesson in the 2008 general election, the Opposition too must realise that their success is not a licence to create mischief, disrupt or to serve their personal agenda.

If their actions are seen to be contributing to instability and chaos to the effect that the federal government cannot govern properly, then voters will believe that they might as well stick with the Barisan.

It is now entirely up to those in charge of the federal or state governments to uphold the trust placed in them by voters or face rejection in the next round.

Anecdote for Honourable Dr Wan Azizah

2008-07-02T16:38:00.001+08:00

EVERY relationship has a cycle. In the beginning, you fell in love with your spouse/partner . You anticipated their call, wanted their touch, and liked their idiosyncrasies (unconventional behavior or habit).

Falling in love with your spouse wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called 'falling' in love... Because it's happening TO YOU .

People in love sometimes say, 'I was swept of my feet.' Think about the imagery of that __expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something came along and happened TO YOU .

Falling in love is easy . It's a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few years of marriage, the euphoria (excitement) of love fades. It's the natural cycle of EVERY relationship . Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies , instead of being cute, drive you nuts.

The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship, but if you think about your marriage, you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your spouse might start asking, 'Did I marry the right person?' And as you and your spouse reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when marriages breakdown . People blame their spouse for their unhappiness and look outside their marriage for fulfillment.

Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes. Infidelity is the most obvious.

But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, a friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances.

But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your marriage. It lies within it.
I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else.
You could.

And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later. Because (listen carefully to this):

THE KEY TO SUCCEEDING IN MARRIAGE IS NOT FINDING THE RIGHT PERSON; IT'S LEARNING TO LOVE THE PERSON YOU FOUND.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. It'll NEVER just happen to you. You can't 'find' LASTING love. You have to 'make' it day in and day out. That's why we have the __expression 'the labor of love.' Because it takes time, effort, and energy . And most importantly, it takes WISDOM . You have to know WHAT TO DO to make your marriage work.

Make no mistake about it. Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your spouse) to succeed with your marriage.

Just as there are physical laws of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships.
Just as the right diet and exercise program makes you physically stronger, certain habits in your relationship WILL make your marriage stronger.

It's a direct cause and effect. If you know and apply the laws, the results are predictable... you can 'make'love .

Love in marriage is indeed a 'decision'... Not just a feeling.

Remember this always :

'God determines who walks into your life. It is up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go.'

Why the Turkish Embassy?

2008-06-29T23:22:00.002+08:00

Anwar seeks refuge at Turkey embassy

It's super dramatic. The sodomy allegation issue has taken a new twist with DSAI seeking refuge at the Turkey Embassy since 6m this morning. No one knows how long he will be there following a claim by Dr Syed Husin Ali that there is a death threat against him. Umno leaders have challenged Anwar to defend himself if the allegation is false. Against the emotional backdrop with PKR saying this is a set up, the police have also doubled its presence to protect the complainant, a former Universiti Tenaga student leader who worked as an aide for Anwar. PKR leaders produced of him posing with an aide of the DPM, ministers. Minister Shahrir Samad, who was among them, said it was common for people to request pictures to be taken. Despite concern of a possible stand off between Anwar and the government, it is likely the case would be tackled differently this time. Any immediate arrest of Anwar would spark off unnecessary tension but at the same time, if he continues to hole up at the embassy, a diplomatic row may erupt. The situation is delicate and a strong arm approach would not resolve the case, as it happened previously.

Bergolf samping Berkempen

2008-06-26T02:00:00.002+08:00

Apabila Perhimpunan Agong menjelang tiba, padang golf mula menyaksikan perwakilan UMNO bermain golf samping berkempen. Pertandingan pertandingan persahabatan telah bermula dan akhirnya pemenang jawatan jawatan penting Parti tak semestinya pemain golf.

A Friend's View

2008-06-20T10:04:00.000+08:00

Thursday, June 19, 2008

That Motion For A Vote Of No-Confidence........

UPDATE:

The Barisan Nasional Supreme Council will hold an emergency meeting at 2.30pm to discuss Sabah Progressive Party’s (SAPP) no-confidence motion on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

The party had yet to decide if one of its own Members of Parliament would table the motion in the next sitting of Parliament on Monday, or whether the motion would be tabled by an MP from another party.

The Barisan Supreme Council emergency meeting would take place at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur at 2.30pm Thursday, Barisan secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said.

Read the Star H E R E

My original posting:

Is this just another sandiwara or will it really happen?

I have my doubts that we will see this going through the Dewan Rakyat. If I were a gambler, I'd take a bet.

If Sabah Progressive Party(SAPP) can really pull through this one -- tabling a motion for a vote of no-confidence against the Prime Minister, then, it will be unprecedented.

SAPP president Yong Teck Lee said his party has lost confidence in Pak Lah's leadership and that his party's two MPs (Sepanggar and Tawau) will support a motion for a vote of no-confidence against the PM in the Dewan Rakyat on Monday.

But whoever is planning to table the motion must (under the Standing Orders) submit the notice to the Dewan Rakyat by today, at the latest, according to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia.

As of yesterday, he has not received any notice from any party with regard to the matter. And if the Speaker receives the notice, he would have to look at it first before deciding to accept it.

Will all this hoop-la fizzle out over the weekend, or gain momentum?
Perhaps, for Yong and the SAPP, it is a case of a desperate situation that demands a drastic measure.

Maybe, I'm too much of a skeptic (or a realist?).
But, if I am wrong about it, I'll go have my hair trimmed!

Now...say by a twist or quirk of fate, as it were....the Speaker allows the motion to be tabled. Will it get enough votes? What are the implications of it not getting those votes?

I believe that Pak Lah should be "dealt with" by his own party. But I know what you're thinking. Umno is toothless, spineless and just too weak to do anything about its leadership crisis.

Well, I think the real Umno has not shown itself up. Besides, unless the structure is changed, the PM of the country is the Umno president.

Oh, well, we will see. We will see what happens on Monday. If anything will happen at all.

And while we're on the subject -- will SAPP get the boot (from BN) for acting out of line?

Anyway, the PM seems to suggest that he has something on Yong. Here's his response:

PUTRAJAYA, June 18 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi says Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President Datuk Yong Teck Lee's latest action has been due to the fact that "I have not been able to satisfy his personal greed."

Abdullah did not elaborate. However, his aides told Bernama that the prime minister would elaborate at a later date.

A Friend's View

2008-06-20T09:59:00.001+08:00

Thursday, June 19, 2008

BN component break ranks, invites trouble

IT WON'T be easy for anyone to try and pass a vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister in the Dewan Rakyat. Everyone knows that. And Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, as Umno president and BN Chairman, knows that very well too.

SAPP's Dato Yong Teck Lee'snnouncement in Kota Kinabalu yesterday that he and his fellow MP from the party would support any motion of no confidence in Parliament on Monday attracted much attention in and outside Sabah. And maybe that's about all that he can get - public and media attention.

Much has been said about the difficulties anyone would face in wanting to table let alone pass a motion of no confidence. Then again, this won't stop Abdullah's and the BN's oppononent from trying. The actual attempt alone is enough to attract the people's and media's attention.

While the actual attemp to table and pass a vote of no confidence against the Government and the present leadership is difficult, the very expression by Yong and the SAPP, a component of the ruling federal coalition, is bad enough already.

As far as I recall, there's not been a similar attempt and such an open declaration by a BN component ever before. The BN leadership must make a quick decision on this, including taking firm disciplinary action against Yong and gang, including expulsion from the coalition.

Media reports said Yong have had two discussions with de factor PKR Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Leaving the BN and joining the PKR must have featured high on the agenda during talks between them. By making the statement yesterday, the SAPP is no longer a BN component in word and deed.

There's been much speculation of the SAPP leaving the BN in last couple of weeks. Only the actual execution remains.

Political observers argue that Yong's action does not necessarily stem from his contention that Sabah is left out of mainstream economic development alone. It also stems from his perception that the PM is weak and vulnerable. The sound bytes at the press conference made that quite apparent to all and sundry.

Yong's action and statement has caused much embarassment to Pak Lah, SAPP being a small component of the BN notwithstanding. SAPP have four state seats in the Sabah Legislative Assembly. Would his statement against the federal Government also reflect his sentiments against the State Govt led by Dato Musa Aman?

He didn't say so, but I would conclude so. Shouldn't Yong then also declare loss of confidence against his state boss? Mind you, Yong was also Chief minister of the state once before, and had enjoyed the support of his BN colleagues in and outside Sabah.

Yong's statement would mean a full house at the Dewan Rakyat on Monday and the following days. Yong may even have another press conference in the Dewan's lobby to reiterate his stand. Yong is stretching the limit and trying to take advantage of the situation and making an attempt to change the political landscape. Again that is.

Yong was duly taken to task by his BN colleagues. The PKR said it was 'brave' of him to do that. Let's see how this drama plays itself out next week.

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Branches: "Don't underestimate us!"

THE number of statements top Umno leaders have been making in the past week or so continue to be analysed and "read" by their friends and foes alike. There's a lot of second guessing going on, and conclusions are being made depending on which side of the fence one is on.

Party president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's statement that he and his deputy, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, have discussed the power transfer issue and come to an understanding is met with a sigh of relief in some quarters, and a flurry of questions in others.

Najib's statement that he's not taking on his boss in the party elections also triggered much debate, especially with whispers that he's aiming for the top spot, and that many of his supporters want him to be more pro-active in going up the party hierarchy.

And when Pak Lah declared that he's ready to defend his post should there be any challenges in the December party election, some people concluded that he's not about to pass the baton to Najib so soon after all.

At this stage, only Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has declared that he's going to challenge Pak Lah. Provided he is able to get the 30 per cent nomination (that's 58 divisions) to qualify to make a serious bid on the presidency, and that is not going to be easy.

Ku Li's backers are going around confidently predicting that the Kelantan prince's bid is gaining momentum. By the time the election is held, they are sure Ku Li will get the required number of nominations to challenge Pak Lah.

While the numbers are being done, matched and doubled-checked, the backers of the main proponents will also be monitoring the branch meetings scheduled to start next month. I'm not sure of the exact number of branches but there's more than 20,000 of them nationwide except in Sarawak. The branches will also be conducting their election of office bearers.

From my understanding, the branches have no direct say in the nominations but they can make their voices heard through other ways. Many branch leaders have met Pak Lah in a series of meetings and briefings on party and national matters. Some may have made their views known during these meetings.

I'm told some branches may pass resolutions outlining their views on the state of the party and the party leadership. Since they cannot nominate, they can make known their preferences via special resolutions which will be forwarded to their divisions which will be having their own elections in October.

Which is why party leaders, especially those in the supreme council, is paying extra attention to branch elections and what messages they want to convey to party bosses. One branch chief told me Umno must go back to basics if it wants to be relevant in national politics.

"Don't underestimate the branches and their voices. We know what and who we want, and we have our ways of getting them heard and delivered," he said. I wonder that means, and sounds like a warning too.

Abdullah dan Najib oleh Mahathir

2008-06-18T11:51:00.002+08:00

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Abdullah dan Najib

1. Kita di beritahu oleh Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi bahawa dia dan Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak telah bersetuju dengan peralihan kuasa. Tetapi tidak pula disebut bila tarikh itu.

2. Najib pula berkata dia mahu kuasa (Presiden UMNO dan Perdana Menteri) diserah kepadanya diwaktu parti dan Kerajaan berada dalam keadaan sihat walafiat sepertimana yang kononnya pengganti Presiden dan Perdana Menteri dahulu semuanya menerima peralihan kuasa apabila parti dan Kerajaan sudah dipulihkan dan berada dalam keadaan sihat.

3. Sebenarnya semasa saya mengambilalih daripada Tun Hussein Onn ekonomi negara sedang merosot. Sebab itu langkah pertama yang diambil oleh saya ialah memotong gaji Menteri, Timbalan Menteri dan pegawai tinggi sebanyak 10%.

4. Saya mengambil masa hampir tiga tahun untuk pulih semula ekonomi negara.

5. Keadaan UMNO pun lebih kurang sahaja. Tidak lama selepas itu Timbalan saya letak jawatan dan mencabar saya.

6. Tunku Abdul Rahman dan Tun Razak juga mengambilalih parti dan Kerajaan semasa keadaan tidak begitu sihat; Tunku selepas Dato Onn Jaafar keluar dari UMNO dan Tun Razak setelah rusuhan kaum berlaku dan Perikatan tidak bermaya.

7. Harapan Najib dia hanya akan terima jawatan Presiden dan Perdana Menteri di atas talam perak (silver platter) adalah alasan supaya dia tidak perlu bertanding pada Disember ini untuk jawatan Presiden. Mengetahui sifat suka senang Dato Seri Najib, Dato Seri Abdullah telah janji untuk melepas kuasa pada tarikh yang tidak ditentukan. Sekaligus Dato Seri Abdullah berjaya untuk melenyapkan kemungkinan dia akan dicabar oleh Dato Seri Najib. Dia (Abdullah) akan menang tanpa bertanding Disember ini. Dengan itu dia akan dakwa bahawa seluruh UMNO menyokong kepimpinannya. Oleh itu tidak ada sebab dia patut letak jawatan.

8. Jika setelah kalah teruk di lima buah negeri dan satu wilayah dia masih dakwa dia menang, mustahil apabila menang tanpa bertanding jawatan Presiden dia akan letak jawatan. Dia akan melegakan hati UMNO dengan berjanji dia akan kerja kuat untuk pulihkan semula UMNO dan Barisan Nasional dan selepas itu dia akan serah kuasa pada Dato Seri Najib.

9. Saya percaya diwaktu ini ramai orang Dato Seri Najib sedang menentukan berapa ramai bahagian yang akan mencalonkan Dato Seri Najib. Dengan kenyataan Dato Seri Abdullah orang Dato Seri Najib akan dapati banyak bahagian-bahagian yang tidak lagi akan calon Dato Seri Najib. Tanpa mendapat 60 pencalonan Dato Seri Najib tidak akan isytihar kesanggupannya untuk bertanding. Kalau dapat pun dia tidak akan berani mencabar kepimpinan Dato Seri Abdullah selepas janji yang dibuat oleh Abdullah.

10. Bilakah kita akan tahu hasil usaha pemulihan UMNO oleh Dato Seri Abdullah? Kita akan tahu dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-13.

11. Saya percaya kali ini UMNO dan Barisan Nasional akan hancur langsung. Dato Seri Abdullah tidak akan jadi Perdana Menteri dan dianya tidak akan dapat serahkan jawatan Perdana Menteri kepada mantan Timbalannya, Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak.

12. Saya bukan nujum dan saya tidak dapat teka apa yang akan berlaku lima tahun dari sekarang. Tetapi saya boleh ramal memandangkan prestasi buruk UMNO dan Barisan Nasional dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-12 dibawah pimpinan UMNO Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi yang di pengaruhi oleh anak dan menantunya. Selain daripada memberi gula-gula kepada Bahagian dan Cawangan, dan berbillion Ringgit kepada Sabah dan Sarawak tidak ada usaha yang menepati kehendak dan mesej pengundi dalam Pilihanraya Umum ke-12. Hanya dengan meletak jawatan barulah Dato Seri Abdullah dapat pulih UMNO dan prestasi Kerajaan Malaysia. Tetapi ini tidak sanggup dibuat oleh Dato Seri Abdullah. Oleh itu tidak ada harapan yang UMNO akan dipulihkan dan Dato Seri Najib menjadi Perdana Menteri.

13. Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin dan Dato Seri Rais Yatim akan terkapa-kapa tidak tahu nak buat apa. Apakah Tan Sri Muhyiddin akan bertanding Timbalan melawan Dato Seri Najib atau bertanding Presiden melawan Dato Seri Abdullah? Apakah jawatan yang hendak ditandingi oleh Dato Seri Rais?

14. Sesungguhnya dengan pengisytiharan persefahaman antara dirinya dengan Dato Seri Najib, Dato Seri Abdullah telah berjaya mematahkan segala cabaran terhadap dirinya. Disember ini Dato Seri Abdullah tetap menang tanpa bertanding.

Peralihan Kuasa

2008-06-14T22:16:00.000+08:00

Transfer of power:
Leadership change will take place 'at right time'

By : Alina Simon and Sulaiman Jaafar

Email to friend Print article

'Datuk Seri Najib and I have agreed on the right time for me to hand over the premiership to him. We've no problems and enjoy a good working relationship. The leadership change will definitely take place at that time...' Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in Kota Baru yesterday.

KOTA BARU: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, have agreed on the proper timing for a leadership change.

The prime minister reiterated that he worked well with Najib and urged an end to speculation about their relationship.

"Najib and I have decided on the right time for me to hand over the premiership to him. We have no problems and we enjoy good working relations.

"The leadership change will definitely take place at the right time," he said at a luncheon with senior government officials and community leaders.

Abdullah had earlier chaired a two-hour Kelantan Umno meeting in which he said the leadership transfer was brought up. He is here for a one-day visit.
Najib said in London on Thursday that he would not challenge Abdullah for power because as a "true Umno man" he would not risk destroying the party his father had built.

The deputy prime minister said he was a loyal party member who subscribed to an orderly leadership change, as has been the Umno convention.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Saturday/Frontpage/2267432/Article/index_html

Kita perlu mengingatkan Pak Lah bahawa peralihan kuasa UMNO adalah bukan antara beliau dan Dato' Seri Najib sahaja. UMNO bukan milik mereka berdua. UMNO adalah milik ahli ahli UMNO dan orang Melayu keseluruhan nya sama ada mereka didalam UMNO atau tidak.

Dan kita juga perlu mengingatkan mereka berdua bahawa bukan mereka yang boleh menentukan masa yang sesuai atau "the right time". The best time will be before the UMNO annual general Assembly and elections of UMNO office bearers.

Time is of the essence. The longer Pak Lah waits, the more critical UMNO will be. When UMNO is not functioning properly then Barisan Nasional will be affected. Then it will be a final nail in UMNO's and Barisan Nasional's Coffin.

Pak Lah must understand that he had done enough damage already. Please stop before it goes beyond repair? His leadership had failed UMNO and Barisan Nasional. Why oh why is he buying time? If he speaks with pride of his father's and Grandfather's involvement in UMNO, I am also very proud of my father's contribution to UMNO. It is the pride of every Malay Muslim. No one should claim UMNO is his or his ancestor's.

The right time is now, so that when the Branches starts their meeting, grassroots UMNO will give full endorsement to the new leadership team

Sabah oh Sabah

2008-06-14T02:14:00.000+08:00

Azan subuh membelah sunyi pagi dan burung-burung mula berkicauan. Di taman hadapan nyonya-nyonya mula melaksanakan senaman-senaman mereka. Ada jiran-jiran yang mula berjogging. Kegelapan malam perlahan –lahan bertukar menjadi terang dari pancaran matahari pagi. Tepat jam 7.00 pagi Limo KLIA telah bersedia di luar untuk membawa saya ke LCCT, Sepang.

Kita beredar dari rumah jam 7.25 pagi dan sampai di LCCT pada jam 8.15 pagi. Di sepanjang perjalanan orang ramai sedang sibuk memandu untuk pergi ke tempat kerja masing-masing. Tambang Limo ialah RM69.90. Oleh kerana di rumah tadi hanya kena secawan teh maka di LCCT kita pun ke McDonald’s untuk secawan kopi dan semangkuk bubur (RM3.40 + RM3.90).

Penerbangan ke Kota Kinabalu AK5104 dijadualkan berlepas pada jam 9.30pagi tetapi oleh kerana pesawat menghadapi masalah teknikal jadual penerbangan telah di tunda ke jam 9.50 pagi. Kapal terbang A323.200 nampaknya baru dan agak selesa juga untuk penerbangan murah.

Setelah satu jam penerbangan lebih kurang jam 11.00pagi, pramugara dan pramugari pun membawa jualan makanan. Saya memesan secawan MILO dan satu mee kari maggi. Perlu bayar RM 10.00

Kami sampai di lapangan terbang Kota Kinabalu pada jam 12.50 tengahari dan di sambut di airport oleh saudara Baharin.

Dari airport saya terus ke King’s Park Hotel dengan kenderaan yang dipandu oleh Sdra Baharin, Ahli Jawatankuasa UMNO Bahagian Kota Kinabalu, di tengah bandar Kota Kinabalu. Hotel ini juga baru dan telah beroperasi lebih kurang setahun. Harga biliknya pun berpatutan dan berharga RM158 nett untuk semalam termasuk sarapan pagi.

Keseluruhan petang telah digunakan untuk mengeratkan silaturrahim saya dengan teman teman seperjuangan yang dah agak lama tidak bersua. Dari keadaan politik semasa sehingga lah masaalah dunia telah dikupas dan dibincang. Sempat juga bertanya khabar kawan dan rakan yang dah lama tidak berjumpa. Apakah keadaan mereka dan apa khabar keluarga mereka?

Pada sebelah malamnya saya memanggil teksi dan pergi dari Kings Park ke Sutera Magellan (RM15.00) untuk menghadhiri majlis perkahwinan anak rakan seperjuangan Datuk Mohd Lan Ilani. Anak perempuan beliau Mazlianie seorang peguam telah berkahwin dengan Mohd Ridhuan, seorang graduan dari Mutilmedia University yang juga telah lulus sebagai juruterbang yang bekerja dengan MAS sekarang. Sunggoh hebat majlis itu, makanan nya sedap sedap berlaka, kami dihidangkan dengan Nasi Beriayani Ayam, Nasi Beriayani Kambing dan juga nasi putih. TYT Yang DiPertua Negeri Sabah dan YAB Ketua Menteri serta pembesar pembesar Negeri di Sabah turut meraikan mempelai. Disitu terjumpa lah saya ramai lagi kawan kawan diSabah yang sekarang ini menjawat jawatan jawatan penting dalam Kerajaan Negeri sebagai Menteri dan Timbalan Menteri dan Pegawai Pegawai Badan Berkanun. Berjumpa juga dengan pesara pesara saperti bekas Datuk Bandar Kota Kinabalu, Datuk Ghani.

Selesai majlis saya berteksi balek ke Kings Park (RM 10.00) murah lima ringgit dari tambang apabila saya kesana.

Oleh kerana keletihan yang amat sangat, saya tidor mati malam itu diNegeri Angin dibawah Bayu.

Mata hari terbit begitu awal diSabah. Pada pagi nya rakan lama saya semasa di UiTM dahulu yang perupakan seorang usahawan yang berjaya diSabah membawa saya untuk bersarapan di One One Restoran. Disitu kami makan Perut Ikan, Ekor Ikan, Kepala Ikan dan mee hun didalam sup Kena dengan teh bunga dan beberapa keping ikan kurau, ia merupakan sarapan yang sangat sedap dan menarik. Salepas itu saya dibawa melawat projek projek beliau dipersekitaran Kota Kinabalu.

Pada tengaharinya kami makan satu satu nya restoran Nasi Padang yang ada di Sabah di Jesselton Point. Disitu saya bertembong dengan Setiausaha Persatuan Golf Melayu Sabah, Sdra Khalid. Lebih kurang jam 12-45 petang saya bertolak ke Terminal 2 Kota Kinabalu International Airport untuk menaikki pesawat AK 5107 balek ke Kuala Lumpur. Pesawat bertolak jam 2-05 petang dan mendarat di LCCT Sepang pada jam 4-35 petang.

Dari LCCT saya menaikki LCCT-KL Sentral Express Bas (bayaran yang dikenakan RM 8.00). Bertolak jam 5-00 petang sampai di KL Sentral jam 6-00 petang. Dari situ saya menaikki teksi untuk balek kerumah (RM 25.00).

Syukur alhamdullilah saya selamat pergi dan selamat balek.

Dari kunjungan dua hari saya ke Sabah ada dua perkara yang saya telah dapat pungut.

Satu ialah apa makna nya MAHATHIR.

M (must) A (always) H (hentam) A (abdullah badawi) T (till) H (he) I(is) R (removed).

Dan keduanya, walau pun Pak Lah telah mengumumkan peruntukkan satu billion untuk pembangunan di Sabah, ramai pemimpin diSabah inginkan Pak Lah melakukan serahan kuasa pucuk pimpinan Negara dan Parti dengan seberapa segera. Sabah merupakan kubu kuat UMNO dan Barisan Nasional, jika mesej ini tak diterima dengan betul, UMNO dan Barisan Nasional akan menyesal kelak.

THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE IN MALAYSIA

2008-06-05T19:29:00.000+08:00

Parti

Negeri

Pas

DAP

PKR

Bebas

PERLIS (P)

3 (3)

0 (2)

0 (1)

(N)

14 (15)

1 (13)

0 (2)

KEDAH (P)

4 (15)

6 (8)

5 (7)

(N)

14 (36)

16 (26)

1 (2)

4 (10)

1 (3)

KELANTAN (P)

2 (14)

9 (11)

3 (3)

0 (2)

(N)

6 (44)

38 (40)

1 (5)

0 (1)

TERENGGANU (P)

7 (8)

1 (6)

0 (2)

0 (1)

(N)

24 (32)

8 (27)

0 (5)

PULAU PINANG (P)

2 (13)

0 (2)

7 (7)

4 (4)

0 (1)

(N)

11 (40)

1 (5)

19 (19)

9 (16)

0 (2)

PERAK (P)

13 (24)

2 (7)

6 (7)

3 (10)

0 (2)

(N)

28 (59)

6 (21)

18 (18)

7 (20)

0 (2)

PAHANG (P)

12 (14)

0 (6)

0 (2)

2 (6)

(N)

37 (42)

2 (22)

2 (7)

0 (13)

1 (4)

SELANGOR (P)

5 (22)

4 (7)

4 (4)

9 (11)

0 (1)

(N)

20 (56)

8 (19)

13 (15)

15 (20)

0 (2)

WILAYAH PERSEKUTUAN (P)

3 (13)

1 (3)

5 (5)

4 (5)

0 (2)

NEGERI SEMBILAN (P)

5 (8)

0 (3)

2 (2)

1 (3)

(N)

21 (36)

1 (13)

10 (11)

4 (12)

MELAKA (P)

5 (6)

0 (1)

1 (2)

0 (3)

(N)

23 (28)

0 (13)

5 (8)

0 (7)

JOHOR (P)

25 (26)

0 (10)

1 (6)

0 (8)

(N)

50 (56)

2 (32)

4 (12)

0 (10)

SABAH (P)

24 (25)

1 (5)

0 (19)

0 (18)

(N)

59 (60)

0 (2)

1 (10)

0 (54)

0 (52)

SARAWAK (P)

30 (31)

0 (1)

1 (6)

0 (12)

0 (10)

Jumlah (P)

140

Jumlah (N)

307

UMNO Supreme Council brainstorming

2008-06-02T23:58:00.000+08:00

Its good to note that the UMNO Supreme Council members are having their pow wow over this week end. The only question will be, how many of them will be holding their balls when they express themselves. Some we know will not bring their balls totally. Some will be leaving their brains behind so there will be no storm. One or two members might be sleeping through the session. Just hope they will really focus on what is good for UMNO and its members and our beloved country Malaysia and not only of their other interests (Ministerial positions, GLC Positions, Projects and other favours). Long Live UMNO.

Walaupun lewat tetapi tidak terlambat

2008-06-02T11:36:00.000+08:00

Syukur Alhamdullilah, akhirnya UMNO telah insaf dan sedar dan akan mengadakan satu sessi perbincangan khusus untuk membincangkan hal ehwal parti. Sepatutnya "immediately" salepas Pilihanraya Umum dahulu, MKT patut sudah berbincang, mengadakan post mortem nya dan mengorak langkah untuk menyelesaikan masaalah yang berdepan dengan UMNO. Perhubungan Negeri Perak lambat bertindak untuk "salvage" pemerintahan Barisan Nasional di Perak Darul Reduan, perlantikan Menteri Besar Perlis dan juga perlantikan Menteri Besar Trengganu menghadapi masaalah yang sepatutnya tidak timbul langsung jika keputusan keputusan yang hendak dibuat dikaji dengan rapi dan mematuhi kehendak peraturan dan perlembagaan Negeri mahu pun Negara. Penyelarasan pucuk pimpinan Perhubungan Negeri perlu dilaksana segera supaya Parti dan Kerajaan diNegeri akan dapat bergerak seiring dan sejalan. Bak pepatah melayu "kalau pelita dua sumbu mana minyak yang akan tahan dan kalau satu kampong dua penghulu mana anak buah yang akan tahan". Sesungguh nya ini adalah antara issue issue yang telah menghantui UMNO salepas Pilihanraya lepas. These are only the tip of the iceberg. UMNO menghadapi banyak masaalah sebelum Pilihantaya lagi. Masaalah masaalah ini perlu dibincangkan dan dicari penyelesaian sebelum issue issue Pilihanraya Umum dikupas.

Kemelut semasa Malaysia

2008-06-02T00:04:00.000+08:00

Rakyat Malaysia pada masa ini sibuk membincangkan tentang masa depan Negara mereka yang tercinta. Apa dah jadi dan bagaimana kah kemelut ini akan dapat diselesaikan? Ini semua berlaku dengan kejutan yang telah terbit dari keputusan Pilihanraya Umum yang baru lalu.

Keputusan untuk mengadakan Pilihanraya Umum diisyhtiharkan pada 13hb Februari, 2008. Ramai rakyat Malaysia tidak berapa minat dengan nombor 13 kerana mereka percaya nombor 13 ini membawa padah (bad luck). Untuk kaum Tionghua, jika dicampur angka satu dan tiga akan memberikan jumlah kepada angka empat. Dalam bahasa Mandarin empat ialah "si". Ee (satu), Err (dua), San (tiga) dan si (empat). Didalam bahasa yang sama "si" membawa erti mati.

Akan berkubur kah Barisan Nasional atau UMNO tidak menjadi relevan lagi? Berpeluang kah pakatan pembangkang memerintah Negara?

Ikuti kupasan penulis dari masa kesemasa dilaman Racun Penawar ini.