How pitiable and pathetic – MCA leaders appealing to the  Chinese community for SOS against a fictitious DAP plot to “destroy” MCA

How pitiable and pathetic – MCA leaders appealing to the Chinese community for SOS against a fictitious DAP plot to “destroy” MCA.

This is a  most desperate move of the MCA leadership to beg for Chinese support as their attempt to appeal for Chinese votes for the forthcoming 14th General Elections.

I was surprised to read  the headline of the exclusive interview of the MCA Deputy President, Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong in the  front-page Sin Chew Daily today: “Wee Ka Siong: Beg Chinese community not to let MCA be destroyed”.

It has never been the intention of the DAP since our formation in 1966 to “destroy” the MCA, just as it is not our intention to destroy UMNO, Gerakan, MIC or any other political party, but to challenge these parties to better represent the best  citizenship interests of Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region.

If Kuomintang of Taiwan, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) of Japan and the Indian National Congress can make a political comeback in their respective countries after being ousted from their governmental positions, why can’t MCA or UMNO for that matter do the same after they are defeated in the forthcoming general election?

DAP cannot destroy MCA or UMNO. Only MCA can destroy MCA. Only UMNO can destroy UMNO.

The present MCA national leadership has created MCA history, for never before had the three top leaders of MCA won their seats in Parliament based on UMNO’s Malay votes, as they all contested in constituencies where the Malay votes exceed the Chinese voters.

In Bentong, the parliamentary constituency of the MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, the single biggest ethnic  bloc of voters are the 46.1% Malay voters, as Chinese voters represent 42.4%, Indians 9.0% and Others 2.5%.

In Ayer Hitam, the parliamentary constituency of MCA Deputy President and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, the largest ethnic group of voters are the 57.6% Malay voters, with the Chinese 38.3%; Indians 3.9% and Others 0.2%.

In Tanjong Malim, the parliamentary constituency of the MCA Secretary-General and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Datuk Ong Ka Chuan, the largest ethnic group of voters are again the Malays 55.4% with  Chinese 25.8%, Indians 13.2% and Orang Asli 5.6%.

This has never happened before in the 69-year history of MCA.

Let me reiterate: It has never been the objective of the DAP to “destroy” the MCA, as only the actions of the MCA leaders, especially after the 2013 General Elections, can destroy the MCA –  not only their topmost leaders solely dependent on UMNO votes in get into Parliament and  the Cabinet, but their inability to say a single word against the corruption, abuses of power and injustices of the Barisan Nasional government and the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak  – and the most conspicuous example is none other than the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB kleptocratic money-laundering scandal!

(Media Statement in Gelang Patah on Tuesday, 13th February 2018)

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Najib caught on the horns of a  dilemma – to call for 14GE before or after the proposed unprecedented opening of the  sixth session of the 13th Parliament by Yang di Pertuan Agong on March 5

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is caught on the horns of a dilemma – whether to call for the 14th General Election before or after the proposed unprecedented opening of the sixth session of the 13th Parliament by the Yang di Pertuan Agong  on March 5.

UMNO/BN leaders  are getting increasingly panicky at the growing possibility that they may be ousted from Putrajaya, effecting the first change of Federal Government in the  nation’s 61year-history.

It is not only UMNO/BN leaders who are guessing as to when Parliament will be dissolved for the 14th General Election to be held, I believe Najib himself does not know and is daily agonizing over the decision.

Although Najib is projecting a confident self, even claiming that UMNO/BN can regain  two-thirds parliamentary majority in the 14GE, he is daily agonizing over  the question as to when he should dissolve Parliament for the 14th General Election, although the window for the 14GE has been narrowed to 75 days from March to mid-May.

Should Najib dissolve Parliament before the unprecedented opening of the sixth session of the 13th Parliament by the Yang di Pertuan Agong on 5th March for a 20-sitting parliamentary meeting till April 5?

Although there is no law to prevent the dissolution of Parliament in mid-session, the dissolution of Parliament before the Motion of Thanks for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s Royal Address is debated and adopted by Parliament would be an unprecedented and unacceptable disrespect and  contempt for the Yang di Pertuan Agong for his official opening and Royal Address to Parliament.

Tomorrow is the deadline for Members of Parliament to submit their oral questions for the March meeting, which will create history as it will the sixth session of the 13th Parliament as none of the twelve previous Parliaments had ever held a sixth Parliamentary session which was officially declared open by the Yang di Pertuan Agong.

Will the submission of questions of MPs for the first meeting of the sixth session of Parliament be a waste of time, as it would be if Parliament is dissolved before March 5 or during the Parliamentary meeting  before its scheduled end on  April 5?

Yesterday, the The Sun reported that Parliament is expected to be dissolved a week after Chap Goh Meh on March 2 to pave the way for the 14th General Election, with polling expected around the end of March or in April.

This would mean that the official opening of the  sixth session of Parliament on March 5 would not be held.

This is a possibility that cannot be dismissed, as nobody believes that Najib would wait until June to allow  Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is slated to be released from prison on June 8,  to  personally campaign for Pakatan Harapan even thougth Anwar would not be allowed to contest as a candidate.

If Najib had called for 14th General Election after the Sarawak state general election in April 2016, or after the two Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar parliamentary by-elections in June 2016, or even last year, the chances of Najib winning the 14th General Election would have been  higher.

But Najib has missed the opportunity in his procrastination in calling for general elections in 2016 or 2017.

Najib had hoped that the gerrymandering from the redelineation of electoral constituencies would provide him with a sure formula for UMNO/BN to be returned to Putrajaya, even with a two-thirds parliamentary majority which UMNO/BN had lost in the last two general elections in 2008 and 2013.

But if there is a political tsunami, not only in the urban areas but also in the rural and Felda areas, then the redelineation of constituencies is not going to save Najib or UMNO/BN.

The uncertainty as to when the 14th General Election would be held, with the window narrowed to a 75-day period, has caused many strange and extraordinary happenings recently in the country.

Firstly, the conviction and 30-month jail sentence for PKR Vice President and MP for Pandan Rafizi Ramli and former Public Bank clerk Johari Mohamad, have revived and  reminded Malaysians of  the RM250 million “cow-condo” National Feedlot Corporation (NFL) scandal, reinforcing the Pakatan Harapan campaign to purge and cleanse Malaysia of the international ignominy and infamy of a global kleptocracy as a result of the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal, FELDA, MARA, Tabung Haji and a host of other scandals.

Secondly, the “weaponising” of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission against Pakatan Harapan leaders, as evidenced by the 12-hour interrogation of the Penang DAP Exco for Public Works, Lim Hock Seng and the interrogation of Penang Deputy Chief Minister II, P.Ramasamy today in connection with the Penang undersea tunnel project.

This “weaponisation” of MACC against Pakatan Harapan leaders is evident when last May, the MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad made an extraordinary  statement that the MACC would only  act against corrupt politicians after the next general election to avoid being used as political fodder!

What is the MACC up to?

Thirdly, the increasingly hostile attitude of the international society towards corruption, as evident by the conviction  and five-year jail sentence for former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia for corruption last week and the current political controversy in South Africa, where the ruling African National Congress (ANC) has formally asked South African President Jacob Zuma to resign over corruption allegations.

MCA, on its part, has resorted to the desperate but pitiable  move  to beg the Chinese community for voter support in the next general election over a fictitious DAP plot to “destroy” MCA.

The DAP is not interested in destroying MCA. Only MCA can destroy MCA.

This is best illustrated by the Chinese New Year video of DAP Secretary-General and Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng and the MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

As at 8 am today (14th February 2018), the respective responses garnered  for Guan Eng and Liow’s  CNY videos  are as follows:

Guan Eng’s CNY video (up for 60 hours) – Views 399k; Reactions: 21k (19k Like, 1.5k Love); Share: 9624. (Posted at 8 pm on Feb. 11.)

Tiong Lai’s CNY video (93 hours) – Views 33k; Reactions: 1.1k (966 Like, 57 Love); Share: 493. (Posted at 10.35 am on Feb.10).

These statistics speak for themselves.

(Media Statement in Gelang Patah on Wednesday, February 14, 2018)

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Opening of the Malaysian mind that regardless of race, religion or region we are all Malaysians guided by the motto “United We Stand, Divided We Fall”

It was  another  Chinese New Year in  February ten years ago which paved the way for a political tsunami in urban Malaysia, which caught most Malaysians by surprise.

I recall that in my 2008 Chinese New Year Message, I urged Malaysian Chinese together with all Malaysians to  usher in political change to remedy our failure to be a world-class nation, whether in terms of parliamentary democracy, rule of law, educational excellence, international competitiveness, efficient and incorruptible public service, low crime, quality of life, and to end the shameful  situation where other countries like Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea  overtake us in progress and development, with Malaysia in peril of being left behind by others like Thailand, Vietnam and even Indonesia.

In 2008, very few believed that denial of two-thirds parliamentary majority to UMNO/BN rule was a realistic or achievable target – but in the 2008 and 2013 General Elections, UMNO/BN lost their “unloseable” two-thirds parliamentary majority  while losing state governments in five states, viz Penang, Perak, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan in 2008.

In my 2018 Chinese New Year Message, I call on the Malaysian Chinese together with all Malaysians to take one step further for Malaysia to mature and become a normal democracy, like in Western countries of United Kingdom, United States and Europe, where general elections in a democracy meant the right of the voters to change the government in power, without any threats of chaos, bloodshed or any other dire consequences for the people.

If political change is to come to Malaysia, there must not only be a political tsunami in the urban areas, but also a political tsunami in the rural and Felda areas.

I call on all Malaysian voters to rise above race, religion or party politics to save Malaysia from becoming a  failed, rogue and kleptocratic state and this is why I hereby  urge all former UMNO, MCA, Barisan Nasional and PAS voters to join in the national effort to “Save Malaysia” and to vote for Pakatan Harapan in the 14GE.

The time has come for the opening of the Malaysian mind  that regardless of race, religion or region we are all Malaysians guided by the motto “United We Stand, Divided We Fall”.

Let all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, unite to usher in a new Malaysia of justice, democracy, integrity, good governance,  progress and prosperity for all Malaysians and not just a few under the Malaysian sun.

(2018 Chinese New Year Message in Gelang Patah on Tuesday, February 14, 2018)

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Challenge to Najib to issue White Paper to enumerate the 1MDB allegations which PAC, Police, MACC and Bank Negara had cleared him!

It is not just  AMANAH Youth Deputy Chief Faiz Faisal who is shocked by  the Court of Appeal decision that it has taken judicial notice that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, had been cleared by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), police, MACC and Bank Negara with regard to allegations on the 1MDB scandal.

All right-thinking and fair-minded Malaysians are also shocked, particularly by the claim that the PAC, the Police, the MACC and Bank Negara have cleared Najib of the allegations on the 1MDB scandal.

As a  Member of Parliament, I am utterly shocked by such a “judicial notice”.  How can the courts give “judicial notice” to things that don’t exist?

I challenge that PAC Chairman, Datuk Sri Hassan Arifin to declare that the PAC had cleared Najib of all allegations relating to the 1MDB scandal.

Similarly, how could the Police, the MACC and Bank Negara have cleared Najib of all the allegations about the 1MDB scandal, which had earned for Malaysia the infamy of the appellation of a “global kleptocracy” and the public castigation of the US Attorney-General Jeff Sessions of the world’s “worst kleptocracy”,  when all they had done was to play an elaborate game of “hide and seek” to avoid having to address the 1MDB allegations?

I challenge the Prime Minister  to issue a White Paper to enumerate the various allegations relating to the 1MDB scandal which the PAC, the police, MACC and Bank Negara have individually and collectively cleared Najib.

In the last few days, we see an international current against corruption and kleptocracy.

Is Malaysia is going against this tide of international opinion for good governance and integrity in public life?

Last week, the former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was convicted of corruption and sentenced to five year’s in jail.

Three days ago, the Indonesian Finance Minister, Sri Mulyani Indrawati was awarded the Best Minister Award in the World Government Summit in Dubai.

In a video message posted online on Sunday, the former World Bank managing director  said the award recognised President Joko Widodo’s leadership in Indonesia’s financial and economic reforms since he took office in October 2014.

She dedicated the award to all Indonesians and the 78,164 officers at the Ministry of Finance for their hardwork and commitment to financial integrity.

Sri Mulyani is a well-known economic reformer and warrior against corruption.

She  was formerly  Indonesian Finance Minister  in 2005 under Suharto, but resigned in 2010 because of mounting opposition to her campaign against corruption and tax fraud.

Her resignation caused financial turmoil in Indonesia with the sharpest drop in the Indonesian  stock exchange in 17 months while the Indonesia rupiah fell heavily nearly 1% against the US dollar.

Today there is the report that South Africa’s Jacob Zuma, who faces numerous allegation of corruption, has resigned as President of South Africa as a result of the revolt and pressure from his own party, the African National Congress.

With this international tide for integrity, Malaysia should  not go  against the global opinion against corruption and kleptocracy.

I agree with  Faiz that the Malaysian courts should have issued a judicial notice instead  that “Malaysian Official 1” (MO1) described in the US Department of Justice’s civil forfeiture action involving 1MDB is Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 15th February 2018)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 15 February 2018, 4:51 pm and is filed under
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MCA confident of winning big in 14GE but MCA Leadership’s Chinese New Year video unable to get the viewership of Teresa Kok’s fifth Chinese New Year video

The MCA leadership is confident of winning big in the forthcoming 14th General Election, which may be held after the Chinese New Year but definitely within the 75-day window from March to mid-May.

Whether the MCA will win big in 14GE will be known on Polling Day, but what is immediately known is that the MCA leadership’s Chinese New Year video featuring the MCA President, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, Deputy President Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong and MCA Secretary-General Datuk Ong Ka Chuan – all three Cabinet Ministers – as well as the entire MCA national leadership is unable to garner the viewership of DAP Deputy Secretary-General and MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok’s fifth annual Chinese New Year video.

As at 1 pm today, Kok’s latest CNY video (available on YouTube) netted 53,411 views in 25 hours since it was posted at 12.05 p.m. on Feb. 14; while the MCA leadership’s CNY video netted 45,00 views after 41 hours after it was posted on FaceBook on Feb. 13 at 7.10 pm.

Similar trend in viewership is also the case  with regard to the Chinese New Year video of DAP Secretary-General and Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng and the MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.

In fact, the margin has become wider.

I had said that as  at 8 am yesterday (14th February 2018), the respective responses garnered  for Guan Eng and Liow’s  CNY videos  were  as follows:

Guan Eng’s CNY video (up for 60 hours) – Views 399k; Reactions: 21k (19k Like, 1.5k Love); Share: 9624. (Posted at 8 pm on Feb. 11.)

Tiong Lai’s CNY video (93 hours) – Views 33k; Reactions: 1.1k (966 Like, 57 Love); Share: 493. (Posted at 10.35 am on Feb.10).

In the last 30 hours, there is a greater disparity in the viewership for the CNY videos between the DAP Secretary-General and MCA President, as follows:

Guan Eng’s CNY video (up 89 hours) – Views 427k; Reactions 22k (20 Like, 1.6k Love); Share: 10 k.

Tiong Lai’s CNY video (up 122 hours) – Views 36k; Reactions: 1.1k (1k Like, 59 Love); Share  527.

MCA will be celebrating its 69th anniversary on 27th February 2018. It should not forget “celebrating” a new history achieved by the MCA, which was never attained by other MCA leaderships before in nearly seven decades of MCA history!

For the first time, all the three most important leaders of MCA depend on UMNO’s votes to get elected as MP and then to become a Minister.

In Bentong, the parliamentary constituency of the MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, the single biggest ethnic  bloc of voters are the 46.1% Malay voters, as Chinese voters represent 42.4%, Indians 9.0% and Others 2.5%.

In Ayer Hitam, the parliamentary constituency of MCA Deputy President and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, the largest ethnic group of voters are the 57.6% Malay voters, with the Chinese 38.3%; Indians 3.9% and Others 0.2%.

In Tanjong Malim, the parliamentary constituency of the MCA Secretary-General and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Datuk Ong Ka Chuan, the largest ethnic group of voters are again the Malays 55.4% with  Chinese 25.8%, Indians 13.2% and Orang Asli 5.6%.

In fact, in Malay voters represent the largest ethnic group in six of the seven parliamentary constituencies won by MCA in the 13th General Election.

Is the MCA representing the Chinese in Barisan Nasional or is it representing UMNO to the Malaysian Chinese?  Or is MCA representing all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion?

(Media Statementin Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 15th February 2018)

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When would a Malaysian woman do Malaysia proud, in the way that Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has done Indonesia proud in receiving the Best Minister Award at World Government Summit on Sunday?

When would a Malaysian woman do Malaysia proud, in the way that Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indfrawati has done Indonesia proud in receiving the Best Minister Award at the World Government Summit in Dubai on Sunday.

Sri Mulyani  was credited with achieving “tangible results in reducing poverty, improving the standard of living, reducing public debt and boosting the transparency of public institutions” as Indonesia’s Finance Minister since 2016 under President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

She was also recognised for her efforts to “fight corruption and increase transparency in government.”

Sri Mulyani was formerly the World Bank’s Managing Director. She previously served as finance minister from 2005 to 2010 and is credited with steering Indonesia through the Global Financial Crisis.

The selection process for the Best Minister award was undertaken by independent consultancy Ernst & Young based upon ministers’ leadership, innovation, the social and economic impacts and reputation.

Do we have a  woman Minister in Malaysia who could be  a candidate for the Best Minister Award?

Malaysians shudder at the thought of Wanita Umno leader, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil as a possible future candidate, as she is making a comeback to Cabinet by contesting in the 14th General Election with her hysterical claim  that she is the real “victim” of the RM250 million National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) “cow-condo” scandal and not PKR Vice President and MP for Pandan, Rafizi Ramli, despite his recent conviction and 30-month jail sentence.

With the  RM250 million “cow-condo” scandal, Shahrizat is not going to be the woman who will make Malaysia proud on the international stage, like Sri Mulyani for Indonesia.

Malaysia will be in a better position to create opportunities for women leaders to make Malaysia proud on the international scene, if there is change of federal government in the forthcoming 14th General Election, with Pakatan Harapan replacing Barisan Nasional.

Malaysia is not short of capable women leaders of integrity who could make Malaysia proud internationally – like Datuk Maimunah Mohd Sharif, the newly elected head of UN-Habitat.

As Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Maimunah manages an annual budget even  larger than the Malaysian Finance Minister, who is none other than the Prime Minister himself, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Former mayor of Penang Island City Council, Maimunah is the first Malaysian to be elected to the highest international office, as she is Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlement Programme (UN-Habitat) – appointed at the level of Under-Secretary-General by the UN Secretary-General following an election by the UN General Assembly on 22nd December 2017.

She was awarded the Global Human Settlements Outstanding Contribution Award by the Global Forum on Human Settlements last October in Quito, Ecuador for her contributions to sustainable planning in Seberang Perai.

She was  the first woman to be president the Seberang Prai municipal council in 2011.

A town planner by training, Maimunah started her career at Penang Island Municipal Council in 1985.

(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on  Friday, 16th February 2018)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 17 February 2018, 9:40 am and is filed under
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Can the MCMC guarantee that the new law with 10-fold hike in penalties for “fake news” would be used against both “sharks” and “ikan bilis” in government including Prime Minister Najib  and not just against dissent?

The MCMC chief operating officer, Mazlan Ismail has suggested that the current punishments under Section 233(1) of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) be increased ten-fold from RM50,000 and one year’s jail sentence to RM500,000 and 10 years’ jail sentence.

Can the MCMC guarantee that such a law with 10-fold increase in penalties will be used fairly and impartially against all, regardless of their office or political affiliation, including the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers?

What is the use of proposing such a ten-fold increase if the MCMC cannot give a guarantee that nobody would be spared if guilty of concocting and peddling fake news and false information, including the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers?

This question is pertinent and relevant especially as the UMNO/Barisan Nasional government under the leadership of Datuk Seri Najib Razak as Prime Minister is one of biggest producers and peddlars of fake news?

I am one of the biggest victims of Najib and UMNO/BN’s fake news, viz:

1.     That the 14th General Election will be a contest between UMNO and DAP;

2. That the DAP is anti-Malay and anti-Islam;

3. The “nightmares” Malay will suffer if UMNO loses power in the next general elections.

Will the MCMC charge Najib under the new law where the Prime Minister in liable to RM500,000 fine and/or 10 years’ jail for these “fake news”?

In 2001, my 15-year-old grandson was the victim of malicious “fake news”,  that he had sexually molested a girl student in his school, and photographs and identity of the girl was even identified – an international chess play Anya Corke from Hong Kong, who had never met my grandson and was not even in the country.

No action had been taken against those who perpetrated the “fake news” against my grandson, although a police report was lodged by his father, Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng.

Would there be such inertia and inaction if the victim of the “fake news” allegation of sexual molestation had been the son of the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister or the UMNO/BN political leaders?

Najib has claimed that the 1MDB scandal and “MO1” are fake news.

Will the new penalties be used against Malaysians for raising questions about the 1MDB scandal or MO1 issue?

Last month, on the 17th January 2018, the 1MDB kleptocratic scandal was one of three cases mentioned by the US Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney-General, Criminal Division, M. Kendall Day in his testimony before the US Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs hearing on “Combating Money-laundering and other forms of illicit finance”.

Kendall Day revealed that out the US$3.5 billion worth of “corruption proceeds to date” seized or restrained under the US Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative, half or more than US$1.7 billion in assets were associated with the 1MDB sovereign fund in Malaysia.

Will Kendall Day be arrested and charged for “fake news” if he travels to Malaysia?

I asked whether the proposed 10-fold increase of penalties for fake news would be used against both shark and ikan bilis.

This is because a MCA “ikan bilis” peddled fake news against me yesterday, accusing me of having sensationalised two pre-Chinese New Year incidents in an alleged attempt to “incite unrest among the Chinese community and the people”.

This UMNO “ikan bilis” is not worth any attention except that he peddled fake news, alleging that I had commented on the furore over Petronas’ Chinese New Year white ang pau packet design, when I had not said a single word on the issue.

Will such an “ikan bilis” be penalised?

(Media Statement in Penang on Sunday, 18th February 2018)

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Only a change of Federal Government in Putrajaya can Malaysia stop the tide of corruption in Malaysia

In South Africa, 56 million people in the world’s 24th most populous nation are waiting for a new dawn after the forced resignation of Jacob Zuma as South African President after a tenure marked by corruption scandals.

The new President, Cyril Ramaphosa in his first state of the nation address on Friday, said it’s time for South Africans to put discord behind them and that the country will “turn the tide” on corruption in state institutions.

Time will tell whether Ramaphosa can fulfil his promise to end systematic corruption, the alarming economic decline and a steady descent into deep state dysfunction and  demonstrate South Africa’s legendary capacity to pull off a comeback at five minutes to midnight.

When will  we in  Malaysia have a new dawn to Save Malaysia from the abyss of a global kleptocracy?

This is only possible if there a change of Federal Government in Putrajaya in the forthcoming 14th General Elections which must be held in the 75-day window from March to mid-May, with Pakatan Harapan replacing the UMNO/Barisan Nasional coalition and  transforming Malaysia into a normal democracy like  Western countries  and Asian democracies like Japan, Taiwan, India, Indonesia and the Philippines where voters can peacefully and democratically change the government through the ballot box.

Let Malaysians join the international trend to fight corruption, uphold the rule of law and good governance.

The latest anti-corruption news is the arrest of the vice chancellor of the University of Zimbabwe, Levi Nyagura,  for corruption and abuse of office in connection with the award of a doctorate to former first lady of Zimbabwe, Grace Mugabe.

Early this month, the former Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was convicted of corruption and sentenced to five year’s  jail.

In Pakistan last year, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was indicted on corruption charges and an anti-corruption court in Islamabad issued a warrant of arrest in relation to the wealth owned by him and his family.

The cases of South Korean President, Park Geun-hye, two former South Korean Presidents, Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo (the corruption investigation of another former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun was closed after Roo leaped to his death), former Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian, and the string of  Chinese and Indonesian Ministers and high public officials jailed on corruption charges are proofs of the  “dragons”, “tigers”, “crocodiles” of corruption under assault  in Asian countries in the fight against corruption.

They  should be salutary lessons for political leaders in Asian countries that they will have to pay  dearly for “grand corruption” during their years of power whether as President or Prime Minister.

It is tragic and a humiliation that Malaysia is going against this international trend against corruption, for we have acquired the infamy and ignominy of being regarded world-wide as a global kleptocracy as a result of the international 1MDB money-laundering scandal.

The 1MDB scandal had been described as the world’s “worst kleptocracy” by the United States Attorney-General Jeff Sesssions at a recent international conference but the Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak continues to  claim it is only fake news but dare not form a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the 1MDB scandal.

Apart from  the charade of the government denial of 1MDB scandal, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has become the latest international laughing-stock of having compromised its independence and professionalism,  firstly, because of the appointment of its Chief Commissioner; secondly, for   being  hand-in-glove in the charade denying that there is a 1MDB scandal to give immunity and impunity to “MO1” and 1MDB criminals; and thirdly,   weaponized by the UMNO/BN government to defame and harass Pakatan Harapan leaders.

Early this month, the country’s most famous whistle-blower, PKR Vice President and MP for Pandan, Rafizi Ramli and former Public  Bank clerk Johari Mohamad were convicted and sentenced to a 30-month jail sentence but they succeeded in bringing back to national limelight the RM250 million National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) cow-and-condo scandal.

As if fresh reminders are needed, last  Sunday the Indonesia Finance Minister,

Sri Mulyani Indrawati was awarded the Best Minister Award in the World Government Summit in Dubai, for her achievements to reduce poverty, improve standards of living, reducing public debts and  her fight against corruption and to increase of transparency in government.

Let anti-corruption  be one of the important issues in the forthcoming 14th  general election in Malaysia  – whether we are to Save Malaysia to re-set nation-building policies and direction to achieve our Malaysian Dream to be  an international show-case of unity, harmony, integrity, good governance, development, progress and prosperity in a plural nation or to be  trapped in the trajectory of a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state!

(Speech at the DAP Penang Chinese New Year Open House in Penang on Sunday, 18th February 2018 at 12 noon)

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Parliament next month must address the nation’s infamy and ignominy as a  “global kleptocracy”  and cannot continue to pretend that the 1MDB scandal does not exist

Parliament next month must address the nation’s infamy and ignominy as a  “global kleptocracy”  as Members of Parliament, regardless of political party,   cannot continue to pretend that the 1MDB scandal does not exist.

Parliament is entitled to a full explanation from the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, as to  why the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has fallen from his predecessor Tun Abdullah Badawi’s promise that it will be Malaysia’s ICAC (Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption) as it has   instead  become   a new laughing stock of the world as a blatant political pawn to harass the Prime Minister’s critics and opponents.

The 16th International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) in Putrajaya on 2nd – 4th September 2015 on “Ending Impunity: People. Integrity. Action” was to be MACC’s  crowning glory in  winning international recognition as an anti-corruption agency ala-ICAC which could act independently and professionally in an untrammeled battle against corruption, but it proved to be a global disaster with the Prime Minister’ last-minute pull-out from the opening ceremony of the IACC for fear of hard questions, “personal issues” and “a possible hostile reception” by 1,000 international delegates at the conference.

Right from the very beginning of the opening ceremony of IACC, Malaysia’s corruption crisis, in particular the “two elephants in the room”, the RM50 billion 1MDB and RM2.6 billion Najib “donation” financial scandals, took centre-stage and remained the most obsessive issue throughout the three-day conference.

Also right from the beginning of the IACC, Transparency International President Jose Ugaz opened with a powerful plea for “honesty and integrity” from the Najib administration, asking Najib pointedly to restore confidence and trust by answering questions about the US$700 million in his personal bank accounts – (1) who paid the money and why; and (2) Where did it go.

For the past 29 months since the 16th IACC, Najib had completely ignored the advice of world anti-corruption authorities and even his erstwhile adviser on anti-corruption matters and Transparency International co-founder, Michael J. Hershman, who publicly told Najib at 16th IACC: “Tell the truth about where did the money come from and address the accusation. And if he did something wrong, then asked for forgiveness and face the consequences.”

Hershman said that since Najib had control of the account, he must know where it came from.

He said: “There is no reason for a panel for investigations. Just tell the truth. Get it out in the public.”

Whatever the stratagems of the  Najib administratio, the 1MDB scandal and Malaysia’s infamy and ignominy of being regarded world-wide as a  global kleptocracy are  not going to disappear into thin air  internationally.

The 1MDB scandal has not only sullied Malaysia’s international reputation and Najib’s premiership, it has destroyed MACC’s international  standing, credibility and repute because it is regarded merely as  a political pawn to harass the Prime Minister’s critics and opponents.

Parliament must  restore Malaysia’s international honour, reputation and respect by bravely demanding a full accounting from Najib on the  1MDB scandal next month.

(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 19th February 2018)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 19 February 2018, 4:33 pm and is filed under
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Three reasons why Najib and Hadi’s joint propaganda campaign  of fake news and false information that DAP is the “devil” and that the Malays and Muslims are under siege in the 14GE  would be proven wrong

There are three reasons why the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s joint propaganda campaign of fake news and false information   that the DAP is the “devil” and  that the Malays and Muslims are under siege in the 14th  General Election would be proven wrong.

Firstly, the demonization of DAP as anti-Malay and anti-Muslim has passed its zenith.

It is the most  disgraceful fake news and false information manufactured in the history of Malaysian politics indulged by those who wanted to perpetuate their political power at the price of a peaceful, harmonious, united, progressive and prosperous multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural Malaysia.

DAP had from its formation in 1966 been  a Malaysian political party, promoting the rights and interests of all races and religions in the country, and we have within our ranks Malaysians from all races and religions – Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Kadazans and Orang Asli; Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Taoists.

DAP is not anti-Malay and anti-Islam as demonstrated by the record of the ten-year DAP-led Penang State Government, serving interests of all Malaysians in Penang, regardless of race, religion or socio-economic background.

DAP cannot be anti-Malay or anti-Islam for this will be anti-Malaysian, which comprise the diverse races and religions in the country.

This is why a DAP leader of Chinese descent had done what even UMNO or PAS leaders had not done – gone to jail,  disqualified as a Member of Parliament and denied of civil rights to vote and  stand for elective office for five years for defending the honour and dignity of  an underaged Malay girl!

This is also why the DAP had a rainbow slate of candidates for parliamentary and state assembly elections in the past five decades, having Chinese, Indian, Malay and Kadazan elected representatives – which no single political party, whether UMNO, MCA, MIC, Gerakan or PAS had achieved in the nation’s 61-year history.

Was DAP anti-Malay and anti-Muslim in the nine years from 2008 to 2015 and if so, why did PAS under Hadi formed the Pakatan Rakyat together with DAP and PKR?

Secondly, the pernicious  Najib and Hadi propaganda of fake news and false information that the Malays are under siege, that DAP dominates Pakatan Harapan and the Malays will lose political power if Pakatan Harapan replaces UMNO/BN coalition.

Hadi is now following the footsteps of Najib and UMNO leaders who had trying to hold Malays to ransom by generating the fear that if UMNO is defeated in a general election, Malays will lose political power and become strangers in their own land as they will never recover from such loss of political power.

Such a fake news and false information runs contrary to the  demographic reality since Merdeka 61 years ago.

In 1957, Malaya’s population comprised 49.8% Malays, 37.2% Chinese, 11.1% Indians and 2% Others.

In 1970 Malaysia’s population comprised 44.32% Malays, 34.34% Chinese, 8.99% Indians, 11.89% non-Malay Bumiputeras, 0.67% others.

In 2010, the percentage of Malays in the Malaysian population increased to 55.07%, Chinese reduced to 24.34%, Indians dropped to 7.35%, non-Malay Bumiputeras maintained at 11.94% and 1.3% others.

The Chief Statistician Datuk Dr. Hassan Abdul Rahman expects the Chinese percentage of the population to  shrink to 19.6% in 2030 and 18.9% in 2035.

Why is Najib and Hadi beating the war drum of the “Chinese peril” in Malaysia, when Chinese population percentage have fallen from 37.2% in 1957 to 34.34% in 1970, and further down to 24.3% in 2010, and expected to fall below 20% after 2030?

Why are Najib and Hadi trying to create the “Chinese fear” among the  Malays and Muslims when the population ratio of the   Chinese is reducing drastically over the decades, completely oblivious to the slogan of “Instant Asia” and Malaysia’s unique multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural characteristics?

Najib and Hadi should cease and desist their propaganda campaign of fake news and false information to create the “Chinese fear”, of they should answer the two questions which had been posed by the National Laureate Pak Samad:

· Firstly, How are Malays under threat? How can religion (Islam) and Malays be threatened when those in power have been Malays for six decades?

· Secondly, what have they (Malay leaders) been doing in six decades (if Malays can be under threat)?

· Thirdly, more and more Malays will realise that the best way to guarantee the best interests of the Malays (as well as the  non-Malays) is to have a change of federal government in Putrajaya, the first in six decades, to ensure that all Malaysians can benefit.

Far from a disaster to the Malays, a Pakatan Harapan Federal Government will be a boon to them.

This is because a  Pakatan Harapan Federal Government in Putrajaya will have to demonstrate in five years that it can better look after the interests of Malaysians, whether Malays or non-Malays, or the voters have the power in their hands in the 15th General Election in five years’ time to vote out the Pakatan Harapan federal government and even vote back the UMNO/BN coalition to Putrajaya.

If there a change of federal government in the 14GE, Malaysia will  become a normal democracy like  Western countries and Asian democracies like Japan, Taiwan, India, Indonesia and the Philippines where voters can peacefully and democratically change the government through the ballot box.

Malaysian parliamentary democracy will be more vibrant and competitive, with  political parties and coalitions competing as to who can better serve and unite  the nation and the people instead of polarising and dividing the country with  negative and destructive politics of race and religion.

(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, February 19, 2018)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 19 February 2018, 10:43 am and is filed under
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A Pakatan Harapan Government in Putrajaya will draft and implement a National Integrity Masterplan with civil society to ensure that Malaysia will be one of the leading nations in Asia for integrity, good governance  and fight against corruption instead of becoming a global kleptocracy

Tomorrow Transparency International (TI) will release its Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2017, an event all Malaysians dread for Malaysia had been sliding down both in ranking and score in the last two decades since TI’s introduction of the annual CPI in 1995.

There are no signs in the past year that  there is the political will to fight corruption, particularly grand corruption, in Malaysia, as represented by the continued government clamp-down of reports and denial of the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB money-laundering scandal, which has given Malaysia the  infamy and ignominy of a global kleptocracy.

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad has recently disappeared from public view, which is an indication of the parlous state of anti-corruption battle in Malaysia.

Equally conspicuous is the inability of the MACC to explain  why Malaysia has become a global kleptocracy and what the MACC is doing to cleanse or purge Malaysia of this international infamy and ignomy.

Recently, there was the announcement of the appointment of four Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) honorary advisers.  Is anyone of the MACC honorary advisers committed to demand that the top priority of MACC is to cleanse or purge Malaysia of the international infamy and ignominy of being regarded as a global kleptocracy as a result of the 1MDB scandal?

 Three frequently asked questions (FAQ) on the 1MDB scandal are:

1.     Whether the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak received RM2.6 billion donation from Saudi royalty;

2.     Whether Najib returned RM2.1 billion to Saudi royalty; and

3.     Whether the RM144 million  pink diamond necklace for the “wife of MO1” came from stolen 1MDB funds.

The answers to all these three FAQs about the 1MDB scandal are available in great detail in the US Department of Justice (DOJ)’s largest kleptocratic litigation to forfeit US$1.7 billion 1MDB-linked assets in the United States, United Kingdom and Switzerland.

The answers to the three FAQs are:

(1) Najib never received the RM2.6 billion donation from Saudi royalty just before the 13th General Election, although he received other donations from Saudi sources which have not been given a proper accounting. The RM2.6 billion monies came from 1MDB funds.

(2) Najib never returned the RM2.1 billion to Saudi royalty, as the money did not come from Saudi sources, but were returned to Tanore account in Singapore  which was operated by 1MDB mastermind and Najib’s confidante, Jho Low, and were from stolen 1MDB funds.

(3) The RM2.1 billion returned to Tanore account in Singapore was used to buy, among other things, the RM144 million pink diamond necklace for the “wife of MO1”.

These details and evidence are  all to be found in US DOJ kleptocratic litigation  and are virtually “served on a silver platter” to MACC, and MACC and its advisors, honorary or otherwise, should explain why MACC had done nothing about these incontrovertible evidence.

The history of the 22-year annual Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) from 1995-2016 shows that Malaysia had stagnated and even regressed in integrity and principles of accountability and good governance in the past two decades as compared to some countries, like China and Indonesia, which had made significant improvements with steady strides.

In the first year of TI CPI in 1995, which listed only 41 countries, Malaysia was ranked in the middling position of No. 23 with a score above the midpoint – i.e. 5.28 in a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean).

China and Indonesia came in at the bottom end, with China ranked as No. 40 with a score of 2.16 out of 10 while Indonesia came in last ranking No. 41 out of 41 with a score of 1.94.

If Malaysia had made a decimal improvement in the TI CPI score of 0.1 point each year the past 22 years, Malaysia’s present score would have been 7.48, or roughly translated into 74.8 out of a scale increased from 10 to 100, which would have placed Malaysia in the rank around No. 18 out of 176 countries.

Unfortunately, Malaysia’s TI CPI worsened with the TI CPI ranking falling to No. 55 out of 176 countries last year while the TI CPI score fell below the midpoint to 49 in the new scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

In contrast, both China and Indonesia have made significant improvements in the TI CPI in the past 22 years, with China improving its score from 2.16/10 in 1995 to 40/100 with its TI CPI Ranking improving from No. 40/41 in 1995 to 79/176 in 2016 and Indonesia improving its score from 1.94/10 in 1995 to 37/100 with TI CPI ranking from 41/41 in 1995 to 90/176.

If for the next two decades, China and Indonesia improve in their TI CPI ranking and score at their pace in the past 22 years, while Malaysia stagnates, both countries would have overtaken Malaysia in both the TI CPI ranking and score well before 2040. We do not even have to wait for TN 2050!

I said at the DAP Penang Chinese New Year Open House three days ago that only a change of Federal Government in Putrajaya in the 14GE can Malaysia stop the tide of corruption in Malaysia, which other countries like South Africa under new President Cyril Ramaphosa is trying to reverse.

A Pakatan Harapan Government in Putrajaya will draft and implement  a National Integrity  Masterplan with civil society to ensure that Malaysia will be one of the leading nations in Asia for integrity, good governance  and fight against corruption instead of becoming a global kleptocracy.

(Speech at the Chinese New Year Open House of Penang DAP Chairman Penang  Senior Exco, Chow Kon Yeow, at Lee Sih Chong Soo, Jalan Burma, Penang on Tuesday, 20th February 2018 at 12 noon)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 20 February 2018, 11:06 am and is filed under
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Liow Tiong Lai should revisit his “Citizens” National Day Video and reaffirm that provided voters, including MCA members, follow their conscience in pursuit of Malaysian Dream, he does not mind which political party they support

I am surprised that after the MCA Deputy President, Datuk Wee Ka Siong’s self-directed and self-acted “drama” alleging  the possibility of DAP Secretary-General and Chief Minister of Penang Lim Guan Eng contesting against him for the Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat in Johor, the MCA President Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai also craved the limelight and produced his own self-directed and self-acted “drama” that I was going to contest against him in Bentong parliamentary seat in the 14th General Election.

Guan Eng accused Wee of being dishonest, reminded him to stop lying, as this was only the fourth day of the Chinese New Year.

Guan Eng asked Wee not to use him (Guan Eng) to promote himself, and asked when he (Guan Eng) ever said that he would contest in Ayer Hitam.

Wee  responded with an abject admission  that he had been misquoted by MCA-owned newspaper The Star, and that he had never mentioned Guan Eng by name.

Had Liow similarly been misquoted by Star and  Bernama  when he claimed the  possibility that I would contest against him in Bentong and that he was ready to face me in Bentong.

Like Guan Eng’s question to Wee, can Liow cite chapter and verse as to when I had mentioned the possibility of my contesting in Bentong as this had never entered into my radar of possibilities for the 14th General Election.

Like Wee in the case of Guan Eng, has Liow to make use of me to promote himself?

Liow also launched into a ferocious attack against me while claiming that he was confident of the voters’ support as he had done good work as MP  in Bentong constituency  since 1999.

Liow’s election results in Bentong are  most interesting and revealing.  In the 1999, 2004 and 2008 General Elections, Liow won  Bentong with five-figure vote majorities, viz: 10,715-vote majority in 1999; 16,839 in 2004 and 12,549 in 2008. However, in the 2013 General Election, when facing DAP environmentalist candidate, Wong Tack, Liow was “lucky” to win with 379-vote majority.

Would Liow have won if the Bentong had not changed from a constituency with Chinese voters as the largest ethnic  voting group, as in 2004-GE when the racial breakdown of the Bentong electorate was of 48.6% Chinese, 40.5% Malays, 9.4% Indians and 1.4% Others into one where the Malay voters are the largest ethnic voting group, with the racial breakdown of the Bentong electorate in the second quarter of 2017 – Malays 46.1%, Chinese 42.4%, Indians 9.0% and Others 2.6%.

MCA should be celebrating its 69th anniversary in a week’s time on Feb 27. It should highlight the history created by the present MCA leadership where the top MCA leaders like the MCA President,  Deputy President and Secretary-General had to be elected to Parliament and appointed into the Cabinet based on UMNO’s Malay votes by contesting in constituencies where Malay voters are more than Chinese voters.

In Ayer Hitam, the parliamentary constituency of MCA Deputy President and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, the voter racial breakdown in the second quarter of 2017 were Malays 57.6%; Chinese 38.3%; Indians 3.9% and Others 0.2%.

When Wee contested in the Ayer Hitam parliamentary seat in the 2004 General Election, the racial breakdown of the voters in the constituency were 55.5% Malays, 40% Chinese; 4.3% Indians and 0.3% Others.

In Tanjong Malim, the parliamentary constituency of the MCA Secretary-General and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Datuk Ong Ka Chuan, the current racial breakdown of the electorate is Malays 55.4%, Chinese 25.8%, Indians 13.2% and Orang Asli 5.6%, as compared to 2008 General Election when Ong first contested in the constituency – Malays 51%, Chinese 31%, Indians 15.1% and Orang Asli 2.9%.

Is MCA representing the Chinese in Barisan Nasional or are MCA Ministers and leaders  representing UMNO to the Malaysian Chinese?

I would advise Liow to revisit his “Citizens” National Day Video and act as a brave citizen of Malaysia and not as a cringing MP and Minister solely dependent on UMNO’s Malay votes.

In the “Citizens” video, Liow the Minister admitted to Liow the citizen: “The last ten years have been hard for everyone. I know we haven’t done enough”.

Was Liow the Minister speaking from the heart? If so, could he list out the things the MCA Ministers and leaders had not “done enough” and would now remedy?

The video tried to present the dilemma and malaise  Malaysians had been feeling for the past decade or so, the  great disappointment over the state of the nation – rampant corruption, political instability and a crippling economy.

Had Liow and the two MCA Ministers ever raised the 1MDB scandal in Cabinet since the “Citizens” video?

Would Liow support me that Parliament next month must address the nation’s infamy and ignominy as a “global kleptocracy” as Members of Parliament, regardless of political party, cannot continue to pretend that the 1MDB scandal does not exist?

In the “Citizens” video, Liow the politician came face-to-face with Citizen Liow, who angrily asked him, “What do you want?” to which Liow replied, “I know, you think I’m irrelevant, nothing I do is good enough. Of course I’m hurt by that, but now is not the time to discuss that. “

Liow the Minister said: “I’m only here to ask you to not give up on this country.

“Running the country isn’t easy. But the starting point of any solution is never give up hope.”

Liow the Minister said:

“The dream of Malaysia is beautiful and worthy of our perseverance.

“I believe every citizen and leader wish for a better Malaysia. Provided you follow your conscience, I don’t mind which party you support. I earnestly urge you to, once again, believe in Malaysia.”

Liow must state clearly and unequivocally whether he is sincere in what he said in the video, that provided Malaysians, including MCA members, follow their conscience in their Malaysian dream, he does not mind which political party they support and vote in the 14th General Election.

I call on Malaysians, including MCA members, not to lose hope, and in the 14GE to unite  with all Malaysians, whether MCA, UMNO, Gerakan, MIC  or even PAS members,  for the achievement of the Malaysian Dream by voting for a change of Federal Government in Putrajaya for Malaysia to take the first step to become a normal democracy – an integral part of the Malaysian Dream.

(Media Statement in Penang on Tuesday, 20th February 2018)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 20 February 2018, 9:38 am and is filed under
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Fahmi Reza’s shocking conviction and sentences a warning of the darkness that will descend on the country if there is no change of Federal Government in Putrajaya in 14GE to Save Malaysia

The shocking conviction and sentences of graphic designer Fahmi Reza to one month jail and RM30,000 fine for insulting Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak with a clown face caricature posted on Facebook is a warning of the darkness that will descend on the country if there is no change of Federal Government in Putrajaya in the 14th General Election to Save Malaysia by re-setting nation-building policies and directions.

I fully agree with legal experts who view the conviction and sentence as absurd, undemocratic and totally unacceptable.

The Ipoh Sessions Court decision to convict and impose the ridiculous sentences on Fahmi should raise alarm bells not only about the state of human rights and democracy in Malaysia today, but what Malaysia would be like if Najib succeeds in getting re-elected as Prime Minister of Malaysia, or even worse, if the UMNO/Barisan Nasional returns to Parliament with a two-thirds majority.

If Najib and  UMNO/BN are to be defeated in the 14GE, then the Pakatan Harapan coalition must be able to do better than Pakatan Rakyat in the 13GE, not only to sustain the voting support of those who voted for change in the 12th and 13th GE, but also to win over the rural voters who had voted and saved Najib and the UMNO/BN coalition in the 13GE, in particular the Malay and UMNO voters in the 13GE who had been responsible for UMNO winning 73 seats in Peninsular Malaysia.

Without the support of the rural Malay voters in the 73 parliamentary seats won by UMNO in Peninsular Malaysia in the 13GE, no political change, no institutional or systemic reform is possible.

Pakatan Harapan does not want only a change of government, but institutional and systemic reforms, especially the restoration of the independence, professionalism and integrity of the national institutions in the country, like the Judiciary, the Police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Election Commission but also the repeal of all laws and agreements that violate the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Federal Constitution.

Fahmi’s conviction and sentences  are a reminder that the  question in the 14GE is not whether to choose between Najib and Tun Mahathir Mohamad but whether to be trapped in the trajectory of a failed and rogue kleptocratic state or whether to Save Malaysia by re-setting nation-building policies based on the fundamental principles of the Malaysian Constitution to build a united, democratic, competitive, progressive and prosperous Malaysia where all Malaysians, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Orang Asli, Kadazans or Ibans; whether Muslims, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and others can feel proud.

(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, 21st February 2018)

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 21 February 2018, 11:08 am and is filed under
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Najib arming himself with two new weapons for the  14th General Elections

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, is arming himself with two new weapons for the 14th General Elections – fake news and corruption.

Najib and the UMNO/Barisan Nasional coalition are the worst culprits in concocting and peddling fake news and false information, but  the UMNO/BN strategists and  propagandists want  to weaponise the fake news issues with new legislation and mechanism purportedly to combat fake news, but whose  real purpose is to harass and persecute Pakatan Harapan leaders and supporters over fake news allegations while giving the UMNO/BN leaders and supporters immunity and impunity for the fake news they concoct and disseminate against Pakatan Harapan.

The same applies to the  corruption issue. The script is to use the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and other outfits to tarnish the image of Pakatan Harapan leaders as equally corrupt as Barisan Nasional leaders, and that on the score of integrity and corruption,  the voters do not have much to choose between Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional.

This is why for the past month, the MCA  Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong carried out  the special assignment to undermine and destroy public confidence in DAP and Pakatan Harapan by ceaseless attacks on the Penang State Government’s undersea tunnel project, even to the extent of  sabotage of the Penang undersea tunnel project.

This is most  ironical, immoral and unethical for the greatest legacy of the Najib administration is undoubtedly the appellation of a global kleptocracy as a result of the world-infamous multi-billion dollar 1MDB kleptocratic money-laundering scandal.

Unfortunately for Malaysia, none of the MCA Ministers, including Wee, had dared to breathe a single word about the 1MDB scandal in Cabinet or Parliament, for they will be stepping on the toes of UMNO “Big Brother” – which is a “No, No” as the three top MCA leaders all depend on UMNO’s Malay votes to win a seat in Parliament and Cabinet, as  Bentong, Ayer Hitam and  Tanjong Malim all have more Malay voters than Chinese voters.

(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, 21st February 2018)

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Malaysians wake up today to shame and infamy for Malaysia has sunk lowest in 23 years in Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index 2017 – at which rate, China and Indonesia will overtake Malaysia in eight and 14 years’ time respectively

Malaysians wake up today in shame for in the world release of Transparency International (TI) annual scorecard of Corruption Perception Index (CPI) in the early hours this morning, Malaysia has reached the lowest ranking in 23 years – No. 62 out of 180 countries.

The history of the 23-year annual Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) from 1995-2017 shows that Malaysia had stagnated and even regressed in integrity and principles of accountability and good governance in the past two decades as compared to some countries, like China and Indonesia, which had made significant improvements with steady strides.

In the first year of TI CPI in 1995, which listed only 41 countries, Malaysia was ranked in the middling position of No. 23 with a score above the midpoint – i.e. 5.28 in a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean).

China and Indonesia came in at the bottom end, with China ranked as No. 40 with a score of 2.16 out of 10 while Indonesia came in last ranking No. 41 out of 41 with a score of 1.94.

If Malaysia had made a decimal improvement in the TI CPI score of 0.1 point each year the past 22 years, Malaysia’s present score would have been 7.58, or roughly translated into 75.8 out of a scale increased from 10 to 100, which would have placed Malaysia in the rank of No. 16 out of 180 countries.

Unfortunately, Malaysia’s 2017 TI CPI ranking and score had worsened, ranked No. 62 out of 180 countries with the TI CPI score plunging further down below the midpoint to 47/100 in the revised scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

In contrast, both China and Indonesia have continued to make significant improvements in the TI CPI in the past 23 years, with China improving its score from 2.16/10 in 1995 (under the original scale) to 41/100 (revised scale) with its TI CPI Ranking improving from No. 40/41 in 1995 to 77/180 in 2017 and while Indonesia upped its score from 1.94/10 (old scale) in 1995 to 37/100 (new scale), with TI CPI ranking from 41/41 in 1995 to 96/180.

If China continues to improve its TI CPI score at the annual average rate of 0.84 points (old scale) in the past 23 years, China would overtake Malaysia in both TI CPI ranking and score in eight years time (41 + 6.7 = 47.7) without Malaysia regressing further in TI score (which is a tall order under Najib’s global kleptocracy!).

In the past 23 years, Indonesia’s improvement on the TI CPI score is lower than China, making an average annual improvement of 0.76 (old scale). Without Malaysia further regressing, Indonesia will overtake Malaysia in both TI ranking and score in 14 years time, when it would have registered a score of 37 + 10.6 = 47.6.

Is this what Malaysia heading towards under Najib’s TN 2050 – overtaken by China in the 2025 TI CPI and overtaken by Indonesia in the 2031 TI CPI?

The TI CPI 2017 is Malaysia worst ranking in the 23-year TI CPI annual series and highlights a most shocking fact – that Najib’s nine-year premiership registered the lowest TI CPI ranking and the worst TI CPI score when compared to the two previous Prime Ministers, Tun Mahathir and Tun Abdullah.

This is illustrated by the following chart on TI CPI 1995-2017:

Prime Minister

Best ranking

Best score

Worst ranking

Worst score

Mahathir

23(1995)

5.32/10 (1996)

37 (2003)

4.8/10 (2000)

Abdullah

39(2004)

5.1/10 (2005/7/8)

47 (2008)

5/10 (2004/6)

Najib

50 (2014)

52/100 (2014)

62 (2017)

4.3/10 (2011)

Now, Malaysia is ridiculed world-wide as a global kleptocracy.

What is being done to improve Malaysia’s TI CPI ranking and score?

Nothing, with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) joining the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his Cabinet in denying that the internationally-infamous 1MDB scandal exists, relegating it virtually to the status of “fake news”, and engaged in a national denial complex whether about “MO1” or Malaysia as a global kleptocracy.

I said at the DAP Penang Chinese New Year Open House last weekend that only a change of Federal Government in Putrajaya in the 14GE can Malaysia stop the tide of corruption in Malaysia, which other countries like South Africa under new President Cyril Ramaphosa is trying to do.

A Pakatan Harapan Government in Putrajaya will draft and implement a National Integrity Masterplan with civil society to ensure that Malaysia will be one of the leading nations in Asia for integrity, good governance and fight against corruption and cleanse Malaysia of the infamy, ignominy and iniquity of a global kleptocracy.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 22 February 2018, 11:01 am and is filed under
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14th General Election will be quinoa vs rice; clean government vs kleptocracy;  and Najib vs people of Malaysia

First of all, I want to make a confession.

Until the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s live session on the 2018 Budget at the  Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Bangi yesterday, I had never heard of  quinoa – in fact, I did not even know that quinoa existed.

I have to ask around whether they knew anything about  quinoa when I was informed of Najib’s speech, where he revealed that he does not eat rice, but eat quinoa, which was introduced to him by his son, explaining that quinoa was the staple food of the Inca people which was planted 3,000 years ago – protein-based, has less carbohydrate and less sugar, so  better  and healthier than rice.

DAP MP for Segambut, Lim Lip Seng, was the  first to react publicly, criticising Najib for being out of touch with the plight of Malaysians

Malaysiakini’s check with Tesco’s online shop revealed that a 250-gram packet of Love Earth Organic Quinoa cost RM14.79, which means 10kg would cost RM591.60. However, a 10kg packet of Jasmine Super Special (five percent broken rice) cost RM25.85.

In other words, quinoa which Najib eats is about 23 times more expensive than rice, eaten by 30 million Malaysians.

This reminds me of the Marie Antoinette story of the last Queen of France before the French Revolution in 1789 where she was supposed to have said “Let them eat cake” when she learnt that the peasants had no bread.

China’s Emperor Hui of Jin dynasty (290 – 307) retorted “Why don’t they eat meat?” when told that his people did not have enough rice to eat.

The 14th General Election will be quinoa vs rice; clean government vs kleptocracy;  and Najib vs people of Malaysia.

Yesterday, Malaysians woke up to a full-blown integrity crisis when Malaysia fell to the lowest Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2017 when Malaysia plunged to the lowest ranking of 62/100 in 23 years, with Malaysia poised to overtaken by China and Indonesia in the next few years as countries which have cleaner and less corrupt governments.

Malaysia’s integrity crisis should have been addressed by Najib in his live session yesterday, but there was not a word. Instead, he waxed about eating quinoa and not rice, setting himself apart from ordinary Malaysians, whether Top 20% (T20), Middle 40% (M40) or Bottom 40% (B40) – setting himself apart  as the Super Top 2% (Super T 2%)!

Najib should pay more heed to the views recently expressed by Ameer Ali Mydin, managing director of hypermarket chain Mydin, that the country may be seeing rosy gross domestic product growth but consumers don’t seem to have enough money to spend on groceries.

It is  in one sense  a direct challenge about official statistics and indirectly challenges the Prime Minister’s upbeat statements.

Mydin is making a very important point which deserves closer scrutiny. He is pointing to  a discrepancy between the figure of retail sales and estimates of private consumption as a component of GDP.

The two series should be moving in the  same direction. Or to put it in a different way, it is hardly possible for the aggregate (private consumption) to be growing while  a major component(retail sales) is declining.

It would appear that we have a case of “alternative facts” or to put it even more starkly it could be a case of “fake news” to make everyone feel good. The implications of this inconsistency are serious: it raises questions about the veracity of the aggregate GDP estimates if ones takes account of the fact that private consumption is the single largest component of GDP.

To put it in simple terms: GDP appears to be over-estimated – and the higher growth rate that the PM is crowing about is really nothing more than “alternative facts.”

The low growth figures for “retail sales” can be defended since wages and household incomes have stagnated – meaning households do not have the means to spend. The high levels of household debt also limit further borrowings to finance consumption.

Najib made an important point yesterday, however, when he advised Malaysians not  to take peace,  harmony and unity for granted.

It is precisely that we should not take things for granted that the  four political parties of DAP, PKR, Amanah and Bersatu have banded together in Pakatan Harapan to Save Malaysia from being trapped in a trajectory towards a failed, rogue and kleptocratic state and to re-set nation-building policies and directions based on the fundamental principles agreed by all the communities in the Malaysian Constitution, not only to restore the independence, impartiality and professionalism of the national institutions, but for all Malaysians regardless of race and religion to be proud as Malaysians.

Those who act or imply that they are proud to be citizens of a Kleptocratic Malaysia cannot be truly patriotic Malaysians.

This is why Malaysians needs to have a change of the Federal Government in Putrajaya in the 14GE, to begin a new journey to rectify all the mistakes and failures of the past 61 years to build a new future and new civilisation out of the talents and capabilities of the diverse races, religions, languages and cultures which have made Malaysia their home.

(Media Conference Statement at Wisma DAP Penang on Friday, February  23, 2018 at 11.30 a.m)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 23 February 2018, 11:22 am and is filed under
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Everyday produces more proofs that UMNO/BN coalition arming itself  with two new weapons for the  14th General Elections

Everyday, we are seeing more proofs that the UMNO/BN coalition is arming itself with two new weapons for the 14th General Elections – fake news and corruption.

Najib and the UMNO/Barisan Nasional coalition are the worst culprits in concocting and peddling fake news and false information, but  the UMNO/BN strategists and  propagandists want  to weaponise the fake news issues with new legislation and mechanism purportedly to combat fake news, but whose  real purpose is to harass and persecute Pakatan Harapan leaders and supporters over fake news allegations while giving the UMNO/BN leaders and supporters immunity and impunity for the fake news they concoct and disseminate against Pakatan Harapan.

The attack launched by UMNO/BN cybertroops on the social media posting a fake photo of Muslim Pakatan Harapan leaders eating at a table where pork is served is one recent example.

The photo shows state PH chief Mukhriz Mahathir and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu eating at a table where a roast suckling pig could be seen.

The Facebook user posted the photo on Tuesday, captioned: “Nak undi Cina punya pasal sehingga sanggup makan babi. #Undi Pas.” (Because they want Chinese votes, they would even eat pork. #Vote PAS.)

This is fake news, as the sucking pig had been photoshopped, and this could be easily proven when compared to the original photograph.

In another instance, DAP Selangor and Wanita DAP leader, Young Syefura Othman(Rara) was target of the UMN0/BN cybertroopers and was accused of partaking in a Chinese festivity to chop up a sucking pig, when in fact she was not in the photograph or event at all!

It was a PKR event and those in the photograph were the Selangor PKR State Exco, Elizabeth Wong, PKR State Assemblywoman, Chua Yee Ling, and PKR Selayang Councillor Fok Wai Mun. Rara was not in the photograph or event, but she was defamed and Fok was falsely identified as her husband.

Such campaign of lies, fake news and false information must be condemned without reservation, and I must ask whether the Azalina Fake Committee on Fake News is the latest UMNO/BN stratagem to accuse and charge Pakatan Harapan of fake news, camouflaging the mass of fake news which UMNO/BN cybertroopers are concocting and peddling in the run-up to the 14GE.

The same applies to the  corruption issue.  The script is to use the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and other outfits to tarnish the image of Pakatan Harapan leaders as equally  corrupt as Barisan Nasional leaders, and that on the score of integrity and corruption,  the voters do not have much to choose between Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional.

This is why for the past month, the MCA  Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong carried out  the special assignment to undermine and destroy public confidence in DAP and Pakatan Harapan by ceaseless attacks on the Penang State Government’s undersea tunnel project, even to the extent of  sabotage of the Penang undersea tunnel project.

This is most   immoral and unethical for the greatest legacy of the Najib administration is undoubtedly the appellation of a global kleptocracy as a result of the world-infamous multi-billion dollar 1MDB kleptocratic money-laundering scandal, which has landed Malaysia with the worst ranking of TI CPI for the past 23 years.

(Media Conference Statement 3 at Wisma Penang on Friday, 23rd  February 2018 at 11.30 am)

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Minister in Prime Minister’s Department Paul Low,  MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad   and the 20-odd  members of the five bodies which monitor the MACC should collectively resign over their dismal failure  highlighted by  TI CPI 2017 which saw Malaysia plunge to lowest TI CPI  ranking in 23 years –  62 out of 180 countries with TPI  score of 47/100

What balderdash!

This is the only proper reaction to the ridiculous claim by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Pau Low, that the string of high-profile arrests over the past year is the likely cause for Malaysia’s drop in rankings on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI).

This is totally contradictory to the assessment by the Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) President, Datuk Akhbar Satar that Malaysia’s TI CPI ranking would have gone lower below No. 62 out of 180 countries “if not because of the MACC aggressiveness in conducting investigation and making arrests to deter corruption in the country”.

The Chief Commissioner of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad came out from “hiding” to say he  was “shocked” by the results because it did not reflect MACC’s aggressive approach towards combatting graft.

I am shocked that Dzulkifli is shocked by the TI CPI 2017.

Dzulkifli seemed to think  that both the Malaysian and international community are so gullible that they could be misled by the MACC campaign of  “shock and awe” of arrests and charges under his tenure, which obediently avoided the “sharks” of corruption but tasked with a special agenda to tar and stain  Pakatan Harapan leaders, to believe that  the MACC is empowered to combat corruption regardless of rank or station.

Akhbar Satar is right. If not for the MACC’s “shock and awe” tactics of arrests and charges, Malaysia’s TI CPI 2017 would have sunk lower, and be in the company of countries like Bulgaria, South Africa, Vanuatu, Burkina Fako, Lesotho and Tunisia with CPI scores of 42-43/100.

To restore public confidence and MACC credibility in the fight against corruption, the Minister in the  Prime Minister’s Department Datuk  Paul Low,  MACC Chief Commissioner Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad   and the 20-odd  members of the five bodies which monitor the MACC should collectively resign over their dismal failure  highlighted by  TI CPI 2017 which saw Malaysia plunge to lowest TI CPI  ranking in 23 years –  62 out of 180 countries with TIP score of 47/100.

These five bodies are the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board, the Special Committee on Corruption, the Complaints Committee, the Operations Review Panel, and the Corruption Consultation and Prevention Panel.

It is great shame that the Transparency International Malaysia should suffer the shame,  dishonour and indignity of two of its Presidents ending up as political mercenaries of the-powers-that-be (TPTB), serving as apologists and defenders of MO1, the international multi-billion dollar  1MDB money-laundering scandal and Malaysia as a global kleptocracy.

Paul Low resigned as Transparency International Malaysia President in 2013 to be corralled by Malaysia’s first minority Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, to join his Cabinet purportedly to promote integrity and fight corruption in Malaysia.

He has found all sorts of excuses and used all stratagems to hang on to his  Ministerial position although under his watch as Minister responsible for integrity, Malaysia suffered the infamy and ignominy of a global kleptocracy.

He went along with the conspiracy to sweep the 1MDB scandal, like  all other mega-corruption scandals, whether FELDA, MARA or  Tabung Haji, under the carpet.

Under his watch, Malaysia’s TI CPI plunged 12 notches  from 50th ranking in 2014 to 62nd  ranking in 2017, while  the CPI score plunged from 52/100 in 2014 to 47/100 in 2017.

What possible excuses can Paul Low conjure to hang on to the Ministerial post on integrity?

It would appear that the longer he continues as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of integrity, the more corrupt Malaysia corrupt becomes.

What has happened to all the boast of Malaysia being ranked among the 30 top least corrupt nations by 2020, when the shoreline of this target is getting further and further?

Would Paul Low dare to present the views of the President of TI Malaysia, Akhbar Satar  to next Wednesday’s Cabinet, that the issues surrounding 1MDB Malaysia and the RM2.6 billion donation, FELDA scandal, and the Sabah Water scandal; the recent conviction of a whistle blower, MP Rafizi Ramli,  on the  RM250 million NFC (National Feedlot Corporation) “cow-condo” scandal case were amongst the reasons why Malaysia slipped seven notches in the ranking of TI CPI 2017 – and that the TI CPI 2017 should be Malaysia’s “wake-up call” which  should not be explained away just like so many other warning signs?

The same applies to the Chief Commissioner, Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad.

Dzulkifli had said that MACC had set a three-year deadline for Malaysia to move high up the TI CPI.

It would appear that the MACC Chief Commissioner had not expected Malaysia’s TI CPI to improve in the next three years, but did he expect a plunge to the lowest point of 62 out of 180 countries?

He has even now come up with the idea of MACC creating its own corruption index,  which would have no credibility except in UMNO and Barisan Nasional.

I said yesterday China and Indonesia are poised to overtake Malaysia in the TI CPI series  if these two countries improve  their TI CPI ranking and score at their pace in the past 23 years, while Malaysia stagnates, with China overtaking Malaysia in eight years’ time in 2015 and Indonesia in 14 years’ time in 2031.

China and Indonesia would overtake Malaysia in an even shorter period if Malaysia continues to regress, as happened  during the nine-year premiership of Najib.

What is the MACC doing with regard to this shocking possibility?

Before the establishment of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission in 2009, Malaysia scored the best TI CPI ranking of 23 under  premiership of Tun Dr. Mahathir and No. 39 under Tun Abdullah Badawi, as compared to the best TI CPI ranking of No. 50 under Najib; with the worst TI CPI  ranking of No. 37 under Mahathir and No. 47 under Abdullah as compared to No. 62 under Najib.

In these circumstances, how can the MACC have any credibility if the  20-odd members of the five supervising committees of MACC  continue in office, when it is very clear that they had failed abysmally in their entrusted assignments?

(Media Conference Statement 2 at Wisma DAP Penang on Friday, February  23, 2018 at 11.30 a.m)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 23 February 2018, 1:38 pm and is filed under
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Najib  did himself a great disservice and dishonor in canvassing a ludicrous and half-baked political theory about two scenarios if Pakatan Harapan wins in 14GE when in the last 48 hours he strenuously avoided the one subject all Malaysians were  waiting to hear from him

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has done himself a great disservice and dishonor in canvassing a ludicrous and half-baked political theory about two scenarios if Pakatan Harapan wins in 14GE when in the last 48 hours, he had been strenuously  avoiding the one subject all Malaysians were waiting to hear from him.

I describe Najib’s “two scenarios if Pakatan Harapan wins” as ludicrous and half-baked because both these scenarios will not eventuate.

In his blog yesterday, Najib fantasized that Pakatan Harapan (PH) parties will likely fight among themselves over who becomes prime minister should they win the 14th general election – first, that PH chairman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad will not relinquish the post to Anwar; and second,  should  Mahathir hand over power to Anwar, the country would face the dire situation of having a husband-and-wife team leading the country as prime minister and deputy prime minister, describing this “the most critical level of nepotism” practised by Pakatan Harapan.

I have had a lot of differences with Mahathir in the past, but I believe he is a man of his word and honour.

I believe Mahathir will relinquish the post of Prime Minister if Pakatan Harapan wins the 14GE so that Anwar can become the country’s eighth Prime Minister; and that when Anwar becomes Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will gratefully retreat from the front-line of politics and will not become Deputy Prime Minister at the same time that Anwar is Prime Minister.

What will happen in the 14GE to be held in  80 days  by  mid-May is that the Pakatan Harapan can achieve a near political miracle of defeating Najib and the UMNO/BN coalition despite the great odds stacked against it, primarily through undemocratic practices of constituency gerrymandering, voter manipulation, and the traditional 3Ms of media (fake news), machinery and money; but the two “scenarios” fantasized by Najib will not happen.

Instead, the Pakatan Harapan Federal government will hit the ground running, with Mahathir as the seventh Prime Minister of Malaysia immediately implementing  institutional reforms in the first 100 days, and paving the way for Anwar to become the eighth Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Malaysians however were not  waiting for  Najib’s  ludicrous and half-baked political theory about two scenarios if Pakatan Harapan wins in 14GE, but his response, particularly policy response, to the full-blown integrity crisis facing Malaysia since the worldwide release of Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2017 in the early hours of  Thursday morning.

Under the TI CPI 2017, Malaysia has plunged to the lowest TI CPI ranking in 23 years, with countries like China and Indonesia poised to overtake Malaysia in the TI corruption perception index within 15 years.

What is Najib’s reaction as Prime Minister to this integrity crisis of Malaysia  and what are his policy responses?

So far, there is  only monumental silence from the Prime Minister, who has time for “instant” introduction of quinoa, which the Incas planted 3,000 years, with the revelation at a live session on the 2018 Budget at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia on Thursday that he does not eat rice, but eat quinoa, and his fantasy yesterday about the “two scenarios” if Pakatan Harapan wins the 14GE.

This is not good enough.

I call on Najib to let Malaysians know his response, in particular policy response unless Najib is not at all bothered by  the TI CPI 2017 which plunged Malaysia into a full-blown integrity crisis. Or is Najib in deep slumber or even comatose about Malaysia’s integrity crisis?

There are a few things Najib can and should do.

Firstly, sack the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department responsible for integrity, Datuk Paul Low, for it appears that the longer Low continues as Cabinet Minister in charge of integrity, the more corrupt Malaysia becomes.

Secondly, sack the Chief Commissioner of Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Tan Sri Dzulkifli Ahmad who must take full responsibility  for Malaysia’s worst TI CPI in the past 23 years.

The President of Transparency International Malaysia, Datuk Akhar Satar has warned that Malaysia is on the “downward trend” in the TI CPI, which means that Malaysia is heading for worse TI CPI in coming years, unless  the government treats the TI CPI 2017 as a “wake-up call”.  Has Najib “woken” up?

Thirdly, dismiss the 20-odd members of the five bodies which monitor the MACC – the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board, the Special Committee on Corruption, the Complaints Committee, the Operations Review Panel, and the Corruption Consultation and Prevention Panel – for they must also be held responsible for the deplorable TI CPI 2017 results for Malaysia.

Fourthly, Najib should announce a new policy plan to prevent Malaysia from continuing to plunge in the TI CPI in the coming years, and in particular, from continuing to lag behind other countries to the extent that China and Indonesia, countries far behind Malaysia when the first TI CPI was announced in 1995, could overtake Malaysia in less than 15 years.

Fifthly, an international act programme to purge and cleanse Malaysia of the infamy and ignominy of being regarded worldwide as a global kleptocracy.

Sixthly, to demonstrate a new political will to fight corruption and abuses of power, establish a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the international multi-billion dollar 1MDB scandal, which is chiefly responsible for Malaysia becoming a global kleptocracy.

Or must Malaysians wait for Najib, UMNO and Barisan Nasional to lose the 14th GE before a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the 1MDB kleptocratic scandal  would be formed?

(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, February 24, 2018)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 24 February 2018, 9:33 am and is filed under
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How many Cabinet Ministers are like Najib who eat quinoa which is some 23 times more expensive than rice?

Two days ago, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak revealed at a live session on the 2018 Budget at the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in Bangi that he does not eat rice but eat quinoa, which was introduced by his son, explaining that quinoa was the staple food of the Inca people planted 3,000 years ago – protein-based, has less carbohydrate and less sugar, so better and healthier than rice.

But Najib did not tell the full story – that quinoa is some 23 times more expensive than rice, and that 98 per cent of 30 million Malaysians – which Najib had broken down to Top 20% (T20), Middle 40% (M40) and Bottom 40% (B40%) – simply cannot afford quinoa! Najib belongs to the Super Top 2% (Super T 2%) who can afford and who eat quinoa instead of rice!

I have said that Najib’s revelation reminded me of the Marie Antoinette story of the last Queen of France before the French Revolution in 1789 where she said “Let them eat cake” when she learnt that the peasants had no bread and China’s Emperor Hui of Jin dynasty (290 – 307) who retorted “Why don’t they eat meat?” when told that his people did not have enough rice to eat.

Strangely enough, the Prime Minister’s Office later the same day issued a statement clarifying that Najib was advised by doctors to eat quinoa for his daily nutrition.

The mystery why the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement contradicting Najib’s revelation earlier on the same day that he ate quinoa instead of rice  because it was introduced by his son became clear when it was discovered that his son is in the quinoa import business.

We can read on the Instagram of Najib’s son of his culinary exploits in preparing new quinoa dishes, like the one  on “garlic chili quinoz with angus beef”!

I will like to ask how many Cabinet Ministers are like Najib who eat quinoa instead of rice although quinoa is some 23 times more expensive than rice?

Let every Minister clarify whether he or she is  emulating Najib in eating quinoa instead of rice.

(Speech at the DAP pre-14GE ceramah in Yong Peng on Saturday 24th February 2018 at 10 pm)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 25 February 2018, 7:54 am and is filed under
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I have not received single sen from Robert Kuok in my 53 years in politics, whether through James Kuok or anyone else

The “fake news” machinery of UMNO/Barisan Nasional has been working overtime with the approach of the 14th General Election, which should be held in 80 days before mid-May.

The latest “fake news” is that I have received astronomical donations from tycoon Robert Kuok through his nephew, James Kuok.

In recent years, the false allegations made against me as anti-Malay, anti-Islam, communist, agent of foreign powers, have increased by leaps and bounds to reach unprecedented levels.

I have been accused of been paid billions of ringgit from Israeli quarters. I have also been accused of receiving RM1 billion from former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. The latest lie, which involved the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, is that  I have astronomical donations from Robert Kuok.

Let me declare that in my 53 years in politics, I have not received single sen from Robert Kuok, whether through James Kuok or anyone else.

Lies, fake news and false information will be an important weapon of UMNO/Barisan Nasional in the 14th General Election.

This is why the Azalina Committee on Fake News has no credibility whatsoever for it is clearly being used to weaponise fake news against Pakatan Harapan and the civil society, with two terms of reference:

Firstly, as a weapon to harass and persecute Pakatan Harapan leaders and the civil society; and

Secondly, to provide “immunity and impunity” to the UMNO/BN  makers and peddlars of “fake news” against Pakatan Harapan, as in the allegations that Robert Kuok had been  funding and financing DAP and the Opposition to topple the UMNO/BN government for decades.

(Speech at the DAP pre-14 GE ceramah in Batu Pahat on Sunday, 25th February 2018 at 11 am)

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MCA celebrating “dubious history” by three top MCA leaders when marking its 69th MCA anniversary on 27th February

In three days’ time, MCA will be celebrating its 69th anniversary as MCA was founded on 27th February 1949.

This time, however, MCA would be celebrating “dubious history” as for the first time in the seven-decade history of MCA, all the three most important leaders of MCA  have to depend on UMNO’s Malay votes to get elected as MP and then to become a Minister.

If the three top UMNO leaders have to depend on MCA’s Chinese votes to get into Parliament, can they claim to represent the Malays?

In fact, Malay voters represent the largest ethnic group in six of the seven parliamentary constituencies won by MCA in the 13th General Election in 2013.

I am still waiting for the top MCA leaders to answer the  simple question: Is the MCA representing the Chinese in Barisan Nasional or is it representing UMNO to the Malaysian Chinese? Or is MCA representing all Malaysians, regardless of race or religion?

In Bentong, the parliamentary constituency of the MCA President and Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, the single biggest ethnic bloc of voters are 46.1% Malay voters, as Chinese voters represent 42.4%, Indians 9.0% and Others 2.5%.

In Ayer Hitam, the parliamentary constituency of MCA Deputy President and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong, the largest ethnic group of voters are the 57.6% Malay voters, with the Chinese 38.3%; Indians 3.9% and Others 0.2%.

In Tanjong Malim, the parliamentary constituency of the MCA Secretary-General and Second Minister for Trade and Industry, Datuk Ong Ka Chuan, the largest ethnic group of voters are again the Malays 55.4% with Chinese 25.8%, Indians 13.2% and Orang Asli 5.6%.

The previous worst General Election outing of MCA before the 2013 General Election was the 1969 General Election, when MCA won 13 parliamentary seats.  But in 1969, only three of the 13 Parliamentary seats won by MCA had Malay voters more than Chinese voters, as compared to six of the seven parliamentary seats won by the MCA in the 2013 General Election.

In the 1969 General Election, both the then MCA Deputy President and then MCA Secretary-General contested in constituencies where Chinese voters were the largest ethnic group i.e.  Chinese voters more than Malay voters.

One won – the then MCA Deputy President who continued as Cabinet Minister – while the then MCA  Secretary-General lost.

May be we can have some explanation from anyone of the top three MCA leaders for this “dubious history” they have created in the 69-year history of MCA during the MCA’s 69th anniversary celebrations!

(Speech (2) at the DAP pre-14GE ceramah in Yong Peng on Saturday 24th February 2018 at 10 pm)

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Why did Najib’s son remove the two three-year old photographic entries on Instagram on quinoa if there is nothing suspicious or wrong about them?

If Malaysians are to emulate the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri  Najib Razak in accordance with the precept of “Leadership by Example” to eat quinoa and not rice,  the salaries, income and take-home pay of Malaysians will have to increase by 23 to 25 times!

This is because quinoa, which Najib revealed on Thursday that he eats in place of rice, is some 23 to 25 times more expensive than rice.

But when will it be  for Malaysians to have their salaries, income and take-home pay to increase 23 – 25 times compared  to the present level?

Is this the target of Najib’s National Transformation (TN) 50 – i.e. by 2050?

Definitely not!

But what is interesting was the revelation of the involvement of Najib’s son in the quinoa business.

Najib said he was introduced to quinoa by his son but the Prime Minister’s Office came out with a statement later the same day  to contradict the Prime Minister, claiming that Najib was advised by doctors to eat quinoa for his daily nutrition.

The mystery why the Prime Minister’s Office issued a statement contradicting Najib’s revelation was resolved when it was discovered that Najib’s son was involved in the quinoa  business.

The  Instagram of Najib’s son not only showed his involvement in the quinoa business, but  his culinary exploit in preparing a new quinoa dish, one  on “garlic chili quinoa with angus beef”!

I asked at the DAP ceramah in Yong Peng last night how many Cabinet Ministers are like Najib who eat quinoa instead of rice although quinoa is some 23 – 25 times more expensive than rice?

Do we have a “rice Cabinet” or do we have a “quinoa Cabinet”.

I have just been informed that the two Instagram photographic entries of Najib’s son have disappeared.

Why did Najib’s son remove the two three-year old photographic entries on Instagram on quinoa if there is nothing suspicious or wrong about them?

(Speech at the AMANAH Chinese New Year Open House in Tongkang Pecah, Batu Pahat on Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018 at 1 pm)

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