Rumah Lim Guan Eng dibaling bom molotov koktail...

Kediaman Ketua Menteri, Lim Guan Eng di Jalan Pin Horn dekat sini dilempar bom buatan sendiri yang meletup dalam kejadian kira- kira pukul 11.45 malam tadi.

Ketika kejadian difahamkan Guan Eng dan ahli keluarganya berada di dalam rumah dan tiada yang tercedera kerana bom molotov koktail yang dilempar meletup di kawasan parkir kereta.

Kajian forensik menunjukkan bahawa botol tersebut mengandungi minyak tanah dan meletup menyebabkan kebakaran,namun tiada kecederaan atau kemusnahan harta benda.

Ketua Polis negeri, Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi berkata, penelitian terhadap kamera litar tertutup mendapati seorang lelaki menaiki motosikal berhenti di hadapan rumah Guan Eng dan bertindak melempar bahan letupan itu sebelum melarikan diri.

Datuk Abdul Rahim merayu kepada orang ramai yang mungkin telah menyaksikan insiden tersebut untuk tampil ke depan bagi membantu polis dalam siasatan mereka.

Guan Eng's house hit by Molotov cocktail...

Minutes before the nation celebrates Merdeka, a Molotov cocktail was hurled into Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's house.

The incident happened at about 11.45pm.

The homemade explosive landed in the lawn and burn marks are slightly visible.

Meanwhile, state police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi (left) said the preliminary forensic probe showed that the bottle was filled with kerosene.

He confirmed that the suspect riding a motorcycle was captured by the CCTV.

"But the policeman on duty guarding the residence was inside the compound and did not see what happened outside," said Abdul Rahim.

"The bottle fell in the car park and exploded," he added.

He said the incident will be probed under Section 435 of the Firearms Act.

At 1.40am, Lim's press assistant Wong Kim Fei told reporters that‎ Lim has declined to comment on the matter.

"He and his family are fine, and will not be giving any statement for now.

"We shall leave it to the police to investigate for now," he added.

Lim is scheduled to attend the state's Merdeka‎ celebrations at the Esplanade at 9am.

Wong said that Lim was home with his wife Betty Chew and their two sons during the incident. - mk

Meanwhile, it is understood that the debris from the blast was small and scattered on the paving of the compound, nearer to the gate.

Investigators were seen leaving the scene with samples at 1.30am.

He said Lim would go ahead with his scheduled plan to attend the state-level Merdeka Day celebration at Padang Kota Lama at 9am.

The use of a motorcyclist appears to echo another incident on June 28 when a severed cow's head was left outside the gate of DAP Seri Delima assembly member R.S.N. Rayer's house in Penang by a passing motorcyclist at 5.58am.

In another incident on January 27, two Molotov cocktails were thrown into the compound of the Church of Assumption at Farquhar Street in George Town about 1.30am.  – tmi

Dah harga roti canai lebih mahal daripada saham MAS, kini 6,000 stafnya bakal nak kena tendang...

Anwar Ibrahim membidas langkah Putrajaya membuang 6,000 staf Malaysia Airlines (MAS), sementara pihak sebenar yang menjadi punca kerugian syarikat penerbangan negara itu diberi pampasan.

Ketua pembangkang tersebut mempersoalkan apa akan berlaku kepada masa depan keluarga staf MAS tersebut.

"Pernah anda terfikir sejenak, bagaimana dengan masa depan keluarga 6,000 staf ini? Adakah ini salah mereka? Adakah mereka malas, tidak berdaya saing?

"Salah siapakah ini? Kenapa hukum mereka, tetapi mereka yang melakukan jenayah diberikan pampasan secukupnya?" kata Ketua Umum PKR tersebut semasa berucap di Puchong dalam forum berjudul Asian Renaissance Course hari ini.

Anwar mendakwa MAS mula mengalami kerugian selepas bekas perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dan Tun Daim Zainuddin memutuskan untuk menswastakannya.

Dr Mahathir bertanggungjawab dalam perjanjian yang menyaksikan Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli mengambil pinjaman RM1.79 bilion pada 1991 untuk membeli 32% pegangan majoriti MAS.

Tajuddin, bekas pengerusi eksekutif MAS, menerima tempias akibat krisis kewangan Asia pada 1997 dan terpaksa menjual pegangannya kepada kerajaan pada harga RM1.79 bilion atau RM8 sesaham, jumlah sama yang dibayarnya pada 2001.

Bagaimanapun, harga saham terakhir syarikat semasa Tajudin membeli MAS adalah pada RM3.68.

"Apa yang akan berlaku selepas ini? MAS hilang berbilion ringgit dan Tajudin diberikan hadiah sebanyak RM586 bilion ringgit," kata Anwar.

Khazanah Nasional Berhad mengumumkan MAS akan mengurangkan 6,000 (30%) daripada 20,000 pekerja kepada 14,000, di samping memindahkan ibu pejabat dan operasi utama ke Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) di bawah pelan pemulihan syarikat itu.

Sebagai pemegang saham terbesar MAS, Khazanah mengumumkan pengurangan pekerja besar-besaran itu selepas ia kerugian sekurang-kurangnya RM3 juta sehari bagi separuh pertama tahun kewangan semasa.

Kerugian semakin bertambah selepas ia dilanda dua tragedi besar, kehilangan pesawat MH370 pada Mac lalu dan MH17 yang ditembak jatuh di Ukraine pada 17 Julai.

Pelan penstrukturan semula MAS itu mendapat kelulusan kabinet dan lembaga pengarah MAS, bertujuan mewujudkan sebuah entiti yang lebih kukuh dan lebih cekap.

Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak selepas pengumuman tersebut berkata suntikan tersebut adalah "pelaburan" dan bukannya bantuan kewangan.

"Najib kata ia bukan bantuan kewangan tetapi pelaburan. RM6 bilion akan dibelanjakan dan 6,000 staf akan dikorbankan.

"Persoalannya disini, mengapa ia perlu berlaku begini?" kata Anwar.

Beliau kemudian menerangkan mengenai kontrak katerer selama 25 tahun bernilai RM6.25 bilion yang diberikan kepada Brahim's Holding, yang dikatakan membebankan MAS bertahun-tahun.

"Tidak pernah sebelum ini ada perjanjian melibatkan pemberian kontrak kepada sesiapa pun selama 25 tahun. Dan ini diberikan kepada abang(pix,atas) bekas perdana menteri," kata Anwar, merujuk kepada Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"Semua ini melemahkan MAS dan terus membebankan mereka hingga ia mencapai tahap ini. Ini diikuti insiden MH370 dan MH17."

Anwar berkata tidak adil kepada 6,000 staf dan keluarga mereka dihukum sebegitu kerana perkara tersebut di luar kawalan mereka.

"Jika kamu menjadi pemimpin, kamu mesti menjaga orang bawahan kamu. Kamu mesti faham kesusahan rakyat," katanya.

Najib berkata, sebarang pemberhentian kerja akan dilaksanakan secara perikemanusiaan dan belas kasihan.

Katanya, jika ada keperluan bagi menggantikan ketua pegawai eksekutif MAS pada masa ini, maka keutamaan akan diberi kepada anak tempatan.

"Dia boleh orang tempatan atau asing. Jika asing, ia hanya dalam tempoh sementara. Warga tempatan akan mengambil alih kemudiannya," katanya.

MAS yang menggantung dagangan pada Khamis lalu berikutan pengumuman pelan itu, melaporkan kerugian sebelum cukai sebanyak RM302.62 juta pada suku kedua berakhir 30 Jun, 2014, daripada kerugian sebanyak RM165.89 juta pada suku yang sama tahun lepas.

Saham itu terakhir diniagakan pada 25 sen Khamis lalu. – tmi

Jangan Bebankan MAS Ke Atas Rakyat Jelata Lagi...

Laporan media massa hari ini mengatakan Sistem Penerbangan Malaysia (MAS) akan mengurangkan kakitangan seramai 6,000 orang sebagai sebahagian daripada langkah penyelamatannya.

Kos pampasan memberhentikan mereka adalah sebanyak RM1.9 bilion. Keseluruhan operasi menyemat MAS daripada menjadi muflis akan menelan belanja RM6 bilion.

Pengurangan bilangan kakitangan bukanlah perkara baru atau cetusan minda kelas dunia.

Sejak zaman MAS di bawah pemilikan swasta lagi (1994-2002) ia mencadangkan untuk mengurangkan kakitangan seramai antara 5,000 hingga 8,000 orang tetapi tidak dipersetujui oleh kerajaan.

Sekarang apabila MAS sudah menjadi milik 100% kerajaan (melalui Khazanah Nasional Berhad) dan secara teorinya sudah “muflis” ia terpaksa melakukan yang lebih radikal kalau masih mahu diselamatkan.

Saya sudah banyak kali menyatakan pendirian mengenai MAS, iaitu:- 
1. Bubarkan. 
2. Jual kepada swasta. 
3. Selamatkan, tetapi tanpa terus membebankan kewangan negara. 
4. Lantik pengurusan antarabangsa yang telah terbukti dan 
5. Hapuskan campur tangan kerajaan yang merugikan.

Untuk berhentikan pekerja saja sudah memerlukan RM1.9 bilion. Apa halnya dengan kos-kos lain. 

Wang sebanyak RM1.9 bilion itu hampir cukup untuk menaikkan taraf sistem pengairan MUDA di Kedah dan Perlis yang menampung lebih 100,000 isi rumah atau kegunaan awam lain yang memberikan faedah kepada lebih ramai orang.

Menyelamatkan MAS berulang kali ibarat menimbus perigi tanpa dasar. Bottomless pit, dalam bahasa Inggeris.

Pelawat dan pembahas yang berminat boleh mendapat maklumat lanjut mengenai pandangan saya dengan menekan ikon Kunta Kinte “Ada Had Bantu MAS” di sebelah.- A Kadir Jasin

Tak waras melabur RM6b dalam syarikat rugi

6,000 punished for MAS’ poor management...

Anwar Ibrahim has questioned why 6,000 Malaysian Airlines (MAS) staff are being “punished” for the company’s poor management.

“Did you think what's the future of the 6,000 affected families? Can you reflect on that for one second. Is it their fault? Were they lazy? Were they not competent? Whose fault is this?

“Now why must you punish these poor guys when those who commit the crime (of bleeding MAS) are given adequate compensation?” he said in a speech in Puchong today.

Anwar was referring to the MAS’ RM6 billion restructuring exercise, which the sovereign wealth fund Khazanah Nasional had announced yesterday.

Amongst other measures, it said loss-making airline has 30 percent more staff than comparable airlines, and those jobs would be cut.

Speaking to reporters after his speech, he said the 6,000 staff should not be “sacrificed” to save MAS, whereas its senior management who had led the airline to making losses were “saved”.

'Who caused the losses?'
                                                              
Earlier in his speech, Anwar said MAS used to make billions in profit, but had been mismanaged under successive leaderships starting from former MAS chief executive officer and chairperson Tajudin Ramli.

Dr Mahathir brokered a deal that saw Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli take out a RM1.79 billion loan in 1994 to buy a 32% majority stake in MAS.

Tajudin, a former MAS executive chairman, was badly affected by the 1997 Asian financial crisis and ended up selling his stake in the ailing airline to the government for RM1.79 billion – or RM8 a share –  the same sum he paid in 2001. However, the company’s closing share price at the time Tajudin sold MAS was RM3.68.

“What happened? It lost billions. Who caused the losses? Tajudin, and he was given a ‘gift’ RM586 million.

“Then a new management was appointed, Munir Majid. His priority? Buy paintings, RM1.8 million. They filled senior management positions like deputy directors, there were tens of them,” he said, among other alleged excesses.

Botero's 'Still Life With Violin' (photo,above) cost RM1.14 million while his other piece 'Still Life With Lobster' (photo, below) was bought with the sum of RM342,000. 

State investment vehicle Khazanah Nasional Berhad announced yesterday that 6,000 jobs will be cut at the national carrier, which has lost at least RM3 million a day for the first half of the current financial year.

Khazanah managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar said RM6 billion will also be injected into MAS, adding that the money can be recovered within three years, with the flag carrier projected to attain profitability by the end of 2017, and when it prepares for relisting between 2018 and 2020.

"Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak says it is not a bailout, but an investment. RM6 billion to be spent and 6,000 staff to be sacrificed," said Anwar.

“Say it straight: This is indeed a bailout because of the MAS’ problems and massive losses,” he said.

"The fundamental question is, why has it come to this?"

He pointed to the RM6.25 billion, 25-year catering contract awarded to Brahim's Holdings, which he said had burdened MAS for years.

"Never before has there been a deal involving giving a contract to anyone for 25 years. And this was given to the brother of a former prime minster," said Anwar, referring to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"All this weakened MAS and continued to burden it, until it has reached this point. Then came MH370 and MH17."

Anwar said it was unfair that the 6,000 MAS staff and their families are punished for matters beyond their control.

"If you want to be a leader, you must care for the people. You must understand the people's suffering," he said.

Yesterday, Najib said the job cuts would be done with compassion. And, if there was a need to replace the chief executive officer during this period, opportunities would be given to locals.

Najib said the restructuring plan was only for the betterment of the national carrier, and help from Putrajaya was needed to see that being fulfilled.

On Thursday, MAS said its second-quarter nett loss widened to RM307 million from RM176 million for the same period last year, though the result was an improvement from the nett loss of RM443 million in the first quarter.

MAS warned of poor second-half earnings as passenger bookings continue to fall, with business hit by the shooting down of flight MH17 over Ukraine in July and the unexplained disappearance of flight MH370 in March. - tmi/mk

cheers.