Bendera terbalik & Bangla Bhaiya...

Situasi terkini bendera Barisan Nasional (BN) dengan sengaja dipasang terbalik petunjuk jelas berlakunya penolakan akar umbi parti terhadap pelantikan Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah sebagai Menteri Besar Kedah.

Difahamkan dari sumber kepada Malaysia Dateline, beberapa cawangan sudah mula menampakkan protes mereka yang kurang senang dengan pelantikan Ahmad Bashah pada Khamis lalu.

Tindakan protes dengan mengantung ‘bendera BN terbalik’ sudah kelihatan semakin banyak di sepanjang laluan utama di beberapa Dun.

Perbuatan itu seakan membawa mesej Umno-BN akan kalah dan Pas pula akan kembali memerintah di negeri itu kerana terdapat pancang buluh dipasang bendera diletakkan dua bendera parti iaitu Pas dan bendera BN yang terbalik.

Setakat hari ini antara Dun menunjukkan protes dengan memacak dan mengantung bendera BN terbalik di pancang dahan dan perdu pokok juga  tiang lampu dan papan tanda membabitkan Bandar Baru, Kubang Pasu, Jerlun, dan Jerai yang dipercayai dilakukan dikalangan ahli akar umbi parti itu.

Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir Ahad lalu, mengadakan perjumpaan akar umbi kali pertama di Pusat Khidmat Wakil Rakyat di Dun Air Hitam selepas beliau hilang jawatan Menteri Besar.

Dalam ucapannya itu Mukriz mula mendedahkan beberapa peristiwa sebenar berlaku membabitkan jawatannya sebagai Menteri Besar.

Menurut sumber pelbagai taktik paksaan yang digunakan pihak tertentu yang didakwa ‘memburu’ Adun BN Kedah untuk memaksa mereka menandatangani petisyen menolak beliau sebagai MB Kedah.

“ Ada yang sanggup pergi sehingga ke hospital di mana pihak berkenaan sanggup tunggu hingga lima jam untuk mengambil tandatangan seorang Adun yang sedang dirawat untuk petisyen menolak saya sebagai MB Kedah. Termasuklah seorang Adun yang dibawa berjumpa Perdana Menteri untuk dipaksa menandatangani petisyen itu,” dakwa Mukhriz dari sumber yang dipetik itu kepada Malaysia Dateline.

Sumber yang rapat dengan Mukhriz itu turut mendedahkan Mukhriz memberitahu hanya tewas satu undi sahaja dalam pengundian yang dijalankan oleh Jemaah Pemangku Sultan Kedah untuk menentukan sama ada beliau kekal sebagai MB atau tidak.

“Empat Adun BN dan 12 pembangkang menyokong Mukhriz , sementara tiga Adun Pembangkang berkecuali, 17 Adun BN menolak,” ujar sumber.

Menurut sumber lagi, dalam pertemuan empat mata lebih sejam antara Mukhriz dan Perdana Menteri di Langkawi baru-baru ini Najib katanya telah melahir rasa kecewanya yang teramat sangat kerana beliau ditegur oleh Mukhriz dalam.sebuah majlis diadakan di Saloma Bistro antara teguran Mukhriz ialah mengenai 1MDB dan RM2.6 bilion.

“ Najib langsung tidak bangkit soal ketidakpuasan hatinya terhadap kepimpinan Mukhriz sebagai Menteri Besar dan Pengerusi Badan Perhubungan Umno Kedah.

“Dalam pertemuan di Langkawi antara kemarahan Najib membuak-buak bila Mukhriz bangkitkan akibat dua isu itu BN mungkin tewas dalam PRU-14,” ujarnya. - malaysiadateline

Two personalities missing in PAC's 1MDB probe...

It would appear as if Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chief Hasan Arifin is a party to the 1MDB scandal, if he chooses not to summon business tycoon Low Taek Jho.

Or, at least, it would be obvious to ordinary Malaysians that he is under the thumb of someone higher up who knows the extent of the scandal, and would rather not allow the 34-year-old tycoon to appear before the joint parliamentary committee and unintentionally say something that would rock the boat further.

In my opinion, Jho Low - as he is popularly known - could be a big liability to whoever he is collaborating with, as his flamboyant lifestyle betrays the character of the person who is ever so often associated with 1MDB.

For example, as DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang pointed out, we want to know whether the money that was used to sponsor Korean superstar Psy's 2013 performance at Han Chiang College had come from 1MDB.

For me, I am interested to know whether Low was behind the special appearance by Psy, since Low himself had revealed that he was the elections campaign director in the 13th general elections.

Moreover, based on numerous news reports we have also learnt that Psy is a personal friend of Low, and was a special guest at Low’s parties.

Represent the public interest

As its name suggests, the PAC should represent the interests of the public who want to know how Low is linked to the 1MDB. The question has been raised time and again, and it is time that Low stands before the PAC to explain his position.

Besides, it is also in Low's interest to appear before the PAC to explain his side of the story - if he really has nothing to hide.

This would be a good opportunity for Low to prove that most of us were wrong with our own speculations that because he is flamboyant, capable of splashing his money around, and preparing to divulge that he was the man behind BN’s elections campaign in Penang, he must therefore be a liability.

As Malaysians, we are interested to find out how Low’s name had been dragged through the mud of the 1MDB scandal, or is he being made a scapegoat for someone else’s sins?

Low can explain to the PAC when he is questioned by the committee.

Hasan, therefore, should not block any attempt for the PAC to summon Low for an enquiry. It would not do justice for Low if Hasan refuses to call the former to appear before the PAC.

On that note, Hasan should also extend an invitation to finance minister and 1MDB advisory committee chairperson, Najib Abdul Razak, to the public hearing.

Without these two personalities, the PAC’s conclusion would be flawed. Hence, no parliamentarian - nor even the Conference of Rulers - should accept such a report based on an incomplete investigation. - Stephen Ng,mk

Babu Indon Rebutan Kontol Bangla

cheers.