Malaysia adalah lebih jauh lebih maju dan progresif daripada negara-negara Islam yang lebih besar dan kaya. Tetapi yang benar-benar membezakan Malaysia daripada negara Islam yang lain sehingga mendapat pengiktirafan antarabangsa adalah keberanian kita mengambil pendirian dalam isu-isu utama dunia.
Di bawah kepemimpinan Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad mulai awal tahun 1980-an, keberanian kita berhujah dan menawarkan kepemimpinan dalam forum antarabangsa telah mendapat pengiktirafan global. Inilah antara punca yang menyebabkan negera-negara raksasa seperti China dan Amerika berhati-hati dalam perhubungan dengan Malaysia, khususnya apabila Dr Mahathir kembali menerajuinya.
Macam mana marah pun mereka kepada beliau kerana dianggap “recalcitrant” – dalam bahasa yang mudah keras kepala – namun mereka mengakui bahawa suara beliau mempunyai pengaruh ke atas pendapat antarabangsa.
Dalam konteks projek Landasan Kereta Api Pantai Timur (ECRL) yang masih hangat dibincangkan walaupun di peringkat rasmi telah dikunci mulut, kita terpaksa mengambil tindakan tegas dan bijaksana walaupun tujuan kita bukan sekali-kali menghukum atau memalukan China.
Kita sekadar mengatakan dengan ikhlas bahawa kita tidak mampu menanggung beban hutang membina landasan itu dan membiayai penyelenggaraannya selepas itu. Sebelum ditumbangkan dalam pilihan raya umum (PRU) 9 Mei lalu, kerajaan BN telah membuat komitmen kepada kerajaan China untuk berhutang RM55 bilion untuk membina ECRL dan memberikan kontrak pembinaan kepada syarikat milik kerajaan China.
Sekarang sudah pun diketahui umum bahawa pinjaman RM55 bilion itu bukan semata-mata untuk membiayai ECRL tetapi juga untuk menolong menampung hutang dan penipuan 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB).
Segala beban hutang, penipuan dan pembaziran zaman bekas Perdana Menteri, Datuk Mohd Najib Abdul Razak,kini menjadi beban dan tanggungjawab kerajaan Pakatan Harapan (PH).
Masalah ECRL
Walaupun bukan sekali-kali tujuan kita bermusuh dengan China atau juga mana-mana negara namun kepentingan negara dan rakyat jelata adalah lebih utama. Matlamat kerajaan PH dalam isu ECRL ini adalah untuk meringankan beban hutang negara sebanyak yang mungkin.
Maka dalam perkiraan kerajaan PH adalah lebih baik menamatkan projek itu dan membayar ganti rugi kepada China atau kalau terpaksa dilaksanakan juga ialah hendaklah dengan kos dan syarat yang lebih ringan.
Ada sumber berkata, walaupun hutang projek itu sekarang RM55 bilion tetapi apabila diambil kira kos dan tanggungan jangka panjang ia mungkin mencapai RM100 bilion atau lebih. Masalahnya sekarang kita sudah disedut masuk ke dalam geopolitik China. Kita dalam dilema ditelan mati emak, diluah mati bapa.
Kita memerlukan pasaran China untuk barang-barang dan perkhidmatan kita manakala China pula takut pembatalan ECRL akan berjangkit kepada negara-negara lain yang mempunyai perjanjian yang sama dengannya.
Rasanya dunia lebih mengambil berat perhubungan dengan kita sejak Dr Mahathir kembali menjadi Perdana Menteri.
Kedutaan China di Malaysia dilaporkan telah merakam dan mengedarkan sebuah lagu bagi memperingati 45 tahun perhubungan diplomatik antara kedua-dua buah negara. Saksi video di atas.
Di dalam dunia di mana diplomasi dan ekonomi tidak dapat dibezakan serta dipisahkan, kita tidak ada pilihan selain mencari jalan keluar terbaik tanpa menjejaskan air muka, menoda kedaulatan dan membebankan kewangan negara.
Apa pun kesudahan kepada episod ini, pengajaran dan iktibarnya amat jelas, iaitu di tangan sebuah kerajaan, sebuah parti politik dan seorang pemimpin yang korup, negara boleh menjadi muflis, tergadai dan terjajah.
Maka di bahu siapa pun terpikul tanggung jawab untuk menyelesaikan kemelut ECRL ini, diharapkan bahawa penyudahnya biarlah negara tidak muflis, bumi tidak tergadai dan negara tidak dijajah. - a.kadir jasin
Shock attempt to harm Guan Eng
by man clad in white jubah...
Police have arrested a man tonight after he behaved suspiciously at an event attended by Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng. The incident occurred as Lim was leaving the closing ceremony of the 8TV Chinese New Year Grand Bazaar at KL Sports City in Bukit Jalil.
It is understood the man, clad in a white jubah robe and appearing to be in his late 20’s to early 30’s, stood several metres from where Lim and his delegation were exiting. Police noticed him behaving suspiciously and asked him what he was holding when they spotted his hand on his left hip, appearing to conceal something.
The suspect refused to answer and became hostile when asked, and was heard telling the police officer: “Benda aku” (my thing). He subsequently acted aggressively towards the officer, to the point where he was yelling directly in the officer’s face.
The police, having failed to calm the suspect down, attempted to take him into custody. He was pinned down onto the ground before a crowd of onlookers.
As he was being detained, the suspect began yelling incoherently. He was then taken into a police kiosk for questioning, before being brought to a nearby station in a police cruiser for further investigation.
Guan Eng hampir diserang...
Lelaki yang ditahan kerana membuat provokasi secara lisan terhadap Menteri Kewangan, Lim Guan Eng, di tempat letak kereta Kompleks Sukan Bukit Jalil di sini, malam tadi didapati positif ganja. Ketua Polis Kuala Lumpur, Datuk Seri Mazlan Lazim, berkata lelaki tempatan berusia 23 tahun dan berasal dari Puchong dekat sini itu kini ditahan untuk siasatan lanjut.
“Ujian saringan air kencing ke atasnya mendapati suspek positif ganja. Dia direman selama tiga hari sehingga Sabtu ini untuk membantu siasatan.
“Kes disiasat mengikut Seksyen 14 Akta Kesalahan Kecil 1955 dan Seksyen 15(1)(a) Akta Dadah Berbahaya 1952 dan motif kejadian itu masih dalam siasatan,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan, hari ini.
Dalam kejadian kira-kira jam 8.30 malam itu, Guan Eng, yang baru selesai merasmikan Majlis Penutup 8TV CNY Grand Bazaar, sedang bergambar dengan orang ramai dan ingin masuk ke keretanya, sebelum seorang lelaki berjubah putih tiba-tiba menjerit ke arahnya. Lelaki itu juga dilihat seperti memegang sesuatu yang terselit di pinggangnya dan memarahi pasukan keselamatan yang cuba mengambil barang terbabit.
Keengganan lelaki itu bekerjasama dengan pihak keselamatan selain berterusan membuat provokasi menyebabkan polis terpaksa menangkapnya bagi mengawal keadaan. Suspek dikatakan terus melawan serta melaungkan takbir beberapa kali sambil bercakap dalam bahasa yang tidak dapat difahami. - f/bk
No to UMNO/PAS flying theMalay card,just focus on making the people's lives easier...
Many people have been analyzing the results of Cameron Highlands by-election, and have concluded that the outcome was not due to a single factor. Most importantly, those on opposite sides of the political divide must not be misguided by the wrong messages.
A major reason for BN’s victory is because PAS contributed the fundamental support (the party won 3,587 votes in GE14). Some who supported BN have indeed voted for Pakatan Harapan in this by-election, and BN would not have cliched an easy win without PAS supporters’ votes.
Many say Umno has lost the last general elections because of the vote-splitting three-cornered fights it created, and that one-on-one fight is stlil the best strategy ever. Having won in Cameron Highlands, Umno and PAS are poised to join hands again in Semenyih and the next general elections in a bid to recapture Putrajaya with the help of Malay votes.
Nevertheless, PAS’ influences are largely confined to the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia and to a lesser extent in the northern region. The party hardly makes a dent in the central and southern regions. As such, the Umno-PAS collaboration will only work in the east coast and north, and will hardly have a chance in Semenyih or GE15.
Cameron Highlands falls within PAS’ east coast scope of influence, and the Jelai state assembly seat under it with a large number of Felda settlers is menteri besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail’s constituency. It is therefore within expectation that Umno would win in this traditional stronghold. It is difficult for Umno and PAS to make any significant inroads in urban and semi-rural areas.
Sure enough Umno-PAS collaboration will put some pressure on PH for the simple reason they command more than half of all Malay votes. Another reason for PH’s defeat is the low voter turnout among Chinese and Indian voters and the coalition’s failure to win more Malay votes.
Why have Chinese and Malay voters stayed away from the poling booths? PH might claim that outstation voters were unwilling to return to Cameron Highlands merely weeks before Chinese New Year. Or perhaps many simply feel that the by-election outcome would not change the big picture anyway.
However, we cannot rule out the possibility that many refused to vote because they were unhappy with the new government for its lackluster performance as well as its failure to honor its election pledges.
DAP should not be contented with the fact that Chinese votes have not swung towards BN. PH will lose if its supporters remain reluctant to vote, particularly in tightly-fought battles. PH must not ignore the promises it has made to non-Malays just because it wants to take care of the feelings of the Malays.
It should instead look seriously into why it has been defeated in Cameron Highlands. In no way should it lean towards racism and religionism just because it wants to fight Umno-PAS. The improved support for PH in Cameron Highlands shows that BN is not a sure bet there.
I believe rural voters and Felda settlers may also swing in favor of PH. The ruling coalition can relieve the sense of insecurity and fear among the Malays if it manages to address their day-to-day problems and boost the prices of commodity products. Frustration among rural folks give the opposition parties a good chance to strike and play up the racist and religious game.
Similarly, Umno and PAS mustn’t think that they have won the hearts of voters and can continue to manipulate sensitive religious and racial issues after winning Cameron Highlands, as this will make them more difficult to win over non-Malay voters, including those from East Malaysia. - f/bk
Israel bar orang takpa, kita bar depa,
dia riuh satu dunia.
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