All the best for PKR...

 

The debate...

Ex PM Najib Razak crossed swords with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim tonight on economic policy.While the former argued that focus should be on making a bigger cake, instead of selling the oven, Anwar questioned who’s actually eating & having the lion share. - Melissa Goh

Yalah,transfer masuk ke dalam akaunnya...

Mahathir and family risk civil action 

for allegedly money laundering activities...

The YDP Agong advised Wan Azizah that she was the most eligible among Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders, based on PKR’s 48 seats in Parliament, to be the 7th Prime Minister. But she told the King then that PH had agreed that its Chairman, Mahathir Mohamad, would be Prime Minister. The real reason for Mahathir reneging on the pledge to make way for Anwar Ibrahim may be the latter’s public threat in 1998 before a media conference packed with the international media as well. 

The sacked deputy prime minister, finance minister and former deputy UMNO president swore that Mahathir and his multibillionaire children would be dragged to justice for allegedly engaging in money laundering activities as defined by international law. Anwar accused Mahathir of abuse of power, conflict of interest and criminal breach of trust as a prime ministerial dictator.

The Agong probably made a strategic error when Mahathir called on him on Mon 24 Feb 2020 to submit the resignation letter. The Agong disclosed, inadvertently no doubt, that he would appoint Wan Azizah as prime minister.

Mahathir protested vehemently, and in a contradiction in terms — read turn around from Thurs 10 May 2018 — reportedly advised the Agong that “Wan Azizah wasn’t suitable material to be Prime Minister”. Somehow, Mahathir may have persuaded the Agong to appoint him as Interim Prime Minister. Mahathir, according to media reports, planned to set up a Cabinet and government of MPs i.e. there would be no reference to political parties.

In any case, such a Cabinet and government would not have worked in party politics that plagued Malaysia where political personality cults, political parties, tribalism and feudalism thrived in “unholy marriages of convenience” under the guise of democracy.

Openly Hostile

The political parties across the divide expressed open hostility on the idea of a cabinet and government of MPs. It was poetic justice when Prime Ministerial Dictator Mahathir found himself jobless again in a karmic turn of fortunes, a week later, when the Agong appointed Bersatu President Muhyiddin Yassin as the 8th Prime Minister on Sun 01 Mar 2020 and, according to Mahathir in the media, refused to see him. It was the unkindest cut of all. The Agong, probably having had enough of Mahathir’s “antics”, had closed the Istana gates.

Apparently, as widely speculated, Muhyiddin didn’t have the numbers in Parliament. He resigned reluctantly on Mon 16 Aug 2021 after dragging the nation through a state of emergency for six months and allegedly mishandling the pandemic brought by the novel Coronavirus.

The Agong asked him to stay on as Interim Prime Minister but not for long, and the nation heaved a collective sigh of relief. Umno vice president Ismail Sabri Yaakob, still being “investigated” in Sabah for allegedly consuming banned turtle’s eggs sometime in Aug 2015, was sworn in as the 9th Prime Minister on Sat 21 Aug 2021.

Mahathir In The Fray

Earlier, Muhyiddin made a bid for the prime minister’s post again. Mahathir and Anwar were the other candidates in the fray. Anwar lost much political goodwill by agreeing that the Agong who was supposed to remain above the fray, could intervene in politics, albeit temporarily, and help pick the prime minister-designate.

The Opposition Leader stood a better chance in Parliament even if there were three or more candidates on the slate. He would have easily won in a run-off between the top two candidates if none secured 51 per cent in the first around.

The Agong decreed that Ismail Sabri should test his support in Parliament. Instead, the new prime minister forged a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with PH in Sept 2021. It was a form of insurance to ensure support from the opposition coalition as well in Parliament. See here.

Muhyiddin had made the same offer, as well, too little too late, barely hours before his tryst with destiny on 16 Aug. He was widely rebuffed, seen as untrustworthy, being beyond redemption for unilaterally taking Bersatu out of PH and forming a “backdoor” government on Sun 01 Mar 2020. The government was reduced, from the beginning to a minority in Parliament but saved by the state of emergency.

GE15 Looms

Fast-forward as GE15 looms! Ismail Sabri fears that probably the same 15 “rebellious” UMNO MPs, who pulled the rug from under Muhyiddin’s feet, may be tempted to go after his neck as well in an adrenaline rush, if they get the slightest chance.

Except for Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh, the other 14 MPs fear that they continue to face the prospects of selective prosecution and selective persecution, initiated by Mahathir and no one else after GE14, based it can be argued on highly subjective and perhaps even “dubious” grounds in law i.e. abuse of power, conflict of interest and criminal breach of trust, all the very same failings of a prime ministerial dictator.

The charges may be related to political donations, financing of political party activities, corporate social responsibility activities, charitable activities, food parcels and matters which could be settled out of court if the government had filed civil action on money laundering activities. Instead, the government instituted criminal cases.

In the US for example, the Dept of Justice (DoJ) which worked on 1MDB cases, only instituted criminal cases if the civil action was challenged. Out of court settlements were the preferred mode of action when large sums of money, public or otherwise, were involved.

The speculation continues that MPs in UMNO, Ismail Sabri’s own party, may be ready to plunge the daggers into him, if push comes to shove. The MPs fear that the court may put on blinkers, the approach allegedly taken in the RM42m SRC International case against Najib, and belabour in the delusion that the letter of the law was the sum total of the rule of law.

UMNO Supreme Council

UMNO Supreme Council members are understandably unhappy that some court cases may even have begun against UMNO MPs just before Ismail Sabri became deputy prime minister and invariably put him in a spot. See here.

There’s no guarantee that Ismail Sabri will be prime minister again after GE15, expected by early next year at the latest or even later this year if sooner, although he as a lowly UMNO vice president remains BN’s candidate for PM. – Joe Fernandez,New Malaysia Herald

Police outriders for hire...

Baling MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim is no stranger to controversy. His stewardship of the pilgrimage fund, Tabung Haji, was abysmal, and he is currently facing charges for corruption. Just when you thought nothing could be worse than politicians like Abdul Azeez, along comes his son Mohamed Khairul Anwar.

On May 6, Khairul uploaded a clip onto Instagram of him driving along a stretch of road being escorted by two police outriders. One police outrider stopped an oncoming car from turning to enable Khairul to beat the red light.

For decades, Malaysians have been failed by politicians like Abdul Azeez with their huge egos, their enormous sense of entitlement, and who feel they can break the rules with impunity. But, for the son to ape the father’s arrogance simply fueled the rakyat’s fury.

They reacted with outrage at Khairul’s shameless manner, in which he broke the law twice, once for having police outriders as a nobody, and the other for beating the red light. His actions are simply unacceptable.

Penang police chief Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said Khairul would assist them in their investigations. He also said they would see if any element of tarnishing the police force’s image was involved. He claimed that the two police outriders had acted on their own accord, and were in the process of being disciplined, adding that none of his senior officers had given permission for police to escort Khairul.

However, some drivers in Kuala Lumpur disagree. A number have alleged that they are aware that at least in KL, police outriders will provide an escort, if the price is right. So, who was telling the truth? The allegation that some rogue policemen will escort your vehicle, for a fee? Or, does no such escort and protection service exist?

Most Malaysians are aware that all road users must learn to cope with heavy traffic and ill-mannered drivers on our roads. However, many motorists are also angry when they are stopped by police outriders and forced to squeeze their vehicles close to a monsoon drain, curb, or another vehicle, so that a swollen-headed politician may reach his destination smoothly and without delay.

Why can’t the politician or VVIP travel to work along the same congested roads as the rest of Malaysia? Why do they need police outriders to stop us so that they can have stress-free travel to and from their places of work?

One of the reasons for having numerous traffic congestion and poorly managed roads is because our ministers are not aware that these problems exist. With their police outriders, they are used to cars moving smoothly when they travel from point A to point B. They do not see any traffic build-up.

As far as they are concerned, Malaysian roads are clear of congestion and have few hang-ups. Or, maybe they are aware of these problems, but simply do not care. Many Malaysian road users have been stopped by policemen at least once in their lives. Many are not aware they have broken the law. Polite and courteous police outriders are few and far between, and our experience is more often than naught to have been at the receiving end of rude and uncompromising police outriders.

A few years ago, one driver was shocked when a police outrider rode his bike straight towards him. He said, “An official entourage was approaching from the opposite direction. I slowed down when I saw the flashing headlights and heard the siren.

“When the police outrider crossed the dividing white line and drove straight at us, my wife and daughter thought there would be a head-on collision, as the motorbike was coming at high speed and did not appear to want to slow down or stop.

“Why are these police outriders acting like Mat Rempits, except these police Mat Rempits have official uniforms, badges, and are armed. “In fact, both these types of Mat Rempits terrorize ordinary road users. Both act as if they are above the law.”

Other road users have similar complaints. One said, “When a VVIP convoy of cars was approaching, we were forced to stop by the road side. A police outrider kicked the side of my car to force me off the road. Who pays for the damage? They are extremely arrogant.”

Those who have been stopped by police outriders are furious not just because of the policemen’s unbecoming conduct, but also because of the following reasons.

First. Does the person who is being escorted deserve the use of police outriders?

Second. Why should other legitimate road users be inconvenienced, just so this person wants to arrive at his destination quickly?

Third. Many road users have complained that auxiliary policemen are frequently used as outriders. Are auxiliary policemen permitted to become outriders?

Khairul appears to think that he is entitled to a police escort. He is not! Many people would like to see a list of those entitled to use police outriders. Is it just the King and the prime minister? Are cabinet ministers on the list? If so, what’s the justification for this? Malaysians wish to see who abuse their positions at the rakyat’s expense. - Mariam Mokhtar 

cheers.