Hangpa dapat dak pelitup muka free?...

Dengaq boleh, percaya jangan...

Masihkah hangpa ingat??? Kena game dgn gomen Din...

Tunggu punya tunggu habuk pun tak nampak!!!...

Almarhum Profesor Diraja Ungku Abdul Aziz bin Ungku Abdul Hamid

(28 Jan.1922 – 15 Dis. 2020).Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat ke atas rohnya...

Sanusi, don't play with water...

Penang and Kedah are states in Malaysia and not foreign countries and therefore it is illogical for Kedah Menteri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor to treat its neighbour like an outsider over the issue of water supply. Sanusi cited a law to buttress his argument that the days of free water are over for Penang. But he interpreted the law his own way. 

In his befogged mind, he sees the law as an agreement to supply water to Penang but not as a guarantee of "free raw water supply forever". It follows that an agreement is not biding because it does not have the quality of a rock-solid guarantee. Absurd. So, this PAS politician is now banging the table, demanding Penang pay RM50 million in annual compensation for drawing water from its (Penang's) side of Sungai Muda, which flows from Kedah.

Sanusi is playing politics with water, which is as dangerous as playing with fire. Water, which is a gift from God and not from Sanusi, is what sustains life. It is what moves the economy. Without water, no living thing can survive.

Water is precious and should never be under the sole jurisdiction of states. When a state controls its supply, especially when it shares water with another state from a common river, it can be opened to abuse and even lead to hostility.

When the source of water originates from a state, and flows into a neighbouring state, the former can play politics with its supply. In Malaysia, it is all too clear that politics is at the centre of the "water war" between Kedah and Penang. 

PAS and DAP are bitter enemies. PAS controls Kedah and DAP is the political master of Penang. The two parties are bitter enemies. Since the source of water flowing into Sungai Muda originates from the forest area of Ulu Muda in Kedah, the opportunity to "dirty" the water - to play politics - is not to be missed. Hence, Sanusi saw an opening when Penang expressed concern over Kedah's move to approve large-scale mining of rare earth elements near the water catchment area of Ulu Muda. This lit the fuse.

Immediately, Sanusi retaliated by raising hell over the water issue with Penang. In essence, it is PAS hitting out at the DAP in a continuing political struggle for the soul of Malaysia. Sanusi doesn't want to or refuses to see the danger posed by such mining activities to the water catchment area in the Ulu Muda forest reserve. The forest reserve is an important water catchment area for Kedah, Penang and Perlis.

The Muda river supplies raw water to these three states and, thus, any mining or logging activity in the forest reserve can severely disrupt water supply to all the three states. But does Sanusi sees the red flag? Penang has a robust economy, but its goal of becoming a high-income economy will be put in jeopardy if it has no water security. Sanusi knows this and so is the federal government.

But the federal government appears not too keen to help resolve the water war. Why? One can only surmise that it will play into its hand to see Kedah squeeze Penang dry to the extent that the people might be frightened into jettisoning the DAP in the coming general election.

In fact, by its behaviour, the federal government doesn't even want to see Penang succeed under an opposition party because such a bright narrative can be seen as a damning indictment of Putrajaya's national policies. If Sanusi can do the job of disrupting the economic progress of Penang, that would be music to the central government. But it would not be easy to turn off the taps.

In the event Sanusi makes good on his joke to dam up the Muda river and deny the 1.7 million people in Penang access to water, it would only drive resilient Penangites to come up with alternative solutions that would make Penang more vibrant, more prosperous, more dynamic than sleepy Kedah. - Philip Rodrigues,mk

Terminating iconic ferry service 

ignores Penang's unique heritage...

The planned termination of the 126-year-old car-carrying ferry service in Penang will take away part of the state's unique heritage and history and ignores the fact that George Town is a Unesco World Heritage Site, said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

The ferry service is expected to cease operations on Dec 31 and will be replaced by smaller ferries meant only for pedestrians and motorcycles. Commuters in cars would have to use the two Penang bridges to cross the channel.

Lim, who is the former Penang chief minister, expressed frustration with the move to cease the service. "This cold and callous approach totally ignores both Penang’s unique heritage and history, (which plays) an important role as an economic generator of tourism.

"Ending the ferry service will take the romance out of going to Penang in the traditional manner, bearing in mind that George Town is a UNESCO World Heritage city. "Heritage and history are something that money cannot buy and should be treasured for future generations," said Lim in a statement.

He also urged the transport ministry not to "abandon" Penang and its iconic ferry service, adding that many foreign countries still retain their original ferry services. Even though they may not be economical but they are retained due to their intrinsic worth and intangible value to heritage and history, added the Bagan MP.

For the record, Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong revealed in Parliament that only 200,000 vehicles used the ferry service, compared to 1.2 million pedestrians using the same service.

Lim noted that the previous Pakatan Harapan federal government had transferred the management of the ferry service to Penang Port Sdn Bhd from Prasarana Bhd with the understanding that the iconic service must be retained together with cash payments as an incentive.

He accused the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government of "betraying" Penangites with the termination and mentioned that the transport ministry has been insisting on full control over water transport and ferry services in the state since 2015.

"To save the ferry service, the Penang government had offered to take over the entire Penang water transport services and ferry service in 2015 by bearing its costs. "Unfortunately, the Transport Ministry in 2016 refused to grant full authority to the Penang state government and insisted on exercising regulatory control over water transport and ferry services in Penang, even though the Transport Ministry was not footing the bill," said Lim.

Other than the car-carrying ferry service termination, he said this is not the first time Penangites have been "betrayed" by PN. "The RM100 million allocated in the 2020 Budget to build the cable car on Bukit Bendera was also terminated. "Similarly, the promised bank loan guarantees by the previous Harapan government to build the LRT to overcome the chronic traffic congestion in Penang and Seberang Perai was also cancelled," he said. - mk

cheers.

Setuju 111 vs Tak setuju 108, Gua Musang cabut lari...

So what was Dr Mahathir's Press Conference all about yesterday? Dr Mahathir said, tomorrow the Budget may not get approved, the government might fall, if frogs had wings they would fly, if  a donkey could sing the Negara Ku it could bla bla'. Well nothing of that sort happened. 

 

First of all to the super lembap Malaysian Press why didnt anyone of you ask Dr M how many MPs he had on his side? It is a simple numbers game isnt it? Why didnt you ask Dr M  'Do you have 112 MPs on your side?'  None of you asked that question.  Well the Budget has been approved 112 - 108 or something.

This means the PM is intact for a full year. I keep repeating - there is no political crisis. Everyone just go home. The political crisis is now with Dr Mahathir, PKR and inside UMNO. Dr Mahathir saying that the government is weak is so far quite a misnomer. With only a three seat majority Tan Sri Muhyiddin can get the Budget 2021 approved and he is still in power.

Tengku Ponteng...

In stark contrast in May 2018 Dr Mahathir had a majority of more than 20 MPs yet Dr Mahathir was removed from office after only 22 months. And the PH was kicked out. So even a 20++ seats majority could not guarantee they were a strong government. There is a conspiracy theory which says that the whole thing was just a wayang by Dr Mahathir. To cut Brader Anwar down to size. 

If the dodos do not realise it Dr M has now fully usurped Brader Anwar's role as leader of the Opposition. The real leader of the Opposition is Dr Mahathir Mohamed. Not Brader Anwar. And everytime this 'Vote of no confidence', 'Lets vote against the Budget' etc shenanigans come up, Dr Mahathir hijacks the narrative from Brader Anwar.

As Opposition Leader it is actually Brader Anwar's role to take the lead on issues like 'No Confidence Vote', 'Vote against the Budget' etc. But that is not the case. Each time something like this crops up, Dr M hijacks the discussion and takes charge of the matter. 

Brader Anwar has become a lame duck Opposition Leader. And then whatever is attempted simply fails. The No Confidence Vote against the PM Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was spearheaded by Dr Mahathir. It failed. But it was Brader Anwar who went to the Istana and made a fool of himself. Lembu punya susu sapi punya nama. Dr M punya 'screw up', Brader Anwar punya malu.

Do you all notice that despite making such a big fuss about the No Confidence Vote not once did Dr M make even a tiny suggestion that he would be seeking an audience at the Istana. Why not? Because he knew the No Confidence Vote was NOT going to happen. Its just a wayang. - Syed Akbar Ali 

Anwar kena move on,forget about numbers and focus on GE15..

Prof Di Raja Ungku Aziz Ungku Abd Hamid. 

Moga Allah mencucuri rahmat ke atas rohnya dan ditempatkan bersama orang2 yang beriman dan bertakwa. MU's greatest VC who is dynamic,open-hearted and a person of honor. We miss you.May his soul rest in peace... - Al Fatihah,Ameen...

cheers.

Bajet 2021 tolaklah kalu ada teloq..ooops!!! nomboq...

Dr.M and Ku Li had a joint PC and both willing to work together to help revive Malaysia to improve its economy via a more united and stable political situation. The PN govt has no legitimacy with a slim majority of 2 votes in Parliament. So,by their cooperation,they want to have a more stable govt which will attract investments,local and foreign,to bring about economic development,employment and multiplier effects. And to have a consistent and uniform method to fight and contain the covid pandemic.

It looks like its a pre-emptive PC for Dr.M and Ku Li as both trying to influence MPs who will vote for Budget 2021 today - to reject and basically throw out Din's illigetimate govt and to quickly choose a new 'legal govt' which can work for the people's welfare. Dr.M is willing to be PM again if the majority of MPs supports him. Ku Li stated he will not support the Budget today!!! And hope that more MPs vote with their conscience, rather not along party lines,and not to line their own pockets!! Both Dr.M and Ku Li are ready and willing to work even without pay if they can form a new govt... - minah kerang

95 tahun + 83 tahun = 178 tahun, kaki putaq alam...

Margaret Thatcher,Saddam Hussein, Suharto, Ayatollah Khomeini, Muammar 

Gaddafi yang sezaman dengan hangpa dah lama pergi. Enough is enough...- dr.ts

cheers.

Idiotic mindset of a stupid leader....

Is Sanusi brave enough 

to cut water supply?...

 Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. After justifying the reason why the two Hindu temples were demolished - one to make way for a motorcycle park and the other for a futsal -he has turned to other matters.

He also said the Kedah PAS government would not give financial assistance to Hindu temples. Then he went on to announce the discovery of rare earth elements (REE) in his state promising Kedahans billions in god-given revenue.

He revealed that a local company in Kuala Lumpur would tie-up with a foreign company apparently from China in the extraction of the REE. He hoped that the federal authorities would not put obstacles in the way of the extraction of REE. Sanusi’s grandiose talk of billions to made from the revenue generated by the mining of REE was met with a barrage of criticisms.

Environmental agencies and civil societies urged the federal government to halt the extraction of REE as it would cause irreparable damage to the environment resulting in floods, landslides and disappearance of crucial water catchment areas in the Ulu Muda region.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow

The CEO of Penang Water Authority (PBA), Jaseni Maidinsa gave a series of press statements, saying how the mining of REE would pose danger to water catchment areas in Kedah affecting water supply to states like Penang and Perlis. More than 80 percent of Penang’s supply is drawn from Sungai Muda but on the Penang side of the river.

The criticisms regarding the exploitation of REE must have irked Sanusi to the extent that he demanded the Penang government pay RM50 million every year to the Kedah government as compensation.

However, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow rebuffed this demand by a swift response by saying that his government would not pay a single cent to Kedah for the extraction of water. This rebuff must have agitated Sanusi for him to issue the threat of cutting water supply to Penang.

He responded by saying that he would get the villagers located on the bank of Sungai Muda to place sandbags to choke off the water supply to Penang. The threat of cutting off the water supply to Penang is serious and a seditious one.

Just imagine that if Sanusi succeeds in cutting off water supply to Penang, more than a million people would be without water. It is not a laughing matter, but one of life and death. Really, if Sanusi is a man of his words, who walks his talks, then I challenge him to take all the necessary steps to block off the water supply to Penang.

Di sempadan perairan Sg Muda, Kedah/Penang  

tentera jihad fi sabilillah telah bersedia untuk bertempur... 

I hope he has the courage to do this, but he shouldn’t come out and say that he was using the metaphor of cutting off the water supply, and he really did not mean it. Naturally, just in the case of Indians being high on toddy, he would blame those who misunderstood him for their lack of understanding of Bahasa Malaysia. In other words, Sanusi’s Bahasa Malaysia is so full of metaphors, innuendos and deep meaning, no ordinary Malaysians are capable of understanding.

I think I am beginning to believe that Hindu temple demolitions, the metaphor of high on drinking toddy, Penang to pay for the water supply and the subsequent threat to cut the supply are not wild remarks but strongly interconnected to divert attention from Sanusi’s hallucination to turn Kedah into an El Dorado by the riches derived from REE mining.

El Dorado or the illusory utopia of Wakedah, the people of Kedah are going to suffer from the irresponsible bizarre antics of Sanusi. I wonder if this is the kind of leadership that the pious and god-fearing party like PAS wants to promote. - P.Ramasany,mk

Kaki penyebaq fitnah tersohor besides Raja Petra Kamaruddin,

Anwar perlu berhenti berharap dan 'move on' to GE15...

Rafizi warns Anwar about surrounding 

himself with opportunists...

PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli today warned his party president Anwar Ibrahim to act immediately against certain individuals in the party whom he considers to be "scoundrels and opportunists" who have surrounded Anwar and brought a dangerous culture to the party.

Rafizi said the "boys" involved only appeared after Anwar was released from prison in 2018 and was viewed as the prime minister in waiting. "These are the boys around Anwar who only appeared after he was released from prison and was the prime minister in waiting," he said in a statement today.

The former Pandan MP said this when commenting on the issue of PKR Youth chief Akmal Nasir, who is alleged to have mocked Anwar in a conversation through the WhatsApp application.  In the leaked messages, Akmal, who is the Johor Bahru MP, was seen criticising Anwar's manoeuvring, including "giving green light" for PKR to publicly quarrel during last year's congress. 

The messages also purportedly showed Akmal saying that he, along with Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar and Subang MP Wong Chen, were prepared to stop Anwar from making his September announcement that he had gained a "formidable" majority to form the new government, something that has yet to materialise.

It is unclear who leaked the message but they have been circulated on social media to brand Akmal a traitor and some PKR Youth leaders push him to resign.This prompted former PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli, who has quit politics, to break his silence, warning Anwar not to surround himself with "opportunist".Rafizi added that Akmal's criticism had basis. Akmal was Rafizi's protégé when he was still in PKR.

PKR Youth chief Akmal Nasir

Until now, Akmal has been known to be a strong supporter of Anwar and positioned in his camp as opposed to that of former deputy president Azmin Ali who left the party and helped bring down the Pakatan Harapan government, denying Anwar the chance to take over as prime minister.

Rafizi himself, while still a PKR vice-president, has effectively ruled himself out of politics since his defeat to Azmin in the PKR party elections at the end of 2018.

"For the last two years, I have not been involved in the political journey. It is my intention to leave politics to others," he said. "Many are aware that there are some individuals around Anwar that are opportunists who bring a dangerous culture in the party.

"They bring with them a gangster culture and money politics. They walk around sowing money and promises," added Rafizi. "I have reprimanded Anwar for the past two years. So Akmal's reprimand has a basis."

PKR president Anwar Ibrahim

He said Anwar needed to be wise at choosing people around him who are guardians to his office. "At first, he chose Azmin and now we have seen what happens," said Rafizi.

He said those who not present during the darkest days of the Reformasi struggle had suddenly materialised when Anwar was released from prison in 2018.

Rafizi added that Akmal was targeted and bullied for having any independent view, which was viewed as threatening by those surrounding Anwar.

"I'm the type who doesn't like to say the same thing over and over again. If the advice has been given and it seems ineffective, then let Anwar bear the risk of keeping the types of opportunists around him. "I advise everyone who intends to use this party for the sake of wealth and personal position - it is better not to disturb me."

Rafizi also warned that while he may be dormant, he could be stirred into action if provoked. - mk

cheers.

Kancil tersepit pasai gajah tak henti2 beradu kekuatan...

I thought Trump was bad enough and now we have 

a moron pengkhianat Minister who is even worst...- dr.ts

Kerajaan Pulau Pinang nak bagi tau kat Kerajaan Kedah yang Penang TAK akan membayaq caj ayaq mentah kira2 RM50 juta setahun sebagaimana yang dituntut oleh Kerajaan Kedah. KM Pulau Pinang cakap "Kita tidak akan membayar caj tersebut memandangkan Pulau Pinang menggunakan hak antarabangsa iaitu menggunakan air dari sungai khususnya di bahagian sempadan negeri Pulau Pinang sejajar dengan undang2 dan hak antarabangsa"  Jadi kalu hangpa sibuk sangat pi lah sekat dan kalih ayaq Sg.Muda tu kat Sungai Petani kasi banjir terus . Atau pun pasang paip panjang sambung ke Kelantan dari Sungai Petani untuk alirkan ayaq  ke sana pasai ayaq di Kelantan lebih teruk daripada teh tarik!!!! Awatlah lebai bodoh piang sangat. Sorry lebai...you can go and fly kite... - dr.ts

The Perak political crisis: end of story?...

Previously I had asked the all-important questions: who would be the new Perak menteri besar and which party would helm the new state government. This followed the ouster of Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu through a confidence vote motion in the state assembly which he failed to muster. Faizal had to quit and with that his administration collapsed as well. The confidence motion was initiated by Umno. To put it bluntly, Umno wanted Faizal out, something it had always wanted.

We now know Datuk Saarani Mohamad is the new Perak MB. He is from Umno and his party is helming the Perak administration, meaning Umno gets what it wanted. Bersatu and PAS are still in the government, both obviously happy. At least that's how they appear!

I had also asked whether the Perak crisis last week would trigger a political spillover elsewhere, in particular Johor and Melaka where Umno-Bersatu ties are strained. And the big question: was something big about to happen at the federal level? 

Well, all's quiet at the Melaka front. In Johor, menteri besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad called the opposition, Pakatan Harapan, a "strategic partner" and tripled the state Budget 2021 for all members of the state assembly, including the opposition, from RM50,000 to RM150,000 and an additional one-off allocation of RM50,000 for COVID-19.

This gesture is seen as an attempt to win support from his rivals and thwart any move against his government by his Perikatan Nasional partners, like what took place in Perak. In short, he did not want Bersatu to take revenge in Johor by doing what Umno did in Perak. Hasni, as we know, is from Umno.

If such a notion is true, then what happened in Perak did have an impact of sorts in Johor. Incidentally, no move to undermine Hasni took place at the Johor state assembly. He is still MB, safe and sound, with the state government comprising Umno/BN, PAS and Bersatu. And what about the biggest question of it all? One about motions of no-confidence as well as confidence involving prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

If allowed in parliament, both motions can see all sorts of consequences and have a major shift on the political landscape of the country. DAP MP Nga Kor Ming had said if Perak could fast track the confidence motion for Faizal to be tabled, debated and voted, why couldn't the parliament?

Speaker Datuk Azhar Harun has been adamant with his stand that government business takes precedence over other matters, including the two motions. As I write this, minister for parliament and law Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan has just told the Dewan Rakyat the government will not fast track the 25 no-confidence motions against Muhyiddin and the two confidence motions for the prime minister, because "so far there has been no indication Muhyiddin has lost the majority support in the Dewan Rakyat". Agree or not with what Takiyuddin said, that's the "situation" and Muhyiddin remains prime minister.

Back to Perak. With a new MB already sworn in and status quo as far as state government is concerned, has the story come to a happy ending? Yes to an extent as things are "settled" and everybody knows who is MB and what political parties make up the state government. But will there be still bad blood among Umno, PAS and Bersatu? Upfront, no. But what goes on behind the scene or "in the hearts" of its leaders and members, we can only guess.

Bear in mind a lot were said and hurled during the crisis. To Bersatu, it was backstabbed by Umno. To PAS, those who did not support the Bersatu MB were traitors to religion, race and country. That was obviously meant mainly for Umno.

To Umno, Bersatu's Faizal must be removed for his handling or rather mishandling of certain issues and Umno must be in the driving seat of the state administration for the number of seats it got (25) compared to the five Bersatu seats which included Umno turn coats. As Umno sees it, the MB position is theirs. Plain and simple.

And in saying it, Umno wanted the state government to continue to be run by Perikatan Nasional (painting a picture that the issue is only about Faizal not the respective parties), have no qualms setting up an alliance with the opposition including DAP should Bersatu and PAS did not want to work with them.

DAP and PKR in particular had also said the coalition was open to the idea working with Umno based on "certain conditions". But Pakatan Harapan insisted they would enter negotiation as a package or a team with "no party left out" when it was said Umno wanted PKR and Amanah in government but not DAP. To their credit, the crisis helped to show unity among the Pakatan Harapan parties.

But when DAP earlier said it could work with Umno, there were quarters in the party as well as supporters who were not happy, to put it mildly. Now that the idea of an Umno/BN and DAP/PH collusion did not materialize, has DAP, in particular, lost face? Used by Umno?

"PH is not impacted much. Probably disappointed but many people are disappointed as well because they had wanted to see a new narrative, political peace between DAP and Umno paving the way to end racial politics. That did not happen," said Malay political observer and author Mohd Sayuti Omar. 

And according to veteran journalist Datuk A Kadir Jasin, "DAP loses nothing by offering to cooperate (with Umno). It shows its magnanimity and sense of confidence."

If I may add, the opposition lives to fight another fight for another day. And as for Umno, PAS and Bersatu, the Perak crisis, if anything, shows that they can push aside (real or other wise) bitterness and differences to be in power. The taste of power, after all, is sweet, among other things. - Mohsin Abdullah

cheers.

Bila Melayu dijajah oleh bangsanya sendiri...

Sanusi unfit for office in plural society, 

should be replaced as Kedah MB...

I support the stand of Professor Dr Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi that Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor should be replaced as Kedah menteri besar as he is not fit to hold any office in a plural society.

Two days ago, I had asked whether the PAS leadership is prepared to reprimand Sanusi for making rude, insensitive, unacceptable racial slurs when using the toddy analogy against critics over the demolition of a Hindu temple. I had asked whether the PAS leadership had no concept of right and wrong or just and unjust?

Had the PAS leadership reached a stage when whatever a PAS leader does cannot be wrong on the ground that only a non-Muslim can commit wrongs, in the shameful and disgraceful way that the PAS leadership had violated Islamic teachings to argue that Muslim voters must support even corrupt Muslim leaders as against clean and honest non-Muslim leaders?

The thunderous silence from the PAS leadership was the answer. Instead of apologising for his rude, insensitive, unacceptable racial slur, Sanusi added insult to injury when he told his critics to take Bahasa Malaysia classes for not understanding what he said. Professor Tajuddin said Sanusi had committed four “serious sins” as a Malaysian and a Muslim.

 

What is obvious is that the nation cannot have a menteri besar or office-holder who does not respect the sensitivity of Malaysia as a multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural nation for this would be violating the fifth of the five Rukun Negara nation-building principles of “courtesy and morality”.

 

The PAS leadership has never declared support for the Rukun Negara, but this does not mean that Malaysians should allow the party's leaders to openly violate its five principles. - Lim Kit Siang 

Why did it take so long 

to remove the Perak MB?...

The fact that Ahmad Faizal Azumu was forced to resign is not a surprise, but it is shocking that it took so long to get rid of him. The pundits, political analysts and Umno-Baru politicians have had many days postulating about his removal.

Many said that it was pay-back time for PN because the Umno-Baru candidate was refused the position of Sabah chief minister. Others claimed Umno-Baru was flexing its muscles to force Muhyiddin Yassin to accede to their demands, including the post of DPM.

A few claimed that Ahmad Faizal was removed for selling the Perak state owned oil palm plantation, PT Pinang Witmas Sejati in Palembang, Indonesia, to a Singaporean company at a rock bottom price. Ahmad Faizal's departure was probably a combination of all the above, but three significant points stand out.

First and most importantly. Ahmad Faizal was an abysmal failure at his job. He is a career politician and he knows nothing about commerce or industry. None of the parties - Umno-Baru, PAS, Bersatu or PN, can claim that they have the interests of the Perak people and the state at heart. They do not. They only promote their own interests.

PAS has tasted power, Umno-Baru has lost power and is desperate to wrest it back to plunder the state of Perak once again, hence last week's vote of no-confidence, even if it meant conspiring with the Opposition.

Ahmad Faizal was a non-performer and under-achiever. Weeks after GE14, many politicians' degrees were exposed to be fake. Ahmad Faizal was finally forced to admit that he failed to complete his studies and did not have a degree.

The former Perak MB reneged on many promises to help the poor. He dismissed the concerns of the Orang Asli community and ordered loggers to trespass on OA ancestral forest land. His constituency is Chenderiang, and he won GE14 by the skin of his teeth (39 votes) because the OA had probably voted for him. He angered vegetable farmers in Chemor who had tilled the land for four generations by giving away their farms to Perak state footballers who won a match against Terengganu.

Ahmad Faizal bled the state dry by funding white elephants, like Umno-Baru's failed Movie Animation Parks Studios (MAPS) theme park, to please the mainly Malay workforce and stakeholders. He ignored the concerns of environmentalists and approved many closed tenders with companies with paid-up capital of RM2, which were awarded contracts worth several millions of ringgits to log forests.

the agreement signed and delivered...

Second. Ahmad Faizal was the architect of his own downfall because he could not handle instant power and the responsibility that came with it. In other words, he was power-crazy. Being elevated to MB and later becoming the Bersatu deputy president increased his arrogance and greed.

Whilst many people were forced to tighten their belts, he bought a new fleet (16) of Toyota Camry cars for the state executive council members. During the pandemic, when many people faced retrenchment and starvation, he boasted about his new luxury Lexus ES sedan paid for by taxpayers.

By right, he should not have become the Perak MB in 2018. Perakians were told that he was the alleged choice of the erstwhile prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, because Ahmad Faizal was once Muhkriz's aide. Working as a junior aide to Mukhriz did not qualify him for the post. This was cronyism at work, and he was promoted beyond his ability.

Perakians were also told that Ahmad Faizal was the Sultan's preferred candidate for reasons of his own, perhaps because Ahmad Faizal was pliable. Most important of all, Ahmad Faizal was not the people's choice!

Perak was once the richest, or second richest, state after Selangor. In the 1980s, Perak's fortunes changed when Mahathir tried to corner the global tin market, but his excessive greed caused the Maminco scandal which decimated the tin mining industry. Many miners and associated tin industry workers were forced to leave Perak, some working overseas in Chinese restaurants washing dishes.

Ahmad Faizal's lack of creativity and vision was a drawback. He failed to attract the youth and professionals of Perak to return to the state and invest in its future. When Pakatan Harapan won GE14 in 2018, Perak was on a knife edge and many Perakians were furious when the person they least expected to become MB, Ahmad Faizal, was chosen. Their fears were confirmed later.

Third. Ahmad Faizal is a poor judge of character. With friends like Umno-Baru who needs enemies as he soon found to his cost, because Umno-Baru led a motion of no-confidence which led to his downfall. The irony is that last year, Ahmad Faizal, who was then still in Harapan, was caught on video criticizing DAP leaders just before the Tanjung Piai by-election. Who wants friends like Ahmad Faizal who talks behind your back?

Malaysians distrust political frogs who have no loyalty. Depending on how the wind blew, Ahmad Faizal was once an Umno-Baru youth leader, then joined Bersatu and was part of the Harapan coalition. Soon after Harapan fell, he joined the PN coalition and became Muhyiddin's blue-eyed boy, not realizing that Muhyiddin surrounds himself with bigger fools so that he can shine.

Some people may claim that Ahmad Faizal will be replaced with another incompetent person from Umno-Baru, if they can find anyone less competent. Incompetent politicians can and will be kicked out. If there is a will, there is always a way. We did it in GE14, and we did it again with Ahmad Faizal. Self-serving, corrupt politicians, beware! - Mariam Mokhtar

cheers.

Hari ini depa pi jilat DAP dah...

Apa berlaku sekarang ialah Umno lebih memerlukan DAP daripada DAP perlukan Umno. Tanpa sokongan DAP di Perak, Umno tidak boleh tubuhkan kerajaan baru (Menteri Besar baru).

DAP pula tidak kekurangan atau kehilangan apa pun kalau mereka tidak mahu bekerjasama dengan Umno. DAP berada dalam keadaan yang lebih kukuh dan lebih tinggi daripada Umno. So pasti akan ada banyak concession juga yang Umno perlu setuju untuk mendapatkan kerjasama DAP. 

Kemungkinan besar one of them adalah 'concession' yang diberi oleh MB Johor semalam. Kita tengoklah apa lagi yang akan diberi oleh Umno. Menjawab atau menyahut mesej Jebat Derhaka - tuan-tuan dapat apa agaknya?  Tuan-tuan rakyat marhaen yang Jebat kata 'duduk minum di kedai kopi' dsbnya... What do you get???  -  Syed Akbar Ali 

PAS dulu king maker,kini buat king murka...

An UMNO-DAP coalition - 

Dream Team or Just Dreaming?...

Whatever else may be said about Malaysian politics, one thing is clear: it is far from boring. Just when we thought we had seen everything, speculation is rife about an emerging partnership between UMNO and Pakatan Harapan, and more specifically, between UMNO and DAP – two parties which have spent the better part of half a century locked in a bitter struggle with each other. Well is it said that there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests.

Speculation about a possible UMNO-DAP partnership comes in the wake of Pakatan Harapan (PH) siding with UMNO to bring down the Perak state government led by Faizal Azumu of PPBM. Faizal was always an appalling choice for the post and few will mourn his departure from office but the circumstances of his ouster might now usher in new political alignments.  

Soon after the collapse of the Perak state government, Johor MB Hasni Mohammad (who is from UMNO) made overtures to PH ADUNs in the state assembly hailing them as “strategic partners in developing and creating prosperity for Johor” and dramatically increasing their allocations. While it might have been a calculated move to strengthen his support in the assembly, it was warmly welcomed by PH and seen as a further step towards rapprochement between UMNO and PH.

Clearly, political leaders now appear to be contemplating what was once unthinkable: an UMNO-PH partnership. UMNO president Zahid Hamidi hinted at “a new alignment” with PH and the DAP while UMNO Supreme Council Member Puad Zarkashi gushed about “new norms of politics that were no longer as rigid and coalition-centric, with cooperation between any political parties a possibility.” 

The DAP’s Liew Chin Tong was no less supportive of what he called the new “bipartisan approach.” Perak DAP chairman Nga Kor Ming declared that the DAP was “willing to work with any party that can help to form a multiracial, strong and stable government.” 

All the talk about an UMNO-DAP partnership in particular prompted Kadir Yasin, a close confidant of former prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, to somewhat sarcastically suggest that a “dream team” was in the making.

The warming of relations between UMNO and PH comes against a backdrop of increasingly bitter disagreement between UMNO and other members of the Perikatan Nasional coalition. UMNO leaders are anxious to get back to power and reclaim the prime minister’s post as quickly as possible. They resent having to play second fiddle to the much smaller PPBM made up largely of UMNO turncoats. UMNO has also grown increasingly impatient with PAS whose leaders, anxious to protect their trove of ministerial positions and GLC appointments, have moved closer to PPBM. 

It cannot be discounted, of course, that all this talk of cooperation with PH and the DAP is simply a ploy, a cunning UMNO strategy to exert maximum pressure on PPBM to be more accommodating. Time will tell.  

No doubt many Malaysians will find the thought of an UMNO-PH partnership and particularly an UMNO-DAP one, hard to swallow. Already angry voices are being raised in opposition to the idea. Such reactions are to be expected given how emotionally charged the issue is.  But, emotions aside, a case can certainly be made that such a partnership, provided it is based on sound principles, could be just what the nation needs to halt the downward spiral and restore stability.   

There are three political realities to note. First, whether non-Malays like it or not, UMNO is clearly the preferred choice of the majority of Malays. There were hopes post-GE14 that a better, less corrupt Malay alternative would emerge; none has. UMNO, despite its copious baggage of scandals, not only survived Mahathir’s attempts to degrade it but has gone on to stage a comeback. None of the other Malay or Malay majority parties – PPBM, Pejuang, Amanah, PAS or PKR have come close to UMNO in terms of Malay support. 

On the other side of the equation, non-Malays have clearly chosen the DAP as their party of choice. While largely Chinese, the DAP has more Indians and others within its ranks than any other party. MCA, MIC and Gerakan are no longer credible alternatives no matter how much they pretend to be. Whether Malays like it or not, therefore, the DAP represents the non-Malays. If UMNO wants power and stability, a partnership with the DAP is a no brainer. 

And thirdly, Malay political unity is always going to be a tenuous proposition because UMNO, PPBM and PAS are all after the same prize – to head the government – and only one can win. They might find temporary advantage in limited cooperation but sooner or later they would have to part company if they want to be top dog. An UMNO-DAP partnership, on the other hand, would be more stable because UMNO will always be first among equals given the racial balance in the country.

Given these realities, a coming together of the largest Malay party and the largest non-Malay party makes good sense. A Malay-Chinese alliance is what this nation was founded upon and is exactly what will bring stability and restore balance to Malaysian politics. It will assuage the concerns of both Malays and non-Malays and put an end to decades of racism and religious extremism. 

Of course, such a partnership, if it is to be acceptable to a plurality of Malaysians, will have to be premised upon more than just political expediency. There would have to be agreement on key issues including the choice of prime minister. Without a doubt, most Malaysians would not accept anyone facing criminal charges as their prime minister. Already anger over the discharge of senior UMNO figures facing corruption charges is palpable. Good governance, an uncompromising stance against corruption and meaningful economic measures to help the B40 group also need to be included in any governance compact. 

If clear agreement can be reached on at least a minimalist agenda, UMNO-DAP cooperation would make a lot of sense. It may not be the outcome people on both sides of the political divide might want to see but it might well be the only way forward out of the morass we are in. We can cling doggedly to our respective positions and remain stalled or make compromises and move forward. 

Can both sides overcome decades of mutual suspicion and hostility? Can UMNO persuade its own grassroots to accept the DAP after decades of demonizing them? Can DAP supporters overcome their deep-seated animosity towards UMNO? If there’s a will there’s a way. After all, if the DAP can work with Mahathir (long a bitter foe) and UMNO can work with PAS (after years of bitter rivalry) is there any reason why UMNO and DAP cannot work together given the right circumstances?

For now, at least, there are more questions than answers. Nevertheless, the tantalizing prospect of cooperation between UMNO and DAP is an idea certainly worth exploring further. If the current Malay unity government gives way to a Malaysian unity government, surely, we would all be winners. - Dennis Ignatius 

cheers.