Saturday, March 17, 2007

updates on shahrir

POLITICS-MALAYSIA:Watching the Watchdogs of Corruption
Baradan KuppusamyKUALA LUMPUR, Mar 16 (IPS) - Critics of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi who charge him with failing on his election promise to battle corruption in high places, say he might begin by affording protection to whistle blowers.
Indeed tackling graft -- which latest opinion polls show is considered more important than rising inflation or shrinking jobs -- is taking political centre stage not because of government action but because whistle blowers and anonymous bloggers exposing high level corruption find themselves facing great risks.
At issue is the case of Mohamad Mana Ramli, a senior officer in Anti Corruption Agency (ACA), who has accused no less than the agency’s head Zulkipli Noor of amassing a fortune by corrupt means and of sexual misdeeds.
Ramli’s charges, levelled against the very man tasked with combating corruption, has shocked the nation.
"The faith of the public in politicians and civil servants has been eroding for a long time. For us to hear allegations of corruption against Zulkipli Noor is surely another blow," said the mass circulation ‘The Star’ daily in a commentary published on Mar. 4.
"It is certainly ironic. The man who is supposed to help wipe out corruption has found himself accused of being corrupt… the allegations are serious and the implications certainly explosive," the commentary said.
In the second incident, this month, an anonymous blogger posted a page on the Freewebs.com website alleging that deputy home minister Johari Baharum collected five million ringgit (1.42 million US dollars) to release three suspects from prison. Both Noor and Baharum, now under investigation, have strenuously denied the charges against them and urged police to investigate their accusers.
The two cases indicate rising frustration in the public over lack of progress in combating crime and corruption. It also illustrates their willingness to take risks to expose corruption and other misdeeds to force the authorities to take action.
Senior government officials face serious risks when blowing the whistle on official graft especially when no official policy exists to protect them from departmental action. The government has failed to make laws to protect whistle blowers despite promises to protect their identities and reward them for the risks they take.
Ramli who fingered his boss is already in trouble despite the wide publicity given to the case. He told the independent Malaysiakini news website that attempts were underway to discredit him by planting stories in the media that he too had been investigated. "The reports are all defamatory. I have never been investigated, this is malicious," Ramli was quoted as saying. ''These are attempts to tarnish my reputation and make my life difficult."
Likewise, bloggers are at the mercy of a government that is armed with numerous draconian laws against writers and publishers. Wealth corporations frequently use multi-million dollar libel suits as weapons and last month two bloggers were sued by the official ‘New Straits Times’ newspaper for defamation.
The case against the two has already had a chilling effect on the Internet community and the outcome will indicate the tolerance level of the establishment. A survey this month by the Malaysian chapter of the Berlin-based Transparency International (TI) showed that the majority of 1,400 people polled want greater protection for whistle blowers. "The problem is acute and very serious," said Ramon Navaratnam, head of TI-Malaysia. Respondents to the survey said they would like to see the formation of an ombudsman on corruption and for the ACA to be placed directly under Parliament and not in the Prime Minister’s department.
The TI survey ranked the police force as the dirtiest, followed by the road transport and customs departments, reinforcing the findings of a royal commission in 2005 that found the police force the most corrupt of government departments.
The ‘’longer the delay, the more doubt there would be, and the greater the erosion on the public perception of the government's intention to push forward with its policies of fighting corruption,’’ Navaratnam said. Nearly 80 percent of corporate leaders polled said there was little transparency in the awarding of tenders.
More than the survey, graffiti scrawled on sidewalks and underpasses speak of the specific failure of Badawi to deliver on a promise to bring 18 prominent persons to book. Like the graffiti writers, opposition lawmakers, human rights activists and even government backbenchers have been consistently piling pressure on Badawi to crack the whip. ''The ACA director general himself is accused of corruption," said Steven Gan, editor of Malaysiakini. "Can it get any worst than this?"
Critics say the only effective solution to the malaise is for Badawi to place the ACA -- which now reports to him directly -- under an independent parliamentary committee with backbenchers and opposition lawmakers as members. But Badawi, three years into his first term, is unable or unwilling to do that because that would mean confronting the powerful patronage system he presides over as chairman of the ruling 13-party National Front coalition. He has admitted that stamping out the ‘’cancerous’’ growth of graft is ‘’not easy’’. "
In many ways corruption is institutionalised and is an integral part of the political and economic system," political analyst James Wong said. "Abdullah (Badawi) inherited the corrupt system. If he takes tough anti-graft measures he will rock the boat and that’s the one thing he is unwilling or unable to do," Wong told IPS. Public perception of lack of progress against graft is confirmed by the country’s slide in international corruption indices including that of TI which put it at 44th place in its 2006 Corruption Perceptions Index, down five notches from 2005. Despite his worsening record, Badawi, a pious Muslim and the ‘Mr Clean’ of Malaysian politics, has defended the ACA. "The ACA is doing its best" is his frequently quoted answer to questions on its poor performance.
Badawi cites as progress the fact that the ACA made over 1,500 arrests for corruption in 2006. "But most are ikan billis (small fry) or low-level officials," said parliamentary opposition leader Lim Kit Siang. "The big sharks of corruption are seldom caught." In official circles, however, Badawi is somewhat admired for admitting that rampant corruption exists when his predecessor Dr Mahathir Mohamad was in deep denial. "You can’t single out Prime Minister Badawi and blame him alone. Graft is not a one man’s fight...it is a cooperative battle," said prominent government backbencher Shahrir Samad. "Everyone must be involved in the process. "It takes time...his anti-graft campaign has to work itself through the system.’’ (END/2007)

Inter Press Service News Agency
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=36947



Inquiry into graft allegations next weekB.
Suresh RamKUALA LUMPUR (March 12, 2007): Five days after calling it off, the Parliamentary Select Committee on Integrity yesterday decided to go ahead with its inquiry into Anti-Corruption Agency chief Datuk Zulkipli Mat Noor.
Zulkipli's accuser, former Sabah ACA Chief Mohd Ramli Manan, will also be called to elaborate on his allegations against his ex-boss. The inquiry will be held on March 22, the 12-member select committee decided after meeting in Parliament House.
Last Thursday, committee chairman Tan Sri Bernard Dompok stated in a statement that due to developments in the case, the two men won't be called.
His decision came a day after Ramli filed a libel suit against Zulkipli and five others pertaining to letters sent to him by the ACA and other departments before his retirement. He claimed the letters defamed him and that as a result of these actions, his pension was not approved.
Dompok explained he had made the decision to call off the inquiry after consulting with some committee members. However, he said, there was an objection over the manner in which the decision was arrived at as the select committee did not convene.
"Therefore, I called a meeting today and called for each and every one to look at the subject matter seriously and decide whether we do indeed need to call them (Zulkipli and Ramli) before the committee," he said.
On whether the inquiry would be construed as sub judice in the light of Ramli's suit, Dompok said the majority view was that it would not.
A precedent was set last year when a parliamentary select committee called individuals to appear before it although a related court case was on-going. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) went ahead with its inquiry on the ECM Libra Bhd and Avenue Capital Resources Bhd merger despite a defamation case.
PAC chairman Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad had explained then that though the Dewan Rakyat Standing Order stated that a case before the courts could not be raised or commented on in Parliament, it however did not apply to the Parliamentary Select Committee.
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=17256

RTD takes note on integrity rating
Llew-Ann PhangPETALING JAYA (March 6, 2007): At least one government department has responded positively to its poor transparency and integrity rating, and has taken steps to address the problem.
The Road Transport Department (RTD) said efforts to strengthen integrity had been undertaken even before the findings of the Malaysian Transparency Perception Survey 2007.
According to the survey on the public and corporate sectors, RTD is seen to be among the top five government agencies with a low level of integrity and transparency. The other agencies are the police and Customs and Excise Department.
The findings of the survey, carried out by Transparency International - Malaysia, and Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research, were launched by parliamentary Public Accounts Committee chairman Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad yesterday.
Shahrir said political will alone was not enough to strengthen integrity and transparency..


New Straits Times, Malaysia - Mar 5, 2007... apprehended for corruption," he said after the launch of the survey by Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee chairman Datuk Shahrir Samad yesterday.

Cops get worst score
Sun2Surf, Malaysia - Mar 5, 2007Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee chairman Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad, who launched the survey report, said in his keynote address that "we have ...

Shahrir wants another panel to oversee GLCs
New Straits Times, Malaysia - Feb 26, 2007Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Datuk Shahrir Samad feels another panel is necessary for effective and efficient management of such companies. ...

PAC Wants Cabinet Committee To Monitor GLCs And Khazanah Nasional
Bernama, Malaysia - Feb 26, 2007This would enable the government to have a "political oversight" over the running of these firms, said PAC chairman Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad Monday. ...

Wife not related to Kuok, says Shahrir
Daily Express, Malaysia - Feb 24, 2007Johor: Johor Baru Member of Parliament Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad said Saturday his wife is not related to Malaysia's richest man Tan Sri Robert Kuok, ...

JB to be second metropolis after KL
New Straits Times, Malaysia - Feb 24, 2007Johor Baru MP Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad said for years the people in the south had a "go-north" mentality. "Want to get better education, go to Kuala Lumpur ...

Truth and lies

Kalau ada sesiapa terbaca blog ini, usahlah anggap ianya sebagai "gospel truth". Opinion macam biasa la, terhad pada diri kita saja. Orang lain ada opinion sendiri dan mungkin berbeza. Tentang paparan semula berita dari media pun terpulang la. Kalau nak percaya bulat-bulat boleh, nak pandang dengan skeptikal pun boleh.

Gospel Truth bukan mainan kita manusia. Kita semua sekadar bermain dengan persepsi, pemerhatian, dan pandangan peribadi.

while we leave the truth to God, the rest are not necessarily lies. I like to describe opinion as truth with a shade of lies or Lies with a shade of truth.

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Recent News on Khairy Jamaluddin.

Kongres Melayu: Peneraju GLC di luar negara
Oleh SADATUL MAHIRAN ROSLI
KUALA LUMPUR 11 Mac – Beberapa sumber syarikat milik kerajaan (GLC) menjelaskan bahawa ketidakhadiran peneraju tertinggi GLC ke Kongres Jihad Ekonomi anjuran Gagasan Badan Ekonomi Melayu (Gabem) pada Jumaat dan Sabtu lalu adalah kerana kebanyakannya mempunyai tugas di luar negara.
Menurut sumber, Presiden dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif (CEO) Tenaga Nasional Bhd. (TNB), Datuk Che Khalib Mohamad Noh dan CEO Telekom Malaysia Bhd. (TM), Datuk Abdul Wahid Omar sedang mengikuti rombongan Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak melawat Jepun dan Korea Selatan pada hari tersebut.
Justeru, TNB mewakilkan Naib Presiden Perkhidmatan Korporatnya, Che Zurina Zainul Abidin, manakala TM diwakili oleh pegawai kanannya, Zamzamzairani Mohd. Isa hadir pada kongres tersebut.
CEO Khazanah, Datuk Azman Mokhtar juga tidak dapat hadir ke kongres itu kerana mengikuti rombongan yang sama dan telah diwakili oleh Pengarah Eksekutif Khazanah, Abdullah Hamid.
‘‘Kesemua wakil GLC yang terlibat dalam forum bertajuk GLC dan Ekonomi yang diadakan pada malam Jumaat lalu telah memberi komitmen yang tinggi walaupun tanpa kehadiran peneraju tertinggi syarikat-syarikat itu,’’ kata sumber itu kepada Utusan Malaysia di sini hari ini.
Beliau berkata demikian ketika mengulas kenyataan Naib Ketua Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO, Khairy Jamaluddin yang terkilan kerana tiada seorang pun CEO atau pengarah GLC seperti Penerbangan Malaysia (MAS), Proton, Telekom Malaysia dan TNB hadir ke kongres tersebut.
Ketidakhadiran itu menunjukkan seolah-olah GLC tidak berminat memperjuangkan agenda ekonomi orang Melayu, katanya.
Menurut Khairy, keadaan itu mungkin disebabkan wujud tafsiran GLG bahawa orang Melayu hanya mahukan projek menerusi penganjuran program seperti kongres berkenaan.
Satu sumber lain memberitahu, jawatankuasa kongres tersebut hanya menjemput pengurusan tertinggi GLC menghadiri forum yang diadakan pada sebelah malam hari Jumaat lalu.
“Semua GLC memberikan kerjasama dan komitmen yang tinggi dalam forum tersebut dengan membantu menyelesaikan masalah-masalah yang ditimbulkan oleh para peserta. Tidak seharusnya timbul soal tidak mahu membantu (usahawan bumiputera),’’ katanya.
Sementara itu, CEO Proton, Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Syed Mohamed Tahir gagal dihubungi bagi mendapatkan ulasan beliau mengenai teguran Khairy tersebut
Pengarah Urusan MAS, Idris Jala ketika dihubungi menyatakan beliau perlu mendapatkan maklumat lengkap sebelum membuat sebarang ulasan mengenai teguran Naib Ketua Pemuda UMNO itu.
Difahamkan, beliau tidak menerima jemputan untuk menghadiri kongres tersebut.



Khairy kesal CEO GLC tidak hadir
Oleh Ziauddin Sharuddin
NAIB Ketua Pemuda Umno, Khairy Jamaluddin melahirkan rasa kecewa berikutan ketiadaan ketua pegawai eksekutif (CEO) Syarikat Berkaitan Kerajaan (GLC) pada Kongres Jihad Ekonomi yang dirasmikan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, kelmarin.
Berita Harian online

Pemuda UMNO tegur GLC
Oleh: NORIZAN ABDUL MUHID
KUALA LUMPUR 10 Mac – Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO terkilan dengan syarikat milik kerajaan (GLC) yang dilihat seperti tidak berminat memperjuangkan agenda ekonomi orang Melayu.
Naib Ketuanya, Khairy Jamaluddin berkata, keadaan itu jelas dibuktikan apabila tidak ada seorang pun di kalangan peneraju tertinggi GLC seperti Penerbangan Malaysia (MAS), Proton dan Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) hadir ke Kongres Jihad Ekonomi anjuran Gagasan Badan Ekonomi Melayu (Gabem).

Utusan Malaysia online

Delegates lament no-show of CEOs at economic congress
By SHAHANAAZ HABIB and IZATUN SHARI
.................. Speaking to reporters after presenting a paper on Paradigm Shift and the Malay Agenda, Khairy said it did not give a good impression of the GLC top guns when they did not show up at the event in which the Malay prime movers of the economy were present.
“We are insulted,” he said, adding that since it was an important congress and opened by the Prime Minister, the CEOs should find the time to come.
The star online

Cash for appointments claims ridiculous, says Khairy
KUALA LUMPUR: Ridiculous! That's how Khairy Jamaluddin describes the allegations that people had to pay to get an appointment with him. The staronline

Khairy’s men stay on the right track
By ERIC SAMUEL
PETALING JAYA: UPB-MyTeam FC have set a high standard by maintaining a clean record in their Premier League campaign this season.
The club side are the only unbeaten team in the competition after five matches and they will be out to take pole position for the first time when they face Kuala Muda Naza at the KL Football Stadium in Cheras tonight. The staronline.

No elections anytime soon, says Khairy
New Straits Times, Malaysia - Feb 17, 2007REMBAU: The government is unlikely to call for a general election anytime soon, said Deputy Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin

Year of half-bridge, half-past-six govt and half-witted leaders
Aliran Monthly, Malaysia - Mar 9, 2007Then there was Khairy Jamaluddin, the PM’s millionaire son-in-law, and a supposedly brilliant Oxbridge graduate who showed that he was willing to be ...

Duo claim trial to robbing driver
Malaysia Star, Malaysia - Feb 12, 2007Sathiya, who is the former driver of Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin, was said to have been robbed while he was watching the Thaipusam procession ...

Khairy: No need to rush into polls
Malaysia Star, Malaysia - Feb 17, 2007... without the benefits of the projects reaching the people, voters might have doubts (about the Barisan’s pledges),” said deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin. ...

Opinion: Damned if you speak up, damned if
New Straits Times, Malaysia - Mar 4, 2007They are said to include controversies like the calculation of Bumiputera corporate equity, the fiery comments by Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin at the ...


Malaysia ex-PM takes fresh swipe at successor
Sat Feb 10, 2007 3:25 PM IST
JOHOR BARU, Malaysia (Reuters) - Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad on Saturday renewed his attack on his successor, calling him intolerant and asking the people to reject nepotism.The outspoken 81-year-old, in his first political speech after a lull following a heart attack in November, said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had created a climate of fear within his ruling UMNO party.Speaking at a forum in the southern city of Johor Baru, he also warned Abdullah, whose son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin is an ambitious politician, against forming a political dynasty.

Sea of red at Gerakan open house
New Straits Times, Malaysia - Feb 19, 2007Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and his deputy Khairy Jamaluddin both wore red shirts, befitting the occasion. ...

Comment:
Dont look for the obvious but look at whats hidden.

Recent News on Khairy Jamaluddin.

Khairy kesal CEO GLC tidak hadir
Oleh Ziauddin Sharuddin
NAIB Ketua Pemuda Umno, Khairy Jamaluddin melahirkan rasa kecewa berikutan ketiadaan ketua pegawai eksekutif (CEO) Syarikat Berkaitan Kerajaan (GLC) pada Kongres Jihad Ekonomi yang dirasmikan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, kelmarin.
Berita Harian online

Pemuda UMNO tegur GLC
Oleh: NORIZAN ABDUL MUHID
KUALA LUMPUR 10 Mac – Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO terkilan dengan syarikat milik kerajaan (GLC) yang dilihat seperti tidak berminat memperjuangkan agenda ekonomi orang Melayu.
Naib Ketuanya, Khairy Jamaluddin berkata, keadaan itu jelas dibuktikan apabila tidak ada seorang pun di kalangan peneraju tertinggi GLC seperti Penerbangan Malaysia (MAS), Proton dan Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) hadir ke Kongres Jihad Ekonomi anjuran Gagasan Badan Ekonomi Melayu (Gabem).

Utusan Malaysia online

Delegates lament no-show of CEOs at economic congress
By SHAHANAAZ HABIB and IZATUN SHARI
.................. Speaking to reporters after presenting a paper on Paradigm Shift and the Malay Agenda, Khairy said it did not give a good impression of the GLC top guns when they did not show up at the event in which the Malay prime movers of the economy were present.
“We are insulted,” he said, adding that since it was an important congress and opened by the Prime Minister, the CEOs should find the time to come.
The star online

Cash for appointments claims ridiculous, says Khairy
KUALA LUMPUR: Ridiculous! That's how Khairy Jamaluddin describes the allegations that people had to pay to get an appointment with him. The staronline

Khairy’s men stay on the right track
By ERIC SAMUEL
PETALING JAYA: UPB-MyTeam FC have set a high standard by maintaining a clean record in their Premier League campaign this season.
The club side are the only unbeaten team in the competition after five matches and they will be out to take pole position for the first time when they face Kuala Muda Naza at the KL Football Stadium in Cheras tonight. The staronline.

No elections anytime soon, says Khairy
New Straits Times, Malaysia - Feb 17, 2007REMBAU: The government is unlikely to call for a general election anytime soon, said Deputy Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin

Year of half-bridge, half-past-six govt and half-witted leaders
Aliran Monthly, Malaysia - Mar 9, 2007Then there was Khairy Jamaluddin, the PM’s millionaire son-in-law, and a supposedly brilliant Oxbridge graduate who showed that he was willing to be ...

Duo claim trial to robbing driver
Malaysia Star, Malaysia - Feb 12, 2007Sathiya, who is the former driver of Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin, was said to have been robbed while he was watching the Thaipusam procession ...

Khairy: No need to rush into polls
Malaysia Star, Malaysia - Feb 17, 2007... without the benefits of the projects reaching the people, voters might have doubts (about the Barisan’s pledges),” said deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin. ...

Opinion: Damned if you speak up, damned if
New Straits Times, Malaysia - Mar 4, 2007They are said to include controversies like the calculation of Bumiputera corporate equity, the fiery comments by Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin at the ...


Malaysia ex-PM takes fresh swipe at successor
Sat Feb 10, 2007 3:25 PM IST
JOHOR BARU, Malaysia (Reuters) - Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad on Saturday renewed his attack on his successor, calling him intolerant and asking the people to reject nepotism.The outspoken 81-year-old, in his first political speech after a lull following a heart attack in November, said Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had created a climate of fear within his ruling UMNO party.Speaking at a forum in the southern city of Johor Baru, he also warned Abdullah, whose son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin is an ambitious politician, against forming a political dynasty.

Sea of red at Gerakan open house
New Straits Times, Malaysia - Feb 19, 2007Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and his deputy Khairy Jamaluddin both wore red shirts, befitting the occasion. ...

Comment:
Dont look for the obvious but look at whats hidden.

Friday, March 09, 2007

Updates on Musa Hitam

Who is this guy?

On SJER: Reclusive billionaire Kuok, who declined comment, is one of five members of the panel, which also includes former Deputy Prime Minister Musa Hitam.

On Tunship: KUALA LUMPUR: Former Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Musa Hitam has been conferred the Seri Setia Mahkota (SSM) which carries the title Tun, the highest federal award, from Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail in conjunction with the King's 63rd official birthday today.
Musa, 72, who is also a former chairman of the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) sits on the board of several companies and is chairman of plantation group Kumpulan Guthrie and Lion Industries Corporation Bhd. Saturday June 3, 2006. The staronline.


On the game: Dato' Musa is no pushover as a strategist and tactician, and he has done his homework and calculated his sums in unnerving detail. So, the RM64 question is: Is Che Det about to be checkmated by Tan Sri Musa?
[This is my column in the issue of Harakah 01-15 January 2003]
M.G.G. Pillaipillai@mgg.pc.my

On Suhakam: Musa tidak langsung mempunyai rekod yang cemerlang dalam dunia aktivisme hak asasi manusia. Malah, sebagai bekas Timbalan Perdana Menteri dan Menteri Dalam Negeri antara tahun 1981 hingga 1985, Musa bertanggungjawab menghantar polis untuk menyerbu khemah Ustadz Ibrahim Mahmud di Kampung Memali, Kedah.
.......... Malah, apakah kita tidak menaruh syak wasangka bahawa lantikan itu dibuat kerana kerajaan Barisan Nasional mempunyai fail tebal terhadap Musa sendiri dan mungkin mengugut untuk mendedahkannya jika Musa "terlalu berani"?
daripada Maizul Lizan Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Minden http://pemantau.tripod.com/artikel/04Apr2000musa.html

KUALA LUMPUR: United Malayan Land Bhd (UM Land) has appointed Tan Sri Musa Hitam as independent non-executive director and chairman at the company's EGM yesterday.

Musa Hitam: Too much ‘ad hocism’
By: Husna Yusop (Sun, 20 Jun 2004) http://www.sun2surf.com/articlePrint.cfm?id=3444

Thursday, March 08, 2007

RM200 notes in brown envelopes

Heard about it months ago. Has it been resolved?. Any decision? Anybody knows? Its not the amount. Its the issue. Its integrity. Its transparency. Its about the truth.

Lets talk about numbers for a while:-

Malaysia's prime minister responded to the biggest crisis facing his three-year-old anti-corruption drive on Monday by dismissing 85 percent of graft allegations as baseless.

On Sunday, Deputy Minister of Internal Security Mohamad Johari Baharum said he was the apparent target of media reports that an unnamed senior politician was bribed to release suspects, and denied taking bribes of 5.5 million ringgit


Khairy Jamaluddin is Director, Investment Banking of ECM Libra Capital. Prior to joining, he was Deputy Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister and Director of the Policy and Communications Division at the Office of the Prime Minister. As a senior aide to the Prime Minister, he was responsible for policy formulation and execution, especially in the areas of economic and security policies. He headed a team that drew up the Prime Minister's overall policy and communications strategy, and coordinated the campaign for the 2004 General Elections. He has also worked as a journalist and fund manager in London. He has degrees from the universities of Oxford and London......
from http://www.ecmlibra.com/people/cv_khairy.asp


Nov 29, 05 5:51pm. malaysiakini
Ketua Pengarah BPR Datuk Seri Zulkipli Mat Noor hari ini menjelaskan bahawa pendakwaan sesuatu kes rasuah terletak dalam bidangkuasa Pejabat Peguam Negara dan bukannya BPR.
....Salah tanggapan
....1,218 kertas siasatan

Swinging and glancing.

Cabinet panel issues 3,000 APs for tuned-up cars
KUALA LUMPUR: Less than a year after the Government stopped issuing approved permits (AP) for tuned-up imported cars, it recently issued 3,000 such permits......
“I think there were 3,000 APs given to Wald,” she said. Wald is a company which deals in tuned-up cars. :
Thursday March 8, 2007.The staronline.

Singapore to open consulate in southern Malaysia
SINGAPORE, March 6 (Reuters) - Singapore intends to open a consulate in Malaysia's southern city of Johor Baru in a bid to ease strains between the two southeast Asian countries..... The neighbours have quarrelled over the building of bridges across the narrow Johor Strait, land reclamation, water supply and race. But bilateral relations have warmed since Malaysia's outspoken ex-premier, Mahathir Mohamad, handed power to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2003

Malaysian premier's anticorruption campaign a hard-sell: survey
(Kyodo) _ Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's anticorruption campaign appears to be just hot air as far as the Malaysian public and corporate sector are concerned, according to survey results released Monday by an international private anticorruption watchdog. Monday March 5, 5:38 PM. Yahoo! Asia News.

Formula One: Full speed ahead for Malaysian GP02 Mar 2007
SET at the end of the most extravagant build-up festivities it has ever tasted, the Petronas Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix on April 6-8 has an itinerary fit for an Olympic Games.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Perfecting golf swing and nation building

Saya ingin sentuh tentang nation building. Petronas dari dulu sejak saya mula cerdik dan berakal sudah menaja budak-budak melayu belajar keluar negara. Tak putus-putus. Bukan sikit budak-budak melayu jadi cerdik dan sama-sama menjayakan petronas.

MAS pun latih ramai budak-budak melayu. Akhirnya jadi aircraft maintenance engineer. Berlonggok-longgok. Proton ke Hicom pun buat macam tu.

Tapi ada trend lain sekarang ni. Gergasi baru tak sangat kearah tu. Saya belum dengar lagi airasia buat macam tu. Yang saya dengar beberapa gergasi suka curi staf dari syarikat lain.... Up sikit saja gaji dan tak payah invest on human capital!! Saya bukan duduk dalam inner circle (president's men). Saya dengar dari mulut kawan-kawan saja. Trend baru ialah gergasi tak payah susah payah terlibat dalam nation building......

Gergasi fokus untung saja. Gergasi telekomunikasi lagi haru. Duit budak2 sekolah pun nak sapu.Sapa yg menggila sms untuk AF? BUDAK SEKOLAH!! Sapu duit tabung budak sekolah!!.Tapi apa kita nak soal sangat. Berniaga macam tu. Demand and supply. Moral and integrity is a different thing. Suitable as a title for a sermon.

Nation building ni benda penting. Budak-budak melayu ramai yg jadi cerdik, jadi orang berguna sebab apa yg pemimpin dulu fikir dan buat.

Akhir2 ni saya dengar macam2. Masa main golf!. Saya tak galak sangat main golf. Mahal. Tak pernah lagi main golf kat China atau Australia. Takat Malaysia ni ada la cuba beberapa golf course dengan kawan-kawan. Clearwater, ayerkroh, blackforest, Taiping, semua dah cuba. Pandai tidak, nak cukupkan flight saja.

Most of the time at driving range only. Perfecting the swing!!!. Tak mahal pun, 6, 7 ringgit dah boleh hayun 100 biji bola. Golf set pun yg second hand saja. Haha!! Ada yang kata sekarang ni tender senang-senang saja bagi. Kalau sebelum ni tender terbuka, advertise dan pecah kepada beberapa skop. Ini jam, longgok sekali dan bagi terus. Saya naik takut dengar. Dan yang dapat bukan regular player pun!! A newcomer. Entah sapa-sapa. Tapi ye la, apa nak bising. Mind your own business!

Nak saya komen lanjut tentang perkara ni tak boleh. Pengetahuan saya terhad. Saya bukan President's Men. Saya bukan dari inner crcle.

Tapi saya percaya dengan Nation Building. And this notion has far-reaching effect. But to some this notion has no meaning! Because to them its just NOW OR NEVER.

Haha. We can always improve our swing at any local Golf Course or Driving Range. No need Australia or St Andrews! Anyway most of us are not "single" golfers. Handicap saya berbelas-belas!!

Bye.