UMNO annoyed by proposed appointment of Hisham as DPM

FMT:

Hisham as DPM detrimental to Umno, says state leader

A state Umno leader says the rumoured appointment of Hishammuddin Hussein as deputy prime minister will have ‘far-reaching’ repercussions on the party’s unity.

PETALING JAYA: A state Umno leader has expressed concern that the appointment of Hishammuddin Hussein as deputy prime minister would be detrimental to the party, following rumours the foreign minister was being considered for the post.

The leader, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said making Hishamuddin’s the country’s number 2 would be akin to “Peja appointing Aznel”, in reference to former Perak menteri besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu’s decision to appoint Pengkalan Hulu assemblyman Aznel Ibrahim as his political secretary.

Former prime minister Najib Razak had previously said Aznel’s appointment, which was made without referring to the Perak Umno leadership, was one of the causes of Faizal’s ouster.

But the source warned that in Hishammuddin’s case, the consequences to Umno’s unity would be “more damaging and far-reaching”.

“This act will definitely invite inevitable reaction and retaliation from other members and MPs.

“Not unlike what Peja did, this appointment, if it materialises, will indicate explicitly that Umno leadership within the party is irrelevant and Umno as a coalition partner is a mere passenger,” the source said.

Earlier today, citing sources, The Malaysian Insight reported that Hishammuddin is expected to be named as the deputy prime minister.

According to the news portal, the Sembrong MP and former Umno vice-president could be appointed to the position as early as this week.

The source went on to say that Hishammuddin’s appointment could impact the party in the next general election as it would drive its grassroots support away, especially if it felt the appointment could not benefit the party.

“Without support of the Umno grassroots, the move to make Hishammuddin a DPM will backfire on the party,” the source said.

Muhyiddin capitulated to UMNO in a sneaky way

MM Online:

Umno’s Hishammuddin to be made deputy PM in Muhyiddin’s Cabinet?

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein waves at the press as he arrives at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya October 23, 2020. — Picture by Hari Anggara

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 11 — Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein is expected to be named deputy to Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, according to The Malaysian Insight.

The news portal cited anonymous sources saying Hishammuddin could be appointed to the position as early as this week.

“Hisham will be deputy prime minister ASAP,” one of the unnamed sources was quoted saying.

However, the news portal also reported that other allies in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) grouping have yet to be informed of the proposal.

Hishammuddin is the Sembrong MP. He is currently not among the Umno supreme leadership council.

He has, however, held various leadership positions in Umno, including as Umno Youth chief. He was also formerly Umno vice-president until 2018 and did not contest in the party elections that year.

Muhyiddin, who is from Bersatu, did not name a deputy prime minister after taking power last March.

Instead, he appointed four “senior ministers” on March 9, 2020 to aid him in his duties, including chairing Cabinet meetings on his behalf if he was to be absent from the country.

The four senior ministers are International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali (formerly from PKR, now with Bersatu); Bersatu vice-president Mohd Radzi Md Jidin as education minister; Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob (Umno); and Gabungan Parti Sarawak chief whip and Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) senior vice-president Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof as works minister.

Muhyiddin did not appoint any senior minister from PAS even though the Islamist party is a component of the PN coalition, which excludes Barisan Nasional.

Hishammuddin’s appointment, if it goes ahead as planned, is seen to bolster Muhyiddin’s shaky position following the withdrawal of support from an Umno MP.

Just two days ago on January 9, Machang MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub declared that he would no longer support the PN government and Muhyiddin as prime minister.

This has now left the PN government with 110 MPs supporting it, which means it no longer holds a simple majority in Parliament, but only half of the seats in the Dewan Rakyat.

In the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat, there are currently 220 MPs with two seats vacant after two MPs died last year and with by-elections deferred due to the Covid-19 pandemic. With 220 MPs, a simple majority required to form government would be 111 MPs.

Umno president Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi after its supreme council meeting last week said a motion to sever ties with Bersatu will be decided in the January 31 Umno general assembly.

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kt notes:

Wakakaka, it appears as if Muhyiddin capitulated to UMNO pressure and demands but the clever sly bloke did it in a sneaky way, appointing Hishamuddin as DPM. Hisham is not exactly the bloke the major UMNO warlords trusts, even if he is Najib's cousin, as he is seen as far too close to Ass-binte.

Let's see what happens next, as to whether UMNO is appeased.

Let ‘hot’ court cases run their course, Umno urged

FMT:

Let ‘hot’ court cases run their course, Umno urged

A political analyst believes there’s a disconnect between the conservative Malay crowd and the more progressive urban folk.

PETALING JAYA: A political analyst says Umno should allow court cases implicating party leaders to be duly completed under due process of law, instead of attempting to have the charges dropped by the Perikatan Nasional government.

Awang Azman Pawi of Universiti Malaya said such attempts could ruin Umno’s reputation among its own supporters.

“Let the courts decide whether they are guilty or not. The rule of law must be upheld whether they’re in the government or the opposition. The PN government and civil society need to ensure that there are no interventions in any court cases,” Awang Azman told FMT.

The cases against certain party leaders and members was said to be among the reasons for Umno’s discontent with the PN government, as stated by Barisan Nasional secretary-general Ahmad Maslan.

But Awang Azman said the high-profile cases were not the only reason for Umno’s threats to withdraw support for PN, a move which would cause the current government to collapse.

He said every party leader probably had their own narrative.

However, Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, said Ahmad Maslan’s remarks were unlikely to deter Umno supporters, whom he said would probably consider these cases as a matter of political persecution.

He said there was a disconnect between the conservative Malay crowd and the more progressive urban folk about the charges, with the latter viewing the cases as necessary to restore the government’s integrity.

“But because Umno derives its primary electoral strength from the former group, so Ahmad Maslan was just playing to the tune of most Umno supporters, in addition to trying to save his own skin.

“Perversely speaking, if PPBM is serious about retaining Umno in the ruling coalition, it has scarcely any practical choice but to accede to Umno’s wishes, including dropping the charges against major Umno leaders,” he told FMT.

He said PPBM would not suffer any negative political effects in doing so as the party was already not in favour among more progressive-minded voters after the Sheraton Move early last year.

“PPBM and the whole ruling coalition would now have to focus on appealing to conservative-minded voters who are actually much larger in numbers, and who would actually applaud the dropping of these charges which they see as politically-motivated,” he said.

Ahmad Maslan’s comments had been highlighted by the recently-removed BN secretary-general Annuar Musa, with the latter saying this confirmed that Umno’s potential split from PPBM was not due to a question of policies or services to the people.

But Annuar had been under fire in the days leading up to his removal, with the Ketereh MP seen to be friendly with PN.

The fate of the PN government remains in the balance after most of Umno’s 191 divisions had called for the party to withdraw its cooperation with PPBM.

The Umno Supreme Council, which met on Wednesday night, deferred its decision on its support for PPBM to its annual general assembly which is scheduled to be held on Jan 31.

2nd reiteration of Guan Eng as a fairy tale kok-tokker

Malaysiakini:

'You sidelined Penang!' - MCA veep blasts Guan Eng

MCA vice-president Tan Teik Cheng took aim at former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng, saying that the latter sidelined the state's development during his stint as finance minister.

"It was Lim who sidelined Penang when he was finance minister, and now he has the audacity to play the sympathy card by playing victim regarding funds for Penang," said Tan, who is also MCA Penang state liaison committee chairperson.

In a statement released early this morning, he told Lim not to feign ignorance to 'hoodwink and rile' the public.

"The Covid-19 outbreak has wrought bundles of challenges to the Malaysian economy. Therefore, the federal government has no choice but to temporarily shelve or postpone some infrastructure projects.

"Leveraging on this scenario, Lim stooped to politicise the decision and accused Putrajaya of 'political vengeance'. Such an outburst is unreasonable," he said.

Lim has taken the Perikatan Nasional's administration to task for cancelling development programmes in Penang such as the RM800 million Penang International Airport (PIA) and RM100 million Penang Hill Cable Car (PHCC) expansion projects. He added that PN would be rejected by Penang voters in the next general election.

The former finance minister also had a war of words with Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong over the cessation of Penang's iconic vehicular ferries.

"If anyone wishes to speak about who sidelined the Pearl of the Orient, then Lim stands out the most because, even current Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has personally conceded that even if Pakatan Harapan were to govern Putrajaya, Penang would still be sidelined in securing more allocations.

"Penangites will not forget the ingratitude of the Bagan MP against Penang when he took office as the finance minister," said Tan.

"He would rather allocate RM3.2 billion to Kedah to develop large-scale infrastructure projects than to spend on Penang, resulting in the Penang state government appealing to different quarters to borrow funds for the Penang Transport Master Plan," said Tan.

"Who is Guan Eng to slam the PN government now? Does he even know the meaning of the word 'shame?'", he asked, going on to call Lim an empty vessel that was making the most noise.

Tan said there were a number of reasons that the projects were impacted and Lim should be well aware of this.

"Chow Kon Yeow once said that Putrajaya had withdrawn funding for the RM100 million Penang Hill cable car project due to the country's difficult financial situation as the government believed that this project was not a priority.

"Why does Lim now sing a different tune by saying that this is deliberate political vengeance by the PN government?"

Tan also said that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the aviation industry has been badly affected and is not expected to recover for another three years.

"The government is studying the expansion of all airports through the National Airport Strategic Plan (NASP), which is expected to be completed in 2023. Until this research report is released, the expansion and development of all airports will be temporarily put on hold, not just the Penang International Airport.

"Moreover, when Lim was Penang Chief Minister, he repeatedly opposed the construction of Kulim International Airport (KXP) claiming it would threaten the status of the Penang International Airport but when he was the finance minister, he did a U-turn and supported KXP," claimed Tan.

He also said that current Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz revealed that when Lim was finance minister, he never asked for a Penang LRT loan guarantee from the Harapan cabinet, so the current PN federal government should not be accused of cancelling it.

"Finally, the iconic Penang ferries have not vanished! A request for proposal will be announced in future to convert the historical uses other than for public transport, including repurposing them to be a floating restaurant, sightseeing ferry for tourists to visit and other purposes.

"Replacing the old ferry with safer, speedier and more comfortable water buses as a means of public transport, yet retaining the old ferries as a tourist attraction, these were plans initiated during Harapan's era!" said Tan.

He added his belief that if DAP secretary-general Lim truly cared for Penang, he should refrain from engaging in political manoeuvres by playing the pity card to attack the PN government.

'Tuk, Cucu 'dah jaga baik2 Perkembangan KXP

Anything else 'Tuk wants?

So, did Guan Eng tok kok on fairy tales about DAP's management?

FMT:

Don’t proceed with Penang dam project until Guan Eng says sorry, says Najib

Former PM Najib Razak says former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng had misled Penangites for years with fairy tales of reducing the state’s debts by 95% because of DAP’s so-called ability to manage the state’s economy.

PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Najib Razak has demanded that Lim Guan Eng apologise for allegedly misleading Penangites on the restructuring of the state’s water assets.

In a Facebook post, Najib commented on Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow’s wish yesterday for Putrajaya to continue the expansion of the Mengkuang dam as agreed as it was crucial to increase raw water production capacity.

Najib said the dam expansion is funded by a RM1.2 billion federal grant given by his administration as part of the restructuring of Penang’s water assets in 2011.

The restructuring also saw the state’s RM655.2 million debt converted into a 45-year lease payment.

Najib said if Chow wants the federal government to continue with the dam expansion project, Lim, the former Penang chief minister, should first apologise for allegedly using the restructuring issue as political propaganda.

Najib claimed Lim used the restructuring as proof of DAP’s ability to manage its economy by reducing the state’s debts by 95%.

“That reduction of debt had nothing to do with the DAP-led government’s management but came about after the Barisan Nasional government agreed to give a free grant for the Mengkuang dam worth RM1.2 billion and converting the state’s debt into annual instalments so that it is no longer technically classified as debt, although it needs to be paid.”

Najib said had he not agreed to this restructuring then, Penang’s debts would have increased by over 130% and not reduced by 95%.

“So don’t continue with the Mengkuang dam project as long as DAP or Lim do not admit and apologise for misleading Penangites for years with fairy tales of reducing the state’s debts by 95% because of DAP’s so-called ability to manage the state’s economy.

“Is it so hard for him to admit this and release a statement?”

Muhyiddin reminded of his oath to defend the Constitution

MM Online:

Remember your oath to defend the Constitution? Time to seek audience with Agong, PKR MP tells Muhyiddin after losing majority support

Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim speaks during a press conference at Parliament in Kuala Lumpur August 11,2020. — Picture by Miera Zulyana

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 — Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is obliged to seek an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to inform the Ruler that he no longer commands the majority in the Dewan Rakyat, PKR lawmaker Hassan Karim said today.

The Pasir Gudang MP said now that Umno’s Machang MP Datuk Seri Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub has withdrawn his support from the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, Muhyiddin only has 110 parliamentarians on his side.

“When Ahmad Jazlan no longer supports Muhyiddin and the PN government, this means that the prime minister’s support in Dewan Rakyat is left with 110 MPs.

“In this situation, the prime minister has lost the majority support in the Dewan Rakyat and the PN government has fallen,” said Hassan in a statement.

Hassan noted that there were only 220 MPs in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat and Muhyiddin has exactly half of that, not the majority.

The Opposition MP also noted that two seats, Batu Sapi and Gerik, are currently vacant due to the deaths of their incumbents from Parti Warisan Sabah and Umno respectively.

Hassan said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong appointed Muhyiddin on March 1, 2020 as the prime minister, under Article 43 (2)(a) of the Federal Constitution as he believed the Pagoh MP had the support of the majority in Parliament.

“Throughout the 10 months Muhyiddin was prime minister of the PN government, he has avoided and denied that motion of no confidence moved against him, and disallowed the motion to be tabled.

“The closest incident that could be interpreted as a motion of confidence towards Muhyiddin was when the Budget 2021 was tabled in Parliament.

“The highest vote count achieved by PN was on December 15, during the voting process of the Budget 2021 at its Third Reading where PN garnered 111 votes while the Opposition bloc got 108,” Hassan said.

He pointed out that the 111 votes included Ahmad Jazlan’s, who has since withdrawn his support for the government.

“In this situation, I think it’s best we refer to Article 43 (4) of the Federal Constitution, which says when the prime minister no longer has the majority support, he has to resign from his position in the Cabinet, unless at the prime minister’s request the King dissolves the Parliament,” Hassan said.

He added that the Federal Constitution provision is very clear and urged Muhyiddin to uphold the law.

“The Pagoh MP, he took an oath when he was sworn in as prime minister, to defend the Federal Constitution. 

“This is the time to prove the oath taken,” Hassan said.

With diminishing support for government, what next?

FMT:

Umno insider lifts lid on divided leadership as ‘first domino falls’

Not everyone in the Umno Supreme Council knows what is happening, says a party insider. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A senior Umno leader has revealed the deep divisions within the party which might result in some of its MPs causing the collapse of the Perikatan Nasional administration by withdrawing support in Parliament.

Speaking to FMT, the leader who declined to be named described Machang MP Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub’s withdrawal of support for prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin as the “fall of the first domino”.

“He had no blessing from the Umno Supreme Council since the party has not instructed any of its MPs to pull out. But as usual, not everyone in the Supreme Council knows what on earth is going on. People are waiting for the president’s (Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) instructions but his silence is pretty indicative,” the party insider said.

The source said those in the party know which leader Ahmad Jazlan is aligned to, and alleged this faction, which includes party leaders facing trial, want to force the fall of the government before the Umno general assembly is held on Jan 31.

At the assembly, Umno is expected to make a decision on severing ties with PPBM, the party led by Muhyiddin.

The source said the fall of Muhyiddin’s government will not necessarily lead to fresh elections. A new prime minister could be chosen from among the current MPs instead.

Yesterday, Padang Rengas MP Nazri Aziz of Umno said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong could appoint a new prime minister as long as the person enjoyed majority support in the Dewan Rakyat.

Alternatively, Parliament could be dissolved and an interim prime minister appointed by the King until parliamentary elections are held.

“Umno’s leadership is divided on the morality of having elections now, and on the chances of us doing well if it happens now,” said the source.

The source added the faction pushing for the government’s fall are aware of the leadership’s skepticism and want to force its hands before the Umno AGM.

“They want to take that decision out of the collective leadership’s hands because sense might prevail by then (at the Umno AGM).”

Kelantan Umno chief Ahmad Jazlan’s withdrawal of support for Muhyiddin yesterday left only 111 MPs supporting the PN government in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat. Subsequently, Nazri told FMT more Umno MPs are expected to follow suit in withdrawing their support for the government.

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kt notes:

Let's speculate on the new PM (assuming the Muhyiddin government falls), for we Malaysians are aces at speculation and mongering, if at anything at all, wakakaka:

1. Agong asks for an "interim" PM wakakaka. Now a reminder, a PM must be a member of the Dewan Rakyat and not a senator, wakakaka again. And surely as we know, he or she must be a Malay. Who then (leaving Najib and Zahid out as they're facing court charges)?:

(a) Ku Li? - he is from UMNO and does have the academic and professional credentials and also the political & administrative experience, but will the Agong want him? 

(b) Moo-Moo? - why not. It'll only be his PN government which falls and the role is for an "interim" PM. He has all the qualifications short of confidence for him. And the Agong can ignore that as Moo-Moo will only be an "interim" PM.

(c) Mahathir? Wakakaka - I think the Agong will not allow that as the excuse will probably be Mahathir is far too old.

(d) Pak Hadi? - no qualification other than full knowledge on the Quran, full stop.

(e)  Mohd Hasan a.k.a Tok Mat? - ideal but alas, he's not a MP of the Dewan Rakyat.

(f) Anwar Ibrahim? - why not when he was acting PM before. After all, he will only be an "interim" PM.

(g) Ass-binte? - wakakaka, you decide.

2. Agong asks for a new government headed by a new PM who has the confidence of the majority of MPs in the Dewan Rakyat, and this will mean the MPs of PKR, DAP and Amanah as well.

(a) Ku Li?

(b) Anwar Ibrahim?

(c) Mahathir?

Wakakaka, let's leave the speculations on that for another post.

More Umno MPs may withdraw support

FMT:

More Umno MPs may withdraw support, says Nazri

Padang Rengas MP Nazri Aziz would not confirm if he would also withdraw support for Muhyiddin Yassin.

PETALING JAYA: More Umno MPs are expected to withdraw their support from Muhyiddin Yassin’s government, a senior Umno MP said today.

Padang Rengas MP Nazri Aziz said more Umno members may follow in the footsteps of Machang MP Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub who announced today that he would no longer support Muhyddin as prime minister.

Nazri told FMT: “We wait and see. More (Umno) MPs (may) withdraw their support. We wait and see.” He added: “Then Muhyiddin will have to meet the King”, a reference to the constitutional requirement that a prime minister who loses majority support in the Dewan Rakyat must submit the resignation of his Cabinet.

However, Nazri would not confirm how many Umno MPs can be expected to withdraw support from Muyhiddin, who has come under pressure from Umno in recent weeks, with some divisional leaders calling for moves to bring down his government.

Asked if he would be one of them, he replied: “I don’t know yet.”

He said the withdrawal of Ahmad Jazlan’s support leaves Muhyiddin with 111 MPs for him, against the 109 MPs lined up with the opposition Pakatan Harapan and its allies. The number includes Ahmad Jazlan.

The Perikatan Nasional government requires 112 votes for a simple majority in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat. The deaths of two MPs has left their seats vacant.

Ahmad is the second Umno politician to have announced withdrawal of support for Muhyiddin, after Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, MP for Gua Musang, said he would support the federal budget last month. The budget was approved by a narrow margin.

One UMNO MP withdrew support for PN; Moo-Moo's majority even slimmer

FMT:

Umno MP retracts support for Muhyiddin

Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub, MP for Machang, had resigned as MPOB chairman earlier this week.

PETALING JAYA: Kelantan Umno chief Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub, who is MP for Machang, has withdrawn his support for prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, leaving the Perikatan Nasional government potentially short of a majority.

Jazlan announced his decision at a press conference in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, today.

He is the second Umno politician to have announced withdrawal of support for Muhyiddin, after Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, MP for Gua Musang, did not support the federal budget last month.

Jazlan had resigned as chairman of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board earlier this week.

His decision leaves only 110 MPs supporting the Perikatan Nasional government in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat. Two seats are vacant.

Only 37 Umno MPs continue to back the government.

The government bench now comprises 50 from PN, 41 from Barisan Nasional, 18 from Gabungan Parti Sarawak, PBS (1) and one PN-friendly independent member.

The opposition bloc now has 108 MPs on its side.

Two other seats remain vacant after the MPs died as by-elections have been postponed after an emergency was declared in both the constituencies.

Jazlan had previously said he would resign as MPOB chairman if the PN government does not dissolve Parliament by the end of January.

However, he resigned within hours of making the statement, well before the deadline he had set, and soon after Padang Rengas MP Nazri Aziz had urged Umno to cut ties with Muhyiddin’s party, PPBM.

Nazri said Umno has to force an election at the “right time” and that this can be done by its MPs withdrawing support for the Muhyiddin government.

Last week, 143 of the 191 Umno divisions rejected cooperation with PPBM, which is led by many former Umno leaders.

Eating non-halal & even diseased meat for 40 years already, now want to make eggs & kopi halal-certified?

MM Online:

Negri Sembilan Islamic enforcers spot-check famous Kuala Pilah kopitiam just for having Muslim patrons

JHEAINS officers during a spot-check on a popular kopitiam in Kuala Pilah January 8, 2021. — Picture via Facebook/ Jabatan Hal Ehwal Agama Islam Negeri Sembilan ‘Official’

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 — The Negri Sembilan Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JHEAINS) said yesterday it conducted a spot-check on a kopitiam located at Kuala Pilah, following complaints that the premise is frequented by many Muslims patrons.

In a statement on its official Facebook page, the enforcers said its checks found that the restaurant does not have any halal certification, even as the diner has never claimed so.

“Our checks found out that the premises did not employ any Muslim cooks and the cooking ingredients used were also not certified halal,” it said.

Following its findings, JHEAINS even urged Muslims to avoid patronising food premises with no halal certifications.

While JHEAINS did not list the name of the premises, it is understood to be Kedai Makanan dan Minuman Sinaran — a famous local Hailam kopitiam — located at Jalan Yam Tuan Raden which has been in operation since colonial times.

The kopitiam which has been around since the 1940s does not serve pork, and its daily menu includes the usual kopitiam fare such as kaya toast, boiled eggs, nasi lemak, fried noodles, and an assortment of kuih.

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kt notes:

"Since 1940" means Muslims have been eating there for 80 years. Now these JA-organisations want to make life difficult for Muslims by imposing a modern JA-required certification which ONLY benefits the JA-organisations but which could NOT even jaga imported meat to be halal or disease-free, for 40 years.

This non-Muslim coffee shop has done better than JAKIM to protect Muslim dietary requirements.

Nazri Aziz: UMNO must cut ties with PPBM

FMT:

Umno must cut ties with PPBM as soon as possible, says Nazri

Umno warlord Nazri Aziz said the party should force a general election ‘at the right time’.

PETALING JAYA: Umno warlord Nazri Aziz has called on the party to cut ties with PPBM “as soon as possible”, saying the longer they remained tied to their splinter party, the it would be worse for them.

“We have to get out as soon as possible.

“We have to trigger a situation where we have to force an election, not as soon as possible, but at the right time.

“And to do that, we have to withdraw our support for the present government,” he said, adding that the government was not stable.

Pressed for details, Nazri only said “just wait for the time”.

“It may happen all together, it may happen one by one,” he said at an event in Kuala Lumpur today.

Nazri said the present government only had a majority of two seats in the Dewan Rakyat and if eight Barisan Nasional MPs were to quit, prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin would have to resign.

He said Parliament does not need to be dissolved. If elections could not be held because of Covid-19, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong can appoint a prime minister from the current crop of MPs, he added.


“The Agong can give any MP a week to get statutory declarations that the majority of MPs support him.

“If no one has the majority, the Agong can appoint an interim prime minister until the Covid-19 situation improves.”

He said it was not right for people to say that Umno was power crazy in wanting elections.

There is a process they will need to follow if they want to retract support from the government, Nazri added.

On seat allocations for the next general election, Nazri said he was against giving any of Umno’s seats to PPBM, including those currently held by defectors.

“They stole 16 seats from us. It’s daylight robbery. We can’t give them the seats for free.

“If we give them the seats, the message we’ll be sending is that there is worth and benefit from becoming a traitor.

“In Perikatan Nasional, the ones who benefit are the traitors. They betrayed their parties but got positions and rewards.”

Nazri said even if Umno negotiated seats with PN, as PAS was part of that coalition, it would not involve sacrificing Umno’s seats.

“If PAS wants to give their seats (to PPBM), that’s their problem not ours.”

Gerakan eff-ed Guan Eng for wrong national priorities & interfering with CM Chow's job

A wee dated but WTF, let's read it again, wakakaka

NST:

Wake up and get priorities straight, DAP told

Gerakan vice-president Datuk Baljit Singh. - NSTP File Pix

GEORGE TOWN: At a time when Covid-19 figures are rising dangerously and the threat of a movement control order hovers over Penang, the DAP appears to have its priorities focussed elsewhere.

Gerakan vice-president Datuk Baljit Singh has questioned the party's timing today in highlighting projects which have not been sanctioned by the Federal Government for Penang, and its call for a signature campaign to reinstate the said projects.

"It looks like it's all about politics with the DAP and not fighting Covid-19," Baljit said in a statement.

"Even Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow seems to have made time to attend a press conference, instead of looking into more urgent matters like the spread of the pandemic in Penang," he added.

Baljit said at a time when the nation's human and financial resources should be directed in flattening the Covid-19 curve, there were certain quarters who were intent on spreading hate and confusing the Penang people.

"It is really pointless for DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng to bring up issues that are no longer under his purview.

"Instead, he should simply leave it to Chow to sort out any and all outstanding and pressing issues with the Federal Government since Chow is the rightful chief minister of Penang for 7 days of the week and not sharing his seat or power with anyone else," said Baljit.

Baljit rubbished DAP's claims that four infrastructure projects in Penang had been cancelled owing to "political vengeance ."

"Please wake up and ask yourselves why you did not push for these projects harder before or secure the necessary funding and approvals."

"For now, please get your priorities right ... we have a big war in the form of the pandemic to fight," Baljit added.

"No one is interested in your vanity projects. The people only want to stay healthy, keep their jobs, adapt to the new normal and move on with life."

Transport Ministry denies cancelling Penang govt’s infrastructure projects

MM Online:

Transport Ministry denies cancelling Penang govt’s infrastructure projects

The Transport Ministry in a statement said that the ferry service was being improved through modernisation to ensure it was more comfortable, efficient, prioritised the safety of passengers and easier to maintain in the long run. ― Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

GEORGE TOWN, Jan 9 — The Transport Ministry (MOT) did not cancel three infrastructural projects which the Penang government wanted to implement as claimed.

The ministry said in a statement that the Penang ferry service was not cancelled as stated previously.

The ferry service was instead being improved through modernisation to ensure it was more comfortable, efficient, prioritised the safety of passengers and easier to maintain in the long run.

“This was to also improve the old ferry’s weakness as they would often break down, a month once on average. RM30 million was allocated by the federal government to purchase new water buses and vehicle ferries for the service. Prasarana Malaysia Bhd has rented two high speed ferries for temporary use until the new ferries being operations in 18 months’ time.

“The modernisation phase begins with three water buses (specifically for passengers) from January 1, 2021, while two vehicle carriers for two-wheelers such as motorcycles and bicycles will begin operations in 2022. Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) will speed up the process of acquiring the new water buses from suppliers before it can be fully operational,” the statement read.

According to the statement, in order to preserve Penang’s heritage and cultural icon, suggestions from various parties, including those made by Penang DAP secretary Senator Lim Hui Ying on December 17, would be considered, including turning the old ferries into floating restaurants, museums or for cruises.

On Thursday, Hui Ying, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng made a joint media statement and reportedly said that Penang would continue four projects that were cancelled by the federal government previously, for the benefit and in the interests of 1.6 million citizens of the state although the state had limited resources.

Meanwhile, regarding the improvement and expansion of the Penang International Airport, the statement said that on November 12, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong had replied to Chow’s question during a Parliament sitting regarding the status of the airport’s expansion, stating that the suggested project was not cancelled.

“The decision for the suggested project, however, would be scrutinised comprehensively taking into consideration the passenger demand worldwide and the economic situation due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In the light of the weak passenger demand, the Penang government was urged to focus on several main issues such as the process of obtaining land for the airport expansion project.

“Previously, the transport minister also had a meeting with the chief minister on Aug 27, 2020 and realised that the Covid-19 pandemic had impacted the aviation industry severely, including the ability of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) to finance the upgrading and expansion of the Penang International Airport as suggested,” the statement read.

On June 28, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) reported that the total global air passenger demand had declined drastically to 55 per cent in 2020 compared to 2019, according to the statement.

It also said that the decline in total passengers at the Penang airport was much worse, with a 78 per cent reduction from 8.256 million in 2019 to 1.816 million in 2020.

Meanwhile, regarding the Light Rail Transit (LRT) project from Bayan Lepas to Komtar, the ministry said it did not cancel the project as claimed, but the Penang government had yet to hand over the final approved Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) from the Department of Environment and the Rural and Urban Planning Department (PLAN Malaysia) to the Land Public Transport Department (APAD) for the Transport Minister to approve under subsection 84(6) Act 715 (Land Public Transport Act 2010).

“The Transport Ministry previously had given conditional approval for the LRT project subject to the final approval of the SIA and EIA. On Nov 10, the state government was informed that the latest LRT scheme could not be approved without the approval of the SIA and EIA for the entire proposed alignment.

“According to the law, the Transport Ministry did not give partial approval for certain parts besides the proposed alignment. Both EIA and SIA approvals are needed because the alignment of the LRT requires land reclamation (Penang South Reclamation) and will affect the airport expansion in the future,” the statement read.

Therefore, the ministry hoped that the political leadership in the state would refrain from spreading fiction for their political gain and to always provide the true facts to the citizens.

“The ministry will continue to encourage feedback, opinions and suggestions from all state governments relating to the development and improvement of public transport infrastructure for the comfort and safety of all passengers,” the statement explained. — Bernama

Hell hath no fury than a father whose son was bypassed

FMT:

Najib clarifies Ahmad Maslan’s ‘cruel court cases’ remark

Najib Razak said Ahmad Maslan’s statement had specifically referred to forfeiture cases and compound fines imposed on various people, including those in the party.

PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Najib Razak today sought to clarify Barisan Nasional secretary-general Ahmad Maslan’s recent remarks on “cruel” court cases against Umno leaders being continued by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

Ahmad had been quoted as saying that one of Umno’s disagreements with PPBM and PN was how the ruling government had continued with court cases against certain party leaders. Ahmad had said this outweighed the party’s dissatisfaction over positions in the government.

Najib clarified that the Pontian MP was only lamenting how the PN government had failed to correct the abuse of power by the previous Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration.

He said many, including “certain Umno leaders”, had also intentionally taken Ahmad’s comments out of context on the cases that were being referred to.

According to Najib, Maslan’s statement had specifically referred to the forfeiture cases and compound fines imposed on various people, including those in the party.

“Why did 80 persons have seizure orders issued against them while 41 others were charged and fined up to 10 times the amount of money paid by me when the issue was that they had received payments from me?

“The reality is that simply receiving payments from me some years ago is not a crime. The recipient wouldn’t know the source of these funds.

“Also, Mas Ermieyati Samsudin and Mustapa Mohamad had received payments from me but there was no action against them after they jumped (to PPBM). However, Ahmad and Shahrir Samad were charged in court,” Najib said in a Facebook post.

He maintained that PH had abused its powers in prosecuting Umno leaders, citing the appointments of Tommy Thomas, Latheefa Koya and Richard Malanjum as attorney-general, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief and chief justice respectively.

“Do you still want to deny that there was no abuse of power or manipulation of the Malaysian legal system?”

Suspected Bali bombing mastermind Abu Bakar Bashir's release from jail, Australian victims still fearful

ABC:

Suspected Bali bombing mastermind Abu Bakar Bashir's release from jail, Australian victims still fearful

Sandra Thompson's son died in the 2002 Bali bombings.(ABC News: Victoria Ellis)

The mother of an Australian man who died in the 2002 Bali bombings says she does not want alleged mastermind Abu Bakar Bashir released from jail and that he should instead serve life sentences for every person that was killed.

Sandra Thompson's 29-year-old son, Clint Thompson, was one of 88 Australians who died in the bombings, when Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) carried out an attack on the city's nightclubs.

Bashir was JI's spiritual leader and was later sentenced to jail for other terror offences.

"He didn't just kill one person, he killed 202."

Clint Thompson was in Bali for an end-of-season football trip with his beloved Coogee Dolphins team mates when the blast went off at the Sari Club, killing six of them.

There were also explosions at Paddy's Bar and outside the US Consulate.

The attacks, which left 209 others injured, remain the single largest loss of Australian life from an act of terror.

In 2005 Bashir was jailed for conspiracy over the Bali bombings, but his conviction was quashed on appeal.

Then in 2011, he was handed a 15-year jail sentence for his links to militant training camps in Aceh, but after a number of periodic reductions on that term over the years it is now expiring.

'Preaching and inciting hate again'

Ms Thompson said 18 years after the Bali bombings, Bashir remained a danger.

"Well, he'll go straight back to teaching what he taught before," Ms Thompson said.

"He hasn't repented, he hasn't said he's sorry, he still thinks it was the right thing, so why wouldn't he go back and teach young Muslims his hate all over again?"

Melbourne man Jan Laczynski, who was out in Bali on the night of the bombings but went home back to his accommodation early, was also worried about Bashir's release.

Mr Laczynski said Bashir should not have access to a microphone or megaphone.(ABC News: Rudy De Santis)

Mr Laczynski lost five of his friends in the attack and said he feared Bashir was "going to be preaching and inciting this hate again" when he is released.

"I worry that this is going to be the start of future terrorism things happening again, especially knowing how notorious he is," he told the ABC.

Mr Laczynski said he believed the vast majority of Indonesians were good people, but worried "1 per cent" might be influenced by Bashir's teachings.

"He is an evil person, he helped coordinate this evil against Australia and he should not be walking out unwatched."

Australia urges Indonesia to watch Bashir

The Indonesian Government announced this week that Bashir would be released from prison on Friday after completing his jail term.

Abu Bakar Bashir was handed a 15-year jail sentence for his links to militant training camps in Aceh.(Reuters: Darren Whiteside)

In response, the Australian Government has implored Indonesia to keep an eye on Bashir.

Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia had always called for those involved to face tough, proportionate and just sentences, but it respected "Indonesia's sovereignty and the independence of its judiciary".

"Our embassy in Jakarta has made clear our concerns that such individuals be prevented from further inciting others to carry out future attacks against innocent civilians," she said in a statement.

Sidney Jones, director of the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict, said while Bashar might be free, the police were going to be "monitoring every movement he makes".

"I'm sure they are going to be surrounding his house and his school," she said.

"There is no way there is going to be any end to the surveillance any time soon, and also they can use the health protocols of COVID-19 to restrict any kind of mass gathering."

Has Bashir's influence waned?

Some security analysts have warned that his release might lead extremists to try to associate their activities with him, to gain traction and boost their credibility.

But Ms Jones said while she understood why people would be worried about Bashir's release, she thought he no longer held the power he once did.

"I think this is a man who is seen as an elder statesman of the extremist movement, but he isn't in a position to actually influence actions at all."

Ms Jones also said she thought there were other people who were "younger and more charismatic now, and people who are in fact more extreme than he is, who are a bigger danger".

Ms Thompson still fears Bashir will continue to wield influence, but said she wanted to move forward.

"I'm not going to let that hate and terror wreck my memories of Clint," she said.

"Clint was a good man, he was well liked and he wouldn't like me to put anger and hate for all these years into what happened — and I won't, I refuse to."

Sinister teflon-ising of JAKIM in the non-halal meat scandal

Malaysiakini:

Brainwashing Malaysians is like cooking mutton

by Mariam Mokhtar

Cooking mutton is a process that is similar to conning and brainwashing the Malaysian public.

It takes decades to 'soften' the brains of both Malays and non-Malays, in much the same way as when we try to tenderise tough mutton. The process takes more than a few minutes.

Consuming too much MSG can cause headaches, obesity, affect the reproductive organs, and brain damage; but it appears that eating kangaroo, horse, meat of unknown origin, and diseased animals, could cause selective amnesia and denial syndrome.

Jakim (Department of Islamic Development) is the only authority which can issue halal certificates, but when the meat cartel scandal broke, the denials from the Malay-Muslim government and the billion-ringgit funded Jakim were swift.

The minister for religious affairs said that there were no reports of Jakim officials being linked with the scandal and expressed confidence that no Jakim officers were involved.

How naïve is the minister? Why would anyone admit guilt? The Malay gullibility factor explains how the felon, Najib Abdul Razak, managed to avoid censure.

When will Malay leaders have the courage to tell the truth and act decisively? Instead of punishing the criminals, many Malay leaders stupidly want to give the wrongdoers an honourable exit. No-one is punished. We fail to learn from our mistakes, then sit tight, for the next scandal to erupt.

Having paid a visit to Jakim's laboratory the minister said, “...thank god, what I saw was proof of their earnestness."

Despite the earnestness and the state-of-the-art laboratory, the Jakim officials have been unable to detect any diseased meat for 40 years. Any cook worth his salt can detect kangaroo meat from beef, just by looking at it. You do not need a laboratory for that.

What did the minister see? What does he mean by their earnestness? Joe Public thinks that these officials are 'earnestly' trying to cover up their involvement.

Demands for compensation

In previous years, the Chemistry Department would perform tests to confirm the presence of porcine DNA in various food products like butter, sauces, coffee and chocolates.

Good scientific practice means that other laboratories will emulate the test and duplicate the results. However, the requests for an explanation of the test methods were never granted. Why is the Chemistry Department refusing to share them?

In 2014, a group of sanctimonious Malay NGOs alleged that they had eaten contaminated chocolates. They held a press conference and shed tears, showed extreme anguish, feared that their children's flesh and blood were contaminated with pork DNA and demanded blood transfusions. They alleged that Cadbury chocolates contained pork DNA.

During their highly comical press conference, there were demands for compensation or a fine of RM1 billion for mental health issues and psychological trauma to them and their children. There were also calls to burn down Cadbury's factory and boycott Kraft products.

Today, those NGOs have made no criticism of Jakim's role in this meat scandal.

Where is the assemblyperson, who last month bullied the Jaya Grocer supermarket into boarding up the non-halal food section? Isn't the four-decades-old meat scandal more serious than selling alcohol?

Where is the collective voice of PAS, which was quick to condemn drink-driving but not this meat scandal? When there is a whiff of the involvement of a Malay company (or companies), Malay civil servants or Jakim, PAS disappears into the shadows.

Muted response

Local butchers have voiced their suspicions about imported meat, but as with any legitimate complaint about wrongdoing by the authorities, the response has been muted, or non-existent.

Where is the rakyat's voice? Where are the various Malay NGOs and trade associations to demand that heads should roll?

Malays/Muslims have been eating tainted meat for at least four decades. They were lied to and cheated into paying high prices for kangaroo or horse meat, and diseased meat. The scandal can only have happened with the collusion of people, who are at the top of the pecking order, and their very powerful cronies.

The scandal has exposed the hypocrisy of the Malays. Many Malays will not visit a non-Malay/Muslim house because they do not want to eat or drink from the crockery, cutlery and glassware of the non-Muslim household. They claim that these utensils are "contaminated" but incredibly, eating tainted meat does not seem to bother them.

Ministers' heads should roll, but the authorities will drag this investigation and hope that people will forget after a few months. Meanwhile, every attempt to cover up the tracks of the wrongdoers will be made.

Malaysian taxpayers paid RM250 million for a National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) to reduce our dependence on imported beef. The NFC is another failed project and an unresolved scandal.

We seem to have the 'Sadim' touch (the opposite of the Midas touch). Anything they get involved in turns to ordure.

Finally, where are the non-Malay voices to echo those of concerned Muslim Malaysians?

Decades of brainwashing have damaged us. Many Malays dare not say anything about the halal meat issue because it involves a religious department, and few non-Malays dare to speak out because halal meat is considered a religious issue. Non-Malays justify their silence by saying "it is not our religion."

Our silence allowed the kidnapping of Indira Gandhi's daughter by her Muslim convert husband and sanctioned the snatching of the bodies of dead non-Malays from funeral parlours so that they could be given Muslim burials.

The meat scandal is a Malaysian problem because it is symptomatic of a greater disease within our society. When is the ordinary Malaysian going to stand up for something for once in his life, instead of offering excuses to avoid involvement?

A scandal of this magnitude happened because we were busy looking the other way. Perhaps a diet of diseased meat has turned the backbones of Malaysians into 'yellow jelly'.

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, Twitter.

Suspicious Armed Police Presence in Disputed Durian Farms

Malaysiakini:

Durian farmers lodge report over presence of armed personnel, unknown individuals

A group of Musang King durian farmers in Raub, Pahang has lodged a police report after unknown individuals and 10 armed personnel showed up at Sungai Chalit on Jan 5.

Fearing for their safety, a villager lodged a report on behalf of 130 villagers and farmers on Tuesday.

According to the police report sighted by Malaysiakini, the villager said: "I saw three trucks with vehicle number plates covered with black sellotape and without road tax entering the RPS Sungai Chalit in a suspicious manner.”

Yesterday, Pahang State police chief Abdul Jalil Hassan confirmed that 40 police officers and army personnel - with 10 of them armed - were sent to Sungai Chalit durian farms to help maintain order and ensure only those with permit entered the durian farms.

Abdul Jalil said the police did not take action against the villagers and farmers, adding that it is part of the procedure for the police to carry firearms when they are on duty.

"The police, however, left the place after the court issued an injunction," he was quoted as saying by China Press yesterday.

On Dec 23, the Kuantan High Court dismissed an application by 204 Musang King durian farmers for a judicial review against the land eviction notice issued to them by the Pahang state government.

On Jan 5, the Court of Appeal in Putrajaya granted a stay of an injunction for Save Musang King Alliance (Samka) over an eviction notice issued by the state government.

In a statement today, Samka questioned if the police and army are abusing their power and protecting the interest of big corporation by suppressing the farmers.

"We are raising four major doubts over Abdul Jalil's remark," said Samka.

"Why did the police turn up at the scene and help (people from) Royal Pahang Durian (RPD) to enforce the law when it is not the landlord and never owned this piece of land before. Why did the police follow the instructions from a private corporation?"

Samka also questioned why the police did not act against those individuals who came in trucks without road tax and with vehicle number plates covered up, which were clearly traffic offences.

"Why are there about 10 police officers and military personnel sitting inside those cars with guns?" questioned Samka.

"Why didn’t the so-called military and police officers wear name tags or identifications on their uniforms?”

Hence, Samka said the public raised reasonable doubts against the suspicious actions by the police on Tuesday.

“Were the police abusing their power and even illegally protecting the interest of big corporation by suppressing farmers?"

Samka added that 130 farmers have lodged police reports at the Sungai Ruan police station.

“We hope the police will give farmers a sincere and comprehensive answer," said Samka.

When contacted, Abdul Jalil asked Malaysiakini to contact Raub District police chief Kama Azural Mohamed for comment instead.

At press time, Malaysiakini has yet to obtain a comment from Kama.

***

kt notes:

Re "Abdul Jalil asked Malaysiakini to contact Raub District police chief Kama Azural Mohamed for comment", the State CPO asked reporters to obtain answers from a District police chief???

That's like a 3-star general asking you to inquire from a corporal of a platoon on military movements.

What kerbau! What conspiracy! What 'BIG powers' that could move armed police to into durian farms!

Syed Saddiq slams Penang CM’s new Merc

FMT:

Syed Saddiq slams Penang CM’s new Merc

The Penang chief minister’s new official car, a 2019 Mercedes-Benz S560e bought for RM458,000.

PETALING JAYA: Former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has criticised the DAP-led Penang state government over the purchase of a new Mercedes-Benz S560e for Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.

The official car, which cost RM458,000, replaces a Mercedes S300L bought in 2013 for RM298,263.

Syed Saddiq said in a Facebook posting this evening that there was no need for a luxury car at a time when many people were out of jobs because of Covid-19, and others affected by the worsening floods in certain parts of the country.

“We must be fair! Before this we had criticised the Kelantan PAS leadership over their new Mercedes-Benz official vehicles and for taking a pay rise during the time of Covid-19. Now, it is just the same,” he said.

Chow was quoted as saying that “I just got the car yesterday, I don’t know the details of the purchase”. The state secretary said the purchase of the new car was approved at a state executive council meeting in November 2019.

The purchase of new cars for chief ministers and menteris besar has come under criticism in the past.

Last year, the Kelantan government was criticised for its purchase of 14 Mercedes-Benz cars for its menteri besar and state executive council members.

In 2014, then Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng defended the purchase of a Mercedes-Benz S300L saying it was better in the long run, and that it took into account the safety and security of state leaders.