Rare earth theft due to Sanusi’s incompetence: home minister

theVibes.com:

Rare earth theft due to Sanusi’s incompetence: home minister

Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail highlights issue’s seriousness as it involves national security

Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has said that the rare earth element theft in Kedah is caused by caretaker menteri besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s incompetence. – ABDUL RAZAK LATIF/The Vibes file pic, July 30, 2023

Fei-Lo Fei-tut tut

Aw-si Aw mm-choot

ALOR STAR – Pakatan Harapan (PH) secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said that Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s incompetence in managing the Kedah government was the reason for the theft of rare earth elements (REE) in Bukit Enggang, Sik.

He said that the matter not only affects the state government but also the country’s image since the issue of human trafficking is also involved.

“The most serious thing is about the competence of an individual who holds the title of menteri besar, because he manages the state and has a great responsibility, all government instruments, agencies and regulators are under him,” he said at a press conference here today.

Saifuddin said that as an individual who leads the state government, Sanusi is definitely given briefings from time to time, on matters related to any activities involving agencies under the state government, either during the executive council meeting or during the state assembly sitting.

He said that Sanusi also failed to explain to the people various issues related to the alleged theft.

“Keeping mum without providing answers to matters raised shows how incompetent he is in dealing with the problems which are occurring in Kedah.

“Don’t view this issue lightly, as if this is an isolated incident or an issue played out during the elections. This issue involves national security,” he said.

Saifuddin, who is also the home minister, gave his assurance that the investigation into the REE theft case will not stop, regardless of the outcome of the state polls on August 12.

“I am confident that investigation into this case – by government or state agencies – will continue because, within these 12 days, it is not possible that a full investigation can be carried out.

“This is not an election issue, but this is an issue of incompetence and the poor governance of the menteri besar in managing the state government,” he said. – Bernama, July 30, 2023

Najib distances himself from Papagomo’s Bossku show

FMT:

Najib distances himself from Papagomo’s Bossku show

Najib Razak’s daughter Nooryana Najwa says she was told by her father that Papagomo and Syed Imran Syed Abdul Aziz do not represent him, although they are his supporters.

Nooryana Najwa, daughter of former prime minister Najib Razak, said it was unfair for anyone to ride on or use her father’s name.


PETALING JAYA : Najib Razak has distanced himself from a “Bossku” show hosted by two of his staunch supporters, saying the pair did not represent his views.

The two supporters are Wan Azri Wan Deris, better known as Papagomo, and Syed Imran Syed Abdul Aziz, who leads an NGO called Pertubuhan Jalinan Perpaduan Negara Malaysia.

They had announced they would host a show tonight entitled “Bossku Nak Apa?”, using the popular nickname “Bossku” by which Najib is known.

Najib’s daughter Nooryana Najwa said in an online posting that her father had told her that Wan Azri and Syed Imran did not represent him although they were his supporters.

“Syed Imran has also not been instructed by Najib to issue any statement on his behalf.

“Najib has been in prison for almost a year and it is not fair for Syed Imran or any other individual to ride on or use Najib’s name,” said Nooryana.

She also said any official statement by her father would be posted on his social media accounts.

Wan Azri had in a Facebook post that was uploaded along with the poster said he will expose Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s alleged lies and how the deputy prime minister name dropped Najib and Umno to back Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government.

Najib is serving a 12-year prison sentence in Kajang prison after the Federal Court affirmed his conviction and sentence in a case involving SRC International funds.

State elections: What makes Kedah a prize catch?

State elections: What makes Kedah a prize catch?

The determination of PH-BN and PN to win in the “Rice Bowl” state is evident in the statements made by leaders of both sides. — Picture by Hari Anggara

Sunday, 30 Jul 2023 3:18 PM MYT


SUNGAI PETANI, July 30 — What is so special about Kedah that both the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-Barisan Nasional (BN) unity alliance and their rival Perikatan Nasional (PN) are going out of their way to capture the state in the August 12 polls?

The determination of PH-BN and PN to win in the “Rice Bowl” state is evident in the statements made by leaders of both sides, the programmes lined up and the candidacies of several key leaders in the Kedah polls, which are being held together with those in five other states.


Universiti Sains Malaysia political analyst Prof Sivamurugan Pandian said Kedah is a hotly contested state because it is regarded as a “swing state”.

He said the fact that the Kedah administration had changed hands in several general elections in the past had emboldened contesting parties to give more emphasis on the state this time around.


“Kedah voters can swing to any side because of the big number of fence-sitters. They are capable of casting their ballots either way, and this makes political parties feel they always have a 50-50 chance,” he told Bernama.


However, Sivamurugan said PN would be under more pressure as the coalition needs to maintain its winning momentum in the 15th general election (GE15), where it almost made a clean sweep of the parliamentary seats in Kedah except for Sungai Petani.

According to him, the polls would also show whether the support received by PN in the last general election would have a lasting effect or would switch to the Unity Government parties.

“For the Unity coalition, for sure they want to test the effectiveness of their newfound cooperation, which was not established before GE15. If they win Kedah, it will boost the motivation and determination of the Unity Government as Kedah voters are predominantly Malays,” he added.

Sivamurugan said if BN-PH could make effective use of the campaign period, it was not impossible for them to wrest Kedah from PN.

“It is crucial for them (BN-PH) to determine their Menteri Besar candidate. Secondly, the issues being played up now tend to border on sentiments of emotion rather than direction or the future.

“They should be wise in playing these two issues instead of focusing solely on the weakness of their opponents in terms of achievements at the state level,” he said.

Another political analyst, Mazlan Ali, said Kedah has the potential to become a developed state and on this basis the Unity Government felt that the state government should be in line with the federal government for development to be coordinated.

“Today Kedah is under PAS. Furthermore, the Menteri Besar is seen to be vocal, clashing a lot with the federal government. So, it is important for BN-PH to capture this state to show that they are on the right side,” said Mazlan, who is from Perdana Centre of Razak Faculty, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.

He said several studies showed that Kedah voters were increasingly open on their choice of parties and this made contesting parties confident about winning the state.

Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Kedah Branch political science lecturer Firdaus Ramli said the factor of securing support from Malay voters, apart from in Kelantan and Terengganu, was among the elements driving PH-BN and PN to snatch victory in Kedah.

He said if PH and BN managed to capture Kedah, it would indirectly send a signal that they still have Malay support and refute claims by certain quarters that they have lost ground among the community, especially in northern Peninsular Malaysia.

“Religious and racial sentiments will become the main trend in determining the inclination of voters, especially in northern Kedah, apart from young and outside voters.

“If BN-PH can offer something to voters, (chances are there) because young people vote according to trend and not understanding of parties or candidates,” said Firdaus, who is with UiTM’s Administrative Science and Policy Studies Faculty.

PH-BN is locked in battle with PN in all the 36 seats up for grabs in Kedah.

According to Election Commission statistics, 1,585,085 registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the Kedah polls, with 104,284 aged between 18 and 20. — Bernama

Perhaps both Guan Eng and Chow should step aside

Perhaps both Guan Eng and Chow should step aside

Francis Paul Siah


COMMENT | It is normal to think that if you hear 10 people say the same thing about a person or an issue, chances are that it could be true or at least, there is an element of truth in it.

In the case of the reported tussle between two camps in Penang DAP, real or imagined depending on who you talk to, I can safely say it’s the real thing, like Coca-Cola.

While the popular carbonated soft drink is all sugar, the real thing happening in Penang is anything but sweet.

The relationship between the leaders of the two camps is not even bittersweet. It is sour, and probably as salty as the water at Batu Ferringhi.

Call it by any name, “Emperor” or “Tokong”, it really doesn’t matter. It is clear that one faction in Penang, led by DAP national chairperson Lim Guan Eng (above, left), called the shots in the Penang DAP. (Without even naming names, don’t we all know who is referred to as the “emperor” now?)

On this latest Penang DAP saga, Malaysiakini’s morning brief on July 28 summed up the “rumbles of discontent in Penang” best. I will comment where relevant.

The decision to drop several DAP incumbents for the Penang state election has courted displeasure, with one dropped leader claiming that it is the handiwork of the “emperor”.

Incumbent Bagan Dalam assemblyperson Satees Muniandy also claimed that the “emperor”, whom he did not name, was riding on the “Green Wave”, using it as a fear-mongering tool to make himself more powerful.

It seems that before every election, trouble will emerge within the Penang DAP. The “emperor” or “tokong” thing is nothing new. It has been raised before.

Outsiders are unaware of why Satees was dropped, like the other incumbents. But I can say it was courageous of him to speak up against the party leadership and be the “bad guy” to rock the boat.

Incumbent Bagan Dalam assemblyperson Satees Muniandy


When something is wrong in the party, speaking up is the right thing to do.

As for the so-called “Green Wave”, I feel inclined to think that it is a non-issue in a state like Penang. Perhaps, there is some truth in Satees’ allegation of someone’s fear-mongering tool.


A little courtesy and respect

P Ramasamy, the caretaker deputy chief minister II who was also not included in the line-up, pondered if this is the same DAP he had joined close to two decades ago.

Seriously, why is it so difficult for party leaders to inform the dropped incumbents beforehand of the party’s decision? A personal call from the secretary-general will surely be welcomed. But no, they did not do it. Why?

Caretaker Penang deputy chief minister II P Ramasamy


As a party elder who is 74, Ramasamy expects a little courtesy and respect, and that simple gesture was not even accorded to him. So, don’t blame him for being annoyed and unhappy.

Similarly, DAP Women chief Chong Eng regretted the party’s decision to leave her out of the race, noting that DAP’s current success was due to the sweat and toil of numerous individuals.

Chong has always been a party loyalist. As a woman too, she is more diplomatic in expressing her disappointment at being dropped.

DAP Women chief Chong Eng


The long-serving DAP Women chief is 66 and has been an elected representative, both as an MP and state assemblyperson, for some three decades. I think that’s a long enough tenure.

(I’ve also said that if you take up politics as a selfless service to the people and nation, you would have done your part after 10 years. After a decade, it’s time for others to take over.)


Direct accusation against Guan Eng

However, former Seberang Perai city councillor David Marshel did not pull his punches. After quitting DAP, he announced he will contest as an independent candidate in the Perai seat in an attempt to keep the state “free of Lim Guan Eng”.

He said the main reason for entering the fray is to ensure that Chow Kon Yeow continues as chief minister after the election.

He also accused Guan Eng of wanting to become chief minister again.

This is the most direct accusation against Guan Eng. It’s not difficult to notice that the DAP national chairperson is keen to be the chief minister again.

Of course, Guan Eng can say that he harbours no such intention. But his movements in recent times prove otherwise.

He has moved his base back to Penang. He has even started a Penang foodie video stream, describing himself as a “Penang lang” (Hokkien for a Penang person).

kt comments: If Guanee is a "Penang lang" I'm a monkey's uncle 😂😁😆 and KKK a Singhalese

Hello, how do you expect Chow to feel? I wouldn’t blame him for being uncomfortable and threatened by Guan Eng’s moves.

Incumbent Penang chief minister Chow Kon Yeow


And so, finally, Chow reportedly said the list of DAP candidates for Penang submitted by the five-member state DAP selection committee was rejected by the national leadership.

We can guess who made the decision at the national DAP selection committee. It is also a five-member committee but if Guan Eng and party secretary-general Anthony Loke were to insist on some names, it is likely that the other three will have nothing much to say even if they disagree.


Guan Eng and Chow creating dissent

I find Loke’s defence of Guan Eng on July 28 quite childish, to be honest. Surely, everyone knows that the former chief minister has contributed a lot to Penang.

Hello, Mr sec-gen, other DAP leaders also contributed much to the party, people, and country. Some were fortunate to be YBs and have their pension to live on while many others get nothing.

Please, Mr Loke, I expect better from you. Do not be an apple polisher for your ex-boss. As sec-gen, you are the top gun in DAP now. If you need to praise, praise everyone in DAP. Why didn’t you say something nice about Chow as well?

DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke


Guan Eng and Chow will be around for the next five years. They will win on Aug 12 and whether Chow or Guan Eng will be the chief minister on Aug 13 is anyone’s guess.

Seriously, I think that both Guan Eng and Chow should step aside as soon as possible. They are the ones creating dissent in the party, ever since the DAP won Penang.

If DAP were still in the opposition today, I believe the two men would be the best comrades-in-arms. Once in power, it’s a different story altogether. Isn’t that sickening?

Chow has said that by the next election, his name would not be on the list of DAP candidates. Well and good. Chow is 65 today, he will be 70 at the next election. Time to call it a day.

Guan Eng is two years younger. At 63 today, he would be 68 at the next elections. Time to step aside too.

Let me be blunt as always. Both Chow and Guan Eng do not impress me as political leaders. Chow is dull and colourless. Guan Eng does not seem to possess the intellect to lead. He falls easily by the wayside. A case in point – his pending issues in court.

I wish DAP leaders in the mould of Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh were still around and active. They would probably be the best chief minister Penang will ever have.

Perhaps, Penang might be better with a female chief minister. Five years from now, maybe Hannah Yeoh or Yeo Bee Yin should be fielded in Penang and take the lead in the Pearl of the Orient.

For me, enough of this emperor and tokong nonsense in Penang. Give us a break, DAP!



FRANCIS PAUL SIAH is a veteran Sarawak editor and heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS). He can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com

I would be embarrassed, Dr Chua says on MCA skipping polls

FMT:

I would be embarrassed, Dr Chua says on MCA skipping polls

Former MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek describes the current state of the party as ‘pitiful and pathetic’.

Dr Chua Soi Lek said the party ‘will be doomed’ if all members do is try to please the president. (Bernama pic)


PETALING JAYA: Former MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek has reportedly described his party’s decision to stay out of the Aug 12 state elections as “extremely tragic”.

“If I were still the MCA president, I would be embarrassed,” Chua was quoted as saying by Sin Chew.

“The current state of MCA is pitiful and pathetic. Its existence is entirely nominal. A lot of members are just trying to please the party president. If MCA’s top leaders continue to maintain this attitude, the party will be doomed.”

On July 5, MCA announced that it will not contest in the elections in six states and would focus on preparing for the 16th general election. Fellow Barisan Nasional component MIC then announced that it would take a similar stand.

In March, MCA president Wee Ka Siong said the party had tasted “more defeats than victories” in those six states since 2008, adding that seat talks would be very challenging since it had no negotiation power.

Meanwhile, Chua took Wee to task over a fight that allegedly broke out during an MCA event in Selangor on Thursday night, claiming the MCA president has been silent on the matter.

According to China Press, a Sabak Bernam MCA representative had disagreed with Kapar MCA chief Song Kee Chai’s speech at the event and tried to cut him off.

While Song and his team went over to the man’s table to talk things out, the man allegedly cursed the MCA division leader, causing a fight to break out.

In a viral video of the incident, a chair was seen being thrown by one of the participants, hitting and injuring one of the men who was in the middle of the commotion.

Chua claimed that Wee was at the event and should have intervened.

Umno-DAP unease could spark low voter turnout, says analyst

FMT:

Umno-DAP unease could spark low voter turnout, says analyst

The size of the voter turnout may matter in Pakatan Harapan-led states like Selangor, with its significant Malay population.

A political analyst says some BN supporters might choose not to vote rather than cast their ballots for Perikatan Nasional candidates.


PETALING JAYA: A political analyst has warned of a potential low voter turnout during the state elections if Umno and DAP have yet to get along as coalition partners after decades of enmity.

Syaza Syukri of the International Islamic University Malaysia said the two parties bear the responsibility of persuading their respective voters about the significance of casting their ballots, even if it means supporting the other party in the unity government.

“But if there’s still distrust and if the leaders can’t convince their base to vote for the other party, they might choose not to vote rather than vote for Perikatan Nasional,” she told FMT, referring to the perception supporters from both parties had of each other.

“Of course, a good portion of these Malay voters wouldn’t have a problem voting for Perikatan Nasional, but what about the hardcore supporters who are not comfortable with another party in the unity government?” she said.

Among the three Pakatan Harapan-led states, Syaza said voter turnout would matter the most in Selangor because of its Malay population

“Malays in Selangor see their options as either PH or PN, so it is a straight fight between the two (coalitions).

“Same with Penang, but Penang is a mixed state whereas in Selangor, Malays are about 60%, so their choice matters a lot,” she said.

Other political observers have also highlighted the significance of the voter turnout.

Former Umno leader Khairy Jamaluddin has said recently that it is not impossible for PN to win Selangor but it would depend on the level of voter turnout among Malays and non-Malays.

In one of three proposed scenarios, he said a modest shift in Malay support of 5%, coupled with an 81% turnout in the group’s voters and a 55% turnout for non-Malays, could lead PN to victory

Former Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming said the extent of good ties between DAP and Umno would vary from one constituency to another.

“For example, DAP grassroots will find it hard to work with Umno in Dusun Tua because that seat was taken from DAP and given to Umno without proper consultation,” he claimed.

Previously, a DAP leader told FMT that many party members in Hulu Langat were upset that the Dusun Tua seat was given to Umno Selangor deputy chairman Johan Aziz for the upcoming state polls.

In the 14th general election, Edry Faizal Eddy Yusof won the seat with a majority of 10,422 votes.

Ong also said fostering good ties between DAP and Umno grassroots would particularly matter in certain constituencies.

“I think DAP’s assistance to Umno would have made a difference in Semenyih, where the office of the ‘caretaker’ was held by one of my former special officers and her team for one year. These DAP grassroots leaders know the ground and the people in Semenyih,” he said.

However, he said they have yet to be contacted by Umno’s Semenyih candidate Wan Zulaika Anuar: “And as such, our people on the ground are also not moving.”

Umno Youth permanent chairman Wan Agyl Wan Hassan said it was normal for some grassroot members to distance themselves from DAP, given that the two parties have been political rivals for decades.

However, he said most Umno grassroots members have come to terms with working together with DAP for the state elections. “They haven’t settled 100%, but I think everyone now is focusing on the task at hand, which is to win the state elections,” Wan Agyl said.

Juwairiya wants Azmin’s ‘suffering’ to continue in Hulu Kelang

FMT:

Juwairiya wants Azmin’s ‘suffering’ to continue in Hulu Kelang

Wanita PKR deputy chief Juwairiya Zulkifli says she is ready to give Azmin Ali a second straight loss in the polls after his trouncing in Gombak in GE15.

Juwairiya Zulkifli admitted that she faced a tough contender for the seat in Azmin Ali, but remains unfazed by the Perikatan Nasional heavyweight.


GOMBAK: PKR’s Juwairiya Zulkifli wants to ensure former party deputy president Azmin Ali ‘suffers’ a streak of election losses in Selangor by defeating him in Hulu Kelang in the Aug 12 state polls.

This is the second election in which Azmin will be contesting after his loss in the Gombak parliamentary seat in the 15th general election (GE15) last November. He lost to Selangor PKR chief Amirudin Shari by a whopping 12,729 votes.

Juwairiya, who held the Bukit Melawati seat prior to the dissolution of the state assembly, admitted that she faced a tough fight facing the Perikatan Nasional (PN) information chief but remains unfazed by the Bersatu heavyweight.

The Wanita PKR deputy chief is eager to add to Azmin’s earlier loss, especially since Hulu Kelang is one of three state constituencies that fall under Gombak.

Juwairiya said Azmin’s betrayal of PKR through the Sheraton Move in February 2020 was unacceptable, adding that such actions were unbecoming of a national leader.

“In GE15, the people of Gombak signalled that they were against the dirty politics of treachery. We must prove this once again in this state election by voting (Azmin) out,” she said in an interview with FMT.

Azmin’s candidacy in Hulu Kelang followed months of speculation that the former Selangor menteri besar would not defend his Bukit Antarabangsa seat, which he had represented for three terms since 2008. He was also Hulu Kelang assemblyman for one term from 1999 to 2004.

Amanah’s Saari Sungib, who was the Hulu Kelang assemblyman for three consecutive terms, opted against defending his seat in the Aug 12 polls, citing health reasons.

Juwairiya, who is also Amirudin’s political secretary, admitted being caught off guard by the sudden change of seats for her but was eager to take on the challenge and believed voters would elect the right person.

The Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate described her candidacy in Hulu Kelang as a homecoming of sorts, as she went to school in Lembah Keramat till the age of 17, and still has relatives there.

She also believed that PH had governed Selangor well and was also performing in Putrajaya, while Saari had performed well in looking after the people of Hulu Kelang.

PAS veep denies preventing Nik Abduh from standing in polls

FMT:

PAS veep denies preventing Nik Abduh from standing in polls

Amar Nik Abdullah says Nik Abduh Nik Aziz’s name was never in the list of potential candidates for the Chempaka state seat.

Amar Nik Abdullah questioned the source of claims that he had excluded Nik Abduh Nik Aziz from being a candidate in the Kelantan polls.


PETALING JAYA: Amar Nik Abdullah has denied claims that he was behind the decision to exclude Nik Abduh, son of the late PAS spiritual adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat, from the Kelantan state elections.

The PAS vice-president said Nik Abduh’s name was never in the list of potential candidates for the Chempaka state seat, Berita Harian reported.

Yesterday, Nik Aziz’s brother Nik Din, said his nephew, the former Bachok MP, was supposed to be a candidate in the state assembly elections but was denied the opportunity.

In response, Amar questioned where Nik Din had obtained such information.

“It is slanderous to claim that I stood in the way (of Nik Abduh’s candidacy) when he (Nik Din) was never involved in any PAS leadership meetings, nor does he hold any position in the party,” he was quoted as saying.

In a video clip making the rounds on social media, Nik Din earlier claimed that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had personally requested for Nik Abduh to be named as a candidate in the state elections.

However, his candidacy was rejected by Amar, who is also the caretaker Kelantan deputy menteri besar, Nik Din said.

According to Amar, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man had also explained that Nik Abduh did not wish to contest in the state elections, preferring to focus on managing religious schools.

“So why must others make such allegations (that I stood in the way of his candidacy). This is not right,” he said.

Yesterday, Berita Harian quoted Tuan Ibrahim as saying that Nik Abduh was not nominated as a candidate as the latter had rejected two seats that were offered to him.

The daily also quoted Nik Abduh as saying that he had accepted the party’s decision.

Requiem for NATO’s Nightmare

Volume 28, Number 204 — Saturday, July 29, 2023

Requiem for NATO’s Nightmare


The dysfunction of the Atlantic military alliance over Ukrainian membership was just the most public manifestation of the debacle that was the Vilnius summit.




President Volodymyr Zelensky during a memorial for fallen Ukrainian soldiers in Lviv in January. (President of Ukraine, Public domain)

By Scott Ritter
Special to Consortium News

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky emerges as a tragic figure in the unfolding drama that is the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

He was asked to sacrifice the lives of his countrymen in order to be seen by the U.S. and NATO as worthy of joining their club. But when the sacrifice did not produce the desired result (i.e., the strategic defeat of Russia), the door to NATO, which had been left open a crack to tease Ukraine into performing its suicidal task, was slammed shut.

Despite NATO’s disingenuous machinations to maintain the optics of potential Ukrainian membership (the Ukraine-NATO Council, created during the Vilnius Summit earlier this month, stands as a prime example), everyone knows that Ukrainian membership in the trans-Atlantic alliance is a fantasy.

Ukraine is now left to pick a poison of its own choosing — accept a peace which makes permanent Russian territorial claims while forever foregoing the possibility, however distant, of NATO membership; or to continue to fight, with the likely outcome of the additional loss of territory and destruction of the Ukrainian nation and people.

Robert Graves’ autobiography, Goodbye to All That, does double duty by providing a template for Ukraine as it charts the passing of Europe’s old order — the U.S.-dominated NATO alliance, the European Union, the rules-based international order and all the post-World War II structures, which held the Western world together for nearly eight decades. They are all now crumbling around us.

Graves’ struggle to adapt to post-war England in the aftermath of the horrors of the First World War, and his observations of a nation collectively struggling to define itself, is a cautionary tale for what is in store for Ukraine.

As Ukraine bids farewell to its former self, it must also part with its dreams of becoming one with a European community whose own longevity is very much in doubt. That is largely because of its disastrous involvement in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.

Ukrainian trenchline at the Battle of Bakhmut, November 2022. (Mil.gov.ua, Wikimedia Commons,CC BY 4.0)


Ukraine will never be the same after this war ends. Neither will the NATO alliance. Having defined the proxy war it is waging in Ukraine against Russia in existential terms, NATO will struggle to find both relevance and purpose in a post-conflict world.

The Vilnius summit on July 11-12 in many ways represented the high-water mark of Europe’s old order. The summit was the requiem for a nightmare of Europe’s own creation — the death of a nation, the nullification of a continent and the end of an order which had long ago lost its legitimacy.


Strange Isolation

Watching the reporting from the Vilnius summit, I was struck by the strange isolation of Zelensky as he sought to mingle with the leaders of NATO nations that called him friend and ally but treated him and the nation he leads as anything but. Zelensky had pulled out all the stops to jockey Ukraine into position for NATO membership, only to be scratched at the gate.

Briefed in advance of a proposed NATO communique declaring that Ukraine would be invited to join the alliance “when allies agree and conditions are met,” the Ukrainian president was left to vent his frustration to an accommodating press only too willing to jump on the chance to flame the fires of scandal. “It’s unprecedented and absurd,” Zelensky bemoaned, “when time frame is not set neither for the invitation nor for Ukraine’s membership. While at the same time vague wording about ‘conditions’ is added even for inviting Ukraine.”

Mollified after being chastised by his NATO masters, Zelensky later changed his tune, speaking of his desire to join NATO, but in a new, non-confrontational manner. “The results of the summit have been good,” Zelensky told NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg during a joint press conference, “but if we had got an invitation [to NATO], they’d have been perfect.”

From left, U.S. President Joe Biden; Zelensky, Stoltenberg and NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana in Vilnius on July 12. (NATO, Flickr, CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0)


Later, during a press conference with U.S. President Joe Biden, Zelensky stood mute while Biden continued to pour cold water on the prospects for Ukrainian NATO membership. “We’ve just concluded the first meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Council and — where all our allies agreed Ukraine’s future lies with NATO,” Biden said. “Allies all agreed to lift the requirements for the Membership Action Plan for Ukraine and to create a path to NATO membership while Ukraine continues to make progress on necessary reforms.”

One could sense the anger and frustration in Zelensky’s eyes as he listened to Biden add insult to injury by calling him “Vladimir.”

The NATO dysfunction over Ukrainian membership, however, was but the most public manifestation of the debacle that was the Vilnius Summit.


The Fantasy of Unity

While Zelensky was playing the role of someone desperately looking for a date to the prom — on prom night — Turkish President Recep Erdogan was playing hard to get. After agreeing to allow Finland and Sweden to join NATO during last year’s Madrid summit, Erdogan laid down stringent conditions which kept Finland from being ratified as NATO’s newest member until April 2023. He left Sweden in the lurch on the eve of the Vilnius summit.

Just before departing for Vilnius, Erdogan surprised many by linking Turkish ratification of Sweden’s bid to join the trans-Atlantic alliance with Turkey’s desire to join the EU. “First, come and open the way for Turkey at the European Union and then we will open the way for Sweden, just as we did for Finland,” Erdogan declared. Shortly after arriving in Lithuania, Erdogan met with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, after which Erdogan reversed course, saying Turkey supported Sweden’s accession to NATO.

Erdogan, Stoltenberg and Kristersson in Vilnius on July 10. (NATO, Flickr, CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0)


While Erdogan did not get his invitation to join the EU, Sweden promised to actively support the modernization of the EU-Turkey Customs Union and visa liberalization regarding applications by Turkish citizens for visa-free travel to Europe.

But the Stoltenberg-Erdogan-Kristersson meeting was merely window dressing for more substantive behind-the-scenes horse trading between Erdogan and Biden, which saw Turkey green-lighted to buy new F-16 fighters and have its existing fleet of F-16 fighters modernized.

Getting F-16 fighters had been a major goal of Turkey’s ever since the U.S., in 2019, removed Turkey from a U.S.-led international program to develop and produce the F-35 fighter following Turkey’s purchase of the S-400 air defense system from Russia. The F-16 sale, however, had been stalled following the imposition of sanctions on Turkey in December 2020 as part of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA) — the first time such sanctions targeted a NATO member.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Erdogan after talks at the Kremlin in March 2020. (Kremlin)


The U.S. desire to see Sweden enter NATO as soon as possible appeared to be sufficient justification for the Biden administration to waive the CAATSA sanctions and send the F-16 deal to the U.S. Congress with its blessing. But Sweden’s accession is not guaranteed.

While the U.S. and NATO are pushing for Erdogan to call a special session of Parliament to ratify Swedish membership, Erdogan is holding off until October, when the Turkish Parliament convenes. Erdogan is looking for assurances that the F-16 deal will be approved by U.S. Congress. This is not sure thing, however, given concerns among lawmakers over Turkey’s strained relationship with NATO ally Greece, and the view that deconfliction there is as important as Sweden’s NATO membership.

To sum up: Biden and Stoltenberg highlighted the decision by Erdogan to move the application for Swedish membership to NATO onto the Turkish Parliament for ratification as a symbol of NATO’s “rock solid” unity.

Left unsaid is that Erdogan had to threaten NATO to get the U.S. to articulate a bribe that had the U.S. waiving its prior sanctioning of a NATO ally while at the same time compelling the U.S. to consider the security implications of the deal, given the open hostility that exists between Turkey and fellow NATO member Greece.

Webster’s defines “unity” as “a condition of harmony” and “the quality or state of being made one.” When it comes to the proper usage of that term, I don’t think the contentious relationship between Turkey and NATO qualifies.

Add to this France’s rejection of a proposal to open a NATO liaison office in Japan, and Hungary’s ongoing open disagreement with NATO and the EU over how to respond to Russia’s conflict with Ukraine, and one finds the NATO edifice riddled with fissures of discontent and disagreement which can only deepen as NATO stares the growing probability of a Russian military victory in the face.


Goodbye to All That

If the weeks leading up to the Vilnius summit were defined by the desire on the part of NATO to see the long-awaited and much-touted Ukrainian counteroffensive reach its maximum potential, the days which preceded the NATO gathering have confronted both Ukraine and its Western allies with the reality that the war is not going well for either.

The Ukrainian counteroffensive was formed around a core force of some 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers who received special training by NATO and European militaries on weapons and tactics designed to defeat Russian defenses. Since the counteroffensive began on June 8, Ukraine has lost nearly half of these troops, and a third of the equipment provided — including scores of the Leopard main battle tanks and Bradly infantry fighting vehicles that had been viewed by many as game-changing technology.

Back in 1993, George Soros postulated an architecture for a new world order premised on the United States as the sole remaining superpower overseeing a network of alliances, the most important being NATO, which would gird the northern hemisphere against a Russian threat.

“The United States,” Soros wrote, “would not be called upon to act as the policeman of the world. When it acts, it would act in conjunction with others. Incidentally, the combination of manpower from Eastern Europe with the technical capabilities of NATO would greatly enhance the military potential” of any U.S.-led alliance structure “because it would reduce the risk of body bags for NATO countries, which is the main constraint on their willingness to act.”

Forty years later, this very scenario is playing out on the bloody battlefields of Russia and Ukraine. The billions of dollars of military assistance provided by the U.S., NATO and other European nations is the living manifestation of the “technical capabilities” Soros spoke about, which are being married to “manpower from Eastern Europe” (i.e., Ukraine) to enhance the military potential of NATO in a way that reduces “the risk of body bags for NATO countries.”

Left unspoken are the hundreds of thousands of body bags that have already been lowered into the dark soil of Ukraine, highlighting the callous disregard for that human tragedy by the Vilnius attendees.

Scott Ritter is a former U.S. Marine Corps intelligence officer who served in the former Soviet Union implementing arms control treaties, in the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Storm and in Iraq overseeing the disarmament of WMD. His most recent book is Disarmament in the Time of Perestroika, published by Clarity Press.

ALL GERMAN LEOPARD 2 TANKS WITHDRAWN FROM COMBAT IN UKRAINE

 

OutSyed The Box

Saturday, July 29, 2023

ALL GERMAN LEOPARD 2 TANKS WITHDRAWN FROM COMBAT IN UKRAINE

 

I know some of the readers here may be disappointed at my lack of coverage of "local" news.  What can I say - local news is full of crap. There is nothing going on in the country. The World Economic Forum is happy that their policy ideas (aka their policies) are being followed by the gomen. That recent blueprint on power generation and renewable energy etc is one such crap. Typical Klaus Schwab crap.

In 1997 we had the de facto IMF policies which finally saw the guy getting kicked out. Now 26 years later we have the defacto World Economic Forum policies. And all you dumbasses are just standing by and letting this happen to our country. As though you dont care about your own country. Shame on you - on all of you.

Anyway here is something that is not surprising - all German made Leopard 2 super tanks have been withdrawn from combat in Ukraine.

 

 

Basically what they are confirming is that this German made Leopard 2 tank was not designed for real war. It cannot operate in a tough combat situation - where the Russians can shoot back. The German Leopard 2 did better in Iraq and Afghanistan where the Iraqis and the Taliban could not shoot back.  So the tank had to be withdrawn from combat in Ukraine.

The war in Ukraine has fully proven the unreliability of NATO weapons. The NATO weapons have failed quite drastically. The famous Turkish Bayraktar drones have been completely blown out of the sky since the very first days and weeks of the war. The Bayraktar was the first casualty of this war.

As per the headline above the American made Switchblade-600 loitering drone has been consistently brought down (and captured intact) by Russian electronic warfare jamming (EW).

 

Then the American JDAM bombs (Joint Direct Attack Munitions) fitted with 'smart-seekers' to convert them to 'smart weapons' have also fallen easy prey to Russian EW jamming. Some of them were made to miss their targets by a kilometer. 

The other much hyped up American HIMARS rocket system has also failed to make a mark because they were frequently shot down by Russian air defenses. 

On the other hand the Russian TOS-1A thermobaric heavyflame throwers (below) and their 60 year old, old truck mounted Grad missiles (below that) are raining hellfire on the enemy.

 

The much hyped up British 'Storm Shadow' missile has also failed in Ukraine because it can be easily brought down by Russian EW jamming.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?  I address this question to our generals in the Angkatan Tentera Di Raja Malaysia  ie our Army, RMAF and RMN.

It means the western arms manufacturers, their military industrial complexes, have been cheating the western governments and the western taxpayer into paying insane high prices (billions of US Dollars and billions of Euros)  to buy weapons that do not work or which can be easily defeated by 60 year old Russian technology or 50 year old Russian EW  jamming pods. This is what is being proven in Ukraine.

And please do not forget that submarine that could not dive in full combat operations. I hope those subs can conduct full combat ops now. Let us be thankful there are no wars here.

Russian weapons (and now Chinese weapons too) are proving workable and effective in getting the job done. They win battles. And they cost much less.

So which do you prefer ? Weapons that work or weapons that cost the taxpayers arms and legs but do not do the job?

Nik Aziz's kin claims PAS veep masterminded against Nik Abduh in PN list

Nik Aziz's kin claims PAS veep masterminded against Nik Abduh in PN list


STATE POLLS | A sibling of the late PAS Spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has accused PAS vice-president Mohd Amar Abdullah of being the "mastermind" in the absence of Nik Mohammad Abduh Nik Aziz's name from Perikatan Nasional's candidate’s list.

When contacted, Nik Din Nik Mat confirmed a two-minute thirty-three-second video showing him questioning Nik Amar, on Nik Abduh being dropped from contesting in N6 Chempaka.

"Yes, the video is real. I cannot accept what has been done by Nik Amar to Nik Abduh.

"So I urge all voters to not vote for Nik Amar in this state election," he told Malaysiakini today.

Nik Amar, the incumbent Kelantan deputy menteri besar, will defend N7 Panchor for the fifth term.

In a video viralled earlier today, Nik Din said he was puzzled over how Nik Abduh was not fielded in Chempaka.

This was because he had personally met with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang on June 23 and assured Nik Abduh's candidacy in the seat once held by Nik Aziz as then menteri besar.

"Hadi informed that the party needed Nik Abduh as he is intelligent, works well, and speaks up in Parliament.

"So I'm surprised to see Nik Abduh was not fielded in Chempaka. When in fact, tok guru (Abdul Hadi) had written a letter to Kelantan PAS commissioner (Ahmad Yakob) for the seat to be given to Nik Abduh, but he (Nik Amar) rejected," said Nik Din.

"...I see his (Nik Abduh) name is not there, I was puzzled but I suspected no one else.

“This is Nik Amar's wicked plan, he did not want to give the seat to Nik Abduh and the word reached me that he did not want the family of Nik Aziz to establish themselves in Pengkalan Chepa," said Nik Din in the video.

Mohd Amar Abdullah


Both Chempaka and Panchor are under the Pengkalan Chepa parliament seat, where Nik Amar leads the local PAS division.

Malaysiakini previously quoted sources who indicated that Pengkalan Chepa PAS had rejected Nik Abduh's candidacy.

Eventually, Nik Baharum Nik Abdullah was announced as PN's candidate to replace incumbent Fathman Mahmood.

Meanwhile, Nik Din in the video also urged voters to reject Nik Amar in Panchor.

"I urge all of you not to vote for Nik Amar this time. Let him lose and feel it.

"Whoever is listening to this video, do not vote for Nik Amar. If we vote (for him) that means we support his wickedness. It is people like him who are destroying PAS," said Nik Din.

Split emerges in PN as PAS boycotts Dominic Lau’s candidature in Bayan Lepas

Split emerges in PN as PAS boycotts Dominic Lau’s candidature in Bayan Lepas

GERAKAN president Datuk Dominic Lau Hoe Chai was left stranded with the absence of PAS supporters to back him on nomination day at Bayan Lepas.

Questions are being asked about whether there is a split within the Perikatan Nasional (PN) that may impact the voting pattern in Penang where PAS is competing for 10 seats. PAS has stated that it will strive to win all 10 seats to help the PN coalition form a new government in the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-held state.

Two days ago, Lau pointed to “poor communication” as the reason for the call by the PAS division in Bayan Lepas to boycott the polls if he is nominated for the state seat.


“Whatever issues that we (PN Penang) have should be resolved internally and not through the media. We (Gerakan) will provide an explanation to PN Penang,” he said at a press conference on Thursday (July 27).

News portal Kosmo had earlier reported that the PAS division had threatened to give nomination day a miss if Lau was named as a candidate.

It appears that the campaigners from PAS kept to their word and apparently boycotted the nomination day at Bayan Lepas.

Furthermore, PAS has been contesting the seat since the 12th General Election. According to reports, voters were demanding a Malay candidate. – July 29, 2023

kt comments:

Dominic Lau is like KKKK, almost one (a Malay)

Malay Proclamation fires NS state chief for running as independent

FMT:

Malay Proclamation fires NS state chief for running as independent

The group is disappointed with Hafiz Baharuddin for not adhering to its founder Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s call to support PN candidates in the state polls.

Malay Proclamation secretariat chairman Khairuddin Abu Hassan said their goal, together with PN, was to defeat all Pakatan Harapan candidates contesting in the six states.


PETALING JAYA: The Malay Proclamation secretariat has fired its Negeri Sembilan chief Hafiz Baharuddin, who registered to contest as an independent candidate for the Sikamat seat.

“We view his decision to contest as an independent and challenge the Perikatan Nasional candidate with utmost seriousness,” said secretariat chairman Khairuddin Abu Hassan.

He said the group was disappointed with Hafiz for not adhering to Malay Proclamation founder Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s call to support PN candidates in the state polls.

“Our stance is firm and although our leaders have failed to secure any seats under PN, we have one important goal, together with PN, which is to defeat all Pakatan Harapan candidates contesting in the six states,” he said.

Khairuddin announced that Jani Ismail has been appointed the new Negeri Sembilan chief effective immediately.

Several leaders from Bersatu and PAS, including its president, Abdul Hadi Awang, had signed the Malay Proclamation in their personal capacities.

Last month, PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin and Mahathir held a two-hour-long meeting to discuss the “position and future of the Malays”.

The meeting is believed to be the first the two have had since the Sheraton Move in 2020, which ultimately led to the collapse of the Mahathir-led administration, with Muhyiddin replacing him as prime minister.

Mahathir has also thrown his support behind PN, appearing alongside PAS and Bersatu leaders in the coalition’s campaign trails in the run-up to the six state elections.

Netizens remind Tun M of his Kerala blood, ancestry as he steps up his race propaganda ante

Netizens remind Tun M of his Kerala blood, ancestry as he steps up his race propaganda ante

SIX words are all that netizen Prakash Kumar needed to counter former twice premier-cum-Proklamasi Melayu chief advocate Tun Dr Mahatnir Mohamad who most recently claimed that migrants who wish to continue their linkage with their countries of origin “cannot claim ownership of this country”.

“You are also migrant from Kerala,” teased Prakash which expectedly opened a floodgate of both support and condemnation over the statement of the elderly statesman who has recently crossed to the green side to fortify the advances of Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the six state polls on Aug 12.