Arrogant Mahathir shoots the messenger

FMT:

Shooting the messenger, Dr M’s way

Wan Haron Wan Hassan

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September 4, 2019 9:07 AM

Rais Hussin, the PPBM Supreme Council member who is often referred to as the party’s chief strategist, has become the latest casualty in the shadow play of PPBM politics.

Rais had said that Pakatan Harapan (PH) could lose if the general election is held now, given its unfulfilled promises of reforms.

“We will refer this to the disciplinary committee and the disciplinary committee will prepare a report to the PPBM Supreme Council for it to take action,” said PPBM chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad last week.

When one falls out of favour, the response from political masters to the alleged infraction can be swift and brutal. Whether there is truth to Rais’ assessment appears unimportant. The immediate thing to do is to act against the messenger of such bad news and ensure that any unhappiness is quickly nipped in the bud.

Never mind the fact that what Rais said is what people on the ground are already aware of. In legal parlance, we say that the fraternity has taken judicial notice of the fact. Res ipsa loquitur.

Rais, like many other supporters of PH, is dismayed at the government for its indifference towards the people over many issues. No surprise then that Mahathir’s approval rating has also slumped in tandem with the feelings of despair, disappointment and disillusionment.

Mahathir could continue to rely on the support of sycophants and ministers who are beholden to him, as well as political hangers-on. There are plenty of them.

But outside these circles, it remains to be seen how much political support he really enjoys, especially when it comes to the crunch to determine the continued legitimacy of his leadership.

The Rais episode is by no means a significant national development. But in the light of the many political missteps and indiscretions by Mahathir, coupled with the new spirit of tolerance supposed to be exemplified by the PM himself under the new government, this move only serves to bring further disrepute to his leadership.

Two MPs from the ruling coalition, Charles Santiago and Wong Chen, have expressed their complete agreement with Rais. There are also others within PPBM and other PH component parties who share the sentiments expressed by Rais.

Even Muhyiddin Yassin does not appear to be on the same page as Mahathir on this matter.

Meanwhile, Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Kit Siang are watching developments very closely. They know too well but are measured and circumspect in their response to keep alive the spirit of consensus with the PM and his party PPBM.

We expect more and more voices of dissent within PH to be heard in the months ahead as Mahathir tries to strengthen his political position.

Will he show less accommodation and tolerance when he is challenged and pressed into a corner?

Will he show less tolerance for discordant voices even from his own PPBM? What about to the likes of his own media adviser, A Kadir Jasin?

There have been several occasions when the media adviser’s voice of reason has been discordant with that of his political master.

As PH’s partners start to feel the pressure for change from the people, the coalition’s unity will be put to test.

There are too many variables to consider in the present political dynamics. In the end, it may come down to a simple choice between having to save a PM or save the coalition for the next polls.

Mahathir is still upbeat about PH’s chances in a general election, based on the simplistic assumption that nobody wants Najib Razak to return to power.

But it is no longer about Najib – it is about whether or not Mahathir is the leader in disrepute.

It’s time for Mahathir to understand the sentiments of the people and to make the necessary changes to fulfil their expectations.

But knowing Mahathir and his penchant for doing things his own way by riding roughshod over other peoples’ views, will he change?

To many observers, Mahathir has been losing the plot of Malaysia Baru for quite some time now. But for a long while, it remained an unspoken truth as PH supporters hoped each case was a momentary political lapse.

But as more and more cases occur, it becomes obvious that our PM is losing not only the political plot of Malaysia Baru, but its subplot, script, narratives and soundtrack. He may be ignoring the many signs that it is time for him to make a gracious exit.

Malaysians want nothing more than a peaceful handover of power from Mahathir to Anwar Ibrahim.

Mahathir’s rich legacy as a statesman should be preserved and kept intact for us to cherish, without any blemish of an ignominious end for overstaying his welcome.

For whatever misgivings we may have about Mahathir, the fact remains that the people generally love and adore him.

Mahathir among Global Brotherhood of the Cruel

Malaysiakini:

Why does PDRM think Zakir Naik belongs, but not Arif Komis

OPINION  |  S THAYAPARAN

"I don't know about torture in Turkey. Are we going to accuse Turkey of torturing people?" – Dr Mahathir Mohamad

COMMENT | In deporting Turkish asylum seeker Arif Komis (above) back to Turkey, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad made some extraordinary claims. Well, not exactly extraordinary (for him), but rather the usual blame-shifting comments he makes when cornered.

Dismissing the fate that would probably befall Komis and his family, he asked the question that opens this piece. Well just in case our prime minister is not up to date on the kind of strategies the Erdogan regime practices, here is the link to the Amnesty International (UK) press statement, which calls for the need for independent monitors to access detainees amid torture allegations:

“Reports of abuse, including beatings and rape in detention, are extremely alarming, especially given the scale of detentions that we have seen in the past week. The grim details that we have documented are just a snapshot of the abuses that might be happening in places of detention.

"It is absolutely imperative that the Turkish authorities halt these abhorrent practices and allow international monitors to visit all these detainees in the places they are being held.

“Despite chilling images and videos of torture that have been widely broadcast across the country, the government has remained conspicuously silent on the abuse. Failing to condemn ill-treatment or torture in these circumstances is tantamount to condoning it."

This was three years ago, after the failed coup, and which the Erdogan regime blamed on Feto, which Komis is alleged to belong to. If the Pakatan Harapan government or the prime minister think that Amnesty International is just another "Western" organisation out "against" Islamic regimes, many of these same politicians, when in Barisan/Umno, had no problem using Amnesty International when it came to the horrors of Abu Ghraib or the numerous other atrocities committed by the "West" on Muslim countries.

Remember the war crimes tribunal that Mahathir set up to dispense justice to Bush and Co all those years ago? Here is a reminder, in case some have forgotten: “The tribunal, to be formally launched at a peace conference Mahathir is hosting Feb 7, will not have the legal authority of any international organisation and will not be able to impose penalties - but Mahathir said its aim is to condemn the accused in the history books. "The accused may disregard'' the tribunal, Mahathir said at a news conference. "There will be (other) people who will take it seriously, and historians will attach an epithet that they will not like. They will go down in history as war criminals.''

The anti-war literature at the time, especially in Malaysia, was a compilation of data, anecdotes, statistics and press releases from Amnesty International and other humanitarian organisations. 

So, really, this plea for “evidence” of torture by the Erdogan regime is just horse manure, and the reality of the situation is that, for whatever reason, the Harapan regime has no problem sending UN-protected asylum seekers to their possible torture and death.

Why do I say, Harapan regime? Well, because in March of this year the government shipped off four Egyptians who may face execution by the military regime in Egypt. 

“This has been done secretly, flouting international human rights standards,” said Latheefa Koya (above), when she was the executive director for Lawyers for Liberty. She made it a point to differentiate between the Harapan regime and the Barisan Nasional regime.

“We would have expected this inhumane conduct on the part of the (previous) Barisan Nasional regime, but it’s outrageous that the Pakatan Harapan government is doing the same thing," Latheefa said.

So now we know, that when it comes to inhumane conduct, in many ways, the Harapan government is just as bad or worse – because it is supposed to be the saviour of Malaysia – unlike the previous BN government.

But hang on a minute. The prime minister said that Komis is to be shipped out on the advice of the police. So the question then becomes, what kind of investigation was carried out by the PDRM?

What did this investigation reveal? It must have been a speedy investigation because the PDRM apparently concluded that there was “proof” that Komis should not be in this country. What is this “proof”? Is Komis a threat to national security?

Imagine that. The PDRM investigated Komis and concluded that he should not be in this country, and apparently they have “proof”. Meanwhile, Zakir Naik (above) is busy suing politicians in this country – politicians from the ruling coalition. While Zakir has been banned from making public speeches because he makes racist statements, he is defended by not only the ruling coalition, but also by far-right personalities who use him (and are used by him) to propagate anti-Malaysian ideas. And he gets a free pass from the Harapan regime.

The PDRM has not made an assessment on this charlatan. How queer. I mean, what's the holdup?

Now, some people will say that Zakir remains here because of the prime minister. However, the prime minister now says that someone like Komis is not here because of the PDRM. What nonsense is this? Is the prime minster protecting Zakir, or does the PDRM think he belongs in this country? It is all very confusing.

Mahathir asks people to tell him where to send Zakir Naik. Why not ask Zakir where he wants to go? After all, just two years ago, Zakir boasted that he had citizenship offers from 10 countries - “By God’s grace, I have been offered citizenship by at least 10 Islamic nations,” he added. “Maybe in the future I will accept if appropriate, as even according to (Islamic texts), if people are persecuting me for my thoughts, I have to protect myself.”

If the prime minister is too busy, maybe the young boy minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman could ask Zakir where he wants to go. Maybe over dinner, and then he could tweet about how Zakir is moving on, which would mean that we could all move on as well.

Of that failed war crimes tribunal, Mahathir said that historians would attach an epithet to leaders who perform egregious acts that they would not like. The problem with this kind of thinking is that while facts go down in history or are eventually rediscovered, the reality is that people do not know their history - or more often, forget their history.

What we are witnessing now is proof of that.

---

S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. A retired barrister-at-law, he is one of the founding members of Persatuan Patriot Kebangsaan.

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FMT:

Malaysia deports anti-monarchy Thai woman despite UNHCR refugee status

FMT Reporters

 -

May 14, 2019 7:47 AM

Praphan Pipithnamporn could face unjust prosecution under Thailand’s tough lese-majeste laws.

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian government has again come under criticism from rights activists after returning a woman wanted by authorities in Thailand over her anti-monarchy views, the latest in a series of controversial deportations of foreign dissidents wanted by their governments.

Human Rights Watch said Praphan Pipithnamporn is an asylum-seeker registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), but was arrested by Malaysian police in April on Thailand’s request before being repatriated last week.

HRW said Praphan now faces an unfair trial in Thailand, which has some of the world’s toughest lese-majeste laws.

“Malaysian authorities have an obligation to protect asylum seekers like Praphan from being forcibly returned to the risk of being persecuted for their peaceful political views,” said HRW’s Asia director Brad Adams.

Mahathir puts Pakatan in deep mire

FMT:

PH duo agrees, coalition might be in trouble

Sean Augustin

August 29, 2019 8:25 AM

Two MPs from Pakatan Harapan say the coalition has yet to fully deliver on its election pledges from GE14.

PETALING JAYA: Two MPs from Pakatan Harapan (PH) agree with the assessment by PPBM chief strategist Rais Hussin that the ruling coalition would face defeat if a general election were called now, saying PH has failed to keep its promises and to carry out fundamental reforms.

DAP’s Klang MP Charles Santiago said public confidence in the government has been on the ebb despite PH’s pledge to usher in a “new Malaysia”.

“We talk about the 2023 polls even though we haven’t fully realised our last manifesto,” he said, citing various flip-flops in policies and what he called a “PM transition that’s stuck in the mud”.

He also said there appears to be little focus on boosting the economy, especially in terms of helping small and medium enterprises.

“Basically, people feel that we are not delivering our promises, and that we are getting caught up in sideshows like Zakir Naik and the khat controversies.

Charles Santiago.

“These sideshows are overtaking the national agenda because issues which should be prioritised are not dealt with,” he told FMT.

Rais had said at a forum yesterday that Umno and PAS would win “hands down” if an election were to be called now.

He said PH leaders had stopped listening to the people and that the coalition needed to take its manifesto seriously to gain public trust.

Santiago said urgent issues include bread-and-butter affairs such as wages, unemployment, inequality and the cost of living.

He warned that the middle class was becoming “tired” of PH and urged the coalition’s leaders to change while they could.

Noting that more young voters are expected to take part in the next polls, he said: “They will vote for those who protect their interests.”

However, he opined that the bulk of votes would go to a “third force” outside of PAS and Umno, if one were to emerge by the next general election.

Wong Chen.

PKR’s Subang MP Wong Chen likewise said PH was at risk of losing power but disagreed that PAS and Umno would easily take over.

He said the two opposition parties might wrest some seats from PH but questioned their ability to cooperate as a united force.

“An election tomorrow would most likely create a hung Parliament with no clear winners but a hell of a lot of horse-trading to form a government,” he told FMT.

He, too, spoke of PH’s failure to deliver “systematic and fundamental reforms” and what he called “self-inflicted problems”.

He said efforts to decentralise the prime minister’s powers, revive parliamentary independence and provide greater checks and balances would help Malaysia shift to a more democratic system.

“A more democratic system would drive economic growth and innovation which, in turn, will ensure that PH gets another term.”

Wong Chin Huat.

Wong Chin Huat of the Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia agreed that PH might lose power but attributed the possibility to a drop in voter turnout rather than a swing in support towards the opposition.

He said if PH were to lose an election tomorrow, it would not be because PAS and Umno are offering a viable alternative.

“Many voters are too let down by politicians on both sides,” he added.

Noting the expected influx of new voters given the move to lower the voting age from 21 to 18, Wong said anything could happen.

As Malaysia practises the “first-past-the-post” system, he said, even small swings in votes could see a drastic shift in seats.

If this happens, he said, none of the PH component parties would be spared.

“Until two months ago, DAP might be. (But) today, DAP is as vulnerable as the others,” he said, citing the khat controversy as well as the stir over Lynas Corp.

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kaytee notes:

I believe the root cause of Pakatan's current problem, a bizarre outcome considering how popular it had been immediately post-GE14 can be traced to Mahathir and his dictatorial policies and frequent about-turns.

Vowing not to accept frogs from UMNO he did just that to boost his Parti Pribumi's poor standing amongst Pakatan component parties.

He grabbed the lion's share of ministerial posts for his bottom-of-the-barrel MPs (eg. Rina Harun, Redzuan Yusof, Maszlee thge last of whom was in reality a last-minute co-option, etc) and ADUNs (eg. Azumu in Perak), who all could hardly perform.

[also see my post The MOST racist Minister in Pakatan government]

He sought to split PKR by unilaterally seizing Azmin Ali from his position as MB Selangor to become Minister of a newly formed ministry, which he created to halve Lim Guan Eng's power as Finance Minister.

Instead of focusing on Malaysia's need on issues of basic essentials eg. food, jobs, cost of living, health, reforms, etc, he misuses his Second Chance to refocus on his hobby horses of:

(i) Car No 3,
(ii) using Khazanah to create more Malay crony-billionaires (watch to see if he will approve Abu Sahid's Maju Holdings with PLUS - much against Lim GE and Khazanah's wishes),
(iii) finding faults with Singapore and (initially) China,
(iv) eff-ing up (again) the education policies with his sinister intentions (sometimes via his puppet Maszlee),
(v) re-sucking up to Japan a la his resurrected Look East Kerbau, and
(vi) strengthening his un-strength-able Parti Pribumi for his own agenda, hence re-instituting his old Mahathir-ist rejection of ICERD, Rome Statute, embracing of Zakir Nakir, and re-ringing the old clarion (but hypocritical) call of 'Wahai Anak Melayu, Bangkit ... yadda yadda yadda".

He has had his old-time coterie to help him outside but more powerful than the cabinet, including a former EC Mahathirist Commissioner to even review the EC (what an eff-ing joke). As mentioned above, he courts Zakir Naik obviously with the intention of marshalling the Heartland over to his Parti Pribumi - I suspect he might even dislike Zakir. He even sluts with PAS and UMNO in a hypocritical call for Malay Unity when he hates both parties. But he hopes UMNO would be de-registered by RoS whence he then hopes to see mass migration of rats abandoning the Mothership to join his UMNO Baru-er (III)

How the hell is he willing to reform when such reforms militate against his personal covert agenda? And worse, his protection of his personal agenda, and thus ultra tolerance of extremism, has encouraged the emergence of uber Ketuanan melayu's like Redzuan Yusof, Dr Asri, and even sneaky naughty Amirudin Shari seeking to re-introduce legislation approving unilateral religious conversion of minors which took decades to restore to the rightful Constitutional clause.

The DAP which has been in tandem with his dictatorial ways (under instructions from the party "leadership", wakakaka) has now suffered enormously especially from Pakatan's (read that as Mahathir's) stand on Lynas, Khat and Zakir Naik - padan muka.

It has been left mainly to salt-of-the-earth stalwarts like Charles Santiago, Ronnie Liu, Dr Boo, Zaid Ibrahim to staunchly remain as old faithful-to-the-cause DAP voices in the new Pakatan wilderness which has already swallowed up kaukau Lim KS, Lim GE, and close inner coterie.

In the meantime Anwar Ibrahim languishes in utter agony as he sees the nation further crumble under Mahathir's notorious 'Minus Touch'.

UMNO Lokeman provides gay sex proof to police but then what?

MM Online:

Charge men in sex video or face our lawsuit, Umno’s Lokman Adam tells AG

BY KENNETH TEE

Datuk Lokman Noor Adam speaks to reporters outside the Bukit Aman police headquarters September 3, 2019

Picture by Hari Anggara 

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — Umno supreme council member Datuk Lokman Noor Adam issued an ultimatum today to Attorney General Tommy Thomas, demanding the government charge the two men caught on video with unnatural sex or be taken to court for failure to prosecute.

Lokman, who was called to Bukit Aman for questioning on the sex allegations, insisted that he has irrefutable proof for action to be taken against Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and former Santubong PKR Youth chief Haziq Abdullah Abdul Aziz — said to be the two men in the sex video.

“With the evidence we obtained from the UK-based firm, I hope the police can submit the investigation paper to the AG to charge Azmin and Haziq,” the Umno politician told reporters before entering the federal police headquarters.

He said the video analysis was undertaken by UK-based Verden Forensics, which did not detect any digital tampering with the raw footage of the clips that had been circulating on the internet these past few months.

Lokman said he instructed his lawyers yesterday to submit a notice and a copy of the forensic report to the AG for prosecution.

“If the AG fails to do so, our civil suit against him will remain,” he added.

According to Lokman, the forensic report confirmed similarities between the person portrayed in the video and pictures of Azmin supplied for analysis.

“Azmin's hairline and his sideburn, his chin and left brow in the video matched the photo we provided to the forensic team,” he said.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigations Department Director Commissioner Datuk Huzir Mohamed confirmed yesterday that local authorities have received an analysis report of video that the Umno leader commissioned from a British firm.

Lokman had previously accused Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador of lying about the status of investigations into the case.

Wakakaka, I love to see how Tommy Thomas and IGP Bador will writhe wriggle and weasel out of this. This will show once and for all how beholden they both are to Atuk.

"New" Malaysia, my bloody kaki.

NO room for Anwar Ibrahim in cabinet? - Mahathir WTF do you mean?

Malaysiakini:

What did Dr M mean by 'no room for Anwar', asks Ramasamy

Penang Deputy Chief Minister (II) P Ramasamy said he is keen to know what message Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohammed was trying to impart when he said that there was no room for PKR president Anwar Ibrahim in the cabinet.

Calling on the prime minister to respect the Pakatan Harapan succession plan under which Anwar is Mahathir's designated successor, he asked, "Is it because there aren't any vacancies in the cabinet or is it because Mahathir thinks that Anwar does not deserve a minister’s position at least for the time being?"

"Or is it because Anwar is destined for the post of prime minister when Mahathir relinquishes his position?" he asked in a statement today.

Ramasamy said it was strange that Mahathir had come out with this remark when Anwar had never requested for a minister’s post in the first place.

"Are there sinister forces out to derail the succession plan that was agreed upon by the Harapan component parties before the last general election? Mahathir has on countless occasions said that Anwar would succeed him. Is there a change of plan?"

Ramasamy said that while Mahathir might be clear that Anwar was the right person to succeed him, there were "now and then rumours" that give uncertainty whether Anwar would really succeed Mahathir.

"The leadership made a mistake in not stipulating a time frame for Mahathir to hand over power," he said, adding that even without a time frame it was never intended that Mahathir would stay in power for one full term.

"Is it really fair to keep Anwar waiting on the sidelines while time is taken for the hand over of power? What is really preventing Mahathir from handing over power?"

Ramasamy expressed his fears that Umno and PAS might act as spoilers to the succession plan given the chance.

"They might not really be interested in propping up Mahathir or ensuring that Anwar remains on the sidelines but are more keen to destabilise the government to take over power," he said.

Ramasamy, who is Perai assemblyperson, said that talk of inviting Umno leaders into the fold of Bersatu might not be good for Harapan solidarity.

"I am thankful to Mahathir for having provided crucial leadership for the great election victory against BN but let’s not forget the great sacrifice of Anwar for bringing about political reformasi that made the election victory possible."

"Let us also not forget the sacrifice made by DAP leaders in forging the Harapan coalition to take on BN. Let us stay committed to what was agreed upon to prevent BN from coming back to power," said Ramasamy.

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kaytee notes:

The Malaysian cabinet is notorious for having umpteen Ministers in the PM' Department. Malaysian politics has been ruled by coalitions since 1955, thus every component party wanted (still does) its share of the victory booty in terms of ministers or deputy ministers. Thus the ministers in the PM's Department has been an avenue to dole out ministerial positions when there really wasn't an everyday need for such a portfolio, unless there arose a special high level task to be dealt with outside of normal ministerial responsibility.

In May 2018, Mahathir was given carte blanche to appoint his own cabinet without consultation with Pakatan component parties, and he did so to the chagrin of major component parties like PKR and DAP who respectively won 48 and 42 federal seats, whilst Pribumi and Amanah respectively won 12 and 11.

Mahathir grabbed the lion's share federally and state-wise without so much as by-your leave to PKR and DAP. To add insult to injury to PKR, the component party which won four times as many as Pribumi, he also without any consultation plucked Azmin Ali from the latter's MB position of Selangor to appoint him as the minister for a NEW Economics Ministry.

Every mother's son knew he did two things with that ugly dictatorial blow: (i) insult and further neutralise Anwar Ibrahim by making his PKR rival a powerful minister and (ii) enervate the powerful Finance Minister (Lim Guan Eng) by clipping his rightful ministerial portfolios of GLCs, which he wants Azmin Ali to look after and to "make more Malay billionaires" though mind you, it won't be the hoi polloi Melayu who would be blessed but only his cronies.

Coming to the present, he could have easily, justifiably and rightfully appoint Anwar as the new (options):

(1) DPM, with Wan Azizah remaining as the Minister of Women, Family & Community Development (or alternatively, if Wan Azizah wants to leave the cabinet of her own free will, promote Hannah Yeoh to full Minister of same ministry, with even Nurul Izzah as the new deputy), or

(2) Education Minister - need I even elaborate here why Maszlee is unqualified to be the Education Minister - send Bapak Kasut Hitam back to Academia to be President of IIUM from which he was most reluctant (originally) to resign from, or

(3) Rural Development Minister, which has laid fallow since Rina Harun has taken over (even much to her own astonishment, thus she should be sent packing like Maszlee), or

(4) Econs Minister and demote a useless Azmin Ali who is not only ministerially incompetent but also tainted by his extra curricular indulgences, or worse comes to the worse,

(5) Minister with Special Functions (same as Minister in PM's Department) - in my personal opinion I believe the most distinguished Ministers with Special Functions were Tun Ghazali Shafie (1970-72) and Richard Ho Ung Hun (1977-78), or

(6) just as a Minister in the PM's Department.

The fact that Mahathir could create a new ministry (of Economics) to meet his sinister objectives has been a case in point, thus showing his kerbau about no more room in cabinet for Anwar. Mahathir just wants to keep Anwar at bay and preferably permanently OUT.

DAP grassroots: Mahathir should NOT eff DAP in his wanna-deregistration of UMNO a la Lynas & Khat

MM Online:

Defending Umno, DAP man says party should not suffer for sins of its leaders
BY JUSTIN ONG

Lim (centre) said the true path to defeating Umno was not by attacking the party directly but to demonstrate superior governance of the country than what was previously offered under Barisan Nasional

Picture by Hari Anggara

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 2 — Pakatan Harapan should prevent Umno from resorting to “dirty politics” but not ban the party over the alleged offences of its leaders, Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng said today.

Commenting on Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s remarks about the continued existence of Umno, the DAP lawmaker also said the ruling coalition should allow Umno to remain in the interest of a healthy democracy.

Lim added that banning Umno would be counterproductive as it would open his party and the Chinese community to accusations that they engineered the Malay nationalist party’s demise.

“Certain groups will also use this de-registration of Umno to play up racial or religious sentiments and as a result, our country will become more divided.

“Instead, the government should get the authorities to investigate the source of funds that Umno leaders are still enjoying despite their party being dogged by allegations of financial impropriety,” he said in a statement.

Umno should also be given time to rectify its issues with the Registrar of Societies, Lim said when asking the regulator to be magnanimous in dealing with the Opposition party.

He added that the true path to defeating Umno was not by attacking the party directly but to demonstrate superior governance of the country than what was previously offered under Barisan Nasional.

“Umno members will automatically leave the party when their living conditions are improved under the PH government.”

Last week, Dr Mahathir questioned why authorities have not acted against Umno over alleged irregularities in the party, contrasting this to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s troubles prior to the general election.

+++++++++

Kaytee notes:


Mahathir wants to stampede UMNO members towards his Pribumi Party - nothing more nothing less. A very wicked Old Man who is poisonous to his last breath.

Mahathir an abysmal failure as U-Turn PM

FMT:

Correcting the U-turn government

Joe Samad

 -

September 2, 2019 9:15 AM

Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman recently posted photos on Instagram of him sharing a meal with preacher Dr Zakir Naik. This big U-turn came soon after he called for Naik to be deported.

That was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Syed Saddiq probably thought it was a proud moment, but his whimsical out-of-the-blue public relations publicity stunt went horribly wrong. Right-thinking Malaysians were aghast at the cosiness displayed by a minister on a hot-potato issue that still consumes Malaysians.

Some said he is a youthful and handsome prodigy but a naïve one in this case.

Syed Saddiq is the face of youth in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government. He represents the hope of the young voters who voted for change in GE14. Instead, we are getting the same tired old politics.

It cannot be denied that PH is now a replica of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government – nothing has changed.

In May 2018, we were proud that we have the oldest prime minister in the world. What is there to be proud about now, if you run a “nyanyuk” government?

Many younger voters vehemently objected to Dr Mahathir Mohamad but wanted a change in leadership. Now I can understand why. History is repeating itself: it’s hard for a leopard to change its spots.

Syed Saddiq’s postings sum up what is wrong with the Malaysian government. I must stop saying PH government or BN government. Mahathir and Syed Saddiq represent the government – the Malaysian government.

Malaysia, the nation, should come first. We must not repeat the same racial, religious, political rhetoric and crowd-pleasing antics of the BN era.

In Sabah, the people are upset by an about-turn on the proposed Papar dam and the Tanjung Aru Eco-Development project.

Parti Bersatu Sabah’s information chief, Joniston Bangkuai, said the Warisan-led state government’s inconsistent stand had raised the eyebrows of many, including those who voted for them.

“At the rate these flip-flop decisions are being made, this Warisan-led coalition state government should be known as a ‘U-turn government’,” he said.

The state government has to recognise the groundswell and not bulldoze through projects, otherwise these projects will face a similar fate as the coal-fired plant in Lahad Datu many years back.

In July, it was reported that about 100,000 job applications were received by the Sabah Public Service Commission for 401 job vacancies. Where did the rejected ones go?

In July 2018, the Sabah trade and industry ministry, under Madius Wilfred Tangau, announced that it aims to create 600,000 jobs by 2023, under the small and medium enterprises sector.

The latest statistics show that the unemployment rate has increased. The Sabah government has to really think hard about how to create these 600,000 jobs.

Floating nice figures is one thing, but putting words into action is another thing. The fact that 100,000 people chased 401 jobs in Sabah shows that we need more industries and the use of digital technology in a sharing economy to promote self-employment.

We read that many Sabahans have left the state to look for jobs in foreign countries. They end up being exploited and deported with nothing in their pockets.

PPBM’s policy and strategy bureau chief Rais Hussin said recently that the ruling coalition would lose federal power if a general election were held the next day. His frank views are being echoed by other component party leaders.

The same goes for the Sabah state government. People are now comparing statistics with that under the former state government, led by Musa Aman, and the figures do not look good.

Granted, it would not be fair to compare apples with apples as the circumstances are different – we are now saddled by 1MDB and all the financial mismanagement that is being exposed daily.

But the fact remains that people need jobs; people need to feed their families. They are tired of excuses. In the digital age, you can’t hide or run; people need answers and solutions. The state government has to answer to the people.

Mahathir has admitted weaknesses in communicating the success of its policies as the reason behind PH’s dwindling popularity.

“The press loves controversy. So that’s why I find it difficult to comment on controversial matters,” he said. Another Trump-like statement from Mahathir. If you can’t clearly articulate your policies and behaviour, don’t blame the press.

Khat is a good example of poor communication and U-turns. What was the khat issue about? Arabic, Muslims, race, Maszlee, fun games, art, calligraphy, compulsory, not compulsory, elective subject, hours spent on learning, how many pages, etc.

The public is confused, the Cabinet is confused, the whole country is confused. Isn’t that poor communication? The current style is to shoot from the hip first and clarify later.

Don’t blame the press.

Opinion articles by intellectuals, writers and the Malay middle class show that many are saying it would be better for Malaysians to migrate, and that it would be better for our children to be educated overseas and continue working there.

At least then we would not have to deal with “holier than thou” Muslims who say that only enemies of Islam would want Naik to be extradited. A PAS leader has even said that only hypocrites and sinners would want him booted out.

I am a Malaysian Muslim. Why should I be publicly condemned by a PAS leader as a sinner and hypocrite while an Indian fugitive, wanted in India and banned in several countries, is seen cosying up to the PM and our ministers as if he were the centre of the earth?

Would a Malaysian be able to claim asylum in Commonwealth countries such as the UK or Canada in the same manner that Naik is being harboured here? Those countries, with significant Muslim populations, must have thoroughly investigated him before banning his entry.

Many of us would hesitate to leave the country of our birth and the country we love. Unless the government changes its ways, we might see a mass migration if Naik is somehow installed as a new religious leader.

I always understood that our sultans are the heads of religion in each state. Now I am beginning to be confused as to who has the real religious authority in Malaysia, just as I am confused about khat being part of the school curriculum.

Will the Cabinet take time to think through what they are proposing, especially when it comes to sensitive issues like religion, race relations and education, and learn to communicate better with the general public before making embarrassing U-turns that stir up emotions and endless debate?

Take to heart the campaign line used by former US president Bill Clinton: “It’s the economy, stupid.” Concentrate on improving the economy and creating jobs and do not get distracted by issues like khat and Naik which do not bring any real benefit to the nation.