Zahid's middle name is 'Sarcasm'

Malaysiakini:

Zahid 'thanks' govt for giving Umno reps same annual allocation as opposition

Umno parliamentarians are given the same amount of annual constituency allocation as the opposition lawmakers under 2021 Budget, despite they being part of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, according to party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Umno MPs are only given an allocation of RM100,000 annually while their counterparts in PN enjoy RM3.7 million, he said in an interview on NR Channel TV yesterday.

In a sardonic tone, the six-term Bagan Datuk MP thanked the government for the allocation and he said the amount is adequate for his constituency, which is lagged behind in development.

"I will receive RM100,000 in allocation for 2021 while other government MPs get RM3.7 million. I think this is enough for Bagan Datuk, the most-backwards area in Perak, to get RM100,000," Zahid said.

"This is the allocation given to Bagan Datuk (MP), Pontian (MP Ahmad Maslan), Pekan (MP Najib Abdul Razak), Padang Rengas (MP Nazri Abdul Aziz) and Machang (MP Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub).

"Hopefully, those who made the call will open their heart to equal allocations to the MPs who supported the Budget 2021 in Dewan Rakyat," he said.

Zahid said the Umno lawmakers voted for the budget at the policy stage, committee stage and during the third reading.

"But this is the gift received by us. Praise be to God we get RM100,000 in allocation. Thank you and (we are) grateful," he said sardonically with a prayer gesture, obviously mocking PN.

However, it remained unknown if the Umno lawmakers who hold key positions in Muhyiddin Yassin's cabinet receive the same amount of allocations as those being sidelined.

There have been signs of a growing rift between the Umno leadership and Umno cabinet ministers, particular after Annuar Musa was sacked as BN secretary-general. While Umno leaders insisted on severing ties with PN, the Umno ministers are seen to be friendly to Muhyiddin administration.

The decisions of Nazri and Ahmad Jazlan in retracting their support for the PN government has left Muhyiddin with a minority government.

Following that, Zahid also saw a few Umno grassroots leaders demanding that he takes a break from leading the party.

A garden leave, nor resignation, is not the way out in resolving the problem, Zahid said in last night's interview.

"I once went on leave for six months and 12 days after a group of MPs asked me to resign or take leave. They said they would not quit Umno if I take leave. However, they quit on the second day I went on garden leave.

”Under such a circumstance, definitely taking a break, taking leave or even resigning is not a solution to the problem," he stressed.

Zahid said he was appointed as the president under the democratic process of the Umno election and this, going by the party's constitution, should be upheld by the grassroots.

Thousands on brink of starvation in Sibu

FMT:

Thousands on brink of starvation in Sibu

Rural folk staying in Sibu town are unable to return to their longhouses due to the MCO. (Bernama pic)

SIBU: More than 1,000 people in Sibu district are in desperate need of food aid after having lost their jobs or income following the closure of their work sectors due to the enforcement of the movement control order (MCO) since Jan 16.

Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) Sibu branch chairman Chambai Lindong said those affected were from rural areas working as general labourers, cooks and helpers at coffee shops, restaurants and bistros, helpers at hair salons, electricians and welders, lorry drivers and attendants, shop assistants, security guards and cleaners.

He said since Jan 26, they had submitted their names through the SDNU Sibu branch to apply for the food aid but many complained they had not received the “Sarawakku Sayang” food assistance.

“We have been receiving their requests for food aid via WhatsApp and to date, we have submitted more than 1,000 names to the Sibu disaster management committee (SDMC) via the Sìbu district Office to coordinate the distribution of the food baskets.

“And the names of those needing food aid still keep on coming to us,” he said in a statement, here, today.

Having no money to buy food for their families, Chambai said they needed food urgently and in some cases, their mood of desperation could be detected quite easily.

“We believe their situation is genuine. There are 11 more days of MCO 2.0 in Sìbu. Unless they receive food aid immediately, their situation will get worse. Their savings, if any is left, will dry up. And if that is the case, many people will starve,” he said.

The organisation is also concerned over the rural folk in Sìbu Jaya who are in a similar situation as many of them do not know what to do and where to go for help.

Chambai said the situation faced by those rural folk staying in Sìbu town was indeed worrying.

“Many of them wanted to go back to their respective longhouses but under the MCO, they were not allowed to do so.

“Their hope now lies with the Sibu disaster management committee. The earlier the food aid is given to them, the better,” he added.

Pejuang to contest 50-60 parliamentary seats for GE15

Malaysiakini:



Pejuang eyeing 50-60 parliamentary seats for GE15: Marzuki

Pejuang may only be five months old. But the party is not young at heart.

Armed with several big names including two-time prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the political outfit aims to bring new colour into the country's political landscape, especially as the general election is expected soon.

According to Pejuang pro-tem deputy president Marzuki Yahya, the party is eyeing a number of parliamentary seats that it feels it has a good chance of winning in the 15th general election.

"We have been looking at, or have flagged, areas which we feel are compatible with our struggle (political ideology)."

"It has not been conclusively decided yet how many seats we are going to contest in the next election, but from what we see, the range is between 50 and 60 seats," he told Malaysiakini in an interview last week.

Pejuang's attempt to be officially recognised as a party was stonewalled by the Registrar of Societies' (ROS) decision on Jan 6.

Under the law, a political party must be formally registered with the ROS, which is a body under the purview of the Home Ministry.

With the registration issue still up in the air, Malaysiakini asked Marzuki if Pejuang is considering contesting under another party's banner.

While saying that they have several plans in mind, the politician claimed that at this juncture, they have yet to make a decision on the matter. There have been talks about Pejuang using Amanah's logo.

Pejuang is also enjoying its position today as a third bloc in Parliament, he added, pointing to the non-aligned group on the opposition side of the Dewan Rakyat.

"We are an independent bloc, together with our friends from Warisan and several others from Sarawak. So, this is a group that can be the check and balance to the current situation."

It is believed that Marzuki was referring to the power play in the country, which has seen a variety of new political alignments among friends and foes in attempts to grab federal power.

Marzuki said that while it does not recognise the current administration under Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin as a legitimate government, Pejuang also wants to be careful in choosing its partners in the effort to form a new administration.

"We want to be sure that groups which want to be with us are those who really uphold the principles of our struggle, and not only prioritise any individuals or parties to become a prime minister.

"Because the problem we have today is the biggest ever, which is to fight corruption," he said.

Gearing for GE15

In preparing for the election, Pejuang has conceded that it may be short of time to spread its wings to every nook and cranny of the country. Marzuki said their plan, for now, is to focus on state and branch party levels.

"We may not have divisions (for now). Pejuang only has branches and state-level administration.

"We want to focus on the general election, so the state committee would play a big role to provide situation reports, assess which parliamentary constituencies are suitable to contest, and identify candidates..."

The party has also started doing some ground exercises in facing elections. However, this activity had to be stopped temporarily due to the movement control order.

*********

kt notes:

It's always good to be ambitious thus Pejuang is right to go for 50 to 60 seats. Maybe it will again win 13 seats, maybe not, but who knows.

I would recommend to Pejuang two easy-peasy federal constituencies for its consideration, namely, Bagan (Penang) and Gelang Patah (Johor) though in the latter I am not sure whether the incumbent will still be there to surrender to Pejuang the honour of representing the constituency's rakyat as (a) he has a habit of shifting here and there and (2) also pledged top resign if Mahathir failed to hand over the PM post to Anwar [which we all know that the Old Devil deliberately failed to do so].

This meant the Twin Old Men eff their own pledges, wakakaka.

I would also recommend to Pejuang an additional "interim" logo for its use in the event RoS continues its disapproval of Pejuang's registration, namely the Rocket, wakakaka.

The Kerala kerbau-ing continues

FMT:

Tommy Thomas’ claims shocking and ‘fantastic’, says Dr M

PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has broken his silence on former attorney-general Tommy Thomas’ tell-all book, expressing shock and bemusement over some of the claims.

In a lengthy statement, Mahathir said Thomas’ account over his resignation as prime minister was “quite fantastic” as Thomas did not have knowledge of some of the things he wrote about.

For instance, he denied telling Thomas that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong wanted to appoint then deputy prime minister Dr Wan Azizah Ismail as interim prime minister.

“This is nonsense”, said Mahathir.

While he admitted that his resignation was a personal choice, Mahathir said there was no way the Pakatan Harapan Cabinet could have remained as it had lost majority support to remain as government.

“I cannot fathom how a lawyer was unable to comprehend that this was not a change of prime minister. The PH government had lost.

“The Agong could not appoint Wan Azizah, the deputy prime minister as acting prime minister. Like me, she did not have a majority after PH was overthrown by PPBM leaving together with (Mohamed) Azmin’s (Ali) faction of PKR or Justice Party. Neither did the Cabinet.”

Mahathir also admitted that he had expected to win when the Agong met with MPs to hear their views on who should lead the next government, as Perikatan Nasional secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin had obtained statutory declarations from all Umno and PAS members supporting him.

“Hamzah’s plan was to get me to head a new coalition consisting of Umno, PAS and PPBM. I would still be prime minister and that should persuade me to leave PH.”

He added that Pakatan Harapan’s MPs had named opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as their candidate instead, after the latter claimed that he had the majority support to become prime minister although he only had a total of 92 MPs on his side.

“I managed to get only 62. So both of us lost.”

Mahathir blames KHAT Siang for his inability to form Unity government

MM Online:

Dr Mahathir says failed to form unity govt in 2020 as Kit Siang felt he was aiming to be dictator

Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he ultimately failed to get sufficient numbers of MPs to back him in forming a unity government last year. — File picture by Miera Zulyana

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 ― Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said he was unsuccessful in forming a unity government last year after the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration he led, due to the perception that he was a “dictator”.

Musing on how Malaysia would have turned out if he had managed to get a unity government together, the former prime minister said he ultimately failed to get sufficient numbers of MPs to back him for such a cause.

Dr Mahathir said that it would have been his job as an interim prime minister to help set up a government where office bearers would be appointed regardless of their political affiliations, but asserted that other politicians could only see the interests of their political parties instead of the nation’s.

“I thought we should all forget about our parties and think about the nation. So I told all party heads that we should have a Unity Government and parties should forget their individual agenda. We should also bring in non-politicians into the government,” he said in a blog post, referring to his unity government proposal that he had also announced in a television broadcast on February 26.

Having stepped down on February 24, 2020 as prime minister following a series of events sparked by the infamous “Sheraton Move”, Dr Mahathir was appointed on the same day by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to be interim prime minister while waiting for a new prime minister to be appointed and a new Cabinet to be formed.

The Langkawi MP noted that the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein had as the head of Malaysia’s National Operations Council ― formed after the May 13, 1969 racial riots ― sought to bring all the opposition parties into the government.

“He succeeded with Gerakan, PAS and SUPP. But DAP refused. Still he felt justified in naming the new coalition, the National Front or Barisan Nasional,” Dr Mahathir said.

Recalling Razak’s efforts, Dr Mahathir said he thought that something similar was needed for Malaysia.

“But I failed because Kit Siang said I was trying to become a dictator. He supported Anwar as the PH candidate. Had the 92 votes gone to me I would have 154 votes. You can imagine what direction the nation would take when all parties put the nation first,” he said, referring to DAP veteran leader Lim Kit Siang and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

DAP, PKR and Parti Amanah Negara form the Pakatan Harapan coalition, which Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia was formerly a member before its pullout resulted in the collapse of the PH federal government and led to Dr Mahathir’s resignation as prime minister on February 24, 2020.

Days after Dr Mahathir’s February 26 public suggestion of a unity government and after several names were floated as candidates to be prime minister by different political groups, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was on March 1 sworn in as the country’s eighth prime minister.

*********

kt notes:

What a kerbau-er!

Mahathir had a reasonably good majority in the 7th Malaysian (Pakatan Harapan) government which was working at that time without fear of any slim majority (as Muhyiddin faces), YET he deliberately resigned to cause the collapse of his Pakatan government and thus cabinet.

WTF use would have been a subsequent Unity government then other than to provide him with an unquestioning cabinet which would have been totally obedient and subservient to him alone.

He now blames KHAT Siang for not supporting him on that Unity government when he had already caused the multiracial government to fall to pieces. His Unity government was said to be a wholly Malay Unity government, but Moo-Moo and Ass-binte eff-ed him kaukau before his dictatorial idea took roots.

But KHAT Sial deserves his blame now even if KHAT had nothing to do with Atuk's dictatorial ambition, wakakaka, because that syiok us kaukau.

Mahathir's treachery led to Muhyiddin's “kakistrocracy”

FMT:

Ex-AG says Mahathir’s monumental betrayal made way for Trump-like Muhyiddin

A “monumental betrayal” by Mahathir Mohamad led to a “kakistrocracy” formed by Muhyiddin Yassin, says Tommy Thomas. (Bernama pic)

kt note: kakistrocacy = government by the least suitable or competent citizens of a state

PETALING JAYA: Former attorney general Tommy Thomas has harsh words for Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whose resignation as prime minister in February 2020 paved the way for Muhyddin Yassin to take power.

In an epilogue to his recently-published memoirs, Thomas described Mahathir’s resignation as “a monumental betrayal”.

In a Churchillian turn of phrase, Thomas said: “Seldom in our nation’s history have so many million voters been let down by the actions of one man.”

Mahathir resigned on Feb 24, causing the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government two years after it came to power in the 2018 general election. His resignation led the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to seek a new prime minister and cabinet from members of Parliament.

Muhyiddin was appointed five days later after the King consulted political leaders to determine who commanded a majority in the Dewan Rakyat. He formed a government of parties in the Perikatan Nasional coalition.

Thomas said the formation of the new government “by a coalition of Malay-centric parties that proudly proclaim their race and religion” had brought disastrous consequences to multi-racial Malaysia.

He compared Muhyiddin Yassin to former US president Donald Trump, saying they both represented the rise to power of those lacking credibility and principle.

Both Muhiddin and Trump represented the modern ‘”kakistocracy”, he said, using a term invented in 17th century England to mean “government by the worst; to describe the political rise of the least qualified or most unscrupulous”.

Calling it a “misgovernment for profit”, Thomas said the kakistocracy served a political agenda – the shameless pursuit of hate politics: (Trump’s) America First, or the Malay/Muslim Agenda of the PN government.

He also said that Trump displayed “dictatorial conduct” during his tenure, disregarding conventions, norms and even legal requirements. Malaysia’s opposition parties have used similar terms against Muhyiddin after his government declared a state of emergency.

Brazen faced Malaysia under Emergency preaches democracy to Myanmar

Malaysiakini:

Myanmar coup: PKR man points out irony of Malaysia's 'serious concern'

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has pointed out the irony of Malaysia expressing “serious concern” about the suspension of democracy in Myanmar.

He said this happened after Malaysia also declared a state of emergency and suspended Parliament on Jan 13, purportedly to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic.

The military in Myanmar last Sunday (Jan 31) declared a state of emergency and suspended the democratically-elected government on purported grounds of election fraud.

“A government that three weeks ago declared an emergency and suspended Parliament, yesterday, expressed ‘serious concern’ about a government which declared an emergency and suspended Parliament two days ago,” Saifuddin said in a Facebook post.

Amanah president Mohamad Sabu also expressed a similar sentiment.

"Malaysia is not qualified to voice out about the junta's power grab in Myanmar as Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his cabinet had done it first - disrespecting the people's mandate in the election.

"It would be more appropriate for Indonesia, Thailand and even Laos to voice out," he said on Twitter.

Wisma Putra yesterday expressed serious concern at the developments in Myanmar and called for a peaceful and democratic resolution.

Meanwhile, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim described the developments in Myanmar as alarming and deeply troubling.

Anwar said despite human rights concerns in Myanmar, it was at least a democratic country with potential.

However, he said the coup had undermined Myanmar’s shift to democracy.

“Despite mistreatment and human rights abuse towards the Rohingya people condoned by the previous administration, Myanmar was still a young and viable democracy with much potential.

“With these latest actions by the military, the powers that be will surely pull the nation and people of Myanmar further back into the abyss of military dictatorship,” he said in a statement.

Anwar called for Asean and world leaders to unite and call for the immediate release of political leaders.

The leader of Myanmar’s democratically-elected government Aung San Suu Kyi was among those detained by the military.

Anwar said the military in Myanmar should respect its people’s democratic aspirations.

In Malaysia, Muhyiddin had assured that a civilian government will remain despite a state of emergency.

He also stressed that it was not a military coup.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong had also set Aug 1 for the emergency to expire.

Uncle Hashim tells how discrimination in Malaysia made him stay in Australia

FMT:

Uncle Hashim tells how discrimination in Malaysia made him stay in Australia

Uncle Hashim says although he had to give up Malaysian citizenship, his heart never left the country. (Bernama/Amust.com pic)

PETALING JAYA: Two instances of favouritism by Malaysian authorities convinced Hashim Abdul Rahman to stay in Australia half a century ago. He never returned, save for occasional visits and instead rose to prominence in Australia, becoming known as Uncle Hashim.

Last week, the 79-year-old received one of Australia’s highest honours, the Order of Australia Medal, for his services to the Muslim community and setting up halal certification.

Hashim said his heart never left the country, even though he had to give up Malaysian citizenship as an Australian public servant, and also to better represent Malaysians in Australia.

Reflecting on why he never returned, he said that family obligations and the favouritism that had gone against him helped make the choice clear.

“I was hesitant to talk about these things, but people need to know that things like this go on,” he told FMT from his Canberra home.

The first instance of being played out by favouritism in Malaysia took place in the 1960s.

As a teacher at SM Sultan Abdul Halim in Kedah in 1966, he was chosen from nearly 2,000 candidates to participate in a pilot programme for what would later become TV Pendidikan.

He recorded 20 biology lessons for broadcast to students. “The unwritten agreement was for me and this girl I was working with to go to Canada for a few years of training, and then we’d come back and run the programme ourselves.

“We waited, and we waited, but didn’t hear anything from the ministry. Eventually, after two years, we got word that somebody else had been posted to Canada, and it was the son-in-law of one of the people high up at the information ministry,” Hashim said.

Then, in 1972, when Hashim was already working in Canberra, the government approached his father and offered RM14,000 to acquire the family’s plot of land in order to build a bridge spanning the river behind their house.

“Across the river there was another piece of land, but that was empty. We later learned that the owner of that plot was an MP, and they were offered RM70,000.

“These experiences really upset me and my family, and really made up my mind about where I wanted to stay.”

Hashim landed in Australia in 1969 to pursue a degree in computer science. As computers were not in general use in Malaysia yet, he established a bevy of organisations and societies for Muslims, Malaysians and students, and helped lobby for halal certification and slaughtering in Australia as well as for Islamic-compliant burial plots in cemeteries.

He then spent 26 years with the Australian civil service, and secured senior diplomatic postings in Indonesia and the Philippines before retiring in 1998. He has been doing community work ever since, assisting in Muslim burials, teaching the Quran and helping care for the elderly.

His latest project is the launching of the Australian Muslim Aged and Respite Care, a platform to serve the Muslim community in Canberra and provide the elderly with a comforting environment and full medical care.

Despite all that happened to him, and the community he’s built for himself in Australia, he said he’s already set his sights on his next trip to Malaysia.

“I’ll come back home for a bit once the pandemic is over, I have a lot of people to see.”

He said his five siblings and their families, spread across Kedah and Kuala Lumpur, were as surprised as he was when he got the news of the award.

“I don’t think they really knew it’s significance or what it meant to be honest,” he chuckled. “A few people asked me ‘is it like being a Datuk?’”

Stop intimidation and resolve matters democratically, Anwar tells Perikatan govt after police probe over calls to overturn Emergency

MM Online:

Stop intimidation and resolve matters democratically, Anwar tells Perikatan govt after police probe over calls to overturn Emergency

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim urged the government to accept the reality that it has lost politically and instead resolve this matter in a democratic manner. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 2 — Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today lambasted the government for allegedly intimidating him and several other lawmakers seeking to rescind the Emergency by appealing to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

In a brief video posted on his social media, Anwar instead urged the government to accept the reality that it has lost politically and instead resolve this matter in a democratic manner.

“I would like to ask...under what law, what rule, what constitution that does not allow the rakyat to seek the wisdom of his Highness [to deliberate] on any matter?

“I do hope that the leaders of this country do not use intimidation. You have lost in your political battles, you have lost the majority, face this fact in a democratic manner and don’t use intimidation,’’ he said.

Anwar was responding to statements made earlier by Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin who stated that police investigations are underway against the PKR president as well as a few other individuals for alleged sedition and threatening national security as well as allegedly pressuring Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah to rescind the Emergency.

On January 20, Anwar had revealed a bi-partisan appeal via a letter-writing campaign to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to rescind his Proclamation of Emergency.

In his response today, Anwar stressed that Hamzah should read the contents of his letter to the King and question whether it carries any legal faults.

Anwar also posed the question to the Hamzah and the Perikatan Nasional administration whether any parties, such as the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih 2.0) and seven other organisations that had sued the government on the Emergency proclamation, had broken the law.

Anwar also said that he will cooperate with the police on the investigation provided that it has legal standing and not because it was allegedly under the orders of the home minister.

Pahang new land policy - First the durians, now the vegetables

Malaysiakini:



Cameron Highlands vegetable farmers' woes far from over

SPECIAL REPORT | Are the worries of vegetable farmers in Cameron Highlands over? Or is the new arrangement by the Pahang state government an indirect takeover of their agricultural land?

These are the nagging questions which have arisen raised after vegetable farmers reluctantly agreed, after years of a tug-of-war with the state government, politicians and middle persons.

Cameron Highlands farmers have for long groaned and cried out for the security of the tenure of their farming land. They are the ones who grow and harvest most of the vegetables that Malaysians eat but they remain deprived of land rights in perpetuity – no matter for how long they have toiled on the land.

For decades, the farmers had been victims – almost a bondage – to the Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) system which involved, in some cases, middle persons.

The TOL needs to be renewed annually and farmers were at the mercy of the politicians and middle persons who had links with the district Land and Mines Office – they had the authority to approve or reject their applications for renewal of their TOLs.

The renewal was discretionary and hence the farmers always claimed that they got the short end of the stick, prompting reports to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

Besides fundamental issues of law, justice and integrity, there were reported cases of encroachment, land clearance (above) and intimidation.

Allegations of widespread bribery were also common, and the banks in Cameron Highlands are said to have the highest amount of cash deposits in the country. Smallholders are said to be the most vulnerable as they are hard-pressed to make under-the-table payments.

In March last year, the Pahang state government introduced a new land policy which it said would end misgivings over land grabs, which had previously led to crackdowns by the National Security Council.

It announced a cause of action which it claimed would be beneficial to all parties. Like the issues faced by the durian farmers in Raub, it involved a third party - the state-owned Pahang Corporation Sdn Bhd (PCSB).


Into the fire

Pahang Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail then announced the TOL system would no longer be applicable. It would be replaced with the new policy and the 1,018 farmers in Cameron Highlands would be allowed to work their land under an arrangement.

Under the new policy, all farming land in Cameron Highlands would be leased to the farmers via PCSB in a 3+2 years deal, involving 5,526,219 hectares. The land has been allotted into 78 parcels across three sub-districts - Ulu Telom (58) Ringlet (14) and Tanah Rata.

The farmers, who initially thought this would be their path to release and relief, soon found out it was a case of out of the frying pan into the fire as they said the new policy was rife with unreasonable terms.

First was the fee. While previously the farmers paid about RM880 per acre, under the new arrangement, they will need to fork out RM4,500 per acre annually - an increase of 500 percent.

Then, there’s PCBS’s regulatory unit – MyGap - which will issue certification to ensure that farmers adhere to “advanced and responsible farming methods”.

No one has told the farmers what is “responsible” and what is “advanced”. Hence, they fear the propensity and the discretionary powers accorded could lead to abuse and misuse.

Such uneasiness is understandable, for there is a history of abuse which caused the MACC to arrest 21 people and charge 11 between March 2015 and October 2018.

Pakatan's lust for majority rule may influence it to work again with Mahathir

FMT:

Need to win can cause PH to embrace Dr M again

Dr Mahathir Mohamad was said to be unwilling to let Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail takeover the post of interim prime minister when he resigned.

PETALING JAYA: Two political analysts speculate that Pakatan Harapan (PH) will work with Dr Mahathir Mohamad again if it has to despite recent revelations that paint an unflattering picture of the former prime minister.

Commenting especially on Mahathir’s apparent unwillingness to let his erstwhile deputy, Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, take up the post of interim prime minister after he resigned last year, the analysts said PH would ignore his behaviour for the sake of political expediency.

They were referring to a disclosure made in former attorney-general Tommy Thomas’ memoirs.

According to Thomas, Mahathir submitted his own name for the post of interim prime minister when he learned that his resignation had prompted the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to consider appointing Wan Azizah to the post.

Kartini Aboo Talib.

Kartini Aboo Talib of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Azmi Hassan, formerly of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, told FMT they believed PH would not shun Mahathir if he could help it win the next general election.

Kartini acknowledged that PH might see its 22 months of working with Mahathir as a bitter experience, but she said the coalition’s leaders were aware of his ability to attract voters, as seen in the 2018 general election.

Azmi said PH leaders must have known that the King wanted PKR’s Wan Azizah to be the interim prime minister.

Thomas’ revelation would therefore not make any new dent on the relationship between the coalition and Mahathir, he said. “PH and PKR have always been wary of Dr M, but their political tie-up was a way of using one another.”

But he said the PKR grassroots might have been unaware of Mahathir’s disdain of their party and would view the revelation negatively

.

Azmi Hassan.

Azmi also said the general public would now probably speculate that Malaysia’s political situation would be more stable if Wan Azizah had been made interim prime minister.

PKR deputy information chief G Manivannan said Mahathir might have angered voters with his abrupt resignation and PH needed to carry out a careful study before considering any new cooperation with him.

“PKR has been bitten by Mahathir too many times,” he said. “It may not be a good idea to go back to Mahathir again for GE15.

“We have to talk to the grassroots for their views and read comments in social media to know the ground sentiment.”

*********

kt notes:

Reference "Kartini Aboo Talib said the coalition’s leaders were aware of his ability to attract voters, as seen in the 2018 general election", I don't agree as PRIBUMI Bersatu ended up with only 13 seats out of its 52 allocated. It was a monumental disappointment especially for Mahathir himself. In contrast the other major Malay-dominated party PKR did exceedingly well with 47 seats in the GE14 bag.

Mahathir's then resorted to his speciality of welcoming frogs to strengthen PRIBUMI Bersatu. Thus Mahathir's ability has been in enticing frogs rather than voters.

And we noted too that in subsequent by-elections PRIBUMI Bersatu suffered ignominious defeats such as Tanjung Piai.

Thus Mahathir will not bring added value to Pakatan Harapan, though mind you some leaders in DAP and Amanah still believe Mahathir can breach the UMNO Heartland where the votes there will be crucial for majority rule.

Mungkin VELL-y Fei-Low Fellow di-FIRE-d sbg MB Kedah & diganti olih Takiyuddin

Utara Daily:

“Kaki gaduh” Sanusi bakal ditukar dengan Takiyuddin sebagai MB Kedah

Masalah demi masalah yang ditimbulkan oleh Menteri Besar Kedah, Muhamad Sanusi Md Noor telah menyebabkan usaha sedang dibuat bagi menggantikan beliau, paling lewat selepas pilihan raya umum akan datang.

Tokoh yang disebut-sebut bakal menjadi pilihan bagi menggantikan beliau adalah Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan, Menteri Di Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Undang- undang) sekarang.

“Takiyuddin ni orang Kedah. Walaupun selepas habis belajar dia banyak habis masa di Kelantan, dia perlu gantikan Sanusi. Kalau tidak orang dah percaya kat kita lagi,” kata sumber itu kepada Malaysia Dateline.

Sanusi, bekas Setiausaha Politik Tan Sri Azizan Razak ketika dia menjadi menteri besar dahulu telah dipilih sebagai menteri besar selepas kerajaan Pakatan Harapan pimpinan Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir jatuh bulan Mei 2020 lalu.

Namun, sejak awal menjadi menteri besar sehingga sekarang, isu yang melanda kerajaan negeri tidak pernah reda.

“Mula-mula dia arah roboh kuil Hindu. Penganut Hindu marah. Lepas itu, dia pi beli kereta Vellfire guna duit Sada, rakyat Kedah marah.

“La ni, dia pi bergaduh lagi dengan India bila dia batal cuti Thaipusam.

“Sekarang pejabat MB pun dah kena tutup kerana Covid-19 sampai orang Hindu kata ni balasan dari tuhan dia.

“Sampai bila kita nak bergaduh ni,” kata sumber itu kepada Malaysia Dateline.

Bagi beliau Takiyuddin adalah tokoh Pas yang layak untuk mengambil alih pentadbiran negeri Kedah selepas PRU-15 nanti.

“Takiyuddin ni orang Sik. Keluarga dia berpengaruh di sana. Bukan orang Pas saja, orang Umno pun boleh sokong dia. Datuk Hamid Othman bekas menteri agama juga keluarga dia.

“Jadi saya rasa Takiyuddin ni sesuai ganti Sanusi,” kata beliau lagi.

Tommy bounty-hunting Jho Low?

Malaysiakini:



Ex-AG wanted bounty on Jho Low

Former attorney-general Tommy Thomas, in his latest memoir, revealed that he had wanted a bounty put on fugitive businessperson Low Taek Jho.

Thomas said he was sceptical about the capture of Low, widely known as Jho Low (above), as he could bribe his way out of troubles using the large amount of 1MDB funds he allegedly stole.

As such, Thomas said he proposed for a bounty to be put on Jho Low, but the government and police were not receptive to the idea.

“I recommended that Malaysia offers a bounty for his capture and return to face justice.

“After all, that was how Jesse James was captured in the 19th century.

“The British colonial authorities also offered a bounty in the mid-1950s for Chin Peng, the leader of the Malayan Communist Party,” he said in his memoir “My Story: Justice in the Wilderness”.

Thomas said the law did not prohibit the payment of money to whistleblowers or informants who provide information that leads to the arrest of an alleged criminal.

“I made my recommendations to the prime minister, finance minister and inspector-general of police, but regrettably I did not receive a favourable response.

Then inspector-general of police Mohamad Fuzi Harun had publicly floated the idea of a bounty in 2019 but it never materialised.

His successor Abdul Hamid Bador lamented that foreign authorities had been uncooperative in the hunt for Low.

A bewildered Abdul Hamid said among the excuses given was that Low had undergone plastic surgery and now “resembled a bear”.

Criminal cases against Low’s associates in the US revealed that he maintains a wide network, despite being a fugitive.

He paid a US lobbyist to help convince the US Department of Justice to drop the 1MDB case against him.

US court filings also revealed his links to the communist government in China.

Low reportedly lobbied on behalf of a minister from China for the deportation of Chinese dissent Guo Wengui from the US.

Beijing has maintained that it was not harbouring Low.

Nurul correctly distrusted the Despicable Old Man right from the very start

MM Online:

In memoir, ex-AG says Nurul Izzah expressed family’s distrust of Dr Mahathir in 2016

Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar is pictured in Parliament, Kuala Lumpur August 27, 2020. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 1 — Permatang Pauh MP Nurul Izzah Anwar had related to Tan Sri Tommy Thomas in a 2016 meeting that her family no longer trusted Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, according to a reported excerpt from the former attorney general’s new book.

The report by The Vibes detailed how Thomas had met with Nurul Izzah after he was asked to do so by Matthias Chang, a known supporter of Dr Mahathir, to discuss with the eldest daughter of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who was still imprisoned at the time.

“Nurul frankly said that she and her family could never trust Dr Mahathir after what he had done to her father.

“This was perfectly understandable. A predictable human reaction, considering the history of their relationship and the post-1998 episodes,” Thomas wrote.

The report added how that meeting was part of several others he had with Nurul Izzah at his office, where they spoke on the potential benefits of forming an alliance with Dr Mahathir.

Thomas then wrote how Nurul Izzah was left feeling sceptical about the alliance, following a meeting together with Chang at the office of Thomas, who was then still a private practitioner.

“I supported a meeting between the two adversaries. We were aware that many others acted as go-betweens and mediators before the meeting between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim finally took place,” read an excerpt quoted in the report.

Thomas also touched on a surprise visit Dr Mahathir paid to Anwar in court back in September 2016, when the latter was allowed out of prison to attend a defamation trial.

“Apparently, the meeting went well.” Thomas wrote.

Anwar received a royal pardon shortly after the 14th general election.

Thomas then wrote how he felt a formal agreement should have been set over Anwar’s role in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition.

However, Thomas in his book My Story: Justice in the Wilderness, then went on to criticise Anwar for his conduct after his release from prison.

Thomas wrote that he felt Anwar’s visits to various state sultans upon his release made little sense as the rulers had no direct influence over party politics.

He wrote that such visits could signal that Anwar was building influence among the royal institutions, or could be seen as Anwar shoring up support against his then party colleague Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali.

“Being kept out of the Cabinet only increased Anwar’s insecurity.

“What compounded his doubt of ever becoming prime minister was the apparent tilt, particularly in the first year of Pakatan Harapan’s administration, by the prime minister (Dr Mahathir) toward Anwar’s arch-enemy in PKR, Azmin Ali.” Thomas wrote.

The report also included how the senior lawyer, who in his book, pointed out several instances where Dr Mahathir’s actions had indicated his apparent refusal to pass the baton to Anwar, without citing specific examples.

On his resignation as AG in Feb 2020, the report noted that Thomas vacated his position once he realised the collapse of PH was inevitable following the infamous Sheraton Move coup.

Thomas noted that could not see himself serving the current Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had he stayed on in the position, and asserting the Pagoh MP would have not sought for his services.

*********

kt notes:

At that time (2016 as described above) Matthias Chang was still Mahathir's macai, thus the scenario described by Tommy Thomas [to wit, ... how Thomas had met with Nurul Izzah after he was asked to do so by Matthias Chang ...] suggested that it was Mahathir's side that approached Anwar's representative or daughter, Nurul (in Tommy Thomas office).

So the Devil, then after been ignored by Najib and generally marginalised by the UMNO centre of power, began to plot his revenge (and comeback). Iblis realised he needed Pakatan Harapan (PH) which was then a significant political platform.

In this he succeeded, and having succeeded after exploiting PH like a used tissue, he chucked the tissue aside and must have begun his second plotting, to eff up Anwar kaukau - we all know he has never relinquished his invincible hatred for DSAI since 1998. He wasn't going to undo his masterpiece if he could help it, wakakaka. Anwar could be said to be extremely lucky he didn't end up again in prison.

What a disgusting character, to use DSAI's power (PKR and PH) to get what he wanted, then to eff up DSAI kaukau. For a start he deliberately kept Anwar out of the cabinet whilst making Ass-binte a very powerful cabinet minister, one who significantly diluted the powers of the Chinese Bookkeeper, a nuisance to Atuk. No wonder Anwar was like a cacing kena abu. And he fooled everyone especially the Lims.

Nurul and many others in DAP, eg. Ramkarpal Singh, Sangeeta Kaur, Ronnie Liu etc etc, were the ones who have been wise and correct in not trusting the Despicable Deceitful Devil right from the start. But the Lims, for all their so-called 'smarts' were fooled thoroughly, even up to today.

And can anyone blame Anwar for cozying up to the royals as he knew that in Malaysia, and only in Malaysia, the royals play a significant part in political powerplay, more so when DSAI has been aware of how close Ass-binte has been to some royals?

PN's business as usual, even in a worst-case Covid scenario

Malaysiakini:

PN's business as usual, even in a worst-case Covid scenario

by S Thayaparan

“Why are we really implementing an MCO when Covid-19 cases are rising but restrictions are getting looser. If that is the case, just stop the MCO to be fair to everyone.”

- Najib Abdul Razak

COMMENT | Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz said the government would not implement a total lockdown even if a worst-case scenario comes true.

This begs the question: what is the worst-case scenario? What happens if the healthcare system breaks down? What happens if the majority of the frontliners get Covid-19 and a sizeable majority of them perish?

What happens if the businesses collapse because the rakyat, in the grip of an unattended pandemic, imposes a lockdown on themselves for fear of spreading the virus to high-risk groups in their families?

Why did this government declare an emergency and claim that this pandemic was the cause for such an action if it is not treating this as war, a war I might add that this government is losing?

Already the federal government’s response to this pandemic has been scaling down testing and loosening restrictions, even as the numbers climb. Hence we get an inkling of what may happen when it comes to "tightening SOPs" in a worst-case scenario.

Najib is right when he asked why the need for this MCO when everything seems to be open and superspreader situations like night markets and the like are given the green light to open while the government continues to harp on the efficacy of the MCO and the need for an emergency posture.

This half-past-six MCO, like the faux emergency, is making this country a tragic lesson in what not to do in a pandemic and the public is rightly confused every time Defence Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob issues his nonsensical diktats and feuds with Pakatan Harapan political operatives on Twitter because of his xenophobic statements.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) chairperson Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj, as usual, wrote a coherent piece on herd immunity and vaccinating foreign workers, which is completely different from the government stance of demonising foreign workers and attempting to make them the focus of the federal governments failed response.

One point that stands out in his piece is this: “Are they (foreign workers) waiting with bated breath for the vaccine? I seriously doubt it. Because for them, Covid-19 isn’t as serious a threat as it is for Malaysians. Migrant workers are, on the whole, fairly healthy adults between the age of 20 and 50 years. The chance of them dying of Covid-19 is very low.”

This is the problem right here. No, not the foreign workers, but rather the response of the federal government to this reality. While the pandemic may not be a health problem for them, it is a serious economic problem for them and this, in turn, results in an unwitting spreading of the virus through local communities for various reasons, none of which remotely coincides with the anti-foreigner narratives of the state.

When the rakyat sees political operatives breaking SOPs, or when the government rolls back on restrictions, it makes the pandemic less serious and it becomes a partisan issue, rather than a health emergency.

There is a strong mistrust for what the government is doing and the statements and strategy coming out from the occupants of Putrajaya do nothing to allay those fears and mistrust. Take the issue of testing. The Health director-general claims that the system is under such a burden and that the Health Ministry has decided to scale down on testing.

Therefore, when groups representing private hospitals and practitioners ask the government not to threaten them because of slow test results, what we have is a toxic brew of government incompetence that bleeds into the private sector that is already struggling with the economic effects of the pandemic.

As the numbers go up, state administrators scramble to find excuses and blame shifts while the federal government, embroiled in political machinations, attempts to paint a picture of competency.

Meanwhile the rakyat, jaded and fatigued, go about dismantling the new normal in creative ways because neither the MCO nor the emergency makes any sense, beyond putting up hurdles to supporting their families.

I still want an answer from Harapan as to what their policies would be when it comes to handling this pandemic. State-run Harapan governments like Selangor and Penang are as incompetent as the federal government, embroiled in petty national politics – which only does to further the safety of their populace.

I still want to know how Harapan would deal with enforcement and outreach programmes because this present government has proved that it is not up to the task.

The vaccine issue is a mess, with nobody in the government attempting to formulate a strategy of vaccination beyond the numerous scandals involving vaccines and the companies aiming to distribute them.

As I argued in another piece, this “emergency”, and we can add the current MCO, is a complete mess. As the numbers go up and the excuses pile up, the people who are suffering are those who are the most economically disenfranchised and those whose job security are at the whims of a federal bureaucracy that is more interested in saving its own behind than formulating a cohesive federal level strategy to battle this pandemic.

And let us not even discuss the frontliners, who we are told are at a breaking point – but which do not warrant serious mitigation policies to ease the burden on them.

I spoke to a Harapan political operative who favoured a targeted approach to the MCO, which she hopes would include stricter enforcement, and to another Harapan political operative who was in favour of a total lockdown for two weeks to get a handle on the situation before easing up on restrictions.

Both place the health safety of frontliners first because both have been involved in the health security issue for years and have seen, first hand in other Third World countries, what happens when the healthcare system breaks down. They fear the same could happen here.

It should make you wonder: if the worst-case scenario ever materialises, what would be PN's response?

We are dealing with a pandemic, the aftermath of which would have major implications on the way we live and work.

Business as usual in this case could be crippling.


S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. A retired barrister-at-law, he hopes young people will assume the mantle of leadership – if there is to be any hope for this country.

Dei Amanah, lu bodoh sangat lah

Malaysiakini:

Amanah, think carefully before allowing Pejuang on board

YOURSAY | 'Letting them use your logo is a backdoor entry into Harapan…'

Pejuang mulls borrowing Amanah logo for GE15

Not Bitten Twice: Pakatan Harapan is currently relatively united, compared to Perikatan Nasional (PN). Why allow Pejuang to rock the boat? How to reconcile these complicated relationships?

1. Amanah is part of Harapan. Pejuang is using Amanah to leech onto Harapan, unashamedly. This is after its founder Dr Mahathir Mohamad asked opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to "pergi lah" (get lost) regarding the PM post.

2. If Amanah is part of Harapan, then shouldn't this be discussed at the Harapan presidential council – the opposition coalition’s highest decision-making body?

3. What about seat allocation? Is Amanah willing to share its quota of parliamentary and state seats with Pejuang? I don't think PKR or DAP will share theirs.

4. Has any serious survey been done on the winnability of Pejuang? Carry out a credible survey and one which is not sponsored by Mahathir or Pejuang or done by some half-baked survey centre.

5. It is a myth that the money and the sponsors that Pejuang has can help Amanah. In GE14, Amanah was the poorest but it did well for a newbie party of around three years old then.

6. Has Amanah considered that it may lose many votes due to the Mahathir factor? Whatever votes you think Mahathir can help bring in will be neutralised many times over by losing the votes of the many who just hate his brand of politics.

7. If Harapan wins GE15, how sure are you that Mahathir will not again create his usual trouble?

FairMalaysian: When the trust deficit and credibility of exclusive Malay parties are seriously doubted, Amanah will be "destroyed" if it accepts Malay-exclusive Pejuang.

With its few seats, which may vanish the next time around, Pejuang will hamper the progress of reforms towards good governance and a multiracial government. It has the tendency to "blackmail" the Harapan coalition as Bersatu was doing all along.

Pejuang will never be able to fight for the rights of all Malaysians like Muda. It will be a Malay chauvinistic party that will only be screaming about Malay rights.

The fact that it is not ready to form a multiracial party shows its sneaky attitude in subscribing to a multiracial Malaysia.

Iphonezours: Amanah, be careful and think wisely. Will Amanah benefit anything with Pejuang using your logo?

The situation now is different from 2018, when at that time people trusted Mahathir and his ‘genuine’ intentions.

However, after his treacherous resignation and behind-the-scene schemes, people know the truth and may not forgive him for what he has done.

Mahathir has lost a lot of support from Malaysians and by associating with Amanah’s logo, he just wants to ride on your goodwill.

DalvinK: What? You (Pejuang) have the cheek to come back and tumpang (hitch a ride on) another party’s logo again?

You (especially Mahathir) tumpang the PKR logo for GE14, won the election, then ignored the election manifesto, disregarded the handover, and resigned from the PM position even though you didn't need to. Now you want to start over?

Please, Harapan can do well without Pejuang, but they'll definitely do worse if Pejuang joins the coalition.

Odysseus: The biggest issue in allowing Pejuang to hitch on Amanah is about seat allocation.

Pejuang is dead set against Anwar being the PM candidate for Harapan. Bringing on board Pejuang would mean giving up seats for them to contest and also, allowing Mahathir to come on board to demand his right to be PM again.

Amanah doesn't need to invite trouble into Harapan. Harapan can live without Pejuang.

It's better for Harapan to accommodate the likes of Muda’s Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and former Pejuang member Maszlee Malik, who are forward-looking and team players.

Gotcha: Good suggestion. I feel strongly that all Pejuang members should join Amanah and make Amanah stronger.

Remember that Amanah is known to the rakyat and already built its reputation as a good party with capable leaders.

Anon25: Pejuang will lose big time if it stands as an independent party in GE15. If Amanah agrees to let Pejuang campaign under its banner, make it clear at the outset.

Seat allocation must be left to Amanah’s central committee. Mahathir should not stand. Defeat will be humiliating.

MW: No, let Pejuang take over an existing registered inactive party then negotiate seats and positions between them and Harapan.

Letting them use your logo is a backdoor entry into Harapan, bypassing its presidential council and allowing them to stir up problems later if you happen to win the election.

GreenSalmon5378: Yes, this is a stupid idea. Do you think this is just some simple business transaction/deal here?

All logos carry some ideology/very specific objectives when that logo was created. Unless you fully agree with what it symbolises, then you should not use it.

If you agree with it, then just join the party.

Caripasal: When Mahathir needed help, he approached Harapan. When Harapan needed his help to support their PM candidate, he refused. What kind of partnership is this?

Harapan, haven’t you had enough of betrayal?

The monumental betrayal of Malaysians by Mahathir

FMT:

Ex-AG says Mahathir’s monumental betrayal made way for Trump-like Muhyiddin

A “monumental betrayal” by Mahathir Mohamad led to a “kakistrocracy” formed by Muhyiddin Yassin, says Tommy Thomas. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: Former attorney general Tommy Thomas has harsh words for Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whose resignation as prime minister in February 2020 paved the way for Muhyddin Yassin to take power.

In an epilogue to his recently-published memoirs, Thomas described Mahathir’s resignation as “a monumental betrayal”.

In a Churchillian turn of phrase, Thomas said: “Seldom in our nation’s history have so many million voters been let down by the actions of one man.”

Mahathir resigned on Feb 24, causing the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government two years after it came to power in the 2018 general election. His resignation led the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to seek a new prime minister and cabinet from members of Parliament.

Muhyiddin was appointed five days later after the King consulted political leaders to determine who commanded a majority in the Dewan Rakyat. He formed a government of parties in the Perikatan Nasional coalition.

Thomas said the formation of the new government “by a coalition of Malay-centric parties that proudly proclaim their race and religion” had brought disastrous consequences to multi-racial Malaysia.

He compared Muhyiddin Yassin to former US president Donald Trump, saying they both represented the rise to power of those lacking credibility and principle.

Both Muhiddin and Trump represented the modern ‘”kakistocracy”, he said, using a term invented in 17th century England to mean “government by the worst; to describe the political rise of the least qualified or most unscrupulous”.


Calling it a “misgovernment for profit”, Thomas said the kakistocracy served a political agenda – the shameless pursuit of hate politics: (Trump’s) America First, or the Malay/Muslim Agenda of the PN government.

He also said that Trump displayed “dictatorial conduct” during his tenure, disregarding conventions, norms and even legal requirements. Malaysia’s opposition parties have used similar terms against Muhyiddin after his government declared a state of emergency.