Saturday, February 01, 2025

The very distasteful act of opposition faction mocking Guan Eng’s toe dislocation misery





The very distasteful act of opposition faction mocking Guan Eng’s toe dislocation misery





IT is very disheartening indeed to learn how Malaysians can rejoice over the misery of others just because of different political alignment.

Such is the case when opposition-slant blogger Ratu Naga posted a screenshot shared earlier by DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng of him being subject to local anaesthetic to fix his dislocated fourth toe after “having banged it” against the corner of his bed on the second day (Jan 30) of Chinese New Year (CNY).

Ratu Naga
on Thursday

Guan Eng dikejar ke hospital, tersepak bucu katil


Obviously, with detractors aplenty out there, one cannot expect the decency of “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all” to apply.

Henceforth, the Bagan MP who is nicknamed “Nobita” after the main character of Japanese cartoon, Doraemon, was mocked and taunted ‘left, right and centre’ so to speak.

“Look … it’s not just the people who don’t like you … even your own bed dislike you, Nobita,” exclaimed one commenter while another “blamed” Ju-On (supernatural force and the main antagonist in the Japanese horror film franchise Ju-on) for Guan Eng’s ordeal.



One commenter called on Amanah president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu a.k.a. Mat Sabu and his gang “to strongly condemn the corner of the bed” for causing an injury on Guan Eng whom he dubbed as “Maulana al-sheikh Lim Gone End” while others asked for a legal suit to be filed against the “corner of the bed” or the bed’s manufacturer.



Others likened Guan Eng to “a communist who is as soft as the Israelis” or that “the tiger was chasing the fly till he mis-kicked the corner of his bed” which alluded to the lion vs fly analogy used by Housing and Local Government Minister and DAP vice-chairman Nga Kor Ming in his feud with UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh.



There were also those who wished that the 64-year-old former finance minister would be “permanently immobilised” with the bed deserved to be thanked for.



Whatever said and done, detractors out there will surely be disappointed given that the entire medical procedure by Penang Island Hospital orthopaedic specialist Datuk Dr Oh Kim Soon was a minor one with Guan Eng already back on his feet.

This is evident from his latest FB post with his father Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang by his side.

Lim Guan Eng
21 hours ago

Terima kasih kepada YAB Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, YB Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail dan Nurul Izzah di atas bakul buah-buahan dan susu segar dari Tanah Liat, Permatang Pauh. Begitu juga dengan ingatan daripada pimpinan DAP Pulau Pinang Sdri Lim Hui Ying, Dato Seri Rajoo, RSN Rayer, Joseph Ng, Ong Ah Teong, Kumaran Krishnan dan Senator Dr Lingesh.
________

Thanking PM, Kak Wan and Nurul for the fruit basket and fresh milk from Tanah Liat, Permatang Pauh as w...

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“Thanking PM, Kak Wan and Nurul for the fruit basket and fresh milk from Tanah Liat, Permatang Pauh,” penned the former Penang chief minister.

“My gratitude also goes to well-wishers from DAP Penang Sdri Lim Hui Ying, Datuk Seri Rajoo, RSN Rayer, Joseph Ng, Ong Ah Teong, Kumaran Krishnan and Senator Dr Lingesh.” – Feb 1, 2025

Main image credit: Lim Guan Eng/Facebook


Wee: Too soon to call a Chinese voter shift








Wee: Too soon to call a Chinese voter shift


Published: Feb 1, 2025 11:19 AM
Updated: 2:19 PM


Summary

  • MCA president Wee Ka Siong believes it is premature to conclude whether Chinese voters are returning to the party, as the political landscape has changed under the unity government.

  • He stresses that Chinese voters prioritise economic stability and education, urging the government to focus on real-life concerns rather than just economic data.

  • Wee emphasises the need for hard work, grassroots engagement, and strategic planning, warning that political dynamics remain unpredictable ahead of the next general election.


MCA president Wee Ka Siong believed it is too early to determine whether Chinese voters are returning to the party, despite more than two years passing since the 15th general election.

He pointed out that the political landscape has changed with the formation of a coalition government, making direct comparisons with past elections difficult.

“We must not adopt a one-sided mindset. The government needs time to govern, and the political landscape has changed. This is now a unity government, unlike before,” he said in a recent media joint interview, reported China Press.

“The people also need time - change does not happen overnight. We cannot rush this process.”

Economy, education concerns

Wee stressed that Chinese voters care most about economic stability and education, and are concerned over what substantial progress the government has made in these areas.

“People don’t care about economic statistics; they care about daily survival - whether they can afford basic necessities, keep their jobs, or sustain their businesses. These factors shape their trust in the government,” he said.



He also warned against assuming voter trends too soon, because the 16th general election could bring entirely new dynamics.

“Even if voters do not support the government, it does not necessarily mean they will vote for the opposition. We also do not know what the dynamics of the GE16 will be or who will align with whom.

“By then, things could take an entirely different turn. So, it is too early to conclude that Chinese votes are returning.”

MCA’s comeback

Wee acknowledged that if MCA wants to regain ground, it must work harder than ever, particularly in engaging with the grassroots and nurturing young talent.

No politician wants to sit out an election, but if a candidate isn’t recognised by voters, winning a seat means nothing - it’ll be a short-lived victory, he cautioned.

Wee also underscored the need for strategic planning, saying, “Our focus should be on doing our job well. Since seat negotiations are a strategic matter, there is no need to publicise every detail. Politics is about strategy, and everyone has their own game plan.”



Wee reiterated that in today’s political environment, securing parliamentary and state seats remains the ultimate measure of success.

“The political landscape is constantly shifting - what happens next in the Sabah election, and who will align with whom? Even those within the system may not have the answers yet. So, the most important thing is to strengthen ourselves first,” he added.


Leave matter to PN top leadership, MIPP and Gerakan told








Leave matter to PN top leadership, MIPP and Gerakan told


Ili Aqilah
Published: Feb 1, 2025 9:00 AM
Updated: 1:49 PM



Summary

  • Hafiz Alias Al-Baghoni urges the Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) and Gerakan to focus on public service and leave leadership decisions to Perikatan Nasional's top leadership.

  • The Penang PAS Youth vice-chief stresses the importance of proving PN's ability to govern and engaging first-time voters rather than debating leadership roles.


The Malaysian Indian People’s Party (MIPP) and Gerakan have been urged to focus on public service and let the Perikatan Nasional top leadership decide who should lead the coalition in Penang.

State PAS Youth vice-chief Hafiz Alias Al-Baghoni, while acknowledging their efforts as the opposition in addressing public concerns, encouraged both parties to work with PAS and Bersatu in Penang.

“For us, PAS and Bersatu, who have seats in Penang, it would be best to leave this matter to PN’s main leadership.

“MIPP and Gerakan must align themselves with PAS and Bersatu in the state to find a formula to win the people’s hearts - not just to make claims about who can lead PN Penang. That would be a waste of time,” Hafiz (above) told Malaysiakini.

Previously, Gerakan president Dominic Lau dismissed MIPP’s suggestion that it should helm PN in Penang, arguing that Gerakan had held the chief minister’s post for 39 years.

Dominic Lau


In response, MIPP president P Punithan said Gerakan’s goal of reclaiming Penang was unrealistic due to the state’s strong Chinese voter base, which largely supports DAP.

MIPP information chief Suthan Mookaiah further reinforced his party’s position, stating that Indians also have the right to lead Penang.

‘Give MIPP a chance’

While acknowledging Gerakan’s historical role in governing the state, Hafiz said MIPP should also be given a fair chance to prove itself.

“It is true that Gerakan once led the state government. However, they must adopt a fresh, modern, and diverse approach, especially with the presence of first-time voters as young as 18.

“There needs to be a strategy to engage these first-time voters effectively.

“As for MIPP, they are new, but they deserve a chance to demonstrate and prove that they are qualified to lead the state PN,” he added.

Hafiz stressed that the most crucial priority now is proving to the public that PN representatives can deliver.

Suthan Mookaiah


“Whether PAS was in government or not, whether it had seats or not, we continued to serve and engage with the people. That’s why we advise our component partners in Gerakan and MIPP to focus on the people’s issues and welfare.

“They must prove through their efforts that they can govern, not just by making empty promises,” he added.

PN holds 11 out of 40 seats in the Penang assembly, with seven belonging to PAS and the remaining four to Bersatu.


PAC to summon transport minister and key figures over RM500m EPF loss involving MAHB, says chairman





PAC to summon transport minister and key figures over RM500m EPF loss involving MAHB, says chairman



PAC chairman Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said these proceedings will cover Kuala Lumpur land development under the Federal Territories Department, the director-general of Lands and Mines Department, and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL). — Photo by Shafwan Zaidon

Saturday, 01 Feb 2025 11:15 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 1 — The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) may summon several key individuals, including Transport Minister Anthony Loke, over allegations of a RM500 million loss in the Employees Provident Fund’s (EPF) share transactions involving Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB), New Straits Times (NST) reported.

PAC chairman Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said Loke, along with other individuals, will be called to testify in phased proceedings set to begin in the second week of this month.

“We previously summoned MAHB to discuss several matters. For public airport management, PAC has already outlined the terms of reference for proceedings covering all issues, including MAHB’s delisting from Bursa Malaysia’s Main Market under the consortium Gateway Development Alliance Sdn Bhd (GDA) led by Khazanah Nasional Bhd, as well as concerns over high ticket prices and delays in Aerotrain installation.

“We have listed several parties to be called, and, God willing, we expect to start proceedings in the second week of this month.

“I do not rule out summoning the transport minister as well, given the issues surrounding the aerotrain services. It is important to obtain his response and testimony,” she said after attending the launch of Bersatu women’s wing Srikandi’s Melaka Service Centre, officiated by Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin in Taman Tambak Paya Harmoni, Ayer Molek, last night.

Also present were Bersatu secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali and Bersatu Melaka chairman Tan Sri Rahim Tamby Chik.

Previously, several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and political parties had asked EPF to clarify its sale of MAHB shares in January 2023 at around RM6.74 per unit before repurchasing them at RM11 per unit as part of MAHB’s privatisation exercise, NST reported.

MCA also called on the government to investigate the share sale, which left EPF with only a five per cent stake in MAHB.

Mas Ermieyati, who is also the Masjid Tanah MP, was reported saying that during the First Meeting of the Fourth Session of the 15th Parliament from Monday until March 6, PAC has scheduled about 45 meetings, including five new proceedings.

She said these proceedings will cover Kuala Lumpur land development under the Federal Territories Department, the director-general of Lands and Mines Department, and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

Other proceedings will focus on the proposed leasing of electric multiple unit (EMU) trains under the Transport Ministry (MOT), Railway Asset Corporation (RAC), and Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB); public airport management under the Finance Ministry (MOF), MAHB, Khazanah Nasional, and EPF; domestic investments by Khazanah Nasional under MOF and Khazanah; as well as rising health insurance premiums, private hospital charges, and their impact on public healthcare under MOF, the Health Ministry (MOH), and Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM).

“This year, PAC aims to present 25 reports and hold more than 150 meetings on issues affecting the public and the Auditor-General’s Report, compared to 148 meetings and 22 reports last year.

“Regarding Khazanah Nasional’s investment losses, PAC has scheduled a proceeding on Khazanah’s domestic investments to obtain explanations and testimony from the sovereign wealth fund,” she was quoted saying.

People of Denmark see US as bigger threat than North Korea amid Trump Greenland row, poll finds


Independent:


People of Denmark see US as bigger threat than North Korea amid Trump Greenland row, poll finds


The US president has floated the prospect of buying the vast Arctic territory for years – making several more remarks after re-entering the White House

Alexander Butler
Friday 31 January 2025 12:38 GMT





The people of Denmark see the US as more of a threat than North Korea amid an ongoing row between the country and Donald Trump about Greenland, a poll has found.

The YouGov survey, which polled just over 1,000 people, revealed 46 per cent thought the US to be either a “very big threat” or a “fairly big threat” to Denmark.


This was higher than the number who said they considered North Korea or Iran a threat – of which 44 per cent and 40 per cent did respectively, according to The Guardian.

It comes after Trump, 78, reportedly blasted Denmark’s prime minister Mette Frederiksen in a “dangerous” phone call on 15 January pressuring her to cede Greenland to the US.

The Arctic island, which has a population of 57,000, was formerly ruled as a colony by Denmark, which now oversees the semi-autonomous territory’s security and foreign policy.


open image in gallery
Trump reportedly blasted Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen in a ‘dangerous’ phone call over Denmark’s refusal to cede Greenland (Getty Images)


Trump floated the prospect of buying the vast Arctic territory during his first term in 2019, and has said US control of Greenland is an "absolute necessity" for international security.


The US president was “very firm” during his phone call to Frederiksen which took place five days before his inauguration, a senior European official told The Financial Times.

“It was a cold shower. Before, it was hard to take it seriously. But I do think it is serious, and potentially very dangerous,” they said.

A few days after he was sworn in as 47th US president, he claimed Greenland “wanted to be with us” and said he believed it would eventually become part of the US.

"I think the people want to be with us," Trump said when asked about the island in the press room on board the presidential plane.


"I don't really know what claim Denmark has to it, but it would be a very unfriendly act if they didn't allow that to happen because it's for the protection of the free world," he added.

As well as oil and gas, Greenland’s supply of in-demand raw materials for green technology is attracting interest from around the world, including from China.

Frederiksen toured Berlin, Paris and Brussels this week in a bid to shore up support amid Trump’s ongoing threats, urging Europe to “stand together”.

“I want to ensure that all of Europe stands together. Not only in connection with the kingdom of Denmark but also more broadly,” she said.

“Everyone in Europe can see that it will be a different collaboration with the USA now,” she added.


Musings on the pedantry and pettiness of politics in our country





Musings on the pedantry and pettiness of politics in our country


31 Jan 2025 • 6:30 PM MYT


TheRealNehruism
Writer. Seeker. Teacher



Image credit: Focus Malaysia/Focus Malaysia / The Sun


I can’t believe that Ramasamy’ Urimai has not been registered yet. The way that Ramasamy has been going hither and thither, I thought that his party must have been registered a long time ago , and he was just going about town preparing for an election to come.


Turns out I was wrong. Not only has Ramasamy’s Urimai not been registered, he is even being forced to go to court to get it registered.


According to Ramasamy, the delay in the registration of Urimai forced Urimai to pursue judicial review, which was scheduled for Jan 27 at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur, but even his date with the court has been postponed to next month.


Hearing about the amount of trouble that he has to go through just to complete the humble task of getting a political party registered, I am even beginning to get suspicious that Ramasamy might be a more important political figure than I had presumed.


I am quite sure that it was more than a year ago that Ramasamy had asked me to give him a good name for a party that he wished to start. I remember giving several names, but more than the names itself, i remember giving him the suggestion that it would be good for the long form of the name of his party should be in English or Malay, but its acronym stand for a Tamil word.


Although Ramasamy did not take up any of the names I had given him, I would like to believe that the fact that the acronym for the United for the Rights of Malaysians Party is Urimai, which is a Tamil word that stands for rights, means that I might had some part in the naming of his party anyway.


But I digress.


The point I want to make here is, why does it take more than one year to register a political party?


Afterall, how hard can the process be? If you can register a business in a few days, I think you should be able to register a political party within a half a month at most.


Considering all this, it is really difficult for to believe that the delay in registering Ramasamy’s party is not a petty attempt to stump Ramasamy from making his mark on the country's politics .


Anyway, I hope that Ramasamy’s party will get registered soon, not only because I have a sentimental attachment to it, on account of having played some part in the construction of its name ( or at least that is what I believe. I have no way of knowing whether this is true, but this is what I believe. These days, you have to qualify everything you say, less some politician takes offense to it and make a police report or sue you for it), but also because his situation seems to be the another incident in a long series of incidents that suggests that political situation in the country is becoming palpably more edgy, pedantic and petty.


Other than Ramasamy's unusual delay, I find that whenever I read the news these days, I can't help but find one incident and after another of a molehill being transformed into a mountain for petty, pedantic and superfluous reason.


Just a moment ago, for example, when I was scrolling through the news, I found out that Hannah Yeoh is serving a Pas politician a letter of demand for saying that she is related to YTL founder Yeoh Tiong Lay. I also read that an editor at Malaysia Kini had his laptop confiscated simply for printing an alleged defamatory statement made by Khairy Jamalluddin, which Khairy had earlier uttered on his podcast.


I really don't understand why a politician has to say who another politician is related to on stage, or why the other politician has to make arrangements to sue the politician for saying it ? Who cares who your relatives are? Are we so petty to think that if your relative is Bentong Kali, you must also have the qualities of a hardened criminal? And how would you know you are not related to Bentong Kali? Do you really know everybody you are related to? Is there really no chance that your mother's brother's wife's uncle's cousin's sister's nephew might be Bentong Kali ?


As for the Malaysia Kini editor who had his laptop seized, that editor did not even come up with the alleged statement, mind you. That editor had merely reprinted it, and what was reprinted was based on something that anyone can view on youtube. Despite that, the editor’s laptop was seized anyway.


Looking at all this, I feel that everybody has to walk on eggshells in the third year of the Madani government's reign, because you can get yourself in an awful amount of trouble for the most trivial of things, like having the wrong labels on a garbage bag that you bought online.


As a content creator, I have to say that pettiness is blessing, but the edginess is a curse.


The edginess is a curse because it is causing me to censor my own thoughts too often for comfort, which interrupts my flow of thoughts, and reduces the quality of my work.


When I write, I enjoy it best when I write as if I am talking to a friend - it is fun when I can say things in a flow, without needing to be so punctilious and dot every i or cross every t, because I would like to believe that you dear readers, are an intelligent person who can think for yourself and put things together on your own without needing everything qualified and explained to you. This is how your friend should speak to you, isn't it ? They should speak to you while respecting you as an intelligent person, and without suspecting that everything you are saying to them is attempt by you to harm, mislead or befuddle them.


But this year, I have to say, I reckon that it is only angels and demigods that will be able to enjoy communicating in Malaysia, because the pressure to get everything right is getting so overwhelming, that when I write, I sometimes feel that I can't even say that “ I think that it is going to rain tomorrow”, without somebody asking me to justify the source of my information or feeling like I am liable to being sued because of what I had said, even if it is what I said is something inoccous as what I think the weather tomorrow might be, because someone somewhere is looking at every sentence and word that I utter to find a falut, so that they can take offfense and make it sound as if I spend all my time plotting on how to say something that is “false, misleading and cause panic in society.


But on the bright side, I must say that the pettiness in the political landscape in the country is also a sort of a blessing in disguise, because it gives you plenty of material to write about with little to no need for research . Honestly, what research is there to do about issues like a couple of politician arguing about what “ham” means or why the ex-prime minister's wife intends to sue someone for saying she indulges in black magic.


Nothing, absolutely nothing.


My fellow Malaysians and readers however, seem to be complaining about it the insignificance of it all relentlessly.


“Can’t you find anything more worthwhile to write about, Nehru?” They keep pestering me in the comment sections of my articles.


Well, all I can say to their criticism is that “Friends, it is not me that doesn't want to write about something meaningful in the political situation in the country, but it is easier to find a shadow at midnight than do what you ask of me, considering the material that I have to work with. As much as you don't appreciate it, it is these pieces, about ham sandwiches and black magic, garbage bags and who a politician thinks another politician's relative is, that I will likely have to regale you with, because this is likely going to be as good as it gets in this beloved country of ours in the year of the snake.


Trump to send deported migrants to Guantanamo



Murray Hunter


Trump to send deported migrants to Guantanamo


The notorious US military detention camp in Cuba will house up to 30,000 people, according to the president

Jan 30, 2025





Comment: I believe there is going to be a massive war on the South American drug cartels and their distributors inside the United States. The real reason Guantanamo is being expanded to house those cartel members caught during the upcoming war.


President Donald Trump has announced plans to expand detention facilities at the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to accommodate thousands of deported immigrants as part of his intensified efforts to remove illegal aliens from US soil.

The initiative was revealed on Wednesday during the signing of the bipartisan Laken Riley Act, which mandates the detention and potential deportation of undocumented individuals accused of theft and violent crimes, even before conviction. Justifying the use of Guantanamo Bay, Trump argued that some individuals are “so bad, we don’t even trust the countries to hold them, because we don’t want them coming back.”

“So we’re going to send them out to Guantanamo,” Trump added, calling the facility “a tough place to get out of.”

Guantanamo Bay, best known for holding terrorism suspects, also hosts a separate migrant processing center. Trump said he would sign an executive order directing the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security to expand and prepare the facilities for new arrivals.

Most people don’t even know that we have 30,000 beds in Guantanamo to detain the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people,” Trump stated. He added that the move would “bring us one step closer to eradicating the scourge of migrant crime in our communities once and for all.”

Since his first day back in office, President Trump has enacted a series of executive orders aimed at overhauling the US immigration system. US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been carrying out raids across the country, detaining hundreds of people daily. Targeted cities include Boston, New York, Newark, and San Francisco, with agents focusing on arresting immigrants who had committed crimes after entering the US illegally, according to the agency.

The Trump administration has also escalated deportation efforts, using military planes for removal flights and threatening tariffs and other repercussions for countries that refuse to accept deportees.

Guantanamo Bay has been a US naval base since 1903 and was transformed into a detention center in 2002 under President George W. Bush to house suspected terrorists following the September 11 attacks. The facility has long been criticized for torture and indefinite detentions without charge or trial. As of January 2025, 15 detainees remain at the site, many of whom have been imprisoned for over two decades without formal charges.

The Cuban government has consistently denounced the presence of the US military base at Guantanamo Bay, calling it a violation of Cuban sovereignty and raising concerns over human rights abuses at the detention facility. On his first day in office, Trump reinstated Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism, reversing an executive order issued by former President Joe Biden just a week prior.


Canada and Mexico say ready to respond as Trump tariff threat looms

al Jazeera:


Canada and Mexico say ready to respond as Trump tariff threat looms