Rule of Law

"For as in absolute governments the king is law, so in free countries the law ought to be king; and there ought to be no other."
- Thomas Payne (1776)

Perhaps my apparent lethargy and tardiness in blogging may just be par for the course. I see some of my ex journo peers are now also simply doing c&p of published online news material. Sheeesh.

But we cannot really blame them. The reason must surely be that all these happenings on the political front are getting a bit tiresome, old bean. All that mindless talk of derhaka against the Sultan and news reports, here, that the new Perak state government is consulting an English QC for help in the constitutional crisis confirms and points to what we have been saying all along ...

Its simply a matter of the rule of law, stupid.

That the lawmakers themselves do not seem to quite comprehend this must surely be very bewildering and mind boggling to some and gets my goat.

My old friend Capt. Gian Singh Sehmi sent me this old joke which I think is still relevant and funny:

One day a florist goes to a barber for a haircut. After the cut he asked about his bill and the barber replies, "I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week." The florist was pleased and left the shop.

When the barber goes to open his shop the next morning there is a 'thank you' card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.

Later, a policeman comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill, the barber again replies, "I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week." The cop is happy and leaves the shop.

The next morning when the barber goes to open up there is a 'thank you' card and a dozen donuts waiting for him at his door.

Later that day, a college professor comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill, the barber again replies, "I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week." The professor is very happy and leaves the shop.

The next morning when the barber opens his shop, there is a 'thank you' card and a dozen different books, such as 'How to Improve Your Business' and 'Becoming More Successful.'

Then, a Member of Parliament comes in for a haircut, and when he goes to pay his bill the barber again replies, "I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week." The Member of Parliament is very happy and leaves the shop.

The next morning when the barber goes to open up, there are a dozen Members of Parliament all lined up waiting for a free haircut!

And that, my friends, illustrates the fundamental difference between the citizens of our country and the Members of Parliament.

D-Day for RPK

Raja Petra Kamarudin. You either love him or hate him for he has the balls to take on the high and mighty. But today is D-day for him when 3 Federal Court judges will decide whether to send him back to Kamunting as His Majesty's reluctant guest under the dreaded Internal Security Act. I publish below what he says will probably be his 'final' message to his readers from his website Malaysia Today:

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin
16th February 2009

Tomorrow, I will probably be detained under the Internal Security Act. Anyhow, before we talk about that, let me start by giving you my prediction for the two by-elections scheduled for early April.

In 2004, BN won the Bukit Selambau state seat with a majority of 7,695 votes and in 2008 they lost it with a majority of 2,362 votes. (See the chart below). In the coming by-election, I forecast a voter turnout of around 26,000 and a majority of 3,500-4,500 for the opposition.

For the Bukit Gantang parliament seat, in 2004 Barisan Nasional won with a majority of 8,888 and in 2008 it lost with a majority of 1,566. (See chart below). This time around, the voter turnout will be roughly 42,000 and the opposition will win that seat with a majority of 5,000-8,000 votes.

Okay, I am forecasting this even before I know who the candidates are. Well, I have no choice. On Tuesday, 17 February 2009, the Federal Court is due to hear the appeal against my release from Internal Security Act detention and I really do not know what the outcome is going to be. Chances are, I have but 24 hours left as a free man and if I do not write this article today I never will.

On 7 November 2008, the Shah Alam High Court ordered my release from detention. The government has appealed this decision although it did not see the need to appeal the decision of the Shah Alam High Court acquitting Abdul Razak Baginda of the charge of murder without his defence being called.

I was in court last week to witness the performance of the three judges and what I saw did not give me much confidence. First of all, we asked for a quorum of seven judges, or at least five. But the court turned us down and fixed a quorum of only three judges. And two of the three judges appear to be hostile towards us from the word 'go'. It looks like my fate has been sealed even before the case goes to court.

Anyway, I know for a fact that it was not Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who ordered my detention. He was not even aware I had been detained. The order came from Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and since I am bent on making sure he never becomes Prime Minister on 1 April 2009 I really do not blame him for wanting to get me out of the way.

My friends and family want me to leave the country and to seek political asylum in another country. They feel I can still continue with the struggle in a foreign land. But I am against that as much as my wife pleads that I consider this. I am no quitter and I do not run. I shall stay and fight till the very end even if that is the last thing I do.

If I have to lose my freedom so be it. That is the price we pay for opposing the powers-that-be. But I shall not go quietly or make any deals to secure my release with those who walk in the corridors of power.

I was given an option. Take the money and become rich or go to jail. I refused the money and instead chose jail. This is my choice and no one can convince me to do otherwise. No doubt I will have to pay for this and it will be a heavy price that I shall have to pay. But this is the price of the struggle and the price does not come cheap.

I shall not submit. I shall resist till the end. I stand on right and I oppose what is wrong. "Amar makruf, nahi munkar", as Islam would say. We must uphold right and oppose wrong. That is not only the Islamic way but also the way of all religions. And even atheists believe in this, so you need not believe in God to subscribe to the concept of amar makruf, nahi munkar.

Over thousands of years countless people have met their deaths just because they stood on the side of right. What I have chosen to do has been done by so many who are now nameless and faceless. So it is nothing so special that I do which has not been done before.

My resistance will continue. But I will have to continue my resistance behind the barbwire fences of the Kamunting Detention Centre. It will now be up to you, those who are free, to continue where I left off.

My resistance, however, will have to take on a new form. I will no longer be able to write or speak at ceramahs. My voice has now been silenced. But I can still speak the words of silence, which will be my new form of resistance.

I shall no longer open my mouth or utter one word during my detention. I shall maintain the silence of a mute person. I shall not sign any documents of the so many documents that they make you sign when under detention. My signature is not going to be placed on a single shred of paper.

By doing so would mean none of my family members or lawyers would have access to me. Yes, that is the price I shall pay for 'not cooperating'. I know this and I am prepared for it.

I shall refuse all medical treatment and visits to the hospital. I shall refuse to accept any food and water supplied by the Kamunting authorities. I shall refuse to leave my cell or to meet any of the prison authorities. In short, I shall shut myself out from the world and keep to my own world of my eight feet square cell.

This action will mean I shall survive at the most seven to eight days. By the end of that period I shall be dead. I am prepared for that. They plan to imprison my body for the rest of my life. But I shall release my spirit from my body and will again be free. They can keep my body and they can do whatever they want with it. But they will never be able to keep my spirit. I shall separate my spirit from my body and deny them the pleasure of incarcerating me.

This is a decision I have taken and no one can make me change my mind. And this is probably the last article of mine that you shall read if they send me to Kamunting tomorrow. Keep the struggle going. I shall no longer be able to join you in that struggle. The work is far from finished. This country needs major political, economic and social reforms. The next two years are going to be most trying years indeed. And expect a snap general election within 18 months of Najib taking over if he does take over on 1 April 2009.

I lay down my life for this nation of ours called Malaysia. I will sacrifice myself for the sake of the struggle. There is very little left I can give at this point of time other than my life. For those who stood by me all these years, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I go with a heavy heart. But my heart is heavy only because I have but one life to give.

Death is not the end. Death is but the beginning. It is the beginning of a new journey that none of us can escape and will one day embark upon. It is not something to be sad about. It is something to rejoice.

Please continue your struggle to make Malaysia a better place for our future generation. This country belongs to them and it is for them that we struggle. For some of us, our time is already almost up. We do not have many years left. Many have gone before us. Many friends who started out with us in 1998 are no longer around. But they left this world in the hope that one day Malaysia will be the country that we dream it would be. And that, too, must be our dream.

I pray and hope that the Putrajaya Federal Court will uphold the decision of the Shah Alam High Court to free me from ISA detention. But if it reverses that decision then we must be prepared for that as well. And if the Federal Court does what I fear it will do, goodbye Malaysians, my comrade-in-arms. We shall meet again, one day, although not in this world but the next.

Update at 1530: Malaysiakini reports, here, that controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin will have another week of freedom after the Federal Court today postponed his habeas corpus hearing to next Monday. This is to allow the judges to study the written submissions from both parties.

MCPXThis is to allow the judges to study the written submissions from both parties.

Another PKFZ in the making ...

Asia Petroleum Hub, Johor

The Malaysian Insider, here, has quoted a Singapore The Straits Times (TST) report today that a worsening ownership battle for a planned Malaysian bunkering facility on a reclaimed island in Johor (photo) to rival Singapore’s is threatening to derail the project and could hurt CIMB, one of the country’s largest commercial banks.

It appears that the project leader, a little-known private company called KIC Oil and Gas, has so far drawn down nearly half of its RM1.4 billion financing facility from CIMB to fund construction work. But it has failed to resolve problems with another key shareholder of the project, Seaport Terminal, which owns both the Johor ports of Pasir Gudang and Pelabuhan Tanjung Pelepas (PTP). This has prompted CIMB to consider suspending further funding for the construction.

Questions are now being raised over the viability of the project because the government has decided to hold back on its pledge to put in place the necessary infrastructure, valued at roughly RM350 million for roadworks and other utilities, until the shareholder row is resolved.

KIC insists that it is the rightful developer of the planned petroleum hub after it won rights to lease the island in July 2005 from the Ministry of Transport, but Seaport is disputing the award on grounds that the MoT's move to lease the 40ha reclaimed island to KIC violates an earlier privatisation agreement the company had with the government.

TST has also reported that in a bid to resolve the stalemate, the Malaysian government has decided to dictate the shareholding structure for Asia Petroleum Hub (APH), the company which was awarded rights to build and operate the bunkering facility.

Under the plan, KIC was awarded a 40 per cent interest in the project, while Seaport Terminal was given a 35 per cent shareholding. The remaining 25 per cent in APH was split between two other entities. All four parties have yet to sign a shareholders’ agreement but KIC has led construction work for the project with funding from CIMB. Who is behind MoT's decision to award rights to lease the reclaimed island to KIC and why the funding was released before the ownership problems are resolved remains unclear.

Its crystal clear to me, old bean.

Derhaka?

I have never been in awe of royalty since they are only human and not quite infallible. During my school days in MCKK, there were a few rajas and tengkus from the country's royal households amongst the good mix of blue bloods and peasantry in prep school and many are still my friends today. As a member of a proud Bugis clan from Linggi myself, I can trace my ancestral lineage direct to the legendary Bugis warrior/sailor prince Daeng Chelak, one of the famous Daeng band of brothers from Sulawesi who went on to found what are now the royal houses of Selangor and Johor. No big deal here perhaps, but this makes me as 'royal' as I want to fancy myself to be.

Charges of derhaka (treason) or lèse majesté or whatever to the Sultan of Perak levelled against Perak MB Mohd Nizar by members of the Barisan Nasional for refusing to step down are to my mind pretty silly, if not downright bloody stupid. (Read the Malaysiakini report, here). It is simply a matter of the rule of law and the country's top legal minds are still debating the issue in cyberspace. History books are also full of accounts of mighty emperors, kings, Marcoses, Idi Amins et al having been unceremoniously booted out for failing to heed the call and committing derhaka against the rakyat, the final arbiter of things.

The government of the day should be wise to try and learn from history.

Perak: A Right Royal Mess

I do believe that the Sultan of Perak, a former Lord President, has erred when he refused to dissolve the State Assembly and call for fresh polls on the advice of his Mentri Besar Mohd Nizar yesterday. Even UMNO's Tengku Razaleigh, himself a royal, thinks so and describes the situation there as "shameful". Read about it, here.

"To formally test the mandate of the current government, whether in Perak, Sabah or the Federal government, the question must either be put to the people through state elections, or to the assemblymen through a formal vote in the dewan. These are the only tests that count in our constitutional democracy," he said."To remove and install governments in any other way is to violate the Constitution, erode the rule of law, and to run the risk of forming an illegal government."

Ku Li further concludes that "Legitimate authority can only be established through the democratic means spelled out in our constitution. Rightful authority is an entirely different thing from the brute power that can be bought, sold or seized by force. The invisible laws make our government, nation and society possible. I won’t begin to describe the harm we would do these things if we began to ratify power achieved without regard for the rule of law in this country."

Now I wonder WTF is Ku Li doing still hanging on aboard a sinking ship.

Greed to the Fore

As Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim accuses Barisan Nasional of trying to form the state government in Perak 'by hook or by crook', here, my old friend Hussein Hamid in Adelaide, also a former MCKK classmate of Anwar, sent me this very sarcastic comment via Facebook:

"Live by the sword...die by one...and so it has come to pass that Anwar now has a taste of his own medicine. The defections he had once hoped to happen has finally started its long predicted momentum but alas it has gone against him. Like Pak Lah the momentum was there for him to seize when the opposition won control of five states in the last election - but the heady days of victory and power was too exciting to let go - and playing politics rather then governing became the norm.

And now the end will start to come not only for Anwar but for the grand design that came with the victory at the last election - and as always God is on the side of those with money and big armies...and as always we await the return of rampant corruption, greed and money politics as UMNO return to the fore with Najib at its apex. Did the Rakyat really thought that Truth, Justice and Fairness will really prevail? Do they not know that greed overcomes all other consideration? Amen."

HH has also started his own blog: Steadyaku47. Go visit, here.

Frogs

As for the current political turmoil in the state of Perak (read yesterday's The Malaysian Insider report, here), I have no problems if people want to hop and jump like frogs or defect like rats deserting a sinking ship. To me its simply a matter of personal survival old bean, but if it is the other way around then we do have to question their sanity. It pains me to discuss morality and integrity bla-bla when the whole game stinks to high heaven.

With DPM Najib smelling like roses especially after the recent IJN and KLIA East episodes, I do wonder whether all these are just elaborately crafted but badly scripted wayang kulit for the masses? After all, he has unfortunately or otherwise been associated with 'missing persons' before and I have a sneaking suspicion that there is more than meets the eye here.

Perhaps instead of introducing an anti-party hopping law, which may be against the 'freedom of association' proviso in the Federal Constitution, it may just be wise to consider Pas vice-president Husam Musa's call for a dissolution of parliament for fresh polls as a better option.

Lets see if this government has the gumption to seek a fresh mandate instead of resorting to cloak-and-dagger chicanery to stay in power.

Update at 1630hrs: In a breaking news, Malaysiakini reports, here, that PKR Ipoh Barat division head Fauzi Muda has leveled the damning claim in a statutory declaration that UMNO deputy president Najib Abdul Razak had tried last year to induce him to secure the crossover of two Pakatan Rakyat representatives in Perak for RM50 million. Sheeesh.

On-Off KLIA East

The controversial proposal for a new RM1.6 billion low cost carrier terminal (LCCT) at KLIA East @ Labu has apparently been shelved following a meeting yesterday between DPM Najib and the two key project proponents - budget carrier AirAsia and conglomerate Sime Darby. This again is after a public hue and cry similar to the one I mentioned earlier in my previous blog. It possibly has also become too costly politically for the administration who must have feared a backlash. (Read The Malaysian Insider [TMI] report, here)

“The DPM played the role of an honest broker. He did not take sides but wanted to make sure that national interest was served. This could only happen if the new LCCT was built in KLIA but Air Asia’s legitimate interests and concerns were addressed,” a government official told TMI.

With the recent IJN brouhaha safely tucked under his belt, Najib must now be relishing his role as a so-called public saviour. But then the question which must be asked is why wasnt the parties involved forced to the negotiating table earlier? As pointed out by TMI, this episode certainly raises some serious questions over decision-making in the government.

Murder he said

I find it rather disturbing that nowadays the powers-that-be will act on issues only after widespread public hue and cry. A case in point is the recent decision by the Attorney-General to reclassify the death of police detainee A. Kugan as murder and calling for the arrests of the policemen responsible.

Kugan, 22, was detained for questioning on January 15 in connection with several luxury car theft cases. He died on Tuesday while in custody at the Taipan police station in Subang Jaya, allegedly due to assault. His family had become extremely suspicious of the numerous unexplained injuries found on his body. A second post-mortem autopsy on the deceased will be conducted today, three days after the family had called off his funeral.

Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar had caused a stir earlier when he said that Kugan, who did not have any past criminal record, died due to 'fluids in the lungs'. He also claimed that there was no foul play involved.

The integrity, accountability and transparency of the Royal Malaysian Police and the AG's office in issuing statements, just to create an atmosphere to subdue public outcry, are now seriously in question. It will surely take more than a simple PR exercise for the police and the AG to regain the respect and trust of the rakyat. I believe there have been some 1535 deaths in police custody between 2003 and 2007. An alarming number indeed. A truly Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) does really seem to be very relevant now.

Here's wishing a hearty Gong Xi Fa Cai to all my Chinese friends.

We will not go down (Song for Gaza)

East Coast Disaster

For the ruling Barisan Nasional, that is.

Although he has dismissed it only as a 'minor setback', losing a parliamentary 'buy" election in a Malay heartland again must surely be very painful for PM-in-waiting Najib, who had tirelessly led the BN campaign in Kuala Terengganu. And if even MCA's Ong Takut Kata is convinced when he 'was told' that the KT Chinese support for BN has actually increased, then its either these BN people are just thick or in a permanent state of denial.

Even Ku Li, here, has called the loss more than a "referendum" on the leadership. "We lost because of a national problem. The rakyat reject UMNO in its present form and style, and they reject its leadership," he said. But the immediate response from the leadership, yet again, is that "this should not be interpreted as voters having spurned BN".

Sheeesh.

Kuala Terengganu

I have never really been to Kuala Terengganu (KT), only passing briefly through the town center a few months ago after visiting the new Crystal Mosque (photo) complex, the only place there worth seeing, I think. I was then on my way for a few days of beach bumming with some friends in Tok Bali, Kelantan. Earlier, the furthest place up north on the east coast I have been to was Kertih, where a few years ago I did a couple of consultancy and audit jobs with some associates for the Petronas port. Driving through shabby towns, kampungs and countryside, we could not then really see where the billions in oil royalty money went.

When blogger Rocky asked me yesterday at Tok Mommy's MRT why I am not in KT with our other blogger friends for the parliamentary by-election there this weekend, I had to confess that I cannot even remember the names of the three candidates. I can recall there is somewan called Wan something or other and that's about it. Unlike Permatang Pauh, for me KT is just another minor 'empire skirmish' for the ruling party and I seriously doubt that the outcome will change anything or make much of a difference to the status quo in the short term. Besides, I am also currently up to my bloody ears in work.

My blogger friend Shar101 is rightfully peeved, here, I think, about the 'dirty tricks' and 'heavy guns' from Putrajaya being brought to bear in the by-election. Nothing surprising here, old bean. But in the final analysis, it is really up to the oghang Kuala Teganung to decide and I hope they will, wisely.

Palestine Relief Fund

Martyred Children of Gaza

There's absolutely no excuse for the above.

While big brother the US of A slumbers in between presidents, more than 700 Palestinians, 219 of which are children, have been killed by the Israeli army. More than 3000 have been wounded. One now wonders whether the Israeli supremacists did indeed choose the right moment to murder Palestinian babies. Yet there is more to come.

MERCY MALAYSIA has, on 30th December 2008, formed an Emergency Response Assessment Team to face the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza strip and appeals to generous Malaysians to send donations. Contributions for the PALESTINE RELIEF FUND will support Mercy Malaysia to procure emergency surgical kits, medicine and hospital equipments to help the hospitals in Gaza.

• Cheques to be made payable to “MERCY MALAYSIA” and addressed to: Mercy Malaysia, Level 2, Podium Block, City Point, Kompleks Dayabumi, Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, 50050 Kuala Lumpur.

• Cash donations can be made via on-line transmission or deposit at CIMB Bank Account No: 1424-000-6561053.

• Donation forms can be downloaded from here: http://www.mercy.org.my/main/images/stories/files/Donations/donationform.pdf

• For further enquiries, telephone +603-22733999 or email: info@mercy.org.my

Please give what you can. It will make a difference.

Failed Privatisation

One afternoon some time in early 1984, as president of the Klang Port Authority's Senior Officers' Association (SOA), I was summoned for a meeting with the then prime minister Dr. Mahathir at his office in Kuala Lumpur. Also with me were fellow presidents Ruslan Zainal of the Port Authority Staff Union (PASU) and Mohd. Nor Katim of the Harbour Workers' Union (HWU). The Government had then announced a 'privatisation policy' involving GLCs and other 'national assets' and the PM wanted to formally inform us of the intention to privatise (only) the port's container terminal.

Probably expecting some opposition on being made "guinea pigs" or whatever, Dr. M immediately took us to task in his usual style, but we just played it cool. We were actually quite enthusiastic about the idea and did not think that anything could possibly go wrong because the terminal, the country's first, was already then quite efficient and making money, lots of money. There was also talk that even staff not involved in the exercise would be given "pink forms' to acquire shares when the new company, Klang Container Terminal Sdn Bhd. (KCT), finally gets listed at the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange. KCT was fully privatised in March 1986.

I have now come to believe that with very few exceptions, as in above KCT case, privatisation as a whole in this country as initiated by Dr M, has failed miserably. The objective which was supposed to ease the government's financial burdens, increase productivity and lower costs have not been achieved. Instead, we have expensive bailouts due to corruption and cronyism, more complaints about inefficiency and the expected reduced costs have not been felt by the rakyat. Obviously, the intention was good but the implementation half-assed.

It took some agitation by a few bloggers, here, and the public at large, for Sime Darby to finally jettison its intention to privatise the Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) yesterday. (Read the Malaysiakini report, here). Why the proposal was even ever considered by the government has never been fully explained. One can only guess at the outcome that perhaps its because we have all become very disillusioned especially when there is lack of transparency in the whole process. Perhaps we just need change and perhaps also it is time we should now seriously consider "nationalisation" instead?

New Yam Tuan

"Seperti pinang pulang ke tampuk,
Seperti sireh pulang ke gagang ..."

The Tunku Besar of Seri Menanti, Tuanku Muhriz ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir, was proclaimed as the 11th Yang di-Pertuan Besar or "Yam Tuan" of my home state of Negeri Sembilan yesterday following the death of his uncle, Tuanku Jaafar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman on Saturday.

The four undang or territorial chieftains from the luak of Sungai Ujong, Johol, Jelebu and Rembau have chosen him over the three princes of the late Tuanku Jaafar. An only son and at the age of 19, Tuanku Muhriz had been passed over by the then undang in 1967 upon the untimely death of his father Tuanku Munawir, the 9th Yam Tuan, as he was considered too young then. His uncle Tuanku Jaafar, then a career diplomat, was installed as Yam Tuan instead.

This must come as a huge relief for many of us orang nogori as we have watched with some anxiety and trepidation over the years the extravagant goings-on in the lives of the Jaafar siblings. Avid party goers, they have been busy filling the high society pages of the Malaysian Tatler, the men elegantly tuxedoed and their women dripping with jewellery. Of late, they have also been featured in the business pages of the local mass media, but perhaps for the wrong reasons.

I do believe the undang yang berempat have made no mistake this time.

P.S: Although he is a few months younger than me, Tuanku Muhriz was one year my senior at the King George V Primary School in Seremban in the late 50's. A good pupil, he had earned a double promotion somewhere along the way.

Season's Greetings

Merry Xmas to all my Christian friends and a Happy New Year 2009 to all.
Peace on Earth and Goodwill to all Men.

Treachery... Again

(Source: The Malaysian Insider)

Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat, who promised a couple of days ago to reveal all in the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) debacle, offered instead a gloating testimonial of his own apparent success in revitalising the scandal-ridden project that helped force his predecessor Chan Kong Choy out of office. Read The Malaysian Insider report, here.

Ong (photo, left) told a press conference today that the PKFZ occupancy rate, employment, investment status and cargo movement have increased since the change of management in May. Occupancy rate for all facilities had also increased, with the leased office block recording the most significant increase from one per cent in March to 19 per cent as of November. For open land and light industrial unit facilities, the occupancy rate is now 18 per cent and 17 per cent respectively. Most importantly, said Ong, was the number of employees in the area which had increased from 972 to 1,659 within the last eight months.

“I still can remember when I first set foot in the area, people said this is a ghost town,” said Ong.

Well, I have got news for you, Ong. I was there a couple of weeks ago and it was still very much a ghost town. The "1659 employees" must be invincible. But I am also personally involved in helping a foreign investor friend set up a factory with 2000 workers in PKFZ to be ready by the end of next year, which I believe will be one of the biggest investments there to date. So dont give us that bull crap.

Ong has also refused to blame his predecessors Ling and Chan. “That is the question that only they can answer at that point of time,” he said.

Which brings us back to square one. If this isnt treachery and deceit, then I dont know what is.

Same Old, Same Old

Sorry folks for the longest break I have had since I started blogging a couple of years ago and believe me, I badly needed one.

Barely a couple of weeks now left before we say bye-bye to 2008, there was really nothing new happening apart from a repeat of an earlier disaster we didnt learn from, the usual crap promises we get prior to a by election, etc.

But for me, the only good news I feel worth mentioning is the fact that the report on the RM5 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal will be disclosed to the public by the Ministry of Transport (MoT) either today or tomorrow, so says minister Ong Tee Keat. (Read the Malaysiakini report, here)

Ong told a press conference yesterday that the MoT report would disclose, among other things, the chronology of events both before and after the change of guards at the ministry (under the then-minister Chan Kong Choy), PKFZ and Port Klang Authority (PKA). A separate report is being finalised by independent auditor Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC), which will be presented by the PKA as soon as PWC gets the green light from the Ministry of Finance (MoF).

Ong had earlier stated that his ministry's investigation is focused on the qualitative aspects of the matter, while PWC's audit looks at the quantitative aspect. The previous parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by minister Shahrir Samad had failed to complete its probe on the fiasco.

Now lets see whether Ong will walk the talk and whether PWC will ever get the go ahead from MoF.

My Name is Khan

(Click arrow to play)

Resplendent in black Malay baju, complete with samping and songkok, famous 43-year-old Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan received the Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka (DMSM) award from Malacca state governor Tun Khalil Yaakob yesterday. The award carries the title Datuk and Khan is first foreign actor to be honoured.

The award was supposedly in recognition of Khan's indirect contribution to the local tourism industry, where since the filming of his 2001 movie, One 2 Ka 4 at a popular holiday resort in Malacca, the number of Indian tourists to the state has increased significantly, state officials say.

At a post-investiture press conference, Datuk Shah Rukh Khan also disclosed that he will star in a new movie exploring the issue of Islam in the post 9/11 world and the misperception that all Muslims are terrorists. The movie "My Name is Khan" tells the story of six people with Muslim surnames who suffer suspicion and prejudice years after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

"Islam does not in any which way tell you to be violent," Khan said. "I think the whole concept of jihad, the whole concept of warring needs to be explained as Allah meant it to be in the Koran. (The film) is an attempt to try and do that in an entertaining way," he added. Filmmaker Karan Johar will direct while top Bollywood actress Kajol Mukherjee, who has acted in several hit movies with Khan in the past, will co-star. (Read today's The Hindu report, here)

There has been some controversy and protests by a few local artistes over this Malacca award. Although having been "weaned" on the old classics of Dev Anand and the legendary Kapoor brothers, I have never followed Khan's more recent Hindi blockbusters which I believe are very well received globally. But if his new movie succeeds in some measure to dissipate some of the anger and outrage being felt in India and elsewhere over the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, or help bridge the widening gulf between Muslims and non Muslims worldwide, then this state award from Malacca will surely be the least that he will deserve.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha to all Muslim friends.

Invitation to a Forum and Book Launch

A forum on "New Media and Democratization in Malaysia" will be held today Friday, December 5, 2008 from 8.00-10.00pm at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall auditorium. Selangor state assemblyman Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad will be keynote speaker.

The occasion will also witness the launch of a book titled “Blogging and Democratization in Malaysia" and its co-authors Prof. Wan Zawawi Ibrahim and Jun-E Tan, will be present to speak about their work. Other speakers include representatives from the organizations collaborating in the programme.

Members of the public are invited to attend the forum which is jointly organized by the Centre for Policy Initiatives (CPI), SIRD-Gerak Budaya, the National Alliance of Bloggers (All-Blogs) and the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH).

The Forum was initiated mainly by the CPI YouthSpeak Section which has the objective of promoting discourse through writings and discussion at the CPI website coordinated by Wan Fadzrul and John Lee, and via public forums such as this, to encourage the youth of Malaysia to take part actively in the democratization process in the country.
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THEME: "New Media and Democratization in Malaysia".

Date/time of Forum: Friday, December 5, 8.00pm-10.00pm
Venue: KL and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall auditorium,
No. 1, Jalan Maharajalela, Kuala Lumpur

Programme
1. Welcome speech by YL Chong, Editor, CPI
2. Keynote speaker: YB Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad
3. Wan Fadzrul Wan Bahrum, CPI YouthSpeak Coordinator
4. Yeoh Lee Hin, CPI (Chinese) Web administrator
5. Jun-E Tan, co-author of "Blogging and Democratization in Malaysia"
6. Prof. Wan Zawawi, co-author of “Blogging and Democratization in Malaysia”
7. Teh Yee Keong, KLSCAH Representative
8. Ahirudin Attan, protem President, National Alliance of Bloggers (All-Blogs)
9. Q and A session
10. Refreshments
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NOTE: For further information, please contact:
YL Chong: 012-9702285
Helen Ang: 013-2240985