Perhimpunan Agung Umno perlu dipercepatkan

Ugutan melalui SMS, politik wang, negara diambang krisis kewangan yang mungkin paling dasyat sejak the "Great Depression", dan kemungkinan Umno, dari Perlis ke Sabah akan berpecah-belah, adalah alasan-alasan yang cukup munasabah untuk mempercepatkan Perhimpunan Agung Umno.

Justeru itu, mesyuarat Majlis Tertinggi Umno hari ini perlu mengkaji semula keputusannya untuk menunda Perhimpunan Agung ke Mac depan. Sebaliknya, Perhimpunan Agung perlu diadakan selewat-lewatnya pada bulan Disember ini seperti cadangan asal.

Lima bulan adalah terlalu lama. Risikonya amat tinggi sekali. Calon-calon yang memegang jawatan kerajaan kini terlalu sibuk berkempen untuk jawatan dalam parti sehingga tugas-tugas kerajaan diabaikan.

Negara kini berada diambang krisis kewangan. Oleh itu, setiap pemimpin yang memegang jawatan kerajaan perlu menumpukan perhatian kepada pelan tindakan yang perlu diambil untuk mengelak krisis ini atau mengurangkan impaknya.

Semasa krisis kewangan 1997/98, Perdana Menteri pada masa itu Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad mengadakan mesyuarat MTEN (Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Negara) setiap hari dari jam 9 pagi hingga 1 tengahari untuk meneliti data-data harian dan mengambil tindakan sewajarnya. Pada masa itu kerajaan begitu fokus sekali. Tindakan sedemikianlah yang membolehkan Malaysia keluar dari krisis kewangan lebih awal dari negara-negara jiran.

Kita juga telah mendengar rungutan dari beberapa orang pemimpin Umno bahawa mereka mendapat ugutan menerusi SMS untuk menyokong calon-calon tertentu dalam pemilihan Umno kelak. Ini adalah satu trend yang tidak sihat.

Dalam berpolitik, tempoh kempen yang terlalu lama akan mengundang perkara-perkara yang tidak diingini. Hari ini ugutan SMS, esok apa pula?

Majlis Tertinggi, sebagai badan yang bertanggungjawab bukan saja perlu mengambil tindakan yang akan menguntungkan Umno, tetapi juga perlu melindungi ahli-ahlinya.

Bermusuhan dalam politik adalah lumrah. Kalau tempoh kempen lebih lama, maka lebih ramailah musuh kita.

Menjelang PRU13, Umno perlu lebih kuat dan mantap, bukan lebih lemah dan bermusuh-musuhan.

Kegemilangan Barisan Nasional pra-2008 perlu dikembalikan. Untuk itu, sebagai parti komponen terbesar, Umno perlu diperkuatkan dahulu.

Hakikatnya ialah, di bawah kepimpinan Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Barisan Nasional hampir terkubur. Ianya mungkin akan terkubur pada tahun 2013 jika keputusan-keputusan yang diambil lebih mementingkan individu tertentu daripada parti.

Ia akan lebih menguntungkan Umno jika perhimpunan agungnya diadakan pada bulan Disember ini.

Valuecap...langkah kerajaan mengelakkan krisis

Langkah Kementerian Kewangan untuk mengukuhkan pasaran saham Malaysia dengan membeli saham-saham syarikat yang harganya telah jatuh menjunam menerusi Valuecap Sdn Bhd perlu dipuji.

Walaupun "fundamentals" atau asas syarikat-syarikat yang disenaraikan dalam Bursa Malaysia ini adalah kukuh, sentimen pasaran sedunia dan krisis kewangan yang dialami oleh hegara-negara Eropah serta Amerika Syarikat telah mempengaruhi aktiviti jual-beli saham sehingga harga-harga saham mereka terjejas dengan teruk.

Amat tidak adil kalau syarikat-syarikat Malaysia yang mempunyai "fundamentals" yang begitu kukuh, termasuk simpanan dan aset yang banyak, pasaran yang meluas, potensi yang baik dan pengurusan yang efisien, terjejas akibat dari "panic-selling" kerana sentimen pasaran antarabangsa.

Oleh itu, Valuecap yang akan membeli saham-saham syarikat seperti ini dengan tujuan untuk mengukuhkan harga-harga saham, adalah satu langkah yang murni. Langkah ini tidak patut dipertikaikan. Ianya perlu dilihat sebagai langkah proaktif kerajaan untuk mengelakkan krisis ekonomi yang lebih teruk. Sebuah kerajaan yang bertanggungjawab terhadap warganegara korporatnya, tidak akan membiarkan syarikat-syarikat ini mengalami masalah kerana faktor luaran.

Negara-negara maju yang pernah mencaci Malaysia kerana memberi suntikan kewangan kepada syarikat-syarikat yang mengalami masalah kerana krisis ekonomi serantau dan dunia, kini melakukan perkara yang sama.

Amerika Syarikat telah mengumumkan langkahnya untuk menyuntik sebanyak US$700 billion kedalam syarikat-syarikat dan institusi-institusi kewangannya. Ini adalah langkah "bail-out" yang terbesar yang pernah dilakukan. Begitu juga dengan negara-negara Eropah.

Kalau dibandingkan dengan US$700 billion, RM5 billion adalah amat kecil sekali.

Tun Dr M di TV hari ini

Mantan Perdana Menteri Malaysia Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad akan muncul dalam Astro Awani malam ini jam 9 malam untuk membincangkan pemilihan Umno Mac depan. Semestinya ini ialah rancangan yang "MESTI DITONTON".

Beliau juga akan muncul dalam "talkshow" Bloomberg pada jam 1 tengahari ini (Saluran 519). Rancangan ini akan diulangtayang pada jam 8.30 dan 11.30 malam ini juga.

Dalam rancagan Bloomberg ini beliau akan membincangkan krisis kewangan dunia dan tindakan kerajaan Amerika Syarikat memberi bantuan kewangan (bail-out) kepada syarikat-syarikat yang menghadapi masalah.

Happy Deepavali

I wish all Hindu Malaysians a Happy Deepavali. Each of us have a role in ensuring peace and harmony among the races. So let's respect one another and live together as one big family of different colours and creed. Let the rest of the world envy us.

Tahniah Jazlan

Saya mengucapkan tahniah kepada rakan saya Nur Jazlan Mohamed yang telah mengumumkan keputusannya untuk mengundurkan diri dari bertanding untuk jawatan Timbalan Presiden Umno dalam Perhimpunan Agung Umno Mac depan.

Mungkin keputusannya terdorong dari kegagalan beliau untuk mendapatkan pencalonan dari bahagian-bahagian yang telahpun mengadakan mesyuarat masing-masing. Mungkin juga kerana beliau memikir secara rasional bahawa beliau belum bersedia untuk jawatan setinggi itu.

Apa pun, saya mengucapkan tahniah kepada Jazlan di atas keputusannya itu. Anak muda ini mempunyai potensi yang besar. Kalau beliau mengharungi onak duri politik dengan penuh kesabaran dan sanggup menunggu, even the sky is not the limit.

Tidak ada jalan singkat dalam politik, seperti juga dalam bidang kewartawanan.

Oh! Azman Mokhtar

Unfortunately for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, it is people like Khazanah Nasional Bhd managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar who gives his Government a bad name.

Instead of playing his role effectively to attract investments to Malaysia, he seems to be doing things in the contrary.

One example is his recent statement that Malaysia is going to face a shortage of electricity in 2012. This statement, plucked from the air I suppose, has far-reaching effect. It can instil fear among foreign investors who are seeking to have long-term investments in Malaysia.

At the Regional Eisenhower Fellowship Conference in Kuala Lumpur last week, Azman had said the "structural problems" in the power supply industry could cause the nation to experience a power shortage in 2012, and the collapse of national electricity utility, Tenaga Nasional Bhd.

In actual fact, the current 42 per cent reserve will rise to 47% next year with the commissioning of a new independent power producer (IPP) in Jimah, Negri Sembilan.

It would have been wiser for Azman to have checked with the Energy Commission before making such a statement.

If he is so worried about TNB, he should get it to reduce operating costs and act like a company which needs to practise financial prudence. But this is the same fellow who approved the 100% salary increase for TNB CEO Dato' Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh. Apparently, despite the public uproar, Che Khalib still managed to get a 50% pay rise. That, I have to check.

I congratulate Dato' Shaziman Abu Mansor, the Minister of Energy, Water and Communication for taking Azmman to task.

Kudos to Wong Choong Mei

I congratulate reporter Wong Choon Mei who resigned from Malaysiakini after taking responsibility for a report in the news portal which associated the Deputy Prime Minister to a manifesto he did not issue.

I am sorry that she lost her job. But she did the right thing. She is a living proof that at least a few reporters in Malaysia have pride and dignity.

Don't we all know of a shameless editor who refused to quit even after he was caught with his pants down for plagiarising a writer he idolises.

He gave all sorts of other reasons to quit. That happens only in Malaysia.

Mind you Malaysiakini, Najib's not suing!

Malaysiakini has apologised and Najib is not suing. You see the difference between a true leader and the Theresa Koks of the Opposition...

I reproduce here the full Press Statement from the office of the Deputy Prime Minister.


Monday, October 20, 2008
Press Statement from DPM's Office on Malaysiakini's Article.
PRESS STATEMENT

The internet news portal Malaysiakini yesterday published an email purportedly from a ‘Najib Support Group’ containing a so-called Manifesto supposedly linked to Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Razak. Without any verification, Malaysiakini has deemed it appropriate to publish the false contents of this email.

The Deputy Prime Minister’s office would like to clarify that Dato’ Sri Mohd Najib Razak has never issued any manifesto to back his bid for the UMNO presidency.

The Malaysiakini report is therefore patently false and misleading. Malaysiakini’s decision to publish the story is extremely unethical as they had failed to verify the matter with the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office prior to publication.

The conduct of Malaysiakini is regrettable and unacceptable. Certainly, it is an unfortunate display of negligence and lack of professionalism in news reporting.

It is important for Malaysiakini to investigate the origin of the malicious e-mail in order for it to clear its name and reputation.

Malaysiakini has apologized to the Deputy Prime Minister on this matter. Nevertheless, it is our hope that Malaysiakini and other news portals, regardless of their editorial policy, will conduct themselves in an ethical and professional manner.

This false story is the latest move in what is obviously a concerted effort by certain quarters to tarnish the image of the Deputy Prime Minister. Indeed, of late, ever since the UMNO Transition Plan was brought forward to March 2009, there has been a consistent and continuous effort by some websites to concoct and publish false and malicious reports aimed at discrediting the Deputy Prime Minister.

We hope the Malaysian public, in particular readers of these websites are able to distinguish truth from falsehood when reading the materials published.


Deputy Prime Minister’s Office
20th October 2008

Now this is REAL proof that there is a concerted attempt by certain news portals and blogs to discredit Najib. They spread all sorts of lies about him and even called him names - from a cold-blood murderer to a Hindu priest.

Enough is enough. Why don't we just rally behind Najib for the love of our country? He has an uphill task of repairing the damages left behind by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. These are damages never before sustained by the Barisan Nasional in the country's entire 50-year history. And that's not going to be easy.

Perhimpunan Agung Umno perlu diadakan pada bulan Disember

Dalam keadaan ekonomi global yang kian meruncing dan "contagion effect" dari krisis kewangan yang kemungkinan besar akan membawa kesan yang lebih dasyat kepada ekonomi negara kita berbanding krisis 1997/98, Majlis Tertinggi Umno perlu mengkaji semula keputusannya untuk menunda Perhimpunan Agung Umno ke Mac depan.

Saya bersetuju dengan Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin dan beberapa pemimpin Umno yang lain bahawa jika perhimpunan agung diadakan pada bulan Mac, tempoh 5 bulan untuk berkempen adalah terlalu lama.

Kalau pemimpin Umno terlalu sibuk berkempen, saya risau hal-hal pentadbiran negara akan diabaikan. Krisis kewangan dan masalah ekonomi yang dihadapi negara pada masa ini, perlu ditangani secara komprehensif, dengan penyertaan setiap pemimpin negara.

Saya juga bimbang oleh kerana tempoh masa berkempen terlalu lama, politik wang akan berleluasa. Gejala-gejala lain yang tidak sihat akan terus menular. Akibatnya, pemimpin-peminpin Umno akan bermusuh-musuhan antara satu sama lain.

Ia akan membawa kepada perpecahan Umno. Mungkin juga ianya akan membawa kepada masalah yang tidak boleh diperbaiki sampai bila-bila.

Oleh itu, adalah amat penting Pehimpunan Agung Umno diadakan pada bulan Disember, seperti cadangan asal. Janganlah kerana kepentingan individu, parti dan negara digadaikan.

Kalau Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ingin juga memegang jawatan Perdana Menteri hingga ke bulan Mac, biarlah beliau memenuhi hajatnya..

Opposition papers, blogs are even more biased

Why is everyone attacking my friend Rocky? Wasn't he right when he said that members of the Opposition parties, who are in the habit of saying that the mainstream media are biased, but at the same time do not see the biasness of the media that supports them, are now quick to file lawsuits against the newspapers.

I see this as a Opposition way of intimidating the mainstream media.

Theresa Kok has filed a RM30 million dollar suit againt Utusan Malaysia on the Azan issue. I agree with Rocky that this is becoming a trend. Another Opposition leader is also suing the newspaper on another issue.

To the Opposition, their own publications and pro-Opposition blogs can say whatever they want. The DAP's Rocket says all sorts of nasty things about the Government, but that's ok. The Suara Keadilan carries blatant lies about anything and everything, that is also ok. Harakah reports untruths all the time. That is also ok.

But we don't see Barisan Nasional leaders or Government officials suing them, do we?

Tian Chua, in a hurry to get a Parliament seat, published a doctored picture of Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Tun Razak seated next to murdered Mongolian Altantuya Sharibuu. That was not only defamatory, but a criminal offence. But did Najib sue? Tian Chua later admitted doctoring the picture.

Raja Petra Kamaruddin's Malaysia Today carried all Sorts of lies about Prime Minister Datuk Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib, but did they sue? In fact, I know someone who said 80% of the contents of Malaysia today, are lies. But the Government tolerated. Until of course, Raja Petra began to publish blasphemous comments on Islam and started to publish articles detrimental to Malaysia's multi-racial composition. That, no Malaysian should tolerate.

Kickdefella, who works for Pas' Husam Musa also carried lies about Najib in his blog. But did Najib sue? Husam, by the way is Anwar's strongest supporter in Pas.

You see the link?

Kalimullah calls it a day?

Datuk Seri Kalimullah Maseerul Hassan, the most controversial figure to be put in-charge of The New Straits Times, has tendered his resignation as the newspaper company's Deputy Chairman.

He was previously Group Editor-in-Chief, a post he took over from Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad (Dollah Kok Lanas) who was fired when Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi became Prime Minister in 2003.

According to sources, Kalimullah tendered his resignation to the NSTP Board of Directors on Sept 3. His last day will be on Dec 31.

From a reporter in the 80s and early 90s, Kalimullah became a self-made multi-millionaire, securing most of his projects from the Abdullah-led Government.

It doesn't pay to have advisers like Kalimullah

For Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who in March will become the shortest serving Prime Minister in Malaysia's history, five years and four months is good enough. The fact that he has to step down because he has lost support, is a different matter. Whatever it is, his name is going down the annals of history as Malaysia's fifth Prime Minister. And that is quite an achievement.

Unlike his predecessor, Abdullah was dependent on his advisers. And these advisers, all with their own agenda to make money or advance their own political interests, were the actual cause of his downfall.

One of Abdullah's closest adviser is Datuk Seri Kalimullah Maseerul Hassan, the Deputy Chairman of The New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd. I first came to know Kalimullah when I joined the PETS Training in NST in 1987. I was then just 20 years old. Having quit from The Star, he had just joined NST as a senior reporter, but wasn't much of a journalist. Lagged far behind the likes of Sabri Sharif, Fabian Dawson, R Nadeswaran, etc. He never made it to an editor in any of the Malaysian newspapers.

I now believe that Kalimullah had no interest in journalism at all. Journalism was just a stepping stone to bigger things. His interest is only in making money, huge profits, like he is making now.

Abdullah's advisers, including Kalimullah, only told him what he wanted to hear. They hid the truth. They deliberately did not tell him about his dwindling support. They wanted him to remain in power so they can "make hay while the sun shines". They had no qualms about Abdullah being ridiculed and laughed at. They just wanted him to stay in power for as long as he could. They knew that it wouldn't be long. So in the last five years, they did what they could to amass wealth and push their political careers to dizzying heights.

It will be impossible for me to list all the projects that Abdullah's relatives and friends, including Kalimullah had secured over the last five years. My aging computer. I think, does not have enough capacity to carry such a long list.

And yet, Kalimullah, in his column in the NST today (10 October 2008), had the audacity to tell Prime Minister-in-waiting Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Abdul Razak not to give projects to his cronies.

I know Najib. And I know he is not as gullible as his "soon-to-be" predecessor. Najib deserves a chance to undo all the wrongs that Abdullah and his cronies did. Najib needs time to rehabilitate Barisan Nasional in time for the 13th general election in or before 2013. The people should refrain from making wild accusations against him because someone somewhere started it for his own interest.

I can't speak on behalf of Najib. If I could, I would have this to say to Kalimullah: TAKE YOUR ADVICE AND SHOVE IT!

The Umno Deputy Presidency: Are these candidates for real?

I know Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed, the young MP for Pulai and son of former Information Minister Tan Sri Mohamed Rahmat.

We used to discuss local politics over a meal when I was still the News Editor of the New Straits Times. He wasn't a Parliamentarian then. When I left the newspaper, I stopped getting the ocassional calls that I used to get from him. I did try to call him on several ocassions, but I never got through.

I have not spoken to him for about 4 years now. But I have been keeping tabs on his political career. The last I heard was that he was finding it difficult to even get sound support from his own division - Pulai.

So when I heard that he had offered himself for the post of Deputy President, I almost fell off my chair.

To me, Jazlan has not attained political puberty for him to even vie for the position of a normal Umno Supreme Council seat, let alone the post of Deputy President.

The post of Deputy President is an important one. The Umno Deputy President also by tradition holds the second most powerful position in the country, the Deputy Prime Ministership.

It requires someone with vast experience in politics and administration, highly educated and knowledgeable, should be credible, should have the ability to be a good salesman, should be able to deal with both the local and foreign Press, should be good enough to succeed the Prime Minister and has the potential of becoming a Statesman, should have a good command of both English and Bahasa Malaysia and most of all, should not be an international embarrassment.

Jazlan may just be trying to prop up his name for bigger positions by throwing in the idea of him contesting the No 2 post, but by doing that, consciously or unconsciously, he is making a mockery of this important position.

I am not saying that Jazlan is not a Deputy President material. But it will certainly take him a good decade or so before he qualifies.

If I were him, I will focus on strengthening my position at the divisional and State levels before I aim any higher.

While in the subject of the Deputy Presidency, I am also quite disturbed by the fact that Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Datuk Ali Rustam have offered themselves for the post of Deputy President.

Both Zahid, with whom I had worked with when I was a journalist, and Ali do not have the sufficient background to become Deputy President and Deputy Prime Minister. What outstanding contributions have they made to the country to deserve this important position? Are they better than all the other Umno Supreme Council members? Also worrying is the fact that they can hardly speak English.

Simply picture them speaking with President Barrack Obama with the aid of an interpreter. That will be the first for our country. God save us.

Kickbacks for the Kicker?

I have been receiving many emails over the last week or so on the same subject matter. The authors of these email claim that there are bloggers under the payroll of one of the leaders of an Opposition party who is eager to become Prime Minister.

The E-mails claimed that these bloggers have been paid a large sum of money, and even a retainer, to discredit Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Tun Razak. The aim is to prevent Najib from becoming Prime Minister. The person who is paying these bloggers does not want Najib to become Prime Minister simply because he is capable of repairing the damage done by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and returning Umno and Barisan Nasional to their original strength. If that happens, the Opposition will be buried.

In the absence of pure facts and substance, these bloggers resort to lies. They can even come up with absurd theories like those linking Najib and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor to the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shahibuu. I was told that Raja Petra Kamaruddin was one of those who was being paid. In RPK's case, it was quite obvious. But now that he is serving a two-year term under the Internal Security Act (ISA), the money is going to another blogger.

I didn't believe it at first. But when I read his latest posting under the heading "We Know What Najib and Spouse Did Last Raya", it has become quite obvious.

When should Abdullah quit?

I am running a poll on when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should quit. I hope many people will contribute to this poll so we can gauge the public perception on the issue and the confidence they have on Abdullah to continue as Prime Minister.

Thank you.

Selamat Hari Raya

Saya ingin mengucapkan Selamat Hari Raya kepada semua pembaca setia blog ini. Saya memohon ampun dan maaf sekiranya kritikan saya telah menyinggung perasaan mana-mana pihak.

Saya akan terus mengkritik apa yang saya rasa memang patut dikritik. Di Lebaran akan datang dan yang seterusnya, saya akan menyusun sepuluh jari meminta ampun lagi sekali. Saya harap saya akan dimaafkan.