Umno is all lip service and rhetoric
By Chua Jui Meng
NAJIB
Abdul Razak delivered his presidential address at the annual Umno general
assembly today (Nov 29, 2012).
It
was shocking that his speech lacked substance – no clear policy direction for
the people and country, just words and lip service.
It
was also an amazingly short policy speech, if not the shortest, ever delivered
by an Umno president.
To
quote William Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Najib was “full of sound and fury
signifying nothing”.
Pre-Umno
assembly Najib had also claimed that change can be initiated within Umno and
Barisan Nasional (BN) in general.
After
55 years, did we see any change in the attitude of the party national
delegates, in the quality of debates at the assembly?
It
was the same old rhetoric featuring inflammatory issues coupled with ridiculous
claims like “God has chosen Umno”.
The
May 13 bogey was still used to intimidate Malaysians to continue to support
Umno and BN, racist remarks like “Malays will lose power if Pakatan Rakyat (PR)
rules” and “May 13 will recur if PR rules”.
Is
Umno claiming that only Umno Malays are Malays or Muslims? What about the
Malays and Muslims in PKR, PAS, and others?
What
change are Najib and his deputy, Muhyiddin “I am Malay First …” Yassin, talking
about?
Clearly,
there has been no change after 55 years and after the March 2008 political
tsunami. The same arrogance is displayed by Umno and BN.
Do
you mean there are no important and serious public issues covering competency, accountability,
transparency, integrity, abuse of power, corruption and economic policies to
discuss or debate?
These
are public issues that determine the level of the quality of good governance.
A visual found
in social network facebook.
If
Umno has really changed, how could its top leaders go into the assembly pretending
as if the following did not happen:
Ø THE ongoing
French court probe on alleged corrupt practices in the Defence Ministry’s
purchase of two second hand Scorpene submarines at RM6.7 billion and Deepak
“Carpetman” Jaikishan’s
explosive admission of his ties with Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor and his
role in private investigator P. Balasubramaniam’s second statutory declaration
(SD) that neutralised a first damning SD that implicated the prime minister and
his wife in the murder of Mongolian interpreter Altantuya
Shaariibuu (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJaAcBA_E5g&);
Ø HOW and who
erased the Immigration Department’s records of Altantuya’s entry and exit (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpxyaAG-KYQ));
Ø EX-IGP Musa
Hassan’s allegations of infiltration of criminal elements in the force,
political interference and the lack of control by the current IGP (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fix-5_V3Lhs&); and
Ø EX-SERVICEMAN
Nasir Moni’s revelation that he and several colleagues had to mark thousands of
postal ballots meant for soldiers during general elections. Hence the need for
international observers in the next general election.
Compare
the above with what the Umno leaders focused on their debates:
Ø NAJIB says if PR
rules, the country will be demolished economically and lose its sovereignty.
Only rhetoric, where are the facts to back his claims? The fact is Malaysia’s
federal debt is at more than RM502.4 billion and ballooning fast, and it’s all
thanks to BN. That Malays will lose political power if Umno loses the mandate
to govern in the next general election. In actual fact, it is Umno Malays who
will lose their power to the PKR and PAS Malays;
Ø UMNO Youth
information chief Reezal Merican Naina Merican has been liken to Adolf Hitler
for his ridiculous claim that Umno was chosen by God to liberate the chosen
land of Malaysia and to uplift the chosen race of the Malays. A racist who
makes nonsense of Najib’s 1Malaysia, just like Muhyiddin. He is still preaching
the same old Ketuanan Melayu message or Malay Supremacy. Does he not know that
he is going against Islamic teachings?; and
This visual was also found in social network facebook.
Ø SHAHRIZAT
“Cowgate” Jalil’s use of May 13 to scare Malaysians to support Umno.
Where’s
the change and seriousness in wanting to lead and govern?
Najib
should explain where he is going to find the money to fund the multi-billion ringgit
mega projects given out to Umno cronies when the country is at a very critical
debt level.
Here
are stories for a wider read on the issues raised:
PI Bala's first SD:
STATUTORY DECLARATION
I, Balasubramaniam a/l Perumal (NRIC NO: xxxxxx-xx-6235) a Malaysian Citizen of full age and residing at [deleted], Selangor, do solemly and sincerely declare as follows :-
1. I have been a police officer with the Royal Malaysian Police Force having joined as a constable in 1981 attached to the Police Field Force. I was then promoted to the rank of lance corporal and finally resigned from the Police Force in 1998 when I was with the Special Branch.
2. I have been working as a freelance Private Investigator since I left the Police Force.
3. Sometime in June or July 2006, I was employed by Abdul Razak Baginda for a period of 10 days to look after him at his office at the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang, between the hours of 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. each working day as apparently he was experiencing disturbances from a third party.
4. I resigned from this job after 2 ½ days as I was not receiving any proper instructions.
5. I was however re-employed by Abdul Razak Baginda on the 05-10-2006 as he had apparently received a harassing phone call from a Chinese man calling himself ASP Tan who had threatened him to pay his debts. I later found out this gentleman was in fact a private investigator called Ang who was employed by a Mongolian woman called Altantuya Shaariibuu.
6. Abdul Razak Baginda was concerned that a person by the name of Altantuya Shaariibuu, a Mongolian woman, was behind this threat and that she would be arriving in Malaysia very soon to try and contact him.
7. Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that he was concerned by this as he had been advised that Altantuya Shaariibuu had been given some powers by a Mongolian ‘bomoh’ and that he could never look her in the face because of this.
8. When I enquired as to who this Mongolian woman was, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that she was a friend of his who had been introduced to him by a VIP and who asked him to look after her financially.
9. I advised him to lodge a police report concerning the threatening phone call he had received from the Chinese man known as ASP Tan but he refused to do so as he informed me there were some high profile people involved.
10. Abdul Razak Baginda further told me that Altantuya Shaariibuu was a great liar and good in convincing people. She was supposed to have been very demanding financially and that he had even financed a property for her in Mongolia.
11. Abdul Razak Baginda then let me listen to some voice messages on his handphone asking him to pay what was due otherwise he would be harmed and his daughter harassed.
12. I was therefore supposed to protect his daughter Rowena as well.
13. On the 09.10.2006, I received a phone call from Abdul Razak Baginda at about 9.30 a.m. informing me that Altantuya was in his office and he wanted me there immediately. As I was in the midst of a surveillance, I sent my assistant Suras to Abdul Razak Baginda’s office and I followed a little later. Suras managed to control the situation and had persuaded Altantuya and her two friends to leave the premises. However Altantuya left a note written on some Hotel Malaya note paper, in English, asking Abdul Razak Baginda to call her on her handphone (number given) and wrote down her room number as well.
14. Altantuya had introduced herself to Suras as ‘Aminah’ and had informed Suras she was there to see her boyfriend Abdul Razak Baginda.
15. These 3 Mongolian girls however returned to Abdul Razak Baginda’s office at the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang again, the next day at about 12.00 noon. They did not enter the building but again informed Suras that they wanted to meet Aminah’s boyfriend, Abdul Razak Baginda.
16. On the 11.10.2006, Aminah returned to Abdul Razak Baginda’s office on her own and gave me a note to pass to him, which I did. Abdul Razak Baginda showed me the note, which basically asked him to call her urgently.
17. I suggested to Abdul Razak Baginda that perhaps it may be wise to arrange for Aminah to be arrested if she harassed him further, but he declined as he felt she would have to return to Mongolia as soon as her cash ran out.
18. In the meantime I had arranged for Suras to perform surveillance on Hotel Malaya to monitor the movements of these 3 Mongolian girls, but they recognized him. Apparently they become friends with Suras after that and he ended up spending a few nights in their hotel room.
19. When Abdul Razak Baginda discovered Suras was becoming close to Aminah he asked me to pull him out from Hotel Malaya.
20. On the 14.10.2006, Aminah turned up at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house in Damansara Heights when I was not there. Abdul Razak Baginda called me on my handphone to inform me of this so I rushed back to his house. As I arrived, I noticed Aminah outside the front gates shouting “Razak, bastard, come out from the houseâ€. I tried to calm her down but couldn’t so I called the police who arrived in 2 patrol cars. I explained the situation to the police, who took her away to the Brickfields police station.
21. I followed the patrol cars to Brickfields police station in a taxi. I called Abdul Razak Baginda and his lawyer Dirren to lodge a police report but they refused.
22. When I was at the Brickfields police station, Aminah’s own Private Investigator, one Mr. Ang arrived and we had a discussion. I was told to deliver a demand to Abdul Razak Baginda for USD$500,000.00 and 3 tickets to Mongolia, apparently as commission owed to Aminah from a deal in Paris.
23. As Aminah had calmed down at this stage, a policewoman at the Brickfields police station advised me to leave and settle the matter amicably.
24. I duly informed Abdul Razak Baginda of the demands Aminah had made and told him I was disappointed that no one wanted to back me up in lodging a police report. We had a long discussion about the situation when I expressed a desire to pull out of this assignment.
25. During this discussion and in an attempt to persuade me to continue my employment with him, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that :-
25.1. He had been introduced to Aminah by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a diamond exhibition in Singapore.
25.2. Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak informed Abdul Razak Baginda that he had a sexual relationship with Aminah and that she was susceptible to anal intercourse.
25.3. Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wanted Abdul Razak Baginda to look after Aminah as he did not want her to harass him since he was now the Deputy Prime Minister. <!–[endif]–>
25.4. Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had all been together at a dinner in Paris.
25.5. Aminah wanted money from him as she felt she was entitled to a USD$500,000.00 commission on a submarine deal she assisted with in Paris.
26. On the 19.10.2006, I arrived at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house in Damansara Heights to begin my night duty. I had parked my car outside as usual. I saw a yellow Proton Perdana taxi pass by with 3 ladies inside, one of whom was Aminah. The taxi did a U-turn and stopped in front of the house where these ladies rolled down the window and wished me ‘Happy Deepavali’. The taxi then left. <!–[endif]–>
27. About 20 minutes later the taxi returned with only Aminah in it. She got out of the taxi and walked towards me and started talking to me. I sent an SMS to Abdul Razak Baginda informing him “Aminah was hereâ€. I received an SMS from Razak instructing me to “delay her until my man comesâ€.
28. Whist I was talking to Aminah, she informed me of the following :-
28.1. That she met Abdul Razak Baginda in Singapore with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
28.2. That she had also met Abdul Razak Baginda and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a dinner in Paris.
28.3. That she was promised a sum of USD$500,000.00 as commission for assisting in a Submarine deal in Paris.
28.4. That Abdul Razak Baginda had bought her a house in Mongolia but her brother had refinanced it and she needed money to redeem it.
28.5. That her mother was ill and she needed money to pay for her treatment.
28.6. That Abdul Razak Baginda had married her in Korea as her mother is Korean whilst her father was a Mongolian/Chinese mix.
28.7. That if I wouldn’t allow her to see Abdul Razak Baginda, would I be able to arrange for her to see Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
29. After talking to Aminah for about 15 minutes, a red Proton Aeroback arrived with a woman and two men. I now know the woman to be Lance Corporal Rohaniza and the men, Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azahar. They were all in plain clothes. Azilah walked towards me while the other two stayed in the car.
30. Azilah asked me whether the woman was Aminah and I said ‘Yes’. He then walked off and made a few calls on his handphone. After 10 minutes another vehicle, a blue Proton Saga, driven by a Malay man, passed by slowly. The driver’s window had been wound down and the driver was looking at us.
31. Azilah then informed me they would be taking Aminah away. I informed Aminah they were arresting her. The other two persons then got out of the red Proton and exchanged seats so that Lance Corporal Rohaniza and Aminah were in the back while the two men were in the front. They drove off and that is the last I ever saw of Aminah.
32. Abdul Razak Baginda was not at home when all this occurred.
33. After the 19.10.2006, I continued to work for Abdul Razak Baginda at his house in Damansara Heights from 7.00 p.m. to 8.00 a.m. the next morning, as he had been receiving threatening text messages from a woman called ‘Amy’ who was apparently ‘Aminah’s’ cousin in Mongolia.
34. On the night of the 20.10.2006, both of Aminah’s girlfriends turned up at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house enquiring where Aminah was. I informed them she had been arrested the night before.
35. A couple of nights later, these two Mongolian girls, Mr. Ang and another Mongolian girl called ‘Amy’ turned up at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house looking for Aminah as they appeared to be convinced she was being held in the house.
36. A commotion began so I called the police who arrived shortly thereafter in a patrol car. Another patrol car arrived a short while later in which was the investigating officer from the Dang Wangi Police Station who was in charge of the missing persons report lodged by one of the Mongolians girls, I believe was Amy.
37. I called Abdul Razak Baginda who was at home to inform him of the events taking place at his front gate. He then called DSP Musa Safri and called me back informing me that Musa Safri would be calling my handphone and I was to pass the phone to the Inspector from the Dang Wangi Police Station.
38. I then received a call on my handphone from Musa Safri and duly handed the phone to the Dang Wangi Inspector. The conversation lasted 3 – 4 minutes after which he told the girls to disperse and to go to see him the next day.
39. On or about the 24.10.2006, Abdul Razak Baginda instructed me to accompany him to the Brickfields Police Station as he had been advised to lodge a police report about the harassment he was receiving from these Mongolian girls.
40. Before this, Amy had sent me an SMS informing me she was going to Thailand to lodge a report with the Mongolian consulate there regarding Aminah’s disappearance. Apparently she had sent the same SMS to Abdul Razak Baginda. This is why he told me he had been advised to lodge a police report.
41. Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that DPS Musa Safri had introduced him to one DSP Idris, the head of the Criminal division, Brickfields Police Station, and that Idris had referred him to ASP Tonny.
42. When Abdul Razak Baginda had lodged his police report at Brickfields Police Station, in front of ASP Tonny, he was asked to make a statement but he refused as he said he was leaving for overseas. He did however promise to prepare a statement and hand ASP Tonny a thumb drive. I know that this was not done as ASP Tonny told me.
43. However ASP Tonny asked me the next day to provide my statement instead and so I did.
44. I stopped working for Abdul Razak Baginda on the 26.10.2006 as this was the day he left for Hong Kong on his own.
45. In mid-November 2006, I received a phone call from ASP Tonny from the IPK Jalan Hang Tuah asking me to see him regarding Aminah’s case. When I arrived there I was immediately arrested under S.506 of the Penal Code for Criminal intimidation.
46. I was then placed in the lock up and remanded for 5 days. On the third day I was released on police bail.
47. At the end of November 2006, the D9 department of the IPK sent a detective to my house to escort me to the IPK Jalan Hang Tuah. When I arrived, I was told I was being arrested under S.302 of the Penal Code for murder. I was put in the lock up and remanded for 7 days.
48. I was transported to Bukit Aman where I was interrogated and questioned about an SMS I had received from Abdul Razak Baginda on the 19.10.2006, which read “delay her until my man arrivesâ€. They had apparently retrieved this message from Abdul Razak Baginda’s handphone.
49. They then proceeded to record my statement from 8.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. every day for 7 consecutive days. I told them all I knew including everything Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had told me about their relationships with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak but when I came to sign my statement these details had been left out.
50. I have given evidence in the trial of Azilah, Sirul and Abdul Razak Baginda at the Shah Alam High Court. The prosecutor did not ask me any questions in respect of Aminah’s relationship with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak or of the phone call I received from DSP Musa Safri, whom I believe was the ADC for Datuk Seri Najib Razak and/or his wife.
51. On the day Abdul Razak Baginda was arrested, I was with him at his lawyers office at 6.30 a.m. Abdul Razak Baginda informed us that he had sent Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak an SMS the evening before as he refused to believe he was to be arrested, but had not received a response.
52. Shortly thereafter, at about 7.30 a.m., Abdul Razak Baginda received an SMS from Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and showed, this message to both myself and his lawyer. This message read as follows :- “I am seeing IGP at 11.00 a.m. today …… matter will be solved … be coolâ€.
53. I have been made to understand that Abdul Razak Baginda was arrested the same morning at his office in the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang.
54. The purpose of this Statutory declaration is to :-
54.1. State my disappointment at the standard of investigations conducted by the authorities into the circumstances surrounding the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.
54.2. Bring to the notice of the relevant authorities the strong possibility that there are individuals other than the 3 accused who must have played a role in the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.
54.3. Persuade the relevant authorities to reopen their investigations into this case immediately so that any fresh evidence may be presented to the Court prior to submissions at the end of the prosecutions case.
54.4. Emphasize the fact that having been a member of the Royal Malaysian Police Force for 17 years I am absolutely certain no police officer would shoot someone in the head and blow up their body without receiving specific instructions from their superiors first.
54.5. Express my concern that should the defence not be called in the said murder trial, the accused, Azilah and Sirul will not have to swear on oath and testify as to the instructions they received and from whom they were given.
55. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same be true and by virtue of the provisions of the Statutory Declaration Act 1960.
SUBCRIBED and solemnly )
declared by the abovenamed )
Balasubramaniam a/l Perumal ]
this 1st day of July 2008 )
Before me,
………………………………….
Commissioner for Oath
Kuala Lumpur
PI Bala's first SD:
STATUTORY DECLARATION
I, Balasubramaniam a/l Perumal (NRIC NO: xxxxxx-xx-6235) a Malaysian Citizen of full age and residing at [deleted], Selangor, do solemly and sincerely declare as follows :-
1. I have been a police officer with the Royal Malaysian Police Force having joined as a constable in 1981 attached to the Police Field Force. I was then promoted to the rank of lance corporal and finally resigned from the Police Force in 1998 when I was with the Special Branch.
2. I have been working as a freelance Private Investigator since I left the Police Force.
3. Sometime in June or July 2006, I was employed by Abdul Razak Baginda for a period of 10 days to look after him at his office at the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang, between the hours of 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. each working day as apparently he was experiencing disturbances from a third party.
4. I resigned from this job after 2 ½ days as I was not receiving any proper instructions.
5. I was however re-employed by Abdul Razak Baginda on the 05-10-2006 as he had apparently received a harassing phone call from a Chinese man calling himself ASP Tan who had threatened him to pay his debts. I later found out this gentleman was in fact a private investigator called Ang who was employed by a Mongolian woman called Altantuya Shaariibuu.
6. Abdul Razak Baginda was concerned that a person by the name of Altantuya Shaariibuu, a Mongolian woman, was behind this threat and that she would be arriving in Malaysia very soon to try and contact him.
7. Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that he was concerned by this as he had been advised that Altantuya Shaariibuu had been given some powers by a Mongolian ‘bomoh’ and that he could never look her in the face because of this.
8. When I enquired as to who this Mongolian woman was, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that she was a friend of his who had been introduced to him by a VIP and who asked him to look after her financially.
9. I advised him to lodge a police report concerning the threatening phone call he had received from the Chinese man known as ASP Tan but he refused to do so as he informed me there were some high profile people involved.
10. Abdul Razak Baginda further told me that Altantuya Shaariibuu was a great liar and good in convincing people. She was supposed to have been very demanding financially and that he had even financed a property for her in Mongolia.
11. Abdul Razak Baginda then let me listen to some voice messages on his handphone asking him to pay what was due otherwise he would be harmed and his daughter harassed.
12. I was therefore supposed to protect his daughter Rowena as well.
13. On the 09.10.2006, I received a phone call from Abdul Razak Baginda at about 9.30 a.m. informing me that Altantuya was in his office and he wanted me there immediately. As I was in the midst of a surveillance, I sent my assistant Suras to Abdul Razak Baginda’s office and I followed a little later. Suras managed to control the situation and had persuaded Altantuya and her two friends to leave the premises. However Altantuya left a note written on some Hotel Malaya note paper, in English, asking Abdul Razak Baginda to call her on her handphone (number given) and wrote down her room number as well.
14. Altantuya had introduced herself to Suras as ‘Aminah’ and had informed Suras she was there to see her boyfriend Abdul Razak Baginda.
15. These 3 Mongolian girls however returned to Abdul Razak Baginda’s office at the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang again, the next day at about 12.00 noon. They did not enter the building but again informed Suras that they wanted to meet Aminah’s boyfriend, Abdul Razak Baginda.
16. On the 11.10.2006, Aminah returned to Abdul Razak Baginda’s office on her own and gave me a note to pass to him, which I did. Abdul Razak Baginda showed me the note, which basically asked him to call her urgently.
17. I suggested to Abdul Razak Baginda that perhaps it may be wise to arrange for Aminah to be arrested if she harassed him further, but he declined as he felt she would have to return to Mongolia as soon as her cash ran out.
18. In the meantime I had arranged for Suras to perform surveillance on Hotel Malaya to monitor the movements of these 3 Mongolian girls, but they recognized him. Apparently they become friends with Suras after that and he ended up spending a few nights in their hotel room.
19. When Abdul Razak Baginda discovered Suras was becoming close to Aminah he asked me to pull him out from Hotel Malaya.
20. On the 14.10.2006, Aminah turned up at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house in Damansara Heights when I was not there. Abdul Razak Baginda called me on my handphone to inform me of this so I rushed back to his house. As I arrived, I noticed Aminah outside the front gates shouting “Razak, bastard, come out from the houseâ€. I tried to calm her down but couldn’t so I called the police who arrived in 2 patrol cars. I explained the situation to the police, who took her away to the Brickfields police station.
21. I followed the patrol cars to Brickfields police station in a taxi. I called Abdul Razak Baginda and his lawyer Dirren to lodge a police report but they refused.
22. When I was at the Brickfields police station, Aminah’s own Private Investigator, one Mr. Ang arrived and we had a discussion. I was told to deliver a demand to Abdul Razak Baginda for USD$500,000.00 and 3 tickets to Mongolia, apparently as commission owed to Aminah from a deal in Paris.
23. As Aminah had calmed down at this stage, a policewoman at the Brickfields police station advised me to leave and settle the matter amicably.
24. I duly informed Abdul Razak Baginda of the demands Aminah had made and told him I was disappointed that no one wanted to back me up in lodging a police report. We had a long discussion about the situation when I expressed a desire to pull out of this assignment.
25. During this discussion and in an attempt to persuade me to continue my employment with him, Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that :-
25.1. He had been introduced to Aminah by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a diamond exhibition in Singapore.
25.2. Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak informed Abdul Razak Baginda that he had a sexual relationship with Aminah and that she was susceptible to anal intercourse.
25.3. Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak wanted Abdul Razak Baginda to look after Aminah as he did not want her to harass him since he was now the Deputy Prime Minister. <!–[endif]–>
25.4. Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had all been together at a dinner in Paris.
25.5. Aminah wanted money from him as she felt she was entitled to a USD$500,000.00 commission on a submarine deal she assisted with in Paris.
26. On the 19.10.2006, I arrived at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house in Damansara Heights to begin my night duty. I had parked my car outside as usual. I saw a yellow Proton Perdana taxi pass by with 3 ladies inside, one of whom was Aminah. The taxi did a U-turn and stopped in front of the house where these ladies rolled down the window and wished me ‘Happy Deepavali’. The taxi then left. <!–[endif]–>
27. About 20 minutes later the taxi returned with only Aminah in it. She got out of the taxi and walked towards me and started talking to me. I sent an SMS to Abdul Razak Baginda informing him “Aminah was hereâ€. I received an SMS from Razak instructing me to “delay her until my man comesâ€.
28. Whist I was talking to Aminah, she informed me of the following :-
28.1. That she met Abdul Razak Baginda in Singapore with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
28.2. That she had also met Abdul Razak Baginda and Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at a dinner in Paris.
28.3. That she was promised a sum of USD$500,000.00 as commission for assisting in a Submarine deal in Paris.
28.4. That Abdul Razak Baginda had bought her a house in Mongolia but her brother had refinanced it and she needed money to redeem it.
28.5. That her mother was ill and she needed money to pay for her treatment.
28.6. That Abdul Razak Baginda had married her in Korea as her mother is Korean whilst her father was a Mongolian/Chinese mix.
28.7. That if I wouldn’t allow her to see Abdul Razak Baginda, would I be able to arrange for her to see Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
29. After talking to Aminah for about 15 minutes, a red Proton Aeroback arrived with a woman and two men. I now know the woman to be Lance Corporal Rohaniza and the men, Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azahar. They were all in plain clothes. Azilah walked towards me while the other two stayed in the car.
30. Azilah asked me whether the woman was Aminah and I said ‘Yes’. He then walked off and made a few calls on his handphone. After 10 minutes another vehicle, a blue Proton Saga, driven by a Malay man, passed by slowly. The driver’s window had been wound down and the driver was looking at us.
31. Azilah then informed me they would be taking Aminah away. I informed Aminah they were arresting her. The other two persons then got out of the red Proton and exchanged seats so that Lance Corporal Rohaniza and Aminah were in the back while the two men were in the front. They drove off and that is the last I ever saw of Aminah.
32. Abdul Razak Baginda was not at home when all this occurred.
33. After the 19.10.2006, I continued to work for Abdul Razak Baginda at his house in Damansara Heights from 7.00 p.m. to 8.00 a.m. the next morning, as he had been receiving threatening text messages from a woman called ‘Amy’ who was apparently ‘Aminah’s’ cousin in Mongolia.
34. On the night of the 20.10.2006, both of Aminah’s girlfriends turned up at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house enquiring where Aminah was. I informed them she had been arrested the night before.
35. A couple of nights later, these two Mongolian girls, Mr. Ang and another Mongolian girl called ‘Amy’ turned up at Abdul Razak Baginda’s house looking for Aminah as they appeared to be convinced she was being held in the house.
36. A commotion began so I called the police who arrived shortly thereafter in a patrol car. Another patrol car arrived a short while later in which was the investigating officer from the Dang Wangi Police Station who was in charge of the missing persons report lodged by one of the Mongolians girls, I believe was Amy.
37. I called Abdul Razak Baginda who was at home to inform him of the events taking place at his front gate. He then called DSP Musa Safri and called me back informing me that Musa Safri would be calling my handphone and I was to pass the phone to the Inspector from the Dang Wangi Police Station.
38. I then received a call on my handphone from Musa Safri and duly handed the phone to the Dang Wangi Inspector. The conversation lasted 3 – 4 minutes after which he told the girls to disperse and to go to see him the next day.
39. On or about the 24.10.2006, Abdul Razak Baginda instructed me to accompany him to the Brickfields Police Station as he had been advised to lodge a police report about the harassment he was receiving from these Mongolian girls.
40. Before this, Amy had sent me an SMS informing me she was going to Thailand to lodge a report with the Mongolian consulate there regarding Aminah’s disappearance. Apparently she had sent the same SMS to Abdul Razak Baginda. This is why he told me he had been advised to lodge a police report.
41. Abdul Razak Baginda informed me that DPS Musa Safri had introduced him to one DSP Idris, the head of the Criminal division, Brickfields Police Station, and that Idris had referred him to ASP Tonny.
42. When Abdul Razak Baginda had lodged his police report at Brickfields Police Station, in front of ASP Tonny, he was asked to make a statement but he refused as he said he was leaving for overseas. He did however promise to prepare a statement and hand ASP Tonny a thumb drive. I know that this was not done as ASP Tonny told me.
43. However ASP Tonny asked me the next day to provide my statement instead and so I did.
44. I stopped working for Abdul Razak Baginda on the 26.10.2006 as this was the day he left for Hong Kong on his own.
45. In mid-November 2006, I received a phone call from ASP Tonny from the IPK Jalan Hang Tuah asking me to see him regarding Aminah’s case. When I arrived there I was immediately arrested under S.506 of the Penal Code for Criminal intimidation.
46. I was then placed in the lock up and remanded for 5 days. On the third day I was released on police bail.
47. At the end of November 2006, the D9 department of the IPK sent a detective to my house to escort me to the IPK Jalan Hang Tuah. When I arrived, I was told I was being arrested under S.302 of the Penal Code for murder. I was put in the lock up and remanded for 7 days.
48. I was transported to Bukit Aman where I was interrogated and questioned about an SMS I had received from Abdul Razak Baginda on the 19.10.2006, which read “delay her until my man arrivesâ€. They had apparently retrieved this message from Abdul Razak Baginda’s handphone.
49. They then proceeded to record my statement from 8.30 a.m. to 6.00 p.m. every day for 7 consecutive days. I told them all I knew including everything Abdul Razak Baginda and Aminah had told me about their relationships with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak but when I came to sign my statement these details had been left out.
50. I have given evidence in the trial of Azilah, Sirul and Abdul Razak Baginda at the Shah Alam High Court. The prosecutor did not ask me any questions in respect of Aminah’s relationship with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak or of the phone call I received from DSP Musa Safri, whom I believe was the ADC for Datuk Seri Najib Razak and/or his wife.
51. On the day Abdul Razak Baginda was arrested, I was with him at his lawyers office at 6.30 a.m. Abdul Razak Baginda informed us that he had sent Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak an SMS the evening before as he refused to believe he was to be arrested, but had not received a response.
52. Shortly thereafter, at about 7.30 a.m., Abdul Razak Baginda received an SMS from Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and showed, this message to both myself and his lawyer. This message read as follows :- “I am seeing IGP at 11.00 a.m. today …… matter will be solved … be coolâ€.
53. I have been made to understand that Abdul Razak Baginda was arrested the same morning at his office in the Bangunan Getah Asli, Jalan Ampang.
54. The purpose of this Statutory declaration is to :-
54.1. State my disappointment at the standard of investigations conducted by the authorities into the circumstances surrounding the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.
54.2. Bring to the notice of the relevant authorities the strong possibility that there are individuals other than the 3 accused who must have played a role in the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu.
54.3. Persuade the relevant authorities to reopen their investigations into this case immediately so that any fresh evidence may be presented to the Court prior to submissions at the end of the prosecutions case.
54.4. Emphasize the fact that having been a member of the Royal Malaysian Police Force for 17 years I am absolutely certain no police officer would shoot someone in the head and blow up their body without receiving specific instructions from their superiors first.
54.5. Express my concern that should the defence not be called in the said murder trial, the accused, Azilah and Sirul will not have to swear on oath and testify as to the instructions they received and from whom they were given.
55. And I make this solemn declaration conscientiously believing the same be true and by virtue of the provisions of the Statutory Declaration Act 1960.
SUBCRIBED and solemnly )
declared by the abovenamed )
Balasubramaniam a/l Perumal ]
this 1st day of July 2008 )
Before me,
………………………………….
Commissioner for Oath
Kuala Lumpur
Thursday, 29 November 2012 16:49
FULL
TEXT of Najib's Umno speech
Following
is the English translation of the transcript of the policy speech delivered by
Prime Minister and Umno President Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak at the 2012 Umno
General Assembly at the Merdeka Hall of the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala
Lumpur on Thursday, Nov 29, 2012.The theme of his speech is "Transformative Leadership towards the National Vision".
Ladies and Gentlemen, 1.
Praise be to God. In a great sense of humility, we are gathered once again to discharge our usual responsibility as an organisation in holding the annual general assembly of our beloved party, the United Malays National Organisation or Umno.
2. Indeed, such a gathering is not merely a ritual in fulfilling the requirement of the organisation's calendar. Rather, it is a great resolve to implement the process of reflection and rejuvenation by rectifying weaknesses, strengthening the party machinery, enriching the direction of the organisation, and thus ensuring the survival of the fold.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
3. As we all know, this is the last general assembly before the 13th General Election.
The Dewan Rakyat (House of Representatives), if it is not dissolved by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the advice of the Prime Minister, will dissolve by itself on 28 April 2013.
4. Therefore, each one of us, regardless of whether they are our brothers and sisters down there, the ladies and gentlemen who have taken up the space above, not to mention the leaders here and, of course, the so many Umno members wherever they may be, even the anonymous, those without any position or rank, no matter if they have never stepped into this blessed hall, I believe all of us can feel the intensity of the gust in the direction of the 'battle ground'.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
5. Most obviously, we can feel that our party has improved in spirit. We are confident that the party machinery, from the branches to the divisions, liaison and national levels, is also prepared to face the coming general election.
6. Now, the reverberating signals and the resonating drums are gaining momentum. The time has come to take the necessary steps, the time is due to streamline teams, the moment has arrived to buckle up the horses. Carrying our respective roles, let's go back to the people to renew the mandate.
7. At the same time, brothers and sisters, let's pray as much as we can that, with God's blessings, when we meet at this Merdeka Hall next year, we will gather again backed by strong support as the ruling party to manage the nation's interests and to prosper the economy and the people over the next five years.
8. In fact, even more than that, I hope that with the blessings of the Almighty, we will remain the ruling party that will raise Malaysia to the ranks of a developed nation when 2020 dawns.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
9. Nevertheless, while we fan the fire of the fighting spirit, let's not forget the past. Remember, the 12th General Election in March 2008 was a very bitter experience, most painful, in the political history of Umno and the Barisan Nasional.
10. In this regard, I believe that the waves, storms and resistance of these years have really instilled awareness in the minds of all.
11. For a political party that has buttressed the Federal Government for more than half a century, the bitter episode should serve as a lesson for us all. In fact, it was a clear signal of the Malaysian people to Umno and its partners in the Barisan Nasional to change, according to the tastes, aspirations and expectations of the people.
12. What is certain is that we cannot just go on talking and procrastinating. We need to intensify our actions and redouble our efforts. Only in this way will Umno continue to be noticed, always taken into account and eternally cared for by the people.
13. As such, in the period of less than four years since I and my colleagues were entrusted with the leadership of the party and government, we have tirelessly worked hard to fulfill the needs and wants of the people.
14. Despite facing various difficulties and challenges, we were steadfast in striving to restore the trust, confidence and support of the people in the party and government.
15. Indeed, what could have been done inconsequentially or arbitrarily during this period was allowed to be widely negotiated and heard, in keeping with the principle that the era of the government knows best and having monopoly over wisdom is over.
16. Hence, recounting the journey of this leadership, we have actually chalked up very commendable outcomes. Among others, we succeeded in shielding Malaysia from the global economic crisis, placed it back on the path of sustainable growth and got us out of the middle-income country trap. Furthermore, we mapped out a rigorous and detailed journey for Malaysia to achieve the status of a high-income developed nation.
NEW REALITIES OF THE NATIONAL POLITICAL LANDSCAPE
Ladies and Gentlemen,
17.
In aspiring for victory and perpetuity as a political organisation, we should glance back for a moment before moving ahead so as to know where our party stands. Is it in a better position than yesterday's? Have we made enough preparations for the days ahead?
18.
Certainly, in overcoming the major obstacles of our struggle, the concrete steps forward must be taken with prudence and wisdom, sincerely putting the people's interests first, but not with trickery, empty promises, deceit or Fata Morgana (mirage). Only then will all our quests receive the blessings of God.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
19.
With this realisation and spirit, let us consider the demographic reality of Malaysia that has undergone a radical change. The majority of the 29 million population of today was born after Malaysia Day, with nearly 70 per cent living in the urban areas. Forty per cent are aged 17 to 23 and are pursuing various levels of post-secondary education.
20.
Eighty per cent are those under the age of 45 while half of our people are under the age of 25.
21.
Another important factor is that the transformation of voters, particularly, and Malaysians, in general, did not occur within a day or two, but had been taking place, little by little, for more than five decades. It was driven by the success of the policies and programmes initiated by the Alliance Government and continued later by the Barisan Nasional Government.
22.
In fact, the improved standard of living; urbanisation; access to education and the progress of information technology, communications and transportation have changed the preferences, tastes, value systems and profile of the Malaysian voter. The tastes and expectations, particularly of the young people, have changed drastically. Furthermore, the average voter is now better informed and critical in nature.
23.
Besides, it is a fact that since March 2008, there are 2.9 million new voters, regardless of age group.
24.
This figure, ladies and gentlemen, is very significant because it represents more than one-fifth of the total number of Malaysian voters, which is 13.1 million. This means that one in every five voters at the 13th General Election will be a new voter or a first-time voter.
-- BERNAMA
MPs: We want international observers
| November 29, 2012
Fuziah Salleh and Hatta Ramli say that instead of inviting
observers from only Asean countries, other countries too must be invited to
watch our election.
KUALA LUMPUR: Several MPs
questioned why the Election Commission (EC) is not opening doors for international
observers to come and observe the coming elections.At a press conference held in parliament today, Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh said that EC recently stated that it will make it open for Asean countries and 18 NGOs to come as observers during the elections.
She questioned as to why the EC is limiting observers to be from Asean countries and the 18 NGOs when it should be open to anybody internationally.
“If the EC goes to Myanmar, Cameroon and Bangkok as observers, then why can’t the EC allow other countries to come as observers? What is the EC so scared of?” she asked.
Kuala Krai MP Hatta Ramli said that when they had plans to invite Australia, they were told that it was an embarrassment to the country in inviting them to observe.
“As such, by calling the Asean countries to come and observe, isn’t it something ‘embarrassing’, too? I think inviting observers for our elections will enrich our system and will give it high legitimacy.
“If we’re confident that our system is transparent and fair, that it is fair to all parties; then what is there to be scared of, what is there to hide?” he said.
He added that if the observers say at the end of our elections that the elections are perfect, then it should be something to be proud of and should be a guide for the future.
“We need observers in a lot of things. We need observers in sports, for the Umno assembly, so what is there to be embarrassed about?
“There’s nothing to be embarrassed of, I really hope for the observers to be spread wide to international agencies,” he said.
Fuziah gave an example where in Australia, air time during elections is counted by the minutes. If one party gets 20 minutes, another party also gets 20 minutes. That is how the media works there.
“When I told the EC chairman about free and fair media, he said we shouldn’t compare with Australia. Then, what do we compare with? Even Myanmar has observers.
“We should be benchmarking against the best practice. If the electoral roll is clean, if the media and the system are free, then what is there to be afraid of? Instead, we should be proud of our system. - FMT
‘Criminal elements present in police, politics’
| November 29, 2012
Ex-IGP Musa Hassan makes several hard hitting allegations,
including the infiltration of criminal elements in the force, political
interference and the lack of control by the current IGP
VIDEO INSIDE
PETALING JAYA: Criminal
elements have infiltrated the police force and even politics, the former
Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan suggested when he kick-started a new
anti-crime NGO, MyWatch.“Looking at the present situation, where there is a lot of illegal activities, do you think there is no links? You can answer yourself,” he told a press conference where he was named patron and advisor to MyWatch yesterday.
He revealed that there are cases where the links are too high up and “nobody dares talk about it”. He cited a case of a high-ranking police officer he did not name who was brought overseas for golfing by a “shady businessman”.
“Sometimes I feel they can even dictate officers, sometimes even spend [money] on police officers,” he said.
Musa advised the current police leadership to be careful with the people they mingle with or face dire consequences.
“Of course as a police officer, you cannot have links with dubious people. The people now have eyes, every phone has a camera. You are living in a glass house. If you don’t take care of yourself, if you allow to be friendly then your organisation will be destroyed,” he said, adding that politicians should not have underground links.
“It is very bad now. Later on the Mafia will be ruling this country, we don’t want that to happen, it took 30 years to clean up the Mafia in America,” he said.
Musa himself has been accused of such links, especially in the case of Johor kingpin Goh Cheng Poh aka Tengku Goh but has repeatedly dismissed the claims as attempts to bring him down.
“During my time, there was a professional way of doing things if we needed to get close to underworld characters. That is undercover work. When I was in narcotics, my relationship would be to purely gather evidence. There must be a line drawn,” he explained.
The press conference was chaired by MyWatch chief R Sri Sanjeevan and advisor S Gobi Krishnan, both PKR leaders.
Sri Sanjeevan said that the main objective of this new NGO, called the Malaysian Crime Watch Task Force, was to fight crime and not merely criticise the government.
However, he warned that if he did not get the cooperation of the current police, under IGP Ismail Omar, he would “go public with evidence”.
Gobi Krishnan said that the NGO would be challenging “every official statistic”, and promised to reveal “real” numbers.
Political interference
During the press meet, which lasted close to three hours, Musa also spoke about political interference and implied that his successor Ismail was losing command and control of the force.
Musa named Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and his deputy as the people who would usually try to give instructions to the force, and that this bad trend was still occurring.
“During my time whenever I arrested some crooks, there will be phone calls from top people. They even ask us to release. I will ask for an instruction in black and white,” he said, adding that the politicians would usually back off after being asked for a written order.
“You read the papers, sometimes you hear ‘I have directed the police to do this and that’. That’s wrong,” he said. He cited Section 4 of the Police Act which says that control and command of the force should come under the sole power of the IGP.
He also said that aside from ministers and deputy ministers, there were also “others” who attempt to give orders to the police, including opposition politicians.
Musa chastised the current police leadership under Ismail.
“The current IGP must make his own decisions on how to run the police force, not taking orders and all that from anyone.
“Even before I retired, I said, ‘please don’t interfere with the police administration’. Let the police do their job, do not interfere with the police… there are dissatisfaction on the ground among officers who said that they received instructions not from (their police superiors) but from the Home Ministry.
“He [Ismail] is a good man, but being a good man alone is not a criteria to be an IGP. You have to be tough also. Sometimes you have to be vocal towards your superiors. When it is not right,” he said.
“Dont just say “Yes”. I use to say, if the IGP is a ‘yes man’ he will be the best IGP in the world, if he is vocal then he will have alot of allegations against him. If you are a ‘yes man’ then you are the best IGP in the world, because in Malaysia it works that way,” he added.
Musa, however, expressed confidence in Ismail from his past record under him: “He was good before, strict. I feel that he is clean, that’s why I groomed him to be the IGP, but now he has to perform. I use to tell him he must be better than me!”
He also spoke about the time when he was speculated to have a fall out with Hishammuddin, saying their relationship was “so far so good”.
“When I found out that instructions were given [by Hishammuddin] to junior officers and OCPDs (Officer in Charge of Police District) without my knowledge, then something is wrong.
“So, I highlighted to him Section 4(1) of the Police Act … command and control of the police force is by the IGP, not a minister. I talked to him nicely, he didn’t like it… that’s why I [my tenure] was not extended,” said Musa, who retired as IGP in September 2010.
Musa also lamented that “nobody seems to respect the police now” and asked the “top police generals to look at themselves whether they can improve further on their service.”
“If you want to improve things, you need to introspect and see the weaknesses in your organisation, you identify that weakness then you change and improve,” he said.
Excerpts from Musa’s press conference:
Crime statistics
I said that you need an independent body to research the police’s statistics. When I was IGP, I got a grant to ask USM to do research on statistics. I was very open, I asked professors to check us. If the classification is right then I believe. During my time, if any district says crime is low, I wanted proof. I would get my officers to check the station, check all the reports, whether the classification is right or not. If the classification is not right. NFA reports on crime, If you don’t investigate there would obviously be no crime. Once, I did that in Sentul, because I didn’t believe the crime was down. I asked my disciplinary officers to check classification of reports. That was in 2007 if I am not mistaken. I was very angry.There was a difference between 20% and 30% increase from what was reported. If you don’t check, it could be happening now.
On policemen accused of gang rape
Any policeman who betrays the trust of the public must get double punishment.
On the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC)
The IPCMC is good but I didn’t like certain clauses. The ability to investigate any officer, take disciplinary action and no right of appeal. Even criminals have right to appeal in court. That is wrong. Why can’t the police have a clause to appeal? So I suggested a new commission and even drafted a Police Integrity Commission. In the PIC, they can investigate any police officer but they have to refer it to the Police Commission. That is the commission that has two ex-judges, three retired officers that can take action such as dismissal, demotion and so on. If it is a criminal offence then it can recommend for the AG to charge the policeman in court. That means there is a balanced law. We must be fair. The EAIC [Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission] has been implemented. What action has it taken? Has it been used? So that is no good.
On political interference regarding the Altantuya Shaariibuu case and related SDs
So far there was no [political] interference, that’s why I arrested my own officers and Razak Baginda. Sometimes people lie in SDs also, when a person makes an SD do you think it’s the truth? So we have to investigate further then. If you lie in a SD, sometimes these commissioners just sign it, you pay RM5. You cannot be saying that is the whole truth, because that can be manipulated.- FMT
With polls near, Najib sings reform tune
| November 29, 2012
The Umno president said the party must adapt to the changing
times.
ANALYSIS
KUALA LUMPUR: Repentance
and reform were the main themes in Umno president Najib Tun Razak’s speech at
the party’s annual general assembly today, the last before it heads for
national polls soon.The ruling Malay party will face off a much stronger opposition than in 2008 and Najib, the prime minister, said Umno must shed its past amid a changing demographics said to be more critical and demanding of the government.
Observers have noted that this year’s assembly will likely see Najib dragging the party back to the centre after its hardline politics had alienated the non-Malays and much of the young whose support is crucial for the prime minister’s own liberal reform agenda.
But one of the key obstacles to this agenda is opposition from conservative within his own ranks who analysts predict are likely to sabotage the candidates picked by the Umno president.
Sabotage was seen as a key factor behind Umno and Barisan Nasional’s record losses in 2008. It lost five states and its two-thirds parliamentary majority and it gave rise to a more potent and confident opposition.
Although no final decisions have been made on the candidates, Umno insiders said Najib is likely to sideline the hawks in favour of those that will support his open policies.
This, the insiders added, could divide the party.
To date, Umno leaders had shied away from commenting on the candidates’ list, an issue party insiders said signalled the severity of the problem. This could also partially influenced Najib’s decision to delay holding the general election this year.
Survival
Najib’s speech today reflected his concerns over such problems and the country’s sixth premier again touched on the need for unity as a divided Umno would mean the end of its 55-year rule.
“We can no longer depend on the nostalgia of the old to bring us victory.
“The 13th general election brings us with only one choice: either we as an individual and collectively want a victory for the party or otherwise,” he told the assembly held in Dewan Merdeka, Putra World Trade Centre, here.
But analysts remain sceptical that Umno can pull off the reform image as the underlying opposition to political and economic liberalisation remains strong within the party.
Much of the hardline politics now seen as synonymous with Umno’s annual meetings would have been given much play if not for the “gag order” imposed on delegates in last and this year’s assembly.
Najib, however, appeared confident that his party will play as a team when the time comes but only on the basis of survival.
If many of the perks the party’s patrons enjoy are to continue, Umno must remain in power. This means the party’s powerful hawks will also have to play along. - FMT
Mere lip-service to balm rakyat’s woes
| November 29, 2012
With the 13th GE looming, Najib has made as many pleas as he
has made promises of change, assuring the rakyat that corruption, nepotism and
cronyism would be a thing of the past.
COMMENT
It is the rule of karma
that life’s lessons have to be learned in one way or another. And it is here
that politicians make the slip, refusing to accept the humility that life
brings.This is the case with the federal government politicians who are stubbornly set in their ways, declining any help from providence to better themselves.
And so the Barisan Nasional politicians remain corrupt, sexist, philanderers, and homophobic; regrettably with no rebuke coming from their boss, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.
One would have thought the humiliating defeat in the 2008 general election would have mellowed the BN leadership – but far from it, with the politicians turning from bad to worse.
Take the case of Deputy Education Minister Mohd Puad Zarkashi. A thorough let-down when it comes to “nurturing” the young minds, Puad seems confused between his duty as a deputy minister and that of a politician, often playing the role of the latter.
On Sept 20 this year, Puad started an “attack” on the lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT) of this country when he first agreed to launch a manual asking parents and schoolchildren to “beware” of “such people”.
He then followed it up, saying the ministry was committed in curbing the LGBT phenomenon and later said school counsellors could help weed out LGBT tendencies in students.
Recently, he commented that the Pakatan Rakyat alliance is akin to a “gay marriage”, clearly taking a knock at Pakatan’s de facto adviser Anwar Ibrahim’s alleged sexual orientation.
Clearly, Puad, the BN MP for Batu Pahat, is a self-proclaimed homophobic and one coming from the BN camp. Would the rakyat welcome such a politician in their midst?
Then we have the “I am influential and powerful” politician, Nazri Aziz who serves as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department. He has no qualms that his son Mohamed Nedim, who was once involved in a brawl at a upscale condominium, has full access to an almost half-a-million ringgit worth Hummer belonging to the son of a controversial timber tycoon Michael Chia.
It was alleged that the tycoon had “gifted” Nazri and Mohamed Nedim a sports car each plus RM3 million to go with it. Would the rakyat consider Nazri for yet another term in politics?
Meanwhile, what does BN do in the face of such accusations? It simply acts dumb.
Refusing to mellow
The 2008 general election has failed to mellow the federal government under the BN flagship. On the contrary, the shocking defeat has made the federal government bitter and angry at having lost the “right” to continue to plunder the country’s riches.
Four years later and with the next general election looming, BN is beyond desperation in wanting to recover its “losses” and regain the prime states it lost to Pakatan.
That is all there is to BN’s struggle in wanting to win the 13th general election – extreme desperation.
The absolute decision on who is the best to lead this nation and its people rests in the hands of the rakyat and for the sake of their well-being and survival, the choice made has to be right if not perfect.
In this regard, there is little reason left for the rakyat to place their trust in the BN government; after all, it has been this very government that has been looting the nation’s coffers post-independence and continues to rob the country of its riches.
The daylight robbery by BN is endless and Najib continues to act dumb in the face of these accusations and that of his alleged role in the Scorpene submarines purchase.
With the national polls looming, Najib has made as many pleas as he has made promises of change, assuring the rakyat that corruption, nepotism and cronyism would be a thing of the past.
However, trusting BN to clean up its act would be foolish, given the crooked politicians in its midst that continue to cheat and lie to the rakyat.
Onus on people to change
In October last year, Wanita Umno chief and former Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil feigned ignorance when the role of her family in the National Feedlot Corporation scandal was revealed.
Now it is former Home Minister Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad who has denied any knowledge of the human trafficking offences carried out by the company, SNT Universal Corporation Sdn Bhd, of which he is a director.
The police suspect the company, ironically a government-appointed agent in the 6P amnesty programme, of exploiting and abusing hundreds of foreign workers, mainly Bangladeshis.
Just what gives such politicians the audacity to take the rakyat for a spin, using lies after lies to cover up their acts?
Would it then be worth the while to give the politicians under the BN banner the benefit of the doubt, hoping that they would have learnt their lesson and mended their ways?
Post-independence, the rakyat had placed its trust and faith in the BN leadership believing that it had the people’s best interest at heart. The truth, however, unfolded over the years, bringing with it the realisation that the rakyat was at best collateral damage in the political tussle for power.
To pin one’s hope on BN would be akin to committing hara-kiri, bearing in mind the dishonesty with which the party has ruled the country.
Change is imminent but unlike BN which relies on lip-service to balm the rakyat’s woes, the onus now is on the people to bring about the change, as they did in 2008 by putting BN “in its place” via a humiliating defeat in the national polls.
As for BN, it is pointless to go around begging for a second chance because judging from its incorrigible practices, the leadership has no plans to change for the better, what more repent.
Jeswan Kaur is a freelance writer and a FMT columnist.
Thursday, 29 November 2012 16:46
A 'new' Malaysia, a 'changed' Umno - Muhyiddin promises
KUALA
LUMPUR - Faced with a changing voter landscape, Umno has learnt from the sting
of their defeat at the 2008 general elections and has transformed as a whole,
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today.Muhyiddin, who is also Umno deputy president, said that speeches made by delegates on Wednesday showed that they truly understand the threat of the opposition.
"They know the pain and bitterness if they face defeat as before, they know this – but we want them to know this because the situation today has changed," he told a press conference after the opening speech by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
The March 2008 general election had seen the Barisan Nasional suffer its worst defeat in more than four decades, losing their customary two-thirds majority and losing five states to opposition rule.
Muhyiddin said based on on-ground observation, it is clear that the party has recovered from their defeat, and it is evident that there is change within the party.
"I only hope that it can be translated into votes for the general election, as the Prime Minister has reminded us that there are more than two million first time voters, thus reminding the party that the voter profile is not the same as 20 years ago and the party must change in parallel to this fact," he said.
"The Malaysian mind is not the same as 20 years ago, they are savvy with technology and it is a new Malaysia that we face. Youth expectations are different from 10, 20 years ago… this is the thinking that must be instilled in the party," he said, adding that most party members are aware and alert, but to instill this in all members will take time.
Muhyiddin however dodged questions on whether he agreed with Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil that Malays will lose political power if Umno is weak.
He said that since Malays make up more than 60% of the population, it is fair that their interests are represented accordingly.
"Malays represent more than 60% of the country. That is the reality. Imagine what will happen if they do not get the appropriate representation in politics," he said.
He questioned the outcome if the opposition, who he described as chaotic, were to gain power.
"Imagine if this situation (where Malays have political power) is not maintained and left to those who are chaotic, would Malaysia be as stable as she is now?" he challenged.
-thesundaily
