Rasuah politik: Saya sudah jalani hukuman, kata Isa

Calon BN bagi pilihanraya kecil DUN Bagan Pinang, Tan Sri Isa Samad berkata isu beliau terbabit dalam rasuah politik tidak berbangkit lagi kerana beliau telahpun menjalani hukuman penggantungan keahliannya dalam Umno selama tiga tahun.

Isa digantung selama tiga tahun mulai 24 Jun 2005 kerana rasuah politik kerana melanggar etika pemilihan pemilihan pucuk pimpinan Umno 2004.

Dalam pemilihan tersebut, Isa mendapat undi tertinggi untuk tiga jawatan naib presiden Umno, tetapi kemenangannya dibatalkan kerana didapati bersalah melanggar kod etika pemilihan.

Pada mulanya, dia digantung selama enam tahun atau dua penggal tetapi dikurangkan selepas beliau membuat rayuan.

Bercakap kepada pemberita selepas diumumkan sebagai calon BN bagi pilihanraya kecil DUN Bagan Pinang, Isa berkata, beliau juga bukannya melakukan satu kesalahan jenayah.

Sebaliknya, tegas bekas menteri besar Negeri Sembilan itu, beliau melanggar kod etika sewaktu pemilihan pucuk pimpinan Umno.

"Itulah perkataan yang digunakan - kod etika pemilihan - saya telah menjalani hukuman (penggantungan keahlian) tiga tahun. (Jadi) perkara itu tidak berbangkit lagi," katanya.

Sebaliknya, kata Isa, mereka yang disabitkan dalam kesalahan jenayah masih diterima rakyat dan ada yang menjadi ketua menteri dan menteri.

Ditanya mengenai kenyataan mantan Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad bahawa Isa tidak sepatutnya dipilih bertanding di Bagan Pinang kerana rekod rasuah politiknya, Isa hanya menjawab "Saya senyum".

Isa berkata, berdasarkan tahap sokongan yang ditunjukkan oleh akar umbi dan kempen yang akan dijalankan, beliau menjangka akan menang dengan majoriti lebih besar.

Ditanya perasaannya bertanding kerusi negeri selepas lama menjadi menteri kabinet, Isa berkata beliau menerima jatuh bangun dalam politik.

"Saya telah menjadi seorang menteri dan menteri besar, sekarang saya calon BN. Ianya ok kerana ini adalah satu perjuangan," kata Isa yang juga ketua Umno bahagian Teluk Kemang.

"Apabila parti memberi amanah kepada saya, maka tiada sebab bagi saya untuk menolaknya," katanya sambil menambah bahawa beliau gembira kerana dipilih untuk pertama kalinya bertanding mewakili kawasannya.

Isa mewakili kerusi DUN Linggi sejak 1978 dan pada 2004 beliau beralih bertanding kerusi parlimen Jempol dan kemudiannya
dilantik sebagai menteri wilayah persekutuan, jawatan kerajaan terakhir yang eliau sandang sebelum metelakkan jawatan pada tahun 2005, selepas keahliannya dalam Umno digantung selama tiga tahun atas kesalahan politik wang ketika bertanding jawatan naib presiden pada 2004.

Sebelum itu, Isa pernah bertanding jawatan-jawatan penting di peringkat pusat. Pada 1993, Isa bertanding jawatan ketua Pemuda Umno etapi tewas kepada Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Thamby Chik.

Pada tahun berikutnya, Isa mencuba nasib pula bertanding jawatan naib presiden Umno tetapi tewas juga, sehinggalah memenangi jawatan naib presiden pada 2004 tetapi dibatalkan kerana politik wang.

How does corruption affect us? Let me count the ways

But PAS does not declare war on corruption. PAS declares war on beer and sexy women. PAS does not understand that corruption and poverty is the real enemy. Poverty enslaves us. Corruption makes us even poorer.

NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin

Most Malaysians don’t think twice about the level of corruption in this country. Some even welcome it. How many times have you illegally parked your car or dashed through a red light and paid the policeman a bribe of RM50 or RM100 to save paying a RM300 fine if you are issued a summons?
And that is cheap, mind you. In the police lockup, we have to pay the policemen RM100 for a three-minute local phone call and RM10 for a stick of cigarette. So that comes to RM200 per packet. I paid RM200 for one night’s ‘protection’. For RM200 I was placed in a ‘special’ lockup where a detainee awaiting trial for murder took me under his wing so that the others could not get at me. He even threw in a cigarette as part of the ‘package’.
And it costs RM250,000 for a drug dealer to escape the gallows.
My wife, who in 2001 was detained overnight in the women’s section of the police lockup, the same night I was arrested, spoke to one Indonesian woman who was on her second drug dealing arrest. The first time she and her husband were arrested they had to pay RM500,000 for both of them to get released. They were trying to arrange another RM500,000 to get out of this second arrest. So that came to RM1 million for two arrests. Imagine how much they must be making dealing in drugs. More importantly, imagine how much the police are making each time they get arrested.
I spoke to many of my Chinese businessmen friends and they admitted that it is easier to do business when corruption is involved. This saves time since you can bypass the normal requirements and get your applications approved much faster by just bribing the government officers. Sometimes, when you are not ‘eligible’, you can become eligible by paying bribes. So bribes actually help when faced with certain obstacles -- and there are definitely many 'obstacles' when dealing with governments in third world countries like Malaysia.
When corruption does not affect you directly you are not too concerned about it. It is like crime. As long as the robbers do not break into your home to rob you and rape your wife or daughter then who bothers too much about the high level of crime? It is when it is you that is hit that you become outraged about the high crime rate and the low level of police enforcement and lack of effort to combat crime.
Is it not those who suffer or suffered from cancer, or have lost a loved one to cancer, who gets involved in anti-cancer movements or associations? How many of us who never had to face cancer would want to donate generously to the anti-cancer effort? We never bother about something that does not affect us. And the same goes for other things as well, such as corruption and whatnot.
But corruption does affect us, contrary to what many may be thinking. Sometimes it affects us directly. Most times, indirectly.
An average of ten people die each day on Malaysian roads. Many more are seriously injured or maimed, sometimes resulting in them no longer being able to work and earn a living. The main reason for this is that Malaysians do not know how to drive.
Now, let there not be any confusion over this statement. Malaysians may have a valid driving licence. But Malaysians do not know how to drive. Do you know that in some European countries you can exchange your Singapore driving licence for a driving licence of your host country? But they will not accept a Malaysian driving licence. Malaysian driving licences tak laku (have no value).
I know someone, now deceased, who had a driving licence but could not even reverse her car out of the driveway. How in heaven’s name did she pass her driving test and get a licence if she can’t even reverse her car? And for sure she can’t drive.
Well, she told me. The driving school has two schemes. One is the ‘guaranteed to pass your driving test’ scheme -- which means you will pass your driving test and get a driving licence even if you can’t drive. The other scheme involves you taking the driving test and passing it all on your own.
The trouble with this legitimate scheme, though, is that even if you know how to drive they will still fail you as ‘punishment’ for refusing to participate in the ‘guaranteed to pass’ scheme. So it is better to pay, even if you can drive, and especially if you can’t, to be assured off a driving licence.
So, about ten people a day die on Malaysian roads because most of them have a driving licence but do not know how to drive. And those who die could be you, a family member, an office colleague, or a close friend. In short, that person who died in the traffic accident could be someone you know or someone close to you.
Therefore, corruption does affect you when you lose someone because of corruption -- or if it is you who dies. If this person were forced to learn how to drive properly before being given a licence then maybe he or she would still be alive today. I have personally lost scores of friends and relatives due to traffic accidents over the last 50 years or so. Sometimes it is their fault. The sad part is when the accident is someone else’s fault and you are a victim of reckless or inconsiderate drivers who have absolutely no road sense whatsoever.
I have also lost people dear to me due to poor medical facilities. There are not enough hospital beds in the intensive care unit or not enough dialysis machines or whatever, which results in poor medical facilities. And these people had to die because of this.
It is not that Malaysia does not have enough money to improve its medical facilities. It is that Malaysia spends the money for the wrong reasons -- and spends too much on top of that because there are kickbacks and commissions involved in every project and procurement. So medical facilities take a back seat and many of us have lost friends, colleagues and relatives because they were denied prompt or proper medical treatment.
If the money had not been wasted and had instead been spent for the right purposes -- medical and education being the two most important -- then Malaysia would be a much better place. As it is, our medical and educational facilities are below the so-called first world infrastructure that we are so proud of.
We have the best weapons. We have fantastic bridges, buildings and roads. Heck, we even have submarines now. But we are extremely lacking when it comes to medical and educational facilities. And health and education are far more important than all those white elephants and monuments that swallow billions but bring no income to the country, as would most white elephants and monuments.
Cars cost a lot in Malaysia. That, again, is due to corruption. If the government allowed a free-for-all in the car industry then cars would cost much cheaper than they do now. But they can’t allow a free-for-all. They can’t because cronies of those who walk in the corridors of power are making a lot of money from the car import permits and whatnot. So Malaysians have to pay double what they should actually be paying for their cars. But their salaries are not double what they should be.
So you end up a slave of your car instead of the car being your slave. You work for your car when your car should instead be working for you. And because of the sorry state of public transport you have no choice but to own a car. You just can’t get around without a car like you can in so many other countries.
After paying for your car what do you have left at the end of the day? Most times, because of your car, you can’t afford a decent home. Malaysians are actually very poor. The cost of living is so high while the salaries are very low. And corruption keeps Malaysians poor.
So perish the thought if you thought corruption does not affect you. It does, in more ways than you realise. And only naïve people would believe that corruption does not personally affect them or is actually beneficial to business. Malaysians are paying a heavy price for corruption. And the worse thing is we do not even realise we are paying.
Malaysians pay billions in all forms of taxes. But a lot of this money does not come back to us. It gets flushed down the toilet. Billions are lost -- RM30 billion by some estimates. And this is our money. Imagine if we had to pay only RM0.30 for a litre of petrol or RM1.80 for a packet of cigarette or RM50,000 for a Honda Civic. Would you not have more money left in your pocket? Nowadays, your money is finished by the tenth day of the month and you have to wait another 20 days for your next paycheque.
Don’t even start talking about saving money for a rainy day. This is just not possible. Corruption has taken away all your money whereas considering how rich this country is we should not even be asked to pay taxes or, even if we are, it could be a very minimum level that hardly hurts us.
For decades, the opposition has been fighting for the government to set a fair minimum wage appropriate to the cost of living. But the government does not agree to the RM900 per month minimum wage proposal.
In fact, even RM900 is still too low. Countries like the UK have announced that the minimum wage will now be adjusted to about RM35 per hour. That is what some Malaysians earn in a day. Yet the price of cigarettes in the UK is almost the same as in Malaysia. And so goes for many other things as well -- while cars are half the price or less compared to Malaysia.
No, Malaysians are poor. You earn so much less and have to pay so much more. Then corruption takes away what little you have left. And Malaysians still believe that corruption does not affect them directly.
And that is why I am of the opinion that PAS is not focused. They should be addressing the core issues. And the core issue here is corruption and how it affects us. Banning beer or sexy singers from appearing on stage does not offer Malaysians a better life. Even if beer and sexy singers are banned Malaysians will still remain poor. And we will remain poor because our money is being plundered and our low salaries and high taxes do not allow us a decent life.
Prophet Muhammad declared war on riba’ (usury). Riba’ basically means making money from no effort of your own. And, according to Sheikh Imran Hossein, there are 80 levels of riba’, corruption being one of them (since corruption involves making money in a dishonest manner and from no effort of your own).
But PAS does not declare war on corruption. PAS declares war on beer and sexy women. PAS does not understand that corruption and poverty is the real enemy. Poverty enslaves us. Corruption makes us even poorer.
PAS should take up the Prophet’s real fight, the fight against corruption and poverty. And poverty is the breeding ground of corruption. When you are broke one week after receiving your salary you need to resort to corruption to survive.

Malaysiakini.com : 70 penternak sertai bantahan di SUK S'gor

Kira-kira 70 orang penternak mengadakan bantahan dengan membawa 30 lori bersama muatan lembu, kerbau dan kambing ke bangunan Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri (SUK) di Shah Alam hari ini.

Mereka juga turut mendesak exco kerajaan negeri Selangor yang bertanggungjawab terhadap bidang pertanian, Yaakob Sapari supaya meletak jawatan.

Penternak terbabit mendakwa, kerajaan negeri dan majlis tempatan tidak membantu selepas kejadian runtuh di tempat buangan sampah haram, telah mengorbankan ternakan mereka.

Pengerusi Persatuan Penternak Ruminan Negeri Selangor, Samad Kassim memberitahu pemberita bahawa dua ladang ternakan dihempap runtuhan sampah di situ, yang mengakibatkan 10 ekor lembu tertimbus.

Salah sebuah ladang tersebut mempunyai lesen manakala yang satu lagi terletak di kawasan simpanan TNB. Bagaimanapun, Samad berkata, tiada sebab kerajaan negeri dan pihak berkuasa tempatan tidak membantu mereka.

"Kami merupakan salah satu penyumbang utama kepada pertumbuhan ekonomi Selangor, tetapi mengapa mereka tidak berbuat sesuatu untuk membantu kami? Kami juga pelabur," katanya.

Rabu lalu, usaha untuk memadamkan kebakaran di kawasan buangan sampah haram di Kampung Sungai Kertas, Ulu Yam itu mengakibatkan sebahagian longgokan sampah runtuh, dan menimbus ternakan dan mencederakan seorang pekerja rakyat Bangladesh.

Bertan-tan sampah, tanah dan air runtuh dari ketinggian 40 meter dan menghempap dua ladang ternakan tersebut pada jam 8.30 malam Rabu lalu, mengakibatkan lembu dan kambing mati lemas.

Tiga minggu lalu, Majlis Perbandaran Selayang (MPS) dan Jabatan Bomba dan Penyelamat telah menggali parit di situ untuk mengisinya dengan air dalam usaha memadamkan kebakaran yang berlaku sejak lima bulan lalu.

Samad berkata, bangkai ternakan masih tertimbus sampah kerana tiada pihak yang mahu membersihkannya.

Beliau bimbang keadaan itu boleh mengakibatkan berlakunya wabak penyakit di kalangan ternakan yang masih hidup, mengakibatkan lebih banyak yang akan mati.

Bagaimanapun, keadaan reda apabila setiausaha politik Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim muncul dari bangunan SUK dan berkata Yaakob bersetuju untuk menemui pemimpin persatuan itu yang mewakili peserta bantahan lain.

MI : Protestors bring cows, goats and buffaloes to Selangor state secretariat

By Neville Spykerman

SHAH ALAM, Sept 28 — The state secretariat compound was thrown into chaos again today when more than 100 protestors brought 30 truck-loads of buffaloes, cows, goats and milk containers to demand the state government help them recover their losses from a recent flood.

The protestors, claiming to be herders from across the state, were there to demand help for their fellow farmers in Ulu Yam whose livestock was destroyed in the flood.

The flood was believed to have been caused by the collapse of a landfill.

This is the second time in as many months that a protest has been held in front of the state secretariat.

Last month, residents of the Section 23 neighbourhood here had brought a cow's head to protest against the relocation of a Hindu temple to their mainly-Muslim housing estate.

In the latest protest, farmers are said to be unhappy that the state government had done nothing to help them over the loss of some 300 animals.

It is unclear so far what they are demanding from the authorities.

The main gates to the state secretariat were clogged with trucks carrying livestock and disgruntled farmers, who claimed the state government had done nothing for two cattle farms which were hit by flash floods last week.

Selangor Livestock Association chairman Samad Kassim claimed cattle were dying daily at the two farms, located next to an illegal landfill in Ulu Yam, but the Selayang Municipal Council did nothing for the farmers.

Malaysiakini.com: Mahkamah Rayuan arah inkues Teoh diteruskan

Mahkamah Rayuan hari ini mengarahkan supaya inkues kematian Teoh Beng Hock diteruskan seperti yang dijadualkan, dengan memanggil saksi-saksi lain untuk memberi keterangan.

Dalam keputusan sebulat suara, panel hakim yang diketuai oleh Hakim Datuk Low Hop Bing berkata permohonan Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) untuk menangguhkan inkues tersebut, akan didengar bersama dengan kes rayuan.

Low juga mengarahkan pendaftar Mahkamah Rayuan supaya menulis kepada pesuruhjaya kehakiman Mahkamah Tinggi Petaling Jaya supaya menyegerakan penghakiman bertulis dan juga menetapkan tarikh awal bagi mendengar rayuan dan permohonan penangguhan inkues tersebut.

Dua lagi hakim yang mendengar kes tersebut ialah Datuk KN Segara dan Datuk Ramly Ali.

Pada 10 September lalu, Mahkamah Tinggi Petaling Jaya menolak permohonan SPRM untuk menyemak keputusan koroner inkues kematian Teoh berhubung kebenaran memanggil saksi bagi mendedahkan dakwaan penderaan pegawai suruhanjaya itu.

Pada 9 September, T Sivanesan seorang saksi yang dikemukakan oleh peguam keluarga Teoh, Gobind Singh Deo, memberi keterangan dalam inkues Teoh, dengan mendakwa dia pernah didera oleh SPRM semasa disoal siasat.

Mahkamah juga menolak permohonan peguam SPRM yang ingin mendapatkan perintah menangguhkan inkues sementara menunggu rayuan terhadap semakan itu di Mahkamah Rayuan.

Government mulls Benz, BMWs as Proton delays new Perdana

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 — Despite the moribund economy, the government is mulling the use of imported luxury cars for the Najib administration and top civil servants to replace its leased fleet of ageing Proton Perdana V6 Executive vehicles which are no longer in production.

The cars — Mercedes Benz S class, BMW 5 series, Toyota Camry and Honda Accord — are likely to be leased for four years from Spanco Sdn Bhd, which has a 25-year concession with the government ending 2018 that is now worth RM80 million a year.

The Mercedes Benz S class.

The Malaysian Insider has learnt that the judiciary has decided on using the Mercedes Benz and that perk could extend to ministers.

"The Mercedes Benz cars are already being assembled now in Pekan in anticipation of the lease," a government source told The Malaysian Insider, referring to the assembly plant in the prime minister's constituency.

The new cars could raise heckles as Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers had objected to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) administrations in both Perak and Selangor for opting to use Toyota Camrys over the Perdanas, accusing them of being unpatriotic and disloyal to the national carmaker.

The BN government that ousted PR in Perak later put the Camrys on the auction block early this year.

The BN government in Terengganu also raised eyebrows last year when it ordered 14 Mercedes Benz E200 Kompressors for RM3.43 million to replace the Perdanas, citing costly maintenance for the national car.

The BMW 5 series.

Proton is already looking at a new model next year to replace the flagship Perdana, which was launched in 1995 as the badge-engineered version of the seventh-generation Mitsubishi Eterna. The current Proton Perdana V6 Executive used by the government is 10 inches longer than the standard model.

Another government source said the new cars had competitive lease rates, reducing initial costs but he reckoned Spanco can turn in a tidy profit from maintenance charges.

"The lease for each car is four years and maintenance charges are a bit high but they do everything from A to Z. So on paper, it's worth it for the government," he told The Malaysian Insider.

The government stopped buying cars for the administration and senior government officers since January 1994 by agreeing to lease from Spanco which initially provided Mercedes Benz and Volvo models.

But the Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad administration stopped that in 1997 under its austerity drive during the height of the Asian financial crisis.

Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Kong Cho Ha told Parliament last year that apart from cars for official government use, Spanco also leased saloon cars for the various ministries and federal departments.

"Under the agreement, Spanco is responsible for supply, maintaining and repairing all cars leased by the government.

"In return, the government pays for the cost of rental, maintenance and repairs to Spanco on a monthly basis based on the number and type of cars leased," he said in reply to Lim Kit Siang (DAP-Ipoh Timur) who wanted to know the cost and benefits of leasing Proton Perdana V6 as official cars of the government.

He said until July 2008, a total of 8,341 cars were leased of which 105 were for use by members of the government administration.

The Proton Perdana V6.

"The average yearly maintenance cost (not including repairs) for the Perdana V6 cars was RM2,373, which was 55 per cent less than RM3,693 for the standard yearly maintenance cost of a Mercedes," he said, adding that the government found using the Perdana V6 to be very practical as it seldom had serious technical problems. Apart from the Perdana as a standard car for government servants, Spanco also provides the Proton Waja.

Spanco was given the contract to lease and maintain vehicles for the government for 25 years as part of the government's privatisation exercise. It was seen a good deal as many government departments, such as the police force, had thousands of cars, and leasing and maintenance was not Spanco's core business.

In 2004, the Finance Ministry asked Coopers & Lybrand to review the Spanco deal in the belief that the government had paid too much. The contract sum was then reduced by 20 per cent from RM100 million a year to RM80 million a year.

The decision to renegotiate the Spanco contract came after the then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said that the government would look into lopsided concessions.

Najib, who succeeded Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as prime minister last April, had added the government would learn from its mistakes to ensure that it did not get the short end of the stick when negotiating deals with the private sector.

MalaysianInsider: Dr M volunteers to run in Bagan Pinang

By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal

PUTRAJAYA, Sept 26 — Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today reaffirmed his stand that Tan Sri Isa Samad should not be nominated to represent Umno for the by-election in Bagan Pinang on Oct 11.

He also suggested sarcastically that Umno should nominate him to stand instead of Isa if there were no other suitable candidate.

He stated it would be a shame on the part of Umno and Barisan National (BN) as a whole if Isa won the by-election, and that this would directly impact the ruling coalition collectively.

"If I was in Isa's shoes, I would step down immediately and support another Umno candidate. I would want the party to not nominate me but instead campaign for someone else in the party who is more deserving and qualified," said Dr Mahathir here today.

Dr Mahathir has been a vocal critic of the possible nomination of the former Negeri Sembilan mentri besar, who was punished with a three-year suspension after the party's disciplinary board found him guilty of vote buying during the Umno elections in 2004.

Mahathir's Bagan Pinang campaign poster? — file pic

According to him, Umno stands a strong chance of winning the Bagan Pinang seat because the area was an Umno stronghold, but having a candidate who was found to have been involved in corruption does not speak well for Umno and BN.

"If Umno cannot find enough candidates, just choose me," Dr Mahathir quipped.

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has set itself the target of capturing the Umno stronghold but has acknowledged it as an uphill battle.

Critics speculate that Umno has a good chance of retaining the seat due to the high number of registered postal votes, which traditionally is a reliable vote bank for BN.

The Bagan Pinang Seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Azman Mohamad Noor of Barisan National on September 4th. He won the seat in the last general elections after defeating PAS' Ramli Ismail with a majority of 2,333 votes.

Abdul Rahim Abu Bakar, the Hang Jebat of Pahang (UPDATED with Chinese)

The best way and no other way to describe the relationship between the Menteri Besar and the Palace was that they were in a state of war. Rahim Bakar whacked the Sultan to kingdom come and he did not care a damn what the repercussions would be.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Ex-Pahang MB Abdul Rahim Abu Bakar dies

Former Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Rahim Abu Bakar died at his home in Jalan U-Thant here at 7.10pm yesterday, believed to be due to a heart attack. He was 66.

His second child, Rosnita, 35, said her father was waiting for the azan call to break the fast when her mother Datin Rosnah Kamaruddin found him unconscious.

She said they contacted paramedics from Gleneagles Intan Medical Centre, who pronounced him dead.

"Father did not show any signs prior to his death. As far as we know, he was not suffering from any illness... his death could be due to a heart attack," she said.

Rosnita said since all her brothers and sisters had returned home to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri, they were at their father's side when he died.

He will be buried at the Taman Kosas Muslim Cemetery after Friday prayers today at the Kampung Pandan mosque, she said.

Meanwhile, Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Noh Omar said Abdul Rahim's demise was a big loss to politics in the country, especially Umno.

"I had known him when he was actively involved in Umno. I have always admired his high values and struggles towards Umno because despite coming from a poor family, he achieved tremendous success," he said.

Abdul Rahim leaves a wife and four children — Roslina, 37, Rosnita, Mohd Rizal, 32, and Rosazreen, 25 and four grandchildren.

Abdul Rahim was born on Feb 7, 1943 in Beserah, Kuantan and started his political career as the state assemblyman for Beserah after winning the seat in the 1978 general election.

An economics graduate from Universiti Malaya, he was Pahang Menteri Besar from July 19, 1978 to Nov 7, 1981. — Reuters

*************************************************

That is what the mainstream media wrote. It is very short and, of course, just sticks to the 'core issues'. But what the mainstream media failed to mention is that Rahim Bakar was somewhat of a loose canon who held the post of Menteri Besar of Pahang for slightly over three years.

Rahim Bakar was a most outspoken individual and the Pahang rakyat loved him. He would blast away, even in public, and there were no 'sacred cows' as far as he was concerned. In fact, whenever there were palace spies around, Rahim Bakar would purposely raise his voice so that they could hear what he says. Then he would sit back with an amused look on his face to see the spies scurry away to report to the Pahang Sultan what Rahim Bakar just said.

The best way and no other way to describe the relationship between the Menteri Besar and the Palace was that they were in a state of war. Rahim Bakar whacked the Sultan to kingdom come and he did not care a damn what the repercussions would be.

At that time, the Prime Minister was Tun Hussein Onn, a jewel and no-nonsense of a man. He was brought up in the British tradition and acquired his discipline in the British army. Hussein Onn would not tolerate any shit and in spite of his Johor Palace links he would keep the Royal Family on a tight leash and would offer them no slack.

It was always an unwritten rule that the nine Malaysian rulers would be allowed certain 'excesses'. For states like Pahang, Kelantan, Terengganu, Perak, and so on, these excesses would include large tracts of timber concessions. States like Negeri Sembilan, which did not have too much timber land left, the 'concessions' would be in the form of pig farm licences. Why do you think they call that state Negeri Sembilan Darul Khinzir?

The Sultans would be given a certain timber 'quota' every year, which they are expected to use wisely. Most Sultans would have Chinese partners to work the timber concessions and for Pahang it was the infamous 'Tengku' Wong -- who was exposed and stripped naked by no less than the Gerakan President at that time, Lim Keng Yeak.

This was back in the 1980s. Lim went before TV, and with spit splashing on the TV cameras, he lamented about 'Tengku' Wong, who, Lim said, is the Pahang Sultan's business partner. Lim said that 'Tengku' Wong and the Sultan have ripped off the state out of hundreds of millions worth of timber. What Lim did not know was that 'Tengku' Wong was not just the Sultan's partner. He was also ex-Pahang Menteri Besar Khalil Yaacob's partner. So there were actually three parties involved.

Datuk Fauzi Rahman, the one-time Member of Parliament for Kuantan, actually made a police report on this matter some years back but until today nothing has been done about it. Instead, Fauzi was kicked out, as is the fate of all whistleblowers in Malaysia who lodge police reports or sign Statutory Declarations not favourable to those who walk in the corridors of power.

The 'Pahang Constitutional Crisis', if I may be permitted to call it that, started when the Pahang Sultan used up his timber concession quota super-fast. Actually, the Sultan lost it all in the casinos where he spends most of his time.

In one casino in the UK, the Sultan lost so much money, millions of Ringgit, that he could not afford to pay off his debt. Sultan or no Sultan, the casino would not allow him to leave until he paid up.

The Sultan summoned the Malaysian High Commissioner to the UK and the hapless diplomat had no choice but to get out of bed and make his way to the casino. The Sultan then made the High Commissioner guarantee the debt on behalf of the Malaysian government. Only then did the casino allow the Sultan to leave.

When the Sultan returned to Malaysia he asked for more timber concessions. But His Highness had already used up his quota for the year. So Rahim Bakar brought the matter to the attention of the Prime Minister.

Hussein Onn was still boiling mad that the Malaysian government was forced to guarantee the Sultan's gambling debts and he put his foot down and said no more timber concession for the Sultan.

Rahim Bakar, being the loose cannon who takes no shit from anyone kind of man, told the Sultan in a not so diplomatic way to bugger off. (I just love this Rahim Bakar and when I grow up I want to be just like him).

The Sultan was pissed and he wanted Rahim Bakar sacked and declared persona non grata. (Now you know why I just love the man -- we persona non gratas have to stick together).

Rahim Bakar was eventually forced to resign halfway through his term and they put an interim Menteri Besar, Rashid, to warm the seat while waiting for the next general election in a couple of month's time.

The Sultan wanted Najib Tun Razak, an orang istana, who was then in the federal cabinet, to take over as Menteri Besar. In the 1982 general election Najib contested a state seat and went back to Pahang as the new Menteri Besar so that he can fulfil his main function of granting the Sultan all the timber concessions that His Highness wanted plus, as his secondary job, run the state administration.

Rahim Bakar was not the first Menteri Besar to fall because he refused to bow to the Sultan's demand for timber concessions. Ghazali Jawi of Perak and Nik Hassan of Terengganu too were forced out when they refused to give their Sultans what they wanted.

Isa Samad, in a way, suffered the same fate, but he refused to grant the Negeri Sembilan ruler what His Highness wanted not based on principles but because Isa wanted it all for himself (hmm…let's hope we meet him in this coming by-election in Bagan Pinang).

So there you have it. NST, Utusan, Bernama, Malay Mail, etc., would just report what Reuters reported above. Boring! Malaysia Today gives you the untold story. So let us honour the late Datuk Abdul Rahim Abu Bakar and one-time Pahang Menteri Besar for being the true patriot that he is. He opposed the Sultan and he paid the price. And this is what he must be remembered for, the Hang Jebat of Pahang, the Anak Pahang Tulin.

Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2009/09/blog-post_25.html

RPK : Another case under the OSA for the IGP to NFA

This means these two army officers were in the home of the then Deputy Prime Minister for about eight hours during the time Altantuya was supposed to have been murdered. Why they were there during those eight hours and who these two army officers are has not been revealed.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The Malaysian government says Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered between 10.00pm on October 19th and 1.00am on October 20th, 2006. That was the charge against Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar and that was what they were pronounced guilty of.

At 10.01pm on 19th October 2006, two unnamed army officers went to Najib Tun Razak's house, according to log entry 6494 in the police guard book. (See log 1a and log 2a below). These same two unnamed army officers left Najib's house at 6.05am on 20th October 2006, according to log entry 6498. (See log 1b and log 2b below).

The purpose of the visit was never clarified.

This means these two army officers were in the home of the then Deputy Prime Minister for about eight hours during the time Altantuya was supposed to have been murdered. Why they were there during those eight hours and who these two army officers are has not been revealed.

From 10.01pm the night Altantuya was murdered until 6.05am the following morning, two army officers visited the Deputy Prime Minister and/or his wife. This is certainly a most odd time to visit a Deputy Prime Minister and/or his wife in their home. And what does one do for eight hours in someone's home during the time most people would be fast sleep?

According to Fauzi, a driver, Rosmah Mansor left the official residence of the Deputy Prime Minister in Putrajaya at 6.48am on 19th October 2006 using car registration number WLQ 11 to return to her private home in Taman Duta. The car odometer reading was 86,197. That same evening, Rosmah attended a function near the Tabung Haji building in Jalan Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur

She did not return home until 11.20pm later that night, according to Fauzi.

The next day, 20th October 2006, Rosmah left her official residence in Putrajaya at 6.32am using the same car bearing registration number WLQ 11 to, again, return to Taman Duta. She also ran a few errands and did not return to Putrajaya until 1.01am the following morning.

The odometer reading was 86,315.

On the third day, Rosmah repeated the itinerary. She left Putrajaya at 6.40am to return to her Taman Duta home and to run some errands and did not go back to Putrajaya until 9.34pm that night. The odometer reading was 86,550.

Over three days, Rosmah travelled more than 350 kilometres to shuttle from Putrajajaya to Taman Duta, plus to some other places in between, according to the records.

I suggest the IGP investigate how these 'officials secrets' managed to leak out and whether the Official Secrets Act (OSA) has been breached. Or maybe the IGP would rather bury the whole issue and file it under No Further Action (NFA) to save the Prime Minister and his wife from having to answer some very embarrassing questions.

Hmm...I wonder who these two unnamed army officers are and whether they were really at the Deputy Prime Minister's house those entire eight hours or whether they sneaked out and in again without any 'official record'.

Ooh, I just love the OSA that protects the wrongdoer and instead sends the whistleblower to jail.

Log 1a

Log 2a

Log 1b

Log 2b

Police Log 19th-20th October 2006

Me serve the rakyat? Nah! (UPDATED with CHINESE)

It is therefore not difficult to understand why there is so much chaos in Pakatan Rakyat Selangor. Not only are PKR, DAP and PAS trying to outmanoeuvre each other. Internally, within PKR, DAP and PAS, there are many factions and each is trying to kill off the other.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Many ask me why I refuse to go into active politics. I try to tell to these people that I am not a politician but a political activist. Most do not appear to understand the difference. I try to explain it as simply as I can. A politician seeks power. A political activist seeks change. I seek change, not power. So I am a political activist, not a politician.

That may not be the most accurate way to explain it but I think this would probably clear the air as to why I wish to be one and not the other. The analogy I normally use is the comparison between Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. Castro wanted power. Che just wanted change. And when they toppled the Cuban government and formed the new government Castro went on to become its new leader while, after only six years in government, Che went off to start a new revolution in another country -- and died, of course.

Make no bones about it. Most people who are in politics are in it because of their lust for power -- be it the ruling party or the opposition. They are not in politics for the sake of change or to serve the people. Most times, serving the people is the last thing on their minds. It's all about their lust for power and the pursuit of power. And that is why it is very difficult to comprehend the actions of politicians, even those in the opposition.

Take the Selangor issue as an example. Way back in 1999 there was already a power struggle between the two Alis -- Hassan Ali and Azmin Ali of PAS and PKR respectively. Both thought that their party was going to win the most number of seats in Selangor so both wanted to become Selangor's new Menteri Besar. In the end, the opposition did not win, of course, so this 'settled' the dispute.

That was ten years ago. But when the opposition did eventually win Selangor in March last year, the power struggle resurfaced. PKR won the most number of seats while DAP came in second. PAS was at the bottom of the list of number of seats.

This means the new Menteri Besar has to come from PKR, not PAS. So the question of whether Hassan Ali should become the Menteri Besar is not even open for discussion. There was no way he could become the Menteri Besar. The Menteri Besar has to come from PKR.

But if Anwar appoints Azmin Ali as Menteri Besar this would antagonise Hassan Ali. In fact, Hassan Ali was already engaged in secret negotiations with Umno to explore the possibility of Umno and PAS forming the new state government with Hassan Ali as the new Menteri Besar. It was not about whether Umno, instead of PKR-DAP, is a better partner for PAS Selangor. It is about which equation would benefit Hassan Ali. With PKR-DAP, Hassan Ali would not be able to become Menteri Besar. With Umno, he could.

But a PAS-Umno alliance would not offer them enough seats to form the government. They would need more seats than that and only if there were some crossovers from PKR would they have enough seats. So it can't be done with just PAS and Umno. It has to be PAS and Umno plus some from PKR as well. However, since they could not get any PKR state assemblypersons to crossover, the plan was a non-starter.

DAP thought it could get the most number of seats in Selangor. A problem would then arise that since DAP did not have any Malay assemblypersons then how are they going to take the Menteri Besar's post? This, in fact, happened in Perak. Although DAP won the most number of seats in Perak they had to offer the post of Menteri Besar to the party that won the least number of seats, PAS -- which was actually not a bad choice on reflection considering that Nizar Jamaluddin is an ideal candidate.

DAP could accept the fact that PKR won the most number of seats in Selangor so the Menteri Besar has to come from that party. But DAP won the second highest number of seats so at least they could hold the post of Deputy Menteri Besar. After all, the opposition won Selangor because of the non-Malay votes and not because of the Malay votes. The Malays were split 50-50. It was the non-Malay votes that saw the opposition victorious.

But this posed two problems. First was the fact that Selangor was won with the support of the non-Malays and not the Malays who were split 50:50. This, no one can deny. But this also means that the Malay support is very dicey. Umno is already saying that the Chinese now control Penang, Perak and Selangor. If a Chinese Deputy Menteri Besar were to be appointed in Selangor then the opposition would play right into Umno's hands. The opposition would actually be helping Umno 'prove' that Selangor is now under the control of the Chinese and that Umno's rhetoric is an undeniable fact and no lie.

It is not about the opposition not wanting a Chinese as the Deputy CEO in Selangor. It is about being very careful and not giving Umno the ammunition it needs to exploit the sentiments of the Malays in the race game that Umno is playing. Umno is screaming that the 8th March 2008 General Election is a repeat of the 11th May 1969 General Election. Therefore, said Umno, they need a 13th May 1969 'solution' to the problem. Remember Hitler's 'final solution'?

It was very crucial that the opposition does not allow Umno to use the argument that Selangor has been 'lost' to the Chinese. They are already saying that about Penang and Perak -- being lost to the Chinese. And Selangor is the jewel in the crown of the three states that control more than half the economy of Malaysia.

The second problem is within DAP itself. DAP Selangor is split into various factions, each at odds with the other. So, who from DAP should become the Deputy Menteri Besar if the opposition dared throw caution to the wind and appoints a Chinese from DAP to become the Deputy Menteri Besar? Some aspirants from DAP were even organising protests and demonstrations to pre-empt the 'other side' from getting appointed as the Deputy Menteri Besar. DAP Selangor would break up and some might even leave the party and declare themselves 'independent' candidates just like our DAP lady from Perak.

If nobody from DAP gets the post of Deputy Menteri Besar then everyone would be happy. Never mind if I don't get it as long as no one else gets it. But if you appoint someone from one faction, the other faction would revolt.

And that is the same reason why Anwar decided that Khalid Ibrahim should become the Menteri Besar. Khalid is not the best choice of candidate. Some even go so far as to say he is the worst choice. Azmin Ali, they argue, would be a better choice. I think so too. But if Azmin Ali were to be appointed as the Menteri Besar then Hassan Ali will merajuk (sulk) and would seriously consider the Umno proposal to form a PAS-Umno government in Selangor.

Hassan Ali is not realistic enough. No doubt Umno is courting him. However, they are courting him not because he is a fantastic guy but because they know he lusts for the post of Menteri Besar. So they dangle this sweet carrot in front of his face and watch his mouth drool. Once Umno grabs Selangor they will then move into phase 2 of the plan. And phase 2 is how to get rid of Hassan Ali.

Actually, it is not that difficult to kill off Hassan Ali once he goes to bed with Umno. Umno knows that the Sultan of Selangor does not like Hassan Ali. And I got this confirmed by my palace sources. So, all they need to do is to announce that PAS and Umno are now going to form the new Selangor government and then request an audience with the Sultan. Since Umno and PAS -- with some 'independents' from PKR/DAP they hope -- now control the most number of seats in Selangor, the Sultan will have no choice but to swear in the new government.

However, while the Sultan has no choice but to agree to a new PAS-Umno government, he does not have to agree that Hassan Ali becomes the new Menteri Besar. And, in fact, he will not agree. So Umno can then just shrug their shoulders and say that we agree you become the Menteri Besar but the Sultan does not. So, sorry mate, you can't become the Menteri Besar after all. It has to be someone from Umno.

Hassan Ali can be shot down even while he is still taxing on the runaway and before he can take off. Remember Pearl Harbour and what the Japanese did to the Americans? Hassan Ali will meet his Pearl Harbour at the hands of Umno and with the help of the Sultan.

It is therefore not difficult to understand why there is so much chaos in Pakatan Rakyat Selangor. Not only are PKR, DAP and PAS trying to outmanoeuvre each other. Internally, within PKR, DAP and PAS, there are many factions and each is trying to kill off the other.

We have inter-party and we have intra-party wars going on. And it is all because no one is interested in bringing changes or to serve the rakyat. They are only interested in seeking power because politicians naturally lust for power.

So we, the people, need to keep them in check. If power goes to their heads they will very quickly forget that it was the people who put them there. They will forget that they are supposed to work for the rakyat. They will become just like Barisan Nasional in thinking that the rakyat are the slaves while they are the masters.

Never trust politicians. They will use us when it best suits them. Then they will turn on us and betray the trust we gave them. And that is why the need for some of us to remain as political activists and not become politicians. This is so that we can whack the politicians when they forget themselves, which will be as soon as they win the election and form the new government.

Translated into Chinese at: http://ccliew.blogspot.com/2009/09/blog-post_1200.html