KOTA BHARU, Aug 25: Kelantan State Petroleum Royalty Claims committee chairman Husam Musa said the state government would file a lawsuit against national oil corporation Petronas for breaching contract on the petroleum royalty on August 30 in Kuala Lumpur.
“The summons writ will be presented to the State Executive Council meeting for approval. If it is approved, the lawsuit will be filed against Petronas on August 30," he said, adding that lawyer Tommy Thomas would file the suit on behalf of Kelantan.
According to Husam, the initial plan was to file the suit on August 31 in conjunction with Merdeka, but had to be changed due to public holiday.
Husam explained that Kelantan’s oil royalty suit was different from a similar suit in 200 by then PAS-led Terengganu state government, because this time around, it is being backed by an affidavit by former Petronas chairman Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who has expressed his willingness to testify in court.
"Although the royalty claim case is being brought to the court, the room for negotiation to solve the issue is still open.
"With Ramadan upon us, it is the best time for the parties involved to pay the oil royalties to Kelantan,” said Husam, who also chairs the state Exco on Economic Planning, Finance and Welfare.
Last March, the Kelantan state assembly unanimously gave the state government mandate to take any action, including legal, to claim petroleum royalty as stated in the Petroleum Development Act 1975.
Prime Minister Najib Razak has however ignored the requests, arguing that the Federal government would maintain the "compassionate fund" instead of the oil royalty.
Last May, the Federal government paid RM20 million in such funds, bypassing the Kelantan state government.
Harakah Daily
NB.Latest. The lawsuit will be filed on 30th August 2010 at 9.30 am at the High Court Dagang Jalan Duta Kuala Lumpur.
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
The Spirit of Ramadan
purpose driven life and finish well"–Lee Kuan Yew
Aug
25
August 25, 2010
It’s Ramadan, So Stop The Scam and Release The Innocent!
by Din MericanStarting with the press conference by YB Salahuddin Ayub, Member of Parliament for Kubang Kerian, who also sits as an independent member in the MACC Special Committee on Corruption, Malaysians were informed that the MACC had failed in its duty to stamp out real corruption.
Fighting Real Corruption means Going after the Real Crooks
Fighting real corruption means going for the real crooks. Real crooks mean those who have been identified by a specialist law enforcement agency to have committed multiple crimes in the plundering of our nation’s asset. YB Salahuddin called on the MACC, particularly its Chief Commissioner Dato’ Abu Kassim, to explain why he had refused to investigate the complicity of the Police and the A-G Chambers in closing the case against Tajudin Ramli, Malaysia Airlines (MAS) former Chairman, who was once touted to be the New Economic Policy’s (NEP) Great White Hope (or is it Pahlawan Melayu?).
YB Salahuddin Ayub is the Lone Voice in chiding MACC
What is most glaring is that YB Salahuddin Ayub appears to be the lone voice in chiding the MACC and Abu Kassim for its failures. What, may we ask, is the role and views of the other members of the 5 Panels which were established to give MACC some semblance of transparency? There are 12 distinguished Tan Sri,s Dato Seris and what not titled persons in the Advisory Panel including a former Chief Justice, and yet not a single whine nor whimper is heard from them. Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam and Tan Sri Robert Phang who sit in yet another of that 5 Panels and who are always portrayed as roaring lions have suddenly become purring pussycats. Why are they so muted? Their silence is deafening!
What makes it so nauseating is that only during the recent 15th Malaysian Law Conference, Dato’ Abu Kassim had made a pledge that he would resign if it can be shown that the MACC has failed to investigate any report against any big fish or Cabinet Ministers. By big fish, presumably he is referring to someone powerful or something big. Abu Kassim was being boastful because just at the same time as that law conference, AG Gani was seen strutting in the court’s corridors in Putrajaya to chargeTun Dr Lin Liong Sik for the PKFZ scandal. Now that’s a big fish. Is it?
What makes it so nauseating is that only during the recent 15th Malaysian Law Conference, Dato’ Abu Kassim had made a pledge that he would resign if it can be shown that the MACC has failed to investigate any report against any big fish or Cabinet Ministers. By big fish, presumably he is referring to someone powerful or something big. Abu Kassim was being boastful because just at the same time as that law conference, AG Gani was seen strutting in the court’s corridors in Putrajaya to chargeTun Dr Lin Liong Sik for the PKFZ scandal. Now that’s a big fish. Is it?
Or was that just a public relations spin by APCO to show Abu Kassim as a serious corruption buster. To show that the Najib government has the political will to stamp out crimes and corruption. To show that the Rakyat’s aspiration will be fulfilled. Indeed, it was all just a show. If it was not, then how come Abu Kassim has declined to investigate the MAS scandal, whereas in value, the MAS scandal which happened earlier would be bigger than PKFZ because RM 8 billion was worth a lot then than now.
Dato Ramli Yusuff is made a victim instead
What makes it so disappointing is that Dato’ Seri Idris Jala, CEO of Pemandu and Minister for the Government Transformation Plan (GTP) has been going around in APCO-organised road shows with Abu Kassim to deliver this message of change to the Malaysian public. It is revolting that Idris Jala was once the MD of MAS who had full knowledge of this scam, and yet he did nothing when the MACC declined to investigate and prosecute Tajuddin. It is nauseating when Idis Jala knew all this and yet he allowed the MACC to prosecute Dato’ Ramli Yusuff, then Director CCID, who became a victim in this scam. All this unfolded in Raja Petra Kamarudin’s (RPK) Malaysia Today.
Since last week, RPK’s Malaysia Today has been making daily exposes of the scam to plunder the national airlines MAS. Thus far, RPK has exposed that Tajudin Ramli was not such an NEP genius after all. He was just a common thief, no different from a bank teller who puts his fingers in the till, except that in Tajudin’s case it was no small amount. It was RM 8 billion! Tajudin plundered MAS to the point of bankruptcy through a web of deceit by placing his cohorts in strategic places within MAS.
When the plunder was complete,Tajudin made the government buy MAS back from him for RM8 when the market price was just RM4. That was not too difficult to do using tax payers and PETRONAS money. By then Tajudin had already committed MAS to award a 10-year ground handling contract to a supposedly German company called ACL GmbH with fixed tonnage guaranteed. When MAS tried to break off the contract, Tajudin sued MAS in Switzerland for Euro 63 million (RM 300 million).
Lawyer Rosli Dahlan and Dato Ramli Yusuff landed in hot soup
Lawyer Rosli Dahlan entered the scene and pursued civil and criminal actions against Tajudin. He had full support from MAS senior management in Dr Mohammadon (fondly called Dr Don) and Dato’ JJ Ong. He had full support from the MAS MD Dato Seri Idris Jala. He had full support from the MAS Board of Directors which included Dato’ Anwar Zaini.
With all these support, or so Rosli thought, he sought the assistance of his old time friend Dato’ Ramli Yusuff, a seasoned and serious crime buster who was then the Director of Commercial Crimes. Ramli had achieved fame in the 1970’s for solving the murder case of Jean Pereira which was recently turned into a documentary by National Geographic crime series. Since then, Ramli had a string of successes until his “misfortune” to have saved Anwar Ibrahim from being bludgeoned by then IGP Tan Sri Rahim Noor in the famed Black Eye Incident. Musa Hassan, who was Ramli’s subordinate, achieved fame as the Mattress Carrier, and rose to be IGP. Ramli was instead thrown into exile in Sabah and was cold storaged.
Even in that wilderness, Ramli achieved more fame when he eradicated Sabah of its long standing problems with illegal immigrants from Philippines and Kalimantan, Indonesia. What he did not realize nor care for was that in eradicating these illegal immigrants, he was disturbing an UMNO electorate reserve base. What Ramli failed to consider was that the BN government through Biro Tatanegara (BTN) had issued Malaysian NRICs to these illegal immigrants to vote for BN during elections!
So again, Ramli had landed himself in a hot soup. To cover it up, several Immigration, Ministry of Home Affairs officers and local Sabah chieftains were detained and made scape goats under ISA. One of them, Datu Akjan, is known to me, and proudly brags that he had done national service by serving time under detention for a national cause. In appreciation, the Ministry awarded him a contract to build Police barracks in Melinsung, Papar. Imagine this, an ISA detainee being awarded a construction contract to build police barracks! Don’t be surprised if an ex-convict is awarded a contract to build prisons. This is Malaysia and Semua Boleh!
For that, Ramli was recalled to the Peninsular. But one thing he brought back which would be his good luck charm later was Dato’ Anita Harun, his Sabah born wife. Anita is a Sessions Court Judge in KL and was sent to exile in Ipoh when Dato’ Ramli was charged in 2007 as she was seen accompanying him to court, just like any good wife would do. The things they do to an innocent man and his family.
Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi was fully briefed on MAS situation
RPK’s expose also showed that Dato’ Ramli was so bold as to disagree with AG Gani’s decision not to prosecute Tajudin. With all the support mentioned earlier, both lawyer Rosli and Dato’ Ramli thought they were on safe ground, terra firma, and went as far as to brief the Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Badawi. What both did not realize was that Pak Lah had planted his mole into the MAS Board of Directors, Dato’ Anwar Zaini, former Chairman of Bernama, to elicit all information on the goings on in MAS.
The briefing and written report that Dato’ Ramli handed in to PM Abdullah Badawi would be his death warrant. Pak Lah had other reasons too. He could not afford an investigator of Dato’ Ramli’s calibre to expose that his family company, Fahim Capital Sdn Bhd and Brahims LSG Sky Chefs Holdings, were also party to the plundering of MAS by having favorable contracts to them but unfavorable to MAS. That’s a clean guy for you.
By transposing his family’s interest to UMNO’s interest, it became clear to UMNO that Dato’ Ramli is not the kind of bumiputra that could serve their purpose. After all, he was a Kelantanese, like Tengku Razaliegh and Zaid Ibrahim, all having that uncontrolled “gedebe” characteristics. No Kelantanese can be allowed to become PM or IGP. So Ramli had to be brought down. For defending Ramli, Rosli was also brought down in a most uncouth brutal way. That part of the charges against Ramli and Rosli have been explained in earlier postings.
RPK also disclosed that while Ramli was taken out of the equation, and despite the charge made against Rosli, the criminal actions against Tajudin were still pursued. In the letters that YB Salahuddin Ayub exposed in his press conference, the firm Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledill was seen issuing strongly worded reprimands to the MACC for exposing the MAS report to CCID PDRM. It is to Dato’ Seri Hishammudin’s credit that a legal firm that still bears his name is acting so fearlessly against Tajudin and MACC. Could this be sanctioned by Hishammuddin? Or is it that Rosli is still behind the scene pursuing his brand of justice. I say that because the strong reprimands are Rosli’s trademarks. He would call a spade a spade. In Ramli’s letter to AG Gani, which was earlier posted by RPK during the Goh Cheng Poh@ Tengku Goh incident, Ramli was seen as chiding the AG for “abdicating his constitutional duties” in refusing to prepare affidavits for CCID which forced Rosli to act for the CCID.
When I spoke to Ramli in court, he indicated that AG Gani knew those were Rosli’s words and thus the brutalities that befell Rosli during Ramadan of 2007. It appears that Rosli would not mince his words against those whom he perceives to have transgressed the law, and that is his downfall in this case.
MACC’s Abu Kassim
Utimately, RPK has exposed that the MACC Chief Abu Kassim is a man who cannot keep his word if he does not resign. To borrow Martin Jalleh’s expression, MACC committed suicide the day Dato’ Razak Musa, MACC Head of Prosecution, demonstrated to Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand that it was possible to die of “self strangulation”. Last night was the 15th night of Ramadan and Muslims start to recite the Doa’ Qunut during Terawih. In that prayer, there is a verse that says “ Verily! You impose punishment on those to be punished….and thus please save us from punishment O Merciful Lord”.
If Abu Kassim had performed his terawih last night, he would remember that verse. He should then accept that with the exposure by RPK, it is a message from God that Abu Kassim must fulfill his pledge or he be punished for breaking a vow. But no, please don’t misunderstand me as saying that RPK is God’s messenger.
Truth must prevail
All I am saying is that the voices of truth need not come from the hallowed prayer halls of the mosque only. The voices of truth is within us if we only take pains to hear it. In this holy month of Ramadan, when the syaitans and djinns have been chained by God, the only evils abound are the evils within us. It would be evil to let Rosli Dahlan to face trial during the last three days of Ramadan as if to remind him what they did the last time during Ramadan 2007. He should be allowed to contemplate Lailatul Qadr. He should be release from this trumped up charge immediately!
UMNO and Anwar
'Who will kick Umno out of Anwar?'
KUALA LUMPUR: Since his unceremonious expulsion from Umno more than a decade ago, Anwar Ibrahim has been on the warpath against his former party. Despite being shamed and jailed, the maverick politician defied the odds to rise to the pinacle of power on the opposite side of the fence, landing himself the coveted role of opposition leader.
However, a prominent blogger suggested that while Umno might have severed ties with its once heir apparent, the party, however, still flowed through his veins.
In response to 12 Sabah PKR leaders aligned to Jeffrey Kitinggan being hauled up by the party's disciplinary board, blogger Haris Ibrahim had penned a scathing article.
The lawyer by trade titled his piece, “Mahathir kicked Anwar out of Umno, yes, but who will now kick Umno out of Anwar?”
According to Haris, two Sarawak PKR leaders, whom he met last month, also expressed disdain and distrust towards the former deputy prime minister.
“PKR, under Anwar, is Umno by another name,” said one of them
“Ask Anwar if he will deny his plan to keep the Dayaks divided so that Muslims will continue to rule Sarawak. How different is PKR from Umno? If he denies this, come back to me and I will give you proof,” added the other.
Haris said the two leaders also described Anwar as being more dangerous than Perkasa's Ibrahim Ali.
The latter, they claimed, was openly racist, but the former continued to promote the Muslim agenda while hiding behind the veil of Ketuanan Rakyat.
'Anwar changes his tune'
As for Sabah PKR's 12, they were summoned by the disciplinary board to explain their action during the height of the state leadership crisis last year.
Sparks flew when Anwar rejected Jeffrey to lead although the latter commanded the confidence of the majority of Sabah PKR, and this led the 12 to file an application to register a new party, Parti Cinta Sabah.
Haris claimed that Anwar had reneged on the conditions of the truce.
“I was told that peace was finally brokered between PKR in KL and Sabah in that Jeffery’s faction would live with Anwar’s handpicked (Ahmad) Thamrin (Jaini) until the party elections.
“The application to register the new party is to be withdrawn and the PKR headquarters and Sabah PKR would put this episode behind them and focus on making ready for the next election,” he said.
Haris said he learnt that the opposition leader was now suggesting that at the time when peace was brokered, he and other party leaders were unaware that an application to register a new party was submitted, and were under the impression that such a move was merely being contemplated.
“This, however, would plainly be an untruth if, as I am told, the condition set by the party headquarters when the peace deal was brokered was that the application be withdrawn,” he added.
'Kill two birds with one stone'
Based on the information obtained from his source in Sabah, Haris said Anwar planned to kill two birds with one stone, Jeffrey and PKR supreme council member Zaid Ibrahim.
“Lynch the 12 at the disciplinary proceedings and Jeffery’s political jugular vein in the party might be severed, leaving the way open for Ansari (Abdullah), a known Anwar man, and his supporters,” he said.
As for Zaid, Haris said his sources told him that Anwar was not comfortable with the former law minister's meteoric rise in the party.
“Zaid has become popular with PKR grassroots in Sabah, many of whom are becoming increasingly disenchanted with Anwar’s Umno-like centralised control of party politics at the state level.
“And notwithstanding Zaid having said he’s not looking to contest for any party post, Anwar and Azmin (Ali) are not leaving it to chance.
“After all, did not Anwar say in 1993 that he will not challenge Ghafar Baba for the Umno deputy presidency, and then went on to finish off Ghafar?” he added.
Azmin, who was Anwar's former aide during his tenure as deputy premier, is currently a PKR vice-president and Gombak MP.
He is expected to vie for the number two post during the party polls in November since incumbent deputy president Syed Husin Ali announced that he would be stepping down.
Speculation had been rife that Zaid might also consider going for the post, although he recently denied such intention.
Meanwhile, Haris said “everyone in the know” in PKR expects Anwar to be found guilty and sent to jail at the end of his Sodomy II trial.
“Assuming (Dr) Wan Azizah (Wan Ismail) hangs on to the presidency and Syed Husin holds to his word, Anwar is looking to Azmin to seize the No 2 post and hold it to check Zaid’s ascension.
“Now I ask you, is not PKR beginning to more and more resemble Umno?” he asked.
FMT
Racist Rhetoric by Dr M
Everyone's a racist in Dr M's eyes
KUALA LUMPUR: Dr Mahathir Mohamad has condemned everyone as racist, and what is unravelling now, according to him, is not a campaign against racism.
“What we are seeing is a campaign by racists against racists. The meritocrats are as much racists as the Malay NGOs and Perkasa,” he said.
Penning his thoughts on the issue of meritocracy in his blog, the 84-year-old statesman turned the clock back to 1964 when Malaysia held its first election.
Tunku Abdul Rahman, he said, had struck a deal with the then chief minister of Singapore Lee Kwan Yew that the People's Action Party (PAP) would contest only in Singapore.
“It was really not a smart kind of agreement. It was not put on paper at all. Only an understanding between two leaders. It was not surprising that PAP decided to contest in the peninsular,” he added.
According to Mahathir, Lee believed that the Malaysian Chinese, who were represented by MCA, could be persuaded to back him.
If MCA was defeated, Tunku would have to replace MCA with PAP in the Alliance, the predecessor of Barisan Nasional.
“The PAP is a Chinese party largely. But had always projected itself as non-racial. To win in Malaysia Lee had to appeal to Chinese chauvinism. However, he could not do this openly.
“Being the astute politician that he is, Lee came up with a slogan which did not sound chauvinistic but which played up Chinese sentiments to the core. The slogan was 'Malaysian Malaysia',” he said.
“While appearing to be appealing for all Malaysians, the slogan clearly suggested that there was no equality between the Chinese and Malays. He and his party were made out to be fighting for equality, whereas MCA represented only the Chinese towkays,” he added.
The Malays, said Mahathir, were alarmed at the prospect of the Peninsular Chinese combining with Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak Chinese to outnumber them.
“Split as they were between PAS and Umno, their chances of continuing to dominate Malaysian politics was at risk,” he added.
DAP inherits the legacy
Strangely, Mahathir said, PAP failed to outshine MCA. But Tunku was shocked and decided that Singapore's inclusion in Malaysia posed a great danger. A year later, Singapore was expelled.
“But PAP's chauvinistic legacy was taken up by DAP. And the slogan 'Malaysian Malaysia' continued to figure in Malaysian politics, evolving into a new catchword, 'Meritocracy'. If 'Malaysian Malaysia' conjures equality between races, 'Meritocracy' implies something stronger.
“It implies dominance by the race with the greatest merit in every field, in education, in business and in all fields of human endeavour,” he added.
Mahathir said when the Malays, understanding the implications, protested against meritocracy, they were condemned as racists.
“Faced with being labelled as such, most Malays dared not support even the NEP. Some, perhaps due to mistaken pride begun to support meritocracy, undermining the Malay position further,” he added.
Presently, Mahathir said, many Malay NGOs were trying to defend the Malay position and were invariably labelled as racists.
The unfortunate truth, he added, was that those who labelled them were equally racists because of their advocacy of meritocracy.
A jab for PAS as well
Taking a swipe at PAS, Mahathir said the situation was same with political parties which used Islam as a basis for appeal.
“In Malaysia the Malays are all Muslims. There are quite a large number of Indian Muslims in Malaysia but they do not figure in the political party said to be Islamic.
“The party, by using Islam, knows full well they are appealing to Malays almost exclusively. But the intention is not to defend the Malays but merely to gain their support. One can say they are not Malay racists. Rather, they are Malay political opportunists,” he said.
“That is why they find no difficulty in switching tactics in order to win the support of the non-Malays. Where before they condemned Umno for working with non-Muslims, today their co-operation with non-Muslims knows no bounds,” he added.
Umno is openly partisan
As for Umno, which Mahathir led for more than two decades, he said compared with others, Umno was openly partisan, and did not hide its concern for the well-being of the Malays.
“Unfortunately because of mismanagement it has become weak. That is why today we have Perkasa and other Malay NGOs as openly concerned about the Malays as Umno once was.
“The condemnation by those said to be advocating meritocracy is because they see the racism of the meritocrats, just as the Malays of 1964 saw the racism of 'Malaysian Malaysia',” he added.
Realising that his latest posting was sure to draw flak, Mahathir said: “Incidentally by writing this I know the meritocrat racists will condemn me as racist. So be it.”
Read DAP leader Lim Kit Siang's reaction to Dr M's piece here:
Has Mahathir crossed the Rubicon to declare war on Najib, 1Malaysia and NEM?
FMT
PKFZ Trial Postponed
PKFZ trial postponed over new papers
UPDATED @ 10:31:23 AM 25-08-2010
August 25, 2010
Ng (left), Phang and her husband Datuk Lim Twee Yong (centre) leave the court after the trial was postponed. — Picture by Jack Ooi
“We have not had time to examine them (the new documents),” Phang’s lawyer Ng Aik Guan told the Klang Sessions Court here today, adding that the defence had only submitted their representation to the Attorney-General’s Chambers this morning.
Ng also said the defence had yet to receive a response to previous representations they had made to the AG.
“Most of those documents are technical,” said Ng, adding that the defence needed time to examine and refer them to experts.
Phang is charged with committing three counts of CBT involving RM98,700,000, RM21,600,000 and RM134,550,000 at the PKA, Jalan Pelabuhan Utara, Port Klang, between October 1, 2004, and May 9, 2006.
If convicted, she faces a maximum of 20 years’ jail and liability of a fine on each charge.
Phang was charged last December along with PKFZ turnkey contractor Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd’s (KDSB) chief operating officer Stephen Abok and architect Bernard Tan Seng Swee of BTA Architect, with CBT and cheating amounting to about RM380 million.
Also charged was former KDSB project director Law Jenn Dong, for allegedly making 24 fraudulent claims totalling RM116.85 million.
Dr Ling was charged with misleading the Cabinet over PKFZ land acquisition.
The PKFZ scandal first surfaced in 2007 when it was reported that the development costs of the integrated cargo distribution hub and industrial park had more than doubled from RM2 billion to RM4.6 billion.
The total bill for the project is expected to swell to as much as RM12.5 billion due to interest costs from deferred payments, if the trans-shipment hub fails to perform.
The free trade zone was set up by PKA in 1999 in a joint venture with the Jebel Ali Free Trade Zone to attract foreign investment and promote the port.
The land had belonged to KDSB. PKA subsequently bought the PKFZ land from KDSB in 2002 on a commercial basis, for RM1 billion, or roughly RM25psf, ignoring advice from the government’s chief legal advisor to forcibly purchase the land under the Land Acquisition Act, which would have cast the value of the land at around RM10psf.
KDSB, whose shareholders include senior politicians from Umno, was then awarded the rights to develop the free trade zone without any competitive bidding, and had raised funds through bonds that received the backing of the Transport Ministry, then headed by Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy.
A PricewaterhouseCoopers report on the PKFZ debacle alleged serious conflict-of-interest breaches between officials of the port authority and executives of private companies with close ties to Barisan Nasional.
The report also showed that PKA did not carry out detailed studies before pushing ahead with the project or consult relevant government agencies before making major decisions.
Deputy public prosecutor Manoj Kurup appeared for the prosecution.
The trial has been fixed for between October 26 and 29.
MI
Dr M snubbed
Dr M rapped for abandoning Bangsa Malaysia
August 25, 2010
Critics are asking if Dr Mahathir is preparing to openly confront Najib and his policies. — file pic
“In one fell stroke yesterday, Mahathir had backtracked and repudiated Vision 2020 and Bangsa Malaysia, causing a whole generation of Malaysians nurtured on Vision 2020 and the concept of Bangsa Malaysia to feel cheated by a national leader who had been the country’s longest-serving prime minister,” said Lim Kit Siang in a statement today.
“In 1990, beginning his second decade as prime minister, Mahathir spelt out Vision 2020 to achieve in 30 years a fully developed Malaysian nation made up of one Bangsa Malaysia with a sense of common and shared destiny, distinguished by the pursuit of excellence, fully aware of all its potentials, psychologically subservient to none, and respected by the peoples of other nations,” said the DAP leader citing the Vision 2020 objective which became the hallmark of Dr Mahathir’s administration.
Yesterday, Dr Mahathir mocked proponents of meritocracy in a blog posting, calling them racist and decried Malays who support meritocracy as having misplaced pride.
He also blasted advocates of meritocracy, calling them “meritocrats” pushing for dominance by one race in all aspects of the country.
Dr Mahathir added that the campaign for meritocracy was not a campaign against racism but a movement by racists against racists.
At a separate function last night, the former premier then warned Malays to be united or risk losing political power.
Today, Lim questioned if Dr Mahathir’s remarks signalled that the former prime minister was now ready to openly go against the Najib administration.
“Has Mahathir crossed the Rubicon to declare war on his second successor as prime minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak after successfully forcing out the his first successor Tun Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi)?” asked Lim.
“Mahathir had already publicly questioned Najib’s 1 Malaysia policy and his utterances yesterday marked a throw-back to the irresponsible and dangerous politics of race and religion,” he added.
Lim said by denouncing meritocracy, Dr Mahathir had declared his rejection to the NEM, which supports market-friendly affirmative action policy based on needs and merit.
DAP Youth chief Loke Siew Fook also expressed similar misgivings, adding that Dr Mahathir was detached from the reality in making what he called “racist remarks.”
“He introduced the concept of Bangsa Malaysia, has he forgotten his own vision?” said Loke.
“I think Dr Mahathir has turned into the biggest threat for Najib’s 1 Malaysia,” said the Rasah MP.
He added that DAP’s support for a meritocratic system was based on the reality of global competition.
“The competition is no longer between the Malays and the non-Malays — but Malaysians against the rest of the world,” said Loke.
PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub called Dr Mahathir’s remarks an indictment of the latter’s years in power as prime minister.
“I think he wants to remain in control of Malaysian politics, he would do and say anything to ensure that he remains relevant,” said Salahuddin.
“His statement is a reflection of the failure of his 22 years administration. It was during his administration that corruption and abuse of power reached its peak which led to problems inherited by his successors until today,” the Kubang Kerian MP added.
On Dr Mahathir’s allegation that PAS was being a political opportunist for not defending pro-Malay policies, Salahuddin said the PAS-led state governments have been protecting the interest of the community where possible.
“I think he was not being fair to PAS. We are not in control of the federal government. In Kedah and Kelantan where we are running the state government, do we see the Malays being marginalised?
“We have never questioned the special privileges, what we have been demanding is transparency and fairness in wealth distribution,” he added.
Meanwhile, Gerakan Youth deputy chief Oh Tong Keong has also joined in the criticism against Dr Mahathir.
“We respect Tun Dr Mahathir’s contributions to the nation, but we respectfully disagree with his contention to equate ‘meritocrats’ as racists,” said Oh in a statement.
“We believe meritocracy together with the need-based and market-friendly affirmation as envisaged in NEM are two pillars to achieve social justice, cohesiveness and inclusiveness under [the] 1 Malaysia concept,” he added.
UKM academic Professor Samsul Adabi Mamat, however, believed that Dr Mahathir had not contradicted himself when he criticised meritocracy.
“Bangsa Malaysia is about getting Malaysians of all races to be loyal to Malaysia. The Chinese in Malaysia, for example, must treat this place as their country as they are not like the Chinese in China,” Samsul told The Malaysian Insider.
He said that the idea of meritocracy as promoted by the opposition was only introduced as a reaction to government policies.
“Tun Dr Mahathir has always been very consistent, [while] political parties like DAP have never been clear about the meritocracy that they are fighting for,” said Samsul
“It is merely a criticism [of] government policy, a protest against [the] status quo,” he added.
He added that the DAP’s historical ties with Singapore’s ruling party, the PAP, also justified Dr Mahathir’s concerns over meritocracy leading to a marginalisation of the Malay community..
“Look at Singapore, the Malays are not protected. There is a widespread concern that that is where meritocracy is going to take us to,” said Samsul.
MI
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