July, 2012:

Pakatan to unveil alternative Merdeka theme

Jul 31st, 2012
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Pakatan Rakyat will reveal an alternative theme for this year’s Merdeka Day celebration tomorrow after the government had ignored its one week ultimatum to review the “55 Tahun Janji Ditepati (55 Years of Fulfilled Promises)” theme.

NONEPAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali (centre in photo) said that Pakatan has formed a committee to choose an alternative theme from some 250 proposals, to be led by national poet laureate A Samad Said.

“Within a few days, we received 250 proposals to be given to the government. So, we have created a (special) committee to further analyse the proposals submitted to find the most suitable National Day theme,” he explained.

He said this during a press conference following Pakatan’s secretariat council meeting at PAS’ headquarters in Kuala Lumpur today.

Pakatan had given the government one week’s notice to retract the controversial theme, especially since it garnered a lot of criticism from various parties.

PAS vice-president Mahfuz Omar even mentioned the possibility of states under Pakatan’s rule celebrating National Day with a different theme.

Other than the national laureate, Mustafa also announced that former information minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir and two others have agreed to join the committee.

“They are in the process of deliberating, we will announce the winning theme tomorrow. We feel that our recommendation does have an impact. While it is not comprehensive, at least Rais Yatim has retracted the logo, but not the theme,” he said.

Earlier this month, the BN-led government released the latest Merdeka Day theme and logo which sparked a public outcry because of perceived similarities with BN’s latest ‘Janji Ditepati’ campaign and what designers call a sloppily designed logo and a theme that smacks of propaganda.

On Sunday, the government retracted the proposed Merdeka logo as being a placeholder for the real logo which is still being developed and finalised, in what may be seen as authorities buckling under intense public pressure.

However the government, BN leaders and pro-establishment NGOs adamantly continue to defend the ‘55 Tahun Janji Ditepati’ theme, which adds fuel to Pakatan’s efforts and public opinion against it.

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Agong consents to removal of Lajim as deputy minister

Jul 31st, 2012
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The appointment of Lajim Ukin as the deputy minister of housing and local government has been revoked with immediate effect.

A statement from the Prime Minister’s Office today said that the Agong, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah, had given his consent to the revocation of the appointment.

The revocation was made under Clause (3) Article 43A which was read together with Clause (5) Article 43 of the federal constitution.

Last Saturday, Lajim announced his resignation as a member of the Umno supreme council, Beaufort Umno division head, and chairperson of the Beaufort Barisan Nasional with immediate effect.

However, he remained as an Umno member.

When announcing his resignation in Likas Jaya, near Kota Kinabalu, Lajim was later reported to have left it to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to decide on his position as deputy minister of housing and local government.

Later at a function in Pekan, Najib was reported to have said that Lajim’s position as deputy minister would be decided on Monday.

Lajim, 57, was elected as a Member of Parliament in the 2008 general election, replacing the incumbent for the Beaufort seat, Azizah Mohd Dun after defeating Lajim Md Yusof (PKR) with a majority of 10,914 votes.

Lajim refuses to comment

He was later appointed as the deputy transport minister in 2008 before changing portfolio as deputy housing and local government minister in 2009.

Meanwhile, Lajim Ukin has declined to comment on revocation of his appointment as the deputy minister.

“I have no comments for  the timebeing and will issue a statement at a suitable time,” he said in a brief statement today.

Sabah BN secretary Abdul Rahman Dahlan said the revocation of Lajim’s appointment as deputy minister was timely.

“The Agong acted correctly. Now the prime minister has to study the scenario and decide to leave the post vacant or fill it.”

The Kota Belud MP said Lajim should not criticise Umno but still remain a party member.

Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) information chief Johnny Mositun said it is
the prerogative of the prime minister to appoint or revoke the appointment.

- Bernama

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Tun Razak Exchange: A soon-to-fail mega-project?

Jul 31st, 2012
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DAP national publicity chief Tony Pua has signalled the possibility that the rebranded Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) may end up as another failed mega-project.

Despite Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak saying that the TRX – formerly known as the Kuala Lumpur International Financial District (KLIFD) – would be “more inclusive”, Pua argued that it has in fact became “more exclusive” with the rebranding exercise.

NONE“Nothing in (Najib’s) speech indicated how the mega-project has become anything more inclusive,” Pua (right) said in a statement today.

“Instead, he hinted at how the project will become even more exclusive with more promised incentives to those intending to participate in the project.”

He explained that the existing tax incentives are “unheard of” and show how hard it will be to execute the project.

The promise of even more incentives would suggest that even the initial incentives are insufficient, said Pua.

He pointed out that, under the KLFID, qualified companies already enjoyed tax exemption for 10 years, as well as other benefits such as stamp duty exemption on loan and service agreements.

In spite of the incentives, Pua said the project could still fail because the KLFID was based on the assumption that financial institutions and related services need to be located close to each other.

“However, such an assumption is completely flawed as telecommunications technology, video-conferencing facilities, as well as secure and instantaneous electronic transactions, obliterate the need for physical proximity,” he said.

‘Learn from mistakes’

This would leave tax incentives as the only reason for the finance industry to move into TRX.

“Hence, instead of actually promoting the financial services industry directly, the government – having already provided the prime land to 1MDB without any open bidding – is further providing unfair crutches for it to succeed in the KLIFD real estate play,” said Pua.

NONEHe urged the government to learn from its mistakes in the Multimedia Super Corridor, Bio-Valley and E-Village projects, where incentives alone had failed to ensure their success.

“The decision of global financial institutions to site their offices in Malaysia will not be based on short-term benefits as a result of the choice of real estate,” he added.

“It will instead be based on the demand for services and funds, the sophistication of the market instruments and the openness of the economy.”

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Rais seeks views on Merdeka theme song

Jul 31st, 2012
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Days after announcing the scrapping of the much-criticised National Day logo, Information, Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim is now seeking views on the similarly controversial theme song.

“What do you think about the song Janji Ditepati? It has reached more than 140,000 (views) on YouTube,” he said in a Twitter post late last night.

NONEThe minister, however acknowledged that the song has also received “some thumbs down” – the icon to indicate that YouTube viewers do not like the song.

The song, the lyrics of which were written by Rais himself, has been criticised by lyricists and netizens for not being able to differentiate between the concept of nationhood and government policy.

Most zeroed in on the line “Janji sudah ditepati, kini masa balas budi” (Promises have been fulfilled, now it’s time to return the good deeds) which was seen as a political campaign.

The song also features a rap interlude detailing the Najib Abdul Razak administration’s recent policies like the Kedai 1Malaysia and Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia.

Several users have uploaded the song with its lyrics onto YouTube, with one uploaded on July 27 garnering a whopping more than 170,000 views.

However, 20,546 viewers clicked “dislike” while only 297 clicked “like”.

The melody of the song was written by Aye, Jasnie and Arman E six.

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MCA: Selangor will dry up in two weeks without rain

Jul 31st, 2012
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MCA today said experts that the party had consulted have corroborated that Selangor was indeed facing serious water shortages which would become critical within two months.

“They said the water reserve now is only within 2-3 percent in all water treatment plants. In normal circumstances, it should hold at least 20 percent to cater for the dry season. In other words, if there is no rain for a week or two, all of us will be in trouble.

NONE“They predicted that by the end of probably two months, the situation will become critical,” said MCA president Chua Soi Lek (right) after chairing the party’s presidential council meeting at its Kuala Lumpur headquarters this afternoon.

He added that the critical areas are Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Petaling and Hulu Langat.

However, Chua declined to reveal the identities of the experts, stating that some of them were from the state government and private sector and had requested for anonymity.

Chua said the experts had briefed MCA that almost all 34 water treatment plant in the state were overworked and there had been no significant capital expenditure by the state government to upgrade existing plants.

“We urge Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor not to play politics with the water issue as it will affect seven to eight million people and affect the social and ecnomic development of Selangor, Putrajaya and Kuala Lumpur,” he said.

He added that MCA supported any efforts to address the water problem including the construction of the RM8.65 billion Langat 2 water treatment plant inclusive of piping and transfer cost.

azlanThe controversy first broke out when Syabas on July 14 announced its plan for water rationing in certain parts of Selangor. This prompted the state government to accuse the federal government of manufacturing a crisis putting the two at loggerheads.

The federal government has since stepped in with a special cabinet committee on the matter and subsequently said there was “no need” for rationing at this time.

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George Kent-Lion Pacific JV gets LRT job

Jul 31st, 2012
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Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd today officially announced that the contract for the Engineering, Procurement, Construction, Testing and Commissioning of System Works for the Ampang Line
Extension Project is awarded to George Kent-Lion Pacific Joint Venture (JV).

“The JV is 100 percent locally-owned companies and is well supported by reputable local and international multi-disciplinary technical partners, all with proven track records in their respective field of systems implementation expertise,” it said in a statement today.

Additionally, it said, some of the key sub-systems proposed also have synergy with Prasarana’s current operations, so in the long run Prasarana will benefit from reduced operating expenditures as well as cross-competency gains that will increase service efficiencies.

azlanWith the award of this work contract, Prasarana, the project and asset owner for the LRT Line Extension Project (LEP), has now awarded out all works contracts under the LEP except for the access card, which has yet to be tendered out.

“In all, the construction cost for the entire project is below the original budgeted cost of RM7 billion,” it said.

The project will extend the current Kelana Jaya and Ampang LRT Lines, with both lines meeting at an integrated station at Putra Heights, which for construction purposes has been placed under the purview of Ampang Line.

With the LEP, the Ampang Line will be extended by an additional 17.7km elevated track, starting from the current Sri Petaling station and serviced by 11 new stations and two future stations.

Extension of the Kelana Jaya Line will start from Kelana Jaya LRT station and run for another 17km running through 12 new stations before reaching Putra Heights integrated station.

The project also includes the purchase of new six-car trains for the Ampang Line.

Listed as one of the key initiatives under the National Key Result Areas (NKRA) blueprint, the LEP is a major effort by the government in transforming the country’s public transport services that has been entrusted on Prasarana.

Implemented under Prasarana’s campaign of Bringing Transport Convenience Closer To The People, the LEP would not only enhance mobility for people in the Klang Valley but also increase productivity and earnings for the people.

Catalyst for economic development

The project is regarded as a catalyst for economic development along the alignment especially at the new stations and its surrounding areas, creating business opportunities and new jobs.

Scheduled to be completed at the end of 2014, the project is expected to increase the daily ridership of LRTs by another 300,000 people daily.

- Bernama

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A struggle for Chong Wei

Jul 31st, 2012
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A struggle for Chong Wei

 

Read more HERE.

Source: MOLE

PM launches Tun Razak Exchange

Jul 31st, 2012
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PM launches Tun Razak Exchange

In what was earlier known as the Kuala Lumpur International Financial District (KLIFD) initiative, the 70-acre development off Jalan Tun Razak is also expected to bring in RM26bil in gross development revenue.


With more than 100 top global companies expected to be based at the Tun Razak Exchange, the project is expected to create a total of 500,000 jobs, directly and indirectly, when it is completed in 2016.

“What began as an idea for KLIFD has evolved into something larger and more inclusive,” said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when launching the project.

 

The Government’s strategic development agency 1Malaysia Development Berhad said that the target tenants included top multinationals from various industries, financial institutions, support service firms as well as commercial and hospitality tenants.

 

Read more HERE.

Source: MOLE

SUARAM's Friday the 13th Explosive Scorpene Revelation

Jul 31st, 2012
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SUARAM’s Friday the 13th Explosive Scorpene Revelation

What was devastating was that there was nothing.

 

Nothing but contrived electioneering. A political Pakatan Rakyat ceramah.

 

I was so bored I wanted to get up and leave.

 

What resurfaced and came crashing down to earth, or shall I say sunk, was SUARAM’s woeful tales.

 

I am more convinced and an even more ardent believer that what we have all been saying is right.

 

SUARAM is best described by Thomas Jefferson as ”He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors.”

 

Read more HERE.

Source: MOLE

Pas division rejects former CID chief as candidate

Jul 31st, 2012
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Pas division rejects former CID chief as candidate

KUALA LUMPUR :  Pas Larut division has rejected former top cop Datuk Fauzi Shaari, the party’s major catch of the season, from being made a Pas candidate in the constituency in the next general election.

 

Saying that there are other more suitable candidates, the division has sent a firmly-worded letter to the Pas leadership opposing plans to nominate the former Federal CID director to contest in the Larut parliamentary seat.

 

Perak Pas youth leader Mohamad Zawawi Abu Hassan confirmed that a letter rejecting the nomination of Fauzi as a parliamentary candidate for Larut has been sent.

 

Speaking to The Mole Mohamad Zawawi said: “Yes, a letter was sent to Pas central leadership from Pas’ Larut division.”

 

Playing down content of the letter, Mohamed Zawawi said: “It is just a mere suggestion from Pas members and representatives in Larut on who they think are more suitable to be chosen as election candidates,” he added.

 

Fauzi officially embraced Pas in May and was given a hero’s welcome when he handed his membership form to party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang. He became a member of the Larut division.

 

A blog post at Sel13.com reported that an official letter dated July 15 was sent from Pas Larut to the party’s secretary general Datuk Mustafa Ali.

 

The letter stated their rejection on Fauzi being chosen as candidate for the Larut parliamentary seat.

 

The letter stated that a committee meeting on July 4 in the constituency have decided that: “…maka dengan tegas kami memaklumkan iaitu menolak Dato’ Mohd Fauzi bin Saari dari menjadi calon parlimen Larut pada Pilihanraya Umum ke 13 kelak.” (…we would like to inform our firm rejection of  Dato’ Mohd Fauzi bin Saari as Larut parliamentary candidate in the 13th General Election).

 

When asked to clarify on the content of the letter Mohamad Zawawi insisted that it was a mere suggestion to Pas leadership and the letter was a formality for members to convey what had transpired during the grass root meeting.

 

“This is the view of the people from Pas Larut. Obviously a letter will be sent for the leadership to consider,” Mohamad Zawawi explained.

 

Mohamad Zawawi also dismissed talks that Pas members are unhappy with the idea of putting newly-joined member as election candidates.

 

“Election candidates will be decided by the Syura Council. At the end of the day we have to accept what is decided by them,” he said.

 

“I believe the leadership will have a good reason on choosing certain individuals as candidates.

 

“Take Fauzi as example, if he is chosen, maybe it’s because it’s time for people to see that Pas is actually open-minded and more approachable than what people have perceived us to be,” Mohamad Zawawi added.

 

Meanwhile Mustafa when contacted claimed to have no knowledge of the letter and he had not received any from Pas Larut branch.

 

However Mustafa said even if there are differences from party members regarding the selection of election candidates, the decision by the party must be respected.

Source: MOLE

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