Ancient Mariner on PKFZ Conspiracy Theories

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http://cyusof.blogspot.com/2009/05/pkfz-conspiracy-theories.html

PKFZ Conspiracy Theories

Saturday, May 30, 2009

In the loo of the Subang Lake View Club recently, a well known journo friend who was in the forefront of the exposé of the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal, told me how put off he was at the talk of “conspiracy theories”. I agreed with him. The RM12 billion fiasco was simply driven by one word: greed.

Now that the MSM and online media have gone to town with the story, there are calls to probe the big-time “puppet masters”, sell off the PKFZ “black hole” etc., and the developers of the project are also threatening to sue. The latter I find very amusing since this will be akin to thieves suing a house owner for calling the cops!

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Democtratic Governance.com: Five Challenges

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It has been estimated that by 2010 there will be over five hundred million blogs world wide. Will that be a boon and benefit to the opening space for democracy? Or will that be baneful?

The first flush of enthusiasm now has cautionary note sounded by not only naysayers or Later Day Luddites but even ex-soothsayers of the Silicon Valley; and key political and social thinkers.

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PKFZ: All screwed up

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http://www.jeffooi.com/2009/05/pkfz_all_screwed_up.php

Port Klang Authority (PKA) releases audit report on Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ)

In the February 3 PwC’s audit report on PKFZ controversy, what do the PM, the Minister, PKA and even Kuala Dimensi have in common?

A RM12.5b royal cock-up!

Opening warning: If PKA failed to immediately restructure the MoF soft loan of RM4.632 billion, the first potential default in repayment may be as imminent as 2012.

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The emperor’s New Media clothes

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You can hear an inkdrop.

What eloquent silence from mainstream media editors on Dr Mahathir Mohamed’s damning indictment that it was they who self-censored rather than Malaysian authorities curbing Press freedom.

Tun Mahathir at the recent Bloggers Universe Malaysia (BUM 2009) gathering also alleged it was at the editors’ own initiative that they slanted stories thinking to please him when he was the long-reigning premier. Again, the accused are not refuting his second charge. Their collective non-rebuttal speaks volumes.

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Singapore’s Lesson: Buy High, Sell Low

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Our editorial policy in CPI is generally to focus on policy developments in Malaysia.  Occasionally, we depart from this norm when there is a commentary – although written for another country – which touches on an issue that is also pertinent to Malaysia and that holds lessons for our policy makers and the public at large.  
The key lesson to learn from the Singapore lesson below is the need for transparency and opaqueness in all our public institutions and freedom of public access to all official records, especially those pertaining to financial transactions undertaken with public funds.  
After reading the article below, we hope that readers will share our view on the need to fully support the various measures being undertaken in the country, notably the move by the Selangor State Government, to enact a Freedom of Information Act.   

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Malaysian Police Crackdown

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Monday, 25 May 2009

A weakened Prime Minister Najib seeks to quell dissent – moderately

After little more eight weeks in power, the Malaysian government headed by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has started to come down hard on protesters and the opposition, going so far as to order police to raid the opposition Democratic Action Party headquarters Friday without a warrant. It appears to be the first such raid, as far as can be determined, on an opposition party headquarters in the country’s history.

Following his April 3 anointment as prime minister, Najib at first publicly pledged cooperation with the always-tense minority Chinese and Indian communities, freeing several protesters from detention under the country’s stiff Internal Security Act, which allows for what in effect is indeterminate detention without writ of habeas corpus. He and his wife, Rosmah, made public appearances at minority community affairs.

 

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A straw called Omar Ong

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http://rockybru.com.my/2009/05/straw-called-omar-ong.html

A camel called Dr M. Those who are close to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad are fully aware that the former Prime Minister whose harsh criticisms against Pak Lah hastened the successor’s downfall, has been holding back his punches when it comes to Najib Razak.

The shock appointment of Ali Rustam to the Umno supreme council and the shocker proposed 3rd link to Singapore have left the Old Man unhappy with the PM but he’s so far refrained from taking any kind of offensive.

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Do take the trouble to understand before you find fault with the judges of the Court of Appeal

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Before you go about judging the judges of the Court of Appeal on their five minute oral decision which they handed down on Friday, May 22, 2009, please bear in mind the wise words of the most liberal of American judges, judge Learned Hand who once wrote – The Spirit of Liberty, p 110:

… while it is proper that the people should find fault when the judges fail, it is only reasonable that they should recognise the difficulties. … Let them be severely brought to book, when they go wrong, but by those who will take the trouble to understand.

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Warna-warna Malaysia: Rakyat hilang hak berpakaian?

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Sejak beberapa musim ini, rakyat sudah mula terkeliru dan rungsing mengenai pakaian yang mereka kenakan setiap hari.
 
Mutakhir ini, warna pakaian yang dipakai pada satu-satu keadaan akan membawa kemudaratan sehingga boleh dibawa ke mahkamah dan bermalam di dalam lokap.
 
Pakaian Hitam

Pada Mei 5 lalu, Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Bersih) melancarkan 1MalaysiaGelita [dalam Bahasa Inggeris, 1BlackMalaysia] yang menuntut agar Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Perak dibubarkan dan diadakan pilihan raya kecil. Justeru, seiring dengan kempen tersebut, Bersih menyeru seluruh rakyat berpakaian hitam pada Mei 7 semasa DUN Perak diadakan.

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Is Malaysia Becoming More of a Police State?

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http://promptus.blogspot.com/2009/05/is-malaysia-becoming-more-of-police.html

24 May, 2009

Since Najib became PM of Malaysia there has been a lot of empty talk about reforms, easing of draconian oppressive and undemocratic laws, but the actions have been in the opposite direction.

There has been talk about enhancing racial integration by an, as yet, abstract concept dubbed ‘1Malaysia’ which was introduced by Najib, one could be excused for thinking the there is a typo and it should in fact be ‘I’m Malaysia’?

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