Royal Commission: Abdullah Throws First Stone in Glass House?

Malaysiakini:

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam video clip has recommended that former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad be investigated under various laws for his role in the appointment of judges.

Other persons also named to face possible action are former chief justices Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim and Eusoff Chin, senior lawyer VK Lingam, former minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor and business tycoon Vincent Tan.

In its 186-page report, the commission recommended that they be investigated under a slew of laws - Sedition Act, Official Secrets Act, Penal Code and obstruction of justice.

De facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim today said that the cabinet has directed the Attorney General’s Chambers to institute immediate investigations against the six.

Thus it begins! Perhaps justice may prevail after all.

I don’t support any prosecution under the Sedition or Official Secrets Acts, but by all means, use the other two.

Now we will have to see how Mahathir fights back against the first major review of illegal acts during his era. If the old man decides to get all sentimental and mushy about Umno, he’ll foolishly reserve his outbreaks for people like Anwar.

If he hits out at the people more likely really pushing this thing and responds with revelations of his own (he must have so many), Abdullah and goodness knows who else will be brought down together. If they go for broke and the stones really start flying, Malaysians will soon discover a lot about corruption in a very short period of time. Skeletons will have a field day :P Stay tuned!

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Waythamoorthy’s Exile Intensified

Sigh, poor guy.

I’ve been on the road long enough in my ‘youth’ to know that it sucks to be far from home, even with a passport and the ability to return any time.

This man has a wife and child, whom he has not seen in months and months. Even if he returns, the blind, ignorant and cruel wrath of our government will see to it that he still doesn’t get to see them, except from behind bars.

Cruelty.

And the man’s brother is faring much better either.

We want justice!!

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DAP Molotov Scare

Malaysiakini:

Three homemade Molotov cocktails were hurled at DAP’s Perak headquarters in Ipoh early this morning but no one was hurt from the attack.

In the 2.20am incident, two individuals on a motorbike with helmets were spotted hurling the fire bombs outside the DAP office.

The bombs broke the glass panel of the windows in the headquarters, which was located on the second floor of the two-storey shoplot, a stone throw away from the Perak state assembly building.

However, the bombs bounced off the windows as they had been boarded up and they fell onto the street below.

I’m not happy at all about this :( May cooler heads prevail.

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Walk to Highlight Crime Problems in Bandar Utama

Just a quick public service announcement :) Don’t think I can make it, but looks like a good event.

WALK the TALK – CRIME PREVENTION – May 17, 2008

Time Programme Schedules

3.30 to 4.00 pm – ALL Assemble at BU3 Community Centre (Car Park)

Arrival of VIP guests

YB Elizabeth Wong (ADUN Bukit Lanjan)

YB Sivarasa Rasiah (MB for Subang)

Balai Polis Damansara

Muhammat Sarip bin Siran (Ketua Polis Balai)

Jipa A/K Langob(Tim. Ketua Polis Balai)

BURA - Manpal Singh & BURA Committee Members

BU Area Chairmen

St. John Ambulans

Bertam Security

Metro Security

Press

& ALL BU Residents

4.05 pm Victor Liew - BU6 Chairman’s short introduction.

Purpose – collaboration with Balai Polis

Awareness, Solidarity, Unity, Support,

& ALL BU Areas - War Against Crime

4.10 pm YB Elizabeth Wong (Adun Bukit Lanjan)

4.15 pm YB Sivarasa Rasiah (MP for Subang)

4.20 pm Muhammat Sarip bin Siran / Jipa A/K Langob (Balai Polis Damansara)

4.25 pm Manpal Singh (BURA Chairman)

4.30 pm Jimmy Tan short speech (Bahasa Malaysia) –

Cutting the Ribbon

START the WALK - Route

BU 3/1 to BU 6/5

BU 6/6 to BU 7/1

BU 6/11 to BU 6/13

BU 6/2 to BU 6/9

BU 6/8 to BU 6/5

BU 6/1 to Community Centre – Car Park

5.30 pm – (Press Conference - BURA room, BU3 Community Centre)

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Transition costs to teach Science/Maths in English - 317 million for teachers, 2.21 BILLION for.. computers?

I have to confess, I used to think that there wasn’t a big difference practically speaking between having 5 opposition MP’s and 50.

After two of these hard hitting revelations in a row, I obviously stand corrected, and am happy to be so.

Fresh after the MPO, Malaysiakini:

The government has spent a total of RM3.2 billion over the past five years to carry out the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English, Deputy Education Minister Razali Ismail told the Dewan Rakyat today.

Out of the amount, the government paid a whopping RM2.21 billion for the purchase of information and computer technology (ICT) equipments.

The rest of the expenditure went to the payment for educational incentives (RM638 million), teachers’ training (RM317 million) and ICT software (RM2.4 million).

The figures were revealed by Razali when replying to Nga Kor Ming (DAP-Taiping) who wanted to know the cost to implement the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English since 2003.

In a supplementary question, Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) trained his sights on the hefty sum used for the procurement of ICT equipment.

“The purpose of it (the amount spent) was not to educate, but to make a contract for cronies,” claimed Azmin, who wanted to know which company was awarded the contract to supply the equipment.

The deputy minister however did not respond.

To change a medium of instruction, we spend RM 2.2 billion on… computers?

To change a medium of instruction, less than 10% on teacher training, 20% on a term that could mean anything, and 70% on…. computers?

Once again, fair Malaysia, all the hardware, none of the software.

And of course, the Education Ministry can’t afford a scholarship for a student with 10 A1’s to go to medical school.

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Extravagances: Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra

Mind you, classical music is great. But the figures are stunning:

Lim Guan Eng, revealed that the cost to maintain the musicians is a whopping RM3.5 million a month.

“As much as 95 percent of the foreign musicians are paid between RM16,000 and RM28,000 a month and given two months paid leave every year. The conductor is paid RM130,000 a month while the (conductor’s) assistant is paid RM50,000 a month,” he said.

“For the past 10 years since it was established, this orchestra has ’swallowed’ a total of RM500 million,” he added.

Ouch! That’s a lot of cash.

Instead of bemoaning how much the ‘rakyat’ thinks it owns Petronas when it doesn’t, perhaps Petronas can reconsider some of its priorities.

Again, I personally enjoy the MPO and all the fun music (if not always sitting through entire concerts), but think of the money spent compared to the number and type of people who benefit.

Petronas talked about the need for it to conserve funds to invest. Well, perhaps we need to both narrow and broaden that perception of ‘investment.’

For my money, the best guarantee for the country’s future is not the most profitable financial investment portfolio, but poverty elimination, education and so on. With a better developed rakyat, we will more naturally ease ourselves of our Petronas-dependency.

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Khairy Pigs Out

The Star via Jeff:

“A state government had put its priority in approving the Projek Khinzir Raksasa (Gigantic Pig Project) or its short form PKR,” said Khairy Jamaluddin (BN-Rembau)

Tsk, tsk. For a minute there he was all repentant, tail rightfully between his legs, and even talking about things like press freedom.

Turns out? Bullshitlah. This is the Khairy of Jerlun, the one who thinks he can still score points using racist posturing. I guess some pigs can’t change their spots eh?

Hokay then, you keep pushing that line. I don’t think we’ll be too disappointed about where you end up.

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Untuk rekod, dalam isu projek penternakan khinzir yang dilulus kerajaan Khir Toyo disambungi kerajaan PR kerana, tak salah saya, terdapat 3 pilihan sahaja berkenaan isu penternakan khinzir.

a) Biarkan sistem sekarang, yang berselerak dan menjanakan pencemaran.

b) Haramkan sama sekali penternakan khinzir.

c) Mengkonsolidasikan penternakan tersebut ke dalam sebuah kompleks moden yang dapat mengurangkan pencemaran alam sekitar.

Jika tidak silap, wujud beberapa gambar ahli-ahli BN membuat ‘lawatan sambil belajar’ ke Jerman untuk mengkaji sistem penternakan moden ini. Ahli-ahli BN tersebut musuh Khairy kot?

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