DAP regrets the burning of the Holy Quran by US troops

The careless incident in Afghanistan in which copies of the Holy Quran had been inadvertently sent to a garbage burn pit at a US Army camp and subsequently incinerated is an unacceptable act of desecration and dishonour towards the religion of Islam.

DAP deeply regrets such an insensitive action that should never have occurred in the first place.

The United States President Barack Obama has since issued an immediate apology in which he promised to take steps to avoid a reoccurrence and to hold accountable those responsible. This is a positive reaction by the Americans, and we sincerely hope that there will be follow-through action in order that such an incident is never repeated ever again.

At the same time, DAP also abhors violence of any kind, and regrets that retaliatory action has resulted in the death of at least five Afghan protesters and two American soldiers. We call for calm and hope that all parties will remain collected and not act hastily while investigations are ongoing.

As a party that upholds the principles of peace and justice, DAP stresses the need for greater understanding and brotherhood amongst all people in this multi-cultural and multi-religious world.

Lim Guan Eng
DAP Secretary General & MP for Bagan

Kit Siang wants full audit of financial scandal losses

The DAP parliamentary leader said scandals that occurred during Dr Mahathir’s administration cost the nation some RM100 billion. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 — Putrajaya must begin a full audit on the billions in losses it incurred from financial scandals during former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s tenure, Lim Kit Siang said today.
The DAP parliamentary leader said such scrutiny was needed as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak does not appear to have learned lessons from the scandals that occurred during Dr Mahathir’s 22-year rule, which he said cost the nation some RM100 billion.

He cited Putrajaya’s move to settle out-of-court with former Malaysia Airlines System (MAS) chairman Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli as an example of how the federal bailouts of companies have not abated under Najib.

“Malaysians are entitled to know whether the tentacles of Mahathir’s misgovernance in the MAS scandal have reached into the present Najib administration as to result in another bailout for Tajudin,” he said in a statement.

Dr Mahathir’s policies have come under scrutiny in recent weeks following the government’s decision to settle out-of-court the RM589 million in debt owed by Tajudin Ramli from a loan he took in 1994 to buy flag carrier MAS.

The settlement sum was undisclosed, prompting intense public criticism and calls from lawmakers across the political divide for taxpayers to know how much of public funds had been recovered.

Dr Mahathir today also admitted that the 2001 bailout of MAS had led to a loss of public funds but defended the move as necessary to turn around the ailing flag carrier.

This was despite the government forking out more than twice the market value at a cost of RM1.8 billion when it paid RM8 per share to Tajudin instead of the market value of RM3.68.

Dr Mahathir also pointed out Putrajaya has, on many occasions, lost taxpayers’ money and accused the media of being selective in focusing on the MAS-Tajudin Ramli saga.

“The government lost money when it cancelled the double-tracking and electrification between Ipoh and Padang Besar. We lost about RM8 billion,” he said of the project that was shelved by his successor Tun Abdullah Badawi.

The rail project was eventually revived in 2007.

Lim added today he was “shocked and outraged” that Dr Mahathir had tried to justify the losses incurred from the MAS bailout by pointing out that more money had been lost when the double-tracking project was cancelled.

“This is the classic perverse Mahathirish illogic that could righteously argue that so long as there is a greater financial scandal in later administrations ... there is no need for him to feel remorse, guilt or responsibility for the colossal loss of public funds,” the Ipoh Timur MP said.

Bersama PAS Lapor 'Mulut Celupar' Ahmad Said dan Kes Stadium Hilang Barang

Harapan Kepada Media; Bersama hadiri Malam Mesra Media anjuran PAS Terengganu

Gong Xi Fa Cai Dungun 05 Februari, 2012

Ng Chai Hing Gong Xi Fa Cai Dungun 05 Februari, 2012

Percayalah saya. Awak tolong saya, saya tolong awak…

10 FEBRUARI – “Percayalah saya” – satu “perutusan” Datuk Seri Najib Razak sempena Thaipusam di Batu Caves Selasa lalu jelas memberi satu lagi petanda kebimbangan Barisan Nasional untuk menghadapi pilihan raya umum akan datang.

Isi penting ucapan Najib yang ditayangkan oleh TV3 pada malam tersebut adalah, “awak tolong saya, saya tolong awak”. Kalau dulu, Perdana Menteri menawarkan perkara yang sama kepada kaum Cina, kini sasarannya kaum India pula.

Kita tidak tahu sama ada itu berbaur ugutan dari seorang pemimpin atau pun seorang pemimpin lemah yang cuba mengemis sokongan. Apa-apa hal pun, yang jelas adalah fakta bahawa tertimbulannya dua persoalan.

Yang pertama, perlukah masyarakat India menagih ehsan daripada seorang Perdana Menteri agar menerima ‘pertolongan’ tersebut? Dan yang kedua, bukankah tugas seorang Perdana Menteri memberi khidmat kepada rakyat jelata tanpa mengira latar belakang mereka?

Sudahlah orang Melayu sudah ditanam dengan mentaliti pencacai di bawah UMNO, kini masyarakat India secara terang-terangan ditawarkan yang sama.

Mesej Najib adalah: jika masyarakat India mahukan pertolongan dan pembelaan daripada BN, maka mereka terpaksa mengundi BN dalam PRU akan datang. Jika tidak, masyarakat India tidak akan mendapat bantuan.

Jelas, ia lebih bersifat ugutan daripada rayuan. Dan nampak pula keangkuhannya kerana terlalu yakin bahawa UMNO-BN akan terus kekal berkuasa.

Selama lebih setengah abad, orang Melayu ditekan dan dibasuh pemikiran agar menerima  mentaliti bergantung kepada UMNO. Kini Najib cuba memperluaskannya kepada masyarakat India (setelah masyarakat Cina memandang sepi tawaran/ugutan tolong-menolong ini).

Tuntutan sebenar rakyat
Apa yang dituntut oleh rakyat jelata adalah pemerkasaan, pengiktirafan, dan penghormatan. Rakyat tidak mahu lagi demokrasi terpimpin – amalan di mana hanya UMNO-BN yang lebih tahu apa yang baik untuk rakyat jelata yang dianggap sebagai kurang cerdik.

Sebenarnya, ugutan politik ini bukanlah perkara baru bagi UMNO-BN yang memang tidak ikhlas membela rakyat dan hanya mengutamakan panglima-panglima dalam parti.

Apa sudah jadi dengan royalti minyak di Kelantan di bawah perjanjian kerajaan negeri Kelantan dan Petronas? Terengganu yang suatu waktu dahulu menerima royalty minyak, kini hanya mampu bersyukur dengan ‘wang ehsan’.

Semuanya berlaku kerana rakyat di negeri-negeri tersebut telah memilih PAS. Malah apabila Terengganu dimenangi semula oleh BN, peruntukan royalti minyak tidak dikembalikan.