Perkauman: Guan Eng akan ambil tindakan mahkamah

Saya tidak akan memberi komen mengenai fitnah Pemuda Umno Pulau Pinang yang berulang-ulang tetapi akan mengambil tindakan mahkamah untuk mencegah Umno, Utusan Malaysia dan akhbar-akhbar lain daripada mengapi-apikan sentimen perkauman dan agama untuk melemahkan Kerajaan Negeri PR Pulau Pinang.
 
Saya telah cuba untuk sabar apabila Umno menggunakan retorik perkauman dan agama untuk melemahkan kepimpinan saya dan juga Kerajaan Negeri PR. Tetapi, permainan yang bahaya ini sudah melintasi had dengan fitnah oleh Ketua Pemuda Umno Pulau Pinang, Shaik Hussein Mydin bahawa saya telah menjual tanah masjid.

Utusan Malaysia telah menyiarkan kata-kata tidak beradab yang menyerang saya dengan fitnah bahawa saya telah menggadai tanah masjid. Ini bukan kali pertama Umno membuat dakwaan fitnah terhadap saya.

Sebelum ini, Shaik Hussein dengan pemimpin-pemimpin Umno lain telah menyerang saya dengan fitnah bahawa saya tidak menjual tanah 102.6 ekar Bayan Mutiara melalui tender terbuka. Beliau terus memfitnah demikian walaupun Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang dan pihak pemaju sudah mengemukakan bukti bahawa tanah tersebut telah dijual melalui tender terbuka.

Shaik telah meneruskan fitnahnya dengan menuduh bahawa saya menyatakan tidak perlu sokongan kaum India. Apabila fitnahnya dibuktikan salah, Shaik bukan sahaja enggan memohon maaf seperti yang dijanjikan tetapi beralih kepada fitnah lain bahawa saya telah melenyapkan tanah masjid.

Fitnah kali ini sangat bahaya kerana ia menyentuh sentimen agama dan bertujuan untuk menimbulkan kebencian orang Islam terhadap saya sebagai seorang pemimpin bukan Islam.


Apabila tanah 102.6 ekar Bayan Mutiara telah dijual melalui tender terbuka, geran tanah tidak dipecah sempadan tetapi dijual secara menyeluruh. Pihak pemaju hanya akan memecah sempadan geran selepas pelan baru diserahkan kepada MPPP untuk kelulusan.

Apabila pelan baru dan pemecahan sempadan geran belum lagi dibuat, bagaimana Umno boleh mendakwa bahawa tanah masjid atau sekolah telah dijual atau dilenyapkan? Umno mesti ingat bahawa syarat-syarat biasa untuk sekolah dan tempat-tempat beribadat seperti surau atau masjid yang diwajibkan oleh pihak berkuasa tempatan semestinya akan termasuk dalam apa-apa projek pembangunan.

Umno hanya boleh mengatakan bahawa tanah masjid atau sekolah telah dijual atau dilenyapkan jika pelan baru oleh pemaju telah diluluskan oleh MPPP tanpa ada tanah masjid atau sekolah. Sebagai kerajaan berjiwa rakyat, PR Pulau Pinang selalu memegang kepada prinsip asas untuk TIDAK membenarkan tanah yang diperuntukkan untuk sekolah, tempat-tempat beribadat, masjid, surau, gereja, kuil Cina, Hindu atau Buddhist untuk hilang begitu sahaja.

Dengan mengulangi fitnah dan mengapi-apikan ketegangan kaum dan agama, Umno ingin menimbulkan kebencian perkauman dan agama terhadap saya sebagai Ketua Menteri dan juga Kerajaan Negeri PR.

Fitnah yang berasaskan kepalsuan ini terhadap seorang bukan Melayu dan bukan Islam menunjukkan bahawa 1Malaysia adalah slogan kosong yang bertujuan untuk menipu rakyat untuk mengundi parti-parti perkauman ekstrim BN dalam Pilihan Raya Umum yang akan datang.

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MP wants debate on palm oil deal with Israel

KUALA LUMPUR: A DAP MP has demanded an emergency debate over Malaysia’s alleged palm oil export to Israel.

Bakri MP Er Teck Hwa filed the emergency motion to do so in Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia’s chambers this morning.

Er based his request on a claim which he made in the House on March 21 where he accused Felda of the Israel export.

“My speech (on that day)…was an extension of what I raised in Parliament on Oct 17.
“…several Customs documents have shown that there have been export trade transactions with companies based in Israel,” he wrote in his letter to the Speaker.

Er said that it was confusing that Malaysia would have trade relations with Israel, especially since it was helping the Palestinian cause at the same time.

He said that since Malaysia did not have any diplomatic relations with Israel, trading with the state was in violation of the Customs Prohibition of Imports/Export Order 2008.

Last Wednesday, Er accused Felda of exporting palm oil to Israel. This claim was vehemently denied by Barisan Nasional MPs.

(In Er’s letter to the Speaker this morning, the DAP MP did not expressly mention Felda.)
Pasir Salak MP (Umno) Tajuddin Abdul Rahman was especially angry with Er’s implication that Felcra – of which Tajuddin is also chairman of – as being part of the Israel-palm oil deal.

Later on, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department denied that Malaysia was supplying palm oil to Israel.

Radiasi di Bukit Merah: DAP bentang usul tergempar

Satu usul tergempar akan dibentangkan di Dewan Rakyat bagi membincangkan dakwaan tahap radiasi yang berlebihan di sekitar kilang penapisan Asia Rare Earth di Bukit Merah, dan tapak pelupusan sisanya di Bukit Kledang.

Memetik bacaan daripada kumpulan anti-Lynas Selamatkan Malaysia Hentikan Lynas (SMSL), Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) berkata bacaan yang dibekalkan oleh Lembaga Perlesenan Tenaga Atom (AELB) menunjukkan angka yang bercanggahan.

Kata Fong, usulnya itu bersifat khusus, mempunyai kepentingan awam dan perlu digerakan kerana ia melibatkan kehidupan sekurang-kurangnya 10,000 penduduk.

Semalam, SMSL yang berjuang menentang loji pemprosesan nadir bumi milik Lynas di Gebeng, Kuantan, berkata bahawa kesan radiasi di kilang yang telah ditutup 18 tahun lalu, masih pada tahap berbahaya.

Ia berikutan lawatan kumpulan itu yang diketuai pengerusi SMSL Tan Bun Teet dengan ahlinya  yang lengkap dengan alat peranti bacaan radiasi.

Dakwa beliau, bacaan berhampiran tapak kilang adalah sekitar 0.19 microsievert setiap jam manakala bacaan berhampiran tapak pelupusan sisa pula berjumlah kira-kira 0.2 microsievert bagi setiap jam.

Kedua-dua bacaan, jika dihitungkan kepada bacaan asas tahunan, adalah di luar tahap selamat iaitu pada 1 milisievert setiap tahun seperti yang dinasihatkan oleh Lembaga Pelesenan Tenaga Atom (AELB), kata Tan.

DAP: PSC on Lynas ‘a sham’

GEORGE TOWN: The DAP has rejected the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on controversial Lynas rare earth processing plant as a sham committee to hoodwink the people.

DAP secretary-general and MP for Bagan Lim Guan Eng said that the party would not be part of the “sham PSC.”

He said the DAP would propose to the Pakatan Rakyat leadership not to allow BN to use the presence of opposition MPs in the PSC to legitimatise the Lynas plant.

He said Pakatan will not be part of any environmental disaster that can happen in the future.

“The committee was merely to serve to deliver a fait accompli by endorsing the Lynas plant.

“The PSC is to force a public acceptance towards Lynas without due regards for safety, environmental and health concerns,” said the Penang Chief Minister in his blog here today.

Lim said Putrajaya had confirmed that the PSC was a disguise by BN to legitimatise what is essentially wrong and against public interest.

He quoted Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak who said the PSC would not decide on the fate of Lynas, it is merely an engagement process so that the project can be carried out and would not be opposed by the people or create public fear.

Lim noted that the premier has reportedly expressed hopes that the PSC could raise awareness on the project so that “we can achieve comfort in terms of better public acceptance.”

Lim said the whole PSC exercise was merely to help the project gain acceptance and to help the BN government convince Malaysians that there is no threat from the Lynas plant and its potentially hazardous radioactive waste.

‘Malaysians will not be so easily fooled’
If the PSC cannot decide on the fate of the project, he said it was a complete waste of time for DAP or Pakatan to participate as the PSC was nothing more than a fait accompli to rubberstamp approval of the plant.

He criticised the BN government for valuing profits above all in awarding Lynas a 12-year tax holiday at the expense of public health, especially in Kuantan.

“Malaysians will not be so easily fooled by BN. We demand an answer to the real issue at hand,” said Lim, adding that until today, there was uncertainty over where the radioactive waste will be stored.

Initially, he said the Atomic Energy Licensing Board or AELB has claimed that Lynas Corporation would be required to return any radioactive waste to Australia if it fails to set-up a suitable permanent disposable facility here.

But the proposal has been rejected by Australia. The AELB then said that the radioactive waste may be stored in abandoned tin mines in Sungai Lembing.

“This clearly reinforces the fact that the wastes would be disposed in Malaysian soil.

He said his Penang government would reject any Lynas plant or nuclear reactors in Penang and would not compromise on public health and safety.

“DAP will suggest for Pakatan not to participate in the PSC as we should not be used as tools in the BN’s bid to fool the people and to justify the setting up of the Lynas rare earth plant,” he said.

DAP dakwa pengarah NFC keluarkan wang RM12 juta

DAP hari ini mendakwa, pengarah National Feedlot Corporation telah memindahkan dana berjumlah RM12 juta daripada pinjaman mudah kerajaan melalui satu syarikat berpangkalan di Singapura.

Pengarah publisiti DAP, Tony Pua mendakwa, pengarah berkenaan telah mengeluarkan wang tersebut secara terus melalui sebuah syarikat yang dinamakannya Global Biofuture Pte Ltd.

Beliau mendakwa demikian berdasarkan rekod audit yang menunjukkan bahawa syarikat tersebut telah berhutang syarikat yang mempunyai kaitan Global Biofuture.

"Akaun yang diaudit menyatakan bahawa Global Biofuture berhutang sebanyak SGD7,935,877 (RM19.1 juta) kepada syarikat lain yang berkaitan dengan pengarah syarikat tersebut.

"Oleh itu kami mempunyai alasan yang kuat untuk percaya bahawa Global Biofuture merupakan sebahagian daripada kumpulan syarikat keluarga Shahrizat," katanya lagi dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

Pua mendakwa pengarah syarikat berkenaan merupakan anggota keluarga kepada menteri kabinet Malaysia, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

Tiga orang pengarah syarikat tersebut merupakan suami Shahrizat – Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail serta dua orang anak mereka – Wan Shahinur Izran dan juga Wan Izzana Fatimah Zabedah.

Kesemua mereka, kecuali Wan Izzana, memegang 60,000 saham setiap seorang. Seorang lagi anak mereka Shahrizat, Wan Shahinur Izmir, juga memegang 60,000 saham syarikat tersebut, dakwa Pua.

Syarikat berkenaan, termasuk National Meat and Livestock Sdn Bhd, Real Food Company Sdn Bhd dan Meatworks (Singapore) Pte Ltd, kesemuanya mendapat sumber dana daripada pinjaman RM250 juta daripada kerajaan Malaysia, dakwa Pua lagi.

"Pemindahan wang kepada pengarah tertentu jelas merupakan jenayah pecah amanah dan penyalahgunaan wang awam...

"Peguam Negara seharusnya tidak teragak-agak untuk mendakwa pengarah NFC untuk penyalahgunaan yang amat jelas ini," katanya dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

Guan Eng: Shahrizat letak jawatan 'sekadar drama'

Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang Lim Guan Eng melabelkan peletakkan jawatan Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil sebagai menteri pembangunan wanita, keluarga dan masyarakat sebagai keputusan  'separuh hati' bagi mengurangkan keributan umum sekarang tetapi pada masa yang sama merancang untuk kembali semula.

"Ia jelas, ini akan menjadi persepsi kepada masyarakat," kata Lim yang juga setiausaha agung DAP apabila ditanya mengenai pengumuman Shahrizat untuk berundur daripada kabinet selepas jawatan senator yang disandangnya tamat bulan depan.

"Beliau berbuat demikian kerana beliau merasakan boleh kembali semula... tetapi kita kata beliau melakukannya dengan 'separuh hati'. Jika beliau mahu meletakkan jawatan, (jadi) letak semua jawatan.

"Sudah tentu, beliau tidak mahu mendengar desakan pembangkang, tetapi saya berpendapat beliau perlu mendengar nasihat rakannya, Ketua Umno bahagian Cheras Datuk Syed Ali Alhabshee yang menggunakan perkataan yang lebih keras berbanding saya," kata Lim.

Beliau yang juga ahli parlimen Bagan berkata sekiranya niat Shahrizat untuk melepaskan jawatannya adalah asli, beliau tidak perlu menunggu sehingga 8 April ini untuk berbuat demikian.

Semalam, Syed Ali mendakwa tindakan Shahrizat itu hanya sebagai satu 'drama'.

Katanya, sebagai seorang menteri, Shahrizat sepatutnya menunjukkan sikap bertanggungjawab terhadap parti dan negara dan bukan bermain tarik tali.

"Kalau berhenti, berhenti sahajalah. Tapi kenapa macam nak main tarik tali. Kenapa perlu kumpulkan wartawan hari ini sedangkan esok ramai wartawan akan buat liputan di Parlimen.

"Ini semua Bollywood punya cerita. Saya boleh katakan dia ini sebagai makcik Bollywood," katanya pemimpin Umno itu.

Kit Siang minta Ketua Hakim campur tangan kes Hoslan

KUALA LUMPUR, 10 Mac: Ketua anggota Parlimen DAP, Lim Kit Siang menuntut Ketua Hakim Negara Tan Sri Ariffin Zakaria campurtangan dalam hukuman penjara setahun terhadap imam Hoslan Hussein yang melempar selipar ke arah hakim Mahkamah Rayuan.

Lim (bawah) berkata, tindakan itu wajar kerana insiden itu berlaku pada 22 Februari, lebih dua minggu sebelum beliau tiba-tiba dipanggil dan dihukum pada 8 Mac.

"Adakah Ketua Hakim Negara Arifin Zakaria akan campur tangan terhadap hukuman penjara setahun oleh Mahkamah Persekutuan yang keras dan berlebihan terhadap imam Hoslan Hussein semalam kerana membaling kasut, meringankan hukuman demi belas ehsan?" tanya Lim sebagaimana yang dilaporkan oleh Malaysiakini.

Mahkamah Persekutuan semalam menjatuhkan hukuman penjara setahun ke atas Hoslan atas kesalahan menghina mahkamah dengan melempar selipar ke arah panel hakim.

Pegawai alam sekitar yang mempunyai tujuh anak itu turut mendapat julukan 'imam BERSIH" kerana mengangkat jubah dan menunjukkan baju-T BERSIH yang dipakainya ketika khutbah Jumaat melarang orang ramai turut serta dalam perhimpunan itu.

Ekoran hukuman ini, Pemuda dan Muslimat PAS berazam untuk membantu keluarga Hoslam yang ditinggalkan.

Hoslan mempunyai seorang isteri dan tujuh anak yang sedang membesar.

NFC's acquisition of a residential property in Kazakhstan is ludicrous as well as a complete abuse and waste of public funds

It was exposed by The Malaysian Insider (TMI) yesterday that the police are investigating the fact that the directors of National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) has used part of the RM250 million government soft loan to purchase an "apartment" in Kazakhstan. The apartment is said to be worth RM1.7 million.

What justification can there be now from NFCorp for such a purchase, which is understood to be an "all-cash" transaction? Does the company even have any clue about the cattle industry in Kazakhstan, which is blessed with large tracts of the Central Asian Steppes or grasslands? Are we planning to export beef to Kazakhstan or are we planning to buy meat from them?

If the TMI report is indeed accurate, then there was "a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was inked in June 2011 between NFCorp and the Jambyl district of Kazakhstan to raise cattle for export to Malaysia and neighbouring countries."

While there is nothing intrinsically wrong with cattle imports as a business in Malaysia, the purpose of the RM250 million government loan is clearly not intended for such purposes. The purpose as specifically defined in the loan agreement is to establish and operate "a National Feedlot Centre to be consistent with the Government of Malaysia's policy of developing, promoting and nurturing the production of beef and beef products..."

Based on the loan agreement, NFCorp is certainly not meant to be raising cattle in, or acquiring meat from Kazakhstan, much less buying an "apartment" there.

We call on NFCorp to come clean on the Kazakhstan property purchase and confirm if the report by TMI is true. In public interest, the following questions must be answered:

1. Did NFCorp acquire an "apartment" in Kazakhstan?
   
2. What was the full purchase price of the "apartment"?
   
3. Is the property registered to NFCorp or to individual directors of NFCorp?
   
4. What is the status and use of the "apartment" as of today?
   
5. Did the acquisition of the property in Kazakhstan receive the endorsement of the Ministry of Finance?
   

If NFCorp refuses to answer the above questions, then surely Datuk Seri Najib Razak, as the Minister of Finance and the governing authority over the RM250 million soft loan must surely respond over the preposterous scandal. Datuk Seri Najib Razak must confirm if any approval has been given to NFCorp to acquire an "apartment" in Kazakhstan, whether the Ministry of Finance endorses such an acquisition and what actions will be taken by the Ministry to protect the interest of Malaysian tax-payers, if indeed such an acquisition is deemed highly improper.

The Prime Minister has no right to talk about "transformation", "fighting corruption" and ending "political patronage" if he does not even have the steel and ability to act tough on those who abuse power. Malaysians are thoroughly disappointed that the NFCorp scandals have only grown in size and incredulity over the past 6 months and yet do not see an end in sight with the Government taking any decisive action.

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* Tony Pua Kiam Wee, DAP National Publicity Secretary & MP for Petaling Jaya Utara

Political will, national commitment and even personal obligation rather than a single law will determine whether integrity in leadership centred on an ethically based society can be established

It gives me pleasure to speak to you today at this 4th Annual Corporate Governance Summit organised here in Kuala Lumpur. I have been asked to speak on the issue of the Whistleblowers Protection Act 2010 (or “WPA”) which was passed by the federal Parliament and has been in force in Malaysia since December 2010.

Many of us here who are interested in corporate governance will have been captivated by the ongoing saga of alleged corruption and mismanagement in the RM250million National Feedlot Centre project. This is a corporate governance issue as well as a national governance issue. The question is will there be any action taken or will be it just be another case of of the RM2.52 billion losses incurred by MAS without anyone being punished and even those that caused losses such as Tan Sri Tajuddin Ramli being let off the hook.

Danaharta had agreed to settle with Tan Sri Tajudin on February 14 without enforcing a High Court decision on December 2009 in Danaharta’s favour ordering Tan Sri Tajudin to pay RM589.14 million to Danaharta, over a loan taken to purchase MAS. Where is the moral hazard?

I think I can summarise my view of the WPA by saying that is not so much a Whistleblowers Protection Act but rather a "Whispering to the Police Act". When one blows a whistle, everyone can hear. This Act is different. It only protects those who report to the police or other government enforcement agencies under conditions of secrecy. Under the WPA, a whistleblower is supposed to make a report to an enforcement agency such as the police. If the police don't take any action, that is tough. If the police decide that action should be taken, but the Attorney-General decides not to prosecute, that again is tough. All you have as a whistleblower is the right to be notified of the authorities' decision, and the right not to have any detrimental action taken against you.