The Chief Minister of Penang, Lim Guan Eng, giving Nik Shamrul Zaimi a consoling hug when he learned that the latter had lost two daughters, aged 3 and 4, to dengue fever.
The Penang chief minister said the state government decided instead to have an open tender for the contract, which was subsequently awarded to another, more experienced company.
Lim’s statement comes amid increasing dissent against his administration, sparked of by former PKR state chief Zahrain, who described the chief minister as a “dictator, a chauvinist and communist-minded”.
The Penang CM disclosed today that BJCC was currently operated by Island Golf Properties Bhd (IGP), a Penang Development Corporation (PDC) subsidiary. Zahrain is IGP Chairman, and has held the post since July 9, 2008.
On Tuesday, the PDC board decided to award, via an open tender, the operations contract to a company which Lim said was worth more than RM40 million.
Yesterday, the PDC board, rejected Zahrain’s recommendation that it should have been awarded to the RM2 company he had recommended.
Lim said the full details of the tender award would be published after the Chinese New Year holidays.
“Certain actions and claims by Zahrain on the IGP has compelled PDC to monitor IGP closely to ensure that IGP is run in the public interest,” said Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general.
According to the statement, Lim had based his recommendations for a fresh open tender to the management of BJCC for two reasons:
“To allow a RM2 private company to win the tender for running BJCC, that involves [the] expenditure of tens of millions of ringgit, would make a mockery of the meaning of [an] open tender system.
“The RM2 company had no track record of running a golf club and was established on 29 Sept, 2008. The RM2 company was established a mere two months before the tender, clearly with the sole intended purpose of bidding for the tender in December 2008.”
Lim said that his refusal to agree to the requests made by Zahrain to select the RM2 company was based on the fact that an open tender must be fully transparent.
“The fresh open tender exercise was carried out last year with seven interested applicants. The PDC Board decided in its Fe 9, 2010 meeting to select a company that offered a combined value of more than RM40 million to BJCC over 10 years.
“The company selected has a track record, and most importantly, its paid up capital is not RM2.”
The DAP leader also asserted that open tenders and government contracts needed to be looked at objectively, based solely on “performance and public interest”.
Lim’s statement comes as his DAP-led state government in Penang continues to attract criticisms from his PKR allies.
Besides Zahrain, another Penang PKR leader, Tan Tee Beng, also lashed out at Lim by stating that he was “a leader without class who practised vengeful politics”.
Both Zahrain and Tan have been referred to PKR’s disciplinary board.
[Source : The MalaysianInsider]
Under fire for their lack of success, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today reached out to the Hua Zong — the umbrella body for Chinese groups — in an attempt to garner more public support for its cause.
MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Abu Kassim Mohamed said the meeting with the Federation of Chinese Associations of Malaysia (FECAM) or Hua Zong.revolved on making the anti-graft body more effective and improve its public image.
“The meeting is so we can get closer to the public, especially the business community, and to get their support.” Abu Kassim told reporters after the two-hour closed-door meeting at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall here.
Besides beings seen as faltering in high-profile cases, MACC is battling public mistrust following the death of Selangor political aide Teoh Beng Hock last July.
The mysterious July 16 death of the DAP member after overnight questioning in the Selangor MACC head office is now subject of an on-going inquest.
Abu Kassim reiterated the need for public cooperation to eliminate corruption and said agreed the need for more interaction and education at all levels on the role of the MACC and the fight against corruption.
He said MACC understood the concerns of Hua Zong and had explained the role of the various oversight committees, such as the operations review panel, which ensured MACC's independence.
Abu Kassim added he would support a recommendation from Hua Zong for its members to be included in the various MACC committees once the term of existing committees ends this year.
“I agree they should be included because they have a role to play and will make the recommendation to the Government.”
Hua Zong president Tan Sri Pheng Yin Huah added the federation was ready to work with MACC and would launch an anti-corruption campaign.
[Source: The Malaysian Insider]
Quite frankly, there is virtually no need to have a dialogue with any of the Chinese NGOs since corruption transcends race. You guys in MACC should show you are really doing your job and for starters, go after that Toyo guy with gusto. What about Rosmah's illegal transfer of fund via a money lender? There is no point going after the small fries, creating a 'sandiwara', that will irritate the people even more. Lastly, why are you guys mum about the witness protection programme proposed by the Chinese group? If you are n ot enthusiastic about protecting whistle blowers, then how much more do you want the Chinese community to help you?
"As I said before, our judges in the upper echelon of the judiciary will continue to foil the people in this country. Today, the principles governing parliamentary democracy and the rule of law have been sacrificed because they have to please the political masters."
At a press conference immediately after the court ruled against him today, Nizar said: “This is the highest risk the country is facing now, (and) which we need to correct. The verdict I felt has set aside the principles of what (is) already in our federal constitution.” Nizar also said he has yet to decide whether or not to file a review against the decision which declared BN's Zambry Abd Kadir the lawful menteri besar of Perak. "We will scrutinise the written judgment and then decide," he said, calling for calm among supporters. "This is the saddest day (for) Malaysia as this shows the judiciary is not independent. Our target now is to win back Perak. 
“The people want to see that the judiciary has the independence to make its own decisions. But what you heard just now, shows that the judiciary is still not independent from the influence of others.” The crisis in Perak cannot be ended by this decision, he said, but by giving the right to the people to vote for their representatives. The decision, he further said, has completely neglected or set aside all constitutional principles.
The decision handed down today by the Federal Court in the case of whether Pakatan Rakyat's Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin or Barisan Nasional's Zambry Abd Kadir is the rightful menteri besar of Perak ignored the established precedents. The precedents were set in the Stephen Kalong Ningkan case in Sarawak in 1966 and the Pairin Kitingan case in Sabah in 1985. In both cases, the incumbent chief minister, Sarawak's Ningkan in the first instance and Sabah's Pairin in the latter, were either removed by ruler's fiat or the appointment was challenged by a rival candidate for the post. The Ningkan case established as a legal principle that once appointed, a chief minister could only be removed by a vote of no-confidence in the legislative assembly. The judge's decision in the Pairin case upheld that principle. In the Nizar vs Zambry case, High Court judge Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahim ruled last May in favour of Nizar as the rightful MB but first the Court of Appeal and now the Federal Court countermanded him. Justice Abdul Aziz was respectful of the established precedent in the case. Doctrinal consistency is highly valued in jurisprudential theory. No unique facts In jurisprudential theory, established precedents can be overthrown only if unique facts enter the vortex of discursive imperatives in which a case is decided. There were no unique facts in the Nizar vs Zambry case. Three state assemblypersons belonging to Nizar's Pakatan Rakyat faction abruptly became independents, leaning towards support for the BN. Two of them were under indictment for corruption. In the circumstances, the motives of the duo for becoming BN leaning independents could not be said to be above cavil. The obvious resort, in conditions where there is an impasse in the legislative assembly brought on by legislators' changed allegiance, influenced by unusual factors, would have been to that final arbiter of a polity's distempers: the ballot box. But no, the Court of Appeal, last May, and now the Federal Court have decided to ignore the principle of stare decisis and make the notion of judicial precedent a piece of chaff, drifting on every wind of circumstance. It's the kind of reasoning that makes you think that the law is an ass.As the western Valentine's Day is fast approaching, domestic religious and moral organisations are very cautious as if they are facing a formidable enemy.
Their latest task is to ensure that women wear their panties.
I would like to solemnly declare that it is not a joke.
Persatuan Ulama Malaysia Penang Branch (Pumpp), together with two other organisations have set up the "Anti-social Corruption Secretariat of Penang" with two missions: to advice Muslim couples not to celebrate Valentine's Day and to ensure that women wear their panties on that day.
It is said that SMSs have been spread recently to promote the "Bare your love, no panties during Valentine's" campaign.
It is an illusion in the virtual world and not many people will take it seriously in reality.
However, religious and moral organisations are really shocked. They believe that the society is ill and morality is corrupted. And the last chance would be whether they are going to put on their panties.
As a result, they have formed a picket team with 500 members to stop women from giving up their "Maginot Lines".
However, I wonder how are they going to carry out the task.
Can we imagine that a group of men who are holding signs shout along the road: "No Valentine's Day! No "no panties campaign"! No...."
It will certainly become the world's most funniest protest that feels like a post-modern black comedy.
Perhaps, they will persuade Muslim couples on the streets.
"Ladies, as a woman, you must wear your panties...."
Isn't it weird? As a man, I have been wearing underpants everyday since I was five without anyone teaching me to do so, not to mention women.
Let's also assume that the picket team stops a woman at Penang Queen Bay Mall.
Religious Office : "Miss, are you wearing panties?"
Lady : "Why do I have to tell you whether I'm wearing panties?"
Religious Officer : "We are from a picket team of the Anti-social Corruption Secretariat of Penang. Whether you are wearing panties is related to whether the society is corrupted."
Lady : "It's my own business whether I'm wearing panties or not. How can it be related to the society?"
Religious Officer : "We are giving you one last chance, are you wearing panties or not?"
Lady : "Fine, I'm wearing panties."
Religious Officer : "Then you will have to prove it."
Lady : "How am I suppose to prove it?"
Religious Officer : "You have to lift your skirt and show us."
Lady : "Are you crazy? You want me to let you see my panties? No way!"
Religious Officer : "We are not seeing but checking instead. If you refuse to do so, we can bring you back to the bureau."
Lady : "Well, okay. I'll let you see a little bit...."
Religious Officer : "Hey! I can't see clearly. Lift a little higher, a little higher...." "Okay, I can see it. You do wear panties, but you still fail. You need to be counselled, so come with us."
Lady : "Why?"
Religious Officer : "We accept only black, flesh-coloured and white but you are wearing pink. Who are you trying to seduce? It will easily lead to social corruption."
Lady : "I'm corrupting the society? Your minds have been filled with the thought whether women are wearing their panties and what colour they are wearing. I think you are the ones who are corrupting the society."
(By TAY TIAN YAN/ Translated by SOONG PHUI JEE/ Sin Chew Daily)
