Tanah Wakaf Untuk Perkuburan Islam

From DS KT's blog:

12. Kerajaan negeri juga belum menyelesaikan isu tanah perkuburan Islam di Kampung Kebun Bunga, Shah Alam.

13. Terdapat tapak perkuburan muslim dan kaum cina yang berada sebelah menyebelah di kampung kebun bunga ini. Namun masalah mula timbul apabila sebuah Dewan telah dibina oleh persatuan kaum Cina di situ di atas tanah wakaf untuk perkuburan orang Islam.

14. Pada 2007, Kerajaan Selangor telah membuat keputusan agar Dewan Orang Ramai Kaum Cina yang didirikan secara haram atas tanah perkuburan orang Islam dipindahkan segera ke Tanah Perkuburan Cina di sebelahnya dengan sebahagian kos pemindahan ditanggung kerajaan.

15. Malangnya, apabila kerajaan bertukar pada tahun 2008, kerajaan Pakatan di Selangor enggan melaksanakan keputusan tersebut. Saya difahamkan ada usaha-usaha untuk membenarkan Dewan "haram" ini terus kekal di tanah wakaf untuk perkuburan Islam tersebut.

State Car Watch

State excos travel a bit to conduct their daily affairs as Wakil Rakyat. As such, their vehicles take a beating on mileage and maintenance. As a result, Terengganu took the lead with their purchase of Benzes, claiming that the Perdana V6 cost too much for maintenance.

Other states subsequently followed suit, with Perak and Selangor purchasing Toyotas. Pak Lah then ordered Terengganu to only use the new fleet of Mercs for ferrying state visitors only. To no one's surprise, the excos went on to use the cars anyway and disregarded Pak Lah. Dato' Zaabar, one of the proud user of the newly acquired Mercedes Benz was quoted saying that "the issue was overblown".

Khalid Ibrahim had assured Selangor people that he would use his own car to reduce the state expense, then later purchased cars for other excos. Now, KT is claiming Khalid bought a Lexus SUV for his use. Nik Nazmi accussed KT of approving funds for his own Mercedes Benz S350 when he was MB.


So our home-grown Proton is losing support from our own state governments. I can understand providing our elected politicians with reliable vehicles to travel, as they do this quite a bit. The federal government has been using the V6 for years. Why is this an issue now, especially when we are in the midst of an economic downturn? Well, for sure, Malaysians know how to prioritize.

Kedah timbang guna V6
Perak Exco needs bigger cars
Proton: Maintenance cost of Perdana V6 not high
Kualiti V6 Perdana Tak Elok - Azizan
Perak Exco to Get Camry
Selangor Govt Denies Buying Cars

Winds of change in Umno Youth

Analysis
By JOCELINE TAN


The Umno Youth contest has become the race to watch as the underdog candidate has clinched the coveted nomination count to contest while the once mighty are struggling to catch up.

DATUK Mukhriz Mahathir was probably as surprised as many others in Umno to have zoomed ahead of the assumed strongman candidate Khairy Jamaluddin.

By the end of the first weekend round of Umno Youth divisions meetings on Sunday, he had 40 nominations, more than the minimum 38 he needed to contest the Umno Youth leadership.

Getting the requisite nominations is a key psychological milestone and that he got there before Khairy and Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo has been pretty stunning.

Just a week or so ago, he was placed in second or even third place after Khairy and Dr Khir. But it has been a long and dramatic week in politics for Umno and as the new Subang Umno Youth head Harrison Hassan pointed out it, “everything has changed.”

It is clear even at this early stage that the winds of change are blowing through the Youth wing.

Otherwise, how does one explain the way the underdog is now leading the nomination count while the once mighty are struggling to catch up.

Khairy, who is the incumbent deputy Youth chief, has secured 20 nominations so far, Dr Khir 12 and the fourth aspirant Datuk Zahidi Zainul Abidin only one.

Mukhriz’s leading trend is likely to continue this weekend and Khairy should be able to secure the requisite nominations by then.

But the picture is a bit gloomier for Dr Khir although his aides insist he will get there.

He thought he had steady support from the Youth wing in Selangor but he has had to struggle against Mukhriz and Khairy in the state where he had been a two-term Mentri Besar.

The cool reception to Khir in Selangor is also sign of how Umno feels about his role in the loss of this premier state in the general election.

He reckoned he had put the defeat behind him by taking responsibility and resigning as the Selangor Umno chief but it looks like all has not been forgiven.

But the question everyone is asking now is what has gone wrong with the Khairy’s political juggernaut?

Is it simply because his father-in-law is on his last leg as Prime Minister or is it something more complex?

He has campaigned extensively the last few months, he has tremendous access in his capacity as the incumbent deputy Youth leader and he has the funds.

He even has a “war team” comprising of some seasoned faces including a former journalist and a couple of bright, young individuals.

“The change is coming from the bottom. The grassroots are reasserting their voice. They are telling us who they want rather than we telling them who to choose. It’s been the trend after what happened in the general election,” said Harrison.

A total of 72 of the 191 Umno Youth divisions have met so far and the rest will hold their meetings this weekend.

Khairy, who has a stronger standing in the rural divisions, has had a tough time in the urban division meetings where members are more informed and critical.

In Setiawangsa, there were jeers from the floor when Khairy’s name was proposed and few were surprised when Mukhriz won with 53 votes against 29 for Dr Khir and 7 for Khairy.

“The wind for Mukhriz is very powerful this time,” said Zulflida Tahmali, an Umno Youth politician from Setiawangsa.

Khairy had an even tougher time in Johor although he secured three nominations there.

In Tenggara, delegates shouted tak mahu! when his name was proposed.

In Batu Pahat, he got only three votes compared to 95 for Khir and 186 for Mukhriz.

That is the kind of scenario he is facing in some places.

Johor has been outspoken about the party leadership and Khairy’s alleged influence in the present administration.

It is possible he is now feeling the full impact of the party’s discontent.

The last time the Umno Youth leadership was contested was in 1996 and the fight is turning out to be a top ticket match.

Some view it as a proxy fight between Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Others claim it is a mini referendum on the Abdullah administration.

Such metaphorical analogies do not cut much ice with the average Umno Youth member.

But they do realise that Umno is in dire straits and that the Youth wing has lost support among young Malays.

They are looking for a sincere and capable leader who will lead them out of the mess.

But the battle for nominations is just the first stage or a race up the hill. After that comes the race up the mountain and that is the tough one.

The Lesser of Two Evils (Update 1)

21/9: DSKT's campaign slogan "Pemuda berani" (Courageous Youth). Datuk Zahidi's slogan "Pemuda untuk semua" (Youth for all).

"It is by far the longest general election in the history of Malaysia" as how a friend of mine eloquently puts it. We have cast our ballots in March and we were hotly reviewing the prospects of members of parliaments jumping ships by Sept 16th (DSAI did not mention what year). It was covered extensively in our favorite dailies. Forums and blogs had a plethora of issues and virtues to comprehend and debate. That day passed and life went on for everyone. DSAI had deceived Malaysians yet again. As if it were an adaptation from V-for-Vendetta, he had a date, the masks, the followers, the anticipation, the anxiety, the thrill......but no bomb. Did the summer camp in Taiwan for agriculture enthusiasts do its trick or it was not meant to be?

Perhaps many were hoping for this day because of the disgusts in UMNO politicians as apparent in the so called alternative media (no longer alternative i suppose!). The stereotype is still saturated in their minds. UMNO is still dubbed as the path for the lust of power and money. Election analysis concluded that many young Malaysians voted against the current regime. The keris and the broom made huge impacts on posters and banners. 5 states and 1 territory decided it was time to change.

The question that is begged to be asked is whether it has made any difference in those 5 states. Have the efficiency and 'transparency' increased in the state managements? Have you felt a sudden burst of change in your constituency that it constitutes an absolute gift from heaven itself? Or are your wakil rakyat embroiled in taking over the country by defection of BN MPs and nitpicking previous administration's foil and follies. Some are definitely rookies with zero experience in politics. Has it been better for you? Come 2013, will you pick an inexperienced rookie with a clean slate or a seasoned politician with questionable financial status? Should the rookie be retained for the next 5 terms, would he eventually morph into that seasoned politician we once despised?

The race for all posts including the UMNO presidency is now the hot topic. Beginning 9th Oct, all 192 divisions will commence their meetings to nominate their candidates of choice from top to bottom. Many have labeled the current PM as weak and ineffective as commander-in-chief, others hail him as the champion of liberty and reforms. There are quarters questioning DS Najib's potential and capabilities if he were to become PM despite his vast experience since the late Tun Razak passed away. A branch in Pekan Division had earlier presented their proposal to the division to nominate DS Najib as numero uno. In the end, it would be up to the delegates to decide. Some may say that delegates do not represent the taste and will of the majority of 3 million strong memberships. Then again, these delegates will be elected, so it would be the wish of the majority, some what.

Let's now analyze the race for Ketua Pemuda Malaysia. Dato' Mukhriz had a good start with his direct comments about the current presidency. Many young professionals outside of UMNO admire his guts and wish for change, thus his motto "Berani Berubah" (to be courageous for change). Added to his resume is his father's direct influence, the political immortal Tun Dr Mahathir. He garnered the highest votes during last election for the Exco seat.

KJ, the next candidate, needs no introduction. As PM's son in law, he is both controversial and aggresive. He is also gaining significant support within the ranks. His oratory skills and confidence level are widely known strengths, backed by a legion of high performing young professionals. His campaign buzz word is "Setiakawan" (Loyalty among friends).

Enter the next candidate, DS Khir Toyo, former Selangor Menteri Besar. Has been in gear 7 in campaigning. For him, it boils down to simple, plain, practical, good ol' Malay politics. He has, by far, the widest experience among the 3 strong candidates. There is no motto for this veteran, just hard campaigning to woo the young delegates. Some loyalists said vote for him if you don't want the other candidates. His Achilles's heel will be the loss of the state to the hands of the Opposition but he is no doubt ready with an answer and it's tough to beat that answer. His blog has breached the 1-million mark. Who said he's not popular?

In national politics 6 months ago, it was about choosing rookie candidates and not BN. In the upcoming UMNO election, it will be the test of choosing the lesser of two evils. I could be wrong.

Oh, forgot to mention the 4th candidate.

Responding to Dato' Seri Khir Toyo's entry

There was a pretty good article about what the leaders in the past said about power sharing concept and distribution of wealth (taken from Dato' Seri Dr Khir Toyo's blog):

DSKT: "Misalnya apabila Kerajaan Selangor semasa pentadbiran saya menubuhkan Pusat Kebudayaan Melayu dengan peruntukan RM 20 juta, kaum Cina dan India turut mendapat peruntukan yang sama.

Malah kerajaan Selangor di bawah pentadbiran saya merupakan yang pertama melancarkan tabung khas untuk pendidikan anak-anak kaum India yang miskin di bawah Tabung Pendidikan Anak-anak Pekerja Ladang. Kerajaan Selangor juga menaja lebih 100 orang anak kaum India yang miskin untuk belajar kemahiran di Inspens".

Presiden MCA, Tun Tan Siew Sin, dilaporkan dalam akhbar tempatan bertajuk "Tun Tan Answers Critics on special Previleges" dalam pada 30 april 1969, berkata:

"The Malays, through UMNO, were generous enough to relax the citizenship laws of this country to such extent that within 12 months of independence, 90 percent were still non-citizens after nearly 100 years of colonial rule in the Malay States. In return for this major concession. the MCA and the MIC agreed to continue the policy of preserving the special position of the Malays while at the same time upholding the legitimate interest of other communities."

- Sumber Tan Sri Khalid Awang Osman, Malaysia - An Anthology, Vantage Press, New York, hal. 38-39.

UCAPAN PRESIDEN MIC merangkap MENTERI KERJAYA RAYA, POS DAN TELEKOM, TUN V.T. SAMBANTHAN DI DEWAN RAKYAT PADA 1 JUN 1965.

"Now, in 1955 we won the elections with a great majority. Then we obtained freedom in two years time. During this period, we had to discuss citizenship and various other things. Now what did the Malays do - since we are speaking on racial lines - what did the Malay leadership do? The had 88 percent of the electorate still with them. What did they do with citizenship?

If we look around in Asia and East Asia, particularly, you will find that my race the indian race, is not welcomed in Ceylon, is not welcomed in Burma. Look at my brother Chinnese race, it is not welcomed in Thailand, in Vietnam, in Cambodia, in all the other areas. What help do they get for citizenship in all these territories? In Burma, as we know, Indian have been send packing, in Ceylon they refused them citizenship and in Burma it is likewise. I know it, you know it. And yet in Malaya what happened? Here we found that the Malay leadership said, "We shall tkae them unto ourselves as brothers, we shall give them full opportunity to live in this country, we shall give them every opportunity to become citizens." And so, in 1957, for the whole year, we waived language qualifications, and tens of thousand of Indians, Chinnese, Ceylonese and others became citizens...

As I said, it has been my great good fortune to have born in this country. Where else can you find a more charitable, a more polite, a more decent race than Malay race? Where else can you get such politically decent treatment for any immigrant race? Where else in the history of the world? I ask you. These are the facts. Who are you to safeguards us? I am 10 percent minority race here. But I am happy here.

My response: I despise the Malays questioning their own rights in the Constitution. Having said that as well, I do know that numerous Malays are furious not because of their Constitutional rights, but how some leaders are treating them and getting away with blatant abuse of power. That is why we have a democratic process whereby the majority decides who they want as their leader.

As for the other races, the chinese and the indians, the question about the constitutional rights is a non-issue. It is not that easy to amend the constitution especially when the Malays are the majority. Having said that, there are moderate chinese and indians who do not question the rights and want to live in peace and harmony with the Malays as long as their rights are not taken away from them, likewise there are moderate Malays who share the same philosophies. Even Tun Mahathir said that it's better to share a pie that's growing rather than not have a pie at all.