The March 8, 2008 general election has changed the country's political landscape. In the poll, the electorate has made it crystal clear that they want a clean, accountable, transparent and corruption-free government. They want a government which can speak up for their aspirations and dreams.
Since the last general election, not many politicians have proven to possess such qualities. Many are only good at crafting beautiful rhetorics but fail in walking the talk. However, one man stood out heads and shoulders above your ordinary fare of politicians - Ong Tee Keat.
Tee Keat is known to be a combative leader who takes up the people's plight without fear or favour. PKFZ has embellished his credentials as a no-nonsense leader who abhors corrupt practices. Many are awed by his single-minded determination to wage a battle against powerful forces with links to even more powerful people - all in the name of justice for taxpayers.
But his efforts have made him many enemies who have selfish interests to safeguard. Some had conspired successfully to topple him as the president of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and the same sinister forces are hard at work to finish off Tee Keat for good politically .
As concerned citizens, we cannot allow the looters, insidious conspirators and traitors who subvert national interests to have it their way. The peoples' voice must be heard - here and now, not just during the general election. Now is the time to make your voice heard. Now is the time to stand up and be counted. Now is the time to showcase the People Power.
Show your support for Tee Keat by fill up the form. This is a non-partisan initiative. This is a People's Initiative. Because at the end of the day, it is YOU, the people who will be affected.
Thank you
FORM AVAILABLE HERE : http://people4otk.com/#
31 January 2011
22 January 2011
IT grad receives top award
The Sun
Sat, 22 Jan 2011
> Nine grads also received awards named in honour of Malaysia’s founding fathers and distinguished political figures
IT was a joyous occasion for over 600 graduates of Olympia College, Raffles Education Group when they were bestowed awards in various disciplines by guest of honour, Datuk Sri Ong Tee Keat, at the Palace of the Golden Horses Hotel on Dec 10.
Sat, 22 Jan 2011
> Nine grads also received awards named in honour of Malaysia’s founding fathers and distinguished political figures
IT was a joyous occasion for over 600 graduates of Olympia College, Raffles Education Group when they were bestowed awards in various disciplines by guest of honour, Datuk Sri Ong Tee Keat, at the Palace of the Golden Horses Hotel on Dec 10.
 |
| IT programme graduate Cheang Heng Hoong receiving the Tun Dr Mohamed Suffian bin Hashim Award – Best Student Award for Diploma in Information – from Ong at the recent Raffles Education Group Graduation Ceremony. |
Nine graduates in various disciplines also received awards named in honour of Malaysia’s founding fathers and distinguished political figures for their accomplishments in their studies.
In his address, Ong said: "Graduation day is the climax of many years of diligent and determined effort expended to attain the standard required for the conferment of your respective awards. I wish to first and foremost congratulate all those who are graduating today."
"The government under the leadership of Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak aspires after a knowledge-based and developed society with high income by 2020. It is the duty of institutions of higher learning, such as the Raffles Education Group in collaboration with its various international and local partners, to develop and impart the attributes, skills and knowledge to our human capital and help the nation achieve its aspirations for a progressive and continuously successful nation. I am confident that all of you who are graduating today will no doubt be contributing to nation-building in one way or another.
"I commend the tireless efforts of the Raffles Education Group and its member institutions in their endless journey to develop human capital in Malaysia and abroad."
"Education is also concerned with ensuring social cohesion and harmony in a society. In the context of a multiethnic-cultural-religious society such as Malaysia, the role it plays becomes even more pivotal, and I am happy to note that to this end, the Raffles Education Group sees it fit to ensure that the form of education and training being provided also emphasises respect, cooperation and tolerance in a multicultural-ethnic and religious setting," he added.
IT programme graduate, Cheang Heng Hoong, 25, received the Tun Dr Mohamed Suffian bin Hashim Award – Best Student Award for the Diploma in Information Technology (majoring in Software Programming).
Cheang, who had pursued the DIT programme full-time, said: "I am so excited to receive this award. I have learnt the foundation of computing knowledge, programming languages, and have also gained a deeper knowledge of the concepts of IT.
"I had a wonderful and memorable experience at Olympia College. I met many friends and the lecturers were very helpful."
On his future plans, Cheang said he wanted to keep learning and gaining experience in the IT industry.
The late Tun Dr Mohamed Suffian Hashim was born in Kota Kiri Lama, Perak in 1917, and was the son of a kadi. He schooled in Clifford School, Kuala Kangsar, after which he went on a Queen’s Scholarship to Cambridge University, from where he graduated in Arts and Law.
Lord President Suffian "has many firsts" to his credit, among which are, the first Malay to be awarded the Queen’s Scholarship; the first Malay to be recruited directly to the Malayan Civil Service; the first Malay to become a State Legal Adviser and then the Solicitor General of Malaysia during the colonial regime; the first chairman of the Higher Education Advisory Council of Malaysia and chairman of the Royal Commission of Salaries; and the first member of the judiciary to be honoured with a Doctorate in Law by the University of Singapore, although he also holds a Doctorate in Letters from the University of Malaya.
As pro-chancellor of the University of Malaya for more than 15 years, he was deeply involved in the cause of education with his comprehensive reports and concise comments on higher education, which are of immense value to educators.
Olympia College offers scholarships to needy and outstanding students. Scholarships available are the Olympia College Principal’s Scholarship for Deserving Students and the Winston Pereira Premium Scholarship for Excellence. Study/PTPTN loans can also be arranged. These are subject to terms and conditions.
Olympia offers Business Studies, Business Management, IT & Computing, Hotel Management, Secretarial Studies, Accounting and Finance, English Language and the MBA.
In his address, Ong said: "Graduation day is the climax of many years of diligent and determined effort expended to attain the standard required for the conferment of your respective awards. I wish to first and foremost congratulate all those who are graduating today."
"The government under the leadership of Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak aspires after a knowledge-based and developed society with high income by 2020. It is the duty of institutions of higher learning, such as the Raffles Education Group in collaboration with its various international and local partners, to develop and impart the attributes, skills and knowledge to our human capital and help the nation achieve its aspirations for a progressive and continuously successful nation. I am confident that all of you who are graduating today will no doubt be contributing to nation-building in one way or another.
"I commend the tireless efforts of the Raffles Education Group and its member institutions in their endless journey to develop human capital in Malaysia and abroad."
"Education is also concerned with ensuring social cohesion and harmony in a society. In the context of a multiethnic-cultural-religious society such as Malaysia, the role it plays becomes even more pivotal, and I am happy to note that to this end, the Raffles Education Group sees it fit to ensure that the form of education and training being provided also emphasises respect, cooperation and tolerance in a multicultural-ethnic and religious setting," he added.
IT programme graduate, Cheang Heng Hoong, 25, received the Tun Dr Mohamed Suffian bin Hashim Award – Best Student Award for the Diploma in Information Technology (majoring in Software Programming).
Cheang, who had pursued the DIT programme full-time, said: "I am so excited to receive this award. I have learnt the foundation of computing knowledge, programming languages, and have also gained a deeper knowledge of the concepts of IT.
"I had a wonderful and memorable experience at Olympia College. I met many friends and the lecturers were very helpful."
On his future plans, Cheang said he wanted to keep learning and gaining experience in the IT industry.
The late Tun Dr Mohamed Suffian Hashim was born in Kota Kiri Lama, Perak in 1917, and was the son of a kadi. He schooled in Clifford School, Kuala Kangsar, after which he went on a Queen’s Scholarship to Cambridge University, from where he graduated in Arts and Law.
Lord President Suffian "has many firsts" to his credit, among which are, the first Malay to be awarded the Queen’s Scholarship; the first Malay to be recruited directly to the Malayan Civil Service; the first Malay to become a State Legal Adviser and then the Solicitor General of Malaysia during the colonial regime; the first chairman of the Higher Education Advisory Council of Malaysia and chairman of the Royal Commission of Salaries; and the first member of the judiciary to be honoured with a Doctorate in Law by the University of Singapore, although he also holds a Doctorate in Letters from the University of Malaya.
As pro-chancellor of the University of Malaya for more than 15 years, he was deeply involved in the cause of education with his comprehensive reports and concise comments on higher education, which are of immense value to educators.
Olympia College offers scholarships to needy and outstanding students. Scholarships available are the Olympia College Principal’s Scholarship for Deserving Students and the Winston Pereira Premium Scholarship for Excellence. Study/PTPTN loans can also be arranged. These are subject to terms and conditions.
Olympia offers Business Studies, Business Management, IT & Computing, Hotel Management, Secretarial Studies, Accounting and Finance, English Language and the MBA.
18 January 2011
Some Buddhist philosophy ...
Lord Buddha was sitting under a banyan tree.
One day, a furious farmer came to him and started abusing him.
The farmer thought that Lord Buddha would reciprocate in the same manner,
but to his utter surprise, there was not the slightest change in the expression on his face.
Now, the farmer became more furious.
He hurled more and more abuses at Buddha.
However, Lord Buddha was completely unmoved.
Actually there was a look of compassion on his face.
Ultimately the farmer was tired of abusing him.
He asked, "I have been abusing you, but why are you not angry at all?"
Lord Buddha calmly replied, "My dear brother, I have not accepted a single abuse from
The farmer thought that Lord Buddha would reciprocate in the same manner,
but to his utter surprise, there was not the slightest change in the expression on his face.
Now, the farmer became more furious.
He hurled more and more abuses at Buddha.
However, Lord Buddha was completely unmoved.
Actually there was a look of compassion on his face.
Ultimately the farmer was tired of abusing him.
He asked, "I have been abusing you, but why are you not angry at all?"
Lord Buddha calmly replied, "My dear brother, I have not accepted a single abuse from
you."
"But you heard all of them, didn't you?" The farmer argued half-heartedly.
Buddha said, "I do not need the abuses, so why should I even hear them?"
Now the farmer was even more puzzled.
He could not understand the calm reply from Lord Buddha.
Looking at his disturbed face, Buddha further explained, "All those abuses remain with you."
"It cannot be possible. I have hurled all of them at you," the farmer persisted.
Buddha calmly repeated his reply, "But I have not accepted even a single abuse from you!
Dear brother, suppose you give some coins to somebody, and if he does not accept them, with whom will those coins remain?"
The farmer replied, "If I have given the coins and not needed by someone, then naturally they would remain with me."
With a meaningful smile on his face, Buddha said, "Now you are right.
The same has happened with your abuses.
You came here and hurled abuses at me, but I have not accepted a single abuse from you.
Hence, all those abuses remain with you only.
So there is no reason to be angry with you."
The farmer remained speechless.
He was ashamed of his behavior and begged for Buddha's forgiveness.
Lesson to Learn from This Story:
- Inner calmness and peace are keys to a contented life.
- You know who you are and what you want in life, so don't respond to what person said about you in anger.
- Control your anger with patience and calmness.
- That is the biggest strength of a wise man.
- Never take some one for granted, hold every person close to your heart because you might wake up one day and realize that you have lost a diamond while you were too busy collecting stones.
15 January 2011
Guess who's going to bail out PKA?
Malaysiakini
Jan 14, 11 9:51am
'The Humpty Dumpty of PKFZ has been knocked off its perch. Now all the Soi Leks and Najibs cannot put in back together again.'
SusahKes: Port Klang Authority (PKA) chairperson Lee Hwa Beng, may we - the taxpayers of Malaysia - ask you a down to earth, honest to goodness, question?
After all this revelation, and all the white elephants and bailouts that you and I have witnessed from the Mahathir years to now, do you and MCA, still want Umno to govern this nation?
At which point do you, MCA chief Chua Soi Lek and Co, develop some modicum of conscience and guilt, that Umno has played everyone out in this country (other than their own kind)?
Titan: Come on rakyat, we need to make the government and PM Najib Razak more accountable, not less. Former transport minister Ong Tee Keat (OTK) had strenuously attempted to do that, but he was hung out to dry.
The Humpty Dumpty of PKFZ (Port Klang Free Zone) has been knocked off its perch by the OTK's insistence of an independent inquiry into the sordid affairs of PKFZ. Now all the Soi Leks and Najibs cannot put in back together again.
Anonymous_4196: What? And yet Najib wants to build a 100-storey tower in order to attract investors? Didn't BN sang the same song when pitching the idea of PKFZ in 2001?
Lover Boy: Any reasonable Malaysian knows that PKFZ will be bankrupt due to the magnitude of its debt. What Lee Hwa Beng is saying is nothing new.
What I want to know is when will the government go after the real culprits, charging some small fries like former PKA general manager OC Phang and former MCA chief Ling Liong Sik will not pacify Malaysians. This leakage is not small - it is so big that nothing man-made can cover this hole.
MACC, please go after the bigger fish. Use PricewaterhouseCooper audit report as a guide.
ForJustice: Okay, so now who's going to bail them out? The government again? If yes, this means we taxpayers are paying for it. I think all those involved from the government ministers approving this project down to the company's officers must be held accountable, and pay for it.
Tailek: No report will come out from the super task force, not even long after chief secretary to the government Mohd Sidek Hassan has retired. I would not be surprised that no one in government is even looking into this matter anymore.
That is Malaysia Boleh for you. Every form of financial corruption and sex scandal is permissible and excusable so long as you are in the right camp, and that camp is the BN camp. This apathy is so sickening it makes you want to weep for Malaysia.
Longjaafar: Is this the kind of 'good management' of the country's economy that we hear so much about? Maybe they need to hire another set of CONsultants to look into this.
Ghkok: Every sen being used to bailout PKFZ is one sen less for improving transportation, policing, education, programmes for the poor and needy, etc. Every additional sen used for bailout brings us closer and closer to the 2019 bankruptcy date as stated by Pemandu chief Idris Jala.
Clearwater: Numerous BN politicians involved in this fraudulent white elephant have still not been charged in court. That is the most galling part of the PKFZ scandal. No accountability, no responsibility, no transparency, no morality. That about sums it up. On this fiasco alone, BN deserves to lose power in the next general election.
Michael Angelo: I read that in China, corrupt officials responsible for fiasco of such magnitude will have to pay for the bullet used to execute them after they are found guilty. And their body parts and organs donated to needy transplants.
Considering the wastage of RM12 billion of public money, perhaps this form of penalty can be considered.
Enviroman: The federal government must not bail out PKFZ. Let it go bankrupt. Federal funds are our funds, our taxpayers' money. Don't let our funds be put to questionable use. Malaysians must protest to pressure them into not bailing out PKFZ. Who will start the ball rolling?
Original posting from http://www.malaysiakini.com
Jan 14, 11 9:51am
'The Humpty Dumpty of PKFZ has been knocked off its perch. Now all the Soi Leks and Najibs cannot put in back together again.'
SusahKes: Port Klang Authority (PKA) chairperson Lee Hwa Beng, may we - the taxpayers of Malaysia - ask you a down to earth, honest to goodness, question?
After all this revelation, and all the white elephants and bailouts that you and I have witnessed from the Mahathir years to now, do you and MCA, still want Umno to govern this nation?
At which point do you, MCA chief Chua Soi Lek and Co, develop some modicum of conscience and guilt, that Umno has played everyone out in this country (other than their own kind)?
Titan: Come on rakyat, we need to make the government and PM Najib Razak more accountable, not less. Former transport minister Ong Tee Keat (OTK) had strenuously attempted to do that, but he was hung out to dry.
The Humpty Dumpty of PKFZ (Port Klang Free Zone) has been knocked off its perch by the OTK's insistence of an independent inquiry into the sordid affairs of PKFZ. Now all the Soi Leks and Najibs cannot put in back together again.
Anonymous_4196: What? And yet Najib wants to build a 100-storey tower in order to attract investors? Didn't BN sang the same song when pitching the idea of PKFZ in 2001?
Lover Boy: Any reasonable Malaysian knows that PKFZ will be bankrupt due to the magnitude of its debt. What Lee Hwa Beng is saying is nothing new.
What I want to know is when will the government go after the real culprits, charging some small fries like former PKA general manager OC Phang and former MCA chief Ling Liong Sik will not pacify Malaysians. This leakage is not small - it is so big that nothing man-made can cover this hole.
MACC, please go after the bigger fish. Use PricewaterhouseCooper audit report as a guide.
ForJustice: Okay, so now who's going to bail them out? The government again? If yes, this means we taxpayers are paying for it. I think all those involved from the government ministers approving this project down to the company's officers must be held accountable, and pay for it.
Tailek: No report will come out from the super task force, not even long after chief secretary to the government Mohd Sidek Hassan has retired. I would not be surprised that no one in government is even looking into this matter anymore.
That is Malaysia Boleh for you. Every form of financial corruption and sex scandal is permissible and excusable so long as you are in the right camp, and that camp is the BN camp. This apathy is so sickening it makes you want to weep for Malaysia.
Longjaafar: Is this the kind of 'good management' of the country's economy that we hear so much about? Maybe they need to hire another set of CONsultants to look into this.
Ghkok: Every sen being used to bailout PKFZ is one sen less for improving transportation, policing, education, programmes for the poor and needy, etc. Every additional sen used for bailout brings us closer and closer to the 2019 bankruptcy date as stated by Pemandu chief Idris Jala.
Clearwater: Numerous BN politicians involved in this fraudulent white elephant have still not been charged in court. That is the most galling part of the PKFZ scandal. No accountability, no responsibility, no transparency, no morality. That about sums it up. On this fiasco alone, BN deserves to lose power in the next general election.
Michael Angelo: I read that in China, corrupt officials responsible for fiasco of such magnitude will have to pay for the bullet used to execute them after they are found guilty. And their body parts and organs donated to needy transplants.
Considering the wastage of RM12 billion of public money, perhaps this form of penalty can be considered.
Enviroman: The federal government must not bail out PKFZ. Let it go bankrupt. Federal funds are our funds, our taxpayers' money. Don't let our funds be put to questionable use. Malaysians must protest to pressure them into not bailing out PKFZ. Who will start the ball rolling?
Original posting from http://www.malaysiakini.com
PKFZ may face 'bankruptcy' over soft loan
Malaysiakini
Kuek Ser Kuang Keng
Jan 13, 11 1:30pm
Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) will not be able to finance its RM4.6 billion soft loan from the Finance Ministry, which it must begin servicing from this year.
It is likely that without federal government intervention, the controversy-ridden mega project operated by the Port Klang Authority (PKA) will become bankrupt, albeit technically, next year.
Kuek Ser Kuang Keng
Jan 13, 11 1:30pm
Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) will not be able to finance its RM4.6 billion soft loan from the Finance Ministry, which it must begin servicing from this year.
It is likely that without federal government intervention, the controversy-ridden mega project operated by the Port Klang Authority (PKA) will become bankrupt, albeit technically, next year.
"Even if PKFZ is fully tenanted, we will not be able to start paying up on our loan instalment to the Finance Ministry from this year, according to the Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PWC) report," PKA chairperson Lee Hwa Beng said in an interview yesterday.
After three years of operation, the free-trade zone is still underutilised. The occupancy rate for light industrial units is close to 50 percent, while only about 25 percent of the land is occupied.
The occupancy rate for office blocks is about five percent. Others facilities, such as a hotel and an exhibition hall that is larger than the Mines International Exhibition Convention Centre, are still not operational.
Waiting for a lifeline from MOF
The PWC audit report commissioned by former Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat in 2009 to probe the PKFZ scandal, said the project outlay has ballooned from RM1.96 billion when it was conceived in 2001 to a staggering RM12 billion.
PKA was unable to fund its obligations to PKFZ turnkey contractor Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) from its own resources when the first scheduled payment was due in 2007.
Following this, the Treasury disbursed a RM4.632 billion 20-year soft loan, which critics see as a bailout of a failed government project.
The cash flow projections by PKA indicates that it would be unable to service its loan instalments between 2012 and 2041, thereby attracting additional interest of another RM5 billion.
This will bring the total project outlay to a whopping RM12.453 billion by year 2051, according to the audit report.
However, Lee, whose term will end on March 31, is confident that the federal government will not allow PKFZ to go bankrupt.
"We pay the Finance Ministry, not a third party, and we are part of the federal government. So the port will not become insolvent... definitely business will carry on and the terminal operators can continue to do their business," Lee said.
The PWC audit report states that PKA could, however, avoid or reduce the extra RM5 billion interest cost on two conditions: by restructuring the Treasury's soft loan, and by making the project viable.
'Totally uninformed' on task force findings
A 'super' task force, set up by cabinet in October 2009, was supposed to study the project and offer solutions to the current dire situation.
However, Lee claimed to be "totally uninformed" about the findings of the task force since it was set up.
"I don't know if the task force has come out with a report," he said, adding that any solution must be implemented through PKA because it was the statutory body governing PKFZ.
The high-powered task force, headed by chief secretary to the government Mohd Sidek Hassan, was established by the cabinet after the PKFZ investigation report, commissioned by Ong, was submitted to the cabinet.
It was to determine if there was misconduct or criminal element on the part of individuals or entities involved in the project and recommend actions to be taken against them if there were, recommend measures to improve governance as well as PKFZ's management, prepare a restructuring plan and formulate business models for PKA and PKFZ.
It was given six months, to come out with a report, which meant the due date was April 2010.
But no announcement on the report has come forth from the government so far.
Original Posting : http://www.malaysiakini.com
After three years of operation, the free-trade zone is still underutilised. The occupancy rate for light industrial units is close to 50 percent, while only about 25 percent of the land is occupied.
The occupancy rate for office blocks is about five percent. Others facilities, such as a hotel and an exhibition hall that is larger than the Mines International Exhibition Convention Centre, are still not operational.
Waiting for a lifeline from MOF
The PWC audit report commissioned by former Transport Minister Ong Tee Keat in 2009 to probe the PKFZ scandal, said the project outlay has ballooned from RM1.96 billion when it was conceived in 2001 to a staggering RM12 billion.
PKA was unable to fund its obligations to PKFZ turnkey contractor Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB) from its own resources when the first scheduled payment was due in 2007.
Following this, the Treasury disbursed a RM4.632 billion 20-year soft loan, which critics see as a bailout of a failed government project.
The cash flow projections by PKA indicates that it would be unable to service its loan instalments between 2012 and 2041, thereby attracting additional interest of another RM5 billion.
This will bring the total project outlay to a whopping RM12.453 billion by year 2051, according to the audit report.
However, Lee, whose term will end on March 31, is confident that the federal government will not allow PKFZ to go bankrupt.
"We pay the Finance Ministry, not a third party, and we are part of the federal government. So the port will not become insolvent... definitely business will carry on and the terminal operators can continue to do their business," Lee said.
The PWC audit report states that PKA could, however, avoid or reduce the extra RM5 billion interest cost on two conditions: by restructuring the Treasury's soft loan, and by making the project viable.
'Totally uninformed' on task force findings
A 'super' task force, set up by cabinet in October 2009, was supposed to study the project and offer solutions to the current dire situation.
However, Lee claimed to be "totally uninformed" about the findings of the task force since it was set up.
"I don't know if the task force has come out with a report," he said, adding that any solution must be implemented through PKA because it was the statutory body governing PKFZ.
The high-powered task force, headed by chief secretary to the government Mohd Sidek Hassan, was established by the cabinet after the PKFZ investigation report, commissioned by Ong, was submitted to the cabinet.
It was to determine if there was misconduct or criminal element on the part of individuals or entities involved in the project and recommend actions to be taken against them if there were, recommend measures to improve governance as well as PKFZ's management, prepare a restructuring plan and formulate business models for PKA and PKFZ.
It was given six months, to come out with a report, which meant the due date was April 2010.
But no announcement on the report has come forth from the government so far.
Original Posting : http://www.malaysiakini.com
07 January 2011
Beng Hock: MACC must be held responsible
http://www.malaysiakini.com/
I am shocked by the coroner's open verdict yesterday which rules out both suicide and homicide in the death of Teoh Beng Hock.
It's time for the government to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the custodial death of Teoh.
The loss of life, especially while in the custody of government enforcement officials, is always a serious matter of public concern.
There cannot be no answers for this particular case. It's simply not acceptable that one can die in the MACC's custody without knowing what had happened.
Teoh voluntarily stepped into the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)'s office to give a statement as a witness.
He failed to come out alive, while under MACC's custody. His body was found sprawled on a service corridor in Plaza Masalam's Level 5 on July 16, 2009.
No matter from which point of view or political divide you see the death, it is just unbelievable, unacceptable and illogical that no one knows what happened to Teoh in a place where security is relatively tight.
There was also ample evidence suggesting that Teoh was under tremendous physical and mental stress, having been subjected to long hours of interrogation.
Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas has delivered his verdict based on a set terms of reference that could have limited the inquiry.
Nevertheless, we will just have to respect the chair and move on to the next level for a justifiable and more acceptable solution.
True, it is indeed unfortunate that Beng Hock's tragic death has been politicised by certain quarters. The widely perceived lackadaisical probe by the authorities has in a way lent them credence in addition to dismaying the general public.
To all of us, life is precious. Therefore, irrespective of political affiliation, the people responsible for Teoh's death, directly or indirectly, must be brought to justice.
To me, my view now is nothing new, but an insistence and reiteration of my support for the petition calling for the setting up of the RCI during the deceased's wake at his parents' house in July 2009.
I lent the support when I was the MCA president. I am maintaining my stance now in my capacity as the MP for Pandan. The logic is rather simple: Teoh walked into the MACC office alive but failed to emerge the same. That is a fact.
Therefore, the MACC must be held responsible and the government is obliged to sincerely bring to book the culprits responsible for the tragedy that has marred the image and integrity of the MACC.
Ong Tee Keat is Pandan MP.
I am shocked by the coroner's open verdict yesterday which rules out both suicide and homicide in the death of Teoh Beng Hock.
It's time for the government to set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the custodial death of Teoh.
The loss of life, especially while in the custody of government enforcement officials, is always a serious matter of public concern.
There cannot be no answers for this particular case. It's simply not acceptable that one can die in the MACC's custody without knowing what had happened.
Teoh voluntarily stepped into the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)'s office to give a statement as a witness.
He failed to come out alive, while under MACC's custody. His body was found sprawled on a service corridor in Plaza Masalam's Level 5 on July 16, 2009.
No matter from which point of view or political divide you see the death, it is just unbelievable, unacceptable and illogical that no one knows what happened to Teoh in a place where security is relatively tight.
There was also ample evidence suggesting that Teoh was under tremendous physical and mental stress, having been subjected to long hours of interrogation.
Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas has delivered his verdict based on a set terms of reference that could have limited the inquiry.
Nevertheless, we will just have to respect the chair and move on to the next level for a justifiable and more acceptable solution.
True, it is indeed unfortunate that Beng Hock's tragic death has been politicised by certain quarters. The widely perceived lackadaisical probe by the authorities has in a way lent them credence in addition to dismaying the general public.
To all of us, life is precious. Therefore, irrespective of political affiliation, the people responsible for Teoh's death, directly or indirectly, must be brought to justice.
To me, my view now is nothing new, but an insistence and reiteration of my support for the petition calling for the setting up of the RCI during the deceased's wake at his parents' house in July 2009.
I lent the support when I was the MCA president. I am maintaining my stance now in my capacity as the MP for Pandan. The logic is rather simple: Teoh walked into the MACC office alive but failed to emerge the same. That is a fact.
Therefore, the MACC must be held responsible and the government is obliged to sincerely bring to book the culprits responsible for the tragedy that has marred the image and integrity of the MACC.
Ong Tee Keat is Pandan MP.
05 January 2011
MAKE UNITY, TRUTH AND JUSTICE AS NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS FOR MALAYSIANS
December 30, 2010
PRESS STATEMENT BY:-
TAN SRI DATUK ROBERT PHANG MIOW SIN. Justice of Peace
Chairman – Social Care Foundation
Panel Advisor of Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRESS STATEMENT BY:-
TAN SRI DATUK ROBERT PHANG MIOW SIN. Justice of Peace
Chairman – Social Care Foundation
Panel Advisor of Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
GREETINGS.
MAKE UNITY, TRUTH AND JUSTICE AS NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS FOR MALAYSIANS
MAKE UNITY, TRUTH AND JUSTICE AS NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS FOR MALAYSIANS
- On Friday Dec 31, 2010, we will say goodbye to 2010 and usher in 2011. Fortune tellers, astrologers and Feng Shui practitioners will review the events of past years in self glorification of the accuracy of their predictions. They will attempt to provide new prophecies and guidance to forecast events and good fortunes for the coming year. But, they do it for commercial gains.
As a social activist, I would like to address the fundamentals that are of importance to us as a progressive nation. Malaysia is a country of faiths. It is stated that Islam is the official Religion of the Federation but at the same time, freedom to practice other faiths and religions is guaranteed. How we prosper as a nation cannot be based on fortune telling and guessing games but on hard facts, sound policies and universal principles to be gathered from our faiths and religions.
Whether we are Muslims, Christians, Hindus, and Buddhists or of any other faiths, the plurality of faiths of this country must be preserved. I call on IKIM and Perkasa not to cause confusion by fanning the differences between us, but to build on the commonality that binds us. It’s a folly to claim whose religion or whose god is the right one. All religions teach good things and we all believe in ONE TRUE GOD.
Thus, all talk that cause differences, tensions and schisms must stop. If May 13, 1969, is to be remembered, it should be commemorated as a day of mourning when this multi-cultural and multi-religious beloved country of ours was almost ruined. Thus, it must be our national resolution that May 13th must not recur or Malaysia will become a failed nation. It is our commonality that binds us as a nation since Independence and that will shape our future destiny as 1Malaysian!
With regard to the New Key Result Areas (NKRAs) for reduction of crimes, I congratulate Home Minister Dato’ Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein Onn, who has worked hard and developed innovative ways to assist the PDRM in the fight against crime. I also congratulate Dato’ Seri Hishammudin for understanding the importance of public perception and thus ended the former IGP’s tenure. Compared to his predecessor, Tan Sri Ismail Omar is a breath of fresh air. Like a clean white sheet, it is now in his hands to re-shape PDRM into the principal respected law enforcement agency that it once was. We, Malaysians, must support Tan Sri Ismail Omar, the current IGP, to aspire for a crime free society.
As a Panel Advisor of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), I applaud the achievements of the MACC’s Chief Commissioner, Dato‘ Seri Abu Kassim, in bringing to book some big names this year. In the PKFZ case, Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik has been charged. However, the report by the forensic auditors mentioned several other big names, including those still serving in government and are also big names in their political party. These big names have quickly used the MACC’s clearance as a political mileage. This has invited public skepticism, especially when it is perceived that a thorough investigation has not been conducted and the clearance was just a political whitewash. That was what the public perceived in the case of former Selangor MB Dato‘ Seri Dr Khir Toyo until he was charged recently. I remind these big names not to be so gleeful, bordering on arrogance.
The public also view with grave suspicion the allegations over the personal conduct of Attorney-General (A-G) Tan Sri Gani Patail who is seen as consorting with Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli’s proxy, Shahidan Shafiee. This is of great disservice to the government in the fight against corruption. I have raised this before and the A-G‘s continued silence is defeaning. PAS vice president Salahuddin Ayob has now raised the same issue. This is not just a political issue but it also concerns the integrity of the highest law officer of the country. His actions and conduct can erode the credibility of the government.
There is also public scepticism over the conduct of the A-G, in the exercise of his prosecutorial powers. His reluctance to act in certain cases, while very vociferous in others, have given rise to allegations of selective prosecution bordering on persecution. YB Salahudin Ayob also raised this seeming double standards involving the case of lawyer En Rosli Dahlan. En Rosli is widely known to be the lawyer handling the MAS case and has alleged that he had been victimised by rogue elements in the government. It is frightening to the citizens at large that the whole machinery of the A-G’s office and the MACC can be used against one man. The government must dispel this perception of persecution against an innocent citizen.
I have raised these matters without any personal or political agenda. I am not a politician. I speak for what I believe to be true and right. These are matters that have been in the public domain and it is incumbent on me to remind the powers that be of the public displeasure. Only in this way civil activists like me can be of service to the nation, the government and the public. This is consistent with the reminder by the Prime Minister Dato‘ Seri Najib Tun Razak that those in power must not suffer from the four diseases – Delusion, Amnesia, Inertia and Arrogance. I pray that all Civil Servants, Politicians more so the YBs and Ministers, will follow rigidly to our YB PM’s directive.
In closing 2010’s chapter and in welcoming 2011, I pray for God’s Blessings upon all of us and that we become a truly 1Malaysia nation in the pursuit for Unity, Truth and Justice.
I wish all Malaysians a Happy & Blessed New Year 2011!
“HUMBLENESS IS GOOD VIRTUE, ARROGANCE SHALL FALL, THE MEEK WILL RULE THE WORLD”.
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Tan Sri Datuk Robert Phang Miow Sin
Justice of Peace
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