UMNO EGM - Why Not?

The call made by President UMNO to stop organizing EGM is seen as something very unhealthy. The President is vary uncomfortable with this development after three branches in the sates of Kelantan, Johor and Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur organized the EGM and called for the change of party leadership. More branches are expected to call for EGM, and if this trend is not arrested, will cause a lot of uneasiness among the party leaders.

The problem and issues that embroiled among the grassroots members of the party is like a volcano which is due to erupt. It cannot be controlled and will erupt anyway. If we try to control the eruption, the outcome will be wild. It is better to let it erupt freely and allow the larva from the eruption flows down and when the strength dies off it will settle down. The final result will be a new generation of activity which is healthier. The entire negative element will die off.

What is there to fear? The truth must be allowed to prevail. The days where issues can be manipulated are over. Information, either true of half-true spread very fast. Thanks to modern form of information technology, where information flows is hard to control. There must be good reasons for UMNO members through its division overzealously calling for EGM. There must be real and serious issues that they felt must be discussed and corrected. Calling for EGM is a serious matter. It is not an ordinary meeting. The grassroots members and its leaders must believe that the issues that they wanted to highlight are serious and real or else their reputation and standing will bring them down. If the party leaders feel that they are doing the right things and well supported by the majority, then there is no fear of the EGM. Since the party constitution allows the divisions to organize the EGM, then by all means let it go. The more the leaders call to prevent the divisions from organizing the EGM the more unhealthy development will arise.

What certain is that all members loved the party and there is little doubt that they want the party weakened. In the long term and surrounded by hostile political forces at work, they want the party to remain strong to face the challenges. UMNO needs a strong, courage, an imaginative and visionary leader to lead the party in this politically hostile environment. Unfortunately time is not on their side for them to exert their strength. They must utilize to the maximum the little precious time left till the end of the year, when the members at large will determine their position. As it is, the people at large and the Malays in particular has not felt and seen any impact on the new measures adopted by the government. Too much talk, publicity and gimmick with little movement on the ground, will not bring change in the minds of the people at large.

UMNO Election

The contest to get a post in the coming UMNO election beginning with the branch, division and the national level beginning next month is getting hotter, and presumably interesting. The issue that is of interest here is not the contest nor the personality, but what is there in a post that attracts attention. There must be something rewarding that makes many people interested to vie for the post.

The thought of associating reward, influence, privileges and power to the post will be an illusion to the upcoming candidates, if UMNO wants itself to be relevant and get respect from the people in general and Malays in particular. The days whereby the successful division heads and the other committee members by virtue of their post getting privileges, projects and enrich themselves with flashy cars and beautiful houses are over. Getting all these wealth by just using their tongues and teeth is no longer acceptable when other people had to toil their hands and brains to achieve the hard earned gains. This is one of the factors that led the young voters shy away and voted for the oppositions.

To the aspiring candidates. Ask yourself this pertinent question. Are you aspiring for wealth and power that comes with the post? If you have this in mind then you might as well forget the dreams. The current thinking of the people is they wanted a sincere leader that can lead the party back in shape and play the role of a national party leading the other members of the alliance. The party and the country needs leaders who have the imagination, courage and most importantly not thinking of reward but full of sacrifices. This is much lacking if you are bothered to ask yourself how you managed to attain all the wealth in a short span of time.

To all UMNO aspiring leaders; this article is not meant to belittle you, but to make you realize that the Malays in particular which you are supposed to lead and represent has been left far behind in all fields except the increase in the number of drug addicts and the Mat Rempit menace, which nobody wants to associate with. In economy and business, in education and now in politics, the Malays are well behind and the pace is getting wider. If you continue to fight among yourselves for the post and care for yourself and indifferent to these issues, then you will be sorry, in the event the 13th general election will be held earlier than expected.

So, aspiring UMNO leaders; think wisely and don’t waste time lobbying for post if you think that you don’t have the material to be new branded leaders. In short we now care substance rather than form for new generation of leaders. To the leaders who have outshined themselves just accept that enough is enough and sacrifice yourself if you cannot keep up with the new demanding pace. May god bless all of us.

Apology by Ketua Pemuda UMNO Over Keris Issue?

An open apology by Ketua Pemuda UMNO over the keris issue is tantamount to slap in the face to all pemuda UMNO in particular and the Malays in general. It is better for him to step down and relinquish all his official position in the UMNO government and UMNO post; as if this Keris is the reason for the defeat of UMNO in the election. To apologize over the Keris issue, which is the symbol of Malay power is something which is logically acceptable. To the Malays the Keris issue has nothing to do with UMNO lost over the PRU-12. It is shameful to the Malays when the Ketua Pemuda UMNO have got to apologize. It seems now from the Prime Minister to Ketua Pemuda has got to apologize over an issue that is not relevant to the lost suffered in the general election.

Come on, leaders of UMNO. Have some backbone to defend Malays dignity. Just accept the fact that the main reason for UMNO's defeat is corruption among the leaders and its crony. Projects which officially cost RM4 million has been bloated to 300 to 400 percent by way of project 'wahyu' (direct nego. projects) awarded by the Treasury, so much so that state project is bigger than Headquarters project. Look at the logistic inventory of some of federal departments. Some of the items supplied by mere traders are becoming a white elephant because there are no manual and operating procedures, so the end users did not know how to operate the equipments supplied. The supplier with the collaboration of the department officials and the treasury who is supposed to monitor has been taken for a ride. Rakyat's money has been wasted for nothing.

It is with hopes that no more such apology will arise again. UMNO must think fast and quickly that it has to depend on itself as the backbone of power in the country. By this it has got to put its house in order. Support by other non-Malay parties is a bonus to strengthen its position. Otherwise UMNO must find ways to go alone. There are no two ways about it, Either UMNO shoulder its responsibility to be the dominant political party, or failing to do so will make it irrelevant and end as the dominant opposition party in the new government set up. This will be real if the leaders in UMNO still fail to face the reality and not brave enough to say a spade is a spade. No amount of new development projects that’s has been launched will pacify the satisfaction of the Malays.

God bless you, UMNO.

Senario Subsidi Kerajaan di Malaysia

Subsidi kerajaan untuk mestabilkan harga barang-barang keperluan asas semakin meningkat. Subsidi untuk menstabilkan harga produk petroleum sahaja dilaporkan melebihi 40 billion Ringgit Malaysia; pada tahap harga sekitar 100 dollar Amerika satu tong. Jumlah subsidi semakin meningkat apabila harga bahan mentah itu semakin naik saban hari. Percakapan dipasaran menyatakan harga 200 dolar Amerika bukan satu yang mustahil untuk dicapai dengan keadaan ekonomi Amerika yang semakin goyang. Selain bahan minyak mentah, harga-harga komoditi lain yang juga menerima subsidi kerajaan ikut naik. Antaranya ialah minyak masak, tepung beras dan senarainya semakin panjang. Subsidi ini dibayar samada secara langsung ataupun tidak. Ini termasuk pelepasan cukai dan lain-lain lagi.

Realitinya, selagi ekonomi Amerika dalam keadaan parah selagi itulah harga pasaran bahan mentah dan komoditi kian tidak terjamin. Harga produk ini hampir semuanya disebut dalam dolar Amerika. Maka, semakin turunnya nilai dolar Amerika maka semakin naiklah harga komoditi ini. Negara-negara pengeluar sudah pasti tidak mahu mengalami kerugian nilai produk mereka berbanding dengan penurunan nilai dolar Amerika tersebut. Maka tindakan yang paling logik ialah dengan menaikan harga barangan mereka. Akibatnya negara penggunalah yang menerima padah kerana negara-negara pengeluar komoditi tersebut hendak mengekalkan nilai pengeluaran produk dan komoiti mereka.

Senario di Malaysia.

Peningkatan subsidi menggunakan wang rakyat tidak masuk akal lagi. Lebih-lebih lagi apabila subsidi ini tidak dimanfaatkan kepada orang yang berhak menerimanya; bayangkan orang yang memandu kereta mewah turut sama membayar RM1.92 seliter sama seperti mereka yang di dalam golongan berpendapatan rendah. Sistem pengagihan yang ada sekarang tidak cekap dan sukar untuk kerajaan memantaunya. Sekiranya idea ini dapat menyelamatkan lebih dari 40 bilion ringgit hasil kerajaan, mengapa ia perlu diketepikan dan jadi bahan ketawa?

Kerajaan dengan Pak Menteri yang ada mesti sedar sudah tiba masanya untuk berfikir secara radikal untuk memantau fenomena ini. Ada pepatah English, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, give a man a fishing rod and you feed him for life”. Ajar mereka cara menangkap ikan dan bukan mengajar makan ikan sahaja. Ilmu dan kemahiran yang mereka perolehi akan berpanjangan dan boleh menyelamatkan mereka. Pendek kata, latihan yang diberikan perlu menekan aspek kecekapan untuk menjamin kejayaan. Mari kita lihat satu contoh; mengapa hasil tanaman padi di utara tanah air agak rendah jika dibandingkan dengan hasil tanaman di kawasan Sabak Bernam dan Sekinchan di Selangor. Tak perlu nak pergi jauh untuk buat kajian ini.Tingkatkanlah kecekapan para petani yang ada wahai pegawai-pegawai Jabatan Pertanian. Pak Menteri tidak perlu fikir hendak buka kawasan baru dengan menghabiskan lagi 40 billion ringgit wang rakyat. Kawasan yang sedia ada kalau di lakukan secara efisyen boleh memberi hasil yang lebih banyak.

Seperkara lagi yang lebih penting untuk direnungkan kerajaan ialah untuk memperkemas lagi Kementerian Kebajikan Masyarakat dengan memberi nafas dan ‘re-branding’. Tugas tugas kementerian ini bukan lagi setakat membela nasib orang-orang daif sahaja, tetapi dengan nafas dan ‘branding’ baru boleh melihatkan subsidi yang dibayar kerajan benar-benar dimanafaatkan oleh orang-orang yang memerlukan.


Idea ini mungkin tidak praktikal pada segolongan orang dan mungkin akan jadi bahan ketawa. Tetapi memandangkan jika fenomena ini tidak diberi perhatian segera jumlah subsidi kerajaan akan terus meningkat. Kementerian Kebajikan Masyarakat yang ada berkait rapat dengan keja-kerja kebajikan perlu diberi tanggungjawab baru. Biarlah kerajaan buat pengambilan beratus-ratus lagi kakitangan penguatkuasa baru untuk menjayakan misi nasional ini. Biarlah kerajaan berbelanja 1 billion ringgit sebagai tambahan untuk melengkapkan keberkesanan tugas Kementerian Kebajikan Masyarakat ini untuk menentukan sistem subsidi baru boleh berkesan dan berjaya terhadap golongan yang memerlukan. Perbelanjaan 1 billion ringgit yang dibelanjakan kepada kementerian ini adalah lebih menjimatkan daripada membayar subsidi yang melebihi 40 billion ringgit, yang pasti akan meningkat berterusan. Wahai Pak Menteri semua, renung-renungkanlah. Rancangan ini boleh berjaya kalau ia dilaksanakan dengan semangat dan penuh komitmen.

Selamat maju jaya.

Police Patrol Car with CTVs?

Tan Sri Musa Hassan said that police petrol vehicles will be installed with closed circuit television cameras to monitor the movements of personnel and record events at crime scenes. The department through the Ministry of Home Affairs had requested the fund from the Treasury and Economic Planning Unit to equip the 3000 patrol cars in the country.

For the past few years the police had been allocated a substantial amount of money to increase and strengthen its manpower and upgrade its equipment with the objective to make the department effective in combating crime and restore public confidence in the security of the community. On several occasions public relation exercise had been conducted to get public cooperation to fight crime.

The issue here is all these efforts succeed in reducing or minimizing crime in the country. Why is it that the number of crime and crime related incident don’t seem to down? What was highlighted in the newspaper is one issue. What was not reported is another issue which cannot do the country proud. If only the police can reveal the statistic of the number of reports made by the public at all police stations will be frightening.

What actually went wrong? In United States, the sight of police personnel in uniform or police patrol cars patrolling the streets is enough to shiver the wrongdoing. Here the public don’t seem to have respect or confidence in the police to enforce the law. Motorcyclists do not respect the traffic light as if they are colorblind by simply not only beating but even go against the traffic light. On many occasion motorcyclists don’t even put on their crash helmet while riding. Beating queue is another common sight.

So the issue here is why is it the respect for abiding the law is not there. With upgrading the equipment, increasing manpower and increase in information and technology such as CCTV will reduce the crime and law breaking incident. This is yet to be seen.

What is clear is, if the increase in manpower, and upgrading equipment and introducing new gadget won’t achieve the desired results, if the police do not really study their capability to fully utilize the new assets. The purchases of new patrol cars are being left to rot in various places because of the lack of drivers to drive the cars. Driving patrol cars need skills which new drivers are not well equipped. Patrol car drivers must have proper training and training takes time. By the time the drivers are trained the cars are already not in good shape after being left for so long. In one case a police station built by housing developer is not properly used. Instead of using it as a police station, it was used as a logistic base to store police vehicles. The personnel manning the base does not do police work which led to many motorcyclist and public not respecting and belittle the personnel.

So unless the top management of the force really go to the ground and make a study of the weaknesses, it will be a waste of public funds which desired to achieve the objectives set not attainable. Finally the police on duty should be well discipline and really enforced the law. The public will learn their lesson only when they are really fine for the offence committed. Give them two of three fines and they will learn their lesson. Police personnel should not be seen to have coffee at mamak shop while on duty. The public don’t like to see that. If they need rest, it is not at coffee shop.

This write up is not meant to belittle the police force. It is meant to make the police top management and the personnel to realize the mistake done. If they enforce the law properly and firmly, the confidence of the public and the respect for the force will certainly be upheld.

Welcome to Bahtera Malaysia..

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Raja kita selamat bertakhta.