Get It Right!

Please get your act right! In the morning , YB Datuk Ir Md Zin announced that toll rates will be hiked up. In the afternoon, YAB Pak Lah says that he wants the toll rates to remain. He said that although the decision was made two or three weeks ago in the cabinet meeting, he has had a change of heart about the rates because of the economic scenario presently.

First and foremost, with due respect, even if Pak Lah has had a change of heart, he should have informed the Works Minister early before the announcement was made. Don’t get me wrong, I applaud and greatly appreciate Pak Lah’s change of heart. This shows that Pak Lah has the rakyat’s well being in his heart, but I just wish he had managed the whole issue better. The minute that Pak Lah felt the hike was not right, even after cabinet had made the decision, he should have called Ir Md Zin to re-table it in the following cabinet meeting.

Now it is like Pak Lah and Ir Md Zin do not communicate with each other. That is bad. But whatever be the case, I thank you Pak Lah and the entire cabinet in advance for reviewing this announcement. The hike is really at a bad timing. It shows that for whatever faults there are on the process arriving to the final decision, the Cabinet members will always have the Rakyat’s well being in their hearts.

Section 377(A)

I was chatting with a friend from Singapore about various current issues and goings on in Malaysia recently. We spoke about many things, ranging from the economy to politics, including the Chua Soi Lek case that was recently investigated. Now, what I want to comment here is not on Dato’ Seri Chua Soi Lek’s case although this came about because of the recent developments in his case.

What I really want to comment is on the Section 377 (A) of the Penal code he is investigated under. Just to clear matters further, Section 377(A) states:-

“Any person who has sexual connection with another by the introduction of penis into the anus or mouth of the other person is said to commit carnal intercourse against the order of nature.”

First and foremost, let me state clearly to all that I am agreeable to the first part of the Section that says “introduction of the penis to the anus……commit carnal intercourse against the order of nature”.

No one should do this and it is right that this is an offence. Even our Prophet, Rasullullah S.A.W. told his followers that penetration is only permissible via the vagina and never through the anus.

However, I have not found anything that says about penetration through the mouth. I have to admit I am not a learned scholar of Islamic studies and am not the best person to talk about this from the Islamic point of view. I am however of the opinion that anything Haram will be mentioned in the Al- Quran, Hadith or Rasullullah’s Sunnahs.

Practically speaking and after talking to many of my friends, I have come to the conclusion that oral sex is quite common nowadays amongst husbands and wives ( LEGALLY MARRIED COUPLES only ok!!!! – Officially don’t know of those illegal ones!).

So it is unnerving to think that almost 80%-90% of the younger population has committed this crime at one time or another (again married ones ok – don’t you people get funny ideas, and I know which friends of mine I am talking about). In fact, I am sure a significant number of the overall population is guilty of this particular section.

What I am trying to say here is that Section 377(A) on oral sex is actually archaic. It should be amended and updated according to times. I am even surprised then to learn that Singapore also has the same provision and exactly the same Section to read exactly the same thing.

Now, if ever there is a need to change something, this is one of them. I believe this is a job for the Bar Council to take on. I hope they do, coz if they do not many of us are committing a crime.

So people, hands up how many of us have actually committed this crime?

Elizabeth Wong II

I have been following the Elizabeth Wong’s story with great sadness. She had been punished once when her pictures were circulated to the media by her ex-boyfriend. That had caused her great embarrassment and personal pain, prompting her to immediately offer her resignation as a State EXCO and State Assemblyperson.

Yet she continues to be punished by the media especially the print press. Daily, she would make the pages with stories about her ranging from her ex boyfriend to the incredulous stories that I find hard to believe and which continue to cause great pain and embarrassment to her. I was told by a colleague for example, one daily ran a story that she was also a victim of domestic violence!

Now if you talking about harassment and disturbing someone’s right to peace and privacy, this is it. It is a continuous breach of a person’s privacy by running story after story on YB Wong’s private life and so on. You guys are continuously causing her pain and embarrassment, and infringing her rights to privacy, all in the name of getting a good story and selling the newspaper. I would actually like to see some respect be given to Elizabeth Wong. Other than factual stories to find her ex-boyfriend and such, please stop printing rubbish stories. All politicians should also stop commenting on her case and let the police do their work. Stop demanding her to resign. She has offered her resignation and is firm about resigning. It is now up to PR leaders to accept it. What else do you want?

And PR leaders, stop coming up with excuses such as BN set it up or someone breached security in her house to take her nude photos. It is actually an insult to her by saying that. YB Wong is not so stupid or gullible. Yes, she let her guard down, but to someone whom she trusted and thought she could trust. And not that she was posing for the photographer. She was asleep.

I personally feel YB Wong should not resign. If she has been doing a good job as an environmentalist as said by her colleagues, especially with regard to the hillside development, we should all let her continue do her job. Her poor moral judgment of trusting the man should be her personal anguish and not be the reason to punish her. But it is also up to us not to have any prejudiced sentiments when dealing with her. More so, this is not the time for the Election Commission to spend more millions on a by – election. Now is the time for the Federal Government and the State Governments to focus on the economy, on how to ensure there will always be food on the table for families, how to ensure the Rakyat’s well being and needs are taken care and how to manage the country and states to weather the global recession yet position the country to move forward and catch the next wave up. All politicians, regardless of political affiliation should think about these rather than continue politicking or harping on political issues all the time.

Selangor EXCO

I feel sorry for YB Elizabeth Wong over the circulation of the photos supposedly in the nude and compromising positions to the press. As rightly said, I too believe it can only be done by someone close to her and who had access to her, mainly her ex-boyfriend . What he did was a gross invasion of her privacy and a total breach of her trust given to him by virtue of their relationship. It also shows a total lack of respect for YB Elizabeth and done in bad taste.

But again, that is her private life. And this problem is actually a personal and private problem between YB Elizabeth and her ex-lover. She has to deal with it and sort this mess out privately. It is between her ex-boyfriend and her.

Thus I do not understand how and why Pakatan Rakyat leaders are saying it is politically motivated. That the timing is politically motivated ahead of the two by elections in Perak and Kedah. To quote a PKR leader “ This is sad. It showed a consistent pattern of attacking our assemblymen. We will look into the matter and we will handle it” end quote.

I am aghast that to Pakatan Rakyat, everything is politically motivated! Was the ex-boyfriend planted by BN to have a relationship with her and so on so forth? Last time, when the PKR State Excos were caught by ACA with one of the charges being having sex with a so-called China girl, PKR leaders then also alleged their men were set up by BN to have sex with the girls. BN coerced or forced these people to pull their pants down? In the future, if and when a PR leader gets involved in a quarrel with his wife or her husband, is it also politically motivated and somehow or rather arranged by BN?

Please, what is a private affair is a private affair. YB Elizabeth’s case is nothing more than the ex-boyfriend being angry and wanting to get back at her by smearing her reputation. What does that have to do with BN-PR political relationship. It might damage her political standing, but the motivation is personal and between she and her ex-boyfriend. No cloak and dagger stuff anywhere.

As much as you want BN people to toe the line and own up when they are caught doing something wrong, I believe the same applies to Pakatan Rakyat also.

Pakatan Rakyat, please don’t over-politicise everything.

Hillside Developments - Post Bukit Antarabangsa Landslide

I was very surprised and sad reading the newspapers yesterday covering Datuk Ir Md Zin’s press conference with regard to hillside development. It seems that the Public Works Ministry has now agreed to allow hillside development but won’t allow the ‘tip fill’ method for the rectification works on the slope. He also rationalised this by saying that there was a need to allow hillside development as the country needed more housing development to meet the demand for houses. And when an individual started questioning him with regard to the landslide incident at Bukit Antarabangsa, the Minister admitted that the report not been discussed at cabinet level. (STAR, 15 February 2009).

There are a few things I would like to point out to the Minister and the Works Ministry. First and foremost, I agree that population is increasing, especially in cities like Kuala Lumpur, Penang and a few others. I also agree the migration rate from rural areas to Kuala Lumpur is still high and continuous. Lest us not forget about the yearly influx of university, polytechnic graduates into the market. There is a serious need to ensure adequate housing for the increasing population who come to Kuala Lumpur to work as labourers, executives, middle managers and government servants. These people would most probably earn from a low RM1,000 a month to a high of RM5,000 to RM7,000 a month for the more experienced ones.

However, I doubt these people, even those earning RM7,000 a month with a family ( four is a standard statistic – husband, wife and two children) could afford these”hillside development” houses which run into millions of Ringgit per house. Is the Works Ministry going to ensure that to meet the ever increasing population in Kuala Lumpur, it will order the hillside developers who have spent millions of Ringgit and are hoping to sell each house at probably RM1 million at the very minimum, sell these houses at RM50,000 to RM300,000 to meet the demand from the labourers, junior executives, middle manager and government servants? If the Ministry can do that, then I can understand the justification of allowing hillside development.

However, I am very sure that these hillside developments will be built by the rich for the rich.

In order to build more houses for the ever increasing population, I would like to suggest that we decentralise. Go outside Kuala Lumpur. There is still a lot of land off Kajang, Bangi and Nilai for example. The same goes for upnorth at Rawang and Bukit Beruntung. All these places are within an hour’s drive into KL. More so, in decentralising, we can have satellite cities to Kuala Lumpur. Resources such as water, sewerage, electricity and such amenities would also be better managed and not strained compared if too concentrated in Kuala Lumpur.

And I am sure we can build affordable homes for all in these areas.

As for hillside developments, even if we were to go ahead with it, I want to see more than just an announcement. Where are the studies? What could and should be done to cure the slopes that could meet the stringent standards that should be set? I was told DS Najib said that the Works Ministry should study how hillside development is done in Hong Kong. So where are the findings of the study? Have the Works Ministry officials even gone to Hong Kong and discussed with their counterparts on this issue?

And what has changed in terms of standard, regulations, requirements, laws and method to address hillside development problems that has warranted the Works Ministry to allow back such developments? Is it enough by just saying that the Ministry will not allow tip fill method anymore? So what method is allowed? At what gradient is it considered safe? And what type of soil? I was told Bukit Antarabangsa area is a water catchment area, meaning the soil is loose in structure. Would any method or whatever done to the soil be safe? Should hillside developments even be allowed at all at these sensitive areas?

Where are the revised laws and regulations to ensure no one else dies because of human error? I want all these answered at the very minimum before any such developments be allowed.

Based on Star’s report yesterday, the landslide report had not been discussed at cabinet level. Was the decision made only at Works Ministry level?

I hope those responsible will act responsibly. As I mentioned in my first posting on the Bukit Antarabangsa tragedy, what if the next landslide victim is a loved one or someone close? And what if the landslide occurred because of human error, carelessness and greed? I pray that won’t happen to any of us.

Perak

When Dato Nasaruddin hopped to Pakatan Rakyat, Dato Seri Mohd Nizar and the rest of Pakatan Rakyat boys especially in Perak were extremely jubilant. When they heard that another 3 more BN ADUNs were rumoured to wanting to do the same thing, they were ecstatic to a point of calling it a start of BN’s demise In Perak and Malaysia.

I remember Mohd Nizar saying that it is ok to party hop. There was no need to hold a by-election for the Bota seat because Nasaruddin changed party without vacating the State Assembly seat of Bota. That Nasaruddin, being the elected representative of Bota, was doing what was good for the Rakyat in Bota although he left BN then without consulting his constituencies. Some Perak Pakatan Rakyat leaders were also saying there was no need to get a fresh mandate from the Rakyat for the Bota seat and what he did was not morally wrong.

I also remembered Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s failed 16 September attack to take over the Federal Government by getting a number of BN MPs to hop over his side. No claims or accusations of wrong doing or such moves being morally wrong were heard then about the alleged coup by Anwar Ibrahim. In fact, if I am not wrong, Dato’ Seri Nik Aziz himself welcomed party hopping if it meant Pakatan Rakyat can take over the Government. Nothing morally wrong there it seems. Even the Bar Council I believe, said that that although morally questionable, party hopping is not constitutionally wrong.

So why is it suddenly so wrong when some Pakatan Rakyat ADUNs in Perak wish to leave Pakatan Rakyat and support BN? That suddenly Pakatan Rakyat is accusing these ADUNs of not hearing the Rakyat’s wishes by party hopping? Suddenly you have PR leaders saying that there should be a snap State election and allow the Rakyat to choose again. Some of them are suddenly now saying it is morally wrong to hop party and best way and morally right thing to do is to have a snap state election. My question is, why is it when Nasaruddin hopped to Pakatan Rakyat, Mohd Nizar and the rest vehemently defended that there was no need to have a by-election there to get a fresh mandate in Bota yet when their reps hopped to become independent, suddenly they try to become righteous and call for fresh elections supposedly to get a fresh mandate from the Rakyat? Double standards??!!!!!

Have the Rakyat not chosen just ten months ago during the 12th General Election on 8 March 2008 who they want as their elected representatives. When they did that then, they were giving their trust and confidence to these individuals elected as their representatives. These people must also service their constituencies well to the best of their capabilities. Now, I believe the Rakyat have chosen their representatives. And these representatives, whichever party they might be from, must serve the Rakyat well. That is more important to the apolitical Rakyat.

Then I hear some people, especially the Pakatan Rakyat leaders saying that BN is wrong to take in the two “tainted” ADUNs. I believe even Dato Husam Musa from PAS was reported to say so in NST, 5 February 2009. First and foremost, last I check, we do not condemn a person and judge him guilty until he has gone through the court process and be found guilty. A person is presumed innocent until proven guilty by the court of law, not by some kangaroo or political court. So, these two individuals should be presumed innocent until found guilty.

And if one wants to question why BN is accepting them when they have these charges hanging on their heads and if these same people were to say that BN is wrong to accept them now before their court dates, I have to ask the same to the Pakatan Rakyat. Why keep these two individuals as State EXCOs whilst they have their cases hanging over their heads? Why did you not suspend them then until everything is clearer? Why did the party not suspend them first from holding important posts in the State party echelon and reinstate only after their cases are cleared? Double standards again??!!!!!It can that the same thing ok and good for Pakatan Rakyat, yet bad and damning to the BN.

Don’t get me wrong. I want the two YBs to go through their corruption trials. And the court process must be transparent, proper and be seen to be proper. It does not matter that they are independents now or if they join BN, if they are guilty they must be found guilty. No amount of political influence should change that.

Having a snap State election now is also no good. Imagine what a state election would amount to. Roughly the whole process would take a minimum of 1 month. That means 30 days of doing nothing but politics in Perak, 30 days of reopening old wounds that are just healing from the General Elections 10 months ago only and the most damaging thing is 30 days of non-economically beneficial activities for the state and to an extent, country as everyone will focus on Perak. And imagine, Perak has 59 State seats. If the Election Commission has to spend RM1 million per seat for the running of the State election, that means the Government will have to spend RM59 million now that it can ill afford given the current economic scenario. I would rather use this money to help the poor and generate economic activities for the state.

And this does not include how much both BN and PR will have to spend respectively being the two parties involved. So, it just does not make economic and financial sense to have a State Election now.


Pursuant to March 8 2009, I remember reading in the papers that the Pakatan Rakyat leaders went to see the King of Perak stating that they have the majority ADUNs and must be allowed to form the Government in Perak. This is exactly what the State BN is doing, meeting the King to inform that the BN now enjoys the confidence of the majority of ADUNs in Perak.

Pakatan Rakyat is seriously pushing for the snap State election because of two reasons:-

i. The only way that they can hope to hold on to power in Perak;
ii. If the there were to be a State election, Pakatan Rakyat will go in as incumbent and will go in as the State Government calling for the election. That gives Pakatan Rakyat a huge upperhand.

Again, don’t have double standards. What is good for the goose must also be good for the gander.

Anyway, as I am writing this, I am told the Sultan of Perak has not consented to the dissolution of the State Assembly. I greatly appreciate Tuanku Sultan’s decision as this decision will benefit the Rakyat economically and financially as I pointed out earlier. I hope everyone will respect and adhere to Tuanku’s decision. Actions otherwise by anyone, would only be an act of disrespecting the King of Perak and the State of Perak.