Khalid: Water agreement to be reviewed Fauwaz Abdul Aziz | Mar 17, 08
Selangors newly appointed Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim today said that he
was going to review a water supply agreement entered by the previous state
government with two companies on the eve of the polling day.
This is due to the possibility that the agreement - to operate, manage and
maintain the raw water intake and the treatment plant at Sungai Sireh, Tanjung
Karang - is lopsided in favour of certain quarters with an interest in the
concession agreement.
I have noticed there is some imbalance between the revenues (that would have
been accorded) to the state and the people. It may have enriched the people who
got the concession, Khalid told a press conference at his official residence
in Shah Alam.
Because of this, I will review this agreement, he added.
Other than the question of lopsidedness, the agreement - entered by Puncak
Niaga Holdings Bhd (PNHB), Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas) and
the Selangor state government - had raised eyebrows for several reasons.
Among them was the questionable timing that the deal was inked: according to
media reports, the agreement was dated Dec 15, 2004, was to take effect on
April 1, 2007 and due to expire on April 30, 2034.
However an agreement between the three parties and the federal government was
signed on March 7, 2008 - a day before the recent general election.
Secretary to the state government Ramli Mahmud told reporters last week that
this was nothing out of the ordinary as some negotiations take a long time to
conclude.
Free water supply
The other questionable aspect of this agreement, however, was the issue of who
signed it on behalf of the state government.
I signed it (on behalf of the state government), not (Datuk Seri) Dr Mohamad
Khir (Toyo), said Ramli.
Former MB Mohd Khir Toyo was earlier quoted in media reports as having no
knowledge of the deal.
Constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari today commented on the matter and said
that the new government could rescind the contract if it was found to be
illegal.
On a related matter, Khalid said the state government will also look into
reviewing its agreement with PNHB to realise PKRs pre-election promise of
supplying for free the first 20 cubic meters of water for every household in
the state.
This will be contingent, however, upon the government being able to lower the
unit costs of the water supplied from PNHB and passing on the savings incurred
thereby onto consumers, said Khalid.
If I am able to reduce the unit costs by a certain amount and still maintain
the same price, I can save a certain amount of revenue. That revenue will be
passed back to the consumer, he said.
NEP poster boy hits back at criticism Fauwaz Abdul Aziz | Mar
17, 08
Far from forgetting his debt to the New Economic Policy (NEP) - as his
detractors have accused him of doing - Selangor Mentri Besar Abdul Khalid
Ibrahim said his state government seeks a return to the policys original
spirit.
That spirit, he said, is of an affirmative action for all and which does not
discriminate between the various races in Malaysia or among the Malays as
Umnos implementation of the NEP had done.
The NEP after it was introduced ... catered for everybody. In subsequent
years, because of political demands, it was used to discriminate not only
against (people of) other races but against persons even within the (Malay)
community.
Only the selected few within Umno and their agents benefitted from it. My
contention is, if this is the way its going to be done, we better not do it at
all.
We might as well go back to the basics: the idea of an affirmative action plan
to provide opportunities to (all) those in need of opportunities, he told a
press conference at his official residence in Shah Alam.
Khalid, 61, who is PKR secretary-general, was responding to criticisms voiced
by Umno leaders after he was reported as having called for the abolition of the
NEP.
Among them, Umno information chief Muhammad Muhd Taib said Khalid had
forgotten that he himself had implemented the NEP when he headed state
investment firm Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) and unit trust scheme Amanah
Saham Nasional (ASN).
Through PNB and ASN, the NEP had given Malays the opportunity to attain an
equal standing with the other races, said Muhammad according to a report in
Malay-language Mingguan Malaysia.
(Khalid) says the NEP did not give any benefits to Malays, but hasnt the
policy raised Malays above the poverty line through educational and economic
activities and so on? Muhammad was quoted as saying.
I wonder how he can forget and issue such statements (against the NEP) whereas
he was among those who planned and implemented development programmes under
this policy.
Khalid was to move on to become chief executive officer of plantation giant
Guthrie, a government-linked company.
His debt of gratitude
Meanwhile, former Umno secretary-general Sabaruddin Chik suggested that Khalid
- considered a poster boy of NEP - had forgotten his debt of gratitude to the
policy.
Abdul Khalid is himself a product of the NEP. If it were not for the (NEP), he
would not be in the position he is in today and living comfortably, said
Sabaruddin.
Denying the accusations today, Khalid said he was thankful for the
opportunities given to him by the NEP. While helming PNB and ASN, Khalid said
he had implemented the policy in a fair manner.
After (I left), the policy was not implemented in an inclusive manner but
selectively. That selectiveness is what leads me to propose that it not be
used, he said.
Khalid said the policy has been abused to provide opportunities to a few people
within Umno to enrich themselves as well as those well-connected individuals
outside the party.
Im quite sure that a lot of Malays are in need of these opportunities. A
number of Chinese are also in need of such opportunities. We have Indians also
who ... want to be part of the mainstream of the economic activities, he said.
Khalid also said Selangor and Kuala Lumpur as the financial, commercial, and
administrative hubs of the country are rich enough to benefit everyone.
This is not a zero-sum game in the sense that if I help the Malays, I cannot
help the Chinese or the Indians. Selangor has all the resources for everybodys
needs. Why are we squabbling about who should get (what) when everyone who is
in need can enjoy (their share)? he said.
Khalid argued that to enable this, the state government must be run
effectively, efficiently and free of corruption and abuse of power.
Only then can you distribute it all (equitably). The state cannot afford to do
(otherwise), he said.
Scare tactics from Umno
Also present at the press conference was PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, who
urged the public not to be taken in by Umno leaders scare tactics and
stoking of racial tensions.
Such leaders are only fearful of losing their vested interests due to the
scrapping of the NEP in those states controlled by PKR, DAP and PAS, he claimed.
This climate of fear and insecurity is only deployed to cater to the interest
of the few, said Anwar.
He also said the NEP was not in line with the aspirations of most people who
believe in the provision of opportunities to everyone in need regardless of
race.
The NEP is obsolete. We have crafted a new Malaysian Economic Agenda, he
said, referring to the new fair to all policy mooted by his party.
We must allow for Malays, Chinese, and Indians to feel that they are all part
and parcel of this society, he added.
Khalid and Anwar later visited Rimba Jaya in Shah Alam - a low-income community
made up predominantly of Malays and Indians - which they claimed is testimony
to the failure of the NEP.
Anwar says BN MPs mull defection Mar 17, 08
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim today said he had held talks with a number of
ruling coalition members of parliament interested in defecting after this
month's landmark elections.
Anwar, a former deputy premier who was sacked and jailed a decade ago, helms
a three-party alliance that made unprecedented gains in March 8 polls against
the Barisan Nasional coalition which has ruled for half a century.
"People have come and approached me," Anwar said, adding that he had spoken
with "quite a number" and told them their support would not be bought.
"If you want to surrender at a price, then you have chosen the wrong party,"
he told reporters, adding that they would be welcomed "if they accept our
agenda".
Anwar confirmed he was canvassing support from coalition lawmakers in East
Malaysia, which represents a power bloc that could unseat the government if it
changed hands.
Barisan Nasional will have 140 lawmakers in the new 222-seat parliament,
against 199 in the outgoing 219-seat parliament. The opposition alliance
claimed 82 seats from just 20 previously, and four more states.
The opposition was today sworn into power in the last of the five states it
now controls, including Kelantan which was already held by the Islamic party
PAS, while Barisan Nasional was still trying to resolve its power struggles.
Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin from PAS was installed as chief minister in Perak,
ending a public squabble among the three opposition parties who will rule there
in coalition.
Fighting for political life
Abdullah is fighting for his own political life as he fends off calls for his
resignation to take responsibility for the election debacle.
The premier has rejected the pressure to quit, and pushed ahead with the
formation of his new administration, with a new slimline cabinet expected to be
unveiled tomorrow.
Abdullah has promised "new faces" and observers said the line-up will
indicate his appetite for reform after the polls, which have transformed
Malaysia's political landscape.
The previous cabinet had a whopping 32 ministers, 39 deputy ministers and 20
parliamentary secretaries, with jobs handed out to many of the 14 race-based
parties that make up the coalition.
The large cabinet had been criticised as unwieldy and wasteful, and there is
speculation that some ministries could be merged in line with the smaller
Barisan Nasional representation in parliament.
Bersih: Opposition could have won gov't Azreen Madzlan | Mar 17,
08
The Coalition for Free and Clean Elections (Bersih) has claimed that
opposition parties could have won the 12th general election had it been
conducted in clean, fair and transparent manner.
PKR, DAP and PAS took 82 parliamentary seats between them - the biggest
number in electoral history - and denied the Barisan Nasional (BN) a two-thirds
majority in the 222-seat House.
"We would have had an outright win if this were a free and fair election,"
said Bersih's R Sivarasa, who was elected to parliament.
"To win another 30 seats (to form a majority in parliament) all we needed was
just another 56,000 votes," he said.
At a press conference today, Bersih - a coalition of NGOs and opposition
parties - reiterated a string of previously-reported claims.
These covered fraud, misconduct and irregularities during the 13-day
election period up to March 8.
Among the allegations were that voters living in one area had been registered
in other areas without their knowledge; possible manipulation of postal votes;
existence of numerous voters at a single address; and the luring of voters to
Kelantan by BN leaders.
The New Sunday Times reported yesterday that 72,058 ballot papers were
unreturned in the March 8 general election. Of this number, 41,564 were
parliamentary ballot papers and 30,494 were state ballot papers
Election Commission secretary, Kamaruzzaman Mohd Noor was quoted saying that
all of the unreturned ballot papers were postal ballot papers.
Based on this, Bersih is arguing that most of these could have been in favour
of opposition parties or, at very least, spoilt votes.
Royal commission idea
Pandamaran MP, Ronnie Liu said the missing postal votes are unacceptable and
that Bersih was calling for a thorough investigation.
"We suspect that the missing votes are for opposition parties or spoil votes.
They must have thrown it away because they dont want to get embarrassed." he
said.
Suaram executive director Yap Swee Seng (right), who chaired the press
conference, said the EC has another five years to change election laws.
"We challenge the EC to change the laws - no more excuses," he said.
On March 4, the EC abruptly called off its plan to use indelible ink, citing
public order and security reasons, but mainly because the Election (Conduct of
Election) Regulation 1981 had not been amended to allow for the use of
indelible ink.
Bersih also dismissed claims by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and
other BN leaders that the oppositions electoral gains proved that the election
process was clean.
"Just because the opposition won big does not mean the election was free and
fair," said Sivarasa. "We are calling for a royal commission to investigate the
electoral process."
Yellow-clad members of the group and supporters had held a huge street
protest last November, to back the submission of a memorandum to the King,
asking for his intervention to delay the general election until reforms could
be implemented.
So, will their famous yellow wave be back on the streets again?
Responding, Bersih committee member Anuar Tahir said Bersih is currently
focused on getting public support for its petition to set up a royal commission
on electoral reform to investigate allegations of election fraud and misconduct.
It is also compiling all complaints and reports on electoral fraud for
publication soon. In this respect, it called on the public to send in any
evidence in hand.
Media criticised
Syed Azman, the Batu Buruk assemblyperson, also took the print and broadcast
media to task over their election coverage, claiming that it had done much harm
to the opposition parties.
"It is now time for news people to check their practice (of journalism) and
to be more democratic," he said.
He said Bersih could take to the streets again, this time to demand fairer
media coverage for opposition parties.
Dzulkifli said the EC had promised Bersih at two meetings that opposition
parties will get "equal space in the media" but that this had not materialised.
Pusat Komas director Jerald Joseph pointed out that the media should serve
their audience and not the government of the day.
"If the people can send the message that they want change in the government,
the same people can send a similar message to the media," he added
---------------------------------
Real people. Real questions. Real answers. Share what you know.
