Jimmy Leow

UMNO sekali lagi meneruskan fitnah dan tohmahan terhadap Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang dengan mendakwa bahawa Program Penghargaan Warga Emas dibiayai oleh sumber judi haram dan bila ini dibuktikan palsu, UMNO mengalih kepada program Rakan Anti-Kemiskinan (RAK) untuk membasmi miskin tegar. Taktik jahat seribu jahat bertujuan menggagalkan program ini daripada kerajaan berjiwa rakyat PR yang memberi manfaat kepada rakyat.

Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang tidak akan tunduk kepada usaha UMNO mengganggu-gugat program penghargaan warga emas yang membayarkan RM100 setiap tahun kepada semua yang melebihi 60 tahun. Sehingga sekarang, hampir 110,000 warga emas di Pulau Pinang telah mendaftarkan diri dan akan mendapat bayaran RM100 setiap tahun demi mengenang budi atas sumbangan warga emas. Di samping itu, si waris warga emas yang mendaftarkan diri akan menerima RM1,000 sekali sahaja bila warga emas meninggal dunia. Sebanyak RM20 juta telahpun diperuntukkan untuk program ini dalam Belanjawan 2010 pada tahun lepas.

Wang yang dibayar oleh kerajaan negeri untuk program ini tidak datang daripada mana-mana derma atau sumber kerajaan persekutuan. Ia adalah penjimatan hasil urustadbir CAT yang cekap, akauntabel dan telus serta langkah anti-rasuah yang bukan sahaja dipuji oleh Laporan Ketua Audit Negara tetapi juga disanjungi oleh badan antarabangsa anti-rasuah terunggul, Transparency International.

Urustadbir CAT dan langkah anti-rasuah telah membolehkan Pulau Pinang mencatatkan lebihan Belanjawan yang paling besar dalam sejarah sebanyak RM88 juta pada 2008 dan RM77 juta pada 2009. Oleh itu, tidak wujud langsung program ini dibiayai oleh sumber luar. Keseluruhan kos program ini dibiayai sepenuhnya oleh hasil lebihan Belanjawan. Dengan kata lain, program penghargaan warga emas adalah dividen “anti-rasuah” yang dapat dinikmati oleh rakyat kerana mempunyai sebuah kerajaan negeri yang bersih dan tidak makan duit.

Ini bukan kali pertama program ini diserang, kerana sebelum ini, BN pernah mendakwa bahawa pemberian RM100 kepada warga emas adalah serupa bagi rasuah! Untuk BN, bagi wang sama rakyat adalah rasuah tetapi lain pula bagi wang ke dalam kocek sendiri.

Sekiranya kerajaan negeri tak makan duit maka rakyat boleh dapat duit! UMNO jangan harap akan mengganggu-gugat program dividen anti-rasuah RM100 setiap tahun kepada warga emas dengan fitnah dan tohmahan.

Program Rakan Anti-Kemiskinan (RAK) Membasmi Miskin Tegar Di Pulau Pinang Tetap Diteruskan

Selepas gagal membuktikan Program Penghargaan Warga Emas terbabit dengan hasil judi haram, UMNO pula cuba mengalihkan perhatian daripada fitnah mereka dengan menyatakan program RAK membasmi miskin tegar datangnya dari sumber judi haram. Bukti UMNO adalah derma RM2 juta daripada Kelab Lumba Kuda Pulau Pinang.

Program RAK adalah inisiatif murni kerajaan negeri PR untuk membasmi miskin tegar dalam kalangan keluarga yang berpendapatan kurang daripada RM400 sebulan di Pulau Pinang dan memastikan setiap keluarga mendapat sekurang-kurangnya RM500 sebulan. Menerusi RAK, kerajaan negeri PR telah berjaya membasmi miskin tegar dalam tempoh masa setahun sahaja, apa yang tidak dapat dilakukan oleh BN dalam 51 tahun. Menyedari tentang sensitiviti wang derma daripada Kelab Lumba Kuda untuk orang Islam, maka ia diasingkan dan tidak diberikan kepada orang Islam tetapi hanya kepada orang bukan Islam.

Malah, Pegawai Kewangan Negeri Dato’ Farizan Darus telah mengesahkan kepada saya semalam bahawa wang derma RM2 juta ini daripada Kelab Lumba Kuda diasingkan dan dikhususkan kepada orang bukan Islam dan tidaknya kepada orang Islam. Perlu diingati bahawa ada juga orang bukan Islam yang miskin tegar, bukan semua bukan Islam kaya macam pemimpin BN. Adakah salah untuk menyalurkan wang derma ini kepada orang bukan Islam?

Bukankah lebih salah dan haram untuk UMNO luluskan lesen judi bola? Atau adakah UMNO dendam sama Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang yang merupakan negeri pertama mengharamkan judi bola dan sekaligus merosakkan rancangan baik UMNO untuk membenarkan lesen judi bola di Malaysia? Yang jahat pula tuduh orang lain.

Bantuan RAK kepada keluarga miskin tegar Islam dibiayai daripada hasil kerajaan negeri menerusi lebihan Belanjawan yang disebut tadi. Memang BN dan UMNO iri hati atas kejayaan kerajaan negeri membasmi miskin tegar dan program penghargaan warga emas. Walaupun terus difitnah, kerajaan negeri tidak akan berganjak atau tunduk langsung ke atas anasir jahat ini yang mahukan dua program ini dihentikan.

Rakyat terus dibela, hak rakyat terus diperkasakan dan undang-undang terus didaulatkan.

LIM GUAN ENG

The statement by Tan Sri Adam Kadir, the President of the Organisation of Former Umno Elected Representatives (Penawar) urging UMNO to continue its co-operation with Perkasa and all Malay NGOs that champion Malay and Bumiputera rights as enshrined Federal constitution reinforces UMNO’s role of backing the racist Perkasa. 1Malaysia and BN’s consensus spirit are irrelevant as long as UMNO and BN fully support the racist Perkasa.

How can Perkasa claim not to be racist and only fighting to uphold Article 153 of the Federal Constitution when they support racist statements that Chinese should go back to China and their women sell their bodies whereas Indians are beggars and dogs. I have checked and rechecked through Article 153 of the Federal Constitution and there is nothing stated in Article 153 that gives any one special rights to describe Chinese whose women sell their bodies and should go back to China, Indians as beggars or are dogs.

The statement by UMNO MP for Sri Gading that both UMNO and Perkasa have the same ideology only proves UMNO has all along being behind Perkasa. What is surprising however is that this support and the Perkasa mentality is prevalent even amongst all component parties of BN as explained by Tengku Adnan in the Malaysian Insider on Perkasa,
“When we had a meeting with BN secretaries-general, we never talked even a little bit that we wanted to distance ourselves from anybody,”

Clearly all the BN component parties like MCA are just playing a big “sandiwara” opposing Perkasa outside when inside meetings, they keep silent and submissively support UMNO’s pro-Perkasa position. BN component parties should explain why they keep silent inside BN meetings and dare not demand BN oppose Perkasa, yet talk big outside.

This Perkasa mentality in BN is dangerous as it has permitted public and open denigration of non-Malays. School principals who are supposed to teach good values, healthy respect of each other differences and harmonious living are now preaching intolerance, contempt of other races and even hate. Worse there escape unpunished! How do you teach good if you do not punish bad?

How can Perkasa not be racist and Ibrahim Ali claim to have Indian and Malay friends when they do not condemn but openly support racist statements calling Indians beggars and dogs, Chinese women sell their bodies and to go back to China. More serious is that UMNO and BN continues to support Perkasa despite such racist and extremist positions taken by Perkasa.

Dehumanizing Malaysians with contemptuous language and hate is extremely dangerous. This is what Hitler and Pol Pot has done to pursue their political agenda by dehumanizing the minorities within their population. If Perkasa, supported by UMNO and BN, succeeds in dehumanizing Malaysians, it is but a small step from preaching and even justifying mass violence. That is why Malaysians must stand up for peace and respect by uniting against the racism and extremism of hate as embodied not only by Perkasa but also against those that support Perkasa.

LIM GUAN ENG

UMNO cuba mengumpan rakyat jelata untuk menghadiri ceramah anjurannya dengan menggunakan banner-banner yang memaparkan foto Y.A.B. Lim Guan Eng, Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang dan Y.B. Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Ketua Pembangkang Parlimen Malaysia.

Taktik-taktik kotor ini menggambarkan UMNO sanggup mengelirukan rakyat jelata demi mencapai matlamatnya, supaya memburuk-burukkan pemimpin-pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat di kalangan penyokong-penyokong mereka. Ceramah ini bertujuan untuk menaburkan fitnah walaupun temanya adalah “Ini Kisah Sebenar!”

Penceramah-penceramah yang diundang ke ceramah tersebut termasuklah Y.B. Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim, Ahli Parlimen yang telah dibebaskan daripada Bayan Baru dan Ezam Mohd. Noor yang telah keluar parti PKR sebelum ini. Apakah kisah sebenar yang dapat diceritakan oleh mereka selain cerita-cerita khayalan ciptaan UMNO sendiri.

DAPSY dan Pemuda Pakatan Rakyat menuntut supaya UMNO memberhentikan taktik-taktik sedemikian yang bertujuan untuk mengelirukan rakyat sahaja. Taktik-taktik yang kotor sedemikian patut diketuk dan dikecam oleh sepelosok rakyat yang berpegang teguh terhadap prinsip-prinsip demokrasi.

Jikalau UMNO tidak yakin dengan daya tarikan sendiri sehingga sanggup memperalatkan foto-foto pemimpin-pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat demi menarik minat rakyat jelata ke ceramah anjurannya, ini menunjukkan bahawa UMNO telah ketandusan modal politiknya dan sokongan rakyat terhadapnya semakin menurun.

DAPSY dan Pemuda Pakatan Rakyat menggesa rakyat jelata supaya tidak dipancing untuk menghadiri ceramah anjuran UMNO yang hanya bertujuan untuk menaburkan fitnah sahaja. Kisah-kisah sebenar tidak akan dan tidak dapat diceritakan oleh pemimpin-pemimpin yang boleh dibeli dan disokong oleh UMNO.

NG WEI AIK

The differences between a PKR and BN dinner during campaigning in the Bukit Selambau by election was plenty as CJ Lim Boo Seng and I witnessed last night. We did a coverage at the PKR dinner and the atmosphere there was thunderous and cheerful, people shaking hands with PKR’s officials and so forth. Even the reporters looked lively and jovial. According to a PKR official, there were 106 tables (1060 seatings) and every seat was taken.

I noticed that the itinerary of the event was important and there were some differences in the way both parties arranged them. For example, PKR would get all the big guns to finish their speeches and then serve food. While MCA served food as they addressed the crowd.

Over at MCA’s dinner, much to our amaze, the crowd was very quiet, everyone seems attentive, well to the food, that is. Even when Ong Tee Keat was giving his speech, there was no reaction from the crowd. I believed the crowd figure was approximately 600.

The worst part was, when BN candidate S. Ganesan was giving his speech, some supporters had left, in particular the table right in front of us. Was that a sign of rejection? Well, we will know come 7 April 2009.

The only good thing that happened during the MCA dinner was a surprising statement by Mrs S. Ganesan in Hokkien and she spoke the dialect well. And that brought some cheers from the crowd. Maybe she should be the candidate for BN in this by election….

“If they (BN) offer free food, go and eat! If they give money, take it and spend it, why worry? By the way, the money is actually from people like you and me, so what is wrong? But vote PKR ok?” said a 70 Pak Haji that I came across at Youth Park Hill 3 this morning.

Sounds like a movie about a few good guys on a do or die mission to get rid of the mafias….Well, to think of it, there was a movie named The Untouchables (1987)  starring Shaw Connery, Andy Garcia, Robert De Niro and Kevin Costner, not a good ending though.

How is this related to our local politic scene? The story line seems to be the same but of course with a lot of Malaysian twist.

Everyone knows the Untouchables in Malaysian politics are the members of UMNO, the latest addition to the list of many is Ali Rustam, CM of Melaka. Barred from contesting for the UMNO vice president post for condoning money politics because he allowed his agents to distribute money to the UMNO delegates to vote for him in the upcoming UMNO general assembly, yet he is free as a bird.  

Not suspended, no pressure to resign from the CM post, nothing shocking, no drama, it is like another day in paradise. No wonder so many Malays joined UMNO for the ultimate protection under its umbrella.

Corrupt is corrupt! Chief Minister or not, out you go! There are no two ways about it, some people say. But here in Malaysia, there are. So, tell me how will UMNO get rid of corruption in the party when a corrupted leader (found guilty by its own discipline body) still walks freely among the delegates and still have the ultimate control of the state of Melaka? How can this be the role model for the future generations to come? 

On the other hand sadly, we also have the Disposables (sound like diapers or like the nasi lemak wrappers) represented by the rest of the Opposition Parties such as DAP, PKR, PAS and the public. “Sikit sikit salah minta resign, tak salah pun minta resign.”

We are who the government is today, therefore we must be crystal clear who we want to represent us in the future. 

Just one day after Lim Kit Siang labelled MACC as the catspaw of UMNO, MACC pulls out a rabbit from the hat to somehow counter the DAP strongman’s comment. Nevertheless, it is yet to be seen if the “latest catch” will ever be prosecuted by the arms of the law. Who’s law? UMNO’s law? If so, probably nothing will happen, things will just slide away from the public’s view and forgotten.

On Wednesday, a senior aide to an Umno minister was nabbed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on for suspected graft. It has learnt from informed sources that the political secretary to the minister was stopped with more than RM50,000 in his car.

In January, MACC officers picked up 12 UNMO divisional officers as they were alleged to be distributing between RM 300 to RM 500 to some of the delegates who will be attending the general assembly-cum-elections.

Based on the MACC history of investigations on money politics in UNMO, none were found with corrupt acts related to the party election eventhough there were bread crumb trail of claims that money has been exchange.

How typical of a Malaysian political scene.