By-election in Penanti

I have to hand it to PKR and their whole messy politics. In a time when the economy is barely stable, they are too busy finagling and fighting over who hold what post.

There are two perfectly eligible PKR assemblymen for them to choose to be the DCM I but instead of choosing, they decide not to choose at all. So, they have a by-election. Really, this is getting to be so tiresome.

Including this Penanti seat, there will have been six by-elections since the GE. That's ridiculous. Okay, so, three of it in Sarawak, Perak and KT are unavoidable since the reps keeled over and died but what about the other three?

First there's Permatang Pauh. There's a by-election because Anwar wants to go back to parliament.

Then there's Bukit Selambau. A by-election over some scandal regarding the rep.

Now, in Penanti, another by-election over corruption scandal regarding the rep.

Which means, three of the by-elections are caused by PKR and their shenanigans. Seriously, PKR really need to get it together. Can't they have chosen the right candidates in the first place instead of this?

What we really don't need now is a by-election but more concrete plans to keep the economy afloat and help people who have lost their jobs. So far, the focus seemed to be more on politics than the economy both on the BN and the PR side.

It is just too much. Enough is enough already. People are losing jobs and the poor are getting poorer and these politicians are too busy fighting over this seat or that seat just so they can get on the gravy train.

It is blardy obvious. They don't care about the economy or the people. They only care about their own pockets and for power.

Nothing but a bunch of good-for-nothing power crazy idiots.

Since when Anwar Ibrahim became the Penang CM?

The very controversial DCM I Fairus has officially resigned on April 8. So, the Chief Minister felt obliged to issue this press statement:

Press Statement by Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng in Georgetown, Penang on 8 April 2009

The Penang State Exco has decided to let Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng decide on the position of Deputy Chief Minister I. This appointment is the prerogative of the Penang Chief Minister who will consult with all relevant parties.

The Penang Chief Minister will held a Press Conference at 11.30am tomorrow on this matter. YB Mohammad Fairus resignation as Deputy Chief Minister I takes effect immediately today and is no longer on Exco member. However YB Mohammad Fairus still retains all privileges as Penang PR ADUN.

Lim Guan Eng

If you notice, it is written that "This appointment is the prerogative of the Penang Chief Minister who will consult with all relevant parties."

Anyone with any sense at all will take it to mean that it is the prerogative of the Penang chief Minister to decide on the appointment of the new DCM I. Right?

Right.

Besides, the CM has been given the power by the exco to decide on who becomes the new DCM I.

So, this means, the CM has the power and the right to decide on who becomes the new DCM I.

Which leads me to this puzzling bit of news:

GEORGE TOWN: PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will nominate a candidate from the party for the post of Penang Deputy Chief Minister (I) within a week, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said.

He said although it was his prerogative to appoint the candidate to replace Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, he would wait for Anwar to name the party’s nominee.

“Since the post belongs to a Malay PKR state assemblyman, it is only right for PKR to identify the candidate.

[Staronline]

Let me get this straight. The CM decides to push aside his responsibility and let Anwar decide on who to be the next DCM I. Does this mean that the CM has no power at all to decide who he wants to appoint as the DCM I?

Sure, this is a PR state government and the DCM I is the PKR's post. But we are talking about the state government here, not some PKR party post. If it is a PKR party post, the CM has no right to intervene.

But this is a state government post and who is Anwar in the Penang state government for him to decide on the DCM I post?

This goes to show that there is obviously some sense of disunity within the PR coalition. Obviously, the DAP fellas (as in the Penang CM) steer themselves clear away from PKR and let PKR deal with their own problems. And obviously, PKR has kept a distance from DAP too.

And not only that, why did the CM's prerogative to appoint his DCM I became a PKR leader's prerogative?

As far as I know, Anwar is not the Penang CM. He is not part of the Penang state government. In fact, he has no say whatsoever in how the Penang state government was run. And yet, he was suddenly given the power to decide on who will become the second top guy in the state government and not only that, he was also the one to make the announcement too.

So, why did the exco give the CM power to decide on the DCM I's post when obviously he has no such power to do so? Why not from the start just say it is all up to Anwar and be done with it instead of issuing that kind of press statement to say it is the CM's prerogative when clearly it is not?

Whatever it is, it is obvious that the CM chose to do this to distance himself from whatever decision that PKR makes, which goes to show that PR still has a lot to work on before they could all work together smoothly.

To all the cowards and political nuts out there

First off, THIS IS MY BLOG so I have the liberty of thrashing any idiotic politician in Penang and Malaysia and wherever as and when I see fit. That includes the so-called popular favourites the DAP big mouthed politicians and the BN losers.

Anonymous cowards who thinks they are SO smart leaving stupid comments in my OLD posts challenging things I blog about A LONG TIME AGO only serve to prove how moronic and cowardly they are. And I know the reasons for the brainless attacks...much like rabid dogs foaming at the mouth over some negative posts about their idols, they probably think they are belittling me for their idols.

HAH.

Stupid

Bunch

Of

Moronic

IDIOTS.

Go ahead, foam at the mouth and leave brainless comments here all you want. It just proves how stupid you are.

And to Jeffrey Chew, I know you work for the biggest Cat of them all so of course you are obliged to defend your employer.

After all in such an economic downturn, one must always be nice to the hand that feeds one. But really, this is MY BLOG. You wanna defend your boss, go do it in your blog. Don't sully my blog with your undying devotion for the Cat. It is just too sickening for me to bear. I may even need to boil this blog in disinfectant to get rid of all the germs. And I really hate to do that.

Cats may seem all nice and clean but do you know that their feces are toxic? Do you know that cat fur can cause asthma? Do you know that cats aren't all that loyal and frankly, I've never heard of a cat that protected its owners from robbers or burglars. Cats are also known to scratch their owners too.

If I've said it once, I will say it again:

Lim Guan Eng is CHILDISH and PETTY.

Lim Guan Eng only say what he DON'T mean and means what he DON'T say.

And I still think his spat with the media is prove enough what a control-freak and an all-talk but NO ACTION leader he is.

And it's been one year.

What has he done but play his old role as an Opposition leader of blaming all and sundry over whatever that went wrong?

Some investor decided not to come here, blame the BN.

People are losing their jobs, blame the BN.

Some drains are blocked, blame the BN.

Yeah, might as well change his surname to Lua since that's all he is good at. BN may have done wrong but isn't it time the PR government do something to right the wrongs instead of playing the blame game?

We blardy well know what the BN government did so please get over it. Time to do what you are elected to do instead of working only your mouth.

And to the Gerakan losers, Cat Watch????!!!??? Is that the best you could do? Dr Teng, either you are too blur or just plain senile but seriously, shouldn't you have something better than Cat Watch?

Maybe you guys need to learn a lesson or two from the PR fellas. They are damn good at being Opposition, so good in fact, that they seemed stuck in that mentality.

Politicians. *roll eyes* Bunch of pond scum.

Okay, now I know there will be loads of cowardly 'Anonymous' comments especially after my attack against the PR and even the Gerakan leaders. Let 'em rip.

I DON'T BLARDY CARE WHAT YOU THINK!!

Looks like the second Penang bridge may be delayed AGAIN

But then I am not in the least surprised even if it is true that the second Penang bridge project were to be delayed.

In fact, I had been waiting for this announcement for quite a while already.

Lim said China Harbour had agreed to start building the foundation in November while UEM disagreed with the quoted price.

The government had offered the project to UEM for RM1.3bil but the latter asked for RM1.5bil, he added.

“With UEM enjoying close ties with political parties, it should be accepting the offer price,” he said, adding that if UEM can’t accept the offer, an open tender should be called quickly. [source]

Isn't that usual for any local mega projects especially the second Penang bridge project?

First there's this big huge hoo ha about it and loads of publicity.

They talk about the project as if it will be completed within days.

They paint pretty pictures of what the project may bring to the state and the people.

The second Penang bridge has suddenly develop this special super power where it will transform Penang's economy into a busy, bustling, growing state.

Suddenly, this structure of concrete and steel will be able to bring in investments.

It will be able to solve all traffic problems on the current bridge.

It will make all Penangites' lives better.

Short of being called the Super bridge of Penang, there is nothing this bridge won't do!

Yeah, right.

If you fell for all that crap, I guess you also believed in Superman and Spiderman and that there is really a Clark Kent working in the Daily Planet, and that grown men would dare to be seen prancing around in skintight red and blue costumes.

A bridge is a bridge is a bridge. All it will do is to let people go to the mainland. And we already have one such bridge. I don't deny that the current Penang bridge is not able to sustain the amount of traffic anymore but really, does building a second bridge actually solve the problem?

I don't know. I'm not an expert on that but say the traffic conditions increased over the years and ten years down the line, both bridges are always jammed. Then what? We build a third bridge? A fourth bridge? A fifth?

Or better still, since we are already reclaiming so many blardy foreshore land, we might as well reclaim all the way to the mainland and connect the island to the mainland for good. Then Penang will no longer be an island but a peninsular. Then we won't need anymore billion ringgit bridges.

Then the whole island will just be choked up with traffic because of easy access and an urgent lack of sustainable public transportation system.

What about the ecological impact, you ask? Heck, them politicians don't care about ecological impact. If they cared, why'd you think so much seabed land have been reclaimed? Why do you think there are so many hillslope developments causing landslides everywhere? Why do you think there are so many flash flood incidences the moment there's heavy rain?

It is all in the name of development, my friend.

As for the second Penang bridge, I don't blardy care anymore if it is delayed AGAIN. Please, tell me something new.

Okay, I admit

It is a fact, really. My grandfather came from Canton, China and that is my heritage which is undeniable.

So, yeah, I fully agree that...


The rest of this post was deleted and cleared to save blogger's butt from being taken in for free lodging and curry rice.

Ahmad Ismail suspended for three years

This post is also deleted to save bloggers' butt from free lodging and curry rice.

The political turmoil of Malaysia

Is costing us the investors' confidence and pulling our economy down. But nobody notices because all the politicians are too busy with their petty petty fights and quarrels and power struggles.

But the outsiders, the investors, the foreigners are watching. They are listening. Those considering our MM2H scheme will probably drop it and go for another tropical country. In the words of one of them:

"Better we don't come here,"

Yep. Those considering choosing Malaysia as a second home are dropping their plans. The risk of being treated like mere sampah is good enough to drive them away.

And what about investors? Similarly, they look at the political situation like this:

"They are fighting for the government. Who knows if it won't end in political clashes and violence like in Thailand? Better I don't invest here or else my money will all go down the drain. China is a better bet,"

Yep, that is also from a foreign investor I know. These may be mere individuals but do remember, all businessmen think alike. They choose a stable place to invest in. Nobody throw their money into a place full of turmoil where their business and operations may be affected. It is what we call business sense.

What is driving the bearish sentiment of our local economy is the current uncertainty of the future of Malaysia. Malaysians simply are losing hope that this country will recover from its continuous slide. Then again, we cannot blame them from losing hope when many of us are actually losing sleep over our own job security amid soaring cost of living. Inflation last quarter has shot up to 8.6% which is the highest in 26 years.

- Malaysiakini

I hereby rest my case. The politicians in our country must wake up and stop all this bickering or soon, all of us will suffer the consequences of their actions.

The full Datuk Ahmad Ismail's speech 'explaining' his racist remarks

As promised, below are the scanned copies of the written speech by Ahmad Ismail when he finally came out to explain his racist remarks and defiantly say that he refused to apologise with the backing of all 13 Umno divisions:

Backed by all 13 Umno divisions from Penang, the embattled Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Ahmad Ismail today fervently defended his stand not to apologise for his alleged racist remarks against the Chinese community.

MCPX

- Malaysiakini

Here are the pages after pages of the speech:

Of course, if you just can't be bothered to read all those, you can always go to Malaysiakini for the brief version.

Blogging and truth

***recently edited to save blogger's butt***

Let me get this straight.

There is this huge furore over the brainless utterings of an Umno leader.


While political leaders could get away with that, we, bloggers and website owners, are not allowed to express what we feel honestly, truthfully and with no holds barred (in the likes of RPK).

Cyberlaw expert Deepak Pillai warns: "Anything that is not allowed in the real world, in most cases, is also an offence in cyberspace."

- NST

But it is perfectly alright for that politician, whose name I refuse to write here except in the excerpts, to mouth off in front of a huge crowd at a public place.

Now, based on the cyberlaw expert who said that anything that is not allowed in the real world means it is also an offence in cyber world, so now that it is allowed to talk nonsense in public?

After all, that politician is getting off scot-free with a mere tap on the wrist, not even a firm slap. So, it surely means it is perfectly alright to say bad things. In public. In front of a huge crowd.

But then I forgot. Malaysia has two sets of laws. One for BN and one for the commoners. The BN leaders can do whatever, say whatever they want and they are never in the wrong. While us, commoners can't do whatever or say whatever we want or be brought to Kamunting for free board and sand-laced food or get threatened with the:

"Don't play with fire"

phrase.

Seriously. Things are getting really sickening. If this goes on any longer, I have no doubt that we will end up like Malaysiakini's interesting 'a look at the future' story.

The Anwar Ibrahim Factor

When the BN kept going on and on about winning back Permatang Pauh in the recently ended by-election, they forgot about the Anwar Ibrahim factor. Or perhaps they decided to ignore it or possibly, they were blind to it.

So, what's an Anwar Ibrahim factor?

Well, it is quite easy to explain.

It is....

...the need for change

...the need to get rid of marginalisation

...the need for corruption to be reduced and eradicated if possible

...the need for the true Malaysian spirit instead of a nation divided by different ideals

...the need for true justice

...the need for real improvement to the country

...the need for a really clean, fair and wise government able to lead the country to better economic standing

...the need for freedom from various means of gagging and control and dictatorship

...the need for the people's needs to be cared for

...the need for a better governance of the country's resources


Now, I am not saying that Anwar Ibrahim can fulfill all these needs. Sure, he made a lot of promises in his campaign and prior to that too. But that's what politicians do. They make promises. They promise you the sky, the moon, the sun, everything they can think of. That does not mean they can keep these promises.

Now, I am not saying that Anwar won't keep his promises but don't forget, he is human after all. He is not God. There are things that even the 'great' Anwar Ibrahim could not do. So, do please keep your feet firmly rooted to the ground and your mind thinking logically.

Sure, if Anwar Ibrahim do manage to wrest the government from BN, he may go about keeping his promises. Somehow, there may be obstacles to some of it that stop him from doing it. Or possibly, he found out that it is not possible to do so.

Just look at Penang's DAP-PKR (now PR) state government. They have been promising local council elections in their campaign but now that they are the state government, they are not able to implement it now due to legalities. Their hands are tied, at least for several years before they could change the law to make it happen.

See?

So, Anwar Ibrahim won the by-election with such a high majority due to the Anwar Ibrahim factor. It is this factor that had the people all riled up and voting against BN. Not so much of the people wanting Anwar Ibrahim to be Prime Minister (although quite a number do want it) but it is more of votes against BN due to the Anwar Ibrahim factor.

Now, we shall see if the Anwar Ibrahim factor will be fulfilled.

The much awaited debate is disappointing to say the least

It must be all the hype leading up to the debate. I was expecting real exposures and real answers on the land scams that our Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has been going on and on about but all the debate revealed was a stalemate.

Lim fired off his opening salvo by naming five cases of ‘land scandals' - which he claimed would cost losses of up to RM1.5 billion to the state - allegedly due to faults by the former Barisan Nasional administration led by Koh.

- Malaysiakini

It got off to an okay but hardly surprising start as there is really nothing new with what Lim Guan Eng said since he has been harping on the issues and repeated the details of the land scams numerous times over the last few weeks (or is it months?).

What was even more disappointing was that Koh Tsu Koon did not really provide the answers to any of the issues raised by Guan Eng. All he did was beat around the bush and skirt around the issue and give a really general answer.

Koh replied that the matter had been probed internally and by the Anti-Corruption Agency twice where no concrete evidence can be found to take action on anyone.

- Malaysiakini

So, it looks like nothing was revealed and Guan Eng did not get to the bottom of all these shady land deals. What a waste of that one hour watching these two regurgitating statements they've already made via the press over the last few weeks.

The only difference is that it is verbalised and there are panelists who did not even ask any intelligent, probing questions to make any of them sweat under the collar. If you missed the debate, go read the brief report on it here (Malaysiakini).

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng exposes another land scam even as the debate draw near

I don't know, I just feel that the current 'hero' amongst many Penangites is getting really annoying.


Yes, I am referring to the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. He may be preaching a lot of CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) but he should just shut up and start doing what he was elected to do.

Now that he and his predecessor have agreed to go at each other on live TV, shouldn't he just concentrate on running the state or even helping Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his Permatang Pauh by-election instead of continuing with this childish quibble with Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon?

They will be engaging on a live debate on Wednesday which will be shown on live TV at 8pm. The title is supposed to be on the truth of land scams in Penang. So, why the heck is Guan Eng revealing yet another scam just mere days before the debate?

Here's his most recent revelation:

Former Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon should explain why when he was the Chairman of PDC, he gave special favours to a private company, Business Focus Sdn Bhd (BFSB), that resulted in PDC losing at least RM 9 million without being able to get its land back. PDC sold shares in PSC to BFSB by an agreement dated 27th April 1992 for the price of RM29 million, which included land in Pulau Jerejak.

Instead of full payment being given over a normal period, BFSB were given until 6 years till 31 May 2008 to pay the RM 29 million. Unfortunately, BFSB defaulted on the final RM 9 million payment and to date has still not paid up this sum. BFSB has since being wound up. Most disturbing is that BFSB has now being sold and the land transferred to another company.

The whole transaction reveals not only the losses to PDC of at least RM 9 million but also irregularities, failure to follow basic financial and management procedures as well as lack of compliance with legal documentation to protect the interests of PDC. The failure of Koh and the top management of PDC to follow up and protect the interests of PDC is most disturbing and a glaring failure to perform their statutory duties as Chairman and Board members in a competent and professional manner.

The public has lost at least RM 9 million over the sale of PSC and the land in Pulau Jerejak and Koh should give a full explanation in the public interests to uphold accountability and transparency. Worse a preliminary investigation revealed that BFSB enjoyed special favours not given to other companies, and Koh is responsible to explain how the public benefited and why he gave such preferential treatment.

So, my question to the honorable Chief Minister is this. Why the hurry? Why not reveal all your cards on the debate itself? If you are trying to keep KTK on his toes and able to reply to all your questions, why stop here?

Why not just give him all the whole list of land scams instead of doing it one at a time every few days? Are you merely demanding attention or really doing this for Penang?

KTK's responses to Guan Eng so far also left much to be desired. This two really brings to mind two quibbling children who are two busy calling each other names to look at the big picture.

So, do keep your Wednesday evening open and free to watch them quibble in real life. Perhaps it would be even more interesting than in words read in the news.

I just hope that they really thrash it all out and get it over and done with.

The battle has started

Or so it seemed but it is bound to be the dirtiest ever in the history of Bodohland.

Of that I am very, very sure.

It started way before the signs of the battle could be seen. That was then. And now, here we are again.

I wonder if it will ever really end. Sigh.

Enough about that. I have been neglecting this blog on updates on Penang. Well, I've been meaning to post a very nasty post on the current favourites, DAP and PKR and PR.

No, not because I am taking the BN side. Or the Gerakan side. Or any political side.

Being non-political and mostly a politician-hater, I have always been able to look at any party objectively. No biasness, just plain observations and my own point of view.

So, sure, sometimes I may seem very pro-DAP or even pro-PKR or even pro-PR but let me reaffirm my statements in some of my posts, I hate politics and thus, I do not root for one party or another just because I think they are good. No political party is good. All are flawed. That's my opinion. Don't like it, too bad. Go rant about it in your own blog.

I will bash them if I deem it fit. I am certain I will get a lot of flack for bashing them here, now. But I feel it is time I let out some pent up feelings over the way they are doing things in recent times.

To the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng,

I think it is time that you start remembering you ARE the state government's top leadership. So, stop the finger pointing already. It is getting darn sickening. Seriously. I mean, it is okay if you let the cat out of the bag about the land deals and all but harping on it EVERY SINGLE BLARDY time is not going to cut it.

And this childish to and fro statements between you and your predecessor. Enough already. You are the Chief Minister now. Act like one and stop acting like the blardy Opposition.

And what's with the repetition of CAT every single blardy day?

Stop preaching and start practising, okay.

To the former Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon,

Woi. You don't know how to be an Opposition leader kah? Go take some lessons lar. Don't even know how to taruh the current CM kau kau wan. Ceh. Pussy.

To the ultra lame current line up of excos and DAP-PKR assemblymen,

Woi. You are NO LONGER the opposition in Penang. Can you get that blardy idea into your thick heads already? It's coming to a freaking five month of you being in power already. Blaming the previous government is getting really, really old.

FFS. We all know that the previous administration blardy screwed up. Don't have to harp on it every single blardy time.

Why don't you use your time constructively, like GOVERNING the blardy state for once?

And what's with this 'We want the PORR, the Monorail' nonsense? Wei, go ask most of the Penangites and see if they want the PORR or not! And you said you are for the people.

And monorail, sure we need some mode of public transportation but have you conducted a thorough study on it at all? Is it even suitable for tiny Penang island? Did you noticed how narrow our streets are?

To the Umno losers,

***too darn fed up to list out grievances here***

What else can I say, like a friend always told me. Stupidity can't be cured.

Also, to the PKR fellas,

Hell, I know you are all excited that your hero is coming to town and could possibly win the seat but please, don't be such hooligans, okay?

Five to seven men surrounding a single woman with the intention to beat her up is the act of ball-less cowards.

What you did will only tarnish you hero's image. Use your brain next time, or at least go borrow some before you attend any other functions of your hero's.

Watch them in action LIVE

To those of you who have never even been to the Penang state assembly before, well, you don't have to go there to watch our elected leaders slinging insults..err...approving policies and acts and whateveritistheydothere live over the internet!

From this year onwards, the Penang state assembly is definitely going to be fun, fun and more fun!

Why?

Simple. It is now full of the DAP and PKR fellas instead of only the BN fellas with one DAP and one PAS fella to provide the check and balance needed to keep the state government in check.

Yep, it is now the DAP and PKR against the Umnos. Too bad, no Gerakan or MCA or MIC fellas will be in there since all of them got 'kicked' out by Penangites on March 8.

It will be a great show this Monday to see how the Umnos are at being the Opposition while at the same time, it will be 'showtime' for the DAP and PKR fellas to prove how good they are at policy making.

I remember in previous sessions, Phee Boon Poh the Sungai Puyu assemblyman was the sole DAP representative who stood up and argued with the BN fellas. It was indeed a losing battle because there is only so much that one man can do. However, credit do go to him for being darn persistent!

So, now, we will see how Azhar Ibrahim (the guy who insisted that ALL mega projects in Penang be cancelled and the guy who organised the street demonstration in Komtar) fare as the Opposition considering how brainless he and his gang of buffoons are...

Oh well, if you intend to watch it live, go here or here from 10am onwards on Monday.

Enjoy the show!

Time for state government to start WORK

They are new at governing a state, that I know.

They are still grappling with the heavy responsibility of running a state. That also I know.

Most of the state executive councillors are new and one or two barely held any positions within their party, DAP and PKR. So, they are mostly inexperienced and are pretty much like lost kittens mewling and bewildered.

However, it is now July. It has been four months. True, four months is not enough time for them to be experts at running the Penang state government but it is enough time for them to know their facts, to at least have an inkling of what their responsibilities are now.

It is also enough time for them to LEAVE behind this 'BLAMING' mindset. Why do I say this? Well, they have been blaming the federal government this and that. And before this, they are blaming the previous administration for this and that.

My opinion is: GET OVER IT already.

So, the previous state government screwed up. They squandered state funds (allegedly). They drive investors away (allegedly). They sanctioned land scams (allegedly). We all heard and read about it all the time in the news. Heck, we stay in Penang, we blardy well know what the previous state government did or did not do. So, stop this finger pointing already.

And yes, the federal government is holding out. They have stopped the mega projects. Boo-hoo. Bawl all you want but the federal government is not going to pander to your every whim and fancy. So, blardy hell stop wasting so much time bawling and blaming and demanding for just treatment when you blardy well know it is not forthcoming.

Why don't you start acting on your own? Why not make your own decisions now? There are still things that you could control and have jurisdiction over. Like what Phua Chu Kang always likes to say,

"Use your brain!"

Is that so hard? So, no monorail project. Can't you find other alternatives? Why not get corporates to propose other ideas with corporate sponsorship thrown in? Better still, why not just do away with the monorail and concentrate on providing a complete network of public bus covering every possible area and then supplement that with taxis by getting the taxi drivers' cooperation.

Also, what the heck is the state government doing about those rogue taxi drivers who insist of cutting the throat of passengers? They still do not use the meter. And what is the state government doing about it? Yes, I know, you are putting the onus on CVLB again to take action.

So, are you saying there is nothing the state government could do about it?

Seriously. Stop pushing the buck around. Stop finger pointing. And most importantly, STOP going down the same path as the previous state government of pushing things around and not getting anything done.

Time to act. So, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, my call to you is to get your excos to start solving problems and change this 'Opposition' mentality of blaming everything on Barisan Nasional. DAP and PKR was not voted into power in Penang merely to blame others but to turn the state around.

So, please, just fulfill your promises and forget about finger pointing. Really.

Penang Hill funicular train service temporarily stopped

(Picture borrowed from Keny Neo Penang Travel Page)

If you plan to go up to Penang Hill for some cool respite, think again because the funicular train service has stopped taking tourists up in the past few weeks.

There was some problems or faults with the cables and despite numerous repair works over the past months, similar problems kept cropping up, thus causing frequent service interruptions. So, in the most recent problem, they decided to just shut the whole thing and stop taking tourists up that way rather than leaving tourists stranded for hours.

However, residents still get to take the train up midway if they do not stay higher up. Those living further up would need to take a jeep up all the way. It seems that the state government is really at a loss over what to do to solve this problem.

The federal government had promised RM40mil to upgrade the whole funicular train service and guess what? Yep, the project has been 'deferred'. Apparently, this project is also not people-centric enough.

I guess cutting off tourists from one the major tourist sites in Penang will not affect Penangites that much. I mean, after all, Penang Hill is only one of Penang's major landmark. It is nothing. Tourists do not need to go up. And the funicular trains. Those are also another of Penang's landmark. Nothing great. Not important at all. Tourists do not even bother going there anymore. (sarcasm, people, sarcasm...)

Is it me or do I feel that the federal government has already started 'marginalising' Penang just because it is now under an Opposition government?

First they 'postponed' the Penang Outer Ring Road and Monorail projects and then this upgrading project too. Okay, so, I fully agree that PORR should be scrapped. But we do need an integrated public transportation system that THEY, BARISAN NASIONAL, HAD BLARDY PROMISED before the general elections.

This goes to show that the BN government NEVER EVER keep their promises, huh?

Anyway, blame and finger pointing aside, what is the state government doing about this? Well, it seems that they are still stuck in their Opposition party mindset. They are pointing fingers at the federal government for canceling, errr postponing, the projects.

Yeah, sure. We ALL know what the federal government did but what ARE you going to do? What is the DAP-PKR state government going to do about it?

I mean other than pointing fingers and blaming the federal government and urging the federal government to fulfill their promises. Heck, we ALL know the federal government couldn't care less about what the Opposition state government has to say or urge, right?

I think it is REALLY time that the DAP-PKR state government start thinking about solutions and solving problems like putting in place an integrated public transportation system and a way to replace the cables or upgrade the funicular train service FAST.

After all, George Town is now one of Unesco's World Heritage Sites. Soon, we will be having droves of tourists and it won't do that they find that they could not go up to one of the main landmarks in Penang that is, Penang Hill. Also, how are they going to get around the heritage city of George Town if the public transportation system is in a shamble?

It is just so wrong. So, to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, I think it is time that you stop pointing fingers and start working on solutions. Preferably NOW. And please, DON'T place any bets on help from the federal government because NONE is forthcoming.

Anti-PORR people, time to break out the champagne!

To all the Anti-PORR campaigners, it looks like your dream came true because the federal government has decided to shelve this controversial and very much unwanted PORR (Penang Outer Ring Road) project indefinitely.

I read in Malaysiakini here that:

Economic Planning Unit (EPU) of the Prime Minister's Department today said that the RM2 billion Penang Monorail and RM1.5 billion Penang Outer Ring Road have been shelved.

MCPX

According to EPU director-general Dr Sulaiman Mahbob, projects that are not people-centred under the original Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) will be put on hold or deferred.

Frankly, I am glad that they shelved the PORR thing. It was a stupid idea in the beginning anyway and let's not forget that the stupid billion ringgit project only serve to line some cronies' pockets.

So, yes, I couldn't agree more that this project is not 'people-centred'. It was definitely more 'crony-centred' right from the beginning. Is the BN government finally seeing sense?

Or did they have this skewed sense that Penangites REALLY wanted the PORR badly so canceling it is a very good way to punish Penangites who dared to mark the cross next to logos that do not look like the scale in the elections.

But then the DPM Najib denies this (according to Malaysiakini):

Met later, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said the deferment of the two Penang mega-projects was not a punishment on Penangites who voted in the opposition-led state government.

"(There is) no question of punishing anyone because (other) essential projects continue to be implemented whether the states are run by Barisan Nasional or not," he told a press conference held at the lobby.

As for the cancellation of the Penang Monorail project, I have mixed feelings about it. For one, at least there is not another project in which all our taxpayers' money (that's TWO blardy BILLION!!) were not spent to line another crony's pockets to complete the monorail project.

For another, we are in dire need of a proper public transportation system in Penang because having only RapidPenang is DEFINITELY not enough! I do not understand the part about this project not being people-centred.

So, providing public transportation is not people-centred, then what is? Projects that give more profits to their cronies? What, are they worried that the DAP-PKR state government will scrutinise the project and expose them so it is better to scrape it for now?

Okay, even if they want to shelve the monorail project because it is too expensive, do they have alternative public transportation projects for Penang? By the looks of it, nope.

First they increase the petrol price, now they do away with an alternative public transportation system here. So, are Penangites supposed to walk and cycle everywhere now?

Yep, we have a really great federal government and I absolutely agree that this does not mean they are punishing Penangites for voting them out. After all, public transportation is not people-centred. It is only for show and to line some cronies' pockets.

Should the government allow Chin Peng back into Malaysia?

I read in Malaysiakini that Chin Peng's application to come back was rejected by the courts:

Chin Peng loses bid to return home: lawyer
Jun 22, 08 12:10pm

Malaysia's exiled former communist chief, who fought a bloody 12-year guerrilla campaign, has lost his latest bid to return to the country, his lawyer said today.

Chin Peng, the former secretary-general of the outlawed Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), took legal action after the government rejected his 2003 request to return.

But the bid, according to his counsel Darshan Singh Khaira, has now been rejected by the Court of Appeal who upheld a earlier ruling that Chin Peng show identification papers to prove his citizenship.

"Chin Peng is obviously disappointed by the ruling but he says he will continue his fight to return home until all legal avenues are exhausted," Darshan told AFP.

"We are unable to make sense of the ruling because Chin Peng had already said his identification papers were seized by the authority of the day in the 1940s and so he is unable to produce them," he added.

Darshan said the former communist leader should be allowed to return under a December 1989 peace agreement between the government and CPM members.

"The agreement signed by Malaysia, Thailand and the CPM says those of Malayan origin are allowed to return and Chin Peng was born in Malaya," he said, using the country's pre-independence name.

"The government must honour its obligations to Chin Peng," he added.

Darshan said he was preparing Chin Peng's appeal to the Federal Court, the country's highest judicial body.

Born Ong Boon Hua in Sitiawan in Malaysia's northern Perak state in 1923, Chin Peng won the Order of the British Empire (OBE) and two medals for helping the British fight the Japanese in Malaya during World War II.

He later led the communist party, backed by China, in a guerrilla campaign against the British colonial and Malay governments between 1948 and 1960, in which hundreds were killed. Chin Peng left Malaysia in 1961 and has been in exile since.

Malaysia in 2003 denied his request to return on grounds he was still linked to a banned organisation with a "history of perpetrating terrorism" in the country. Chin Peng currently lives in exile in Thailand, his lawyer said.

-AFP

In my opinion, they should allow the exiled former communist leader Chin Peng back here.

My reasons are simple...

One - He is already SO old, he practically has one foot in the grave so I really doubt he will start a fresh guerilla campaign when he comes back for a visit.

(there are more civilised, bloodless ways to take over the government nowadays, such as through political froggie hopping and votes of no-confidence)

Two - he is only asking to come back to spend his last days after all, he is not immortal and will not live for much more longer. For God's sake, he is 85 this year!

Three - for reasons that it is best I leave unsaid.

What can the Penang state government do in three months

If you ask me, nothing much.

Rome was not built in a day so we should not expect the DAP-PKR Penang state government to work miracles in just three months.

Of course, this does not stop all the MSM from churning out 100-day reports on what the state government has achieved in this short period of time. It also did not stop the former state government leaders, namely Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon from pointing out at the 'weaknesses' of this new state government.

By now, I have learned to ignore most of what Gerakan has to say in the media because it is mostly crap resulting from sour grapes. Nothing profound can be seen in sour grapes comments, so why waste time, eh?

Anyway, what really caught my interest was that Koh Tsu Koon had termed the 100 days as the DAP-PKR state government's 'honeymoon' period. If that is not sour grapes, I do not know what is!

Running a state government for the first time since all of the DAP and PKR wakil rakyat are relatively new is no easy task. Many of them never expected to win and now suddenly, they are part of the Penang state government. Grappling with new things to learn, heavier responsibilities and a change in role from being a noise-making Opposition to the state government is no simple, easy as A-B-C task.

The fact that they had to do it minus all the files in the cleaned out offices, it is not easy at all. Of course, certain quarters have said that the new government could always get copies of the documents from the state secretary's office.

Sure, the state secretary my have copies of the documents but would you know what document to ask for if you do not even know what document you are suppose to be looking for?

Just think. For example, an exco may have, lets say 20, open files of issues and problems not solved or in the process and hundreds others already solved and filed away for records. But with the change of state government, the 20 unsolved issues (files) disappeared into thin air. Sure, all the copies are with the state secretary's office but so are the hundreds others kept there for records. So, how is the new exco to know which issue is unsolved, which issue is ongoing and which is already solved and dealt with? Yep, the new exco probably have to vet through hundreds of files and folders to find the 20 unsolved issues.

And that is easy, issit? On top of that, they have to meet with the people in their respective portfolios, they have to learn the ropes of their responsibilities, they have to meet with the reluctantly cooperative government departments, they have to also solve problems while still learning the ropes.

Then on top of that there is the huge big mess of scams and loose ends for them to clear up and tie up, again, no thanks to the previous state government.

So, what can the Penang state government do in 100 days? Well, obviously, nothing much because they are too busy clearing up the mess by the previous state government while at the same time trying to make their own policies and decisions now.

In fact, my question to all those sour grapes out there, what DID the Gerakan state government achieve all this time? Oh, wait...I know the answers:

1. Unsustainable development by allowing developers to chop down trees, hills to build more high rise, more luxury buildings

2. Cutting down and destruction of our water catchment areas for decades before the remaining few areas were gazetted in 2003.

3. Land scams

4. Extremely efficient (NOT) public transportation

5. A million traffic lights which causes more traffic congestions that clearing traffic

6. Extremely well-planned out (NOT) traffic dispersal system

7. Safe City is just a concept, not a reality

8. Penang rubbish city is a reality, not a concept

9. Beautiful clean and safe (yeah, right) beaches

10. Growing number of investments (leaving the state)

So, what can a 100-day-old Penang state government do to undo what the previous state government did in all those years? A lot that can't be done within three months!

Need I say more?

And so Anwar Ibrahim was in Penang to talk about...

...more crossovers from BN, MCA this time, to Pakatan Rakyat.

I don't know, I didn't go for the rally which reportedly saw some 30,000 people thronging the city stadium in Penang. Also, Anwar was around to open a service centre here in Bayan Baru.

So, I read up on what he has to say at the online media, Malaysiakini, for some accurate news about it. We can never trust the MSM with news on rallies and anything by the Opposition!

So, it seems that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the PKR de facto leader, is claiming that more BN fellas plan to do the froggie impression.

According to Malaysiakini:

“I can safely say that several MCA MPs will join us soon,” he told journalists yesterday, after opening a service centre in Bayan Baru, Penang.

Anwar has been keeping the public on tenterhooks since the general election on March 8, with repeated claims of crossovers by Barisan Nasional (BN) parliamentarians, especially those in Sabah.

He said that discreet meetings have been held in Hong Kong, Manila and Singapore, to avoid scrutiny, and that “even a cabinet minister met me”

Alright, my curiosity is definitely piqued. I wonder who is this cabinet minister?

And yes, we have been hearing Anwar go on and on about those froggies but yet to see or hear any of them hopping over. Not yet, anyway.

But then, we never know. Not that I am accusing Anwar of lying (but then, don't all politicians lie?) about this impending crossovers, I am wondering if it will happen at all.

Three months have passed since the general election. And rumours and talks of crossovers come and go but no concrete moves to substantiate it. Still, Anwar was adamant and seemed uber confident that Pakatan Rakyat will be able to wrest the government from BN.

“It’s about time that we take over. It’s only a matter of time for us to take over. We are so close to Putrajaya,” he said to roars from some 30,000 people.

“It’s very soon. I will not say how (soon). But it will happen soon.”

He stressed that defecting MPs would have to accept the Pakatan tenets of good governance.

Yeah, yeah. I have read all this before. In fact, I keep seeing this ever other week in Malaysiakini by Anwar or one of the Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

My main questions,

Is Anwar bluffing to scare the BN and make them jittery?

Or does he really have the numbers to really grab Putrajaya (and the whole country)?

So, who will be Prime Minister then? Do we really want a change in government? No, let me rephrase that, do we want Pakatan Rakyat to run the country?

Seriously, I have my doubts about them. Sure, they could possibly be better than BN but the recent call by PAS youth for hardline Islamic laws to be imposed on the five states under the Pakatan Rakyat has given me the jitters.

I wouldn't want hardline Islamic laws, especially if it affects my rights and freedom (of sorts), for the whole country.

Sigh...we do live in interesting times don't we?