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CM Lim Guan Eng : We hope that CAP can address the issue of public transport to the Federal government with the same energetic determination and frequency they do against the state government.

Press Conference Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Komtar, George Town On 27.3.2013.

Penang State Government’s Refusal To Endorse Consumer Association of Penang’s(CAP) Proposal To Impose Charges On Private Vehicles Entering Penang Island Has Caused Some NGOs’ To Join BN in Opposing The RM6.3 Billion Traffic Dispersal Project Of 3 Highways And Under Seabed Tunnel.

The Penang state government concedes that our refusal to endorse CAP’s proposal to impose charges on private vehicles entering Penang island has caused some NGOs’ to join BN in opposing the RM6.3 billion traffic dispersal project of 3 highways and under seabed tunnel. This is the price that the Penang PR state government has to pay to ensure freedom of movement, because such a policy of forcing vehicles entering Penang to pay is elitist at best in reserving Penang island only for residents and discriminatory at worst as it bars those who can not afford from entering the island.

CAP President S.M Mohd Idris’s open personal attacks against me in his response to my invitation to him for a dialogue on the proposed 3 highways and under seabed tunnel project is disappointing as he failed to respond factually and objectively. The state government had begun such public consultations since 2011 and his refusal to engage on this issue only emphasizes our point that subjective statements relying on mere sentiments does not contribute towards a civil society that stresses on civil discourse.

I will not indulge in such personal attacks but leave it to the public to judge under the oppressive restraints imposed by the Federal government, whose proposals to overcome traffic congestion in Penang is preferred. I wish to address some solutions to traffic congestion he had suggested which were dealt with by the state government.

On public transport, the state government had tried for the past 5 years to implement an effective and efficient model including suggestions by NGOs. Such efforts did not make any headway due to the intransigence of the Federal government and the refusal to co-operate such as BN’s failure to fulfil their 2006 promise of building a monorail, refusal to allow the state government to purchase our own buses to provide bus services and refusal to accept RM10 million yearly from the state government to provide free bus services throughout Penang during peak hours

However NGOs like CAP failed to notice that the state government had launched the initiatives such as providing free bus services in George Town as well as across the First Bridge from Seberang Jaya to Bayan Lepas and Balik Pulau. By demanding that the state government provide efficient shuttle service to main bus stops from housing estates ignores, the fact that this should be addressed to the Federal government.

We hope that CAP can address the issue of public transport to the Federal government with the same energetic determination and frequency they do against the state government.

The state government is all for dedicated lanes for buses, bicycles and pedestrians. However such lanes are not possible to be built under existing congested roads unless there are alternative ring roads around the city. These 3 highway projects and the tunnel are being planned to enable existing roads to be converted for dedicated lanes for buses, bicycles and pedestrians in the future.

CAP is wrong to say that the Transport Masterplan (TMP) does not recommend the building of the 3 highways and tunnel. The TMP released yesterday clearly shows that the 3 highways should be completed from 2017 to 2020 and the tunnel completed between 2025-2030. As the tunnel takes at least 12 years to complete due to the importance of fulfilling Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) studies, planning work must begin now.

CAP again distorts the present daily usage of 80, 000 vehicles on the Penang Bridge to mean that with the introduction of Penang 2nd Bridge and the tunnel, the two additional links will increase vehicle usage to 240,000 vehicles. The introduction of new links always reduces the number of vehicles per link and not the other way round. These new links will help to ensure that we do not turn the next generation into a “traffic-jam” generation.

The state government would have made clear this to CAP if S.M Mohamad Idris had been willing to meet us. However we regret his refusal to do so and despite his closed mind, our doors are still open to him should he wish to engage with us.

LIM GUAN ENG

——BM Version ——

Kenyataan Sidang Akhbar oleh Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang Lim Guan Eng di Komtar, George Town pada 27.3.2013

Kengganan Kerajaan Negeri Untuk Menyokong Cadangan Persatuan Pengguna Pulau Pinang (CAP) Untuk Mengenakan Caj Ke Atas Kenderaan Peribadi Untuk Memasuki Pulau Telah Menyebabkan Beberapa NGO Untuk Mengikuti BN Dalam Menentang Projek RM6.3 Bilion Pembinaan 3 Lebuhraya Dan Sebatang Terowong Bawah Dasar Laut Untuk Meleraikan Trafik.

Kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang mengakui bahawa keengganan kami untuk menyokong cadangan CAP untuk mengenakan caj ke atas kenderaan peribadi untuk memasuki Pulau telah menyebabkan beberapa NGO untuk mengikuti BN dalam menentang projek RM6.3 bilion pembinaan 3 lebuhraya dan sebatang terowong bawah dasar laut untuk meleraikan trafik. Kerajaan negeri PR Pulau Pinang terpaksa menanggung padah ini untuk memastikan kebebasan pergerakan, kerana dasar untuk mengenakan caj ke atas kenderaan yang ingin memasuki Pulau adalah elitis dan mendiskriminasikan orang yang tidak mampu.

Serangan peribadi secara terbuka oleh Presiden CAP SM Mohd Idris sebagai balasan kepada jemputan saya untuk berdialog atas cadangan projek 3 lebuhraya dan sebatang terowong bawah dasar laut adalah sangat mengecewakan kerana beliau telah gagal untuk membalas dengan fakta dan secara objektif. Kerajaan negeri telah memulakan rundingan awam sejak tahun 2011 dan keengganan beliau untuk berunding atas isu ini hanya menekankan hakikat bahawa kenyataan subjektif yang berasaskan sentimen tidak akan membantu membentuk masyarakat sivil.

Saya tidak akan berbalas serangan peribadi tetapi akan membiarkan rakyat awam untuk membuat keputusan untuk memilih di antar cadangan kerajaan Persekutuan atau cadangan kami untuk meleraikan kesesakan trafik. Saya ingin membawa ke perhatian beberapa penyelesaian yang dicadang beliau yang telah pun ditangani oleh kerajaan negeri.

Dalam hal pengangkutan awam, kerajaan negeri telah mencuba selama 5 tahun untuk melaksanakan model yang cekap dan berkesan termasuk cadangan-cadangan oleh NGO. Usaha-usaha ini tidak ke mana akibat keengganan kerajaan Persekutuan untuk bekerjasama seperti dalam kegagalan BN untuk menunaikan janji tahun 2006 untuk membina sistem monorel, keengganan untuk membenarkan kerajaan negeri untuk menyediakan perkhidmatan bas sendiri serta menolak tawaran RM10 juta daripada kerajaan negeri untuk penyediaan perkhidmatan bas percuma di seluruh Pulau Pinang semasa waktu puncak.

Namun begitu, NGO seperti CAP gagal untuk mengambil maklum bahawa kerajaan negeri telah melancarkan inisiatif-inisiatif seperti perkhidmatan bas percuma di George Town serta melintasi Jambatan Pertama dari Seberang Jaya ke Bayan Lepas dan Balik Pulau. Tuntuan bahawa kerajaan negeri harus menyediakan perkhidmatan ulang-alik dari perhentian-perhentian bas yang utama ke kawasan perumahan langsung mengabaikan hakikat bahawa isu ini adalah di bawah kuasa kerajaan Persekutuan semata-mata.

Kita harap agar CAP dapat menujukan masalah pengangkutan awam ini kepada kerajaan Persekutuan dengan semangat dan kekerapan yang sama seperti yang mereka lakukan terhadap kerajaan negeri.

Kerajaan negeri menyokong penuh lorong khusus untuk bas, basikal dan pejalan kaki. Walau bagaimanapun, lorong-lorong ini tidak mungkin dibina atas jalan-jalan yang sesak selagi tiada jalan alternatif yang mengelilingi pusat bandar. Projek 3 lebuhraya dan sebatang terowong bawah dasar laut ini adalah untuk membolehkan jalan-jalan sedia-ada untuk ditukarkan kepada lorong khusus bagi penggunaan bas, basikal dan pejalan kaki pada masa depan.

CAP juga salah kerana menyatakan bahawa Pelan Induk Pengangkutan Pulau Pinang (PIPPP) tidak mencadangkan pembinaan 3 lebuhraya dan terowoong. PIPPP yang telah dikeluarkan semalam jelas menyatakan bahawa 3 lebuhraya tersebut harus disiapkan menjelang 2017-2020 dan terowong pula menjelang 2025-2030. Oleh kerana terowong tersebut memerlukan masa 12 tahun kerana Penilaian Impak Alam Sekitar Penuh harus dilakukan, projek perancangan harus bermula dari sekarang.

CAP sekali lagi memutar belit penggunaan harian 80,000 buah kenderaan atas Jambatan Pulau Pinang untuk bermaksud bahawa dengan adanya Jambatan Kedua dan Terowong, maka laluan-laluan tambahan tersebut akan meningkatkan penggunaan harian kepada 240,000 buah kenderaan. Laluan-laluan tersebut akan mengurangkan penggunaan kenderaan pada setiap laluan dan bukannya meningkatkannya. Laluan-laluan ini akan bantu memastikan bahawa kita tidak akan menjadikan generasi akan datang sebagai generasi “kesesakan trafik”.

Kerajaan negeri akan menjelaskan semua ini kepada CAP jika SM Mohamad Idris sudi berjumpa. Walau bagaimanapun, kami berasa kesal atas keengganan beliau untuk berjumpa, dan walaupun begitu, pintu kami senantiasa terbuka kepada beliau sekiranya beliau ingin berunding.

—–Mandarin Version——

槟州首席部长林冠英于2013年3月27日在乔治市光大的记者会

槟州政府拒绝支持槟州消费人协会要求向收私人交通工具进入槟岛征收入城费的建议，已经导致一些非政府组织联合国阵一起反对以63亿令吉建三条高速公路与海底隧道的疏解交通阻塞计划。

槟州政府承认拒绝支持槟州消费人协会要求向收私人交通工具进入槟岛征收入城费的建议，已经导致一些非政府组织联合国阵一起反对以63亿令吉建三条高速公路与海底隧道的疏解交通阻塞计划。这是槟州民联政府需要承受的代价，以确保人们迁移的自由，因为这种强迫交通工具进入槟岛需缴入城费的政策，是一项只限保障槟岛居民享有槟岛的美好的精英主义政策，却糟糕地对无法负担进城费的人充满歧视。

槟消协主席SM 莫哈末依德利斯在他回应关于我邀请他出席3条高速公路及海底隧道对话会时，公开对我做出人身攻击，对此，我感到失望，因为他并不能实事求是的客观回应这项课题。州政府自2011年开始就不断咨询公众，但他拒绝接触这项课题，却只意气用事的强调主观的言论，这对要形成具有公民与论压力的公民社会并没有帮助。

我将不会理会如此的人身攻击，但会让公众自行判断，与联邦政府消极对待槟城的情况作比较，到底是要选择哪一个建议才能真正解决槟州的交通阻塞。我希望能说明，他所提起解决交通阻塞的建议，其实都是州政府已经尝试推行的措施。

在公共交通方面，州政府过去5年尝试推行有效的模式，当中也包括了非政府组织所给予的建议。这些努力最后都没有进展，因为联邦政府不妥协，也拒绝不合作。如国阵无法兑现他们在2006年说要建单轨列车的承诺、拒绝州政府购买自己的巴士以提供巴士服务，拒绝接受州政府每年1000万令吉在尖峰时刻提供免费巴士的要求。

无论如何，如消费人协会的非政府组织，并没有察觉槟州政府已经推行了乔治市免费巴士及提供从诗布郎再也及浮罗山背到峇六拜的免费巴士。而在要求州政府提供有效的住宅区巴士服务连接主要巴士站的时候，却无视这些要求其实应该向联邦政府反映。

我们希望槟消协能够以对抗州政府时，那种充满坚决斗志与弃而不舍的态度，向联邦政府反映公共交通的课题。

州政府非常乐意设立巴士、脚车及行人专用道。但是，在现有已极其拥挤的道路上，这些专用道的概念，几乎是不可能设立的—除非我们有替代公路，也即是内环公路。这三项主要道路工程及海底隧道计划，是为了让我们能够在未来策划把现有的道路转为巴士、脚车及行人专用道而设的。

槟消协指交通大蓝图并没有建议兴建三条大道及海底隧道是错误的。昨天宣布的交通大蓝图很明显地例出这三条大道需要在2017年至2020年之前建竣，而海底隧道则需要在2025至2030之间建竣。基于海底隧道需要约12年的时间兴建，以符合详细环境评估报告的研究及要求，因此一切的策划工作，都必需从现在开始进行。

消协称，第一大桥现有的车流量是每天8万辆，随着第二大桥及海底隧道的建立，意味着这两条额外通道，将会把引进槟岛的车流量增至每天24万辆交通工具。这是扭曲大桥车流量数据的说法。新通道的设立，永远会减少每条通道的车流量，而不是相反的。这些新的通道，将协助我们确保我们的下一代不会成不“塞车世代”。

若SM 莫哈末依德利斯愿意与我们会面，州政府将会明确地将这些讯息传达给他。然而，我们很遗憾他拒绝会面。尽管他对此尚有成见，但是，只要他有意会面，我们的大门，依然为他而打开。

林冠英

Pakatan and Kit Siang Take the Offensive

By Kee Thuan Chye | from Yahoo! Malaysia

It looks like Pakatan Rakyat is driving the 13th general election. As this most crucial of Malaysian elections draws near, the Opposition coalition is the more gung-ho in leading the way into battle. It is initiating the charge, taking the offensive, scoring the psychological points.

While the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is led by a leader who has been tardy in calling for the general election partly because he has been humming and hawing about wanting the rakyat to feel the effects of his transformation programmes first, Pakatan has already shown its preparedness by coming out with its manifesto a few weeks ago, way ahead of BN.

In football terms, this is like the away team, despite its disadvantageous position, taking the play to the home team and attacking its goalmouth. Sometimes, this can end in a victory for the outsiders.

DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang’s decision to stand in Gelang Patah – in BN’s impregnable state, Johor – is another courageous offensive. It is a risky move by the DAP veteran who has never fought shy of engaging in difficult battles.

In the most famous of his encounters, he took on Lim Chong Eu, the Chief Minister of Penang then, at Padang Kota in 1990 and won. Nonetheless, it was a huge gamble for Kit Siang, who has not always been victorious. He lost when he came out of his comfortable position as Kubu state assemblyman in 1982 to try and capture Bandar Hilir, and again when he took on the risky seat of Tanjung Bungah in 1995 against yet another chief minister, Koh Tsu Koon. In fact, throughout his political career, Kit Siang has lost five times.

More than its just being another manifestation of his penchant for rushing into areas where angels fear to tread, Kit Siang’s current foray into Gelang Patah is a forceful demonstration of psychological one-upmanship. It is sending out the signal that Pakatan is not afraid of BN. It is a demonstration of sheer confidence.

Granted, the voter composition of Gelang Patah is 54 per cent Chinese, but it also has a sizable Malay electorate at 33 per cent, many of whom are either staunch BN supporters for the sake of Umno or racially inclined ones who might vote for an Opposition candidate if he or she were Malay. The 2008 election result for that constituency indicates this. The PKR candidate then, Zaliha Mustafa, managed to secure 27,779 votes against incumbent Tan Ah Eng’s haul of 33,630. Contrast that with the landslide 41,001 votes won by Tan in 2004 when the Opposition candidate was Chinese and managed to get only 9,335 votes.

In 2013, even if 85 per cent of the Chinese voted for Kit Siang, there is no guarantee that he can romp home the winner. And getting that many is not going to be easy as Gelang Patah is known to be an ultra-safe seat for the MCA, which has been serving the people there diligently for nearly two decades. Furthermore, BN has been running a campaign instilling in Malays the idea that the DAP is poison to them, so Kit Siang might not be able to count on their support to carry the day. And the other 12 per cent of Indian voters could either be split between the two candidates or lean more towards BN.

In response to Kit Siang’s move, MCA President Chua Soi Lek has come out to call Kit Siang a “touch and go” politician. And this, he says, is the rude way of putting it, as compared to the polite one of “hit and run” politician.

Soi Lek is one to talk. He hasn’t even stated where he is going to stand. Will he even stand?

He said, “Serving the people is never in Lim Kit Siang’s dictionary.” But in saying that, he must be deliberately trying to appear ignorant. Throughout his career, Kit Siang has been consistent – indeed even one-track – in championing the cause of justice and democracy for Malaysia. Any Malaysian who is educated enough about Malaysian politics knows that.

For his untiring efforts, he has been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) twice – in 1969 for 18 months, and in 1987 for 17 months. And in 1979, he was convicted under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) for exposing the Government’s purchase of four navy vessels.

Indeed, instead of disparaging Kit Siang, Soi Lek should stand against him in Gelang Patah. This would be a real test of whether the Chinese have high regard for him as MCA president.

Even one of MCA’s division chiefs is calling for that. Tan Cher Puk of Pasir Gudang said recently, “So far nobody knows whether the president will contest in the coming general election or not. The MCA (members) in some areas are experiencing low morale.” Well, if Chua decided to take on Lim, he would show that the MCA was not afraid, and that would certainly boost party morale.

As it is, the person touted to be MCA’s candidate is Teoh Sew Hock whom observers feel is too lightweight for Kit Siang. So it makes sense for the MCA to field a more worthy opponent.

There will be a real clash of titans if Soi Lek should go for it instead, even if it is viewed as such only because Soi Lek is MCA chief, and not much more. It will be one of the great highlights of the 13th general election that will be talked about long after the voting is over and done with.

The big question, however, is, would Soi Lek be brave enough to take on the man he so bravely belittles verbally? Or would he delegate it to someone else and opt for a safe seat himself?

PRESS RELEASE: RADIO FREE MALAYSIA to start broadcasting on Monday…MW1359 kHz AM/MW

RADIO FREE MALAYSIA
Press release: Sunday 24th March 2013

Radio Free Malaysia to start broadcasting on Monday with the Anwar Ibrahim interview the authorities tried to ban

Malaysia’s newest independent radio station begins broadcasting on Monday night. Radio Free Malaysia will be available on Medium Wave at 1359kHz each night between 9pm and 11pm local Malaysia time.

The highlight of the first show will be a full-length exclusive interview with the PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim, who, like other opposition figures, has been largely excluded from Malaysia’s mainstream media so far.

RFM represents a ground breaking venture, because it will be transmitted from outside of Malaysia and therefore is not subject to licencing by the federal government. The station therefore aims to be free of the political interferences that have caused Malaysia’s media to become recognised as one of the most restrictive in the world.

“RFM will be free of political censorship by the ruling BN coalition and plans to provide a platform for alternative ideas and viewpoints”, explains founder Clare Rewcastle Brown, who is basing the programme out of the UK.

“It is well known that all press and broadcast media currently operating in Malaysia are forced to unquestioningly support and promote the ruling BN coalition and to denigrate the opposition parties, while excluding them from the chance to put their own policies and agendas before the people”.

“It is unacceptable that Malaysia poses to the world as a democracy and is about to hold a general election, and yet it is only members of the ruling coalition (in power for the entire 50 years since independence) who are allowed to have their voices heard by the people”.

Radio Free Malaysia is a sister station of the existing short wave programme Radio Free Sarawak, which broadcasts on shortwave for the benefit of indigenous communities in East Malaysia. However, the new nightly programme will operate completely independently on the more accessible Medium Wave band and use only Bahasa.

“A separate team has come together to run this show and their remit is to provide two hours a day of the sort of programming that people have been unable to find on any other mainstream radio or TV in Malaysia”, says Rewcastle Brown. “Just a few days ago one independent station was forced to withdraw an interview with Anwar Ibrahim from broadcast owing to political pressures [http://www.theedgemalaysia.com/political-news/232472-bfm-anwar-interview-not-aired-due-to-regulatory-concerns.html. We do not intend to be bullied in this way and now we can bring people the interview that the authorities have tried to ban”

“Anyone wanting to find out what the opposition policies and arguments actually are will now be able to tune in to our show, which can be accessed on any radio set in Malaysia and find out. At last people without access to the internet will have the opportunity to make a more informed choice at the ballot box.

It is has also been of widespread concern that mainstream media outlets are being used by BN to spread politically motivated slanders and allegations about opposition figures and their policies, while at the same time refusing to allow them the space to answer the allegations or defend themselves in any way.

“Our short two hour programme provides a very limited opportunity for people who have been attacked in the media to exercise their right to reply. It is not much, but it is better than nothing and I anticipate that people from all over Malaysia will be intrigued to be able to tune in for the first time to the opposition’s response to the barrage of attacks they have been subjected to. We intend to punch above our weight, because we are providing a much needed service unavailable elsewhere”, said Rewcastle Brown.

The programme will also focus on stories, which have so far been the subject of a disgraceful blackout in the regular media, because they are judged inconvenient to BN. Only the more free on-line news platforms have been allowed to give proper coverage to such matters as the Scorpene submarine contract scandal; the corruption scandals involving the Chief Ministers of Sabah and Sarawak; the murder of the model Altantuya; the so-called ‘cowgate’ scandal and numerous other cases of corruption and controversy involving those close to the BN government.

These matters are waiting to find a place on Radio Free Malaysia, so that a wider public can be made aware of the issues that have been suppressed in their regular newspapers and broadcasts, which are subjected to total censorship by ‘News Controllers’ answerable to the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture, say the producers.

“We would certainly be very pleased to also do interviews with any BN figures of significance who are willing to appear on our show”, confirms Rewcastle Brown. “However, they will not be getting the deliberate soft ride they are always accustomed to from the licenced media. We will ask tough questions about tough subjects, which as the people in charge of making decisions for the country they ought to be answering”.

Rewcastle Brown confirms that she will not be determining content. “There is a team of Malaysian producers and presenters who will be running Radio Free Malaysia, we are merely operating out of the UK in order to avoid censorship.”.

Radio Free Malaysia will also be operating a call in line so that listeners can take part in the show the toll free number is 1-800-815-309 and callers will be able to leave messages and their number at any time of the day.

The Radio Show will also be accessible on-line via podcast at its website www.radiofreemalaysia.org.

The station, which is operating independently of major donors, has launched a drive for donations via its website. We will not be able to maintain the project unless enough members of the public come to our help to support our costs. However, we are hopeful and confident that the millions of Malaysians, who are longing for a more free and open media will support us and keep us afloat ends

Radio Free Malaysia (RFM)
AM/MW 1359 kHz, 2100-2300 nightly
Also: www.radiofreemalaysia.org
Toll free number: 1-800-815-309
Email: info@radiofreemalaysia.org

Corruption, Chaos and Change

By Mariam Mokhtar | FMT

Change is in the air, and the rakyat is sick of the endless exposes of corruption. The cosy existence of Umno and their cronies will be threatened if their power is usurped. For decades, we accepted the apparent BN victories in general elections. There have always been suspicions of cheating but no one knew how to obtain the proof. Anyone with evidence of electoral fraud would probably have been locked-up under the ISA.

Today, vote-rigging, electoral fraud, voter manipulation, vote-buying, and tampering with the election returns have been exposed. Change is in the air, and the rakyat is sick of the endless exposes of corruption. They are equally tired of an inept Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) which is not fit for the purpose.

The rakyat has a strong leaning towards the opposition, so how would they react if BN were to win GE-13? Would they agree with the results? Would they, as in previous years, accept the BN victory? Would they rise up in disbelief and anger, and demand a re-run?

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is in an untenable position. He cannot dither over the announcement of GE-13, for he knows that foreign investment will dry up.

His other great fear is losing his seat. If that were to happen, he would risk losing his freedom, both his physical and financial liberty. For obvious reasons, the man with the most to lose, if BN is not victorious in GE-13, is former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Umno leaders are not men of integrity. What they cannot obtain by normal means, they will grab by force, or by deceit.

The rakyat may not be as forgiving as some leaders of the opposition. Mahathir is not the only one they wish to see prosecuted. The cronies whom he nurtured will also be targeted. No one could ignore the ill-gotten gains of all of Mahathir’s children, however innocent they may appear to be. Mahathir leaves nothing to chance and he will not allow the bumbling Najib to act on his own.

Before the announcement of GE-13, sporadic acts of violence have already been used to intimidate the public. Whilst our attention was riveted on the Suluk incursion in Lahad Datu, Opposition politicians, human rights NGOs, and social activists have been attacked.

Najib does not have the luxury of being able to delay GE-13 much longer. Some people claim that they had to disrupt plans for overseas holidays, leave and weddings so that they will be able to vote in GE-13. Whilst the date of GE-13 remains uncertain, bosses are loathe to expand, or make key appointments.

During his tenure, Najib could have done the right thing and made his government more accountable, more transparent and more competent. He ignored the rakyat’s concerns and now he has run out of time.

Was Najib’s bluff called when people questioned his handling of the Suluk Invasion in Sabah? He made life difficult for the opposition politicians by accusing them of sedition just because they questioned his poor leadership skills in managing this crisis. Najib would be foolish to declare Emergency rule now, to delay the election. Further delays mean that our neighbours in the region look more attractive to foreign investors.

If BN wins GE-13 and the rakyat perceives that the win has been achieved by cheating, the people might rise up to show their dissatisfaction. Would Najib declare a state of emergency? Najib could order the security forces to quash the rakyat, but would they disobey his order? Our police force has shown that it is a tool of Umno, when it used violence against peaceful Bersih protestors. Will the armed forces attack the rakyat?

If the election returns are tampered with, will the staff and volunteers counting the ballot papers, walk out in protest? When President Ferdinand Marcos called a snap-election in 1986 in the Philippines, 30 computer technicians at an election tabulation centre, allegedly walked out in protest citing election tampering. Will our workers do the same?

In some countries, religious leaders have openly condemned their elections, for being fraudulent and then declared themselves to be on the side of the people. If tensions were to escalate in Malaysia, whose side would our religious leaders take? Will they support the rakyat or Umno? Whose side will the rulers take – the rakyat or Umno – those who pay homage to them, or those whose largesse they depend on?

How will the diplomatic community react? The Election Commission (EC) has invited delegates from five Asean nations to observe the election, but none from mature democracies. The EC might as well have invited delegates from Khazakhstan, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.

Will the rakyat respect the findings of these invited observers? If the rakyat refuses to be cowed, will these countries provide a safe haven for our former leaders, or will they leave Malaysians to mete out their own justice? Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi was unable to avoid the wrath of his countrymen.

If Umno were to cease to exist tomorrow, the Malays would not die away. Many Malays know this, but in some Malay communities, especially in the rural heartlands, the fear of extinction runs deep. It is an insecurity which is being exarcebated and exploited by Umno.

No one wants chaos or disruption in our everyday lives. Our leaders were given a chance to listen, but they refused. They are averse to change. They will not accommodate our wishes. Will Malaysians stand together and allow a fractured nation to heal?

Mariam Mokhtar is a FMT columnist

Open Letter By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng To Consumers Association of Penang(CAP) and other aligned organizations who oppose the Penang traffic decongestion projects of 3 highways and one under sea-bed tunnel.

Open Letter By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng To Consumers Association of Penang(CAP) and other aligned organizations who oppose the Penang traffic decongestion projects of 3 highways and one under sea-bed tunnel.

21 March 2013.

Encik S.M. Mohamad Idris,

Chairman Of CAP.

Dear Sir,

We refer to your recent statement opposing the Penang state government’s traffic decongestion projects of 3 highways and one under sea-bed tunnel comprising a 7 km undersea tunnel from Gurney Drive to Bagan Ajam in Butterworth, a 4.2km Pesiaran Gurney-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass, a 4.6km Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway-Bandar Baru Air Itam bypass, and a four-lane 12km road linking Tanjung Bungah with Teluk Bahang.

The state government has openly engaged with both the public and civil society since these projects were first mooted in 2011 and throughout the period of open competitive tender process until it was awarded this year. Whilst we welcome public views, such inputs and even criticisms from our detractors must always be based on objective analysis and facts, not subjective outbursts and sentiments. As the old adage goes, opinion is free but facts are sacred.

The Penang state government has taken the unprecedented move of consulting with the various NGOs and the public through dialogues and even holding town hall meetings in the full glare of the mass media. The process itself is historic for it has never been done in Malaysia.

Unfortunately you have never attended a single one of such dialogues or meetings. For this reason, we fail to see how you can oppose these proposed projects objectively and factually without the benefit of hearing our side. We would therefore like to take this opportunity to once again extend a personal invitation to you to a meeting where we can address the concerns you have expressed. Our doors are always open to you.

However should you refuse to accept our invitation, let us state why your criticisms of these proposed traffic decongestion projects were made subjectively out of mere sentiments.

One, we agree that public transport is the most effective mechanism to realize the objective of moving people and not moving vehicles. But why has CAP failed to acknowledge the strenuous efforts made by the Penang state government to make public transport the mode of choice for 1.6 million Penangites?

Whilst the state government would prefer to revive our tram system compatible with George Town status as a UNESCO World Heritage city, we had decided to go along with the Federal government’s promise for a monorail made in 2007. Regrettably, the Federal government has decided to play partisan politics at the expense of the public by stubbornly refusing to fulfil their promise of a monorail.

We then decided to think outside the box by offering free bus rides in the heritage enclave of George Town followed by a Park & Ride system to and fro from Seberang Jaya to Bayan Lepas and Balik Pulau at a cost of nearly RM3 million yearly. When this was well-received by the public we wanted to extend free bus services during peak hours throughout the state by paying Rapid Penang RM10 million yearly.

This RM10 million offer was rejected by the Federal government without any reason given. Similarly our proposal for Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang or MPPP to set up our own bus companies to provide public transport was rejected by the Federal government. At no point did CAP support the state government’s efforts nor questioned the Federal government for not accepting the money payment made by the state government to provide free bus services.

Clearly, the Federal government intends to choke Penang to death with traffic congestion. Due to Penang’s success as the most liveable city in Malaysia, the number of tourists pouring to Penang has surged dramatically. The usage at the Penang Bridge is on average nearly 80,000 vehicles daily, which can increase to 108,000 vehicles daily during public festivities.

As a responsible people-centric government, we refuse to do nothing, play the blame on the Federal government and wait to be choked to death by traffic congestion. We are left with no choice but to build highways to alleviate the traffic congestion at the most critical areas such as Paya Terubong, Tanjung Bungah and the inner George Town city area. To disperse traffic and avoid creating bottlenecks brought about by cars seeking to enter or leave Penang at the 2 bridges, there is a need for a third link across Seberang Perai Utara(SPU).

The state government can not build a bridge across the mainland because Federal government approval is required. However, no such approval is necessary for an under sea bed tunnel.

Further there is a question of equity as it is only fair that the residents of SPU are not denied a third link, when residents in Seberang Perai Tengah and Seberang Perai Selatan were given the 2 bridges. Having a third link would also ensure balanced development for SPU to ensure that they are not left out of economic growth.

The state government is equally concerned about the impact both on the environment and the livelihood of fishermen as we are committed to making Penang a green state. Such concerns have been fully addressed by requiring that a full Detailed Environment Impact Assessment(DEIA) be complied with. Should the necessary sanction not be obtained from such a DEIA report, then the projects will simply not proceed. Unlike other Federal government projects, the consultant preparing the DEIA will be appointed by the state government and not the contractor.

The operations of Penang Port will also not be affected as the tunnel will be built safely below the sea-bed. Many experts have opined that in terms of environmental impact, a under sea-bed tunnel has less adverse impact than a bridge.

CAP must bear in mind that the tender was awarded by an open competitive process that commenced in 2011. From an estimated cost of RM8 billion the magic of open competitive tender reduced it to RM6.3 billion. Contrary to wild allegations by BN, the paid up capital of the four companies that won the tender as a consortium and will be signing on individually with the state government is RM4.5 billion and not RM2.

For CAP to claim that we should not engage in the land swap of 110 acres of reclaimed land in Tanjung Pinang to finance this RM6.3 billion project raises serious questions why CAP did not sternly criticize BN for selling the reclaimed land at give-away rates of RM1 per square foot in 1999? Let us restate again that the evaluation and recommendation of the winning tender bid was made by two committees headed by the Penang State Secretary Dato Farizan bin Darus and the Penang State Finanical Officer Dato Haji Mokhtar bin Mohd Jait without any involvement of the Chief Minister. The entire tender exercise was a transparent and accountable process.

The 30 year toll concession period was given only for the tunnel and not for the other 3 highway projects which will be toll free. This toll concession for the tunnel is unique and the first in Malaysia in that there is no traffic volume guarantee given to the companies.

The state government agreed to a toll for only 30 years as we did not want to go to a state of war with the Federal government by not charging toll, as then the Federal government will have legal grounds to stop the tunnel project by claiming that we are deliberately sabotaging the toll collection for the 2nd Bridge. That is the reason why the state government has fixed the toll rate for the tunnel at the same rate as the 2nd Bridge.

Again if CAP is opposed to the 30 year concession by the Penang state government, why then did CAP not voice any objections when the toll concession for the 2nd Bridge is for an even longer period at 45 years?

For CAP to question the expertise and the technical ability of the companies concerned is again a subjective expression of mere sentiment as it blithely ignores the fact that Beijing Urban Construction Group and China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd (CRCC) are major construction companies that built the Beijing Olympic Stadium Bird Nest and most of China’s railroads, including the highest railroad to Tibet. Whilst no one guarantees that there will be no accidents, if that is the yardstick, are we going to stop building roads or aeroplanes just because there are accidents?

Even the Public Transport Masterplan(PTM) advocated the building of the under sea-bed tunnel with the proposed completion of the tunnel by 2025-2030 whereas the state government hopes to bring it forward by 2023-25. The 10-12 years period required to build the tunnel 3rd link is to satisfy all the feasibility and safety requirements including environmental protection.

Due to the length of the project’s completion of 10-12 years, planning and work has to start now. It is misleading for some parties to give the impression that work will start immediately and the tunnel will be completed in a few years time. Just as the 2nd Penang Bridge should have been built 10 years ago due to increased traffic usage, we must plan ahead not for ourselves but for our future generation.

We must not turn the next generation into a traffic jam generation to suffer what we have suffered due to lack of foresight and long-term planning. We may not benefit from these projects but our children and grandchildren will. That is our responsibility – to prepare the future for our young.

Thank you.

Yours faithfully,

LIM GUAN ENG

CHIEF MINISTER

You can read the Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin version HERE.

Transparency International Josie M. Fernandez on Corruption in Sarawak Video

Transparency International Josie M. Fernandez on Corruption in Sarawak

Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Najib Razak: Launch Royal Commission of Inquiry into corruption in Sarawak

This petition calls on Prime Minister Najib Razak (Twitter: @NajibRazak) to act immediately to initiate a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into corruption in Sarawak and to publicly provide the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) with an unambiguous public mandate to investigate corrupt acts linked to the family of Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Please read the petition in full at www.change.org/sarawak and sign the petition.

GE13 – Make the right choice

By Kee Thuan Chye | FMT

Voters, you have to decide soon. The 13th general election has to be held at the latest within two months of April 28, when the current government’s term expires. It may even be called next month if Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has the gumption for it.

Meanwhile, if you haven’t decided yet which coalition – Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat – should win federal power for the next five years, consider this.

After 55 years of ruling this country, where has BN got us?

The country is more divided than ever. We have been polarised on racial and religious lines for decades, but now we are divided by political leanings as well.

What about our economic progress?

According to International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates, Malaysia’s GDP per capita based on the Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) methodology amounted in 1980 to US$2,331. South Korea’s was lower at US$2,302, and Taiwan’s was slightly higher at US$3,571.

But in 2011, South Korea’s figure rose to US$31,220 (an increase of 1,255%), Taiwan’s to US$37,716 (up 956%), while Malaysia’s stood at US$16,240 (up 596%).

What happened? How did South Korea overtake us and in 2011 record a figure that is double that of ours?

Some people say the GDP (PPP) per capita is not so comprehensive, so let’s look at per capita income instead.

In 2011, South Korea’s per capita income was US$22,424 and Taiwan’s was US$20,083. How much was Malaysia’s? US$9,656. Again, half that of South Korea’s, and also Taiwan’s.

Najib pledges to make us a high-income nation with a per capita income of US$15,000 in 2020. By that time, what do you think the per capita incomes of South Korea and Taiwan would be? Furthermore, would US$15,000 still qualify as high income then?

By the way, our neighbour, Singapore, that used to be part of Malaysia, has a per capita income of US$46,241, which is almost five times ours. And they don’t have natural resources like we do.

In the last few years, the government has hardly been talking of making Malaysia an advanced nation, which is the goal of Vision 2020, tabled in 1991. It has been more than 20 years since, enough time to consolidate efforts to attain the goal, but we are apparently not near it. The talk these days is only about becoming a high-income nation instead. That’s not the same as becoming an advanced nation.

Corrupt practices and economic leakages

Clearly, wastage, leakages, imprudent government spending and, above all, corruption have retarded our growth. And the problem is compounded by the ruling party itself being mired in corruption.

Is BN therefore likely to address this issue in a serious and concerted manner? Has it been doing so, apart from hauling in a few culprits from time to time?

Shouldn’t we bring in a new government that is not so entrenched in this system of corrupt practices and economic leakages?

If we should, the 13th general election may be the only time to do it. Because if BN wins again, it is likely to gerrymander the electoral boundaries afterwards to its advantage and make it even harder for the opposition to win future general elections. In which case BN will be ruling Malaysia for many more years to come.

Would it then be likely to bring reform? Or would it rather continue to maintain the status quo to ensure it holds on to power and reap the rewards of being in government?

However, if the opposition coalition, Pakatan, were to win, what would be the biggest benefit to Malaysians? I think it would be the concretisation of the reality that a two-coalition system can work and is here to stay.

And isn’t this what we need? If not for the March 8, 2008, electoral result, would we be feeling as important as we do today as the people who decide who should govern us? Would we be feeling that our votes do count? Would the government be listening to us as much?

A two-coalition system provides for a stronger opposition, and this is always good for applying pressure on the ruling party to do what is right and what is of benefit to the rakyat. When BN had its two-thirds majority, it enjoyed a monopoly. It could push anybody aside and any laws through Parliament. It could be arrogant. Even now, it still is but less so.

Do you think that if BN were not voted out come GE13 so that it would experience what it’s like to be in the opposition, it would be able to reform itself in order to serve the people better rather than its own interests?

Look at Umno, the biggest party in the BN coalition. It is dominated by warlords – big ones and small ones. To them, losing their fiefdom is losing almost everything.

Holding office, even a relatively small one, opens the door to potential riches for the office holder and his supporters. The bigger the office, of course the greater the wealth. He will therefore not want to give it up.

That is why Umno’s leaders are going around appealing to the party’s members not to sabotage candidates selected to stand at GE13; the leaders know that those who are deprived of the opportunity will be envious of those who supplanted them, and they will be motivated to seek revenge against the latter.

This may be cutting off their noses to spite their faces because the act of sabotage can result in a defeat for the Umno candidate and therefore the party, but they don’t care.

The point is, they lost their chance to stand – and with it their passport to wealth, like the extra percentage they load onto the costs of public projects to line their own pockets with or the kickbacks they get for giving approvals.

Their supporters, who will also lose out in terms of influence, business opportunities, etc, will go along with their act of sabotage. Why else is our prime minister merely half-hearted in weeding out corruption? Because it’s too deeply rooted within his own party.

So how can we continue to give our votes to such a party or its coalition partners, like the MCA, the MIC, Gerakan, PBB, PBS, etc?

Bribing the rakyat

Besides, Umno leaders and their supporters have lately been trying to threaten Malaysians into voting for BN or face the possibility of another May 13. This, they know, works on the simple-minded ones and on non-Malays who fear unnecessary trouble and would have no qualms giving in regardless of their true sentiments.

Should we not put a stop to such irresponsible and unscrupulous measures to frighten the masses? More important, should we not stop once and for all the exploitation of racial sentiments that BN has been indulging in for the past decades?

The choice at GE13, to me, is clear. A new government will assuredly give us reform – if only to win our approval and continued support. A two-coalition system coming to reality will make politics more competitive and beneficial to the rakyat.

We may expect the media to be liberated; our institutions to be reformed; local council elections to be reinstated; academic freedom in universities to be encouraged; the repeal of the Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA); the return of open tenders for public projects; lower car prices.

Meanwhile, the current government is merely offering the carrot of cash handouts in the form of BR1M, which it says it will give more of if it wins GE13. Bribing the rakyat seems to be what it’s more capable of doing than formulating reform. Nonetheless, this strategy might well work, especially on those who need the cash.

But even so, we need to weigh that cash bribe against the larger benefit that a change of government could bring. Which would you cherish more? Which might bring better value in the longer run?

Besides, Pakatan also has a plan, inscribed in its manifesto Buku Jingga (Orange Book), that pledges to address the needs of household incomes below RM1,500. This could be a more sustainable approach to combating poverty than periodic cash handouts.

Let us recall then the words of Peter Mandelson, one of the architects of the New Labour Party in Britain: “Elections come and go, and governments come and go. And that’s what democracy is all about.”

When we go to vote, let’s keep that in mind. It’s not a big deal to let a government go and bring in a new one. If the new one doesn’t do its job, we can let it go at the next general election. That’s our democratic right, so let’s exercise it.

Let’s just be sure that come GE13, we make the right choice.

Kee Thuan Chye is the author of the bestselling book No More Bullshit, Please, We’re All Malaysians, and the latest volume, Ask for No Bullshit, Get Some More! This article first appeared in the March issue of Penang Monthly.

Global Witness shocking revelation on Sarawak alledged land graft - Video

WHAT IS THIS FILM ABOUT?

This investigation provides undercover footage of the corruption and illegality at the heart of governance in Sarawak, Malaysia’s largest state, on the island of Borneo. Read full story at Global Witness

The Greatest Responsibility of Ubah Is To Both Prepare The Future For The Young And Prepare The Young For The Future.

47th DAP Anniversary Statement By DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng Released In DAP Headquarters, Kuala Lumpur on 18 March 2013

DAP celebrates the 47th anniversary of the birth of our party on 18.3.1966 for the first time in Johor, the critical new frontier that PR must win to bring about Ubah or Change. Inikalilah! It is now or never!

For the first time in our nation’s 56-year history, change is possible. For the first time ever, Malaysians have a real alternative. For the first time ever, there is now a clear and tangible choice between a regime that is undemocratic, corrupt, racist and bankrupt, versus one that is clean, practices integrity, values freedom and human rights and is proven to be competent, accountable and transparent.

But one thing for sure, change will not come easy. In the last few weeks we have already seen cases of hooliganism by BN thugs, when even the Chief Minister’s Office in Penang can be attacked by an unruly mob and Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s bus was stoned and pelted when he was inside the bus, resulting in injury to a few people. This is only the beginning – BN’s desperate tricks will only get worse.

DAP and PR’s biggest challenge is still electoral fraud by BN and biasedness by a partisan Election Comission in the coming general elections. The electoral rolls are still not cleaned up with the astonishing 28% unidentifiable voters or 140,000 unaccounted for voters in Selangor. Is this the 28% “handicap” built in to the electoral process in benefit BN?

Further the constituency delineation is gerrymandered in an undemocratic manner to benefit BN. The smallest parliament seat in Malaysia, P125 Putrajaya, has 15,308 voters as of Quarter 3, 2012 while the largest seat, P109 Kapar, has 142,419 voters. The number of voters in the largest seat is 9 times that of the smallest seat.

In other words, one vote in P125 Putrajaya is roughly equal to 9 votes in P109 Kapar. This is a gross violation of the ‘One Man One Vote’ principle where one person’s vote should have the same weightage and power as another person’s vote.

For this reason PR is starting at a disadvantage as we have to win more than our fair share of the popular vote to win 50% of the seats, or else BN will steal the election. The disparity between votes received by BN and seats won by BN at every election is clearly shown below.



In other words PR has to win more than 51% of the popular votes,not 50% of the votes to win Putrajaya. It is therefore extremely important that we now put aside whatever minor differences we may have and rally united behind our party, and behind the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

As Mahatma Gandhi once said, “There is enough in this world for everyone’s need, but there is not enough in this world for one man’s greed.” Corruption by BN is deeply entrenched in Malaysia. Whilst making corruption history is amongst the highest priority of PR, the most difficult task is to give our young hope of a brighter future. In other words, the greatest responsibility of Ubah is to both prepare the future for the young and prepare the young for the future

An education system that is available, accessible and affordable must also inculcate a culture of excellence. Instead we have increasing mediocrity with the drop in Malaysia’s ranking in the Trends in International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 from 20th to 26th in the Mathematics and from 21st to 32nd in Science. This confirms the 2009 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) that the competency of 15-year olds in Malaysia was 3 years behind the international average.

Malaysians as a nation face a talent cliff that can hamper economic growth and cripple our efforts to transform ourselves into a high-income, knowledge-based developed country. Unless we grow and build human talent, retrain and retain them as well as attract new talent, we face the risk of not just falling behind from new developed economies like Singapore and South Korea but also being overtaken by neighbours like Indonesia and Thailand.

PR offers not just free education but will abandon political connections in favour of choosing the the best and brightest. At the same time, PR will build learning centres to give tuition to academically weak students so that we do not only focus on the best but can create a rising tide of supporting talents of high standards.

To succeed, Malaysia needs to be freed from the shackles on our mind imposed by a BN that refused to let us think. The greatest gift a government can bestow on its population is not cash handouts but knowledge and freedom from fear. Plato said, “We can forgive a child who is afraid of the dark, the real tragedy is when men and women are afraid of the light”.

Let us UBAH and Change to shine the light on all four corners of Malaysia!

Lim Guan Eng

—Mandarin Version —-

民主行动党秘书长林冠英于2013年3月18日在吉隆坡行动党总部发表民主行动党成立47周年纪念献词：

改朝换代，告别腐败的重大任务在于，为年轻一代的未来做准备，为了未来，让年轻一代做好准备。

今天是民主行动党自1966年3月18日创党以来第47周年纪念。我们将在柔佛州庆祝党庆， 这也是我们在柔佛州这个重要的前线州庆祝党庆，这是民联必须赢下的州属，告别贪腐，改朝换代。

这是马来西亚立国56年以来，第一次改朝换代的机会。 这是我国历史上第一次，马来西亚人民有真正的替代选择。 第一次，我们拥有清楚、切实的选择，究竟人民要一个不民主、贪污、种族主义及导致国家破产的政权，还是一个廉洁、重视自由及人权、能干、有公信力及透明的政府。

肯定的是，改朝换代不容易。过去几个星期我们已经看过国阵流氓的下三烂手段，就连槟州首长也无法免于暴徒的攻击，而拿督斯里安华坐在巴士内时也被人抛石头及投掷物品，结果数人被砸伤。这只是开始，国阵的阴招将会越来越多。

来届大选，民主行动党及民联最大的挑战依然是选举舞弊， 这是国阵及具政治偏见的选委会所导致的。我们的选民册还没有清理干净，在雪州。选民册上还有28%或14万名无法辩识的选民，这28%选民是不是加插进去选举过程，以让国阵得利？

还有，选区划分也是在不民主的情况下，为己党利益擅改选区，让国阵得利。 截至2012年第三季，我国最小的国会选区是P125布城，选民人数为1万5308人，而最大的国会选区为P109加埔区，14万2419人。最大选区的选民人数是最小选区的9倍。

换句话说，一个布城国会选民相等于加埔9个选民。这严重违反“一人一票”原则，每一个人的票应该同等重要。

因此，民联已经输在起跑点上，我们还得赢得更多选票，才能获得超过50% 的议席，否则，国会就会窃取选举。每一次的大选中，国阵所获选票及议席的差距如下：



换句话说，民联要入主布城，必须获得多过51%的多数票，而不是50%的选票。因此，在这个时候，我们应该放下任何不重要的歧见和差异，在党内、民联团结一致，迎战大选。

印席圣雄甘地说过：“这个世界足以满足每个人的需要，但不足以填满每个人的欲望。”国阵的贪腐已经根深蒂固。我们要告别腐败，最困难的任务就是让我们的年轻一代对光明的前程充满希望。换句话说，改朝换代，告别腐败的重大任务在于，为年轻一代的未来做准备，为未来让年轻一代做好准备。

一个可近、可用、可获得的教育制度也能培育追求卓越的文化。我国数理科水平下跌，显示出我们越来越平庸。2011年国际数理水平评估（TIMSS）中，我国数学成绩排位从20名滑落26名，理科成绩从21名滑落至32名。这确定了2009年国际学生评估（PISA）的结果，那就是我国15岁的学生水平比国际水平落后3年。

马来西亚面对的“人才悬崖”，足以摧毁我们的经济成长及转型成为高收入、知识型经济体的努力。除非我们栽培人才、再培训及留住他们，并且吸引新人才，我们面对的风险不只是落后于发达经济体如新加坡、韩国，我们也将落后于印尼及泰国。

民联不只将提供免费教育，我们也将摒弃政治联系，选择最好的、最优秀的。同时，民联也会兴建学习中心，协助学业成绩较弱的学生，让我们不只注重最好的学生，也创造一个支持人才进步提升的环境。

如果要成功，马来西亚必须免于国阵加诸于我们的思想镣铐，我们必须思考。一个政府能给予它的国民最好的礼物，不是现金，而是知识及免于恐惧。柏拉图说，“孩子怕黑暗是情有可原的，人生真正的悲剧是成人害怕光明。”

让我们改朝换代，让改变的光明照亮全马各个角落！

林冠英

A reply to The Malaysian Insider ― Lim Guan Eng

Lim Guan Eng

MARCH 14 ― I refer to your editorial and a plethora of articles opposing the proposed 3 separate highway and one third link tunnel project awarded by the Penang state government by open competitive tender recently for RM6.3 billion. I hope that you will allow the state government to explain the rationale for this “desperate” effort to decongest traffic congestion on the island and bring about smoother traffic flow on the mainland of Seberang Perai.

I used the word “desperate” deliberately because for the five years that the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government has been in power, we attempted to implement a public transport system in Penang. Initially we hopped on to the federal government’s proposal of an elevated monorail even though we felt that reviving the tram system would be the preferred option for Penang as George Town is a UNESCO World Heritage city.

Every year during the federal budget wish-list, we put in the monorail proposal without any positive response. Out of desperation, we thought outside the box by paying Rapid Penang to give free bus services in the George Town heritage city enclave ― which was extremely well received. We extended this programme to free bus services back and forth from the mainland to Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone and Balik Pulau during peak hours again paid for by the state government.

The federal government refused to respond when we proposed our local councils to run bus services. Our final effort to pay the federal government RM10 million yearly for Rapid Penang to offer free bus services throughout Penang state during peak hours was unceremoniously rebuffed.

Much as we prefer the public transport option, you have failed to highlight that public transport in whatever form is the exclusive prerogative of the federal government. Even if it is funded by the state government, nothing can be done without the sanction of the Federal government. Therefore, regurgitating the homily that we should be investing in public transport instead is akin to beating a dead horse.

As the federal government appears determined to choke our roads to death, the Penang state government decided to act decisively. We cannot do nothing and wait passively. That is why we decided to improve our road network by building alternative roads in the most heavily congested areas. And also connect to the mainland to bring both parts of the state closer as well as ensure that the Seberang Perai Utara area is not left out of economic growth.

Let the people decide

The PR Penang state government will listen and submit to the will of 1.6 million Penangites. Consequently, the state government has taken the unprecedented step of engaging with the public and civil society since the proposal was first mooted in 2011. This was no rush job. We are still continuing such town hall meetings.

The project, which was first announced in 2011 when the tender was called, consists of a 6.5-km underwater tunnel connecting Gurney Drive to Bagan Ajam, a 12-km dual carriageway between Tanjung Bungah and Teluk Bahang, a 4.2-km bypass connecting Gurney Drive to Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway and a 4.6-km bypass connecting the same expressway to Bandar Baru Air Itam.

The state government had awarded the tender to Consortium Zenith BUCG, a special purpose vehicle company set up by a joint venture between local company Construction Zenith, China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd (CRCC) along with Beijing Urban Construction Group, Sri Tinggi Sdn Bhd and Juteras Sdn Bhd. Beijing Urban Construction Group, a major Chinese construction company that built the Beijing Olympic Stadium Bird Nest, and CRCC built most of China’s railroads including the highest railroad to Tibet. These are not RM2 companies as alleged by our detractors.

No to monorail, yes to tram

Should PR win power in Putrajaya, PR is also proposing a tram system throughout the state linking both the island and the mainland. BN’s monorail is inappropriate for a world heritage city like Penang, as its elevated structure will destroy Penang’s charms. As a tram system on level ground would match Penang’s heritage, new alternative roads are required so that existing roads can make way for tram lines.

BN’s monorail project will not happen even if BN wins in Penang because of two reasons. One, the monorail would not be permitted by UNESCO and its construction would cause George Town to lose its UNESCO World Heritage city status. Two, BN has never fulfilled its promise when the monorail was first made by former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2006. Neither was this promised delivered when Datuk Seri Najib Razak became the prime minister. Clearly we have to wait until Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim becomes the prime minister, then only then will there be a tram system.

No to entry charges to George Town, Penang.

I wish to categorically deny wild allegations that these four road improvement projects were not included in the proposed Public Transport Masterplan (PTM). The only difference is the timing. The PTM called for the completion of the tunnel by 2025-2030 whereas the state government hopes to bring it forward by 2023, a difference of two years. The 10 year period required to build the tunnel third link is to satisfy all the feasibility and safety requirements including environmental protection. Should environmental safeguards not be complied with, then the project would simply not proceed.

PR has firmly rejected extreme calls for entry charges for all vehicles entering George Town, Penang as PR is committed to free movement of people within Penang as well as those from outside Penang. To adopt this “Singapore model” to reduce traffic congestion is elitist at best in reserving George Town for existing residents and discriminatory at worse by only ensuring that the well-off can enter George Town, Penang.

The federal government was aware of this proposed project as far back as April 2011 when both Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Chinese Premier Wen Jia Bao witnessed the exchange of Memorandum of Understanding attended by me for these 4 highway and tunnel projects in Kuala Lumpur. The open competitive tender was called in November 14, 2011 and public engagement with the public was carried out in 2011 briefing them of the project.

The evaluation and recommendation of the winning tender bid was made by two committees headed by the Penang State Secretary Datuk Farizan Darus and the Penang State Finanical Officer Datuk Haji Mokhtar Mohd Jait without any involvement of the chief minister. The entire tender exercise was a transparent and accountable process.

Out of 24 participants, only one objected, nine supported whilst the remainder sought more information

How can these four project be done with amazing speed when the first of the highway projects will be completed after 2017 and the underwater sea tunnel by 2023-25? The long construction time is due to the need to comply with Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requirements. Failure to comply with EIA would mean that the four projects would not go on.

The formal contract is still subject to discussion and is expected to be formalized and signed in a few months time after the next general elections and it will not proceed if rejected by the people. Input from public consultations and town hall meetings will assist the state government to refine our position when the contract is formalized over the next few months.

The state government was pleasantly surprised that at the last town hall meeting on March 10, 2013, out of the 24 who gave their views only one objected. Nine had supported whilst the remainder 14 sought more information. What was noteworthy was that all the younger members who spoke supported the proposed project whole-heartedly as they said they did not want to spend their life stuck in traffic jams.

The Penang state government is determined to invest in the future so that our young do not grow up as part of the traffic jam generation.

Can Teng Chang Yeow explain why BN sold the 940 acres of reclaimed land in Tanjung Pinang at only RM1 per square feet?

Further, the final tender price is not the estimated RM8 billion but RM6.3 billion awarded to the lowest tenderer, Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd. No cash will be paid but payment will be made in the form of 110 acres reclaimed land in Tanjung Pinang. This reclaimed land was approved by the previous BN state government, just as former Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon had also supported a half tunnel project from Tanjung Bungah to Butterworth.

For BN Penang Chair Teng Chang Yeow to claim that the reclaimed land is non-existent is a shameless lie as BN had approved the reclamation of 940 acres at a shocking price of RM1 per sq foot and 10 per cent of the land to be given to the state government. Can Teng explain why BN had sold the land at such a low and illogical price of RM1 per sq ft? The PR Penang state government had managed to increase the amount of land to be given the state from 10 per cent to more than 20 per cent, which will be used to finance the construction of the four major highways.

The horrible traffic congestion two weeks ago on the 1st Penang Bridge due to repairs works reminds us of the importance of having this 3rd link for the future. Whilst the three highways will assist in mitigating the traffic congestion accessing to Batu Ferringhi, around George Town as well as to Bandar Baru Air Itam and Farlim area, the 3rd underwater sea tunnel serves another function to spur economic development in Seberang Perai Utara (SPU).

The Penang state will not sit back and do-nothing on traffic congestion by taking the easy way out in blaming the federal government for failing to provide public transport. Neither will we adopt an island-centric approach but instead develop a state-centric approach that encompasses the needs of the mainland. If there is a bridge linking the island in both Seberang Perai Tengah and Seberang Perai Selatan, there should be a link at Seberang Perai Utara to advance economic growth.

Lim Guan Eng is the chief minister of Penang.

Spending your money to lie to you

By Abdul Samad Sulaiman | TMI

How would you react if someone used your money to put together a plan to deceive you? I repeat used your money.

Well, that is what the Najib administration did when it paid millions of ringgit in taxpayers’ money to right-wing bloggers in the United States to write articles damaging to Anwar Ibrahim on sites such as Huffington Post, etc. Essentially, the government used OUR money to plant fictitious reports about the opposition leader.

There is something very disturbing when leaders who swear to respect law and order and whom we hope would have the moral spine to navigate this country on the path of what is right would agree to promoting falsehood and slander. And use government funds at that!

But for me even more upsetting is the fact that this tactic of funding the factory of lies and deceit is happening on our shores and now targetted at the Malaysian audience — you and me.

What government would stoop so low and use taxpayers’ funds to pay bloggers, cybertroopers, set up websites such as The Choice and Malaysian Review and lie to its own people? Can we trust a government, which has embraced lies and deceit, with governing with integrity?

Many of us have been receiving “articles” directly through our emails, written by “eunice the, etc”. A couple of days ago, a “Steve Roads” wrote an “article”, quoting Philippine intelligence sources, alleging that Anwar Ibrahim was behind the Sultan of Sulu’s invaders.

For good measure, the article was accompanied by a Philippine Inquirer logo, giving the impression this was an Inquirer article.

It appears that the government believes that controlling the Internet means dumping fake articles written by fake writers. Isn’t it enough that we have to put up with the fiction written by the mainstream media (Utusan Malaysia’s 100 per cent record of losing all defamation suits shows that I am not overstating the claim) that we have to be sent fictional reports on the Internet.

But that this government chooses this approach to propaganda speaks volumes of the morality of the people at the top. How can we trust these people when they don’t trust us to make a good choice on who should govern Malaysia based on facts?

And really grating is that my money and yours is being given to intellectually-challenged and morally-bankrupt cybertroopers to spin.

BN must be destroyed

Dean Johns | Malaysiakini

I’ve expressed this obvious message in so many ways over the years – in attempts to spice it up with variety – all to no apparent avail thus far, that it strikes me that I should try mindless repetition for a change.

This will be terribly tedious for us all of course, but the possible gain could be well worth our collective pain. Because repetition of the patently, blatantly obvious has worked a treat in the past.

Most famously, as history recalls, for Cato the Elder, who in the years between 175 and 146BC bored his fellow ancient Romans witless by ending his every speech in the senate with the statement that “Carthage must be destroyed”.

Four words that for years rendered Cato a figure of fun. But finally taken seriously and given force by the Roman sword, they proved to be a death sentence to the dreaded Carthage.

Thus my hopes for the similar success of my mantra for the foreseeable future, or at least until Malaysia’s endlessly-awaited 13th general election: BN must be destroyed.

Admittedly, BN is not a foreign threat to Malaysia as Carthage was to Rome. But this criminal coalition is arguably as dangerous to the future of the Malaysia and Malaysians as any external enemy might be.

For more than 50 years, and especially in the past 30, BN has been an insidious, creeping evil attacking and infesting Malaysia by stealth.

Steadily stealing as much of the nation’s land, oil, timber, corporate wealth and hard cash as it can get away with, and simultaneously robbing Malaysians of all possible forms of defence or redress.

BN may not be an invader, but it is certainly an all-pervader. It has systematically colonised and co-opted the civil services at every level from federal to local with its own relatives, cronies, sycophants and place-seekers.

Perverting the system of justice

It has flooded the country with foreign workers to ensure cheap, sweated – if not slave labour – for its captive economy, and secretly handed-out citizenships to illegal immigrants selected as most likely to show their gratitude in the form of votes.

And simultaneously the regime has robbed Malaysians of their proper protections in the face of such assaults on their rights and property by subverting the forces of law and order, perverting the system of justice, corrupting the electoral commission and turning the people’s last hope of protection, the mass media, into its own pack of propagandising ‘prostitutes’.

BN must be destroyed. As of course someday it certainly will be, just as Carthage was over 2,000 years ago by its destroyer, Rome, centuries later.

But BN won’t last for 500 years, despite its desperate attempts to emulate Roman emperors’ ‘bread-and-circuses’ method of control of their subjects with 1Malaysia-styled 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M) and sandiwaras.

In fact, 50+ years look to be pretty much BN’s limit. Most Malaysians with any brains are utterly scornful of the regime’s efforts to forgive the plundering of countless billions of their cash and resources in return for ‘gifts’ of trifling sums of hush-money.

And the sandiwaras intended to amuse and divert the populace seem to be alienating more of the masses than they impress. Throwing Christians to the lions seemed to have been a big hit with ancient Romans for a while, but BN’s threats to burn Christian Bibles seem to have gone down like a lead balloon.

As have many former entertainments that BN has arranged for the diversion and instruction of the public, like the shooting and C4-dismemberment of Altantuya Shaariibuu, the throwing of Teoh Beng Hock out of a window of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) building, and the deaths of dozens of ‘suspects’ in police shoot-outs and custody.

Similarly, while displays of armed combat to the death were reportedly highly popular back in ancient Rome’s Coliseum, the Malaysian people are apparently giving the thumbs-down to the gladiatorial contest that BN has been staging between its commandoes and police and a band of insurgents from the Southern Philippines in Sabah.

Considerable suspicions cast over BN

It has not only resulted in the considerable loss of lives, but has cast considerable suspicions over the BN regime’s grip on the national security that it claims as its forte, the usefulness or otherwise of its armed forces, grossly over-priced weapons acquisitions, and its innocence of involvement in Muslim uprisings in the southern Philippines and Thailand.

But perhaps the most telling casualty of this long-running and still ongoing saga has been any shred of credibility that the BN regime might have retained.

The regime first claimed that two Malaysian casualties had been caused by mortar fire, then changed the story to shooting.

But even then the powers that be couldn’t get their stories straight, with Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein (right) explaining that gunfire had begun when the insurgents tried to make a rush to break through their surrounding cordon, and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak claiming that the Malaysians casualties had been tricked into presenting themselves as targets by the other side’s waving of a white flag of truce.

Meanwhile, BN’s original assertion via Hishammuddin that the insurgents were not terrorists but fellow Muslims, which struck most of us as quite amazingly oxymoronic, has now morphed into the accusation that Anwar Ibrahim is behind the whole thing.

BN mouthpiece ‘news’ media, including Bernama, Utusan Malaysia, Star Online and TV3 have reported Najib as having urged the intelligence authorities to “probe claims that the opposition had instigated the heir of the Sulu Sultanate to reclaim Sabah”.

This allegation was reportedly based on a claim that Anwar recently met with the leader of the Moro National Liberation Front, Nur Misuari. But embarrassingly for Najib, Misuari recently stated in an interview with the Philippines’ Davao Today that Najib is his friend and a cousin of his grand-nephew.

Thus adding weight to what many of us suspect – that far from Anwar and the opposition, it is actually BN that is using the incursion to destabilise Sabah, either for the purpose of postponing the coming general election, or declaring a state of emergency in line with Najib’s stated strategy to retain power even at the cost of broken bodies and lost lives.

In short, this is yet another sign that it’s way past time for Malaysians to put an end to this rotten regime’s reign of robbery, terror and error. Or as old Cato would put it if he were alive today, BN must be destroyed.

DEAN JOHNS, after many years in Asia, currently lives with his Malaysian-born wife and daughter in Sydney, where he coaches and mentors writers and authors and practises as a writing therapist. Published books of his columns for Malaysiakini include ‘Mad about Malaysia’, ‘Even Madder about Malaysia’, ‘Missing Malaysia’, ‘1Malaysia.con’ and ‘Malaysia Mania’.

Debunk the Five Big Lies of UMNO/BN 13GE Campaign

By Lim Kit Siang

Tonight, on the fifth anniversary of the “308 political tsunami” of March 8, 2008, I want to debunk the five Big Lies of the Umno/Barisan Nasional 13th General Elections campaign.

Lie No. 1 – that Malaysia will be bankrupt in five, three or even two years’ time (depending on which Umno/BN leader is telling the lie) if Pakatan Rakyat forms the Federal Government after the 13 GE.

Only a person with a very low IQ will make or believe such a lie.

Have the state governments of Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan which are run by Pakatan Rakyat gone bankrupt after five years in the case of Penang, Selangor and Kedah and for over 22 years in the case of Kelantan?

If Pakatan Rakyat succeeds in the journey to Putrajaya in the 13GE, we want to be the Federal Government not just for one term, but also to be able to continue to get the national mandate to govern Malaysia in the 14th, 15th and future general elections.

The fastest way to end Pakatan Rakyat’s mandate to govern Malaysia is to lead the country to bankruptcy and economic ruin and this is the last thing that a Pakatan Rakyat government in Putrajaya will do.

In fact, a Pakatan Rakyat government in Putrajaya will prove that we can govern Malaysia better than Umno/Barisan Nasional, leading the country to new heights in national unity and harmony, good governance, international competitiveness and economic prosperity.

Lie No. 2 – that the Malays and the Chinese will be oppressed and marginalized. To the Malay electorate, UMNO leaders warned that if Pakatan Rakyat governs Malaysia, the Malays will suffer as the DAP will be the dominant party and PAS is only a puppet and stooge of DAP; while to the Chinese crowd, MCA and the other BN component parties warned that the Chinese will be the real victims as the DAP is a “eunuch” to PAS as DAP leaders would not dare to speak up or stand up to the PAS leaders who will be the real powers of a Pakatan Rakyat government.

This double falsehood typifies the hypocrisy, dishonesty and total lack of ethics of the Umno/BN leadership who could spread different and even conflicting lies to different audiences – trying to incite racial hatred and distrust by arousing baseless fears among the Malays and non-Malays that they will be oppressed by the other communities.

Lie No. 3 – the Malays warned that a vote for PR is a vote for DAP and the oppression of the Muslims as DAP wants to establish a Christian state; while the Chinese and non-Muslims warned that a vote for PR is a vote for PAS and the amputation of their limbs with the introduction of hudud and establishment of an Islamic State.

Lie No. 4 – that there will be another May 13 riots and racial conflagration if Pakatan Rakyat wins in the 13GE, particularly with the specific warning that Malays will lose their political rights if Umno is defeated. This is a downright lie as it is only the UMNO leaders and their cronies, and not the ordinary Malays, who will lose their political rights if UMNO loses, as replacing UMNO in the corridors of power will be the Pakatan Rakyat representing all races, religions and regions in the country.

In and out of Parliament, I had challenged the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to declare that UMNO/BN leaders will accept the verdict of the electorate and will effect a peaceful and democratic transition of power from BN to PR if this is the result of the 13GE, but Najib has been conspicuously silent on this issue up to now although he claims to want to make Malaysia “the best democracy in the world”.

Umno/BN leaders are showing their utter lack of responsibility, ethics and even patriotism by spreading these three lies about the 3Rs on race, religion and riots.

A Pakatan Rakyat government in Putrajaya is committed to demonstrate that all races and religions in Malaysia stand to benefit, as it will be a better government than Umno/BN to promote and safeguard the rights and welfare of all races, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Orang Asli, Kadazans and Ibans, with full freedom of religion as enshrined in the Malaysian Constitution.

Lie No. 5 – that Pakatan Rakyat is “sama-sama” like Umno/BN, particularly with regard to corruption and abuses of power. One of the first tasks of a PR government in Putrajaya is to show it is not “sama-sama” like the UMNO/BN government, which has presided over worsening corruption, cronyism, financial scandals, abuses of power and the subversion of the independence, professionalism and integrity of the national key institutions in the country.

Let all patriotic Malaysians who want a peaceful democratic change in Malaysia in the 13GE ala-South Korea Spring in 1997 and not ala-Arab Spring help to debunk these five Big Lies so as not to allow UMNO/BN leaders and propagandists to continue to mislead and bamboozle the Malaysian voters after five decades.

(Speech at DAP Kepong Anniversary Dinner at Taman Menjalara, Kepong on Friday, 8th March 2013)