From around the Blogs
By Joe Fernandez
Oil & gas royalty mother of all issues
Umno will be crucifying itself on this issue in Kelantan if the Federal Government continues to deny oil & gas royalty to the state. The same goes for Terengganu. This is a question of the law & what is right and wrong. Wrong place to play politics. Already, in Sabah & Sarawak there is a lot of dissatisfaction that the Federal Government, through Petronas, is only paying oil & gas royalty from a small of wells in the inner waters. These two states don't get oil & gas royalty from the great majority of their wells dotted in waters off the respective states. This is likely to be the mother of all issues in the next General Election. Just imagine the billions that the Federal Government/Petronas have been denying Sabah, Sarawak, Terengganu & Kelantan over the years in oil and gas royalty? How is the Federal Government/Petronas going to make good on all the back payments due to the oil & gas rich states when it is virtually bankrupt? It's pointless going to court on the issue.
The Holy Bible, the word of God, highly-recommended reading
In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus says: "He who is without sin, let him cast the first stone!" Jesus is the son of God who was born of the Blessed Virgin Mary, was crucified, died & was buried to save mankind from their sins & ensure eternal life for them. No greater love has someone than when he lays down his own life for his fellow men. He rose again on the 3rd day & sits in glory at the right hand of God in heaven. The Holy Bible is a wonderful work of ancient literature which Christians believe is the Word of God. The word was made flesh. The Holy Bible, the all-time best seller in the world since it appeared in history, is highly recommended reading especially for those who believe in the power of positive thinking. There is so much inspiration in the Holy Bible to guide us in our daily life. How can we be sure that every word in the Holy Bible is true? The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Belum cuba, belum tahu. Tak kenal, maka tak cinta. Truth is a mental construct.
Can I f . . . you today?"
I hope PKR and PR kicks out Anwar or at least he leaves so that Zaid Ibrahim and Tengku Razaleigh can save the opposition alliance. But that part about: "Can I f . . . you today?" is ridiculous. Why so polite? No one wanting sex will ask such a question. They will just go ahead and do it through body language etc. Does Anwar ask his wife the same question each time he wants to have sex with her? Or does she ask him: (all the while standing like a kayu) "Anwar, can you f . . . me today?" Also, just out of curiosity, was the question to Sinful Saiful in English or Malay?
Need for sea planes along ferry routes
Ferry services in Sabah are an utter disgrace compared with that in neighbouring countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, Brunei, Sarawak, Hong Kong and Macao. Most of the time, the ferries lack life-jackets and other safety equipment. People are actually very afraid to take the ferries and given a choice would rather fly. It's time for the state and federal governments to introduce sea planes along the routes plied by the ferries. They could operate as sea taxis or shuttle services.
Time for 3rd Force in Malaysian politics
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pro-tem chair Zaid Ibrahim and Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah should both quit their respective parties and help put together a Third Force in Malaysian politics. The Third Force should comprise Sabah, Sarawak, the Indian community, the Orang Asli, other minorities, some Chinese factions in Barisan Nasional, and followers of both Zaid and Razaleigh in Peninsular Malaysia. With the emergence of the Third Force, both the BN and PR would be cut down to size. In the final toss after the next General Election, the Third Force would seize the reins of power in Putra Jaya by enlisting the support of either PR or BN or, alternatively, help form the federal government helmed by either of the other two political blocs. Zaid faces disciplinary action by the end of this month for publicly terming PKR as a poor man’s version of Umno. This has upset the top party brass who believe that what Zaid actually meant, but did not say, is that the party is “a poor version of Umno”. He’s likely to be suffer more than the proverbial slap on the wrist. Anwar’s inner circle is pushing for Zaid to be suspended from the party until the party elections are over. This would take him out of the running in the party polls. Razaleigh came within a hair’s breath of wresting the premiership in 1987. Had at least 23 of Mahathir Mohamad’s 43 vote-edge stayed with Razaleigh, as previously pledged, the latter would have won by one vote.
PR should end marginalisation of Indian community
The solution is simple. PR should allow the HRP to contest in the Indian seats it plans to create in 15 parliamentary and 38 state constituencies to take up the issue of the Indians being marginalised and being denied their place in the sun. At present no one is taking up Indian issues. If PR refuses to give way to HRP in the seats mentioned, BN will win by default. Not that HRP wants BN to win. Where will that leave PR's dream of capturing Putra Jaya? This is the result of PR shutting the mouths of their Indian legislators and ignoring the legitimate demands of the Indian community in states they rule. Dap has Chinese and Chinese-Indian seats, Pas has Muslim-non Muslim seats and PKR has Malay-Chinese-Indian seats. Indians are being told by PR to support the coalition first and everything will be okay when Umno is kicked out and it takes over Putra Jaya. Such promises are not good enough.. PR must demonstrate its sincerity now by ending the marginalisation of the Indian community.
The emergence of Borneo as a great economy
The future of the economies of the states & regions in Borneo lie on this great island itself & not with Malaysia or Indonesia. Sabah and Sarawak are going nowhere with Malaysia & similarly for Kalimantan with Indonesia. The only good thing for Borneo is their unhindered access to the Malaysian & Indonesian markets. It would be better for Borneo to form a customs union along the lines of the European Union. From there, it's just a short hop, skip & jump towards greater integration for their mutual benefit & that of Malaysia, Indonesia, Asean & the world. The road network is ready, air links should follow, the ferry links & sea links should be upgraded, especially on the Malaysian side.. The Malay language is a common factor & will ease the conduct of business. In fact, before the advent of the west in southeast Asia, Malay was the trading language in the Malay archipelago until replaced by English & Dutch. Malay archipelago does not refer to a people but the Malay language.
The Law is an Ass
In the case of the two MBs in Perak, the facts of the case is what happened before the matter ended up in court. Basically, three people including two facing corruption charges ran away to become "BN-friendly" independents, Najib appointed himself as the head of Perak Umno and Perak BN and then saw the Sultan and "advised" him that BN now had the majority in the state assembly, the Sultan met with the three and the MB Nizar. Nizar advised the Sultan to consent to the dissolution of the state assembly to hold fresh elections. The Sultan refused. He told Nizar to resign. Nizar refused. Sultan appointed a new MB.. These are the facts of the case.
The fact that Najib bribed the three to run away is besides the point and also the fact that Najib agreed to drop the corruption charges against two of them is besides the point. The fact that the Sultan's family company, Gamuda, has many contracts from the Federal Government is also besides the point. The fact that there is a MACC case against the daughter of the Sultan over a road building project in Sabah, the Kalabakan-Sepulut highway, is also besides the point.
The issues to consider in the case of the two MBs is whether the Sultan can dismiss the MB if he refuses to resign after having apparently lost his majority and whether the Sultan has absolute discretion (read absolute power) to go on to appoint another MB although the previous MB is still around. Also to consider is whether the state assembly is the only forum to dismiss the MB via a motion of no confidence. Also to consider is whether going back to the people is the only course of action that the Sultan should consider since the Nizar Govt was elected by the people and can only be dismissed by the people.
The High Court ruled in favour of Nizar who became MB again but only for five hours.
The Court of Appeal stayed the High Court Ruling and later decided in favour of the BN and the Sultan.
Nizar appealed to the Federal Court
The Federal Court unanimously ruled in favour of the Sultan and the BN. Nizar wanted a full 9 to 11 man bench to hear the appeal but the Federal Court refused and appointed five pro-BN judges.
To add insult to injury, the Federal Court advised Nizar that all is not lost and that he can apply for a Judicial Review of the Federal Court ruling and move a motion of no confidence in the state assembly to dismiss the BN MB. In the case of the Judicial Review, it will never be heard until the next General Elections are near. By that time, any revision of the Federal Court's own ruling will be academic (of no use) if it is in favour of Nizar. All the Federal Court can tell Nizar is: "Oops! Sorry lah. Never mind lah, you can have a chance again to be MB since the elections are here. Good Luck. He He He!"
The Federal Court should have taken the circumstances which caused the three to run away into account and then go on to reinstate Nizar and advise the Sultan to agree to fresh elections if the MB requests. However, our judges are morons who invariably support the BN no matter what the circumstances. Blinkered (like a horse which cannot see right or left because it has blinkers on which prevents it from doing so) justice is no justice at all.
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