Weekly News Monitor: 30th June, 2008
Is Najib Eyeing Abdullah’s Job?
What appeared to be the story of the year was buried by loquacious front page treatment of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s tabling of the mid-term review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan in the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (26 June).
Within the earshot of Abdullah after the Barisan Nasional supreme council meeting later that evening, Najib dropped the bombshell; he may just go for his boss’ post, that of Umno president at the party’s election at year-end. Should he succeed, he gets to be prime minister as well according to convention.
But all newspapers buried the story with some not even carrying it. Both Utusan Malaysia and the New Straits Times gave it a three or four-paragraph treatment buried in its inside pages. Both also chose to use the copy supplied by Bernama, the official news agency. Berita Harian ignored the story. The Star used its own copy and put it on Page 12. Sin Chew Daily, Nanyang, China Press also used their own copy but gave it only three or four paragraphs and relegated the story to inside pages.
This is the Bernama copy:
KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 (Bernama) — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today he has yet to decide whether to contest the Umno presidency in the party elections in December.
Asked by reporters whether he would contest if he were to receive enough nominations from the Umno divisions, Najib, who is also Umno deputy president, said it was not the time yet for him to make the announcement.
“I will make the decision when the time comes, there is still time,” he told reporters after attending the Barisan Nasional (BN) Supreme Council meeting, here tonight.
Under the Umno regulations, the candidate for the presidency must obtain nominations from at least 30 per cent of the total Umno divisions in the country…
The Star headlined its story as: “Najib to decide on top post ‘when the time is right.’”
It said, “Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak did not dismiss the possibility that he might contest the presidency in the coming party polls. Asked if he would go for it if he secured enough nominations, Najib said: “I will make a decision when the time comes. There is still time.””
The rest of its story was about Abdullah’s comments on party election matters.
This is the first time Najib has gone on record of not dismissing the possibility of challenging Abdullah for the party’s top post. Najib always portrays himself as the loyal deputy even to the extent of tolerating former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad condemning him as a coward for not trying to oust Abdullah.
To quell restlessness over his own position Abdullah had announced recently that Najib and he had come to an agreement to a smooth handing-over “when the right time comes.” Both did not say when this could be.
Najib has also gone on record to say he will not destroy the party that “my father (former premier Abdul Razak) built” by scrambling for the top post.
Has Najib changed his mind now? Has he lined up enough numbers to go for Umno’s presidency? He is not saying anything. But his ellipsis invites much speculation.
He has said: “I will make a decision when the time comes. There is still time.”
I want to make money from God's timber gift
Two weeks ago, the Kedah Government approved logging activities at the Pedu, Muda and Ahning dam catchment areas, a move that is expected to generate about RM16bil in revenue for the state.
Last week NST reported Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak as saying that his friends wanted to know what the fuss was about and that he had told them former menteri besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim had once said that Perlis did not have to pay for water as it was a gift from God.
"I am now saying timber is also God's gift and I want to make money from it. What's wrong with that?" he said to laughter from reporters after chairing the weekly state exco meeting at the Padang Terap District Council office near here yesterday.
Referring to Kedah Umno Youth chief Md Rawi Abdul Hamid's call for a referendum on the proposed logging of an area twice the size of Singapore, he said "maybe someone just learned the word referendum".
He described the call as "unnecessary", adding that referendums were normally held to change the constitution or system of government. "This is just chopping down a few trees and you want us to hold a referendum?" he asked.
Many people and groups have asked Azizan to reconsider the proposal, including Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Sahabat Alam Malaysia and the Malaysian Nature Society, had condemned Azizan's plan to log timber in the water basin.
More cracks in Abdullah's crumbling facade
Anil Netto wrote in the Asia Times,
These are trying times for Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who after a sub-par showing in the March general elections now faces opposition both from inside and outside his Barisan Nasional (BN) ruling coalition.
Many political analysts speculate his administration will not last the year as the opposition Pakatan Rakyat alliance ramps up its efforts to either poach parliamentarians from the BN into its camp or secure a no-confidence vote in parliament.
Disquiet > A game of high-stakes poker?
Sivin Kit sent this in to say, “I don't know how to play poker, but I must take my hat off for the courage shown by Raja Petra Kamarudin even though I'm still trying to understand what he is up to. For the clarity Malik Imtiaz, in an opinion piece in the Malay Mail, gives in helping us see the process, two one-line statements stand out for perspective.”
The rakyat has demanded accountability and transparency.
Let the truth emerge. One way or the other, let it out.
Billboard in SS2
The Pakatan Rakyat government seems to be under tremendous scrutiny even until complaints about a billboard. This is on top of the after 100 days review on old and new media. But there's no coverage on BN elections banners which are still lagging near and unkept in streets in the Lembah Pantai constituency. Tony Pua in his blog writes to say regarding the offending billboard in SS2:
When newspapers covered the story, with concerns that the state government was extravagant with its expenses, it was found that the billboard company, Setia Media was the one who put it up.
And when residents complained that the billboard would have been more useful if the representatives' numbers were published, the company put up both Dr Cheah Wing Yin (ADUN for Damansara Utama) and my contacts almost immediately.
I don't have a problem having my service centre hotline and email details published. But I thought it was rather odd for the billboard company not to have the courtesy to inform us in advance. Hence I wasn't aware of it till I saw it for myself last week as I was passing by. Worse, they even got Dr Cheah's constituency wrong - it is published as "Damansara Damai".
And possibly more importantly, the billboard company should state clearly on the advertisement that it was sponsored by the company, and the state did not pay for anything for it. This will certainly go a long way towards clarifying to residents that the local politicians did not waste precious tax-payers money to "glorify" themselves.
A day of fun for those in Sg Petani
It's refreshing to read how fun activities on the ground can do so much to bring different people together. The Herald had this item last week:
Some 500 primary and secondary school children turned up early Friday morning to participate in some 28 events which included the gunny sack race, musical chairs, running with the ping pong ball on a spoon and many others. The participants were divided into different age groups from kindergarten to 45 years and above.
The Chairman of the RT sector, Mr Bachan Singh Johl, said this was a yearly affair and participation was overwhelming every year. The families were from Taman Sentosa and Taman Setia and the newer neighbourhoods of Taman Setia Jaya and Taman Sentosa Jaya.
The Family Day is one of the main activities organised by the Taman Setia/Sentosa RT for the 12th year running now, which aimed at getting the families of all races to meet and mix with one another. The RT sector which is one of the most active in the town also holds medical camps, health talks, jogathons and walkathons, colouring competitions for the children and other social activities for the community throughout the year.
Set our Schools free!
The mini happy ending over the SMK Subang Utama’s (SMKSU) prefects’ reunion issue is that Hannah Yeoh has received a formal invitation to the reunion. But the issues remain as she steps up a challenge on a circular to the schools.
I am challenging the circular on two grounds:-
- why was the circular issued only after the General Elections 2008? (date of issuance 31 March 2008)
- if the motive of the circular is to discourage politicians from using schools as a political platform, then justify why a certain politician is invited to officiate a formal school function recently in Subang Jaya? This person is purely a political figure and not an elected representative anymore. It shouldn't matter what position the politician assumes in the school organization, if the motive of the circular is to discourage politics then he/she should be given the same treatment accorded to everyone else.
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