In his new book on the world’s latest financial crisis hotspots, “Boomerang: Travels In the New Third World”, journalist Michael Lewis wrote about how the then new Greek Minister of Finance George Papaconstantinou found out when he took office in October 2009 that his country had cooked its deficit figures with a budget deficit of 12.7% of GDP, four times more than the eurozone’s limit, and a public debt of US$410 billion. The projected Greek deficit of roughly 7 billion euros was actually more than 30 billion.At his first monthly meeting with European Finance Ministers after he told his counterparts his shocking discovery, a European Finance Minister came up to him and said: “George, we know it’s not your fault, but shouldn’t someone go to jail?”
This is the same question many Malaysians are now asking about the RM250 million National Feedlot Centre (NFC) scandal, especially after the shocking claim by the UMNO Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin that the purchase of an RM10 million condominium from funds meant for cattle production was a “strategic move”, so that the money would not lie idle.
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak or his Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who was Agriculture Minister when the NFC project was first mooted and approved, should answer this question in the minds of most Malaysians: “Shouldn’t someone go to jail?”
If the cast of personalities involved in the NFC scandal had all involved Pakatan Rakyat leaders and their family members, and not the incumbent Minister for Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil and her family members, there is no doubt that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) would have swooped in on the case from Day One, the MACC investigators now crawling all over the cases and all the protagonists already subject to intense and sustained grilling ala-Teoh Beng Hock.
But this is not the case as there is total inaction, indifference and disinterest on the part on the MACC with regard to the RM250 million NFC scandal, despite the shocking revelations of a clear misappropriation of public funds in the case of RM10 million from the funds to promote cattle production to purchase a condominium for private benefit and the RM800,000 to pay for the expensive overseas trip of the Minister and her family members on company funds.
Shahrizat’s self-defence that her family does not deserve the allegations as they work very hard has only opened up a Pandora’s Box.
It is time that her husband Mohamad Salleh Ismail, her children Wan Shahimur Izran, Wan Shahimur Izmir and Wan Izzana Fatimah, break their silence.
They should appear in the public to explain the numerous queries, contradictions and inconsistencies which had surfaced since the strictures of the Auditor-General’s Report 2010 about the NFC – especially as the explanations and justifications made on their behalf such as by the UMNO Youth Leader Khairy Jamaluddin have only dragged the Shahrizat family and the NFC scandal deeper into the mud. - Lim Kit Siang
2 comments:
Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin desires a unified school system for Malaysia. What it means is that Barisan Nasional will be willing to become one party with membership open to all races and religions in Malaysia. In return, the Malaysians must allow a unified school system in Malaysia. In Malaysia they have national schools and national type schools. Whatever Khairy wants to comment about should be confined to national schools, not the national type schools. As regards to national type schools, Khairy should hold his tongue and mind his own business.
It does not matter what Khairy Jamaluddin says or does not say. In the world of the future we will see China growing stronger socially, politically, and economically. That’s it. With every passing day both China and India are growing stronger socially, politically, and economically. Khairy Jamaluddin’s statements will not make any changes. In the world of the future it may be an asset to know Chinese language. Khairy should encourage more Malays to send their children to Mandarin medium schools.
Some how, Khairy Jamaluddin is trying to create a link between the UMNO-BN on the one hand and Chinese medium and Tamil medium schools on the other hand. Who cares about the future of UMNO-BN? Nobody. Whether UMNO-BN wins or loses the next elections, the Chinese and Tamil medium schools should and will survive. No political party should touch the Chinese and Tamil medium schools. Whatever changes that the political parties want to make in the education sector should be regarding the national schools, not national type schools.
Who cares whether Barisan Nasional is divided into numerous component parties or becomes a singular multi racial and multi-religious party? It will make no difference because with every passing day both China and India are strengthening socially, politically, and economically. This is the future. The future is not Khairy Jamalludin. Khairy is too small for China. The future is China and India; and both nations are non-Muslim nations. The Chinese in Malaysia should continue to send their children to Chinese medium schools. Penang, Sabah, and Sarawak deserve greater autonomy. Furthermore, Philippines claims Sabah. Does Sabah belong to Malaysia or Philippines? We need one nation with several systems in Malaysia. One nation with one system will not work in a multi-religious and multi-lingual nation like Malaysia.
In the 1960's and !970's, many Chinese Malaysians spoke English among themselves. In year 2011, Chinese Malaysians speak Mandarin among themselves. I would like to commend UMNO-BN government for strengthening and consolidating the Mandarin language in Malaysia. UMNO-BN should be credited for increasing Mandarin usage in Malaysia. What ever changes in the education sector that UMNO brought about is indeed on the right track because Mandarin usage has increased. Furthermore, UMNO has been visionary because she has been able to predict the rise of China in the 21st century. Increasing Mandarin usage will benefit Malaysia because China is a rising power in this world. If only UMNO continues her pro-Mandarin policy, it will augur well for Malaysia in the long run. It is time to consider making Mandarin an official and national language in Malaysia.
Yes, one nation with one system will not work in a multi-religious and multi-lingual nation like Malaysia. All the three languages, Chinese, Malay, and Tamil, are different niches in Malaysia. They all contribute to Malaysia. Please ask Khairy to hold his tongue and mind his own business as regards to Chinese medium and Tamil medium schools.
The bottom line is that, no matter who says what, the future is that with every passing day both China and India are growing socially, politically, and economically.
Never mind the AG report, or the double condo investment. Never mind that they spent 180 million to produce 8000 cows a year. Why is a government funding a Bumi company to sell non halal alcoholic products in their restaurant in señor Santos and Brawns in Singapore? Is it ok to do that overseas where the laws of heavens don’t apply? Don’t try to hide it.We know you stopped serving alcohol 3 days ago, but you cannot wipe off the reviews on your restaurant with a licensed bar. Go to this site as an example http://e-clubbing.com/2010/06/senor-santos-opens-at-clarke-quay/
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