Saladin Kamarudin

ABDULLAH'S MARCH

Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at December 4, 2008 5:48

1. When Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced that he would be stepping down in March 2009 he said he needed the extra three months to complete certain missions he had set out to do.

2. These initiatives, he said, are needed "to regain the country's competitiveness, to face the challenges that the world has in store for us".

3. Among the initiatives are the reform of the judiciary, the setting up of an Anti-Corruption Commission, Special Complaints Commission, equitable distribution of the fruits of growth, strengthening and enlarging the social safety net, development of corridor initiatives etc etc.

4. It is now December 2008. So far we have seen no progress at all in any of these glorious initiatives. Instead the Prime Minister is busy visiting foreign countries with his family in the beatiful, big and new Airbus A320.

5. After announcing that there is no money to build the second Penang Bridge, the contract was signed during the PM's China visit to build the bridge after all. There is a lot of money involved here.

6. In Uzbekistan, Petronas is to invest a few hundred million Ringgit. Trips are also scheduled for Iran and Turkmenistan. No doubt more contracts and more money would be involved. Some contractors will benefit.

7. After failing to implement any of the promises made in the 2004 or 2008 elections, it looks like nothing is being done either with regards to the promise to carry out a variety of so-called reforms as mentioned in the press statement on why the PM would step down in March 2009 - three months after the scheduled UMNO General Assembly.

8. But the visits to foreign countries to sign contracts which were not mentioned in the statement are being assiduously carried out.

9. I wonder why.

10. On the political front Abdullah has been busy campaigning for his chosen candidates for the posts of Deputy President, Wanita chief and Pemuda chief and other posts which will lead to appointments as Ministers.

11. Najib is going to be surrounded by Abdullah's people and through these people Abdullah will control the Government of Najib.

12. Najib has already abandoned Muhyiddin, the fierce critic of Abdullah. He does not want to incur the displeasure of his boss. Would he refuse to appoint Abdullah's nominees? Would he dare go against them?

posted by Saladin Kamarudin @ 7:48 AM Comments: 0

Mukhriz: Implement single structure in school to enhance unity

Quoted from The Star


KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief aspirant Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir has called on the Government to abolish the vernacular school system to enhance unity among the people.

He said a single school system was the only way to check racial polarisation.

“The Government should consider introducing only a one school system with Bahasa Malaysia as the medium of instruction, except for the teaching of Science and Mathematics, which is already in English,” Mukhriz told reporters at Parliament House yesterday.

“Of course, pupils should then be given the option to study their mother tongue. Under this system, the Malays will also have the option of studying other languages like Chinese and Tamil, and this will further boost unity among the races,” the Umno Youth exco member added.

In an immediate response in his blog (www.ongteekeat.net), MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat made a very short posting on the subject.

“Datuk Mukhriz is just one of the many who are now repeating the same polemics that are a few decades old, simply because of the advent of their party’s poll.

“It is saddening because politicians cannot think out of the box,” he said.

Earlier, Mukhriz said it was time Malaysia did away with the dual school system, which was practised by only a handful of countries in the world.

He expressed hope that the leaders of Barisan Nasional component parties would not view his suggestion in a negative light as it was meant to resolve once and for all the problem of racial polarisation.

“If they reject this suggestion, then they should explain why they are against it,” he said. “If you want equal rights then you cannot have a different school system. You cannot have your cake and eat it too,” said Mukhriz.

He also urged all parties to stop harping on issues that could create tension among Barisan component parties, including talk of Malay supremacy.

He said there had been many statements made by leaders of component parties that had the potential to create anger among the Malays and Umno members.

“If they insist on making such statements, then do not be surprised if the Malays start talking about the economic supremacy of the non-Malays,” he added.

“Despite all that has been said on the issue of Malay supremacy, the Malays do not feel in any way superior or that they are the masters when it comes to the country’s economy.”

posted by Saladin Kamarudin @ 10:37 AM Comments: 0