Lee Kuan Yew Made A Sweeping Allegation:
UMNO Leaders Trying To Topple Abdullah

Singapore’s Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew, was quoted by Bernama today as saying that “UMNO leaders, particularly from Johore” were trying “to topple” Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

This is the full Bernama report from Singapore:

Don't Expect Special Treatment In IDR, Singaporean Investors Told

By Jackson Sawatan

SINGAPORE, June 30 (Bernama) -- Singapore companies intending to invest in the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) cannot expect privileged treatment from Malaysia just like the "generous treatment" accorded by China to investors from Hong Kong in Shenzhen province, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew said.

"Singapore cannot expect the same treatment from Malaysia," he said in a special interview with Berita Harian to mark the daily's 50th anniversary tomorrow.

Lee, still an influential figure in the Singapore cabinet, said Singapore companies must evaluate whether their presence are welcomed at IDR as there are protests from among Umno leaders, especially from Johor.

"On one side Pas is trying to topple the prime minister but when Umno leaders, particularly from Johor, are also doing the same, Singaporean investors must seriously ask themselves when this attitude will change and whether they welcome us in IDR," he said.

The IDR, straddling 2,217 sq km in south Johor, is a massive project undertaken by the Malaysian government, which many observers say will complement its ultra-modern neighbour Singapore, just like Shenzhen to Hong Kong.

Lee said IDR could pose pressure to Singapore just like Shenzhen to Hong Kong.

The Singapore founding father said Shenzhen was wooing industries from Hong Kong to the province and to nearby towns.

"This has left Hong Kong with only a few manufacturing plants and with high unemployment rate. Hong Kong's economy is now dependent on the service sector," he told Berita Harian, the sole Malay newspaper in the republic.

"If Singapore loses many industries to IDR, we will face serious unemployment problem as not all factory workers can find jobs in the service sector," he said.

He, however, said Singapore would support IDR as the two countries are bound to gain from the multi-billion ringgit project.

"From a wider perspective, we believe it is good for the two countries, with Malaysia savouring the spin-offs from Singapore's economic growth, and similarly Singapore," he said.

Internal politics and protests to Singaporeans investing in IDR are to exploit the issues and to erode support to Abdullah's leadership and the co-operation in the development region, he added.

-BERNAMA

http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/printable.php?id=270520
June 30, 2007 13:10 PM

Comment:

The allegation made by LKY is extremely serious. What is he up to this time? To create chaos in UMNO? To cause instability in Malaysia? To shut up IDR’s critics? Or, is it just a reversed psychological warfare aimed at putting a gag on Abdullah’s critics?

So, what is UMNO’s response to it? How is Abdullah’s administration going to treat such a statement? What is Wisma Putra’s reaction going to be? – Ruhanie Ahmad

Playing With Numbers

Several weeks ago, RPK of http://www.malaysia-today.net/ had forewarned us to beware of 18 June 2007. I am not sure why he did that. But nothing had happened on that particular date.

A few days ago, a friend of mine asked me to watch these three dates – 7th July 2007, (7707), 17th July 2007 (17707) and 25th August 2007 (25807).

I did ask him: “what are the significance of these dates?”

He answered with a broad smile: “just watch these three dates closely, you will know why!!!”

Now I am very puzzled. What do these dates stand for? The possible dates for the general elections? It cannot be. Then what? Dooms day??

I already made several guesses. But, I still can’t find the answer. What am I supposed to do now? Just wait and see? Consult a soothsayer? Look for a fengsui master? Find a gypsy crystal-ball gazer?

I am helpless. Those three dates really bogged my mind. I am not an expert in guessing game. Nor am I good at playing with numbers. So, please help me. I don’t want to be caught by surprise, especially when plenty of surprises are now happening in this country.

Till then, let us remind ourselves - united we stand, divided we fall. And, as a Johorean, I am always reminded by the State motto: to God we submit. – Ruhanie Ahmad

Don't Meddle In
Malaysia's Domestic Affairs
Warns Najib

KUANTAN, June 23 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak expressed regret over the statement by the Ambassador and Head of the European Commission Delegation to Malaysia with regard to the New Economic Policy (NEP), saying that the envoy should not interfere in Malaysia's domestic affairs and policies.

Refuting the facts presented by the envoy, the Deputy Prime Minister said that as an ambassador accredited to this country, Thierry Rommel should play a role to forge closer relations between the two countries.

"Normally, an ambassador or envoy does not comment on the affairs of the country they are accredited to. This has been the practice because when we comment on the policies adopted by the country concerned, it means that we are interfering in the affairs of the host country," he told reporters after launching the national level Campaign On Early Intervention To Prevent Children's Disability, here.

Najib said this when asked to comment on Rommel's remarks on Thursday which were carried by foreign wire agencies.

A foreign wire report quoted Rommel as saying that the government was using the NEP as an excuse to practise "significant protectionism of its own market" and urged the Malaysian government to roll back its affirmative action policy for the Malays.

The foreign news reports had stated that the NEP gave a host of privileges in jobs, education, business and other areas to ethnic Malays.

As part of the NEP, all public-listed companies are required to allocate 30 per cent of their shares to the Malays. Companies without Malay directors or employees are excluded from lucrative government contracts, the report said.

On Malaysia's action or official protest against the statement, Najib said: "Wait first, I will seek the opinion of the Foreign Ministry."

"The role of an ambassador is to forge close relations between the country he represents and the host nation. In terms of diplomatic principles and practices, Rommel's remarks contradict the practice that we adopt.

"What was raised can certainly be disputed factually," the Deputy Prime Minister added.

-- BERNAMA
June 23, 2007

Comment:

Bravo Datuk Seri. We are proud of you. Really proud. But will you please explain to us why your boss, I mean the PM, agrees to do away with NEPism in Iskandar Development Region (IDR) in south Johore? Will you kindly find out for us, who influences him to do that? Temasek?

Secondly, how do you rationalize the role of the Malaysia’s High Commissioner to Singapore who lately seems to be acting as if he is the spokesman to that “little red dot” in the Equator? Since when does he works as a part-timer to his host government? – Ruhanie Ahmad

The Plane, The Plane!
It’s Coming On 17.7.7

The RM 200 million Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) 319, purchased by Penerbangan Malaysia Berhad, for use by the Malaysian Prime Minister, is scheduled to arrive in Kuala Lumpur on July 17, 2007.

Sources told this blog today, the ground handling of the VVIP aircraft will be managed by a sendirian berhand company - not by the Malaysian Royal Air Force (RMAF).

It is believed that the company is linked to one the Prime Minister’s political secretaries through his son’s shareholding in the said company.

Two other shareholders of the company are said to be personalities allegedly being behind the sale of Sukhoi fleet to the RMAF. – Ruhanie Ahmad

Welcome To Malaysia
Mr. Whoever You Are

A blogger friend of mine alerted me today of the news item below. He said I must voice out my concern about what the PM had said last night. I assured him, I will do it. But, before that, you have to read this:

Don't Restrict The Entry
Of Skilled Workers, Says PM

KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Malaysia should not "overly restrict" the entry of skilled workers particularly in strategic sectors as it could actually bring benefit to the country.

The Prime Minister said he believes the Malaysian working population will benefit from having greater interaction with foreign talent.

"Indeed, we can only improve ourselves if we work and learn with talented others," he said in his address "Looking Back, Forging Ahead: 50 Years of Business in Malaysia" at the Kuala Lumpur Business Club dinner, here.

To get the skilled workers, he said, Malaysia should facilitate skilled foreign students to stay on after graduating.

Abdullah said Malaysia must benefit from the globalised flow of human capital.

"I believe that Malaysian professionals can hold their own amongst the global talent pool and that they remain the employees of choice by businesses in Malaysia.

"This does not necessarily conflict with a policy of drawing more foreign knowledge workers to our shores," he said.

-- BERNAMA
June 14, 2007

A very happy news indeed. Foreign professionals, welcome to Malaysia, truly Asia. In the name of globalization, our beloved PM has just issued an order – Malaysia should not "overly restrict" the entry of skilled workers, particularly in strategic sectors as it could actually bring benefit to the country.

If you need my opinion, the best place for you is the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) in south Johore. You can stay in Singapore and work in IDR. No problem. You can just use a smart card to daily commute to this sovereign land!

And, please don’t worry about us. We know that some of us [about a few thousands actually] are still unemployed. But, that is our problem. We Malaysians, especially the Malays, have our kampungs to go back to. There, we can plant kacang panjang or even jaga lembu, just like the cowboys in the early days of America.

Friends, Malaysians and countrymen. Please lend your loyalty and support to our PM. He is brilliant, extremely brilliant. His thinking is out-of-the-box, progressive and pragmatic. We must return him to power with a landslide victory in the coming general elections rumoured to be in August 2007. We need him for at least five more terms! – Ruhanie Ahmad

Alumni Objects
To UM's Relocation

PETALING JAYA, June 14 (Bernama) -- The Universiti Malaya Alumni Association has objected to any plan to relocate the university to allow its present site to be redeveloped by a private company.

Its president, Datuk Noordin Abdul Razak, said the university sat on a strategic location and was complemented by the presence of public transport services like buses and LRT which had greatly benefited the students.

He was responding to a newspaper report on Tuesday that a company had submitted a bid to develop the site and to relocate the university to Sepang.

The university management was surprised with the report and said that it would not let the university to be relocated.

- BERNAMA
June 14, 2007

Comment:

I am very happy to note that Datuk Noordin Abdul Razak and his UM’s Alumni Association had objected “to any plan to relocate the university to allow its present site to be redeveloped by a private company.”

Keep it up Datuk. Your alumni is the strongest bastion to protect the UM from this latest onslaught.

So, please be pro-active and always be on the alert. Who knows someone might just bulldoze the proposed move irrespective of objections by you and the alumni! – Ruhanie Ahmad

We Are Not Moving
Stresses UM Don

PETALING JAYA: Universiti Malaya (UM) has no plan to relocate to its campus, describing the present location as one of its strengths.

“UM would like to state categorically that it is not relocating from its current location nor is it in any negotiations with any parties to that effect,” said the university's International and Corporate Relations Office director Associate Prof Dr Khoo Boo Teong in a statement yesterday.

According to a news report on Tuesday, property developer GuocoLand (Malaysia) Bhd, controlled by Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan, had made a bid for the UM grounds.

The report said that if the bid was approved, the development would complement GuocoLand's planned RM1.2bil Damansara City development project and the university would be relocated to Sepang, where the company has a landbank of 4,860ha.

A company source was quoted as saying that such a development was estimated to have a gross development value of RM10bil.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed also said it was “absolutely not true” that the university was relocating.

“UM's location is very historic. It is staying put,” he said after chairing the ministry's post-Cabinet meeting yesterday.

UM vice-chancellor Datuk Rafiah Salim expressed shock.

“The university is a heritage. You can't just pluck it out and put it somewhere else. The university management will not allow it,” she said from London yesterday.

Nota: Kadang-kadang resistance tidak berupaya membendung barbarian yang sudah kecor air liur melihat piece de resistance.

The Star Thursday June 14, 2007

Comment:

Now, who should we believe? Higher Education Minister, Datuk Mustapa Mohamed? UM’s vice-chancellor, Datuk Rafiah Salim? UM’s International and Corporate Relations Office director, Associate Prof Dr Khoo Boo Teong? Or the recent report by bt@nstp.com.my which said “GUOCOLAND (Malaysia) Bhd, a property developer controlled by Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan, has made a bid to relocate University Malaya from Petaling Jaya to Sepang.”? – Ruhanie Ahmad