The chinese waiting to grab
PAS MP Dr Lo’ Lo’ Ghazali has warned that the Chinese waiting to grab
take over ownership of the Kampung Baru Malay enclave here once the Malay Agricultural Settlement (MAS) administration board is dissolved next year.
The Titiwangsa MP claimed in her Facebook account that the formation of the new advisory council to absorb MAS’ role would eventually erode the rights of the Kampung Baru Malays.
This, she claimed, was because there would no longer be any authority protecting their interests.
“There are three important factors regarding the Kampung Baru Development Corporation Bill 2010 — firstly, the dissolution of MAS means Kampung Baru land will soon be open for non-Malay ownership.
“Next, the formation of the 15-member advisory council to be represented by Kampung Baru villagers is meaningless as the corporation is not obliged to follow the villagers’ suggestions.
“Finally, the corporation is immune to the law as their decisions cannot be challenged in any court,” she wrote.
Dr Lo’ Lo’ suggested that instead of being dissolved, MAS should be promoted as Badan Amanah Kampung Baru to be guardians of the village’s property owners.
“This bill must also be amended so that it is not immune to the law and does not threaten the rights of Kampung Baru villagers,” she said.
She accused Umno and Barisan Nasional of attempting to erode Malay land ownership rights in Kampung Baru by destroying century-old laws that were enacted during the British colonial rule.
“Their calls for Malay Supremacy are merely rhetorics and only protect the rights of those in Umno. We want ‘ketuanan rakyat’ (people supremacy) which is based on Islamic values,” she said.
The Kampung Baru Development Corporation Bill was tabled in Parliament earlier this month and will enable the newly formed body to regulate development in the Malay enclave.
Federal Territory and Urban Well Being Minister Raja Datuk Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin assured villagers during a dialogue shortly after the bill was tabled that the corporation would be dominated and led by Malays.
“This is a manifestation of recommendations made by you, the land owners and beneficiaries. We did not come out with the idea to form the corporation on our own,” he told some 200 villagers during the dialogue.
According to the draft law tabled in Parliament, the corporation must be led by a Malay-Muslim.
An advisory council made up of the local community would also be formed to absorb MAS’ role.
Raja Nong Chik also said that the formation of the corporation was the better option over getting government linked companies (GLC) to develop the area or to form a trust as proposed by the Selangor government.
On the concern that the MAS board would sidelined in the redevelopment, Raja Nong Chik assured that the corporation’s advisory council would continue to play a similar role.
“We are not sidelining MAS. That was why we proposed to form the advisory council,” he said.
“Most of them agreed with the proposal; they are only worried that this place would end up like Bukit Bintang, with all the negative activities,” he added.
In his recent visit to Kampung Baru in early February, Najib announced that villagers and landowners in Kampung Baru would not be relocated in the government’s latest plans to redevelop Kampung Baru.
He also gave his assurance that villagers’ feedback would be sought before any development took place in the settlement.
He added that the land value of Kampung Baru would surpass RM20 billion once the government’s redevelopment plans were fully realised.
With the ever-increasing profile of racially divisive rhetoric spun to purportedly protect the interest of Malays, shouldn’t the alternative point of view be made equally forcefully, by way of an effective and organised Malay counter-movement?
Although right-wing Malay NGOs would like you to believe that Malays are united behind the notion of Ketuanan Melayu, there are actually a very large number of us who view this ideology as being immoral and unIslamic, and therefore unacceptable.
We also believe that it actually serves to weaken our community because it prevents many from developing a sense of personal accountability, it impedes the development of the capacity for critical and informed analysis, and it promotes short cuts and patronage.
In addition, this approach discourages playing by the book, it prevents an understanding of the value of diversity and inclusiveness, and it creates an excuse to avoid becoming competitive and achievement orientated.
Today many Malays share a concern with other Malaysians that even though time-limited means tested affirmative action programmes have value, perpetual handouts and special privileges are like drugs.
This is because it creates an addiction to receiving from the “hand that feeds”, that which poisons them and affects the growth and well-being of the beneficiaries. With this comes elitism and cronyism, encouraged and supported by those who need, or offer, such protection and patronage.
This is because it creates an addiction to receiving from the “hand that feeds”, that which poisons them and affects the growth and well-being of the beneficiaries. With this comes elitism and cronyism, encouraged and supported by those who need, or offer, such protection and patronage.
With resources quickly drying up, there is a real fear of a rude and potentially violent awakening when this habit can no longer be maintained.
So, the idea for this Malay counter-movement has begun to germinate. If this movement were to materialise, it would look to advance a Malay culture and mindset, which rejects Ketuanan Melayu, and that is instead built on Islamic and universally held values, virtues and ideals, which include integrity, self-motivation, self-determination, a quest for knowledge, a desire for self-improvement, tolerance and respect.
It would operate on an independent and non-partisan basis so that it can stay true to a morally robust set of principles by which to pursue the cause of improving the welfare and condition of the Malays.
It would study and promote an understanding of the concerns that could impede the progress of the Malays. It would also seek to inform policy through consultation with all stakeholders such as the Government, political parties, and civil society.
It would look to help develop new ideas to address the concerns relating to why the Malays, in general, have not been as successful and self-actualised as they ought to have been, given the opportunities they have been afforded over the last fifty years.
Finally, it would look to make and market a convincing case to the Malays, as to what is it for them to gain, in life and in the hereafter, were they to lead their life by the values and principles espoused.
For this movement to be impactful, it must be structured as being wholly Malay, and its membership must be fairly representative of the community whether by reference to gender, age or background. This is because its ultimate aim is to win the hearts and minds of the Malays themselves.
This, of course, might hinder the participation of those who do not feel it right to associate themselves with a wholly Malay-only movement, although there will be some who will see its value in countering the rhetoric of the hardliners in right-wing Malay organisations.
Nevertheless, it might appeal to others who feel it crucial, and might want to help, to work together to promote meaningful change in their own community as an end in itself, and as a means to a better Malaysia.
Ideally, “towering” non-partisan Malays who are universally respected by all Malaysians should play an active role in the movement. These individuals would have achieved success in their own fields without the ill effects of Ketuanan Melayu, and should ensure that the movement has credibility, maintains its independence and moral compass, and remains unsoiled by the vested interests of any individual or political party.
Even though non-partisan, the movement should also attract members of all Malay-centric political parties who share the same ideals for their community. They might wish to support this movement because they all share a desire to get rid of an antiquated and bankrupt Malay political paradigm built on religious and racial intolerance, patronage and insecurity.
They would be united in wanting to replace it with one that builds the confidence and capacity of the Malays to compete and contribute fairly and successfully.
However, in order to maintain the credibility and independence of the movement, leaders and active members of such political parties should accept the need to confine their participation to a supporting role, and not expect to lead or influence its decision-making.
It should follow that Malay leaders of all parties who desire a united and workable Malaysia ought to fully support the creation of this movement, since the greater is the movement’s support from the Malay community, the less will they need to pander to the sentiments of extremists and racists inside and outside of their party.
Finally, such a movement should not be seen as serving to perpetuate an “us versus them” mentality, separating Malays from non-Malays. It must not become in anyway a threat to an inclusive Malaysia.
Instead it should be seen as doing the exact converse, i.e. helping to prepare the Malays to take the first and important steps to embrace the creation of the illusive Bangsa Malaysia, over the longer term.
Today, this movement is nothing but an idea. If you are interested in its development, please sign up as a member of the Facebook group Tabung Idea Mengukuhkan Martabat Melayu, which I have only just set up, to log ideas and comments about this proposal.
Ng’s ministry was accused of seeking a 50 per cent “rebate” from the advertising agency. — file pic
Integrated Strategic Communications’ (ISC), the advertising agency behind the award-winning “Malaysia, Truly Asia” tourism campaign said yesterday that it withdrew a bid to renew its contract with the Tourism Ministry after allegedly being asked for bribes in exchange for the deal.
“Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should fire her as a minister. This is embarrassing to the Malaysian government. She should be fired... A confession has been made by the company that is clear,” said PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar.
“It’s clear enough to enable her to be fired, or at least she should be suspended until investigations are done. The government should show that it is serious with this,” he said.
Calling the incident “disgusting”, Mahfuz told The Malaysian Insider that the new allegations cast Najib’s Cabinet in a “bad light.”
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is investigating complaints by the agency, which said it was disputing Ng’s denial of “ambiguity” in the tender process for the advertising and promotions contract worth a total of RM381 million.
ISC founder and chief executive officer Austen Zecha alleged that both he and his deputy were jointly approached on January 19 to “offer the client” (the ministry) a 50 per cent “rebate” or an annual share of the firm’s income from the account.
In exchange, he said, ISC would then “re-win” another three-year Tourism Malaysia contract for the Europe, North America and Oceania tender.
“This essentially led ISC to decide to withdraw its tender on Wednesday, January 26,” Zecha said.
He added that ISC’s founders, shareholders, directors and management had unanimously agreed that the incident was a “grave insult” and that it added further suspicion to the ambiguity of the tender process on a whole.
Today, PR leaders also said they were “unsurprised” by the allegations, citing their consistent criticisms on Ng’s ministry for questionable monetary practices.
This latest episode, according to them, further compounded an “escalating” level of complaints against the Tourism Ministry.
DAP Socialist Youth chief (Dapsy) Anthony Loke agreed with Mahfuz’s views and demanded Najib take immediate actions as “the image of the country” had been affected by ISC’s statement.
Loke added that Ng should be hauled up and questioned by the MACC over the matter.
“The MACC should ask a statement from her. She’s the minister in charge of the ministry. When her ministry is said to be asking for bribes, the minister should be investigated as well,” Loke told The Malaysian Insider.
Both PR lawmakers accused the minister of lying in Parliament earlier this week when she said that there was no corruption involved in the awarding of contracts by the Tourism Ministry.
“This is proof that the statement given by the ministry in Parliament is a lie. It’s a lie. I think the answer is an insult to the Dewan. Ng Yen Yen said no corruption. It’s an insult to the Dewan and an insult to the Speaker,” said Mahfuz.
Yesterday, Zecha had said that Ng’s remarks in Parliament on Tuesday contradicted her earlier statement that she was unaware of the five companies that were each awarded three-year contracts by her ministry, totalling RM381 million or RM127 million per year.
“Previously, the minister was quoted in the media as saying she did not even know any of Tourism Malaysia’s five tenders were awarded to any of her ‘friends’ but now she seems to acknowledge knowing at least two of them,” he said.
Ng had been forced to explain the situation to Parliament when she was questioned by the DAP’s Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi on whether the five contracts had been awarded to “crony” companies through the use of political connections.
One of the tender winners was Impact Creations Sdn Bhd, which is said to have been selected because Juni Ewe, the managing director of Impact Challenger Sdn Bhd, allegedly related to the first company, is a friend of Ng’s.
Ng denied that the two companies were related.
Ooi had also asked if the award to Naga DDB Sdn Bhd was made with political consideration as its founder and executive chairman, Datuk Vincent Lee Fook Long, was also the executive deputy chairman of the MCA-owned Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd.
Ng is a vice-president of the MCA, the second largest component party in the ruling Barisan Nasional.
The five recipients of the tenders were Naga DDB for the Asean market with a contract value of RM25 million a year, SMASCOM & Designs Sdn Bhd for East and North Asia (RM25 million), Sen Media Sdn Bhd for South Asia, West Asia and Africa (RM26 million), M&C Saatchi Sdn Bhd for Europe, America, Oceania (RM21 million) and Impact Creations for domestic and events (RM30 million).
Ng was also urged to clarify her denial that her ministry was now under MACC investigation and had its offices raided last Friday.
She explained that she was the one who invited the MACC in order to clear the ministry’s image following ISC’s “lies”.
“We cannot say that just because a company has failed to secure a tender, after getting it for 12 years at a value of more than RM160 million, and now it has raised all kinds of things.
“As a minister, it is my responsibility to ensure that the truth is told, not only the lies,” she was quoted as saying in theSun daily.
But Zecha argued that ISC had not “failed” to secure the tender but had withdrawn itself from the bid on January 26, long before Tourism Malaysia decided on and announced the winners on February 7.
He asked if Ng’s statement meant that the latter had already known even before ISC withdrew its bid who would win the tender.
“Is that why only this time there were no actual agencies’ presentations called for, which, as she has said publicly too, was what Treasury told her ministry to do? This should now receive the MACC’s fullest attention, indeed, because something here does not jive,” said Zecha.
The MACC raided the offices of Impact Creations and the Tourism Ministry last Friday following ISC’s complaints on the tender process.
PR MPs have vowed that they would bring the matter up at every possible opportunity during the current Parliamentary session if no immediate action was taken against Ng,
“If the PM does not do anything, or if she (Ng) does not resign, we will make her answer these allegations, one way or another.
“There will be a chance to ask her about this in the coming two weeks, during debate sessions with the various ministries... her time will come, and when it does, we will grill her,” said PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang.
Like his PR counterparts, he too expressed the view that the allegations were “not new.”
“The tourism ministry has had a controversial record... Datuk Seri Azalina Othman has been investigated before, and now Ng should be investigated too... enough is enough,” Chua toldThe Malaysian Insider.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that ISC’s allegations along with the recent arrests and charges against two former senior ministers from MCA showed the “irresponsible” manner on which public funds were being managed by the ruling coalition.
“The DAP urges the MACC to pursue these allegation without fear or favour.
The advertising agency behind the award-winning “Malaysia, Truly Asia” tourism campaign charged today that it withdrew a bid to renew its contract with the Tourism Ministry after being asked for bribes in exchange for the deal.
Integrated Strategic Communications’ (ISC) complaints against the ministry are already being probed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
The agency said in a press statement today that it was rebutting Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen’s denial of “ambiguity” in the tender process for the advertising and promotions contract, worth a total of RM381 million.
ISC founder and chief executive officer Austen Zecha (picture)alleged that both he and his deputy were jointly approached on January 19 to “offer the client” (the ministry) a 50 per cent “rebate” or an annual share of the firm’s income from the account.In exchange, he said, ISC would then “re-win” another three-year Tourism Malaysia contract for the Europe, North America and Oceania tender.
“This essentially led ISC to decide to withdraw its tender on Wednesday, January 26,” Zecha said.
He added that ISC’s founders, shareholders, directors and management had unanimously agreed that the incident was a “grave insult” and that it added further suspicion to the ambiguity of the tender process on a whole.
He pointed out that ISC had an “impeccable” record in its work for the “Malaysia, Truly Asia” campaign, which it has handled since 1999 through the terms of four successive tourism ministers — Datuk Leo Michael Toyad, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman and now Datuk Seri Ng Yen Yen.
Zecha also repeated ISC’s earlier allegation that it had been told by the ministry that it could only bill Tourism Malaysia RM3 million both in 2009 and 2010 for its previous three-year contract for Europe, which was actually worth RM18 million annually.
“It is only under this minister’s administration — never ever before, even prior to ISC’s past four contractual three years of service or its two predecessor agencies’ previous three contractual years of service covering the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s — did Tourism Malaysia allow ISC and its two predecessor agencies to bill it only one-sixth of any year’s stipulated contract’s worth, or only about 17 per cent.
“So what happened to the other 83 per cent of each contract year’s worth of the RM18 million in 2009 and 2010, and who authorised and benefited from the standard commissions of the other RM30 million of invoices over the past two years?” he asked.
“And does the government, especially the Treasury, allow for such hidden euphemistically-called ‘Direct Bookings’ to deprive bona fide and Treasury-registered companies to be basically ‘short-changed’ on contracts’ worth, and for which ISC duly paid Treasury the normal stamp duties based on its stipulated contracts’ worth?” said Zecha.
He also called into question Ng’s involvement in the issue, pointing out that the latter’s remarks in Parliament on Tuesday had contradicted her earlier statement that she was unaware of the five companies that were each awarded three-year contracts, totalling RM381 million or RM127 million per year.
“Previously, the minister was quoted in the media as saying she did not even know any of Tourism Malaysia’s five tenders were awarded to any of her ‘friends’ but now she seems to acknowledge knowing at least two of them,” he said.
Ng had been forced to explain the situation to Parliament when she was questioned by the DAP’s Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi if the five contracts had been awarded to crony companies through the use of political connections.
One of the tender winners was Impact Creations Sdn Bhd, which is said to have been selected because Juni Ewe, the managing director of Impact Challenger Sdn Bhd, allegedly related to the first company, is a friend of Ng’s.
Ng denied that the two companies were related.
Ooi had also asked if the award to Naga DDB Sdn Bhd was through a political channel as its founder and executive chairman is Datuk Vincent Lee Fook Long, who is also the executive deputy chairman of the MCA-owned Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd.
Ng is a vice-president of the MCA, the second largest component party in the ruling Barisan Nasional.
The five recipients of the tenders were Naga DDB for the Asean market with a contract value of RM25 million a year, SMASCOM & Designs Sdn Bhd for East and North Asia (RM25 million), Sen Media Sdn Bhd for South Asia, West Asia and Africa (RM26 million), M&C Saatchi Sdn Bhd for Europe, America, Oceania (RM21 million) and Impact Creations for domestic and events (RM30 million).
Ng was also urged to clarify her denial that her ministry was now under MACC investigation and had its offices raided last Friday.
She explained that she was the one who invited the MACC in order to clear the ministry’s image following ISC’s “lies”.
“We cannot say that just because a company has failed to secure a tender, after getting it for 12 years at a value of more than RM160 million, and now it has raised all kinds of things.
“As a minister, it is my responsibility to ensure that the truth is told, not only the lies,” she was quoted as saying in theSun daily.
But Zecha argued that ISC had not “failed” to secure the tender but had withdrawn itself from the bid on January 26, long before Tourism Malaysia decided on and announced the winners on February 7.
He asked if Ng’s statement meant that the latter had already known even before ISC withdrew its bid who would win the tender.
“Is that why only this time there were no actual agencies’ presentations called for, which, as she has said publicly too, was what Treasury told her ministry to do? This should now receive the MACC’s fullest attention, indeed, because something here does not jive,” said Zecha.
The MACC raided the offices of Impact Creations and the Tourism Ministry last Friday following ISC’s complaints on the tender process.
Zecha also denied a statement by former Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir that the “Malaysia, Truly Asia” slogan was created by him, insisting that the award-winning campaign was its own initiative.
“Indeed, as we had already stated earlier this week, if it had been then-Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Kadir’s idea, why did he have to call us in when in May 1999 ISC was not yet a member of Tourism Malaysia’s panel of agencies?
“If it had been his idea, why not just give the concept or strategy to one of his existing panel of agencies’ members then?” he asked.
Zecha said that to put the matter on record, ISC will be engaging with legal parties, both local and abroad, as well as all participants in its 1999 pitch to Tourism Malaysia, to bear testimony and witness to the fact that the campaign had been its own initiative.
“They will help bear witness to the fact that ISC — led by our then-chairman, co-founder and investor Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir and yours truly — presented our conceived and subsequently developed ‘Malaysia: Truly Asia’ international re-branding for Tourism Malaysia as an unsolicited and requested by and accepted on-the-spot by then-Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Kadir,” he said.
Zecha also urged the MACC to investigate why Abdul Kadir’s statement had only been reported in the MCA-owned The Star newspaper.
“Bizarre or coincidence or collusion, that hopefully is also for the MACC to determine,” he said.
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