February 2017 – Page 2 – SeaDemon Says

February 16, 2017February 16, 2017

Penantian 24 Tahun Lim Kit Siang Bakal Berakhir

Buku bertajuk "Skandal Kerugian RM30 billion Akibat Pertukaran Matawang Asing oleh Bank Negara" yang ditulis olh Lim Kit Siang — Buku bertajuk “Skandal Kerugian Bank Negara Berjumlah RM30 billion Akibat Pertukaran Matawang Asing” yang ditulis oleh Lim Kit Siang

Pada tahun 1993, Tuan Besar Pakatan Harapan Encik Lim Kit Siang telah menyeru agar Parlimen menubuhkan sebuah Suruhanjaya Siasatan DiRaja (RCI) untuk menyiasat kerugian RM30 billion yang dialami Bank Negara akibat skandal pertukaran matawang asing.

Jumlah RM30 billion pada tahun 1994 adalah bersamaan dengan pelepasan cukai untuk 19 juta rakyat Malaysia ketika itu termasuk bayi dan kanak-kanak selama LAPAN TAHUN! Jumlah tersebut juga bersamaan dengan 1.2 juta rumah murah bernilai RM25,000, 45 universiti, empat LapanganTerbang KLIA dan lima Lebuhraya Utara-Selatan.

Setelah 24 tahun penantian, permintaan Lim Kit Siang kini hampir menjadi kenyataan. Kit Siang harus berterima kasih kepada Perdana Menteri Najib Razak kerana bertindak untuk mengetahui kebenaran mengenai skandal tersebut manakala kita rakyat Malaysia patut memberi penghargaan kepada Lim Kit Siang kerana berkeras meminta agar siasatan terhadap kerugian tersebut dijalankan.

Lim Kit Siang amat berdedikasi dan memberi tumpuan khusus terhadap skandal tersebut hinggakan beliau telah menulis sebuah buku mengenai skandal tersebut seperti di atas.

Surat dari Pejabat Perdana Menteri mengarahkan agar satu pasukan petugas ditubuhkan untuk meneliti kes skandal 1992 Bank Negara

Lim Kit Siang mendakwa di dalam penulisannya bahawa kerugian akibat skandal tersebut telah mengakibatkan suatu lubang yang boleh mengakibatkan tenggelam dan musnahnya Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) sebagai entiti pihak berkuasa dan penjaga bank-bank dalam negara.

Gabenor BNM ketika itu, Tan Sri Jaafar Hussein menafikan pada tahun 1992 bahawa wujudnya lubang tersebut.

Untuk mereka yang lahir selepas tahun 1975 dan terlalu muda untuk mengingati skandal tersebut, BNM di bawah Jaafar Hussein menjadi satu entiti yang aktif dalam pasaran pertukaran matawang asing (FOREX). BNM begitu agresif mempengaruhi pasaran pertukaran matawang asing hinggakan Pemangku Pengerusi Bank Rizab Persekutuan Amerika Syarikat, Alan Greenspan, terpaksa meminta BNM untuk menghentikan aktivitinya tersebut.

Pada tahun 1991, akhbar Reuters melaporkan:

“Sejak dua tahun yang lalu, ia (BNM) telah meningkatkan jumlah dagangan, dan tahun ini ia telah mula berniaga dalam apa yang digambarkan oleh para peniaga lain sebagai “jumlah yang benar-benar besar…”

“Biasanya, Bank Negara beroperasi dengan lot-lot bernilai AS $ 50 juta setiap lot, berbanding dengan norma pasaran sebanyak AS $ 5 juta atau US $ 10 juta dan berniaga mungkin dengan enam bank utama di Eropah dan enam di New York,” kata para pedagang.

“Seorang pedagang matawang berkata satu-satunya peniaga yang menyaingi Bank Negara ialah dana dari Jepun. Namun dana Jepun ini memasuki pasaran tidak lebih daripada sekali atau dua kali setahun, Bank Negara pula melakukan berbilion dolar sehari.”

“Teknik terkini BNM ialah dengan mengenakan bank-bank utama dengan USD50 juta setiap satu transaksi, dan mengenakan mereka sekali lagi 10 minit kemudian,” kata para pedagang.

Kemudian ia (BNM) menukar pusat dagangan dan melakukan transaksi yang serupa sekali lagi, berulang kali.”

Pada 21hb September 1990, BNM telah menjual di antara US$ 500 juta ke US$ 1 billion nilai Pound Sterling dalam masa yang tersingkat hingga mengakibatkan matawang tersebut jatuh 4 cent setiap Dollar. Bank-bank bertindak balas dengan cuba mendahului permintaan BNM.

Pada tahun 1993 juga, menurut Lim Kit Siang, U-Turn Mahathir yang kini merupakan rakan “comolot” Lim Kit Siang, telah menafikan wujudnya “lubang” yang boleh mengakibatkan kemusnahan BNM.

Pada tahun 1993 juga, BNM telah cuba mempertahankan nilai matawang Pound Sterling dari serangan para pedagang termasuk George Soros namun usaha ini gagal. Kegagalan ini mengakibatkan BNM mempunyai nilai tanggungan melebihi nilai aset semasa, dan terpaksa diselamatkan oleh Kementerian Kewangan pada tahun 1994.

Pada bulan April tahun yang sama, Jaafar Hussein meletakkan jawatan sebagai Gabenor BNM.

Maka tidak hairanlah BNM kemudiannya gagal mempertahankan matawang Ringgit pada tahun 1997-1998 daripada serangan George Soros akibat kekurangan rizab matawang asing disebabkan skandal tersebut, hingga menyebabkan matawang kita tidak pernah pulih sepenuhnya sejak peristiwa yang berlaku di zaman pentadbiran U-Turn Mahathir tersebut.

Menurut bekas Timbalan Gabenor Bank Negara ketika itu, Dr Rosli Yaakop, empat orang bertanggung jawab penuh dalam skandal ini. Mereka adalah U-Turn Mahathir, konconya Daim Zainuddin yang merupakan Menteri Kewangan ketika itu, Jaafar Hussein sebagai Gabenor BNM ketika skandal tersebut berlaku, dan Nor Mohamad Yackop yang merupakan Menteri Di Jabatan Perdana Menteri yang bertanggung jawab terhadap Unit Perancang Ekonomi di bawah U-Turn Mahathir.

Menurut Rosli, pakar-pakar menganggarkan kerugian sebenar di antara US$27 billion sehingga US$33 billion iaitu lima kali ganda simpanan rizab asing dan seluruh asset BNM bernilai USD20.7 bilion dalam tahun 1992.

“Dakwaan kerugian oleh Bank Negara telah “diperkecilkan secara berskematik” (schematically understated), melalui penilaian semula pegangan emas (gold holdings) dan penilaian semula pelaburan sebut harga (quoted investment),” tambah Rosli.

Rosli membuat dakwaan-dakwaan tersebut di ‘Forum Skandal Forex Bank Negara‘, anjuran Penang Institute, di Dewan Sri Pinang, Georgetown, Pulau Pinang pada 11hb Jun 2013.

Lim Kit Siang telah memegang teguh kepada tekadnya untuk diadakan juga satu RCI supaya skandal BNM tersebut disiasat kerana rakyat Malaysia berhak mengetahui ke mana, bagaimana, dan siapa anasir-anasir yang bertanggung jawab terhadap kerugian yang terpaksa ditanggung oleh seluruh rakyat Malaysia.

Kerugian RM30 billion yang ditanggung oleh BNM serta bantuan kewangan oleh Kementerian Kewangan adalah kerugian wang rakyat. Sayugia diingatkan bahawa 1MDB tidak melibatkan wang rakyat kerana institusi tersebut telah meminjam wang dari institusi-institusi luar negara, bukannya dari mana-mana badan kerajaan mahupun syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC).

1MDB juga telah melangsaikan segala hutang jangka pendeknya dan membuat lebihan tunai sebanyak RM2.3 billion yang memberi manfaat kepada negara.

Sekali lagi, kita amat berterima kasih kepada Encik Lim Kit Siang di atas ketegasannya supaya satu RCI dapat diadakan untuk menyiasat skandal forex BNM 1990an. Kerajaan pimpinan Najib Razak telah mendengar keluhan beliau dan adalah diharap Encik Lim Kit Siang berasa amat gembira dengan usaha kerajaan ini.

February 15, 2017

Kit Siang Blames UMNO For Everything

DAP Emperor and Pakatan Harapan Overlord Lim Kit Siang has blamed UMNO for conducting ‘black ops‘ to cause an implosion inside Melaka DAP after four senior Melaka party members resigned from the party citing disagreement with how the party is being run.

The four are Kota Melaka MP Sim Tong Him, Duyong assemblyperson Goh Leong San, Bachang assemblyperson Lim Jak Wong and Kesidang assemblyperson Chin Choong Seong.

The only ‘Black Ops‘ done to DAP was by U-Turn Mahathir when Kit Siang befriended the former and caused Penang DAP’s Shamsher Singh Thind to leave the party late last year.

Shamsher left DAP after the Emperor and his son, Tokong Lim Guan Eng decided to have DAP work with U-Turn Mahathir.

Kit Siang is trying to deby the fact that Melaka DAP has long abandoned his family when in 2005 they booted both the Tokong and his beloved wife, ~~Rainbow~~ Betty Chew, from Melaka after the pair lost badly in the 2005 Melaka DAP party elections.

The Tokong then contested in Pulau Pinang parliamentary and state seats in the 2008 General Elections. Upon winning both seats he appointed himself as the de facto Chief Minister of the state.

Since then, the Tokong has been proven to lie about many things including abusing his power to satisfy his self-interest in the purchase of the infamous swimming-pool-less bungalow at Jalan Pinhorn. He has been charged in court for corruption over a similar offence committed by former Selangor Menteri Besar, Khir Toyo.

Recently, he was called out by blogger Miss Lim Sian See for lying about absorbing GST charges for parking in Pulau Pinang.

Perhaps, the Emperor also blames UMNO ‘Black Ops‘ for causing his son to be stupid.

Back to the implosion within the DAP, Teh Yee Cheu, the Pulau Pinang state assemblyman for Tanjung Bungah emphatised with the four Melaka DAP officials who resigned.

Teh said that Pribumi leaders were long-standing Umno members and he was worried that working with the party would eventually lead to the formation of “Barisan Nasional II”.

“Then we’ll have Mahathir, Muhyiddin and Mukhriz all over again,” he said.

This is not the first time that Yee Cheu has gone against the Lims. In November 2016 he asked the Tokong to not chair State Planning Committee (SPC) or Land Committee pending his corruption trial. Yee Cheu is a “Penang Lang” while Tokong is a “Wai Lao” who was born in Johor, kicked out of Melaka, and now dictating to the Penangites.

I am sure Emperor Kit Siang realises that Teh Yee Cheu is a Malay and has always been an UMNO member and is part of the “Black Ops” against DAP.

Another “Black Ops” was during the 2013 DAP party elections when UMNO’s company Microsoft, planted a doctored Excel spreadsheet program to sabotage the party elections. Even the Registrar of Societies have yet to come with a decision on the outcome of the elections AFTER FOUR YEARS.

But what Emperor Kit Siang will soon realise when his son the Tokong goes to jail for corruption is that his wife Neo Yoke Tee has always been a closet UMNO member and was instructed to give birth to a dumb son. The good thing is that Lim Kit Siang will still have a scapegoat for that.

February 15, 2017

How Petronas Was Used As A Bailout Bank

I found this on FMT and this is good especially for those born after 1970 and never knew the man:

Malaysians must never forget that under former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir there were monetary losses amounting to tens of billions of ringgit unaccounted for, and irretrievable.
These include:
Forex scandal in early 90s : RM30 billion
The Perwaja Steel Scandal : RM10 billion
Bank Bumi scandal: RM10 billion
Maminco-Makuwasa Affair RM1.6 Billion
Mahathir used Petronas as a ‘bank’ to bail out many companies, banks etc.

Opposition politician Syed Husin Ali said, “Petronas has neither been fully transparent nor accountable with how it spends its money, especially in aiding and abetting Tun Mahathir to indulge in unproductive construction of mega projects, to bail out ailing crony companies and corporate figures, and to involve [itself]in excessive and wasteful spending on celebrations and conferences.”

Mahathir used his position to bail out his children or to give them special benefits.

Konsortium Perkapalan
In early 1998, Petronas acquired a debt-laden shipping concern controlled by Mahathir’s eldest son Mirzan Mahathir’s Konsortium Perkapalan for RM 226 million and assumed its debts of more than 324 million, according to Far Eastern Economic Review stating the debt at RM 1.6 billion.
In early November 2012, Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd reportedly awarded a RM700 million contract to a Sapura-Kencana Petroleum Bhd wholly-owned subsidiary where Mahathir’s son Mokhzani is a vice-chairperson.
Mahathir replied in a sarcastic tone when asked during a press conference whether there was conflict of interest in the deal.

“Yes of course, he (Mokhzani) is given it because I instructed Petronas. Put that in your paper. I presided over everything. I told them, please give to my son and not to anybody else. That’s what I have been doing all the time. When I was the prime minister, everything was given to my children. But when everything goes to the children of the other Prime Minister, you don’t want to mention because he is a nice man. He enables you to read, doesn’t he?” Mahathir said in reply.

Can Mahathir explain and repay all the above losses?
In sharp contrast, 1MDB is facing a cash flow situation but has strong assets.
When president of UMNO, Mahathir introduced a quota system for party elections to ensure he was not challenged. Now he is telling UMNO members to remove the PM.
When he was PM, he was infamous for using the ISA jailing opposition. Can you ever forget Ops Lallang I and II?
Has the current regime done that? No.
Tun Dr Mahathir could never be criticised by anyone, not even Soros. Today, old and filthy rich, he wants to criticize and remove Najib who has silently endured all attacks and is ready to be transparent.
Malaysians seem to have forgotten how ‘wonderful’ Malaysia was under TDM and are sharpening claws to attack Najib whom, thanks to the TDM media psywar, is perceived as the bad guy when actually the worst villain ever to have walked Malaysia is TDM!
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/highlight/2015/03/14/never-forget-the-billions-lost-under-mahathir/

February 11, 2017

Apa Yang Strategiknya?

Sibuk golongan yang kurang kebolehan berfikir memainkan sentimen kerajaan menjual aset strategik pertahanan negara kepada negara luar akibat 1MDB dan kerakusan terhadap wang.

Ceritanya, 1MDB telah membeli tanah tersebut dengan harga yang murah dan menjualkannya kepada China dengan harga yang tinggi untuk memulangkan balik wang rakyat sebanyak RM42 billion yang hilang. Maka, tanah milik Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia itu kini dimiliki oleh China.

Dari kedua-dua perenggan di atas, dapatlah kita membuat rumusan bahawa ada TIGA butiran utama yang dikaitkan dengan penukaran Pangkalan Udara Kuala Lumpur kepada Bandar Malaysia milik negara China:

Menjual aset strategik pertahanan negara,
Memulangkan balik wang rakyat sebanyak RM42 billion yang hilang, dan,
Tanak milik Tentera Udara DiRaja Malaysia kini dimiliki China.

1, Bida’ah Pertama: Pangkalan Udara Kuala Lumpur Adalah Aset Strategik Pertahanan

Ada seorang pengguna Twitter baru-baru ini mengutarakan kisah yang sama: Pangkalan Udara Kuala Lumpur adalah satu aset strategik pertahanan kerana ianya satu-satu pangkalan tentera udara di dalam sebuah bandaraya.

Apabila saya bertanya apakah yang dimaksudkan dengan ‘strategik’ beliau tidak menjawab hingga ke hari ini.

Baiklah. Mari kita bincangkan betapa strategiknya pangkalan tersebut.

Pangkalan Udara Kuala Lumpur merupakan pangkalan terakhir di mana saya bertugas sebelum menamatkan tauliah jangka pendek dalam perkhidmatan TUDM lebih 20 tahun yang lalu. Pada waktu itu, tepi landasan kapal terbang berada agak jauh dari Lebuhraya Kuala Lumpur-Seremban. Saya sering gunakan bahagian rumput di tepi landasan tersebut di waktu petang setelah operasi udara harian di pangkalan tersebut tamat untuk membawa anak saya terbang menaiki pesawat ringan jenis Buckeye.

Pada tahun 1975, semasa jalanraya masih berada jauh dari bahagian tepi landasan, pengganas dari Parti Komunis Malaya telah melancarkan serangan mortar terhadap pesawat-pesawat Caribou milik TUDM yang berada di pangkalan tersebut, merosakkan dengan teruk salah sebuah pesawat tersebut manakala empat lagi mengalami kerosakan kecil.

Sekiranya anda memandu dari arah Seremban menghala ke Kuala Lumpur anda boleh lihat betapa hampirnya kini lebuhraya dengan tepi landasan tersebut. Anda tidak perlu lagi berada jauh sekiranya ingin melakukan khianat terhadap aset-aset serta bangunan-bangunan yang berada di dalam pangkalan tersebut.

Panjang landasan di PU Kuala Lumpur tidak pernah berubah sejak ianya dibina pada tahun 1952 iaitu sepanjang 3,934 kaki. Semasa saya bertugas, pesawat taktikal sayap kaku yang diterbangkan dari sini adalah pesawat DHC-4 Caribou yang mempunyai jarak berlepas sepanjang 910 kaki, dan pesawat amfibian Grumman HU-16 Albatross yang memerlukan jarak 1.700 kaki untuk berlepas.

Kedua-dua buah pesawat telah dilucut tauliah semasa saya masih bertugas.

Kini, pesawat angkut yang digunakan oleh TUDM adalah lebih besar dari pesawat Caribou. Pesawat A400M memerlukan jarak berlepas minima sepanjang 3,215 kaki manakalah pesawat C-130H memerlukan 3,586 kaki. Walaupun cukup untuk berlepas, landasan tersebut tidak cukup panjang untuk kedua-dua jenis pesawat membuat pemberhentian cemas dengan selamat.

Tambahan pula, Nombor Klasifikasi Beban (LCN) iaitu kategori kekuatan beban landasan di PU Kuala Lumpur ialah 40. Walaupun pesawat C-130H hanya memerlukan LCN 37 untuk tarmac/asphalt, pesawat A400M perlu mempunyai lebih dari 49.

Maka, PU Kuala Lumpur hanya mampu menerima pesawat-pesawat ringan tanpa menjejaskan keselamatan pesawat dan struktur landasan.

Mendarat di Runway 22, Pangkalan Udara Kuala Lumpur (Simpang)

Gambar di atas di ambil sekitar tahun 2001. Bahagian berumput di sebelah kiri gambar kini hanya tinggal setengah akibat pembesaran Lebuhraya KL-Seremban dan Lebuhraya SMART. Jalan di latar depan gambar ini ialah Jalan Istana yang berhubung dengan Lebuhraya Sultan Iskandar (Lebuhraya Mahameru). Kini ada satu jejambat yang lebih tinggi dibina di situ.

Di latar belakang gambar atau di hujung landasan tersebut adalah satu tebing di mana landasan Keretapi Tanah Melayu dan juga ERL lalu. Tebing tersebutlah yang menjadi suatu halangan yang boleh memberi akibat yang buruk sekiranya pesawat angkut A400M atau C-130H terpaksa membatalkan perlepasan.

Lain-lain halangan yang kini berada di situ ialah sebuah bangunan berketinggian hampir 60 meter berada 1.86km di hadapan landasan tersebut.Enam buat tiang lampu yang berada betul-betul di bawah pesawat yang ingin membuat pendaratan di Landasan 22; pokok-pokok milik persendirian berketinggian 55 meter juga di bawah pesawat sebelum mendarat; menara kabel tension tinggi berketinggian 105 meter di sebelah timur landasan; dua buah menara telekomunikasi berketinggian 35 meter dan 76 meter juga dalam laluan pendaratan pesawat.

PU Kuala Lumpur juga tidak mempunya kemudahan penyimpanan dan pengisian minyak yang sempurna. Sekiranya anda menerbangkan pesawat ringan persendirian mahupun milik kelab dari situ maka anda perlu terbang ke Lapangan Terbang Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah di Subang untuk mengisi minyak sebelum pulang semula ke PU Kuala Lumpur.

Ditambah pula dengan keadaan lalulintas di sekitar kawasan PU Kuala Lumpur yang sememangnya sesak, adakah anda masih menganggap pangkalan udara ini sebuah aset yang strategik?

2. Bida’ah Kedua: Memulangkan Balik Wang Rakyat RM42 billion Yang Hilang

Wang siapa yang hilang?

Wang rakyat?

Sudah tentu bukan.

RM42 billion adalah jumlah wang yang dipinjam oleh 1MDB dari institusi-institusi luar negara untuk melaksanakan projek-projek di dalam negara. Ianya berbeza dengan kehilangan berbillion wang yang diperuntukkan oleh PETRONAS untuk membantu kaum Bumiputera melalui Bank Bumiputera Malaysia Berhad (BBMB) semasa pentadbiran 22 tahun seseorang yang kini mudah lupa. Wang BBMB tersebut telah diberi pinjam kepada orang luar untuk projek hartanah di luar negara yang tiada kaitan langsung dengan rakyat Malaysia mahupun kaum Bumiputera.

Jika wang RM42 billion yang kononnya hilang itu dipinjam oleh 1MDB dari institusi-institusi kewangan luar negara, bagaimana mungkin wang tersebut datangnya dari rakyat?

Untuk makluman semua, cerita RM42 billion ini adalah merupakan cerita basi yang dimainkan semula akibat kehabisan modal untuk terus menipu rakyat. 1MDB telahpun melangsaikan segala hutang awal tahun 2016 lagi! Malah, 1MDB dapat membuat lebihan berjumlah RM2.3 billion lagi. Maka, hentikanlah dari berbohong atau bersubahat menyebarkan pembohongan melainkan anda memang tidak percaya kepada Tuhan.

3. Bida’ah Ketiga: Tanah Milik TUDM Kini Milik China

Bagi saya, saya kurang faham bagaimana cerita bodoh ini boleh dipercayai ramai seperti juga cerita 700,000 bakal warganegara baru Malaysia yang berasal dari China.

Bagaimanapun, saya akur Tuhan tidak menjadikan kita ini semua sama kalau tidak hidup ini akan menjadi bosan. Oleh itu saya amat terhibur dengan cara mereka yang mempunyai daya pemikiran yang sama seperti katak puru yang tersenarai sebagai salah satu dari empat binatang terbodoh di dunia.

Seingat saya, angka 700,000 yang dibawa oleh U-Turn Mahathir ini adalah angka yang sama didakwa oleh bekas Senator Chong Eng Leong dari Sabah telah menerima kad pengenalan Malaysia semasa pentadbiran U-Turn Mahathir. Chong Eng Leong mendakwa bahawa Projek IC semasa pentadbiran U-Turn Mahathir telah memberi kad pengenalan Malaysia kepada 700,000 orang asing yang mana seramai 200,000 adalah pengundi berdaftar di negeri Sabah.

Siapa sebenarnya yang memiliki tanah milik TUDM ini?

Mari kita lihat pecahan pemilikan tanah tersebut:

40 peratus adalah milik Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOF Inc), sebuah syarikat di bawah Kementerian Kewangan Malaysia;
22 peratus adalah milik Credence Resources Sdn Bhd., sebuah syarikat swasta milik warganegara Malaysia;
14 peratus adalah milik Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor Sdn Bhd (KPRJ); dan,
24 peratus milik China Railway Engineering Corporation yang akan membina terminus High-Speed Rail di situ.

Ini bermakna, 54 peratus milik syarikat-syarikat kerajaan dan 46 peratus milik swasta (22 peratus milik swasta Malaysia dan 24 peratus milik swasta China).

Ini juga bermakna 76 peratus Bandar Malaysia adalah milik Malaysia manakala 24 peratus adalah milik China.

Jadi di mana mungkin China memiliki tanah bekas milik TUDM?

Dan murahkah nilai tanah TUDM yang dibeli oleh 1MDB?

1MDB membeli tanah tersebut pada harga RM400 juta. Namun sebagai ganti, 1MDB perlu membina sebuah Pangkalan Udara untuk unit-unit TUDM dari PU Kuala Lumpur ditempatkan. Selain pangkalan udara yang baru, 1MDB juga perlu membina TUJUH buah lagi pangkalan tentera menjadikan jumlah keseluruhan LAPAN buah pangkalan tentera berjumlah sekitar RM1.6 billion. Jumlah keseluruhan = RM2 billion.

Bayangkan apa yang boleh memanfaatkan kita dengan jumlah RM2.5 billion pinjaman yang lesap di Hong Kong semasa pentadbiran U-Turn Mahathir!

Fikir-fikirkanlah!

February 10, 2017

Loose Cannon On The Loose

When Zaid Ibrahim joined the DAP. It is the fourth political party the 65 year-old irrelevant politician has joined, his third jump if I am not mistaken.

Although he claims that he was expelled from UMNO, he was expelled ONLY AFTER he had joined PKR.

Citing vote-buying after losing a PKR party Deputy Presidency election to Azmin Ali he formed his own party called KITA which he himself could not manage.

After a series of in-fightings with other party officials he left KITA and at one point even suggested he might join Mat Sabu’s PAN.

Even U-Turn Mahathir took a swipe at Zaid at the latter’s press conference suggesting that Zaid stop being a ‘political frog’.

Zaid is a loose cannon and DAP has begun to realise this. In a matter of days after joining DAP he made a remark saying that U-Turn Mahathir is the de facto leader of the Opposition.

According to NST this did not fare well with DAP leaders and DAP Central Executive Committee member Gobind Singh Deo took Zaid to task for implying that there is a “silent agreement” amongst the opposition pact that U-Turn Mahathir is the current de facto leader.

“I find it strange that Zaid has chosen to make such an announcement as a DAP member without first consulting the party leadership,” said Gobind further.

This certainly is a droll to me as U-Turn Mahathir had written something similar about Zaid in October 2008.

Just as Zaid had called U-Turn Mahathir the de facto leader of the Opposition, Mahathir in 2008 called him the de facto Minister of Justice.

Noting Zaid’s ‘loose cannon’ behaviour, U-Turn Mahathir wrote:

So what is new about Zaid shooting his mouth off? The good thing is that the DAP has chosen to inherit this political failure that came to them as a 2-in-1 package; a frog and the other being a loose cannon.

I am so looking forward to the next DAP party election.

February 8, 2017February 8, 2017

Lim Kit Siang Stands By His BMF RCI Request

It was supposed to be a press conference to announce la granouille extraordinaire Zaid Ibrahim’s yet another leap into a political party.

Minutes after the announcement Zaid’s joy was short-lived when U-Turn Mahathir took a swipe at him saying to the press that he hopes Zaid’s stay in DAP would be longer than the ones he had had in other opposition parties.

U-Turn Mahathir has never had anything nice to say about Zaid and I doubt he has anything good to say now either.

Zaid Ibrahim never had anything nice to say about U-Turn Mahathir either. You can read a special section on the old Pharaoh from Page 215. Don’t bother buying the book now because he now has to like the old Pharaoh. Just get one from someone who plans to return the book for a refund.

Talking about books the best moment of the press conference was when a reporter asked what is DAP owner Lim Kit Siang’s current stand on the Royal Commission of Inquiry for the BMF scandal.

The author of two books blaming the BMF scandal on U-Turn Mahathir went through the roof!

This is how DAP would behave once power is being given to them. We can already see how charged-for-corruption Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has been behaving in Penang.

Like father like son.

Anyway, Kit Siang says that he stands by his request for an RCI to he set up to investigate the BMF scandal.

However, he added that an RCI should first be formed to investigate the 1MDB scandal.

Perhaps we should jog the memory of this selectively amnesiac ass.

The Commission of Inquiry set up to investigate the BMF scandal in the 1980s was not given the power to summon witnesses to testify. There was no other investigation done.

1MDB had had its accounts and other documents opened up for the MACC, police, Bank Negara, the PAC (which coincidentally has members of the opposition in it), and had to undergo a forensic audit performed by the Auditor-General’s Office.

There was no “bailout” for the 1MDB as opposed to the BMF scandal which was bailed out by Petronas amounting to RM2.188 billion on top of the RM2.255 billion that vanished through loans to the Carrian Group.

Also Kit Siang, please note that the RM4.443 billion came from the rakyat’s coffers so to speak as money at BBMB was from Petronas to assist the Bumiputera, and Petronas money used to bail BBMB out belonged to the people too.

BMF lent Malaysian money to a foreign company for the purpose of projects outside Malaysia that have nothing to do with Malaysia.

1MDB on the other hand borrowed foreign money for projects in Malaysia. There is no ‘rakyat’s money’ involved as claimed except the ones used to form 1MDB.

And also please remember, the US DOJ never named the current Prime Minister in its investigation documents, only a reference to an ‘MO1’ was made as that person was not directly involved in the investigation.

However, the CIA document specifically linked the BMF scandal to U-Turn Mahathir.

So Kit Siang. It is your credibility that is on the line here. Whether DAP makes it in GE14 depends on whether you would support the formation of a RCI for the BMF scandal without any conditions.

Your son is going to jail for corruption and you are the only one left from your family to ensure that your family continues to be relevant to the rakyat.

Or are you too busy kissing U-Turn Mahathir’s ass and defending him to even think about the end of your credibility as well as your political career as you know it?

Perhaps DAP supporters should start burning all the books written by Kit Siang and ditch he and his family.

There is no use keeping an old man who has no integrity yet is trying to dictate things to others.

February 7, 2017February 7, 2017

Guan Eng Says “I Loathe Penang”

When Ku Nan said that Penang should be made into Federal Territory, Johor-born Penang Chief Minister from Melaka who has been charged in court for corruption, Lim Guan Eng, went on a campaign asking Penangites to love Penang. The campaign has been ridiculed and scorned by original Penangites.

I made it a point to pen down the fact that Guan Eng was born in Johor Bahru in 1960 and went to the Batu Pahat High School and Melaka High School.

Although he was the Kota Melaka MP for three terms with consecutively reduced majority the Melaka DAP discarded him and his wife Betty like trash. He came out last in the 2005 Melaka DAP Committee elections. Even his wife Betty beat him to take the second-last spot. Therefore, while Betty being DAP Supremo Lim Kit Siang’s daughter-in-law was spared being in the last position, Kit Siang’s own son was trash in the eyes of Melaka DAP.

Sensing that he could get trashed in the 2008 general elections if he continued to contest in Kota Melaka, he ran to Penang to contest at the Bagan parliamentary and Air Puteh state seats.

When the Barisan Alternatif won Penang that year, being his father’s son, Guan Eng appointed himself as the Chief Minister to replace Gerakan’s Koh Tsu Koon, bypassing local DAP figures such as Lim Hock Seng and police-wannabe Phee Boon Poh.

To show that he is fair to other races, he appointed Perak-born P Ramasamy also from DAP and Datuk Dr Mansor Othman from PKR.

In 2012, Mansor was alleged to have called Lim Guan Eng “cocky”, “arrogant”, “dictator” and a “tokong” (deity). Tokong stuck on him well and until now he is being referred to as that by his detractors. With very little tolerance for dissent, Mansor was struck out and replaced by Dato’ Mohd Rashid bin Hasnon after the 2013 general elections.

Since then, Guan Eng has fought tooth and nail with local NGOs such as the Consumers Association of Penang, Georgetown Heritage Action Group, Persatuan Kebajikan dan Penduduk Tamil, Penang Dravidar Kalagam, Malaysia Nambikei Yekkam, Penang Tamil Pathukappu Yekkam and Persatuan Penduduk Penduduk Baru Kawan. This is due to Guan Eng’s dictatorial behaviour in demolisihing, reclaiming, and developing Penang without giving any due consideration to heritage, environment nor religion.

Not only that, Guan Eng also removed several PKR state assemblymen from Penang GLC positions after they dissentend on the issue of massive offshore reclamation works sanctioned by Guan Eng.

And who is Lim Guan Eng to tell Penangites to love Penang when he himself does not trust the Penangites?

When he could feel that he might be spending several years in jail for corruption, he asked DAP leaders and members to accept Selangor-born Chow Kon Yeow from Kuala Lumpur as the next Chief Minister of Penang when he is jailed. Aren’t there Penangites in his exco line-up?

There are 11 exco members in Penang:

Lim Guan Eng as the CM is from Johor/Melaka,
Rashid Hasnon, Deputy CM1 is from Johor,
P Ramasamy, Deputy CM2 is from Selangor,
Chow Kon Yeow is from Kuala Lumpur,
Chong Eng is from Pahang,
Phee Boon Poh is from Penang,
Lim Hock Seng is from Penang,
Danny Law is from Perak,
Jagdeep Singh Deo is from Penang,
Abdul Malik Abul Kassim is from Penang,
Dr Afif Bahardin is from Penang.

I am sure many Penang DAP members remember Thum Weng Fatt.

Before Lim Guan Eng could difference between Batu Maung and Batu Kawan, it was Thum Weng Fatt who represented DAP on every single issue in Penang. He would travel around in his yellow van providing services to the people. Many Penangites could still identify Thum and the yellow van.

Yet when DAP took over the administration in 2008, Lim Guan Eng and his father made it as if they had done all the hard work.

When Thum suffered from failure of both his kidneys, Penang DAP did not even help him financially. In the end, Thum sought the assistance of former Gerakan Batu Kawan MP, Datuk Huan Cheng Guan who provided the very ill Thum with RM3,000 monthly.

When Thum passed away, his sister cursed Lim Guan Eng and DAP for not lifting a finger to assist her late brother whom had given his all for his love of DAP.

Maybe it is because Thum was a Penangite. Which is why 55 percent of his excos are NOT from Penang. Which is why his two deputies are not from Penang. Which is also why his proposed successor is also NOT from Penang.

I guess he doesn’t trust Penang people. I don’t think he loves Penang at all. Penang is probably a form of merchandise that he could use to enrich himself and only those loyal to him.

That is why his advice for Penangites should love Penang should translate into “Penangites should love whatever Tokong Lim Guan Eng does with Penang.”

And you Penangites still want him around?

February 6, 2017

Rindukan Zaman Mahathir?

Ada saja yang mengeluh mengenai harga barang serta nilai Ringgit yang tidak seperti zaman Tok Kadok. Tidak kurang juga yang membandingkan bagaimana harga rokok pada zaman Mahathir Mohamad adalah jauh lebih murah dari zaman Najib Razak.

Benar. Harga rokok Dunhill 20 sekotak kini mencecah RM17.00. Namun ianya bukan disebabkan kelemahan matawang tetapi diakibatkan oleh kenaikan cukai ke atas rokok.

Saya berterima kasih kepada Cik Lim Sian See kerana menulis dengan panjang lebar mengenai kos sara hidup di Malaysia berbanding kualiti hidup. Beliau telah menggunakan Indeks Big Mac yang membandingkan harga jualan burger Big Mac di setiap negara sejak 30 tahun yang lalu.

Kita ambil tahun 1993, iaitu zaman pemerintahan Mahathir Mohamad. Harga Big Mac pada masa itu ialah RM3.35 manakala harga minyak RON92 (semasa itu minyak RON95 masih belum wujud di Malaysia) berharga RM1.06 seliter.

Pendapatan median bulanan setiap keluarga di Malaysia pada tahun 1993 ialah RM1,077 manakala bagi Bumiputera ianya adalah RM887.

Ini bermakna sekiranya kesemua pendapatan tersebut digunakan untuk membeli Big Mac maka setiap keluarga mampu membeli sebanyak 321 Big Mac manakala bagi sebuah keluarga Bumiputera hanya termampu sebanyak 265 Big Mac.

Untuk pembelian minyak RON92 pula setiap keluarga di Malaysia boleh membeli sebanyak 1,016 liter manakala keluarga Bumiputera boleh membeli 837 liter.

16 tahun kemudian apabila pentadbiran Najib Razak mengambil alih pucuk pimpinan pendapatan median bulanan setiap keluarga di Malaysia meningkat kepada RM2,830 dan RM2,531 bagi keluarga Bumiputera.

Harga Big Mac telah meningkat kepada RM6.80 (kenaikan sebanyak RM3.45 berbanding tahun 1993) manakala minyak RON95 setelah RON92 tidak lagi dijual di Malaysia berharga RM1.80 seliter (kenaikan sebanyak 74 sen).

Ini menjadikan kemampuan bulanan setiap keluarga pada tahun 2009 membeli Big Mac meningkat kepada 416 biji manakala keluarga Bumiputera membeli 372 biji Big Mac. Peningkatan berbanding tahun 1993 ialah sebanyak 95 biji Big Mac (peningkatan 29.45 peratus) manakala bagi keluarga Bumiputera pula ialah sebanyak 107 biji Big Mac (peningkatan 40.6 peratus).

Untuk pembelian minyak RON95 pula, kemampuan bulanan setiap keluarga pada tahun 2009 membeli minyak RON95 meningkat kepada 1,572 liter manakala keluarga Bumiputera membeli 1,406 liter. Peningkatan berbanding tahun 1993 ialah sebanyak 556 liter (peningkatan 54.74 peratus) manakala bagi keluarga Bumiputera pula ialah sebanyak 569 liter (peningkatan 68.04 peratus).

Ini bermakna taraf hidup bagi setiap keluarga di Malaysia telah meningkat walaupun harga barangan juga meningkat berbanding pada zaman pentadbiran Mahathir Mohamad. Bagi keluarga Bumiputera pula, walaupun pendapatan mereka masih di bawah purata pendapatan setiap keluarga di Malaysia, kualiti hidup mereka meningkat dengan mendadak melebihi dari peningkatan purata keluarga di Malaysia pada tahun 2009 berbanding 1993.

Lima tahun kemudian, iaitu pada tahun 2014, pendapatan bulanan setiap keluarga di Malaysia adalah RM4,585 (kenaikan RM1,755 atau RM351 setahun) dan RM4,214 (kenaikan RM1,683 atau RM336 setahun) bagi keluarga Bumiputera.

Manakala harga Big Mac dan RON95 pula berada pada paras RM7.60 sebiji dan RM2.30 seliter (iaitu sama dengan harga minyak pada bulan Februari 2017).

Kemampuan untuk membeli Big Mac sebulan bagi setiap keluarga di Malaysia telah meningkat kepada 603 biji (peningkatan 44.96 peratus) manakala bagi keluarga Bumiputera pula sebanyak 554 biji (peningkatan 48.97 peratus). Peningkatan bagi kemampuan keluarga Bumiputera sekali lagi mengatasi peningkatan setiap keluarga di Malaysia.

Bagi RON95 pula, kemampuan pembelian bulanan bagi setiap keluarga di Malaysia telah meningkat kepada 1,993 liter (peningkatan 26.79 peratus) manakala bagi keluarga Bumiputera pula sebanyak 1,832 liter (peningkatan 30.30 peratus). Peningkatan bagi kemampuan keluarga Bumiputera sekali lagi mengatasi peningkatan setiap keluarga di Malaysia.

Big Mac di Malaysia - gambar ehsan NST — Big Mac di Malaysia – gambar ehsan NST

Malah, akhbar Singapura AsiaOne pada tahun 2014 melaporkan bahawa Big Mac di Malaysia adalah yang ketiga termurah di dunia.

Itu tahun 2014. Bagaimana pula dengan dakwaan bahawa kadar inflasi membuatkan rakyat Malaysia kini tidak mampu untuk membeli makanan?

Perbandingan harga Big Mac dari 2009 hingga 2017 mengikut matawang masing-masing negara

Perbandingan di atas menunjukkan kenaikan harga Big Mac di antara tahun 2009 hingga 2017 menunjukkan kenaikan harga Big Mac Malaysia adalah kedua terendah berbanding negara lain. Kalau kita lihat restoran-restoran terutamanya yang mahal seperti Serai di Empire Subang masih penuh pada waktu makan tengahari tidak mengira hari hinggakan barisan yang beratur menunggu tempat duduk begitu panjang setiap hari.

Begitu juga di Facebook dan Instagram kita dapat melihat betapa ramai rakyat Malaysia yang mampu bercuti sama ada di dalam mahupun luar negara. Ini berlaku mahupun dakwaan bahawa rakyat Malaysia tertekan akibat kekurangan wang dan Ringgit tidak laku di luar negara.

Semasa saya menunaikan ibadah Umrah setiap tahun dari tahun 1998 hingga musim Haji 2001, setiap pengendali pakej hanya memenuhi satu buah bas setiap penerbangan. Yang pergi secara puratanya berumur 45 tahun ke atas. Jarang ada yang berumur kurang dari 30 tahun.

Apabila saya kembali ke Mekah pada tahun 2014, ia menjadi tiga buah bas setiap pengendali pakej bagi setiap penerbangan dan lebih ramai pasangan muda turut serta. Baru-baru ini ia telah meningkat kepada empat buah bas setiap pengendali pakej setiap penerbangan dan begitu ramai pasangan muda yang membawa anak-anak kecil, atau pergi beribadah bersama seluruh keluarga. Bukan sahaja mereka yang menjalankan perniagaan atau kerja dengan syarikat swasta, malah guru-guru peringkat bawahan juga mampu pergi anak-beranak.

Anda boleh membaca dengan lebih lanjut lagi mengenai jumlah kerusi penerbangan yang diperlukan untuk jemaah Umrah dari Malaysia setiap hari DI SINI.

Mahukah anda kembali ke tahun 2001 semasa pentadbiran Mahathir Mohamad?

Perangkaan tidak pernah berbohong. Tidak seperti puak Pakatan yang suka menabur fitnah mencanangkan bagaimana harga barang naik di bawah kerajaan Barisan Nasional. Tidak pula mereka menceritakan bagaimana kualiti dan taraf hidup juga telah naik melebihi kenaikan harga barangan.

Untuk perbandingan, janji untuk menghapuskan tol di negeri Selangor masih tinggal janji.

Janji untuk menghapuskan tol di Sungai Nyior, Pulau Pinang masih tinggal janji.

Malah kerajaan Pulau Pinang DAP sejak 2008 telah menaikkan harga lesen, kadar parkir, lesen perniagaan (begitu juga di Selangor) dan menaikkan kadar tarif air di Pulau Pinang sebanyak EMPAT kali.

Tidak cukup dengan itu, di Selangor anda dikehendaki membayar 20 sen untuk setiap beg plastik yang anda perlukan semasa membeli barang.

Dulu anda mendapat beg plastik secara percuma sekiranya anda membeli barangan berharga, sebagai contoh, RM10. Ini bermakna kos pembelian beg plastik oleh peniaga telah difaktorkan ke dalam kos penjualan barangan. Dicampur dengan GST anda membayar RM10.60.

Kini anda dikenakan RM10 + 20 sen menjadikan RM10.20 dan apabila dikenakan GST anda perlu membayar RM10.81! Anda membayar sebanya dua kali untuk satu beg plastik dan peniaga membuat keuntungan atas angin sebanyak 21 sen bagi setiap beg plastik.

Ada yang mengatakan bahawa polisi membayar untuk beg plastik ini bagus kerana kutipan akan diserahkan kepada kerajaan negeri untuk tujuan memerangi pencemaran. Apa kata Azmin Ali?

Azmin tak kata pun dia suruh kita bayar 20 sen untuk beg plastik

Ada pula yang kata kutipan akan disalurkan ke badan-badan amal dan bukan kerajaan. Apa pula kata Exco Selangor Elizabeth Wong?

Eli Wong pun kata dia hanya BERHARAP agar para peniaga akan menyalurkan kutipan 20 sen kepada badan-badan amal dan bukan kerajaan. Dia tak suruh. Jadi siapa kena tipu?

Rafizi yang menjanjikan penurunan harga barangan akan berlaku dengan penurunan harga minyak juga masih belum tunaikan janji walhal minyak pernah turun dari RM2.70 seliter pada zaman Pak Lah kepada RM1.60 seliter pada awal tahun 2016. Namun hingga kini tidak nampak penurunan harga barangan.

Apabila disoal di dalam group WhatsApp, beliau hanya menjawab bahawa itu bukan masalah beliau.

Seingat anda, pernahkah ibubapa anda menyebut bagaimana barangan langsung tidak mahal? Dan sekiranya anda masih mahu membuat perbandingan di antara zaman Mahathir Mohamad dan zaman Najib Razak dan rindukan zaman Mahathir Mohamad, kenapa anda tidak mahu rindukan zaman pentadbiran penasihat British dan Kapitan Yap Ah Shak?

February 4, 2017February 4, 2017

Insula Est, Non Tua

Coat of Arms of the British East Hindia Company — Coat of Arms of the British East India Company

Of late there have been calls for the return of Pulau Pinang to the sovereign Ruler of Kedah. This is because since being governed by the DAP, Pulau Pinang (Penang) has been behaving like an autonomous state while chasing out Malays, Indians as well as marginalised Chinese from the island state.

If I were to follow my heart, I would wish for Kedah to reassert its sovereignty over Penang. However, legally that would be disastrous for Malaysia.

The History of the

The proponents for the return of Penang to Kedah base their arguments on the agreement made in 1786 between the British East India Company and the Ruler of Kedah at the time, Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah. During that time, Kedah was already under the Rattanakosin Kingdom established by King Taksin. Kedah was already paying tributes in the form of Gold Flowers to the Kingdom of Siam in 1781 and had accepted the Siamese sovereignty.

In the 1786 agreement, Francis Light was supposed to assist the Kedah ruler in the event that Kedah comes under attack by another power; the British East India Company (BEIC) was not to protect enemies of Kedah (namely the Burmese and Siamese); and BEIC was to pay the Kedah government an annual repariation of 30,000 Spanish Dollars for the lease of Penang.

Tension grew when Francis Light did not inform his superiors in India of the full details of what he had promised to Sultan Abdullah. In the end, Light was asked to provide Sultan Abdullah with less than what had been requested. The EIC decided to to provide the Sultan with any form of protection and nothing was said of financial repariation.

Light was forced to use the island’s revenue to pay the Sultan but offered only $10,000 Straits Dollars a year for eight years for the island, or $4,000 Straits Dollars a year for so long as the Company occupied the island.

The unamused Sultan then gathered his forces in Prai in late 1790 to take Penang back by force which was defeated by Light. Sultan Abdullah sent his emmissaries Tunku Sharif Muhammad, Tunku Alang Ibrahim and Datuk Penggawa Telibun to negotiate a treaty with Light.

In 1791 a treaty called the Treaty of Friendship and Peace was signed between the BEIC and the Sultan of Kedah and the annual payment of a sum of 6,000 Spanish Dollars was promised to the Sultan for the rights to Penang and the two countries promised “to live in peace by sea and land, to continue as long as the Sun and Moon give light.” BEIC was to no longer provide protection to Kedah against its enemies. This treaty supercedes the treaty of 1786. (Dr Cheah Boon Kheng, former lecturer, History Department of the Universiti Sains Malaysia)

In 1800, another treaty was signed between BEIC and Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II, the successor of Sultan Abdullah for the lease of Seberang Prai (called Province Wellesley then) for an annual sum of 4,000 Spanish Dollars that is to continue “as long as the Sun and Moon give light.”

From 1826, the BEIC placed Penang under the Straits Settlements. Subsequently, in 1874 the BEIC was dissolved and as a result of the 1873 East India Stock Dividend Redemption Act the Straits Settlements came under direct British Crown rule via its government in India.

The Brtish Government became the rightful owner of Penang as successor of the BEIC.

Towards The Independence of Malaya

Each state in what was called Malaya were sovereign states up until 31st August 1957 when the Federation of Malaya that existed following the breakdown of the Malayan Union in 1948 ceased to exist.

“Malaya” as it was known then was made up of the Federated Malay States (Selangor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang), the Unfederated Malay States (Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Perlis, Johor), and the Straits Settlements (Penang, Melaka and Singapore).

The discussions leading to the formation of the 1957 Federation of Malaya excluded Singapore in the equation.

During these discussions, both Melaka and Penang were referred to as the Crown Colonies whose people are citizens of Britain. The discussions involved Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Government, the Nine Malay Rulers, and the Alliance government the people had elected to represent them.

In an early stage, it was agreed by both Her Majesty’s Government and the Nine Rulers that the office and person of the Yang DiPertuan Agong and the Queen would jointly administer the Settlements as “equal partners.” According to this arrangement, the Queen would delegate her sovereign authority to the Yang DiPertuan Agong as the representative of the Queen and the Nine Rulers and that the Melaka and Penang would have a Governor appointed in consultation with the Straits Settlements’ office (CO1030/132(28) dated 16 August 1956).

This would be in line with protecting the Straits Chinese who were British subjects whose representation to the British government expressed fears that if Penang is administered by the independent Malayan government, they would be subjected to discrimination.

The British High Commissioner to Malaya, Sir Donald MacGillivray had already expressed grave doubts as to whether that arrangement would be accepted by the Alliance Party as the latter had wanted all the Settlements involved to be part of the newly independent and self-governing Malaya (CO1030/135 (2) dated 19 July 1956).

UMNO as represented by Tunku Abdul Rahman had also proposed that the provisions for Malay reservations in the proposed Constitution should be applied to Penang and Melaka. However, this was met with stiff resistance by the British government. The Secretary of State said the proposal could “aggravate racial feeling”, adding that during the 180 years of British rule in the Settlements there had been no racial discrimination (CO1030/496 (8) dated 14 May 1957).

A compromise was proposed by the Rulers’ legal adviser, Neil Lawson, who suggested that one of the clauses on land reservations to include a provision to allow the State governments to set up a trust to buy land for the settlement of the Malays. This compromise was accepted by the meeting. This proposal was contained in Article 88 of the Federal Constitution allowing Parliament to modify the articles on land (Articles 83 – 87) for application in Penang and Melaka (Constitutional Proposals for Malaya, Cmnd, 210, op.cit).

If you noticed in all the above meetings not once did the Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Sir Badlishah ibni al-Marhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, discussed the return of Penang to Kedah as well as asserting His Royal Highness’s sovereign authority over Penang.

This demonstrates that Pulau Pinang and Seberang Perai were no longer legally part of the Kedah Sultanate.

However, what also almost happened was the return of Melaka to the Dutch.

On 16 May 1957, a newspaper Straits Budget reported that the Malayan Party under Tan Kee Gak had planned to ask the British Secretary of State about the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 in respect of Melaka. According to Tan Kee Gak, Britain was planning to abandon Melaka to Malaya and as a contracting party was in breach of the said contract. Therefore, Melaka should be returned to the Dutch instead of be part of an independent Malaya.

The Colonial Office viewed the report seriously and sought the advice of the Foreign Office which in turn sought the help of the government of the Netherlands to renounce such a claim explicitly (CO1030/439 (79) dated 20 June 1957).

Summary

I have no reservation whatsoever in expressing my disgust at the way Lim Guan Eng runs Penang and uses it in a very unMalaysian way. But I doubt there is any legal avenue that would allow for the return of Penang to Kedah that would be undamaging to the country in its present legal form. It would allow for parties in Melaka perhaps to ask Netherlands to reconsider claiming the state as its own based on the 1824 treaty, and Manila would have a legal precedence to follow in its claim on Sabah.

Not once did the Sultan Of Kedah from the days of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II through Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah have ever staked a claim on Penang. This is simply because the treaties of 1791 and 1800 have superceded the one made in 1786.

And Penang’s current form is because of the 1957 Federal Constitution, cemented further by the 1963 Federal Constitution, agreed upon by all including by the Nine Malay Rulers without a single objection to its sovereign status. So how is it that Penang should be taken back by Kedah?

If the current claim is about the maruah (face/pride) of the Kedah Sultanate or about the pride of the Malays, that is just the mouth talking before the brain could think.

It would be nice to live dreaming about the day Penang becomes another district of Kedah but that is what the heart wishes. It is the legal and constitutional implications that have to be thought of thoroughly.