Ahmad Zahid Hamidi – Page 2

July 1, 2017July 1, 2017

Malaysia’s Efforts To Combat Human Trafficking Recognised

Malaysia has been taken off the US Human Trafficking Watchlist after its position in the watchlist has improved to Tier-2 (pic courtest of Fact Retriever)

Slavery has been around since the beginning of time. Up until the introduction of the English Common Law in the Malay States, those who can no longer afford to pay taxes entered bondage slavery to keep their daily bread. Such was the time when slavery was almost all about labour exploitation.

And then the British brought in workers from Southern China and India to toil the tin mines and rubber plantations respectively. Other than bringing in opium to keep them happy, Chinese females were also brought in to fulfill their sexual desires.

Today, there are more human slaves in the world than ever before in history. There are an estimated 27 million adults and 13 million children around the world who are victims of human trafficking. (Skinner, E. Benjamin. A Crime So Monstrous: Face-to-Face with Modern-Day Slavery. New York, NY: Free Press, 2008). Nearly 80% of human trafficking is for sex, and 19% is for labor exploitation (http://www.ncdsv.org/images/NCADV_HumanTraffickingFacts.pdf ).

Two years ago we were shocked by reports of Malaysia being used as a base for human traffickers with the discovery of 28 camps and 139 graves of trafficked Rohingyas in Wang Kelian.

A forensic policeman transports body bags with human remains found at the site of human trafficking camps in the jungle close the Thailand border after bringing them to a police camp near Wang Kelian in northern Malaysia May 25, 2015. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj

Since then the government has pulled out all stops in its efforts to eradicate the menace. Najib Razak even made a personal decision to become more involved in combatting human rights violators, especially in the realm of human trafficking. He instituted a government-wide initiative to consolidate efforts. Working with law enforcement, immigration authorities, the manufacturing and agriculture sectors and NGO’s, the Malaysian government planned and executed a comprehensive effort to combat trafficking at the local and regional levels.

The efforts have since paid off. The latest US State Department’s Trafficking In Person (TIP) report, Malaysia was elevated from a watch list to “Tier 2”, which represents significant efforts to combat human trafficking. This is as a result of the Prime Minister driving the efforts to improve in several key areas, which the US has today recognised as achieving.

Not all are thankful that the efforts made by the government, notably Klang MP Charles Santiago who calls the US State Department’s TIP report a ‘farce‘ that is ‘driven by political objectives.’

Charles Santiago is the same person who in 2015 asked then-US President Barack Obama NOT to elevate Malaysia’s TIP status from Tier 3. Nothing good should ever come to Malaysia for as long as it is not he nor his comical colleagues that are in power.

Charles Santiago asking Obama in 2015 not to make Malaysia look good to anyone

This MP is from the very same Pakatan coalition that the US Department of Justice’s suit on 1MDB-related individuals and companies are not politically-motivated because it would hit the Barisan Nasional hard, but argue that the US State Department’s TIP report as politically-driven instead because it does no good to the Pakatan’s aimless struggle.

According to the US TIP report, the Malaysian government conducted 106 risk assessments and ultimately granted six victims work visas and 12 special immigration passes for freedom of movement. An additional 28 victims were approved for freedom of movement. Prosecutions were initiated by the Malaysian government against 175 alleged traffickers, up from 38 initiated the previous year. The government convicted 35 traffickers—18 for labour trafficking and 17 for sex trafficking. There were 1,558 trafficking victims identified in Malaysia last year and 3,411 cases investigated by the Royal Malaysian Police.

The report added that the Malaysian government demonstrated increasing efforts compared to the previous reporting period. During the reporting period, the Malaysian Attorney-General approved and the Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi enforced implementing regulations for the amendments to the anti-trafficking law.

As for the protection of the trafficking victims, the report says that Malaysian officials provided three NGOs with funds to conduct various programs and activities with trafficking shelter residents. They also increased its funding allocation to the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development to operate government facilities for trafficking victims.

As a matter of fact, the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development maintained seven facilities specifically to house trafficking victims, and the government allocated RM3.06 million (USD682,270) to open three new trafficking shelters.

With this elevation, Malaysia is now a regional leader in combatting human trafficking. Najib Razak will be working with regional countries, in particular the ASEAN nations, that are lagging behind, and will support efforts by Myanmar, Laos and Thailand to solve their trafficking problems.

While we should all be proud of this achievement, we should spare no effort to eradicate this inhumane trade. However, credit should be given where credit is due, and politicising issues such as this shows how selfish one can be putting his/her agenda above the nation’s.

March 5, 2017March 5, 2017

Kicked Out For Being Kan Cheong

One of the last photos of Kan Cheong with a car. He’ll be riding bicycles soon if not executed using an anti-aircraft gun

Kim Jong Nam, the once heir apparent to former North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was assassinated on the 13yh February 2017 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) by Vietnamese and Indonesian women believed to have been recruited by North Korean agents.

Jong Nam was travelling using a North Korean diplomatic passport under the pseudonym Kim Chol, a name he had used since 2010 to travel and also for his Facebook and e-mail accounts.

That was probably how North Korean agents had tracked him down.

Although Jong Nam (or Kim Chol) was using a diplomatic passport, he was not on the list of accredited diplomats to Malaysia, and his assassination was an act of crime conducted in Malaysia, in breach of Malaysian criminal law.

Former North Korean ambassador Kang Chol, or Mr Kan Cheong, went on an overdrive to pre-empt any investigative action the Royal Malaysian Police was going to take, first by declaring that the investigation by the police cannot be trusted, and that Malaysia was working with regimes that were bent on destroying North Korea (read: South Korea and the US), and demanded that the body of the unimportant Kim Chol be returned to North Korea.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak was the first to blast Mr Kan Cheong for his undiplomatic behaviour, and Malaysian Foreign Affairs Minister Anifah Aman rapped the former for his conduct unbecoming of a diplomat.

That did not stop Mr Kan Cheong from continuing his attacks on Malaysia’s reputation.

“It is like him (Kang Chol) speaking with a North Korean gun pointed to his head!” a senior Malaysian Foreign Affairs Ministry said.

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi earlier this week announced the cancellation of the visa-free facility for North Koreans travelling to Malaysia.

Zahid who spoke as the Home Minister said, “I hope the decision of the home ministry will be implemented by the immigration department for the sake of national security.”

Malaysia established diplomatic channels with North Korea in the early 1970s but did not have an embassy in Pyongyang until during the Mahathir administration in 2003.

Other than Malaysia, 23 countries including have an embassy in Pyongyang and host a North Korean embassy on their soil including Indonesia, Sweden, Germany and the UK.

The next phase of escalation would be to cut-off diplomatic ties.

A North Korean suspect who is also a chemist deported from Malaysia accused Malaysian police of threatening to kill his family unless he confessed to killing Kim.

Ri Jong Chol, who was released after police said there was insufficient evidence to charge him, spoke to reporters in Beijing while on his way to Pyongyang.

Ri said that he wasn’t at the airport the day Kim was killed, but that police accused him of being a mastermind and presented him with “fake evidence.” He said they showed him a picture of his wife and two children, who were staying with him in Kuala Lumpur, and threatened to kill them.
I am surprised the police let him go instead of killing him and his family for his refusal to cooperate.

I am sure he said all that so he would not be made to walk through a minefield at the Great Leader’s pleasure.

Finally, at 6pm on the 4th March 2017, Mr Kan Cheong was declared a persona non grata by the Malaysian government and now has less than 35 hours to leave the country.

In a way, declaring Mr Kan Cheong almost a month after he started the fracas is a way of giving the North Korean diplomat some face. Had Malaysia sent him back during the first week, he would have been turned into dog faeces at the pleasure of the Great Leader within 60 hours of being sent home.

So Mr Kan Cheong, for your sake I do hope the Great Leader thinks you have done enough for the morherland before you got sent home.

I know you are going to miss your black Jaguar but do consider yourself lucky if the Great Leader would be kind enough to let you stay alive so you could ride on one of the People’s bicycle.

December 27, 2016December 26, 2016

Belum Puas Berbohong

Episod terbaharu "Pembohong Bersiri" akan muncul — Episod terbaharu “Pembohong Bersiri” akan muncul

Juara Pembohong Bersiri, Rafizi Ramli, sekali lagi akan menjadi ‘pejuang rakyat’ dengan membela nasib rakyat dengan suatu isu yang amat penting menurutnya. Yang menjadi persoalan ialah, sekiranya perkara tersebut merupakan sesuatu yang amat penting, kenapa perlu tunggu hingga hari Khamis ini untuk membuat laporang polis?

Isu penting - membuat sidang media lebih penting dari membuat laporan polis — Isu penting – membuat sidang media lebih penting dari membuat laporan polis

Sudah tentu kesejahteraan para peneroka menjadi tumpuan utama pihak FELDA. Saya difahamkan sumber kewangan FELDA tidak akan digunakan oleh FELDA Global Ventures Holdings Bhd (FGV) untuk pembelian 37 peratus saham PT Eagle High Plantations (EHP). Maka isu program kesejahteraan para peneroka FELDA langsung tidak wujud.

Begitu juga bagi yang sering mengatakan FGV membayar harga premium terlalu tinggi untuk saham tersebut. Kita perlu tahu bahawa harga saham sesebuah syarikat itu tidak langsung menggambarkan nilai syarikat tersebut. Saham EHP juga dikawal oleh Kumpulan Rajawali sebanyak 70 peratus dan disenaraikan di Bursa Saham Jakarta yang tidak secair (liquid) BSKL mahupun SGX.

Peluang yang diperolehi oleh FGV ini sudah tentu akan meningkatkan lagi profil tanaman FELDA kerana purata umur pokok milik EHP adalah 7 tahun berbanding dengan 15 tahun di tanah-tanah FELDA/FGV. Kerajaan Indonesia juga dikhabarkan telah bersetuju memberi pengecualian kali ini sahaja bagi sebuah entiti luar memiliki tanah sebegitu luas di Indonesia. Kalau ini bukan peluang yang baik untuk FELDA/FGV memajukan diri serta memberi lebih banyak manfaat kepada para penerokanya, maka saya tidak tahu apa yang akan lebih menguntungkan mereka.

Kita jangan lupa dengan sejarah penipuan Rafizi. Malah beliau telah berkali-kali didapati bersalah di mahkamah kerana menipu.

Pada tahun 2012, Rafizi telah mendakwa bahawa dana daripada sebuah kontraktor pertahanan telah digunakan untuk membeli 80 peratus saham dalam Astacanggih Sdn Bhd. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yang ketika itu merupakan Menteri Pertahanan telah memfailkan saman terhadap Rafizi.

Pada bulan Januari berikutnya, Rafizi telah memberitahu portal The Malaysian Insider (26hb Januari 2013) bahawa beliau akan tetap dengan dakwaan beliau dan akan melawan Zahid di mahkamah.

Walau bagaimanapun, Rafizi telah membuat permohonan di Mahkamah Tinggi pada 9hb April 2013 untuk mahkamah menolak writ saman yang telah difailkan oleh Zahid. Empat hari sebelum itu Rafizi telah menafikan bahawa beliau telah memfitnah Zahid dan akhirnya memadamkan semua dakwaan beliau terhadap Zahid di laman blognya.

Pada 24hb November 2014, Rafizi telah memfitnah Rosmah Mansor isteri kepada Najib Razak dalam sebuah forum di Bandar Tun Razak. Beliau mendakwa bahawa kenaikan harga minyak telah membolehkan Rosmah Mansor membeli cincin berlian. Apabila disaman, beliau membuat kenyataan bahawa beliau hanya bergurau mengenai perkara tersebut!

Rafizi kuat bergurau - tetapi tak tahan gurauan orang lain — Rafizi kuat bergurau – tetapi tak tahan gurauan orang lain

Gurauan beliau mengenai Tabung Haji pada tahun 2015 juga telah mengakibatkan ramai pencarum mengeluarkan simpanan mereka. Ada juga yang sanggup melepaskan giliran mereka untuk menunaikan ibadah Haji semata-mata termakan ‘gurauan’ Rafizi.

Namun, setelah beratus orang mengeluarkan wang mereka dari Tabung Haji, Rafizi tidak pula berbuat sedemikian. Malah beliau terus menikmati dividen sebanyak RM25,000 untuk simpanan beliau yang ketika itu berjumlah RM530,000.

Bukankah ini merupakan suatu penganiayaan terhadap mereka yang buta tuli mempercayai beliau? Tidakkah beliau langsung merasa berdosa terhadap mereka yang telah mendapat giliran untuk menunaikan ibadah Haji tetapi melepaskan peluang tersebut hanya kerana termakan hasutan beliau?

Cuba kita lihat apa kata Surah An-Nahl Ayat 105 mengenai orang seperti Rafizi?

Baru-baru ini juga beliau telah dikantoikan oleh pihak MRT kerana membuat dakwaan palsu terhadap projek tersebut. Tidak tahan dengan pendedahan oleh pihak MRT, beliau kini mengalihkan siri pembohongan beliau dengan percubaan menghasut warga FELDA pula.

Apa yang nak dihairankan? Beliau sendiri akui bahawa tugas beliau adalah menghasut. Namun, masih ada yang kurang uaya akal yang percaya akan pembohong bersiri ini.

November 7, 2016

Shut Up, Sotong!

Shut up, says the person who has lost court cases for not stating facts and lie to the people

“Shut up if you don’t have the facts,” said PKR’s Rafizi Ramli to Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki on the latter’s claim that Tabung Haji (TH) has initiated a suit against him (Rafizi). In his Facebook Dr Asyraf has refused to debate with Rafizi on an issue involving TH saying that it isnow a legal issue between TH and Rafizi.

Rafizi, however, is most famous for getting sued for making false allegations and getting his ‘facts’ wrong, and lose in court.

In 2012, he made allegations that funds from a government defence contractor was used to purchase 80 percent stake in Astacanggih Sdn Bhd. The then Defence Minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, promptly filed a suit against Rafizi. Rafizi told portal The Malaysian Insider in the 26th January 2013 that he would stand by his allegations and fight Zahid in court.

“Yes, I will face the suit. I will go through this issue with my lawyer. If he (Zahid) sues me, good. We will subpoena all the documents,” he said to The Malaysian Insider.

However, on the 9th April 2013, Rafizi applied for the High Court to reject the writ of summons filed by Zahid! In his statement of defence Rafizi on the 5th April 2013 Rafizi denied defaming Zahid and in the end removed all the allegations against Zahid from his blog post.

The above is a fact.

On the 24th November 2014, Rafizi defamed Rosmah Mansor, wife of Najib Razak, at a forum in Bandar Tun Razak claiming that the rising fuel prices was to allow Rosmah to buy diamond rings. In his defence when sued by both Najib and Rosmah, Rafizi said that he was only joking!

The above is also a fact.

Just a week ago Rafizi was ordered by the High Court to pay RM200,000 (approximately USD47,733) to National Feedlot Company’s Chairman Dr Mohamad Salleh Ismail and also to the Company for defaming them.

In the suit filed on 3rd June, 2013, Mohamad Salleh and NFCorp, claimed that on 7th March, 2012, Rafizi had made a defamatory statement at a media conference at the PKR Office on the purchase of KL Eco City properties and was published by Malaysiakini on the same day.

He said the suit was filed because of losses incurred due to the lies, misleading information, disclosure of confidential banking information and slander made by the defendant.

The above is another fact.

Therefore, it is Rafizi in my opinion who should just shut up as it is an established fact that he is nothing more than a habitual liar.

Let us hope Strike Four will bury him deep.

September 28, 2016

Dysfunctional Linguists

Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi delivering his speech at the 71st UNGA in New York - photo courtesy of BERNAMA — Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi delivering his speech at the 71st UNGA in New York – photo courtesy of BERNAMA

I admit I cringed when Zahid Hamidi delivered his speech at the 71st UNGA in New York yesterday. My wife and cousins were in fits. This wasn’t the first time that I cringed when a Malaysian stood in front of an international audience delivering a speech or presentation with a poor command of the English language. The first was the late Tun Ghafar Baba who also delivered a speech on behalf of the government also at the UNGA 27 years ago next month talking about the Antarctic Treaty System. In various oil and gas meetings and conferences, I had to endure speeches delivered by Malaysians and cringed everytime they burst out in a self-made English-sounding slang to accompany their already poor command of the English language. Definitely Zahid et al need to brush up their command of the English language. However, there have been meetings and conferences that I have attended where even non-Malaysian speakers struggle with their English-language presentations and discussions. It is not just Malaysians who have this problem.

Most of those who criticise Zahid are those who still use ‘CONGRATES’ and/or ‘STUCKED.’ And many cannot even converse in Bahasa Malaysia despite having Malaysian birth certificate and identity card. Zahid could of course speak in Bahasa Malaysia, Javanese, a Chinese dialect (his foster father is a Chinese) and as we know now, some English. My only complain is of the quality of some of the English language teachers that we have. I still see some English teachers on social media

We have had two reports on the importance of Bahasa Melayu becoming the National Language published prior to the 13th May tragedy (Razak Report, 1956 and Rahman Talib Report, 1960). The Mahathir Mohamad Cabinet Report (1985) emphasised the importance of Bahasa Melayu as the unifying language for all races in Malaysia. In fact, Article 152 of the Federal Constitution and the National Language Act 1963/1967 have uphold Bahasa Melayu as the National Language. The Razak Report pointed out not only should the medium of teaching in schools be in Bahasa Melayu, but also for a uniformed curriculum to be taught at all schools. However, this was not thoroughly implemented. Children still went to schools with different medium of language. Different languages instill different values; and the use of Bahasa Melayu as a medium of teaching became a serious issue (Abdullah Hassan, 1996: 265).

As an outcome of the 13th May tragedy, political leaders got together and agreed that a single language as a medium of teaching is the way to foster unity amongst the different races of Malaysia. Tun Datuk Patinggi Hj Abdul Rahman Bin Ya’kub, the Education Minister in 1970 instructed all English-medium schools to use Bahasa Melayu in stages. Only a few Chinese schools continued to teach lessons in Mandarin (Abdullah Hassan, 1996: 266).

The rift is getting worse now. We have chauvinistic organisations championing the right to teach subjects in the vernacular to their students, while the National Language becomes just one of the subjects. Bangladeshis, Pakistanis, Myanmarese now have better command of the National Language than many of the people’s representatives. Who are we to blame? So, stop complaining about Zahid. If he can improve his command of the English language, can you improve your Bahasa Malaysia too?

Lest we forget: