Back in September 1998, I asked a fellow ex-serviceman, a known Anwar Ibrahim supporter, of his direction when Anwar declared war on UMNO. His reply was simple but meaningful:
“You don’t burn your house down just because your family hates you. They are still family.”
When U-Turn Mahathir formed Pribumi, many expected UMNO members to dump the latter in throngs and join the former. That never happened.
Anwar’s facade in his war against Mahathir for the premier post was his “fight against nepotism and cronyism.”
Some “changes” did take place within post-Anwar UMNO. Mahathir’s son Mokhzani stepped down as the UMNO Youth’s treasurer while Mukhriz was not allowed to contest for the Youth Chief position.
As it goes in the Old Testament: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or a leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil.”
The epitome of nepotism in Pribumi is the naming of Mukhriz as its Deputy President while Mahathir, who holds the Chair, is also the de facto leader, something he failed to become in the UMNO under Najib Razak.
The first hint of problems arising in the months-old party is when Mahathir is seen going around doing roadshows with most of the pro-tem committee members including Mukhriz who is the Deputy President, while Muhyiddin Yassin who is the President appears mostly alone.
Two months after the party’s formation, Khairuddin aka Mr Botox, known as Mahathir’s chow kow or running dog left the party to “concentrate on court cases.”
Five months later, both he and Mr Empty Boxes aka Ezam, headed a party called New Gen Party and changed its name to Parti Bebas Rasuah.
Several days ago, the President of the New Gen Party, Kumaar Aaman, and its Secretary-General Mohamad Zaini Jaafar, lodged a report to the police and Registrar of Societies claiming that Ezam had stolen his party.
Barely two months after the departure of Mr Botox, a scandal erupted in Pribumi. Internal rivalry saw the exposure of steamy WhatsApp conversations screen captures between Anina Saadudin and her supposed sex partner. The exposé was done by none other than her own assistant, Haiyan Uqba.
Anina, who is a Mahathir loyalist is rumoured to be at loggerheads with the Osman sisters from Perak. Whether or not they are involved in the scheme to oust Anina is yet to be proven.
Early last month, 500 members of the party from the Rembau division quit the party en masse. According to the PPBM Chief Activist for Negeri Sembilan, Mohd Anas Sudin, he and the 500 have lost their confidence in the party leadership.
Last week, the Gabungan Ketua Cawangan Malaysia (GKCM) decided to withdraw its support for the party’s leadership. The movement claims to have 5,000 supporters.
This was followed today by the resignation from all party posts as well as the leaving of the party by one of its founding members, Kamarulazman Habibur Rahman.
Kamarulazman said that the leadership of Pribumi has their head high in the clouds and are too fixated on becoming the PM.
“Those who worked really hard for the party are now being treated as second-class citizens,” he said.
He added that his departure from Pribumi is being followed by 821 members nationwide, mostly from Negeri Sembilan.
In a feeble attempt to hide the truth, Syed Saddiq attributed Kamarulazman’s departure to “threats” from the government as he is a teacher.
If this is so, are the 1,321 former members of Pribumi teachers too?
However, when expelled from UMNO in March 2016, Kamarulazman made mention that he does not fear losing his job as a teacher for supporting the Opposition.
It’s not a secret that hundreds of teachers support the Opposition yet they are still teaching. So what excuse can Syed Saddiq give now?
Perhaps, as pointed by blogger Anotherbrickinwall, Mahathir too would leave the divided new party.
I doubt any party would take him. DAP, the favourite choice, is filled with people opposed to the idea of working with Mahathir, let alone allowing him to join.
The same goes to PKR.
Perhaps it is time for Mahathir to leave the withering flower and consider retirement from politics and join the only party that would probably make him happy.
The title above sounds like the phrase “kong ka li kong” which in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia describes as untrustworthy, scheming, conspiring in an evil plot. It describes the DAP aptly.
I can imagine how majority of the voters in Penang must have felt in March 2008 when Pakatan Rakyat managed to wrestle Pulau Pinang from the clutches of BN’s Gerakan after almost 51 years. It was a hopeful change for the better. Voters then probably thought that the Barisan Nasional did not really fit into their idea of progress and prosperity a clean and efficient government might have given. They tried their luck thinking that it was worth a try to change. The candidates from the Pakatan Rakyat, too, thought that it was worth a try although they did not envisage a victory.
When they did, they had no idea how to fulfill promises that had been made to the voters. The most famous of all promises was that Kampung Buah Pala that had been in existence for decades, would remain standing. This was the promise made by Anwar Ibrahim in the run up to the 12th General Elections.
In the video below you could see Anwar Ibrahim promising the residents of Kampung Buah Pala that he would speak to the Chief Minister-designate and within two weeks, officers from the Chief Minister-designate’s office would announce themselves that Kampung Buah Pala would be saved.
And the people of Kampung Buah Pala probably fell for it and helped vote Gerakan out on the 8th March 2008. Less than three weeks later, the village that had stood for decades was bulldozed.
Anwar could also claim that the person in the video above was not him – the person may look like him, but was not him.
However, a similar promise was made by a DAP candidate by the name of Sanisvara Nethaji Rayer s/o Rajaji Rayer. Rayer promised that the village would remain a standing village should Professor Dr. P. Ramasamy (of DAP) remain in power. “As long as the Tiger of Bukit Gelugor (Karpal) represents us, I am sure no one can enter our territory,” he was quoted to have said.
Then, comes the gentrification of Pulau Pinang. The poor, be they Chinese, Malay or Indians, are being systematically removed from their traditional dwelling in the name of progress and development.
While his son has been charged in court for corrupt practices while holding the Chief Minister’s office, Emperor Lim Kit Siang is still asking for Najib Razak to resign over the 1MDB issue.
However, it is typical of DAP to NOT walk the talk.
Hopefully the voters of Penang and in other states have wised up. DAP under the Emperor and Tokong has done more than what you have accused the BN of doing in just under two terms. If you realy hate BN but want people with integrity, you should really kick the Lims out, as well as perpetual liars like Tony Pua. They are not indispensable. And they are NOT as popular in DAP as Teresa Kok paints them to be.
Think carefully! Save your island before it sinks.
Long before most netizens and majority of the current workforce were born, DAP’s Emperor Lim Kit Siang complained on 1st September 1977 about the lack of public transport and increase in fares by now-defunct well-known bus company, Sri Jaya. Four days later, he called for the resignation of both Ganie Gilong of Sabah who was the Transport Minister, and Dr Goh Cheng Teik who was the Deputy Transport Minister to resign.
Political and monetary instabilities as a result of the international monetary crises in the early 1970s and the oil crisis in late 1973 contributed to the worldwide recession, stagflation and very slow recovery. Consumer Price Index (1967 = 100) jumped by 10.5 percent in 1973 and 17.4 percent the following year. In 1977 it was down to 4.7 percent, the lowest since 1973, and the CPI figure never went down further until 1984.
Money, Income and Prices of Malaysia (1966-89) from the book The Monetary and Banking Development of Singapore and Malaysia by Sheng-Yi Lee
It was a time when Malaysians could hardly afford anything. In order to assist the rakyat, Tun Abdul Razak set up the Restoran Rakyat in August 1973. It was where a nasi lemak breakfast would cost only 20 sen and a simple lunch of rice, fish curry and vegetables would cost only 80 sen. Of course, 20 sen those days is like RM2.00 of today but any balanced meal today that costs less than RM10.00 per plate is greatly welcomed.
The Restoran Rakyat, near today’s Dataran Merdeka – Tun Razak’s way of helping the rakyat in KL to overcome inflation (courtesy of harithsidek.blogspot.com)
Also introduced by Tun Razak was the BMW – Bas Mini Wilayah, in September 1975. The fare to any destination was 40 sen then and was only increased to 50 sen in 1991 and 60 sen two years later. The BMW services were discontinued in July 1998 when it was replaced by Intrakota and subsequently RapidKL in 2005.
The notorious BMW – BERNAMA Images/Paul Tan
Today, as a result of a great foresight by the current government, land public transport and infrastructure have improved in leaps and bounds. According to a research report published on the 4th April 2017 by the Financial Times, Malaysia’s transport users get the best deals in ASEAN.
Graphs comparing Malaysia and the rest of the ASEAN-5 in terms of spending on transport as well as the WEF’s ranking for the ASEAN-5 transportation infrastructure (Financial Times)
The graph shows that Malaysian commuters spend about USD12 per day on commuting as opposed to Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines where commuting could cost up to USD20 per day, the only exception being Thailand where it could get to USD15 per day.
Malaysia is also ranked in the Top 20 from 138 nations in terms of transportation infrastructure, according to the World Economic Forum.
Malaysian spending on transportation rose to 0.7 percent of the GDP in 2016 compared to 2015, and the Financial Times research report attributes this to Prime Minister Najib Razak who continues to make infrastructure a key priority.
While the completion of the MRT SBK (Sungai Buloh-Kajang) Line 1 targetted for July 2017 and the construction of the MRT SSP (Sungai Buloh-Putrajaya) Line 2 and LRT 3 now taking place, urban and suburban dwellers in the Klang Valley can expect a much economical and more integrated mode of getting around, while feeder services such as the ETS, KTM Komuter, and the soon-to-be-expected HSR and double-tracking projects will allow growth in other areas and allow for cross-country commuting to and from work.
Projects like the ECRL and the Pan-Borneo highway will provide for the growth and availability of jobs not only in the urban areas but also in greenfields as well as pockets of rural towns where meaningful economic activities have thus far eluded.
With a projected population of 32.5 million by 2030, elaborate and efficient land public transport systems must be in place to ensure efficient mobility within and between spatial conurbations across Malaysia while the introduced National Land Public Transport Master Plan (NLPTMP) will ensure continual improvements and additions are made to the land public transport systems.
Malaysians should be thankful that plans have been made to improve transportation infrastructure instead of constantly complaining.
What everyone fears most is for the Malays to unite. I wrote this a few months back. All the lawmakers know that the RUU355 amendments have no impact whatsoever to the non-Muslims, and even if all the Muslims MPs from both PAS and UMNO were to vote for the amendments, they will never attain the 2/3rd majority required to pass the bill for it to go to the next stage.
Which is why the Malays in the DAP, PAN, PKR and Pribumi are the tools for the DAP leadership to use, as in the words of Superman Hew, “to screw the Malays using the Malays.”
Objections are raised using mainly the Malay tools. The screen-capture of a Twitter conversation between a BERNAMA journalist and a PAN MP is the evidence to that.
In the run up to its tabling, the RUU355 has met with lots of resistance. I don’t believe that the lawmakers don’t know that it is the right of each religious group to manage and administer its own affairs. I also don’t believe that the lawmakers do not know that Islam is the religion of the Federation.
But the resistance towards it is mainly to avoid the provision of an opportunity for Muslims and Malays to unite just before the next general elections. They oppose just for the sake of opposing.
And then in comes the individuals who do not see or understand that in Islam, protecting the rights of a community supercedes the rights to protect an individual’s rights, nor understand the separation of jurisdiction between the civil law and Syariah law.
This dual system of law first existed in the Malay states in Perak in 1807 with the introduction of the Royal Charter of Justice of 1807 in Pulau Pinang. Prior to that, laws based on the Syariah has been the lex loci of this land.
Islam first came to this land in the ninth century A.D and flourished in the 13th century, 200 years before the kingdom of Melaka was founded. The first evidence of a coded Syariah law was from the Terengganu’s Batu Bersurat, written in 1303, a full century before Melaka.
The kingdom of Melaka produced two major legal digests, which formed the main source of written law in Melaka – the Hukum Kanun Melaka , and the Undang-Undang Laut Melaka . The Hukum Kanun consists of 44 chapters, which touched upon matters such as the duties and responsibilities of the Ruler, prohibitions amongst members of society and penalties for civil and criminal wrongs and family law. The Undang-Undang Laut consists of 25 chapters, which covered maritime matters, such as the duties and responsibilities of ships’ crew, laws pertaining to voyages and trade. The law contained in the above written codes are said to be based on Islamic law of the Shafie School, together with elements of local custom.
Melaka’s written codes were responsible for the growth of other written codes in other states of the Peninsula: Pahang Legal Digest 1595, the laws of Kedah 1605, the Laws of Johore 1789, and the 99 Laws of Perak, 1878.
Therefore, the question of the Syariah creeping into the lives of the Muslims of the land does not hold true. The reverse however is. The RUU355 is not about amending the offences but merely seeking the agreement to enhance the punishments to be meted out for the offences. And as explained in previous writings as per clickable links above, the Federal Constitution is the supreme law of the land and therefore offences already covered in the Penal Code as well as in other civil laws made canoot be tried under the Syariah laws of Malaysia.
Furthermore, the separation of jurisdiction of the legal systems provided by the Constitution also ensures that the rights of non-Muslims are protected – only Muslims can be subjected to the Syariah law.
On the question of the Muslims being subjected to dual laws, this is not a problem. If a Muslim commits theft, he will not get his hand amputated in Malaysia. Theft is an offence under the Penal Code and therefore the Muslim offender gets punished according to what is provided for by the Penal Code. The punishments that the Syariah court can mete out cannot go beyond the Second List of the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution of Malaysia.
DAP Emperor Lim Kit Siang was against the introduction of Section 298A of the Penal Code of Malaysia. In a Parliament debate on the 9th December 1982 on the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill 1982 he said the following:
I quote:
I was aware that the new Section 298A of the Penal Code has also been drafted in order to punish the non-Muslim partner in a khalwat offence until I read a Bernama write-up on the amendment the other day. The Bernama report exulted that now both the Muslim and non-Muslim parties to a khalwat offence would be punishable, the non-Muslim under the Penal Code amendment.
A Muslim found guilty of khalwat is usually fined $200 or $250 under the Muslim enactments of the various States. I have caused a check of the penalties for khalwat, offences in the various states, which vary from State to State but they all range from the lightest penalty of $100 or one month’s jail in Kelantan to the heaviest penalty of $1,000 or six months’ jail, as is to be found in Johore. However, the non-Muslim partner charged under the Penal Code Section 298A for khalwat activity which causes or attempts to cause or is likely to cause disharmony, disunity on feelings of ill-will would be exposed to an offence which is punishable with three years’ jail, or fine, or both.
This is most objectionable and unjust where for the same act, different persons are charged under different laws where one of them imposes much heavier penalties. Or is the Muslim partner in a khalwat charge going to be charged under the Penal Code in the Criminal courts? I am sure that the Shariah Courts in the various States would vehemently oppose this as a serious erosion of the jurisdiction and powers of the Shariah Courts.
So, in 1982 Lim Kit Siang opposed the introduction of Section 298A because a similar offence tried under the Syariah law would only provide for a much lesser sentence. Why is he complaining now about Hadi wanting to introduce higher punishments for the same? Wouldn’t it be fair for the non-Muslims?
He added:
As the purpose of the 2M government is to uphold the sanctity of Islam, defend true Islamic values and Muslim unity in the country so as to be able to deal with the problems of kafir mengafir, two imam issue, separate prayers and burials, in the Muslim community, the government should confine its legislative efforts to the Muslims only, and not draft a Bill with such far-reaching consequences in allowing for State interference in the practice, profession and propagation of non-Muslim faiths.
35 years later, he backtracks on the need for Muslims to make better its laws for the Muslims only. Which is why I say Lim Kit Siang is opposing for the sake of opposing so that the Muslims do not rally behind this bill months before the general election is due.
Even PKR’s Wong Chen acknowledged back on 29th Aril 2013, six days before the 13th General Elections that in order to gain support from the Malays, PAS, which was a partner in the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, needed to play up the Hudhd issue and had the full support from the parties in the Pakatan Harapan.
Hannah Yeoh, who is the Speaker of the Selangor State Assembly even allowed the Hudud motion to be brought into the assembly. So why oppose the same motion when it is brought into Parliament? Why the double standard?
And why must Lim Guan Eng ask the BN components such as MCA, MIC and others to bear responsibility for the tabling of the RUU355? Why don’t he ask his party’s Anthony Loke and Hannah Yeoh instead? They both supported Hudud and the tabling of Hudud in the Selangor State Assembly (as in the case of Hannah Yeoh).
Anthony Loke even went to town with his support for Hudud telling his Chinese audience not to be aafraid of Hudud:
Yet, the RUU355 is not even about Hudud. So, what is unconstitutional about the RUU355?
Only the objections by the vapid non-Muslims against the RUU355 is unconstitutional, as it is a right given to all religious groups, not just the Muslims, to manage its own affairs. I don’t have to agree with the amendments proposed by the RUU355, but it is my religion and therefore it should be left to the Muslims to manage its own affairs – as guaranteed by the Federal Constitution.
And as for the atheists, just stay off my social media accounts. You don’t have the locus standi to participate in this debate.
Many would have thought that President Rodrigo “The Punisher” Duterte of the Philippines as a difficult man to come to a deal with.
When the President visited Malaysia last November, there were five Malaysians being held captive by bandits in the south of the Republic as a result of Kidnap-for-Ransom incidents.
Many criticised Najib Razak’s joining in Duterte’s karaoke diplomacy but as a seasoned diplomat and a leader Najib knew that it was Duterte’s way of asking him to loosen up before concluding business.
As a result, Duterte himself oversaw the rescue efforts and as a result the five Malaysians held as hostages were returned to their families.
Last night, as a result of another masterstroke conjured by both Najib Razak and another seasoned and internationally-respected diplomat Anifah Aman who worked behind the scene to secure the release of Malaysians held in Pyongyang since 7 March 2017.
The RMAF Global Express jet upon arrival
This morning a Royal Malaysian Air Force Global Express jet arrived in Kuala Lumpur with the Malaysian embassy staff as well as their family members.
Anifah Aman was there waiting.
Anifah Aman with family members of the Malaysian embassy staff waiting at the airport
Speaking later to reporters Anifah said that the efforts to bring back the Malaysians showcases diplomacy at its best.
“There can be no substitute for diplomacy, for level-headedness in dealing with such situations, and this has served Malaysia well in this instance,” said the Foreign Minister.
He thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for placing his trust in the Foreign Ministry to lead negotiations with North Korea.
There is no substitute for level-headedness and skillful diplomacy, and definitely no substitute for a great leadership and solid friendship that delivers each time.
Doris “Dorie” Miller was a Petty Officer (Sergeant equivalent) Ship’s Cook Third-Class on board the battleship USS West Virginia in the US Navy. That was about the only trade available for African-Americans when World War Two broke out.
It was a time when racial segregation and discrimination was strong in the US of A.
Yet, Dorie Miller was awarded the Navy Cross for helping move his mortally wounded Ship’s Captain Mervyn Sharp Bennion from further danger and saved countless other wounded crew.
Miller was never given any training to handle any weapon but took it upon himself to man a .50-caliber Browning anti-aircraft machine hun to shoot at Japanese airplanes.
Despite working in a system that discriminates him, he gave his all for his country as expected of him.
In Malaysia, civil servants have integrity problems. Five teachers have been slapped with a show-cause letter each for participating on an Opposition stage openly criticising the government-of-the-day.
Their action is in breach of Regulations 4(1) of the (Peraturan-Peraturan Pegawai Awam ( Kelakuan dan Tatatertib) 1993 – P.U.(A)395/1993.
When I was an Officer Cadet my instructors told me that as an Officer of His Majesty’s Service I must remain impartial at all times but may vote for those whom I think deserves to represent the people.
Civil servants must remain impartial as they represent the government. This ensures that integrity of the civil service and the trust of the people are not affected.
The Ministers who head each of the Ministry are elected into their positions, get a feel of what is happening on the ground before formulating policies to steer the machinery of the Ministry he or she is in-charge of in line with whole direction the nation is moving towards.
I turn it is for the civil servants to implement these policies on the ground and ensure the effectiveness of the policies, if not, provide feedback. They are not independent from the government-of-the-day they must serve and for that their impartiality is paramount.
Therefore, civil servants must refrain from openly expressing their political views what more stand on a political stage spewing hatred and anger towards the government they work for.
Even the Prime Minister lamented that the government is facing a huge challenge as it is easier for the people to stoke anger and hatred.
The tactics to incite and spread hatred and anger now ate the same as the ones used to create racial and religious disharmony and hatred towards the government in the months preceding the 13 May 1969 tragedy.
It is made worse now as disgruntled civil servants now join in the fray and speak against the government thinking that it is part of their democratic rights.
The need for teachers to preseve political impartiality was stressed even in Indonesia by Vice President Jusuf Kalla.
He said that teachers need to instead maintain their professionalism and focus on providing education to students.
In Singapore, the need for civil servants to remain politically impartial is enshrined in its Civil Service Code of Standards and Behaviour.
It says that the civil servants must conscientiously serve the government-of-the-day.
Political impartiality is also important to maintain public confidence in the civil service.
For this I agree with the Education Minister that although Malaysia is a democratic country and it is within the rights of the five teachers to support whomever they wish to, the teachers are still subjected to the regulations for civil servants.
“If they are teachers, appearing on the Opposition stage criticising the government, and there is slander and malicious intent then it is better for them to leave the teaching profession and contest in elections,” added the Minister.
Ask yourself what would you do if your domestic helper openly criticise you in front of your neighbours?
“It’s business- friendly and efficient,” said Alibaba’s Jack Ma at the launch of the Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ).
The DFTZ is the world’s first Digital Free Trade Zone (DFTZ) outside of China, which has the potential to double the growth rate of Malaysian small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) goods exports by 2025.
It is also estimated to be able to support US$65 billion worth of goods moving through DFTZ. Additionally, DFTZ is expected to create 60,000 jobs by 2025.
Of course and as usual nothing good in Malaysia for the rakyat is good for the Opposition that is now suffering from a dearth of issues to spin as they get debunked every time an issue is raised.
DAP’s Ong Kian Ming was quick to prove his stupidity by questioning the RM15 million spent for the launch of that event versus the potential billions in US Dollars to be made via the DFTZ.
If he is concerned about the well-being of financially-pinched Malaysians especially those who scrambled for holiday deals at the recent MATTA fair then why not question the need to ask taxpayers to pay more than the tax they have paid to pay the two jokers below just to eat with them?
RM10,000 per table? What kind of food is served at the dinner? Tiger meat?
Three RMAF Airbus A400M aircraft perform a fly pass at the LIMA ’17 exhibition
Defence expenditure is likely to rise as this region and beyond continue to face traditional and non-traditional threats. The role of the defence industry is also changing dramatically, as new and changing threats require further research and development, increasing the overall costs and pricing of defence products and services.
This was the gist of the message conveyed by Dato’ Sri Najib Razak, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, at the opening ceremony of the Langkawi International Aerospace and Maritime 2017 (LIMA ’17) exhibition this morning.
“We need to equip our fighting men with the capabilities required to face modern warfare, both symmetrical and asymmetrical, and LIMA ’17 brings together major aerospace and maritime firms from around the world to demonstrate their state-of-the-art static and aerial displays and cutting-edge technologies,” he added.
One of the exhibitors, Leonardo Helicopter Division, a division of the Leonardo S.p.A that is headquartered in Italy, celebrated today the successful reaching of the impressive 100,000 flying hours milestone with the Weststar Aviation Services’s AW139 fleet.
Weststar Aviation Services is the largest South East Asian offshore helicopter services provider and largest helicopter operator of the AW139 in Asia.
Dato’ Sri Najib Razak visiting one of the booths at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Center in Langkawi after the opening of LIMA ’17
Leonardo has also brought the ATR-72MP aircraft which is being proposed for Malaysia’s requirement for an advanced new maritime patrolcapability. In the Electronics Warfare segment, Leonardo has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hensoldt (the new name for Airbus DS Electronics and Border Security) to offer Mode-5 IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) solutions to customers around the world. This collaboration between two European leaders in defence electronics technology shows how, by joining forces, the team can position itself as market leader for cutting-edge new requirements. The two companies, working together as “Team Skytale”, have already been selected as preferred bidder by the UK Ministry of Defence to upgrade IFF systems on more than 400 land, sea and air vehicles.
The ATR 72MP is a multirole Maritime Patrol, Electronic Surveillance and C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence) aircraft with very affordable costs, developed and built by Leonardo’s Aircraft Division from the platform of the modern ATR 72-600 regional turboprop (pic courtesy of Leonardo Company)
The IFF technology allows operators to electronically identify friendly forces, distinguishing them from potential enemies. It does this by sending out an interrogation signal to unidentified platforms and verifying the automatic responses that are sent back, effectively a modern-day challenge and password system. Ensuring that ground, air and naval crews can reliably recognise their compatriots is one of the main ways of avoiding ‘friendly fire’ incidents. In 2020, all NATO nations are mandated to switch over to the new, more-secure ‘Mode-5’ version of the technology and other nations looking to operate alongside NATO forces will also need to be able to interact with the new standard. Mode-5 uses the latest cryptographic techniques to avoid the threat of deception by adversaries.
In another development, Thales has been selected by AirAsia to supply avionics systems on AirAsia’s new fleet of 304 A320neos. Thales will equip the 304 single-aisles with its market leading Flight Management System (FMS), the navigation solution of choice for Airbus aircraft, alongside the THALES/ACSS T3CASsurveillance platform, the preferred solution for all Airbus single aisle aircraft.
AirAsia’s Airbus A320neo (pic courtesy of Economy Traveller)
Thales has been partnering with AirAsia, leading LCC in Asia, since 2005, forging a close relationship in support of the airline’s growth strategy. AirAsia already equips their entire Airbus fleet with Thales systems and has selected the group for all maintenance and support operations for Thales systems equipped across their entire A320 fleet of 200 aircraft. In addition to the avionics suite, Thales will continue to provide a Repair-by-The-Hour (RBTH) long-term maintenance contract to support AirAsia’s fleet expansion. The agreement provides guaranteed turnaround times on repairs and offers a commitment of reliability with reduced operational risk.
Malaysia Minister of Defence, Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, meets with representatives from five countries to discuss asymmetrical threats by Da’esh
Meanwhile, Malaysia’s Minister of Defence, Dato’ Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, met with representatives from five countries including Pakistan, Turkey, Indonesia and Qatar to present his view on how to combat the Da’esh threats. The establishment of the King Salman Center of International Peace was also on the agenda of this meeting.
The RoKAF Black Eagles performing the “Bomb Burst” formation over Langkawi
Making its debut in Langkawi is the Republic of Korea Air Force’s 53rd Air Demonstration Group. Commonly known as the “Black Eagles” the RoKAF team buzzed the skies of Langkawi in their KAI T-50B Golden Eagle supersonic advanced trainers. The T-50B is one of the few supersonic trainers currently available in the world.
The Russians is well-represented. The “Russian Knights (Russkiye Vityazi)” aerobatic team showcasing their Sukhoi Su-30SM aircraft for the first time outside Russia, while the Royal Malaysian Air Force performs aerobatics in its Sukhoi Su-30MKM.
The air aces of the two countries, whose performances constantly evoke admiration of the audience, highly praised the flight characteristics of their supermanouverable aircraft.
President of Irkut Corporation Oleg Demchenko marked the high skills of pilots and their ability to use the maximum extent of the fighter’s capabilities while First vice-president of UAC Alexander Tulyakov said: “Positive evaluation of aircraft given by pilots is very important for us – the developers and manufacturers”.
The meeting resulted with a joint photo shoot against the background of Su-30SM and Su-30MKM aircraft.
Sukhoi Su-30 pilots from the Russian Knights and the RMAF’s No.11 Squadron pose together
Russian’s Rostec State Corporation is working with the government of Malaysia to expand cooperation through the supply of civilian products and aviation.
“Over the last 20 years Malaysia has been a strategic partner of the Rostec State Corporation. We are actively involved in military and technical cooperation in a number of areas: aviation, the army and the military navy, and in recent years our cooperation has gained momentum. We are currently engaged in arms supply programs and are upgrading technology that was previously supplied to Malaysia.
We are also looking to extending our cooperation to civil areas that have growth potential: electronics, composite materials and IT. The civil aviation market, especially the helicopter sector, is also showing great potential for us,” said Head of the joint delegation from Rostec and Rosoboronexport at the 2017 LIMA exhibition Viktor Kladov, Director for International Cooperation and Regional Policy Department of the State Corporation.
“LIMA-2017 is the most important event for the aviation and military navy markets of Malaysia and the surrounding region and our participation in it is a long-standing tradition. LIMA-2017 is attracting representatives of various countries of this region and we are looking to conducting fruitful negotiations both with the Malaysian Government and delegations from other countries,” he pointed out.
In the afternoon, the Prime Minister Najib Razak officiated the Maritime Segment which also involved major exhibitors such as THALES, MAST, ACS and SAAB, showcasing the latest technologies in defence products and a demonstration by the elite forces of Malaysia’s security enforcement agencies.
This year’s opening gimmick had the elite forces searching for a box containing a key for the Prime Minister to activate the launch sequence. The key was located using technologically-advanced, unmanned equipment that assisted the forces, including from the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN), and was handed over to the Chief of Navy, Admiral Tan Sri Ahmad Kamarulzaman Haji Ahmad Badaruddin who then handed it to the Prime Minister.
Following the launch, a live action demonstration from the RMN Special Forces, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, the Royal Malaysian Police and the Marine Department of Malaysia with the setting being a hostage rescue mission at sea.
Demonstration by the Royal Malaysian Navy’s special forces, the Marine Operations Force of the Royal Malaysian Police, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency and the Marine Department performs a demonstration
Later, Najib officiated the naming ceremony of the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency’s latest Offshore Patrol Vessel, the “KM Pekan”. In attendance were Defence Minister Hishammuddin Tun Hussein as well as Japan’s Deputy Minister of Land Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism, Tanaka Ryosei.
The “KM Pekan” is one of two offshore patrol vessels donated by the Japanese government to the MMEA in 2016. Both vessels are 92 meters in length with speed of 20 knots and endurance of 30 days, suitable for enforcement missions in the South China Sea as well as in eastern Sabah. Both are equipped with a helideck and state-of-the-art radars.
According to the Director-General of the MMEA, Admiral (Maritime) Datuk Seri Ahmad Puzi Ab Kahar, a set of crew has been sent to Japan to bring home the second vessel.
Baru-baru ini, pakal peronda generasi baru milik Agensi Penguatkuasaan Maritim Malaysia (APMM) telah mendapat sebuah Kapal Peronda Generasi Baru (NGPC) yang diberi nama ‘KM Bagan Datuk’. Ianya telah dilancarkan oleh Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor.
Ini yang dijadikan isu. Pembangang mempersoalkan kenapa Rosmah dan bukan Najib Razak sebagai PM melancarkannya.
Sebelum wujudnya tradisi pelancaran kapal oleh kaum wanita, semua pelancaran kapal di Eropah bermula 1680 adalah dengan para hadirin meminum wain dalam bekas yang diperbuat dari perak untuk mengucap selamat kepada kapal tersebut serta bakal anak-anak kapalnya. Bekas perak ini kemudiannya dicampak ke dalam laut.
Tradisi tersebut dihentikan akibat kos bekas perak yang terlalu mahal.
Tradisi melancarkan kapal oleh wanita mula dilakukan oleh Royal Navy pada kurun ke 18. Pada mulanya, House of Hanover, iaitu keluarga yang memerintah England pada masa itu diminta menaja salah satu kapal perang. Maka, seorang Puteri dari House of Hanover telah membaling sebuah botol berisi wain ke kapal tersebut.
Oleh kerana kapal tersebut telah ditaja, Puteri Raja yang melancarkan kapal tersebut digelar sebagai Sponsor (Penaja).
Bermula 1811, Putera Pemangku George Augustus Frederick yang kemudiannya menjadi Raja George IV telah menitahkan supaya semua kapal perang milik Royal Navy dilancarkan oleh seorang wanita sebagai Penaja kapal tersebut.
Hampir kesemua negara di dunia ini menggunakan Penaja wanita untuk melancarkan kapal-kapal perangnya, terutamanya negara-negara Komanwel yang mana Malaysia adalah salah satu negara anggota Komanwel.
Dengan sebab itu maka Rosmah menjadi Penaja bagi ‘KM Bagan Datuk’ dan bukannya Najib Razak.
Empat tahun dan satu bulan yang lalu, seorang wanita bernama Siti Hasmah, yang merupakan mantan Perdana Menteri Malaysia, telah melancarkan sebuah kapal latihan Tentera Laut DiRaja Malaysia (TLDM) bernama ‘Gagah Samudera’.
27 Februari 2013, Siti Hasmah telah melancarkan kapal Teguh Samudera milik TLDM
Isteri kepada Siti Hasmah tidak dibenarkan menjadi Penaja kapal tersebut kerana khuatir beliau akan membuat benda yang lain disebabkan beliau mudah lupa.
Kalaulah saya ini seorang Ketua Negara, saya akan mengarahkan semua agensi keselamatan maritim melancarkan kapal-kapal mereka dengan mengikut cara Viking iaitu dengan mengikat seorang pembangang ke leding pelancaran di belakang buritan kapal yang hendak dilancarkan tersebut. Apabila kapal tersebut dilancarkan, ia akan menggelongsor di atas leding tersebut dan melenyekkan tubuh pembangang tersebut sebelum masuk ke dalam air.
Rasanya dah berbuih dah penerangan diberikan mengenai perkara ini. Bhaiya Bangladesh kontrak mungkin telah faham sefahamnya akan penerangan tersebut. Tetapi sebab penerangan ini bukan diberikan dalam bahasa ibunda beliau maka agak sukar bagi beliau memahami.
Kemudian, Najib Razak pula yang dipersalahkan. Bukankah Forest City perihal tanah negeri Johor? Apa kena-mengena dengan kerajaan pusat? Masing-masing negeri ada unit perancang ekonominya sendiri.
Kenapa tak salahkan Tuanku Sultan Johor? Tak berani macam rakan sekapal beliau?
Memang Forest City bakal mendapat status bebas cukai. Apa masalahnya? Langkawi juga masih pulau bebas cukai.
Kalau Mahathir gunakan Internet sewajarnya dan bukan untuk menyebarkan fitnah semata-mata maka beliau pasti mengetahui bahawa kenyataan beliau bahawa status bebas cukai Langkawi akan ditarik balik hanyalah pembohongan yang nyata.
Apa yang diumum kerajaan adalah hanya kedai-kedai berlesen sahaja yang akan dibenarkan menjual barangan rokok dan arak bebas cukai di Langkawi.
Begitu juga langkah untuk meminta pemilik kenderaan yang berdaftar di Langkawi mengemukakan jaminan bank sebelum boleh dibenarkan membawa kenderaan mereka keluar dari pulau tersebut. Ini adalah untuk mengatasi kepincangan yang berlaku sejak sekian lama.
Mengenai pinjaman oleh warga China pula, itu semua cerita basi yang diulang berkali-kali. Saya maafkan beliau. Bercerita sesuatu berulang kali ini ada hubungkaitnya dengan penyakit nyanyuk. Mungkin suatu hari nanti beliau akan memandang kepada anak beliau dan bertanya, “Hang apanama?” berkali-kali juga.
Sebenarnya saya kasihankan beliau. Pernah disanjung ramai suatu masa dahulu tetapi pernah ditolak sebagai perwakilan oleh Bahagian sendiri semasa masih dalam parti angkat beliau, UMNO. Namun beliau masih tidak sedarkan diri.
Kini beliau hanya mampu merangkak sambil menjilat kahak hijau yang diludahnya dahulu sambil ditunggangi oleh joki-joki yang mengharapkan kemenangan seekor kaldai tua.
Sudah-sudahlah berbohong. Kita tak boleh hidup selama-lamanya. Janganlah diikuti perangai Rafizi. Beliau rasa beliau masih muda.
SeaDemon Says 
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