Goodbye...2017...

Guan Eng trumpets ‘Malaysian dream’

2017 - Tahun yang penuh tak tersangka...

Siapa sangka Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad diangkat menjadi calon perdana menteri oleh musuh-musuhnya dahulu?

Siapa sangka Datuk Seri Najib Razak bukan sahaja dapat menyelamatkan diri daripada dibenam skandal 1MDB malah mengukuhkan kedudukannya dan BN untuk memenangi 2/3 majoriti di pilihan raya umum ke-14?

Siapa sangka isu 1MDB yang sebegitu panas dapat dihambarkan sebegitu rupa sedangkan di awal 2017 kita dikejutkan dengan pertelingkahan antara 1MDB dan IPIC?

Siapa sangka tamatnya isu 1MDB timbul pula isu Felda kehilangan tanahnya yang jauh lebih menyengat daripada 1MDB di penghujung 2017?

Siapa sangka mulai tahun ini Proton dikendali oleh syarikat milik China iaitu Geely?

Siapa sangka tahun ini artis tempatan turut tampil meluahkan mengenai kenaikan kos hidup di media sosial?

Pada 2017, dunia politik sangat terasa kehilangan Datuk Ahmad Maslan yang kini sunyi sepi. Dalam ketegangan politik negara yang penuh dengan cacian dan maki hamun, kebolehan Ahmad dalam memberikan kenyataan yang bersifat jenaka politik sekali sekala sangat dirasai.

Di dalam dunia politik yang penuh merapu tahun ini, negara terasa sangat dengan kehilangan seorang pemimpin politik yang efektif dan serius – Tan Sri Adenan Satem bekas ketua menteri Sarawak.

Keberanian dan kelantangan beliau dalam memimpin isu Sarawak begitu menyemat hati. Bilakah rakyat Malaysia boleh mendapat lagi seorang pemimpin sedemikian? Kalau separuh menteri kabinet kita memiliki separuh kewibawaan Allahyarham, sudah tentu rakyat Malaysia akan terasa aman hati dengan pentadbiran negara.

Selain itu, 2017 juga penuh dengan peristiwa yang menyayat hati...

Kehilangan Pastor Raymond Koh bersama 4 individu lain yang sehingga kini tiada jawapan angkara siapa, diikuti oleh pembunuhan tragis 21 pelajar tahfiz dan 2 orang dewasa yang dibakar hidup-hidup akibat kerja khianat, dan ribut bersejarah yang membawa banjir menenggelamkan Pulau Pinang serta mendedahkan betapa botaknya sebilangan bukit-bukit di Pulau Pinang, sehingga ketua menterinya terpaksa mengalirkan air mata meminta bantuan daripada timbalan perdana menteri.

Tahun ini juga merupakan tahun kontroversi yang banyak melibatkan isu kesensitifan agama dan kaum. Dobi Muslim, larangan bertudung pekerja hotel dan festival arak. Selain isu 1MDB, Malaysia sekali lagi menjadi fokus antarabangsa ekoran insiden Kim Jong Nam dibunuh di klia2.

Tahun 2017 juga menyaksikan pertarungan baharu antara Dr Mahathir dan para Sultan ekoran kenyataannya mengenai lanun Bugis.

Selain itu, rakyat disajikan dengan rentetan sejarah skandal forex di zaman Dr Mahathir melalui Suruhanjaya Diraja yang bersidang pada Ogos lalu yang hasil siasatannya menuding kepada Dr Mahathir, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan bekas menteri kewangan Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcob sebagai orang yang bertanggungjawab terhadap skandal itu.

Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) pula kelihatan semakin garang di 2017 apabila ia menahan beberapa nama besar seperti Tan Sri Isa Samad dan Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal untuk disoal siasat untuk beberapa hari lamanya. Cuma setakat ini, masih tiada pendakwaan yang dilakukan. Menariknya di sebalik kecekapan SPRM ini, pesuruhjaya SPRM terpaksa menghadapi serangan peribadi yang mengaibkan.

Semalam, 2017 hampir mencatat sejarah lagi apabila Dr Mahathir mengambil keputusan untuk memohon maaf atas dosa beliau yang lalu. Namun selepas beberapa jam, rupa-rupanya Dr Mahathir berkata permohonan maaf beliau hanyalah sekadar budaya orang Melayu.

Barangkali maksud Dr Mahathir ialah permohonan maaf beliau sekadar seperti ucapan maaf zahir dan batin sempena sambutan Hari Raya.

Begitulah memori saya terhadap 2017. Bagaimana pula dengan 2018?

Ramai menjangka PAS akan kalah teruk di PRU14, apakah ia akan menjadi kenyataan? Ramai berharap Najib dan BN dapat ditewaskan, apakah ia akan menjadi kenyataan? Ramai yang menjangka Dr Mahathir mampu menarik undi untuk membantu Pakatan Harapan mengalahkan BN dalam perang tiga penjuru, apakah ia akan menjadi kenyataan? Rakyat diberitahu GST tidak akan dinaikkan sekiranya BN menang, apakah ia akan menjadi kenyataan? Tahun 2017 mengalahkan sangkaan ramai dengan teruk sekali.

Apakah ia berulang di 2018? Tunggu dan lihat.- fmt

If we keep quiet, we are part of the problem...

It was a memorable 2017... with so many ups and downs. It was all good in the end... even though it started with a mysterious lady's shoe in my room then losing a major court case with the government, getting hauled up by police and MCMC for exercising my freedom of speech, daughters being upset with me till today for exercising freedom of speech.... yes many challenges.

What I got from all this is knowing first hand how screwed up the police and judiciary actually are under the current administration and knowing how fragile and unforgiving our children can be.

But I am my own person, I think I have the right to express myself in ways that is in harmony with what I know is right and wrong. In the pursuit of that, carp happens and we have to deal with it the best way we can.

It is never about me, it's not about popularity as my kids think. There is no thrill in being locked up for the sake of popularity. We live in a community that needs to be protected from unprincipled politicians, we cannot keep quite. If we keep quiet, we are part of the problem.

The country has lost its democracy, it has lost a decent police force, we have lost a credible judiciary, we have lost a fair Election Commission, our constitution remains an insignificant piece of paper, our country has been overtaken by greedy politicians and cronies who have bought all these agency with "cash is king" attitude.

Our country's assets are being sold as of it's the crime minister's personal property. What are the silent observers waiting for? Are we waiting for our children and grandchildren to become maids and construction workers in neighbouring countries?

Look at the new tallest building coming up ...TRX it has something i can't read written up high as if announcing China is taking over. There are Chinese boundaries within Malaysian where Malaysians are not allowed in. Is this the NEP they talk about? Is this the 'Malay pride' UMNO frequently uses to justify their screwed up policies?

UMNO/BN and their cronies is a physical and psychological enemy to us decent citizens. Their greed has no bounds, their plan is to enslave us forever with the burden of paying for their extravagant lifestyles for generations to come. Wake up people, wake up.

So enough is enough, these people are willing to kill to stay in power and hide their misdeeds. So I repeat.... if you remain quiet, you are party to what they do...rob, kill and lie.

2018 is an election year, the least we could do is to vote these bastards out and then it will be a happy new year. It all up to you. God bless Malaysia. - Peter Terence D'Cruz

What stops Anwar from becoming PM...

Anwar Ibrahim is unable to become prime minister even if he is released early from prison, unless a constitutional provision that disqualifies him from contesting in elections is removed by the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.

Under Article 48 of the Federal Constitution, an MP is disqualified if he or she is convicted of an offence and is sentenced to jail for no less than a year, or to a fine not less than RM2,000, and has not received a pardon.

A person's disqualification from Parliament may be removed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. If not, the disqualification will cease at the end of five years, starting from the date of the person's release from custody

As such, regardless of how early Anwar may be released from prison, he is still disqualified from running in elections for five years from the day of his release.

PKR has been pressing for Anwar, its de facto leader, to be installed as prime minister within a year if the opposition coalition Pakatan Harapan seizes federal power in the 14th general election.

The polls must be held by August next year. Anwar could be released in June under a one-third remission of his prison sentence, at the discretion of the Prisons Department director-general.

Installing him as prime minister was one of three conditions PKR has placed before PH and its chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamed. The other two are that PKR be allocated the bulk of federal seats in Peninsular Malaysia and that Dr Mahathir agree to reform key institutions in the country.

The conditions, which have not been denied by the party’s leadership, were set forth as PH dithers over a formal announcement of its prime minister candidate. Except for PKR, other component parties Bersatu, DAP and Amanah have agreed to name Dr Mahathir.

Some political analysts have said naming Dr Mahathir as the candidate was a winning strategy to convince Malay voters.

Anwar was sentenced to five years’ jail on February 10, 2015, for sodomising his former assistant Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

Talk of his early release was revived when Prime Minister Najib Razak, his deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and cabinet minister Mohamed Nazri Aziz paid him separate visits in November while he was recuperating from surgery in hospital.

All prisoners are automatically entitled to the one-third remission, lawyer Baljit Singh Sidhu said.

This means Anwar could be out in June next year, 20 months early from the end of his five-year prison term.Prisoners could be granted remission for displaying good behaviour during the imprisonment. Continue reading...

Walau bebas awal belum tentu Anwar jadi PM