Another scandal exposed: Highway to Hell

OMG!....they never seems to be slowing down, another scandal is being exposed, the award of lucrative RM2.2 billion contract to build the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) to the cronies. Its sickening, how else would you describe the feeling? This time it is the turn of the flamboyant Datuk Hafarizam Harun, prominent Umno lawyer and the wife of  former Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi who are being implicated. The source of expose also further claimed that the award of the project is the reward of bringing down the previous Pakatan Perak Government. If the claims are indeed true...Yucks!, don't these people (whoever they are, the planners, the executers as well as the conspirators), believe in Al-Mighty God?...Don't they believe in after life?....They better be prepared or else they would definitely be on the Highway to HELL!

GOD, please help us and have mercy on us....adios.....a.h.baharom

p/s   below is the full article on the revelations..


UMNO lawyer confirms highway award, says not a ‘deal’ for Perak

By Debra Chong
February 21, 2012


KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 21 — A prominent Umno lawyer confirmed today that a company controlled by him, and in which the wife of former Chief Justice Tun Zaki Azmi is director, was awarded a lucrative RM2.2 billion contract to build the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex).

But Datuk Hafarizam Harun told The Malaysian Insider that any suggestion of a deal struck because of his role in the Perak constitutional crisis in 2009 was “tainted with mala fide (bad faith) and intended to bring me and Tun Zaki into public odium, scandal and disrepute.”

Hafarizam, who is the ruling Malay party’s legal adviser, denied that the highway concession award was given as a reward to him and former chief justice, Zaki, allegedly for their roles in the 2009 Perak crisis that saw the state government switch from Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to Barisan Nasional (BN), which is held together by Umno.

Zaki declined to comment when contacted for this article.

“The contract was awarded to us after the company proved itself with its track records,” Hafarizam said in a text message to The Malaysian Insider.

Emrail Sdn Bhd and Zabima Engineering Sdn Bhd have been awarded the lucrative RM2.2 billion contract to build the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex), Hafarizam confirmed today.

“Yes I am a Director of both Zabima/Emrail,” he told The Malaysian Insider in a text reply this morning.

“Both Cos [companies] are separate in their core business ie Rail-track specialist and Class A contractor. D word ‘deal’ is misleading, tainted with mala fide and intended to bring me and Tun Zaki into public odium, scandal and disrepute,” he replied when asked to clarify an allegation by controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin posted online yesterday.

The editor of the Malaysia Today website claimed in an article published yesterday under the title “Episode 9: The reward for giving Perak back to Umno” that Harafizam and Zaki, who retired on September 9 last year, were awarded the highway contract, via Emrail that will be a tolled road.

“Incidentally, did you notice one very crucial matter in this whole thing? Yes, you got it, the current Umno Legal Advisor represented Umno in the Perak Constitutional Crisis while the previous Umno Legal Advisor (the Chief Justice) made the decision of ‘ordering his number two to sit on the bench in his place’. And guess who won the case? Talk about ‘all in the family’!

“Now, who are the other directors of Emrail?,” Raja Petra, popularly called RPK, wrote, adding “One is Toh Puan Nik Sazlina Mohd Zain, Tun Zaki Azmi’s wife. Yes, the same man we are talking about above, the recently retired Chief Justice. And the other is Tan Sri Dato’ Hari Narayanan Govindasamy, Samy Vellu’s proxy.”

Nik Sazlina is a director in Emrail, the same company that Hafarizam had admitted to sitting on its board as director.

Emrail’s website stated that the company is “steered by an able team of professionals led by captains of industry, chairman Datuk Hafarizam Bin Harun and deputy chairman Tan Sri Datuk Hari Narayanan a/l Govindasamy. As major shareholders of Emrail, they are at the helm in all projects from concept to finish.”

It listed “Toh Puan Nik Sazlina Mohd Zain” as a company director.

The new highway will link Kinrara and Pusat Bandar Damansara and will divert traffic on the LDP.

“I’m keeping my options open but I don’t think it’s RPK that’s the one who is attacking.

“There are ‘unseen hands’ maybe out of jealousy, greed and dissatisfaction because we are amongst the few Bumi-Controlled private Cos (sic) that got the project.

“As far as I’m concerned, I will soldier on to kick-start the project and complete well before time,” Hafarizam said in his text message to The Malaysian Insider.

The Edge Financial Daily reported on February 17 that the government had called a tender for the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex).

The announcement mentioned that seven companies are bidding for the job, which includes Bina Puri, Mudajaya, and Pesona Metro Sdn Bhd.

“The tenders are just out and it is not certain yet on the tenure of the concession as the CA has not been finalised,” said a source.

‘I don’t want to die useless’

Aneesa Alphonsus
| February 20, 2012


National laureate A Samad Said believes that Malaysians chose to keep their mouths shut, doing nothing; then 'don’t blame the government. Blame yourself'.
FEATURE





Walk into the National Museum and head into the “Malaysia Now” Exhibit at Gallery D and you will see him among the nation’s literary greats. National laureate A Samad Said, a dimunitive man with a larger than life persona and much revered by Malaysian.

Conversation with him is a surreal experience, more so when he ordered a hot chocolate with an impish smile, dashing the notion that all serious literary people drink coffee – black.

At 76 years old, Pak Samad has the kind of zen persona that makes even his most vitriolic statements sound like poetry. It does then seem odd that he should co-chair the Bersih coalition.

So how did this quiet, unassuming man get involved in one of the biggest demonstrations the country has seen?

Those who saw the photos or who were at the walk in July 2011 are likely to remember for a long time to come, the sight of him walking barefooted to the palace to deliver a memorandum after having lost his slippers in the foray of the demonstration.

After so many years of quiet, why now at this age, did he decide to lend his voice and be a part of such a rally?

A native of Belimbing Dalam, a villager near Durian Tunggal in Malacca, Pak Samad received his early education during the second World War years at Sekolah Melayu Kota Raja (Kota Raja Malay School) in Singapore.

When the war was over, he continued his education at Singapore’s Victoria School and went on to work as a clerk in a hospital.

Pak Samad confessed that he had always wanted to be a writer. He began an unsuspecting career in 1954 by writing short stories, poems, features, dramas, novels and even diaries.

Later, he would get a job with Utusan Zaman in Singapore and other well-known Malay language magazines like Mastika and Remaja. He added that the reason why he wanted to write to much was so that he could chronicle everything he saw as sincerely as possible as seen through his eyes.

His calling as a writer was cemented in the years of 1957 and 1968 when a novel he had written won the consolation prize in a writing competition organised by Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.

The novel was Salina. Salina was the story of a woman who, due to poverty, finds work in the Singapore’s red light district of the 1950s.

Salina the novel, is today touted as a literary masterpiece, moving in its portrayal of humanity.

Much ugliness in Malaysia

When asked if Pak Samad personally knew a woman like Salina, he proffered that he knew and met many women like her. Salina, he said, was a composition of characters he had met.

“When I was in Singapore in the 1950s, I lived in places like Lorong Lalat before moving to Rangoon road. Both these areas and the surrounding ones like Johor Road and Deskar Road were red light districts.

“The rooms and houses were cheap, so that’s where I stayed,” he smiled.

“It was during this time that I got to know a few waitresses and sex workers. I would say that the character of Salina was a combination of these women I met.”

Salina took Pak Samad to greater heights and his writing career flourished.

As the years began to roll out, he realised that settling to recording and writing what he saw wasn’t enough.

Leaning forward in his chair, he said: “Here there were so many ugly things happening in front of me. I would see unfairness, intimidation, fraud and this moved me a step ahead from what I was used to.

“I saw that after 54 years of independence, we have come to point zero again. We have become racial when we want to win votes.

“I think there’s something wrong somewhere if, after five decades, a nation cannot stand on solid ground; I think it has failed.

“This is why I decide to walk, as you asked me. I wanted to do more than just write about what I saw.”

‘We need sincere leaders’

Pak Samad has his own idea of what it would take for the country to thrive as she should.

It’s a big idea, but he put it simply when he said, “We need sincere leaders with a vision and with a real project in mind to galvanise a nation. We don’t have that right now.”

He added that having said that, it would only be fair to exclude Tunku Abdul Rahman from the equation.

“Tunku Abdul Rahman was the beginner… who started things.

“Tun Abdul Razak may have had a vision but this didn’t quite turn out because he was too pro-Malay.

“After that, everything became rojak… because things became messy; you don’t come to the ideal to have a nation which is now symbolised by a motto – 1Malaysia. That’s what it is – 1Malaysia is just a motto, an advertisement.”

At this point, Pak Samad opened his eyes wide in mock annoyance, then quickly breaks into a smile and laughing heartily he asked, “Do I look angry? I’m not angry. I just act angrily.

“My wife always reminds me to be careful about what I say and write. But I know that whatever I write, there will be repercussions. I have always said that poems are weapons. I even have an anthology out called Puisi Itu Senjata but people don’t read it.”

But Pak Samad’s sense of reassurance is settled in the fact that Malaysians are beginning to voice their thoughts.

He said he believed that the younger generation is making an impact in some of the changes being witnessed. The “old people” he has discounted because they already know who to vote for.

‘Don’t blame the government’

Pak Samad is hopeful that this will eventually bring about the balance which is needed for democracy.

He said that this equilibrium will end what the government is doing by giving abrupt citizenship to immigrants just to make sure they vote for Barisan Nasional.

Why should someone who has just been here for three or five years be given the power to determine the country’s rule is a question he posed.

He said there were millions of other genuine rakyat who are not been given that chance.

“I will come back to the same thing again and again. I’m afraid that Malaysians won’t do their bit.

“If you keep your mouth shut doing nothing, don’t blame the government. Blame yourself,” he stated.

Perhaps it is this dogged determination which he says is part of his personality that has kept him doing what he has all this time.

To those who are not familiar with Pak Samad, fiery is not how one would describe him. But make no mistake that he is.

He doesn’t suffer fools gladly but is still very compassionate about the rights of Malaysians and there isn’t an iota of doubt that this is a man who is in love with his country.

He laughs at his repetitive self and says he knows he sometimes sounds like a broken record.

‘I am still same person’

But he doesn’t mind, of course, because someone has to say something. And at the risk of getting into trouble for it, he is completely at peace with it being him.

Acknowledging that he is in the twilight of his life, Pak Samad expressed a desire to see Malaysia become an example of a new country – harmonious, rich, fair, respectful and dominant in a way that her voice will be internationally respected.

“Some people have told me that I have changed as a person. But I know I am still the same. I do what I do, say what I say and write what I write because I don’t want to die uselessly.

“I want to be able to die knowing that I did something for my country, even if it’s a small part, to bring about the change I hope to see in my lifetime.”

Rakyat gives and forgives, Politicians gets and forgets

Why is that we the rakyat keeps on giving and forgiving, we keep on giving the mandate, the votes, the responsibility to govern, the task to manage the treasure chest, but they, the politicians, after getting the mandate seems to be forgetting us the rakyat. All they think of is their own piggy bank, they pusue their own interest, they prioritize their families and cronies...the loop keeps repeating....When is it going to stop? How are we, the rakyat going to end it? When are we going to put a full stop?

We should stop forgiving.....because they would not stop forgetting.Numerous scandals have surfaced, from balinese bungalow scandal to cowgate scandal, they doesn't seems to repent, they are least bothered by the exposes, how else would you explain the never ending 'soap operas' we are fed with?

Say NO to corrupt politicians....say NO to corrupt coalition....if you do not gives mandate...they won't get opportunities to swindle.

Adios.......a.h.baharom

Barisan Nasional and James Bond: The striking similarities

With Astro showing re-runs of old James Bond movie's, and the jostling and fighting for candidacy in the next General Election (PRU13), I realized a striking resemblance between them. Ever since Najib announced the "For Your Eyes Only' sermon that BN will only field winnable candidates, and reiterating that he has the "Licence to Kill" and terminate the candidacy, every Tom, Dick, Harry and Shahidan are promoting and portraying themselves as one, and they want to hold on to their fort crying..."Live and let die".....though the rakyat have been chanting,,,,'You Only Live Twice'......sigh!.And the non-stop expose of corrupt leaders in BN, to name a few, Khir Toyo, Sharizat and family, not forgetting Liong Sik and family, who seems to accumulate wealth as though......'The World is Not Enough" and "Tomorrow Never Dies"

Najib seems to be the "Dr. No"with "A View to a Kill"  with a secret plan to demolish "The Man With the Golden Gun" alias Anwar, sending Saifool on "Her Majesty's Secret Service", and now Anwar is framed in a scandal with "The Spy Who Loved Me", if that's not enough to finish him off, the back up plan is to paint him "Octo-pussy" crazy, this time with China dolls.It seems that Anwar's days seeing the "The Living Daylights" are numbered, or would he live and "Die Another Day"?

Rosmah the "Goldfinger" lady (or is it diamond finger?), is quietly singing, "Diamonds are Forever".

GOD help us....adios......a.h.baharom

Malaysia among most vulnerable to euro crisis, says Nomura

The article below appeared in the Malaysian Insider on 7th December 2011

Malaysia among most vulnerable to euro crisis, says Nomura

By Lee Wei Lian

December 07, 2011

Subbaraman said Malaysia’s high public debt could preclude continued stimulus spending. — Pictures by Jack Ooi

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7 — Malaysia will be hit harder than its Asian peers by the economic crisis in Europe due to its relatively weak public finances and dependence on commodities, said Nomura International today.
Its chief economist for Asia ex-Japan, Robert Subbaraman, said that unlike most countries in Asia, Malaysia will be negatively affected by an expected drop off in commodity prices while the government will also find it difficult to keep up stimulus policies.
“Malaysia is one of the economies that will weaken the most; it is in the weaker group of economies,” said Subbaraman at a media briefing here today.
Nomura economist for Southeast Asia Euben Paracuelles said Malaysia’s growth in the first three quarters of this year was largely led by government spending, but as public finances were relatively weak, he doubted that it would be sustainable.
Subbaraman also noted that Malaysia ranked third in Asia ex-Japan in terms of exposure to European bank claims, after Hong Kong and Singapore, which could mean a drying up of liquidity should European banks start to cut their exposure to the region.
Figures provided showed that European bank exposure to Malaysia amounted to US$50 billion (RM155 billion), or about 19 per cent of GDP, double that of the Asia ex-Japan average of nine per cent.

Commodities would dip by 15 per cent if a slowdown hits, says Paracuelles.

Only the financial centres of Hong Kong and Singapore had higher exposures, at 77 and 55 per cent of GDP respectively.
“As European banks pull back exposure, it will show up as net capital outflow and availability of funding will start to dry up,” said Subbaraman.
He noted, however, that Malaysia still has a large current account surplus at 13 per cent of GDP, which should help support the ringgit against hefty depreciation against the US dollar, due to its trade performance.
Paracuelles said that if a global downturn happens, there would be a 15 per cent decline in commodity prices.
Malaysian government economists earlier said their economic projections were bolstered by expected continued high rubber and palm oil prices, which would help boost rural area spending.
Petronas said in a briefing last week that it expects oil prices to decline to US$85-87 per barrel next year, from US$110 currently.
In its November Asia Economic Monthly report, Nomura noted that Malaysia faces the prospect of unsustainable fiscal support.
“Given the public debt to GDP ratio of 55 per cent, the second highest in Asia, scope to continue with a very expansionary fiscal policy next year could prove to be limited,” said the report.
The report forecast a growth of 3.6 per cent for the first quarter of next year but rising to 7.3 per cent by the fourth quarter to give a full year growth of 5.1 per cent.
Subbaraman also said the risk of a hard landing in China is “not trivial” although the threat is greater after 2013-2014, following the handover of power to the next generation of leaders.
Nomura expects growth in Asia to drop to 6.6 per cent next year, from 7.5 per cent this year, and revised its 2012 global growth forecast from 3.8 per cent to 3.2 per cent.

NFC: Goalpost keeps mo(o)ving, stories keep spinning

The stories that are published, statements that are being issued, clarifications that are being aired, jokes that are being passed around, all these never fails to amuse me. And now, the latest, the manner  how the infamous deputy IGP, the UMNO friendly senior official, issuing the findings,in lighting speed, the timing carefully planned during the UMNO General assembly clarifying that no CBT is committed, at least during the preliminary investigation. Wow... that's fast....but...then again...what do you expect? It is not surprising at all....after all, he is the IGP in waiting.....

Shahrizat promised to clear the air during the general assembly....but sigh!....all she did was bashing the opposition ladies...Zuraidah and and Wan Azizah, she went as far as disassociating herself completely from the NFC project (Gasp!....Can you belief that ?) She is taking for granted that the UMNO Wanita members as cows basically, I wonder whether they bought her story, if they did...moo....good for them....bad for the country.

More and more things are being uncovered, from cow condos to holiday trips, the more they try to explain, the more murkier it gets.

Its about time the rakyat shows that 'depa bukan lembu yang boleh dicucuk hidung dan ditarik kesana-sini mengikut telunuk mereka'

GOD, please have mercy and help us.......adios.....a.h.baharom

Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek? Or all three?

Note to readrers: The article below is from the blog of Lim Kit Siang

The 65th UMNO General Assembly closed yesterday with one big question among thinking and patriotic Malaysians, regardless of political affiliation: – “Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek? Or all three?”

At first the lies and poison were only told and used at closed-door UMNO meetings. Then they were spread by anonymous UMNO blogs and cybertroopers on the Internet, followed by the UMNO media.

When these lies and poison failed to achieve the desired public and political impact with the approach of the 13th General Elections, UMNO strategists became more irresponsible, reckless and desperate.

In the past week, these lies and poison became the staple diet of UMNO leaders in the meetings preparatory to and during the sessions proper of the 65th UMNO General Assembly, with the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, in their capacities as UMNO President and UMNO Deputy President giving their personal stamp of approval by adopting and retailing these lies and poison to sway votes in favour of UMNO in the coming polls.

Culminating in Muhyiddin and Najib, one UMNO leader after another in the past week have taken to the public pulpit in a carefully-orchestrated campaign to demonise the DAP and frighten Malay voters with the lies that the Malays will lose their rights and power should Pakatan Rakyat win more federal seats in the next general election, or in the words of the UMNO information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan, “the Malay language will be lost, say goodbye to the Malay Sultans, Say goodbye to Islam because they (DAP) are agents of Christianisation”.

Muhyiddin was completely unabashed in playing the race card when he falsely accused the DAP of being anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers, even telling the lie that the DAP’s agenda is to establish a Republic in Malaysia.

Muhyiddin made history as the only Deputy Prime Minister in the world who was caught out telling a bare-faced lie, for he had been completely silent to my challenge to him to substantiate his allegation that the DAP wanted to abolish the constitutional monarchy and establish a Republic.

I had publicly said that Muhyiddin’s “despicable, irresponsible, incendiary and seditious” allegation that the DAP’s agenda is to form a republic is completely founded on a lie, particularly his rhetorical question to buttress his allegation:

“If not, do they dare to suggest the prime minister’s position be selected based solely on elections and without being chosen by the Yang di Pertuan Agong? What is the meaning of this?” (Muhyiddin quote)

This suggestion and rhetorical question are a complete figment of Muhyiddin’s imagination (or that of his ghost writer) and show the length certain irresponsible, unprincipled and unscrupulous UMNO leaders are prepared to go in order to tell lies and spread poison to mislead, scare and panic the voters in multi-racial Malaysia.

This is certainly not the action of an honest, honourable, principled and patriotic Malaysian political leader.

As I had declared for the record in my immediate response on Wednesday to Muhyiddin’s falsehood, DAP had never proposed that “the Prime Minister’s position be selected based solely on elections and without being chosen by the Yang di Pertuan Agong”.

Right from the beginning, the DAP had declared in Parliament in my first speech 40 years ago in Parliament on Feb. 23, 1971 that DAP fully supported the system of constitutional monarchy and that we “do not and have not questioned the sovereignty of Rulers”.

In his winding-up speech yesterday as UMNO President, Najib adopted the Muhyiddin and UMNO lie that DAP is manipulating PKR and PAS, specifically alleging that PAS is “under the thumb” of DAP.

This line of allegation is totally at variance with the accusations which the MCA President Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek and his cohorts have been hurling against the DAP – that the DAP is the stooge of the PAS.

Who has lied? Najib and Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek?

The UMNO and MCA leaders cannot all be telling the truth – as the DAP cannot be a stooge of PAS and PAS also a stooge of DAP one and the same time.

Either UMNO or MCA leaders have lied.

There is of course another scenario – which is the true and correct position. Najib, Muhyiddin and Chua Soi Lek have all lied.

Unlike Barisan Nasional where UMNO is the hegemon and the other Barisan Nasional political parties completely subservient to UMNO agenda and interests, Pakatan Rakyat is a coalition of equal political parties based on mutual respect and political consensus founded on common policy programmes founded on the fundamental features of the Malaysian Constitution.

In Pakatan Rakyat, no political party plays the role of Big Brother like UMNO in Barisan Nasional – which means that Najib, Muhyiddin and Chua Soi Lek have all been perpetuating lies in their struggle to keep their political parties alive in the next general election.

The Malays will not lose power when PR win more seats in the next general election as those who will really lose power will be UMNO and UMNO-putras.

In fact, the ordinary Malays stand to gain more rights and power when PR win more seats in the next general elections as UMNO and UMNO-putras will have to return and surrender the rights and power that they have seized and hijacked from the ordinary Malays in the past few decades.

This entry was posted on Sunday, 4 December 2011, 1:42 pm and is filed under DAP, MCA, Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib Razak, UMNO. You can follow any responses to this entry through RSS 2.0.