Posted by Dr. Mahathir Mohamad at www.chedet.com on June 26, 2008 3:26 PM
VOTE OF (NO) CONFIDENCE
As expected Barisan Nasional Members of Parliament supported the motion on the removal of subsidy for petroleum. Obviously the whip had been used. Only one Sabah MP expressed his unhappiness at the short notice given for tabling this motion. Yet every MP knows that the price of petrol is a big burden for the people.
On Monday June 23rd, the public expected to hear about a motion of no confidence against Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi by the Sabah Progressive Party. I had predicted that it would not happen as the Speaker would disallow it.
But it was the SAPP that decided not to table it. Its MPs were recalled to Sabah amidst talks of threats being made against them.
The "vote of confidence" by BN MPs over the oil subsidy is, as the opposition pointed out, not necessary at all. The deed is already done and debate would be superfluous.
The Prime Minister was happily smiling over this theatrical show but I think once again the Government has failed to appreciate the displeasure of the public. The vote of confidence means nothing to people who are now facing increase in prices of everything as a result of the withdrawal of subsidy. It will only alienate more people against the Government. If a referendum is held today the Government would lose.
*****
BLO(G)CKED
Having muzzled their own supporters, BN is now trying to prevent the Press from being present in Parliament to hear debates and meet MPs. Why BN should bother doing this is a mystery. Already the press is being directed by a "Supremo" on what to report and how to report it.
Maybe it is because among the pressmen there were bloggers. The Supremo is still unable to direct the bloggers on what they should say and how they should say it.
Incidentally my blog www.chedet.com had been locked. I am told that the robot responsible for keeping spam out mistakenly decided that my blog was spam.
I am not blaming the robot of course. It is a preview of the future when we will be controlled by robots.
But the Abdullah Badawi Government must be delighted over the locking out of my blog.
Now I have to find other ways of overcoming robots.
*****
ABDULLAH'S UMNO
Instructions have gone out for aspiring candidates in the UMNO elections not to attend feasts, tahlil or weddings and not to use their staff for campaigning for the UMNO election.
Subsequently they were told that they can attend these functions but they cannot give speeches etc. Its flip-flop as usual.
But what is very strange is that the President of UMNO who has indicated that he would be contesting the President's post in December has been carrying out a vigorous campaign for support for his Government and leadership. He has met all divisional heads and presently he is bringing branch leaders to Kuala Lumpur, paying for their travels and hotel, talking to them and it is believed giving them pocket money and "kain pelikat".
There are 18,000 branches in UMNO. He has not seen all of them yet. Does the ban on campaigning apply to him as well? I think not.
A peculiar aspect of his campaign is that the meetings are held behind closed doors.
How come the President is allowed to campaign so strongly while others cannot? Surely the new ban would work in favour of Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. But then Dato Seri Abdullah is no ordinary member. He is UMNO and UMNO is his, a personal possession.
*****
NGV
Untuk mengatasi masalah kenaikan harga minyak, ada yang bercadang untuk guna gas.
Harga murah sekarang kerana Petronas dipaksa oleh Kerajaan untuk menjual dengan harga yang rendah menanggung rugi.
Sebab itu hanya Petronas sahaja yang jual gas, itu pun disebilangan kecil daripada stesen Petronas.
Syarikat minyak swasta yang lain tidak jual gas sama sekali.
Harga gas Petronas sudah dinaikkan tetapi bekalan tidak mencukupi.
Kerajaan harus jelas dasar dan harga gas supaya pemilik kereta tidak membazir wang untuk pasang alat untuk guna gas.
*****
LANGKAWI
I was in Langkawi recently. The island is getting a lot of funds for its development.
I don't know whether it would enhance the attractiveness of Langkawi to have high-speed expressways. The Kuah to airport road has been widened and straightened. In the process 20 year-old teak tress have been chopped down. Some effort was made to replant. Not very successful I think.
Now the 10K road north from Kuah to Ayer Hangat is being widened into a four-lane expressway.
Time to drive from end to end will be reduced from 10-minutes to four-minutes.
I drove along the road. There were hardly any cars (perhaps it is the oil price hike). The teak trees lining the road are about 25 years old. They are flowering and stately. They must be chopped down so we can reach Ayer Hangat in four-minutes.
As the adviser to the Langkawi Island Development Authority (LADA) I may not advise.
Why is it that I feel we have gone back to the great days of the Colonial era?
VOTE OF (NO) CONFIDENCE
As expected Barisan Nasional Members of Parliament supported the motion on the removal of subsidy for petroleum. Obviously the whip had been used. Only one Sabah MP expressed his unhappiness at the short notice given for tabling this motion. Yet every MP knows that the price of petrol is a big burden for the people.
On Monday June 23rd, the public expected to hear about a motion of no confidence against Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi by the Sabah Progressive Party. I had predicted that it would not happen as the Speaker would disallow it.
But it was the SAPP that decided not to table it. Its MPs were recalled to Sabah amidst talks of threats being made against them.
The "vote of confidence" by BN MPs over the oil subsidy is, as the opposition pointed out, not necessary at all. The deed is already done and debate would be superfluous.
The Prime Minister was happily smiling over this theatrical show but I think once again the Government has failed to appreciate the displeasure of the public. The vote of confidence means nothing to people who are now facing increase in prices of everything as a result of the withdrawal of subsidy. It will only alienate more people against the Government. If a referendum is held today the Government would lose.
*****
BLO(G)CKED
Having muzzled their own supporters, BN is now trying to prevent the Press from being present in Parliament to hear debates and meet MPs. Why BN should bother doing this is a mystery. Already the press is being directed by a "Supremo" on what to report and how to report it.
Maybe it is because among the pressmen there were bloggers. The Supremo is still unable to direct the bloggers on what they should say and how they should say it.
Incidentally my blog www.chedet.com had been locked. I am told that the robot responsible for keeping spam out mistakenly decided that my blog was spam.
I am not blaming the robot of course. It is a preview of the future when we will be controlled by robots.
But the Abdullah Badawi Government must be delighted over the locking out of my blog.
Now I have to find other ways of overcoming robots.
*****
ABDULLAH'S UMNO
Instructions have gone out for aspiring candidates in the UMNO elections not to attend feasts, tahlil or weddings and not to use their staff for campaigning for the UMNO election.
Subsequently they were told that they can attend these functions but they cannot give speeches etc. Its flip-flop as usual.
But what is very strange is that the President of UMNO who has indicated that he would be contesting the President's post in December has been carrying out a vigorous campaign for support for his Government and leadership. He has met all divisional heads and presently he is bringing branch leaders to Kuala Lumpur, paying for their travels and hotel, talking to them and it is believed giving them pocket money and "kain pelikat".
There are 18,000 branches in UMNO. He has not seen all of them yet. Does the ban on campaigning apply to him as well? I think not.
A peculiar aspect of his campaign is that the meetings are held behind closed doors.
How come the President is allowed to campaign so strongly while others cannot? Surely the new ban would work in favour of Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. But then Dato Seri Abdullah is no ordinary member. He is UMNO and UMNO is his, a personal possession.
*****
NGV
Untuk mengatasi masalah kenaikan harga minyak, ada yang bercadang untuk guna gas.
Harga murah sekarang kerana Petronas dipaksa oleh Kerajaan untuk menjual dengan harga yang rendah menanggung rugi.
Sebab itu hanya Petronas sahaja yang jual gas, itu pun disebilangan kecil daripada stesen Petronas.
Syarikat minyak swasta yang lain tidak jual gas sama sekali.
Harga gas Petronas sudah dinaikkan tetapi bekalan tidak mencukupi.
Kerajaan harus jelas dasar dan harga gas supaya pemilik kereta tidak membazir wang untuk pasang alat untuk guna gas.
*****
LANGKAWI
I was in Langkawi recently. The island is getting a lot of funds for its development.
I don't know whether it would enhance the attractiveness of Langkawi to have high-speed expressways. The Kuah to airport road has been widened and straightened. In the process 20 year-old teak tress have been chopped down. Some effort was made to replant. Not very successful I think.
Now the 10K road north from Kuah to Ayer Hangat is being widened into a four-lane expressway.
Time to drive from end to end will be reduced from 10-minutes to four-minutes.
I drove along the road. There were hardly any cars (perhaps it is the oil price hike). The teak trees lining the road are about 25 years old. They are flowering and stately. They must be chopped down so we can reach Ayer Hangat in four-minutes.
As the adviser to the Langkawi Island Development Authority (LADA) I may not advise.
Why is it that I feel we have gone back to the great days of the Colonial era?
