A People's Budget by a Caring Government

Prime minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, tabled a RM207.9 billion people’s budget for 2009, calling on Malaysians to unite in the face of a global environment of higher prices and slower economic growth.

The budget stress on improving the public transport for the people, provided a social safety net for the poor, helped middle-income earners get a bigger disposable income, placed emphasis human capital development, strengthening national resilience, expanding tax exemptions, dishing out higher allowances and further provided for the development corridors' progress to boost national wealth in the years ahead.

ACA report against Abdullah and Najib

What is the motif of Umno youth EXCO member Mazlan Harun lodging a complaint against party president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and deputy president Najib Abdul Razak? It is an interesting question being asked by the public now.

Umno youth EXCO member Mazlan Harun today lodged a complaint against party president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and deputy president Najib Abdul Razak with the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) for alleged abuse of power.

The complainant, Mazlan Harun claimed that both Abdullah and Najib - who are prime minister and deputy respectively - had abused government machineries to garner support among Umno members in a bid to sustain their positions in the coming party elections.

The complaint was based on an open letter written by Umno Petaling Jaya Selatan division chief Zahar Hashim and addressed to the party’s secretary-general, demanding that both Abdullah and Najib be disciplined for allegedly abusing their power.

In a blog that published the letter, the Umno president and his deputy were accused of using a government agency under the Information Ministry called the Special Affairs Department (Jasa) as their party campaigning platform.

"Abdullah met with Umno leaders through Jasa in Kuala Lumpur and gave them money and kain pelikat (sarong) or batik while providing them with four-star hotel accommodation as well as entertainment," read the blog.

Zahar said a memo dated July 8 - issued by the Umno headquarters in Kuala Lumpur - had invited all Umno division, branch, Putera, Wanita and Puteri wing leaders nationwide to attend a closed door briefing on July 10 at the party headquarters.

At that briefing, Zahar in his letter accused Abdullah and Najib of explicitly campaigning for them in view of defending their number one and number two positions respectively at the party polls scheduled for December this year.

The content of their speeches clearly reflected abuse of power and were intended at persuading division leaders (to support their party positions)," Zahar said in the letter.

According to Zahar, holding gatherings and giving out ‘pocket money’ to party members are clear violations of party guidelines and both the president and deputy president are not exceptions to the rule.

He said both Abdullah and Najib went against guidelines, which they themselves had helped compile. "Is this what they mean by leadership by example?" asked Zahar.

The letter also slammed the planned handover of power by Abdullah to Najib in two years time as a ‘political bribery of the highest order’ though it did not specify why such a move was considered a form of political bribery.

Abdullah will step down in 2010

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will step down as Prime Minister in June 2010 and hand over power to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said two years was the right amount of time for him to complete his projects.

"(Deputy Prime Minister) Najib (Razak) also needs time to prepare the party for the next elections - whether it's 2012 or 2013.

"During this period, I will also let Najib sit in more committees and get to know the leaders of other countries."

Abdullah who is Umno president however said he would still seek nomination to contest the party's top post during the December party election and that Najib who is his deputy would still go for the number two party post.

He said he would not be leading Barisan Nasional into the next general election because by that time the country would have Najib as the new Prime Minister.

Abdullah admitted that he felt a little sad over his decision to quit as Prime Minister.

Abdullah: slander and lies spread in cyberspace

Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Monday labelled as treachery the deliberate attempts to create perceptions of uneasiness and distrust in the people via the Internet and the short messaging service (SMS) with blatant disregard for the principles of the Rukunegara (National Principles).

The prime minister said these attempts, undertaken through Internet blogs, the YouTube and SMS, had blemished the principles of the Rukunegara such as Loyalty to King and Country, Upholding the Constitution, the Rule of Law, and Good Behaviour and Morality.

"All the slander and lies spread through the blogs and YouTube do not contribute to ease and confidence in the people," he said at the monthly gathering of the Prime Minister's Department, here.

"There is no more regard for statements of truth in law. Little attention is given to (one's) demeanour in life. The sovereignty of the Rulers is turned into an issue," he said.

Abdullah said not all of the people believed in the negative perceptions which were attempted to be created but it was portrayed that more people had become trapped in that situation.

"Conduct attributed to the truth is not appreciated. What is appreciated is the perception, and along with it the lies.

"Perception negates the truth. The truth is no longer talked about. The important thing is the perception," he said.

Abdullah said perceptions had influenced the attitudes and options of some people in the making of decisions, including those related to investment and
business.

He said this must be rectified but, unfortunately, it had become a subject which the people were most interested in, so much so that it had become word of mouth and they resorted to exaggeration.

"The people must be appeased so as not to have any fear of a possible shortage of food. They must be pacified so as not to have any worry over their own safety and that of their families," he said.

Abdullah said the nation had just gone through the democratic process (March 8 general election) and the government had been given the mandate to administer the country.

The government, he said, hoped to be able to fulfill the aspirations of the people.

He said the government had adopted and would take measures to reduce the financial burden of the people arising from the increase in fuel prices which had caused them some restlessness.

"The people must have confidence in our efforts," he said. The prime minister called on the enforcement authorities to be firm in maintaining peace and security in the country.

"Let's stop doing what is undesirable. The people must exercise a high sense of responsibility. Our priority must be to maintain peace," he said.

ABDULLAH WOULD NOT STEP DOWN

UMNO President Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi vowed that he would not step down as demanded by former UMNO president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, instead continue leading the party.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is also Prime Minister of Malaysia, was nevertheless confident that there would not be a mass exodus of party members following former Prime Minister of Malaysia Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's lead.

"I was surprised that he resigned and does not want to be in UMNO anymore, I had never thought that he would actually take the step to leave the party."

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi conceded that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's decision would "weaken the party to an extent" but he did not expect any of the ruling party's lawmakers to quit.

“Mahathir is a popular leader and there will be some impact from him quitting the party. But I don’t foresee many party leaders following his footsteps."

"If the members love UMNO, they won’t leave the party. I didn’t quit the party despite all the difficulties I went through.” Asked whether he would step down to take responsibility for disastrous results in March 8 elections, he replied: "Why should I? I still have a lot of work to do."

"The important thing is that UMNO has to remain calm and understand that its members have to be loyal to the party and be strong and continue to carry out the struggle."

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also ruled out meeting Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to ask him to reconsider his decision. “He has clearly thought this through and there is no need to meet him on this.” However, he expects the matter to be discussed at the party’s next supreme council meeting.

NO APOLOGY BUT TAKE A GOOD LOOK BACKWARDS TO MOVE FORWARDS

Sweeping a problem under the carpet or try to hide a problem or keep a problem secret instead of dealing with it seems not to be the stand of the government of the day under Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

By addressing judicial crisis, which happened in1988, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced the ex-gratia payment for former lord president Salleh Abas and the five judges. It clearly shown that he has done his best to address the crisis.

The crisis happened 20 years ago and now he has to guard against complacency concerning the existing current political scenario and the government as a hold. After all, it is a collective stand by the Cabinet.

On the other hand, the other school of thought is, Abdullah should not be held responsibility for, as it is the old grandmother story happened 20 years ago.

In fact, we must consider the real causes and eventually have to allow or rather free little brain to justify the problem and use the result as a learning tool.

It is understandable using pressure to force the authority to apology as a victory for judicial crisis but some are opposing it. It is not the zero sum-game that winner takes all, and it is impossible for both players to win.

It should be a win-win game that all participants can profit from it in one way or the other and it is the best conflict resolution. It is reflected in the course of ex-gratia payment to six judges affected by the 1988 judicial crisis.

It is the time to move forward. Of course, wise man looks backward to go forward but to look backward, not in anger, not in hatred.

The first class mentality Malaysian, especially the justice sector that has professional flavor and responsible politicians of both parties either in power or opposition, should take a good look backwards to move forwards.

DELIVERING JUSTICE, RENEWING TRUST

The tribute and goodwill ex gratia payments to the six Supreme Court judges who were sacked in 1988 as recognition of their contribution by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, which he described as a legacy that still haunted the nation, can be seen as a direct blow and disrespect for precedent under the regime of Tun Dr Mahathir that might undermine the image of Tun.

Abdullah said, “I do not presume to equate your contributions, pain and loss with mere currency, but I hope that you can accept this as a heartfelt and sincere gesture to mend what has been.”

He said the time had come to write a proud and new chapter and commitment towards upholding justice and to acknowledge the pain and loss the six Supreme Court judges endured.

“For me and for many other Malaysians, these towering judicial personalities represent a very different era for the nation’s judiciary. Many feel that the judiciary then was a venerable institution that could be trusted to deliver justice."

“Some even hailed Malaysia’s judiciary as a model for other countries – independent and credible. “This level of trust and respect for the judiciary, we must all admit, is simply not as strong as it was before.”

ABDULLAH ACKNOWLEDGES RESPONSIBLE FOR POLLS SETBACK

Suddenly, I realized that I didn't really understand how difficult to be a responsible leader and politician. However, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi did it.

Acknowledging that he was one of the causes of the setbacks suffered by Umno and Barisan Nasional in the general election, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he felt responsible to now work towards rehabilitating the party despite calls for his resignation. The Umno president also pledged to revive BN and Umno by delivering on in his past promises.

Abdullah said, the changes promised to the people covered various aspects such as the judicial system, eradication of corrupt practices, bringing down the crime rate and inter-racial relations in the country. The changes implemented by the government needed time before it could show positive results.

Meanwhile, it is reported that Parti Keadilan Rakyat Advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says the opposition will not be pushing for a motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister any time soon.

He is a good strategist and looking for a right time to make next move, anytime anything might happen.

ABDULLAH WILL NOT RESIGN AS PM

Are the calls that Abdullah should step down to assume responsibility for the Barisan National’s poor performance in last month's general election justify?

I don’t actually see the logic of it. What is the justification that should the calls becoming a case? After all, BN still obtained a strong simple parliamentary majority although not the two-thirds majority.

It is important to remember that the democratic system practices by us are a simple majority and the rule is by a simple majority of those voting (50% + 1). Even you won 1 vote, you won too. It encapsulates a core idea of democracy.

Ironically, what is good for some leaders is indeed bad for the party and country. It’s important to see the responsible leader not in this manner by resigning. If you asked the general public, could you imagine Abdullah taking this action toward the party or the country justify?

I think most people would have said no especially based on some criticisms including Abdullah's predecessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, that he should step down to assume responsibility for the Barisan Nasional’s poor showing in last month’s general election.

There is little sense that exists such an assessment. Why not let the UMNO general assembly decide it? The small group seems to cross the line and the public should take into account allow that sort of political meddling for some private personal interest in what they see as internal party affairs. Wasn’t the cause a good one? Isn’t it matter or otherwise?

Logically, it is a right political move for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to denied speculation that he will step down as Prime Minister and reiterated his stand that he would not run away from his responsibilities as the Prime Minister.

“I am here. I am here. I am here. They speculate that I want to run away, I’ve resigned. Why should I resign?” is a clear massage from Abdullah.

What freedom and democratic measures are in practice by Malaysian now?