Saturday, June 24, 2006

WHY is there so much WAR and VIOLENCE in the WORLD? If you want PEACE prepare for PEACE and NOT War.

There will be an END to WAR when all the young men refuse to kill for the sake of PEACE; when all the women forbid their men to kill for the sake of PEACE; when you realize no PEACE will come through killing; that the end does not justify the means and when you grow full and light with thoughts of PEACE.

We make our world. When we populate our world with ideas of PEACE, then PEACE will grow. When you think thoughts of aggression, you attract aggression and you draw it out from others in daily contact, and on the part of nations.


The reality we have in this world is a replica of our thoughts. If you do not like the world, you must change your thoughts. No exterior manipulation will change the face of your experience one iota if you do not change your dreams and your thoughts.


Our own preoccupation with arms, as a country, is received by others and they do the same. Our own thoughts create wars in our minds and these are materialized and must be faced by our own flesh and blood.


Very unfortunately we equate aggression with strength and we are afraid to elect a peaceful man. And all the other countries feel the same and follow suit and are afraid to put into power, by whatever means, peaceful men as leaders. And the present world situation is the result of our individual beliefs, en masse.


The answer is to elect people into power who believe in the active nature of peace and NO longer believe that Good is Weak and Evil is Powerful.

Wars are self-perpetuating because they combine both natural and unnatural guilt, compounded and reinforced by memory. Conscious killing beyond the need of sustenance is a violation. The collection of unrecognized artificial guilt builds up through the centuries has lead to the build up of repressed energy that its release has resulted in violent actions in wars. Thus the hatred of one generation of adults whose parents were killed in a war generates the next one.


Presently we have the condition in which overpopulation is compensated by wars and if not by wars then by diseases. Yet who must die - the young who would be the parents of children? Wars can be likened to illnesses; a war is a small infection and a world war would be a major massive disease.

Wars would finally teach us to revere life and natural catastrophes will remind us that you cannot ignore your planet or our creature hood.
Who will ultimately shoulder the great privilege and joyful responsibility for our behavior, welfare and destiny of mankind but the innate wisdom of our own individual being? If you want PEACE, prepare for PEACE and NOT War. Peace to all.


Check the latest posting 21 Sep 06 at:

SAMY VELU Angered by DAP Queries Ordered INVESTIGATION of Sub-STANDARD Refurbishment Repairs; NAJIB:NO Intention to Cover Up; PM: Sub-Con NO PAYMENT

GoTo TOP (Main Page)

MIC CONTEST for Deputy President - the MOTHER of ALL MIC ELECTIONS - Datuk Subra’s message: Acha Vili.. Archa Vili, Archa Vili; NO FEARS, Vote for ME

Malaysiakini headline on MIC D-DAY- Insert Nehru, 1st PM India

Datuk S Subramaniam, the incumbent Deputy President
allaying fears of delegates

Datuk S Subramanian the incumbent is fighting his political future with the challenger Vice-president Datuk G Palanivel, a journalist and former press secretary to the Party President. This is almost a decade since he became Deputy President in 1981 that he would be challenged for the No 2 post in MIC

"I don’t want to support any team, because whatever team I support will win," said Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu when he was asked which World Cup team he favors. Such is the odds Datuk Subra is fighting.

In an exclusive TV interview recently, he reminded his supporters and delegates;

In Tamil, Archa Vili, Archa Vili, Archa Vili ………… ArchaVili, Archa Vili, Archa Vili” or in English;NO FEAR, NO FEAR, NO FEAR, Even if the Sky Falls down, Thou shall not live in fear”

“I want the delegates to recite this everyday. They shall live without fear. Democracy is about…doing what you think is right, fearless.

I always think that a man should not be thinking of winning and loosing; he should be thinking of accomplishing his objectives in life. If this election can further my objectives of helping the people in my party to call for a change, I will be very happy. I appreciate the fact that change is inevitable. I cannot understand the logic of the change for the Deputy Presidency. So change for what? Change in position? I don’t believe in that. Change to do good for the community, struggle for the community, change new programs to uplift the Indian community. Yes those are important.

For me I have not had any problems working with anybody including Datuk Palanivel, serving the community, working together to serve the community. If we can put the party interest above all, if we can put the interest of the community above all, I think we would have no problem in working with everybody for the common good of the party and the community.”

He also took the opportunity to clarify that he did not make any allegations to the election committee. “I have been writing to the election committee during my round of campaigning with my delegates, I was told by the delegates that they have fears; some others who campaign put their fears into them. That there will be serial numbers and telephones and so on. These are the points I refer to them and I clearly stated that I do not have any doubts in the way the election committee will conduct theses elections”. He also stated that he was pleased with the reply from the chairman of the elections committee.

Meanwhile all Datuk Palanivel can offer is to walk that “extra mile” to provide the dynamic, inspirational and sacrificial leadership if elected.

The birth of MIC was intricately linked to the first PM of India Jawaharlal Nehru who visited Malaya on March 18 1946 (60 years ago) had advised Indian leaders to set up an organization to protect the rights of Indians in Malaya. In April 1955 MIC together with MCA, joined the Alliance and fought for independence.

And here are some of the comments gleaned from the letters sent to Malaysiakini

I would agree to certain extent that Subra told the delegates not to be afraid. I am afraid that he is telling the obvious fact. That doesn’t mean that I am pro-Subra or anti-Samy. I just would like to state that whoever leads the party, please stop taking the members and the community for a ride.

After all, we are getting pressured left, right and centre in this country. Don't blame the party president since he claims that he can't work with his deputy. The solution is very simple - if you can't work with your deputy, you resign. It is as simple as that, you don't need to be an genius to know that.

But then again we have the 'honourable delegates', aka a sack of potatoes, who have voted the president in and to top it, he was not even opposed. Of course, Subra now has to say to all these softies ‘don’t be afraid to vote’.

Sathia,

Obviously, Samy has tried to kill off Subramaniam, at least twice, by not nominating him in the national elections, first in 1989 (this was got around by Subramaniam's appointment to the Senate and then a deputy minister’s post) and then again denying him nomination in 2003 (the Senate route was not available as he had served two terms already there).

Hasn't President Samy, abused his position in denying his deputy such a nomination, not once but twice? So it is ludicrous to suggest that Subramaniam has had "everything handed to him on a golden platter"

Periasamy Bounder

I can understand his reason for nominating his preferred choice for the No 2 post but could not find logic in him acting undemocratically by nominating ‘preferred’ candidate for all positions.

Is the president underestimating the thinking ability of MIC delegates and their wisdom to decide on the party’s future leaders? What is the purpose of holding an AGM and election if one cannot think and vote for one’s own candidate independently?

Holding the AGM costs a huge sum of money and especially with an election. May I suggest that since the party president has made up his mind on who should be elected, why not just hold a CWC meeting, order some cakes, ‘vadai’ and ‘tosai’ from the stall next to the MIC building and finish off the meeting with less than RM1,000 incurred?

Kamban


Datuk Palanivel has obtained 185 nominations and Datuk S Subra just received 2, but the numbers are not a good gauge of final support from delegates. May the fearless candidate on Saturday 24th June 2006 win.




ELECTED… Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu (left) with the newly elected MIC Deputy President Datuk G. Palanivel. Foto: Shahrizan Jeffri Aziz

UPDATE 7, 22.12 pm Jun 24 06

Samy Strengthens Grip In Party; By S. Retnanathan

KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 (Bernama) -- MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has strenghtened his grip on the party as evidenced by the fact that all the president's men except for two, were voted into their respective positions at the just concluded party polls here Saturday.

The MIC supremo's nominee for the deputy president post, Datuk G. Palanivel, beat longtime deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam with a comfortable 438-vote majority.

Samy Vellu's three "preferred" vice-presidents Datuk S. Sothinathan, Datuk S. Veerasingham and Tan Sri K. S. Nijhar also won their posts, brushing aside four other candidates in the polls which was held at the Putra World Trade Centre.

Of the 23 MIC Central Working Committee candidates backed by the president, only two failed to make the cut, in a contest which attracted some 51 contestants.

The two who lost from Samy Vellu's list were Datuk Chandrasekhar Suppiah and Datuk V.Munisamy. They are replaced by R. Ragumoorthy and P. Logeswary.

This election was billed as the most heated in nearly two decades. The last time the MIC had a tough polls was when Subramaniam took on Samy Vellu in 1990 but lost.

Subramaniam, who became the party's deputy president in 1981, had never faced a tough challenge in his entire 25-year tenure as its No 2.

The MIC supremo late last year had announced that he preferred Palanivel to Subramaniam as his deputy. This caused a problem in the party with Samy Vellu and Subramaniam engaging in a war of words.

The win by the president's candidates today proved that he is very much in control of the party and has not lost his "grassroots" support. In fact Samy Vellu showed that his strength in the party has increased with his nominees scoring thumping wins.

Observers say that the win does not only show the support Samy Vellu has, but also the confidence of the 1,428 delegates who voted for the candidates picked by the president.

"The candidates are not blind to vote for anyone supported by the president. They took into account the good track record of the candidates...they had worked well and this is reflected in the votes," said P. Kamalanathan, a MIC Youth council member.

The 438 vote majority in the Subramaniam-Palanivel tussle also showed that the four term vice-president had done his work, especially in trying better the lives of Indians in the country.

While delegates to the assembly had placed their trust in Samy Vellu and his list of candidates, it is now time for the winners to prove their worth.

They have their work cut out for them, especialy with the Ninth Malaysia Plan being implemented from this year.

They need to ensure that the Malaysian Indian community benefits from it and only through this can they be able to stay in power.

UPDATE 6: 21:59 Pm Jun 24 06

Sothinathan Heads Vice President Winning Team

KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 (Bernama) -- Datuk S. Sothinathan, the Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and MIC secretary-general, emerged with the highest number of votes in the party's vice president contest Saturday.

He garnered 1,153 votes, followed closely by incumbent Datuk S. Veerasingam who retained the post for a third consecutive term with 1,141 votes and another incumbent Tan Sri K.S. Nijhar who was also re-elected for his third consecutive term with 939 votes.

All the three winners were on MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu's "preferred list" of candidates for the party elections.

The four other candidates who lost in the contest were "independents" E. Yohevel, Alex Thiagarajan, V.K.K. Teagarajan and M. Muthupalaniappan.

Teagarajan received 469 votes, Muthupalaniappan 244, Thiagarajan 220 and Yohevel 111.

The victory of Sothinathan was his first for a national elected post in the party.

Speaking to reporters after the results were announced, he thanked the delegates for supporting him and pledged to give his best to serve the party.

"Good contact with the grassroots helped me a lot," he said.

Veerasingam, the Deputy Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, said he was thankful the election went smoothly and also promised to work hard for the party and its members.

He said the victory of the "preferred" team was expected.

Nijhar said he was happy to prove wrong the prediction that he was the weakest member of the "preferred" team and would have difficulty retaining his post.

"My nearest opponent was nearly 500 votes away," he said.

Teagarajan, who is the MIC national information chief, said winning and losing was part of the political game.

"You have to take it in your stride. The result shows that I was not popular, so I have to work harder in the future," he said.

Yohevel said he lost to "Samy Vellu's weight" but promised he would "return to fight another day".


UPDATE 5: 21.43pm Jun 24 06

Samy Wants Members To Work Together

KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 (Bernama) -- MIC President Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu who further strengthened his grip on the party after his long time estranged deputy Datuk S. Subramaniam failed to retain his post wants members to bury the hatchet and close ranks.

"I think all allegations and campaigns will end tonight. Tomorrow all will be fresh...we will work together and will work for the party. They will put party ahead of any personal interest," he told reporters after the MIC elections at the party's 60th Annual General Assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre here, Saturday.

At the party elections, all candidates in the party supremo's "preferred" list, except two in the central working committee (CWC), won their respective positions.

The long awaited deputy president's race saw the four term vice-president Datuk G. Palanivel beat Subramaniam with a thumping 438 vote majority.

In the vice-president's race, all off Samy Vellu's men made it. They were Datuk S. Sothinathan, Datuk S. Veerasingham and Tan Sri K.S. Nijhar.

In the CWC race, out of the 23 members listed by the party president only two failed to make the cut. A total 51 candidates contested for the 23 seats.

On the increase in the number of women in the CWC, he said "women power" in the party had made this possible.

"Usually they say man power in the MIC but this time I must say it has changed to women power and I must appreciate that," he added.

He also congratulated Palanivel, the three vice-presidents and the 23 CWC members.

"There are two new comers in the CWC, so I must utilise their experience and their new ideas for the betterment of the party. We must work together as a team and do what ever promised," he added.

Asked on Subramaniam's political future, he said he had nothing much to say since the longtime deputy was now just a member and the head of the Seputeh division.

UPDATE 4: Jun 24 06

Palanivel Wins MIC Deputy President Post



KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 (Bernama) -- Datuk G. Palanivel has been elected the new MIC deputy president, beating long-time incumbent Datuk S. Subramaniam by a thumping 438-vote majority in the party elections Saturday.

The 57-year-old former journalist-turned-politician garnered 933 votes against 495 by Subramaniam who has been at the MIC's No. 2 post since 1981.

The election results were announced at 7.35pm.

A total 1,428 of the 1,441 delegates voted in the elections billed as the most intense in party history after 1989 when Subramaniam took on MIC supremo Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu for the party top post.

Palanivel, a four-term vice-president, and Women, Family and Community Development deputy minister, became MIC Petaling division secretary in 1972 and raised through the ranks to become vice-president in 1997.

In the vice-president race, the president's "preferred candidates" incumbents Datuk S. Veerasingham and Tan Sri K.S. Nijhar and party secretary-general Datuk S. Sothinathan were elected.

Sothinathan emerged top, polling 1,153 votes, Veerasingham 1,141 and Nijhar 939 votes.

The other four vice-president aspirants -- MIC veteran Datuk M. Muthupalaniappan polled 244 votes, Kuala Lumpur MIC chief Datuk V.K.K. Teagarajan (469), former Si Rusa state assemblyman E. Yohevel (111) and P. Tiagarasan (220).

Of the 23 candidates in the president's line-up for the central working committee seats, only two failed to make it.

The two are Datuk Chandrasekhar Suppaiah and Datuk K. Munisamy.

The two "independents" who made it to the CWC, MIC's highest policy-making body, are P. Logeswary, better known as Kajang Ranee, and R. Ragumoorthy.

The results showed the president's men almost made a clean sweep of all the posts contested.

As soon as the results were announced, a teary-eyed Palanivel hugged Samy Vellu in gratitude.

The mood at the announcement by party election steering committee chairman Datuk K. Vijayanathan was one of jubilance.

Shouts of "Long Live Palanivel" reverberated Dewan Merdeka of the Putra World Trade Centre.

UPDATE3 :Jun 24, 06 5:31pm
Palanivel is new MIC deputy president
Newsflash G Palanivel has been elected the new deputy president of the MIC defeating incumbent S Subramaniam. He obtained 939 votes to Subramaniam's 495.

UPDATE 2:June 24, 2006 12:57 PM

Confusion, Raised Tempers Reigned At MIC Polls

KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 (Bernama) -- Confusion and raised tempers reigned at the start of polling in the MIC elections at the Putra World Trade Centre.

The largest Indian-based political party in the country is holding elections for its top leadership positions except for the president's post at the two-day assembly attended by 1,441 delegates.

The confusion began at the start of voting when party president Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu announced that only delegates would be allowed into the main hall where the balloting was held.

"All those who are not delegates please leave the hall. If you don't leave, then this election will be considered null and void and we have to conduct another election, so please leave," he told a few hundred observers who was seated in the main hall.

This created uneasiness among those present and confusion reigned at the main entrance of Dewan Merdeka where voting was in progress.

Some dissatisfied observers started to shout back and at the same time blocked delegates who were trying to get into the hall.

This drew the ire of the MIC supremo who had earlier handed the podium to the MIC Election Committee head Datuk K. Vijayanathan.

Taking the podium again, Samy Vellu repeated his call but this time with his trade mark sarcasm, said: "There are delegates outside wanting to come in, allow them in or they will miss the flight. This flight does not fly all the time, only once in three years."

The observers outside the hall calmed down a few minutes later, realising the police special branch personnel had moved in and started clearing the area.

The assembly will elect a deputy president, three vice-presidents and 23 central working committee members.

UPDATE 1
June 24, 2006 10:41 Bernama report

Listen To Grassroots Voice, Samy Vellu Tells MIC Leaders

KUALA LUMPUR, June 24 (Bernama) -- Being the largest Indian-based political party in the country, the MIC must listen to the voice of the grassroots and be accessible to ordinary Malaysian Indians, party chief Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said Saturday.

"Party leaders must give their time and provide the occasion for the cries of the poor, displaced workers, single mothers, orphans and grieving elderly to be heard along with those who might be in the upper echelon of society," he said in his presidential address at the 60th MIC General Assembly.

Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi opened the two-day assembly at Dewan Merdeka of the Putra World Trade Centre.

Present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and BN component party leaders.

More than 4,000 delegates, observers and guests are also attending the assembly.

The highlight of the assembly is the contest for the deputy president's post, three vice-presidents and 23 central working committee seats.

Samy Vellu said there has been a tremendous desire among party members to hold positions at various levels but it was imperative that whoever wins in the party elections to close ranks and work together for betterment of the community.

He said the MIC needed a dedicated team of men and women who shared a common vision and agenda to see to the effective implementation of the Ninth Malaysia Plan and to lead the community to greater heights.

"We must bear in mind that we need at the national level political leaders who have personal commitment and responsibility, dedication and passion, intellectual ability and education, grassroots touch and compassion towards the poor.

"They must have the well-being of the ordinary people in their hearts. It is this kind of leaders who will be able to lead the party into the future, into the next generation," he said.

Samy Vellu also said the MIC fully backed Abdullah in all his endeavours to restore transparency and good governance in Malaysian society.

The Works Minister said the Indian community must devise creative and innovative programmes for the betterment of the community.

"Over reliance on Government creates dependency and robs us of our scope for human potential and creativity. We need to balance our demands on Government and that of what we initiate for the community.

"As a community, we must strive to stand on our own feet. We need to restore the deep sense of confidence in ourselves and minimise negative and pessimistic outlooks which negate our self worth and dignity," he said.

He said there was much talent and expertise in the community and they must be encouraged to articulate community concerns and map out sustainable socio-economic programmes.

"Indian professionals and the business community must take the lead in filling the gaps and undertake grassroots programmes which can meet the needs, especially of low-income families in the community," Samy Vellu said, adding that the MIC had initiated community-led self-help programmes that have had lasting impact on the lives of ordinary people.


see latest post: When you grow full and light with thoughts of PEACE, then there will be an end to war. Check this out at
http://powerpresent.blogspot.com/2006/06/why-is-there-so-much-war-and-violence.html

Friday, June 23, 2006

PAC Special Meeting–AVOIDED by SAMY; LETTER sent – “details personal” ; HEATED EXCHANGE after meet: MIC Tan Sri Nijhar asked Datuk Shahrir: RESIGN

Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad speaking to newsmen after the
special PAC meeting in Parliament House


Meanwhile Datu Seri Samy Vellu avoided the confrontation (his strong supporter Tan Sri Nijhar, MP Subang is in the PAC)


The white haired PAC Chairman Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad speaking to newsmen at Parliament building after the PAC special meeting said “the committee wants to know whether there has been a standard practice or method used by the government in paying compensation to such companies. The PAC also discussed a letter sent by Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu to the PAC on the compensation payment to the Gerbang Perdana Selatan Bersepadu Sdn Bhd

Asked on whether the PAC was satisfied with the Works Minister's explanation he replied:-

" The question of whether we are satisfied or dosatified is not our concern. No decision on the matter in today’s meeting. The question does not arise"

On the question of Datuk Samy Vellu’s letter, " Ask him, What is important to us is to carry out our responsibility. We have made a decision to continue our work and look at current project as has been done before I became Chairman”

Next PAC meeting is on July 24, would review the RM27 billion privatisation of the construction of 27 offshore patrol vessels.


http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news.php?id=204585

The following is the despatch from bernama.
Provide PAC Type Of Compensation Paid To Companies - Shahrir;June 22, 2006 18:09 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, June 22 (Bernama) -- The Treasury and National Audit Department have been asked to furnish the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) the type of compensation paid by the government to companies which postponed or cancelled half-way projects awarded to them.

PAC Chairman Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad said the committee wants to know whether there has been a standard practice or method used by the government in paying compensation to such companies.

"This is also to enable the PAC to know the type and method the government made payments to projects that have been postponed or cancelled," he told reporters after chairing a special PAC meeting at Parliament building Thursday.

The special meeting was held to discuss the PAC's role whether it had the right to monitor ongoing projects or after a project has been completed and its accounts audited and closed.

Today's meeting also discussed a letter sent by Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu to the PAC on the compensation payment to the Gerbang Perdana Selatan Bersepadu Sdn Bhd following the government's decision to cancel the "scenic bridge" to replace the Malaysian side of the Johor Causeway.

Last Friday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi asked Samy Vellu to give a written explanation to the PAC to resolve the problems between the PAC and the minister.

Abdullah gave the instruction to end a tiff between Samy Vellu and Shahrir pursuant to a PAC statement asking the Works Ministry to review the compensation to be paid to Gerbang Perdana following cancellation of the bridge project.

Asked to comment on the contents of Samy Vellu's letter, Shahrir merely said: "You ask Datuk Seri (Samy Vellu)."

Asked whether Samy Vellu's written reply raised the PAC's role in the compensation issue, Shahrir said: "He (Samy Vellu) did not question it but what happened is more between him and me."

Asked whether the PAC was satisfied with the Works Minister's explanation, Shahrir said: "We have done our job and we will continue our work. The question of whether we are satisfied or dissatisfied is not our concern.

"No decision on the matter in today's meeting. The question does not arise," he said.

Shahrir said today's meeting decided that the PAC would continue to monitor ongoing and completed projects and whose accounts have been closed.

"It has been the practice even before I became PAC chairman, the committee monitors ongoing projects like construction of Matrade (Malaysian External Trade Development Corporation) building and the Middle Ring Road II highway project," he said.

He said the two projects were monitored by the PAC when it was headed by Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib before he was appointed Dewan Rakyat Speaker.

Shahrir said the PAC, in its meeting on July 24, would review the RM27 billion privatisation of the construction of 27 offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) for the Royal Malaysian Navy awarded to PSC Industries Bhd and carried out by its wholly-owned subsidiary PSC-Naval Dockyard Sdn Bhd over a 15-year period.

The agreement for the project was signed between the government and the company in 1998 to design, build and hand over six OPVs costing RM5.35 billion to the RMN.

The company, however, failed to build the six OPVs on schedule. It had
delivered only two OPVs to the RMN so far.

In July last year, the PAC asked the government to investigate whether the
company's senior officers had committed criminal breach of trust.____

Read on NST’s account

Heated exchange at PAC meeting

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Friday/Frontpage/20060623081520/Article/index_html

a heated exchange erupted … between a few members and Datuk Shahrir immediately after the PAC meeting, with the MIC MP on the PAC, Tan Sri K. S. Nijhar (Subang) – [a strong Samy Vellu supporter ] telling Shahrir to resign as PAC Chairman.



Other members nside the PAC Meeting


continue reading MIC-Mother of ALL ELECTIONS at
http://powerpresent.blogspot.com/2006/06/mic-contest-for-deputy-president.html

Samy Vellu’s ACTION -Terminate Perembun Consortium contract – FAILURE in upgrading the Gemas-Ayer Hitam road in Johor from 2-lanes to 4 lanes

Datuk Samy Vellu briefing newsmen on the action taken

The abandoned - partial completion of the Gemas-Ayer Hitam upgrade from 2-lane to 4 lane


Under the 9MP, a new ruling has been implemented since May 05 “to take swift and stern action against contractors who default on their contractsAnd Perembun Consortium appears to be the first victim. After the excellence award presentation in his Ministry, he told newsmen that he had directed the PWD to sent a notice of termination to Perembun Consortium.

He said “ They just left the job there. They never do it. And they never pay the sub-contractor. They create a lot of problems for us” He had received many SMS messages regarding this project and the contractor.

The following is the Bernama report on this problem.

Works Ministry Takes Action Against Contractor, June 22, 2006 12:56 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, (Bernama) -- Works Minister Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu Thursday invoked his ministry's new ruling by ordering action against a contractor for failing to abide by the contract terms of upgrading the Gemas-Ayer Hitam road in Johor.

"The time for mere statements and warnings are over. Now, we start taking action," he told reporters after presenting excellent service awards to his ministry's staff, here.

The new ruling which, among others, calls for swift and stern action against contractors who default on their contracts, is effective since last May with the implementation of the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP).

The ruling includes terminating the contracts of companies which fail to start or complete their projects on time and according to specifications.

The minister said he would seek the Treasury's permission to take action against other contractors as and when the situation warranted.

On the action against the contractor for the Gemas-Ayer Hitam road project, Samy Vellu said he had directed the Public Works Department (PWD) to send a notice of termination to Perembun Consortium.

"This contractor will be the first to face action since the implementation of the new ruling under the 9MP," Samy Vellu said.

The joint-venture project by Perembun and another company involves upgrading of the road from two lanes to four lanes.

However, ministry officials said the other company had not shirked its responsibilities, and was expected to be allowed to complete the project by this year.

Samy Vellu said he had received complaints from the public through the Short Messaging Service (SMS) on the project and the contractor.

"I immediately sent the PWD director of roads to personally inspect the project and report back to me which he did", Samy Vellu said, adding that after perusing the report, he ordered action against the contractor.

The minister also said he had directed the district engineers to immediately take action against contractors, whether big or small, if they flouted the contracts.

Samy Vellu said the PWD would no longer tolerate non-substantiated excuses for delays of projects.

"My ministry has been given a huge responsibility by the Prime Minister and the government, and we intend to carry it out," he added.



The incomplete Highway upgrade - Gemas-Ayer Hitam

The abandoned section of the Gemas-Ayer Hitam upgrade - no payment to the sub-contractor so no work done and we have the classical delay in the implementation of a project - Malaysia Bolih


See latest posting & pics.
SAMY's TIFF with PAC SHAHRIR & Call to RESIGN at
http://powerpresent.blogspot.com/2006/06/pac-special-meetingavoided-by-samy.html
Update, Saturday 1.45am, latest posting & pics.
MIC-Mother of ALL ELECTIONS http://powerpresent.blogspot.com/2006/06/mic-contest-for-deputy-president.html

When you grow full and light with thoughts of PEACE, then there will be an end to war. Check this out at
http://powerpresent.blogspot.com/2006/06/why-is-there-so-much-war-and-violence.html

Thursday, June 22, 2006

MORE PICS – MURDER-cum-SUICIDE in Penang Island.; THAI WIFE 27 Slashed and Killed by HUSBAND -38 Unemployed who HANGED himself

The couple's Jelutong Flat, 7th Floor, Flat No:7-25

A couple was found dead in their Jelutong Flat in Penang on Wednesday.. The Police have classified the case as Murder-cum-Suicide. The woman, a Thai national Jansom Pajai 27, a waitress in a karaoke lounge, was found dead in one of the room in the flat The victim’s throat was slashed and in a pool of blood with 5 stab wounds to her abdomen. A blood-stained knife was found near her body. The body of her husband Teoh Chee Keong 38, unemployed was found in another room hanging from the ceiling hook with a piece of cloth. Teoh was believed to have committed suicide after murdering his wife.

Neighbors heard the couple quarrelling late Tuesday night. The bodies were discovered by Teoh’s aunt. The couple were married with no children and according to Pathologist, the couple had been dead for 12-16 hour before they were found Their bodies were sent to the GH Penang for post-mortem.


The bodies being taken out of the Flat entrance to the vehicle


Notes on suicide
Sometimes you think of suicide as ignominious and passive, but of war as aggressive and powerful. Both are equally the result of passivity and distorted aggression and of natural pathways of communications not used or understood.
However, suicides and would-be suicides often have such a great literal lust for life that they constantly put it into jeopardy, so that they can experience what it is in heightened form.

Some people might say, I have a right to die, when they are arguing the case for suicide. And while this is true, it is also true that the people on our planet need every bit of help and encouragement they can get from each person alive. In a certain sense, the energy of each individual does keep the world going, and to commit suicide is to refuse a basic, cooperative venture.

Left alone, the self and the body are so entwined that the separation would be smooth. The body would automatically follow the wishes of the inner self. In the case of suicide, for example, the self is to some extent acting out of context with the body, which still has its own will to live.


For a Newspaper account check the NST at
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/nst/Thursday/National/20060622085017/Article/local1_html

22 GROUP of Questions from theEDGEdaily to Dr Mahathir to reflect, chew, elaborate and explain if he dares. Only 4 Questions for PM Abdulah


Dr Mahathir may have 4 unsatisfactory answers to his questions but the THEEDGEDAILY has 22 Group of Questions (start counting and you find hundreds of them) for him to further elaborate on - one for each year of his rule. This 22 is of course a “tip of the iceberg” There are a variety of topics the edge has not touch on but these 22 are enough for him to ponder, chew, reflect and explain if he cares to respond. Maybe it will come out (albiet in his own truths) in his memoirs he is reportedly to be working on. Does the end justify the means used to achieve his single-minded desires?

The following "history' reproduced is available from

http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/content.jsp?id=com.tms.cms.article.
Article_ef644d6e-cb73c03a-1d1082f0-17b59680
By P Gunasegaram
Jun 20, 2006

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is only in his third year as Prime Minister but his pre­decessor Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad already has four questions for his administration to answer. They relate to Proton's sale of MV Agusta; the exit of the former Proton chief executive officer; approved permits for cars; and scrapping of the bridge project.

While we would like to hear a better explanation from the government than what has been given so far, Abdullah should not be the only one answering questions. I am sure we all have questions for Mahathir too - on how he ran the country for 22 years. Here's a list of 22 questions or rather 22 groups of questions we would like to ask Mahathir, one for each of his 22 years in power:

1. On clean government. You came to power in 1981 and introduced the slogan "bersih, cekap dan amanah" (clean, efficient and trustworthy). What did you do to further that? Did you make the Anti-Corruption Agency more independent and effective? Did you ensure that the police and judiciary did their job properly and reduce corruption in their ranks? Did you ensure that ministers and chief ministers not have income beyond their legal means? How many big guns were prosecuted for corruption offences during your long tenure? What happened to "bersih, cekap dan amanah"?

2. Press freedom. Your criticism of the government got plenty of coverage in the local media whereas during your time, criticisms against you by two former prime ministers were muted in the mainstream newspapers. Editors in Umno-linked newspapers too were removed during your time for not toeing the line. What did you do to advance the cause of responsible press freedom?

3. Proton. You went ahead with the national car project in 1983 despite a number of experts disagreeing with you, especially with respect to lack of economies of scale. Isn't it true that Proton's profits over the last 20
years came out of vastly higher prices that the Malaysian public has to pay to subsidise Proton, resulting in considerable hardship for Malaysians who need cars because of the poor public transport system? More lately, why was it necessary for Proton to buy a stake in a failed Italian motorcycle manufacturer when it could not even produce cars competitively?

4. Heavy industries. Why did you push into heavy industries such as steel and cement in the 1980s, ignoring studies which suggested developing natural resource-based industries instead? They caused major problems and billions of ringgit in losses.

5. Population. Why did you encourage a population of 70 million for
Malaysia and change the name of the National Family Planning Board to the National Population Development Board? How do you expect poor people to take care of five, six or more children? What kind of quality of life can they provide their children?

6. Immigration. Why did you allow hordes of people to immigrate, mainly from
Indonesia, in such an unregulated way that there are as many or more illegal immigrants than legal ones now, accounting for some two million or more people? Did you not realise that this would cause serious social problems?

7. On his first deputy. Some five years after you came to power, there were serious rifts between you and your deputy Datuk (now Tun) Musa Hitam. What was the cause of these problems and was it because you were heavy-handed and did not consult your ministers?

8. On the first serious Umno split. When Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Musa took on Tun Ghafar Baba and you at the Umno general assembly of 1987, it caused a serious split in Umno, with you winning by a very narrow margin (761 to 718). Why did you not seek to heal the rift in Umno post the elections? Instead, you purged Umno and its successor Umno Baru of those who opposed you, causing an unprecedented split in Malay unity.

9. Operasi Lalang. Why did you have to resort to this move in October 1987, when you used wide powers of detention under the Internal Security Act to detain over 100 people, close down four newspapers and cause a wave of fear throughout the country? Was it to consolidate your tenuous hold on power then by using an oppressive law?

10. Judiciary. What was your motive to take action in 1988 to remove the then Lord President and several Supreme Court judges from their positions under allegations of judicial misconduct, a move which was heavily
criticised by the Bar Council and other bodies? Was it because you needed more compliant judges whose rulings would not threaten your position of power in a number of cases in court? Was this the first step in dismantling the judiciary's role as a system of checks and balances against the legislature and the executive? What have you to say to repeated assertions by many, including prominent ex-chief justices, who maintain that this led to the erosion of judicial independence?

11. Education. You presided over the education system at an important part of its transformation first as Education Minister in the 1970s, then as Prime Minister. Would it be correct to surmise therefore that you were also responsible for its decline during those years? Why did you not spend more money and resources to ensure that our education system was excellent and continued to improve but instead spent billions on other showpiece projects? Why did you allow our national school system, which is the ideal place to develop ties among young Malaysians, to become so divisive that today, 90% of those who attend national schools come from only one race while the rest have opted out?

12. Former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin. Why did you give this one man so much power? And you have not given a satisfactory explanation why he left government the second time round. Did it have anything to do with the forced consolidation of banks? Why did the government buy back Malaysian Airline System (MAS) at RM8 a share in 2000 from Tan Sri Tajudin Ramli when the market price was less than half that?

13. Cronyism and patronage. Did you not encourage cronyism and patronage by dishing out major projects to a few within the inner circle? People such as Tan Sri Halim Saad (the Renong group - toll roads, telecommunications and so on), Tajudin (mobile telephone group TRI and MAS), Tan Sri Amin Shah Omar (the failed PSC Industries - multi-billion ringgit naval dockyard contracts) and Tan Sri Ting Pek Khiing (Ekran - the Bakun Dam), to mention just a few?

14. Privatisation. Why did you allow privatisation to take place in such a manner that the most profitable parts of government operations were given away? Toll roads had guaranteed toll increases and compensation in the event traffic projections were not met. Independent power producers had contracts that guaranteed them profits at the expense of Tenaga Nasional.

16. Tun Ghafar Baba. Although Ghafar had the highest number of votes among Umno vice-presidents when Tun Hussein Onn became Prime Minister in 1976, you, who got the lowest number of votes, were chosen as Hussein's deputy. Yet, when you called upon Ghafar to be your deputy in 1986 when you fell out with Musa, he obliged, helping you to win the Umno presidency. Yet, you and your supporters did little to back him up when he was challenged for the deputy presidency in 1993 by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Can we say that you stabbed him in the back? And what about Hussein, the man who picked you as his successor? He died not as a member of Umno as he had refused to join your Umno Baru.

17. Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Did you move against him because he was a threat to your position in 1998? Did you use the entire government machinery at your disposal to get him sentenced? Do you think he got a fair trial? Don 't you think the country suffered terribly because of nothing more than a power struggle involving the two of you?
Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Was it really necessary to spend RM10 billion on a showpiece airport at Sepang when Subang airport could have been so easily expanded?

18. Putrajaya. What is the justification for spending RM20 billion on a grandiose government city at a time when office space was available in
Kuala Lumpur? Could the money not have been put to better use, such as improving educational resources?

19. Government-linked companies. Why did you not make efforts to improve the performance of GLCs? Why did you allow funds such as the Employees Provident Fund and Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pencen to take up dubious investments? These have led to hundreds, if not billions, of ringgit in losses to these funds.
20. Islamisation. At the end of your tenure after your falling out with Anwar, you criticised the extreme elements in Islam of taking control of government institutions and doing things that divided Muslims from non-Muslims. But isn't it true you started it all with your "Menyerap
Nilai-Nilai Islam Dalam Pentadbiran Negara" policy of 1981 when you lured Anwar into Umno to help you promote it? And why did you declare that
Malaysia was an Islamic state when it is clearly enshrined in our Federal Constitution as the wishes of our founding fathers that Malaysia should be a secular country given our multi-racial and multi-religious composition? Were
you trying to reverse the policy of the nation's founding leaders?

21. Approved permits. You blamed International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz for the AP fiasco. As we recall, you appointed her and kept her at the ministry since 1986 until you stepped down in 2003 and never once complained or took action over the issuance of APs by the ministry. Indeed, she was embroiled in some controversy over bumiputera share allotment but you stood by her. So why make it an issue now? If you say you were not aware back then, what does that tell us?

22. Money politics. Why did money politics (vote buying) in Umno become such a big issue during your tenure as Umno president? Why were you so powerless to do anything about it when the solutions were so simple? There are other questions, of course, but this is our list of 22. In the same way that Mahathir hopes the government will answer his questions, we hope that Mahathir will answer ours.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
P Gunasegaran is group executive editor of The Edge.
Get complete protection against viruses, worms and Trojan horse programs – CA Anti-Virus 2008! Click here for cheap hotels
www.flickr.com
This is a Flickr badge showing public photos from Multidimid. Make your own badge here.
Blogroll Me!

Your email address:


Powered by FeedBlitz

Add to Google Add to Google
Google
 
Web powerpresent.blogspot.com