Saturday, November 04, 2006

MB KHIR TOYO Retaliates: MASSIVE Checks on UnAPPROVED TEMPLES, POLITICAL PARTIES Offices, Industrial & Commercial Premises & INDIVIDUAL DWELLINGS

These checks are needed according to Khir Toyo so that he is NOT practicing double standards. If Datuk Zakaria can be fined others too can face the same music. They have closed “one-eye” on these issues, and since Zakaria’s hornet’s nest has been disturbed, be prepared to dig deep in your pockets chinamen; Nothing racial. So all the temple owners, illegal church assembly premises, DAP & PAS political branch premises, the thousands of illegally built factories, get ready your fines. He is just fair in not demolishing Datuk Zakari mansion as in your unapproved lots.

Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo said: “We will check everything. There will be no fear or favor. Those who renovate, be careful. As people living in a multi-racial society we have to be sensitive. Today I received 50 calls regarding places of worships that are built illegally. These are the temples of the second largest ethnic group in the country. I hear that temples are built without approval. People also told me their neighbors renovate their houses without approval since ten years ago. So all these have nothing to do with racial issues."


Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo said: "So I hope our reporters are mature enough to write things. I remind all people living in the Selangor areas; we do things NOT to follow our emotional, We are multi-racial society and multi-religious society”

All Buildings In Selangor To Be Checked; November 03, 2006 23:40 PM

KLANG, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- All buildings in Selangor, including places of worship, political party centres, industrial and commercial premises and individual houses will be checked to determine if their building plans had been approved.

Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo said that although the state government was aware many might not have submitted building plans for approval, the action was necessary so that it would not be accused of practising double standards.

As such he urged all those who had not done so to immediately take the necessary action.

He said that all local councillors had also been given two months to settle any outstanding issues they may be faced with of a similar nature and should they fail to do so they would be axed. "After this, we will check all buildings in the state without fear or favour. The public wants us to take this action," he said when met at the Klang Municipal Council (MPK) Hari Raya open house here Friday. He said that he knew of many Indian and Chinese temples, political parties premises that were built without such approvals and that the PAS headquarters in Taman Melawar was one of them. Dr Mohamad Khir admitted that the controversy surrounding Port Klang state assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Md Deros, whose house building plan had not been approved by the MPK, had been a "wake up call' to the Selangor government. He said that there had been many calls for his (Zakaria's) mansion under construction in Kampung Idaman here to be demolished but the matter had to be tread carefully because of the implications it carried, as many structures in the state might also have to be brought down.


Asked if Zakaria's "palace" would be torn down, Dr Mohamad Khir said: "The law allows us to do that, but will the people of Selangor accept it if I do the same to all the other buildings (that also don't have similar approvals). It will lead to nowhere." In the end it would only make the people more angry, he said, adding the state government knew that many houseowners also had done illegal extensions and that is why it approached the matter on a case-by-case basis.

ABOVE: MPK Open house tuck in' I am here for the food" Queue

"As long as these do not threaten public safety and as a people-friendly government, we will not take any action that is drastic, because then we will be labelled a cruel government," he added. Dr Mohamad Khir said that he was also aware that almost 5,000 factories also had not submitted building plans and that if action was taken in the present state of the economy, it would only make matters worse. He said that as a leader he had to consider various aspects of an issue before resorting to any form of action. He said that the people too should be sensitive about it as Malaysia is a country of various races and religions. "It's not that we do not want to take action, I don't want us to be accused of being inconsiderate. As such, I hope the people will understand the situation," he added.= = = = = ==


ABOVE: DATUK ZAKARIA at his Press Conference BELOW: Handing over the withdrawal Letter

And BELOW; In action, explaining to his supporters.

See also previous post on

Datuk Zakaria HANDS in Letter to MPK; POPULAR With Rakyat & Prefers “ABANG Z” Address; Selangor Backbenchers Club Rejects Proposal: NO Politicians As Councillors

and related 1st post on Datuk Zakaria (or "ABANG Z")

SULTAN SELANGOR Told Datuk Zakaria: QUIT as Klang Councillor; Received COMPLAINTS – RUDE & ABUSE Of POWER; MB Dr Mohamad Khir: RESIGN Or Be SACKED

Friday, November 03, 2006

Lucky 13th AGONG-Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah; EFFECTIVE on Lucky 13th Dec 06

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- The Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Mahmud Al-Muktafi Billah Shah, has been elected the 13th Yang di-Pertuan Agong for a five-year term effective Dec 13. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said in a statement that Sultan Mizan's appointment, succeeding the present Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Syed Putra Jamalullail, was announced by the Conference of Rulers at its special meeting at Istana Negara Friday. The 208th meeting also agreed to proclaim the Sultan of Kedah, Tuanku Alhaj Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Badlishah, as the Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong, also for a five-year term, with effect from Dec 13.


Left to Right: Sultan Trengganu, Sultan Kelantan and Raja Perlis

Abdullah said the Conference of Rulers chaired by the Yang di-Pertuan Besaregri Sembilan was attended by all the Rulers except for the Sultan of Pahang and Sultan of Johor. Sultan Mizan, who was born on Jan 22, 1962 at Istana Al-Muktafi, Kuala Terengganu is currently the Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong. He was first appointed Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong on April 26, 1999 when the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, was the 11th Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The second time he was appointed Timbalan Yang di-Pertuan Agong was on Dec 12, 2001 following the death of Sultan Salahuddin on Nov 21, that year.


Left to Right: Yang Di-Pertua Besar, Negeri Sembilan, Sultan Kedah & Sultan Perak

As for the Sultan of Kedah, he was the 5th Yang di-Pertuan Agong from Jan 12, 1970 to Sept 20, 1975. Since Independence, all the Malay Rulers from the nine states in the peninsula have had the opportunity to be elected as Yang di-Pertuan Agong, with the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan, Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman ibni Almarhum Tuanku Muhammad, elected as the first Yang di-Pertuan Agong from Aug 3, 1957 to April 1, 1960. This was followed by the Sultan of Selangor Almarhum Tuanku Hishamuddin Alam Shah Alhaj who died several hours before being installed as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Sept 1, 1960. The third Yang di-Pertuan Agong was the Raja of Perlis Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail, the father of the present Yang di-Pertuan Agong. This was followed by the Sultan of Terengganu Almarhum Tuanku Ismail Nasiruddin Shah (the grandfather of Sultan Mizan), Sultan of Kedah, Sultan of Kelantan Almarhum Tuanku Yahya Petra ibni Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim (the father of the present Sultan), and Sultan of Pahang Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar. Sultan of Johor Tuanku Mahmood Iskandar Al-Haj was followed by the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Muhibuddin Shah, Yang Di-Pertuan Besar Negri Sembilan Tuanku Jaafar Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman and the Sultan of Selangor, Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (the father of the present Sultan of Selangor).


Left to Right: Sultan Kedah, Sultan Perak & Sultan Selangor

The Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalullail who was elected the 12th Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Dec 13, 2001 will end his term on Dec 12.


The magnificient 7 who attended the 208th Conference of Rulers at its special meeting at Istana Negara with apologies from for the Sultan of Pahang and Sultan of Johor - unable to attend

DATUK ZAKARIA Quits on CUE by CALL From PM; MORE Conflict of INTEREST Against ZAKARIA; MB KHIR TOYO: IMPOTENT To SACK; Only ADVISES

UPDATE: Nov 04 06

Datuk Zakaria HANDS in Withdrawal Letter to MPK President; Still Very POPULAR With Rakyat & Prefers to be called “ABANG Z” ; Selangor Backbenchers Club Rejects Proposal for Politicians To Be Appointed As Councillors


ABOVE: Datuk Zakaria (or Abang Z) handing in letter to MPK President Abdul Bakir, with copy to MB Khir Toyo

Zakaria Tenders Withdrawal Letter As Municipal Councillor; November 03, 2006 22:01 PM

KLANG, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- Port Klang Assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Md Deros Friday handed in letters of withdrawal from being a Klang Municipal Council (MPK) councillor to Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo and MPK president Abdul Bakir Zin. Dr Mohamad Khir confirmed having received the letter while Abdul Bakir received his copy at the MPK Hari Raya open house ceremony here. Asked whether Zakaria had gone against the state government's directive for delaying his departure from the council, Dr Mohamad Khir said this was not the case. "What is important to me is that he follows our order before Nov 8. As he has resigned, this means he abides by the directive," said Dr Khir Mohamad, who also attended the gathering. Zakaria, who was forced to quit as a councillor of MPK for having built a palatial mansion in a low-cost housing area in Kampung Idaman in Pandamaran here without MPK's approval, was seen hugging Dr Mohamad Khir when the Menteri Besar arrived for the ceremony. On his meeting with another MPK councillor, Datuk Mazlynoor Abdul Latif, who was also guilty of building a house without proper approvals, Dr Khir Mohamad said that Mazlynoor and other Councillors had two months to settle any outstanding issues.

However, Dr Mohamad Khir did not say whether Mazlynoor must relinquish his position in MPK. Mazlynoor avoided the question when pressed by the media. Another Councillor, Faizal Abdullah, who failed to secure MPK's approval for his house's building plan, relinquished his position at MPK for the 2006-2008 term on Nov 1 after being advised by Dr Mohamad Khir. Mazlynoor only said that he had given an explanation to Dr Mohamad Khir and that the latter had been satisfied with it. He claimed that he had followed procedures in submitting the building plan for approval but his mistake was in ordering the contractor to expedite the construction. He sought forgiveness from the people of Klang, MPK and the Menteri Besar for it.
= = = = =
People Still Support Me, Says Zakaria; November 03, 2006 18:38 PM

KLANG, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- Embattled Port Klang state assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Md Deros Friday claimed that despite the controversy affecting him, he still enjoyed strong support from UMNO and the people. "The people are still supporting me as a State Assemblyman. To my supporters, I am known as "Abang Z". They don't call me YB or Datuk as I am no stickler for protocol," he told a press conference held at the Klang UMNO building, here. "As Abang Z, I was able to be close to the people. That is why they still support me." Zakaria Thursday night declined to be reappointed as a councillor of the Klang Municipal Council (MPL) as a result of the fiasco he got himself in for building a palatial mansion in a low-cost housing area in Kampung Idaman in Pandamaran here without approval from the council. He subsequently blamed his architect for not having submitted the building plans and also tried to rationalise his mistake by saying that the big house was needed because he had a large extended family .

His term as councillor was to run until Sept 30, 2008. He had been a councillor of MPK since 1979. Thursday, the flamboyant Klang Umno chief was directed by UMNO's Supreme Council to vacate his post as a councillor of the local authority. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor had also advised him to voluntarily relinquish the post while the Selangor State Exco had given him until Nov 8 to do so or find himself fired. Unlike his earlier press conference on the issue on Tuesday where he was sobbing most of the time, he was in a much more jovial mood

ABOVE: Pressmen at the Friday's Press conference, No MORE tears, but his jovail self (BELOW) but refused to answer any questions: ""No, no, comment. Bye, bye, bye" was his response


Frida
y and said that he would be sending his letter to withdraw from the post to the Prime Minister, Selangor Menteri Besar and the president of MPK later in the day. When asked why only after the Umno Supreme Council's directive that he decided to hand in the letter, Zakaria could only answer," "No, no, comment. Bye, bye, bye" to the laughter of those present. Meanwhile, he invited the media to attend his Hari Raya Open House to be held at his existing house in Kampung Idaman, Pandamaran on Nov 20 so that the press could see for itself the level of the people's support for him.

= = = =

S'gor Backbenchers Not In Favour Of Councillors Move; November 04, 2006 00:40 AM
SHAH ALAM, Nov 4 (Bernama) -- The Selangor Backbenchers Club Friday rejected a proposal calling for politicians to be prevented from being appointed as councillors of local authorities. Its chairman Datuk Ahmad Bahari Abdul Rahman said that it was still necessary to have politicians as councillors as they were closer to the people and better able to understand their needs. He said that although there had been instances of abuse of power by some, these were only isolated cases.

"So just because of a few rotten apples, don't penalise the whole bunch. Let's not get emotional about it just because a few were found to be untrustworthy," he told a press conference after a meeting of the club here Friday. Ahmad Bahari is also the State Assemblyman for Templer's Park and a Selayang Municipal Council councillor. He added that a resolution on the matter would be handed to Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo

Coming, next post(not up yet)

Mentri Besar KHIR TOYO Retaliates: MASSIVE Checks –on Builing APPROVED Plans for Chinese & Indian TEMPLES, POLITICAL PARTIES Offices, Industrial & Commercial Premises & INDIVIDUAL DWELLINGS

= = = = = = = End update

This late night news was in direct response to the call by the UMNO Supreme Council to step down. And Datuk Zakaria announced his decision to quit by a short SMS statement. It is hard for him to step down voluntarily as he has held the post since 1983 – till now almost 23 years but he is still intact as an Assemblyman.
He is withdrawing from the appointment & not resigning as he has NOT been officially installed as a councilor.
Zakaria Relinquishes Councillor's Post; November 03, 2006 01:26 AM

KLANG, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- Datuk Zakaria Md Deros today relinquished his Klang Municipal Council councillor's post following calls from various quarters for him to do so. Zakaria, who had been re-nominated for the council's 2007-2008 term, however, did not officially become a councillor as the swearing-in ceremony which was to be on Oct 19 was postponed. In short statement sent via the Short-Messaging-System (SMS) late tonight, Zakaria announced that he would turn down the offer to resume being a councillor. He said that he took the decision on the advice of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. "Based on the advice by the Prime Minister, I Zakaria Md Deros hereby announce my withdrawal to be a councillor of the Klang Municipal Council (MPK)," he said. Zakaria also thanked everyone for the trust placed in him while he had been a councillor of MPK. When asked by Bernama if that meant he was resigning from the post, he said :
"I don't want to say I am resigning. I ask the media to just follow the statement I am providing."

Zakaria, 60, the Port Klang state assemblyman who has been an MPK councillor since 1983, was asked by the Umno Supreme Council today to relinguish the position. He became embroiled in a controversy when he went ahead and built a palatial mansion in a low-cost-housing-area in Kampung Idaman in Pandaraman here without getting the approval from MPK and ignored several reminders from the council to submit its building plan. The re-appointment of his son, Zainuri and an appointment of his daughter-in-law, Roselinda Abdul Jamil also as MPK councillors caused a public outrage. Zakaria paid homage to Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor last Saturday and the latter had advised him to voluntarily relinguish his position as councillor. The Selangor state government had given him until Nov 8 to step down as councillor, failing which he would be removed from the position. However, on Monday, the Klang Umno division in a show of support convened a meeting where party officials asked Zakaria not to vacate the post. They made an appeal to the Prime Minister, his deputy and the Menteri Besar to let Zakaria remain as councillor. At a press conference on Tuesday, Zakaria kept mum on his position as a councillor but tried to rationalise why he was building the mansion while admitting his mistakes.
= = = = = = = = =

SHAHRIR was at the Monthly UMNO Supreme Council Meeting

Resign As Klang Municipal Councillor, Zakaria Told; November 03, 2006 00:29 AM

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 2 (Bernama) -- The Umno supreme council today asked Klang Umno chief Datuk Zakaria Md Deros, embroiled in a controversy over his building of a palatial mansion without approval from the Klang Municipal Council, to resign as a councillor of the local authority. Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the decision was made at today's supreme council meeting based on his wrongdoings. He, however, said no action would be taken at party level on Zakaria's positions as Klang Umno chief and Port Klang state assemblyman. "As a division head, he can provide good leadership to the division," he told a press conference after chairing the montly meeting of the supreme council, Umno's highest policy-making body, Thursday. Zakaria grabbed newspaper headlines over his building of a palace-like mansion dubbed "Istana Idaman" at Kampung Idaman in Pandamaran, Klang, without submitting the building plan to the Klang Municipal Council for approval.


ABOVE & BELOW: Others attending the Meeting were unamious in deciding Zakaria's fate and Mahathirs positions as advisors

Questions were also raised on the appointment of Zakaria, his son, Zainuri, and daughter-in-law, Roselinda Abdul Jamil, as councillors of the Klang Municipal Council. Zakaria, who had an audience with the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, last Saturday to explain the issues and controversies surrounding him, was advised by the Ruler to voluntarily quit his councillor's post. The Selangor government has given until next Wednesday for Zakaria to step down as a councillor. Todate Zakaria has not quit the post but held a press conference on Tuesday to clarify the rational to build the luxury mansion and admitted his mistake that its design might not be suitable to the surroundings. Abdullah said no other action would be taken against Zakaria except to only advise him.



When pointed out that Zakaria's action had tarnished Umno's image, Abdullah said he had explained his mistakes. "His explanation has been accepted. So, in this matter, he has no problems," he said. On elected representatives holding councillors' post in local authorities, Abdullah said the supreme council had not made a decision on the matter.
In keeping with yesterday's cabinet decision, he said, the government needs to get details on the matter, including the total number of elected representatives serving as councillors.

"Only after that we will make a decision," he added= = = = = =

ZAK TO ZAK! Zakaria involved in land request and approval;
02 Nov 2006 M.K. Megan, S. Selvam and Devinder Singh from NST
APPLICATION: Selangor Badminton Association (President - Datuk Zakaria Mat
Deros)
APPROVAL: PKNS Land Committee (Chairman - Datuk Zakaria Mat Deros) KUALA LUMPUR: The Selangor Badminton Association applied for a piece of land which was approved by the Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor. Nothing wrong with that. Except that beleaguered Klang municipal councillor Datuk Zakaria Mat Deros is the SBA president and chairman of the PKNS land committee which approved the application. Zakaria, it appears, is a magnet for controversy. Even before the furore surrounding his palatial home has subsided, questions are being raised as to whether there was a conflict of interest in the approval of the land. The SBA asked for four hectares (10 acres) in Shah Alam but was alienated a 2.8ha (seven acres) lot in Section 7, Phase 3B, Shah Alam. The cost of the land is RM6,133,834.20, which is below the market value. It

is believed the market value per square foot in Section 7 is between RM70 and RM100 a square foot, but was offered to the SBA at RM18. Ironically, the Sultan of Selangor, who asked Zakaria to quit as councillor, is also the patron of the SBA. In fact, another councillor, Mazlynoor Abdul Latif, who also failed to submit building plans for his new house, is the SBA vice-president. Zakaria, when asked whether the land had been acquired, said: "I do not want to comment on that. We will discuss it during the AGM (annual general meeting) on Dec 9." He said this after an SBA council meeting at its

headquarters in Kampung Attap yesterday. Zakaria is seeking re-election. Zakaria has been in the limelight following the controversy surrounding his decision to build a bungalow in Kampung Idaman, Pandamaran, Klang without planning permission.
The application from the SBA was made to the PKNS on June 3, 2004 stating that it was only practical that the SBA moved its headquarters to the State' s capital, Shah Alam.

It was also stated in the application that the SBA was requesting a four hectare plot to build a badminton academy and several other sports facilities. The request met with a favourable response from the PKNS on July 28, 2004, which stated that the Land Committee approved the application at its July 1, 2004 meeting. However, it is unclear whether Zakaria voted or abstained when the matter was brought up to the Land Committee in 2004. The PKNS also requested the SBA to furnish details of a conceptual plan for the building, building components, phases of the building process, estimated costs and other relevant information. According to several sources, at a Sept 15, 2006 SBA exco meeting, it was also suggested that the association seek developers to develop the 2.8ha lot. The idea to seek a piece of land in Shah Alam, said a source, was mooted by Zakaria himself. Among plans for the complex are 12 courts with seating capacity for 1,000 to 2,000 spectators, a 30-room hostel, a clubhouse and other sports facilities. The total cost of the project is about RM10 million.
Extract quoting Khir Toyo:



"I cannot make my own decision to remove him if he does not relinquish his post. I need the consensus of the exco," he said. And to the question, "Will you recommend Zakaria for another term as assemblyman?", Khir answered "That is to be decided by the PM". But did Khir recommend Zakaria before? While the PM may [but may not have exercised the right] have the final say about who gets to stand in state elections, did Khir recommend Zakaria the last time round? And, as I understand the question which was posed to him, will Khir recommend Zakaria AGAIN?

News Focus: Reining in the 'maverick'
02 Nov 2006 Annie Freeda Cruez and V. Vasudevan
Khir says he is not frightened to take action.; SHAH ALAM: 9am, Nov 8.

That's the deadline set for embattled Port Klang assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Mat Deros to resign as Klang municipal councillor. If he does not quit by then, the state executive council will sack him. This was revealed to the New Straits Times by Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo yesterday. "If by the start of the state exco meeting on that day his letter is not with us, he had better be prepared to be removed," he said of the assemblyman who has put the Menteri Besar in a spot. He said Zakaria's appointment as a councillor was endorsed by the state exco and therefore his resignation should also be through the exco. "I cannot make my own decision to remove him if he does not relinquish his post. I need the consensus of the exco," he said. The Port Klang state assemblyman hogged the headlines after it emerged that he was building a palatial home in Pandamaran without approval from the Klang Municipal Council. Newspapers also reported that he, his son and daughter-in-law were going to be appointed to the council by virtue of their political positions.
Dr Khir looked calm and occasionally laughed while fielding questions on the assemblyman and the Klang Municipal Council at his office. Questions have been raised over the way Zakaria and two other councilors have blatantly built massive houses without planning approval. Dr Khir's leadership has also come under the spotlight, with several newspaper columnists questioning the way he has reacted to the situation.

"Selangor is a big state. I can't be expected to know everything or be everywhere," he said, brushing aside talk that the Klang Municipal Council and the MB had little control over councillors. Dr Khir conceded the Zakaria episode had damaged the Barisan Nasional's image but said he had instituted measures to dispel the negative perceptions it had created in the public mind. "There has been damage done by him. That is why we want to avoid such incidents," he said, pointing out that he had given two months to all councillors to clear their debts, quit rent arrears and assessment arrears or be dropped.
He dismissed talk that he only acted against Zakaria as and when the media raised questions about the controversy.

"I tried to give him a chance to resign on his own. I told him well before he went to meet Tuanku (the Selangor Sultan) to resign," he said, replying to observations by columnists that it took the Sultan of Selangor to try and right a wrong. At the height of the controversy, when Zakaria was summoned by the Sultan, who wanted to get a clear picture on the allegations against Zakaria,including those about his behaviour, he did not show up, citing illness.

However, he turned up on Oct 28 at Istana Kayangan and the Sultan, in an hour-long closed door meeting, advised Zakaria to mend his ways and relinquish his position as a councillor. Dr Khir said: "We do not want to embarrass him. I advised him a week before Tuanku summoned him to the palace to resign as a councillor.

"I thought it would be better for him to declare it in front of Tuanku. But when I got a report that Zakaria did not say so, I decided to give him anultimatum." He said Zakaria should have apologised and, as a responsible leader, shouldhave relinquished the post. Dr Khir also replied to talk that the Selangor government could have avoided the current situation if it had dealt with Zakaria's candidacy honestly.
"I checked, there was no record against Zakaria. No ACA report, no police case against him," he said of the assemblyman who had slapped Teng Chang Kim during a state assembly sitting in 2000. Dr Khir said party considerations too had to be taken into account in selecting candidates for elections. Zakaria is the division chief.

Outlining the procedure for selection of an election candidate, Dr Khir said when a person was nominated, he would be vetted by the ACA and police and as far as Zakaria was concerned, both agencies had given him a clean bill. "When there is no case against him, I can't say anything. There was no criminal case. Even my name was given for vetting to the ACA and the police," he added. Zakaria was going to serve his 12th term as councillor and many wondered how he could serve for so many years. One term is two years. To this, Dr Khir said: "There should be guidelines on this. I think two to three terms are enough. I need to discuss this with the party."

He said he was open to a lot of things but sometimes tradition made change difficult. "But slowly we will do it. I know most Malaysians like all changes in one go."
Excerpts of the interview with Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo
Q: You have asked Zakaria to resign, but his term expired last September. There does not seem to be any logic in this?

A: We have to appoint new councillors before September. Otherwise, the council cannot do its work. Letters to councillors were sent before September to get their reply as to their acceptance of the position. All accepted. The swearing in ceremony is just a formality. Zakaria has already
got his appointment letter and has signed and returned the letter. That iswhy I have to ask him to resign.

Q: Why do you allow state assemblymen to be councillors ?

A: About 90 per cent of Selangor is urbanised and people complain to state assemblymen. If we don't put state assemblymen there, how do we link them to council presidents? They have to have an avenue to raise all the problems.

Q: Are you happy with the way the Klang Municipal Council handled Zakaria's case? It looks like they did not want to take action against him.

A: I do not know what happened. I asked the council president. Some officers did not take action because he is respected in Klang. To me, a leader must follow all the regulations. That is why I gave a directive to all councillors . If they cannot clear in two months all debts, quit rent and
assessment arrears, I will remove them.

Q: Is there a need to allow two people from a family to sit on a council?

A: We have to be fair. Sometimes, they are knowledgeable, professionals or have positions in the party. It is mainly because of capability and sometimes party position but sometimes we do not allow. Take Zakaria. His daughter-in-law is a graduate, gives a lot of advice and information to the council. She contributes a lot. His son is also a good contributor. We do not want councillors who are quiet, do not even utter a word but come out of meetings and complain about everything.

Q: If a councillor does not perform, can you terminate his service before his term ends?

A: Of course. If they fail to attend a full board meeting three times without any reason, we can remove them. The president can submit a report to the state. We can remove them irrespective of whatever position they hold in the party, even state assemblymen.

Q: There are allegations that Zakaria can be rude. Why did you take so long to act on this?

A: His style is like that. He likes to speak loudly. As far as I am concerned, when I chair meetings I have no problem. The local authority must take action.

Q: Are you reluctant to take action? Are you intimidated by him?

A: If I was frightened, I won't take action. Last time I acted against Pandamaran (Zakaria had wanted to develop part of a field but other councillors opposed and Dr Khir intervened and stopped the development). There is no fear or favour.

Q: How did he manage to get a second term as state assemblyman when he had
problems? For example, he had slapped DAP state assemblyman Teng Chang Khimin the state assembly.

A: Our procedure is to get candidates vetted by the anti-corruption agency and the police and they say there is no case against him. I can't say anything. So he got another term.

Q: What will happen to Zakaria's Klang division? They seem to challenge your
leadership by calling for him to be retained.

A: That is for the party to decide. I read the statement by the division's deputy president. I have given a full report to party headquarters.

Q: Are you in touch with Zakaria?

A: I called him a few times and even yesterday. My job is to advise. I cannot force people to follow my advice although I am boss. Sometimes people think the advice is not important, their opinion is more important.

Q: Will you recommend Zakaria for another term as assemblyman?
A: That is to be decided by the PM.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

33.7% Bumiputera Equity in 1997? Bumi In the Corporate Sector - 3 Decades of Performance, 1970-2000. CEDER Research Reports Series: Vol I, UM Library

UPDATE: M'siakini has an update Nov 02, which says that ALL are affected by the 97 Asian financial crisis which implied that there is no impact on the statistical data for bumi and non- bumi companies.ABOVE:Source M'siakini, Nov 02 06

Extracts from M'siakini;

Fazilah's analysis of the bumiputera equity ownership did not cover the post-Asian financial crisis in 1997.

No follow-up study - not clear whether the debilitating financial crisis has changed the country's equity ownership structure.

Examined 29 non-bumiputera and 29 bumiputera-controlled companies before and after the crisis. Monthly stock return as a measure of performance

The average return for bumiputera-controlled companies (BCC) dropped from a positive 0.448 before the crisis to a negative -1.153 after the crisis

Par value calculations was used in research

The study found that in 1997, the bumiputera equity ownership was at 33.7 percent - bumiputera corporate equity ownership (30.6 percent) & individual bumiputera share ownership (3.1 percent).

The government's methodology involves some 600,000 registered companies. ASLI, a local think-tank estimated the bumiputera equity ownership at about 45 percent. The government is prepared to reveal its methodology in its computing of the statistics.= = = = =



Malaysiakini has an exclusive story on this and those with subscription could have read about it here

The author of the research paper is currently the Head of the Department of Finance & Banking, under the Faculty of Finance & Accounting.
* Expertise:

- ownership structure and firm performance
- corporate governance
- politically-affiliated government-linked firms
- mergers and acquisition

* Research:

(1) Mergers and acquisition
(2) Ownership structure
(3) Firm performance

From the resume available here it can be gleaned the research paper is titled

Bumiputera in the Corporate Sector - Three Decades of Performance, 1970-2000. CEDER Research Reports Series: Volume I, University of Malaya Library, ISBN 983-2085-36-5, Kuala Lumpur, 2002.

The Research was based on a 10-year analysis of bumiputera equity ownership between 1988 and 1997 of public listed companies on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange (KLSE), now called Bursa Malaysia.
Fazilah’s study is the first publication of the inaugural Research Reports Series of the Centre for Economic Development and Ethnic Relations (CEDER), University of Malaya, involving a team of researchers from the Faculty of Economics and Administration and Faculty of Business and Accountancy in a research project started in early 2000 to study the implications of the New Economic Policy on the Bumiputera community.

As Professor Dr. Jahara Yahaya, Director of CEDEC, wrote in his preface to Fazilah’s study, the coverage of topics intended for the CEDEC research studies was extensive to embrace areas such as the emerging problems of the Bumiputera middle-class in the post New Economic Policy period, Bumiputera entrepreneurs a decade after NEP.as well as Bumiputeras in the corporate sector. Other issues intended for the study are the proliferation of private higher educational institutions, Malay poverty and the dilution of Malay land ownership.

You can google or yahoo the title and you can have the dead links as follows.

Bumiputera in the Corporate Sector - Three Decades of Performance, 1970-2000. CEDER Research Reports Series: Volume I, University of Malaya Library, ISBN ...
www.um.edu.my/redirect/?oid=%5Bcom.arsdigita.cms.contenttypes.Article%3A%7
Bid%3D10037067%7D%5D - 28k - Cached - Similar pages
taking you back to her Head of Department page.

Most probably it is under embargo now, perhaps those with UM Library access can get hold of the publication.

But Yahoo gives additional link to her website and more info

However there is a

PUBLICATION offer

“The beauty of being in academia is that it gives you a reason to continuously update your knowledge. Learning is a lifelong process, a never ending journey, and I am always learning, especially from my students. It is always a joy to see my work in print, and the following is a list of my publication that I have the opportunity to acquire during my years with the university. I am glad that some of my work have been cited in international journals, as well as paved the way for other PhD theses. Some of the articles can be downloaded from the internet but I will be happy to send you any of the articles should you require them.

Anyone interested?, her email is

mfazilah@um.edu.my mfazilah@um.edu.my

Meanwhile a bit more about this researcher. She has a hideaway cottage at Pulau Pisang Kedah and is open for all at a token price.
"This place is a paradise, a place where the only noises you would hear in the dead of the night are those coming from the crickets and the frogs, while in the morning your beautiful slumber will be pleasantly interrupted by the chirping sounds of the birds."

ABOVE: Her Little Cottage: RUMAH MAK WAN - in memory of her mother; BELOW: The padi fields where the Sun sets

You can of course view more & fully at her website by following to her MY NON-ACADEMIC PURSUIT Link

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

TIMES (UK): MAHATHIRS MESS-Political Vendetta Damages; TIME ASIA: Dr MAHATHIR's FEUD with ABDULLAH; His LEGACY; Developing World Needs a CHAMPION

Mahathir's mess

A political vendetta that is doing Malaysia nothing but damage
30 Oct 2006
Malaysians with a sense of humour may be entertained by Mahathir Mohamad's
belated enthusiasm for clean government and outspoken democratic debate. In his 22 years as their prime minister, the prickly Dr Mahathir was not noted for his tolerance of criticism, constructive or otherwise. Newspapers toed the government line or soon found themselves in difficulty, and judges whose rulings were not to Dr Mahathir's liking were unceremoniously dismissed.It was an open secret that his method of governing combined strong state intervention with complex patterns of political patronage, but curiosity about the lucrative business opportunities enjoyed by his sons and specially favoured associates was robustly discouraged. Anwar Ibrahim, the deputy he initially groomed to succeed him, spent years in prison on trumped-up charges for daring to say publicly that corruption had reached critical dimensions.

How things change. Having reluctantly relinquished the reins of power three years ago, Dr Mahathir has done with such taboos. Claiming that he is "saving the nation from disaster", he has launched streams of unproven and damaging allegations against Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, his successor as Prime Minister. These include nepotism, incompetence and even selling out the country - this last because of the sensible decision to cancel a pet Mahathir mega-project, a somewhat pointless bridge that would have gone only halfway across the Johore Strait between Malaysia and Singapore Datuk Badawi not only has done nothing to prevent him having his say but also, after months of suffering his sniping with dignified calm, invited him a week ago to his official residence for a "peace meeting" with no one else present. There, for nearly two hours, he dutifully took notes as Dr Mahathir listed his grievances. The courtesy was ill-rewarded; the very next day, Dr Mahathir called a press conference to announce that he was the victim of a "police state" that had "taken away" his civic rights. This is no joking matter. The problem is not unfamiliar. Dr Mahathir admits that he considered Datuk Badawi "harmless" - in other words, content to take dictation. He is hardly the first political leader to be appalled by the discovery that apparently docile protégés can develop a mind of their own once installed in office, or the first to take that revelation badly. Baroness Thatcher's disillusion with John Major comes to mind.

But Dr Mahathir has gone far beyond mutterings of discontent. He denies it, but it is by now obvious that he is openly campaigning to replace Datuk Badawi, who won a landslide electoral victory only two years ago, with Najib Razak, the deputy prime minister whom he publicly regrets not having chosen for the top job. Malaysia may have had a surfeit of forced consensus politics during Mahathir's long reign, but the vendetta he is conducting has little to do with robust political debate, and a lot to do with one man's obsession with himself.
= = = = = =

TIME ASIA; Posted Monday, October 30, 2006; 20:00 HKT

Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad
is 81 years old, but he was as combative as ever when he met recently with TIME's Hannah Beech and Baradan Kuppusamy in his plush office in Malaysia's administrative capital, Putrajaya. They spoke of his feud with his handpicked successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, his legacy, and why the developing world needs a champion:
TIME: How will historians regard your 22 years as Prime Minister?

Mahathir: They would have noticed an acceleration in industrialization. The previous Prime Ministers had the same ideas. But they were unable to push it. When I became Prime Minister, I found ways and means to accelerate the process. So I suppose that period of very rapid [economic] growth from the 1980s to 2000 will be identified with me.
How do you compare that era with what's happening now?

[Abdullah] has discarded the policies and strategies we used during my time, claiming that they were not good for the country, particularly what were termed "megaprojects." We used the megaprojects to stimulate the economy. They put a stop to them, and when you put a stop to spending money, you don't generate wealth anymore ... I expect every Prime Minister to have his own imprint. [Abdullah] wants to be recognized as himself and not as a copy of somebody else. But when you try to do that, you may do better things or you may do worse things.
Downstairs you have a poster listing some of your accomplishments. Most are structures like Putrajaya and Petronas Towers. Do you feel your legacy as the builder of amazing things for Malaysia is being undermined?

Everything in the last 20 years has been my pet project, so if you touch anything, it's going to be touching my pet project. [But] all these things that I caused to be built are actually essential to this country. We need the infrastructure, we need Putrajaya. Imagine what Kuala Lumpur would be like if the government administration were still there. Planning means looking ahead. When I do things, I think very far ahead, not 10 years, 20 years, [but] 100 years ahead.
Looking back on your anointed successors, it seems they all disappointed you. Are you bad at choosing good leaders?

I'm not very good at it. I assume that people react to things as I would react. For example, if you are nice to people, they should be nice to you. If somebody is going against you, yet you are willing to forget and forgive and give them a place again in the government, they will be very grateful. But I find that the people I helped to reach certain heights actually turned against me.
Do you think Prime Minister Abdullah is ungrateful to you?

At least he should have noticed that I went out of my way to give him an opportunity.
Is he more afraid of dissent than you were?

He has made UMNO his personal party. They cannot say anything that he doesn't approve of. I'm being told, look, you mustn't criticize the Prime Minister because he is an institution, he is an UMNO president and therefore an institution. Yes, the UMNO president is an institution, but the incumbent is not. When I was there, he challenged me. Now he's not allowing anybody to say a word against him ... What I don't like is creating what would be called a police state. Nobody is allowed to organize any meeting and invite me to speak. If you do, the police call you up.
As Malaysia's Prime Minister, you saw yourself as the unofficial spokesman for the developing world. Is anyone taking up that role now?

Third World countries have got nobody to stand up for them. They either owe money to banks or they are receiving aid. We are much more free [in Malaysia]: we don't owe money, we don't ask for aid, and therefore we are in the position to speak up. If Malaysia gives up that role, it will be a very sad day because the strong countries will then steamroll over us. Thaksin [Shinawatra] said he wanted to be like me, but he did not [speak out], and Suharto is not around. So we have to wait for somebody ... Today, the tendency is to be associated with the big people. The [developing world wants] to be nice to President Bush, to praise Prime Minister Blair.
How do you view the Bush administration's efforts to build democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan?

Democracy must be internally generated. You cannot force it from the top—it's not going to work.


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