Lulu Also Offer Klang UMNO Help On How To Think

The Klang Umno division rallied behind its chief Datuk Zakaria Md Deros with a show of support and loyalty, claiming that he had been “sabotaged” by the Opposition.
“The entire thing is the work of the Opposition to discredit him."

You were referring to the guy whose face you slapped?

the people you were telling "Cina balik"?

Teng brought it up months and months ago. Nobody cared.
NOw that the Port Klang exco selection is being done, tiba-tiba terbongkar.
Come out in the major newspapers some more.
All four languages pun ada coverage.
Do you seriouly think that Teng has so much clout to do this?
Think about it.

Well,
Doesn't it seem like he was exposed by one of your own?
That you have a musuh di sebalik selimut?
Could it be that ONE of you got jealous of Zakaria. Cannot tahan that all the goodies was going to his family, and brought his baggage to whichever press which was looking for a scoop?

WHo could the players be?
division information chief Shoimi Shafie
deputy chairman Datuk Mazlynoor Abdul Latiff?
division Wanita chief Senator Datin Paduka Norhayati Onn Ismail?
acting Youth chief Zainuri, who is Zakaria’s son?
division treasurer Datuk Azman Othman Salleh?
division committee member, Mohd Nasir Chanadin?
division secretary Ishak Mohd Jonid ?

Is it the guy sitting on your left, or right? The guy who smiled at you tadi? The one you jemaah and sedekah with?

Scary isn't it, not knowing who the enemy within is?

btw,

1. you guys are supposed to be the good guys. Doesn't look good when you come out looking like thugs, pushing people and making stupid remarks. Handle the problem gracefully and with dignity. You'll score more points that way.

2. m bakri musa has somthing to say about it. If Lulu were to say it, you'd ask me to "Cina Balik". I'm not saying it. M Bakri Musa is saying it. Argue it with him. not me.

Lulu Spots a New Trend

How many of you noticed this new trend in the papers?
Hot and happening.
the PM's doing it, the ex-PM's doing it.
no,no, not talking about bitching one another and comparing your sons's contracts.

Transcripts-la. Transcripts are IN

They're the IN thing for the season.

www.dictionary.com defines it as
tran‧script – noun
1. a written, typewritten, or printed copy; something transcribed or made by transcribing.
2. an exact copy or reproduction, esp. one having an official status.
3. an official report supplied by a school on the record of an individual student, listing subjects studied, grades received, etc.
4. a form of something as rendered from one alphabet or language into another.

well, DrM had his transcript .
the first one was after his meeting with Pak Lah on Sunday.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/10/23/nation/20061023002018&sec=nation

Then there was a second transcript, a day after his meeting with the present Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/10/23/nation/20061023235010&sec=nation

don't worry. Pak "his son also had a contract"Lah was not left out of this "transcript" fad.
They gave him one for the press conference held at his Hari Raya open house in Dewan Milenium, Kepala Batas, Penang, on Oct 26.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/10/27/nation/20061027012416&sec=nation

why all this transcripts?
Could it be because they didn't want to end up being misquoted and spinned like the Sultan of Johore?

“We know of a (television presenter) who approached the Sultan asking a prepared question that merely asked whether pensioners should meddle in government business or not. The connection to Mahathir was made later,” he said.

Kesian Khir Toyo! NeverMind, Lulu Help, OK?

with regards to all these illegal mansions, Dentist Khir says that his hands are tied as per the law, the most that he can do is impose a fine.

On 12th Oct, the fine was RM5,000 - 10 times the fees of the building plans.
On 18th Oct, it naik to RM24,000 - maximum fine of 10 times the planning fee of RM2,400

from NST, 22nd Oct,

Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo reiterated that any action taken against Zakaria must be based on the law and not emotions. Zakaria’s offence, he said, was constructing a building on a 43,000sq ft piece of land without building plans."
Action has been taken," he told reporters after the National Finance Council Meeting here on Friday.The law says the offence is punishable with a maximum fine and what he has paid is the maximum amount.
"I cannot go above the law."The law states clearly that anyone who builds without plans will be fined 10 times the (planning) fees."Dr Khir said that as he was responsible for upholding the law, he hoped people would understand that he had acted accordingly.

Guess what, Dentist Khir?
Lulu can help you.
even a lulu like Lulu knows how to buat "research".
and Lulu WANTS to help you.

Under the Town and Country Planning Act 1976, the term “development” is defined in Section 2 to include “the carrying out of any building operation”.
Under Section 20, no one is allowed to carry out any development unless he has obtained planning permission under Section 22. The procedure for obtaining such planning permission is set out in Section 21.
If any land is used in contravention of Section 20, criminal prosecution can be instituted against the owner and if convicted, he or she can be fined up to RM500,000, sent to prison for up to two years, or both.
Under Section 70 of the Street, Drainage and Buildings Act 1974, no one is allowed to erect any building unless he has obtained the prior written permission of the relevant local authority.
Under Section 70A, no one is allowed to carry out any earthworks unless he has submitted plans and specifications of such earthworks to the local authority.
If there are buildings or structures that have been erected without prior written permission of the relevant local authority, Section 72 empowers the authority to direct the owner to demolish or remove such unauthorised buildings or structures. If the owner fails to do so, the local authority is empowered to carry out the demolition itself, after having complied with the procedures spelt out in Section 72(6).

source : Awful lessons from the Sky Kingdom, Prof. Salleh Buang

"I cannot go above the law"
well said.
Then follow what the law has prescribed for wrongdoers like Zakaria, Faizal and Mazlynoor and all those other chaps who have bigger mansions than his.
Stop picking on the poor chap who owns the licensed neighbouring stall.

update 30/10
Star Headlines Zakaria's satay restaurant sealed by MPK
Looks like Zakaria really needs his kebun.

Lulu Welcomes You To S'gor With A Tale of (at least) 2 Mansions and 2 Churches

of late, the it has been revealed that the custodians of the State, the appointed councilmen have been less than honest.
They think that it is their politically given right to build mansions without going through the proper channels.
So, they go ahead and build their mansions without any approval.

Let Lulu tell you a story of 2 churches.
Church #1
This is located near the funeral parlour which was operating illegally even after Citizen Nades lodged reports with the Majlis, had photo evidence on illegal kickbacks. That's another story.
Back to the church.
Being a God fearing church, construction started (but of course!) only after all the municipal approval was done.
However, 1 year plus later after the building was completed, they are still unable to get the CFs. The worshippers are still unable to use their church building.

Church #2
In the early days of Subang Jaya, the late Sultan, the father of our current Sultan, made a visit to this new township. HRH noticed that there was no church in this township, and requested that a piece of land be set aside for religious purposes.
25 years down the road, the Subang population has since increased exponentially, the church has submitted plans for renovation. The plans have been approved by the local council but subject to clearance by the Islamic Council.

Lulu doesn't understand all these additional conditions.
In Church #2, clearance by the Islamic Council is definitly something new.

Sometimes, people think that by bullying, we will become weaker.
Guess they don't know that obeying God sometimes results in unjust suffering, but suffering for God produces perseverance, character and hope.

And Lulu has hope.

Lulu Spots a Copycat

Remember this?

Lulu thought that it was very childish for this S'gor councilman Mazlynoor to say

So, you visited the area. You took a lot of photographs. No reason for you to highlight the matter. Everyone is doing it, but my house is small.

I mean, be a man about it. If there's wrongdoing, hang your head in shame and admit the wrongdoing. "Everyone is doing first" is as childish as your 7year old son explains his wrongdoing with a "He do me first". Be accountable for what you do. Have your own principles. If you happen to get yourself stranded on Lrg Haji Taib, and everyone is doing "it", Mazlynoor, are you going to do "it" too?

Then on Friday, the Star published the transcript of Bapa Mertua's press conference at his Raya open house in Kepala Batas, Penang.

His son also had a contract. It's just that it was not revealed and the project his son got was bigger than the one Scomi got.

Aiyoh! What is this? You learning from a small-time big-mansion Port Klang Councilman-ah????

Lulu's Sultan Not So Toothless Afterall

Thank You DYMM Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, from the bottom of Lulu's heart.
Lulu thanks you, Your Royal Highness, for intervening in the injustice in your land.

According to the news reports, The Ruler also said that he wanted all elected representatives in Selangor to lead exemplary lives, to put the public’s interest above their own and always protect the name of Selangor.

What happens to Zakaria?
Different papers give different angles of the meeting, but basically, as upsetting as it was for Zakaria, his hypertension and the scary, weak knee experience was not enough to give him a heart attack or a stroke.

Per the Star,

1. The Sultan of Selangor has advised Port Klang assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Md Deros to relinquish his post as Klang municipal councillor
2. Zakaria admitted his mistakes on the building of his bungalow in Kampung Idaman without approvals, on operating a satay restaurant without a licence, on the non-payment of assessments and a host of other complaints
3. If Zakaria does not comply, he risks being stripped of his Datukship

Per the NST

1. He will be investigated by the Anti-Corruption Agency for abuse of power.
2. He was advised to step down as a councillor by the Sultan of Selangor.
3. The Ruler was displeased with Zakaria for building a bungalow without planning permission along with a string of other allegations.
4. During the meeting, the Sultan noted that he had received many complaints from various sources that Zakaria was arrogant, rough and had used his power in a way that hurt the public. But he did not want to jump to any conclusions before allowing the state assemblyman to have his say.
5. Datuk Lela Bakti Setiausaha Sulit Datuk Muhammad Munir Bani, who was also present at the meeting, later issued a statement saying:
a> Zakaria, as an elected representative, must uphold the good name of Selangor. What more with him being the assemblyman for Port Klang which is part of the Royal Town of Klang."
b> Zakaria promised to repent and sought the Ruler’s pardon for not showing up on Oct 23 when he was summoned to the palace.
c> Zakaria continues to invite criticisms, he could also be stripped of his “Datukship” conferred by the late Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah.
A few hours later, Zakaria received word that Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Khir Toyo has given him until Nov 8 to wrap up his work as a councillor.

so, Zakaria didn't decide, Khir Toyo decided for him? Was KT head also on the chopping board?

per Malaysiakini

1. Sultan of Selangor has advised Zakaria Md Deros to resign as Klang municipal councillor to put an end to several controversies.
2. The sultan’s private secretary Mohd Munir Banisaid the sultan had received a lot of complaints on Zakaria less exemplary behaviour from various parties such as being rude and hurting the people’s feelings by abusing his powers.

100 Pandamaran folks, many of them from lower-income groups, who gathered outside Zakaria’s mansion today in protest.

In the Malaysiakini report,

According to the law, the illegal mansion built by Port Klang assemblyperson Zakaria Deros must be torn down - nothing short of that is acceptable, said Sg Pinang assemblyperson Teng Chang Khim. Teng, a practising lawyer, said the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1976 clearly stipulates that local authorities, in this case Klang Municipal Council (MPK), must demolish the building should Zakaria fail to do so.

Yah Khir Toyo, I'm sure you don't want the opposition to use this against you in the coming GE, do you? Tear it down!
Do Zakaria a favor now that he is out of favor, tear it down! He will need the land to berkebun to feed his family and his wife and son and daughter-in-law now that his dynasty can't buat sesuka hati. 

Lulu Thinks Zakaria Paid Too Much For His Land

Zakaria thought he got the land cheap.

He and his wife paid RM180K for a 43,000 sq ft of land. This works out to RM4.186/sf. NST states that the current market value of the 43,000 sq ft property is about RM1.3 million based on the lower end of the going rate for land in the area of between RM30 and RM40.

Guess what?
You can actually buy prime Selangor land at very cheap prices!
As low as 0.014sen per square feet.
Really! This is what the Sun reported on 14 AUg 2004

With a stroke of a pen, and perhaps a bit of influence peddling, the land ended up in the possession of a company owned and controlled by a former state assemblyman and a current Petaling Jaya Municipal Council (MPPJ) member and his family.
The Selangor government alienated the land to Mentari Properties Sdn Bhd for a song -- RM2,000. Throw in the extras -- quit rent and documentation and for a grand total of RM3,750, the area measuring 6.114 acres or RM613.35 per acre to be exact, changed hands.
The market price, we have been reliably told is anything between RM50 to RM70 per sq ft or between RM2,178,000 and RM3,049,200 per acre.

Kesian Zakaria... bayar harga "tinggi" pun terbogkar. The world's not fair, yah?
You can read the full report here

More "oppotunities"? Read here, dated 26Feb05.

Truly, truly, the Malaysian Dream.

btw, SEMUA [not just the Melayu, DrM] mudah lupa. Uncle Kit is reminding the government (and us) that they owe us an explanation on the EPU methodology. Quite interesting. Read it here.

Do You Think He Will Listen To The Man On The Left or Right? Lulu thinks Left

Who will ex-railway gatekeeper listen to?

Will it be the man on the left,

or the man on the right?

What do you think?

Doesn't it seem like the Selangor MB is now more powerful than the Sultan?

Afterall, he can alienate land

1. Bukit Cahaya

2. Taman Desaria

3. Zakaria's land

and now, he is summoning his state assemplyman cumm Port Klang councillor to meet the Sultan after his continuous treachery, disobedience and insubordination.

Yup, Lulu thinks Khir Toyo will be more successful that the Sultan himself to bring Datuk Z to bring him to menghadap the Sultan.

Lulu's Got a Letter from DrM!

ok-lah. before you start to think that Lulu so "powder"ful, no-lah... It's addressed to Citizens of Malaysia.

Read on

Lulu Refuses To Confuse Herself

Lulu's old workplace was slightly more progressive

Recognising the many different races and nationalities in the company, one of the [for lack of a better word] training that we had was "Global Cultural Interchange".

In this session, we learnt more about each other's culture and in a sense thinking.

A lesson that I remember, even up to today is this.

Imagine, you bangun tengah malam. Your house is bring robbed. What would your neighbour do?

In my discussion group, we agreed that our Malay neighbour would get up and help. The Chinese neighbour would buat tak tahu. Apologies to my Indian friends, I forgot what an Indian community would do.

The point is that the Malay is always ever ready to help. Only the Malays would be able to hold a "no monetary reward, no publicity" community gotong royong.
When Lulu had a punctured tyre and had to pull over the side of Federal Highway, it was a kind PakCik who pulled over to help.

The sad thing is, many of us have forgot that, and have confused the Malays with UMNO.
And we blame the race for the shameless greed which takes place in the country.

They are as much, if not, more, the victims of greedy people.
The UMNOputeras placate them with miserable handouts, be it the ASN, scholarships, lower grading curve and 7% discounts. But the big stuff, the megabucks have been hoarded by the puteras of the party, not the puteras of the soil.

The tindasan is not only towards other races, but even within their own.
the high profile case in the news now is the silly stupid greedy super-scared assemblyman of PortKlang who awarded himself 8 plots of land amidst a squatter kampong to himself. To put it plainly, he deprived at least 7 other Malay families of that land.
The land which is currently occupied by Ken Damansara and that building with a San Francisco steakhouse used to be squatter land. As the squatters were being evicted, THEY came to the kampung and charged them 10-20K to process and guarantee them a flat when the low-cost units come up. Those who didn't pay found their names suddenly missing from the placement.

What can you and I do about it?

We have to rid ourselves of our anger with the Malays.
We need to continue and develop our friendship with everyone and anyone regardless of race.
If you have the opportunity, discuss current events. Don't have to discuss NEP, but discuss the blatant wrongdoing of our govt. With our current govt, you won't run out of tings to talk about.
Discuss how we can make a difference.
Don't push your agenda and insist that you are right. Listen. Discuss.
Teach that to our children too.

I understand the frustration felt by many. That is one of the reasons why I blog. But these frustrations need to be turned to our own form of affirmative action. Let's do something about it in our own spheres, be it in your workplace, college or school.

Lulu excited - Malaysian Dream Featured in The Star

“Abang worked hard to come up from a railway gatekeeper, restaurant waiter and an office boy to what he is today and now you reporters are going to destroy him.”

Yup, this seems to be the "Malay"sian dream.
Lulu doesn't qualify. Lulu Malaysian, not "Malay"sian. But I don't mind. Religion is of my choice, it is not dictated on me by the Perlembagaan.

btw, theStar only reports that he is ill, and avoiding the press.
NST is more blatant.


I hope the Sultan withdraws his Datuk-ship for this sheer blatant act of disrespect. The Sultan doesn't have to look for a Peruntukan Undang-Undang to deal with this "morally wrong, technically right" delinquent unlike the Toyol. It is his sovereign right to do it, and the rakyat would stand and applause this act.
sigh..., if only it would happen.

Selamat Hari Raya, Please Drive Safely

Lulu received news this morning that her staff was involved in an accident and has passed away.

He leaves behind a wife who is still in coma, a 4 year old daughter and many many friends to mourn his demise.

To all who are driving this week, please drive carefully.
Selamat Hari Raya and Selamat Bercuti.

Lulu is AMAZED That Rela Has More Powers Than The Police

Even the police woud require a warrant to masuk, i would think.
but no, RELA tak payah.

A Rela spokesman, in refuting the allegations, said they were empowered to forcibly enter the premises of dwellings if the calls by the officers were unheeded.
"We do not need a warrant to enter and search their premises, as provided by law. "
Our officers had done so after knocks on the doors went unanswered or the occupants refused to open them," he said.
In any case, the spokesman added, Rela was investigating the allegations to ascertain if any of their men had abused their powers.
The raid, he said, was headed by Selangor Rela director Hairi Mohamad Alwii in the presence of Immigration Department and National Registration Department officers.

This was the RELA response on the incident last weekend.

The shameful things they did at Taman Alam Jaya, Cheras
1. the locks to their front doors were broken by Rela members
2 missing belongings.
3.a Rela member tugged at the shirt of his father, Woo Kok Ching, 68.

is there really an AKTA which allows them into your house unwarranted?
do we really need this bunch of legalised vigilantes in Msia?

DrM Meets Pak Lah - Lulu Gives A Quiz

do you notice how these M'sian peace talks tend to end with the 2 (or more) parties having their own press conference?

from the transcript of Dr M's press conference,

Q: How did the Prime Minister react when you said you would continue criticising?
A: He didn’t say anything.

Q: Did you get the replies to the issues you raised?
A: Not all.

What was Pak Lah's strategy?
a. No official responses, no commitments so no need to take action lor
b. Pak Lah was practising his elegant silence
c. No Level 4 to advise him, so no idea what is going on
d. Meeting was bugged, but earpiece feed from Level 4 to PakLah's ear not working. Hence, no response
e. DrM asyik-asyik cakap, tak sedar Pak Lah sudah tertidur.

Take your pick.

Lulu wishes all readers a joyful Deepavali

Wishing Peace and Prosperity for you and your family.
Have a joyful Deepavali celebration!

Lulu adapts an Aesop Fable - The Ant and the Grasshopper

The Ant and the Grasshopper
The Ant works hard in the heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The Grasshopper thinks he's a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.
Come winter, the Ant is warm and well fed. The Grasshopper has no food or shelter so he either dies out in the cold, or begs and receives humiliating charity from the ant he teased.


A version adapted to whatever you want to think
The ants work hard all summer, producing products and services, such as in manufacturing, farming, and transportation. Grasshoppers laugh and dance and play all summer, without producing anything.
Come winter though, the productive ants are hungry and shivering, while the unproductive grasshoppers are warm and well-fed! How did this happen?
Easy: the grasshoppers own the land, they are sons of the soil. The hardworking ants are only pendatangs. They merely live on it and work on it. They should be appreciative that the grasshoppers allow them to live here. The grasshoppers collect rent from the ants. This is part of their entitlement, their "hak". Do not mistake it as a privelege. It is an entitlement. Leave the field if you're not happy with this.
What can the ants do? But seriously, what can the ant do? This field is his home. It's the only one he knows.
So, he continues to toil for the grasshopper.
The grasshopper continues to laugh and dance.
and everybody is happy?

btw, an adaptation of The Malay Male's Ultimate meme question#3,
How much wood would PakLah chuck if PakLah could chuck wood?
The entire Malaysian cabinet.

lulu-type statement from our "IN Control" PM

what a joke!
for one who says that he is in power, he is SO powerless to do anything about this situation.

What Zakaria did not good, says Pak Lah

yah. so what are you going to do about it?

action will be taken against him, said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

sounds good, but going by your track record, I wouldn't hold my breath.

“He will be fined,”

hello??????
do you know what the fine is?

On Wednesday, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo said that Zakaria would be fined 10 times the RM2,400 planning fee.

“I leave it to him (Morally Wrong, Technically Right MB of
Selangor) to take action and I have nothing else to comment,” he said.

hello??? are you "still in control"?
AT least during Dr M's time, corruption and abuse of power was done under the table, behind closed doors. In your tenure / regime, corruption is blatant and the corrupt knows no shame.

the full text of this news can be found on http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/10/20/nation/15781224&sec=nation

Lulu Tells a Fairy Tale

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, there lived a boy.
There was nothing wrong with this boy, only that he was a bit slow in class.
It wasn't his fault - he just had a late start.
And the kind-ly teachers noticed it.
so, they thought amongst themselves,
hmmm... how can we help this boy?
i know! one of them exclaimed.
let's set up a remedial class for him, and other boys like him.
so, a remedial class was set up, and he joins.
he was given the best teachers.
he also had a "kinder" marking scheme, and a more flexible grading curve.
and to his credit, the boy did work hard.
he made his way to the top of his remedial class, and was on par with the other kids in the "normal" class.
the teachers assesed the situation.
it's time for him to go to a normal class.
he doesn't need this remedial class anymore.
he's already doing so well.
he can cope.
he'd be spurred to excel and be more competitive.
his place can be taken by that new boy who is struggling to read in my class.
WE have a success story!
BUT
no! his parents screamed.
he is still a failure.
you can't move him out of there.
why do i need to listen to you? i know better. you listen to me.
and so, the parents fight it like crazy.
the teachers are torn.
they fear the reaction of the boys parents, for they are able to organise the masses to do nasty things to the school.
but there is a boy out there who needs it more.
so how?
new boy ..., stay focus on the purpose
safety and security ...
new boy ..., stay focus on the purpose
safety and security ...
new boy ..., stay focus on the purpose
safety and security ...

and while all this is going on, the boy begins to believe that he can't do it out there.
that he needs this remedial class
forever.

Lulu's Posting an Undur LAH banner

have you seen them before?

It's from the same guy who did "Dah Benci Kot", "Che Det" and "Dollah Kaki Tidur in While You Were Sleeping".
He blogs at http://kickdefella.blogspot.com . Check it out. He has a lot of other funny banners.

Lulu still has not decided if she wants PakLah out or not.
A stronger opposition - definitely
BN lose the 2/3 - definitely
needless to say, no more Oyster Fried Mi Hun.
but Pak Lah out? still pondering. One of them has to be IT. Are we in a from the frying pan into the fire / between the devil and the deep blue sea situation? Is it better the devil you know than the one you don't?
Dunno.
Lulu still stuck on this.

Lulu Can't Help Laughing at OKT's Statement

per NST's headlines, he's quoted as saying Closed-door approach has resolved issues

ha
ha
ha......

How many of you recall the BN Youth Meeting which was called to discuss BudakBelumKeringHingus' remark that the Chinese community would try and take advantage of a weak Umno?
After much protest from the ground, BN Youth held a meeting to discuss the matter.
After this meeting, the press conference was held.
How many of you realise that this "united" BN Youth held separate press conferences?

BN Youth to explain
KUALA LUMPUR:
Having listened to Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin's explanation today (Oct 3, 2006), Barisan Nasional (BN) Youth leaders have agreed to go to the ground to explain his remarks which upset the Chinese community.
"Khairy said the issue was widely played up and he was misinterpreted by certain quarters," Hishammuddin said after the BN Youth exco meeting.
"I feel proud and impressed with the understanding we have achieved because, for the first time, our meeting discussed a personal and sensitive issue."
He said it was important for component party leaders to work together for all groups regardless of race and religion.
Asked whether all the parties accepted Khairy's explanation, Hishammuddin said it was best not to disclose what transpired in detail as it would only prolong the issue.
"I asked them repeatedly, and they said they were all satisfied with his explanation. But I leave it to my colleagues (in the youth exco) to explain the details to their members," he said.

At a separate press conference later, MCA Youth chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai and Gerakan Youth chief Datuk Mah Siew Keong were non-committal about whether they were satisfied with Khairy's explanation.
But they said they were satisfied with the meeting which was "very frank" and which allowed everyone to speak up and to convey the people's sentiment.

and what happens when BN gets together and one dominant party is clearly wrong?

"We must always go forward. What is important now is not so much to look back.
Whatever hiccups we faced in the past, there are channels for us to overcome it," he said.
Hishammuddin also said he could not say that the issue was completely resolved with only one meeting as he believed the debates in the media would continue.

Lulu Wonders Why the Mat Rempits Resort To Attacking Police Station

to protest the arrest of their 2 fellow rempits. Why get your hands dirty when you can call your #1 supporter's #1 running dog?

Afterall,
This is Dato' Azeez "not caught in the vice raid at the Holiday Villa" Abdul Rahman.
don't you know...., when the police raided the hotel back in Dec last year, this kindly Putera went to "help" a friend who was arrested, and was mistakenly thought as being one of those who were arrested.

Call him-la. Afterall, you all are Mat Cemerlangs in his eyes. He will "help" you. Tak payah kejar polis and baling batu.

Whilst we are at it, a bit more stuff about Azeez here in an interview with Joceline Tan of The Star.

Azeez had returned on the same flight as deputy Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin whom he described as “my boss.”
He was to utter Khairy's name at least 20 more times during the interview, often in the same breath as that of Umno Youth leader Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein Onn and, of course, the Umno president and deputy president.
“My bosses,” that was how he referred to them.

For instance, Puteri Umno treasurer Suraya Yaakob who is from Kedah had heard of him from her Puteri girls in Baling.
“Even the first time we met, he was not shy about telling us how much money he had and he showed us his pistol. He also offered to help sponsor some of my programmes. But I could see he was very energetic and hard-working,” said Suraya.

And a bit more about his Masters from the prestigious Preston University.

Fun stuff, ya?
but it's scary to think that he may be a future leader of the nation.

Dr Kua Articulates One of the Many Thoughts On Lulu's Mind

some of you may not know Dr Kua Kia Soong.
He was the MP of my area in the 90's, and he was deprived of his seat in the 95 elections when the supposedly independant SPR got fussy about minor mistakes in the Borang Pencalonan. He was the educationist turned politicians, and my parents were full of respect for him. During the last elections, I attended a ceramah in support of Sivarasa [PJ Selatan] just to hear Dr Kua speak.

A fuller biodata via his last book is as follows:

The author, Dr Kua Kia Soong is director and founder member of SUARAM (Suara
Rakyat Malaysia), a non-governmental organisation which campaigns for human rights and environmental protection. He is by profession, Principal of the New Era College, a community college set up by Dong Jiao Zong, the Chinese educationist movement.
He was Opposition Member of Parliament for Petaling Jaya from 1990 to 1995; Director of Huazi Research Centre from 1985 to 1990; Higher Education Adviser for the Malaysian Chinese schools from 1983 to 1985.Kua received his BA Econ (1975), MA Econ (1976) and PhD in Sociology (1981) from Manchester University, UK. He taught Sociology at Manchester University and also the National University of Singapore in the Seventies.
During the mass arrests and detentions under the Mahathir regime's "Operation Lalang" in 1987, he spent 445 days under Internal Security Act detention without trial. He was Prisoner of Conscience for the second time in 1996 when he spent six days in prison for organising the Second Asia Pacific Conference on East Timor which was disrupted by a mob from the ruling coalition.

and the article itself?

Statistical charades of the Umnoputras
Dr Kua Kia Soong
Oct 17, 06 3:43pm


The latest controversy over the Asli equity report is but another episode in a charade that began when the New Economic Policy was manufactured after May 13, 1969. Supposedly introduced to eradicate poverty regardless of ethnicity and to correct the ‘racial imbalance’ relating to wealth holding in the country, all the statistics relating to ethnic proportions ever since have been consistently obfuscating.
For a start, it is impossible to verify the government’s statistics relating to share of equity and poverty incidence by ethnicity because the raw data used to calculate these are not made available. In 1986, it evoked this observation from the Far Eastern Economic Review: ‘Suspicions that somehow these figures are doctored to suit political ends are heightened by the fact that all compilation is undertaken by the EPU, which is staffed at the senior level almost exclusively by Malays’.
Until the 80s, the government used to measure wealth on a narrow cash-income basis without taking into account such factors as land ownership, scholarships, services and subsidies. This, therefore, threw up large disparities between the incidence of poverty among Malays, being more rural-based, and the more urban-based Chinese.
Statistics on household income must also take into account the proportion of household members participating in economic activity. If the statistics show that there are more economically active members in the Chinese household, then this will invariably inflate their household incomes in comparison to other communities. It is clear that average income figures will always hide the true picture of poverty within each ethnic community.
The other controversial statistics relate to the proportion of equity capital held by the different ethnic communities. Even during the 80s, it was pointed out that by lumping holdings of bumiputera and government agencies in nominee and locally-controlled companies under ‘Other Malaysian residents’, it was not surprising that the ‘bumiputera’ stake would be understated (17.8 per cent in the mid-80s). It was estimated then that the bumiputera stake under ‘Other Malaysian residents’ accounted for at least another 12 percentage points. Hence, there would have been no further justification to prolong the New Economic Policy beyond 1990.
The solution to the latest controversy over how GLCs should be looked at seems elementary to the economics student. I am surprised the government does not have the simple vision of getting the EPU technocrats to come clean instead of issuing threats to academics. Would I be a genius if I said that Petronas, to name but one example, is certainly not a non-bumiputera corporate entity? Is there any wonder our ranking in the universities league is dropping?
This whole notion of equity share by race is nonsensical when bumiputeras can sell their shares for cash as soon as they have been allocated and restore the status quo ante ad nauseum! Future writers of Malaysian fairy tales will deride the New Economic Policy very much like we lampoon the emperor’s new clothes.
Without such a racially discriminatory policy, the Umnoputras would not only lose their unfair privilege, they would also lose their ‘Malay-centric’ ideology to win Malay votes and enjoy the fruits of political power! Therefore, the NEP had to be prolonged under a different guise – the ‘National Development Policy’.
But while earlier Malaysia Plans used to provide statistics with ethnic breakdown (how else can we correct the ‘racial imbalance’?), the later Plans did not provide these. The authorities justified this practice by saying that they were ‘... likely to promote feelings of ill-will or hostility between the different communities’ (Standing Orders 23(2) of the Malaysian Parliament).
When I was in Parliament, my questions relating to proportion of scholarships and loans that were given to the bumiputera poor; the numbers and proportion of Malay, Chinese and Indian waged labour and their respective earnings and others were similarly disqualified under Standing Orders 23(2).
The need for a Freedom of Information Act has never been more urgent after this latest controversy. Any policy based on “race” is seriously flawed and questionable since every ethnic community has its rich elite and its poorer majority. Every scholar worth his or her salt knew then in the 70s what the outcome of the NEP would be – the ‘corrective’ measures have mainly benefitted the well-placed Umnoputras.
The separation of control of funds by NEP ‘trustees’ from nominal ownership by bumiputeras led to the flouting of public accountability. Without effective checks and balance, we witnessed the scandals of yesteryears – Bank Rakyat, BMF and others. More insidious is the effect this widespread racial discrimination has had on ethnic relations in this country. Unity can only be promoted through an affirmative action policy based on need, never on race.
The writer is director of human rights organisation, Suaram

Lulu Adds to RELA Hall Of Shame List

to add on to the list http://whatalulu.blogspot.com/2006/08/lulu-not-feeling-safe-rela-roaming.html
i think these RELA are big greedy bullies who think that just because they have a uniform and a badge, you have to kowtow to them. Their favourite targets - foreign workers and youngsters. This is something new.

The report in full

Rela men break locks to enter houses
CHINA Press front-paged complaints from residents of about 10 households in Taman Anggerik, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, that Rela personnel crashed into their homes after breaking door locks and smashing gates, and told them they were looking for illegal workers.
The residents said the Rela personnel acted like gangsters and showed them no
respect.
When they asked the Rela personnel to explain why they crashed into their homes, they were told “we are the law.”
One resident said he rented a house to be used as his office and told the Rela personnel no one stayed in the house, but they ignored him and broke the door lock to search the premises.

The daily said the man also claimed cash totalling RM3,756 in his drawer was subsequently found missing.
Another resident said he was upstairs when he heard a commotion and before he could rush downstairs to see what was happening, Rela personnel had broken his gate.
The daily said the residents had lodged a police report.
A lawyer told the paper that the Rela personnel were not police and had no right to crash into the homes of residents and search their homes without a search warrant.

Lulu Wants To STAND UP Against Poverty

The world came together on Oct. 15-16 and STAND UP to remind their governments that promises to achieve the MDGs, and help the billions of people living in extreme poverty.

I checked out their site, http://www.standagainstpoverty.org/node/221. In M'sia, someone from Sarikei hosted a STAND UP protest.

There were events held worldwide, some big and glamorous, others more simple but just as sincere.

This got Lulu wondering...

In this nation of mine (yes, it's still mine even though i'm continuosly reminded that i'm a pendatang), other than UMNO Youth, if any one else were to organise it, be it a party within BN, the opposition or an NGO, they would be branded as racist, seditious and forgot what-other-parroting-words-are-used.

Sad, isn't it?

Lulu Spots "An Emperor's New Clothes" Moment

The Emperor's New Clothes is a Danish fairy tale written by Hans Christian Andersen. The metaphor involves a situation wherein the overwhelming (usually unempowered) majority of observers willingly share in a collective ignorance of an obvious fact, despite individually recognizing the absurdity.

However, in Malaysia, the "empowered" are the biggest big mouth ignorants.

In the case of the ASLI findings, Lulu is really wondering how many have actually read the report, and how many are commenting based on what our "reliable" news source are reporting, and how many are merely parroting what the other guy said.

Hall of Sycophants

Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, Health Minister & MCA vice-president
“What is important is how Malaysians can prepare the nation to enable it to compete with our neighbours such as Thailand and Vietnam,” he said after opening a lantern festival organised here by four MCA divisions on Tuesday.

Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister
“We do not want it to become a polemic issue. There are various measurements to gauge the level. We base it on the par value of the bumiputras, not on the share value of big companies,” he told a press conference during a half-day working visit to Kelantan.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister
It is a very serious matter, and I hope this statement clears the air. I do hope that in future Asli or any other organisation be careful in the approach they use."

and The Emperor's take on this?
“If this conclusion is used as a discussion point in a forum by a well-known think tank like Asli, this will result in reactions that are, in my view, not good. It will raise many questions and allegations,” he said, adding that to present the report, which was incomplete, was irresponsible.

Don't join the "empowered". Read the full report yourself. It's more than a mere discussion on 45%. The study was undertaken by a multi-racial group of scholars and consultants as part of work in connection with the Ninth Malaysia Plan. It was submitted to the Bapa Mertua, Cabinet Ministers and other government leaders in February 2006.
It's still available on their site http://www.cpps.org.my/ as of today. If it has been taken off, drop me a note, and I will mail it to you.

Lulu Ponders Over RM20mil

from The Star's Updates

I don't know exactly how many families would benefit with this 20mil set aside for them.
According to Dato' Mustapha Mohamed at in a dialogue at the UN, 5% of Malaysia's population (26.64mil per Jabatan Perangkaan) = 1.33mil Malaysians live below the poverty line. I am not sure if this is the money meant for them or not. Let's say, 1 family - 2parents+5 children. This would work out to about 190,000 families, which in turn works out to RM105 a family??? And this does not include all "administration costs" which our Little Napoleons are so known for.
#This is no ASLI research, only a Lulu doing simple math.

Anyway, the generosity of this RM20 mil is nothing compared to the RM20mil given to secure the safety of this one man, aka Bapa Mertua

Lulu Idamkan Istana Impian

Don't know if Tun Ghafar Baba forgot to include this in the other "benefits" given out to State Assemblymens and Member of Parliaments.

He and his wife paid RM180K for a 43,000 sq ft of land. This works out to RM4.186/sf. NST states that the current market value of the 43,000 sq ft property is about RM1.3 million based on the lower end of the going rate for land in the area of between RM30 and RM40.

The land was originally in eight small lots with temporary occupation licence status. This would also mean that he has deprived 7 other families of a home. FOr someone who is elected as a state assemblyman, he is supposed to take care of the welfare of his constituents, not take from them. Shame on him!

Teng Chang Khim, state assemblyman for Sg Pinang had highlighted it as early as February 22, 2006.

If it were true that the mansion belongs to Zakaria, he would be obliged to explain to the people as to how did he manage to amass the wealth to afford him the palace within less than 2 terms as elected representative. The official record shows that at present Zakaria still lives in a low cost (but well-decorated) house in Kampong Idaman itself. It will be a multiple jump in status for him, or anyone for the matter, to shift to the palace from a low cost house. The Anti Corruption Agency and the Income Tax Department should immediately conduct an investigation. A simple calculation, as has always been applied by the Income Tax Department on the tax evaders, will give the people a prompt answer to the doubt.

We also observed that there was no signboard stating the title of the land, the owner, the contractor, the plan approval date and other construction information as required by the local authority to be put up at the construction site. On prime facie, this is a construction without approved building plan as required by the building by-laws and the local authority has the power to demolish the bungalow for the breach.

This was reported in the Chinese Press the following day.

Teng follows up with another 3 posts. Do read it at his blog. Teng pursued it in Feb. It was in the Chinese papers. He logged reports with IRB and ACA, and nothing happened. Eight months later, it has surfaced again. My guess is that he (Zakaria) must have been betrayed from within.

THe Star has quite an interesting write-up on the kesian Klang Council President. He's now jittery after a phone call - a rough voice told him: “You know the plans have been submitted.”

The American Dream is the belief that hard work can lead to a better life, usually through the earnings of money.

The Malaysian Dream is the belief that if you join the correct party, "perjuang"ing the correct hak and being elected even to the minor-est post can lead to a better life.

Don't believe me? Look at your State Assemblyman. Look at your MP. Look at your local municipal.

HOw will this saga end? Lulu thinks that our "clean" Selangor MB would classify it as "technically right but morally wrong", and shove it under the table. I hope to be proven wrong.

Lulu Quotes a Response From a Promuda Discussion

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/promuda_circle/message/10515
This is a quote of a quote

But referring back to what Don said about ourMinisters having low salaries - reminds me of ananecdote that was related in one of the footnotes ofone of K.S. Jomo's book (which to me, showed howcandid the late Tun Ghafar Baba was):

"For example, in mid-1987, the Deputy Prime Minister,Ghafar Baba addressed the annual meeting of theBumiputra Contractors Association, expecting an enthusiastic response to one of his announcements,relating to the Bumiputras.

Instead, his all-Malay audience ignored his announcement, choosing to press him on why the most competitive and lowest bids or tenders for government contracts restricted to Bumiputras were often unsuccesfful.

After futile attempts at dodging the basic thrust of the questions, Ghafar "explained" that existing allowances for State Assemblymen and Members ofParliament were insufficient; and hence their income has to be supplemented by preferential access to lucrative Government contracts".

The late Tun Ghafar Baba said the above when he was in the position of Deputy Prime Minister in 1987 -probably one of the most disturbing admissions by a Deputy Prime Minister in office, ever.

Lulu's Going On a Diet - No More Oyster Fried Mihun

Lulu is determined to not to see Oyster Fried Mihun get through the next GE. Time to order something different. Not that I ordered it the 1st 2 rounds. I didn't, but I've had to stomach it.

I first heard this term "hoe-si chow mei fun" during the last GE when I was makan-ing at the corner coffee shop near the SEA Park Market. The ladies at the stall were chatting about the upcoming GE, and one of them asked the other, "Who are you going to vote?" The lady replied, "hoe-si chow mei fun".

and indeed, they voted for them, and they were returned for the 2nd term.

Lulu was VERY disappointed with the voters who voted this lady who acts more like a State Assemblyman that a Member of Parliament.

An MP, as part of the ultimate legislative body in Malaysia, is responsible for passing, amending and repealing acts of law. They set the direction for the nation.
But what does this lady do?
Well, we'll be keeping watch, all the way to the next GE, on her activities.
I'll try to post her appearances in the papers in my diet blog Lulu's Diet Plan - No More Oyster Fried Mihun .

This is the area under MBPJ.
My voting constituency is the one which is yellow.

N35 - KAMPUNG TUNKU
Turnout: 20,616 (66.8%)
>> * Wong Sai Hou (BN - MCA) 11,979
Maj: 3612

P106 - PJ UTARA
Turnout: 50,420 (66.4%)
>> * Chew Mei Fun (BN - MCA) 32,422

Lulu Makes an Appearance

kinda, so, public appearance ya, but not as Lulu. going as my alter-ego.
will most probably remain as one of those bloggers who blog behind annonimity. yeah, the sort who have not been outed yet :P

Where will I be? Where else but Bloggers forum - “How to Set Pak Lah Free?”

I'm quite excited about it. Afterall, how often can you get
1. Jeff Ooi
2. Tony Pua
3. Khoo Kay Peng political/policy analyst
4. Sharizal Shaarani
5. Nik Nazmi
6. Fong Po Kuan
7. Lim Kit Siang
8. Oon Yeoh
and not forgetting,
9. Lulu
all together under one roof?

Who knows, maybe if we're "lucky", budak belum kering hingus may even be there. Afterall, i suspect, he would be the key to most of the statements made.
Shall we do a count on how many times his name was actually mentioned, and how many times it was insinuated?

i'm so excited!

hope to see you there!

Lulu Offers Help to Uncle Samy

no-lah, not offering him help with his hair(piece)

Uncle Samy was lamenting that his dept has the funds, the project plan but no site.

Taking a cue from the Perak government who hijacked rm795Mil, the money could be used to finish this project.

This is an abandoned ward project, which lies between University Malaya Medical Centre’s (UMMC) Menara Timur and the surau.
It was started in 2002, has been abandoned since 2003.

According to the VC of Malaysia's #2 university, ‘We started the project in good faith and expected the rest of the money to come because approval had been given under the 8th Malaysia Plan’.

It gets funnier.

“The building was initiated under the 7th Malaysia Plan, with the building designed to be done in two phases because there was not enough funds in the 7th Malaysia Plan. Thus, funding for the project had to be spilled over to the 8th Malaysia Plan,” said Dr Jamiyah.
On April 22, 2004 [this is during the 8th Malaysia Plan] , the Finance Ministry officially told UMMC that there were not enough funds to finance the project due to the economic downturn and asked UMMC to resubmit applications for funds in the 9th Malaysia Plan instead.

btw, I'm no expert in this area, but in building works, i don't think there's a "one plan fits all" philospohy. what do you think, maverick?

somehow, at the back of my mind, i have this nagging suspision that Semi Value wants to do some compulsory acquistion somewhere, and this statement is building up to the announcement.

Lulu Thinks KJ Doesn't Understand What He's Saying

He was speaking to reporters after opening the MSC Malaysian business and ideas enhancement workshops organised by Umno Youth and the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC).

on one hand, he's saying

Bumiputras should be given priority in new sectors such as biotechnology and information communications technology (ICT), to ensure they are not left behind

however, in a speech during the opening, he said

“We do not want handouts but the opportunity to succeed on a much more level playing field,”

You don't want hand-outs, but you want to be given priority?

Maybe you meant that "Bumiputras should give priority in new sectors such as biotechnology and information communications technology (ICT), to ensure they are not left behind"?

There is a world of difference between "should be given priority" and "should give priority".
Being given priority is as good as asking for hand-outs.

I end with the paragraph below. It is taken from a local discussion forum. Is this the sort of "priority" that he is asking for?

My wife and I started a company 10 years ago.
No help from any govd. dept.
We mortgage our only house that we bought while employed, to finance the business. After so much of hard work, sacrifice and progress we decided to apply for own license.
We are qualified in every aspect. We are a good tax payer too.
We were assured a license with condition:
1.My wife should step down as a director and give away her shares i.e. 50.0%
2.My shares be reduced to 40.00%
3.Appoint 2 bumiputra directors with 30.00% shares each i.e. total 60.0%
4.60.00% of the managers, executives and clerks of the company must be bumiputras .
5.Salary and EPF statement of all the employees must be submitted to licensing body on a yearly basis to make sure the bumiputras are paid more or equal to the non-bumiputras.
6.Many other conditions not favorable to non-bumiputra.
If this not discrimination and marginalisation, then what shall we call this?

What a Coincidence... just as Lulu speaks,

PM tells government bodies to pay up.

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/10/3/nation/15605873&sec=nation

PUTRAJAYA: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wants ministries, departments and agencies to not delay payment for services and goods provided.
The Prime Minister ordered the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) and the Implementation and Co-ordination Unit (ICU) to issue reminders to the ministries and departments to pay suppliers and vendors as soon as possible.
“I want payments for goods and services provided to the Government to be settled expeditiously. Don’t wait any longer,” he told staff of the Prime Minister’s Department at their monthly gathering yesterday.
“If the goods have already been supplied and services have been provided to us, then there is no reason to delay payment.
“If we do not pay, a lot of people will suffer. Workers will not get paid and banks will not be paid for the loans issued,” he said.
“This will cause anger and dissatisfaction against the Government. Therefore, I want to remind ministries, departments and agencies to expedite payment; and I want the central agencies to remind them of this.”

He probably intentionally left out, "your war chests will not be filled and you know-la, elections is coming".

Lulu's Counting the Months

no, whatalulu's not pregnant. i'm merely counting the months to see how far Bapa Mertua can delay the Umno polls.

Thanks to a response in The Scribe's Posting,
Pemilihan Umno yang lepas adalah pada 25/09/2004 untuk penggal 2004-2007.
Ini bermakna, pemilihan seterusnya pada 24/09/2007.
Namun jika penangguhan dilakukan,tarikh akhir pemilihan harus diadakan adalah pada 24/5/2009
Tarikh akhir pilihan raya adalah pada Mac 2009.

hmm... so, the deadline is actually supposed to be a year from now.
but they're allowed to delay it for up to 20 months.

OKay...

The kaki bodeks have been quoted as postponing the polls to focus on the 9MP.Both The Star and NST reports this from different sources.

yah. so noble. Could it be that they wanna make sure they give out the 9MP $$ first and hand in hand with that, fill up the war chest.

Uncle Kit's observation on the postponement is to carry out “house-cleaning” by dropping Umno stalwarts arrayed against him as candidates, whether parliamentary or state assembly.

Lulu's theory?
Theory only-ah...

Running a general election so close to the Umno elections would be a very costly affair.
To spend great amount of money at one go would really dent their war-chest.

Even Umno is aware and not denying the money politics element in their elections.
The Star reports that Information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib as being "glad that with the postponement there would be no time wasted on the makan-makan and lawat sambil belajar trips as well as the jumpa-jumpa sessions to garner support from the branches, right up to the supreme council level. "

even in a simple casting of votes to determine the delegates to be sent to the Umno General Assembly, there has been reports of dirty tricks and money politics.

This is taken from an IPS report of the Umno Elections in 2004.

''And this was borne out during this year's UMNO election. Much as some leaders and delegates refuse to acknowledge publicly that money was passed from some candidates to delegates, deep down, they know that this did happen,'' added Kalimullah. A veteran UMNO party official raised eyebrows on Tuesday by claiming that money politics was the worst he had seen during his more than three decades in various high positions. The term 'money politics' in the context of UMNO party elections is often a euphemism for vote-buying or the promise of doling out patronage in return for votes.

This is just the costs for an Umno elections.
Can you imagine how much money is spent when running for a State or Parliament seat?