Aug 132010
I notice press reports mentioning the DAP’s three promises should Pakatan take over Putrajaya:
- RM1,000 annually for senior citizens
- Free nationwide wifi
- Abolition of the postal summons (saman ekor)
Shouldn’t a progressive electoral platform highlight the following:
- the stamping out of corruption and abuse of power at all levels
- a minimum wage or a minimum living income – more multiplier effect, given that 34 per cent of workers earn wages below the poverty line.
- high-quality, efficient, universal healthcare at a nominal charge and an end to the privatisation of essential services
- an immediate repeal of the ISA and other detention without trial laws and ratification of international human rights treaties
- measures to narrow the income gap
- reinstatement of local council elections plus village elections
- upholding of sustainable development and environmental protection including independent EIAs and SEIAs for all significant projects
- loans for small business folks, fisher folks and farmers
- land titles for those with customary rights to the land
- restoration of the independence of the judiciary, election commission
- affordable housing for all
- a strong social security system that would cater to senior citizens, people with disabilities, the poor, etc
- the promotion of food self-sufficiency (but not via corporate agriculture)
- a revamp of the education system
- measures to address the digital divide, including adequate facilities for schools
And that’s just for starters.
I am looking for far-reaching reforms, not just superficial sweeteners.
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You are right Anil. For us who are reform-minded, your list is a good start.
However, there are many among us who feel your list does not affect them. For them, they prefer tangible things that affect them directly.
I am sure the DAP in announcing the above 3 measures, does not mean they are abandoning far reaching reforms.
They are just addressing different target groups.
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Anil
if you want a full list of what DAP and Pakatan’s ation plan, go read:
http://dappg.org/dasar-pakatan-rakyat/
What LGE did was like a teaser ad before the launching of a blockbuster movie. You need to provide sweetener just like a starter before a maincourse.
You should focus on the ills of the current government who is in office now to siphon rakyat’s money daily via corrupted practices.
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Whats wrong with giving out RM1,000/=. Its better to give it to the people then to be cheated and siphoned off by a few cronies of UMNO … that have come to billions.
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If someone promised you 10,000 in return for your support and then gave you only 1,000, would you say that was wrong? The 1,000 to old people is the highlight of these three, but it’s still a tiny concession. Are we supposed to be supporting the campaign for Change, or for Small Change? I can’t help thinking that if I’m expected to be grateful for Small Change, then I have the same status as a beggar.
If this is intended to win the next General Election, I am deeply disappointed. If this has been quoted out of context, someone needs to sack their Press Officer. I don’t think their can be any mistake – this seems like standard output from this source.
Can someone ask LGE never, ever to mention free WiFi ever again? It’s hard enough attempting to work in IT from Malaysia as it is, without someone suggesting that the nation should forget trying to fix their infrastructure (sack the MCMC and set up a proper regulator, nationalise the core wired infrastructure and issue open tenders for upgrades, maintenance and access) and instead spend good money on something that will be barely good enough to support tweeting our gratitude to our overlords. Leave free WiFi to Starbucks, I want proper cabled Internet access – nothing else is adequate.
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This is probably the best vision and promises that LGE is capable of.
It is amazing to note that Lim Guan Eng still need the cheap publicity stunt of a welfare handout to shore up his popularity. Lim Guan Eng like to mingle with the crowd, taking photo shots featuring how grateful the senior citizens are when receiving welfare handout from him. The entire efforts are just a poor marketing construct aimed at shoring up Lim Guan Eng’s popularity….
Read the full article here: Give a hand up not a handout
http://eusoon.blogspot.com/2010/08/give-hand-up-not-handout.html
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Ong Eu Soon,
Shouldn`t you be telling that to Najib and UMNO. This is a small matter compared to the millions siphoned off by cronies of UMNO… Worse still is the (luring) of Adun.
LGE is doing something that Najib do but not something that Najib has done even WORSE. … Submarine deal, Perak, Port Klang, Bakun, endorsing a criminal for buy election and those found guilty of money politics ETC ETC ETC ETC ETC
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Mr. Anil, I do not think that you are so naive to believe that DAP/PR will only promise these 3 superficial sweeteners, as you call them, and dump all the rest down the drain and expect to capture Putra Jaya comes the 13th GE?
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Maybe not. But why were only these three highlighted in Mkini and Malaysian Insider?
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Anil : One by One, Step by Step. Thats the way to kick out Najib and UMNO. We cannot be too naive anymore but be more shrewed
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I heard the beloved Penang CM at one of the dinner at Han Chiang Scl. 1)Tackle corruptions at all levels. 2) Open tenders for all projects. 3) Give all senior citizens of Malaysia RM1,000.00 yearly. 4) Free Wi-fi nationwide. 5) Abolish Saman ekor.
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Ah Gong is using Anil’s site to advertise for his own’s blog, that is cheap publicity stunt la…
No one bothers to leave a comment, he he he !!! I dont read anyway…
Yes, Yang, i agree with you, what is wrong to give back to the people RM1,000 than billions being siphoned off year in and year out into the pockets of BN and partners, and still there are some readers in Anil’s blog think it right for the people to accept GST… sigh !
Now catching Long Long Sek to main wayang kulit, but no one believes BN anymore, after being fooled for 52 years, finally more and more Malasians are woken up from their slumber…
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I don’t know others, but this ‘saman ekor’ abolition gets my vote.
… Maybe transport minister is right; we cannot get the traffic police to handover the ‘saman’ in M’sia. It needed to be posted! Most Malaysian are not immoral, uncivilized, dealing with the police (why? ), lead by an example of ‘you help me, I help you’. And DAP has the solutions for it! You get my vote LGE.
A society keep increasing ‘saman’, ‘saman ekor’, ‘saman diskaun’, ’saman tak bayar’, ‘saman should be deliver by police to lower chance of bribe’ tell only one single thing. That society is immoral and uncivilized! their ‘society education’ and ‘social responsibility’ has fail and rot!.
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I support Anil’s call for far-reaching reforms. But it would be nice if, as starters, the BN Government can provide the three “superficial sweeteners” promised by the DAP. The BN Government is in the position and has the resources to provide these sweeteners immediately to the people. By doing so, I am sure BN will be able to win a lot of votes.
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The proposals made by Anil must be included in the manifestos of the next GE! This is just but a small step to take to rebuild this country. We must do it for the sake of Malaysia.
While LGE may only have stated 3 incentives, which, I personally feel is not going to affect the improvement of the country in a big way, but, it will assist very much the senior citizens, the poor unemployed living in the cities, those in the rural areas and especially those in the estates. But, the major issues affecting the country right now is corruption, education, public health care, high crime rates, independence of the judiciary, MACC, Police, all institutions of Government.
Seriously, too much are not right in Malaysia now and it will take a herculean effort and at least 10 years to put things right.
I just had a conversation with a fellow classmate who holds a very senior position in a foreign Government agency, and just look at his disgusts and angers! I just cannot believe all these coming from someone whom I had thought to be pro BN all these while. He is a Malaysian Indian, and he said, if the Indian votes return to UMNO/BN, they will never ever have a chance for the next 50 years or ever! He holds a vice president post in one of the most glamorous Government Company overseas, and if such words of anger can come from someone who can feel it overseas, it is indeed sad, that many Malaysians are still sucking to the UMNO/BN led Government!
Salam Reformasi, vote PR! Vote for change! PAS for All, All for Pakatan Rakyat!
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Yang,
You are so smart, why don’t you do what you suggested? I only like to criticise LGE and reserve the right to do so. You want to criticise Najib that is your business. You are just a desperado who try to defend your master. If your master is right why should he be afraid of criticism? Why the knee jerking reaction? Isn’t it true, if LGE follow my advice by implementing micro-finance scheme more people will love him? The truth is you know, I know lah… Your boss is just plain incompetent!!!!!!!!!
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Now the intellectual snob is showing.. Why pretend we do not know what this is about. Its what it takes to win elections. All of us will s… all over the place if we don’t have indoor plumbing.
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Aren’t you afraid that if you vote for indoor plumbing, you’ll end up living in a toilet?
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What about promises made in GE12, like improving the traffic situation in Penang which is getting worse and the abolishing of Sg Nyior toll ? And just because someone touched on his shoulder…?
What kind of … a leader is that? I think they have conveniently forgotten those promises or failed , and now making new ones, but the most worrying is their big boss… who once mentioned bout Chinese schools n Indian temples and messed up big time all portfolios he held, only god knows what he’ll do when his dream comes through……
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Regardless of BN or PR,
the first 3 promises by DAP could have been what that has been outlined by Anil.
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Ha! ha! ha1 I have been following the comments by Ong Eu Soon. He is obviously harbouring a deep personal hatred of LGE. The type of language he used in describing LGE and the Penang State Govenment’s policies will not help him to win a debate. Very pitiful!
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Very true. Just like Komtar Seng.
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Najib keeps mentioning about his wishes and idealism as contained in the 10th Malaysian Plan. As the PM, he should appreciate better than the rest of us about the concept of walk the talk.
How could you march forward and expect your followers to follow you when they have no confidence in what you say to them? The case in point is about good governance. Can Najib tell us that under the 10th MP there is a commitment for the administration to be “transparent, accountable and open” in its governance?
Looking from the people’s perspective, there are the four cases handled by its instruments: the TBH (Teoh Beng Hock) inquest; Sodomy II; Boustead’s RM1.3 billion submarine maintenance contract; and N Tharmendran’s alleged torture by the Air Force. Where these things mentioned in the 10th MP?
Every single step that Najib takes is being closely watched by the people. As long as a gap exists, no amount of exhortation will help bring back the lost confidence.
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Wah Ken still typing at 3.54 am in the morning, no need to sleep ah?
Ya, that Ah Gong (Eu soon) and another one is k, the languages used by these two to bash LGE were venomous. Bad for their own body actually, beware !!!
Maybe they should share with the readers what LGE had done to them otherwise it only reflects badly on themselves – backfired la….
You dont gain respect that way, i dont know how about the rest but after one or two comments from them, i read no more.
To me,Gerakan k is still acceptable, he was just being playul, that was all.
Anyway, it is a holy month, guess, we should do more on self-reflection.
Salam and Reformasi !!!
p/s Did you hear Ah Gong, the remark for you is “very pitiful”.
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Hi， Dear Anil, may be it should be like these:
1.Nab all those evil goons from the rougue political parties, rouge judges, rouge police top brass, rouge public servants top brass, rouge politicians etc who are corrupted, let them be detained under ISA etc so that they will be able to taste their own medicines, then put them in prison and charge them for treason.
2. Set up special task force to track down all their ill gotten assets which they have stolen from the people for the past 50 years, and return it back to the people.
3. Put all these goons in special text books and make sure every young school kid learn it and remember them for a long long time for what they have done to this country and the people.
4. Set up special education unit to inform all the orang kampong regarding all the above so that they know exactly how they have been fooled by these goons for the past 50 years.
If PR is determined to go to Putrajaya, they have to let the people know that they have the ULTIMATE POLITICAL WILL and STEEL HEART to start a REFORM.
Can they do that?
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Food for thought from the late British intellectual Tony Judt:
http://www.inthesetimes.com/article/5986/a_new_day_for_the_new_deal/
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Dear Anil
Here’s the latest version of my “wish list”
BRAINSTORMING FOR MALAYSIA
Malaysia establishes a National Health Service (like the NHS in the United Kingdom)
Malaysia starts a programme of “Healthy Cities” and “Healthy Communities”
Malaysia introduces a programme to “green” its cities and towns
Malaysia introduces a system of “fair price shops” to sell affordable basic foods to poor people (like in Kerala, India)
Malaysia nationalizes its water, power and sanitation companies
Malaysia introduces a Finland-style system of primary and secondary education
Malaysia introduces a U.S.-style system of higher education
Malaysia introduces a German-style apprentice system for low academic achievers
Malaysia gives monthly child support payments to families with newborn children (for 3 years after birth)
Malaysia introduces a Minimum Wage
Malaysia introduces Affirmative Action for the poor of all ethnic groups
Malaysia outlaws all forms of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, gender, age, religion, disability
Malaysia introduces a Singapore-style public housing programme
Malaysia introduces a system of Unemployment Compensation
Malaysia abolishes its army and replaces it with a National Police (like Costa Rica)
Malaysia changes its transport policy to encourage walking, biking and public transport
Malaysia raises road tax for private motor vehicles and uses the funds generated to finance public transport
Malaysia builds a bullet train system to link Penang and Johor Baru
Malaysia changes its electoral system to a “proportional representation” system (like New Zealand)
Malaysia abolishes laws such as the Internal Security Act that allow detention without trial
Malaysia invites foreign observers (foreign poll watchers) for all elections
Malaysia recognizes dual citizenship and also makes it easier for ex-Malaysians to apply for permanent residency or to regain their citizenship
Malaysia sets up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission on the May 13 Tragedy
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Anil
Why do you want ‘far-reaching reform’ ?
Don’t you see that BN has been promising big reform plan all these years but they are all talk and little action. What is the success rate of all those grandiose plan under the various Malaysian Plans?
BN is only good in building white-elephant-type types of monuments, istana, pintu gerbang etc to enrich its ali-baba cronies. Now with APCO, everything also sounds big but actually hollow as no results from implementation.
We want austerity plan to cut wastage and corruption.
No need far reaching reform.
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Hi Yamani, Apart from eliminating corruption, don’t you think we also need major reforms to the judiciary, police, election commission, education system, etc?
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