The plight of refugee children in Malaysia is a sad one. They are among the forgotten children in our land.
“We’re sorry Pakatan has to deal with BN’s mess, but…”
Tanjung Bunga Residents Association chairman George Aeria reflects after handing in a residents’ memo calling for a ban on property development on steep hill-slopes in Penang:
With the submission of the memorandum to our state government (via YB Phee), the TBRA and the Chee Seng Gardens Action Committee have decided to give our new and better state government (from the last one-lah) a two-month period to see concrete action. In fact, in my discussion with YB Phee on the day of submission, he did indicate that he might come back to us earlier. We are pleased with his statement and his care for the environment of Penang.
To put on record, the TBRA and Chee Seng Garden Action Committee is VERY aware that this whole mess is caused by the past government under the unresponsive Gerakan-Koh Tsu Koon and Umno government with all their irresponsible approvals. He lost badly and even had to get out of Tanjung Bunga to contest on the mainland because he knew the groundswell against him and he would have lost.
This is what a ‘walkabout in KL’ looks like
Mingling with the masses. Sipping a refreshing drink with your buddies at a local stall (but not finishing it despite all that stirring; too sweet?). Finding out how ordinary Malaysians live.
LIVE: No ‘kejutan besar’… Mansor Othman it is
Photo credit: Romerz (More pictures here)
2213: The worst kept secret is officially revealed: Mansor Othman has been chosen as the PKR candidate for the Penanti by-election on 31 May.
2207: The candidate is expected to be announced anytime now.
2148: Anwar is now addressing the crowd. The other speakers are Wan Azizah, Guan Eng, Zahrain, Fairus, and Balik Pulau MP Yusmadi.
2144: Manikumar, the victorious PKR candidate in the Bukit Selambau by-election, has just walked in.
2136: Former Penang Deputy Chief Minister Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin has made a surprise appearance with Anwar at a ceramah in Penanti that is now in progress, says my contact at the scene.
Ban steep hill-slope projects, urge Tg Bunga residents
Tanjung Bunga Residents Association chairman George Aeria hands over the residents’ memo to the Penang state exco member for the environment, Phee Boon Poh – Photo by TBRA
At 3.15pm today, sirens blared and then two thunderous blasts followed by a smaller one unnerved residents of the Coastal Towers apartment blocks in Tanjong Bunga. At the nearby Straits Regency apartments, windows vibrated – even above the 10th floor
It is not surprising that residents groups from Tanjung Bunga, Penang, have joined forces to call for a ban on current and future projects on steep hill-slopes. Yesterday morning, representatives from these groups handed over a memorandum, signed by 1,558 residents, urging the Penang state government to do something.
They are not interested in stop-work orders; they want a permanent ban.
Abad Naluri’s deposits seized; now what, PDC?
After the PGCC fiasco, the end of Abad Naluri’s interest in the Turf Club land (and its plans for a new racecourse in Batu Kawan) draws closer. The Turf Club has seized RM4.5 million in deposits from Abad Naluri after the company failed to start work on a new race course.
This from the NST:
“Abad Naluri has until March 30, 2011, to complete the RM375 million PIEC project,” Ong said after the club’s annual general meeting yesterday.
The company entered into a RM488-million agreement to build an ultramodern racecourse in Batu Kawan in exchange for the club land and to pay the difference of RM103 million to the club. The developer paid the club RM10 million after signing the original agreement.
It had proposed to redevelop the club land into the Penang Global City Centre (PGCC), a project that has since been scrapped.
The two parties signed a supplemental agreement on April 1 last year on a timeframe for the developer to complete construction of PIEC.
It is good to see the Penang Turf Club taking the right steps to enforce the conditions in its agreements with Abad Naluri.
The biggest financial fraud ever
People are discovering what a rip-off neo-liberalism has been, observes financial economist and historian Dr Michael Hudson, in this interview “The way we were and what we are becoming” aired on 4 March 2009.
Click to listen (or download)
Is liberalisation of services a good thing for Malaysia?
Blog reader KJ shares his thoughts with us:
Re liberalisation/de-regulation: I think the general literature is pretty clear on this that over the past quarter century or more liberalisation has meant de-regulation. It was said that over-regulation was the problem, hence the need to liberalise, i.e., de-regulate.
This should not be confused with competition and a competition policy. Many comments on this, and the previous, post appear to have confused a liberalisation stance with a competition policy stance. In many areas, liberalisation has, in fact, created monopolies, and allowed monopolies to flourish. One clear example is the media: the Murdoch group controls Fox, Star, the Wall Street Journal, Dow Jones, The Times (UK), Far Eastern Economic Review, etc. The five largest banks in the US — most of them in deep s… — control over 70 per cent of the business, are busy raising credit card fees, cutting credit lines, etc.
Should there be a competition policy? Yes.
As for whether the foreign boys will do better than the local, well, in the first instance, at this time and the medium term, there isn’t going to be much investment.
Free market champion admits his ideology wasn’t right
They got it wrong:
- the regulators who thought the liberalised financial sector would work just fine by itself, and
- stock market pundits and the financial media who were giving the public a false sense of security ahead of the crash.
“I was shocked”: Alan Greenspan, a longtime ideological champion of free competitive markets and deregulation, admits under official questioning that his model was distressingly flawed, not right, and not working.
Najib’s “liberalisation” could open Pandora’s Box
Pardon me for raining on Najib’s sweeping economic “liberalisation” parade.
For one thing, I don’t think the government fully understands the ramifications of its gung-ho approach to liberalisation in the services sector, especially the financial services sub-sector. Still beholden to the FDI-driven model of economic growth, the government is obviously hoping that its “liberalisation” will result in hordes of foreign investors stampeding into the local market. Sure, more big investors might come in – but at what price to the local economy and small-timers?
The Chinese Malaysian business sector might welcome the removal of bumi quotas. Fed up with paying high prices for “protected items” such as locally made cars, many ordinary Malaysians too might actually welcome “liberalisation” – and I can understand where they are coming from.