Hudud: Stepping away from Parliamentary tradition

There is this hypothesis going around that UMNO supported PAS's motion to amend the 1983-passed hudud law in return to form a unity government with the ulamak faction in PAS. At least that  is how PASMA, DAP and PKR politicians are going around arguing against the new hudud law passed on March 18th.

The reactions against UMNO Kelantan's support for hudud from BN component members and possibly UMNO MPs from Sabah have been negative. PAS have submitted a private bill at parliament for a constitutional amendment to allow hudud in Kelantan and for Muslims. Some felt that was a trap for Dato Najib and UMNO.

If UMNO does not support, that the Mahfuz Omars of the world will have a field day to say they are right to accuse UMNO's hudud support was intended to split Pakatan. But if UMNO do support, they will have retribution from other BN component parties and UMNO leaders from Sabah.

It looks like a "Damn if I do damn, Damn if I don't" situation for Najib. However, blogger Life of Annie have an idea [read here]. Why not let the MPs vote without applying any instruction from the Chief Whip?

Vote out of their own view and along the aspirations of their constituent. It will be an interesting and positive break from past tradition of voting based on party line and power politicking. A political transformation at the very essence of democratic practise at a time the population is sick with excessive politicking and demanding issues be dealt with as issues per se.

Crowning of the Sultan of Johor

Tuanku Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar was crowned as the fifth Sultan of modern Johor at the Istana Besar Monday yesterday.

Sultan Ibrahim represents a new generation of royalty able to break past tradition to mingle directly and casually with the rakyat, express his views openly on issues and able to engage the media. Few bloggers here and many others had the honour of discussing issues with his Majesty.

His Majesty ascended to the throne in 2010 but the coronation was postphoned till yesterday. For Johorean, it is the first royal coronation in 55 years since Almarhum Sultan Iskandar decided not to do a coronation.

Johor Baru will be filled with street parades, fireworks and four days of free concerts at Danga Bay to commemurate the event.

March 23rd have already officially been gazetted as Hari Keputeraan Sultan Johor public holiday to coincide with the official crowning of the Sultan of Johor to replace the November 22nd public holiday.

Airshow, Airlines and Apology

It's been awhile that this blog posted anything about airlines since Khazanah announced their yet another turnaround plan. Since there have been many development since, might as well write all the happenings together as to update.

Despite the two aircrashes during training by the Indonesian stunt team [read Rakyat Post here], LIMA 2015 began today. This is the first LIMA for Defense Minister, Dato Hishamuddin Hussein Onn.

He claimed this year's LIMA will be the best ever. [Read MMO here]. He is not kidding because Dato Najib repeated the same claim [read Bernama here].

Words are he has been flying UMNO Division Heads over to Pulau Langkawi. Maybe he is just being thoughtful to give Division Heads exposure on the biggest ever LIMA. It is an industry convention which serve to put all the players - military and civil, aviation and maritime - together.

Though Malaysia is not shopping, more than RM9 billion of deals inked. [Read NST here].

Plight of the cab drivers

If the CPI was taken as indicator and pro-rata annual rate of 2.5% assumed, cost of living may have  gone up in the last 5 years at a compounded rate of 13-15%. Fuel up, maintenance of car up, and tyres and spare parts up but taxi fare remain the same for the poor cab drivers.

They are faced with the cut throat hire purchase repayment of RM55 a day or RM120 a day for airport taxi to be paid to the oligopoly of taxi companies. These companies use the hundreds or thousands of operating license available to them to top up over the interest rate Banks charged them.

Operating license are issued to companies or individuals but to secure an individual operating license, the waiting list could take years, requirement stringent and high level connection needed. Most operate under companies.

As a regular taxi user, we emphatise with cab drivers. Half the time, they had to first work to pay the companies before making the money to feed their family. Adding to their woes, there are too many cabs in the city, encroachment into their area of business, rent seekers and syndicate and gangsterism arising from poor enforcement.

Crony capitalist YTL failed to deliver 1Bestarinet

That looks like the ideal picture of 1Bestarinet working in schools. In reality, the crony capitalist YTL constructed system for school does not deliver. 

There will be those who think that we are exeggerating and it is not as bad as what have been written on the Internet. Some bureaucrats or politicians will make the cliche claim that the school teachers are happy and it is operating well but the common glich do happen. Those complaining are opposition supporters teachers.

It is not convincing enough. Our sister in law is a teacher in the city limit of Johor Baru, She voted for BN and complained incessantly about 1Bestarinet in family gatherings. Teachers had to use nearby Internet cafe to get their work done at their own expense.

Her two children laugh off 1Bestarinet as 1Bodohnet and at an early young age, they already built up the impression that YTL is a useless crony corporation.

The USA set-up base in Sabah

This piece of news would have missed the attention of Semenanjung Malaysians. It is too bad because it is an interesting development.

Since the last time we posted on the Forum on Malaysia Agreement in Kota Kinabalu on March 7th [read here], there was an interesting development.

Sabahkini report below:

No police report by PASMA on allegation of accepting DAP money

Several months ago, we met a cousin of former Kedah exco and MB aspirant of PAS, Dato Phahrolrazi Zawawi. He had just launched a "political" NGO to revive his political career called PASMA. His cousin's reply was simply, "He is stupid!"

Phahrolrazi could have make it as Kedah MB. He was impatient and stupid. Late Ustaz Azizan was already ill. He was already next in line. Why must he pick a fight with arwah?

He went on further to say the PASMA NGO he initiated to revive his ended political career is backing the Anwarinas to seize power from the ulamak. With much anger, he said what is the point of having assuming power by foresaking your causeand struggle?   

If he had known that Phahrolrazi paid a courtesy call on Lim Guan Eng at the height of the Kelantan flood disaster, the cousin would really flipped and maybe disowned him (if there is such a thing between cousins).

Phahrolrazi's cousin was a former local PAS youth leader whose late father was seldom referred to by PAS elders for opinion.