On the evening of Sunday, 24 February 2013, there is to be a debate between the incumbent MP of Lembah Pantai, aka Puteri Reformasi, Nurul Izzah Anwar, and her likeliest contender for her Parliamentary seat, YB Senator Datuk Raja Nong Chik. There is just one problem with the publicised debate, only Nurul Izzah will be [...]

Recently Nurul Izzah stated Pakatan Rakyat’s stance that the hiring of new police personnel will be frozen if Pakatan wins in the next General Elections. Opposition Wants to Freeze Police Intake Pakatan Rakyat plans to freeze hiring new personnel should win General Elections-13, claiming that the ratio of police officers to population in the country [...]

Pakatan Rakyat has often preached on the importance of fiscal responsibility. In fact, the over arching theme of their Budget is to exercise stricter fiscal discipline and greater fiscal responsibility. So, how did their Budget measure up to their claims? According to Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Pakatan Rakyat’s shadow 2013 Budget [...]

For months we have been bombarded with the explosive news shouted to the rooftops by SUARAM that the French Government has initiated a trial on the Scorpene submarine deal. “This is proof that the Government is corrupt!!”, SUARAM triumphantly crowed to all and sundry. But lately all we can see of SUARAM is their increasingly [...]

What is the role of an elected representative? Well, to me, it’s quite simple. The role of an elected representative is to represent the people who elected the representative. In the case of Malaysia, an ADUN or a Member of Parliament’s role is to represent the people in his or her constituency. He or she [...]

Soalan 1: Kenapa perlu ada Pasar Malam? Dan dalam situasi apakah DBKL akan berikan lesen Pasar Malam? Jawapan 1: DBKL akan berikan lesen Pasar Malam, antara lain, jika, (i) Ada permohonan dari Persatuan Penduduk tempatan untuk diadakan Pasar Malam, dan permintaan lebih banyak dari bantahan. (ii) Ada pasaran (‘catchment’) penduduk tempatan untuk melanggani Pasar Malam. [...]

These past few days have seen various statements issued by PKR and DAP over the composition of the cabinet. PKR set the ball rolling when Suhaimi Shafie, PKR Selangor Information Chief, stated that 20 senior PKR leaders will be given seats in the Cabinet after the next general Elections. This statement was immediately slammed by [...]

In their recent 2013 Budget, Pakatan announced a minimum wage rate of RM1,100. With BN having earlier announced a RM900 minimum wage rate, is this just a populist Pakatan promise trying to outdo BN, a promise destined never to be fulfilled, or is there a solid economic grounding behind this figure? The first question that [...]

It is positively baffling why Nurul Izzah, Member of Parliament for Lembah Pantai, objected to the setting-up of the 1Wilayah Security Fund by the Ministry of Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing when the fund was clearly designed to help increase the security level of housing areas around the Federal capital. Last month, the FT Minister, [...]

Pelik bila Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai, Nurul Izzah, mempertikaikan penubuhan Tabung Keselamatan 1 Wilayah oleh Kementerian Wilayah Persekutuan dan Kesejahteraan Bandar sedangkan tabung itu jelas untuk membantu meningkatkan tahap keselamatan kawasan perumahan sekitar ibu kota. Tambah pelik apabila ia dikaitkan dengan kegagalan pihak polis dalam menangani jenayah. Alahai. Sebenarnya Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai itu cuma [...]

Dulu wakil rakyat seorang ini beria-ia membantah Projek Pembangunan Semula Flat 4 Tingkat Kampung Kerinchi, sekarang beliau jadikan Penjaja Pasar Malam Kampung Kerinchi pula sebagai modal untuk melambatkan projek pembangunan berkenaan. Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai, Nurul Izzah Anwar nampaknya sudah terdesak sehingga sanggup mementingkan segelintir penjaja yang kebanyakkan orang luar berbanding penduduk sendiri yang terlibat [...]

Recently, Anwar flew into some turbulence when photographs of him and his entourage on board a luxury jet heading towards Labuan, Sabah and Sarawak was posted online. Despite the furore over the pictures, Anwar and Pakatan seem unperturbed, saying that it’s no big deal. Reacting to the criticisms, Anwar tweeted on Saturday: “What’s the issue? [...]

A FUND to help beef up security in housing estates in Kuala Lumpur will soon be set up between the Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry and developers of housing estates and private companies in October. The fund, called the 1Wilayah Security Fund, aims to enhance security in city neighbourhoods by upgrading and refurbishing security [...]

Dass, my Indian friend, a true-blue Bangsarian whose life revolves around his Lorong Maarof home-Plaza Damas-Bangsar Village triangle, was aghast and incensed at the news that the PAS Syura Council completely ignored the Nasharuddin Md Isa issue. “I tell you bro …” he said. “If like this don’t be surprised PAS will lose many youngsters’ [...]

Remember those “weapons of mass destruction?” How chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons programs were said to be part of Saddam Hussein’s arsenal – posited as the rationale for invading Iraq in the wake of 9/11, along with the belief that the Iraqi dictator somehow was helping Al Qaeda? After a massive US-led invasion in 2003 [...]

Remember Augustine Paul? To Pakatan Rakyat politicians, he was the poster child of everything that was “wrong” with the Courts. The accusation was that in that Augustine Paul-presided case, the Government interfered with what Judge Augustine Paul decided, all throughout the proceedings. He could do no right. And since then, how many hundreds of times [...]

How foolish are we? There are hundreds of problems that we as a society and nation face. And yet our so-called leaders, from Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat alike, appears to think that a girl stomping on a portrait is a problem of utmost importance, although I concede that the fact that it was the [...]

I READ with great interest the opinion piece by Fahmi Fadzil, the political secretary to the Lembah Pantai Member of Parliament entitled “Tirelessly serving despite obstacles” which appeared on page 14 of The Malay Mail on Wednesday, Aug 29. It was published purportedly in response to the writings of the newspaper’s own reporter previously, entitled [...]

The Sin Chew-Mohamad Sabu spat is a big, big eye-opener for those who can think for themselves. Obviously, if you are a Pakatan Rakyat Supporter, following the issue may make you squirm, as the Pas Deputy President, the No. 2 in PAS no less, clearly was speaking a different tune. After all, hasn’t PAS publicly [...]

In an open society, everything is laid out under the sun for public scrutiny. I personally have nothing against what PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu has said. On the contrary, I used to have very high regards for his candidness, and his relatively open and pragmatic attitude towards things. Such a perception has been reflected [...]