DAP is playing the "victim" card in ROS issue

DAP has filed a judicial review at the High Court seeking an order to quash a decision by the Register of Societies (ROS) to withhold recognition of its Central Executive Committee (CEC) which was re-elected on Sept 29, 2013.

This re-election, in fact, was held because the ROS would not recognise the party’s first election of Dec 15, 2012.

In the application filed by DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng recently on Jan 22, the party is also seeking for a declaration that the ROS’ decision is invalid under the law. The matter is fixed for hearing before High Court judge Zaleha Yusof on March 11.

“We say ROS did not have the power under the Societies Act to withhold recognition of a lawfully elected CEC,” said DAP’s legal bureau chairman and Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo earlier this week.

The reason that the ROS is withholding recognition of DAP’s CEC is because of more than a dozen complaint letters which the party’s own members and leaders sent to the ROS.

The complaints that the ROS received are as follows:
1. Inadequate notice period (which should have been 10 weeks, as what DAP chairman Karpal Singh himself admitted).
2. The 851 delegates who were absent or not invited to the re-election when they were eligible to attend and vote at the meeting.
3. The 985 instead of 865 branches that were involved in the re-election.
4. The delegates’ list Dec 15, 2012 was not used, as they should have.
5. The proper notice of the meeting was not issued.
6. The election was not transparent.
7. Suspected elements of fraud.
8. Suspicious election results.
9. Manipulation of votes.

All these allegations were raised by DAP’s own members and leaders.

Playing victim
DAP’s veteran leader Lim Kit Siang should address these issues and explain how this happened and why nothing has been done to correct these violations in spite of repeated requests by the ROS.

DAP is trying to play the victim in this tussle with the ROS although from the admissions of the party’s own members and leaders, DAP is actually the aggressor that not only violated the law but is stubbornly refusing to correct the transgressions.

Is DAP purposely inviting action from the ROS so that it can play the sympathy card and pretend that it is the victim of persecution and injustice?

DAP is accusing the ROS of victimising the party.

DAP must remember that even Umno is not exempted from following the rules, as the Umno crisis of 1988 has proven.

And worse of all, DAP did not just violate the rules of the ROS, it actually violated its own party constitution.

The writer is Sabah’s deputy Umno chief and the state assembly speaker.

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Guan Eng Has Urged To Uphold CAT Principles over Penang Undersea Tunnel Project

The Citizens Awareness Chant Group (Chant) has called for the Pakatan Rakyat state government to uphold its Competency, Accountability and Transparency (CAT) principles by disclosing full details of the proposed Penang undersea tunnel project.

Chant urged Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s administration to publish details in the media for all to see.

“We ask for CAT at the highest level of the state government, the Chief Minister and the awarded company for this project,” the group said in a statement here today.

“We demand full disclosure of the tunnel feasibility study, which costs about RM300 million and equates to 5.5-acres of state land belonging to the people of Penang.”

The group also want the state government to reveal details of a proposed “City of Dreams” project rumoured to be part of the tunnel project.

“The project site is rumoured to be near the landed residential area in Gurney Drive, on a piece of land that will be or has already been surrendered to the state government.”

Chant said residents concerned on whether their quiet residential streets would be used as access once the project started had approached the group seeking assistance and clarification.

“When we visited the sales booth, the sales personnel were unable to tell us who was the developer, where and when this project is scheduled to start,” added Chant.

The undersea 6.5km tunnel linking Gurney Drive on Penang island to Bagan Ajam on the mainland is part of a mega infrastructure project planned by Lim’s government.

The mega project includes a 4.2km bypass road linking Lim Chong Eu Expressway and Gurney Drive; a 4.6km bypass linking Air Itam and Lim Chong Eu Expressway; and a 12km Tanjung Bunga-Teluk Bahang road.

The tunnel is scheduled to be ready in 2025; the Tanjung Bunga–Teluk Bahang stretch is to be completed by 2018; the Lim Chong Eu Expressway and Gurney Drive by-pass link by 2022 and Air Itam–Lim Chong Eu Expressway by-pass link by 2019.

The project, estimated to cost RM6.3 billion, has been awarded to Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd.

The consortium’s main shareholders are Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd and China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd (CRCC) with a joint 70% equity share; Beijing Urban Construction Group with 10% equity; Sri Tinggi Sdn Bhd 10% equity; and Juteras Sdn Bhd 10% equity.

CRCC will undertake 70% of construction works while BUCG will construct 30% of the whole project.

Tunnel still needed, says Lim
Yesterday Lim was reported to have said that the tunnel was still needed despite the opening of the Penang second bridge – the Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah Bridge on March 1.

Lim claimed the tunnel would be a catalyst for future development in northern Seberang Perai, a statement concurred by Chant.

Chant suggested that a rail link be incorporated with the undersea tunnel so that mainland residents do not miss out on the future growth.

Following public demand, Chant plans to commission an independent study on the tunnel project, which would be a costly affair. They are looking into collecting a minimum RM1 per person from Penangites for funding of the study.

The group has appointed Ghazi & Lim, a prominent law firm in Southeast Asia to act as stake holder for the public funds collected.

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GUAN ENG! Would You Mind To Halt Your Nonsenses?

Wah, this person very misleading.. he go and say BN govt sold thousands of acres of land at Tanjung Tokong at RM1 per square feet and included it in his calculations and say the previous BN sold land too cheaply.

Please... that Tanjung Tokong land was NOT EVEN LAND! It was a reclamation project awarded 15 years ago and the price of RM1 was just the rights to reclaim and once reclaimed the developer still have to pay for land alienation premium and also the conversion premium and also hand-over 10% of the reclaimed land BACK to the State Govt. As part of the deal, the developer also had to build subsidized low-cost housing.

Why do you divert the blame with misleading figures away from the fact that you sold land below current Market Price at Batu Kawan to ASPEN at just RM45 per feet and allow 5 years free installment at just RM9psf per year?

BTW, how can you go and compare the price of prime COMMERCIAL land to INDUSTRIAL land?

By the way, it is not accurate to say the land is for IKEA since IKEA uses only a small part of that land, the rest is going to be yet another property development project by ASPEN group - which is 49% owned by Ivory Properties, the same company that you sold land cheaply (also with 5 year interest-free installments) at Bayan Mutiara only 3 years ago at RM240psf and just 3 years later, the houses there are now selling at more than RM1,000 psf.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/penang-bn-denies-selling-land-for-rm1-per-sq-ft

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GO TO THE HELL, PENANG'S CM!!!

Turun rally in Penang to proceed despite LGE's advice
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It is learnt that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has advised NGOs protesting price hikes to postpone their rally planned for tomorrow in Seberang Jaya.

The advice reportedly came in view of the rise in tensions resulting from two pro-BN rallies last weekend protesting a kangkung theme flash mob organised by Machang Bubuk assemblyman Lee Khai Loon, which protestors say insulted Prime Minister Najib Razak for using the vegetable to justify a series of price hikes in the country.

The first rally on Saturday in Seberang Jaya geard threats of a repeat of the May 13 racial riots, while the second on Sunday in Alma, Bukit Mertajam, ended in violence, with two men attacked by several protestors for allegedly uttering racist words.

State Jingga 13 coordinator Amizudin Ahmat said the NGOs respected Lim's concerns and advice but said Pakatan Rakyat leaders should not forget the people's anger towards the dramatic rise in cost of living.

"The people do not need leaders who forget the rakyat or those who only use the rakyat during general elections but after winning (votes) forget the rakyat," said Amizudin, in his Facebook posting today.

He urged the public to participate in the rally to be held at the open parking space in Bandar Sunway, from 2pm to 4pm tomorrow.

Peaceful rally, why fear?

He added that key personalities attending the rally include Deputy Chief Minister I Rashid Hasnon, PAS deputy president and state commissioner Mohamad Sabu, MPs - Mujahid Yusuf Rawa (Parit buntar) and Rafizi Ramli (Pandan) - and state assemblypersons Afif Bahardin (Seberang Jaya) and Lee Khai Loon.

When asked, Tanjung MP Ng Wei Aik denied there was ever a directive from Lim not to attend the rally.

Ng, who is state DAP Youth chief, however, said because of a prior engagement he will not be attending the event.

But DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh said DAP members have the right to do so as long as it is peaceful.

Unlawful rallies, he added, are those which seek to overthrow the government - a charge previously hurled at the Turun coalition of NGOs.

"BN leaders should also join the rally to explain to the people about the price hike. This is the best time for them to address the crowd and justify why the country needs to have it," said the Bukit Gelugor MP.

Karpal also called on the police to protect the rally-goers in case the event turns rowdy, saying there is no need to seek a permit for it, although state police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi vowed there would be no double standards and events without 10-day notice would be probed under the Peaceful Assembly Act.

"BN leaders have addressed thousands of people in many rallies over the years without a permit so police should not practise double standards," he said.

CM expressed concern

According to Amizudin, the CM's advice was relayed to PKR assemblypersons who attended the safety and security meeting at 3pm in Komtar yesterday.

The meeting was held to discuss the violence at last weekend's pro-Umno rallies and the recent case where assistant district officer Abu Hassan Osman was assaulted in front of 35 police officers during an operation to demolish illegal hawkers stalls in Teluk Bahang.

Lim's concerns were told to Amizudin and his team at a 9pm meeting last night at Cherok Tokun by PKR assemblypersons who also attended the 3pm meeting.

Meanwhile Afif, who is state executive councillor, expressed support for tomorrow's rally, urging participants to reject racist politics.

In an immediate response, Lim said that the advice given to the NGOs was based on a unanimous decision by all Pakatan reps who attended the meeting yesterday.

"Since the situation is tense, we tried to propose to the organisers to see if they can postpone the rally.

"(But) if they insist on proceeding with the rally, we will not stop them. We gave the suggestion solely because of the tense situation," he stressed.

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