Anil Netto : Bala - before and after “fish-head curry”

Source : Anil Netto's Blog

The Sandiwara Continues..PI retracts statutory declaration

KUALA LUMPUR, July 4 — The Najib-Altantuya Shaariibuu case took a dramatic turn today when the private investigator who made startling allegations about the Deputy Prime Minister’s relations with the Mongolian model retracted his statutory declaration.

P. Balasubramaniam told reporters that all of what he alleged was wrong. He then rushed off without taking any questions. The manner in which he retracted the statutory declaration will raise more questions about this whole affair. He told friends yesterday that he had come under severe pressure after releasing the statutory declaration.

Read the whole story here

IF YOU HAVE RM 500.00 PUNB WILL GIVE RM 50,000

I came across this advertisement in the local paper of PUNB scheme to assist Bumiputra graduates.

Could the government not assist deserving Non Bumiputra graduates with similar schemes? I think the less said is better. The contents are self explanatory. Read and make your own conclusion.

NO INVESTMENT BY SINGAPORE IN ISKANDAR

Finally it has been confirmed that Johor have not received any investment from Singapore in Iskandar Malaysia.

Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman at the State Assembly when replying to question by Dr Sheikh Ibrahim (PAS Sg. Abong) said that Johor had received several investment from foreign countries including the Middle East. However, the state “have not received any form of investment from our neighbouring country (Singapore). (see Star July, 1)

I am the least bit surprised.

When small minded politician with a myopic view regularly ups the ante with jingoistic statements that Iskandar Malaysia will meet the same fate as Pedra Branca and send the message that Singapore’s investment is unwelcome, we must realise that Singaporeans in the circumstances will not be foolish or desperate enough to invest good money in Iskandar Malaysia. Period.

Watching and blogging for a better-run city
Norman Fernandez

Norman Fernandez is a lawyer and vice-chairman of Johor DAP. In 2004 and 2008, he contested the Stulang state seat.

















EFFECTIVE: Norman Fernandez runs the JB Watch blog.

PREVIOUSLY, whenever I saw, heard or received any public complaints, I would write letters to the local authorities to complain or telephone their office asking to speak to the person-in-charge.

Most of the time, I never got a reply. My calls were met with replies such as “menghadiri kursus” (attending courses), at a briefing or on leave.

Returning telephone calls does not seem to be in the work culture of some local authority staff and officials.

Fed up with knocking on closed doors, I had three choices — throw in the towel and turn a blind eye to problems as I am not an elected state assemblyman or local councillor, continue writing letters to the local councils or think of some other way to highlight the complaints and shortcomings.

Suddenly an idea struck me. Why not start a blog?

Five months ago, I started www.johorbahruwatch.blogspot.com, with the motto “Watching Johor Baru”.

I was not comfortable with the idea of walking around with a digital camera. Since my handphone is equipped with a fairly good camera, I was able to take photographs immediately when I saw some shoddy work.

All I needed to do next was to upload it to my blog using my laptop.

Since February, I have uploaded many images of clogged drains, potholes, uncovered manholes and damaged public facilities in the city.

I have also highlighted problems of missing metal covers, tilting lamp-posts, illegal advertisement posters and foreigners who make a living peddling wallets and other items on the streets.

When I upload the images on my blog, I also send a letter of complaint via email to MBJB. Since I set up the blog, I feel local authorities have taken notice of what I post on it. Things get resolved, although not always as quickly as I hope.

Highlighting the problem areas in the city, via the blog, has become more effective than writing and faxing to the authorities. Now, I even address my complaint directly to the authorities, including the Johor Baru mayor, on my blog. And the responses I received are “better” and faster. Maybe they are reading my blog.

For example, recently, city council contractors who were engaged in beautification work on the sidewalks left metal bolts protruding there. It was an accident waiting to happen. What was shocking was that no one from the council had come around to check on the completed work.

After a couple of weeks, just as I had anticipated, disaster struck when a 78-year-old man tripped and injured himself after hitting the protruding metal bolts at Jalan Gereja.

I took photographs of the injured man, put the pictures of the dangerous metal bolts in my blog, wrote a letter to the council informing them what had happened and demanded compensation for him.

The local press also highlighted the incident. Within 48 hours, all the protruding metal bolts around Jalan Gereja and Jalan Trus were covered with plastic cones. For good measure, and to prevent the cones from being stolen, they were secured with metal screws.

Why didn’t the council think of this in the first place? I have also been told that the council, as a gesture of goodwill, has given the injured old man a small amount of money.

I am pleased that my blog has helped someone. I am also glad to note that newspapers are downloading my blog and using the pictures in their stories.

What is clear is that the Internet and blogs are an excellent medium which can be used to interact with the local authorities.

It is obvious the local authorities would not feel comfortable to see shortcomings and shoddy work highlighted openly.

I am a proud Johorian, born in Kluang, and have made Johor Baru my workplace and home.

Naturally, I ought to take pride in my city and help make it a great city. As such, I must ensure that the local authority delivers good service to its residents.

I will continue to highlight issues pertaining to Johor Baru and MBJB in my blog.

As Reported in NST Johor Buzz 01.07.2008.

MIC in a quandary

The Star

MIC Youth leader S.A. Vigneswaran has resigned and threatened to open his former mentor’s Pandora’s box. These are signs that something is really not right in the party.IT IS rare for leaders in MIC to resign. The usual way to disconnect with the party is through expulsion.

Therefore it was a rare occasion for MIC Youth leader S.A. Vigneswaran, a one time blue-eyed boy of party president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, to announce on Sunday his immediate resignation from the party.They had a fallout after Vigneswaran indirectly sided with rebels in the MIC whose aim is to pressure Samy Vellu to quit.

Vigneswaran or Vicky as he is known to those close to him, gave a rambling press conference going back and forth about Samy Vellu and how the March 8 election disaster is all Samy Vellu’s doing.The departure has left many in the MIC and outside speechless at what they say is “the waste” in Vicky's resignation.

Samy Vellu’s opponents had hoped Vicky would stay in the party and fight the MIC president from inside and hopefully force him to quit.Others had hoped he would be such an irritant to Samy Vellu in the MIC that the party supremo would be forced to sack him and in the process incur the wrath of the party’s Youth wing.

In the end it appears Vicky, who first became Youth leader in 2002, was not cut out to be the hero the “rebels” in the MIC and outside had hoped for.

“He is not the man to bell the cat,” said a disappointed member of the MIC central working committee.
“He does not have the guts or the vision.”
Besides, a big question mark hangs over Vicky’s political career.

He lost badly in the last general election and remains generally unpopular in the community largely because of his “arrogant” ways and the strong support he had always given to Samy Vellu.Nevertheless his resignation hits Samy Vellu hard in several areas and at a time when pressure is mounting on the MIC chief to leave the political stage, taking responsibility for the election disaster.

One is at a personal level. Vicky’s father M. Sanasee was a close personal friend of Samy Vellu in the 70s and 80s and a strong ally who helped Samy Vellu rise up in the Selangor MIC.
After Sanasee died in 1982, he promoted his brother Datuk K. Sellathevan up the ladder and later gave a helping hand to Vicky when he was hanging around in Klang town and not making any headway in life.

“It was Samy Velu who took care of his education and promoted him in the MIC, all because of the heartfelt gratitude, the party supremo has for his late friend Sannasee.“It will hurt deeply that it is a son of Sanasee who has stabbed him publicly,” said a former Selangor MIC leader.

On another level, Vicky’s resignation leaves the party president without a strong arm to enforce his rule in the party and at a time when his leadership is being questioned.

Vicky founded and headed a paralegal force called Pani Padai or Briged Putera, believed to be a vehicle to enforce order and compliance at MIC and Maika Holdings gatherings.While many were Indians youths genuinely interested in helping the MIC, some of the members were of questionable background, party insiders said.

Vicky on Sunday announced that the 20,000-strong brigade would be disbanded probably to deny Samy Vellu use of its members.

But party sources said Samy Vellu is already working to reconstitute the force and has asked Datuk M. Saravanan, a new rising star in the MIC and Deputy Federal Territories Minister, to either temporarily head the unit or find a new leader.

Samy Vellu will need all the help he can get as despite the pressure to quit, he is seeking re-election as MIC president for a final term in March 2009.As for Vicky, he is heading for something called the Malaysian Indian Youth Development, a private vehicle that will allow him to remain afloat and take constant snipes at his former mentor.

He has also promised, now that he is no longer an MIC member, to open the Pandora’s box of misdeeds by Samy Vellu.Likewise it must have crossed Samy Vellu’s mind to return the favour by opening the lid on his former blue-eyed boy’s box.

Mohd Saiful Bukhari

The police report made by one Mohd Saiful Bukhari against Anwar Ibrahim can be read at Rocky's Bru. This Saiful Bukhari is a UNITEN drop out who incidentally had been caught on camera with numerous top UMNO officials, read here.

HAMIDAH OSMAN, UMNO-BARISAN NASIONAL'S RACIST ADUN

This is the picture of Hamidah Osman. This UMNO-BARISAN NASIONAL racist bitch is the Perak Legislative Assembly member (ADUN) for Sungai Rapat. I really wanted to call her a PIG but that would have unneccessarily insulted Pigs.

During the Assembly sitting, she uttered a racial slur against Indians. Nothing surprising as she simply joins an illustrious list of racist bigots from Barisan Nasional-UMNO politicians who when unable to engage the brain, suffered intelligence blackout and immediately puked racist slurs.

She is unfit to hold public office and never again must good Malaysians elect her. She should hang her head in shame. She owes an apology to all Malaysians. Good Malaysians can do without her and those like her.