A case of rakyat subsidising the government ?

Gov't should profit from low fuel prices, says Shahrir
Malaysiakini

The government is justified to earn revenue from the recent drop of global oil prices as it had given out subsidies when prices were high, said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Shahrir Abdul Samad.

Speaking to Malaysiakini in Parliament yesterday, he said the government can make a profit if local fuel prices remain at RM2 per litre and global crude oil prices hover at around US$55 per barrel.Stressing that consumers were also benefiting from current low prices, he added, "Motorists have got some money in their pocket, which is the RM625 rebate we have given out."Shahrir said the government will start earning revenue with the help of the Automatic Pricing Mechanism (APM), where all costs are fixed, including the profit margins of oil companies and petrol station operators.

"Thus the oil companies will never make money beyond what we set because we control their margins.

"The rest (of the profits) will be taken by the government, which is a fairer system," Shahrir said."The question now is whether the government plans to give away (the money).

"We gave it away in the form of subsidies when prices were high, so it's only fair that the government makes some money now when prices are low."

The minister also explained that petrol stations will not be able to profit from the current low prices as they get a fixed margin of 12 sen per litre."If the retail price is higher than the market price, it is the government that benefits because we have taken care of their margins. If the prices are low, petrol stations will still enjoy the same margins," he said.Shahrir, however, said the decision to earn revenue has not been made as the government has yet to set a floor price for fuel, in which prices are not allow to go lower than a set level.

The issue will be discussed in an economic council meeting on Dec 1. The minister had earlier said he favoured a floor price of RM1.92 per litre.Subsidy policy remainsTwo days ago, Shahrir revealed that the government had stopped paying petrol subsidies since Nov 1 when global crude oil prices dipped below US$65 per barrel."At the price today, which is at RM2 (per litre), there is no subsidy and we do not have to pay.

"The subsidy is not going to be abolished, it is just that we have stopped subsidising (at the moment)," he told reporters.He also said the subsidy policy will remain as the government is still giving out subsidies for diesel and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as well as a petrol rebate for motorists."Don't forget we give direct cash benefit to the motorists through the rebate. So we are still giving the subsidy, but there is no subsidy at the pump level," he explained.

Shahrir’s statement was a departure from what the deputy prime minister-cum-finance minister had stated in his Budget 2009 winding-up speech on Nov 4. Najib Abdul Razak had then said that the government would maintain a 30-sen fuel subsidy at the pumps. Global oil prices have already fallen substantially when he made the speech in Parliament.

Related posts

Govt to make u-turn

BARKING AT THE ROAD SIGNS

Briefly this is the state of the country as at Tuesday 11th November 2008.

1.Business Times Singapore reports that according to the latest figures from Bank Negara, Malaysia's international reserve position shows a further US$7.4 Billion decline to US$100 Billion as at 31st October. That amount according to Bank Negara is sufficient to finance 8.1 months of retained imports.

For the month of October Bank Negara's reserves fell by US$9.5 Billion compared US$12.8 Billion for the month of September. In fact, Malaysia's reserves have fallen by US$25.5 Billion since it peaked at US$125.7 Billion in June.

Any Barisan Nasional politician concerned of the falling reserves ? Nope.

2.Next, The Finance Minister recently informed that the government will borrow RM5 Billion from Employees Provident Fund, yup ! Simpanan Hari Tua Anda, to fund the government investment agency Valuecap Sdn Bhd. Basically what Valuecap would do is use your money to invest in companies where the share prices are low but have strong fundamentals and potentials.

Any Barisan Nasional politician raised any objections in Parliament ? Nope. Only the Pakatan Rakyat M.P's are engaging the Government in a furious debate.

3.Next,according to Malaysian Insider, it has learned that the Finance Ministry is conducting an audit of assets that it owns or has a stake in and apparently the government is mulling the possibility of raising cash by disposing its assets. Fire sale?

Any Barisan Nasional politician concerned ? Nope.

Now, contrast that to the reaction by Barisan Nasional and UMNO politicians to the decision of the Pulau Pinang state government giving its approval to Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang,to erect multi lingual road signs. Barisan Nasional and UMNO politicians are behaving like bats out of hell and attacking the Pulau Pinang government and its Chief Mininister Lim Guan Eng.

Its not as if Lim Guan Eng has decided to make all road signs in Pulau Pinang multi lingual. But the way the issue is being potrayed is as if Lim Guan Eng has decided to errect multi-lingual road signs in the whole of Pulau Pinang. Not that Lim Guan Eng has decided to change the name Kepala Batas to Kitsiang Jaya or Bukit Glugor to Bukit Karpal. All that Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang is doing is to put up road signs in Chinese, Tamil and Arabic along with the national language in the heritage areas of Georgetown which was recently declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco.

In fact Lim Guan Eng has gone on record stating that multi-lingual road signs will take account of characterictic of the area. Thus if it is a Malay heritage area, the road sign will be in Bahasa Malaysia and Arabic/Jawi. Alas, Barisan Nasional UMNO politicians chose to turn the whole issue into a racial issue and try to pit the Malays against the Non Malays. Despite the clarification by Lim Guan Eng, it does not pacify Barisan Nasional and UMNO politicians who are continuing with their protest, even though it was revealed that the previous Barisan Nasional state government had approved multi-lingual road signs and had even allocated funds for the project. So why the hypocricy?

Yesterday members of UMNO Tanjung went unannounced to the Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang office to hand in their memorandum. The memorandum stated that such a move would incur the anger of the Malays in the state and it warned what would happened to the state if chaos broke out. Malay anger or UMNO anger?

Prior to this, a member of the pro-tem committee of Gabungan Graduan Melayu Muda (don't they have better things to do like helping out unemployed and unemployable graduates?)filed a law suit against the Pulau Pinang state government and Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang. Apparently the roads signs are at odds with article 152 of the Federal Constitution. Of course other bedfellows like academicians, linguist and nationalists have all joined in and had their three minute fame on TV and in the newspapers particularly Utusan Malaysia, lambasting the Pulau Pinang state government and its Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. Some of these creatures who find it an impossibility to articulate a sensible and valid argument,instead revert to the all encompasing and all weather war cry "mencabar ketuanan Melayu".

Funny, no Barisan Nasional UMNO politicians, academicians or any nationalist raised article 152, ketuanan Melayu or warned about rising anger and chaos, when the the Court Complex in Putrajaya was (for a long time) known as the Palace of Justice simply because it was not politically right to call it Istana Keadilan. There are no demonstation or filing of lawsuits seeking a declaration that the streets in Putrajaya remove the prefix "prescint" and "boulevard" because it is at odds with article 152 of the Federal Constitution. No one foamed in his mouth or marched into the Sarawak Chief Minister's office and demanded the Sarawak state government and Kuching City Council to remove the Chinese road signs. And what's this Ain Arabia in Chinese heartland of Bukit Bintang. No Barisan Nasional politician has objected to the Kuala Lumpur City Council bending over and pandering to the Arabs. I know of one road in Kuala Lumpur named Jalan Isfahan. I am sure that road will not lead you to Isfahan, Iran ( though some has genuine fear that's where the country is leading to).

So what's the hue and cry over the multi-lingual road signs in Penang. Why the double standard?

I must applaud Lim Guan Eng for standing firm in his decision.

rahmat bahagia.....crash...boom...bang...!!!!

Malaysiakini

Despite video evidence, Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar has denied that the police moved in on participants at a candlelight vigil last night while they were singing the national anthem.

"That is what they (participants) are claiming," Khalid told reporters at the Petaling Jaya police district headquarters about midnight.

According to Tony Pua, who was also arrested, the Police charged in when they were about the finish singing the Negaraku, a fact supported by Malaysiakini video.




Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar's answers the media ;


"i am denying it"
When told that there was a video recording of the police action.

“He was part of the illegal gathering.”
On why Malaysiakini videographer Syukri Mohamad had been detained when he was on duty

“That doesn’t matter. The law says that a permit must be obtained.”
When asked if the group had posed a danger to the public


By the way, Syed Hamid Albar's comment on this incident was....
Saya tak tahu pun..

What could the PM be doing ?

source

Maybe...
just maybe...
he maybe...
sleeping Zzzzzz
thinking hmmm
scheming heh...heh...heh
meditating mmmm
yoga aummmm

GONE TO HELL

Imam Samudra, Amrozi Nurhasyim and Ali Ghufron went to hell today via Nusakambangan Island, Indonesia courtesy of the Indonesian firing squad.

The evil trio were responsible for crimes against humanity and will be remembered for killing 88 Australians, 29 Britons and 8 Americans in the 2002 Bali bombing.

A welcome and induction party awaits them in hell.

More news from around the world.

Indonesia executes Bali bombers

Justice has been served

Bullets silence Bali Bombers

Survivors, families mourn Bali lost ones

Indonesia executes Bali bombers, radicals call for revenge

RPK freed

Benci = Ba***rd ?

"You bloody bastard, show me proof"

Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 – It is often referred to as “this august house” but conduct in the Dewan Rakyat today plumbed new depths with obscene language that would make even a street walker protest.
More than eyebrows were raised when a government MP called an opposition member a “bastard”.

Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) used the expletive on M. Kulasegaran (DAP-Ipoh Barat) after the Ipoh Barat member said the Pasir Salak Indian community “hated” Tajuddin.
Immediately, a furious Tajuddin yelled out “Bastard!”, and repeated the insult. “You bloody bastard, show me proof,” Tajuddin screamed. Full story here.

PS : Google's image search for Tajuddin Abdul Rahman produced an "interesting" result.

Obama wins!

The law allows detention up to 24 hours before needing to get an order from a magistrate....

even for a guy clad in a T-shirt bearing the words 'No to ISA' ?????

=======================================================

Deepavali bash: Man held over anti-ISA T-shirt
Andrew Ong Nov 4, 08 5:14pm

Malaysiakini

His curiosity piqued, KS Oliver and two friends attended a national-level open house in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

However, Oliver's festive mood came to a rude halt when he ended up being detained by the police for three hours over his 'dangerous' T-shirt.According to the 27-year-old Malaysiakini subscription executive, the police considered him a possible threat to the VVIPs present, which included Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Relating his ordeal, Oliver said he and his friends had visited the event after seeing a banner in KL Sentral regarding the bash, which was taking place at a nearby car park. The three were passing through exhibition booths when the police confronted them and escorted Oliver - who was clad in a T-shirt which bore the words 'No to ISA' - to a beat base in the vicinity. "I asked why I was detained and they asked why I wore this T-shirt. I asked what was wrong with the T-shirt and they said I could be a threat to the VVIPs present." "They gave me two options: Remove the T-shirt or remain at the police booth until the VVIPs leave. I refused to remove my shirt and chose to stay," he said.

Repeatedly quizzed during his detention, Oliver said he was repeatedly questioned by several police personnel about his background and purpose of attending the event. "I had to repeat myself like a tape recorder. At one point, one police officer asked if I was paid to wear the T-shirt," he said, adding that he wished the authorities would respect the freedom of expression.

However, Oliver said the police were professional and cordial throughout his detention.

Contacted later, Brickfields district police chief ACP Wan Abdul Bari Wan Ibrahim said Oliver was detained for documentation purposes and for the police to determine his reasons for being at the event."We needed to establish if he had any bad intentions," he said. On the duration of the detention, Wan Abdul Bari said the law allows detention up to 24 hours before needing to get an order from a magistrate. The national-level Deepavali open house is an annual event organised by the Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry.

Zaid Ibrahim's speech at the LawAsia 2008 conference

The 'Ketuanan Melayu' model has failed, declared former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim in an incisive speech at the LawAsia 2008 conference in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

"It has resulted in waste of crucial resources, energy and time and has distracted from the real issues confronting the country," said Zaid, who criticised the race-based policy despite being a member of the ruling Umno party which was set up to safeguard Malay interests.

The former minister called on the BN government to abandon its 'reworked' concept of the social contract and embrace a fresh perspective borne out of discussions and agreements made in good faith with all the communities. "It is time for us all to practise a more transparent and egalitarian form of democracy and to recognise and respect the rights and dignity of all the citizens of this country."

"We are a deeply divided nation, adrift for our having abandoned democratic traditions and the rule of law in favour of a political ideology that serves no one save those who rule."

"It makes us lose our sense of balance and fairness. When a certain Chinese lady was appointed head of a state development corporation, having served in that corporation for 33 years, there were protests from Malay groups because she is Chinese," he said referring to the controversy involving the appointment of Low Siew Moi as acting head of the Selangor Development Cooperation (PKNS).

"While I applaud the prime minister for calling upon the Indian community to reject extremism, should not a similar call be made on the Malay community and (Malay daily) Utusan Malaysia?

"They (the Malays) are not under seige. The institutions of government are such that the Malays are effectively represented, and there is no way the interest of the Malays can be taken away other than through their own weakness and folly."

The full speech can be downloaded in pdf format here

One Brave Malaysian

The NST today reported that Shahfrulnizam Abdul Malek was charged in Klang Sessions Court for robbing a Nigerian....yes a Nigerian of USD 2,000 at KLIA airport on October 22nd.

All I can say is that Shahfrulnizam is one brave and courageous man to pick on a Nigerian.

================================================================

NST

KLANG: A 31-year-old unemployed man was charged yesterday with robbing a Nigerian businessman last week.
Shahfrulnizam Abdul Malek claimed trial to committing the offence against Maxwell Nnamdi Nwanozie, 29, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 1.45pm on Oct 22.He allegedly robbed Maxwell of US$2,000 (RM7,104). Three others are still at large.Sessions court judge Aslam Zainuddin granted him RM12,000 bail in one surety and fixed Nov 28 for mention.

Govt to make U-turn on pledge of pegging petrol price to global market price?

Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad yesterday began testing the ground sentiment on the plan to fix a minimum price for petrol, even if the global oil price continues to plummet. His idea is to fix the price at a minimum of RM 1.92 and maximum of RM 2.70.

This is despite their earlier pledge in August to strictly follow market price with 0.30 cents subsidy per litre.

The Politics of PKNS

Six staff bodies of state agency Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS) have objected to the appointment of a senior official as acting general manager on grounds that she is Chinese.

Malaysiakini reports that Low Siew Moi was set to retire as PKNS’ deputy corporate affairs and accounting manager this month.

However, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim (right) recently appointed her as acting GM to replace outgoing general manager Harun Salim.Low, 57, a trained accountant, has served PKNS for 35 years with her last post being deputy GM for corporate development.In their joint memorandum dated Oct 25 to Khalid, the staff associations said:

“PKNS was established for Malays and to fulfill the Malay agenda. Because of this, the organisation needs to be led by a Malay.”

“However, leading PKNS would need certain leadership criteria, among them, rapport with all staff and associations and ability to communicate with different levels of personnel.”

The memorandum stated that, as PKNS conducts activities that are spiritual in nature, its leader must understand and practice Islamic values. “In other words, the one who will become the general manager will be the ‘imam’ for all the staff,” the signatories said.

Harris Ibrahim pops the question if Pakatan Rakyat is perpetuating raced based politics and governance.

Meanwhile PAS has volunteered to find a more "suitable" candidate .

Happy Deepavali to all Malaysians

Going To Hell - Bon Voyage

The Star Online
Indonesia will execute the Bali bombers on death row in early November, the spokesman of the Indonesian attorney general's office said on Friday.The three men -- Imam Samudra, Amrozi and Mukhlas, also known as Ali Ghufron -- were sentenced to death in 2003 for their roles in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed 202 lives.

11 alleged Hindraf supporters held

11 people were arrested when they attempted to submit a letter at Prime Minister Department’s office in Putrajaya today.

"“We were trying to obtain permission from the security guards for Vwaishhnnavi to submit her letter. They said that we were from Hindraf, but we insisted that we were concerned Indians who were accompanying Vwaishnnavi,” said Police Watch Malaysia coordinator S Jayathas, who was also held.

Vwaishnnavi, the six-year-old niece of detained Hindraf leader P Uthayakumar was with the group when they were held.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Muhammad Sabtu Osman confirmed the arrest of eight men and three women during the incident. He clarified that Vwaishhnnavi has not been arrested and is in her mother’s care.

Details at ;

malaysiakini

ISA again

Oct 17, 08 11:56am

A 26-year-old activist has been arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) tonight following a report she made accusing the police of abuse of power in yesterday’s controversial eviction of a squatter colony in Johor.
Cheng Lee Whee, a self-employed programmer who is a volunteer for human rights group Suaram, lodged the police report at the Permas Jaya police station in Johor Bharu at about 3pm yesterday.
The report was made in response to the forced eviction of squatters in Kampung Baru Plentong Tengah - a predominantly Malay village akin to Kuala Lumpur’s Kampung Baru - and the arrest of 27 individuals for attempting to stop the demolition of the settlement.

Read the rest at Malaysiakini

HINDRAF banned

TheStar

The Hindu Rights Actions Force (Hindraf) has been declared an illegal organisation from today, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.

He said the order was being made as a result of monitoring and investigation on the organisation’s activities by the Registrar of Societies (ROs) and Home Ministry, since Hindraf’s inception.

“The decision to declare Hindraf an illegal organisation is not based on one or two of its activities that are in contravention of the law but covers all the actions it has taken since being formed,” he said.

"....Hindraf had actively exploited the Indian community to organise illegal assemblies and street demonstrations without permits to the point of causing a segment of the community to rise up against the Government and also hatred among the Malays and Indians in the country." he added.

HISHAMMUDDIN - Pot Calling Kettle Black.



Pot calling the kettle black. This timely advice to politicians to refrain from going overboard from someone who had no qualms brandishing a kris as a reminder.

KHAN YOU BELIEVE IT, ?

Absurdity is a virtue in Malaysia. How else can one describe Malacca’s decision to confer Datukship on Indian actor Shah Rukh Khan.

Years ago when I was at the Subang airport, a security guard beaconed a driver who had parked his Mercedes Benz right at the entrance of the main door to move on. Somehow the driver just refused to move and so the security guard walked to the driver and told him sternly to drive off. The driver protested saying that he was “tunggu Datuk” (waiting for Datuk). I chuckled pink when the guard told the driver “hello, Daud Kilau (a popular gelek singer) pun Datuk lah… jalanlah”. (Hello, even Daud Kilau is a Datuk.. just move on will ya..). The guard cared too hoots for Datuk’s.

Recently, a writer wrote in the NST, how at the waiting room of Institute Jantung Negara, when a nurse called out the patient “Datuk”, six Datuk’s actually got up !.

Malaysia, it would seem is teeming with Datuks and the running joke is if you were to throw a stone in Malacca, there is a very high possibility that the stone would strike a Datuk. I am confident sooner or later I will also obtain one (well maybe after 20 million other have got theirs).

So just what did Shah Rukh Khan do to deserve his Darjah Mulia Seri Melaka Datukship. According to Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, the decision to confer the title was suggested to the Yang di Pertua Negeri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob by former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin. Apparently in 2001 the Bollywood heartthrob had shot a movie One Two Ka Four at A Famosa Resort, Alor Gajah Melaka. According to the Chief Minister that has resulted many people visiting Malacca.

Yesterday, was the investure ceremony but the actor did not attend the ceremony. Infact the great Khan was in Singapore for a Zee TV engagement. Apparently, Tun Daim is making arrangements to bring the actor here to receive his gong in a special ceremony. The great Khan must be really looking to the great day but before that he must once again look up in the map where the sleepy hollow is.

Now, if Shah Rukh Khan deserved the award, then other notables like Catherine Zeta Jones and Sean Connery who shot the movie Entrapment against the backdrop of Petronas Twin Tower, Chow Yuen Fatt in King and I shot around Ipoh and Jackie Chan who shot among other Police Story surely also deserves Datukship.

Datukships in Malaysia are too easily dished out. Add to the annual list which seems to grows each year, some Datuk’s are known to have obtained theirs from the Sulu rulers. Now, we have Datuks who are Yoga masters, to mini market owners to “besi buruk” businessmen added to the perenial list of politicians being rewarded more often than not for service to their political masters. Just read the congratulatory advertisement which appear in the neswspapers after each investure ceremonies and you would have an idea what their day job is. Mention also must be made of many lawyers who hardly have any time for service to the BAR but are Datuks by virtue of their public service in the east coast.

I believe it is high time that members of the public should also be allowed to nominate Malaysians who have distinguished themselves in the service for the people for consideration for such awards.