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10 June 2019
PETALING JAYA: Some 300 members of the MCA have been roped in to monitor the performance of Pakatan Harapan in government.
MCA president Wee Ka Siong said the members, who have professional qualifications, would form nine teams to cover law, economics, the environment and other issues, as well as to keep tabs on the government’s ministries.
“We have identified and laid out the work scope for each unit so that they can monitor each ministry in a more comprehensive way,” he said at a news conference today.
Committee members have been encouraged to work with associations and societies, as a means to make the party more progressive and effective, based on facts and research.
He criticised the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition for their failure to adhere to promises of reforms, as shown by the appointment of Latheefa Koya as the new chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
“They (Pakatan) said they want to reform the Parliament. They can’t follow a simple thing such as adhering to the Parliamentary Select Committee procedures. So what can you expect out of it?” he asked.
Wee accused PH chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad of sticking to his old ways. “After getting votes from the people, he says, ‘I’ll do it my way.’ This is his favourite song,” Wee said.
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MCA President, MP for Ayer Hitam
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6 June 2019
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Latheefa’s MACC appointment not to keep Anwar in check, say analysts
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PETALING JAYA: Analysts have dismissed the suggestion by an opposition leader that Latheefa Koya’s appointment as Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief is to keep PKR president Anwar Ibrahim in check.
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Azmi Hassan from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said it was true that in the past, Latheefa had targeted Anwar and his family, including his daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar.
“But I don’t see her becoming MACC chief as a threat to Anwar personally or his allies,” he told FMT.
Acknowledging that Latheefa’s appointment was out of the blue, Azmi nonetheless said it was the prime minister’s prerogative to do so.
“I think the appointment has to do with the slow pace of eradicating corrupt practices that should be spearheaded by MACC,” he said, adding that Dr Mahathir Mohamad may have believed that an “outsider” would do the job faster.
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Latheefa has publicly criticised Anwar before, claiming in December that he was practising cronyism and nepotism in appointing state party chiefs.
But Kamarul Zaman Yusoff of Universiti Utara Malaysia also questioned the suggestion that Latheefa’s appointment might be an attempt to stop Anwar from becoming prime minister.
“In the current scenario, it is very unlikely for Anwar or his close associates to be involved in corruption, at least not on a scale that can lead to prosecution,” he told FMT.
He said it was more likely that Mahathir was trying to exert his influence and show the world that he is in control, and not a puppet of anyone else.
“The irony is, this sort of thing is antithesis to what PH proclaims to be, which is a very democratic and engaging coalition.
“It could result in more aggressive moves by those not aligned to him to pressure him to transfer power to Anwar sooner,” he added.
Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun said while it appears clear that Mahathir has no intention of passing the baton to Anwar, Latheefa’s appointment is not necessarily linked to this.
“It is unclear whether this matter has anything to do with the refusal to hand over the reins to Anwar,” he said, adding that Mahathir had not passed the country’s leadership to Anwar two decades ago either, during his first stint as prime minister.
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5 June 2019
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PETALING JAYA: Opposition leaders have raised questions over the appointment of Latheefa Koya as the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief, with MCA president Wee Ka Siong asking if the former PKR member will be “impartial and unbiased”.
“Her appointment is mind boggling and runs counter to the promise by Pakatan Harapan to ensure that a professional MACC personnel would head the commission,” Wee said in a statement.
“Even though Latheefa has announced her resignation from PKR to take up the post, the independence of the MACC is now in question. Where is the impartiality, integrity and credibility of the MACC now?
“The image of the MACC is in tatters and any right-minded person would not condone her appointment, including even the PKR leadership.”
The Ayer Hitam MP said it would have been more appropriate to appoint a successor from within MACC to succeed Mohd Shukri Abdull, whose contract was allowed to expire ahead of its deadline on May 17, 2020.
Wee said he was told that the news came as a shock to the Cabinet.
He asked if this was an arbitrary decision by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and if the Cabinet was aware of it.
“I feel disturbed for PKR president Anwar Ibrahim as it was well known that Latheefa has always targeted Anwar,” he said.
“I hope her appointment is not some grand conspiracy scheme to stop Anwar from becoming the next prime minister.
“I hope we will see some sense of impartiality on her part in this highly questionable appointment.”
Wee said MCA’s position is clear that no active politician should head MACC or other security agencies.
“Privately, PKR leaders regard Latheefa as a loose cannon,” he added, referring to Latheefa’s vocal stance on party issues and Facebook posts on current affairs. “One cannot help but wonder if she is a suitable choice for the role.”
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4 June 2019
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https://twitter.com/simonwhthong/status/1135849226401746944
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He asked if this was an arbitrary decision by Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and if the Cabinet was aware of it.
“I feel disturbed for PKR president Anwar Ibrahim as it was well known that Latheefa has always targeted Anwar,” he said.
“I hope her appointment is not some grand conspiracy scheme to stop Anwar from becoming the next prime minister.
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3 June 2019
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Amanah Youth leader Faiz Fadzil has come to his party president Mohamad Sabu’s defence after the defence minister was criticised for a recent speech given at an international conference.
Mohamad had addressed the 18th IISS Asia Security Summit Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore on June 1.
Sharing an edited video of the speech, MCA president Wee Ka Siong later said Mohamad had embarrassed the country with his poor command of English.
Today, Faiz slammed Wee for his criticism and urged him to stop trying to distract people from BN’s billion-ringgit scandals involving public institutions such as 1MDB, Felda and Tabung Haji.
“He is trying to shift the rakyat’s attention away from corruption scandals involving BN kleptocrats like former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak, his wife Rosmah Mansor, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and many more who are facing court action now,” he said in a statement.
As for Mohamad’s speech, Faiz…believed that his linguistic mistakes did not detract from his overall message.
“Even though English is an important and international medium of communication, it is not a measure of competency or intelligence of a leader. Many world leaders converse using their mother tongue at international dialogues or conferences.
“Mohamad’s courage to speak in English at such an important international security conference should be seen in a positive light – that Malaysia is serious about combating terrorism,” the Amanah Youth deputy president added.
https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/478516
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https://twitter.com/simonwhthong/status/1135816302377914368
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PETALING JAYA: Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu has courted flak over his command of English.
This follows a video depicting him as giving a speech in English during an international defence dialogue in Singapore had made rounds on social media.
Among the first to point out Mohamad’s poor English skills were MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong in a Facebook post on Monday (June 3).
“Aside from making jokes in Malaysia, he is now ‘in action’ in an international stage?” Dr Wee said sarcastically.
Dr Wee took a dig at Mohamad for referring to New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as a “him” during his speech at the 18th IISS Asia Security Summit Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) last weekend.
“Did Mohamad think that the New Zealand Prime Minister was a man? She is a woman lah!
Without mincing his words, Dr Wee questioned Mohamad’s logic in saying that in order to prevent further terrorist attacks, the authorities should identify the parents of these perpetrators.
“Terrorism isn’t inherited. Why should their parents be identified to combat terrorism activities?”
In Mohamad’s speech in verbatim, the Parti Amanah Negara president said: “We have to fight with them in soft way and hard way. But, I’m very appreciate and the role of the prime minister of New Zealand, how she faced with the accident in New Zealand. We appreciate him.
“That is the way the world leader should behave when that thing happen… We also have to study deep inside this terrorist, who’s the father and mother. Our intelligence must expose who their father and mother, then we can reduce their activities throughout the world,” he added.
At the same time, Dr Wee criticised Mohamad for claiming that Malaysia cannot afford to fight with China because Chinese Coast Guards are “bigger” than Malaysian warships.
“Is Mohamad trying to say that the Royal Malaysian Navy is incompetent, weak, and hopeless?” he asked.
Dr Wee advised Mohamad that he should do his homework and make adequate preparations for his speech, if he were to speak in an international dialogue in future.
“If you are too busy with work, then just read the speech text provided by Wisma Putra or the agencies concerned.”
He also said that the contents of Mohamad’s speech should have been scrutinised by an expert in the Defence sector, so that his points are logical to the audience.
“Most importantly, elements of foolish jokes such as ‘inheriting terrorism’, Malaysian Defence has no capability, should not be said,” he added.
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weehingthong 