Saya mau jadi PM, Saya pung mau jadi PM

The cat is out of the bag so to speak, it seemed that despite denials by Pro-Anwar factions in PAS, the grassroots wants TG Hj. Hadi to be PM if Pakatan ever gets in power after the next PRU 13.

Interesting development indeed:

Actually deep in their heart with a fighting UMNO rigorously regaining lost Malay votes from the 2008 election, both PKR and PAS knows that the Chinese dominated undemocratic DAP which is set to receive almost total  Malaysian Chinese support and is expected to win the most number of seats in the Pakatan lose coalition will decide who shall be PM if unexpectedly the loose coalition comes in power at Federal level.

Remember this friends, vote wisely:

Satu Undi kepada PAS bermakna Satu Undi kepada parti chauvinis DAP!

Salam Maal Hijrah

Selamat Menyambut Maal Hijrah

Kepada Semua Umat Islam Dimana Anda Berada

Ikhlas Dari Eddy Daud dan Keluarga

Posted at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Happy Deepavali 2012

Happy Deepavali to our Hindu friends

Have a wonderful year filled with joy, peace and prosperity

*

Eddy Daud and Family

The Pakatan State Gomen have blood on their hands if they oppose the life saving AES

If you think Pakatan Rakyat remember they reject #AES, they want your votes BUT don't care about ur lives or the lives of ur family members

eddydaud's tweet

I am very annoyed with the Pakatan State Gomen especially in Pulau Pinang and Selangor for opposing and refusing to cooperate with the implementation of the AES system. Their main objection it seems is that they are not happy that the AES Contractors are purportedly BN cronies and making too much money, the issue have become so politicized that these Pakatan politicians and their supporters cannot see beyond politics, the fact that the AES has been proven to save precious lives is lost on them.

If they are so worried about BN cronies getting rich, you Pakatan leaders love demo what, so why not do a demo to publicize road safety so that Malaysian motorists follow the speed limits and in doing so do not get fined and therefore do not have to pay the cronies. You Pakatan political pricks will get more votes and what's more you can make sure the cronies don't get paid. Simple is it not? No, you still want to make it complicated kan Khalid and Guan Eng. When will you useless political leaders understand that when you ordered that the #AES implementation be stopped or deferred you are actually pre signing death warrants for many road victims who could have been saved. 

You have blood in your hands Khalid and Guan Eng, I hope you can live with the anguish of families who lost their fathers, mothers, sons and daughters in road accidents whose lives could have been saved if only the #AES system had been allowed in your states:

AES brings snappy results
By LESLIE ANDRES AND G. SURACH | news@nst.com.my

DRASTIC DIP: AES already making a difference in changing attitudes

PETALING JAYA: FOURTEEN cameras, three states, more than 79,000 summonses issued.

These are the numbers associated with the Automated Enforcement System (AES) so far. But it’s not the numbers that matter, at least not for the Road Transport Department (RTD), Road Safety Department (RSD) and Malaysian Institute of Road Safety Research (Miros), the triumvirate driving the implementation of the AES.

The most important number, just more than a month after the AES came into being, is that the number of images of offenders being captured (or summonses being issued) daily has taken a drastic dip.

Given that the cameras are located in “black spots”, or accident-prone areas, and are operational round the clock, the drop in the number of motorists being caught for speeding or beating traffic lights means there is less chance of an accident occurring.

What this translates into is that lives are being saved, which is the biggest concern of the authorities.

At some sites, the drop from the first week of implementation to the fifth week (up until Nov 4) is as much as 73 per cent (see graphics), and the "triumvirate" believes the figure can only get better.

RTD director-general Datuk Solah Mat Hassan said yesterday his department, RSD and Miros had been keeping track of the system since it became operational on Sept 23.

He said once the AES had been implemented for six months, a comprehensive impact study would be conducted.

Indications were, however, that the system had already made an impact, judging from the dip in summonses issued.

"It's not that we want to issue summonses to these motorists. If no one speeds or beats the traffic lights (and we don't have to issue summonses), then it's great," Solah said at a briefing on the AES to Media Prima Bhd news organisations.

"The impact study will be done after six months, which is less than most other countries which carry out their studies after three years."

The aim of AES, he said, was to change the attitude of drivers in the areas where cameras were located.

Miros director-general Professor Dr Wong Shaw Voon said when motorists changed their attitudes, over time, they changed their attitudes wherever they were driving.

At present, there are 14 cameras in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor and Perak. The authorities plan to install cameras at another 817 black spots, 561 of which will be speed cameras while the remainder will be at traffic lights.

The departments have been studying the use of AES since 2004. Parts of the system are in use in more than 90 countries.

Wong said the move to install AES cameras was an important measure.

"Studies have been projected that if we do nothing, by 2020 we will have more than 10,000 road deaths a year. So this is the step we are taking."

Last year, there were 6,877 road fatalities. In 2010, there were also more than 6,000 deaths.

On education, RSD director-general Leslie Leon said while classes on road safety were being taught in primary schools for several years now, these had been expanded to Form One this year.

Meanwhile, Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim yesterday announced that the Selangor government would not allow the AES system to be enforced in the state.

This followed a meeting between state government officials and Solah on Thursday, in which Khalid said he was not convinced that the AES was the best way to solve the problem of high road accidents and deaths.

Solah took Khalid to task.

"To me, (Khalid) just refuses to understand... (he) would like to understand it (only) from his angle and interest."

Read more in the nst here.

In the interest of people's lives, I hope the Federal Gomen and the AG find out absolutely if the Pakatan State Gomen can stop the implementation of the AES in Federal funded and supervised roads and highways. If they can, then the Federal Gomen must introduce or amend laws to compel that the AES be implemented in any states in Malaysia with or without the State Gomen's consent or approval. Thousands of lives are being held hostage by Pakatan's endless politics. Enough is Enough!

posted in Chittagong.

What could have been had the Arabs made peace instead of war with Israel in 1948

I often wondered why much of the Arab lands are never at peace, there seems to be a endless wars, chaos and destruction. If they are not fighting against the Israelis the Arabs will be fighting among themselves. Perhaps this soul searching article by an Arab could shed some light on the many whys and what could have been in the Arab World(Source: arabnews.com):

Arab Spring and the Israeli enemy
 

ABDULATEEF AL-MULHIM

Saturday 6 October 2012

Last Update 6 October 2012 2:53 am

Thirty-nine years ago, on Oct. 6, 1973, the third major war between the Arabs and Israel broke out. The war lasted only 20 days. 

The two sides were engaged in two other major wars, in 1948 and 1967. 

The 1967 War lasted only six days. But, these three wars were not the only Arab-Israel confrontations.

From the period of 1948 and to this day many confrontations have taken place. Some of them were small clashes and many of them were full-scale battles, but there were no major wars apart from the ones mentioned above. 

The Arab-Israeli conflict is the most complicated conflict the world ever experienced. 

On the anniversary of the 1973 War between the Arab and the Israelis, many people in the Arab world are beginning to ask many questions about the past, present and the future with regard to the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The questions now are: 

What was the real cost of these wars to the Arab world and its people. 

And the harder question that no Arab national wants to ask is: 

What was the real cost for not recognizing Israel in 1948 and why didn’t the Arab states spend their assets on education, health care and the infrastructures instead of wars? 

But, the hardest question that no Arab national wants to hear is whether Israel is the real enemy of the Arab world and the Arab people.

I decided to write this article after I saw photos and reports about a starving child in Yemen, 

a burned ancient Aleppo souk in Syria, the under developed Sinai in Egypt, 

car bombs in Iraq and the destroyed buildings in Libya. 

The photos and the reports were shown on the Al-Arabiya network, which is the most watched and respected news outlet in the Middle East. 

The common thing among all what I saw is that the destruction and the atrocities are not done by an outside enemy. 

The starvation, the killings and the destruction in these Arab countries are done by the same hands that are supposed to protect and build the unity of these countries and safeguard the people of these countries. 

So, the question now is that who is the real enemy of the Arab world?

The Arab world wasted hundreds of billions of dollars and lost tens of thousands of innocent lives fighting Israel, which they considered is their sworn enemy, an enemy whose existence they never recognized. 

The Arab world has many enemies and Israel should have been at the bottom of the list. 

The real enemies of the Arab world are; 

corruption, 

lack of good education, 

lack of good health care, 

lack of freedom, 

lack of respect for the human lives 

and finally, the Arab world had many dictators who used the Arab-Israeli conflict to suppress their own people. 

These dictators’ atrocities against their own people are far worse than all the full-scale Arab-Israeli wars. 

In the past, we have talked about why some Israeli soldiers attack and mistreat Palestinians. Also, we saw Israeli planes and tanks attack various Arab countries. But, do these attacks match the current atrocities being committed by some Arab states against their own people. 

In Syria, the atrocities are beyond anybody’s imaginations? And, isn’t the Iraqis are the ones who are destroying their own country? 

Wasn’t it Tunisia’s dictator who was able to steal 13 billion dollars from the poor Tunisians? 

And how can a child starve in Yemen if their land is the most fertile land in the world? 

Why would Iraqi brains leave Iraq in a country that makes 110 billion dollars from oil export? 

Why do the Lebanese fail to govern one of the tiniest countries in the world? 

And what made the Arab states start sinking into chaos?

On May 14, 1948 the state of Israel was declared. And just one day after that, on May 15, 1948 the Arabs declared war on Israel to get back Palestine. The war ended on March 10, 1949. It lasted for nine months, three weeks and two days. The Arabs lost the war and called this war Nakbah (catastrophic war). The Arabs gained nothing and thousands of Palestinians became refugees.

And on 1967, the Arabs led by Egypt under the rule of Gamal Abdul Nasser, went in war with Israel and lost more Palestinian land and made more Palestinian refugees who are now on the mercy of the countries that host them. 

The Arabs called this war Naksah (upset). 

The Arabs never admitted defeat in both wars and the Palestinian cause got more complicated. 

And now, with the never ending Arab Spring, the Arab world has no time for the Palestinians refugees or Palestinian cause, because many Arabs are refugees themselves and under constant attacks from their own forces. 

Syrians are leaving their own country, not because of the Israeli planes dropping bombs on them. It is the Syrian Air Force which is dropping the bombs. 

And now, Iraqi Arab Muslims, most intelligent brains, are leaving Iraq for the est. 

In Yemen, the world’s saddest human tragedy play is being written by the Yemenis. 

In Egypt, the people in Sinai are forgotten. 

Finally, if many of the Arab states are in such disarray, then what happened to the Arabs’ sworn enemy (Israel)? 

Israel now has the most advanced research facilities, top universities and advanced infrastructure. 

Many Arabs don’t know that the life expectancy of the Palestinians living in Israel is far longer than many Arab states and they enjoy far better political and social freedom than many of their Arab brothers. 

Even the Palestinians living under Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip enjoy more political and social rights than some places in the Arab World. 

Wasn’t one of the judges who sent a former Israeli president to jail is an Israeli-Palestinian?

The Arab Spring showed the world that the Palestinians are happier and in better situation than their Arab brothers who fought to liberate them from the Israelis. 

Now, it is time to stop the hatred and wars and start to create better living conditions for the future Arab generations.

— This article is exclusive to Arab News.
      almulhimnavy@hotmail.com

The above is a sensible article written by an Arab for Arabs. 

It is also a good lesson for many of us: that the enemy is sometimes not from the outside but from within by action or inaction.

Posted in Chittagong.

God will not change our fortunes until we act to do so. 

Unlike some Malaysian politicians, Gen. Petraeus resigned when his infidelity was found out

"After being married for 37 years, I showed extremely poor judgment by engaging in an extramarital affair, such behaviour is unacceptable, both as a husband and as the leader of an organization such as ours."

Rtd US Army General Petraeus

Here is news on Retired US General Petraeus and now former Director of the CIA, apparently he had an extramarital affairs against his better judgement, was probably outed and good for him,  he decided to resign from public office:

Pic. courtesy of The Star

CIA Director Petraeus resigns, admits extra-marital affair

For many of us here who always held up the religious high ground when we compare ourselves to the USA, now hear this, many of America's Politician and Civil Servants even Corporate Big Wigs when outed for infidelity or extra marital affairs will have the moral courage to resign or be fired from office.

Doesn't say much about our moral high ground, does it, if some of our so called Politicians who even when outed in authentic videos or photos refused to resign and what's worse their infidelity with prostitutes or other people's husbands/wives are even ignored by their peers and supporters. Sigh.

Posted in Chittagong.

Lynas Gebeng: Dr. Looi Hoong Wah speaketh, everybody listen please

Updated on 10th November 2012 @ Chittagong:

Great news for Lynas Gebeng and Malaysia in General, Lynas Gebeng plant can now be fired up, GOD IS GREAT:

Pekerja Lynas sambut keputusan mahkamah dengan linangan air mata gembira

"You can brainwash people for some time but you can't brainwash them forever,"

Dr. Looi Loong Wah said of the fearmongers frightening Kuantan citizens about Lynas Gebeng

A very prominent Specialist from Pahang who has been commenting regularly in my blog when it concerns Lynas Gebeng's safety is in the news today, Thank God Almighty that finally Dr. Looi's learned voice has got  nation wide attention it truly deserved, courtesy of The Star.

I hope our Judges who will be hearing the cases brought by the Pakatan inspired anti-Lynas gang also read, will save our beloved Malaysia a lot of angst:

Published: Monday November 5, 2012 MYT 1:39:00 PM

Prominent Kuantan doctor rubbishes concerns over Lynas’ radioactivity

KUANTAN: A prominent Pahang doctor has rubbished concerted "lies" spread by the Opposition among local residents on radioactive concerns from the recently completed RM2.5bil Lynas rare earth plant here, saying that the anti-Lynas campaign was purely politically motivated to win votes in the coming general election.

Datuk Dr Looi Hoong Wah, a consultant physician with 40 years of interest in nuclear medicine and particle physics, said the anti-Lynas activists had been brainwashing the people here for the last two years despite the fact that there would be "absolutely no radiation waste or any toxic waste whatever" from the plant.

Lynas' safety was verified by six independent bodies, including the United Nations' International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the world's highest authority for atomic energy.

"The substance they bring in is just nothing but rare earth oil containing a tiny bit of weak radioactive thorium 232.

“That is an extremely weak sort of radioactive substance and it has a very long life of tens of billions of years.

"And all this anti-Lynas people say...oh our great-great grandchildren are going to suffer for 14 billion years. This is absolutely rubbish," he said. Dr Looi said if one were to look at the half-life of radioactive material (the time required for a quantity to fall to half its value), the longer the half-life, the less dangerous it would be.

"For instance, if half of a house is burned down in 14 billion years, will it cause any problem? No, it won't cause any problem because there is only a tiny fire, whereas if it is burned down in 40 minutes, then a lot of people will get killed or injured.

"The same thing with lead, the one we use in our car batteries. It has a long half-life as well of 19 billion years. “Because it has such a long half life, it is practically non-radioactive when you use it in your cars. So thorium is very weak radioactively," he said

Asked how he got interested in nuclear science and particle physics, Dr Looi said he developed an interest when he was a medical student in Manchester about 40 years ago as one of his tutors was a nuclear physicist.

He said he had put thorium in his hand without any side-effects till today because thorium, when released outside connected with electrons to produce helium gas, just like the one used to fill balloons, which was completely harmless. Dr Looi reckoned that it was purely for political reasons that the Opposition was trying to work everybody up about the Lynas plant in Gebeng.

"The thorium 232 or decay products produce only a tiny bit of electron, which is electricity.

“It doesn't cause any problem. You find that Lynas' radiation, once you are outside of the boundaries of the plant, the radiation is zero.

“There is no instrument on this earth which is sensitive enough to pick it up," he said.

Dr Looi said the disinformation on the Lynas bordered on ridiculous assertions because even in a human body there was radioactivity as well due to potassium, which doctors give to patients to control the intake of salt in hypertension and other cases.

"Even in our body, we have about 4,400 becquerel (Bq) whereas the Lynas waste and ore contain less than 6 Bq per gram.

“This is already 124 times more than the Lynas worst case scenario. So why complain about a Lynas plant in Gebeng here where there are 124 Lynas plants in your body producing radioactivity?" he added.

Asked on the effects on workers, he said what they could possibly get was only less than 20 percent of the permitted dosage. Dr Looi also quoted Dr Nick Tsurikov, the international radiation specialist, as saying that there was no radiation risk whatsoever as far as the Lynas plant was concerned.

He also said that opposition to the plant should take into account that more than 1,000 quality jobs were at stake and these are people with families for them to put food on the table.

"Once you have a rare earth plant around, (other) companies will come, like Siemens (which) is planning to come in and make use of the rare earth. They will produce thousands more jobs because of the spill-over effects," he said.

Dr Looi appealed to non-governmental organisations and the Opposition to "wake up" and realise that the Lynas plant would be of great benefit to the country.

"You can brainwash people for some time but you can't brainwash them forever," he said. - Bernama

Campaign for reinstatement of PPSMI gathers momentum

Ingatkah anda perkataan ini - PPSMI?

Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Matematik dan Sains dalam bahasa Inggeris

It seems that the PPSMI reinstatement issue will not die, not when there are many parents out there who are concerned enough to fight tooth and nail for their children's future. I think the Ministry of Education better sit up and take notice, the call for PPSMI is gathering momentum, and there are many parents/voters who would trade their votes for politicians who would support the PPSMI and it looks like it matters not which party the politicians come from. 

These determined parents are even keen to meet the Malay Rulers as well, so never under estimate their resolve Dear Prime Minister.

Parent groups vow to fight on for PPSM

By JEANNETTE GOON
The Star

PETALING JAYA: Concerned parents of various groups met on Sunday to discuss the actions they would take in their fight for the reinstatement of the teaching of Maths and Science in English (PPSMI).

"First, we will hold a gathering to display our anger and anguish," said Concerned Parents Selangor (CPS) coordinator Shamsudin Hamid.

Other groups planned to present their pleas to the Sultan in their respective states, with a final plea to be presented to the King.

"Candidates who are going to stand for elections in the Klang Valley should speak up and we will give them our votes," said parent Johan Tun Abdullah, who was also present at the meeting.

More calls to maintain PPSMI at dialogue session

By TAN EE LOO
educate@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: There were more calls to maintain the teaching and learning of Science and Mathematics in English (PPSMI) at the final dialogue session to engage stakeholders on the preliminary report of the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025.

Parent Action Group for Education (Page) Malaysia honorary secretaryTunku Munawirah Putra said the proposal to maintain the two subjects in English had not been given proper attention in the preliminary report.

“There was just one paragraph about PPSMI. This is completely unacceptable. We gave our opinions but they were not really taken into account.”

Concerned Parents of Selangor coordinator Shamsudin Hamid said the policy of Upholding Bahasa Malaysia, Strengthening the English language (MBMMBI) should run alongside PPSMI.

“Why was MBMMBI introduced to replace PPSMI? One concerns language proficiency while the other is about knowledge acquisition,” he said at the dialogue which was chaired by Education Ministry deputy director-general (education operations sector) Sufa'at Tumin.

National Indian Rights Action Team chairman and Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia exco member Datuk Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim Al-Haj said the ministry should not rush into finalising the report by next month, as stated in the blueprint.

“They should look into all the views given and fine-tune the report,” he said.

The session was held to gather feedback to further improve the preliminary report, which would be finalised and tabled to the Cabinet in December.

Previous sessions to engage stakeholders were held in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Baru, Kota Baru, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

The blueprint was launched in September by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The preliminary report had outlined 11 strategies, to be carried out in three stages, to transform the national education system for the next 13 years.The strategies include improving access to quality education, raising proficiency levels in Bahasa Malaysia and English, developing values-driven Malaysians, and transforming the teaching profession.

Yup, the Prime Minister and his Cabinet should really sit up and listen, jangan menyesal nanti.

Save Malaysian Lives: The time to implement the AES is NOW not later

There have been so much intense debates about the implementation of the AES (Read JPJ AES page) in Malaysia, the Pakatan people are opposing it because they will oppose anything that the BN Gomen introduced and in their zombie like trance of hating anything BN or UMNO they couldn't care less about  families who have lost their loved ones due to accidents especially those caused by speeding but when UMNO Youth Head and a few other BN MPs  also joined the Pakatan chorus to postpone or oppose the AES I must say something is wrong with their thought process. 

Any automated system which are proven to reduce accidents and hence can save lives must be implemented immediately, the adjustments to make it better to suit local conditions can be tweaked progressively, the AES system is a smart system. 

Definitely postponing the AES  is not the answer nor a solution to the deaths and injuries by accidents on our roads. To be clear I am not a politician and I am not interested in who wants to vote for which political parties.

What causes accidents?

Among the causes, I say the major one is Speeding and this behavior can be curtailed by AES and of course strict enforcement of the speed limit:

"Speed Kills - The faster the speed of a vehicle, the greater the risk of an accident. The forces experienced by the human body in a collision increase exponentially as the speed increases. Smart Motorist recommends that drivers observe our 3 second rule in everyday traffic, no matter what your speed. Most people agree that going 100 mph is foolhardy and will lead to disaster. The problem is that exceeding the speed limit by only 5 mph in the wrong place can be just as dangerous. Traffic engineers and local governments have determined the maximum speeds allowable for safe travel on the nation's roadways. Speeding is a deliberate and calculated behavior where the driver knows the risk but ignores the danger. Fully 90% of all licensed drivers speed at some point in their driving career; 75% admit to committing this offense regularly.

Consider this example: a pedestrian walks out in front of a car. If the car is traveling at just 30 mph, and the driver brakes when the pedestrian is 45 feet away, there will be enough space in which to stop without hitting the pedestrian. Increase the vehicle speed by just 5 mph and the situation changes dramatically. At 35 mph, with the pedestrian 45 feet away and the driver braking at the same point, the car will be traveling at 18 mph when it hits the pedestrian. An impact at 18 mph can seriously injure or even kill the pedestrian." Source here.

On the average about 20 people died due to accidents on our roads everyday. The dead may be our friends, loved ones and people who we do not know but they all have families grieving their deaths:

Source MIROS here

How many lives must be lost before our Lawmakers of both the political divide come to their senses and say lets do something immediately, no more postponements, lets forget about the votes for once. Lets agree to implement the AES! 

Agree absolutely with the Mole:

Don't flip-flop, AES is about saving lives not politics

Read also:

Kenapa saya undi menyokong AES di Parlimen?

Umno Youth joins Pakatan Rakyat for delay in AES

Kill your speed or kill a child

Speed Kills

I hope YAB PM Najib will do the right thing and not  be taken in by the minority law breakers and their unconscionable supporters who wants the AES to be postponed.

PR Leaders, this big thing about forming a Shadow Cabinet, if not now, when?

Do you think Anwar will finally fulfill one of his major promises to Malaysians?

Here is a write from a Singapore GLC the Singapore Straits Times via www.barisannasional.org.my which thinks that Anwar Ibrahim should name his Shadow Cabinet not later but now:

Singapore Straits Times: Anwar should fulfill promise of shadow cabinet

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Tarikh: 

 30-10-2012

STRAITS TIMES
2012-10-29 01:50:17
SALIM OSMAN SENIOR WRITER

This is full content from the SPH. To view the article on the SPH's website visit: via Barisanhttp://www.straitstimes.com/premium/opinion/story/anwar-should-fulfil-promise-shadow-cabinet-20121029

THE talk of a shadow Cabinet in Malaysia is in vogue these days, started by the opposition.

A shadow Cabinet is defined as a senior group of politicians in the Westminster system of government who, together with the leader of the opposition, forms an alternative to the government's Cabinet ministers.

Its members would shadow or mark each individual Cabinet member, passing criticisms on the current government and its respective policies and offering alternative programmes. If the opposition forms the next government, the shadow ministers would have had experience in drafting policies and defending them.

Such a system, found mainly in Britain and Australia, does not exist in Malaysia.

But opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim ignited interest in a shadow Cabinet soon after the 2008 elections that almost toppled the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), when he promised to form such a Cabinet "so that the rakyat could have transparency".

He argued that the people would be able to see who from the individual parties in the opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) would be in the Cabinet line-up, in the event that the opposition were to win Putrajaya, the seat of the federal government.

Datuk Seri Anwar repeated the promise in 2010, last year and in January this year before the PR convention, saying that a shadow Cabinet would be a sign of the maturity of his opposition pact.

But he has failed to announce his shadow Cabinet line-up, led by him as the prime minister-designate in a PR government.

Mr Anwar could only explain recently that a shadow Cabinet was suitable for countries like Britain and Australia, but not for Malaysia.

His colleagues said that such a Cabinet would be announced only when PR took power.

Mr Anwar and his opposition partners will have to wriggle their way out of a challenge by Prime Minister Najib Razak, who said PR should name its shadow Cabinet before it talks about forming the next federal government.

Why the about-turn, after the promise of a shadow Cabinet in April 2009 generated so much interest among the public?

The opposition either has no shadow Cabinet on its agenda, or has only a rough idea of what the Cabinet should be. But PR would not want to reveal it at this stage, because that would make it vulnerable to BN attacks.

For the opposition, forming a shadow Cabinet and announcing it in public are not without problems and risks.

First, it is not easy to reach a consensus on a power-sharing formula among three disparate parties, namely the Malay-based Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), the secular Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the Islamist Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).

A supposed leak of its Cabinet list by the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia recently revealed the distribution of Cabinet posts, with 13 seats for PKR, 10 for the DAP and eight for PAS. The list was denounced by both the DAP and PAS as a fabrication because the opposition coalition has yet to firm up such a list.

Second, there is a racial dimension to the Cabinet seat distribution. For instance, if the Cabinet is seen to be too multiracial or if non-Malays are given important portfolios like finance, trade and industry, or even defence, there will be a hue and cry, with BN warning the Malay electorate that they would lose political power if the opposition took over Putrajaya.

This can undermine the vote for the opposition, because Mr Anwar would be branded a traitor who sold out his race. Meanwhile, PAS would lose support as it would be accused of being a puppet that gives in to the influence of the "infidels". The opposition may also lose Chinese support if the DAP is seen as playing second fiddle in this Cabinet.

Third is the position of Mr Anwar himself as prime minister-designate. There appears to be no other candidate for the job.

But the current campaign by the DAP, to push for a probe on the alleged scandal involving the loss of RM30 billion (S$12.1 billion) of Bank Negara's reserves through foreign exchange speculation in 1994, may drag down Mr Anwar. Even though the probe's target is Tun Mahathir Mohamad, the then Prime Minister, Mr Anwar was the then Finance Minister. What will happen if Mr Anwar is implicated in the probe? Hence, a potential problem in the Cabinet line-up.

It appears that PR has more to lose than gain if it discloses its shadow Cabinet line-up, hence the about-turn on the issue.

Datuk Seri Najib's pressure on the opposition is part of the ruling party's political manoeuvring. But Mr Anwar's promise of a shadow Cabinet has aroused interest among the electorate, who want to size up the opposition in the coming general election, due by April next year.

"All talk of capturing Putrajaya is hollow if PR can't even show to Malaysians that it can share ministerial portfolios on merit," said news portal The Malaysian Insider. "This would be helpful to evaluate the kind of options Malaysians have before they vote in either coalition."

There are other reasons for having a shadow Cabinet.

The burden of criticising the government in Parliament need not be shouldered by one opposition representative. In the old days, it would have been the then opposition leader Lim Kit Siang, who spoke out on all and sundry. Now the shadow ministers could speak out on their respective portfolios.

With PR's intention to spread its influence far and wide in the country, a shadow Cabinet is timely and signals to Malaysians that the opposition has enough people and expertise to be in federal government.

It will also notify investors that they do not need to worry should there be regime change.

The talk of a shadow Cabinet appears to be taking Malaysia to a new stage of its political development, where two groups of political actors face off in a contest.

The ruling group, represented by BN, and the opposition, as embodied by PR, are slowly showing Malaysians that there will eventually be two groups of actors to run the country. It will be up to them to choose.

salim@sph.com.sg

No, I am not going to hold my breath for a shadow cabinet announcement from Anwar and his Pakatan friends. 

Even in the PKR elections, Anwar refused to contest for the top President's post instead annoited himself as Ketua Umum PKR, an all powerful post not even defined under PKR's constitution....Does not say much for Anwar's and Pakatan's call for transparency and reform and change does it?

In fact the only thing needs changing is the blatant nepotism in the Pakatan leadership that points to a dynastic crony filled dictatorship if they ever god forbid becomes the power at Federal Level, MasyaAllah. 

Courtesy of stopthelies blog

Ubah? 
The only people that needs changing is the whole Pakatan Leadership, then talk about Ubah.