Tajuddin vs Zaid

Tajuddin lwn Zaid: Lagi manifestasi kemelut Umno
A Kadir Jasin Sat May 31, 08 10:33:22 am MYT
PADA mulanya saya terfikir untuk menggunakan ungkapan "bertemu buku dengan ruas" bagi melabelkan serangan Ahli Parlimen Barisan Nasional Pasir Salak, Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, terhadap Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Senator Zaid Ibrahim. -->-->
Berucap di Parlimen pada 27 Mei, Tajudin meminta Perdana Menteri, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, menimbang semula pelantikan Zaid sebagai Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri.
Tajuddin menegaskan, tindakan Zaid yang menyerang secara terbuka di luar Dewan Rakyat terhadap ahli-ahli Parlimen Barisan Nasional (BN) yang dianggapnya menentang kerajaan sebagai perbuatan tidak bertanggungjawab.
Tetapi setelah memikirkan jatuh bangun politik Tajuddin dan main-mainan politik Zaid, saya berasa adalah tidak tepat saya membandingkan Tajuddin dengan Zaid.
Lebih tepat kalau saya guna ungkapan "jauh langit daripada bumi" dan tanpa prejudis mungkin tidak keterlaluan jika saya sifatkan Tajuddin sebagai veteran politik radikal Umno manakala Zaid adalah manifestasi politik ambil peluang.
Mungkin banyak dari generasi muda Melayu, dalam dan luar Umno, tidak tahu bahawa Tajuddin adalah antara aktivis Umno yang gigih dan pernah ditahan di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri ketika Operasi Lalang pada tahun 1987.
Zaid pula adalah contoh produk Dasar Ekonomi Baru yang berjaya dan mendapat anjakan besar apabila Pentadbiran Dr Mahathir Mohamd melaksanakan dasar penswastaan pada pertengahan tahun 1980-an bermula dengan penswastaan Lebuh Raya Utara-Selatan.
Sebagai rakan kongsi sebuah firma guaman Bumiputera yang besar dan aktivis undang-undang, beliau dilantik untuk mewakili banyak syarikat dan individu Bumiputera yang terbabit dengan penswastaan dan dengan penyusunan semula harta Umno selepas krisis 1987/88.
Walaupun Zaid pernah mengepalai Persatuan Peguam Islam, beliau sebenarnya seorang liberal. Selepas gagal dalam percubaan bertanding jawatan Naib Presiden Umno pada tahun 2004, Zaid menampilkan dirinya seorang liberal.
Sebagai seorang liberal, Zaid tentunya tidak dapat menerima apa sahaja bentuk kongkongan terhadap kebebasan sama ada dalam bentuk keagamaan, kebangsaan, perkauman, perlembagaan, perundangan atau ekonomi.
Ini jelas daripada kenyataannya sejak dilantik senator dan menteri bahawa dia tidak boleh menerima undang-undang yang "tidak adil" seperti Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri, Akta Rahsia Rasmi dan Akta Mesin Cetak dan Penerbitan.
Cadangan penubuhan Suruhanjaya Pelantikan Hakim boleh dianggap sebagai kemuncak kepada manifestasi pemikiran Zaid sebagai seorang liberal yang tidak mengakui wujudnya batas atau ciri perkauman dalam apa hal jua.
Justeru itu, jikalau hendak difikirkan perjuangan dalam Umno dan kepada orang Melayu, banyak orang pasti berasa bahawa Tajuddin lebih layak daripada Zaid untuk dilantik menteri.
Setidak-tidaknya Tajuddin dipilih oleh rakyat pada pilihan raya umum 8 Mac lalu berbanding Zaid yang hanya dipilih oleh Addullah seorang sahaja.
Di pihak yang lain pula, apalah yang hendak dihairankan jika Zaid menyerang ahli-ahli Parlimen BN yang dianggapnya sebagai menentang kerajaan atau lebih tepat menentang Abdullah?
Zaid hanya setia dan terhutang budi kepada seorang ahli Umno dan pembesar BN sahaja iaitu Abdullah. Zaid naik bukan kerana ahli Umno atau pengundi. Dia naik kerana Abdullah melantiknya menjadi senator dan menteri. Jadi tidak menghairankan langsung jika dia menyerang sesiapa juga yang dianggapnya menentang Abdullah.
Walaupun Zaid menampilkan dirinya sebagai seorang liberal yang bebas daripada segala bentuk prejudis, dia tetap tidak terlepas daripada pengaruh Abdullah dan individu-individu di sekeliling Perdana Menteri yang berperanan memperakukan pelantikannya sebagai senator dan menteri.
Soalnya, apakah Zaid seorang liberal tulen yang tidak mengenal warna kulit atau seorang yang mengambil kesempatan daripada ketidaktentuan yang sedang berlaku kepada Umno dan kerajaan sekarang?
Saya bertanya soalan ini kerana, seperti kata Tajuddin, Zaid turut menggesa BN serta Umno mengambil tindakan terhadap penyokong-penyokong kerajaan (yang dianggap menentang kerajaan).
Kalau Tajuddin menyifatkan tindakan Zaid itu sebagai "perbuatan yang memalukan," saya menganggapnya sebagai kekeliruan antara Zaid sebagai seorang liberal dengan Zaid sebagai seorang yang pandai mengambil kesempatan.
Kalau dia benar seorang liberal dan demokrat, dia tidak akan menghalang wakil-rakyat daripada bersuara. Sebagai wakil rakyat mereka dipilih oleh rakyat jelata dan bukan dilantik oleh Perdana Menteri. Tajuddin dipilih oleh 32,119 penyokong BN.
Masih segar di fikiran saya bagaimana Zaid yang sepatutnya bercakap bagi pihak Umno dalam perhimpunan agung ketika krisis perlembagaan 1993 tetapi "kecut perut" dan berhenti separuh jalan. - kadirjasin.blogspot.com.

Strategi Memperkemas Pakatan Rakyat

Selain dari kerjasama Kerajaan Negeri Pakatan Rakyat (Pakatan), terdapat beberapa langkah tambahan bagi memantapkan lagi hubungan di antara ketiga parti.
Mesyuarat pimpinan yang turut dihadiri Azizah, Dr Syed Husin Ali, Azmin dan Siva mewakili KeADILan, Sdr Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh, Chem Man Hin mewakili DAP, Ustaz Abdul Hadi Awang, mewakili Pas. Pertemuan terakhir adalah petang Isnin lalu yang turut memutuskan agar :
1–Membentuk sekretariat bersama membicang semua isu berkaitan dan diketuai bersama Dr Syed Husin, Tan Kok Wai dan Kamaruddin Jaafar (Mereka juga ditugaskan menyiapkan deraf kerangka dasar bersama Pakatan);
2–Melantik Jawatankuasa Penyelaras Parlimen di antara Azmin Ali, Dr. Tan Seng Giaw dan Sallahuddin Ayub bersama beberapa ahli parlimen lainnya untuk mempastikan wujudnya kerjasama erat dalam semua tindakan di Parlimen;
3–Memboikot akhbar Utusan dan Mingguan Malaysia. Dengan ini Kerajaan Negeri Pakatan juga tidak akan membeli atau mengiklan di akhbar tersebut.
ANWAR IBRAHIM

Foreign investors confident in Perak- The Star

Foreign investors confident in Perak
IPOH: Foreign investors have shown confidence in Perak’s Pakatan Rakyat government and the state is now considering investment valued at about RM21.8bil.
State Education, Local Government Housing and Public Transport Committee chairman Nga Kor Ming said investment projects valued at some RM21.1bil had been proposed to the state during the first two months of the new coalition’s administration.
“This is a big encouragement for the government,” he said at a press conference Friday.
Among the projects are a RM16bil investment interest from Qatar’s Gulf Petroleum and a RM1.5bil project from First Solar Incorporation from the United States.
Nga urged other corporations to invest in Perak to contact InvestPerak, a one-stop agency that processes applications of investors.
On whether the Gulf Petroleum investment was the same as announced by the previous Barisan Nasional government, senior executive council member Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham said the Qatar-based oil company wanted to withdraw its investment but the state government had managed to persuade them to stay on.
On the appointment of local councillors in Perak, Nga said the state government had received an overwhelming interest from the public with 2,500 applications made for the 104 posts.
“We are preparing to interview applicants for the selection,” he added.
The state government had announced that one-third of the positions would be from non-governmental organisations and public interest groups while the rest would bee from political parties.

Put politics aside, says Tan

Saturday May 31, 2008
Put politics aside, says Tan
By TEH ENG HOCK
PETALING JAYA: A defiant Federal Territory Gerakan chief Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong called on those who had asked him to resign for taking up a post in Pakatan Rakyat-led Selangor to rise above politics.
He said with many issues currently troubling the people, it was time to rise above political interests for the greater good of the country.
Dr Tan, who was issued a show-cause letter by his party for taking up the post as co-chairman of Selangor’s special task force on land issues, said he had yet to decide whether to reply to the letter.
He told The Star that he fully understood the implications of the letter.
“As a former vice-president, I have previously taken part in many disciplinary actions, including sending out show cause letters.
“I have until June 7 to respond. I have not decided (whether to reply),” he said.
Dr Tan is the second Gerakan leader to take up a post with a Pakatan Rakyat-led state after deputy secretary-general Lee Kah Choon.
Last month, Lee accepted the Penang Government’s offer to take up the posts of InvestPenang executive chairman and Penang Development Corporation director.
He then resigned from Gerakan.
Asked if he had sought advice from Lee, Dr Tan said he spoke to him briefly but did not ask for advice.
“There is no need for advice. It is very clear. I have been in politics a long time and have given this (the appointment) careful thought before accepting it,” he said.
On Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s statement that Barisan Nasional members who want to take up posts in Opposition-led governments should just quit the party, Dr Tan thanked him for the advice but said it was time to rise above politics for the country’s interest.
Dr Tan said one must be brave and look back at why one became a politician.
“We must go back to our initial struggle – regardless of whether it is me, my Gerakan colleagues, or even DAP politicians.
“It is my humble desire to serve (the people). Individuals do not count and do not matter,” he said.

Perak: What was RM8mil used for?-BY HAH FOONG LIAN

Perak: What was RM8mil used for?
BY HAH FOONG LIAN
IPOH: Perak wants the previous Barisan Nasional government to explain how this year’s RM8mil development fund was spent in less than three months.
State senior executive council member Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham said the Pakatan Rakyat government was shocked at the way the fund, meant for small projects, had been spent before or during the March 8 general election campaign period.
The fund, he said, was made up of a RM75,000 allocation to each Barisan assemblyman with an additional RM100,000 given to each state exco member.
“The people are suspicious that it was spent on the election campaign.
“We are not accusing them yet but we want them to clarify,” Ngeh told a press conference yesterday.
“I want (former Perak MB Datuk Seri Mohamad) Tajol Rosli (Ghazali) and other former exco members, who are now assemblymen, to clarify the matter in order to be fair to the people,” he said.
Urging the previous government to itemise the expenditure, Ngeh said: “This is a clear case of bad management.
“The allocation is intended for the whole year but spent within two months. Has it been spent for political purposes?”
Thepreviousgovernment should immediately write to the state or announce the matter in the media so that the people could verify the expenditure, he said.
State Education, Local Government Housing and Public Transport Committee chairman Nga Kor Ming, who was also present at the media briefing said:
“This is extraordinary and we are suspicious. The people have the right to know.”
Asked if there were any statements or receipts in the government’s record on the RM8mil, Nga said:
“Let them show first. They’ve spent the money so they must show.
“That is not a logical question. Why ask us to show?” he asked.
Exco member Zainuddin Mohd Yusof, who was also present, said the normal procedure was that the disbursement of public expenditure should be apportioned according to the time of the year.