vox populi big thumbnail‘That is the reality in this country. Pas was successful in the last election because PAS worked harmoniously within Pakatan Rakyat. In war, once you lose momentum, the enemy will defeat you miserably.'


On A liberal's thoughts on PAS

Mohammad Afifi Kassim: PAS cannot do it alone in her quest for political success. That is the reality in this country.

Pas was successful in the last election because PAS worked harmoniously within Pakatan Rakyat.

If PAS leaders that emerge successful after this coming ‘muktamar' decide to work with Umno/BN they are only retarding the momentum that has been gained.

In war, once you lose momentum, the enemy will defeat you miserably. PAS will not be trusted anymore.


On Non-Malays shouldn't worry about Utusan's ranting

Pensioner: As a Malay myself, I can appreciate the writer's concern about the position that the Malays are now in.

However, what the writer failed to mention was the reason for this malaise which has dogged the commuity for generations.

The writer should highlight the fact that the Malays have been victims of their own Malay leaders.

How does one explain the refusal of the federal government to bring development to Kelantan by stopping the highway at Kuantan when Terengganu was under PAS but then extending the highway up to the Kelantan border when BN took over Terengganu?

Kelantan with a Malay population of more than 90% was also the last state to get a university.

The attitude of Malay politicians is that 'you may be a Malay but if you are not one of us, I will ensure that you get nothing'.

The Malays in Kelantan have been treated poorly for decades and it would not be wrong to say that the non-Malays in other states fare better in terms of getting infrastructure and educational and business opportunities.

Najib's administration of a ‘1Malaysia', I hope, will also include the Malays in the states not under BN control.


On PWD yet to certify ill-fated stadium

Moses Lim: The recent roof collapse of the Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin Stadium in Trengganu is another accumulated proof of a sickening malady in Malaysia.

That the ruling politicians have overstepped their bounds of duty and responsibility and taken over the role of the professionals in public projects.

The skeleton has now come out that the state PWD had not yet issued issued a Works Completion Order (Certificate of Practical Completion) which then leads to the next stage of testing and commissioning the facilities.

If everything is approved at this stage, then the professionals will recommend the issue of the CF for use of the facility.

Obviously in the case of the Terengganu stadium, the ruling politicians have deemed it fit for use despite the lack of an official recommendation from the professionals.

In our days in university, we were taught to do a feasibiltiy study before launching a project.

But in Bolehland, it is the ruling politicians that first decide on the project and then the professionals come in to do the necessary justifications to suit the prior decision of the ruling politicians.

Reflect back on the Kuantan Port, the Bakun Hydro-Electric Dam, the ‘Crooked Bridge ‘ and other projects carried out in the country all which were not based on technical ‘best fit' specifications but on ‘political best fit'.

Two groups of people are now called to make a difference. To the ruling politicians, will you respect the input of the professionals in the decision-making for public projects?

And to the professional - will you stand up to the politician and not commit technical suicide?


On PKFZ - do you really expect guilty to be charged?

Teokeloomangoop: A case now embroiling in Australia is that the defence Minister is resigning because he failed to disclose travel trips and gifts he accepted from a friend and also for a potential business conflict involving his brother and the defence department.

Not to mention that ministers in the UK are also resigning due to irregular expenses claims.

Well, they may have been dishonest or just plain careless, we don't know, but at least they acknowledge their mistakes and resign.

Here in Malaysia, our politicians never admit their mistakes when caught whether it is for trips to Disneyland or conflicts of Interest in the PKFZ. Sigh...


On MB vs MB: Still no sight of written judgment

Peter Ooi: When Justice Aziz delivered his judgement, he must have though that it was a masterpiece - a judgement that was well-written and carefully researched.

Even former judge NH Chan acknowledged that it was indeed such.

I believe that Justice Aziz's pride must be deeply dented when the court of appeal turned his judgement upside with just a five-minute oral judgement.

Yes, a one-and-half hour written judgement was overturned in just five minutes. I am really impressed by the speed of the court of appeal judgement.

The judges impressed me with their efficiency and with what was most probably a better-crafted judgement than Aziz's.

Now after so many days of waiting, their written judgements is not yet completed. All at once, my first impression of them changed just as fast as their oral judgement.

But I tend to find excuses for their delay. Maybe they are still finding the authorities to back up their rebuttal against Aziz. Hard as they might try, those authorities are nowhere to be found yet.

Maybe they are trying very hard to find inspiration to outdo Aziz's masterpiece. Being judges in the appeals court, their judgement must be more impressive and they are not to be outdone.

All said and done, I just hope that they do not eventually emulate the federal court in doing away with a written judgement.

Give them time. But there must be a time frame.


On Parliament responds to Gobind's suit

P Dev Anand Pillai: I guessed as much that they would thwart the use of the federal constitution to suit their needs.

Now all of a sudden, they cry that the decisions of the committees of Parliament cannot be questioned in any court of law.

But they allowed Zambry to do it! I wonder what all the great legal minds who argued in favour of Zambry have to say about what the Parliament House's secretary stated in her reply to Gobind's application.

This is what makes us a laughing stock for the entire modern world in which we seek to be a member of.

Our federal constitution should be jealousy guarded as the highest law of the land instead of using a ‘plastic wrapper' approach ie, use it when needed and discard when not.

If our judges do not take it upon themselves to be the guardians of the federal constitution, then maybe the foreign writer who said that we are a ‘pariah nation' is right.


On Give JPA scholarships only to 'true scholars'

Teokeloomangoop: The awarding of PSD scholarship is certainly a very hot topic so may I make a few comments?

i. Limiting the number of subjects is not a solution - if certain students are smart enough and have the capacity to learn more, why stop them ?

ii. Increase the standard of the exams - it appears that it is all too easy nowadays to get more than 10A1s.

Thirty years ago, if you got 7As in your LCE your name would appear in the newspapers; nowadays, parents and students cry with despair with that result

iii. Have 80% of the PSD scholarships allocated purely on academic performance - this is clearly measurable and non-debatable if the criteria clearly stated.

Transparency is the key. The remaining 20% can be for students who do not meet the academic criteria but have additional considerations due to co-curricular activities


On USM picked as apex university

WB Phang: USM was granted the status of apex university last year, and has been looked up to as the elite university which will bring our national tertiary education towards a higher level.

However, the recent fiasco of committing a mistake in uploading the names of successful applicants onto its website, has undeniably tainted its own name.

The confusion which shattered the hearts of those who failed and boosted the confidence of those who managed to get admitted, now reverts all the way back.

Just imagine how disappointed and frustrated those pitiful applicants were. The problem USM's admission office has to face right now is to provide a valid reason and explanation to these applicants and their parents.

To USM's administration, this may just be a normal mistake, a seemingly small technical error. However, to all the applicants and parents, this is more than a tiny error.

How could USM justifies its apex status while creating such a problem in the student admission process?

If USM can't even handle the recruiting process smoothly, how are we going to place our hopes and confidence in its teaching standards?

As a concerned student, I do hope that USM will rectify the problem immediately and promise that such mistake will not be made in the future again.


On Dog sniffs out S'pore-bound pirated DVDs

Kowsiva: It is funny though to see that we're getting a dog to catch the DVD smugglers.

Hey, please drop by Miri where don't need to have a dog to show you all the pirated DVDs being sold all over the town.

For just RM6, you can even get pirated Blue Ray copy. Anyway, I believe the piracy exists because we have lousy cinemas with sound systems that suck.....