TV PAKATAN RAKYAT

Ceramah by Anwar Ibrahim
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Pakatan Rakyat, in its detailed official reaction to prime minister Najib Razak's New Economic Model announced last month, said it felt vindicated that the government had admitted to the problems highlighted by the opposition. "Pakatan Rakyat feels vindicated that our diagnosis on the problems of the economy highlighted over the past 15 years is finally conceded by the Government. "The NEM admitted that our 'engine is slowing', 'private investors have taken a back seat', 'productivity is growing… far too slowly', 'we are not developing talent and what we do have is leaving', 'the gap between rich and poor is widening' and we are 'stuck in a middle income trap'," said a joint statement issued by Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang, Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Kit Siang, the top leaders of PAS, PKR and DAP respectively.

Having said that, the leaders warned that the NEM will remove subsidies for the people "in the name of restructuring the economy, yet it continues to protect the 'rights' of big private crony corporations to make exorbitant profits at the expense of the public." "Such is the contradiction of NEM – Barisan Nasional advocates to the poor to embrace economic liberalisation and competition but is silent on removing protection and monopoly of the rich," they added. The latest statement, in the form of a five-part policy statement by Pakatan Rakyat on the NEM, is made after scrutinising the NEM's 193-page report prepared by National Economic Advisory Council (NEAC).

The leaders however urged Najib to explain why Minister of Economic Planning Unit (EPU), Nor Mohd Yakcop, had described the NEM as "suggestions by NEAC" for the government and not a government policy as declared by Najib. "This puts into question whether the Government is serious about the NEM, or it’s just another public relations exercise," said the statement. It also said the continued delays surrounding the full announcement of the NEM and the objections among cabinet members raised doubts about the government's seriousness in undertaking economic reforms. 'No to fancy economic plans'

The three leaders also feared that the NEM would fail like many other plans "launched with much fanfare" during the premierships of Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Abdullah Badawi. They were refering to Mahathir's “Knowledge-based Economy Masterplan” and Abdullah's “National Integrity Plan”, both of which "have been equally forgotten within a few years, despite their similarities to the proposed NEM." "Meaningful and holistic reforms must come first before any other fancy economic plans are brought into the picture," they said. The statement added the BN government should admit its failure to meet targets of the eighth and ninth Malaysia plans, and slammed its silence over the disappearance of RM52 billion worth of Bumiputra shares.

"The overall poverty rate (based on the unrealistic 2007 methodology to define poverty) actually was reduced to just 3.6% in 2007 as opposed to the 8MP target to bring absolute poverty to 0.5% by 2005. It remains unclear whether Malaysia can lower the overall poverty rate further to meet the 9MP target of 2.8% by 2010. "The moral standing of Barisan Nasional in championing economic reforms contained in NEM is diluted further by its various contradictory decisions even as NEM was being unveiled," it added.

The leaders highlighted four critical elements for economic restructuring which had been ignored by the NEM. These include restructuring of key utilities such as electricity, water, toll expressways and broadband services to lessen the financial burden on the public due to monopoly by big corporations; implementation of the necessary steps towards introduction of minimum wage; restructuring of income tax brackets to free young families from tax burdens; and reforms of key institutions such as judiciary, the AG’s Chambers, MACC and the police force.

Nizar Jamaludin




Anwar Ibrahim






Khalid and zaid Ibrahim




PKR today moved swiftly to clear the air over Datuk Zaid Ibrahim’s allegedly ‘unholy’ past, claiming that the former Umno member is now a “reformed man” and should be forgiven for his mistakes. Zaid has been the target of attacks on his character and his principles as a Muslim ever since his candidacy for the Malay-majority Hulu Selangor seat was announced. In the list of accusations that Zaid is facing, he is branded an alcoholic, an advocate of gambling and a womaniser — all of which are frowned upon in Islam.

Zaid admitted to the media last night that he drank alcohol in the past but quickly added that he has since repented and is now a changed person. His PKR colleagues today scrambled to wipe up the spilt milk of Zaid’s un-Islamic past, using PAS’ support for the former de facto law minister as their passport to call for his acceptance on polling day. “We all have a past, do we not? And you heard him. Zaid already admitted that it had all happened in his past. [He] no longer the same today... correct? “He said that he had changed the moment he entered the PKR,” said PKR elections director Fuziah Salleh.

She added that since his Umno days, Zaid had changed and had even gone to perform the haj in Mecca. “This is a very, very dirty tactic of the Barisan Nasional (BN). On behalf of the BN, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak should be embarassed by this tactic used to character assassinate a candidate,” she said. She challenged the BN to stop bludgeoning Zaid’s character and principles and instead, list down its abilities and promises for the people of Hulu Selangor. “There is no God, whether in Christianity, Hinduisn, Buddhism or Islam, that will punish a person when that person has already changed and reformed. No one has the right to do that, not you or me. So who is the BN to do this?” she added.

Pointing to the members of the media, Fuziah continued to say: “I am sure that none of you would want the details of your past to be revealed... especially if you have already reformed.” She also said that even PAS, with its Islamist stand and beliefs, had forgiven Zaid for his past mistakes. In 2002, Zaid had brought a suit against the Kelantan and Terengganu governments for passing the Hudud law. Although the suit was later dropped, this little piece of information has been used as ammunition against Zaid and the Pakatan Rakyat, with strong allegations claiming that there was a rift between PKR and PAS over the latter party’s choice of candidate.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, who yesterday turned up for the nomination process here, had however declared that PAS was solidly backing Zaid’s candidacy and would not hold him to his past. Despite this, it is clear so far from the string of functions within the PR’s campaign for Zaid, that PAS has been slow in kicking off its campaign here in Hulu Selangor. Fuziah, however, denied this, and said that PAS was clearly backing Zaid and that no such rift between the two parties existed. ”During the nomination, Zaid even spoke with PAS adviser Datuk Seri Nik Aziz Nik Mat who is in Mecca now.

Nik Aziz wished him all the best. And PAS’ central leadership made their statement yesterday that they are willing to forgive Zaid and they are prepared to forget his past,” she said. Fuziah pointed out that even PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim used to be in Umno before and had made his mistakes too. “But now that he has come into the PKR, things have changed. He has reformed. Both of them have reformed,” she said.

PKR strategic director Chua Tian Chang also joined in Fuziah’s criticism of BN’s tactics to kill Zaid’s chances in the by-election and pointed out that what is most important now is not what Zaid used to do in the past but what he can do for the people in the future. “Our primary concern here today are the national issues that plague us. It is about how to fight against abuse of power and corruption and an MP’s duty is to speak up for the people in Parliament. “I don’t know how or why an issue, a personal issue like this, can become a strategy for the by-election... it just shows that the BN is bankrupt of ideas,” he said.

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Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, the man chosen by the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leadership to contest in the upcoming Hulu Selangor by-election, is a political animal who cuts an interesting figure. Speaking from the smoking room of his plush home in Tropicana Golf & Country Resort, light-years removed from the Felda settlements and Indian estates he hopes to one day speak for, the former lawyer seems an unlikely choice for a constituency described by many as “cowboy country.”

But speak for the people he will. In fact, that is the only thing he will talk about. His idealism, tempered by our cynical national politics, is circumspect yet present. The sheen has since worn off PR. It is now seen as a fractious cluster of parties, bound by not much else than a common enemy, that has been rocked by defections, infighting and allegations of misgoverning and excessive politicking. His rhetoric seems pre-”tsunami” Malaysia.

But that is not to say Zaid does not have his heart in the right place. One outward sign on his self-professed love for the people is his tireless charity work — particularly for Foundation for the Disabled in Kelantan, a charity he set up — for which he gained a spot on Forbes Asia’s list of generous and interesting philanthropists.

He is also a strong supporter of an independent judiciary, despite the fact that his attempts to bring closure to the 1988 constitutional crisis were inconclusive. In fact, it was the arrest of three individuals in 2008 under the ISA which caused him to resign from his Cabinet post in protest, leading to his sacking from Umno and paving the way for him to join PKR.

Zaid has come full circle and is now one step closer to returning to the upper echelons of power, sent by Anwar Ibrahim to defend the Hulu Selangor seat and hopefully maintain the number of opposition seats in Parliament. Perhaps, like many of his would-be constituents who venture into cowboy country to make their fortunes, this is where Zaid will forge a new future for himself and the rakyat he feels so strongly about.