Shadow Policy Committee

A Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) department head has resigned after the council initiated a domestic inquiry into his department’s activities. Council president Farizan Darus confirmed that Md Pilus Md Noor had voluntarily quit as building department director from March 1 after having served the council for about 20 years. “Currently, he is clearing his annual leave till the end of the month,” he told The Star in an interview yesterday. Farizan said Md Pilus, who is in his 50s, had been relieved of his official duties since Jan 22 to facilitate internal investigations following complaints against him. Last month, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng gave the council a two-month ultimatum to clean up its act and to boost productivity. Lim ordered Farizan to take action against incompetent officers and contractors that gave the council a bad name. Last month, it was reported that Farizan had relieved a senior officer of his duties. Yesterday, Farizan said the department’s assistant direct...

Red tape and bureaucratic procedures have prevented the state government from opening a trust fund to help wipe out hardcore poverty in Penang, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. He said although it had been over a month since state Health, Welfare and Caring Society Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh discussed with state officials, a bank account for the fund has yet to be opened. “The account is vital so that the corporate sector and public can obtain tax exemption on their contributions to the fund. “Unfortunately, this delay has hampered efforts to wipe out hardcore poverty in Penang by our original March 8 deadline,” he told reporters after opening the Bagan constituency free medical camp in Lucky Garden, Raja Uda, here yesterday. Penang has 904 hardcore poor families with a monthly income of RM400 or less, Lim who is also the Bagan MP said, noting that the state wanted to raise their monthly income to RM500.

Kerajaan pemberontak negeri Perak yang diterajui oleh Umno setelah kerajaan negeri Pakan Rakyat yang sah telah digulingkan adalah sebuah pentadbiran yang tidak diiktiraf oleh umum kerana ianya telah dibentuk dengan cara yang tidak berlandaskan peruntukan perlembagaan negeri tersebut. Kerajaan pemberontak negeri Perak yang diterajui oleh Umno ini telah dibentuk hasil daripada "persidangan dewan undangan negeri" yang diadakan di ibupejabat Umno Perak dan dipengerusikan oleh timbalan presiden Umno Datuk Najib Razak selaku ketua badan perhubungan Umno negeri. Hasil daripada "persidangan dewan undangan negeri" yang diadakan di ibupejabat Umno Perak, Datuk Najib yang bertindak sebagai "speaker DUN" telah mengumumkan dalam sidang akhbar bahawa Umno telah mencapai bilangan kerusi yang mencukupi untuk membentuk kerajaan yang baru. Kita mempersoal kesahihan "persidangan dewan undangan negeri" yang diadakan di ibupejabat Umno Perak, dan kenapa Sultan Perak ...

Penang has proposed that the federal government provide a retrenchment scheme of RM800 monthly for each of the 100,000 workers who will lose their job in April. Chief Minister and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng said the retrenched workers should be given the aid until the economy recovers and when they gain employment. "This is necessary as the workers are retrenched not because of indiscipline but due to the economic downturn. The government must use a global approach to address this problem," he told a press conference at his office today. Lim who is also Bagan MP was commenting a Manpower Department statement that some 100,000 workers are expected to be retrenched by April due to the global economic downturn. If implemented, the proposal would only cost the government RM488 million for six months or RM960 million for one year. He also proposed that the government provide a RM12 billion economic stimulus package as the RM7 billion under the first package was inadequate ...

Chief Minister and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng says the economic stimulus package should be at least RM50 billion in tandem with similar packages by other nations in the region. "The package must be a minimum US$14 billion (RM50 billion) to allow the people to benefit from the money directly," he said today. Lim said the current stimulus package worth RM7 billion was paltry compared to what other nations were preparing to spend. He noted that Indonesia was preparing a stimulus package worth RM228 billion, Singapore RM27 billion and Vietnam RM22 billion, while the US had announced a package of RM5.6 trillion. "We hope the government can also implement infrastructure projects during this period," he told a press conference in his office here. Lim called on the federal government to prepare a substantial allocation for retrenched workers to receive unemployment benefits. He noted that the Manpower Department had reportedly said that some 100,000 people are expec...

A Gerakan Youth wing has lodged a police report over the safety of Penang Chief Minister and Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng following reports in Chinese dailies about an alleged plot to "assassinate" him. Its Tanjung Youth chief H'ng Khoon Leng said the reports had serious implication on the state's political, social and economic stability. "Lim, as the state chief minister, is a very important person. We are worried over his safety which is currently under threat. "The report lodged was meant to urge the police to provide Lim with extra protection," he told pressmen outside the Petani Road police station yesterday. Four Chinese dailies Kwong Wah Yit Poh, Guang Ming Daily, China Press and Oriental Daily reported yesterday that rumours were spreading like wildfire that "someone is out to finish off Lim." When contacted, Lim's political secretary Ng Wei Aik said the rumours were most likely spread by Lim's political enemies. "At the moment, ...

The Pakatan Rakyat component parties must now come up with a most effective strategy to ensure total victory in the upcoming by-elections in DUN Bukit Selambau and Bukit Gantang parliamentary respectively. DAP, PKR and PAS leadership are urged to start their election machineries right away and ignore the ceramah ban imposed by the BN federal government in Perak. The election campaigns must commence its operations now at both constituencies. Let us all work for the betterment of our people and the nation by continuing our undivided support for our Pakatan Rakyat chosen candidates.

Penang has set up a Religious Goodwill Council to foster and develop inter-faith understanding and harmony among the various communities in the state. The council, the first government-level body of its kind in the country, will have 21 members from various religious organisations, 11 of whom are Muslims. Chaired by Chief Minister and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng, it will also comprise three leaders from PAS including state PAS commissioner Salleh Man. “This is our latest effort to explore and build common universal values between religious communities,” Lim who is also Bagan MP said in a press conference at his office yesterday. “It will help improve religious co-existence and understanding in our society.” Lim had announced an idea to form such a council soon after Pakatan Rakyat’s victory in the state in theMarch 8 general election.

Langkah kerajaan pusat BN mengeluarkan arahan kepada pihak polis untuk melaksanakan larangan ceramah di negeri Perak menunjukkan bahawa Umno telah kehilangan modal dan takut untuk menghadapi sentimen rakyat yang semakin membara ekoran daripada tindakannya melancarkan rampasan kuasa menggulingkan kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat negeri tersebut. Larangan ceramah itu juga telah menunjukkan bahawa Umno tidak lagi relevant di mata rakyat dan tidak lagi yakin yang rakyat akan terus menyokong mereka. Oleh yang demikian, Umno telah mengambil kesempatan tersebut bagi memperkukuhkan jentera kempen pilihanraya parti tersebut bagi menghadapi pilihanraya kecil yang akan datang.

DAP's commitment towards a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural Malaysia is not only an article of faith but a deep conviction in Bangsa Malaysia. DAP is inclusive of all races and religions. We represent the interests and fight for the rights every Malaysian. In the effort of being representative of all Malaysians, including both Malays and non-Malays, the party is willing to undertake a transformational process that may be painful but necessary. We have no alternative but to grow without compromising our basic principles. DAP reaffirms support for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to establish an alternative government that is democratic, people-centric and with an ethical leadership based on the 5 principles of freedom, justice, truth, social welfare and universal moral values. In this regard the DAP supports PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the Parliamentary Opposition Leader and will remain so as no single leader has ever questioned this during internal meetings w...

Semua wakil rakyat Pakatan Rakyat (PR) menyeru Barisan Nasional (BN) dan Umno agar memberikan tumpuan bagi menyelamat dan mewujudkan peluang pekerjaan serta merangsangkan pertumbuhan ekonomi Negara, bukannya hanya memfokuskan kepada "membeli" wakil rakyat Pakatan Rakyat (PR) untuk merampas kuasa secara political coup d'etat dan belukar raya. 1. Semua wakil rakyat PR di Pulau Pinang, mengecam tindakan tiga (3) wakil rakyat daripada Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) seorang wakil rakyat daripada DAP di Negeri Perak yang melompat masuk menyokong BN-Umno sehingga menyebabkan PR kehilangan majoritinya di Dewan Undangan Negeri Perak. Tindakan ini disifatkan sebagai suatu tindakan khianat kepada budaya demokrasi dan derhaka kepada mandat rakyat untuk PR dalam Pilihanraya Umum 2008. 2. Semua wakil rakyat PR di Pulau Pinang mengecam BN-Umno yang membelakangkan prinsip demokrasi yang menolak suara rakyat serta menggunakan taktik politik yang kotor dan jijik untuk "membuatkan" e...

Kami seluruh warga DAP dan pengundi di kawasan parlimen Bagan ingin menyatakan sokongan padu kami kepada kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat negeri Perak, Mentri Besar serta Ahli-ahli Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri di dalam menghadapi krisis perlembagaan yang melanda negeri tersebut baru-baru ini. Kami juga dengan sekeras-kerasnya mengutuk tindakan Umno yang telah melancarkan siri rampasan kuasa mereka menggulingkan kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat yang sah dipilih oleh rakyat. Kami juga dengan sekeras-kerasnya mengutuk tindakan para pemimpin Umno yang telah menyalahgunakan pasukan keselamatan untuk memberikan tekanan terhadap Sultan Perak agar baginda segera mengiktiraf kerajaan pemberontak yang dibentuk oleh Umno Perak dan kami juga ingin tegaskan bahawa perbuatan Umno ini adalah derhaka yang sebenar kerana mereka telah mempergunakan kesultanan negeri untuk kepentingan politik mereka semata-mata. Tindakan Umno ini adalah derhaka bukan sahaja terhadap institusi Raja tetapi seluruh rakyat negeri Perak p...

梹州民联政府一路來，都是走亲民的路线。 对梹州海南同乡，也不例外。 海南人在大马华人的人口中，只佔10巴仙而已！ 在01.02.09那天，梹州民联政府，为梹州海南会馆历史， 创下了两个壯举。 在梹城，梹州首席部长：YAB 林冠英， 陪同YB曹观友行政议员及YB黃汉伟行政议员等人， 为梹州庙会的海南城主持开幕。 在北海， YB 林峯成 行政议员 及 YB 彭文宝 行政议员 出席 由北海海南会馆在 01.02.2009 年初七早上 10 时至下午 1 时， 所主办 颁发奖励金及新春大团拜 ， 打破了北海海南会馆的 { 传統 } ， 这是北海海南之光！