Shadow Policy Committee

By Lau Weng San It is quite disturbing to read statement from several MCA leaders attacking Selangor State Government by implying that the Pakatan Rakyat (PR)-led state government only approves 12 Chinese applicants for study loan, when MCA leaders are not prepared to reveal how many study loans were offered to Chinese in states ruled by Barisan Nasional (BN). In fact, I was the first assemblyman who helped promoting the study loan scheme offered by the state government as early as in August 2010. All elected representatives in Selangor received letters and brochures from the state government requesting helps from elected representatives to promote such scheme and to recommend suitable students to apply for the study loan irregardless of race and religion. This prompted me to request for more details about the almost-interest-free study loan in August 2010. I also called a press conference to promote the study loan, which is opened to applicants from all races provided that the applica...

The DAP claimed today of links between MCA’s bid for Tanjong Plc’s gaming business and its previous pro-sports betting licence position. MCA was supportive of tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan’s Ascot Sports’ attempt to get a sports betting licence earlier this year. DAP MP Anthony Loke demanded that MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek clarify the news report carried by The Malaysian Insider this morning. “Did they (MCA) support sports betting in the past because they were planning or hoping to buy into the gaming business? Was that why the MCA supported the government’s intent to legalise sports betting? Come clean on this. “MCA president Chua Soi Lek must confirm this news report. What moral authority does the MCA have left, with taking over a gaming business?” said Loke. The MCA is said to be in the mix to buy Tanjong Plc’s gaming business, valued at about RM2.5 billion, along with the Cheng family, Filipino tycoon Roberto ‘Bobby’ Ongpin Jr and some international private equity firms....

DAP leaders today challenged leading Barisan Nasional (BN) parties, Gerakan and MCA, to make their stand known on Umno’s decision to lift the suspension of controversial Penang warlord Datuk Ahmad Ismail. “Are they willing to quit Barisan Nasional?” asked Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran. Yesterday, The Malaysian Insider reported that former Bukit Bendera Umno chief, Ahmad, who was suspended in September last year for uttering a racist remark, has been reinstated into the party last Friday. “I am not shocked at all by the decision,” Kulasegaran told reporters in Parliament here. Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong wondered what message Umno is trying to send when lifting the suspension. “I want to know the view of Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon as the minister in charge of national integration, and what message Umno is sending,” said Liew. While Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua said the decision indicates that Umno is not serious in adopting the 1 Malaysia concept. “Is Umno still holding on to its Ketuan...

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has recommended that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) or the police to investigate former Transport Minister Tan Sri Chan Kong Choy and former Port Klang Authority (PKA) general manager Datin Paduka OC Phang for criminal breach of trust over the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project. The committee, which is investigating the scandal-ridden PKFZ, has found both Chan and Phang to have breached Section 14 (1) of the Financial Procedure Act 1957 by issuing three letters of support and three letters of undertaking without the approval of the Finance Ministry. PAC said the Attorney-General revealed that the three letters of support issued by Chan and three undertaking letters issued by Phang had implicitly placed responsibility on the Government to ensure there is allocation for PKA to fulfil its obligation under the development agreement. “Hence, thorough investigation by the MACC or police on these matters were required as the letters were i...