Boikot Mania

Melayu Oh Melayu...

 Di mana boleh cari ramai Melayu...???

 Pastinya di Kelantan dan Terengganu

 Dan juga di pasar malam dan pasar minggu 

 Di Akademi Fantasia dan Pesta Lagu 

 Di Jom Heboh orang Melayu berpusu-pusu 

 Di Sungai Buloh, pusat pemulihan, dulu di Pudu 

 Dan di jalan, lumba haram, rempit tak berlampu

 Dan di selekoh duit rasuah depa pun sapu 

 Di pusat serenti akibat ketagih dadah dan chandu 

 Di malam kemerdekaan dan malam tahun baru 

 Terkinja-kinja best giler menari macam hantu

 Terkenal dengan budaya malas dan lesu

 Berlepak buang masa tak jemu-jemu

 Atau baca majalah Mastika, Metro pasal cerita hantu 

 Tengok telenovela dari Filipina dan Peru 

 Berpusu-pusu pergi tengok pamiran hantu 

 Sambil makan junk food, kuaci dan muruku

 Sibuk bercerita tentang Datuk K dapat bini baru

 Apa pakaian Siti nak pakai itu yang nak tahu 

 Mana tak gendut berpenyakit selalu 

 Kalau nak berlagak melayu masih nombor satu 

 Asal bergaya sanggup makan nasi dan toyu

 Boleh tak jumpa mereka di kedai buku

 Atau di perpustakaan dan majlis ilmu

 Atau ambil kelas kemahiran di hujung minggu 

 Ada tapi kurang sangat mereka di situ

 Kenapa melayu jadi begitu 

 Nak salahkan siapa ibubapa atau guru

 Pemimpin negara atau raja dulu-dulu

 Ayat lazim di mulut ialah Melayu malas selalu

 Nak harap Kerajaan saja membantu 

 Terutama sekali kontraktor kelas satu

 Tak habis-habis gaduh nak jatuh siapa dulu 

 pasal jambatan senget atau siapa dia penghulu 

 Dan suka sangat dengan budaya ampu mengampu

 Sampai bila kita nak tunggu 

 Bangsa Melayu jadi bangsa yang maju

 Boleh! dengan beberapa syarat tertentu

 Pertama dengan banyak menguasai ilmu 

 Kata nabi ikutlah Quran dan sunnah ku

 AlQuran yang diturunkan 1400 tahun dahulu 

 Tapi apa yang kita tahu, cuma baca bila nak halau hantu

 Makna hanya sepatah dua je tahu

 Itu pun kekadang bunyi merapu

 Tapi kalau pasal lirik lagu

 Dialah nombor Satu

 .....tapi masaalahnya. .....

 ............. ......... ......... ..

...... AKU PUN MELAYU......

RM1 Juta Untuk Baiki 4 Tandas Di LTAB Bayan Lepas

Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) membelanjakan RM1 juta untuk membaiki dan mengubah suai empat tandas di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa (LTAB) Bayan Lepas di Pulau Pinang.

Ini bermakna RM250,000 dibelanjakan untuk memperbaiki dan mengubah suai sebuah tandas.

Wah! sebuah tandas di LTAB Bayan Lepas sama harganya dengan sebuah rumah banglo di pinggir hampir semua bandar di Malaysia. Hebat sekali!

Bayangkan berapa ramai insan miskin yang boleh dibantu dengan wang sebanyak itu termasuk untuk membeli makanan, pakaian dan meringankan perbelanjaan persekolahan anak mereka.

Sudah tentu ada sesuatu yang tidak kena dan pihak berkuasa mesi menyiasat terutama sekali Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia.

Terima kasih YAB Lim Guan Eng, Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang kerana mendedahkan perkara berkenaan.

The Real Terrorist in GAZA

Apakah Bulan Mengambang Pada 17 Januari..???

Sehingga jam 2:30 malam tadi masih ada pekerja jentera pilihan raya Pas memasang poster dan mendirikan papan iklan di sekitar bandar raya Kuala Terengganu.

Dalam saat penyokong Pas masih galak bekerja, jentera Umno sudah lenyap atau suda lena tidur diulik mimpi, mungkin memimpin kemenangan! Inilah perbezaan yang ketara dari segi semangat dan gerak kerja antara kedua parti itu.

Rata-rata penyokong Pas yang ditemui atau terdengar perbiacraan mereka mengakui mereka mempunyai kelebihan berbanding dengan Umno. Secara rendah diri mereka mengatakan mula mendapat kekuatan apabila berlaku swing atau peralihan angin pengundi Cina di kawasan bandar.

“Mulanya kita bimbang kepada pengundi Cina, tetapi alhamdulilah sambutan terhadap ceramah yang kita anjurkan mendapat sambutan mengejutkan, dan ini sangat melegakan kita,” begitulah komen seorang penyokong Pas yang datang khusus untuk membantu Pas sejak hari penamaan calon lagi.

Malam semalam katanya satu gelombang besar berlaku di kalangan pengundi Cina di tengah bandaraya Kuala Terengganu. Ceramah anjuran DAP dan PKR di Kampung Tiong mendapat sambutan luar biasa. Perkembangan mengkagumkan, bila mana ada anak muda Cina membawa 'jabil' (bekas plastik) berlambangkan bulan untuk mengutip derma.

Seorang wartawan kanan sebuah akhbar berbahasa Inggeris yang melihat fenomena itu memberi komen mengenai hal ini katanya kalau orang Cina sudah mencari wang untuk Pas ini sudah menjadi masalah besar kepada Umno.

“Jarang berlaku orang Cina secara terbuka membantu calon Pas dan apa yang ditunjukkan ini satu kebenaran yang luar biasa,” tambahnya.

Sememangnya kegelabahan BN mengenai perubahan masyarakat Cina ini sesuatu yang tidak dapat disembunyikan. Misalnya pagi ini ada maklumat mengatakan ada arahan dilakukan oleh pihak tertentu agar menutup bilik gerakan DAP. Arahan itu khabarnya dari pejabat MB Terengganu?

Dalam pada itu jentera perang saraf Umno juga telah mengugut pengundi Cina terutamanya di kalangan pengundi muda yang memberi ingatan supaya tidak mengundi Pas dan disamping mengugut kononnya kalau mereka undi BN tahu perbuatan itu. Hal ini didedahkan oleh pengundi muda Cina yang bimbang dengan ugutan itu dan bertanya soal kerashaian undi.

Ugutan dan psywar ini menunjukkan BN mulai takut dengan perkembangan di kalangan pengundi Cina. Dalam pada itu kenapa masyarakat Cina mengubah pendirian mereka kerana tertarik dengan dasar pemerintahan Pakatan Rakyat yang ditunjukkan di Kelantan, Perak dan Selangor di mana dasar Pakatan Rakyat lebih terbuka dan adil kepada mereka.

Selain itu pengundi Cina juga dikatakan lebih rasional di mana mereka tidak pedulikan apa yang hendak dibawa oleh Pas dan BN. Yang penting bagi mereka parti mana yang boleh memberi sesuatu yang dapat mereka lihat dan rasakan segera.

Faktor inilah menyebabkan pengundi Cina Kuala Terengganu berubah angin. Ia juga ditambah dengan sikap pemimpin MCA dan Gerakan atau tokoh Cina lain yang dikatakan tidak serius dalam kempen dan seolah mereka mengambil sikap melepas batuk ditangga saja mengenai pilihan raya berkenaan.

Hakikat kelemahan BN ini diakui sendiri oleh beberapa pembantu jentera pilihan rayanya yang datang dari luar. Seorang Ketua Umno Umno bahagian di Kelantan menyatakan kekecewaan mereka terhadap kelembapan jentera wanita Umno pada pilihan raya itu.

Katanya wanita Umno semacam tidak mahu menerima khidmat dan bantuan luar bila mereka memandang dingin pada kedatangan rombongan wanita bahagiannya untuk membantu BN.
Keadaan itu menurutnya membayangkan Umno Kuala Terengganu ada masalah di mana semua pihak nampaknya tidak sepadu antara satu sama lain.

Mungkin perebutan jawatan antara Ketuanya, Rafidah Aziz dan naibnya, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil menyumbangkan ke arah kelembapan itu. Rafidah khabarnya hanya menjelma seketika saja di Kuala Terengganu. Manakala Shahrizat pula tidak dapat berbuat lebih kerana tidak mendapat mandat daripada Rafidah.

Mengambil kira perbualan dan mendengar luahan itu semua, maka jelas dari segi semangat dan keazamannya Pas berada di atas berbanding dengan Umno. Wahid Endut berada di nombor wahid dan bulan kelihatan terang.

Cerita Tentang PROTON

Assalammualaikum

Bukan nak belah mana2... Cuma nak memberi penjelasan. Proton sebenarnya tak pernah keluarkan enjin sendiri dengan erti kata sebenarnya.

Enjin CamPro yang di war-warkan adalah sebenarnya merupakan enjin Mitsubishi Lancer yang di beri sedikit nafas baru oleh Lotus. CamPro adalah abrv. utk "Cam Profiling" dimana sepatutnya mempunyai ciri-ciri Variable Valve Timing.

Tetapi apa yang terjadi Proton tidak dapat/tidak sempat (tak pasti yang mana lebih tepat) untuk mengubahsuai enjin Mitsubishi Lancer lama tu kepada enjin yang menmuyai ciri Cam Profiling yang sebenar tu.

Hasilnya, batch awal Gen2 yang menggunakan enjin CamPro tersebut suffer from underpower. Sedikit lagi adjustment dibuat untuk menyelesaikan masalah tersebut dan batch kedua Gen2 ini kemudiannya di pasang pada Proton Waja.

TP: Tambahan - Berkenaan dengan CamPro, kalau tak silap aku versi yang dilengkapi dengan Variable Valve Timming dah ada dipasaran dan dinamakan CamPro CPS seperti yang digunakan oleh pihak PDRM (unit siasatan jenayah). untuk pengetahuan korang jugak, individu yang dipertanggungjawabkan untuk melakukan R&D bagi Cam tersebut ialah Charlie@MatSpeed. betulkan aku kalau silap.

Proton perdana...adalah kereta proton rebadge engineered yg diambil dari mitsubishi Eterna generasi ke-7.

proton perdana menggunakan enjin dari mitsubishi drpd awal diperkenalkan proton perdana (1995)sehinggalah sekarang.

enjin2 dari mitsubishi utk perdana....2.0 L 4G6314 (1995-2000)...dan 2.0 L 6A12 V6 (1999-hingga kini)

selepas proton "kicked out" mitsubishi (habis contract)...sekitar tahun 90an....maka mitsubishi tidak lagi menyumbangkan "quality control" kpd proton....maka bermulalah era kemerosotan kualiti produk2 kerata proton.

kalau proton tiada...penyokong2 PAS yg hidup susah dah boleh drive honda jazz, toyota vios, honda city, toyota altis...tak perlu bawak2 moto....tak percaya???...then tanye kerajaan (ameno) kenapa still tak mahu kuatkuasakan AFTA secara "jujur, ikhlas & menyeluruh"???....foreign cars takkan kene taxes yg melampau dlm AFTA...tidak seperti yg dilakukan skang demi survival proton....harga kereta akan murah...harga kereta proton pun akan jauh lebih murah berbanding skang sbb proton perlu compete dlm penjualan kereta....so ketika nie point paling penting dlm membeli sesebuah kenderaan hanyalah soal KUALITIiiii.

kalau kualiti baik pasti akan ada yg membeli....kalau kualiti hampeh cam skang...hhmmmm...faham2 sendirilah ye.

pekerja2 proton???...kalau proton tiada (demi populariti che det sebagai orang politik, maka dimanjakan proton)....pekerja2 proton skang sudah pasti sedang bekerja dgn honda, toyota, merc, BMW....malangnnya.... kerajaan thailand merampas peluang yg ada dari malaysia....seperti mana thailand merampas sektor pertanian, begitulah jugak mereka dgn bijak merampas dari malaysia sektor automotive & urusniaga export kenderaan.

January 12, 2009 10:39 PM

TP: tambahan - enjin code 6A12 (V6) ada dalam beberapa model iaitu 1.6 (cyber mirage), 2.0(Galant), 2.0MIVEC (Lancer & MIVEC), 2.0 Twin Turbo ( Eterna), 2.4 (Galant) dan jugak 3.0 Twin Turbo (GTO). betulkan aku kalau silap.

Kesimpulannya apa yang korang bangga-banggakan selama ni bukanlah kereta tempatan, sebaliknya kereta jepun. bila aku kondem Proton, bukan sebab aku kondem buatan Malaysia sebab pada hakikatnya Malaysia masih belum ada apa yang nak dibanggakan dalam bidang automotif.

Proton Saga asalnya ialah Mitsubishi mirage. jurutera Proton masa tu cuma ambik model asal, ubah lampu depan, dashboard, bumber depan & belakang, sikit interior dalaman lepas tu letak lambang proton. enjin pulak masa tu cuma pakai (4G13 & 4G15) 8valve, lepas tu cyclone (cyclone ada lagi 8 valve kecik extra), lepas tu baru keluar model 12valve.

Mula dari proton saga, proton modified sikit jadik proton night, iswara dan seterusnya. kalau dekat jepun masa tu dah kuar versi injection tapi malaysia masih gunakan teknologi carburator sebagai nadi sampai model terakhir iswara kereta kebal. punyala jauh ketinggalan.

Proton wira pulak ambik dari model Mitsubishi lancer. kalau model asal lancer mula dari enjin 4G13, 4G15, 4G91, 4g92, 4G93 & jugak 4G93T (GSR).

Apa lagi?... proton tiara pulak diambik dari model Citreon. kalau model asal citreon depa ada versi turbo.

Proton Perdana? dah cerita dekat atas... kalau tak paham jugak, memang hangpa bukan takat bangang... tapi tahap keras hati... kalau tak percaya, aku cabr Proton bawak keluarkan Blue Print yang mengesahkan bahawa semua dekat atas tu keluaran asli proton dan bukannya "copy, modified & paste" dari Mitsubishi.

Kenyataan yang korang kena terima ialah, proton tak pernah keluarkan jentera sendiri. setakat hari ni, yang proton ada cuma rangka iaitu waja, juara, gen2 dan jugak neo.... yang lain semua bantai produk jepun lepaih tu lekat lambang Proton.

Sape yang dok pertahankan Perdana V6 sebenarnya tak patriotik... awat hangpa dok pertahankan sangat kereta jepun tu? berapa jepun tu bayaq dekat hangpa yang dok jadik balaci depa?

Lagi satu nak tanya hangpa... kalau hangpa pegi kedai sparepart, mintak sparepart original, awat kedai selalu bagi yang ada cop "Mitsubishi"???

Mitsubishi tu anak syarikat proton ka?

Antara Kekejaman Yahudi Dan Pengkhianatan Pemimpin Arab

Biasanya apabila berlaku kekejaman Yahudi ke atas umat Islam Palestin, seluruh dunia akan berdemonstrasi di hadapan kedutaan Israel, Amerika Syarikat dan negara-negara kuasa besar dunia yang lain.

Biasanya apabila berlaku kekejaman Yahudi ke atas umat Islam Palestin, seluruh dunia akan berdemonstrasi di hadapan kedutaan Israel, Amerika Syarikat dan negara-negara kuasa besar dunia yang lain.

Berbeza dalam isu terkini yang berlaku di Gaza. Sebagai membantah kekejaman ini, umat Islam di negara-negara Arab bukan sahaja berdemonstrasi di hadapan kedutaan Israel dan Amerika Syarikat, tetapi mereka berhimpun di hadapan kedutaan Mesir dengan melaungkan slogan yang mengecam pemimpin Mesir, Jordan, Arab Saudi dan lain-lain.

Kalau dahulu, mereka melaungkan slogan, "Khaibar, khaibar ya yahud, jaizyu Muhammad saufa ya'ud," kini mereka menukarkannya kepada slogan baru, "Khaibar, khaibar ya yahud, Mubarak 'aduwwullah!".

Kenapa marah sangat umat Arab kepada pemimpin-pemimpin Arab? Kalaupun pemimpin Arab itu jahat, bukankah Yahudi lebih jahat. Yahudi yang bunuh umat Islam Palestin. Yahudi yang rampas tanah orang Islam Palestin. Yahudi yang tabur bom ke atas bumi Gaza.

Orang-orang Arab kata, "Ya, memang Yahudi yang bunuh umat Islam. Memang Yahudi yang hancurkan bumi Gaza. Tetapi mereka tidak akan berani berbuat demikian jika tidak mendapat isyarat daripada pemimpin-pemimpin Arab."

"Ini bukan kali pertama. Dahulu ketika tentera Mesir hampir menang menentang tentera Yahudi (1938) selepas dibantu oleh ahli-ahli gerakan Ikhwanul Muslimin, pemimpin Mesir merasa bimbang. Mereka bimbang kemenangan ini akan membuatkan gerakan Islam jadi kuat dan mengancam kedudukan mereka di tampuk kuasa."

"Tentera Mesir dikerah pulang. Orang Ikhwan juga diperintah balik. Bila sampai di Kaherah, mereka ditangkap beramai-ramai dan disiksa di dalam penjara Mesir (bukan penjara Israel). Hasan Al Bana yang mengepalai mujahidin Mesir dibunuh di Syari' Ramsis."

"Hari ini peristiwa yang sama berulang. Hamas mendapat sokongan majoriti rakyat. Pemimpin Mesir dan pemimpin-pemimpin sekular negara-negara Arab sedar bahawa Hamas adalah gerakan Islam. Sedangkan Fatah sekular. Kalau dibiarkan Hamas menang di Palestin, bermakna ideologi sekular pemimpin Arab juga bakal menemui kehancuran. Maka mereka cuba memberi jalan seluasnya kepada Israel untuk menghancurkan Hamas."

Soviet Union 'balik kampung'

"Biar bumi Palestin hancur. Biar umat Islam habis terbunuh. Demi untuk melihat Hamas tidak lagi berkuasa di Palestin. Inilah pegangan pemimpin-pemimpin Arab."

Pandangan majoriti rakyat Arab ini ada benarnya. Umat Islam Palestin tidak mendapat bekalan senjata mahupun makanan dan perubatan dari negara-negara sebangsa dan seagama dengan mereka. Pintu sempadan di tutup.

Pada tahun 2002, empat orang pejuang Palestin ditembak mati oleh tentera Jordan (Arab/Islam) di sempadan Palestin-Jordan kerana cuba membawa masuk bantuan dari Jordan ke Palestin. Bukan tentera Israel yang tembak mereka. Tetapi tentera Jordan! Tentera Israel yang berada di sebelah sana hanya memerhatikan dari jauh sambil tersenyum.

Begitu juga dengan sempadan Palestin-Mesir. Ia ditutup rapat sejak sekian lama. Apabila tentera Yahudi undur dari Rafah/Gaza dua tiga tahun lalu, rakyat Palestin cuba meruntuhkan tembuk sempadan. Namun kemudiannya dibina kembali oleh Mesir. Seolah-olah Mesir sengaja mengurung rakyat Palestin untuk diratah oleh Yahudi.

Tidak ada apa yang boleh disalurkan ke Palestin menerusi sempadan negara-negara Arab. Justeru, tidak hairanlah kita melihat di dalam TV bagaimana umat Islam Palestin terpaksa menghadapi serangan kereta kebal Israel dengan hanya melontar batu ke arah mereka.

Pejuang-pejuang dari negara umat Islam juga tidak dapat masuk ke Palestin untuk sama-sama berjuang membantu saudara seagama mereka di Palestin. Mereka hanya mampu berdoa dari jauh.

Ingatkah saudara kepada peristiwa di Afghanistan pada tahun 1979. Apabila Soviet Union menceroboh bumi Afghan, umat Islam bangun menentang. Cantiknya, beberapa tahun kemudian, Pakistan yang dipimpin oleh Jeneral Zia ul Haq membuka pintu sempadan. Peluang ini lantas direbut oleh umat Islam dari pelbagai negara untuk pergi ke Afghanistan, dengan membawa bantuan kewangan, senjata, makanan dan sebagainya bagi membantu umat islam Afghan.

Muncullah nama-nama pejuang seperti Dr Abdullah Azam (dari Palestin), Syeikh Tamim Al Adnani, Syeikh Usamah bin Laden (dari Arab Saudi), Dr Abd Majid Zandani (dari Yaman), Aiman Az Zawahiri (dari Mesir) dan lain-lain pejuang yang sangat dikagumi oleh rakyat Afghan. Hasilnya, Soviet Union bukan sahaja terpaksa balik kampung dengan sungguh menghinakan, bahkan kerajaan negara berkenaan tumbang tanpa perlu mujahidin menyerang. Mereka kalah di Kabul, mereka tumbang di Moskow.

Dengan kemenangan itu juga, satu demi satu negara jajahan mengisytiharkan diri keluar dari kesatuan USSR. Yang tinggal hanya Russia sahaja.

Penulis berpandangan, andai kata sempadan Palestin dengan negara-negara Arab (Mesir, Jordan, Lubnan dan Syria) dibuka, insya Allah bukan sahaja Israel yang akan kalah. Bahkan Amerika Syarikat juga akan hancur. Barak Obama akan menjadi presiden terakhir Amerika, atau mungkin tidak sempat ditabalkan menjadi presiden.

Ezam Dan P36

PILIHAN RAYA kecil P36 Kuala Terengganu telah menjadi ruang untuk Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor menyambungkan berahi dendamnya memarahi bekas idolanya Anwar Ibrahim yang dimulakan sewaktu pilihan raya kecil Permatang Pauh tidak lama lalu.

Ramai orang bingung kenapa Ezam menjadi seakan kurang siuman menghentam Anwar. Khayalak politik yang rendah daya fikir pun terpaksa menelanubat penahan sakit memikirkan sikap Ezam itu.

Dulu Ezamlah hulubalang Anwar nombor wahid yang sanggup berkorban apa saja. Kata Ezam dia masuk penjara kerana mendedahkan dokumen semata-mata untuk mempertahankan dan membela Anwar.

Masa dan kerjaya politiknya juga turut musnah kerana Anwar. Saya sering memakai istilah Ezam dan Mohamed Azmin Ali sebagai pasangan kembar Siam ysng ulit memperjuangkan nasib dan jihad reformasi yang dibawa Anwar.

Tetapi bila alih-alih beliau menentang Anwar dan rujuk semula ke dalam Umno itulah menyebabkan ramai orang terkejut beruk.

Apakah sikap Ezam itu kerana beliau merasakan Anwar akan gagal atau merasakan bekas TPM itu tidak akan berjaya meloloskan diri untuk menyelinap semua ke dalam Umno? Maka beliau kena berbuat begitu? Boleh difahamkan hati, jiwa dan roh Ezam masih bersama Umno, ertinya Ezam menolak politik baru dan reformasi itu sendiri?

Justeru kalau begitu kemasukan semula Ezam ke dalam perjuangan Umno bukan memelikkan bahkan kemasukan itu tepat. Cuma yang menjadi keliru sikit beliau tetap dengan prinsip kebertanggungjawabannya mengenai rasuah. Beliau sering berkata beliau konssiten dengan isu itu. Tetapi apakah tepat untuk beliau terus konsisten dalam parti yang rasuah?

Jika ini benar bermakan Ezam silap. Beliau tidak sebenarnya belum lulus exam dalam menilai poltiik masa kini dan masa akan datang. Kehebatannya berpidato dan mampu mempengaruhi rakyat tidak setanding dengan jangkauan politiknya yang dipacu Anwar.

Alasan Ezam kenapa beliau minggat daripada Anwar ialah kerana Anwar mengkhinati bangsa Melayu. Anwar memusnahkan harapan Melayu menerusi politik baru, bercampur dengan India dan China. Alasan Ezam itu sangat dangkal dan 'ketadikaan'.

Soalan campur gaul Melayu dengan Cina dan India dalam PKR bukan perkara baru. Apakah orang-orang seperti Tian Chua dan Gobalakrishnan itu wajah dan muka baru dalam PKR.

Apakah Ezam bersedia menolak Gobala tetapi rela mengambil dan bersahabat dengan
Nalakarupan? Apakah kerana Nala lebih kaya daripada Gobala maka Ezam nampak Nala lebih putih daripada Gobala?Sebagai seorang anak muda Ezam sepatutnya harus mempunyai tapak pemikir yang luas dan mampan. Beliau tidak sepatutnya mudah goyah dengan rasa-rasa dan sentimen kedirian yang amat personal sifatnya.

Saya ingin bertanya apakah kerosakan bangsa Umno yang dilakukan oleh Anwar dan PKR lebih besar berbanding kerosakan Melayu yang dilakukan oleh Umno?

Saya rasa Ezam bukan naif mengenai strategi dan matlamat politik baru – yang dilanggangi Anwar itu. Saya rasa beliau juga faham dengan pengubahan ketuanan rakyat yang dibuat oleh Anwar itu. Ezam mungkin tidak sedar di daerah mana dia berdiri taktakala dia mengambil keputusan itu. Dia terlupa bahawa dia dan Anwar sendang bermain politik.

Beliau boleh terus bermain politik tetapi jangan sampai mengadai diri dan kerjayanya yang sudah diiktiraf ramai. Ezam juga sedar namanya menjulang tinggi kerana beliau bersama Anwar dan kerana Anwar memberi blesing.

Kenapa harus kita picingkan mata dan sanggup munafik dengan sifir politik kita hanya kerana hal-hal peribadi yang sangat personal? Lama saya melontar persoalan ini kepada anak muda macho dan romantik ini.

Umum sudah tahu Ezam meninggalkan PKR dan Anwar kerana masalah dia dengan Azmin. Amaran dan permohonannya kepada Anwar supayah mengenepikan Azmin atau tidak memanjakan Azmin adalah asbabnya. Itulah kerananya, Ezam mengaku kalah bukan kerana soal pengkhianatan perjuangan oleh Anwar tetapi kerana pembisuan Anwar untuk meluluskan permohonannya.

Hari ini Anwar tidak ada apa-apa emosi dengan Ezam. Yang sibuk ialah Ezam masih menggunakan Anwar sebagai modal untuk memperlihatkan dirinya hebat. Dalam erti kata lain Ezam terus juga membaca nota-nota memburukkan Anwar untuk mengambil semula peperiksaan politiknya. Dan pilihan raya kecil Kuala Terengganu nampaknya menjadi gelanggang sementara untuk Ezam menggilap dirinya dalam habuk dan kuca ombak Umno.

Dubai in Sweet Sour

Buildings under construction are reflected in Dubai’s Marina area. Dubai property developers have cut jobs as the global financial crisis tightens its grip on the tiny Emirate, until now synonymous with the Gulf Arab real estate boom. — PHOTO: REUTERS

DUBAI’S rapid expansion in recent years provided jobs for millions. But the global financial meltdown has abruptly ended the dream for many people as more and more firms sack staff to cut costs.

Spectacular economic growth, spurred by a robust construction sector, lured people from far and wide to the booming city on the shores of the Gulf, tempted by high pay, low tax and - for many Europeans - the year-round sunshine.

Foreigners form most of the population in Dubai and with residency permits linked to employment many of the people who are losing their jobs face the added upheaval of leaving the country.

‘I don’t feel that I was wronged. This is business… But I would have preferred a cut in my salary rather than being sacked,’ said an Arab man who was let go by government-controlled property group Nakheel.

Another former Nakheel employee: ‘Only four days before we were given the termination letter, our director told us in a meeting that the situation was very difficult and that the budget for our project had been cut by nearly three quarters’.

‘It was too quick,’ said the 30-year-old employee who was sacked at the end of November as one of 500 employees - 15 per cent of the workforce - who lost their jobs.

Nakheel has its fingerprints on most of Dubai’s iconic projects, including three palm-shaped artificial islands and a cluster of islands in the shape of a world map.

It unveiled in early October another gigantic project to erect a one kilometre high tower, which, if ever built, would dwarf the unfinished Burj Dubai, currently standing around 700 metres high.

‘We have the responsibility to adjust our short term business plans to accommodate the current global environment,’ said a Nakheel statement announcing the redundancies, which it described as ‘regrettable, but a necessity dictated by operational requirements’.

Property sold like hot cakes for the past few years but demand has slumped amid the global credit crunch as panicking investors and creditors fled the market.

All of sudden, the viability of the grandiose property projects has become questionable.

Nakheel’s job cuts programme is one of the largest so far in the United Arab Emirates, but is far from the only one.

Damac Properties, Dubai’s largest private property developer, cut 200 jobs, or 2.5 per cent of its workforce, in October.

‘We’d been growing in sales by 100 per cent a year, but it is not the same now. If the market gets worse, we will have to let more people go,’ Damac chairman Hussein Sajwani said this month.

Al-Shafar General Contracting said a few days ago it was laying off up to 1,000 workers as its order book has dropped by three billion dirhams (S$1.2 billion) since September.

Emaar, the other local property giant, said recently that it was revising its recruitment strategy and reportedly laid off 100 workers last month.

Omniyat has shed 69 jobs out a 350-strong workforce and Tameer has reportedly notified 180 employees that December 31 will be their last working day.

The job losses have spread beyond property jobs to the financial sector.

Shuaa Capital investment bank, for instance, has cut 21 jobs, or nine percent of its manpower.

Companies in Dubai and the rest of the United Arab Emirates were until recently on a hiring spree. Some 640,000 work permits for foreigners were issued in the first quarter of this year, 306,000 in Dubai alone, according to a study published last week.

The study put the population of the UAE at 6.4 million by December 2007, among them 5.5 million foreigners. Over three million were registered with the ministry of labour, i.e. were workers.

Ex-patriate people who lose their jobs in Dubai or other Gulf countries have to pack up and leave within one month, a potential life wrecker for many families.

Employers are supposed to notify the banks of their sacked employees about their contract termination, potentially prompting the banks to demand repayment of any loans before the employee leaves the country.

Nakheel has taken this into consideration by keeping fired employees on its payroll for three months, enabling them to stay until the end of February.

‘Our banks will be informed by February 1,’ said one of the Nakheel former employees, who added that he was lucky not to have loans to pay, unlike many others in the UAE who took advantage of easy credit over the past few years.

Many Nakheel employees have invested their savings in property being developed by the company and people who are sacked face losing that money.

‘We’ve invested in Badrah, in the Waterfront project. What will happen to our investment and how are we going to pay the coming instalments?’ wondered another of the Nakheel employees facing redundancy.

The whole of the ambitious Waterfront development appears in doubt as Nakheel has scaled back work on the project, as well as on other schemes.

However, at least one entrepreneur is seeking to turn the job losses to advantage.

A three-star hotel in a city has offered free meals for diners with redundancy letters. Very few have reportedly taken up the offer, but the hotel has elicited significant publicity. — AFP

Ceramah Ustaz Sheikh Al Khairi

Surat Terbuka Untuk Orang KT

Dear Voter,

I trust this letter finds you in good health. You probably already know why I am writing to you. So please allow me to dispense with all the bullshit and cut to the chase, as much as this may appear extremely abrupt and not within Malay culture. I feel I should not labour too much on Malay, Chinese or Indian culture when our mission is to see the emergence of a new culture, a Malaysian culture, a melting pot of cultures if you like.

I am not a politician. I am not a political party member. Neither am I holding any position in any political party, association, movement, or whatever. I am just, what the government calls me, a Blogger. Why they call me a Blogger I do not really know. But I suppose it is because they view me as being behind Malaysia Today and they consider Malaysia Today a Blog.

Anyway, what the government chooses to label me as is not important because what I am going to say to you is not about me but about the future of this country. So, maybe what I would like to be called is a Malaysian. That’s right. I am a Malaysian, just like you, and I am addressing you as one Malaysian to another.

On January 17, 2009, you will be coming out to vote in the Kuala Terengganu by-election. Nevertheless, while you may view this as merely a by-election, it is not really a by-election as much as it is a proxy war between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. Yes, it is an election to decide whether you, the Kuala Terengganu voters, are happy with the federal government or whether you would like to send a message to Barisan Nasional that you are not happy with the way Malaysians are being treated.

On March 8, 2008, half the Malaysian voters voted for Pakatan Rakyat. Granted, it was not a vote in support of Pakatan Rakyat as much as it was a vote against Barisan Nasional — a protest vote, as some would call it. But whether it was a vote in support of Pakatan Rakyat or a vote in protest of Barisan Nasional is not really the issue. The objective was to send a message to Barisan Nasional that the people are not happy. And the people demonstrated this by not voting for Barisan Nasional.

But did Barisan Nasional get the message? Did they take pains to change? No! What happened instead was that Barisan Nasional became even more arrogant. They did not understand that Malaysians have had enough of the arrogance of power and the result of the 8 March 2008 general election was meant as a medium to send a message to Barisan Nasional that 51 years was enough. No more arrogance! But the arrogance continued. Barisan Nasional did not repent. Instead, they demonstrated even more arrogance.

The Permatang Pauh by-election, again, proved that Barisan Nasional had not repented. The dirty tricks they pulled off managed to reduce Anwar Ibrahim’s majority from almost 20,000 to just 15,000. Okay, Anwar Ibrahim still performed better than Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in the general election just five months before that. He still got two out of three votes or 66% of the votes. But what would have happened if the vote-majority had been razor-thin like what happened in Kuala Terengganu on March 8, 2008 where the UMNO candidate won by a mere 600 votes? The almost 5,000 votes that they robbed Anwar Ibrahim off would have turned victory into defeat.

I am aware that many of you have received RM300 over the last few days. Some have received RM500 and others as much as RM1,000. This money is aimed at buying your votes. They hope that once you take this money you will feel obligated to vote for Barisan Nasional and that you will feel guilty if, after taking the money, you vote for Pakatan Rakyat.

Well, don’t feel guilty. Take the money by all means. But you need not vote for Barisan Naisonal even if you do take the money. The money does not belong to Barisan Nasional. It belongs to the people. It is your money. So you are just taking back the money that was originally yours in the first place.

Do you really think Barisan Nasional would hand out money that belongs to them? No way! They took this money from you. Over 25 years, from 1974 to 1999, they siphoned out an estimated RM12 billion in Oil Royalty due to Terengganu. Then, from 2000 until 2008, they siphoned out another RM8 billion in the guise of Wang Ehsan. That comes to a total of RM20 billion. And how much are they throwing back at you in this January 17, 2009 by-election? Yes, that’s right, only RM80 million.

Okay, RM80 million sounds like a lot of money. It certainly is when you consider that the law says you must not spend more than RM200,000 in the election. So RM80 million is way above the allowed RM200,000. And that is just the Ang Pows they are going around town to hand out to the voters. What about the posters, flags, banners, balloons, T-shirts, caps, food and drinks, vehicles, helicopters, police outriders, salaries, etc., which you, the rakyat, are ultimately paying for? Don’t be surprised if I tell you that the total amount spent is going to touch at least RM250 million and that this is probably the most expensive by-election ever. And we are yet to calculate how much it costs to station 6,000 police personnel in Kuala Terengganu over the two-week period.

But whose money is all this? Why, yours of course. They are spending your money, or should I say, wasting your money, just to retain the Kuala Terengganu parliament seat. And why the need to spend what may come to RM500 million in the end– if we take into consideration the total mobilisation cost — just to win a by-election? Well, as I said earlier, it is because the Kuala Terengganu by-election is not just a by-election but a proxy war between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat.

Malaysians from all over the country are hoping that you, the Kuala Terengganu voters, will do the right thing. And the ‘right thing’ here is to send a message to Barisan Nasional that you can’t be bought, especially with your own money — which they robbed from you in the first place. Also, send a message to Barisan Nasional that you have had enough of the arrogance, the threats, the rampant corruption and wastage of the rakyat’s money, the abuse of power, and whatnot. Tell Barisan Nasional on January 17, 2009 that 52 years is enough. After 52 years it is time for change.

With regards to the 6,000 police personnel based in Kuala Terengganu over these two weeks, don’t be too alarmed. Sure, it is partly meant to intimidate you and to give an impression that trouble may be brewing over the horizon, especially if Barisan Nasional does not win the by-election. But this is not the real reason. Remember, when they handed you the RM300, RM500 or RM1,000, they asked you for copies of your identity cards on the excuse they need this ‘for the record’? Well, it is not really ‘for the record’. They want to use these copies of your identity cards to create ‘phantom voters’. And don’t be surprised if on Polling Day many of the 6,000 police personnel turn up in ‘plain clothes’ to vote in your place.

They are hoping that at least 20,000 to 25,000 of you will not come out to vote. This is quite normal because in any election the best we can expect is a 70% or so voter turnout. 30% of 80,000, therefore, comes to roughly 20,000 to 25,000 ‘no show’ voters. They can then always ‘safely’ increase the voter turnout to 75% and no one will be the wiser. This means they can pad the ballot boxes with about 4,000 to 5,000 ‘additional’ votes with no problems whatsoever. Now can you see why they need 6,000 police personnel in Kuala Terengganu? Take a wild guess and no prize for the right guess.

I urge you, therefore, to come out and vote so that you can deny them the opportunity to vote in your place. And come out early. Come out as soon as the polling stations open. If you go and vote after lunch you might find you are not able to vote because you ‘already voted’ — as many found out in the Permatang Pauh by-election on 26 August 2008.

In the Permatang Pauh by-election, at least 600 voters could not vote because someone else had already voted in their place. And that is only what was reported. Many just silently went home without complaining that someone had voted in their place. We expect the incidences of ‘sudah undi’ to be very high on 17 January 2009. And if that happens lodge a protest. And make a police report as well. In Permatang Pauh, about 50 police reports were made — and of course no action was taken.

One issue they are playing up to the hilt is the issue of the Islamic State and Hudud laws. This is aimed at frightening the Chinese voters. Why don’t you turn the tables on them and, for once, place Barisan Nasional on the defensive. Ask UMNO what their stand on the Islamic State is. Instead of allowing them to demonise PAS, ask UMNO to declare that they are opposed to the Islamic State and will never agree to Islamic laws. Make this a condition before you decide whether you will vote for the Barisan Nasional candidate. If Umno refuses to do this then why are they demonising PAS? Will UMNO, therefore, not also be considered in support of the Islamic State and Islamic laws?

Then ask UMNO why they are giving so much problems to the Christians. The Christians are very unhappy with the UMNO-led government’s policy on churches and the Bible. But all this is happening at federal level and only in the UMNO-run states. The Christians face no problems in Pakatan Rakyat-run states, not even in Kelantan. Is it not Umno, rather than PAS, that is intolerant of the non-Muslims? This is the reality. And almost 20 years of PAS rule in Kelantan lies testimony to this.

So why are they demonising PAS when it is UMNO that causes so much problems for the non-Muslims? Many reject PAS because they fear Islam. But PAS has been very tolerant and helpful to the non-Muslims. Kelantan offers the non-Muslims permission to build places of worship even when they did not approach the state government for permission. UMNO repeatedly denies non-Muslims permission to set up places of worship.

Yes, it is time that UMNO be asked to state very clearly its stand on the Islamic State and Islamic laws. PAS is not in power. PAS can never be in power. PAS has only 23 seats in Parliament. Even if it wins the Kuala Terengganu by-election it will still only be 24 seats. PAS can never win more than 30 seats in Parliament. Even in the best of times, like in 1999, it won only 27 Parliament seats. PAS can never go beyond 30 seats. Anyway, every general election, PAS contests only 60 seats. So how can it win more than that?

It is UMNO that leads the federal government. And it is Umno that decides the policies and makes the rules. And it is UMNO that is giving the non-Muslims all these problems. So why is PAS being demonised? Why do the non-Muslims fear PAS? This, I can’t seem to understand. You fear PAS because of what it MAY do if it comes to power — even though it can never come to power, not without DAP and PKR. But you do not fear UMNO when it is already in power and is the one giving the non-Muslims all these problems. Is this logical?

It would be very nice if the Kuala Terengganu voters, once and for all, force UMNO to state its stand on Islam. Let UMNO declare its stand openly and before 17 January 2009, if they dare. I dare bet that they won’t. That is because, while they are demonising PAS on its Islamic State stand, Umno itself does not dare state its stand. At least PAS is honest about the matter. Can we say the same for UMNO? UMNO whacks PAS but it is not PAS that is the problem to the non-Muslims. It is UMNO.

I would like to end by saying I hope you, the Kuala Terengganu voters, will not let Malaysia down. We are depending on you to teach Barisan Nasional a lesson on January 17, 2009. A message needs to be sent to Barisan Nasional. And you have the opportunity to do this in the Kuala Terengganu by-election. Do this for Malaysia. And, more importantly, do it for the future generation, your children and grandchildren. You owe them this much.

Yours truly,

Raja Petra Kamarudin