Najib's greatest Scandal that will bankrupt Malaysia!??

Auditor Reports makes removal of fuel subsidies insignificant.

The BN govt are really like robbers that rob the rich to give to the poor. The BN govt will burden the poor rakyat with GST and Fuel subsidy removal and the squeezing of those who can't pay back their PTPTN but look at the recent Auditor General Report. So much money lost due to stupidity and corruption. Makes me sick!

1. RM663mil later, schools plagued by slow Internet

AUDIT REPORT After RM663 million of taxpayers’ funds were poured into introducing high speed broadband networks in schools, students have found themselves stuck with a sluggish Internet as the project comes to its conclusion.

Also, according to the Auditor-General's Report 2013, the 1Bestari Net project, which also includes a virtual learning environment (VLE), that cost the bulk of the spending, is also rarely used by teachers and students.

Under the contract, 9,191 schools were to be supplied with a broadband network with a minimum speed of 4Mbps and up to 20Mbps.

A small number of schools, 698 in total, were to be equipped with broadband that has a minimum speed of 2Mbps and up to 4Mbps.

However, an audit of 46 schools found 41 of them or 89.1 percent, only obtained speeds between 0.2Mbps to 3.62 Mbps.

"The broadband speed performance is too slow to support VLE if it involves 30 to 40 users at a time," it said.

In another feedback survey of 491 schools, it found 297 schools (68.9 percent) had a speed below the required 4-10Mbps and another 48 schools (80 percent) were under the required 2-4Mbps speed.

Only 146 (29.4 percent) of schools achieved their required speed.

According to the breakdown of the RM663 million contract granted to YTL Communications Sdn Bhd, a total of RM87.32 million was allocated for broadband with speeds of 4-10Mbps and RM5.29 million for speeds of 2-4Mbps.



A total of RM250.5 million is also allocated for the VLE service and another RM262.81 million is to maintain and management the VLE applications in an online learning platform.

However, the audit report found less than a third of schools used the VLE platform in March this year.

"In the same period, the audit analysis found the usage of VLE based on students', teachers' and parents' logins in schools throughout Malaysia is very low," it said.

According to the report's statistics, during that period, student logins was at 0.17 to 0.63 percent, teachers  at 0.57 to 4.69 percent and parents at 0.01 to 0.03 percent.

2. Medicine worth RM1.2mil stolen from KL Hospital

AUDIT REPORT The Auditor-General’s Report 2013 has revealed that medicine stocks worth RM1.21 million were stolen from Kuala Lumpur Hospital (HKL).

It also said Penang Hospital (HPP) lost RM240,000 worth of medicine stocks due to theft.

In November 2011, 68 medicine stocks amounting to RM1.21 million were stolen from the stores of the HKL’s neuroscience as well as urology and nephrology pharmacies.

A police report on the incident was lodged on Dec 27, 2011.

Part of the stolen medicine stocks, worth RM740,000, was found in January 2012.

Based on investigation conducted by HKL, the theft was committed by someone from the inside who constantly dealt with the staff of the store and as such, knows the weaknesses in the store management.

The case was decided to be written-off while disciplinary action will only be taken against civil servants after police investigations are completes, the Audit Report noted.  

In December 2013, a Shimadzu control panel was stolen from the radiography room of the diagnostic imagery department of HKL.

The control panel was one of the components of the general x-ray equipment, which is worth RM300,000.

“As the control panel had been stolen, the general x-ray equipment can no longer be used,” the Audit Report states.

It also noted how there were recurring cases of four types of assets, namely air-conditioning compressors, syringe pump, physiologic monitoring system and pulse oxymetres, being lost.

A total of 97 units of these assets, worth RM610,000, were lost.

Based on safety inspection reports prepared by HKL’s security division, the urology and nephrology department as well as the physiotherapy department, outpatient treatment centre, paediatric institute and forensics institute are high risk areas where air conditioning compressors constantly go missing.

As for the theft that occurred in Penang Hospital, 694 medicine stocks worth RM242,125 were stolen in February 2013.

A final report was issued in July 2013 and the hospital is awaiting further action from the relevant authorities.

3. Officer who stole almost RM1mil let off

 AUDIT REPORT A government officer responsible for embezzling close to RM1 million from the Accountant-General’s Department of Malaysia (JANM) was let off without any criminal action, the Auditor-General's Report 2013 states.

The third series of the report tabled in Parliament today says the officer made off with RM995,031 in unclaimed money through falsification of documents, which was only discovered in March 2011.

"Legal action has yet to be taken against an officer who committed fraud and misappropriation between Aug 27, 2008, and Dec 21, 2010, involving RM995,031 in unclaimed money, despite police reports lodged on March 3, 2011, and March 10, 2011," it states.

A report was also lodged with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on March 11, 2011.

JANM is responsible for collecting and overseeing money that has not been claimed in bank accounts for seven years, or funds that are meant to be disbursed to recipients but went unclaimed for more than a year.

The inaction is despite a June 22, 2012, letter from the police Commercial Crime Investigation Department, which said it had recommended to the Attorney-General's Chambers that the officer be charged under Section 477A of the Penal Code.

The section concerns the falsification of accounts and provides punishment of up to seven years' jail, a fine, or both upon conviction.

An investigation committee also found that the officer, a Grade N17 administrative clerk attached with JANM's Trust and Securities Management Division (BPAS), was suspected of being directly responsible for the missing funds.

'Sack' recommendation

The investigation committee recommended that the officer be sacked and a surcharge (fine) be imposed on the suspect for the lost funds.

However, the audit report found the officer was only transferred to the Accounting Development and Management Division, effective Jan 9, 2012.

According to the breakdown, the officer had falsified supporting documents for RM827,781.46 in unclaimed money, which were considered as "improper payment".

Another RM106,955.35 were disbursed to various names, but with to the same bank account number.

Also, RM60,294.50 could not be established as to whether the sum was made of genuine payments.

The entire amount was transferred electronically.

In March 2013, the audit report said the Finance Ministry had agreed to write off the RM995,031.41 lost but ordered that disciplinary action and a surcharge be imposed on the officer.

The audit report attributed the incident took place because BPAS had failed to abide by certain safeguards, such as requiring proper verification of documents.

"AS a result, the government lost almost RM2 million (the missing RM995,031.41 and another RM995,031.41 to write off the loss).

"The officer who committed the fraud and misappropriation should also be imposed a sucharge under Section 18(b) of the Financial Procedure Act 1957," it said.

According to this section, the government can impose a fine on the officer, up to a maximum sum matching the total lost funds.

4. RM12mil pension paid to dead army veterans

he Defence Ministry has continued paying pension to army veterans even after they have died, causing the government to lose almost RM12 million.

According to the Auditor-General's Report 2013, the Veteran Affairs Department (JHEV) had paid out RM11.94 million in pension for 3,786 veterans who had passed away between 2011 and 2013.

Upon realising the mistake, the department had moved to recover the amount but had thus far only managed to get back RM1.69 million or 14.2 percent.

The third series of the audit report, the last for this year, was tabled in Parliament this morning.

"JHEV should continuously conduct checks on the latest status of pension recipients with the National Registration Department (NRD) to avoid payment to pension recipients who have died," said the report.

In its reply dated Sept 22, JHEV said the department had previously relied on the next of kin to inform whether a pension recipient had passed away.

"If there is no official notification, then the pension will continue to be paid," it said.

However, JHEV said it has tasked 13 officers to update the data of some 10,000 recipients and assured that it will be matched with the NRD data.

It added the updating process is expected to be completed by 2015.

The audit report also advised JHEV to come up with a clearer veteran benefit scheme to facilitate applications and to revise its assistance to an amount that matches present cost of living.

This is after a survey of some veterans found that they were living in poverty.

5. MP wants RM93mil Youth Day audit made public

A PAS MP today demanded that the audit conducted on the overall management of the annual Youth Day celebrations in Putrajaya, which he claimed had cost RM93 million the last four years since 2011, be made public.

Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar said the annual cost of the event has been rising steadily, from RM16 million spent for the 2011 Youth Day to RM30 million estimated to have been spent on the 2014 event.

Yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Shahidan Kassim (right) admitted that an audit was done on the overall management of the annual event, which has been hit with controversy.

However, Shahidan said, the details will not be revealed to the public as the Youth and Sports Ministry has decided to take stock of the recommendations in the audit and make the necessary amendments.

"I don't see what the problem is here. In every audit, there is a note, which is a reply by the ministry or the relevant agency. Why can't it be made public?" Mahfuz told reporters in the Parliament lobby.

"In 2011, Parliament set a budget of RM10 million for the event but the final event exceeded the budget. People deserve to know how the money was managed and what are the corrections that the ministry will make," he said.

"Because until now, I had not seen any improvement on how the program is being run," he added.

In the 2012 edition, the presence of K-Pop artists attracted controversy followed by confusion on who footed the artists' RM1.6 million bill.

A drag race accident in the same year also left 17 people injured.

6. Incinerator technology unproven, says PAC

The technology used for the construction of five incinerators across the country costing RM200 million was unproven while the contractor was unqualified and should have never been chosen through direct tender, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said.

In its report on the incinerator project which was highlighted in the 2012 audit report, which was tabled in Parliament today, PAC criticised the Housing and Local Government Ministry for the manner in which it evaluated the qualification of XCN Technology and the technology the company had proposed to use.

PAC chairperson Nur Jazlan Mohamed (left) said that all the four completed incinerators in Langkawi, Pulau Pangkor, Pulau Tioman, and Cameron Highlands are not functioning “according to specifications” and a proposed fifth one in Labuan was aborted.

7. Corruption, animal cruelty plague Zoo Negara

Things have taken for the worse, as alleged corruption and maladministration and terrible animal welfare plagues Zoo Negara, says Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari.

Not only will will visitors be disappointed with the horrible state the animals are in, Zairil said, the zoo has also not seen an experienced zoologist in over a decade.

“I have (also) received information that reports were lodged against the management of the zoo with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), alleging corruption and maladministration,” he said in a statement today.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Paul Low, had confirmed the existence of the reports to a question in Parliament from Zairil, but Low had given a very ambiguous reply.

“According to his (Low) reply dated Nov 4, the MACC has indeed received information on this issue, but that is is “currently being verified,” Zairil said.

In fact, even with continuous government subsidies, with RM10.1 million allocated to Zoo Negara by the federal government last year, the drastic drop in visitor numbers was increasing, he said.

Despite the allocation of RM25 million for the new panda exhibithousing the two pandas, Xing Xing and Liang Liang, visitors continued to decline, with most people complaining about the exorbitant fees imposed.

Around 700,000 visitors a year now

“While the zoo was able to record one million visitors almost 30 years ago, current visitor numbers hover around 600,000 to 700,000 a year, according to its Zoo Negara vice-president Rosly @Rahmat Ahmat Lana.

“Despite continuous support from the government and higher entry fees, why hasn't Zoo Negara improve significantly? It would appear that something is wrong somewhere,” said Zairil, who is DAP national publicity assistant secretary.

He also cited a news report by the news portal The Ant Daily on the harsh and inhumane treatment of the animals housed there.

“With an abundance of wildlife, we should have a national zoo that is capable of reflecting this heritage. It should not only be a mere tourist attraction or wildlife conservatory.

“It is a shame that our national zoo is in such a sorry state when our urban neighbour Singapore is able to boast a zoo that has made it into CNN's 'Top 5 Zoos in the World,” Zairil said.

Zoo Negara was established in 1963 on 110 acres of land in Ulu Klang, Kuala Lumpur. It started out with 89 species of exhibits and has grown to house more than 5,137 specimens from 476 species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish.

The zoo also currently charges RM10 for children below 12 years of age, with an additional RM10 to see the pandas and RM50 for adults, which include entry and panda viewing fee.

8. Rafizi rues 1MDB's colossal RM42bil debt

PKR's Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli today raised further concerns about 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB)'s financial performance after pointing out that the firm’s debts had now reached RM42 billion, according to its latest financial statement.

"The net loss of RM665 million is such a huge loss considering our economic situation," he said.

"1MDB's financial performance is much worse than initially expected," he added.

He also criticised the company for re-valuing its assets that enables that net loss to seem less than the actual amount.

"In 2013, 1MDB's assets had been revaluated and an increase of RM 2.74 billion was marked as profit. If not for this, 1MDB would have registered a loss of RM 1.96 billion," he said.

"In 2014, 1MDB had revaluated its assets and registered an appreciation value of RM 897 million. If not for this, it would have registered a RM 1.56 billion loss," he added.

He also said that 1MDB's operating expenditure and interest payments had increased to RM 3.76 billion, which is a 52 percent increase from the previous year's financial statement, and almost equivalent to the RM 4 billion allocation for the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) program.

WHILE ALL THIS IS HAPPENING, ALL OUR IDIOT BN MP ARE WORRIED ABOUT IS BEING TOUCH IN THE AIRPORTS!!! DUMBASS!

BN Ministers are Idiots! (Penan Issue)

Keruah Usit 12:14PM Jul 27, 2013

ANTIDOTE The first-term Sarawak state assembly representative for Telang Usan in Baram, Dennis Ngau, has spread ripples of disbelief and laughter in the social media following his remarks on the rape of Penan women and schoolgirls.

Ngau made his remarks in response to a PKR accusation that Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rohani Abdul Karim, had misled a regional forum by making a verifiably incorrect claim. The minister had said that the recommendations of her ministry's Task Force Report, on sexual violence by loggers in Baram, had already been carried out. 

Rohani (left)said this at the Seventh Meeting of the Asean Commission on the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Women and Children, which was held in Kuala Lumpur from July 22 to 24.

Dennis Ngau rode to the minister's rescue, but stumbled. "I did not read the Task Force Report, but I'm sure the government took it seriously and at times may have to adjust to suit the local environment," he was quoted as saying by the Borneo Post. 

Instead of saving the minister, Ngau appears to have trampled her underfoot. His verbal slapstick has drawn even greater attention to the minister's controversial claim.

Sarawak PKR vice-chairperson and state assemblyperson for Batu Lintang See Chee How had on July 23 challenged the minister for trying to paper over the scandal surrounding the loggers' sexual assaults. 

"I am disappointed with the minister as she did not speak the truth at the international forum," See, a human rights lawyer, told the press.

"I regret the minister was misguided and wrongly advised into making an embarrassing statement that most of the recommendations listed in the National Task Force Report were executed," he went on.

"Someone commented that BN ministers lie to the Malaysian public on a daily basis. They do. But misleading an international or regional audience is serious."

Task Force's shocking findings

Loggers in Baram have raped girls as young as 10 years old. These crimes were uncovered by a federal Cabinet Task Force in September 2009. 

The ministry's Task Force was unanimous in the finding that "sexual abuse of Penan girls and women by outsiders dealing with the Penan, including logging company employees and traders, had indeed taken place." Their brief visit, over four days, documented eight cases of sexual abuse.

According to the Task Force, the roots of this sexual violence included poverty, isolation, excessive dependency on logging companies for transportation to clinics and schools, mistrust of the authorities among the Penan and prejudice towards the Penan. 

The Task Force had recommended far-reaching improvements in transportation of schoolchildren, infrastructure, birth and citizenship registration, healthcare and education, and in the self-determination of the Penan.

These findings were then broadened in July 2010 by another investigation by the Penan Support Group, a coalition of NGOs. The PSG uncovered seven new instances of sexual violence, and tied these in with the wider socio-economic deprivation of rural communities. 

Logging companies offer powerful support and generous donations to the ruling political elite. They own newspapers, infrastructure and even politicians.

‘No further action' by government

Five years later, the Penan face exactly the same challenges, and are as vulnerable as ever to sexual abuse. Not a single rapist has been brought to justice: the police blame a lack of funds for their failure.

"The complaints lodged with the police on sexual assault against Penan women have been classified as ‘NFA' (no further action)," See said.

"Until today, there has not been any arrangement done to ferry Penan children to their boarding schools and back to their settlements."

Penan settlements in Baram Tengah have had to rely on a single four-wheel-drive vehicle, purchased for them by the Selangor and Penang state governments, to have access to distant schools and hospitals.

See (left) noted that the Sarawak government had gone as far as sponsoring a women's empowerment workshop in Baram, conducted by a local NGO, Sarawak Women for Women Society. But, he added, there was no additional effort put into the health services, national registration and pre-school classes in Baram, as recommended by the Task Force.

"However, I welcome the commitment by the federal minister to visit the Penan community in Sarawak to review the implementation of the recommendations made in the report, and I hope she will make full and frank disclosure of her report later," he said.

See was more direct in calling Dennis Ngau's outburst "the confession and proof of a failed assemblyman" in a social media remark.

"This is the single most important cabinet report affecting the people of Ngau's constituency, he didn't bother to read (it) but quickly jumped up to defend the mediocre minister, and is making it worse for her now," See observed.

Ngau had told the Borneo Post that the BN government had engaged with the Penan in dialogues and meetings "to make them understand why they must accept development".

He also appeared to doubt the findings of rape by the ministry's Task Force, telling the Borneo Post that "the Penan that I met and asked even denied that such thing [sic] even occurred". 

---

KERUAH USIT is a human rights activist - ‘anak Sarawak, bangsa Malaysia'. This weekly column is an effort to provide a voice for marginalised Malaysians. Keruah Usit can be contacted at keruah_usit@yahoo.com

BN logic of "winnable" candidates!

These are some of BN "winnable" candidates for this coming GE13!
1. Ceylyn Tay Wei Lung a.k.a Ms Equality
She tells Malaysians that that in Malaysia, the Chinese community cannot expect equal treatment because of their small numbers. 




2. Jessie Ooi a.k.a Ms Tow Truck Driver

3. Datuk Zulkifli Noordin
This guy is the best lah!
 Apart from calling Indians "Keling", just check out what else he says in these you tube and ask yourself if this is somebody you want in government?







However Ong Tee Keat, the former MCA President, the only MCA guy who fought hard to find out the truth about the PKFZ scandal is no a "winnable" candidate??!?!?

Wow!! Najib's logic is amazing!!

And to think I haven't even talk about BN's candidates with false degrees yet!

Lets compare this with some of opposition's candidates!

1. Tony Pua
Graduated from Keble College, Oxford University with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics under a scholarship from the MTC Foundation in 1994. Prior to that, he received Asean and Shaw Foundation scholarships to pursue his "O" and "A"-Levels in Raffles Institution and Raffles Junior College.

He worked for Andersen Consulting (now renamed Accenture) as a consultant after he graduated from Oxford. Two years later, in March 1997, he started Cyber Village when demand for e-business consultancy grew.

With his combined savings and those of his parents amounting to RM20,000 and another RM30,000 chipped in by three friends, he went ahead to open an office in Overseas Union Garden, Old Klang Road, KL with four staff.

In August 2001, Cyber Village became the first Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC)-status company to list on the Singapore Dealing and Automated Quotation System (Sesdaq). Its public offer of 400,000 shares drew an over-subscription of approximately 2.7 times.

2. Yeo Bee Yin

Studied at SMJK Seg Hwa. After that, continued her education in Chemical Engineering in Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) under Petronas Scholarship and graduated with a First Class Honors. 

Worked for Schlumberger, a US oil and gas company, as an international field engineer for oil exploration and production. 

After working for 2 years, she went on to pursue MPhil (Masters in Philosophy) in Advanced Chemical Engineering in Cambridge University under Gates Cambridge Scholarship and completed my master degree with a Commendation. 

(Read her story here! Very inspiring!)

3.  Ong Kian Meng

Professional Experience

• Election Strategist, Democratic Action Party of Malaysia (08/2012-)
• Director, OKM Consulting (07/2010-)
• Lecturer, Faculty of Economics and Policy Science, UCSI University (06/2010-)
• Regional Consultant, Blue Ocean Strategy Regional Center (06/2010-)
• Policy Analyst, Socio Economics Development and Research Institute (SEDAR) (01/2002-06/2003)
• Policy Analyst, Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (09/2001-12/2002)
• Associate Consultant, Boston Consulting Group (1999-2001)
• Summer Intern, Monetary Authority of Singapore (08/1998-09/1998)

Educational Experience

• PhD. Political Science, Duke University, US (2004-2010)
• M. Phil. Economics, University of Cambridge, UK (1998-1999)
• B. Sc. Economics, London School of Economics, UK (1995-1998)
• A Levels, Raffles College, Singapore (1993-1994)
• O Levels, Raffles Institution, Singapore (1991-1992)
• SMK La Salle, PJ, Malaysia (1988-1990)

Awards and Honours

• ASEAN Scholar (1991-1994)
• Fulbright Scholar (2004-2006)

4. Rafizi Ramli Pengarah Strategi Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

•  This is the guy who help expose the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal.

•  Studied at Kolej Melayu Kuala Kangsar (1990 – 1994) . Won the Anugerah Carey/Bolkiah sebagai Pelajar Terbaik Keseluruhan 
• Continued his studies at University of Leeds , England (1996 – 1999). Received the Arthur Crabtree award 1997, Pelajar Terbaik Tahun Pertama Kejuruteraan Elektrikal dan Elektronik ;Ijazah Kelas Pertama (Tahun Pertama dan Kedua) dan Ijazah Sarjana Muda Kejuruteraan Elektrikal dan Elektronik.
• Earn his Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) within 2 years and became a ICAEW member in 2003.
• Was accepted into the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA) in 2003 when he return to Malaysia.
• Worked in Petronas and promoted to became one of the youngest Senior Manager there.

See his full touching story here too.

My fellow Malaysians! Is it still unclear to you who you should vote for??

Najib strategy for winning PRU13?!

Can you guess how Najib plans to win this election.


1. Cheating?

2. Bribing?

3. All of the above!

Here are some examples that may help you decide!

KUALA LUMPUR (March 19, 2013): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak today announced a one-off payment of RM500 for more than 26,000 staff of Telekom Malaysia (TM) as rewarded for their "contributions, commitment and loyalty" to the company....it is hoped that on my next visit to Telekom, InsyaAllah (God willing) I will be holding the same position," he said to applause and cheer.


 Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced today a “token of appreciation” of RM1,000 each to staff of the national oil company Petronas ahead of elections expected soon....“So when the time comes, I hope you decide wisely,” he said.

Three journalists’ organisations received RM50,000 each while 103 NGOs got between RM5,000 and RM50,000 at a dinner attended by party boy and billionaire Low Taek Jho,widely known as Jho Low.

Need more prove? Listen! Listen! Listen from his own mouth! Then ask yourself is this the kind of PM you want for Malaysia!

Gutless Najib had no response to Dr M's crap?!?

Pay attention to the dates of those statement. I am still waiting for Najib to response to Dr M's crap!?  I guess UMNO can say what the want but it looks like they and PERKASA are working together?!?

DPM let slip BN's real intentions after elections!

How smart are you to say something like that??

Maybe he wants to go back to the good old times of Pak Lah!

From Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, April 7 – Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin warned the Barisan Nasional (BN) machinery today against complacency, admitting that beating Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in the coming polls contest would not be an easy task.

The deputy BN chairman said the opposition will be fighting tooth and nail to achieve its Putrajaya goal this time around and would not give up so easily.

“We have to be ready because it will not be easy to get the opposition to surrender,” he told BN members when launching the pact’s Batu parliamentary command centre here.

Muhyiddin told party workers to work their hardest to draw more support for BN, adding they should not give up as long as victory is not yet on their side.

“Do not sleep until the very final day. Only once we have won, you can sleep for however long you like... but as long as victory is not in our hands, we have to be alert... do not allow our enemies to sneak up on us and influence our voters,” he told some 500 at the function this evening.

Rais: OK to use govt machinery for campaigns

Misused Govt things ah?? No problem lah! We are still the govt mah! And we are use to it lah!

From Malaysiakini

Rais: Okay to use gov't machinery for campaigns

Ahmad Fadli KC 8:04PM Apr 9, 2013

Information, Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim today defended BN's actions of using the Information Department's machinery for campaigning purposes.

He said that there is nothing wrong with the usage of government's machinery because BN is still considered the caretaker government from now until the nomination day.

"Now we are in an environment of carrying out duties as a temporary government. The government still exists under Article 43 of the federal constitution and all things that involve executive powers - such as Article 38 and Article 43 - on the powers of appointing ministers, also falls under the ministry's function, all ministries are to function as per normal procedures," he added.

"However, starting from nomination day, no government agency can take part in any programme that helps the election campaign of any one party," he stressed.

"It is wrong for them to assume that the Information Department or the Science Department can't come out with explanations in behalf of the government," he said.

He said that even though the nation is in an "interim government" environment, the powers of the government remains.

Malaysiakini had earlier reported that three vehicles belonging to the Information Department were used to facilitate the opening of BN's election command centre for the Batu parliamentary constituency on Sunday.

'Airtime offer was to broadcast only once'

Meanwhile, Rais said that the government's offer of 10-minute airtime for Pakatan Rakyat to present their manifesto in the state channel, Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), would be broadcast only once, and not repeatedly over the campaign period.

"We (would) give 10 minutes only once, not on every campaign day. This is not about campaigning, it is only about explaining the gist of the respective manifestos," he stressed.
  
According to the minister, Pakatan can explain five full pages of their manifesto if they utilise the 10 minutes completely.

"I have conducted tests and in 10 minutes, we could read at least five pages of A4 papers with a one-line space between sentences," he said.

He added that the opposition's refusal to accept the offer was only an attempt to "mock" RTM.

However, Election Commission (EC) chairperson Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof had previously said that the government's airtime offer to the opposition was to have been part of an ongoing series and not a one-time deal.

Lie Tiong Lie lies again!??

First it was lying about the Bersih 2.0 incident about the Police not shooting into the Hospital
Then it was about the Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia scandal.

Now he top it off with paying RM20,000.00 for a number plate!
Just when I thought BN Minister (such as this guy!) couldn't get any dumber!

His President comes in to defend him with an even dumber ("left hand to the right hand") defense.
Someone should teach him about simple economic principal such a "opportunity cost".
If left hand gives right hand, that means the govt does not earn the potential RM20,000.00 lah!

From Malaysiakini

Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai was today overwhelmed by a barrage of questions over his RM24,200 bid for the WWW15 vehicle number-plate, which at times left him fumbling for answers.
At a press conference at the MCA headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Liow said he was unsure who had forked out the money, but was certain that his ministry did not foot the bill.

While claiming that he did not place importance on specific digits, he struggled for answers when asked why such large sum of money was spent for the number-plate.

He skirted the question and said he did not know what the cost was when the bid was made.

Liow repeatedly stressed his "eligibility" as a minister to obtain such number-plates and that his officers and Road Transport Department (JPJ) officers had handled the matter.

Occasionally, MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek had to step in to assist his deputy, explaining that the money was just going "from the left hand to the right hand" as all the money goes to a government consolidated fund from all ministries.

Liow yesterday defended the bid, saying his ministry was replacing his official car and there was a need for a new number-plate.
Earlier today, Chinese newspaper Sin Chew Daily had quoted an unnamed officer as saying that the Treasury has never allocated any funds for ministers to submit bids for a number-plate for their official cars.

Excerpts follow of the dialogue between Liow and reporters; these have been edited for language and brevity:
Journalist: Who paid the bid for the number-plate?

Liow: I mentioned yesterday that this is a government official car, and so ministers are eligible to have one number-plate, so the process is official.

We are just going through the office and applying to the JPJ. JPJ is the one which processes the application.

Journalist: Is the ministry paying the bill? Who paid for this?

Liow: No. No. It’s all up to JPJ to handle this, we leave it to JPJ ..

Journalist: But who paid the cost, I know the process is handled by JPJ but who paid the cost?

Liow: I got to check, I’m not sure, it’s under JPJ.

Journalist: That means you didn’t pay to bid for that particular...

Liow: Like I said, ministers are eligible for one number, so I didn’t exercise the option earlier, so since my ministry is changing the car, so they just changed it.

Journalist: So you are saying your officer handled this?

Liow: Yes.

Chua: Usually this option is given to members of the administration both at state and federal (levels). So when you are in exco, you are entitled to officially bid for a number, or the state government will give you a number.

Journalist: Does that mean that when you are allowed to bid, you have to use your own money?

Chua: No, the government allows you to allocate a number, you can ask for a number. Of course, you cannot go and bid (for) number one lah.

Journalist: I’m referring to a Sin Chew report today, they interviewed an official from the Ministry of Finance, they said there is no such allocation for (any) ministry...
Liow: There’s no need for allocation, it’s the eligibility of the minister [sic]. There’s no need for allocation at all.

But numbers to me are not important, I think most important is the service to people. For us, it is more important to carry out work efficiently.

Any number, I’m using (words inaudible) my car is using any number ... it’s not important to me. So doesn’t matter whether I get the 15, or 200 or 1,000. It doesn’t matter to me. More important thing is the official car and we can use the car to serve the people.

Journalist: Why use your own name to bid?

Liow: Well I’m the minister of health...
Journalist: Is that a normal practice?

Liow: It’s a normal practice, yes, maybe it creates a lot of confusion; it’s better that I clarify and let the public know.

Journalist: Was it worth it to (spend) RM20,000 for a number-plate?

Liow: No, because we do not know the cost. For me, when I applied we did not know the cost. It just happened that I need the numbers, I need the car that’s all. I did not know the cost.

Journalist: But normally when we bid we need to pay to bid, right?

Liow: No, as explained earlier, this is the eligibility of a minister [sic], official car, that’s all. Even Lim Guan Eng has one of this kind of official car. So every… either state or federal as explained by my (MCA) president just now…

Chua: At the state level, the excos are also entitled to one car, err, to a number.

Journalist: Does the number 15 mean anything special to you?

Liow: (Pauses) Well, just because my grandfather is using this number (on his car). Nothing special, there’s no special meaning to this number. It is just a number. That’s why I said ... to this number, it’s nothing special.

Journalist: But if it's nothing special, then no need to bid for the number-plate ..
Liow: Nothing special, I just need a number.

Journalist: Can be any number what ...
Liow: [word inaudible] That’s why I said, it can be any number, it can be any number, so I just choose the number and that’s it.

Journalist: But you don’t have to spend so much money on this number if any (number) is okay.

Liow: I’m okay with any number, yes.

Journalist: But then, why spend RM24,000 on this particular bid?
Liow: No, just because it just happens that I need to change the car, that’s why I need a number.

Journalist: Why not retain the number-plate from the previous car?

Liow: No, they’ve changed (to) the new car, the old car is still there, I cannot change the number.

Chua: Those are official cars, those numbers don’t belong to him actually.

Journalist: What happens to those old official cars?

Chua: Another person will use it, he cannot just transfer the number just like that.

[Questions shift to the recent Merdeka Centre poll which revealed that the approval rating for Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had dipped, because of a plunge in Chinese support]

Journalist: Back to the car number-plate - some processes to clarify. What you are trying to say is if you buy a new car, you must bid for a new number-plate, you cannot use an old number-plate for a new car...

Liow: Because that’s old official car, I... umm, I’m, I’m…

Chua: You must understand, when it’s a ministry car, the car does not belong to him, you understand or not?

Journalist: Now that the number has been allocated, the RM24,200 comes from the ministry?

Liow: No, no, no, not allocated by ministry.

Journalist:Then where does it come from?

Chua: This is a question of the money from the left hand going to the right hand. Because all money goes to the government consolidated fund from any ministry.

Journalist: So you’re saying its just one ministry to another department?

Chua: Ahh... it’s just left hand to right, to be honest.

Journalist: Can I say number 15 is your favourite number?

Liow: I said earlier any number will do, I have no specific numbers. It just happened that I chose 15 - it doesn’t mean that it’s the favourite number.