Malaysia Boleh

I know, I know.

We’re way past mouth-agape and eye-rolling surprise at the shabby way our politicians and officials treat us. The media ban on comments regarding DPM Najib’s Islamic state pronouncement is just one in a string of recent tragic-comic weirdness. It’s fine if our elected officials create tension - as long as the rest of us don’t fan it. Makes me want to laugh but it hurts too much.

While we’re on the subject, take a look at some of these reports. What are we to think about these? Who's running the country? Why so many reversals? Who makes the rules and why?

MyKad: No MyKad No Vote?

16/07 More than 84,000 Malaysians with blue identity cards may have to sit out the next general election unless they change to the MyKad.

Election Commission secretary Datuk Kamaruzaman Mohd Noor said the commission had decided to remove their names from the electoral roll.

He said this was because the old ICs had been the cause of problems during elections.

"The move would standardise the roll, besides helping the National Registration Department get all Malaysians to change to the 12-digit MyKad. [More]

19/07 The cabinet has decreed that the Election Commission cannot drop voters who have not changed their old identity cards to MyKad from the electoral roll.

Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Ahmad said the cabinet viewed the move as a violation of a citizen's right to vote. [More]

Nuris: After the Crash
18/07 The remaining Nuri helicopters of the armed forces will still be used for transportation pending a report on the Genting Sempah crash.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said he expected investigations into the crash to be completed and the report ready in a month’s time. [More]

19/07 The government will phase out the ageing fleet of Sikorsky S-61 Nuri helicopters within three years.

An open international tender will soon be called to replace the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s workhorse.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday the cabinet had decided to call for the tender.

"It has also come out with a proposal to replace the helicopters." [More]

Malay immigrants?
11/07 According to Deputy Home Affairs Minister Datuk Tan Chai Ho, some 106,000 Malaysians had given up their citizenship between 1996 and April this year.

Of the figure, 70% or 79,100 were Malays, 25,107 Chinese, 1,347 Indians and 350 of other races. Marrying a foreigner was the main reason given by women while most men cited better career options.

Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib said the high number of Malays emigrating was not a cause for concern but it would be good to know why they wanted to leave their homeland. [More]

20/07 Only 1,720 Malays have migrated.

Only 1,720 Malays have surrendered their citizenship to migrate to other countries between 1996 and April this year, Home Affairs Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said.

He said the total number of Malaysians who had left the country since Independence was 106,003, of which 10,411 were Malays, 86,078 Chinese, 8,667 Indians and other races 847.

“I want to clarify the figures given by my deputy (Datuk Tan Chai Ho) who said recently that more than 79,000 Malays have surrendered their citizenship to live abroad,” he said. [More]

MCMC Directive: Opposition politicians banned from TV and Radio?
07/06 "Adalah dimaklumkan bahawa pihak Kerajaan mendapati bahawa beberapa stesen-stesen TV dan radio swasta telah menyiarkan ucapan dari pemimpin parti pembangkang. Sehubungan dengan itu, pihak tuan adalah diminta untuk tidak lagi menyiarkan ucapan sedemikian di masa akan datang." [More]

03/07 The Energy, Water and Communications Ministry has instructed the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to withdraw a letter prohibiting private television stations from broadcasting speeches of opposition elected representatives in Parliament.

Minister Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik said the MCMC should not have issued such a directive because it was contrary to the policy of the ministry. [More]