"Outsiders, Please Don't Interfere"

Today at the 2nd Session of the 13th Johor State Legislative Assembly at Bangunan Sultan Ibrahim at Jalan Bukit Timbalan, Johor Baru.

The Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar doesn't think the Federal Government's proposal to set the minimum price of properties for foreign buyers at RM1 million is right for Johor. The Sultan said it may be ok for Kuala Lumpur but not in Johor.  The RM500,000 minimum price for strata-title properties or condominiums can still be acceptable but for landed properties, the minimum price should be RM2 million. Definitely not RM1 million.

  "The government should also be strict with developers regarding the construction of low-cost and medium-cost housing, and developers who did not observe the ruling are to be blacklisted and their building plans will not be approved in the future," the ruler said.
  The Sultan further said that Johor is different from other states as her neighbour is a developed country.
  "Isn't it the people of Johor who will understand better the local issues more than those in Putrajaya?  Do people in Putrajaya understand better the needs and wants of Johor and its Rakyat," the ruler added.

  On a separate matter, the Sultan said that it was vital for an environmental impact assessment report (EIA) to be prepared for each property development project.
  However, he said certain parties could use the EIA as a weapon to stop a development just because it does not benefit them.
  He cited the case of the Memorandum of Understanding which was signed with Benalec three years ago, and witnessed by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
  "A delay in issuing the EIA only obstructs the development of the project and prompts investors to move to another location," he said.

  In yet another matter, the Sultan said he was very pleased with the state government as for the first time, the state government has a surplus of RM485 million.

Meanwhile, excerpts from Rakyat Post

  While expressing gratitude that Johor had been developing well, Sultan Ibrahim reminded all elected representatives to prioritise the people’s interest over that of their own.

  “I wish to remind state representatives to shoulder their responsibilities without any preference for race, religion or political beliefs.”  

and excerpts from Bernama

On the influx of investors from China into the state, especially in real estate, Sultan Ibrahim said investments such as these were needed for economic development as Johor could depend solely on local investors.

"It is a coincidence that at the moment, only investors from China appear to be interested to come to Johor as they believe in the potential of the state as well as the government's policy of being investor-friendly," he said.

Expressing his gratitude that Johor was becoming more prosperous, Sultan Ibrahim reminded all State Assemblymen to place the interests of the people above their political interest.

He also said all State Assemblymen should observe etiquettes of decency and decorum in their debates.  

At the end of the chaotic workday, I waltzed over to the Johor Zoo to look at these three adorable tiger cubs which are the zoo's new attractions.

Pekan Rabu and A Little Bit Of This and That

The Jalur Gemilang and Johor state flag are set at half mast as a mark of respect for the passing of the 34th Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah Sultan Yusuff Izzuddin Shah who passed away about 1.30pm today. Pix by Mohd Azren Jamaludin.

This is Michael Tay, the newly-appointed Johor MCA  bureau of coordinating  government affairs chairman, who is listening to Kamal (not his real name) pour out his woes.

Kamal is in deep shit because he borrowed money from 5 Ah Longs (illegal moneylenders) to settle a loan of RM400 borrowed from the first loanshark. Kamal claimed he has to date paid RM5,000 to settle the interest.

According to Tay more Malays are now turning to loansharks where out of 10 people who come to him for help, 7 are Malays.

Tay assured Kamal that he will talk to the loansharks on his behalf.

Later in the day, I went over to

the Pekan Rabu immigration office which will be shifting next month.  The Chong sisters (pictured) came here all the way from Kulaijaya to collect some documents. They, too, were surprised to learn that the immigration office is moving.

Some 20 traders there are appealing to Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin to visit Pekan Rabu.  They believe if the Immigration office goes, it will affect 80 per cent of their business.

These are some of the traders there. They are like one big happy family.

"Manja" says Pekan  Rabu currently receives about 700 and 1,000 visitors on weekdays and weekends respectively, mainly due to the presence of the Immigration office.

There is also a Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia store in Pekan Rabu.

I'd like to end on a beautiful note:

"Give without remembering, receive without forgetting" - Ivan Misner

Selamat Malam

An Awesome Day At The Movies

My morning ritual. Well, not really. Sometimes when I am lazy, I just have 3-in-1 coffee. The concoction is quite yummy, if you don't mind the green taste.

Later in the day, if I'm not too lazy I'm going to make ginger tea. It's fun and healthy. I know we all die anyway in the end but let's make the best of our lives until that happens.

A bit about politics .... I've read so much about Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud and what she brings to the table in Teluk Intan.  And many are saying the pretty lady is going to win on May 31 because it is DAP versus Gerakan.

Let's see if BN candidate Datuk Mah Siew Keong's contribution of helping the locals in the Teluk Intan parliamentary constituency will garner support back to BN on polling day?

We have to live with the choices we make. What we do today can bring about a better or darker tomorrow.

That I learnt from watching the movie X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Thorny Issue

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25 May 2014| last updated at 12:43

Hudud a thorn in the side of opposition pact

By Shahrum Sayuthi | shahrums@nst.com.my 

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AS campaign in Teluk Intan reaches halfway point, it has become clear that DAP needs to step up efforts if it wants to win more Malay votes.

That was the Chinese-dominated party's goal in the first place when it fielded fresh-faced Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, 27.

Confident that it could retain the bulk of the Chinese votes, which make up 42 per cent of the Teluk Intan electorate, DAP made no secret from day one of the campaign its intention to win over a better portion of the Malay votes. Malays make up 38 per cent of the more than 62,000 local voters.

For those on the ground observing the goings-on of the by-election, it was obvious that after almost a week of campaign, the novelty of DAP fielding a young Malay woman as its candidate has worn off to a certain extent.

The DAP campaign strategy has become predictable with Dyana Sofya focusing mostly on Teluk Intan town, where the bulk of the party's support, particularly among the Chinese community, is concentrated.

Her handlers appear wary of letting her venture too deep into the rural areas, where support for Barisan Nasional (BN) is the strongest. It is a fact that BN, over the past few days, had stepped up its efforts.

Despite being touted as an eloquent professional, Dyana Sofya does appear to be increasingly dependent on her posse of handlers, who guard her from going to the wrong places or making the wrong statements.

Since efforts to woo the Malays depend a lot on the cooperation of the party's ally, Pas, DAP strategists had apparently gone an extra mile not to offend the sensibilities of Pas members.

Gone were DAP's fierce objections to Pas' rather strident moves to assert its Islamic credentials, with Dyana Sofya repeatedly brushing off questions about her stand on hudud at several press conferences.

There were, however, slip-ups, such as on Thursday, when an overly eager DAP supporter took centre stage at a press conference to voice her objections to Pas' plan to table a private members' bill to effect the implementation of hudud in Kelantan.

Dyana Sofya, who had as usual brushed off queries on the subject, looked pensive when Dr Sharifah Halimah Jaafar, who was there to express support for her fellow graduate of Universiti Teknologi Mara, was vocal about Pas' hudud ambition.

And, all this happened in the presence of Pas Kuala Terengganu member of parliament Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad, who was representing the party.

As questions on hudud flew thick and fast after that, DAP Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching, one of Dyana Sofya's handlers, had to step in and rescue her by telling members of the media to stop the line of questioning.

Hudud is indeed a thorn in the side of the opposition coalition.

Pas needed hudud as a potent weapon to convince the Malays that it is more Islamic than Umno, while DAP has to project the image of opposing its ally's supposed ambition to implement hudud for the benefit of its non-Malay supporters.

But since DAP's strategy in Teluk Intan hinges a lot on winning over Malay votes, the party cannot afford disagreements over hudud.

It is not easy for Dyana Sofya, despite her reputed good looks, to ride on her Malay-Muslim identity to win votes from her community as DAP rides a lot on opposing Islamic ideals, such as the implementation of hudud.

Read more: Hudud a thorn in the side of opposition pact - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/hudud-a-thorn-in-the-side-of-opposition-pact-1.604405#ixzz32gmd8YjW25 May 2014| last upda

Dr Robia Kosai

Former Johor State Women, Family and Community Welfare Development committee chairman Dr Robia Kosai has passed away at about 8.30pm at the Tawakal Hospital in Kuala Lumpur.

She will be buried at Tanah Peekuburan in Kg Parit Bali, Parit Jawa Sg Balang in Muar. The YB had suffered a heart attack.

She was also the Sungai Balang state-assemblywoman.

She had been instrumental in promoting a healthy lifestyle among the people through the 10,000 steps a day campaign.

Farewell, YB.

Read more: Former Sg Balang assemblywoman Robia dies - Latest - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/latest/former-sg-balang-assemblywoman-robia-dies-1.604345#ixzz32dyTVEpa

Follow The Crowd or Follow Your Heart

Was surfing the Internet and came across an old story of a some said fishmonger, some said  restaurant owner --- who had cut off the two front legs of a baby cat who allegedly stole a fish. The incident took place in May 2005.

The victim was named Hero by its rescuer, Mohd Hairey Yahya, after the ordeal.  Hero died in Nov 2013 from leukemia.

In a separate issue, I also found this commentary by Shahrum Sayuthi which came out in the NST on 20 May 2014.

IT looked like just another typical Pas ceramah at a Malay village on Sunday night. There was the usual crowd of about 500 people, stalls selling food and knick-knacks as well as Pas leaders lambasting the Barisan Nasional government, particularly the Umno leadership.

The ceramah at Kampung Bahagia, Teluk Intan, was, however, special as it was actually the launch of Pakatan's election machinery for DAP's defence of the parliamentary constituency.

Noticeably absent in the speeches was any obvious mention of Pas' currently most talked about ambition, the implementation of hudud in Kelantan, which has been fiercely opposed by DAP.

Among the Pas leaders present were deputy president Mohamed Sabu, vice-president Datuk Husam Musa and Muslimah chief Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff.

The DAP leaders started to arrive one after another halfway through the ceramah, led by party supremo Lim Kit Siang and his son, secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also Penang chief minister.

The star attraction, DAP's candidate for the Teluk Intan by-election, Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, was the last to arrive.

The normally modern-looking 27-year-old looked demure in a pink baju kurung and a headscarf.
Her presence immediately heightened the excitement of those present as she made her way through the crowd to the VIPs' tent.

Her reputed good looks was not lost on the crowd, especially among the men, as some made loud remarks on how pretty she was.

There was even a request for her phone number from a member of the audience as she introduced herself at the beginning of her speech.

It was just not the crowd that took a particular interest in Dyana Sofya's looks.

Husam, in his speech earlier, made a reference about how being a beauty is a bonus on top of her credibility as a candidate.

The DAP's choice of candidate and campaign strategy in the Teluk Intan by-election indicates the party's desire to extend its support base among the Malay electorate.

Fresh from winning overwhelming support from its traditional power base, the Chinese community, DAP appeared confident enough to place the fresh-faced Dyana Sofya as its candidate in the constituency where Malays make up about 38 per cent of the electorate.

It is a show of supreme confidence by the party that it will not lose the support of the local Chinese community, who make up the biggest chunk of Teluk Intan voters at 41 per cent, even with it fielding a young Malay female candidate.

Estimates indicated that DAP's former member of parliament there, Seah Leong Peng, who died on May 1, had won about 90 per cent of the Chinese votes there in the 13th General Election last year.

With the shadow of Pas' plan to table the private members' bill in Parliament to effect the implementation of hudud in Kelantan, DAP had come out with a clever gambit to show that the opposition pact could still win the Malay support even without Pas pulling out its conservative Islamic card.

Read more: DAP tries to show it can do it without Pas - Columnist - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/opinion/columnist/dap-tries-to-show-it-can-do-it-without-pas-1.601265#ixzz32WPcjR2d