Posted: 13 Jun 2011 02:04 AM PDT

You are cordially invited to the book launch of "The Tiger That Lost Its Roar" by Tony Pua, MP Petaling Jaya Utara and DAP National Publicity Secretary. The book is a tale of Malaysia's political economy.

Date: 25 Jun 2011 (Sat)
Time: 2-5pm
Venue: 1Utama New Wing, Ground Floor (next to Coffee Bean)

At the same time, a public forum with invited speakers will be held to discuss how the Malaysian "Tiger" can regain its "Roar".

RSVP on Facebook here.

The distinguished panel of speakers include Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam, Dr Muhammed Khalid and Dr Ong Kian Ming.

Join us, for a lively, no-holds-barred discussion on our children's political and economic future! Read the foreword of the book here or place your order for the advance copy here.

Of course, you should come purchase a copy of the book as well and get it autographed on the spot! ;-)

About the panellist:

* Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam

Tan Sri Ramon is the former Deputy Secretary-General of Ministry of Finance and Secretary-General of Ministry of Transport, and author many books on the Malaysian economy including "Healing the Wounded Tiger".

Ramon is also currently a member of the Malaysian Institute of Management (MIM) and the president of Transparency International Malaysia. He is a member of the National Economic Action Council (NEAC) Globalisation Committee and Director of the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli).

* Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid

Dr Muhammed is a Research Fellow with the Institute of Malaysian and International Studies (IKMAS), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. His
PhD thesis ''Wealth Inequality in Malaysia'' was awarded magna cum laude by SciencesPo Paris in December 2010. He holds a Master's degree in Public Affairs (cum laude) from the same institution, as well as a Master of Economics from University of Malaya and Bachelor of Sciences (Finance) from University of Southern California. He is currently on a secondment to ISIS Malaysia as a senior analyst focusing on economic policy.

* Dr Ong Kian Ming (moderator)

Dr Ong is currently a Lecturer, Faculty of Economics and Policy Science, UCSI University. He received his PhD in Political Science from Duke University, M. Phil. Economics from University of Cambridge and B.Sc. Economics, London School of Economics.

Questions for Parliament 2011 Session II

Posted: 13 Jun 2011 01:57 AM PDT

Parliament just started its 2nd session of the year today and will end before the end of the month. Below are the list of questions which I've submitted for replies from various ministries.

Parliamentary Questions for 2011 Session II

Soalan Jawapan Lisan

1. Tony Pua meminta Perdana Menteri menyatakan prestasi dan kedudukan syarikat 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) sejak ianya ditubuh

(a) Penyata keuntungan dan "balance sheet"

(b) Kedudukan terkini kesemua pelaburan termasuk nilai dan jangkaan pulangan setiap projek

2. Tony Pua meminta Perdana Menteri menyatakan langkah-langkah yang akan diambil oleh kerajaan untuk mengurangkan 'brain drain' akibat perasaan tersingkir seperti yang dibentangkan dalam laporan World Bank terkini, termasuklah jaminan peluang pekerjaan yang saksama.

3. Tony Pua meminta Perdana Menteri menyatakan

(a) Bayaran yang telah dibuat kepada Gamuda-MMC untuk projek pembinaan MRT dan sebarang nilai kerja yang telah dibuat, tetapi yang belum dibayar.

(b) Anggaran kos perlantikan Gamuda-MMC kepada kerajaan, termasuk kos "contingency" atau luar jangkaan, jika ada untuk project MRT.

4. Tony Pua meminta Perdana Menteri menyatakan

(a) Skop projek Karambrunai Resorts yang diumumkan sebagai satu-satu "Entry Point Project" yang bernilai RM9.6 bilion

(b) Sama ada permohonan lesen kasino telah diminta oleh pemaju dan ianya akan atau telah dipertimbangkan oleh kerajaan.

5. Tony Pua meminta Perdana Menteri menyatakan butiran perjanjian yang akan ditandatangani oleh kerajaaan dengan syarikat Tricubes Bhd untuk memajukan projek emel 1Malaysia, dan sama ada Tricubes akan diberikan hak untuk mengesahkan maklumat individu dengan Pejabat Pendaftaran Negara.

6. Tony Pua meminta Menteri Kewangan menyatakan

(a) Anggaran pecahan subsidi yang akan ditanggung kerajaan pada tahun 2011 mengikut kategori terperinci

(b) Anggaran kenaikan hasil kerajaan berpunca dari sektor minyak dan gas, dan lain-lain sumber

7. Tony Pua meminta Menteri Kewangan menyatakan

(a) impek pengurangan subsidi makanan, petrol, diesel, gas dan lain-lain barangan asas kepada golongan masyarakat berpendapatan 40% terendah sejak Januari 2010.

(b) Langkah-langkah 'mitigation' yang akan atau telah dilaksanakan untuk membantu golongan tersebut yang menghadapi kenaikan kos kehidupan yang mendadak.

8. Tony Pua meminta Menteri Industri dan Perdagangan Antarabangsa menyatakan sebab-sebab kedudukan Malaysia dari segi "Keberkesanan Kerajaan" dan "Keberkesanan Perniagaan" telah merosot dengan begitu teruk sekali dari tempat 9 dan 4 ke 17 dan 14 mengikut "IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook 2011"

9. Tony Pua meminta Perdana Menteri menyatakan

(a) Laporan daripada 'public hearing' yang telah dijalankan oleh SPAD atas pembinaan MRT, termasuk bantahan-bantahan utama

(b) Pengubahsuaian ke atas pelan pembinaan MRT atas maklumbalas yang telah diterima daripada pihak awam

10. Tony Pua meminta Menteri Kewangan menyatakan

(a) Anggaran jadual perlaksanaan sistem cukai GST

(b) Anggaran kos kerajaan untuk menyediakan sistem cukai GST dan kos pengurusan setiap tahun

Soalan Bertulis

11. Tony Pua meminta Perdana Menteri menyatakan secara terperinci sejak portal "MyProcurement" dilancarkan

(a) bilangan kontrak yang telah diterbitkan oleh setiap Kementerian dan setiap bulan

(b) jumlah nilai kontrak yang telah diterbitkan oleh setiap Kementerian dan setiap bulan

12. Tony Pua meminta Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri menyatakan sejak tahun 1996

(a) Jumlah pelaburan asing yang telah diluluskan oleh kerajaan untuk setiap tahun ("approved investments")

(b) Jumlah pelaburan asing yang telah dilaburkan untuk setiap tahun ("actual investments")

13. Tony Pua meminta Perdana Menteri menyatakan senarai terperinci universiti di United Kingdom dan di Amerika Syarikata yang pemegang biasiswa Mara sarjana muda dan jumlah penuntut yang dihantar setiap tahun sejak 2000 untuk setiap universiti tersebut

14. Tony Pua meminta Perdana Menteri menyatakan jumlah pengundi baru yang didaftarkan

(a) Oleh setiap parti politik untuk setiap suku tahun sejak 2008

(b) Oleh SPR lain-lain pihak (seperti kakitangan kerajaan dan POS Malaysia) setiap suku tahun sejak 2008

15. Tony Pua meminta Perdana Menteri menyatakan

(a) Senarai terperinci nama dan nilai setiap projek ETP/EPP yang telah diumumkan

(b) Nilai pelaburan yang telah dibuat sejak projek-projek ini diumumkan

MPs Can Get Copy of IPP Contracts?

Posted: 13 Jun 2011 01:46 AM PDT

Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir was reported to have said that the highly-secret agreements between Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) and independent power producers (IPPs) can be released to parliamentarians, but cannot be disclosed to the public, as these are confidential matters.

He said "In Parliament, when a MP asks for anything, we have always been transparent." In fact, he even added that "MPs also have legal immunity which may allow them to bypass the non-disclosure clause in the agreement."

Despite being a first term parliamentarian, I can say with certainty that the above statement by Mukhriz is complete and utter bunkum.

Members of Parliament (MP) are not privy to documents protected under the Official Secrets Act (OSA). To have access to these documents, the Cabinet will have to initiate a declassification process. Under the Act, anyone not unauthorised found in possession of these documents will be punishable with a mandatory 1 year, or up to 7 years in prison.

In fact, the then Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Lim Kit Siang had fought the OSA Amendment Bill 1986 tooth and nail, calling it "a critical assault on five crucial areas of Malaysian life: Parliamentary democracy, Freedom of the Press, Independence of the Judiciary, Responsible and Accountable Government, and Corruption-Free Malaysia". MPs have no immunity over the possession (even if it is for 5 minutes) of the Government's "confidential" documents!

The precedent has also been set that the tolled highway concession contracts as well as the Port Klang Free Zone contracts were made accessible to the MPs, they went through a lengthy declassification exercise by the Cabinet and Attorney-General.

What made Mukhriz's statement even more ludicrous is its complete contradiction to the statement by the Energy, Water and Green Technology Minister, Datuk Peter Chin who had just last week announced that the Government has no power to release these documents to MPs and the public as they are agreements signed between "private entities". Who is telling the truth, and who is lying?

Regardless of the above, I hope to be proven wrong and becoming a complete fool, if Mukhriz can on Monday 13th June next week when the 2nd parliamentary sitting of the year commences, to give each MP a copy of the IPP agreement, attached with an undertaking from the Attorney-General that MPs are not punishable under the OSA for having possession of these documents.

If not, then perhaps Mukhriz should explain in full why the Government chooses not to declassify these public interest documents, especially in the light of the unjust increase in tariffs to residential, commercial and industrial users, without any restructuring of the lobsided power purchase agreements allowing the IPPs to continue to make billions of ringgit in profits annually.

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Isnin, 13 Jun 2011

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