Saturday, May 30, 2015

Jawaban di Parlimen tanggungjawab Menteri bukan pegawai

Seorang sahabat bertanya sama ada jawaban yang diberi secara lisan atau bertulis di Parlimen oleh seseorang menteri itu tanggungjawabnya atau pegawai yang menyediakan jawaban. Beliau ingin tahu kebenaran sama ada apa yang dinyatakan oleh Kementerian Kewangan berkaitan jawaban Perdana Menteri merangkap Menteri Kewangan, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak mengenai isu 1MDB yang tidak tepat atau tidak betul itu adalah kesilapan pegawai.

Saya diminta memberi sedikit latar belakang berkaitan soalan dan jawaban pihak kerajaan di Parlimen kerana pernah terlibat dalam urusan berkenaan semasa berkhidmat di Pejabat Menteri, Jabatan Perdana Menteri. Benar, saya pernah terlibat dalam urusan penyediaan dan semakan jawaban oleh pihak kerajaan, sama ada Menteri, Timbalan Menteri atau pada ketika itu, Setiausaha Parlimen.

Dalam pengalaman yang saya lalui, para pegawai terlibat akan dipanggil bermesyuarat yang lazimnya di pengerusikan oleh Setiausaha Bahagian (Kabinet), Jabatan Perdana Menteri. Kami akan meneliti setiap soalan yang diterima, mendapatkan jawaban daripada jabatan atau agensi berkaitan, meneliti jawaban dan mencapai kata sepakat berkaitan menteri mana yang akan menjawabnya.

Selepas itu, deraf jawaban itu akan diserahkan kepada menteri berkenaan untuk mendapat persetujuan dan kelulusan. Sekiranya menteri tidak berpuas hati, dia akan meminta maklumat tambahan atau menolak apa-apa maklumat yang difikirkannya tidak perlu. Para pegawai kemudian akan mendapatkan maklumat tambahan yang diminta dan sekali lagi menyerahkan deraf jawaban kepada menteri untuk kelulusan. Begitulah kaedah dan proses yang kami lalui (semasa saya bertugas) dan saya percaya ianya masih diteruskan hingga sekarang.

Apabila memberi jawaban di Parlimen, sama ada Dewan Rakyat atau Dewan Negara, menterilah yang bertanggungjawab sepenuhnya, bukan pegawai atau pihak lain yang menyediakan jawaban itu. Menteri mempunyai kekebalan selaku Ahli Parlimen sedangkan pegawai tidak. Oleh itu, menteri tidak boleh lari daripada tanggungjawab sepenuhnya keatas jawaban yang diberikan kerana dia sendiri yang meluluskannya.

Oleh itu, saya tidak dapat terima alasan yang diberikan oleh Kementerian Kewangan yang cuba menuding jari kepada pegawai atau pihak ketiga apabila Datuk Seri Najib memberi jawaban yang tidak benar di Dewan Rakyat. Apa yang dapat saya katakan ialah mungkin ada pegawai yang cuba mengampu atau yang diarah untuk memikul kesilapan itu. Perkara sedemikian tidak harus berlaku kerana yang bertanggungjawab ialah Najib, bukan pegawai atau pihak lain. Najib seharusnya berani menerima kenyataan dan mengakui kesilapan, bukan cuba mengalihkannya kepada orang lain.

Tidak guna menjadi pemimpin sekiranya tidak berani memikul tanggungjawab. 

    

Sunday, May 24, 2015

Tun Mahathir says PM Najib is a liar

Former Prime Minister and respected statesman Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has labelled Prime Minister Najib Razak as a liar. 

Tun Mahathir accused Najib of lying about the whereabouts of 1 Malaysia Development Berhad's US$1.103 billion or RM3.97 billion in funds, stating that there could be possible criminal wrongdoing. 

It was a cover up of government matters and he said it was an offense under Section 218 of the Penal Code. Now, let us see whether the twitter-happy Inspector-General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar or the Attorney-General/Public Prosecutor dare to take action. The police currently is arresting traffic offenders. 

Tun Mahathir was referring to Najib's parliamentary reply on March 10 where he said the amount had been fully redeemed in the form of cash and is now kept at BSI Bank Limited Singapore. Later it was denied by the Singapore authorities.

When the truth prevailed, Najib changed his answer stating there is no cash in BSI Singapore, but merely "assets in US dollars". However, Finance Minister II Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah clarified the assets were in the form of "units" (what ever it meant). 

Well, the famed Greek fable author, Aesop, centuries ago stated that: "We hang petty thieves and appoint the great ones to public office."

Plato, the ancient Greek philosopher said: "Those who are too smart to engage in politics are punished by being governed by those who are dumber." 

Or, what about this joke: What happens if a politician drowns in a river? Answer - That is pollution. What happens if all of them drown? Answer - That is solution!!!

Friday, May 22, 2015

When in Brisbane recently, I witnessed a peaceful demonstration held at the city's business district on Sunday. I noticed only three uniformed police officers followed the demonstrators numbering not less than 200 original people referred to as Aborigines and their supporters including white Australians.
They stopped at several strategic locations to address the crowd. Although noisy but it was peaceful. The police did not provoke or closed roads to prevent the demonstrators from marching, unlike here in Kuala Lumpur. Thus it was truly a peaceful demonstration.


Najib will go before Ramadhan?

It is crystal clear that UMNO is now a disunited party. The party's number two is  on a different track. Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has spoken and his supporters were indirectly given the green light to act.
So is Najib Tun Razak's "soldiers".

Former deputy education minister Puad Zarkashi is given a new lease of life after being appointed as the Special Affairs Division (JASA) Director-General.  The Batu Pahat "political has been" was quick to move when he openly criticized Muhyiddin as "lazy" for failing to visit schools in Sabah who were in bad shape.

Puad is also part of Najib's propaganda team and as head of JASA, the department set up to "work" for UMNO, he will definitely utilized the department's staff and machinery to belittle Muhyiddin.  The battle royale has started.

Meanwhile, the anti-Najib movement including within UMNO, is expanding and the pressure is increasing  for Najib to go. Najib will be asked to resign or he will be booted out. There is no two-way about it.

It is widely speculated that Najib will go before Ramadhan, that is before June 17.