So Azalina is using BN “old tricks” again.

I`ve been following with the recents political news in Malaysia, I must say that it is interesting to know how BN use our money and how they use diffirent “dirty tricks” to try to controll our money even when people are rejecting them.

You must have heard many BN and UMNO leaders emphasied on party interest, such as they are doing so and so for the interest of party, it is important to develop the country…etc. As you can see, the party is known as ”Barisan National”, which also mean they are doing things for party or country interest, not people interest. This also means you will see good economy growth and low inflation rate in figure, nice building but people still suffering for more expensive living standard, higher petrol price (despite Malaysia is one of the oil export country)…etc 

Recently, Malaysia new Tourism Minister (previously sport minister)- Datuk Seri Azalina Othman has terminated the Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for the 5 opposition-ruled states. This means the money researved for Tourism Develeopment in 5 states (each state is granted RM1 Million Ringgit each year) totaling to RM5 Million each year will not directly give to state government. This is because the money will no longer be hold by BN appointed state executive anymore. Tourism Minister will use BN appointed state Tourisnm commitee to decide how these money will be used. If state governement need to use these money, they have to apply and subject to approval.

It almost seems like these money still will be used for Tourisnm development for the 5 state under opposition controlled state government . However lets see what happen in previous Pas-held Terrengganu state.
Oil taxes for Terrengganu contributed to RM4 billion revenues over the past 4 years, however these fund are channel back to federal government first. It is later given back to Terrenganu for its state development under a programme called “wang ehsan”. 

In an article for Aliran Monthly, ‘Buying goodwill - RM4 billion worth of it’, Anil Netto dives into the Audit General Report that claimed the people of Terrenganu had benefited from the Fund. However Anil found a lot of serious black hole and the report was not backed up by empirical evidence. At the state level, “expenditure that should not have been financed from the Special Fund allocation had occurred and this had more or less jeopardised the objective of the programme”.

And not all ministries, departments and agencies had submitted their quarterly expenditure statements as required (though he said their monitoring work was adequate). This meant the Treasury’s records related to the Fund were incomplete. More seriously, there was no evidence to show that the Treasury had taken follow-up action. He also stressed that all allocations should be approved by the Central-level Committee.

Looking at both Terrengganu and recent Azalina decision, it seemed to me, that there was a lot of arbitrary discretion being exercised – most likely to serve the interests of BN while benefiting certain vested interests.

Hello???  Dato Azalina, do you means you still want to play dirty trick and risk Malaysia Tourism sector as a whole? Why the money need to give to a BN appointed executive? “Technical Issues?” or a kind of punishment? Loophole for corruption? A means of controll of the opposition-held states?  
This is the same old trick use against PAS-held Terrengganu state. Please do not repeat this as people are much smarter now.

Opposition had won 5 state governments through general election which is a decision by people, people want change, they had enough of corruptions, enough of security problems, enough of unfair treatment against other races, enough “dirty tricks”. But BN seems doesn`t learned from the mistake. Below are some feedback from Malaysiakin’s readers.

Source: Malaysiakini.com “Azalina vs the 5 PR states: Your say (Pt 2)”
“Kew Thean Yean: Azalina’s arrogance with regard for this issue makes me absolutely livid with anger. Her defence on television when queried about this, ‘It is because we know we cannot work with them (Pakatan Rakyat)’ is unprofessional, childish and arrogant in the extreme.

It is amazing that in this current political climate our elected ministers still respond in such a childish manner - almost akin to a child refusing to work on a school project with friends because they rejected her on the playground. Azalina needs to realise that such arrogance only erodes people’s respect for her ministry and BN in the long run. For goodness’ sake Umno leaders, put a stop to this nonsense.

Choy MH: If that is Azalina’s way of punishing voters, let her tell us where she would be standing in the next election. My whole family would like to register ourselves as voters there.

It is people like her that are bringing the PM down. Meanwhile, I suggest Pak Lah be given the title Bapa Demokrasi Malaysia. We should all appreciate the fact that the transition has been peaceful.

Golateott: Allot Federal Funds to ALL the states fairly and accordingly. Azalina should not try to make us believe that the Pakatan Rakyat state governments cannot perform as good or even better than BN state governments if they manage the fund for tourism by themselves. To try to manage for them is, to say the least, suspect.

Finally, Let’s walk the talk for once. Our PM asked Malaysians, irrespective of race and religion to unite. Then why this childish tit-for-tat, call it by any other name game is still being played?

Woman in Malaysia: First of all, channeling funds to a different committee for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) states and not the state Tourism Action Councils (TAC) like other BN-held states is already discriminatory. Why is there a need to distinguish between PR states and BN states? She mentioned that the reason was because it was a ‘technical matter’. What exactly does she mean by that? Is it because she is technically the ‘Umno Minister of Tourism’?

I am also disgusted that she said ‘But if they decide to join Barisan Natsonal, it would be much better’. How would it be much better? Is she not publicly admitting that if PR were to join BN, she would channel the funds directly to them? Azalina messed up big time as the former Youth and Sports Minister. With such a vindictive minister, I fear for the future of our tourism industry.

HL Too: The behaviour of Azalina merely epitomises the philosophy of the Malaysian government ie, the people’s money belong to politicians in power. That is also the reason why the BN politicians can flagrantly use (misuse) public money as though it belongs to them. I’m sick and tired of people saying that if you do not vote Barisan, you will not get government funding. I admire the people of Kelantan who always have had sufficient moral principles not to give in to BN blackmail.

No matter how the BN government deprived the Kelantanese of development funds, they continue to insist on not voting for this very corrupt government. Azalina merely reflects the BN philosophy regarding the people’s money.

Al Tugauw: Azalina in showing the vindictiveness of the BN, is equally showing her own foolishness. Does she expect her stand, which reflects federal government policy, to endear herself and the BN to the people including those who support BN?

After all these years, the BN seems to know nothing about constitutional government, yet it expects the people to pay federal taxes. Why should people of these five states pay taxes to the federal government if they or their legitimate representatives (the state governments) are going to be discriminated against?

Does Azalina think that federal government funds only belong to the BN? If Umno (and the BN) don’t reform, then obviously it is looking for a revolution against it. Looks like the BN has not learned anything from the last election.

Disgruntled Citizen: This Azalina is a young child that is still growing up. You can know straightaway the way she talks. She does not know what she is talking about and whether what she implies will affect our country’s tourism industry or not. She is too young and inexperienced to be put into such an important ministry of our country.

She doesn’t know the meaning of foreign exchange. Tourist spending in our country is the simplest way to increase our country’s reserves. Imagine how difficult it is to export our manufactured goods to other countries to earn their money.

Karen Lee: Can I suggest this? All citizens of PR states do not pay your 2007 income tax to the LHDN. Pakatan Rakyat state governments, please open an account under Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri Selangor (for Selangor),Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri Perak (for Perak) and etc respectively. All citizens of PR states then pay your 2007 taxes into these accounts. After all, if we don’t pay tax to LHDN for a year, we will get a fine only.

But if everyone of us staying in the PR states pay our taxes to the states government, then the PR government can use the money as a bargaining chip against the BN federal government. Show them how cooperative the rakyat are and what the rakyat’s wishes are.

BM: Rakyat, can you all see the real colour of another one from their team? She is talking through her nose! What an unprofessional reply from a person who is supposed to be a minister. It seems we got a bunch of them over there, huh? Thank you very much, you just helped us to make our decision on who to vote for in the next election - Pakatan Raykat!

A Malaysian Taxpayer: Lest she forget, let us remind Azalina that it is us, the Malaysian taxpayers irregardless of our political alliances, who are paying her MP allowances, etc. We are contributing to the coffers of the ministries that pays for her junkets abroad and that includes the chartered plane ride to Kathmandu to hand over the flag to the Everest climbers.

She is treating the ministry as her personal fiefdom and is spending our money any way she chooses. She should count herself lucky that she did not have to put herself to the test during GE 12 as the candidate (for reasons known only to himself) who was suppose to stand against her did not turn up at the nomination centre. Pakatan Rakyat, please have a backup candidate for GE13 so that we can sweep her away during the next tsunami. Maybe then she will not be so cocky.