November 29, 2021
?--fotoBERNAMA (2021) HAK CIPTA TERPELIHARA[\/caption]\r\n\r\nFirming up an MoU<\/strong>\r\n\r\nBN\u2019s path lies in its political will to not be led by controversial figures, practice the true meaning of \u201cKeluarga Malaysia\u201d by encouraging fairer and more equitable governing and economic practices, enact key laws and crucial reforms such as the separation of power and empowerment of oversight bodies and anti-corruption efforts.\r\n\r\nAdopting and implementing such values is a win for Malaysia, but would weaken PH\u2019s contrasting brand.\r\n\r\nPN\u2019s path will be to deny that such changes are even remotely possible for BN and to fan the narrative that PH has had its chance and failed. Ironically, and incredibly as it might sound to both PH and BN supporters, PN's positioning and posturing is the real and sustainable alternative.\r\n\r\nTaking stock of these realities and learning from Melaka state election outcomes, PH may need to consider key changes such as re-examining the relevance and effectiveness of PH\u2019s current senior leadership and making the necessary strategic changes.\r\n\r\nThis does not necessarily mean the removal of old faces, but new and younger faces will have to be put on a higher pedestal and given more air time.\r\n\r\nThere is also a need to re-look at the effectiveness of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between PH and the Government. The issue isn\u2019t the content but the vehicle employed.\r\n\r\nBreaking the MOU will only expose PH post-Melaka election to attacks on its credibility. It will also give BN a nice excuse to proceed with GE15 soonest by blaming PH as untrustworthy.\r\n\r\nTherefore, instead of abolishing the MOU, perhaps PH should proceed to strengthen it through real, measurable, and binding commitments. The MOU should be renamed as something else and slightly amended to reflect stronger (binding) commitments.\r\n\r\nThe Government\u2019s response to this will test their sincerity in implementing what is agreed, throwing the ball in their court. Whatever the response would be, it\u2019s a strategic win-win situation for PH.\r\n\r\nGoing back to basics<\/strong>\r\n\r\nOther approaches include roping in the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) to address the share of youth voters.\r\n\r\nPH should act quickly and persistently in capitalising on shared values and principles to steer negotiations with MUDA in its favour as there is also a chance of MUDA\u2019s Syed Saddiq joining hands with his former mentor Tun Dr Mahathir through Parti Pejuang Tanah Air (Pejuang) and Parti Warisan Sabah (Warisan).\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nDr Mahathir\u2019s established influence on the Malays should not be underestimated. Combining this with MUDA which may command a significant portion of Malay youth voters, the partnership may turn out to be formidable.\r\n\r\nOf course, MUDA has yet to be registered and it is in their interest to push for e-voting to be in place to make full use of Undi-18. e-voting and National Digital ID would overcome the worrying issue of voter turnout and skewed age profiles. With COVID-19 expected to be around for some time, this is a logical solution.\r\n\r\nComing back to PH, they need to go back to basics, strongly rejecting all forms of corruption within their own ranks, urgently applying internal reforms in addition to national reforms, and add socio-economic issues as a key agenda.\r\n\r\nUneducated or uninformed Malaysians, especially in rural areas and in isolated economies relate poorly to the individual-level impact of national-level issues that often become points of debate between political rivals.\r\n\r\nSuch issues include the gigantic debt left by the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal, increased government debt, increased fiscal deficit, loss of investor confidence, low corruption perception index rating, reduced financial ratings by foreign agencies, cartels controlling government projects worth billions of ringgit, and so on.\r\n\r\nWhat people (especially youths) prioritise is whether they can get a job, put food on the table, keep their businesses running, pay salaries, have enough savings, and at least maintain a decent living standard (purchasing power, cost of living, etc).\r\n\r\nThis does not mean fundamental reforms take a backseat. After all, there is no growth and development without proper governance and the rule of law.\r\n\r\nThe BN machinery had many years to grow its roots. Hardcore communalist Malays and rural folks are fixed deposits for UMNO-BN. PH\u2019s strategy in moving forward includes educating (and convincing) such people on how the issues mentioned above affect them and ruin Malaysia.\r\n\r\nIn summary, PH has to do much more and do it in advance. Last-minute campaigns will not do. The 15th General Election (GE15) could be the last chance for PH to instil major reforms that it believes to be the enabler for a trajectory of achieving shared prosperity for all by 2030. - Nov 29, 2021\r\n\r\n \r\n\r\nAmeen Kamal is the head of Science & Technology at EMIR Research, an independent think tank focused on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research.<\/em><\/strong>\r\n\r\nThe views expressed are solely of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.<\/em>","post_title":"Pakatan Harapan\u2019s hope lies in self-reformation","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"pakatan-harapans-hope-lies-in-self-reformation","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-11-30 13:58:25","post_modified_gmt":"2021-11-30 05:58:25","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/focusmalaysia.my\/?p=87194","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":87198,"post_author":"91","post_date":"2021-11-29 15:35:16","post_date_gmt":"2021-11-29 07:35:16","post_content":"Editor's note:<\/strong> Added in the final two paragraphs feedback from Petra Group's corporate communications' representative.\r\n\r\nMULTIPLE investigative agencies have raided offices linked to Kuala Lumpur-based tycoon Datuk Vinod Sekhar in what is believed to be the start of one of the biggest money laundering cases since the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) investigations three years ago.\r\n\r\nAccording to news portal MalaysiaNow, officers from the National Financial Crime Centre (NFCC) and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as well as from Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) have conducted raids at the premises of Petra Group.\r\n\r\nPetra Group which operates a chain of companies and organisations is headed by Vinod, a businessman who is a strong supporter of PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.\r\n\r\n\u201cA source close to the investigations told MalaysiaNow that the raid some two weeks ago in Bangsar followed months of investigations into alleged money laundering and tax evasion involving hundreds of millions of ringgit,\u201d reported the news portal.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt said officers had seized \u2018some documents and items\u2019 as part of the probe. It is also learnt that the raids were carried out while Vinod was out the country.\u201d\r\n\r\nVinod, 53, is the son of the late Tan Sri B.C. Sekhar who was credited with modernising Malaysia\u2019s rubber industry. He was declared bankrupt by the High Court in 2005 for a corporate guarantee and not as principled debtor to finance company Orix Credit Malaysia Sdn Bhd for RM1.5 mil in 1996.\r\n\r\nIn an interview<\/span><\/a> <\/strong>with FocusM<\/em> <\/strong>on May 27, Vinod said he contested the action of the Insolvency Department in 2011, and the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed the former\u2019s application on the basis that the signatures on the bankruptcy order were forged alongside other inconsistencies.\r\n\r\nA check with the Petra Group corporate communications department revealed that there was \u201cno raid\u201d at its premises as claimed by MalaysiaNow<\/em>.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt was a visit by MACC and IRB ... They are looking into an anonymous report made on one of our companies. They were met, and whatever they requested was provided. They didn\u2019t confiscate anything. It was not a raid, it was a visit for information on one company,\u201d added the group's representative. \u2013 Nov 29, 2021","post_title":"\"Vinod Shekar\u2019s Bangsar HQ raided in money laundering, tax evasion probe\"","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"vinod-shekars-bangsar-hq-raided-in-money-laundering-tax-evasion-probe","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2021-11-30 07:26:50","post_modified_gmt":"2021-11-29 23:26:50","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/focusmalaysia.my\/?p=87198","menu_order":0,"post_type":"post","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"next":false,"prev":false,"total_page":1},"paged":1,"column_class":"jeg_col_2o3","class":"epic_block_22"};