Ex-minister: Gov't should promote meritocracy
Malaysiakini.com
May 7, 2008 
Beh Lih Yi & Rahmah Ghazali 

Former human resources minister Dr Fong Chan Onn's call for a multi-racial workforce to be allowed to head GLCs are among the round-ups from the House today.

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Ex-minister: Government should promote meritocracy

Former human resources minister Dr Fong Chan Onn (BN-Alor Gajah) in his debate on the royal address has called on the government to be at the forefront in promoting meritocracy at all levels.

"In this context, government-linked companies (GLCs) should not see just one race at the helm.

"The rakyat will question why are GLCs only helmed by one race? Is this because there is no one from the other races that is capable of doing so?" said the minister-turned-backbencher.

Fong, who is also MCA vice-president, said the government services should reflect a more racial mix, especially at counter services.

MP: Opposition practise nepotism too

Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) said the opposition parties are guilty of practising nepotism too when it accused the Barisan Nasional is doing so.

"Look at Ipoh Timor (DAP's Lim Kit Siang) and his son Bagan (Lim Guan Eng), you have the Opposition Leader (PKR's Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail) whose daughter is Lembah Pantai (Nurul Izzah Anwar), Bukit Gelugor (DAP's Karpal Singh) and Puchong (Gobind Singh Deo).

"The case of Johor Baru (BN-Shahrir Abdul Samad) and Shah Alam (PAS-Khalid Samad) (they are siblings) is different a bit at least they are from different parties," Bung said in his debate on the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat this afternoon.

Yesterday, Kit Siang in his debate has argued that Malaysia has become notorious throughout the world for cronyism, corruption and nepotism.

Mahfuz Omar (PAS-Pokok Sena) later interjected and asked Bung the case of the Kepala Batas and Rembau MPs - referring to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin.

This prompted a smiley Khairy to stand up to explain but Bung gave the floor to Nurul Izzah, who rejected the backbencher's argument and said the opposition MPs were not making any gains from taking part in active politics.

"We are making sacrifices, we don't get a lot of allocations and I contested in a seat which is politically suicidal," said the Lembah Pantai MP.

‘Lingam tape' MP asks his first question... in Bahasa

The controversial Lingam video tape-maker, Loh Gwo-Burne (PKR-Kelana Jaya) posed his first question to the Women Family and Community Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen in full Bahasa Malaysia in Parliament today.

The 34-year-old seemed to have carefully pick his words to ask the minister whether the government has ever carried out any lobbying for the ratification of the United Nations (UN) pertaining to the convention on the rights of the disabled.

Prior to the parliament session, Loh - a businessman based in China before the March 8 polls - has repeatedly said he was working hard on improving his fluency of Bahasa Malaysia.

Responding, Ng said the government was not required to lobby for the ratification of any UN conventions because the conventions were open for any country to ratify it.

In addition to this, the government has also signed the convention on April 8 this year in New York as an intention to ratify the convention.

RM12 billion project awarded to Gamuda-MMC JV ‘to avoid legal action'

The government awarded Gamuda-MMC Joint-Venture the RM12 billion electrified double-tracking project through direct negotiations instead of open tender to avoid being slapped with legal action, said Transport Minister Ong Tea Keat today.

Gamuda-MMC JV had received the letter of award on Dec 13 last year, so opening up the project to other bidders would have adverse legal implications on the government, said Ong.

"When we decided to revive the project, we negotiated directly (with Gamuda-MMC) to avoid compensation claims because they have the right to claim compensation," said Ong in a press conference in Parliament lobby.

The double-tracking project had raised not a few eyebrows since it was announced several years ago, most notably because of the delay as well as costs overruns involved.

‘No' to local government election

Housing and Local Government Minister Ong Ka Chuan has said the government has no intention to re-introduce the local government elections.

He said this in a written reply to Liew Chin Tong (DAP-Bukit Bendera).

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