The Malaysian Insider

MARCH 16 — The PM has finally taken heed of our critique of the GST. Or has he really? That’s how it seems for now.

But you really couldn’t tell from this move as to why he defers the second reading of the the bill on GST.

It could have been done to evade that ugly demonstration of the Pakatan’s MPs and the NGOs that would have otherwise marred the opening of the new parliamentary session by the Agung.

2 MAC — Pengumuman dibuat oleh YAB PM DS Najib beberapa hari lalu bahawa ekonomi telah pulih tentunya merupakan satu berita gembira.

Dalam suku terakhir tahun 2009, ekonomi mencatat pertumbuhan sebanyak 4.5 peratus, meskipun mengalami penguncupan sebelumnya; penguncupan tiga suku sebelumnya, iaitu 6.2 peratus pada suku pertama, 3.9 peratus pada suku kedua dan 1.2 peratus pada suku ke tiga.

Bagi tahun 2009, ekonomi negara mencatat penguncupan sebanyak 1.7 peratus, iaitu lebih rendah daripada penguncupan 3 peratus yang diunjurkan sebelum ini. Untuk pengetahuan umum, pertumbuhan adalah sebanyak 4.6 peratus dalam tahun 2008.

FEB 20 — Telah penulis catatkan beberapa kali bahawa Umno gentar serta gusar dengan Politk Baru. Benar bahawa PRU ke-12 telah menyaksikan penghakisan sokongan Umno/BN paling parah dalam sejarah politik pilihanraya. Tetapi kesemua itu tidak sepenting satu hakikat yang sering menerjah mereka. Hakikat wujudnya satu lagi koalisi yang disifatkan sebagai ‘kerajaan dalam penantian’ atau ‘government-in-waiting’.

Kalau ada yang marah atau menelah bahawa penulis bersekali Pakatan Rakyat terlalu ghirah untuk memerintah kerajaan Persekutuan, penulis sayugia perjelaskan. Penulis tidak kata perubahan besar pasti berlaku pada PRU ke-13 ini. Tetapi potensi untuk perubahan berlaku amat  besar kedepan ini.

FEB 10 — For an event with only two outcomes, there is a 50-50 chance of it happening either way. So you would have thought. Consequently, many wanted the verdict of 9 February of the country’s top judges in the apex court to reflect that logical outcome. More so in a constitutional impasse that has drawn attention of the entire nation, nay the entire world.

But wouldn’t it be a wishful thinking to have ever thought that MB Nizar would win? Yes, perhaps, given the state of our very-much-to-be-desired judiciary. But in a not-so-clear-a-case like this acrimonious debate, you still harbour a little hope for a close call at least.

JAN 30 — To paraphrase Warren Bennis, leadership is like beauty, it’s hard to define but you know when you come to face one. I’ve little qualm to admit that the Kelantan prince, Tengku Razaleigh or widely known as Ku Li, has it.

I have always thought that my few but close encounters, particularly of late, in the parliament with him allow me to say this with some degree of accuracy. I must admit that being mere mortals all of us have our ups and downs, our idiosyncrasies, our shortcomings, whatever, but I still thaought of him as special.