Posted By: Raja Petra
Zulhasnan has manipulated RM700 million worth of government contracts in Kuala Lumpur and has given them to his friends and cronies. The Umno division leaders of Segambut, Seputeh, Bukit Bintang and Kepong have all benefited from Zulhasnan's patronage. Ali Baba had his 40 thieves. Zulhasnan has his four.
Federal Territory Barisan Nasional Chairman, Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique, said that the credibility of the candidates standing for election is the most important factor when deciding who should be contesting where.
“The credibility and integrity of an individual make up 60% of the overall personality of a candidate; even the party he is representing is not a deciding factor,” he said.
“Maybe 20 to 30 years ago, the party that the candidate is representing is a major consideration, but today things are different,” he told Star Metro during a visit to the Federal Territory Barisan Nasional election operations centre in Wangsa Maju on Tuesday.
Zulhasnan, who is Setiawanga MP, said he was confident of Barisan Nasional retaining all nine seats (including Putrajaya and Labuan) that they won in the last election and was convinced of having no problems in wresting Kepong and Bukit Bintang which scored ‘razor-thin victories’ for the opposition.
“As for Seputeh and Cheras, we feel that there is a need to field the right candidates who will be accepted by voters in the two areas,” he said.
When asked if they are considering fielding ‘new’ faces and ‘outsiders’ to contest in the areas mentioned, Zulhasnan said: “That is certainly being considered. We will keep our options open but the final decision however will be made by the Prime Minister,” he said.
Zulhasnan said that the FT BN have been holding retreats in preparation for the next general election since June last year.
“We’ve had meetings with all the FT BN component parties, analysing and studying the progress and movements of all 13 parliamentary constituencies including gathering public feedback,” he said, adding this would continue until the announcement on the election is made.
The minister said that the Federal Territory Barisan Nasional theme for the polls Federal Territories Corridor of Excellence and coupled with the FT BN’s 3B motto (Bersama-Bersatu-Berjaya) would be applied in all the programmes initiated by the party to strengthen its machinery.
He added that FT BN have started a few strategies and action plans during the last four years, one of it being TURPA - turun padang activities whereby all BN components parties have been working as one team going down to the grassroots to meet the rakyat and the programmes has been fruitful.
Okay, that was what Star Metro reported on 31 January 2008. So let us do exactly what the Federal Territories Minister cum Member of Parliament for Setiawangsa cum Federal Territory Barisan Nasional Chairman, Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique, asked us to do. And let us start by examining HIS credibility first. And, if he fails the credibility test, then let us reject him and vote in another candidate instead; whether it be an opposition candidate, independent candidate, or a 'donkey' that stands against him. After all, a 'donkey' can't do any worse than a candidate who has no credibility, but preaches about credibility, because you can't get anything worse than a munafik (hypocrite).
Before that, just to digress a bit, the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur used to be part of the State of Selangor. Then they 'annexed' it and made it 'independent'. The late Agong, who was then the Sultan of Selangor, literally shed tears as he signed over Kuala Lumpur to the Federal Government. Later, Labuan and Putrajaya were further annexed from Sabah and Selangor respectively and the Federal Territory grew even more. I was profusely opposed to the annexation of Putrajaya and I said so openly. I wrote an article asking the Agong and the Acting Sultan to both step down from the throne for 'selling out' Selangor territory.
When they annexed Kuala Lumpur it was on the excuse that they wanted to make it the Federal Capital of Malaysia. However, if they want to also annex Putrajaya and make it the new Federal Capital, then they must return Kuala Lumpur to Selangor. And that is why they do not dare call Putrajaya the new Federal Capital but instead call it the Administrative Capital. If not, Selangor would have grounds to claim back Kuala Lumpur.
My article calling for the Agong, the Acting Sultan, and the entire Royal Council to step down created murmurs in the Palace. The late Agong spoke to my late uncle, Raja Datuk Redzwa Raja Sir Tun Uda, about what I had written. Raja Redzwa was my father's younger brother. The Agong said he wanted to summon me for an audience, probably to give me a piece of his mind. My uncle then told the Agong, “Peter is just like his father, Abang Din. He has inherited Abang Din's temper and you remember what Abang Din did to you don't you?”
I did not understand what it was that my father did so my uncle related the story to me. Once, when they were kids and were playing football, the Agong, then the Raja Muda of Selangor, grumbled when his team lost the match and my father shouted, “Anak Raja bodoh!” and whacked him with a belt. “Since then,” chuckled my uncle, “Tuanku has been very scared of your father.”
The Agong did not summon me for an audience in the end but the Special Branch did. They said I could be charged for sedition for what I had written. I told the Special Branch that my quarrel with the Agong was a family matter and had nothing to do with Bukit Aman. The Agong is lucky this is 2001, I told the Special Branch. If it was 1901, I would lead an army to oust Tuanku from the throne and place his son on the throne instead. The Special Branch officers were flabbergasted and did to know how to respond.
Anyway, the Agong's son is now sitting on the Selangor throne so the matter is all water under the bridge. But this is not really what I want to talk about today. What I want to talk about is the new 'Sultan' of Kuala Lumpur, Zulhasnan Rafique. Zulhasnan wields considerable power and nothing happens in Kuala Lumpur without his okay. Even Khairy Jamaluddin has no control over him. Syabas, at least there is one person in Malaysia whom Khairy cannot control.
Zulhasnan has a direct line to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and he does not need any pesky son-in-law to approve what he does. And to show who is boss, Zulhasnan is going to kick Khairy and his boys out of Kuala Lumpur. Khairy Jamaluddin, as well as his running mate, Norza Zakaria, were supposed to contest the coming general election in two of the 13 Kuala Lumpur seats. But since Zulhasnan has kicked them out, they may now have to contest somewhere far away from Kuala Lumpur instead.
Anyway, that is not our problem. That is an internal Umno problem. What Malaysia Today is more interested in is Zulhasnan's statement that “the credibility and integrity of an individual make up 60% of the overall personality of a candidate; even the party he is representing is not a deciding factor.”
Well, if that is the crucial factor in determining candidates, then Zulhasnan certainly does not qualify. Zulhasnan has manipulated RM700 million worth of government contracts in Kuala Lumpur and has given them to his friends and cronies. The Umno division leaders of Segambut, Seputeh, Bukit Bintang and Kepong have all benefited from Zulhasnan's patronage. Ali Baba had his 40 thieves. Zulhasnan has his four.
These contracts were not properly tendered but were negotiated without tender and given out at prices very much higher than market prices. And this was all done by the 'Sultan' of Kuala Lumpur who says “the credibility and integrity of an individual make up 60% of the overall personality of a candidate; even the party he is representing is not a deciding factor.”
Take a good look at his face. Note down his name. He will be contesting a seat somewhere in Kuala Lumpur. He wants to be one of the 13 Members of Parliament from Kuala Lumpur. But this can only happen if the voters allow it to happen. And if he can manipulate RM700 million in four years, just imagine what damage he can do to our tax money if given another five years in Parliament.
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