Penang signs corruption pledge, faces calls for Chief Minister to step down

https://youtu.be/G3zoOtVh3ns



GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government finally inked a corruption-free pledge and almost immediately faced calls for the Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s resignation over corruption charges he faces.

The state government signed the corruption-free pledge with 10 additional integrity measures with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) in a ceremony at Komtar attended by Lim, executive councillors, state assemblymen and MPs, heads of departments and agencies along with public administration officers and MACC officers.

The additional measures signed by the state include the CAT (competent, accountable and transparent) policy, open competitive tenders, public declaration of assets, and full protection for genuine whistleblowers.

MACC chief commissioner Datuk Dzulkifli Ahmad welcomed the additional integrity measures.

“It will strengthen the pledge as a whole. But the state must put their pledge and integrity measures into practice,” he said, adding that the occasion was meaningful for him.

“I am a Penangite, born in Kepala Batas,” he said.

Barely an hour later, Lim came in for attacks from Penang Umno Youth chief Rafizal Abdul Rahim who wanted him to resign, and state opposition leader Datuk Jahara Hamid for not inviting the state’s 10 opposition members to the ceremony.



Rafizal and several members approached Dzulkifli to hand over a memorandum urging Lim to resign.

“By signing the pledge, Lim is indirectly showing others he is clean,” he said.

MIC central working committee member J. Dhinagaran, a Penangite, said Lim should set an example by resigning from his position as Chief Minister if he was sincere about combating graft.

Lim faces corruption charges over the purchase of his bungalow in Pinhorn Road for RM2.8mil, below the market value of RM4.27mil.

On Jahara’s complaint, Lim said Umno assemblymen were not invited for the ceremony because they had failed to show up on previous occasions.

“We invited her (Jahara) many times and even invited her to sit in a committee, but she didn’t want to,” he said.

Jahara later said they would hold a corruption-free pledge session.

Kelantan will sign the anti-corruption pledge next week. Dzulkifli said the MACC had yet to receive a date from the Selangor government to sign its pledge.

Source: The Star by Christopher Tan

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Local Council hoarding RM60mil in drainage funds

GEORGE TOWN: More than RM60mil collected from developers as drainage contributions in Seberang Prai has reportedly not been given to the state Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID).

Pulau Betong assemblyman Datuk Muhammad Farid Saad, who lashed out at Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) for withholding the money, said only RM2.2mil of RM63.39mil collected from 2008 to June last year was disbursed so far.

He said that according to the Auditor-General’s Report 2016, the move went against the directive which required contributions from developers to be channelled to a trust account maintained by the state DID director who would act as its controlling officer.

“MPSP’s failure to transfer the funds has resulted in many stalled flood mitigation projects.

“In 2016 alone, four places in central Seberang Prai were hit by flash floods 21 times.

“The rakyat are at the receiving end, all because MPSP wants to portray itself with a nice balance sheet.

“In the state assembly, the state government on April 2014, announced that it had increased the contributions from RM10,000 per acre to RM50,000 per acre.

“Did they spend part of the contributions on something else instead of drainage and irrigation or flood mitigation?” Muhammad Farid asked in a statement.

He said the Auditor-General also reported that MPSP’s Treasury Department was instructed to hand over RM400,000 annually to DID in 2010.

“That instruction did not get the approval from the state government. This is improper and action has to be taken.

“It is inappropriate for the local authority to make decisions behind the backs of the Chief Minister and state government.

He criticised MPSP for showing a lack of commitment in tackling floods.

“It is an irony that a local council which has won international accolades does not follow directives.

“The exposure by the Auditor-General has dented MPSP’s integrity.

“Its delay in handing over the contributions shows that it did not adhere to the state government’s CAT (competency, accountability and transparency) policy.

“Are they trying to secure another award — a local council with the healthiest coffers?”

MPSP president Datuk Rozali Mohamud said he would comment after reading Farid’s report in print.

Source: The Star

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Malaysian Public varsities, companies, GLC execs also recipients of EBA fake awards

Checks on local news reports show EBA bestowed ‘awards’ not just to Penang councils but also other Malaysian institutions.

GEORGE TOWN: Before the dust could settle on a shock expose that Penang municipal councils received “excellence” awards from a questionable outfit exposed by a UK newspaper, checks show that other Malaysian companies, universities and GLC execs were also recipients.

Checks by FMT show Malaysian companies, public universities and top executives of Malaysian government-linked companies had won awards from the dubious Europe Business Assembly (EBA) before.

UK’s The Times had alleged that EBA, run by Ukrainian businessmen, made use of the renowned Oxford University’s name and reputation to hand out awards to those who paid a sum.

According to EBA’s website, this year, seven Malaysian companies and their bosses were listed as award recipients.

Among them is a public-listed utilities company and an education provider.

Based on Malaysian news reports, past winners of EBA’s awards include three Malaysian public universities — namely Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Universiti Teknikal Malaysia (UTeM) and Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP).

USIM, UTeM and UniMAP received the “Best Regional University” award from EBA in 2013, according to a report by Utusan Malaysia on Dec 25, 2013.

Their vice-chancellors were reported in local Malaysian dailies to have won “Best Manager of The Year” in the same year as well.

One of the vice-chancellors was reported to have won “Best Scientist” separately from EBA’s “Oxford Summit of Leaders Science & Education”.

Another VC was reported to have won “The Name in Science” award, too.

EBA’s ‘International Socrates Award’

According to EBA’s website, the group is “an international corporation of social partnership” established in Oxford, UK, in 2000.

It lists developing and promoting social and economic links between companies, investors, education establishments, cities and countries worldwide as its main objectives.

The Times had reported that EBA advertises itself as an Oxford institution to sell “made-up prizes” such as “The International Socrates Award” and “The Queen Victoria Commemorative Award” for a price of up to £9,300 (RM52,000).

The report claimed the EBA outfit was run by Ukrainian businessmen, targeting areas where people had the financial power to buy such accolades.

A former employee told The Times that the outfit was told to focus on customers from the Middle East, eastern Europe and Russia “where the idea that money buys you credentials is still there”.

EBA was also revealed to have used images of Oxford colleges and even the same typefaces in its publicity materials.

It also claimed “exclusive” access to special lectures from Oxford, the report said.

However, the University of Oxford told the daily it has no relations with EBA.

“On the face of it, the guests gathered that evening did not have much to unite them.

Representatives from a Nigerian maritime security company rubbed shoulders with the vice-president of a Bulgarian mine.

“The founder of an international school in Malaysia mixed with the director of an Indian private medical institute,” The Times report read, in explaining the holding of an elaborate awards presentation ceremony.

Source: Free Malaysia Today (FMT)

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China holds parade in celebration of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) 90th Birthday

Viewhttps://youtu.be/2fhP6IcIiv4

What message did China’s military parade send?

https://youtu.be/Tg0947XyGKE

China holds ceremony to mark 90th anniversary of PLA founding

https://youtu.be/6lBhSSwQRxA

Chinese President Xi celebrates military in speech  focused on peace, future - CGTN America

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is moving rapidly toward "strong" informationized armed forces.

Xi said the PLA has transformed from a "millet plus rifles" single-service force to one that has fully-fledged services and has basically completed mechanization.

He said that the PLA must be bold in reform and adept in innovation while staying away from rigidity and stagnation at any time and under any circumstances.

Xi reaffirmed the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s absolute leadership over the PLA.

"To build a strong military, [we] must unswervingly adhere to the Party's absolute leadership over the armed forces, and make sure that the people's army always follow the Party," he said.

Xi called for a new generation of "capable, brave and virtuous" army "with souls" in order to build a strong military.

Calling political work the "lifeline" of the PLA, Xi said troops must have ironclad faith, beliefs, disciplines and responsibilities, and retain their nature and tenet as the people's army.

Xi has urged the country's armed forces to bear in mind the sacred duty of fighting for the people.

The PLA is deeply rooted in the people and the strength comes from the people, said Xi.

Xi called on the PLA to maintain its close relationship with the people and "go through thick and thin" with them.

The PLA should also actively contribute to the economic and social development in stationed areas to benefit the people with actions, said Xi.

Xi urged boosting integrated military and civilian development amid efforts to build a strong military.

China must build a national strategic system and capacity of military-civilian integration, he said.

The CPC has established its thoughts on building a strong military in a new phase, Xi said.

The Party has put forward a series of new ideas and requirements concerning national defense and military building in the past five years since the 18th CPC National Congress, which together constitute the CPC's thoughts on building a strong army in the new phase, Xi said.

The Party's military strengthening theories should be constantly enriched and developed to cope with new challenges and solve new problems under new circumstances, he said.

He stressed "coordinated, balanced and inclusive development" of economic and national defense construction.

China will never compromise on its sovereignty, security or development interests, Xi said.

"The Chinese people love peace. We will never seek aggression or expansion, but we have the confidence to defeat all invasions. We will never allow any people, organization or political party to split any part of Chinese territory out of the country at any time, in any form," Xi said.

"No one should expect us to swallow the bitter fruit that is harmful to our sovereignty, security or development interests," he said.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while addressing a grand gathering in celebration of the PLA's 90th founding anniversary.

Source: China Daily/Asian News Network

PLA ready to guard sovereignty 

 

Standing ready: Chinese paramilitary policemen stand in formation at Tiananmen Square after attending a ceremony to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. — AFP

BEIJING: The Chinese army will step up its pace of improving its joint combat capabilities and “stand ready to fight and win at any time”, State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Chang Wanquan said.

Speaking about the cross-Straits situation, Chang said yesterday the People’s Liberation Army is “confident, capable and fully prepared to resolutely safeguard State sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

Chang made the remarks during a speech at a grand reception marking the 90th anniversary of the founding of the PLA, which fell yester­day.

President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee as well as chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the reception along with other party and state leaders.

The PLA has come a long way since its birth during the armed uprising in the city of Nanchang on Aug 1, 1927, when it had only 20,000 soldiers.

Xi oversaw and addressed a grand military parade on Sunday marking the 90th anniversary at the Zhurihe Training Base in North China’s Inner Mongolia region.

Yesterday morning, Xi attended a grand ceremony in Beijing commemorating the 90th anniversary and delivered a speech.

Led by Xi, the PLA has been advancing reform, technological upgrades, boosting training and combat readiness, Chang said.

Through this, it has achieved thorough restructuring and greatly enhanced its combat effectiveness, he added.

The military will press ahead with reforms and staunchly focus on winning in combat and training for readiness, Chang said.

Speaking of the cross-Straits situation, Chang said adherence to the 1992 Consensus and opposition to Taiwan independence constitute the political foundation of peace and development of cross-Straits relations.

Any form of secessionist attempt by anyone at any time would surely be opposed by the whole Chinese people and nation, he added.

Noting the Chinese military’s role as a contributor to world peace, he said the PLA facilitates global development and supports international order.

As of June, the Chinese military had participated in 24 UN peacekeeping missions, sending 31,000 personnel, 13 of whom lost their lives on duty. — China Daily/Asia News Network

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China holds parade in celebration of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) 90th Birthday

Viewhttps://youtu.be/2fhP6IcIiv4

What message did China’s military parade send?

https://youtu.be/Tg0947XyGKE

China holds ceremony to mark 90th anniversary of PLA founding

https://youtu.be/6lBhSSwQRxA

Chinese President Xi celebrates military in speech  focused on peace, future - CGTN America

BEIJING -- President Xi Jinping said Tuesday that the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is moving rapidly toward "strong" informationized armed forces.

Xi said the PLA has transformed from a "millet plus rifles" single-service force to one that has fully-fledged services and has basically completed mechanization.

He said that the PLA must be bold in reform and adept in innovation while staying away from rigidity and stagnation at any time and under any circumstances.

Xi reaffirmed the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s absolute leadership over the PLA.

"To build a strong military, [we] must unswervingly adhere to the Party's absolute leadership over the armed forces, and make sure that the people's army always follow the Party," he said.

Xi called for a new generation of "capable, brave and virtuous" army "with souls" in order to build a strong military.

Calling political work the "lifeline" of the PLA, Xi said troops must have ironclad faith, beliefs, disciplines and responsibilities, and retain their nature and tenet as the people's army.

Xi has urged the country's armed forces to bear in mind the sacred duty of fighting for the people.

The PLA is deeply rooted in the people and the strength comes from the people, said Xi.

Xi called on the PLA to maintain its close relationship with the people and "go through thick and thin" with them.

The PLA should also actively contribute to the economic and social development in stationed areas to benefit the people with actions, said Xi.

Xi urged boosting integrated military and civilian development amid efforts to build a strong military.

China must build a national strategic system and capacity of military-civilian integration, he said.

The CPC has established its thoughts on building a strong military in a new phase, Xi said.

The Party has put forward a series of new ideas and requirements concerning national defense and military building in the past five years since the 18th CPC National Congress, which together constitute the CPC's thoughts on building a strong army in the new phase, Xi said.

The Party's military strengthening theories should be constantly enriched and developed to cope with new challenges and solve new problems under new circumstances, he said.

He stressed "coordinated, balanced and inclusive development" of economic and national defense construction.

China will never compromise on its sovereignty, security or development interests, Xi said.

"The Chinese people love peace. We will never seek aggression or expansion, but we have the confidence to defeat all invasions. We will never allow any people, organization or political party to split any part of Chinese territory out of the country at any time, in any form," Xi said.

"No one should expect us to swallow the bitter fruit that is harmful to our sovereignty, security or development interests," he said.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while addressing a grand gathering in celebration of the PLA's 90th founding anniversary.

Source: China Daily/Asian News Network

PLA ready to guard sovereignty 

 

Standing ready: Chinese paramilitary policemen stand in formation at Tiananmen Square after attending a ceremony to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. — AFP

BEIJING: The Chinese army will step up its pace of improving its joint combat capabilities and “stand ready to fight and win at any time”, State Councilor and Minister of National Defense Chang Wanquan said.

Speaking about the cross-Straits situation, Chang said yesterday the People’s Liberation Army is “confident, capable and fully prepared to resolutely safeguard State sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

Chang made the remarks during a speech at a grand reception marking the 90th anniversary of the founding of the PLA, which fell yester­day.

President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee as well as chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the reception along with other party and state leaders.

The PLA has come a long way since its birth during the armed uprising in the city of Nanchang on Aug 1, 1927, when it had only 20,000 soldiers.

Xi oversaw and addressed a grand military parade on Sunday marking the 90th anniversary at the Zhurihe Training Base in North China’s Inner Mongolia region.

Yesterday morning, Xi attended a grand ceremony in Beijing commemorating the 90th anniversary and delivered a speech.

Led by Xi, the PLA has been advancing reform, technological upgrades, boosting training and combat readiness, Chang said.

Through this, it has achieved thorough restructuring and greatly enhanced its combat effectiveness, he added.

The military will press ahead with reforms and staunchly focus on winning in combat and training for readiness, Chang said.

Speaking of the cross-Straits situation, Chang said adherence to the 1992 Consensus and opposition to Taiwan independence constitute the political foundation of peace and development of cross-Straits relations.

Any form of secessionist attempt by anyone at any time would surely be opposed by the whole Chinese people and nation, he added.

Noting the Chinese military’s role as a contributor to world peace, he said the PLA facilitates global development and supports international order.

As of June, the Chinese military had participated in 24 UN peacekeeping missions, sending 31,000 personnel, 13 of whom lost their lives on duty. — China Daily/Asia News Network

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People's Daily, China - Facebook

Related posts:

Prospering with Belt and Road to reap the benefits of China's initiative

Unique gift: Ahmad Shabery (centre) presenting kain songket made of pineapple fibre to China’s General Administration of Quality Supervi...

America vs China: odds narrowing 

 

A new China in the making at Xiamen International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) 

 

Liberty, Equality and Fraternity in the 21st century of China's One Belt One Road strategy 

 

A region evolves with rising China

 

Regional issues today developed from the past to predict the future, the winds of change in Asia 

 

The center of world economic gravity moving east as AIIB show