Azmin is Menteri Besar of Selangor - certainly not THE person that enjoyed the confidence of the majority - but a person Pakatan Rakyat was forced to endorse finally to prevent a prolongation of the Selangor MB Crisis...
PKNS Scandal - There really must be an independent body set up to investigate this matter.
Constitution Amendment - This must be a priority - the race and religion requirement for the Menteri Besar must be removed, as it is in our Federal Constitution - the only qualification being that he/her enjoys the confidence of the majority of the State Legislative Assembly persons(ADUN)...There have been so many other issues surrounding the appointment of the Menteri Besar, and all these have to immediately be reviewed...and if needed, make the necessary Constitutional amendment...
OMBUDSMAN - He will have the power to to enter and look at all documents, interview any or all persons - with the object of exposing 'hanky-panky', abuse of power, mis-management, cronyism, corruption, etc
Abolish the use of the 'Whip' safe for Financial Bills at the State Legislative Assembly and Local Councils.
Remove 'restrictions' on PR ADUNs and allow for freedom of expression - so that they can have the freedom to openly oppose the views/positions of the MB and State Exco, freely express their own views and opinions even if it goes against the State government,.... we do not want to be told tomorrow of the failings of the MB and the State government as what happen in the case of Khalid, the last MB of Selangor. Sadly, Pakatan behaved like the UMNO-led BN here so we were totally not aware of the failings of the previous State government under Khalid...The rakyat deserves better. There must be effective checks and balance...
Ensure Media Freedom - stop propagating 'cover-ups' and ensure media is able to ply an effective 'check and balance' role. The government official media should be open and transparent.
The editor-in-chief of state newspaper Selangorkini has called on new Menteri Besar Azmin Ali to ensure editorial freedom for all state media.Fazallah Pit (left) said that this is because Selangorkini did not have editorial independence to report on Selangor current affairs prior to this, due to restrictions by "certain quarters". - Malaysiakini,23/9/2014, State media urge for more freedom under new MB
Do not SUE people for defamation - for this is nothing but a means to suppress freedom of expression and opinion. An expression of view, opinion or statement should be responded by words also. In an internet conversation, someone said that Azmin is not fit to be MB, and when others asked why...no one was willing to say anything and one reason advanced was the fear of being sued for libel/defamation. YES - this culture of suing people hinders the revelation of the truth and/or doubts - and this should not be. If it is a false allegation, just respond with the truth and facts... (After all, because of this culture of 'fear', many who know are just too fearful to speak up or be witnesses - and the fact, that there is still a great 'lack of transparency'- people have no ability to investigate and find the truth...
Declaration of Assets - MB and Exco Members must declare their income and assets immediately on appointment - and thereafter periodically every 6 months... This must include those of spouse, children, siblings and family members. [In the event any project of the State government or its various entities are awarded to any company or entity which is any way connected to the MB, Exco Members or political leadership of the PR parties, this information must be immediately disclosed.]
CEOs, Directors and Upper Management of State owned companies and state linked salaries should no longer be paid exorbitant sums as salary, allowances, bonuses,etc.. As a guiding principle, no such persons should be paid salaries exceeding the salary of the Menteri Besar or no higher than RM20,000 per month. Director's allowances should not exceed RM10,000 but if the appointed Director is the Menteri Besar, Exco Member, ADUN or government employee, then there must be NO Director's allowances(and if there is, it should be paid back into the State coffers) - such persons shall only be entitled to travel reimbursements or other reimbursements - they already are being remunerated as 'wakil rakyat' and state employees and all they do as Directors is part of that job already.
No Exco Member, ADUN, MP, Senators or politicians of Pakatan Rakyat party shall be appointed Directors of state-linked companies unless they have the requisite skills and expertise useful for the business of the entities they are so appointed to as Directors. The appointment of 1 person from the relevant political party is permitted if the intention is for the purpose of 'check and balance' but even so, the person must have requisite knowledge of some aspect of the business operation of such entities.
Select Committee of the State Legislative Assembly to be set up to monitor all government owned companies and government-linked companies(especially where the State has more than 50% ownership directly or indirectly). This committee shall have the power to subpoena witnesses/documents and conduct public inquiries as and when is required.
No agreements shall be signed by the State government, State owned companies or State linked companies before it is first considered, debated and approved by the State Legislative Assembly. Any person in the State of Selangor shall have the right to have full access to such agreement, and there shall be no 'confidentiality clauses' or such clauses that prevent full disclosure to the people of the State. All such agreements shall be subject to review, affirmation or dissolution at the end of the term of the existing government. [No more long term agreements that bind subsequent governments - i.e. 10 year or even 25 year agreements..., and those that impose an exorbitant penalty on the State when the agreement is terminated]. We are a democracy, and we have General Elections every 5 years - and no new government should be deprived of the right to review, reaffirm and/or terminate any agreement/s entered into by a previous government.
Elections shall be held to set up committees at kampungs, kampung barus, kampung orang asli, housing estates (taman perumahan) and other communities just as was done in Perak under Pakatan Rakyat. These leaders and committees shall be consulted before any project and/or decision is made concerning their area or adjacent areas which may have an impact on the people living in their area. Such local committees shall be allocated a sum of RM500(or RM1,000) per month for their meetings and activities with the people in their community. At least 30-50% of the persons appointed to the Local Council shall consists of persons selected by all such elected committees from amongst themselves. Local Council shall have monthly meetings with the representatives of all these elected local community leaders.
All ADUNs allocated with monies to be spend for small development projects, maintenance and local community activities shall be required to provide detailed accounts of such expenditure - which shall be displayed online and also published in Selangorkini Online.
Enact laws that will allow people to take the MB, State Exco, ADUNs, State Employees to court if they abuse their powers and positions. Laws must be made to ensure that the MB and the Exco members are prohibited to receive any monies/gifts/positions, other than their salary and allowances, during the term of their office. And maybe also include later on from any person of company that is linked to any person/entity that has benefited by getting a project or other benefits during the period that such person was MB or State Exco. [Why? Because a new form of 'bribe' is to appoint the person as Director or Consultant with a large remuneration/allowance...and we do not want this or any other form of 'corruption']
Azmin comes in wanting to spend RM3 billion Selangor fund reserve - we have to all closely monitor this....Is it right? Should there not be some reserve? Some of these monies should be used to assist workers who have been retrenched...or cheated of their wages by employers... Some of these monies can be used for.... Let us hope that this moneys are not used to enrich 'friends'...and not all the people equally...
Azmin joined UMNO in 1987 - was this after Operation Lallang - and he continued in UMNO for 11 years - leaving when Anwar was expelled - what are his values and his principles today? We really do not know and we have to wait and see....
Meanwhile, Azmin said he would fully utilise the RM3 billion Selangor funds reserve, which he said is held for the benefit of the "Selangor people".
The fund, he said, belongs to the people and it is not owned by any leader.
"The fund will be translated with various programmes for the benefit of Selangor people," Azmin said, adding that he would go to the ground and see the problems faced by the people.- Malaysiakini, 23/9/2014,
No suit and tie for this once goatherd MB
Pakatan Rakyat leadership must really set up a PR State Government Oversight Committee that would continually monitor PR governed State to ensure that all that is done is according to PR policies and principles - and when it is not, it should immediately express it and take action immediately.....'Do not cover up MBs and State Government's departure from PR values and principles'
Selangor is not Azmin's to do as he pleases - neither is it PLR's to do as PKR wants.... it is a Pakatan Rakyat(PR) State, and what it does will be seen as what PR not PKR stands for... Likewise Penang and Kelantan...
An open letter to Azmin Ali, Menteri Besar of Selangor
Selangor gets a new menteri besar today in you and Pakatan Rakyat (PR)
gets to continue running the country's wealthiest state after a messy
nine months of politicking that has left people wondering why it even
happened.
How different will you be from the previous occupant of the office in Shah Alam, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim?
You cut your teeth in politics, serving Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from early in the PKR de facto chief's political career, while Khalid has been a corporate man for most of his life and burst into the political limelight in the 2008 general election. In the past six years, we have seen Khalid turn from political greenhorn to a man who shook his own party and coalition, sacked his allies, made deals after years of rejecting them, and hurt PR from the inside.
Here is what we expect from you as you make your debut as the leader of the state government of Selangor.
1. You must avoid back room deals with powerful individuals. One theory floating around is that some powerful lobby was always concerned that Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail would have been a stumbling block to one-sided transactions, etc.
2. You must consult the Selangor people on major projects and be willing to explain the rationale on controversial deals such as the Kidex expressway.
3. You must be fair and even-handed in dealing with minorities in Selangor. For example, instead of staying on the sidelines, you must be willing to speak out and act when the rights of others are trampled upon. The Khalid administration did not cover itself with glory in the handling of the seizure of Bibles earlier this year.
4. You must be prudent in using the RM3 billion funds in the state's coffers. This money belongs to the rakyat, and not PR.
5. You must remember that you owe your allegiance and loyalty to the rakyat, the same small men and women who have supported PKR since its inception and have stood by you and your party even during the most trying days, when it was unfashionable and costly to be a PKR supporter.
The powerful and the connected may demand a pound of you but ultimately, you are where you are today because of that housewife in Sekinchan or that teacher in Subang Jaya.
6. You must remember that this is PR's one shot - the last chance to show Malaysians that it has the ideas and policies to run not just the wealthiest state in Malaysia, but the country also. After all, the "Kajang move" was all about removing the insipid Khalid and replacing him with the dynamic Anwar, who was going to use Selangor as a frontline state for inclusive and just policies.
7. There is no honeymoon period. You have to hit the ground running and do well from Day One. Unfair? Not really.
The people in the state have had to put up with a lot of nonsense of late. This is the laundry list of shame: betrayal by a coalition partner; seeing the Constitution and the rule of law trampled; witness a menteri besar refuse to walk away from his position gracefully; seeing PKR stumble with one snafu after another.
There is little patience among voters for more dithering and mistakes.
8. You are a public official. There is no aspect of your life that can be nicely carved aside as private.
For example, if there is a deal brokered between you and a financial institution or another business entity, it has to be declared to your political party and to the state assembly.
9. You risked arrest and were part of thousands of Malaysians who marched in favour of free and fair elections.
You have been threatened with detention without trial and other draconian laws by a regime that has shown little respect for freedom of speech and disdain for the rule of law. You have been fighting the establishment for more than 20 years.
Being the MB does not make you part of the establishment.
10. It is better to be remembered for doing the right thing and for standing up for the right principles than amassing wealth and influence. Would you rather be Nelson Mandela, Gandhi, or Marcos?
11. Your report card will be marked by the voters in three or four years, and not by Jais or Mais or Umno power brokers or Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad or Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
Getting a ringing endorsement by Utusan Malaysia or any of the mainstream media is a death knell and not something to write home about.
12. Your promise is to the people of Selangor. All of them, not just the civil service or your own party. You are the MB for all of them. Serve them well. Praise will come from all quarters, not just the civil service or other vested interests, when it is due.
Azmin, you carry a heavy burden after what has happened the last nine months and even from PR's second term as the Selangor government from 2013.
Most of the issues have been self-inflicted, either by your party, some officials or even allies. Make the most of the remaining mandate left to show that you are the right choice and that the Selangor Sultan has chosen well.
All the best, to you and the people of Selangor. – September 23, 2014.
- See more at:
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/an-open-letter-to-azmin-ali-menteri-besar-of-selangor#sthash.gSs8qJfC.dpuf
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