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A tale of two seasons for PKR rebel
PM vows to pass ‘Sabah’ test, ace SPM
Bestinet and PAC compete in RM3.2b math quiz
A tale of two seasons for PKR rebel
In an ironic twist, PKR lawmaker Hassan Karim experienced two seasons within hours - a gentle summer breeze and a harsh winter storm.
Known for his vocal stand, the veteran politician was hauled up by the party’s disciplinary board for criticising Putrajaya’s decision to appoint the royalty-linked U Mobile as the second operator for Malaysia’s 5G network.
Apart from tarnishing PKR’s image, the Pasir Gudang MP was also accused of insulting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar and criticising Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s government for shoring up crony capitalist groups.
Sultan Ibrahim is the second biggest shareholder in U Mobile.
Just ahead of his hearing, it was announced that Hassan was one of the winners of the 37th Lim Lian Geok Spirit Award for 2024.
“As a government backbencher, he has consistently adhered to principles, defended justice, resisted populism, upheld the rule of law, and, when necessary, stood against the tide, exposing hypocrisy.
“His speeches are like a clarion call for awakening. In his political career, Hassan seeks neither fame nor fortune, showing unyielding integrity and selflessness, a rarity in Parliament,” said the selection committee.
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PM vows to pass ‘Sabah’ test, ace SPM
Anwar Ibrahim has vowed that there would be no cover up in the alleged Sabah corruption scandal which Malaysiakini exposed through videos from a whistleblower.
This followed speculation that the government would be reluctant to rock the boat across the South China Sea since Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) is considered a valuable political asset.
Speaking at the Dewan Rakyat, the prime minister reiterated the government's seriousness in fighting graft and that none would be protected.
"If we want to talk about corruption, there are strict actions. I know it is not easy to fight corruption, especially when a case involves the 'mahakaya' (ultra-rich group) because they have many supporters.
"But I have been informed by MACC today that they will continue to fight corruption, including in cases like what's happening in Sabah,” he added.
As for him scoring a dismal “D” in Bersih’s midterm report card, Anwar had likened it to the UPSR examination and promised to ace the SPM examination in the long run.
“About Bersih's (rating), it's okay if they want to give us a 'D'. At least it's not an 'F'. (If UPSR) we get a 'D', later during SPM we should get an 'A'. (Because) we are still very new,” he said.
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Bestinet and PAC compete in RM3.2b math quiz
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) calculated that Putrajaya might have to fork out RM3.22 billion in payment to Bestinet Sdn Bhd due to issues related to the RM215 fee (per migrant worker) imposed for the Epass work permit.
The PAC report said it had found the fee to be higher compared to an earlier agreement, which only indicated that each migrant worker would cost RM100.
“It is also higher than the rate approved by the Public-Private Partnership Unit under the Prime Minister’s Department, which was RM86 and the company only asked for RM120.
“So based on RM215 per person charge, multiply it with the number of migrant workers in Malaysia (2.5 million) and multiply it again with six years (annual payment), it would come up to RM3.22 billion,” it stated.
However, Bestinet chief executive officer Ismail Mohd Noor told Malaysiakini that the PAC report left him shocked.
He said the findings were inaccurate and tarnished both the firm and the government’s reputations.
Ismail said under the new agreement, the RM215 processing fee for every application approved by the Immigration Department is collected by the government, before being given to Bestinet.
“The government acts as an intermediary in the fee collection before it is passed to us. No additional charges are imposed on the government.
“The ones who will be paying are the employers seeking migrant workers. So, the ‘no cost to the government’ condition still applies,” he added.
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