12 œ
news without borders
PKR national congress
promises ‘new hope’
by Tim Leonard
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
PETALING JAYA: Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) three-
day national congress themed “Harapan Baru” (New
Hope) begins tomorrow at the Malawati Stadium in
Shah Alam – the former jewel-in-the-crown of Barisan
Nasional-ruled states before the March 8 polls.
The theme, according to party leaders, means
PKR hopes to “move a few more mountains” like it
did on March 8 by taking control of a few states from
Barisan with other Opposition allies.
For PKR secretary-general Datuk Salehuddin
Hashim, who was responsible for organising the
party’s national congress in previous years, this
year’s event means a lot in terms of the party’s
achievement because PKR did not even have a
proper place to host their congress in 2004.
“We tried to rent the hall of a private school in
Ipoh but in the last hour, the school’s management
refused to give us their place because they became
scared,” said Salehuddin.
“So that year, we ended up having the congress
in an annex of a Chinese temple because no one
wanted to give us a place.
“A few leading hotels too didn’t want to give us
rooms even when we were willing to pay the full
price … so imagine the fear they had, of being asso-
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ciated with us,” he said, relating the struggles of the
past and how doors were often closed on PKR.
“But today, it’s a different story … because we
dare to hope and believe we can bring change to
Malaysia.
“Today, Malaysians are not afraid of change as
evident from how people voted us in the recent
general election, and there is hope that a new
dawn will come soon for all Malaysians,” he said,
adding that issues that directly affect Malaysians,
especially economic problems, will be discussed
at this year’s congress.
He said PKR wants to find solutions for prob-
lems faced by Malaysians and push for reform and
changes to prove its relevance to all Malaysians.
For PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar, this
year’s congress is aimed at instilling hope in the
hearts of all young Malaysians that this country
will one day be a much better place.
Shamsul told theSun many youths are starting to
get interested in PKR because it is the only party that
does not put a limit on one based on age or gender.
“If you are good, you will be given a chance to
play a lead role in the party and that is evident from
our 11 MPs and assemblymen who are below the
age of 40,” said Shamsul.
“Other parties can’t accept change and they
will not allow a young, intelligent person to shine
because of the age barrier, and some are even
sidelined because they are women.
“But in PKR, we don’t have any such practices.
“So if one has lost hope with other political
parties, it’s time to learn that there is hope in PKR
for themselves and the country,” he added.
The congress will start off with the women
and youth wing congress followed by the other
programmes on Saturday and Sunday.
PKR head Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will ad-
dress the public on Saturday at 9pm.
65% of driving
instructors in Perak
fail traffic law test
IPOH: Sixty-five per cent of the driving instructors
in Perak failed in the first part of the written traffic
law test conducted by the Perak Road Transport
Department (JPJ) recently.
Its director, Mad Yasir Mastakim, said only 35%
of the 396 driving instructors passed the test.
“The test given to the driving instructors was
the same as the computerised test given to the
candidates for ‘L’ licence, but some of them (in-
structors) even scored less than 10 marks.
“This is very disturbing and efforts to improve
their performance and understanding of the traffic
law will be carried out,” he told reporters after
closing a seminar on “Improving Driving Instruc-
tors’ Professionalism” yesterday.
Mad Yasir said the test, the first in its series,
was aimed at reminding the driving instructors
of the traffic law so that they would be more
knowledgeable than before. – Bernama
PJ council to work with cops
to combat crime
PETALING JAYA: The Petaling Jaya City Council
(MBPJ) is looking for a way to work with the police
to carry out crime prevention activities to make
the city more safe and secure.
Mayor Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman said
MBPJ traffic enforcers who currently go on rounds
on motorcycles to summon traffic offenders will
be roped in with others to assist police in carrying
out crime prevention duties.
“We are in the planning stages and have to
discuss this with the police to ascertain how our
men can work effectively with them to make PJ
a safe place,” said Mohamad.
“Our men can perhaps assist police in cars
and motorcycles just like how our traffic enforc-
ers move around the city to maintain traffic
order.
theSun | FRIDAY NOVEMBER 28 2008
Press Digest
by Kong See Hoh
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
I’m no ‘yes’
man, says Wong
MCA secretary-general Datuk Wong
Foon Meng says he will not be a yes-man
in the party although he is close to party
chief Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.
Speaking to Oriental Daily News,
Wong said irrespective of the roles he
plays, he has his own stand in discharg-
ing his duties and is not one who panders
to others’ wishes.
“I have my reasons for everything I
do. If the party chief feels that certain
things that I did is not right, he can point
it out to me, and I will explain why I did
it that way.”
However, he said, all directives from
the president that are within the scope of
his duties will be obeyed and carried out.
Wong, who is senate deputy president,
is out to prove that he can be a good
government servant and a good party
secretary-general at the same time.
He felt MCA leaders need to be clear
about their roles in the government and
their duty to the party, and once this
is sorted out, they can play their roles
well.
He said he will prove in March next
year that at the Dewan Negara he can
play strictly by the book.
“I know there are voices (detractors)
who say I am not suitable for the senate
deputy president job (anymore).
“But the post has always been held
by people with political background, the
only difference between my predeces-
sors and me is that they did not hold
senior party positions like I do,” Wong
added.
When told that the MCA secretary-
general has always been nominated
for a cabinet post, he said any such
appointment is the prerogative of the
party president.
He said whether he would be ap-
pointed a minister will not affect his
work as the party secretary-general, as
he still can use the experience gained
and the networking carried out during
his tenure as MP and assemblyman to
establish close ties with leaders of other
Barisan Nasional component parties.
Wong said there is no hurry for him
to be the go-between between Ong and
deputy party president Datuk Seri Dr
Chua Soi Lek to patch up.
“Whether I play the mediator role is
not a problem.
“They are senior leaders and as long
as they put party above self, the problem
(between Ong and Chua) will not be a
problem at all.”
He said the suggestion by treasurer-
general Tan Sri Tee Hock Seng to act
as mediator between Ong and Chua is
good, but brushed off the suggestion
that his lunch date with the two leaders
today is an arrangement for them to
mend fences.
On Wednesday, Chua said he did not
need a mediator.
“But we have to look into other aspects, in
terms of power to be accorded to our men,”
said Mohamad, referring to the power to carry
firearms and make arrests like other law enforce-
ment officers.
Mohamad said MBPJ will be the first local
council to implement such a move if the pro-
posal is well received by the police and relevant
authorities.
On another development, Mohamad said
MBPJ will wait for the Selangor government’s
directive on the restriction of sale of alcohol as
proposed by some state leaders recently.
“There is no need for us to worry or com-
ment on it as any move will only be based on
the directive of the state government,” he said.
– Tim Leonard