TTF: On the 5th of September 2018, I wrote:
Now that Kit Siang’s son has been acquitted of corruption charges by the Penang High Court, there is nothing stopping him from executing a plan of action to jeopardise Mahathir’s leadership.
He and his men have undertaken to go for Maszlee’s jugular as a first stage measure over the later’s decision to accept the post of president of International Islamic University (IIUM).
Ironically, Kit Siang was not concerned back when Mahathir first ‘appointed himself’ as Minister of Education despite it being contrary to a manifesto pledge.
As a matter of fact, the senior Lim even defended Mahathir by dictating that the latter’s decision did not “violate the letter and spirit of Pakatan Harapan manifesto” even though the said manifesto appeared to state otherwise.
But now that his son is a free man, Kit Siang probably wants Mahathir gone even if it means going at him in public.
And just as I anticipated, the very next day, the DAP went for Maszlee’s jugular.
But it didn’t stop there.
On the 6th of September 2018, Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Dr Ong Kian Ming called for “greater cooperation between Asean countries to take advantage of the trade diversion into this region as a result of the escalating trade tensions between the US and China.”
Read between the lines, and you will see how Ong’s address was directed at Mahathir following the near collapse of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China.
Interestingly, the collapse was due in part to anti-Chinese sentiments played up by the DAP’s Tony Pua and Lim Guan Eng right around the time Daim Zainuddin was scheduled to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Then, just yesterday, Chin Tong objected to the “crooked bridge” idea by saying that the DAP would support a third bridge project instead (see news item below).
While I’m not a big fan of the crooked bridge myself, it seems to me that Chin Tong went a little overboard by not consulting the matter first with his boss, Mat Sabu.
The same can be said about Ong, who, if you don’t already know, is supposed to get his cues from PKR’s Darell Leiking, his immediate superior in the Ministry of International Trade and Industry.
Almost everyone who is anyone knows that Darell and Mat Sabu are with team Mahathir-Azmin.
So, unless you got yourself involved with Malaysian politics yesterday, it should be as plain as day to you that the DAP is subtly discrediting anything Mahathir or his men say.
Question is, is the DAP attempting to reposition itself as an opposition party for reasons yet to be made public?
To be continued…
JOHOR BARU: The Tunku Mahkota Johor (TMJ) said it would be better for the government to improve healthcare and proceed with the construction of a hospital in Pasir Gudang instead of the `crooked bridge` project.
In a tweet, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim said:
“In my opinion, it’s better to go ahead with the hospital in Pasir Gudang that (the) government tunda (postponed) and increase healthcare budget for the state.
“All hospitals in JB including districts need more beds and medical equipment. Just my humble opinion,” he said in response to a tweet asking what he thought of a proposal to revive the “crooked bridge” project linking Johor Baru and Singapore.
It was reported that the proposed 300-bed, RM500-million hospital, was approved under the 11th Malaysia Plan, with a 20.23ha plot of land in Jalan Gunung in the Bandar Seri Alam township identified as the site.
However, in May, the state government announced that it was among several projects being reviewed.
Johor Works, Infrastructures and Transport executive councillor Mazlan Bujang was quoted as saying that the Finance Ministry issued letters asking for these projects to be reviewed due to the alarming national debt of RM1 trillion.
The issue concerning the crooked bridge has cropped up again after Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian yesterday revealed that the project is now back on the table.
Osman said Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had hinted that he was very keen to revive it.
“At an Iskandar Regional Development Authority meeting last month, he asked me whether Johor still needed the crooked bridge.
“I said, ‘It’s up to you, it’s your idea. If you say you want to continue, I’ll just follow.’ It has a lot of benefits,” Osman told reporters at the Parliament lobby on Tuesday.
The six-lane bridge project was mooted by Dr Mahathir before his retirement in 2003.
However, as Singapore did not agree to the project, it was modified to incorporate a sharp curve on the Malaysian side which would allow vessels to pass underneath, thus earning it its “crooked” moniker.
The bridge would then join up with the undemolished portion of the Johor Causeway on the Singapore side.
Osman said the crooked bridge was expected to be among issues to be discussed in a meeting between the state government and the Singapore government later this month.
He revealed that the meeting would be held in Singapore and he would be joined by Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.
Meanwhile, in a related development, Johor DAP chief Liew Chin Tong said the “crooked bridge” project was not an immediate priority.
Instead, he said the party would support the third bridge project linking Johor to Singapore, as it was more important to ensure smoother traffic flow on both sides.
Liew, who is also Deputy Defence Minister, said this when met at Parliament lobby today.
It has been reported that Johor plans to build a third bridge in Sungai Rengit in Pengerang, Kota Tinggi district to ease traffic congestion at the Johor Causeway and the Second Link Crossing.
The bridge would link the southeast part of Johor with Pulau Ubin in Singapore.
Source: NST Online