Former Sabah BN leader Pandikar Amin Mulia has been appointed again as speaker of the Dewan Rakyat after a vote among members of parliament today.
Pandikar defeated Pakatan Rakyat’s nominee Abdul Kadir Sulaiman, polling 133 votes against 89 as required under Standing Order 4(3), when more than one name is nominated.
However, PAS's Sepang member of parliament and the party's veteran legal advisor said Pandikar’s appointment was unconstitutional.
According to Hanipa Maidin, the requirement that MPs write their names on the ballot papers during the voting process violated Standing Order 4(4), which calls for secret ballot.
“Together with a few MPs from PR, I stood up in protest at the parliament secretary because the process of electing the Speaker was not conducted through guaranteed ballot secrecy,” Hanipa told Harakahdaily.
Hanipa (left) said the manner in which parliamentary rules had been compromised to appoint the Speaker was not much different from how the Election Commission violated electoral laws in the indelible ink fiasco during the recent general election.
PAS vice president and Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar meanwhile questioned the need to jot down one's name and signature on the ballot paper.
“Does the prime minister not trust his own MPs?” he asked.
However, BN's Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin shot back at PR for disputing Pandikar’s appointment.
“Pakatan suggests 'neutral' speaker in Parliament [because] they know they don't have numbers. Hence PR stunt. In Selangor, they picked YB Hannah (Yeoh),' he said on Twitter.
PR’s earlier call to appoint PAS’s Tumpat MP Kamaruddin Jaffar as deputy speaker was also dashed. Khairy argued PR had failed to submit its candidate's name within the deadline.
At today's opening of the parliament, Beluran MP Ronald Kiandee and Kuala Krau MP Ismail Mohamed Said were appointed deputy speakers. -HD
Monday, June 24, 2013
Speaker’s appointment 'unconstitutional'
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A prominent Sabahan familiar with the oil and gas industry says the oil and gas sector is poised to play a major role in the future development of Sabah.
ReplyDeleteDatuk Dr Johan Arriffin A. Samad, Yayasan Sabah Group deputy director said the sector would not only attract significant investments but also provide excellent career development for Sabahans and generate enormous wealth for the State.
ReplyDelete“The oil and gas sector has a major role to play as the state economy develops over the next several years and well into the future,” said Johan, who worked with Exxon Mobile for 18 years before joining Yayasan Sabah.
ReplyDelete“It is poised to grow at a rapid pace given the RM16 billion ($5.1 billion) investment in several major projects, including the Sabah Sarawak Oil and Gas pipeline project, Sabah Oil Gas Terminal (SOGT), Ammonia and Urea Plant Project (SAMUR) and the Kimanis Gas Fired Power Plant,” he said.
ReplyDeleteJohan, who is also executive chairman of Petrosab Logistik, a Yayasan Sabah investment arm for oil and gas business, said there are also substantial opportunities for oil and gas to further downstream activities.
ReplyDeletePetronas recently announced major plans to develop long-term key projects to monetise and add value to Sabah’s petroleum resources, which will result in greater revenue to the state.
ReplyDeleteFollowing discoveries of oil and gas resources in offshore Sabah, Petronas is forging ahead with its upstream and downstream oil and gas projects involving a combined capital investment of RM45 billion.
ReplyDeleteIntegral to Petronas’ plan is the Sabah-Sarawak Integrated Oil and Gas Project (SSIOGP), which comprises the upstream development of oil and gas fields offshore Sabah and downstream development of the Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal (SOGT) and the Sabah-Sarawak Gas Pipeline ((SSGP).
ReplyDeletePetronas said the SOGT, being developed at RM3.8 billion, is designed to receive a total of 260,000 barrels per day of crude oil and a total of 1,250 million standard cubic feet per day of gas from offshore.
ReplyDeletePetronas said crude oil from the terminal will be exported while the gas will be supplied to domestic consumers in Sabah and, via the SSGP, to the Petronas LNG Complex in Bintulu, Sarawak.
ReplyDeleteAnother Petronas project whose gas feedstock will be supplied by the SOGT is the RM1.5 billion 300MW gas-fired Kimanis Power Plant being jointly developed in Kimanis by Petronas Gas Berhad in partnership with Yayasan Sabah through NRG Consortium (Sabah) Sdn Bhd.
ReplyDeletePetrosab Logistik, of which Johan is its executive chairman, represents Yayasan Sabah’s interest in the NRG Consortium.
ReplyDeletePetrosab started its oil and gas business in 2005 by providing services to Shell Petroleum Sdn Bhd as its logistics centre in Usukan, Kota Belud.
ReplyDeleteTo further enhance Sabah’s electricity supply security, Petronas also plans to set up a liquefied natural gas (LNG) re-gasification terminal in Lahad Datu, to feed natural gas to the proposed new 300MW Lahad Datu Power Plant.
ReplyDeleteAccording to PETRONAS, its total investment in Sabah since 1975 was RM61 billion, while the total amount of royalty paid to Sabah (until 2010) was RM6.8 billion.
ReplyDeleteJohan said the oil and gas industry in Sabah is relatively young compared to that of Sarawak, nevertheless it has to be developed along a planned approach, drawing the experiences of Kertih, Terengganu and Bintulu.
ReplyDeleteHe said one of the main challenges in managing the development of the oil and gas industry in Sabah was the lack of infrastructure support for the orderly development of the sector.
ReplyDelete“We need to invest further in the right infrastructure support to attract more oil and gas investors to Sabah.
ReplyDelete“Petronas has already allocated gas for Sabah’s industrial development and it is now up to us to make sure that the gas is utilised for industries which will bring long-term economic benefits and jobs to Sabah,” he said.
ReplyDeleteJohan, who sits as a Board Member of the Kimanis Power Plant, acknowledged that Sabah needs to train more skilled manpower to meet the requirement of the new industries, including investing more in the right training schemes.
ReplyDeleteIn this regard, PLSB, through its subsidiary, Kimanis Operation and Maintenance Sdn Bhd, is hoping to recruit 60 Sabahans to become technicians and naturally become the main operator for the Kimanis Power Plant.
ReplyDelete“In fact, we have already sent the first batch of 13 students to undergo training at Kerteh, Terengganu, and we’re in the process of selecting the next group,” he said, adding that the programme was supported by Petronas.
ReplyDeletePetronas is also planning to build a permanent petroleum training centre in Kimanis, expected to be ready by 2013, at a cost of RM50 million.
ReplyDeleteJohan said since the oil and gas business is not an ordinary job, especially in off-shore projects, local contractors must team up with established players with the right technology and experience.
ReplyDelete“For a successful industry to develop, we need to establish closer ties with Petronas and the oil majors.
ReplyDelete“Petronas must nurture local oil and gas contractors and service providers with the right experience and technological know-how,” he said.
ReplyDeleteBercakap di sesi bertemu rakyat di Bandukan Baru di Bingkor baru-baru ini, Timbalan Ketua Menteri, Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan mengingatkan rakyat bahawa tanpa pemimpin yang berdedikasi dalam kerajaan sekarang, pembangunan, terutamanya di kawasan luar bandar tidak akan berlaku sehingga ke tahap yang ada sekarang. Katanya, pembangunan akan diteruskan selagi rakyat kekalkan sokongan mereka kepada kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) .
ReplyDeletePairin yang juga Menteri Pembangunan Infrastruktur Sabah berkata, banyak perubahan berlaku di kawasan mereka dan kini mereka ada banyak kemudahan yang tidak mereka miliki sebelum ini.
ReplyDeleteBeliau juga memberitahu penduduk bahawa kini ada banyak pekerjaan disediakan, terutama dalam sektor pertanian.
ReplyDeleteRamai penduduk kampung hadir di majlis itu dan tangki air diedarkan kepada penduduk di lima kampung iaitu Bandakan Baru, Kampung Ontolob, Kampung Baru dan Kampung Singgahmata.
ReplyDeleteKepingan zink juga diberikan kepada penduduk di Kampung Tohan Baru dan Bandakan Baru. Turut hadir di majlis itu ialah Timbalan Ketua PBS Bingkor, Victor Anahong, ketua pejabat perhubungan parlimen Harry Otigil, Ketua Daerah Keningau OKK Majabin Dalianus dan setiausaha politik, Wilfredoline Jakil.
ReplyDeleteEfforts to promote Malaysia at the World Economic Forum (WEF) here are in full swing through banners, magazine advertisements, as well as a dedicated website at the ski resort to the 3,000 global delegates attending the prestigious gathering.
ReplyDelete
ReplyDeleteThe onslaught of media information is aimed at informing leaders, corporate citizens and even the foreign media of Malaysia’s immense opportunities in investment and business as it moves towards becoming a high-income economy.
One initiative which is eye-catching is a five-storey high advertisement on the walls of the Sport Hotel and Congres Hotel, both located near the Congress building Zentrum, the venue for the WEF.
ReplyDeleteMalaysia’s leading ad is entitled “Endless Possibilities” with the website address www.malaysia.my prominently displayed on it.
ReplyDeleteBesides this, there are ads on Malaysia on the front and back page of the renowned “The Economist” business magazine which is being distributed to the WEF delegates, a move seen as making the global business and political elite aware of Malaysia’s many investment advantages.
ReplyDeleteAn article on the achievements of the economic transformation program (ETP) undergoing in Malaysia and the government transformation program (GTP) is also displayed in the center of the magazine.
ReplyDeleteThis is vital to lure foreign investments into Malaysia amid the global economic uncertainty which is crucial to sustain the economy, continue the economic advancement agenda, as well as generate much-needed employment opportunities especially for the country’s young populace.
ReplyDeleteNajib, who is also Finance Minister, would impress upon decision-makers that Malaysia undoubtedly offers immense investment opportunities and business potential through the 12 National Key Economic Areas.
ReplyDeleteThe Prime Minister’s participation at the forum is organised in a strategic and methodical manner to ensure that “Malaysia” is marketed effectively which could bring about holistic benefits to the country.
ReplyDelete