BN Padang Besar parliamentarian Azmi Khalid wants Malaysia to emulate Thailand in shedding the 'cowboy town' image of its once dirty towns instead of our conventional way of mobilizing more manpower in rubbish collection and punitive laws.

"The method we employ to address the garbage issue are conventional, we can't keep to employ more manpower to clean up and use acts(law) to enforce cleanliness."

He gave the analogy of Padang Besar town where the disparity in cleanliness between Malaysia and the once-dirty Thai side lies evident.

Speaking during this morning's parliamentary question and answer session, he stressed that the reason Thai towns are improving is because of better management and the discipline instilled in the Thai people.

He urged the housing and local government ministry to work together with other ministries, especially the education ministry, to instill discipline in our populace and nip Malaysia's litterbug habit at the bud.

"We should be proactive in instilling discipline, especially amongst the young. We should follow the way how the Thais did it."

'Is MACC the third force interfering with police?'

Two weeks after keeping a low profile in the current lively Parliament altercations, one year after his suspension from the Dewan Rakyat, Puchong Parliamentarian Gobind Singh Deo broke his silence with a stinging attack on the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC).

"Who is more powerful, MACC or the police? MACC or the Home Minister? Who delineates the boundaries and powers between the police and the anti graft body? Is the MACC the third force, interfering with the police?"

teoh family sue macc officer intimidate prontip 050110 gobind He said this while debating the royal address in parliament today, adding that he was prompted to make the claim based on complaints from police officers.

He revealed that there were police reports against anti-graft officers but with no action taken. Indeed, he alleged that police officers were even hauled up if they were seen to be interfering with commission.

Gobind ( right ) insists that his conclusion is not baseless but is backed by real concerns, reading several paragraphs from what he claimed were police reports filed by police officers against MACC operatives.

He also questioned the apparent invincibility of the MACC from being investigated for all the alleged abuses of power.

"Why is the MACC given preference? Why is there no action taken?"

Govt' urged to axe special draw

Opposition parliamentarians have urged the government to withdraw approvals given to number forecast operators (NFOs) and asked for the number of ordinary draws to be reduced from three days to twice a week.

"Pakatan Rakyat says that the government should not increase the number of special draws because this will encourage people to gamble and this will impact on social problems," said Rasah DAP MP Anthony Loke.

"We will collect signatures from all MPs... we hope it will receive bipartisan support from BN," said Loke.

Loke said during a press conference at Parliament lobby today that the government has approved 20 days of Special Draw to the NFOs this year.

"The government had collected RM1.199 billion in taxes from all number forecast operators in 2009. We have raised this issue many times last year," Loke said referring to a written reply given to him on Mar 18.

It is an increase of 120 special draws for 2010 on every second Tuesday of the month, which is more than the 102 special draws in 2009.

"But now it seems that all taxes collected from this is put into the country's taxes for administration expenditure as if the government does not have enough money (that it) needs to increase taxes and gambling to cover spending," he rebuked.

According to the written reply from the Finance Ministry taxes collected from Berjaya Sports Toto Bhd's wholly-owned Sports Toto Malaysia Sdn Bhd which was RM459.6 million is the lead.

This was followed by Magnum Corporation Bhd with RM401.283 million, Pan Malaysian Pools Sdn Bhd with RM265.532 million, Diriwan Corporation Sdn Bhd with RM21.447 million, Sarawak Turf Club and Equestrian Club with RM30.644 million and Sandakan Turf Club with RM21.068 million.

It was also stated that as of Feb 16, the government had collected a total of RM21.152 million in taxes from two special draws held in 2010.