vox populi small thumbnail 'Those who disagree with Khalid Ibrahim have probably never worked on the ground. If you go to Sg Tengi in Hulu Selangor, people there will tell you it's Khir Toyo who gives them free water.'

 

RM15mil for 'information war' in S'gor

Ferdtan: This is a good move to communicate with the people in Selangor. The people in urban areas are well-informed through the Internet and there is not much they don't know. It is the people who are in the rural areas, having no access to Internet, who require more effort from the Selangor government to disseminate correct information to them in the cheapest and most effective way possible.

The best media to reach the inner areas of Selangor is still the radio and newspapers. If possible, get sponsorships to give them free issues of newspapers. Let the people be enlightened and not be taken for a ride by our mainstream media, especially Utusan Malaysia , New Straits Times and the Star .

Abdullah Badwi: Please don't waste money, MB Khalid Ibrahim. The tangible things the Selangor rakyat see and feel are what they will account you for - no potholes, street lights working 100 percent, efficient traffic lights, and an MB who doesn't act like he's the king of Selangor, like what Mohd Khir Toyo has done.

Please use the RM15 million for something better and which will benefit the rakyat directly. When Pakatan Rakyat took over Selangor in 2008, we didn't need an absurd amount of money for campaigning to win the rakyat's heart. it was mere trust that the rakyat had in the opposition (as Pakatan was then in Selangor).

Khalid, if you spend that kind of money (for this information war), you would be just like Umno.

Wira: Don't waste time and rakyat's money countering lies. Just govern justly, cleanly and transparently. Selangor is an urban state. The rakyat knows. They have access to the alternative media.

Makorang: Those who disagree probably have never work on the ground. Alternative media only works in urban area. If you go to Sg Tengi in Hulu Selangor, people there will tell you that it is Mohd Khir Toyo that gives them free water.

It would be good if Pakatan can set up a TV station. However, since licensing would be a problem, the next best thing is a radio station.

Concern Malaysian: MB, this is a great idea. As long as it is used to send out balanced news, educating people with real, honest and transparent write-out that doesn't attack anyone, I think it would be excellent.

Passing Cloud: Khalid, tap every conceivable media to spread information on the Selangor government and counter BN's lies and propaganda with facts. Our support is for you.

CPL: I hope the news people involved in this venture will subscribe to the standard code of ethics of journalism. PKR and its fellow Pakatan coalition members have their party newspapers already.

Free: Spend this money to put up transparent, honest, and truthful news to the public, especially in the rural areas. Make this newspaper free for everyone and let them read the actual facts on every news reported. NST , Utusan Melayu , Berita Harian and the Star are all propaganda. Many urbanites do not buy these papers anymore.

Do more for the rakyat, not only in Pakatan states but the other states too. I wish you, MB Khalid and Pakatan, all the best in this exercise as it's high time all these issues be addressed instead of hearing them from the bias newspapers, TV, and radio.

Anonymous: Dear MB Khalid, this is about trust. Just how many people will believe news reports from a Selangor state-owned media? One that would be tarred with the 'propaganda' brush.

Why not court citizen journalists and bloggers and independent media like Malaysiakini (no, I don't work for them) to spread the 'good news'? For your information, if Karpal Singh can continue to get positive pages in StarMag , why not the Selangor government?

It is good that the Selangor PKR government is open about what they are spending, but do they need to emulate BN with a propaganda drive? It sure would be interesting if someone could put a monetary figure on how much BN "wastes" on their propaganda.

Arbeena: Don't waste the rakyat's money. Spend that money on the petani (farmers) and nelayan (fishermen). If public relations is good, then it is good. Why do you want to counter lies with your own 'lies'.

Mangodurian: Although I agree and don't fully agree with those saying that the money could be better spent on the 'petanis' and 'nelayans', I hope this won't turn out to become another propaganda machine. Indeed, the BN mainstream media needs to be countered.

Instead of 'left or right' leaning, the mainstream media is shamelessly nothing more than BN newsletters. This 'counter-BN info war' can only work if it is seen to be run professionally - ie. it is trustworthy and beyond state meddling as Malaysiakini appears to be.

Philip Chong: Dear MB Khalid, a lot of areas need improvements from your state government. The rakyat knows who is working and who is not working. News is important, but if you can set up a hotline for Selangor rakyat to give information and feedback, it would be an added advantage.

This hotline is meant for improving every condition in the state of Selangor, so that when election time comes, your government is ready.

Keturunan Malaysia: Khalid Ibrahim, most times - if not all the time - self praise is no praise.

RM180bil defence bill: Little bang for the buck

Loyal Malaysian: Sad but true, isn't it? RM180 billion, if used effectively, would have made our armed forces one mean fighting force. Now, we are told even the armed forces' uniforms are sub-standard.

Sjmc: I don't have any proof but I suspect PM Najib Abdul Razak was using his tenure in the Defence Ministry to build his political support. If I'm not mistaken, he did not go on a spending spree much when he was the education or whatever minister, but spent time trying to impress then-PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

All these issues cropped up during his time in defence. I don't know why the armed forces officers are so blind to the risks they expose their men to. I hope that Heaven strikes them or their family when Judgement Day comes.

Even the former US Army's chief of staff was not afraid to state his opinion on the Iraq War operations during the hearing at the risk of his career. Shame on the officers that wear the Malaysia uniform indeed.

Atheist: Aren't we a shameless lot, siphoning off all those billions while our poor live at hunger's door. The guilty billionaires lot at the Defence Ministry - Muslims, Christians or whatever - will have to answer to their Maker in their respective hells.

Meanwhile, we in Malaysia are impatiently waiting to become an outstanding banana republic when we should be looking forward to join the First World by 2020. I don't know whether to cheer or cry.

I suppose it doesn't make any difference because the whole cycle of massive corruption will continue until we have only our underpants left.

Sentinel: The commando training camp at Sg Udang (Malacca) is closing down because of pollution from the oil refineries nearby and moving to Mersing. The new camp is said to cost a whopping US$500 million (RM1.8 billion). Is this true?

FairMind: It is indeed shocking to see that every process, every purchase and every item ever handled by the Defence Ministry is tainted with personal interest and corruption to the highest order. That leakages is a big tunnel that the BN government is not interested in closing, but on the contrary is asking the already poor rakyat to foot the bill while withdrawing the meagre subsidies enjoyed by them.

If this happened in another country, the head of departments and ministry would already have resigned and locked up in jail. In China, they would be shot for corruption.

 

 

 

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