PETALING JAYA: The recent attacks against multi-billionaire Robert Kuok, including those from Umno leaders and a prominent blogger, are regrettable, says MCA.
Party secretary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan said it was a well-accepted fact that Kuok is a successful international entrepreneur.
“Kuok has made tremendous contributions to the country. These comments are made to spread hatred and create disunity,” he said.
Ong said Culture and Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has no right to request any Malaysian citizen to give up their citizenship.
“This is not within his jurisdiction,” he said.
Last week, blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin posted three articles in his website Malaysia Today, alleging Kuok was funding various political parties to overthrow the Government.
In response, Kuok refuted allegations and that he would reserve the right to take action against the portal.
MCA publicity spokesman Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker concurred with Ong, saying there was no need to resort to harsh remarks against the 94-year-old tycoon.
“MCA is of the view that Kuok is a businessman who has benefited Malaysians in general.
“He is our business icon and revered by Malaysians from all ethnic backgrounds,”he said.
Ti said Kuok has every right to support whichever political party and that there were existing laws to deal with any attempts to undermine the Government.
“As a businessman, he could have supported many political parties and politicians from Barisan and Pakatan too. There’s no need to overreact by being ill-mannered in this instance,” he said.
But Ti pointed out that all businessmen who have benefited from Barisan’s policies should be thankful and reciprocate with support.
Two prominent Johor Barisan leaders – Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad and Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong – came out to defend Kuok, saying they believed the tycoon would not interfere in national politics.
Dr Wee dismissed Raja Petra’s claims as “unreliable”.
“What was said on his blog was just a spin. There is no evidence. It is not persuasive,” said the MCA deputy president and Ayer Hitam MP. - The Star
With the GE imminent, politicians are already snarling at each other, hoping to score points early.
I love dogs. I’ve always had one, from since I was a child, and now, I have three – two Siberian huskies and a poodle.
Despite their differences – in age and breed – they truly love each
other, and it’s a real blessing to have this trio of girls in our
family.
But I can’t echo that sentiment for some of our politicians. Politics in
Malaysia has gone to the dogs. The concerned players are already in dog
fights and the general election hasn’t even been called yet.
It’s still early days, although everyone reckons polling is on the
horizon. And we’re all too familiar with the dog-eat-dog nature of
politics.
Politicians are already snarling, slobbering and barking at each other.
Everyone seems to be calling each other liars and running dogs daily.
Therefore, this has left many of us confused. Who is telling the truth?
The incessant snapping doesn’t seem to be seeing an end. There is no
light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak.
Well, it was the Penang undersea tunnel that got the ball of nastiness
rolling. There’s no resolution in sight, for sure, and if you think we
should only cross the bridge when we get there, forget it. It’s
under-utilised, at least one of them, anyway.
Well, as the saying goes, every dog has its day, but at some point, it’s
going to be dog-gone for any politician who can’t stick to the truth or
remember the lies he told. For certain, it will be one hell of a dog
day afternoon when that happens.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been
criss-crossing the country telling his audience that Malaysia will go to
the dogs if Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak remains Prime Minister. Yes,
those are his exact words – go to the dogs.
There’s still plenty of fire in his belly, like a dog with a bone on
issues, although he called off a few functions last week, presumably
because of health reasons.
On Friday night, he was admitted to the National Heart Institute. Guess
he must be dog tired. He’s still a crowd puller and has the knack of
explaining issues in simple language and in a low, calm voice, as
opposed to the thunder and lightning approach favoured by his DAP
partners.
His deadpan expressions and trademark sarcasm are enough to draw
laughter and keep the crowds entertained. But he has been continuously
dogged by the ghosts of his past. The palaces are in an unforgiving mood
for what he has done previously, when he was at the helm for 22 years.
It was Dr Mahathir who launched the campaign to amend the Federal Constitution to remove the Sultans’ immunity in the 1990s.
Dr Mahathir has also been asked to return his DK (Darjah Kerabat Yang
Amat Dihormati) title, the highest award in the state, which was
conferred on him in 2002. The move by the Kelantan palace to revoke the
Datukships of two top Parti Amanah Negara leaders from the state has
sent ripples through political circles.
Amanah vice-president Husam Musa and his state chief, Wan Abdul Rahim
Wan Abdullah, returned their titles to the palace several days ago after
being instructed by the State Secretary’s office to do so.
In December, Dr Mahathir returned the two awards he received from the
Selangor Sultan, a move believed to be related to the palace’s outrage
over his remark on the Bugis, whom he describes as pirates, irking many,
including several Sultans.
The chairman of Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Pribumi) was the
recipient of two medals of honour from then Selangor Sultan in 1978 and
2003. One of them was the Darjah Kebesaran Seri Paduka Mahkota Selangor
(SPMS) (First Class).
Dr Mahathir reportedly told a Pakatan Harapan rally that Malaysia was
being led by a prime minister who is a descendant of “Bugis pirates”.
That comment triggered outrage from the Johor Palace, Bugis community
and associations in Malaysia, and even from some parts of Indonesia.
Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah was also incensed by Dr Mahathir’s remarks in an interview with The Star.
Last January, the Sultan of Johor said he was “deeply offended and hurt”
by the political spin used by certain politicians against mainland
Chinese investments in the state, saying if left unchecked, would drive
away investors. A visibly upset Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan
Iskandar singled out the nonagenarian for “putting political interests
above Malaysian interests, particularly Johor”.
To put it simply, it appears that Dr Mahathir has run into serious
problems with the powerful Rulers, and anyone who understands Malay
politics will surely appreciate the relationship between the executive
and the Rulers.
The Pakatan Harapan may feel that they should unleash our former PM
since he was their top dog to best reach the Malay audience, but plans
have run aground somewhat.
Politicians come and go, but Rulers remain, at least for longer than
politicians. Rulers determine the laws, in many ways, and it would be
foolish for a politician to take on these highly-respected royalty.
It will be hard for Dr Mahathir’s younger party colleagues to
communicate with him – he comes from another generation all together.
And as the adage goes, it’s hard to teach old dogs new tricks. He’s
known to be stubborn and one who will doggedly talk about the issues of
his choice.
The odd situation is that it is unlikely that any of the Pakatan Harapan
leaders will come out openly to defend him. It’s a classic case of
tucking their tails between their legs, with the whining kept private.
It’s truly the Year of The Dog. Let’s hope the GE will be called soon
because most Malaysians just want to get it over and done with. We have
already let the dogs out, and we hope to bring them home soon!
A happy Chinese New Year to all Malaysians celebrating. Gong Xi Fa Cai.
Wong Chun Wai
Wong Chun Wai began his career as a journalist in
Penang, and has served The Star for over 27 years in various capacities
and roles. He is now the group's managing director/chief executive
officer and formerly the group chief editor.
On The Beat made
its debut on Feb 23 1997 and Chun Wai has penned the column weekly
without a break, except for the occasional press holiday when the paper
was not published. In May 2011, a compilation of selected articles of On
The Beat was published as a book and launched in conjunction with his
50th birthday. Chun Wai also comments on current issues in The Star.
https://youtu.be/ooyXvqmxbvw GEORGE TOWN: Some 20 houses located on a slope in Hong Seng Estate in Mount Erskine were flooded due
How to measure a politician?
Use technology to learn more about them
before casting your vote Cheah taking a wefie with Tanjung Bungah
assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu (be...
PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional should not be blamed as it is DAP’s own
doing that “sabotaged” the Penang undersea tunnel project, said Gerakan
vice-president Datuk Dr Dominic Lau (pic).
He added it began when the DAP-led Penang government failed to provide
feasibility reports on the project, which were supposed to be completed
by April 2016.
“You missed the deadline and in October 2017, the special purpose
vehicle (SPV) said there is no more urgency to complete the reports.
“Based on the original timeline, the first phase of the project was
supposed to start construction in the first quarter of 2015 and
completed by this year.
“As of now, this first phase has not even started construction,” he said in a statement yesterday.
Despite the multiple delays in the reports and the construction starting
date, he said the Penang government did not appear to have penalised
the SPV.
He said when the project was awarded, a statement was issued stating
that shareholders of the SPV consortium are China Railway Construction
Corporation (CRCC), Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG), Zenith
Construction, Juteras Sdn Bhd and Sri Tinggi Sdn Bhd.
“But today, CRCC, BUCG and Sri Tinggi were no longer listed as
shareholders while Juteras Sdn Bhd is listed as winding up – leaving
only one (Zenith Construction) out of the four shareholders in the
agreement.
“Despite a material change of the financial and technical strength
promised during the award and what it is now, the Penang government
still does not appear to want to cancel the project or penalise the
SPV,” he said.
“Even five years after the contract was awarded, the SPV still only has
paid-up capital of RM26.5mil – way below the RM381mil minimum paid-up
capital required by the Penang government to deliver the project.
“Meanwhile, the SPV is on course to make billions in two property
projects valued at RM800mil and RM15bil respectively,” he said.
Meanwhile, Barisan Nasional Strategic Communications deputy director
Datuk Eric See-To said the agreement shown to the media by Penang Chief
Minister Lim Guan Eng was different from the one MCA deputy president
Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong said was not stamped.
The agreement shown by Lim in a press conference on Friday was between
the Penang state government with Consortium Zenith-BUCG; and not between
the state and CRCC.
Previously, the Penang state government had shown a copy of a letter of
support from the CRCC to prove that it is a party to the SPV awarded to
undertake the undersea tunnel project.
On Tuesday, Dr Wee’s statement noted that the Acknowledgement of
Commitment signed by the state government with CRCC was not a legally
binding document and was hence not stamped.
In-depth query: A screen grab of the video where Dr Wee demanded explanations over the controversial Penang undersea tunnel.
Dr Wee, is trained as a civil engineer has a Master’s in traffic engineering and a PhD in transportation planning, believed to have worked as an
Environmental Impact Assessment and Traffic Impact Assessment
consultant for more than a decade. He is currently a minister in the
Prime Minister’s Department.
PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong threw hard-hitting questions at the Penang government, demanding an explanation for the controversial undersea tunnel project.
The MCA deputy president raised major concerns in videos uploaded in two parts to MCA’s YouTube channel.
He zeroed in on the changes in the paid-up capital of a special purpose vehicle (SPV) and how two Chinese construction giants have “disappeared” from the SPV shareholding.
He also touched on the state government’s “agreement” with China Railway Construction Corporation Ltd (CRCC) and Penang’s insistence that no money was paid for the project.
In the videos, also uploaded on Dr Wee’s Facebook page, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department had a whiteboard to his left showing the changes in the shareholding while a television screen to his right displayed various documents.
Dr Wee wanted Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to clarify why the SPV Consortium Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd’s paid-up capital was reduced from RM4.6bil to RM70.5mil.
He said while Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG) was no longer a shareholder in the SPV, CRCC was never in the picture.
Dr Wee said back in March 4, 2013, the state government’s official newsletter Buletin Mutiara published an article quoting state secretary Datuk Seri Farizan Darus as saying the SPV had a paid-up capital of RM4.6bil, with Zenith Construction Sdn Bhd and CRCC jointly holding a 70% stake in it.
“We are in great shock because just days ago, CRCC went on record to deny ever being a shareholder and developer of the undersea tunnel SPV.
“Without the participation of CRCC and BUCG, the actual capital of the other component SPV back then is only RM8.2mil,” said Dr Wee, who is trained as a civil engineer and has a Master’s in traffic engineering and a PhD in transportation planning.
He, however, said the SPV had a total paid-up capital of RM70.5mil.
Dr Wee added that currently, Zenith Construction has a 47.12% equity in the SPV, Juteras Sdn Bhd (0.75%); Kenanga Nominees (Tempatan) Sdn Bhd (38.92%) and Vertice Bhd (formerly known as Voir Holdings Bhd, 13.21%).
He also revealed that Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd was only registered on July 5, 2012, one day before the state government invited the consortium to submit a request for proposal (RFP).
“Chief Minister, you may argue that they formed the consortium just one day before to make it to the tender.
“But bear in mind your state secretary said the consortium was selected based on the financial and technical strength of CRCC and BUCG,” he said, adding that Zenith Construction was only less than three months old when it was then invited to participate in the pre-qualification for the tender.
Dr Wee also said that Acknowledgement of Commitment signed by the state government with CRCC was not a legally binding document.
“Where is the stamping of documents as required and which is the Court of Arbitration to arbitrate disputes?” he asked.
Dr Wee also questioned Lim’s stand that not a single sen was paid when state exco member Lim Hock Seng replied in the state assembly on March 19 last year that a land swap deal worth RM208mil was identified.
“The said land has been developed and sales of properties for the City of Dreams (which is built on the land) are ongoing. Aren’t you aware of that?
Dr Wee also urged Lim to give a detailed breakdown of how Consortium Zenith reaped a significant after-tax profit of RM60mil for the financial year that ended on Aug 31, 2015, when it had only conducted studies and had yet to start any construction work.- The Star
In custody: The consultant being taken out of the magistrate’s court in Putrajaya. — Bernama
PETALING JAYA: A senior engineering consultant in her 50s is the latest to be detained in connection with the probe over controversies surrounding the Penang undersea tunnel project.
The consultant is believed to have forged claim documents for the feasibility studies valued at RM305mil for the mega project of three main roads and an undersea tunnel to the state government, said a source familiar with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigation.
The woman is expected to be remanded at the Putrajaya magistrate’s court today.
She was arrested at MACC headquarters in Putrajaya at 6.10pm yesterday after her statement was recorded.
“The investigators are trying to determine if other individuals were involved in the preparation of the falsified documents,” the source added.
The engineering consultant is the third person to be arrested in MACC’s investigations into the Penang undersea tunnel project.
Two high-ranking Datuks of development and construction companies were earlier arrested on Jan 9 before being remanded for six days beginning Jan 10.
The remand was then extended for another five days from Jan 15.
They were released on MACC bail of RM200,000 each on Jan 19 by the Putrajaya magistrate’s court.
On Monday, MACC deputy chief commissioner (operation) Datuk Seri Azam Baki had said that more individuals would be hauled up over the project.
The RM6.3bil mega project includes building the 7.2km undersea tunnel connecting Gurney Drive on the island to Bagan Ajam in north Butterworth, 10.53km North Coastal Paired Road from Tanjung Bungah to Teluk Bahang, 5.7km Air Itam-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass and the 4.075km Gurney Drive-Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass.
The MACC has since recorded statements from more than 70 people and visited more than 40 premises in the course of their investigation.
By Royce Tan The Star
State govt can only hold SPV liable, says Wee
PETALING JAYA: Although Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has reiterated that not a single sen was paid for the feasibility study of the undersea tunnel, the fact remained that it was paid in kind, said Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.
Dr Wee, who is MCA deputy president, said the crux of the problem was that the state government had no contractual nexus with the contractor.
“The state government can only hold the special purpose vehicle (SPV) liable, not the contractor.
“Don’t confuse the people with the SPV and the contractor. SPV means you can hold it liable.
“If a contractor is subsequently awarded by the SPV, that’s between the contractor and the SPV.
“If the SPV fails to pay the contractor, the contractor has no obligations (to construct),” he said.
He added that he had conducted a comprehensive research and he knew what happened.
“I welcome this project, but it must be carried out in a proper manner. This is what I want.
“Don’t blame others. If at all you need to blame somebody, it is your SPV that you appointed.
“They keep on delaying the report, not us. We have no say in the report and we’ve not even seen it,” said Dr Wee.- The Star
‘Citizen Liow’ vents his frustration in short film
KUALA LUMPUR: It is Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai as we have never seen him before – shabby, dispirited and a little rude.
Without his signature full-rim spectacles, Liow, playing an ordinary citizen in a video with a poignant but powerful message, vents his spleen about the country’s current mood.
From the hurtful balik tongsan comment to corrupt practices, Citizen Liow is determined to get his frustrations off his chest.
He even throws a fistful of sweets at a guest in his home. The guest is also played by Liow, who essentially portrays his everyday role of a politician.
The on-screen sparring between both Liows is a creative, yet brutally frank, account of the general sentiments of the local Chinese community.
It is almost painful to watch the heated encounter, but that is exactly why the six minute-long video Citizens is so compelling.
Producers Pete Teo and Liew Seng Tat did not attempt to paint a rosy and glowing picture even though the clip was meant for the upcoming National Day celebrations.
The video boldly addresses the grievances and fears of the Chinese community in Malaysia, which means there will inevitably be “anger, helplessness and conflict”, as Teo explained on his Facebook.
Liow, in his real life as Transport Minister, Bentong MP and especially MCA president, must have often been at the receiving end of the kind of harsh comments hurled by “Citizen Liow” in the clip.
“Politicians only know how to talk!” is perhaps the most common sweeping statement that disregards the efforts and contributions of community and government leaders. In the video, Liow the politician admits there are shortcomings.
The seasoned politician says: “I can find excuses and try to defend ourselves by saying that circumstances do not work in our favour, but no, I won’t do that.”
“We didn’t say there weren’t mistakes. We did not handle many things well, but it is not easy to rule a country.”
“We have seen many politicians from both sides dwelling on the negatives when support for them fades. This alienates the people even further,” he said.
With the National Day just days away, the video is a timely reminder to those with political ambitions to reflect on their vision for the country.
Similarly, the public can look back at the past 60 years of the country’s development, from a mining and agricultural-based economy to today’s multi-sector economy anchored in manufacturing and services.
Of course, there will always be challenges and sacrifices as we progress. Good governance is a must if we are to continue on that path of growth and prosperity.
But as Citizens reminds us, it is important not to lose hope. We must believe that our founding father Tunku Abdul Rahman’s vision of Malaysia will come true.
At the end of the video, “Citizen Liow” has a change of heart. He quietly retrieves the Jalur Gemilang from storage and displays it on his balcony, with his real-life wife Datin Seri Lee Sun Loo at his side.
When met by reporters yesterday, Liow was visibly pleased with how the video has turned out. He said the message he wanted to send through the video was for Malaysians to unite and work together to make the country a progressive nation.
“We love this nation. We are proud to be Malaysians and we are working hard to make this country a stronger nation. That’s the aspiration and message we want to send out,” he said.
By Tho Xin Yi The Star/ANN
‘Youths worry about future, not politics’
Future wave: Liow and Chong (second from left) sharing a light moment with students after the TN50 DialogueUTAR in the Sungai Long Campus.
CHERAS: Youths are more concerned about their future than politics. This is the feedback gathered during the recent TN50 dialogues with students from several universities, said MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
“However, I don’t think they are indifferent towards politics. They are aware of issues.
“For instance, they know that this is about TN50 and about a future that they want,” Liow said after attending a TN50 Dialogue @UTAR with 700 students at UTAR Sungai Long Campus here yesterday.
He cited education and health issues, including the ability to earn a decent living, as some of the aspirations raised by the students during the hour-long dialogue session.
Liow said it is crucial for youths to continue upholding the core value system practised by Barisan Nasional.
He added that Barisan’s core values such as consensus, mutual respect, unity, cooperation and harmony are shared by Malaysians.
“Barisan upholds values of consensus and mutual respect but DAP is sowing the seeds of hatred. The party is also sowing the seeds of anger towards the Government which is causing a split in our society,” he said.
Liow added that the Opposition lacked the core values and was now in a chaotic state.
There was a casual air about the dialogue session where students were asked by moderator MCA youth chief Datuk Chong Sin Woon to address Liow as “Ah Liow” and himself as “Ah Chong”.
Earlier during the dialogue, Chong warned students to be wary of fake news on social media.
“The reality is that most news on social media are fake.
“You should check the source and not blindly believe all that you read,” he said.
He also said that youths were more concerned about “bread and butter” issues rather that politics.
At another function, Liow said more skilled workers were needed as the country progresses.
“It is important for us to train more technical professionals. For MCA, we would like to expand VTAR Institute because of our significant growth in students from 100 to 700 in these few years.
“We will find the right place to expand VTAR and we hope to have more than 1,000 students here,” he told reporters after launching the PW2 wireman competency licence course at the institute in Setapak here yesterday.
VTAR is the vocational education arm of MCA.
Earlier during the function, VTAR CEO Tan Cheng Liang signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federation of Malaysian Electrical Appliances Dealers Association (Fomeda) president Gan Cheng Swee to run the PW2 programme. - The Star
'Citizen Liow' plays dual role in National Day video
国民 CITIZENS
https://youtu.be/4aL7AdI9qdU
A screengrab from the video short "Citizens".
PETALING JAYA: You're not seeing double – it really is Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai playing two roles in a National Day video by producers Pete Teo and Liew Seng Tat.
The six minute-long video short entitled Citizens was released on Monday in conjunction with the upcoming National Day celebrations.
In the video, he portrays himself in his everyday role as Transport Minister, having a no-holds-barred conversation with a citizen who has grouses about the way the country is run – a role also played by Liow.
Liow, the minister, is smartly dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and slacks, while "Citizen Liow" is dressed very casually, with his hair a little unkempt and wearing a grey T-shirt, without spectacles.
Teo, in a Facebook post on Friday, said the project took months to put together.
"Largely this was because the script required a Federal Minister who had the gumption to submit to what we wanted to shoot.
"We kept trying and eventually found our man," he said.
Teo said they did not want to make a film that could be confused for a "tourism video."
Citizens reflects the current mood of the country, especially the fears of the Chinese community.
"It would therefore have to contain anger, helplessness and conflict. Yet it must contain hope – for we are even now not without hope – and so the film should also unite us in hope across the political spectrum," said Teo.
This is not Liow's first film. He previously acted in other 15Malaysia and Hari Malaysia shorts, also produced by Teo.
"What is different this time is that while he was civilly treated as a cabinet minister before, he will be brutalised this time; and while he was stereotyped as a politician before, he is now a human being – filled with the same fears, regret, conflicts and hope as all of us," said Teo, adding that he thought long and hard about the casting.
Also making an appearance in the film is Liow's wife Datin Seri Lee Sun Loo.
Teo said that it took courage for Liow, who is MCA president, to act in the film especially since he and MCA "are deeply maligned in sections of the Chinese community".
‘Citizens’ Liow trends at second spot
PETALING JAYA: As Pete Teo expected, his National Day video in which Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai plays two roles is gaining traction among Malaysians.
The six-minute clip Citizens clinched the second spot on YouTube’s Malaysian trending list as at yesterday afternoon. It had 127,766 views, trailing Taylor Swift’s new music video. The rest were content related to SEA Games.
In the video, Liow, 56, portrays himself as the Transport Minister having an honest conversation with a citizen, also played by Liow, who has grouses about the way the country is run.
Teo, who produced the video with Liew Seng Tat, was glad to see it attracting attention.
“We expect the video to do well, because we think it is a good video and it has something important to say that goes beyond party politics,” he told The Star.
Teo said there were twice as many likes as dislikes.
He applauded Liow for being able to rise above his persona as MCA president and act as an ordinary citizen.
The video was released on Monday in conjunction with National Day celebrations.
Meanwhile, Tan Sri Pheng Yin Huah said the video was “unpretentious and right to the point” and therefore, was well received by the community.
The Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia (Hua Zong) president said it rightly captured the country’s current situation.
“A main point stressed is that the situation warrants the need for us to listen to each other, consolidate our strengths, stay united and be loyal to our country.
“This is a way to overcome the challenges, instead of just venting our frustrations,” Pheng said.
Apart from acknowledging the people’s disappointments and empathising with them, he said Liow had been tirelessly reaching out to the community to guide and help them in whatever ways possible.
Pheng pointed out that Liow had to draw on the party’s strengths and his role in the Government to help the community effectively.
In conjunction with National Day, Pheng said it was timely for all Malaysians to reinforce respect, love and tolerance among themselves and for the country so as to move forward together.
'Citizen' producer all praise for Liow - Nation
PETALING JAYA: The producer of the National Day video titled Citizen says it was brave of Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai to come onboard a production which had an “edgy” script.
Saying he would absolutely cast the Transport Minister in such a role again, filmmaker Pete Teo (pic) brushed aside some of the adverse comments on the casting choice.
“We think he did a great job playing the dual role of minister and citizen.
“That his casting is controversial has nothing to do with the job he does.
“We hope Datuk Seri Liow’s contribution will at least be acknowledged in the good spirit that it was given,” Teo said when contacted.
Teo, who produced the clip with writer-director Liew Seng Tat, said they had expected some form of backlash as soon as they decided that the role would be best played by a real-life politician.
“The fact that we eventually cast a Barisan National politician is besides the point, really. If we had picked an Opposition politician, the situation would be the same, except the accusations would be from Barisan supporters.
“So in a way, it was a no-win for us unless we had cast an actor,” he pointed out.
According to Teo, the film would have lost immediacy if they had cast an actor to play the role.
“So the decision was made to cast a politician. In fact, our choices were more limited than that because the script ideally required a Federal Minister.
“This narrowed down the choice to only several people. In the end, Datuk Seri Liow agreed to play the role and we went with him,” he added.
Teo said through the film, he and Liew wanted to drive home the message that it was important not to lose hope and to stay united when the going got tough.
“As said in the film’s opening lines, the last decade or more have been tough for the country. Non-Malay communities, in particular have felt alienated, helpless and fearful.
“That is why we are getting such hyper-emotive response to a Merdeka PSA film promoting hope and unity featuring a serving Cabinet minister from the MCA.
“It would be easy to dismiss these aggressive social media outbursts as rantings of opposition cybertroopers, but these are real people with real grievances,’’ he added.
Teo, a multiple award-winning singer-songwriter, also praised Liow for having the courage to be involved in a film with “brutally frank dialogue”.
“Many have ignored the fact that the minister explicitly said in the film that he doesn’t mind who citizens voted for as long as they let their conscience be their guide.
“This is a massively important statement. It underlines our film’s non-partisan credentials,” Teo said.
In the six-minute video, Liow portrays himself in his everyday role as Transport Minister, having a no-holds barred conversation with a citizen who has grouses about the way the country is run – a role also played by Liow.
The video clocked in more than 200,000 views in four days since it was uploaded on YouTube.
'MCA dares to face criticisms' ,
Liow: We understand the voices and feelings of the people
https://youtu.be/zJWcdKjcDgQ
Liow chatting with China’s Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Huang Huikang.
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA understands the voices and feelings of the people and dares to face criticism, said Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
The party president said having understood the people’s grievances, MCA is committed to overcoming the problems.
“I must stress here that I am aware of the people’s opinions and feelings. Therefore, I am willing to face the reality as I know that is the only way for us to change for the better,” he said.
Liow, speaking at the Blossom Arts Festival Malaysia (BAFM) 2017 awards ceremony and closing at Wisma MCA last night, was responding to some of the responses towards his double role in “Citizens”, a National Day video.
https://youtu.be/4aL7AdI9qdU
In the clip produced by Pete Teo and Liew Seng Tat, Liow portrays himself as the Transport Minister having an honest conversation with a citizen, also played by Liow, who has grouses about the way the country is run.
Liow also explained that the video aimed at telling people to have faith in the country and never give up, besides showcasing the inner voices of a Cabinet minister and a layman.
Liow added that MCA is steadfast in performing its role in Barisan Nasional.
“We will continue to be the defender of the Federal Constitution, the corrector and the balancing force against hegemony.
“History would reveal that during critical moments, be it fighting for citizenship, persistency on multi-stream education, pushing for the establishment of National Economic Action Council or the recent movement against PAS’ Private Member’s Bill to amend Act 355, MCA has been consistent in playing its role in Barisan,” he said.
Meanwhile, MCA vice-president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said the next edition of BAFM would be put on hold pending the general election.
“My comrades and I, as well as MCA staff, must turn our full attention towards preparing for the coming general election,” Chew, who is also the Malaysian Chinese Culture and Arts Consultative Council chairman and BAFM organising chairman, said.
Big celebration: Drummers performing during the closing ceremony of the Blossom Arts Festival Malaysia at Wisma MCA. (Right) Liow chatting with China’s Ambassador to Malaysia Dr Huang Huikang.
She said BAFM has received the attention of foreign academicians.
Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Department of Cultural and Religious Studies, for instance, sent professors and students to observe the event, she added.
“If we persevere, we are confident of becoming a household name and a premier event among artists,” she said in her speech.
The month-long BAFM concluded yesterday. Also present at the event was China’s ambassador to Malaysia Dr Huang Huikang.
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