Chow Kon Yeow: 曹观友

The familiar banner “Screenshot” at Malaysiakini (English edition) has been taken off! Is it related to Jeff’s official entry into the DAP this morning? However over at the Chinese edition, the link to Screenshot is still there.
I hope Jeff realise that he is different from today henceforth. He is an Oppositionist now and will be treated as one.
Jeff has a new blog at http://parliament.jeffooi.com

Hope Jeff will find it purposeful in the DAP.

Malaysiakini has the following report:

Opposition party DAP has issued an open invitation to bloggers to enter into active politics in the wake of its efforts to recruit potential candidates ahead of an anticipated early general elections.

The call was made by DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang at a tea party held in Petaling Jaya this morning to welcome Malaysia’s leading blogger Jeff Ooi .

“I will like to see more politicians taking up blogging and more bloggers entering politics,” Lim told about 70 supporters, bloggers and media representatives who were present.

The Opposition leader also stressed that socio-political blogging is not an end by itself.

Ooi, who is considered the father of Malaysian blogging, was one of the first Malaysians to take to the blogosphere with his ‘Screenshots’ weblog four years ago.

July 10 was the final day of the second Parliamentary of the year. I took the opportunity to speak on the motion to appoint a new chairman for the Select Committee on Integrity. Minister Bernard Dompok resigned from the post a few months earlier. Po Kuan asked me when I have said my piece, “Why so much fire in your speech?” I replied, ” Cos this may be the final speech if election is called in August!”

DR 10.7.2007 128
PERLANTIKAN PENGERUSI BARU JAWATANKUASA PILIHAN KHAS
DEWAN RAKYAT MENGENAI INTEGRITI
DI BAWAH PERATURAN MESYUARAT 81(1)
5.57 ptg
Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri [Dato’ Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Abdul Aziz]:
Tuan Yang di-Pertua, saya mohon mencadangkan;
“Bahawa mengikut peruntukan Peraturan-peraturan Majlis Mesyuarat Dewan
Rakyat 81 (1), Peraturan-peraturan Majlis Mesyuarat Dewan Rakyat mengambil
ketetapan seperti berikut;
“Majlis ini mengambil ketetapan bahawa Yang Berhormat Dato’
Dr. Wan Hashim bin Wan Teh iaitu ahli bagi kawasan Gerik dilantik
sebagai Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pilihan Khas Dewan Rakyat Mengenai
Integriti yang baru bagi mengganti Yang Berhormat Tan Sri Bernard
Giluk Dompok iaitu Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri.”
Setiausaha Parlimen kementerian Kewangan [Dato’ Seri Dr. Hilmi bin Yahaya]:
Saya pohon menyokong.
Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Dr. Yusof bin Yacob]: Ahli-ahli Yang Berhormat,
masalah sekarang ini terbuka untuk dibahas.
Puan Teresa Kok Suh Sim [Seputeh]: Siapa Ahli Yang Berhormat Gerik itu, boleh
minta dia memperkenalkan diri?
Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Dr. Yusof bin Yacob]: Seputeh, cukuplah. Yang
Berhormat takkan tidak kenal Gerik.
Dato’ Paduka Haji Badruddin bin Amiruldin [Jerai]: Itu Yang Berhormat yang
handsome itu.
Puan Teresa Kok Suh Sim [Seputeh]: Mana dia?
Tuan M. Kula Segaran [Ipoh Barat]: Gemuk sahaja yang saya kenal.
Puan Teresa Kok Suh Sim [Seputeh]: Saya kenal Jerai.
Timbalan Yang di-Pertua [Datuk Dr. Yusof bin Yacob]: Yang Berhormat bagi Tanjong
sila, yang lain sila duduk. (more…)

I know I have not been blogging. It is not easy to keep up the pace. So I took a breather to pursue other interests. Last Friday, the Penang court complex was packed with people who came for the Ying Ying’s murder case. I was there before nine but for another purpose. Wong Hon Wai had invited some of us to join him on the occasion of his calling to the High Court as a advocate and solicitor. Hon Wai is presently the publicity secretary of DAP Penang. For over five years, he burnt midnight oil to complete his law. It was amazing how he and his wife managed their time. He was working full time. His wife is a primary school teacher. While the husband was studying law, the wife was also studying for a off-campus degree with USM. Heard she is graduating in August. And in these five years, they had three children! Wow! Such amount of energy, tenacity and love for their works.
I can say Hon Wai is a candidate material for the coming general election.
Read, A.Tanasekharan’s speech when he moved the petition for Hon Wai to be called to the Bar. (more…)

MASSIVE groundwork along Penang island’s reclaimed foreshore on the east coast near Penang Bridge is being undertaken for a multi-billion ringgit waterfront project and not for the bridge expansion project. Many are under the impression that it is for the proposed extra lanes on the bridge.

IJM Properties is undertaking the development of residential and commercial units, a shopping complex, offices, a hotel and a central civic park on some 97ha of reclaimed land. The reclamation, which started early this month, is scheduled for completion in three years.

IJM managing director Teh Kean Ming was recently quoted as saying that many interesting projects would be launched along the reclaimed coastal land that had a potential for RM6bil in gross development value. A spokesman from IJM said the development at the Jelutong foreshore ran parallel to some 3km from Penang Bridge to the dumpsite in Jalan Sungai Pinang, Jelutong.

He said land reclamation would be divided into five phases, with development projects to be carried out immediately after the first. When asked whether the project would be built close to the Penang Bridge, he said: “We have secured the green light from the relevant authorities.” “Our nearest project will be built some 200m away from the bridge. We adhere to the regulation,” he said.
Source: Star Metro North 29 June 2007

EQUINE Capital Bhd’s shares leapt RM1.14, or 30 per cent, to close at RM5 yesterday after a research house said the property developer stands to benefit from a new RM25 billion development in Penang. In a report to investors, UOB Kay Hian analyst Foong Choong Chen said Equine, which owns a quarter of the 105ha Penang Turf Club, is expected to benefit from the Government’s plans to use the land to house the new Penang City Centre. (more…)

“Revitalise Penang” Dialogue Series (I)

Organised by DAP Kampong Kolam Branch

THEME: “Lets Revitalise Penang Economy”

The economy of Penang used to be the most robust and competitive in Malaysia with giants like Intel anchoring the high-technology manufacturing industry. However, today, it lies a distant 3rd in the country, after Selangor and Johor. The Pearl of the Orient has clearly lost its sparkle.

How can DAP help revitalise Penang, and make the Pearl of the Orient shine, once again?

Speaker: LIM GUAN ENG

- DAP Secretary-General

TONY PUA

- Economic Advisor to DAP Sec-Gen

- Graduate in Philosophy, Politics & Economics, Oxford University

YB CHOW KON YEOW

- Member of Parliament for Tanjong

- DAP Penang State Chairman

Language: Mandarin / English

Date: 6.7.2007 (Friday)

Time: 8.00 p.m. (Please be punctual)

Venue: The hall of Chew Si Kee San Tong

(33, Lebuh Kimberley, Georgetown )

Contact：04-2288482 / 2277068