Thursday, May 7, 2009

dark age? 黑色政治?






Havoc at the Perak assembly
IPOH: The Perak State Assembly sitting turned ugly with scenes of shoving, scuffling and shouting among elected representatives, reminiscent of Taiwanese parliamentary sessions.
Some of the most shameful scenes in Malaysian politics were seen yesterday as former Pakatan Rakyat Speaker V. Sivakumar suffered the indignity of being dragged out of the House by policemen as assemblymen in full regalia stood on chairs and shouted at each other. On several occasions, they almost came to blows.
Face-off: Former Sungkai assemblyman Datuk R. Ganesan being confronted by Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen (from left) Thomas Su, Chang Li Kang and A. Sivasubramania m after his election as the Perak State Assembly Speaker. — SAIFUL BAHRI / The S tar
Several Barisan Nasional motions were passed during the chaotic proceedings under new Speaker Datuk R. Ganesan, and the only semblance of peace came when a “truce” was called at 3.10pm for the royal address by the Raja Muda of Perak, who was forced to wait for about five hours.
The sitting was adjourned sine die at 4.05pm but the war of words continued with Barisan and Pakatan leaders holding press conferences to attack each other.
Outside, police presence was strong as several Pakatan leaders and supporters were arrested. There were also scuffles when Pakatan leaders were prevented from entering the State Secretariat.
Forced to leave: V. Sivakumar caught in a tug-of-war as Pakatan assemblymen (on the left) try to prevent him from being led out by assembly officials. Sivakumar had refused to budge from his seat after Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir

霹州會內外亂亂亂‧民聯議長被抬出州會
2009-05-07 17:49 http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/113150?tid=1
西華被連人帶椅抬離。

警方捕逾40“黑衣人”。
西華指示大臣離席。
許月鳳指示驅逐西華。
議員座位上主持會議。

8am至10am:
警方捕逾40“黑衣人”警方在霹靂州政府大廈一帶逮捕了逾40名“黑衣人”,包括民聯國州議員,身穿黑衣和素衣的民聯支持者和一些自稱路過而被捉的市民。
10.20am:
西華指示大臣離席議長西華古瑪在州議會會議開始,指示大臣贊比里和6名行政議員,以及他認為已呈辭的3名無黨派州議員離開會議廳,不過執法人員及有關議員都拒絕聽從指示,情況混亂,雙方險釀肢體衝突。
10.50am:
許月鳳指示驅逐西華霹州大臣贊比里求保安人員把議長西華古瑪逐出議會廳,引發爭執。議長和民聯議員的麥克風被關,許月鳳以副議長身份指示保安人員驅逐議長,民聯超過10名州議員包圍及“保護”議長。
10.55am:
議員座位上主持會議在副議長許月鳳主持會議下,前州議員甘尼申在國陣議員座位上宣誓就任議長;過後,一連通過成立3委員會,包括特委會、公賬會和議會常規委員會。甘尼申同意特委會提議,撤銷之前在303樹下會議通過的所有動議。
由於西華拒絕離開議長席,形成兩個議長同時主持會議的情況。
2.40pm:
西華被連人帶椅抬離下午复會後,坐在議長席的西華古瑪,被強行連人帶椅,抬出會議廳。
國陣和民聯議員激烈爭吵,雙方發生推撞和肢體衝突,有議員甚至爬上議會桌上抗議。
警方人員進駐會議廳,民聯抗議,要求警方撤離會議廳,但警方沒有離開。之後,攝政王開始發表施政御詞。
【熱點新聞:霹靂變天】星洲日報‧2009.05.07
国阵主导五月七日州议会民联处下风如何见招拆招
作者/霹雳·秦朗 Apr 22, 2009 10:37:16 am http://www.merdekareview.com/news/n/9427.html
【霹雳·秦朗】今年华人农历新年前夕开始的霹雳州政权,展转至今已闹了两个多月,接二连三不利民联的“偏帮”现象暴露在人民眼前,原本形势备受看好的民联,在立法机关受到司法干预的争夺战中,继续与国阵周旋,而毋庸质疑的事实,就是民联处于下风。
即使民联在4月7日赢了武吉干当国会议席补选,可惜都无法在争夺州权战中占优势;气势再大,也抵不过牢控国家机关的国阵,你是民选州政府又如何?

是的,在整场争权战中,选民似乎被愚弄了,首先在去年3月8日全国大选时“不小心”成了民联的造王者,然后再以“既来之,则安之”的心态,由惊讶转为接纳民联州政府,就给她一个机会表现吧!

可惜人算不如天算,今年2月6日的国阵政变后,州政权又重回国阵怀抱,姑且不论是否“硬抢”,选民尚未看完民联掌政表现,还赶不及评分,又要重回昔日国阵掌舵的时代,真要大喊不过瘾。

事情发展至今,民联可谓不可能翻身,即使解散州议会重选,民联也未必会是国阵对手,只是势均力敌;即将在5月7日召开的州议会,将会是国阵二月政变的“杀煞”(即完场戏)。

依目前形势来看,许多人已认定民联输定了,毕竟司法干预立法的案件,都是冲着民联而来,难道会有奇迹出现吗?

早前曾传出国阵或会找个好时机解散州议会的消息,此说不无道理,因为担心政变事件再闹下去,恐会连累国阵在来届全国大选的战绩,即其他州属会随民联炒作霹雳州政变课题,而受掀起的情绪影响,把票投给民联。

不过,另一个说法,就是既然国阵夺取霹雳州政权已成事实,就不再有顾虑,何不以目前仍有强势的牢控权,拿下霹雳州主导权,以后的事,再另觅对策方案。

国阵架空议长
民联处于下风

因此,在国阵霹雳州政权目前无视议长西华古玛的权力,没遵循程序召开州议会,让已被西华古玛撤换的州议会秘书阿都拉安东发信函,通知议员出席新届州议会;无论民联议员出席与否,届时必定是由“主场”的国阵占上风。

霹雳州共有59个州席,除了三名退出民联倒戈的独立人士之外,民联和国阵的州议员人数一样,都是28人。早前,由于七名国阵议员和三名独立议员遭西华古玛禁足,民联将以27人(不包括西华古玛)之数,超越国阵的21人而占优势。

不过,现今的情况却不一样,联邦法院裁决西华古玛向国阵十人发出禁足令,乃不合法及越权,因此宣判禁足令无效。换言之,包括国阵州务大臣赞比里在内的十名国阵议员,将会出席5月7日的州议会。

这下可是国阵的天下,届时即使民联的28名州议员(包括议长)缺席,州议会仍然能按照原定计划召开。

民联在3月3日召开紧急州议会之前,民联霹雳州政府资深行政议员倪可汉曾表示,只要达到州议会四分之一的人数,即15人就可召开州议会。

合法化赞比里
撤换西华古玛

可想而知,即将召开的州议会是个怎样的局面;国阵肯定会以占多数议员的情况下,向民联州务大臣尼查投不信任票,并支持赞比里(右图)成为合法大臣。

至于议长,就更加不用说。国阵夺权时,根本没料到议长的权力竟然换来如今的风风雨雨,要除去心腹大患,当然要推选自己人为议长,方为上策。

继早前发生公务员不批准及企图阻止西华古玛召开州议的荒谬事(即西华古玛决定3月3日召开紧急州议会,但霹雳州法律顾问阿末卡玛却不批准),现在民联应该可预计到,在即将召开的州议会,任何事情都会发生。

西华古玛考虑了霹雳州议会常规第27(3)条款及议会常规第八条款的紧急事故特别情况,宣佈3月3日召开紧急州议会,动议支持尼查续任霹雳州务大臣及解散州议会。

根据霹雳州议会常规及霹雳州宪法,州议长的决定是最后的决定,不容许他人质疑。

可惜,西华古玛的权力早已被国阵架空。召开州议会是州务大臣向苏丹请准,再由议长指示州议会秘书发通知书给全体议员;不过,遭西华古玛撤换的阿都拉安东仍照旧发信,而新任州议会秘书米斯巴胡(尼查的政治秘书)就沦为虚职了。

因此,在国阵有了种种“前科”后,相信民联不会掉以轻心,至于是否出席州议会已非关键了,反而是在即将召开的州议会,民联有何对策应付国阵,方为重要。

民联于3月3日的树下州议会不合法吗?今次国阵召开的州议会又算是合法吗?看来唯有待处于被动的民联领袖出谋献策,来个醒目“拆招”,才算赢得此仗。

Saturday, May 2, 2009

奧巴馬不组,克萊斯勒申請破產。Chrysler begins bankruptcy

CEO納德利下台‧克萊斯勒申請破產
國際財經 2009-05-01 19:17 http://biz.sinchew-i.com/node/22804

底特律的克萊斯勒職員聆聽奧巴馬宣佈公司申請破產的消息。
(華盛頓/底特律)由於未能與債權人達成協議,美國總統奧巴馬宣佈,克萊斯勒(Chrysler)將根據《破產法》第11章申請破產保護。
由於向克萊斯勒提供了運營資金,美國政府一直在負責這間公司的重組談判。美國政府預計,破產重組進程會相對快速,最短可能會在30至60天內完成。
美國政府週四(4月30日)承諾,將再提供80億美元幫助克萊斯勒走出破產狀態。政府已經向這間公司提供40多億美元資金。
克萊斯勒已與意大利車廠飛霞(Fiat)簽署結盟,後者將是克萊斯勒重生後的主要股東。新的董事部將在飛霞的同意下,選出新任首席執行員。按照結盟計劃,飛霞將向克萊斯勒提供小型節油車型的技術。
克萊斯勒首席執行員納德利(Bob Nardelli)在寄給員工的電子郵件中表示,結束破產保護後,他將交接離職,轉任公司大股東私募基金博龍(Cerberus)的顧問。

他強調,這並不是奧巴馬政府提出的要求。
他強調,克萊斯勒加拿大、墨西哥和其他國際營運事業都並不納入破產申請的一部份。
對克萊斯勒而言,申請破產保護和與飛霞達成的協議,將帶來結束多年持續虧損和市場分額下降的機會。這家汽車製造商一直面臨勞動力和生產成本居高不下的局面,根據與工會的協議,它還要向11萬5000名退休人員提供高額的醫療和其他福利。

克萊斯勒去年陷入更加困難的境地,汽油價格的飆升讓消費者紛紛放棄購買運動型多用途車(SUV)等耗油車,而這些車型一直是這間公司主要的利潤來源。與此同時,克萊斯勒多年來對小型車重視不夠,因此當消費者開始青睞這類車型時,這間公司幾乎沒有甚麼選擇餘地。
星洲日報/財經‧2009.04.30

Chrysler to close 5 more plants; court case begins
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Chrysler-to-close-5-more-apf-15108853.html
Chrysler begins bankruptcy proceedings as documents reveal plans to close 5 more plants
Bree Fowler and Vinnee Tong, AP Business Writers
On Friday May 1, 2009, 8:31 pm EDT
Buzz up! Print Related:General Motors Corporation
NEW YORK (AP) -- Attorneys for Chrysler LLC said the company will file a motion by Saturday to sell substantially all of its assets to Italian automaker Fiat Group SpA, but that won't include eight plants, including five that the automaker revealed it will shutter by the end of next year.

While Chrysler faced its first hearing Friday in Manhattan bankruptcy court, court documents showed the ailing automaker plans to close plants in Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Wisconsin that employ about 4,800 people. Chrysler said they will be offered jobs at other plants.

The company also announced President and Vice Chairman Tom LaSorda is retiring effective immediately.
Judge Arthur Gonzalez approved a series of motions at Friday's swift hearing, launching a chain of events designed to ensure Chrysler's bankruptcy process is the quick and "surgical" one the company and the U.S. government have promised.

But what could prove to be the case's biggest challenge still lies ahead. Chrysler must eventually deal with creditors who refused to come to a deal that would have erased much of the automaker's debt and might have avoided a bankruptcy filing in the first place.

Another hearing was scheduled for Monday morning, where Chrysler attorneys will ask Gonzalez to let the company start using $4.5 billion in loans from the U.S. and Canadian governments to keep operating under bankruptcy protection.

Chrysler attorney Corinne Ball, of the firm Jones Day, said the loans and the sale to Fiat represent "an important lifeline" for Chrysler's dealers, supplies and customers.
"We have to move at a good speed throughout this proceeding," she told Gonzalez.
Gonzalez wasted no time, opening the meeting with just five words: "Please be seated. Debtor's counsel?"

Later, Gonzalez twice cut off an attorney representing Chrysler's dealers, then said, "I think you've gotten your point across."
By the end of the hearing, the judge had decided six motions in about an hour.

Chrysler, the nation's third-largest car manufacturer, filed for bankruptcy protection Thursday after a group of creditors defied government pressure to wipe out the automaker's debt. The company plans to emerge in as little as 30 days as a leaner, more nimble company, with Fiat potentially becoming the majority owner.

In return, the federal government agreed to give Chrysler up to $8 billion in additional financing, on top of the $4 billion the company already has received.

Ball said that lawyers on Monday would ask to set a date for the first hearing on the sale of Chrysler's assets to the "new Chrysler." In bankruptcy, assets are sold in a two-part process during which the court asks for competing bids. None are expected in Chrysler's case, since documents show the company already tried to form alliances with dozens of companies, including Nissan-Renault, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen and even General Motors Corp.

Heidi Sorvino, bankruptcy partner at Smith, Gambrell & Russell LLP, said a sale could be completed in 30 days to 60 days.

"I think the sale will happen quickly," she said. "The actual proceeding is going to take a long time."

Until the deal with Fiat closes, the automaker plans to idle all of its plants in the U.S. Chrysler's Canadian assembly plants also halted production Friday because of parts shortages stemming from the U.S. shutdown.

In court documents, Chrysler said it won't keep its Sterling Heights, Mich., plant that makes Chrysler Sebrings and Dodge Avengers, and the Conner Avenue plant in Detroit that makes Dodge Vipers. The St. Louis North plant that makes Dodge Ram pickups would also close.

Chrysler's Twinsburg, Ohio, parts stamping plant and Kenosha, Wis., engine plant will also be shuttered.

Two other plants that will be left out of the Fiat sale are the St. Louis South plant and an assembly plant in Newark, Del., that were idled last year. Another facility, Chrysler's Detroit Axle plant, is already scheduled to be replaced by a new factory near Port Huron, Mich.

The "new Chrysler" would lease the eight plants, then shutter them by December 2010.

"While some facilities may close, substantially all Chrysler employees will be offered employment with the new company," Chrysler spokeswoman Dianna Gutierrez said. "Employees currently located at a facility identified for disposition will be offered a position at one of the facilities sold to the new company."

At Friday's hearing, Gonzalez's large courtroom quickly filled with lawyers and other observers, and two overflow rooms with video and audio feeds were opened to accommodate the crowds. The hearing was briefly halted after a woman standing in the warm and stuffy courtroom apparently fainted.

Gonzalez approved Chrysler's motion to allow the automaker to pay $48.8 million in employee and contract worker pre-bankruptcy wages, benefits and businesses expenses. The motion also references an estimated $86 million in employee vacation benefits that it may not ultimately have to pay.

The judge also approved Chrysler's motions that will let it continue to honor its warranties and continue its current banking practices.

It's uncertain when Gonzalez will face objections from the creditors that hold $6.9 billion of the automaker's debt.

Four banks holding 70 percent of the debt agreed to a deal that would give the lenders 29 cents on the dollar. But a collection of hedge funds refused to budge, saying the deal was unfair because they deserve to recover more than other creditors like the United Auto Workers.

President Barack Obama on Thursday chastised the funds for seeking an "unjustified taxpayer-funded bailout" after Chrysler and his auto task force cleared the company's other hurdles, including the Fiat deal and a cost-cutting pact that the UAW ratified this week.

Chrysler's bankruptcy filing is the latest step in a drastic reordering of the American auto industry, which has been crushed by higher fuel prices, the recession and customer tastes that are moving away from the gas-guzzling sport utility vehicles that were once big money makers.

The government already has sunk about $25 billion in aid into Chrysler and rival General Motors.

GM faces its own day of reckoning on June 1, a date the administration has set for it to come up with its own restructuring plan. GM has announced thousands of job cuts, plans to idle factories for weeks this summer and has even offered the federal government a majority stake in the company as it races to meet the deadline.

Like at Chrysler, debt may be the stumbling block. GM has asked its unsecured bondholders to exchange $27 billion of debt for a 10 percent stake in the automaker. The creditors balked, saying that would leave them with just pennies on the dollar and that they deserve a majority stake if they give up their claims.
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