Koon's RM30mil offer: MCA protecting rental income of cronies?

Koon's RM30mil offer: MCA protecting rental income of cronies?
Saturday, September 25, 2010

Report by Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

The ongoing saga about the MCA and Utar shocking decision to reject a RM30 million donation to build hostels that provide students with affordable accommodation took a fresh twist with revelations of a real estate scam by investors alleged to have links to MCA leaders including Kampar MP Lee Chee Leong and his predecessor Hew See Tong.

It is an open secret that almost all the terrace houses, the semi-Ds, bungalows and shop-houses around the Utar campus were developed by towkays with connections to MCA strongmen. Apparently, MCA wants to brand Kampar as an MCA township,former mentri besar Nizar Jamaluddin told Malaysia Chronicle.

No-entry

Malaysia Chronicle was not able to contact either Lee or Hew for their comments. But a check with people familiar with the area revealed that rentals are going for between RM2,000 and RM4,000 per month, which are exorbitant given that Kampar is a small town and the consumers are students, and whose parents are mostly from the middle to lower income groups.

Amid such roaring business, it is unsurprisingly that MCA – which controls Utar – has hung up a no-entry sign to investors such as philanthropist Koon Yew Yin. In August 2009, Koon had offered a RM30 million donation to build proper hostels with recreational facilities.

In December that same year, Utar rejected his offer. Shocked at the way the university had failed to take into consideration the advantages of such an offer to the students and their parents, Koon gave it another go in March 2010.

Not only was it rejected again, Ipoh MCA politician Thong Fah Chong earlier this month alleged that Koon wanted a seat on the Utar council for his philantrophy. On September 13, Utar followed up with a press statement that Koon had imposed “many conditions such as the setting-up of a foundation where he will be the Chairman and be in full control†.

Koon has denied the allegations from both Thong and Utar. He has also provided copies of letters detailing his proposal dated November 18, 2009 and March 1, 2010 for public scrutiny.

Utar's refusal to accept my RM30 million donation for building hostels within the University campus is ridiculous. As a result, thousands of students and parents will suffer and they will not forget that the MCA controls Utar, Koon told a press conference last week.

The Perak Government gave 1,300 acres of land to develop Utar in Kampar and up till now only about 200 acres have been used. The public must ask for Utar development plan and ask to know when they will begin their hostel construction.

Betrayal

There is also speculation that Utar staff had suggested that instead of spending the RM30 million on building new hostels, the money should go towards paying student's rentals over the next 10 to 15 years. This would protect the rental income of the owners of the real estate surrounding Utar that the students currently have no choice but to rent.

This is a sheer betrayal by the MCA of the students and their parents who are already stretching their ringgit to the maximum to get their children the best education they can afford. The MCA has turned down a very generous offer to build conducive and cheap accommodation. And for no apparent reason other than to protect their cronies it appears,said Nizar.

We urge the BN government and the Education ministry to do a though investigation and come down hard on wrongdoers. For the sake of selfish, vested interests MCA is not only betraying the Chinese community, it is betraying our national agenda to give the best educational opportunities and facilities that we can to our young.

One Member One Vote - Parti Keadilan Rakyat Divisional Elections

One Member One Vote - Parti Keadilan Rakyat Divisional Elections

PRESS RELEASE:
23rd Sept 2010

For the first time in Malaysian history, "one member one vote" party elections will give the more than 400,000 Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) party members a right to vote directly for their leaders.

PKR members will vote twice. The first time is in elections at the division level which will take place in conjunction with the divisional annual general meetings. And the second time in elections at the national level

This democratization of the party election process and broadening of participation at the grassroots level were made possible by amendments to the party constitution in 2009.

In the ongoing elections at the divisions level, an unprecedented 8,570 candidates are vying for positions at the division, women and youth wings. Of the 204 divisions eligible to conduct the annual general meeting (Mesyuarat Agung Tahunan Cabang) contests are taking place in 145 divisions.

Over the past weekend, divisional annual general meetings were held in 84 divisions with contests taking place in 67 divisions. Among the divisions' that witnessed a very high voter turnout were Tuaran in Sabah and Tangga Batu in Malacca. This coming weekend a further 83 divisions will conduct their annual general meetings with contests set to take place in 60 divisions.

The task of supervising the conduct of elections at the division and national levels has been entrusted to the Jawatankuasa Pemilihan Pusat (JPP). JPP's duties include monitoring the elections, ensuring free and fair elections, receiving and acting on complaints and objections.

To date, the JPP has received a total of 135 complaints and objections; 86 were related to candidacy, 17 relating to the electoral process and 32 relating to discipline. As an executive and monitoring body, JPP ensures that each and every complaint/objection will be considered in an impartial and serious manner.

The JPP is happy to note that over the first weekend, by and large the Keadilan Secretariat and volunteers conducted themselves professionally and voting, for the large part, took place in a smooth and orderly fashion.

The division level elections, which are currently happening, are taking place over 8 days between 17 September and 2 October 2010. The national level elections will take place over 8 days prior to the party's annual general congress on 26 and 27 November.

Dr Molly Cheah
Chairperson
Jawatan Pemilihan Pusat (JPP)
http://www.keadilanrakyat.org/en/pusat-media/kenyataan-media

Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia

Lee Chong Wei of Malaysia returns a shot in men's singles final match against Gade Peter Hong of Denmark at the Korea Open Badminton Super Series in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010. Lee won the match 21-12, 21-11
http://newshopper.sulekha.com/korea-open-badminton-super-series-photos.htm

Ipoh-KL trip to cost not more than RM35

Ipoh-KL trip to cost not more than RM35

BATU GAJAH: KTM Berhad will charge a fare of between RM30 and RM35 for the Electric Train Service (ETS) between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur scheduled to operate in the first week of August.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said the fare was competitive as the Goverment had taken into consideration the welfare of commuters.

“The fare can be considered cheap. KTMB initially applied for a fare of RM50 but it was rejected by the Government.

“We want to encourage the public to use the service which is more comfortable and safe compared to express bus services. That is why we want the fare to be competitively priced,” he told reporters after the opening of the KTMB complex by Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah here yesterday.

Kong added that there would be five ETS trains providing eight return trips for the Kuala Lumpur-Ipoh route daily.

The first train will leave at 5am and the last at 11pm.

He said KTM would increase the number of trips if there was great demand for the services especially during festivals.

With a speed of 140kph, the service is expected to reduce travel time between Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur to about two hours from three hours previously.

Meanwhile, Kong said the new KTMB complex, built on a 75ha area, cost about RM400mil.

He said the project started in November 2006 and was completed in November 2008.

Source: Bernama

Kisah lelaki Melayu terakhir yg memelihara anjing.

Kisah lelaki Melayu terakhir yg memelihara anjing.

Probe on Sultan Ismail Hospital after 2 deaths

Probe on Sultan Ismail Hospital after 2 deaths
By DESIREE TRESA GASPER

JOHOR BARU: The Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) is investigating complaints of alleged negligence by the Sultan Ismail Hospital following the deaths of two men recently.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk T. Murugiah, who heads the bureau, said he received two reports from the families of C. Anand, 30, and Kamarjit Ranjit Singh, 32, who were admitted to the hospital after being involved in separate accidents.

Both men suffered external injuries and later died.

“Officials of the Johor PCB have already completed initial investigations and have also spoken to the state health department on the matter,” he said.

He said that anyone with complaints of negligence or other problems relating to the hospital should report the incidents immediately to Johor PCB at 07-223-0900.

Anand’s family members, who brought the case to Murugiah’s attention, also claimed that the hospital took 16 days to operate on the patient, by which time the infection on his wounds had spread to other areas.

Anand’s cousin sister S. Nageswary, 35, claimed that his condition was so bad that his wounds were fly-infested.

“I begged the doctor to treat him but the hospital authorities said there were other more critical cases to be looked at,” she said.

Anand was admitted on Aug 19 and died on Sept 6 while Kamarjit was admitted on Aug 27 and died on Sept 5.

Source: The Star

Malaysian Joker

Malaysian Joker

Once upon a time three people were stranded out at sea
Japanese, A Malaysia and an Indonesian. The boat
started leaking and if they do not act fast they would
all die. The Japanese (as usual) was the first to take
the initiative. He threw off all his Japanese gizmo -
CD player, hi-fi, radio etc..The Malaysian and the
Indonesian looked at him in disbelief.
The Japanese said, "Don't worry...still got a lot more
in my country....banzai"

But the boat was still sinking, The Indonesia without
hesitation started throwing aboard all his baju batik,
kain batik, keretak, etc...He comforted the other
two..., "Don't worry ..still have a lot more in my
country, paknya".

But still the boat was sinking. The Japanese and the
Indonesian looked at the malaysian. Suddenly, without
any hesitation and with the stride, the malaysian
threw the indonesian overboard. The poor guy counldn't
swim and KO. The Japanese was shocked. Said the
Malaysian, "Don't worry one...STILL GOT A LOT MORE IN
MY COUNTRY!!!".

Avoid using the MRR2

Dear all,
Avoid using the MRR2 and roads below at the affected places.

Report By A Structural Engineer

Is this stale news? Are these pictures of fresh cracks? Most road users, though fully aware of the imminent danger,
actually have no choice as there is no quicker alternative route.

To put it bluntly, can we say that the JKR has "intentionally" (because till to-date no actions or penalties have been taken against the
Consortium who designed & constructed the MRR2) used public funds to create a LIFE threatening "time bomb" (may be equivalent,

if not greater, in magnitude when compared with C4 explosives) to "murder" road users. Let us wait and see who are the "unfortunate" ones who will be hit
by this massive RUSSIAN ROULETTE. God bless the road users. They are the victims of the corrupters and the collaborators of this heinous conspiracy.

Bolehland has lots of "exciting" dangers which the goons have planned to endanger its citizens. The very recent incident of the collapse of
cable suspension foot bridge (which should be simple engineering and construction) is a classic example.

This is What All Malaysian Should Know

This is What All Malaysian Should Know

NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR HAIR LOSS:
Ajinomoto

NATIONAL INSTANT FOOD :
Maggi Mee

NATIONAL BREAKFAST :
Nasi Lemak

NATIONAL LUNCH :
Nasi Ayam

NATIONAL SUPPER :
Roti Canai & Teh Tarik

NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR BEING LATE:
Traffic Jam

NATIONAL FRUIT FOR INDUCING MENSTRUATION :
Pineapple

NATIONAL APHRODISIAC DRINK:
Stout. Many Malaysian men swear by it. But then after
a few pints they start swearing at everything.. .

NATIONAL FAKE ILLNESS FOR GETTING MC (MEN):
Food Poisoning

NATIONAL FAKE ILLNESS FOR GETTING MC (WOMEN):
Menstrual Pain

NATIONAL EXCUSES GIVEN BY WOMEN WHEN REFUSING SEX:
Everything on earth..

NATIONAL EXCUSES GIVEN BY MEN WHEN REFUSING SEX:
None. Malaysian men never refuse sex.

NATIONAL CURE FOR DIARRHOEA :
Cap Kaki Tiga.

NATIONAL CURE FOR HEADACHES:
Panadol.

NATIONAL CURE FOR DIZZINESS:
Minyak Angin Cap Kapak.

NATIONAL CAUSE OF DIZZINESS (FOR YUPPIES):
Happy Hours.

NATIONAL INSTANT CURE FOR DIZZINESS (FOR YUPPIES):
The sight of a police road block.

NATIONAL RICE COOKER :
NATIONAL Rice Cooker

NATIONAL RUBBISH DUMP:
Anywhere. As long as it is not your house.

NATIONAL MOST MIS-PRONOUNCED NAME:
Carrefour.

NATIONAL ANSWER FOR 'WHERE ARE YOU?'
-on the way.

NATIONAL OFFICIAL TIME FOR BEING LATE
-10 minutes

NATIONAL REASON FOR PRICE INCREASE
Petrol naik



NATIONAL REASON FOR PETROL INCREASE
Still cheaper than other country



NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR CAUSING TRAFFIC JAM:
there was accident on the other side of the road

NATIONAL REASON WHEN REJECTING INVITATION :
'I got some work to do..u all go first'

NATIONAL REASON FOR COLLAPSED BUILDINGS & LEAKY PARLIAMENT ROOFS:
An act of God.

NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR IRRESPONSIBLE POLITICAL STATEMENTS:
None. We were misquoted.

NATIONAL MINISTERIAL REASON FOR INCREASING TOLL RATES:
Lu ingat ini jalan saya punya bapak punya kah?

NATIONAL EXCUSE FOR JUMPING QUEUE:
everybody jumping what!

NATIONAL EXCUSE NOT PAYING SAMAN ACCORDING TO DUE DATE:
government will give discount one of these days

NATIONAL EXCUSE TO BRIBE:
minum kopi

Report lodged against news portal

Report lodged against news portal

Posted on 12 September 2010


(The Sun) - TheSun journalist Terence Fernandez has lodged a police report against a news portal for posting two controversial articles and attributing them to him.

Fernandez, who is deputy editor (Special Reports and Investigations), lodged the report at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters last Thursday against Malaysia-Instinct.com for carrying two reports that bore the byline of one “Terrence Fernandez”.

One report on Sept 7 pertained to the mental health of blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin and another posted on Aug 27 drew parallels between flag-burning by Indonesian demonstrators and the allegiance of the Chinese community to this country.

Fernandez said he was alerted to the posts by readers as well as his followers on Twitter.

“I am glad that many of our readers are discerning enough to know when there are attempts to discredit this paper and its writers.

“However, it is important to set the record straight as there are also those who are gullible enough to believe that I am the writer of these articles,” he said, adding that he had also received hate mail stemming from the articles.

Fernandez, who is abroad, said he will lodge a report with the Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) upon his return in a week.

Petaling Jaya OCPD ACP Arjunaidi Mohamed said his men were investigating.

It is understood that police are also considering the possibility of sedition due to the contents of the Aug 27 article.

Checks by theSun indicate that the domain name is registered to a company based in Section 14, Petaling Jaya. However, a visit to the address revealed a restaurant-cum-pub.

Cartoon book satirizing ‘development’ launched in Malaysia

Cartoon book satirizing ‘development’ launched in Malaysia

By Survival International

Survival International has today launched in Malaysia a biting critique of how tribal peoples are being destroyed in the name of ‘development’. The critique is presented in a cartoon book called ‘There you go!’ that can be read in two minutes.


Tribal peoples around the world, from the Penan in Sarawak to Amazonian Indians, have told Survival that the cartoon reflects their experiences of ‘development’. An indigenous activist working closely with the Penan said, ‘What happens in the book ‘There you go!’ is exactly what is happening in Sarawak.’


Survival has sent the book to the Malaysian Prime Minister, the Chief Minister of Sarawak, key members of the two leaders’ cabinets, and the libraries of all Malaysia’s public universities.


The cartoon highlights how the concept of development is often used to justify the dispossession of tribal peoples. John, a semi-nomadic Penan man, told Survival, ‘It is like what happened here when the company came to destroy our forest. They said it was progress, the government said it was development and we shouldn’t stop it. But all they did was destroy our forest and then they left. It wasn’t progress for us.’


Tony Blair said about the book, ‘There you go! should help raise understanding about the complexities and potential pitfalls of offering development assistance, with a particular focus on tribal peoples.’


Mary Robinson, former President of Ireland and former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said, ‘This little book contains the big message that we must avoid the arrogance of presuming to know what's best for those whose voices are not heard in global debates. It reminds us of our shared responsibility to see to it that all people are active participants in shaping the decisions that impact their lives. Only then can we hope to see real development.’


Read ‘There you go!’ on Survival’s website. For copies of the cartoon in book form, contact Miriam Ross on mr@survivalinternational.org

BUKIT GAMBANG RESORT CITY

BUKIT GAMBANG RESORT CITY
Bukit Gambang Resort City (BGRC), covering over 500 acres, will be the first and largest water park resort city in East Coast. It is strategically located near the Gambang interchange, the first East Coast expressway exit point to Kuantan.

Anwar Ibrahim's Son's Wedding

Anwar Ibrahim's Son's Wedding

Do's and don't during hungry ghost festivals

Spiritual thing is an unexplained object. Do you believe in ghosts? I have asked a lot of people about the belief in ghosts or spiritual things, most of the feedback I received were ”I believe half-half”. I find this answer very strange. Either we choose to believe it fully or we don’t believe it at all. There is no such thing as half-half.

This month is the Chinese Lunar 7th month and it is also known as ”The Hungry Ghost Month”. As legend believes during this month all the spiritual “things” will be let lose and free to walk in our world. Therefore, the percentage of bumping into them is higher. In this post I am going to share with you all the DOs and DONTs during this month and also some pictures of the celebration. For those who want to overcome “spiritual” meets and also for those that don’t believe precaution is better than cure, this will be a good guideline.

Avoiding standing under the tree or under the bus stop during night time.
Usually it is dark and cold under the tree shade and bus stop. It is believed that these “things” will usually rest under that kind of condition. If you are “good” luck that day, it will follow you back home.

Manicure, do not use dark or black color
Ladies, if you love paiting your nails and frequently visit the manicure center, please choose light colour coat for your nails during this period. this is because only dead people will have dark-coloured nails. If you have that color they might think that you are one of them.




Do not step or kick the praying items and temporary altar by the roadside.
During the Lunar 7th month, there will be a lot of praying items and temporary altars placed by the roadside and these are all meant for the “thing”. If you accidentally stepped on them, it is better that you apologise to them. Else if you get them angry I am not sure what they can do.

Do not place your kid on the altar/offering table when visiting or praying to these sites.
As there was a case where a mother took her child to this event, the kid’s shoe dropped while the mother was handling some offerings. The mother placed the kid on the altar to pick up the shoe from the floor. After she got the shoe, the whole kid had turned into blank color and passed away.


http://www.stevengoh.com/lifestyle/dos-and-donts-during-hungry-ghost-festival/

Daging Mc Donald Tidak Halal – JAKIM

Daging Mc Donald Tidak Halal – JAKIM **Penting!!!


Aku memohon keampunan dan perlindungan dari ALLAH S.W.T atas kelemahan dan ketidakupayaan ku.

Tidak lah aku mengharamkan sesuatu yang ALLAH S.W.T halalkan, sesungguhnya perbuatan itu murtad hukumnya.


Ekoran pengumuman dari JAKIM mengenai penarikan balik pengiktirafan dari senarai yang diiktiraf JAKIM berkuatkuasa 15 April 2010 serta bukti kesahihan perkara ini sememangnya mengejutkan aku.


Aku enggan bersubahat dan dilaknat ALLAH S.W.T atas sebab menyembunyikan kebenaran serta kasih sayang ku sesama saudara seIslam seperti sabda Rasulullah SAW yang bermaksud: “Tidak sempurna Iman seseorang kamu sehinggalah dia menyayangi saudara seIslamnya seperti mana dia menyayangi dirinya sendiri.” (daripada Anas r.a, riwayat Muslim)


’Sesungguhnya orang-orang yang menyembunyikan apa yang telah Kami turunkan dari keterangan-keterangan dan petunjuk hidayah, sesudah Kami menerangkannya kepada manusia di dalam Kitab Suci, mereka itu dilaknat oleh Allah dan dilaknat oleh sekalian makhluk.

Kecuali orang-orang yang bertaubat, dan memperbaiki (amal buruk mereka) serta menerangkan (apa yang mereka sembunyikan); maka orang-orang itu, Aku terima taubat mereka, dan Akulah Yang Maha Penerima taubat, lagi Maha Mengasihani. (Al-Baqarah: 159-160)


Bukti Pertama : http://www.halal.gov.my/v2/index.php?ty=content_view&id=ANN-20100420101427&type=ANN


-Di sini JAKIM telah menyatakan tidak menerima pakai sijil halal dari Uruguay Islamic Centre.

Tan: Umno 'tak boleh pakai'

Tan: Umno 'tak boleh pakai'

By Patrick Lee and Jamilah Kamarudin

FMT EXCLUSIVE PETALING JAYA: The son of Gerakan co-founder Tan Chee Koon , Tan Kee Kwong has spent much of his life as a doctor before joining politics through Gerakan in 1995.

He then went on to assume the role of Segambut MP for three terms before it was given to Gerakan member Ma Woei Chyi in the 2008 general election. Segambut now belongs to DAP's Lim Lip Eng.

Once land and cooperatives deputy minister (1999-2004), Tan also sat on the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), questioning allegations of government mismanagement during his tenure.

He then quit Gerakan in September 2008 to join PKR, and has since remained an outspoken critic of the Najib administration. Tan currently sits on the party's central leadership council, and has been known to call PKR a “party of the future”.

In the final piece of the two-part interview, Tan talks to FMT about his experience in the Gerakan party and his disillusionment with the ruling government.

FMT: How did you join Gerakan?

Tan: In 1994, I was working quietly as a general practioner and looking after my aged parents. I was also doing some social work at Pusat Bantuan Sentul. I was then headhunted by Alex Lee, Gerakan vice-president (at the time), and joined the party two months before the 1995 general election.

Segambut was a new area in 1995. So I was asked to be a candidate. At that time I was under the mistaken notion that BN was doing okay and Mahathir Mohamad was all right.

In 1995, I won with a majority of 12,500 (votes). In 1999, when Najib (Tun Razak) won in Pekan by 200 votes, I won by 8,500. At that time, the BN got a hammering because of the Sodomy I (case). And then in 2004, I won with a massive majority of 17,000.

Did you join Gerakan because your father was one of the co-founders of the party?

(I joined) because it has a multi-racial approach to politics, which I believe in strongly. And of course, Gerakan started as an opposition party.

Were you in politics before 1995?

No. Never. I never joined any other party before Gerakan. Although politically aware, I was never a card-carrying member of any party.

You were in Gerakan until 2008. Why did you leave Gerakan?

Well, there are two reasons. One, I cannot respect the current leadership of Gerakan. (Minister in the Prime Minister's Department) Koh Tsu Koon is totally ineffective as a leader. Although he is in charge of KPI (Key Performance Indicators), he failed his own KPI in Penang.

You (Koh Tsu Koon) were a Chief Minister for four terms, but you contested and lost by a massive majority of 10,000. So if you failed your KPI, how can you be a minister of KPI? As politicians, our KPI is to win elections, (hence) my own KPI is very good.

And secondly, and more importantly, Umno 'tak boleh pakai'. We (other parties in the Barisan Nasional) try to talk until our saliva drips -- talk outside cannot, so talk inside (proper channels), (but) it's wasting our time! They (Umno) are just not interested. Honestly from the bottom of my heart, they are totally not interested.

They want to use the BN component parties (as) a rubber stamp (for) their cause. And now it is very clear that Umno has got only two 'perjuangan': to 'gasak' and 'sapu' as fast as possible, and play racial and religious politics.

So how can I support an entity like that?

You were in BN for 13 years, so during those years, you tried...

Many, many times. Not just myself. The MCA, MIC, PPP. (They all) tried; but it was no use. Bloody waste of time. And now Chua Soi Lek (asks for) equal voice. Please lah brother, they will never give you equal voice.

One example was (Gerakan's discussions on the) ISA. Many years ago, Gerakan made a lot of noise about the ISA. We debated about this, until the order came from Umno to (former Gerakan president) Dr Lim Keng Yaik to tell him to shut up.

Why be a politician when you cannot say anything? Only Umno can say, (but) you cannot say.

So you're saying Umno 'tak boleh pakai?'

They are irrelevant to today's needs (and) everything. The prime minister himself doesn't even follow the guidelines. He openly tried to bribe the people in the Hulu Selangor and Sibu (by-elections), and he dares to say that he is taking care of the poor and the needy! I don't know how he's got a face to do that!

More like rape the poor and the needy. (Former finance minister) Daim (Zainuddin) said the other day, “Oh, we must have a corruption-free government (and) no hanky-panky.” He should be the last person qualified to talk like that! They think we were born yesterday, that we are only two years old!

(In comparison) yesteryear's leaders (were) different. When my father was in the Opposition, he started a hospital called Sentosa Medical Centre. In 1972, (former prime minister) Tun Abdul Razak came and opened it. This is what politics is about: about changing your thoughts and your mindset. Nothing personal (involved). Nowadays, if they don't stab you in the back, you're lucky already.

Last time, the Seenivasagam brothers used to argue with Tunku (Abdul Rahman) like mad in Parliament, but later, they (were seen) eating and drinking tea together. What is happening now?

And Umno has strayed far, far away from its original struggle.

What do think was its original struggle?

It was to fight for the poor and the needy. They championed the cause of the teachers, the fishermen, paddy planters, and so on. Umno was a very poor party. Now (if) you go and look at its AGM, look at the type of cars they are driving. Now, their struggles are all about finding contracts.