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Selangor Sultan: I'm on Rakyat's side
As GE13 looms, parties get down to knocking on doors
1976 plane crash: The unanswered questions
From now on, it’s a Malay vs Malay contest
Selangor already fallen to BN!
GE13 will be horror show for BN

Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:56 PM PST

Ruler plays down talk linking him to any political party, saying he only has the people's interest at heart.

The Star

Q&A with the Sultan of Selangor

THE Sultan of Selangor, by his own admission, is certainly more cautious with his words and speeches of late. He goes through the draft of speeches with a fine-toothed comb, sometimes taking up to two weeks, to ensure the message he wants to deliver does not come across as taking sides with any political party. Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah tells WONG CHUN WAI and LOONG MENG YEE that the only team he wants to be on is that of the rakyat.

Disinterested in politics: The Sultan of Selangor speaking with Star Publications (M) Bhd executive director and group chief editor Wong during the exclusive interview.

> Tuanku, with the general election season, it must be difficult to express your views but yet, be fearful what you say will be misinterpreted by irresponsible parties.

It is very difficult, the speeches I prepare, I will go through them many times, write and rewrite again. I want to be specific, but unfortunately, some will twist my words to say I am on the side of such and such a party; or that I am hitting out at such and such a party.

For instance, in a speech I made to university students, I stressed the importance of respect for our Malaysian flag as some people wanted to change it easily. This is the symbol of our national sovereignty. In some countries, people are willing to die for their flag. Malays, Indians, Chinese, we should be proud of our flag. But, some blogs twist my words, to say I am supporting a certain political party with my statement. Maybe some do not like Rulers who speak up.

> There are some wild accusations that Tuanku is partial to Umno.

Why should I be? I have nothing to gain from siding with Umno, PKR or any other party.

I have known Najib's (Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak) father for a long time. I have known Najib and his brothers from their younger days. I cannot cut ties and make enemies with him now.

But, I am clear where I stand. For instance, no politician, not even Najib, can use mosques for politics in Selangor.

Those who brand me an Umno man, prove it. Show me proof that I am inclined to be with Umno. Do not blindly accuse me of things I am not guilty of. I have no political agenda. As the head of the state, I am above politics.

> Tuanku has stressed that politics must be kept out of mosques as well. You have recently met with the imams (heads of congregrations) to reiterate your stand.

Yes, mosques should unite the congregation, not sow hatred. But, some imams are still stubborn. I warn them, but I do not want them to be jobless either. They must know the right thing to do.

In churches and temples, too, my advice is pray for unity. Pray that our country will be harmonious, be thankful that we are free from natural calamities. Be united with one another. Look, many other countries are suffering there are natural and economic setbacks.

In Malaysia, thank God, we are free from all those superstorms. Be grateful and remain united as a nation. Always keep the good name of Malaysia.

> What will be Tuanku's advice to politicians out campaigning during the general election? Both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat want Selangor as their jewel in the crown.

When campaigning, do not hurt people's feelings. I am sure my rakyat are not stupid. Be calm, do not disrupt the racial harmony. And, after the elections, I say this sincerely, let us work together to move forward for a better life and I am sure the rakyat will feel the same way.

> There is the impression that Shah Alam must not have entertainment.

In the past, the development of Shah Alam was on a much smaller scale. My father did not wish to have cinemas in Shah Alam because of the small population and he did not want students here to spend too much time in cinemas. My father also did not want cinemas near the state mosque. Likewise, if anyone asks me, I will also not approve of having cinemas near places of worship of other religions, too. Places of prayer must be respected.

But now, Shah Alam is developing much wider. I have no objection to having cinemas in areas in Setia Alam, Bukit Jelutong or I-City; as long as they are away from the mosques and located at shopping malls. But, the approval comes from Shah Alam City Hall, I only provide my input.

> Water remains a stand-off issue between the state and Federal Government, even as Tuanku publicly raised your concern two years ago over the danger of an imminent water crisis if the inter-state raw water transfer was not resolved fast.

I have repeatedly written letters to both the state and Federal governments. They know my stand, they know I do not wish to have my subjects become the biggest losers when the taps run dry. I also do not want the existing industries in Selangor to move out because of this issue.

> Cases of snatch thieves, robberies and burglaries continue to worry many. Some say they fear the streets are no longer safe although police are doing all they can to combat crime.

Even my sister was a victim of snatch theft and my brother had his house robbed. I feel CCTVs can be a helpful tool in reducing crime. I did ask the police when I was in England, and they replied such a system was even better than alarms because CCTV recordings can be used as proof of crime.

But do not install CCTVs that will later break down frequently. That will defeat the purpose. Learn from countries that have successfully used CCTVs to reduce crime. Perhaps developers can help by contributing the units to the police as well. The state government must seriously look into this matter.

> It has been another busy year for Tuanku. Last year around this time, Tuanku was excited over the unveiling of the Raja Tun Uda library, which has now become a gem in Shah Alam. Any other people's project under Tuanku's supervision?

I am very pleased with how the library turned out. Some have said it is the best in the country and there are many users. There have been generous donations of books as well and I am very appreciative.

For this year, I have created a small football museum at the compound of the main palace, the Alam Shah palace in Klang.

The state has produced so many football greats in the past. There is so much to show and tell. It has been my intention, for the past 20 years, to have a proper sports museum in the state.

The ideal location will be near the stadium in Shah Alam. People from all over the country come here to watch the football games. The games start in the evening, but some arrive in the morning. If there is a museum, they can spend their time at the museum first.

> As 2012 draws to a close, Tuanku's wish for 2013?

I hope and pray, really, that next year will be good for all of us. And, whoever governs the state, be nice, work with all to develop the state so that the rakyat can improve the quality of their lives.

As GE13 looms, parties get down to knocking on doors

Posted: 06 Dec 2012 02:12 PM PST

The next general election is expected to be the closest fight to form the new Malaysian government. The Malaysian Insider takes a look at what happens on the campaign trail to give a sense of the battleground.

Zurairi AR and Leannza Chia, The Malaysian Insider

As the 13th general election grows closer and the public grows restless over its uncertain date, political parties are picking up their pace in the hectic race to reach out to voters by going back to the oldest tactic in the playbook — knocking on doors.

PKR's Wajah team members make a housecall in rural Perak. — Picture courtesy of Perak Wanita PKR

While the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) had reportedly spent close to RM3.6 million a year in recruiting around 10,000 bloggers to increase its online presence and lure in support from young voters, some of the grassroots politicians feel that meeting their constituents face-to-face is the way to go.

"People still need to see the credibility of their leaders," said the MCA's Liew Ching Hoong, secretary to Kampar MP and Deputy Home Minister Datuk Lee Chee Leong.

Lee, who won the Kampar parliamentary seat in 2008, is a familiar face in the area, serving in the Malim Nawar state assembly seat since 1995 and Tanjong Tualang before that.

PKR Wajah team members check their voters' list during a house call in rural Perak rural. — Picture courtesy of Perak Wanita PKR

In 2008, Lee had beat the DAP's Keong Meng Sing with a majority of 2,697 votes. The constituency was previously served by the MCA's Tan Sri Hew See Tong, who had won with a bigger majority of 9,474 votes.

Kampar is an old mining town, situated a little more than 30km south of Ipoh, Perak. It is a Chinese-majority area, with 62.58 per cent of them, while Malays make up 26.87 per cent and Indians 10.47 per cent.

A significant portion of its 98,534 population consists of pensioners who, according to Liew, insist on meeting their elected representative in person rather than online.

Since 1995, Lee had assembled a team of five helpers, whom he had tasked with checking on his constituents daily to better spread the message of reliability and familiarity which comes with MCA.

Driving an old Mitsubishi Pajero, which the team dubbed the Mobile Service Vehicle (MSV), a pair from the team visits two villages a day — taking down the concerns of the village heads, registering voters, and helping villagers apply for the Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (BR1M) cash aid.

The other three in the team keep in contact from the office, processing the various requests received by the MSV crew, including helping to pay electricity, water and phone bills for villagers who live too far from a post office.

This constant attention given by Lee has endeared him to Kampar residents, who visit him regularly at the booth he sets up opposite the town food court nearly every Friday.

"Sometimes we even get those coming from Tapah," Liew told The Malaysian Insider, referring to the neighbouring town some 20 minutes away, which falls under a different parliamentary seat and is currently served by the MCA's BN partner, Datuk M. Saravanan from the MIC.

But Lee faces stiff competition from political foe PKR's Wanita's Wajah team, which was set up in July.

Wajah (face) is an acronym for Wanita Keadilan Jelajah Kampung (PKR Wanita Village Tour), which was formed to spread the opposition party's message of change and reform to women in the rural areas.

A PAS team meets people in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur as part of its voter outreach programme even after the death of its Titiwangsa MP. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng

"We even employ a different logo so we look more like an NGO rather than a political party. We look more approachable that way," PKR Wanita secretary Juwairiya Zulkifli said.

Wajah's logo, like its name, is shaped like a face and meant to convey a caring persona, a far cry from the impersonal blue and white PKR logo which is not too popular with the rural women, Juwairiya admitted.

Among the many state branches, the Perak chapter of Wajah is regarded as the most active and successful by the PKR central leadership.

While The Malaysian Insider was speaking to Liew in Kampar during a recent sojourn there, the Perak Wajah team had just met with voters in Lee's old state seat of Malim Nawar, an area which is predominantly Chinese, and which had fallen to the DAP in the last national elections four years ago.

The bulk of Malim Nawar's voters — 73.49 per cent of them — are Chinese, while 17.51 per cent are Malays and only 8.95 per cent are Indian.

The DAP's Keshvinder Singh had won in Election 2008 against Dr Chai Song Poh of the MCA with a 1,362-vote majority.

"We mainly target villages and estates in the state assembly seats contested by PKR," Perak PKR Wanita chief Fathmawaty Salim intimated, outlining the party's strategy on reaching out to voters in a rural setting.

She gave the example of the Bukit Chandan seat, which comes under the bigger Kuala Kangsar parliamentary seat and which PKR's Zulkifli Ibrahim lost to Umno's Datuk Wan Khairil Anuar Wan Ahmad at the 12th general election.

However, with limited resources and manpower, the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lynchpin party also helps out regularly in areas won by its political allies as in the case of Malim Nawar in order to cover more ground in preparation for the next polls that must be called by next April when the ruling BN government's mandate expires.

There are 24 Wanita divisions in Perak, and each division volunteers on average three workers who will be divided into two teams of between 12 and 20 volunteers each.

Posted: 06 Dec 2012 01:39 PM PST

A test pilot offers a peak into why the fatal 1976 plane crash which killed Sabah chief minister Fuad Stephens and several state cabinet members is seen as a conspiracy by locals.

It was a routine short flight except for two things: almost the entire Sabah state government's top leadership was on the plane; and the plane stalled and crashed into the sea about two kilometres from its destination airport, killing the pilot and its 10 VIP passengers.

By Capt Joseph Lakai, FMT

What is the difference between five percent and 20 percent? Well, anyone who has half a brain and who had not been asleep during math class in school will tell you that the answer is 15 percent – which is 20 minus five!

Let us convert this to figures and let us hypothesise the figure as RM10 billion.

Five percent of RM10 billion is RM500 million. Therefore 20 percent is exactly four times that amount. Twenty percent is therefore RM2 billion – witness how vast this difference is now.

Imagine a state government possessing the RM500,000 million to develop the vast state or to give it to its people. Now imagine the same state government in possession of four times that amount.

Now, instead of only having the monetary resources to provide aid to a quarter of the state's population, the state government can now do the same to everybody – total coverage!

Let's not even get to the full 100 percent, which is the RM10 billion.

Now assume that a powerful person in that same state, a tribal leader of sorts, has the influence and capacity to take that state out of the federation.

This would mean an income shortfall ranging from 80 to 95 percent of the RM10 billion.

Well, money isn't everything but an action as such could propel other states into mimicking parallel actions and this is unquestionably something that must be prevented at all cost; collateral damage is damned.

On another note, where were you 13,215 days ago?

On June 6, 1976, an Australian manufactured GAF-Nomad N.22B-type twin turboprop engine passenger plane operated by Sabah Air with the tail number 9M-ATZ took off from Labuan Airport on its 113-km route to Kota Kinabalu International Airport with 10 passengers on-board.

Investigation reports still secret

That abruptly ended the reign of Fuad Stephens (Donald Aloysius Marmaduke Stephens) as Sabah's fifth chief minister, a mere seven weeks from the day he took office for a second term.

The lists of fatalities included Sabah ministers Salleh Sulong, Peter Mojuntin, Chong Thien Vun and Darius Binion (assistant state minister). Others were Wahid Peter Andau (Sabah finance ministry secretary), Dr Syed Hussein Wafa (a director in Sabah's Economic Planning Unit), Isak Atan (private secretary to Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah), Corporal Said Mohammad (Fuad's bodyguard), Johari Stephens (Fuad's eldest son) and Captain Gandhi Nathan (pilot).

The crash was said to have been due to mechanical problems.

Perhaps so but then again the original investigation report should have been immediately published and the coroner should have declared the "accident" as a misadventure.

However, this report was promptly classified by the federal government (it still remains classified up to this day) and the coroner, Ansari Abdullah, returned an open verdict.

Aviation Safety Network (ASN) reported that the aircraft "stalled and crashed on approach". However, in its narrative, ASN stated: "This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network's opinion as to the cause of the accident.

"It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time."

What the ASN report did not say was that ground witnesses saw the plane "drop like a stone".

What the experts also failed to inform you is that fixed-wing aircraft do not drop vertically but glide to its impact point unless the wings dropped off and the wings on a fixed-wing aircraft do not just drop off by themselves when the engines purportedly stalled.

Were there non-mechanical problems?

Was it a conspiracy?

Well, there's is no way of knowing the truth until the original investigation report is declassified, but a few officials have put forth the theory that the aircraft was overloaded.

Let's just put it this way. The N.22B variant is rated for up to one or two pilots with a maximum of 12 passengers and unless the pilot and its 10 passengers gorged themselves silly during lunch, there is no way the plane could have exceeded its weight limitations.

Was it then a problematic aircraft? Yes, the GAF-Nomad N.22B variant aircraft can be considered so.

Since its production, the Nomad has been involved in a total of 32 total hull-loss accidents, which have resulted in 76 fatalities including its chief test pilot and the assistant head designer during the design and testing stage.

Was this then a conspiracy?

Posted: 04 Dec 2012 12:44 PM PST

One Malay leader is pitted against another Malay leader, and each is backed by an assortment of non-Malays. Such a situation, strangely enough, does not encourage racial or religious politics. This goes for Umno as well as the Islamist opposition, PAS.

Ooi Kee Bang, Today

As Umno general assemblies go, the one held last week was rather tame in its rhetoric. It was certainly memorable for its lack of vitriolic language.

And it was expectedly so ― therein lies its significance.

Things were quite different back in the days before 2008, when ethnocentric exhortations were run of the mill, and Umno Youth was the amplifier of racial extremist voices. This year, showing party unity was the order of the day.

Much of the credit must go to the fact that Malaysia today has a surprisingly stable two-party system in place. As we know, such a competitive structure has a strong moderating effect on extremist voices, be they racial or religious. After all, gaining the middle ground is how electoral victories are won.

The fact that the incumbent prime minister, Najib Razak, reportedly cited ― as a warning to his followers ― significant errors made by Republican challenger Mitt Romney in his defeat at the hands of United States President Barack Obama, tells us that even at the highest level, the possibility of the hitherto invincible Umno being toppled is being taken seriously.

Indeed, the bipolar Obama-Romney battle is being reflected in the clash between Najib and Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the opposition.

What this actually reveals is the most important point that anyone can make today about the dramatic changes that have been taking place in Malaysian politics, not only over the last five years but also over the last decade and a half.

Opposition forces within the Malay community have come of age. That is the fundamental difference. We are witnessing a Malay-Malay battle.

Despite the rhetoric, the Malay community ― perhaps because of its increased relative size, its comparative youth, its growing urbanity or its heightened educational level ― is showing a political confidence it did not have before.

Its questioning of Umno's claim to being the only plausible champion of their interests as a community ― in fact, questioning the limitations of communal politicking ― is an expression of that very maturity.

Instead, the new issues are about wealth distribution and governance, not those of race against race, or religion against religion.

Now, issues of governance are not simple things.

They are comprehensive, covering difficult matters such as cronyism, corruption, rule of law, the state of the civil service and the electoral system, among others.

What all this boils down to once elections come around is: Who will be the next prime minister of Malaysia, Najib or Anwar?

Abdullah Badawi was replaced by Najib in April 2009 in punishment for letting so much support for Barisan Nasional slip away. Najib's job, therefore, is to win back that support. To his mind, the best way to do that is to continue with the reform agenda (he has preferred the term "transformation").

However, should support for his coalition not rise markedly in the coming elections, there is a real risk that he will be replaced in his turn.

But why this sudden wish for reform and transformation on BN's part?

No doubt, Anwar has a lot to do with it. He was after all the man behind the pivotal Reformasi movement that started in 1998 after his sacking by Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

But the fact that Abdullah's impressive electoral victory in 2004 could not bury that movement for good tells us that the forces pushing for change have deep roots in society, and in the times.

What Anwar managed to do after his release from prison in 2005 was to become a bridge for the major opposition parties on the one hand, and a lightning rod for general social discontent on the other.

And so, although at one level, the fight is between two Malay leaders, the election, whichever way it goes, is at a deeper level about how governance in Malaysia is to develop ― how Malaysia is to develop ― in the coming years.

And within that equation, the role of East Malaysia will increase since both coalitions will be fighting to win votes there. Since the racial and religious ― not to mention political ― conditions in Sabah and Sarawak are so markedly different from those found in West Malaysia, the heightened significance of these states is bound to transform the socio-political situation.

Predicting Malaysia's political future has become a much harder gambit.

* Ooi Kee Beng is the deputy director of the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore.

Selangor already fallen to BN!

Posted: 04 Dec 2012 12:27 PM PST

Will recent events concerning the re-drawn boundaries in Selangor indicate that the coming polls is going to be a sham of an election?

Selena Tay, FMT

Recent reports received from this columnist's friends in PAS have revealed the inevitable – Selangor has already fallen into the hands of BN.

Why is this so? Well, besides the dirty voter rolls, recently even the parliamentary and state constituencies in Selangor have had their boundaries re-drawn, said this columnist's friends in the Selangor PAS committee tasked with overseeing the preparations for the 13th general election.

Now what is to be done? Of course police reports have been made besides forwarding evidence to the Election Commission (EC) who must remain professional, ethical and honest at all times in carrying out their duties in order to serve the interests of the public by working for the good of the citizens.

But will recent events concerning the re-drawn boundaries indicate that the coming polls is going to be a sham of an election?

Those who say that Malaysia has a vibrant democracy are merely being economic on the truth. The only thing vibrant is the compliant media's unjust bashing of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and the rampant crime and corruption going on.

And it bears repeating that the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat state government must only dissolve the State Legislative Assembly in May. Anything before that is disastrous for Pakatan.

Looking at the way that BN wants to cling on to power, then is a foretaste of events to come should they lose the 13th general election.

BN leaders have said that Pakatan will cause chaos if it loses. But what if it is BN who loses? What is their answer to that question? Have we heard them giving assurances to the rakyat by saying, "We will abide by the rakyat's decision?"

Be that as it may, the election must and will go on. The losers must accept the verdict. The opposition have lost 12 consecutive times so for them losing is nothing new but what about those who have never tasted defeat?

For the good of the nation and the well-being of the rakyat, the losers of the forthcoming polls should work with the winners to build up the nation.

The losers must be magmanimous enough to accept defeat. If they resort to hooliganism and sabotage, then their true colours and greed for power will be revealed and show that their past slogans are empty rhetoric to hoodwink the people.

The time has come for Malaysians to move forward towards building a great nation for one and all. Otherwise we will be left far behind – stuck in the age of antiquities. It is high time we march forward to the dawn of a new civilisation of hope, peace and progress.

Winning at all cost

The case of Selangor highlights the dirty tactics of certain parties who want to win at all cost.

"There is just nothing we can do about their dirty tricks as all avenues are closed. We have raised the issue of dubious voters and instant MyKad in Parliament and in our party paper, Harakah. We have brought up the matter with the Election Commission and made the necessary police reports – all to no avail," said PAS Kuala Selangor MP, Dzulkefly Ahmad to this columnist.

His PAS colleague and Kuala Krai MP, Hatta Ramli who will be overseeing the PAS election groundwork has informed this columnist that he has requested that the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) set up to look into the problem of illegals in Sabah being given MyKad be given an extension of its workscope to include Selangor as well but the Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Liew Vui Keong (Sandakan MP) said that the problem does not exist in Selangor! And this reply was given in the recently concluded Parliament session.

READ MORE HERE

GE13 will be horror show for BN

Posted: 03 Dec 2012 11:14 AM PST

GE13

Umno, BN and Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor are in for a nightmarish ride come the 13th general election if they believe their 'trusted' government reports.

If BN loses 13 seats in East Malaysia, Pakatan Rakyat will be getting 122 seats because in Peninsular Malaysia, the opposition coalition is set to win 109 seats.

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, FMT

I have a horror tale for Barisan Nasional.

Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor claims BN expects to win more than the 140 federal seats it took in the 2008 general election.

He is quoting "trusted" government sources. Pray tell: can we expect government sources to tell otherwise?

And who are these "trusted" government sources who produce these intelligence report? Are they reports from Kemas, Jasa or maybe from minister Rais Yatim?

If it is from Rais, then the numbers are understandable. Rais was never known to be good at numerics.

Seriously, let's look at the numbers. BN admits to the possibility of losing six seats in Sabah and seven seats in Sarawak.

BN is saying it will win more than 140 seats. There are 222 seats in Parliament.

If BN loses 13 seats in East Malaysia, Pakatan Rakyat will be getting 122 seats because in Peninsular Malaysia, the opposition coalition is set to win 109 seats.

With PKR's Ibrahim Menudin set to win in Labuan, Pakatan has 110 seats already.

What Tengku Adnan dare not reveal is that BN can lose up to 12 seats in Sabah and up to 13 seats in Sarawak, making a total loss of 25 seats from the East Malaysian states.

Don't dream, BN

The nightmare ahead is that BN will be reduced to a party with 87 seats. Let me tell you how.

In the four northern states – Perlis, Penang, Kedah and Perak – Pakatan will win 56 seats to BN's 14.

In the west coast – Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Malacca and Johor – Pakatan will win 35 to BN's 26 seats. Pakatan expects to win nine seats in Johor this time around.

Out of the 36 parliamentary seats in the east coast states – Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang – Pakatan can win 22 to BN's 14.

In the Federal Territories – Wilayah Persekuatuan Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan – Pakatan will win 11 against BN's two.

There you are, 110 seats for Pakatan, and we haven't even talked about Sabah and Sarawak!

The writer is a former Umno state assemblyman but has now joined DAP. He is a FMT columnist.

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Sabtu, 8 Disember 2012

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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