Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- In which direction is Proton driving?
- New Year resolutions for Pakatan Rakyat
- PAS Kedah Larang Artis Wanita Buat Persembahan Tebuka
- Guidelines for CNY celebration in Kedah threaten rights of non-Muslims - Chua
- Malay Chamber to hand over 20 resolutions to PM
- Kudos to Peaceful Assembly Act
- BN optimistic but no polls till March
- KL112: Anwar mimicks Tunku’s “Merdeka”
- Fixed deposits? What interests?
- KL rally makes GE13 a keener battle, say analysts
- Winning by popularity: Can Umno rely on the prime minister’s personal standing?
- The ultimate Malaysian victory speech -- April 2013
- Malaysia opposition holds mass election rally (WITH PHOTOGRAPHS)
- End days for the Great Survivor?
- ‘Bersih was Anwar’s baby, Ambiga his shield’
| In which direction is Proton driving? Posted: 13 Jan 2013 12:33 PM PST
(Free Malaysia Today) - Proton has only one viable engine in production, and another unproven design bought from Petronas recently. It has dubious research and development capabilities and proven unreliability in quality control. Proton wants to play a starring role in Southeast Asia, but there are many road bumps ahead. With the flurry of news and rumours surrounding Proton Holdings Bhd and its owner DRB-Hicom Bhd last week, Malaysians had a reason to revisit their love-hate relationship with the national car company, contemplate its chequered past and ponder its future. On Wednesday, we were told that DRB-Hicom was to spearhead the development of an "Asean" car in which Proton would be playing a starring role, and that DRB-Hicom may be taken private for as much as RM4 per share, besides listing what used to be Proton and DRB-Hicom distribution outfits. Last Thursday, the DRB-Hicom management denied the delisting part, which burst the balloon that sent its shares to a 10-month high of RM2.78, to as low as RM2.65. After a long silence about Proton since Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary-controlled DRB-Hicom bought its controlling stake from Khazanah Nasional Bhd more than a year ago, the sudden news flap is interesting. If you believe that there's no smoke without fire, Syed Mokhtar's financial advisers must be talking about something more substantial than the weather around the water cooler. But that is the trouble with trying to fathom anything about Proton, because literally anything can happen at the last minute, like the collaboration with Volkswagen AG (VW) that was called off the night before it was supposed to be signed. Frayed analysts, after seeing countless analyses on Proton disproved by what seemed to be random acts, have kept their sanity remembering one important thing: Proton is not so much of a car company as the centrepiece of government policy, and therefore normal commercial considerations may not apply. People of a certain age (that is, older people) will remember the day in 1985 when the Proton Saga was unveiled to great expectations. Though boxy, and decidedly dated because it was based on the 1983 Mitsubishi Lancer, the Saga caught our imagination and carried our hopes for a while. Since then, due to many unfortunate issues with quality control and the fact that to make the Proton cheaper by comparison, the government raised taxes on other cars to make them more expensive. Malaysians love to hate the Proton – whether deservedly or not. To us, it is a national icon, but to somebody else, let's say a foreign car company of immense size with aspirations of world dominance, Proton is not a viable car company and should be brought under the wing of the said car company with world domination in mind. Dubious R&D capabilities
It is also not selling enough cars and being overtaken at home by foreign-backed rivals even at competitive pricing. However, it has two things going for it. Its underutilised production capacity and its favoured position in Malaysia, which is an important member of Asean. DRB-Hicom, being an automotive and property development conglomerate, has several partners that can make full use of these assets. Chief among them are Honda Motor Co and Volkswagen AG (VW) of Germany. While Honda has stated that it wants Malaysia to be the regional production hub for its hybrid cars, only VW has designs on being No 1 in the world with a target to sell 10 million cars a year by 2018. That VW is really keen on owning Proton, or at least its assets, is obvious because it fits into its global design to tap into a major slice of Southeast Asia's appetite for two million cars a year. Also any Malaysian-produced car, if local content is at 40% or more, would enjoy duty-free status to all Asean member-countries under the Asean Free Trade Agreement. This is a huge a leg-up on rivals such as Toyota and other Japanese pretenders. Furthermore, Malaysian-made VWs could also be exported to other markets where they drive on the left side of the road, like India for example. The Wolfsburg, Germany-based company had previously made an offer to tie up with the then public-listed Proton in 2007 but discussions eventually foundered because of opposition from parties that wanted the company to remain Malaysian-owned. Crucial market In July last year, VW was also reported to have considered making a bid for Proton's share that Khazanah Nasional was divesting, which a German magazine said might include a full-scale acquisition in the long run. The German carmaker wants a foothold in Southeast Asia after its surpassed Toyota in 2011 as the world's second-largest manufacturer behind General Motors because it is a crucial market for increased sales as part of its ambition to become No 1. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/top-news/2013/01/14/in-which-direction-is-proton-driving/ | ||||||||||||
| New Year resolutions for Pakatan Rakyat Posted: 13 Jan 2013 12:29 PM PST
THE Pakatan Rakyat (PR)'s People's Uprising Rally, dubbed KL112 by some, passed without any major incidents last Saturday. Is the PR any closer to winning power federally? What New Year resolutions do PR parties need to make to stand a real chance at becoming the next federal government and retaining the states they hold? Wong Chin Huat, The Nut Graph
Challenges This Malay-dominated multi-ethnic party has prided itself as being centrist, not so much economically, but as a party between the religious PAS and the secular DAP. It likes to believe it is a party of tomorrow embraced by the middle ground. However, the sad truth is, it is less attractive than both PAS and the DAP. It is not Islamic enough compared with PAS, not Malay enough compared with Umno, and not liberal enough compared with the DAP. It, therefore, risks being seen as an inferior good in the eyes of communal voters on both ends. What about the middle ground? The fact is, there may not be a simply defined and unquestionable middle ground. Because we are a bipolar society, the middle ground in one community may be considered radical in another. Take the use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims. What view would the "middle ground" hold? And if PKR does markedly worse than PAS and the DAP in the next elections, PKR may be more torn between the differently defined middle grounds, not knowing which one it should fall back to. Suggested resolutions
Challenges PAS's contradictory stand on whether non-Muslims can use "Allah" shows that it is in an identity crisis. Some party leaders are apparently anxious over the attacks of Datuk Dr Hasan Ali and Nasharudin Mat Isa that the party is betraying its Islamist ideals in moving to the middle. PAS's anxiety is due to its own success in transforming its image. It is now more successful in its secondary market – the non-Muslims – than its primary market – the Muslims. Support for PAS among Chinese Malaysians has risen from between 10% and 20% to possibly beyond 50-60%. This should not come as a surprise, thanks to its mainstreaming efforts and also Umno's extremism, especially after 2008. However, among Malay Malaysians, it is still second to Umno. PAS's support can hope to rise beyond 50% only after winning federal power, which would accord it more resources.  PAS's Nasharudin Mat Isa How can PAS return to its comfort zone by winning higher support among Muslim Malaysians? The quickest way is to simply chase away some non-Muslim votes in the hope of gaining some Muslim votes. The manner in which a non-Muslim unisex salon in Kota Baru was fined and the temporary about-turn on Allah both signify this trend to restore PAS's psychological balance. But the trade-off may not pay off as they risk chasing off more votes than they can win back. If PAS loses some mixed constituencies in the next elections without winning back more Muslim heartland seats in compensation, this would certainly make the hardliners more relevant in the party. So the party's loss may actually benefit some individuals within the party. The opposition made significant inroads in the 1990 and 1990 general elections, but due to PAS's zeal in Islamisation, this contributed to the disintegration and decline of the opposition fronts in the subsequent 1995 and 2004 general elections. If it is not careful, PAS may again save Umno and Barisan Nasional thanks to its own fear of success. Suggested resolutions
Read more at: http://www.thenutgraph.com/uncommon-sense-with-wong-chin-huat-new-year-resolutions-for-pakatan-rakyat/
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| PAS Kedah Larang Artis Wanita Buat Persembahan Tebuka Posted: 13 Jan 2013 12:25 PM PST
(mStar) - Menjelang sambutan Tahun Baru Cina bulan depan, kerajaan PAS Kedah menguatkuasakan peraturan baru berhubung acara persembahan pentas pada perayaan itu nanti. Berdasarkan peraturan berkenaan, kerajaan negeri akan menghentikan persembahan pentas sempena Tahun Baru Cina pada bila-bila masa sekiranya didapati melanggar garis panduan tersebut. Kerajaan negeri mengharamkan persembahan penyanyi wanita profesional membuat persembahan di pusat membeli belas dan lain-lain tempat awam terbuka. Hanya penghibur lelaki dibenarkan untuk menyanyi dan menari dalam pertunjukan yang diadakan di tempat-tempat tersebut. Sementara itu bagi wanita, hanya pelajar sekolah menengah dibenarkan untuk berbuat demikian. Selain itu persembahan muzik secara langsung juga dihalang daripada membuat persembahan terbuka, sebaliknya penyanyi hanya dibenarkan menggunakan muzik iringan yang direkodkan (minus-one). Pusat membeli-belah turut dimaklumkan bahawa hanya lagu-lagu berunsur ketuhanan dan mengandungi mesej positif dibenarkan untuk dimainkan. Selain perlu mengemukakan senarai penghibur dan lagu-lagu yang akan dipersembahkan, penganjur juga harus memastikan artis yang terlibat supaya berkelakuan sopan. Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Belia dan Sukan, Kesenian dan Warisan, Kebudayaan, Datuk Dr Hamdan Mohamed Khalib mengeluarkan arahan tersebut kepada Pegawai Daerah Kota Setar, Datuk Bakar Din pada 9 Januari lepas. Menerusi garis panduan itu itu juga dinyatakan kumpulan artis dan orang yang terlibat dalam sesuatu persembahan perlu berpakaian sopan dan tidak mencolok mata. Salinan peraturan berkenaan kemudiannya diberikan kepada Presiden MCA, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek di Sungai Petani pada Jumaat. Beliau kemudiannya menunjukkan kepada pemberita selepas majlis sambutan ulang tahun MCA di sini, Ahad. Menurut Dr Chua, garis panduan berkenaan dianggap melanggar hak dan kebebasan orang bukan Islam. Katanya lagi, DAP sebagai sekutu PAS di Kedah perlu menjelaskan mengenai pelaksanaan peraturan baru berkenaan. "Ini adalah kerana DAP membantu PAS mengambil alih Kedah. Adakah DAP sekali lagi akan berkata bahawa ini adalah satu perkara kecil?" soal beliau. Tambah beliau orang bukan Islam mempunyai hak dan kebebasan ke atas makanan, pakaian, muzik, hiburan, dan masa lapang. Sementara itu Naib Presiden MCA, Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung berkata orang bukan Islam boleh kehilangan identiti mereka di bawah dasar itu. "Jika bukan Islam terus diperlakukan begini, maka semua perkara termasuk budaya masyarakat Cina dan India boleh hilang jika Pakatan Rakyat terus mentadbir Kedah," katanya.
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| Guidelines for CNY celebration in Kedah threaten rights of non-Muslims - Chua Posted: 13 Jan 2013 12:22 PM PST
(Bernama) - MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has described the guidelines issued by the PAS-led Kedah government to organisers of Chinese New Year celebrations in Kedah as threatening and eroding the rights of the non-Muslims which are provided for in the Federal Constitution. He said the guidelines, issued by the Kedah state executive council on Jan 9, involved among others, the aspects of attire, singing and dancing. Dr Chua said MCA was of the opinion that the issue was not a petty one because it involved respect for matters clearly stated in the Federal Constitution and the rights of the non-Muslims. "The DAP will say that this is just a petty issue...when we say it's a political eunuch and it's right and apt, they (DAP) will keep quiet and will raise other issues to confuse the people," he told reporters after opening the 64th anniversary of Perak MCA, here today. He was commenting on the guidelines for the organising of the 1Malaysia Chinese New Year Celebration 2013 scheduled to be held at the Star Walk Alor Setar, Kedah on Feb 15. The guidelines prescribed, among others, appropriate attire for officers and singers involved and that the singers are encouraged to sing motivational songs and that if extreme singing and dancing activities were to take place, the state government has the right to put an immediate stop to the programme. Dr Chua also expressed hope that the Chinese community would not give their support to the DAP as the party had repeatedly caused them to fight among themselves and influenced them to vote for PAS and support the guidelines that denied the rights of the non-Muslims. He said the opposition pact did not have any future as they were willing to use the people just to achieve their own political agenda and that they did not have any strategy to further develop the country besides raising issues and organising demonstrations. "If we vote for Barisan Nasional (BN), we have the assurance that the Prime Minister is Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and we have the assurance of political, social, economic and religious stability. "We have the assurance of development every year, of satisfactory growth rate, of the fact that the country's heading towards becoming high-income nation and of our freedom intact," he said. Meanwhile, Dr Chua also reminded farmers in the state not to fall for the opposition's sweet talk to solve their land issues because only the ruling government could do so. "The opposition does not even understand the issues. We will help the 1,500 farmers to solve the issues," he said, adding that MCA had so far helped 1,150 farmers in the state to solve their land applications involving approximately 4,000 hectares of land. | ||||||||||||
| Malay Chamber to hand over 20 resolutions to PM Posted: 12 Jan 2013 06:17 PM PST
(Bernama) - The Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia (DPMM) will hand over 20 resolutions passed at the Malay Economic Congress last year to Datuk Seri Najib Razak in March. Its vice-president, Rizal Faris Mohidden Abdul Kadir said the resolutions,which had been discussed at the grassroots level, would serve as guidelines forthe future direction of Malay entrepreneurs in the march towards Vision 2020. He said the resolutions were passed at the congress, which was attended byformer prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in October last year. Rizal said the resolutions would be deliberated at the national-levelroundtable for dissemination at the zone and district levels before they were fine-tuned for submission to the prime minister. "We do not want the Malays to lag behind and miss the economic opportunitieswhen the country is developed by 2020," Rizal told reporters after the opening of the East Zone Malay Congress 2013 by Kelantan State Secretary Datuk DrZainuddin Ibrahim at Bandar Baharu Tunjung here today. The congress is organised by the DPMM Research and Development Foundation,the Kelantan DPMM and the Malaysian Economic Action Council. He said two more zones - Putrajaya and Penang - had yet to hold the Malay Congress this year. | ||||||||||||
| Kudos to Peaceful Assembly Act Posted: 12 Jan 2013 06:07 PM PST
NAJIB'S PROMISE: Yesterday's gathering at Stadium Merdeka indicates improved civil liberties Azmi Anshar, NST THEY came, they screamed, they mouthed, they preened, all in good spirits and in no worse shape than when they first arrived at the Stadium Merdeka since mid-morning yesterday for the hyped-up "Perhimpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat", where only a miniscule fraction of the touted one million crowd turned up. Large peaceful assemblies previously untenable are, to the surprise of Pakatan Rakyat diehards, possible but they would rather lose their manhood than admit that yesterday's gathering was somewhat prim, proper and... dull. So what if it was tedious, not to the Malay-dominated Pakatan faithful of course, but to other ordinary Malaysians making their way against the congested city streets commandeered by protesters. But by convoking the big crowd to the historical venue of national independence, Pakatan unwittingly magnified Datuk Seri Najib Razak's fulfilled promise for improved civil liberties. Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, bless him, was still the centre of attention in this humdrum affair -- by his high standards of instigation. There was no sleight of hands instructing supplicants to break police barriers, no overturned vehicles carjacked by humans resembling raging monkeys, no bloody altercations with police and, startlingly, no drama queen antics of feigned injuries. Not very Anwarish. Instead, the assembly was addled with political chinwag purposely designed to bedevil government leaders, especially the prime minister, and selected government-linked companies where the opposition failed to rattle into corporate submission. What the crowd had to endure was a series of chest-thumping but debunked allegations by Pakatan leaders eager to downplay scurrilous events of past weeks that made them look like chumps: Pas and its paradoxically confusing edicts on the demand to apply "Allah" in the ecclesiastical context, DAP and its bizarre party elections where a loser can be a winner after 19 days of mulling and PKR and, well, whatever latest scandal roiling around Anwar. Moreover, the destructive elements in Pakatan couldn't muster a plausible pretense to provoke a fight with the police because the security people -- leery of the ways of certain anarchists and their propensity to rustle up street chaos on the call of a not-so-subtle hand signal -- kept a polite distance and simply made sure traffic flowed smoothly. So subtle was the police presence that they didn't even need to construct a protective shield for mainstream media reporters previously the brunt of vicious gangs. Which can only mean that the Peaceful Assembly Act envisioned by the government when it was enacted last year is now a resounding success: implementable once politicians organising the event follow the rules permitting their right to free expression but respect the authorities' right to fix the location for sensible crowd control. Otherwise, Pakatan leaders could have easily mobilised their people to congregate at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil (recommended by police for bigger crowd accommodation and better public transport) or the PKR-controlled Shah Alam Stadium but the choice of the two venues wouldn't be as "cool and photogenic" as Stadium Merdeka. Pakatan apologists will continue to contest the fact that Malaysia has advanced the ideal that free association and assembly is steadily becoming the norm. That's the rub: the more "civilised and dull" assemblies they summon in the event Anwar feels threatened by fresh scandals, the better cemented are Malaysians' civil liberties. And that can't be happening. One fine day, Anwar and his ilk will realise that the mass public assemblies that served him artfully in the past, from his dodgy 1974 Baling demonstrations over farmers' hunger that didn't exist to his ugly street riots in 1998 after he was fired as deputy prime minister, will actually be banal and quaint, as it was yesterday. But that doesn't mean yesterday's serenity will repeat: with general election just a quarter away, Anwar will be desperate to figure out a way to incite an Arab Spring moment using typically fishy anti-government allegations under the intense glare of western media astigmatism. Just watch. | ||||||||||||
| BN optimistic but no polls till March Posted: 12 Jan 2013 05:59 PM PST
Federal Minister Peter Chin recalled that similar rallies in 1998 after the DPM Anwar Ibrahim's sacking, had not dented support for BN. (Bernama) - The Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat rally organised by opposition parties at Stadium Merdeka yesterday will not influence support for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming 13th general election. Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) president Peter Chin Fah Kui said the estimated crowd turnout of between 50,000 to 60,000 should not be a yardstick of the support towards the opposition. "BN should not be afraid, when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was sacked from the cabinet in 1998, there were similar rallies with 50,000 to 60,000 attending but support towards BN remained intact," he told reporters after visiting a Miri Home for the Aged, a privately run senior citizen care centre, in conjunction with the coming Chinese New Year celebration here today. Chin, who is Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister, said rather than resorting to street demonstrations, Pakatan Rakyat (Pakatan) should try to go to the ground always and explain to the people of their ability. "I hope PR (Pakatan) can stop street demonstrations. It's not the Malaysian way, what kind of message they are trying to pass or the result they want to achieve. Go to the ground and tell the people who will be the Prime Minister if PR (Pakatan) win the general election, they can't even tell people that," he said. Asked whether he had any indication of when the parliament would be dissolved, Chin who is also Miri Member of Parliament (MP) said it is unlikely to be this month or next month. "The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister are now actively going to the ground to assess the political situation and with Chinese New Year around the corner it would not be possible to hold an election," he said. He said the date for the election was an open secret to the public since the current term of the government would expire on April 28 this year. With Chinese New Year to be celebrated on Feb 10 and 11, as well as many financial assistance to be handed out between now and March, many had speculated that the Prime Minister would likely dissolve parliament in March, one month ahead of the expiry term. Political observers have speculated that parliament would be dissolved in the first week of March with voting expected to be held by end of the month.
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| KL112: Anwar mimicks Tunku’s “Merdeka” Posted: 12 Jan 2013 05:51 PM PST
If it wasn't enough to stage a massive anti-UMNO and anti-BN rally at the venue which played a major role in UMNO's legacy, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim capped off the event by chanting "Merdeka" seven times, mimicking Tunku not only in frequency but in mannerism as well. Din Merican Fifty-six years ago, UMNO was etched into the history books as the party which helped free Malaysia from British colonialists, a feat which it has hitherto never stopped reminding Malaysians about. The declaration of Independence was made by UMNO's second president Tunku Abdul Rahman at Stadium Merdeka, which grew even more famous over the years by playing host to premier entertainment, sporting and national events. Today, the ageing stadium hosted yet another historical milestone. It was the site of the biggest ever rally organised by Opposition parties, which no doubt helped set a new record for the 30,000 capacity stadium. If it wasn't enough to stage a massive anti-UMNO and anti-BN rally at the venue which played a major role in UMNO's legacy, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim capped off the event by chanting "Merdeka" seven times, mimicking Tunku not only in frequency but in mannerism as well. "Like how our forefathers cried out (Merdeka!), today we repeat that oath and this time, we will achieve genuine independence for the people," he said. To stress this point further, each time Anwar said "Merdeka", the crowd responded emphatically with "Rakyat". How will UMNO react? Pakatan Rakyat's antics in Stadium Merdeka is unlikely to bode well for UMNO diehards, who are likely to question the sudden and unexpected liberal approach. Until today, any major rally with a hint of anti-UMNO and anti-BN sentiments would have faced the full brunt of the law, with tear gas, batons and water cannons to boot. Instead, the Federal government went out of its way to make sure that the rally proceeded without incident, to the extent of having the police say that their aim was to have "zero casualties" during the event. In essence, Pakatan came out looking like its support base is growing, despite the intensifying negative press about them coming from the government-controlled media organisations since the last general election. Such media organisations are going to be hard-pressed to claim that 100,000 people were paid to attend the rally, whereas Pakatan supporters will claim they braved the heat and congestion, unlike BN's less organic approach in drawing a crowd. Looking beyond race Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's predecessors have never faced an opposition show of force on this scale before and his party will face a challenge to explain why opposition rally numbers are on the rise under his watch.
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| Fixed deposits? What interests? Posted: 12 Jan 2013 05:40 PM PST  KTemoc Konsiders Free Malaysia Today - Three vital states for Pakatan Apparently, according to Chua Jui Meng and many others, the pivotal states for GE 13 are Johor, Sabah and Sarawak. Najib Razak had previously declared the latter two, Sabah and Sarawak, as the BN's electoral 'fixed deposits', which ensure a solid bank of votes to see the UMNO-led coalition to victory in another federal election. Johor, the birth place of UMNO has hitherto been considered as also another 'fixed deposit'.
But after the March 2008 election, we saw a run on UMNO-BN's banks in these three UMNO blue ribbon strongholds, with the account holders possibly withdrawing the 'fixed deposits'. No doubt such a possibility and its likely consequences have sent UMNO into panic mode. Before I get into the meat of this post (non-halal of course, otherwise how can I convince you to read it to the end, wakakaka), let me give you my personal take on the author of the FMT article mentioned above, CJM, wakakaka. I can't find fault with his criticism of BN where he warned of UMNO-BN becoming even more corrupt, greedier and bolder if the 55-year old ruling coalition were to win again. Being a cultured person he of course didn't say stuff that kaytee would say, such as the BN leaders quipping "Look, those idiots are quite happy with us screwing them kau kau! Let's not disappoint them" (wakakaka). However, I am reminded he was once in MCA, and while we shouldn't hold that against him as we shouldn't hold an UMNO past against Anwar, there are conditions for excusing his MCA background, equally as there would be for Anwar Ibrahim's UMNO lamentable track record.
For CJM, his move to Pakatan would have been more credible (like Zaid Ibrahim's) if he had left when he was still in power, such as in a party or/and ministerial position, thus indicating his preparedness to sacrifice his power, position and privilege because of his repentance in being a part of an ineffectual MCA leadership or recognizing the BN's general poor performance in governance, transparency and accountability. He only joined PKR after he lost his bid to be a deputy president of MCA, very much like another sour grape, Anwar Ibrahim, who crooned reformasi only after he was kicked out of UMNO but not while he was in that party for 16 years, ... ... unlike Zaid Ibrahim who voluntarily resigned from his ministerial post under the AAB government to leave UMNO so as to come over to Pakatan.
Unfortunately for Zaid and us, he was manoeuvred out by a political pygmy who was terrified of his leadership potential in PKR. OTOH, I respect Ong Tee Keat because despite losing to the Chua Soi Lek-Liow Tiong Lie team, he stayed true to the party he joined. Though I don't respect today's MCA, I still respect Ong TK, the man. Thus I couldn't help chuckling when I read CJM's article in FMT titled Give MCA the boot wakakaka. Anyway, let's not dwell too long on CJM as we are stuck with him in Pakatan, though I would advise that he won't be MB of Johor even if Pakatan wins the state, because Salahuddin Ayub of PAS has been anointed for that post, wakakaka. Salahuddin is currently MP for Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. But he has been instructed by the 2 Pak Hajis to return to his birthplace in Johor for 'higher duties', wakakaka. And DAP is no doubt backing PAS on this as it knows Johoreans are not ready yet, no, not even for a DAP Malay politician to politically head the state.
One year ago I discussed the survey by Zentrum Future Studies think-tank which showed Chinese approval of Pakatan in Johor rose to 68% after the last election, and climbed further to 79% in 2010. These staggering stats, if they come about in GE-13, would effectively enable Pakatan to pick up 15 federal and 30 state seats in Johor, compared to 1 and 6 respectively on 08 March 2008. And Salahuddin Ayob will become the new Pakatan MB of Johor. Could it be confirming the reliability of the Zentrum survey when rumours have it that our dearest Hishamuddin Hussein is likely to shift from his current seat of Sembrong to Kota Tinggi? And why should he consider such a move, assuming the rumours have been reliable? Well, stats again, those damn stats, because 40% of the registered voters in the Sembrong federal constituency are Chinese, wakakaka. And to make the forecast even shittier for our dearest Hisham, Professor Abu Hassan Hasbullah of Zentrum revealed that "… its end-of-year surveys [end of 2011] have seen Johor Chinese catch up with and possibly overtake their northern kin in terms of backing PR. Opposition leaders in the state estimate that they won 55 per cent of Chinese votes in the last election but ….. support from the community has surged to close to 90 per cent." 90%! Oh, those bloody Chinese - no wonder Hisham likes to wave his keris and can you blame him, wakakaka.
The Prof described the massive political swing as a 'silent Tionghua revolution'. Basically, PKR wants a monopoly on mixed ethnic constituencies (based on whatever nebulous basis it has claimed) while at the same has been avariciously eyeing the attractive DAP blue ribbon seats with Chinese majority. DAP which has traditionally contested in the latter type also wants a share of the far more numerous mixed constituencies, especially those which Pakatan hasn't hitherto contested.
We saw a perverted version of this in the last Sarawak state election where sore loser PKR groused about DAP staying safe in urban areas instead of venturing forth into rural constituencies, conveniently forgetting that it was PKR itself which unilaterally and preemptively grabbed 52 (subsequently 49) seats out of an available 71 in the Sarawak State election. I wrote about the Sarawak debacle for PKR in May 2011 in a post PKR's green-eyed monster where I commented: ….. a disgraceful petulant sour grapes merajuking Baru Bian … told The Malaysian Insider PKR wants DAP and PAS to prove they're multiracial, but obviously targeting the DAP. He claimed that PKR "...wants its Pakatan Rakyat PR partners to contest in 'black seats' in the next general election and dismiss the notion that they cannot cross the racial divide."
He also told reporters that PKR "... could not continue shouldering the burden of contesting in BN strongholds alone." Shouldering the burden of contesting in BN strongholds alone? My bloody foot, don't make my toes laugh! This is the state head of a party who pre-emptively grabbed 52 seats without even a thought for its coalition allies in an unrealistic expectation PKR could be the winning PR member with the majority of seats, with him as CM wakakaka. Here's a case of a greedy gluttonous grabbing beast which had refused to share and ate more than it could practically swallow, and now blames DAP for its tummy ache. Padan muka.
Of course I would not be surprised if PKR has been singing a different tune in Johor where it sure as hell doesn't want DAP to contest in the so-called 'black seats', wakakaka. Okay, let's move back to Sarawak. I wasn't surprised by CT Ali's article in FMT titled What comes first for Anwar? because I can easily answer Ali's titled question, wakakaka. Anyway Ali, pissed off with Anwar's wheeling and dealing with super-frog Lajim Ukin in Sabah, has been super pissed off with Anwar and Taib (yes, the Sarawak peh moh) 'holding each others' hands', wakakaka.
Guess CJM has been right about Johor, Sabah and Sarawak representing the 3 vital states in GE-13 where principles, let alone the bullsh*t reforms, have been trampled upon virtually everyday. Poor frustrated CT Ali wrote:
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| KL rally makes GE13 a keener battle, say analysts Posted: 12 Jan 2013 04:38 PM PST
Pakatan Rakyat have estimated that close to 500,000 turned up for the rally yesterday while police said the crowd was, at the most, 45,000. By Clara Chooi and Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider Kuala Lumpur's mammoth rally yesterday has revived Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) push to capture Putrajaya from the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) which has used a combination of policy and handouts to claw back support, say political analysts. The analysts told The Malaysian Insider that PR's ability to organise up to 100,000 for the Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat gathering and the crowd's interest in the issues being discussed will make the general election a close battle for both coalitions. PR have estimated that close to 500,000 turned up for the rally at the iconic Stadium Merdeka but police said the crowd was, at the most, 45,000. "Regardless of the actual crowd numbers, aerial photographs emerging from the event show a very large crowd, which reflects on the opposition and civil society's ability to mobilise the public," Merdeka Center's Ibrahim Suffian noted. "But apart from showcasing the capability of organisers, it also shows the enthusiasm and energy of the forces opposing the government, underlining the fact that the coming polls contest will no doubt be the toughest that the ruling coalition will face in its history," he added. Centre for Policy Initiatives director Dr Lim Teck Ghee said the rally was a "clear-cut victory" for both the opposition and civil society, citing the massive turnout, the disciplined behaviour of participants and the "formidable" consensus shown by all parties in opposing Barisan Nasional's (BN) rule. "All these indicators will strike dismay in BN," he said. But Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) political analyst Professor Datuk Dr Mohammad Agus Yusoff expressed a slightly different view. "When such a big rally is not disturbed and goes on so peacefully, why then did it not attract the one-million supporters as promised by Pakatan?" he asked. In the run-up to the event, rally organisers had estimated attendance at a whopping one million people, although the seating capacity at Stadium Merdeka is only 30,000. The gathering, which saw people dressed in T-shirts in a rainbow of colours to denote various causes, was organised by both political leaders from PR and non-partisan members of various civil society groups as a final showcase of their demands before the 13th general election is called by June. "So one impact from this event is that we cannot always believe what these parties tell us. They always boast figures. "Sometimes, they should just be realistic. You cannot promise something that is beyond your reach... you will just give false hope," Agus said. But on a more positive note, the professor said the smooth running of the rally, possibly the largest public gathering yet in years, should be marked as a milestone in the growth of democracy in Malaysia. He said scenes of the carnival-like atmosphere as rally-goers of all race and backgrounds came together for a cause was enough to reduce a person to tears. "It made everyone so happy to get the permit. It shows that we, Malaysians, can now express our rights in a peaceful way. This is what democracy is," he said. Agus added that one of the biggest takeaways from the rally was that it helped voters make up their minds for the polls by placing them in the "best position to assess which party is the best". PR's de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim made several election pledges that appeared to strike a chord with the predominantly Malay crowd at Stadium Merdeka. Speaking to The Malaysian Insider after the event, many rally participants appeared enthused and determined to make sure there will be a change of guard in Putrajaya after the 13th general election. "This is the climax before PRU13," despatch rider Md Isa Ishak said, referring to the polls. "We are angry at cronyism. They are robbing us. We are angry at our leaders now." "I feel positive after this event. I always feel angry at BN," said 36-year-old videgrapher David Lim, adding that he would get all his friends to vote in the polls.
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| Winning by popularity: Can Umno rely on the prime minister’s personal standing? Posted: 12 Jan 2013 04:31 PM PST
What panic? The panic that Islam is in danger, and that only Malays acting together as Malays can save it. The panic that Malays and their place in the country are imperilled, and that only by coming and acting together in the name and on the basis of Islam can their stake in the nation be safeguarded. Clive Kessler, The Malaysian Insider "BN needs to milk Najib's popularity harder, say analysts" reads a recent headline (The Malaysian Insider, 12 January 2013). Sorry, but this is just delusional. A strategy that seeks to use Najib's supposed popularity to save Umno/BN, to pull its chestnuts from the fire at the last moment, will fail miserably. Umno has been around, and in charge (though in recent times unconvincingly), for over half a century. Najib has been PM for less than five years. So, with reason, he is less unpopular than his now increasingly unpopular party. He has not had a sufficient chance yet to make himself as unpopular as Umno itself, by its own doing over recent years, has become. And because he is widely seen as weak and vacillating, many people tend to be indifferent to him, unmoved by him, rather than to hate him. They just don't feel strongly about him in any way: love, admire, sympathise or hate. He does not inspire political passions of any kind. Rather, he comes across politically as simply a "cold fish." Nothing blood-stirring there about him. And when he tries, such as at the conclusion of Umno General Assemblies, to display political passion, it tends to fall flat, embarrassingly. That lack of powerful personal feeling or emotional "valence", positive or negative, towards the prime minister shows up in the polls as "popularity." Where what you are being measured against — here a suddenly and surprisingly quite unpopular party — is a negative, mere indifference comes over as a plus, a positive. Or that is how some people see things, how many people feel about what the government is now offering. But any notion that PM Najib's supposed personal popularity can possibly rescue Umno/BN is just fantasy. How might Umno/BN win the election? It's pretty late in the day now to try to work out a compelling strategy. But it would have to go beyond personalities, including Najib's. All else aside, that is the only way to neutralize the "negative" side of popular feelings about Najib. It would require Umno/BN to devise and promote a positive, coherent and principled agenda. Principled? Principled in the sense that it was unifying, that it united people and massed popular support from all directions. By practising the politics of convergence, and seeking to draw in its supporters and allies on all sides, from all quarters. Not a strategy, in other words, that divided, that sought to prevail at the polls by building up a numerical majority amassed from one side of the field only. Not a strategy that seeks "traction" by appealing to, by driving and even frightening together in an anxious and fearful huddle, the majority — or as many of them as can possibly be made to feel beleaguered — against all the various minorities. Can Umno/BN do that? Can it rise above the politics — well-known for its tactical popularity among the cattle rustlers in old cowboy Western movies — of the stampede, the politics of unleashing and seeking to control panic?
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| The ultimate Malaysian victory speech -- April 2013 Posted: 12 Jan 2013 04:26 PM PST
In an imperfect world such as Malaysia, in which imperfection has gotten worse and making us slaves to the policies created out of our prejudices and arrogance, out of our greed and lust for power, and out of our ill-conceived idea of human liberation and economic development - this imperfect world needed more than just incremental changes and compromise. A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Dr Azly Rahman The great gathering of thousands, the new leaders emerging from the elections of 2013 speak. Praise be to God, Lord of the Universe, Just God of Humanity, Universal God of Humankind that knows even what is whispered in our hearts. Praise be to Lord of the Day of Judgment; one that made possible the change and transformation we are seeing now and we will continue to see in future. Allow me to talk about our victory, our vision of a "Constitutional State" and our vehicle of social, cultural, and economic progress beyond the NEP: of a new economic agenda. I stand here by His Grace, with humility, thanking you Malaysians who have come to celebrate and to give us the strength, the resolve, and the will to continue to march towards victory. This victory is already ours. We cannot underestimate our struggle – the struggle of Malaysians of regardless of race, class, gender, creed, religious background, and national origin. This victory will be a gift for our children. This will be the best gift we can leave the next generation with in a country in which "justice" is put in its proper place. This is the concept of Adil and is what we base out struggle on. This is the concept of bersih, cekap, amanah in the truest sense of the word. We are winning. We live in an imperfect world. We live in maya, in the shadow of Plato's cave. We constantly need to make changes to our institutions, so that democracy will have its breathing space, will evolve, and will flourish in accordance to the laws of Nature. As the French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau once said "Everything in good in the hands of the Author of things, everything degenerates in the Hands of Man…" We have allowed totalitarianism, corruption, repression, and hedonism to take root in our democratic institutions. In an imperfect world such as Malaysia, in which imperfection has gotten worse and making us slaves to the policies created out of our prejudices and arrogance, out of our greed and lust for power, and out of our ill-conceived idea of human liberation and economic development - this imperfect world needed more than just incremental changes and compromise. It needed radical changes and no-compromises. We have shown that we through Fate conspiring, through the Will of God, we made that change, sudden yet peaceful and civil, on March 8 2008. It is our Velvet revolution, inspired by our own sense of non-violence, aided by technologies of cybernetics. The "revolution" - our own Malaysian styled-revolution - that ought to now be studied alongside the nature and structure of revolutions worldwide is not without its causes. Voices of change Those hard long years of battling injustices, the sacrifices of those imprisoned without trial, of those humiliated beyond recognition stripped off their dignity, those brutally beaten beyond mercy, those hunted down on the streets of our major cities, those silenced and stupefied in our universities, those sprayed with chemicals, and the voice of the little girl – a child of the Hindraf revolution who brought roses to ask for pity for his father's release - all these violent images of oppression we do not deserve have taught us to be stronger. We shall overcome We shall overcome. We shall overcome the tyranny of an arrogant, ineffective, incompetent, corrupt and lazy government that does not have any more respect for the rule of law does not have any shame in showing its greed and lust does not have any mercy in using brutal force to silent the voices of change does not have much respect for the principles of human rights does not have much intelligence when it comes to parliamentary debates does not have a clue of what good governance means does not have any regard for the plight of the poor and their livelihood does not have any respect for the intelligence of the faculty and students in our universities does not have any shame in overstaying their welcome does not have any interest in controlling crime does not have any will to fight corruption and does not have leaders that are wide awake, and does not have any idea that spoiled brats and greedy ones are running the country and finally destroying not only the party but also the nation.
That's the price of arrogance. That's the price of corruption. That' s the price of losing touch with reality and a government losing its mind as well. That is what it is paying for – big time! It has been our remarkable years of living dangerously, swept by the tsunami of a yellow wave, under the moonlight of a blood red sky. It has been remarkable for us and the world to witness battles being fought by the rakyat against the machinery of oppression— a corrupted machine run by corrupted minds of lesser morals. By God's grace we shall win this war against the unjust. We shall win, by the will of the people. We shall put justice in its proper place. Hold on fast to your dreams A few days before the Malaysian tsunami that swept away the powerful machinery of the ruling regime, sweeping it to the backyard of our national history, we were battling with this feeling that the regime would still be holding power and will continue to use it to oppress, intimidate, and to rob the rakyat – for another fifty years. The African-American poet of hope, Langston Hughes once said: "Hold on fast to your dreams. For when dreams die, life is but a broken-wing" W.S. Rendra the great poet of the Nusantara once said the "world within.. the world outside must unite" in order for meaningful change to happen; in order for leaders to be true to his or her conscience and to answer to God. We are at an exciting historical juncture. No longer are we being objects of history, but we have become makers of history. Time awaits no man or woman. History marches on; history crafted by those oppressed by their own people intoxicated with power. No colours or barriers Who would believe that we could have achieve such victory in a time when skepticism still reigns. Who would believe that we would, in our rage against the machine, overturned it and send those who owned it scrambling in all directions bruised and still unwilling to accept the defeat orchestrated by the rakyat. Yes, the power of the rakyat, or suara keramat rakyat, the sacred voice of the people, that made victory possible. From the silent and scared voices of the rakyat we now have a sacred voice that has spoken loud and clear and will continue to speak louder. Onwards to the march of the power of the people that have begun to know no colors and barriers of religion, class, creed, and national origin. You are the reason why I am still standing here and not looking outward from some prison cell in Perak or Selangor – two states tsunamied by the yellow wave. What next after the revolution? The celebrations are over. We need a GPS – a geo-positioning system – to help us create a better society. We are all economic beings who need to see a better plan that will promise us a better life after what we have accomplished in this General Election. We do not have faith anymore in the New Economic Policy that has reared its ugly head in its 50 years of implementation. We cannot have faith in the NEP that is creating robber barons out of the hard work of the poor. We can no longer be fooled by the argument that the NEP protects the rights of the Bumiputeras when only a few "sons and daughters of the soil" are plundering the wealth of this land and gradually but surely selling off our country to other robber barons from outside of this country. Is this the kind of Bumiputera hiding behind the mask of the NEP we want to have running this country? These are the Bumiputeras who make different races mistrust each other, masking the real issue of oppression and distributive injustices that know no race, ethnicity, color, creed. These are the culprits that were created out of our own lack of understanding of what a "good society" is and what "radical multiculturalism" means and how these can offer us a sound philosophy of human development that prioritizes needs versus wants, virtue over greed, and peaceful solution versus structural violence. It is a matter of time we depose these "traitors" who call themselves defenders of this or that race, hiding behind the crumbling walls of the NEP. Who is still speaking for the New Economic Policy – one that is used for fifty years first as a programme to help the poor but no has matured as a tool of the powerful to plunder the nation and to rape the environment?. Who would have thought that the NEP once designed as a strategy to alleviate poverty and restructure society has now become an instrument to make the poor poorer and the rich filthier. A new dawn You have entrusted us to fight for a better future. You have given us the trust to chart a new Malaysia. We owe you a dawn of a new Malaysia. Our central economic principle is that "the right opportunities must be made available to every single Malaysian—opportunities to learn, opportunities to make an honest living, and opportunities to achieve our dreams". We will defend the rights of all Malaysians as guaranteed under our constitution. Let us go forth in the direction of change, with our brand new economic agenda. Let us leave the abused and outdated New Economic Policy behind. How do we do this? You and I must take charge. Courageous Malaysian who have known truth and justice, to fight for these, and to see how these are becoming a reality, You continue to be the reason why this revolution is happening. I stand before you, with humility asking you to continue to support our struggles to be free; You have answered the call to freedom. You have risked your lives on the streets in order to demand for freedom. You have not given up.
You will be free from the shackles of domination Free from being harassed by the government the moment you want to speak up Free from having to bear the burden of this regime's incompetence and corrupt practices, Free from the being treated like second and third class citizens even though grandfather and great grandfather arrived here earlier that the fathers and mother of many of the Cabinet Ministers Free at last we shall be Free at last by God's Grace Thank you. Thank you.
We shall work together to make our society better. Thank God Almighty. We shall march on. We shall be free! ********************************** OUR USUAL REMINDER, FOLKS:
AND - VOTE WISELY! https://www.facebook.com/#!/azly.rahman http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/
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| Malaysia opposition holds mass election rally (WITH PHOTOGRAPHS) Posted: 12 Jan 2013 03:57 PM PST
Anwar Ibrahim's three-party alliance taps into anti-government sentiment ahead of key general elections in March. (AL JAZEERA) - At least 45,000 people have joined a massive opposition rally in Malaysia's largest city in a show of force ahead of key general elections due in months. Police sealed off main roads in downtown Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, allowing protesters to march peacefully to a nearby stadium for the rally by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's three-party alliance. The rally focused on demanding further transparency in elections that must be held by June. The polls are seen a major test for Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling coalition after its dismal performance in 2008 elections. The National Front coalition, which has governed Malaysia since independence from Britain in 1957, lost more than a third of its seats in parliament to a resurgent opposition in 2008 amid public discontent over problems such as corruption and racial discrimination. Anwar on Saturday appealed to the public to oust the National Front and vote in his opposition alliance in this year's elections. "We ask for a chance so that the people's voice will become the sacred voice in ruling this country," he told the crowd. "Our government is so corrupt. The government should listen to us. They need to reform. For more than 50 years they have ruled Malaysia," said Azlan Abu Bakar, 29, a rally participant who travelled from the eastern state of Terengganu for the gathering. Peaceful gathering The rally tested Najib's tolerance for public dissent after police used tear gas to quell two similar protests over the past year. The protests have helped pressure the government to agree to new regulations to prevent people from voting multiple times and ensure fairer elections, but activists insist voter registration lists remain tainted. Police estimated Saturday's crowd at around 45,000, but organisers said more than 100,000 people showed up. The rally ended peacefully after more than three hours. Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin reacted to the rally by saying the ruling coalition has brought peace and prosperity for all Malaysians. "We have a good government and a good economy, so why do we need a change?" he was quoted as saying by the national Bernama news agency. In a statement, the government said that it was "pleased" that the rally passed off peacefully. "Today's events underline the government's commitment to freedom of assembly, and the strength of Malaysia's democracy. The rally was facilitated by the Prime Minister's political reforms, including the introduction of the Peaceful Assembly Act," the statement said. The government has intensified efforts to win back support over the past year with measures such as channeling more funds to the poor and abolishing security laws that were widely considered repressive. But the opposition insists that only a change of government will resolve problems such as corruption and racial discrimination. Most analysts believe Najib's ruling coalition will still have the upper hand in the elections because of its entrenched support in predominantly rural constituencies.
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| End days for the Great Survivor? Posted: 12 Jan 2013 03:48 PM PST
Dr Chua Soi Lek's failure to unite his party may prove to be his downfall. Stanley Koh, FMT However much you may hate Dr Chua Soi Lek, you have to admire his ability to survive in the harsh and sordid world of Malaysian politics. His victory in the 2010 MCA presidential election will remain as one of the great comeback stories in our political history. That victory came barely two years after he had confessed to a sexual indiscretion and resigned all party and government posts. It was no mean victory. His rivals were formidable; one was the incumbent president and the other a former president. However, according to some pundits inside his own party, Chua may have used up all the dirty tricks in his survival kit and is facing his end days in politics. They say his failure to fulfil a promise to unite the various factions in MCA and to regain voter support for the party will prove to be his final undoing. The promise to heal rifts in the party was particularly important. If he had worked hard at it and been even half successful, he might not have become the lonely and desperate party chief that his detractors say he is today. According to insiders, Chua hands are sore from gripping the rein of leadership tightly for fear of losing it to some scheming faction leader who has wised up to his tricks, including those he used as part of the psychological war strategy to clinch the 2010 victory. They say he can now trust only a small circle of supporters. Ironically, that is what he used to say about his predecessor. Chua knows well enough that in his campaign for the presidency, he made enough internal enemies to last him a lifetime. And since then he has added to the list through his decisions in party appointments and recommendations for government positions. Now, with the general election looming, the time bomb of vengeance is ticking away. Many are the disgruntled warlords waiting to settle old scores. Will they sabotage the election just to prove that Chua is an unworthy president? But then again, they may not have to do anything. Everyone knows that MCA is facing the darkest hour it its history and many think it will be wiped out in the coming election. The fact is glaringly clear: Chua has failed to win back the Chinese community's support for MCA and BN in nearly three years of helming the party. He has made blunder upon blunder in his public statements on issues that the new generation of voters care about, such as human rights and environmental concerns. When not blundering, he would resort to glittering rhetoric about BN's claimed culture of consensus or, in classic BN style, skim over the issues. Frogs in a well shaft In the eyes of the public, MCA leaders are like frogs in a well shaft. They see only the sky above. They are no longer feeling the pulse on the ground, having lost the plot set by the party's founding fathers in their aspiration for a democratic and united Malaysia. Critics among party insiders privately acknowledge that today's MCA has neither a ideology nor any semblance of unity. "Party unity is, at best, an illusion," said a veteran who served as a party official during Lee San Choon's presidency. One would be naive to think that Chua is unaware of disunity in his party despite the rhetoric he uses to convince his political masters in Umno that the situation is otherwise. It is out of his awareness of disunity that he has exercised extreme care in selecting candidates for the 13th GE. Foremost in his mind is his own political survival, which depends partly on MCA winning back a decent number of seats. It is anybody's guess how many rival factions there are in MCA, but insiders agree that one of the most dangerous to Chua is the faction led by Ong Ka Chuan. He is a brother of Ong Ka Ting, whose presidency was undermined by the Save MCA Campaign launched in 2006 and the Snoop Squad controversy that Chua allegedly had a hand in. Another faction is linked to the party's former youth chief in Penang, Eng Boon Hiap. Eng is a staunch supporter of Chua's predecessor, Ong Tee Keat. In December 2011, he led 400 others in a resignation that shut down two MCA branches. However, the biggest threat to Chua's future comes from the fact that the "collective leadership" he put together after winning the presidency was based on a betrayal of trust and selfish interests. Both Liow Tiong Lai and Wee Ka Siong were staunch supporters of Ong Tee Keat and were, during a factional split under Ling Liong Sik's tenure, aligned to a faction that was at odds with the faction Chua supported. MCA leadership is indeed trapped in history with political personalities and characters void of principles and non-ideological.
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| ‘Bersih was Anwar’s baby, Ambiga his shield’ Posted: 12 Jan 2013 03:41 PM PST
According to an ex-PKR official, Bersih 1 rally had proved to be a "wheel of fortune" for PKR and the party transformed from rags to riches Athi Shankar, FMT BUTTERWORTH: A former PKR official, who was once involved in organising party demonstrations, has alleged that the idea of Bersih was mooted by Anwar Ibrahim way back in 2007. Syamsul Hidayat Mohd Sharif, PKR's ex-Youth information chief, claimed said Bersih was not an independent, non-political movement championing free, fair and clean elections. He said Anwar, the party's de facto leader, mooted the idea to revive his waning 1998 'reformasi' call, bolster PKR's finances and fuel public hostility against the Barisan Nasional government. "Truth is Bersih was never independent. It's a political movement to vilify BN. "Bersih is Anwar's baby and he uses (S) Ambiga as a shield," said Syamsul, who recently joined Umno. Speaking at a political gathering in Raja Uda here last night, he further mocked Bersih claims that it is purely seeking electoral reform under the current leadership of Ambiga.
"Anwar first wanted to hold the Bersih 1 mammoth rally in Nov 2007 to stir up opposition against the government prior to the last general election. "He mooted the idea to cry for electoral reforms after receiving inside information that (then premier) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would hold the 12th general election in early 2008. "Anwar wanted to clone his reformasi rallies of 1998," said Syamsul. He said Anwar was convinced the Bersih rally would be an effective political vehicle given the success of previous 'refomasi' rallies in galvanising Malay voters against Umno and BN, and in toppling the Terengganu state government in the 1999 general election. Bersih, a windfall for PKR? He said Anwar also needed to 'recharge batteries' of his weary party members. "Hence he organised the Bersih rally to capture public imagination by accusing the nation's electoral process was dirty," said Syamsul.
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Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR)
PKR certainly needs to think more non-communally. More than that, it should recognise that its real niche is not to bridge the divide between PAS and the DAP but to enable the articulation of so-called communal issues by the "ethnic others", as 
PAS
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