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• Sabah, Sarawak to enjoy further devt under BN
• GE13: A Chinese will never be PM, says PAS veep Salahuddin
• GE13: BN manifesto a Pakatan ‘copy’
• Let's Talk With Sarawak Chief Minister
• More goodies from BN manifesto
• What me worry?
• Mahathir draws thousands in Selangor rally
• 2,000 throng Perkasa final rally
• Sabahans’ (new) dilemma
• Ghani's Gelang Patah move changes everything in Johor?
• Downfall is expected within six months if Pakatan Rakyat rules: Ko Youn
• Time to elect servant leaders
• GE13: Hindraf only focuses on Indians, says PKR man
• GE13: Dissent within PKR over Teluk Kemang seats
• GE13: Jui Meng accepts there is no seat for him in polls
• NY jeweller clears Rosmah on ring purchase
• US jeweller backs Rosmah’s denial of RM24m ring buy
• Who will the Suluks support?
• April 27 or April 28 or some say Polling Day is in May
• KL election fever sparks volatility
• PRU 13 dan Masa Depan Negara Malaysia
• Kematian Sugumar: Surat Terbuka Kepada Bakal Perdana Menteri Malaysia
• Talk is Cheap Daw Aung San Suu Kyi
• GE13: Palanivel rules out Samy as polls candidate
• Samy Vellu mad with Palanivel and deputy for misconstruing his statement
• GE13: UM student, 23, to challenge Najib for Pekan seat
• After Hindu insult, Zulkifli Noordin says ‘keling’
• Malaysia GE13: Anwar to contest from his old Penang seat after all
• Malaysia's Multi-Ethnic Coalition Near Collapse
• Blogger Papa Gomo says will fight Anwar in GE13
• Three-corner fight in Bukit Gasing with Edward Lee’s son as independent
• DAP blames EC for low overseas postal voter registrations
• The end of Machiavellianism (WITH CHINESE TRANSLATION)
• Battle will be fought on popularity, not policies
• ‘Flood of money leaving Malaysia to reverse after BN wins polls’
• Squabbles in PR camp over seat allocation
• Big win for BN - if see-saw voting trend continues
• Anwar to announce tonight which seat he will contest in
• Wan Azizah: Contesting or not?
• ABU: Don’t be scared of BN’s fear tactics
• Pakatan out to create a bigger tsunami
• ABU disappointed, says Hindraf 'courting' BN
• Pakatan still can't shoot straight on dissolution day
• Mutiny in Sabah Pakatan Rakyat
• Malay vote a stumbling block for Pakatan’s Perak quest
• Leaked papers show offshore interests of Mirzan, Raja Nong Chik
• Ahli PKR bantah Mustaffa Kamil tanding Pasir Salak
• DAP criticised over its ‘extremist’ candidate
• Azmin rejects Sabah PKR’s ‘suggestions’
• Only 6,298 overseas Malaysians have registered as postal voters

Sabah, Sarawak to enjoy further devt under BN Posted: 06 Apr 2013 12:47 PM PDT   (Bernama) - Sabah and Sarawak are assured of more progress under a Barisan Nasional (BN) government, with numerous projects expected to take off in the next five years if the coalition is returned to power.   According to the BN election manifesto launched by Prime Minister and BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak here last night, one of them is the construction of the 2,300-km Pan-Borneo Highway stretching from Sematan in Sarawak to Serudung in Sabah.   The highway is expected to spearhead new growth areas, better business opportunities and enhanced communications.   Themed 'People First', the manifesto was unveiled in the wake of the dissolution of the Dewan Rakyat on April 3, paving the way for the country's 13th general election.   There is also the pledge to build 2,500 kilometres of paved roads in Sabah and 2,800 kilometres in Sarawak, while the rural electrification project will benefit 60,000 households in Sabah and 80,000 in Sarawak.   The BN is also committed to extending clean water supply to another 320,000 homes nationwide in the next five years.   In a bid to provide better access to quality healthcare services, the BN, in its manifesto, pledges to set up a heart centre and cancer centre in every major hospital in both states.   The coalition also promises to improve access to quality education for rural and minorities communities, especially those in Sabah and Sarawak.   Meanwhile, in the economic sector, the 31-page manifesto said the effectiveness of the bumiputera agenda, including for bumiputeras in Sabah and Sarawak, will be enhanced by providing business opportunities, a stronger eco-system and institutional support.   The BN, meanwhile, pledges to gazette all native customary land in close consultation with state governments should it be returned to power in the upcoming general election.   The coalition is also committed to providing more income-generating opportunities within indigenous communities and increasing the intake of indigenous youth into tertiary and vocational education.   In addition, the BN promises to set up special courts with the same status as the High Court under the present justice system to deal specifically with native customary rights issues.

GE13: A Chinese will never be PM, says PAS veep Salahuddin Posted: 06 Apr 2013 12:45 PM PDT   (The Star) - A Chinese will never be Prime Minister or the Johor Mentri Besar if Pakatan Rakyat comes to power, said PAS vice president Salahuddin Ayub. He said that it was impossible for DAP to offer a Chinese candidate for these positions as they were only contesting 50 of the 222 Parliament seats. "I do not think that the Chinese and Indians are interested in becoming the Prime Minister or even the Agong," he said. "As for the position in the state, it says in state bylaws that only a Malay and a Muslim can be the Mentri Besar in Johor." He added that the same accusations surfaced when Datuk Chua Jui Meng was appointed the Johor PKR chief and had resurfaced with DAP advisor Lim kit Siang contesting in Gelang Patah. Salahuddin is tipped to contest the Pulai parliamentary and the state seat of Nusajaya.

GE13: BN manifesto a Pakatan ‘copy’ Posted: 06 Apr 2013 12:38 PM PDT   (The Star) - "When Barisan criticises us that the Opposition will bankrupt the country with our manifesto, they should be looking at themselves"  The Opposition has called Barisan Nasional's manifesto a carbon copy of Pakatan Rakyat's policies. DAP national organising secretary Anthony Loke said that the Barisan's promise to gradually increase the BR1M handouts to RM1,200 for each household and RM600 for single people was clearly aimed at giving out goodies to win the general election. He added that increasing the BR1M handouts by more than 100% would increase the financial allocation for BR1M to about RM6bil a year. "In the Pakatan manifesto we only promise cash handouts for senior citizens as a form of appreciation to them. "When Barisan criticises us that the Opposition will bankrupt the country with our manifesto, they should be looking at themselves," he said. PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli, who is head of the party's Lower Car Prices campaign, said that Barisan's promise to revamp the National Automotive Policy and lowering car prices by 20% to 30% would be meaningless unless the excise duties were abolished. "Barisan's revamp on car prices is mostly cosmetic and won't appease the public. Anything short of a complete revamp will backfire on them," he added. PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar said that increasing the 1Malaysia People's Aid would not address the issue of rising living costs. He said it was more important to expand the people's disposable incomes by reducing oil tariffs, removing toll charges for the North-South Expressway and abolishing excise duties for vehicles. "Such measures will have more far-reaching effects in reducing the prices of consumer goods," he added. PSM central committee member Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj said the Barisan had allowed commercialism to get out of control, causing the prices of food, housing, healthcare and education to go up. "The Barisan had offered to build homes at RM200,000 each. Such houses will not be affordable to those earning RM3,000 and less," he added. PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin said that no target had been set in the Barisan manifesto on the participation of women in national decision- making policies. "There is no yardstick on how this will be achieved and as it is, we only have one woman minister (Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen)," she said.

Let's Talk With Sarawak Chief Minister Posted: 06 Apr 2013 12:29 PM PDT   Let's Talk! catches up with answers by Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abd. Taib Mahmud on several issues including accusations made by Global Witness (a London-based non-governmental organisation), about alleged corruption and illegality concerning land deals and deforestation within Sarawak which sparked several parties. He also spoke on the up-coming 13th General Election in Malaysia that would take place in a couple of weeks.  Watch at: http://www.mobtv.my/talkshow-3094.html

More goodies from BN manifesto Posted: 06 Apr 2013 12:11 AM PDT Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Tun Razak promised all these carrots if BN is voted back to power. G Vinod, FMT BUKIT JALIL: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak tonight unveiled the Barisan Nasional manifesto – and more goodies spilled out of his bag. Najib, who is BN chairman, promised a slew of these goodies to the people should BN be voted back to power. Addressing a capacity crowd of 50,000 at the Bukit Jalil Indoor Stadium here, Najib promised that he would increase Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) from the existing RM500 to RM1,200 to each household if voted back to power. Also present were Cabinet ministers, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and former MIC president, S Samy Vellu. Najib also promised a cash aid of RM600 to unmarried Malaysians. "And I will ensure BR1M aid is given yearly," Najib said, to thunderous applause. On top of that, he also promised to increase Bantuan Buku 1Malaysia to school students from the existing RM150 to RM300 annually. He also took a leaf from the Pakatan Rakyat's manifesto launched on Feb 25: he announced that the BN government would also embark on a Pan Borneo highway project and reduce car prices in the next five years. While Pakatan said it would build the highway linking Kuching, Kota Kinabalu and Kudat, Najib had other ideas in mind. In his Pan Borneo Highway project, Najib plans to link the 2,300km highway from Sematan to Serudung, Sarawak. He also promised to add more exits along the North-South Expressway. "We will also extend the East Coast Highway from Kuala Krai-Kota Baru to Gambang, Segamat," said Najib. On reducing car prices, he promised to reduce car prices by between 20 and 30% in the next five years. Pakatan, however, has promised to abolish the excise duty gradually to allow more people to own cars. Among other promises in the BN manifesto are: Place non-Muslim affairs under the purview of a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department. Increase non-Bumiputera participation in the civil service and government-linked companies (GLC). Reduce Internet broadband subsripction fee by 20%. Give tax exemptions to those setting up childcare centres and early childhood progamme centres. Build one million affordable houses, with 500,000 being built under the 1Malaysia People Housing Programme (PR1MA). Ensure houses built under PR1MA are priced at least 20% lower than the market value. Abolishing stamp duties for first-time house buyers who purchase a residence worth less than RM400,000. Expand bus, monorail and integrated taxi services in towns and cities. Increase the number of individual taxi permit holders. Make English a must pass paper for SPM examination. Convert Tamil schools to fully aided facilities if requested by the school administration. Free Internet service at public higher learning institutions. READ MORE HERE

What me worry? Posted: 05 Apr 2013 11:37 PM PDT Alfred E. Neumann then talks about my loyalty. He did not, however, talk about loyalty to whom. In Judas' case it was loyalty to Jesus that came into question. Hence, again, who is the 'Jesus' meant in Alfred E. Neumann's analogy? Loyalty has to be to a person, country, cause, organisation, etc. And if I have been disloyal then Alfred E. Neumann has to make clear to whom or to what I have been disloyal. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Everyone has a price, eh Pete? — Alfred E. Neumann Thirty pieces of silver was all it took for Judas to betray Jesus Christ. One can only wonder the price for Raja Petra Kamarudin's loyalty. Or is he priceless and can't be bought? The blogger-on-the-run who delighted us with many tales has published links to a video-clip, ostensibly showing how famed jewellers Jacob & Co have denied that they sold a RM24 million ring to Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor. The First Lady has already denied the allegations in her book. So why the need to reinforce that denial? Pro-Umno bloggers and cybertroopers have been doing the denial for the past two years and now the famous or is it infamous RPK has joined that bandwagon. One can only wonder why it took Jacob & Co almost two years to actually deny this tale. Or that someone took great pains to get their representative on camera to deny the allegations that have been swirling the past couple of years. One has to be careful with Jacob & Co. They were linked to the Detroit Black Mafia in 2006 for suspected money laundering, according to Vanity Fair. Can we take their word then that there wasn't a sale? Why even bother unless it is an issue for the general elections. So much an issue of the haves and have-nots that the Barisan Nasional (BN) thinks are eager for another round of cash handouts. So much an issue that RPK had to show us the links to the Jacob & Co video-clip that was only uploaded yesterday showing a man clearly ill at ease about denying a sale. So much an issue that a lot of energy, effort and money has gone into denying the sale. Fine, there was no sale and a denial was issued two years later. We believe you, Jacob & Co. And thank you, RPK, for reporting the video-clip. The issue has been settled then, no pricy diamond rings bought by VIPs at a time when we were told to tighten our belts. No sirree, no. We'll take your word for it then, while others take their share of pieces of silver. Alfred E. Neumann reads The Malaysian Insider. ********************************************* Alfred E. Neuman is my favourite Mad character -- famous for his saying 'What me worry?' The Mad Alfred E. Neuman, however, has only one 'n' in his name, while the other Alfred E. Neumann -- who wrote the letter above to The Malaysian Insider -- has two 'n's in his name. Alfred E. Neumann of The Malaysian Insider started off by saying that Judas betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. I don't know where Alfred E. Neumann got that story from, which some may regard as folklore. In the first place, did Judas and Jesus even exist? Alfred E. Neumann did not offer any evidence of their existence so we have to assume that he is the propagator of folklore and fairy tales. In fact, some even say that Judas did not betray Jesus but that it was a conspiracy between Judas and Jesus. It seems Jesus was meant to die for the sins of mankind. That was part of God's grand design. And it seems, also, Judas, being one of the conspirators, was informed of this. Hence Judas played along with the wayang and 'sold out' Jesus so that Jesus could die, as what God had planned from the very beginning. Hence did Judas really betray Jesus or was Judas one of the actors in the wayang that God had planned? Were Judas and Jesus both fellow conspirators in this little conspiracy hatched by God? We must understand that Christianity was founded on the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Without the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ Christianity would not exist. Hence Jesus had to die and Judas had to 'betray' Jesus for that plan to succeed. Anyway, if Alfred E. Neumann is using the analogy of Judas to describe me, who is 'Jesus' supposed to be? Is it Anwar Ibrahim? For there to be a Judas, there must also be a Jesus. So I am very curious to know who this 'Jesus' is. I can only assume that Alfred E. Neumann means that Anwar Ibrahim is Jesus, the Son of God, the Holy Spirit, and all that nonsense. Alfred E. Neumann then talks about my loyalty. He did not, however, talk about loyalty to whom. In Judas' case it was loyalty to Jesus that came into question. Hence, again, who is the 'Jesus' meant in Alfred E. Neumann's analogy? Loyalty has to be to a person, country, cause, organisation, etc. And if I have been disloyal then Alfred E. Neumann has to make clear to whom or to what I have been disloyal. I used to be a member of PKR. I never became a member of DAP or PAS because you cannot be a member of two political parties. I also used to work for PKR's newspaper until 2004, after which I left to manage Malaysia Today fulltime. I never renewed my membership in PKR since 2001. Hence Alfred E. Neumann cannot mean I am disloyal to PKR, DAP or PAS. I am not a member of any of those parties. I am, however, a member of the Liberal Democratic Party in the UK and I voted for them in the last general election (I became a LibDem member before the general election). And I am still a LibDem member until today. Now, LibDem is a coalition member in the present ruling government. In the most recent by-election in Eastleigh, LibDem competed against its coalition partner, Conservative, and won that by-election. In fact, 14 political parties in total contested in that by-election. Hence LibDem and its coalition partner, Conservative, fought against each other. And LibDem defeated its coalition partner. But that is not seen as a betrayal. It is considered quite normal and acceptable. It is just like PKR and PAS or PKR and DAP competing against each other in the elections. So you see, your interpretation of betrayal is not the same as my interpretation of betrayal. To you, PKR and PAS or PKR and DAP contesting against each other is considered a betrayal. To me, LibDem competing against Conservative is not a betrayal but democracy being practiced. My loyalty would be to the voters, not to Anwar Ibrahim, PKR, DAP or PAS. If I were to lie to the voters, that would be a betrayal. Hence when I received a video that explained what really happened regarding the diamond ring controversy, it is my duty to reveal this to the voters. The thing is, I may not personally like Rosmah Mansor. However, booklets are being distributed alleging that Rosmah bought a diamond ring when actually she did not. In fact, the story of her buying the ring came out after the ring had been sent back to the US. My loyalty is to the truth. And the truth is the ring was sent to Malaysia and was later sent back to the US. Then, after it was sent back, the story emerged. My job is merely to reveal what the people who had sent the ring to Malaysia have to say about the whole episode. And this I have done. Hence I have not betrayed the voters or the truth. Of course, many people are not going to believe this story. That is to be expected -- as many people too do not believe the story of the 30 pieces of silver and of Judas betraying Jesus or even the story of the existence of Judas and Jesus. In the end, you believe what you want to believe if you think that believing so will guarantee you a place in heaven. If I had revealed a video of Jacob and Co. confirming that the ring had been sent to Rosmah because she wanted to buy it would Alfred E. Neumann call me a Judas and question my loyalty? Of course not! Instead he would call me Jesus rather than Judas. That is what this whole thing is really about.

Mahathir draws thousands in Selangor rally Posted: 05 Apr 2013 07:45 PM PDT Thousands of Malaysians turned up on Saturday, April 6, 2013, for a rally in Selangor to listen to former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (above) lobby for support for ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. Yong Yen Nie, Straits Times SHAH ALAM, Selangor - Thousands of Malaysians turned up on Saturday for a rally in Selangor to listen to former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad lobby for support for ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. Tun Dr Mahathir, 87, clearly has not lost his star power as the thousands came to a field in Shah Alam, the capital city of this opposition-held state, in the heavy rain to hear him speak. "I am here to help save Selangor," he said to loud applause. "Selangor is the richest state in the country and we should hold power in such states." Dr Mahathir had also campaigned before a crowd of thousands in Johor Baru recently as the BN sought to consolidate support there after the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) sent its top stars to stand in the southern state. The former premier, who retired in 2003, is seen to be backing current Prime Minister Najib Razak in this election as he attempts to wrest back power in the four states won by PR five years ago. "I am confident that Najib will fulfill the promises," he said. "Give the victory to BN and Insya-allah (God-willing), Selangor will be safe." Asked by reporters later about his active campaign, Dr Mahathir said he was doing his rounds to thank the people who had supported him when he was PM. He is also expected to campaign in Kedah where his youngest son Mukhriz Mahathir is seen as a front-runner to be its menteri besar, should the BN regain the state. Dr Mahathir's support would come as a relief to PM Najib whom he has criticised several times in recent years. His harsh criticism of then-Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Badawi in the run-up to the 2008 general elections was seen as a factor in swaying voter sentiment against the BN. He remains an iconic leader to many, especially among the Malays.

2,000 throng Perkasa final rally Posted: 05 Apr 2013 07:25 PM PDT Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was among the crowd who gathered in a show of strength against Pakatan Rakyat. Leven Woon, FMT SHAH ALAM: Some 2,000 people including former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Selangor Barisan Nasional leaders today gathered in a Perkasa rally here, which called for the ouster of Pakatan Rakyat state government ahead of a crucial general election. Dubbed by the organiser as its final rally before the polls, the rally drew many BN supporters who donned the coalition signature blue T-shirt or Perkasa red T-shirt. When Mahathir arrived at 3.30pm at a school field, the crowd waved the BN flags enthusiastically and chanted "Hidup Tun". "With this kind of spirit, I am confident that come the 13th general election, Pakatan will be finished off here," declared Perkasa deputy president Zulkilfli Noordin. READ MORE HERE

Sabahans’ (new) dilemma Posted: 05 Apr 2013 07:10 PM PDT In a survey conducted by Merdeka Centre, more than 70 percent of the respondents in Sabah were satisfied with the performance of Prime Minister Najib Razak. It is undeniable that Najib's popularity is contributed by his transformational leadership style and his pragmatic policies (despite their many flaws). Unlike Najib, however, Sabah BN leaders lack pragmatism in addressing the Sabah issues. Arnold Puyok, New Mandala In 1994, Herman Luping in his seminal work, "Sabah's dilemma", wrote about the dilemma faced by Sabahans in maintaining state autonomy and independence under the Federation of Malaysia. Sabah leaders wanted to safeguard the state's regional rights but the federal leaders viewed this as an attempt to override the power of the central government. Just as Sabahans are prepared to vote in the upcoming 13th Malaysian General Election, they are facing with a new kind of dilemma – which party to vote to rule Sabah for the next term. Sabahans have shown that they are capable of voting out a party that they dislike. A case in point is USNO (United Sabah National Organisation) in 1975. Despite USNO's leader Mustapha Harun's iron fist rule, Sabahans voted in unison to oust him from power. In 1985, Sabahans bravely voted against the mighty BERJAYA (Sabah People's United Front) in favour of PBS (Sabah United Party). Back then, Sabahans had a clear choice: BERJAYA to replace USNO, and PBS as an alternative to BERJAYA. Now, despite the desire of Sabahans to see change in the political landscape of the country, they have to make a hard choice between the complacent Sabah BN whose leaders lack the tenacity to address the Sabah issues and the fractious opposition coalition led by Pakatan Rakyat (People's Pact/Alliance) consisting of PKR (People's Justice Party), DAP (Democratic Action Party), PAS (Pan Malaysian Islamic Party), and UBF (United Borneo Front) comprising STAR (State Reform Party) and SAPP (Sabah People's Progressive Party). In a survey conducted by Merdeka Centre, more than 70 percent of the respondents in Sabah were satisfied with the performance of Prime Minister Najib Razak. It is undeniable that Najib's popularity is contributed by his transformational leadership style and his pragmatic policies (despite their many flaws). Unlike Najib, however, Sabah BN leaders lack pragmatism in addressing the Sabah issues. Not many Sabahans in the rural areas understand what Najib is trying to do. Sabah BN leaders seem to lack the fervour to materialise Najib's transformational plan. Many Sabahans are also unhappy with the lackadaisical attitude of Sabah BN leaders in tackling the perennial illegal immigrant issue. Due to the inertia shown by BN, Sabahans have no choice but to look for the alternative. In 1999 and 2004, Sabahans rejected PKR as it was then a newcomer in Sabah politics. In 2008, Jeffrey Kitingan helped increase PKR's popularity. Even though Jeffrey is known for his infamous reputation as "katak" (political frog a term used for elected representatives to switch parties), he managed to "re-package" the Borneo Agenda to rally Kadazandusun support for PKR. Despite PKR's failure to win any seat, its popular votes increased substantially in most of the constituencies. READ MORE HERE

Ghani's Gelang Patah move changes everything in Johor? Posted: 05 Apr 2013 06:59 PM PDT Gelang Patah will be hotly contested seat as it could be fight between Lim Kit Siang and MB Abdul Ghani Othman and what would it mean for MCA? Chua Sue-Ann, fz.com PAKATAN RAKYAT's rapid momentum in Johor appears to have hit its first stumble now that Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman has offered to battle DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah.   For starters, the two Johor-born politicians loom large in the political sphere and are well-known names in their own right.   Lim is a household brand who embodies DAP's classic "street fighter" style of opposition politics on a national level.   The mild-mannered Ghani, in contrast, is a familiar face in the state, having been menteri besar since 1995.   Personalities aside, Gelang Patah is tipped to be the hottest seat to watch at the 13th general election due to the new dynamics that this epic battle brings.   It significantly changes the early game for both sides of the political divide not just for Gelang Patah but the larger Johor landscape.   What does this mean for MCA?   Ghani, if he is fielded as BN's candidate for Gelang Patah, will raise many uncomfortable issues for MCA, who is already seen to be on a weaker footing going into the impending general election.   Already, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has disappointed those who were keen to see him take on Lim in a "clash of titans".   Earlier last week, Chua declined to stand in Gelang Patah ostensibly because he had to "respect" the will of the grassroots.    Soi Lek had argued that he couldn't usurp the position from local MCA grassroots leader Jason Teoh who has been working the ground in the constituency.   By with the rapidly changing developments, Chua's argument appears to hold little water.   "Soi Lek and MCA claim to be leaders of the Chinese community. This is all the more reason why Soi Lek should stand in Gelang Patah to take on Kit Siang," said a political observer, noting that Gelang Patah is after all a Chinese-majority urban seat.   He added that Chua should emulate Tan Sri Lee San Choon who took up the challenge of standing against DAP's Dr Chen Man Hin in Seremban, a Chinese-majority DAP stronghold, in the 1982 general elections.   Not only did Lee go on to beat Chen by a mere 845 votes, he led MCA to a huge victory - winning 24 out of 28 parliamentary seats and 55 out of 62 state seats contested. "That cemented MCA's position as the leader of the Chinese community," he said.   Also, questions already abound as to why MCA would hand over its seat for Umno to defend. Does this confirm MCA's lack of confidence in winning Chinese support, the very community that it claims to represent?    Strategically though, MCA could use Gelang Patah as a bargaining chip for a safer Johor seat, one that the Chinese-based party has a more realistic chance of winning.   But it remains to be seen how well grassroot supporters and local warlords will receive MCA's plans to step aside for Umno in Gelang Patah.   Pakatan is also expected to take the opportunity to criticise MCA for giving in to Umno's demands.   What does this mean for DAP?   Lim, going from his Ipoh Timur constituency to Gelang Patah, initially injected a much-needed boost for DAP and Pakatan Rakyat's bid to rattle the MCA and Umno in their stronghold state.    Since Gelang Patah is a Chinese-majority urban seat, it was earlier thought that Lim will have little difficulty beating beat his MCA contender, Teoh. This is because federal opposition was banking on a surge of support from Johor's Chinese voters, and Barisan's earlier choice of candidate, Teoh, is a relative lightweight in comparison.   But now, with Ghani in the fray, DAP will have to go back to the drawing board to alter its strategy somewhat.   For one, DAP will now have to focus on attacking Ghani's credentials as menteri besar.   At its many ceramahs, DAP has been campaigning on broader national issues of good governance and corruption scandals.    But at this stage, it is uncertain if national issues will hold sway with Johor voters who had stood behind BN in the 2008 general election even though urban voters elsewhere swung towards the opposition.   Although DAP is likely to still win high support levels from Chinese voters in Gelang Patah and Johor, Lim will need to shore up his appeal amongst Malay and Indian voters to ensure a win.   To that end, Lim has to rely on PAS and PKR.    Lim has already released what he termed "DAP's Gelang Patah Declaration", a blueprint to help uplift the Indian community's welfare if Pakatan triumphs.   What does this mean for Pakatan's momentum?   Ghani's entry into the right could be the uniting factor for Pakatan's three coalition partners - DAP, PKR and PAS.   PAS and DAP have been working somewhat well together in the early stages of preparing groundwork and machinery for Johor.    But DAP and PKR ties in Johor were strained after a much publicised spat between DAP Johor chairman Dr Boo Cheng Hau and Johor PKR chairman Datuk Chua Jui Meng. Even PKR party workers in Johor would not go as far as to say they were working well with DAP.    But on Friday, Chua emerged from his self-imposed two-week break to address the press after his brief "leave of absence" drew concern of a fracture within Pakatan. All smiles, Chua appeared to offer an olive branch to DAP by wishing Boo well and maintaining that there was no hatchet to bury with his DAP counterpart.   Chua even pledged to help DAP, saying "We are brothers in politics. There is a Chinese saying that the spears must point outwards, not inwards at ourselves".   What does this mean for Ghani and Umno?   In Johor, Umno has been reasonably comfortable that they still command a high level of support from Malay voters. Their only worry is with the Chinese and Indian voters because many Johor constituencies have a sizeable non-Malay electorate.   It is learnt that it was Ghani himself who offered to fight Kit Siang after the latter made known that he would be vying for the Gelang Patah constituency.   Umno sources say Ghani's closest associates sought to dissuade him. But about a week ago, BN decided that Ghani should go up against Kit Siang to help offset potential loss of non-Malay support, they say.   "He himself was worried that they will lose the bastion during his time. Kit Siang's entry increases opposition ratings so all the MCA and MIC seats became danger zones. He felt he has to do something about it," said an Umno source.   It is an open secret that Ghani will no longer be the menteri besar candidate for BN in Johor after 18 years in office. This is apparently due to the Sultan of Johor's preference to see a more dynamic menteri besar. But at the same time, Ghani is not keen to bow out of state politics and head back to a federal platform.    Whatever happens in Gelang Patah and Johor, Ghani will still walk away a winner.   If he defeats Kit Siang, Ghani's star will shine brighter within Umno and BN, thus putting him on a stronger political footing. And if he loses to Kit Siang, he can go out in a blaze of glory. READ MORE HERE

Downfall is expected within six months if Pakatan Rakyat rules: Ko Youn Posted: 05 Apr 2013 03:32 PM PDT Ko Youn: In this election, if Pakatan Rakyat wins more parliamentary seats than the BN, once PAS threatens to form a coalition government with Umno, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang would then be the Prime Minister, instead of PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. If that happens, Pakatan Rakyat will split. Soong Phui Jee, Sin Chew Daily The DAP, PKR and PAS do nor have common ideologies and policies. The reason for the three parties to form Pakatan Rakyat is to confront with their common enemy, the BN. Once the BN is defeated, the reason of unity will no longer exist and their conflicts will then surface, eventually leading to secession, said Gerakan Deputy President Chang Ko Youn. Chang believes that even if Pakatan Rakyat is able to seize Putrajaya in the upcoming general election, it would face a downfall within six months due to secession. The political situation would then be reshuffled. During an interview with Sin Chew Daily, Chang said that the real kingmaker among the three component parties of Pakatan Rakyat is PAS. Just like the situation in Perak after the 2008 general election, PAS, with only six state seats, was offered advice to cooperate with Umno. "In this election, if Pakatan Rakyat wins more parliamentary seats than the BN, once PAS threatens to form a coalition government with Umno, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang would then be the Prime Minister, instead of PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. If that happens, Pakatan Rakyat will split," he said. Malay and Indian votes have returned to the BN Chang advised that Chinese voters should think calmly as the BN's policies over the past four years have been greatly different from those in 2008. He pointed out that many Chinese are demanding changes and want to change the government. However, Malay and Indian voters do not have the resonance. "Malay votes have returned to the BN due to a number of religious issues while Indian voters are disappointed with Pakatan Rakyat as the promises made in 2008 were not delivered. As a result, the DAP recently announced a 14-point manifesto in Johor as a supplementary to the Pakatan Rakyat's manifesto being announced a month ago. However, it cannot help in reversing the Indian's voting trend," Chang said. Big challenge for Najib to win Chinese support Chang said that the transformation plans launched by Datuk Seri Najib Razak have benefited many Indians and the greatest challenge for Najib now is how to win Chinese confidence. He hopes that the route taken by Najib over the past four years can convince the Chinese and has made the Chinese feel that only the BN can provide them the sense of security. He also hopes that the Chinese will not decide their future with the 2008 general election's sentiment. Supporting Najib's transformation plans will benefit the Chinese.

Time to elect servant leaders Posted: 05 Apr 2013 03:24 PM PDT It is obscene that our poverty income level is set at around RM800 for an average family of 4.5 persons. We would seriously like to see politicians and their families live on RM800 a month. Many of our leaders live on RM800 a day! A meaningful assessment of poverty in our country will place the poverty income level at RM1,500-2,000 for a family of 4-5 persons. From government figures, this would mean that 30 per cent of our population are still living in poverty. Amar-Singh HSS and Lim Swee Im, TMI Most of us are tired of politicians. In a real and honest world a politician is one who represents the people, a very high calling, a noble profession. These are individuals willing to sacrifice much to represent the average person on the street. They are willing to forego their own interests to meet the needs of the many. They are prepared to speak up when injustice is done and to make decisions which benefit the majority of the people. These are the persons we elect, not just the party they represent, but persons of integrity. Unfortunately, the reality is that politicians have become self-serving individuals out to get as much power and material gain as possible. Willing to subvert basic human rights and compromise on vital issues just to meet party or personal needs. The shame of Malaysia is that despite the vast riches of our land and more than 50 years of independence, the average person is still poor. The authorities want to continue to show nice statistics on poverty reduction but those of us who work on the ground know the immense struggles of the people in the bottom 20 per cent of our society.  Our transformation plans are great for the rich and upper-middle class but are not going touch the poor. The poor in Malaysia are neglected and thrown crumbs while the rich and powerful continue to exploit them. The gap between the bottom 20 per cent and the top 20 per cent of our population has widened considerably in the past 50 years. It is obscene that our poverty income level is set at around RM800 for an average family of 4.5 persons. We would seriously like to see politicians and their families live on RM800 a month. Many of our leaders live on RM800 a day!  A meaningful assessment of poverty in our country will place the poverty income level at RM1,500-2,000 for a family of 4-5 persons. From government figures, this would mean that 30 per cent of our population are still living in poverty. It is sad that only a tiny minority of our leaders can be said to inspire us with their lives. The majority live such lavish lifestyles that it is impossible to identify with them or appreciate that they are working for the people. That they are helping their family and friends is without a doubt. It is almost impossible to find a poor politician in power or a poor family member of a politician. That a single son of a leader can have RM1,000 million in assets is mind boggling. In our time there are few leaders who inspire us, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, the King of Bhutan (and his father before him), Nelson Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi stand out as examples.  At his installation as leader, Khesar said these remarkable words: "Destiny has put me here. I will protect you as a parent, care for you as a brother and serve you as a son. I shall give you everything and keep nothing. This is how I shall serve you as King." And, unlike our local leaders, he has lived by these words. A man of humility and one who serves, not lords it over the people; a true "servant leader". We are not pessimistic but realistic about our situation, a situation that is not unique to Malaysia. But we are writing to ask that we move forward. Away from working for the poor in the community only when the elections are around the corner. Away from communal politics and self serving interests. READ MORE HERE

GE13: Hindraf only focuses on Indians, says PKR man Posted: 05 Apr 2013 03:19 PM PDT (The Star) - Pakatan Rakyat has a strong chance of retaining the Bukit Melawati state seat despite Hindraf's intention to contest there, said outgoing assemblyman M. Muthiah of PKR. Although Hindraf's candidacy could lead to a split in votes, he said Hindraf would not be able win the hearts of all Malaysians as the movement only focused on the well-being of the Indians. "Pakatan does not use the race card to win votes. We do what is best for the people and that is how things are supposed to be," he said when contacted. Hindraf announced on Thursday that it would contest in three parliamentary (Kota Raja, Kuala Selangor and Kelana Jaya) and five state seats (Sri Andalas, Ijok, Sri Muda, Bukit Melawati and Seri Setia) in Selangor.

GE13: Dissent within PKR over Teluk Kemang seats Posted: 05 Apr 2013 03:17 PM PDT (The Star) - PORT DICKSON: PKR leaders here are at loggerheads over candidates for the Teluk Kemang parliamentary and state seats. The party's Teluk Kemang division chief and outgoing Port Dickson assemblyman M. Ravi and state PKR chairman and outgoing Teluk Kemang MP Datuk Kamarul Baharin Abbas (picture) have submitted different candidates for state seats in the Teluk Kemang constituency. It is also learnt that Ravi has recommended Badrul Hisham Shaharin and another member, Datuk M. Nadarajah, to contest the Teluk Kemang parliamentary seat. However, Kamarul's camp has recommended that he be considered to defend the Teluk Kemang seat while state vice-chief V. Aridass contest for the Port Dickson state seat. Kamarul's name was also proposed for the Ampangan state seat, causing unhappiness in the Seremban division, which had nominated its deputy Dr Rafaie Mohamad. The outgoing Ampangan PKR representative, Rashid Latiff, has decided not to seek re-election. "Kamarul is also tipped to contest in Ampangan because if the Opposition takes over Negri Sembilan, he will then be the obvious choice for Mentri Besar," said a source. In KUALA TERENGGANU, PKR is disputing state PAS commissioner Abdul Wahid Endut's announcement that the party will contest seven out of eight parliamentary seats in the state. "This is a decision that has been agreed within Pakatan Rakyat," said Abdul Wahid at a press conference on Thursday. Terengganu PKR chief Azan Ismail, however, said nothing had been finalised.

GE13: Jui Meng accepts there is no seat for him in polls Posted: 05 Apr 2013 03:15 PM PDT (The Star) - Johor PKR chief Datuk Chua Jui Meng, whose two-week leave created a ripple within the Opposition, finally said he accepted the fact there might not be seat for him to contest in the general election. "I had a house, and that house was Gelang Patah. And now I don't have a house to go to. "The party has sought to look for other houses to fulfil PKR's quota of 12 parliamentary seats but no doors have been opened to me," he said. Chua admitted that his supporters in Gelang Patah were disappointed with the recent announcement that DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang would stand as the Opposition candidate there. However, he said the disappointment would be temporary and added that he would cooperate with PAS and the DAP "whether I stand in the election or not". Speaking at a packed press conference in the PKR headquarters here yesterday, Chua said he had no problems with the DAP and would work with it for the sake of Pakatan's campaign in the GE13. When asked about his relations with his DAP counterpart in Johor Dr Boo Cheng Hau whom he had openly clashed with in the past Chua put on a brave front and said there was no quarrel to begin with. He instead heaped praise on Dr Boo. "Dr Boo is a bright young leader. I wish him all the best and he has a bright future ahead of him," he said. Dr Boo had in February accused Chua of being behind "vicious attacks" against Johor DAP and called for him to be removed as state PKR chief. Chua had retaliated by urging Dr Boo to be "more mature, humble and patient". Both had reportedly been eyeing the Gelang Patah seat and Chua had said then that it was Dr Boo and not himself who had stated any intention to contest there. Chua yesterday also admitted that he went on two-weeks leave but was tight-lipped over the reason. However, there was speculation that it was because he was disappointed with the PKR leadership for conceding the Gelang Patah seat to the DAP.

NY jeweller clears Rosmah on ring purchase Posted: 05 Apr 2013 03:02 PM PDT The US$8 million diamond ring was not purchased by Rosmah Mansor nor Maira Nazarbayev. It was sold to another client in June 2012, says Jacob & Co. K Kabilan, FMT International jewellery maker Jacob & Co from New York has confirmed Rosmah Mansor's denial that she had purchased from them a diamond ring worth millions of ringgit as alleged by a PKR leader in 2011. Philip Nassimi, the director of fine jewellery of Jacob & Co, also backed Rosmah's version of events that a diamond ring was indeed shipped under her name to Kuala Lumpur, but that was for the purpose of showing the ring to Maira Nazarbayev, whose son is engaged to Rosmah and Najib Tun Razak's daughter. Speaking in a video interview posted by popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin on his site Malaysia-Today, Philip (photo below) said the 30.11 carat – natural fancy blue, grade cushion diamond – valued at US$8 million, was shipped to Kuala Lumpur for "exhibition and inspection purposes only, and not for sale". "It was sent so that Maira Nazarbayev who was residing as a guest at the prime minister's residence can view the ring," he said in a 3.49-minute video. He added that the ring was shipped under Rosmah's name as US laws only allow for such items to be shipped to a local person with a local address (in Malaysia). He said the ring, after being viewed by Maira, was shipped out of Kuala Lumpur soon after and reached New York in May 2011. "The said ring was not purchased by Rosmah nor Maira… it was sold to another client in June 2012," added Philip. He also said that Maira was a highly valued customer of Jacob & Co for about 10 years. "She is a well respected client of this firm," he said. He, however, did not state if Rosmah was a client of the jeweller, or if she had made any other purchases with them. The video was released by Malaysia Today late yesterday and is believed to be recorded last month. READ MORE HERE

US jeweller backs Rosmah’s denial of RM24m ring buy Posted: 05 Apr 2013 02:56 PM PDT Ida Lim, TMI American jeweller Jacob & Co has come out to refute allegations that Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor bought a RM24 million diamond ring from it in 2011, lending credence to the latter's attempt to shake off criticisms over her spending habits. In a YouTube video uploaded by blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin yesterday, an employee from the New York-based jewellery firm said the wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had only inspected the ring, which was later sold to an unnamed client in June last year. "It was shipped for exhibition and inspection purposes only, not for sale, to the attention of Maira Nazarbayev in care of Madam Rosmah Mansor (picture)," Philip Nassimi, the director of fine jewellery at Jacob & Co said in the video, referring to the mother of Rosmah's future son-in law. Opposition leaders have been using the ring controversy to back their allegations that the wife of the country's chief executive has been abusing her position to reap riches and finery for herself. In the deep interior of Malaysia's Malay-majority constituencies, CDs, pamphlets and glossy photographs showing Rosmah and the RM24 million ring have been distributed since 2011, years ahead of the coming 13th general election. But according to Nassimi's video interview, the 30.11-carat blue-grey diamond ring worth US$8 million (RM24.8 million) was shipped from New York to Malaysia on April 15, 2011, but was returned to Jacob & Co on May 13, 2011, and was never purchased by Rosmah. In the video, shipping documents and a US Customs and Border Protection paper were shown to prove that the ring was indeed shipped out of Malaysia and then back to the American firm. Nassimi said Rosmah's name appeared on the shipping documents only because the jewellery firm was required to address the item to a Malaysian as Nazarbayev is not a citizen of the country. "The reason why on the house airway bill it was mentioned Madam Rosmah Mansor's name was because in order to ship a valuable into Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, it had to be shipped in care of a local Malaysian, not a foreigner." He also said: "Due to the fact that Maira Nazarbayev was residing as a guest in the prime minister's residence, the item had to be shipped in such a manner."  Nassimi said Nazarbayev is a highly-respected VIP client with almost 10 years of dealings with the firm, adding that another VIP client had bought the ring, but declined to name the individual. "This ring was not purchased by Madam Rosmah nor Maira Nazarbayev," he concluded in the video that was over three minutes long. READ MORE HERE

Who will the Suluks support? Posted: 05 Apr 2013 02:53 PM PDT Observers believe that 'even a small swing' in Suluk support in some of the eastern-coast seats could be a nightmare for Sabah Umno candidates. Luke Rintod, TMI Sabah Umno leaders do not believe that the Suluk voters in Sabah have deserted them following the Tanduo stand-off in Lahad Datu between Sulu terrorists and Malaysian armed forces. "The majority of the Suluk voters are still with BN (Barisan Nasional)," said Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan, the principal political secretary to Sabah strongman, Musa Aman. Many in the BN component parties like PBS, UPKO, LDP, PBRS and MCA share Nizam's observation. But deep within the Suluk community in Sabah, cracks are appearing. If you talk to the ordinary Suluk men, the majority would still say they are "with the government". And their leaders, in NGOs, too are issuing statements supporting the establishment. The question now is can these Suluk supporters of BN be trusted. Remember the Tanduo incident when the armed Sulu terrorists from the Philippines hoisted a white flag signaling a surrender or peace? But while the white flag was hoisted, the Sulu terrorists shot dead two Malaysian armed forces. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said our men were tricked. In which case could it be that the Suluk community is once again sending a decoy to BN, to eventually surprise them by a swing in the Suluk votes? Not so safe now Observers here observed that "even a small swing" in support from the community in some of the eastern coast seats could be a nightmare to some Umno candidates. The Lahad Datu and Tungku state seats and Silam parliamentary constituency (where Tanduo is) have consistently registered a huge dissenting votes against BN in previous elections. In the 2008 general election, the Lahad Datu state seat was won by Umno's Nasrun Mansur in a straight fight with PKR candidate, Zainuddin Zulkarnain. Nasrun chalked up 8,034 votes against Zainuddin's 4,976. Now five years later, observers note that support for the opposition had further increased. And now with the additional likely swing in Suluk votes, it's going to be a close fight especially if it is a one-to-one battle. In adjacent Tungku, also under the Silam parliamentary seat, and where the Tanduo action was, the situation is similar. Here too in 2008 the dissenting voices were strong. Umno's Suhaili Said won the seat for BN with a 4,828 votes but there were a substantial 2,446 votes that went to PKR's Jamal Sulai and another 164 votes for an independent. A slight shift in Suluk support here towards PKR could tilt the balance to a 50-50 or 45-55 situation, with Umno having only the slightest advantage. PAS, Anwar gaining ground Local observers said that if there is a 30% or more shift in the Suluk and Badjao communities, then BN is in for a run of its money in east coast. But Umno has never been more strong in the east coast than now. With financially powerful Badjao leader like Shafie Apdal from nearby Semporna, Lahad Datu and Tungku and Silam parliamentary seats could well be within BN's so-called fixed-deposit areas. With about RM6 billion annual development fund under his control in the federal Rural Development Ministry, Shafie is in pole position to influence the politics in Sabah's east coast. Shafie is an Umno vice-president and cannot afford to fail Umno in Sabah. If he falters in delivering seats to BN, then it would be the end of his political journey for him too. However, much to the dislike of Shafie and Sabah Umno, not all Suluk groups look up to or listen to the party anymore. They now have an alternative in PAS and the charismatic Anwar Ibrahim-led PKR. Both are known sympathisers of the Muslim community. And there is Usco (United Suluk Community Organisation). The youthful NGO has planned to put up election candidates against BN and Pakatan at the coming polls. READ MORE HERE

April 27 or April 28 or some say Polling Day is in May Posted: 05 Apr 2013 02:45 PM PDT Carolyn Hong, Straits Times MALAYSIA'S Election Commission (EC) is expected to announce next Wednesday the dates for nomination and polling, now that the last two state assemblies - Penang and Kedah - have been dissolved to pave the way for a general election. The EC will also set the date for advance voting for security personnel who will be on duty on Polling Day, EC secretary Kamaruddin Mohamed Baria said in a statement yesterday. The law gives the EC 60 days to hold a general election following the dissolution of Parliament, which took place on Wednesday, but analysts expect polls to be held on the last weekend of this month, or early next month at the latest. In the last four elections, from 1995 to 2008, Nomination Day was held between nine and 11 days after Parliament was dissolved - and always on a weekend. Going by that, nomination would be around April 13 or 14 this time, but the timeframe might be too tight to allow that now. Observers now suggest that nomination could be around April 16 or 17, with polling still possible on the widely touted April 27 or 28. Some suggest the first weekend of next month as another possibility. Several new electoral measures will be introduced, such as the use of indelible ink, overseas voting and advance voting. The EC has already come under fire because its website crashed, unable to handle the flood of traffic from overseas Malaysians trying to register at the last minute to be postal voters. Even though the candidate lists have not been finalised yet, politicians have already started campaigning around the country. The opposition Pakatan Rakyat met yesterday to try to sort out tussles between component parties over its list. "We hope next week, (the list will be) finalised," said Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) secretary-general Mustafa Ali after the meeting yesterday. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said yesterday that he will defend his long-time seat of Permatang Pauh in Penang, putting an end to his earlier hints that he might move to a seat in Perak to lead the opposition charge there. He was quoted by The Star in Penang as saying that he wanted to be with his loyal voters and supporters in the parliamentary constituency. He had hinted earlier that he might move to Perak - much like how Democratic Action Party veteran MP Lim Kit Siang is moving to Johor to galvanise voters there. Barisan Nasional (BN) has also swung into action, with Prime Minister Najib Razak launching several high-profile projects in Cyberjaya, which lies within the constituency of the administrative capital of Putrajaya, held by BN. PAS vice-president Husam Musa is tipped to contest that seat. BN will launch its manifesto today, and is expected to release its candidate list next week.

KL election fever sparks volatility Posted: 05 Apr 2013 02:40 PM PDT Investors move funds to Malaysia in bid to profit from market turbulence Alvin Foo, Straits Times THE regional spotlight has been cast on Malaysia stocks amid rising election fever triggered by the dissolution of Parliament on Wednesday. That attention looks set to surge in the coming weeks as investors try to profit from the likely rise in volatility. Overseas interest has already been gaining pace. Last month, foreigners bought a net RM4.7 billion (S$1.9 billion) worth of Malaysian stocks - the highest since at least October 2009. Analysts attribute this surge to institutional investors upgrading their Malaysia country allocation from "severe underweight" to "slight underweight". These investors believe that election risks are mostly priced in while valuations in other Asean markets seem relatively rich. "We would not be surprised if investors took money out of other Asean markets which have done well, and re-allocate to Malaysia," noted Deutsche Bank. Market experts say the sudden surge in fresh funds may be caused by investors switching from Malaysian fixed income to stocks. The hint of election-sparked market turbulence was evident on Wednesday after Prime Minister Najib Razak dissolved Parliament. Malaysian stocks plunged as much as 3.1 per cent during the day before ending flat, with volatility soaring to a one- month high. During the last election, in 2008, trading was suspended for an hour on March 10 - the first session following the dramatic poll results - to impose calm. Panic selling drove the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) down 9.5 per cent that eventful day - its worst one-day showing since a 21 per cent meltdown during the Asian financial crisis on Sept 8, 1998. Analysts expect uncertainty ahead with most tipping the elections to be held near the end of this month. TA Securities noted: "Trading post-dissolution of Parliament is expected to stay choppy, with selling on strength and buying on dips likely to contain the index within a range." It added that any rally attempts towards the 1,699 record high seen in January will likely be met with strong profit-taking and selling interest. The KLCI is trading around the 1,685 mark. It advised investors to cash out from overvalued blue chips and buy these back on weakness after the dissolution, since a win by ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) could spark a rally. CIMB analyst Terence Wong urged investors to stay on the sidelines as election risks could weigh down the market. He noted the selling pressure during the Sarawak state election in 2011 due to widespread concern about the poll outcome. "This time, the stakes are even higher, and therefore, the impact could be magnified," he added. CIMB's pre-election preference is to stay defensive and look at high-yielding, non-cyclical sectors such as brewery, real estate investment trusts and utilities. Mr Wong said: "Post-election, we are likely to turn more bullish." The spotlight is now on politically sensitive stocks. Deutsche analyst Joe Liew predicts a "status quo" election outcome, tipping BN to keep about 60 per cent of parliamentary seats. Deutsche's top five election buys are CIMB Group, Maybank, Tenaga, UEM Land and Gamuda, noting that these stocks are trading at valuations below historical averages.

PRU 13 dan Masa Depan Negara Malaysia Posted: 05 Apr 2013 11:10 AM PDT   Melalui nota ini, saya menyeru kepada semua, terutamanya saudara Islam supaya kita menarik nafas sedalam-dalamnya sejenak dan menempatkan satu ruangan kecil dalam hati anda untuk melakukan perkara berikut tanpa mengira faham politik anda. Mohamed Kamaruddin Alhamdulilah kerana Allah memperkenankan doa kita supaya Parlimen dibubarkan dengan segera untuk membolehkan PRU13 dilaksanakan. Kini, penantian rakyat Malaysia sejak lebih 1 tahun berlalu telah berakhir pada hari Rabu 3 April 2013. Syukur! Kalau diikutkan hati, tak mahu menoleh ke belakang. Senario Negara bergelumang dengan najis politik, umpat mengumpat, dedah mendedah, caci mencaci, dan semua yang sejenis dan sealiran dengannya mengecilkan semua usaha baik, murni, ikhlas, betul, benar – setiap hari. Sikap dan tabiat buruk yang ditunjukkan dan diiklankan oleh pihak dewasa warga politik menjadi satu matapelajaran baru bagi generasi anak-anak yang berusia bawah 17 tahun. Merekalah pemimpin Negara Malaysia pada masa yang akan datang. Sungguh cemerlang warga politik Malaysia melakar generasi politik masadepan Negara. Ya Allah, lindungilah Negara Malaysia kami dari kemurkaanMu. Satu ketika dahulu, tahap silaturahim dan kejiranan amat tinggi. Kita boleh duduk semeja diwarung meneguk teh dan kopi, kita masih boleh berjalan bersama menuju surau dan masjid untuk bersama menyembah dan sujud kepada Allah Yang Maha Esa. Kini ianya hanya dikenang sehinggakan rakan jemaah saf di kiri dan di kanan pun menjadi pilihan. Nafsu politik memperkaumkan ummah dan berjayalah mereka yang merasakan diri mereka adalah Juara Politik! Kini, pembubaran Parlimen telah berlaku sepertimana yang dicita-citakan. Kita kini akan menghadapi tiga situasi genting iaitu: 1. Hari untuk Penamaan Calun 2. Hari untuk Pengundian dan Keputusan Pilihanraya 3. Hari untuk Penubuhan Kerajaan Baru Hari Penamaan Calun adalah sama seperti hari pengenalan musuh politik sementara hari pengundian dan keputusan pilihanraya serta hari penubuhan kerajaan baru akan menentukan halatuju masa depan Negara. Melalui nota ini, saya menyeru kepada semua, terutamanya saudara Islam supaya kita menarik nafas sedalam-dalamnya sejenak dan menempatkan satu ruangan kecil dalam hati anda untuk melakukan perkara berikut tanpa mengira faham politik anda. Ruangan berkecuali ini adalah untuk meletakkan usaha murni dalam keindahan Islam bahawa kita semua adalah bersaudara. Gerakkanlah diri kita sendiri untuk melakukan perkara-perkara berikut, ajak dan pelawalah saudara yang lain untuk bersama melakukannya. Mudahan Allah akan melimpahkan Rahmat dan Kasih Sayang Nya kepada kita. Perkara yang akan kita lakukan adalah seperti berikut: 1. Selepas sesi Penamaan Calun, kita semua ke surau atau masjid untuk membaca Surah Al Yasiin diantara Maghrib dan Isya dan berdoa semoga Allah akan memilih calun politik yang terbaik untuk kita kerana Dialah Yang Maha Pemilih. Kita juga berdoa supaya Allah mengekang nafsu amarah semasa berkempen dan Allah merencanakan perancangan pengundian yang terbaik mengatasi semua perancangan pengundian kotor oleh mana-mana pihak. Sesungguhnya Allah Maha Perancang. 2. Sehari sebelum sesi pengundian, kita semua kembali ke surau dan masjid untuk sekali lagi membaca Surah Al Yasiin diantara Maghrib dan Isya dan berdoa semoga proses pengundian akan berjalan lancar dengan baik, berdisiplin, selamat, beretika dan bertertib. Hari yang berikutnya iaitu selepas mengundi, kita beramai-ramai ke surau dan masjid untuk bersama-sama sekali lagi membaca Surah Al Yasiin diantara Maghrib dan Isya dan berdoa semoga Allah mempermudahkan proses pengiraan undi dan seterusnya pengumuman keputusan pilihanraya tanpa sebarang insiden yang tidak baik. 3. Keesokan pagi harinya, kita sudah tentu mendapat berita keputusan pilihanraya. Oleh itu kita sekali lagi menuju ke surau dan masjid untuk membaca surah Al Yasiin selepas solat subuh dan berdoa semoga proses penubuhan kerajaan baru selepas PRU13 akan dipermudahkan serta memohon kepada Allah supaya silaturahim semua rakyat Malaysia dipereratkan semula untuk membolehkan kita hidup aman sentosa. Bagi mereka yang bukan berugama Islam, mereka boleh melaksanakan apa sahaja yang bersesuaian dengan agama pegangan mereka. Keutamaannya ialah walaupun kita semua melalui waktu kekalutan, nilai baik dalam diri kita masih ada dan mengerti bahawa esok tak sama dengan hari ini dan kehidupan perlu diteruskan. Tempoh yang singkat dari sekarang sehinggalah penubuhan kerajaan perlu dihayati oleh semua rakyat. Oleh kerana kita sebagai manusia yang lemah tidak berupaya mengekang azab dan siksaan Allah, marilah kita bersama kembali kepada Allah untuk Allah memberikan apa yang terbaik untuk kita. Pangkahan kita hanyalah suatu usaha kerdil kita, pangkahan Allah lebih PASTI! Allahuakbar.

Kematian Sugumar: Surat Terbuka Kepada Bakal Perdana Menteri Malaysia Posted: 05 Apr 2013 11:05 AM PDT   Despite the long list of custodial deaths, very few policemen are criminally charged much less found guilty of any offence.    Eric Paulsen, Co-founder & Adviser Lawyers for Liberty   Kehadapan Perdana Menteri, Kami menulis kepada Perdana Menteri sebagai pertubuhan hak asasi manusia Malaysia, yang prihatin terhadap kematian Mendiang C. Sugumar pada 23 Januari 2013. Tidak syak lagi, Perdana Menteri pasti akan bersetuju bahawa keadaan kematian beliau cukup mengerikan dan sangat serius; Mendiang Sugumar telah dikejar oleh sekumpulan anggota polis berpakaian seragam; beliau dengan cepat dikuasai dan digari. Namun dalam proses tersebut, segerombolan samseng menyerang dan melucutkan pakaian beliau sehingga bertelanjang dan seorang anggota polis melumur muka beliau dengan serbuk kunyit. Meskipun beliau telah tertiarap mengadap ke bawah di atas tanah, dengan tangan bergari ke belakang, seorang anggota polis memijak leher beliau, sehinggalah beliau berhenti bergelut. Beliau meninggal dunia dan tiada usaha dibuat untuk memulihkan beliau atau tiada sebarang rawatan perubatan yang diberikan kepada Mendiang.    Kini, PDRM telah membuat dakwaan luar biasa bahawa mereka tidak bertanggungjawab di atas kematian Mendiang serta mendakwa tiada anggota mereka yang terlibat dalam sebarang kesalahan jenayah. Ini kerana menurut PDRM, laporan bedah siasat menunjukkan Mendiang Sugumar meninggal dunia akibat serangan jantung. Ianya tidaklah menghairankan disebabkan PDRM memiliki sejarah dahsyat melindungi dan menafikan pertanggungjawaban, lihatlah contohnya, kematian dalam tahanan Mendiang A. Kugan dan kematian tembakan polis Allahyarham Aminulrasyid, remaja berusia 15 tahun. Dalam mengharungi jalan panjang sejarah daripada kemerdekaan politik sehinggalah kepada Malaysia yang moden dan demokratik, kita seolah-olah kehilangan arah haluan dan telah membenarkan berlakunya keganasan institusi kerajaan dalam paparan awam, untuk pihak berkuasa bertindak sewenang-wenangnya dengan kekebalan undang-undang dan tanpa keadilan. Peristiwa tragis menyayat hati ini mencemarkan nama baik Malaysia dan merupakan peringatan sangat penting tentang seberapa jauh lagi hasrat Malaysia yang kita cita-citakan itu. Telah lebih dua bulan berlalu semenjak Mendiang Sugumar dibunuh pada siang hari, secara terang-terangan ketika di bawah penahanan polis. Mayat beliau masih tersimpan di rumah mayat Hospital Serdang, sementara menanti upacara pengkebumian yang belum selesai dan yang paling diperlukan bedah siasat kedua yang telah disekat oleh pihak berkuasa pada setiap peringkat pentadbiran. Kami berasa amat duka cita kerana terlalu sedikit simpati yang dihulurkan atau maklum balas daripada pihak berkuasa dan ahli-ahli politik yang membentuk kerajaan. Walaupun kematian Mendiang Sugumar diperjuangkan terutamanya dikalangan parti-parti pembangkang dan masyarakat sivil, perkara ini tidak perlu dipersoalkan. Malahan, pihak berkuasa sepatutnya menangani kematian beliau bukannya sekali lagi, dengan membuta-tuli menyokong pasukan polis.  Beberapa kematian dalam tahanan polis telah berlaku pada tahun ini, antaranya, Chin Te, Mohd Ropi dan M. Ragu yang turut ikut menyertai senarai sangat panjang dan tragis menyayat hati, iaitu senarai mereka yang telah meninggal dunia dalam tahanan PDRM. Menurut Kementerian Dalam Negeri, dari tahun 2000 sehingga Februari 2011, seramai 156 orang telah ditemui mati dalam lokap atau tahanan. Tetapi terlalu sedikit pertanggungjawaban, ketelusan atau sebarang penyiasatan sebenar oleh pihak mahkamah, polis, Pejabat Peguam Negara dan hospital yang menyediakan bantuan perubatan dan melakukan bedah siasat.  Daripada 156 kes ini, 85 (atau 54.5%) diklasifikasikan sebagai Tiada Tindakan Lanjut (No Further Action), apakah maksudnya hal ini? Sebarang kematian dalam jagaan atau tahanan polis sepatutnya perlu diperhatikan secara serius. Namun demikian, institusi-institusi negara yang penting ini dalam kebanyakan kes, jika tidakpun kesemua kes, memilih untuk meremehkan, menutup, mengabai atau bahkan membuat dakwaan keterlaluan terhadap kematian-kematian ini. Ianya menyebabkan institusi terbabit hilang wibawa dan keyakinan orang ramai. Walaupun senarai panjang kematian dalam tahanan ini, terlalu sedikit anggota polis yang didakwa atas kesalahan jenayah, apalagi lebih sedikit lagi yang didapati bersalah atas sebarang kesalahan.   Oleh yang demikian, kami membuat rayuan ini dengan harapan bahawa sebagai bakal Perdana Menteri seterusnya, kamu akan membetulkan ketidakadilan yang berleluasa ini dan membenarkan keluarga Sugumar mendapat keadilan dan melakukan upacara penutup kematian beliau. Untuk hal ini berlaku, institusi-institusi negara mesti dibebaskan daripada campurtangan politik yang tidak wajar supaya institusi-institusi ini dapat berfungsi secara merdeka dan saksama seperti mana-mana negara demokratik moden lainnya. Akhirnya, kami berharap Perdana Menteri yang baru juga akan menyokong penubuhan Suruhanjaya Bebas Aduan dan Salah Laku Polis (IPCMC) yang pastinya akan berganjak lebih jauh lagi dalam mencegah kematian dalam tahanan dan meningkatkan keyakinan awam. Terima kasih Yang Benar, Eric Paulsen Pengasas Bersama dan Penasihat Lawyers for Liberty ----------------- Sugumar's Death: An Open Letter to the Next Prime Minister of Malaysia Dear Prime Minister, We are writing to you as a Malaysian human rights organisation concerned with the death of C. Sugumar on 23 January 2013. As you would no doubt agree, the circumstances surrounding his death were appalling and very serious: he was chased by a group of uniformed policemen; he was quickly overpowered and handcuffed but in the process, a mob assaulted and stripped him naked and a policeman also smeared his face with turmeric. While he was facing down on the ground with his hands cuffed to his back, a policeman stepped on his neck until he stopped struggling. He died and no attempt was made to resuscitate him nor was any medical attention given to him.  The PDRM have now made the incredible claim that they are not responsible for his death nor have any of their personnel committed any criminal offence because the post-mortem showed Sugumar died from a heart attack. This is not surprising as PDRM do have a terrible history of cover up and denial of responsibility, see for example, the death in custody of A. Kugan and fatal police shooting of 15-year-old Aminulrasyid. In the long road from political independence to a modern democratic Malaysia, we seem to have lost our way and have allowed such a public display of state violence, to pass with impunity and without justice. This tragic incident is a serious blot and reminder on how far we are from the Malaysia we aspire.  It has been more than two months since Sugumar was killed in broad daylight while under police custody. His body still lies at the Serdang Hospital morgue, suspended between pending funeral rites and a much required second post-mortem that has been blocked at every stage by the authorities.  What further saddens us is that there has been so little sympathy or response from the authorities and the politicians that make up the government of the day. Even though Sugumar's death was mainly championed by the opposition and civil society – this should not have mattered – and the authorities should have addressed his death instead of blindly supporting the police once again.    Several deaths in custody have already occurred this year, among them Chang Chin Te, Mohd Ropi and M. Ragu who have now joined a very long and tragic list of people who have died in PDRM custody. According to the Home Ministry, from 2000 to February 2011, 156 people were found dead in police lock-up or custody but yet there is little accountability, transparency or any real investigations by the courts, police, Attorney-General's Chambers and hospitals which provide medical assistance or conduct post-mortems. Out of these 156 cases, 85 (or 54.5%) were classified as "No Further Action" (whatever does this mean?).  Despite the obvious seriousness of any death in custody, these important state institutions in most, if not all of these cases, chose to downplay, cover up, ignore or even make outrageous claims over these deaths – causing these institutions to lose credibility and public confidence. Despite the long list of custodial deaths, very few policemen are criminally charged much less found guilty of any offence.  We therefore make this appeal with the hope that as the next Prime Minister, you will correct this grave injustice and let Sugumar's family have closure over his death. In order for this to happen, state institutions must be freed from improper political interference so that they are able to function independently and impartially like in any modern democratic state.  Lastly, we hope that you will also support setting up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) which will certainly go a long way in preventing custodial deaths and enhancing public confidence. Thank you. Sincerely, Eric Paulsen Co-founder & Adviser Lawyers for Liberty

Talk is Cheap Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Posted: 05 Apr 2013 10:51 AM PDT   Defending one's life when threatened with death is not violence. These Rohingyas are at the receiving end, maybe it's time ASSK stops playing politics and start speaking as a true statesperson and an agent of change and reconciliation.  Win Lwin  I felt an urge to write an opinion piece about Aung San Suu Kyi as communal riots were occurring in the Rakhine State but I thought I should give 'The Lady' time to prove me wrong. The time has since passed and the optimistic wish that she would prove me wrong is nothing but a waste of time. With the communal violence in Rakhine still smoldering, we are now in the midst of another targeted violence against the muslim minority; the cloak of deception behind which Aung San Suu Kyi , the Burmese government and by large the majority of the Buddhist population is now lifted and their racist ways are in the full glare of her people and the world. The Rakhine massacre and displacement of tens of thousands of people began after the rape of a Buddhist girl by 3 muslim men allegedly. These men were arrested but a vigilante group comprising of Buddhists murdered a bus full of muslims who were no way connected to the alleged rapists besides professing to the same religion in retaliation for the rape. What followed next is common knowledge to all except to the Buddhist Burmese who have blood on their hands; rapes, targeted killings and systematic eviction of the Rohingyas from their homes and lands by mobs of Buddhist Arkanese while the government security elements looked away or tacitly agreed to what was being done to the Rohingya community. As the world gasped in horror; Aung San Suu Kyi was globetrotting and basking in the international limelight. Questions after questions were directed at her about the ongoing killings and displacement of these Rohingya Muslims back home but she side stepped the questions by talking about the rule of law. After a long silence she then says she had not spoken about violence because she wanted to promote reconciliation between the Buddhist and Muslim communities. The fact that she used the words Muslim and Buddhist communities prove that she is fully aware this is not an issue about alleged illegals from Bangladesh but a religious conflict that has been simmering for decades. She has blown the issue in broad daylight by acknowledging that this is an issue between Muslims and Buddhists and has got nothing to do with borders and implementation of the law. She has unwittingly shot herself in the foot by making such a statement. "But don't forget that violence has been committed by both sides. This is why I prefer not to take sides. And, also I want to work toward reconciliation between these two communities. I am not going to be able to do that if I take sides". Defending one's life when threatened with death is not violence. These Rohingyas are at the receiving end, maybe it's time ASSK stops playing politics and start speaking as a true statesperson and an agent of change and reconciliation. What she has failed to realize is that she already has taken sides when she speaks about how monks were insulted by Muslims allegedly without speaking about killings of innocent Rohingya children, women and men by Buddhist dominated mobs. A monk is not above the law; a monk is also a human with weaknesses and as it is quite clear, a vast majority of them in Burma are racists. A man in monk attire who commits a crime is nothing but a man who has committed a crime and a criminal at best. Unless ASSK makes such a statement, she is nothing but a person who preaches democracy, equality, freedom and other democratic ideals for her race and religion only and no one else. She preached idealistic things but failed to explain to the people that an idealistic way of thinking is quite far from the realities of life. She has hoodwinked herself and the people. She has failed to live up to her own ideals which she articulately propagated during her incarceration. Was it all rhetorical or a mask to hide the real ASSK? With the Buddhist population so blinded by their hatred for people and a religion they have little or no idea about, with aggressions perpetuated against Muslims in other parts of Burma increasing, ASSK feels it is prudent to maintain her silence. Is this silence out of desperation not to lose her political base or is this silence an insight to her own racist way? Her silence is irresponsible and the correct phrase to describe her silence is 'criminal'. This silence on her part has also made her a collaborator in the displacement and deaths of countless Muslims in Burma. She too has blood on her hands. This is a woman who was given the 'Noble Peace Prize' for standing up for democracy and freedom for Burma but from my recollection, the idea of nominating her as a candidate for this prestigious prize was not for her fight for such things but because her husband felt it prudent that bestowing such a prize on her will discourage the government from harming her. Of course, my comment is debatable to say the least. I personally feel, this prize was prematurely given to her even if did protect her from harm. After all, many have been tortured and killed for the fight for democracy and freedom; what makes her so special besides who her father was? Her political stand presently is nothing noble and certainly brings shame to the award conferred on her. I am sure many will think this to be rantings of a person who does not know ASSK; but who really knows what she is thinking and who she really is? Politics is perception and my perception of her is that of a racist who is out to canon herself politically for her own interest or that of her own race and religion at the cost of innocent Muslim men, women and children. "The kind of seed sown will produce that kind of fruit. Those who do good will reap good results. Those who do evil will reap evil results. If you carefully plant a good seed, you will joyfully gather food fruit", Dhammapada. In ASSK's case, she is enjoying the rock star status and the chants of people calling her Amma (mother) and Daw Suu ( Daw – used to addressed some with respect ); while people are dying all around her. How is she planting a good seed? She is not planting any seeds, she is just harvesting the fruits as the result of seeds of hatred that the government planted a long time ago towards the Muslims and other minorities in the minds of the Buddhist population. She saw an opportunity to nurture an evil seed to gain political mileage. I have no doubt, the Muslims of Burma will continue to be treated as outsiders and as a pariah community for at least 3 generations to come. The young boys and girls in Burma whose age is between 7 to 10 are already brainwashed to hate Muslims. That leaves the teenagers, young adults, middle aged adults and seniors who are already tainted by racist ways for many more years. Where is the hope for Muslims to enjoy democracy and freedom in Burma when the very person who is leading the fight herself is a racist and a bigot? I personally see a very uncertain future of the Muslims in Burma; what hope is there when the very person who speaks about the rule of law, democracy, freedom and equality is in fact propagating all these democratic values for her own race and religion but no one else. I say a prayer every night with the hope that ASSK will once again garner my respect and support but I remain a pessimist in light of her silence and indifference to the suffering of the Muslim community of Burma who have paid with their lives and blood to support her.   A Burmese in Diaspora, Win Lwin

GE13: Palanivel rules out Samy as polls candidate Posted: 05 Apr 2013 10:47 AM PDT   (The Star) - Former MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu has been ruled out as one of the candidates for the nine parliamentary and 19 state seats allotted to the party. Party president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel said although the party had yet to finalise its candidates, Samy Vellu was not one of them. However, he said Samy Vellu had been working hard in the Sungai Siput constituency, which he lost to Dr Michael Jeyakumar in the 2008 election. "He will not be a candidate. It is not right of the media to speculate that Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu will be a candidate," he said yesterday. Samy Vellu, who is Special Envoy for Infrastructure for India and South Asia, had earlier been quoted by online portals as declaring himself to be a "winnable candidate" for the Sungai Siput seat should he be picked to contest there. Palanivel said discussions were ongoing over candidates for several state seats. During the party's central working committee meeting on Thursday evening, Palanivel said MIC was happy that it was allowed to re-contest all the parliamentary and state seats it had contested in the 2008 general election. Palanivel, who is also a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, is expected to contest in Cameron Highlands, while Datuk S.K. Devamany, who is MIC vice-president, is tipped to contest the Sungai Siput seat. MIC deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam is set to defend the Segamat seat while another party vice-president, Datuk M. Saravanan, currently Deputy Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister, will defend his Tapah seat.

Samy Vellu mad with Palanivel and deputy for misconstruing his statement Posted: 05 Apr 2013 10:45 AM PDT   (The Malaysian Insider) - Former MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu is incensed with party president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel and his deputy Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam over the "winnable candidate" issue. He believed they misconstrued his declaration on Wednesday — the day Parliament was dissolved — when he stated he was a "winnable candidate" for the Sungai Siput parliamentary constituency, in reply to a reporter's question. In response to Palanivel's earlier statement that Samy Vellu (picture)would not be contesting in the coming general election, the latter said he had not made a request to Palanivel to be nominated for the seat. "Palanivel and Dr Subramaniam have misunderstood my statement at a media conference during the handing over of donations to the families of the slain warriors of Lahad Datu, Sabah in Bukit Aman. "It is true that I told the reporters that I had no doubt I was a winnable candidate, but that doesn't mean that I had requested Palanivel that I wanted to re-contest in Sungai Siput," he said in a statement yesterday. Samy Vellu said he was saddened over their statements as the statements did not reflect his true intentions. "They (Palanivel and Dr Subramaniam) should have called me first to find out what transpired at the media conference (in Bukit Aman) before shooting off their mouth," he said, adding that the duo had shown immaturity in politics by "jumping the gun".  Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/samy-vellu-mad-with-palanivel-and-deputy-for-misconstruing-his-statement/

GE13: UM student, 23, to challenge Najib for Pekan seat Posted: 05 Apr 2013 10:43 AM PDT   (The Star) - A 23-year-old Universiti Malaya student will challenge Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for the Pekan parliamentary seat in the 13th general election. Gerakan Mahasiswa PRU13 (GM13), a coalition of student groups, will field political science student Mohamed Bukhairy Sofian as an independent candidate. He said the group was fielding a candidate as a call to reform Malaysia's higher education system. "We want to highlight our manifesto and bring these policies to Parliament. "We will not sideline the issues affecting the local residents (in Pekan) as well," he said during a press conference here on Friday. Mohamed Bukhairy is a member of the UM student representative council, as well as the chairman of the Nasional Students Representative Council. Solidariti Mahasiwa Malaysia (SMM) chairman Muhammad Safwan Anang said the manifesto had been forwarded to both the ruling and opposition parties last month, but has yet to receive a response from either side. The student manifesto outlines eight main points, including full autonomy for local universities, academic freedom, free education at the tertiary level, and that students are allowed to manage their own affairs. When asked whether he was confident about winning, Mohamed Bukhairy said, "I will do my best... the point is to try."

After Hindu insult, Zulkifli Noordin says ‘keling’ Posted: 05 Apr 2013 10:41 AM PDT   (The Malaysian Insider) - Independent lawmaker Datuk Zulkifli Noordin has been captured on Youtube uttering the word "keling", which Indian Malaysians find racially offensive, just days after an earlier video deemed religiously-insensitive went viral. The latest video clip was posted yesterday and showed the controversial Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP at a public event in the Ampang suburb on March 6, purportedly weighing in on the conspiracy theories surrounding the 2006 murder of Mongolian interpreter Altantuya Shaariibuu and the private detective hired to tail her, P. Balasubramaniam who died of heart attack last month. "Ada badigol Baghdad ni percaya, entah keling mana bawa kitab Hindu dia, 'saya ada tengok, saya ada bukti'. Keling ni bawa kitab Hindu sumpah, dia percaya (There are these Baghdad fools who believe this keling from nowhere who brings his Hindu holy book, saying, 'I have seen, I have proof'. This keling brings and swears on his Hindu holy book, he believes)," he said, using a derogatory word in the Malay language to refer to Malaysians of Indian ancestry. The two-and-a-half minute clip uploaded by a Youtube user identified as "Chandra Lawan Tetap Lawan" appears to be an extract of a slightly longer video first posted by Malay news portal KLPos.com, which was also uploaded to Youtube, under the title "PAS Gadai Kalimah Allah [PAS pawning Allah]". Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/after-hindu-insult-zulkifli-nordin-says-keling/

Malaysia GE13: Anwar to contest from his old Penang seat after all Posted: 05 Apr 2013 12:35 AM PDT Carolyn Hong, Straits Times Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim will defend his long-time Permatang Pauh seat in Penang, putting an end to his earlier hints that he may move to a seat in Perak. He announced at a rally in Penang Friday that he wanted to be with his loyal voters and supporters in this seat. "My wife had earlier disagreed with me when I told her that I was considering contesting the Tambun parliamentary seat in Perak,' he was quoted as saying by the Star in Penang. "She said the people of Permatang Pauh were loyalists and diehard supporters who had stood by her and PKR through thick and thin all these years." Datuk Seri Anwar had earlier hinted that he might leave the seat that he has held since 1982 to move to contest in Perak which the opposition Pakatan Rakyat is keen to wrest back from the ruling Barisan Nasional. The PR had won Perak in the 2008 general election but lost it to the BN a year later when three of its assemblymen defected. A PR heavyweight - the Democratic Action Party veteran MP Lim Kit Siang - will be leaving his Perak seat to lead the PR charge in Johor. Mr Anwar was speculated to be filling the vacuum in Perak. Permatang Pauh is a safe seat for Datuk Seri Anwar who had held it from 1982 until 1999 when he was sacked from government on charges of corrupt practices and sodomy. He has maintained that these charges are trumped up. The seat was held by his wife Wan Azizah Wan Ismail until he regained it in 2008 upon his return to active politics after he was released from prison. He won the seat in a by-election in 2008 by a landslide, taking two-thirds of the 47,000 votes.

Malaysia's Multi-Ethnic Coalition Near Collapse Posted: 04 Apr 2013 10:41 PM PDT UMNO may have to go it alone as Chinese, Indian parties crumble Thus indigenous tribes, most of them in East Malaysia, with 11 percent of the population, probably hold the key to the 2013 election, most political analysts feel. The states of Sabah and Sarawak and the federal territory of Labuan control 57 of the 222 seats. The 165 peninsular seats are almost equally divided between the Barisan and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Rakyat coalition. John Berthelsen, Asia Sentinel    Regardless of who wins Malaysia's 12th general election, expected to be held on April 27, the historic multi-ethnic coalition that has ruled the country since independence will have likely collapsed. "Whatever the results, the Barisan coalition will cease to exist as we know it because the Malaysian Chinese Association, Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian Congress will be wiped out," a Kuala Lumpur-based businessman told Asia Sentinel. "Assuming UMNO forms the government with Sabah and Sarawak parties, there will be no Chinese and Indian representatives in the government. And that is not a good scenario to have." The Barisan and the opposition, made up of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat headed by Anwar Ibrahim, the ethnic Chinese Democratic Action Party and the fundamentalist Parti Islam se-Malaysia are embroiled in what is being called the closest election in the country's history, with both sides predicting victory. One opposition strategist said the race would probably come down to a margin of 10 seats either way in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat, or parliament. For most of the time from its 1957 inception as an independent nation, the country has been governed by a carefully engineered amalgam of ethnic parties led by the United Malays National Organization, the Malaysian Chinese Association, the Malaysian Indian Congress and, to a lesser extent, Gerakan, which has faded in recent years. However, in the debacle of the 2008 election, the MCA was left with just 15 seats in parliament. Gerakan, the second mostly Chinese ethnic party, ended up with just two seats. The MIC was left with three. UMNO won 78. In the upcoming polls, political analysts say the MCA could see its total seats fall to just one or two, roiled as the party is by years of major scandals and political infighting that once impelled one of the contending factions to secretly film party leader Chua Soi Lek having a sex romp in a hotel room in a vain effort to drive him from politics. The resurgent opposition Democratic Action Party expects to claim the vast majority of Chinese voters. Gerakan, whose base is in Penang, which is controlled by the DAP, could be wiped out completely, the analysts say. The MIC is equally riven by scandal and infighting, with its members and leadership gravitating away towards the Hindu Rights Action Force, or Hindraf. This not a scenario being prepared by members of the opposition. It has been discussed within UMNO councils for months as the party has watched the other components of the Barisan drift into disaster. It is at least partly responsible for the rise in race-baiting in recent months as UMNO and its attack-dog ancillaries such as the Malay supremacy NGO Perkasa raise the spectre that ethnic Chinese, and particularly Chinese Christians in a Muslim country ? will take over the reins of power. Ethnic Malays make up 50.4 percent of the population, Chinese 24 percent, Indians 7.1 according to the CIA World Factbook. UMNO sees its chance to keep its leadership of the country intact by winning every available ethnic Malay vote and hopefully luring ethnic Indians back into the fold. Thus indigenous tribes, most of them in East Malaysia, with 11 percent of the population, probably hold the key to the 2013 election, most political analysts feel. The states of Sabah and Sarawak and the federal territory of Labuan control 57 of the 222 seats. The 165 peninsular seats are almost equally divided between the Barisan and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Rakyat coalition. As the MCA in particular descended into chaos, an UMNO operative told Asia Sentinel months ago that UMNO basically decided it would have to go it alone in the 13th general election. While the other ethnic parties will field candidates in the election, UMNO will try to take as many constituencies dominated by ethnic Malays as possible and hope the component parties can have some impact. If not, the 57 East Malaysia seats - depending on how the parties controlled by the current chief ministers fare in the election - will control Peninsular Malaysia's destiny. In both Sarawak and Sabah, the bonds of loyalty that keep elected lawmakers bound to particular parties are slippery indeed. In one case in the 1980s, when the opposition unexpectedly took control of the statehouse in Kota Kinabalu, the victorious coalition locked their winning members behind a chain link fence to keep them from being bribed away by the losers. Should the collapse scenario actually take place, it will produce a "mono-ethnic and unelectable opposition that will be constrained to the Malay belt" in the Peninsula, where 20 million of the 28 million Malaysians make their home - without the help of the East Malaysian states. Both chief ministers have been implicated, although not indicted, in scandals involving untold amounts of money in bribery for timber sales. They would be pleased to talk to the opposition in exchange for immunity from prosecution. READ MORE HERE

Blogger Papa Gomo says will fight Anwar in GE13 Posted: 04 Apr 2013 10:27 PM PDT Mohd Farhan Darwis, TMI Pro-Umno blogger Papa Gomo declared today he will run against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the 13th general elections (GE13), raising the stakes in his personal fight against the oppostion leader. The blogger, whom PKR has identified as Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, had tweeted this afternoon that he had decided to fight head-on against the 65-year-old who dreams of becoming Malaysia's seventh prime minister in national polls due soon. "I have made the decision to stand in this GE13 against Anwar Ibrahim," he said in Malay on his Twitter account, @PapaGomo, before quipping "Lawan tetap lawan" in an apparent dig at the PKR founder's famous slogan. "Certain to lose but let Anwar get indigestion," he added. However, it is unknown where the election battle will take place as Anwar announced recently he may not defend his Permatang Pauh, Penang federal seat in the coming polls. He is reported to be eyeing a seat in Perak. Papa Gomo has also been accused of being ex-policeman-turned-former convict and a "phantom" voter in the run-up to Election 2013, touted to be the tightest-race for both the ruling Barisan Nasional and the three-party Pakatan Rakyat opposition anchored by PKR. Last month, Anwar filed a RM100 million defamation suit against Papa Gomo for allegedly posting on his blog false still photographs of the PKR leader from a fake sex video.

Three-corner fight in Bukit Gasing with Edward Lee’s son as independent Posted: 04 Apr 2013 10:22 PM PDT Ida Lim and Md Izwan, TMI The Bukit Gasing state seat in Selangor will see a three-corner fight in Election 2013, with the son of its former representative Edward Lee Poh Lin (picture) to run as an independent candidate against DAP and the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. "I'll be running as an independent," Simon Lee Chung Hsin told The Malaysian Insider when contacted today. Lee, who had previously aided his late father in his duties as the Bukit Gasing state assemblyman, is expected to officially announce his candidacy in a press conference next Thursday. DAP publicity chief Tony Pua confirmed that Simon Lee would not be contesting under the party's ticket as his late father did in Election 2008, where he defeated BN's Datuk Dr Lim Thuang Seng in a massive win with a 8,812 majority. "He will not contest on DAP's ticket, he is an independent candidate," Pua said. Following Edward Lee's death in 2011, no by-election was held, leading to DAP's Subang Jaya state assemblyman Hannah Yeoh's adoption of the Bukit Gasing seat. Recently, The Malaysian Insider reported that DAP would likely field first-timer outsider Kasthuri Rani Patto, the daughter of late DAP hero P. Patto, in the Chinese-majority seat in Petaling Jaya. She had said that Edward Lee's impact continues to be felt, highlighting the "Save Bukit Gasing" campaign which he had started together with local residents in an effort to protect the Klang Valley green lung from development. BN is seeking to regain Selangor, one of the five states that the federal opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) took over in Election 2008. PR currently holds 36 seats out of the 56 state seats and 17 out of the 22 parliamentary seats in the country's richest state.

DAP blames EC for low overseas postal voter registrations Posted: 04 Apr 2013 09:43 PM PDT Ong pointed out that he received many questions from overseas Malaysians last Wednesday - the day Parliament was dissolved - about how to register as postal voters. Boo Su-Lyn, TMI The DAP blamed the Election Commission (EC) today for the registration of only 6,298 Malaysian voters abroad, or 0.6 per cent, out of about a million Malaysians living overseas. The Star Online reported EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof as saying yesterday that the low figures were "quite disappointing", despite the polls regulator providing a "convenient registration process". "The announcement for overseas postal voting was only done on January 21st, 2013, after the gazetting of the Quarter 4, 2012 electoral roll," DAP election strategist Dr Ong Kian Ming said in a statement today. "This meant that those Malaysians overseas who had not yet registered as a voter, which is probably the majority of them, were not eligible to apply to be an overseas postal voter after the announcement of the EC guidelines on overseas voting," he added. Ong also accused the EC of not "aggressively" reaching out to overseas Malaysians before January to register as regular voters first, before registering as postal voters. "As far as I know, the EC did not allocate any budgetary resources, nor did it work with Wisma Putra, to conduct an aggressive voter registration exercise for Malaysians overseas," said Ong. He also noted that advocacy group MyOverseasVote found out last July that several Malaysian embassies and consulates had received inconsistent information on who could register as regular voters through them. "This shows the serious failure on the part of the EC to communicate and implement a standard registration procedure among the Malaysian embassies and consulates," he said. Ong pointed out that he received many questions from overseas Malaysians last Wednesday - the day Parliament was dissolved - about how to register as postal voters. "This clearly shows that the EC failed in its outreach to Malaysian voters which resulted in the low number of registrations," he said. READ MORE HERE

The end of Machiavellianism (WITH CHINESE TRANSLATION) Posted: 04 Apr 2013 06:27 PM PDT I believe that many doubts have been cleared with Najib's recent declaration (that BN won't cling on the power should they lose). The people should now be able to vote as they please without feeling threatened and stressed. And since BN has made its promise, PR should in turn make the same promise that if they lose in their states they will ensure a smooth transfer of power (especially to control some of their fanatical, over-obsessive supporters who have the potential of causing troubles). Original text by Tay Tian Yan, Asst. Chief Editor, SinChew Daily Translated text by Gilbert Yeoh-Tan "Should Barisan National lose in the coming election, will they surrender their power peacefully?" For a long time, this problem has acted like the scalpel that is left in the body of the patient after a surgery; The patient can swear that something is wrong with his body, and the surgeon can find no word to explain the situation. If we are to remove the scalpel, we need to undergo another surgery with attached risks. And if we don't, the patient will feel the ongoing pain with possible future complications. This is a very obvious taboo in Malaysia's politics. Nonetheless, this problem needs to be exposed to the light of democracy. Just like many, I have more than once discussed this topics on several occasions. To tell you the truth, many will say 'no, BN will not,' whereas I am the few (maybe the only one) who will say "Yes, BN will." Many think that BN will take all the necessary steps, including playing dirty tricks, to remain in power. According to a friend who is 'very experienced' in Malaysian politics, he stated without hesitation that BN's power in Malaysia, if not exceeds, equals that of Communist Party of China (CPC) in China. CPC is a tri-combination party, politics, and military powers, whereas BN is a penta-combination of party, politics, military, police, and economy powers.  He further argued that BN will not want to lose this cross-layer power that can in turn allow BN to win more political power even without election.  This argument is based on Machiavelli's theory on powers, in which he theorized that the thirst for power would overwhelm all others and that in order to grab power politicians will do anything necessary. This is indeed a dreadful and dangerous theory. Many people, including politicians, may not know who Machiavelli is; some might even think that  Machiavelli is a kind of Italian pasta. But, for some, Machiavelli's gene and ideas have already deeply rooted in their belief system without them knowing. I myself am not a Machiavellianism  partisan. Ever since I first started immerging myself in politics I have been resistant towards that theory. If Machiavellianism holds true, we would not have seen  philosophers such as Robespierre, Baron de Montesquieu, John Milton  etc. leading the fight for democracy and political freedom.    And I have always believed in the power of democracy and the function of election. The people make their final decision through election, and no authorities, including that from those who command powers, can overrule that final decision. Democracy in Malaysia has a somewhat solid foundation. Though our election system is far from perfect, after half a century of trial, it still commands certain credibility and is an important cornerstone of our democracy.  For those who wish to challenge the people's power, they must be prepared to pay a heavy price. Just look at what Arab's spring did to the autocratic Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Ben Ali of Tunisia; though once being very powerful, they too had to bow in front of people's power. Furthermore, Malaysia is an open country that involves heavily in international trading. So, should the government overturn the election result they will hurt the economy.  And for those who benefit financially from their political powers, this will be a blow that they cannot withstand. Hence, I believe that Machiavellianism has already left Malaysia's politics sometime ago with the stepping down of Mahathir. For over 50 years Malaysia has been a civil government with minimal interference from the military, and this tradition must not be changed. Perhaps it is Anwar's lack of confidence in our democracy system that makes him naming several retired military figures as PKR candidates in the coming election, but I think that this is absolutely unnecessary. I believe that many doubts have been cleared with Najib's recent declaration (that BN won't cling on the power should they lose). The people should now be able to vote as they please without feeling threatened and stressed. And since BN has made its promise, PR should in turn make the same promise that should they lose in their states they will ensure a smooth transfer of power (especially to control some of their fanatical, over-obsessive supporters who have the potential of causing troubles). Only when both parties can make and deliver the promise will the people be free of doubt, and only by then can we take a step closer to a better democracy. ******************************************** 郑丁贤‧马基维里的终结 "一旦国阵输了大选，它是否会和平交出政权?" 一向以来，这个问题，彷佛是医生动手术之后，在病人体内留下手术刀。 病人觉得不对劲，医生又难以启齿。 要取出来，得多动一次手术，不无风险；不取出来，难受之外，还要面对并发症。 这俨然是大马政治的一个禁忌。 然而，终究要摊开来，照一照民主的阳光。 我和许多人，过去多次在各种场合辩论这个题目。 不瞒你说，多数人都认为"不会＂，而我是认为"会＂的少数，或是唯一。 多数的辩者认为，国阵会尽一切的手段，包括非和平的行径，来捍卫它的政权。 一位政治阅历算是丰富的朋友振振有词说，巫统的权力组织接近中国共产党，甚至有过之无不及。中共是党、政、军的三合一，而巫统是党、政、军、警、经（济）的五合一。 这种一层叠一层的权力交错，使巫统不能失去权力，而也有能力通过非选举手段，巩固执政权。 这种观点，是以马基维里的权力理论为基础，权力的需求高于一切，政治人物为了权力，可以不择手段来达到目的。 这是一种可怕而危险的政治论述。 尽管许多人，尤其是从政者，搞不清楚马基维里是一种意大利面，还是一个意大利政治理论家；但是，马基维里的基因，却已经活潜伏在他们的价值系统。 我不是马基维里的拥护者，从接触政治理论开始，就很抗拒这种论述；如果大家都追随马基维里，那么，今天的世界应该还停留在独裁威权的时代，不会有卢骚、孟德斯鸠、弥尔顿带领民主和自由思想的诞生。 而我总是相信民主的力量，以及选举的功能。人民通过选举的决定，是最后的决定；没有其他力量，包括强势权力，可以抗拒。 大马的民主已经有一定的基础，选举制度虽然不完美，但经过半世纪的考验，有一定的公信力，也是民主进程的基石。 任何一方要否定人民力量，肯定要付出更加惨重的代价；像是茉莉花事件的人民起义，强悍如埃及的穆巴拉克，突尼西亚的本阿里，也必须俯首。 更何况，大马是一个对外开放的国家，经济依赖对外贸易和外来投资；一旦否定选举，将导致经济上的重创；而对既得利益者而言，这是他们不能承受的打击。 马哈迪之后，马基维里在大马的传人也应该告终。 大马独立超过半世纪，向来是文人政府掌权，没有军队和武力介入，这种深厚传统不容改变。 或许安华对民主缺乏信心，而引进了几位退休军方将领出任公正党的候选人，实在是没有必要。 随着纳吉的宣布，疑惑获得了解答，人民能够在没有压力，不受威胁的情况下，凭自由意志来投票。 国阵做出了承诺，同样的，民联执政的州属，如果发生政权更迭，也要确保和平转移；特别是阻止狂热分子的冒进和破坏。 双方作出承诺，信守承诺，人民解开了这个心结，民主就跨进一步。

Battle will be fought on popularity, not policies Posted: 04 Apr 2013 06:17 PM PDT But a significant number of urban voters and non-Malay voters have bought into the ABU sentiment. Hence the drastic weakening of support for Umno in urban areas. More importantly, several BN component parties were almost decimated in 2008 because voters wanted to punish Umno, or where Umno did not contest, they punished the contesting component party.   By Wan Saiful Wan Jan For The Straits Times AT LAST, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the dissolution of Parliament yesterday after obtaining royal consent from the King. Yesterday also marked the fourth anniversary of Datuk Seri Najib's premiership- he took over the helm from Tun Abdullah Badawi on April 3, 2009. Mr Abdullah was forced to step down after Barisan Nasional's (BN) weak performance in the 2008 general election. Mr Najib's announcement was not at all a surprise. Malaysia has been in election mode since the first week Mr Najib became Prime Minister. Right from the beginning, many people had expected him to seek a mandate by calling a snap election. But Mr Najib obviously thought differently. As a result, when the announcement was finally made, many Malaysians were relieved rather than surprised. The Election Commission will soon announce the dates for nomination and polling. Campaigning will start after Nomination Day. But that is just the formal process. In reality, campaigning started about two years ago, with handouts and goodies, or promises of handouts and goodies, being the most common campaign material. This election therefore is not a battle of serious policies. It is simply a battle of who can be more populist. Hence, we see a raft of proposals designed to win voters, such as welfare assistance policies. The opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) made a lot of such promises in its manifesto. The ruling BN coalition, on the other hand, does not just promise, but has been doing exactly that through various government agencies. It is no secret that this election will be the toughest for BN. Never in Malaysia's history has the coalition seen such a serious challenge. It is difficult to see PR winning Putrajaya, even though the chances of it doing so are much bigger than before. No one should discount the possibility of seeing a Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim driving into Putrajaya. The possibility certainly exists, but it is only a small one. What is more likely to happen is that PR would win more states. It is already the state government in Kedah, Kelantan, Penang and Selangor. PR actually won Perak too in 2008, but lost it to BN after the defections of several elected representatives. This time, PR has a real chance of retaining the four states, recapturing Perak and winning Negeri Sembilan. Even more worrying for BN are the inroads PR has made in states such as Johor, Pahang, Sabah and Sarawak. These used to be safe states for BN. Not any more. In Johor, many are complaining that the rapid development of Iskandar Malaysia has pushed the cost of living upwards too fast. For example, they find themselves unable to compete with non-Malaysians who are buying many new properties, thus pushing prices beyond their reach. In Pahang, environmental campaigners have put BN on the defensive over the controversial Lynas rare earth plant. PR has successfully transformed this into a partisan issue and is capitalising on it fully. In Sabah, the Lahad Datu intrusion has opened a can of worms for BN. Sabahans have long complained that their state is flooded with outsiders, allegedly as a result of an unwritten policy to increase the number of Muslims in the state. Some are questioning if the intruders had been given citizenship by the BN administration. The latest bombshell was in Sarawak, where relatives of Chief Minister Taib Mahmud were caught on video insulting Sarawakians. It will not be surprising if the natives choose to punish BN in this election. An additional factor that cannot be ignored is the level of unhappiness against Umno. The movement against BN is actually spearheaded by a movement against Umno. We see today an "anything-but-Umno" (ABU) sentiment being propagated among voters, but there is no such campaign against other BN component parties such as the Malaysian Chinese Association, Malaysian Indian Congress or Gerakan. Ironically, despite the ABU campaign, Umno itself remains quite strong because its bastion is in rural Malay areas, where the voters are less exposed to non-mainstream media. But a significant number of urban voters and non-Malay voters have bought into the ABU sentiment. Hence the drastic weakening of support for Umno in urban areas. More importantly, several BN component parties were almost decimated in 2008 because voters wanted to punish Umno, or where Umno did not contest, they punished the contesting component party. The protest against Umno continues today and it is likely to be a major hurdle preventing BN from doing better than in 2008. Having said that, BN has history and experience on its side. Malaysians have not seen any other party in power. Many remain BN supporters not necessarily because they believe in the BN agenda, but because they fear what would happen if the unproven PR takes over. Whichever way the votes go, it will be exciting to see Malaysians deciding the future of the country.

‘Flood of money leaving Malaysia to reverse after BN wins polls’ Posted: 04 Apr 2013 06:08 PM PDT (TMI) - Money flowing out of Malaysia should reverse course after an expected Barisan Nasional (BN) win in Election 2013, according to fund managers and market analysts in the region. This comes as foreign funds pulled RM10.7 billion out of Malaysia in February due to election jitters, while at the same time pushing RM29.4 billion into neighbouring Thailand. "Elections are probably going to be held before the end of April and we expect to see funds coming back," Wee-Khoon Chong, a rates strategist in Hong Kong at Societe Generale, told financial wire Bloomberg in a report published today. "The risk-reward is still favoring the incumbent to continue another term." Investors have stayed cautious in the past few months, over the uncertain date of the next polls, and worry that a loss by long-ruling coalition BN might postpone economic reforms. Bloomberg reported that Citigroup Inc analysts Kit Wei Zheng and Brian Tan noted that a narrower win for BN compared to 2008 would raise the risk of delaying some fiscal reforms that will affect inflation, although the policy direction would stay unchanged. "If there's status quo and Barisan Nasional stays in power, there'll be a lot of pent-up demand for Malaysian ringgit assets and funds will probably find their way back onshore," said Lum Choong Kuan, CIMB Investment Bank Bhd's head of regional fixed-income research told Bloomberg. Foreign funds have preferred Thailand because of Malaysia's political uncertainties and Indonesia's current-account deficit, but they are expected to return to Malaysia where there has not been any major civil conflicts like the 2008 and 2010 Bangkok protests. "On a historical basis, the political situation in Thailand has been more volatile compared to Malaysia. In terms of stability, investors still prefer Malaysia rather than Thailand," said Lam Chee Mun, a fund manager at TA Investment Management Bhd. Maybank Investment Bank (IB) Research came up with three possible outcomes for Election 2013 in its daily report yesterday, and a win by opposition pact Pakatan Rakyat (PR) was in none of them. Maybank IB put a BN win with a smaller majority as its baseline scenario, while keeping the status quo would be the best-case scenario. The third scenario would be a hung parliament. READ MORE HERE

Squabbles in PR camp over seat allocation Posted: 04 Apr 2013 05:40 PM PDT These squabbles are not surprising, said political analyst Khoo Kay Peng, who runs his own consultancy. Since 2008, when PR did spectacularly well in the polls, its membership has grown exponentially, and it now has a slate of better-qualified people. Carolyn Hong & Yong Yen Nie, Straits Times THE pressure is on the parties to finalise their candidates as nomination day may be just days away. The lobbying for seats has been intense, with open squabbles already marring the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) camp, while the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) holds its cards tightly. PR said it hopes to finish the seat negotiations by today, while BN is expected to begin announcing some names from next week. PR has trickled out the names of some candidates over the last few weeks. But even the cautious rate of announcements has not managed to quell the squabbles. There were protests from the ground after the Democratic Action Party (DAP) announced its candidate - former Umno assemblyman Mohd Ariff Sabri - for the Raub seat in Pahang. He is a relatively new recruit. The Kedah DAP also complained publicly after opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim picked Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidates for the Alor Star and Padang Serai seats, which the DAP had wanted. The worst squabble was in Johor, where PKR chief Chua Jui Meng went incommunicado after DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang was announced as the candidate for the Gelang Patah seat, which Mr Chua was eyeing. Mr Anwar's announcement of former army chief Hashim Hussein for the Johor Baru seat also reportedly caused ripples, as he was new to the party. These squabbles are not surprising, said political analyst Khoo Kay Peng, who runs his own consultancy. Since 2008, when PR did spectacularly well in the polls, its membership has grown exponentially, and it now has a slate of better-qualified people. "Things have become much more competitive now. Public office always holds a great lure for people as it comes with influence and the network," he said. He noted that PKR - the youngest party - seems to have the most problems. Its partners, the DAP and Parti Islam SeMalaysia, have a lot more experience dealing with this. The coalition, he said, will have to resolve its differences quickly, or look fractious. Umno MP in Johor Nur Jazlan Mohamed said it appeared that PR is not immune to the BN disease of fighting for seats, as its members grow to believe there is a chance for the opposition coalition to win power. On the other hand, BN has kept quiet. It is understood that Prime Minister Najib Razak has told his party leaders to give him a free hand to decide on the candidate list. He has met BN leaders over the last few days to finalise it. Sources say some states may see changes, including Johor, where the current Menteri Besar Ghani Othman has already served four terms. Mr Ghani has been speculated to be moving to a parliamentary seat, with several names tipped to replace him. Kedah is another state where there is intense lobbying for the Menteri Besar-designate post. Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Mukhriz Mahathir is said to be a front runner. The PM yesterday urged his party leaders at a closed-door meeting to avoid the infighting that had hurt the party in 2008. Meanwhile, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission said it had completed vetting all candidates.

Big win for BN - if see-saw voting trend continues Posted: 04 Apr 2013 05:35 PM PDT BN's best performance was in 1995, when the Malaysian economy was booming. The coalition received 65.1 per cent of the popular vote. Its worst performance in the last two decades was in the 2008 elections, barely staying above water with 50.3 per cent of the popular vote. The united opposition under Pakatan Rakyat (PR) took 46.75 per cent of the vote. Reme Ahmad, Straits Times IF HISTORICAL patterns should hold true, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition should win more seats in the coming general election (GE), and a bigger slice of the popular vote. In the six elections since 1986, Malaysians have enthusiastically voted for BN in one election, only to turn against it in large numbers at the next outing. In the language of the stock market, after a big slide in the 2008 elections, the 13-party BN may be poised for a rebound in the 2013 General Election. Still, as promoters of unit trusts often say, past performance is no guarantee of future results. BN's best performance was in 1995, when the Malaysian economy was booming. The coalition received 65.1 per cent of the popular vote. Its worst performance in the last two decades was in the 2008 elections, barely staying above water with 50.3 per cent of the popular vote. The united opposition under Pakatan Rakyat (PR) took 46.75 per cent of the vote. Some basics first. There are a total of 222 seats in the federal Parliament. BN won 140 seats and the opposition PR alliance 82 in the 2008 GE. After defections, BN has 137 seats and PR 75, with 10 MPs declaring themselves as Independents. PR consists of the conservative Parti Islam SeMalaysia, the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party and the multiracial Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). BN must win at least 112 seats to retain federal power. In the past, voters shied away from Umno-led BN after major party problems, such as the bitter fight former premier Mahathir Mohamad had with Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah that played out in the 1990 elections. By the next general election they were back, sickened by bickering in opposition ranks and as BN put its house in order. Twice in the last two decades, the vote against the status quo was led by a splinter group from Umno - Semangat 46 in 1990, and in 1999, by Parti Keadilan Nasional, which later changed its name to PKR. And three times in recent history, the opposition cobbled together alliances to take on BN. When that happens, historical data suggests, it tends to get more votes. This time around, the opposition is again united under a single banner. So, will Mr Najib enjoy more voter affection than his predecessor, Tun Abdullah Badawi, in 2008? Or will he be spurned too? The graph is easy enough to read. But Malaysia's voters are in an unpredictable mood. That makes the swings tougher to plot.

Anwar to announce tonight which seat he will contest in Posted: 04 Apr 2013 05:28 PM PDT (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said he will announce on Friday night the seat he will be contesting in. But he remained coy about confirming widespread speculation that he was going to contest in Perak. He said he will make the announcement at a rally in Seberang Jaya on mainland Penang. He said he needed to meet his supporters in his current seat Permatang Pauh to explain why he was not contesting here as they have been with him through good and difficult times. He also said he was "heavy hearted" to move from Permatang Pauh as he has been here since 1982. Asked if he was going to contest a seat in Perak, he said "tengok dulu" (let's see). "Rationally, the strategy is to boost the support there (Perak). It's a mixed area there. "We have (Pas spiritual leader) Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat in Kelantan, (DAP secretary general) Lim Guan Eng in Penang and (DAP adviser) Lim Kit Siang in Johor," he told reporters at a mosque here. He was scheduled to attend a meeting with PKR, DAP and Pas leaders to discuss candidacy issues at 3.30pm but declined to reveal where the meeting would be held. When asked about his wife Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's role in the coming election, Datuk Seri Anwar said she was keen to serve the people and assist in campaigning but not keen to be a candidate. He also urged police to look into cases where protesters caused disturbances at Pakatan's rallies and to take action against those responsible.

Wan Azizah: Contesting or not? Posted: 04 Apr 2013 04:47 PM PDT PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar denies reports that party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail will not contest. K Pragalath, FMT The possibility of PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ibrahim contesting a state seat in the 13th general election "remains" open until nomination day, said her daughter Nurul Izzah. "The possibility remains until the announcement date," Nurul told FMT in a text message. Nurul's comment contradicts her father, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's announcement on Wednesday that Wan Azizah would not contest. Anwar had told Al Jazeera during a live interview that Wan Azizah "leads the party but decided not to contest in the election". Earlier today, Nurul dismissed Anwar's statement describing it as mere "political talk" even though the announcement was reported by the PKR media organ KeadilanDaily.com. In the Bernama report, Nurul said KeadilanDaily.com had merely quoted a statement released by the central PKR election department. "An official announcement would be made by Anwar next Wednesday. He definitely knows about the candidates' preparations," she said. Speculations about Wan Azizah contesting in this general election arose last week. Malay daily Sinar Harian reported Azizah's intention to contest for a state seat in Selangor which was unnamed since Azizah had not finalised on where to contest. "Yes, I will contest for a seat in the Selangor State Legislative Assembly but we need to discuss on a suitable seat. That would make it easier for me to conduct an election campaign and focus on the area," she told Sinar Harian. Subsequently, Selangor PKR information chief Shuhaimi Shafiei, who is also Seri Muda state assemblyman, offered Azizah four state seats to choose from the 17 that PKR currently controls. The four state seats are Seri Muda, Kota Anggerik, Seri Setia and Sementa in Kapar. Her intention to contest also created speculations that current Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, who is also vying for the menteri besar seat, would have to give way for Azizah to be the next menteri besar, if she won. Media speculations Meanwhile, the PKR grassroots leaders in Selangor have welcomed Azizah's decision to contest in Selangor. Wan Azizah was the Permatang Pauh MP from 1999 to July 2008. She contested in Permatang Pauh after Anwar was disqualified from holding on to his MP position when he was imprisoned. In July 2008, she stepped down to allow Anwar's comeback into active politics. Her decision to step down resulted in her being disqualified to contest for a parliamentary seat until July this year. Responding to another question, Nurul also brushed off talks of Anwar moving to Perak to contest a parliamentary seat as mere "media speculations". "I think he did not mention that he is ready to contest in Perak. It is merely media speculations and I have myself received memorandum from Permatang Pauh residents requesting him to remain there," she said. She added that there was a sentimental factor for Anwar in Permatang Pauh. READ MORE HERE

ABU: Don’t be scared of BN’s fear tactics Posted: 04 Apr 2013 04:41 PM PDT The EC may set May 11 as the polling date to remind the rakyat about the May 13 incident, say ABU spokesman Haris Ibrahim.  Alyaa Azhar, FMT Polls watchdog ABU (Anything But Umno) spokesman Haris Ibrahim today urged Malaysians not to be influenced by fear tactics employed by Barisan Nasional for the coming general election. "From what we have heard, the Election Commission [EC] may set May 11 as the polling date to remind the people about the May 13 incident. "This move is to scare the rakyat and to remind them to vote for stability. We urge the rakyat not to be frightened by BN's tactics. "If the EC sets the date on May 11, please do not let the BN's fear tactics influence our decision to vote. Remember that we are voting for change," he said at a press conference held at ABU's headquarters here today. Haris also urged the rakyat to reject race-based politics and expressed disappointment with Hindraf. "We are disappointed with Hindraf's new stand as it is seen to have courted BN. Why are they [Hindraf leaders] going back to BN, the same BN which has marginalised Indians for so long? "Also, we have traced an SMS which was issued by Hindraf members to boycott the general election. "We urge the Indians not to do this because it does not make sense to boycott the general election," he said. Haris also said that ABU has launched an initiative by distributing "Amaran" (warning) flyers throughout the country to foreign nationals who have been provided with MyKads for the purpose of voting in the upcoming election. Tahan squads "These flyers serve to stop foreign nationals from casting a vote in the general election, or risk facing the ire of the rakyat. "Tahan [Team Abu Halang Asing Ngundi] squads are being assembled throughout the country to safeguard the sanctity of the electoral process. "These squads will consist of ordinary Malaysians who will ensure that these foreign nationals do not vote on polling day," said ABU's Jason Sanjeev Ganeson . READ MORE HERE

Pakatan out to create a bigger tsunami Posted: 04 Apr 2013 04:16 PM PDT There are about 37.7 per cent Chinese votes in Perak and most of them support Pakatan Rakyat. However, Pakatan Rakyat needs to fight for the 48.59 per cent Malay votes to win the state and more parliamentary seats. And Anwar is the ace to attract Malay votes. Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he intends to leave Penang and contest in Perak, showing that Pakatan Rakyat has made a careful deployment for the focal states in the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. There was an announcement earlier saying that DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang will leave Perak to contest in Johor. The move was intended to create a momentum and set off a tsunami from the southern peninsula. And there must be important leaders in the north to make the deployment sound. If Pakatan Rakyat is able to seize Johor, PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub is expected to be the candidate for state mentri besar. Pakatan Rakyat has no preferred chief minister candidate in Malacca. In Negri Sembilan, however, PAS and the PKR have their respective preferred candidates, namely Seremban PKR deputy chief Dr Mohamad Rafie Abdul Malek and PAS central committee member Dr Rosli Yaakob. Although there was a rumour earlier saying that PKR president Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail would contest in Selangor, she later decided not to contest for any seats. However, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali will continue contesting in Selangor. After Lim Kit Siang left Perak to contest in Johor, Anwar shifted to contest in the state to stabilise the situation and fight for Malay votes, with an attempt to take revenge on the BN for seizing the state administration in February 2009. There are about 37.7 per cent Chinese votes in Perak and most of them support Pakatan Rakyat. However, Pakatan Rakyat needs to fight for the 48.59 per cent Malay votes to win the state and more parliamentary seats. And Anwar is the ace to attract Malay votes. If Anwar contests in Perak, he can help improve the winning odds of some parliamentary seats. With more parliamentary seats, there will be a greater chance to seize Putrajaya. It is generally predicted that since Anwar is going to contest in Perak, PKR would then be Pakatan Rakyat's leading party in the state. If Pakatan Rakyat is able to win the state, the mentri besar should then be a PKR member. However, it is impossible for PAS grassroots to give up the post. In the Perak regime change, the relationship between former state Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin and the Malay Ruler has changed and thus, it is difficult for him to be the mentri besar again. In Penang, half of the total voters are Chinese. It is not a big problem for Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to keep the regime. In Kedah, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak's performance is poor and has been receiving resistance from the state's grassroots. Therefore, it is rumoured that PAS would field its vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar to contest in Kedah to pave the way for the replacement of the mentri besar. Pakatan Rakyat also has preferred mentri besar candidates in Perlis and state PAS deputy president Mohd Anuar Tahir receives the greatest support. In a recent interview with Sin Chew Daily, Lim Kit Siang predicted that Pakatan Rakyat would be able to seize another two state regimes in the 13th general election, namely Negri Sembilan and Perlis. Therefore, the focal states in the west coast of peninsula, together with Kelantan, Pakatan Rakyat is trying to build a "Great Wall" and if they are linked together, it might trigger a larger tsunami. One thing that should not be forgotten is that during the 2008 general election, Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat leaders focused their election campaign activities in the west coast of the peninsula in the last few days before polling day and it resulted in a tsunami, causing a regime change in Selangor, Perak, Penang and Kedah, while winning 10 of the 11 parliamentary seats in Kuala Lumpur. And now, Pakatan Rakyat is using the old trick with more energetic candidates and a more sophisticated deployment. It seems like Pakatan Rakyat's plan to seize Putrajaya is not limited to an empty talk. The election campaign is expected to be more and more exciting.

ABU disappointed, says Hindraf 'courting' BN Posted: 04 Apr 2013 04:05 PM PDT Nurul Iman Dimyati, fz.com Anything But Umno (ABU), a friendly opposition movement, today expressed their disappointment in Hindraf over its actions that seem to be "courting" the ruling coalition. "Repent and return to the right path (taubat dan kembali ke pangkal jalan)," ABU spokesperson Haris Ibrahim urged Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy.   Haris said Hindraf's meeting and discussion of its blueprint plan with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was seen as leaning towards Barisan Nasional.   "We are dissappointed with recent developments of Hindraf. Their recent actions, to us, seems like they are trying to court Barisan Nasional," said Haris.   ABU said it is standing up for the 40% marginalised Malaysians and the the main cause of that marginalisation was the ruling coalition's policies.   "These (Hindraf's actions) cannot be accepted by ABU," said ABU member Jonathan Jeevan.   However, he said the ABU will still leave the door open for Hindraf to work with ABU.    "If Hindraf chooses not to, then ABU's message to Hindraf is very simple – you do not represent all the Indians so do not play Umno/BN race card."   It was rumoured that Hindraf were sending out SMSes telling Malaysians to boycott the 13th general election.

Pakatan still can't shoot straight on dissolution day Posted: 04 Apr 2013 03:54 PM PDT CYNICAL fools hounded and pounded the Prime Minister for years with inane and insane bunk on why he should dissolve the Dewan Rakyat prematurely – to the Opposition's advantage of course. Nevertheless, the misanthropic guesswork that preceded yesterday's dissolution was diabolical: Opposition leaders goaded the PM to announce D-Day on almost every quarter since 2011, hoping an earlier snap election could convert their March 8, 2008 concessions into bigger gains. Azmi Anshar, NST But Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak dismissed the contemptuous bait-and-switch tactics by focusing on an unstoppable momentum to further advance the nation's socio-economic fortunes that has defined his administration. So, it was easy for him to ignore the Opposition hogwash that whined incessantly about a dissolution that didn't arrive to their convenience and one that went beyond the emblematic March 8 date. But when he finally did yesterday, it was Najib's sentimentality that guided the decision – the live telecast to announce Parliamentary dissolution also marked the fourth anniversary of his swearing-in as PM. Who would have thought?   Nevertheless, the misanthropic guesswork that preceded yesterday's dissolution was diabolical: Opposition leaders goaded the PM to announce D-Day on almost every quarter since 2011, hoping an earlier snap election could convert their March 8, 2008 concessions into bigger gains.   When Najib refused to even nibble their bait, the opposition denounced him "cowardly" but when it was obvious that Najib would look beyond March 8, his March 8 snub was "shameless."   Despite the constitutionality of his actions, Najib still endured claims of illegitimacy, no less than by the biggest cynic of them all, Lim Kit Siang.   Lim's sneers was hypocritical: if illegitimacy and not legality was the imperilled issue, then he should have ensured that the Pakatan Rakyat state governments of Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Selangor dissolve on March 8 as a mark of "virtuous principle."   Was it a surprise that he didn't? Lim blasé argument that Najib had lost moral legitimacy and credibility after March 8 was as flaccid as his jowls. Wouldn't the status of his son the Penang chief minister and the other Pakatan mentris besar be just as morally illegitimate and incredible?   The response to Lim's cynical calculation was whooping incredulity that recognised Lim's familiar theatrics cannoning off cynical hyperbole in sound-bite loops that repeats itself to fit his self-preservation.   Like his son, Kit Siang would forever – even if he unthinkably ever held Federal power – assumed the bunker mentality of paranoid victimology that suspects lurking dissenters in every nook and corner desperate to sack them from their hypocritically dynastic high horses.   However, in the father-son tag team, their paranoia is actually valid: everywhere you go, conscientious DAP state and branch leaders have rebelled so greatly that Guan Eng will now realise that  Penang is no walkover and Kit Siang risks political seppuku in Gelang Patah.   But why would Lim Kit Siang and son, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his Pas' ilk, these people bray for rule of law, hyperventilate at the thought of a Government optimising its five-year constitutional tenure?    Simple: this longest stint recorded is as long as the rope that the PKR, DAP and Pas used to hang themselves as they bicker, backstab and undercut in such juxtaposing bedlam, chronicled assiduously in 30 ways by Anwar's former lawyer, Datuk Zulkifli Noordin, in his blog.   Just a sample of Zulkifli's censure of Pakatan's daft potboilers leads to another cynical theme: anything less than the takeover of Putrajaya will deem GE13 as being fraught with fraud and irregularity.    Anwar and his minions have harped on the idea of uncontrollable street demonstrations if Pakatan fails to grab Putrajaya on the delusion that majority of Malaysians will vote for them.   In the euphoria of that delusion, Pakatan entered into a paradox of sorts when they proclaimed in their Hail Mary general election manifesto that they will ensure a free and fair election once they win Putrajaya.    Hold on! If they win, then wouldn't the general election conducted by the Election Commission be more than fair! So why keep carping on a fraud poll?   Other than Pakatan implying that they will win elections which themselves rigged, such incontinent self-flattery is the textbook excuse to justify their continued existence even after the majority voted them out fair and square.   But for the likes of Pakatan Rakyat's scandal-prone, infirmed, cynical and uncouth leaders, losing objectively and equitably is a nightmare that will truly expose their Orwellian characters and hurtle them down the road to oblivion and, heaven forbid, retirement.

Mutiny in Sabah Pakatan Rakyat Posted: 04 Apr 2013 03:47 PM PDT Disclosure by 'Gang of Seven' rankles; Allies fume over what they claim is an unauthorised statement Alexander Chen, Borneo Insider The Pakatan Rakyat-Plus coalition in Sabah seems to be cracking at the seams ahead of the 13th general election. This is all due to a pre-emptive strike by a group of Parti Keadilan Rakyat Sabah veterans led by the wily Ansari Abdullah to announce a shortlist of seven candidates on Thursday. The revelation caught everyone by surprise, including Ansari's PKR colleagues as an official announcement was only expected today (Friday) at the earliest. But knowing that he was most likely not going to be in the list of candidates, Ansari and the 'Gang of Seven' jumped the gun to stake their claim. This produced a curt response from a PKR official in Kuala Lumpur: "Ansari must be out of his mind," he said when informed of the statement. An aide of DAP Kota Kinabalu MP, Hiew King Cheu went ballistic at the news he read in Borneo Insider and called to say, "that's not true. That list must be a figment of imagination by him; no that's not what has been discussed." The Angkatan Perpaduan Sabah (APS) was not amused either, with a Wilfred Bumburing assistant saying that Ansari and gang were only saying things to spite the opposition. Anthony polled a credible 7.830 votes in 2008 when he stood as a PKR candidate against eventual winner, Maximus Ongkili of the BN. "Ansari knows that Tuaran has been allocated to APS and that Wilfred is the candidate while Marudu will be contested by Maijol Mahap," he said. He added: "Ansari has never won an election so he is hallucinating. His list is one that he and his cohorts must have made up themselves. Definitely it is not an official one but disclosed early so as to embarrass the PR leadership, especially Anwar Ibrahim and Wilfred." On Thursday, Ansari told a press conference that he would be the PR choice for Tuaran and Anthony Mandiau would be re-fielded in Kota Marudu. The others he named were Dr Chong Eng Leong (Sepangar), Mazhry Nasir (Putatan), Mursalim Tanjul (Kudat), Saidil Semoi (Kota Belud) and Jonathan Yassin, the division chief for PKR Ranau, who is also his brother-in-law, though better known for having a hand in the Anwar-Huguan Siou fiasco. Tongue in cheek, he said: "In line with the promise for autonomy (by Pakatan Rakyat leadership), we have taken the liberty to release the names of the seven candidates that have been picked by the respective divisions. Eng Leong: Another luckless politician whose favourite topic is the illegal immigrants when not indulging in his favourite past-time. "We are very confident that Datuk Seri Anwar and the party leaderships of PAS and DAP will honour their commitment that matters involving Sabah will be decided by Sabahans. "This is a test of whether the party leadership is sincere in its promise to give us autonomy. We are very confident that the party will pass this test," he said. READ MORE HERE

Malay vote a stumbling block for Pakatan’s Perak quest Posted: 04 Apr 2013 03:13 PM PDT Speaking on the sidelines of the event, several PR leaders admitted that Election 2013 would still be a toss-up between the opposition pact and BN, largely due to lukewarm support from the state's Malay voters. Clara Chooi, TMI Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim moved in on the Perak Malay vote last night by dangling his possible candidacy in the silver state for Election 2013 but earned mixed reactions in response — a telltale sign of trouble for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) here ahead of national polls. The prime minister-hopeful belted out a song, told amusing anecdotes and launched his signature charm offensive at two separate locations in Perak's quiet northeast — Lenggong and Gerik, both Malay-majority parliamentary seats and both popularly known as Umno fortresses. The two events drew sizeable mostly Malay-centric crowds, particularly in Gerik, and there was boisterous applause when Anwar was ushered onto the ceramah stage to speak but many in the audience appeared more curious than supportive of the leader's polls pitch. Large numbers of people seemed more interested in the items sold under makeshift tents set up at the fringes of the ceramah venue by traders hailing from as far as Baling and Sungai Petani in Kedah, and Ipoh, which is some 130km south of here. They scurried away when asked to be interviewed, some admitting they were not there for the event. Many hung around to listen to Anwar but kept their distance from the group of a few hundred who crowded near the ceramah stage to cheer and clap at the opposition leader's words.  "I appeal for your co-operation," said the bespectacled Anwar at midnight in Taman Semarak, Batu 2, Gerik. "Support our candidates... PKR, PAS, DAP... because we need you to win Perak, to win Putrajaya." In his element as usual, the 64-year-old former deputy prime minister reminded voters of his years in prison and how he had been beaten, stripped bare and even had his privates "measured". He told of campaigns to attack him and his family — his wife, PKR president Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, and daughter, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar — and the numerous allegations of his alleged affiliations with the Jews of Israel, the Americans, with the Chinese, the Indians and even the Sulu terrorists in Sabah. "How many more groups am I an agent of? It is enough," Anwar (picture) said. "You want to insult me? Go ahead. Call me a sodomiser... a dog." "But the more you threaten me, the greater my support grows. Look at this," he said, gesturing to the crowd. He also told the predominantly Malay crowd that it was only the higher-ups in Umno and their cronies who have been reaping the country's riches, claiming that the Barisan Nasional (BN) government has only been feeding scraps to the poorer masses through programmes like Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (BR1M). "And then recipients thank them, kiss their hands, saying oh thank you, thank you," he said. "But I want to tell you, the people of Gerik, I want to tell you that if the rich supports them (BN), it does not surprise me. Because timber they get, shares they get, taxi permits they get. "But the Malays from the villages," he continued, gesturing again to the crowd, "... why do you support them?" Anwar later appealed to the crowd to give him 24 hours to decide on his candidacy for Election 2013, but stressed that it was his intention to contest a seat in Perak. "I've been here for nine years. Seven years in Kuala Kangsar.... and two years where? In Kamunting," he laughingly said, referring to his two-year jail term under the Internal Security Act (ISA) at the Kamunting detention camp near here. Speaking on the sidelines of the event, several PR leaders admitted that Election 2013 would still be a toss-up between the opposition pact and BN, largely due to lukewarm support from the state's Malay voters. PKR's Simpang Pulai assemblyman Chan Ming Kai told The Malaysian Insider that PR was banking largely on the state's newly-registered voters and hopes to win at least 40 per cent from this group. He noted that Chinese support for PR has remained strong, while many among the Indian community may have fallen back to BN's fold. "So we can only survive with a simple majority government if we can win at least 30 to 40 per cent of the new Malay votes," he said. One PR leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, said any talk that PR was a shoo-in to capture Perak in Election 2013 was an overly generous prediction. "If you ask me, it is too close to call. We lose some votes from one group, gain from another. We cannot say for certain what will happen during the polls," the leader said. READ MORE HERE

Leaked papers show offshore interests of Mirzan, Raja Nong Chik Posted: 04 Apr 2013 03:07 PM PDT (TMI) - Mirzan Mahathir (picture) and Datuk Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin are among 1,500 Malaysians with offshore companies in Singapore and the British Virgin Islands, two locations popular as tax havens for the rich. The names of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's son and the federal territories minister came up in leaked documents obtained by Washington-based International Confederation of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), according to a report in news portal Malaysiakini today. Another name that cropped up in the report was Michael Chia, the man linked with Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman over money laundering allegations. According to the report, the list of people owning these offshore firms include tycoons, parliamentarians, retired politicians and civil servants. They also include members of royal families, as well as criminal kingpins. The report stated that the leaked ICIJ files provide secret records of offshore holdings of people and companies in more than 170 countries and territories. "The hoard of documents represents the biggest stockpile of inside information about the offshore system ever obtained by a media organisation. The total size of the files, measured in gigabytes, is more than 160 times larger than the leak of US State Department documents by WikiLeaks in 2010," ICIJ was quoted as saying. According to the leaked documents, Raja Nong Chik is a prominent shareholder and director of RZA International Corporation, a British Virgin Islands entity incorporated on August 21, 2007 via Singapore. The company is a mirror of Malaysian entity Kumpulan RZA Sdn Bhd, a firm established in 1997 dealing in real estate and equities investment, the news portal reported. READ MORE HERE

Ahli PKR bantah Mustaffa Kamil tanding Pasir Salak Posted: 04 Apr 2013 03:00 PM PDT Kecewa Anwar menamakan Mustaffa sebagai calon tanpa terlebih dahulu merujuk kepada kepimpinan cabang PKR Pasir Salak. B Nantha Kumar, FMT PKR menerima tamparan hari ini apabila ahli-ahlinya di sebuah rantingnya di penempatan masyarakat Cina di Kampung Baru Chui Chak , dekat pekan Langkap membantah pemilihan Mustaffa Kamil Ayub sebagai calon Parlimen Pasir Salak. Mustaffa telah diumumkan sebagai calon parlimen oleh Datuk Srri Anwar Ibrahim, Ketua Umum PKR dalam satu majlis ceramah di Kampung Gajah bulan lepas. Dua hari yang lepas, Setiausaha Cabang PKR Pasir Salak yang juga merupakan Pengarah Jentera Pilihanraya PKR Parlimen Pasir Salak Ahmad Taufik Hassan telah keluar parti dan menyertai Umno bagi membantah pemilihan Mustaffa sebagai calon parlimen Pasir Salak oleh Anwar. Setiuasaha ranting tersebut, Chong Hock Then, 60 ( dikenali sebagai Ah Thiam  oleh ahli-ahli PKR Pasir Salak) menyatakan rasa tidak puashati bagi pihak ranting tersebut yang mempunyai keahlian parti seramai lebih 350 orang. Katanya beliau kecewa Anwar menamakan Mustaffa sebagai calon tanpa terlebih dahulu merujuk kepada kepimpinan cabang PKR Pasir Salak. Ujarnya Mustaffa yang pernah bertanding di parlimen Pasir Salak dan juga DUN Sungai Manik dalam PRU 12 yang lalu ( dalam parlimen Pasir Salak) hanya timbul 5 tahun sekali, itupun apabila hampir pilihanraya. Katanya lagi Mustaffa tidak pernah menyertai aktiviti parti sendiri di Pasir Salak sebaliknya lebih cenderong untuk menyertai aktiviti PAS setempat. Mahu Mustaffa diganti Ujar Chong lagi, beliau berharap pimpinan parti di peringkat Pusat dapat segera mengganti Mustaffa dengan calon yang telah dicadangkan oleh pihak cabang. Katanya lagi beliau khuatir sekiranya pihak pusat tidak bertindak dengan segera, parti akan kehilangan banyak undi dari masyarakat Cina setempat. READ MORE HERE

DAP criticised over its ‘extremist’ candidate Posted: 04 Apr 2013 02:41 PM PDT While Raub DAP division has vetoed Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz's candidacy, MCA has claimed that the latter is a threat to Chinese education. (FMT) - DAP has come under heavy criticism from all quarters for fielding former Umno Pantai Manis assemblyman Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz as the candidate for the Raub parliamentary constituency in Pahang. Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had announced on Monday that Mohd Ariff, who blogs as sakmongkolak47, would be DAP's candidate in Raub in place of Tengku Zulpuri Raja Puji Shah, a popular figure among the grassroots members in Raub. Tengku Zulpuri was slotted for the Mentakab seat. Following the announcement, some 50 DAP leaders from the Raub division held an emergency meeting earlier this week and vetoed Mohd Ariff's candidacy and appealed to the party's central leadership to reconsider its decision. They claimed Tengku Zulpuri was a better candidate for Raub because he had been active on the ground for several years. Mohd Ariff, a frequent critic of Umno and its policy, only joined DAP last January. He was roped in by Umno in the 12th general election although he was a state assemblyman from 2004-2008. When contacted by FMT, Tengku Zulpuri said he understood the feelings of the grassroots members because they have been spending time and money with him to make voters understand about the Pakatan policies. "I hope the new candidate can continue with the mission," he said. However, he dodged the question on whether he still harboured hope of contesting in Raub, saying that the people in Mentakab had expressed support for him. Mohd Ariff an 'extremist' Meanwhile, MCA has also lambasted DAP for fielding Mohd Ariff whom it described as a detractor to Chinese vernacular schools. In a statement issued yesterday, MCA national youth education bureau chief Chong Sin Woon claimed that Mohd Ariff had demanded that the federal government cease providing funds to the Chinese schools. READ MORE HERE

Azmin rejects Sabah PKR’s ‘suggestions’ Posted: 04 Apr 2013 02:36 PM PDT Azmin's dismissal of a candidates' list revealed by Sabah PKR leaders only highlights the growing discontent between the party's national leadership and the Sabah leaders. G Vinod, FMT PKR deputy president Azmin Ali today dismissed a Sabah PKR leader's decision to announce the party's candidates for the state's west coast region, stating that the names were "mere suggestions". "They are merely suggestions. All decisions will be made by our political bureau meetings," he said today at a press conference at party headquarters here. FMT earlier today reported that Tuaran PKR chief Ansari Abdullah had pre-empted the party's top leadership by announcing seven candidates for the state's west coast region. He said that the announcement was made in line with PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim's decision to give autonomy to the East Malaysian state. Ansari announced that he would stand for the Tuaran constituency and Dr Chong Eng Leong for Sepanggar. Others were Mazhry Nasir (Putatan), Anthony Mandiau (Kota Marudu), Mursalim Tanjul (Kudat), Saidil Semoi (Kota Belud) and Johanathan Yassin (Ranau). When unveiling the list late yesterday in Sabah PKR headquarters in Penampang, Ansari had said: "We have taken the liberty to release the names of the seven candidates that have been picked by the respective divisions. "This is a test of whether the party leadership is sincere in its promise to give us autonomy. We are very confident that the party will pass this test," he had added. Azmin's dismissal of the list today highlighted the growing discontent between the party's neational leadership and the Sabah leaders. Pakatan's council meeting Azmin, who is also Gombak MP, said that the Pakatan Rakyat presidential council would be having a meeting later today to discuss on its candidates list. "We will discuss issues concerning overlapping seats. Hopefully, we can sort out the matter by the end of the week," he said. When asked if Johor PKR chief Chua Jui Meng would be contesting in the general election, Azmin said: "We appreciate what he had done for the party. We have made several offers to him and I'm confident we can resolve the mattter." Azmin's reply seemed to contradict Chua's earlier statement when he said that he has yet to be offered any seats to date. Azmin also dismissed a tweet by Yusmadi Yusoff who claimed that the latter was not shortlisted to contest for the Balik Pulau parliamentary seat. "That's his view. The party will decide on him and all PKR members contesting in Penang by this evening. "Anwar will announce on which seat he will contest at the same time," said Azmin. READ MORE HERE

Only 6,298 overseas Malaysians have registered as postal voters Posted: 04 Apr 2013 02:29 PM PDT (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Only 6,298 Malaysians out of over 700,000 Malaysians living abroad have registered as postal voters. "It is quite disappointing after all that we did to provide a convenient registration process for the voters' overseas," Election Commissionchairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said. "The process is simple. Malaysians abroad can e-mail or fax over their particulars. "I would have thought there would be 100,000 or even 200,000 overseas people (Malaysians) registering to vote," he told The Star on Thursday. He said ample time had been given from Jan 21 till the dissolution of Parliament on April 3 to register. Tan Sri Abdul Aziz also said only 2,900 absentee voters would cast postal ballots. Asked whether the EC's website being down on Wednesday contributed to the low registration, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz said it was not a factor. He also dismissed suggestions that EC regulations for overseas voters were too stringent. "One must register as a voter and Malaysians staying abroad can be postal voters so long as they are registered as voters and had been in Malaysia for not less than 30 days in the last five years before dissolution of Parliament," he said. Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said certain groups, especially electoral reforms group Bersih, had called for EC to allow overseas voting, arguing that tens of thousands of Malaysians overseas wanted to vote in the coming general election. "The low rate of voter registration is a little bit disappointing especially when Bersih made a big issue out of it," he said on Thursday. Bersih steering committee member Wong Chin Huat said the poor rate was due to the late announcement of the registration of overseas voters. Meanwhile, following the crash of its website, the EC posted on its GE13 website (http://www.pru13.gov.my/) on Thursday that Malaysians can check their voter status by calling its call centre at 03-8885 6565 or SMS SPRSEMAK IC NO and send to 15888.

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