Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- ‘Taib has written off 8 MP seats’
- The race is on for the Indian vote
- In tight GE13 race, Najib bets on economic renaissance
- 16 by-elections after 2008 polls
- Strengths and weaknesses of Selangor state government
- Will Kula leave his comfort zone?
| ‘Taib has written off 8 MP seats’ Posted: 02 Apr 2013 06:42 PM PDT
The general election is no longer a battle between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat, it's about putting right that which is wrong, says DAP. Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: Sarawakians were today urged to vote for a two-party system and "end" once and for all the "political monopoly and hegemony" of Barisan Nasional. Fuelled by Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's admission that BN could lose up to eight seats in Sarawak, state opposition DAP said a two-party system will be the "best legacy" Sarawakians could leave behind for their children. Sarawak has 31 parliamentary seats and the opposition has made unprecedented inroads into BN's rural "fixed deposits" and Chinese majority seats. They are confident of wresting at least 12 seats. Taib, who has had "monopolistic" power since 1981 when he assumed the chief minister's post, had reportedly said that Sarawak BN would deliver "at least" 23 out of the 31 parliamentary seats to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's bid to return the coalition to power in the 13th general election. Najib announced the dissolution of Parliament this morning, paving the way for the election to be held within 60 days. Speaking to FMT today, DAP secretary-general Chong Chieng Jen said the polls was an opportunity "to end" the hegemony and monopoly of the BN. "This election goes beyond who will form the government. It is no longer just a battle between BM and Pakatan Rakyat. "It's about putting right the wrongs. In the past 50 years, under the political monopoly and hegemony of BN, we saw mega corruption scandals exposed, alleged wrongdoers escaping with impunity and cases forgotten. "This must stop. It is now a choice of either choosing to remain under the BN political monopoly and hegemony or creating a two-party system in Malaysia." Chong said the repeated empowering of BN in every election has left Malaysias with a "legacy of corruption". "The general election gives us the opportunity to end all these. If we change the government, this will be the best legacy that we leave for the future generations. "Once a change of government happens, whoever be the government will have to govern with more transparency and accountability. "And the system itself will then be the most effective check and balance on the powers-that be," he said. "This is the true implication of the 13th general election," he said
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| The race is on for the Indian vote Posted: 02 Apr 2013 06:09 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Times) - Analysts and pundits are unanimous: the Indian community in the country is said to be the deciding factor in the coming 13th General Election (GE13). The race for that vital Indian vote has begun. The Barisan Nasional's (BN) recent mammoth rallies such as the 'Unity Ponggal' and 'Perhimpunan BN Pilihan Rakyat' which witnessed huge turnouts from the Indian community shows that the party has a head start in wooing the Indians votes again. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak recently announced that Indian students are allowed to take a maximum of 12 subjects in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) which includes Tamil language and Tamil literature. Previously students were only allowed 10 subjects. Such orogrames and policies, which normally takes years to be confirmed, was announced in a blink of an eye by Najib. Najib also announced that all Tamil schools will be government-aided schools in phases if BN is given the mandate to rule the country. During 2008 election, the country saw a tremendous change in its election history when the BN lost its two-third majority as huge numbers of Indian voters turn their backs on them by favouring the opposition. The Hindu Rights Action Force's (Hindraf) demonstration which took place on 25th November 2007 which witnessed over 30,000 supporters march down the streets of Kuala Lumpur is said o be the trigger point of the 2008 'political tsunami'. Hindraf has now changed their approach by voicing out their rights to the leaders of the country bin their much touted Blueprint, Hindraf claims to have solved the unsolved marginalisation of the Indian poor. The activist organisation submitted their 'Blueprint' to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) but it received only a cold reaction. Hindraf's says its 'Blueprint' contains plans for an effective government involvement in six major issues affecting Malaysian Indians and with specific approaches to achieve these objectives: The major issues highlighted - Estate workers who have been displaced around the country, numbering about 800,000; - Stateless Indian Malaysians, numbering about 350,000; - The denial of adequate and equal educational opportunities; - Unequal employment and business opportunities; - The impunity of the police; and - The standards of human rights practices.
Unsatisfied with PR, Hindraf announced that they are ready to meet Najib and they received his invitation to meet on 22 March to discuss further demands. On March 25, Hindraf met Prime Minsiter Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak met representatives at his office in Putrajaya for a discussion on their Blueprint. The party is now looking forward for a second meeting with the BN leader. As Najib hopes to get the Indian community's attention by this move, the Democratic Action Party (DAP) joined the race by announcing their 14 point plan for the Indian community. Noticing that there was no mention of the Indian community in PR's manifesto, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang announced the party's plans for the Indian community titled 'A vision and strategy for Indian empowerment'. The party claimed that the plan is to be key factors aimed at uplifting the socio-economic status of the Indian community.
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| In tight GE13 race, Najib bets on economic renaissance Posted: 02 Apr 2013 05:16 PM PDT
Few predicted the extent of opposition gains in 2008, which triggered a 10 per cent plunge in Kuala Lumpur stocks. Morgan Stanley said in a note on Wednesday that a BN parliamentary seat share of below 55 per cent would be seen as a "negative risk event by investors and could have implications for leadership and government stability". REUTERS Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak dissolved parliament today, paving the way for a general election expected this month that could be the most closely contested his ruling coalition has faced in its 56-year rule. Najib faces a confident opposition alliance led by former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and is under intense pressure to restore his ruling coalition's two-thirds majority that it lost for the first time in a disastrous 2008 poll. Failure to win back that majority would throw his leadership and his economic reform programme into doubt, raising uncertainty over policy in Southeast Asia's third-largest economy. A win for Anwar's opposition is unlikely but not impossible, and would put the former British colony into uncharted political territory. Najib, who took over in 2009 after the election debacle, will point to brisk economic growth of 5.6 per cent last year as he seeks to regain electoral ground. "Our national transformation is still a story half told. If we do not keep up the pace of reform, we risk losing out. But with a strong mandate, we can continue," Najib said in a television address, exactly four years after he took power. The election appears likely to be held on Saturday, April 27, after a two-week campaign period. Najib said he hoped for a "solid" majority. The 59-year-old son of a former prime minister is aiming to push Malaysia into high-income status by 2020 through an ambitious US$444 billion (RM1.38 trillion) economic transformation programme. He has warned repeatedly that an opposition victory could result in social and economic instability in the nation of 29 million people that has a history of tension between majority Malays and minority ethnic Chinese and Indians.
It already runs four state governments and pledges to break down an entrenched network of patronage between the long-dominant ethnic Malay party, Umno, and favoured business interests. Possibly working against Najib and his Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition are three million first-time voters ― about 22 per cent of the total vote ― many of them younger Malaysians. "The BN still has the advantage in terms of resources, media, money, and machinery," said Ong Kian Ming, an election strategist for the DAP ethnic Chinese opposition party. "The X-factor we are relying on is the newly registered voters." Race-based social and economic policies have defined the coalition's rule as it channelled wealth to ethnic Malays, who make up about half of the population, over the economically dominant Chinese minority since 1969 race riots. The ruling BN coalition will be helped by a skewed electoral system, deep pockets, and about US$2 billion in government handouts to millions of poorer Malaysians since the start of 2012. But Najib will likely face a leadership challenge from within Umno if he fails to improve on the 2008 performance. Nationalist and conservative forces within Umno, encouraged by influential former leader Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, have looked askance at Najib's steps to roll back colonial-era security and media controls as a sign of weak leadership. A blossoming civil society and growing middle class are clashing with tight social, media and political controls that have cemented Umno's half-century rule. Najib's flagship economic transformation plan, based on hefty public and private investment, has had some initial success but critics say it depends too much on public spending and risks expanding a national debt already at 53 per cent of gross domestic product. A lack of reliable opinion polls makes it difficult to forecast the election outcome. Few predicted the extent of opposition gains in 2008, which triggered a 10 per cent plunge in Kuala Lumpur stocks. Morgan Stanley said in a note on Wednesday that a BN parliamentary seat share of below 55 per cent would be seen as a "negative risk event by investors and could have implications for leadership and government stability". A recent poll by the University of Malaya showed the ruling coalition at 42 per cent support compared with the opposition's 37 per cent, but with 21 per cent of voters undecided. In February, the independent Merdeka Center showed Najib's approval rating at 61 per cent, down 10 points since the end of 2011. His coalition is less popular, polling at 45 per cent. Anticipation of a close election that could cause policy uncertainty has frayed investors' nerves this year and made Kuala Lumpur's stock market one of the worst performers in Asia. The main KLSE stock index briefly fell more than 3 per cent in early trade today following the announcement that Najib would be holding a television address. It later recovered to trade 0.83 per cent lower.
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| 16 by-elections after 2008 polls Posted: 02 Apr 2013 03:52 PM PDT
There were 16 by-elections after the 2008 general elections, with BN winning two parliamentary and six state seats, while the opposition won four parliamentary and four state constituencies. (Bernama) - Sixteen by-elections were held after the general election in 2008, six for parliamentary seats and 10 for state seats. Of these by-elections, the Barisan Nasional and the opposition parties won eight seats each. The BN won two parliamentary seats and six state seats while the opposition won four parliamentary and four state seats. Although the opposition seemed to have been favoured by the people in the beginning, there was a change in the trend in the last five by-elections when the BN registered victories consecutively in the contests for the Bagan Pinang, Galas, Tenang, Merlimau and Kerdau seats. Thirteen of the by-elections had to be held following the deaths of the incumbents and the remaining three due to the resignations of the elected representatives. The first of the by-elections was held for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in Penang on Aug 26, 2008, after president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail resigned as the MP to enable her husband, Anwar Ibrahim, the adviser to the party, to contest. Anwar won with a majority of 15,671 votes, beating Arif Shah Omar Shah of the BN and an independent candidate, Hanafi Mamat. The by-elections for the Bukit Selambau state seat and the Penanti state seat were held on April 7, 2010, and May 31, 2009, respectively, following the resignations of the PKR elected representatives V Arumugam and Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin. The BN decided not to contest the Penanti state by-election, which was won by Mansor Othman of the PKR who defeated two independent candidates, Aminah Abdullah and Nai Khan Ari. Thirteen independent candidates contested the Bukit Selambau seat, all of them together garnering 1,326 votes. The seat was won by S Manikumar of the PKR with a majority of 2,405 votes. Following is the chronology of the by-elections: Aug 26, 2008 – PERMATANG PAUH (Penang): Opposition Leader and PKR advisor Anwar Ibrahim garners a majority of 15,671 votes to defeat Hanafi Jan 17, 2009 – KUALA TERENGGANU (Terengganu): Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut (PAS) obtains a 2,631-vote majority to defeat Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh (BN) and Azharudin Mamat (Independent). The seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Razali Ismail of the BN. April 7, 2009 – BUKIT GANTANG (Perak): Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin (PAS) garners a 2,789-vote majority to defeat Ismail Saffian (BN) and Kamarul Ramizu Idris (Independent). The seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Roslan Shahrum of PAS. April 25, 2010 – HULU SELANGOR (Selangor): P Kamalanathan (BN) wins by a 1,725-vote majority, defeating Zaid Ibrahim (PKR). The seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Zainal Abidin Ahmad of PKR. May 16, 2010 – SIBU (Sarawak): Wong Ho Leng (DAP) wins by a 298-vote majority, defeating Robert Lau Hui Yew (BN) and Narawi Haron (Independent). The seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Robert Lau Hoi Chew of the BN. Nov 4, 2010 – BATU SAPI (Sabah): Tsen Thai Lin (BN) garners a 6,359-vote majority to Ansari Abdullah (PKR) and Datuk Yong Teck Lee (SAPP). The seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Datuk Chong Ket Wah of the BN. State by-elections: May 31, 2009 – PENANTI (Penang): Mansor Othman (PKR) garners a 5,558-vote majority to defeat Aminah Abdullah (Independent) and Nai Khan Ari (Independent). The seat fell vacant following the resignation of incumbent Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin of PKR. July 14, 2009 – MANEK URAI (Kelantan): Mohd Fauzi Abdullah (PAS) wins by a 65-vote majority to defeat Tuan Aziz Tuan Mat (BN). The seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Ismail Yaacob of PAS. Aug 25, 2009 – PERMATANG PASIR (Penang): Mohd Salleh Man (PAS) wins with a 4,551-vote majority to defeat Rohaizat Othman (BN). The seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Datuk Mohd Hamdan Abd Rahman of PAS. Oct 11, 2009 – BAGAN PINANG (Negeri Sembilan): Isa Samad wins by a 5,435-vote majority to defeat Zulkefly Mohamad Omar (PAS). The seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Azman Mohammad Noor of BN. April 7, 2010 – BUKIT SELAMBAU (Kedah): S Manikumar (PKR) wins by a majority of 2,405 votes to defeat 14 other candidates. The seat fell vacant following the resignation of incumbent V. Arumugam (Independent). April 7, 2010 – BATANG AI (Sarawak): Malcom Mussen Lamoh (BN) wins by a majority of 1,854 votes to defeat Jawah Jerang (PKR). The seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Datuk Dublin Unting anak Ingkot of BN. Nov 4, 2010 – GALAS (Kelantan): Ab Aziz Yusoff (BN) wins by a majority of 1,190 votes to defeat Dr Zulkefli Mohamed (PAS). The seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Chek Hashim Sulaima of PAS. Jan 30, 2011 – TENANG (Johor): Mohd Azahar Ibrahim (BN) wins by a 3,707-vote majority to defeat Normala Sudirman (PAS). The seat fell vacant following the death of Sulaiman Taha of BN. March 6, 2011 – MERLIMAU (Melaka): Roslan Ahmad (BN) garners a 3,643-vote majority to defeat Yuhaizad Abdullah (PAS). The seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Datuk Mohamad Hidhir Abu Hasan of BN. March 6, 2011 – KERDAU (Pahang): Syed Ibrahim Syed Ahmad (BN) garners 2,724-vote majority to defeat Hassanuddin Salim (PAS). The seat fell vacant following the death of incumbent Zaharuddin Abu Kassim of BN.
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| Strengths and weaknesses of Selangor state government Posted: 01 Apr 2013 07:14 PM PDT
Therefore, even though some areas of Selangor has been highly urbanised, there might be changes to some voters' good feeling for Pakatan Rakyat due to livelihood problems. Whether Pakatan Rakyat can retain Selangor or not, it depends on the tug of war between livelihood problems and incorruptibility. Lim Sue Goan, Sin Chew Daily Former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin believes that the BN could retain Putrajaya while wrestling Selangor and Kedah from Pakatan Rakyat. As a resident of Selangor who has experienced both the BN and Pakatan Rakyat state administrations, I think I can express some views on it. The Pakatan Rakyat governance has its strengths and weaknesses. It is less corrupted, but at the same time, has too many livelihood problems. If the Pakatan Rakyat loses Selangor, I think the main reason is because the state and local governments have failed to solve livelihood problems. The BN lost Selangor in the 2008 general election because of corruption and other factors. On 6 December 2010, former Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo was charged with graft. Winning Selangor was a pleasant surprise for Pakatan Rakyat and whether it can retain the state regime, it depends on the governance ability. Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim was a businessman. He handles things methodically. I heard complaints from PKR members that Khalid did not give away contracts to his PKR compatriots. If Khalid was involved in corruption, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) would have taken actions against him. Instead, former MACC head Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan has issued an apology to Khalid for his statement claiming that the MACC had evidence to show that Khalid abused his powers over the maintenance of his personal car and over the purchase of 46 cows for a Hari Raya Aidiladha event for the Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary constituency. Incorruptibility is the greatest asset of Khalid to retain Selangor. However, I also heard that the Selangor state government is not business-friendly. Some said it is difficult to get approval for projects while some said that the state government has followed rules and regulations very strictly. It is hard to say who is more accurate but for sure, many livelihood problems have surfaced since Pakatan Rakyat took over the state. Whether it is because of political confrontation or because the BN and some officials have deliberately made things difficult or created problems, the people of Selangor did not seem to have living in an advanced state over the past five years. From the delayed collection of garbage, water supply disruption, the lack of road maintenance to floods, these issues have offset the state government's various people-friendly measures. The state government has taken over garbage management from Alam Flora to save over RM50 million a year. However, many garbage contractors have not collected garbage on time or have reduced the frequency of collection, causing problems to many Selangor residents. Water supply disruption is the most painful problem. The recent water shortage was even worse than the one in 1998. It is miserable for those affected to wait until after midnight for water tankers. It is either no water, or too much water. The problem of flood is also severe, causing great losses to affected residents. Kajang had suffered massive floods in 2011 and 2012, while Klang encountered the most serious flood in history in March 2012, stranding about 100,000 people. In February this year, many areas in Puchong had been flooded, turning roads into rivers while paralysing traffic. Therefore, even though some areas of Selangor has been highly urbanised, there might be changes to some voters' good feeling for Pakatan Rakyat due to livelihood problems. Whether Pakatan Rakyat can retain Selangor or not, it depends on the tug of war between livelihood problems and incorruptibility. In addition, Selangor state government governance is not particularly rosy. Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is the economic adviser to the Selangor state government, should also be responsible. However, Pakatan Rakyat has an advantage, that is, Najib has not pronounced the BN's candidate for the state Menteri Besar. Khir Toyo might be one of the factors as, after all, he was selected by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad at that time because of his "good record". The BN has been putting efforts in its attempt to reclaim Selangor. Pakatan Rakyat should integrate its resources and make a surprise move, or it would be difficult for Khalid to defend the state alone.
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| Will Kula leave his comfort zone? Posted: 01 Apr 2013 03:43 PM PDT
The spotlight is now on the Ipoh Barat MP as DAP hints at fielding the stalwart to take on MIC in Segamat. Baradan Kuppusamy, The Star NOW that DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and political education director Liew Chin Tong have confirmed they are contesting in Johor, the spotlight is on another DAP stalwart, Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran, to head south as well and take on MIC in Segamat. Will Kulasegaran surprise everyone by leaving his comfort zone in Ipoh Barat and head to Segamat to do battle with MIC's number two, Datuk S. Subramaniam? Lim will be battling in the more risky Gelang Patah constituency while Liew is going for Kluang. For now, Kulasegaran's official stand on the matter is that he would go if the party orders him to do so because the party has done so much for him. He is prepared to leave behind a lucrative legal practice, a close-knit group of family and friends, a new house in a gated community, a party "structure" that keeps him afloat, to do battle with Subramaniam. He is prepared to risk everything and help DAP achieve its aim to turn Johor into a frontline state in Pakatan Rakyat's dream of capturing Putrajaya. "If I have to go I will go, knowing well I could lose," he told Tamil newspapers. "Segamat is a tough seat." The Perak cousins state party chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and secretary Nga Kor Ming with whom Kulasegaran has had a running battle since 2008, would be very happy to see the last of him. "We are prepared to throw a lavish goodbye party as we did for Lim last week," said an Indian supporter of the cousins. "It will be an unforgettable event for Kulasegaran," he said in jest. The other key Indian DAP leaders in Perak Buntong assemblyman A. Sivasubramaniam and Tronoh assemblyman V. Sivakumar as well as their many supporters would also be happy to be rid of him. The bad blood between Kula, as he is fondly known, and the cousins started in 2008 when he wanted to become the mayor of Ipoh and blamed the cousins for not trying hard to get the post for him. Their estrangement worsened in 2012 when the cousins fielded a team which wiped out a rival team fielded by Kulasegaran for the DAP state line-up. The tit-for-tat war between the two teams continued right up to Lim's farewell dinner last week when Kulasegaran sent out a tweet, challenging the cousins to take him on. On the night of the dinner, however, they appeared friendly and seemed to put aside their differences to send off the boss. The question is whether Kulasegaran will do his many rivals a favour by leaving for Johor. Subramaniam won the seat in 2008 with a majority of 2,971 votes against DAP's Pang Hok Liong and if Kulasegaran or any other party heavyweight is fielded, the chances of success is slim. Kulasegaran is reportedly being unwilling to take the risk because up to 45% of voters are from Felda schemes and are strong supporters of Barisan Nasional. He has also calculated that going against another Indian leader would anger the Indian community. They would not take too kindly to it as it would be a loss to the community if Kulasegaran or Subramaniam is defeated. "Either way, one recognised Indian leader would be sacrificed just to achieve Pakatan's foolhardy dream," said an Indian pensioner. "Kula should not go to Johor," he added. This kind of thinking was one consideration that the late DAP leader, P. Patto, had to battle when he took on former MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu in the Sungai Siput constituency in 1995. The Patto-Samy Vellu fight is a lesson often cited by Indian observers who want as many Indian MPs as possible in Parliament, irrespective of party affliliation. A DAP insider was confident that DAP would not order Kula to go because this would work against the interest of the Lim dynasty, referring to elder Lim and his son and secretary-general, Guan Eng. "They need in-fighting and squabbles in state DAPs and ordering Kula to Johor removes one source of disunity in Perak," he said. "They often use chaos as a strategy to manage and control their party." He also said they needed Kulasegaran in Perak to question the cousins and keep them and their minions in check. "This will keep the cousins from growing and prevent them from forming alliances with other state DAP warlords and threatening the father-son dynasty," he said. If this is true, Kulasegaran appears to be staying put in Ipoh Barat and Subramaniam is unlikely to face a DAP heavyweight in Segamat. But there could be other DAP heavyweights who might want to do battle with Subramaniam in Segamat.
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The opposition Pakatan Rakyat ― a sometimes fractious alliance including a secular ethnic Chinese party and an Islamist party ― aims to tap into a growing desire for faster political and economic reform, arguing it is time for a change.
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