Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- BN faces formidable opposition
- Opposition ‘spoilers’ giving Sabah BN quiet wins
- PKR, PSM jostle for Kota Damansara seat
- 'Anwar's religious image just a political front'
- Campaign for votes goes online
- GE13: Flipping Anwar risks flopping
- Penang DAP in a dilemma
- Pakatan, BN economic pledges: A comparison
- GE13: Khalid Jaafar: The unknown local in Hulu Selangor
| BN faces formidable opposition Posted: 09 Apr 2013 06:08 PM PDT
The United Malays National Organisation (Umno), which has controlled Malaysia through coalition governments since independence in 1957, faces a formidable opposition that promises to end corruption, cronyism and authoritarian rule. by M. Jegathesan, AFP Malaysia today announced a general election for May 5, setting a long-awaited date for polls tipped to be its closest ever as the long-ruling government seeks to hold off a surging opposition. Speaking a week after Prime Minister Najib Razak dissolved Parliament, Election Commission chairman Aziz Yusof said the two-week official campaign period would kick off on April 20. The United Malays National Organisation (Umno), which has controlled Malaysia through coalition governments since independence in 1957, faces a formidable opposition that promises to end corruption, cronyism and authoritarian rule. Under Umno, multi-ethnic Malaysia became a regional economic success story while enjoying relative harmony between majority ethnic Malays and its sizeable minorities. Najib hopes to extend the government's unbeaten run in the polls by focusing on his steady economic stewardship and a torrent of cash handouts and other sweeteners to the public. "This election is a choice between sticking with a competent, reform-minded government and risking our prosperity on a fractious, inexperienced opposition," a spokesman for Najib told AFP after the polling date was announced. But the opposition has won support with pledges of clean, transparent governance and respect for civil liberties, enjoying unprecedented freedom to get its message past state-controlled mainstream media via the Internet. The three-party opposition surged to its best showing ever in the 2008 vote, shattering the ruling regime's decades-old aura of invincibility. Speculation over a date for fresh polls has been at fever pitch in the past two years but Najib set the stage last week by dissolving Parliament just ahead of its expiry at the end of the month. The Umno-controlled Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition had romped to victory in every election before 2008, when it lost its powerful two-thirds majority. It now faces the fight of its life against the Pakatan Rakyat (People's Pact) opposition led by Anwar Ibrahim. The charismatic Anwar was handpicked by authoritarian ex-leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad as heir to Umno but was ousted from government in 1998 and jailed in a power struggle between the two men that left Malaysian politics deeply polarised. "For Pakatan Rakyat it is the best possible chance to offer a viable alternative for democracy and a more responsible government. I think the chances of winning are very good," Anwar told AFP. With a tight contest forecast, both sides have competed to lure voters with a range of electoral promises, stoking debt fears. Najib upped the ante on Saturday, pledging more cash for the poor and other handouts. Pakatan has promised free primary-to-university education, policies to boost incomes, and other measures. The opposition and electoral reform advocates complain the contest is not free and fair due to a system skewed in the government's favour, and have warned of outright fraud, alleging widespread irregularities in voter rolls. But the government rejects the charges, citing recent reforms such as the introduction of indelible ink to prevent multiple voting, and EC chief Aziz said anti-corruption authorities would monitor polling. Najib took the helm of the ethnic Malay-dominated ruling coalition in 2009 after his predecessor resigned amid pressure over the polls setback the year before. Seeking his first mandate from voters, Najib has launched reforms to strengthen the economy and improve civil liberties. The economy grew a steady 5.6 percent last year despite the global malaise. But the opposition calls Najib's reforms half-hearted window-dressing and has harped on recurring corruption scandals linked to the government. BN holds 135 of Parliament's 222 seats and nine of Malaysia's 13 states, while the opposition has 75 seats and control of four states.
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| Opposition ‘spoilers’ giving Sabah BN quiet wins Posted: 09 Apr 2013 04:15 PM PDT
STAR and SAPP have reminded Sabah DAP and Sabahans that voting for Pakatan would be a case of jumping from the frying pan into fire situation. Luke Rintod, FMT KOTA KINABALU : Opposition parties DAP, SAPP and STAR have a common enemy in Barisan Nasional. Yet they seem unable to hold it together, constantly kniving each other instead of plotting against their enemy. This in itself is intriguing and is telling of Sabah's layered opposition politics which runs deep on distrust. Yesterday, DAP's sole parliamentarian Hiew King Chew, accused both State Reform Party (STAR) and Sabah Progressive Peoples Party (SAPP) of being "useless" parties that cannot do anything. "It is a waste to vote STAR or SAPP," he had said in statement that lumped the two parties as "spoilers" in the 13th general election. Hiew's statement was featured prominently in Sabah local dailies, spiking the heat in what will be an all-time 'do or die' elections for some groups. SAPP information chief, Chong Pit Fah however shot Hiew's view as "arrogant" and merely promoting Pakatan Rakyat to replace BN, at the expense of Sabahans' real aspiration to restore glory to state autonomy. "Let me remind Hiew that it is his boss Lim Kit Siang who admitted that DAP cannot win Sabah. "So if (Pakatan) cannot win Sabah, why must contest here and become a spoiler?" Chong retorted. Chong was referring to Lim's recent interview with Sin Chew Daily in which he had said that Pakatan was set to recapture Perak, retain Kedah, Penang, Kelantan and Selangor and take over only Perlis and Negeri Sembilan. "It is also strange that Hiew is always complaining about SAPP flags being flown everywhere including near his office, when he never complained about Umno or BN flags," said Chong, who accused Hiew of feeling threatened by surging support for local parties like SAPP. Who's greedy? Chong also said that Hiew's argument that should SAPP form a state government it would run into trouble just like previous Parti Bersatu Sabah's state government was "lame and outdated". "PBS time was different as Umno was very strong then under Dr Mahathir Mohamad, but now the landscape has changed with both BN and PR equally strong or weak, in need of continuous support from Sabah and Sarawak," he said. He also called on Hiew to reflect on Lim and Pakatan leader Anwar Ibrahim's persistent statements that the country is going bankrupt. He said it was Malaya that was going bankrupt and because of their greed, it was bankrupting the whole nation. "Bankrupting Malaysia is not the doing of Sabah and Sarawak. In fact Sabah and Sarawak are cushioning the economic impacts of Malaya's border-less greed and unrepentant plundering the country," he said. Chong, who is poised to stand as SAPP candidate for Kepayan state seat near here, argued that Hiew has no right to accuse state parties of greed. "Unlike DAP, SAPP has always been here for the single reason that it fights for Sabah and Sabahans, and of course we are looking at seats within Sabah of which there are only 25 parliamentary seats and 60 state seats "There are more than 400 state seats in Peninsular and 165 parliamentary seats over there that the DAP and Pakatan can lay their hands on, so why is still the greed to grab the few seats in Sabah too? "Seriously now, who is greedy?" asked Chong.
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| PKR, PSM jostle for Kota Damansara seat Posted: 09 Apr 2013 04:13 PM PDT
Selangor PKR chief Azmin Ali has apparently given the green light to a lawyer to campaign in Kota Damansara which is held by PSM. K Pragalath, FMT Parti Sosialis Malaysia's (PSM) sole state seat in Selangor, Kota Damansara, is likely to be taken away from it. Its ally PKR wants the seat and apparently a lawyer, Razlan Jalaludin (not Razlan Hadri as reported earlier), has been given the green light by Selangor PKR chief Azmin Ali to start campaigning in Kota Damansara. This could stem from the fact that PSM chairman Nasir Hashim won the seat under the PKR banner in 2008. He did so because PSM was only officially recognised by the government recently. In 2008, Nasir defeated Zein Isma Ismail of Umno. He polled 11,846 to Zein's 10,771, and won with a majority of 1,075 votes. There were 29,701 voters of which 56% were Malays, 30% Chinese and 14% Indians then. Nasir meanwhile is at a loss on why PKR wants the seat. "We're friends fighting together against a common enemy. I don't know why PKR is fussy about us. "To say that PKR has an issue with our socialist ideology doesn't make any sense… we never had any problems for the past five years," said the 66-year-old founding chairman of PSM. Razlan is also known to be close with Taman Medan state legislative assembly member and deputy speaker Haniza Talha of PKR. Kota Damansara is one of the three seats under Subang parliamentary constituency. The other two are Paya Jaras and Bukit Lanjan. The Subang parliamentary seat is held by R Sivarasa of PKR. Kota Damansara state seat comprises areas such as Ara Damansara, Subang airport, Rubber Research Institute of Malaysia, two new Chinese Villages, Sungai Buloh army camp and Dataran Sunway. It also has the second largest Malay village – Kampung Melayu Subang. Currently, there are 44,000 voters and the Malays make up 55% of them. There are 35% Chinese and 10% Indians. PKR unhappy with PSM logo There appears to be a lot of pressure from PKR for Nasir to use PKR's double white crescent logo instead of the white fist. "We know that they [PKR] want us to run for elections under their ticket. Why should we when we have our own party with our own logo?
"Putting a PKR candidate here would only create a three-cornered fight with PSM and PKR going against BN. I am the incumbent. PKR's presence would serve as a spoiler," said the white-haired, bespectacled Nasir who spots a goatee and walks with the aid of a walking stick. There have also been rumours spread via e-mail that Nasir is suffering from cancer. "I have only underwent a whole knee cap replacement surgery about two months ago, which requires me to use a walking stick. I have been given a clean bill of health… no heart problem, cancer, or diabetes," he said. When asked whether PSM's presence would dampen ambitions of certain PKR leaders in the event that Pakatan forms the next federal government, Nasir dismissed the notion. "Two of us can't make a dent or any major difference," said Nasir in reference to his party secretary-general S Arutchelvan who is contesting the Semenyih seat.
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| 'Anwar's religious image just a political front' Posted: 09 Apr 2013 03:50 PM PDT
Former Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement president Dr Yusri Mohamad says Islamic groups have never been in Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's inner circle. Yusri said the concept of 'Anwarism', which had been established in Abim much earlier than in Pas and Parti Keadilan Rakyat, had resulted in those who were not in Anwar's camp being sidelined. Hariz Mohd, NST Another former staunch supporter of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has come forward to reveal the latter's true colours. Former Malaysian Islamic Youth Movement (Abim) president Dr Yusri Mohamad said Anwar, the opposition adviser who portrayed himself as an Islamic figure, did not have a firm stand on matters pertaining to Islam. Recently, a close acquaintance of Anwar had given a damning assessment of the de facto Parti Keadilan Rakyat leader, saying that Anwar was not fit to lead the country. Academician and former International Islamic University Malaysia deputy rector Prof Datuk Dr Sidek Baba, who has known Anwar for more than 30 years, said Anwar lacked the credibility to be prime minister. Sidek said he realised the person Anwar really was when he did his own research on the latter for three years and met 28 people who were close allies of Anwar. Yusri, who is also chairman of the Coalition of Malaysian Islamic non-governmental organisations (Pembela) and president of the Islamic and Strategic Studies Institute, said he had his fair share in opposition politics, especially during the early years of Reformasi. He said he was worried with what had become of Anwar now. "Anwar only maintains an external 'Islamic' image for political reasons, but does not have any firm stand on religious matters. "Anwar is (politically) clever -- he maintains his contact with Islamic groups, including Abim, and figures like Sheikh Yusuf al-Qaradawi, but these are his contacts only at face value and to a limited extent. "The Islamic groups have never been his inner circle. "He might have consulted them for opinions, but they have no influence in his decision-making," Yusri said in an interview with the New Straits Times. "At the same time, Anwar is trying to please everyone and (in doing so) contradicting himself. "When he is with the liberals, he would support their cause. "When he is with the Muslim groups, he would say something totally opposite. "What is his real stand?" On Abim's close relations with Anwar, Yusri said the movement should distance itself from partisan politics. He claimed that Abim had lost influence in the country's Islamic dakwah for focusing too much to politics. "After Anwar left Abim, the movement's focus still tends to be with him instead of core business, like education. "I used to rebuff when some people jokingly referred to Abim as 'Anwar Bin Ibrahim's Movement', but if you look at its track record, it is true to some extent. "Abim has not been able to divorce itself from the individual. "Too much (of its) attention and imagination (are) coloured by Anwar. This is unfortunate as Abim can be bigger than Anwar or any political leader by contributing to education and societal development, among others." Yusri added that despite riding on the image of an Islamic leader because of his background in Abim, Anwar had not extended much help to the organisation throughout his political years. However, Abim leaders, who valued the sense of camaraderie, still stood behind Anwar when he was fired from the cabinet. Yusri said the concept of 'Anwarism', which had been established in Abim much earlier than in Pas and Parti Keadilan Rakyat, had resulted in those who were not in Anwar's camp being sidelined. "That is why people like me and former Abim secretary-general Datuk Sidek, who adopt a different and more critical approach, are not welcomed in the organisation's circle. "It can be said that we are ostracised. I am also the only former president who has not been invited into Abim's Syura council." Yusri also said the future of Islam in Malaysia would be in danger should Pakatan Rakyat be given the mandate to run the country. "In issues like apostasy, religious pluralism and the use of the word 'Allah', the people cannot help but notice Pakatan's tendency to be too liberalist or pluralist. "This is worrying because from a religious perspective, if one is willing to compromise in matters of faith and is disloyal to the teachings of Islam, one is courting disaster." Yusri, who was the sixth Abim president from 2005 to 2009, said Barisan Nasional had a good track record in maintaining peace and stability in a multireligious and multiracial nation. "A good thing about Umno leaders is that although they are not ulama (Islamic scholars), they are able to carry out their main responsibility, which is to drive the country forward. "Knowing that religion is not their forte, they also do not try to be smart when it comes to religious matters. "Umno leaders will listen to and have respect for Islamic scholars. "They have humility and accept specialisation and authority. "However, this is not the case with some Pakatan leaders, including Anwar, who tend to be too adventurous in Islamic affairs."
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| Campaign for votes goes online Posted: 08 Apr 2013 06:48 PM PDT
Malaysian opposition uses Internet TV to widen reach of its leaders Carolyn Hong, Straits Times IT USED to be that going to a political rally in Malaysia meant packing an umbrella and being ready to stand for hours in a muddy field to listen to speeches. But today, Malaysians can sit in the comfort of their homes and watch rallies streamed "live" over the Internet on their tablets, smartphones and computer screens. This cannot compare to TV of course, as six million Malaysian households have television sets. When the ruling Barisan Nasional launched its election manifesto on Saturday, it was carried live on public television. While it has its share of tweeters and bloggers to get its message across, it was playing to its strengths in its choice of platform. Similarly, when the opposition Pakatan Rakyat launched its manifesto on Feb 25, it used the Internet, leveraging on its greater experience and skills. The campaign moving online is a boon for some voters. "It's convenient and good that we can watch for ourselves instead of reading it in the newspapers or news websites and blogs," said retiree Zarina Bakar, 53, who lives in Kuala Lumpur. Last week, she watched opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim speak at a rally in Gerik, Perak, about three hours away from her home. While it was not as exciting as being there, it was still useful, she said. "We can see what he said, as he said it," she added. Over 7,000 people watched the rally that was streamed live that night, compared to about 1,000 people present at the rally itself. Viewership is expected to grow after the Election Commission announces nomination and polling dates tomorrow. This is the first election where opposition parties are streaming video, now that technology has made it cheaper and easier to do. They also hope to reach Malaysians abroad. The Democratic Action Party (DAP) is running the 24-hour Ubah.TV, which also plays reruns of its rallies and some news items. The Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) uses a popular website to provide live streams of its rallies. Mr Tony Pua, the DAP's national publicity secretary said Ubah.TV had 38,000 viewers last Friday, with about 8,000 to 10,000 in the evening peak hours. By comparison, the PKR ceramahs, or rallies, get about 7,000 to 8,000 people when Mr Anwar speaks. Media analyst Oon Yeoh, who writes on digital media issues, said using Internet TV will help the opposition reach more voters, albeit mostly urbanites. Of course, catching a rally on a computer pales in comparison to standing with thousands of people and listening to fiery oratory, he said. But the reality is that the few top speakers can only do a few rallies a night. Running an Internet TV station, however, does cost money, though the political parties would not reveal how much. The PKR has a team of three to four people covering Mr Anwar's ceramahs and several of their bigger stars. For the DAP, Mr Pua said they have teams in all but two states to stream major events. "The viewership is picking up and we expect it to grow after the campaign officially begins," he said. |
| GE13: Flipping Anwar risks flopping Posted: 08 Apr 2013 04:58 PM PDT
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim draws big crowds elsewhere but not on his home turf. He now flip-flops between leaving Penang and staying put to fight it out in his Permatang Pauh constituency. Baradan Kuppusamy, The Star DATUK Seri Anwar Ibrahim appears unsure where to contest in the general election – first throwing out clear signals he will move out of home ground Permatang Pauh in Penang for a seat in Perak and then saying he will stay put. His argument for moving out was originally sound; he wanted to turn Perak into a battleground with his presence there. He wanted to contest in Tanjung Malim or Tambun but within a week switched back to announce at a ceramah on Saturday that he will fight it out in Permatang Pauh after all. For a leader of a coalition that aims to capture Putrajaya and rule the country, to flip-flop, even as part of a winning strategy, is just not good politics. He opens himself to attacks by his political enemies, who have accused him of either running away for fear of doing badly – or even losing – or returning to Penang because Perak is more dangerous. It is rather late in the day for Anwar to want to contest in Perak with Parliament dissolved and the Election Commission meeting tomorrow to set dates for nomination and polling. Probably, he wanted some sympathy from voters in Permatang Pauh with his "leaving for Perak" tactic. Anwar's last outing in Permatang Pauh was in a by-election in August 2008 and voters gave him overwhelming support. In that by-election, due to his wife Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail vacating the seat, Anwar won with a 16,000 vote majority against Umno's Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah. The Permatang Pauh seat had been tied to Anwar and his family ever since he first captured it, a year after joining Umno in 1981, from PAS veteran Zabidi Ali. When he was in jail, his wife nearly lost it in the 2004 general election, winning with a slim majority of fewer than 600 votes. The ground in Permatang Pauh, as in other areas with a large Malay electorate, has changed considerably over the years and the changes could have prompted Anwar to initially plan to move out. A victory in Permatang Pauh, no matter how slim, will be a psychological boost for Umno, which has been locked in electoral battles with Anwar since the party sacked him in 1998. But for Anwar, a lesser majority in Permatang Pauh will be a political disaster. Last year, he had reportedly said this election would be his last and, if he wins, he will be prime minister. If he loses, he will retire to academia. For Anwar, this is a watershed general election. He is pushing 66 and has given the best part of his life to activism and politics; rising from a student rebel to political prisoner, joining Umno, leaving it and again jailed to become the country's most famous prisoner for nine years. From behind bars he set up the multi-racial Parti Keadilan Nasional, which later merged with Parti Rakyat Malaysia and assumed its current name Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). The merged entity allied with the DAP and PAS and, together, became known as Pakatan Rakyat – a loose coalition that now dreams of capturing Putrajaya. By most accounts, the coalition is unlikely to muster the numbers needed to unseat the Barisan Nasional. One reason is that the Malay ground has clearly shifted in favour of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. That shift has affected constituencies like Permatang Pauh and this is one reason Anwar was forced to consider moving out to a safer seat with a better voter mix. Given a good "winnable candidate" in Permatang Pauh against Anwar – and Umno thinks it has one such candidate – the chances of reducing Anwar's winning majority is considerable. Speculation is rife that the candidate is Dr Mazlan Ismail, a local boy and a former PAS Youth leader who gives Friday sermons and holds a high position in a government-linked company. Besides, Anwar is no longer a crowd puller in Permatang Pauh. He may draw big gatherings elsewhere but on his home turf he has become somewhat jaded and the crowds have been dwindling. Although Anwar still has the upper hand, the victory margin will be closely watched by his supporters. His supporters are sure he can retain the seat with a "good and comfortable" majority but unsure whether he will sit in Putrajaya.
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| Posted: 08 Apr 2013 03:07 PM PDT
The problems between the Indian and Malay factions have put the state chapter at risk of a fallout ahead of the polls. Hawkeye, FMT Penang DAP is suffering a headache over its candidates list with a protracted squabble in its Indian faction as well as demands from the Malay bloc to contest state seats in the upcoming general election. There is also a need to manage the disgruntlement from the former DAP Chinese state assemblymen, who have to make way for new candidates either because of a much needed political realignment in Penang, or for their lack of performance. Penang DAP, barring any last minute changes, is juggling with a cache of only 29 state and four parliamentary seats to fill, and with their PKR and PAS counterparts reeling from a perceived drop in support here, it is no "walk in the park" for them although Pakatan Rakyat is slated to retain the state. The rest of the 40 state and 11 parliament seats are shared by PKR and PAS. The momentum of Penang to become the nation's focus in this election is expected to only be seen once the candidates list is drawn up, but this time around, the threat of infighting will likely come from Pakatan. It is the grave consequence of being in government, observers here declared. A risk of a fallout At risk is a fallout if the DAP state leadership headed by former journalist Chow Kon Yeow cannot find middle ground to appease the various quarters. Everybody knew what happened to Barisan Nasional after an internal sabotage during the 2008 election and this is something, which DAP is going all out to avoid, especially with the goal of capturing Putrajaya in sight. In one corner, are the Penang DAP Indians, who are split into three movements, all with an agenda of lobbying for their own candidates. The three DAP Indian factions have launched a concerted effort to impress upon the party leadership about a need to relook the Indian leaders who are keen to be renominated to contest in this election. The groups hailed from branch heads, elements of the Penang DAP Indian cultural bureau and supporters of the DAP Indian assemblymen here. They have engaged bloggers, media personalities from both the mainstream and alternative sides to illustrate their cause via tweets, statements and a memorandum. It is learnt that the memorandum was emailed to Chow and copied to DAP chairman Karpal Singh, secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and party adviser Lim Kit Siang. Party insiders, who preferred not to be named owing to the sensitivity of the issue, said that while the top leadership smiled at the enlarged crowds in the battleground state of Johor, the same four supremo leaders of DAP are worried deep inside that they are unable to bridge the rift here with nomination of candidates just days away. It is also learnt that there is an indirect party gag order issued on this matter. The four DAP Indian leaders are caretaker Deputy Chief Minister II Prof Dr P Ramasamy, lawyers A Thanasekaran, RSN Rayer and Jagdeep Singh- Karpal's son. Of the four, only Jagdeep is assured of a seat in view of his growing political clout as an assemblyman and that he is Karpal's son. The three others are involved with a lingering squabble with all fingers pointed at Ramasamy,a former political science academician for his inability to mend the rift with the other leaders here. In the statement and memorandum made available to the media here, the grassroots called for local Indian leaders to be given a chance, a subtle hint at Ramasamy, who since his accession to power in 2008, had to grapple with accusations that he is not a local boy, thus he is unable to understand sentiments and issues. The Perak-born academician had tried his best, but he has often hit a brickwall concerning working together with the DAP Indian grassroots here. The fact that he was one of the new leaders to emerge from the 2008 election after convincing victories in the Prai state and Batu Kawan parliamentary seats, Ramasamy will likely be retained as a candidate as he still has a degree of winning-abilities. The question is where, said party insiders. State DAP veteran K Gunabalan, while hoping that no action will be taken against him for voicing out the grievances of the grassroots, said the party should field candidates who can work together effectively to ensure the state benefits. "It is pointless to field polarising figures, who even if they win on default since many people in Penang support DAP (not individuals), they are unable to lead or govern because the majority of the members do not support them in the first place." Since 2008, issues of Penang Indians were handled by different groups, and they were not working in tandem, thus the relationship within the community, was fractured at best, Gunabalan claimed.
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| Pakatan, BN economic pledges: A comparison Posted: 07 Apr 2013 07:55 PM PDT
Pakatan's manifesto relies heavily on dismantling BN's handiwork, whereas BN pledges to expand the economy without a glance backwards. Anisah Shukry, FMT Although Pakatan Rakyat has accused Barisan Nasional of copying its manifesto, a comparison of their economic pledges leaves the impression that the opposition coalition is out of its depths. To begin with, Pakatan falls noticeably short with regard to creating jobs for locals. Its manifesto says it will generate one million new jobs simply by reducing foreign labour. This means that under Pakatan, the new jobs available for Malaysians will be of the non-skilled variety: waiting on tables, cleaning the streets, mixing cement. In Pakatan's own words, these jobs are in plantations, the construction sector and the service industry. In contrast, BN has promised 3.3 million new jobs, two million of which are in the high-income sector. This will be achieved not through driving out the people currently occupying those jobs, but by attracting new investments worth RM1.3 trillion. Whether either of them will succeed is a big question mark, but credit must be given to BN for having more vision – or better job offers. Floor wage But Pakatan promises a floor monthly wage slightly above RM1,000. BN has promised a slightly lower wage of RM900 for Peninsular Malaysia and RM800 for Sabah and Sarawak. With the figures cutting so close, they are barely worth comparing. But keeping in mind the uproar BN's minimum wage has caused among employers – critics are claiming prices will soar and cash outflow will become "cash outflood" – one could conclude that things would be worse if Pakatan's higher floor wage were to be implemented. According to media reports, BN is relying on a cash-less solution to the foreseen problems – by deferring implementation to July. Pakatan's solution is to dip into public coffers and create a so-called Minimum Wage Implementation Facilitation Fund worth RM2 billion. Neither one is guaranteed to succeed, but Pakatan's minimum wage and the solutions to the problems that will come with it will clearly cost taxpayers and employers more money. Taxes Pakatan says that the income band will be broadened so that the 26% tax rate will be payable for taxable income exceeding RM400,000, compared with the current RM250,000. This is apparently to prevent a situation where millionaires pay the same tax rate as executives in the private sector. But since the existing tax rates are not increasing to compensate for the fact that fewer people will be paying them, far less money will enter the governments' coffers. Meanwhile, although taxable income remains the same under BN, the ruling coalition has vowed to lower individual and corporate taxes across the board, in stages. Again, that's obviously less money for the government, but without knowing BN's exact tax rates, the jury is still out on whether Pakatan's or BN's tax options are better for the economy. Small and medium industries
While the benefits BN and Pakatan have outlined for SMIs both lack detail, Pakatan's is less impressive as it appears to be a shallow retread of what BN has already accomplished. Pakatan has the National Innovation Fund totalling RM500 million "to strengthen the copyright industry and idea bank" and "to promote the commercialisation of ideas and inventions". It also aims to "coordinate and promote SMI financing by financial institutions". But BN's manifesto points out that it has already facilitated funding for SMIs through a RM1 billion fund managed by the SMI Bank, provided RM2 billion from 2008 to 2013 to Tekun for small-scale entrepreneurs and established Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia, which provides micro credit facilities for small-scale entrepreneurs, mostly women. And to match Pakatan's National Innovation Fund, BN has unspecified "special incentives" for "innovative and creative ventures" on top of a "transformation plan" and the establishment of a National Trading Company to source overseas markets for SMI products.
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| GE13: Khalid Jaafar: The unknown local in Hulu Selangor Posted: 07 Apr 2013 02:47 PM PDT
Pathma Subramanian, fz.com YOU would think that being a homegrown candidate would give one the upper hand in the face of a tough challenge in a general election. But Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) Khalid Jaafar has proved that adage wrong not once, but three times. Khalid, widely tipped as PKR's candidate for the parliamentary constituency of Hulu Selangor in the upcoming general election, now faces a different challenge as he tackles a whole new electorate. But he is undaunted and insists he can pull off an upset in the largely rural seat. Though he may seem like a new face in Malaysian politics, the former journalist has experience contesting in (and losing) general elections: he had previously stood as candidate in the constituencies of Batu Berendam and later in Bukit Katil, Malacca since 1999. Now, he's shifting his election hopes to Hulu Selangor. The executive director of the Institute for Policy Research (IKD) however rejected the notion that being parachuted to Hulu Selangor would be a disadvantage after having operated in Malacca for 14 years. "Although the normal thing is to go back to your roots to contest, I think is a fallacy," Khalid told fz.com. "I was born in Batu Berendam, Malacca, yes but at the age of 15 I went to boarding school in Seremban and I would only visit during school holidays. I didn't have much interaction with the peers in my age group in my village. After graduating from college, I started working and eventually settled down in Selangor, where I've been since. "The only time we used to go back after that was for Hari Raya or to visit our parents. I have no engagement with the people (there). "This is what happened to most us in PKR – we went back to our kampung after 10 years and some even 20 years – thinking that people know you but the truth is, they forget you. You were not at their weddings or funerals, you were not there for their youth activities – you're detached." Challenging Ghafar Baba Khalid had his first taste of the political contest in 1999 when he challenged the late Tun Abdul Ghafar Baba for the Batu Berendam parliamentary seat. Khalid, who was standing under the Parti Keadilan Nasional (PKN) banner, lost to the Umno veteran and former deputy prime minister by 7,105 votes. PKN was, at that time, part of a loose coalition known as the Barisan Alternatif, made up of DAP, PKN, Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) and PAS, which was formed in the wake of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's sacking as deputy prime minister and from Umno, and his subsequent arrest. Khalid is a close ally of Anwar, having worked as the latter's press secretary from the time he was education minister in the 1980s until he became deputy prime minister. Yet Khalid remained averse to joining Umno to pursue a career in politics and instead dreamt of life in academia. But the antipathy against politics did not last long as the injustice targetted against his former boss prompted him to take a lead role in helping form PKN in 1999. "I know of all that can go wrong but in 1998 it was something really extraordinary. Right after Anwar's arrest, there was a witch hunt. I had to go into hiding. I left everything behind and hid in Jakarta for six months. "That's when I made a choice to help build a political movement – just ordinary dissent was not enough. We knew we had to take a frontal struggle and politics is the only way it can be done," he said, shuddering at the thought of the distant memory. A delineation exercise prior to the 2004 general polls saw Batu Berendam divided into the parliamentary constituencies of Bukit Katil and Tangga Batu, prompting Khalid to contest again after PKN merged with PRM to form the present PKR. But the 58-year-old tasted defeat once more as he lost against Umno's Datuk Mohd Ruddin Abdul Ghani by a whopping 27,252 votes in the contest for Bukit Katil. Although the saying goes "third time's lucky", this adage too did little to help Khalid when he faced off against Umno's Datuk Md Sirat Abu in the 2008 general election for the same seat. He lost, but this time by 1,758 votes despite the opposition's new pact, Pakatan Rakyat, making substantial inroads to Parliament. "In 2008, I would have won had there been indelible ink. I lost by about 1,700 votes, I needed 900 votes. There were incidences of dubious voters that we heard of but I didn't have enough polling agents at that time," said Khalid sounding rather dejected.
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