Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Rift in Hindraf widens
- GE13: Anwar has hands full with seat squabbles
- Anwar changes tone on SAPP
- Avoid three-cornered fights: Karpal
- GE13: ‘Chinese can never control Parliament’
- GE13: ‘Third force will determine GE13 outcome’
- SAPP bemoans Pakatan’s ‘overbearing Malaya political elite attitude’
- PAS will shield all from race clash, veep vows
- DAP told to attend ROS inquiry on April 18
- Jui Meng champions PR cause
- Mahathir blasts S'pore to rally poll support for BN
- Longhouse chiefs: Land shown in Global Witness video exists
| Posted: 12 Apr 2013 08:25 PM PDT
A faction in Hindraf calls co-founder Waythamoorthy a "traitor" for concealing the fact that he had registered the organisation two days prior to his hunger strike Priscilla Prasena, FMT Calling Hindraf co-founder P Waythamoorthy a traitor, a faction of the group today claimed that he had concealed the fact that he had registered Hindraf as an organisation a month ago. "This registration of an organisation called Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia (Hindraf) was approved on March 8. This was two days before Waythamoorthy began his hunger strike. "During the hunger strike he attacked the Opposition for the benefit of Barisan Nasional," said S Jayathas, the former Hindraf leader and information chief. "The authorities were adamant in not allowing us to register Hindraf as an organization for so long…but now since he is attacking the opposition, he is given the registration approval." Speaking at a press conference, Jayathas, who is now with PKR, said the approval to grant Hindraf an organisation status, would have to come from the higher ups, like the Home Ministry. "Waythamoorthy's meeting with the Prime Minister (Najib Tun Razak) just two weeks after the hunger strike proves that he is working with the Barisan Nasional," he added. He said grassroot leaders want Waythamoorthy and his Hindraf faction to explain why they had concealed the registration of Hindraf. Uthayakumar surprisingly silent Jayathas said Waythamoorthy should be working towards Hindraf's goals instead of creating confusion in the minds of Indian voters. Jayathas said Indians have been deprived of their rights for far too long and they are not going to change their minds just because the government accepts Hindraf's blueprint on the eve of elections.
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| GE13: Anwar has hands full with seat squabbles Posted: 12 Apr 2013 03:42 PM PDT
(Borneo Insider) - KOTA KINABALU: The Pakatan Rakyat coalition plus is embroiled in a bitter fight over six parliamentary seats, as each of the partners stake a claim saying they are winnable. PKR de facto leader Datuk Anwar has now left it to the Sabah PR together with its allies, Angkatan Perpaduan Sabah and Pertubuhan Pakatan Perubahan Sabah to untangle the mess. The troubled seats are Tuaran, Kota Marudu, Tawau, Labuan, Keningau and Kota Belud. The most noticeable is the Tuaran seat where incumbent Datuk Wilfred Bumburing, who leads an ad-hoc non-governmental movement aligned to Pakatan Rakyat (APS), is facing stiff opposition from PKR veteran Ansari Abdullah, the Tuaran PKR chief. Ansari, is often seen as a loyalist to Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and is closely aligned to Azmin Ali, but he rocked the boat earlier when he openly proposed his name for Tuaran amid seat-sharing discussions with Pakatan leaders. Tawau is sought by the PKR which gave way to the DAP for the Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan parliamentary seats. But the DAP is still insisting that it is a more "winnable" choice for Tawau. The PKR is keen to field lawyer and former state minister Datuk Kong Hong Ming in Tawau while DAP's choice is the party's Tawau information chief Chan Foong Hin. The PKR has also asked PAS to make way for its candidate, Tan Sri Ibrahim Menuddin, (annpunced by Anwar on Friday) for the Labuan seat. PAS has named the party's Labuan information chief Hadnan Mohamad (picture) as its choice for that seat. Hadnan subsequently insisted that he would be contesting the seat as he had been named the Opposition candidate there. Ibrahim quit Umno last year before signing up with PKR. Anwar, in trying to play down tensions on Friday, described the existing relationship between PKR, APS and PPPS as "special and important" because the candidates from their allies would be using the PKR symbol in the GE13. He also stressed that it was also important to maintain the friendship with PAS and Democratic Action Party. He said they have learned from previous experiences, and that the people today are more open and exposed to information. "They want to see qualified Member of Parliament (MP) and Adun (assemblyman) (to represent them). Being popular does not qualify you to become a MP and ADUN, but you may be suitable for other posts, like that at the Municipal Council. "But one of the most important factor to becoming a candidate is the ability to support the Party's struggle and loyalty, especially in facing giant party like Barisan Nasional, as they have funds," he said.
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| Posted: 12 Apr 2013 03:35 PM PDT
Hoping to capitalise on voter discontent in the state, the opposition leader now tells Sabah PR leaders to continue talking with Yong Teck Lee Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: In a surprise move, Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim re-opened the door for cooperation with the opposition Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP). The opposition leader who is hoping to capitalise on voter discontent in the state, told Sabah PR leaders to continue talking with SAPP president Yong Teck Lee. He said the gesture was in view of the fact that SAPP supports PR's policy and leadership, unlike the Sabah State Reform Party (Sabah Star) which has always opposed the opposition. He told reporters this during a press conference held at PPPS head Lajim Ukin's residence in Likas, near here, on Friday. Anwar's change of tone came as a surprise to many as, only two weeks ago, he announced during his visit to Sabah that Pakatan Rakyat would not engage in any more talks with local opposition parties. He charged that SAPP and Sabah STAR are untrustworthy and that PR would instead focus on solidifying its agenda in Sabah together with its local allies Pertubuhan Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPPS) and Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS). Touching on Tuaran PKR chief Ansari Abdullah's proposed candidates', Anwar promised "it will be given a serious consideration". He said PKR deputy president Azmin Ali is in constant communication with Ansari on the matter and said that no public announcement would be made to avoid misunderstandings. "We will take the proposal positively, especially with the discussions with APS and PPPS still ongoing. They are worried that their proposals are being ignored. "But we never forget and ignore any proposals and suggestions. I have also told them that we will consider and we accept it as serious suggestions," he said. Unresolved issues Ansari controversially announced that prominent surgeon and activist Dr Chong Eng Leong would be Pakatan's candidate in Sepanggar, Mazhry Nasir (Putatan), Anthony Mandiau (Kota Marudu), Mursalim Tanjul (Kudat), Saidil Semoi (Kota Belud) and Jonathan Yassin (Ranau). Anwar said the delay in announcing the Sabah PKR candidate line-ups for the 13th general election was due to "unresolved issues" and overlapping claims by Pakatan coalition parties in at least six state seats. "The decisions (on candidacies) will be made by the state leaders, unless there is any conflict, then we (the top leaderships) will look into it. However, about 90% of the decision are made by the Sabah leadership.
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| Avoid three-cornered fights: Karpal Posted: 12 Apr 2013 03:32 PM PDT
Edmund Lee, The Sun Daily All the component parties in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition must ensure there would not be a three-cornered fights among themselves in the 13th general election, says DAP national chairman Karpal Singh. Karpal said the coalition of PKR, PAS and DAP must consider the danger of having this tussle before the election on May 5. "There must be a compromise among the three parties to make sure it does not happen," he told a press conference in Air Itam this morning, which saw several market-goers and passers-by supported him when they passed by the area. Calling for the three-cornered clash "must be avoided" at all costs, the parties should carefully consider this circumstance as there has to be a compromise to be made within the coalition partners, Karpal who is a veteran lawyer pointed out. Karpal was asked by reporters over a report that DAP is prepared to go for three-cornered fights in Kedah if it is not given the additional seats which the party had been asking for. Prior to this, DAP deputy chairman Tan Kok Wai had asked PKR to allow DAP to contest the Alor Setar parliamentary seat, Bakar Bata and Bakar Arang state seats. It was reported DAP was upset after PKR de factor leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's announced Kedah legal bureau chief Gooi Hsio Leong as the candidate for Alor Setar. Nonetheless, there is a possibility of such tussle happening in Sungai Acheh state seat as PAS had announced state PAS Youth chief Yusni Mat Piah for the seat which PKR's Badrul Hisham Shahrin or better known as Chegubard is to be fielded. Karpal mentioned there must be a "give and take" among the PR parties to ensure that these fights do not occur in any seats. On calls for Deputy Chief Minister II Prof Dr Ramasamy to be dropped in the election, Karpal added that the state DAP and its committee comprising of advisor Lim Kit Siang, secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, Tan, and he would be deciding on this matter.
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| GE13: ‘Chinese can never control Parliament’ Posted: 12 Apr 2013 03:27 PM PDT
(The Star) - The Chinese will never be a dominant political force in Malaysia, even under Pakatan Rakyat, said PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu. As both MCA and DAP would be vying for the limited number of Chinese-majority seats, they would only be eliminating each other, he said. Only one would emerge winner in each seat, and the number of Chinese-majority seats remained the same, he added. As such, it would be impossible for the Chinese to wield greater influence in Parliament, he said at a ceramah in Kupang on Thursday night. It was Mohamad's inaugural ceramah in Kedah after PAS announced him as its Pendang parliamentary candidate. Mohamad also pointed out that Pakatan Rakyat fielded 23 more Malay Muslim candidates compared with Barisan Nasional in the 2008 general election.
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| GE13: ‘Third force will determine GE13 outcome’ Posted: 12 Apr 2013 03:23 PM PDT
(The Star) - Non-partisan voters will be instrumental in determining the outcome of the 13th general election (GE13), said social entrepreneur Anas Zubedy (pic). The principal consultant and Zubedy (M) Sdn Bhd founder said the "third force" had the power to decide which party got the two-thirds majority at GE13. "We want less bickering and politicking, and we want work to be done with focus on developing the economy and cutting down on corruption," he said in an interview with SwitchUp.tv's GE13: Showdown programme, hosted by Anne Edwards. Anas believed the last election had left a positive impact as the Barisan Nasional government, under Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's leadership, had implemented many transformation programmes. "At the same time, the Opposition coalition has had a chance to run a few states, which is good, as they get to know the realities of running a state," he said. However, Anas remained cautious on whether Malaysians had become more politically mature since the 2008 general election. "A survey we did among young Malaysians last year revealed that many did not know what Article 153 of the Federal Constitution was about," he said. "Also, nearly 100% of the respondents quoted the Article inaccurately," he said. In a bid to help non-partisan voters understand how their votes could affect the GE13's outcome, Anas highlighted five election outcome possibilities. One was to hand Barisan a very strong mandate, allowing for governance the "China way", where government projects were implemented with speed rather than the "India way" where every project was debated. The second possibility was to hand the same mandate to Pakatan Rakyat, giving them a chance while expanding the talent pool of leadership beyond Barisan. "Another is a hung parliament, after which the most influential person would be the Agong. We will leave it to his wisdom to create a new coalition," said Anas. The fourth was to give Pakatan a chance to lead but with a very slim majority, so that its leaders would "continuously be on their toes". The last possibility was to maintain the status quo, which meant that voters would give the current government another five years, suspending their judgement until the next general election.
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| SAPP bemoans Pakatan’s ‘overbearing Malaya political elite attitude’ Posted: 12 Apr 2013 03:14 PM PDT
Boo Su-Lyn, TMI Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president Datuk Yong Teck Lee has grumbled about being accustomed to Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) "overbearing Malaya political elite attitude" in a fight over seats ahead of Election 2013. Yong (picture) said he was willing to cede the Penampang and Sandakan parliamentary seats to PKR and the DAP, respectively, in the 13th general election ― both of which he said SAPP could field "winnable candidates" ― but pointed out that the PR parties still insisted on contesting the state seats. "They think they're so great; they can roughshod over Sabahans," Yong told The Malaysian Insider in an interview at the SAPP operations centre here this week. "I'm utterly disappointed, but not surprised," added the former Sabah chief minister. Yong said SAPP was open to PR contesting the majority of the 25 federal seats in Sabah, but stressed that the state seats should be left to local parties. "Pakatan is forcing three-cornered fights on us. Anwar and Lim Kit Siang said Pakatan does not expect to win Sabah. So we don't know why they want to disturb the state seats," he said, referring to Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and DAP stalwart Lim. "Let the local parties have the majority of state seats and we'll let them capture most of the parliamentary seats. Pakatan just wants six, seven, twelve MPs," added Yong. Yong said his party would contest most of the 60 state seats in Sabah. SAPP, which left Barisan Nasional (BN) in September 2008, currently has two MPs ― Datuk Eric Enchin Majimbun in Sepanggar and Datuk Chua Soon Bui in Tawau ― as well as two assemblymen within the Kota Kinabalu parliamentary constituency, Datuk Liew Teck Chan in Likas and Melanie Chia in Luyang. The ruling coalition swept the state in Election 2008, with the DAP winning only the Kota Kinabalu federal seat and the Sri Tanjong state seat. Yong also said SAPP would support Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, chief of the Sabah State Reform Party (STAR), in the Bingkor state seat in Keningau.
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| PAS will shield all from race clash, veep vows Posted: 12 Apr 2013 03:08 PM PDT
Debra Chong, TMI PAS will protect all Malaysians from any racial confrontation that may happen after the May 5 polls, Datuk Mahfuz Omar pledged even as he lashed out at its instigator, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The vice-president of the Islamist opposition party accused Dr Mahathir of being an author of racial strife bent on selling the politics of fear through the former prime minister's blog. "It's no secret that Dr Mahathir is very afraid to face the general election this time, in fact he has been reported saying he was more worried about his grandchildren's safety compared to his own if Pakatan Rakyat wins," Mahfuz was quoted saying today by PAS news portal, Harakah. "His writing clearly is a desperate attempt by Dr Mahathir to spread his fear to the rakyat and an invitation to share in his personal fears," he added, referring to the veteran Umno politician's latest blog posting two days ago, titled "Gelang Patah". In it, Dr Mahathir warned Malaysians that a "racial confrontation" was imminent if the DAP's Lim Kit Siang were to win the Gelang Patah federal seat in Johor, the birthplace of Umno at the 13th general election. Seemingly rushing to defend Lim, his political ally in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact, Mahfuz was reported holding up Dr Mahathir's statement as further evidence that the ex-prime minister was fearful to face the people's anger towards Umno and the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition it fronts in the May 5 polls. He said PAS had not only worked to prevent racial strife, which he claimed to be stoked by Umno via Dr Mahathir's blog entry, but was committed to ensure the safety of all races. "But we give our commitment to protect and care for the safety of all Malaysians, regardless if Malay, Chinese or Indians if a racial confrontation happens as Dr Mahathir aspires in his blog," the Johor PAS chief was quoted saying.
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| DAP told to attend ROS inquiry on April 18 Posted: 12 Apr 2013 03:02 PM PDT
Opalyn Mok, TMI DAP has been told to attend an inquiry by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) on April 18. DAP national chairman Karpal Singh said the party received a letter from the ROS on April 9 instructing the party's election returning officer Pooi Weng Keong and election strategist Ong Kian Ming to attend the inquiry as witnesses. The inquiry, which will start at 10am, will be conducted by investigating officer Insp Mohd Nawawi Mat. The inquiry is regarding the party polls in December last year where a 'technical glitch' occurred, resulting in an error in the vote count which saw none of the Malay candidates being elected into its central executive committee (CEC). A recount was conducted which saw Zairil Khir Johari elected to the CEC where the actual votes received by him totalled 803 as compared to 305 in the erroneous results. The whole CEC lineup remains unchanged despite the recount. The party then conducted audits of the recount, led by Ong and also by an external chartered accountant firm, and confirmed the results of the recount as accurate and free from error. This issue attracted criticisms from the party's political foes and also from disgruntled members who filed complaints with the ROS. "We have been requested to supply documents relating to the party elections including notices sent out to delegates during the inquiry," Karpal said in a press conference at the Air Itam Market this morning. "We will supply all the information and documents in support of the party elections in compliance with ROS," he said. He pointed out that the errors in the party polls were due to a technical glitch so there was no fraud or misrepresentation involved. "There have been calls for DAP to be deregistered. The deregistration of a party is a serious matter," he said. He said the ROS may have the power to deregister a party but this can only be done after an in-depth investigation had been conducted and backed up by solid evidence. "As the investigation falls on April 18, it is virtually impossible that they will make a decision before April 20, which is the nomination date, so the ROS should refrain from making decisions before then," the incumbent Bukit Gelugor MP said.
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| Posted: 12 Apr 2013 12:23 PM PDT
(The Malay Mail) - Johor PKR chief confident, gives full support to Lim in Gelang Patah TMM: Are you upset that DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang is replacing you in Gelang Patah? Chua Jui Meng : If I were upset, I would not be making all these statements or speak to you. Previously I said in my press conference that I welcome and honour Lim in Gelang Patah. I even told the 40,000 people during the announcement to fully support him. I told them that Lim is a leader of integrity and had even sacrificed his comfortable seat in Ipoh Timur to contest in Gelang Patah. TMM: How was your relationship with Johor DAP and PAS after all the controversy? CJM: Excellent. I have a good relationship with PR in Johor. Today, we went along together for my election campaign at Kampung Abdullah, Jementah and other places to meet the public. The DAP candidate, Pang Hock Leong (former Bekok assemblyman) whom I will be replacing also spoke during a press conference and expressed full support for me. TMM: There is speculation that some members of the public especially DAP voters in Segamat aren't supporting you as a candidate. Is that true? CJM: It's not true, it's only a rumour. As I said earlier, Pang cleared the issue by speaking to the people in Segamat on that matter. TMM: As the Johor PKR chief what are your expectations for 13th general election in Johor? CJM: My expectations! That PR will at least win a minimum of 13 or 14 seats from the 26 parliamentary seats in Johor. As for the state seats, we stand a chance to form a government by winning a minimum of 29 from 56 seats. But I'm not going to tell you which seats we consider as winnable seats. TMM: What's next for you, and what will you bring to Segamat? CJM: I ought to win the Segamat seat. My message for them during the campaign is change and reform. However, most importantly, my emphasis is that people are the focus of our government's activities, we will not allow cronyism or family networks to interfere. TMM: What's next for you, and what will you bring to Segamat? CJM: I ought to win the Segamat seat. My message for them during the campaign is change and reform. However, most importantly, my emphasis is that people are the focus of our government's activities, we will not allow cronyism or family networks to interfere. |
| Mahathir blasts S'pore to rally poll support for BN Posted: 12 Apr 2013 12:13 PM PDT
(Straits Times) - FORMER Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is one of those tasked with campaigning for the Barisan Nasional slate in Johor, has reached for an old playbook in order to drum up support - by hitting out at Singapore. In a blog posting on Thursday, he accused the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) of wanting to end the traditional Malay-Chinese cooperation in Malaysia. This concord, he said, is premised on the kongsi, or sharing, principle of "not taking all our entitlements for ourselves but sacrificing some so others may get their share". Instead, the DAP wants to implement meritocracy, which he said the ruling People's Action Party in Singapore champions and is "about the winners taking all". "The meritocracy promoted by the DAP will mean diminishing opportunities for the Malays in education and in business," he said. "This will result in the Malays becoming less and less qualified and poorer." He went on to say that if DAP leader Lim Kit Siang wins Gelang Patah, a closely watched seat in Johor, an "unhealthy racial confrontation" will be the result. Tun Dr Mahathir also voiced a similar theme during a speech last Saturday to rally support for the BN in Selangor. "DAP uses the PAP way. When PAP was in Malaysia, it used the slogan 'Malaysian Malaysia'. It said Malays took everything, others nothing. Is that true?" he said. "We see that other races have wealth. "There are hundreds of millionaires among them today." He added that while Singapore closed Chinese vernacular schools, Malaysia allowed them, although most of its leaders are Malay. This shows the government's "fairness", which contrasts with the "racism of DAP". At recent Umno rallies in Johor, the state closest to Singapore, speakers alleged that Malay Singaporeans had been marginalised, and warned local Malays of a similar fate if they voted opposition. |
| Longhouse chiefs: Land shown in Global Witness video exists Posted: 12 Apr 2013 12:08 PM PDT
(Borneo Post) - They decided to come forward after reading Minister of Land Development Tan Sri Dr James Masing's remarks, which was front-paged by The Borneo Post yesterday, that he doubted the existence of the land.
The piece of land in Julau which was highlighted in the controversial video produced by London-based Global Witness exists.
Two longhouse chiefs from Julau, who is laying claim on part of the said land, said details of the land shown in the video were genuine.
Tuai Rumah Banggom Alan from Nanga Bangkit Ulu Entabai and Tuai Rumah Pius Juyuk showed a copy of land details to The Borneo Post yesterday to prove their claim.
They decided to come forward after reading Minister of Land Development Tan Sri Dr James Masing's remarks, which was front-paged by The Borneo Post yesterday, that he doubted the existence of the land.
Masing said most of the land around that area (in Julau) had been cultivated by shifting cultivators for more than a century as it was one of the earliest settlements in the state, and as such there was no more timber of value left.
"I know Julau land very well; it is very hilly and undulated and, therefore, it is not suitable for agricultural purposes. Only a stupid fool will buy it," said Masing.
Based on an extract of the document, the land comprising an area of approximately 5,000 hectares is located in Section/Block No. 018 and Parcel/Lot No. 00002 of Tekoyong Land District.
It has been issued to a company as a Provisional Lease of State Land for a period of 60 years – from February 8, 2011, to February 7, 2071.
The land is classified as Mixed Zone Land, categorised as Country Land and is meant for agricultural purposes. Its annual rent is RM12,500.
Banggom and Pius claimed they did not know the 'new' owners of the said land. "We are only interested in the land as we believe part of it is our native customary right (NCR) land.
"It is our hope that we will get it when the Land and Survey Department carries out a perimeter survey later on". They added that they were told the land had not been surveyed yet.
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