Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Why we need change?
- 10 Stunning Facts About GE13
- Indians must help end Umno/BN in Malaya!
- The focus should be on the BN record
- Can PM Najib stem the tide?
- GE13 – In the Chinese Press: Dong Zong slams Muhyiddin for misleading community
- ‘Competent, dynamic and progressive’ line-up with 5 candidates having degrees from bogus ...
- BN must change to win big
- Steady as she goes in Penang
- GE13: Aishah sings a different tune
- Big names out of BN candidate list
- BN backstabbed me, says Gerakan man
- Anwar plays political poker in Sabah
- The Islamic concept of niat
- Chua Jui Meng's final chance
- Perak folks to earn RM5,000 per month after a two-term PR mandate, says DAP
- ‘Mat Taib sulking because son-in-law not picked’
- ABU! ABU! ABU!
- Reducing Malaysia’s debt burden
- Pakatan should not get carried away
- Is 24-hour limit to merajuk a tall order?
- PSM compromises on logo, not seats
- GE13: MB says Dijaya deal not finalised
- Selangor Menteri Besar job up for grabs as PR, BN go to battle
- BN rolls out fresh faces to woo voters
- GE13: Zulkifli Noordin to contest Shah Alam on BN ticket
- Video Seks Nik Aziz Pula Tersebar
- Who is the Leader, Who the Follower?
- GE13: Overseas votes on April 28
- GE13: Mukhriz the next Kedah MB?
- GE13: The changing tide of politics in Kelantan?
- GE13 not a PM race, Anwar tells Perak
- Three states may see new faces as CM, menteris besar
- Give Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail a seat: SIGN THE PETITION
- PSM to decide
- Pitiful clowns assure Security for Sabah
- Sultan's men set up guerrilla base
- Party elections versus general elections (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)
- MCA to contest in 37 parliament, 90 state seats, 68 new faces
- Pakatan eyeing magical 112 seats or more
- Gerakan unveils candidates, more than half new faces
- I love it when I can say, “I told you so” (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)
- Trouble, trouble for Pakatan in Labuan
- Stop harping on Chinese-majority seats issue between UMNO-MCA
- The perils of Umno men joining PAS — The Malaysian Insider
- A very ‘American’ election
- GE13: End of an era
- GE13 – Nik Aziz: Do not follow leaders blindly
- Barisan to unveil DREAM TEAM
- PKR-PSM fight on the cards in S’gor
| Posted: 16 Apr 2013 12:32 PM PDT
We're tired of being told to behave or your citizenships will be revoked while citizenships are given to illegal immigrants in exchange for votes. Djanko Lee We put in a 10-hour day and 55-hour week to make a reasonable living in a country which was once free of racial hatred and where individuals respected their different religious beliefs. Where children moved around freely, played together, and occasionally shared meals at each other households. Given the state of the current economy and the rapidly rising national debt, retirement is now a bad dream. We're tired of being treated like Pavlov's dogs with the ring of the GE bell. We are expected to obediently salivate when the goodies, free concerts, food are handed out. In between GEs, like the "untouchables", we are treated with disdain and contempt. We're tired of being reminded "to vote BN" to get more cash hand-outs but it is our cash that they are handing out. We're tired of the games they play; hardball at the state level and softball at the federal level. The so-called "non-partisan" NGOs pour scorn on projects initiated by the opposition state government (constantly being sabotaged by the federal government) to address the chaotic local traffic congestions and label the initiatives as opportunistic, while they are oblivious to the scandals and pillages at the federal level. We're tired of being told that out of tolerance we must submit to the threat of bible-burning of Perkasa, the abuse of the former PM and an orgy of greed and self-indulgence of the UMNO/BN. We're tired that someone, like the former Transparency International president, whom the rakyat have the utmost respect, can become a turncoat overnight implicating a legitimate organisation fighting for clean and fair elections for being "an instrument of money laundering" and accusing it for attempting to create "chaos" on polling day. We're tired of being told to behave or your citizenships will be revoked while citizenships are given to illegal immigrants in exchange for votes. We're tired of being told the PM must be given another term when he was slumbering in his first term and oblivious to the scandals and enriching his cronies. Yes, we're damn tired. But we're also very glad because we have the choice now to make the difference. To prove to them that we are indeed the master, and not Pavlov's dogs, that they want us to be. That the mega concert at Han Chiang School and the 5,500-table mega dinner in Klang will be met with cynicism. We will tell them enough is enough that the "rape and pillage" will have to stop and their actions will be brought into account. We're glad we're not going to have to listen to their lies any longer. We're glad we can stop looking at the mess they've created. We're glad we can now save our country!
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| Posted: 16 Apr 2013 12:20 PM PDT
Fred Smith 1. Barisan Nasional is currently the LONGEST-RULING REGIME amongst ALL democratic countries in the ENTIRE WORLD! That's stability! 2. The current BN government, helmed by PM Najib Razak is serving the SECOND LONGEST administrative term in Malaysian history. Coincidentally, his late father Tun Abdul Razak helmed the government which served the LONGEST administrative term too. DS Najib Razak is known as the LONGEST-SERVING Prime Minister who inherited his post from his predecessor. 3. BN requires the support of a mere 15.4% of the population to RULE THE NATION if it wins all the smallest 112 constituencies! 4. It is not practical or feasible to have all the seats made into equal size. In India the largest constituency has 2,500,000 voters, in the smallest constituency there are just 50,000. 5. The smallest constituency in Malaysia was 13.0% percent of the national average while the largest was 288.0% percent. See above for India. 6. The smallest constituency, BN-held Putrajaya only had 6,008 voters but Opposition-held Kapar had a staggering 112,224 voters, 17 times more than Putrajaya. Kapar could have produced 17 Indian Members of Parliament! Alamak! 7. There is no truth that 30.0% of the Sabah population are foreigners, or that 300,000 Malaysian-born Indians remain stateless and without ICs!
8. The Selangor Electoral Roll saw a phenomenal increase of 25.0% in just 4 years, a trend that can be explained by natural population growth and previously unregistered voters! Other states have also seen increases. 9. Many ex-Generals, ex-Army Chiefs, ex-Navy Chiefs have openly declared their support for politics. Some are in BN, others are in Pakatan Rakyat. Some will be standing in the Elections. Democracy in Malaysia is alive and well. 10. A vote swing towards Pakatan Rakyat to secure Putrajaya remains a pipe-dream. Consequently, if every BN supporter goes out to vote, then Malaysia will continue on its path to GREATER STABILITY AND PROSPERITY!
READ .. LIKE .. SHARE .. REPEAT .. POST .. SEND .. EDUCATE THE REST !!
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| Indians must help end Umno/BN in Malaya! Posted: 16 Apr 2013 12:14 PM PDT
Umno/BN does not have to endorse the Hindraf Blueprint because it doesn't need Indian votes. It only wants to deny Indian votes to PR and for this they will be prepared to engage in all sorts of bullshit. Joe Fernandez In 2008, 85 per cent of the Indians voted against BN. Yet BN formed the Federal Government. The BN does not need Indian votes to win. It only needs Malay votes in Malaya and Sabah, Sarawak. The PR needs Indian votes to deny BN two-thirds majority and have a chance of taking over the Federal Gov't. |
| The focus should be on the BN record Posted: 16 Apr 2013 12:10 PM PDT
Actually, PR does not need the Buku Jingga. Joe Fernandez PR has said that the Buku Jingga and their Manifesto is based on needs, not race. Hindraf has said Felda is about race. It need not be about race. Felda can open up to all races. |
| Posted: 16 Apr 2013 12:04 PM PDT
In taking the risk of upsetting entrenched interests within BN parties only as D-Day approaches on May 5, Prime Minister Najib exposes how difficult and precarious his situation had always been. MOST analysts think the Malaysian general elections will be close. Although Prime Minister Najib Razak is expected to retain a slight edge over his nemesis, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, the social tide, even if significantly weaker, is still with the latter. How then to find the decisive drop of water that will stem the tide for good? Ever since he replaced Mr Abdullah Badawi as prime minister in April 2009, Mr Najib has seen it as his job to win back the rivers of voters who had turned against his Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. But despite the long series of measures he undertook to transform the country's slacking economic structure and low quality of governance, what seemed to happen was that only his personal popularity grew while the reputation of his party and his coalition slid further. When institutional changes failed to give the dramatic upswing in support he sought, and legislative reforms were brushed aside as window dressing, he tried to win popularity for his administration by handing out money through an impressive array of channels. To be sure, no one really knows how all these may influence voter affections, but the fact that the effect has not been obvious is reason enough for him to worry. Prime Minister Najib delayed dissolving parliament for as long as he could, hoping for an inspired moment to strike. But in waiting too long, he lost the advantage he had of choosing a date that suited him best and that would catch the opposition napping. However, by keeping the opposition guessing, he encouraged cracks to show in its ranks. This was an unexpected gain. But now the die is cast. Parliament is dissolved, the election date has been set, and Nomination Day is approaching. And ahead of that day, Prime Minister Najib decided to announce his lists of candidates for both the state elections and for parliamentary seats. Here is the most promising place where Prime Minister Najib can find the final drop he needs to be sure that he will win, and win enough to avert any challenge from within his own party after the national elections. Rumours had been brewing for months that he would favour new young faces over tried and tired ones. These rumours turned out to be true. Many of those in the old days who would have been undisputed choices were dropped. In their place, new names appear. But therein lies a big problem that is quite beyond the prime minister's ability to solve. |
| GE13 – In the Chinese Press: Dong Zong slams Muhyiddin for misleading community Posted: 16 Apr 2013 11:59 AM PDT
(fz.com) - Caretaker Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim will be appointed as finance minister if the opposition coalition wins the general election. The vacant Selangor MB post will then be taken up by PKR deputy president Azmin Ali. UNITED Chinese School Committees Association (Dong Zong) has criticised caretaker Minister of Education Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for attempting to fish for votes by misleading the Chinese, according toOriental Daily News. When giving a speech in an event in Kuching on April 13, Muhyiddin claimed that the government has never neglected Chinese schools and he pledged to include the education expenses for vernacular schools in the annual national budget if Barisan Nasional retains power in the coming general election. Dong Zong secretary-general Poh Chin Chuan pointed out that Chinese primary school is an important entity in our education system, it is entitled to obtain both administration and development funds under the Education Act 1996. Hence its expenses should be included in the Malaysia Plan and annual budget, he said in a statement yesterday, adding that it is government's responsibility to give vernacular schools fair treatment. He is of the view that Muhyiddin's statement shows that the government has grossly neglected its duty. "Muhyiddin said, only if BN wins the election will it put Chinese schools and other schools' education allocation into the budget. This reveals that the government has grossly neglected its duty and has been exploiting the legitimate rights of the schools." Poh said the unification policy implemented by Ministry of Education has caused the marginalisation of Chinese schools. The percentage of development funds for Chinese schools stated in the 8th and 9th Malaysia Plan, which are 2.44% and 3.6% respectively, have shown Chinese schools are being treated unfairly. Meanwhile chairman for Lim Lian Geok Fund Datuk Dr Toh Kin Woon also criticised Muhyiddin for making vague statements. He said Muhyiddin merely promised to include education allocation for national-type schools in the national budget but he did not promise to ensure fair implementation. Hence, Toh said it is not a sincere pledge but an empty promise which is meant to gain Chinese support before the general election. Read more at: http://fz.com/content/ge13-%E2%80%93-chinese-press-dong-zong-slams-muhyiddin-misleading-community |
| ‘Competent, dynamic and progressive’ line-up with 5 candidates having degrees from bogus ... Posted: 16 Apr 2013 11:47 AM PDT
Candidates who feel as if they had to 'buy' a degree, either at the undergraduate, masters or postgraduate levels, inevitably call their own integrity into question. If these candidates are willing to dupe voters about their academic qualifications, which is an important part of any person's life, what other areas of life would these candidates be willing to lie about? Dr. Ong Kian Ming The BN candidates for Selangor were revealed yesterday with great fanfare. The lineup is crucial for the most economically developed state in Malaysia and also the state which Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, as state chairman and elections director, is under great pressure to wrest back from Pakatan Rakyat. Najib was quoted as saying that "This is the lineup that will not only see us win the state, but also to form a strong government."[1] Mohd Zin Mohamed, BN Selangor coordinator was quoted as saying that "Our candidates are highly competent, dynamic and progressive. They are qualified individuals from various backgrounds who can take the state to greater heights in tandem with the Economic Transformation Program (ETP)."[2] Given these superlatives which were being used to describe the BN Selangor lineup, it is highly disappointing that 5 of the BN candidates, two at the parliamentary level and three at the state level, listed academic qualifications from institutions that can be best described as being 'degree mills' – in other words, fake universities and colleges which issue bogus academic degrees for a payment.[3] The most shocking revelation is the listed qualification of the BN candidate for P103 Puchong – A. Kohilan Pillay A/L G Appu – who received an M.SC in Commercial and Industrial Economy (sic) from the Pacific Western University in the United States. This 'university' was found to be a degree mill, lawsuits were taken up against it and it was subsequently shut down.[4] What is even more shocking is that the candidate is Malaysia's (caretaker) Deputy Foreign Minister! It is a disgrace to the country if indeed our Deputy Foreign Minister is a leader who has 'bought' a degree from a degree mill in order to bolster his own credentials. P103 PUCHONG A. KOHILAN PILLAY A/L G APPU46 TAHUN (670724106491)M.SC COMMERCIAL AND INDUSTRIAL ECONOMY, PACIFIC WESTERN UNIVERSITY, AS.PENGERUSI PARTI GERAKAN RAKYAT MALAYSIA SELANGORTIMBALAN MENTERI LUAR NEGARA
+0193503806 The second most shocking revelation is the listed qualification of the BN candidate for P110 Klang, Teh Kim Poo, who is also the current chairman of the Port Klang Authority (PKA). Teh is listed as having obtained a PhD in Business Administration from the New Port University in the United States. This is the same university which the caretaker Menteri Besar of Perlis, Md Isa Sabu, obtained his PhD from.[5] My colleague in the DAP, National Publicity Secretary, Tony Pua had blogged about New Port University being a dubious university way back in 2006.[6] Even The Star newspaper reported this university, back in 2009, as a degree mill.[7] What is disconcerting is the fact that Teh's role as PKA Chairman requires him to exercise transparency especially in dealing with the aftermath of the PKFZ scandal, which the PKA and the government of Malaysia is still paying for. P110 KLANG TEH KIM POO62 TAHUN (510826106099)PHD BUSINESS ADMIN, UNIVERSITY NEW PORT, ASPENYELARAS PARLIMEN KLANGAHLI PERNIAGAAN+60122926352 Three other state candidates have listed qualifications from well-known degree mills. BN candidate for N33 Taman Medan, Ab Wahab Bin Ibrahim, is listed as having a PhD in Public Service from the infamous Irish International University. The BBC reported this university as a bogus university as a result of a sting operation in 2008.[8] N33 TAMAN MEDAN AB WAHAB BIN IBRAHIM61 TAHUN (511017015669)PHD. PERKHIDMATAN AWAM, IRISH INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITYPENGERUSI BIRO AGAMA UMNO BAHAGIANLEMBAGA PENGARAH DAN PENGERUSI JAWATANKUASA AUDIT TANJUNG OFF SHORE+60193877508 BN candidate for N47 Pandamaran, Ching Eu Boon, is listed as having a PhD in Network Marketing from the St George University International which has also been reported to be a degree mill.[9] N47 PANDAMARAN CHING EU BOON46 TAHUN (670716105135)PHD NETWORK MARKETING, ST GEORGE UNIVERSITY INTERNATIONAL, UKKETUA PPMCA BAHAGIAN KLANGAHLI PERNIAGAAN+60193109897 BN candidate for N25 Kajang, Lee Ban Seng, is listed as having received a degree from the Rutherford University (also known as the Senior University International and Stratford International University) which also has been reported as a degree mill.[10] N25 KAJANG LEE BAN SENG43 TAHUN (700228105595)IJAZAH PENGURUSAN PERNIAGAAN, UNIVERSITI RUTHERFORD, ASPENGERUSI MCA BHG. HULU LANGATPENGARAH URUSAN JLF HOLDING SDN. BHD.+60193310439 There is nothing in our election laws and regulations which state that a candidate must have a degree as a requirement for running for public office. Truthfully speaking, having academic qualifications, even at the postgraduate level, from prestigious universities all over the world do not automatically make one person a better candidate than someone without a degree. However, candidates who feel as if they had to 'buy' a degree, either at the undergraduate, masters or postgraduate levels, inevitably call their own integrity into question. If these candidates are willing to dupe voters about their academic qualifications, which is an important part of any person's life, what other areas of life would these candidates be willing to lie about including in areas of public interest such as the management of public funds and the proper and responsible use of public resources? I call upon these 5 BN Selangor candidates to explain and to refute the fact that all of them have listed qualifications from reported degree mills. If they cannot properly explain to the voters, I urge them to withdraw themselves from contesting in the 13th General Election. Dr. Ong Kian Ming
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| Posted: 16 Apr 2013 11:43 AM PDT
(FMT) - BN should have gone through with a fine toothcomb its list of candidates announced yesterday to ensure that only winnable candidates were chosen. Only by bringing about radical and real changes can BN stand a good chance of retaining power. While there are several reasons why Pakatan Rakyat was able to make gains in the 12th general election, it is now vital for Barisan Nasional to take drastic steps if it harbours any hope of wanting to win the 13th general election (GE13) by a big margin. BN should not in any way underestimate the threat that Pakatan poses in the latter's quest to capture Putrajaya. In the last general election, the BN machinery was not up to the mark and lost ground to Pakatan in a political tsunami that dented BN's invincibility. BN needs to take a good hard look at what happened in the last general election. It needs to study carefully what went wrong and it needs to be brave and bold to make changes if it wants to win the GE13. The probability of Pakatan winning the GE13 is still considered real and BN must pull up its socks to make vital changes. Making these changes quickly will probably help it to garner more votes. But the changes will come at a cost. It is up to the BN leadership to decide whether it wants to make these changes. If BN thinks it need not change because it has been governing the country for the last 55 years without much trouble, then it might be courting danger. The landslide general election victories in the past had lulled BN into a state of complacency. By letting down its guard, Pakatan was able to make political gains when the 12th general election arrived. Social injustices The tactic that Pakatan used and is still using in its war against BN is to portray the ruling coalition as a party of the elite, serving the cause of Umno while the majority of Malaysians are left out of progress and development. This perception that people have of BN has been exploited by Pakatan to great effect. The opposition was able to harp on the social injustices allegedly perpetrated by BN and in the process, whipped up massive public support. BN and all its component parties must now start to reach out to the ordinary Malaysians by promising to spread out the wealth of the nation as equitably as possible. Umno must not be seen as the only beneficiary of economic growth, progress and development. By reaching out to the common folk, by accommodating Malaysians of all walks of life, BN will undoubtedly win greater favour and support from the electorate. While Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has been working hard to change the perception people have of BN, it must not been seen as a mere election gimmick. BN must make it a long-term policy to ensure as many Malaysians as possible enjoy the fruit of development. For this reason, BN's current drive to bolster its image among the people must not be seen by the rakyat as a ruse to secure votes, but as a long-term commitment to ensure equitable distribution of wealth. A root cause of BN's poor showing in the last general election was that it had many candidates who were a political liability to the coalition. Candidates for political office from BN must inspire confidence and trust in order to govern the country. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/04/17/bn-must-change-to-win-big/ |
| Posted: 16 Apr 2013 11:37 AM PDT
It is important to note that compared with the voters of other states, Penangites have been the most adventurous in terms of changing their elected representatives. Goh Ban Lee, The Sun Daily THE general election is the hottest topic these days in offices, markets, even at funerals. The general prevailing feeling is that there is not going to be a drastic change. The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) continues to be the government after the election. The composition of the members of parliament from Penang is not likely to change drastically. But it cannot be taken for granted that this will be come May 5. Election campaigns have not been formally launched yet. At the start of the 2008 election campaign, there was no expectation of a change of the Penang state government until Anwar made his first speech at the Han Chiang College a few days before the election. Besides, it is important to note that compared with the voters of other states, Penangites have been the most adventurous in terms of changing their elected representatives. In December 1957, voters of George Town changed the government in the George Town City Council from the Alliance to the Labour Party. In 1969, they voted for Gerakan under the leadership of Tun Lim Chong Eu and rejected the Alliance led by Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee. It was not only a change of the state government; it was a humiliating defeat for the Alliance when it won only four seats out of 24 contested. Gerakan won 16 seats whereas Parti Rakyat Malaysia won one and DAP three. In 2008, Penangites humiliated both Gerakan and MCA by rejecting all their candidates. Even in their wildest dreams, the DAP leaders could not have expected to win all the 19 seats contested. It may be useful to recall that in the 2004 general election, the DAP won only one state seat while PAS won another. Gerakan won all 13 seats it contested while the MCA lost only one seat out of 10 contested and Umno won 14 out of 15 seats contested. Going back even further, it is interesting to note that the MCA won all the state seats in the 1995 and 1999 elections after losing all its seats in 1990. The voters in Padang Kota even rejected Chong Eu in 1990 and voted for Lim Kit Siang. Fifteen days can be a very long time during election campaigns. The PR government under Lim Guan Eng seems to be on a roll. Even his proposal to build the tunnel from Butterworth to Penang Island is not likely to have drastic negative effects on the voting pattern although it is clearly opposed by many non-governmental organisations. It is an unnecessary agenda in this election campaign. Even if it materialises, it will not be built in the next decade or so. So far, the accusation of negligence of affordable housing on the part of PR state government has not posed a threat to the popularity of Guan Eng and the PR state government. Affordable housing is certainly an important agenda. It has been an important issue for the last three years or so when the price of double-storey terrace houses began to climb from about RM500,000 to above RM650,000. Today, the selling price is above RM900,000. It was clear that houses built to cater to the needs and affordability of the middle income group have become out of reach, unless one has parents who are willing to cut deeply into their retirement savings. There is no doubt that Penang, especially George Town and Bayan Lepas, is having serious traffic jams. The building of new roads only temporarily eases the problems. The long-term solution is an efficient public transport system. Although mass rapid transit or monorail is good suggestion, it will take time and huge amounts of money. For the time being, a good public bus system is adequate. But Rapid Penang is not under the control of the state government, but the federal government. It is surprising that the PR has not used this topic to urge the voters to support its march to Putrajaya. Traffic jams can be mitigated if the police and municipal councils enforce the law strictly. There is little doubt that more issues will be brought up to damage the popularity of PR, especially Guan Eng. But it is clear that the demonstrations in Komtar after Friday prayers only spur ordinary Penangites of all races to support him more. Indeed, the tokong image of Guan Eng, thanks to Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Mansor Othman, is not likely to damage his or the PR government's image. People expect their leaders to be a bit dictatorial. What they do not like is quarrelsome responses. What is worrisome in Penang is the absence of official development plans to show clearly the direction and steps that will be taken to ensure that the state remains competitive, prosperous and sustainable. Existing official development plans are obsolete. Some draft plans have not been officially adopted and are probably dated. The Penang Paradigm is still in its rudimentary stage. Everyone wants a good life. How to achieve this is still obscure. There is certainly a good agenda for the parties to state clearly their views and solutions. Childish and racist accusations are not going to win votes. Datuk Dr Goh Ban Lee is a columnist for theSun.
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| GE13: Aishah sings a different tune Posted: 16 Apr 2013 11:30 AM PDT
(fz.com) - "A lot of history will be brought up," Aishah said. "I'm out of my comfort zone and I will be a punching bag when campaigning officially begins. But people must remember that I'm an "artis berhijrah", one who has changed her life. If they use my past against me then they are being unforgiving and this strategy will backfire on them." WAN Aishah Wan Ariffin faltered slightly when I asked if she would prefer to hold this interview in Kuala Lumpur or Negeri Sembilan. "Oh you want to meet in person?" she asked in return, and then apologetically explained that it had since become a little difficult for her to venture out without her security escorts. Perhaps a phone interview would be a better idea? It was an odd request from someone who has lived under the local and international spotlight for over two decades. But the 48-year-old singer knew that the media glare would be different this time around. When she steps out in public during the next three weeks, the eyes that will be clapped on her won't just be those of adoring fans but also those of political rivals and journalists. Last week the former vocalist of the now defunct New Zealand band, Aishah and the Fan Club, was announced as the PAS candidate for the Jempol parliamentary seat in Negeri Sembilan. Once an Umno strongwoman, Aishah joined PAS in May last year but was caught off-guard when the party's central working committee broached the subject of her contesting in the GE13 two months ago. After weeks of self-reflection and interrogating PAS leaders over their motive for choosing her, she was convinced that it was a sound idea. "All this while PAS has been viewed as an orthodox Islamic party but our motto now is PAS for all," she said. "So it's good to have faces that break the stereotype. And it's good for politics to have people from all walks of life." Read more at: http://fz.com/content/ge13-aishah-sings-different-tune |
| Big names out of BN candidate list Posted: 16 Apr 2013 11:27 AM PDT
(Today Online) - In Kelantan, Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali said he was upset that he was not given any reason for being turned down as a candidate. "Not being shortlisted means I was not given a chance. I don't know why," he said. He would be contesting as an independent in Pasir Mas, a seat which he had won a few times with different parties. Coalition's 'out with the old' mantra clear in Johor; mixed reactions in Sabah, Kelantan Lists of Barisan Nasional (BN) candidates released yesterday for the country's coming general election confirmed the omission of several big names — including Minister of Information, Communication and Culture Rais Yatim, Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen and former Women's Affairs Minister Shahrizat Jalil — from the "transformational team" that the ruling coalition has put up for what is tipped to be the most keenly contested elections in Malaysia's history. Prime Minister Najib Razak had earlier said BN would field 50 per cent new faces at state level and 30 per cent new candidates at federal level. Around the country, the announcements of the candidates were greeted with unhappiness by politicians who did not make the cut and their supporters. In Sabah, the announcement of candidates by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) — the dominant party in BN — was met with a mix of cheers and protests. Sabah UMNO Chief Musa Aman said the reactions were "normal". "There will be those who are disappointed, but we should all accept the decision of the leadership as we had made that promise to the Prime Minister," he said. In Kelantan, Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali said he was upset that he was not given any reason for being turned down as a candidate. "Not being shortlisted means I was not given a chance. I don't know why," he said. He would be contesting as an independent in Pasir Mas, a seat which he had won a few times with different parties. The BN's "out with the old" mantra was epitomised in Johor — the coalition's political fortress and birthplace of UMNO. Dropped from the official list of candidates to contest 26 parlimentary and 56 state seats in Johor include former Health Minister Chua Soi Lek, who is also the President of BN component party, the Malaysian Chinese Association; former MCA President and former Housing and Local Government Minister Ong Ka Ting, who is the Member of Parliament for Kulai; and Mr Syed Hamid Albar, the former Home Affairs Minister who is the MP for Kota Tinggi. MCA Vice-President Gan Ping Sieu, the Deputy Youth and Sports Minster, is also not on the list. Household names in the Johor political scene such as Johor MCA Deputy Chief Tan Kok Hong, State Tourism Minister Hoo Seong Chang and long-serving Sri Gading MP Mohammad Aziz were also omitted. Confirming earlier speculation, Mr Abdul Ghani Othman will lead the BN's efforts to defend Johor from the opposition. He will step down as Johor's Menteri Besar — after an 18-year run — for a showdown with Democratic Action Party supremo Lim Kit Siang for the Gelang Patah parlimentary seat. Higher Education Minister Khaled Nordin is expected to take over as Johor Menteri Besar. Read more at: http://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/big-names-out-bn-candidate-list |
| BN backstabbed me, says Gerakan man Posted: 16 Apr 2013 11:25 AM PDT
(FMT) - Gerakan member A Mohan says he may join Kita. Gerakan member A Mohan, who was not picked to contest the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat in the upcoming general election, may join Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air (Kita). He said negotiations were going on between him and Kita leaders. "I will announce my decision on whether to join Kita soon. "For now, I'm quitting Gerakan and will stand as an independent candidate for Batu Kawan parliamentary constituency and also a state seat. "I will reveal the state seat on nomination day [April 20]. "I don't rule out contesting under Kita if talks go on smoothly," he told reporters at his service here tonight. Barisan Nasional has announced that former Penang Indian Chambers of Commerce head, lawyer N Gobalakrishnan, who is also a local, as the Batu Kawan candidate. Mohan, 53, who has been a party member since 1983, felt betrayed. He cut off his Gerakan membership card with a pair of scissors before reporters to confirm his decision to quit the party, which he joined as a youth 30 years ago. He will close down his Taman Semilang branch, under the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency, with immediate effect. All 192 members of the branch also quit the party together with him. Several Gerakan members from Simpang Ampat also quit. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/04/16/bn-backstabbed-me-says-gerakan-man/
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| Anwar plays political poker in Sabah Posted: 15 Apr 2013 09:12 PM PDT
Sabah Pakatan Rakyat is yet to consolidate its list of candidates as it toys with STAR and SAPP. Pushparani Thilaganathan, FMT With nominations just days away, speculations are rife that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is engaging Jeffrey Kitingan's State Reform Party (STAR) in a 11th hour bid to find a solution to what promises to be a crippling election for Pakatan Rakyat if it remains adamant and uncompromising on Sabah seats. Nomination is set for April 20 and by tomorrow all state Barisan Nasional component parties would have announced their list of candidates. In Sabah, KadazanDusunMurut (KDM)-based Upko and Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) have already announced their candidates. Umno, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) are expected to follow suit. Amidst this, Sabah Pakatan Rakyat is yet to consolidate its list. A pre-emptive announcement of some candidates by PKR Tuaran division chief Ansari Abdullah earlier this month, which was later rubbished by party deputy president Azmin Ali, has made clear the depth of distrust and angst within PKR members of the PKR central leadership. As such, these late-in-day "talks" with local parties can only mean that Anwar is troubled. Barely a week ago, Anwar said he would direct Sabah Pakatan to re-open talks – which he had himself terminated – with Sabah Progressive People's Party (SAPP). Anwar had, at one point, ridiculed SAPP when he asked the party to prove its worth. And this too after incessant meetings dating back to 2011 to discuss possible straight fights. But SAPP sources said today that they have not been approached "as yet and time is running out". SAPP is aiming to contest in 20 state and about 10 parliamentary seats. STAR, meanwhile, is targeting to contest in at least 40 state and up to 20 parliamentary seats. Word is that STAR, while weak on infrastructure, has a KDM-reach that outruns PKR's and Anwar knows this. Thus, this explains the move to reach out to Jeffrey. According to sources, Anwar's man spoke to Jeffrey late last week and "made him an offer". Meanwhile, rippling through the grapevine here are talks that Anwar's partiality towards Wilfred Bumburing and Lajim Ukin has backfired. Both defected from Barisan Nasional in July last year, pledging their allegiance to Anwar vis-a-vis PKR. Anwar had left Bumburing to harness the KDMs and Lajim to look into the Muslim votes. Herein lies the hiccup. Rumours are that Pakatan needs a bulk of KDM votes and that it doesn't have it yet. A wily politician Said a PKR member, who declined to be named: "The situation has changed. The Muslim seats can go anywhere. Lajim has influence over a few Bisaya seats. "But Wilfred [Bumburing] is in trouble. People don't trust him. Our members are saying if he [Bumburing] is sincere, then why is he not a PKR member? They will not support any of his candidates." Both Bumburing and Lajim are MPs and are likely to defend their Tuaran and Beaufort seats under the PKR banner. Both have also been pushing for their own followers to be given seats and that has not gone down well with members. But Anwar is going all-out to get Putrajaya and has declared that he needs the numbers from Sabah and Sarawak to cap their quest.
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| Posted: 15 Apr 2013 08:48 PM PDT
In Islam, your niat is more important that the act itself. Hence the niat determines whether one receives blessings (pahala) for one's act or whether one should be condemned for the (dosa or sinful) act. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Niat (Bahasa Malaysia and نیّة in Arabic) is an Islamic concept referring to the intention one evokes in one's heart to do an act for the sake of God (Allah). 'Umar b. al-Khattab narrated that the Prophet (S) said: "Deeds are [a result] only of the intentions [of the actor], and an individual is [rewarded] only according to that which he intends. Therefore, whosoever has emigrated (hijrah) for the sake of Allah and His messenger, then his emigration was for Allah and His messenger. Whosoever emigrated for the sake of worldly gain, or a woman [whom he desires] to marry, then his emigration is for the sake of that which [moved him] to emigrate." -- Narrated by Bukhari and Muslim. Scholars of Islam give two meanings to niat. The first refers to the intent (matlamat) while the second refers to the sincerity (ikhlas) of the act. In Islam, your niat is more important that the act itself. Hence the niat determines whether one receives blessings (pahala) for one's act or whether one should be condemned for the (dosa or sinful) act. For example, if you are driving and your car skids and you accidentally kill someone that is not murder in Islam because there was no niat to commit murder. However, if you spot your enemy crossing the road and you intentionally knock him/her down and kill him/her, then that is murder because the niat was to kill (or hurt) that person. Hence the same act of killing someone with your car can be considered either an accident or murder depending on your niat. But then how would others know your niat and whether you intended to kill that person you knocked down? Well, that is why Islam says only you and God will know your niat. Others will not know what is in your heart. So, in Islam, a niat must precede your act, as an act without a niat is not counted. And a good niat even without any action is still counted (your receive pahala) whereas a bad niat without any action is not counted (you don't suffer dosa). For example, say you leave your home with RM1,000 in your pocket with a niat to donate that money to an orphanage. Along the way you bump into a friend who is in dire need of financial help. You then give that RM1,000 to your friend instead. You will still receive blessings (pahala) for the niat of donating that money to the orphanage although you did not in the end give the orphanage the money. Further to that, you also receive blessings for helping out a friend in need. Hence your niat is even more important than your actual action. Everything in Islam is about niat. The same applies to your niat of becoming a wakil rakyat (member of parliament or state assemblyperson). If your niat is purely to serve your community and your country, then it is a sincere (ikhlas) act and you will receive blessings for that. But if you have other niat behind wanting to become a wakil rakyat then you will not receive any blessings. But then, as I said, only you and God know what is in your heart. And Islam says unless we can prove that a person's niat is not sincere then we must assume the niat is sincere and not doubt that person -- in other words, innocent until proven guilty. Islam is actually quite simple is it not? But humankind makes it complicated whereas in actual fact it is not. Hence I will give you the benefit of the doubt and not suspect your niat behind your intention to become a wakil rakyat unless and until it is proven otherwise. Now, what is your niat for voting for a certain person or a certain party? Well, only you and God will know that niat, which is in your heart. Whatever it may be, if your niat is ikhlas, then you would not go wrong. However, if you have a bad niat in your heart then most likely you would end up suffering disappointment in the end. That is how it works in Islam. So let your act be preceded with a noble niat and not a self-interest niat. |
| Posted: 15 Apr 2013 07:28 PM PDT
Lim Mun Fah, Sin Chew From a well respected federal minister to an ordinary man in the street. From a key leader in the ruling coalition to one in the opposition pact. From someone who told people not to act childish to one told likewise by others. From hiding away from public radar to open outpour of disgruntlement. From having no place to go to some place he can now stake his future on. Chua Jui Meng's more recent political journey has made a truly exciting and intriguing political soap opera of unexpected upheavals and dramatic twists. His frequent turnarounds seem to illustrate the point that there are no permanent friends nor foes in politics. Everything has to go back to square one. The naked political reality that lies before this PKR Johor chairman is: This is going to be your very last chance. Whether you can revive your political prominence will very much depend on the outcome of the Segamat battle. There are 47,115 voters in the Segamat parliamentary constituency, of whom 21,502 or 45.64% are Chinese, 20,921 (44.4%) Malays and 4,692 (9.96%) Indians and others. Looking at the figures, this is going to be a mixed constituency that warrants some really good effort to win. If the internal conflicts within Pakatan Rakyat could be resolved amicably, there are still chances for Jui Meng to clinch a "surprise win" and contribute positively towards Pakatan's advances towards Putrajaya. If things go as expected, Jui Meng is to face off with human resources minister S. Subramaniam from MIC, who defeated DAP's Pang Hok Liong by a reduced majority of 2,991 in the 2008 elections. A lot of changes took place during the last five years, impacting the stronghold of BN while arousing desires for change among the people in the state. Segamat's residents are not to be exempted. They have loudly demanded the establishment of an independent Chinese secondary school in town, and this gives Jui Meng a glimmer of hope to unseat BN in Segamat. However, Subramaniam has also worked very hard over the past five years and feedback from the voters has been largely positive. While he may not stop the drain of Chinese votes towards the opposition, he should be able to retain the solid support from the local Malays and Indians. Notably, the electorate structure of Segamat has experienced some changes over the same period of time. There are now 6,407 more voters than in 2008, among whom 4,273 are Malays, bringing the Malay percentage higher from 40.9% to 44.4%. On the contrary, the figures for Chinese and Indian voters pale at 1,950 (a drop of 2.39% in overall electorate) and 184 (-1.11%) respectively. Whether the surge of Malay voters could offset the negative swing of Chinese votes would be a key factor to determine the final outcome of the race. Another delicate factor will be the Indians and other races who will assume the role of the ultimate kingmakers in a tightly fought battle.
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| Perak folks to earn RM5,000 per month after a two-term PR mandate, says DAP Posted: 15 Apr 2013 07:21 PM PDT
(The Rocket) - The people of Perak shall earn a monthly income from RM4,000 to RM5,000 if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is given the chance to govern the resource-rich state for two terms. Perak DAP Chairman, Ngeh Koo Ham said, Perak, being already blessed with various natural resources, bears a huge potential to be become a developed state. The goal to turn the people of Perak as high-income earners, however, found a sudden halt as investors — initially agreeing to invest under the democratically installed PR state government — withdrew their intentions after the event of the unconstitutional power seizure in 2009, not confident with Barisan Nasional's track record of mismanagement and corruption. "We are confident that, with investments coming in, more employment opportunities shall be opened, therefore raising the income of the people. When BN wrested Perak, investors delayed their intentions since they are not willing to face the risks of loss under BN," Ngeh said, in a ceramah here on 15 April. Ngeh, who is also the incumbent parliamentarian for Beruas, said that as an early precaution, the desire to strengthen the economy of the people of Perak could be seen in the Perak PR Manifesto, launched on 15 April. The manifesto, among others, shows the high dedication to eradicate hardcore poverty in Perak. The PR coalition aims to facilitate households earning lower than RM760 per month, emulating the efforts executed by the Penang Pakatan Rakyat government. The coalition also aims to make the year 2013 as a zero hardcore poverty year. "It is all about income. We can imagine how strangled the Perak folks are when a research has shown that at least 90 percent of the state citizens are not able to buy a house based on the amount of income they have earned. "What is BN doing all this while?" Ngeh said. The Perak State Assembly has 59 seats, of which PR is confident to win at least 36 to 40 seats to form the state government. The coalition of DAP, PAS and PKR won 31 state seats in Perak to BN's 28 in the 2008 elections. 3 reps defected the opposition coalition later in 2009, causing the downfall of the people-elected PR government in Perak.
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| ‘Mat Taib sulking because son-in-law not picked’ Posted: 15 Apr 2013 07:10 PM PDT
A group claims the ex-Selangor MB wants to quit Umno as a sign of protest because the party had not shortlisted his son-in-law as a candidate in Seri Setia. K Pragalath, FMT The reason former Selangor menteri besar Muhammad Muhammad Taib is thinking of quitting Umno is because his son-in-law Ahmad Affandi Hamzah was not given the Seri Setia state seat. A group calling it self Tolak Individu Bernama Anwar Ibrahim (TIBAI ) said Taib wants to quit Umno as a sign of protest because of that. Ahmad Affandi is currently the Kelana Jaya Umno division's Youth leader and he was favoured to contest the Seri Setia state seat which is held by Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad of PKR. Malay daily, Utusan Malaysia, quoted TIBAI spiritual adviser Muhammad Zahid Md Arip as saying: "We hope he is not obsessed with his son-in-law's political career because Ahmad Affandi is still young." "We also hope that Muhammad does not want to quit Umno simply because his son-in-law was not chosen as a candidate. Don't be childish in blackmailing the [Umno] leadership." Speculations over Muhammad's shift from Umno to PAS surfaced last week after Bukit Gantang MP and former Perak menteri besar Nizar Jamaluddin made the revelation. PAS has, however, confirmed that the party had not received any application form from Muhammad. Muhammad, also known as Mat Taib, joined Umno in 1964. He was Selangor Menteri Besar from 1986 to 1997. He has been Batang Kali state legislative assemblyman for four terms since 1982. In the Selangor list announced by state BN leader Najib Tun Razak today, the Seri Setia state seat was allocated to Tengku Rethwan Tengku Mansor. Meanwhile in an analysis, Utusan Malaysia also speculated that PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub and Johor PAS Youth chief Suhaizan Kaiat are contesting both the parliamentary and state seats due to fear of being defeated.
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| Posted: 15 Apr 2013 05:52 PM PDT
Dijaya originally bid only RM895 million (payable over 20 years) while SP Setia Berhad bid RM1.15 billion (payable over only 6-8 years) and Mah Sing Group Bhd bid RM945 million (payable over only 7 years). This means Dijaya cannot get the deal because their bid is the least attractive of the three. Dijaya was then asked to up their price to RM1.3 billion in a 'behind-the-scenes' negotiation. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin I am glad that a lot of dirt was revealed recently regarding the billions of ringgit worth of 'rush jobs' that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak did to beat the 13th General Election deadline. Should a 'caretaker government' commit the country to billions of ringgit in contracts when there is always a possibility that the government may change the night of Polling Day? Of course, there is nothing illegal here and we will not be able to indict and convict anyone for any crime. After all, although Parliament may have been dissolved, life must still go on and it is still business as usual. Nevertheless, there is still the issue of moral although the issue of legal does not arise. If you just want to focus on legal issues while you ignore moral issues, then for a politician to be caught bonking another woman in a hotel room is not something illegal or criminal. However, it is certainly immoral. Hence the moral aspect of your actions must also be questioned even if there is nothing illegal in what you do. Another moral issue is concerning the news item below regarding the RM1.3 billion deal (with a RM20 billion earning potential) involving the Selangor State 'Caretaker' Government and Dijaya Corporation. According to the Selangor Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, the deal has not been finalised yet (MB says Dijaya deal not finalised). According to the market, however, it is actually a done-deal. As I said, this is only a moral issue. Is it a done-deal or is the deal not yet finalised? There are mixed signals here. And should the caretaker government commit the state to this deal when there may be a possibility that the state government may change hands by dinnertime of 5th May 2013? According to the critics of the deal, this is exactly why they are rushing the deal before 5th May 2013. Pakatan Rakyat is not sure whether it can retain the state so it wants the deal wrapped up before then. That is one issue. The second issue is: Dijaya originally bid only RM895 million (payable over 20 years) while SP Setia Berhad bid RM1.15 billion (payable over only 6-8 years) and Mah Sing Group Bhd bid RM945 million (payable over only 7 years). This means Dijaya cannot get the deal because their bid is the least attractive of the three. Dijaya was then asked to up their price to RM1.3 billion in a 'behind-the-scenes' negotiation. Why was Dijaya given the privilege of a behind-the-scenes negotiation and allowed a second bite of the cherry? This is what the other bidders are unhappy about. A tender is a tender and the highest price should get it (if all bidders equally qualify, of course). In this case, Dijaya was allowed to revise their price to out-bid the others. Interestingly enough, the people behind Dijaya are Ronnie Liu, Teresa Kok and Azmin Ali. And even more interesting is the fact that Dijaya has 'donated' RM200 million to Pakatan Rakyat Selangor's war chest. Furthermore, Azmin threatened to drop Khalid from a Selangor state seat if he objects to the deal and tries to block it (and if Khalid keeps quiet and supports the deal he would be given the Port Kelang state seat). Now hold on a minute, I thought that the man behind Dijaya is Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's crony, Tan Sri Dato' Danny Tan Chee Sing! You mean Dr Mahathir's cronies are also Pakatan Rakyat's cronies? Hmm…that is most interesting. No wonder Umno did not make any noise about this. Is this what ABU is all about? Reject Umno but keep giving the Umno cronies plenty of money under a Pakatan Rakyat government? Well, what does Raja Petra Kamarudin know? After all, he is living in Manchester and does not know what is going on in Malaysia. And Pakatan Rakyat Selangor can certainly do with the RM200 million 'donation' to face the coming general election. And does not the ends justify the means (matlamat menghalalkan cara)? ********************************************* Dijaya buys land for RM1.3 billion, with potential GDV of RM20 billion (The Edge) - Property developer Dijaya Corporation announced it has acquired 1,172 acres of prime development land in Canal City, Selangor. In a statement, Dijaya said it has today entered into an agreement to acquire the state-owned land from Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) for about RM1.3 billion via a deferred payment method spanning up to 20 years. The purchase consideration comprises land purchase price of RM587 million, interest cost, share of gross development value (GDV) and profit entitlement from the development. "This land development is expected to contribute significantly to the group's prospects in the coming years," Dijaya said. Dijaya said it will progressively fund the acquisition and development cost via internally generated funds and bank borrowings. The land is targeted for an integrated self-contained township development with potential GDV of RM20 billion. It is earmarked for launch within two years. Datuk Dickson Tan, its group managing director said: "With strong prospects for capital appreciation due to excellent accessibility, this project can potentially generate a GDV of up to RM20.0 billion when fully completed over its 15-20 year targeted development timeframe." ********************************************* Dijaya Corp's RM1.3b Canal City site purchase 'favourable' (The Star) - Dijaya Corp Bhd's acquisition of the 1,172 acres of land in Canal City for RM1.3bil is "favourable" due to its "cheap" price tag and payment terms which bodes well for its balance sheet, UOB KayHian Malaysia Research says. "Although Dijaya's surprise landbank acquisition runs against our earlier assessment the company was in an asset monetisation and degearing mode, its acquisition of 1,172 acres of land in Canal City from the state of Selangor for effectively RM1.3bil (RM25.41per square foot) is deemed cheap," it said. It maintained a "buy" call on the stock with a target price of RM1.65 per share as the Canal City land project would only be launched in 2015. It said the staggered payment over 12 years would have minimal impact on Dijaya's balance sheet. The research house said the RM1.3bil price tag was manageable as Dijaya had close to RM214mil cash, which should further strengthen based on its unbilled sales of close to RM1bil. "The deal also includes an interest of 5% per annum of up to RM252mil (subject to waiver) and a gross development value (GDV) sharing totalling a minimum amount of RM458.3mil (out of a projected GDV of RM8.6bil)," the research house said. It pointed out the land was next to IJM Land Bhd's Bandar Rimbayu, a development which attracted significant demand with over 6,000 registrants with first phase fully sold. "With connectivity to five major highways, namely KESAS, LKSA, ELITE, SKVE and WCE (once it is ready), we believe Dijaya's cheap entry provides a good margin buffer for their integrated self-contained township development," it added. UOB KayHian Research said the developer's latest acquisition would level up its landbank size and GDV significantly from 800 acres to 2,000 acres and RM50bil to RM70bil respectively. It also said Dijaya's realisable net asset value (RNAV) per share would be lifted to RM3.15 per share from RM2.35 per share, factoring in a conservative RM40 psf to the Canal City land. "Pegging a similar discount of 30%, our target price could be lifted to RM2.32," it added.
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| Reducing Malaysia’s debt burden Posted: 15 Apr 2013 03:51 PM PDT
So while immediate concerns over a Malaysian sovereign debt crisis are substantially overblown, the case for reducing the debt to GDP ratio makes sense. This is especially true since the economy appears to be growing along its potential-output growth path which means, whether viewed from the lens of neo-classical or Keynesian macroeconomic thought, fiscal consolidation in Malaysia is thus both necessary and appropriate. Nurhisham Hussein, New Mandala Malaysia came out of the 'Great Recession' relatively little the worse for wear, but bearing a higher burden of debt than is common among emerging markets, both in the public as well as in the private sector. While concern over Malaysia's public sector debt has been less evident in the public discourse lately, those concerns are never far away. At 52.9% of GDP in 2012, the debt level is nowhere near the onerous burdens carried by many advanced economies, with much of the increase in debt due to the 6.7% fiscal deficit incurred during the Great Recession. Yet public sector debt remains far above the regional average and while not in itself dangerous, it does limit the ability of the government to counteract future crises. Arguments against the government's debt level are thus now framed in terms of improving "fiscal space". For example, in the latest Article IV Consultation, this is what the IMF had to say:
There are quite valid concerns over the sustainability of government revenue and expenditure. The tax base is narrow with less than 10% of the workforce actually paying taxes, while a third of government revenue comes from taxes and dividends on the oil & gas industry, which over the long term is threatened by potentially declining reserves and more recently, lower global prices. Nevertheless, the overall debt to GDP ratio is below any critical threshold, and the government carries minimal external debt with over 95% raised domestically. The financial system has more than sufficient excess liquidity to absorb further debt issuance, and both interest rates across the term structure and debt service ratios are at near all time lows. So while immediate concerns over a Malaysian sovereign debt crisis are substantially overblown, the case for reducing the debt to GDP ratio makes sense. This is especially true since the economy appears to be growing along its potential-output growth path which means, whether viewed from the lens of neo-classical or Keynesian macroeconomic thought, fiscal consolidation in Malaysia is thus both necessary and appropriate. The question remains as to how to go about it. Much of the government's financial commitments are "sticky" – salaries, pensions and debt service payments make up nearly 40% of the 2013 Budget. The development budget (which is fully funded through debt) is discretionary, but cuts here would reduce future potential growth, and limit investment in needed infrastructure. The two other major items of expenditure that could be ripe for the plucking are procurements and subsidies, which combined total nearly 30% of total government expenditure. Shifting to a largely open-tender based procurement approach, as the government has committed to doing, could yield some savings by plugging leakages and wastage. But gains here may be more limited than one might imagine – open tenders may be more cost-effective in theory, but much of these efficiency gains are lost as procurement needs grow larger and more complex. Subsidy reduction offers greater scope for cost savings. The federal government expects to spend RM37.6 billion (about US$12.3 billion) on subsidies in 2013, of which the largest portion will go towards maintaining below market petrol and diesel prices. In addition, there is the "hidden" subsidy borne by the national oil company Petronas, which provides natural gas below market prices to domestic power producers, industry, and consumers. In 2011, this subsidy amounted to an additional RM18.7 billion (US$6.1 billion). Rationalising subsidies would go a long way towards reducing the deficit, and begin making a dent in reducing the government's debt load. While this has met with considerable and understandable civil and political opposition, there's no doubt that any future administration will need to address this issue. The long overdue implementation of GST would also, on the revenue side, help close the fiscal gap. But leaving aside the effort to improve fiscal space, of more pressing concern is Malaysia's private sector debt, specifically household debt. Malaysian corporate gearing ratios have been generally declining since the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997-98, but household debt has been concurrently on the rise. From 72.6% of GDP in 2005, household borrowing has increased to 80.5% as of 2012 – as corporate balance sheets mended, household balance sheets have deteriorated. This trend has come from a confluence of global and domestic macroeconomic factors such as low-wage competition (e.g. from China), wages progressively delinking from productivity, falling real interest rates, banks shifting emphasis from corporate to household lending, rising property prices, and a higher cost of living. While much of this household debt has been used to acquire properties and financial assets which could presumably back the attendant liabilities in the event of a crisis, there is a worrying heterogeneity in the distribution and direction of borrowing. Something like 80% of household borrowing is by households that earn higher than average incomes (greater than RM3,000 per month, or US$1,000), and 46.5% are to households earning above RM5,000 (US$1,600) per month. The leverage ratio of the latter is in the region of 2.3-3.3 times annual incomes, a relatively comfortable level. For households earning less than RM3,000 however, the leverage ratio ranges from 4.4 to an astonishingly high 9.6 times annual income. More worrying still, the fastest growing component of low income household debt is in personal loans, which are increasingly provided through the non-bank sector. The numbers are frightening – loan approvals through non-banks rose 63.7% in 2012, and the average personal loan was for RM68,000 (US$22,300) with a duration of 20-25 years.
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| Pakatan should not get carried away Posted: 15 Apr 2013 03:20 PM PDT DAP does not seem to understand that Lim coming to Johor does only good for Umno. PKR does not know how to handle DAP, and PAS is uncomfortable with both PKR and DAP. CT Ali, FMT What does Lim Kit Siang think he is doing when he announced to all and sundry that he will be the white knight riding into Johor on a DAP ticket to do battle in Gelang Patah? What sort of a strategy is this? You give Barisan Nasional enough time to plan a counter -attack, and now Lim most probably has Abdul Ghani Othman to contend with. Checkmate! The fact that Lim did not factor this eventuality clearly shows that in poltics Umno tasted salt long before DAP did. In an electorate that has 33% Malays and 12% Indians, does Lim expect to win with the votes from 54% of the urban Chinese there? That is assuming that all the Chinese in Gelang Patah will vote for DAP? Not bloody likely! Ghani is a man of all seasons. He is the quintessential Malay unsullied by the excesses of the other menteris besar and Umno leaders. He is a rarity among Umno leaders – decent and well liked by all. Only the Johor sultan prefers Ghani to go and that, in the times that we are now in, may well work to Ghani's advantage. PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim talked about doing battle in Perak but when Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told him, "We will bury you and end your political career in Perak", he slinked back to Permatang Pauh. He now tells us that he will not abandon Permatang Pauh now that the "Jalan ke Putrajaya sudah terjamin". Should he not exercise better judgment and consulted with the good people of Permatang Pauh before he talked to us about the possibility of him contesting in Perak? As far as Umno is concerned, Zahid scared Anwar off Perak. Chalk that up as a plus for Umno. And what does Najib say? "Politically speaking, I will live and die in Pekan". Again checkmate! Umno, meanwhile, is quiet and its silence gives false courage to Pakatan to be more arrogant. Umno is quietly going about consolidating its numbers among the Malays and the Indians. Failing to strategise Perception is everything in politics. BN support for the Indians has always been ongoing – the devil is in the details, and that, as it has always been, is a work in progress. Here the Indians are working with the government – a slow and laborious process but concessions are won now and then – enough to keep the Indians on side. For the Indians, Pakatan's interest has been more of an afterthought. To Pakatan, Sabah and Sarawak take the centre stage. By and large, Pakatan has so far ignored the Indians. The blueprint for the Indians announced recently in Johor is a DAP's blueprint, not Pakatan Rakyat's.
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| Is 24-hour limit to merajuk a tall order? Posted: 15 Apr 2013 03:07 PM PDT
To ask certain people to confine their sulkiness to just 24 hours and get to the ground after that can be quite hopeless. Syed Nadzri Syed Harun, FMT It must be true then that "merajuk" is a distinctively Malay malady. It is causing Muhammad Muhammad Taib who has been at it for five years to now consider jumping ship, or so they say. Even the prime minister mentioned that word to the mainly Umno and Barisan Nasional crowd last week and with surprise omissions in the lists of candidates, we are definitely going to see more of the enigma all round in this election season. Actually there is no pointedly accurate English equivalent to merajuk – a sulky syndrome? Deep discontent? To be hurt or resentful also come close but they do not carry the same emotional effect. The brooding despair that comes with merajuk is more than the sum of the above, somehow. Perhaps it strikes a little harder the delicate chord between "emotional blackmail" and "moody tantrum". Najib Tun Razak when addressing the BN general election troops in Kuala Lumpur last Wednesday inevitably touched on the tendency of some party members to be sulky when not selected as candidates. He said if at all someone had to sulk, the merajuk feeling should be for 24 hours only. "After that, they must get down to the ground," he said. Knowing that every other AJK bahagian members reckon they are winnable, I think the BN boss' proposal will be a tall order considering the official BN candidates list yesterday. And to ask certain people to confine their sulkiness to just 24 hours and get to the ground after that can be quite hopeless. We have seen it before and it is unfolding yet again, showing its tip in Kedah, Terengganu, Negeri Sembilan and Perak. It seems that Muhammad, who has been missing in action for some time, is just one of two or three former menteris besar who are said to be in the sulky business. The rumour about him switching allegiance has remained a rumour though. Another one has switched off his handphone completely to party matters. Mind-boggling decisions If he was indeed sulking, Dr Chua Soi Lek didn't stop there because in the BN seat negotiations, he seems to be conceding ground to other parties in as far as familiar MCA seats are concerned such as Kuantan, Wangsa Maju and Pandan. With this, sulkiness is no longer now a Malay or Umno malady. We are beginning to see a lot of it in the Pakatan Rakyat alliance as well.
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| PSM compromises on logo, not seats Posted: 15 Apr 2013 03:02 PM PDT
The party agrees to use other Pakatan Rakyat symbols in the coming polls, but will not back down from the four seats it aims to contest. K Pragalath, FMT Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has agreed to use the symbols of other Pakatan Rakyat parties instead of its clenched fist logo in next month's general election. However, PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan stressed that PSM would not back down from the four seats it aims to contest. PSM would be fielding its four candidates in two states: Semenyih and Kota Damansara state seats in Selangor; Sungai Siput parliament and Jelapang state seat in Perak. "We have reversed the decision taken by our national committee that insisted on using our logo. The party is only willing to compromise on the logo. If PKR does not give in, we will contest the seats using our own logo," he told a press conference here. Arutchelvan was commenting on the party's emergency national committee meeting resolution held last night that was participated by 93 state and branch delegates. PSM's national committee had passed a resolution to use their logo for GE13 on Jan 13. Between a rock and a hard place He however did not name a candidate for Kota Damansara although PKR had shortlisted candidates previously. Yesterday, Arutchelvan revealed that PKR had backtracked on its words by fielding candidates in PSM contested seats. In 2008, Arutchelvan lost Semenyih to Umno's Johan Aziz by 1,140 votes. Johan polled 11,588 votes to Arutchelvan's 10,448 votes. Party chairman Nasir Hashim polled 11,846 votes to beat Umno's Zein Isma Ismail by a majority of 1,075 votes. Zein obtained 10,771 votes for the Kota Damansara seat. PSM supreme council member Dr D Michael Jeyakumar clinched Sungai Siput by defeating former MIC president S Samy Vellu with a majority of 1,821 votes. He polled 16,458 votes to Samy's 14,637 votes. In Jelapang, PSM deputy chairman M Sarasvathy was defeated in a three-cornered battle. DAP's Hee Yit Foong polled 12,219 votes to win against MCA candidate, Loh Kai Pin's 5,512 votes and Sarasvathy's 1,275 votes in the Chinese-majority seat located in Batu Gajah. For this coming election, DAP is adamant that it wants to place its candidate in Jelapang despite PSM's long term work in the state constituency. Even in Sungai Siput, there is talk that either PKR or DAP would want to have their candidate to take on MIC's SK Devamany. Meanwhile, Arutchelvan said that an emergency PSM meeting had been arranged last night since PKR's action had put PSM between a rock and a hard place.
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| GE13: MB says Dijaya deal not finalised Posted: 15 Apr 2013 02:52 PM PDT
The Selangor government says it did not err on caretaker government principles over the land deal between a private property developer and a state owned company announced yesterday. Caretaker Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said the deal between Dijaya Corporation Bhd and Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) is yet to be set in stone. "The deal has not been signed yet. Dijaya has to accept the terms of the deal which it has yet to do so," said Khalid, who is chairman of the wholly-owned state subsidiary. Khalid was speaking to fz.com after a press conference on the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat manifesto for GE13. Asked about the developer's announcement yesterday, Khalid said: "I think they had acted upon a letter from PNSB which only outlines the terms of the agreement." Khalid said as a public listed company, Dijaya can make the announcement of the land deal based on insider information. He also said the final discussion regarding the deal took place last month, suggesting that talks on the transaction had been initiated prior to that. The Selangor state assembly was dissolved on April 4, a day after the federal Parliament's dissolution, to pave the way for elections which will be held on May 5. The principles of a caretaker government, among others, prohibit the state or federal government from etching any long term contracts that would bind the incoming government after elections. Dijaya, in its announcement yesterday, said the company had entered into an agreement to acquire 1,172 acres of land in Canal City, Selangor from PNSB. It said the parcel of land is priced at RM1.3 billion and Dijaya will be settling the bill via deferred payments spanning a period of up to 20 years. The price tag comprises land purchase of RM587 million, interest cost, share of gross development value and profit entitlement from the development of the land. The land will be used to house an integrated self-contained township development in the Kota Kemuning and the South Klang corridor, which is serviced by four major highways namely Lebuhraya Shah Alam (Kesas), Lebuhraya Kemuning Shah Alam (LKSA), South Klang Valley Expressway and Expressway Lingkaran Tengah (Elite). In addition, the accessibility to our proposed township will be further enhanced with the completion of the West Coast Expressway, the statement read. Dijaya Group managing director Datuk Dickson Tan was quoted as saying that the area's accessibility was expected to boost its capital appreciation. "This project can potentially generate a GDV of up to RM20.0 billion when fully completed over its 15-20 year targeted development timeframe. This acquisition will serve to further strengthen Dijaya's presence in the three key growth regions of Malaysia namely the southern region of Johor, the central region of Greater KL, as well as in the northern state of Penang," he said. The integrated self-contained township will comprise landed houses, condominiums, serviced apartments, shop offices, corporate office towers, shopping malls, private hospitals and international schools. It will also sport generous central linear parks and lakes, continuous vehicular free bike trails and jogging paths, children's playgrounds, community clubhouses, sports centres, schools, kindergartens and many other public amenities to promote healthy living among patrons.
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| Selangor Menteri Besar job up for grabs as PR, BN go to battle Posted: 15 Apr 2013 02:45 PM PDT
PKR vice-president Mohamed Azmin Ali is also said to be vying for the Selangor Menteri Besar post. Mr Azmin is defending his Bukit Antarabangsa state seat, which, if he wins, would make him eligible to be Menteri Besar. Yong Yen Nie, ST WITH the battle for Selangor in full swing, the burning question of who will be Menteri Besar of Malaysia's wealthiest and most industrialised state remains up in the air. Neither the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, which has governed the state for the past five years, nor Prime Minister Najib Razak's Barisan Nasional (BN) have unveiled their choice for Selangor state leader. Mr Najib is releasing his list of Selangor state candidates today. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim announced Selangor state candidates from his Parti Keadilan Rakyat at a rally on Sunday in Hulu Kelang, Selangor. But he did not say if Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, who is from the PKR, would retain that post. However, Mr Anwar confirmed that Mr Khalid will move from his rural Ijok seat to contest in the urban seat of Port Klang. Mr Khalid said he is willing to offer his services to the people for another term. He said: "No one dared to give PKR the responsibility to lead Selangor before this but we have since done it for five years...I hope the people will give me another term to see whether I am able to deliver the expectations or not." PKR vice-president Mohamed Azmin Ali is also said to be vying for the Selangor Menteri Besar post. Mr Azmin is defending his Bukit Antarabangsa state seat, which, if he wins, would make him eligible to be Menteri Besar. Selangor, one of four states that went to the PR in the 2008 general election, is a key battleground. The state topped the country in new investments last year, at RM11.7 billion (S$4.8 billion). Selangor also has immense symbolic value since it surrounds the administrative capital of Putrajaya and the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur. There are more than two million voters in Selangor, of which 660,000 are voting for the first time - the highest number of new voters of any state in the country. Mr Khalid, a former corporate leader, is seen as a clean, if indecisive leader. Naming a Menteri Besar candidate for the state is crucial for both sides as it is a show of confidence. On the BN side, several names have been bandied around as candidates for the post. They include businessman Datuk Fateh Iskandar; Datuk Fuad Hassan, director-general of the Department of Special Affairs in the Information, Communications and Cultural Ministry; and state assemblymen Datuk Mohd Shamsudin Lias and Datuk Seri Subahan Kamal. Things have heated up at political rallies recently in Selangor. Last week, former premier Tun Mahathir Mohamad spoke at a rally to "help save Selangor", while PR leaders on Saturday called on young voters to defend the state. |
| BN rolls out fresh faces to woo voters Posted: 15 Apr 2013 02:24 PM PDT
One in three of its candidates for Parliament will be first-timers and new faces for four of every 10 seats Carolyn Hong, ST THE ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) has picked new faces for four of every 10 seats it is contesting, adding more professionals in a bid to freshen its appeal to voters. Prime Minister Najib Razak, who chairs the coalition as president of Umno, the dominant party, said a third of the 222 parliamentary candidates will be first-timers. So too, will half of those fielded in the 505 state seats. The Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), the second-biggest party in the coalition, yesterday also announced that three of its best-known faces were out of the contest, joining party chief Chua Soi Lek who has opted out as well. "The BN candidate list is, in my opinion, the best that we can present," Datuk Seri Najib said after handing over the candidate lists to BN state chiefs. "We took into account the sentiments and expectations by voters to see renewal in the BN line-up." Most of the new faces will be fielded in states that the BN lost in 2008, namely Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Selangor. Perak, which was also lost then, was later wrested back through defections. Nine out of every 10 candidates hold at least a diploma qualification, Mr Najib said, and one-third are professionals. The Pakatan Rakyat (PR), Malaysia's strongest opposition coalition in decades, has also been announcing candidates in batches, although it has been hobbled by bitter disputes over the remaining seats. This is the first time that the BN is releasing its list well before Nomination Day on Saturday. The move is partly to allow the parties to placate those who had been dropped, as well as to minimise the sabotage that hurt it in the 2008 polls. Asked if his list would upset the BN warlords giving way to newcomers, the PM said: "I am more worried about the disappointment of the rakyat (people)." Out of the race so far are Umno women's chief Shahrizat Jalil, Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon, former ministers Rafidah Aziz, Syed Hamid Albar and Peter Chin, MCA president Chua and former Malaysian Indian Congress president S. Samy Vellu. Former MCA president Ong Tee Keat and two party vice-presidents - Tourism Minister Ng Yen Yen and Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Gan Ping Sieu - are also sitting out the polls. The MCA said that half of its 37 parliamentary candidates and 90 state candidates are new faces. All relative unknowns, they include lawyer Garry Lim, 29; consultant Chew Hoong Ling, 33; and businesswoman Nicole Wong, 33. Madam Ng's departure had been anticipated after she was attacked by the opposition for lavish spending as Tourism Minister. Mr Gan is seen as the modern face of MCA but is said to lack grassroots support. The popular Mr Ong was seen as a winnable candidate in his Selangor seat against the PR's Rafizi Ramli. But he has feuded with MCA leader Chua. The MCA's list conspicuously did not name a candidate for the Gelang Patah seat in Johor, which is being contested by opposition Democratic Action Party veteran Lim Kit Siang. This lends credence to speculation that Umno may field a heavyweight - like Johor Menteri Besar Ghani Othman - there. The rest of the candidates on BN's list will be announced today. |
| GE13: Zulkifli Noordin to contest Shah Alam on BN ticket Posted: 15 Apr 2013 12:56 PM PDT
(fz.com) - Outspoken politician Datuk Zulkifli Noordin has been picked to contest the Shah Alam parliamentary seat under the Barisan Nasional ticket, coalition chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced today. Zulkifli, who won the Kulim Bandar Baharu parliamentary seat as a PKR candidate in 2008, became a BN-friendly independent in 2010 after he was sacked from the party for criticising Pakatan Rakyat leaders. He will stand as a BN direct candidate against incumbent Shah Alam MP Khalid Abdul Samad of PAS, with whom he had a much publicised feud over the use of the word 'Allah' by non-Muslims. He most recently had to apologise to the Indian community for hurting their feelings after a video clip of him belittling Hinduism appeared on YouTube and sparked widespread protests, including from the MIC. Several police reports were lodged against the lawyer, with some parties calling for him to be charged for sedition. Zulkifli had claimed the video was taken years ago, when he was still a member of PAS. Najib, in announcing the candidates for Selangor, said 80% of the candidates contesting for the coalition will be new faces. He said BN does not only want Selangor to return under its rule but a strong government to fulfil the aspirations of the rakyat. Najib added Umno would contest in 9 parliamentary seats and 35 state seats. One major surprise was the announcement that Perkasa vice president Datuk Zulkifli Noordin will contest under the BN ticket in Shah Alam. Read more at: http://fz.com/content/zulkifli-noordin-contest-shah-alam-bn-ticket
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| Video Seks Nik Aziz Pula Tersebar Posted: 15 Apr 2013 11:42 AM PDT
(Malaysian Review) - Skandal Sex Nik Aziz di Kota Mekah pula tersebar? Rasanya video ini tersebar sejak beberapa bulan lepas dan kini dibangkit semula oleh blogger Pron BN UMNO. Sehingga ke Mekkah pun mereka reka cerita skandal keji. Politik melayu memang kelakar…gila Sejak dari tahun 1998 lagi umNO sudah tiada isu lain, Nak cakap parti ini bela rakyat, merompak duit rakyat lagi ada lah. Tak cukup lagi dengan merompak, parti ini juga telah banyak kali menyalahgunakan kuasa yang mereka ada! Mereka telah menyalahgunakan kuasa yang ada pada mereka demi kepentingan peribadi dan politik mereka dan kroni. Apakah cara mereka untuk menutup dan mengalihkan kesalahan-kesalahan mereka dari pengetahuan umum? Inilah antaranya dengan mereka-reka video & gambar parti lawan mereka! Ini terbukti dengan keluarnya video-video lucah & fitnah yang dilakonkan oleh pelakon-pelakon yang dibayar oleh unit-unit media umNO! Mereka juga cukup hebat dalam merekacipta sesuatu fitnah yang kononnya berpunca dari pihak lawan mereka seperti peristiwa di Lahad Dato yang dikatakan berpunca dari Anwar Ibrahim sedangkan yang terbukti memberi ic@kad pengenalan biru kepada pengganas-pengganas ini adalah puak umNO termasuklah bekas Mantan Presiden umNO sendiri. Selain dijanjikan kerakyatan, pengganas ini dijanjikan tanah dan kerja yang tetap oleh pemimpin-pemimpin umNO ini! Tetapi yang menjadi masalah apabila janji untuk diberi tanah telah dimungkiri dan akibatnya pengganas ini memberontak! Inilah kisah sebenar disebalik insiden di Lahad Dato ini yang telah mengorbankan sebilangan anggota polis dan tentera! Akhirnya insiden ini telah dijadikan satu helah dan alasan untuk umNO dan Be ENd menanggung-nangguhkan Pilihanraya Umum ke 13! Selain untuk mengaburi mata rakyat dari isu-isu penyelewengan pemimpin-pemimpin umNO ia juga telah dijadikan senjata untuk merosakkan imej pemimpin-pemimpin pembangkang! Bila tembelang-tembelang mereka ini mula pecah, mereka kini terpaksa merekacipta isu-isu lain dan memulakan fitnah baru! Antara fitnah-fitnah mereka yang dikesan adalah salah laku pemimpin utama Pakatan Rakyat seperti +Anwar Ibrahim, Nurul Izzah, Azmin Ali, dan yang terkini adalah ulama tersohor dunia, Menteri Besar Kelantan, Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. Ingatlah, undi kita ada pahala dan dosa, Inilah yang akan terjadi jika kita mengundi parti Umno-BN yang membuat fitnah lucah sebegini, seolah-olah kita turut menyokong perbuatan mereka. Mahukah anda berkongsi dosa yang anda tidak lakukan? Inikah parti yang memperjuangkan agama bangsa dan negara? Tak cukup dengan memaki, mengutuk, mencaci & menghina! Ulama pun mereka sanggup fitnah! Nauzubillah Hingga Video Seks Nik Aziz pun ada dan direka. Sumber Warta Jingga dan Ek Eleh Blog Video Seks Nik Aziz 2013 direka sebelum video seks Mustafa Ali serta Video Seks Nurul Izzah.
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| Who is the Leader, Who the Follower? Posted: 15 Apr 2013 11:29 AM PDT
Even as early as last year, political observers had noted that the BN-led government was carrying out reforms that Pakatan had originally proposed As the build-up to election day on May 5 continues, some voters might want to consider this before they go to the polls while some will not bother because they have already made up their minds anyway. Kee Thuan Chye Who has the better manifesto – the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) or Pakatan Rakyat? As the build-up to election day on May 5 continues, some voters might want to consider this before they go to the polls while some will not bother because they have already made up their minds anyway. The main topic of conversation surrounding BN's manifesto has been its promise of more cash handouts. Critics have been running it down as blatant vote-buying while simple-minded people may be swayed by the offer of more BR1M (Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia) with higher cash values and yearly payout frequency. To be sure, giving free handouts annually is a negative sign. It is an admission that BN has not been managing the country's economy well from Independence till now to ensure that a huge proportion of Malaysians are earning enough to be self-sufficient. It is also sending out a negative message to the people, telling them that they can get money without working for it. This reinforces the culture of dependence emerging from the implementation of the New Economic Policy (NEP). If voters fall for the promise of more BR1M, it will show they are willing bribe-takers, that they are people who are prone to being dependent. To woo Indian voters, BN pledges RM500 million in seed funding towards raising the equity of the Indian community to at least 3 per cent. Pakatan, however, does not pander to any ethnic community, preferring to take a broad multi-racial approach in its plans for the country's future without favouring any particular race. This augurs well for a better Malaysia and shows up once again BN's attempt at blatant vote-buying. On the whole, the BN manifesto is nothing new. As a veteran economist who has served in the civil service notes, it is structurally the same BN manifesto that has been used in past general elections for decades. It is superficial and short-term, particularly in its focus on cash handouts. He would have wanted BN to tackle the key issues of improving education, for instance, and removing the fixation on the NEP and the accompanying idea of Ketuanan Melayu. Both of these are comprehensively addressed in the Pakatan manifesto. Moreover, BN's promise of a 20 to 30 per cent gradual reduction in car prices is lifted, ironically enough, from Pakatan's manifesto. And the increase in taxi permits being granted to individuals is another Pakatan-inspired promise. The difference is, Pakatan offers a better deal – it will abolish the current system of granting permits to selected companies and give these permits directly to all taxi drivers. There are other ideas borrowed from Pakatan, including the uniformisation of the prices of essential items so that Sabahans and Sarawakians don't have to pay more for them, and the giving of discounts to PTPTN (National Higher Education Fund Corporation) borrowers in response to Pakatan's promise of totally writing off the loans. This goes to show that Pakatan is the one that is much more the mover while BN is the follower. BN may say that it came up with these ideas on its own, but the fact that Pakatan unveiled its manifesto a few weeks earlier gives the impression that BN copied from the latter. More important to note is the other well-known fact that this is not the first time BN has adopted Pakatan's ideas. Even as early as last year, political observers had noted that the BN-led government was carrying out reforms that Pakatan had originally proposed, like the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the Sedition Act; the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah; and the review of oil royalties.
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| GE13: Overseas votes on April 28 Posted: 15 Apr 2013 11:27 AM PDT
(The Star) - Voters overseas may cast their ballot papers at the respective Malaysian missions on April 28, said the Election Commission (EC). EC secretary Datuk Kamaruddin Mohamed Bariasaid those in Britain and Australia could collect and return their ballot papers at the Malaysian missions in London and Melbourne, respectively, between 9am and 8pm that day. "Malaysians in other countries may do the same from 9am to 6pm at the respective missions abroad. "The EC allowed the Malaysian missions in London and Melbourne to have an extra two hours compared to those in other countries because these places recorded over 1,000 postal voters," he said in a statement here yesterday. The voters, he said, must be present at the Malaysian missions and produce their identity cards or passports when collecting the ballot papers. "The ballot papers will not be given to those who do not have identification documents with them. Relatives or representatives are also not allowed to collect them on the voters' behalf," said Kamaruddin. He said the voters would be given an envelope containing the ballot paper. "Marked ballot papers will then be dropped in the overseas postal voting bag. They will then be brought back to Malaysia on the same day to be handed over to the returning officers of the respective constituencies," he said. Kamaruddin said that should the voters collect or return their ballots after the stipulated time on April 28, they would have to cover the cost of returning the papers to their respective returning officer. Malaysians abroad may check if their postal voting application have been approved and other information by visiting the EC website atwww.spr.gov.my beginning this Friday. |
| GE13: Mukhriz the next Kedah MB? Posted: 15 Apr 2013 11:25 AM PDT
(The Star) - Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir (pic) is tipped to be the next Mentri Besar if Barisan Nasional wins Kedah. The guessing game of who will be Barisan's choice should end today when the coalition releases its candidate list. Mukhriz, the Jerlun MP, will likely contest the Ayer Hitam state seat, fuelling speculation that he would be the likely MB. Barisan Kedah coordinator Datuk Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah will name the candidates at Dewan Anak Bukit today. The likely new candidates are Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's political secretary Datuk Sahlan Ismail (Pokok Sena), activist Dr Zaki Zamani Abdul Rashid (Kuala Kedah) and Mubarak Malaysia vice-president Datuk Othman Abdul (Pendang). Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, who is now a senator, will stand in Jerai while Datuk Suraya Yaacob will contest in Sg Tiang. Long-serving Langkawi MP Datuk Abu Bakar Taib is the only MP to be dropped. Datuk Nawawi Ahmad will contest the Langkawi seat and Langkawi Umno youth chief Norsaidi Nayan will stand the Kuah seat. Of the 15 parliamentary seats, Umno is contesting 13 and MCA two. For state seats, Umno will have 28, followed by MCA (four), Gerakan (two) and MIC (two). MCA is fielding new faces in Kota Darul Aman (Alor Setar division secretary Loh Gim Hooi), Bakar Arang (state deputy secretary Dr Lee Yean Wang) and Kulim (coordinator Chua Thiong Gee). Dr Leong Yong Kong will be defending his seat in Gurun. Gerakan would likely field Sungai Petani assistant secretary Bee Sieong Heng in Sidam while Dr Cheah Soon Hai will defend his Derga seat. Kedah MIC chairman S. Ananthan would likely contest the Lunas state seat while vice-chairman M.L. Maran is expected to be fielded in Bukit Selambau. |
| GE13: The changing tide of politics in Kelantan? Posted: 15 Apr 2013 11:17 AM PDT  Fakhrul Razi told fz.com why he thinks more and more Kelantanese are beginning to pay attention to Umno. "It would have been wrong if I had not entered politics. I decided to do so when PAS said that it is okay for non-Muslims to use the word 'Allah'" A LONG line of Federal Reserve Unit trucks and a water cannon scream through the town towards the Kota Baru stadium. The police are bracing for fights that might erupt as the Kelantan football team would be meeting Vietnam that night. "Kelantan Umno state chief Tok Pa (Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed) is expected to attend the match. It is not like he is much of a football fan but this time Kelantan Umno is going all out to get the state," explained the taxi driver. Kelantanese are known to be football fanatics. Right in front of the Umno Kelantan office, there is a big billboard of illegal state land clearing data. The office itself is a hive of activity, as Umno members gather in droves for last-minute briefings and to get certain CDs, "Keluargaku pengundi BN" (My family are BN voters) stickers and other pro-BN pamphlets which they are supposed to disseminate when they get home. The CD is a compilation of alleged PAS follies while governing – mainly land-based issues – and a continuously-repeated clip of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim singing Azizah tak datang (Azizah is not coming) as former PKR MP Zulkifli Nordin lists out what Pakatan will do during the run-up to the 13th general election. (The PAS state government has come under fire for alleged clearing of about 1.7 million acres of state land and selling them to private companies, claimed to be crony companies of top PAS leaders.) Right beside the Kelantan Umno office, is the Umno Kota Baru office, also very busy as hundreds of carefully gift-wrapped towels, instead of the traditional gift of batik sarongs, attached with Umno KB manifesto, are unloaded from Skuad Sayang vans belonging to Wanita Umno. These are to be handed out to supporters later during the campaign period. Previous general elections have not seen this much activities on the Umno side. In Kelantan, BN is very much represented by Umno only – MCA and MIC are mere mentions in a state where Malays comprise of almost 94% of its population. The secretary of Kota Baru Umno, Zulkifli Abd Ghani, said that he feels that this election will see more votes for Umno. "Now, we feel that we have a chance. More people are attending our ceramah," said Zulkifli. He said Kelantan politics is changing. Umno is attracting even ulama now, with some joining the party, unlike before when the norm is for ulama to join PAS. Read more at: http://fz.com/content/ge13-changing-tide-politics-kelantan |
| GE13 not a PM race, Anwar tells Perak Posted: 15 Apr 2013 11:12 AM PDT
(TMI) - "Do not forget how the feeling of pain, do not forget what it feels like to be beaten, do not forget what it feels like to be poor, do not forget what it feels like to be insulted, to be victimised, so that when you rule, never for once allow any person in the community, whether Malay, Chinese, Indian, Dayak or Kadazan, to be victimised in the same way or be ignored" The looming May 5 polls is not a prime minister race or a contest of party insignias but a pursuit of moral change and equality, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said last night as he humbled himself to a massive crowd of urban Malay folk at the iconic Gugusan Manjoi here. Anwar, his voice breaking as he preached his belief in justice for all races, said he was thankful to God that he had survived his six-year incarceration but was now anxious to ensure that no one else would be put through the same test. "This election is not a question about replacing the prime minister, or replacing parties... I remind you my friends, even if we replace the PM, but he is just as conceited, land disappears in the same way, the people's incomes are stagnant — what good is there in that? "People are voting for change. We, as Muslims, we believe in an administration that is founded on good morals," he said. The veteran politician, whose theatrics was not lost on the Malay-dominated crowd of at least 2,000 people seated on a boggy field, repeatedly said he had long forgiven those who dragged him from his comfortable perch as deputy prime minister to prison more than a decade back but said the suffering he went through would not be forgotten. He said PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat had urged him to forgive but never to forget his experiences so that should Pakatan Rakyat (PR) come to power, no Malaysian would have to suffer like he had. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/ge13-not-a-pm-race-anwar-tells-perak/
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| Three states may see new faces as CM, menteris besar Posted: 15 Apr 2013 11:11 AM PDT
SWITCH ON CARDS? 4 opposition ruled-states may see change, too KUALA LUMPUR: TWO states are likely to get new menteris besar while another, a new chief minister, following the movement of Barisan Nasional candidates between parliamentary and state seats. Although the full list of candidates contesting the 222 parliamentary seats and 505 state seats would only be known today, Perlis, Malacca and Johor are likely to see their top office bearers contesting for parliamentary seats. Kedah, Selangor, Kelantan and Penang will also have new menteris besar and a chief minister should BN succeed in wresting these states away from Pakatan Rakyat. Former Jerlun member of parliament Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir is largely said to be the choice menteri besar candidate in Kedah should BN string a victory in the northern state while Datuk Mustapa Mohamed, who is former Jeli MP, is hugely tipped for the same post in Kelantan. Such speculations came to light yesterday after state and BN component leaders received their watiqah or appointment letters of the candidates sanctioned to contest in the coming general election from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. The large movement of candidates between parliamentary and state seats is also bound to affect the rest of the state line-ups, especially in Perlis and Johor. The line-up in Selangor, to be announced today, is also expected to surprise as sources said 70 per cent of those contesting this time would be new faces. Speculation was rife yesterday that some big names, including former Pasir Gudang MP Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, former Raub MP Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen, former Jelebu MP Datuk Seri Rais Yatim and former Tasik Gelugor MP Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, have been dropped from contesting at the federal level. This meant that they are unlikely to be in the next cabinet, unless appointed as senators. Even former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is said to be not in the list to contest at federal level. Abdullah is said to be making way for a new candidate for his Kepala Batas seat. Former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat is also making way for lawyer Gary Lim to contest for the Pandan seat. In Johor, Khaled, whose name has cropped up as the next menteri besar by several quarters in Umno, may have been dropped from retaining the Pasir Gudang parliamentary seat to contest for a state seat. The move will make him eligible to be appointed as menteri besar. Despite incessant rumours, Khaled has refused to comment on the matter, saying that talk of his replacing current Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman had been rife for quite sometime. Ghani is widely tipped to not defend his Serom state seat and instead battle it out for the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat with DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang. Ghani had, on several occasions, expressed his interest in going against Lim ever since the latter's candidacy was announced by opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. The strategy in pitting a seasoned politician like Ghani against Lim is seen by political observers as necessary to counter Pakatan Rakyat excursions into the BN stronghold. Ghani, 67, may also be called again to serve at federal level as a cabinet minister following his previous portfolios as Deputy Energy, Telecommunication and Post Minister (1987-1990), Deputy Finance Minister (1990-1993) and Youth and Sports Minister (1993-1995). Up north in Perlis, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Md Isa Sabu may not be recontesting the Bintong state seat to pave the way for Kangar Umno committee member Shaharuddin Ismail, who is also the Perlis Football Association manager. Several names have cropped up to replace Isa as menteri besar, as he is expected to contest for the Kangar parliamentary seat to replace incumbent Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad who has opted to pull out from the race. Isa, who had also contested and won in Kangar in 1995, may be facing off with Perlis Mufti Dr Juanda Jaya who will contest under the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) banner. Najib yesterday described the candidates' line-up as a reflection of BN's spirit of trustworthiness, inclusiveness and transformation which encapsulated the spirit of 1Malaysia. He also said any issues pertaining to overlapping seats and disappointment on the decisions made have been resolved in preparation for the election.
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| Give Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail a seat: SIGN THE PETITION Posted: 14 Apr 2013 11:47 PM PDT
We, the undersigned, appeal to Parti Keadilan Rakyat for Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to be given a state seat in Selangor to contest. SIGN THE PETITION HERE: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/azizah/ |
| Posted: 14 Apr 2013 10:42 PM PDT
There is also an attempt to make PSM look unreasonable on its request to use its own logo in this coming GE. Let us put this now in perspective. S.Arutchelvan, Secretary General PSM In the last 24 hours, there has been lots of queries and phone calls on the seat negotiation between PSM and PR. We would like to state that the PSM would be holding a an Emergency National Committee meeting to decide on a number of issues outlined below. Besides that, there is also an attempt to make PSM look unreasonable on its request to use its own logo in this coming GE. Let us put this now in perspective. 1. PSM wanted to stand in the same seats it contested in 2008 as to maintain the status quo. The three seats stood by PSM in 2008 under PKR – Sg. Siput, Kota Damansara and Semenyih has never been contested by any PKR members before this. Therefore to claim that these are PKR seats and PSM is three cornering is totally wrong. 2. PSM has always stated that if there was a common PR logo, PSM would be willing to use it. This shows that PSM was never fussy on using only its logo but felt that it has the same democratic rights like other parties in PR to use their respective logos. 3. When we meet Datuk Sri Anwar Ibrahim on the 13th of April, several issues were discussed on a friendly manner. I put some critical points of dispute. i. PKR wanted PSM to stand in both the Selangor seat using the PKR logo. PSM conceded to use PKR logo in Semenyih but said that PSM members will find it very difficult to ask the top leader of PSM Dr. Nasir Hashim not to use the PSM party logo. PSM members have fought for 11 years with the BN government for this logo and they felt that the PR should allow at least the PSM national Chairperson to stand on his party flag. ii. We were also shocked to learn that previously Dr. Jeyakumar was informed that he can stand under the PSM logo in Sungai Siput but during the discussion with DSAI, we were told that if he stands under PSM logo, then DAP will field a candidate against him. iii. We were also told that even if PSM stand all three seats under PR logo, DAP will not allow PSM to stand in Jelapang. We requested that an NGO committee decide on the Jelapang seat and we will adhere to that. iv. We were also told that if we win the seat as PKR logo, we can immediately use PSM logo upon winning here after. But again here, the same principles were not applied when PSM won 2 seats in 2008 and now we are given the same deal. v. The meeting ended by us agreeing to talk to PSM members and DSAI saying that he will try to talk to other PR leaders on how to resolve this issue. Meanwhile DSAI mentioned that they may need to hold back the Selangor seat announcement until this issue is solved. vi. The meeting ended with both parties trying to find a solution and to avoid any three corner fight which will be damaging to both parties. 4. On 14th night, we were shocked to learn that DSAI has already announced the Semenyih candidate. This decision was made in spite of PSM agreeing to stand under PKR logo in Semenyih. The Kota Damansara seat was not announced pending negotiation with PSM. We also hear that PKR has also prepared a parachute candidate to stand in Sungai Siput. 5. PSM has now called for an emergency National Committee Meeting to discuss the following: i. To review our position to stand in the 4 seats using our own logo. ii. To discuss the current development where PR is three cornering PSM in all its seats and our relationship with PR. iii. To discuss and decide on the request made by non PSM members, mostly members from DAP and PKR who wants to stand using PSM logo in some areas. To date there has been 10 requests - 2 from Sabah, 1 from Perak, 3 from Negeri Sembilan and 4 from Selangor. iv. To discuss the request made by Environmental groups and PSM Cameron to field our candidate in Cameron Highlands.
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| Pitiful clowns assure Security for Sabah Posted: 14 Apr 2013 10:40 PM PDT
BN wants the people of Sabah to vote for it for better security. That was the same old excuse in 1963! Joe Fernandez This must be the joke of the century considering the fact that they looked the other way for 50 years while the illegals flooded in and swamped the electoral rolls, marginalised and disenfranchised the Orang Asal, among others, increased the crime rate, filled the jails and caused other social problems. The 200 Suluks involved in the Lahad Datu intrusion are the last group, not the first, to enter Sabah. About 800,000 of them are already here. Najib bought two small submarines and parked it at Sepanggar because he knew Sabahans would just keep quiet. The Government wants to sell them but there are no buyers. Submarines are useless in shallow waters. The Chinese are claiming the South China Sea up to 80 km off the Sabah coast. That's well within our 250 km Exclusive Economic Zone. Their ships are off our coast. What does Putrajaya do? Nothing! What can it do? Nothing! Yet BN is urging Sabahans to vote for it. They claim that only the BN can provide security for Sabah. The BN are degenerating into a bunch of pitiful clowns. They can't get away from the same old stale acts. They should think of some new ways of singing for their supper.
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| Sultan's men set up guerrilla base Posted: 14 Apr 2013 10:38 PM PDT
(Philippine Star) - After eluding Malaysian authorities for several weeks, the followers of the sultanate of Sulu have set up a guerrilla base in the hinterlands of Sabah, the sultanate's spokesman said yesterday. Abraham Idjirani told reporters that the Malaysian military and police knew about the base but could not pinpoint the exact location because the jungle in the area is vast. Idjirani said the new stronghold is in a strategic location with enough sources of food and water, and with adequate shelter for nearly 500 men. The base was reported to Idjirani during a conversation the other day with Agbimuddin Kiram, the sultanate-appointed "administrator" of Sabah. A source from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)said the base was their former camp where a cache of high-powered weapons was kept at the height of the Mindanao uprising in the early '70s. The source said the base was established by MNLF fighters who joined the group in Lahad Datu to press their proprietary claim over Sabah. Idjirani clarified the sultan's fighters would continue to adopt defensive position and would not initiate any attack on the Malaysian forces. The Malaysian military and police have stopped the operation against the armed group. The last encounter took place last April 9. Aside from the 400 new arrivals from Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, Tausugs based in Lahad Datu and Semporna have also joined the sultanate army at the stronghold. Idjirani said 80 percent of the army is now fully armed and ready to repeal any attack on the base by Malaysian authorities. Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) continues to provide transport for Filipinos evacuating Sabah. Last Saturday, the BRP Nueva Vizcaya evacuated 79 Filipinos to Bongao, Tawi-Tawi; 17 others, including 12 children and five adults were brought to Jolo, and 62 to Zamboanga City. – With Rainier Allan Ronda
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| Party elections versus general elections (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 14 Apr 2013 08:31 PM PDT
And that is why Azmin Ali refuses to give Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Nurul Izzah Anwar state seats in Selangor. Dr Wan Azizah is barred from contesting a Parliament seat while Nurul Izzah is contesting an unsafe seat, Lembah Pantai. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin A total of 727 seats -- 222 Parliament seats and 505 state seats -- are going to be contested on 5th May 2013. This excludes the 71 Sarawak state seats or else there would be 798 seats in all (Sarawak already had its state election two years ago in April 2011). Those who have been politically active -- meaning 'on the ground' -- for some time would know that the party elections are always seen as more important and more hotly contested than the general elections. More money is spent on the party elections than in the general elections. It would appear that these 3,000 (or more) Malaysians are offering to serve the 28 million rakyat (citizens) as their wakil rakyat (people's representative). And it would also appear that these 3,000 (or more) Malaysians are selfless people who only wish to serve and do good deeds for the rakyat. Actually, they will be paid a lot of money to do the job that requires no education or qualifications. They only need to know how to talk and how to apple-polish their party bosses and those who decide who gets to contest the elections. Ultimately, this is cronyism and nepotism at its best. Those who get chosen to contest would be those who are loyal and can serve the interest of the party bosses. Those considered a threat to these party leaders would definitely be sidelined and would not get chosen to contest. The general elections are crucial to politicians who wish to climb the party ladder or who wish hold on to their position in the party. If they are not wakil rakyat then their political future is bleak and they would not be able to climb the party ladder or hold on to their position in the party. Hence becoming a wakil rakyat is the first step to bigger things. And if you cannot clear this first hurdle of becoming a wakil rakyat then forget about your political career in the party. And this is why there is a lot of jostling for seats in every general election. Failing to get a seat means that the party and the party leaders do not have confidence in you, do not trust you, do not consider you one of the gang, do not wish for you to rise up the party ladder, and so on. The general election is basically the trial run. If you get chosen as a candidate and you make it, then that means you are going to go places in the party. If you do not get chosen or you lose the election, your future in politics is not so bright. And that was why many of those who were not chosen to contest in 1999, or lost the election in 1999, soon faded away and were never seen again. The same thing happened in 2004 and 2008. And that is why many who were not chosen to contest left the party and/or crossed over to another party and/or contested as independent candidates and/or sabotaged the candidate who was chosen over them. And this is the greatest fear that Umno and Barisan Nasional faces -- that those who are not chosen will merajuk (sulk) and damage their own party out of spite and vengeance. (Note the many statements by Umno hinting to this over the last few weeks). Let me put it this way. If their real interest is merely to serve the rakyat, then what does it matter who gets chosen to contest the election and what does it matter if they are not chosen? Why must it be them and only them? After all, anyone can serve the rakyat, not only them. Well, that is because it is not about the rakyat but about their personal political career and future. And if they do not get to contest the election, no doubt the rakyat loses nothing, but they who do not get chosen will lose everything. Now do you know why it is so important that you get chosen to contest the election if you wish to go places? On the other hand, those who make the decision in choosing these candidates need to consider how these successful calun (candidates) can serve them and whether they will be loyal and not bite the hand that feeds them. And if certain people are seen as a threat, those decision makers need to make sure that these threats are eliminated -- meaning they do not get chosen to contest the election. And that is why Azmin Ali refuses to give Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Nurul Izzah Anwar state seats in Selangor. Dr Wan Azizah is barred from contesting a Parliament seat while Nurul Izzah is contesting an unsafe seat, Lembah Pantai. Now, if Dr Wan Azizah and Nurul Izzah are given state seats in Selangor, and if they are given safe seats on top of that, then the mother and daughter will most likely win the election. And this would mean that their political careers are secure. However, since Dr Wan Azizah is no longer going to be a wakil rakyat and Nurul Izzah will most likely lose the Lembah Pantai seat, they can more or less kiss their political careers good-bye. So who will rise up the party ladder instead? Well, the plan is, Azmin Ali will go for President, Zuraida Kamaruddin for Deputy President, and Rafizi Ramli for one of the Vice Presidents. Hence 'Team Azmin' will emerge victorious while 'Team Azizah' is dead and buried. And that is the only reason why Malaysia holds a general election every four or five years. It is for the party to weed out 'threats' to the party leadership. And this is what Umno does each and every time, as do all the other parties within Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. And this is what is happening to Dr Wan Azizah and Nurul Izzah as well. They are being weeded out because they are a threat to Azmin Ali. ***************************** 黨内選舉對壘國家大選 这就是为什么阿芝敏Azmin Ali拒绝让旺姐 Azizah Wan Ismail 和努鲁Nurul Izzah Anwar 在雪兰莪竞选州席。在国席方面，旺姐已被禁止参选，而努鲁则被派发到一个凶险的选区——Lembah Pantai。 原文：Raja Petra Kamarudin 译文：方宙 这次5月5好将有727个席位举行选举——222个国席和505个州席。如果把砂劳越的71个州席也算进去的话，那就总共有798个席位（砂劳越在2011年4月就举行了州选举）。 那些曾经很活跃地参与政治的——既是'在工地工作的'——肯定很清楚党内选举其实将会比大选更为激烈和重要。党内选举所花的钱要比大选的还要多呢。 看来这3000个马来西亚人会以成为人民代议士的方式来服务2千8百万个马来西亚人民。而看来这3000个人都是无私的，他们的目的就只是要服务和为人民做事。 其实，他们将得到的是一份薪水很高且不需要高学历的工作。他们只需要懂得如何讲话和如何拍他们党内老大和候选人决定人的马屁。 最终，这将会演变成最正宗的裙带关系。那些会被派上阵的将会是那些只对他们老大忠诚，处处只会为他们老大着想的。而那些被看成会对党领袖造成威胁的就会被排挤掉而不会被派参选。 大选对那些想要上位或要在党内捉权的政客来讲是非常重要的。如果他们不是人民代议士那他们的政治前途将会是很黯然的；他们将无法上位，也无法捉权。 所以成为人民代议士是迈向大好前途的第一步。如果你跨不出这第一步那你就忘了你的政治生涯吧。 这就是为什么会有很多席位竞争的原因。争不到一席半座代表着党领袖对你的没信心，对你的不信任，没把你当成是他们的一份子，不想你上位。。。等等。 大选基本上是个演习；如果你是候选人而你又被选的话，那么你在党内就能继续往前走。如果你没被选当候选人或输掉大选的话，那你的前途就不是那么光明了。 这就是为什么那些在1999年大选没有被选或输掉大选的就会渐渐消失，同样的事情也发生在2004年和2008年大选。而这也是为什么很多在党内没有被命为候选人的很快就会离党，或跳去其他政党，或成为独立候选人，或扯他们党候选人的后退。 这就是巫统和国阵最大的恐惧——那些没被命为候选人的会因为要复仇而进行破坏（你可以注意最近几个星期巫统的公告，他们都在暗示着这一点）。 让我这样讲吧，如果他们要的是服务人民的话，那么谁是候选人很重要吗？为什么一定是要某些人成为候选人呢？毕竟所有人都可以服务人民，并不只是那一小撮人而已。 答案是得关键并不在人民而是在他们自己的政治生涯和前景。如果他们不上阵的话，人民根本就不会失去任何东西，而他们失去的将会是所有的东西。 你现在明白，如果你要更上一层楼，为什么你一定要被选为候选人了吗？ 另一方面，那些话事人要确保的是他们选的候选人将会对他们忠诚而不是会反过来咬他们。如果话事人认为某个人是个威胁的话，那他必须确保這个威胁会被清除——那某个人将不会出现在大选中。 这就是为什么阿芝敏Azmin Ali拒绝让旺姐 Azizah Wan Ismail 和让努鲁Nurul Izzah Anwar 在雪兰莪竞选州席。在国席方面，旺姐已被禁止参选而努鲁则被派发到一个凶险的选区——Lembah Pantai。 如果旺姐和努鲁被批准在雪兰莪竞选且在安全的国席选区上阵的话，她们母女两有很大的胜出机会。那也代表她们的政治生涯将会固若金汤。 但现在旺姐将不会是国会议员而努鲁有很大机会将在Lembah Pantai败选。她们可以和她们的政治前途说再见了。 那谁会称霸公正党呢？答案是，Azmin Ali会成为党主席，Zuraida Kamaruddin会成为副主席, Rafizi Ramli也会掌握党内要职。 换句话说，Azmin队将会庆祝胜利而旺姐队将会被活埋。 这也是马来西亚每隔4,5年就要举行大选的唯一原因。这是个让政党把威胁给排除掉的大好机会。巫统每届都这样做，而国阵和民联各党也是。 现在旺姐和努鲁正面对着这个问题。她们正在被排除着，因为她们是阿芝敏的眼中钉。
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| MCA to contest in 37 parliament, 90 state seats, 68 new faces Posted: 14 Apr 2013 07:26 PM PDT
(Bernama) - MCA will contest in 37 parliament and 90 state seats in the May 5 general election. Sixty-eight of the 127 candidates are new faces. A 25-year-old aspirant is the youngest contestant from the party, the second major component of the Barisan Nasional (BN). The five female candidates fielded are also new faces. MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said 19 or 51.3 per cent of the 37 candidates for Parliament seats were new faces while 49 contenders for the 90 state seats were also new faces. MCA contested in 40 parliamentary and 90 state seats in the 2008 general election. |
| Pakatan eyeing magical 112 seats or more Posted: 14 Apr 2013 06:45 PM PDT
DAP also says that Pakatan can cause 'phenomenal political revolution' in Johor. Athi Shankar, FMT Pakatan Rakyat can exceed the magical number of 112 parliamentary seats to capture the federal government if the coalition can win at least 33 of the 83 federal seats up for grabs in Johor, Sabah and Sarawak. DAP senior leader Lim Kit Siang acknowledged that these three states held the keys to Putrajaya. Lim said he decided to leave his safe seat in Ipoh Timur to contest in Gelang Patah, Johor, in 13th general election to convert these three Barisan Nasional 'fixed deposits' into Pakatan's loyal voters. He also said that Pakatan could possibly win by a 28-seat majority to form the next federal government. A total of 222 parliament seats are up for grabs. A simple majority of 112 seats is sufficient to form the federal government. "We're aiming to win the 25 parliamentary seats which BN won with less than a 55% popular votes in previous polls," Lim said. Among the seats targeted by Pakatan are Arau (Perlis), Alor Star (Kedah), Kuala Nerus (Terengganu), Larut, Kuala Kangsar, Kampar and Lumut (Perak), Bentong, Raub and Jerantut (Pahang), Sabak Bernam and Pandan (Selangor), Rembau (Negeri Sembilan) and Bukit Katil (Malacca). "Pakatan can win with a good and comfortable majority," said Lim, who was once Kota Melaka, Sri Petaling and Tanjung MP.Lim's calculation is based on DAP and PAS winning 40 parliamentary seats each, and PKR 45 seats this time. Pakatan targets big in Johor Lim was speaking at a press conference at Wisma DAP here today. Also present were DAP secretary general and Lim's son Guan Eng, state DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow and his deputy P Ramasamy, secretary Ng Wei Aik and other state party leaders. In the last general election in 2008, BN won 140 seats against Pakatan's 82 to retain the federal government despite a massive swing among voters against BN in the Peninsular. Unlike other capital cities and urban areas, Johor Baru was the only state capital that managed to maintain Umno and BN dominance in 2008.
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| Gerakan unveils candidates, more than half new faces Posted: 14 Apr 2013 06:32 PM PDT
Of the 42 candidates, 22 are newcomers. (Bernama) - Gerakan will contest in 11 parliamentary and 31 state seats in the May 5 general election, one parliamentary seat less allocated to the party in the last general election in 2008. Party president Koh Tsu Koon said of the total 42 candidates, 22 or 52.4% are new faces who have not contested before, five or 12% are women and three or 7% are leaders of Indian origin, the rest are Chinese aspirants. "The youngest candidate is 31 years' old," the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department said in a statement. Earlier, Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Tun Razak handed the documents of nomination and the BN's Pledge to BN component parties' presidents and and state BN chairmen. Koh said Gerakan would contest in two state seats in Sabah, namely Elopura and Tanjong Papat, as the incumbents – Aw Kam Wah and Raymond Tan Shu Kiah – of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) embraced Gerakan in 2009 after SAPP withdrew from BN. In Pahang, Gerakan swapped the Ketari state seat with MCA's Tanah Rata, while it would "loan" the Kepong parliamentary seat in the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory and the Kota Alam Shah state seat in Selangor to the People's Progressive Party (PPP). Gerakan would also "loan" the Skudai state seat in Johor to MCA, he said. The seats on "loan" are only for this general election, he added. Following are Gerakan's candidates' list for Parliament and state seats: Parliament seats 1. Batu Kawan – N Gobalakrishnan (new face) 2. Bukit Bendera – Teh Leong Meng (new face) 3. Tanjong – Ng Song Kheng (new face) 4. Jelutong – Ng Fook On 5. Taiping – Tan Lian Hoe 6. Beruas – Chang Ko Youn 7. Telok Intan – Mah Siew Keong 8. Puchong – A Kohilan Pillay (new face) 9. Batu – Dr Dominic Lau Hoe Chai (new face) 10. Segambut – B Jayanthi Devi (new face) 11. Simpang Renggam – Liang Teck Meng State seats Penang: 1. Machang Bubuk – Tan Loke Heah (new face) 2. Bukit Tengah – Teng Chang Yeow 3. Bukit Tambun – Lai Chew Hock 4. Tanjung Bungah – Chia Kwang Chye 5. Kebun Bunga – H'ng Chee Wey (new face) 6. Pulau Tikus – Rowena Yam (new face) 7. Padang Kota – Oh Tong Keong (new face) 8. Datuk Keramat – Ong Thean Lye 9. Sungai Pinang – Dr Thor Teong Gee 10. Batu Lanchang – Lee Boon Ten 11. Air Itam – Loo Jieh Sheng (new face) 12. Batu Uban – Goh Kheng Sneah 13. Pantai Jerejak – Wong Mun Hoe Kedah: 1. Derga – Dr Cheah Soon Hai 2. Sidam –Bee Sieong Heng (new face) Perak: 1. Kuala Sepetang – Loh Swee Eng (new face) 2. Aulong – Soo Key Ping (new face) 3. Jalong – Liew Yew Aw (new face) 4. Canning – Ceylyn Tay Wei Lung (new face) Pahang: 1. Tanah Rata – Ho Yip Kap 2. Triang – Tan Tin Loon Selangor: 1. Teratai – Ben Liew Pok Boon (new face) 2. Bukit Gasing – Juan Sei Chang (new face) 3. Bukit Lanjan – Francis Chong Tuck Chiew (new face) Negeri Sembilan: 1. Bukit Kepayang – Wong Oi Foon (new face) 2. Senawang – Choong Vee Hing (new face) Malacca: 1. Bachang – Chua Lian Chye (new face) Johor: 1. Pemanis – Lau Chin Hoon 2. Bukit Batu – Cheong Chin Liang Sabah: 1. Elopura – Au Kam Wah 2. Tanjong Papat – Raymond Tan Shu Kiah
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| I love it when I can say, “I told you so” (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 14 Apr 2013 06:02 PM PDT
I think two submarines failing to prevent 100 illegal immigrants from entering Sabah is a pretty good track record considering that the US has 71 nuclear-class submarines and they still can't stop 11 million illegal immigrants from entering the country. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Bishop Paul Tan said that despite the government knowing that Sunday is a holy day where Christians must go to Church and worship God, EC has fixed May 5th for polling. "This disrespect of the government of the Christian rights is to be denounced. It just proves that the government is not sincere in its 1Malaysia slogan." ***************************************** "That is not democracy, that is communism," said Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. "If you want to vote, go vote. But don't force people into choosing a party." ***************************************** "Even I never worked that hard. But I must admit that the support (for BN) was very obvious (when I was PM). That's why I won five elections, each one with a two-thirds majority (in Parliament)," said former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. ***************************************** So far it has been, as a friend remarked the other day, "a very American election". With its mobilising and symbolic focus on PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the GE13 "pre-campaign" has been nothing if not "presidential". When an election is focused, through one key initiative, upon the fate of the national leader who is uniquely identified with that measure, we may well characterise the campaign as presidential. -- Clive Kessler. *****************************************
As I write this, 87 comments have been posted in my article Should Tun Dr Mahathir be put to death? The comments would have been more than 100 had I not deleted about 20 or 30 comments that were so out of topic. Those 20 or 30 comments I deleted talked about the reason and manner that Tun Dr Mahathir should be killed. Others debated Christianity and the New and Old Testaments and so on. If you are a student of English literature and if you had read George Orwell's Animal Farm then you will know that the book is not about animals or farms. It is about Communism. Can you imagine Malaysia Today's readers reading that book and then debating as to why pork is haram in Islam (and Judaism) and therefore pigs should not be elected the leader of the animals? Nevertheless, that would be exactly what Malaysia Today's readers would do. One reader said that I should go to Oxford and take an English language course so that I can learn how to write properly and, therefore, people can better understand what I am saying in my articles. Sivarasa Rasiah, the 'caretaker' Member of Parliament for Subang, gave a talk in Kota Damansara two nights ago (with Bersih Chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan in tow) and he commented that Malaysia wasted so much money buying two submarines and yet they could not stop the Filipinos from sneaking into Sabah. The United States has 71 submarines and yet they too can't seem to stop the 11 million illegal immigrants from entering the country. I think two submarines failing to prevent 100 illegal immigrants from entering Sabah is a pretty good track record considering that the US has 71 nuclear-class submarines and they still can't stop 11 million illegal immigrants from entering the country. Anyway, why is Ambiga escorting Sivarasa to a PKR ceramah when she said she is not campaigning for PKR? As they say in the legal fraternity (and Sivarasa and Ambiga are both lawyers): justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done. Hence, being impartial is not good enough. Should you not also be seen to be impartial? Bishop Paul Tan is angry that the government has fixed Polling Day on a Sunday. This, he appears to believe, is disrespectful to the Christians. In some Malaysian states, people have to work on a Sunday -- while the day off is Friday. And this has been going on since long before Merdeka in August 1957. Should now all the states in Malaysia fix Sunday as the day off while Friday be declared a working day? And will the Pakatan Rakyat run states make these necessary changes to show more respect to the Christians seeing that this is very important to the Christians? Anyway, polling is from 8.00am to 6.00pm. Do Christians sit in church for 12 hours from 7.00am to 7.00pm? Would there not be at least 30 minutes free time in between church on Sunday when Christian voters can run out to cast their vote? And what about when the elections and by-elections are held on a Saturday (which has happened before)? Is this not disrespectful to the Jews (and there are some Jews in Malaysia)? Would fixing elections on a Saturday be considered anti-Semitism? Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has classified those who force people into choosing a party as Communists. That is very interesting. That would mean many of you who post comments in Malaysia Today forcing others to support Pakatan Rakyat are Communists. And, as many of you said, Nik Aziz would never lie. Hence you people are definitely Communists and not Democrats as you pretend to be. An even more interesting comment was the one by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. "I won five elections, each one with a two-thirds majority," said Dr Mahathir. So, if 50% of the Malays voted opposition (PAS and Semangat 46 at that time) and yet Barisan Nasional won all the elections with a two-thirds majority, is it the Malays who are the culprits? I love it when I can say, "I told you so". Finally, Clive Kessler said that the 13th General Election has been transformed into a US Presidential election. That is what I said last month and now Clive Kessler is saying the same thing. I love it when I can say, "I told you so". ******************************************** 儅我有機會說"我已經告訴過你了"時，我是很得瑟的。 |
| Trouble, trouble for Pakatan in Labuan Posted: 14 Apr 2013 04:23 PM PDT
PKR has no locus standi to demand for seats when many of its elected representatives defected after the 2008 general elections, says Labuan PAS. (FMT) - The defections from PKR following the 2008 general election have returned to haunt the party and put its credibility in question. Hellbent on contesting the Labuan parliamentary seat, Labuan PAS chief Hamir Zahari said PKR has no locus standi to assert itself over PAS in seat negotiations. "No member of parliament from PAS has ever jumped to another party and none has ever left the party. "In terms of PAS's integrity, we are solid," he said. Since the 2008 general election, six PKR elected representatives have defected. They are Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri (Bagan Serai), Zulkifli Noordin (Kulim-Bandar Baharu), Zahrain Mohamed Hashim (Bayan Baru), N Gobalakrishnan (Padang Serai), Tan Tee Beng (Nibong Tebal) and Wee Choo Keong (Wangsa Maju). Even more significant is that PKR defectors had contributed to the opposition coalition losing control over Perak. In the 2008 general election, Pakatan Rakyat through PAS, PKR and DAP was democratically elected to five states – Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor and Kelantan. Pakatan wrested Perak from Barisan Nasional with a slim majority, winning 32 state assembly seats compared with BN's 27. However, defections from PKR and DAP saw BN taking over the state a year later. Labuan PAS blocks PKR In an open defiance against Pakatan chief Anwar Ibrahim's declaration last Friday that PKR will field its candidate Ibrahim Menudin in Labuan, Labuan PAS responded with a resounding "no way". Said Hamri: "The seat was agreed back in 2011 during a Pakatan meeting at Federal Territory level. "At the time, we had agreed that out of 13 parliamentary seats in the Federal Territory, five of them were for PKR, another five for DAP. "The balance three were for PAS. As such, PAS will stand in Putrajaya, Titiwangsa and Labuan. "Therefore our candidate will stand in Labuan in this coming 13th general election." Hamir said PAS would contest in 76 parliamentary seats nationwide, including Labuan, where it will field Hadnan Mohamad. PAS has already named Husam Musa in Putrajaya and Zamri Khuzaimi in Titiwangsa.
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| Stop harping on Chinese-majority seats issue between UMNO-MCA Posted: 14 Apr 2013 04:19 PM PDT
(NST) - MCA Penang today turned the table on DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang by questioning his motive in playing up the issue on Chinese majority seats when the party had always claimed to be multiracial. Penang MCA secretary Lau Chiek Tuan said Lim had no right to tell MCA to explain to people on whether it would surrender its Chinese majority parliamentary and state seats to Umno. He said it was a poor attempt to tarnish the image and close cooperation between MCA and Umno with the voters. "DAP claim to be multiracial so why keep talking about Chinese majority seats?
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| The perils of Umno men joining PAS — The Malaysian Insider Posted: 14 Apr 2013 03:54 PM PDT
Election 2013 will be the tightest race in recent Malaysian history and every party is looking for an advantage over their foe. PAS is no exception and has now taken in several Umno men to boost its ranks and profile in the May 5 polls. Is that wise? Corporate player Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Maidin is now PAS's candidate for the Tasik Gelugor federal seat in Penang. He was a known associate of Tun Daim Zainuddin and even helmed the Umno-linked MRCB between 1999 and 2002. Then there is mounting speculation that former Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib will join PAS this week to give it a psychological edge over Umno. Muhammad is a big catch, of course. But he comes with baggage too, including the one where RM3.8 million was found on him in Australia, forcing him to resign as mentri besar in 1997. The man known as Mat Tyson might not be a candidate but what advantage does he and Rahman give to PAS in the long run? Perhaps they have repented and want to contribute to society through PAS but at what cost? After all, the Islamist party has been grooming a younger set of leaders and they should be given a chance to contest the polls as they come without baggage. So, why is PAS now going the route of having brand-name recognition to win the general election? To ensure it can keep up with its allies in Pakatan Rakyat? Will it work? Or will such men with such past sink PAS's efforts in this general election. These are the perils that PAS must know if it continues picking up former Umno men.
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| Posted: 14 Apr 2013 03:46 PM PDT
Clive Kessler, TMI So far it has been, as a friend remarked the other day, "a very American election". With its mobilising and symbolic focus on PM Datuk Seri Najib Razak, the GE13 "pre-campaign" has been nothing if not "presidential". "Presidential" campaigning: PM Najib and BR1M If Umno/BN is now a brand, Najib is its face. Its trademark. Not unlike a certain avuncular colonel and his own certain brand of fried chicken. And if Umno/Bn now has a strategic approach, it is Najib's own iconic BR1M. Umno/Bn now relies upon communicating an irresistible sense of party and government largesse that, in a very personal way, the prime minister distributes and also symbolises. The outgoing government of the last four years — since Pak Abdullah Ahmad Badawi stood down — has largely placed its trust in, and now entrusted its political fate to, BR1M. And the BR1M promises keep flowing. Endlessly, it would seem. "Our cup overfloweth," the government might well say, spilling over its generous brim. It has been "brim-full" of subtle inducements and beguiling "goodies". The election, it seems, will be a referendum on BR1M, and the prime minister will live or die politically on the people's verdict upon this measure, this key strategic device. When an election is focused, through one key initiative, upon the fate of the national leader who is uniquely identified with that measure, we may well characterise the campaign as presidential. Targeting the Malaysian "political market" But there is more to be said. When the present campaign is typified as "very American", much more is involved than its presidential style and personalised "symbolics". Let us return to the BR1M payments. These are part of a very sophisticated strategy or political approach. And the entire approach which the BR1M initiative suggests, and of which it is a part, seems to have a clear "genealogy", or readily identifiable origins. It seems directly traceable to the "new approach" to election campaigning that has been pioneered in the US over the last quarter-century — especially and initially but now no longer exclusively by the "political right" — by such innovative political consultants, strategists and "operatives" as Lee Atwater, Roger Ailes and their more recent successors, most notably Karl Rove Jr. This is the approach that sees not a single nation — "a community of common destiny and shared national fate" — to be addressed, but a series of special interests and constituencies. A discrepant array of groups that are to be reached, each specifically in its own way: with finely tuned and closely targeted messages, with its own special "tailor-made" policies, and its specifically targeted benefits and promises. It is an approach that does not presume, nor seek to address, a "nation that is ever in the making", one continually engaged in the process of discovering and renewing itself, but merely a segmented and fragmented political "market". It is an approach that, so to speak, neither hears nor wishes to sing a national anthem voicing widely shared aspirations, but one that is instead eager to respond to a cacophony of discordant voices, all calling out "me , me!" and "remember us!" "Do not forget us," they cry out, "do not leave us out of your official gift-giving at this special political festive season!" And, guided by the consultant political marketers, the politicians — well, some kinds of politician — hear and respond. They do as the clamourers and the clamour-monitors suggest, they do what they are entreated and told to do. The idea of a "political market" This is an approach that assumes, and which orients itself towards, a highly differentiated market in which each component or "strategic actor" is little concerned with what is in the interest of "the whole". To the "crackpot realists" (to use an expression of C. Wright Mills) who champion this piecemeal approach, such notions as "the common interest" are quite fanciful, even delusional and dangerous. Those whom they and their preferred strategies address are interested in, and care only about, their own demands, their own insistent question (and the tangible political answers proffered to it!): "what is in this for me, what's the specific benefit for us over here?" It is an approach that creates and promotes the very social and political fragmentation, the centrifugal drives, the sectional division of diverging interests that it presumes. This approach, together with its calculating practitioners, is in the business of promoting a "self-fulfilling prophecy" — serviceable to some including its creators — that becomes real, and may become the dominant reality. But it does so, increasingly, to the neglect, and even at the expense, of any common national purpose and agenda. It does so since it presumes that that is what human nature is like, and what human nature really and most authentically likes. (And when people say so, they maintain, you can believe it, they are "for real", since self-interest never lies, deceives or pretends. It is honestly self-regarding. It is never "fake", it is always trying it best.) On the other side of the same coin, this approach holds to the view, or conviction, that co-operation and consensus and "the negotiation of differences" — because they do not come easily — are unnatural, while socially "autistic" or heedless self-interest is no mere default position or moral "last resort", no token of social failure, but natural, commendable and "as good as you can get". That there is nothing better or higher. It is therefore an approach that, when faced with the challenge of nation-building, always starts from the assumption — the often unexpressed and suppressed assumption — that the whole can never be more than, or achieve a reconciled accommodation among, the sum of its parts. So people should not even try to seek any such common purpose, or imagine that one may be identified and realised. Any such exercise must be delusional, "chimerical", and even dangerous. Dangerous because, or so the champions of this approach believe, such efforts — even if unsuccessful, and even if they are merely attempted — violate what they hold to be the most basic, sacred and authentic human realities. They interfere with personal preferences and individual choice and so distort market processes. The limits of this view What is wrong with this approach? True, societies are a complex interplay of co-operation and individualism. And, like the United States, and others in its wake, the more modern societies become, the more individualistic they also are. We are all caught up, generally most happily, in this dynamic. It is the dynamic of human emancipation and self-realisation. And, again true, markets are arenas in which people — even when they are members of larger social aggregates and groups — think and strategise, choose and act, individually, as separate and independent individual agents. So, in the short run, you can do so-called "retail politics" by treating the members of political society as nothing more than players in a market, even if it is a rather special kind of market called a political market. Yet there is more involved than just that. So that approach can be taken only "so far and no further". Beyond that point, the idea of the "political market" collapses, becomes dysfunctional and, in practical terms, not helpful. Why? How? What we call "political society" these days, even when it has international dimensions and outreach and ramifications, is still largely something that resides, and is accommodated, within states. And these states are, by and large, what we call "nation-states". That is to say, they are identified not so much with foreign imperial masters (who may choose to colour large parts of the world map red, or blue or yellow or green, as was once the case) nor primarily with their former traditional sacred rulers but with their own people as citizens. Whatever their different historical background, and the diversity of their origins and the various but converging paths by way of which they became citizens, these people are now and together members of what we call, and are generally understood as, "nations". That, meaning cohesive and viable national communities, is what these people, or citizens, must together become and create if political society, and with it all social and economic development, are not to collapse. That is why people these days, even in the age of rampant and unstoppable globalisation, still talk about "nation-building". And why, even if its members come into citizenship from differing origins and via different but converging paths, we must speak of them as together "sharing the nation". States, their institutional arrangements and resources are the common, shared property of all their citizens, as equal stakeholders in the nation. They are the common birthright and inheritance of all their citizens' children. Political markets, citizens, states and nations What this means, the first implication of this fact, is that there is more to political and national life than merely political marketing. A nation is not just a political market. It may be that too — sometimes, at certain moments or phases of its own and citizens' lives — but it is so much more than that. A nation may at times be a political market, or may be seen and treated as one. That may be one part of what is involved in its common life. It is the part that the political consultants know, and the part that the campaign strategists who follow and apply the latest "American" technical innovations know how to address. But that market and those who are involved in it are "subsumed" (or contained and enfolded) within the common life of a nation that finds its expression, its instruments for pursuing common purposes and also its arena for "the negotiation of difference" in state structures and institutions. So more, much more, is needed in politics, especially in the "election season", than a good marketing strategy.
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| Posted: 14 Apr 2013 03:30 PM PDT
This election the country might bid farewell to leaders like Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (87 years old), Lim Kit Siang (72 years old), Karpal Singh (72 years old), Datuk Seri Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat (82 years old), Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu (77 years old), Tun Musa Hitam (78 years old) and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (76 years old). THIS coming general election we will probably witness the climactic end to the career of politicians that have coloured and shaped the country's politics as we know it today. Leaders who have flushed the country's newspaper headlines and stirred public imagination with their unmistakable quotes. Politicians of conviction and not consensus, as the late Margaret Thatcher had described herself. This could also be used to describe these politicians who never minced their words regardless of how ridiculous they may have sounded to the common people. Charismatic leaders who were puppet masters, able to tug at the heart and emotions of the rakyat with their oratory masterpieces. The country's political sentiments have been swayed and anchored by these stalwarts of Malaysian politics and torchbearers of public opinion. My generation, my father's generation and grandfather's generation have seen these leaders gun-slinging against one other with their quick and sharp retorts. This election the country might bid farewell to leaders like Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (87 years old), Lim Kit Siang (72 years old), Karpal Singh (72 years old), Datuk Seri Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat (82 years old), Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu (77 years old), Tun Musa Hitam (78 years old) and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah (76 years old). With most of the leaders well into their 70s, it is hardly likely the country will see them campaigning in the 14th general election. These leaders' personas reflected the country's state of political maturity at a time when the nation was still looking for direction and identity. A country that was still learning how to breathe and considered as a backwater of the region. A country of farmers and fishermen, rubber and tin. Fifty-seven years later, these leaders still dominate the nation's politics but the country is no longer a blip between Singapore and Thailand. The country is no longer black or white but black and white, with an emergence of a grey area. The country is no longer divided into distinct racial or religious silos but united in their economic hardship. The rakyat is slowly realising that their loyalty is not for any political party but to themselves and their future. Politics in Malaysia is slowly becoming about the people and no longer about the political parties and its personalities. Loyalty has often been used by politicians in the post-colonial era to divide and conquer but it is time that we move forward. As the country turns a new chapter with polling day next month, both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional will introduce new candidates as both try to reach out to the 3.7 million new voters who had never experienced the hardship of the pre-Merdeka generation. The next five years, we will see who among the new leaders will able to take up the mantle from the old guards and drive their parties forward. These leaders will determine which political party will survive or slowly disappear into the history books. We need leaders who are not looking to blow their own trumpet but able to articulate and intelligently discuss issues that affect the people. We need thinking leaders and not only preachers. It will be interesting to see which leaders will be pushed into the upper echelons of their party leadership. Will it be leaders like Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, Tony Pua, P Kamalanthan, Gan Ping Sieu, Rafizi Ramli, or Salahuddin Ayub? Malaysia will decide.
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| GE13 – Nik Aziz: Do not follow leaders blindly Posted: 14 Apr 2013 03:22 PM PDT
He also debunked the myth that ulamas are always right. "Ulamas can also talk nonsense. During the Prophet's time, some ulamas were from the Jews and they were used to oppose the Islamic movement. Even Umno is doing this now – using the ulamas to oppose the Islamic movement." Zakiah Koya, fz.com KELANTAN's interim Menteri Besar and PAS spiritual leader Datuk Seri Nik Aziz Nik Mat is not very well. He shuffles slowly to the interview area in the MB office and then places his two little feet onto the thermal massager. He then switches on his hearing aid, ready for an exclusive interview with fz.com. The 82-year old Nik Aziz is quite a character. His witty cutting remarks, his political speeches which tend to be religious-based lectures and attacks on ruling party Umno make him an interesting politician to watch. His alertness when spewing out attacks against his main enemy – Umno – belies his frail health. PAS members say the pint-sized man in his simple ulama attire – who still lives in the small half-wooden house despite being the MB – is a gift from above to the party. But Kelantanese, PAS or otherwise, all agree that he is one of a kind. Nik Aziz said that he will stand as a candidate in the coming General Election and will continue to be active in politics as long as PAS asks him to do so. Nik Aziz first stood in the Kelantan Hilir parliamentary seat in 1967 (later renamed as Pengkalan Chepa), which he held on to until 1986. He then played a role as the state PAS commissioner in ousting Datuk Asri Muda, the then PAS president who brought PAS into the ruling coalition of Barisan Nasional. Nik Aziz later on was active in Kelantan politics as a state assembly member. In 1990, PAS managed to wrest back Kelantan from Barisan Nasional and he was appointed the menteri besar. Nik Aziz became the PAS spiritual leader in 1991. "It is not that I do not want to step down, but I have never asked to be a candidate. The party wants me to stand. PAS Election Chief Datuk Mustafa Ali had said it is compulsory for me to stand, so I have to appease PAS," said Nik Aziz, referring to the attacks by Umno on his refusal to step down from helming PAS despite being ill. Nik Aziz claimed that PAS has now been able to attract the higher educated group to join the party as it promises more than mere material gains. "We now have not only the village people, but also the doctors, the PhD holders, the knowledgeable ones," said Nik Aziz. He likened those who are opting for the opposition to the people of Medina who welcomed the Prophet Muhammad and his followers who were fleeing from the Meccans' hostility to Islam. "The prophet then offered something which was never offered by the governments before him. He offered to open up their heart – not open up the country. The governments before him had brought development, roads, money, (and) food; but those were all. The prophet's teachings promised that it is God who is all powerful – not the King, not the President. "No one can create a blade of grass, a grain of padi or make an ikan bilis (anchovy), and everyone has to answer to his doings after he dies. It is not only the kampung people who will die, even doctors will die – but who wants to die? No one wants to die!" said Nik Aziz, referring to retribution after death for those who have done wrongs. He said that PAS offers a government that is God-fearing and not just mere material development. "Malaysia is a country rich in natural resources and the development of Malaysia for the past six decades has been one of material development. "Umno is like the cat, it will pounce, take and then hide with its booty," said a laughing Nik Aziz. Nik Aziz said that the lack of fear in God is the one factor that leads to bribery and corruption. "I would like to know why Umno does not make Islam as its basis and (instead) goes on nationalism. Is it because Islam is expired?" To the question of whether PAS is now being more open to the professionals as compared to before when the top leaders were only ulamas, Nik Aziz also said that there is no such thing as segregating professionals and ulamas. "What is an ulama? It is the European terms – ulamas and professionals. Now, ulamas and scientists have come together to agree. Both are from universities, only some become ustaz (teachers), some become scientists and so on. Both are knowledgeable people. "The prediction by the prophet thousands of years ago also has come true, that it is through the findings of science that people will return to the religion," said Nik Aziz, trying to explain that there should not be such a segregation among members of PAS. He also debunked the myth that ulamas are always right. "Ulamas can also talk nonsense. During the Prophet's time, some ulamas were from the Jews and they were used to oppose the Islamic movement. Even Umno is doing this now – using the ulamas to oppose the Islamic movement. "I wonder why Umno did not take national leaders for its Kelantanese candidates – why resort to ulamas after finishing millions of ringgit in giving away BR1M? If they had finished giving away so much money, they do not have to resort to emulating PAS by fielding ulamas. It shows that Umno itself is already shaky. If you want to emulate PAS, copy everything – follow Islam," said Nik Aziz. He also questioned as to "what kind of ulamas join Umno – for it was Umno which wanted judi bola (betting on football matches) to be made legal in Kelantan". Nik Aziz was referring to the federal government's attempt to legalise sports betting ahead of the 2010 World Cup. However, the move was aborted due to opposition from several quarters. Umno has in recent years courted some renown ulamas to boost their Islamic image among the Malays. On allegations that PAS is very dictatorial, Nik Aziz also said it is not true that PAS members are not allowed to question their leaders. "How can you be sure of something when you do not question? One must always question. I am always questioned and I say to PAS members, question your leaders. Blind following is not allowed in Islam," said Nik Aziz. Nik Aziz said that the main struggle of PAS is to bring "a change in the mindset" of the people. "We want people to change their mindset – that this world is not forever. PAS is for all Malaysians – not only for the Malays, but also for the Chinese and Indians. Islam tells us to treat all properly," said Nik Aziz. On the allegations by Umno that illegal logging and corruption are rife in Kelantan under PAS, Nik Aziz challenged his critics to show proof. "In 20 years under my administration, the anti-corruption agencies have never been able to convict any of my officers. We denounced Umno because of their corruption, and it will not be right if we come into power and end up being corrupted too. "I tell my officers, you are answerable to God – not to me or to anyone else – for you answer in the hereafter for your doings. The character is of priority and the mindset must be changed to include the world and the hereafter," said Nik Aziz.
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| Posted: 14 Apr 2013 03:13 PM PDT
BEST OF THE BEST: Mix of old and new faces likely (NST) - AS the battle lines are being drawn for the 13th General Election, Barisan Nasional will today and tomorrow unveil its candidates and one thing is certain — this will be BN's dream team. A line-up made up of a balance of new and old, experience and exuberance, wisdom and a burning passion to serve, these are men and women who had not only acquitted themselves well in the past five years but also delivered They will be the driver and overriding factor in Najib's consideration of the needs of the people, their aspirations and their ability to carry out the "Akujanji" as outlined in the BN manifesto. Malaysians will see how the meticulously drawn-up list not only features those who meet their aspirations and expectations but also reflects a strong, collective leadership that will raise confidence in the electorate beyond this polls and into successive elections. The line-up will also reflect BN's efforts in grooming talent that possess the ability and qualifications beyond oratory skills, to cement their confidence in a BN-led government. Today's unveiling of the BN candidates' list is a departure from the norm. Previously, the list would be announced on the eve of nomination day. In preparing for what is expected to be the most challenging general election in the country's history, BN had also tweaked its strategy by moving forward the day it made public its manifesto. BN members also saw how the leadership took pains to address the disappointment of some hopefuls by getting them all under one roof to drive home the message that the party was above all else. With just a few hours to go, many leaders, including those who had contested under the BN banner in the past, are in jitters over the uncertainty of being picked or asked to sit this election out. Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, who is BN secretary-general, said candidates would be those endorsed fully by the electorate at the constituencies where they would be fielded. He said the BN leadership had also carried out surveys to ascertain the reception of the people towards candidates to be fielded in every constituency. The survey and "referendum" on the candidates, he said were carried out by three independent bodies for the leadership to gauge the sentiments of the people towards the names of the potential as well as shortlisted candidates. Several names tipped to be leading BN in the general election include Umno division secretary Rozman in Labuan. He is the son of former Labuan Umno chief Datuk Isli Siput, the force behind the entry of Umno into Labuan. Dental specialist Dr Rozaidah Talib is likely to return to Ampang, the parliamentary seat she won in the 2004 general election. BN lost the seat to PKR's Zuraida Kamaruddin in 2008. Dr Rozaidah, who admitted to getting hints of her candidacy in Ampang, said and if it materialised, she knew exactly what the people in the area would expect of her if she was their leader. "If I am chosen, I would like to believe that it is because of my track record," she said. Other names that have cropped up to be fielded include new faces but not lacking knowledge of strategies and leadership qualities with experience of serving organisations. The fiery former Kulim-Bandar Baharu member of parliament Datuk Zulkifli Noordin is likely to be announced as the candidate to wrest the Shah Alam parliamentary seat from Pas' Khalid Samad. Tengku Adnan said the party leadership's decision on its candidates weighed on several critical factors, including age and track record. The leadership, he added, also went through the track record and report card of candidates with a fine-tooth comb, before pinning down the final names. "Their track record was a major point of consideration. "The leadership also looked into the issue of liability, including how people in the area viewed him or her. "It is crucial for issue of perception to be addressed thoroughly as BN candidates must be those that the people can accept wholeheartedly," he told the New Straits Times. BN, he said, was also determined to ensure that its candidates were not saddled with health issues as it wanted only leaders who could best serve their constituents. Tengku Adnan also told those not picked to keep their chin up and give their undivided loyalty to those bearing the BN flag in the general election. Their supporters, he added, should do the same. "These changes (to candidates) must understand why this (being dropped) had to be done as we need to move forward. "The candidates were chosen because they are individuals who can become excellent wakil rakyat and serve impeccably as problem solvers for the people while improving constituents' wellbeing. Tengku Adnan, who had been the only member of parliament for Putrajaya, added that there would be a good mix of new and professionals as well as the young and old. "The spirit of 'party above self' is also highly evident ... There were a number of new faces whom the leadership wanted to field as candidates but they declined saying it was not their time. "Aside from saying there were not ready for the heavy responsibility, they felt that they might not have what it takes be 'enslaved' to voters." Meanwhile, several state directors of elections have made their way to Kuala Lumpur as Najib is scheduled to hand over the letters of authorisation (watikah) to them at 11am today. Checks at the states showed preparations were being made for the directors to pass on the watikah to the chosen candidates.
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| PKR-PSM fight on the cards in S’gor Posted: 14 Apr 2013 03:02 PM PDT
PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim last night announced his candidate for Semenyih, a state seat eyed by PSM's Arutchelvan. PKR is also interested in PSM's Kota Damansara. Zefry Dahalan, FMT PKR's decision to announce its candidate for the Semenyih state seat in Selangor is a major blow for Pakatan Rakyat-friendly PSM which had earmarked that seat for its secretary-general S Arutchelvan. Arutchelvan is a known face in Semenyih and had started his work at the constituency believing that he would be the Pakatan representative for the seat. However last night at a ceramah in Gombak, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim announced that PKR's Hamidi Hassan would be contesting in Semenyih. There could be more bad news for PSM as PKR is also said to be interested in contesting in the FMT had previously reported that PKR had identified a lawyer as a candidate for this seat. Last night Anwar did not announce his candidate for Kota Damansara, merely saying that his party was still in negotiations with PSM over the seat, and that an announcement was expected today. Apart from PKR's decision to contest in PSM stronghold Semenyih, there were no other major suprises in the PKR's list of candidates for the parliamentary and state seats in Selangor. PKR would be contesting in 11 parliamentary and 20 state seats in the state, and as expected Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim would now move to the Pelabuhan Kelang state seat, giving way to new face Dr Idris Ahmad in Ijok. Other PKR new faces for state seats are Borhan Aman Shah (Dengkil), Lee Chin Cheh (Kajang), Dr Daroyah Alwi (Sementa), Hamidi A Hassan (Semenyih), Tengku Marziah Tengku Sulaiman (Kuang) and K Ramachandran (Batang Kali). Eleven others, including Selangor PKR chief Azmin Ali, would be contesting in state seats they had won in 2008. Azmin will be defending his Bukit Antarabangsa seat, the others are Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Seri Setia), Suhaimi Shafiei (Seri Muda), Dr Xavier Jayakumar (Seri Andalas), Rodziah Ismail (Batu Tiga), Dr Yaakop Sapari (Kota Anggerik), Elizabeth Wong (Bukit Lanjan), Haniza Talha (Taman Medan), Amir Shaari (Batu Caves), Gan Pei Nei (Rawang) dan Yahya Sahari (Permatang). Anwar has also decided to move former Kapar MP S Manikavasagam to contest in the Bukit Melawati state seat to replace M Muthiah. The Kapar parliamentary seat will be contested by PKR Youth wing leader G Manivanan, one of five new faces unleashed by PKR for the parliamentary seats in Selangor. The others are Dr Aziz Bari (Sabak Bernam), Wong Chen (Kelana Jaya), Rafizi Ramli (Pandan) and Khalid Jaafar in Hulu Selangor. Incumbents that would be defending the parliament seats are Mohamed Azmin Ali (Gombak), Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid (Kuala Langat), R Sivarasa (Subang), Hee Loy Sian (Petaling Jaya Selatan), Zuraida Kamaruddin (Ampang) and William Leong (Selayang). Anwar has decided to drop Loh Gwo Burne from contesting again. He won the Kelana Jaya parliamentary seat in 2008.
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