| Habitual Thinking Posted: 19 Apr 2013 12:40 PM PDT 
I do respect my elders, but I have to point out how I have discovered that they have all made the way they think into a habit so much so that they reject change even when we can all see so clearly that almost everything that can be wrong in this country is wrong. Asher Lim Not long ago, I wrote an article entitled 'I Have a Voice Too!'. It was featured on Malaysia-Today and as usual in the other articles, there were some comments. Amongst them which I found to be really interesting would be this one comment by a user, whom out of respect of his/her privacy I will not name, which goes: "Will the writer tell us what he is afraid of ? I am and have been a citizen and supporter of BN and never in my 62 years of living been living any time in fear . Students these days have learned to speak out against the establishment, kinda of the in thing for them. But when they get to middle age, and after getting married, having a few kids and earning a living, they will have reason to be afraid, but not of the Government, but of life." This has given me the exact introduction that I needed for the follow up to the previous article which I wrote. "Will the writer tell us what he is afraid of?" To be honest, the writer, being me, is really afraid of this in particular. The complacency of Malaysians, the infamous 'tidak-apa' attitude which somehow got ingrained into our Malaysian culture. Since gaining her independence and having completely eradicated the threat of communism, Malaysians has been resting on their laurels and have not really bothered anymore about the matters pertaining to our country. Somewhere along the way the spirit to rise up and speak up against oppression has been lost. There was a time back then when it was the younger generation that rose up to take control of the future of their country, to cry out in protest of oppression and to take back that which was rightfully ours. But sadly like most men, once you've tasted power, you just want more of it. And with the people not keeping a watchful eye on the government and holding them accountable, slowly but surely, laws will implemented and constitutions amended to the benefit of the ruling government, making them seemingly invincible, as it has become today. It is not the government that one should fear but the sovereignty of the country, as the same it is that patriotism is loyalty to the country and not to the government, which BN seems to be confused over, by labeling every opposition supporter as being unpatriotic and as a traitor. Now what do we have to fear? I think that it is highly unusual for a constitution to be amended as many times as Malaysia's has been. A total of more than 700 times since gaining her independence, which was reported by Sin Chew Daily. America's constitution being the oldest constitution in the world has only been amended a total of 23 times. If we were to compare our current constitution now to the one it was back then in 1957, we would find that it has become very much different from which Britain agreed to as they deemed it fair to the citizens of Malaysia. Some may argue that change needs to happen for a nation to move forward, but it seems like the changes are in fact causing us to slide down the ladder. Why has this happened? Simply because changes were made not for the good of the people but to benefit certain individuals at the expense of everyone else. How did it happen? It is as I said, the complacency of Malaysians thinking that the same people who won independence for us could not possibly betray us one day. They did. The media today is mostly being controlled by the government. As much as they would like to post the truth, they can't. However, talk to most journalists, you will find how much that what they tell you actually contradicts what they write. I am reminded of a celebrated reporter from New York during the pre-world war 2 period by the name of Paul Schaeffer who was offered the position to be an editor of the Berliner Tageblatt, but he also had a written offer from Henry Luce to be chief European correspondent for Time, Fortune and a future picture magazine (which would be Life), with a hint that he would be in line for the top job. However he took up the role as an editor of the Berliner Tageblatt. Now, Schaeffer knew exactly what the Nazis were up to and thought he could make a difference, but he could not. The Nazis exploited both him and the Berliner Tageblatt and eventually both were 'liquidated and disappeared without a trace' as were the words of Peter Drucker. The Malaysian media today has been thoroughly exploited that even though you would like to report the truth, you just can't. In another article which I am still in the process of writing, I touched a little on the habit of thinking. While making thinking itself a habit is a good thing, making the way you think into a habit is a very bad thing. Although I do respect my elders, but I have to point out how I have discovered that they have all made the way they think into a habit so much so that they reject change even when we can all see so clearly that almost everything that can be wrong in this country is wrong. The one thing that I do fear is this, that people would make the way they think into a habit, which unfortunately is in the case of our citizens, and in particular, senior citizens. I have had so many experiences with people resisting change and simply insisting on doing it their way despite it being so complicated and time consuming, just in the same way people refuse to believe that BN hasn't been standing up for them since a very long time ago simply because they refuse to accept the new media, which is the internet. One thing that I do hope will never happen to me would be the making of my thinking pattern into a habit. In the second section of the comment, which states: 'Students these days have learned to speak out against the establishment, kinda of the in thing for them.', I personally think that it is just right to do so. I don't think it is an 'in thing' seeing that there really aren't many students (in fact adults too) doing so, simply as what I wrote in 'I Have a Voice Too!', students and adults alike are just too afraid to speak out simply because this was the way they were brought up, and that this pattern of thinking has become a habit to them which was actually what they inherited from their parents. The challenge that is posed to us all is to actually break that pattern of thinking and to actually start looking for new ways to do things with more efficiency. The challenge is to find back the 'pre-Merdeka' spirit which was present in Malays, Chinese, Indians, Ibans, Kadazans, Punjabis and all the other races and tribes in Malaysia (sorry that I am not able to name them all), to speak up for their rights and to take back all that is rightfully ours. I would also like to rectify the comment by saying that we did not learn to speak out against the establishment but discovered that we must, simply because such things are not taught in schools and parents most of the time would discourage their children from having any political involvements as is the same for me. Seeing all that is wrong but not pointing it out is a terrible thing to do. We have been really patient with BN. They have ruled this nation for 55 years and I think they've had more than enough time to learn how to run a country efficiently. Instead, they did just quite the opposite. Now, being perfect may not exactly be our forte, but 55 years of amassing experiences should make them wise enough, but apparently the only thing that they've 'improved' at is being stupid. Just look at the things that some of them say, what a joke it is! However in the past 5 years, states controlled by Pakatan Rakyat have blossomed and recorded a surplus. I think Pakatan Rakyat deserves a chance to take the helm and lead our country. Back to the main point, it is first our way of thinking that has to be removed before change can come. By having an undefined thought pattern, we would be able to see thing more clearly and that we would not simply be misled. By adopting different thinking patterns, we would realise that there really is no reason to stay silent at all and to support a dysfunctional government. When the people rises up with a renewed mind, then we will have the shaking that some of us are already ready for. Ini kalilah! Ubah! |
| Global donation drive to help voters from Sabah & Sarawak Posted: 19 Apr 2013 12:37 PM PDT 
THREE Malaysian NGOs have joined hands to launch a PayPal-based global donation drive to help registered voters from Sabah and Sarawak meet the costs of airfare returning to their hometowns from Peninsular Malaysia to vote. JomBalikUndi (JBU), the Facebook social media campaign encouraging citizens to fly home to vote, has teamed popular communication centre for human rights, Komas and Focus on Sarawak (FOS) for the donation drive, which was launched today. 
All donations will be exclusively directed to registered voters working in peninsular Malaysia whose constituencies are in Sabah and Sarawak. "Priority recipients will be low-paid workers and higher education students in the peninsula," said Kevin Bathman, a Malaysian living in Sydney and the brains behind JBU. "We hope to meet their return-trip airfare costs." "We are actually throwing our social media weight behind JBU Bah, which is already encouraging Malaysians from these states to go home to vote." "If you are not a voter for GE13, you can do the next best thing: help a Malaysian who can't meet the cost of travelling home to vote in East Malaysia." Donors may remain anonymous, but those choosing not to reveal their identity must seek permission from someone else through whom the donation may be made to a dedicated PayPal account. "We are appealing to people the world over," Bathman said, "including former Malaysians and citizens living overseas who will not vote in GE13 for one reason or another". Arul Prakkash of Komas said: "All beneficiaries of the donation drive are required to undergo a briefing session to become election observer "PEMANTAU" Recipients will then be able to observe election process and voting activity and help ensure free and fair election. They also can educate the community on voters rights and election process. Meanwhile Focus on Sarawak (FOS) will be giving training session on PACA (polling and counting agent). Recipients will then be able to monitor voting/counting activity. The NGOs say the training requirement is a key strategy in raising awareness of human rights in rural communities on Borneo Island. Komas will take responsibility for collection and disbursement of donations. While FOS will vet suitable recipients, JBU will focus on promoting the global drive on social media and reaching out to wealthy and caring individuals. Komas is also committed to delivering full reports of money received and distributed once Malaysia's 13th general election has been conducted. "All donations will be made online via email, so we will write back to these emails with a full accounting of how donations were used," said Komas's Executive Director, Prakkash. "We are talking about Malaysia's future. And some of us can do more than others to help build that future," said JBU's Bathman from Sydney. Jom Balik Undi Bah Campaign Facebook Registration form,seeking for air fair sponsor |
| To be or not to be greedy? Posted: 19 Apr 2013 12:27 PM PDT 
No doubt, sometimes life is easier with corruption rampant because with a bit of money we can continue living a luxurious life...why not right? We live our luxurious life ignoring the millions of other people who are suffering in the name of corruption. Hurray to our luxurious life and too bad for those who are suffering or will suffer! The greedy one And so it begins...
From today till Election Day, some Malaysians will be in a very confused state. Why? Because they are a bunch of very greedy people. In fact, all of us are greedy.
Hello there Fence Sitters. This article is written particularly for you! With all due respect, I write this article in good faith and not to put shame onto anyone. I myself am greedy. I reasoned myself for years to be less greedy but I failed miserably hence I am still a greedy person. And then I reasoned myself again but this time with a different method. I told myself that since I can't change my habit, I may as well just go along with it BUT I have a conscience because I still can determine what is right and wrong. So I made a decision. I decided to be greedy in a right way. Yes after my long story, I am still very greedy. I AM GREEDY FOR CHANGE!
Dear Fence Sitters,
It is no doubt that corruption is rampant in this country and yes we are part of it. For corruption to occur, there must be two or more parties involved and many times often than not, we the citizens are involved. Corruption has helped businesses soar so has it helped criminals continue living a life of luxury. We, the citizens of this beautiful country encouraged this act of disgust by voting in corrupt, disgusting and uncivilized leaders. We vote them in for our own benefits. I have had friends telling me they voted for certain leaders because they feel the leaders are corrupted. I was shocked to hear that but I was not surprised. No doubt, sometimes life is easier with corruption rampant because with a bit of money we can continue living a luxurious life...why not right? We live our luxurious life ignoring the millions of other people who are suffering in the name of corruption. Hurray to our luxurious life and too bad for those who are suffering or will suffer!
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| 2013 Election : PKR Places Hefty RM5mln Price Tag on Candidates to Prevent Defectors Posted: 19 Apr 2013 12:26 PM PDT 
(ntv7) - PKR has put a hefty 5 million ringgit price tag on its electoral candidates to prevent them from jumping ship after the general election. The party which was plagued by defection in the past is getting its candidates to sign a pledge before polling day. This was revealed by PKR deputy secretary general Steven Choong today when announcing PKR candidates for Johor. Based on the agreement letter issued by PKR its elected representatives, who opt to be independents, are also liable to pay the five million ringgit compensation. On the PKR candidates in Johor the party will be contesting in 12 parliamentary seats and 12 state seats. Among them is entertainer Dayangku Intan Tengku Abdul Hamid who will be challenging Datuk Azalina Othman for the Pengerang parliamentary seat. Dayangku Intan is the second singer contesting in the 13th general election under the opposition banner. The other is Wan Aishah Wan Ariffin who will be contesting against former Negeri Sembilan MB Tan Sri Isa Samad for the Jempol parliamentary seat on a PAS ticket. 2013 Election : PKR Places Hefty RM5mln Price Tag on Candidates to Prevent Defectors |
| Umno gives way to Ibrahim in Pasir Mas Posted: 19 Apr 2013 11:55 AM PDT 
(FMT) - The Perkasa chief will be facing PAS' Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz, who is the son of PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz. Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali will be defending his Pasir Mas parliamentary seat after filing his nomination papers this morning. He will be standing as an Independent. His chances were made easier when the BN/Umno candidate who was picked to contest in this seat decided not to contest. Pasir Mas Umno division deputy chief Che Johan Che Pa was present at the nomination centre but he did not file his papers. Ibrahim will be facing PAS' Nik Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz, who is the son of PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz. This is the first time Nik Abduh is contesting in an election. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/04/20/umno-gives-way-to-ibrahim-in-pasir-mas/ |
| DAP gets to ride the rocket for GE13 Posted: 19 Apr 2013 11:27 AM PDT 
(TMI) - The DAP can use its iconic rocket symbol for the May 5 general election after getting last-minute confirmation late last night, party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said today. He said the DAP headquarters in Kuala Lumpur received a letter by hand from the Registrar of Societies (RoS) at 10 last night, stating that it had no objections to the DAP using the logo, and that the Election Commission (EC) had informed all returning officers to accept nominations from the DAP. "All DAP candidates can now use the rocket symbol," Lim said after filing his nomination papers for the Bagan federal seat here. He said there had been no objections from the returning officer to the nomination forms using the party's authorisation letter, signed by him and accepted by the RoS. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/dap-gets-to-ride-the-rocket-for-ge13/ |
| GE13: Ong Tee Keat opts out of Pandan race Posted: 19 Apr 2013 11:23 AM PDT 
(fz.com) - Instead, in a surprise announcement, Ong's former private secretary Allan Tan said that he will take up the mantle and contest as an independent for the seat. Tan, 35, said he was contesting under the spirit of Ong. "I have received his blessing and will continue Ong' programmes that have served the people, " he said at the nomination centre. Ong, the former MCA president, had been hotly tipped to stand as an independent after he was dropped from the Barisan Nasional candidate list. But he surprised supporters this morning when he turned up near the nomination centre in Pandan and announced that he would not be contesting after all Amid cries of dismay from the crowd, Ong expressed his gratitude to his supporters although many had considered him as a winnable candidate. Read more at: http://fz.com/content/ge13-ong-tee-keat-opts-out-pandan-race |
| Former DAP rep turns independent in Teratai Posted: 19 Apr 2013 11:21 AM PDT 
(FMT) - The incumbent DAP state representative for Teratai, Jenice Lee Hing Ya has announced that she would be contesting as an independent. Jenice questions DAP's rationale in fielding MBPJ councillor Tiew Way Keng who does not have a track record of working for the people in Teratai. The incumbent DAP state representative for Teratai, Jenice Lee Hing Ya has announced that she would be contesting as an independent. DAP dropped Lee in favour of Tiew Way Keng who is a lawyer by training and had served as Petaling Jaya City councillor. Lee in a statement on her social networking page, Facebook questioned the rationale in fielding Tiew who had not worked in Teratai. "Democracy means the interest of the people must be prioritised. We contest on the request of the people. Even though the people support the party, the party should field the best person for the people. "Until now no (DAP) leaders have been able to answer on my question on this candidate who does not have a track record in Teratai. I hereby announce that I am contesting as an Independent candidate for Teratai today," said Lee. Teratai is one of two state seats under Pandan parliamentary constituency. In 2008, Lee defeated Lum Weng Keong of Gerakan with a majority of 8,085 votes. Lee polled 15,563 votes to Lum's 7,478 votes. Lee's decision to contest would make it a three cornered fight for Teratai. Gerakan is fielding newcomer, Liew Pok Boon for the seat. Papagomo drops out of race Meanwhile in another development, blogger Papagomo had announced that he was pulling out of the race to contest in Permatang Pauh to enable Umno's candidate Mazlan Ismail a better chance of victory against incumbent Anwar Ibrahim. "I have decided to support and be part of the BN machinery candidate Mazlan in defeating Anwar. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/04/20/former-dap-rep-turns-independent-in-teratai/ |
| Ketua Sekretariat Pakatan, 2 saksi video lucah ditahan Posted: 19 Apr 2013 02:28 AM PDT 
(Harakah Daily) - Ketua Sekretariat Pakatan Rakyat, Shabrimie Sidek (gambar) ditahan polis bersama dua saksi yang mahu mendedahkan penerbitan video fitnah lucah. Mereka ditahan di sekitar sempadan Malaysia-Thailand di Bukit Kayu Hitam, petang tadi.
Dua saksi terlibat dalam pembikinan video lucah berkenaan tetapi berpaling tadah dan sedia membuat pendedahan sebenar.
Badrul Hisham Shaharin atau Chegu Bard ketika memaklumkan kepada Keadilandaily berkata, tangkapan dibuat selepas Shabrimie dan dua saksi itu sudah melepasi pemeriksaan Imigresen di Bukit Kayu Hitam.
"Ini adalah tangkapan bermotif politik," kata Chegu Bard.
Menurut Chegu Bard, dua saksi tersebut bakal tampil di program KEADILAN di An-Nahdhoh, Kubang Semang, Permatang Pauh malam ini, dan akan membuat pendedahan terbuka berhubung penglibatan mereka dalam pembikinan video tersebut.
Ketua Umum KEADILAN, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dan calon Parlimen Sungai Petani, Datuk Johari Abdul dijangka turut menyampaikan ucapan. |
| Anwar Ibrahim's "clone" fails to make it to ceramah Posted: 19 Apr 2013 01:54 AM PDT 
(The Star) - The excitement over the appearance of a "clone" of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim fizzled out when the man failed to attend a ceramah in Kubang Semang. The man, believed to be from Thailand, is said to be the "actor" in the alleged sex tape featuring a man resembling the opposition leader. PKR candidate for the Sungai Acheh seat, Badrul Hisham Shaharin, said a police colonel from Thailand, who did a forensic investigation on the video, was also supposed to attend the ceramah with proof that Anwar was not the man featured in the tape. The group escorting the colonel is said to have been held up at a police station in Alor Setar. A forensic findings of the sex tape, however, made its way to the ceramah and was displayed to the public. The findings implied that Anwar was not the man in the video. |
| PKR man sacrified, DAP man becomes candidate Posted: 18 Apr 2013 09:23 PM PDT 
A bewildered Mas Gading PKR candidate is upset over the sudden decision to drop him a day after he was given the go-ahead by the party. Joseph Tawie, FMT Boniface Willy Tumek, who was until 1.45 pm today, the PKR candidate for Mas Gading, has threatened to take legal action against his party after he was forced to return the PKR's letter authorising him to contest in the May 5 general election. A distraught Tumek said he was both stunned and sad when told to return the letter. Speaking to reporters at a hastily organised press conference, Tumek said: "As a party man, I have returned the letter as I do not wish to see PKR contest against DAP. "I have to look at a bigger picture. But I have been working day and night for the past two years in Mas Gading, and this is how I have been treated. "I know I have much much better chance given the squabbles in Barisan Nasional." Tumek was last night named the Mas Gading candidate and given his letter by PKR operations room director Sabaruddin Mohd Yasim. He was among 14 candidates who were issued consent letters. Sabaruddin told newsmen that "he was authorised to announce only these 14 names given to me by the de facto leader of PKR Anwar Ibrahim". But this afternoon in a sudden twist of events, Mordi Bimol of DAP was given the mandate to contest as a Pakatan Rakyat candidate. The latest development was announced by See Chee How, Sarawak PKR vice-chairman, to a group of reporters who were equally stunned. PKR and DAP have been in a tussle over three seats. Both want to field candidates in Miri, Stampin and Sri Aman. PKR gets two seats Last night PKR chief Baru Bian said PKR should be given at least one Chinese seat. It is learnt that PKR had to sacrifice the Mas Gading seat for a right to contest in Miri and Sri Aman. READ MORE HERE |
| Ambiga incensed over ‘Rama or Ravana’ remark Posted: 18 Apr 2013 09:18 PM PDT 
The Bersih co-chairperson sees red over P Waythamoorthy's remark that it does not matter if Rama or Ravana rules. Detractors are convinced that Waythamoorthy pocketed a handsome sum in return for his allegiance but the Hindraf leader claims that he did so because BN is willing to agree to the movement's terms of uplifting the Indians whereas Pakatan Rakyat ignored them. RK Anand, FMT On that November morning, tens of thousands clogged the major arteries of the nation's capital. That event would later be heralded as a defining moment of political empowerment. Heeding the call of Hindraf, these people came from all over the country, braving tear gas, water cannons and police batons in the attempt to highlight their plight. The authorities' high-handed response to the protest and the subsequent detention of five Hindraf leaders saw Malaysian Indians, who until then were considered true blue supporters of Barisan Nasional, cast their ballots in favour of the opposition in the 2008 polls. Much has changed since then and Hindraf's influence has waned due to the infighting, which forced its top leaders to go in separate directions. And now, six years after that mammoth protest, the movement's self-proclaimed leader P Waythamoorthy, who spent several years in self-imposed exile in London, during which he championed the Hindraf agenda and condemned BN in the international arena, has made a 180 degree turn. He has inked an agreement with BN and called on Indian voters to back Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's administration in the general election, a move which has drawn widespread condemnation. Detractors are convinced that Waythamoorthy pocketed a handsome sum in return for his allegiance but the Hindraf leader claims that he did so because BN is willing to agree to the movement's terms of uplifting the Indians whereas Pakatan Rakyat ignored them. 'What kind of message is this?' Asked how she felt about the latest development, Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga preferred to withhold her comment, pointing out that Hindraf is free to enter into political pacts of its choice. However, the former Bar Council president is appalled by Waythamoorthy's statement based on the Hindu epic, "Ramayana". After inking the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Najib, the Hindraf leader remarked that it did not matter if the nation is ruled by Ravana or Rama. According to Ambiga, this is a wrong message to send out to the community and children. "I am horrified that Waythamoorthy said it does not matter whether Rama or Ravana rules. This is shocking since Ravana is seen as the embodiment of evil and Rama, the embodiment of goodness. "Furthermore, this message is intended for the Indians and the Hindus revere Lord Rama," she said. "I am utterly shocked that he is selling this idea that it does not matter if the ruler is good or evil and that it is all right to negotiate with evil. What kind of message is that?" she added. Uthayakumar: I am shocked Waythamoorty's decision has also shocked his brother, Uthayakumar, who also addresses himself as the de facto leader of Hindraf. Speaking to FMT, he said Waythamoorthy only emerged in the picture after the five were detained under the Internal Security Act. READ MORE HERE |
| Wife takes over baton from husband Posted: 18 Apr 2013 09:09 PM PDT 
The DAP incumbent for Kota Alam Shah state seat M Manoharan has been dropped but his wife has taken up the challenge and will contest as an independent. K Pragalath, FMT Kota Alam Shah incumbent M Manoharan was dropped by the DAP in favour of another Hindraf member. But, his wife S Puspaneela is having none of it. She will be contesting the Kota Alam Shah state seat as an independent. Puspaneela's entry would make it a three-cornered fight for the constituency. She is confident of creating an upset against her two opponents from the DAP and PPP. "The last time, my husband won on sympathy votes. The people know me and they know my family. I am contesting because the people want me to do so. I have the support of the residents in Kota Alam Shah," said the 52-year-old woman. Manoharan was dropped by the DAP in favour of another Hindraf member and Shah Alam city councillor V Ganabatirao yesterday. Manoharan, Ganabatirao, P Uthayakumar, R Kenghadharan and K Vasanthakumar were the leading figures of Hindraf and rallied Indians to the streets of Kuala Lumpur in November 2007. Following the rally the five were detained under the now defunct Internal Security Act. Manoharan was fielded in absentia by the DAP and beat Gerakan's Ching Su Chen in the 12th general election. Manoharan polled 12,699 votes against Ching's 5,515 votes. Manoharan won with a majority of 7,184 votes. BN is fielding Information, Communications and Culture Deputy Minister Maglin Dennis D' Cruz who is also PPP's senior vice-president. Puspaneela pointed out that both BN and Pakatan Rakyat had failed to field a female Indian candidate in Selangor. When asked about her immediate concerns in the event she became a State Legislative Assembly representative, she said that she would focus her efforts on assisting single mothers and continue following up on the work done by her husband. Maglin, when contacted, was upbeat about defeating Puspaneela and Ganabatirao. "It does not change anything. There are so many things that even the state government can't achieve. What more can an independent do? People must think of what they want and who can get things done for them," said Maglin. Ganabatirao could not be contacted for comments. Manoharan, meanwhile, claimed that he was left in the dark on why he was dropped. He maintained that he is still a DAP member. READ MORE HERE |
| Anwar’s ‘sex video clone’ to be revealed Posted: 18 Apr 2013 09:02 PM PDT 
The Thai national is expected to make an appearance at a ceramah in Permatang Pauh tonight. (FMT) - The supposed clone used in the sex videos which implicated Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to make an appearance at a ceramah tonight. The person, who is a Thai national, will be making an appearance at the 'Bongkar' (exposed) ceramah in Penanti, Permatang Pauh, which is Anwar's constituency, after the evening prayers. Harakahdaily.net quoted Permatang Pauh parliament representative Zainol Saad as saying that all the accusations against Anwar will end when the actor comes forward. "Umno and BN will be trapped again. The kampung people will not believe this allegation again," he said. Zainol claimed that the allegations are part of an Umno plot to embarass the top leadership of Pakatan Rakyat. Meanwhile, news of the supposed clone's appearance was also reported in the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia. Utusan quoted former Terengganu PKR secretary Fakhrul Azman Abu Bakar as stating that Anwar plans to bring two "clones", the other resembling PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali. Mustafa Ali was also implicated in a sex video, which he had since denied. In another report, Utusan quoted former PKR Youth secretary-general SD Johari Yasin as saying that Anwar is attempting to create the impression that the sex videos are false. "If this man really exists, then Anwar should take him to court… don't only take him to ceramahs but let the court decide," he added. |
| DAP to try using Rocket symbol tomorrow Posted: 18 Apr 2013 08:58 PM PDT 
All party candidates will also carry an authorisation letter from either PAS or PKR so that they can use the 'moon' or the 'eye' symbol if the Rocket is rejected by the election officer. (FMT) - DAP will use its Rocket symbol when its candidates file in their nomination papers tomorrow morning. However the candidates will also have authorisation letters from PAS or PKR in the event the returning officers reject the DAP symbol. 'We are not confident that they will accept our symbol but we will try. If they do reject our Rocket, we will use either the moon (PAS) or the eye (PKR)," said an emotional DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng during a press conference in Penang this evening. Lim said that all DAP candidates have been issued with two sets of authorisation letters – one from DAP which allows the candidates to use the Rocket symbol, and another from PAS to allow DAP candidates in Peninsular Malaysia to use the moon symbol, and from PKR for DAP members in Sabah and Sarawak to use the eye symbol. He said that the DAP candidates will first submit DAP's letter of authorisation and if it is rejected by the returning officer during nomination process, they will then submit the authorisation letter given by PAS or PKR. "This is a very sad day. We are being denied the chance to use our beloved symbol," said Lim. He said the Barisan Nasional government was employing underhand tactics to defeat DAP by refusing the party to chance to use its Rocket symbol. "We are very angry. The party is very angry. Our supporters are very angry, and our leaders are upset as it is very painful not to be able to use our Rocket for the general election," he said. "BN is playing dirty to use this tactic to knock out the DAP even before the battle has started," he said. ROS' de-recognition
He said DAP has not received any official undertaking from the Registrar of Societies to withdraw its letter dated April 17 which stated that the ROS does not recognise DAP's newly elected Central Executive Committee (CEC) due to the dispute surrounding the party elections in December last year. The de-recognition comes partly due to the party's alleged failure in providing ballot papers to 753 delegates who were supposed to be electing the party's CEC. In the letter, the ROS had warned that the explanations put forth by the party leadership with regard to the disputed matters must be satisfactory or DAP faced the risk of being de-registered. READ MORE HERE |
| Air, land or sea: Malaysian expats plan election exodus Posted: 18 Apr 2013 08:03 PM PDT 
There are more than a million Malaysians living overseas from a population of about 28 million people – enough to make a real difference come election day. Rob O'Brien, Asia Correspondent Malaysian voters living abroad will be mobilising in their thousands to make the dash home for the 2013 election to make their vote count. And nothing, it seems, will stop them. From Singapore, Australia and across the region, to the US and UK, voters will be travelling by car, bus and plane to vote in an election ear-marked as a once-in-a-generation opportunity for change. There are more than a million Malaysians living overseas from a population of about 28 million people – enough to make a real difference come election day. Buoyed by the online activism that spurred the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa, Malaysia's bloggers and campaigners have been encouraging people to make the trip home. "We saw successful social media campaigns like the (2008) Obama election, the Arab Spring and the 'Israel Loves Iran' campaign, and wanted to emulate something that would bring expatriate Malaysians worldwide together to show their support and solidarity towards Malaysians at home," says Kevin Bathman, an expat Malaysian living in Sydney. His Facebook-driven campaign – called 'Malaysia, It's Time for Change' – shows images of Malaysian voters and their messages of hope and it has quickly picked up a following online. "Many of us have family and relatives and our bond is still very strong, so we felt we needed to do something to show them that they were not alone," he adds. A similar campaign, organised by Singapore's Bersih movement - a branch of the global Bersih campaign for transparency in Malaysia – is offering a car pooling service for expat Malaysians in the city state. Coaches are also being booked to travel to places as far away as Penang and Ipoh in the Northeast of the country. There are between 300,000 and 500,000 Malaysians living in Singapore; the Bersih campaign will match drivers and passengers to get as many voters back over the causeway. The big voter migration has been pushed by growing doubts that votes cast overseas will really count. Previously, only Malaysian students, civil servants and members of the armed forces living overseas were allowed to vote by post. However, In January Malaysia's Election Commission (EC) mandated that overseas citizens who had registered to vote and had returned home at least once in the five years before an election would be allowed to cast absentee ballots. But arrangements haven't been clear. MyOverseasVote, a London-based campaign group dedicated to securing the right to vote for all Malaysian citizens living overseas, says there is still uncertainty about how and whether they will be able to vote by post. Malaysia's ruling Barisan Nasional coalition was returned in the last election in 2008 but the Opposition took more than a third of parliamentary seats – a huge setback for the government and one of its worst results since 1969. Part of the government's dismal showing in 2008 was put down to the rising influence of Malaysians online. William De Cruz, part of the team behind the 'Malaysia, It's Time for Change' Facebook campaign, says that no one is really convinced of the EC changes to postal voting. He will be flying home with his wife to vote even though he is now eligible to register for postal voting in Sydney. "Malaysia is still a long way from a proper, transparent and verifiable postal vote," he says. The internet has become a critical medium for voter participation and Malaysians are vocal critics of their government; increasingly it is social networks that are being used by young Malaysians eager for a change. A Facebook group called '100,000 People Request Najib Tun Razak Resignation' has amassed more than 250,000 likes. "Malaysia's young have decided they want a say in the country's future – you only have to see the reports and view film footage of past rallies calling for reform to see this – and social media is their platform," says De Cruz. "It's the best way to raise awareness of the idea that as Malaysia heads to its most important election ever, every vote must count." |
| GE13: Malaysia EC warns Singapore over foreign-registered vehicles Posted: 18 Apr 2013 07:59 PM PDT 
Rob O'brien, Asia Correspondent A little over two weeks out from polling day in Malaysia and tensions with its neighbour over the causeway have been cranked up with the Malaysian Election Commission (EC) urging the Singapore Government to do more to stop expats returning to vote in foreign vehicles. In an attempt to prevent the car pooling being planned in the city state ahead of polling day, authorities said Malaysians coming home to vote on May 5 can only cross in a Malaysian-registered vehicle. It also urged Singapore's Foreign Ministry to investigate reports that registered private vehicles were being used to send Malaysian voters home to vote. Malaysia's ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is facing its stiffest challenge in its six decades in government after losing a a third of its Parliamentary seats in the last election. Fears about the issuing of absentee ballots has led to the hundreds of thousands of Malaysian expats in Singapore opting to cross into Malaysia by car, bus and or on foot in order to cast their votes. On Wednesday Singapore's Foreign Affairs Ministry received a 'memorandum' regarding a Singapore-registered car in the Malaysian state of Johor, which had logos supporting the campaign of a political party in Malaysia. According to reports in local newspapers, EC deputy chair Dato Wan Ahmad said: "Singapore authorities should also investigate if Singapore cars are used to help in the Malaysian general election. I believe Singapore Government likewise does not want to see cars from the neighbouring countries involved in its own general election. There should be mutual respect and sensitivity with each other." A number of campaigns have been urging overseas Malaysians to return home to vote. Bersih Singapore, a Singapore-based activist group, set up a car pooling service with a website matching Malaysian drivers with Malaysian passengers online. Ahmad said that if passengers are Malaysian and they are travelling in vehicles hired by Malaysians they would be fine, but he advised the Singapore Government to investigate the identity of the car owners or the people hiring the vehicles "to avoid the issue of foreigners interfering in the internal politics". The EC also warned voters against waving campaign slogans, which is banned under Malaysia's election laws. Slogans can't be used after the end of the campaign period on the eve of polling day. Vehicles transporting voters can only bear party flags but not campaign slogans or party labels, the EC said. The EC's warning is a sign of the high stakes of the 2013 election and the need to ensure that voting runs as smoothly as possible. |
| On the Eve of Nomination Day Posted: 18 Apr 2013 07:21 PM PDT 
Marina could not explain what those rocket flags meant other than, "Itu bendera parti PAS Cina (those are the flags of the Chinese PAS party)'. 'PAS' here meaning 'opposition', of course, just like 'Colgate' means 'tooth paste', Lux means 'bathing soap' and 'Panadol means 'pain killers', etc. Never did Marina suspect 20 years ago that 'PAS Cina' would one day become a reality. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Kit Siang: RoS move may hamper DAP win in Gelang Patah (TMI) - DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang today admitted that his chances of winning in the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat may be affected by the Registrar of Societies' (RoS) move to block the DAP from using its party logo for the 13th general election. "My chances of winning in Gelang Patah from 50-50 before the announcement to field Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, then 45-55 with Ghani's candidacy. "With the ban on using DAP's symbol, my chances are only 40, while Ghani's is 60 per cent," an emotional Lim said at a press conference at the DAP headquarters here, referring to his decreasing chances against his rival from the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition with the surprising turn of events just two days before tomorrow's Nomination Day. Lim, who was seen shedding tears during the press conference, said voters would be confused if the DAP is forced to borrow the symbols of its coalition partners in Pakatan Rakyat (PR). "If until 3pm this afternoon, RoS does not issue a retraction letter, we will use the logos of component parties," Lim said, referring to the DAP's two allies in PR, PAS and PKR. ************************************************* DAP to contest under PAS, PKR tickets (The Sun Daily) - DAP will not be able to use its rocket symbol in the coming general election, following two letters issued by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) on Wednesday – just three days before nomination – which in effect render the party's office-bearers impotent. As a consequence, the DAP at an emergency meeting last night had decided it will contest under the PAS logo in the peninsula and the PKR logo in East Malaysia unless the Registrar of Societies (ROS) revokes its April 17 letter which de-recognised the party's office-bearers by 3pm today. ************************************************* PAS VP welcomes usage of party logo by DAP (The Sun Daily) - PAS vice president Datuk Husam Musa welcomes the usage of the party's logo by DAP to contest in the upcoming general election. Husam said this move would also help increase votes for both the Islamic party and its partner DAP. "This I believe is the real unity for Malaysians," he said in a press conference at the party's media centre here today. He said PAS has also started preparing the surat watikah (authorisation letter) for DAP to use the Islamic party's logo for the election. ************************************************* (Bernama) - The People's Progressive Party (PPP) will come up with respective manifestos for each of the five seats allocated to the party in the 13th General Election. Its president, Datuk Seri M. Kayveas, said the pledges in each manifesto of a parliamentary constituency and four state seats would differ, according to the importance and needs of the people in the respective areas. "Each manifesto will have eight points on why they (the voters) should choose Barisan Nasional (BN), and also the promise to enhance their living standard," he said. ************************************************* We have less than 24 hours to go to know who is going to be contesting where and how many three-, four-, five-, six-, or more-corner fights we are going to see on 5th May 2103. Nevertheless, for sure this is NOT going to be a one-on-one general election as we had hoped for and had tried to fight for back in 2010. Yes, three years ago, back in 2010, just two years after what many regard as the 'historic' 2008 general election, some of us such as Haris Ibrahim and I already anticipated that we would be seeing what we are seeing today. And we discussed this with anxiety and decided to try to do something about it. No, I will not say 'I told you so' because many of you are going to get angry mainly because, as the Malays say, siapa makan cili dia rasa pedas -- and many of you rasa pedas for sure even without me having to say 'I told you so'. Hence I will not say 'I told you so'. Do you remember the various reasons why we launched the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) in London back in 2010? And do you remember that one of these various reasons was to see a one-on-one contest and to avoid three-, four-, five-, six-, or more-corner fights? And do you also remember the meeting we from Friends of Pakatan Rakyat had with Anwar Ibrahim when he visited London around that same time and which we reported about? And do you remember, as well, the public dialogue session in London that we had with Anwar, Tian Chua and Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim, which you can see on YouTube (where I 'waved' in Anwar's face a copy of The People's Declaration that was signed with Pakatan Rakyat in February 2008)? No, I am not saying 'I told you so'. I am just reminding you of all these events because 'Melayu mudah lupa', as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is fond of saying. Then we who mooted the idea of MCLM were accused of attempting to trigger three-corner fights in the coming general election in spite of us explaining that our objective was to prevent and not to trigger three-corner fights. Whatever we said was not accepted and Pakatan Rakyat still insisted that our objective was sinister and aimed at triggering three-corner fights. That was when I decided to announce that we are abandoning the 'independent candidate initiative' since Pakatan Rakyat is opposed to it and is saying that this initiative is aimed at sabotaging Pakatan Rakyat. Then Haris Ibrahim turns around and whacks me and says that this was never discussed and agreed upon (which means the initiative was not abandoned) and then he subsequently resigned from MCLM. Anyway, as I always say, all I need to do is keep quiet and wait because eventually, even if it takes ten years, what I say will be proven. And, today, it has been proven. So there! But I am still not saying 'I told you so'. Next issue. In an emotional press conference yesterday, Lim Kit Siang said that if DAP can't contest under its own logo then this would cost the party some votes and maybe even some seats. This is actually quite true. And that was why Barisan Nasional was formed more than a year before the 1974 general election. The voters recognised the kapal layar logo of the old Alliance Party but not the dacing of the new Barisan Nasional so they needed enough time to promote the new logo. Hence if DAP contests under a 'new' logo this may confuse the voters. If this was 40 years ago back in 1973 I can understand that the voters might be confused and need more than a year of 'education' to understand that the dacing has replaced the kapal layar. I mean, back in 1973 the voters were not that educated. However, today, 40 years later in the era of the Internet and the information revolution, are you saying that this is still a problem? So you see, when I said that the Malaysian voters are still not that mature enough I meant it. The Malaysian voters are not the thinking type of voters. Even in the west or more advanced nations this is also true to a certain extent. In the UK the voters vote for Conservative, Labour, LibDem or any of the other parties. And they will still vote for these parties even if these parties contest without any logo. But not in Malaysia, it seems. I remember 20 years or so ago my wife, Marina, and I, together with our son and daughter, made a trip to Ipoh and the town was flooded with party flags and my son, Azmir, asked about those strange rocket flags. Being from Terengganu, he had never seen these flags before. Marina could not explain what those rocket flags meant other than, "Itu bendera parti PAS Cina (those are the flags of the Chinese PAS party)'. 'PAS' here meaning 'opposition', of course, just like 'Colgate' means 'tooth paste', Lux means 'bathing soap' and 'Panadol means 'pain killers', etc. Never did Marina suspect 20 years ago that 'PAS Cina' would one day become a reality. 
DAP's 'angry bird' logo for East Malaysia that I propose Next issue. It appears like we have the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat Election Manifestos plus each political party has its own separate manifesto plus separate manifestos for each state. Wow! It looks like we are going to end up with 350 different manifestos in the coming general election. This must certainly be a world record of sorts. Why can't they all make it simple and reduce it to just one 'universal' election manifesto and simply declare that The Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10th December 1948 is going to be adopted after the general election is over? Do you know that even after 56 years of Merdeka Malaysia is still not a signatory to The Universal Declaration of Human Rights? And, may I ask, why not? Our neighbours such as Thailand and the Philippines are. Even 'rouge' nations such as Iran, Iraq, Cuba, Afghanistan, Burma, the Republic of China, etc., are. So why can't Malaysia adopt The Universal Declaration of Human Rights as our 'election manifesto'? It is no use presenting hundreds of different election manifestos when we refuse even to endorse a simple, complete and precise 'manifesto' such as The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. And if you adopt The Universal Declaration of Human Rights then 90% of the problems facing the country would be automatically solved. And go read it here to understand what I am talking about. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights: http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml |
| Don't shoot rakyat in the foot, ABU warns PR Posted: 18 Apr 2013 05:04 PM PDT 
Alyaa Alhadjri, The Sun Daily Pakatan Rakyat will be "shooting the rakyat in the foot" if they fail to resolve all overlapping claims for seats come nomination day tomorrow, warned advocacy group Anything But Umno (ABU) chief Haris Ibrahim. Haris said any three-cornered fight involving more than one PR candidate against Barisan Nasional will dash the people's hope for change after the 13th general elections. "Politicians should remember that the seats belong to the rakyat who are merely giving them a 'temporary occupation license' for five years," Haris told theSun on Wednesday. "In the situation where there is more than one PR candidate, the desire for change would be impossible to achieve," he stressed. Haris said this was proven during the Bukit Selambau by-election in 2009, when PKR's candidate S. Manikumar trounced MIC's Datuk S. Ganesan, despite presence of 11 other 'Independent' contenders, whom he claimed were planted by BN. "PR only had one candidate, so the people were not confused," he said. Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia representative A. Jayanath meanwhile said PR had more than five years since 2008 to prepare for the polls and as such it was "very disheartening" to hear of their last minute jostling for seats. Jayanath noted that the political tsunami in 2008 when BN was denied their customary two-thirds majority in Parliament was due to straight fights in most constituencies in the peninsular. "The feeling on the ground is 'why are we left with this choice?' (between two opposition parties)," said Jayanath, citing as an example the expected three-cornered fights between BN, PR and Parti Sosialis Malaysia in Semenyih and Jelapang. |
| BN’s Pandan hopeful Gary Lim hit by professional misconduct, fraud allegations Posted: 18 Apr 2013 04:32 PM PDT 
Debra Chong, TMI Barisan Nasional's (BN) Pandan candidate Gary Lim is likely to face a disciplinary hearing of the Malaysian Bar to answer allegations of professional misconduct and fraud, in a development that will cloud the lawyer's chances in the May 5 polls. The Malaysian Insider understands a hearing before the disciplinary committee of the Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Board (ASDB) is likely after the Bar received complaints of legal misrepresentation and potential fraud against the 38-year-old old Lim, who was earlier this week named as the coalition's man for the Pandan parliamentary seat. It is understood the complaint involves allegations of misrepresentation involving a major law firm here. He is also alleged to have breached a condition of his legal practise certificate. "He's likely to face a hearing of the disciplinary committee," a source with the Bar Council said, on condition of anonymity. The ASDB is a body set up by law to investigate professional misconduct. Lim denied knowledge of any investigation over professional misconduct allegations when contacted last night. "I don't know," he told The Malaysian Insider over the phone. He said he had not been informed that he was under any probe nor had he received any show-cause letter from the Bar Council as at the time of contact. According to Lim, the council will initiate its own inquiry and issue a letter to the lawyer being investigated to defend himself first before being referred to the independent disciplinary board. He added that it depended on the kind of alleged misconduct, which could range from a client being dissatisfied with the lawyer's service to something more serious, such as fraud. "I have very little knowledge of what's going on," he said, of affairs in the legal fraternity. The lawyer, who is replacing incumbent Pandan MP Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, said he had stopped his legal practice about a year ago due to his duties as the MCA legal bureau chief for the party's Pandan division. READ MORE HERE |
| BN-Hindraf alliance: Anwar’s shame Posted: 18 Apr 2013 03:50 PM PDT 
I was terribly disappointed to learn of the BN/Hindraf alliance. What could have easily been one of Anwar Ibrahim's most shrewd political manoeuvres has instead left him and the PR hierarchy looking like a bunch of first year amateurs. Today was when Anwar should have made amends for his past. FMT LETTER: From Oliver Gomez, via e-mail It could have been the day when Anwar Ibrahim finally exorcised the ghosts of Umno past. Here is a man once mercilessly betrayed by his colleagues and left to die in a hole somewhere. Had Mahathir gotten his way, it is no stretch to think that Anwar Ibrahim would have become nothing more than a footnote in the sordid history of the National Front. Against unbelievable odds, however, Anwar defied his former mentor and two subsequent Prime Ministers to rise up, a seemingly renewed man, to finally become a legitimate challenger for the highest public office in Malaysia. It is a striking story and indeed, one that roused the imagination of the long dormant Malaysian public. I must admit that a few short years ago, I myself was deeply taken by this awe inspiring story. Anwar Ibrahim is scarily intelligent and highly charismatic. That is of course to say nothing of his natural talent for public speaking. I can therefore understand that in the current political climate, Anwar Ibrahim is almost unimpeachable to those of us who are sick and tired of BN. Yet let us not forget that the same man was once held up as the future of the utterly corrupt National Front. He has so many times in the past, made appearances at Umno assemblies, declaring in typically rousing fashion that he is a champion of the concept of 'Ketuanan Melayu' or 'Malay Superiority'. At the same time, he would appear under the banner of the National Front and claim to be fighting for the rights of all Malaysians. This time, and for as long as BN remains corrupt and practices race based politics, my vote will be for PR and by extension, its de facto leader. One thing I will never allow myself to forget however, is the disgusting hypocrisy that Anwar Ibrahim displayed during his time with the National Front. A day that will live in infamy Remember this date: April 18, 2013. I was terribly disappointed to learn of the BN/Hindraf alliance. What could have easily been one of Anwar Ibrahim's most shrewd political manoeuvres has instead left him and the PR hierarchy looking like a bunch of first year amateurs. Today was when Anwar should have made amends for his past. At this point, it can be said with confidence that many of us going to the ballots are more concerned with voting against BN than anything else. While on the surface this viciously anti – BN mentality does no damage to PR, there is very much the other side of the coin to consider. In the run up to GE13, PR can fully expect to capitalize on a massive wave of public vitriol towards BN (possibly all the way to Putrajaya). The PR top dogs however must realize that this situation will not last indefinitely. There will come a time when merely pouncing on public sentiment against BN is no longer enough. Why should PR give a crap? In order to remain a serious choice, PR must pre – empt the inevitable softening of public opinion. Its leaders will have to take serious and measured steps to actively shore up their support base. Currently, PR is simply an alternative. In order become a solution, it must actively generate intelligent and sustainable methods of their own so as to send Malaysia back to the top of the pile in South East Asia and beyond. For the purposes of this article, I will only concentrate on one of these methods: PR must reach out to sections of the Malaysian public most in need of help and protection. As a result of decades of institutionalized racism and sheer force of evil will, BN has made it so that this section of the public happens to be overwhelmingly Indian. Given the extent of voter fraud, the fact that BN have the EC practically bought and paid for, as well as the ongoing ICgate scandal in East Malaysia, PR should have known that they would need every last legitimate vote to count. In the short term, this was a golden opportunity for Anwar & Co to acquire much needed support against the BN election machine. In the mid to long term, PR could have galvanized the Malaysian citizenry by taking a lead role in championing the rights of the most marginalized in our society. If nothing else, this move would have secured a huge chunk of Indian support for PR in the upcoming elections. Further, had Anwar and the rest of the Opposition leadership made Hindraf a priority, PR could very well have dealt a permanent and fatal blow to the ineffectual and frankly incompetent MIC. After all, supporters of Hindraf had lost untold millions to the Maika Holdings scandal. Hindraf was a potent reaction to what the marginalized Indian public rightly saw as complete neglect on the part of Samy Vellu's MIC to their plight. It would have been an amazing piece of history had Hindraf been convinced to shun the one alliance with a party that supposedly caters to Indians. The act alone would have highly symbolic in that it would have brought to attention the fractious and ultimately broken nature of BN's race based politics. Had Anwar & Co succeeded, they would effectively be giving the one fingered salute to BN's ineffectual divide & conquer style of politics. Instead, we bore witness to PR's awful complacency towards the people who are in the most need of PR's help. Through sheer inaction, Anwar and the PR leadership practically herded an entire section of the Malaysian public right back into the mouth of the lion. READ MORE HERE |
| ‘Get Jayabalan out… or else!’ Posted: 18 Apr 2013 03:42 PM PDT 
Penang PKR grassroots leaders threaten mass resignation if incumbent, S Raveentharan, is not fielded in Batu Uban for the 13th general election. Athi Shankar, FMT GEORGE TOWN: A group of current and former PKR grassroots leaders here have given the party leadership a 24-hour deadline to replace T Jayabalan, the proposed parachute candidate for the Batu Uban state seat. Permatang Pauh PKR division's Indian community leader, N Ponnusamy, said if incumbent assemblyman S Raveentharan (photo) is not given the seat, about 2,000 Indian members in Penang would leave the party. "After all the hard work out put in by Raveentharan, a stranger comes to take away his seat. We vehemently oppose the candidacy of Jayabalan. It's an injustice to him. "If the party leadership does not change its stand, PKR can expect a severe backlash from Indian members," Ponnusamy said at a press conference in the constituency today. Raveentharan, who was present, said that he felt "betrayed and ostracised" by the party's decision to dump him for Jayabalan. "I'm a victim of backstabbing and malicious lies." A former PKR vice-chairman of Batu Kawan division, A Loganathan, claimed PKR had shown little gratitude for Indians who voted for change in the 2008 general election. He said over the past five years, PKR had shown no respect or appreciation to sacrifices made by Indians for the party.
Indians who served well overlooked
Loganathan said grassroots leaders recruited some 11,500 Indian members to the party in 2008. But many, he said, have left the party due to lack of recognition, appreciation and even respect. READ MORE HERE |
| PSM to lock horns with Pakatan in two seats Posted: 18 Apr 2013 03:36 PM PDT 
However, the party's candidates in Sungai Siput and Kota Damansara will face one-on-one duels with BN. K Pragalath, FMT Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) will be on a collision course with PKR for the Semenyih state seat in Selangor and the Jelapang state seat in Perak, which will be three-cornered fights. However, PSM will have one-to-one battles with Barisan Nasional in the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat in Perak and Kota Damansara state seat in Selangor. "Sungai Siput incumbent Dr D Michael Jeyakumar has just spoken to Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. "We have been informed that PKR would issue authorisation letter to Jeyakumar and our chairman Nasir Hashim, the incumbent in Kota Damansara without conditions," announced PSM secretary- general S Arutchelvan who is also the PSM candidate for Semenyih. Earlier, Arutchelvan rejected PKR's conditional offer for the authorisation letter from PKR secretary-general, Saifuddin Nasution. Saifuddin had previously dangled the authorisation letter, hoping that PSM would back off from Semenyih and Jelapang. "Our sole condition is that PSM will not contest against Pakatan Rakyat in three-cornered fights in any other seats," he had said. "In all negotiations, we win some and lose some. We believe that PSM can understand this and will not contest against Pakatan in three-cornered fights in any other seats. READ MORE HERE |
| MIPAS condemns P.Waythamoorthy Posted: 18 Apr 2013 02:33 PM PDT 
Who is he (Wathyamoorthy) to sell our rights to BN without our consent? S.Barathidasan, Secretary General Malaysian Indians Progressive Association (MIPAS) Malaysian Indian Progressive Association (MIPAS) and many Indian NGOs strongly condemn and express its regret over Hindraf Chairman P.Waythamoorthy's signing the endorsement agreement of the Hindraf blueprint and turning to become a Barisan Nasional supporter. Who is he (Waythamoorthy) to sell our rights to BN without our consent? No one knows about the blueprint and the content of the blueprint. There wasn't consent from the Indians in Malaysia before he signed the blueprint. What was he (Waythamoorthy) doing these past five years for the Indian? He knew that most of us doesn't have an IC and birth certificate. Why didn't he form a committee to act on this if he was really concerned about the welfare of the Indians and their rights. He only fasted when the election was around the corner. What was he doing for the past five years? It all seems very apparent that he was acting on the instructions of UMNO and it was all merely a gimmick to raise sympathy for Indians. Please tell him it does not work anymore and ask him to stop watching Tamil drama. Waythamoorthy, stop being racist. This is Malaysia. As citizens of Malaysia we should be concerned about our brothers and sisters from other races as well, not only for Indians. Wake up please!!! When P. Uthayakumar, M. Manogaran, R. Kenghadharan, V. Ganabatirau and T. Vasantha Kumar were detained under ISA, DAP, PKR and PAS worked together to fight for them, not BN. When their familes suffered, DAP, PKR & PAS were helping them, not BN. Who the hell are you to ask the Indians to vote for BN? Zulkifli Noordin, Ridhuan Tee Abdullah and many others before this who belittle the Indians and Hindu religion are your BN's conglomerates. We are not cheapskates like you, willing to sell the dignity and pride of the Indian community. You are redundant; willing to do anything for MONEY. Indians of Malaysia, please ask for change (UBAH). Enough is Enough, do not listen to Waythamoorthy anymore. Furthermore, we Indians do not want this kind of leader who act like coarse grass "ETHAPEN". MIPAS speaks for the Indians in Malaysia that we do not need this kind of leader. Stand like Datuk S.Ambiga as the iron lady, not as a coward like Waythamoorthy. Thank you, Best Regards, S.Barathidasan Secretary General Malaysian Indians Progressive Association (MIPAS) |
| GE13: ROS: DAP can use symbol for elections Posted: 18 Apr 2013 01:41 PM PDT 
(The Star) - Candidates from all political parties are required to hand in a letter of authorisation from the party leadership allowing them to contest under their party symbol. If he was not recognised as secretary-general, Lim said, the letters of authorisation to the candidates would be worthless. The DAP has not been de-registered and can still use its symbol for the 13th general election, said Registrar of Societies director-general Datuk Abdul Rahman Othman. He added in a statement here that the ROS office informed DAP on Wednesday that it was studying the party's registration following a dispute among its members. Pending the resolution of the dispute, the ROS, as provided for under Section 3A of the Societies Act 1966, did not accord recognition to the office bearers of the committee formed in party elections on Dec 15 last year, he said. "However, DAP has not been de-registered and it can still use its symbol in GE13," Abdul Rahman added. Bernama quoted him as saying that investigations into party elections would proceed. In a sudden press conference yesterday night after their emergency CEC meeting, DAP said it would give the ROS until 3pm today to revoke the letter derecognising their central executive committee members. Failing which, party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said they would instruct all their candidates to use the PAS and the PKR symbols when handing in their nomination forms tomorrow. Lim reiterated that all 53 parliamentary seat candidates and 103 state seat candidates would then use the PAS symbol in Peninsular Malaysia, and the PKR banner in Sabah and Sarawak. At another press conference earlier in the day, Lim had claimed that the non-recognition of the CEC appointed after the party elections rendered his position vacant. With regard to the elections, he noted that candidates from all political parties are required to hand in a letter of authorisation from the party leadership allowing them to contest under their party symbol. If he was not recognised as secretary-general, Lim said, the letters of authorisation to the candidates would be worthless. Separately, EC deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said DAP would be allowed to contest using its own symbol if the ROS' decision only involved not recognising the central executive committee. In Kelantan, PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu said PAS would allow DAP to use its symbol in the general election. |
| Ansari: PKR ‘betrayed’ us Posted: 18 Apr 2013 01:37 PM PDT 
(FMT) - PKR supreme council member Ansari Abdullah, who has been with the party for 14 years, claims PKR failed to honour its promise of autonomy to Sabah divisions. Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto leader of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition of which PKR is a member, has been accused of not being sincere in wanting to return political autonomy to Sabah. Ansari Abdullah, the Tuaran PKR chief, said the party in rejecting three-quarters of the candidates proposed by the seven divisions in the Sabah west coast north zone, showed that the party's headquarters was adamant about maintaining control of the state from Kuala Lumpur. "The seven proposed candidates' names which were announced recently is not my list. It is not Ansari's line-up. It was the decision made by the respective divisions in the west coast north areas," he said late yesterday. "We were promised of the autonomy to make decision as stipulated in the Buku Jingga and Kuching Declaration. Unfortunately, three-quarters of the list was rejected. "Of the seven candidates, only two made it. Sad to say, the party has failed the [sincerity] test. "PKR has failed to show its sincerity, failed to show that it is practising autonomy. "So today, all of us will have to go back to our respective divisions to explain the situation and will make a decision on any future undertaking." He denied that he was being a sour-grape over not being nominated for a seat. "The real issue here is not about me being a candidate, it is about us being promised autonomy but autonomy is not here. "It is about the division making a decision, but the decision is not respected. It is about the promise to treat us as equal partners," he said. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/04/19/ansari-pkr-%E2%80%98betrayed%E2%80%99-us/ |
| Deregistration ‘threat’ that wasn’t Posted: 18 Apr 2013 01:34 PM PDT 
Had the DAP immediately called an EGM to seek ratification of the results by the delegates or called for a new vote, the matter would have probably ended there. Gobind Rudra, FMT The Registrar of Societies couldn't have timed it better if he had deliberately sought to create public sympathy for the DAP and provide the party with an emotional stick with which to beat up the Barisan Nasional. Sure enough, his letter to the DAP withholding recognition of the party's central executive committee provided the impetus for high drama, a crisis, and grandstanding by the DAP and Pakatan Rakyat, with accompanying news headlines heightening the siege mentality (well-founded in the past) by which the party has thrived for all these years. Cast aside the emotion, and start at the beginning: the DAP dug a hole for itself when it announced a "spreadsheet error" in tabulating the Dec 15 party election results. The central committee changed the order of votes, and announced a slightly different line-up from that reported at the party convention, allowing Zairil Khir Johari into the CEC, three weeks after the convention. Had the DAP immediately called an extraordinary general meeting to seek ratification of the results by the delegates or called for a new vote, the matter would have probably ended there and not landed on the Registrar's desk. Instead, the central leadership dealt with the problem internally, no doubt in a businesslike manner through audits, before submitting the amended results to the Registrar. By doing so, they provided him a reason to question the results. If there is any doubt about the CEC election results, it follows that the same doubt applies to the status of the central committee, which came into existence as a result of that election. The Registrar's letter to the party on Wednesday records that logic. When he said that he could not give recognition to the central committee, did the Registrar have any other option? A doubtful election means the CEC itself is also doubtful. The Registrar has given the DAP 30 days to answer his queries about the election results and another matter of 700 or so members not being given proper notice of the party convention. That keeps the DAP still in business: the Registrar has not declared the elections null and void, or the central committee null and void. Any decision about the legality of the elections would only come after the party has replied. Stand by for some extra election eve drama, then. The latest date for the DAP to reply is May 17. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/04/19/deregistration-%E2%80%98threat%E2%80%99-that-wasn%E2%80%99t/ |
| Breathless build-up to Malaysia elections Posted: 18 Apr 2013 01:27 PM PDT 
(World News Australia) - "It's never been this close so I think there is a real potential for interfering with what's going on and, you know, I don't want to talk about problems that are not there but people are talking about what happened in 1969" Billed as the closest contest in Malaysia's history, the country's general election is due to take place on May the 5th. (Transcript from World News Australia Radio) For decades, the United Malays National Organisation - known as UMNO - has controlled Malaysia through coalition governments. But in recent years the country's opposition has been making up ground with promises to end corruption, cronyism and authoritarian rule. In 2008, the opposition had its best ever electoral result which saw the UMNO-controlled National Front coalition lose its two-thirds majority for the first time. Five years later, next month's election is rated as the biggest test of the governing party since Malaysia gained independence from Britain more than five decades ago. The winds of change have been blowing in Malaysia, a country that's been ruled by the same governing party for more than 50 years. Known as the United Malays National Organisation, or UNMO, it's the main party in the National Front ruling coalition and its leader is Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak. He's had that job since March 2009, taking over as Prime Minister just months after his party lost its two-thirds majority for the first time in the 2008 election. That was when the opposition, led by Anwar Ibrahim, secured 82 of the 222 seats in parliament and won five of Malaysia's 13 states. The opposition has since lost control of one of those states but now has 86 seats in the parliament. In the lead up to this year's general election, Mr Najib is trying to reverse the opposition's gains by spending his way out of trouble. As Malaysia analyst Clive Kessler from the University of New South Wales puts it, the Prime Minister has been playing Santa Claus politics. "Giving out goodies left, right and centre for the last six months at least but he's been playing Santa Claus, the reason being that, in a sense, the writing has been on the wall for a long time and at least since the previous elections, the last election in 2008 that the UMNO have lost all confidence and trust among non-Malay voters, largely, and at the same time their ability to command and control a large part of the Malay vote is also declining." Liam Hanlon is a political analyst at Cascade Asia Advisors, a United States-based research firm focused on southeast Asia. Mr Hanlon says this year the Malaysian government's budget provided bonuses to 1.3 million civil servants, cash for low-income families, rebates for smartphones and a cut in the income tax rate. "They're really feeling the heat from the opposition's resurgence so, you know, it's almost worse off this time with these kind of subsidies and cash handouts because both coalitions are so keen on maintaining these kind of populist policies that lure voters in, but really skate around necessary fiscal reform and long-term fiscal management." Malaysia is a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society with ethnic Malays making about 60 per cent of its population, the Chinese about 26 per cent and the remainder are Indians and indigenous peoples. While they're a minority, the Chinese are generally the most wealthy while the majority Malays are the dominant grouping in politics. Since the early 1970s, the Malays have been the beneficiaries of positive discrimination in a range of areas, something the opposition wants to change. Political analyst Liam Hanlon says Malaysia has a long history of fiscal imprudence and putting an end to this quota system which favours Malays would be good for Malaysia's economy. "This would have clear benefits. Public contracts would now be awarded on the basis of their usefulness and potential to yield larger returns rather than any kind of racial preferences or ties to the government. I think it would open up the domestic economy, reinvigorate its competitiveness, and more importantly it would send in an important signal to international investors and businesses that Malaysia will, in theory, now longer run on cronyism and these kind of race-based preferences." Read more and listen to the podcast at: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1757890/Breathless-build-up-to-Malaysia-elections |
| Tindak Malaysia founder in Bukit Aman for questioning Posted: 18 Apr 2013 01:22 PM PDT 
(fz.com) - Wong is being investigated under Section 124C of the Penal Code which involves attempting to commit activity that is detrimental to parliamentary democracy. Tindak Malaysia founder Wong Piang Yow, who is under investigation for offences against the state, arrived at the police headquarters in Bukit Aman for questioning this morning. Wong, who arrived before 9am, was accompanied by a small group of supporters protesting against the police action and carrying signs with "Abolish SOSMA", "Don't use SOSMA to stop the people" and "Don't threaten rakyat with SOSMA". Wong is being investigated under Section 124C of the Penal Code which involves attempting to commit activity that is detrimental to parliamentary democracy. Section 124C falls under Chapter VI (Offences Against the State) of the Penal Code and is a security offence under the 1st Schedule of the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma). Bersih co-chairman, Datuk Ambiga Sreevanesan who was present said the authorities were trying to build a case out of nothing and that it was "utterly ridiculous" to charge Wong under Section 124C. "I cannot imagine how they even think for a moment that they have a case to investigate under Section 124C," said Ambiga. "As far as I am concerned, this is just intimidation. PY Wong and his group of ordinary citizens is doing useful training and they have been doing it for years. "They stopped training on randomisation of ballots since October last year. Bersih is against randomisation but all they (Tindak Malaysia) are saying is that to protect the secrecy of your ballots, you just choose," she said. Read more at: http://fz.com/content/tindak-malaysia-founder-bukit-aman-questioning |
| GE13: Selangor's Seri Andalas may see 6-cornered fight Posted: 18 Apr 2013 01:15 PM PDT 
(fz.com) - The state seat of Seri Andalas may see a six-cornered fight in the May 5 polls. Incumbent Seri Andalas assemblyman Dr A Xavier Jayakumar said the seat will see not just candidates from MIC and Hindraf, but Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air (Kita), Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se Malaysia (Berjasa) and even an independent are also apparently eager to join in the fray. Although Jayakumar, who is also PKR Kota Raja division chief, is unperturbed by the amount of competition he faces, he said his main opponent is MIC Youth leader T Mohan. "Huge resources are being poured into these areas by MIC to get this seat back," he told fz.com. Jayakumar had defeated MIC's A Kamala Ganapathy in the 2008 general election, receiving 20,258 ballots against Kamala's 10,005 votes. "They've been conducting lucky draws during their ceramah," he said, adding MIC has been dishing out all sorts of goodies, including motorcycles, to residents during its programmes. However, he said there is a lot of internal politics within MIC which may affect the party's campaign. MIC Kota Raja division chief R S Maniam is said to have been campaigning for a long time in the area, hoping to be selected by the party leadership for Seri Andalas or the Kota Raja parliamentary seat. However, he was not chosen to contest in both constituencies. The selection of outsiders – Mohan and MIC secretary-general Datuk S Murugesan – to contest in Seri Andalas and Kota Raja respectively has caused discord within the local MIC community. Mohan and Murugesan would probably have to rely on their own resources to build rapport among locals through the Umno and MCA machinery, which is weak in the area. Asked about the threat posed by Hindraf de facto leader P Uthayakumar, Jayakumar said he did not see the controversial Indian rights movement leader as one. According to Jayakumar, the Hindraf leader does not have a strong team to back his campaign. Also, Uthayakumar has not done much to build rapport and garner support from the people there. Read more at: http://fz.com/content/ge13-selangors-seri-andalas-may-see-6-cornered-fight |
| Malaysia edging closer to polls Posted: 18 Apr 2013 01:12 PM PDT 
(Australia Network News) - Malaysia will go to the polls in just over two weeks, with current Prime Minister Najib Razak facing a strong challenge from Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim. The current Government is playing on the country's economic strengths and achievements, while the Opposition is promoting greater unity and harmony for the multicultural country. Watch video at: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-04-17/malaysia-votes-in-two-weeks/4635976 |
| HINDRAF distances itself from Waytha & P.M Najib Razak Posted: 18 Apr 2013 01:02 PM PDT 
UMNO cheats more, Pakatan cheats less P.Uthayakumar, De-facto leader Hindraf Hindraf has nothing to do with Najib's signing some document with some hijackers this evening . This has never been the Hindraf struggle. No, it is not acceptable on the eve of GE. As the seniormost & De Facto leader of Hindraf we ask for delivery first of the 18 point demands dated 12/08/2007 which are already over 5 years long overdue & with almost zero delivery save & except for the UMNO hampers and rice packets etc for the Indian poor. Or at least the 5 demands first before GE (that was reported in Malaysiakini 3 months ago). The Hindraf political directions remains the same ~ do not vote for UMNO/BN. Voting for Pakatan is up to the individual as Hindraf is not prepared to take responsibility for PR's non delivery to the Indian poor as the y have not delivered in the 5 PR's States. To the Indian poor BN cheats more & PR cheats less. We want change but not for PR to be replaced with the UMNO clone. To this effect I am going ahead with contesting in Kota Raja & Seri Andalas. P.Uthayakumar |
| An Open Letter to Mr P Waythamoorthy and Hindraf Committee Members Posted: 18 Apr 2013 12:52 PM PDT 
Benjamin Loi Dear Mr P Waythamoorthy and Hindraf Committee Members: First of all, I wish to express my most heartfelt congratulations on your success in ending more than 50 years of hardships endured by your fellow Indians in Malaysia. As you ended your hunger strike not too long ago, now is the time of celebration to enjoy sumptuous food, Indian curry chicken is my favourite food, I think you like it too. Your achievement is remarkable and I think the Malaysian Government should nominate you for the Martin Luther King Legacy Award in America for your sacrifice to make significant contributions in race relations, justice and human rights in Malaysia. If they reject the Malaysia government's nomination, it is still okay as you may still be conferred a Datukship or Tan Sriship after 5th May 2013 in Malaysia, as in the case of Jelapang ADUN Mdm Hee Yit Foong, who, like you, fearlessly fought for justice and equality (Mdm Hee was not provided a state-sponsored vehicle when she was with Perak PR-led government, it was really not fair and just to her). Nevertheless, I felt very prompted to write you a letter when I heard of your history-making achievement at 5pm this afternoon. I just simply want to share a family story with you… More than 50 years ago, my daughter Indianah was conned into giving herself to a guy called Ummnooo. Ummnooo has always treated my daughter like a nobody; mental torture and verbal insults are part or parcel of her daily life, and sometimes physical abuse. In spite of more than 50 years' requests to grant her proper "status", Ummnooo just wants her to remain stateless so he can continue his arrogance and threaten to send her back to me so he can use it to embarrass my entire family. Sometimes I feel my daughter is just a sex toy to him - no status, no money, no security and there was one occasion where Umnooo kept on kicking and hitting the head of my daughter's pet, a cow … calling her stupid while torturing her pet in front of so many people. More than 50 years of suffering suddenly comes to a very interesting twist when another handsome guy Pi-R appears. If I am not wrong, Pi-R told my daughter to leave Ummnooo and elope with him. He promised a better future and would treat her with honour, dignity and respect. I am not sure whether Pi-R can be trusted but when Ummnooo found out Pi-R was after my daughter Indianah, he first tried to threaten her, slapped her and said: "I can live without you, get lost now". My daughter really did it in 2008 and she eloped with Pi-R. The thick-skinned Ummnooo realised how important my daughter is to him. My daughter is hardworking and most of the time Ummnooo does not even bother to provide allowance for her and she has to stay hungry sometimes. Where to find such a good and cheap labourer??? So Ummnooo started a new strategy to win my daughter back. Firstl he went to Korea to have comestic surgery to make him look nicer, younger and of course stronger. He has come to my daughter many times after the surgery and continued to make even more beautiful promises. I am happy and worried at the same time. Ummnooo may have changed his ugly face through surgery but there is no way he can change his heart overnight. And Ummnooo's relatives and friends have never failed to cast disparaging remarks on my daughter, one of them is Puki-flee. Yesterday somebody told me he was going to stand as a candidate in the election, puki puki…pui!!! And I am very afraid that Ummnooo may get influenced by his relatives and friends and start to torture my daughter again. My daughter is very very confused now. Someone who has called her a whore for 50 years is now treating her like a young pretty princess and since she has slept with Ummnooo on the same bed for more than 50 years, she is going to give Ummnooo a chance. I respect her decision and at the same time, I think I owe Pi-R a debt of gratitude for without Pi-R Ummnooo will never realise how important my daughter is, Ummnooo will never appreciate her sacrifice and surely he will continue to torture her and let her remain "stateless". I just told my daughter this afternoon: "Ummnooo has never loved you, never cherished you … but he merely needs you now to satisfy his urgent "needs" … Indianah, you don't have to thank Pi-R, but neither do you have to be unkind to him (because Ummnooo asks you to accuse Pi-R of being a seducer). Oh oh, sorry for the digression and I am getting a bit emotional…sorry sorry… Last but not least, I sincerely wish all my fellow Indian friends the best! With Love & Warmest Regards, Benjamin Loi |
| Party Logo and Election Posted: 18 Apr 2013 11:33 AM PDT 
DAP will use the PAS symbol in Peninsular Malaysia and the PKR symbol in Sabah & Sarawak for the 13th general elections unless the Registrar of Societies (ROS)'s cowardly and dastardly attempt to assassinate the Rocket is withdrawn by revoking its 17 April 2013 letter not recognising the office-bearers of the Central Executive Committee(CEC). Lim Guan Eng By not recognising the office-bearers of the CEC elected by the delegates on 15 December 2012, I have no power to issue authorisation letters in my official capacity as Secretary-General to DAP
candidates to use the Rocket symbol.
The DAP CEC in its meeting tonight decided that ROS must revoke its letter not recognising the office-bearers in the CEC by 3pm tomorrow on Friday.
Failure to do so will result in the DAP directing its 53 parliamentary candidates and 103 state candidates throughout the country to contest in the next general elections under the PAS symbol in Peninsular Malaysia and the PKR symbol in Sabah and Sarawak. There is no point in relying on assurances given by the Election Commission(EC) that DAP can still use our Rocket symbol when the EC possesses a sad record of broken promises that has caused the entire electoral process to be neither free, fair, independent nor neutral.
For the ROS to issue this letter 48 hours before nomination day on 20 April 2013 is clearly intended to kill off DAP's electoral prospects by forcing all DAP candidates to be independent. Using the ridiculous excuse that no proper notice was sent out resulting in 753 delegates not attending the Party National Congress is illogical and irrational as then all party national conventions that does not have 100% attendance should also be taken action. Why only the DAP but not other political parties in BN?
Clearly ROS intends to assassinate the Rocket to fulfill the grand design of BN to take out the DAP from contending in the general elections. Knowing that BN component parties will be facing a stern challenge from DAP candidates, BN has adopted the shameful and dirty approach of preventing DAP from contesting by using our beloved Rocket symbol. Such desperate attempts to win by BN is victory without honour and makes a mockery of the entire electoral process.
If ROS refuses to withdraw this letter, then the whole electoral process in the 13th General Elections will be both flawed and fraudulent if DAP can not be allowed to use the Rocket. The DAP CEC urges all party leaders, members and supporters to be calm and let the anger of such disgraceful underhand tacticsbe reflected strongly in the ballot box on 5 May 2013. |
| I Have a Voice Too! Posted: 18 Apr 2013 11:24 AM PDT 
If you who are eligible voters and candidates are not gonna stand up and speak for us then I have no choice but to step up to fill the role. Hey, although we are not yet eligible to vote, we are still citizens of Malaysia, and I believe that we, students, deserve the right to be heard too! Asher Lim Does it ever bother you how the streets are just over-saturated with blue flags, that everywhere you go, it's just a sea of blue? Have you ever wondered how is it that BN seem to find that much money despite the country being so heavily in debt to hold countless banquets that have been causing all the traffic jams lately? Does it bother you that our PM doesn't seem to be keeping his promise to observe that there will be a clean and fair elections despite having signed the Transparency International-Malaysia agreement? Does it bother you even more that whenever someone raises concerns about the transparency of the coming GE-13, BN seems to do everything in their power to silence their voices? Does it bother you that up till today, officials still can't give an answer the politically-linked deaths of Teoh Beng Hock and Altantuya? And how is it that the clues and evidence seem to all have been tempered with? Does it bother you at all? If it does, then what is it that you are doing? Voting? That's good, but is it really going to help if there is not going to be a clean and fair election? No! Everywhere I look around, I see people, being afraid of the government they 'elected', if they won it fair and square in the first place. Is this democracy? No! There is no such thing as democracy based on fear. You see, from my point of view, this has become tyranny wearing the mask of democracy! Can anybody explain how is it that BN could win 63.1% of seats in 2008 when they only got as much as 50.27% of votes? You tell me, how does that even tally? I remember being in National Service, and how they held this so called 'simulation' of the elections but yet, we hardly learned anything about it at all. There was no mention about how zones are classified, how the number of seats are determined. Is it because they are too afraid to let the younger generation know how dirty it actually is? Then there was this so called 'Ceramah 1 Malaysia' from a Ministry known as the Jabatan Penerangan Malaysia. In his 2 hours of very political talk, he asked the question: "Adakah ini bersih atau kotor? Adakah ini bersih atau kotor?", to which I almost stood up and shouted back: "Adakah ini ceramah 1Malaysia atau ceramah BN? Adakah ini ceramah 1Malaysia atau BN?" What kind of 'taktik KOTOR' is this? Even the under-aged are not saved from the brain-washing of BN even though they are not eligible yet to vote. Teenagers today are being exposed to all these lies too and yet we can hardly do anything about it! I have been confronted not once but several times about my postings on Facebook. I also have people complaining to those 'above' me saying that my postings on Facebook are inappropriate. Why the fear? Why? Let me tell you this, if you are given rights and power but are too afraid to use it, to exercise it, it will surely be taken away from you. A classic example would be our freedom of speech. People did not rise up to speak for themselves and thus allowed the amendment of the Sedition Act to pass. People were afraid for reasons that weren't valid. Maybe it was because the sources of media during those days were entirely controlled by the government, but not so today anymore. With the Internet, we get to hear both sides of the story and see from a third person point of view, see an 'aerial' view of the situation with access to the media of other countries, which of course in NS, they tell you it's foreign powers jealous of the 'harmony' in Malaysia that they are attempting to sabotage the country and spoil the 'good' name, yes, 'good' name of our PM. If you who are eligible voters and candidates are not gonna stand up and speak for us then I have no choice but to step up to fill the role. Hey, although we are not yet eligible to vote, we are still citizens of Malaysia, and I believe that we, students, deserve the right to be heard too! With all the lies that are being told to my peers, I can't help but feel the responsibility to speak my mind and to speak the truth. Will you continue to allow this brain-washing to occur? Maybe you're afraid of what could happen to you should you stand up and speak, and I don't blame you, with cases like Teoh Beng Hock's and Altantuya's. But that gives us more of a reason to actually stand up and speak. It is not the 'what could be' that matters now, it is the 'what should be' that matters. The Malaysia that should be will never be if we continue to stay silent and allow every hanky-panky to go by under our very noses. Let not Teoh Beng Hock's death come to nothing, let it end in change! He died believing that Malaysia deserves better! All that needs to be done by the Rakyat is just to speak up and let their voices be heard, then BN will learn that it is the Rakyat that has the power, not them, and that they can't just do anything and expect to get away with it. I know that there are many of us who are aware of the situation in Malaysia and that many of us are already ready for change, but it is not enough to cast your votes into the ballot box. Malaysia needs a movement, one even of a larger scale than all the previous BERSIHs combined. Everyone must recognise their rights and speak up. It doesn't have to be marching down Putrajaya and confronting the PM face to face, it can come in many ways like through writing articles, poems, songs, etc. I am sure that if everyone speaks up, they, the ones at Putrajaya will be shaking with fear and will wet their pants knowing that they are about to lose everything. Let's be honest. We can see all sorts of dirty tactics being used by BN to maintain their power, and with the most recent being the ROS sending a letter to DAP telling them that their central executive committee is not recognised just 2 days before the nominations. That is an outrageous act and in DAP's secretary general, Lim Guan Eng's own words, biadap! This shows a country run with people without dignity and honour. This is it, this is the dying gasp of BN, they have gone all out to use every single dirty tricks up their sleeves to ensure that they stay in power. Now it is the rakyat's turn to respond, not by arms but through unity, through the common believe that this country deserves better! By taking the time an effort to write this, I hope that I may inspire you to take up the courage to stand up for the common believe that Malaysia deserves better, that we deserve better. We can no longer wait, the time is now, it is time to speak up and let your voices be heard! It is time to bring a wind of change! Ini kalilah! Ubah! |
| Taliban a la Malaysia Posted: 17 Apr 2013 07:42 PM PDT 
A certain group of people in our Chinese community, while not embracing the same religion as the Taliban, carry out their operations in an unmistakable Taliban fashion. Tay Tian Yan, Sin Chew Now Michelle Yeoh and Eric Moo get the blasts. All because they are going to attend the Dinner With PM in Selangor and a 1Malaysia event in Penang, earning them the names of "stooges," "traitors" and 'spies'" Michelle Yeoh is the pride of Malaysia. No other Malaysians, Chinese Malaysians in particular, have shone this brightly on the international arena, while Eric Moo has been internationally acclaimed for his talents in musical creations and stage performances. If any foreigner has come to the knowledge that some of the people of a country would abhor and trample with such intensity their compatriots just because of their self-centred political stand, I am afraid they will try to steer clear of this country for the sake of their own safety. This is extremism the Taliban style, or cruelty characterising the most primitive of African tribes. But unimaginably such oddities take place right here in Malaysia, a country that has worked so hard to position itself as a mild, moderate, liberal and civilised state. If this is what we call democracy, I cannot help but to feel sorry for this kind of democracy. If this is what we call freedom, then I'm afraid we will need to mourn the passing of real freedom. Conducting senseless persecutions and threatening others holding dissident beliefs in the name of democracy and liberty are very much acts of dictatorial populism. I have always been thinking that we should assess artistes based merely on their artistic talents, not ideological affinity. In the past, we disapproved of PAS' moves to mobilise its followers to boycott the shows of Elton John and Beyoncé Knowles because of their own religious values. In a similar manner, when the government blocked the concerts of Aril Lavigne and Erykah Badu, many stood up and protested: "You don't want to see, but that doesn't mean you should stop others from seeing." This is the fundamental respect for democracy and liberty. While you have every right to defend your religion, you cannot stop other people from embracing theirs. You can support a political party of your choice, but you cannot assail others for their political affiliations. You can stay away from the Dinner With PM, but you cannot stop others from attending it, or humiliate Michelle and Eric. You choose to stay away, but that does not mean you are right or more righteous and noble. The only reason you don't attend is because you hold different political stand from other event participants. Taliban denies education for women, so they wanted to gun down female education activist Malala Yousafzai. And because Taliban endures no other religions, they blasted the Buddha statues in Bamiyan. And also because Taliban wants to erect the most puritanistic religious society, they would exterminate anyone disagreeing with them. A certain group of people in our Chinese community, while not embracing the same religion as the Taliban, carry out their operations in an unmistakable Taliban fashion. |
| PKR still working on candidates’ list Posted: 17 Apr 2013 07:33 PM PDT 
Party hopes to iron out niggling problems in its final candidates' list for a number of parlimentary and state seats Alyaa Azhar, FMT PKR is working to resolve its candidates for several seats which the party will be contesting in the 13th general election. After a closed meeting between PKR candidates and the party's de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim today, the candidates were given their watikah (letters of authorisation). However, the candidates for a number of seats were not announced, including both the parliamentary and state seats of Negeri Sembilan, and even the Batu parliamentary seat. At a press conference later, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali said that Anwar will be holding talks with party leaders this evening and hoped to finalise the list. As for the Labuan parliamentary seat where both PKR and PAS are now staking a claim, he said that negotiations were still ongoing. "Everything will be discussed by both parties [PKR and PAS] and we still hope for a one on one fight between Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional," said Azmin. PKR wants to field corporate bigwig Ibrahim Menudin while Labuan PAS had announced that its information chief Hadnan Mohamad would be the Pakatan candidate for the seat. On the Semenyih state seat, he said that PSM had been told of PKR's decision to field Serdang PKR division chief Hamidi Hassan and PKR is now awaiting a response from PSM. PKR considers all views Yesterday, PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan said that PSM will contest the seat using its own party symbol if PKR stood by its decision to field Hamidi for the Semenyih seat. READ MORE HERE |
| Your slip is showing (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 17 Apr 2013 06:35 PM PDT That is just one example of many similar comments. I find that the Chinese always like to boast about how pragmatic they are due to their 5,000 years of civilisation. Even Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad admitted that the Chinese are very pragmatic and he lamented that the Malays are too emotional and feudalistic and not pragmatic like the Chinese. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin One reader sent me an email complaining that his comment was 'rejected'. He accused me of blocking his email address but when I tried posting the comment that he sent me I discovered that his comment is too long. And that was why he could not post the comment. He should have broken the comment into two parts. Nevertheless, he assumed that I had blocked or rejected his comment. The 2,000 character limit is to ensure that spammers do not copy and paste nonsense running into 20 pages or more and post them in Malaysia Today. They have done this before. Furthermore, the spammers post many copies of the same comment. Hence we have had to set a time gap of three minutes between postings. Another problem we face is DDOS attacks. Over the last month we have been under severe attack almost 24-7, as have many other websites and news portals. These attacks come from all over the world and I was told that hackers take control of millions of computers all over the world to launch these attacks. And that is why we find it so difficult to track them down and block them. They are using 'middlemen' to attack us. Your computer may be one of those millions of computers all over the world commandeered by the hackers to launch these DDOS attacks. Hence you may find your IP address blocked by our server. I suppose we shall have to treat that as collateral damage until the 5th May 2013 general election is over. According to our technical people, this mode of attack would cost a lot of money so whoever is financing these attacks must have very deep pockets indeed. Below is one comment from a reader regarding my two articles on principles. Sometimes, pragmatism trumps over principles. How many dinners does one need to organise to raise hundreds of millions for Nurul Izzah to counter Raja Nong Chik's hundreds of millions? The idea was dead from the start. That is just one example of many similar comments. I find that the Chinese always like to boast about how pragmatic they are due to their 5,000 years of civilisation. Even Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad admitted that the Chinese are very pragmatic and he lamented that the Malays are too emotional and feudalistic and not pragmatic like the Chinese. I suppose 'pragmatic' is a better word than 'unprincipled' -- such as 'meticulous' rather than 'leceh (slow)', 'friendly fire' rather than 'oops', 'collateral damage' rather than 'kambing hitam (sacrificial lamb)', 'flexible' rather than 'wishy-washy', 'firm' rather than 'pig-headed', 'decisive' rather than 'uncompromising', 'faith' rather than 'lack of evidence', and so on. It is merely a choice of words and what people would call 'politically correct' rather than 'propaganda'. In short, what this reader is saying is matlamat menghalalkan cara (the ends justify the means). I actually like that doctrine. My doctor friend tells me that a glass of wine a day is very healthy and a glass of brandy helps cure your cough. Can I, therefore, drink a glass of wine a day and down a glass of brandy every time I cough (and I cough a lot as those who phone me can confirm)? My objective is to stay healthy and cure my cough so the wine and liquor that I drink would achieve that. And does not the ends justify the means or matlamat menghalalkan cara? So haram becomes halal just as long as your intentions are noble (matlamat yang mulia). Talking about noble intentions, Islam says that all Muslims are brothers/sisters. So, in the interest of noble intentions and for the sake of maintaining the Islamic brotherhood, if a Chinese candidate from the opposition contests against a Malay candidate from Umno, whom should we support? Remember, as the Chinese say, we need to be pragmatic and not idealistic or emotional. The pragmatic thing would be that if we support a Malay candidate against the Chinese candidate then we would be able to strengthen the Muslim brotherhood, as Islam wants us to do. So, do you really want to choose pragmatism over idealism? Now back to the issue of the fundraising exercise for Nurul Izzah. One reader posted a comment saying that people refuse to support the fundraising exercise not because they do not support Nurul Izzah but because they hate me. I like it when people get snared in my traps. Actually, there were two fundraising dinners. One was organised by Nurul Izzah's own team and the other by someone else but I sponsored the whole event. Hence I was not involved in the first and only a handful of people knew about my involvement in the other -- at least until the dinner was over. And both dinners managed to raise about the same amount of money. Hence how goes your theory that people did not support Nurul Izzah's fundraising exercise because they hate me? Even Nurul Izzah's own team could not do much better. Using that same logic, if you hate Azmin Ali then is it okay if you do not support Pakatan Rakyat Selangor? What if you hate Anwar Ibrahim? Is it okay then to not support PKR? Why do you people not want to admit your failings and shortcomings? Why always try to deflect and put the blame on someone else? Just admit that you are all talk and no action. The more you squirm the deeper you get snared. So now it is okay to not support the cause if you hate one person. That gives me the moral high ground to not support Pakatan Rakyat because I hate certain people in Pakatan Rakyat. These are your ground rules and we are just playing according to your ground rules. This is typical of Malaysians, in particular the Chinese, Indians and natives of East Malaysia. Dr Mahathir proudly said that in five general elections he never lost his two-thirds majority in Parliament and then you turn around and whack Dr Mahathir and blame the Malays and ask the Malays to 'wake up'. Dr Mahathir said he never lost his two-thirds majority in Parliament in 22 years but in 1990 Kelantan, which is in the Malay heartland that has more than 97% Malay voters, was lost to the opposition. In 1995, DAP garnered only 12% of the votes and won 9 Parliament seats while PAS-Semangat 46 garnered 15% of the votes and won 13 Parliament seats plus they retained Kelantan. In 1999, the opposition won Kelantan and Terengganu and Umno lost its two-thirds majority in the Kedah State Assembly (after the Lunas by-election) plus Umno lost more than half the Parliament seats in that state. PAS also won the most number of seats and the PAS President became the Opposition Leader in Parliament while Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh lost their seats in the 'Chinese heartland'. So what do you have to say about that? What do you mean that the Malays have to wake up? Why try to deflect and not admit who is to blame for this? Why try to blame others for your failings and shortcomings? And Nurul Izzah can't raise enough money because people hate Raja Petra Kamarudin konon and not because you are all talk and no action. What utter bullshit! You are so full of shit I can smell it all the way from Manchester. So, nak cakap lagi? What is the word they use? Kiasu? ********************************** 你快站不住腳了 這只是其中一個留言。我發現華人很喜歡吹噓他們在5000年歷史的洗禮下變得如何的務實。就連敦馬哈迪也承認華人是很務實的而他為馬來人的情緒化與封建感嘆。 原文：Raja Petra Kamarudin 譯文：方宙 一位讀者給我發了封郵件，向我投訴他的留言被'拒絕'了。他指責我'封'了他的郵址，但儅 我嘗試著要把他的留言放上網時我發現他的留言實在是太長了。這就是他放不上的原因，他應該把留言分成兩段。無論如何他假定這是我在阻止他發言。 那2000個字的上限是爲了防止那些垃圾邮件发送者在MT上拷貝和張貼那些可以長達20頁的胡言亂語，他們之前曾那樣做過。不止這樣，他們還會重復的張貼同樣的留言，所以我們設下了3分鐘才可以張貼第二段留言的設置。 另外一個問題是DDOS攻擊。在這個月裏我們受到很嚴重的，近乎24小時的攻擊。其他的新聞網站也一樣。這些攻擊的發源地來自全球各地，而我還被告知那些駭客同時閒操作著上百萬的電腦來進行這些攻擊。這就是爲什麽我們很難將他們定位和封鎖他們的原因。 你的電腦可能是這上百萬被駭客用來進行攻擊的其中只一，所以你可能發現你的IP地址會被我們的服务器封鎖。我猜想直到5月5號我們還是會遭到這大選的'附带损害'。根據我們的技術員，這類的攻擊是很耗錢的，背後操手的口袋肯定很深。 以下這段留言是一名讀者對我那兩篇有關原則的文章所發的： 有時候實用主義會勝過原則。你要舉辦多少個晚宴才能幫努魯湊獲上億元來對付 Raja Nong Chik's 呢？這個主意打從一早就失敗了。 這只是其中一個留言。我發現華人很喜歡吹噓他們在5000年歷史的洗禮下變得如何的務 實。就連敦馬哈迪也承認華人是很務實的而他為馬來人的情緒化與封建感嘆。 我想'務實'比起'沒原則'更好聽吧----就像是'細緻'對比'leceh（慢吞吞）'，'誤傷'對比'噢慘了'，'附帶損害'對比 'kambing hitam (代罪羔羊)'，'靈活'對比'左右搖擺'，'堅定'對比'固執'，'決定性的'對比'永不妥協'，'信念'對比'缺乏證據'等等。這只是名詞上的選擇而以，就像很多人會說'政治上是正確的'而不是'宣傳'。 簡短的說，這位讀者要表達的是matlamat menghalalkan cara（目標可以合理化方法）。我其實很喜歡這個講法。我的醫生朋友告訴我一天一杯紅酒對身體有益，而一杯白蘭地會幫你止咳。這是不是代表我每天就可以喝一杯紅酒和每儅我一咳嗽時我就應該來一杯白蘭地呢（那些曾打電話可我的人可以證明我會經常咳嗽）？ 我的目標是保持健康和醫好我的咳嗽而紅酒和白蘭地可以幫我做到。這不就是目標可以合理化方法嗎？所以Haram可以變成Halal，只要你的目標是高尚的 (matlamat yang mulia)。 講到高尚的目標，回教談到所有穆斯林都是兄弟姐妹。爲了維護這個高尚的目標，在大選裏儅一個華裔候選人對壘一個來自巫統的馬來裔候選人時，我們應該支持誰呢？ 記住，正如華人常講的，我們應該是務實的而不是情緒化或理想化的。而在此踏實的選擇將會是支持那個馬來候選人來鞏固穆斯林之間的手足關係，真如回教教義要我們如此做般。 所以你真的要放棄理想來選擇務實嗎？ 現在讓我們回到努魯的課題。另一位讀者指出人們不支持湊款活動不是因爲他們不支持努魯而是因爲他們討厭我。 儅有人被套入我的陷阱時我是很得瑟的。 其實湊款晚宴一共有兩場，一場是努魯的隊伍自己舉行，另一場的籌備者其實是另有其人而我只是負責出錢而已。所以說我並沒有參與第一場而只有少數人知道我參與第二場----大多數人是事後才知道的。這兩場晚宴湊到的款項都大概一樣多。 請問你那"人們不支持努魯是因爲他們討厭我"的理論要如何站得住腳呢？就連努魯的自己人也做得沒有比我好。用囘你的理論邏輯，那如果你不喜歡阿玆敏那是不是就等於你不支持雪州民聯？那如果你也不喜歡安華呢？你是不是就可以不用支持公正黨？ 爲什麽你們就不會承認你們的失敗和缺點呢？爲什麽就只會把錯怪在他人身上呢？你承認你是只講不做就好了嘛。你越蠕動，你就會被套得越深。 所以現在儅你討厭一個人時你是可以不用支持那個理念的。那好，我現在有了道德的注腳，可以不用支持民聯了，因爲我討厭民聯内的某些人。 這就是你的規則而我們只是遵照你的規則而已。 這就是典型的大馬人，特別是華人，印度人和東馬土著。馬哈迪很光榮地說在他期内5屆大選他從來沒喪失過2/3的多數席位，而你們就轉過來干屌馬哈迪和怪罪馬來人，要馬來人'醒過來'。 馬哈迪說他22年來在國會從沒輸過，但在1990年他輸了吉蘭丹的州權，一個97%都是馬來選民的馬來州屬。1995年，行動黨只贏了12%的選票而拿下了9個囯席，但精神黨-伊斯蘭黨贏了15%的選票和拿下了13個囯席。他們也成功地衛冕了吉蘭丹。 1999年，反對黨在吉蘭丹和登嘉樓獲勝和在吉打取得多於1/3的州席。巫統也在吉打州輸掉一半的囯席。伊斯蘭黨贏得了最多的議席，伊黨主席成了反對黨主席。當時林吉祥和加巴星在他們的華人區輸了。 你現在還想講什麽？馬來人必須醒起來是什麽意思？爲什麽要閃躲不願承認誰該爲此擔罪呢？爲什麽要把你的失敗和缺點全怪在其他人身上呢？還有，努魯湊不到錢是因爲人們都討厭Raja Petra Kamarudin而不是你只講不做。 真他媽的廢話！你全身都是用來裝屎的，臭得連我在曼徹斯特也嗅得到。所以，nak cakap lagi? 那個詞是什麽來著? Kiasu 驚輸！ |
| PNSB confirms Dijaya land deal Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:55 PM PDT 
Selangor Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, was misquoted as saying the agreement was not set in stone. (The Star) - Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) has cleared the air over the land deal with Dijaya Corporation Bhd over the latter's acquisition of about 1,172 acres of prime development land in Canal City, Selangor. Its chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Omar said on Thursday that the multi-billion ringgit deal was legal despite that the agreement was signed after dissolution of Selangor state assembly He also said the Selangor Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, was misquoted as saying the agreement was not set in stone. On April 15, Dijaya entered into an agreement to acquire the land from PNSB for about RM1.3bil via a deferred payment method which spans over a period of up to 20 years. The purchase consideration comprised of land purchase price of RM587mil, interest cost, share of gross development value (GDV) and profit entitlement from the development of the land. At the signing of the agreement, Dijaya had stated this land development through smart partnership with PNSB was expected to contribute significantly to the group's prospects in the coming years. Dijaya would progressively fund the acquisition and development cost via internally generated funds and bank borrowings. READ: ABU! ABU ABU! |
| Leaked emails show Zionist lobby group did work for PKR official Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:35 PM PDT  
(Malaysiakini) - Leaked email correspondence obtained by The Choice (see letter here) confirms that the infamous Zionist lobbying firm Orion Strategies did work on behalf of senior PKR officials – despite the party's vigorous denials. Speaking to Free Malaysia Today (FMT) on 2 April, top PKR official Rafizi Ramli categorically denied that his party had anything to do with Washington DC-based Orion: "Any attempts to link PKR to any paid foreign agents is just an election gimmick to defame Anwar Ibrahim, that has been done previously. It did not bear any fruit the last time. I am sure it will backfire this time around as well." But the emails obtained by The Choice show that Orion employee Mike Mitchell wrote to the offices of American Congressmen, soliciting meetings with PKR counsellor and former SUARAM Chief Executive Cynthia Gabriel. Mitchell wrote: Dear [name expunged by The Choice], I hope this finds you well. I am arranging meetings for two Malaysian democracy/civil society activists who will be visiting Washington late next week. I know there are many demands on the Congressman's time but was hoping for a short window where they can pay a courtesy call to your office. Both are excellent English speakers. Details are below. Please let me know if you have any questions. Best, Mike. Ibrahim Suffian of the Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research was due to accompany Gabriel on her lobbying trip. It is believed that they postponed their trip at the last minute, for unknown reasons. DUOS' DENIAL In a joint statement both Gabriel and Suffian vigorously denied any knowledge of Orion Strategies or the Washington trip. "We are dismayed to learn at how the wheel of false propaganda has turned once again to create lies and false impressions to demonise us nearing the general election," Gabriel and Ibrahim told FMT. POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE In his emails to the American Congressmen, Mitchell warns that "un-resolved issues" are "threatening the integrity of Malaysia's electoral process" and could "plunge Malaysia into deep, post-electoral civil crisis." Gabriel could "discuss political developments", with the Congressmen, Mitchell suggests. Anwar's PKR have been accused of planning violence and unrest on Election Day. In an article in FMT on 10 April, former Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) president Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim claimed to have proof the opposition planned to create "chaos" on polling day. "We have seen an internal PKR document dated Dec 15, 2012, which lists out various steps to create chaos and dissatisfaction against the Elections Commission on polling day by raising repeated protests at the polling station so as to cause the other voters waiting in the queue to be unhappy and dissatisfied with the EC," Tunku said. ISRAEL'S LOBBYISTS Orion Strategies represent numerous right-wing politicians in the United States and are also one of the fiercest defenders of the Israeli government. They are infamous for launching smear campaigns against American politicians deemed critical of the Jewish state. Orion's Vice President, Michael Goldfarb, launched a smear campaign against President Barack Obama during his re-election campaign last year, accusing the President of associating with critics of Israel. Randy Scheunemann, a former advisor to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, heads Orion Strategies. Scheunemann helped establish the 'Emergency Committee for Israel', a lobbying outfit which has close links to the hard right of Israeli politics and the Likud government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In his denial to FMT, Rafizi suggested that PKR would not be in a position to hire Orion Strategies because "the cost itself will be prohibitive given the limited financial resources available to us." |
| GE13: Trouble brewing in Malacca DAP Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:28 PM PDT 
(The Star) - DAP candidate for the Alor Gajah parliamentary seat Damien Yeo has threatened to pull out of the general election if party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng continues to meddle in the list of candidates for the state. In a Facebook posting last night, Yeo wrote that he would withdraw if Lim did not "give respect" to Malacca DAP chairman Goh Leong San's decision on the candidates. Earlier, at another function, Goh had named Yeo as the candidate against MCA's Koh Nai Kwong for the seat. It was learnt that Goh had also threatened to pull out all his candidates should there be no amicable consensus to the stalemate in the next few days. The issue began after Lim's wife Betty Chew Gek Heng decided not to re-contest the Kota Laksamana seat. Malacca DAP had then submitted the names of three female candidates for the Kota Laksamana seat but they were all reportedly rejected by Lim. They were Teoh Lee Lan, the sister of political aide Teoh Beng Hock, Kuek Teng Ling and Chong May Lee. When the state DAP announced its list of candidates earlier, the candidate's name for the Kota Laksamana seat was left out. State DAP publicity chief and Ayer Keroh assemblyman Khoo Poay Tiong was also absent from the function, fuelling speculation over disagreement between Malacca DAP and Lim over the choice of candidates. It is no secret that there are two factions in the Malacca DAP, one aligned to the state DAP and the other to Lim and Chew. It was learnt that Lim had lobbied for Dr Wong Ho Peng to be slotted for the seat vacated by Chew. |
| GE13: Pakatan to field strongest candidates in Selangor Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:25 PM PDT (The Star) - With the battle for Selangor heating up, Pakatan Rakyat is not leaving anything to chance and will continue to field some of their strongest generals to lead the charge. While PKR has taken the lead to defend Selangor by announcing its candidates on Monday night, both DAP and PAS are still keeping their cards close to their chest. State PKR chief Azmin Ali and caretaker Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, who are both eyeing the coveted top post in Selangor, were appointed as "generals of the battle" with the latter being picked as the state Pakatan election director. According to sources in DAP, most of the incumbents are expected to stay put but the top leaders in the state may be moved around as strategic chess pieces. It is understood that former PJ Utara MP Tony Pua will be moved to the Serdang parliamentary seat after its incumbent Teo Nie Ching was announced to stand in Kulai in Johor. Election strategist and former academician Dr Ong Kian Ming has been tipped to move to PJ Utara, a seat which DAP considers "safe". Its state chief and most senior leader in Selangor, Teresa Kok, is speculated to be dropped from her state seat in Kinrara to only focus on her parliamentary seat in Seputeh after complaints that holding on to two seats was more than she could handle. Exco in the caretaker Selangor government Ronnie Liu is expected to be dropped from the state line-up completely after a massive fallout with the warring factions in the state DAP. State assemblymen, including Dr Cheah Wing Yin (Damansara Utama), Jenice Lee (Teratai) and Philip Tan (Teluk Datuk) are also speculated to be dropped. However, sources said last minute horse trading among the potential candidates had intensified, resulting in the party postponing their announcement of the Selangor candidates to tonight. Selangor PAS election director Jaafar Samsudin said although most of its incumbents in Selangor were expected to be retained, it would field 40% new faces. Among those retained are Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (Kuala Selangor), Dr Rani Osman (state seat Meru) and Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud (Kota Raja) and Khalid Samad (Shah Alam). |
| GE13: DAP's incumbent Seremban MP Fernandez to go independent Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:17 PM PDT 
(The Star) - Incumbent DAP Seremban MP John Fernandez will likely defend his seat as an independent in this general election. Fernandez, a lawyer, had before this said he would not be defending the seat which he won by defeating Barisan Nasional's Datuk Yu Chok Tow by a 3,948 vote majority in 2008. He had also won in Rasah (which was then a state seat) in the 1974 general election on a DAP ticket. Another lawyer, S.Karthigesan, who had represented several Human Rights Party members for being involved in an illegal organisation in 2011, would also be standing as an independent in Nilai. The DAP won the Nilai seat in 2008 when its candidate Yap Yew Weng defeated Barisan's Datuk Peter Lai with a 1,894 vote majority. Both are scheduled to hold a press conference later today. The DAP has yet to officially announce its candidates for both seats. However, Barisan will be represented by Datuk Dr Yeow Chai Tiam in Seremban and Gan Chee Biow in Nilai. |
| SAPP takes on Pakatan and BN Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:07 PM PDT 
It will be an uphill task for Tawau incumbent Chua Soon Bui, from SAPP, who won the seat in 2008 with Umno's support. Luke Rintod, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Local opposition party, the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) will contest in eight parliamentary and 41 of the 60 state seats, paving the way for fierce fights with other opposition as well as Barisan Nasional parties contesting in Sabah. The eight MP seats are Kudat, Kota Marudu, Sepangar, Putatan, Kimanis, Sipitang, Tenom and Tawau. Already PKR has announced it is going for 19 parliamentary seats and 43 state seats with the remaining seats at stake to be contested by its partner under Pakatan Rakyat, PAS and DAP. Another opposition party, State Reform Party (STAR) will announce its list today and it is believed that the party will also be gunning for around 40 state seats and perhaps eight to 15 parliamentary seats. SAPP president Yong Teck Lee in announcing his list last night said that under an amended state constitution only registered political party may form the state government and that is why SAPP is contesting a majority of state seats in Sabah. "Tonight we announce the final eight for MP and only 38 of the 41 state seats we are contesting as we still want to see how other parties put up their candidates," he told a crowd of about 400 gathered at the Kepayan Low Cost Housing shop complex near here under a light drizzle. Yong himself has decided to go back to his old state seat of Likas which he had to vacate on a high court's order following an election petition against him several years ago. SAPP deputy president Eric Majimbun, the incumbent MP for Sepanggar meanwhile is now contesting for his hometown Inanam state seat which falls within Sepanggar constituency. The only other SAPP parliamentarian, Chua Soon Bui, got another opportunity to defend Tawau for SAPP, an uphill task now as the last time she won it was with the support of then SAPP's ally Umno. Sabah State Assembly deputy speaker, Frankie Chong, meanwhile will contest the Sook state seat in the interior against the PBRS-BN candidate. READ MORE HERE |
| Nik Aziz’s son steps into the fray Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:03 PM PDT 
While the son will start his political journey, this likely to be the last term for the father. Hawkeye, FMT PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat's s son is all set to start his political career while this is likely to be the last term for his father. For Nik Abduh, 42, it will be a baptism of fire. He has been picked to contest in the Pasir Mas parliamentary seat but he is likely to run into heavyweights like businessman Che Johan Che Pa and Perkasa founder Ibrahim Ali. According to a PAS official here, Nik Aziz, who has served as menteri besar for 22 years and as the PAS spiritual adviser, had indicated to the caretaker state executive councillors here that this is his last term. "Nik Aziz will lead PAS into battle but he will probably step down after it. One or two to three years later, it is up to him. He is a great servant to the cause of Islam in Kelantan. We are grateful for him," said a party insider. Others predict that Nik Aziz, aged 82, who is on track to be the oldest candidate, will even retire within the next few months. He is ailing with a host of ailments associated with old age and recently could not walk to a function in Johor, and had to be literally carried across. While his son has been named as a candidate, there was no place however for his son-in-law, Nik Fahmi Abdul Rahman, 36, a young upstart with a technocrat background. Thirteen of the 45 candidates are new, but PAS has encountered a technical issue with PKR, where the party is unable to announce its candidates for the Guchil and Paloh state seats at this 11th hour. State PAS deputy commissioner Ahmad Yakcop, who met the media, assured that PKR will field their candidates come nominations on Saturday. The party will contest five state seats while PAS, the remainder 40. PAS will also do battle in 11 parliament seats and PKR three. Another development was the departure from the state of PAS deputy secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan to contest the Kota Baru parliamentary seat, leaving a large vacancy to fill, as he was the legal brains in the state administration. His peer – Husam Musa is also preoccupied in trying to fight an uphill battle as he had declared a wish to contest in the Putrajaya parliament. Husam, who was missing when PAS revealed its state candidates list here last night, will however defend his Salor state seat, giving rise that he is in the running to replace his mentor Nik Abdul Aziz as mentri besar. READ MORE HERE |
| ‘ROS does not recognise DAP’s CEC’ Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:43 PM PDT 
In a letter to Lim Guan Eng, the Registrar of Societies states that until the dispute surrounding its elections are resolved, the CEC will not be recognised. (FMT) - The Registrar of Societies (ROS) has stated that it does not recognise DAP's newly elected Central Executive Committee (CEC). In a letter sent to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng yesterday, ROS director-general Abdul Rahman Othman said this was due to the dispute surrounding the party elections. "Until the disputed matters are resolved, the ROS under Section 3A of the Societies Act does not recognise the office bearers in DAP, formed by the CEC on Dec 15, 2012," he said. Abdul Rahman also warned that the explanations put forth by the party leadership with regard to the disputed matters must be satisfactory or DAP faced the risk of being de-registered. Among others, the ROS wanted DAP to submit a list of legitimate CEC members and the steps taken to resolve the disputes within a month. The letter was also copied to Election Commission chief Abdul Aziz Yusof. After the CEC election results were announced, none of the eight Malay candidates who contested were elected. On Jan 3, DAP announced that there was a technical error in the vote tabulation and declared defeated candidate Zairil Khir Johari Abdullah as a duly elected member of the CEC. This prompted various quarters to accuse the party leadership of manipulation and demand for a fresh polls but Lim refused to do so. Reports were also filed with the ROS. |
| PKR a stumbling block for Pakatan in NS Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:38 PM PDT 
The delay in Pakatan Rakyat announcing its candidates list for the state is largely due to PKR state chief Kamarul Baharin Abbas's incompetency, claim party insiders. (FMT) - Party infighting in causing a major headache for PKR's de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim in Negeri Sembilan. The rift is so bad that it is causing unnecessary and potentially harmful distraction as the party aims to do well in the state for the coming general election. Pakatan Rakyat is confident of winning this state and PKR's two other partners – DAP and PAS – have finalised their candidates and are ready for battle. However the scenario in PKR is very different. PKR is still undecided on who to field in their alloted three parliamentary and 13 state seats in Negeri Sembilan. Speculation is that Anwar is unhappy with Negeri Sembilan PKR chairman Kamarul Baharin Abbas on the party's final candidates list for the state. Kamarul is said to have dropped "super candidates" like former Port Dickson state assemblyman, M Ravi and Seremban PKR deputy chief, Dr Mohamad Rafie Abdul Malek for the Ampangan state seat. Instead Kamarul had listed state PKR vice-chairman V Aridass for Port Dickson to replace the popular and hardworking Ravi, and has named himself for Ampangan by sidelining Rafie. Rafie has been slated to fight for the Rembau parliamentary seat, which will be contested by Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin. The move has set off alarm bells in the state PKR as supporters of both Ravi and Rafie are upset with the move which is aimed to kill off their political careers. "If Rafie goes to Rembau, he would definitely lose. He would go up against Khairy, who is no pushover in Rembau. Rafie is not familiar with the voters there. "As far as Ravi is concerned, he is the best candidate for Port Dickson. Everyone knows him. Even if Ravi is given the Teluk Kemang parliamentary seat, he can win it as he is that strong here. Everyone knows him," said a Pakatan Rakyat source, who declined to be named. Rafie on the other hand, the source said, stepped into Ampangan sometime in 2009 after the incumbent state assemblymen, Rashid Latiff fell sick and underwent a by-pass heart surgery. He has managed to connect with voters in Ampangan. Kamarul's MB ambition A PKR source meanwhile said the move to "kill off" Rafie was because of Kamarul's ambition to be the Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar should Pakatan wins the state. "But Kamarul does not realise that even if he contests in Ampangan, he would lose, His track record in Teluk Kemang is poor. The voters know it, the whole state knows it," said the source. While state PKR leaders are haggling over seats, PAS and DAP agree that Ravi and Rafie are the best candidates for Port Dickson and Ampangan respectively. "Without doubt Ravi and Rafie should cruise to easy victory in Port Dickson and Ampangan", said the PAS leader when contacted by FMT. "If you going to field a different candidate in Port Dickson and Ampangan other than Ravi and Rafie, I think PKR would be handing over both seats in silver plater to the BN. If this is the case, we are not going to form the next state government," said an agitated DAP leader. However, the two component parties are not about to get involved in the PKR internal squabble. "This is PKR's internal matter. We can't interfere. We have to respect each party. We know the problem in Negeri Sembilan PKR, but there is nothing much we can do about it," said a state DAP leader, who declined to be named. READ MORE HERE |
| New faces may not be new winners Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:22 PM PDT By dropping the veterans, however, Datuk Seri Najib risks angering the discarded ones, some of whom are already threatening to run as independent candidates. Carolyn Hong, ST IN 2008, the youngest candidate on the ballot was the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat's information chief Nik Nazmi Ahmad, then 26. This time, the honour goes to Mr Daniel Wa, 25, from the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA). Mr Wa, an economics graduate working for an MCA member of parliament, is among the 40 per cent of candidates who are new faces being trotted out by the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) as it seeks to convince voters that it has a slate of young and vibrant candidates to challenge Pakatan Rakyat's (PR's) young stars. Prime Minister Najib Razak took pains to stress that one-third of his 222 parliamentary candidates and half of the 505 state candidates are new, as he has dropped five Cabinet ministers and other veterans. Political analyst Shamsul Adabi Mamat from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said while the new candidates may not be known nationally, they come from the communities where they are being fielded. "In 2008, there were many parachute candidates, but this time, they appear to be locals from a variety of backgrounds," he added. "I think that's what the people want to see." By dropping the veterans, however, Datuk Seri Najib risks angering the discarded ones, some of whom are already threatening to run as independent candidates. Three veteran leaders from Penang, including former MP Shariff Omar, said they will decide soon whether to contest against their own parties. Former MCA president Ong Tee Keat is also keeping that option open after being dropped. In the 2008 General Election, Mr Najib's predecessor Abdullah Badawi had to deal with peeved saboteurs in many states, despite changing only 20 per cent to 30 per cent of the list. That contributed to BN's loss of its two-thirds majority in Parliament for the first time since 1969. Still, stuffing the candidates' list with new faces is no guarantee of a better performance for BN in the May 5 polls, with a fierce fight between BN and the opposition PR expected. After all, half of the candidates the MCA introduced in 2008 were new faces, but it still did badly. The advantage of fielding unknown candidates is that they have fewer skeletons in the closet. The disadvantage is that they are unknown. READ MORE HERE
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| Sabah, Sarawak joins list of states to watch Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:21 PM PDT 
In 2008, it was supposed to be Pairin's last time too. How many last time stunts is BN going to force Pairin to pull on the Orang Asal? Joe Fernandez Sabah Huguan Siou (Paramount Chief) Joseph Pairin Kitingan reportedly wanted to give way to the younger Kitingan, Jeffrey, in Keningau this time but apparently the Barisan Nasional (BN) insisted otherwise. Pairin's intentions vis-a-vis Jeffrey may be a case of Janji Di Capati.
Jeffrey's supporters are hoping their hero won't continue to be a glutton for punishment as usual and swear naively by his "blood is thicker than water" mantra which drives many up the wall, if not around the bend.
Young Turk Phillip Among, the Kepayan Star Chief, is among the more furious of the lot over the Huguan Siou continuing to be in politics. Phillip became famous, or rather notorious, for his shuttle diplomacy on the 16 Sept 2008 People's Revolution stymied by Sodomy II.
Already, Pairin is singing the "I am still young and strong" theme song a la Anwar Ibrahim's infamous "Sabah dah Goyang" dance jig.
He should not rejoice too soon.
Putrajaya has not made his position any easier either by extending a RM 250 million soft loan recently to the state government for a water treatment plant in Keningau. Why the need for a loan when the Federal Government is milking Sabah to the tune of RM 40-odd billion a year? This is like adding insult to injury.
Jeffrey has been going to town with the issue. He wants the Federal Government to pay for the water treatment plant and not burden the state government with the loan no matter how soft. He's outraged that Putrajaya has positioned itself as an Ah Long of sorts to the state governments, in particular Sabah and Sarawak.
Pairin is maintaining a dignified, albeit offended, silence. He has previously accused the younger sibling of "not loving him like a brother" and even being downright kurang ajar! These must be new themes in politics. These things can only happen in Sabah.
Pairin is almost 75 and has been accused by the younger generation in particular of squatting on the people since early 2000 when PBS rejoined BN after a spell warming the opposition benches. The party had raised such hopes among the Opposition on both sides of the South China Sea. It looks like Pairin is in danger of degenerating into being another Samy Vellu who doesn't know when to step down even when he has a loyalist brother who can take over from him and continue the family tradition of being in public service. Wither the Kitingan's Magic of Camelot!
In 2008, it was supposed to be Pairin's last time too. How many last time stunts is BN going to force Pairin to pull on the Orang Asal?
Unless Jeffrey stands in Keningau this time, the BN will continue to force Pairin to pull "the last time" stunt in Keningau over and over again.
Jeffrey's long-standing beef with Pairin is that his elder brother has been politicising the position of Huguan Siou and causing disunity among the people. He wants Pairin to go and go now. Earlier, he was willing to allow Pairin to keep his Tambunan state seat as long as he wants, walking stick, dementia and alzheimer's included. But Putrajaya is holding the man by his you-know-what and he fears the squeeze. The very thought of the squeeze is giving him the nightmares.
Jeffrey's problem is that he lacks the killer instinct. He thinks that everyone he meets is a nice person. That's how Anwar made use of him to build up the PKR membership in Sabah and took him for a ride. Pairin was furious.
Jeffrey's time has come. The Huguan Siou and politics is an unhealthy mix. The matter should have been resolved in 1994 when it became clear that the Huguan Siou had become a divisive figure by continuing to meddle in politics.
Overall, the Orang Asal parties in BN -- PBS, Upko, PBRS -- are in deep sh.t over the illegals on the electoral rolls as revealed by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI). So, they came up in a panic with the gimmicky Gelombang Tataba. Jeffrey couldn't help taking a dig in the local media at the three parties on the issue.
Tataba is the magical wand of power which PBS wielded from 1985 to 1994. So, what's this Gelombang Tata all about? Is it a return to those glorious days in 1985 when Pairin, leading a 42-day old party, rubbed then Chief Minister Harris Salleh's nose in the dirt?
Bernard Dompok of Upko also claims that his party would have pulled out from the BN if not for the RCI. He was virtually thumping his chest the other day. How brave? Cakap besar betul! Has the Bintulu to Kimanis gas pipeline project been completed? No wonder! Otherwise, Dompok is a good man, one of the more efficient Orang Asal leaders.
Pairin claims that he was instrumental behind the setting up of the RCI. Perhaps! Does he want a pat on the back for this? It was late in the day.
All three Orang Asal parties in BN want the MyKads in Sabah to be re-issued to purge the illegals on the electoral rolls and those who will be eligible some day.
How original and at a politically expedient time!
What's the big deal about re-issuing the MyKad?
The ICs were constantly re-issued to cover up the tracks of those who handed out the document to the illegals. The tracks had to be covered up from 1963.
We have gone from the two sheet scrap of paper IC to the blue one, the Bunga Raya, the MyKad and now the Not So Smart MyKad. The illegals in Sabah, in Keningau ironically, were reportedly the first to get the MyKad.
Even so, defacto Law Minister Nazri said it was not possible to re-issue the MyKad in Sabah. So, does that mean the Not So Smart MyKad will be for all eternity. No more new versions? Why not scrap the MyKad system and just use our birth certificates, an identity for all including foreigners born in Malaysia, and which will indicate our citizenship status.
The communist terrorism, which necessitated the need for the IC system, has long ended with Vietnam. Why are we still bogged down by the MyKad system which isn't practised by any other country in the world?
Luckily for the Orang Asal parties, PKR and Pas are washouts in Sabah.
PBS-breakaway Sapp is a nuisance.
This mosquito party would be lucky if it can keep Likas, Luyang and Tawau.
Sapp is an irrelevant party seeking desperately to re-invent itself on the "principle" that local parties should contest the majority of the state seats, while the parti parti Malaya can have the majority of the state's parliamentary seats. At this rate, the people of Borneo will no longer have a voice in the Borneo Parliament.
Dap is set to win Kota Kinabalu besides retaining Sri Tanjung and may take Sandakan if the mood among the Chinese and urban electorate is anything to go by.
It's expected that the BN will not do as well in Sabah and Sarawak this time as in 2008 when only Kota Kinabalu and Kuching fell to the Opposition. The Opposition won Sibu in a by-election.
Seven parliamentary seats are expected to fall to the Opposition in Sabah. This translates into 20 or 21 state seats.
In Sarawak, even without a one-to-one, the Opposition will take at least nine parliamentary seats including Mas Gading and Baram and perhaps as many as 15 to 16 seats. There are no state elections this time in Sarawak. The last was held in 2011. The BN received a real clobbering from the Opposition.
If the Opposition does well in Sarawak as expected in the parliamentary elections, they will demand new state elections
Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, already universally reviled among Malaysians, will have to step down in disgrace and can no longer operate with impunity as Putrajaya's Chief Proxy in Borneo, spearheading an army of other proxies, their stooges and rogue elements. |
| GE13: Analysts: Three-cornered fights will hurt Penang BN further Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:17 PM PDT Azril Anuuar, fz.com Three-cornered fights that may take place in Penang come nomination day on Saturday will thwart BN's chances of retaking the state from the Pakatan Rakyat, say analysts. Unlike the scenario prior to the 2008 general election, where three-cornered fights have always been in BN's favour, this time around such contests will dilute the votes for the coalition, rather than for its opponents. However, that would depend on whether BN leaders who have not been named as candidates do contest as independents, said Professor James Chin, head of the School of Political Science at Monash University, Kuala Lumpur. "We will not know for sure if they are going to contest until nomination day. All those who are unhappy (because they were not selected to contest) have been called up to speak to (BN chairman Datuk Seri) Najib Razak's special officers for their 'retirement package'. "So it will also depend on how good the 'retirement package' is that is being offered to them. But in the event that they do contest, it will split the vote and this will make it bad for Umno (and BN as a whole). Umno and BN will suffer," said Chin. Penang BN revealed their candidate list on Tuesday and among those who were dropped was the popular former Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Seri Shariff Omar. Following this Shariff, who was former Deputy Chief Minister in the previous government, announced that he would be standing as an independent. He made the announcement at a ceramah at his home attended by around 2,000 supporters who turned up to back his decision. Former Bernama editor-in-chief Datuk Seri Azman Ujang believed that BN took "unnecessary risks" by not fielding the multi-lingual Shariff, especially in light of the sacrifice he made in 2008 when his seat was given to then Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop. "Five years ago Shariff Omar was already an angry person because then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi fielded Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop who was a senator in Shariff's traditional seat in Tasek Gelugor. "Three months ago Shariff said he wanted his seat back because he is the division chief there. His decision is not surprising and according to him he will be an independent and a PR friendly candidate," said Azman. To make matters worse, Shariff is also fielding two of his lieutenants, namely, Umno division committee member Mustaffa Idrus to contest in the Teluk Ayer Tawar state seat and state Perkasa vice president Azmi Alang to contest in the Sungai Dua state seat. "Prior to 2008, three-cornered fights have always been in BN's favour because the Opposition were not working hand in hand and they neutralised one another. Now it will depend on the seat," said Azman. On three-cornered fights, DAP election strategist and former academic Dr Ong Kian Ming said: "In a seat like Tasek Gelugor where the margin is not as strong (in favour of BN) as in Kepala Batas it will be the determining factor whether or not PR or BN will win the seat." READ MORE HERE |
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