| Anwar Ibrahim tears into Star to kick off Sabah, Sarawak campaign Posted: 24 Apr 2013 12:36 PM PDT 
Joe Fernandez Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim appears to have taken a deliberate position on the State Reform Party (Star) to explain why the Opposition Pact failed to materialise in Sabah for the 13th General Election. Evidently, Star did not say as alleged by Anwar that it would exercise the option of whether to support the outgoing ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) or Pakatan Rakyat (PR), the Opposition Alliance. Anwar continues to flog the erroneous perception that Star is neither here nor there. It's not that simple. What the party said more than once through its chairman Jeffrey Kitingan was: (1) the parti parti Malaya have no business being in Sabah and Sarawak since, (i) the local presence of the parti parti Malaya compromises the two Borneo nations' autonomy in Malaysia; and (ii) diminishes and weakens the voice of the people of Borneo in the Malaysian Parliament. Hence, the question of a Star electoral pact with PR does not arise. (2) that it (Star) would be willing to work with anyone who forms the Government in Putrajaya. Hindraf Makkal Sakthi chairman, P. Waythamoorthy, a Star ally, has also cited Hindu Scriptures to explain that it doesn't really matter to him -- presumably Jeffrey too -- whether a Rama (the seventh avatar of the god Vishnu and/or the Supreme Being) or a Ravana (the Demon in Lanka who kidnapped Sita, the wife of Rama) rules Malaysia. The Jury is still out on this. Star is taking the "better safe than sorry" position and maintaining that it really doesn't know who will form the Government in Putrajaya on May 5. It could be, according to Star strategists and insiders, any number of combinations: (a) Umno/Hindraf-BN Borneo-3rd Force; (b) Umno/Hindraf-BN Borneo-3rd Force-Dap; (c) BN/Hindraf; (d) PR-BN Sarawak; (e) PR-Umno Sabah; (f) PR-BN Sarawak-Umno Sabah; (g) PR-BN Sarawak-Umno Sabah-3rd Force; or (h) any other combination of parties.
Anwar's public lashing of Star appears to be deliberate on his part. There's no love lost between him and Jeffrey an ex-Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president. Anwar's wife Wan Azizah is PKR President, and quite close to Jeffrey. Anwar meanwhile has positioned himself as de facto party chief. Jeffrey supporter Nurul Izzah, their stunning and popular eldest daughter, is a party vice president and Lembah Pantai MP. All three -- Jeffrey, Wan Azizah, Nurul, are against Azmin Ali, the powerful PKR Deputy President who wants to ride Anwar to the premiership.
Apparently, Anwar's campaign strategy is to focus on Sabah and Sarawak, BN's so-called Fixed Deposit states, to pace and bog down unelected Caretaker Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak in Borneo so that Peninsular Malaysia, Johore in particular, would be left unattended by the latter.
Everytime Najib visits a location in Sabah and Sarawak, Anwar would follow behind him to "demolish Najib's lies and hype and update the people on the real situation".
BN Sabah has begun hitting out at Anwar in panic as a person willing to desert the people of Permatang Pauh, his parliamentary seat in Penang, so that he could focus on Sabah and Sarawak. Anwar is expected to resume the campaign trail in Permatang Pauh at the last minute in between breaks from Sabah and Sarawak.
Najib, on Mon in Sabah, changed his patronising and condescending "Fixed Deposit" mantra to chant that "Sabah is precious to BN".
Najib before: "You help me, I help you."
Najib now: "Help me if you love me."
Speculation is rife in the local media that "people aligned to the BN have sponsored candidates to add to the already crowded field" of multi-cornered contests with the PR opposition front, Star, Sapp and independents.
The BN is not expected to do as well this time in Sabah and Sarawak as in 2008. The major factor, as revealed during the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI), is rogue elements of the BN placing illegal immigrants on the electoral rolls.
In the 12th General Election, BN only lost the Kota Kinabalu parliamentary seat and Sri Tanjung state seat in Sabah, both to Dap.
In Sarawak, it lost the Kuching parliamentary seat to Dap.
In a by-election, BN lost Sibu to Dap.
In the 2011 Sarawak state election, held separately, BN lost several seats to Dap and PKR. It also lost a seat to an independent.
The next Sarawak state election is not due until 2016.
However, Anwar has pledged that Sarawak will have a new Chief Minister after May 5 should PR seize the reins of power in Putrajaya as the incumbent, Taib Mahmud, has to be hauled away for investigation by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Agency (MACC) in connection with a long list of allegations.
These include abuse of power, conflict of interest, electoral fraud, cronyism, collusion, nepotism, involvement in criminal syndicates and underworld activities, criminal theft of property, illegal takeover of companies, extortion, racketeering, rape and plunder of Sarawak's timber resources, corruption, soliciting bribes, illegal financing of elections and political party activities, tax evasion, money laundering and financing terrorism, among others.
Taib, in power since 1981 when he took over from his maternal uncle Abdul Rahman Yakub, has denied any wrongdoing.
He has refused to co-operate with MACC on the dubious grounds that the anti-graft body is "dishonest and naughty". There are rumours, never substantiated, that the MACC as the Anti Corruption Agency (ACA) in its previous life, used to fleece money from Taib in return for protection from it. Taib probably sees little difference between MACC and ACA.
Najib extracted a pledge from Taib, during the 2011 state elections, that he would step down gracefully before the 13th GE.
There's no sign that Taib will keep his pledge. His broken pledge has come to haunt him in the run-up to May 5.
There are rumours that Taib wanted to be kicked upstairs as the Governor before he would let go of the Chief Minister's post. This was the trick played by Abdul Rahman Yakub, his maternal uncle and immediate past predecessor.
Apparently, the Conference of Rulers was not in favour of Taib assuming the post of Sarawak Governor. There are fears that he would interfere in the state administration from behind the scenes given his long years in power, reach, clout and fabulous wealth, most of it reportedly salted away abroad.
Anwar's fascination with Sabah and Sarawak goes beyond Najib's Fixed Deposit theory.
For one, Taib is in a highly vulnerable situation and can be expected to jump ship in order to buy political protection if PR can seize Putrajaya with or without his support. He may conclude that the BN's days in power are numbered and, in that case, he wouldn't want to risk gambling on the odds in the 14th GE.
Already, the opposition is set to bag eight parliamentary seats this time in Sarawak i.e. Baram, Mas Gading and six of the seats being contested by Supp.
Anything more, and possible, would be a bonus. Hulu Rajang, Saratok, Lubok Antu and Mukah are other vulnerable spots.
The real battle in Sarawak is between BN and PR although Star is in the fray as well after fits and starts under Founder Dr. Patau Rubis over the last 16 years.
In Sabah, the real battle is between Star and the parti parti Malaya on both sides of the divide and between BN and PR along certain stretches of the west coast.
Beaufort, Kimanis and Papar, all parliamentary seats, are up for grabs as Umno is facing a tough fight in all. The state seats in the immediate vicinity are Kawang, Pantai Manis, Bongawan, Membakut , Klias and Kuala Penyu.
Beaufort is expected to fall.
The Opposition, including the Dap, can expect to bag another six parliamentary seats in Sabah.
Total haul for the Opposition, including Star, in Sabah and Sarawak: 15 seats.
Anwar expects the status quo and more to remain in Peninsular Malaysia unless the anticipated Opposition gains in Johore materialise and perhaps Negri Sembilan.
Pakatan Rakyat expects Perak to return to its fold based on the perception that "the people are still angry over the BN's power grab there and want to punish the outgoing ruling coalition".
Sabah and Sarawak, while being precious to BN which faces a 50:50 situation, are strategic fallback positions for the Opposition. |
| The Odds, They are a-Changin’ Posted: 24 Apr 2013 12:32 PM PDT 
As it looks, a few days past nomination day, the odds are changing to favour Pakatan, although at the time of the dissolution of Parliament, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) seemed to have the upper hand. Kee Thuan Chye The Opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat must be very careful between now and polling day not to make any colossal mistakes that could deny it victory at the 13th general election. I'm thinking of something about the same magnitude as or greater than the faux pas made by Tengku Razaleigh in wearing the Kadazan headgear with a cross on it on the eve of the 1990 general election. As it looks, a few days past nomination day, the odds are changing to favour Pakatan, although at the time of the dissolution of Parliament, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) seemed to have the upper hand. BN appears to be in trouble now with so many of its members having abandoned the coalition to stand as independents. Umno, the biggest component party, alone suffered the defiance of 61 mutineers. This is totally unprecedented and comes as a huge blow for the party of caretaker prime minister Najib Razak. It could well mean a loss of confidence in the party. What's more, BN must also be hurting from the defection of one of Umno's stalwarts, Muhammad Muhammad Taib, to PAS. As a former menteri besarof Selangor, he will be influencing Malay voters to help Pakatan retain the government in Selangor, much to the chagrin of Najib, who has been gunning to get it back for BN. Pakatan, too, is faced with the plight of members standing as independents. On top of that, after nominations were over, component parties PKR and PAS found themselves competing with each other over seven seats. This might have been due to lack of coordination, but whatever the reason, the matter has been resolved, with each party taking three seats. The seventh, which concerns the Kota Damansara seat, is more tricky because the candidate standing on the PKR platform is from PSM, a socialist party that PAS finds itself at odds with ideologically. On the whole, the picture that emerges of Pakatan is that PKR, PAS and its third partner, the DAP, have coalesced as a united force with the required team spirit. Reinforcing this could have been the threat to the DAP's legitimacy to stand under its own symbol posed by a surprising letter sent by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) only two days before nomination day. Thrown into a quandary, the DAP sought the help of its partners and was readily granted it, as both PKR and PAS offered to let it stand under their party symbols. In the end, it didn't turn out to be necessary, but the bond between the grateful DAP and the other two parties appears to have been strengthened. Read more at: http://news.malaysia.msn.com/elections/opinions-the-odds-they-are-a-changin%E2%80%99#page=0 |
| ‘SUPP’s declaration a joke’ Posted: 24 Apr 2013 12:25 PM PDT 
Sarawak United People's Party's 10-point declaration to save itself in the GE13 is too little too late, considering it has been in 'power' for 30 years, says DAP. Joseph Tawie, FMT Local opposition parties here are laughing over Sarawak United People's Party's (SUPP) 10-point declaration which includes "fighting corruption". It's a well-known fact here that several SUPP "seniors" are Chief Minister Taib Mahmud and his family's business cronies. It was on this premise that opposition DAP won its 12 seats in the last state election. Pointing out the irony of SUPP's 10-point manifesto, Stampin DAP candidate Julian Tan said it was a pledge that came a little too late in the day for SUPP. The Barisan Nasional partner is on an uphill batte to retain its five seats. SUPP lost two seats – Bandar Kuching and Bandar Sibu – to DAP. Tan is himself up against SUPP stalwart and incumbent Yong Khoon Seng, 73. Said Tan: "SUPP has been in the government over the past 30 years in Sarawak and only now it comes up with this manifesto. It should have been done many years ago. It's a joke." Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/04/25/supps-declaration-a-joke/ |
| Anatomy of a political strategy Posted: 24 Apr 2013 12:24 PM PDT 
In Umno, the higher you go up the food chain, the wider your circle of supporters and sycophants. Umno will probably lose in the constituencies where these former senior leaders are contesting. Zefry Dahalan, FMT Has Najib erred in his insistence on fielding 'winnable' candidates? Umno president Najib Tun Razak began talking about fielding "winnable candidates" as early as 2010. The mood in Umno then was to blame Najib's predecessor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, for Umno's dramatic losses in the 12th general election. Many said he blundered in his choice of candidates by accepting the proposals of the state Umno chiefs instead of listening to the grassroots. In most cases, the state Umno chiefs were also the chief executives of their states. It was said that at least in Selangor, Kedah, Perak and Negeri Sembilan, the state chiefs proposed only their loyalists, sidelining potential candidates who were popular at the grassroots. This resulted in sabotage during the campaign period and at the ballot boxes by supporters of ambitious but now disappointed grassroots leaders. So Najib decided that he would not necessarily accept every candidate proposed by the state chiefs for the 13th general election, but would listen too to Umno's divisional leaders. This approach was soon adopted by – or perhaps imposed upon – the other parties in Barisan Nasional. This was the genesis of the odd term "winnable candidate". Never mind that the dictionary definition of "winnable" is "something you can win" or "someone you can win over" – with money, for instance. Somehow, Najib's hacks forgot that "winning" as an adjective would not be so double-edged. Believers in the mystical power of words would certainly claim that this carelessness with language was at least one of the causes of the debacle of April 20, when a record number of 61 Umno members filed their nomination papers as independent candidates for the May 5 general election. Even to the mind untouched by spiritual beliefs, the lack of precision in language use is indicative of the capabilities of Najib's planning team or lack thereof. Umno sacked all 61 rebels immediately, virtually guaranteeing protest votes from their supporters and sympathisers. The 61 included senior party leaders like Wanita Umno deputy head Kamilia Ibrahim, former deputy minister Mohd Shariff Omar and former Kedah executive councillor Fadzil Hanafi. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/04/25/anatomy-of-a-political-strategy/ |
| In the pits of advertising Posted: 24 Apr 2013 12:21 PM PDT 
The issue is not whether PAS and DAP will turn Johor into another Kelantan, but the audacity to make such wild claims with no researched scientific evidence to support. Besides, it will be impossible to forecast such results and it is sheer impudence to attribute them to reports from two newspapers and a news portal. R. Nadeswaran, theSun Political advertising ought to be stopped. It's the only really dishonest kind of advertising that's left. It's totally dishonest.
– Advertising doyen David Ogilvy IN March last year, an MCA politician with his entourage turned up to pay their last respects to a departed friend. Seated at the same table, the politician said: "We are all worried about the hudud laws which will be implemented by PAS. They will start chopping people's hands and stoning people to death." Tempering amusement with disbelief, the response was: "It cannot be done. Any change must have the consent of two-thirds of Parliament and the party's allies will certainly not agree to that." But he went on to say how others in the coalition will be coerced into going along. It would have been certainly discourteous and unbecoming to debate this at a solemn occasion like a wake and hence, I kept silent. After the politician left, I quipped to the others in humour more than despondence: "Anyway, it will be good for the people to see politicians who have stolen the people's money walking around without hands!" Fast forward to this week: As a keen observer of advertising and marketing besides journalism and a connoisseur of tastefully-done knocking ads, I couldn't help but pay serious attention and read every word of the political advertisements of the MCA. I must confess I have only read the ones in the English language although I am told they also appear in Chinese and Tamil newspapers. Advertisements are the lifeline of the newspaper industry and for publishers like theSun which gets no revenue from newspaper sales, every sen counts. But like all other publications, we too are bound by the laws of the country and in almost all instances, by the Malaysian Code of Advertising which is promulgated and enforced by Advertising Standards Authority of Malaysia (Asam). There's nothing wrong or unethical about political advertising and the sloganeering which come with it despite the misgivings of Mr Ogilvy. A well-written advertisement espousing achievements will always be a delight to read and the message to be better understood. Even clever knocking ads make their point. An example is the picture of long queues at the employment office with the words "Labour is not working" which was put out by the Tory party under Margaret Thatcher. This campaign in Malaysia has now descended to the pits. Fear-mongering has taken precedence over ethical and truthful advertising bordering on the offensive and religious and racial sensitivities. The code states that "no advertisement should contain statements or suggestions which may offend the religious, political, sentimental or racial susceptibilities of any community". The code does not, however, seek to restrict the free expression of opinion in paid-for advertising space, whether by those engaged in commerce or by political parties, foreign governments, religious or charitable bodies, or other organisations or individuals, provided the identity of such advertisers is made clear, and the advertisements themselves are clearly distinguished from any editorial matter in conjunction with which they may appear. More importantly, the preamble to the code reads: "All advertisements should be legal, decent, honest and truthful." A case in point is the advertisement which asks: "Why the DAP is silent?" The copy reads: "Looking at Kelantan's track record, Johor could suffer from the rise in HIV, drug abuse, rape and contaminated cases." What honesty and truthfulness are we talking about? The issue is not whether PAS and DAP will turn Johor into another Kelantan, but the audacity to make such wild claims with no researched scientific evidence to support. Besides, it will be impossible to forecast such results and it is sheer impudence to attribute them to reports from two newspapers and a news portal. If this was merely created to put fear into the people, it has failed miserably. On the contrary, people are showing odium and contempt for such a feeble attempt to pull wool over their eyes. Asam's lack of response to a blatant breach of the code is disheartening. The irony is that its chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, was information minister and is now helming another political outfit called Ikatan. The outburst in cyberspace reflects the anger of ordinary Malaysians who view such audacious campaigns as insulting their intelligence. On a similar note, will the same newspapers publish an advertisement paid for by well-minded citizens which reads: "Can you trust a party which is led by a crook?" This question can only be answered by none other than owners of publishing houses who have accepted and consented to publish those questionable and code-breaking advertisements. |
| The desire for change Posted: 23 Apr 2013 09:05 PM PDT 
Hence, for Barisan Nasional, trying to fight against the desire for change by using logical arguments is futile. Once people want to change there is nothing that can stop that desire for change. It is not that my old car sucks but I just want the new model that just came out (or the new iPhone or iPad). THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin I have owned so many cars since I first started driving 45 years ago that I just can't remember all of them. I remember my first car though (everyone remembers their first car), a Holden Torana GTR. Then I owned a Mitsubishi Colt Galant, Fiat 132, Mercedes Benz 240D, Porsche 911, Mercedes Benz 200, BMW 7 Series, Mercedes Benz 280SE, Mercedes Benz 380SE, Mercedes Benz 190E, Mitsubishi Pajero (twice), Honda Civic (twice), Mini Cooper, BMW 3 Series, and probably 10 or so other cars alongside that (sometimes two to three cars at one time). I also owned a Yamaha 90, Yamaha 100 Twin, Vespa, Suzuki 250, Honda 350, Honda 450, Yamaha 650, Kawasaki 900, Kawasaki 1000, Yamaha 650 Turbo, and a Yamaha Virago. (Was also riding around on my friend's Harley for a while). Now, why so many cars and bikes and what were wrong with them that I needed to change them ever so often? There was nothing wrong with them. It is just that I enjoyed change so I changed them whenever something new came out. In short, I changed just for the heck of change. It is normal human instinct. If you were to do a survey of what Malaysians are currently thinking and what they will do come 5th May 2013, and if they are honest with their responses, you will find that a large segment of the voting population want change. And why do they want change? Well, they will give you all sorts of reasons as to why they want change -- corruption being at the top of that list. Assuming there is no corruption. Assuming the present government is well and fine. Would they still want change on 5th May 2013? Yes, they would still want change. And if they can't use corruption as the reason for this change they will find some other reason to justify this change (and there will always be some other reason they can dig up). So both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat better take note of this point. The people are gatal (itchy) for change. And many of those people were born after 31st August 1957. So they do not have any emotional or sentimental attachment to Umno or Merdeka or whatever. Why do you think iPhone and iPad keep coming out with new models? What is wrong with the old models? And why should the young people who already own a serviceable iPhone or iPad want to waste their money by changing to the new model when there is absolutely nothing wrong with the present one they are using? Oh, you may say, you cannot compare iPhones and iPads, or cars, with governments. Maybe not! Maybe they are different animals totally. But the desire for change is still the same. And the young people want change, they want a new government, even if there is nothing wrong with the old government -- and even more so if there is something wrong with the old government. Those currently in power may not understand this. They think that people want change merely because we have a defective government. Hence if we address these defects or promise that we shall repair these defects then there is no longer any need for change. Wrong! Even if there are no defects the people still want change because they feel it is time for change and they are ready to embrace these changes. Pakatan Rakyat has to also take note. Some people want change because they hate Barisan Nasional. But not all want change because they hate Barisan Nasional. And not all want change because they love Pakatan Rakyat. The argument is: if we want change, then what other choice do we have other than change to Pakatan Rakyat? That is the only available option. Either keep Barisan Nasional or change to Pakatan Rakyat. There is no third choice. Hence, for Barisan Nasional, trying to fight against the desire for change by using logical arguments is futile. Once people want to change there is nothing that can stop that desire for change. It is not that my old car sucks but I just want the new model that just came out (or the new iPhone or iPad). And Pakatan Rakyat, too, needs to be very careful. If I can change to iPad 2 just for the sake of changing when there is nothing wrong with my iPad, then I can just as easily change to iPad 3 when that too comes out even if I have owned my Ipad 2 for hardly a year. For 56 years Malaysians never thought that change was possible. Today they do. And once Malaysians have developed a taste for change there is no way you can take away that taste. That is the danger with the culture of change. It is a knife that cuts both ways. And many governments all over the world have learned this lesson the hard way. They came into power on the platform of change that took decades to happen. Then they get swept away in no time at all on that same platform of change. Hence let both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat beware. |
| Debating the dog collar Posted: 23 Apr 2013 06:15 PM PDT
Let me make one thing very clear. Democracy and religion are NOT compatible. You have to choose one or the other. You cannot choose both. Democracy is about freedom of choice. Religion does not allow you any freedom of choice. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Every general election without fail the ruling party and the opposition will start arguing and debating the Islamic Sharia law of Hudud. Every general election without fail! And they debate this issue in the same spirit that they would debate child prostitution, gay marriages, legalising prostitution, and whatnot. Basically, Hudud has been given the same 'status' as the other scourges of society. Hence Hudud, too, is a 'plague' just like all the others. Don't these proponents of Hudud as well as the opponents see this? Can't they see what they are doing to Hudud? Hudud is being treated as something jijik (offensive or defile), as the Malays would say. And notice one more thing. Hudud is being argued or debated in the context of whether it is an outdated law and behind time and therefore no longer relevant to the modern world. Whether Hudud is God's command and therefore mandatory so no discussion on the matter is allowed. Whether it is too early to implement this law and should be something we discuss later down the road. Whether we need to educate Malaysians and explain this law to them first before we start proposing its implementation. Whether there would ever be a 'Muslim-majority' in Parliament to get Hudud passed as law. Whether the Muslims from both sides of the political divide -- Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat -- will unite and 'gang up' to get the required majority in Parliament to implement Hudud. And so on and so forth. Why are we debating the dog collar? In the first place do we even need or want a dog and if not then why are we even talking about buying a dog? When we have established that then we can discuss the colour of the dog collar. Sigh… Let us rewind the debate. Let us first discuss the concept of laws. How did we inherit all these laws? Why were laws even passed in the first place? Can we live comfortably and safely without any laws? What types of laws do we need to ensure we remain a civil and peaceful society? How do we apply and implement these laws? Laws are invented for a purpose. Laws are meant to ensure that order is maintained. Without any laws we would be living in a state of anarchy. We will all have to carry handguns and look after our own life, limb and property. It will be survival of the strongest. The weakest would be victims of the strongest. We would be living in a state of what we could call 'the law of the jungle'. Hence we need laws and we need a legal system to implement these laws. And these laws are given a name. It could be called the Penal Code. It could be called Common Laws. It could be called English Laws. It could be called French Laws. It could be called American Common Laws. It could be called Contract Laws. It could be called Family Laws. It could be called Divorce Laws. It could be called Inheritance Laws. It could be called Law of Torts. It could be called Criminal Laws. It could be called Traffic Laws. It could be called Emergency Laws. It could be called Martial Laws. And it could also be called the Sharia or Hudud. Basically, laws are given a name and Hudud is just one more name for the many laws that exist all over the world. The only difference between Hudud and all the others is that some people believe that Hudud came from God while all the rest are man-made laws. Hence what comes from God must be implemented while it is not mandatory (just prudent) to implement the rest. In that case, if this is the argument, then we are no longer talking about the legal system but about theology. And the issue of a majority in parliament and all those other arguments become irrelevant. Do we need a majority in Parliament to pray, fast, etc., or even to believe in God? That is a matter of faith and a matter of personal choice, not a matter of a majority in Parliament. In short, we are no longer discussing Hudud in the context of democracy but in the context of there is no democracy when it comes to God's commands. God does not allow us to take a vote to decide whether the majority are in favour of believing in Him and that if the majority votes to not believe in God then we do not need to believe in Him and therefore do not also need to perform our religious obligations. Let me make one thing very clear. Democracy and religion are NOT compatible. You have to choose one or the other. You cannot choose both. Democracy is about freedom of choice. Religion does not allow you any freedom of choice. Why is sodomy (even anal sex between man and woman) a crime? Because God says so. Why is drinking and gambling (for Muslims) a crime? Because God says so. Why is illicit or extra-marital sex (for Muslims) a crime? Because God says so. Why is homosexuality a crime? Because God says so. Under a democracy do you not have freedom of choice? You do but just as long as you do not violate God's commands. Hence you DO NOT have a democratic right to violate God's commands. And this means you only have partial democracy, not full democracy. So what we are actually debating here is whether Malaysia is a full democracy or a partial democracy. And remember, even the Umno people voted in favour of Hudud and Qisas when the Terengganu State Assembly passed it into law 11 years ago back in 2002. Hence both the opposition as well as the ruling party are saying that Malaysia does not have full democracy, only partial democracy. So, are we discussing Hudud in the context of the legal system? Are we discussing it in the context of theology? Or are we discussing it in the context of democracy, or the lack of it? In short, are we discussing the dog or the dog collar? ****************************************** Islamic state 'impossible' in multiracial Malaysia, says MCA man (The Malaysian Insider) - Veteran MCA politician Datuk Lee Hwa Beng hosed down today his party's claims that a vote for DAP could lead vicariously to the implementation of hudud law, pointing out that it was "impossible" for any winner of Election 2013 to set up an Islamic theocratic state. Without naming any party, he noted that there were politicians who relied on fear-mongering tactics among the Chinese community by warning them that an Islamic state will result if the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition comes into power or, alternatively, if there is a coalition of Umno and PAS. MCA, hit by widespread unpopularity among the Chinese electorate, has made the possibility of an Islamic state a central plank of its campaign in Election 2013. The party has placed a number of newspaper advertisements suggesting that a vote for DAP is a vote for hudud, the Islamic penal law, especially after the PR party said it had considered using the logo of PAS in the general election following now-dispelled doubts about its ability to apply its own symbol. Lee, the former Port Klang Authority (PKA) chairman who gained public acknowledgement for his role in investigating the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal, pointed out that any change to the Federal Constitution required a two-thirds majority in Parliament. He said in a letter to The Malaysian Insider today that the number of seats contested by the various political parties, including the main Muslim parties of Umno and PAS, suggest that it was impossible to amend the constitution as needed for an Islamic state. Lee based this on the assumption that all non-Muslim MPs would not vote for any amendment to introduce an Islamic theocratic state. "For example in the Terengganu state assembly some years ago when PAS introduced hudud law, the lone MCA member abstained from voting for it whereas, in contrast, all the Umno members voted for it," he said. He pointed out that even if Umno won all 105 parliamentary seats it was contesting in the peninsula and the 15 in Sabah, and if Sarawak's PBB took 14 seats there, these would still total only 134. This, he pointed out, remains short of the two-thirds majority ― 148 seats ― needed to amend the constitution. He added that while it may appear possible if Umno, PAS and PBB formed a coalition, it should be noted that PAS and Umno were competing for many of the same seats. "My conclusion is that an Islamic theocratic state is impossible in our multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural country, safeguarded by our societal constitution and the Federal Constitution itself." ****************************************** Time not right for hudud, says Khalid Ibrahim (The Malaysian Insider) - Hudud law cannot be implemented in multi-racial Malaysia currently because the Federal Constitution bars it, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said today. The caretaker Selangor mentri besar said that although the controversial Islamic penal code was accepted as a principle of Islamic administration, its execution was precluded by the constitutional safeguards afforded to Malaysia's various ethnic groups. "We must accept the fact that in Islam, hudud is accepted as part of Islamic administration," Khalid told reporters at the Selangor exco housing here today. "But I feel that it cannot be implemented in the current circumstances," he added. Khalid stressed that the consensus of the people must be obtained before hudud could be implemented, saying: "The implementation of hudud, which goes beyond what is determined in the constitution, needs to get the approval of all Malaysians." PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said last November at the party's 58th annual conference that it may never entirely abandon its plans to impose hudud for Muslims, but had only softened its approach as the Islamist party knew it could not rule without its non-Muslim allies in Pakatan Rakyat (PR). MCA-owned English daily The Star ran full-page advertisements recently ahead of Election 2013, warning Malaysians that a vote for the DAP was a vote for PAS. |
| It’s touch and go in Lembah Pantai Posted: 23 Apr 2013 04:43 PM PDT 
Both candidates have a 50% chance of winning, say constituents. Alyaa Azhar, FMT The people in Lembah Pantai are divided over who they want as MP. Although some are all for incumbent PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar to remain as the MP for Lembah Pantai, a considerable number of others want Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Raja Nong Chik Zainal Abidin, instead, to win the parliamentary seat. Suraya Abd Khalid, 41, said "in the past five years that PKR has held the area, I have yet to see anything". "Even though Nurul Izzah has been here for five years, I have not seen many changes. There probably are [changes], but they have not been significant. "Furthermore, the opposition can only be seen when it is nearing election time," she said. Suraya also claimed that aid from PKR would only come when there are deaths of senior citizens. "The only obvious assistance from them [PKR] would be when there is a death of a senior citizen, the family would be given RM2,000. But even that, details have to be registered at the PKR office beforehand," said Suraya who works at her sister's stall. Mohamad Azlishah, 30, who helps out at his brother's bicycle shop, however, expressed hope for the incumbent MP to remain as the Lembah Pantai MP. "I hope she will remain as MP here as she has done so much for the constituency. The things she have done are more personal in nature; they are more on the rakyat's wellbeing. "Nurul Izzah always makes surprise visits and does not use the media whenever she does this. Her works are void of publicity. "If you are really sincere, you do not need to do something and let others know about it," said Azlishah who has been living in Lembah Pantai since he was born. "I say this based on what I have observed, even though my mother used to be a Wanita Umno member. "Recently, there was a fire at a workshop near here. Although she did not dress well at the time, that was secondary because the most important thing was that she came at 3am to help," he said. 50-50 fight Khatijah Yaacob, 54, on the other hand, said that Nurul Izzah has indeed gone down to the ground to be there for her constituents. "If she has money, I'm sure she would have done more [for the constituency]. "She visits when there are deaths and also joins when there are feasts," said the fruit-seller. When asked the chances of both parties in winning the constituency, she said that both candidates have 50% chance of winning. Receptionist Siti Sarina also echoed Khatijah's view that both Raja Nong Chik and Nurul Izzah have 50% chance of winning in the coming election. "I do see Nurul Izzah coming down during visits at the Kerinchi PPR [Program Perumahan Rakyat] and the 1Malaysia clinic," said the 43-year-old. However, she admitted that Nurul Izzah's weakness is in terms of helping the constituents. "This is probably because she has less chance to help. As the Federal Territories Minister, Raja Nong Chik's strength is on the various developments [undertaken] in Lembah Pantai," she said. Meanwhile, Ahmad Padil Abdullah, 56, said there is a 70% chance in favour of Raja Nong Chik winning the constituency. "He has done so much for the constituency, especially in terms of giving loans. "The only strength of the opposition is its ceramah. It has a lot of ceramah and many will come. The BN side also has many people joining but it lacks credible speakers," said Padil, who is the vice- chairman for the Pantai Dalam Petty Trader's Association. READ MORE HERE |
| The powerful emotion of hate Posted: 23 Apr 2013 04:07 PM PDT 
The peddling of hate has been proven to be very effective in political marketing, especially when people are trapped in certain mindsets that determine their views. Two months ago, a young female Facebook user, who posted a YouTube video pledging support for one side, ended up being insulted with all sorts of derogatory names and even threatened with rape. M. Veera Pandiyan, The Star SATURDAY, April 20, was a special day for about 80 of my ex-schoolmates and I, most of whom have known each other since starting out in primary school 51 years ago. No, politics had nothing to do it. Nomination Day just happened to fall on our old boys' reunion, planned months earlier. But there was no relief from the pervasive political talk amidst the camaraderie and merriment. Even the chef at the golf resort in Malacca where the gathering of the 58-year-olds were held, could not resist trying to campaign for the side he was supporting. To my disbelief, the man who had only recently returned home after working in Germany for many years asked me point blank: "Who are you voting for, ah?" With the whole country gripped by election fever and emotions running at all time highs, such manners can be expected before we cast our ballots for the mother of all political battles on May 5. A day after the bash, as we were recovering from the after effects of the revelry, a friend who has seen the ups and downs of business shared his experiences in the insurance and multi-level marketing industries before heading back home. Recalling his lucrative days of running a thriving insurance agency, he said the art of selling policies mostly relied on playing on the emotions of potential clients. His formula was simple: Give 98% focus on emotions, 1% on product knowledge and 1% for other needed explanations to convince, including "convenient untruths". We soon ended up comparing the similarities of tactics used in the realm of politics. An election, after all, is the final closing move in the marketing of political emotions to sway voters to one side or the other. Emotions are mental reactions experienced as strong feelings directed toward a specific object, persons or situations. The word can be traced to its Latin roots of movere (to move). Emotions move people to act in a certain way. Like in the case of marketing products or services, three types of appeals – logical, ethical and emotional – are put across to political "customers". By right, the logical route based on reasoning should be the most appealing but is used the least, except in cases of party manifestos and presentation of performance "report cards". The simple reason for this is people don't make rational decisions based on detailed information, careful analysis or conscious thought. The ethical appeal is usually used in campaign messages to raise the profile of certain personalities and expose the unsuitability of others by disparaging them. In business, the emotional appeal involves using greed, fear, envy, pride and shame, but in politics, it is the harnessing of primary emotions – happiness, surprise, sadness, anger, disgust and fear, in addition to the most potent one, hate. The peddling of hate has been proven to be very effective in political marketing, especially when people are trapped in certain mindsets that determine their views and decision-making. In Malaysia, like elsewhere, political support is conditioned by upbringing based on ethnicity, location (urban or rural), level of education or wealth and the shared belief of family members or friends. Tragically, since the last general election, hate has been stoked steadily to the point where reason has little chance or participation in civil discourse. Hate has become the norm in our political engagement, especially in cyber space, with our Hollywood icon Datuk Seri Michelle Yeoh as the latest hapless victim. The 49-year-old actress was called "a traitor" to the Chinese race, running dog and pinned with other unpalatable labels by partisan cyber bullies just for attending a dinner in Port Klang organised by a group of Selangor Chinese businessmen in support of Barisan Nasional last week. Two months ago, a young female Facebook user, who posted a YouTube video pledging support for one side, ended up being insulted with all sorts of derogatory names and even threatened with rape. Don't Malaysians have a choice or the right to support whoever they want anymore? These days, one cannot log into Facebook without being drawn into some form of partisan political conversation. Too much energy appears to be focused on emotionally-charged rants and sharing them with people who might not necessarily agree. Instead of "de-friending" these people, I have taken to hiding posts that are deemed to be unworthy of sharing. I read somewhere that this would automatically prompt Facebook to weed out posts from such people. It has not happened yet, though. Hate is also being spread via e-mail and through SMSes and WhatsApp on mobile phones. Like many others, I have been getting an endless stream of political messages designed to influence my vote, over the past month. Enough already, please. In any case, my mind has already been made up. It was done some time ago, too. > Associate Editor M. Veera Pandiyan values these words by Gautama Buddha: Hatred does not cease by hatred, but only by love; this is the eternal rule. |
| I was assaulted, says Chegubard Posted: 23 Apr 2013 03:44 PM PDT 
(The Star) - PKR candidate Badrul Hisham Shaharin (pic), known as Chegubard, said that he was assaulted by PAS supporters on his way to the nomination centre. "I am upset. I was greeted with jeers and curses. I asked our friends in the (PAS) Youth wing to step aside, but I was pushed around, slapped in the face and my wife was also pushed," said the candidate for the Sungai Acheh seat in Penang. The incident arose when the PAS leadership also endorsed the Penang youth chief Mohd Yusni Mat Piah as their candidate, triggering a three-way fight between them and Barisan Nasional's Mahmud Zakaria. The PAS leadership later ceded and Mohd Yusni withdrew his candidacy. A video was circulated online of Badrul Hisham giving a ceramah where he said that he was shoved and slapped in the face when he was on his way to the nomination centre in Penang. In the two-minute-long video, which appeared to be the tail-end of his speech, Badrul Hisham said that he was even more disappointed as it involved his own "political siblings". He pleaded with the Pakatan Rakyat parties to close ranks and to work together. Badrul Hisham tried to play down the incident, saying that "everything's fine and forgiven". On another issue, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang was filmed speaking in a recent ceramah, saying that PAS was forced to put up its own candidates in the seven seats which are overlapping with PKR due to some "moral issues" with the candidates from the party. He claimed that some candidates had subscribed to communist teachings and one was selling "pil kuda" (psychotropic pills), which some of the pro-Umno bloggers claimed was Badrul Hisham. "If they (the bloggers) have the guts, come and say it publicly and wait for my lawyer's letter. "When I become the assemblyman, I will need the money which I can win from this lawsuit to open my service centre," said Badrul Hashim. |
| Police - Blast at BN ceramah caused by IED; second device found Posted: 23 Apr 2013 03:39 PM PDT 
(The Star) - The explosion at the Barisan Nasional ceramah in Taman Jawi Jaya late Tuesday was caused by an improvised explosive device (IED), police said. Penang police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi said the device was believed to be made by a group of professionals. A second such device was also found in the area around 2am, and disposed by the bomb squad at 3am. The explosives had a timer and wires in them, but no splinters inside, DCP Abdul Rahim told a press conference Wednesday. A man was slightly injured after what was initially believed to be firecrackers exploded during the ceramah in Taman Jawi Jaya here. The man, an unidentified party worker in his 30s, was walking past a rubbish dump when the explosion occurred around 10.15pm. He was said to have sustained minor injuries. At the time, Penang Gerakan chairman Datuk Teng Hock Nan was speaking at the ceramah, which was attended by about 3,000 people. |
| Will Malaysia become an Islamic theocratic state? Posted: 23 Apr 2013 03:25 PM PDT 
For example, in the Terengganu state assembly some years ago when PAS introduced hudud law, the lone MCA member abstained from voting for it whereas, in contrast, all the Umno members voted for it. Lee Hwa Beng, TMI In the run-up to this election, some parties and individuals have stated that voting for a certain coalition or party may result in Malaysia becoming an Islamic state. While the definition of an Islamic state has been widely debated, especially in our country, an Islamic state is broadly one that is based on Islamic laws and principles as its foundation in all aspects socio-political and legal. It is a theocracy that aims to implement Syariah laws on every citizen irrespective of their faith. Non-Muslims may have a different set of additional rules. At the moment in Malaysia, the "Constitution is the supreme law" in the country (Article 4 of the Federal Constitution) and while Islam is the religion of the country, "other religions may be practised in peace and harmony" (Article 3(1)) ensuring that there is religious diversity and harmony. In order for Malaysia to become an Islamic state, the crucial question is whether it is permissible under the Federal Constitution. At the moment, under Article 159(3) any amendment to the Federal Constitution requires "not less than two-thirds of the total number of members" in Parliament. Hence, for Malaysia to become an Islamic theocratic state, a two-thirds or 148 out of our total 220 MPs must vote for the passing of such an amendment. There are politicians who have relied on fear-mongering tactics amongst the Chinese community, warning that an Islamic state will result if the Pakatan Rakyat coalition comes into power or, alternatively, if there is a coalition of Umno and PAS. Instead of speculating on the political likelihood of the aforesaid, I will use figures to substantiate my belief that it is highly unlikely that Malaysia will become an Islamic state in either scenario. 
Tables of seats contested based on filing by various parties on Nomination Day held on 20th April 2013: I will assume that all non-Muslim MPs and non-Muslim parties will either vote against or abstain from voting for a Bill to amend the secular nature of Malaysia. For example, in the Terengganu state assembly some years ago when PAS introduced hudud law, the lone MCA member abstained from voting for it whereas, in contrast, all the Umno members voted for it. Thus, based on the above, assuming Umno wins all the 105 seats in Peninsular Malaysia and 15 seats in Sabah and Pesaka Bumi Bersatu (PBB) wins all their 14 seats in Sarawak, the total is only 134 seats. This figure is still not enough to meet the required two-thirds to amend the Constitution. It falls short of the 14 seats needed to make the 148 seats, which is the figure for two-thirds of the total of 222 seats. Further it is highly unlikely that Umno and PBB will win all their seats. Hence, in order for an Islamic state to materialise, Umno and PBB would also need the support of Pakatan's Muslim MPs. The other scenario is that Umno, PBB and PAS form a coalition together to achieve it. From the above table, it might look possible but one should not forget that Umno and PAS are competing against each other in a total of 64 seats and PAS against PBB in five seats. READ MORE HERE |
| Najib: Anwar yet to explain his meeting with Misuari Posted: 23 Apr 2013 03:01 PM PDT 
Jessieanne Joannes, Borneo Insider Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has yet to explain why he had a recent meeting with Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founding chairman Nur Misuari, said the Prime Minister Tuesday. Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak stressed that the people, especially those in Sabah, deserve to know the reason behind the meeting. "The opposition has not explained the rational (of the meeting) and are keeping quiet till today," he told a crowd of thousands Barisan Nasional supporters during the meet-the-people programme, here. Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air protem president Zamil Ibrahim had claimed that the meeting did take place and that it was monitored by the Philippine intelligence. He claimed that the duo did not realise that they were being watched. Anwar was said to be in shock when the Philippines' military intelligence revealed the meeting's agenda to the media. In a news report, an intelligence officer was quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer on the alleged involvement of a Sabah leader, who is allied to the opposition coalition. The Sabah leader was said to be vying for an electoral seat in the coming general election. He also said the Lahad Datu intrusion has also sent the signal how precious Sabah is to the government. "We have lost a few lives during the standoff but all this are the sacrifices we have to do to protect the peace and sovereignty of the state," he said. Najib, who earlier launched the RM59,665,880 worth bridge in Kuala Penyu, disclosed that the opposition are opportunists who are always looking for ways to spread their lies and empty promises to lure the people from supporting the government. "They have different political ideology and philosophy, they do not have good track record as proof, they will say something today and something else tomorrow. "These people cannot be trusted and what Barisan Nasional has achieved today is evidence that only the ruling coalition can provide you continuous development," he said. Describing the BN team as "the good people", he said it was only right to show the support towards these group of candidates by rooting their votes for BN on May 5 (polling day). Najib, who is also BN chairman and Umno president, added that the BN government could offer two important things to the people – peace and stability. "It is through the peace and stability that we so enjoy now that we are to bring greater development nationwide. It is also because of this that investors are interested and confident to do business in the country," he said. Also present at the event were Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and other BN leaders. |
| Ansari mulls setting up his own party after PKR snub Posted: 23 Apr 2013 02:54 PM PDT 
(Borneo Insider) - KOTA KINABALU: The tussle for the Tuaran parliament seat may see Tuaran PKR division chief Ansari Abdullah leaving the party to set up one of his own after the 13th General Election (GE13). Ansari has been claiming Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) chief Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing had betrayed him by not giving the Tuaran seat to him. "When he (Bumburing) mentioned his intention to join Pakatan Rakyat, we had discussed the issue of seat allocation and he had said I only want a "small car" while the "big car" is yours," Ansari (picture) told reporters at his office, here, Tuesday. However, Bumburing has since denied Ansari's allegations and said it was Ansari who had demanded for the Tamparuli state seat, while the PKR leadership offered him (Ansari) the Sulaman state seat. Ansari obviously reckoned his chances wer better in the Kadazandusun majority Tamparuli seat rather than the Muslim-bumiputera Sulaman seat which he lost several times in the past. Ansari said his daughter Erveana Ansari's decision to contest the Tuaran seat was to challenge the opposition and added that he was ready to face any action taken against him by the party. "However, I have not received any letter," he said. Ansari said Bumburing who is involved in a four-cornered fight would not receive the support of about 6,000 PKR members in Tuaran because their votes would go to the 'real' PKR member. Bumburing will be facing Barisan Nasional's (BN) Datuk Madius Tangau, Samin @ Jasmin Dulin (Parti Reformasi Sabah) and Erveana. |
| Anwar: SAPP and STAR were untrustworthy Posted: 23 Apr 2013 02:49 PM PDT 
Alexander Chen, Borneo Insider PKR has always been saying that local Sabah opposition parties SAPP and STAR were untrustworthy to use their de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim's own words. On Tuesday, he said negotiations with the SAPP had broken down when the latter insisted on contesting more seats in the state "than what we thought they deserved". "STAR took on a very combative position, at times saying that if they win, they would have the option of whether to support BN or PKR — we do not accept this," he said. Anwar was at a Press conference in Petaling Jaya to announced that the overlapping contests with PAS in some six seats, had been resolved when he was asked about Sabah. He said the entry of Sabah-based parties Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and State Reform Party (STAR) in the opposition's battle for Sabah, had been expected. But was Anwar really telling the truth or was he lying, a political analyst who wished to remain unnamed queried. The last time around, a few days before Nomination Day, Anwar said he was willing to sort matters out with SAPP, but nothing materialised. According to sources who were at that Press conference then, it was not Anwar who put forward the idea of late talks. "Rather, it was in the form of a question posed by a reporter, and Anwar truing to be seen as accommodating, replied that PR could still talk with SAPP," said the analyst. "But the leaders he chose to talk with SAPP never carried out his instructions," he added, saying he suspected that one particular leader feared he would not get to contest in Tawau if SAPP teamed up with PR. |
| ‘PAS must apologise for Zul Noordin’s gaffes’ Posted: 23 Apr 2013 02:34 PM PDT 
MIC defends the Perkasa leader's candidacy in Shah Alam. G Lavendran, FMT MIC today blamed PAS for Zulkifli Noordin's perceived racism. Defending the character of Barisan Nasional's direct candidate for the Shah Alam parliament seat, MIC Central Working Committee (CWC) member KP Samy noted that Zulkifli was a member of PAS until 2008, when the party sacked him for contesting in the 2008 election under the PKR ticket. "Zulkifli made all those racist statements while he was in PAS," Samy said. "How could he have said all those things without their support and approval?" Zulkifli, a leader of the Malay interest group Perkasa, is facing PAS' Khalid Samad in the Shah Alam contest. He joined the group following his sacking from PKR in 2010. In speaking of "racist statements", Samy was referring to remarks that Zulkifli made about Hindusim in a lecture that was videotaped and recently uploaded to the Internet. It caused an uproar among Hindus—including MIC members and supporters—prompting Zulkifli to explain that the lecture was delivered in 2003, when he was still in PAS. Samy did not mention racially sensitive statements that Zulkifli made subsequent to his sacking from PAS. There been several calls for Zulkifli to apologise to the Hindu community over the videotaped lecture, but Samy said his apology alone would not be sufficient. "PAS must have encouraged that behaviour," he said. "If not, I'm sure he wouldn't dare say things like that. "So, PAS also has to apologise." Samy accused Pakatan Rakyat of attacking Zulkifli's character out of contempt for his decision to stand for election as a BN candidate, apparently ignoring the many statements Pakatan leaders have made against him in the last couple of years. The Hindraf deal with BN Samy also commented on the public reaction to the forging of a deal between BN chief Najib Tun Razak and Hindraf leader P Waythamoorthy. "There's nothing wrong with Waythamoorthy showing support for BN," he said. "He didn't get what he was fighting for when he took sides with Pakatan Rakyat." He was referring to the Hindraf blueprint, a set of demands for policies to help lift Malaysian Indians out of their economic and social misery. "Waythamoorthy had contacted Pakatan about 23 times and even begged to get the blueprint approved, but he got nothing in the end," he said. READ MORE HERE |
| Tricky for BN in Kota Belud Posted: 23 Apr 2013 02:26 PM PDT 
Almost half of the Kota Belud parliamentary constituency in Sabah are Dusun Christians but none of the political parties saw it fit to field a Christian candidate. (FTM) - KOTA BELUD: It will be an uphill battle for Sabah Barisan Nasional secretary Abdul Rahman Dahlan to retain his Kota Belud parliamentary seat in the 13th general election. Abdul Rahman is in a five-cornered fight in Kota Belud, the birthplace of Umno in Sabah. In the 2008 general election, he won the seat with a 3,020-vote majority garnering 17,842 votes against his sole opponent, then Saidil Simoi of PKR. Saidil chalked up a respectable 14,822 votes. But this time, it will be tricky for Abdul Rahman, even though the Sabah Umno state deputy chief Salleh Said Keruak has expressed confidence of BN retaining the parliamentary seat and sweeping the three state seats within the Kota Belud constituency. The three seats are Tempasuk, Kadamaian and Usukan. Salleh is contesting in Usukan Abdul Rahman's predicament began when he had to fend off a strong opposition from his own Umno party via Lamsil Hamidsor. Lamsil is contesting as an Independent against party's wishes. He has since been expelled. Many here believe that Lamsil is a plant sponsored by dissenting voices within Kota Belud Umno who are silently campaigning to deny Abdul Rahman a second consecutive win. In 2008, Abdul Rahman was "plucked" from adjacent Tuaran to replace Salleh as MP, much to the angst of the locals. He won nevertheless but with a much reduced majority from previous BN's victories. Abdul Rahman, an Umno loyalist, is also finding it very hard, if not impossible, to neutralise the surging support for PKR young candidate Munirah Majilis, who incidentally is Salleh's second cousin. On top of that, is the ground reality in Kota Belud, where the Dusun community makes up the bulk of the voters. Muslim candidates in Christian turf Their votes are expected to be split between PKR and another surging opposition party, the State Reform Party (STAR) through its candidate Jalumin Bayogoh. Added to this is the sole Christian Independent candidate in the fray, journalist activist Kanul Gindol, who is perceived to be the under-dog in the five-cornered tussle. Then there is the possible protest votes from the Iranun communities in Tempasuk who were denied a chance for any seat. Iranun leader Pandikar Amin Mulia had been lobbying hard for the community to be given either the Tempasuk seat or parliamentary seats. Many among the Iranuns are now supporting fellow Awang Laiman Ikin, the PAS candidate for Tempasuk. For Parliament, their votes could go either to Munirah or Lamsil, something that Abdul Rahman is already aware of. Meanwhile, the entry of Gindol, 47, in the five-cornered tussle could pose grim possibilities for PKR and STAR alongside the BN. Local observers said Gindol's participation may now swing the votes from the Christians who comprise 50% of the electorate. This poses a threat to attempts by all three parties contesting to get the already-agitated Christian voters in the area. READ MORE HERE |
| PM’s post only for Muslims, says Hadi Posted: 23 Apr 2013 02:19 PM PDT 
PAS president reiterates party's stand, but says non-Muslims can become ministers. (Bernama) - PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has reiterated the party's stand that only Muslims can be the prime minister of this country. He, however, said anybody can be a minister, regardless of whether the person was a Muslim or a non-Muslim if the opposition pact formed the next government after the May 5 general election. "Non-Muslims can work with Muslims to administer this country on condition, No. 1, the prime minister must be a Muslim. "The person in charge of policies must be a Muslim in an Islamic nation. If he is a non-Muslim, then he should embrace Islam. "For instance, for the Works Minister's post, if the person picked is a non-Muslim, but he has the knowledge and expertise in road and building construction, we will appoint him, but we will not appoint a non-Muslim to take charge of mosques," he said in his ceramah here late last night. Hadi, who is defending the Marang parliamentary seat and the Rhu Rendang state seat, also belittled the BN-led state government's efforts to transform the Kenyir Lake as a duty-free zone. He also said the construction of the Kemaman Zoo was a sheer waste of public funds. Much of Hadi's speech at the ceramah centred on raising outdated issues and openly criticising BN's top leadership and state leaders, including Menteri Besar Ahmad Said. |
| PSM to PKR: Your sacrifice is laughable Posted: 23 Apr 2013 02:15 PM PDT 
PSM claims that it had sacrificed more than PKR to help the latter's bid to win the GE13. K Pragalath, FMT Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) today took a swipe at Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim over his "laughable" sacrifice to hand over two constituencies to PSM, further straining ties between the two allies. "Anwar's statement that the decision to hand over the two seats – Kota Damansara and Sungai Siput – to PSM is a 'big sacrifice for PKR' is so laughable. How can a seat never contested by PKR suddenly become a big sacrifice?" PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan in a press statement. "In fact, the only party which did sacrifice was PSM which, after fighting 11 years under Barisan Nasional rule for its logo, has now given it up in the larger interest of Pakatan Rakyat in its bid to capture Putrajaya ," he said. Arutchelvan, who is contesting as PSM candidate in Semenyih, was commenting on Anwar's statement that PKR made a "big sacrifice" in allowing PSM to contest the Sungai Siput parliamentary and Kota Damansara state seats. "It was a tough decision and we [PKR] have to work hard to win concession from the Pakatan component parties," Anwar said yesterday. PSM is contesting the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat and three state seats – Kota Damansara and Semenyih in Selangor and Jelapang in Perak. PKR has given PSM the approval to contest Sungai Siput and Kota Damansara, but is fielding its own candidate in Semenyih while DAP is putting up its candidate in Jelapang. In Kota Damansara, PAS is also fielding a candidate against PSM's incumbent Nasir Hashim. Nasir is facing a six-cornered tussle with Umno's Halimaton Saadiah Bohan, PAS's Ridzuan Ismail and three other independents. Arutchelvan also said that Anwar should not have commented on the PSM-DAP tussle over Jelapang. READ MORE HERE |
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
