Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Non-Chinese confused, split as they head for the polls
- Final push in Malaysia elections
- Its My Backyard
- GE13: Husam's mother passes away just before polling day
- On the eve of an election, the Malaysian web comes under attack
- Malaysians prepare to head to polls
- BN faces fight of its life in M’sia vote
- The race for Malaysia
- Will elections in Malaysia be free or fair?
- Anwar says only fraud can stop Pakatan
- Fascist policemen frightened of flowers
- Hope, Change and Difference
- Condemning the Misbehaviour of Youth Group in Putrajaya
- PR will fall short in race to Putrajaya
- PM’s popularity dives, fake report surfaces
- Pakatan may not have it so easy in Penang
- GE13: Blatant money politics in Penang might backfire against BN
- Election 2013: Are Malaysia’s youth prepared to take history’s call?
- Watchdogs on foreigners’ ‘fishy behaviour’ in GE13, says PAS
- Chatty Politicians Irk Some Malaysian Voters
- No split votes for Sabah Opposition
- Pakatan bakal bentuk k’jaan baru?
- Pakatan undecided on who will be PM
- Two-party/coalition system not good for Sabah, Sarawak
| Non-Chinese confused, split as they head for the polls Posted: 04 May 2013 09:35 AM PDT
The non-Chinese in Malaya are both split and confused by the politics as they head for the polling booths. When people are confused, they will vote the way they did the last time. Joe Fernandez The Malays in Malaya are clearly split down the middle. They are caught between two equally strong political groups i.e. PKR/Pas and Umno. They see themselves as having been done in as individuals by Umno and getting nowhere as a community in the retail economy, for example, because of corruption, deviations and distortions on the part of the ruling elite in cahoots with proxy Chinese businessmen. Hence, they seem to be forever dependent on lowly-paid government jobs and the government sector, subsidies and handouts, virtually like a beggar community, and getting sick of it. The Malays no longer want to have anything to do with the dependency syndrome foisted on them since 1957 by Umno. They are even more sickened by the porn material which Umno employs in its campaigns and its constant harping on the sex life of various Opposition leaders. The party is seen as morally depraved, increasingly bankrupt in its politics and desperate. The party has become notorious for being inundated with all sorts of unsavoury characters or linked with them. Wanita Umno Chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin in the lunatic fringe readily come to mind. The split in the Malay community has forced the Chinese to evaluate whether to support PKR/Pas as their Malay allies or back Umno through BN. They see the writing on the wall for Umno after 56 years. Hence, the Chinese decision from Kangar in Perlis to Tawau in Sabah to back Dap and in its absence the party's Malay allies i.e. PKR and Pas. Mahathir has tried to discredit Dap as a racist party fielding candidates only in Chinese-majority seats. That's the same thing being done by Umno in Malay-majority seats, a point which Mahathir chose to ignore as he threw tantrums in public. The Malays meanwhile will find it difficult to vote for Indians and Chinese in Malaya fielded by BN in seats where they (Malays) form the single biggest group but still less than 50 per cent. All these seats will fall to Malay candidates fielded by PKR/Pas and supported by Dap. Besides, Malays have come to detest the MIC and MCA in particular as racist parties thriving on Umno, the mother of all racist parties. This means that the non-Umno BN parties in Malaya will either be wiped out -- read MIC, PPP, Gerakan -- or will be virtually -- read MCA -- wiped out. MCA may win as little as five parliamentary seats in Malaya. The Suluks in Sabah are split down the middle and this is not due to the Lahad Datu intrusion. The Suluks -- and to an extent the Bajau -- are unhappy with Umno. They have been unhappy for a very long time over their increasing marginalisation and disenfranchisement by the continuing influx of the Bugis illegal immigrants in particular into areas along the east coast where they had traditionally squatted since from even Malaysia in 1963. The Suluks are from the nearby Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines, the Bugis are from Sulawesi in Indonesia. Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is a Bugis with, it's suspected, some Dutch blood in Indonesia and Indian in Malaysia. The skeletons in the family cupboard are beginning to tumble out into the open. The Orang Asal (original people) are for Parti Bersatu Sabah and Star only as they see too many parties splitting up the community and weakening its political clout. Upko, except for Bernard Dompok in Penampang, and PBRS may not survive the 13th GE. Umno will lose its Orang Asal, including Muslim, seats in Sabah. The majority of the Orang Asal are Christians when they are not practising an ancient form of Hinduism, mistaken by western scholars in the past as paganism/animism. In Sarawak, more Bidayuh and Orang Ulu have joined the Chinese to turn against Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, a Melanau, who has stubbornly refused to step down after 30 years despite publicly pledging to do so during the 2011 state election. Mas Gading (Bidayuh) and Baram (Orang Ulu) will be the barometers. It will be interesting to see how the Ibans vote this time considering the growing anti-Taib feeling among the Bidayuh and Orang Ulu. The Melanau are still with Taib. The Sarawak Malays are increasingly unhappy with Taib and the Melanau. It remains to be seen whether PKR and Pas can translate this into votes for them. The Sarawak Malays are actually mainly Bidayuh living along the coasts of the 1st Division and mainly Iban living along the coasts of the other Divisions who converted to Islam over the last 300 years. If 15 or 16 parliamentary seats in Sarawak fall to PR, it will be clearly seen as virtually a revolt against Taib. A day before polling, PR was certain of five parliamentary seats, and cautiously optimistic in another two to four seats. New and young voters everywhere in Malaysia can be expected to largely vote for the Opposition. These are the ones who are sure to turn up at the polling stations. The Opposition will win the popular vote on May 5 but this may not translate into 112 seats for PR to enable it to take Putrajaya. It has been estimated that Umno/BN can obtain 112 parliamentary seats with as little as 18.9 per cent of the votes cast. This is due to the many tiny seats where Umno dominates. Putrajaya for example has only 15,000 voters, up from the 6,000 not so long ago. There are many Putrajaya-like parliamentary and state seats in Malaysia. It is by no means clear at this juncture whether Star will win enough parliamentary seats in Sabah to help PR make up the difference to secure 112 seats. Star may pick up Mas Gading in Sarawak. Star chairman Jeffrey Kitingan has said that his party will support whichever coalition can form the Federal Government in Putrajaya. Jeffrey made it clear however that he hopes PR, rather than BN, makes it to Putrajaya. Star's support for ruling coalition will be confined to Parliament and would not mean the party joining the Federal Government. If PR takes Putrajaya, there might be crossovers in that case from non-Umno Sabah BN to Star and from Sabah Umno to PKR. Star is set to be a player in the next Sabah state government no matter who forms it. Umno may be forced to emulate PKR post-May 5 and open its doors in Malaya to Indians and Chinese instead of trying to revive the failed BN component parties. Hindraf Malaysia Association (Himas) members led by chairman P. Waythamoorthy are likely to be among the first Indians to join Umno. The same cannot be said of hardcore Hindraf Makkal Sakthi activists. The ad hoc apolitical human rights movement is also led by Waythamoorthy but he has to contend here with P. Uthayakumar, his elder brother and the movement's de facto chief as a key founder. Waythamoorthy, it's feared, fell into a trap set by Umno when he signed a MOU recently with BN on some modest concessions for the Indians, long smarting under internal colonisation policies. Many analysts see the MOU as a pretext by Umno to indulge in massive electoral fraud. We will know before midnight on May 5. If PR takes Putrajaya by some miracle, Mahathir can be expected to drop dead from a massive heart attack. This won't be surprising considering that he's a control freak in the extreme. Already, doctors have been warning that those caught up too much in following the race to Putrajaya risk heart attacks, either out of excitement or disappointment.
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| Final push in Malaysia elections Posted: 04 May 2013 09:32 AM PDT
(The China Post) - A survey released by polling house Merdeka Center predicted Najib's Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition could win 85 parliamentary seats, while a three-party opposition alliance led by Anwar Ibrahim will take 89 seats. It said 46 seats were too close to call while two seats will go to smaller parties. Malaysian politicians made a final campaign push as an independent survey showed Prime Minister Najib Razak's long-ruling coalition running neck and neck with the opposition alliance ahead of Sunday's general election.
A survey released by polling house Merdeka Center predicted Najib's Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition could win 85 parliamentary seats, while a three-party opposition alliance led by Anwar Ibrahim will take 89 seats. It said 46 seats were too close to call while two seats will go to smaller parties. Anwar said only fraud can stop his Malaysian opposition from scoring a historic election win as the rival sides launched a last-ditch campaign blitz Saturday. Sunday's elections are the first in the country's 56 years of independence in which the only government Malaysia has known faces possible defeat. The uncertainty has given rise to a bitter campaign, with Najib warning of chaos and ethnic strife under the opposition, which has countered with numerous allegations of government vote fraud. Anwar set the stage for a possibly destabilizing challenge to the results, accusing the Barisan regime of cheating to thwart what he called a "democratic revolution."
"We have advised our supporters to remain calm, not to be provoked, not to take the law into their own hands, support the process," Anwar told AFP in an interview in his home seat in the state of Penang. Read more at: http://www.chinapost.com.tw/asia/malaysia/2013/05/05/377824/Final-push.htm | |
| Posted: 04 May 2013 09:25 AM PDT
Why should I care if the politicians grabbed billions from the country's resources? Why should I care, when the bulk of people do not? Malaysia-Finance Blogspot Truth be told, politics does not affect my livelihood, I will still get by. Truth be told, I could have stayed on in Australia and be gone from Malaysia more than 20 years ago. But its my backyard. I could be drawing a good salary with good career prospects somewhere else ... but when I read Sydney Morning Herald, South China Morning Post of Singapore's Straits Times ... I don't feel as if I am reading about things or people that mattered to me. There is a disconnect that I cannot explain.It is not so grand a sacrifice on my part to be back in Malaysia, its my backyard. Why should I care if the politicians grabbed billions from the country's resources? Why should I care, when the bulk of people do not? If you look at the manifestos from both sides, they are pretty similar, its not an economic policy issue, it is something a whole lot bigger than that. I cannot just shake my head when I see grave injustice being meted out to others just because they are "in their way". I cannot just shake my head when I sense the judiciary is not truly independent and may just be an extension of the political powers to be. These may not still affect me directly but its affects my fellow neighbours. I think we all deserve something better than that. While there is positive discrimination, I cannot understand why the poor are still poor. I wish for a truly caring government and society that represents what each and every Malaysian's heart in all matters. Bring up our poor collectively. Read more at: http://malaysiafinance.blogspot.com/2013/05/its-my-backyard.html | |
| GE13: Husam's mother passes away just before polling day Posted: 04 May 2013 09:20 AM PDT
(The Star) - PAS vice-president Datuk Husan Musa's mother Salma Idris has just passed away a day before the election. A report on Harakah daily's website, stated that Husan's mother would have her solat jenazah (prayer for the departed) after the Asar prayers at the Masjid Kota, in Salor, Kota Bharu, Kelantan. Husan, who is PAS' candidate in Putrajaya, is also contesting for the state seat in Salor, where he is the incumbent. "Pemergian Bonda memilukan saya, namun takdir ini saya anggap pembuka kemenangan saya dan Rakyat Malaysia yang dahagakan Malaysia Baru yang Bersih, Adil & Berjiwa Rakyat," posted Husam, on his Facebook page. This is translated as "Though I grieve my mother's passing, I accept this as the opening to victory for me and the Rakyat who thirst for a new Malaysia that is clean, fair, and in line with the will of the people" | |
| On the eve of an election, the Malaysian web comes under attack Posted: 04 May 2013 09:12 AM PDT
(The Verge) - Access suspects the ruling party is instituting the blocks using deep packet inspection, with the assistance of the (supposedly independent) ISPs. Opposition party websites and Facebook pages are falling to DDoS and web censorship Malaysia holds its national election this Sunday, pitting the ruling National Front party against an unusually strong People's Alliance coalition in what observers are calling the most closely contested race in the nation's history. But as citizens head to the polls, the country has seen a flood of ISP blocks and DDoS actions against opposition sites and independent media. The most visible actions are DDoS attacks, a technique that floods sites with bogus traffic, making them inaccessible to normal users. It's a technique often aimed at opposition parties in the days leading up to an election. DDoS mitigation service Cloudflare told The Verge it has seen several news organization come under attack in the past week, and that the vast majority of the actions have been Layer 7 attacks originating from within the country. It strongly suggests that whoever's behind the attack is local. OPPOSITION PARTY FACEBOOK PAGES WERE ALSO TARGETED BY THE BLOCKS Alongside the denial-of-service attacks, Malaysian ISPs have instituted a more sophisticated kind of web censorship. An Access Now report detailed five Malaysian ISPs that had begun blocking domains, simply refusing to serve requests made to certain web addresses. After early complaints, ISPs also blocked specific content within those domains that was critical of the standing regime. Read more at: http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/4/4299844/before-election-malaysian-web-comes-under-attack | |
| Malaysians prepare to head to polls Posted: 04 May 2013 09:10 AM PDT
(Al Jazeera) - Malaysians are set to cast ballots in their first election in history with a change of government at stake, as a decades-old leadership battles to hold off an opposition pledging sweeping reform. Voting gets under way at 8:00am [0000 GMT] on Sunday with tensions high after a bitter campaign in the multi-ethnic country marked by charges of election fraud, divisive racial rhetoric and widespread violence. Malaysians have awaited the vote since 2008 polls saw a newly united opposition make unprecedented gains against the The coalition dominated by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and led by premier Najib Razak has been expected to edge the Pakatan Rakyat (People's Pact) alliance captained by former UMNO member, Anwar Ibrahim. But recent opinion polls have indicated the race was too close to predict. Pakatan has capitalised on anger over corruption, authoritarianism and controversial policies that favour majority ethnic Malays, while wooing minorities and a younger generation exposed to alternative views found online. Pakatan pledges sweeping reform, including an end to cronyism and corruption that it says sustains a powerful elite. 'We will win' The opposition has set the stage for a possibly disputed result with numerous accusations of Barisan electoral fraud. These include an alleged scheme to fly tens of thousands of people of "dubious" and possibly foreign origin to key constituencies to sway results. The government claims the flights were part of a voter-turnout drive. Indelible ink applied to voters' fingers to prevent multiple voting - touted by Najib as a safeguard against fraud - also was found to wash off. "Unless there's a major massive fraud tomorrow... we will win," Anwar told the AFP news agency on Saturday. Anwar, a former deputy premier ousted in a 1998 power struggle and jailed six years on sex charges widely viewed as trumped up, has drawn festival crowds in the tens of thousands on the stump. But it remains to be seen whether Malaysians will vote out the only government they have ever known, and Najib has played on fears for stability while pledging continued solid economic growth. His ethnic Malay-dominated regime retains powerful advantages, including control of traditional media and an electoral landscape critics say is biased. Najib also has exploited racial and religious insecurities by claiming a conservative Islamic party within Pakatan would implement sharia law. The occasionally fractious opposition, which also includes Anwar's multi-racial party and a secular one dominated by minority ethnic Chinese, condemns such rhetoric as dangerous racial fear-mongering. Campaigning has been marred by hundreds of reports of violence, intimidation, arson and two small explosions, although no deaths have been reported. Polling stations close at 5:00pm [0900 GMT] with results expected to begin rolling out within hours. Listen at: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/asia-pacific/2013/05/20135422192937370.html | |
| BN faces fight of its life in M’sia vote Posted: 04 May 2013 09:09 AM PDT
(Today Online) - Malaysians vote today in an election that could weaken or even end the rule of one of the world's longest-lived coalitions, which faces a stiff challenge from an opposition pledging to clean up politics and end race-based policies. Led by former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition is aiming to build on startling electoral gains in 2008, when the Barisan Nasional (BN), or National Front, ruling coalition lost its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority. The historic result signaled a breakdown in traditional politics as minority ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indians, as well as many majority Malays, rejected the National Front's brand of race-based patronage that has ensured stability in the Southeast Asian nation but led to corruption and widening inequality. Under Prime Minister Najib Razak, the blue-blood son of a former leader, the coalition has tried to win over a growing middle class with social reforms and secure traditional voters with a US$2.6 billion (S$3.2 billion) deluge of cash handouts to poor families. He can point to robust growth of 5.6 per cent last year as evidence that his Economic Transformation Program to double incomes by 2020 is bearing fruit, while warning that the untested three-party opposition would spark economic ruin. Najib, who is personally more popular than his party, has had some success in steadying the ship since he was installed as head of the dominant United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) in 2009. Formidable advantages such as the coalition's control of mainstream media, its deep pockets and a skewed electoral system make it the clear favourite. But opinion polls suggest a tightening race that could further reduce the coalition's majority and lead the opposition to dispute the result over claims of election fraud. The opposition alliance has been buoyed by unusually large, enthusiastic turnouts at campaign rallies in recent days. It says its "X factor" may be a surge in young, first-time voters who are more likely to be attracted to its call for change after 56 years of rule by the BN coalition. Read more at: http://www.todayonline.com/world/asia/bn-faces-fight-its-life-msia-vote | |
| Posted: 04 May 2013 12:50 AM PDT
We look at the key players and the changing political landscape ahead of the country's hotly contested election. Watch at: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2013/05/20135494346808881.html It is a close race in Malaysia's upcoming elections, where the vote is seen as the toughest test for the ruling coalition's 56-year grip on power in Southeast Asia's third-largest economy.
The opposition is trying to unseat the ruling National Front coalition, which - with over 50 years in power - is one of the world's longest serving governments. This time though, the Pakatan Rakyat alliance, Malaysia's main opposition, has a real chance of winning. It says the National Front has been in power for too long, and it has promised to scrap the authoritarian style of rule and fight corruption. This election pits two characters against each other. Najib Razak is the current prime minister and his National Front coalition has been in power since 1957. Najib himself took over in 2009, following a disastrous election for the coalition, which lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament. And Najib will be highlighting Malaysia's strong economic growth under his stewardship, as well as his handouts to poorer Malaysians, as a reason for re-election. On the other side, Anwar Ibrahim is leader of the opposition and a former deputy prime minister. He was fired from office in 1998 and tried for abuse of power. He was also cleared of a sodomy charge against an aide. Anwar was also acquitted of new allegations of sodomy last year - calling all the charges politically motivated. Anwar is pledging to tackle government authoritarianism and corruption. He has promised to cut taxes, increase subsidies and address complaints of discrimination against minority ethnic Chinese and Indians. Malaysia is an ethnically and religiously diverse country and this will play a big role in the upcoming elections.
Inside Story, with presenter Hazem Sika, discusses the changing political landscape in Malaysia with guests: Yin Shao Loong, a research director at the Institut Rakyat, who is also the author of the New Malaysian essays; Bunn Nagara, a senior fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS); and Michael Vatikiotis, the Asia director at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue. Watch the video at: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2013/05/20135494346808881.html
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| Will elections in Malaysia be free or fair? Posted: 04 May 2013 12:47 AM PDT
With voting day fast approaching, there has already been a long stream of evidence of electoral irregularities and breach of election laws. Ambiga Sreenevasan, Al Jazeera On May 5, Malaysians will vote in one of the most contentious general elections in the country's history. Unfortunately, Malaysia's electoral system is plagued by irregularities and unfairness at a time when a strong, independent electoral process is most needed. Since its inception, Bersih 2.0 - a group pushing for electoral reforms, of which I am a co-chair - has argued for eight key reforms in its campaign for clean and fair elections. Over the past four years, Bersih 2.0 has made inroads in raising public awareness on the necessity for these reforms. The resulting public pressure has forced the federal government and the election commission to take a position on these issues and to make some overtures - albeit not entirely satisfactory - towards electoral reform. Despite government posturing, however, the only reform that has been implemented for the upcoming general election is the introduction of the use of indelible ink. However, we have expressed our concern that the plan to apply the ink before the vote is cast may result in the smudging of the ballot paper and delays in the voting process. In view of the flawed electoral process, Bersih 2.0 has launched a project called "Pemantau" in which we are deploying Malaysian citizens to observe the elections across the country. Thus far, Bersih 2.0 has mobilised 2,000 observers in 55 parliamentary districts. The observers will monitor election violations including bribery and the misuse of government resources to benefit particular political parties. With voting day fast approaching, there has already been a long stream of evidence of electoral irregularities and breach of election laws. Reports of phantom voters, double registrations, unauthorised registrations and unauthorised changing of voting constituencies have haunted Malaysian elections for years. Despite widespread support for a comprehensive clean-up, the election commission has in our view failed to do so. The latest report of the Malaysian Electoral Roll Analysis Project shows there are at least 28,593 "voters of foreign origin" on the electoral roll, most of them concentrated in Sabah and Selangor, both of which are considered to be important states in the elections. The Selangor state government, helmed by the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition, has alleged that 28 percent of the 440,000 new voters in Selangor who have registered since the last elections cannot be identified. However, all attempts by the state government to have the election commissioninvestigate or even hear the complaints havefailed. Incidents of violence Over the last year, there have been many reported incidents of violence during political rallies, usually involving a group of people attempting to disrupt the events or to intimidate speakers and participants. The violence is largely targeted at the opposition. On April 23, the violence reached new heights when a bomb was detonated during a Barisan Nasional political gathering in Penang, resulting in one person being injuredby flying debris. Two other incidents of bombing and the hurling of petrol bombs atBarisan Nasional campaign areas have been reported. Recently, two unknown men with their faces covered by ski masks entered the house of an opposition MP and set fire to his daughter's car. While the police have recently said they will crack down on any election-related violence, they must be careful that their actions match their words and that there is no disparity in how they deal with violence on either side of the political divide. There are also many reported instances of fear being used to coerce civil servants and vulnerable or marginalised communities into voting for the ruling party. These tactics include threats that the voters may lose their jobs, pensions, scholarships and other benefits if they support the opposition. Unsavoury smear campaigns have become a feature of the Malaysian political landscape: for instance, pornographic videos of opposition candidates are constantly surfacing and are widely shown. Read more at: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/04/201342982454925143.html | |
| Anwar says only fraud can stop Pakatan Posted: 04 May 2013 12:04 AM PDT
(FMT) - Barisan has launched an all-out blitz, with Najib showering voters with cash handouts from government coffers, as Barisan-controlled traditional media relentlessly attack Pakatan. At a last-ditch Pakatan Rakyat campaign blitz today the Pakatan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim warned that Barisan Nasional will attempt to cheat. Anwar Ibrahim said only fraud can stop his Malaysian opposition from scoring a historic election win as the rival sides launched a last-ditch campaign blitz Saturday on the eve of a tense vote.
Sunday's elections are the first in the country's 56 years of independence in which the only government Malaysia has known faces possible defeat. The uncertainty has given rise to a bitter campaign, with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak warning of chaos and ethnic strife under the opposition, which has countered with numerous allegations of government vote fraud. Anwar set the stage for a possibly destabilising challenge to the results, accusing the Barisan Nasional (National Front) regime of cheating to thwart what he called a "democratic revolution". "We have advised our supporters to remain calm, not to be provoked, not to take the law into their own hands, support the process," Anwar told AFP in an interview in his home seat in the state of Penang. He added: "unless there's a major massive fraud tomorrow, that is our nightmare… we will win." Read more at: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/05/04/anwar-says-only-fraud-can-stop-pakatan/ | |
| Fascist policemen frightened of flowers Posted: 03 May 2013 11:45 PM PDT N32bSZMPP-4 This little lady, who seeks re-election in Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, is frightened by hantu voters. Over the past week, there have been reports of mass charter flights from East to West Malaysia in the middle of the night. (Late last night, a flight tracker web site showed two flights, an MAS jumbo and an AirAsia Airbus with registration numbers that were the same as those on what was said to be leaked internal airline emails making arrangements for these flights.) uppercaise Or watch at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N32bSZMPP-4 Bersih's co-chairman Ambiga Sreenevasan says a just-released video of foreigners suspected to have been flown in to vote in tomorrow's polls shows that there is "real basis" for such allegations. The video, said to be taken early on Friday morning outside KLIA, showed six vans ― two in the livery of Risda, the federal rubber smallholders agency.They were shown preparing to transport Nepalese nationals, who had just arrived on a Malindo Air flight, to oil palm plantations in the peninsula. If true, and Ambiga says there is some basis to it, then this is a real threat to Malaysian democracy and the right of the Malaysian people to determine their own future. This shithead policeman is frightened of flowersSome 16,000 multi-coloured mini flags were first planted inside the Jalan Tempinis roundabout in Lucky Garden in Kuala Lumpur on April 14. Since then, the movement has spread to nearby suburbs such as Damansara Heights, Sri Hartamas and even to other states like Perak and even further afield to Barcelona and London. Urban middle-class Malaysians, ordinary people, decided to plant these flags by the roadside and at roundabouts, as an art installation which they call the Malaysian Spring.
But this fascist-sounding cop, who sits near the top of Bukit Aman, says that pretty little flags at roadsides will make masses of people come together for a violent revolution like the "Arab Spring". Read more at: http://uppercaise.wordpress.com/2013/05/04/fascist-policemen-frightened-of-flowers/ | |
| Posted: 03 May 2013 11:27 PM PDT
Shailender Bhar In a matter of hours, Malaysians will be heading to the polling booths. The 13th general election is no ordinary election. It is about hope. It is about change. It is about making a difference. Over the last few weeks, many of us have heard what the two coalitions have had to say about their economic reforms in the coming years. Each has presented its manifesto albeit not simultaneously. Each aspires to reach out to different segments of society. However, the current regime has refused to debate. We are told that it is not our culture to debate. Why shouldn't those aspiring to win our votes engage in a debate? Is it not part of our legitimate expectation to hear both sides exchange their views? Are not debates, which includes exchange of views and opinions, one of the cornerstones of democracy? If it can be done in other democratic nations, why can it not be done in Malaysia? Not being part of our culture remains nothing but a feeble excuse at best. In Malaysia, public perception plays a pivotal role in politics and, perhaps, everyday life. There are no doubts that the current regime failed to take avail of the numerous opportunities offered to them by Pakatan Rakyat. It sent out the impression that the current regime was afraid and scared of engaging with those canvassing opposing political and economic views. If it came to public perception, the current regime showed that even after 55 years of ruling the nation, they really had not heard the heartbeat of the nation. They failed to understand the citizens of this nation. They failed to understand the voters sentiments. Instead, what we are constantly reminded of by the current regime is how grateful we should be to them. We should be grateful that we live in peace, harmony and tranquility. We should be grateful for the economic benefits brought to the people. Yes, the people will be grateful but only if you have led with honesty and integrity. What have Malaysians from all walks of society seen over the years? Malaysia has never been more racially polarised than ever before under the current regime. Malays and non-Malays have been constantly pitted against each other. The current regime talks about Pakatan Rakyat eradicating Malay supremacy. Ask yourself this question. Apart from a handful of Malays, who are mainly cronies of the current regime, what have the Malays really benefitted? They still remain poor and economically disadvantaged. All they get is a once-every-five-years handout of a few hundred ringgit. Is that fair? The current regime has failed virtually every Malay in this country. The New Economic Policy introduced more than three decades ago is one of the biggest failures of the current regime. It hoodwinked virtually every right thinking Malay into believing that they would get the economic assistance that they deserved. They did not. The current regime has also pitted Malaysians against each other through its other component parties. They have attempted to sow seeds of fear of PAS' hudud agenda knowing very well that it will take much more than a simple majority in Parliament for it to be implemented. We have already been told that it would require a minimum two thirds majority in Parliament in implementing any form of hudud laws. All the current regime does is try to increase hatred and discourse amongst Malaysians. Even the usage of the word "Allah" was eventually politicised by the current regime. In all honesty, what need was there for them to politicise this issue? For several decades and for generations, Arab Christians and Christians of Sabah and Sarawak have been using the word "Allah" in their holy bibles. Sikhs have used the word "Allah" in their holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, for more than 500 years. Will the current regime, if re-elected, ban the Guru Granth Sahib as well? What is wrong with the current regime? We are supposed to live in peace, harmony and tranquility. Whatever happened to the protection of freedom of religion and it's practice under our Federal Constitution? We had people from Perkasa calling Malaysians, "pendatangs" and "kelings". Perkasa's Zulkifli Nordin made fun of hinduism and its deities. Ibrahim Ali attacked Christianity and threatened to burn bibles. What happened? Did they get charged for inciting racial hatred or sedition? Did they even get questioned? Instead, the current regime hand picks Zulkifli Nordin as its candidate in Shah Alam by the Prime Minister. The same Prime Minister who has been propagating that he is the PM for all Malaysians. He is supposed to be Malaysian first then Malay. His rhetorical slogan of 1Malaysia was announced everywhere. These were nothing but all lies. All clearly designed to hoodwink every Malaysian in this country. What happened to his candidate in Pasir Mas? We were told that each candidate would be hand picked and be winnable. Instead his so-called winnable candidate failed to submit his nomination for a racist bigot. All lies by the current regime. There is no such thing as one Malaysia. The current regime and its leaders have divided Malaysia for their own gains. Is this the Malaysia that we were trying to build for so long? What happened to the Malaysia of yesteryears when all races ACTUALLY lived in harmony? Back then, we never questioned each other's religion or motives. We accepted each others religion as our own. As one writer pointed out in a recent article, back those days people from all races could sit down together have char koay teow, nasi lemak and nasi kandar in a coffee shop without having fear. Calling each other names was always taken in jest and good heartedness. It was a different friendship back then. A different bond. Now it has all changed. All destroyed under the current regime. We are always told to be grateful about the economic benefits given to us under the current regime. What have we really benefitted? Petrol subsidies? Yearly cash handouts? Handphone rebates? Is that what Malaysian citizens are worth? Whilst, Malaysians are handed the crumbs, those in power and who enjoy peerage, literally loot and rape the nation's coffers with bizarre and ridiculously drafted and lopsided contracts. Malaysians have experienced the PKFZ scandal where more than RM12 billion was looted, the highly scandalous MAS buy back deal worth more than RM8 billion, the purchase of two Scorpene submarines worth almost RM7 billion, the NFC scandal of RM250 million, the multi-billion dollar highway concessionaire contracts, the RM2.2 billion to ex top judge of Malaysia and much more. Our Malaysian history is littered with these scandals. Even one Sarawakian is worth more than RM40 billion after looting the state's natural assets. When does it all stop? Are average Malaysians not entitled to share the economic pie? Does every Malaysian not deserve an equal opportunity? An opportunity to succeed in their working lives and businesses? Or should you only be allowed to succeed because you happen to know a, b or c? There must be equality and meritocracy in society for all to do well economically regardless of race or religion. All we see is the constant public hounding of Pakatan Rakyat members. Anything that they dare to question is wrong. Karpal Singh was charged for sedition for expressing his legal views and opinions as a lawyer. Do we not as ordinary members of public turn to noted public figures to help guide us as to the legal aspect of the law? So, why charge him? Are we not allowed to question certain laws anymore? Ask yourself this. Has freedom of expression and speech not been eroded under the current regime? As the world gets bolder and open, we move in the opposite direction. Look at the example of Rafizi Ramli. He led the expose on the NFC scandal. He provided proof by way of documentary evidence given to him. Instead of being given protection under the Whistleblowers Act 2010 and being given a pat on his back for bringing this to public attention, he was charged under Bafia. How do you then expect any member of the public to come forward and disclose any form of abuse of power or wrong doing? But just because he disclosed the misuse of funds by an ex minister's family, he got charged. There are several other examples of Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, Azmin Ali, Tian Chua et al. All have stood up for everyday Malaysians in one way or another over the years. And, in return, they have one way or another been punished by being arrested, charged and jailed. If public figures are not going to question the government of the day, then who is expected to do it? The citizens only make their choices once every 5 years. We put our faith and trust in the opposition of the day to question every move and step of the government of the day on our behalf. In a way, they are supposed to be our custodians and guardians. What happens when the authorities are fault? Look at the well publicised Teoh Beng Hock's incident? So, who got charged? Who was held responsible? The best the authorities could come up with was that he committed suicide. No right thinking member of the public agrees with this reasoning. No justice was delivered to the Teoh family. Till today, they live in the hope that one day, someone will be held accountable. What about the Ahmad Sarbani, the customs officer? He is supposed to have committed suicide as well according to the authorities. What about the numerous deaths in custody? So many Indians have died alongside other Malaysians. They are all supposed to have deaths of natural causes? Does the current regime take the Malaysian public as fools? There are just too many coincidences. Today, virtually everyone just assumes that there has been some form of abuse of power by the authorities. Over the decades, a mockery has also been made of the social justice system. In 2008, we expected a complete overhaul and clean up of the judiciary after the video that was leaked by Gwo Burne. We were promised major changes. But soon after 2008, we saw the dereliction of that promise in the Perak fiasco case. The current regime somewhat illegal engineered to overthrow the Pakatan state government. This showed complete disrespect to the people's choice of whom they wanted to run the state. It was subsequently expected that the courts would uphold justice and it did happen in the High Court. But was eventually reversed in the Appellate courts. Democracy was once again damaged. And, in the eyes of the people, the image of the justice system tainted. Many other cases such as Lynas has followed in the same manner and public confidence in the social justice system remains at an all time low under the current regime. There are so many other issues and matters that can be raised where there has been complete and abuse of power by the current regime. The public is just fed up. Can you blame them? Does anyone expect the public to still trust the current regime after all this? Can the current regime expect the people to vote for them again tomorrow? 55 years is a very long time for any party to be in power by any democratic standards. At the end, unfortunately, they have nothing to show for it. Tomorrow, when you go to the polls, you should have the above issues at the forefront of your minds. Whether change happens is in your hands. Malaysia's hopes lie with you. Today's Malaysia owes it to tomorrow's Malaysia. We owe it to our future generations. Vote wisely!
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| Condemning the Misbehaviour of Youth Group in Putrajaya Posted: 03 May 2013 11:26 PM PDT Komunikasi Keadilan There have been reports of a youth group dressed up as Pakatan Rakyat supporters causing mischief in Putrajaya tonight. We have received reports from our representatives from the area who can attest that these individuals are not associated with Pakatan Rakyat or the individual parties in the coalition. We suspect this is an attempt to provide a false image of Pakatan and its coalition members. Further, eyewitnesses have confirmed that this group was escorted up to Presint 10 by the police before they started their actions. This development is probably further evidence that Pakatan is doing well in the parliamentary contest for Putrajaya and that irresponsible groups are using inappropriate means to hurt the image of our coalition. All members and supporters of Pakatan Rakyat have been continually reminded to avoid anything illegal or violent during the election period.
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| PR will fall short in race to Putrajaya Posted: 03 May 2013 05:19 PM PDT
Fifteen hours before the polling stations open tomorrow, May 5, it's no longer neck-and-neck between Pakatan Rakyat and Umno/BN for a photofinish. Joe Fernandez Fifteen hours before the polling stations open tomorrow, May 5, it's no longer neck-and-neck between Pakatan Rakyat and Umno/BN for a photofinish. | |
| PM’s popularity dives, fake report surfaces Posted: 03 May 2013 05:16 PM PDT
(FMT) - A survey reveals that Najib's popularity has dipped but a fake news report claims that it rose to 73%. Just ahead of a crucial polls which is threatening Barisan Nasional's five-decade-old grip on power, a survey has revealed that the coalition chairman Najib Tun Razak's popularity ratings have dipped. But in an attempt to offset the negative impact, a fake news report has been circulated painting a different picture. This report claims that Najib's ratings have soared to 73%, and that he is leading opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim by 32% as the choice for prime minister. The fake report also features the bylines of two Malaysian Insider journalists and the news portal's masthead. The Merdeka Centre survey actually found that Najib's ratings have dropped to 61% from 64% in March. The independent pollster also reported that BN and Pakatan Rakyat are almost evenly tied to win GE 13. It also reported that 42% of voters surveyed agreed that the opposition pact should be given a chance to govern the country against 41% who felt that only BN should govern Malaysia. Read more at: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/05/04/pms-popularity-dives-fake-report-surfaces/ | |
| Pakatan may not have it so easy in Penang Posted: 03 May 2013 05:14 PM PDT
(FMT) - Whether Pakatan wins Penang or not, speculations are growing that Lim may lose in Air Putih. But that's unthinkable. With Sunday polling day just hours away, all candidates are in a frantic rush to reach out as many as voters as possible in Penang. Market tour, door-to-door visits and rallies have all intensified over the past few days as all candidates enter into their final laps to catch whatever and whoever's votes they can in this island-state. At times it's amusing to see politicians shaking hands and smiling at strangers seeking their votes. After all it's rare and far in-between to see politicians regularly visiting their constituents with such big grin. That's when one would realise that voters are the kingmakers. Some candidates are welcomed with open arms, some with warm reception and others given the cold shoulder. Now those are vital signs on whether a candidate is winnable or not. Incumbent ruling coalition Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional have been conducting regular brainstorming sessions for their candidates to rectify errors, fine-tune their campaigns and outline their strategies to make a breakthrough in "difficult" areas. Read more at: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/05/04/pakatan-may-not-have-it-so-easy-in-penang/ | |
| GE13: Blatant money politics in Penang might backfire against BN Posted: 03 May 2013 05:11 PM PDT
Penang - here is how the voters in the state decided in the 12th General Election held on March 8, 2008(fz.com) - "Duit masuk poket, undi bagi Roket" Try as they might to blatantly sway Penang voters through indirect money politics, Barisan Nasional (BN) has practically lost all hope in regaining one of the nation's richest and most-developed states. Caretaker chief minister Lim Guan Eng's ability to draw more than 100,000 Penangites, regardless of creed or colour, to the Esplanade yesterday is a testament to the Penangite mindset, which embodies Lim's words of: "Duit masuk poket, undi bagi Roket" (Money in the pocket, vote for the Rocket). The chants of "Ubah! Ini Kalilah!" reverberated throughout the area, even as the crowd were slowly making their wa towards the field. By 8.30 last night, traffic near ther Esplanade was already at a near standstill with cars parked haphazardly along all access roads and pedestrians in their thousands streaming like an endless river to see their "Tokong" (Lim). Speaking to fz.com yesterday, DAP's Bukit Bendera parliamentary candidate Zairil Khir Johari believed that through indirect means, BN has pumped in an "obscene" amount of money to retake that particular constituency and also Lim's Air Putih state seat. "I didn't receive a lot of response during my ceramah the night before (May 2) because nearby there were handing out RM500 to whoever attended the function. My supporters told me that they also said that if BN wins, another RM1,500 will be waiting for them. "I think they want to wipe out Lim Guan Eng at all cost," Zairil alleged. He voiced his worry, hoping that his constituents will not be blinded by short term cash gain and will think of the long run. James Chin, political science professor at Monash University Malaysia, quickly assuaged Zairil's fears saying that Penang will remain firmly in the grips of the DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat government. "Penang island voters are devious. You have to remember, in the 1970s they were the ones who invented the split votes, where they voted BN for state and the Opposition for Parliament. They will take your money but they will not vote for you," said Chin. Read more at: http://www.fz.com/content/ge13-blatant-money-politics-penang-might-backfire-against-bn | |
| Election 2013: Are Malaysia’s youth prepared to take history’s call? Posted: 03 May 2013 05:08 PM PDT
It gives a sense that not all of the more than 2.5 million new voters in 2013 are singing from the same songsheet. Not all young voters are confident or convinced that the change is right. Rob O'Brien, Asian Correspondent In the closest election in its history, Malaysians are standing at a giant crossroads, with just an 'X' between themselves and a new direction. But not everyone is feeling history's calling. Among the young voters I've talked to in the southernmost state of Johor, there is a groundswell of support for Anwar Ibrahim's Pakatan Rakyat (PR), the People's Alliance. The rallies that have been held this week have rocked this Barisan Nasional (BN, National Front) stronghold to its core. There is a strong sense of intent, but a level of caution, too. Believe it or not there are those who are taking no part in Sunday's election at all. I spoke to a young student from Malaysia's University of Technology (UTM) yesterday, who was gutted that she failed to enrol. Lee Chuan Hau, 24, and another UTM student says he will be sticking with Prime Minister Najib's BN coalition even though most of his friends are about to back the Opposition. About "three or four out of ten" of his peers will stick with BN, he says. Read more at: http://asiancorrespondent.com/107172/election-2013-are-malaysias-youth-prepared-to-take-historys-call/ | |
| Watchdogs on foreigners’ ‘fishy behaviour’ in GE13, says PAS Posted: 03 May 2013 05:06 PM PDT
(TMI) - PAS volunteers will be at specific venues across the country to spot people, especially foreigners, who behave suspiciously and might vote on Polling Day tomorrow, party vice-president Salahuddin Ayub said today. This comes as fears over foreigners being flown in to Peninsular Malaysia to vote as phantom voters intensified in the last few days before Election 2013 despite denials by both the Election Commission (EC) and the police. "Since the news yesterday, we have planned a strategy to monitor, and we have sent reports to our central operation centre," Salahuddin (picture)told The Malaysian Insider. "We want to tell them, do not think that your movements and actions are not being watched," he said. According to Salahuddin, agents from PAS and also other parties in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) are on a stakeout today, helped by information from the public. These agents are placed at various spots, including bus stations, airports and homes but Salahuddin refused to divulge more information on these agents out of concern for their own safety. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said today that it is impossible for foreigners to vote in tomorrow's polls and police will act if it happens, amid fears of widespread electoral fraud. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/watchdogs-on-foreigners-fishy-behaviour-in-ge13-says-pas/ | |
| Chatty Politicians Irk Some Malaysian Voters Posted: 03 May 2013 04:59 PM PDT
(WSJ) - "It is annoying. And if I were a fence-sitter, I would have made up my mind not to vote for BN" Some Malaysian voters are annoyed that political campaigns have been reaching out to them through phone calls and text messages in the push before the May 5 elections. "I've been getting text messages containing contents and words like 'trust in BN [National Front], vote for BN' since last December," says Nichole Low, a 25-year-old attorney in Kuala Lumpur. "It is annoying. And if I were a fence-sitter, I would have made up my mind not to vote for BN," said Ms. Low. She's not alone in feeling some politicians and campaigns are being a bit of a pest in their voter outreach. HY Chong said she received a phone call from a campaign worker from the Bandar Hilir district in the southern state of Malacca. "The individual stated my name in full and said the representative for my area is Ronald Gan, deputy chief of MCA Youth. The individual also said, 'Remember to vote [for] him'," said the 26-year-old legal assistant. "Whatever they are doing is unacceptable, ridiculous and tantamount to a breach of [citizens'] right to elect the government of the day. There is a huge distinction between campaigning and dictating," added Ms. Chong, one of 2.6 million Malaysians registered to vote for the first time. Read more at: http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/2013/05/04/chatty-politicians-irk-some-malaysian-voters/
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| No split votes for Sabah Opposition Posted: 03 May 2013 04:52 PM PDT
Sabahans have definately decided not to split their anti-BN votes. Ironically, this is an idea promoted by Sapp. Joe Fernandez They will vote for the most winnable Opposition candidate. For Parliament, the trend is to vote for PR except in Keningau where Jeffrey Kitingan is taking on his elder brother Joseph Pairin Kitingan and in Penampang where Bernard Dompok is defending his seat. Dompok will retain his seat. Jeffrey is poised to create an upset if he can keep the illegals from voting or get enough locals to come out and vote to defeat the illegals. Patently, Pairin is evidence that Putrajaya is treating the people of Sabah and Sarawak as if they are wearing penis sheaths, living in caves and on tree tops and swinging from tree to tree. For state, Sabahans will vote Star/Usno and Dap. Sapp has committed hara kiri with its statement that it will join PR after the 13th GE. This was in response to Dap claims that Sapp is just waiting to frog back to BN. Before nomination day, Sapp said it can't join PR because it's fighting for the autonomy of Sabah. It was Sapp which compromised the autonomy of Sabah in 1994 to break away from the Parti Bersatu Sabah and gang up with Umno to bring down the Pairin Government. Sapp has zero Chinese support. That's Dap territory. Sapp will be lucky to retain its Likas and Luyang state seats. It will lose the Tawau parliamentary seat to PKR and probably Sepanggar too where Dap is ahead. It's depending on support from the Suluks and the smaller Dusunic communities in that order. It can forget about support from the Kadazans (urban Dusuns) and the Dusuns (Kitingans). Star can be a player in the next state gov't in Sabah if BN gets less than 30 seats and the rest are picked up by Star, Sapp, independents and PR. The Opposition can get 13 parliamentary seats including Labuan i.e. Star/Usno 5 (min 10 state) KDM/Suluk; Dap 3 (max 6 state) Chinese; and independents/PKR 4 (max 12 state) Suluk/other Muslim; and Pas 1 (max 3 state) Suluk/other Muslim.
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| Pakatan bakal bentuk k’jaan baru? Posted: 03 May 2013 02:55 PM PDT
Hasil kajian Kor Risik ATM, Pakatan mampu menang 117 kerusi Parlimen dan sekaligus membentuk kerajaan baru. (FMT) - Kajian Kor Risik Angkatan Tentera Malaysia (Kor Risik ATM) menunjukkan Pakatan Rakyat (Pakatan) mampu memenangi 117 kerusi Parlimen dan sekaligus membentuk kerajaan baru dengan majoriti mudah 12 kerusi selepas Pilihan Raya Umum ke 13 (PRU-13). Sementara Barisan Nasional (BN) pula dalam kaji selidik yang disalurkan anggota Kor Risik ATM itu menunjukkan hanya mampu memenangi 105 kerusi sahaja. Kajian yang turut diguna pakai oleh BN itu menunjukkan Pakatan selain berjaya mempertahankan Selangor, Pulau Pinang, Kedah dan Kelantan, juga berjaya memenangi semula Perak serta merampas Negeri Sembilan dan Terengganu. Demikian menurut Setiausaha Agung PAS, Datuk Mustafa Ali dalam satu program ceramah di Seksyen 7 di sini malam tadi, dipetik dari blog kelab greenboc. "Johor walaupun kita boleh memenangi kerusi DUN (Dewan Undangan Negeri) dan Parlimen yang jauh lebih banyak, tetapi mengikut 'survey' itu belum boleh dapat tawan negeri, saya cakap betul ini. "Melaka, kita boleh tambah kerusi Parlimen dan negeri (DUN), tetapi masih belum boleh tawan negeri. "Pahang, kita boleh tambah kerusi tetapi kita masih belum boleh tawan lagi, menjadikan kita ada tujuh negeri dan Perlis katanya 50/50," ujar Mustafa. Menurut beliau, keputusan kaji selidik itu berdasarkan keadaan semasa sekiranya PRU-13 diadakan Selasa lalu. Bagaimanapun tambah Mustafa, beliau juga dimaklumkan bahawa keputusan kaji selidik itu boleh berubah dalam masa beberapa hari sebelum menjelang hari mengundi Ahad ini. "Apakah dia akan turun atau pun dia akan naik, trend pada waktu ini menunjukkan kita sedang naik, maknanya tidak mungkin kurang daripada 117 kerusi. "Ini yang mencemaskan (Perdana Menteri) Najib Tun Razak, mencemaskan (Timbalan Perdana Menteri) Muhyiddin Yassin dan yang paling cemas (bekas Perdana Menteri) Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) sendiri," katanya lagi. Mustafa dalam ceramahnya turut menjelaskan, kaji selidik yang dikeluarkan Kor Risik ATM merupakan kajian paling dipercayai pemimpin BN berbanding dua lagi agensi kerajaan lain, Kemas dan Cawangan Khas Polis Diraja Malaysia.
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| Pakatan undecided on who will be PM Posted: 03 May 2013 02:50 PM PDT
Anwar Ibrahim admits that the coalition's leaders have yet to reach a consensus on the issue. Athi Shankar, FMT Pakatan Rakyat has yet to decide on who will be prime minister if the coalition wins the general election. PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim admitted that leaders of Pakatan leaders have yet to reach a consensus on the issue. However, he claimed that PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has endorsed a letter from world renowned Muslim scholar Yusuf al Qaradawi of Eypt supporting him [Anwar] to be the prime minister. He claimed that Nik Aziz had launched and endorsed Yusuf's three-page letter several days ago during a PAS election talk in Pokok Sena, Kedah. Anwar claimed in his letter, Yusuf had also called on Malaysians to support Pakatan to form the next federal government. "Pakatan has not reached a consensus on the position of prime minister. We wanted to focus on the election instead and decide on the issue later," he told a press conference here today. Also present was PKR president and Anwar's wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. Anwar disclosure that Pakatan has not reached a consensus is a surprise given that DAP has put election billboards announcing Anwar as the coalition's prime minister.
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| Two-party/coalition system not good for Sabah, Sarawak Posted: 03 May 2013 12:08 PM PDT
Patently, Pairin is evidence that Putrajaya is treating the people of Sabah and Sarawak as if they are wearing penis sheaths, living in caves and on trees tops, and swinging from tree to tree. Joe Fernandez INSIGHT ... Sabah and Sarawak are not autonomous in Malaysia as long as Putrajaya is in non-compliance on the constitutional documents on Malaysia.If Sabah has autonomy as Huguan Siou and Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) President Joseph Pairin Kitingan claims, why is the Chief Minister of this nation in the Federation, for example, appointed by the Prime Minister in Putrajaya? Pairin no longer makes any sense. The 12th General Election was supposed to be Pairin's last election in Keningau. He was thinking of giving way to the younger Kitingan in politics, Jeffrey, or his son. Now, he's saying that the 13th GE will be his last time in Keningau. Putrajaya forced him to stand again in Keningau to prevent Jeffrey from entering Parliament and raising Sabah and Sarawak issues. The key issues are the 20/18 Points, Malaysia Agreement, the unconstitutional Petroleum Development Act, the illegal Oil Agreement, Donald Stephens, revenue-sharing, illegal immigrants on the electoral rolls, the lack of security in Sabah, colonialism, and Sabah and Sarawak being the poorest nations in the Federation after 50 years in Malaysia, in stark contrast to Brunei and Singapore. If Pairin still has any dignity left in him, he should immediately stop this charade of a campaign. He should be ashamed of continuing to politicise the position of Huguan Siou which is supposed to unite the people, not divide them. Why is he doing this to the Orang Asal? Why is he in cahoots with the very people in Putrajaya who are colonising Sabah and Sarawak? What sins have the Orang Asal committed to get this shoddy treatment from Pairin? Hudud, for example, is not in the Malaysia Agreement but Pairin just keeps quiet. At least Bernard Dompok, his one-time right hand man, spoke up against the barbaric criminal code. What is Pairin's stand, to cite another example, on the Batu Sumpah in Keningau which is one of the constitutional documents on Malaysia? He just plays deaf, dumb and blind on issues that really matter to Sabah and Sarawak. Instead, he seems to be very proud of the RM 250 million water treatment plant which the Federal Government will finance in Keningau with a soft loan for the amount. This is like adding insult to injury. The Federal Government is behaving like an Ah Long in Sabah. What happened to the nearly RM 50 billion that Putrajaya collected from Sabah alone last year? The writing is on the wall. If Pairin can't win after the votes of the illegal immigrants on the electoral rolls are discounted, his election is null and void. The Election Court can then hand the seat to the runner-up. No need for fresh election. Patently, Pairin is evidence that Putrajaya is treating the people of Sabah and Sarawak as if they are wearing penis sheaths, living in caves and on trees tops, and swinging from tree to tree. Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in Borneo are against the concept of the autonomy of Sabah and Sarawak in Malaysia. BN has been a failure for 50 years in Sabah and Sarawak and is failing in Malaya. PR is trying to emulate the failure of BN in Sabah and Sarawak while trying to capitalise on the ruling coalition failing in Malaya. Hence, a two-party/coalition system is only good for Malaya. If people in Borneo don't realise this today, they will realise it tomorrow. We need a three-party/coalition system i.e. including a Borneo-based 3rd Force in Parliament to steer evenly between the two-Malaya based national coalitions, BN and PR. We cannot allow Malayan parties to take Borneo seats in Parliament or in the Sabah and Sarawak state assemblies. A 3rd Force can support either BN or PR in Parliament to form the Federal Government without itself being part of such a Government. The 3rd Force should only be in the Federal Government if it can win at least 50 seats in Parliament and can then go on to initiate, form and lead the Federal Government in a temporary coalition with either BN or PR. In that case, the 3rd Force will hold the Prime Minister's post despite holding less seats than its partner in Government. Otherwise, no deal. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. There are no permanent friends, and no permanent enemies in politics, only permanent interests. It's important not to get carried away by our own bullshit in politics. At the local level, the Sabah Progressive party (Sapp) is projecting itself as a Sabah-based local party, and implying that the State Reform Party (Star) is a Sarawak-based party which has been going nowhere for the last 16 years. Star is a Borneo-based national party unlike the Malaya-based BN and PR who are only after the seats in the two Borneo nations especially in Parliament. Sapp was in cahoots with Umno from 1994 to compromise the autonomy of Sabah and only left BN in 2008 when it found itself irrelevant in the coalition since the PBS rejoined. Sapp is trying to re-invent itself in opposition at the expense of the Orang Asal before frogging back to BN. At present, Sapp is an annoying nuisance like a mosquito. To cover up this hidden frogging agenda, Sapp is claiming late in the day that it will join PR after the 13th GE. All along, Sapp had claimed that it could not join PR because it was fighting for the autonomy of Sabah to which PR only paid lip service. Sapp leaders think the people have forgotten 1994 when their party broke away from PBS and stabbed the people in the back on autonomy. Sapp has committed hara kiri with its statement on PR and is using autonomy as a fig leaf. Politics is all about restructuring political power and restructuring the allocation of resources. The best government for Malaysia is one which is either a minority government or one with a simple majority and lives in fear of the people. No ruling party should be in power for more than two or three terms at a stretch. Government must be constantly cut down to size. It must be as small as possible. The bottomline is that all governments are evil and an unnecessary intrusion into people's lives. We don't need governments for development. The politicians will run up the National Debt Burden to put their hands in the National Cookie Jar to feather their own nests under the guise of bringing development to the people. The people are the best agents to develop a country. Joe Fernandez is a graduate mature student of law and an educationist, among others, who loves to write especially Submissions for Clients wishing to Act in Person. He also tutors at local institutions and privately. He subscribes to Dr Stephen Hawking's "re-discovery" of the ancient Indian theory that "the only predictable property of the universe is chaos". He feels compelled, as a semi-retired journalist, to put pen to paper -- or rather the fingers to the computer keyboard -- whenever something doesn't quite jell with his weltanschauung (worldview) or to give a Hearing to All. He shuttles between points in the Golden Heart of Borneo formed by the Sabah west coast, Labuan, Brunei, northern Sarawak and the watershed region in Borneo where three nations meet. He's half-way through a semi-autobiographical travelogue, A World with a View.
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