Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- BN feigning unity in Sabah
- Umno fears Nurul, not Azmin
- Fearing to break PAS’s fealty oath, Nash seeks being sacked
- Factories retrenching as output slips, minimum wage looms
- GE 13: It’s Elvis against Napoleon
- S’gor still safe for Pakatan, say analysts
- Sabah BN will win seats ‘by default’
- ESQUIRE: Raja Petra Kamarudin
| Posted: 14 Oct 2012 06:30 PM PDT Sabah Umno, which already has a giant share of the state and parliamentary seats, is greedy and wants more. Joseph Bingkasan, FMT KOTA KINABALU: As the countdown to the 13th general election edges towards a fixed date, the ruling coalition is showing signs of strain with bigger parties attempting to muscle in on the turf of their smaller partners. Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) joined the queue lobbying to take over candidacy for the Pensiangan MP seat or one of the two state seats – Nabawan and Sook – in the parliamentary constituency. The problem is, the Pensiangan MP seat is now held by federal Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Joseph Kurup who helms Barisan Nasional coalition partner Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS). It is well known that there is little love lost between PBS and PBRS and now the frayed threads that hold the Umno-led ruling coalition are being exposed once again as they always are before an election. To gain a higher profile in the state assembly, PBS headed by Deputy Chief Minister Joseph Pairin Kitingan is also laying claim to another state seat that comes under the Keningau parliamentary constituency. Pairin is Keningau MP as well as Tambunan state assembly representative. The two other state seats within his parliamentary constituency, Liawan and Bingkor, are shared by Umno and PBS spin-off, the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko). Sairin Karno of Umno is the Liawan representative and Upko's Justin Guka sits in Bingkor so based on the coalition's power structure, Guka's seat is the target as PBS plays second fiddle to Umno in any realignment of seat allocation in that parliamentary constituency. Over in Pensiangan, the state seats of Nabawan and Sook are held by Bobby Ah Fang Suan of Upko and Ellron Angin of PBRS respectively. Here PBRS is in PBS crosshairs. The problem is Kurup who won the MP seat uncontested in the 2008 election is the sole MP from the party while Angin is the only assemblyman for the party in the 60-members State Legislative Assembly. PBS's demand for the extra seats came during the annual general meetings of the PBS divisions of Pensiangan, Sook, Bingkor and Liawan recently. The calls were made with the full support of Pairin, and the motions were quickly endorsed by him as logical as he said the constituencies were traditionally the stronghold of his party since it was formed in 1985. In fact PBS controlled almost all the state and parliamentary seats until Pairin's government, then in the opposition, was toppled by the BN in 1994 when it won just 25 of the 48 state assembly seats. Umno showing claws The party's elected representatives, seeing the writing on the wall, jumped ship as a matter of political survival. Kurup was among them. He ditched PBS to form PBRS. Other formed new political or joined Umno. PBS delegates of the Pensiangan and Sook divisions under the leadership of former MP Bernard Maraat have long memories and want the party to be given at least one of the two seats in the next election. However, another shark in the form of Umno is circling. The main component in the ruling coalition which already has the giant share of state and parliamentary seats in Sabah, registered its intention to make a bid to takeover the Pensiangan constituency or one of the state seats under its jurisdiction. Kurup responded to the implied threat that should he be dropped, BN could expect an exodus of PBRS members out to support the opposition in the election. Maraat, on the other hand announced that if the seat was given to Umno to contest, he would offer to contest as a BN-friendly independent candidate. Bingkor PBS division chief Peter Jino Allion has claimed that the party is far more established in the constituency compared with other BN component parties whose weakness was demonstrated by a decline in votes in the past two elections. He said the BN leadership should not underestimate the opposition in Bingkor. However, he was careful to be respectful to Umno saying: "Bingkor PBS will support any BN candidate who contested and would ensure the victory of the candidate." He suggested that the BN leadership appoint party leaders in Bingkor and Liawan – who are not selected as candidates – as a senator or an appointed member of the state legislative assembly to strengthen PBS under Pairin's leadership.
|
| Posted: 14 Oct 2012 01:33 PM PDT Umno knows that Azmin will self-destruct and take Anwar Ibrahim and PKR down with him. It is Nurul that Umno is now battling against. Too many times in the past PKR has faltered at a time when it should not. Its near-death experience at the 2010 party elections has not been helped by the aftershocks of Azmin's inept attempts to consolidate his personal power base within PKR at the expense of Khalid Ibrahim (Selangor Menteri Besar), Nurul and Dr Azizah Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR president) – because only these three people stand in his way to greater personal glory in PKR. CT Ali, FMT Nurul Izzah Anwar lives in a man's world but is still a lady. She does not seek to be the equal of these men. She seeks to do better! She tells us that she is the proud mother of two cuties and that she is the defection-proof member of parliament for Lembah Pantai. I like that description of herself on her Facebook "defection-proof MP of Lembah Pantai". Huh, what pizzazz! Tell me, Anwar (Ibrahim), how many other defection-proof MPs do you have within PKR? How comforting is it not to have to watch your back constantly? How good does it feel to know that come what may, this Lembah Pantai MP will be on your team unconditionally? Not for money, not for the menteri besar's post or any other post anywhere in your party at state or federal level. But on past performances, she certainly is worthy and deserving of consideration for same. People will ask if her father had prepared her for Lembah Pantai. I know that Anwar prepared her for Lembah Pantai long before she was ready for it. Like Benazir Bhutto and Aung San Suu Kyi, Nurul learnt about politics from an early age simply because it was all around her. She grew up in politics, lived it, she endured it through the darkest hours of her father's political persecution and incarceration and more, and when given the opportunity, she triumphed in Lembah Pantai against all odds. We all have great expectations of her future. But did her father prepare her for what was to come after Lembah Pantai? What is he doing to ensure that she will be able to survive the onslaught Umno now throws her way in its attempts to retake Lembah Pantai at all costs? In a constituency where all of Umno's available resources, manpower and considerable financial leverage are now being used to woo the voters? Can she keep her hold on a constituency that Umno had decreed "they must win" because winning in Lembah Pantai will take away from PKR and Pakatan Rakyat the jewel in their crown – Nurul. Umno's main concern Umno has no real interest in taking down Azmin Ali (PKR deputy president), save for a token slap on his wrist whenever he strays too far. Umno knows that given enough rope, Azmin will hang himself. Azmin will self-destruct and take Anwar and PKR down with him. It is Nurul that Umno is now battling against. And how will Umno do battle against Nurul? You cannot fault her work as MP of Lembah Pantai despite having all of Umno's arsenal arrayed against her to make her work among her constituents almost impossible. There is not a hint of the scandals and innuendos that plague Barisan Nasional MPs in her. She has no money to speak and lives a life within her means. She is the incumbent MP BN fears most – fearless because she has no blemish on her character, honest, accountable, responsible, open and that most perplexing for Umno to deal with – "defection-proof!" However, this general election will be more daunting than the last for Nurul. We have all endured past family "dynasties" that promised much but delivered naught. Najib Tun Razak started with a bang by becoming the youngest MP at 23, then on to being menteri besar of Pahang riding on the coat-tails of Tun Razak's legacy. But his ascend to ignominy was swift and expected. A failed marriage, now a domineering wife, and he allowed politics to serve his personal agenda rather than have himself served politics. Soon he will end his days in politics with a whimper. Najib, Hishammuddin Hussein and Khairy Jamaludin are all lessons for other aspiring scions that seek to perpetuate lasting political dynasties for no other reasons than that they think they can – and later, much later, we will have to tell them that they can't. Now we have Nurul. If I could fault her, it is because I believe that she loves her father too much to do what she has to do now for herself and for PKR. Too many times in the past PKR has faltered at a time when it should not. Its near-death experience at the 2010 party elections has not been helped by the aftershocks of Azmin's inept attempts to consolidate his personal power base within PKR at the expense of Khalid Ibrahim (Selangor Menteri Besar), Nurul and Dr Azizah Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR president) – because only these three people stand in his way to greater personal glory in PKR. What is good for Azmin does not equate to what is good for PKR or Pakatan. That much the leaders within DAP and PAS have made known to us. But Anwar prefers to maintain an elegant silence that speaks too loudly to us all of a PKR that is in crisis. If the problems within PKR stay within PKR, good. Unfortunately that problem has begun to affect the battle for Lembah Pantai even as Umno gears up to offer its final solution to the people of Lembah Pantai – vote for RNC – Raja Nong Chik (Zainal Abidin). The challenge for Nurul Let me be precise. RNC has done enough to win nomination from BN to challenge Nurul Izzah in Lembah Pantai. RNC has done enough work among the people in Lembah Pantai to give Nurul Izzah a run for her money. Yes, he has all the resources he needed from Umno to do this. Yes, he is the minister most able to assist the people in Lembah Pantai and yes, he has done whatever he humanely could do to assist them. No, he has not been nominated to stand in Lembah Pantai but he will be come nomination day for the 13th general election. So whither goes Nurul? What help have she had from within PKR for her battle against RNC? Or more to the point, is PKR in any condition to extend any assistance to Nurul given the open sores we see of the continuing attempts by Azmin to tell all and sundry that in a blind PKR, he has one eye. And the one eye is king in the land of the blind! So he thinks!
|
| Fearing to break PAS’s fealty oath, Nash seeks being sacked Posted: 12 Oct 2012 01:15 PM PDT Sources say he is seen to be driving a bigger wedge between the two parties by flagrantly ignoring PAS's offical stand to set aside all talk of forming an Islamic state and focus on working together with the secular DAP to boost the PR pact's chance to take federal power at the 13th general election due soon. Amin Iskandar, The Malaysian Insider  Nasharuddin is seen as deliberately pitting PAS and DAP leaders against each other. — File pictures Fearing the consequences of being an oathbreaker, PAS lawmaker Nasharuddin Mat Isa is deliberately stirring animosity with DAP allies to force his Islamist party to expel him from its ranks, sources told The Malaysian Insider. The Bachok MP is suspected to be the chief instigator of quarrels between the two Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partners over their mutual disagreement in turning Malaysia into a full-blown Islamic state and introduce Islamic criminal laws nationwide. Sources say he is seen to be driving a bigger wedge between the two parties by flagrantly ignoring PAS's offical stand to set aside all talk of forming an Islamic state and focus on working together with the secular DAP to boost the PR pact's chance to take federal power at the 13th general election due soon. "If we see, lately, Nasha has been aggressively pitting PAS and DAP leaders against each other so that Pakatan Rakyat splits. He does all this with the purpose that PAS will sack him and not him leaving PAS. "Leaving PAS means going against bai'ah, and this may be the main reason why he is not leaving PAS voluntarily," a senior PAS leader told The Malaysian Insider under condition of anonymity. Bai'ah is an Arabic term meaning an oath of allegiance that Muslims take to show their loyalty and commitment to their Islamic cause. Muslims believe that those who break bai'ah will suffer divine punishment.  Husam questioned Nasharuddin's sincerity in championing hudud. Nasharuddin did not respond to The Malaysian Insider despite repeated queries. The PAS-DAP spat had been widely reported in the mainstream media and was seen to strain ties between the two opposition allies at a crucial time in the run-up to the intense battle for Putrajaya. But political analyst Prof Datuk Mohamad Abu Bakar told The Malaysian Insider that whatever happens to Nasharuddin will not greatly impact support for PAS. "To me, what is being done by Nasha is more towards strengthening Umno's people who are already in Umno," said the Universiti Malaya (UM) lecturer, referring to the pint-sized lawmaker by his popular moniker in Malay. He said that even if Nasharuddin quit PAS for Umno, the politician would only likely suffer the fate of other former PAS leaders such as former president Datuk Mohd Asri Muda and former deputy president Nakhaie Ahmad. "If Nasha joins Umno, he will not gain the full trust from that party because everyone knows his heart and soul is with PAS," the university don said, citing former Selangor PAS commissioner Datuk Hasan Ali as an example. Even after being sacked from PAS, Hasan was not welcomed to join Umno but was instead forced to set up Jalur Tiga (Jati), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) that fights for Islam, Malays and the royal institution. PAS vice-president Datuk Husam Musa questioned Nasharuddin's sincerity in championing hudud — the controversial Islamic penal code. "Previously, when trying to convince PAS to join Umno to form a united government, Ustaz Nasha told PAS that Pak Lah wanted to give three ministerial seats if PAS agreed to be with Umno.  Khalid said Nashruddin's statements are clearly intended to benefit BN and create tension between PR parties. In a mocking tone, Husam said that if Umno were truly sincere in having talks with PAS, Nasharuddin should be allowed to stand in the Bachok parliamentary seat unchallenged in the next general election and win.
|
| Factories retrenching as output slips, minimum wage looms Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:38 PM PDT
Lee Wel Lian, The Malaysian Insider Manufacturers in Malaysia are shedding workers due to uncertainty over the global economy and the impending start of minimum wage next year, says RHB Research Institute. RHB said in a report yesterday that in line with a slowdown in sales, the manufacturers retrenched 4,609 workers in August compared to a recruitment of 441 workers in July. Unemployment was 3.1 per cent in July, with an estimated two million foreign workers employed in the country. "In line with the slowdown in YoY (year-on-year) sales, manufacturers were cautious and they retrenched some workers in August," said RHB. "This was due to weakness in the global economy and compounded by the impending implementation of the minimum wage policy in early 2013." The research house warned that manufacturers could retrench more workers if the economic situation deteriorates as productivity gains — which is measured by sales per employee — slowed to 0.7 per cent in August from 4.3 per cent in July and 5.8 per cent in June. It noted that wages per employee rose 4.6 per cent in August compared with 3.2 per cent in July and just one per cent in June. RHB said however that stripping out seasonal factors and measured on a three-month moving average basis, wages per employee edged lower to 2.9 per cent year-on-year during the month, from 4.3 per cent in July which indicated that wage pressure is gradually dissipating after trending up in the first five months of the year. "However, it could trend up again, on the back of an implementation of the minimum wage policy, which will take effect in 6-12 months, depending on the industry, from the date the Minimum Wage Order was gazetted on July 16," said RHB. The Najib administration had pushed for the introduction of minimum wage in a bid to lift salaries as part of efforts to make Malaysia a high-income nation. Proponents of minimum wage say that it would make businesses and manufacturers more efficient and move them up the value chain by investing in high technology and more skills training rather than relying on cheap labour as in the past. Critics however say that pay should be based on worker productivity and be flexible enough to respond to market conditions or it could otherwise result in job losses. Manufacturing output slipped for the first time since September 2009 by 1.8 per cent year-on-year in August, after picking up to 6.0 per cent in July. Manufacturing sales growth slowed to 1.8 per cent year-on-year in August, after moderating to 4.8 per cent in July, and compared with 6.3 per cent in June. "This was in line with a drop in manufacturing production and exports of manufactured goods during the month, suggesting that the unabated weakness in the US and eurozone economies are crimping demand for the country's exports of manufactured goods," said RHB.
|
| GE 13: It’s Elvis against Napoleon Posted: 11 Oct 2012 01:35 PM PDT But can voters freely choose between the rocker and the conqueror? Stanley Koh, FMT It now looks likely that the prolonged wait for the 13th general election will stretch into next year. Then again, to go by the latest rumour, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak may yet spring a surprise and call it next month. It does not seem to matter to the power that holds the card that so many of us are fighting an election fever that comes and goes and then comes again. Be that as it may, our immediate focus ought to fall on electoral reforms and the role of the Election Commission (EC) in ensuring a free and fair election. A Concert Bersih will be held tomorrow (this Saturday) at Stadium Kelana Jaya, and this will be followed on Nov 3 by a Pakatan Rakyat gathering in Seremban. Originally, this rally was planned to take place at either the Bukit Jalil National Stadium or the Merdeka Stadium. Both are aimed at heightening public awareness of the need for fair elections. The 13th general election will be crucial to the future of both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat and to the destiny of the nation. Pakatan and its supporters have predicted that the conduct of the polls will be the "dirtiest" that the nation has experienced since its independence. BN, perhaps betraying its nervousness, calls it a "do-or-die" battle. But as colourful languages go, nothing matches what I heard from a keen political observer. "It will be like a battle between Napoleon Bonaparte and Elvis Presley," he said. Noticing my puzzled look, he explained that Napoleon regarded power like a mistress, as reflected in a famous quotation in which he declared that no conqueror would allow anyone to take from him a conquest he had worked hard to keep. As for the King of Rock and Roll, my friend reminded me about "It's Now or Never", one of his most memorable recordings. I had to agree with him. BN must have got so used to embracing power that it probably would not be able to sleep without it. And for Pakatan's ageing leaders, it is truly now or never. In between are the rest of us, holding on to the hope that the EC will carry out its function responsibly and professionally. Unfortunately, many observers who are familiar with the EC's history do not see it as being impartial or even independent. Bias and prejudice "The opposition leader, Lim Kit Siang, has long accused the EC of consulting with the ruling regime in the electoral constituency delineation process," said a report released by the PKR president in September 2006. "In fact, for the 2002 delineation [of electoral districts], the EC chairman openly admitted that he had actually met the prime minister at the start of the process." Non-partisan advocates for free and fair elections have long alleged bias and prejudice on the part of the EC, pointing to its tacit acceptance of such rulings as the ban on public rallies and BN's control of the mass media. "Doubts have long been expressed about the fairness, if not the freedom, of elections in Malaysia and these seem to be increasing," wrote Associate Professor Lim Hong Hai in 2005 in a paper entitled "Making the System Work: Election Commission". "Criticisms have been made by opposition leaders and not just by scholars of both the extant electoral system and EC's past performances in administering it."
|
| S’gor still safe for Pakatan, say analysts Posted: 10 Oct 2012 06:57 PM PDT They see the spat over Azmin as being irrelevant to voter sentiment. Anisah Shukry, FMT The current infighting among PKR leaders over Selangor is unlikely to erode Pakatan Rakyat's chances of holding on to the country's richest state, according to political analysts. "Selangor voters are quite firm in their support for Pakatan and the pattern is not expected to change," Dr Jayum A Jawan of UKM told FMT. "While the infighting could affect its performance in Selangor in the next general election, I do not expect Pakatan Rakyat to do badly." He said voters were likely to view the infighting as a "family squabble" that could easily be resolved rather than a serious sign of things gone awry in the opposition pact. Centre for Policy Initiatives director Lim Teck Ghee agreed with Jayum. "What we can see is of course the mainstream media playing it up for all it is worth," he said. "Unfortunately, some in the Internet media are also making a mountain out of a molehill." The media frenzy over the infighting started after Sinar Harian quoted PKR Deputy President Azmin Ali as saying that Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim would become federal minister should Pakatan win the next general election. Khalid and PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar have dismissed the statement as Azmin's personal opinion, but his remarks have triggered speculation that he is eyeing Khalid's job. Khalid's personal assistant, Faekah Husin, has criticised Azmin more directly, questioning his right to make an announcement on a matter that only Pakatan's top tier could decide. This provoked PKR's election director for Selangor, Borhan Aman Shah, to call for her sacking. But both Jayum and Lim said the feud could easily be resolved in a matter of days. "In Selangor, the key issues are not of leaders' fighting, but of the previous mismanagement of the state, the water issue, corruption, and a better quality of life," said Lim. No better alternative As such, according to both Lim and Jawan, Pakatan would be denied another term only if Selangor voters had a better alternative to turn to. They said Barisan Nasional had yet to prove that it could be that alternative. "If BN wins Selangor again, it will go back to the old system of cronyism, close tenders, select partners and the like," said Lim. "Unless BN can put down in writing the basic changes it is going to make, I am not in support of it and I believe that Selangor voters share my sentiment." Lim said that BN must own up to the wrongs it had done during its days of power in Selangor and then tell the people what it would do to correct itself. "For example, the water issue was totally mismanaged by the previous Selangor government," he said. "It was better handled in Penang, where they allowed for the model of privatisation which served the interests of the state and the consumers rather than the company." Jayum described Selangor BN as "loud" without having any "concrete plan". "BN does not need to attack the opposition; it just has to tell the voters what it wants to do, and how it will do better if it were to win Selangor," he said. "Based on the information I've gathered from the ground, BN is doing badly." Jayum said BN had neglected "practical politics" in favour of attacking personalities in Pakatan and trying to discredit the current administration's water management. "BN thinks it is making things difficult for PR with regard to the water issue, but actually it is just making things difficult for the end users, which are the people of Selangor. "It wants to discredit PR, but this will backfire. People will say BN leaders have a small heart." Lim said Pakatan had done enough to keep the people of Selangor happy and the votes coming in. "Pakatan has cut down on corruption, increased efficiency of services in the state, been able to balance the budget of the state, and tackle major problems in the state such as the water issue." He noted that Pakatan faced some difficulty in resolving certain issues, but said this was because of lack of cooperation from the federal government. "Of course it is difficult for them to get such cooperation as they are the opposition."
|
| Sabah BN will win seats ‘by default’ Posted: 10 Oct 2012 01:51 PM PDT Some analysts in Sabah believe that as many as 20 seats, including five or six parliamentary seats, could go to BN as a result of a split in opposition votes. Luke Rintod, FMT Sabah is set to see multi-cornered fights in most areas in the coming general election. This means that the ruling Barisan Nasional may have the edge. At this stage, observers can conclude that the opposition parties in Sabah are giving Umno-led BN a "free advantage" to retain a majority of the Sabah seats. At stake in Sabah are 26 parliamentary seats, including one in Labuan, and 60 state seats. Sabah chairman of State Reform Party (STAR), Jeffrey Kitingan, said recently that his party is all but ready to announce the seats – parliamentary and state – it will contest. "We can announce the seats shortly," he said confidently to reporters when asked how many seats STAR will contest in Sabah. Jeffrey in the past had talked about contesting in more than half of the 60 state seats. He had even at one stage indicated that STAR may go the whole hog and contest in all 26 parliamentary and 60 state seats. But reality seems to have set in. Asked if STAR had reconciled overlapping claims on seats with other opposition parties – Pakatan Rakyat and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) – Jeffrey refused to divulge further. "Wait for another day," he said. He also reiterated that STAR had received the green light from the Election Commission (EC) to contest in Sabah in the coming polls. STAR list ready The Sarawak-based STAR's eligibility to stand in Sabah under its symbol has attracted much speculation even though the party had done so in Kota Marudu years back. STAR's Sabah chapter secretary, Guandee Kohoi, said that EC Sabah director, Idrus Ismail, in a meeting with Jeffrey, himself and Edward Linggu (STAR information chief) had given them assurance that STAR indeed could field candidates in Sabah. "STAR is already on the latest list of political parties EC gave us. Even the name of STAR has been amended and does not state the word Sarawak anymore but just State Reform Party. "The latest list also contains the re-named party, Sarawak Worker's Party' [SWP], which was previously Sabah-based Sabah People's Front [SPF]," Kohoi said. Meanwhile, the number of STAR's potential candidates has been growing steadily and in many places, they are already clear frontrunners. At least half a dozen graduate teachers aligned to STAR have so far resigned from their posts, and a few other civil servants are said to be set to retire early to prepare to be the candidates. STAR Youth leader, Hasmin Azroy Abdulah, is among the teachers who have resigned. He could be STAR's candidate for Tenom parliamentary seat or one of the state seats in the constituency. Another teacher who has also resigned is Maklin Masiau. He is poised to be STAR's candidate for poverty-stricken Pitas state seat in the north. Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) is also eyeing Pitas. Pinus Gondili is another teacher who quit his job and is slated to contest under STAR in Labuk. He is certain to fight incumbent Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) vice-president, Michael Asang, after PBS recently confirmed Asang would be retained. PKR is also eyeing Labuk, making it one of those many seats in Sabah that are likely to see four-cornered fights between BN and the opposition trio – STAR, Pakatan and SAPP. Cunning SAPP Meanwhile, both STAR and SAPP leaders are saying publicly, at least, that they would not want to face each other where their respective "big guns" are contesting. That would mean SAPP would not put up a candidate against Jeffrey and his right-hand men. But there is a big question mark as Inanam, the seat of Jeffrey's senior deputy Daniel John Jambun, is being eyed by SAPP through its deputy president Eric Majimbun who is Sepanggar MP. The cunning SAPP has previously suggested that all should respect the status quo of the incumbents. Soon after getting others to "respect" it, SAPP moved to claim Inanam. "The question is, if SAPP is adamant on taking both Inanam and Sepanggar, then where will Jambun contest?" asked a STAR supporter in Inanam recently. Jambun had in 2008 contested under PKR ticket and garnered a respectable 4,293 votes against DAP's 2,864. The eventual winner was BN-PBS Johnny Goh who obtained 5,979 votes. Karambunai is another state seat under Sepanggar, but it is possible that SAPP president Yong Teck Lee would want to stand there this time as he has scores of Malay supporters in this constituency. Other possible places for Yong are his former seat Likas near here or Lahad Datu, his hometown in the east coast. Yong stood in the Batu Sapi parliamentary by-election in November 2010 and lost badly, finishing last with only 2,031 votes behind PKR-imported candidate Ansari Abdullah's 3,414 and eventual winner BN-PBS Linda Tsen who received 9,773. SAPP could be fielding its secretary-general Richard Yong in the Tanjung Aru mixed state seat where another of Jeffrey's deputy, Ahmad Sah Sahari, is keen. It is understood that STAR is prepared to let SAPP take Tanjung Aru. But Pakatan – maybe through DAP – is also eyeing the seat. Split opposition votes The murky waters of Sabah's politics is set to get murkier as opposition leaders fail to appreciate the importance of reconciling their differences and overlapping claims of strength. Some analysts have said that this time as many as 20 seats, including five or six parliamentary seats, could go to BN by default as a result of a split in opposition votes. One analyst cited Kadamaian where if the three opposition parties – STAR, Pakatan and SAPP – put up their respective candidates, they could garner combined votes of around 6,000, leaving a BN candidate way behind with only about 3,500 votes. But BN would still win because of the "strategic" split in the opposition camps. He said a similar situation was also likely in adjacent Tempasuk state seat. The combined votes of the opposition could outnumber BN's but because of the split, BN will retain Tempasuk. For the record, in the last general election in 2008, there was a three-cornered fight for Tempasuk. BN won the seat after its candidate polled 6,541 votes. PKR garnered 4,109 and an independent took only 191 votes. As for Kadamaian in 2008, BN-PBS Herbert Timbon Lagadan chalked up 5,382 votes, followed by PKR Lukia Indan's 2,909 and independent Peter Marajin's 1,729. "There is no question that this time [2012], votes for the opposition would increase in almost all areas and everyone can feel it and even BN leaders acknowledge this. "But the one factor that can ensure BN will win in Sabah is the split opposition votes," said an observer who is also an NGO leader. Meanwhile, there is no signal that SAPP is re-engaging with Pakatan after being slighted by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's conniving manoeuvres.
|
| Posted: 10 Oct 2012 01:42 PM PDT In our October Rule-Breaking Issue, we talk to a man who is no stranger to pushing the boundaries. Ever since he started his controversial website Malaysia Today, blogger and activist Raja Petra Kamarudin has butt heads with the law, law-makers, and even the law-makers' greatest critics. We sat down (over Skype, as he, at the time of the interview, was in Manchester, England) and chatted with RPK about his views on Malaysia, bullying, and stirring trouble. Here are seven choice quotes: I attended an English school from standards one to five and a Malayan school in standard six. But in form one, I went to an all-Malay school and I knew what hell was like. Imagine the bullying: I was Malay, royalty and didn't speak a damn word of Malay. I didn't last. To me, it wasn't a school—it was a prison sentence. I think that's why after I was detained and sent to Kamunting, I didn't find it so bad because I had already served two years in Kuala Kangsar. I had a job for two years but I didn't have the discipline to work because I can't obey rules. I support the opposition's cause but that doesn't mean I support the opposition. Supporting the opposition's cause is very different from supporting the opposition. If I support democracy, it doesn't mean I support America. I can be anti-America yet pro-democracy. This is what the opposition doesn't understand. They think if we accept something, it has to be lock, stock and barrel.
|
| You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan