Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Pakatan’s budget ‘no better’
- Migrants, church may end BN’s Borneo vote bank
- Beyond the fight to be Lembah Pantai MP
- A tough battle in Lembah Pantai
- Is Pakatan afraid of its own shadow?
- The V-neck battle goes on
- Sign of desperation for Najib
- RAPID project: Here are the shocking details
- Power of student activism
- Could Malaysia's ruling coalition be swept from power?
- Malaysia’s Coming Election: Beyond Communalism?
| Posted: 07 Oct 2012 01:45 PM PDT Pakatan Rakyat for all its 'show' also delivered a equally inadequate shadow budget for 2013. Awang Abdillah, FMT Pakatan Rakyat has presented its' alternative budget 2013 which fails to score any better points. In fact it is a dismal one indicating that they too do not have better ways to improve the economy but are merely claiming to have one. Let us examine the two main items in the budgets of the two coalitions: i) Barisan Nasional budget – The expected revenue is RM208.6 billion and the projected expenditure is RM251.6 billion with a deficit of RM43 billion. ii) Pakatan budget – The expected revenue is RM197.1 billion and the projected expenditure is RM238 billion with a deficit of RM40.9 billion. a) Revenue Since 1997 when Malaysia was badly hit by the financial crisis that originated from Thailand, Malaysia's budget has been operating at a deficit . In plain language the government's annual revenue is insufficient to cover the cost of its expenditure. Surely if Pakatan wants to take over the government it should work out a plan to overcome this serious recurrent financial woe. A surplus revenue over expenditure reflects a government ability to deliver more goods and services to the people without borrowing. But this is not possible given Malaysia's long standing economic ills since the Mahathir era. Hence Pakatan should present a rescue budget plan to tackle the financial misfortunes of the country by tabling a budget with a much higher expected revenue than that of BN. Malaysia is blessed with many resources and with better governance the economy should be able to recover. Colossal illicit outflow Many VIPs , exporters and importers are evading paying the full income tax, tariffs and duties resulting in the government losing billions of ringgit in revenue uncollected. Every year billions in foreign currencies are transferred overseas by BN politicians, their cronies and businessmen without going through Bank Negara to evade paying income tax. The central bank should impose better controls on the transfer of illegal funds out of the country as outflow of colossal amount of foreign currencies will have a negative impact on the economy and the ringgit value. With better control , the IRB can then assess the value of the earnings and wealth of these people and tax them accordingly. Based on latest reports the Chief Minister of Sarawak is tagged as the richest billionaire in Malaysia whose wealth is valued at RM45 billion qualifying him to possibly be the second richest man in South East Asia after the sultan of Brunei. The IRB can collect billions of ringgit in income tax if the government authorizes it to go after these people. Pakatan can step up efforts to recover the ill-gotten wealth including those stashed overseas. For the years 2012 and 2013 the expected annual total exports and imports are valued at more than a trillion ringgit each. Similarly had the tariffs and duties on these goods and services been paid in full based on the full declaration of their value instead of under-declared value, the past years' revenues collected by the relevant agencies would have been be much higher. Thus the relevant departments namely the customs and other agencies must be revamped. Hidden earnings For both taxes on the hidden earnings and under-declared goods the government should be able to collect another RM10-15 billion in revenue. Therefore Pakatan should have presented an expected higher revenue say RM220 bil based on a projected expenditure of RM238 thereby reducing the deficit, debt and borrowings. Pakatan should propose to revamp the current tax collection system to cover the loopholes. The Budget 2013 is the last one before the 13th general election, hence Pakatan should have presented a convincing budget to win the hearts and minds of the people and to counter Najib's psy-war budget. However it did not seize this golden opportunity. Pakatan is fortunate to meet an opponent whose political masters are so engrossed in their greed for power and immersed in so many ills that will lead to their own downfall. b) Expenditure Pakatan should ensure that all public projects and services for the year 2013 go through the open tender system to ensure the most qualified contractors with the lowest/best prices are awarded the contracts and that all contracts that are already awarded by the BN government directly to the crony companies are cancelled or reviewed . Additionally all mega projects will be reviewed or cancelled to avoid waste of public funds. These measures will save the government billions in savings.
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| Migrants, church may end BN’s Borneo vote bank Posted: 07 Oct 2012 12:21 PM PDT Sabah Christians walk during a procession ahead of Sunday Mass to celebrate Malaysia Day in Tambunan on September 16, 2012. With a general election due within seven months, the ruling BN is banking on Sabah and Sarawak state to prolong its 55-year grip on power. — Reuters pic Fawziah said she was a beneficiary of a secret plan said to have been approved by Dr Mahathir that has helped fuel a five-fold surge in Sabah's population since the 1970s and turned it into a vote bank for the ruling coalition. The Malaysian Insider Housewife Fawziah Abdul wants to thank former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad for making her a citizen 10 years after she illegally slipped into Borneo from the southern Philippines in search of a better life. The 50-year-old lives on the outskirts of Kota Kinabalu, the capital of Sabah, where her tin-roofed shack jostles for space with more than 1,000 others in a slum where children play beside heaps of rubbish. She is hopeful that her three children will get a new home and identity cards if she votes for the government again. With a general election due within seven months, the 13-party ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is banking on Sabah and neighbouring Sarawak to prolong its 55-year grip on power. But its support in the two Borneo states, which account for a quarter of Parliament seats, is showing signs of slipping.  Residents of Pulau Gaya's water village, who are mostly Filipino migrants, gather outside their houses on the sea outside Kota Kinabalu on September 17, 2012. — Reuters pic Fawziah said she was a beneficiary of a secret plan said to have been approved by Dr Mahathir that has helped fuel a five-fold surge in Sabah's population since the 1970s and turned it into a vote bank for the ruling coalition. "I am part of Project Mahathir," she said, referring to the plan. "I was told to turn up at an office with two photographs and some money," added Fawziah, who showed her identity card that lists her as a Sabah-born citizen. Without support in the two eastern states, the ruling coalition would have lost power in the last general election, in 2008, when a resurgent opposition won a majority of votes on Peninsular Malaysia. Now that support looks fragile. Residents of Sabah complain about competition from Filipino and Indonesian migrants for jobs in the oil and gas-rich region, whose revenues are mostly channelled to the federal government and where one in five people lives on less than US$1 (RM3.10) a day. Christians, mostly members of indigenous groups such as the Kadazandusun in Sabah and the Dayaks and Ibans in Sarawak, once made up nearly half of Sabah's population but now form less than a third of its 3.2 million people. But they can still give a potentially vital boost to the opposition, which won a majority of votes in mainland Malaysia in 2008 but only got three of 56 seats in Sabah and Sarawak. FLEXING POLITICAL MUSCLES The election is expected to be the closest in the former British colony's history after the coalition lost its two-thirds majority for the first time in 2008. This is partly due to Christian, Buddhist and Hindu minorities in the mostly Muslim country abandoning the coalition, complaining of discrimination over issues such as the airing of Islamic programmes on state television. Arnold Puyok, a political scientist at Universiti Teknologi Mara Sabah, says the frustration could translate into votes for the opposition led by Dr Mahathir's former deputy, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, which could pick up at least 10 seats out of 25 in Sabah. Opposition strategists say they need to win an extra 10 seats each in Sabah, Sarawak and mainland Malaysia to win the election with a simple majority of 112 seats. The opposition — a coalition of Borneo parties and a mainland alliance that campaigns for greater transparency — won 15 seats from the ruling bloc in Sarawak state elections for its best showing in 24 years. It got votes from indigenous Christians as well as from the ethnic Chinese minority. As Christian frustration grows over Muslim migrants, churches are becoming more vocal. Malaysia's largest evangelical group held a 40 day-fast last month, which included prayers for the resolution of what they see as the immigrant problem.  A Sabah Christian reads from a prayer book with the Arabic word 'Allah' in reference to God, at a church in Tambunan on September 16, 2012. — Reuters pic "There are quite a few unhappy Sabah people. Sabahans do not usually show it openly, they are doing it through prayer," Stephanie Rainier, a Kadazandusun among 7,000 worshippers at a stadium in Kota Kinabalu, said of people's frustration. "They are taking over businesses. They are everywhere," she said of migrants. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/migrants-church-may-end-bns-borneo-vote-bank/
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| Beyond the fight to be Lembah Pantai MP Posted: 07 Oct 2012 12:20 PM PDT
The next general election is expected to be the closest fight to form the new Malaysian government. And several seats across the nation are likely to be heated battles with the slimmest of majorities. The Malaysian Insider takes a look at some of these hot seats in what will be an intense election for control of Malaysia. Joan Lau, The Malaysian Insider Bangsar Baru with its leafy affluent neighbourhoods and trendy cafes serving artisanal coffee is a far cry from Kampung Kerinchi and Pantai Dalam where the residents are more accustomed to teh tarik and sup ekor. Yet these two areas are part of the federal constituency of Lembah Pantai, one of the next general election's hot seats. The incumbent is PKR's Nurul Izzah Anwar, the daughter of Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. She is touted to be the future opposition leader so there is much talk in Barisan Nasional (BN) circles that it is important she be "taken down." To be denied re-election to the seat she won as a rank novice back in 2008. Her opponent — even though it is still unofficial — is Raja Datuk Nong Chik Zainal Abidin, who is the federal territories and urban well-being minister. Although Raja Nong Chik, 59, an accountant, is more well-known in the corporate scene than the political arena, he has taken to his role as Lembah Pantai challenger rather well with a mix of on-the-ground events and social media. There is the perennial accusation of phantom voters and a suspicion that some 14,000 Umno members have been relocated to Lembah Pantai from bordering seats of course. All this will purportedly bump up the number of votes the BN candidate — whoever it is — will receive of course.  Nurul Izzah has found it a tough to carry out events and hold ceramahs within her own constituency. Still, Nurul Izzah, 31, has found it a hard slog trying to carry out events and hold ceramahs within her own constituency. "Yes, it is practically impossible for the current Lembah Pantai MP to use any Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) facilities," said one of her aides, referring to Kuala Lumpur City Hall. "We are stonewalled." Getting permits for her events has been particularly difficult in the Kampung Kerinchi and Pantai Dalam areas. Very often Nurul Izzah has had to cancel ceramahs planned for the People's Housing Project flats neighbourhood and hold them in private homes, using their compounds, instead. "Yes, her programmes have been blocked many times. Sometimes directly, others indirectly," said another aide. "We've been told that those who host her programmes — especially those in the low-cost housing area — are often harassed by DBKL or other agencies afterwards." The stonewalling takes on various forms: she has been blocked from presenting aid to students at a school in Pantai Dalam; not permitted to distribute dates and her MP newsletter at the Masjid Saidina Abu Bakar As Siddiq in Bangsar during Ramadan (she had to retreat to a nearby carpark) and so on. The more affluent middle-class component of Lembah Pantai — Bangsar, Bukit Travers and Pantai Baru — is home to the chattering masses. These are well-educated, highly opinionated Malaysians who used to be content to just chatter and complain. But in the past two years, many of them have walked their talk... attending both Coalition for Free and Fair Election (Bersih) rallies, for example.  Raja Datuk Nong Chik is expected to be the BN candidate for Lembah Pantai. They will very likely vote for the incumbent but across at the land of low-cost flats and blue-collar workers, the largesse a BN candidate will very likely bring may just be too tempting. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/beyond-the-fight-to-be-lembah-pantai-mp/ |
| A tough battle in Lembah Pantai Posted: 06 Oct 2012 03:47 PM PDT
SHOWDOWN: Barisan Nasional is going all out to wrest the hottest urban seat in Kuala Lumpur back from the opposition, which it won by a narrow margin in the 2008 general election, writes Carisma Kapoor |
| Is Pakatan afraid of its own shadow? Posted: 06 Oct 2012 02:59 PM PDT
ABOUT-TURN: The opposition's failure to form a shadow cabinet shows the three Pakatan parties don't see eye to eye on many issues The issue was reignited when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak last week challenged the opposition to form its much-promised shadow cabinet. The Barisan Nasional chairman said the most fundamental thing any opposition should do was to have a shadow cabinet, but Pakatan could not even do this. A Jalil Hamid, NST BY definition, a shadow cabinet represents a group of senior opposition figures in the Westminster system of government which forms an alternative cabinet to the government, and whose members "shadow" each minister to provide a system of checks and balances. According to Prof Rodney Brazier, a United Kingdom constitutional law expert, the convention of having a shadow cabinet in Britain is not new. Throughout the 19th century, they were simply known as former cabinet ministers. The word "former" was replaced by "shadow" in 1880, hence the shadow cabinet. Shadow cabinets are the norm in mature parliamentary democracies, such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, New Zealand, Turkey and many other countries. In the case of Malaysia, the opposition appears to go against its word or contradicts itself every time the issue of shadow cabinet is raised and debated, raising doubts about its credibility. Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who went on record for a few times since the March 2008 general election promising a shadow cabinet, now has said there will not be a shadow cabinet. His latest contention that Pakatan Rakyat does not need a shadow cabinet because it is not a common practice in other countries, such as Indonesia or Thailand, simply does not hold water. Why a change of heart after all this while? The issue was reignited when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak last week challenged the opposition to form its much-promised shadow cabinet. The Barisan Nasional chairman said the most fundamental thing any opposition should do was to have a shadow cabinet, but Pakatan could not even do this. "You must show your team. You must show your cabinet. Don't talk about forming the government, form a shadow cabinet first," he said at the Gerakan annual delegates' conference. Anwar has now gone against his word. "A shadow cabinet is only practised in the United Kingdom and Australia. Not in the United States, France, Indonesia or Thailand," he responded later. His excuse in the past was that Pakatan's parliamentary panels had been undertaking some of the functions as a shadow cabinet. But these committees, which are made up of representatives from each party, are not a good substitute for a shadow cabinet. Perhaps the real reason why Anwar (we are assuming he is the shadow prime minister) refused to unveil his shadow cabinet is because the three Pakatan parties, with widely differing agendas and ideologies, do not see eye to eye on many issues. There is no real unity in the opposition and there is lack of consensus on issues such as hudud, let alone power-sharing. If they cannot be transparent on things that matter most to the rakyat, then how can the people have confidence in their leadership? The cracks between Pas and DAP over the hudud issue certainly reflect the vulnerability of the opposition pact and no amount of smokescreens can camouflage that. Even with a shadow cabinet, the three parties -- including Anwar's Parti Keadilan Rakyat -- are bound to face a fractious tussle for ministerial positions if they ever win power at the federal level. We see that happening in Selangor now. A mere mention by PKR vice-president Azmin Ali of the possibility of Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim being promoted to a federal position from being Selangor menteri besar has sparked an uproar within Pakatan. Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has brushed aside an initial list of shadow cabinet ministers purportedly released by PKR. He instead suggested that should Pakatan form the next Federal Government, each ministerial portfolio would have three members, one each from each party. "PR is more concerned about policies that benefit the people and not personality or position," he was quoted as saying. "We are not crazy for position." Does this mean the potential Pakatan cabinet, already littered with political dynasties, will be so unwieldy and cumbersome just to accommodate each party? It must be setting a new world record for cabinet size. Pakatan leaders know that to cobble together a realistic list of shadow cabinet members now is politically risky as it could start fresh bickering among them and undermine their electoral chances. So it is better to agree to disagree and sweep the problem under the carpet, at least for now. Returning to the issue of political dynasties, the Anwar, Karpal and Lim families are set to rule the cabinet if Pakatan ever comes to power. Voters will have to decide then between real democracy and Pakatan's brand of political dynasty. |
| Posted: 06 Oct 2012 02:39 PM PDT Dr Mohd Puad: I don't want to be drawn into the debate of whether it (LGBT) is a lifestyle or natural instinct. That is why we want to bring it out in the open because it can be debated on. Reiterating the Government's commitment, Dr Mohd Puad stresses that it is crucial for parents to get exposure and knowledge of the LGBT trend so that they can be more vigilant of the signs and tackle the threat early. The Star V-neck Day and free Briyani for those in V-neck shirts? "It should not be a joking matter," Deputy Education Minister Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi bemoans, commenting on some of the reactions to his effort of highlighting the "dangers" posed by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) phenomenon on the youth in Malaysia. But Dr Mohd Puad is determined to walk down the unpopular road of curbing the trend of LGBT in schools. As he puts it, the trend seems to be prevalent in society and popular media, making it imperative for the Government to prevent it from penetrating schools. "It is not prevalent in school yet but preventive action is needed to ensure that it does not spread among students," he says. When asked how prevalent the phenomenon is in schools, he says, the ministry does not have any data. "I don't know because we don't have the facts. We don't have the data to show how serious it is," he tells Sunday Star. He adds that when the issue "exploded" - specifically the disputed LGBT-symptom guidelines - he received a lot of flak, but it has only made his belief that the LGBT lifestyle is not a healthy way of life. "There are two reasons: it is the biggest cause of HIV after drugs. It also causes a lot of social problems such as broken marriages. That is why we need to nip it in the bud," he says. And that is why, Dr Mohd Puad points out, we need to raise parents' awareness. "They have to be exposed to what it is all about, many parents don't even know what the terms mean; they say that they are confused by the terms." For those who need a reminder, the deputy minister was slammed last month for purportedly supporting a list spelling out some definitions and identifiable LGBT traits, at a seminar in Penang, aimed at helping parents recognise "symptoms" of LGBT in children. The seminar, "Parents Handling LGBT Issues", organised by Yayasan Guru Malaysia Berhad and Putrajaya Consultative Council of Parent-Teacher Association, has since been held in Kedah and Trengganu. Although it is independent of the Education Ministry, the deputy minister had officiated at the seminars. The list reportedly says that gay men have muscular bodies that they like to show off in V-neck and sleeveless clothes, or tight and light-coloured clothing; and that they like to carry big handbags similar to those used by women. Lesbians are said to be attracted to women, and like to eat, sleep and hang out in the company of other women and have no affection for men. Reiterating the Government's commitment, Dr Mohd Puad stresses that it is crucial for parents to get exposure and knowledge of the LGBT trend so that they can be more vigilant of the signs and tackle the threat early. However, he declines to elaborate on what the Government would do to "correct" or "prevent" LGBT in schools, conceding that the science of it is debatable. "I don't want to be drawn into the debate of whether it (LGBT) is a lifestyle or natural instinct. That is why we want to bring it out in the open because it can be debated on. However, it is not something that should be joked about," he says. When pointed out that there are many studies disputing the effectiveness of corrective therapies, Dr Mohd Puad cites the case of "two ex-gays" presented by the seminar. "If the two can change and become straight, I don't see why others cannot." When asked about the dangers of discrimination and bullying in school, he declines to answer. Dr Mohd Puad shares that the ministry is looking at equipping school counsellors with the necessary knowledge and understanding as well as training to deal with LGBT. However, he denies that the Ministry will be taking a hardline stance - "We are not looking at identifying LGBT students or punishing them," he says. "We in the Ministry of Education look at this LGBT issue seriously, and all we wish to do is to educate people, parents especially, on how to overcome this issue, how to prevent it as well as early corrective measures," he says.
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| Posted: 05 Oct 2012 05:27 PM PDT The Economist says the prime minister has been keeping the country on an 'election footing' ever since he took over the helm. Free Malaysia Today Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is showing a "sign of desperation" besides acquiring a reputation for dithering over the election date, according to international weekly The Economist. "He now has the regrettable distinction of being Malaysia's second-longest-serving unelected prime minister, just behind his own father, the country's second prime minister [Tun Razak]," said the paper. Najib must call for an election by April the latest, but he has kept the country guessing on the actual date for the 13th general election. The paper noted that latest survey conducted by Merdeka Centre gave the prime minister an approval rating of 64%, "down from the high point of his popularity in the middle of 2010". But the popularity of the ruling coalition, the Barisan Nasional, "is much lower than the prime minister's own", it said. The weekly added that the prime minister's options are now diminishing fast. The paper also said that Najib is becoming more like former British prime minister George Brown who, instead of calling for an early election and securing his own mandate while he was still popular, preferred to play a waiting game. Brown had succeeded in pushing aside his predecessor Tony Blair, but "Mr Brown, unelected and indecisive, watched his authority drain away…", said The Economist. When Brown finally called for an election at the end of his term, he lost. Likewise, The Economist said, Najib took over the premiership after "an internal party coup in April 2009 against the then prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi". Ever since he took over the reins, Najib has been keeping the country on an "election footing". "All along, Malaysia has been on an election footing, with the cautious Najib ponderously cultivating the voters," said The Economist. Busy wooing voters The paper noted that in the meantime, Najib has been busy wooing voters. "He has crafted new policies for Malaysia's younger, unaligned citizens while giving away plenty of money to retain his party's traditional supporters, especially among the ethnic-Malay (and Muslim) majority," it said.
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| RAPID project: Here are the shocking details Posted: 04 Oct 2012 03:41 PM PDT
The Australian government does not want Lynas, and no thanks to BN, it is now in Pahang, the homestate of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. The Taiwan government has refused to extend the tenure of its state-owned China Petroleum Company (CPC)'s refinery and petrochemical facilities. Again, no thanks to the BN, we welcome CPC with open arms in the form of RAPID. Victor Lim, Harakah Malaysians are so informed and familiar with the land grabs in Sarawak and its Taib Mahmud. However, land grabs have also been taking place in Johor for decades and it is ongoing. Only, now it has become more blatant.
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| Posted: 03 Oct 2012 01:59 PM PDT It is fair to say that the students can be the spark for a broader struggle ahead. By Khoo Ying Hooi, FMT Given the current dynamic atmosphere of Malaysian politics, campus elections in the public universities are steadily gaining attention. Last year, a Pro-Mahasiswa (Pro-M) candidate Masturah Abu Bakar from Universiti Malaya was allegedly kidnapped during the campus elections. (Pro-M is widely regarded as an anti-establishment party as opposed to the pro-government Pro-Aspirasi.) This time, Pro-M student leaders claimed that they received intimidation and death threats while UM Pro-M national chairman Edikoup Lakip Sediyantoa claimed that he was assaulted by unknown assailants. With the rise of the new generation, voices of dissent are shaking the foundations of the old order around the globe. When it comes to campus polls, the question always arises: should students be kept away from politics or should they be allowed to take an active part in politics? Historically, the 1960s saw student activism and discontent erupt all over the world and were seen as a significant force for social change. Student movements have played a crucial role in many major social and political transformations. Clearly, students around the world have been part of various movements to promote democracy and human rights. Their role is indeed crucial as they are the backbone of society. Nowadays, students are often asked to reflect on the future challenges of their society. So, if they are not taught in the way they should, the future of society will be in danger. Interest in politics as an academic subject in Malaysia is certainly increasing and it is undeniable that the university serves as one of the places to nurture political ambitions. Looking at the development of student activism in the country, are our students nowadays like their counterparts in the 1960s? The student activism in the 1960s was so influential that it not only changed the political climate, it also paved the way for the rise of the current generation of students. Student activism elsewhere It is important to look at the famous national student organisation, Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). The SDS was founded in 1960 at the University of Michigan by a group of students and youths intending to search for an alternative path to Cold War politics. It was the largest and most influential student organisation in the US during the 1960s.
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| Could Malaysia's ruling coalition be swept from power? Posted: 02 Oct 2012 12:53 PM PDT
(Value Walk) - Even if BN should retain its majority and Prime Minister Najib continues to enjoy high approval ratings, there is a high risk that he will be pushed from office anyway. Since its independence in 1957, the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) has ruled over Malaysia UMNO and BN have traditionally controlled the political scene in Malaysia. UMNO relies on the "Malay" vote from the Malay community, which makes up approximately 50 percent of the population. The Chinese, who are by far the wealthiest demographic in Malaysia, make up 25 percent of the population, and Indians make up an additional 7 percent. Other Bumiputras, or "sons of the land" make up most of the rest of the population. The date for the election has not been set, but must be held by June 27, 2013. Many observers believed that elections would be held this past summer, with tell-tale signs, including increased investments in public projects and reduced toll charges. Often, as elections approach BN will push for the increased provision of social services In recent years Malaysia has seen mass protests and heightened demands for political reform. The Bersih movement, or "coalition for clean & fair elections" has attracted a large following in Malaysia. The movement has staged several rallies in recent years. In April 2007, the first Berish rally attracted some 30,000 people, and is credited with having a major impact on the 2008 elections that saw BN lose its absolute majority for the first time in decades. In July 2011 the Bersih 2.0 movement was launched and staged another rally, attracting between 10,000 to 20,000 protesters, though many more were kept out of the Kuala Lumpur city center due to government clamp downs. Bersish 3.0 in, April 2012, saw renewed strength and effort from protesters, with approximately 100,000 people protesting for reform. Meanwhile, Barisan Nasional is increasingly losing the trust of the Malay community, which it has relied on to stay in power. Traditionally, BN and especially UMNO has relied on the rural Malay vote, which through gerrymandering has a disproportionately large representation in parliament. Now educated and urban Malays are starting to turn to the opposition. At the same time, UMNO is losing some rural votes in some areas to the Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS), an Islamist political party. BN has never fared as well in cities, or among the middle class. With Malaysia's population rapidly urbanizing and becoming better educated, BN's traditional base of power is shrinking. Unless the party can adapt to changing times and modernize its policies, it may someday find itself representing a "minority" segment of society. The domestic scene can be described as complicated, at best. Malaysia has posted strong growth since its independence, with national development projects being fueled by petro-dollars. The country also enjoys a strong manufacturing sector, though many of the workers in this sector are foreign. The nation has had a harder time competing in high-value industries, and its education system remains subpar. In order to keep unemployment low, the government has traditionally "mopped" up unemployed graduates, especially Malays. As a result, government payrolls have expanded to some 1.4 million people, in a nation of only 30 million. With petro-dollars running out (Malaysia is projected to run out of oil as soon as 2030), the government will not be able to afford expanding payrolls forever. Certainly Malaysia has launched attempts at reforms. Prime Minister Najib has launched a "1Malaysia" campaign to try to rectify the tensions between the three major races. The Prime Minister has also launched the New Economic Model (NEM), which will increase emphasis on creating high-skilled middle class jobs and ensuring that Malaysia does not fall in the Middle Income trap. Read more at: http://www.valuewalk.com/2012/10/could-malaysia-ruling-coalition-be-swept-from-power/
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| Malaysia’s Coming Election: Beyond Communalism? Posted: 01 Oct 2012 11:53 AM PDT Both sides are furiously making calculations about tactics to win seats, tailoring their message to the communities concerned. The two eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak could be kingmakers, because they control 25 per cent of the available seats. International Crisis Group Malaysia's thirteenth general election, which Prime Minister Najib Razak will have to call by April 2013, could be a watershed in communal relations. More than ever before, there is a chance, albeit a very small one, that opposition parties running on issues of transparency, economic equity and social justice could defeat the world's longest continually-elected political coalition, the National Front (Barisan Nasional), that has based its support on a social compact among the country's Malay, Chinese and Indian communities. That compact, granting Malays preferential status in exchange for security and economic growth, has grown increasingly stale as the growing middle class demands more of its leaders. Both ruling party and opposition are using images of the Arab Spring – the former to warn of chaos if it is not returned to power, the latter to warn of popular unrest unless political change comes faster. Social and demographic change, coupled with effective opposition leadership and the rise of a broad-based movement for electoral reform, are likely to make this election at the very least a close contest. The ruling coalition, composed of the dominant United Malays Nationalist Organisation (UMNO); the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA); and the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), as well as several smaller parties, faces the People's Alliance (Pakatan Rakyat), composed of the People's Justice Party (Partai Keadilan Rakyat, PKR), led by former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim; the Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (Partai Islam Se-Malaysia, PAS). More than ever before, the swing vote may be the Malay middle ground: urban professionals, students and "netizens" – internet users – who have benefited from constitutionally-protected preferential status for Malays but who are tired of cronyism and corruption and are chafing under the tight controls on civil liberties. The deck is stacked against the opposition for many reasons, not least because of an electoral system based on questionable voting rolls and carefully gerrymandered, single-representative constituencies where victory requires only a plurality (first past the post). Demands for a more level playing field gave rise in 2007 to a broad-based civil society movement, the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, known as Bersih (Clean), that has held four mass street rallies drawing tens of thousands of participants: in November 2007; July 2011; April 2012 and August 2012. The first three were broken up by police with hundreds of arrests. In the third, violence on the part of a few participants led to harsh police counter-actions and allegations of brutality. Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, now retired but leading UMNO's ultra-conservatives from the sidelines, has been warning Malaysians to expect more violence in the streets if the opposition loses. The big issues are the economy, corruption and political reform. Bread-and-butter topics matter most to the electorate, and Barisan's vast resources enable it to dole out economic favours to strategic constituencies in the lead-up to the election. The opposition is getting plenty of mileage out of corruption scandals involving top UMNO officials, although UMNO is fighting back with legal challenges and defamation suits. Political reform is seen by both sides as a political winner. Prime Minister Najib has rolled back or reworked some of the draconian legislation – most notably the colonial-era Internal Security Act (ISA) – that Mahathir used to curb dissent during his 22 years in power, but the opposition denounces it as too little, too late. Two huge issues are largely off the official agendas of both coalitions but dominate them in many ways. One is the preferred treatment for Malays in virtually all spheres of public life and whether opening political space and promoting social justice would diminish that status. The ultra-conservatives within UMNO are determined to protect Malay rights at all costs. The other is the question of Islamic law and religious tolerance. Under Mahathir, Malaysia embarked on a program of Islamisation of the government and bureaucracy, culminating in his declaration of an Islamic state in 2001. PAS, once known for a hardline Islamist agenda, is now led by pragmatists who are willing to put contentious issues like Islamic criminal justice on hold, at least temporarily, in the interests of trying to defeat Barisan. But neither side is above trying to scare non-Malay communities, particularly the Chinese, by predicting greater intolerance if the other wins. Within the opposition coalition, relations between PAS and the Chinese-dominated DAP remain fragile. Both sides are furiously making calculations about tactics to win seats, tailoring their message to the communities concerned. The two eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak could be kingmakers, because they control 25 per cent of the available seats. Ultimately the question Malaysians will have to answer on election day is which of the two choices will be better able to accommodate political change, while protecting minorities against the hardline forces that more openness can produce.
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