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Umno looks to penetrate Permatang Pauh
Dubious backers of regime change
For BN, a balancing act between voters and warlords
Confidence tricks in Sabah politics
Neither BN nor Pakatan good for Sabah, S’wak
Winds of change blowing towards BN

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 05:07 PM PST

Party insiders say Najib may opt for a more credible candidate with strong oratory skills and sound financial background.

Athi Shankar, FMT

PENANG: Local Umno is quietly confident of penetrating into PKR's virtually impregnable Permatang Pauh parliamentary fortress in the forthcoming 13th general election.

Confidence is said to be running high among Permatang Pauh Umno leaders that they can re-capture the constituency's Penanti and Permatang Pasir, and retain Seberang Jaya state seats.

Permatang Pauh Umno leaders also believe that this time they have an outside chance to upset incumbent MP and the Malay heartland "tribal king" Anwar Ibrahim, the Opposition Leader.

But observers believe Umno must apply the right candidacy jigsaw if the party is to realise its dream.

Sources said currently the division chairman and former Penanti assemblyman Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid had been earmarked to challenge Permatang Pauh favourite son Anwar for federal duel.

In Permatang Pasir, a PAS seat since 1999 general election, Umno is expected to field its constituency coordinator and division vice chairman Rahim Man.

Barisan Nasional's constituency coordinator and division committee member Ibrahim Ahmad has been listed for Penanti.

In Seberang Jaya, incumbent assemblyman Arif Shah Omar Shah, who won by a mere 553-majority largely thanks to postal votes against PKR's Rahim Bulat in 2008, is the choice.

However political observers and local leaders from BN component parties believe that the Umno division deputy chief and local corporate figure Mohammad Nasir Abdullah should be included in the candidature list.

Grassroots leader Mohammad Nasir was overlooked for 2008 general election and subsequent by-elections in Permatang Pauh, Permatang Pasir and Penanti.

Insiders said this was largely due to Abdul Jalil uneasiness with Nasir's political presence.

Seberang Jaya Umno branch chief Nasir rose from rank and file in the division, from being an ordinary member when Anwar was then its chief, to youth chief, then vice chairman and now deputy chief.

Observers said Jalil sensed that his position would face grave danger if Nasir, who has strong grassroots support among Permatang Pauh 17,000 Umno members from 95 branches, were to win a seat in general election.

They said that Jalil knew that Nasir, who has no political baggage, can topple him in the next party election.

Good ground support

A random survey showed many Umno branches, particularly among 44 branches in Seberang Jaya constituency, and BN local leaders backed Nasir as an election candidate.

Many want local boy Nasir (photo), who operates a Petronas petrol station in the constituency, to replace Arif Shah, in Seberang Jaya.

But Arif Shah is not expected to give up his seat with a strong fight.

After all if BN were to regain Penang, he stands a strong chance to become a deputy chief minister.

Seberang Jaya has 29,397 voters with Malays 18,882, Chinese 6,677 and Indians 3,682. In 2008, the constituency had 22,678 voters.

Postal votes in Seberang Jaya have also leapt drastically from 405 in March 2008 to 1,200 in mid-2012.

Insiders said it was time to replace Arif Shah with Nasir as the former had been a two-term assemblyman.

Recent vernacular press reports revealed Arif Shah, who speaks fluent Mandarin, would not be able to muster enough Chinese votes, a decisive factor to retain Seberang Jaya.

Local observers believe a fresh local born candidate like Nasir would be an ideal winnable replacement.

Grassroots sentiments are that Arif should be moved to Permatang Pasir which has 22,733 voters with Malays 16,643, Chinese 5,691 and Indians 363. In 2008, the constituency had 20,350 voters.

They feel Rahim would be a better candidate in Penanti, which now has 18,537 registered voters with Malays making up 13,194, Chinese 4,124 and Indians 390. In 2008, the constituency had 15,421 voters.

They said Arif Shah would be an ideal candidate in Permatang Pasir and Rahim had stronger grassroots backing Penanti.

Party grassroots want Umno president and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to give a strong consideration to their sentiments.

"This would give Umno a winnable electoral jigsaw," they said.

In the August 2008 parliamentary by-election, Anwar defeated Arif Shah by 15,671-majority to mark his national political comeback after 10 years absence.

Strangely though, as of June 2012, Permatang Pauh now has 70,667 registered voters, a huge leap by 12,208 votes within four years from 58,459 voters in 2008.

READ MORE HERE

Dubious backers of regime change

Posted: 29 Dec 2012 02:04 PM PST

AS Malaysia prepares for a general election, distrust of the political opposition and accusations of foreign interference have been major talking points in the political frequencies emanating from Kuala Lumpur.

Premesh Chandran, the chief executive officer of the nation's most prominent alternative media outlet, Malaysiakini, is a grantee of Soros' Open Society Foundations and launched the news organisation with a US$100,000 (RM300,000) grant from the Bangkok-based Southeast Asian Press Alliance, another organisation with dubious affiliations to the US State Department.

Nile Bowie, RT

Umno leads the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional, and has maintained power since independence in 1957.

One of Malaysia's most recognisable figures is former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has been credited with ushering in large-scale economic growth and overseeing the nation's transition from an exporter of palm oil, tin and other raw materials, into an industrialised economy that manufactures cars and electronic goods.

The opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, is headed by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who once held the post of deputy prime minister in Dr Mahathir's administration, but was sacked over major disagreements on how to steer the economy during the 1997 Asian financial crisis.

Today, the political climate in Malaysia is highly polarised. Malaysia's current leader, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has pursued a reform-minded agenda by repealing authoritarian legislation of the past and dramatically loosening controls on expression and political pluralism.

Najib has rolled back the Internal Security Act, which allowed for indefinite detention without trial, and has liberalised rules regarding the publication of books and newspapers. During Malaysia's 2008 general election, the Barisan Nasional coalition experienced its worst result in decades, with Pakatan Rakyat winning 82 parliamentary seats.

For the first time, the ruling party was deprived of its two-thirds parliamentary majority, which is required to pass amendments to the Federal Constitution.

In the run up to elections scheduled to take place before an April next year deadline, figures from all sides of the political spectrum are asking questions about the opposition's links to foreign funders in Washington.

Dr Mahathir has long captured the ire of officials from Washington and Tel Aviv, and though he's retired, he has channelled his energies into the Perdana Global Peace Foundation, which recently hosted an international conference in Kuala Lumpur calling for a new investigation into the events of 9/11 and has sought to investigate war crimes committed in Gaza, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Dr Mahathir has been an ardent critic of Israel and organisations, such as AIPAC, and has recently accused US-based organisations, the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and the Open Society Institute (OSI), of holding a concealed intention to influence Malaysia's domestic politics through the funding of local non-govrnmental organisations (NGOs) and groups directly linked to Anwar's Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

In an article the former prime minister published in the New Straits Times, a leading mainstream newspaper, Dr Mahathir accuses financier George Soros and his organisation, OSI, of "promoting democracy" in eastern Europe to pave the way for colonisation by global finance capital. Dr Mahathir acknowledges how OSI pumped millions into opposition movements and independent media in Hungary, Ukraine and Georgia under the guise of strengthening civil society, only to have like-minded individuals nominated by Soros' own foundation come to power in those countries.

The former prime minister has also pointed to how Egypt (prior to Mohamad Morsi taking power) had cracked down on NGOs affiliated with NED, namely groups such as the National Democratic Institute, the International Republican Institute (IRI) and Freedom House, which are all recipients of funding from the US State Department.

In Malaysia, high-profile NGOs and media outlets have admittedly received funding from OSI and satellite organisations of NED.

Malaysiakini has come under pressure from local journalists for the lack of transparency in its financial management and hesitance in revealing the value of its shares. Additionally, Suaram, an NGO promoting human rights, has borne heavy criticism over its funding and organisational structure. The Companies Commission of Malaysia launched investigations into Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd, a private company linked to Suaram, and found it to be a conduit for money being used to channel funds from NED.

The German embassy in Kuala Lumpur had reportedly admitted that it has provided funds to Suaram's project in 2010. Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman followed by making strong statements to the German ambassador and declared that Germany's actions could be viewed as interference in the domestic affairs of a sovereign state.

Since 2007, Bersih, an association of NGOs calling itself the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, staged three street protests in which thousands of yellow-clad demonstrators took to the streets in Kuala Lumpur demanding electoral reform. After coming under heavy scrutiny for obfuscating funding sources, Bersih coalition leader Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan admitted that her organisation receives funding from the National Democratic Institute and OSI.

Ambiga herself has been the recipient of the US State Department's Award for International Women of Courage, and was present in Washington in 2009 to receive the award directly from the hands of Michelle Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

While Ambiga's organisation claimed to be non-partisan and apolitical, members of the political opposition openly endorsed the movement, and some were even present at the demonstrations.

While a large percentage of urbanites with legitimate grievances are quick to acknowledge the government's shortcomings, many are hesitant to back Anwar because of his connections with neo-conservative thinkers in Washington and general disunity within the opposition. Anwar maintains close ties with senior American officials and organisations such as NED. In 2005, Anwar chaired the Washington-based Foundation for the Future, established and funded by the US Department of State at the behest of Elizabeth Cheney, the daughter of then vice-president Dick Cheney, thanks in large part to his cozy relationship with Paul Wolfowitz.

While Anwar was on trial for allegedly engaging in sodomy with a male aide (of which he was acquitted some time later), Wolfowitz and former US vice-president Al Gore authored a joint opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal in support of Anwar, while the Washington Post published an editorial calling for consequences that would affect Malaysia's relations with Washington if Anwar was to be found guilty. Anwar enraged many when he stated that he would support policy to protect the security of Israel in an interview with the Wall Street Journal; this is particularly controversial in Malaysia, where support for Palestine is largely unanimous.

Malaysian political scientist Dr Chandra Muzaffar writes: "It is obvious that by acknowledging the primacy of Israeli security, Anwar was sending a clear message to the deep state and to Tel Aviv and Washington that he is someone that they could trust. In contrast, the Najib government, in spite of its attempts to get closer to Washington, remains critical of Israeli aggression and intransigence. Najib has described the Israeli government as a 'serial killer' and a 'gangster'".

Members of BN have addressed Anwar's connections to NED in Parliament, including his participation in NED's "Democracy Award" event held in Washington in 2007. Independent journalists have uncovered letters written by Anwar, two of which were sent to NED president Carl Gershman in Washington that discussed sending an international election observer team to Malaysia and general issues related to electoral reform.

A third letter was sent to Soros, expressing interest in collaborating with an accountability firm headed by Anwar. Pakatan Rakyat's communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad verified the authenticity of the documents. This should come as little surprise as Anwar's economic policies have historically aligned with institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, in contrast to Dr Mahathir, whose protectionist economic policies opposed international financial institutions and allowed Malaysia to navigate and largely resurface from the 1997 Asian financial crisis unscathed.

An issue that concerns secular and non-Muslim voters is the role of Pas as part of the opposition. In sharp contrast to the moderate brand of Islam preached by Umno, the organisation's primary objective is the founding of an Islamic state.

Pas has spoken of working within the framework of Malaysia's parliamentary democracy, but holds steadfast to implementing syariah on a national scale, which would lead to confusing implications for Malaysia's sizeable non-Muslim population. The debate around the implementation of hudud is something that other Pakatan Rakyat coalition members, such as figures in the Democratic Action Party, have been unable to agree on.

Pas enjoys support from rural Malay Muslims in states such as Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, though it has limited appeal to urbanites. While certain individuals in Pas have raised questions about NGOs receiving foreign funding, Dr Mahathir has insinuated that Pas' leadership has been largely complicit: "They (foreign interests) want to topple the government through the demonstration and Nik Aziz (the spiritual leader of Pas) said it is permissible to bring down the government in this manner. They want to make Malaysia like Egypt, Tunisia, which were brought down through riots and now Syria. When the government does not fall, they (Pakatan Rakyat) can appeal to the foreign power to help and bring down, even if it means using firepower."

It must be acknowledged that the current administration led by Najib has made great strides towards improving relations with Washington. At a meeting with President Barack Obama in 2010, Najib offered Malaysia's assistance to cooperate with the United States to engage the Muslim world; Najib also expressed willingness to deploy Malaysian aid personnel to Afghanistan, and allegedly agreed on the need to maintain a unified front on Iran's nuclear programme.

Najib has employed a Washington-based public relations firm, Apco, to improve Malaysia's image in the US and has embraced American economic leadership of the region through his support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement. Some would argue that Najib is perhaps the most pro-American leader Malaysia has ever had.

Despite Najib having good rapport with formal Western leaders, it is clear with whom the think-tank policy architects, Zionist lobbies, and foundation fellows have placed their loyalties.

Sentiment among Malaysia's youth and "pro-democracy" activists, who constitute a small but vocal minority, tend to be entirely dismissive of the "regime change" narrative, viewing it as pre-election diversionary rhetoric of the ruling party. While bogeymen of the Zionist variety are often invoked in Malaysian political discourse, it would be negligent to ignore the effects of Washington-sponsored "democracy promotion" in the global context, which have in recent times cloaked mercenary elements and insurgents in the colours of freedom fighting, and successfully masked geopolitical restructuring and the ushering in of neo-liberal capitalism with the hip and fashionable vigour of "people power" coups.

As the United States continues to increase its military presence in the Pacific region in line with its strategic policy shift to East Asia, policymakers in Washington would like to see compliant heads of state who will act to further American interests in the Asean region.

Let's not ignore the elephant in the room; the real purpose of America's resurgence of interest in the Asean bloc is to fortify the region as a counterweight against Beijing.

The defence ministries of Malaysia and China held a landmark defence and security consultation in September, in addition to frequent bilateral state visits and enhanced economic cooperation. It was Najib's father, second prime minister Tun Abdul Razak, who made the landmark visit to Beijing to normalise relations in 1974, and under his son Najib, Sino-Malaysian relations and cooperation have never been better.

Following the global economic crisis of 2008, Najib looked to Beijing to revive Malaysia's export-oriented economy, emphasising increased Chinese investment in Malaysia and expanding the base of Sino-Malaysian trade in areas like education and student exchange, finance, infrastructure development, science and technology, yielding lucrative and mutually beneficial results. In asking the question of regime change in Malaysia, Chandra reflects on Washington's moves to bolster its military muscle and dominance over the Asia-Pacific region:

"Establishing a military base in Darwin (Australia), resurrecting the US' military alliance with the Philippines, coaxing Japan to play a more overt military role in the region, instigating Vietnam to confront China over the Spratly Islands, and encouraging India to counterbalance Chinese power, are all part and parcel of the larger US agenda of encircling and containing China.

"In pursuing this agenda, the US wants reliable allies -- not just friends -- in Asia. In this regard, Malaysia is important because of its position as a littoral state with sovereign rights over the Straits of Malacca, which is one of China's most critical supply routes that transports much of the oil and other materials vital for its economic development.

"Will the containment of China lead to a situation where the hegemon, determined to perpetuate its dominant power, seek to exercise control over the straits in order to curb China's ascendancy? Would a trusted ally in Kuala Lumpur facilitate such control? The current Malaysian leadership does not fit the bill."

Pakatan Rakyat has yet to offer a fully coherent organisational programme, and if the coalition ever came to power, the disunity of its component parties and their inability to agree on fundamental policies would be enough to conjure angrier, disenchanted youth back on to the streets, in larger numbers perhaps.

What is ticklishly ironic about reading op-eds penned by the likes of Wolfowitz and Gore, and how they laud Malaysia as a progressive and moderate model Islamic state, is that they concurrently demonise its leadership and dismiss them as authoritarian thugs.

Surely, the ruling coalition has its shortcomings; the politicisation of race and religion, noted cases of corrupt officials squandering funds, etc -- but far too few, especially those of the middle-class who benefit most from energy subsidies, acknowledge the tremendous economic growth achieved under the current leadership and the success of its populist policies.

Najib has acknowledged the need for broad reforms of Malaysia's state-owned enterprises over concerns that crony capitalism may deter foreign investment; this should be rolled out concurrently with programmes to foster more local entrepreneurship. To put it bluntly, the opposition lacks confidence from the business community and foreign investors; even the likes of JP Morgan have issued statements of concern over an opposition win.

It should be noted that if Islamists ever wielded greater influence in Malaysia under an opposition coalition, one could imagine a sizeable exodus of non-Muslim minorities and a subsequent flight of foreign capital, putting the nation's economy in a fragile and fractured state. And yet, the US has poured millions into "democracy promotion" efforts to strengthen the influence of NGOs that distort realities and cast doubt over the government's ability to be a coherent actor.

Malaysia does not have the kind of instability that warrants overt external intervention; backing regime-change efforts may only go so far as supporting dissidents and groups affiliated with Anwar.

According to Ambiga, Malaysia's electoral process is so restrictive that a mass movement like Bersih is required to purge the system of its backwardness. These are curious statements, considering that the opposition gained control of four out of 13 states in 2008, including Selangor, a key economic state with the highest gross domestic product and most developed infrastructure.

In response, Najib has adhered to Bersih's demands and has called for electoral reform, forming a parliamentary select committee comprising members from both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional.

As elections loom, Ambiga is already dubbing them "the dirtiest elections ever seen" -- unsurprising rhetoric from a woman being handed her talking points by the US embassy.

For BN, a balancing act between voters and warlords

Posted: 28 Dec 2012 04:37 PM PST

Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider

The Barisan Nasional's (BN) inability to nail down a final list of candidates and the need to strike a delicate balance between pleasing voters and not sidelining its political warlords has been cited as reasons for the delay in calling elections, Singapore's Straits Times newspaper reported today.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has continued to keep Malaysians guessing over the date of the polls even though several dates have been bandied about in the media over the past year.

The Umno president and BN chairman has also refused to release BN's candidates list for the polls, despite several calls from grassroots leaders to do so, noting that keeping the list under wraps is a "strategic" decision.

Quoting political analyst Oh Ei Sun today, Singapore's ST reported that although the federal opposition pact Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is in itself entangled in a tussle over seats, the problem of selecting the best contestants is worse for BN than for its political foes.

Oh said that PKR and DAP lack a strong grassroots system that would allow a party leader to mobilise an efficient election machinery that would prevent sabotage of a candidate.

"In Umno, however, the system of patronage means a lot of people owe their livelihoods to certain leaders and warlords. The potential and ability to sabotage candidates are much stronger," the analyst was quoted as saying.

Sabotage has been highlighted as among one of Umno's greatest fears going into the 13th general election.

During the party's last two general assemblies, this was the strongest message that Najib sent to the party's over three million members.

He repeatedly reminded members to accept the candidates selected by the BN leadership, even if they are not chosen, and urged them to work with their respective parties to ensure the candidate wins the polls for BN.

READ MORE HERE

Confidence tricks in Sabah politics

Posted: 26 Dec 2012 03:46 PM PST

Former Chief Minister Harris Salleh's latest comments are indicative of how disengaged Sabah leaders, both past and present, are from the man on the street.

Free Malaysia Today

Ask almost anyone in Sabah, especially those in the Chinese business community, and they'll tell you the state's economy is in a bad way and will be so for the foreseeable future.

Sabah's prized assets are in greedy hands. Its golden crop – oil palm – is losing its lustre in the commodities market, its tourism lure is messy, the prices of goods and services have gone up, property prices have sky-rocketed and where jobs are available wages are low and the infrastructure remains creaky and basic.

With all this pointing to deepening economic woes, you'd think that the state's politicians who have rarely been so unpopular would be cautious about throwing stones at glass houses that they are living in. But no, its still business as usual.

The constant government boot-polishing goes on as though these things don't matter.

Have the state's leaders become disengaged from the people? Are they out of touch with what the man in the street thinks?

Former chief minister Harris Salleh, who never misses an opportunity to give advice though he was unceremoniously booted out of government more than 27 years ago, gave some insight into the state politicians' thinking this week by heaping praise on what most would view as failure and incompetence.

Speaking as though he was giving the state a Christmas present, Harris predicted more of the same from the Barisan Nasional and Chief Minister Musa Aman for Sabah after the looming 13th general election. He said BN will win in Sabah without breaking a sweat.

The prediction came with the usual boot polishing and though couched in the language of the confident, sounded like a plea when he said there was a possibility that the BN might lose a few seats, especially in the urban areas where people were more in touch with what was going on.

An indication that the former chief minister is aware that the ruling coalition is facing a tough time.

Explaining what it has done with the years it has been given to develop the state, Harris said: "… changing from Barisan Nasional is just like the English saying jumping from the frying pan into the fire" and the opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat was without "real leaders".

As though reciting a mantra, he added: "Sabah under Musa has done very well. It is a well managed state. This was confirmed by the Auditor-General's report that Sabah has the best accounting system in Malaysia. Musa has also jump-started the Sabah economy from the top to the bottom. This is almost completed."

But the former chief minister also said that further pain was necessary for all Malaysians for this "top to bottom" economic revamp being put in place heroicly by the current chief minister with a little help from a BN government in Putrajaya.

"After this election Musa will jump-start the economy from the bottom if the federal government adopts the policy to abolish all subsidies, education and medical fees and in return pay a cash allowance of RM300 to every person.

"This will immediately trigger the development of abandoned rural lands. It will also create hundreds of thousand jobs for Sabahans," he was quoted as saying.

That distribution of cash, which has always been one of the former chief minister's monetary policies since his days helping Berjaya, has always led to head-scratching among the more economically prudent and will again bemuse most.

Observers noted that Harris who has given candid advice about state and national governance has not dared to point out that Musa has done nothing out of the ordinary and can instead be blamed for allowing poverty to flourish during his tenure.

The man who signed over Sabah's oil and gas rights in return for 5% royalty and controversially ceded the island of Labuan, which used to be part of Sabah, to the federal government, making it the second Federal Territory in the country, sees the writing on the wall for the BN and is hoping he can help starve-off defeat and perhaps protect his legacy.

Sounding as though he was pleading to Sabahans he said: "With another five years there is ample time for Najib to reform both the government and Umno.

"With the plan to reform, it will give time to Najib to jump-start the economy from the bottom. This means that everybody – the rural people will be given opportunities to improve and sustain their economy forever."

Harris talked of "well-planned" programmes for the cultivation of both cash and permanent crops that have to be introduced in the rural areas to jump-start the economy from kampong-level and raising to the top.

'Halt all subsidies'

This, by itself, he said, would create employment for the locals apart from reducing import of agricultural produce and creating cash-flow in the small townships or districts.

All this, however, borders on an insult to many who have made the best they can with poorly planned and delayed infrastructure development in the state, including in healthcare and educational services.

The most controversial of the former chief minister's suggestions was that the government halt all subsidies as, he said, these were creating an artificial sense that the living standard and cost of living in Malaysia is cheap.

Posted: 26 Dec 2012 03:08 PM PST

Declassified documents pertinent to Borneo, found in the British archives, indicate that Putrajaya's policies may be running foul of the unwritten constitution of Malaysia.

Joe Fernandez, FMT

Former Sabah Chief Minister Mohd Harris Salleh has never failed to appear from time to time as a bundle of contradictions to the extent of even embarrassing his own party leaders.

Harris, in his defence, may be said to mean well and even acting in good faith but often this argument is nothing more than the proverbial fig-leaf.

The man simply can't be allowed to get away with it too many times. It creates not just bad but dangerous precedents. Both Harris and former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad appear to be birds of a feather in more ways than one.

However Harris isn't even facing the remotest danger of being hauled up by Umno — assuming he's still a member of the party given his penchant for sponsoring mosquito parties including Usno 2006 which is awaiting "registration" — on disciplinary charges for bringing it into public disrepute. This Mother of All Charges, with apologies to Saddam Hussein, is sure to cook anyone's goose for good.

Harris, in the latest, put his aging foot in his mouth in making comparisons between the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (Pakatan).

In remarks carried earlier this week in the local media, a seemingly worried and frustrated Harris warned Sabahans in no uncertain terms that voting in Pakatan will be like going into the fire from the frying pan (BN).

Either state is not a desirable "ideal" for Sabahans. Harris however seems quite convinced that the frying pan is the lesser of two evils for Sabahans "since there's no other choice".

Orang Asal — Murut and Dusun including Kadazan or urban Dusun — activists beg to disagree with Harris on his theory that "better the frying than the fire".

For starters, they think the jury is still out on whether Pakatan is the fire or the frying pan, not that it makes any difference. Pakatan, in a way, might be akin to going into the frying pan from the fire (BN).

Pakatan has pledged that Sabah and Sarawak will enjoy 20 per cent oil and gas royalty under its federal administration vis-a-vis the present measly five per cent they collect from the BN federal government.

Agenda Borneo vs Agenda Malaya

Is this what Sabahans really want after 50 years of putting up with Malaysia in the mould of the Peninsular Malaysia-dominated Putrajaya?

This year alone, the federal government collected RM18 billion in oil and gas revenue from Sabah. Elsewhere, it has collected RM24 billion in other revenue.

The Malaysia Agreement stipulates that 40 per cent of this combined total must be returned to the state. However, this stipulation has allegedly not been honoured since 1970, according to sources in the know.

Orang Asal activists like local hero Jeffrey Kitingan are urging the people to say "enough is enough!".

"Ini kali lah!", scream Sabahans who want to have nothing to do whatsoever with Putrajaya allegedly continuing to rule Sabah and Sarawak through local proxies and their stooges.

"Kalau bukan sekarang, bila lagi! Kalau bukan kita siapa lagi!", they want to know.

Enter the Agenda Borneo, propagated by Jeffrey's United Borneo Front (UBF), as the eternal stand against the Agenda Malaya of Putrajaya and the parti-parti Malaya operating in Borneo.

The Agenda Malaya, according to Jeffrey and his people, has seen the Federation of Malaya masquerading as the Federation of Malaysia since 1963.

Giving proof they cite the fact that Putrajaya claimed that Malaysia was 55 years old this year, the figure calculated from Aug 31, 1957, the day that the British advisors to the Bugis Sultans gave up their control of the Malayan Administration.

As further proof they point out that Putrajaya keeps referring to Sabah and Sarawak as the 12th and 13th states and has ensured that local history text books maintain the fiction that both "nations in Malaysia" secured their independence through Malaysia on Sept 16, 1963.

Malaysia has unwritten constitution

Nothing could be further from the truth on the history of Malaysia, swear activists in Sabah and Sarawak.

Sarawak in fact chose independence as its form of self-determination and secured that status on July 22, 1963.

Sabah, likewise, chose independence as its form of independence and secured that status on Aug 31, 1963.

It follows therefore that both Sabah and Sarawak entered the 1963 Federation as "independent nations" in Malaysia unlike self-governing Singapore which became independent through the new Federation.

Brunei chose to remain a British protectorate rather than risk all in emulating Singapore.

Brunei was proven right when Singapore left Malaysia two years later in 1965.

Sabah and Sarawak, which realised that the written Constitution of Malaya was being passed off as the written Constitution of Malaysia, were not allowed by Putrajaya to follow in Singapore's footsteps and go back to solely their hard-won self-determination status of July 22, 1963 and Aug 31, 1963 respectively.

Malaysia, Jeffrey and company want to tell the whole world, has an unwritten constitution based on the Batu Sumpah among other constitutional documents including the written constitution of Malaya.

The other constitutional documents cited are the Inter-Governmental Committee Report (IGCR); the Cobbold Commission Report (CCR); the 20/18 Points; the informal UN survey in Sabah and Sarawak; the Malaysian Bill and the state constitutions of Sabah and Sarawak.

Constitution a pandora's box

STAR deputy chairman Daniel John Jambun and activist Kanul Gindol claim that they found more than 5,000 declassified documents during a month's research stint in November at the British Archives in Kew Gardens, England.

READ MORE HERE

Winds of change blowing towards BN

Posted: 25 Dec 2012 03:08 PM PST

Associate Professor Dr Rohana Yusof from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) said a recent survey showed that 70 per cent of 10,800 respondents in Kedah had no confidence in Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's leadership.

S. Kisho Kumari, Bernama

Choosing the tagline of 'Fulfilling Promises' as the foremost important agenda, the Barisan Nasional (BN) has touched the hearts of many Malaysians regardless of age, gender, religion and living standards with continuous efforts for the betterment of all.

Placing importance on welfare, none of the people had been left behind including students, women, senior citizens, entrepreneurs, civil servants and youths under the BN government.

Looking back in the early part of 2012, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is also the BN chairman, had felt the hardship faced by fishermen, and had distributed aid ranging from RM5,000 to RM10,000 to them throughout the country to repair their homes, on Jan 21.

The aid was part of the RM300 million Special Fund for Fishermen's Housing, which was announced in the 2012 Budget last year.

To further reduce the burden of the people, the government had continuously assisted the rakyat through programmes such as the Perumahan Rakyat 1Malaysia (PR1MA), Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M), Kedai Kain Rakyat 1Malaysia, Kedai Buku 1Malaysia, Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M), Skim Amanah Rakyat 1Malaysia (SARA 1Malaysia), Transformasi Kedai Runcit (TUKAR) and Menu Rakyat 1Malaysia (MR1M).

As a result of the BN's sincere move to improve the well-being of the people, the wind of change began to appear within the BN, including in the states ruled by the opposition pact.

A very recent report showed that about 400 hardcore PAS members in the Semerak state constituency in Kelantan had joined Umno, saying they had been duped by the so-called "Amanat Haji Hadi" (Haji Hadi Message), which branded Umno members and supporters as infidels.

Even the majority of over 30,000 teachers in the state were now BN supporters, a good sign that BN is capable of wresting Kelantan from the opposition.

Kelantan Umno liaison deputy chief, Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin said they were also willing to work hard to ensure that BN would be back in power after the general election since the current federal government had taken their (teachers) interest into consideration and fulfilled all promises made.

In Penang, hundreds of hardcore supporters of the opposition party showed interest in joining the BN after losing their hope in the DAP leadership.

This had become a reality when almost 350 former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) members from Bayan Baru, Bukit Gelugor and Jelutong submitted their application letters to rejoin Umno to Najib on Dec 8.

Describing Penang as a Gerakan stronghold for 40 years before losing to DAP in the 2008 general election, Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said the party was determined to do more and better for the people in Penang and asked voters to give the party a chance in the 13th general election to serve them.

Close to their hearts and minds, Gerakan members and Malaysians were saddened by the demise of its former president Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik, 73, one of the political giants and longest serving Chinese minister in Malaysia, last Saturday.

Back on track, a positive sign was also seen in Kedah and Selangor through surveys done by several academicians in the middle of the year.

According to the survey, the respondents felt that it was pointless for the current PAS government in Kedah to continue ruling the state and therefore, the BN government would be the best choice for the development of Kedah and the country in general.

In Selangor, a simulation study done based on the previous 11th and 12th general election and with the latest registered voters' profile, showed that BN could win 40 state seats during the coming general election.

Taking all these scenarios into consideration, the coming 13th general election could be shaky for the opposition pact of PKR-DAP-PAS to retain the states currently under their rule especially in Selangor where the outcome is said to be a 50-50 chance.

Evaluating support given by all the ethnic groups, the Indians were the biggest swingers in the last general election but they appeared to be withdrawing their support for the Pakatan due to the frustration of being cheated with empty promises.

A noticeable trend swept through the 2008 polls when almost 85 per cent of the Indian votes went to the opposition pact, as a result of issues played up by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf).

Thereafter, the Indian community's support for the BN had risen to over 70 per cent following government aid amounting to RM415 million being given to improve their living standard.

The aid was distributed via Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia or AIM (RM100 million), Tabung Ekonomi Kumpulan Usahawan Malaysia or Tekun (RM65 million) and a RM250 million allocation to entrepreneurs.

During the 66th MIC Annual General Assembly held on Dec 9, party president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel said the support was stronger for the ruling coalition after receiving considerable benefits, particularly in education, public service development programme, economy and social programmes initiated by Najib.

Meanwhile, MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai also expressed his confidence that MCA, which took a severe beating in 2008, would rise again in the next general election.

With plenty of aid given through 1MCA Medical Foundation, allocations for education and entrepreneurs, the Chinese community saw the winds of change blowing in the level of support towards the government compared to 2008.

In Sabah, its chief minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman believed that the state had grown as a progressive, prosperous, peaceful and stable state under the initiatives taken by BN.

The establishment of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the issuance of citizenship to illegal immigrants, appointing locals to helm Federal departments in the state and the recognition of Sept 16 as Malaysia Day proved that BN always listened, cared and worked to fulfil every request made by the people.

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Ahad, 30 Disember 2012

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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