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Divisions back Wan Azizah to contest in S’gor
Anwar’s hidden agenda in Sabah?
Photos show PKR leader in lewd act
Pakatan undecided over Negeri MB candidate
Gwo Burne on the chopping block?
I am eligible to contest, says Wan Azizah
Chua still sulking over Kit Siang’s move?
Anti-gay musical tours Malaysian schools and universities
Malaysia's ethnic Indians to abstain from voting in general elections
Ben Fogle accused of fronting propaganda ignoring Sarawak 'environmental destruction and ...
Malay heartland holds key to Perak
GE13: Pakatan’s hopes in Perak dimming
Pakatan Rakyat is Hot, Flat, and Crowded (WITH CHINESE TRANSLATION)
Sg Siput: Will handouts win back seat for BN?
Defence Ministry preparing case against retired generals
Ambiga: Four ‘good’ reasons, my foot!
‘Malaysia is afraid’
GE13: PAS and PKR leaders don’t see eye to eye over seat allocation
Anwar to contest in Ipoh Timor?
‘Lawyer in video was SUPP advisor’
Malaysia's Najib says economy at risk from weak election result
Halal Easter eggs and cat food: where big money meets religion
Separate polls unlikely, say pundits
Guan Eng rapped for his remarks — again
Rafizi defends PKR’s choice of candidates
GE13: Playing the victim is Anwar’s way of gaining sympathy, says Nalla
‘Check NG0s with political leanings’
‘PAS does not reject Anwar as PM’
Africa's tax haven
The stars favouring Pakatan
When govt ‘hands are tied’
Anwar says 'moving strategy' needed to make inroads
Pakatan to fight Sabah BN alone
Address minority issues, BN and Pakatan told
Stop picking own candidates, Anwar told
‘Umno plots ‘sex attacks’, targets Nurul as well’
Rafizi: Raja Petra is telling tales
More voter excitement for GE13 as Bersih targets 85pc turnout

Divisions back Wan Azizah to contest in S’gor

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 08:56 PM PDT

A division chief says the arrival of the PKR chief in Selangor will unite the party in the face of a strong BN challenge.

Leven Woon, FMT

Selangor PKR grassroots leaders have responded positively to party president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's intention of contesting a state seat here, with six PKR division chiefs expected to hold a joint press conference tomorrow in support of her.

A source told FMT today, the division heads of Klang, Kapar, Kuala Langat, Hulu Langat, Hulu Selangor and Sungai Besar would meet tomorrow in Klang to show their support for Wan Azizah.

He said the grassroots leaders opined that Wan Azizah's arrival would raise party members' morale and enhance unity in the face of a crucial general election battle.

He said some division chiefs have offered Wan Azizah the seats of Sementa or Pelabuhan Klang to contest.

PKR lost control of Pelabuhan Klang following the defection of its elected assemblyman Badrul Hisham Abdullah to Umno in 2010. Whereas in Sementa, the PKR candidate did not show up on the nomination day in 2008 GE, making BN the winner of the seat by default.

"Both seats are made up of Malay majority voters. We need a party heavyweight like Wan Azizah to convince them to vote for Pakatan," he said.

There were also talks that Wan Azizah would stand in one of the state seats in the Shah Alam parliamentary constituency.

News about Wan Azizah's return to active politics surfaced after she said she was eligible to contest in a state seat when asked yesterday.

New Straits Times reported that the wife of Anwar Ibrahim may be eyeing the Selangor Menteri Besar post.

Originally elected as Permatang Pauh parliamentarian in the 2008 general election, Wan Azizah resigned a few months later to make way for her husband's return to politics.

Following that, she has been banned from contesting any parliamentary seats for five years.

READ MORE HERE

Anwar’s hidden agenda in Sabah?

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 08:40 PM PDT

Why is Anwar Ibrahim insisting that Pakatan Rakyat contest in both state and parliament seats when the coalition had made known that it cannot win Sabah?

(FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim's abrupt dismissal of local parties in the coalition's bid to "push BN out of power" in Sabah in the coming general election has left many unanswered questions.

Local opposition Sabah Progressive Peoples Party (SAPP) for one is puzzled since DAP national advisor Lim Kit Siang had not too long ago said that the coalition did not expect to win in Sabah.

"(So) if Pakatan do not expect to win in Sabah as mentioned by Lim Kit Siang then why are they obstructing Sabah parties such as SAPP from fighting for state rights?

"Are they having some hidden agenda which is more important than toppling BN in Sabah?" asked SAPP secretary-general Richard Yong.

Yong also recalled that Pakatan had already made known that they had a good chance of retaining Penang, Selangor, Kelantan, Kedah and winning Perak, Negeri Sembilan and Perlis.

With so much going for Pakatan in Peninsula, Yong thinks its "over-confidence" that is driving Pakatan's decision to single-handedly take on the mighty Barisan Nasional.

"They hold themselves so high that therefore there is no need for cooperation from Sabah parties to campaign against the Barisan Nasional.

"They have ignored the people's aspiration for the opposition to go one-to-one against the BN at the coming elections," he said.

Anwar had earlier this week said that the coalition will not engage in any more talk with local parties and will focus on solidifying its agenda in Sabah together with its newfound allies Pertubuhan Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPPS) and Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS).

Both PPPS and APS are not registered parties and their candidates will be fielded under PKR, PAS or DAP. PPPS is led by BN defectors Laim Ukin (Beaufort MP ) and Wilfred Bumburing (Tuaran MP).

Both were tasked by Anwar to 'draw-in' the Muslim and Kadazandusun voters respectively. He obviously now believes that this is a done deal.

The decision had sidelined SAPP and the Sabah chapter of the State Reform Party (STAR). Both parties, like everyone else, had hoped to see a straight fights in majority of the seats in the coming election.

READ MORE HERE

Photos show PKR leader in lewd act

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 03:57 PM PDT

(The Star) - KULIM: A PKR division leader in Kedah allegedly performed an indecent act while chatting with a woman online.

Badan Bertindak Anti-Penyelewengan Kedah president Khairul Anuar Ramli said video grab photographs of the leader performing the act were posted on several blogs.

He said the leader could have used a PKR office computer to chat with the woman as a party flag could be seen in the background.

"We urge the leader to immediately deny this and initiate legal action against the bloggers if he is not the person in the video," Khairul said at a press conference here yesterday.

"The Kedah Government should also investigate and take appropriate action as the leader holds a state-appointed position."

Khairul also urged Kedah PKR chief Datuk Wan Salleh Wan Isa to explain if there was any truth to allegations that 15 divisions in the state had not received their RM10,000 allocation for last year.

"We understand that the PKR headquarters had allocated RM10,000 to each of the divisions but the money had not reached them," he said.

"Many of the division leaders claim they had to use their own money to carry out programmes and activities."

Khairul also claimed that local PKR leaders were unhappy that party vice-president N. Surendran and secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution would be fielded as parachute candidates in Kedah in the general election.

Khairul quit as Kedah PKR Youth chief after the general election.

*************************************

PKR to investigate Kedah division leader's alleged online lewd act

PKR will investigate allegations that a Kedah division leader supposedly performed an indecent act online.

"If there is misconduct, then action will be taken. I have not seen it, but we'll have to investigate it," said PKR vice-president N Surendran.

Several screen-capture images of the leader engaging in a solo sexual act were posted on various blogs.

Some images show the man without his shirt on, while some clearly display a portion of the party flag in the background.

There were also a few explicit images of the man handling his genitals.

The Star previously reported that the man could have been using a PKR office computer to chat with a woman while performing the deed.

Some of the images were collected and uploaded as a YouTube video.

Previously, Badan Bertindak Anti-Penyelewengan Kedah challenged the alleged leader to deny performing the act.

Pakatan undecided over Negeri MB candidate

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 03:41 PM PDT

While the state PKR chief, Teluk Kemang MP Kamarul Baharin Abbas was touted to take the MB post, he says he has not been given "any hint" to contest in a state seat.

Leven Woon, FMT

Negeri Sembilan Pakatan Rakyat has not made up its mind on the menteri besar candidate should it take over the state in the next polls.

The state opposition pact, having won 15 out of 36 seats in the 2008 general election, is a serious contender to Barisan Nasional as it only needs another four seats to form the state government.

Various Pakatan Rakyat leaders such as DAP parliamentary chief Lim Kit Siang have expressed confidence that the Minangkabau state would fall into the hands of the opposition in the next polls.

But notwithstanding the grand plan, the coalition of PKR, PAS and DAP have yet to discuss or outline the choice of menteri besar should they come into power.

The state PKR chief and Teluk Kemang MP Kamarul Baharin Abbas, who was touted by the media to be a MB candidate, denied that he plans to contest a state seat to clinch the state top executive post.

"There are always rumours," he told FMT. "No one has asked me to start working in any state seat, I personally have not been given the hint to work in any state seat."

Asked whether he is interested in the post, Kamarul said he was contented with the Teluk Kemang parliamentary seat.

"I am not in a position to ask for anything more. I got one seat that I have to defend," he said.

He said the state Pakatan has yet to discuss about the MB candidate because none of the coalition parties have its candidate list finalised by their respective national leaders at the moment.

Kamarul is widely seen as a qualified MB material due to his seniority as the former PKR secretary-general and his corporate background.

Besides, the state constitution requires a Malay Muslim to be the MB, thus eliminating DAP's 11 assemblypersons who are all non-Muslims and providing the second largest opposition party, PKR, a chance to get the post.

PKR won four seats in 2008 while PAS has only one.

DAP is expected to maintain its status quo in the coming polls by contesting 11 seats, while PKR will contest 13 and 12 seats.

Sultan's decision

When asked about the MB candidate, Negeri Sembilan PAS commissioner Mohd Taufek Abdul Gani said Pakatan has never discussed about the matter.

He also said Kamarul was touted to be MB because he was always given the chance to chair the state Pakatan press conferences or meetings in respect of his seniority.

He also said Pakatan should focus on winning the state first.

READ MORE HERE

Gwo Burne on the chopping block?

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 03:15 PM PDT

Sources say PKR will choose either Tan Yee Kew or Wong Chen for Kelana Jaya.

Leven Woon, FMT

PKR is set to drop Kelana Jaya MP Loh Gwo Burne from its list of election candidates, according to insiders.

A source at PKR headquarters told FMT today that the party was determined to present the best lineup of parliamentary candidates in Selangor to face a fierce Barisan Nasional challenge and Loh did not fit in because of his lacklustre performance as an MP.

Loh rose to prominence in 2007 for capturing a video showing controversial lawyer VK Lingam in a telephone conversation that many believed was proof that he used his influence to manipulate judicial appointments.

Loh was one of the surprise winners in the 2008 election.

However, the PKR source said, opinion polls conducted by the party showed that his constituents were disappointed that he had not served them well.

They had expected him to be vocal in Parliament, he added. "But what has he done in the past five years?"

A PKR grassroots leader in Kelana Jaya said Loh had only "a 40% chance" of being re-nominated by his party.

He said Loh "got very lucky" in 2008 but had not repaid those who voted for him by adequately representing them.

"Basically, his contribution stopped with his exposure of the Lingam video," he added. "It's only recently that he started working very hard all of a sudden."

Sources said PKR would choose between two candidates for Kelana Jaya—Wong Chen, who heads the party's Trade and Investment Bureau, and Tan Yee Kew, who defected from MCA in 2008 and now sits in the PKR central committee.

"They each stand a 50-50 chance," said one source, adding that Wong had lately been meeting grassroots leaders in Kelana Jaya.

Until 2008, Kelana Jaya was an MCA stronghold. Chinese voters there make up more than 40% of the electorate. Malays account for 39% and Indians 18%.

Loh defeated MCA's Lee Hwa Beng by 5,031 votes in 2008.

There are 22 parliament seats in Selangor. In 2008, PKR won eight seats and DAP took five and PAS four.

The sources also said PKR would field new candidates for the Selangor seats that it failed to capture in 2008. These would include law scholar Abdul Aziz Bari for Sabak Bernam and party strategist Rafizi Ramli for Pandan.

Khalid Jaafar, a long time associate of Anwar Ibrahim, is expected to contest in Hulu Selangor, a seat that the party won in 2008 but lost to MIC's P Kamalanathan in a by-election in 2010.

I am eligible to contest, says Wan Azizah

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 03:13 PM PDT

Speculations are rife that she will be fielded in either Shah Alam parliamentary or Sementa state constituencies.

(FMT) - SHAH ALAM: PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who ruled herself out of contesting a parliamentary seat for five years from July 2008 said that she is now eligible to contest a state seat in the 13th general election.

Wan Azizah had resigned as Permatang Pauh MP to give way to her husband Anwar Ibrahim's return to active politics.

She said the matter had been discussed informally, but added that she was focusing more now on campaigning for the party.

Wan Azizah was asked about talk that she would contest one of the state seats in the Shah Alam parliamentary constituency or the Sementa state seat in Selangor in the soon to be called general election.

She had won the Permatang Pauh seat in Penang in the 2008 general election but resigned as the MP on July 31, 2008, to enable Anwar to contest and win the seat in a by-election on Aug 26 of that year.

Wan Azizah spoke to reporters yesterday after handing over a Selangor government donation of RM20,000 to each of the families of the security forces personnel slain during the terrorist intrusion in Lahad Datu, Sabah.

Earlier, Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim denied that the state legislative assembly had not been dissolved for elections thus far because certain quarters did not concur in the matter.

It was a party strategy, he said after launching an application system at the Selangor Land and Mines Office.

Last Tuesday, Abdul Khalid had announced that the Selangor legislative assembly would be dissolved on April 22.

He had earlier said that the dissolution would be after the "Chap Goh Meh" celebration at the end of last February.

Chua still sulking over Kit Siang’s move?

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 03:11 PM PDT

Johor PKR legal bureau chief Jimmy Phuah says Chua Jui Meng was still Johor PKR chairman despite the overwhelming speculation that he would quit the post.

(Bernama) - JOHOR BAHRU: Johor PKR chairman Chua Jui Meng was nowhere to be seen when DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang was announced as the opposition's candidate for Gelang Patah parliamentary seat at the DAP's 47th anniversary celebration in Skudai two weeks ago.

Chua was said to be 'sulking' when his high hopes to contest for the seat in the 13th general election was crushed after Johor DAP decided to field its candidate in the constituency where Chinese community made the majority of voters.

Since then, Chua seemed to have disappeared from Johor political spotlight, and hence strengthened the speculation that the former health minister was actually sulking and giving everyone the silent treatment.

Media attempts to contact Chua also failed since the Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim announced Lim's nomination.

Johor PKR legal bureau chief Jimmy Phuah, when contacted by Bernama said Chua was still Johor PKR chairman despite the overwhelming speculation that he would give the post up as he was very upset with the decision.

"He is away for a holiday and he will be around by next week. I'm not sure (whether Chua sulks), but he is still Johor PKR chairman and will definitely get back to work," he said.

The PKR-DAP disputes over the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat had existed long before the announcement on Lim's nomination.

The disputes had gotten out of control when Johor DAP chairman Dr Boo Cheng Hau also showed keen interest in contesting the seat.

Since 1999, Gelang Patah parliamentary seat was contested by PKR's candidate and, before that, by Parti Rakyat Malaysia's candidate, in a fight against Barisan Nasional's (BN) candidate.

In the 2008 general election, BN's candidate Tan Ah Heng defeated PKR's candidate Dr Zaliha Mustafa with over 8,000-vote majority.

Anti-gay musical tours Malaysian schools and universities

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 12:27 PM PDT

Human-rights groups fear increase in violence towards LGBT community after latest state-backed propaganda

(The Guardian) - A government-backed musical in Malaysia that aims to warn young people about the perils of being lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) in this Muslim-majority country has sparked controversy over its "state-sponsored bigotry" and potential to incite hatred.

Asmara Songsang (Abnormal Desire) follows the lives of three LGBT friends who throw loud parties, take drugs and have casual sex, thereby incurring the wrath of their religious neighbours, who attempt to reintroduce them to the teachings of Islam. Those who repent are spared, while those who don't are killed in a lightning storm.

Rahman Adam, 73, who wrote and directed the musical, said his aim was "to educate the youngsters and their parents [on] the bad things about LGBT".

"Nowadays in Malaysia you read so many things in newspaper articles or write-ups about LGBT … because [LGBT] are going into schools and influencing the children," he said. "Children need to recognise that men are for women, and women are for men. They [LGBT] are all out to have homosexual and lesbian sex, and although right now it is not so serious [in Malaysia], we need to act, to do something, to say something, to say that this is bad and not to follow it."

The musical features some of Malaysia's most famous TV actors and opened this month at the national theatre in the capital, Kuala Lumpur. It has since toured schools, universities and teacher-training colleges – with free tickets provided.

Malaysia's ethnic Indians to abstain from voting in general elections

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:55 AM PDT

(PressTV) - Waythamoorthy Ponnusamy has been on a hunger strike for nearly three weeks.
[Watch the video at: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/03/28/295547/malaysias-ethnic-indians-to-abstain-from-voting-in-general-elections/]

He is trying to get the ruling coalition and political Opposition to accept the demands of his Indian rights organisation Hindraf, which aims to improve the rights and living conditions of Malaysian Indians in their blueprint for change.

Indians make up about eight percent of the total population of 28 million.

The British brought them into the country mainly as indentured labourers.

Although there's now a sizeable Indian middle class, there is also a large number of hardcore poor, and Hindraf activists say that Indians are discriminated against.

Analysts say Indian votes will be crucial in many constituencies at the next general election, which is shaping up to be the most tightly contested ever.

Neither the ruling coalition nor the Opposition paid much attention to the grievances of the Indian community until Hindraf called for a massive protest in 2007. It was the first time that thousands of Indians took to the streets here, to protest.

Months later, in the 2008 general election, the Indians largely desserted the ruling coalition and voted for the Oppostion.

Hindraf leaders say they can, once again, rally the Indians to whichever side that agrees to its demands.

Analysts say it's not that simple.

But Waythamoorthy vows to continue his hunger strike until his demands are met.

Ben Fogle accused of fronting propaganda ignoring Sarawak 'environmental destruction and ...

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:40 AM PDT

(The Independent) - Fogle told The Independent he has "postponed" the champagne event after being "horrified" by recent revelations, including an undercover investigation by the NGO Global Witness. He said he would not be making any more films for the Sarawak Tourism Board until he received answers to "many questions" that he now had.

The television presenter Ben Fogle has been accused of taking part in an environmental propaganda campaign for a regime with one of the world's worst records in deforestation. Fogle, known to millions of BBC viewers as a face of travel documentaries, has become the poster boy for tourism to the controversial state of Sarawak in Borneo, where vast amounts of industrial logging have left only five per cent of forests that have not been either logged or converted to palm oil plantations.

The presenter has made a series of films for the Sarawak Tourism Board under the title "Ben Fogle's Sarawak Adventures" in which he is pictured playing with orang-utans and swimming in waterfalls. Fogle wrote about his trip to Sarawak, which is part of Malaysia, in his "Ben Fogle, The Adventurer" column for the Daily Telegraph and in a large article in Hello!

Fogle's material has been widely promoted to a network of "mummy bloggers" encouraged to share the films and invited to meet the presenter at a champagne reception this week in London. Some believed they would be offered the chance to join a "Sarawak Blogger Ambassador Club" and go on a trip to Borneo.

Sarawak has the fastest rate of deforestation in Asia and exports more tropical logs than Africa and Latin America combined. It has only 0.5 per cent of the world's tropical forest but accounted for 25 per cent of tropical log exports in 2010.

Fogle's involvement in the PR campaign has shocked critics of the Sarawak government and its appalling record on conservation. "It seems Ben Fogle may have been made a pawn," said Clare Rewcastle, founder of the Sarawak Report blog. "Anyone with the slightest knowledge of environmental matters should know the issues around Malaysian oil palm destruction and the culpability of the Sarawak state government.

"He should not be promoting them for responsible eco-tourism or pretending that they are protecting the jungle habitat of the orang-utan. The only place you can find orang-utan in Sarawak is in caged enclosures or in a few remaining patches of jungle where the state government is at loggerheads with the local tribes because it has issued licences to cut it down."

Malay heartland holds key to Perak

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:37 AM PDT

(fz.com) - The party had to fight against the perception sowed, through the Malay mainstream media, in the minds of the Malays that PAS is no longer championing Islam and defending Muslims after joining Pakatan Rakyat.

The battle for Perak in the next general election is certain to be a grudge match for the Pakatan Rakyat coalition, which lost the state to the Barisan Nasional just 11 months after it was swept into power in an unexpected electoral outcome in 2008.

And the leadership of Perak PAS, which led the short-lived Pakatan state government, believes it has grasped the formula it needs to clinch victory in the next round.

The key is to win the Malay votes, as PAS Perak election director Asmuni Alwi revealed in an interview with fz.com in Ipoh recently. If the party can win at least 40% of the Malay support across the board, in rural and urban areas, Pakatan will form the next government.

"If we manage to secure a minimum of 40% (of Malay votes), we can form the government," Asmuni said.

Of the 59 state seats in Perak, 19 seats have more than 70% Malays; 17 seats have 50-70% Malays; and 12 seats have more than 70% Chinese, while the rest of the 11 seats have mixed constituents.

Another noteworthy fact is that there were 15 seats won by both coalitions with slim majorities in 2008, where more than 60% of the constituents were Malays.

The Chinese voters are seen to have turned their backs on the BN, and there is only a slight improvement in the sentiment of Indians towards BN, so it is the Malays who will decide whether BN or Pakatan will be the new government of Perak, Asmuni said.

He pointed out that in the 2008 polls, PAS secured more than 50% of the Malay votes in several seats, namely: Pasir Panjang (63%); Gunong Semaggol (55%) and Titi Serong (52%). The party also won about 49% of the Malay support in Kubu Gajah, which PAS lost by 66 votes.

"We are certain that if we win not less than 45% of the Malay votes across the board, we will take more than 10 seats out of the 21 seats we will contest," he said.

However, Asmuni would not disclose which seats he saw the party winning.

PAS contested 21 seats in 2008 general election, winning 6 seats and losing 15.

"Out of these 15 seats, 10 seats we lost with a slim majority below 1,000 votes, and out of these 10 seats, 5 of them (were lost by) below 500 votes,"Asmuni said.

The latest development that PAS had announced was that former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin would stand in Changkat Jering, which increases to 22 the number of seats contested by the party.

Asmuni was confident that PAS would improve on its performance in 2008 as the party had identified "very positively" the numbers of seats it would wrestle back from the BN.

"We are certain that the number of seats we would be able to win in the election will increase. In other words, we will contribute effectively to the formation of the next Pakatan Rakyat government. It's more than six seats," he predicted.

This confidence was based on the way the PAS machinery works, Asmuni said. The party knows exactly how Umno labels voters - supporters or otherwise.

"We have made good inroads actually. For example, in Larut, we would say that our performance in the parliamentary seat is getting better, and so too in the other state seats – Selama and Kubu Gajah.

We know what sort of labels Umno uses to indicate where their support is strong or weak – white, black, we know for certain," said Asmuni.

PAS lost Selama by 355 votes and won Kubu Gajah by 66 votes. PAS contest against Umno in both seats.

GE13: Pakatan’s hopes in Perak dimming

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:36 AM PDT

(The Star) - Lim Kit Siang's departure from Perak is the clearest sign that Pakatan Rakyat has given up hope of recapturing the state in the general election.

SOMETHING quite unforgettable happened at the recent appreciation gathering that Perak DAP held to send off Lim Kit Siang to Johor. Two of the party's sworn enemies in Perak, Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and M. Kulasegaran, posed with their arms around each other and sported big smiles.

The press photographers almost went crazy because they knew just how rare a scene it was two arch rivals acting like best friends. All of them could still remember the scene after the contentious party elections in Perak a couple of years ago when the pair would not even look at each other.

Ngeh, the powerful state DAP chairman, had earlier delivered a rather conciliatory speech at the dinner function during which he spoke about unity, forgiveness and starting afresh. He is an active Methodist church leader and he told the gathering that pastors counselling those about to get married would tell them that quarrels are normal in a marriage, that couples who quarrel also stay married forever.

Everyone laughed but Lim's expression was quite inscrutable. He has been Ipoh Timur MP for almost 10 years, he has seen the politicking escalate between the Ngeh and Kulasegaran factions and some suspect he is quite relieved that he will soon be far away from it all.

So, is it going to be sugar and spice and everything nice between the two old enemies?

Not exactly. Even Lim has been no match for the powerful cousins of Perak. Ngeh and his younger cousin Nga Kor Ming have continued to dominate and control Perak politics and Lim has not been able to do anything to loosen their grip.

The elder politician's body and soul is already in Johor where he has caused ripples. On Tuesday, a fashionable middle-aged lady with orange hair was so thrilled to see him in Skudai that she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big kiss, leaving a vivid lipstick print on his cheek.

Lim's departure from Perak politics basically means that Pakatan Rakyat has given up all hopes of recapturing Perak from Barisan Nasional. Lim would not be taking flight if he thought that Pakatan was about to wrest back Perak. He would be at the centre of the action, lending his weight to the campaign.

Another sign that Pakatan has given up on Perak has to do with all the rumours circulating about Kulasegaran and Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan joining Lim in Johor.

A coalition that is fighting its way back into the seat of government would not be trying to export its heavyweights elsewhere. It would want as many big names as possible around to create a momentum and make up the numbers.

"I don't know why there are rumours in the last two months. But I am not going to Johor," said Fong.

Fong is a well-regarded face in Batu Gajah whereas Kulasegaran is synonymous with Ipoh Barat. The latter pretty much handles the running of Ipoh Timur for Lim because the senior man is not the sort to sit in a service centre listening to the everyday woes of the local folk.

Lately, the speculation about Fong has built up to her being dropped. Some alleged that the talk is coming from the cousins' camp and that it is their way of telling the top leadership to get Kulasegaran and Fong out of Perak.

Party insiders said the cousins want to replace the pair with candidates who are aligned to them.

The cousins have openly crossed swords with Kulasegaran and his belligerent tweets warning the cousins not to be funny with him was the talk of the party.

Earlier this week, Ngeh held a ceramah in Sitiawan at Kampung Koh where Kulasegaran was born. Someone tweeted to ask why Kulasegaran was not invited as a speaker and said that a good Christian would have accommodated him in his own kampung. The tweet was obviously aimed at Ngeh.

The cousins also dislike Fong whom they claim is not a team player; what it means is that she is not in their team. They are also said to have rocked her political base by taking over control of the branches in Batu Gajah.

That is why some have described Lim's departure as the "great escape" he is now free of the intense politicking in Perak. His inability to temper the ambitions of the cousins has disappointed people in the party but as some have pointed out, Ngeh and Lim go back a long way. They are party comrades as well as family friends.

"Kit Siang had a minimal role in Perak or else things would not be so chaotic," said a Pakatan insider.

The cousins are now king of the hill in every sense of the word. They are expected to continue to contest dual seats. Ngeh is expected to defend his parliamentary and state seats in Bruas and Sitiawan respectively. Nga will defend his Taiping parliamentary seat but is said to be moving to a state seat nearer Ipoh because he plans to put a new face to contest in Pantai Remis.

PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has also been talking about contesting in Perak. The Pakatan side said he wants to do for Perak what Lim is doing in Johor. But some think it is because Permatang Pauh is not looking as secure as before.

Pakatan in Penang is struggling with the Malay vote the way Barisan Nasional is struggling with the Chinese vote and that may explain why Anwar is keeping his options open.

Few believe that he will risk it in Perak. They think he is playing mind-games because he would want to be in Penang which Pakatan is assured of winning rather than go to Perak where Pakatan has lost hope.

Pakatan Rakyat is Hot, Flat, and Crowded (WITH CHINESE TRANSLATION)

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:25 AM PDT

(Sinchew-I.com) - Anwar today, compared to Anwar in 2008, has witnessed drastic changes. He seems to have less determination, and less charm. It has only been 5 years, but it seems that Anwar has lost more than 5 years in these 5 years.

Original Text by Zheng Ding Xian (郑丁贤), Assistant Chief Editor, Sin Chew Daily
Translated by Gilbert Yeoh-Tan, No-Body

It has been over a week, and Dato' Chua Jui Meng has become the most talked-about MIA (Missing In Action) politician Malaysia has ever known.

Since 18th March, the date Lim Kit Siang announced he would contest in the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat, the reporters have not been able to locate Dato' Chua. It would appear that he has 'vanished' from the political circles.

Being the PKR's Johor Branch Chairman, he, as a Chinese, holds the highest position in the party. And as Pakatan Rakyat has made Johor the frontal battle field, Mr Chua should have been very busy. Although PR has been touring Johor, the Branch Chairman appears nowhere to be seen.

Of course, if I were Chua, I would have been devastated. At first he has set his heart at contesting in Gelang Patah, but the seat was eventually given to Lim Kit Siang. And to make matters worse, it was his boss, Anwar Ibrahim, that made the announcement.

He wanted to go back to Bali to contest, but DAP has told him: "No fucking way."

Even though PKR has been trying to hand him a relatively unsafe seat, such as Sekayang, DAP still said: "Why should we let him?"

If Chua were forced to a corner, he may, as others would predict, resign from PKR. But the question remains: Where can he go? He can't even go back to MCA.

To be frank, I am not really concerned about how Mr Chua's political advancement would end up. Once, during our encounter, I found that it was very hard for me to synchronize him with Pakatan Rakyat; his idea of PR's core belief was just like how Google would translate the English language into Mandarin: totally out of tone.

What really touched me was, Dato Chua's story was just like Anwar's and PKR's.

Over the years, PKR has been regarded as the "party that will not win' that even its alliances look down upon. Hence, it has been thought as only it will let others down but never the reverse.

Also, Anwar today, compared to Anwar in 2008, has witnessed drastic changes. He seems to have less determination, and less charm. It has only been 5 years, but it seems that Anwar has lost more than 5 years in these 5 years.

I haven't heard of his new opinions in a long time; I have also not heard of his new political inspirations. Even in Parliament, he lacks vigor as the opposition leader.

It is indeed a pity. Whether you like him or not, he had been brilliant, especially when he preached about cross-racial politics, economical evolution, and religious tolerance.

Nevertheless, just as fireworks in New Year's Eve, it vanishes as soon as it lightens up the sky.

Many reasons contribute to that. First of all, he is afraid that the Malays may not be in-sync with the above ideas and of losing common ground with the Malay community. He needs the Malay votes. And as he hesitates, his opponents catch up and puts his aura into shadow.

Secondly, his performance in his past political career gains him little support from the Chinese. As an ex-Umno, PAS supporters find it hard to accept him as well. Also, his cross-racial ideas make the "Ketuanan Melayu" Malays abandon him.

Thirdly, he is trapped in his PKR's internal politics that makes him lose his focus.

PKR is the weakest link in the PR. It is the easiest target, and it has been squeezed between DAP and PAS, rendering it to lose more and more ground.

In his book "(The World is) Hot, Flat, and Crowded" US writer Thomas L. Friedman talks about the fierce competition among different nations. Here, I would theme it as "Pakatan Rakyat is Hot, Flat and Crowded;" If PKR were to slip during the election, it will be swallowed whole and alive.

And here is something to think about: without PKR, what really is PR?

郑丁贤‧民联很热，不平，又很挤

已经超过了一个星期，蔡锐明先生是全国最知名的失联人物。

从3月18日，林吉祥宣布要出战振林山开始，记者就再也找不到蔡先生，他彷佛已在政坛蒸发。

他是公正党的柔佛州主席，也是公正党内职位最高的华人代表，而民联将柔佛列为大选的前线州……，现在应该是蔡先生最忙的时候。

民联如火如荼的在柔州各地造势，不过，这位公正党州主席不见踪影。

当然，任何人若是蔡锐明，心里肯定很难受。他想在振林山上阵，但是，这个议席却给了林吉祥，而且还是他的顶头上司安华宣布。

他想回老巢峇吉里竞选，行动党告诉他："门儿都没有。＂即使党内想替他找个不怎么安全的位子，譬如昔加末，但是，行动党说："凭甚么？＂

蔡先生一旦被逼得走投无路，大有可能如外界所言，要退出公正党；不过，他又能去哪儿？

连马华都回不去了。

其实，我并不怎么关心蔡先生的政治前途。有回遇见他，下意识的，我发觉自己竟然很难把他和民联接合在一起；从他口中说出民联的语言，如同用谷歌把英文翻译成中文，很不搭调。

我感受更深的是，蔡先生的遭遇，也是安华和公正党的写照。

几年来，公正党积弱不振，被认为是"缺乏胜算的政党＂，连友党都看不起它；于是，落入只有它让人，没有人让它的窘境。

而今天的安华，和2008年前后，差很大；少了当年的魄力，也失去不少魅力；5年时间，他何止老了5岁。

很久没听过他有新的论述，也没有发表政治愿景，即使在国会，也缺乏反对党领袖应有的强势表现。

毕竟是一种遗憾。不管人们喜不喜欢他，都不能忽视他曾经放射光芒，特别是他提出跨越族群政治的论述，对经济改革作出建议，也提倡宗教包容的思维等等。

然而，这些光芒如同元旦的烟花，射得很高，照亮了天际，不过，瞬间就消失了。

原因多方面。一是他担心马来社会还跟不上这些思维，害怕和马来社会脱节，而他最需要的是马来人选票。

就在他犹疑和放慢步伐当儿，他的对手赶了上来，把他的光芒盖下去了。

其次，他过去在政府的经历，让华人社会不怎么信任他；而他的巫统背景，让伊斯兰党支持者难以接受他；他的多元论述，又让马来民族主义者摒弃他。

第三，他受困于党内的派系和人事斗争，失去方向。

公正党是民联最弱的一环，最容易成为攻击的目标；而它又夹在行动党和伊斯兰党的中间，不断的被两党压缩，空间愈来愈小。

美国作家佛里曼写过一本书〈世界很热，很平，又很挤〉，道出各国剧烈竞争下的局面。

用在这里，可换成"民联很热，不平，又很挤＂；一旦公正党在大选表现失色，就要面对被鲸吞蚕食的下场。

后果是，没有了公正党，又何来民联！

Sg Siput: Will handouts win back seat for BN?

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:22 AM PDT

(fz.com) - Since the opposition took over, there has hardly been any development and the town has been stagnant

Will handouts and development promises help Barisan Nasional (BN) recapture the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat?

The seat was won by Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj in an unexpected victory against former MIC strongman Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu in the 2008 polls, but it is unclear if this feat can be repeated in the upcoming election.

One reason for a possible voter swing against the activist doctor is the perceived lack of physical development in the area.

"Just look around," said Diana (not real name), a Sungai Siput native and a mother of three.

"Since the opposition took over, there has hardly been any development and the town has been stagnant," said the social worker. "Last time, during Samy Vellu's time, you can visually see the changes to this small town.

"You look at the road, it's like highway. Which other small town has this kind of road," she asked.

And the residents don't just see such four-lane, well maintained road as a pride of the town; they are also being reminded that it as a symbol of the development that BN is capable of delivering – instantly.

No one is more aware of this than Samy, the former works minister who served as the local MP for 34 years.

While he won't be a candidate this time around, the man who is credited with bringing a lot of development to Sungai Siput has been named by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak as the BN coordinator for the constituency.

And Samy is wasting no time in trying to regain lost support. He has been there four days a week since last October with non-stop engagements throughout the day.

Defence Ministry preparing case against retired generals

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:20 AM PDT

(The Star) - The Defence Ministry plans to take legal action against retired armed forces generals for their negative comments on the security operations against terrorists in Lahad Datu, says Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He added that such comments by the former senior general staff were malicious and intended to destroy the morale of the Malaysian security forces.

"These retired generals have poisoned the minds of politicians.

"We are looking into the possibility of taking action against this group.

"They (the retired generals) are past their time, but they think they are smarter than our troops today. We will consult the Attorney-General's Chambers and refer to the Armed Forces' rules and regulations to see if any action can be taken against them.

"But, we must act cautiously as we do not want to be accused of being undemocratic or of acting maliciously towards them," he told reporters at the Mahsuri International Exhibition Centre here yesterday.

He was commenting on the criticisms by several former army generals of the military intelligence over its alleged failure to detect and pre-empt the Lahad Datu incursion.

The former generals had reportedly ridiculed the tactics and strategies taken by authorities in Ops Daulat.

On a separate matter, Dr Zahid Hamidi said that asset procurements would be increased following the creation of the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone.

Ambiga: Four ‘good’ reasons, my foot!

Posted: 28 Mar 2013 11:16 AM PDT

(Free Malaysia Today) - The Bersih chief dismisses the four reasons given by the Star's group editor-in-chief for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's delay in dissolving Parliament.

In a comment piece published on the front-page of the Star today, the MCA-owned daily's group editor-in-chief Wong Chun Wai stated four reasons for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's feet-dragging on the dissolution of Parliament.

However, Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga is not convinced with the four "good" reasons, which were:

A caretaker government cannot enter into agreements at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima).

Finishing touches to some projects and programmes.

Barisan Nasional's candidates' list not finalised.

Impossible at the moment for politicians to campaign freely in Lahad Datu.

Commenting on the first reason cited, Ambiga told FMT that it is not a licence to dig into the public coffers to embark on a spending spree.

"Lima contracts were all foreseeable. If this was an aim, then why lead the public on a merry ride and threaten to dissolve Parliament for more than a year?" she asked.

Ambiga stressed that it is morally wrong to extend the dissolution date on this premise, adding that the move smacked of utter desperation.

"The way they [the incumbent government] are spending suggests that they are not certain of returning to power. And that is the whole point of a caretaker government: they should not make any contracts which the next incoming government would be bound by; you must uphold the status quo.

"It is wrong to rush into contracts when it is very close to the caretaker period," she added.

As for Wong's second point, Ambiga argued that putting the final touches on projects and programmes is also something that was foreseeable in the past.

"This once again suggests that they are not confident. It seems that for the first time, there is a confidence crisis [in BN] with regard to retaining Putrajaya.

"However, your nervousness does not justify spending the rakyat's money so close to the election and for keeping us on hold regarding the election date," she said.

'Automatic dissolution is shameful'

On BN still finalising its list of candidates, the Bersih chairperson dismissed this as the weakest possible excuse.

Ambiga said the list has to be finalised before any general election, and since Najib has been toying with the people over the election date for more than a year, BN should have worked on the list a long time ago.

"This is a pathetic excuse for delaying the dissolution of Parliament," she added.

‘Malaysia is afraid’

Posted: 27 Mar 2013 08:47 PM PDT

Sabah's population of 3.2 million includes 1.5 million documented and undocumented Filipinos and the backlash of the recent invasion has 'united' the Filipinos in Sabah and in Sulu.

(FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: Sulu sultanate spokesman Abraham Idjirani today slammed the Malaysian security forces for restricting the movements of Filipino residents in Sabah to such an extent that these frightened individuals now want to return to the Philippines.

"It is a psy-war by Malaysia to force the Filipinos to leave," Idjirani said, adding that with the end of the standoff a new reality had emerged for Malaysia.

He said the Sulu sultanate was adamant on its claim for Sabah and this was seen as a threat to Malaysia.

Idjirani said Sabah's population of 3.2 million included the 1.5 million documented and undocumented Filipinos and the "war" waged between the sultanate's army and the Malaysian securities forces had "united" the Filipinos.

"Malaysia is now afraid. It knows that with the standoff now, the Filipinos are being united by the Sabah issue," Idjirani said.

He said the sultanate through Manila will push for a United Nations-sanctioned referendum to be called on Sabah.

"Malaysia is afraid that it might lose Sabah in a referendum should the UN call for one," he added.

Thousands leaving

Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy in Malaysia said thousands of Sulus who had entered Sabah illegally are taking up its offer to return home and "re-enter" Malaysia legally.

The embassy, which has been monitoring the situation here following the shootout between armed Sulu insurgents and local securities forces on 1 March, said that it has been distributing the legal documents since March 12.

Philippine ambassador Abdulhan U Jaujan said the Philippine government was offering the Sulus "a ticket home".

"The offer is for those who had entered the state illegally or [residing] Suluks as well as Filipino nationals who were born in Sabah but have yet to obtain documents.

"We are providing them with the legal travel documents, such as passports. We are also helping settle any fines imposed by the Malaysian Immigration Department including their transport costs," he said.

Abdulhan said the offer was also extended to Sulus who were married to locals in Sabah.

He said thus far more than 300 Suluks had left Sabah via Sandakan, the key entry and exit point for Filipinos living in Tawi-Tawi and Jolo in southern Mindanao.

The Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), meanwhile, said its relief teams have been on standby in Tawi-Tawi and Sulu to give aid to the Filipinos fleeing from the tension and recent violence in Sabah.

Thus far, the teams have assisted more than 3,000 evacuees from Sabah.

Posted: 27 Mar 2013 05:17 PM PDT

(The Star) - Rivalry between the Kelantan Pakatan Rakyat has surfaced as PAS and PKR leaders here jostle for seats in defiance of the agreed allocations decided by their respective party leaders.

Guchil Hulu PAS branch head Muhamad Bustamam Yaacob is contesting as an independent against Guchil state seat incumbent, PKR assemblyman Tuan Zamri Ariff Tuan Zakaria.

Muhamad Bustamam claimed he is challenging Tuan Zamri Ariff as he is going against the spirit of Pakatan.

Sinar Online, quoting Bernama, had reported that Muhamad Bustamam also said grassroots members had urged him to take on Tuan Zamri Ariff.

PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat criticised his decision, saying it would create a split in the Opposition coalition.

The Kelantan Mentri Besar also said such a move by a PAS member was in violation of the pact on seat allocation.

In the 2008 general election, Tuan Zamri Ariff defeated Barisan Nasional candidate Dr Shamsul Ikhwan Ashaari Azmi.

Guchil, within the Tanah Merah parliamentary constituency, is the only seat won by PKR of the five it contested in 2008.

Over in Bachok, incumbent MP Nasharuddin Mat Isa will not be defending the seat and the division is having trouble finding the right candidate.

They need a strong opponent to contest against Barisan's Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussain, who is tipped to contest.

Although Bachok PAS chief Datuk Omar Mohammed, 70, is the clear choice, former Bachok Umno youth chief Zaiyadi Awang Noh, who is a PKR member now, is lobbying too.

Also in the fray is Bachok PAS Youth chief Ahmad Marzukh.

Party insiders said that about 70% of grassroots members support Omar, a five-term assemblyman, to contest the seat.

Sources added that grassroots members feel uncomfortable with Zaiyadi as many of his family members are still in Umno.

Anwar to contest in Ipoh Timor?

Posted: 27 Mar 2013 04:15 PM PDT

Umno mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia also says Anwar Ibrahim's proposed move to Perak is not well received by the state DAP

K Pragalath, FMT

It is speculated that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim will be contesting in the Ipoh Timor parliamentary seat, vacated by DAP strongman Lim Kit Siang.

However, Utusan Malaysia reported that Perak DAP does not appear to support the move.

Perak DAP chairman and Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham had declined to comment.

Kit Siang would be contesting in Gelang Patah, Johor.

Anwar, who is currently Permatang Pauh MP and PKR de facto leader, had announced last Wednesday that he is mulling over the options to contest in Perak or Selangor.

Ipoh Timor is considered a safe seat for Anwar. Lim has been the MP for the majority Chinese seat since 2004.

With over 80% Chinese voters in the constituency, Lim defeated Thong Fah Chong of MCA by polling 28,851 votes against Thong's 19,077 votes in the 11th general election. In 2008, Lim beat Liew Mun Hon of the MCA by polling 37,364 votes to Liew's 15,422 votes.

Since Anwar's announcement, various PAS divisions have invited Anwar to contest in seats contested by PAS. The seats are Tambun, Lumut and Bagan Datoh.

Meanwhile, Sinar Harian said Anwar's political career would end in Perak due to his indecisiveness.

Sinar's columnist Yusof Harun said that Anwar's political end looms in the horizon as he is abandoning the Malay support that he enjoyed ever since his student days.

The article noted Anwar was close with the Muslim Youth Movement (Abim) and PAS prior to joining Umno and had been contesting in Permatang Pauh since 1982.

Yusof also quoted former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as saying: "It is okay if he wants to run away from Permatang Pauh. It clearly shows that his confidence in that seat is reducing."

The columnist also speculated that Anwar may not have an easy ride if he contested the Lumut parliamentary seat, currently held by Transport Minister and MCA secretary-general Kong Cho Ha.

‘Lawyer in video was SUPP advisor’

Posted: 27 Mar 2013 04:11 PM PDT

The video exposé by London based Global Witness has turned public focus from Sarawak DAP's internal strive to SUPP once again.

Joseph Tawie, FMT

KUCHING: Sarawak DAP has taken its nemesis Sarawak United Peoples Party (SUPP) to task over its 'deafening silence' regarding the 'candid' and 'explicit' interview given by SUPP "legal advisor" Alvin Chong in the covertly recorded Global Witness video which has garnered over 695,110 viewers on YouTube.

The video, which was released two weeks ago and excerpts of which was aired over Al Jazeera, has given the state opposition additional leverage.

Embattled SUPP, which is seeking to redeem itself in the upcoming parliamentary elections has in recent months gained better ground as a result of DAP's own internal strife.

DAP had earlier this month incurred the wrath of the its grassroots when it sacked six of its 'influencial' branch officers in Miri and Senadian.

But observers here said the Global Witness video interview with the Kuching-based lawyer Alvin, in which he arrogantly described how deals were inked, funds siphoned out of the country and the extend of Taib's crony practice, was enough to distract attention from DAP's issues.

It has long been rumoured that SUPP's 'top leadership' were deeply involved in Taib's 'land development' policies and alleged corrupt dealings.

In fact this was the premise on which the opposition built their strategy during the 2011 state elections which led to DAP and PKR winning an unprecedented 15 seats collectively.

Several top SUPP personalities including its president George Chan, whose daughter was married to Taib's son Sulaiman – the Kota Samarahan MP – lost their seats. Chan, who had held the Piasau state seat for six terms lost it a 28-year old political greenhorn Ling Sie Kiong.

Speaking to reporters here, Sarawak DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen said: "The corruption issue raided by Global Witness has serious implications on the whole government administration.

"It is putting Sarawak in a very bad light in the international community, and SUPP being part of the government should make its stand," said Chong who is tipped to contest in Stampin.

Will SUPP sue Global Witness?

He said that if the allegations are true, it meant that Sarawakians had lost out in the billions of ringgit through malpractice.

Posted: 27 Mar 2013 12:29 PM PDT

(Reuters) - Najib's reformist ambitions are widely seen as having been curbed by conservative interests within UMNO. He has announced few major steps to roll back ethnic privileges that distort the economy and are seen as favoring the elite.

Malaysian leader Najib Razak has warned that nascent reforms can't be done "overnight" and that Southeast Asia's third-largest economy risks slipping backwards if he does not win a strong majority in an election he must call within weeks.

Prime minister Najib said a reduced parliamentary majority could weaken his drive to curb Malaysia's budget deficit and raise investment, and even cost him his job.

"A strong government is necessary for us to accelerate the process of transformation in this country," Najib, who is also finance minister, told Reuters.

The election, shaping as the closest in more than 50 years of post-colonial history, must be called by the end of April.

"A weak government means instability and uncertainty and a country can ill afford that kind of scenario for the next five years given the external economic situation that's going to be between weak and rather uncertain."

Convincing Malaysians that his government is "transformational", as 59-year-old Najib puts it, is crucial to the ruling coalition's chances.

The ruling National Front is facing a confident opposition alliance led by former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim, who says Najib's reforms have stalled and who is tapping into a potent desire for change after 56 years of rule by a coalition led by the dominant United Malays National Party (UMNO).

Najib's coalition, helped by economic growth that hit 5.6 percent last year and its own deep financial pockets, is favored to win against a fractious three-party opposition. But there is uncertainty over the outcome, helping make Kuala Lumpur's stock index Asia's worst performer this year.

Najib has delayed potentially painful reforms to wean the country off dominant oil revenues and stem rising debt.

He signaled that those steps would not be rushed through even if he formed a stronger government than the one that emerged from the 2008 election, when the National Front lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time.

"If you try to do it overnight like some countries are doing, there's a massive contraction of the economy," he said.

"We cannot afford that. We have to be mildly expansionary in our policies but fiscally responsible," Najib said.

ARAB SPRING COMPARISON

Malaysia's budget deficit fell to 4.5 percent last year from more than 6 percent when Najib took office. Its debt has crept up to around 53 percent of GDP -- close to a self-imposed limit of 55 percent -- from 43 percent in 2008.

Najib has overseen a deluge of handouts to poorer Malaysians in what opposition politicians call thinly disguised vote-buying. Najib counters that the opposition's plans, including free university education, would send the deficit soaring.

"The word 'change' has been abused so many times. As you know with the Arab Spring, there were no dividends," Najib said.

Taking power in 2009, Najib staked his fortunes on reforms aimed at spurring growth, increasing transparency and dismantling policies that favor majority ethnic Malays but which have alienated minority ethnic Chinese and Indians.

His flagship policy is the $444 billion Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), which aims to double per capita incomes to $15,000 by 2020. The ETP has won initial praise from investors, although it remains to be seen if private investment can play as bigger role as hoped.

Najib's reformist ambitions are widely seen as having been curbed by conservative interests within UMNO. He has announced few major steps to roll back ethnic privileges that distort the economy and are seen as favoring the elite.

Najib said that a "vast majority" of government contracts were now awarded through open tenders and that government spending was increasingly based on needs rather than race.

Political pundits expect that an unconvincing election win for Najib will result in a leadership challenge later this year from within UMNO, possibly from his own deputy Muhyiddin Yassin, who is seen by markets as less reform-minded.

Halal Easter eggs and cat food: where big money meets religion

Posted: 27 Mar 2013 12:02 PM PDT

(Sydney Morning Herald) - Halal mainly involves meat. Much of the non-meat food supply is intrinsically halal, and thus does not require certification, including milk, honey, fish, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and grains. Yet many producers and suppliers of such products pay for halal certification.

Cadbury will sell a mountain of chocolates this Easter, as it does every Easter. It has been careful to make sure that its products are certified as halal, even though it is not necessary. Hundreds of companies in Australia do the same. Halal certification has become a big business.

The essence of halal is that any food is forbidden to Muslims if it includes blood, pork, alcohol, the flesh of carnivores or carrion, or comes from an animal which has not been slaughtered in the correct manner, which includes having its throat slit. Food labelled as halal invariably involves the payment of a fee. It does not extend to chocolate but Cadbury lists 71 products which are halal, ranging from Dairy Milk to Freddo frogs to Red Tulip chocolates. The website also states: ''We do not have any kosher-certified products.''

''Cadbury also pay for halal certification on the Easter product range, even though Easter is a Christian celebration and nothing to do with Islam,'' says Kirralie Smith, who runs a website called Halal Choices. The website lists 340 companies in Australia that pay for halal certification, including Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, Franklins, Kellogg's, MasterFoods, Nestle and even Kraft's Vegemite.

Halal Choices has received more than 250,000 visits since Smith, a Christian activist, created the website two years ago to draw attention to the incremental extension of sharia into Australian culture.

''[Cadbury has] a standard letter to people who complain about their halal certification which says they have been assured the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils [which issues halal certifications] are not involved in any illegal activity,'' Smith said. ''They might want to explain the $9 million in fraud involving the Malek Fahd school.''

(Last year the Malek Fahd Islamic School in Sydney was ordered to repay $9 million in state funding which the state and federal governments said had been illegally transferred to the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils. A federal government audit also questioned numerous payments made to AFIC by Islamic colleges in Canberra, Brisbane and Adelaide.)

Separate polls unlikely, say pundits

Posted: 26 Mar 2013 08:37 PM PDT

'It's impractical and costly and will probably meet the resistance of EC, which has the final say.'

Alyaa Azhar and Priscilla Prasena, FMT

Political analysts have scoffed at the idea of holding state elections and the parliamentary election on different dates, saying it would be costly and impractical.

Three analysts told FMT today that the Election Commission (EC) was likely to use its authority to prevent separate elections, proposed yesterday to Pakatan Rakyat state governments by Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

"The EC has already made a statement saying that elections will be held simultaneously; so I don't see the possibility of having separate state and parliamentary elections," said Sivamurugan Pandian of Universiti Sains Malaysia.

"Even if the Pakatan states decide to dissolve their assemblies, the EC has full authority to decide when elections will be held.

"State governments cannot hold their own elections. They can only advice the state rulers when to dissolve state assemblies."

Yesterday, in a bid to pressure Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to call for the dissolution of Parliament, Khalid announced that Selangor would wait for its legislative assembly to dissolve automatically on April 22, and try to persuade the governments of Kedah, Kelantan and Penang to dissolve their respective legislative assemblies on the same date.

Law professor Shad Saleem Faruqi of UiTM and Merdeka Centre chief Ibrahim Suffian agreed with Pandian that the EC would probably object to the proposal and scuttle the idea.

Even in the unlikely event of EC supporting the proposal, Faruqi said, the financial cost of holding separate elections would make it unwise.

READ MORE HERE

Guan Eng rapped for his remarks — again

Posted: 26 Mar 2013 05:43 PM PDT

(The Star) - Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has again come under fire for his remarks, this time for saying that he would not forgive the Penang Club for cancelling a book launch that he was scheduled to officiate.

State MCA secretary Lau Chiek Tuan said such words should not have come from a chief minister's mouth.

"As a chief minister, that was too rude. The club has a right to non-political involvement. Lim, as a lawmaker, should know that.

"He has to abide by and respect the club's decision and forgive," said Lau.

According to online news reports, Lim was scheduled to launch former journalist Kee Thuan Chye's book Ask for No Bullshit, Get Some More at the club on Feb 28.

It was reported that the club told Kee it did not want to be "politically aligned".

Lim said at the book launch at another venue on Saturday that he could forgive the club on a personal level, but he could not as the chief minister.

"Tiada maaf bagi mu (No forgiveness for you)," he was quoted as saying.

State Gerakan vice-chairman Wong Mun Hoe said it was not good for the chief minister to keep having quarrels with people.

"For example, just because some non-governmental organisations had an alternative view to the proposed undersea tunnel project, he labelled them as dangerous NGOs'.

"This is a dangerous label. Just because they disagree with his view, they are dangerous," he said, adding that Lim should not take it personally when others do not support or agree with him.

"Could he explain what he means by not forgiving the club as the chief minister?

"Is he trying to say that he is not a revengeful person, but on the other hand he would use the state administration's power to take revenge on the club?

"When I read a statement like that, I get very upset.

"I don't expect my chief minister to talk like that.

"Whether I like him or not is another matter," said Wong.

When contacted, Penang Club's lawyer Bala Mahesan said there had been a misunderstanding on the issue and he had been instructed to clarify the issue with Lim in the next few days.

"The club president, committee members and members extend their humble apologies to the chief minister," he said.

Rafizi defends PKR’s choice of candidates

Posted: 26 Mar 2013 05:36 PM PDT

He denies that Anwar was making unilateral decisions.

Priscilla Prasena, FMT

PKR today rejected allegations that party boss Anwar Ibrahim was making unilateral decisions in the choice of candidates for the general election.

Responding to a FMT report quoting grassroots leaders, PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli said candidates were chosen by a committee in a tough process to ensure that only the best were fielded.

He acknowledged that the committee was headed by Anwar but said its decisions were preceded by "consultations at every level" of the PKR leadership.

"The committee then goes through the list thoroughly and identifies the best potential winning candidates," he added.

Yesterday, some divisional leaders of the party complained that Anwar was picking his close associates for candidacy instead of personalities with good records of service to the public.

Rafizi said the candidates chosen by Anwar's committee would have gone through a "difficult and delicate" process of vetting. Among the criteria for selection was their "clout of influence" with the constituents they were supposed to represent, he added.

He said these criteria did not include the strength of a potential candidate's friendship with Anwar.

"This thorough process will definitely result in dissatisfaction among several leaders as they might feel that they could do a better job," he said.

"Anwar spends time with local leaders to rationalise on his decision to pick the best candidates for his party.

"At the same time, we can't please everyone, and there will be groups who will express their dissatisfaction."

Rafizi also disclosed that about 20% of PKR's candidates would be from outside the party. He said these candidates also had to undergo the gruelling selection process.

GE13: Playing the victim is Anwar’s way of gaining sympathy, says Nalla

Posted: 26 Mar 2013 05:35 PM PDT

(The Star) - Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim always claims to be a victim of conspiracy whenever unfavourable allegations against him surface, said Senator Datuk S. Nallakaruppan.

The Malaysian Indian United Party president alleged that playing the victim was Anwar's way of gaining public sympathy.

He said another of Anwar's tactics was to use legal action as an intimidation tool.

He cited Anwar's RM10mil suit against Deputy Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin over a "wife-harassment" issue.

Nallakaruppan pointed out that despite taking Hamzah to court, Anwar failed to turn up for the first day of trial on Monday morning, resulting in an adjournment of the case until May.

"For Anwar, suing is a form of strategic denial. This is a good tactic to gain trust and convince the people that he didn't do all those things," he told reporters here yesterday.

The senator, who said he was once very close to Anwar and his family, described the PKR adviser as "trying to destroy the country".

"His personal ambition is so overriding that he doesn't care if it will be at the expense of the country's peace and stability," he claimed.

Nallakaruppan expressed belief that Malaysians were now aware of Anwar's true character.

"He says everything is a conspiracy. But until today, has he admitted even one thing he has done? He can cheat all Malaysians but he cannot cheat me. I know him and his character very well," he said.

He urged Anwar to apologise to the public and admit that there had been no conspiracy against him.

"Ask for forgiveness from them and stop cheating the rakyat," he said.

‘Check NG0s with political leanings’

Posted: 26 Mar 2013 03:44 PM PDT

The new NGOs in Penang have broken from the traditional mould and are seen as lackeys of political parties.

Hawkeye, FMT

GEORGE TOWN: The chances are that if you throw a stone in Penang you are most likely to hit an NGO. In the last five years, the island has seen a mushrooming of non-governmental organisations.

The traditional NGOs champion causes like the disabled, environment and other social ills. But the new ones have dubious leaders and most of them are shadows of political parties.

One man who is very concerned with the unwanted rise of NGOs is Penang Malay Congress president Rahmad Isahak.

He wants the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to probe the rise of several NGOs here since 2008.

Rahmad said many of the new NGOs seem to be involved in the political and socio-economic issues in the state.

He said that the formation of new NGOs is healthy as it shows an acceptance of civil society and democracy here.

But at the same time, the issues and individuals behind such groups are seen as dubious at best, Rahmad claimed in an interview.

The new NGOs seemed to be championing political issues rather than the conventional norms such as the rights of the disabled or protecting the environment.

They seem to have exploited the loopholes in the ROS guidelines to form and name organisations, without any clear reference to how many members they have, submission of accounts and other criteria imposed by our watchdog of societies.

Dubious names

Therefore, the congress is encouraging ROS to investigate such organisations to ascertain if they are sincere and genuine, he added.

He said dubious organisational names have appeared in media reports together with individuals, who were previously unheard of in the local NGO scene here.

The new NGOs have organised protests – some turning violent, lodging police reports for all kinds of issues and in some instances, have tried to intimidate politicians such as the recent vandalism of a vehicle carrying PKR vice-president Tian Chua in Penang, Rahmad said.

"This is an undesirable attitude for those claiming to be NGOs. Such groups form the focus of a civil society where dialogues and forums are seen as the best platform to champion their struggle or objectives."

Since Independence, Penang has been the home to an active collection of NGOs and civil societies with the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) as the leading light.

In the last decade, some NGOs in Penang have gone on to form the Penang Forum platform which meets on certain occasions to discuss issues dear to them.

Rahmad said the congress is appreciative of the contributions made by the likes of CAP and other NGOs such as the environmental group, SAM, but he is distrustful of the newer NGOs which seemed to be more interested in politics.

READ MORE HERE

‘PAS does not reject Anwar as PM’

Posted: 26 Mar 2013 03:40 PM PDT

Shah Alam MP, Khalid Samad, dismisses allegations that PAS is unhappy over Anwar Ibrahim as the choice candidate for PM.

Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT

PAS is solidly behind Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim as the candidate for prime minister should Pakatan Rakyat win federal power in the next general election, said Khalid Samad.

The Shah Alam MP said the party's silence on the matter was to take the focus off Anwar as an individual, not because they disagreed with supporting him as PM.

He also dismissed allegations that the party has been 'bowing down' to its coalition partners and deviating from its original goals for the sake of holding Pakatan together.

"PAS does not bow down to anybody. Pakatan works on consensus. Whatever needs to be done or is being done, has to be agreed by all three parties," said Khalid.

"PAS has been playing down the issue because it would create a problem when BN is consistently indulging in character assassination of Anwar to discredit Pakatan.

"The final decision of who becomes PM will be endorsed by Pakatan and accepted fully by the coalition. If DAP and PKR support him, there is no reason for PAS not to," he added.

"We will place the names of leaders on the table and decide who is best choice for PM. If two parties voice their support for Anwar, then it will most likely be Anwar."

'Our is battle to change the government'

Khalid said PAS is cautious in voicing support for Anwar as he "may lose in the area he is contesting" and Pakatan would then "not be able to deliver the candidate it said would be PM".

READ MORE HERE

Africa's tax haven

Posted: 26 Mar 2013 11:45 AM PDT

(Foreign Policy) - A new report from the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development shows that the picture of who is investing the most in the continent is a bit different than you might expect.

Discussion of BRICS investment in Africa tends to conjure up images of Chinese-built superhighways and controversial mining projects. On his first trip to Africa, President Xi Jinping has defended his country's growing influence on the continent ahead of a BRICS summit meeting in South Africa.

But a new report from the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development shows that the picture of who is investing the most in the continent is a bit different than you might expect. For one thing, China isn't even East Asia's top investor in Africa -- that would be Malaysia:

A 2010 article from Consultancy African Intelligence described Malaysia's investment in Africa as "dispersed both in terms of the countries and the industries targeted" and noted that "Malaysian firms – such as Petronas and Telekom Malaysia - accounted for more than 1/2 of mergers and acquisitions between Asian and African multinational corporations (MNCs) between 1987 and 2005, with the largest recipients having been Mauritius and South Africa." Reuters reports that "Malaysia sent 24 percent of its outward FDI to Africa in 2011, mainly to Mauritius in that year."

What's so attractive about Mauritius? Well apart from a stable democracy and what are apparently lovely beach resorts, it's also an emerging tax haven -- though the governmentobjects to the label -- as the Wall Street Journal reported last year:

Jumaat, 29 Mac 2013

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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