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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• Jui Meng champions PR cause
• Tun Mahathir calon Putrajaya ganti Ku Nan?
• Mahathir blasts S'pore to rally poll support for BN
• Longhouse chiefs: Land shown in Global Witness video exists
• Pak Samad tells voters to oust BN
• All systems go for Uthayakumar
• Malaysia GE13: 'Racial confrontation' if Lim Kit Siang wins Johor seat, says Mahathir
• Anwar cancels announcement of Sabah PKR candidates, cites conflicts
• Ambiga: I don’t campaign for Pakatan
• Again, PKR leaves Khalid’s future as MB open to speculation
• The question of cowardice
• PAS Leader Sex Video: The Conspiracy Theories
• Police confirm sex videos seizure of Pas leader
• GE13: Pakatan targeting fence-sitters in social media reach
• GE13: PSM being squeezed out by Pakatan
• GE13: Barisan all ready to slug it out in cyberspace
• PAS will be MB if Pakatan wins Johor
• Check facts before sticking ‘vote-buyer’ tag on Selangor, Bersih told
• Pemimpin PAS tolak pendedahan video seks, fokus kepada PRU13
• GE13: Another of Hiew’s sidekicks ditches the DAP
• For politicians, it’s only about power
• ‘What has Anwar achieved?’
• Stop being greedy, PKR told
• 2 Anggota AMK ditahan polis, penyebaran video aksi Mustafa Ali
• Bancian Manifesto Pilihan di Portal Sinar Harian 'Dipadam' Atas Arahan Siapa?
• Dilemma of rural Sarawakians
• GE13: Rough ride for Nurul Izzah in Lembah Pantai
• Who 'owns' Wangsa Maju?
• GE13: Analysts: Husam's chances of winning Putrajaya difficult
• Another sex scandal rocks PR
• MCA president to sit out May 5 election
• Malaysians in Singapore scramble to make plans to vote
• BN woos Indian votes but indifferent to Hindus
• Tindak Malaysia challenges Tunku Aziz to respect & the EC to Enforce the Voter’s Right to ...
• Surgical Removal of UMNO from the Malaysian Body Politics
• Malaysia's Rancid Election
• Response to letter published in Malaysia Today
• The consistency of change (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)
• Umno files defamation suit against Tian Chua
• PSM: No three-cornered fights, please
• PKR: No rift with PSM
• Malaysia’s first buy-election (UPDATED with Chinese Translation)
• 7 DAP leaders show support for BN
• Wan Azizah hints Abdul Khalid may not be retained as Sgor MB
• Badrul's candidacy stirs up hornet's nest within PR
• Anwar needs to answer the entire Indian community
• Mahathir back in the fray
• GE13: DAP's Dr Boo challenged to step down as state party chief after polls
• GE13: Boo sees red over Guan Eng’s meddling in candidates list
• Perbincangan sedang berlangsung untuk selesaikan tiga penjuru di Sg Acheh

Jui Meng champions PR cause Posted: 12 Apr 2013 12:23 PM PDT   (The Malay Mail) - Johor PKR chief confident, gives full support to Lim in Gelang Patah TMM: Are you upset that DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang is replacing you in Gelang Patah? Chua Jui Meng : If I were upset, I would not be making all these statements or speak to you. Previously I said in my press conference that I welcome and honour Lim in Gelang Patah. I even told the 40,000 people during the announcement to fully support him. I told them that Lim is a leader of integrity and had even sacrificed his comfortable seat in Ipoh Timur to contest in Gelang Patah. TMM: How was your relationship with Johor DAP and PAS after all the controversy? CJM: Excellent. I have a good relationship with PR in Johor. Today, we went along together for my election campaign at Kampung Abdullah, Jementah and other places to meet the public. The DAP candidate, Pang Hock Leong (former Bekok assemblyman) whom I will be replacing also spoke during a press conference and expressed full support for me. TMM: There is speculation that some members of the public especially DAP voters in Segamat aren't supporting you as a candidate. Is that true? CJM: It's not true, it's only a rumour. As I said earlier, Pang cleared the issue by speaking to the people in Segamat on that matter. TMM: As the Johor PKR chief what are your expectations for 13th general election in Johor? CJM: My expectations! That PR will at least win a minimum of 13 or 14 seats from the 26 parliamentary seats in Johor. As for the state seats, we stand a chance to form a government by winning a minimum of 29 from 56 seats. But I'm not going to tell you which seats we consider as winnable seats. TMM: What's next for you, and what will you bring to Segamat? CJM: I ought to win the Segamat seat. My message for them during the campaign is change and reform. However, most importantly, my emphasis is that people are the focus of our government's activities, we will not allow cronyism or family networks to interfere. TMM: What's next for you, and what will you bring to Segamat? CJM: I ought to win the Segamat seat. My message for them during the campaign is change and reform. However, most importantly, my emphasis is that people are the focus of our government's activities, we will not allow cronyism or family networks to interfere.

Tun Mahathir calon Putrajaya ganti Ku Nan? Posted: 12 Apr 2013 12:17 PM PDT   (Sinar Harian) - Apakah Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad akan menentang calon Pas, Datuk Husam Musa merebut kerusi Parlimen Putrajaya pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU13)? 'Arkitek' pembangunan Putrajaya itu dikatakan sudah mengadakan pertemuan dengan Pengerusi Barisan Nasional (BN), Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak untuk berbincang perkara berkaitan kerusi di kawasan pusat pentadbiran kerajaan persekutuan itu. Sumber Sinar Harian yang mendapat maklumat daripada Pejabat Perdana Menteri juga mengesahkan tentang pertemuan antara Najib dan bekas perdana menteri itu baru-baru ini. Dr Mahathir yang menjadi perdana menteri sejak 1981 bersara pada Oktober 2003 dan tidak bertanding pada pilihan raya umum 2004 dan 2008. Beliau telah beberapa kali menyatakan tidak berhasrat untuk kembali aktif dalam politik termasuk bertanding dalam pilihan raya umum. Bagaimanapun beliau berkempen dengan kuat bagi Umno dan BN sejak empat tahun lalu khususnya selepas Najib menjadi perdana menteri. Dr Mahathir dipercayai mungkin mengambil keputusan bertanding kerusi Parlimen Putrajaya itu setelah mendapati sebahagian besar pengundi di Putrajaya adalah dari Kelantan di mana mempunyai sentimen kuat terhadap Pas dan calon Pas pula berasal dari Kelantan. Kesungguhan Dr Mahathir menawarkan diri untuk bertanding pada kali ini dikatakan dibuat bagi memastikan Putrajaya yang dibangunkan dari pemikiran dan aspirasi beliau terus kekal di tangan BN. Penganalisis politik, Prof Datuk Mohamad Abu Bakar berkata, Dr Mahathir, bekas Presiden Umno dan Pengerusi BN, mempunyai pengaruh yang kuat dan kini dilihat begitu bekerja keras berkempen di seluruh negara. "Najib kemungkinan mengambil perhatian serius terhadap tawaran yang disuarakan bekas perdana menteri itu untuk bersaing Husam merebut kerusi Parlimen Putrajaya. "Perdana menteri akan buat keputusan terbaik menentukan calon BN di kawasan tersebut dan kemungkinan terpengaruh dan mengambil kira tawaran Mahathir untuk bertanding itu," katanya. Najib dijangka mengumumkan senarai calon BN Selasa ini. Mohamad yang juga ada mendengar berita mengenai hasrat Dr Mahathir bertanding di Putrajaya itu memberitahu, pemimpin berstatus negarawan itu akan berhadapan dengan dua implikasi jika bertanding kali ini. "Pertamanya, jika Mahathir kembali bertanding dalam pilihan raya, ia akan melambangkan BN kini ketandusan calon boleh menang," katanya. Keduanya, kata Mohamad, Dr Mahathir akan dilihat telah mengambil pendirian bertentangan dengan semangatnya sebelum ini yang sering menasihati pemimpin veteran berundur bagi memberi laluan muka baru. "Sebelum ini Mahathir lantang menegur pemimpin veteran seperti Mursyidul Am Pas, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat dan Penasihat DAP, Lim Kit Siang supaya berundur. "Jika Mahathir bertanding pada PRU13 ini akan lebih memperlihatkan BN terdesak dan ketandusan calon," katanya. Mohamad juga tidak menolak kemungkinan faktor kenegerian memainkan turut memainkan peranan mempengaruhi undi. "Penduduk di Putrajaya majoritinya adalah Melayu, generasi kelas menengah yang kini hidup selesa di mana mereka tidak kisah parti mana yang memerintah sama ada Pakatan Rakyat atau BN. "Malah ia satu yang tidak mengejutkan jika ada yang mengatakan majoriti penjawat awam di situ berasal dari negeri Kelantan," katanya. Sekarang terpulang kepada Setiausaha Agung Umno dan BN, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor sama ada mahu beralah melepaskan kerusi itu. Laporan media sebelum ini menyebut Tengku Adnan yang mesra dengan panggilan Ku Nan akan bertanding mempertahankan kerusi tersebut.

Mahathir blasts S'pore to rally poll support for BN Posted: 12 Apr 2013 12:13 PM PDT   (Straits Times) - FORMER Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is one of those tasked with campaigning for the Barisan Nasional slate in Johor, has reached for an old playbook in order to drum up support - by hitting out at Singapore. In a blog posting on Thursday, he accused the opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) of wanting to end the traditional Malay-Chinese cooperation in Malaysia. This concord, he said, is premised on the kongsi, or sharing, principle of "not taking all our entitlements for ourselves but sacrificing some so others may get their share". Instead, the DAP wants to implement meritocracy, which he said the ruling People's Action Party in Singapore champions and is "about the winners taking all". "The meritocracy promoted by the DAP will mean diminishing opportunities for the Malays in education and in business," he said. "This will result in the Malays becoming less and less qualified and poorer." He went on to say that if DAP leader Lim Kit Siang wins Gelang Patah, a closely watched seat in Johor, an "unhealthy racial confrontation" will be the result. Tun Dr Mahathir also voiced a similar theme during a speech last Saturday to rally support for the BN in Selangor. "DAP uses the PAP way. When PAP was in Malaysia, it used the slogan 'Malaysian Malaysia'. It said Malays took everything, others nothing. Is that true?" he said. "We see that other races have wealth. "There are hundreds of millionaires among them today." He added that while Singapore closed Chinese vernacular schools, Malaysia allowed them, although most of its leaders are Malay. This shows the government's "fairness", which contrasts with the "racism of DAP". At recent Umno rallies in Johor, the state closest to Singapore, speakers alleged that Malay Singaporeans had been marginalised, and warned local Malays of a similar fate if they voted opposition. Read more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/the-big-story/asia-report/malaysia-elections/news/story/mahathir-blasts-spore-rally-poll-support-bn-

Longhouse chiefs: Land shown in Global Witness video exists Posted: 12 Apr 2013 12:08 PM PDT   (Borneo Post) - They decided to come forward after reading Minister of Land Development Tan Sri Dr James Masing's remarks, which was front-paged by The Borneo Post yesterday, that he doubted the existence of the land.   The piece of land in Julau which was highlighted in the controversial video produced by London-based Global Witness exists.     Two longhouse chiefs from Julau, who is laying claim on part of the said land, said details of the land shown in the video were genuine.   Tuai Rumah Banggom Alan from Nanga Bangkit Ulu Entabai and Tuai Rumah Pius Juyuk showed a copy of land details to The Borneo Post yesterday to prove their claim.   They decided to come forward after reading Minister of Land Development Tan Sri Dr James Masing's remarks, which was front-paged by The Borneo Post yesterday, that he doubted the existence of the land.   Masing said most of the land around that area (in Julau) had been cultivated by shifting cultivators for more than a century as it was one of the earliest settlements in the state, and as such there was no more timber of value left.   "I know Julau land very well; it is very hilly and undulated and, therefore, it is not suitable for agricultural purposes. Only a stupid fool will buy it," said Masing.   Based on an extract of the document, the land comprising an area of approximately 5,000 hectares is located in Section/Block No. 018 and Parcel/Lot No. 00002 of Tekoyong Land District.   It has been issued to a company as a Provisional Lease of State Land for a period of 60 years – from February 8, 2011, to February 7, 2071.   The land is classified as Mixed Zone Land, categorised as Country Land and is meant for agricultural purposes. Its annual rent is RM12,500.   Banggom and Pius claimed they did not know the 'new' owners of the said land. "We are only interested in the land as we believe part of it is our native customary right (NCR) land.   "It is our hope that we will get it when the Land and Survey Department carries out a perimeter survey later on". They added that they were told the land had not been surveyed yet.

Pak Samad tells voters to oust BN Posted: 11 Apr 2013 10:48 PM PDT Bersih 2.0 co-chairman Datuk A. Samad Said openly called on voters on 6 April 2013 to support the opposition and use this "once chance" to end BN rule in GE13, reports Syed Jaymal Zahiid of the Malaysian Insider.  This is the first time the national literary icon, popularly known as Pak Samad, has openly urged Malaysians to back the federal opposition coalition to "overhaul" the government and "amend the broken machinery" like health care and education, which Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has promised to deliver. "This is our chance… the time has come for us to overhaul the government to that power would fall in the right hands. "This is our opportunity to amend the broken machinery like health care, education and democracy of which have been promised by the opposition," he said at an event organised by polls reform group Bersih 2.0 in Selayang. Bersih 2.0, a coalition of over 80 non-governmental organisations, has in the past been forced to defend itself against criticisms calling it a partisan group, largely due to the immense support it had received from PR leaders for its street protests. The former national laureate Samad said now is a critical time for voters to ask themselves why the same coalition has ruled Malaysia for more than five decades and why is it those in power are only Malays. "I am also a Malay but I often asked why is it that the powers above me are only Malays? "Tunku Abdul Rahman was a Malay, (Tun) Abdul Razak was a Malay, (Tun) Hussein Onn was a Malay, (Tun Dr) Mahathir (Mohamad) is not a pure Malay but can be considered a Malay… (Datuk Seri) Najib (Razak) is also a Malay," he said. Despite a solid Malay leadership for 56 years, Samad pointed to the racist tactic used by the ruling coalition to keep the country's ethnic majority on its side. "So why are we repeatedly reminded that the Malay rights will be threatened?" The private screenings of controversial 'Tanda Putera' film, purportedly depicting the May 1969 racial riots, only to Malays in the run-up to the elections was a testimony to the racism perpetrated by the BN government, he added. "It is to sow fear in the heart of the Malays," he said. Bersih 2.0 is now leading the campaign to reform Malaysia's polling system, which the coalition of rights groups claimed is rife with irregularities. It is also launching a nationwide tour to educate voters on election laws aimed at making them 'citizen observers' and to reduce fraud including curbing vote-buying under its 'Jom Pantau (Let's Monitor)' campaign. Samad pointed to widespread vote-buying when the Najib administration gave out cash handouts to key constituents under the People's 1 Malaysia Aid (BR1M) programme, which he said signalled BN's fear that its rule would come to an end soon. "You must ask why is it that the government had suddenly want to give out money? This government is desperate, that is why they even promised more BR1M," he said. READ MORE HERE

All systems go for Uthayakumar Posted: 11 Apr 2013 10:34 PM PDT With the election deposit paid, Uthayakumar is set to contest for the Kota Raja parliamentary seat and the Sri Andalas state seat. Alyaa Azhar, FMT Hindraf leader P Uthayakumar is going ahead with his plans to contest for the Kota Raja parliamentary seat and Sri Andalas state seat in the 13th general election. "Right now, it's all systems go, regardless of whether I'll stand as an independent candidate or under the Pakatan Rakyat banner," said Uthayakumar after paying his election deposit for both seats at the Selangor Election Commission office today. A sum of RM10,000 was paid for the Kota Raja parliamentary seat with an additional RM5,000 for campaign materials, and RM8,000 was paid for the Sri Andalas state seat, inclusive of campaign materials. Uthayakumar also explained why he is "forced" to contest in the coming election. "We are forced to contest because as opposed to Pakatan's promise made in 2008, it has failed to deliver even one of Hindraf's 18-point demands. "Even Pakatan's manifesto has nothing to deliver for the Indians and Anwar Ibrahim has refused to sign our 18-point demands," he said. He stressed that at least one Hindraf MP is needed to put pressure on Pakatan not to implement racist policies against the Indian poor. "The Indian poor need to focus because the problems plaguing them are critical," he said. Uthayakumar, who is also Human Rights Party Malaysia's (HRP) pro-tem secretary-general, said that out of the 222 parliamentary seats and 576 state seats, Pakatan has refused to make way for even one seat for Hindraf. "This is unfair. I have even agreed to contest under the Pakatan ticket against BN so that there won't be a split of opposition votes but Pakatan has rejected me. "If Pakatan does not make way for us, Pakatan is the one splitting the vote," said Uthayakumar. READ MORE HERE

Malaysia GE13: 'Racial confrontation' if Lim Kit Siang wins Johor seat, says Mahathir Posted: 11 Apr 2013 10:29 PM PDT (Straits Times) - Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad has claimed that there will be conflict between races if opposition veteran Lim Kit Siang wins a seat in Johor. Writing on his blog (chedet.cc) on Thursday, Dr Mahathir said Johor has been a stronghold for the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition since independence, and people there "do not have strong racist feelings". "But Kit Siang is going to bring about conflict and antagonism between the races, to wage the Chinese to dislike and hate the Malays," he wrote. He added: "An unhealthy racial confrontation would replace Sino-Malay cooperation which has made Malaysia stable and prosperous." Mr Lim announced last month that he would move from his longtime seat in Perak to contest in Johor's Gelang Patah seat. Fast-developing Gelang Patah is at the heart of Iskandar Malaysia and houses Johor's administrative capital, Nusajaya. More than half of the voters are Chinese. Dr Mahathir, who has emerged one of BN's chief campaigners, urged voters over the weekend to make the seat a "burial ground" for Mr Lim's politics.

Anwar cancels announcement of Sabah PKR candidates, cites conflicts Posted: 11 Apr 2013 08:29 PM PDT Boo Su-Lyn, TMI Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has cancelled his announcement of Sabah PKR candidates, citing unresolved conflicts over a few seats. The PKR de facto leader also said today that he has assured Tuaran PKR chief Ansari Abdullah that the latter's list of proposed candidates would be considered. "In Sabah, the reason why I'm not announcing the candidates now is because although many seats have been finalised, there are still conflicts over one or two," said Anwar (picture) at a press conference in Likas here today. "I don't want to complicate matters. I'm not ready to announce yet," added the opposition leader. PKR deputy president Azmin Ali dismissed Ansari's candidate list last Friday as "mere suggestions". Ansari had announced that he would contest the Tuaran federal seat, besides naming candidates for six other parliamentary seats. The current Tuaran MP is Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing, who had defected from BN component party UPKO and formed his own party called APS in alliance with Pakatan Rakyat (PR). READ MORE HERE

Ambiga: I don’t campaign for Pakatan Posted: 11 Apr 2013 08:18 PM PDT Responding to her critics, the Bersih chairperson says she focuses on voter education and is willing to speak on the same issue at BN ceramahs, if she is invited. RK Anand, FMT This is a rose which never ceases to be a thorn in the flesh of Barisan Nasional. To the point that some have even called for her citizenship to be revoked. And now her recent ceramah in Seremban, which drew a mammoth crowd who braved the rain, is said to have rattled those in the ruling coalition once again. Following this, Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga has come under fire, with critics again taking a swipe at her for gracing opposition events despite insisting that the polls watchdog is non-partisan. Defending herself, the former Bar Council president told FMT that it is the opposition parties which invite her to educate voters on their rights. "I don't campaign for anyone. This is about voter education. I impress upon them the importance of good governance and call on them to vote out corrupt politicians and those who abuse their powers. "Unless BN fits the bill, they have no reason to be worried or complain," said Ambiga, adding that she would be more than willing to attend BN functions if invited. However, the Bersih chairperson stressed that even if she is invited to speak at a BN ceramah, she would state the same points vis-a-vis the absence of a level playing field, the elections are not clean and that the rotten must be voted out. She also pointed out that Bersih has invited BN leaders to attend its events on numerous occasions, but none of them turned up. "This is like a spoilt brat who does not attend a birthday party despite being extended an invitation and later complains about the other guests who show up," she said. Ambiga also explained that voter education included telling the people not to be afraid of change. "There are those who frighten the people on the ground, especially the Indian community with talks of riot and whatnot if there is a change in government. "I tell voters not to let fear dictate their choice, it is their freedom of choice. This is not campaigning for the opposition but getting the message across to voters on their rights," she said. While Ambiga said she has no problems with being scrutinised, she however hoped that the spotlight would be turned on the Election Commission instead, which she accused of being partisan in the discharging of its duties. 'I am not contesting' The Bersih leader also reiterated her stand of not contesting in the general election after speculations resurfaced following her recent visit to Cameron Highlands. She had attended a Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) fund-raiser and this led to rumours of her wanting to take on MIC president G Palanivel, who is slated to contest the parliamentary seat. READ MORE HERE

Again, PKR leaves Khalid’s future as MB open to speculation Posted: 11 Apr 2013 08:07 PM PDT Syed Jaymal Zahiid, TMI PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has refused to confirm if the party would keep Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as Selangor mentri besar should Pakatan Rakyat (PR) retains Selangor in Election 2013, further fuelling speculation that he may be axed from the post. When asked on the matter, Dr Wan Azizah said there are other capable leaders suitable for the post and the candidacy is not an issue as long as the coalition implements good governance in the country's industrial capital. "We have a few capable leaders, now as many as Barisan Nasional, so crowded, but Khalid is one of them because he has a track record, doesn't matter as long as the right policies are there," she told reporters at the party's headquarters here. Asked if that means Khalid will likely be dropped, Dr Wan Azizah refused to comment but said the former could still be the mentri besar. "There is a probability that he will be MB but like I said there are other capable leaders," she said. The Malaysian Insider had previoulsy reported that uncertainty hangs over Abdul Khalid's political future in Selangor as sources in PR have indicated that the interim mentri besar could lose his post even if the pact retains the state in Election 2013. The PKR leadership has so far refrained from confirming if Khalid (picture) would be selected to defend his seat, in light of growing anger among locals who purportedly view the politician as an "absent" representative. The Malaysian Insider understands the party leadership had also, at one point, considered dropping Khalid as its Ijok candidate following concerns that the mentri besar could lose the seat. Talks that Khalid would be dropped first surfaced when PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced in October last year that the former would remain as PKR's Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary candidate but did not state if Khalid (picture) would defend Ijok. READ MORE HERE

The question of cowardice Posted: 11 Apr 2013 07:08 PM PDT The problem is: they disparage me for refusing to return to Malaysia. However, if I do return to Malaysia and nothing happens, they will say I have made a deal with Umno. And if I return to Malaysia and I get arrested, they will say that it is merely wayang to stop people from saying I have made a deal with Umno. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin According to Haris Ibrahim's blog, I am a coward for living in exile in the UK. It is interesting that Haris came out with this anti-RPK campaign at the same time that I published my article 'The consistency of change'. It looks like Haris, too, has changed his stance. He now feels I should be in jail rather than in Manchester. I suppose he is of the opinion that if I support Pakatan Rakyat then I should be in Manchester but if I do not support Pakatan Rakyat then I should instead be in jail. I thought justice was about getting a fair trial and about being spared selective prosecution cum political persecution and not about you should be free only if you are anti-government but behind bars if you are not anti-government. Anyway, laws are always subject to one's interpretation and most times people twist laws to conveniently suit their political agenda. The government does it and so does, it appears, the opposition as well. I remember that Haris was one of those who disagreed with my plan to stay in Malaysia and risk a third detention under the Internal Security Act (ISA). He was also one of those who disagreed with my plan to refuse bail and instead serve time in the Sungai Buloh Prison while awaiting trial. He, together with my wife who was in tears, pleaded with me to accept bail because, according to Haris, I would be more useful as a free man running Malaysia Today rather than behind bars with no one to manage the website. Haris was also the one who almost had a punch-up in Bangkok with the police officers from Malaysia because they wanted me to follow them to the Malaysian Embassy in Bangkok. Haris felt that it may be a trap to arrest me and smuggle me back to Malaysia and he was adamant that I stay in the hotel than risk getting trapped in the Malaysian Embassy where the Thai government would be powerless to help me. I was prepared to take that risk but Haris told my wife to lock me in the hotel room and not allow me to leave while he and another lawyer, Amarjit Sidhu, follow the police officers to the Embassy to establish what was going on. Later that night they returned to the hotel and told me that they smelled a rat and that I should not go to the Embassy. I am not blaming Haris for me being here in Manchester but he made it very clear, and even publicly stated so, that he was dead opposed to me spending my days in jail. Now he has changed his mind and feels that I am a coward for refusing to go to jail. So what I wrote in my article 'The consistency of change' that people do change has been proven right after all. Anyway, I think it is an insult to Sun Yat-sen to say that those who choose exile over jail are cowards. Sun Yat-sen, too, spent time in exile in Japan and was financially supported by a democratic revolutionary named Miyazaki Toten. Sun Yat-sen also spent time in exile in Europe, the United States, and Canada where he raised money for his revolutionary party and to support uprisings in China. Sun Yat-sen is definitely not considered a coward for refusing to go back to China to spend the rest of his days in jail. In fact, in 1896, Sun Yat-sen was detained at the Chinese Legation in London. He was released after 12 days through the efforts of James Cantlie, The Times, and the British Foreign Office, resulting in him becoming a hero (not a coward) in Britain. Sayyid Ruhollah Mostafavi Musavi Khomeini, too, spent 14 years in exile and only returned to Iran in 1979 after the Shah had been toppled. Joseph Stalin was also in exile and only returned to Russia in 1917 when the Russian Revolution succeeded, as did Vladimir Lenin -- both heroes, and not cowards, of the Russian Revolution. I do not like to use Prophet Muhammad as another example lest people misinterpret this as me comparing myself to the Prophet but he too spent eight years in exile until he had a large enough army to return to Mekah unmolested in 630. In fact, history is rife with political exiles -- Englishmen exiled in France and Frenchmen exiled in England. Voltaire, Norodom Sihanouk, Bahadur Shah II, Alberto Fujimori, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, Erich Honecker, Alan García, Jean-Bédel Bokassa, King Zog, Kurmanbek Bakiyev, Napoleon Bonaparte's nephew Louis-Napoléon, and many, many more all spent time in exile -- the list is just too long. Anyway, what I had commented on was the call for Malaysians to kill and/or die to prevent phantom voters from casting their votes on 5th May 2013. My contention is that Malaysians would be the last one to put their life on the line when even getting them to register to post comments in Malaysia Today is impossible. Hardly 1% would dare do that because they fear that their identity may be known. If they do not even dare reveal their identity how can we expect these people to kill and/or die to prevent phantom voters from casting their votes? Do you know that many people do not even dare vote because they are worried that their vote is not secret and the government or police would know whom they voted for? There is even a protest because the ballot papers are marked with serial numbers. So what if people know who you vote for? What is wrong with that? Whenever I vote I proudly hold up my ballot paper for all and sundry to see and to make sure that they can see that I voted for the opposition before I put it into the ballot box. And here people refuse to vote in case others get to know whom they voted for. And these same people call me a coward? If I am a coward for showing everyone my ballot paper then what do we call those who refuse to vote because they fear people will find out who they voted for? Malaysians are real strange creatures indeed. And they don't realise that when they insult me they also insult Prophet Muhammad, Sun Yat-sen, Khomeini and thousands of other people whom history has labelled as great people and heroes because they went into exile. The problem is: they disparage me for refusing to return to Malaysia. However, if I do return to Malaysia and nothing happens, they will say I have made a deal with Umno. And if I return to Malaysia and I get arrested, they will say that it is merely wayang to stop people from saying I have made a deal with Umno. And the question is: why do they now want me to return to Malaysia and go to jail whereas in the beginning they were adamant that I stay free and out of jail? Only an idiot would require me to answer that question.

PAS Leader Sex Video: The Conspiracy Theories Posted: 11 Apr 2013 05:12 PM PDT Farah Harith, Malaysian Digest The latest sex video allegedly involving an opposition politician may hit a snag almost as quickly as the video going viral. The video showing a man resembling PAS secretary-general Dato Mustafa Ali having sex with a woman in a hotel room was uploaded first by a blog Kedah69ers.com at 8.30pm last night. It was then shared by several others with lengthier clips of the same video. The initial clip was a mere 4 seconds, with hapraknews.blogspot.com having an 11 minute version of it. However, according to a posting on theflyingkick.blogspot.com today, the woman is believed to be Mustafa's second wife. Another blog, daengselili.blogspot.com posted that an unnamed source has confirmed that the woman is in fact Mustafa's second wife, and that Mustafa is slated to hold a press conference today to explain the situation along with a copy of their marriage certificate. As of press time, there has been no word yet on the press conference. Meanwhile, PAS vice president Datuk Husam Musa, in a report on Malaysiakini this morning believes that the video is 'fake' and that PAS does not need to investigate the matter further. Husam is confident that videos can be made up and this is an example of one such effort that is merely politically motivated. "This does not effect Pakatan's campaign in any way," he added. Earlier, controversial blogger, Papa Gomo had insinuated that the woman was hired by PKR, and that the whole scandal is part of the opposition coalition's alleged infighting. That led to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) today denying any involvement in the distribution of the video cip. Malaysiakini reported that PKR vice-president N Surendran issued a statement saying that the relations between PKR and other Pakatan Rakyat party component is cordial and that they are united in their fight to bring down Barisan Nasional (BN). It was earlier rumored that several Angkatan Muda Keadilan (AMK) members had been arrested in Terengganu for distributing VCDs of the video clip. However a report on The Star quoted Terengganu CID Chief Assistant Commissioner K Manoharan as saying that while the police managed to seize the VCDs and several photographs, no arrests have been made. Meanwhile, Suara Pakatan Rakyat came out with an article last night, after the release of the video clip, claiming that they were the first to report on the existence of a sex clip implicating Mustafa. The blog, which the opposition coalition has denied having any control over, said that the first time they mentioned the existence of the video was in May last year. They also allege that the 'hands' behind the video was a small group within PAS itself, in an effort to oust Mustafa.

Police confirm sex videos seizure of Pas leader Posted: 11 Apr 2013 04:22 PM PDT (NST) - KUALA TERENGGANU: Police confirmed the report and seizure of several video compact discs containing the footages of an alleged Pas leader engaging in a lewd act with a woman at a hotel room. State Criminal Investigation Department chief Assistant Commissioner K. Manoharan said a report was lodged at the  Kampung Raja police station in Besut yesterday morning after policemen patrolling Kampung Alor Lintang area received information from the public.   "Checks led to the finding of 16 envelopes, each containing one VCD. Other case items, including some pictures had been taken to the Besut district police headquarters for investigation," he said.   Manoharan added that investigations under Section 292 (a) of the Penal Code for distributing pornographic material were underway.   An 11-minute sex video depicting a couple engaging in sexual intercourse in which a man resembled a Pas leader was widely spread in the cyberspace and online blogs yesterday.

GE13: Pakatan targeting fence-sitters in social media reach Posted: 11 Apr 2013 03:57 PM PDT (The Star) - Pakatan Rakyat's strategy in social media is in targeting the fence-sitters, many of whom are active on Facebook. PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli said the party was targeting fence-sitters in its social media reach. "You can have one million followers but liking' doesn't mean anything. It's the number of shares' that matters, not likes'," he said. The party, said Rafizi, was focused on putting content on a few Facebook profiles with a huge following, and getting readers to share this and comment with their friends. What mattered most, he said, was content and the use of graphics. "Posts on pure politicking don't gain any traction whatsoever. What gets the most shares are bread-and-butter issues," Rafizi pointed out. It was possible, he said, for PKR's social media strategy to be managed with a small team of around four people, reaching out to an estimated number of between 1.5 million and 2 million people online every day. PKR, he said, also had an election smartphone app, available from Google Play and Apple, showing users the locations of future ceramah and even has a function allowing voters to check their eligibility. "Young voters are very tech savvy and apps are something they would consider sexy," he said. Admitting that his party is not a pioneer when it comes to social media, PAS election director Dr Hatta Ramli said it was getting "ambassadors" to get voters to return to PAS-led states such as Kelantan for the polls. "We have ambassadors for each of our voting districts to reach out to people personally and through social media," he said. DAP National Publicity Secretary Tony Pua said his team was working around the clock through Facebook and Twitter to gear up for the elections. The party, he said, was also making various poll-themed videos, more of which would be revealed through the launch of its Ubah TV.

GE13: PSM being squeezed out by Pakatan Posted: 11 Apr 2013 03:51 PM PDT (The Star) - The bigger boys in Pakatan Rakyat are trying to squeeze Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) out of three of the four seats which the party intends to contest. Apart from the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat, where there appears to be a consensus for PSM central committee member Dr Michael Jeyakumar to defend, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) wants to field its own candidates for the Kota Damansara and Semenyih state seats in Selangor, with DAP staking its claim to the Jelapang seat in Perak. The Kota Damansara state seat, held by PSM chairman Dr Nasir Hashim, is being eyed by a lawyer aligned to PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, who reportedly has given the green light for the lawyer to campaign. "We feel this is quite ridiculous because Dr Nasir held the seat," said PSM secretary-general S. Arutchelvan yesterday after declaring his assets. His assets comprise a Perodua Kelisa worth RM14,000, an RM85,000 low cost house, RM5,000 in fixed deposit and RM1,356 in a savings account as well as a monthly income of RM3,000 and RM1,000 as Kajang municipal councillor, the amount of which goes towards financing his employee. For the people: Dr Nasir showing a copy of PSM's manifesto. Denying allegations that Dr Nasir was facing health problems, Arutchelvan said: "He just had knee surgery and the doctor has given him a clean bill of health." Arutchelvan is expected to contest in Semenyih while the party's deputy head M. Sarasvathy is slotted to stand in Jelapang. PSM candidates had contested under the PKR banner in the March 2008 general election as their party was waiting for its registration to be approved, which came about in June 2008. Several PKR leaders who are lobbying for the seats object to PSM using its own logo to contest in this general election and claimed that the seats were won thanks to the PKR label. "We are determined to carry on even if we are forced to stand on our own as we are confident of winning all four seats with our credible candidates,"Arutchelvan said. He said PSM hoped to strike a compromise with the Pakatan parties when they meet Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the weekend. Anwar is scheduled to announce the PKR candidates for all the seats in Selangor on Sunday night in Hulu Klang.

GE13: Barisan all ready to slug it out in cyberspace Posted: 11 Apr 2013 03:43 PM PDT (The Star) - Learning its lesson from the 2008 general election, Barisan Nasional has increased its presence radically in cyberspace, which Pakatan Rakyat had dominated. Now thousands of cyber troopers from both sides are waging an epic battle which began several months ago, long before the dissolution of the Dewan Rakyat and state assemblies. Barisan has trained thousands of "cyber activists" who have been disseminating information on the coalition's programmes and achievements on social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter. Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said the cyber activists were also tasked with countering opposition allegations. He added: "We learned our lesson in the 2008 general election, when the opposition had used the platform to woo voters and spread lies about Barisan. This time round we are prepared." As polling day approaches, Khairy said the next few weeks would be a critical period to counter opposition attacks "with evidence and facts". Barisan has also introduced the "BN Youth" mobile application for Android users which will be further developed in the weeks ahead to offer election news for the iOS platform. Khairy, who has almost 250,0000 Twitter followers on his account @khairykj, said Barisan's online efforts for this general election were better coordinated than previously. "But we have to be realistic. We will try our best but it's a tough landscape. "The social media are the opposition's mainstream and we are on hostile ground there," he said. MCA Youth central committee member Chong Sin Woon said the party had at least 300 members who are actively posting comments, rebutting opposition accusations and promoting MCA activities online. MCA also has about 1,000 friendly supporters helping to disseminate information via social media. Chong acknowledged that the opposition cyber troopers "virtually controlled" the Malaysian online political scene for the first two years after the March 2008 general election. This was changing, he said, adding: "We sense more people are realising that Pakatan cyber troopers are making all sorts of unfounded accusations." He said cyber war is unavoidable as many people, especially the young and first-time voters, are getting their information online. "All we want is for the public to understand current issues, and by questioning the opposition online, we force them to explain their rationale," Chong said. Putera MIC coordinator P. Kamalanathan said the party had mobilised a social media team of 50 volunteers for the elections, as well as set up an MIC online TV and the Nambikei website. He added that party president Datuk Seri G Palanivel, deputy president Datuk Seri S. Subramaniam and himself had personalised apps on Google Play for people to download.

PAS will be MB if Pakatan wins Johor Posted: 11 Apr 2013 03:39 PM PDT (The Star) - Pakatan Rakyat stands a "pretty good chance" of making a breakthrough in Johor in the general election, said DAP election strategist Dr Ong Kian Ming. He described party adviser Lim Kit Siang's move to contest in the Gelang Patah constituency in the elections as bold. "He has made a bold move in wanting to create a Johor tsunami... that he is being followed by outgoing Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong shows that we are definitely serious about wanting to make inroads in Johor. "PKR and PAS have also named high profile candidates to contest in Johor, and we see our chances as good," he said in an interview with SwitchUp.tv's GE13: Showdown programme, hosted by Anne Edwards. First-term parliamentarian Liew will be contesting the Kluang parliamentary seat, and is expected to lock horns with MCA's Hou Kok Chung, the outgoing MP. Meanwhile, Dr Ong believed it was "only natural" that should the Opposition coalition win Johor, a candidate from PAS would become the mentri besar. "The consensus is that the party which contested the most seats in the state gets to name the mentri besar, and in the case of Johor, that party is PAS," he said. Dr Ong also dismissed suggestions that the party would consider teaming up with Barisan Nasional component parties to form the Penang state government should PKR fail to win enough seats there. "It is a non-starter. We are committed to working with PAS and PKR, and we are confident that both the parties will deliver more seats in the general election," he said. On allegations that the Opposition coalition had trained professionals to create chaos during the election, Dr Ong said they were "far from the truth". "Pakatan Rakyat does not stand for nor accept political violence by anyone, regardless of our coalition, Barisan Nasional or other parties," he said.

Check facts before sticking ‘vote-buyer’ tag on Selangor, Bersih told Posted: 11 Apr 2013 03:27 PM PDT Debra Chong, TMI Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim chided Bersih today for accusing his Selangor administration of attempting to "canvass for votes" ahead of the May 5 polls, telling the elections watchdog to check its facts first. Selangor is the latest to be blackballed by Bersih in its public name-and-shame list for purportedly violating its code of conduct for a caretaker government, after Khalid's administration dished out several awards, including a RM300 bonus to each state civil servant and land titles to villagers in Bestari Jaya earlier this month. "The Caretaker Government has merely implemented decisions made earlier to ensure that the interest and welfare of the people of Selangor are protected during the caretaker period. "It must be stressed that the decisions and actions conducted are thus not tantamount to canvassing for votes," Khalid said in a statement, citing from the state legal advisor's report. He told Bersih that the state Pakatan Rakyat (PR) administration was committed to ensuring a functioning bureaucracy and his administration was mindful of abusing public funds and state resources now that it is now in a caretaker mode pending the results of the 13th general elections. "The state government hopes that Bersih will ascertain all the facts and legal details before casting any aspersions," he said. Bersih steering commmittee member, Irene Fernandez had hit out at Khalid and his executive council for abusing their office to win votes from Selangor residents in a bid to continue their hold on Malaysia's wealthiest state. "(It is) tantamount to vote buying," Fernandez was quoted saying by news portal Malaysiakini. READ MORE HERE

Pemimpin PAS tolak pendedahan video seks, fokus kepada PRU13 Posted: 11 Apr 2013 03:19 PM PDT Md Izwan, Zurairi AR dan Ida Lim, TMI Pemimpin PAS menolak pendedahan video seks terbaru yang mengejut tersebat di Internet, mendakwa ianya "palsu" dan "taktik kotor" oleh lawannya menjelang Pilihan Raya 2013. Semalam, penulis blog Papagomo dalam satu artikelnya menyenaraikan beberapa blog pro-Umno mengandungi gambar dan video menyerupai pemimpin tertinggi PAS yang terlibat dalam satu skandal seks. Naib Presiden PAS Husam Musa mendakwa video tersebut mungkin palsu, sambil mempersoalkan masa video seks itu dikeluarkan hampir dengan hari penamaan calon pada 20 April dan hari mengundi pada 5 Mei. "Masa ia dikeluarkan sangat dekat, berkemungkinan juga ia bermotifkan politik," kata Husam semasa ditemui di Putrajaya hari ini. Walaubagaimanapun, Husam berkata fokus Pakatan Rakyat (PR) adalah untuk menang Pilihan Raya 2013 dan tidak akan menghiraukan isu terpinggir itu. "Saya yakin PR akan fokus kepada pilihan raya. Cerita sampingan itu sengaja diada-adakan, kami abaikannya," katanya lagi. Dalam laporan The Star hari ini, pihak polis Terengganu telah merampas 16 VCD mengandungi video yang disebarkan oleh beberapa individu tidak dikenali namun tiada sebarang tangkapan dibuat. Bagi ahli parlimen (MP) Pokok Sena, Datuk Mahfuz Omar penyebaran video seks terbaru tersebut membuktikan lawan mereka terdesak sehingga terpaksa bermain politik kebencian dan fitnah bagi memburukkan PAS. "Ini bukti Umno terdesak dengan bermain dengan politik kebencian dan fitnah ini," kata naib presiden parti Islam yang yakin rakyat boleh buat penilaian sendiri sama ada benar atau palsu video tersebut. Video 3 saat berwarna tersebut yang menunjukkan seorang lelaki bersama seorang wanita dalam keadaan intim melakukan hubungan seks di dalam sebuah bilik, serta direkodkan pada satu sudut mengadap pasangan tersebut. Pesuruhjaya PAS Selangor, Dr Rani Osman pula mengganggap video seks terbaru itu bukan satu mengejutkan malahan akan banyak lagi bahan lucah diedarkan menjelang pilihan raya paling sengit dalam sejarah negara. "Saya tidak terkejut dengan video terbaru ini, memang dijangkakan... ini taktik kotor, saya tidak percaya video seks itu asli," kata Dr Rani. Dr Rani juga berkata situasi sama dihadapinya di Meru, kawasan dewan undangan negeri yang disandangnya apabila mendapat maklumat gambar beliau berpelukkan dengan seorang wanita juga telah diedarkan secara meluas. "Gambar saya berpelukkan dengan makwe (teman wanita) pun dah tersebar di sekitar Meru ini," ujarnya lagi. Pengarah pusat penyelidikan dan pembangunan PAS, Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad mengkritik keras taktik kotor dan jijik yang masih berterusan ini serta menggesa lawan mereka mengamalkan politik sihat. "Politik yang dibawa oleh Umno ini berlawanan dengan konsep politik yang Islam anjurkan... sepatutnya kita berpolitik secara sihat tentang polisi dan dasar, bukannya menyerang peribadi," tegas Dzulkefly, yang juga merupakan MP Kuala Selangor. READ MORE HERE

GE13: Another of Hiew’s sidekicks ditches the DAP Posted: 11 Apr 2013 03:14 PM PDT Mujie (centre) hands over his application form to Dompok (3rd from right), meanwhile watch by Jimbangan (2nd from right) and several senior UPKO leaders. Samantha Rae, Borneo Insider PENAMPANG: Like some married couples who succumbed to the 'seven-year itch', Sabah DAP leader Edward Mujie too decided to 'change partner', after having fought alongside the party for the last seven years. On Thursday, he followed the footsteps of his former party colleague Steven Jimbangan to quit the party to join Barisan Nasional (BN) through United Pasokmomogun KadazanDusun Murut Organization (UPKO). Mujie who was Sabah DAP Vice Chairman cum Karambunai branch chief handed over his membership application form to UPKO President Tan Sri Bernard Dompok at Puru Lounge in Kampung Putaton, here. Mujie's exit from DAP comes barely a week after the party's Kepayan chief Stephen Jimbangan and 128 of his supporters quit the party to join UPKO. Like Jimbangan, Mujie too said his 'change of heart' was because he was both touched and impressed by the on-going efforts by UPKO, PBRS and PBS to unite the KDM community through 'Gelombang Tataba', a joint program the three KDM based BN component parties have initiated and launched last month. Certainly, it had nothing to do with the fact that the DAP had earlier decided that both Jimbangan and Mujie would not be among its candidates for the 13th general election. A hardcore critic of BN prior to this, he categorically stressed that his move had nothing to do with not being nominated as a candidate for the 13th general election. A former Secretary of the Kota Kinabalu Municipal Council (KKMC) before it was elevated to a City Hall, Mujie earned his nickname 'The Point Man' for constantly pointing at bad roads, blogged drains, faulty lamp posts, manholes with missing covers, abandoned government buildings, etc. "I started considering making the move soon after reading and hearing about 'Gelombang Tataba'… I made up my mind voluntarily, no one coerced me into this decision because I look at this positively, for KDM community's sake," he said when asked how long it took him to decide to quit DAP and join UPKO. To the question if his supporters may follow suit and join BN too, Mujie reluctantly replied, "wait-and-see". In a prepared statement distributed to the media, Edward noted that he was accepted in DAP in 2007 and that he leaves it to the rakyat to judge his track record as far as his service to the community is concerned all those years. "Having considered all factors plus the current scenario,  I have decided to relinquish all my posts in Sabah DAP and resign from the party with immediate effect. I wish all my former comrades the very best and good luck. "I thank God for making me realize that the unity of the indigenous people is the most sensible thing to do now that the KDM unity is in disarray. I therefore would like to throw my full undivided support in the effort to unite the KDMs through 'Gelombang Tataba'. "With that I have decided to join UPKO led by Tan Sri Bernard as my platform to assist the accomplishment of the unity mission," he said. Mujie added that he found that UPKO is genuinely sincere in fighting for the rights of Sabahans especially the KDMs. "UPKO is very vocal on all issues affecting the rakyat as well as in finding solutions to the illegal immigrant problem in Sabah where the Prime Minister Datuk Najib Tun Razak has finally agreed to set up the Royal Commission of Inquiry which is on-going now. "The proposal for the re-issuance of MyKad which is mooted by UPKO is a daring move and deserves full support from all political parties and the rakyat," he said. "I admire Datuk Seri Najib's courage in introducing new positive transformation in the country such as repealing the Internal Security Act (ISA), by recognizing Malaysia Day, implementing the GTP and ETP, his swift actions durng the Lahad Datu intrusion etc. "Datuk Seri Najib among others has also successfully implemented non-qouta to the Holy Land, therefore it is only fair for all the rakyat in Sabah especially to give their undivided support to Datuk Seri Najib to achieve the required mandate so that he could effectively implement his sincere agendas in developing the country for the benefit of the rakyat" he said. Meanwhile, when approached for comment, Dompok said Mujie's joining of BN is a resounding testimony that UPKO, PBS and PBRS' efforts to unite the KDM is gaining support from the people including the opposition. READ MORE HERE

For politicians, it’s only about power Posted: 11 Apr 2013 03:04 PM PDT The politicians forget that it is us, the rakyat, who decide on their fate. It is us who decide if we want them to govern us.  CT Ali, FMT I read that a blogger (I am sorry but I cannot bring myself to utter or write his name!) is going to stand as an independent against Anwar Ibrahim in Permatang Pauh. What does he think this 13th general election is going to be? His road to glory, fame and wealth? Do wannabe politicians no longer measure their ability to succeed in the electorate that they intend to contest by their ability to serve the rakyat? By their ability to present themselves as candidates deserving of the rakyat votes? Are elections a joke now? And why does he want to contest? Not to better the people's lot! Not to serve his electorate! No! He wants "to expose more alleged sex videos during the campaigning period". How insulting is this to the constituency that he will contest in? Does he think that they would prefer sex tapes to food on their table? Is that now what budding politicians should strive to do? How do Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat choose their candidates? Winnability, they say. The electorate be dammed! What matters is winning the election. And if this is the public façade that these politicians willingly allow us to see, imagine what they will do within the four walls of their political enclave in order to ensure that they do win. Do you not worry at the things they will do, the intrigues they will indulge in and how "winning" will excuse any act, however foul as long as it will ensure "winning"? What madness is this? How are we to choose our representative that we send to Parliament to represent us? How do these candidates translate "winnibility" into votes for themselves and for the party that closes all eyes to anything else but the getting of political power? It would seem that both BN and Pakatan are now seriously descending into an orgy of handing out cash through BRIM or any other plausible avenues in the name of helping the rakyat. There are promises of cheaper petrol, cars, promises of more gutter politics, promises of burying each other in god knows what. Anything but nation building. Anything else but the common good of our people and our nation. Anything else but decent, open, responsible and good governance. Winning at any costs Look at the Malaysia we have today: a blogger could even think of challenging the leader of the opposition because he thinks that the "sex tapes" he has is reason enough for him to do so. A national debt of over RM502 billion and still this BN government keeps making beggars of its own people because it keeps giving out cash handouts. And a Pakatan opposition that now joins this irresponsible BN government in the race to give out more to the people. READ MORE HERE

‘What has Anwar achieved?’ Posted: 11 Apr 2013 03:01 PM PDT Besides being a fiery orator, Kelantan opposition leader Md Alwi Che Ahmad says that Anwar Ibrahim does not have an impressive track record. Hawkeye, FMT Voters should evaluate the track record of Anwar Ibrahim before they support the notion of him becoming the next prime minister. Anwar did not just become an overnight politician, the former has a track record of service and experience in government previously, said Kelantan opposition leader Md Alwi Che Ahmad. Speaking at the launching of the state Barisan Nasional supplementary manifesto, Alwi reminded voters that Anwar had served as a minister in the Youth and Sports, Agriculture and Education Ministeries before becoming deputy prime minister and finance minister in the Umno government. "Ask yourself what did Anwar achieve in those ministries and what were the impact of his policies on the country, particularly on the economic part," he said. He added that this has nothing to do with his questionable moral values but rather Anwar's capabilities and abilities as a leader. Apart from his oratory skills, Alwi questioned what were Anwar's other achievements. He stressed that finding fault with others is the easiest part of politics but showing the ability to lead and having the right formula to govern a multi-ethnic nation like Malaysia, is another. "Umno knows too well who this soul [Anwar] is. He has many deficits, but he also knows how to mislead. We, in Umno, were his first victims," he said. Alwi claimed that Anwar is not confident of "misleading the people alone" and thus hides behind PAS and DAP. "Anwar is hiding behind the likes of Karpal Singh, Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and Lim Kit Siang just to up the odds of him becoming prime minister," he said. READ MORE HERE

Stop being greedy, PKR told Posted: 11 Apr 2013 02:57 PM PDT DAP Pahang is upset that PKR is taking over it seats in Johor and other states. Athi Shankar, FMT A DAP leader said that PKR should stop being greedy and not usurp seats belonging to Pakatan Rakyat allies. DAP's Pahang vice-chairman J Apalasamy is upset that PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim failed to respect DAP's influence and its grassroots strength in Johor. Referring to PKR's "theft" of Segamat parliamentary constituency, he said Anwar and company had denied DAP a chance to field an Indian candidate for the seat. PKR is fielding former MCA leader and former health minister Chua Jui Meng in Segamat against Barisan Nasional incumbent S Subramanian, a MIC strongman. "PKR should put a stop to its greediness if Pakatan is serious in capturing the federal government from BN," said Apalasamy in a statement to FMT. In the last 2008 general election, PKR contested nine parliamentary and 10 state seats in Johor. It lost all. Apalasamy said Chua candidacy in Segamat would virtually be a "walkover" victory for Subramaniam. He said Chua's public spat with Johor DAP chairman Dr Boo Cheng Hau over Pakatan's seat formula had spoilt the former MCA man's winning chances. Moreover, he said Chua had also lost all credibility as a Pakatan leader after DAP supremo Karpal Singh launched seething criticisms on Chua's long stay in MCA and BN. Due to Anwar's scheming, he lamented that DAP has missed an opportunity to field a talented Indian candidate against a MIC heavyweight in Segamat. Multi-racial politics It's learnt that the DAP wanted to field Malaysian Indian Busieness Association (MIBA) president P Sivakumar and later party national vice chairman M Kulasegaran for Segamat. "Being a pan-Malaysian party, the DAP has fielded and tested many of its leaders across the country.As a multiracial party, the DAP is duty-bound to field racially balanced candidates," he said. He pointed out that PKR had a knack of stealing DAP's Indian seats to field non-Indian candidates on grounds of multi-racial politics. Segamat aside, he said other seats were Teluk Kemang federal seat in Negeri Sembilan, Ijok state seat in Selangor and Lunas state seat in Kedah. In 2000 by-election in Teluk Kemang, he said the DAP was forced to make way for PKR candidate Ruslan Kassim. "Until now PKR failed to return Teluk Kemang to DAP," said Apalasamy. READ MORE HERE

2 Anggota AMK ditahan polis, penyebaran video aksi Mustafa Ali Posted: 11 Apr 2013 01:41 PM PDT   (Malaysian Review) - Telah disahkan dua orang anggota AMK ditahan berhubung penyebaran video aksi membabitkan seorang lelaki menyerupai Setiausaha Agung PAS, Mustafa Ali dengan seorang wanita warga asing. Kedua-dua orang anggota AMK tersebut kini ditahan polis untuk soal siasat. Dalam laporan awal, seorang lelaki telah ditahan oleh anggota polis di Kampung Alor Lintang, Kampung Raja, Besut Terengganu. Pemeriksaan di hadapan pintu pagar di kawasan Perumahan Lorong Sekolah dan Lorong Hidayat, Kampung Alor Lintang itu menemui 16 sampul surat yang mengandungi sekeping VCD setiap satu pada lelaki terbabit. VCD aksi melibatkan Setiausaha Agung PAS, Mustafa Ali bersama-sama seorang wanita bukan warganegara, bukannya cerita baru. Dah lama sangat dah tetapi kurang popular berbanding klip video seks sejenis membabitkan Anwar Ibrahim. Malah amat kurang popular berbanding klip video gambar ke…….. wanita dan ke……. lelaki membabitkan seorang Ahli Dewan Undangan PAS Kelantan. Sumber memberitahu, PARASIT PAS telah mula mengedarkan VCD lucah yang dikatakan membabitkan Mustafa Ali dikesan di Kampung Alor Lintang, Kampung Raja, Besut, Terengganu. Bagaimanapun, pengedar telah ditangkap oleh pihak berkuasa dan apabila pemeriksaan dilakukan, pada lelaki berkenaan terdapat 16 sampul surat yang mengandungi sekeping VCD dotdot setiap satu. Video berdurasi 11 minit 25 saat itu, memang jelas telah dilakukan secara cermat untuk memusnahkan Mustafa Ali. Kaum PARASIT PAS sebenarnya terlibat secara langsung apabila dari awal lagi mereka telah menyatakan kebencian terhadap Mustafa Ali dan enggan membaiahnya sebagai pemimpin. Mustafa Ali seringkali disifatkan sebagai 'TERKENANG-KENANGKAN ZAMAN PERPADUAN UMNO-PAS' di mana dia telah dilantik sebagai salah seorang anggota kabinet.

Bancian Manifesto Pilihan di Portal Sinar Harian 'Dipadam' Atas Arahan Siapa? Posted: 11 Apr 2013 01:31 PM PDT    Terdapat tiga bancian mengenai manifesto pilihanraya hilang dari paparan. Salah satu bancian berbunyi "Jika anda seorang pengundi, manifesto parti mana yang memikat perhatian anda?". Hasil bancian dari lebih 10 ribu responden menunjukkan 81% memilih manifesto PR manakala selebihnya 19% berpihak kepada BN.   Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM)  Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) hari ini berasa terkejut dengan sikap luar biasa yang ditunjukkan oleh portal Sinar Harian apabila beberapa kotak bancian online di sebelah kanan portal tersebut telah dipadam. Sebagai media arus perdana baru yang mengamalkan 'media baru', SAMM memuji portal Sinar Harian di atas pelbagai bancian yang dipaparkan di satu sudut demi mendapat maklum balas dari pembaca. Ia Berbeza dengan era media konvensional yang sehala. Namun bancian undian yang berkisar mengenai pilihan di antara manifesto Barisan Nasional dan juga manifesto Pakatan Rakyat tidak bertahan lama seperti kebiasaannya. Kali terakhir bancian tersebut kelihatan di portal Sinar Harian ialah pada lewat malam tadi. Terdapat tiga bancian mengenai manifesto pilihanraya hilang dari paparan. Salah satu bancian berbunyi "Jika anda seorang pengundi, manifesto parti mana yang memikat perhatian anda?". Hasil bancian dari lebih 10 ribu responden menunjukkan 81% memilih manifesto PR manakala selebihnya 19% berpihak kepada BN.         Mengapa bancian online tersebut hilang secara tiba-tiba? Sedangkan sering kali bancian online di portal Sinar akan terpapar sepanjang masa dan tidak hilang walaupun bancian yang baru masuk mengambil tempat. Apakah ada tekanan dari Kementerian Dalam Negeri atau SKMM agar tiada bancian mengenai manifesto dipapar? Apakah bancian mengenai manifesto pilihan itu mengancam keselamatan negara dan boleh menimbulkan huru-hara sehingga perlu dipadam? Dalam perkara ini, SAMM sesekali tidak menyalahkan pihak portal Sinar Harian. SAMM yakin dan percaya bahawa Sinar Harian merupakan media yang telus dan berani dengan penyiaran berita yang neutral. Dengan keberanian ini juga, Portal Sinar Harian telah menyiarkan bancian manifesto yang kemudiannya dipadam. SAMM tidak menolak kemungkinan ada tekanan besar dari pihak yang terdesak agar bancian online itu ditarik dari terus dipaparkan.  SAMM juga mendesak supaya pihak portal Sinar Harian memberi sedikit penjelasan apa yang sebenarnya telah berlaku. Jika benar Sinar Harian ditekan, nyatakanlah kebenaran itu dan rakyat akan bersama dengan kebenaran. Kesempatan ini juga SAMM mengucapkan syabas kepada media neutral Sinar Harian kerana acap kali melaporkan berita tanpa berselindung sepertimana yang diamalkan oleh media konvensional arus perdana yang lain. Sekian,  Edy Noor Reduan Pengarah Propaganda Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM)

Dilemma of rural Sarawakians Posted: 11 Apr 2013 01:26 PM PDT   I thought that when the state government started intensive logging more than 40 years ago, the state government's plan was to bring development into rural Sarawak and hence transform the life of the rural folk for the better. Wasn't the logging industry meant to act as a catalyst to better the life of rural Sarawakians?  Stephen Then, The Star  "ATAP masih bocor, minta perintah bikin baru". (The roofing is still leaking, am asking the government to do repair work). That was the candid requests by many of the Iban folk I spoke to at Rumah Ngumbang, a settlement of 300 people located deep in ulu Teru sub-district, about 150km inland from Miri, when Baram incumbent MP Datuk Jacob Dungau Sagan went to visit them last weekend. Men and women folk with handwritten letters in their hands, lined up to present Sagan with their needs, each of them appealing for financial help to repair their "bilik" in the 50-door longhouse. I would have thought that such problems like leaking roofs, rotting verandahs and rickety ladders and walkways, muddy footpaths, leaking toilets, cracked walls and holes in the ceilings would have been overcome long ago. After all, more than two years ago, the Federal Government had announced allocations of massive financial grants to urgently repair dilapidated longhouses of those living in interior Sarawak and Sabah. I remember many national and state leaders visiting rural communities and telling them that their longhouses would be repaired with grants from the Rural and Regional Development Ministry. Each longhouse would be getting up to RM100,000, depending on their needs and population size. Apparently, there are still many areas where these repair works have not been accomplished. No wonder in places like the Baram parliamentary constituency, longhouse folk are still deprived of the very basic. Rumah Ngumbang, like so many other longhouses throughout Sarawak, still does not have treated water supply. Last Saturday, Sagan and officials from the Rural and Regional Development Ministry launched a waterfiltration project in Rumah Ngumbang. The folk there, will at least from now on, have access to clean and safe water to drink. The question that has been bothering me is why is it that development of such very basic amenities have come so late for the rural folk of interior Sarawak. Every one of the remote settlement that I have visited, from the ones in Baram in northern Sarawak to those in ulu Belaga in central Sarawak and Sri Aman in southern Sarawak, still seems to be plagued by infrastructural and amenity woes of all sorts. After 50 years of independence through the formation of Malaysia, our rural Sarawakian brothers and sisters are still suffering from hardship caused by the lack of these very basic amenities. Today, the state government leaders are talking about constructing 12 new dams in the remote areas to spur economic development. State leaders have been aggressively drumming this message across. Even here in interior Baram, the state government's latest dam plan is to construct a RM4bil dam in Long Kesseh. The leaders of the state administration are saying that there is a need to build these new dams so as to open up these interior regions to create jobs, new townships, new roads, schools, clinics, new business opportunities for a new life for the rural poor. I thought that when the state government started intensive logging more than 40 years ago, the state government's plan was to bring development into rural Sarawak and hence transform the life of the rural folk for the better. Wasn't the logging industry meant to act as a catalyst to better the life of rural Sarawakians? Why was that objective not achieved? It would seem that the only ones benefiting from the logging industry in Sarawak are the big companies, not the local natives from whose land the timber logs were extracted. After the logging came the oil palm industry. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of land that had been logged and cleared of their valuable timber, are now planted with oil palm trees. During my helicopter ride to ulu Teru from Miri Airport, I looked out from both sides of the windows and saw endless stretches of oil palm estates, both newly cleared and old ones. These oil palm estates extended as far as the eye can see. Were not these oil palm schemes meant to improve the life of the rural poor? Why was it then that the rural Sarawakians are still so deprived of the very basic when there are thousands of acres of oil palm estates surrounding their settlements? Are the oil palm firms the only ones benefiting big-time from the palm oil yields on these interior native land? There are of course some longhouse folk getting dividends from taking part in jointventures with the oil palm firms but it would seem that these dividends had not come in such great amount that were enough to revolutionise the rural communities. Has something gone very wrong with all the development plans that the state government had put in place for the rural folk that had resulted in our rural people being still left so far behind in terms of social and economic progress? During the dialogue organised by Sagan at Rumah Ngumbang, longhouse chiefs and elders from about a dozen settlements came. Almost all of them spoke about the need for the very basic amenities. My heart goes out to these folk. I believe that what is happening now is that plans devised to develop rural Sarawak have become lost in implementation. I hope the next government to be formed after the 13th general election will carry out a thorough review of the development masterplan for rural Sarawak.

GE13: Rough ride for Nurul Izzah in Lembah Pantai Posted: 11 Apr 2013 01:24 PM PDT   (fz.com) - If the results of an Barisan Nasional survey are anything to go by, incumbent PKR Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar is losing ground in the battle for Federal Territory's hottest parliamentary seat. According to the Barisan Nasional Youth Volunteers (BNYV), roughly one-third of about 200 Lembah Pantai constituents who took part in a phone survey over the last month are leaning heavily towards Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister, Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, the BN candidate for the seat. (The remaining 70% was unevenly split between fence sitters and opposition supporters, according to the survey, which is only meant for BN's internal use.)   BNYV is a volunteer programme under BN Youth that was set up June 2012 to provide a platform for BN youth supporters outside the official party campaign machinery to play a role in GE13.   The group has an estimated 10,000 volunteers who are spread over its seven state chapters, and its headquarters in Jalan Telawi, Bangsar has been working the ground and phone lines in Lembah Pantai.   Pakatan captured the BN stronghold in the 2008 general elections when Nurul Izzah defeated incumbent Datuk Seri Sharizat Abdul Jalil by a majority of 2,895 votes.   Since then BN has been on a warpath to reclaim this prized seat from the first-term politician, whom they claimed rode to victory on her father (opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim)'s coat tails.   And so PKR's Puteri Reformasi is expected to face Umno's Lembah Pantai chief in one of the fiercest fights that will officially begin come nomination day on April 20.   An Umno personality, however, has observed that Nurul Izzah is in "big trouble" due to the reactions that BNYV has been receiving from the survey respondents.   "When asked who their MP is, many of them are already naming Raja Nong Chik because they see him more and relate to him better," said the source, who asked not to be named due to the confidentiality of BNYV's survey results.     "Izzah is strong in Bangsar Utama and Lucky Garden but not in Kerinchi. But we're not too worried about residents in these two areas because many of them are either expatriates or non-constituents."   Lembah Pantai's 72,533 voters are divided between the urban, wealthy Bangsar and Pantai Dalam, which houses a combination of affluent and working class Malays.   When asked to weigh in on the survey results, BNYV's Director and National Coordinator Zaidel Baharuddin pointed out that for voters to recognise Raja Nong Chik as their MP instead of a national figure like Nurul Izzah spoke volumes.   He added that Nurul Izzah's position as a national figure is a double-edged sword as far as her groundwork is concerned as it took her away from her constituents.   "She's famous but she travels a great deal throughout the country and Lembah Pantai hardly sees her," Zaidel stated.  "When Izzah speaks at ceramahs outside Kuala Lumpur, Raja Nong Chik will be attending five functions in Lembah Pantai." Read more at: http://fz.com/content/ge13-rough-ride-nurul-izzah-lembah-pantai

Who 'owns' Wangsa Maju? Posted: 11 Apr 2013 01:21 PM PDT   (The Sun Daily) - MCA was in fact merely "returning" the seat to Umno. Political horse-trading on seats to contest has resulted in some dissatisfaction which now appears to threaten Barisan Nasional (BN) component cooperation, but MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek yesterday allayed such fears, citing his confidence that the BN spirit of consensus will prevail. One such seat of contention is Wangsa Maju, which was contested by MCA in 2008. In the face of speculation that BN will be represented by Umno this time around, the Wangsa Maju MCA division has said it will pull out of all campaigning efforts if its chief, Datuk Yew Teong Look, is not fielded. It has been speculated that Umno Wangsa Maju has been eyeing the seat since 2008, and plans to field its division chief Datuk Shafie Abdullah, the political secretary to prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak, who is Umno president. Speaking to newsmen after chairing the MCA central committee meeting yesterday, Chua confirmed that the Kuantan parliamentary seat as well as the Tanah Rata (Pahang) and Kota Laksamana (Malacca) state seats will be "loaned" to Umno, Gerakan and PPP respectively. "We exchanged Tanah Rata for Ketari, and Sabah BN has also given us the Luyang state seat. "However, we are not giving up the Padang Serai and Tebrau parliamentary seats," said Chua, adding that no consensus has been reached on other hot seats traditionally held by MCA. They include Wangsa Maju, Pandan, Gelang Patah, Jelapang and Tronoh, which other component parties have voiced interest in contesting. Reiterating that MCA did not give up any seats without a fight and that "loaning" and seat swapping was done "in the spirit of the BN coalition", Chua said it was also based on the understanding there will definitely be more parliamentary and state seats drawn up in the delineation exercise after the general elections. "The seats that are loaned out by MCA will come back to us after the delineation," said Chua. BN secretary-general Datuk Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, however, denied that Umno was "taking away" the Wangsa Maju seat from MCA. Tengku Adnan, who is also Umno secretary-general, said MCA was in fact merely "returning" the seat to Umno. He claimed that in 2004, when he was Federal Territory state liaison chief, it was suggested that an Indian candidate from BN contest the newly-formed constituency of Wangsa Maju, on the grounds that there were over 100,000 Indian voters in Kuala Lumpur. "I suggested an Indian should be a candidate but I don't know what happened along the way, but the seat was given to MCA, on loan. "Now MCA is returning it to (Umno) because they are rational and understand the situation. "We (Umno) are not taking away any seats. BN has never done that because we discuss matters until we reach a consensus," said Tengku Adnan after officiating the 2013 KAR1SMA aid presentation programme in Putrajaya yesterday. Pressed further to confirm if Wangsa Maju will be contested by Umno, Tengku Adnan replied: "As of now, perhaps." Meanwhile, Chua declined to elaborate on the fate of incumbent Pandan MP Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, saying negotiations with Najib are still underway. The Chinese press had reported that Ong had received blessings from Najib to defend Pandan, which raised concerns among party leaders. He also confirmed he will not be contesting any seat to make way for fresh faces to represent the party. "I want to prove a point that I am fighting for a cause, that MCA is still relevant. So I will continue to lead the party without standing for elected public office," he added.

GE13: Analysts: Husam's chances of winning Putrajaya difficult Posted: 11 Apr 2013 01:19 PM PDT (fz.com) - In his bid for the Putrajaya parliamentary constituency, Datuk Husam Musa is expected to beat a path to only one destination – a journey into oblivion. Factors which might serve as stumbling blocks to the PAS vice-president are many. One of them is that he is an unknown contesting in a Barisan Nasional (BN) stronghold.   The other is the strong support from public servants for the legacy of the charismatic Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, the two-term incumbent who is close and popular among the constituents.   According to several political analysts, these factors are among several which will pose major obstacles for Husam to get the support of the 15,798 registered voters.   "Through Tengku Adnan, BN has an excellent service record in Putrajaya. What more, he also established the Putrajaya Umno division," Datuk Dr Junaidy Abu Bakar told Bernama here yesterday.   The Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris deputy vice-chancellor (student affairs) said public servants in Putrajaya and nationwide leaned towards the BN government which was responsible for the current healthy national economic environment.   "They definitely want (Prime Minister) Datuk Seri Najib Razak who has successfully transformed the government, to continue ruling, and by extension, the BN.   "Thus, PAS is confused and has calculated erroneously if it thinks Husam has a chance to win in the 13th general election.   "Or, maybe, PAS is not confused, after all. On the other hand, it could be gambling on Husam's political future as he is probably, unwelcome by other PAS leaders in Kelantan.   "And, the best way to marginalise him is by kicking him out of the state?" asked Junaidy. He noted that Husam was often mentioned as a potential replacement for Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, and this 'factor' was certainly not to the liking of his political rivals who might have similar aspirations. Read more at: http://fz.com/content/ge13-analysts-husams-chances-winning-putrajaya-difficult

Another sex scandal rocks PR Posted: 11 Apr 2013 01:15 PM PDT   (The Star) - Another sex scandal has rocked Pakatan Rakyat, this time involving a video implicating a high-ranking senior PAS leader. Political blog Kedahan69ers.com had first uploaded a four-second preview of the clip at about 8.30pm yesterday. It depicted a man resembling a PAS leader putting on his underpants while seated on the edge of a bed in what appeared to be a hotel room. The man was clad only in a white singlet. Later, another political blog Medan Info Kita uploaded a longer version of the video at 9.04pm. In addition to the previous footage, this 25-second teaser showed the man in bed with a woman in the same room and screenshots of the duo getting dressed separately. On this blog, it is stated that a source said the footage had been taken using a hidden camera placed directly across the bed in a hotel room. At about 11pm, the blog posted a few screengrabs from the video, some showing the man and the woman undressing, having sex and later getting dressed. Blogger PapaGomo also posted images taken from the video, which showed the woman clad in a white towel as well as the man dressed in a white singlet and loose white pants. Terengganu police have seized 16 VCDs allegedly depicting the sexual act of the man resembling the PAS politician. It is learnt the videos were distributed along with nude photos of the man in Jalan Sekolah and Taman Hidayah in Besut, Terengganu, at about 7.40am yesterday. Terengganu CID chief Asst Comm K. Manoharan said the VCDs and the photos were packed in envelopes. "Villagers who alerted the police claimed several unknown men distributed the items. Police personnel were dispatched to the scene and seized the items," he said yesterday. ACP Manoharan said no arrest had been made and called on witnesses to help with investigations.

MCA president to sit out May 5 election Posted: 11 Apr 2013 01:13 PM PDT   (Straits Times) - MALAYSIAN Chinese Association president Chua Soi Lek has announced he is not a candidate in this general election, the first time that a sitting MCA president has opted out from contesting national polls. "I will be leading the charge in the election campaign running up to the polls but will not be offering myself as a candidate," he said in a statement yesterday. This is part of a "renewal process" to groom new leaders, he said. The MCA is the second-largest party in Prime Minister Najib Razak's Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, after Umno. The decision to avoid the contest suggests pressure on Datuk Seri Chua from the opposition, which is gaining in the contest for the Chinese vote, as well as forces within his own coalition. It also comes among widespread speculation on who will stand and who will be dropped as Malaysia heads into its most keenly contested election in years. As PM Najib's BN fights to retain power, it would not want to field anyone not considered a "winnable candidate". Chinese support for the MCA has waned since 2008, and Dr Chua previously warned that the trend could lead to the community having no representation in a future BN government. The status and electability of Dr Chua, 66, has been a topic of speculation. In 2008, a secretly filmed video was leaked showing him having extramarital sex. He resigned from all ministerial and party posts, and did not contest the 2008 general election. He came back to helm the MCA in 2010, following a fierce internal power struggle after the party performed poorly in the 2008 elections. Dr Chua is now busy trying to quell dissent among MCA grassroots members over its diminished share of seats among BN component parties. At a press conference yesterday, he urged members to accept the "loan" of seats to allies, in the spirit of ensuring victory and harmony for the BN. Read more at: http://www.stasiareport.com/the-big-story/asia-report/malaysia-elections/news/story/mca-president-sit-out-may-5-election-2013041

Malaysians in Singapore scramble to make plans to vote Posted: 11 Apr 2013 01:11 PM PDT   (Straits Times) - MINUTES after Malaysia's election date was announced, Mr Lim Khoon Yang was at his computer feverishly searching for flights to Penang, his home state. The 30-year-old software developer, who has been working in Singapore for the past two years, has never voted before. Now, with the date of Malaysia's highly anticipated electoral contest finally revealed, he cannot wait to be home for the May 5 polls. "I'm so relieved, I've been waiting for far too long," he said. Wednesday's announcement galvanised some of the 400,000 Malaysians living in Singapore. While not all will be going home, especially those who failed to register in time, those who did register are scrambling to make travel plans. Postal voting was finally allowed for overseas Malaysians this year, but not for those living in Singapore, Brunei, southern Thailand and Kalimantan in Indonesia. Malaysians in these places must return to cast their vote. A check with four coach companies that operate buses from Singapore to Malaysia revealed that tickets for the weekend of May 5 are running out or fully sold for destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Taiping, Ipoh and Penang. Tickets have also been selling fast for buses leaving on May 1 and the night of April 30. May 1 is Labour Day, a public holiday in both Singapore and Malaysia. Some customers do not care what time the bus leaves, so long as they get a ticket, said Mr Leong Ying Ken, a manager at Golden Coach Express. Five Stars Tours, which has 50 buses going to Malaysia every day, is considering doubling services to 100 a day for the May 5 weekend. Read more at: http://www.stasiareport.com/the-big-story/asia-report/malaysia-elections/news/story/malaysians-singapore-scramble-make-plans-vot

BN woos Indian votes but indifferent to Hindus Posted: 11 Apr 2013 01:08 PM PDT It is appalling that the higher-ups in the civil service are totally not bothered about Hindu sensitivities, observes P Ramakrishnan citing his experience with medication supplied at a general hospital. The Prime Minister and the Barisan Nasional have been very busy going after the Indian Malaysian votes. They seem to be addressing some issues to pacify the Indians in their attempt to win them. The Indian vote is very crucial to the BN and they are desperately trying to woo them. But it would appear that they are not bothered about the sensitivities of the Hindus. It is appalling that the higher ups in the civil service are totally not bothered about Hindu sensitivities. They are indifferent and insensitive to the Hindus. One good example is the medication that is provided by the General Hospital. Those suffering from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) have been put on the medication 'Duspatalin'. I am one of those taking this medicine for a number of years. This particular medication was easily available for some years now. But when I went for my supply in February, I was given 'Mebetin' capsules and the packaging was different. When queried, the explanation was that it is the same medicine – only the packaging was different. On reaching home, my wife examined the box containing the medicine. Horror of horrors, she discovered printed on the box the wording "Bovine coated". Immediately, she alerted me and told me that as an Hindu I couldn't take it as there was a beef extract added to the medicine. We went back to the hospital, met up with the pharmacist and told him of my predicament. He understood my problem, went to the back of the store and came back with 80 tablets of Duspatalin. That was all they had, he told me. Another pharmacist, an Indian, came to see me and assured me that she would bring this to the notice of those above her. I was told that I would be contacted the following week. But there was no call so I went to see them. This time they told me that they were trying to source the Duspatalin and had not been successful. In the meantime I went to my private pharmacy to make enquiries. Fortunately they had this supply of Duspatalin. I went back to inform the hospital but I was told that they managed to source from the Bukit Mertajam hospital. When I went back for my supply of Duspatalin in March, I was happy that it was available. I remarked that all Hindus must be receiving this from now onwards. "No", he told me, "you are the only one in Penang receiving this." When I asked why, the reply was that I was the only one who complained! This is preposterous! Most patients simply consume the medicine given to them. They hardly read the write-up; there are others who can't read and therefore they are not aware that certain medicines are "bovine coated". Also, many don't understand what is "bovine". My wife is on Omeprazole for her gastritis. She has been on it for a number of years. In March when she went for her supply, she was given Omerprazole capsule, the packaging of which was different. She was assured that it was the same medicine. On reaching home, she discovered that this was also "Bovine coated". I had occasion to discuss this problem with a doctor when I went for my next consultation. I asked him why this was not raised with the higher-ups. His reply was that they had but the response from those above was, "They are a minority. If they don't want to take, they don't have to take." This kind of attitude is totally unacceptable. They are callous and indifferent and they don't deserve to be where they are. They are a disgrace to the human race! In the past, medicine used to be porcine coated. The Ministry of Health rightly stopped this in deference to the sensitivities of the Muslims. This is the correct thing to do. By the same token, the sensitivities of the Hindus should have been addressed as well and taken care of. But it was not and deliberately so. If the Prime Minister was not aware, no one can blame him or fault him. But now that it has been revealed what would be his reaction? Would he condemn those insensitive people who are not bothered? Would he direct the Ministry of Health to stop this indifferent attitude and put a stop to this atrocious behaviour? Will he address the sensitivities of the Hindus as astutely as he is wooing the Indian votes?

Tindak Malaysia challenges Tunku Aziz to respect & the EC to Enforce the Voter’s Right to ... Posted: 11 Apr 2013 12:57 PM PDT   It appears to be a concerted attack on Tindak Malaysia by a person who have not attended our polling agent training programmes. Yet he took it upon himself to condemn us. We are very sad and disappointed with Tunku Aziz's allegations. pywong, Tindak Malaysia  We refer to Tunku Aziz's accusations against Tindak Malaysia of plotting to cause chaos in: FMT of 10th Apr 2013 Bersih, Pakatan accused of using dirty tactics, New Straits Times of 11th Apr 2013 PKR, groups 'plotting to cause chaos', Prime time news on TV3 on 10th Apr 2013, TheStar dated 11th Apr 2013 (although our name was not mentioned), The Sin Chew Daily on 10th Apr 2013. WHO ARE WE? Tindak Malaysia is an electoral movement made up of Malaysian volunteers who care for and want to do our bit for the nation. We do it through voter education and polling agent training for the public.  Our strategy is To Educate, To Empower, To Mobilize and To Act. Our Goal is to Free and Fair Elections WHY US? We are puzzled why the Election Commission (EC) would make use of Tunku Aziz to do their dirty work of demonizing Tindak Malaysia for them? Are they afraid to face Tindak Malaysia? Since July 2012, after their one and only briefing for Tindak Malaysia at EC HQ in Putrajaya on the polling process and indelible ink, we have been trying to engage the EC in more dialogue to clarify and improve the polling procedures. We sent repeated emails to them seeking clarification. It was only when everything else failed that we had to resort to press releases and videos to reach out to the public to explain what are the problems with the current polling process. And they are serious problems. WATCH OUR VIDEOS You can study some of the problems at YouTube, myDurianTV (or bit.ly/myDurianTVinTM): EP03 Indelible Ink, EP04 Phantom Voters, EP05 Hidden Dot plus a few more coming up on Transparency in the voting process, Election Cost and Time available for a voter to vote). ROLE-PLAY DEMO ON 'AJARAN SESAT' We even invited the EC Chairman and Deputy Chairman to come for an 'Ajaran Sesat' Role-play Demo this Sat, 13th Apr 2013 from 2pm – 6pm at S20, Mosaic Community Studio at Bandar Utama Center Point, PJ to review and correct us on our training methods. We will present through role-play with the participation of the audience to identify which parts would constitute 'ajaran sesat'. And if they are too 'busy' to attend, to send their experts on law and polling processes instead. WHAT IS THE ISSUE? Finally, after all the sound and fury created by Tunku Aziz, if we are to clear through the smoke and obfuscations, what really is the issue? The EC is an election management body appointed by the Yang DiPertuan Agong on the basis of public confidence in them.  The issue "Is this election managed by the EC for": UMNO/BN, or The Rakyat? If an election is managed for the Rakyat, why is Randomizationan issue? WHAT IS RANDOMIZATION? Randomization is a process whereby ballot papers are issued to a voter from anywhere inside the ballot book so that no one can match the serial no. of the ballot paper with a voter, in order to protect the secrecy of his vote. During the public hearing by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reform (PSC) during Dec 2011 in Kota Kinabalu, the Deputy Chairman of the PSC enthusiastically supported Tindak Malaysia's proposal on randomization. Or least he appeared to be. He even went to the extent of suggesting that the EC clerk should tear the whole ballot book, place the ballot paper face down and allow a voter to choose any piece. Unfortunately, this was not included in the 22 recommendations in the final report of the PSC issued in Apr 2012. WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Tindak Malaysia has trained thousands of Malaysians on voter education and polling agent training all over the country. Talking to the people, a constant theme kept recurring. Voters do not trust the EC and were worried that their votes were not secret.  ELECTION INCIDENCES This was reinforced when: · BN politicians go round threatening the people "We know how you vote!"  · EC Clerks record the voter reference no. on the ballot paper counterfoil even though it is an election offence since May 2006, · Presiding officers recite the serial no. of the ballot paper as a voter enters the polling station (Apr 2011, SK Tanjung, Batu Danau, Sarawak), again an election offence, WHY ARE EC OFFICIALS ABLE TO ACT WITH SUCH IMPUNITY? Because Section 6 of the Election Offences Act states: Offences against this Part 6. (4) A prosecution for an offence under this Part shall not be instituted without the sanction of the Public Prosecutor. Like Prime Minister Najib Razak declared in the Sibu By-election in May 2010 "You help me, I help you!" WE HAVE A CRISIS! Public Confidence in the EC is at a rock-bottom and Public Confidence of the EC members is a requirement specified Federal Constitution Article 114 (2). If they cannot command the confidence of the public, they should do the proper thing and step down. Instead they try every trick possible to frustrate the people's desire for Free and Fair Elections. And instead of facing the problems head-on, the UMNO/BN and the EC resort to propaganda warfare through the Mainstream Media to demonize their critics and then send in the Police to harass them. IS VOTER SECRECY PROTECTED BY LAW? Voter secrecy is protected under the following Election Acts or Regulations: · Election Act, Section 13 (2) states that the vote shall be secret. · Election Offences Act, Section 5 Maintenance of secrecy at elections. · Section 9 Undue influence · Conduct of Elections, Regulation 13 (3) requires a screen at the voting counter to maintain secrecy. · Regulation 19 (2) As each voter requests for a ballot paper….. This does not specify that the ballot paper has to be issued sequentially. There is no prohibition against a voter asking for a random paper. · Regulation 19 (5), (7) & ( all support the requirement to maintain secrecy of voting. So Tindak Malaysia challenge: Tunku Aziz to declare that he respects the Voter's Right to Secrecy At Elections & the EC to Enforce the Voter's Right to Secrecy At Elections! To the EC: Implement Randomization for this election to prove your sincerity. REPEAT INVITATION TO BOTH TUNKU AZIZ AND THE EC.  Come, if you dare, this Sat 13th Apr 2013, 2pm – 6pm at S20, Mosaic Community Studio, Bandar Utama Center Point to have a dialogue with us in presence of the public and the Press. Don't hide behind the Mainstream media and throw your wild accusations at Tindak Malaysia. By the way, Tunku, you really should do your homework. It is clear you have not attended any of Tindak Malaysia's PACABA Training. If you had and if you had asked about randomization, you would have known: In a meeting in October last year, Pakatan Rakyat and BERSIH 2.0 pleaded with us to stop the teaching of randomization. They explained that the Deputy EC Chairman in an election briefing in Johor Bahru claimed: "We have consulted with the Attorney General on the issue of randomization and the advice we got is that any voter who asks for randomization will be "invited" to leave the polling station without being given the ballot paper."  We were shocked that the EC would countenance such an act. Under Section 4(d) of the EOA, it is an election offence to prevent a legitimate voter from voting. The penalty is two years jail or up to five thousand ringgit fine or both.  Why would the EC would put their presiding officers at risk and resort to such a measure to prevent a voter from ensuring the secrecy of his vote? Is it to inflict fear in the voter? If a voter had his finger marked by Kerani Pengundian KP2 and then have his ballot paper refused by KP3 because he asked for randomization, and evicted, he would be in a very difficult situation. There could be chaos if the EC resorted to such underhand tactics to prevent randomization. To avoid the risk of the EC abusing their powers and prevent a voter from voting, Tindak Malaysia has since Oct 2012 stopped the teaching of randomization. When a participant queried us why we stopped teaching randomization, we explained that we had to avoid chaos in the polling station and the risk of a voter losing his vote. We told them "If you see randomization in the polling station, you will know that particular presiding officer is fair and respects your right to secrecy of voting. If you don't see randomization, you know that the EC is trying to cheat you. In that case, punish them by voting accordingly!" Regards, Py wong  Tindak Malaysia pywong@tindakmalaysia.com Forum www.tindakmalaysia.com Registration www.network.tindakmalaysia.com/ Personal - wong piang yow Tindak Malaysia - tindakmalaysia.com  Malaysia Electoral Reform Program - 1 Juta Rakyat Menyokong Reformasi Sistem Pilihan Raya FAQ - Tanya Tanya Tindak Malaysia - Ask Tindak Rat Race System - Malaysians4Change Malaysians4Change - piang yow wong http://bit.ly/myDurianTVinTM myDurianTV

Surgical Removal of UMNO from the Malaysian Body Politics Posted: 11 Apr 2013 12:51 PM PDT Fernz the Great  MAY 5 OPERATION ON FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER "MALAYSIA" 55 years ago the British colonial masters surgically embedded a slimy parasitic reptile species UMNO to colonise the Malayan body politic. Then 50 years ago Sabah and Sarawak were grafted to Malaya into a Frankenstein monster. This parasite fed on and grew fat inside all 3 countries and is called "Malaysia". The name "mala" in Latin means "bad" - and nothing has been good for the artificial country as it became infested with all sorts of parasites. "Malaysia" has become the anaemic "sick man" of South-east Asia, filled with mutated parasites called "BN politicians" that have so infested its body that it can longer longer function as a healthy body. On May 5 2013, a major surgical operation will be carried out by the people to extract the UMNO snake and purge its hanger-ons. Although it is expected that the damage can be reduced, the parasites may not be fully purged. It may be necessary to detach Sabah and Sarawak from Malaya to save the 2 countries.    Eel Removed From Man After Getting Stuck, Chewing Through Colon (GRAPHIC PHOTOS) Do not try this at home. Do not try this anywhere. Just do not try it. A man in China's southeastern Guangdong province admitted himself to a local hospital after he reportedly got a live eel stuck inside him. According to British tabloid The Sun, the man inserted the 20-inch-long Asian swamp eel into his anus after seeing it done in a porn movie, and he had to endure all-night surgery to have it extracted. According to a HuffPost translation of a blogger's post on Chinese message board forum Mop.com, the eel reportedly chewed through the man's colon, perforating his large intestine, and became stuck in his body cavity. A graphic X-ray image (seen below) shows how far inside the eel was when the man came in for treatment. Medical team members reportedly said the eel, which was "simply trying to find its way out," was alive when removed but died shortly thereafter. According to The Sun, the man is still recovering at the hospital and might face animal cruelty charges. The Asian swamp eel -- also known as the rice eel or rice paddy eel -- is a snake-shaped fish that is commonly sold live at food markets in East Asian countries. Although this type of eel is known as an invasive species in parts of the United States, this isn't the first time that it's made its way into (ahem) foreign habitats. In 2012, a New Zealand man had to have an eel removed from his posterior. In 2010, a Chinese man died after his friends allegedly inserted an eel into his rectum as a joke. WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES An X-ray image shows how far inside the man's body the eel was able to get. This photo, provided by Europics, shows the eel after it was removed from the man.

Malaysia's Rancid Election Posted: 11 Apr 2013 12:40 PM PDT There are fears of violence, but observers think they're overblown - or hope they are John Bethelsen, Asia Sentinel  Malaysia's May 5 national elections are taking place against the backdrop of the most rancid ethnic and political atmosphere since 1969, when race riots shook the nation and led to the deaths of hundreds of ethnic Malays and Chinese. Campaigning, which technically is limited to the period after the election commission sets the date, has been going on for as much as two years as the ruling Barisan Nasional slugged it out with the Pakatan Rakyat. With 13 million voters registered, an estimated 25 percent of them are going to the polls for the first time, delivering what has been called a real wild card. While inflation, educational opportunity, corruption and crime are issues, they pale against the questions of power and race.  Two NGOs held a joint press conference Wednesday, asking the Australian and UK governments and the United Nations to put pressure on Malaysia to ensure that the elections will be fair and free. The government has refused to allow international observers and in February stopped Australian senator Nick Xenophon at the airport and expelled him when he tried to enter the country after producing an international fact-finding report that accused the election commission of gerrymandering districts in favor of the government.  The organizations are the international wings of Bersih, the election reform NGO, and Suaram, a human rights NGO. Supporters of the Barisan Nasional allege that the two organizations are closely aligned with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, which both organizations vehemently deny, saying they are independent organizations seeking to clean up politics. In the press conference, the two groups alleged that political violence, death threats and widespread electoral fraud are escalating, which is clearly true although seasoned political observers in Kuala Lumpur say things aren't as bad as the two say, and that in fact those committing the ugly acts are a small minority who do not appear likely to infect the larger society. "There's truth to many of the things they said at the press conference," said a longtime political observer. "But I think they are stretching it a little too much. At the end of it, Malaysians in general - across all religions and races - have shown they won't be baited by these guys. I am hoping that the vast majority will remain this way despite the provocations. Still, there is an imminent threat that things may turn bad." Still, that observer said he and others with the means intend to vote early and leave the country in case of violence, staying away until they see how things shape up. Read more here

Response to letter published in Malaysia Today Posted: 11 Apr 2013 12:01 PM PDT   I refer to the Letter to the Editor which appeared in Malaysia Today on 28 March 2013 with relation to the MRT. We would like to thank the writer for the feedback on the Klang Valley MRT Project. We however would like to respond to some of the points made by the writer and correct inaccurate assertions made. We are happy that the writer understands that the Klang Valley is in dire need of a good public transport system. Everyone recognises that a good public transport system is needed for Kuala Lumpur to continue to grow economically and at the same time, be one of the most liveable cities in the world. Without good urban rail with the MRT forming a major component of this network, the roads of Kuala Lumpur will be choked, bringing about dire consequences not only in terms of economic growth, but also to the quality of life of its denizens. The writer was however incorrect in saying that the MRT is being built a couple of feet away from these houses of Jalan Kasah in Medan Damansara. What is being built now is a retaining wall and NOT the MRT viaduct. With the retaining wall, a new slow lane for the Kuala Lumpur-bound side of the Sprint Highway can be created. This new lane will compensate for the fast lane of the highway which is being taken for the MRT viaduct. The MRT therefore will run in the middle of the Sprint Highway and not metres behind the houses along Jalan Kasah. The writer is also wrong in stating that the MRT alignment is 4m of Peninsula Residence at Jalan Semantan, and that Sinaran Apartments and the houses at Pinggir Zaaba are "similarly affected". Peninsular Residence is at least 6m from the MRT alignment while the others are even further away. While the Railways (Protection Zone) Regulations 1998 is meant to prohibit new buildings from being constructed less than 6m of a railway alignment, this 6m distance is generally followed when constructing new railways. This MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line is no exception. On the point about the law permitting tunnelling under private property, the current land laws do not precisely determine the depth of land ownership. As such, acquisition under public purpose will be needed for even for tunnelling, no different from acquisition of surface land to build a railway above ground. Otherwise, issues of trespass will arise. While permitting alienation of underground land, this right to exercise this rests solely with the owner. To avert acquisition of private property, Mass Rapid Transit Corporation Sdn Bhd has taken the initiative to negotiate with the owners to obtain the right to go beneath their properties without the surface property being disturbed. One can appreciate the complexities of these negotiations. However, we are greatly encouraged as we have been successful in most cases. Thank you.   Best regards, MRT CORPORATION SDN BHD   AMIR MAHMOOD RAZAK Director

The consistency of change (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 11 Apr 2013 06:17 AM PDT Today, I oppose everything I propagated back in the 1990s. Today, I believe in sexual freedom and your right to a gay lifestyle. Today, I believe in your right to atheism and your right to turn your back on religion. Today, I no longer believe in many things I used to believe in even as recent as when I first stated Malaysia Today back in 2004. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin 'The consistency of change' is itself an oxymoron. It is like military intelligence. Since when is killing an intelligent thing? Or new politics! The 'struggle' between Cain and Abel was a political thing. Hence politics is so old how can there be such a thing as new politics when politics itself is about power that resulted in humankind's first act of murder? But that is what I want to call my piece today -- The consistency of change -- mainly because if you change then you would not be perceived as consistent. And that is what I want to talk about today, that I am consistent about change. And I want to talk about that issue because of the comments posted in Malaysia Today about how inconsistent I am for having changed since pre-2008. You may have known me only since 2007, as most of you would have. If you had known me in 1963 when I first entered MCKK you would have known a different Raja Petra Kamarudin. In 1963 I was reserved and aloof. I never spoke much and remained very silent. I never mixed and did not have any friends. I eventually left MCKK three years later because I was so lonely and unhappy and could not fit in to the all-Malay environment. I cried like a baby and begged my father to allow me to go home. I lived in a world of my own. I walked around with a radio in my hand and slept with my headphones long before such a thing became fashionable more than 20 years later. I surrounded myself with music from The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. That was in 1963 and I was just 13 at that time. Then, three years later, I broke out of my shell and 'ran' with the bad boys of the Long Fu Tong of Petaling Street. I learned how to fight and carried a knife in my pocket. I even got arrested at 17 for my gang activities. I was never charged for any crime, though, but that woke me up. I realised I did not want to spend the rest of my life in jail. I then started dating and went steady with the girl who is now my wife, Marina. Nevertheless, Marina had to share me with my other love, my motorcycle. Marina did not like motorcycles but she knew she had to accept my motorcycle as part of her life if she wanted to be with me. And soon after that she climbed onto the back of my motorcycle and we became the terror of Kuala Lumpur. Then, in August 1971, my father died. I was just 20 going on 21 and the world that I had known shattered. Less than two years later Marina and I got married and soon after that we got our first child, a daughter. Within a short space of two years I saw the death of my father, got married, and got a child. And, yet again, my life changed. By then, of course, I had sold off the motorcycle that I loved so much and had 'settled down' to what I would consider a stable life. Soon after our daughter was born, we migrated to Kuala Terengganu and started a business. That was during the 1974 recession and life was very difficult then. Three years later, I made my first million and, yet again, my life changed. I now had only one interest in life, which can be summed up in three words -- money, money, money. I just wanted to make more millions, and I did, though not necessarily the moral or legal way. I discovered the world of corruption and how you can make plenty of money by bribing your way through life. But the euphoria of making money did not last. I suppose once you make it then it is not that enchanting any longer. I drank, I gambled, I partied -- and I made even more money by 'donating' large sums to Umno to win huge government contracts. At least five million flowed through my hands into Umno's coffers in exchange for RM120 million in contracts over 20 years -- which I already wrote about in my 20-series episode about my journey in life not being a straight line. Along the way I got infected with a serious case of conscience. That was in the days of Anwar Ibrahim and ABIM and the Islamic Revolution of Iran in 1979 -- which I have also written about in my 20-series episode. My drinking, gambling and partying ended abruptly. I studied the Qur'an, the entire collection of Hadith Sahih Al Bukhari and the whole series of Tafsiran Al Qur'an by Haji Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah a.k.a. Hamka, who died in 1981 at age 73. In 1981 I did my first of ten trips to Mekah to do my Haj and became a Muslim fundamentalist in love with the Islamic Revolution. I wanted the same Islamic Revolution to happen in Malaysia and for Malaysia to be turned into the Islamic Republic of Malaysia. I wanted to see the end of Western-style democracy and the English Westminster system of Parliament and for the corrupt Monarchy to be abolished. That journey did not last as well. I soon gave up business because I could not be a successful businessman in Malaysia without also indulging in corruption. But I did not find solace in the aspirations of the Islamic Revolution either. I began to see the Revolution not as the saviour of the people but the enemy of free will. I began to hold to the ideals of free will and could no longer accept the doctrine of enforcement. Heaven and hell may exist. Maybe even God does exist. But you should have free will as to whether to accept the existence of God and, if you do, whether you wish to choose heaven or hell as your final resting place. Free will means free will and religion denies you this free will. In 1995, if you had asked me whether I believed in the Islamic State and the Islamic Sharia law of Hudud, I would have said yes. Those of you who have read what I wrote back then would know this, especially those DAP people who used to whack me in Sang Kancil back in the mid-1990s. Today, I oppose everything I propagated back in the 1990s. Today, I believe in sexual freedom and your right to a gay lifestyle. Today, I believe in your right to atheism and your right to turn your back on religion. Today, I no longer believe in many things I used to believe in even as recent as when I first stated Malaysia Today back in 2004. So, yes, the Raja Petra Kamarudin of today is different from the Raja Petra Kamarudin of 2004 or of 1994 or of 1984 or of 1974 or of 1964. And if you can't accept that then that is your problem, not mine. So stop posting comments in Malaysia Today about how I have changed. I have changed. So what? I change all the time. I have changed many times. Change is the only thing consistent about me. Change is called hijrah. In Islam, hijrah is the most important thing. Prophet Muhammad also did his hijrah. Hijrah is so important in Islam that the Islamic calendar is called the Hijrah calendar and starts from the date of the hijrah. And hijrah means change. You hijrah from one lifestyle to another and from one doctrine to another. And you hijrah with your conscience as your guide. And my conscience is clear. My conscience guides me as to what is right and what is wrong. And I know what is right and what is wrong. And just because you want to do the wrong thing because you think it is the right thing does not make you right and me wrong. ******************************************* 不變的改變 到了今天，我是反對我在1990年間所傳播的思想的。到了今天，我是相信性自主和個人奉行同性戀生活方式的權利的。到了今天，我是不相信很多我在MT開網初期（即2004年）時所相信的東西的。 原文：Raja Petra Kamarudin 譯文：方宙 '不變的改變'是一個充滿矛盾的詞，正如military intelligence般（即軍事情報，不過在英文裏intelligence 也含'聰明'的意思，所以（軍方）殺人又怎能算聰明呢？）。新政治也是另一個例子；该隐和亚伯 （Cain and Abel, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cain_and_Abel )的紛爭其實就是政治紛爭的一種，因爲正如政治般，他們爲了權力而鬥爭進而促成了人類史上第一宗謀殺案。所以說政治是件很老的東西，哪來的新政治呢？ 無論如何，我還是想用'不變的改變'這個矛盾詞為這篇文章的標題，因爲只要你做出改變別人就不會看你為'一貫如常'的。而我今天想講的是，我一直是從未間斷地改變著。MT有很多留言都談到08年以后我變了很多，我今天就要和你們談談我的改變。 你們當中很多人是從2007年才開始認識我的。如果你打從1963年就認識剛進MCKK 的我，那現在你看到的將會是個完全不同的Raja Petra Kamarudin。1963 的我是很文靜且自閉的，我很少開口説話。我在3年后就因爲太孤獨和融入不了MCKK的全馬來人環境而退學，我當時哭得像嬰兒般地哀求我父親帶我回家。 我生活在我自己的小天地裏，我整天拿著個錄音機到處溜達而且還會帶著耳機睡覺（帶著耳機睡覺是在離當時20年后才流行起來的）。1963年時我還是個謎上The Beatles 和The Rolling Stones的13嵗小伙，但就在3年后我就沖出我的'斯文外殼'和茨厂街龍虎堂的小混混們混在一塊。我開始學習打架，而且我會隨身帶刀。我甚至還在17嵗那年因私會黨活動而進監牢。 雖然當時我並沒有入罪，但那次經驗把我打醒了。我知道我不要在監獄裏度過一生。爾後，我開始和我現在的妻子瑪麗娜 Marina交往。當時瑪麗娜很討厭摩多車，但她知道如果他要和我在一起的話她必須得和我的'第二老婆'----摩多車----共存。她過後終于上了我摩多車的后座，和我一起成爲了吉隆坡馬路上的飈車族。 1971年8月，我的父親過世。我當時才20嵗，我發現我所知道的世界都破碎了。兩年后，我和瑪麗娜並生下我們的第一個女兒。在短短的兩年裏，我經過了亡父、結婚、生子等大事，但我生命的改變並沒有停下。我當時當然已經把我心愛的摩多車給賣掉，然後想過個安穩的生活。 我在我女兒出生后就搬到瓜拉登嘉樓生活。當時正好是1974年經濟低迷，生活艱苦的時候。但在3年以後，我賺了我第一個1百萬，我的人生又再改變了。我當時眼裏只有3個字：錢，錢，錢。我只想賺到第二個1百萬，而我做到了，當然我的手法也許並不是太正當。我發現了貪污的世界，在裏面只要你給錢賄賂你就會賺到更多錢。 但是賺錢帶來的快感是很難持久的，我想儅你真的賺到錢以後，它其實看起來並不是那麽的迷人。我開始喝酒，賭博，辦派對。而我也通過'捐款'給巫統來取得政府合同，進而賺取更多錢。在往後20年其間我至少把5百萬放進了巫統的庫房裏來換取1億2千萬的合同。這些都是我之前在' my journey in life not being a straight line'系列裏寫過的。 在這期間，我的良心開始受到譴責，尤其是1979年伊朗回教革命和遇到安華和ABIM后。我開始戒賭戒酒 ，開始鑽研可蘭經。我把整套布哈里聖訓Hadith Sahih Al Bukhari 給讀完，也把 Haji Abdul Malik Karim Amrullah a.k.a. Hamka 所註釋的可蘭經給看完。（Hamka在1981 以73嵗高齡去世） 1981年，我去了我人生10次麥加朝聖之旅的第一次朝聖之旅。我變成了伊斯蘭原教旨主義者和回教革命的忠實擁護者。我想把回教革命帶來馬來西亞，要把馬來西亞變成一個伊斯蘭共和國。我要看到西方民主的結束，英國西敏寺式國會的沒落， 和腐敗帝制的終結。 那個旅程也沒有持久。往後我也很快的放棄了我的生意，因爲不通過賄賂我沒法再馬來西亞做生意。與此同時，我在回教革命理念裏找不到慰藉，我開始看到這個革命並不是人民的救贖而是自由意志的敵人。我開始擁護自由意志這個理念而摒棄鉗制主意。 天堂和地獄有可能是真的，上帝也有可能是真的。但接不接受上帝的存在應該是你的自由。如果你接受上帝的存在，那選擇天堂或地獄也是你的自由。自由就是自由，而宗教會否認你這個自由。 如果你在1995年問我是否應該落實回教法，我會回答'是'。你們如果有人讀到我當時寫的文章，你們應該是很清楚的。尤其是行動黨，當年他們曾在政治網站Sang Kancil（http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M._G._G._Pillai）裏干屌過我呢。 到了今天，我是反對我在1990年間所傳播的思想的。到了今天，我是相信性自主和個人奉行同性戀生活方式的權利的。到了今天，我是不相信很多我在MT開網初期（即2004年）時所相信的東西的。 今天的 Raja Petra Kamarudin 是和2004年、1994年、84年、74年、64年的Raja Petra Kamarudin 大所不同的。如果你接受不了的話那是你的問題，不是我的問題。 所以請別再MT上留言說我怎麽怎麽改變了。我是改了，然後呢？我一直在改變，我多次地改變，改變是我唯一沒改過的東西。 在回教裏，改變稱爲'Hijrah'（在馬來文裏Hijrah也代表先知穆罕默德到麦地那的迁移）。Hijrah 在回教是很重要的。先知穆罕默德也曾作出他的Hijrah。Hijrah是重要到連穆斯林也要把他們的日曆稱爲Hijrah日曆，而日曆的第一天就是 先知穆罕默德迁移的第一天。 Hijrah是改變的意思。你從一個生活方式Hijrah到另一個，你也從一個主義Hijrah到另一個，而你的Hijrah是由你的良心所主導的。我的良知是很清晰的，它主導我什麽是對什麽是錯，所以我知道什麽是對什麽是錯。就因爲你做了你認爲是對的錯事並不代表你是對的而我是錯的。

Umno files defamation suit against Tian Chua Posted: 10 Apr 2013 08:53 PM PDT (NST) - Umno has filed a defamation suit against Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Chua Tian Chang, better known as Tian Chua, over an article posted in KeadilanDaily.com relating to the Lahad Datu intrusion. The legal action filed through Messrs Hafarizam Wan & Aisha Mubarak last March 15 by Umno executive secretary Datuk Ab Rauf Yusoh also named KeadilanDaily.com editor Fazallah Pit and the writer of the article, Aisha Geoffrey, as defendants.   Counsel Nor Hazira Abu Haiyan, who represented Ab Rauf at the mention of the case today before Justice Rosilah Yop in chambers, said the court had fixed April 23 for Tian Chua, who is also Batu member of parliament, to file his defence and for case management.   In his statement of claim, the plaintiff alleged that Tian Chua had made disparaging statements against Umno during an interview by a portal journalist, which were posted through an article, 'Insiden tembakan di Lahad Datu konspirasi terancang Umno" (Shooting incident in Lahad Datu an Umno orchestrated conspiracy) on March 1.   Ab Rauf claimed that the PKR vice-president had damaged Umno's image as the intrusion in Lahad Datu involved the sovereignty of the country and was also a sensitive issue, with regard to the bloodshed and arbitrary claim on Sabah which rightly belonged to Malaysia.   According to the plaintiff, he sent a notice of claim dated March 4 to Tian Chua for the latter to issue a written public apology and to withdraw the defamatory statements but did not receive any response.

PSM: No three-cornered fights, please Posted: 10 Apr 2013 08:06 PM PDT PSM would be meeting PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim by this Sunday to settle the issue over the seats that it is contesting in Selangor.  K Pragalath, FMT Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) wants PKR to come to its senses and avoid any three-cornered fights. PSM maintains that if this happens, the only winner will be Barisan Nasional. The "troublesome" seats are Kota Damansara and Semenyih state seats in Selangor and Jelapang state seat and Sungai Siput parliamentary seat in Perak. Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to meet PSM on Sunday. The PKR list of candidates for Selangor will be announced on Sunday. Kota Damansara seat is held by PSM chairman Nasir Hashim. PSM secretary-general, S Arutchelvan, wants to contest in Semenyih. "We are supposed to meet Anwar by this Sunday to resolve this issue. We hope to come to some sort of compromise to avoid a three-cornered fight," said Arutchelvan. On Sunday night, Anwar would be announcing PKR's candidates list for Selangor in an event that would take place in Hulu Klang. The issue over the two seats was raised because PKR wants to field its candidates in both the seats. Last week, Arutchelvan confirmed that he would be contesting in Semenyih amidst attempts by a Serdang PKR leader Hamidi Hasan to go for the semi-urban seat located in Hulu Selangor parliamentary constituency. Selangor PKR wants to field its own candidate in the two seats because PSM had contested under PKR's banner in the last election held in 2008. "In the last election, they [PSM] contested under PKR's ticket, and they used our banner. However, I don't have the authority to make the decision or announcement. "I will let Anwar make the announcement this Sunday," said Batu Caves state assemblyman Amirudin Shari of PKR at the party headquarters today. Arutchelvan also said that in the event a three-cornered battle is unavoidable, the two states seats and Sungai Siput parliamentary seat in Perak would fall to BN. "Why allow BN to take over the seat when PSM is Pakatan-friendly? Our common goal is to take over federal government," he said and confirmed that PSM would back Pakatan in all the state and parliamentary seats in the event of a three-cornered fight. Best candidate PSM is contesting a total of four seats in the GE13. Apart from the three, the party is also fielding its deputy chairman M Sarasvathy for the Jelapang state seat in Perak. During GE12 held in 2008, PSM won the Kota Damansara and Sungai Siput seat respectively. Arutchelvan also expressed confidence that Jelapang would remain in the hands of Pakatan even if there was a three-cornered fight involving DAP, MCA and PSM. READ MORE HERE

PKR: No rift with PSM Posted: 10 Apr 2013 07:59 PM PDT PKR leaders R Sivarasa and Saifuddin Nasution, however, imply that they are not agreeable to Parti Sosialis Malaysia using its own logo to contest in the general election.  G Vinod, FMT PKR today denied any rift with Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) in regard to which party would be contesting for the Kota Damansara state seat. However, the party implied that it was not comfortable with PSM contesting using its own logo. "We are offering the Kota Damansara state seat and the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat to PSM provided they contest under any of the Pakatan Rakyat party logos," said PKR supreme council member R Sivarasa at a press conference held at the party headquarters. Also present was PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution. Recently, it was reported that Selangor PKR chief Azmin Ali had given the green light to lawyer Razlan Jalaludin to start campaigning for the Kota Damansara state seat. The seat is currently held by PSM chairman Nasir Hashim. "We're friends fighting together against a common enemy. I don't know why PKR is fussy about us. "To say that PKR has an issue with our socialist ideology doesn't make any sense… we never had any problems for the past five years," Nasir was reported saying. Elaborating on the matter, Saifuddin said the Pakatan presidential council had already advised PSM to contest using any of the opposition pact's party logo via a letter some time ago. "But we didn't receive any response from them. Since they are not part of the Pakatan pact, we advised them to use our logo," he said. Overlapping demands On why PSM was not admitted into Pakatan despite the former's application several months back, Saifuddin said, "I cannot answer that now. The issue now is about the logo." READ MORE HERE

Malaysia’s first buy-election (UPDATED with Chinese Translation) Posted: 10 Apr 2013 07:07 PM PDT And this was when the Pakatan Rakyat people said I was opposed to a change in government. I never said do not change the government, as what I was accused of saying. What I said was just changing the government would not see change unless we can accept the entire concept and full package of change. Changing the government without a revolutionary paradigm shift is merely old wine in a new bottle. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Free fishing nets for fishermen and annual good service incentive for taxi drivers are part of the Penang Pakatan manifesto. (Free Malaysia Today) - Pakatan Rakyat will give away two free fishing nets annually, one worth RM400 to RM500, to each onshore fisherman in Penang if it gains another mandate to rule the state. In a similar move, Pakatan is also throwing goodies to taxi drivers as well by giving them RM600 annually as a good service incentive. All these promises will feature in the state Pakatan manifesto scheduled to be launched at Hotel Vistana in Bayan Baru on April 15. Pakatan and PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to grace the event as the guest-of-honour. In announcing this today, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said between 5,000 and 6,000 fishermen and registered taxi drivers in the state would benefit from the programme. "These are 'peek' information on our manifesto," he told a press conference at Wisma DAP. Among Pakatan state leaders present were DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow and PKR vice-chairman Abdul Halim Hussain. All this while, Lim said successive state governments, including his Pakatan administration, have not carried out any welfare programmes to benefit these groups because those economic sectors were under the federal purview. He said Pakatan planned to give away the gifts because it did not want these groups to be marginalised and sidelined from state welfare benefits any longer. He believes Pakatan's gestures if implemented would be an incentive booster for both the fishery and tourism sectors. He clarified that taxi drivers would be all those who come under the universal understanding of taxis, which would include hired cars and airport limousines as well. If re-elected, he said, Pakatan would disburse the goodies correctly to only registered taxi drivers and active fishermen. Under Lim's administration, cash gifts were given out to senior citizens, single mothers, disabled persons and even for death. ************************************* It depends on how you want to look at it. Malaysia's 13th General Election is either the first Presidential Election between Najib Tun Razak and Anwar Ibrahim or it is the first buy-election where both sides are buying votes. In the past, the buying was very one-sided. It would normally be the government or Barisan Nasional buying the votes. Today, both sides are doing it. In that sense, Malaysia has finally achieved a two-party system. In fact, this is quite true -- that we are seeing the emergence of a two-party system. For the first time in history, Pakatan Rakyat has a real and genuine chance of forming the new federal government. This has never happened in the past. Today, even the top bosses in Barisan Nasional admit that there is a clear and present danger that the ruling party may actually lose power. The bad thing about this is that the top bosses in Pakatan Rakyat know this. In fact, even the taxi drivers and vegetable sellers in the market know this. And because of this Pakatan Rakyat and its supporters have turned arrogant and over-confident while those from Barisan Nasional have become very worried and extremely cautious. Arrogance and over-confidence is bad. It causes you to make mistakes. Very worried and extremely cautious is good. You never take things for granted. If I were asked how I would rate the chances, I would say that Pakatan Rakyat has a chance of winning 95-100 Parliament seats. It also has a chance of retaining Kelantan and Penang but with a slightly reduced majority in both federal and state seats. Barisan Nasional can win 80-82 Parliament seats in West Malaysia and 30-35 in East Malaysia. The 'non-aligned' parties from East Malaysia can sweep about 12-15 seats with about 10-12 going to DAP (from the current two). For all intents and purposes, we are going to see a hung-parliament of sorts with the 'third force', if I may be permitted to call it that, deciding who gets to form the federal government. Selangor, Perak, Sabah and Negeri Sembilan are, at this point of time, a 50:50 situation (as are the 13 Wilayah Persekutuan Parliament seats where it is 7:6 in Pakatan Rakyat's favour from currently 10:3). These four states can go either way and there are just too many 'internal factors' from both sides that will determine the outcome (selection of candidates being one main factor). And that is why I say Malaysia, at last, is seeing a two-party system emerging with the third force being the kingmaker. Is that good? Well, it depends on your Christmas wish. If you wish to see Barisan Nasional retain power with a two-thirds (or close to two-thirds) majority then it is not good. If you wish to see Pakatan Rakyat take over then it is also not good. But if you want to see a balance of power with no one political grouping having absolute power then it will definitely be good. If you can remember what I wrote soon after the 2008 General Election regarding a two-party system and a unity government (which the majority of you profusely opposed) then you can see that the last scenario would be very palatable to me. If you can remember why I mooted the idea of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) in 2010 and why we launched the 'Independent Candidates Initiative' (targeted at a minimum of 10 and a maximum of 30 candidates), and which also many of you profusely opposed, you will also see that the last scenario would be very palatable to me.    Unfortunately, the two-party system, the unity government, the Independent Candidates Initiative, etc., all did not go down well with the majority of you. In fact, the top leadership of Pakatan Rakyat made it very clear that they would not support all these ideas. To add insult to injury, they even said that Barisan Nasional was behind MCLM and that the objective was to trigger three-corner fights to help Barisan Nasional win the election. I could see that not many could accept new ideas when they feel that Barisan Nasional is finished and that Pakatan Rakyat is poised to take over. Why the need for new ideas when you have practically won the fight? Only if you do not win do you need new ideas on how to win. No doubt, everyone is talking about change. However, to most people, change merely means changing the government. I do not disagree with changing the government. Hell, even here in the UK I became a member of the opposition party and voted opposition so that we could see a change in government. But what I was trying to impress upon Malaysians was that change means more than just changing the government. Change needs to come in a bigger package than just changing the government. And this was when the Pakatan Rakyat people said I was opposed to a change in government. I never said do not change the government, as what I was accused of saying. What I said was just changing the government would not see change unless we can accept the entire concept and full package of change. Changing the government without a revolutionary paradigm shift is merely old wine in a new bottle. But that argument was lost on most people. Hence what I needed to do was to sit back and allow the 13th General Election to play itself out. One of the issues I raised that needed addressing to avoid three-corner fights, inter-party bickering, intra-party bickering, internal sabotage, and so on, was by deciding on the seat allocation and choice of candidates early and not at the eleventh hour. Today, we are seeing the logic in that appeal we made to Pakatan Rakyat and I really need say no more about the matter. If the 13th General Election is going to be decided by who can promise the voters more and better gifts and handouts, then we are still a long way away from change. The 'future' that we are talking about and fighting for is all about how much money we are going to receive. How long would that money last? Even if it is RM10,000 per voter or per Malaysian is that going to guarantee us a good future? I am 62. Most of you who are nearing that age will know that at that age we are concerned about our health. Can I be assured of a good healthcare system to look after me until I reach the age of 77 or 82 (if I get to live that long)? I am a grandfather of five grandchildren and maybe by the time I die I will have 10 or more grandchildren. Will my grandchildren receive the best education to help them survive in a borderless and globalised world? Malaysia is badly divided racially with a serious problem of religious intolerance. Is Malaysia's political culture conducive to improving this ethnic and religious divide or does it, in fact, make the problem worse? Malaysians live in gated communities with security guards patrolling the neighbourhood and iron bars on their doors and windows. They also face the risk of their handbags being snatched as they drive on the highways or walk on the streets. Are you happy with Malaysia's security situation? Malaysia's election fraud plus election violence is beginning to make the country look like one of the tin-pot regimes. How many of you are going to leave town or are going to lock yourselves in your homes on Polling Day on 5th May in case we see another 'May 13'? Those are the issues close to my heart alongside good governance, transparency, accountability, eradicating corruption and abuse of power, and so on. And RM10,000 to vote for any particular party is not going to see these issues resolved. And while we can certainly blame Barisan Nasional and Umno's 56 years rule for all these problems, Pakatan Rakyat needs to convince us that a change of government is definitely going to see these problems get resolved. Our worry should not be about winning the election. Our worry should be about what would we do if we do win the election. That is when the work really begins. To most of you, however, winning the election is not when the work begins but when the problems end. And that is what concerns me because once we make our bed we will have to lie in it. ******************************************* 大馬史上第一個'買賣選舉' 就此事上，民聯支持者說我反對換政府。這是絕對的誣賴，我從來沒說過我反對換政府，我說的是，只是換政府是做不到真正的改變的。如果我們只是換政府而不是做出革命性的典範轉移那這一切只是新瓶裝舊酒。 原文：Raja Petra Kamarudin 譯文：方宙 免費漁網與年度計程車司機良好服務獎勵是檳城民聯大選宣言内的項目 (Free Malaysia Today) – 民聯宣佈，如果他們保住檳州政權，他們將會每年發放兩個價值400-500馬幣的漁網給州内漁民和600馬幣服務獎勵給州内的計程車司機。 （下文省略） ************************************* 視乎你的個人詮釋，此次大選可以是納吉和安華的首相之爭，也可以是大馬史上第一個'買賣選舉'，因爲雙方都使盡全力來買票。 在過去，買票是政府/囯陣一方的作爲，但如今這已是雙方的。所以某個層面上，馬來西亞可以説是達成了兩綫制。 這是蠻正確的；我們現在看到的是兩黨制的崛起。現今，反對黨有史以來第一次真正地有出綫的機會。連囯陣上層的頭目們都承認他們面對的是很真實的危機，是有可能讓他們倒臺的危機。 不好的是，民聯的領導人也知道這一點（其實就連巴刹的賣菜阿姨們都知道），而這恰巧會讓民聯和他們的支持者變得目中無人和過於自信。相對的，囯陣就變得很擔憂而步步爲營。 目中無人和過於自信是不好的，因爲你會因此而犯錯。而擔憂而步步爲營是好的，因爲你不會指望不勞而獲。 如果你問我民聯的贏面，我會說他們有機會贏得95-100 個囯席。他們也會保住吉蘭丹和檳城，但總體的支持率會稍微下降。囯陣則會贏得80-82西馬囯席和30-35東馬囯席；東馬的12-15席會落入獨立黨派手裏，而剩下的10-12席則會由行動黨勝出（行動黨現在只贏得2席）。 若上述屬實，我們將會看到一個懸吊的國會，而那個'第三勢力'（請容許我這麽稱呼）將會決定哪個黨會成爲執政黨。 雪蘭莪，霹靂，沙巴和森美蘭現階段還是處於50-50的狀態（聯邦直轄區也將由以往的民聯10：3囯陣變成現在的民聯7：6囯陣）。其他的四個州屬都有可能落入任何一方，因爲雙方都有太多的内在因數左右這四個州屬的選票去向（候選人為其中一個因數）。 這就是爲什麽我講説馬來西亞終于迎來了兩綫制，而第三勢力終于擡頭成爲造王者。 這是好事壞事呢？ 這要看你到底要的是什麽。如果你要的是囯陣取囘2/3的多數權，或民聯入位得權，那對你來講不是件好事。但如果你要的是一個平衡的政治，沒有一方專權，那這絕對是件好事。 如果你還記得我在08年大選后寫的"兩綫制和聯合政府"的文章（你們很多人都吐嘈這個理念），那你應該知道后者才是我的杯中茶。 如果你還記得我在2010年提出的建立 'Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM，此譯馬來西亞國民自由運動) '和'獨立人選倡議' （提倡至少有10-30名獨立候選人上陣），那你也一定更清楚后者才是我的杯中茶。 很無奈的，兩綫制、聯合政府、 獨立人選倡議都不是你們要的東西。民聯還表明得很清楚他們絕對不會支持我的提議。他們甚至還往我的傷口上灑鹽，散播囯陣是 MCLM的幕後老闆，且MCLM嘗試在大選中提倡三角戰來使囯陣獲勝。 我看得出來，沒有很多人願意接受這個新的理念，尤其是儅他們認爲囯陣已'玩完'而民聯接手在即，那我又何必再提出一個新的理念呢？一個人只有在要失敗時才會提出新理念。 很多人是會談到改變，但他們眼中的改變只是改變政府，而這是我所不贊成的。雖然說在英國這邊我爲了要換政府而加入英國反對黨，但我真正要給馬來西亞人民的思想是改變不止是換政府這麽狹隘的，而是比換政府還要重大得多的。 就此事上，民聯支持者說我反對換政府。這是絕對的誣賴，我從來沒說過我反對換政府，我說的是，只是換政府是做不到真正的改變的。如果我們只是換政府而不是做出革命性的典范转移那這一切只是新瓶裝舊酒。 很不幸的，很多人都聼不明白我的論點。所以我現在只能靜觀這屆大選的結果。但我還是想強調，只有趁早圈定上陣區與候選人，（民聯）才可以避免三角戰、黨内紛爭、跨黨紛爭、自相扯後腿等問題。 我希望今天你們可以看到我對民聯的呼籲的邏輯，而我真的無需再重復了。 如果說第13屆大選的輸贏是看誰能夠答應給更多禮物與糖果的話，那我們離改變還有很長的一段路。我們所謂的'未來'是取決於我們會收到多少錢，但那筆錢會持續多久呢？請問在發放給每位選民1万塊錢后，我們的未來是否會更好呢？ 我今年62嵗，如果你和我差不多的話你會很關注你的健康問題。我現在是否有自信，儅我77或82嵗時（如果我有如此長命的話）我國將會擁有良好的醫療系統來照顧我呢？ 我現在是5個孫子的爺爺，而有可能我死的時候我會是10個孫子的爺爺。我關心的是，我的孫子孫女們會不會得到最好的教育以便能在現今這無國界的世界裏生存呢？ 大馬是個種族間隔很濶的國家，也是個宗教相容很差的國家。請問，大馬的政治文化將會改善這些情況還是會把它們弄得越來越糟呢？ 許多大馬人都住在有保衛亭保護的住宅區，他們都依靠警衛巡邏和都裝上鐵窗。無論他們是駕駛在高速公路上還是走在人行道上他們都面臨著被搶奪包包的危險。你是否對大馬治安感到滿意？ 馬來西亞的大選舞弊與選舉暴力使大馬逐漸邁向獨裁囯，你們當中有誰因害怕這個5月5號會成爲另一個'513事件'而決定離開居住地/鎖緊大門呢？ 還有很多其他課題，如管理，透明，貪污，濫權等，這些都不會因我們爲了那1万塊錢而投而就會解決的。 在我們責備囯陣在56年掌權期間令國家問題叢生時，民聯應該説服我們，令我們相信在換政府以後他們會根治這些問題。 我們的憂慮不是贏得大選，而是贏了大選以後我們應該怎樣做。贏了大選以後才是我們做功課的開端，但對你們很多人來説贏了大選不是開始工作的開端，而是問題的結束。 一旦我們安好床位以後，我們就得睡在那張床上，這就是最令我最爲擔心的。

7 DAP leaders show support for BN Posted: 10 Apr 2013 05:16 PM PDT (Bernama) - Seven DAP senior branch leaders in the state have stated their support for Barisan Nasional (BN) after realising BN's Aku Janji provides more for the Indian community compared to the opposition's manifesto. Ladang Paroi DAP vice-chairman David Dass said the BN Aku Janji announced by charmain Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak last Saturday clearly showed BN's commitment in championing the welfare of Indians, compared to the opposition's unconvincing manifesto. "We saw the oppostion's manifesto during the 2008 general election in Selangor, but (after they failed to fulfill it) they said their manifesto wasn't a promise and this is different from the Aku Janji made by BN. "The Aku Janji is not like a manifesto, it's more of a personal promise and personal promises are better than a manifesto," he told reporters after delivering a ceramah at Ladang Rajent, Gemencheh, here last night. Joining him in stating their support were Desa Dahlia DAP chairman Richard Francis, Desa Dahlia DAP vice-chairman Jesu Dason, Desa Dahlia DAP secretary S. Karthiyaini, Ladang Rajent DAP secretary Chelvam Katham, Ladang Rajent DAP vice-chairman M. Subramaniam and Ladang Paroi DAP secretary K. Mahendran. Last Saturday, Najib announced the BN Aku Janji which will provide a RM500 million trust fund to increase the equity of Indians as well as set up a special unit to ensure the successful implementation of government policies to improve the lives of the Indian community. Dass, who still remains in the DAP, said he was confident that the Aku Janji would be another promise fulfilled. Meanwhile, Dass strongly criticised DAP's leadership especially party adviser Lim Kit Siang, secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and chairman Karpal Singh who he claimed were only concerned about some parties but denied the rights of members of the Indian community. He said this was proven by the selection of the DAP central executive committee (CEC) in Penang which raised the issue of democracy in the party over an alleged mistake in tallying of votes. "We urge the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to tell us the status of complaints on the matter and hope it will be done quickly," he said. Dass, who will announce his resignation from DAP soon, said more party members especially at the branch-level will join him as DAP was no longer a democratic party, but a rather dramatic one.

Wan Azizah hints Abdul Khalid may not be retained as Sgor MB Posted: 10 Apr 2013 05:04 PM PDT It was reported that Abdul Khalid might not be retained as MB against the backdrop of purported differences between him and PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali. (Bernama) - Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail has hinted that Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim may not retain his post as Selangor menteri besar if the opposition continues to rule the state following the May 5 general election. She said PKR had several potential candidates for the post other than Abdul Khalid.       "(It) doesn't matter who is going to be the MB in Selangor as long as the person has the right policies," she told a press conference at the PKR headquarters, here, today.     She was responding to queries on Abdul Khalid's future position since PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday announced that Abdul Khalid would only defend his Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary seat in the upcoming polls.   Asked on the potential candidates for the top post in the state, Wan Azizah said: "Those who are contesting Selangor state constituencies."   It was reported that Abdul Khalid might not be retained as MB against the backdrop of purported differences between him and PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali.

Badrul's candidacy stirs up hornet's nest within PR Posted: 10 Apr 2013 04:43 PM PDT (The Malay Mail) - PKR's announcement that Badrul Hisham Shahrin, otherwise known as Chegubard, would be contesting Sungai Acheh has stirred up a hornet's nest as PAS has also set its sights on it. The sudden announcement took some by surprise, as it was thought that the parties had agreed for the seat to be returned to PAS, adding an extra seat to the party's present five. State PAS commissioner Datuk Mohd Salleh Man sounded miffed over the phone after learning of PKR's decision at the eleventh hour. "We still want that seat. It is our seat. We will announce a candidate for that seat too. Wait for the announcement," he told The Malay Mail. Asked if PAS was giving up the Bayan Lepas state seat to PKR, Mohd Salleh slammed that speculation saying that they would also be contesting that seat. Chegubard said he was familiar with the area and that his father-in-law was the party division chief in 1999. "In fact, I was arrested by police here in 2002. By being in the supreme council, I also have been around the country," said the PKR supreme council member. When told the contention was that he was a parachute candidate, the former teacher said these issues could be easily sorted within the party leadership. "Of course, we do not discount the contribution by PAS because there are a lot of PAS supporters there. We look forward to PAS helping us secure this seat during the election." As for contesting in Penang after doing so twice in Negri Sembilan, he said his presence here would also help increase PKR membership and support among youths and the people. Sungai Acheh, which is a Malay-majority seat on the mainland, was originally a PAS seat until 2008, when it was given to PKR. However, Dr Azhar Ahmad lost by a mere 250 votes to BN's Mahmud Zakaria. Meanwhile, PKR sources said it was initially agreed that the seat would be returned to PAS but the agreement fell through after it realised that PAS did not have any representation on the island. "If we took the Bayan Lepas seat, PAS would not have any representation on the island. In any case, the Sungai Acheh seat is ours and Chegubard is a good candidate," the source said. They also said PKR was the "victim" within the Pakatan Rakyat coalition when it had to sacrifice a few seats, including the Gelang Patah parliament seat in Johor, which was given to DAP. "We can't afford to be pushed around like this. Hence, Mansor's announcement a day before PAS' line-up is a way to pre-emp the latter's announcement," they said.

Anwar needs to answer the entire Indian community Posted: 10 Apr 2013 04:27 PM PDT MEDIA STATEMENT By Saravanan (Overseas Hindraf Member) Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim was given the first chance by Hindraf Makkal Shakti to endorse their 5 years plan blue print. More than 18 meetings were held in between Pakatan Rakyat and Hindraf. Till today the silence of Pakatan doesn't make any sense about the blue print. DSAI need to answer Indian voters why he rejected or neglected the 6 points Hindraf blue print demans. Anwar shouldn't play coward game any longer by using Indian Pakatan leaders and cyber troopers to protect his position. There is a need for Anwar to come forward and say what makes the whole discussion halted and why he stopped the blue print endorsement personally. The scenario is going very ugly because DSAI continuously using journalist to attack a minority group which fighting for the downtrodden Indian's rights. Whereas Hindraf leaders are coming forward to answer all the necessary questions in the media. We Indians request DSAI to tear his cowardice mask and answer the whole blueprint scenario truth without any delay. By Playing politics many Indians will boycott Pakatan Rakyat in the coming up 13th General election. The loser of the game will be Pakatan. Indians been marginalized by UMNO for 56 years. If Pakatan is really into helping Indians they should safe their election situation from now. We Indians will not loose anything but Pakatan will loose Indian votes. Do not take Indians for a ride. DSAI please answer us, you been propagating that Malaysia is not practising human rights to foreign medias. Now the 6 points demands of Hindraf is purely human rights matter why are you shying away? You use to campaign anak melayu anak saya, anak Cina anak saya dan anak India anak saya. Where is the slogans of anak India anak kamu? If you think Indians are your children you will treat them equally but you are not eager to treat them in that manner. In Last general election you promised Kampong Buah Pala folks that as soon as Pakatan win Penang the land will protected. But you behaved other way around as soon as Pakatan took over Penang, you played big time politics with Buah Pala Indians. You didn't safe them till last but you just blamed Barisan Nasional. Pakatan statement was we are not in charge of Putra jaya hard to undo the previous agreement. Now we are asking you a question if you take over Putra jaya will you undo the agreement now ? For the sake of your Indian children. I personally challenge DSAI to abolish article 153 and other racist policies which been practised in Malaysia. Can you give equal rights to all Malaysian citizen besides 'mengankat martabat orang Melayu'? If any Malaysian or coalition read the 6 points demands of Hindraf carefully will understand that it is a Human rights demands. Any Government can endorse it under the provision of human rights. Instead of approving and being straight forward DSAI and Pakatan playing dirty game by flip flopping downtrodden Malaysian Indians life.   Stop making Indians as 3rd class citizen of Malaysia. My final request to DSAI stop using mandores and cyber troopers  to answer Hindraf´s questions. Please step forward boldly as a leader and explain us why you rejected the 6 point demands.

Mahathir back in the fray Posted: 10 Apr 2013 04:14 PM PDT Dr Mahathir, a one-time Third World champion, Islamic spokesman and fierce critic of the West, has put Prime Minister Najib Razak on notice that if he does badly in the election he will lose the prime ministership in an internal party coup, ruling party sources say. Lindsay Murdoch, The Sydney Morning Herald When Mahathir Mohamad stepped down after 22 years as Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister in 2003, he promised not to interfere in government affairs or politics. ''No, I have already made it very clear that when I leave I will leave completely,'' he said. But 10 years later, as Malaysia prepares for its most closely fought election - announced on Wednesday for May 5 - the abrasive and outspoken 86-year-old has been criss-crossing the country as if he was still in power, launching tirades at opposition contenders and meddling in the fractured coalition that has ruled since independence from Britain in 1957. Dr Mahathir, a one-time Third World champion, Islamic spokesman and fierce critic of the West, has put Prime Minister Najib Razak on notice that if he does badly in the election he will lose the prime ministership in an internal party coup, ruling party sources say. As Mr Najib has introduced reforms to contain a growing clamour for greater accountability and democracy, Dr Mahathir has been urging a return to his authoritarian-style rule under which security forces routinely locked up government critics. ''We have now abolished the ISA [Internal Security Act] on the grounds that it is not right to detain a person without trial … this is an injustice and violation of human rights,'' Dr Mahathir wrote in his blog, adding that the United States killed anyone it designated an enemy in its war against terrorism. ''I wonder what Malaysians who object to detention without trial think of execution without trial,'' he said. As Mr Najib attempted to calm voters in the key state of Sabah following an incursion by a group of armed Filipinos in February, Dr Mahathir flew in to declare that vast water villages where wooden houses are connected by rickety gangways are a dangerous anachronism that should be demolished. Referring to more than 800,000 Filipinos who live in the state, Dr Mahathir declared that ''non-citizens'' should be deported, accusing them of co-operating with terrorists and hiding weapons. There are few issues Dr Mahathir does not speak out on. ''Europeans do not want to admit that they are poor, that Humpty-Dumpty has fallen off the wall,'' he wrote in a blog last month. Charismatic opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim is one of his favourite targets, warning voters his former deputy will organise street protests that will destabilise the country when he faces certain defeat at Malaysia's 13th election. ''This is the way of Anwar,'' Dr Mahathir said of the man who spent six years in jail on dubious charges after the two men had a spectacular falling out. ''If he cannot get what he wants, he will prevent others from getting it.'' Mr Anwar said in February he no longer responded to Dr Mahathir's vilification. ''It will be just fine when there is a chance to counter Mahathir's arguments in a free national media, because now it's all one-way,'' he said. During his time in power, Dr Mahathir took rigid control of the media, which still refuses to publish criticism of the ruling party. But as the internet has emerged as an important forum and government scandals previously not aired are being openly debated, Dr Mahathir is crying foul. He complained that hackers had tampered with his blog at least five times so that people could not access it. ''Effectively I was silenced,'' he said. Malaysia's 13 million voters face a stark choice at the election between the ruling party that has brought decades of strong economic growth or a new era of sweeping change under Mr Anwar's three-party alliance.

GE13: DAP's Dr Boo challenged to step down as state party chief after polls Posted: 10 Apr 2013 04:10 PM PDT (The Star) - Johor DAP vice-chairman Ong Kow Meng has challenged state party chairman Dr Boo Cheng Hau to step down after the 13th general election. He said he wanted Dr Boo to honour his announcement that he would step down, made at the the state party committee meeting held on Sunday, April 7, at the Gelang Patah service centre. Ong said Dr Boo was no longer suitable to lead the party in Johor due to his style of leadership. "Instead of uniting party's members, he has caused fractions in Johor DAP," he claimed in a press conference here Wednesday. Meanwhile, Dr Boo Cheng Hau, when met at a function in Johor Baru later, was evasive on the subject. "Ong claimed that I had said those words in a recent meeting, but did I?," he questioned. Dr Boo said that he would have to review the minutes of the meeting before making any statements pertaining the matter.

GE13: Boo sees red over Guan Eng’s meddling in candidates list Posted: 10 Apr 2013 04:05 PM PDT (The Star) - Johor DAP chairman Dr Boo Cheng Hau has blown his top over the alleged meddling of secretary-general Lim Guan Eng in the state's candidates list. In an e-mail to the party's top brass, with copies sent to central executive committee (CEC) members and elected representatives from the party, he blasted Guan Eng for turning a casual discussion at a coffee shop into an official party decision. Dr Boo, who resigned from the Johor DAP candidate selection committee on Sunday together with state deputy chairman Norman Fernandez and secretary Tan Chen Choon, was referring to the naming of state youth chief Tan Hong Pin as a candidate for the Mengkibol state seat. Former assemblyman Ng Lam Hua was reported to have been dropped to make way for Hong Pin, who was earlier said to be slated for the Pekan Nenas state seat. Dr Boo said there was a discussion on Hong Pin's candidature during supper, with beers, at a coffee shop on April 2. But there was no decision. "How could a casual discussion in a coffee shop with beers be taken as an official party decision? It is irresponsible of Guan Eng to convince (former DAP chairman) Dr Chen Man Hin and other selection committee members that I had agreed to the arrangement," he said. Dr Chen, in reply, suggested Guan Eng review the selection of candidates in Johor to find an amicable solution. "It is most regretful that there was no discussion when the DAP decides seats, differently from that recommended by the state selection committee," he said. Responding to the angry mail, national DAP chairman Karpal Singh said the selection of candidates lay solely with the party's top leadership. "The state committees will recommend their list to the four-man national selection committee. Most of the time it's okay except for here and there." "Then the four-man committee decides and it's final. That, they should know," added Karpal, who is in the committee with DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, Guan Eng and party deputy chairman Tan Kok Wai. Karpal took Fernandez to task for voicing his displeasure to the press over the purported surrender of the Segamat parliamentary seat to Johor PKR chief Datuk Chua Jui Meng. "This is wrong and (Norman) should not have done that. Someone must have the last say, and that is the party leaders," he said. Kok Wai, who is also the party's disciplinary committee chairman, said it was stated in the party constitution that the selection of candidates was the sole prerogative of the CEC. Meanwhile, state DAP vice-chairman Ong Kow Meng has asked Dr Boo to step down after the polls because he is no longer suitable to lead the party in Johor. "If he refuses to step down gracefully, I will make sure he will lose in the state party election in October," Ong said in Kulaijaya, Johor, yesterday.

Perbincangan sedang berlangsung untuk selesaikan tiga penjuru di Sg Acheh Posted: 10 Apr 2013 03:52 PM PDT Opalyn Mok, TMI Pemimpin tertinggi PKR dan PAS akan berbincang untuk menyelesaikan pertarungan tiga penjuru di kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Sungai Acheh berikutan pengumuman calon oleh kedua-dua parti sepanjang dua hari lalu. Timbalan Presiden PAS Mohamad Sabu yang lebih dikenali sebagai Mat Sabu berkata, isu ini akan diselesaikan sebelum hari penamaan calon pada 20 April. "Pemimpin kita akan berbincang dan menyelesaikan perkara ini nanti," katanya dalam sidang akhbar di ibupejabat DAP Pulau Pinang pagi ini. Malam tadi, Pesuruhjaya PAS Pulau Pinang Datuk Salleh Man mengumumkan parti Islam itu akan meletakkan ketua pemuda PAS negeri Yusni Mat Piah di kerusi itu. Sehari sebelum itu, pengerusi PKR Pulau Pinang Datuk Mansor Othman mengumumkan parti itu akan meletakkan penulis blog yang dikenali sebagai Chegubard atau Badrul Hisham Shahrin di Sungai Acheh. PAS dan PKR, kedua-duanya dalam gabungan Pakatan Rakyat (PR), telah berada dalam perbincangan mengenai kerusi ini kerana PAS mahu bertanding di kerusi tersebut. PAS secara tradisinya bertanding di DUN Sungai Acheh sebelum 2008 dan pada Pilihan Raya 2008, mereka meminjamkan kerusi tersebut kepada PKR. Dalam Pilihan Raya 2008, Datuk Mahmud Zakaria dari Barisan Nasional (BN) menang dengan majoriti kecil 250 undi. "Kami telah menyelesaikan lebih 100 kerusi dalam perbincangan untuk pilihan raya dan ini hanya satu kerusi, kita boleh selesaikan ini," kata Mat Sabu. Sebelum itu Setiausaha Agung DAP Lim Guan Eng juga mengatakan perbincangan akan berlaku diantara pemimpin tertinggi PKR dan PAS. "Adalah lebih baik kepimpinan tertinggi menyelesaikan ini," katanya. Pengerusi PR Pulau Pinang itu mengatakan perbincangan mengenai kerusi Sungai Acheh adalah diantara dua parti itu dan yang terbaik adalah dengan membiarkan mereka menyelesaikannya.

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