Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Sultan's men set up guerrilla base
- MCA to contest in 37 parliament, 90 state seats, 68 new faces
- Gerakan unveils candidates, more than half new faces
- Trouble, trouble for Pakatan in Labuan
- Stop harping on Chinese-majority seats issue between UMNO-MCA
- Barisan to unveil DREAM TEAM
- PKR-PSM fight on the cards in S’gor
- PAS not keen on Zaid for Kota Baru
- Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: The battle for Johor
- Dr M says he and Thatcher cut from same cloth
- GE13: Muhammad Taib to join us, says PAS leader
- Hadi riles partners over overlapping seats
- Bishop condemns ‘Sunday’ polling
- Abdul Ghani to face Kit Siang in Gelang Patah
| Sultan's men set up guerrilla base Posted: 14 Apr 2013 10:38 PM PDT (Philippine Star) - After eluding Malaysian authorities for several weeks, the followers of the sultanate of Sulu have set up a guerrilla base in the hinterlands of Sabah, the sultanate's spokesman said yesterday. Abraham Idjirani told reporters that the Malaysian military and police knew about the base but could not pinpoint the exact location because the jungle in the area is vast. Idjirani said the new stronghold is in a strategic location with enough sources of food and water, and with adequate shelter for nearly 500 men. The base was reported to Idjirani during a conversation the other day with Agbimuddin Kiram, the sultanate-appointed "administrator" of Sabah. A source from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF)said the base was their former camp where a cache of high-powered weapons was kept at the height of the Mindanao uprising in the early '70s. The source said the base was established by MNLF fighters who joined the group in Lahad Datu to press their proprietary claim over Sabah. Idjirani clarified the sultan's fighters would continue to adopt defensive position and would not initiate any attack on the Malaysian forces. The Malaysian military and police have stopped the operation against the armed group. The last encounter took place last April 9. Aside from the 400 new arrivals from Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi, Tausugs based in Lahad Datu and Semporna have also joined the sultanate army at the stronghold. Idjirani said 80 percent of the army is now fully armed and ready to repeal any attack on the base by Malaysian authorities. Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) continues to provide transport for Filipinos evacuating Sabah. Last Saturday, the BRP Nueva Vizcaya evacuated 79 Filipinos to Bongao, Tawi-Tawi; 17 others, including 12 children and five adults were brought to Jolo, and 62 to Zamboanga City. – With Rainier Allan Ronda
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| MCA to contest in 37 parliament, 90 state seats, 68 new faces Posted: 14 Apr 2013 07:26 PM PDT
(Bernama) - MCA will contest in 37 parliament and 90 state seats in the May 5 general election. Sixty-eight of the 127 candidates are new faces. A 25-year-old aspirant is the youngest contestant from the party, the second major component of the Barisan Nasional (BN). The five female candidates fielded are also new faces. MCA President Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said 19 or 51.3 per cent of the 37 candidates for Parliament seats were new faces while 49 contenders for the 90 state seats were also new faces. MCA contested in 40 parliamentary and 90 state seats in the 2008 general election. |
| Gerakan unveils candidates, more than half new faces Posted: 14 Apr 2013 06:32 PM PDT
Of the 42 candidates, 22 are newcomers. (Bernama) - Gerakan will contest in 11 parliamentary and 31 state seats in the May 5 general election, one parliamentary seat less allocated to the party in the last general election in 2008. Party president Koh Tsu Koon said of the total 42 candidates, 22 or 52.4% are new faces who have not contested before, five or 12% are women and three or 7% are leaders of Indian origin, the rest are Chinese aspirants. "The youngest candidate is 31 years' old," the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department said in a statement. Earlier, Prime Minister and Barisan Nasional chairman Najib Tun Razak handed the documents of nomination and the BN's Pledge to BN component parties' presidents and and state BN chairmen. Koh said Gerakan would contest in two state seats in Sabah, namely Elopura and Tanjong Papat, as the incumbents – Aw Kam Wah and Raymond Tan Shu Kiah – of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) embraced Gerakan in 2009 after SAPP withdrew from BN. In Pahang, Gerakan swapped the Ketari state seat with MCA's Tanah Rata, while it would "loan" the Kepong parliamentary seat in the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory and the Kota Alam Shah state seat in Selangor to the People's Progressive Party (PPP). Gerakan would also "loan" the Skudai state seat in Johor to MCA, he said. The seats on "loan" are only for this general election, he added. Following are Gerakan's candidates' list for Parliament and state seats: Parliament seats 1. Batu Kawan – N Gobalakrishnan (new face) 2. Bukit Bendera – Teh Leong Meng (new face) 3. Tanjong – Ng Song Kheng (new face) 4. Jelutong – Ng Fook On 5. Taiping – Tan Lian Hoe 6. Beruas – Chang Ko Youn 7. Telok Intan – Mah Siew Keong 8. Puchong – A Kohilan Pillay (new face) 9. Batu – Dr Dominic Lau Hoe Chai (new face) 10. Segambut – B Jayanthi Devi (new face) 11. Simpang Renggam – Liang Teck Meng State seats Penang: 1. Machang Bubuk – Tan Loke Heah (new face) 2. Bukit Tengah – Teng Chang Yeow 3. Bukit Tambun – Lai Chew Hock 4. Tanjung Bungah – Chia Kwang Chye 5. Kebun Bunga – H'ng Chee Wey (new face) 6. Pulau Tikus – Rowena Yam (new face) 7. Padang Kota – Oh Tong Keong (new face) 8. Datuk Keramat – Ong Thean Lye 9. Sungai Pinang – Dr Thor Teong Gee 10. Batu Lanchang – Lee Boon Ten 11. Air Itam – Loo Jieh Sheng (new face) 12. Batu Uban – Goh Kheng Sneah 13. Pantai Jerejak – Wong Mun Hoe Kedah: 1. Derga – Dr Cheah Soon Hai 2. Sidam –Bee Sieong Heng (new face) Perak: 1. Kuala Sepetang – Loh Swee Eng (new face) 2. Aulong – Soo Key Ping (new face) 3. Jalong – Liew Yew Aw (new face) 4. Canning – Ceylyn Tay Wei Lung (new face) Pahang: 1. Tanah Rata – Ho Yip Kap 2. Triang – Tan Tin Loon Selangor: 1. Teratai – Ben Liew Pok Boon (new face) 2. Bukit Gasing – Juan Sei Chang (new face) 3. Bukit Lanjan – Francis Chong Tuck Chiew (new face) Negeri Sembilan: 1. Bukit Kepayang – Wong Oi Foon (new face) 2. Senawang – Choong Vee Hing (new face) Malacca: 1. Bachang – Chua Lian Chye (new face) Johor: 1. Pemanis – Lau Chin Hoon 2. Bukit Batu – Cheong Chin Liang Sabah: 1. Elopura – Au Kam Wah 2. Tanjong Papat – Raymond Tan Shu Kiah
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| Trouble, trouble for Pakatan in Labuan Posted: 14 Apr 2013 04:23 PM PDT
PKR has no locus standi to demand for seats when many of its elected representatives defected after the 2008 general elections, says Labuan PAS. (FMT) - The defections from PKR following the 2008 general election have returned to haunt the party and put its credibility in question. Hellbent on contesting the Labuan parliamentary seat, Labuan PAS chief Hamir Zahari said PKR has no locus standi to assert itself over PAS in seat negotiations. "No member of parliament from PAS has ever jumped to another party and none has ever left the party. "In terms of PAS's integrity, we are solid," he said. Since the 2008 general election, six PKR elected representatives have defected. They are Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri (Bagan Serai), Zulkifli Noordin (Kulim-Bandar Baharu), Zahrain Mohamed Hashim (Bayan Baru), N Gobalakrishnan (Padang Serai), Tan Tee Beng (Nibong Tebal) and Wee Choo Keong (Wangsa Maju). Even more significant is that PKR defectors had contributed to the opposition coalition losing control over Perak. In the 2008 general election, Pakatan Rakyat through PAS, PKR and DAP was democratically elected to five states – Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor and Kelantan. Pakatan wrested Perak from Barisan Nasional with a slim majority, winning 32 state assembly seats compared with BN's 27. However, defections from PKR and DAP saw BN taking over the state a year later. Labuan PAS blocks PKR In an open defiance against Pakatan chief Anwar Ibrahim's declaration last Friday that PKR will field its candidate Ibrahim Menudin in Labuan, Labuan PAS responded with a resounding "no way". Said Hamri: "The seat was agreed back in 2011 during a Pakatan meeting at Federal Territory level. "At the time, we had agreed that out of 13 parliamentary seats in the Federal Territory, five of them were for PKR, another five for DAP. "The balance three were for PAS. As such, PAS will stand in Putrajaya, Titiwangsa and Labuan. "Therefore our candidate will stand in Labuan in this coming 13th general election." Hamir said PAS would contest in 76 parliamentary seats nationwide, including Labuan, where it will field Hadnan Mohamad. PAS has already named Husam Musa in Putrajaya and Zamri Khuzaimi in Titiwangsa.
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| Stop harping on Chinese-majority seats issue between UMNO-MCA Posted: 14 Apr 2013 04:19 PM PDT
(NST) - MCA Penang today turned the table on DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang by questioning his motive in playing up the issue on Chinese majority seats when the party had always claimed to be multiracial. Penang MCA secretary Lau Chiek Tuan said Lim had no right to tell MCA to explain to people on whether it would surrender its Chinese majority parliamentary and state seats to Umno. He said it was a poor attempt to tarnish the image and close cooperation between MCA and Umno with the voters. "DAP claim to be multiracial so why keep talking about Chinese majority seats?
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| Posted: 14 Apr 2013 03:13 PM PDT
BEST OF THE BEST: Mix of old and new faces likely (NST) - AS the battle lines are being drawn for the 13th General Election, Barisan Nasional will today and tomorrow unveil its candidates and one thing is certain — this will be BN's dream team. A line-up made up of a balance of new and old, experience and exuberance, wisdom and a burning passion to serve, these are men and women who had not only acquitted themselves well in the past five years but also delivered They will be the driver and overriding factor in Najib's consideration of the needs of the people, their aspirations and their ability to carry out the "Akujanji" as outlined in the BN manifesto. Malaysians will see how the meticulously drawn-up list not only features those who meet their aspirations and expectations but also reflects a strong, collective leadership that will raise confidence in the electorate beyond this polls and into successive elections. The line-up will also reflect BN's efforts in grooming talent that possess the ability and qualifications beyond oratory skills, to cement their confidence in a BN-led government. Today's unveiling of the BN candidates' list is a departure from the norm. Previously, the list would be announced on the eve of nomination day. In preparing for what is expected to be the most challenging general election in the country's history, BN had also tweaked its strategy by moving forward the day it made public its manifesto. BN members also saw how the leadership took pains to address the disappointment of some hopefuls by getting them all under one roof to drive home the message that the party was above all else. With just a few hours to go, many leaders, including those who had contested under the BN banner in the past, are in jitters over the uncertainty of being picked or asked to sit this election out. Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, who is BN secretary-general, said candidates would be those endorsed fully by the electorate at the constituencies where they would be fielded. He said the BN leadership had also carried out surveys to ascertain the reception of the people towards candidates to be fielded in every constituency. The survey and "referendum" on the candidates, he said were carried out by three independent bodies for the leadership to gauge the sentiments of the people towards the names of the potential as well as shortlisted candidates. Several names tipped to be leading BN in the general election include Umno division secretary Rozman in Labuan. He is the son of former Labuan Umno chief Datuk Isli Siput, the force behind the entry of Umno into Labuan. Dental specialist Dr Rozaidah Talib is likely to return to Ampang, the parliamentary seat she won in the 2004 general election. BN lost the seat to PKR's Zuraida Kamaruddin in 2008. Dr Rozaidah, who admitted to getting hints of her candidacy in Ampang, said and if it materialised, she knew exactly what the people in the area would expect of her if she was their leader. "If I am chosen, I would like to believe that it is because of my track record," she said. Other names that have cropped up to be fielded include new faces but not lacking knowledge of strategies and leadership qualities with experience of serving organisations. The fiery former Kulim-Bandar Baharu member of parliament Datuk Zulkifli Noordin is likely to be announced as the candidate to wrest the Shah Alam parliamentary seat from Pas' Khalid Samad. Tengku Adnan said the party leadership's decision on its candidates weighed on several critical factors, including age and track record. The leadership, he added, also went through the track record and report card of candidates with a fine-tooth comb, before pinning down the final names. "Their track record was a major point of consideration. "The leadership also looked into the issue of liability, including how people in the area viewed him or her. "It is crucial for issue of perception to be addressed thoroughly as BN candidates must be those that the people can accept wholeheartedly," he told the New Straits Times. BN, he said, was also determined to ensure that its candidates were not saddled with health issues as it wanted only leaders who could best serve their constituents. Tengku Adnan also told those not picked to keep their chin up and give their undivided loyalty to those bearing the BN flag in the general election. Their supporters, he added, should do the same. "These changes (to candidates) must understand why this (being dropped) had to be done as we need to move forward. "The candidates were chosen because they are individuals who can become excellent wakil rakyat and serve impeccably as problem solvers for the people while improving constituents' wellbeing. Tengku Adnan, who had been the only member of parliament for Putrajaya, added that there would be a good mix of new and professionals as well as the young and old. "The spirit of 'party above self' is also highly evident ... There were a number of new faces whom the leadership wanted to field as candidates but they declined saying it was not their time. "Aside from saying there were not ready for the heavy responsibility, they felt that they might not have what it takes be 'enslaved' to voters." Meanwhile, several state directors of elections have made their way to Kuala Lumpur as Najib is scheduled to hand over the letters of authorisation (watikah) to them at 11am today. Checks at the states showed preparations were being made for the directors to pass on the watikah to the chosen candidates.
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| PKR-PSM fight on the cards in S’gor Posted: 14 Apr 2013 03:02 PM PDT PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim last night announced his candidate for Semenyih, a state seat eyed by PSM's Arutchelvan. PKR is also interested in PSM's Kota Damansara. Zefry Dahalan, FMT PKR's decision to announce its candidate for the Semenyih state seat in Selangor is a major blow for Pakatan Rakyat-friendly PSM which had earmarked that seat for its secretary-general S Arutchelvan. Arutchelvan is a known face in Semenyih and had started his work at the constituency believing that he would be the Pakatan representative for the seat. However last night at a ceramah in Gombak, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim announced that PKR's Hamidi Hassan would be contesting in Semenyih. There could be more bad news for PSM as PKR is also said to be interested in contesting in the FMT had previously reported that PKR had identified a lawyer as a candidate for this seat. Last night Anwar did not announce his candidate for Kota Damansara, merely saying that his party was still in negotiations with PSM over the seat, and that an announcement was expected today. Apart from PKR's decision to contest in PSM stronghold Semenyih, there were no other major suprises in the PKR's list of candidates for the parliamentary and state seats in Selangor. PKR would be contesting in 11 parliamentary and 20 state seats in the state, and as expected Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim would now move to the Pelabuhan Kelang state seat, giving way to new face Dr Idris Ahmad in Ijok. Other PKR new faces for state seats are Borhan Aman Shah (Dengkil), Lee Chin Cheh (Kajang), Dr Daroyah Alwi (Sementa), Hamidi A Hassan (Semenyih), Tengku Marziah Tengku Sulaiman (Kuang) and K Ramachandran (Batang Kali). Eleven others, including Selangor PKR chief Azmin Ali, would be contesting in state seats they had won in 2008. Azmin will be defending his Bukit Antarabangsa seat, the others are Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Seri Setia), Suhaimi Shafiei (Seri Muda), Dr Xavier Jayakumar (Seri Andalas), Rodziah Ismail (Batu Tiga), Dr Yaakop Sapari (Kota Anggerik), Elizabeth Wong (Bukit Lanjan), Haniza Talha (Taman Medan), Amir Shaari (Batu Caves), Gan Pei Nei (Rawang) dan Yahya Sahari (Permatang). Anwar has also decided to move former Kapar MP S Manikavasagam to contest in the Bukit Melawati state seat to replace M Muthiah. The Kapar parliamentary seat will be contested by PKR Youth wing leader G Manivanan, one of five new faces unleashed by PKR for the parliamentary seats in Selangor. The others are Dr Aziz Bari (Sabak Bernam), Wong Chen (Kelana Jaya), Rafizi Ramli (Pandan) and Khalid Jaafar in Hulu Selangor. Incumbents that would be defending the parliament seats are Mohamed Azmin Ali (Gombak), Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid (Kuala Langat), R Sivarasa (Subang), Hee Loy Sian (Petaling Jaya Selatan), Zuraida Kamaruddin (Ampang) and William Leong (Selayang). Anwar has decided to drop Loh Gwo Burne from contesting again. He won the Kelana Jaya parliamentary seat in 2008.
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| PAS not keen on Zaid for Kota Baru Posted: 14 Apr 2013 02:57 PM PDT
The talk that former law minister Zaid Ibrahim would be contesting on a PAS ticket was not raised in any PAS meeting. Hawkeye, FMT Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim does not figure in PAS plan for the Kota Baru parliamentary seat. PAS deputy secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the matter was not raised at any of its state or national strategic meetings. "I can categorically state that the issue concerning Zaid was not raised at any of our special meetings. I also know who are the PAS candidates by the virtue of me attending such meetings," Takiyuddin said in an interview. A state PAS veteran who also confirmed what Takiyuddin is saying, said that Zaid did initiate a series of discussions with the state PAS here previously. However, there were issues about his health and his decision later to re-focus on his law firm – reputably the largest in the country, the veteran said. There were speculations that Zaid had reportedly said that he did not mind contesting the seat again on a PAS ticket. The issue has also something to do with the indications that the voters in the Kota Baru constituency – long hailed as a Umno enclave – will be switching back to the party after voting in PAS strategist Wan Rahim Wan Abdullah in the last election. Wan Rahim is reportedly either retiring or seeking to contest the Gua Musang parliamentary seat. Mohamad Fatmi Che Salleh, who is one of the political secretaries to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, is earmarked as the likely Barisan Nasional candidate for the seat. He contested in 2008 and lost to Wan Rahim. His political nemises has always been Zaid, who had blocked the former from clinching the Kota Baru Umno division head post in the early 2000s when Zaid was still in Umno.
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| Uncommon Sense with Wong Chin Huat: The battle for Johor Posted: 14 Apr 2013 02:50 PM PDT
THE Nut Graph speaks to political scientist Wong Chin Huat on the exciting contest in Johor this coming general election. Will the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) make significant inroads in this Barisan Nasional (BN) bastion? Or is the BN support in Johor just too strong to overcome? TNG: What accounts for the BN's strong support in Johor? Johor's colonial history is unique compared with other Malay states. Thanks to Sultan Abu Bakar's modernisation and diplomacy, Johor managed to delay British "protection" till as late as 1915 and, hence, maintained more autonomy. One outcome of that is a competent and confident Malay aristocratic-administrative elite. Umno's founder and first president, Datuk Onn Jaafar, is from Johor, making Johor the party's birthplace and creating a special bond between the two. Additionally, the influx of Chinese immigrants was engineered by Sultan Abu Bakar and his father, Temenggung Ibrahim, rather than the British. This resulted in close ties between the Malay feudal class and the Chinese capitalists, which partially translated into an Umno-MCA bond in modern politics. While there were incidents where Chinese Malaysian cultural heritage or religious freedom were allegedly suppressed, Johor MCA generally delivered what the community expected. Like Johor Umno, Johor MCA is strong within the party. So far, four out of nine MCA presidents have been elected as parliamentarians in Johor: Tan Sri Lee San Choon, Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting and Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. Read more at: http://www.thenutgraph.com/uncommon-sense-with-wong-chin-huat-the-battle-for-johor/ |
| Dr M says he and Thatcher cut from same cloth Posted: 14 Apr 2013 02:42 PM PDT
(TMI) - Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has compared himself to the late Margaret Thatcher and finds they were similar in character. The political relationship between the two leaders was one of mutual respect, though it did not start off well when Dr Mahathir led the "Buy British Last" campaign in the early 1980s to boycott all British goods during Thatcher's reign as Britain's prime minister, following the latter's decision to charge higher fees for overseas students. "I think our characters were about the same. I wasn't copying her in any way, I have always been like that," he told The New Straits Times in an interview today. Thatcher, popularly known as the "Iron Lady", dominated British politics for two decades, leading the Conservatives from 1979 to 1990. "She was willing to stick her neck out. When she wanted to do something, she would do it, even though it would make her extremely unpopular," he said. "She was brave enough to do (what she did) because the UK was going down the drain. The unions were so powerful that they could frustrate every scheme put up by the government... So, as a result, she had to stop the unions." Similarly, The New Straits Times suggested to Dr Mahathir that he had carried on with projects that were previously seen as unpopular, such as the Penang Bridge and the Petronas Twin Towers here. "It was common sense! You needed the bridge. Of course, there will be people, especially those in the opposition — they will oppose anything!" he said. "They even opposed this building (Petronas Twin Towers)... but now, it is called a Malaysian icon. Every one comes to see it," he added. Thatcher, the only woman prime minister in British history, died last Monday from a stroke at 87. Anti-Margaret Thatcher song Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead reaches number two spot: Ding Dong The Witch Is Dead - Margaret Thatcher Party Death Remix 2013
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| GE13: Muhammad Taib to join us, says PAS leader Posted: 14 Apr 2013 02:36 PM PDT
(The Star) - Former Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib (pic) is expected to join PAS this week, according to a senior PAS leader. "Yes, Muhammad is joining us. "This is pretty significant for us, a shot-in-the-arm despite his past sins of omission and commission," he told news portal The Malaysian Insider. "He just wants to see changes in the elections," said the leader, who declined to be named. He added that he was made to understand that Muhammad had filled up the nomination form and an announcement was expected soon. Muhammad, a former minister, could not be reach for comment. However, PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub told party organHarakahDaily that it was a former mentri besar from a northern state who was expected to quit Umno and join PAS. Salahuddin said the former mentri besar was tired of the internal bickering within Umno. The prospect of Muhammad joining the opposition met with much criticism in cyberspace.
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| Hadi riles partners over overlapping seats Posted: 14 Apr 2013 02:00 PM PDT
(FMT) - Neither DAP nor PKR in Sarawak is likely to give way to PAS to contest in Julau, Kota Samarahan and Mukah. The likelihood of PKR, DAP and PAS fighting each other in Julau, Kota Samarahan and Mukah seats is very real now that after PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has declared that his party's candidates will contest in all three constituencies. Disregarding ongoing discussion between the Pakatan Rakyat coalition partners on the overlapping claims, Hadi had on Sunday named PAS candidates Ambrose Labang Jamba for Julau and Abang Ahmad Kerdee Abang Massagus for Kota Samarahan. He also named Nani Sahari for Mukah. By jumping the gun PAS has riled its partners. "Unless the issue is solved, it is very likely that PKR will fight PAS in Kota Samarahan and Julau, and DAP will fight PAS in Mukah," said a political observer. He said that PKR and DAP would not give way to PAS. While Kota Samarahan is a mixed constituency of Malays, Ibans and Bidayuhs, Julau is made of almost 100 percent Iban voters. Other candidates that Hadi named yesterday for Sarawak parliamentary seats were Robby @ Muhamad Zaid Tandang (Sibuti), Mohamad jolhi (Batang Sadong), Ajji Ajiji (Igan) and Jurina Mut (Tanjung Manis). DAP had some time ago announced that its candidate for Mukah was Hai Merawin @ Bonaventure, a pensioner. No concensus yet Reacting to the PAS claims, state PKR chairman Baru Bian said: "I am very concerned by the statement by the PAS president that the seats of Kota Samarahan and Julau will be contested by PAS. "I was informed by our deputy president Azmin Ali that these are among the seats for which negotiations between our national leaders have not been finalised. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/04/15/hadi-riles-partners-over-overlapping-seats/ |
| Bishop condemns ‘Sunday’ polling Posted: 14 Apr 2013 01:49 PM PDT
(FMT) - Bishop Paul Tan says the decision to hold polling on a Sunday, reflects the callous insensitivity towards Christians. The Election Commission's decision to hold the 13th general election on a Sunday has earned the wrath of a senior clergyman. Bishop Paul Tan condemned it as a reflection of the callous insensitivity towards Christians here. He said that despite the government knowing that Sunday is a holy day where Christians must go to Church and worship God, EC has fixed May 5 for polling. "This disrespect of the government of the Christian rights is to be denounced. It just proves that the government is not sincere in its 1Malaysia slogan," added the head of the Malacca and Johor diocese. Tan noted that the voting in the last two general elections was held on a Saturday which is ideal for the discharge of the civic obligation to vote, particularly in a country that adheres to a five-day work week. Of a sudden, he said, this time the vote has been fixed for a Sunday which would be disruptive to Christians wanting to acquit themselves of their religious and civic duties on the same day. The vocal bishop said the decision to hold the vote on a Sunday is characteristic of the government's insensitivity to Christians as reflected by the immunity conferred on some politicians who engaged in stoking unfounded fears of Christian proselytisation of Muslims and even threatened to burn the bible. "This decision to hold the vote on a Sunday caps a series of actions or their lack which in combination reflect callous insensitivity to the feelings of Christians in Malaysia," he added. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/04/15/bishop-condemns-sunday-polling/ |
| Abdul Ghani to face Kit Siang in Gelang Patah Posted: 14 Apr 2013 01:43 PM PDT
(Sin Chew Daily) - Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman is expected to face opposition stalwart Lim Kit Siang in Gelang Patah, according to a latest information. Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has informed Gelang Patah MCA division chairman Jason Teoh and state leaders that the MCA would lease the Gelang Patah parliamentary constituency to Umno. If there are no changes, Datuk Abdul Ghani will be contesting for the seat. After assessing the latest situation in Gelang Patah, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition leadership believes that Datuk Abdul Ghani, who has been the state Menteri Besar since 1995, has a good reputation and prestige. Since Johor is a bastion of the BN, fielding Datuk Abdul Ghani to face Democratic Action Party's (DAP) Mr Lim can boost the BN's morale in Johor, according to the latest information. It was also understood that Mr Teoh, the MCA's initial preferred candidate, would be fielded to contest in Skudai state constituency. Johor Gerakan chairman Teo Kok Chee contested in Skudai but lost to DAP's Dr Boo Cheng Hau in the last election, gaining 12,854 less votes than Dr Boo. This time, the MCA would contest in Skudai, where 65 per cent of its voters are Chinese. Mr Teo is entrusted with the task to assist the BN in gaining the seat. The MCA must handle well the discontentment of Gelang Patah division members over leasing of the constituency to prevent internal sabotage. |
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