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| Rebels, independents and multi-cornered fights Posted: 20 Apr 2013 07:32 AM PDT
A total of 132 parliamentary seats are locked in straight fights, 57 three-cornered battles, 24 four-way fights, seven seats are facing five-way tussles, one a six-way fight and one a seven-way battle. (Bernama) - While nomination for the 13th general election proceeded smoothly today, both the ruling and opposition parties had to contend with rebel members standing as independents, exposing the simmering unhappiness over the choice of candidates. Splits in the opposition pact seemed to have deepened, reflected by allies PAS and PKR fielding candidates in six constituencies, one of which is the Labuan parliamentary seat. Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Najib Tun Razak rallied component party leaders and members to close the book on candidates and work together as a family to ensure a resounding victory for the BN on May 5. Najib, who is leading the BN into the polls for the first time as the prime minister, fired up the BN "Gelombang Biru" (Blue Wave) election machinery after submitting his candidacy to defend his parliamentary stronghold of Pekan. "This is the time for us to continue what we have planned for the past five years. This is the climax. Do not squander what we have accomplished. Pledges made to the people and the BN's manifesto are our commitment to the voters and the people of Malaysia," said Najib who wore a baju Melayu in the familiar BN blue colour. Umno automatically sacked four members, Wanita vice-head Kamilia Ibrahim, former deputy agriculture minister Mohd Shariff Omar, former Kedah exco member Fadzil Hanafi and Gua Musang division committee member Abdul Aziz Mohamed, for standing as independents while the DAP also expelled two members, Kota Melaka incumbent MP Sim Tong Him and member Jenice Lee, for a similar offence. The hour-long nomination for the 222 parliamentary and 505 state seats at stake went off smoothly despite the large turnout of candidates and supporters for the most intense of general election. The DAP, which is being investigated by the Registrar of Societies over alleged irregularities in its December party polls, encountered no problems when its candidates used the party's symbol for the nominations. Multi-cornered fights A total of 320 state seats are facing straight fights, 107 three-cornered, 42 four-way, 25 five-way, 10 six-way and one seven-way. The BN is contesting in 221 parliamentary constituencies, one short of the total at stake after a bizarre turn of events in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, where the BN candidate Che Johan Che Pa did not submit his nomination papers. This left the independent incumbent and Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali to engage in a straight fight with PAS' Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Aziz, the son of Kelantan Menteri Besar and PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. In the parliamentary battle, PAS is contesting 73 seats, DAP 51 and PKR 99, with PKR and PAS on a collision course in Labuan to make it a three-way tussle with the BN. In the contest for the 12 state legislative assemblies, the BN is contesting in all 505 seats while PAS is in the fight for 236, DAP 102 and PKR 172. PAS and PKR are again clashing in five state seats, namely Kota Damansara (Selangor), Panti (Johor), Sungai Acheh (Penang) and Kota Putera as well as Bukit Besi in Terengganu. Many of the BN Malay candidates, including Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, were also attired in blue baju Melayu when they went to the nomination centres accompanied by their supporters walking in a procession and carrying a sea of party flags. Najib, who retained Pekan with a 26,464 majority in 2008, is being challenged by a PKR candidate again, this time Fariz Musa, who is a party central council member. Muhyiddin is again challenged by Mohd Rozali Jamil whom he had beaten in the last general election to defend his parliamentary seat of Pagoh. Palani's five-way fight This will be Abdul Ghani's first federal contest since he became the menteri besar in 1995 while Lim is making his first foray into Johor and had targeted Gelang Patah which was won by the MCA in 2008. MIC president G Palanivel, making a comeback after losing in Hulu Selangor in 2008, found himself with plenty of company in his bid for the Cameron Highlands parliamentary seat. He is in a five-cornered fight with DAP's M Manogaran, who is the former Teluk Intan MP, Mohd Shokri Mahmood (Berjasa) and independents NP Kisho Kumar and T Alagu. In Penang, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is involved in a three-way tie with BN new face Dr Mazlan Ismail and independent Dr Abdullah Zawawi Samsudin in Permatang Pauh. DAP chairman Karpal Singh is in a straight fight with Teh Beng Yeam of BN in Bukit Gelugor while DAP secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng faces two first-timers, Chua Teik Siang of BN and Lim Kim Chu of Parti Cinta Malaysia, in his defence of the Bagan parliamentary seat, and Tan Ken Keong of BN for the Air Puteh state seat which Lim had won in the previous polls. PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, 82, is opposed by Wan Razman Wan Abd Razak of BN in the Chempaka state seat. In Terengganu, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang is also in a straight fight against BN's former Pengkalan Berangan state assemblyman to defend the Marang parliamentary seat and against Nik Dir Nik Wan Ku of BN for the Rhu Rendang state seat.
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| What’s the real deal in Sabah? Posted: 19 Apr 2013 06:08 PM PDT
One theory is that Anwar Ibrahim's obsession with local seats is because he has been 'assigned' to clear the way for Umno to retain Sabah. Pushparani Thilaganathan, FMT Today is the beginning of the day of reckoning in Sabah and across Peninsular Malaysia. It is the much-awaited nomination day preceding the country's 13th general election on May 5, seven days before the infamous May 13, 1969. In Sabah, it is speculated that some 146 opposition candidates have joined the fray against the Barisan Nasional's 60 state seats. And this is not taking into account emerging Independents. Nominations began at 9am today and ended at 10am. However, the final list of candidates for the GE13 should be known by noon. On the parliamentary front, 48 opposition hopefuls will be contesting the 25 seats in Sabah. In the 2008 GE, the Sabah Barisan Nasional pact which included Sabah Progressive People's Party (SAPP) – now in the opposition – made a clean sweep of both both parliamentary and state seats. BN only lost Kota Kinabalu parliamentary constituency and the Tanjung state seats to DAP. The scenario this time is vastly different. The onset of 2013 has seen a series of unexpected socio-political twists and turns culminating (perhaps) in the Registrar of Societies' (ROS) initial and shocking letter "de-recognising" DAP's central committee members and the allegedly "engineered" invasion of Lahad Datu vis-à-vis Sabah by the Sulu army on Feb 9. Looking at Sabah in isolation, the state is boiling over with resentment against Umno-Barisan Nasional on the KDM and (now) Chinese front. Sabah PKR in particular, which is contesting the bulk of Pakatan Rakyat's seats, is simmering with discontent over its national leaders' disregard and disrespect of local sentiments and decisions. The cause of this is Anwar Ibrahim's preferential treatment of BN defectors Lajim Ukin and Wilfred Bumburing – Beaufort and Tuaran incumbent MPs. Both defected in July last year and pledged allegiance to Anwar but declined to join PKR. Under Anwar's encouragement, both had set up refom movements. Bumburing helms APS (Angkatan Perubahan Sabah) and Lajim PPPS (Pertubuhan Pakatan Perubahan Sabah). Both movements – not parties – were given a collective 10 parliamentary and 23 state seats. Trojan horse The decision is seen by many observers here as working against Sabah PKR and has raised questions over Anwar's real agenda in Sabah. If you believe in the adage "a leopard doesn't change its spots", then you will possibly believe in the theory that Anwar is the trojan horse and that his "assignment" in Sabah was to clear the path for a Umno win in the May 5 polls. Anwar's political base is not in Sabah. It is in the urban pockets of Peninsular Malaysia. He rides on PAS for the semi-urban and rural votes. He cares as much about the KadazanDusunMurut welfare as he does the Indians. How then can one explain his obsession to contest a majority of Sabah state seats? PKR and its allies APS and PPPS will collectively contest 19 parliamentary and 43 state seats. They have taken the bulk of Pakatan Rakyat's share in Sabah. Why would he do this, if there wasn't a plan? How do you explain his determination to dilute independent local party participation – SAPP and State Reform Party (STAR) – in the polls, if his sole interest is in wresting Putrajaya? Sabah has 25 parliamentary seats and both SAPP and STAR have long since told Anwar and Pakatan to focus their might on these seats. Both SAPP and STAR had promised their backing. But Anwar played poker with localised politics and politicians. He dilly-dallied over his commitment towards the Sabah for Sabahans agenda, and over decentralising decisions to local leaders until he anchored Lajim and Bumburing. Political intrigue Said PKR Tuaran division chief Ansari Abdullah: "It is intriguing that the government is aware of this [fact that both APS and PPPS are movements and not parties] but they are not taking any action… or is this also part of their plan?" Political observers here are advancing the theory that Anwar's PKR needs only 10 state seats to go into "partnership" with Umno, which is speculated to win at least 30 seats. There are 60 seats in Sabah's Legislative Assembly. Local opposition STAR together with a pro tem Usno Baru group are expected to contest 51 state and 19 parliamentary seats. SAPP is eyeing eight parliamentary and 41 state seats. Both these parties are campaigning on the Borneo agenda and Sabah for Sabahans platforms. Anwar knows the Sabah Constitution will not allow the Pakatan pact to form a state government. It has to be a single party with the most state seats. DAP and PAS are not in the Sabah equation. In this polls, DAP is expected to contest four parliamentary and eight state seats. PAS will field two parliamentary and seven state candidates. Looking at Sabah in isolation and bearing in mind the sequence of events since 2008 , many of those random SMSes which FMT received over the period seem to make sense. For instance in 2011, FMT sources said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Anwar had secretly met and spoken on issues, among them, were Anwar' daughter Nurul Izzah and of him "going slow".
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