Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- EC to re-delineate constituency boundaries this year
- Donald Lim: Re-evaluate Matang-Scope merger price
- PKR to file 27 election petitions
- Tian Chua, Haris Ibrahim detained
- Gerakan may accept government positions
- PKR mulls postponing party polls
- PSM to review ties with Pakatan after GE13 losses
- Adam charged with sedition, out on bail
- Is it time to do away with the Senate?
- Malaysia’s election system drawn to sustain BN’s dominance, don tells forum
| EC to re-delineate constituency boundaries this year Posted: 22 May 2013 06:09 PM PDT
(Bernama) - A study on the re-delineation of electoral constituencies, which was postponed two years ago, will begin soon, said Election Commission (EC) deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar. He said the re-delineation of electoral constituencies and boundaries could be carried out in accordance with Article 113 (2) (ii) of the Federal Constitution as the last exercise was done eight years ago. "The last exercise should have been conducted in 2011 as the last one was done in 2003, but we had to postpone it until the 13th general was over. "The review and re-delineation of the parliamentary and state constituencies has to be carried out as the constitution stipulates than the EC has to carry out the exercise once every eight years. "So we will carry out the exercise gradually before submitting it to Parliament," he told Bernama after an interview with Bernama TV on the 'Hello Malaysia' programme last night. He said the re-delineation exercise was very important because the country had undergone many changes, including migration of people from city to city, over the last 10 years. "For example, when we review the electoral boundaries in 2003, Kota Damansara was not as advanced as it is now. There was no Mutiara Damansara then and many squatter settlements had been cleared to make way for apartments, so definitely the number of voters have changed," he said. Commenting on Pakatan Rakyat's call for the EC chairman and him to resign, claiming fraud in GE13, he said it was disrespectful of the constitution and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. He said as an independent body that did not represent any party and appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong after consultation with the Conference of Rulers, the EC's role should not be undermined. "This call comes from narrow minded people. We had done our best. If we are not transparent and if the EC is in favour of Barisan Nasional, how come they could win 89 seats, and wrested Selangor and Penang easily?" he said. Wan Ahmad said he believed the opposition had another agenda in mind or wanted to create havoc by inciting the people, particularly the younger generation by inflaming hatred. |
| Donald Lim: Re-evaluate Matang-Scope merger price Posted: 22 May 2013 05:56 PM PDT
Azril Annuar, fz.com The RM145 million price tag for the merger of Matang Holdings Berhad into ACE market-listed Scope Industries Bhd should be reviewed by the Valuation and Property Services Department (VPSD), MCA vice president Datuk Donald Lim said. This is necessary as there are two different valuations for the deal with the RM145 million valuation being the lower one, Lim told a press conference here today. "There were two valuations and one was lower by around RM20 to RM30 million. So I think it's best that the VPSD conduct a third valuation on how much it really costs," said Lim. He also pointed out that the current Matang shareholders should have the option to sell out their shares instead of just being granted shares by Scope Industries. "By giving shares there will be a four-year moratorium and the shareholders cannot sell it. We won't know what will happen in four years. What happens if the share prices go down? Maybe from RM1 to RM0.30 in four years. "Matang has nearly 20,000 shareholders controlling 90 per cent of the shares. The other 10 per cent is held by the MCA-owned Huaren Foundation. So for the sake of the other shareholders they should allow them to cash out if they want to. "And for the upcoming Annual General Meeting on May 31, Huaren should not vote. Since it is owned by MCA and there is no mandate from MCA's Central Working Committee, Huaren should abstain from voting," said Lim who also owns 3,000 units of Matang's shares. Matang Holdings entered into a business merger agreement with electrical and electronics manufacturer Scope Industries sometime in November last year and transferred its entire business and undertakings including assets and liabilities to the latter. |
| PKR to file 27 election petitions Posted: 22 May 2013 03:12 PM PDT
(Bernama) - Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is to file 27 petitions in court soon over the results of the 13th General Election, its vice-president Tian Chua said today. "We will coordinate the filing of the petitions with DAP and PAS, our allies in the Pakatan Rakyat," he told Bernama. Electoral candidates and political parties have 21 days from today to file the petitions. This follows the gazetting of the election results yesterday by the Election Commission. PKR won 30 of the 89 parliamentary seats secured by Pakatan Rakyat in the election.
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| Tian Chua, Haris Ibrahim detained Posted: 22 May 2013 02:28 PM PDT
(The Star) - PKR vice-president Tian Chua says he has been detained by police under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act. He said in a tweet message that he was detained at the LCCT before going through the security check as he was to board a flight Thursday. He believed he is being taken to the Jinjang police station. Meanwhile, activist Haris Ibrahim was also picked up by police in connection with the May 13 forum which saw student activist Adam Adli Abd Halim being charged with uttering seditious words. It is learnt that Haris was picked up while having lunch in Segambut and was being taken to the Jinjang police station.
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| Gerakan may accept government positions Posted: 22 May 2013 01:44 PM PDT
(The Star) - Gerakan, which has decided not to hold any Federal Government position after its dismal showing in the general election, will look into the matter again following objections from within the party. The party's acting president Datuk Chang Ko Youn said the matter would be discussed at their next central committee (CC) meeting set for next month. "We will relook the issue. In our last CC meeting, we decided not to take up federal posts but some have disagreed with us," he said at a press conference here yesterday. He admitted that some issues were not adequately addressed during the May 11 CC meeting as emotions were high following the party's shock defeat in the May 5 polls. Chang said it was his personal opinion that the party should hold federal positions, adding that both MCA and Gerakan should take up federal positions as they were part of Barisan Nasional and agreed with the coalition's policies. Chang, who was speaking at his first press conference as acting president following Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon's resignation, said Barisan should merge into a single multi-racial party and change its approach, given the advent of more young voters in urbanised areas over the next five years. "In the elections, we saw that the trend of urban voters went across racial lines, such as Chinese voters who voted for PAS candidates and vice versa. "We can no longer rely on race-based parties. It is getting out of fashion. We must seriously look at the issue of young voters across racial lines. They are looking at transparency, governance, human rights and other issues," he added. Barisan, Chang added, must adapt as old methods could not be used any more. "If we use the same methods, I am afraid that we will have worse results in the next elections, which will see an additional two million new voters," he said, adding that Gerakan had always advocated non-racial politics. Chang also hit out at Pakatan Rakyat and said it should admit defeat and use the parliamentary process to advocate change instead of having rallies that could provoke people.
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| PKR mulls postponing party polls Posted: 22 May 2013 01:41 PM PDT
(The Star) - PKR may postpone its elections due to be held this November to reconsolidate its support base. Party secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (picture) said the political bureau had discussed the suggestion to put off party polls. "We just went through a big battle in the general election, and having the elections in November may be too soon as they take up a lot of time and energy. "There are views within the leadership to reconsolidate our support base and to close ranks first ... maybe that could be reason enough to postpone our elections," he told a press conference at the party headquarters here yesterday. "We are currently considering both options to have our elections in November as planned or to postpone the polls," he said. He added that the supreme council will be discussing the matter further after the party's annual congress, postponed from last year, ends this weekend. Saifuddin said that if the leadership wanted to postpone the party elections, it would have to convene a special congress to amend the constitution, which now only provides for triennial elections. The last party elections were in 2010. Saifuddin, who coordinated the previous party elections, said that he was getting feedback to improve the polling process. Previously, he said, the members had to meet twice to elect their leaders first to elect their division leaders and then to elect the supreme council members. "The grassroots members say that this is double mobilisation and it takes up too much time, and they are asking if we could vote for both at once," he said. "But a change in procedure would require a constitutional amendment." He also said the ninth annual congress to be held here this Saturday would see 2,500 delegates from 221 divisions nationwide attending the one-day event. The Youth and Wanita wings will meet on Friday. Saifuddin said the theme of the congress was Suara Rakyat, Suara Keramat (The Voice of the People, The Supreme Voice).
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| PSM to review ties with Pakatan after GE13 losses Posted: 22 May 2013 01:39 PM PDT
(The Star) - Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) is set to review its ties with Pakatan Rakyat after its losses in GE13 due to the alleged underhand tactics against their candidates. "The issue will be brought up for discussion at our annual congress on June 28. "We are leaving it to our members to decide if we should continue ties with Pakatan," PSM secretary-general S. Arutchelvan (picture) said, adding that the decision to work with the Opposition pact was made at the party's 14th Congress in June last year. He added that PSM was also demanding a meeting with PKR and PAS leaders over the Kota Damansara and Semenyih state seats in Selangor. "We want an explanation from PAS over the loss of the Kota Damansara seat, and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang referring to us as communists," he said. Arutchelvan added that PKR should also explain its role in PSM's loss in Semenyih. On May 6, PSM president Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim said his loss in Kota Damansara was due to votes being split and "stolen" by the PAS candidate. Barisan's Halimaton Saadiah Bohan polled 16,387 votes against Dr Nasir's 14,860 and PAS' Ridzuan Ismail's 7,312. Arutchelvan was said to be the victim of Pakatan's internal politicking in Semenyih which saw Barisan's Datuk Johan Abdul Aziz getting 17,616 votes compared to PKR's Hamidi Hasan (13,471) while he only polled 5,568 votes. PSM also contested the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat in Perak with incumbent Dr Michael Jeyakumar successfully defending it while M. Sarasvathy lost the Jelapang state seat.
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| Adam charged with sedition, out on bail Posted: 22 May 2013 01:24 PM PDT
His lawyers are planning to file an application at the High Court to declare the case against him is frivolous. K Pragalath, FMT Student activist Adam Adli was this morning charged under the Sedition Act at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for allegedly making a seditious statement. He claimed trial. Sessions Court judge Norsharidah Awang fixed the bail at RM5,000 with one bailor, and fixed July 2 for mentioning. Adam, 24, was arrested in Kuala Lumpur on May 18 for remarks he allegedly made during a post-GE13 forum on May 13. He was held in remand for five days. This morning, deputy public prosecutor, Mohd Abazafri Mohd Abbas, sought to set bail at RM5,000 "to ensure his (Adam's) attendance in court". Abazafri was assisted by deputy public prosecutors Azrina Ali and Nadia Tahyuddin. Adam was represented by lawyers N Surendran, S Ambiga, Afiq M Noor and Michelle Yesudass. Both Surendran and Ambiga argued that the bail amount was high, and said the case was frivolous without prima facie. "The Sedition Act is also going to be repealed. We will file an application to strike out the case at the High Court as soon as possible," said Surendran. Upon his release on bail, Adam addressed his supporters at the court lobby. "It is an experience in defending democracy. Thank you all. This is why I love this country," he said. Funds collected during his remand period was used to bail him out. Adam was arrested under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act and Section 124(B) of the Penal Code on May 18 in Bangsar for making statements during a May 13 forum held at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall. Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act provides that it is a criminal offence to make any oral, printed and published statements or acts with "seditious tendency". Section 124(B) of the Penal Code states that "whoever, by any means, directly or indirectly, commits an activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 20 years." If Adam is found guilty of sedition, he could be imprisoned for up to three years, fined up to RM5,000, or both. In the forum, Adam, along with other activists, had called for a street demonstration to protest alleged electoral fraud during the general election.
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| Is it time to do away with the Senate? Posted: 22 May 2013 01:19 PM PDT IN DECEMBER 1997, an unusual outcry arose from the normally placid Senate or Dewan Negara when its members reacted to a dismissive label given to the Upper House by the then parliamentary opposition leader Lim Kit Siang – he had called it a "rubber-stamp to a rubber-stamp." As senators mostly appointed under the Barisan Nasional (BN) government angrily remonstrated, Lim insisted that he was vindicated in making the ignominious reference. For the Senate had, on Dec 22, passed an important amendment, in the form of the Criminal Procedure Amendment Bill 1997 – without any debate whatsoever. The Senate, he added, was a "rubbish bin for political has-beens, rejects and deadwoods", and one way to remedy the situation was to replace the appointive system with an elective one. "This move would involve sacrifices by the Senators as I do not think many, even any, of them could get into the Dewan Negara if they have first to seek the mandate from the people at large," the DAP secretary-general and MP for Tanjung said. The issue surrounding the Senate's purported inefficacy was not just based on the seeming absence of strong, daring debates. Because the Malaysian Senate had been almost entirely dominated by the BN and its predecessor, the Alliance, since independence in 1957, there was a general view that the senators did not do enough to positively counter the government of the day. A tool for "back-door" appointments The question of the Senate's relevance emerged again recently when Lim's long-time comrade-in-arms, Karpal Singh, who is now DAP chairman and Bukit Gelugor MP, opined that the Senate should be abolished altogether. It has produced a backlash reminiscent of the uproar that Lim had generated in 1997, with current Dewan Negara President Tan Sri Abu Zahar Ujang rebuking Karpal to "respect the rule of law and our constitution." The issue had resurfaced when Karpal told a press conference in Penang last Saturday that there is no need for the Senate. "In my view, the Federal Constitution should be amended to abolish the senate," he said. "It is an unnecessary expense required to be borne by the people. It does not serve a useful purpose," he added. "It only encourages those who have been rejected by the people or others to be brought into Parliament through the back door via the Senate, as in law Parliament also includes the Senate." Read more at: http://www.fz.com/content/it-time-do-away-senate#ixzz2U5PQ8gOd |
| Malaysia’s election system drawn to sustain BN’s dominance, don tells forum Posted: 22 May 2013 12:23 PM PDT The first-past-the-post system will always be advantageous to BN, a forum was told last night. (TMI) - Barisan Nasional's (BN) rule will continue as long as Malaysia uses the first-past-the-post voting system despite redelineation, academic Amer Saifude told a forum here last night. The Universiti Malaya Centre for Democracy and Elections (Umcedel) deputy director said the expected redelineation of constituencies by year-end would benefit Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's coalition and even better its Election 2013 performance. "As long as we practice this first-past-the-post system, it will be advantageous to BN," Amer told a forum on the 13th general election outcome. "History has shown that every time there is a re-demarcation process, BN would perform better," he added. Despite winning only 47 per cent of the popular vote in the May 5 elections, Najib saw his coalition keeping the government with a simple majority, bagging 133 federal seats against Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) 89. Amer pointed out that Najib was the first BN chief to score a weaker mandate in his maiden bid for power, a reflection of the faulty fundamentals of the first-past-the-post system. The Umcedel deputy director said the system's glaring defect could be seen in how BN, bar a few exceptions, had never won the popular vote by more than 60 per cent but yet managed to win a huge number of the seats it contested in. He also highlighted how several constituencies nationwide had been gerrymandered without reasonable justifications. "Sometimes you see the re-demarcation is illogical and unfair… the redelineation process is often made to serve the interest of certain parties," he said.
PR federal lawmakers have signalled their intention to make full use of their increased parliamentary numbers to ensure constituencies are fairly redrawn when the Election Commission (EC) kicks off the redelineation exercise this year-end. PKR's Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli has said that if the exercise involves an increase in seat numbers, a two-thirds majority vote is needed to approve the changes before they are passed by the lower House. The allegedly unfair dispersal of voters in constituencies has been used as a major argument point by PR lawmakers to back accusations that gerrymandering in favour of BN has helped the ruling pact stay in power. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/malaysias-election-system-drawn-to-sustain-bns-dominance-don-tells-forum/ |
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