| HINDRAF distances itself from Waytha & P.M Najib Razak Posted: 18 Apr 2013 01:02 PM PDT 
UMNO cheats more, Pakatan cheats less P.Uthayakumar, De-facto leader Hindraf Hindraf has nothing to do with Najib's signing some document with some hijackers this evening . This has never been the Hindraf struggle. No, it is not acceptable on the eve of GE. As the seniormost & De Facto leader of Hindraf we ask for delivery first of the 18 point demands dated 12/08/2007 which are already over 5 years long overdue & with almost zero delivery save & except for the UMNO hampers and rice packets etc for the Indian poor. Or at least the 5 demands first before GE (that was reported in Malaysiakini 3 months ago). The Hindraf political directions remains the same ~ do not vote for UMNO/BN. Voting for Pakatan is up to the individual as Hindraf is not prepared to take responsibility for PR's non delivery to the Indian poor as the y have not delivered in the 5 PR's States. To the Indian poor BN cheats more & PR cheats less. We want change but not for PR to be replaced with the UMNO clone. To this effect I am going ahead with contesting in Kota Raja & Seri Andalas. P.Uthayakumar |
| An Open Letter to Mr P Waythamoorthy and Hindraf Committee Members Posted: 18 Apr 2013 12:52 PM PDT 
Benjamin Loi Dear Mr P Waythamoorthy and Hindraf Committee Members: First of all, I wish to express my most heartfelt congratulations on your success in ending more than 50 years of hardships endured by your fellow Indians in Malaysia. As you ended your hunger strike not too long ago, now is the time of celebration to enjoy sumptuous food, Indian curry chicken is my favourite food, I think you like it too. Your achievement is remarkable and I think the Malaysian Government should nominate you for the Martin Luther King Legacy Award in America for your sacrifice to make significant contributions in race relations, justice and human rights in Malaysia. If they reject the Malaysia government's nomination, it is still okay as you may still be conferred a Datukship or Tan Sriship after 5th May 2013 in Malaysia, as in the case of Jelapang ADUN Mdm Hee Yit Foong, who, like you, fearlessly fought for justice and equality (Mdm Hee was not provided a state-sponsored vehicle when she was with Perak PR-led government, it was really not fair and just to her). Nevertheless, I felt very prompted to write you a letter when I heard of your history-making achievement at 5pm this afternoon. I just simply want to share a family story with you… More than 50 years ago, my daughter Indianah was conned into giving herself to a guy called Ummnooo. Ummnooo has always treated my daughter like a nobody; mental torture and verbal insults are part or parcel of her daily life, and sometimes physical abuse. In spite of more than 50 years' requests to grant her proper "status", Ummnooo just wants her to remain stateless so he can continue his arrogance and threaten to send her back to me so he can use it to embarrass my entire family. Sometimes I feel my daughter is just a sex toy to him - no status, no money, no security and there was one occasion where Umnooo kept on kicking and hitting the head of my daughter's pet, a cow … calling her stupid while torturing her pet in front of so many people. More than 50 years of suffering suddenly comes to a very interesting twist when another handsome guy Pi-R appears. If I am not wrong, Pi-R told my daughter to leave Ummnooo and elope with him. He promised a better future and would treat her with honour, dignity and respect. I am not sure whether Pi-R can be trusted but when Ummnooo found out Pi-R was after my daughter Indianah, he first tried to threaten her, slapped her and said: "I can live without you, get lost now". My daughter really did it in 2008 and she eloped with Pi-R. The thick-skinned Ummnooo realised how important my daughter is to him. My daughter is hardworking and most of the time Ummnooo does not even bother to provide allowance for her and she has to stay hungry sometimes. Where to find such a good and cheap labourer??? So Ummnooo started a new strategy to win my daughter back. Firstl he went to Korea to have comestic surgery to make him look nicer, younger and of course stronger. He has come to my daughter many times after the surgery and continued to make even more beautiful promises. I am happy and worried at the same time. Ummnooo may have changed his ugly face through surgery but there is no way he can change his heart overnight. And Ummnooo's relatives and friends have never failed to cast disparaging remarks on my daughter, one of them is Puki-flee. Yesterday somebody told me he was going to stand as a candidate in the election, puki puki…pui!!! And I am very afraid that Ummnooo may get influenced by his relatives and friends and start to torture my daughter again. My daughter is very very confused now. Someone who has called her a whore for 50 years is now treating her like a young pretty princess and since she has slept with Ummnooo on the same bed for more than 50 years, she is going to give Ummnooo a chance. I respect her decision and at the same time, I think I owe Pi-R a debt of gratitude for without Pi-R Ummnooo will never realise how important my daughter is, Ummnooo will never appreciate her sacrifice and surely he will continue to torture her and let her remain "stateless". I just told my daughter this afternoon: "Ummnooo has never loved you, never cherished you … but he merely needs you now to satisfy his urgent "needs" … Indianah, you don't have to thank Pi-R, but neither do you have to be unkind to him (because Ummnooo asks you to accuse Pi-R of being a seducer). Oh oh, sorry for the digression and I am getting a bit emotional…sorry sorry… Last but not least, I sincerely wish all my fellow Indian friends the best! With Love & Warmest Regards, Benjamin Loi |
| Party Logo and Election Posted: 18 Apr 2013 11:33 AM PDT 
DAP will use the PAS symbol in Peninsular Malaysia and the PKR symbol in Sabah & Sarawak for the 13th general elections unless the Registrar of Societies (ROS)'s cowardly and dastardly attempt to assassinate the Rocket is withdrawn by revoking its 17 April 2013 letter not recognising the office-bearers of the Central Executive Committee(CEC). Lim Guan Eng By not recognising the office-bearers of the CEC elected by the delegates on 15 December 2012, I have no power to issue authorisation letters in my official capacity as Secretary-General to DAP
candidates to use the Rocket symbol.
The DAP CEC in its meeting tonight decided that ROS must revoke its letter not recognising the office-bearers in the CEC by 3pm tomorrow on Friday.
Failure to do so will result in the DAP directing its 53 parliamentary candidates and 103 state candidates throughout the country to contest in the next general elections under the PAS symbol in Peninsular Malaysia and the PKR symbol in Sabah and Sarawak. There is no point in relying on assurances given by the Election Commission(EC) that DAP can still use our Rocket symbol when the EC possesses a sad record of broken promises that has caused the entire electoral process to be neither free, fair, independent nor neutral.
For the ROS to issue this letter 48 hours before nomination day on 20 April 2013 is clearly intended to kill off DAP's electoral prospects by forcing all DAP candidates to be independent. Using the ridiculous excuse that no proper notice was sent out resulting in 753 delegates not attending the Party National Congress is illogical and irrational as then all party national conventions that does not have 100% attendance should also be taken action. Why only the DAP but not other political parties in BN?
Clearly ROS intends to assassinate the Rocket to fulfill the grand design of BN to take out the DAP from contending in the general elections. Knowing that BN component parties will be facing a stern challenge from DAP candidates, BN has adopted the shameful and dirty approach of preventing DAP from contesting by using our beloved Rocket symbol. Such desperate attempts to win by BN is victory without honour and makes a mockery of the entire electoral process.
If ROS refuses to withdraw this letter, then the whole electoral process in the 13th General Elections will be both flawed and fraudulent if DAP can not be allowed to use the Rocket. The DAP CEC urges all party leaders, members and supporters to be calm and let the anger of such disgraceful underhand tacticsbe reflected strongly in the ballot box on 5 May 2013. |
| I Have a Voice Too! Posted: 18 Apr 2013 11:24 AM PDT 
If you who are eligible voters and candidates are not gonna stand up and speak for us then I have no choice but to step up to fill the role. Hey, although we are not yet eligible to vote, we are still citizens of Malaysia, and I believe that we, students, deserve the right to be heard too! Asher Lim Does it ever bother you how the streets are just over-saturated with blue flags, that everywhere you go, it's just a sea of blue? Have you ever wondered how is it that BN seem to find that much money despite the country being so heavily in debt to hold countless banquets that have been causing all the traffic jams lately? Does it bother you that our PM doesn't seem to be keeping his promise to observe that there will be a clean and fair elections despite having signed the Transparency International-Malaysia agreement? Does it bother you even more that whenever someone raises concerns about the transparency of the coming GE-13, BN seems to do everything in their power to silence their voices? Does it bother you that up till today, officials still can't give an answer the politically-linked deaths of Teoh Beng Hock and Altantuya? And how is it that the clues and evidence seem to all have been tempered with? Does it bother you at all? If it does, then what is it that you are doing? Voting? That's good, but is it really going to help if there is not going to be a clean and fair election? No! Everywhere I look around, I see people, being afraid of the government they 'elected', if they won it fair and square in the first place. Is this democracy? No! There is no such thing as democracy based on fear. You see, from my point of view, this has become tyranny wearing the mask of democracy! Can anybody explain how is it that BN could win 63.1% of seats in 2008 when they only got as much as 50.27% of votes? You tell me, how does that even tally? I remember being in National Service, and how they held this so called 'simulation' of the elections but yet, we hardly learned anything about it at all. There was no mention about how zones are classified, how the number of seats are determined. Is it because they are too afraid to let the younger generation know how dirty it actually is? Then there was this so called 'Ceramah 1 Malaysia' from a Ministry known as the Jabatan Penerangan Malaysia. In his 2 hours of very political talk, he asked the question: "Adakah ini bersih atau kotor? Adakah ini bersih atau kotor?", to which I almost stood up and shouted back: "Adakah ini ceramah 1Malaysia atau ceramah BN? Adakah ini ceramah 1Malaysia atau BN?" What kind of 'taktik KOTOR' is this? Even the under-aged are not saved from the brain-washing of BN even though they are not eligible yet to vote. Teenagers today are being exposed to all these lies too and yet we can hardly do anything about it! I have been confronted not once but several times about my postings on Facebook. I also have people complaining to those 'above' me saying that my postings on Facebook are inappropriate. Why the fear? Why? Let me tell you this, if you are given rights and power but are too afraid to use it, to exercise it, it will surely be taken away from you. A classic example would be our freedom of speech. People did not rise up to speak for themselves and thus allowed the amendment of the Sedition Act to pass. People were afraid for reasons that weren't valid. Maybe it was because the sources of media during those days were entirely controlled by the government, but not so today anymore. With the Internet, we get to hear both sides of the story and see from a third person point of view, see an 'aerial' view of the situation with access to the media of other countries, which of course in NS, they tell you it's foreign powers jealous of the 'harmony' in Malaysia that they are attempting to sabotage the country and spoil the 'good' name, yes, 'good' name of our PM. If you who are eligible voters and candidates are not gonna stand up and speak for us then I have no choice but to step up to fill the role. Hey, although we are not yet eligible to vote, we are still citizens of Malaysia, and I believe that we, students, deserve the right to be heard too! With all the lies that are being told to my peers, I can't help but feel the responsibility to speak my mind and to speak the truth. Will you continue to allow this brain-washing to occur? Maybe you're afraid of what could happen to you should you stand up and speak, and I don't blame you, with cases like Teoh Beng Hock's and Altantuya's. But that gives us more of a reason to actually stand up and speak. It is not the 'what could be' that matters now, it is the 'what should be' that matters. The Malaysia that should be will never be if we continue to stay silent and allow every hanky-panky to go by under our very noses. Let not Teoh Beng Hock's death come to nothing, let it end in change! He died believing that Malaysia deserves better! All that needs to be done by the Rakyat is just to speak up and let their voices be heard, then BN will learn that it is the Rakyat that has the power, not them, and that they can't just do anything and expect to get away with it. I know that there are many of us who are aware of the situation in Malaysia and that many of us are already ready for change, but it is not enough to cast your votes into the ballot box. Malaysia needs a movement, one even of a larger scale than all the previous BERSIHs combined. Everyone must recognise their rights and speak up. It doesn't have to be marching down Putrajaya and confronting the PM face to face, it can come in many ways like through writing articles, poems, songs, etc. I am sure that if everyone speaks up, they, the ones at Putrajaya will be shaking with fear and will wet their pants knowing that they are about to lose everything. Let's be honest. We can see all sorts of dirty tactics being used by BN to maintain their power, and with the most recent being the ROS sending a letter to DAP telling them that their central executive committee is not recognised just 2 days before the nominations. That is an outrageous act and in DAP's secretary general, Lim Guan Eng's own words, biadap! This shows a country run with people without dignity and honour. This is it, this is the dying gasp of BN, they have gone all out to use every single dirty tricks up their sleeves to ensure that they stay in power. Now it is the rakyat's turn to respond, not by arms but through unity, through the common believe that this country deserves better! By taking the time an effort to write this, I hope that I may inspire you to take up the courage to stand up for the common believe that Malaysia deserves better, that we deserve better. We can no longer wait, the time is now, it is time to speak up and let your voices be heard! It is time to bring a wind of change! Ini kalilah! Ubah! |
| Taliban a la Malaysia Posted: 17 Apr 2013 07:42 PM PDT 
A certain group of people in our Chinese community, while not embracing the same religion as the Taliban, carry out their operations in an unmistakable Taliban fashion. Tay Tian Yan, Sin Chew Now Michelle Yeoh and Eric Moo get the blasts. All because they are going to attend the Dinner With PM in Selangor and a 1Malaysia event in Penang, earning them the names of "stooges," "traitors" and 'spies'" Michelle Yeoh is the pride of Malaysia. No other Malaysians, Chinese Malaysians in particular, have shone this brightly on the international arena, while Eric Moo has been internationally acclaimed for his talents in musical creations and stage performances. If any foreigner has come to the knowledge that some of the people of a country would abhor and trample with such intensity their compatriots just because of their self-centred political stand, I am afraid they will try to steer clear of this country for the sake of their own safety. This is extremism the Taliban style, or cruelty characterising the most primitive of African tribes. But unimaginably such oddities take place right here in Malaysia, a country that has worked so hard to position itself as a mild, moderate, liberal and civilised state. If this is what we call democracy, I cannot help but to feel sorry for this kind of democracy. If this is what we call freedom, then I'm afraid we will need to mourn the passing of real freedom. Conducting senseless persecutions and threatening others holding dissident beliefs in the name of democracy and liberty are very much acts of dictatorial populism. I have always been thinking that we should assess artistes based merely on their artistic talents, not ideological affinity. In the past, we disapproved of PAS' moves to mobilise its followers to boycott the shows of Elton John and Beyoncé Knowles because of their own religious values. In a similar manner, when the government blocked the concerts of Aril Lavigne and Erykah Badu, many stood up and protested: "You don't want to see, but that doesn't mean you should stop others from seeing." This is the fundamental respect for democracy and liberty. While you have every right to defend your religion, you cannot stop other people from embracing theirs. You can support a political party of your choice, but you cannot assail others for their political affiliations. You can stay away from the Dinner With PM, but you cannot stop others from attending it, or humiliate Michelle and Eric. You choose to stay away, but that does not mean you are right or more righteous and noble. The only reason you don't attend is because you hold different political stand from other event participants. Taliban denies education for women, so they wanted to gun down female education activist Malala Yousafzai. And because Taliban endures no other religions, they blasted the Buddha statues in Bamiyan. And also because Taliban wants to erect the most puritanistic religious society, they would exterminate anyone disagreeing with them. A certain group of people in our Chinese community, while not embracing the same religion as the Taliban, carry out their operations in an unmistakable Taliban fashion. |
| PKR still working on candidates’ list Posted: 17 Apr 2013 07:33 PM PDT 
Party hopes to iron out niggling problems in its final candidates' list for a number of parlimentary and state seats Alyaa Azhar, FMT PKR is working to resolve its candidates for several seats which the party will be contesting in the 13th general election. After a closed meeting between PKR candidates and the party's de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim today, the candidates were given their watikah (letters of authorisation). However, the candidates for a number of seats were not announced, including both the parliamentary and state seats of Negeri Sembilan, and even the Batu parliamentary seat. At a press conference later, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali said that Anwar will be holding talks with party leaders this evening and hoped to finalise the list. As for the Labuan parliamentary seat where both PKR and PAS are now staking a claim, he said that negotiations were still ongoing. "Everything will be discussed by both parties [PKR and PAS] and we still hope for a one on one fight between Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional," said Azmin. PKR wants to field corporate bigwig Ibrahim Menudin while Labuan PAS had announced that its information chief Hadnan Mohamad would be the Pakatan candidate for the seat. On the Semenyih state seat, he said that PSM had been told of PKR's decision to field Serdang PKR division chief Hamidi Hassan and PKR is now awaiting a response from PSM. PKR considers all views Yesterday, PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan said that PSM will contest the seat using its own party symbol if PKR stood by its decision to field Hamidi for the Semenyih seat. READ MORE HERE |
| Your slip is showing Posted: 17 Apr 2013 06:35 PM PDT 
That is just one example of many similar comments. I find that the Chinese always like to boast about how pragmatic they are due to their 5,000 years of civilisation. Even Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad admitted that the Chinese are very pragmatic and he lamented that the Malays are too emotional and feudalistic and not pragmatic like the Chinese. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin One reader sent me an email complaining that his comment was 'rejected'. He accused me of blocking his email address but when I tried posting the comment that he sent me I discovered that his comment is too long. And that was why he could not post the comment. He should have broken the comment into two parts. Nevertheless, he assumed that I had blocked or rejected his comment. The 2,000 character limit is to ensure that spammers do not copy and paste nonsense running into 20 pages or more and post them in Malaysia Today. They have done this before. Furthermore, the spammers post many copies of the same comment. Hence we have had to set a time gap of three minutes between postings. Another problem we face is DDOS attacks. Over the last month we have been under severe attack almost 24-7, as have many other websites and news portals. These attacks come from all over the world and I was told that hackers take control of millions of computers all over the world to launch these attacks. And that is why we find it so difficult to track them down and block them. They are using 'middlemen' to attack us. Your computer may be one of those millions of computers all over the world commandeered by the hackers to launch these DDOS attacks. Hence you may find your IP address blocked by our server. I suppose we shall have to treat that as collateral damage until the 5th May 2013 general election is over. According to our technical people, this mode of attack would cost a lot of money so whoever is financing these attacks must have very deep pockets indeed. Below is one comment from a reader regarding my two articles on principles. Sometimes, pragmatism trumps over principles. How many dinners does one need to organise to raise hundreds of millions for Nurul Izzah to counter Raja Nong Chik's hundreds of millions? The idea was dead from the start. That is just one example of many similar comments. I find that the Chinese always like to boast about how pragmatic they are due to their 5,000 years of civilisation. Even Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad admitted that the Chinese are very pragmatic and he lamented that the Malays are too emotional and feudalistic and not pragmatic like the Chinese. I suppose 'pragmatic' is a better word than 'unprincipled' -- such as 'meticulous' rather than 'leceh (slow)', 'friendly fire' rather than 'oops', 'collateral damage' rather than 'kambing hitam (sacrificial lamb)', 'flexible' rather than 'wishy-washy', 'firm' rather than 'pig-headed', 'decisive' rather than 'uncompromising', 'faith' rather than 'lack of evidence', and so on. It is merely a choice of words and what people would call 'politically correct' rather than 'propaganda'. In short, what this reader is saying is matlamat menghalalkan cara (the ends justify the means). I actually like that doctrine. My doctor friend tells me that a glass of wine a day is very healthy and a glass of brandy helps cure your cough. Can I, therefore, drink a glass of wine a day and down a glass of brandy every time I cough (and I cough a lot as those who phone me can confirm)? My objective is to stay healthy and cure my cough so the wine and liquor that I drink would achieve that. And does not the ends justify the means or matlamat menghalalkan cara? So haram becomes halal just as long as your intentions are noble (matlamat yang mulia). Talking about noble intentions, Islam says that all Muslims are brothers/sisters. So, in the interest of noble intentions and for the sake of maintaining the Islamic brotherhood, if a Chinese candidate from the opposition contests against a Malay candidate from Umno, whom should we support? Remember, as the Chinese say, we need to be pragmatic and not idealistic or emotional. The pragmatic thing would be that if we support a Malay candidate against the Chinese candidate then we would be able to strengthen the Muslim brotherhood, as Islam wants us to do. So, do you really want to choose pragmatism over idealism? Now back to the issue of the fundraising exercise for Nurul Izzah. One reader posted a comment saying that people refuse to support the fundraising exercise not because they do not support Nurul Izzah but because they hate me. I like it when people get snared in my traps. Actually, there were two fundraising dinners. One was organised by Nurul Izzah's own team and the other by someone else but I sponsored the whole event. Hence I was not involved in the first and only a handful of people knew about my involvement in the other -- at least until the dinner was over. And both dinners managed to raise about the same amount of money. Hence how goes your theory that people did not support Nurul Izzah's fundraising exercise because they hate me? Even Nurul Izzah's own team could not do much better. Using that same logic, if you hate Azmin Ali then is it okay if you do not support Pakatan Rakyat Selangor? What if you hate Anwar Ibrahim? Is it okay then to not support PKR? Why do you people not want to admit your failings and shortcomings? Why always try to deflect and put the blame on someone else? Just admit that you are all talk and no action. The more you squirm the deeper you get snared. So now it is okay to not support the cause if you hate one person. That gives me the moral high ground to not support Pakatan Rakyat because I hate certain people in Pakatan Rakyat. These are your ground rules and we are just playing according to your ground rules. This is typical of Malaysians, in particular the Chinese, Indians and natives of East Malaysia. Dr Mahathir proudly said that in five general elections he never lost his two-thirds majority in Parliament and then you turn around and whack Dr Mahathir and blame the Malays and ask the Malays to 'wake up'. Dr Mahathir said he never lost his two-thirds majority in Parliament in 22 years but in 1990 Kelantan, which is in the Malay heartland that has more than 97% Malay voters, was lost to the opposition. In 1995, DAP garnered only 12% of the votes and won 9 Parliament seats while PAS-Semangat 46 garnered 15% of the votes and won 13 Parliament seats plus they retained Kelantan. In 1999, the opposition won Kelantan and Terengganu and Umno lost its two-thirds majority in the Kedah State Assembly (after the Lunas by-election) plus Umno lost more than half the Parliament seats in that state. PAS also won the most number of seats and the PAS President became the Opposition Leader in Parliament while Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh lost their seats in the 'Chinese heartland'. So what do you have to say about that? What do you mean that the Malays have to wake up? Why try to deflect and not admit who is to blame for this? Why try to blame others for your failings and shortcomings? And Nurul Izzah can't raise enough money because people hate Raja Petra Kamarudin konon and not because you are all talk and no action. What utter bullshit! You are so full of shit I can smell it all the way from Manchester. So, nak cakap lagi? What is the word they use? Kiasu? |
| PNSB confirms Dijaya land deal Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:55 PM PDT 
Selangor Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, was misquoted as saying the agreement was not set in stone. (The Star) - Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd (PNSB) has cleared the air over the land deal with Dijaya Corporation Bhd over the latter's acquisition of about 1,172 acres of prime development land in Canal City, Selangor. Its chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Omar said on Thursday that the multi-billion ringgit deal was legal despite that the agreement was signed after dissolution of Selangor state assembly He also said the Selangor Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, was misquoted as saying the agreement was not set in stone. On April 15, Dijaya entered into an agreement to acquire the land from PNSB for about RM1.3bil via a deferred payment method which spans over a period of up to 20 years. The purchase consideration comprised of land purchase price of RM587mil, interest cost, share of gross development value (GDV) and profit entitlement from the development of the land. At the signing of the agreement, Dijaya had stated this land development through smart partnership with PNSB was expected to contribute significantly to the group's prospects in the coming years. Dijaya would progressively fund the acquisition and development cost via internally generated funds and bank borrowings. READ: ABU! ABU ABU! |
| Leaked emails show Zionist lobby group did work for PKR official Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:35 PM PDT  
(Malaysiakini) - Leaked email correspondence obtained by The Choice (see letter here) confirms that the infamous Zionist lobbying firm Orion Strategies did work on behalf of senior PKR officials – despite the party's vigorous denials. Speaking to Free Malaysia Today (FMT) on 2 April, top PKR official Rafizi Ramli categorically denied that his party had anything to do with Washington DC-based Orion: "Any attempts to link PKR to any paid foreign agents is just an election gimmick to defame Anwar Ibrahim, that has been done previously. It did not bear any fruit the last time. I am sure it will backfire this time around as well." But the emails obtained by The Choice show that Orion employee Mike Mitchell wrote to the offices of American Congressmen, soliciting meetings with PKR counsellor and former SUARAM Chief Executive Cynthia Gabriel. Mitchell wrote: Dear [name expunged by The Choice], I hope this finds you well. I am arranging meetings for two Malaysian democracy/civil society activists who will be visiting Washington late next week. I know there are many demands on the Congressman's time but was hoping for a short window where they can pay a courtesy call to your office. Both are excellent English speakers. Details are below. Please let me know if you have any questions. Best, Mike. Ibrahim Suffian of the Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research was due to accompany Gabriel on her lobbying trip. It is believed that they postponed their trip at the last minute, for unknown reasons. DUOS' DENIAL In a joint statement both Gabriel and Suffian vigorously denied any knowledge of Orion Strategies or the Washington trip. "We are dismayed to learn at how the wheel of false propaganda has turned once again to create lies and false impressions to demonise us nearing the general election," Gabriel and Ibrahim told FMT. POST-ELECTION VIOLENCE In his emails to the American Congressmen, Mitchell warns that "un-resolved issues" are "threatening the integrity of Malaysia's electoral process" and could "plunge Malaysia into deep, post-electoral civil crisis." Gabriel could "discuss political developments", with the Congressmen, Mitchell suggests. Anwar's PKR have been accused of planning violence and unrest on Election Day. In an article in FMT on 10 April, former Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) president Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim claimed to have proof the opposition planned to create "chaos" on polling day. "We have seen an internal PKR document dated Dec 15, 2012, which lists out various steps to create chaos and dissatisfaction against the Elections Commission on polling day by raising repeated protests at the polling station so as to cause the other voters waiting in the queue to be unhappy and dissatisfied with the EC," Tunku said. ISRAEL'S LOBBYISTS Orion Strategies represent numerous right-wing politicians in the United States and are also one of the fiercest defenders of the Israeli government. They are infamous for launching smear campaigns against American politicians deemed critical of the Jewish state. Orion's Vice President, Michael Goldfarb, launched a smear campaign against President Barack Obama during his re-election campaign last year, accusing the President of associating with critics of Israel. Randy Scheunemann, a former advisor to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, heads Orion Strategies. Scheunemann helped establish the 'Emergency Committee for Israel', a lobbying outfit which has close links to the hard right of Israeli politics and the Likud government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In his denial to FMT, Rafizi suggested that PKR would not be in a position to hire Orion Strategies because "the cost itself will be prohibitive given the limited financial resources available to us." |
| GE13: Trouble brewing in Malacca DAP Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:28 PM PDT 
(The Star) - DAP candidate for the Alor Gajah parliamentary seat Damien Yeo has threatened to pull out of the general election if party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng continues to meddle in the list of candidates for the state. In a Facebook posting last night, Yeo wrote that he would withdraw if Lim did not "give respect" to Malacca DAP chairman Goh Leong San's decision on the candidates. Earlier, at another function, Goh had named Yeo as the candidate against MCA's Koh Nai Kwong for the seat. It was learnt that Goh had also threatened to pull out all his candidates should there be no amicable consensus to the stalemate in the next few days. The issue began after Lim's wife Betty Chew Gek Heng decided not to re-contest the Kota Laksamana seat. Malacca DAP had then submitted the names of three female candidates for the Kota Laksamana seat but they were all reportedly rejected by Lim. They were Teoh Lee Lan, the sister of political aide Teoh Beng Hock, Kuek Teng Ling and Chong May Lee. When the state DAP announced its list of candidates earlier, the candidate's name for the Kota Laksamana seat was left out. State DAP publicity chief and Ayer Keroh assemblyman Khoo Poay Tiong was also absent from the function, fuelling speculation over disagreement between Malacca DAP and Lim over the choice of candidates. It is no secret that there are two factions in the Malacca DAP, one aligned to the state DAP and the other to Lim and Chew. It was learnt that Lim had lobbied for Dr Wong Ho Peng to be slotted for the seat vacated by Chew. |
| GE13: Pakatan to field strongest candidates in Selangor Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:25 PM PDT (The Star) - With the battle for Selangor heating up, Pakatan Rakyat is not leaving anything to chance and will continue to field some of their strongest generals to lead the charge. While PKR has taken the lead to defend Selangor by announcing its candidates on Monday night, both DAP and PAS are still keeping their cards close to their chest. State PKR chief Azmin Ali and caretaker Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, who are both eyeing the coveted top post in Selangor, were appointed as "generals of the battle" with the latter being picked as the state Pakatan election director. According to sources in DAP, most of the incumbents are expected to stay put but the top leaders in the state may be moved around as strategic chess pieces. It is understood that former PJ Utara MP Tony Pua will be moved to the Serdang parliamentary seat after its incumbent Teo Nie Ching was announced to stand in Kulai in Johor. Election strategist and former academician Dr Ong Kian Ming has been tipped to move to PJ Utara, a seat which DAP considers "safe". Its state chief and most senior leader in Selangor, Teresa Kok, is speculated to be dropped from her state seat in Kinrara to only focus on her parliamentary seat in Seputeh after complaints that holding on to two seats was more than she could handle. Exco in the caretaker Selangor government Ronnie Liu is expected to be dropped from the state line-up completely after a massive fallout with the warring factions in the state DAP. State assemblymen, including Dr Cheah Wing Yin (Damansara Utama), Jenice Lee (Teratai) and Philip Tan (Teluk Datuk) are also speculated to be dropped. However, sources said last minute horse trading among the potential candidates had intensified, resulting in the party postponing their announcement of the Selangor candidates to tonight. Selangor PAS election director Jaafar Samsudin said although most of its incumbents in Selangor were expected to be retained, it would field 40% new faces. Among those retained are Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (Kuala Selangor), Dr Rani Osman (state seat Meru) and Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud (Kota Raja) and Khalid Samad (Shah Alam). |
| GE13: DAP's incumbent Seremban MP Fernandez to go independent Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:17 PM PDT 
(The Star) - Incumbent DAP Seremban MP John Fernandez will likely defend his seat as an independent in this general election. Fernandez, a lawyer, had before this said he would not be defending the seat which he won by defeating Barisan Nasional's Datuk Yu Chok Tow by a 3,948 vote majority in 2008. He had also won in Rasah (which was then a state seat) in the 1974 general election on a DAP ticket. Another lawyer, S.Karthigesan, who had represented several Human Rights Party members for being involved in an illegal organisation in 2011, would also be standing as an independent in Nilai. The DAP won the Nilai seat in 2008 when its candidate Yap Yew Weng defeated Barisan's Datuk Peter Lai with a 1,894 vote majority. Both are scheduled to hold a press conference later today. The DAP has yet to officially announce its candidates for both seats. However, Barisan will be represented by Datuk Dr Yeow Chai Tiam in Seremban and Gan Chee Biow in Nilai. |
| SAPP takes on Pakatan and BN Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:07 PM PDT 
It will be an uphill task for Tawau incumbent Chua Soon Bui, from SAPP, who won the seat in 2008 with Umno's support. Luke Rintod, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Local opposition party, the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) will contest in eight parliamentary and 41 of the 60 state seats, paving the way for fierce fights with other opposition as well as Barisan Nasional parties contesting in Sabah. The eight MP seats are Kudat, Kota Marudu, Sepangar, Putatan, Kimanis, Sipitang, Tenom and Tawau. Already PKR has announced it is going for 19 parliamentary seats and 43 state seats with the remaining seats at stake to be contested by its partner under Pakatan Rakyat, PAS and DAP. Another opposition party, State Reform Party (STAR) will announce its list today and it is believed that the party will also be gunning for around 40 state seats and perhaps eight to 15 parliamentary seats. SAPP president Yong Teck Lee in announcing his list last night said that under an amended state constitution only registered political party may form the state government and that is why SAPP is contesting a majority of state seats in Sabah. "Tonight we announce the final eight for MP and only 38 of the 41 state seats we are contesting as we still want to see how other parties put up their candidates," he told a crowd of about 400 gathered at the Kepayan Low Cost Housing shop complex near here under a light drizzle. Yong himself has decided to go back to his old state seat of Likas which he had to vacate on a high court's order following an election petition against him several years ago. SAPP deputy president Eric Majimbun, the incumbent MP for Sepanggar meanwhile is now contesting for his hometown Inanam state seat which falls within Sepanggar constituency. The only other SAPP parliamentarian, Chua Soon Bui, got another opportunity to defend Tawau for SAPP, an uphill task now as the last time she won it was with the support of then SAPP's ally Umno. Sabah State Assembly deputy speaker, Frankie Chong, meanwhile will contest the Sook state seat in the interior against the PBRS-BN candidate. READ MORE HERE |
| Nik Aziz’s son steps into the fray Posted: 17 Apr 2013 03:03 PM PDT 
While the son will start his political journey, this likely to be the last term for the father. Hawkeye, FMT PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat's s son is all set to start his political career while this is likely to be the last term for his father. For Nik Abduh, 42, it will be a baptism of fire. He has been picked to contest in the Pasir Mas parliamentary seat but he is likely to run into heavyweights like businessman Che Johan Che Pa and Perkasa founder Ibrahim Ali. According to a PAS official here, Nik Aziz, who has served as menteri besar for 22 years and as the PAS spiritual adviser, had indicated to the caretaker state executive councillors here that this is his last term. "Nik Aziz will lead PAS into battle but he will probably step down after it. One or two to three years later, it is up to him. He is a great servant to the cause of Islam in Kelantan. We are grateful for him," said a party insider. Others predict that Nik Aziz, aged 82, who is on track to be the oldest candidate, will even retire within the next few months. He is ailing with a host of ailments associated with old age and recently could not walk to a function in Johor, and had to be literally carried across. While his son has been named as a candidate, there was no place however for his son-in-law, Nik Fahmi Abdul Rahman, 36, a young upstart with a technocrat background. Thirteen of the 45 candidates are new, but PAS has encountered a technical issue with PKR, where the party is unable to announce its candidates for the Guchil and Paloh state seats at this 11th hour. State PAS deputy commissioner Ahmad Yakcop, who met the media, assured that PKR will field their candidates come nominations on Saturday. The party will contest five state seats while PAS, the remainder 40. PAS will also do battle in 11 parliament seats and PKR three. Another development was the departure from the state of PAS deputy secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan to contest the Kota Baru parliamentary seat, leaving a large vacancy to fill, as he was the legal brains in the state administration. His peer – Husam Musa is also preoccupied in trying to fight an uphill battle as he had declared a wish to contest in the Putrajaya parliament. Husam, who was missing when PAS revealed its state candidates list here last night, will however defend his Salor state seat, giving rise that he is in the running to replace his mentor Nik Abdul Aziz as mentri besar. READ MORE HERE |
| ‘ROS does not recognise DAP’s CEC’ Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:43 PM PDT 
In a letter to Lim Guan Eng, the Registrar of Societies states that until the dispute surrounding its elections are resolved, the CEC will not be recognised. (FMT) - The Registrar of Societies (ROS) has stated that it does not recognise DAP's newly elected Central Executive Committee (CEC). In a letter sent to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng yesterday, ROS director-general Abdul Rahman Othman said this was due to the dispute surrounding the party elections. "Until the disputed matters are resolved, the ROS under Section 3A of the Societies Act does not recognise the office bearers in DAP, formed by the CEC on Dec 15, 2012," he said. Abdul Rahman also warned that the explanations put forth by the party leadership with regard to the disputed matters must be satisfactory or DAP faced the risk of being de-registered. Among others, the ROS wanted DAP to submit a list of legitimate CEC members and the steps taken to resolve the disputes within a month. The letter was also copied to Election Commission chief Abdul Aziz Yusof. After the CEC election results were announced, none of the eight Malay candidates who contested were elected. On Jan 3, DAP announced that there was a technical error in the vote tabulation and declared defeated candidate Zairil Khir Johari Abdullah as a duly elected member of the CEC. This prompted various quarters to accuse the party leadership of manipulation and demand for a fresh polls but Lim refused to do so. Reports were also filed with the ROS. |
| PKR a stumbling block for Pakatan in NS Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:38 PM PDT 
The delay in Pakatan Rakyat announcing its candidates list for the state is largely due to PKR state chief Kamarul Baharin Abbas's incompetency, claim party insiders. (FMT) - Party infighting in causing a major headache for PKR's de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim in Negeri Sembilan. The rift is so bad that it is causing unnecessary and potentially harmful distraction as the party aims to do well in the state for the coming general election. Pakatan Rakyat is confident of winning this state and PKR's two other partners – DAP and PAS – have finalised their candidates and are ready for battle. However the scenario in PKR is very different. PKR is still undecided on who to field in their alloted three parliamentary and 13 state seats in Negeri Sembilan. Speculation is that Anwar is unhappy with Negeri Sembilan PKR chairman Kamarul Baharin Abbas on the party's final candidates list for the state. Kamarul is said to have dropped "super candidates" like former Port Dickson state assemblyman, M Ravi and Seremban PKR deputy chief, Dr Mohamad Rafie Abdul Malek for the Ampangan state seat. Instead Kamarul had listed state PKR vice-chairman V Aridass for Port Dickson to replace the popular and hardworking Ravi, and has named himself for Ampangan by sidelining Rafie. Rafie has been slated to fight for the Rembau parliamentary seat, which will be contested by Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin. The move has set off alarm bells in the state PKR as supporters of both Ravi and Rafie are upset with the move which is aimed to kill off their political careers. "If Rafie goes to Rembau, he would definitely lose. He would go up against Khairy, who is no pushover in Rembau. Rafie is not familiar with the voters there. "As far as Ravi is concerned, he is the best candidate for Port Dickson. Everyone knows him. Even if Ravi is given the Teluk Kemang parliamentary seat, he can win it as he is that strong here. Everyone knows him," said a Pakatan Rakyat source, who declined to be named. Rafie on the other hand, the source said, stepped into Ampangan sometime in 2009 after the incumbent state assemblymen, Rashid Latiff fell sick and underwent a by-pass heart surgery. He has managed to connect with voters in Ampangan. Kamarul's MB ambition A PKR source meanwhile said the move to "kill off" Rafie was because of Kamarul's ambition to be the Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar should Pakatan wins the state. "But Kamarul does not realise that even if he contests in Ampangan, he would lose, His track record in Teluk Kemang is poor. The voters know it, the whole state knows it," said the source. While state PKR leaders are haggling over seats, PAS and DAP agree that Ravi and Rafie are the best candidates for Port Dickson and Ampangan respectively. "Without doubt Ravi and Rafie should cruise to easy victory in Port Dickson and Ampangan", said the PAS leader when contacted by FMT. "If you going to field a different candidate in Port Dickson and Ampangan other than Ravi and Rafie, I think PKR would be handing over both seats in silver plater to the BN. If this is the case, we are not going to form the next state government," said an agitated DAP leader. However, the two component parties are not about to get involved in the PKR internal squabble. "This is PKR's internal matter. We can't interfere. We have to respect each party. We know the problem in Negeri Sembilan PKR, but there is nothing much we can do about it," said a state DAP leader, who declined to be named. READ MORE HERE |
| New faces may not be new winners Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:22 PM PDT By dropping the veterans, however, Datuk Seri Najib risks angering the discarded ones, some of whom are already threatening to run as independent candidates. Carolyn Hong, ST IN 2008, the youngest candidate on the ballot was the opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat's information chief Nik Nazmi Ahmad, then 26. This time, the honour goes to Mr Daniel Wa, 25, from the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA). Mr Wa, an economics graduate working for an MCA member of parliament, is among the 40 per cent of candidates who are new faces being trotted out by the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) as it seeks to convince voters that it has a slate of young and vibrant candidates to challenge Pakatan Rakyat's (PR's) young stars. Prime Minister Najib Razak took pains to stress that one-third of his 222 parliamentary candidates and half of the 505 state candidates are new, as he has dropped five Cabinet ministers and other veterans. Political analyst Shamsul Adabi Mamat from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia said while the new candidates may not be known nationally, they come from the communities where they are being fielded. "In 2008, there were many parachute candidates, but this time, they appear to be locals from a variety of backgrounds," he added. "I think that's what the people want to see." By dropping the veterans, however, Datuk Seri Najib risks angering the discarded ones, some of whom are already threatening to run as independent candidates. Three veteran leaders from Penang, including former MP Shariff Omar, said they will decide soon whether to contest against their own parties. Former MCA president Ong Tee Keat is also keeping that option open after being dropped. In the 2008 General Election, Mr Najib's predecessor Abdullah Badawi had to deal with peeved saboteurs in many states, despite changing only 20 per cent to 30 per cent of the list. That contributed to BN's loss of its two-thirds majority in Parliament for the first time since 1969. Still, stuffing the candidates' list with new faces is no guarantee of a better performance for BN in the May 5 polls, with a fierce fight between BN and the opposition PR expected. After all, half of the candidates the MCA introduced in 2008 were new faces, but it still did badly. The advantage of fielding unknown candidates is that they have fewer skeletons in the closet. The disadvantage is that they are unknown. READ MORE HERE
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| Sabah, Sarawak joins list of states to watch Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:21 PM PDT 
In 2008, it was supposed to be Pairin's last time too. How many last time stunts is BN going to force Pairin to pull on the Orang Asal? Joe Fernandez Sabah Huguan Siou (Paramount Chief) Joseph Pairin Kitingan reportedly wanted to give way to the younger Kitingan, Jeffrey, in Keningau this time but apparently the Barisan Nasional (BN) insisted otherwise. Pairin's intentions vis-a-vis Jeffrey may be a case of Janji Di Capati.
Jeffrey's supporters are hoping their hero won't continue to be a glutton for punishment as usual and swear naively by his "blood is thicker than water" mantra which drives many up the wall, if not around the bend.
Young Turk Phillip Among, the Kepayan Star Chief, is among the more furious of the lot over the Huguan Siou continuing to be in politics. Phillip became famous, or rather notorious, for his shuttle diplomacy on the 16 Sept 2008 People's Revolution stymied by Sodomy II.
Already, Pairin is singing the "I am still young and strong" theme song a la Anwar Ibrahim's infamous "Sabah dah Goyang" dance jig.
He should not rejoice too soon.
Putrajaya has not made his position any easier either by extending a RM 250 million soft loan recently to the state government for a water treatment plant in Keningau. Why the need for a loan when the Federal Government is milking Sabah to the tune of RM 40-odd billion a year? This is like adding insult to injury.
Jeffrey has been going to town with the issue. He wants the Federal Government to pay for the water treatment plant and not burden the state government with the loan no matter how soft. He's outraged that Putrajaya has positioned itself as an Ah Long of sorts to the state governments, in particular Sabah and Sarawak.
Pairin is maintaining a dignified, albeit offended, silence. He has previously accused the younger sibling of "not loving him like a brother" and even being downright kurang ajar! These must be new themes in politics. These things can only happen in Sabah.
Pairin is almost 75 and has been accused by the younger generation in particular of squatting on the people since early 2000 when PBS rejoined BN after a spell warming the opposition benches. The party had raised such hopes among the Opposition on both sides of the South China Sea. It looks like Pairin is in danger of degenerating into being another Samy Vellu who doesn't know when to step down even when he has a loyalist brother who can take over from him and continue the family tradition of being in public service. Wither the Kitingan's Magic of Camelot!
In 2008, it was supposed to be Pairin's last time too. How many last time stunts is BN going to force Pairin to pull on the Orang Asal?
Unless Jeffrey stands in Keningau this time, the BN will continue to force Pairin to pull "the last time" stunt in Keningau over and over again.
Jeffrey's long-standing beef with Pairin is that his elder brother has been politicising the position of Huguan Siou and causing disunity among the people. He wants Pairin to go and go now. Earlier, he was willing to allow Pairin to keep his Tambunan state seat as long as he wants, walking stick, dementia and alzheimer's included. But Putrajaya is holding the man by his you-know-what and he fears the squeeze. The very thought of the squeeze is giving him the nightmares.
Jeffrey's problem is that he lacks the killer instinct. He thinks that everyone he meets is a nice person. That's how Anwar made use of him to build up the PKR membership in Sabah and took him for a ride. Pairin was furious.
Jeffrey's time has come. The Huguan Siou and politics is an unhealthy mix. The matter should have been resolved in 1994 when it became clear that the Huguan Siou had become a divisive figure by continuing to meddle in politics.
Overall, the Orang Asal parties in BN -- PBS, Upko, PBRS -- are in deep sh.t over the illegals on the electoral rolls as revealed by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI). So, they came up in a panic with the gimmicky Gelombang Tataba. Jeffrey couldn't help taking a dig in the local media at the three parties on the issue.
Tataba is the magical wand of power which PBS wielded from 1985 to 1994. So, what's this Gelombang Tata all about? Is it a return to those glorious days in 1985 when Pairin, leading a 42-day old party, rubbed then Chief Minister Harris Salleh's nose in the dirt?
Bernard Dompok of Upko also claims that his party would have pulled out from the BN if not for the RCI. He was virtually thumping his chest the other day. How brave? Cakap besar betul! Has the Bintulu to Kimanis gas pipeline project been completed? No wonder! Otherwise, Dompok is a good man, one of the more efficient Orang Asal leaders.
Pairin claims that he was instrumental behind the setting up of the RCI. Perhaps! Does he want a pat on the back for this? It was late in the day.
All three Orang Asal parties in BN want the MyKads in Sabah to be re-issued to purge the illegals on the electoral rolls and those who will be eligible some day.
How original and at a politically expedient time!
What's the big deal about re-issuing the MyKad?
The ICs were constantly re-issued to cover up the tracks of those who handed out the document to the illegals. The tracks had to be covered up from 1963.
We have gone from the two sheet scrap of paper IC to the blue one, the Bunga Raya, the MyKad and now the Not So Smart MyKad. The illegals in Sabah, in Keningau ironically, were reportedly the first to get the MyKad.
Even so, defacto Law Minister Nazri said it was not possible to re-issue the MyKad in Sabah. So, does that mean the Not So Smart MyKad will be for all eternity. No more new versions? Why not scrap the MyKad system and just use our birth certificates, an identity for all including foreigners born in Malaysia, and which will indicate our citizenship status.
The communist terrorism, which necessitated the need for the IC system, has long ended with Vietnam. Why are we still bogged down by the MyKad system which isn't practised by any other country in the world?
Luckily for the Orang Asal parties, PKR and Pas are washouts in Sabah.
PBS-breakaway Sapp is a nuisance.
This mosquito party would be lucky if it can keep Likas, Luyang and Tawau.
Sapp is an irrelevant party seeking desperately to re-invent itself on the "principle" that local parties should contest the majority of the state seats, while the parti parti Malaya can have the majority of the state's parliamentary seats. At this rate, the people of Borneo will no longer have a voice in the Borneo Parliament.
Dap is set to win Kota Kinabalu besides retaining Sri Tanjung and may take Sandakan if the mood among the Chinese and urban electorate is anything to go by.
It's expected that the BN will not do as well in Sabah and Sarawak this time as in 2008 when only Kota Kinabalu and Kuching fell to the Opposition. The Opposition won Sibu in a by-election.
Seven parliamentary seats are expected to fall to the Opposition in Sabah. This translates into 20 or 21 state seats.
In Sarawak, even without a one-to-one, the Opposition will take at least nine parliamentary seats including Mas Gading and Baram and perhaps as many as 15 to 16 seats. There are no state elections this time in Sarawak. The last was held in 2011. The BN received a real clobbering from the Opposition.
If the Opposition does well in Sarawak as expected in the parliamentary elections, they will demand new state elections
Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud, already universally reviled among Malaysians, will have to step down in disgrace and can no longer operate with impunity as Putrajaya's Chief Proxy in Borneo, spearheading an army of other proxies, their stooges and rogue elements. |
| GE13: Analysts: Three-cornered fights will hurt Penang BN further Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:17 PM PDT Azril Anuuar, fz.com Three-cornered fights that may take place in Penang come nomination day on Saturday will thwart BN's chances of retaking the state from the Pakatan Rakyat, say analysts. Unlike the scenario prior to the 2008 general election, where three-cornered fights have always been in BN's favour, this time around such contests will dilute the votes for the coalition, rather than for its opponents. However, that would depend on whether BN leaders who have not been named as candidates do contest as independents, said Professor James Chin, head of the School of Political Science at Monash University, Kuala Lumpur. "We will not know for sure if they are going to contest until nomination day. All those who are unhappy (because they were not selected to contest) have been called up to speak to (BN chairman Datuk Seri) Najib Razak's special officers for their 'retirement package'. "So it will also depend on how good the 'retirement package' is that is being offered to them. But in the event that they do contest, it will split the vote and this will make it bad for Umno (and BN as a whole). Umno and BN will suffer," said Chin. Penang BN revealed their candidate list on Tuesday and among those who were dropped was the popular former Tasek Gelugor MP Datuk Seri Shariff Omar. Following this Shariff, who was former Deputy Chief Minister in the previous government, announced that he would be standing as an independent. He made the announcement at a ceramah at his home attended by around 2,000 supporters who turned up to back his decision. Former Bernama editor-in-chief Datuk Seri Azman Ujang believed that BN took "unnecessary risks" by not fielding the multi-lingual Shariff, especially in light of the sacrifice he made in 2008 when his seat was given to then Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop. "Five years ago Shariff Omar was already an angry person because then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi fielded Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop who was a senator in Shariff's traditional seat in Tasek Gelugor. "Three months ago Shariff said he wanted his seat back because he is the division chief there. His decision is not surprising and according to him he will be an independent and a PR friendly candidate," said Azman. To make matters worse, Shariff is also fielding two of his lieutenants, namely, Umno division committee member Mustaffa Idrus to contest in the Teluk Ayer Tawar state seat and state Perkasa vice president Azmi Alang to contest in the Sungai Dua state seat. "Prior to 2008, three-cornered fights have always been in BN's favour because the Opposition were not working hand in hand and they neutralised one another. Now it will depend on the seat," said Azman. On three-cornered fights, DAP election strategist and former academic Dr Ong Kian Ming said: "In a seat like Tasek Gelugor where the margin is not as strong (in favour of BN) as in Kepala Batas it will be the determining factor whether or not PR or BN will win the seat." READ MORE HERE |
| Would the Opposition be Beaten by a Sucker Punch? Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:13 PM PDT 
Just a few weeks ago, BN was showing all the signs of a vanquished Ali or a humiliated Marquez. All of a sudden, BN seem to have found a new lease of life. Jaikol Situn, Barrister-at-Law (Grays Inn); LLM; LLB; BA (Hons) Can you remember the George Foreman v Muhammad Ali fight dubbed the "Rumble in the Jungle" in Zaire in 1974? For the first 5 or 6 rounds, Ali was bludgeoned by the brute force and power of the world heavyweight champion, Foreman. Then, Foreman inexplicably began to lose out of steam enabling the challenger, Ali, to throw some of his old stuff back. With each sniff at Foreman's mighty frame, Ali's confidence grew. In the 8th round, a left-right combination from Ali knocked Foreman down to the canvas. If you were too young then or not even been born yet, you would have heard about or seen the Manny Pacquiao v Juan Manuel Marquez non-title fight in Las Vegas, USA last year on TV. Pacquiao was leading on points until the 5th round. But at the end of the following round, out of nowhere, Marquez threw the mother of all sucker punches. It hit the target like one stray excocet missile. Pacquiao fell flat on his face, completely rendered out of commission. If you are into boxing or follow sporting events like boxing, you probably could not help likening the possible outcome of the on-going rivalry between Najib & company and Anwar & company in the current Malaysian General Election with those classic boxing duels. Barisan Nasional (BN) have for so long been on the receiving end of incessant attacks from the opposition, and deservedly so. They were fuelled with so much ammunition in regards to so many issues. You name it, it is all there, including mismanagement of the economy, allegation of corruption, high car prices, rising national debt, spiralling inflation, racial and religious discrimination, issuance of false MyKads to thousands of illegal immigrants, alleged government involvement and, or cover-up in the Lahad Datu "terrorist" incident, the list is infinitely endless. In the UK and USA, you would only need a couple of contentious issues to nail the incumbent government and bring them to their knees. Just a few weeks ago, BN was showing all the signs of a vanquished Ali or a humiliated Marquez. All of a sudden, BN seem to have found a new lease of life. Was it due to Najib's leadership renaissance, or complete failure by the opposition to capitalise on earlier advantages and maintain the momentum? It seems like a bit of both. As in the previous general election, over-confidence, egotistical individuals, seemingly chaotic party machinery, in-fighting and questionable leadership qualities proved to be Pakatan Rakyat (PR)'s undoing. Should Anwar & company lose this election again, they would have nobody else to blame, but themselves. Anwar has clearly recognised the now gaping chink in his Pakatan Rakyat (PR)'s armour. He has so much to do in such a little time left. In contrast, from Perlis to Sabah, BN seem self-assured. They are all smiles as if they have already won. Anwar has no time for reflection of what might have been. He has to regroup in warp speed in key States such as Sabah and Sarawak. He can no longer afford to antagonise the local non-BN parties of these two States as he desperately needs their favour to propel him to Putrajaya and achieve his dream of forming a new federal government and becoming Prime Minister himself. He has also got to appreciate the fact that the people of Sabah and Sarawak have a fundamentally different mind-set than those of West Malaysia where they generally have to choose between BN and PR. In Sabah and Sarawak, people' political allegiance are influenced by other factors and considerations such as Borneo identity, autonomy, lost rights, equal partners, and respect by their West Malaysian's counterparts. If Anwar & company were to avoid the ignominy of losing a highly winnable match like those of Foreman or Pacquiao, he has got to ditch his hardline approach and be prepared to give generous concessions and bite the bullet, so to speak. To heed only to his circle of friends would be fatal. He has to think further outside the box and engage on other loosely affiliated allies. To back down on earlier policies, decisions or demands does not necessarily portray him to be a weak and indecisive leader. In view of the resurgence of BN counterattack, there is no shame in doing that. On the other hand, it reflects that he is being reasonable, flexible, compromising, approachable, willing to listen and not autocratic and, or dictatorial. The latter leaders have no place in a democratic society such as Malaysia. |
| Opposition being as corrupt as Umno/BN is a simplistic notion Posted: 17 Apr 2013 02:09 PM PDT 
So, what's the alternative? Keep Umno/BN since any replacement would be as corrupt anyway? Joe Fernandez Some people are claiming in Malaysia Today that their principle is not to support a party -- meaning Pakatan Rakyat (PR) or other Opposition -- which is "likely to form a corrupt Government" like that foisted on the people by Umno/BN the last 56 years.
Their notion of corruption is giving or taking, whether under the table or over the table, whether money or sex or in kind in other forms like material possessions.
So, what's the alternative? Keep Umno/BN since any replacement would be as corrupt anyway?
There are also those who have a principle not to have any principles.
In law a principle would be to draw a line somewhere so as not to open the floodgates.
Having said that, corruption is not merely the act of giving or taking money, as many people believe.
Corruption is the act of making everything that one touches go bad.
For example, fiddling with the examination marks of students under the euphemism "state secret" is a form of corruption.
Handing out degrees freely to morons under the quota system including in critical disciplines is a form of corruption.
Making voters captive by foisting the Dependency Syndrome on them is a form of corruption.
Opportunism like turning Article 153, NEP and Article 3 into Sapu Bersih clauses is a form of corruption.
Squatting on the Brightest and Best is a form of corruption.
Calling oneself Bumiputera while denying the same right to citizens by operation of law who are issues of citizens by operation of law is a form of corruption.
Forcing non-Muslims into Islam or otherwise declaring non-Muslims as Muslims even when they are not or not allowing Muslims to leave Islam are all forms of corruption.
The list goes on and on. |
| Let There Be War Posted: 17 Apr 2013 01:13 PM PDT 
Always Victory An intriguing question about Hindraf is, are they fighting a battle for the poor Indians, or a personal battle or will they lend arms in an eternal Mahabaratha War played out on Malaysian soil. People once again have an expectancy of Hindraf unleashing Maha Shakti (soul force), for the dance of Shiva, and march with heads held up in dignity, and bring about a swing of votes. But again the question is, which side are they supporting? Already, they have earned the reputation of "lallang" depending on which side the wind blows. At the same time, we are crying for stiff-spine leaders who can demonstrate the true Hindu spirit. Members themselves are not so happy about the way its leaders are going about it. 50 years of slavery reflected on their faces cannot vanish overnight simply by Najib placing a crown on their head. It is only through self-effort, walking the road of self-determination, learning how to fish instead of asking for fish to eat for a day. Najib never takes a decision on Hindraf without the whisper of MIC. Hindraf is registered because MIC pushed the buttons to seal the deal, but already is starting to disintegrate and it may come to nothing. Najib will do anything purely to render a Hindraf bomb impotent or better still create a win-win situation to help prop a crumbling MIC. Pakatan is also afraid they might throw some hand grenades, and tried to seek common ground for reconciliation through social inclusiveness. What is it you can get from BN? They are thieves in every sense and what they will share with you are stolen goods. Give up sulking and be not so easily deluded by Ringgit Shakti, so that its leaders may be free from an undeserving stigma normally associated with snakes. What profit you to negotiate to gain the whole world and lose your own Shakti? The marginalized minority Tamil Malaysians are no longer sidelined, and they need not align with any side, just like Lynas and Bersih, hold on to solid ground. I suggest you give up struggle and the false sense of struggle and join in the celebration of fighting for our country's liberation from tyranny. There is no such thing as an 18-point blueprint, you are not asking for autonomy like Sabah. It is as irrational as your earlier petition to the Queen of England. It may be a camouflage to get the support you need, an excuse to spite the Opposition, with a pretence that you alone represent the disfranchised. Only when you have a clear mind can you help the Indians out of the poverty trap. Whoever is worthy of being the Joan d' Arc among the poor and downtrodden must continue the fight in a spirit of Karma Yoga to deal a death blow on tyrants. A leader who is above scrutiny must be able swear by the Gita, that you will not play out the land of their birth for the sake of personal or communal gains to reinforcing a corrupt Establishment that deserves to be kicked out of office. Balasundram too swore by the Gita, although he paid the price with death, but now is at peace with God for his conviction. Uthaya was once a hero who paid the price and languished in jail while the Opposition conveniently forgot about him. And now, from the mouth of God, the Word is spoken: Uthaya, choose this day whom ye will serve, God or Mammon? Choose if you will serve Krishna in humble hearts of the poor or to help yourself to the temptations of fool's gold and be forever a despised dog by both BN and Pakatan, the likes of Outcast Hee. I challenge you to declare to your members, what benefits Najib promised you, for already some idolaters are ready to garland the feet of Najib the same way as you do to Sri Ganesha? Even if you command that stones be made bread, you have lost your credentials. Yes you Hindus, it is time for action to save the nation! Only Hindus who have read the Gita can understand tretise is a call to right action, The Gita is a tool to liberation of the individual, not only Hindus but all mankind. The Dharma expected from you is not to squabble in a dog fight over some dry bones. Use the untapped power of the Gita just as the Communist used Mao Tze Tung's Little Red Book. Make it your goal to put it into the hand of every Hindu. Then, we shall stand shoulder to shoulder without bargaining, in the biggest war on Malaysian soil to save the nation from the Evil Empire of BN. Hail Hindraf! the answer must come from you:- "there is war". Always Victory |
| Tsunami to Asteroid – Five Distortions on GE13 Posted: 17 Apr 2013 12:59 PM PDT 
Justice is like lust. You can analyse it, obscure it, 'spiritualise' it, deny it and joke about it but at the end if you don't deal with it, you'll end up hating yourself for pleasing yourself. Likewise with GE13. May 5th promises at least as much fun as March 8th. Alwyn Lau 1969 was the first wake-up call but powerful folks tore up the alarm clock, burnt the living room, and forced fed everybody sleeping pills for about thirty years. Then 1999 came and, despite Anwar's Sang Kancil trial, Malaysia decided to continue snoozing, even falling into a total dream in 2004. But thanks to social media, Barisan arrogance, Lingam, HINDRAF, Bersih #1 and maybe even the first Transformers movie, 2008 saw the alarm clock get a life of its own. The country quit their slumber and started throwing clocks at Barisan. Justice is like lust. You can analyse it, obscure it, 'spiritualise' it, deny it and joke about it but at the end if you don't deal with it, you'll end up hating yourself for pleasing yourself. Likewise with GE13. May 5th promises at least as much fun as March 8th. We're seeing the usual whackoes, the weirdoes, the bull-crappers, the liars, the big-talkers, the pseudo-Fascists, the racists and, as always, grown men lifting each other's hands at press conferences. If GE12 was a tsunami, this could be a full-blown asteroid. The world's axis could tilt. And the dudes who profit (literally) from injustice inevitably have their responses to the possibility of real change. Like responding to that burning feeling in one's loins, these take a few forms:
1. Denial – reading recent pieces by Tun Dr. Mahathir and Chandra Muzaffar, one gets the impression that their intended audiences are those who shook Tunku's hand on Merdeka Day. Emphasizing Barisan's oh-so-unique ability to maintain national harmony and stability and how, say, PAS' Islamist teachings is responsible for tensions in Kelantan sounds as if the past half-century hasn't happened. There is a clear echo here of Yao Souchou's thesis that UMNO enjoys 'infantalizing' the Malay(sian) subject i.e. feed the citizens fears and fantasies, subtly hint at how the nasty Other person is a threat and thus keep them dependent on you. Of course, how Barisan supporters can brag about their beloved party's ethnic peace-making in the light of PERKASA's freedom to trample all over the dignity of other races and religions is a mystery ranking right up there with Loch Ness. Or is it? The question to Putrajaya is: Is your inaction against supremacist groups due to the fact that 1) you don't realise these folks are promoting racist hatred or 2) you want them to do your dirty work for you or 3) you're scared of the big bad Tun? In other words, are you gullible, guilty or gutless? Does Malaysia really require Barisan Nasional in Putrajaya, failing which Malaysia will degenerate into the Asian version of 'Dawn of the Dead'? Are the disagreements and ideological divides of the Pakatan Rakyat parties ultimate proof that the Anwar-held pact cannot itself and the country together? The irony is that if Barisan is the better party to guarantee stability (which is akin to a samseng 'guaranteeing' peace in the neighbourhood), this is all the more reason why Malaysia needs to cast them aside. Justice first, then economic growth. Justice first, then more scholarships. Justice first, then 22,000 helmets. Justice first, then true – as opposed to a manufactured – stability. 2. Normalisation – "Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose", this is the French phrase for "The more things change, the less things change". It's also the Barisan phrase for 'Let's do whatever we can to ensure that we don't need to do anything seriously important". Touting GDP growth and Gini co-efficient numbers when a wealthy elite continues to amass obscene amounts is like a heart-attack victim bragging that his cholesterol level is down 0.3 points but still eats twenty hot-dogs a day. Abolishing the ISA (and other naughty acronyms) is a cute ploy to make people believe that maybe Malaysia has sold all her anti-democracy laws to North Korea. May as well believe McDonald's has given up on profit-seeking. The Security Offenses Act (the reincarnation of ISA), the Sedition Act, the Peaceful Assembly Act, and most recently, Section 114A of the Evidence Act – aren't all these in fact window-dressing which make pretty the people's continuing lack of freedom? And let's not even get started on how poh-lite the police were with the BERSIH folks; some of our boys in blue made the Gestapo look like kindergarten teachers. The sauce and packaging are lovely but it's still baloney. If denial is the declaration that there doesn't need to be change, normalisation is the artificial enactment of change in order not to change. On this issue, even Pakatan Rakyat needs to be careful. Because are elections about justice or about the economy? Sure they're connected – that much everyone agrees on – but should justice be distinguished from how much money the country makes or must every winning party ensure that it's ultimately 'pro-business' and 'pro-investment'? On this point, I confess I'm a relatively healthy dude (who can afford insurance and gets free medication) writing on a fancy notebook in an air-conditioned office. I can afford to waste hundreds of dollars monthly getting fat on food I can choose not to finish and watching movies I should choose not to even start. And from what I see, so are most of those nominated. So whilst I obviously disagree with the government's talk about our country's economic 'progress', I also believe that many (urban) pro-Pakatan-ians simply haven't a clue about what our rural or much less well-off neighbours are faring. The elections – believe it or not – are least of all about famous personalities, national statistics and political critiques, and should be most about that single mum who prays each day she doesn't have to borrow food from the neighbours, or about that older brother who needs to hold down three part-time gigs so his school-going siblings don't have to join him. Who knows – maybe people like this need to be given two votes or more? Now wouldn't that shake things up? It's therefore important not to make the General Elections nothing more than an occasion for certain classes to continue accumulating wealth whilst the less-than-average rakyat is domesticated into accepting his lot in life. This would be the ultimate normalisation of GE13 i.e. it's insertion into a wealth-generating machine which privileges profits over people. To be continued...3) Rejection 4) Extremism 5) Resurrection. |
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