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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• Victory Speech, May 6 2103
• Could hudud be a reality?
• Siapa Bakal Ketua Menteri Melaka?
• DAP bakal kuasai Malaysia?
• Antara Royalti Mewah dan Perkongsian Pemilikan Petronas
• Open letter from Waytha Moorthy to all Indian Malaysians
• Opposition warns current government not to steal, destroy votes in Malaysian election
• 13th General Election’s Results May Cause You a Heart Attack
• Phantoms
• Karpal: Anwar as PM, two DPMs if Pakatan takes Putrajaya
• BN, PR tussle over Selangor prize
• Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim aims to seize final chance
• The wild ride of Anwar Ibrahim
• Police take Raja Petra's statement
• Pakatan: Civil servants will be punished for electoral fraud
• A changed Malaysia come May 6
• Malaysia
• ‘Bomb’ explodes outside PKR HQ
• GE13′s chaos, created to manipulate public perception
• BN, Pakatan in dead heat for Election 2013
• Pakatan for Parliament, STAR for state?
• Allegation of phantom voters is absurd: Association
• Pakatan will not be corruption free, says Surendran
• Three ‘bombs’ found at DAP campaign site
• Three days that will shake Malaysia
• Is Malaysia's UMNO Era at its End?
• Jinjang Utara Explosion
• Down At The Airport!
• I Say UBAH!
• A People's Government
• Punters in Sabah betting on polls position
• Take their money
• A Peoples’ Government ‐ 2
• Malaysian Dream...
• It is confirmed. The Star is The Paper That Lies

Victory Speech, May 6 2103 Posted: 03 May 2013 12:27 PM PDT   At the great gathering of thousands, the new leaders emerging from the elections of 2013 speak. Azly Rahman    Praise be to God, Lord of the Universe, Just God of Humanity, Universal God of Humankind that knows even what is whispered in our hearts. Praise be to Lord of the Day of Judgment; one that made possible the change and transformation we are seeing now and we will continue to see in future. Allow me to talk about our victory, our vision of a "Constitutional State" and our vehicle of social, cultural, and economic progress beyond the NEP: of a new economic agenda. I stand here by His Grace, with humility, thanking you Malaysians who have come to celebrate and to give us the strength, the resolve, and the will to continue to march towards victory. This victory is already ours. We cannot underestimate our struggle – the struggle of Malaysians of regardless of race, class, gender, creed, religious background, and national origin. This victory will be a gift for our children. This will be the best gift we can leave the next generation with in a country in which "justice" is put in its proper place. This is the concept of Adil and is what we base out struggle on. This is the concept of bersih, cekap, amanah in the truest sense of the word. We are winning. We live in an imperfect world. We live in maya, in the shadow of Plato's cave. We constantly need to make changes to our institutions, so that democracy will have its breathing space, will evolve, and will flourish in accordance to the laws of Nature. As the French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau once said "Everything in good in the hands of the Author of things, everything degenerates in the Hands of Man…" We have allowed totalitarianism, corruption, repression, and hedonism to take root in our democratic institutions. In an imperfect world such as Malaysia, in which imperfection has gotten worse and making us slaves to the policies created out of our prejudices and arrogance, out of our greed and lust for power, and out of our ill-conceived idea of human liberation and economic development - this imperfect world needed more than just incremental changes and compromise. It needed radical changes and no-compromises. We have shown that we through Fate conspiring, through the Will of God, we made that change, sudden yet peaceful and civil, on March 8 2008. It is our Velvet revolution, inspired by our own sense of non-violence, aided by technologies of cybernetics. The "revolution" - our own Malaysian styled-revolution - that ought to now be studied alongside the nature and structure of revolutions worldwide is not without its causes. Voices of change Those hard long years of battling injustices, the sacrifices of those imprisoned without trial, of those humiliated beyond recognition stripped off their dignity, those brutally beaten beyond mercy, those hunted down on the streets of our major cities, those silenced and stupefied in our universities, those sprayed with chemicals, and the voice of the little girl – a child of the Hindraf revolution who brought roses to ask for pity for his father's release - all these violent images of oppression we do not deserve have taught us to be stronger. We shall overcome We shall overcome. We shall overcome the tyranny of an arrogant, ineffective, incompetent, corrupt and lazy government that does not have any more respect for the rule of law does not have any shame in showing its greed and lust does not have any mercy in using brutal force to silent the voices of change does not have much respect for the principles of human rights does not have much intelligence when it comes to parliamentary debates does not have a clue of what good governance means does not have any regard for the plight of the poor and their livelihood does not have any respect for the intelligence of the faculty and students in our universities does not have any shame in overstaying their welcome does not have any interest in controlling crime does not have any will to fight corruption and does not have leaders that are wide awake, and does not have any idea that spoiled brats and greedy ones are running the country and finally destroying not only the party but also the nation.  Read more at: http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/2013/05/ge-13-victory-speech-may-6-2013-by-azly.html

Could hudud be a reality? Posted: 03 May 2013 12:25 PM PDT   (The Nut Graph) - ACCORDING to MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, Malaysia has much to fear if the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) takes power federally. Chief among his many worries is PAS's avowed agenda to establish an Islamic state and impose hudud. The Barisan Nasional (BN) has also run a series of advertisements demonising PAS over the hudud issue and imploring Malaysians to "vote wisely". The BN attacks on PAS's hudud agenda involve scaremongering of the worst kind, pitting Malaysians of different faiths against each other and causing unnecessary fear and suspicion. It is particularly despicable since Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia is constantly warning Malay Malaysians that the DAP controls PAS, and that Chinese Malaysians will rule the country to their detriment if the PR takes power. Rather than hold PAS accountable to their hudud goals, which may risk angering Muslim Malaysians, the MCA instead chooses to demonise the DAP for associating with PAS. The BN's alarmist politics aside, can hudud law actually become a reality for Malaysians? And how likely is it that it will be implemented in the near future? Read more at: http://www.thenutgraph.com/could-hudud-be-a-reality/

Siapa Bakal Ketua Menteri Melaka? Posted: 03 May 2013 12:15 PM PDT   Sekiranya diizinkan Allah swt salah seorang dari mereka ditakdirkan menjadi Ketua Menteri Melaka, tiada apa transformasi pun yang saya nampak akan berlaku. Rahman Mokdin  Penamaan calon BN telah berlalu pada 20hb. April 2013. BN Negeri Melaka telah menampilkan beberapa kerat muka baru sebagai calon DUN. Ia juga telah mencalonkan 'caretaker' Ketua Menteri Melaka yang sedia ada iaitu Mohd. Ali Rustam bertanding di Parlimen Bukit Katil, sekaligus menamatkan spekulasi jawatan Ketua Menteri Melaka yang telah beliau sandang sejak PRU 11 lagi. Adakah kerjaya politik beliau nampak lebih cerah sebagai Ahli Parlimen dan memegang jawatan kerajaan pusat setelah 3 penggal menerajui kerajaan Negeri Melaka? Wallahualam. Dengan pemergian beliau ke pusat, secara automatik jawatan Ketua Menteri Melaka perlu diisi dikalangan bakal Ahli-Ahli Yang Berhormat dari Dewan Undangan Negeri Melaka. Nama yang paling popular disebut-sebut sebagai calon Ketua Menteri Melaka ialah Datuk Idris Haron yang bertanding di DUN Sg. Udang, meninggalkan kerusi Ahli Parlimen Tangga Batu yang disandang beliau sebelum ini. Pencacai-pencacai politik yang selama hari ini mencari rezeki menerusi Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam telah berpindah sokongan ke DUN Sungai Udang. Bilik-bilik gerakan disekitar DUN Sg. Udang sentiasa penuh dan seperti Pesta Mandi Safar yang dahulu sungguh popular di pantai Tanjung Keling yang kebetulan berada di Parlimen Tangga Batu. Nama kedua yang juga hebat disebut-sebut ialah Ketua Bahagian Alor Gajah iaitu Datuk Ghafar Atan yang akan bertanding di DUN Asahan. Walaupun tidak mempunyai pendidikan yang setaraf dengan Datuk Idris Haron, namun mempunyai kelebihan sebagai ahli Exco yang senior. Nama ketiga yang tidak kurang hebat yang juga disebut-sebut sebagai calon Ketua Menteri Melaka ialah Datuk Yunus Husin yang akan bertanding di DUN Ayer Molek di bawah Parlimen Bukit Katil yang ditandingi oleh Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam. Terdapat juga nama lain seperti Hassan Rahman (bertanding DUN Sungai Rambai), dan sebagainya yang juga berangan dan merasakan diri layak untuk menyandang jawatan Ketua Menteri Melaka. Sebagai rakyat biasa, apa yang saya nampak ialah kesemua nama-nama di atas mempunyai satu persamaan, iaitu mereka ini adalah kroni dan juga anak didik Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam. Sekiranya diizinkan Allah swt salah seorang dari mereka ditakdirkan menjadi Ketua Menteri Melaka, tiada apa transformasi pun yang saya nampak akan berlaku. Segala kesalahan urus tadbir, kronisme, tatacara pemberian kontrak, kewujudan GLC negeri yang membazir, salah guna kuasa dan sebagainya akan hanya berlanjutan seperti sebelum PRU 13. Saya adalah penyokong tegar UMNO dan BN dan pernah menjawat jawatan AJK Bahagian UMNO. Saya ingin mengupas beberapa salah laku urus tadbir oleh Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam sebagai Ketua Menteri Melaka yang telah menyebabkan merosotnya sokongan rakyat kepada BN, khususnya pegawai-pegawai kerajaan yang telah melalui pengalaman-pengalaman pahit selama bertugas di bawah Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam. AGIB Holdings - AGIB Holding di miliki oleh Datuk Abdul Ghafar Ibrahim yang berasal dari Sabah yang boleh dikatakan mendapat banyak projek-projek di negeri Melaka. Saya tidak merasa irihati walaupun sedikit terhadap beliau kerana yang pertama saya tidak mengenali beliau dan  kedua, saya bukan ahli perniagaan. Yang ingin saya ketengahkan disini ialah cara Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam mengendalikan pemberian kontrak kepada  AGIB Holdings. Melaka Digital Mall Seperti yang seluruh rakyat negeri Melaka tahu, AGIB telah diberi kontrak untuk membina Melaka Digital Mall yang terletak bersebelahan Stadium Hang Tuah di Jalan Hang Tuah, Melaka. AGIB, yang tiada keupayaan teknikal dan pengurusan telah gagal melaksanakan kontrak tersebut sehingga kelewatan menyiapkan projek tersebut menjadi isu politik yang hangat. Kontrak AGIB telah ditamatkan setelah gagal disiapkan dan satu tender telah dipanggil untuk menyiapkan projek terbengkalai tersebut. Sungguh tidak diduga, kontraktor yang telah mendapat tender tersebut ialah AGIB sendiri dengan harga yang lebih tinggi. Alasan Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam apabila diasak wartawan berkenaan isu ini ialah AGIB telah mendapat pinjaman bank bagi menyiapkan projek tersebut yang sebelum ini gagal diperolehi. Projek Bunded Storage oleh Syarikat Air Melaka Berhad (SAMB) Projek ini juga telah dianugerahkan kepada AGIB atas arahan Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam. Seperti lazimnya, projek ini juga gagal dilaksanakan dengan sempurna oleh AGIB. Kelewatan dan cara kerja AGIB yang tidak sempurna telah menyebabkan objektif projek ini tidak dapat dicapai. Sehingga kini, projek ini masih belum disiapkan dan SAMB bercadang untuk menamatkan kontrak AGIB ini. Projek Extreme Park di Chinchin, Jasin oleh Majlis Perbandaran Jasin (MPJ) AGIB sekali lagi dianugerahkan projek yang dibiayai Kementerian Pelancongan ini, walaupun prestasi projek-projek dalam tangan mereka amat tidak memuaskan pegawai-pegawai kerajaan, atas arahan Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam. Mutu kerja dan pengurusan yang kucar kacir telah memeningkan kepala pegawai-pegawai MPJ. Tanyalah pegawai-pegawai MPJ bagaimana teruknya AGIB melaksanakan projek yang mudah ini. Projek Kereta Kabel di Banda Hilir, Melaka oleh PKNM AGIB sekali lagi diberi projek, atas arahan Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam, untuk membina kereta kabel menghubungkan Banda Hilir dengan Pulau Melaka dan bekas tapak Eye on Malaysia diseberang Sg. Melaka berdekatan bangunan CIQ. Walaupun projek ini belum dimulakan pembinaan nya, pegawai-pegawai telah mula mengeluh apabila AGIB diberi kontrak pembinaan ini. Masalah-masalah projek Monorel (projek pelancongan di tebing Sg. Melaka) yang dibina dan dipasang oleh AGIB, yang selalu rosak dan memalukan Melaka masih menghantui pegawai-pegawai kerajaan khususnya dari MBMB dan PKNM. Projek Kereta Kabel ini juga, kalau mengikut pengalaman mereka, akan menimbulkan banyak masalah operasi sekiranya AGIB masih tidak berubah sikap mereka. Projek Perumahan Mewah Sultanate di Ayer Keroh, Melaka Projek perumahan ini, yang dibina di atas tanah kerajaan yang dijual murah kepada AGIB, masih lagi dalam pembinaan setelah lebih 6 tahun dijalankan. Jualan adalah amat tidak memuaskan kerana mutu pembinaan rumah yang telah siap amatlah rendah. Banjir kilat yang selalu berlaku di MITC di depan Rumah Media adalah kerana AGIB gagal membina sistem perparitan utama yang telah di syaratkan oleh Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan. Nama AGIB adalah menjadi satu liabiliti bagi UMNO dan BN Negeri Melaka. Pembekal dan kontraktor Melaka kebanyakannya tidak mahu melibatkan syarikat mereka dengan AGIB kerana AGIB adalah 'a very bad paymaster'.  Itu adalah salah satu faktor utama mengapa projek-projek AGIB selalunya gagal. Kenapa Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam masih mengekalkan AGIB sebagai kroninya dan memberi berbagai-bagai projek kepada AGIB walaupun AGIB tidak berkeupayaan hanya boleh dijawab oleh beliau sendiri.  Kalau hendak menaikkan Melayu Melaka, AGIB bukan Melayu Melaka tetapi orang Sabah. Projek-Projek Membazir Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam Projek Eye on Malaysia di sebelah Muara Sg. Melaka Umum telah ketahui bahawa Kerajaan Negeri Melaka atas arahan Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam telah membeli Ferris Wheel dari sebuah syarikat yang mengendalikannya berdekatan Tasik Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur setelah kontrak mereka dengan sebuah syarikat Eropah tamat. Satu jalan penghubung dari Taman Kota Laksamana berdekatan jambatan besar Sg. Melaka ke tapak projek telah di bina oleh MBMB untuk menjadi jalan penghubung ke tapak Eye on Malaysia ini. Projek Eye on Malaysia ini telah dipasang dan telah beroperasi apabila satu keputusan mahkamah dikeluarkan supaya Kerajaan Negeri Melaka memulangkan Eye on Malaysia tersebut kepada syarikat Eropah kerana masalah pembayaran yang tidak dibuat oleh syarikat pengendali Tasik Titiwangsa tersebut. Alangkan malunya Kerajaan Negeri Melaka kerana telah membeli barang 'haram' dan terpaksa memulangkan semula Ferris Wheel tersebut. Apa jadi dengan bayaran yang telah dibuat? Melaka Air Projek Melaka Air adalah bukti betapa rakusnya Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam menggunakan wang kerajaan untuk mewujudkan satu perniagaan berisiko tinggi yang tidak akan dilaksanakan oleh mana-mana ahli perniagaan yang waras. Melaka Air telah ditubuhkan sebagai satu perniagaan pengangkutan penerbangan tanpa ada kajian mengenai untung rugi dan 'viabiliy'. Pada permulaannya, Yayasan Melaka telah diarahkan untuk menerajui operasi Melaka Air dengan mewujudkan destinasi-destinasi penerbangan dari Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Batu Berendam yang baru siap bina. Pesawat telah disewa dari Firefly dengan destinasi ke Medan, Penang dan Subang. Oleh kerana sambutan amat dingin, jabatan- jabatan dan agensi kerajaan telah diarahkan untuk menghantar pegawai-pegawai mereka ke Medan untuk memenuhkan pesawat menggunakan wang kerajaan. Selepas itu, sambutan masih lagi dingin dan khabar terbaru ialah Melaka Air akan membeli pesawat 16 seater sebagai cara untuk mengurangkan sewa dari Firefly. Inilah cara Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam mentadbir seolah-olah beliau adalah Sultan Melaka yang mempunyai kuasa mutlak ke atas pegawai kerajaan dan dana negeri. Pentadbiran Negeri Melaka yang kucar kacir Datuk Ali juga terkenal dengan cara beliau melantik CEO agensi-agensi kerajaan mengikut sesuka hati beliau tanpa mempedulikan tatacara dan garis panduan yang telah ditetapkan oleh Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam dan Suruhanjaya Perkhidmatan Awam. Pegawai-pegawai kerajaan dipindahkan dari satu jabatan atau agensi ke jabatan atau agensi yang lain mengikut kehendak beliau sendiri tanpa memikirkan akibat kepada pegawai atau jabatan atau agensi kerajaan itu sendiri. Melaka Invest Melaka Invest telah ditubuhkan dengan objektif untuk menarik pelaburan ke Negeri Melaka. Sebelum ini, peranan ini adalah dibawah Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Melaka PKNM tetapi  bagi meletakkan penyokong-penyokong tegar beliau menerajui GLC sebagai sumber rezeki mereka, Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam sanggup meletakkan seorang yang hanya berkelulusan SPM Gred 3 untuk menerajui Melaka Invest dengan gaji bulanan yang agak besar. Orang yang diamanahkan untuk menarik pelabur-pelabur asing ini tidak fasih berbahasa Inggeris dan telah memalukan Negeri Melaka apabila satu surat jemputan beliau bagi menarik pelabur asing mempunyai kesilapan bahasa yang amat-amat menjengkelkan dan menjadi bahan ketawa oleh rakyat Negeri Melaka. Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam telah mengkucar kacirkan pelantikan pegawai-pegawai kerajaan negeri apabila beliau dengan sewenang-wenangnya memindahkan pegawai-pegawai berikut tanpa merujuk kepada Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam. Datuk Zainal Abu - Seorang Jurutera skim perkhidmatan tertutup Yayasan Melaka telah dipindahkan dari Yayasan Melaka ke PKNM dan sekarang sebagai Datuk Bandar MBMB. Datuk Zaini Mohd.  Noor - Seorang pegawai skim perkhidmatan tertutup PKNM telah dipindahkan dari PKNM ke MBMB sebagai Datuk Bandar pertama MBMB. Datuk Md. Sirat Abu - Seorang yang bukan penjawat awam telah dilantik menjadi YDP MPMBB sebelum Melaka diisytiharkan sebagai bandaraya. Datuk Md. Yunos Husin - Seorang.jurutera skim perkhidmatan tertutup PKNM telah dipindahkan sebagai Pengarah Kejuruteraan MPMBB sebelum dicalonkan sebagai ADUN dan Exco. Datuk Yusof Jantan - Seorang yang bukan penjawat awam telah dilantik sebagai Pengurus Besar Yayasan Melaka, Datuk Bandar MBMB dan sekarang sebagai Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif PKNM. Ir. Baharam Mohd. - Seorang Jurutera skim perkhidmatan tertutup PKNM telah dipindahkan sebagai Pengarah Kejuruteraan MBMB, Pengurus Besar SAMB, Pengurus Besar Yayasan Melaka dan sekarang memegang jawatan baru sebagai Timbalan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif PKNM. Datuk Sarabuddin Kudus - Seorang pegawai MAIM dan sekarang menjadi Pengurus Besar Yayasan Melaka. Atas arahan Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam dan kesediaan Datuk Sarabuddin Kudus, Yayasan Melaka sekarang ini berhutang lebih RM400 juta. Masalah Aliran Tunai yang Kritikal Kerajaan Negeri Melaka telah mengalami masalah aliran tunai yang serius sejak Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam menerajui negeri Melaka. Pegawai Kewangan Negeri terpaksa meminta bantuan dari SAMB, PKNM dan Yayasan Melaka bagi membantu menyelesaikan masalah aliran tunai, lebih-lebih lagi apabila tiba masa untuk membayar gaji kakitangan kerajaan negeri. Kesinambungan dan Legasi Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam Setelah meneliti cara pentadbiran Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam di atas, besar kemungkinan sesiapa dikalangan anak didik beliau, terutamanya Datuk Idris Haron, apabila dilantik sebagai Ketua Menteri Melaka yang baru, akan mengekalkan legasi beliau, kroni-kroni beliau dan cara-cara beliau. Apabila nama-nama besar ini mengambil alih, apakan transformasi yang akan mereka bawa selain dari meneruskan agenda Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam? Pentadbiran akan tetap kucar kacir. Tender akan diberi kepada kroni-kroni tanpa mengikut prosedur yang betul, Projek penswastaan akan tetap dimiliki oleh AGIB walaupun dengan harga yang tidak munasabah. Sekiranya Datuk Idris Harun menjadi Ketua Menteri, adakah beliau akan mentadbir sebagaimana beliau mentadbir Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd? Adakah beliau akan mengambil alih projek walaupun beliau tahu projek tersebut akan merugikan Kerajaan sebagaimana beliau menyelamatkan kroni beliau iaitu Datuk Mustaza Osman, tuan punya projek perumahan terbengkalai di Tangkak. Walaupun telah dinasihatkan oleh pegawai-pegawai beliau yang Syarikat Perumahan Negara akan mengalami kerugian sekiranya mengambil alih projek terbengkalai ini, namun demi kawan dan kroni, segala nasihat pegawai tidak diambil kira yang akhirnya membawa kerugian kepada SPNB. Kalau di organisasi yang kecil begini telah mengamalkan system kroni, saya tidak tahu lah sekiranya diberi peluang untuk mentadbir sebuah negeri dengan dugaan yang lebih mengiorkan. Saya rasa tidak perlu lah saya sebut mengenai Equaltra dan juga setiausaha beliau. Akhirnya Melaka akan ditadbir serupa  mengikut acuan dan cara mentor dan guru beliau, Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam. Berserabut dengan masaalah. Kalau bukan Datuk Idris Haron,  mengapa tidak Datuk Ghafar Atan? Saya cukup mengenali beliau kerana saya sekampung dengannya. Saya telah berkawan dengan beliau semenjak beliau menjadi Ketua Pemuda Bahagian lagi. Saya mengenali beliau luar dan dalam, tetapi itu Ghafar Atan yang dulu, yang memandu Isuzu Trooper buruk. Datuk Ghafar Atan hari ini memandu Lexus, bermain golf diwaktu pejabat, pemilik tak rasmi Nada Ceka Sdn. Bhd., Ahli Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri Melaka dan bercakap hanya RMjuta dan RMbillion sahaja. Sekiranya beliau menjadi Ketua Menteri Melaka, saya tidak tahu lah bagaimana beliau akan mentadbir. Apa yang saya tahu, beliau tidak mempunyai kelulusan yang tinggi, tidak lebih dari SPM gred 3 dan sekiranya ada ijazah Masters seperti yang digembar gemburkan, ianya tidak lebih sekadar ijazah Masters yang dibeli dengan harga RM 5,000 dari internet. Bagaimana hendak mengagihkan projek-projek pengswastaan dan juga tender tanpa memihak kepada Nada Cekal  Sdn. Bhd., dimana anak beliau memiliki syarikat ini sepenuhnya? Bagaimana pula kerja-kerja yang baru dianugerahkan oleh kerajaan melalui JPS iaitu projek Saliran Bandar Melaka dengan harga RM34 juta ? Bagaimanakah pegawai-pegawai yang akan menyelia  projek ini yang mana ianya dimiliki oleh Ketua Menteri Melaka? Yang saya nampak berpelajaran di Bahagian Bukit Katil ialah Datuk Md.Yunus Husin tetapi beliau juga adalah anak didik Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam yang telah mengambil tanah-tanah orang kampung untuk kepentingan sendiri. Tanah-tanah yang tidak dibayar cukai telah di rampas disekitar Air Molek tetapi akhirnya dipohon dan dibeli oleh kroni-kroni beliau. Bayangkan sekiranya beliau menjadi Ketua Menteri Melaka, legasi dan cara Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam akan dikekalkan. Apa akan jadi dengan bumi Hang Tuah ini? Mengikut cerita ahli-ahli politik di PWTC, senarai calon yang telah dicadangkan oleh Pengerusi BN telah digugurkan dengan ugutan oleh Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam untuk ditukar kepada calon-calon yang beliau kehendaki, termasuklah calon Ketua Menteri Melaka iaitu Datuk Idris Haron. Calon yang telah diputuskan oleh Pengerusi BN sebagai Ketua Menteri Melaka iaitu Datuk Ahmad Hamzah yang sepatutnya diletak bertanding DUN Serkam, telah diminta oleh Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam untuk bertanding Parlimen Jasin, sekaligus melepaskan peluang Datuk Ahmad Hamzah untuk menjadi calon Ketua Menteri Melaka. Saya sendiri tidak faham politik Datuk Mohd. Najib yang gagal memantau perlakuan Datuk Mohd.Ali Rustam. Adakah sebagai Perdana Menteri, beliau perlu akur dengan kehendak seorang Ketua Menteri yang pernah didapati bersalah melakukan rasuah politik wang? Adakah beliau perlu tunduk dengan ugutan Ketua Menteri Melaka untuk kali kedua? Hari ini, sambil mamandu di sekitar Bandaraya Bersejarah Melaka, saya terlihat sepanduk dan poster DAP yang terpampang perkataan " Kerajaan Baru, Impian Baru". Saya juga mempunyai impian untuk mempunyai " Ketua Menteri Baru, Impian Baru" dengan memadamkan legasi dan cara pentadbiran kucar kacir Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam. Ini adalah kali ke 7 saya mengundi dan sebagai penyokong BN, saya tidak pernah memberi undi saya kepada pembangkang.  Ini mungkin kali terakhir saya akan menyokong BN sekiranya segala transformasi yang dilaungkan hanya berbentuk retorik yang bertujuan untuk menipu rakyat dan menguntungkan kroni dan membiarkan rasuah bermaharajalela. Saya tidak peduli siapa yang akan menjadi Ketua Menteri  Melaka, tetapi sekiranya ianya diambil dikalangan anak-anak didik Datuk Mohd. Ali Rustam yang akan menyambung legasi kucar kacir dan rakus dan menggalakkan lagi rasuah, undi saya dan kaum keluarga saya akan pergi ke parti pembangkang.  Saya juga yakin, sekiranya Perdana Menteri yang ada hari ini tidak melakukan perubahan dengan telus dari hati beliau, ini mungkin akan menjadi penggal terakhir BN sebagai kerajaan. Setiap kali penyokong PAKATAN melaungkan "Ubah", saya juga melaungkan slogan yang sama, kerana saya percaya dan yakin, perubahan boleh dilakukan dari dalaman UMNO. Sekiranya kita gagal kali ini, tidak akan ada "sekali lagi".

DAP bakal kuasai Malaysia? Posted: 03 May 2013 12:12 PM PDT   Masih ramai orang Melayu Islam yang takut untuk memangkah DAP. Ini termasuklah penyokong-penyokong tegar PKR dan PAS sendiri. Changing our Mindset  Pada saat-saat akhir ini, MCA (BN) dilihat semakin terdesak dengan kempen anti PAS dan DAP dalam media-media arus perdana. 1 undi untuk DAP diumpamakan sebagai 1 undi untuk PAS dan sokongan kepada perlaksanaan hukum hudud di Malaysia. Masyarakat Cina ditakut-takutkan dengan isu perlaksanaan hukum hudud jika Pakatan Rakyat memenangi PRU13. Di pihak lain pula, UMNO dan Perkasa menakut-nakutkan orang Melayu dengan mengatakan bahawa 1 undi untuk PAS adalah 1 undi untuk DAP yang akan menghapuskan keistimewaan Bumiputera dan Islam di Malaysia. 2 fakta yang jelas bertentangan antara UMNO dan MCA. Orang Melayu ditakut-takutkan dengan isu kehilangan hak-hak keistimewaan Melayu kerana DAP bakal berkuasa manakala masyarakat Cina pula ditakut-takutkan dengan isu PAS dan perlaksanaan hukum hududnya. Malangnya rakyat yg cetek akal terus percaya membuta-tuli tanpa menyidik lanjut. Mampukah DAP menguasai Parlimen? Masih ramai orang Melayu Islam yang takut untuk memangkah DAP. Ini termasuklah penyokong-penyokong tegar PKR dan PAS sendiri. Mereka termakan hasutan media arus perdana bahawa andai Pakatan Rakyat berkuasa, DAP akan menjadi tuan di Malaysia. Bagaimana DAP hendak menguasai Parlimen Malaysia jika mereka hanya bertanding di 51 daripada 222 kerusi Parlimen di seluruh negara? Sekiranya DAP menang kesemua 51 kerusi sekali pun, mereka hanya memiliki 23% daripada jumlah semua kerusi Parlimen Malaysia dan mereka masih tidak mempunyai suara majoriti dan tidak akan berupaya untuk menguasai Parlimen Malaysia.  Di antara DAP, PAS dan PKR di dlm Pakatan Rakyat, PKR merupakan parti paling besar jumlah pencalonannya di kerusi Parlimen. PKR bertanding di 99 kerusi Parlimen, PAS 73 manakala DAP cuma 51 kerusi sahaja. Adakah benar DAP boleh menjadi kuasa dominan dalam Pakatan Rakyat dan seterusnya mengawal Parlimen Malaysia? Gunakanlah akal yang Allah kurniakan untuk menilai sendiri bukti-bukti yang disajikan dan bukan terus percaya segala hasutan politik kotor pihak-pihak yang berkepentingan politik peribadi. Statistik ini diperoleh di laman web rasmi PRU 13 milik Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya Malaysia (http://keputusan.spr.gov.my/#home). Pesanan saya kepada para penyokong Pakatan Rakyat yang sudah berkira-kira untuk tidak memangkah DAP atas alasan Islam dan kepentingan Bumiputra, sedarlah bahawa kita telah diperdaya oleh media arus perdana melalui kenyataan pemimpin-pemimpin negara atas nama keterdesakan politik. Sedarkah anda kenyataan-kenyataan mereka ini jarang-jarang sekali disertakan dengan fakta dan statistik yang sah? Disebabkan mereka pemimpin nepgara dan ulasan mereka disiarkan di media arus perdana, maka kita terus percaya bahawa ianya sahih tanpa usul periksa.  Read more at: http://ikhlasmalaysia.blogspot.com/2013/05/dap-bakal-kuasai-malaysia.html

Antara Royalti Mewah dan Perkongsian Pemilikan Petronas Posted: 03 May 2013 12:04 PM PDT   Sebagai contoh, bagi setiap tong minyak yang dijual pada harga USD100, royalti sebanyak USD5 atau USD20 (bergantung kepada peratusan) akan dikira serta merta. Hanya jumlah yang tinggal selepas royalti dan cukai dibayar yang akan diberikan kepada Petronas untuk mengimbangi pelaburan besar dan kos operasi, serta membayar pampasan untuk pengeluar dan operator minyak yang lain.   Anas Alam Faizli Debat mengenai royalti minyak adalah antara isu popular untuk penyokong Barisan Nasional (BN) dan Pakatan Rakyat (PR) ketika negara berhadapan dengan pilihanraya 5hb Mei ini. Di Kelantan, Gerakan "R" untuk 'royalti' meraih banyak sokongan, terutama di kalangan penyokong PR. Bertahun lamanya, kita menyaksikan pertelingkahan royalti dijadikan tumpuan di empat negeri pengeluar minyak, iaitu Terengganu, Kelantan, Sabah dan Sarawak. Sementara Kelantan tetap dengan perjuangannya menuntut haknya di bawah Akta Pembangunan Petroleum 1974, Sabah dan Sarawak pula berusaha untuk mendapatkan bahagian yang lebih daripada 5% ke atas hasil pendapatan minyak dan gas.   Dalam langkah yang tidak pernah diambil sebelum ini, PR dalam Buku Jingga yang dilancarkan pada Disember 2010 menganjurkan peningkatan sumbangan royalti minyak daripada Petronas kepada kerajaan negeri dari 5% kepada 20%. Langkah ini sekali lagi ditekankan dalam manifesto pilihanraya pakatan itu. Tambah menarik, apabila BN juga melancarkan manifesto terkini yang menjanjikan perkara yang lebih kurang sama, menampakkan bahawa kedua-dua pihak menyedari kepentingan untuk menawan hati para pengundi negeri-negeri terbabit melalui pemberian royalti minyak. Sesiapa pun yang menang dalam pilihanraya kali ini, empat negeri akan menyaksikan peningkatan pendapatan, sekiranya janji ini ditunaikan. Tetapi, bagaimanakah perubahan ini memberi kesan kepada Petronas?   Hakikat Di Sebalik 20 Peratus Royalti   Pertama sekali, kita perlu mengetahui bahawa royalti atau pemberian tunai di dalam PDA 1974 ialah kos yang ditolak terus daripada pendapatan, bukannya perkongsian dalam keuntungan operasi. Apa sahaja pendapatan yang diterima oleh Petronas atau operator minyak daripada jualan minyak dan gas, royalti ialah bahagian pertama yang ditolak. Sebagai contoh, bagi setiap tong minyak yang dijual pada harga USD100, royalti sebanyak USD5 atau USD20 (bergantung kepada peratusan) akan dikira serta merta. Hanya jumlah yang tinggal selepas royalti dan cukai dibayar yang akan diberikan kepada Petronas untuk mengimbangi pelaburan besar dan kos operasi, serta membayar pampasan untuk pengeluar dan operator minyak yang lain.   Bayangkan apa yang akan terjadi jika harga minyak mentah turun! Situasi ini bakal meletakkan tekanan besar ke atas keuntungan Petronas, yang akhirnya akan memberi kesan kepada pendapatan yang diberikan kepada kerajaan persekutuan dalam bentuk dividen (perlu diketahui bahawa kerajaan persekutuan menerima pendapatan daripada Petronas melalui pelbagai kaedah; selain royalti dan cukai sebagai kerajaan tuan rumah, kerajaan turut menerima dividen sebagai pemilik saham Petronas).   Kedua, berdasarkan hujah di atas, 20% pembayaran royalti minyak akan berpotensi mengurangkan daya tarikan ke atas kewujudan sedia ada tapak-tapak Kontrak Perkongsian Pengeluaran (PSC). Tanpa perlu mendalami selok belok PSC yang rumit, cukup sekadar kita mengetahui bahawa operator-operator minyak seperti Shell dan Exxon Mobil yang beroperasi di Malaysia, di bawah PSC, perlu membayar royalti dan cukai kepada Malaysia; tetapi pada masa yang sama, mereka dijanjikan beberapa kelebihan seperti 'kos minyak' dan 'keuntungan minyak' untuk menggalakkan mereka datang ke Malaysia dan mengusahakan telaga-telaga minyak kita.   PSC secara dasarnya menjamin Malaysia diberikan pampasan sewajarnya untuk hasil minyak yang digali dalam kawasan jajahan kita sendiri, tetapi pada masa yang sama turut memastikan operator minyak masih mendapat margin keuntungan bagi usaha produktif mereka. Melainkan Petronas mengambil langkah menelan sendiri kehilangan 15 titik peratusan daripada pendapatan asal mereka, dan tetap menjanjikan pembahagian keuntungan yang sama bagi semua operator minyak seolah-olah royalti kepada negeri-negeri masih 5%, maka PSC akan kehilangan daya tarikannya di mata para operator antarabangsa.   Ketiga, sistem ganjaran melalui pembayaran royalti minyak boleh juga menyebabkan negeri-negeri pengeluar tidak berminat dengan keuntungan dan kelangsungan Petronas.  Dalam hal ini kerajaan-kerajaan negeri terbabit memang tidak dapat dipersalahkan. Dengan mendapat potongan terawal daripada pendapatan minyak, lebih mudah untuk kerajaan negeri-negeri ini kekal dalam zon selesa tanpa perlu membimbangkan cabaran dan kelangsungan operasi yang berlaku dalam proses-proses seterusnya. Maka, negeri-negeri mungkin tidak akan peduli sekiranya operator asing tidak lagi diberikan insentif untuk beroperasi di telaga minyak Malaysia dan menggunakan kemahiran serta teknologi mereka untuk menggali minyak, ataupun sekiranya produktiviti jangka panjang dan kelestarian operasi Petronas terancam.   Perkongsian Hak Milik Petronas dengan Negeri Pengeluar Minyak   Tiga hujah di atas menggambarkan sebahagian daripada cabaran untuk melaksanakan peningkatan sumbangan royalti kepada 20%. Lagipun, Petronas ialah salah satu cerita kejayaan Malaysia yang menyumbang besar kepada kemajuan Malaysia. Tanpa dapat dipersoalkan, kelestarian dan kelangsungan Petronas menjadi kepentingan semua negeri dan rakyat Malaysia.   Penting juga diingatkan bahawa Petronas boleh menyandarkan kejayaannya kepada kehebatannya menguruskan secara berkesan sumber hidrokarbon yang disumbangkan oleh negeri pengeluar. Walaupun sumbangan pendapatan yang dihasilkan oleh sumber petroleum tempatan pada masa kini sudah berkurang kepada 60% daripada keseluruhan pendapatan Petronas, tidak mungkin Petronas berada di tempatnya pada masa kini; jika tidak kerana 'sumber modal' petroleum yang disumbangkan oleh negeri-negeri pengeluar ini kepadanya, melalui PDA 1974, dan enakmen lain yang memberikan hak penjagaan dan pemilikan lapangan-lapangan minyak kepada Petronas. Walapun pada masa kini, pendapatan daripada blok minyak dan gas domestik bukan lagi menjadi komponen terbesar dalam pendapatan Petronas, pendapatan lain tidak akan wujud tanpa petroleum daripada negeri-negeri pengeluar ini pada peringkat awalnya.    Kewujudan syarikat-syarikat subsidiari, termasuklah industri sekunder seperti Petronas Gas, LNG, kimia-petro serta perdagangan dan peruncitan minyak, bersama-sama dengan kewujudan kontraktor tempatan seperti Sapura Kencana dan MMHE, telah mencipta lambakan peluang pekerjaan dan limpahan positif ekonomi kepada Malaysia yang tidak akan berlaku tanpa gas dan minyak yang dikeluarkan oleh empat negeri pengeluar. Ingin dicadangkan di sini supaya pemilikan Petronas dikaji semula untuk menjadikannya lebih terangkum.   Kini, kerajaan persekutuan memiliki 100% pemilikan saham dalam Petronas. Saya cadangkan kita tetap kekalkan kadar royalti secara 5%, tetapi negeri-negeri pengeluar minyak diberikan keuntungan kongsi penglibatan dalam Petronas melalui pemilikan ekuiti tanpa kuasa mengundi, di mana kerajaan-kerajaan negeri ini tidak dilibatkan dalam urusan pentadbiran bagi menggelakkan birokrasi yang tidak diingini. Dengan ini, proses membuat keputusan dan isu-isu eksekutif masih diberikan kepada para profesional yang telah  bekerja dengan cemerlang menguruskan satu-satunya syarikat negara yang tersenarai dalam Fortune 100 Company.   Sebagai contoh, peratus pemilikan 2% oleh setiap daripada empat negeri pengeluar minyak bermakna RM600 milion daripada dividen tetap tahunan, RM30 bilion akan diberikan kepada pemegang saham negeri, manakala selebihnya akan dibayar kepada kerajaan pusat sebagai pemegang saham utama. Bagaimanapun, sebanyak mana hasil ini dibahagikan antara negeri memerlukan perbincangan lanjut.   Sebagai pemegang saham, negeri pengeluar minyak pastinya mahu melihat Petronas berkembang dan mengekalkan keuntungan bagi terus menikmati pendapatan dividen daripada syarikat tersebut. Pada masa yang sama, dinamika dan tarikan PSC dan RSC sedia ada dan pertumbuhannya untuk masa depan tidak akan terancam. Dalam kes royalti minyak, negeri-negeri dibiarkan tidak akan berminat dengan keuntungan dan kelangsungan Petronas kerana mereka mendapat royalti terus daripada pengeluaran.   Kesimpulannya, tujuan asas perbincangan adalah niat murni untuk meningkatkan pendapatan kepada negeri-negeri ini kerana mereka jelas memerlukannya. Royalti yang tinggi dan perkongsian ekuiti akan dapat meningkatkan pendapatan kepada empat negeri pengeluar minyak yang juga negeri yang termiskin di Malaysia. Ini mampu melindungi kepentingan setiap negeri.    Kaedah memberikan pemilikan ekuiti kepada kerajaan negeri pula, akan mengekalkan status quo  dan tidak langsung menjejaskan Petronas dan kontraktor PSC, serta tetap memberi negeri pengeluar minyak pendapatan tambahan yang diperlukan.   Tambahan pula, pembayaran tunai royalti minyak hanya wujud selagi mana gas dan minyak dikeluarkan, sedangkan kepentingan ekuiti dan pembayaran dividen akan berterusan selagi mana Petronas wujud dan beroperasi dengan baik. Alternatifnya, seperti yang dicadangkan oleh PR, Petronas kecil boleh diwujudkan, contohnya Petronas Kelantan, Petronas Sarawak dan sebagainya. Anak-anak syarikat ini akan diuruskan oleh Petronas dengan penglibatan ekuiti oleh negeri pengeluar minyak.   * Versi Bahasa Inggeris artikel ini telah diterbitkan dalam The Edge pada 27 April 2013.   ** Anas Alam Faizli adalah seorang professional minyak dan gas. Beliau mempunyai ijazah sarjana pengurusan projek dan sedang menamatkan ijazah kedoktoran serta berTwitter di @aafaizli

Open letter from Waytha Moorthy to all Indian Malaysians Posted: 03 May 2013 12:01 PM PDT   The Dacing (the Pakatan/Barisan Dacing) hangs in delicate balance one day before the elections. When it hangs in balance like this, even small additions to this side or that will determine the tilt of the Dacing. This is the historic opportunity that I speak of. The Indian minority, small as it is, can determine which way the Dacing will tilt.   P.Waytha Moorthy, Chairperson HINDRAF Historic opportunities arise when certain defining events converge for a while in history. The minority Indian Malaysians have such a historic opportunity on their hands right now.  It behooves all Indian Malaysians to be able to perceive this window of opportunity, so the right decisions can be made and the historical circumstances utilized to the best advantage for all of future.  The Dacing (the Pakatan/Barisan Dacing) hangs in delicate balance one day before the elections. When it hangs in balance like this, even small additions to this side or that will determine the tilt of the Dacing. This is the historic opportunity that I speak of. The Indian minority, small as it is, can determine which way the Dacing will tilt.  We perceived this opportunity some months ago within Hindraf. We decided that we should use the opportunity to do a quid pro quo ( an exchange) with the political parties on the two sides of the Dacing in order to gain for the Indians what should have been theirs rightfully, but never was. We prepared the 5 year Blueprint - a plan for the upliftment of the Indians in the country, for the political parties on both sides to consider supporting in exchange for electoral support from Hindraf.  The proposals in the Blue print take into account the historical antecedents and the effects of Government policy neglect that had led to the marginalization of the Indians in the country. The proposals comprise a comprehensive and permanent set of solutions for the chronic socio-economic woes of the Indians in the country. The proposals when implemented will have a significant synergistic effect on the Indian community as a whole. The Blueprint contains a very powerful plan for the poor and marginalized Indians in Malaysia. The Blueprint encompasses two basic themes. The first is a correction of past wrongs and the second is an ongoing and equitable share of the common wealth of the nation.  The plans for doubling the mean monthly incomes of those at the lowest strata coupled with subsidized housing, improved educational, employment and business opportunities when they come together will have a significant synergistic effect. This is absolutely what is needed - a comprehensive and permanent solution and in a short period of time. In addition Hindraf decided that a condition for the endorsements of the Blueprint plans by the political parties is that it should have legal force and be binding.  For this historic endeavour we left our emotions aside and embarked on the negotiations in a pragmatic manner.  We spent the months from September 2012 till April 2013 with the Pakatan Coalition trying to negotiate a deal. But they obviously had no desire to sign up to a binding agreement to uplift the status of the Indian poor in the country. Their political ideology seems to be more geared to the needs of the business community and to a trickle down approach to all other problems faced by the people. This was in in sharp contrast to the theme of a comprehensive and  targeted set of solutions for a historically neglected community, contained in our Blueprint. Pakatan did not want to sign up to the Blueprint in spite of our willingness to take many steps back to facilitate an agreement.  I beseech all Indians in the country to think about this key point. Why did Pakatan not want to endorse the Blueprint that addressed a longstanding need of the Indian community? If this is their behaviour before the elections, what do you think it will be afterwards?  On the other hand we started the dialog with BN in late March and found a completely different attitude. There was a political will to take us up on our suggestions for a comprehensive and permanent set of targeted solutions for the problems of the Indian poor. There was recognition of the role of past Government policy failures and there was a willingness to try new solutions. It looked good.  We had two options at this stage. One was to go ahead with Pakatan in spite of their repeated rejections, just to punish BN. The other was to sign up here and now with BN to a program which when implemented will give us most of what we are looking for directly and for what we went out to the streets of KL in November 2007.  Any talk of a secret pact (touted by the Pakatan stalwarts) between Hindraf and BN serves only to deflect the emptiness in what Pakatan has to offer the Indian community. What if we had wrapped it all up in January or in February with Pakatan.  We only signed up with BN in April. All talk of secret pacts, selling out, betraying are all nothing more than shameless and hollow tactics of Pakatan to try and deflect the attention away from their denial of support to the Indian community . In addition their plan is to kill the messenger when they just could not kill the message.  Pakatan is trying now very hard to demonise us, to disrupt our ceramahs, they steal our mobile campaign vehicle, they beat up our activisits, intimidate our supporters, spread all kind of lies and innuendos. If this is the type of Hitlerite Blackshirt tactics they choose to employ, all Malaysians must think, " Is this the New Dawn that you seek that Pakatan will bring to the country with their "Ubah"?"  When there is a political party that does not want to protect or promote your interests, what good does it do for you to give them your vote? The one weapon you have to get for you what you need is your vote?  BN has conceded that they had made mistakes in the past and are willing to look forward to new relations with the Indian community and to put in place new policies for their welfare. Instead of continuing to dwell on all the errors of the past, we have decided to look to the future and work on mending the relationships with BN and to start the work of correcting the serious socio-economic problems of the Indian community. This, as I said at the outset is a historic opportunity – we do not know what the future holds, what we can certainly know is what we have now. This is my last message to the Malaysian public before the Elections tomorrow and I make this loud clarion call to the Indians in Malaysia to absolutely reject Pakatan and to vote boldly for Barisan Nasional. You will be doing the right thing.

Opposition warns current government not to steal, destroy votes in Malaysian election Posted: 03 May 2013 11:45 AM PDT Anwar Ibrahim believes Malaysia will see a revolution this weekend. The only question in his mind is whether it will be achieved through the ballot box or via street protests. With just days to go before Sunday's too-close-to-call election, the charismatic leader of Malaysia's opposition was buoyed by polls showing his People's Alliance coalition has pulled even with, or slightly ahead, of the long-ruling National Front bloc headed by Prime Minister Najib Razak. Mr. Anwar warned the government could face the "wrath of the people" if it somehow kept the People's Alliance from winning the election. "In a clear case of manipulation, of stealing, I'm sure you can expect the wrath of the people," he said in a telephone interview. Malaysia, a country of 28 million people, is often hailed as a success story, having blended moderate Islam with Chinese, Indian and Western values while becoming one of the leading economies in Southeast Asia. But critics see a quietly authoritarian state, where the media, courts and security services are all controlled by a variation of the same ruling party since it gained independence in 1957. What's clear is that Sunday's election will be mark the first time Malaysian voters will go to the polls without knowing the winner in advance. Much of that is due to a mass of younger, first-time voters inspired by Mr. Anwar's battle cry of "Reformasi!" A win would mark a long-awaited personal triumph for Mr. Anwar, who has been a thorn in the government's side since he was dumped from the deputy prime minister's post in 1998. Along the way, the 65-year-old has survived a relentless smear campaign, including six years in jail on sodomy charges he says were trumped up and of which he was later acquitted. Mr. Anwar says he's certain his coalition – which is pledging to end policies that favour the country's ethnic Malay majority and to eliminate official corruption – would win a fairly held election. But he says he's already seen evidence that Mr. Najib's government doesn't intend to play by the rules. "Our 'Malaysian Spring' and awakening will be translated through the ballot box. We warn the National Front that they should not destroy and steal the elections," Mr. Anwar said between campaign rallies in the northern state of Perak on Thursday. Mr. Najib, who is contesting his first election as party leader, is running on a record of sound economic management: Malaysia's economy has grown steadily since he inherited office in 2009, including an admirable 5.6-per-cent pace last year. Mr. Anwar's supporters say the opposition was prevented from monitoring advance polling that allowed 272,000 army personnel to cast their ballots ahead of Sunday's vote. They're also worried that the supposedly indelible ink, into which voters are supposed to dip a finger to prevent them from casting multiple ballots, actually disappears in a matter of hours. Speaking to The Globe and Mail, Mr. Anwar also accused the National Front of flying plane-loads of supporters from safely pro-government areas into hotly contested regions, where a few extra votes could decide who wins parliamentary seats. He also claimed the government was handing out Malaysian identification cards to foreign workers on the condition they vote for the National Front. The National Front has denied all of Mr. Anwar's accusations. Pollsters say the ruling coalition is in jeopardy because of growing dissatisfaction among the country's Chinese and Indian minorities, with affirmative-action policies that guarantee ethnic Malays preferential access to schools, civil-service jobs and government contracts. The policies are credited with lifting the Malay majority out of poverty and creating a wealthy Malay middle class, but they have also inspired an exodus of Chinese entrepreneurs to neighbouring Singapore, which is seen as more meritocratic. The most recent survey conducted by the University of Malaya's Centre of Democracy and Elections found that 43 per cent of voters believed Mr. Anwar was prepared to be prime minister, compared to 39 per cent for Mr. Najib. Many young voters, including young Malay voters – who get their news primarily from the Internet, rather than government-controlled media – are also turned off by allegations of corruption and cronyism within the National Front. "This is a more demanding electorate. They're looking for more freedoms – to express themselves and to organize," said Ibrahim Suffian, director of the Merdeka Centre, an independent polling company based in Kuala Lumpur. But Mr. Ibrahim said that older voters, many of whom personally experienced the race riots that left hundreds dead after a disputed election in 1969, still value the stability and economic growth delivered by the National Front. "The [pro-] government vote is predominantly rural, low-income and resides in areas with lower Internet connectivity." As polls began showing the opposition had a chance of winning, Mr. Najib began reminding voters of the 1969 violence, hinting that chaos could follow a win for Mr. Anwar. There has already been a spate of minor election-related violence, targeting both supporters of the ruling party and the opposition. "Certain politicians are talking about change, but what is it you want to change?" Mr. Najib asked at a recent campaign rally. "Do you want to change from peace and harmony to a country full of conflict and violence? Do you want to change the economic success that we have achieved?"

13th General Election’s Results May Cause You a Heart Attack Posted: 03 May 2013 11:43 AM PDT   There is an intense atmosphere everywhere. As the expected and the unexpected results roll in, emotions run high and suddenly the person at the next table clenches his chest, falls hard to the ground and becomes unconscious.   Noel Silas Savarimuthu Emergency Medical Technician Malaysian Red Crescent  Polling stations have closed and the counting process has begun. You are sitting at a café waiting for the results to roll in. There is an intense atmosphere everywhere. As the expected and the unexpected results roll in, emotions run high and suddenly the person at the next table clenches his chest, falls hard to the ground and becomes unconscious. The victim has stopped breathing and his heart has stopped beating. He has about 4 to 6 minutes before brain damage begins to occur. Do you know what to do? The victim would have about 30% or more chances of survival if there was a by-stander trained in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation or CPR. Without wasting time a trained by-stander would shout out "Someone dial 999, get an ambulance, he is having a heart attack". The by-stander would then be seen compressing the victim's chest and giving rescue breathing. Are you trained in CPR? Poke the person next to you and ask if he or she is trained in CPR.  If both of you answer "No", you are both in trouble.  Would you like to learn CPR NOW?  While a full set CPR syllabus would need about 4 hours to train, "HANDS ONLY CPR"technique needs a couple of minutes to learn and master. In 2008 the American Heart Association (AHA) released HANDS ONLY CPR as there were concerns about CPR trained by-stander refusing to perform the lifesaving skills on a complete stranger fearing possible transmission of disease from the victim to the rescuer when mouth to mouth breathing is applied. AHA then proceeded to encourage the training of HANDS ONLY CPR techniques as it is easy to learn and only has 2 steps to perform. Now Everyone Can Perform Hands Only CPR!!! In the event of a collapse, cardiac arrest, drowning, electrocution or any other reason where you find a victim has fallen unconscious and is not breathing, make sure it is safe to touch the victim and immediately perform the following 2 lifesaving steps. 1)      Direct someone or call 999 yourself and request for an ambulance.   2)      Place the heel of your palms with your hands clenched, in the middle of the victim's chest and deliver 100 compressions a minute, press hard and fast. Do not STOP until the paramedics ask you to stop. Compressing the chest hard and fast moves the victim's oxygenated blood to the brains and keeps the brain cells alive while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Even if Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen were paramedics on duty at a hospital near you, they will never be able to reach the victim in time before irreversible brain damage begins in a time span as short as 4 minutes after the collapse. The victim's only chance of survival would come from the actions of the people nearest to him. Choose to be trained. By-Stander CPR Saves Life. Noel Silas Savarimuthu Emergency Medical Technician Malaysian Red Crescent

Phantoms Posted: 03 May 2013 11:36 AM PDT   Naveed Zafar Ahmed : "Malaysian IC available for cheap price, only for filipinos, indonesians, bangladeshi and pakistanis with the condition of vote for barisan nasional, all your personal information will be keep as personal and secret."  Follow https://www.facebook.com/AduanRakyatPru13?refid=13 to read more.

Karpal: Anwar as PM, two DPMs if Pakatan takes Putrajaya Posted: 03 May 2013 11:35 AM PDT (Malaysian Digest) - Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be Malaysia's seventh prime minister while PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and Lim Kit Siang will share honors as his deputies if Pakatan Rakyat seizes Putrajaya on Sunday, the DAP's Karpal Singh proposed last night before a big crowd in Penang. "Of course the man who is fit to be prime minister of this country, we in DAP propose and support Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Malaysia's seventh prime minister. "Hadi Awang can be deputy prime minister. Lim Kit Siang can be DPM II and he can also be home minister," the DAP national chairman told an ecstatic crowd dressed in the traffic light colors of red, yellow and green that crammed every square inch of ground in the port city where the pact had resurrected the forgotten Speaker's Corner after coming to power five years ago. The Bukit Gelugor MP incumbent, who is defending his seat in the May 5 polls, also proposed that he stay a lawyer to advise the new regime – should it come to power – on making laws that enforce justice for all. "People say Kit Siang and I are old, we both have served for more than 20 years," he said, before telling the predominantly Chinese crowd, "lang lau, sim bo lau." In the Hokkien dialect favored by the Penang Chinese, it means the body may be old but the heart is not. "Lim Kit Siang and I, we are not old. There is still fire in our bellies," said the 72-year-old known to many as the "Tiger of Bukit Gelugor" for his fierce and unbending belief in the rule of law. The veteran lawyer and lawmaker reminded Penang's voters who were out in full force that night – beating the turnout at the historic Han Chiang College just four nights earlier – that the time for change had come. "In Singapore, the People's Action Party has suffered defeat in its elections... the time has come, there must be change. On the 5th of May, the change must be the removal of Barisan Nasional in Putrajaya," he said. The party's line-up of speakers last night, which included newcomers such as Kasthuri Patto and Zairil Khir Johari, told the Penang crowd that the BN's old playbook of peddling racial and religious fears to divide and conquer Malaysia's multicultural communities no longer held traction with the 13.3 million electorate, especially the young, who craved a government that focused on cutting corruption and helping to put the economy back on track. "There is a thirst for change in Malaysia today. "It's all in your hands, the people of this country. And this thirst for change will be quenched on the 5th of May," Karpal summed up when he took to the stage as the rally's final speaker. In a speech punctuated with the blares from the vuvuzuela popularly used to cheer on football teams, Karpal also called on the gargantuan crowd to make sure that on May 5, Kit Siang's son Lim Guan Eng is given a second mandate to govern Penang as its chief minister. The mega ceramah, which started at about 8pm, saw droves of people arriving from as early as 7pm. Major roads leading into the world heritage city were clogged with cars and motorcycles by 9pm, just as the ceramah was warming up. According to news reports fed by the organizers as well as friends who had planned to attend the rally but were stuck in traffic, the gridlock extended all the way to the Penang Bridge to the south and Tanjung Tokong on the turtle-shaped island's north end. The event ended shortly after midnight with the DAP announcing a jaw-dropping RM505,000 in its donation drive at the Esplanade last night. On its Facebook page a couple of hours later, the donation was updated to read RM587,168.85.

BN, PR tussle over Selangor prize Posted: 03 May 2013 11:23 AM PDT On the whole, however. Selangor, the most fought after state by both BN and PR, saw relatively smooth campaigning from both sides, with only a few reports of violence. The many independents contesting the seats – both parliament and state – added to the colour of the 13th general election. But the main fights remained between BN and PR. by Zakiah Koya and N Shashi Kala, fz.com YOU could say that Barisan Nasional (BN) started campaigning in Selangor beginning in February, when BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak was appointed state election director. His appointment was a clarion call for the coalition to redouble its efforts to wrest Selangor back from Pakatan Rakyat. The state's importance to BN could also be seen in the Selangor BN Manifesto, which was launched two days before nomination day on April 20. The manifesto contained a whole list of pledges of goodies and services covering every imaginable spectrum and designed to appeal to the rakyat, including free water and affordable homes.   PR had earlier unveiled its manifesto for this state and the similarities between the two had both sides accusing each of plagiarism.   On the whole, however. Selangor, the most fought after state by both BN and PR, saw relatively smooth campaigning from both sides, with only a few reports of violence. The many independents contesting the seats – both parliament and state – added to the colour of the 13th general election. But the main fights remained between BN and PR.   Pakatan has been quite vocal about what it believes will be massive cheating by BN come polling day. Their concerns are especially focused on the 134,675 newly registered voters from 2008 in the state, some of whom, they allege, were registered without their knowledge. Attempts to get the Election Commission, and subsequently the courts, to look into the fraudulent registration claims in the gazetted electoral roll have however failed.   Still, the campaigning period has been an interesting one in Selangor. Caretaker prime minister Najib has made repeated trips – more than five times in two weeks – to different parts of the state to personally boost the BN candidates.   PR, on the other hand, did not really draw their big guns here – DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng made a few appearances – and instead they brought out one of Umno's old guns to stir the pot. Former MB Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib, now a new PAS member, did cause some stir with his rather strange rantings about Jews and Christians, but his impact was rather limited to a few Malay majority areas that were his former stomping grounds.   It was also obvious that PR candidates made sure that Selangorians have the full facts of the successes of caretaker MB Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and his government officials. The management of the state's coffers was bandied at every ceramah. The manifestos not only promised they will do better than what they have done for the past five years but that they will be fulfilling the promises that they have yet to fulfil as promised in the GE12.   One of the biggest gambles of PR in Selangor was moving caretaker MB Khalid to Port Klang from Ijok.    As Khalid was instrumental in managing the state coffers for the past five years, this was seen as a strategy to boost Khalid's popularity which has been declining among Selangorians for his hard stance. Khalid has been accused of being more of a corporate man than a politician while he was the MB.    Should Khalid win in Port Klang, it would be an endorsement of his managerial skills as MB, but if he were to lose, it would clear the way for others jostling for the position.   PR also did not wait to dig for dirt when it accused five of the Selangor BN candidates of having degrees from the milling universities. But that led nowhere and even PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli – himself a candidate for the Pandan constituency – seemed strangely quiet.    In Selangor, the issue of overlapping candidacy also cropped up in Kota Damansara where PKR and PAS candidates faced off each other in a six-way fight with Barisan Nasional and Independent candidates. The matter was soon resolved with PAS Ridzuan Ismail being asked to give way to PSM's head Dr Nasir Hashim, who was contesting under the PKR banner.    But there was no such resolution in Semenyih, where PSM and PKR fought over who should stand for the state seat. In the end, S Arutchelvam of PSM – who had earlier said that he was PR-friendly – is now facing off against Hamidi Hasan of PKR and BN's Johan Abdul Aziz for the state seat. BN had a few missteps as well, not the least the choice of candidate for Shah Alam. By putting Datuk Zulkifli Noordin of Perkasa against PAS' moderate incumbent Khalid Samad, Najib probably thought to appeal to the Malay majority voters – many who are young – in the constituency.    But it backfired as Zulkifli proved to be a polarising choice, with even MIC members protesting against the man who had repeatedly insulted non-Muslims. Attempts to portray Zulkifli as having "repented" too didn't gain much traction. READ MORE HERE

Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim aims to seize final chance Posted: 03 May 2013 11:15 AM PDT   (The Telegraph) - But some within the opposition fear that even if defeated the National Front - which has close ties to the military - may not give up power. It would be a remarkable comeback for the 65-year-old, who has twice been imprisoned on sodomy charges, beaten while in custody and twice exonerated and who is now facing the fight of his political life. If history were the only guide, the National Front (Barisan Nasional) would succeed in clinging on to govern for another five years. It has ruled Malaysia with an iron fist since independence from Britain in 1957. But after unprecedented gains in the 2008 election, where the People's Pact (Pakatan Rakyat) was victorious in five of the nation's 12 states, Mr Anwar genuinely believes this is his moment. An independent poll released on Friday for the first time backed up that optimism, showing the People's Pact leading the National Front by 42 per cent to 41 per cent, with 17 per cent undecided. Mr Anwar's campaign, which has used online blogs and social media to circumvent the country's lack of a free press, is based around his call for "ubah" (change) from the pro-ethnic Malay policies of the National Front. This time round, 2.6 million new voters have registered, out of a total of 13.3 million – many of them young, hopeful, ethnically diverse and Twitter-savvy. "This is our best chance," Mr Anwar told The Daily Telegraph. "There has been a huge upsurge in anti-establishment feeling since 2008. It is not just among the youth, but people in rural areas too are very enthusiastic – particularly in Johor and East Malaysia. I am very optimistic we can win, there is a big surge of hope in the country." But some within the opposition fear that even if defeated the National Front - which has close ties to the military - may not give up power. The People's Pact claims that the National Front has flown more than 40,000 voters, whose credentials are suspect, from the government strongholds of Sabah and Sarawak in Borneo to the mainland, where several seats are being fiercely contested. Mr Anwar outlined three concerns, "the fact that 15 flights a day are flying thousands of voters in to the mainland, whether the indelible ink used in postal voting is actually indelible and the fact that we have had no media coverage – not one minute of airtime on state TV." The office of the prime minister, Najib Razak, 59, has strongly denied "any involvement in these flights". Mr Anwar added: "Obviously, there is severe concern that there could be problems on election day itself, such as tampering with ballots," though he noted that Mr Najib has promised a peaceful transition if he loses. Mr Najib is relying on Malaysia's consistent economic growth to carry him over the line. As an indicator, stocks fell 1.09 per cent after yesterday's poll. The prime minister's promised reforms of pro-Malay policies have not materialised however, while critics state his repeal of the controversial Internal Security Act last year simply led to equally repressive laws. In an interview with Reuters in March, Mr Najib repeatedly stressed the complexity of managing a nation whose British colonial history left it with a volatile mix of majority Malays with large minorities of ethnic Indians and economically dominant ethnic Chinese. "The very fact that Malaysia is a success story despite the complexities in our society - why don't people give us that credit?" Mr Najib said.  Read more at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/malaysia/10036283/Malaysias-opposition-leader-Anwar-Ibrahim-aims-to-seize-final-chance.html

The wild ride of Anwar Ibrahim Posted: 03 May 2013 11:06 AM PDT   (Al Jazeera) - "They are in a state of denial. They refuse to acknowledge endemic corruption [and] the racist agenda is continuing. Prison was no bed of roses, but it has given [me] time to reflect, meditate and be more passionate on the issue of freedom, justice and humanitarian ideas."  Anwar Ibrahim has had only three hours sleep. In the past 12 days, Malaysia's opposition leader had criss-crossed the entire country, stumping for his coalition's candidates and driving home its message of change. The punishing schedule has left his campaign bus in the mechanic's workshop, but with the election just days away, Anwar is still full of energy. "It's a job for crazy people," 65-year-old Anwar chuckled on Wednesday. "It's not for the sane." A little later, Anwar leaves his comfortable home, in an area of Kuala Lumpur known more for its scruffy wooden houses and pot-holed streets than its fancy villas, and headed west. The four-car convoy is running behind schedule. It's no journey for the speed-shy or faint of heart. A sizeable crowd is waiting on the muddy field where Anwar is due to speak. He's swallowed up by an enthusiastic group of supporters almost as soon as he leaves the car. They chant "ubah", the Malay word for change, and "reformasi", reform; the clarion cries of the opposition. With the campaign in its final stages, Anwar's three-party alliance, Pakatan Rakyat, can sense that power may finally be almost within its grasp. Anwar is in his element. He teases the crowd, woos them, makes them laugh and cheer. It's hard to imagine he's had so little sleep. "No power on earth can stop the power of the people," he thundered. The audience roars in agreement.   Read more at: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/05/20135316321571755.html

Police take Raja Petra's statement Posted: 03 May 2013 09:07 AM PDT (NST) - JAKARTA: MALAYSIAN police have taken a statement from Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin regarding an online article he wrote which implicated an opposition leader to the Lahad Datu intrusion. The 63-year-old, who is now based in Manchester, United Kingdom, was questioned by at least two CID personnel from Bukit Aman police headquarters for about three hours at the Malaysian embassy here on Thursday. He had flown in from Britain the previous day after agreeing to give his statement over the article entitled The Untold Story of the Lahad Datu Incident which based on the news portal, was uploaded on March 25. He said he agreed to have his statement taken here due to legal and logistical reasons, after having consulted his lawyer and the police. When met outside the embassy, Raja Petra said he was not at liberty to divulge the details of his police statement, except for the fact that it was about the article that he wrote. Asked to elaborate on his article, which spoke of two meetings between opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Moro National Liberation Front founder Nur Misuari since July 16 and Aug 4 last year, Raja Petra said he stood by his story. He said the meetings and subsequent meetings by at least two other opposition leaders had something to do with bringing in a group of Philippine Sulus into Sabah for the purposes that was related to the elections. "According to the information that I received from my sources is the meeting that took place was specifically to discuss for them (Sulus) coming in. And what was also discussed was the purpose of them coming in and it was in relation to the elections. I feel that there is more to this story." Raja Petra claimed two other leaders from PKR vice-presidents and former members of parliament Tian Chua and R. Sivarasa -- also had been having meetings with people associated with the MNLF following the two first meetings involving Anwar. Observers believed that the MNLF contributed most to the forces of the so-called sultan Jamalul Kiram, who landed in Lahad Datu and Semporna, Sabah, almost three months ago. Raja Petra's claim's echoes a recent statement on April 25 by Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who said the ministry had identified three opposition leaders -- two from the peninsula and another from Sabah -- as culprits behind the armed intrusion by Sulu terrorists in Lahad Datu, Sabah. The subsequent attacks in eastern Sabah led to the death of 10 Malaysian security personnel. Raja Petra said there was a politically-motivated mastermind behind the Lahad Datu intrusion, and this was meant to stir sentiments of the Sulu community in Sabah. "The question is whether the Lahad Datu incursion was an isolated incident? "I feel there is more to this story. It can only mean that they (mastermind of incursion) want to disrupt the elections or at least fan the sentiments. If not, why bother to do this?" He said Tian Chua and Sivarasa had never denied meeting with Misuari's people, but only denied the purpose of those subsequent meetings. "I will not deny that I wrote the article. My name is on the article. "I named names in my article, I mentioned Anwar met Misuari (Moro National Liberation Front leader, Nur Misuari) on July 16 (2012), and then on Aug 5. "I even mentioned the flight number and I mentioned the hotel. I mean, very specific. You cannot create a story that's very specific because flight number you can check," he said.

Pakatan: Civil servants will be punished for electoral fraud Posted: 03 May 2013 09:01 AM PDT (The Star) - Civil servants, including Election Commission workers, found to have been involved in electoral fraud will face the music if Pakatan Rakyat wrests power in the general election, says PKR vice-president R. Sivarasa. He said the move was necessary since Pakatan had claimed to have found instances of election-related offences recently. Among them were the existence of dubious voters, new voters flown into some states and the fear that some ballot boxes could be tampered with, he added. "If Pakatan forms the Government and we find that civil servants, including senior officials, are involved in offences including electoral fraud, you will face the full force of the law. "Whether they are from the Election Commission or any government department, they will be punished if they were involved in indiscipline," he said at a press conference at the party's headquarters here yesterday. On claims that the Barisan had flown in Malaysians and foreigners into the peninsula to vote in Sunday's polls, Sivarasa said Pakatan would release more evidence of the claims today.

A changed Malaysia come May 6 Posted: 03 May 2013 08:55 AM PDT Jahabar Sadiq, The Malaysian Insider No matter which coalition makes the government in the early morning of May 6, one thing is certain — Malaysia has changed and it is business unusual for the new administration. With the respected Merdeka Center for Opinion Research's latest survey showing a dead heat between both Barisan Nasional (BN) or Pakatan Rakyat (PR), the winner's first job is to respond to a populace that questions and demands more from its government. Forget the docile and subservient citizenry that thought government always knew best. That worked for some 55 years but this is a new Malaysia where the people are more advanced and ambitious in thought than their politicians. A population where pensioners and the bloated civil service are no longer a sure vote bank, where racial barriers have collapsed and people are one as Bangsa Malaysia — concerned more about the economy than the personal lives of politicians. This single-mindedness and unity comes despite the overt racist tones in the campaign since Nomination Day on April 20 or the fear-mongering being played out by certain political parties. The results of the latest Merdeka Center poll — 42 per cent of the voters agreeing that PR could govern the country against 41 per cent who felt only BN should rule Malaysia — reflect how far the country has come from elections where politicians just pleaded to be a strong opposition. "Change happens all the time and in the same way that none of us can ever imagine Malaysia regressing to an age where women are not allowed access to education, we cannot ever imagine going back to a politics that is simplistic, patronising, top-down and unchallenged. "Even the former opposition parties have learned, over the past five years, what it is really like to be in power and having to be accountable to NGOs and public opinion. It's been a learning experience for all of us, and I believe we have grown a little wiser too," well-known academic Dr Farish A. Noor wrote in an essay today. READ MORE HERE

Malaysia Posted: 03 May 2013 08:50 AM PDT Farish A Noor, The Malaysian Insider It is close to midnight and I am typing this as I try to pack up my things and finish off the fieldwork that I have been doing for the past two weeks, covering the election campaign in three different places — Temerloh, Kuala Selangor and Kota Kinabalu. Lugging an antiquated laptop that dates back to the Jurassic age made of granite has not helped, and my back is wrecked as a result. My eyes are failing me, so excuse the typos as you come across them, too.  I have been following elections in Malaysia for ages, in 1999, 2004, 2008 and now this one, in 2013. In the course of my work as a wandering academic I've also covered elections in Pakistan, India, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. And I have since grown somewhat cynical about the promises that are made during campaigns, for I have seen them broken too many times as well.  I have also noticed that despite the rhetoric that has been dished out to people across Asia by Asian politicians, there has almost never been a radical break from the hegemony of the Washington consensus, and the dominance of the ideology of market-driven democratic pluralism.  I have also seen too many instances where market-driven democracies lead to narrow communitarian politics of group-identity and where pluralism ends up being an excuse for race and religion-based politics. But perhaps this is the juncture we are at today, and it is a symptom of the times we live in, living as we do in an age of late industrial capitalism and where the rule of the market seems unchallenged.  Even China, an ostensibly Communist country, is basically a capitalist economy and its real challenge to the West is not a military one but rather a commercial one. Notwithstanding my cynicism and jaded eyes, I still believe in Malaysia, and that we have a future together. I am wrapping up my work in Sabah and I hope to fly to KL in time to vote tomorrow. (I hope however that I won't be hounded by any election observers who may think I'm some mamak outsider who has come to vote for money!)  My faith rests on my view as a historian who looks at Malaysia from the perspective of someone who walks through history. There are some among us who lament and fear change and during my interviews with some of the kindly aunties and uncles in the coffeeshops of Kota Kinabalu that's precisely what I heard. They worry about the future, as the elderly are wont to do, but my job as a teacher is to remind them that change has already happened.  As I said to a tiny aunty whose hands kept reaching for her bag of tissues: "But Aunty, you remember when you went to school right? Remember how in the past people thought girls like you and my mother should not even go to school to learn to read? Their parents thought it was improper for girls to do that.  "But look around us today and aren't you proud that you went to school, that your daughter did, and that your grand-daughter did too? Has that not changed our society for the better?"  It was nice to see a little smile peek out from the corner of her tiny face then. At my university I teach philosophy, discourse analysis and also the history of Southeast Asia. One of the courses I teach is on Malaysian history and society, and I always begin my course with the question: "What is Malaysia". At the end of my course I ask the same question again: "What is Malaysia?" Indeed, what is Malaysia?  Well, from the standpoint of being in Sabah at the moment, I can tell you Sabah IS Malaysia, for starters. So many things have happened to this country of ours, so many events, some of them unprecedented, some unanticipated, some unpredicted, some unwelcomed.  But time and again Malaysia has survived them and Malaysia — as an entity, as an idea — continues to exist. Why? Because Malaysia is not simply an empty signifier that is polysemic and diachronic, but it is also an idea whose meaning is shared by a community of believers.  People like you and me who are Malaysian believe in Malaysia, and who keep Malaysia alive. WE are Malaysia, and not the trees or rivers or malls or skyscrapers we see around us. It is we — Malaysians — who are the inheritors, depositories, purveyors and transmitters of the Malaysian idea. Malaysia is a small-to-medium-sized country with no hegemonic ambitions; we know we are not among the world's giants. But even as a country of our stature, we too demand respect from others, as we ought to demand respect for and of ourselves.  It has been said that this election has been the dirtiest of our nation's history. I would not doubt that, but I've also seen much, much worse in elections elsewhere.  But what touched me this time round were the manifold instances when I encountered good politicians from different parties who still injected the Malaysian idea in their work and their campaign. I was touched to see and hear Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad of PAS and Saifuddin Abdullah of Umno, both of whom are my friends, speak well of their opponents; and to insist on keeping their campaigns clean and fair.  It is upon their shoulders — and yours and mine — that I pin my hope that the Malaysian spirit will continue to thrive long after I've kicked the bucket. (Which may be sooner than later at the rate I'm smoking.) Whatever the result of the elections will be — and here I have to emphasise that I honestly cannot, for the life of me, predict the outcome of the vote on May 5 as this has been the closest and most confusing election I've ever covered — and whoever wins the election this time round, change has already happened.  We have already seen how the high have been brought low, how trust has now got to be earned and not demanded, how fear has been overcome, and how the old school of politics of patronising drivel has been superseded by the politics of statistics, data, argumentation and debate.  Change happens all the time and in the same way that none of us can ever imagine Malaysia regressing to an age where women are not allowed access to education, we cannot ever imagine going back to a politics that is simplistic, patronising, top-down and unchallenged.  Even the former opposition parties have learned, over the past five years, what it is really like to be in power and having to be accountable to NGOs and public opinion. It's been a learning experience for all of us, and I believe we have grown a little wiser too. READ MORE HERE

‘Bomb’ explodes outside PKR HQ Posted: 03 May 2013 08:42 AM PDT A homemade explosive went off near a TNB feeder pillar some 40 metres away from the PKR HQ. (FMT) - A homemade bomb exploded some 40 metres from the PKR headquarters in Tropicana several hours after improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were discovered in DAP offices in Kepong and Puchong. A police source said the small explosive device went off near a TNB feeder pillar along Jalan Merchant Square at around 10pm last night. "It was a minor explosion, there were no injuries or serious damage. It was a homemade explosive," he added. A police bomb disposal unit and forensics team were also dispatched to the scene. PKR leaders could not be reached for comment. Yesterday evening, the police bomb squad detonated an explosive device found at the Puchong DAP office. Earlier in the day, the police also detonated three explosive devices after removing them from a DAP election campaign site in Jinjang Utara, Kepong. The devices were packed in a box with a warning: "Awas. Bom" (Caution: Bomb). No arrests have been made so far. Dubbed as the mother of all elections, the run-up to GE 13 is witnessing an escalation in violence, prompting leaders of both coalitions to appeal for calm.

GE13′s chaos, created to manipulate public perception Posted: 02 May 2013 10:35 PM PDT (Stop the Lies) - The constant chaos surrounding the on-going 13th General Election are likely orchestrated by a few parties to show that Malaysia is no longer safe under the ruling government. University Utara Malaysia's (UUM) political analyst Mohamad Faisol Keling said these attempts were planned to create negative perceptions against the ruling government and the authorities such as the police and armed forces. Citing the Lahad Datu intrusion as an example, he further said: "The intrusion was planned to happen at a time when we are heading towards GE13 as an attempt to show incompetency on the part of the government in handling the issue. "There are hidden hands from the local as well as foreigners who are contributing to the incident. It is almost impossible that the terrorist could ever penetrate into our district without having assistance from these culprits," he told The Mole. Other examples said Mohamad Faisol were the bombing incident in Barisan Nasional's (BN) election operation centre in Nibong Tebal, Penang and the torching down of another centre in Kelana Jaya, Selangor. "These incidents have opened a new dimension to our political environment. The attempt to create chaos is something that authorities have to deal with transparently and effectively. "And don't forget that sensitive issues like religion and defense, which previously were rarely politicised, are now being openly used as a part of the propaganda," he said further. Blogger Syed Akbar Ali, well known for his blog Outsyed The Box, has been constantly highlighting the possibilities of chaos erupting during the GE13. "So many violent things are happening in quick succession over the past few days. All this provides easy pickings for those who want to portray the country as unsafe. "Sounds cold hearted but obviously there are cold hearted people around. The same sort of people who can engineer the Sabah intrusion. Anything seems halal with these people," the blogger wrote further. Former DAP vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Abdul Ibrahim had also warned that a few NGOs were planning to cause trouble on polling day (on May 5). Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) founder Ng Lum Yong who had since left the party, also claimed that something had been planned within the last four days before polling day. He said that a serious incident might be planned as a last resort for the opposition to raise sympathy and garner instant votes in the last minute. Pas deputy president Mohamad Sabu had "warned" that Malaysians will spark something similar to the 'Arab Spring' should the Pakatan Rakyat lose, a situation they qualified would only happen if fraud was committed by the Election Commission and BN. A few political observers said this pre-emptive measure is a ploy to manipulate the situation that might arise if Pakatan fails win Putrajaya.

BN, Pakatan in dead heat for Election 2013 Posted: 02 May 2013 08:03 PM PDT (TMI) - Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) are almost evenly tied to win Election 2013 with the economy the main issue ahead of the May 5 general elections, according to a survey by the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research. The respected pollster found that 42 per cent of the voters surveyed agreed that PR should be given a chance to govern the country against 41 per cent who felt only BN should govern Malaysia. It added that four per cent of the voters refused to respond while 13 per cent of the voters said they "did not know". "Based on the survey results and the assumption that the election is free and fair, we estimate that neither Barisan Nasional nor Pakatan Rakyat were in the lead as at 9:30pm on May 2, 2013," Merdeka Center said in a statement this evening. The survey was carried out by the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research between 9:00am on April 28 and 9.30pm on May 2, involving 1,600 registered voters comprising 59 per cent Malay, 32 per cent Chinese and nine per cent Indian respondents who were interviewed by telephone in the poll. BN leaders have expressed confidence of doing better than Election 2008, saying their election machinery has been working hard to canvass votes in both rural and urban areas to ensure its unbroken rule since independence in 1957. The BN also believes it can snare 142 seats, counting on what its officials say was a swing towards the coalition in the last 24 hours in its traditional vote bank of Sabah and Sarawak. Leaders from both coalitions have been racing across the country in the past two weeks to speak at rallies, exhorting party workers to campaign harder and persuading fence sitters for their votes. Based on the outcome of the survey and with a three per cent margin of error, the Merdeka Center said BN could pick up a total of 85 seats against 89 by PR with 46 seats still a toss-up between both coalitions. Two other seats in Sabah and Sarawak would go to other parties, it added. The Merdeka Center survey released today also found that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's approval ratings has slipped the few days from polling day to 61 per cent from 64 per cent in the last survey conducted  from March 12 to 17 this year. "In our opinion this figure reflects the slide in the so-called "feel good" factor generated by the large scale distribution of Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) and such cash handouts targeting various sectors of the electorate," the pollster said. It said that concerns over the economy at 25 per cent topped the list of issues voters wanted to hear discussed or debated during the election followed by matters pertaining to administration and leadership at nine per cent, social issues and public safety seven per cent, race-related issues seven per cent and corruption at six per cent. Some 13.3 million Malaysians, including 5,200 abroad, are eligible to cast ballots for the 222 federal and 505 state seats, excluding Sarawak's 71 state seats which were decided in 2011.

Pakatan for Parliament, STAR for state? Posted: 02 May 2013 04:41 PM PDT This seems to be a tacit understanding among the village communities in Sabah. Across Sabah the feeling seems to be mutual, but BN and its arch rival Pakatan claim such distinctions (dividing the votes between Pakatan and STAR) among "simple-minded" villagers is not possible. (FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: There seems to a silent, tacit agreement among village communities here that they should vote Pakatan Rakyat into Parliament and help Jeffrey Kitingan's State Reform Party (STAR) with the state seats. While the idea may not catch on, Partners of Community Organisations (Pacos) founding member Anne Lasimbang believes the ground sentiments for such "sharing" are real. "STAR has been working on the ground for more than two years. The villagers all want to 'tukar baju' but have mostly decided, especially in the interior, that they must divide their vote between Pakatan and STAR," she said, adding that she herself had met villagers recently who gave her the feedback. Several members of Lasimbang's family are involved with various political parties in the polls. Her brother Philip is contesting as a Barisan Nasional candidate in the Moyog parliamentary constituency, while her relatives Melanie Anol and Bernard Solibun are contesting under the STAR banner. Anol is a parliamentary candidate in Penampang while Solibun is contesting for the Moyug state seat. Lasimbang said BN may dismiss the possibility of a change, but when it does come it will be a big wave. "It was the same in 1985. We can already feel… there is a groundswell for tukar [change]… it is an exciting time for Sabah. "In 1985, we were young. We wanted change in Sabah but we did not know the power of the federal government. "But now we are clear. We must change the federal government in Sabah," she said, adding that it is wrong to underestimate Sabahans because they have a record of rising against oppressions in the past. Don't compare Musa with Harris Across Sabah the feeling seems to be mutual, but BN and its arch rival Pakatan claim such distinctions (dividing the votes between Pakatan and STAR) among "simple-minded" villagers is not possible. "Kampung people don't think like that, bah," said one BN campaigner, adding that STAR's assaults are "insignificant". But strangely enough for all the pre-nomination bravado, STAR flags are hardly visible in the urban areas. But drive out into the interior and you hear "Ini Kali lah" as the constant greeting alongside "tukar" – Pakatan's tagline. BN on its part is confident that its fixed deposits will vote them back into power. Said a campaigner from caretaker Chief Minister Musa Aman's camp: "Sabah won't fall. Musa will be back. Sure, we will lose may be 8 to 10 parliamentary seats, but this has all been factored in. The states seats will remain with Musa." Sabah has 25 parliamentary and 60 state seats. In the 1985 election, then ruling Berjaya and its chief minister Harris Salleh voiced the same bravado, but eventually saw themselves crash with the party retaining six of the then 48 state seats and Harris himself losing in Tenom constituency. "You cannot compare Musa to Harris. Harris fell because of his arrogance, Labuan, and what he did in Tambunan against [Joseph] Pairin [Kitingan]. "Musa is different. He talks less but is approachable. People like him and he has brought development to the state," said the campaigner, adding that the 13th general election was more than just pumping in money into the interior. Rumours has it that the GE13 has cost Musa RM5 billion but where the money went and is still going is anyone's guess. READ MORE HERE

Allegation of phantom voters is absurd: Association Posted: 02 May 2013 04:34 PM PDT (Bernama) - It is absurd. That's the opinion of many quarters about the PKR-DAP-PAS pact's allegation that Barisan Nasional (BN) has transported over 40,000 phantom voters from Sabah and other countries to Peninsular Malaysia to ensure victory in the 13th general election. "How is it possible to transport phantom voters from Sabah to other states?" Kuala Lumpur Sabah Children Association president Datin Saidatul Badru Tun Said Keruak said when contacted by Bernama. She said it was impossible for any quarters to transport human beings like they were some kind of consumer products, especially when the number was huge. "For me, the allegation was purposely raised by the PKR-DAP-PAS pact because they have no other issues to use in their bid to fish for votes. They were just looking and waiting for the chance to raise it." She said this in response to the recent allegation made by Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim that there was an attempt to transport phantom voters from Sabah to Selangor. Meanwhile, Umno Information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan said the allegation made by the three-party opposition alliance was aimed at making their supporters angry. "Umno and BN are not that stupid to carry out a big operation like that," he told Bernama when contacted. Ahmad said the allegation was made with the intention to show as if the Election Commission (EC) was not transparent in conducting the 13th polls, when all names of registered voters had been checked and verified. Senator Datuk S. Nallakarupan, who is also former ally of PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, said Anwar was known as the person who would continue accusing and blaming the BN in whatever situation, even when the BN was proven right. "All he thinks about is to become prime minister and to bring the BN down. Nothing else," he said. In their allegation, the PKR-DAP-PAS pact said that there was an increase in the number of chartered flights, including using Boeing 747 and army aircraft, from Kuching and Kota Kinabalu to the KL International Airport and other airports in the peninsula. At his press conference yesterday, Anwar, who showed a copy of an email containing flight schedules and names of the alleged phantom voters, accused the EC of cooperating with government agencies and the national carrier in the operation. Anwar, who refused to reveal the identity of the email sender, also said that phantom voters were also being brought into the country through several entry points, such as Bukit Kayu Hitam and Port Klang.

Pakatan will not be corruption free, says Surendran Posted: 02 May 2013 04:22 PM PDT (The Edge) - In a spell of refreshing honesty, PKR vice president and Padang Serai candidate N. Surendran admitted that Pakatan Rakyat members were fallible and will make mistakes if they were to assume the federal seat of power. "I will never say Pakatan will be corruption free," he told . "There will always be bad hats. We are not perfect and we are not angels. "We are just ordinary human beings trying to make a difference. We are fallible, I am sure we are going to make mistakes," the lawyer added. However, he said, the striking difference between Pakatan and Barisan Nasional (BN) is the opposition coalition's commitment to challenge the status quo in the nation and free it from the shackles of an inhibited system. "The difference between us and BN is that we are committed to free Malaysia - abolish all draconian laws - giving the people of this country a real voice in the running of government, to make sure the people are the boss and uplift the economy," he said. "That is the core principle that PAS, PKR and DAP share." The fight for Padang Serai Surendran is up for a five-cornered fight in vying for the Padang Serai Parliamentary seat. The constituency has 74,245 voters. Malays constitute 55.5% or 41,223 voters, Chinese make up 21.4% (15,925 voters) and Indians comprise 16,736 voters (22.5%). He views his main opponent as Wanita MCA vice-chairperson Datuk Heng Seai Kie and does not see Berjasa's Hamidi Abu Hassan, as well as independents Othman Wawi and incumbent N Gobalakrishnan as threats. Gobalakrishnan - a former MIC youth leader - had quit PKR in 2011 to become an independent saying he lost faith in the party leadership. The constituency is stifled by abject poverty, with a majority of Malays and Indians unable to break free from the cycle of poverty. "When you go to a semi-rural area such as Padang Serai, it (poverty) hits you like a blow in the face. "Everybody is earning RM1,000, RM900, RM800 and there are so many children. There seems to be no future for them. They can't get out of it," Surendran said. He said lack of access to good education is the crux of cyclical poverty. "Parents cannot afford good education so children grow up with lack of education and they end up in menial jobs or low-skilled labour. "One example is a 71-year-old Malay gentleman who has worked in a factory all his life and he can't walk properly. "He can't get aid from the Welfare Department because they say he's got two children he can depend on. But his two adult children earn RM600 and RM700 respectively," he added. Surendran has been serving Padang Serai for two years, gauging the woes of the people and helping out where he can. He is self-deprecating, saying his help is minimum and at an ad-hoc basis. "These cases range from applying for aid from Welfare Department to sorting out identification documents like red identity cards and birth certificates," he added. Surendran thinks winning the Parliament seat is the real ticket to helping Padang Serai in placing a voice in the halls of power, verbalising the people's woes. He said Pakatan's policies encapsulated in its manifesto will be able to stymie poverty. Free education, affordable housing, reduction in the price of goods and the abolition of tolls are all policies that would be able to address poverty but he emphasised that a national policy is the crucial panacea. He said the federal government has largely ignored dealing with the root cause of poverty and in fact, have been denying there is a serious problem.  "The government has been cooking the books saying there is only 1.7% poverty in the country. It would make us the most poverty-less country on Earth. "It is absurd. Japan has a poverty rate of 15.7%," Surendran said, adding Pakatan's estimate places the national poverty rate at 19%. He also said another major problem is the lack of a municipal council in the constituency which could potentially change the fate of its residents. "The area has no town centre. It shares it with Kulim. There is also no local council which affects delivery of services, subsequently affecting investments. "Investment into Padang Serai would increase wealth and well-being of the people," he added. Of opponents and weaknesses On his candidature, Surendran said he is confident of winning the seat judging by the reception he receives from the locals. He does not see a tendency to be perceived as an upper-class Indian to be factored in as a weakness. "I have been working on ground issues since 1998, taking up the people's issues. People see me as someone who they can come to with their problems. "I speak fluent Tamil. There were some false statements circulated by political opponents that I can't speak fluent Tamil when I was appointed as party vice president. "When it was found I could speak fluent Tamil, then it was no longer an issue," he said. He said his main opponent's (Heng) weakness, is the party and coalition she is affiliated with, which impedes her potential to implement change. "From the word go, she's already tied down, she can't move. MCA has hardly any say in the BN government; it has lost public support; and it is constrained by BN's system. "The BN system is apathetic to the people's concerns and it favours the rich cronies. "As an individual I have nothing against her. But if she wants to make a real difference, I think she's in the wrong party and coalition," he said with a grin. He was caught off-guard when asked about his weakness and gave three separate answers at different times. "I think it is the lack of time to visit the people in Padang Serai, to get into the centre of it." His second response: "They say I'm a bit too idealistic. People say it is a weakness." Finally, he said: "It is for someone else to say, I leave it up to the people."

Three ‘bombs’ found at DAP campaign site Posted: 02 May 2013 04:12 PM PDT Police detonated the explosive devices which were packed in a box. K Pragalath, FMT Police detonated three explosive devices after removing them from a DAP election campaign site in Jinjang Utara, Kepong, here, this morning. The devices were packed in a box with a warning: "Awas. Bom" (Caution: Bomb). Incumbent Kepong MP Dr Tan Seng Giaw (DAP) said he received a call from the Kepong DAP branch chairman at 5.30am informing him about the discovery of the three explosive devices. "I initially thought it was a hoax but it turned out to be real. We proceeded to make a police report," he said when contacted today. "An hour later, a police bomb detonation squad arrived and took the devices to another area and detonate them," he said. Tan also condemned the violence. "This is totally unacceptable. It is not the way to knock off your opponent. We practise parliamentary democracy… Let the people decide [in this general election]," he said. READ MORE HERE

Three days that will shake Malaysia Posted: 02 May 2013 02:46 PM PDT   I have been engulfed with sadness these days and overwhelmed by it yesterday, as I follow closely the developments leading to our "mother of all elections". I am referring to the alleged flying in of dubious voters via special/chartered flights that might be the factor in deciding the victory of BN come May 6, 2013. Azly Rahman  On the status page of my Facebook, I wrote these notes: 1) DEEP SADNESS... My feelings tonight... thinking of the magnitude of fraud and possible degree of destruction to my beloved nation... three days to the important day and major issues are not resolved yet. We are going to have an election and pretend that the winner will still govern our lives carrying a fraudulent mandate... sadness engulfing me - ar  2) GE13... a question. Dilemma... should we let Nature take its course and Fate to dictate Free Will? or should we tie our camel to the olive tree and pray that it'll not be stolen while we watch the elections drama of the century? - ar How do we understand our shattering hope and at the same time address our rage against the machine? The latest allegation of the flying in of tens of thousands of dubious voters, whilst being made public and the nation now alarmed, could be a factor to shatter the hopes of Malaysian to taste a free and fair election. It is a serious allegation with far-ranging consequences. A shattering Malaysian hope? What will another win for BN entail, given its massive control of the media, men, machinery and even the minds of those it has clutched for 55 years in this grand narrative of hypermodernity, oriental despotism, hegemony, and the propping of a façade to disguise a failing state? What will revenge and retribution look like? How will Malaysians see another period of time and energy wasted to settle scores - time ought to be used for national building and the improvement of the lives, minds, and souls of all Malaysians?   READ MORE HERE: http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/2013/05/three-days-that-will-shake-malaysia.html

Is Malaysia's UMNO Era at its End? Posted: 02 May 2013 02:33 PM PDT   Apparently at Mahathir's urging, Najib installed a man who has ridiculed Hindu religious beliefs, Perkasa vice president Zulkifli Noordin, as a candidate in the suburban city of Shah Alam. He also engineered the candidacy of Perkasa head Ibrahim Ali, in Kelantan by having the UMNO candidate drop out of the race.   John Berthelsen, Asia Sentinel  Corruption, race and public weariness combine to give the opposition a real chance If the Barisan Nasional coalition loses the national elections on Sunday and has to relinquish its 57-year stranglehold on Malaysian politics, the seeds of the defeat were sown well before the last polls in 2008, when a rag-tag opposition of three disparate parties with no real affinity for each other did better than anybody thought they would. The opposition has grown stronger since then and at stake this time around is the future of Malaysia. The country could - could - be moving from being a virtual one-party state in which the ruling elite controls government, the media and business to finally joining the ranks of Asia's more open democracies. If it happens, the United Malays National Organization, the biggest ethnic party in the coalition, has only itself to blame.  In 2008, UMNO's old bulls blamed then-Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the debacle at the polls and drove him from power. Pushed by the increasingly splenetic former Premier Mahathir Mohamad, they installed one of their own, Najib Tun Razak, in his place. He can now be expected to extend his neck for political execution, win or lose. The power brokers thought that Badawi had veered too far from the old ways of doing things. But the truth was that he hadn't veered far enough. He set out to close some of the white elephant projects Mahathir had put in place and which cost the country tens of billions of dollars. He tried to implement rational and transparent contracting procedures and to appoint a relatively independent judiciary. And when he began to seriously threaten some of Mahathir's misguided industrialization schemes, the party elite came down on Badawi and he backed away. The general public saw what was happening and wanted reform. The opposition, made up of the ethnic Chinese Democratic Action Party, the rural-based, Islamist Parti Islam se-Malaysia and Anwar Ibrahim's urban-based Parti Keadilan Rakyat, almost won the popular vote despite a lack of cohesiveness. They ran what candidates they could, some of whom who had left UMNO not out of principle but because they were jealous at being left out of the trough. Many of them departed after the 2008 election because they found there was no golden goose to pluck. This time around, the opposition candidates are better, the coalition more cohesive. And the Barisan didn't learn its lesson after losing its crucial two-thirds parliamentary majority in 2008. The Cattlegate scandal, in which the family of UMNO women's wing leader Shahrizat Abdul Jalil misused millions of ringgit from a soft loan designated to establish a cattle feeding program, is a good example. But there are others. Asia Sentinel received a long email from a Chinese businessman who wanted to establish an operation to sell pork to merchants. He figured he could do it cheaper and more efficiently than the existing suppliers. But he was frozen out because a cartel run by the Malaysian Chinese Association had its favored rent-seeking pork suppliers. There are dozens of these small cartels. In the end, it comes down to economics. Why has Malaysia, with a well-educated work-force, extensive infrastructure and abundant natural resources, not been able to break out of the middle income trap? The comparison with Singapore, just across the Causeway, is devastating. Per capita income by purchasing power parity is US$60,900 in Singapore against US$12,900 in Malaysia.It is largely because of the New Economic Policy, an affirmative action program for the majority ethnic Malays, which has hobbled business for decades, and these insider deals, big and small, which have multiplied.There is hardly a medium-level business transaction, let alone a major one, in which someone close to the Barisan isn't standing there with his hand out, and favored businessmen aren't there to fill it.  When roads are built, they are built, often badly and vastly over cost, by Barisan companies, most of them UMNO-linked. There has been a long continuing controversy over the delivery of water in Selangor, the rich, populous state that surrounds the federal capital of Kuala Lumpur. The opposition, which controls the state, refuses to honor the contract given by the previous Barisan administration to a favored company, saying the firm dramatically overcharges consumers.  Read more at: http://www.asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5383&Itemid=178

Jinjang Utara Explosion Posted: 02 May 2013 02:17 PM PDT   DAP Tweets: An explosive device was found outside DAP Kepong election booth in Jinjang Utara, it was safely detonated by a bomb squad robot.  So far 3 explosive devices have been safely detonated by police bomb squad outside DAP Kepong office in Jinjang. Desperate & despicable act!

Down At The Airport! Posted: 02 May 2013 02:03 PM PDT Charter flights laid on by BN friendly Air Asia from KK and Kuching – with hoards of Indonesian plantation workers on board…..  Sarawak Report  Down at the airport is where it is happening with the Malaysian elections right now. Secret flights are heading out loaded with cash. Meanwhile overloaded chartered jets are flying in crowded with foreign workers, suspected of being dragooned into voting for BN. It would appear that the rats are leaving the sinking ship, while the PM is still desperately trying to win this election "at any cost" Emails from Air Asia & Malaysian Airways expose a desperate PM Today, emails leaked to the opposition by staff working at both Air Asia and Malaysian Airways have left Najib Razak desperately exposed [see base of article]. They indicate that while his departing henchmen and rich businessmen have increasingly been losing faith that he can win this election, the PM has been caught red-handed trying to ferry tens of thousands of dubious voters over to KL to influence the outcome! Staff insiders at Air Asia and Malaysian Airways have just leaked the devastating email interchanges, which lay bare the whole operation with both sets of emails implicating the Prime Minister personally in the extraordinary operation.  'We need to move 30,000 people over a 3 day period' – PM needs to know how our plans are going  Rats leaving the sinking ship? Because chartered jumbos are not the only unusual traffic that has been raising eyebrows. Private jets have also been busy as rich Malaysians are getting their money out by whatever means it seems.  One the eye-witness account from air crew came through to Sarawak Report yesterday of:  "a private plane leaving Subang filled with a collection of luxury bags,and one large gunny sack stuffed with US dollars-estimated value RM 2.5 billion‬. Bags were dropped off by men in suits driving a couple of sliver Mercedeses , number plate "11″ From vote buying to vote flying! Mass transportation of 'voters' is underway  As for the traffic moving in the other direction, PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim has come out tonight statingthat his information is solid that these are foreign workers being ferried to KL to be used as 'voting fodder'. PKR have made clear that they believe that the UMNO supporting Election Commission (both the Chairman and deputy were card-carrying UMNO members) are registering them as new voters. One senior PKR member told Sarawak Report today: "The National Registration Department which issues I.C.s (Identity Cards) secretly issue these cards to the PM's Office, which then gets undercover agents to recruit foreign nationals, who get their pictures taken and then superimposed on the I.Cs and then the Election Commission which is in charge of registering voters simply key in the data of these new I.C.s into their system. Voila! New voters!" And today Najib indeed appears to have been caught red-handed, bringing in dubious workers from the two East Malaysian states to vote BN in marginal seats in peninsular Malaysia. Passenger manifest The leaked emails indicate that the Prime Minister has been urgently coordinating the chartering of massive 747s to ship over 40,000 Indonesians or East Malaysians from Kuching and KK, airports, backwaters that normally never see the like of such aircraft. The incriminating evidence is there in snapshots, emails and aircraft information that are currently going viral on the web. Both the emails leaked from Air Malaysia and Air Asia indicate that the matter is being coordinated by the Prime Minister's office.  One from Malaysian Airways makes plain that the chartered planes are to "ferry voters and election workers from BKE and KCH". Since when did these sleepy plantation states become packed with poor West Malaysian workers needing charter flights back to KL or indeed East Malaysians, who might be registered in West Malaysia and need to go back to vote? Suspicions are now rife that many of these individuals may be foreign plantation workers, doing their masters' bidding. Read more at: http://www.sarawakreport.org/2013/05/down-at-the-airport/

I Say UBAH! Posted: 02 May 2013 01:31 PM PDT   Ours are made with pride not bought with money recklessly thrown.  Queenie  I say `Ubah' to those who say there is none. To those who snidely belittle the flourishing of little multi-coloured flags in neighbourhoods everywhere -from round-abouts to gated, guarded compounds, pavements to parks - I say keep your snooty snouts lower than their lofty perches. These little cloth flowers were sewn by volunteers huddled over old-fashioned sewing machines or stitched by willing hands in a private home open freely for those came unfettered by party bullies nor were they paid. As elderly grandfathers, housewives, kids and the youth from all walks of life, ilk, and belief systems cut, sewed and attached the cloth scraps to wire holders, they were united in one mission. Ubah. To those who think hoisting a new ruling party to take over one that has long ago over ran its use-by date (cowed their citizenry, dared to even call its country club members the elite!) merely means exchanging identical sets, I say you failed to see the real worth of it all. I say you failed to see the hope in the eyes of Malaysians.  - Who have come out in increasing multitudes to heed the call of those few brave ones who had mustered BERSIH, MANSUHKAN ISA and the many other peaceful street protests. - Who, before, stayed silent nor bothered to register as voters – new voter registration has increased by double-digit percentages. - Who now dare to discuss politics in coffee shops, bus terminals, office canteens when before these topics were taboo and frowned upon. I say you failed to see the change that is most vital of all. The change that has swapped fear for courage, indifference to action, uncaring to caring, unwillingness to volunteerism and yes, `Tidak Apa' to `Ubah'. It is not so much who stays in power, who takes over, who cheats, who lies. It is that we have become the change. We are the change. And that itself is the triumph, the hard won victory, the long self-struggle, the rising above May 13's, fears, threats, bullying and unjust systems. To those who sniff at the little steps we take, who brusquely wave away our efforts as ineffectual, and deride us for wanting to assert our newfound voice, I say to you, our change is mighty for we have moved on. Perhaps, you have not. Look at the BN machinery minting their platoons of ceramah tents, flotillas of flags, billions worth of cash hand-outs, and advertising. Then look again at the Malaysian `spring flowers' – nothing like the other side of course. But you see ours are made with pride not bought with money recklessly thrown. If you still say, a change in government is no change at all, you have missed the big picture. For the change has come, the change is us. You have failed to diminish the hope in our eyes. You have failed to dim out the fires in our souls. Stop throwing bricks, it's time to build the house.

A People's Government Posted: 02 May 2013 01:10 PM PDT   We want a government which can cater to the basic needs of its citizens. It is not too much to ask. We need a government which does not centralize all the power at Federal level – and politicise everything the rakyat needs. Don Luke  Screamed one article, "Detain me, drag me to court! I will still repeat my statement that (DAP adviser) Lim Kit Siang is a racist and he is indeed a racist", alleged former PM Dr. Mahathir Mohamed (MM). We all know who is racist and who practises racism with impunity – with exemption from punishment or loss or escape from fines. Indeed politics in Malaysia has become so racist because the ruling government has allowed it to deteriorate to this level. 1Malaysia slogan is merely to win votes. They are meaningless, meatless – bones of contention of the rakyat with a government which ruled the country for far too long already, a government which changes the Federal Constitution, interfere with the Judiciary arm of the government, privatised all services to cronies and could not give a DAMN to what the rakyat thinks. With each component party purportedly representing their own ethnic's interests since 1957, we have been unable to get out of this vicious grip of race and religion in almost every aspect of life in Malaysia. The concept of 1Malaysia or Malaysia for Malaysians is just rhetoric - the art of discourse which aims to improve the perception of the general public but has failed miserably in the attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate us as we continue to be labelled as "pendatang". No one came out in defence of us "pendatangs" while the real "pendatangs" receive NRIC without much of an effort. UMNO purportedly represents the Malays but the majority are poor or earning subsistence income despite the NEP to help them. Since its inception in 1972, only the inner circle within UMNO has amassed wealth due to their relationship and connections. If the Malays continue to vote BN, hoping UMNO will lift them from their doldrums and attain respectable status in their own country, they will be in for another 55 years or more of suffering and poverty. For the Indians, MIC has short-changed them because the party represented only the interest of one man, who is now recycled as an ambassador to another country. He is not the only recycled ex-MP from the BN government. There are other retired MPs who hold positions of power and are paid enormous sums of money to thank them for their loyalty to the BN government for the past 20-30 years. The Indians, mainly from South India, came as rubber estate workers. They are still struggling to receive their NRIC which is their rightful birth-right. These are not small in numbers. Illiterate, they have no means to obtain recourse to their predicament. Without a proper NRIC they have no access to education and medical facilities. Being uneducated, they take up lowly-paid jobs or turn to crime. Meanwhile, there is no action against the perpetrators of Project IC who not only received "haram" income but sold the nation. We all know the names of the biggest master-mind behind this horrible act of treason. Treason is punishable by death or long term imprisonment. Here, in Malaysia, such people continue to live freely and spout seeds of racism. Until to-date because the ruling elite is so powerful, no one has dared to take action against them. There is no police action because they will claim that the Royal Commission on Project IC is still in progress. We all know the police are very selective in their investigation and warrants of arrests. Remember Ahmad Sarbani, Kugan and Teoh Beng Hock. Recently, the spouse of PI Bala opined that the circumstances leading to the demise of her husband is suspicious. These are sad cases buried by people with the money and power to silent those who should be conducting investigations and bringing the culprits to justice. This reminds us of the military regime in Argentina in the 1980s where babies of leftist parents were given away to families who are rightist in their thinking. Their mothers are just thrown into the "river of death". Using explosive methods may not be so convenient. We have all long suspected who are the master-mind behind May 13 incident. Now an ex-UMNO strongman Mohd Tamrin Abdul Ghafar has become an unexpected ally in Pakatan Rakyat's bid to counter the claim that DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang was behind the May 13 riots in 1969. For some time now, the educators and historians who have a role in our history books, have re-written our Malaysian history. Students now do not read about World History but the progress and process of Islamization in Malaysia – nothing seriously wrong with that but just a way bit lop-sided. We have been told that the exploits of Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat in the history of Melaka has been down-played or totally removed. Compare this with how the Japanese wanted to re-write their history books. Of course, the children of the rich and well-connected Malays (read as mostly the well-connected politically) have sent their children overseas to study. They even receive public scholarships while the ill-gotten wealth is spent on golf and designer hand-bags, shoes and clothes, and expensive imported cars (no Proton for them). For the Chinese, they have always been pragmatic. They have supported BN in the past but MM has conveniently forgotten this. Now, as in the past, he is forever quarrelsome. He quarrelled with almost every leader (Singapore, Australia, UK, USA). We have forgiven the Japanese for their atrocities in Asia during WWII but we could not forgive a lone Chinese-man who signed the peace treaty to end the communists' confrontation with the then Malaya. He died a stateless man even though the peace treaty allowed him to return home to die. Can one lonely old man disturb the peace and stability of our country? Talking of demise, we strongly believe that MCA (someone labelled it money collection agency and recently it was Malaysian Charismatic Association) will be history after GE13. MCA is the meek partner in the BN coalition. MCA has not even dared to contest in Chinese-majority constituency like Gelang Patah. This has shown UMNO that MCA can be dispensed with in the BN coalition. Pakatan on the other hand allows intelligent discourse which some quarters labelled as "unable to work together". We are aware of the internal bickering within UMNO and BN – just that the party whip disallows public display of their bickering. For most Malaysians in general, we want peace, stability and growth. We want whole truths not a government which hides behind OSA. Petronas is a national treasure but all its revenue and operations are under OSA and the purview of one man – the PM. This is ridiculous. Malaysians do not enjoy the benefits of an oil-producing country. At RM1.80 per litre, we are actually not any better off than say Singapore. In Singapore it is also S$1.80. We pay RM1.80 but our graduates earn RM1,800.00 (not any better than the RM1,500.00 starting salary in 1985 – and when a single storey house cost only RM28,00.00) while fresh graduates in Singapore now earn S$2,800.00 or more. It will mean that it took a graduate 2 years to pay off the 100% loan for the house. Now that same house is not less than RM420,000.00. This translates to 19 years of wages. Interestingly in a local TV station today, the commentator said that it is very expensive to purchase houses in Singapore. As a BN-friendly station, she left out a number of interesting facts which negate her opinion. Even a S$380,000.00 property in Singapore would be paid within 11 years. Their CPF scheme is used to pay the monthly bank instalments. In terms of Purchasing Power Parity, our Ringgit does not go very far overseas. Remember that the Singaporeans earn a higher income than Malaysians. Dollar-for-dollar comparison, we are worse off. That irritating red dot at the end of our Peninsular, some would say. But the BN government could not even develop Selangor into a place comparable with Singapore after 50 years in power. Do we have quality of life here in Selangor? Is there an integrated public transport system here in the Klang Valley? Do we have public parks and green lungs for its citizens? Can we walk safely in public without looking behind our shoulders? We all struggle each day to get through the horrendous traffic to work – and back. This is because of one man's vision to sell Proton to Malaysians. Our Proton cars are not any cheaper even though they are manufactured locally. Just compare the prices of our cars with our salaries and those in UK, USA and Australia. For that vision, the BN government purposely did not plan for a network of public transport such as LRT, MRT, mono-rails whether above ground or under-ground. The expanding network of roads to cater to an increasing population of privately owned cars came with a cost - high tolls which are collected up to 60 years. There is no transparency in the award of contracts. Malaysians end up paying much of their low income for high cost of commuting. In Singapore, the network is almost island-wide and integrated so that commuters can hop from train to bus and vice versa without getting into the traffic or the rain (or hot tropical sun) and sometimes, the additional fare for an onward journey can be as little as S$0.06! http://www.smrt.com.sg/Trains/NetworkMap.aspx. Do we need to say how much it will cost to get from Klang/Kajang to the other side of the city? Today, essential goods and services are very expensive in Malaysia. We want a government which can cater to the basic needs of its citizens. It is not too much to ask. We need a government which does not centralize all the power at Federal level – and politicise everything the rakyat needs. We do not need a government which threatens with the race card or religion or unrest if an alternative political coalition wins. A two-party system in democracy will have its checks and balance – not absolute power to do what it likes without accountability and transparency and competency. • Water authority at federal level – and now the politicising of water to the detriment of the people of Selangor and businesses (otherwise consumers pay exorbitant rates as compared to Selangor which dis-allowed the automatic increase in rates – and Penang Water Works which has been doing a wonderful job of affordable potable water – lowest in the country). • IWK – we pay quit rent and assessment for collection of rubbish and sewage. We do not understand why this basic need of the rakyat is outsourced at a cost to the ordinary man on the street. • Transport authority at federal level – and now Penang cannot even plan its own public transport network without green light from the federal government. Commuters suffer from lack of public transport, or congested roads because the rakyat has no options to get from one point to another. When the rakyat is stressed up, health deteriorates and everyone suffers – including government coffers. Related GLC and bodies such as SPAD, Puspakom and JPJ are known to be utterly corrupted. • Police force at federal level (no argument about this) – but poor enforcement and public relations are lacking. We also do not understand basic rights of assembly is met with water and tear gas while terrorists from a nearby country are met with negotiations and patience. Basic security issues for the rakyat are not even addressed. We are forever stressed whether at home (robbers come right to our door-steps, or burglars) or out in the public (snatch thieves) and shoot-to-kill crime (serious crime). We really cannot comprehend the number of ATMs which have been broken in. This has not happened before. We pay precious earnings for basic security and the government have not been able to "tepati janji". • Local Councils election – State governments are wrongly blamed for ineffective and inefficient services such as roads (full of potholes), clogged drains (leading to flash floods), poor rubbish collection, town planning (not enough parks and recreation facilities). So we have MPs whose job is to inspect "longkang" when they should be responsible for greater things and wider picture.   Finally when we see failed projects (PKZ & National Feedlot), projects whose costs ballooned (KLIA2) and completed projects which collapsed (stadiums and public highways), we, the rakyat has to bear these costs. After 55 years we still see poverty in Malaysia. If not for the prospect of an alternative government, we would not have seen BR1M and all the give-aways and goodies, rightly or wrongly. Now is the time for an alternative government for competency, accountability and transparency. Now is the time for a better Malaysia for the rakyat. As the Australians say, they change government every 5 to 10 years so that there is no skeleton in the cupboard. If there has been no 2008 political tsunami, we would not have found out the PKZ and the National Feedlot fiasco, or the ex-MB who could afford a mansion, or a MP who built a mansion on land meant for low cost housing. Fence-sitters, do we need to say more?

Punters in Sabah betting on polls position Posted: 02 May 2013 01:09 PM PDT Gamblers are also reportedly betting heavily in Beaufort and odds are up for Lajim to win. Luke Rintod, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Gamblers and political punters are having a field day in Sabah. They are taking bets for hot seats or hot fights. Insiders information said topping the list for a flutter are those involving the fights of heavyweights like Yong Teck Lee, Joseph Pairin Kitingan, Bernard Dompok and the straight fight in Sandakan involving LDP's VK Liew. The odds are various and varied, they said. The amount of betting is from as small as10 sen, for kampung boys, to millions of ringgits for the big time gamblers. The avid punters are betting heavily for an "obvious" result and still taking other bets, to offset any surprises. Favourite betting is on "whether Yong could win or not in Likas" his old state seats when he was still a chief minister in the mid '90s. This time, the president of now opposition SAPP, is involved in a four-cornered fight that could determine his political future. Yong faces a formidable DAP, the BN coalition and a late comer STAR in Likas. Another favourite bet is on the Sandakan parliamentary seat where a the only straight fight is being slugged out between Liew of the BN and Wong Tien Fatt of DAP. It is not known if syndicates could use the betting to influence the results for the seats but the heavy betting could have an impact. Some voters are said to be prepared to vote and campaign for parties based on their bets. The fight between the Kitingan brothers in Keningau is a big draw. In the kampungs, boys are openly betting, small and medium, on which of the two, Pairin or Jeffrey, would come out as victor on Sunday. There are also bets being placed on whether the third contender for Keningau, Stephen Sandor of PKR, would lose or not his election fee of RM15,000. Under Malaysian law, a contender for election would lose his deposit if he or she failed to get less than one eight of the votes cast. Heavy bets on Lajim Gamblers are also taking bets on the number of majority votes, either Pairin or Jeffrey would win Keningau. Some are betting on a below 1,000 votes bet, while others on a over 3,000 bet. They are varied and carried in such a way that it has become a lucrative activity for some in the district. READ MORE HERE

Take their money Posted: 02 May 2013 01:03 PM PDT   What makes your vote so valuable? How does your tiny vote compel men of stature from their mighty mansions and expensive cars to come down to your humble doorstep with trinkets in their hands to give to you and promises you more? Its because of your vote, and many more like them, that will put those men in power.  Zhang Er  In almost any other democratic country on Earth, the distribution of money or benefits by the political parties contesting in an election to their electorate right before the said election would necessarily be recognized as corruption of the democratic process at the very least.   But not here in Malaysia.   Here in Electionland, for a limited time only, everything from monetary incentives, concerts to stationary, lunch and dinner, it is all free for the taking. And if the present bonanza does not sate your appetite, they promise you, no, in fact they guarantee you, even more goodies after they rise to power. Quite literally, they will make it seem like they will carry you and your family, financially, from cradle to grave. Everything is covered, or so they tell you.   All for a price, of course - your vote.   I am imploring not just for the fence sitters that participated in the many 'bribe-fest' ceramahs and entertainment events, but more so for the party loyalist from both sides. Or even to the possible legion of phantom voters, if any.   This is not about what they paid or gave you in the recent past. Its also not about what they promised to give you after the election, if they win. Lets leave all that outside the room for while. Forget the campaign, the heat of the battle, the goodies on the table, the party flags, the feel good ceramahs, those self assuring slogans, be they, 'dulu, kini dan selamanya' or 'ini kalilah'. Forget all that.   Lets just talk only about your vote.   What makes your vote so valuable? How does your tiny vote compel men of stature from their mighty mansions and expensive cars to come down to your humble doorstep with trinkets in their hands to give to you and promises you more? Its because of your vote, and many more like them, that will put those men in power. Your little 'X' on that piece of paper, that gives them that power.   But you already know that, of course. What you may not realize, however, is that, this is not about the silly men on podiums with their loudspeakers, be it BN or PR. It was never about them. This election is about you. Its entirely, about you. That's what democracy is. Your choice, your future - the next five years of your life and your childrens' life.   That should not be something anyone can buy. Even if they happen to come in big cars and from impressive dwellings. Because, it is not something any civil servant can really afford on their own. Not without your help, your consent. Not unless you sell cheap. This will only be an auction if you allow it to be.   And you don't have to allow it to be.   Your vote is your own. Your vote is a secret. And even if it isn't, in this election, the fear of retribution is no longer relevant. Because, as both sides of the divide clearly understands from their transparently insecure and incessant pleas to the Rakyat - its too close to call. The country is very nearly equally divided. If they did threaten you, they are empty threats because they won't be able to get back at all of us. In any event, you can be sure the winning party will try to bribe us again in five years, to keep their gravy train running. In fact, I guarantee it. No harm, no foul.   This election, for the first time, we have a real choice. An option for more than just one party, despite what they try to make you believe. In a way, we all go into the voting booth with a clean slate. Believe me, you owe allegiance to neither of them. If you did, you would be bribing them. So, I beg of you, be honest about what you saw and what you know to be your choices. Be selfish. Be very selfish. You only get to do it once in five years. Please don't allow their recent generosity be a factor in your decision. Forget gratitude because they are interviewing to work for you. Believe it or not, you are their boss.   In deciding your choice of investment for your future, ignore all that they tell you about themselves and their opponents and just pay attention to what they are doing and what they have done. Five years is a very long time to work with someone you cannot fire. But make the right choice by you, and you can have your cake and eat it too.   In the meantime, please take the money. Take all they have to give. It was yours to begin with. After all is said and done, this Sunday, when you find yourself in the voting booth alone and silent, with no one to answer to, please mark your little 'X' with the sole consideration of YOUR future. Not theirs.

A Peoples’ Government ‐ 2 Posted: 02 May 2013 12:51 PM PDT   Are voting for stability and peace and growth when only a small segment of society is getting richer? Don Luke  We would like to thank the voters in Penang for being realistic in their voting. In 1969, they voted in Gerakan, which unfortunately joined BN and in the process has forgotten about its socialist principles and struggles for a truly Malaysian and non-racial approach in politics, economics, education and culture. It became part of BN which stands for cronyism and abuse of power. Today, the people of Penang have the opportunity again to enjoy the fruits of that decision in March 2008. A very much cleaner DAP-led State government in terms of financial prudence, competency, accountability and transparency, the State's coffers have turned from red to black. After a short 5 years, Penang has cleaned up its environment (watch Channel News Asia http://www.channelnewsasia.com/tv/tvshows/boomtownasia/penang-malaysia/608138.html). The previous State government was inefficient, ineffective and a tool for UMNO. In Selangor, the State has tried to emulate the successes of Penang led by its Pakatan partner, the DAP. Of course 5 years is too short a time to implement all the promises in the manifesto. • Free water & cheaper water – with abundant supply of rain in the country, we do not understand how and why water is so expensive – except cronyism and poor management of the water authorities (no maintenance and replacement of old pipes resulting in NRW – non-revenue water). Selangor State government prevented the arbitrary increase in water rates agreed by the BN Federal government • Funds for single mothers – if Pakatan has not started this initiative, there would be no BR1M and such acronyms from the so-called transformation programmes • Affordable Housing – after 55 years, BN has no plans to build affordable homes but alienate state land to their MPs and cronysts • Transport – the number of paid study tours to visit other countries have not brought about any real progress in this critical area of infrastructure • Flood mitigation projects – after 55 years, Malaysia under BN has no answer to the perennial floods • Scholarships & Education – (if there is no corruption, the money saved would help the less fortunate to a better life through free education – count the billions and millions lost through corruption and ill-conceived public projects) • Free Basic Health Care – the Ministry of Health (another Federal government project) purportedly objective to protect consumers by insisting the expensive halogram for all medicine packaging • Free Wifi – the monopoly of telco under the cronyism makes telecommunication very expensive for the average man on the street • CCTV – issues of public security (which is a Federal level responsibility under the Home Ministry) BN has the same leaders in power – incompetent, corrupted, unable to think and lead except to fill up their pockets – and abuse of power. If you continue to vote for BN for the so-called peace and stability, you will continue to be poor, or struggle and existence living. Basic needs are all monopolized: • Sugar (it seems BN kicked out our sugar king and we are now paying a higher price for sugar) • Flour (this affects the price of your bread, cakes, kueh-mueh and roti-canai) • Rice (do you know that our rice is more expensive than in Thailand because rice is controlled and monopolised by UMNO-linked entrepreneurs?) • Petrol (the price of petrol and diesel of course affects everything we eat, buy and wear) • Tolls (give Pakatan the opportunity to offer us toll-free highways) Malaysia is now an oligarchy. Oligarchy is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with a small number of people. These people could be distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, education, corporate, or military control. Such states are often controlled by a few prominent families (Syed Mokhtar, Mohfaz, Naza, the Vincent Tans and Ananda Krishna) who pass their influence from one generation to the next. For those who could think and voice out and fight for justice – one example is Ong Tee Keat who is in the wrong political party. He was barking up the wrong tree (PKZ) and some people in power who have issues to hide with PKZ decided that they have enough of a barking dog (sorry for the 'pun') which threatens their well-being and good life here. MCA has again shown it to be a tool of UMNO when the delegates voted the wrong man to the presidency. For Malaysia to transform and move forward, we need meritocracy. For those who could not excel, we must provide special help, not a crutch for life. We do not need a crutch system where we get peanuts and the elite gets richer. We want opportunities to learn and grow.   Education At the national level, our education system is hopeless because it does not churn out graduates who could think and solve problems. One example is the UEC – Unified Examination Certificate which is recognized by other countries except here in Malaysia. The so-called protectors of Bahasa Malaysia do not appreciate that the English Language is the lingua franca of the business world – from internet, science, technology to medical and shipping terms. Learning the English Language does not make us less of a Malaysian (whether Chinese, Malay or Indians). In fact the command of the English Language puts us on par, if not above those who don't. Further, the children of our MPs send their children overseas for their education. They do not give a damn about the poor state of education in our country. Is our education seriously better than UK and/or USA? Do not pull wool over our eyes. Even the UEC is not recognized because MCA concurred with UMNO that it is a threat to national security and stability but the government has no solutions to graduates who cannot think on their feet, solve problems and even structure a simple sentence in English. When Malaysia lacks the talent to even speak English, then we are really doomed. We will begin to export maids and blue collar workers in 2020. Are we voting for growth in wealth and status when we cannot even compete with the rest of the world? Never mind the race and religion factors when you cannot earn enough to put food on the family table?   Public Security We would rather have no corruption and hudud law rather than worry about robberies and kidnap. A peaceful country like Malaysia has turned violent because the police (a Federal ministry) have failed. We have come to know of incidents where police out-riders are paid to escort an entourage to a private wedding. We do not want to live in a country where we dare not go out after 8 pm, or linger in our own garden patch outside our homes. We do not want a country where our women-folks need an escort each and every time they step out of their gates. We want our children to run freely in the neighbourhood parks. Are we voting for security if we continue with the same government?   Opportunities The NEP was supposed to help the less fortunate, irrespective of race, to have a head-start in life. As part of the NEP, shares were given to GLC-linked companies for this wealth to be re-distributed to the Bumiputras. However, each time such a distribution is made, and the shares are sold off, there is no record of how much the bumiputra has achieved the 30% quota of the national wealth. This continues to be a vicious cycle of a leaking pot of gold. Will we continue to absorb everything the government throw at us – half truths? The man-on-the-street may not be able to afford more than one lot of any public share issues. The rich UMNO-linked cronyists continue to amass wealth. UMNO is not about the ordinary Malay on the street. Are we voting for growth and income re-distribution even amongst the Malays? Part of the NEP process was the APs – approved permits. These were again the birth-right of UMNO-linked families, friends and politicians. The whole AP episode made a few wealthy Malays but the majority of the ordinary Malay on the street remains poor. We also end up paying a higher price for Proton than it is sold in other countries.   Are voting for stability and peace and growth when only a small segment of society is getting richer? UMNO has become synonymous with money, status and hegemony against other races in the country. It is not about the 1Malaysia dream. It is not about protecting one's race and religion. If we are religious and righteous, we will be people of integrity and conscience. We will not rob the country of its riches and fill our own pockets. We will use the power bestowed upon us for the general good of the people. We would think about preserving wealth for the next generation – not plunder like there is no tomorrow. If we are not preserving assets and wealth, are we voting for growth and a better tomorrow? Malaysia will have no tomorrow if we do not give Pakatan the opportunity to govern. In the last 5 years after the shocked 2008 political tsunami, BN has wasted no chance to plunder the country. Your future, security, peace and independence are based on a two-party political system of checks and balances. So come out early and vote wisely on 05 May 2013.

Malaysian Dream... Posted: 02 May 2013 12:39 PM PDT   -Critical Average Joe-   I'm feeling a bit nutty today ... but please allow me to proceed .... Now let's talk about education for a while. There's a reason why education sucks and don't ever think it's gonna get any better any time soon. Be happy with what you've got and don't look forward for any miracles either because the owners of this country don't want that.   I'm talking about the real owners of this country, those big corporate giants and GLCs that control everything business in this country and making major decisions for us.   Forget about politicians, the politicians are put there to create a notion that we're given the freedom of choice. In reality we don't have any. We don't have any say at all. What we have are owners. They own us. They own and control everything, they own and control land, they own major corporations, they own politicians and maybe your beloved judges are also stuck somewhere at the back pocket of their pants.   They control most of the media companies so they get to control most of the news and information you and I get to hear day in day out. They got us by the balls!!   They spend billions of RM every year lobbying to get what they want so that they can get more for themselves and less for us (the average Joe).   But let me tell you what they don't want - they don't want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. they don't want well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking. They don't want that! That is not helping them in any way. That is not in their best interests. They don't want people to start asking critical questions at their kitchen table how they have been f**** by a system that has gone overboard for the last 50 years! No, they don't want that.   What they want is obedient workers. People who are just smart enough to run the machines and do the paper work, but dumb enough to accept shitty jobs with low pay, diminishing benefits, long hours and no over-time. Worse still ... by the time you go to collect your pension plan, there's nothing left to collect (hopefully this is just a myth) and they want you to be grateful. They want you to work more but get less ... pay cuts if you must ... cut here cut there ... everything must be cut. Hey, they even want you to walk or get a bike to get to work so you can save money on cars and fuel - and help save the planet at the same time. Wow, what a good job at masquerading. One day you wake up, decide to withdraw your money from your pension funds or whatever funds entrusted to them - don't be surprised they can play a magic trick on you, what do you do then?   It turns out that their criminal friends can have or do whatever they wish as far as the public funds are concerned. Sooner or later they will have what they want. You know why - because they control you and they own this f*** place. It's a big club, and you ain't in it. You and I are not in it!!   It's the same club that's telling you selective news and information that you need to know for their benefit. It's the same club that's beating on your heads all day long what to believe, what to think, what to buy, where to buy. The table is tilted and the game is rigged. Nobody gives a damn anymore. Nobody seems to notice and nobody seems to care! Good, honest hardworking people - white collar, blue collar - doesn't matter what color of shirt you have on, it's the same group of people who continue to elect the same group of rich cocksuckers who don't give a f*** about us. They don't give a f*** about you. They don't care at all ... at all ... at all .... Nobody seems to notice, nobody seems to care, that's what they're counting on. The fact that Malaysians will remain willfully ignorant of the brown, yellow, white, black or blue dicks that have been jamming up their assholes everyday .. and that, folks is because the owners of this country know the truth ... the plain truth about the Malaysian dream ... YOU HAVE TO BE ASLEEP TO BELIEVE IT!!

It is confirmed. The Star is The Paper That Lies Posted: 02 May 2013 12:32 PM PDT   Given the false and malicious allegations by the Star editorial board made above, I'm making available the correspondence between our Media coordinating officer, Mr Chu Yoon Ming and The Star advertising official, Hafzan to the public for their scrutiny and judgement.   Tony Pua  I held a press conference yesterday to express our disappointed with The Star for rejecting our paid advertisements. These advertisements were to counter the highly misleading and controversial advertisements placed by MCA and Barisan Nasional which are themed "A Vote for DAP is A Vote for PAS".   We have wanted to counter these advertisements with the theme "A vote for MCA/BN is a vote for Umno is a vote for PERKASA".   However the advertisement was rejected by The Star on 30 April, Tuesday 4pm.   The Star has responded angrily by making these claims :   1. That we refused to place our logo on the advertisements as requests by The Star.   2. That we refused to amend the advertisement by "removing" the keris and that we were unable to explain the circumstances behind the presence of the keris.   3. That The Star bent over backwards to cater to our demand to publish the advertisement in less than 24 hours.   4. That the advertisement incites racial tension   5. That DAP should be eternally grateful to the Star for giving some prominent coverage to DAP events "like the DAP mega ceramah in Penang".   6. That I should be grateful to The Star because it "carried two reports and a picture of [me] even though [I have] been away from PJ Utara constituency busy campaigning elsewhere".   Items 1 to 4 are blatant lies, while the points 5 and 6 are at best laughable.   Given the false and malicious allegations by the Star editorial board made above, I'm making available the correspondence between our Media coordinating officer, Mr Chu Yoon Ming and The Star advertising official, Hafzan to the public for their scrutiny and judgement.   Email from Chu to Hafzan 29/4/13 1.15pm To book advertisements on 3rd and 4th May.  Our advertisements were rejected on 30th April.  Hence it is a complete lie by The Star editors that they had bent over backwards to allow us to submit for advertising within 24 hours.   Email from Chu to Hafzan 29/4/13 2.02pm Because The Star wanted to review the advertisement in advance, we forwarded to them the proposed advertisement.    Email from Hafzan to Chu 29/4/13 5.09pm The Star "can accept the ad to be published in The Star except you need you to remove the "keris"/or change the photo without the keris." That was the ONLY condition cited in the email. We were also told verbally that the cut of date for 3 May publication is 2pm on April 30.   Email from Chu to Hafzan 30/4/13 1.32pm Despite our own internal reservations, we submitted a revised advertisement without the "keris", by using another picture of Ibrahim Ali. It was submitted well within to meet the standard deadline for 3 days advance notice (contrary to the accusation by The Star of last minute submission).   Email from Hafzan to Chu 30/4/13 4.02pm "After taking into several consideration, we regret to inform you that we are unable to run the requested ad at this time."   The above are all the correspondences between The Star and DAP over the publication of the advertisement.    There was never any mention of use of DAP logo in the advertisements as accused by The Star.  DAP willingly complied with the request to remove the "keris" as a condition for publication, even though other newspapers Sin Chew Jit Poh and China Press had no problems in publishing the original advertisement.  What is more, the picture was an accurate reflected of the "struggles" Ibrahim Ali's Perkasa. We are giving the required standard 3 days' notice and not the less than 24 hours notice as lied by The Star.  There was no special treatment for the DAP unlike that for BN. The advertisement does not incite racial tension as accused. Instead in points out that BN and MCA are hypocrites by nominating Perkasa leaders as their candidates. The above only goes to show that The Star are equal hypocrites in the above for they have continued to published advertisements attacking the DAP and PAS over religious and racial issues which are half-truths at best, but unwilling to publish our advertisement despite initially agreeing to do so.   By publishing lies to defend themselves over the issue of not printing DAP advertisement, The Star has proven that its editorial board possesses no integrity, has no sense of justice and righteousness and are hypocrites of the highest order. This is despite its editorials frequently preaching strong "moral values".   We call upon The Star to apologise to all Malaysians for attempting to use indefensible lies to cover up its biased attempt to keep Barisan Nasional in power.

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