Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Mukhriz: Pakatan conspiring with foreigners to invoke ‘Malaysia Spring’
- Umno Youth won’t support tainted candidates
- PKR’s reforms under fire
- Gobala thrown out of Dewan
- Najib hints 13th GE around the corner
- Umno veeps ready for sacrifice
- DPM: Umno could have ruled on its own before independence
- Police ‘whitewash’ of NFC scandal ‘damage control’ for Umno, says PKR
- Umno MP accuses DAP of starting May 13 riots
- KJ: Opposition's 'repulsive' politics will bring down the country
- Khairy: PKR losing support
- PSC expected to table interim report with changes to 12 areas
- Habibah’s bra-zen broadside
- Asri: No new ideas from Umno
- Rep: PAS, where’s the RM600mil?
- RM10,000 a month to monitor Facebook ‘wall postings’
- Roused by racial jibes, Umno may forget Najib’s unity plea
- Khairy blushing over delegates’ crude remarks
- Fernandes declares war on Malaysia Airports over tax hike
- Nazri warns of 2008 repeat if Umno infighting continues
| Mukhriz: Pakatan conspiring with foreigners to invoke ‘Malaysia Spring’ Posted: 30 Nov 2011 07:56 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir accused Pakatan Rakyat (PR) today of colluding with foreign powers to flare up violence and invoke the "Malaysia Spring" that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim recently predicted for the coming polls. Calling the Opposition Leader "desperate", the Umno deputy minister told his party's annual general assembly here that "Anwar Ibrahim himself has flared the seeds of revolution ala Arab Spring" to topple the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration. He said the opposition has been using street protests to conspire against BN and went a step further to allege that a death was even "faked" during the Bersih 2.0 July 9 march for free and fair elections. "Actually, my honourable delegates, whether you realise it or not, the opposition is the new tool of the foreign powers. "The opposition gets a lot of funding and lots more of other support to attain their objective of what they have coined as regime change. Question I am asking is, are we going to allow the new era of colonisation to happen here?" he thundered to the sea of delegates gathered for the assembly today. Anwar had recently predicted the coming of a "Malaysia Spring" in the next general election, confidently telling US newswire Bloomberg in an interview that PR will wrest Putrajaya from BN. "We're taking over the government at the rate we're going," he was quoted as saying in the interview carried on the newswire early last month. The opposition leader, who is facing the prospect of possible conviction for the second sodomy charge in his career, had cited the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9 as a sign of growing support towards PR. The march for free and fair elections, organised by the election watchdog group, drew thousands of protestors to streets of the capital but turned chaotic at midday when police launched tear gas canisters and water cannons to disperse the crowd. Over 1,500 arrests were made.
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| Umno Youth won’t support tainted candidates Posted: 30 Nov 2011 05:27 PM PST The Youth wing also wants names of shortlisted candidates to be announced earlier. (Free Malaysia Today) - Umno Youth will not support any candidate who is tainted by money politics or those who resorted to under-hand tactics to be nominated. Its assistant secretary Megat Firdaus Megat Junid said: "We will support any winnable candidate but we hope they are not cable (connected) candidates, sympathy candidates, extorting candidates, or even golden handshake candidates." Megat Firdaus was speaking while supporting the motion put up earlier by Md Alwi, the Kok Lanas state rep and Ketereh division leader. Megat Firdaus called for names of shortlisted candidates to be announced earlier so that those who failed to make the list have time to settle their differences and help the party in the next general election. He also suggested Umno leaders who become saboteurs to be severely punished.
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| Posted: 30 Nov 2011 05:25 PM PST A delegate says that Umno's transformation is in line with Islam wile PKR's reforms are akin to allowing homosexuality. (Free Malaysia Today) - PKR's reform agenda received a thrashing from a Kelantan delegate at the Umno annual general assembly today. "We (Umno) transform. On the other side, it is reform. When you reform, your basic fundamentals go missing. You can't go back to the original," said Md Alwi Che Ahmad when moving a motion to pass the presidential speech delivered earlier this morning by Umno president, Najib Tun Razak. The Kok Lanas state rep and Ketereh division leader equated the reform efforts by PKR to allowing homosexuality. "Men marry men and women marry women. Is it reforms to have men's trousers with zips at the side instead of in the front?" he said. Md Alwi added that transformation refers to efforts to change as and when needed but it would eventually return to its original form. He earlier listed the various transformation plans under the Najib administration, giving it an Islamic twist. "One is Hijrah," he said referring to the pilgrimage made by Prophet Muhammad from Medina to Mecca. The other example was the status of the Al-Aqsa mosque.
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| Posted: 30 Nov 2011 05:04 PM PST By Patrick Lee, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: Independent MP N Gobalakrishnan was thrown out of the Dewan Rakyat after he continuously interrupted the sitting. Dewan bailiffs escorted the Padang Serai MP out of the House on Deputy Speaker Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar's orders, after the former had been advised to keep quiet. "If the Speaker cannot respect (me), why would we want to sit here (in Parliament)?" he yelled as bailiffs approached him. At the time, Gobalakrishnan was trying to invoke a Standing Order against Permatang Pauh MP (PKR) Anwar Ibrahim for a supposed slight against him. Anwar had been debating the Parliamentary Select Committee's (PSC) electoral reform report at around 12.15pm when Gobalakrishnan interrupted. The one-time PKR MP then proceeded to attack his former boss, demanding an answer over the party's 2010 elections. Gobalakrishnan did not relent in his salvos at Anwar, even when Wan Junaidi told him that PKR's elections had nothing to do with the debate over the PSC. Though outwardly unaffected, Anwar snidely remarked: "Don't drink before you enter the Dewan." This caused Gobalakrishnan to explode, and demanded that the deputy speaker take action against Anwar. "He said I was drunk! Anwar said that I was drunk! I want to invoke the Standing Order against him!" he shouted over and over again. 'Anwar must come clean on 2010 PKR elections' Wan Junaidi was not impressed with Gobalakrishnan's outburst. He then ordered the bailiffs to physically carry the raging MP out. Gobalakrishnan, however, did not stop there. After being escorted out of the Dewan, he charged into the MP's lounge and started to verbally attack nearby PKR MPs, targeting Kuala Langat parliamentarian Abdullah Sani Abdul Hamid. The two were then seen shouting at each other in the MP's lounge. Beruas MP (DAP) Ngeh Koo Ham then intervened, leading a fuming Abdullah Sani out of the lounge.
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| Najib hints 13th GE around the corner Posted: 30 Nov 2011 04:53 PM PST (Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has again hinted that the 13th general election (GE) will be held very soon. Najib, who is also the Umno president, in his speech at the opening of the Umno general assembly 2011 here today, reminded all party members to close ranks to face the election. He called on the Umno members to get down on the ground as it was almost time to go to the polls. The call was greeted with loud applause from the delegates. Earlier, in his message on Nov 29, he wanted the party leadership at the divisional and grassroots levels to put in extraordinary efforts to face the 13th general election. The prime minister also told the delegates not to take the 13th general election for granted because the challenge would certainly be extraordinary and the most difficult that the biggest political party in the country would face. The Umno general assembly today was attended by 2,711 delegates. - Bernama |
| Umno veeps ready for sacrifice Posted: 30 Nov 2011 04:49 PM PST By Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT KUALA LUMPUR: Umno's three vice-presidents said today that they would withdraw from contesting in the coming general election if the party leadership believed they could not win. One of them, Hishammuddin Hussein, said this was the kind of sacrifice Umno needed from its members as it prepares for an election that would test its ability to survive. He cited the willingness of former Terengganu menteri besar Idris Jusoh to "sacrifice himself" and not contest. Zahid Hamidi said he and the other vice-presidents received a text message from Idris informing them of his decision. The other vice-president is Shafie Apdal. In his address to the Umno general assembly this morning, Umno president Najib Tun Razak made clear that the meeting would be the last before the 13th general election. He indicated that the party was in need of a transformation that would include a shift in winning methodology and the deployment of only "winnable candidates". "Not a problem whatsoever, three of us," Hishammuddin told reporters during the break following Najib's speech.
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| DPM: Umno could have ruled on its own before independence Posted: 30 Nov 2011 04:46 PM PST By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider
Umno was strong enough to have formed the government on its own before the country's independence, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today. The Umno deputy president said his party could have succeeded in doing so, but stressed that it had "willingly" agreed to work with other races to achieve a "shared" goal. "Umno is most definitely not racist. We could have built a government on our own, but we decided to share," Muhyiddin (picture) said in reply to questions from reporters here, adding that during the first elections Umno won the majority of the votes. "People, some media do not realise that there are some parties out there who are a hundred times more racist than us," said the deputy prime minister. Muhyiddin echoed party president Datuk Seri Najib Razak's remarks, who said today that Umno was not racist and that it was responsible for Malaysia's "social stability." The prime minister said the Malay party had willingly co-operated with component Barisan Nasional parties MCA and MIC for a "bigger purpose" back in the 1950s to form a government and gain independence. Najib has repeatedly pleaded with Umno delegates to adopt a more moderate approach, but his pleas appear to have gone unheeded.
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| Police ‘whitewash’ of NFC scandal ‘damage control’ for Umno, says PKR Posted: 30 Nov 2011 04:44 PM PST By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider PKR accused the police today of performing "damage control" on Umno's behalf after a senior policemen gave an update on the ongoing investigations into the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) project. Deputy Inspector General of Police Datuk Seri Khalid Abu Bakar said no element of criminal breach of trust had been found so far in the probe. "Why issue such a statement when investigations are still continuing... and just as the high profile Umno general assembly gets underway?" PKR vice president N. Surendran said in a statement today. He called Khalid's statement a "whitewash" and noted that Wanita Umno chief Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, whose family was awarded the project, has not had her statement recorded yet. "It seems Deputy Inspector General Police Khalid expects the public to believe that there is no criminal wrongdoing by any person, despite public funds being used to purchase luxury condos, overseas trips, luxury cars and prime land," he added. Khalid had said this morning police had interviewed over 74 people in connection with the probe, including family members of Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat. "However, we are still continuing our investigation into the issue and will call the minister to record her statement if the need arises," he said. PKR has repeatedly attacked the project with various allegations that "loans" of over RM84 million were given by the NFC to companies owned by Shahrizat's family including RM13.8 million for two luxury condominiums in Bangsar. Shahrizat's husband and NFC boss Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail has defended the purchase of the condo as well as denied the alleged failure of the project. PKR scoffed at Mohamad Salleh's remarks, saying he had failed to deny a single allegation and had merely offered explanations for the many discrepancies involving the NFC.
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| Umno MP accuses DAP of starting May 13 riots Posted: 30 Nov 2011 04:42 PM PST By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider Umno's accusations that the DAP is anti-Malay spread to Parliament today when a lawmaker accused the opposition party of starting the May 13, 1969 race riots. Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, Ipoh Timor MP Lim Kit Siang described Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's accusation yesterday that the DAP was anti-Malay and anti-Islam as "slanderous lies" and one of several "hate speeches" made at Umno's ongoing general assembly. But Lenggong MP Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah stood up and interrupted Lim (picture), the DAP parliamentary leader, by repeatedly shouting "May 13, Ipoh Timor." "It is true," he said, referring to Muhyiddin's speech when opening the Umno Youth and women's wing assemblies. "May 13, who moved it? May 13, Ipoh Timor. Who moved on May 13?" After MPs from PAS and PKR stood up to defend their Pakatan Rakyat (PR) colleague, other Umno MPs shouted that the DAP "cheats Malays" and "PAS is a warrior for DAP." They also accused PKR deputy president Azmin Ali (Gombak MP) and PAS political bureau member Khalid Samad (Shah Alam) of being supporters of "the racist DAP." The May 13 race riots, which some reports say killed over 2,000, were sparked off after opposition parties had denied the Umno-led Alliance its customary two-thirds majority in Parliament. A victory parade in Kuala Lumpur led to a reaction by Malays and a state of emergency being declared.
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| KJ: Opposition's 'repulsive' politics will bring down the country Posted: 30 Nov 2011 10:48 AM PST (The Sun Daily) - Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin today warned that the country is not spared from having to face a modern version of "Enam Jahanam" in the form of "repulsive" politics practised by the opposition. Taking inspiration from a classic Tan Sri P. Ramlee's movie of the same title, which tells the tale of six despicable bandits, Khairy in his opening speech at the wing's general assembly today, listed six ways that the opposition will bring down the country. A total of 942 delegates and Umno Youth excos were gathered for the opening of assembly at the Dewan Tun Hussein Onn in the Putra World Trade Centre. The six ways are by: >> destroying the democratic system, >> destroying the system of administration, >> destroying national dignity, >> destroying the country's history, >> destroying ethnic identity, and >> destroying the country's economic prosperity. Khairy, who is MP for Rembau, claimed that the opposition coalition will destroy the current democratic and administration system led by Barisan Nasional (BN), partly due to its inability to reach a consensus on certain issues, namely on hudud. "Imagine what will happen to the administration of law in this country under the Pakatan rule. "PAS wants to implement hudud, but DAP says hudud 'over my dead body'," he said to cheers from the floor. He also said Pakatan Rakyat is not ready to take over the country's administration as it has yet to even come up with a shadow cabinet. "What they have are three supervisors for one portfolio – three heads, one body," he said in reference to Pakatan Rakyat de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang. Touching on national dignity, Khairy stressed that Umno and BN have never painted a bad picture of the country's leadership in the eyes of others. "We take pride in the origins of our country, in our achievement and our national symbols. "The opposition's unbridled thirst for power is very different to our culture and attitude as Malaysians with national pride," he charged, before repeating claims that Lim had made disparaging remarks against Johor while on a working visit to Singapore, purportedly in hope of scaring investors away. Khairy also took a swipe at PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu for allegedly distorting history, based on his statements related to the Bukit Kepong incident. "Our most bitter enemies are hailed as heroes, while those who died in defence of our country are insulted," he claimed. Saving his best salvo for last, Khairy rounded up his speech by responding to his counterpart from PKR, Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin's challenge for Umno to amend the constitution and guarantee the rights of Malays to become prime minister. "It is evident that they are unnerved by DAP's dominance in the coalition, even turning to Umno to rescue them," he claimed. Shamsul Iskandar had issued the dare during PKR's 8th National Congress last week, but Anwar later clarified that the statement was taken out of context. Meanwhile, Khairy also touched on the need for youths to become agents of change and spearhead Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak's transformation plans. "If we are slow to transform, the people will not forgive us," he stressed. Earlier, BernamaTV cameraman, the late Noramfaizul Mohd Nor, who was shot and killed while covering a humanitarian mission in Somalia, was honoured with the 2nd "Anugerah Kesatria Terbilang". The award presented by Khairy was accepted by his wife, Norazrina Jaafar.
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| Posted: 30 Nov 2011 10:31 AM PST (The Star) - UMNO Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said that PKR had suggested amending the Federal Constitution to stipulate that only a Malay can be Prime Minister because it knew that its support among the Malays was declining. The proposal (made by PKR Youth head Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin) also reflected its fear that a Pakatan Rakyat government would be dominated by the DAP, with the Prime Minister coming "not from PKR or PAS". "Barisan does not need this constitutional amendment because we have full confidence in the spirit of goodwill, friendship and cooperation among the component parties," he told the Umno Youth assembly. "We believe that Umno can offer leadership to all Malaysians." Khairy said the Opposition's populist promises were "a sure recipe" for bankruptcy. They would do or say anything to gain power, he added, and likened them to Enam Jahanam (The Six Damned), the villains of a P. Ramlee film upon whom revenge is then wrought. He also said the Opposition were out to destroy the country's democratic system by instigating people to take to the streets to manufacture a Malaysian version of the "Arab Spring". Khairy noted that PKR deputy president Azmin Ali recently said the party would "break prison walls" to free Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim if the opposition leader was found guilty of sodomy. "These are not the words of a democrat. They have absolutely no regard for law and order or the integrity of the judicial system. To them, democracy is but a political tool to be used seasonally if and when it serves their purpose," he said. He said that many in the Opposition showed little national pride and respect for the flag. "They were even willing to distort history by hailing enemies as heroes while those who died defending the country were insulted," he said.
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| PSC expected to table interim report with changes to 12 areas Posted: 30 Nov 2011 10:14 AM PST By Pauline Wong, The Sun The Parliamentary Select Committee on electoral reform is expected to table an interim report in the Dewan Rakyat tomorrow. Sources said the report recommends changes to the electoral process in almost a dozen areas, including use of indelible ink, the setting up of a royal commission, improvements to the nomination process and cleaning up of the electoral roll, which should be implemented before the next general election. An official representing PSC chairman Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili (pix), however, told the press the report could not be divulged before it is tabled in Parliament. Sources said, however, that among the PSC's recommendations are that: >> the EC's independence be improved by increasing its manpower and maintaining its scope of power; >> a Royal Commission be formed to investigate claims that foreigners have been registered as voters, especially in Sabah; >> indelible ink be used for the next general election in the face of concerns that a voter may vote more than once; >> the serial number on the ballot paper be removed to ensure anonymity of the votes, (serial number to be maintained only on the counterfoil of the ballot paper); >> the withdrawal of nominations be disallowed; >> the objection process on nomination day be annulled; >> allowing members of the armed forces and police and their spouses to vote earlier; >> allowing doctors, nurses and journalists to apply to be postal voters; >> voters living or working far from their constituencies, (East Malaysians in peninsula or vice versa) be allowed to vote without having to return to their constituencies; >> the EC takes measures to facilitate Malaysian voters living overseas to exercise their right to vote. (Currently, only civil servants and their spouses posted overseas and full-time students overseas have the privilege.); >> any changes to a voter's polling centre should be accompanied by a statutory declaration from the voter. (This arises from complaints from voters that their voting centres were changed without their knowledge.); and >> cleaning up the electoral roll of deceased voters, voters with identical MyKad numbers, those aged above 90, voters who are not local to the constituency, multiple voters in one address and ineligible voters. Commenting on the report, DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng said the party viewed it as "a step forward." "The report shows progress towards free, fair and clean elections," Lim, adding that more needs to be done for electoral reform, but since it is an interim report, the DAP has given it interim acceptance. He said the opposition will later continue to push for more reforms, among which will be to reduce the legal voting age from 21 to 18 years.
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| Posted: 30 Nov 2011 10:12 AM PST (The Star) - TANJONG Karang Wanita chief Datuk Habibah Mohd Yusof (pic) said PAS Bukit Gantang MP Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin had claimed at a ceramah that Wanita Umno head Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil had a bra costing RM26,000. "If Kak Ijat's bra costs RM26,000, I wonder how much mine would cost since my size is bigger," she added, almost bringing the house down. As the laughter subsided, she continued: "I am really amazed. This PAS man has a special ability to see through clothes. I advise all the Wanita delegates to beware of him from now on." "Or maybe, this former Perak Mentri Besar has feelings for Kak Ijat. After all, she is the Malaysian Aishwarya Rai," Habibah said, referring to the famous Bollywood star. "All this shows the opposition are out of ideas and resorting to personal attacks," she added to applause, both hearty and merry. Habibah said that Wanita was very popular with the rakyat and it was the cause of the opposition envy. |
| Posted: 30 Nov 2011 10:07 AM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - A nervous Umno has failed to bring a new ideas to voters ahead of a general election expected soon, says Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin. The maverick scholar, who has a large following here, told The Malaysian Insider the senior partner in Barisan Nasional (BN) must understand the youth do not just need material wealth but also assurances of their rights and freedom. "Umno must give a clear idea, one that is compelling according to the current era, place and generation. "The current generation is different from those in the past. They will not be attracted by just cash and handouts," the former Perlis mufti said after attending the start of Umno's general assembly as the party's guest yesterday. Asri, who is now a research fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, cited other Muslim countries such as Bahrain and Saudi Arabia who are "rich and have no money problems but what they need and want are rights and freedom." Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has promised a raft of reforms over the past few months but the opposition and civil society have said his "political transformation programme" has fallen short. Although a parliamentary select committee has been meeting to discuss electoral reforms, the Peaceful Assembly Bill passed this week is said to be "even more repressive" than previous regulations while the repeal of the Internal Security Act has been delayed to March.
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| Rep: PAS, where’s the RM600mil? Posted: 30 Nov 2011 10:01 AM PST (The Star) - KELANTAN Wanita Umno delegate Dayang Samiah Awang Damit wants the state government to disclose what it did with the RM600mil the Federal Government gave to improve the state's water supply. "Our water is still dirty. Where is the RM600mil?" she asked when debating the Wanita chief's policy speech at the wing's general assembly yesterday. Kelantan people, she said, still remembered the many promises made by PAS throughout the years. "We remember how Barisan Nasional was accused of being cruel to the Kelantan people. "The Federal Government has been providing aid to the state through various ministries, yet there is no word of thanks from them." Kelantan, she said, was ripe for the picking for Barisan as the people were fed up with the PAS government. "They are ready to return to Barisan. We just have to work harder," she said, adding that PAS and PKR had never been sincere to the Malays and Islam. Dayang Samiah also urged the Government to clamp down on false reports on Internet blogs and websites. "These blogs and websites have smeared our leader on the cow issue. In fact, these groups are the cows," she added. A delegate from Johor, Ramlah Ismail, said Wanita Umno was prepared to take a bigger part in the coming general election. "Wanita Umno members are the most loyal in the party and we have at least 30% of our members who are winnable' candidates."
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| RM10,000 a month to monitor Facebook ‘wall postings’ Posted: 30 Nov 2011 09:50 AM PST It took six months for the Tourism Ministry to provide a detailed breakdown of the RM1.8 million spent on six Facebook applications. (Free Malaysia Today) - Tourism Ministry paid data entry personnel "more than what journalists earned" in the country to monitor 'wall posts' messages on its six Facebook sites over eight months. Revealing this in parliament, Rasah MP Anthony Loke said the ministry spent RM80,000 to manage the 'wall posts', to delete obscene posts, content control, and to give feedback on tourism campaigns and promotions to interested Facebook users. The money was part of RM200,000 allocated to manage marginal functions on six Facebook applications for eight months. "This is the expenses just to reply Facebook queries… just to do data entry for the ministry, one can earn more than journalists do in a month," quipped Loke. The ministry had spent a controversial RM1.8 million on six Facebook pages to promote Malaysia, an issue which was highlighted by Loke in June this year. Almost six months after the issue was raised, Deputy Tourism Minister James Dawos Mamit provided a cost breakdown of the RM1.8 million to Loke last week. According to Dawos,"RM80,000 was allocated for eight months for data management and monitoring where the person or persons answered to queries over the ministries' campaigns and updated the database". Loke said that the ministry's Facebook pages did not attract many users and hence such exorbitant costs were unjustified. "You have seven or 13 comments (to attend to), there are only a few updates…its scandalous and the cost cannot be justified," he said.
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| Roused by racial jibes, Umno may forget Najib’s unity plea Posted: 30 Nov 2011 09:49 AM PST By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Datuk Seri Najib Razak will face difficulty trying to preach his unity and transformation agenda today to an Umno general assembly that has already rejected his pleas for moderation, an analyst has said. Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) chief executive Wan Saiful Wan Jan predicted the Umno president would likely adopt a more diplomatic approach when criticising Pakatan Rakyat, refrain from using racial slurs and would instead "sound Umno's clarion call for unity" to rally his troops ahead of the coming polls. But, he said, this approach may not go down well with party conservatives who have already been roused over the past two days by speeches demonising PR as anti-Malay, anti-Islam, "agents of Christianisation", "bapok" (transvestites), "bangsat" (bastard) and "pondan" (effeminate). As such, Wan Saiful said Najib is now in a quandary as he would likely face a "resistant Umno" if he adopts an overly-progressive stance and push for change and moderation. "The battle now is between Najib and Umno. If he pushes the party towards progressiveness and change, there is a likelihood there will be a large movement that will retaliate and reject him," he told The Malaysian Insider. He said Najib would have to find the balance between his roles as the president of a race-based party and the prime minister of a multiracial country. "I suspect he will do both things: try to say that he is protecting the interests of the Malays but, at the same time, claim he is the PM for all Malaysians," said Wan Saiful. Political analyst Ong Kian Ming agreed that Najib would likely avoid racial slurs or resort to demonising PR with "anti-Islam" accusations, but said the prime minister would also have to make references to how Malays have to stand united under Umno's banner. "He has to play the more neutral role of the diplomat. He would likely point to the larger weaknesses of PR and it is most important that he highlights his various transformation programmes that he has put in place," he said. Najib's deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, set the tone for the general assembly by exploiting the race card when opening the party's Youth, Wanita and Puteri wings' annual meets on Tuesday night. In a fiery speech, the deputy prime minister told Umno to defend the Malay race, culture and institutions from PR, which he accused of being an anti-Islam and anti-Malay force. The Youth assembly yesterday saw delegates engage in more PR-bashing, with leaders resorting to name-calling when warning that the Malays would lose power under the pact's rule. Professor Dr Jayum Jawan warned against public backlash if Najib does not reprimand party leaders today for resorting to foul language to unite its members. "This will not endear him to the electorate. This is the 21st century, not the 1960s or 1970s. He must cover this ground," he said. "They are the ruling party... they should set the standard for others and avoid personal attacks and such language. They should be parading their successes instead of bashing the opposition," he added. Umno is currently holding what is likely to be its last general assembly before a general election expected early next year.
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| Khairy blushing over delegates’ crude remarks Posted: 30 Nov 2011 09:47 AM PST However the Umno Youth chief says it is unfair to allow the remarks of "one or two" delegates taint an otherwise "quality" debate session. (Free Malaysia Today) - Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin conceded that some of the remarks made by the delegates in attacking the opposition at its AGM here today were inappropriate. The Rembau MP was forced to admit and defend them despite having earlier boasted of his wing's progressive shift in mindset in his policy speech. Delegates from the Youth wing took turns to bash Pakatan Rakyat, particularly the Chinese dominated DAP, using derogatory terms like "bapok" (transvestites) and "pondan" (effeminate) to describe PKR and PAS. Attack on the DAP became the focal point of the wing's debates where most delegates accused the party of being anti-Islam and anti-Malay, with one delegate claiming repression on the Malay community of Penang under the control of party secretary-general and Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. But Khairy said it was unfair to allow the remarks of "one or two" delegates taint an otherwise "quality" debate session. "Maybe one or two things were a bit inappropriate, but if you look at it in totality, it was quite good," he told reporters after delivering his winding up speech. The Rembau MP, seen as among the small band of progressive leaders in a party still dominated by Malay hardliners, said observers must assess the overall quality of the debates which he said touched on various pertinent issues like the economy and reforms. The ongoing Umno AGM is seen as the party's important preparation for the 13th general election, an electoral battle party leaders admit will be a test to Umno's as well as party president Najib Tun Razak's survival. The prime minister, who will officiate the AGM tomorrow, had said that this assembly will debate on ways to prepare Umno for the elections, including discussions on the "winnable candidates" tactic that it will employ come national polls.
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| Fernandes declares war on Malaysia Airports over tax hike Posted: 30 Nov 2011 09:46 AM PST By Lee Wei Lian, The Malaysian Insider Hot on the heels of lambasting Malaysia Airports over the cost of KLIA2, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes vowed yesterday to fight the government-linked company over the recent 28 per cent airport tax increase. AirAsia also kicked off an anti-tax hike campaign and many of its customers received emails yesterday asking them to "say NO" to the tax hike for international flights that takes effect today. "AirAsia views that this increase is not justified as the current airport facilities are not up to par," read the email. "Let MAHB (Malaysia Airports) know what you think about this Airport Tax Increase. Have your say today." AirAsia also gave out the email of MAHB's managing director, Tan Sri Bashir Ahmad. The airport tax, also known as passenger service charges, is collected by AirAsia from its customers and subsequently paid to MAHB. Fernandes, AirAsia's CEO, made an emotional appeal on Twitter last night, beginning with the airline's origins and concluding with a battle cry. "To all Malaysians. AirAsia has made flying affordable for all. Before it was just for the rich. We won't allow Malaysia Airports to keep wasting money and increase charges for you. We will fight. Our campaign starts tomorrow," he tweeted. Airport taxes and fees are regulated by the Transport Ministry, and it recently gave MAHB the green light in to raise passenger service charges by 28 per cent and aircraft parking and landing charges by nine and 18 per cent respectively over three years. Following the Transport Ministry's decision, AirAsia questioned whether the increases were justified based on the quality of the airport terminals. MAHB, on the other hand, argued that its airport charges are already the lowest in the region. The next review by the government is due in 2014. Airport taxes at Penang, Kuching and Langkawi will rise from RM51 to RM65, while the low cost carrier terminals (LCCTs) at KLIA and Kota Kinabalu will go from RM25 to RM32.
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| Nazri warns of 2008 repeat if Umno infighting continues Posted: 30 Nov 2011 09:43 AM PST By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider
Continued infighting among Umno members in their scramble to become election candidates could lead to a possible repeat of the 2008 electoral debacle when the next polls arrives, warns a senior party leader ahead of its annual congress today. Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz said members have not learned from the mistakes of 2008 where he said incessant "infighting and backstabbing" pushed the party and the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) to lose its two-thirds federal majority and four states. He accused members of being unwilling to sacrifice themselves for party and national good, claiming "they have no qualms at all to ensure that a candidate loses if it is not them (if they are not chosen)". Nazri (picture), a senior Cabinet minister in the Najib administration and Padang Rengas MP, singled out Umno's state chapters of Perlis, Terengganu and Sabah as examples of heavy infighting. "You know, it is a perennial problem whenever we approach the election, there is always going to be problems about candidates. "In the election, if the opposition wins the seat, it is not them winning but Barisan Nasional losing. Meaning, there is no unity among us... there is sabotage and the party machinery cannot run properly and then we lose," he told The Malaysian Insider. "So Umno members need to be reminded again and again and again and again because they have no qualms at all to ensure that a candidate loses if it is not them," he said. Nazri was responding to Datuk Seri Najib Razak's pre-general assembly briefing two nights ago to Umno's top echelon where the party president urged members to prioritise unity above self-interest and the general election above the party election. Najib, who is also prime minister, sounded the election war drums and called on all members to be reminded of the importance of fielding "winnable candidates" in an election he predicted would be "extraordinary". "So this (infighting) has to stop. We were hoping that what happened in 2008 would make them realise (their mistakes)... but I don't think they have realised, they have not realised," Nazri said.
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