Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Anwar backs Azmin on Khalid’s MB job, says must have consensus
- 'I was offered post once'
- Cracks seem to be emerging in Anwar's PKR
- Selangor Sultan has absolute right to appoint Menteri Besar
- DAP mulls filing election petition amid GE13 fraud claims
- Anwar’s allegations are lies to confuse people – EC
- Social media beat me, says Nong Chik
- Rival Pakatan factions fight it out in cyberspace
- MAS denies flew phantom voters for polls
- ‘Anwar told me to prepare to take over from Khalid in 2008’
- Guan Eng: Selangor MB post should be decided by Pakatan and not just PKR
- Azmin Ali questions Wan Azizah
- Malaysia's Opposition not after an 'Arab spring' - DAP leader
| Anwar backs Azmin on Khalid’s MB job, says must have consensus Posted: 11 May 2013 04:37 AM PDT Syed Jaymal Zahiid, TMI Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim appeared to have backed his confidant Azmin Ali in calling for a consultation process for the Selangor mentri besar post after the latter claimed Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim's candidacy had bypassed the democratic process. The PKR advisor also appeared to have suggested that the party were considering removing Abdul Khalid when he told Sinar Harian that the consultation should include discussions on other possible candidates for the job. "I have no problem with Tan Sri Khalid. But the problem is... there is no problem but there should be consultation. Are there other names? New faces? Do we continue?" Sinar Harian quoted him as saying. Anwar, however, added that they will solve the debacle within these few days. The tussle over the mentri besar post has pushed PKR into a leadership crisis with its deputy president now openly accusing the party of "nepotism" when he alleged it had bypassed the consultation process in picking Abdul Khalid for the job. Azmin also appeared to question Abdul Khalid's leadership at a press conference yesterday, and said he was seeking a meeting with PKR's national leaders for a consensus decision to be made on who gets to be the new Selangor MB. The debacle has sparked talk that Azmin, who is also said to be vying for the position, would leave PKR following the party's supposed endorsement of Abdul Khalid's governance. Azmin dismissed the speculation at yesterday's press conference where he was flanked by some of the party's Selangor line-up in what appeared to be a sign of protest against Abdul Khalid's likely reappointment as the state's chief executive. Although the Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman was evasive when bombarded by questions for his view on the candidacy for the post, the PKR deputy president made several insinuations that leaders from the party's Selangor chapter were against Abdul Khalid's reappointment.
|
| Posted: 11 May 2013 12:30 AM PDT
SELANGOR MB'S JOB: Azmin blames Wan Azizah for arbitrarily sending list to sultan
THE gloves are off in the tussle for the Selangor menteri besar's post with PKR deputy president Azmin Ali yesterday revealing that party supremo Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had offered him the job after allegedly branding Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim as an "inefficient" menteri besar. At a packed press conference at the PKR headquarters, Azmin was stinging in his remarks when he alleged that Anwar's wife and PKR president, Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, had acted arbitrarily by submitting a list of MB candidates to the Selangor sultan without consulting PKR members. The former aide of Anwar, who co-founded PKR, disclosed that Anwar had wanted to boot Khalid out as menteri besar in 2008. Azmin claimed that this was conveyed to him by Anwar after the Permatang Pauh by-election, which marked Anwar's return to Parliament five years ago. "Anwar told me to prepare myself to replace Khalid. He said the party was extremely dissatisfied with the performance of the menteri besar. "Civil servants and the business community had complained on the gross bureaucratic practices which did not reflect a reformist administration." However, Azmin, who was later promoted as Selangor PKR chief to take over from Khalid at the time, said he firmly declined Anwar's offer as he did not want to jeopardise the party's unity. Instead, Azmin claimed he, instead, pushed for Anwar to be appointed as the state economic adviser to mitigate complaints and problems which arose during Khalid's tenure. "When we talk about a reformed government, there has to be reforms. You want to talk about reformasi, but you might as well keep the old government if it takes two years for business owners to get approval. I would expect a reformist government to do away and dismantle this bureaucratic system. We want something that is transparent and above board." On Thursday, Azmin had said Selangor did not deserve a "lame duck" menteri besar since Pakatan had won the state with a sound majority. However, Azmin yesterday deflected questions on his view of Khalid's performance, stressing instead on the importance of seeking consultation and consensus among the state party leaders on the appointment of the menteri besar. He emphasised that he did not reject Khalid's nomination as menteri besar outright, saying that any decision made by consensus would be accepted and obeyed. "This is why consultation is important... we want leaders who have the humility to listen to the people. "If they can listen, they can change. But if they cover their ears, it is a different story." Without being specific, Azmin hinted that Anwar had also recently broached the subject of his possible appointment as menteri besar and on Khalid's performance. He said the opposition leader was willing to sit down for a discussion. "But I told him that we have been discussing the same issue for many years. Be fair to me... if I am ambitious, then I would have taken the post after Permatang Pauh. I did not do that because I wanted to strengthen the party." Azmin expressed his frustration after being informed that a letter containing a list of possible appointees had allegedly been submitted by Dr Wan Azizah to the Selangor sultan on Thursday. He claimed he did not know the contents of the letter as it did not receive the approval and consent of the party's state leadership, suggesting instead that the move could promote "nepotism" within the party. When asked if Dr Wan Azizah was acting unilaterally in sending the letter, Azmin replied: "In a way, yes." To offset the alleged transgression, Azmin said he later put up another list of candidates which he said was done with a consensus between Selangor PKR state assemblymen and parliamentarians. "Our list was submitted to Dr Wan Azizah on Thursday and it is up to her to take the next step." Ironically, Azmin denied that PKR was having problems in retaining Khalid as menteri besar, despite the fact that Pas and DAP had already endorsed Khalid's appointment |
| Cracks seem to be emerging in Anwar's PKR Posted: 11 May 2013 12:19 AM PDT
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali on Friday questioned the letter sent by PKR president to the Sultan of Selangor on the candidate for the state's chief minister. Melisa Goh, Channel News Asia Cracks appear to be emerging in opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim's Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR). On Friday, PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali openly challenged the top leadership's decision to reappoint former Menteri Besar of Selangor, Khalid Ibrahim, for another term. At a packed news conference at the PKR headquarters in Petaling Jaya, Mr Azmin Ali questioned the letter sent by PKR president Wan Azizah to the Sultan of Selangor on Khalid Ibrahim's candidacy for Selangor Menteri Besar. This was even though the choice was endorsed by PKR's two allies -- DAP and PAS - and that a formal letter of appointment had already been sent to the Sultan of Selangor. Mr Azmin Ali, flanked by his supporters, made no secret that he is gunning to helm Selangor -- Malaysia's richest and most industrialised state. He said: "Aspiring for political office is no crime, and indeed a good motivation for anyone entering politics, provided, and that is the most important proviso, that the reason for taking such office is to serve the people better, and more effectively, nothing more, nothing less." The 48-year-old was once seen as the blue-eyed boy of PKR de-facto leader Anwar Ibrahim. Mr Azmin Ali claims he and all 14 newly elected PKR state assemblymen were not consulted on the choice of Selangor Menteri Besar. "I did not question the decision of PAS-DAP on the candidate for Menteri Besar but I am concerned about the letter sent to the palace without first consulting with other state assemblymen in PKR, which is one of the three components of Pakatan Rakyat," he said. Mr Azmin Ali claimed that he has the support of the grassroots. "It was unanimous support. I served him (Anwar Ibrahim) in the government for 13 years, and he was in jail for 8 years -- 21 years (in total). And he has been released for the last what, since 2004. I mean, I have been so loyal to him," he said. Visibly disappointed by the leadership's decision, Mr Azmin Ali also warned against nepotism taking root in the party -- a direct reference to Mr Anwar and his family. Political analysts keenly watching the development in PKR say a potentially damaging fallout is imminent if Mr Azmin Ali does not get his way. For now, Mr Azmin Ali is staying on as the party number two, and many are not ruling out him making a direct bid for party presidency at the upcoming party polls. Separately, Dr Farish Noor from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore told Channel NewsAsia that the timing of the PKR cracks is unfortunate. "Obviously those who are watching the coalition and in particular, Anwar Ibrahim's party PKR, are worried that this is actually a sign of further schisms to come. There's a lot of speculation that some of the key leaders of the party may be abandoning Anwar Ibrahim very soon," said Dr Farish. Dr Farish also shared his thoughts on Anwar's reaction to the May 5 poll results. He said: "It has to be noted that in a sense the Pakatan Rakyat has gained. The number of seats that the opposition coalition has won has increased. They are also better represented in the state of Selangor where they have won more state assembly seats. So frankly, I'm not entirely certain as to why so many of the opposition supporters seem disappointed because it's actually been a net gain for them. "We look at Kelantan and Penang, and we can see that the PAS-dominated state government in Kelantan and the DAP-dominated state government of Penang have gone about their business in beginning to govern the two states but in Selangor, there are these rifts still emerging and I think that it's highly problematic that all the divisions seem to be coming from one party, namely the PKR."
|
| Selangor Sultan has absolute right to appoint Menteri Besar Posted: 10 May 2013 05:32 PM PDT
Despite the storm brewing up among the leadership of the three parties, the political factor is not the determinant of who will be appointed as menteri besar because it is the absolute right of the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. (Bernama) - The polemic of who is going to be the Menteri Besar of Selangor appears to be hotly debated by Pakatan Rakyat component party leadership namely PKR, PAS and DAP as no final decision has been made to date. Despite the storm brewing up among the leadership of the three parties, the political factor is not the determinant of who will be appointed as menteri besar because it is the absolute right of the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah. As recorded in history, the late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah was very firm on deciding who was the replacement for Tan Sri Muhammad Muhamad Taib who resigned as Selangor Menteri Besar on April 14, 1997 as the Sultan wanted a candidate that had been screened and reviewed to ensure the person was really clean.The late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz stressed that the candidate should be honest and sincere and the Sultan would reject a Menteri Besar who enriched himself. In a meeting between the Sultan and the then Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on April 21, 1997, the Sultan said the suitable candidate had not been selected and on May 2, he chose Tan Sri Abu Hassan Omar as Selangor Menteri Besar. Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) professor and legal advisor, Prof Datuk A. Halim Sidek said the impending appointment of the Menteri Besar of Selangor by Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah is based on the 1959 Selangor State Constitution and two important articles. "Firstly, the Sultan has the right to appoint a member of the State Legislative Assembly who in his judgment enjoys the confidence of the majority of the assembly. Secondly, the person appointed must be a Malay and a Muslim," he said when contacted by Bernama. Prof A. Halim said this in reference to Article 51 (1) and based on Article 53 (2)(a); and Article 51 (2) subject to Article 53 (4) of the state constitution 1959. Also of interest is Article 51 (1A) which mentions the Sultan having the right to appoint a deputy Menteri Besar of Selangor. The outcome of the 13th general election (GE13) showed both PAS and DAP obtaining 15 seats in the assembly while PKR obtained 14 seats. "It is clear from the seat count, the three parties are equally eligible but with the power of the Sultan based on the articles above, DAP is not eligible as it does not have a Muslim Malay candidate in Selangor. "Whether the candidate is from PAS or PKR is not the question even though PKR has one seat less than PAS but they could come to an agreement to nominate one candidate. "But eventually, the power of consent for their candidate rests in the hands of the Sultan, which shows the Sultan has absolute power to choose the Menteri Besar of Selangor," said Prof A. Halim. Malay Consultative Council's Muslim Transformation Bureau chief, Datuk Dr Mohamed Ghazali Md Noor said the importance of the Selangor Menteri Besar being a Malay and a Muslim is to ensure the Sultan has a capable advisor on the issue of Malays and Islam. "The Sultan is an umbrella for the Malays and a pillar of Islam and therefore needs a Menteri Besar of Malay origin and a Muslim. If otherwise, how is one going to advise the Sultan?" he said. Dr Mohamed Ghazali said one more factor which should be considered is the historical factor that this country was built by the Malay Sultanate and the government formed by the Sultanate has survived till today as the government of Malaysia. The Malaysian Council of Former Elected Representatives (MUBARAK) president, Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Rahman said the power to select the Menteri Besar of Selangor is clearly with the Sultan and the three parties should not make it a political game among themselves. He said they needed to stop being arrogant by saying they can choose who is to be Selangor Menteri Besar when the right to choose is in the hands of Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.
|
| DAP mulls filing election petition amid GE13 fraud claims Posted: 10 May 2013 02:29 PM PDT
Syed Jaymal Zahiid, TMI The DAP is mulling whether to challenge the Election 2013 results in the court by filing an election petition amid widespread allegations of fraud in a polls that saw the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition winning on minority support. Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (picture), however, said his party was still conducting legal research and in the process of compiling the necessary data for the case and is expected to make an announcement soon. "I think we should let our lawyer look into it first... we will make the necessary announcement soon," he told a press conference after delivering his opening speech at a meeting with DAP lawmakers here. Lim said its Puchong MP and lawyer Gobind Singh Deo will be spearheading the legal action.
|
| Anwar’s allegations are lies to confuse people – EC Posted: 10 May 2013 01:53 PM PDT
(Bernama) - The Election Commission (EC) has deemed Parti Keadilan Rakyat advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's allegation that it did not carry out any improvement in the 13th General Election (GE13) as a big, blatant lie aimed at confusing the people. EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said the commission had carried out various improvements for the just-concluded general election on Sunday, including providing the cleanest-ever electoral rolls. He said the electoral rolls used in GE13 had been gazetted through a thorough cleaning process and online review of citizen record and latest voters' address in the data base of the National Registration Department. "As the voter registration system uses the unique 12-digit of the identification card as registration identifier, therefore, it was impossible to obtain multiple registration in GE13 electoral rolls," he said in a statement here today. He explained that through the registration system, non-citizens – whether they were from Bangladesh, Indonesia, China or India – could not register as additional voters. Apart from that, Abdul Aziz said the electoral rolls used in GE13 had been verified, gazetted and finalised. "It is impossible to enter additional voter name after a certain electoral roll has been gazetted for the election. "As such, the allegation that 40,000 Bangladeshis were brought in to vote in GE13 was completely unfounded and slanderous after the electoral rolls were gazetted and finalised," he added. In the general election, the EC also conducted early voting on April 30 which involved 235,826 police and armed forces staff and their spouses to replace the balloting process through the post for the group. He said in line with the claims of opposition political parties and non-governmental organisations, the EC introduced the indelible ink in GE13 as an additional element to strengthen the balloting procedure to prevent any attempt by a party to vote twice. Abdul Aziz said the primary basis of reviewing voter identity and the method to ensuring a voter did not vote more than once, was that the name list in the electoral rolls was used in each stream or voting place on polling day. "If a person's name could not be found or has been deleted after voting, the voter could not vote more than once. This means multiple voters could not have happened in the balloting process of this country," he said. Improvement was also seen from the aspect of campaign duration which saw the official campaign being fixed for 15 days from April 20, to last Sunday.
|
| Social media beat me, says Nong Chik Posted: 10 May 2013 01:44 PM PDT
(The Star) - Former Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin said he lost in the election due to allegations levelled against him and his family in cyberspace. "It was not a Chinese tsunami' but character assassination in the social media that caused my defeat to Nurul Izzah Anwar in Lembah Pantai," Raja Nong Chik told a press conference here yesterday. Looking rested and cheerful, Raja Nong Chik said he would never blame Chinese voters even though he lost heavily in a Chinese majority area. "It was a culmination of a series of articles in online news portals and the Internet which disparaged me and my family that caused me to lose. "They targeted my father, my daughter, and even accused me of bringing in phantom voters into Lembah Pantai," he said. Nurul Izzah received 31,008 votes, beating Raja Nong Chik with a majority of 1870 votes. Raja Nong Chik said Nurul Izzah had falsely accused him of bringing in phantom voters into the constituency. "At the end of the day, all these personal attacks probably influenced the fence sitters to vote against me," he said. He will probably initiate legal action against Nurul Izzah. Raja Nong Chik thanked the 29,000 people who voted for him.
|
| Rival Pakatan factions fight it out in cyberspace Posted: 10 May 2013 01:39 PM PDT
(The Star) - The battle lines between rival factions in PKR appear to have been drawn after deputy president Azmin Ali's dramatic press conference, with the fight already started in cyberspace. As soon as Azmin sent puzzling tweets about the party's state of affairs and appeared to criticise Wednesday's mammoth rally to reject the general election results, vocal personalities took to Twitter to make their allegiance known. Although most top leaders kept their silence on the ongoing internal fight, PKR legal affairs bureau chief Latheefa Koya (picture) did not stop slamming those lobbying for Khalid to continue as mentri besar. "It's not surprising that most of those churning out anti-Azmin tweets are the same guys who supported Zaid (Ibrahim) during the PKR elections!" she tweeted, referring to the former PKR leader who eventually left the party. "Secretly. the TSKI suck-ups' are basically hoping Azmin leaves - hence the taunting," she added referring to Khalid's initials. PKR chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's aide Najwan Halimi, who is also the Angkatan Muda Keadilan deputy information chief, also rebuked Azmin's detractors, including state PAS deputy Youth chief Mohd Sany Hamzan. Sany said that PAS was upset over statements by PKR leaders that the MB's post was permanently theirs even though PKR holds the least seats. In response, Najwan tweeted that he was disappointed with Sany's "arrogant" and "selfish" attitude. "To the Selangor PAS deputy Youth chief, don't butt in. Who betrayed the Pakatan Rakyat candidate in the Kota Damansara state seat?" he asked. But those close to party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who endorsed Khalid, rallied against Azmin. Newly-elected Kelana Jaya MP Wong Chen tweeted this Thursday night, after it was rumoured that Azmin would leave the party: "Rumours of defections are rife tonight. If it comes true tomorrow I have only two words to traitors: good riddance!" "I am with the younger generation of Pakatan leaders who are here for the long haul," he tweeted again yesterday.
|
| MAS denies flew phantom voters for polls Posted: 10 May 2013 01:28 PM PDT
(Bernama) - Malaysia Airlines (MAS) ferried 6,553 passengers in 57 commercial chartered flights between May 2 and May 4, and from May 6 to May 8, as the carrier pooh-poohed claims it carried so-called phantom voters during 13th general election. MAS group chief executive officer Ahmad Jauhari Yahya (picture) said all the passengers were Malaysian citizens who presented their identity cards upon check-in. "Malaysia Airlines has and will always be an airline with integrity and as such, we would not tolerate further baseless allegations against us and will do whatever necessary to protect our position," he told a press conference at the Malaysia Airlines Academy here today. He said MAS operated commercial chartered flights to bring voters home to their constituencies, so they could exercise their right to vote. "These flights were from Kuala Lumpur to four destinations, namely Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan, Kuching, Sibu and return, and also voters from Sabah and Sarawak to Kuala Lumpur and return," he said. Ahmad Jauhari said the carrier had played its role as a responsible corporate player by introducing special fares to Malaysian voters who needed to return home to vote. "In fact, Malaysia Airlines waived all penalties for revised travel plans for all our passengers during the period of the general election. We were probably, the only airline to do so," he said. He said the general election promotional campaign — from April 17 to April 28 — received overwhelming response. "Within two weeks of the announcement of the campaign, 34,000 seats were already taken. "However, it is unfortunate that several allegations were made against Malaysia Airlines, specifically that Malaysia Airlines carried so-called phantom voters on our aircraft between Peninsular Malaysia and Sabah and Sarawak during the recent general election," he said.
|
| ‘Anwar told me to prepare to take over from Khalid in 2008’ Posted: 10 May 2013 01:17 PM PDT
(The Star) - PKR deputy president Azmin Ali claimed that he was offered the Selangor mentri besar's post in 2008 during the Permatang Pauh by-election. "Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim asked me to prepare to take over from Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim as the party was unhappy with his performance in helming Selangor. "There were complaints by civil servants and the business community on bureaucracy and that the administration was not reformist in nature. "I refused the offer as it could cause instability to the party. "Instead, I proposed that Anwar be appointed as Selangor's economic adviser to ensure the smooth administration of the state," he said at a press conference yesterday. Despite Khalid's high-profile corporate experience in Permodalan Nasional Berhad and Kumpulan Guthrie Berhad, it is public knowledge that Azmin has been unimpressed by his performance. The rivalry culminated in a public spat in July 2009 when Azmin hit out at Khalid repeatedly over what he claimed was slow action in the Selangor Economic Action Council and called for a state exco reshuffle. Both agreed to put their differences aside during the Hulu Selangor by-election in April 2010, despite rumours that Azmin was unhappy about being passed over for the campaign director's post, which eventually went to Khalid. But things boiled over again in June 2010 when Azmin replaced Khalid as the state PKR chief, with the explanation that it was better for one man to be in charge of running the state and the other to run the party. Then, Khalid's political secretary Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad known to be Azmin's loyalist resigned, paving the way for Faekah Husin, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's former aide, to replace him. Faekah became Khalid's most vociferous defender, rising to the occasion each time her boss was criticised or ridiculed by anyone, including Azmin. Up to October 2012, Faekah had several public rows with those loyal to Azmin on a range of issues.
|
| Guan Eng: Selangor MB post should be decided by Pakatan and not just PKR Posted: 10 May 2013 01:15 PM PDT (The Star) - The candidate for the position of Selangor Menteri Besar (picture) is a matter for Pakatan Rakyat to decide and not just one party, says DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng. He said as the people voted for the coalition, and not just PAS, PKR or DAP, it was important for all three parties to be involved in the process. "It is a Pakatan matter," he said when commenting on Wanita PKR chief Zuraida Kamaruddin's call for DAP and PAS to stay out of the issue on the appointment of the Selangor Mentri Besar. Zuraida had said that the post belonged to PKR and the party should be given space to decide the best person for the job with no interference from a third party. Lim said Zuraida was looking at factional politics. "We look at it from the position of Pakatan, not as Team A or Team B. We went into the elections as Pakatan PKR, PAS and DAP not as PKR Team A or Team B, and the people voted for Pakatan, not for PKR Team A or Team B. "Let the people decide whether they prefer factional politics or DAP and PAS looking at it separately from the position of Pakatan," he told a press conference yesterday. Lim reiterated his support for Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to retain the mentri besar post, saying that he had led the Selangor team to a two-thirds majority in the May 5 polls. "He should be given another opportunity to serve," he said. Selangor PAS deputy commissioner Khalid Samad said the party maintained its stand that Khalid should serve a second term as mentri besar, echoing PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali's statement made earlier this week.
|
| Azmin Ali questions Wan Azizah Posted: 10 May 2013 01:06 PM PDT
Azmin said his unhappiness stemmed from the failure of PKR leadership to engage Selangor assemblymen, MPs and division leaders in the selection process and not because he was eyeing the mentri besar's post. (The Star) - PKR deputy president Azmin Ali has launched a thinly veiled attack against president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for failing to consult Selangor party leaders over who should be the mentri besar. The Selangor PKR chief had fired the first salvo a day earlier by saying that the next mentri besar should not be a "lame duck" who allowed himself to be led by others. The reference was seen as a dig at Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim. At a packed press conference yesterday, Azmin said Dr Wan Azizah had sent a letter to the palace endorsing a particular candidate for the post without the knowledge of state PKR leaders. "The process to select the mentri besar was not done through consultation and consensus. "I expected the party leadership to call for a special meeting to get the opinion of MPs and assemblymen before making any recommendation on who should be the MB. "As of now, my friends and I have no idea whose name was submitted to the palace because we were not consulted," he said. However, he said whoever was chosen would be respected as long as the decision was reached through consensus and consultation. Azmin said his unhappiness stemmed from the failure of PKR leadership to engage Selangor assemblymen, MPs and division leaders in the selection process and not because he was eyeing the mentri besar's post. He also denied rumours that he would resign from his party position and that of Gombak MP and as Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman, stressing that he had no intention to do so. "I have no doubt these rumours were started by Umno and Barisan Nasional to cast me in the most negative light and to paint me as an unscrupulous person who would abandon his party for political position and material gains. "To these people, let me say this: carry on dreaming because I have no intention of resigning. "This has been my struggle for the past 15 years. I am confident with the PKR struggle and will not leave the party," he said to the applause of his supporters. On Khalid's leadership style, Azmin said it was no different from his Barisan predecessors, adding that it was still too bureaucratic for a reformist party. "I am not saying that he is corrupt but we need to be more than just that. In 2008, we were all caught by surprise (in winning Selangor). "After five years, we need to ensure a new system is in place and a strong leader is appointed to work for the people who have given us a strong mandate," he said. On Wednesday's mammoth rally held in Kelana Jaya to protest against the general election results, Azmin said he was not lambasting the party in his tweets but only urging it to move forward after the polls. Azmin said disagreement was not the reason why he did not attend. "I have been going to one rally after another for the past 15 years. But for future rallies, I will be there and support them," he said.
|
| Malaysia's Opposition not after an 'Arab spring' - DAP leader Posted: 10 May 2013 12:28 PM PDT Radio Australia has spoken to several BN - UMNO voices, who all say, "Present the evidence of fraud, take it to the courts." Why hasn't the Opposition done this? Malaysia's opposition is planning several political gatherings across the country this month, over last Sunday's disputed national elections. The protests could be the most provocative challenge to the Malaysian government in years. Mr Lim Kit Siang, a veteran senior member of the DAP, a component of the three-party Pakatan Rakyat, told Asia Pacific that the Opposition is studying allegations of fraud in between twenty to thirty constituencies. Mr Lim, who caused a political upset last Sunday by winning a seat in Johor state against the incumbent chief minister, says media reports of a 'wave of protests' are erroneous. Presenter: Sen Lam Speaker: Lim Kit Siang, member of parliament for Gelang Patah, and senior member of the opposition Democratic Action Party LIM: Well, we're having ceramahs (meetings) in order to explain to the people the electoral fraud, as well as the latest political situation in the country. I had one last night for instance, a DAP ceramah. Of course people are angry and frustrated that the election process has been so unfair, not having a level playing field, that has deprived the country of a government that they wanted - which is a replacement of the present government and prime minister. LAM: Are you concerned that such ongoing protests might lead to national instability? LIM: Well, we definitely do not want an 'Arab spring' in the sense of having national incidents and all that. We want to continue to have peaceful and orderly process, where there can be public meetings to explain to the people the latest political developments in the country, including the electoral fraud. LAM: Isn't it time for all Malaysians now, to get together, after you've had these elections - to forward the progress of the country? Read more and listen to the podcast at: www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/radio/program/asia-pacific/malaysias-opposition-not-after-an-arab-spring-dap-leader/1129248
|
| You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
