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Only Malaysians can validate GE13 results Posted: 24 May 2013 01:36 PM PDT For Kalla, Anwar broke a pre-polls treaty with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to respect the results. The Malaysian Insider Former Indonesian vice-president Jusuf Kalla is unhappy that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his colleagues are protesting the Election 2013 results. For Kalla, Anwar broke a pre-polls treaty with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to respect the results. Let's get this clear. Kalla should not interfere in Malaysian affairs just as much as Malaysia does not poke its nose in other countries' affairs, especially when it comes to polls results. Whether the May 5 general election results are acceptable or not will be decided by Malaysians themselves ― not Barack Obama, Lee Hsien Loong, Julia Gillard, David Cameron or even Kalla. According to the Wall Street Journal that broke the story today, the treaty ― that both sides refrain from personal attacks during campaigns and to accept the outcome of the polls — was made in April, a month before the polls. Well, it is quite clear that both sides had broken that key condition of no personal attacks during the campaign. The campaigning was vicious and personal, be it online or offline in print, television and on the stump. And the results speak for themselves. Malaysia is divided by fractious politics ― a government unhappy with its wins and an opposition unhappy with the conduct of the polls. But diplomats have also been urging Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to end the "Black 505" rallies, due to concerns about stability and their countries' investments here. Respectfully, if these countries cannot compel or impress the government of the day on alleged electoral fraud and their diplomats are keen to go back to their days on the cocktail circuit, they also should stay silent. The election court will take care of the petitions filed by either Barisan Nasional (BN) or PR, notwithstanding the rallies. And the court of public opinion will ultimately decide whether Election 2013 was held in a clean and fair manner, and tell both the government and the opposition to get down to work for a better Malaysia.

Sabah an ‘expensive’ but useful lesson for Pakatan Posted: 24 May 2013 01:27 PM PDT Opposition forms shadow cabinets in Sabah and Sarawak, begins readying itself for state polls in 2016 and next GE14. Free Malaysia Today Smug from having won just over 51% of the popular votes in the recent general election, Pakatan Rakyat is re-aligning its strategy and focusing on Borneo. Sabah DAP's Junz Wong, who is also the national youth (DAPSY) wing publicity secretary said last night among its strategies was the early registration of young voters. "We are not waiting till the last minute. Our targeted youth are between 17 and 21 years old because they will reach the eligible voting age of  21 years in four to five years time. "There will be at least another three million more unregistered but eligible voters who missed their chance to vote in GE13. "What we are looking at is another new six million voters in GE14. "These group of voters will determine whether there will be a change of government in GE14," said Wong, who is also Likas state assemblyman. Wong's comments backs party advisor Lim Kit Siang's latest statement that the coalition had learnt an expensive lesson in Sabah in GE13 and would re-strategize its battle plans to win more seats in Sabah and Sarawak in GE14. In the recent May 5 polls, although Pakatan only won three parliamentary seats, it did remarkably well in winning 11 state seats in Sabah. This despite the months of puerile spewing by  its leaders, internal sabotage and widely felt inconsistency with PKR and DAP's stands in the months preceding the polls. What is acknowledged here is that Pakatan surfed the "Inikali lah" wave triggered by a former party vice-president – now Sabah State Reform Party chief – Jeffrey Kitingan. Jeffrey 's two-year long ground breaking campaign to inform Sabahans about the 20 points and Malaysia Agreement while rekindling an 'old flame' within the KDMs failed to follow through in terms of structure and strategy –vital in any war. In the end the Borneo Agenda gave Pakatan  a leverage  into state politics which in all honesty it did not really have to begin with. All Pakatan partner PKR did was to add "tukar" to the "inikali lah" and allowed its de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's charismatic persona do the work. And before long Sabah was awash with "tukar, ini kali lah" drowning STAR. To counter if not contain its bickering Sabah-based party 'warlords'  Anwar brought in Lajim Ukin and Wilfred Bumburing and propped them up despite widespread discontent which divided the party. Anwar handed over 10 parliamentary seats to Lajim's PPPS and Bumburing's APS movements. Both movements' candidates stood under the PKR banner but failed to win a single seat. In the end only Lajim and Bumburing won their Klias and  Tamparuli seats respectively. The investment did not pay off in seats but it did help with the branding Pakatan and its partners. Sabah PKR and DAP took a leap securing 11 state seats from one in 2008 general elections. Good job in Borneo Across the border, earlier in the Sarawak state polls in 2011, both parties won 15 seats – DAP (12) and PKR (3). It was a good job,  considering both Sabah and Sarawak are decades behind West Malaysia in terms of socio-political and economic empowerment. One must remember that West Malaysia's political reformation was seeded in the 1990s and spilled over in 2008 when the opposition wrested five states from BN. Sabah and Sarawak were jolted out of their slumber only in 2008, when to quote PACO's Anne Lasimbang "we realized we could shake Kuala Lumpur (Putrajaya). "When PBS toppled Berjaya, we were young, ready to fight. But after winning the battle ( PBS took over the government) , we only then realized the power was with (the) federal (leaders). The rest is history as you know it," she told FMT days before the GE13. Now that the heat of anger and denial over an alleged fraudulent GE13, acceptance is setting in with the Pakatan camp. DAP and PAS at least are showing signs of moving on. In Sarawak, the coalition is in the midst of forming its own shadow cabinet to stalk the performance of state ministers. In Sabah Lajim said they would do the same. Sarawak is due for state election in 2016 at the latest. Pakatan is aiming to up its score from 15 to at least 25 in the next state elections. If 2011 was tough, the next polls will be an even tougher one for the opposition in Sarawak. READ MORE HERE

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• APS won’t merge with Sabah PKR
• Anwar says 'no' to party appointees in state GLCs
• Election petitions should be disposed within 6 months of filing
• Sultan's insulter detained: MCMC
• Opposition agreed on peaceful gatherings but did opposite
• Ipoh Timor MP to be charged over ‘illegal rally’
• Minister confident police can contain PJ rally, denies political interference
• Anwar broke treaty with Najib by protesting polls results, reveals WSJ
• Behind Malaysian poll protest, a peace deal that collapsed
• Cops will fight judges’ remand refusal, says Zahid
• ‘Impossible’ to give all votes equal value, EC chairman says

APS won’t merge with Sabah PKR Posted: 24 May 2013 10:29 PM PDT Wilfred Bumburing's Angkatan Perpaduan Sabah (APS) is likely to lead the way to the formation of a common local opposition front for Sabah.  Joseph Bingkasan, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Former Tuaran MP Wilfred Bumburing said his Sabah Reform Movement or Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) will not disband and merge with PKR but would instead focus on a unified Sabah opposition grouping. Bumburing, who won the Tamparuli state seat on a PKR ticket in the May 5 polls, said that APS leaders had decided that for now the Pakatan Rakyat friendly movement would remain an NGO. The APS leadership also discussed the possibility of registering as a political party. Also discussed was the possibility of  consolidating with other local-based opposition parties and non-governmental organisations for a Sabah or Borneo-based united opposition front. Bumburing said APS would initiate discussions with Sabah-based opposition parties and NGOs about forming a united opposition front which the movement believes was reflected by voting trends during the general elections. Local opposition leaders in the state like the former Tuaran MP are just coming to terms with their near wipeout in the elections with voters opting for the more united Pakatan Rakyat alliance rather than individual Sabah opposition parties. Bumburing has been the first to bravely address what many had said was obvious and that a divided opposition was no force in facing the might of the Umno-led ruling Barisan Nasional. Local opposition leaders like SAPP's Yong Teck Lee and State Reform Party's Jeffrey Kitingan were caught by surprise by the overwhelming swing to the 'peninsula-based' opposition coalition by voters they had assumed would retain the Sabah bias they had displayed in past elections. They are now staring at irrelevance for the immediate future based on the performance of the Pakatan Rakyat based parties. The emerging picture is that only unity at local level can save them from being swamped. Bumburing said the 13th general election had also shown that winning the popular vote was not enough to topple the BN especially when the opposition vote was split between various parties. READ MORE HERE

Anwar says 'no' to party appointees in state GLCs Posted: 24 May 2013 10:24 PM PDT (The Sun Daily) - A PKR delegate from Selangor today proposed for state Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to help groom "potential" party leaders through appointing them to positions in government-linked companies. PKR Selangor information chief Shuhaimi Shafie, in his debate at the 9th PKR National Congress, said the move should also be extended to all Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states. "We are however against any attempt by appointed leaders to abuse the positions as a means to enrich themselves," he stressed. Shuhaimi's proposal was made in support of a call made by PKR deputy president Mohamad Azmin Ali, and echoed by many leaders throughout the congress proceedings, on the need for the party to strengthen its members and the organisation. Shuhaimi also said that PKR now have garnered enough clout after helming the Selangor state administration for five years to take actions against individuals within the local councils and GLCs who are not in line with the party's policies or struggle. "With the new mandate, we should be free to axe those in GLCs and local authorities who don't believe in our party policies and struggles," he said. He also hit out at unnamed leaders whom he claimed had failed to execute decisions reached in the party's Congress or meetings, stressing that actions should also be taken against them. Meanwhile, PKR de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his closing speech later reminded delegates that positions in GLCs are not reserved for party members or politicians. "Those who are appointed must have the relevant capabilities and not mix up party matters with that of governance. "Maybe that was not the intention (to demand for positions), but I feel that I must clarify the matter," said Anwar who had also described Abdul Khalid as a leader with "integrity" in his running of the state. He also said he had reminded Abdul Khalid to be mindful of the people's plight, as it is also an integral part of practising good governance. When met later, Anwar reiterated that any individuals appointed to positions within the local councils or GLCs must be qualified to do so and not due to party connections. Earlier in his winding up address, Abdul Khalid had pledged to fully utilise the state's funds in order to bring development to more villages. "I know that I am stingy but this is how I was raised by my mother who always reminded me to be careful with money that does not belong to me. "However, I do understand that the money should be spent in order to develop the villages in the state to bridge the gap between the rich and poor," he said. He also promised to only spend the state's wealth according to the needs of the people. Abdul Khalid, who is in his second term as Selangor MB is also looking to increase the wealth of the state under his administration. "I am looking forward to increase Selangor's capital and also will focus on finding individuals who had misused the state's money, and ensure that it is returned back to us," he said. Abdul Khalid however concedes that unlike other politicians, he does not know how to play the political game. "Politics is an ever-changing game and I am too old to study the field in university. "That is why I set up a political liaison office within the Mentri Besar's office to help me on the matter," he added.

Election petitions should be disposed within 6 months of filing Posted: 24 May 2013 05:41 PM PDT (Bernama) -- Election petitions by candidates in the 13th general election must be disposed within six months of filing. Chief Justice of Malaysia Tun Ariffin Zakaria said this would ensure the petitioners received a fair hearing of their case. "I hope the judges concerned would hear the cases with an open mind and not bow to pressure from any quarters," he said while opening the 47th Judges' Conference here today. Among the 101 participants present were Court of Appeal president Tan Sri Mohd Raus Shariff, High Court of Malaya chief judge Tan Sri Zulkifli Ahmad Makinuddin and Chief Judge of the High Court in Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjun. Ariffin said the six-month period was realistic in view of the likelihood that some of the petitions might be in Sabah, Sarawak and other states in the peninsula. Meanwhile, he advised judges not to respond to any comment in the internet expressing dissatisfaction with any ruling or judgement as every decision made was final. "Even though the comments might be negative and aimed at tarnishing the image of the judiciary, we (judges) do not need to entertain them as they might not have understood the facts of the case," he said. He also reminded judges to make their decisions based on the proceedings and testimonies to protect the interest of the public. "This matter must be given attention as there had been a trend in the past where judges try to expand their human rights scope in their decision," he said, adding that such action would paint an inaccurate picture of the country's judiciary which upheld justice.

Sultan's insulter detained: MCMC Posted: 24 May 2013 02:08 PM PDT (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has managed to locate a suspect who insulted His Majesty the Sultan of Terengganu on his Facebook page. With cooperation from the Police, the suspect has been detained for questioning. If found guilty, he may be fined not more than RM50,000 or a year's jail or both. MCMC views very seriously the abuse of social media when uploading contents that are derogatory in nature especially those involving the monarchy. "The laws of the nation is enforced whether it is offline or online. A crime is still a crime, even if it's on social media," said MCMC Chairman, Dato' Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi. "Social media users should be aware that they are not invincible as they thought. Therefore, we urge members of the public to be careful and to be more responsible when communicating in cyberspace. Those who break the law will be brought to justice," added Dato' Sharil.

Opposition agreed on peaceful gatherings but did opposite Posted: 24 May 2013 02:03 PM PDT (Borneo Insider) - Unknown to the public, Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zahid Hamidi had held discussions with several opposition leaders whereby the latter agreed to stage peaceful assemblies. However, he said they "sang a different song" when they got back to their supporters. "I welcome differences in opinions and agreed to discuss with them. They agreed to hold peaceful assemblies and give at least 10-day notice with the gatherings to be held in closed areas and without any provocation whatsoever," he told reporters after appearing in an interview on Bernama TV's Hello Malaysia programme at Wisma BERNAMA here Friday night. The agreement was reached to avoid problems, he added. However, Zahid declined to name the opposition leaders concerned. The opposition has organised numerous gatherings nationwide, purportedly to protest the 13th general election results, claiming that they should be in Putrajaya based on popular votes. Ahmad Zahid said most of the gatherings were held without a police permit and were provocative. "When they were with me, they concurred with me (on the peaceful assembly), but when they are with their supporters, it is a different story," he added. Zahid said he respected PAS leaders for accepting the general election results. He regarded the action of the opposition leaders not on the same page as the PAS leaders as desperate as they were willing to do anything to achieve their objective of conquering Putrajaya. Zahid said they became desperados because they could not accept their defeat in the May 5 general election. Actually, they were more disappointed in not realising their dream of taking over the federal government, compared with Barisan Nasional's inability to get a two-thirds majority, he added. On the action by the police in detaining the two opposition figures and a social activist and confiscating editions of opposition party organs for breaching the Printing Presses and Publications Act, he said the police and agencies under his ministry were doing their job to enforce the laws. He said they acted professionally without interference from him as the Home Minister. "Is it wrong for the police to enforce existing laws and regulations," he asked.

Ipoh Timor MP to be charged over ‘illegal rally’ Posted: 24 May 2013 01:56 PM PDT (The Star) - Ipoh Timor MP Thomas Su Keong Siong is expected to be charged at the Sessions Court here on Monday with violating the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012. The charge is believed to be in connection with a rally organised by the Perak DAP on May 9 here. Su said he would fight the charge, describing the provision in Section 9 (1) of the PAA as "ridiculous". "I got the call earlier today from the investigating officer informing me that I will be charged on Monday," Su said yesterday. "They will serve a notice to my office later in the day." He said the provision stipulated that the organisers of rallies should inform the police in advance prior to holding them. Su, who is a lawyer by profession, posted on his Twitter account on the charge. His tweet said: "Just been informed by IO that I'll be charged under S.9(1) PAA 2013 @ Ipoh Session Court on 27/5/2013 @ 9.00am". Another one read: "I'm charged under S.9(1) PAA 2013 for organising the DAP ceramah at Chin Woo, on 9/5/2013. LAWAN TETAP LAWAN!". On May 17, PKR communications director Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad was charged under the PAA for alleged failure to inform the district police regarding the location of a recent Opposition rally.

Minister confident police can contain PJ rally, denies political interference Posted: 24 May 2013 01:47 PM PDT (Bernama) - Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is confident that the police are capable of handling the gathering planned by the opposition in Petaling Jaya today. He said the planned gathering would not be in compliance to the provisions in the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012. The organiser did not inform the police and the assembly will be held at an open area, he added. "I see the gathering as an act of provocation in their attempt to challenge the police's credibility. So, I'm leaving it to the Inspector-General of Police to handle the matter," he said in an interview on Bernama TV's "Hello Malaysia" programme at Wisma Bernama here last night.  Ahmad Zahid also reminded participants planning to attend the assembly not to create chaos or stir provocation that could disrupt public order. He further dismissed the perception that the action by the police and agencies under his ministry in going after those allegedly bent on causing trouble reflected his firmness as the new home minister. This came about following the detention of two opposition figures and a social activist by the police under the sedition Act yesterday. "They are firm in enforcing the laws," he added. He said he was leaving to the professionals to take action based on provisions in the law, without any interference from him as the home minister.

Anwar broke treaty with Najib by protesting polls results, reveals WSJ Posted: 24 May 2013 01:42 PM PDT Clara Chooi, TMI Former Indonesian vice-president Jusuf Kalla has accused Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of reneging on a peace deal to respect the outcome of Election 2013 that he brokered between the opposition leader and Datuk Seri Najib Razak in April. The Wall Street Journal reported today interviews with all three parties confirming the secret peace deal, and quoted Jusuf as claiming that he had phoned Anwar a day after the May 5 polls and urged the opposition leader to respect the commitment and "look at reality". "We had a commitment," Jusuf was quoted as saying. "But they said, 'No, no, no, no.' '' The renowned international newspaper said that Anwar admitted to making the pact but told the WSJ that his opponents had nullified the deal by the way they ran their campaign. "How can you talk reconciliation when you demonise your opponent in this manner?" Anwar was quoted as saying. The WSJ wrote that it was Anwar who had approached Jusuf on the agreement two months ago, seeking the latter's help in securing his opponent's commitment for a peaceful election outcome. The deal — that both sides refrain from personal attacks during campaigns and to accept the outcome of the polls — was subsequently made in April. The two rivals had apparently rejected a clause in the accord to offer the loser a role in a "reconciliation government", the WSJ wrote. An adviser to Najib reportedly confirmed the deal, telling the WSJ that Anwar had sought Jusuf's assistance to secure a mutual agreement to accept the results of the polls peacefully, regardless which way it goes and even in the event of a slim majority. "The prime minister reiterated privately to Jusuf Kalla and in public before the election that BN would respect the will of the people and accept the election results, even if the opposition wins," the paper quoted the aide as saying. But Anwar's version of the events surrounding the peace deal appeared to differ. Quoting Anwar, the WSJ wrote that it was Jusuf who reached out to offer his assistance in ensuring an orderly outcome to the polls. "There were many friends around the region who were concerned about the transition of power and whether it would be peaceful," Anwar reportedly said. According to the paper, Jusuf is known for his role in brokering peace deals during his term as vice-president from 2004 to 2009, having done so in Thailand and Sri Lanka to help resolve conflicts across the Indonesian archipelago. In the May 5 polls, Najib and the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) was returned to power in Putrajaya after a heated contest that saw Anwar's Pakatan Rakyat (PR) win the popular vote but lose the polls. READ MORE HERE

Behind Malaysian poll protest, a peace deal that collapsed Posted: 24 May 2013 11:53 AM PDT   Mr. Kalla said the two candidates—whom he said he considered friends of his going back decades—had made a written agreement in April to refrain from personal attacks during the campaign and to accept the outcome, in a deal first proposed by Mr. Anwar.  (Wall Street Journal) - A former Indonesian vice president with a history of brokering peace agreements has accused Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim of reneging on a secret deal to respect the outcome of Malaysia's elections on May 5. Jusuf Kalla revealed the pre-election accord in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, amid a public protest campaign by Mr. Anwar over what the opposition leader said was widespread vote fraud by the ruling National Front coalition. The election returned Prime Minister Najib Razak and the long-ruling National Front to power in the tightest national election in Malaysian history. Mr. Kalla said the two candidates—whom he said he considered friends of his going back decades—had made a written agreement in April to refrain from personal attacks during the campaign and to accept the outcome, in a deal first proposed by Mr. Anwar. Mr. Anwar acknowledged he had made the pact with Mr. Najib, with Mr. Kalla as mediator, but said the National Front had rendered it void by the way it ran its campaign. He singled out Malaysia's media, much of which is controlled or owned by the government or members of the ruling coalition. "How can you talk reconciliation when you demonize your opponent in this manner?" Mr. Anwar said to The Wall Street Journal. He also said it was Mr. Kalla, not him, who first proposed the pact. Mr. Najib stressed reconciliation in his first public remarks after the election, though both sides said that the other had rejected a clause in the pact that the winner was to offer the loser a role in a "reconciliation government." Mr. Najib's camp confirmed that the agreement was made and dismissed Mr. Anwar's view that it had been undermined by the campaign—during which both sides accused the other of low blows and distortions. Mr. Anwar had strong support among Malaysian Web-based media during the campaign. Mr. Kalla said he felt that both sides met their commitment to refrain from personal attacks during the campaign, and he hasn't criticized Mr. Najib over the conduct of the election. Mr. Anwar said he plans to step up a legal campaign to overturn the results in 29 electoral districts, raising political tensions in Malaysia, which has grown increasingly divided in the aftermath of the election. Mr. Anwar, a former deputy prime minister who has been the country's most prominent opposition leader for the past 15 years, has led a national campaign of mass rallies since the election. The scene has grown increasingly confrontational. Three prominent opposition activists were detained and later released in the past week. In the weeks before the election, Mr. Anwar alleged that the National Front and Malaysia's Election Commission were manipulating electoral rolls and mobilizing illegal voters. On May 5, Mr. Anwar said his alliance had won and accused the National Front of stealing the election. The National Front and the Election Commission rejected the allegations of electoral fraud. The Commission said there were extremely few irregularities, and that a record 85% of voters cast ballots. Mr. Anwar said he is pessimistic that courts would overturn results in key districts. The final vote count showed that Mr. Anwar's Pakatan Rakyat alliance won a majority of the popular vote, but Mr. Najib's coalition won heavily in many rural constituencies, where he has strong popular support, to emerge with a 21-seat parliamentary majority. Mr. Kalla said that the outcome of the balloting, held on a Sunday, was clear. "We had a commitment,'' he said. "On Monday, I asked Anwar to accept it and look at reality. But they said, 'No, no, no, no.' '' Mr. Kalla said Mr. Anwar approached him about an agreement two months ago, and they met at his Jakarta home. Mr. Anwar asked him to reach out to his opponent and secure his commitment for a peaceful election outcome, Mr. Kalla said. At the time, Mr. Anwar was leading in voter surveys in Peninsular Malaysia, where most of the country's 29 million people live. A victory by his alliance—a collection of Islamists, a mostly ethnic Chinese party and the largely urban secular party he leads—would have been an earthquake to an establishment controlled since 1957 by the coalition that Mr. Najib now leads. Mr. Kalla had brokered peace agreements in various conflicts across the troubled Indonesian archipelago during his time as vice president from 2004 to 2009, and had roles in peace negotiations in Thailand and Sri Lanka. He said that he shuttled back and forth between Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, meeting the opposition leader and Mr. Najib. "Mr. Anwar sought Jusuf Kalla's assistance to secure a mutual agreement between BN [Barisan Nasional, the National Front] and [Pakatan Rakyat] stating that both sides agreed to accept the results of the general election, even in the event of a slim majority by either side,'' an adviser to Mr. Najib said. "The prime minister reiterated privately to Jusuf Kalla and in public before the election that BN would respect the will of the people and accept the election results, even if the opposition wins.'' Mr. Anwar said Mr. Kalla reached out to him to offer his assistance in ensuring an orderly outcome to the elections. "There were many friends around the region who were concerned about the transition of power and whether it would be peaceful," he said. Both candidates had pasts rich with fodder for personal attacks during the campaign. Mr. Anwar spent nearly six years in prison on sodomy and corruption convictions after failing to unseat his one-time mentor, Mahathir Mohamad, in 1998. The sodomy charge was overturned, and he was later acquitted on a second sodomy trial. Mr. Anwar consistently denied the charges. Mr. Najib, meanwhile, has been subject to rumors widely disseminated in the media—which he has denied—that he had an affair with a Mongolian model and translator who was later murdered. Two police officers were convicted in the murder. Mr. Najib hasn't been charged with any wrongdoing. Mr. Kalla said he fears that the longer the dispute between the two political leaders goes on, the divisions in Malaysia—among factions in the majority Malay Muslim group and between Malays and the ethnic Chinese minority—will harden and perhaps lead to violence. Malaysia was racked by race riots in 1969 and Mr. Kalla's neighboring country, Indonesia, has suffered repeated outbreaks of sectarian violence.

Cops will fight judges’ remand refusal, says Zahid Posted: 24 May 2013 11:36 AM PDT   (Bernama) - The police will appeal against the decision by a magistrate yesterday to deny remand on three individuals who were detained to facilitate investigations under the Sedition Act 1948, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He said an appeal was a normal procedure when a court decision was not in the favour of the police. "What I want to say is that I have no intention to interfere in the business of the police, this is a normal procedure when a decision does not side with the police, so an appeal has to be made before the police can frame the charges," he told reporters after appearing in an interview on Bernama TV's "Hello Malaysia" programme at Wisma Bernama here last night. Ahmad Zahid said he always respected the decision of the courts and would not question any decision made and that police also had their own procedures in facing such a situation. On Thursday, the trio — Batu Member of Parliament Tian Chua, PAS member Tamrin Ghafar and social activist Haris Ibrahim — were arrested by police in connection with their speeches at a forum held at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, here, on May 13 which were alleged to be seditious. They are being investigated under Section 4 (1) of the Sedition Act 1948. Yesterday, the magistrate concerned rejected the police's application to remand them and they were immediately released.

‘Impossible’ to give all votes equal value, EC chairman says Posted: 24 May 2013 11:35 AM PDT   (TMI) - The Election Commission (EC) has confirmed that its year-end redelineation exercise will involve an increase in federal seats but its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said it would be "impossible" to guarantee equal value for every vote. Abdul Aziz cited geographical and logistical concerns with the opposition's demand for "one man, one vote, one value" but added, however, that the EC would try its level best to give similar weightage to every vote. "But realistically, how do you make it one man, one vote, one value? I think it is virtually impossible... we can spread the weightage here and there but apart from that, it would be too difficult," he told The Malaysian Insider when contacted. Explaining, Abdul Aziz said the population size and physical landscape in every constituency differs in every state, rendering it even more difficult for the EC to adhere to the opposition's demand for equal value for every vote. The opposition blamed its recent electoral losses on gerrymandering by the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), claiming the vastly unequal value of votes across constituencies nationwide had allowed a government with minority support to rule the majority. In the just-concluded May 5 polls, BN recaptured federal power with 133 federal seats to Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) 89 but lost the popular vote for the first time since 1969, scoring just under 48 per cent of the votes cast to PR's 51 per cent. Abdul Aziz went on to cite the differences in the terrains of Borneo's rugged interiors in Sabah or Sarawak and the crowded metropolitan streets in cities over in the peninsula. "In Sabah for example, we take Kinabatangan... the size of this one constituency is as big as the entire state of Pahang... but the number of voters are small. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/impossible-to-give-all-votes-equal-value-ec-chairman-says/

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Flaws in the voting system Posted: 24 May 2013 03:57 PM PDT Although the LibDems boasted a multitude of supporters, they were scattered quite evenly in most constituencies that are either loyally Conservative or Labour. It took an average of 120,000 votes for the LibDems to win just one single seat in the Parliament while the Tories and Labour only needed around 35,000 votes to get the same. Tay Tian Yan, Sinchew The most intriguing thing about the results of GE13 is none other than the fact that Pakatan Rakyat only took 89 parliamentary seats despite securing 51 per cent of popular votes while Barisan Nasional clinched 133 seats with only 47 per cent of popular votes. Under the country's existing electoral system, the decisive factor is the number of seats, not the percentage of popular votes won. This phenomenon could happen in any country practising the Westminster-style of electoral system, and is the principal subject of contention for the first-past-the-post voting system. The political party winning the largest number of votes could be in the opposition while the party with minority votes gets to rule. This has given rise to controversies and arguments over the dissimilar weightage of each of the votes cast. The UK elections in 2010 generated the same type of contention. The old-time Conservative and Labour parties fell out of favour among voters and a third entity, the Liberal Democrats, emerged a new star in British politics. Young generation voters, in particular the middle class and intellectuals, were generally leaning towards the LibDems, which was devoid of historical burden and boasting progressive, distinct, moderate and open-minded ideologies. Its leader, Nick Clegg, provided a refreshing alternative to the staleness of conventional politicians. Election results showed the LibDems performed exceptionally well despite the fact it was only third placed with almost a quarter of votes won, a mere 6 per cent behind the Labour Party. However, the party only won a paltry 57 seats vis-à-vis the Tories' 306 seats with 36 per cent popular votes and the Labour Party's 258 seats with 29 per cent popular votes. It took an average of 120,000 votes for the LibDems to win just one single seat in the Parliament while the Tories and Labour only needed around 35,000 votes to get the same. Although the LibDems boasted a multitude of supporters, they were scattered quite evenly in most constituencies that are either loyally Conservative or Labour. Such even distribution rendered the LibDems a victim of the first-past-the-post system. The party later joined the coalition government with the Tories on a condition, among others, that the Constitution be amended over the existing electoral system into one that more resembles the alternative vote system adopted in continental Europe in hope of achieving a more proportionate popular vote to seat ratio. The UK subsequently held a nationwide referendum to let the electorate decide whether the existing system should be changed. As the Conservative and Labour parties were the biggest beneficiaries of the existing system, the referendum failed to pass in the end, allowing the UK to continue with the first-past-the-post voting system. This shows that while there is justification for a change of the electoral system, such a move could be met with strong resistance even in matured democracies. There are indeed weaknesses in Malaysia's electoral system, but the current situation does not yet warrant a direct challenge to the existing system. In its stead, the constituencies should be redelineated in a way that would better reflect the one-man, one-vote principle.

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Tsunami tauke Cina berlaku di Petronas? Posted: 24 May 2013 11:03 PM PDT Mereka hairan bagaimana Dialog Group Berhad tiba-tiba dikategorikan sebagai syarikat "tier 1" sedangkan, mereka mendakwa, ia bukanlah syarikat yang benar-benar berpengalaman dan layak untuk berada pada kategori itu. "Adakah Dialog diletakkan secara misteri dalam kategori 'tier 1' kerana syarikat telah dirundingkan sebagai pihak yang mendapat manfaat utama di lapangan minyak D35 pesisir Bintulu?" salah seorang dari kumpulan kaki tangan Petronas itu mempersoalkan. Mereka juga merasa ada sesuatu yang tidak kena sehingga Dialog akan menjadi kontraktor tempatan yang pertama yang mendapat taraf sebagai syarikat "tier 1", iaitu sebaris dengan kontraktor "production sharing contract" (PSC) yang bertaraf dunia dan berpengalaman seperti Shell, Exxonmobil, Murphy Oil dan lain-lain. Mereka mempersoalkan, adakah selepas menguasai projek Petronas iaitu Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID) bernilai US$20 bilion di Pengerang, Johor, Dialog akan mendapat satu lagi anugerah dengan cara yang sangat dipersoalkan. Setelah dinaikkan taraf sebagai syarikat "tier 1", Dialog dilihat akan menerima satu lagi anugerah Petronas iaitu menguasai kawasan Balingian di pesisir Bintulu bermula dengan lapangan minyak Bayan dan D35 melalui kontrak pembangunan semula dengan syarikat minyak nasional itu. Pengerusi Eksekutif Dialog Group adalah Ngau Boon Keat (gambar) yang juga Pengerusi Yayasan MyKasih. Beliau juga terlibat dalam Kertih Terminals Sdn Bhd, Centralised Terminals Sdn Bhd, Pengerang Independent Terminals Sdn Bhd and BC Petroleum Sdn Bhd. "Nampaknya tsunami tauke Foochow Sarawak sudah melanda Petronas selepas Perdana Menteri mendakwa tsunami Cina dalam pilihan raya lalu "Kalau benar tsunami Cina menolak BN dalam pilihan raya lalu, itu untuk mendapatkan keadilan. "Tapi tsunami tauke Foochow Sarawak nampaknya untuk sapu habuan," kata seorang lagi dari kumpulan kaki tangan Petronas yang menemui wakil Harakahdaily itu. Mereka terus mempersoalkan, apakah yang menyebabkan Dialog layak dinaiktaraf kepada kategori "tier 1". "Sapura Kencana Petroleum yang dikuasai anak Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, iaitu Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir pun masih lagi syarikat kategori 'tier 2'. "Adakah Dialog lebih kukuh dan berpengalaman dari Sapura Kencana?" soal mereka. Ditanya bagaimanakah perkara itu boleh terjadi, salah seorang dari mereka terus menyoal kembali: "Apa keputusan besar yang boleh dibuat di Petronas tanpa kelulusan (Presiden dan Ketua Eksekutifnya, Tan Sri) Shamsul (Azhar Abbas)?" Lebih dari itu, kata seorang lagi, Petronas berada di bawah Jabatan Perdana Menteri (JPM). "Kalau di bawah JPM, bolehkah sesuatu perkara besar dibuat jika tidak diluluskan oleh (Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri) Najib (Tun Razak) dan (isterinya Datin Seri) Rosmah (Mansor)?" katanya. Secara sinis, kumpulan itu yakin Umno dan badan-badan seperti Perkasa tentu bersetuju dengan apa yang mereka sebut sebagai "tsunami tauke Cina di Petronas itu".

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UMNO Blogger Thanks Bangladeshi Airline For “Making Shit Happen 5/5″ Posted: 24 May 2013 11:22 AM PDT Unlike PR opposition figures, who are getting arrested for questioning the conduct of the 5/5 election on behalf of the majority of the electorate, UMNO bloggers are still enjoying freedom of speech. However, judging from what some have been saying, Najib may need to shut them up too! Consider the Tweets put out by one of the known henchmen of former youth leader and recently appointed Sports Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin in past days. Dax Muhamad, we understand, spent much of the election period in Bangladesh, despite his passionate support of UMNO for whom he blogs.  Card-carrying UMNO blogger  Why would such a fellow sacrifice his precious opportunity be part of the exciting GE13 campaign? One might conclude from his Tweets that it was because he was appointed to an important mission in "Bangla".  Here is one of them:  What 'Shit' did Tony Fernandes (Air Asia) and Air Biman (Dhaka based) make happen 5/5?  Given that one of the biggest controversies during the election period surrounded the revelation that secret Air Asia and Malaysia Airways chartered flights had been organised by UMNO to fly thousands of suspect voters over from the plantations of East Malaysia to KL, this Tweet by a key UMNO activist just days after the election begs some answers. In the context of airlines in Malaysia there is only one Fernandes, Tony Fernandes the Head of Air Asia.  Air Biman is evidently Biman Bangladeshi Airline, based in Dhaka where he was blogging from. Therefore, Sarawak Report would like Dax Muhamad to explain exactly what he means by saying in such a context: "Big up to Fernandes n even bigger alpha up to Air Biman for making shit happen 5/5″?   Why does he go on to say (translated) "Remember your services. Heartfelt gratitude. Here's to Bengali New Year"? Consider the whole sequence of these Tweets on May 10th.  Because he elaborates on the above highly suspicious statement by explaining that "UMNO owes Banglapura large".    10th May – "Big up to Fernandes and even bigger up to Bagladeshi airline Air Bimina…..UMNO owes Banglapura large"  A glance at Dax Muhamad's tweets confirms that he is in frequent touch with then UMNO youth Chief Kairy Jalamuddin and indeed a spread of top UMNO figures.  Read more at: http://www.sarawakreport.org/2013/05/umno-blogger-thanks-bangladeshi-airline-for-making-shit-happen-55/

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• Re-delineation of constituency: A Voter's perspective
• Vernacular education in Malaysia
• Open Letter to the Home Minister

Re-delineation of constituency: A Voter's perspective Posted: 24 May 2013 12:13 PM PDT cpy1989    My presentation is based on the fact that Sabah & Sarawak state should hold 1/3 of the seats in the Federal Parliament & all states should have proportional representation in the parliament. As for population, it is taken by total Malaysian population, rather than voting population, as I do not have any data on voting population.  Peninsular   148 seats               State  Population (m) % of Total Population (m)  Seats  Round up      Selangor  5.46  22.2%  35.81915  36     Johor   3.35  14.85%  21.97695  22     Perak   2.35  10.42%  15.41667  15     Kedah  1.95  8.64%  12.79255  13     KL   1.67  7.40%  10.95567  11     Penang   1.56  6.91%  10.23404  10     Kelantan   1.54  6.83%  10.10284  10     Pahang   1.5  6.65%  9.840426  10     Terengganu   1.04  4.61%  6.822695  7     Negeri Sembilan   1.02  4.52%  6.691489  7     Melaka   0.82  3.63%  5.379433  5     Perlis   0.23  1.02%  1.508865  2     Putrajaya   0.07  0.31%  0.45922  0     Total   22.56  100.00%  148  148                   State   Population (m)  % of Total Population (m)  Seats  Round up     Sabah   3.21  55.63%  41.16811  41     Sarawak   2.47  42.81%  31.67764  32     Labuan   0.09  1.56%  1.154246  1     Total   5.77  100.00%  71  74                                                                                         Source: see here

Vernacular education in Malaysia Posted: 24 May 2013 12:09 PM PDT   Oh, how good it is to study in the SJKCs and SJKTs. The many students who dropped out of the SJKCs especially the Chinese students, and also those who drop out of the SJKT, end up going into crimes.  Mansor Puteh  There are many who are often confused when they say 80,000 Melayu are enrolled in SJKCs. Earlier it was said to be 60,000 Bumiputera students. But the truth is that the so-called Bumiputeras are mostly those who are the so-called 'Sino-Bumiputeras' of Sabah and Sarawak. There is no such a thing called the Sino-Bumiputeras. They are Chinese, since their fathers are Chinese and mothers Natives of the two states. They just want to claim Bumiputera rights which they are not entitled to get. Of the real Melayu, there are at the most 12,000 in SJKCs. Unfortunately analyses by many on this matter do not take into account the failures of those Melayu (Malays were British subjects), how all of those who had studied in the SJKCs finally enrolled into the Sekolah Kebangsaan including the Chinese who did not dare to go to universities in Taiwan or Hong Kong and even China where the medium of instruction is Mandarin. They cry and complain if they are not given places in the universities in Malaysia where the medium of instruction is Melayu. And of the many Melayu who had studied in the SJKCs, how many finally get to go to university, or even excel in the secondary school? How many get a string of As for SPM and STPM? Virtually none that Dong Zong could be proud of to show. And of the many Melayu how many who are experts in Mandarin and who had gone to study history to decipher the ancient Ming Dynasty manuscripts to reveal more historical facts surrounding the history of the Melaka Sultanate? None. And this one fact will startle you: The many students who dropped out of the SJKCs especially the Chinese students, and also those who drop out of the SJKT, end up going into crimes. They cannot be absorbed into the workforce in the private as well as the public sectors. Therefore, they have to sell counterfeit DVDs in the pasar malam, or paste stickers on public properties, creating the third sector - 'Crimes Sector'. Get the facts from Bukit Aman and ask for the profile of the petty crimes and those who are involved in the vice trade and illegal entertainment outlets in the country, and the bottom line is that they are all dropouts of SJKCs and SJKTs. Those who have higher morals amongst the dropouts take up petty trading in the pasar malam or sell telephones and doing other things. Can Dong Zong be described as a chauvinist group? How many times do their leaders encourage assimilation? Do they ever attend Merdeka and Malaysia Day parades or watch them? Do they speak in Melayu? Do they allow their children to mix with the other non-Melayu children? And no Chinese companies actively asked for Melayu with proficiency in Mandarin as an advantage, to work for them. I hope the NST can organize a public forum with Dong Zong and ask them to speak in Melayu. They won't accept it. In fact, they even send their press releases to TV3 in Mandarin as were shown on television themselves. Vernacular education in Malaysia (Mandarin and Tamil) is based purely on the large number of Chinese and Tamils (not Indians) that are still in the country. The position won't be tenable in the future if the size of the communities shrinks and with the empowerment of the Melayu in the economy and politics of the country. It is estimated that by 2050 the population of the Melayu will be 80%. If this happens, there is no way for anyone not to be able to speak in Melayu. In fact, if the government was insistent, there will not be that many non-Melayu who are eligible to get driving licenses since the written tests are conducted in Melayu, when most of the Chinese and Indians are not even capable of reading what is written in the tests. How many of the Chinese and Indian taxi-drivers could truly pass these tests? It is a shame that NST is offering Rita Sim a special column to express her support for vernacular education, when all that she does is to use it as a propaganda platform, spouting predictable and one-sided views on the matter. The vernacular Mandarin or Tamil newspapers won't have any column that extols the virtues of the Sekolah Kebangsaan over the vernacular ones. It is also pertinent to note that of the Chinese and Indian groups, on Mandarin and Tamil are favored or championed by them. But how come the other Chinese and Indian groups such as Hokkiens, Cantonese, Malayalees, Punjabis, Telugus and so on do not demand the establishment of their own schools in Malaysia? The problem is that their numbers are too small for them to make such demands. So the main factor here is 'numbers'. This means if the numbers of the Chinese and Indians in Malaysia shrink in time, vernacular schools will also become irrelevant even to the Chinese and Indian communities. In Singapore, the government said the Indian community there said they did not want the establishment of Tamil schools. Lastly there are at least 30% Melayu who have Chinese ancestry including all of mine. Therefore, one can say most of the Chinese in Malaysia of an earlier time had rejected China and being Chinese. The Chinese today are those who aim to create a colony in Malaysia and not wish to assimilate. In fact, according to a book written by a Chinese in Indonesia, any Chinese who left Chinawas considered to be a traitor. And if he returned to China, he would be arrested and sentenced to hang. If he chose to leave China, he should adopt local ways. That is why the Chinese who went to Indonesia at the same time as those who came to Tanah Melayu assimilated with the Jawa (not Javanese), it is said 80% of the Jawa is said to have Chinese ancestry. No wonder, many Jawa today have Chinese features, including many from the Jawa royal families. Therefore, what I am saying here is that the issue concerning vernacular education in Malaysia and the others surround it, have not been fully discussed or debated.

Open Letter to the Home Minister Posted: 24 May 2013 11:59 AM PDT   In business one sells ones products not by running down ones competitor, one sells ones product by highlighting its advantages and its virtues. By far this is the best and proven method of sale.  Stephen Doss, Social Media Chambers of Malaysia Dear Dato' Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, I write to you as someone who has followed your political ascension from Ketua Pemuda UMNO to your current position as Minister of Home Affairs. As a young University student, I watched with pride when you took on the then President of UMNO and Prime Minister of Malaysia Dato Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad on the issue of cronyism and nepotism at the 1998 UMNO General Assembly. At the time it was unthinkable for someone so low the ladder in politics to take on the all-powerful Dr Mahathir. Over the years I have noticed that you have mellowed in speaking out on issues that someone like me (young urban middle class) would hold dear and value. Young individuals like me yearn for a level playing field as we lack the connections and cables that the connected and family members of politicians and businessmen have access to. I was not surprised with the results of the 2008 elections, even less with the results of the 2013 general elections. The more the leadership in BN speak less about the issues that are of concern to the urban middle class electorate, then it is only natural that you begin to lose the support of that electorate. The correlation should be by now painfully obvious to those who seek the truth. There are two ways in which political parties and politicians can react to sliding support among the masses, they can either seek to halt and reverse the declining support, or they can seek solace within their comfort zone or cocoon of ignorance until it is too late. Sir, I don't need to tell you that the most important issues today affecting the urban populace is education, security and cost of living. Issues that although as important to all Malaysians, probably more so those who live in urban centres. Dear Dato Seri, although UMNO may have won the majority of the rural votes cast, it lost the popular vote, I know you will say that this is irrelevant in a country that practises a First Past The Post system, but that would be fooling oneself into thinking that all is well, especially when you know that the urban demography is a demography that is the most educated, most critical in their thinking and the most discerning, probably a key demography any political party worth their salt will do their best to court as they key supporters. I am glad that the key portfolio of the Home Ministry is now yours, I am sure you of all people will be aware that different times call for different measures, no longer will Malaysians be easily subdued, easily persuaded, or easily fooled by half measures. Nothing less than sincerity of intention and purpose, easily detected through action will do.  The days of saying one thing and doing another and getting away with it are over, in no small measure thanks to the alternative media which is free from state censorship. In business one sells ones products not by running down ones competitor, one sells ones product by highlighting its advantages and its virtues. By far this is the best and proven method of sale. I firmly belief if your Ministry can reduce the anxiety of the people who depend on your Ministry to feel safe, then you would have won half the battle. Security is a bigger issue in the urban centres than in the rural constituencies, solve these problems and you will win their support. The ball is in your court not with the opposition. Dato Seri, I look forward to this national reconciliation process as announced by the Prime Minister, I am sure that you will lead the way as one of his most trusted lieutenants, I assume that reconciliation here means reaching out to all Malaysians even the ones who didn't vote for the BN.   Leave the days of sledge hammer politics to a generation past, a generation who benefited from the absence of the alternative media, who could get away with murder because people did not have access to information. No government in the world will blame the electorate for choosing freely who they wish, neither would they achieve anything by doing so. I pray that God give you and the leadership of this country the wisdom and ability to win any election in future in a free and fair manner. Respected for the work that you do, for upholding democracy and trusting the electorate.    I am sure whether we like the form of democracy or not in this country we all still love this country, having been born here we would wish to die here. As a fellow Malaysian I wish you all the best and hope to see you do great things through your Ministry. Say and do the morally right thing and we will be with you. Sir I sincerely hope that you do well in the next general elections, I would hate to see you do well in UMNO but fail at the next general elections. Your sincerely Stephen Doss Advisor Social Media Chambers of Malaysia

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