Dyana Sofya tewas di Teluk Intan, tetapi DAP menang

Amin Iskandar

The Malaysian Insider

June 01, 2014

Kekalahan Dyana Sofya dalam Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK) Teluk Intan kepada Presiden Gerakan, Datuk Mah Siew Keong dengan majoriti tipis 238 undi membuktikan ramalan Ketua Parlimen DAP, Lim Kit Siang minggu lalu ada benarnya.

Lim sebelum ini menghantar mesej kecemasan (SOS) kepada semua pengundi luar PRK Teluk Intan agar pulang bagi membantu kemenangan setiausaha politiknya.

Lim juga menyeru agar pengguna Internet datang ke Teluk Intan membantu kempen Dyana Sofya sehingga menang.

Sebagai orang lama dalam politik, sudah tentu mudah bagi Lim untuk membaca sentimen di Teluk Intan.

Satu dua lawatan bertemu dengan rakyat Teluk Intan sudah cukup bagi Lim untuk mengetahui sama ada DAP mendapat sokongan atau tidak.

Keputusan PRK Teluk Intan juga memberi isyarat jelas bahawa menang di Internet belum tentu menyebabkan kemenangan dalam pilihan raya.

Analisis awal mengatakan Dyana Sofya tewas kepada Mah kerana pengundi luar tidak pulang mengundi dan generasi lama di Teluk Intan masih tidak selesa DAP meletakkan calon Melayu di kerusi Parlimen itu.

Jumlah undi rosak sebanyak 550 undi juga merupakan angka besar, dan menunjukkan berlakunya protes di kalangan pengundi yang mungkin menolak kedua-dua calon daripada DAP dan Gerakan.

Bagi calon pertama kali bertanding seperti Dyana Sofya, mendapat 19,919 undi berbanding orang lama seperti Mah yang mendapat 20,157 undi merupakan sesuatu perkara yang boleh dibanggakan.

Pada masa akan datang, Dyana Sofya masih boleh terus bertanding di Teluk Intan dan bekerja dengan lebih keras jika mahu menang.

Dyana Sofya juga perlu belajar lebih banyak tentang selok-belok politik daripada bosnya, Lim yang sudah aktif berpolitik sejak tahun 60-an menjelang Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 (PRU14) tidak lama lagi.

Kesilapan Dyana Sofya

Di antara kesilapan Dyana Sofya yang membawa padah adalah dalam isu apakah ibunya, Yammy Samat merupakan anggota Perkasa.

Seharusnya, sejak awal lagi Dyana Sofya mengakui Yammy merupakan ahli Perkasa.

Tidak perlu menunggu sehingga media “menggali sehingga lubang cacing” untuk mendapatkan kebenaran.

Akhirnya apabila Yammy membuat pengakuan, terbukti Dyana Sofya berbohong sebelum ini.

Berbohong merupakan satu perbuatan yang sukar dimaafkan, terutamanya di kalangan pengundi di sesuatu kawasan pilihan raya.

Ini kerana jika sekali seseorang calon itu ditangkap berbohong, agak sukar bagi pengundi untuk mempercayainya untuk menjadi wakil rakyat.

Menurut teman wartawan yang berada di Teluk Intan, kempen Dyana Sofya yang terlalu menumpukan kepada pengundi luar untuk pulang mengundi memberikan kelebihan kepada Mah.

Barisan Nasional (BN) menggunakan sebaik mungkin Mah sebagai calon Cina dan anak tempatan untuk memenangi kerusi itu.

Selain itu, janji Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak untuk melantik Mah menjadi menteri jika menang kerusi Parlimen Teluk Intan turut mempengaruhi pengundi untuk memenangkan Mah.

Keperibadian Mah yang ‘gentleman’ dan dianggap sebagai calon ‘underdog’ turut memberikan kelebihan kepadanya.

Walaupun tindakan DAP yang meletakkan calon Melayu di Teluk Intan tidak membuahkan hasil dan menyebabkan mereka kurang satu kerusi Parlimen, parti itu harus dipuji kerana percubaan berani meletakkan calon melangkaui batas kaum.

Walaupun kalah, DAP berjaya membuktikan mereka menang kerana berani meletakkan Melayu sebagai calon, walaupun dianggap sebagai parti chauvinis Cina selama ini.

Sedangkan Gerakan yang merupakan parti berbilang kaum, masih menggunakan strategi meletakkan calon Cina untuk menang di Teluk Intan. – 1 Jun, 2014.

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Dyana Sofya’s real victory: Unmasking political hypocrisy

Zurairi AR

The Malay Mail Online

June 1, 2014

JUNE 1 — By the time you read this, the result for the Teluk Intan by-election is already known and to whoever won it, I only have this to say: “I told you so.”

Meanwhile, at the time of writing, it is at the final hours of campaigning. Two weeks of an exhilarating ride that a lot of us did not really expect.

Despite that, the Teluk Intan by-election must have been a horrible nightmare for conservative Malay-Muslims.

On one side is Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud. A seemingly “liberal” Malay woman who had joined, of all parties, the opposition DAP: usually seen as synonymous with anti-Malay and anti-Islam. Undeservingly so but that is another story.

On the other side, an infidelic non-Malay: Mah Siew Keong.

Whether Dyana did win or lose yesterday — or tomorrow for me — her biggest victory might have been this: unmasking political hypocrisy on both sides of the political divide.

With her candidacy, Umno could no longer urge Malay voters to simply vote for the Malay candidate, that only a Malay can protect the interests of the community.

As a result, they had to work doubly hard to convince their target audience that it is totally fine to vote for and put your trust in a BN candidate, even if he is not the Malay one among the choices.

For example, Fathul Bari Mat Jahya, a popular young religious preacher, had to explain in rallies that there also exists the concept of tahaluf siyasi in Umno, just that it was not being called by that name.

Tahaluf siyasi, roughly meaning “political consensus”, has been the term used by Islamist party PAS to explain and justify their alliance with DAP, widely seen as a predominantly Chinese party.

Ironically, that concept had previously been rubbished by Umno, which said that PAS was diluting its fight for an Islamic state by being an ally with secular DAP.

Similarly, PAS had condemned Gerakan for threatening to file a legal suit should it continue insisting on the implementation of the controversial Islamic penal law of hudud.

With MCA and Gerakan both huge critics of hudud, PAS usually would have had an easy time painting BN as being against an Islamic obligation.

Not so this time, when they had somehow accepted that Dyana, coming from DAP, has no support at all for its implementation, much like the BN parties PAS has whacked before.

Coincidentally, in a seminar on hudud organised by Kelantan PAS just days after campaigning started, central committee member Nik Abduh Nik Abd Aziz had detailed a spectrum of categories illustrating the acceptance of hudud.

One of the categories described those who are Muslim and claimed to not reject hudud, but disagreed with its implementation. He labelled those in that category as “huge sinners.”

Would PAS dare to repeat the same claim, and call Dyana a “huge sinner” in the middle of Pakatan Rakyat’s campaign? I doubt that very much.

Much of the attention has been given to Dyana’s looks, and men seemed to think that they should have a say about her choice of dress.

This included a banner bearing BN’s logo hung in downtown Teluk Intan, quoting popular (but also popularly sexist) religious preacher Azhar Idrus, mocking those who only wear headscarves on-and-off as thinking that punishments in Hell will also be on-and-off.

It was a reference to Dyana, who could be seen donning a selendang to cover her head when attending Malay-centric or PAS events, but without it most of the time.

Which was funny, because some Umno supporters had been adamant in defending a certain high profile wife when she was mocked by PAS for not covering her head, saying that it was her choice to do so.

Funnier too for PAS, because they could somehow accept Dyana who eschewed the more conservative or Arabic headgear worn by PAS members for something traditionally Malay.

PAS members had even needed to defend themselves for not being bothered by Dyana’s seemingly carefree approach that would have invited scorn had it been somebody linked to Umno.

In their defence, Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad had reportedly justified it by saying that although Dyana did not choose to cover her head, at least she dressed modestly.

If PAS can accept Dyana for what she is and how she looks, then how come it cannot extend the same attitude towards the rest of the Malay women population, instead of playing moral police?

One of the biggest hypocrisies, however, had to be BN’s, which this time around touted itself as “the most successful multi-racial party” in the world. In addition to that, Mah also praised Gerakan for its inclusivity and claimed that race-based politics has no future in Malaysia.

All this happened after Dyana announced her stand against racial politics, and how that had led her to choose DAP for its inclusiveness.

Perhaps the biggest blow in this election is against the images of PKR and PAS: how could a Malay woman deliberately choose to enter DAP?

Would this lead to the intake of more Malays in DAP? Would DAP be more representative of Malaysians? Would it finally shed its image of being a Chinese-centric party?

Should DAP succeed in all this, then where would this leave PKR and PAS? Why should Malays even join them? These questions will continue to haunt these two parties long after the by-election is done and dusted.

In my opinion, never has a recent election opened up so many questions and possibilities about the future of Malaysian politics. If anything, DAP and Dyana can surely be proud of that.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 1 June 2014, 6:06 pm and is filed under
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Dyana wins our hearts

– Amar Singh & Lim Swee Im

The Malaysian Insider

June 01, 2014

Dear Dyana Sofya,

You may have lost this small election but you have won the hearts of many, many Malaysians. Despite the ugly ways and attempts to shame or demonise you, we are pleased you did not sink down to the level of those who were shameless in their behaviour.

We know you are ethnically Malay, but throughout this campaign it was clear you are first a Malaysian and stand for all Malaysians. So we seldom think or see you as a Malay, but more as our fellow sister and Malaysian.

It is vital that all of us move away from any form of ethnic politics, ethnic decision-making, ethnic criteria in selection, etc., as this just divides us further. So we are delighted with your stand of inclusiveness.

We want to assure you that you did not lose but won many heart.

The amount of pressure, threats, inducements, promises, etc., that were used is unbelievable. Such behaviour is unethical in any developed and ethical nation.

Do not lose heart.

We are all fighting for the true One Malaysia, where our ethnic differences are celebrated and appreciated, where our religious difference are respected and protected, where we no longer have to classify ourselves by our ethnicity but by our identity as Malaysians.

Like you, we long for the day when Malaysians from all walks of life will fight for their fellow man, regardless of their skin colour, beliefs or position. Thank you for doing so. – June 1, 2014.

* Datuk Dr Amar-Singh HSS and Datin Dr Lim Swee Im read The Malaysian Insider.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 1 June 2014, 9:15 pm and is filed under
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If 400 outstation voters, or one per cent of the voter turn-out, had returned to Teluk Intan to vote, Dyana Sofya would today be the MP for Teluk Intan

If 400 outstation voters, or one per cent of the 40,236 voter-turnout in the Teluk Intan by-election (66.7%)  yesterday, had returned to Teluk Intan to vote, Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud would today be the Member of Parliament for Teluk Intan.

Or if the Teluk Intan by-election polling had been held  today, a Sunday, which would enable more outstation voters to make the journey back to Teluk Intan to vote, the result would have been very different.

But these are all water under the bridge.

We must learn from the lessons of the by-election and move on.

I congratulate Datuk Mah Siew Keong as the new MP for Teluk Intan.

The 12-day Teluk Intan by-election had been a titanic struggle between the new politics of the future vs the old politics of the past, the politics of Malaysia based on justice, freedom, accountability and good governance versus the politics of race.

As symbolized by the Teluk Intan by-election battle, a new Malaysia where all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, are inspired by a common Malaysian Dream of harmony, justice, freedom, excellence and greatness, is struggling to be born after more than five decades of nation-building.

This  is why Dyana’s candidature and the Teluk Intan by-election have captured the imagination of Malaysians faraway from Teluk Intan,  all over in  Malaysia as well as internationally among the Malaysian Diaspora in the world.

Dyana may have lost as a parliamentary candidate in the Teluk Intan by-election on May 31,  but what is finally most important is for her representing the New Malaysia  to win  the battle for tomorrow in taking the first important step to move and inspire Malaysians towards the new politics of inclusivity of all Malaysians to replace the politics of compartmentalization of race.

The struggle to achieve the Malaysian Dream resumed from yesterday!

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 1 June 2014, 5:16 pm and is filed under
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Lose the battle, win the war in Teluk Intan

– Raymond Lim

The Malaysian Insider

June 01, 2014

This phrase was written in one of the most popular war strategy book used by global top management schools for business strategies classes and it is called “The Art of War” by General Sun Tzu in 600BC.  Yes, Dyana lose in the battle but the result and experiences will definitely be crucial in moulding future political strategies particularly in the next GE14, the war.  Why is this so?

To me, the final result should be more devastating to Mah/BN even though Dyana/Pakatan had lost.  For Dyana, a non-resident and a political novice to have such close fight (losing only 238 votes compare with a political heavyweight, the number one from Gerakan, born and was well known in Teluk Intan) also reinforces BN’s initial fear that there is now an undercurrent of fast changing political scenario that will not be easily controllable by any political parties in the next GE.

Yes, the Chinese may still support the Chinese or the Malay may still support the Malay and so forth. But, for this young Malay lady, who was given the opportunity to stand with a party such as the well-known Chinese chauvinist-dominated party, DAP, it had without doubt help to open up an era of endless possibilities for those progressive modern Malay who are fearless in their pursuit of what Malaysia should be.

To me, as a Malaysian, I am confident there is still an opportunity for a better tomorrow. The result in the just concluded by-election in Teluk Intan only prove democracy is still possible and all Malaysian, young and old, Bumiputera or non-Bumiputera will be given a fair opportunity to serve the Rakyat if they can prove to their parties. I am also confident that this will not be the only election we see a fight of such nature and temperament. It may turn out to be the way for all political parties to consider when fielding candidates for election.

A benchmark had been set and I am excited to look forward on how this will impact our next GE14 as a true breed Malaysian, even it may takes a long time. Just like any patriotic Malaysian, home is still home and Malaysia is still my home, let us all work towards a better Malaysia.

“Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly and have peace with god”. – June 1, 2014.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 1 June 2014, 7:49 pm and is filed under
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Teluk Intan and all that jazz

Azly Rahman

Malaysiakini

May 30, 2014

What is promised to our youth in this by-election that is pitching the old versus the young? What do we need to see radically changed in our society? Here are my thoughts, especially today.

 I am very sad today, reading about rape cases involving minors – gang-rape, to be exact, of ten, twelve, thirty young kids destroying each other! Madness. No-nonsense parenting is key here, folks.

 Just when I had finished writing this first draft for this column, I read about a two year-old girl taken away from a shopping mall and later found with her head severed and her body dumped near the Klang River. Madness.

 Days earlier we read about the early morning robbery of two nuns in Seremban, of which one of them died of serious head injuries. Almost daily we still read about snatch thefts resulting in the victims injured. An endless cycle of violence we are living in. Madness.

 Back to what is happening to our youth.

Wake-up call

 Let us help educate each other. Society is being destroyed right in front of our eyes. This is a wake-up call. Each family has to do its own job of taking care of their children while slowly releasing these wonderful human beings into society to participate as good, intelligent, ethical citizens.

Our society is more concerned with  a wasteful RM70 million pandas from China, hudud, Islamic state, high-income society, world-class education, who wins in by-elections, which politician is the most beautiful and good-looking, who is the richest man or woman in the country, which politician assemblyperson is going to jump ship, how many more stadium roofs collapsing, what airplane ping we are still hearing, what derogatory word to use against each other or different race and religion, what kind of shouting match to engage in in Parliament, what X-rated sensational news to report in even the tabloids for the consumption of children since the Anwar Ibrahim Trial of Sodomy I, how many milligrams of haram nano-substance is in the human body, the endless Perkasa-Isma complaint against liberalism and embarking upon a global reach to spread ultra-parochial thinking, and all other categories of nonsense – all these but not how to raise a good generation and ensure parental accountability.

 Wake up, all of us. Wake up! We are losing the next generation. The key is to fix education – making schools a happier place so that kids can find meaning, belongingness, eager to learn everyday, their gifts and talents appreciated, channeled well in the most productive ways, and they learn to craft vision… to get them out of the cycle of poverty, so that they will not detour daily to some empty houses, buildings, etc. and not to play truant, ponteng kelas, and rape people, gang rape to be exact, and these children gang-raping, rempitising, and terrorising the neighborhood, are mostly Malay-Muslims too, to be exact!

 Perkasa – why don’t you focus your jihad on these kinds of work in helping our youth and parents with poor parenting skill cope with the demands of hypermodern life?

 I missed my kampong back in the day when I get to kiss the hands of old folks and give my respect to the elders, as if each one of them is a Don Vito Corleone – because it took a kampong to raise us.

 Together, we must create a Learning Society of Pride so that we may always stand tall instead of striving hard to become a Leaning Society of the Tower of Pisang in a banana republic falling down one by one as kampong heroes.

 But how do we do this – in a world of madness, of the dumb and dumber?

All that jazz

 So – what’s the agenda for reform of whoever wins the by-elections? Can we see some concrete plan:

For school improvement, safety on the streets, beautifying and cleaning up the city, addressing the issue of youth losing direction, promoting intercultural understanding, mediating difficult religious issues, community empowerment through participatory democracy, no-nonsense and sustainable entrepreneurship, improving English Language skills and employability, dealing with Mat and Minah Rempitism, disaster preparation?

 These are just a few changes we need to see.

 And this call for action applies to any candidate campaigning for change. But are we seeing much of these? Usually when candidates get their votes, these go missing and what is important for them is survival till the next elections. And society never gets to see and feel changes and be part of change or become change masters.

 Same old, same old yet we speak of new candidates bringing new hope. Today, parties we vote and hope for to bring changes are dealing with their own infighting and control over resources. Instead of reading about changes made and promises met, what are we still fed with in the news?

 Would you agree?

 And are we not tired of rhetoric at the time when society has become dangerous when even fourteen-year old girls get raped by eight people, a nun killed in a robbery, and a two-year-old girl kidnapped and beheaded?

DR AZLY RAHMAN, born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Baru, holds a Columbia University (New York City) doctorate in International Education Development and Masters degrees in four areas: Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and has written more than 350 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience in Malaysia and the United States spans over a wide range of subjects, from elementary to graduate education. He has edited and authored four books; Multiethnic Malaysia: Past, Present, Future (2009), Thesis on Cyberjaya: Hegemony and Utopianism in a Southeast Asian State (2012), The Allah Controversy and Other Essays on Malaysian Hypermodernity (2013), and the latest Dark Spring: Ideological Roots of Malaysia’s GE-13 (2013). He currently resides in the United States. Twitter, blog.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 1 June 2014, 6:29 pm and is filed under
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The cost of MH370 search efforts

Tom Burns

Aljazeera

30 May 2014

Why are countries spending millions of dollars in search of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane?

Two months and too many conspiracy theories ago, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing lost contact with air traffic control and prompted the largest air-sea search in history.

Satellite data provided investigators with two possible corridors along which the missing plane may have sent out its final communications. The northern corridor extended from northern Thailand across the Asian continent to the border of Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan while the southern corridor stretched from the western islands of Indonesia to the remote southern Indian Ocean.

Developments in the search lead to a specific focus on the southern corridor, particularly areas of the southern Indian Ocean, about 2,000 kilometres west of the Australian coastal city of Perth.

Throughout the search, families of the 239 people aboard have endured a rollercoaster of emotions as lead after lead has failed to confirm the exact location of the aircraft and the nature of its likely demise.

It was to these families that officials from Malaysia, China, and Australia, pledged in early May that they would not give up the search.

Recently, however, there has been a major setback: Doubt has been raised over whether the detected pings from what was thought to be MH370’s black box are actually from the plane at all. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau, who is helping to lead the search from Perth, has also announced the conclusion of their search in the vicinity where the pings were detected, ruling it out as the final resting place of MH370.

In other words, we could be back to square one.

‘Most expensive’ search operation

Overall, tens of millions of dollars have been spent thus far, which is now more than that the amount paid up over two years in a similar search in 2009 for Air France flight 447 when it crashed in the Atlantic Ocean. The search for MH370 is therefore not only the largest of its kind but is likely to quickly become the most expensive in history. Australia, for instance, has budgeted for at least another $83.8m over the next two years. Comparatively, the US has spent $3.3m and is planning to double the original budget of another $4m.

While the US contribution might not seem unsubstantial considering there were only three US nationals on the flight, it doesn’t quite match all the rhetoric we’ve been hearing of late about a so-called pivot to Asia.

Nonetheless, since the crash likely occurred in international waters, there isn’t actually a clear obligation for any particular nations to devote resources to the search at all. That is, except perhaps for Malaysia, since Malaysia Airlines is their flag carrier, they should presumably accept some level of responsibility for the incident and search.

Per articles 25 and 26 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation, whose 191 signatories include Australia, Malaysia, China, and the US, the only clear requirement for nations to assist planes in distress or investigate a crash is when that aircraft is within its own territory. In such circumstances, it must also permit the “owners of the aircraft or authorities of the [s]tate in which the aircraft is registered” to assist in the investigation or rescue mission.

Given the massive scale of the whole undertaking, it is an endeavour Malaysia cannot carry out alone. It is likely in the diplomatic interests of other nations such as Australia, China, and the US to help, not only in practical terms but also politically.

At what point, though, is it reasonable for some of these nations to bow out and stop aiding in the search for MH370?

Vietnam and Singapore ended their major involvement in the search after scouring the South China Sea. Clearly Malaysia, China, and Australia can’t and probably won’t be backing out any time soon due to their public commitment to the ongoing search effort.

The US, however, might see reason to limit their involvement over the next few months. Still, to remove their assistance entirely might be ill-advised, if they truly wish to follow through with their pivot towards more focused and deliberate relations in Asia. Besides, they’re getting two, maybe three or four, for the price of one; they aren’t just helping one single nation, but a sizeable regional group.

Politicising tragedy

While the majority of the politics and diplomacy between the involved governments has gone smoothly throughout the tragedy, tensions between Malaysian and Chinese officials were inevitable. Even though the Chinese news agency Xinhua has gone so far as to accuse the Malaysian government of a “dereliction of duty”, their $106bn bilateral trade relationship should be a major incentive to keep the partnership in good health. Additionally, they have many other investment, security, and social ties which will likely see them through this short but shaky episode.

Political capital is also gained and lost in the various domestic arenas. In Malaysia, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has repeatedly questioned the truthfulness and competence of the government over the catastrophe.

Commentators have also noted the stark contrast between Australia’s seemingly generous support of the search effort and it’s less generous treatment of asylum seekers who attempt to enter the country via boat.

“The mysterious disappearance of MH370 reflects not only an incompetent regime ruling the country, but an irresponsible government,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in March.

Even though his condemnation could be entirely justified due to the Malaysian government’s multiple inconsistencies and altogether clumsy handling of the incident, that hasn’t stopped his opponents calling it an unhelpful overreaction and political gaming.

Commentators have also noted the stark contrast between Australia’s seemingly generous support of the search efforts and its less generous treatment of asylum seekers who attempt to enter the country via boat.

Also, in light of the large expense Australia is willing to dedicate to the MH370 search, local military veterans have called for renewed search efforts to find Australia’s first submarine, HMAS AE1. It was last seen almost a century ago in September 1914 off the coast of Papua New Guinea.

Unique cooperation

All of this spells a highly unusual set of circumstances. After all, when was the last time elements of the Chinese Air Force landed on an Australian runway with no questions asked? We can hardly call it common.

These unique interactions between nations who normally treat each other with suspicion are a rare sight for us all  and perhaps highlight just how unnecessary our suspicions and mistrust might be. In fact, a breakthrough in Sino-Australian military relations was achieved in April when Chinese President Xi Jinping accepted Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s invitation to address the Australian parliament and consider joint military exercises.

Not all nations involved in the search might be thinking about joint military exercises, though – some might even be thinking about possible future military conflicts or how to avoid them.

While coordinated searches of the highly contentious South China Sea went off surprisingly smoothly, the various military forces involved will have now seen quite of a lot of each other’s advanced military hardware in action.

Despite setbacks, the search will likely continue not only because of national and international interests, but also because the families of the passengers and the general public need answers.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 1 June 2014, 8:14 pm and is filed under
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The rise of Pakatan’s third-liners

by Sheridan Mahavera

The Malaysian Insider

June 01, 2014

Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud did not win the Teluk Intan by-election last night but she still followed in the footsteps of her party’s elders while at the same time breaking from some of its traditions.

Like her boss, Lim Kit Siang, Dyana Sofya is making her first attempt at elected office in her mid-20s. Lim who is now 73, was 28 when he was first elected in 1969 for the parliamentary seat of Bandar Melaka.

Unlike Lim and many of the DAP’s leading lights such as Lim Guan Eng, Anthony Loke and Liew Chin Thong, Dyana Sofya is not from the Chinese working and middle classes that the party draws its support and members from.

The former UiTM law graduate represents a growing number of Malay-Muslim youths who are joining the DAP and who are making up an important third-line of members and leaders that are different from their elders.

But they and the DAP are not alone. Across Pakatan Rakyat (PR), a new generation of youth are forming a crucial third vanguard in PAS and PKR as their parties’ second-line move into more senior positions.

These sons and daughters of the post-Merdeka generation are already making an impact in PKR, PAS and DAP as the coalition marches to Putrajaya in the 14th general election.

But because they became politically conscious in a different era than their elders, these third-liners are taking their parties in new and unexpected directions.

While some are helping to make their party more inclusive and mainstream, others are helping steer their party to its more radical fringe.

As their voices become more influential, the third-liners in PR could work together to drive their coalition forward to become a viable alternative to Barisan Nasional (BN).

Legacies

Understanding how opposition politics evolved in the past 30 years is important to understanding the unique mentality of PR’s third-liners and how they differ from their elders.

Back when there was no internet but the Internal Security Act (ISA), there was a price to pay for being in a non-BN friendly party.

According to the DAP Political Education director Liew Chin Tong (pic), older, more established people did not want a career in opposition politics because of the risks involved.

One such risk was being detained under the ISA, which happened to social justice activists, labour leaders and non-BN politicians in 1987.

This was an experience shared by DAP and PAS’s second-liners. People like Guan Eng, Mohamad Sabu, Khalid Samad and Karpal Singh forged ties while they were detained under the ISA.

By stifling the media, the ruling BN also had a strangle-hold on public opinion.

It was between the 1980s to 1999 that the belief that DAP was anti-Malay and anti-Muslim, and that PAS was anti-non-Muslim was entrenched in the public mind.

Being in the opposition under these conditions forged a deep distrust and bitterness towards the BN among the second-liners, said Selangor PAS leader Khalid Samad, who was one of those detained in 1987.

However this is not a view that is shared among his party’s third-liners, he said, who are in their 30s and 40s, and who joined up after 1999, a turning point Malaysian politics.

“Many had not experienced how Umno treated the Opposition when Umno was strong. They only got into politics after 1999 when Umno was already backed up against a wall.”

At the same time, said Liew, Dyana Sofya’s entry into the DAP is a powerful signal of how the fear of the DAP that Umno nurtured among Malays for the past three decades, has evaporated, at least among educated, urban Malays.

Products of history

Ironically, the lack of fear of Umno among PAS’s third-liners is having different results and is causing that party’s second liners to worry.

As seen in the Kelantan hudud episode, the third-liners’ lack of experience of how Umno has treated PAS makes them open to working with their party’s nemesis to enforce hudud.

This has caused a rift in the Islamist party and in ties with allies DAP and PKR.

“Reconciliation with Umno has always been Umno’s offer to PAS ever since they became weak,” said Khalid (pic).

“Some of our young members want to take shortcuts (to implement hudud with Umno support) because they think Umno is not as bad as my generation makes it out to be”.

That’s not the only difference between the two generations.

Khalid’s generation in PAS was more about positioning the party as one that stood for good governance and fighting corruption instead of being a doctrinaire Islamist movement.

But the party’s third-liners appear to be a different breed, said political analyst Dr Wong Chin Huat.

“If you look at PAS, they managed to capture better middle-aged leaders in their 50s and 60s who are now really shining,” said Dr Wong of think tank Penang Institute.

“But somehow their younger leaders are into things like banning Valentine’s Day.”

Wong believes as the third-liners in the DAP and PKR are trying to nurture a new kind of politics that focuses on jobs, education and good governance, the third-liners in PAS appear to be going back to the old identity politics of race and religion.

Again, Dyana Sofya contesting the Teluk Intan by-election reflects this DAP pivot. Instead of choosing yet another young Chinese leader to pander to their traditional support base, the DAP chose to field a Malay Muslim knowing that it was risky.

While PAS’s third-liners are helping to steer PAS back to their political fringe and to its traditional support base in the East Coast, said Wong.

“So while the DAP embracing Malays, PAS want to go back to enforcing hudud. The DAP wants to move out of its comfort zone while PAS wants to bury their heads in their own.”

As PAS’s third-liners band together with like-minded second liners and continue to push for a more conservative PAS, it is unlikely that they will work well with the third-liners in PKR and DAP, who are heading the other way.

In the coming years, the influence of these third-liners could decide whether PR parties can be a true unified, alternative to BN. – June 1, 2014.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 1 June 2014, 6:58 pm and is filed under
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Victory in defeat

 – Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud

DAP candidate for Teluk Intan

So near, yet so far. It has been a whirlwind campaign over the last two weeks, and although we may not have achieved our ultimate goal of winning this by-election, I don’t think anyone can deny that we have given our all against the might of the entire Federal government machinery.

Despite the negative and malicious campaigning, the people of Teluk Intan have shown their strong support for the ideas, struggles and principles that my party and I stand for.

Nonetheless, I congratulate Dato’ Mah Siew Keong on his victory.

I believe that this result is a great achievement for me personally, as well as a progressive step forward for the party. In spite of the tremendous odds stacked against us, we managed to knock down barriers previously thought impossible, and that is the real victory.

I accept the outcome positively, and vow to strengthen my resolve and continue fighting for the hopes and dreams of all Malaysians. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the party leadership for their unflinching support, the campaign team for their tireless commitment, and our volunteers who sacrificed so much time and energy.

I would also like to thank our coalition partners, including leaders from PAS and PKR who gave us their strongest support. In particular, I would also like to thank the local Teluk Intan PAS machinery, as well as the PAS Muslimat, for all their efforts and solidarity.

Finally, I would like to extend my deepest and most sincere appreciations to each and every voter of Teluk Intan. You have let me into your lives and I hereby tell you that I will continue what I have started.

This is not the end but merely the beginning. If there is one thing I have learned from the last two weeks, it is that there are thousands if not millions of Malaysians who also believe in the goal of “Malaysianising” Malaysia. And so, to each and every one of you out there, I promise that the day will come when we will all roar together for a new Malaysia. – May 31, 2014

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 1 June 2014, 4:08 pm and is filed under
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BN’s racial politics still work, but not for long

YourSay

Malaysiakini

Jun 2, 2014

YOURSAY
 ‘A lesson to learn is that changes come in baby steps, not giant strides.’

Delving into DAP’s shock defeat

Fair Play:
 For DAP, a lesson to learn in the Teluk Intan by-election is that changes come in baby steps, not giant strides. The road ahead is often fraught with uncertainties, obstacles and frustrations and takes a pathway of ‘one step forward, two steps backward’ approach.

 A good start would be to identify young and qualified right-thinking Muslim Malaysians as political secretaries to key DAP politicians and train them as future leaders. Do not forget young and qualified Indian Malaysians too.

 DAP has to break the political mold (perception) that it is a Chinese Malaysian political party. For almost all Malaysians, perception (how they see thing) is reality.

 Examples like Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud is a good start, but need more fine-tuning and adaptation. Be patient and plan for the long haul. If there is hope, there is a future.

Basically:
 I am not sure if DAP was shocked by the results. They took a huge gamble and I believe they would have calculated the risks. That they took such a risk shows many things, but above all, the difference between DAP and BN.

 DAP took the chance to test the waters, prove a point, and give a young candidate a chance to shine and get her feet wet, and to strengthen the party for the future.

 Losing is not a big disaster, but the experience gained is invaluable on many fronts – gauging voter sentiment, proving Dyana’s calibre as a future leader, testing voters’ response to DAP’s various pitches.

 Meanwhile in contrast, Umno-BN showed it has not changed but has regressed, still sticking to an old tired warhorse for the same old reasons, and using the same old tricks, but taken to even uglier heights.

 It has also revealed Gerakan to be a completely subservient puppet who stood by while ‘taiko’ Umno did all the heavy punching, while they shrugged and looked the other way. Mah Siew Keong’s campaign shows his ministership and being in Parliament will just be another token to PM Najib Razak’s fake multiracial team.

 In fact he said it himself: with BN in power in Perak since mid-2008, in charge of Teluk Intan’s local council for the past six years, and with him being past minister and MP before, Teluk Intan is still backward and had lousy facilities.

 And he’s asking to be voted in to change that? It shows BN’s tactic of deception still works, by ensuring the voter remains ignorant, dependent on handouts and easily fooled that they did not see this as an admission of failure, but instead bought the trick answer.

 A revival for Gerakan? I hardly think so. Umno-BN went all out to ensure they won this one after ditching Bukit Gelugor, as a face-saving victory.

Anonymous_1371880345:
 I think we need not over-analyse the reasons for this very close defeat. It could have turned either way and the analysts would have written very differently.

 What DAP need to do now is to continue to pursue its non-racial ideals and work hard. Light will always triumph over darkness eventually.

 One small setback in a battle lost in no way changes the tidal course of history for the morally upright determined to see the final victory in its war against the morally corrupt.

Man On The Street:
 The people of Teluk Intan still loves the government that plunders the nation, practices corruption, abuses power and very much liked to be ruled under the racial politics.

 Even the poor and illiterate people of India knows how to vote for their future. We are so backward in thinking and fail to understand the needs our future generation, the system of education and quality of life. Indeed, a very sad day for many of us.

Kawak:
 Yes, I agree with Man On The Street’s comments. The Indians in India are smarter voters in their recently held general election. They voted out the Congress Party which had ruled the country for so many years. They voted out a party which has become corrupted.

 In Malaysia, the voters consistently voting in a corrupted regime which holds on power by playing racial and religious sentiments. This type government will only collapse when the country goes bankrupt and everyone suffers.

Headhunter:
 If anything, this by-election has proven yet again that bread-and-butter issues are key to winning over voters especially those in Teluk Intan, which is semi-rural.

 DAP’s loss should not be considered a total loss because there are many pluses to be taken into account. The choice of candidate is very bold and in spite of the BN usual cheating and bribing of voters, Dyana did a tremendous job.

 The election also prove that groundwork is much more effective than rhetoric as what Gerakan had done. DAP should consider it a great learning experience and re-look at their strategy for future elections.

Abasir:
 DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang should be lauded for the courage he displayed and risk he took in fielding Dyana – a move which clearly rattled Umno and its hangers-on.

 If she had won, it would have nailed the lies spewed by Umno about the DAP and more importantly, have sent a clear signal that the people will no longer be duped by the ‘Malays for Malays, Chinese for Chinese and Indians for Indians’ line of a rotting regime.

 The fact that the young lady came within a hair’s breadth of victory ought to mean something – especially considering the fact that Umno and its self-serving sycophants threw everything into the fray including tangible and intangible bribes, threats, racial slurs, thugs and a parade of ‘ministers’ to secure a mere 238 votes more than the indefatigable Dyana.

Proarte:
 I cannot help feeling that DAP contributed to its own shock defeat notwithstanding the fact that many outstation DAP supporters did not return to vote. DAP was in a situation of double jeopardy because it adopted the Anwar Ibrahim modus operandi of being ‘all things to all men’.

 Ultimately it was a question of trust and commitment to principle which I think the Teluk Intan folk felt Pakatan had strayed from. Only a year ago, Pakatan presented ‘a common manifesto’ where hudud did not feature.

 A year later, PAS betrays the manifesto and is in discussion with Umno to facilitate the introduction of hudud in Kelantan. Surely DAP should know that its core supporters are anti-hudud, let alone the fact that it is unconstitutional.

 Dyana’s initial denial of her mother’s involvement and membership of Perkasa only served to further undermine trust in her. If the Teluk Intan folk had voted for Dyana, it would be because they felt she represented a paradigm shift in the way political representation is organised and would be willing to give her a chance.

 However, because of her apparent lack of integrity and DAP skirting of the hudud issue made the voters of Teluk Intan feel they could not trust DAP totally and would stand to benefit more from Mah if he was appointed a minister as he would be in a position to help Teluk Intan materially due to BN largesse.

Durian Tunggal:
 Dear Lim Kit Siang, you did your best for the people of Malaysia. I wonder whether you can carry on with the disappointment as you have reached the peak of your life. Please take care of your health.

 The people of Malaysia do not deserve your concern. You fought for them and the future of their children and grandchildren but in vain. You sacrificed your entire life for them yet this is the ungratefulness you get.

 In all my life, you put the welfare before your comfort. Generations to come, I wonder whether they will ever remember you. The coming generation will be most likely be your last. I wonder whether you will ever see a change of government.

 The people of Malaysia are not people like Thailand where they are willing to sacrifice their lives. One day I would like to meet you and give you a nice hug although I am just a nobody. But I can feel your warmth and the goodness in your heart.

Anonymous #23456263:
 Again it boils down to money, machinery and media. BN has made so many offers that are hard for voters to decline. After all, the goodies will be helpful, and besides, it makes no difference at the federal level even if DAP loses.

The Shrimp Warrior:
 Yes, change can only come from the young. And this time, they did not deliver. Sad.

 The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 2 June 2014, 11:18 pm and is filed under
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Call on Malaysians not to lose faith but to ensure the wafer-thin by-election loss in Teluk Intan becomes the stepping-stone to national victory  for a new Malaysia tomorrow

My first electoral experience as a candidate was the Serdang State Assembly by-election in Selangor on 7th January 1969, when I was 27 years old and I  lost the Opposition “blue-ribbon” seat  by a small majority of 607 votes because of split votes in a three-cornered contest.

Four months later, in the 1969 general elections, DAP won the Serdang state assembly state seat with a 3,314-vote majority, one of the 13 Parliamentary and 31 State Assembly seats won by the DAP in the party’s first general election contest.

Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud is 26 years old and she lost the Teluk Intan parliamentary by-election with a wafer-thin majority of 238 votes.

Worth noting is the  electoral  experience of the Selangor Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim who lost heavily in his first electoral foray in the Ijuk State Assembly by-election in Selangor in April 2007, but in less than year, Barisan Nasional lost the Selangor State Government for two consecutive general elections to Pakatan Rakyat.

Electoral defeat is not the end of the world.

In fact, Serdang by-election in January 1969 was not my only electoral defeat, as in the 1999 general elections, seeking to ensure that the new Barisan Alternative could win every possible parliamentary seat, I moved from my three-term Tanjong constituency to the risky Bukit Bendera constituency, where I suffered a 104-vote defeat – forcing me out of Parliament for the first time since 1969.

What is important is keep faith with our political principles and objectives, never to succumb to setbacks and pressures,  trials and tribulations, to remain firm in our  purpose and convictions  to bring about political changes where the old and divisive politics of race, corruption and abuses of power is replaced by the new and inclusive Malaysian politics of harmony, justice, freedom, accountability and  good governance.

Dyana is fully committed in her political principles and ideals. As she said in her “So near and yet so far” statement after the by-election results on Saturday:

“I accept the outcome positively, and vow to strengthen my resolve and continue fighting for the hopes and dreams of all Malaysians.

“This is not the end but merely the beginning. If there is one thing I have learned from the last two weeks, it is that there are thousands if not millions of Malaysians who also believe in the goal of ‘Malaysianising’ Malaysia. And so, to each and every one of you out there, I promise that the day will come when we will all roar together for a new Malaysia.”

I call on Malaysians not to lose faith but to ensure that the wafer-thin by-election loss in Teluk Intan becomes the stepping-stone to national victory for a new Malaysia tomorrow.

I call particularly on the young generation of Malaysians  regardless of race, religion or region  to rally behind Dyana to bring about new politics, new mindsets and a new Malaysia!

                This entry was posted on Monday, 2 June 2014, 5:03 pm and is filed under
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Expert: Search for MH370 not becoming more complicated

The Malay Mail Online

June 2, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 ― An expert has said that the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, flight MH370 is not becoming more complicated and that the search and rescue (SAR) team was looking in the wrong area.

New Zealand-based space scientist and physicist, Duncan Steel, made the remarks in an email interview with Bernama following the latest announcement by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which discounted the vicinity of acoustic signals detected previously.

“They were never leads (the claimed acoustic detections). Having discounted them is a good thing, in that it enables other possibilities to be considered,” said Steel, who is also a visiting Professor of Astrobiology at the University of Buckingham, England and a space scientist at NASA-Ames Research Centre in California, USA.

According to him, the sonic pings in the Indian Ocean were obviously (to a physicist) not from the MH370 emergency locator beacon and that ATSB’s announcement was entirely disconnected from the satellite-derived information.

He believed that based on available information from the released raw data, it was most likely that the aircraft headed south at near 500 knots, and ended up much further south than the current search area.

Steel lauded British satellite telecommunications company, Inmarsat for doing a good job of pulling out the data and analysing it, noting that the Inmarsat analysis was good.

“However, that does not mean I am sure they are correct, because we have not been given vital information about the composition of the BFOs (Burst Frequency Offsets) and the modelling that Inmarsat performed.

“If we had those information, we could check on what was done, to verify it or possibly find errors,” he explained.

Steel suggested that at least some consideration should be given to the northern corridor until the possibilities could absolutely rule it out.

“For example, someone should go and take a look at the suggested crash site in the Besh Tash Valley (Kyrgyzstan), which was indicated by a smoke plume just when the aircraft would have been expected to have crashed. In reality, that might be only a one-in-1,000 possibility, but why not go take a look so as to exclude it?”

Meanwhile, former Malaysia Airlines chief pilot, Datuk Captain Nik Ahmad Huzlan Nik Hussain said he had no reason to disbelieve the analysis and calculations done by UK’s Inmarsat and the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) following ATSB’s announcement.

“The calculations based on the Inmarsat data were verified by the United States’ National Transport Safety Board (NTSB), AAIB, Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation (DCA), and the Perth-based Joint Action Coordination Centre (JACC),” he told Bernama.

He said all of those bodies, apart from DCA and NTSB, could be considered external bodies with almost no direct interest and they all agreed with the findings.

Nik Ahmad Huzlan also noted that these calculations were also verified by local experts familiar with the field of satellite communications from a technical angle.

“However, there are margins of error caused by utilisation of assumptions, which may result in the widening of the search area,” he cautioned. ― Bernama

                This entry was posted on Monday, 2 June 2014, 9:50 pm and is filed under
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Kalah Tapi Permulaan Yang Baik Bagi Dyana

oleh Shahbudin Husin

The Malaysian Insider

1st June 2014

 Sebagaimana yang sudah diketahui umum, BN berjaya merampas kembali kerusi Teluk Intan yang kali terakhir pernah dimenanginya pada 2004 dahulu. Dalam keputusan yang diumumkan tadi, calon BN, Mah Siew Keong berjaya menewaskan calon DAP, Dyana Sofya dengan majoriti 238 undi.

 Dengan peratusan keluar mengundi begitu menurun iaitu hanya sebanyak 66.5 peratus, Mah memperolehi undi sebanyak 20,157 manakala Dyana Sofya meraih sebanyak 19,919 undi. Undi rosak pula sebanyak 550.

 Walaupun tewas dan percubaan DAP meneroka aliran politik yang merentasi batas perkauman ditolak oleh pengundi Teluk Intan, tetapi haruslah juga diakui bahawa ini merupakan permulaan yang baik bagi Dyana untuk mengembangkan lagi potensinya sebagai ahli politik masa depan.

 Kalah kali pertama tidak bererti akan kalah selamanya.

 Beliau secara umumnya diterima sebagai ikon orang muda dan percubaan kali pertama dalam usia 27 tahun ini tentunya memberi banyak pengajaran dan pengalaman kepadanya. Namun sebagai orang luar Teluk Intan yang kali pertama bertanding dan lawannya pula merupakan presiden parti keempat terbesar dalam BN, kejayaan memberi cabaran sengit kepada BN masih boleh dikira membanggakan.

 Selain berhadapan dengan Mah selaku Presiden Gerakan, Dyana turut berhadapan dengan kerajaan pusat dan juga kerajaan negeri Perak di mana pemimpinnya silih berganti turun berkempen dan menawarkan habuan kepada pengundi. Dengan peratusan pengundi Cina 42 peratus, Melayu 38 peratus dan India 19 peratus, latar belakang dan komposisi pengundi sebegini memang diakui memberi cabaran yang hebat kepada mana-mana calon pembangkang.

 Sekurang-kurangnya dua sebab utama menjadi punca kekalahan Dyana dan DAP dalam pilihanraya ini. Pertama, kekurangan sokongan pengundi Melayu yang mana kehadiran beliau sebagai calon telah berjaya dimanipulasi dan disensasikan oleh jentera BN melalui pelbagai isu berkaitan diri dan apa yang pernah diperkatakannya seperti mengenai hudud dan UiTM.

 Walaupun Dyana merupakan seorang Melayu tetapi jentera BN gigih memainkan isu bahawa di belakangnya adalah Cina dan berbeza dengan Mah yang walaupun Cina tetapi di belakangnya adalah Melayu.

 Dan sejak awal lagi BN memang memberi tumpuan yang lebih kepada pengundi Melayu kerana mereka merasakan tiada harapan untuk bergantung kepada pengundi Cina yang majoritinya memang menyokong DAP. Lagi pula pengundi Melayu yang banyak berlatarbelakangkan kampung agak mudah dipengaruhi.

 Sebab kedua kekalahan Dyana ialah wujudnya kecenderungan sebahagian pengundi Cina yang tidak mengundinya kerana masalah dalaman DAP. Mereka ini lebih mahukan calon tempatan diketengahkan dan bila kemunculan Dyana yang turut dibimbangi akan menenggelamkan terus calon tempatan dalam pilihanraya akan datang, maka penolakan golongan ini jadi membesar.

 Selain tidak mengundi DAP, pengundi Melayu dan Cina yang enggan menyokong Dyana ini juga sebahagiannya mengambil keputusan tidak turun mengundi atau merosakkan kertas undi. Hal ini sudah kedengaran di hari-hari terakhir sebelum pembuangan undi lagi.

 Sebab itu, tidak memeranjatkan jika peratusan yang keluar mengundi hanya 66.5 peratus saja manakala undi rosak pula sebanyak 550 dan lebih tinggi daripada majoriti kemenangan sebanyak 238 undi.

 Melalui kemenangan ini, sebagaimana yang dijanjikan oleh Perdana Menteri sendiri, Mah akan dilantik menjadi menteri atas kapasitinya sebagai Presiden Gerakan. Melalui beberapa janji yang terkandung dalam manifestonya pula, pembinaan sebuah universiti tentulah antara yang paling ditunggu-tunggu oleh penduduk Teluk Intan.

 Melalui beberapa janji menteri yang lain lain pula seperti wifi yang lebih laju, pembangunan yang lebih banyak, pembinaan lebuhraya Banting-Taiping yang dijanji dipercepatkan, uniform untuk anggota RELA dan sebagainya, semuanya itu sedang dinanti oleh penduduk Teluk Intan walaupun Mah berkata, semua itu bukan janjinya dan beliau tidak terikat dengannya.

 Namun jika semua janji itu tidak ternampak bayangnya atau sebatang tiang pun gagal dinaikkan menjelang pilihanraya 2018 nanti, tidak mustahil kerusi Teluk Intan ini kembali semula ke pangkuan DAP.

 Meskipun ada kemungkinan sesetengah pemimpin UMNO bersikap agak sombong dan poyo dengan kejayaan merampas kerusi Teluk Intan ini daripada DAP, tetapi secara keseluruhannya pola pengundian masih menjanjikan persaingan yang sengit dalam pilihanraya umum akan datang. Najib, UMNO dan BN belum boleh bersenang-lenang lagi.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 2 June 2014, 12:42 pm and is filed under
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Malaysia Airlines flight MH370: Where were the fighters, asks Emirates chief

Jamie Freed

Sydney Morning Herald

June 2, 2014

Emirates president Tim Clark says missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 would have in most countries been intercepted by fighters if it flew off course, and says the industry should not change aircraft tracking until it has more facts about the disappearance.

“In my view we are all plunging down a path that [says] ‘we have got to fix this’,” he said on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association annual meeting in Doha, Qatar.

“This is the door closing after the horse has gone 25 miles down the track. We need to know more about what actually happened to this aeroplane and do a forensic second by second analysis of it. I think we will find it and get to the bottom of it.”

Emirates is a major operator of Boeing 777s, the aircraft type of MH370. The aircraft has been widely considered one of the safest ever built.

Mr Clark questioned why MH370 wasn’t circled by fighter jets after it was spotted by Malaysian’s military on primary radar.

“If you were to fly from London to Oslo and then over the North Sea you turned off and then went west to Ireland, within two minutes you’d have Tornadoes, Eurofighters everything up around you,” he said.

“Even if you did that over Australia and the US, there would be something up. I’m not quite sure where primary radar was in all of this.”

IATA chief executive Tony Tyler said the disappearance of an aircraft without a trace for so long was “unprecedented” in the history of modern aviation.

“It must not happen again,” he said.

“IATA, [International Civil Aviation Organisation] and experts from around the world are working together to agree on the best options to improve global tracking capabilities.”

He said a draft of recommendations would be given to ICAO in September.

“Data will guide this and other safety improvements,” he said.

Mr Tyler said IATA was moving forward with the Global Aviation Data Management project which would create the world’s largest resource of operational information.

He said the focus for now was on tracking aircraft rather than real-time streaming of data because “you are going to end up with masses and masses of data” if the latter was done.

“That may be manageable, but it may not be manageable,” he said.

When asked by a Chinese journalist whether he knew the cause of the MH370 disappearance, Mr Tyler said he personally had no idea what had happened and he doubted anyone else did either.

“I am currently not prepared to add to the speculation,” he said.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 2 June 2014, 9:34 pm and is filed under
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‘Malaysian seats’ are the future of DAP and Pakatan

Lam Choong Wah

Malaysiakini

Jun 2, 2014

COMMENT
 In the 13th general election (GE13), DAP achieved its best ever electoral results by winning 38 parliamentary seats and 95 state assembly seats out of the 51 parliamentary and 103 state seats contested, becoming the second biggest party after Umno in terms of seats in the new parliamentary term.

 After GE13, Utusan Malaysia, the mouthpiece of Umno, immediately pinned the blame for Najib Abdul Razak’s electoral disaster on the Chinese, accusing the Chinese voters of causing the political tsunami that saw BN being rejected in terms of popular votes. In the process, MCA and the other non-Malay BN component parties suffered major defeats.

Utusan’s intention was to link BN’s poor electoral results with racial conflict arguments and provoke racial protests to divert the attention away from people’s rejection and aversion of Umno.

“Apa lagi Cina mahu” (What more do the Chinese want?) became the prologue to start Umno’s ethnic confrontation tricks after GE13. However with news of the impending goods and services tax (GST) implementation, the hasty passing of the Prevention of Crime Act in Parliament and the surfacing of numerous electoral fraud cases during the 13GE, the provocation failed to materialise.

 The tried and tested racial card played by Umno, MCA and MIC in the last 50 years has begun to flounder. There are many complex reasons for that, but one of the significant causes for deflecting the racial provocation by BN is the Chinese-based DAP’s refusal to fall into BN’s race-baiting rhetoric.

 DAP has continuously emphasised that it is not a Chinese party and the ‘Malaysian Malaysia’ slogan is its party creed. However, because in the past many of its elected representatives were Chinese and also it has always concentrated its efforts in Chinese-majority seats, this has left a deep and unshakeable impression upon the Malay community that DAP is a Chinese party. Is that impression justified?

In the recent Teluk Intan by-election, it was widely speculated that local boy Hew Kuan Yew (popularly known as Superman) would have had better winning prospects compared with Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud.

 With the seat’s ethnic composition of 42 percent Chinese and 38 percent Malay, Hew’s fluency in Chinese and Malay and great oratory skills would have been advantageous in broadening the Teluk Intan Chinese voters’ support and maintaining the Malay votes won in GE13, thus securing the seat for DAP.

 Although DAP leaders recognised this fact, yet in the end they chose to select Dyana as the candidate and not Superman. Why? The reason professed by DAP was it is to further solidify its multiracial party stance, end racial politics and create a new generation of political leaders.

 The truth is, this is not the first time DAP had put a Malay or a non-Chinese candidate in a Chinese majority seat. In the GE13, DAP had enlisted 20 Indian candidates, four Malay candidates, five Dayak candidates, one Melanau candidate and one Kadazan candidate to contest at both the parliamentary and state levels, while there were 108 Chinese candidates at both levels as well.

 Its multiracial appeal was definitely more obvious compared with the BN’s single race parties.

New strategy a fallacy

 Many people believed that as DAP is trying a new strategy to expand into non-Chinese seats, by fielding non-Chinese candidates. This is a fallacy.

 In its early days DAP had fielded many non-Chinese candidates. In the 1969 general election, its first, DAP fielded nine Malay candidates and two won on its ticket, namely Ibrahim Singgeh and Hassan Ahmad who won in the Tapah Road (Perak) and Si Rusa (Negri Sembilan) state seats respectively.

Subsequently in the 1974 GE Mohd Salleh Nakhoda Itam and Daing Ibrahim Othman won the Guntong and Pasir Puteh state seats in Perak respectively.

 In the 1978 GE, DAP fielded a record number of Malay candidates, nine at the parliamentary level and 36 at state level. However only Mohd Salleh Nakhoda Itam won the Guntong state seat.

 In the 1990 GE, DAP’s Ahmad Nor became the first Malay candidate for the party to win a parliamentary seat, winning the Bayan Baru parliamentary seat in Penang.

 In GE13, DAP Malay candidates achieved the best results yet. Zairil Khir Johari won the Bukit Bendera parliamentary seat in Penang, while Mohd Ariff Sabri and Tengku Zulpuri won the Raub parliamentary seat and Mentakab state in Pahang respectively. Ariffin Omar is the senator for DAP representing Penang in the Dewan Negara (Senate).

 The GE13 showed a marked trend, with DAP winning almost all parliamentary seats in the country with above 50 percent Chinese majority. The seats with 40 percent Chinese voters composition seem to be the demarcation line, with Raub’s 40.33 percent Chinese voters’ composition being the lowest of all the seats it won.

The Umno-controlled media went to town touting that GE13’s result showed that Chinese were abandoning the Umno-led BN to incite the Malay community. However they seem to have conveniently glossed over Umno’s more obvious and bigger crimes.

 Has Umno forgotten that it was because of its selective misinterpretation of the constitution resulting in double standards being applied in many fields that has caused the non-Malays to despise BN? Umno’s hand in destroying the impartiality of the judiciary caused non-Malays to desert BN.

 There are many other factors which caused non-Malays to desert BN including the growing problem of corruption and cronyism, as well as the fact that Umno has continuously embraced and even promoted rampant racism.

 In fact, Sabahans and Sarawakians deserted BN due to Umno’s blatant denial of the 18/20 points that was the prerequisite for Sarawak and Sabah to form Malaysia with Malaya and bringing in illegal immigrants as Malaysian citizens in Sabah.

Control over mainstream media

 If it wasn’t for the government’s control over the mainstream media, the Malays would have deserted BN long before the Chinese did. The fact that the majority of the Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) monetary grant recipients are Malay households shows that under Umno’s rule, the Malays are getting poorer and poorer. The Malays who have already woken up to this fact have already deserted BN in droves in GE13.

 Seen from another angle, though with the GE13 results DAP is now the second largest party in terms of seats, it has also put DAP at a crossroads. To do better than GE13, DAP has to put more effort into seats with 40 percent or less Chinese voters. These seats are the true representation of Malaysia’s population composition; in fact they should be known as ‘Malaysian seats’ and will be the focus of the next general election.

To win in these seats, DAP needs to shelve its image as Chinese-based party that seems to fight mainly for the Chinese community’s interest. In other words it needs to get rid of the perception that it is MCA 2.0.

 Political commentator Wan Hamidi Hamid in his commentary ‘DAP is not MCA 2.0′ said that it is not only the Malays who believed the MCA 2.0 fallacy, but even some of the Chinese believed it too. Some Chinese joined the party believing that it is a better version of MCA, that it is the opposition’s Chinese counterpart to MCA. Some of them believed that as MCA is unable to help them, DAP is the next best alternative.

 If this fallacious impression continues to grow deeper, then the hope of many people to see Malaysia discard the shackles of racial politics will be a long time in coming. For the 51 percent who hoped and voted for change of government in the last GE, it may just be a pipe dream.

 According to the 13GE results, there were 43 parliamentary seats with less than 2,000 majority vote (i.e. marginal seats). BN has 30 seats while PR has 13. If 6 percent of the Malays and bumiputera voters swing to Pakatan, then BN will lose 24 of these seats.

Twenty-four seats added to the current 89 seats held by Pakatan, then the coalition will have a simple majority of 113 seats, enough to form federal government.

  Evidently that is only a best case scenario; the reality is Pakatan is far from that target yet. To increase that 6 percent Malay and bumiputera swing is something for the Pakatan strategists to crack their brains on.

DAP’s decision to field Dyana Sofya in the Teluk Intan by-election is the best way to shed its MCA 2.0 image. In effect, DAP has turned the tables on the traditional racial games played by Umno, MCA and MIC and checkmated them.

 To counter the politics of destruction carried out by BN, the only way out is for DAP to continuously cultivate and grow its strength in these ‘Malaysian seats’.

LAM CHOONG WAH is currently a senior fellow at Research for Social Advancement (Refsa). He holds a BEng in aerospace engineering, USM, and a master’s degree in strategic and defence studies, UM.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 2 June 2014, 3:11 pm and is filed under
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Siapa yang tidak mengundi Dyana?

Timmy Say

The Malaysian Insider

2 June 2014

Di PRU13, Mah Siew Keong mendapat 20,086 undi di Teluk Intan. Di PRK Teluk Intan baru-baru ini, Mah mendapat lebihan 71 undi kepada 20,157 undi.

Lebihan 71 undi membawa nasib berbeza untuk Mah, di mana beliau berjaya mengalahkan calon popular, Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud daripada DAP dan menguasai semula kerusi Parlimen Teluk Intan yang pernah dimilikinya sebelum 2008.

 Jadi, di mana 7,242 undi (mantan ahli Parlimen Teluk Intan Seah Leong Peng menang dengan 7,313 majoriti, dan penulis menganggap terdapat 71 undi yang berpaling tadah ke Mah) yang sepatutnya memenangkan Dyana Sofya di Teluk Intan?

 DAP berusaha habis-habisan untuk memenangkan Dyana. Tetapi mengapa penyokong mereka tidak kembali untuk mengundi?

 Silap media pro-pembangkang dan permainan di media sosial

“Dyana pasti menang besar.” – Itulah persepsi yang dibina oleh media pro-pembangkang dan di media sosial seperti di Facebook dan Twitter sebelum Dyana dinamakan sebagai calon lagi.

Dyana diangkat seperti seorang puteri istimewa. Popularitinya bukan sahaja naik mendadak, malah melonjak ke langit dalam sekelip mata.

 Mereka yang suka berlegar di Internet, terutamanya mereka daripada kalangan pro-pembangkang akan merasakan kemenangan Dyana sudah pasti, cuma majoriti sahaja yang perlu dirisaukan.

 Bahkan, DAP sendiri hanya memberikan ramalan bahawa majoriti kemenangan mereka di Teluk Intan berkemungkinan kurang daripada 1,000 undi.

Perkataan kalah langsung tidak terlintas di minda mereka. Ini juga yang tersemai di minda pengundi luar Teluk Intan.

 Melihat bagaimana Ramkarpal boleh meraih jumlah majoriti yang tidak jauh beza daripada jumlah yang dicatat bapanya di Bukit Gelugor meskipun peratusan keluar mengundi hanyalah 56.05%, menyebabkan para pengundi luar Teluk Intan pula merasakan Dyana juga akan selamat kerana DAP menang besar dengan 7,313 majoriti di 2013.

 Perasaan tidak perlu kembali mengundi diperhebatkan lagi apabila portal pro-pembangkang pula menceritakan bagaimana sesaknya Teluk Intan di hari terakhir kempen pada Jumaat malam Sabtu.

 Malah, ada media pro-pembangkang yang melaporkan bahawa kesesakan jalanraya itu adalah petanda bahawa pengundi luar sedang berpusu-pusu kembali ke kampung halaman mereka untuk mengundi. Ternyata mereka tersilap.

 Bukan itu sahaja, para pengundi luar yang baru habis bekerja di lewat petang Jumaat pula disajikan dengan gambar ceramah raksasa DAP yang dihadiri 10 ribu orang berbanding dengan hanya kurang seratus orang di BN yang berlegar di Facebook dan Twitter.

 Motivasi pengundi luar untuk kembali mengundi terus merudum apabila media pro-pembangkang melaporkan perbandingan hadirin ceramah terakhir antara DAP dan BN.

Bukan itu sahaja, persepsi tersebut diperkuatkan lagi dengan komen-komen daripada pakar penganalisa yang meramalkan Teluk Intan akan kekal di tangan DAP.

 Bagi mereka yang mengikuti laporan PRK Teluk Intan secara dekat, sudah pasti mereka menganggap DAP sudah menang.

Memandangkan DAP tidak berkempen untuk mengekalkan majoriti kemenangan yang ada, malah mereka menghantar mesej bahawa sasaran majoriti hanya 1,000, ramai pengundi luar beranggapan sasaran itu boleh dicapai tanpa kehadiran mereka.

 Senjata yang sepatutnya membantu DAP untuk memenangkan Dyana akhirnya makan tuan.

 Penasihat DAP, Lim Kit Siang sudah awal-awal lagi menghidu perkara ini akan berlaku.

Dari awal lagi, Kit Siang menegaskan bahawa Dyana adalah ‘underdog’. Namun, media pro-pembangkang tidak mengikut rentak catur politik Kit Siang, malah Dyana terus diangkat menjulang tinggi ke langit.

 Ini adalah faktor terbesar yang menyumbang kepada kekalahan mengejut Dyana.

Dimensi baru politik perkauman

 Kekalahan Dyana membuka satu lembaran baru dalam perspektif politik perkauman.

 Daripada lensa kaum, PRK Teluk Intan memperlihatkan orang Melayu yang menyokong Umno sanggup memberikan undi untuk memenangkan calon Cina daripada Gerakan (Pakatan Rakyat hanya mencatat kenaikan 3% di kalangan pengundi Melayu).

 Manakala orang Cina yang menyokong DAP pula tidak sanggup memberikan undi untuk memenangkan calon Melayu DAP apabila Pakatan Rakyat mencatat penurunan sebanyak 15% daripada pengundi Cina.

 Umno boleh menggunakan PRK Teluk Intan sebagai bukti untuk mematahkan serangan parti-parti yang menuduh mereka rasis.

Yang rasis bukan mereka, tetapi dua NGO yang bertopengkan bangsa dan agama itu – begitulah agaknya jawapan mereka kerana dua NGO tersebut langsung tidak kedengaran di PRK Teluk Intan.

 Yang pasti, PRK Teluk Intan membuktikan Umno (dan juga BN) tidak perlukan sokongan kedua-dua NGO itu untuk memenangi hari rakyat Malaysia semula.

 DAP juga boleh mematahkan tuduhan bahawa mereka rasis kerana mereka berani meletakkan Dyana sebagai calon.

Yang rasis bukan mereka, tapi segelintir  pengundi Cina yang hanya sanggup mengundi mengikut bangsa walaupun berlainan parti.

 Dan DAP (dan juga Pakatan Rakyat) tidak perlukan sokongan golongan ini jika mereka betul inginkan cita-cita menjadi parti berbilang kaum berjaya satu hari nanti.

Kerana jika DAP akur pada kehendak golongan ini, sudah tentu hasrat mencalonkan lebih banyak Dyana yang boleh menukar imej DAP mustahil untuk dilakukan.

 Itu hikmah terbesar di sebalik keputusan PRK Teluk Intan bagi BN dan juga PR.

 Semoga Dyana dan keluarga tabah mengharungi kehidupan sehinggalah PRU14 tiba. – 2 Jun, 2014.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 2 June 2014, 12:15 pm and is filed under
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Taking Chances

— Christine SK Lai

The Malay Mail Online

June 02, 2014

JUNE 2 — So after all the analysis, post-mortems and opinions, where does it leave us? Everyone has their favourite theory on why Dyana Sofya lost in Teluk Intan.

But that’s not really the issue, or is it? In fact I am pretty sure there are many who will ask ‘Dyana who?’ despite the fact that she has catapulted to celebrity status and is everyone’s fave target for group selfies. Outside of Teluk Intan, I hazard a guess that there are probably many who don’t even know there was an election there. There is such a thing called ignorance, apathy, indifference, complacency — all same category.  But I am not pointing fingers, I hasten to confess I am guilty of all that at some time or another.

When I first saw that pretty young face splattered all over on-line news ( there is no denying she is pretty and she is young), mentally I saluted the old man behind her — it takes foresight and guts to do what Lim Kit Siang did, pushing this novice up the way he did, and kudos to the party who dared take a chance to lose. I have to admit though I was a bit tired of all the politicking that seems to be going into over-drive not only in the small town of Teluk Intan but seemingly every where, and not just during a by-election but almost every other day. One time it’s why only certain people can call God a certain name. The next it’s hudud. Then it’s chocolates. Wonder what it will be tomorrow. And oh by the way, it’s not confined to the peculiar species called politicians. NGOs, bloggers, big shots, small shots… everyone can say anything and everything is fair game. Guess that’s the price of democracy. So I kind-of ‘tune off’ these days. It’s very easy to grow tired of it all. Like I said, apathy…

Still I had harboured a little hope for Teluk Intan and for Dyana.  I had hoped that people (not just voters) would see beyond the prettiness of the face (sex), the inexperience of youth (age), the colour of her skin (race), the matter of her faith (religion), even the careful and obvious ‘management ‘ of her stage personality (drama) by her mentors. I had hoped Malaysians would be mature enough to see it isn’t about Teluk Intan or Dyana per see. It’s really about how much we are willing to walk the talk of being a Malaysian in spirit and in truth.

If we cannot (or will not) see that Dyana is but the personification of what 1Malaysia should be, then we are still very much chained to the invisible shackles of our own race, colour, religion and self-interests,  no matter how loudly we deny it. An astute reporter terms it aptly as the elephant in the room (I would say there’s definitely more than one elephant) that everyone pretends not to see, much less talk about. If we are still thinking wait till GE14, then we have missed the point — that making a difference starts today. If we are minded to be ‘pragmatic’ about cashing in on the obvious advantages of experience and ‘right’ connections to meet our own needs (which are real and undeniable), then we can forget about giving the next generation a chance… to make mistakes, to be groomed and to take over the future. If that be the case, can we at least be honest enough to admit we are the ones who fail ourselves and ‘our’ Malaysia? In which case, to put it quite bluntly, we deserve all (the trouble) we get.

Personally, it’s not the loss of votes for a political party’s candidate that saddens me. It’s the fact that Teluk Intan shows we are not ready or maybe we just don’t want to grow up because we prefer not to take chances that could jeopardise our own precious lives. There’s a saying that goes ‘no pain, no gain’. It’s simple enough; if we don’t take chances, we will never know what we are capable of. It’s a little bit like believing in God; we will never know He is for real and He is good until we choose to trust — and continue to trust — that He is, no matter that it appears dumb, risky or even troublesome to do so.

Some people term Teluk Intan as a ‘social experiment’ gone wrong and Dyana as just a ‘flash in the pan’. Over and done with. If that’s our attitude, then we are guilty of being plain selfish and extremely short-sighted since it means we only live for ourselves for today. But I like to think all is not lost; there is always room for hope. There was only a difference of 238 votes. As one party politician puts it, this one battle may be lost for now, but there’s still a war that can be won. I agree there will be many more battles to fight. But unlike him, I am not talking about votes in the next by-election… I am praying starting today, all over this nation, there will arise people who can and will dare to take chances beyond ourselves, to live lives that actually demonstrate the slogans we all like to shout out, to bury the ‘elephants’ stalking Malaysians once and for all.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 2 June 2014, 7:57 pm and is filed under
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Teluk Intan: A Battle Lost but a War to be Won

by Tony Pua

The Malaysian Insider

2nd June 2014

I spent 17 consecutive days camped in Teluk Intan as the Campaign Director for the recently concluded by-elections where DAP’s candidate, Dyana Sofya lost by a fractional 238 votes.

Understandably, the analysis and criticisms has been published hard and fast, and more will come over the next few days.  Many were surprised we lost. Some argued that we have been complacent and arrogant.  Of course, some believed that we made strategic mistakes.

There is no question that the campaign execution has plenty of room for improvement, and the team will certainly be carrying out our postmortem over the next few days to ensure that future campaigns can be even better.

However, we certainly never expected an easy campaign.  The very fact that it took the party leadership “forever” to decide on the candidate was precisely because we knew that the risk of losing the seat was extremely high.

Regardless of the candidate, the Teluk Intan by-election was never going to be a walk in the park like Bukit Gelugor, where Barisan Nasional did not even have the courage to put up a fight.

Even before the candidate decision, the Party was well briefed by our grassroots that the word on the street was that many in the Chinese community will give their vote to Gerakan President, Mah Siew Keong. The argument was compelling.

“We voted Pakatan for ‘Ubah’ in the 13th General Election (GE).  But since this by-election has no impact on ‘Ubah’, we will vote Mah for 3 years’ worth of ministerial benefits, and vote ‘Ubah’ again in the 14th GE.”

What’s more, we were also aware that there was little motivation for the thousands of outstation voters to return to Teluk Intan to vote since there wasn’t a chance of “Ubah” with just one seat at stake.

This was before we took into consideration the amount of goodies that will be dished out during the campaign by the BN machinery to buy votes, as proven by the various police and press reports during the campaign.

Hence internally, some leaders had lamented that either choice of candidate – Malay or Chinese – will lose.  Some argued that only a “well-known” Chinese candidate could possibly win. I was of the opinion that a Malay candidate may not necessarily lose while a Chinese candidate may not necessarily win.  Regardless of the differences of opinion, the party leaders were all fully cognizant of serious challenges we face in retaining the seat.

Even our most experienced party leader, Lim Kit Siang, announced that we faced the uphill task with only 40% of support at the start of the campaign.

Hence did we make the “strategic misstep” of nominating Dyana Sofya for this by-election because we did not understand the “local sentiments” in Teluk Intan?

If the Party’s objective had been to stick to its traditional Chinese support in Pasir Bedamar to eke out a victory in the by-election, then perhaps fielding Dyana was indeed be a “strategic misstep”.

However, if the Party’s objective is to utilize this opportunity to reach out beyond our hardcore support base, to Middle Malaysia of all races, not just in Teluk Intan but throughout Malaysia, then surely fielding a qualified Dyana, despite the known risks is the progressive step to take.

We do not get a by-election everyday and hence we do not get to pick our choice of constituency to field our choice of candidate.  The party after a difficult and lengthy deliberation decided, with our eyes wide open, to seize the rare opportunity which has presented itself before us.

The “Dyana phenomenon” or “Dyanamania”, coined by media hacks, took off like an exploding Rocket, well beyond even the most optimistic expectation of any of our party leaders.  A routine by-election in a sleepy township captured the imagination of the country.  Her candidature opened up a whole new world of fans and opportunities for the Party.

Despite the euphoria created, particularly over the social media, the campaign team was never under the illusion that we have won the game.  As early as the 2nd day of the campaign, Lim Kit Siang announced that if the by-election were held on the social media, the DAP has won handsomely.  However, he had the campaign team’s feet held firmly on the ground when he added, “I am worried however as [the by-election] is not decided by Malaysian netizens but by the 60,000 voters of Teluk Intan… a substantial percentage of whom are not netizens”.

The team worked tirelessly over the 12 days campaign to overcome the deficit.  Our clarion call for returning voters started early in the campaign with nationwide advertisements published from the 3rd day.  Our popular Facebook pages were flooded with pleas to voters to come home to vote.  We even made available buses from Klang Valley at the cost of RM10 per person to facilitate the trip given that existing commercial coaches were fully sold out.

So intense was our campaign to bring voters home that the Gerakan President made the astonishing plea for voters to ignore the “orang luar”.  He even made the laughable accusation that DAP was buying votes by charging voters to return. He conveniently forgets that while we actually charge voters the cost for the journey, BN routinely pays voters to make the trip.

Throughout the 12 days, our leaders consistently reminded the voters, particularly in our hardcore constituency of Pasir Bedamar, on why it was crucial for Malaysia’s future political landscape for Dyana to win, and why it’s worth sacrificing the “ministerial benefits” and “development” promises.  There was no advantage for us to position Dyana to fight Mah on streetlights or drainage.

Unfortunately the steps just weren’t enough.  Despite the intense excitement the campaign generated, we could not attract sufficient returning voters when turnout dropped from 80% in 2013 to 67%, particularly among the younger voters.

We didn’t do enough to convince the older generation voters that it was worthwhile sacrificing the “ministerial benefits” for a new political landscape.

Conversely, perhaps if not for the intense campaigning, BN might have won with thousands of votes, and not by the skin of their teeth.

Would a Chinese DAP candidate have won?  Maybe, maybe not.  If we had fielded a Chinese candidate, the drop in Chinese vote may not be as high.  But we could easily lose even more Malay votes, instead of increasing marginally from 25% in 2013 to 28%.  The lack of “excitement” in the by-election may have attracted even fewer returning voters.  These are all hypothetical conjectures which we can argue until the cows come home.

The question of whether a Chinese candidate would have won is moot.  It is moot because the objective of this by-election is to shift the country’s political landscape.  The objective is to blunt BN’s racial politics as an electoral weapon used to powerful effect.  The Chinese candidate, winning or losing, cannot achieve that outcome but instead only perpetuate the stereotype.

Dyana’s candidature however, winning or losing, gives hope for change.  She is an investment in the future.

In golfing analogy, we have reached a performance plateau with our current golf swing.  In order to achieve breakthrough results, we have no choice but to change our swing.  However, in the current process of changing swing, we may suffer a dip in our performance.  But once we get the hang of the new improvised swing, we will be better equipped to beat our opponents.

We had played to win, with many of our top leaders camped in Teluk Intan convinced of the cause which we pursue.  Unfortunately and most disappointingly, we lost the battle this round.

In my interview with the Malay Mail Online on 18th May, the day before nomination, I had already stated that fielding Dyana was “a game-changing attempt fraught with risk, but something that must be taken to pursue our ideals of Malaysian Malaysia.  If we were to lose the election, it will be a battle lost for a war to be won.”

The battle of Teluk Intan was a battle between the future represented by Dyana Sofya and the past represented by Mah Siew Keong.  Oh ye of little faith, the past may have won this round, but the future always win in the end.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 2 June 2014, 11:44 am and is filed under
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The Dyana effect

– Philip Yong

The Malaysian Insider

2 June 2014

So Dyana Sofya, the DAP candidate for Teluk Intan’s by-election, lost to Gerakan president Mah Siew Kong. It was a close fight. I am sure it was heartbreaking for her and many other opposition leaders, volunteers and caring Malaysians who campaigned day in day out. This article is written especially for those who have fought hard in this battle.

There are already so many articles out there that are negative, so I thought I should write something that will uplift the spirits of all who strive for a better Malaysia.

Well, Dyana, if I am a voter in Teluk Intan, I would have voted for you. For very logical reasons.

1. I personally believe that DAP made the right choice by fielding a young lady like you. You are educated, smart, energetic, clean and most importantly you embody a true Malaysian. A Malaysian who fights for all Malaysians. A Malaysian who cares for all Malaysians.

2. DAP showed their courage in risking a “safe” seat for a better Malaysia. This is something we have not seen in Malaysia for a very long time. I was quite emotional when I first thought about this. I thought to myself that there are actually people who are not selfish for once. They know they were taking a big risk but yet they still did it because they knew it was a right move and I have to agree it was a brilliant move. Like the saying goes, we lost the battle but won the war. It was all done for a better Malaysia.

3. Some people said that Dyana was made a scapegoat in this by-election. I blame the education system in our country for these people’s illogical thinking. Come on guys, do you think an intelligent person like Dyana is so stupid as to be made a scapegoat? People should be congratulating her for her courage and will to fight on till the very end. And the fact is that Teluk Intan was just the beginning of Dyana. So to all the naysayers, expect to see more of Dyana and also more of others who are inspired by Dyana.

4. YB Lim Kit Siang is a hero to me. I read somewhere that YB camped in Teluk Intan throughout the campaign period. I was very moved by this. We all know that YB Kit Siang is getting old but yet look at him, the fire in him for a better Malaysia still burns so strongly.

A young person like me would have been worn out in a campaign like this so imagine the pain YB had to go through and think to ourselves why is he doing it? I know for sure he does all these for us, the generation who will the leaders of tomorrow.

5. I’ve been talking about a better Malaysia but what really is a better Malaysia? A better Malaysia to me is a place where all Malaysians are treated equally. A place where race, religion and age are not barriers to us but serves as a guide for us to form a better relationship with one another. This is really what I hope to see in the near future. I maybe be a little too ambitious but there is no harm to dream big.

I sincerely thank everyone who were involved in Dyana’s Teluk Intan move. It was brilliant and it gave hope to us ordinary Malaysians knowing that we have leaders who are ambitious and daring enough to take risks for a better Malaysia.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 2 June 2014, 8:38 pm and is filed under
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The Way Forward

— Joshua Wu

The Malay Mail Online

June 2, 2014

JUNE 2 — I could not agree more with the newly-elected Member of Parliament for Teluk Intan, Mah Siew Keong when he said that the future of Malaysian politics is in multi-racial parties instead of single race entities.

However, he seems to be preaching to the choir. What he should be doing is addressing this to his partners in Barisan Nasional (BN). After all, UMNO, MCA and MIC are race based political parties.

After 56 years (approaching 57 years of independence), one has to wonder if race based political parties can still propel the country forward or have been contributing to the significant division between the many races in Malaysia.

Political parties like DAP, PKR, and Gerakan are multi-racial parties which best represent the new generation of Malaysians who see themselves as Malaysians before identifying as Malays, Chinese, Indians, or others.

In the past, Dato Seri Onn bin Ja’afar called for Umno party membership to be opened to non-malays and for the party to be renamed the United Malayans National Organisation.

However, the idea was shot down by many. He then left Umno to form the Independence of Malaya Party, and subsequently, Parti Negara.

Unfortunately both parties failed to meet their potentials due to the lack of support by Malaysians then. But all that happened about 50 years ago! Shouldn’t things have changed for the better?

Aren’t Malaysians generally mature enough to accept the fact that we are all in this together? Regardless of how some of our ancestors came to Malaya, we’re all Malaysians now.

We all contribute to the economic well-being of the country by way of spending, investing, paying tax, etc. The time is right to rid ourselves of race-based political parties.

Mah needs to have a serious chat with his political buddies in his capacity as president of Gerakan. After all, everyone knows the correct answer to the problem. Being willing to do the right thing and potentially suffering for it is a different story.

Multi-racial parties are truly the way forward!

                This entry was posted on Monday, 2 June 2014, 10:01 pm and is filed under
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