Kesetiaan PAS dan DAP terbukti

Oleh
 Aspan Alias

March 24, 2013 |The Malaysian Insider

Tidak pernah terfikir oleh orang ramai sebelum ini PAS dan DAP menjadi parti-parti yang di terima oleh semua kaum dan inilah yang membuatkan BN menjadi gering sementara menunggu pilihanraya yang akan datang ini.

PAS telah berjaya membawa bukti bahawa Islam itu merupakan agama yang “universal” dan juga agama yang boleh memimpin semua kaum dan kelompok dalam dunia ini. Kekuatan sokongan PAS ini juga telah mewujudkan “ulamak songsang” yang datang dari kumpulan Umno yang tertekan sambil memfatwakan PAS sebagai PAS sesat dan haram di sokong.

Berbagai kumpulan upahan telah di bawa ke depan kaca TV3 untuk menyiarkan fatwa songsang ini semata-mata untuk menyesuaikan dengan kehendak politik mereka. Mereka mahukan agama di sesuaikan dengan keperluan mereka dan bukannya menyesuaikan kehendak Islam terhadap semua perjuangan mereka.

Semalam Lim Kit Siang telah menyatakan yang beliau mungkin bertanding menggunakan lambang PAS dalam pilihanraya ini. Ini di sebabkan ROS mungkin mengambil tindakan membatalkan pendaftaran DAP berikutan dengan kesilapan dalam pemilihan CEC DAP di Pulau Pinang 15 Disember yang lalu.

Sebagai parti pembangkang dan memahami tindak laku BN yang sedang ketandusan sokongan menggunakan RoS untuk membatalkan pendaftaran DAP itu tidak boleh di anggap ringan. Dalam keadaan terdesak BN akan melakukan apa sahaja untuk mengekalkan kelazatan kuasa yang ada kepada mereka (Umno).

Saya secara peribadi tidak mahu menolak kemungkin BN akan melakukan tindakan pembatalan pendaftaran DAP itu. Tetapi saya telah menangkap sedikit imbasan dari kenyataan Nik Aziz Nik Mat semasa melawat Pengerusi DAP, Karpal Singh semasa perayaan Thaipusam yang lalu.

TGNA telah menyatakan yang PAS berkemungkinan menurunkan calon-calon bukan Islam dalam pilihanraya ini. Dengan kenyataan LKS semalam, maka buat sementara DAP tidak akan mempunyai apa-apa masalah di dalam menghadapi pilihanraya yang akan datang. Jika RoS bertindak seperti ia bertindak terhadap Umno asal dahulu, maka DAP mempunyai teman seperjuangan yang setia untuk membelanya dalam kesusahan.

Tetapi apa yang menariknya DAP dan kaum Cina telah menganggap PAS sebagai rakan seperjuangan yang rapat dan keadaan ini telah menyatukan semua kaum. PAS dan DAP merupakan dua sahabat yang saling memerlukan di antara satu dengan yang lain untuk mencapai matlamat murni iaitu untuk sebuah negara yang bersih pentadbirannya dan telus di dalam semua tindakan dan keputusan yang melibatkan rakyat.

Dalam masa DAP menghadapi tekanan dari pihak RoS dan BN itu, PAS boleh di harapkan untuk membela parti sahabat sebagai tanda dan lambang kerjasama erat bagi mencapai matlamat untuk mencapai matlamat penyatuan kaum itu.. Permuafakatan di antara PAS dan DAP ini lah yang memeritkan Umno dan BN. Umno telah cuba untuk memisahkan DAP dan PAS untuk “survival” parti itu tetapi tidak berhasil malahan DAP dan PAS bertambah intim kian hari kian masa.

Saya selalu berkata yang Umno merupakan pihak yang terhandal dalam mencipta slogan-slogan seperti slogan 1 Malaysia dan hidup dalam harmoni di antara semua kaum dan agama. Semuanya itu hanya tinggal slogan tetapi apa-apa slogan yang di war-warkan oleh Umno, yang menterjemahkan kepada realiti hanyalah Pakatan Rakyat.

“Bersih, Cekap dan Amanah” merupakan slogan Umno semasa pemerintahan kuku besi Dr Mahathir Mohamad dahulu tetapi tidak pernah terlihat hasilnya. Di bawah pimpinan Dr Mahathir tidak ada bersihnya, tidak wujud cekapnya dan jauh sekali dari melihat sifat amanah seperti yang di slogankan itu.

Hasilnya Pakatan Rakyat Pulau Pinang, Selangor, Kedah dan Kelantan pula yang melaksanakan slogan “Bersih. Cekap dan Amanah” itu. Sekarang 1 Malaysia adalah slogan Najib yang sedang di amalkan oleh Pakatan Rakyat dalam mana pihak Pakatan telah menunjukkan kesatuan di antara kaum dan agama dengan jayanya.

Semuanya ini terbentuk kerana semua pihak dalam Pakatan Rakyat bersatu untuk menuju kebaikan yang cuba di perlekehkan oleh Umno yang tidak mempunyai kudrat dan kemampuan untuk menyatukan rakyat berbagai kaum dan cara hidup ini.

Umno yang mengaku sebagai pejuang Islam terpaksa melunakkan lagi nyanyian lagu rasis dalam kempen pilihanraya ini. Tetapi bagi semua yang beragama khususnya yang beragama Islam tetap merialisasikan kenyataan yang Islam itu adalah agama yang mampu untuk bersatu dan bermuafakat dengan agama lain untuk hidup dalam negara yang aman, muhibbah dan saling menghormati di antara satu dengan yang lain.

Tuhan telah menurunkan di dunia ini manusia dari berkumpul-kumpulan dan berbeza-beza semata-mata untuk memperkayakan sifat memahami serta menghormati di antara satu dengan lain. Tuntutan ini lah yang tidak digemari Umno kerana tuntutan Allah swt ini tidak sesuai dengan kehendak mereka. Maka mereka pun mengumpulkan mereka yang berserban dan berjubah di depan kaca TV3 untuk mengharamkan menyokong PAS dan melabelkan PAS parti yang menjual akidah dan berbagai-bagai lagi tuduhan yang liar dan menjilikan.

Apa yang di agakkan akan dilakukan oleh RoS terhadap DAP boleh di selesaikan dengan cara berpadu dan memahami masalah di antara satu dengan lain. Jika pembatalan pendaftaran DAP dilakukan juga oleh pendaftar pertubuhan, maka calon-calon DAP dialu-alukan oleh PAS untuk menggunakan lambangnya sebagai tanda hormat menghormati  di antara kedua-dua parti itu. Yang penting sekali ialah matlamat mendapatkan kerajaan yang telus, bersih dan tidak rasuah itu dapat dicapai sebagai satu-satunya jalan kearah mencapai “national unity” yang merupakan “ultimate” bagi negara ini.

Sekarang apa yang saya selalu sebutkan akan menjadi kenyataan. Semua rakyat mahu bersatu tetapi kali ini mereka mahu bersatu di luar BN dan bukan lagi bersatu di bawah naungan Umno dan BN yang terlalu angkuh dan tidak dapat di fahami lagi apa sebenarnya matlamat perjuangan mereka sekarang ini, jika tidak kerana kerakusan kuasa semata-mata..

Sesungguhnya Umno sudah hilang segala “identity” nya sebagai sebuah parti pemerintah. “Attribute” sebagai parti pemerintah nampaknya sudah terbina di dalam Pakatan Rakyat.

Umno sudah menjadi sebuah parti saling tidak tumpah sebagai parti yang melata seperti pengemis meminta sokongan rakyat yang sudah cilik belaka sekarang ini. — aspanaliasnet.blogspot.com

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 24 March 2013, 4:44 pm and is filed under
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Kit Siang in Johor will be as earth-shaking as 308

K Temoc

Malaysiakini

Mar 22, 2013

I refer to your news article
‘Guan Eng sends Liew on mission to ‘K’ seat in Johor’
which informs us of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) election strategy to breach the Barisan Nasional (BN) stronghold in Johor. By now, everyone knows that veteran politician Lim Kit Siang will not stand in his current blue ribbon seat in Ipoh Timor in order to offer himself as an election candidate to the people of Gelang Patah in Johor to represent them in the next federal parliament.

His intention has struck terror in the BN camp, which has even drawn out former PM and Umno icon Dr Mahathir Mohamad to make what I see as a half-hearted but obligatory dismissal of the DAP man’s candidature in Gelang Patah.

Lim KS standing in and winning that Johor federal constituency will be as earth-shaking as the 2008 political tsunami. More than the BN’s fear of losing a federal seat, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) knows that such an occurrence will virtually be its death knell, for a Lim KS victory will not only defeat Tan Ah Eng, its candidate in Gelang Patah, but will effectively strike right into its political heart.

So much is at stake for BN but no more than that for Lim KS.

And of course we aren’t surprised that A Kadir Jasin, a pro-Umno blogger (and former group editor-in-chief of NSTP Bhd and at times also a Berita Harian columnist) has taken up the cudgels against DAP in his blog post ‘Johor Ahoy, Here Comes Lim Kit Siang’.

Really, there is nothing new or substantial in his post, with its core appeal or subtext being nothing more than the ‘Malay unity’ mantra again, telling or rather warning his readership of the alleged formidable DAP juggernaut with its 30 percent solid Chinese voting bloc once the Pakatan component party has demolished MCA, in contrast to what he bemoans as the Malay-bumiputera votes being split three ways among Umno, PAS and PKR.

Of course he neglects to inform his readership of several truths, that firstly, the DAP isn’t and won’t be the only Pakatan component party to command Chinese votes which would also go to PKR.

Secondly and far more importantly, he fails or conveniently forgets to explain why the MCA and the Gerakan Party, two Chinese-based (or Chinese-majority) members of the BN, will not be obtaining any of the 30 percent Chinese votes in Johor. If only he would be brave enough to admit that DAP’s election strategy in Johor has been based in large part on the failures of the BN to satisfactorily represent the non-Malay voters there.

The conventional wisdom in political competition is that parties do not win but rather lose an election, thus DAP’s current concerted move into Johor, a hitherto BN fortress, is in anticipation of a major loss by the MCA in its traditional seats, an indication of the voting public’s lack of confidence in the Chinese-based BN party.

Pak Kadir has actually signalled this BN-MCA fear when he laments that “the concentration of Chinese votes under one party [meaning DAP] would worsen further the already acute racial polarisation in the political arena.”

A crying Sang Buaya

It is quite amusing that Pak Kadir, a known Umno mouthpiece, who has recently made disappointing remarks about the loyalty of Chinese in his earlier post ‘Sabah Incursion: Hang the Traitors’ could bring himself to pontificate about racial polarisation. But then I suppose his targeted readership may not consider him as I do, a crying Sang Buaya.

In his post he also echoes the MCA, though in more subtle fashion, in criticizing Lim KS as a political rolling stone which presumably is unlikely to gather any moss, having contested in four states. Let me quickly correct the traditional impression of that out-dated proverb, for today we don’t want a politician to be slimy as gathered moss, so Lim KS and other DAP politicians should roll as much and as far as is necessary for the public good.

But perhaps Pak Kadir should not make comments out of context, by not mentioning that Lim KS’ courageous political career spans a period of almost 45 years. How could contesting in four states in almost half a century be unusual? Where the need arises for his presence, Lim KS would be there.

Also, unlike many BN politicians who prefer to huddle in safe and comfortable blue ribbon seats for their own political interests, Lim KS is prepared to put his political career where his mouth is. He goes where his party wants him.

Pak Kadir is also wrong in stating that the DAP prime consideration for descending on Johor is to kill off the MCA, having already delivered a knock-out blow to Gerakan in Penang in 2008. His analysis has been superficial but which perhaps reflects the mindset of the BN side of politics.

DAP goes down to Johor at great risks not so much to demolish MCA but more to offer the Johoreans an alternative choice to represent them in parliament. Lim KS and colleagues reckon it’s time to make such an offer, and they would be political remissive if they fail to do so. That’s political responsibility and obligations of the highest order. And should MCA be so demolished in that process, well, that’s politics, isn’t it?

Thus, Pak Kadir’s statement that Lim KS will be playing second fiddle to PAS’s Salahuddin Ayub is irrelevant because the DAP only wants to represent Johoreans in politics, and is politically mature not to expect nor seek the menteri besar’s appointment. I regret I am unable to even credit Pak Kadir with a ‘good try’ for his naughty shot.

Anyway, let us conclude by remembering that an earlier Gerakan Party, then under different and superior management, did precisely that to the MCA in Penang in 1969 when it won by a landslide and swept Wong Pow Nee’s party out.

Today, the difference between Gerakan and DAP is that the former has forgotten George Santayana’s advice, ‘those cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it’, thus suffering in 2008 the very same fate it delivered to the MCA in 1969.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 24 March 2013, 5:10 am and is filed under
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The Charge of the Rights Brigade

By
 Allan CF Goh

To the south, to the south,

To Johor, they engage.

Into BN’s strong state,

Let them not fear and fade.

Forward, the Rights Brigade!

Bring change for the better.

Choose light over darkness,

Make Malaysia brighter.

Forward, the Rights Brigade!

For a cause blessed and right.

This is not a blunder.

This is for “People’s Might”.

Theirs is to reason why;

Theirs not to let reasons die.

Let Johor know the truth.

Don’t let folks live a lie.

Desperation and fear,

And hostility reign.

Vulgar threats may be hurled,

Like the black falling rain,

May volley and thunder,

But will not shake their will.

Boldly they must campaign,

Thro’ all threats and all ill.

Lay bare the corruptions,

Let the truth rant the air.

Expose exploitations.

Demand for what is fair.

Ban discriminations,

And unfair deprivations.

Fight with full conviction

For a better Nation.

Forward the Rights Brigade!

Build a much better State,

With people united,

And racism off the slate.

All equal and sharing,

The dream of one destiny,

Of a new Malaysia,

With perfect harmony.

Forward the Rights Bridget!

Set out for the good fight.

Armoured with righteousness,

Send the dark force to flight.

Bring home that victory.

Folks will honour their name.

The nation salutes them.

Let Johor be their fame.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 24 March 2013, 3:58 pm and is filed under
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17-Day Countdown to 13GE – People of Sabah and Sarawak can make history by making this 50th Golden Jubilee year of the creation of Malaysia, the year when Malaysia joins the ranks of democratic countries in the world

This year is a year of tremendous historical importance to our young nation.

Fifty years ago, in 1963, the nation of Malaysia was created with the merging of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore.

This year, 2013, is the 50th anniversary for the creation of Malaysia.

And in this year of our Golden Jubilee, Malaysians have a golden opportunity to create yet another historical moment in our country’s history by ushering in a new era of democracy and freedom for our nation by voting for a peaceful transition to a new government that is clean, competent, transparent and fully accountable to the citizens of Malaysia.

Over the past five years, Malaysians have experienced many significant dates and events that will go into the history books.

March 8, 2008 or 308 has now been etched into the consciousness of Malaysians as the date when the BN’s iron grip on power was significantly weakened when the opposition denied it 2/3rds control of  the parliament as well as winning control of five state legislatures.

April 28, 2012 or 428 will be remembered for the largest ever public gathering of concerned citizens on the streets of Kuala Lumpur and in many cities in other parts of the country to rally for clean and fair elections in the 3rd Bersih protest.

January 12, 2013 or 112 will be remembered for largest peaceful public gathering in Stadium Merdeka since the declaration of independence by Tunku Abdul Rahman on the 31st of August, 1957.

This year, Malaysians can create another day of history on the day of polling in the upcoming 13th general elections.

On this day, may the many millions of legitimate Malaysian voters, in the country, as well as overseas in the Malaysian embassies, high commissions and consulates, come out to vote in record numbers to counteract the effect of however many phantom voters which have been put in the electoral roll during the morally bankrupt rule of the Barisan Nasional government.

On this day, may many thousands of patriotic and responsible citizens turn up to work as  polling and counting agents as well as election observers to ensure that the election process is as fair and transparent as possible.

On this day, may the millions of legitimate Malaysian voters not cast a vote based on fear and intimidation but cast their vote based on hope for a better and brighter future.

On this day, may the millions of legitimate Malaysian voters vote out the corrupt and racist BN coalition that has ruled the country with an iron grip for the past 56 years.

On this day, may the millions of legitimate Malaysian voters, vote in a new government that promises to look beyond the narrow confines of racial politics and to steer Malaysia to a new course of democratic governance.

On this day, may the BN concede to the will of the people and agree to a peaceful transition of government if the will of the people for this historic change is clearly shown at the ballot box.

Just like how Malaysia could not have been formed without the partnership of the people of Sabah and Sarawak, the golden opportunity for change in the Golden year of the Jubilee cannot be taken without the support of voters in Sabah and Sarawak.

Sabah and Sarawak deserve much better after 50 years of being ruled by BN.

The recent explosive video expose by international NGO, Global Witness, is just the tip of the icerbeg in terms of how much has been stolen and plundered by the BN in Sarawak, led by Chief Minister, Taib Mahmud, who has been in power for 32 years in the state (and counting).

The recent invasion in Sabah may well be the consequence of Project IC in the state that has been going on under previous BN Chief Ministers and Prime Ministers but which was especially rampant during the reign of Dr. Mahathir.

Both Sabah and Sarawak are no longer fixed deposits for the BN.

It is obvious that many people are sick and tired of the rotten state of affairs in both states and that they are ready for change.

Pakatan Rakyat has been working hard to reach out to voters in all parts of these two states, from the cities to the villages, from the coast to the highlands, from the north to the south and to the east and west.

The Pakatan Manifesto has promised a new deal to the voters in Sabah and Sarawak including an increase in the oil royalty to 20% and the building of the Pan Borneo expressway linking both states.

Pakatan in both states have proposed alternative state budgets which show how we can govern more responsibly and competently than the BN state governments.

Two days ago, Pakatan in Sabah launched their state election manifesto which shows how a Pakatan state government in cooperation with a Pakatan federal government can work together to achieve and implement the policies for the common good of the Sabah people.

Pakatan won only 2 out of 57 parliament seats in Sabah and Sarawak (including Labuan). Pakatan can form the federal government if it wins at least 20 more parliament seats in both states.

I urge the people of Sabah and Sarawak to lead the political tsunami that will sweep BN out of power and to usher in a new era of democracy, peace and prosperity in this country.

Fifty years ago, a new nation in South-East Asia was born. Fifty years later, this nation can finally take the step to join the ranks of democratic countries in the world.

The voters of Sabah and Sarawak can make polling day in the 13th general election a historic date in Malaysian history.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 25 March 2013, 6:37 am and is filed under
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Clash of heavyweights in Gelang Patah?

— Lim Mun Fah

The Malaysian Insider

March 25, 2013

MARCH 25 — The MCA had never strategically anticipated that DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang would contest the Gelang Patah constituency. Initially, the MCA thought the proposed move was nothing more than a smokescreen, but to their surprise it turned out to be true. Having been caught on the hop, the MCA subsequently has to review it strategy.

If you go through past records of national elections, you will find that the Gelang Patah constituency is one of the most invulnerable bastions of the MCA. Both the MCA’s Chang See Ten @ Teu Si and Tan Ah Eng were elected as they are earnest service-oriented figures. Theoretically, Gelang Patah ought to be a safe constituency for the MCA. But the cruel fact is that Gelang Patah has been restive due to internal factional conflicts over the past 10 or more years: Chang fell in the conflicts, and so did Tan.

The MCA’s optimal contestant for the Gelang Patah constituency is Teoh Sew Hock, who started out as a grassroots member and rose all the way up to Gelang Patah MCA division chairman. Initially, the MCA thought that Teoh’s opponent would either be PKR’s Chua Jui Meng, or the DAP’s Liew Chin Tong or Dr Boo Cheng Hau. Now, the MCA has to change it strategy, I believe.

Talk that the MCA will assign somebody else, say, a heavyweight figure to replace Teoh, is rife nowadays. Who will that be? Chua Soi Lek or Wee Ka Siong?

Chua Soi Lek would be a more worthy MCA candidate and the contest would see a clash of heavyweights in Gelang Patah just like what had happened in 1982 when Tan Sri Lee San Choon challenged Dr Chen Man Hin in Seremban, and Lim Kit Siang contested against Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu at in Padang Kota in 1990.

Another thing comes to the mind: is this clash of the heavyweights masterminded by the DAP?

If I were asked abaout the possibility of Chua Soi Lek contesting, my reply would be “politically, it is always possible.”

The MCA was left with 15 parliamentary seats and 31 state seats after the March 8, 2008 general election. Seven of the parliamentary seats are from Johor. In other words, Johor actually holds 50 per cent of the MCA’s strongholds. The MCA should know that Lim Kit Siang isn’t merely focusing on the Gelang Patah constituency. His ultimate goal is to achieven a breakthrough for Pakatan Rakyat to secure Putrajaya eventually.

The MCA cannot afford to lose Johor. So is it with BN. Lim Kit Siang’s southern campaign has come as a fitful tornado. What the MCA and BN have to do is to prevent it from turning into a tsunami. — mysinchew.com

                This entry was posted on Monday, 25 March 2013, 5:44 pm and is filed under
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Pointing fingers to cover up incompetence in Sabah

— The Malaysian Insider

March 24, 2013

MARCH 24 — Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein took time off from leading the war against the Kiram clan in Sabah to remind the youth to rally behind Barisan Nasional (BN).

The Umno vice-president said PKR leaders like Chua Tian Chang had insulted the country’s armed forces despite several of them losing their lives to protect Malaysia’s sovereignty.

“What is going on in Sabah should not be politicised, this is an issue on our sovereignty.

“Whose hand is it is behind the intrusion, is there a third party involved? Who is this person who would forsake his own race and nation just because he wants power?” Hishammuddin told some 1,000 party youth supporters who responded with loud shouts of “Kill Tian Chua”.

This comes from the home minister who sent a tweet on February 18 describing  the Sulu gunmen as “Fact: Most of the intruders old or malnourished. Wear sarongs/slippers…a few… hv arms.”

All hell broke loose a few weeks later and eight Malaysian policemen and soldiers are now dead.

Because the authorities showed restraint, thinking that these Sulu gunmen are old, malnourished, and some say, because they are Muslims.

We know better now. We had to get real policemen and soldiers to fight our battles, not politicians who were tweeting pictures of themselves in bomber jackets and attending operational meetings in Sabah.

Hishammuddin’s comments are not surprising. He is trying to cover up the earlier incompetent handling of the Sabah crisis and his foibles that only ended when Datuk Seri Najib Razak ordered the troops in.

One can divert attention from the inept way Malaysia faced the crisis. But who is politicising it now if not Umno itself.

This from a man who said he will stay on in Sabah until the crisis is over. Fact is he flew back across the South China Sea for an event in Gombak, Selangor, where he admitted there is political violence but blamed it squarely on opposition provoction.

He should stop right there and tell the police to do their job, and not give Umno a free pass if their supporters are found to be behind such violent acts. No one should be spared of being taken to task but this minister is only good at pointing fingers at others.

That itself speaks volumes of this Umno minister, if not the handling of the Sabah crisis.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 25 March 2013, 6:02 pm and is filed under
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16-Day Countdown to 13GE – Najib has become a “kiasu” and “kiasi” Prime Minister, mortally afraid that the most famous political prophecy of RAHMAN in Malaysia will come true with him as  the last UMNO/Barisan Nasional Prime Minister!

By 12 midnight in 16 hours time, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would have created double “history” – firstly, first time in nation’s 56-year history, allowing a State Assembly (Negri Sembilan) to be automatically dissolved before Parliament; and secondly, establishing a record of “indecisiveness” as Prime Minister, even putting the fifth Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Abdullah to shame, while he continues to agonise on when to dissolve Parliament for the 13th General Elections!

There are no signs that Najib would dissolve Parliament before midnight tonight, ahead of the automatic dissolution of the Negri Sembilan State Assembly.

In fact, it now looks likely that another State Assembly, Pahang, will automatically dissolve on Apri 5, 2013 before the dissolution of Parliament.

This raises the question whether Najib will allow six other State Assemblies to be dissolved before the automatic dissolution of Parliament on midnight on 27th April 2013 – namely Johore and Malacca  (19th April), Selangor (20th April), Perak, Perlis and Kelantan (26th April).

Already, Najib has chalked up many dubious “records”, including:

*the longest unelected Prime Minister without a mandate from the voters;

*leading an “expired” Cabinet and Government, as the present 12th Parliament is 18 days past its five-year natural life, as it was elected on March 8, 2008; and

*a Prime Minister who has been on election campaigning mode for the longest period in history –  four years in a week’s time when it will be the fourth anniversary of Najib’s becoming the sixth Prime Minister on 3rd April 2009.

Najib has many other “dubious firsts” in his favour, as:

*the Prime Minister whose signature policy of 1Malaysia was immediately repudiated by his Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who declared that he is “Malay first, Malaysian second”, resulting in the Cabinet, UMNO and Barisan Nasional Supreme Councils never officially endorsing the 1Malaysia policy in the past four years;

*the Prime Minister who has coined  a blizzard and probably the  world’s biggest collection of alphabet soups as a substitute for government policies and action, comprising unpronounceable and impossible-to-remember acronyms like GTP, ETP, PTP, NKRA, NKEA, EPP, NEM, GMM, etc. (Can all Cabinet Ministers remember what all these acronyms stand for?)

*a Prime Minister who beat previous five Prime Ministers in spending vast sums of public funds running into hundreds of millions of ringgit to consultancy firms like APCO Worldwide, FBC Media, etc to massage his message and spruce up his government’s image locally and overseas;

*a Prime Minister who has refused to convene an emergency Parliament for the nation through all MPs to pay tribute and  fully  honour the 10 fallen national heroes from the police and armed forces who sacrificed their lives in defence of national sovereignty and the people’s security in the Sabah Sulu crisis; and

*the only incumbent Prime Minister to be warned before a general elections that unless he could achieve a bigger election victory for UMNO/BN than the previous 12GE in 2008, he would have to give way to Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin – an ultimatum delivered by none other than Tun Mahathir who has emerged to be the most “powerful” man in UMNO/BN.

Najib has chalked up such a catalogue of dubious records because he has become a “kiasu” and “kiasi” Prime Minister – mortally afraid that the most famous political prophecy of RAHMAN in Malaysia will come true and he will be the last UMNO/Barisan Nasional Prime Minister!

In fact, there appears to be a conspiracy against Najib even among those who sang the highest praises for him in the public domain – with former Finance Minister Daim Zainuddin providing the most recent example.

Daim’s interview with
New Straits Times
,
“I want Najib to win, Anwar not fit to be PM”

(New Sunday Times March 24, 2013)
, purportedly to support Najib, is in fact a powerful indictment of the failures of Najib’s four-year premiership, demolishing Najib’s  claims of success in delivering many economic and social initiatives implemented under his transformation agenda including his  recent hour-long television interview of  “Conversation with the PM”.

This is what Daim said:

“I will support Najib, but he must fight corruption and crime, strengthen the nation’s security and review the education system. Make English compulsory in all national schools. Without English, we are dead, especially the Malays.”

“On the nation’s security, every day in the media and on television, there are news reports of murder and crime. You say our country is safe, but if people don’t feel safe, they will not believe you regardless of the statistics.”

“On corruption, tell the rakyat that the government is serious in wanting to get rid of it…The government must come down strongly on those who are corrupt.”

Need more be said about the failures of Najib’s transformation agenda in the past four years when an “establishment” personality like Daim has such unflattering things to say about corruption, crime and education in what is supposed to a paean of an interview to praise the Najib premiership skyhigh?

Indeed it is true that with such friends, one does not need enemies!

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 26 March 2013, 8:19 am and is filed under
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I Believe

by Allan CF Goh

I Believe

I believe in a better tomorrow,

For my country, myself, and my children,

In a world free of thinking so narrow,

Free of dark threats from witches’ cauldron.

Once we lived a multi-racialism,

In a country shared equally with pride.

Now we see a vile, hate filled racism,

Where good reasons, good people choose to hide.

Malaysia belongs to all the races.

Our forebears lay down their lives for it.

We must bring back to life all the graces,

That was Malaysia with virtues well lit.

We want a country full of compassion,

A country full of good, proper respects.

We want a country freed of suppression,

In people’s chosen dreams in all aspects.

Let our blessed country progress with the best,

In the haven of meritocracy.

Let there be no obstacles to our quest,

For the obvious best of democracy.

We want a nation without corruption,

A nation build with moral lattices.

We need a nation pledged to occlusion

Of bad intentions and bad practices.

Corruption robs the nation of its soul;

Destroys the morality of the State,

Leaving behind an empty, aimless ghoul,

Unable to perform the nation’s slate.

Corruptions feed on discrimination,

That denies people’s legitimate right.

People must act with determination,

Remove this darkness, excise this dark blight.

I believe Malaysia can shine again,

If all right-thinking citizens unite,

To allow our country all goodness gain,

By exercising our conscience contrite.

I believe in the current wind of change,

That’s needful for Malaysia’s salvation,

That will sweep out the policies deranged,

Make Malaysia a real celebration!

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 26 March 2013, 3:35 pm and is filed under
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Najib throws more election goodies

Anisah Shukri| March 25, 2013

Free Malaysia Today

The prime minister announces four changes to the 40,000 staff of seven statutory bodies ahead of the polls.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak today announced sweeping benefits for the 40,000 staff of seven government statutory bodies, ahead of the general election which must be held within weeks.

The benefits to be given to LTAT (Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera), LHDN (Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri), EPF (Employees Provident Fund), Tabung Haji, Perkeso, Perhebat (Armed Forces Veteran Affairs Corporation), and Bank Simpanan Nasional are:

*a pension fund set up for all personnel;

    *fixed housing allowances equivalent to that of civil servants;

    *gratituities for retirees; and

    *streamlining employer contribution towards the EPF.

The benefits come in the wake of Najib’s announcement yesterday that the government would award 10,000 individual permits to taxi drivers, in what can be seen as a last-minute attempt to woo voters before polls are held.

When concluding his announcement today, Najib told the cheering audience of about 8,000 workers that they knew what must be done “soon”, in one of his many hints at the general election throughout his speech.

“I have fulfilled my promises to you, so when the times comes, can you fulfil your promise?” he asked them. His question was greeted by enthusiastic cries of agreement from the sea of red before him.

The audience, comprising the staff of the seven statutory bodies, held up placards that read “I love PM”. They started stomping, cheering and applauding before Najib delivered his speech, in obvious anticipation of the goodies he would announce for them.

At the beginning of his speech, Najib explained that the government’s philosphy was to prosper the economy before pleasing the rakyat.

He said the country’s current robust economy was the reason why the government was now able to “share” the profits with the rakyat.

“If we don’t generate the economy first, [everything will be] destroyed… When we develop the economy, we are able to share with the workers, the rakyat.

“That’s why I stand before you today with confidence. My conscience is clear. This is based on our success story. We are not a failed state, our country’s economy has not fallen the way it almost did in 1998, and now the person responsible wishes to become prime minister,” said Najib, referring to Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

In a veiled swipe at Pakatan Rakyat, he said the government would not take a populist stance and give all that the rakyat asked for as that would be a recipe for disaster.

“When we do something, it is not just to fulfil short-term needs that could destroy the future of our grandchildren.

“So, ladies and gentlemen, if we want the success to continue – and we want to share the success together – then when the time comes, you know what to do,” said Najib.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 26 March 2013, 5:07 am and is filed under
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No need for Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states of Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Selangor to dissolve ahead of Parliament – as 13GE must  be held latest by May 25 if there is going to be simultaneous Parliament/State GE

Should the Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states of Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Selangor dissolve ahead of Parliament if the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak continues to be indecisive despite the automatic dissolution of the Negri Sembilan State Assembly?

There are respective pros and cons but on the balance, I do not think there is any need for the Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states of Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Selangor to dissolve ahead of Parliament as the 13th General Elections must be held latest by May 25 if there is going to be simultaneous Parliament/State general elections.

It is the prerogative for each state government through the Chief Minister or Mentri Besar and the Ruler  concerned to decide when to dissolve the  respective State Assemblies  as there is nothing in the Federal or State Constitutions which require any State Government to wait for the cue from the dissolution of Parliament before there could be a dissolution of any State Assembly.

However, as Parliament and the various State Assemblies have already been pushed to the last lap of their tenures, with Parliament already exceeding its five-year natural life and the Negri Sembilan State Assembly to be automatically dissolved on midnight tonight, followed by Pahang (April 5), Johor and Malacca (April 19), Selangor (April 20), Perak, Perlis and Kelantan (April 26) before Parliament is automatically dissolved (April 27), no distinct advantage is likely to be accrued from any early dissolution of the Pakatan Rakyat-state governments.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 26 March 2013, 1:46 pm and is filed under
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Stupid things politicians say

― Fikry Osman

The Malaysian Insider

March 25, 2013

MARCH 25 ― Yes, we know it’s silly season in Malaysia. You can tell by reading what the politicians are saying these days in the run-up to the 13th general election (GE13) that could happen in the next few weeks.

These politicians sometimes say the dumbest and most obvious things. Tan Sri Shahrir Samad said today that the DAP is out to destroy MCA by sending its big guns to Johor.

Wow, this is really brilliant deduction.

I guess he could not have said the DAP is focussing on Johor because of the number of urban seat there, the number of Chinese voters, and that the abysmal record of Datuk Ghani Othman and hangers-on like Shahrir and others make the southern state a good target.

So let’s follow Shahrir’s logic: DAP is targeting MCA. What is wrong with that? After all, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek is telling all and sundry how strong his party is. His mouthpiece, The Star, is whacking the DAP every day.

So instead of running and hiding, DAP is going in search of its foe. Lim Kit Siang can choose to stay in safe Perak or Penang but is willing to take on Soi Lek in Gelang Patah.

And what is Soi Lek doing? Still hiding and hoping that some Umno guy will come to his aid, which is what Shahrir did.

We now have Umno shielding MCA again. It did that previously when the late Tun Ghafar Baba acted as party president to quell the quarrel between two feuding parties.

And now, again because MCA is weak. All Soi Lek can do is complain and ditch people he doesn’t like such as Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat. From becoming an equal partner in Barisan Nasional (BN), MCA is now the underling.

That is why Kit Siang can come in and show who’s the boss. His comrade, Dr Chen Man Hin, did that with Tan Sri Lee San Choon the last time. At least San Choon had the scrotal gumption to take on his foe.

I don’t see Soi Lek doing that. He has to rely on others to fight his battles. The DAP doesn’t have to do it. It goes looking for support as a Malaysian party, not one based on race or racial lines.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 26 March 2013, 4:49 am and is filed under
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The ‘class acts’ promoting Umno/BN

― Jimi Huang

The Malaysian Insider

March 25, 2013

MARCH 25 ― In the past few weeks, there have been many luminaries who have been promoting the continued rule of Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN). Of course, all of them come from Umno.

Let’s see, we have had Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, of course. The wise man who says Malays have to save Selangor in order to save the Malays themselves. He would say that because he has never read the Federal Constitution, which talks of the special position of the Malays.

And Tun Daim Zainuddin, Datuk Ibrahim Ali, Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar. They all owe their positions and influence to Umno and BN. Why would they say different?

These “class acts” also all have something in common: They are part of a political system that promoted and celebrated excesses in power.

Now that they are no longer at the pinnacle of power, they have turned to advising Malaysians on what choices to make.

You can’t expect any of them to say anything different except that Umno and BN are the best for the country.

Because if anyone else takes power, these chaps are finished. We will now all that they have done while in power. That is something they don’t want us to know.

We can listen to their tall tales. Of how great Umno and BN are for Malays and Malaysians. But we should know better. These chaps are doing it for their own future, not ours.

They want to continue sleeping well at night at our expense. We can’t let that happen. For once, we need to sleep well too with the choices we make for the future of our country and fellow countrymen.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 26 March 2013, 5:46 am and is filed under
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15-Day Countdown to 13GE – Unprecedented automatic dissolution of Negri Sembilan State Assembly at midnight tonight further highlights the “illegitimacy” of the Najib premiership particularly after the fifth anniversary of the “political tsunami” on 8th March

The unprecedented automatic dissolution of Negri Sembilan State Assembly at midnight tonight further highlights the “illegitimacy” of the Najib premiership particularly after the fifth anniversary of the “political tsunami” on 8th March nineteen days ago, giving his Cabinet and Government an “expired” character.

Is Najib really heading for the automatic dissolution of Parliament, now claimed to be April 30 and not April 27, 2013, after the further “automatic dissolution” of the State Assemblies of Pahang, Johore, Malacca, Selangor, Perak, Perlis and Kelantan before Parliament’s “automatic dissolution”, to be followed by the other states of Sabah, Penang and Terengganu?

It is not only a supreme irony, but most pathetic, that after almost four years as the country’s longest unelected Prime Minister and on permanent campaign mode, Najib is still trying to scrape the bottom of the barrel to eke out as many days as possible before he faces the ultimate and unavoidable “tryst with destiny”, the dissolution of the 12th Parliament for the holding of the 13th general elections in the country.

I agree with the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz that it is within Najib’s power to allow Parliament to be automatically dissolved before the holding of the 13GE, but he surely knows that this is an act which raises the most eloquent question about Najib’s credibility and legitimacy as Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Nazri claims that Najib is not jittery about dissolving Parliament. Nazri should “tell it to the marines” as it is an open secret, not only in UMNO/BN, but to Malaysians and the world that Najib is mortally afraid to prove the RAHMAN prophecy right with him as the last Umno/BN Prime Minister!

As a result, with a Prime Minister who had been on a permanent election campaigning mode in the past four years, important matters of governance had been seriously neglected as the business of government had virtual been on auto-pilot – especially so after Parliament had used up its five-year natural life on 8th March this year.

This is why the Prime Minister had not convened an emergency meeting of Parliament to pay national tribute and honour to the 10 fallen national heroes from the police and army who sacrificed their lives in Lahad Datu and Semporna in the Sabah Sulu crisis in the defence of national sovereignty and security of the people of Sabah!

If Pakatan Rakyat forms the next Federal Government in Putrajaya in the 13GE, one the first tasks of the 13th Parliament will be to pass an unanimous resolution to pay full tribute and to honour the ten fallen national heroes from the police and army in Lahad Datu and Semporna.

I call on Najib to stop being a PM on auto-pilot and to take the courageous and responsible decision to convene an emergency meeting of Parliament on the Sabah Sulu crisis within 24 hours unless he intends to dissolve Parliament immediately.

Let me advise Najib – he has exhausted all the advantages of incumbency where the Prime Minister can choose the most ideal time to dissolve Parliament and to hold the 13GE.

This is because Najib is now left with only six weeks before Parliament must be automatically dissolved, and every day could be a day of disaster for the Umno/BN – with little hope of him able to turn the last six weeks of the 12th Parliament’s constitutional to his advantage.

What could Najib achieve in the remaining six weeks of Parliament which could redound to his credit which he could not achieve for more than four years?

In fact, things are happening quick and fast, undermining the further credibility, authority and legitimacy of Najib’s premiership and the continued rule of Umno/BN after 56 years as the permanent government.

In the past few days, issues which have cropped up deleterious and detrimental to the Najib premiership and the UMNO/BN coalition government include:

Najib’s immediate and multiple violation of the Transparency International-Malaysia’s Election Integrity Pledge which he signed last month to conduct clean, ethical and principled election campaign – as witnessed by the escalation of the politics of hatred, lies, falsehoods and violence by UMNO/BN leaders and operatives.

The Global Witness videos alleging the involvement of Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Taib Mahmud in corrupt practices in the granting of logging concessions from the state government and also tax evasion, and the indifference, disinterest and inaction by the Prime Minister, the Attorney-General, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and all relevant government agencies responsible for law enforcements in the country.

Fourteen thousand people who signed an online petition urging the Prime Minister to set up a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) to probe the corruption in Sarawak involving Sarawak Chief Minister’s family as exposed by the Global Witness video documentary on a sting operation on some of Taib’s relatives and alleged business associates.

Najib will face more problems every other day with the prolongation of his agony when to dissolve Parliament, but his fear of being the last Umno/BN Prime Minister has immobilised himself from daring to dissolve Parliament to seek a mandate from the 13.3 million voters – despite all the glowing claims and reports by Umno/BN leaders that the Umno/BN is poised on a great victory in the 13GE.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 27 March 2013, 11:57 am and is filed under
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Hisham is endorsing political violence, says Pakatan

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

The Malaysian Insider

Mar 26, 2013

PETALING JAYA, March 26 — Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s recent remarks that he expects more disruption of opposition events soon is tantamount to endorsing political violence, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders alleged today.

The federal opposition coalition said that since the home minister had failed to give his assurance that the authorities will do its bit to protect them, PR is bracing for more political violence prior to and during Election 2013.

“The politics of slander and violence is definitely on the rise and we the leadership of PR is bracing for this,” Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told reporters after chairing the pact’s leaders council meeting at PKR’s headquarters here.

Anwar, the de facto leader of PR’s anchor party PKR, said the anticipation comes amid the pact’s preparation to launch its polls campaign nationwide.

Speaking at the same press conference, DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang blasted Hishammuddin’s statement as unbecoming of a minister tasked to protect internal security.

“This will make it the dirtiest elections. This trend must be checked and stopped. We are becoming the laughing stock of the world,” Lim said.

The Ipoh Timur lawmaker added that Hishammuddin had also indirectly supported violence against the opposition by inciting hatred among government supporters in his speech on Sunday.

Party workers had shouted “Kill Tian Chua” when the Umno vice-president urged them to rally behind Barisan Nasional (BN) and “eliminate traitors” like PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang, better known as Tian Chua, whose allies in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) have been accused of instigating the Sulu invasion of Sabah.

Hishammuddin admitted yesterday that political violence in the country was worsening, but accused PR of exploiting the situation to sow hatred for the government and the police.

He also noted that more incidents of violence might occur during the campaign period of Election 2013, which is expected to be held in weeks, due to the shortage of policemen.

His statement drew flak from poll reform group Bersih 2.0 who urged the minister to censure Umno supporters for the threat or risk being blacklisted by polls watchdog Bersih 2.0 for condoning political violence.

PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu echoed Lim’s view that Hishammuddin as a minister should adopt a non-partisan stand against political violence.

“But instead he said we should expect more violence,” he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, along with leaders from BN component parties, signed Transparency International-Malaysia’s Election Integrity Pledge last month in a move they claimed displayed their seriousness in playing fair in the upcoming polls.

But Najib and his coalition have come under heavy fire for their muted response to several violent attacks on the opposition, allegedly perpetrated by BN supporters or members of hardline groups linked to Umno, the ruling coalition’s Malay lynchpin.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s tour in Johor was attacked with nails and stones last September.

At another incident in Pahang last month, Anwar’s daughter, Nurul Izzah, was almost physically assaulted by Umno supporters. Although her supporters managed to prevent it, the PKR vice-president continued to be verbally abused.

On March 12, suspected Umno members were again implicated in a violent attack on the opposition, including a threat to torch PKR’s headquarters in Petaling Jaya just days after the party’s leadership alleged assault by BN supporters in Malacca.

Members from right-wing groups pelted rocks, sticks and traffic cones on the PKR building. A few torched the party’s flag. The incident took place under police observation. No action, however, was taken.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 27 March 2013, 7:46 am and is filed under
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Pakatan and Kit Siang Take the Offensive

by
Kee Thuan Chye

from Yahoo! Malaysia

It looks like Pakatan Rakyat is driving the 13th general election. As this most crucial of Malaysian elections draws near, the Opposition coalition is the more gung-ho in leading the way into battle. It is initiating the charge, taking the offensive, scoring the psychological points.

While the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition is led by a leader who has been tardy in calling for the general election partly because he has been humming and hawing about wanting the rakyat to feel the effects of his transformation programmes first, Pakatan has already shown its preparedness by coming out with its manifesto a few weeks ago, way ahead of BN.

In football terms, this is like the away team, despite its disadvantageous position, taking the play to the home team and attacking its goalmouth. Sometimes, this can end in a victory for the outsiders.

DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang’s decision to stand in Gelang Patah – in BN’s impregnable state, Johor – is another courageous offensive. It is a risky move by the DAP veteran who has never fought shy of engaging in difficult battles.

In the most famous of his encounters, he took on Lim Chong Eu, the Chief Minister of Penang then, at Padang Kota in 1990 and won. Nonetheless, it was a huge gamble for Kit Siang, who has not always been victorious. He lost when he came out of his comfortable position as Kubu state assemblyman in 1982 to try and capture Bandar Hilir, and again when he took on the risky seat of Tanjung Bungah in 1995 against yet another chief minister, Koh Tsu Koon. In fact, throughout his political career, Kit Siang has lost five times.

More than its just being another manifestation of his penchant for rushing into areas where angels fear to tread, Kit Siang’s current foray into Gelang Patah is a forceful demonstration of psychological one-upmanship. It is sending out the signal that Pakatan is not afraid of BN. It is a demonstration of sheer confidence.

Granted, the voter composition of Gelang Patah is 54 per cent Chinese, but it also has a sizable Malay electorate at 33 per cent, many of whom are either staunch BN supporters for the sake of Umno or racially inclined ones who might vote for an Opposition candidate if he or she were Malay. The 2008 election result for that constituency indicates this. The PKR candidate then, Zaliha Mustafa, managed to secure 27,779 votes against incumbent Tan Ah Eng’s haul of 33,630. Contrast that with the landslide 41,001 votes won by Tan in 2004 when the Opposition candidate was Chinese and managed to get only 9,335 votes.

In 2013, even if 85 per cent of the Chinese voted for Kit Siang, there is no guarantee that he can romp home the winner. And getting that many is not going to be easy as Gelang Patah is known to be an ultra-safe seat for the MCA, which has been serving the people there diligently for nearly two decades. Furthermore, BN has been running a campaign instilling in Malays the idea that the DAP is poison to them, so Kit Siang might not be able to count on their support to carry the day. And the other 12 per cent of Indian voters could either be split between the two candidates or lean more towards BN.

In response to Kit Siang’s move, MCA President Chua Soi Lek has come out to call Kit Siang a “touch and go” politician. And this, he says, is the rude way of putting it, as compared to the polite one of “hit and run” politician.

Soi Lek is one to talk. He hasn’t even stated where he is going to stand. Will he even stand?

He said, “Serving the people is never in Lim Kit Siang’s dictionary.” But in saying that, he must be deliberately trying to appear ignorant. Throughout his career, Kit Siang has been consistent – indeed even one-track – in championing the cause of justice and democracy for Malaysia. Any Malaysian who is educated enough about Malaysian politics knows that.

For his untiring efforts, he has been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) twice – in 1969 for 18 months, and in 1987 for 17 months. And in 1979, he was convicted under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) for exposing the Government’s purchase of four navy vessels.

Indeed, instead of disparaging Kit Siang, Soi Lek should stand against him in Gelang Patah. This would be a real test of whether the Chinese have high regard for him as MCA president.

Even one of MCA’s division chiefs is calling for that. Tan Cher Puk of Pasir Gudang said recently, “So far nobody knows whether the president will contest in the coming general election or not. The MCA (members) in some areas are experiencing low morale.” Well, if Chua decided to take on Lim, he would show that the MCA was not afraid, and that would certainly boost party morale.

As it is, the person touted to be MCA’s candidate is Teoh Sew Hock whom observers feel is too lightweight for Kit Siang. So it makes sense for the MCA to field a more worthy opponent.

There will be a real clash of titans if Soi Lek should go for it instead, even if it is viewed as such only because Soi Lek is MCA chief, and not much more. It will be one of the great highlights of the 13th general election that will be talked about long after the voting is over and done with.

The big question, however, is, would Soi Lek be brave enough to take on the man he so bravely belittles verbally? Or would he delegate it to someone else and opt for a safe seat himself?

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 27 March 2013, 1:34 pm and is filed under
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Will MCA regain the 25 seats it lost in Election 2008?

by
Lee Hwa Beng

The Malaysian Insider

MARCH 27, 2013

MARCH 27 ― In the last general election, MCA contested 40 Parliament seats yet it won only 15. Out of the 40 seats, MCA was able to win only 7 (out of 23 contested seats) from DAP, six (out of 15 contested seats) from PKR and two (out of two contested seats) from PAS.

This shows MCA won mainly in mixed seats where there are fewer Chinese voters while it lost heavily in the Chinese majority seats.

One can deduce, therefore, that MCA won with the support of Malay rather than Chinese votes.

Another major contributing factor in MCA’s drastic loss was the significant reduction of support from Indian voters who were traditionally Barisan Nasional/MCA supporters (more than 80 per cent) but have since deserted the ruling coalition with less than 40 per cent of them voting for the ruling coalition in GE12.

As in my earlier articles, “
Who will win the 13th General Election?
” and “
How will MCA fare in the 25 seats they won in the last election?
”, I will provide the reader with background information and factors to consider for my latest question: “Will MCA  be able to wrest any of the 25 seats they lost in the last elections?”

1) First and foremost, the most important factor to consider in making any prediction about MCA’s performance is Chinese sentiments towards BN in general and MCA in particular.

Unfortunately for MCA, Umno has already decided quite early on that Chinese voters will not return to BN. It has been said that it is due to Chinese voters’ negative perception of Umno, MCA’s poor leadership led by a scandal-tainted president and MCA’s inability to hold its own fort against Umno in the ruling coalition.

As a result, Umno’s initial strategy to win Malay and Indian votes and ignore Chinese votes has further alienated the Chinese from BN.

Statements and actions by Umno leaders to get more Malay voters have further pushed the Chinese voters towards supporting Pakatan Rakyat. The generous fund allocations to Indians and the additional ministerial spot for MIC confirm the fear of the Chinese that they have no future under the government of BN.

The public statements of Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali as well as Ridhuan Tee Abdullah’s columns in Utusan Malaysia have exacerbated these fears.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s recent overtures to the Chinese are too little, too late to reverse this downward support from the Chinese voters. Thus, the general expectation is that Chinese support for BN will be significantly worse than the last election.

2) In 2008, Pakatan’s component parties and their individual candidates’ strengths were not known to the public. However, after these five years, voters’ perception of Pakatan and individual candidates will play a big part in voters’ choices.

Was Pakatan and their components’ performance good enough to change the public perception of them? As MCA will be contesting against DAP in at least 23 areas (based on the last elections), how do the Chinese view DAP?

Pakatan candidates cannot solely rely on the anti-BN sentiment to win this election. The performance of individual Pakatan incumbents will play a big role in voters’ decisions now that they are no longer unknowns in uncharted waters. Will Pakatan dare to drop under-performing or controversial incumbents?

Many Pakatan MPs like Lee Boon Chye in Gopeng, Loh Gwo Burne of Kelana Jaya, Hee Loy Sian of PJ Selatan, John Fernandez of Seremban, Sim Tong Him of Kota Melaka and Er Teck Hwa who won marginally in the last election hardly made a peep in Parliament and were not active in their constituencies.

If they are not dropped and MCA can put up strong candidates in these 11 seats, these seats have a potential for change. One such seat is Seremban, where MCA is expected to field Dr Yeow Chai Thiam, a strong and hard working grassroots leader.

Due to stronger Chinese support for Pakatan, MCA cannot expect to make many inroads into the other 25 seats where Pakatan had won with more than 60 per cent majorities as listed in table below.

3) In a MCA vs DAP seat, MCA will normally get more Malay votes than DAP. Hence, the percentage of Malay voters will be a very big factor. For example, in Kuantan where there are 60 per cent Malay and 36 per cent Chinese voters, a 70 per cent support from the Malays will have 42 per cent (70 per cent x 60 per cent) and only a 20 per cent vote from the Chinese will have seven per cent (20 per cent x 36 per cent) to give a total of 49 per cent.

Hence a sliver of Indian votes can carry the MCA candidate through to victory.

Therefore, we see MCA leaders like Donald Lim shifting from a 40 per cent Malay PJ Selatan seat to the 45 per cent Malay majority Selayang seat. Similarly Wangsa Maju and Bandar Tun Razak constituencies, which have more than 50 per cent Malay voters, are winnable if MCA can put up strong candidates.

4) Many people have commented that Indian votes are returning to BN since the last election, when 60-80 per cent of them voted for Pakatan. If BN is able to obtain back at least 50 per cent of the Indian votes, then the MCA seats which are composed of more than 15 per cent Indians and more than 40 per cent Malay voters such as Selayang, Kelana Jaya, PJ Selatan, Bayan Baru and Padang Serai can be winnable by MCA if strong candidates are put up.

5) As mentioned in the first point, the perception of Chinese voters of the current MCA leadership will have a significant impact on the result of these 25 seats. Will voters forgive and forget Chua Soi Lek’s sex scandal? Will the ongoing PKFZ trials of MCA former leaders impact voters? Will Chua Soi Lek’s past threat to opt out of the government if MCA obtains less than the current 15 seats influence the Chinese to vote for MCA candidates?

6) Pakatan has targeted all MCA seats as their most winnable seats and has forged DAP to be their best weapon against MCA in their aim to capture Putrajaya. As such, PKR has already announced the give-away of two of their seats, Bentong and Gelang Patah to DAP candidates to contest. I am sure in the other areas where MCA will face PKR and PAS, such arrangements will be considered.

My prediction is that MCA has a possibility of winning back one to three seats out of the 25 seats they have lost. On the other hand, I predict that MCA will lose at least 5 to 10 seats from the 15 they are now holding. Due to that, the net effect of the number of seats MCA will win will be around 6 to 13 seats only which is still below the 15 seats they currently have.

* Datuk Lee Hwa Beng is the former MCA state assemblyman for Subang Jaya (three terms from 1995-2008). He stood as the BN candidate for the Kelana Jaya parliamentary seat in 2008 and lost. He was later appointed Port Klang Authority chairman to investigate the PKFZ scandal from 2008 to 2011 and is the author of “PKFZ: A Nation’s Trust Betrayed.”

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 27 March 2013, 7:28 pm and is filed under
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14-Day Countdown to 13GE: Unhealthy Federal-State relations where Negri Sembilan State Assembly automatically dissolved midnight last night because of a “kiasu” and “kiasi”  Prime Minister

Another dubious record by Datuk Seri Najib Razak as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia – Malaysian history’s  first “automatic” dissolution of a State Assembly at midnight last night not because of a conscious and deliberate decision by  the Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar but because of a “kiasu” and “kiasi” Prime Minister embroiled in a Hamlet agony unable to decide when  to dissolve Parliament for fear of becoming the last Umno/BN Prime Minister.

The automatic dissolution of the Negri Sembilan State Assembly last night, with Negri Sembilan now without a single elected State Assembly members in the sixty days until May 26 – the last date for the election of the new Negri Sembilan State Assembly – is a major blow to healthy Federal-state relations, as it is a classic case where a State Government has been deprived of its constitutional right to seek a new mandate from the electorate solely because of extraneous and even unconstitutional considerations – the indecisiveness of the Prime Minister!

This is not the Federal-state relations which the country’s forefathers and the founders of the country’s Constitution had ever  envisaged or desired more than half a century ago – for the autonomy,  independence and prerogatives of each state government in the federation of Malaysia is to be jealously protected and honoured.

I am sure if Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Tan Cheng Lock or  Tun Sambanthan had been asked 56 years ago whether under the 1957 Merdeka  Federal  Constitution a state government would be deprived of the power  and have to surrender its prerogative to dissolve the State Assembly to seek a new mandate at the end of its five-year term to the Prime Minister until he could decide when to dissolve Parliament, the answer from all the fathers of Merdeka would be a loud, clear-cut and categorical “No! No! No!”

In the circumstances, the Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan had been a party to the subversion of the Negri Sembilan State Constitution and the development of healthy and proper Federal-state relations in allowing the Prime Minister to usurp his powers to  dictate that the Negri Sembilan State Assembly goes for “automatic dissolution”  to suit the scheme of things decided by the Prime Minister – a clear and open subversion of the independence, autonomy and prerogatives of state constitution and powers!

It is now to be seen whether the other State Governments and State Constitutions would be similarly subverted and violated by the Prime Minister and the Federal Government  like the case of Negri Sembilan – i.e. Pahang on April 7 and Johore and Malacca on April 21 where the two State Assemblies would automatically dissolved, not because of any deliberate and conscious decision of the heads of the state governments but to suit the agenda of the Prime Minister!

The Pakatan Rakyat-run states of Penang, Kedah, Selangor and Kelantan should not allow their state constitutions, rights, powers and prerogatives to be subverted in this fashion by the Prime Minister and the Federal Government, and I agree with the Selangor Mentri Besar, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim that the four PR states should consider whether they should go for automatic dissolution of their State Assemblies (Selangor’s state assembly will be automatically dissolved on April 22) to humour the Prime Minister or whether they should act on the merits of the issue, fully protecting state government rights, powers and prerogatives from being usurped by the Prime Minister and Federal Government, on when they want to dissolve their respective State Assemblies.

It is interesting to read of reasons which are being trotted out to justify Najib’s true Hamlet-style indecisiveness on when to  hold the long-awaited 13GE, including the ongoing Sabah Sulu crisis which has seen the establishment of the Eastern Sabah Safety Zone (Esszone) covering 10 districts namely Kudat, Kota Marudu, Pitas, Beluran, Sandakan, Kinabatangan, Lahad Datu, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau.

Other reasons for Najib’s still waiting for the “inspiration” to dissolve Parliament include his intention to announce his  four-year report card as Prime Minister (a confession that his earlier report card on his National Transformation Agenda had been a complete flop), his inability to finalise the BN’s candidates’ list and most unbelieveable of all, his intention to attend the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Brunei on April 24 as a “full-fledged leader” instead of as a caretaker Prime Minister!

All these are mounting signs of a Prime Minister who is very “jittery”  about when to dissolve Parliament and to call for the long-delayed 13GE because of his fear of  the Opposition Pakatan Rakyat, despite denial by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.

But Nazri may be on to something when he said,  in response to a media question, that the 13GE may be held in May.

April or May, Najib has at most another five weeks before Parliament will be dissolved automatically, for the first time in the nation’s 56-year history, and if there is going to be simultaneous Parliament/State Assembly 13GE, the polling date must be by 24th  May (the deadline for the holding of elections for the Negri Sembilan State Assembly) – or in eight weeks’ time.

Najib has lost all the advantages of incumbency where the Prime Minister can choose the most ideal time  to dissolve Parliament and to hold the 13GE.

With eight weeks left for  simultaneous Parliament/State Assembly elections to  be held, what could Najib achieve in the next eight weeks which could redound to his credit but which he could not achieve for more than four years as the longest unelected Prime Minister?

Nothing much at all. This is why Tun Mahathir said he would have held the 13GE last year, when he commented:

“If I was the prime minister, I would have called for elections last year. All this waiting… one month, two months, three months… it just never stops.

“I was expecting elections to be held last year but because I’m not prime minister it didn’t happen.”

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 28 March 2013, 8:48 am and is filed under
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Ambiga: Four ‘good’ reasons, my foot!

RK Anand| March 28, 2013

Free Malaysia Today

The Bersih chief dismisses the four reasons given by the Star’s group editor-in-chief for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s delay in dissolving Parliament.

KUALA LUMPUR: In a comment piece published on the front-page of the Star today, the MCA-owned daily’s group editor-in-chief Wong Chun Wai stated four reasons for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s feet-dragging on the dissolution of Parliament.

However, Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga is not convinced with the four “good” reasons, which were:

 *A caretaker government cannot enter into agreements at the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima).

    *Finishing touches to some projects and programmes.

    *Barisan Nasional’s candidates’ list not finalised.

    *Impossible at the moment for politicians to campaign freely in Lahad Datu.

Commenting on the first reason cited, Ambiga told FMT that it is not a licence to dig into the public coffers to embark on a spending spree.

“Lima contracts were all foreseeable. If this was an aim, then why lead the public on a merry ride and threaten to dissolve Parliament for more than a year?” she asked.

Ambiga stressed that it is morally wrong to extend the dissolution date on this premise, adding that the move smacked of utter desperation.

“The way they [the incumbent government] are spending suggests that they are not certain of returning to power. And that is the whole point of a caretaker government: they should not make any contracts which the next incoming government would be bound by; you must uphold the status quo.

“It is wrong to rush into contracts when it is very close to the caretaker period,” she added.

As for Wong’s second point, Ambiga argued that putting the final touches on projects and programmes is also something that was foreseeable in the past.

“This once again suggests that they are not confident. It seems that for the first time, there is a confidence crisis [in BN] with regard to retaining Putrajaya.

“However, your nervousness does not justify spending the rakyat’s money so close to the election and for keeping us on hold regarding the election date,” she said.

‘Automatic dissolution is shameful’

On BN still finalising its list of candidates, the Bersih chairperson dismissed this as the weakest possible excuse.

Ambiga said the list has to be finalised before any general election, and since Najib has been toying with the people over the election date for more than a year, BN should have worked on the list a long time ago.

“This is a pathetic excuse for delaying the dissolution of Parliament,” she added.

As for the security in Lahad Datu being used as a reason, Ambiga expressed puzzlement.

“We were previously given the impression that everything was fine and safe… for the election to be held there. This is news to me. It seems like the government is caught in its own web of misinformation… I would like to know the truth about the situation there,” she said.

Commenting on the automatic dissolution of the Negeri Sembilan State Legislative Assembly last night, Ambiga said this is not something to be proud of as it meant that the incumbent government is being booted out of power by the Federal Constitution.

“…unless we amend the Constitution and have fixed dates for elections. Then everybody’s life goes on until the date of election; now everyone’s life is on hold… this is the psychological point and it is shameful,” she added.

Furthermore, Ambiga stated that automatic dissolution is a constitutional safeguard against recalcitrant regimes.

“Let me stress again that there was nothing to be proud of allowing for an automatic dissolution, although it was legal. No self-respecting government would allow that to happen,” she added.

Najib’s delay in dissolving Parliament has led to a litany of speculations, ranging from a lack of confidence to more last-minute plots being hatched against the opposition.

Parliament is scheduled for automatic dissolution on April 27.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 28 March 2013, 7:13 pm and is filed under
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First objective of Battle of Gelang Patah is to target the six Parliamentary and 13 State Assembly seats in south Johore to pave the way for Pakatan Rakyat to Putrajaya in 13GE

Since March 18, 2013, when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced at the forty-seventh DAP anniversary celebrations in Johore Baru that I will be contesting in the Gelang Patah parliamentary constituency in line with the Pakatan Rakyat decision to make Johor the front-line state in the 13th General Elections, Gelang Patah and Johore have catapulted to national attention and captured the imagination of  Malaysians about the challenges of the coming general elections.

There have been diverse reactions covering the entire spectrum, from one end regarding this a foolhardy decision to the other end hailing the decision as a most exciting and challenging test in the 13GE.

Those of the former view are concerned  whether I could survive in Gelang Patah, as I will be leaving Ipoh Timor where I won in 2008 general election with a majority of over 21,000 votes to go to a constituency which has always been regarded as a “fort’ of MCA and Barisan Nasional.

In the 2008 general election, MCA/BN won Gelang Patah with a majority of over 8,000 votes while in the 2004 general election, the majority is an awesome one of 31,666 votes!

Is it possible to reverse such humongous majorities for the MCA/BN in Gelang Patah as to win the seat for DAP/Pakatan Rakyat in the 13GE?

I agree that the contest in Gelang Patah is a high-risk venture, but the Battle of Gelang Patah is not so much about the win or loss of an individual or I might as well remain in Ipoh Timor.

It is not even about  the advances or setbacks of DAP or any political party. It has a greater import – whether it could spark a political tsunami in the 13GE from the south instead of from the north in 2008, and to cross the South China Sea to influence Sabah and Sarawak  so that the three BN “fixed deposit states” can contribute more than one-third of the 83 parliamentary seats to the grand total of Pakatan Rakyat parliamentary victories in the 13GE.

If the three  BN “fixed deposit states” of Johore, Sabah and Sarawak ( which Pakatan Rakyat won only three parliamentary seats in 2008, with one seat  from each state), can contribute one-third of their parliamentary seats to the Pakatan Rakyat total, or even rise to some 40 per cent as to contribute a total of 33 parliamentary seats from the three states, Pakatan Rakyat will be well on the way to Putrajaya in the 13GE.

The Battle of Gelang Patah is therefore not about the victory or defeat of an individual or the gains or losses of individual parties, but whether Johore can become a “kingmaker” in the 13GE to spark a political tsunami from the south and cross the South China Sea to effect the first  peaceful and democratic transfer of power from Barisan Nasional to Pakatan Rakyat.

For this reason, the Battle of Gelang Patah has many phases or objectives.

Let me talk about the first objective of the Battle of Gelang Patah, which is to target the six Parliamentary and 13 State Assembly seats in south Johore to pave the way for Pakatan Rakyat to Putrajaya in 13GE.

Johor Baru has three parliamentary and six state assembly seats, namely Johor Bahru, Pasir Gudang and Tebrau parliamentary seats and Stulang, Tanjong Puteri, Johore Jaya, Permas, Puteri Wangsa and Tiram State Assembly seats.

None of these Johor Baru parliamentary and state assembly seats had been won by the Opposition, which is against the national trend where parliamentary and/or state assembly seats in the capital of most of the states are strongholds of the Opposition, whether Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Perak, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan, Terengganu or the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur where the Pakatan Rakyat swept 10 of the 11 parliamentary seats in 2008.

There are three other parliamentry seats and seven state assembly seats in the South Johore region, namely Gelang Patah, Kulai and Pulai with seven state assembly seats, namely Skudai, Nusajaya, Pengkalan Rinting, Kempas, Senai, Bukit Batu and Bukit Permai.

Objective One of the Battle of Gelang Patah is to win for Pakatan Rakyat the six Parliamentary and 13 State Assembly seats in South Johore, for if we cannot achieve this  objective, the chances of Pakatan Rakyat winning the 13GE  to form the new Federal Government would be a very slim one.

Pakatan Rakyat parties of DAP, PKR and PAS can only succeed in achieving  Objective One of the Battle of Gelang Patah if we can mobilise and commit full support of the voters in these six Paliamentry and 13 State Assembly constituences, regardless of race, religion or geography, for the cause of democratic change.

In other words, the greatest challenge of DAP, PKR and PAS in Objective One in the Battle of Gelang Patah is to win the support of voters from all races, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians or Orang Asli so that we can succeed in the other objectives of the Battle of Gelang Patah in Johor and Malaysia.

(Speech when visiting Stulang constituency on Thursday, 28th March 2013)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 28 March 2013, 5:08 pm and is filed under
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Lim Kit Siang’s wisdom

By LIM SUE GOAN

Sin Chew Daily

2013-03-28

13th general election

Opinion

As wisdom comes with age, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang is having the best political view among Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

Why is Lim Kit Siang leading DAP leaders to attack Johor? He revealed his campaign layout during an interview with the Sin Chew Daily.

He believes that the 308 political tsunami has not reached its peak and the wind of anti-ruling stopped at Negeri Sembilan. The purpose of attacking the southern peninsula this time is to make the tsunami which has not completed its task five years ago to reach its peak and hit the south-central peninsula, shaking the bastions of Umno and the MCA.

Although the responses of Chinese voters in Johor have given the DAP confidence that the tsunami this time would start from southern peninsula and spread its impacts to the northern part, Johor, after all, is the BN’s bastion and thus, there is a certain level of risk for Lim Kit Siang to take such a move this time, particularly when Johor Malay voters still tend to support the BN.

Despite the risk, Lim Kit Siang, who has engaged in politics for 47 years, knows that the fleeting opportunity will be gone if they do not grab it.
Therefore, he bets his political career to achieve the goal. He is stronger than Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in terms of this. Anwar started to consider only after some one suggested that he should leave the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency and contest in Perak. However, he has taken no action so far.

Lim Kit Siang did not misjudge the strong wind of anti-ruling emerged in Chinese communities of Johor. This can be proven by the warm responses received at Pakatan Rakyat’s political ceramah. And I got the same feedback from my friends when I returned to my hometown, Kluang.

The tsunami of the 2008 general election hit Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor and even Kuala Lumpur, causing the BN to lose four states to Pakatan Rakyat. Some of my Johor friends are still excited when they talk about the history and hope to have a chance to participate in it. As Lim Kit Siang said, the tsunami would come from the south.

Lim Kit Siang had contested in Selangor, Penang and Perak. Whether he can create a miracle in Johor this time, we shall wait and see.

Another move that has highlighted Lim Kit Siang’s political wisdom is the suggestion of dissolving Pakatan Rakyat state assemblies together with the Parliament, instead of dissolving them earlier.

It is a response to Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s plan to dissolve the state assembly earlier to leave Najib no way to further delay the election. However, to make Khalid’s plan work, the state assembly must be dissolved in February so that the general election has to be held in April. Dissolving the state assembly now can no longer bring a “coercionary” effect as the Negeri Sembilan state assembly has automatically dissolved.

If Khalid dissolves the state assembly now, the Selangor state government will become a caretaker state government. Although we currently have no guideline on the limits of authority for caretaker governments, a caretaker government should avoid making major decisions and approving funds. If the BN appropriates a huge amount to the state after the state assembly is dissolved, Selangor Pakatan Rakyat would then be unable to counter the attack.

Since Najib can ignore the automatic dissolution of the Negeri Sembilan state assembly, would he still care about the automatic dissolution of the Selangor state assembly? Moreover, the Pahang state assembly will also dissolve automatically if the Parliament is not dissolved by 7 April.

No matter until when the election date is delayed and no matter whether the Parliament should be automatically dissolved on 28 or 30 April, the general election must be held by 28 May.

Moreover, the situation might be more favourable to Pakatan Rakyat if it takes the strategy of not forcing the BN to dissolve the Parliament as some voters might become sick of the delay.

Khalid was an entrepreneur and thus, lacks political experience. He should first consult Lim Kit Siang so he would not have to become a laughingstock who claimed to have an early dissolution of state assembly but has taken no action so far.

Lim Kit Siang serves as the best example of the saying: elders are treasures.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 28 March 2013, 2:58 pm and is filed under
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Najib has delivered – A Malaysia More Corrupt!

by Martin Jalleh

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 28 March 2013, 5:27 pm and is filed under
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Najib has delivered – the Most Corrupt Institution in Bolehland!

by Martin Jalleh

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 28 March 2013, 3:36 pm and is filed under
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Najib leaves Taib video expose to MACC probe

by Clara Chooi

The Malaysian Insider

March 27, 2013

The Financial Times reported that the prime minister declined to address the expose by Global Witness directly during the interview. — Reuters picKUALA LUMPUR, March 27 — Barisan Nasional (BN) is “equally as concerned about corruption” as its critics but the problem cannot go away overnight, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said in a Financial Times (FT) interview carried today, in the wake of a damning expose on Sarawak’s timber scandals.

The international financial daily reported that the prime minister declined to address the expose by Global Witness (GW) directly during the interview, pointing out that Malaysian graftbusters were already investigating the allegations against Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

“Prostitution and corruption are two things that mankind has had to live with for so long. But we are determined to tackle it. It is a scourge. But it is something that will not go away overnight,” he was quoted saying.

In the article describing the likely heated contest that Najib will face in Election 2013, FT noted that Umno is vulnerable on the topic of corruption, which the federal opposition will use as its key weapon on the campaign trail.

The business paper pointed to the numerous allegations of bribes allegedly used to secure government contracts, and Malaysia’s ranking of 54 out of 176 countries in Transparency International Malaysia’s (TI-M) 2012 corruption perception index.

Taib has denied all involvement in the timber scandal. — file picNajib’s pledge to transform and reform the country includes promises to stamp out corruption and be more transparent, but the series of graft exposes involving administrators in his team has continued to hamper progress.

In the latest revelation by London-based environmental group Global Witness, Taib found himself at the centre of corruption allegations again in a video of a covert investigation on Sarawak’s timber scandals.

The video, titled “Inside Malaysia’s Shadow State”, showed dealings by GW’s undercover investigators with Taib’s cousins and several other intermediaries to acquire thousands of hectares of forest land, which the group said would displace thousands of indigenous people living there.

Taib has since played innocent and denied his involvement, and his government has even initiated its own probe to determine if the video was an attempt by the opposition to discredit him ahead of Election 2013, a contest deemed the most critical yet for the ruling BN coalition.

FT said Najib’s team could well be upstaged by Pakatan Rakyat (PR), the loose coalition of opposition parties PKR, DAP and PAS that has grown significantly in strength and in numbers since its harried formation five years ago.

PR had a taste of victory in the last March 2008 general election when it robbed BN of its two-thirds parliamentary majority and won in five states and a federal territory.

Should Najib lead BN to only a narrow win in the next election, the country’s sixth prime minister could face a leadership challenge within Umno.

But Najib appeared to acknowledge this during the interview, pointing out that he had allowed himself the risk when he changed Umno’s constitution to make it easier to challenge the party’s leadership.

“I’ve made Umno more democratic, more inclusive. Of course, by doing that I’m putting myself at risk. But I believe that what were doing is good for the country and good for the party,” he was quoted saying.

Economy-wise, FT wrote that Najib has the advantage of incumbency as he led Malaysia through an economic performance last year that, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), had “surpassed expectations”.

The paper pointed out that the Malaysian economy grew 5.6 per cent, driven by a robust domestic demand and exports of commodities like gas and palm oil.

Citing HSBC, FT noted that foreign confidence in Najib’s reforms has also seen foreign holdings of Malaysian government bonds soar by 550 per cent to RM215 billion since 2009.

But the paper pointed to concerns all around over the government’s debt to GDP ratio of 51 per cent, and noted that government revenues were weak.

Responding to this, Najib said his government will look at widening the tax base, appearing to hint that once polls are done, the highly-awaited goods and services tax may be introduced, after it was shelved following public uproar.

“I will look at the tax structure, definitely, because we need to enhance the revenue base. The government revenue base has to be predicated on a much stronger footing,” he was quoted saying.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 28 March 2013, 6:20 am and is filed under
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What has Umno achieved?

by Martin Jalleh

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 28 March 2013, 9:23 am and is filed under
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13-Day Countdown to 13GE – In forcing the Negri Sembilan to be dissolved “automatically” on Wednesday midnight, Najib has unconstitutionally hijacked the powers of the Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar and even the Yang di Pertuan Besar on dissolution of State Assembly

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, has chalked up another dubious record in his political career –  as for the second time, he has shown utter contempt for important, delicate and sensitive Federal-State relationships by trampling on the sanctity of State Constitutions in his utter disregard for the state’s  autonomy, rights, powers and prerogatives entrenched in the State Constitutions.

The first time Najib violated the sanctity of a state constitution was in February 2009 when he orchestrated an undemocratic, illegal, unethical and unconstitutional grab for power in Perak and ousted the Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin and the democratically-elected Pakatan Rakyat Perak executive council and government from office.

As a result, Najib’s recent signature of Transparency International-Malaysia’s Election Integrity Pledge is regarded as a political farce totally lacking in meaning and commitment, even in destroying in the process  the credibility, authority and legitimacy of TI-M’s Election Integrity Pledge altogether.

The second time Najib had violated the sanctity of State Constitutions happened on Wednesday midnight when he forced the Negri Sembilan State Assembly to run out of time and which had to  be dissolved automatically with the Negri Sembilan Yang di Pertuan Besar, Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir, the Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and the Speaker, Datuk Razak Mansor completely in the dark on the issue.

It was reported in yesterday’s press that Mohamad had an audience with the Yang di Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan to explain the functions of a caretaker government with the “automatic dissolution” of the Negri Sembilan State Assembly on Wednesday midnight.

Was Mohamad able to explain to the Yang di Pertuan Besar why the Negri Sembilan State Assembly could not be dissolved before 27th March 20013, and  had to be dissolved “automatically” with the lapse of five years after the first meeting of the 12th Negri Sembilan State Assembly on 27th March 2008?

Or was Mohamad completely in the dark on the issue, and all that he could inform the Yang di Pertuan Besar was that his role as Mentri Besar in Negri Sembilan as like the “blind leading the blind” vis-à-vis the people of Negri Sembilan, and he had no authority to dissolve the Negri Sembilan State Assembly as this power of the Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar  had been unconstitutionally hijacked by the Prime Minister, and he had absolutely no idea when Datuk Seri Najib Razak is going to dissolve Parliament?

Did the Prime Minister forbid the Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar from carrying out of his most important duty – to decide on when to seek the consent of the Yang di Pertuan Besar for the dissolution of the State Assembly, and if this power had been hijacked by the Prime Minister, what is the constitutional basis and justification for this illegal and unconstitutional hijacking?

In fact, it can be argued that in forcing the Negri Sembilan to be dissolved “automatically” on Wednesday midnight, Najib has not only unconstitutionally hijacked the powers of the Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar but  even the powers and prerogatives of the Yang di Pertuan Besar of Negri Sembilan.

Before Najib violates the constitution of another state in like manner, let him explain the proper basis and justification for hijacking this constitutional power of the respective Mentri Besar and the prerogatives of the  State rulers.

After Negri Sembilan, there are another four BN-State Governments heading for “automatic dissolution” if Parliament is to automatically dissolved first on 29th April 2013, viz:  Johor and Malacca on 21st April, Perak on 25th April and Perlis on 28th April.

Are the Mentris Besar of Johor, Perak and Perlis and the Chief Minister of Malacca to emulate the role of Hassan in Negri Sembilan  as the “blind (Mentri Besar/Chief Minister) leading the blind (people)” in their respective states, for the decision not only when to dissolve Parliament but the various BN State Governments  is exclusively in the hands of the Prime Minister?

This is a shameful, deplorable and retrograde development of healthy and proper Federal/State relations and a Pakatan Rakyat federal government is committed to reversing the authoritarian trend of centralisation of state powers, rights, responsibilities and prerogatives as in ensuring that State Governments have adequate funds and powers to carry out socio-economic developments in the respective states.

The Pakatan Rakyat state governments of Selangor, Kelantan, Penang and Kedah should not be placed in a position of being just “the blind leading the blind”, all depending on the decision of the Prime Minister with regard to dissolution of State Assemblies, as this is a important decision which should engage the serious and conscious deliberation of the Mentri Besar or Chief Minister concerned.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 29 March 2013, 4:38 pm and is filed under
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Ambiga Rubbishes the Star’s “4 Reasons Why”

by Martin Jalleh

                This entry was posted on Friday, 29 March 2013, 1:27 pm and is filed under
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China’s anti-corruption drive is really hitting Scottish Whisky

By Emily Neil

New Statesman

28 March 2013

Xi Jinping makes problems for luxury goods.

A more unusual, but strong, market force is at work in China: an anti-corruption drive led by the new president, Xi Jinping. The giving of expensive luxury items to government officials has been a standard part of bureaucratic and business life in China, and has contributed in part to the dramatic growth in revenues and profits for multinational luxury goods companies operating in the country. Mr Xi however has swept in with a determination to stamp out showy bureaucracy and waste, and high end restaurants have suffered as official banquets have been cancelled and luxury local liquor makers have seen demand drop significantly.

All this will send a shiver through Scotch whisky makers, as well as other luxury goods companies in the UK and Europe. The most recent evidence comes from Pernod Ricard, owner of the Chivas Regal brand, which has seen sales of its Scotch whisky fall by a double digit rate [2] over the critical Chinese New Year period.

Canadean’s local team are also reporting a slowdown in the sales value of red wine, as China’s wine drinkers switch to mid-range brands and the extraordinary growth in demand for top level labels such as Lafite, is finally checked.

Is this a short term blip or a sign of things to come? This partly depends on the strength of will of Mr Xi, and how long his commitment to the anti-corruption campaign lasts. For now, the luxury goods makers who have enjoyed this source of almost unfettered demand, will need to look to the rising income of the average Chinese consumer to drive growth – thus aligning with the government’s aim of middle class enrichment as the next phase of China’s economic growth.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 29 March 2013, 5:27 pm and is filed under
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