PM’s Sandiwara in Sarawak!

By
Martin Jalleh

The PM has excused himself from his duties in Putrajaya (at the taxpayer’s expense of course) and planted himself in Sarawak for six days till polling day to give the BN campaign a much-needed push.

He seems to be panicking for he has asked the whole Cabinet to park themselves in the Land of the Hornbill and endlessly praise the component BN parties there, whilst pouring scorn on the Opposition.

It appears that Taib Mahmud’s campaign has been quite pathetic. After 30 years as CM there is little proof that the people have progressed! But, he now promises he will turn Sarawak into the richest state after the elections!

Najib believes that as PM his personality, popularity, position and plenty of “I-help-you-you-help-me” pledges, will lessen public preoccupation with Taib and successfully persuade the masses to vote for BN.

It was pure comedy though when Najib gave his assurance that Taib will step down as Sarawak CM “some time after the state election” and Taib responded he will – “in a few years”! Najib smiled, painfully…

Najib’s first public meeting, a 1 Malaysia meet-the-leaders session which was plied with goodies in exchange for their attendance, degenerated into what Lim Kit Siang described as a “1 T-Shirt, 1 Tupperware circus”.

Not to worry, the PM will fly to many more places to parade and preen on the political stage, promote his “Transformation” programmes and relentlessly pooh-pooh the Opposition’s combat cry of “Ubah”!

Najib had proudly proclaimed to the Sarawakians that the BN not only promises “but we can deliver and we have delivered for the country”. Pray tell, what has Najib delivered since he became PM two years ago?

His think-tank “Performance Management on Delivery Units” (Pemandu) has provided Bolehland with only a plethora of projections, programmes, powerpoint presentations, persuasive charts, and promising plans!

Indeed, it has been a prime “performance” by the Prime Minister, thereby making perfect his slogan “1Malaysia: People First, Performance Now”, as he offers the rakyat a pipe-dream and a pie in the sky!

Sarawakians need to only look at last year to recognize the PM’s play-acting for it was clearly a year of public relations, publicity stunts, political rhetoric, populist slogans and pure propaganda puff by the PM to win over public perception.

Najib’s flagging image was re-engineered by Apco Worldwide, a global public relations consultant (paid RM77 yearly with taxpayers’ money). He was portrayed as a premier who was ready and raring to redeem Bolehland with his purported radical reforms.

But all he has managed to achieve so far is to present to the nation his slew of acronyms, showcase of plans and pledges, and spate of potential privatised projects costing trillions!

His 1Malaysia slogan spun out of control when it was pointed out to him that it is a concept propagated by a Government that promotes and perpetuates a race-based party system – which is the main obstacle to our unity!

Since the introduction of 1Malaysia there has been unprecedented racist extremism and religious bigotry emanating from Perkasa and within Umno and in particular by Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia.

Whether it be human rights or civil liberties, the mainstream or online media, Najib’s government continued to spin its illusory world and Bolehland’s standing in international indexes continued to plummet.

When it came to the economy, Najib chickened out of reforming the “bastardised” NEP and relegated the “New Economic Model” (NEM) to merely a “trial balloon”, as a very pleased Perkasa patted him on the back for giving in to their pressure.

Statistics in 2010 showed that our 2009 national debt rose to RM362.39 billion or 53.7% of GDP, its highest level in five years. It soared to RM407.1 billion in 2010 but the Government said it was no cause to worry!

There was an exodus of money from Malaysia on a scale which surpassed that during the Asian crisis. Malaysia’s FDI plunged 81% and we were the only Asean country to experience negative FDI flow in 2009.

Najib’s “transformation programmes” did not deter the damning diaspora data in Bolehland to rise to a level which he himself admitted has threatened his vision of transforming Malaysia into a high-income nation by 2020.

In 2010, in the midst of Najib’s many pronouncements of transformation, the people (especially those in Sabah and Sarawak) struggled with soaring prices and senseless high cost of living while corporate giants and the PM’s cronies escaped subsidy cuts.

By the end of 2010, the Father of Transformation had only farcical changes, fantasised figures, flip-flops, a frail economy, failing institutions and flawed policies to show, resulting in persitent public protests.

Hopefully, the people of the Land of the Hornbill will put a halt to Najib’s hype, hypocrisy and hogwash by rejecting the BN component parties at the coming polls, thereby paving the way for genuine transformation in the next general elections!

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 13 April 2011, 4:50 pm and is filed under
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Wind of Change blowing strong and hard in Sarawak –Sarawakians should write “416” in golden letters on Saturday as latest addition to the political lexicon of  numbers of “520”, “308” and ”516” as powerful  symbols in the quest for political change in Malaysia

The wind of change is blowing strong and hard in Sarawak. In Kuching, Sibu, Bintangor, Sarikei, Bintulu and particularly Miri as well as all over the state,  there can be no mistaking the  deep and powerful yearning of the Sarawakians for political change.

I am particularly impressed by the awakening of the people of Miri, who after allowing Kuching and Sibu to lead political change in the past few decades, seemed to have galloped, almost overnight,  to the very forefront to join and lead the quest for political change not only in Sarawak but also Malaysia.

I call on the voters of Sarawak on Saturday to write “416” in golden letters as the latest addition to the political lexicon of numbers as powerful symbols in the quest for political change in Sarawak and Malaysia.

Let Saturday, April 16, go down in Sarawak and Malaysian history as another major milestone in the battle to establish “People’s Power” and reclaim the birthright of all Sarawakians and Malaysians to be full, equal and free citizens of this land entitled to all the fundamental rights promised when this nation was founded and  enshrined in the constitution, including freedom of religion, rule of law, human rights, good governance, high quality of life and  a just and prosperous society!

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has also turned the Sarawak state general election into a national general election by “closing down” Putrajaya for six days and directed his entire Cabinet to plunge into the election campaign in Sarawak.

Polling day on April 16 has therefore become not only an inquest into the 30-year rule of Peh Moh in Sarawak but Najib’s two-year Prime Ministership.

This is why MCA led by its President Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek and Gerakan’s Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon are in Sarawak to try to “save” Tan Sri Dr. George Chan and the other SUPP leaders – not for the sake of SUPP or Taib  but for the sake of UMNO and Najib!

I can sense the outrage of SUPP founders and old members who in the fifties, sixties and seventies had utter contempt for MCA and Gerakan leaders and principles – but now George Chan and his 2011 band of SUPP leaders hope to be “saved” by MCA’s Chua Soi Lek and Gerakan’s Koh Tsu Koon when these two leaders cannot save their own parties in Peninsular Malaysia!

Let Sarawak voters write “416” in golden letters to join the trio of “520” (the Sarawak general elections on 20th May 2006 which administered the first shock to Taib), “308” (the political tsunami of March 8, 2008 general elections building on “520”), “516” (the May 16, 2010 Sibu by-election) to form the political lexicon of the quartet of numbers in the quest for political change in Malaysia – 520, 308, 515 and 416!

If on April 16, the voters of Sarawak vote in clear and unequivocal terms for Peh Moh to go (dismissing in contempt his promise to step down as Chief Minister in “a few years”), and signifying to Najib that his signature 1Malaysia policy is a sham degenerating into a “1 T-shirt, 1Tupperware” circus, then “416” will presage a greater Malaysian political tsunami in the 13th national elections where more states could fall to Pakatan Rakyat – and even the Putrajaya seat of federal power.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 13 April 2011, 3:01 pm and is filed under
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Longing For A Free Mind (Part 6 of 14)

By
M. Bakri Musa

Beyond Flipping Over The Coconut Shell

Once we are dissatisfied with our enclosed world, the second step of actually flipping over our shell is by contrast relatively easy.  The challenge here is to ensure that no one gets hurt or much damage done in the process.  That being said, the fear of either should not preclude us from undertaking the mission.  I am not being radical rather to emphasize that the rewards of not living under a coconut shell are so great that it is worth paying any price to flip it over.

            Merely wildly thrashing around out of frustration could sometime inadvertently topple our shell.  Of course if we could do it elegantly and avoid injuries or damage, that would be a plus.  Our success might even inspire others, as the Tunisians and Egyptians have done.

            Once we have toppled our shell, or it be flipped over inadvertently by cataclysmic external events, the challenge would then be to make the necessary adjustments to this new world so we could be productive participants.  Equipping ourselves with the necessary skills is one such important preparation.  Neglect this and we risk making the new world not only unwelcoming but also frightening, tempting us to retreat.

            Many saw those riveting pictures of the Chilean miners being rescued.  When they emerged they all wore dark sunglasses.  Their eyes, long used to the dim light underground, would be blinded by the bright daylight.  We too must equip ourselves with our metaphorical sunglasses lest we be blinded once we emerge from under our shell.  Just like those miners, we must equip ourselves before we emerge.

            The other component to the preparation is acknowledging that this new open world is no utopia.  We have to separate the opportunities from the dangers.  There are real dangers in this new world.  For example, the Internet indeed makes it more difficult for authoritarian governments to hide their hideous activities.  Consider the Tiananmen Square massacre, broadcasted live worldwide.  Perversely however, the Internet can also be one of the most effective tools for governments (and not just authoritarian ones) to keep track of their citizens.  The biggest challenge facing privacy advocates in America is precisely this.

            Once we are out and have adjusted well in our new open world, there are still restraints that prevent us from hearing the braying of the donkey.  In part this is biological, with our brain programmed to recognize pre-set patterns – like believing the mullah – and those patterns hinder us from recognizing new ones.

            Milgram’s experiments at Yale in the 1960s demonstrated that even bright students were only too willing to follow “orders” from their superiors to the extent of inflicting “lethal” electric shocks on their fellow students.  They willingly listened to the commands of their “mullahs” despite the death braying of their “donkey” victims.

            A decade later at Stanford, Philip Zimbardo conducted his famous prison experiment where he had students take on the role of guards and prisoners.  It did not take long for those “guards” to take their role with gusto, inflicting gratuitous punishments on their “prisoners.”  The experiment had to be terminated prematurely as those “guards” bordered on being sadistic.

            Milgram’s experiments illuminated the horrible human dynamics of the holocaust three decades earlier; Zimbardo’s enlightened us on the cruel obscenities of Abu Ghairab three decades later.

            It is worth reminding that some of Milgram’s subjects resisted peer pressures, as did the brave soldiers who exposed Abu Ghairab.  Bless them!  They had the courage to act on their convictions.  They believed the braying of the donkey over the soothing words of their powerful mullahs!

            More problematic are the “tricks” our brains play on us that we are not even aware of.  Consider the Muller-Lyer optical illusion of the two lines of equal length seen as otherwise because of the shape of the arrows at their ends.  Or the picture of the vase, or is that two faces facing each other?  Then there is the image that could be construed as either that of a pretty young lady or a grouchy old woman.  Imagine yourself engaged in those mail-order brides and given that picture!

            These optical illusions are the result of our brain’s tendency to form patterns, and those patterns in turn are based on our experiences.  Cross cultural studies on these Muller-Lyer illusions indicate that the Kalahari nomads would see those lines as being equal in length.

           Similarly, studies on children who are blind at birth and later given sight-restoring surgery indicate that, at least initially, they do not see the world as we do.  They do not see a Holstein cow munching leisurely in the meadow underneath the blue sky.  Those are the images our brain has created for us through our experiences.  Instead what those previously blind children see are globs of white and black on a sea of green under a blue cover.

            The pixels of images transmitted by the eye of that previously blind child are no different from what my eyes transmit to my brain.  The reality is the same, yet our perceptions are vastly different; I see a meaningful pattern while that child sees only patches of colors.  That previously blind child will not see what I see until he too learns to interpret those images, just like I went through during my infancy.

            Another factor to our brain’s interpretations of these images is its biological propensity to respond to boundaries or the periphery, as well as motion.  Perhaps this is of survival value in our evolution; those without this capacity had been effectively weeded out by predators lurking in the periphery.  Thus our how an image is framed would alter our brain’s perception of it; hence those Gestalt figures.

            This “framing” takes on even greater import with complex images of real life.  A senator’s impassioned speech seen on C-SPAN would lose its impact if there were to be a simultaneous panoramic view of the empty senate chamber.  Similarly, the sting of those ugly anti-American demonstrations by maniacal Iranians would fizzle out if we were also shown the empty streets of Tehran.

            Those intent on manipulating reality will use these well-rehearsed framing techniques to influence our perception.  Television cameras in the hands of the sinister minded can be devastatingly effective in this trick.  Skilled photographers maximize the impact of their subjects by appropriately “framing” them.  While a picture is worth a thousand words, how it is framed determines what those words will be.

            Filmmakers introduce another sensory element – sound – to help frame the scene.  Sound effects, background colors, peripheral boundaries, and relative positions of objects; all these influence our perception.  President Reagan’s handlers were particularly skillful in these image enhancements and manipulations.

            Two additional elements come into play in our perception of complex social images.  One is Timur Kuran’s “preference falsification,” and the other, “confirmation bias,” alluded to earlier.  To recap, confirmation bias is our tendency to favor information that supports our preconceptions regardless of its veracity.

            Preference falsification is our disposition to say or act in public what we do not believe privately.  Preference falsification is the greatest obstacle to formulating sound public policy as we would put forth ideas and strategies that we do not believe privately.  Publicly we expound on the importance of Malay language but privately we send our children to international schools or even abroad where the language of instruction is other than Malay.  There are other egregious expressions of preference falsification in our public life.  You do not have to look far.

            If those social and psychological factors were not enough, our brain is also captive to our chemistry.  We are familiar with “steroid rage,” the outbreak of unprovoked violence by those on long term steroids.  If you are still skeptical on the role of chemistry, watch a monkey in heat.  We are not too far away biologically, as with the saying, “When the durian comes down, the sarong goes up.”  Here it is not hormones that play havoc on us rather those exotic amines in the king of fruit.  One chemical widely consumed that has a predictable impact on our mind is of course alcohol.

            Our brain is affected by these chemicals, in particular the neurotransmitters; in fact that is how nerve cells communicate with each other.  Slight variations in their concentrations exert profound impact on our emotions, and thus our perceptions of reality.  Incidentally, the understanding of these neurotransmitters paved the way for the pharmacological treatment of mental maladies like depression.

            Whether a free mind can be understood at, related to, or ultimately controlled at the neurochemical level remains to be seen.  These experiments in psychology and neuroscience do however illuminate one salient point:  the immensely complex working of the human brain and thinking process.  That should caution us from being simplistic.

            Our leaders never tire of exhorting us to think critically and to have a free mind.  Flip over the coconut shell, they urge us with nauseating frequency.  Yet when some did exactly that and did not like what they saw and voted for the opposition, the refrain quickly changed to, “You are being ungrateful and disloyal!”

            If you truly have an open mind, then you will just love us; that seems to be the arrogant delusion of these leaders.  It reminds me of the thinking of Henry Ford; he would give his customers the freedom to choose the color of their cars, as long as it was black!

            Our leaders may grow hoarse in urging us to have a free mind, but that would be the only thing they would achieve, a hoarse voice.  There is no magic wand; unfortunately this reality has not yet dawn on our leaders.

            Have a free mind, they commanded, and it shall be done.  Unfortunately the world of the mind is much more complex than their simple minds could comprehend.

            Related to the issue of a free mind is the matter of mindset, which as defined earlier, is one’s attitude to or philosophy of life.  The Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck describes the two basic types:  the fixed versus the growth mindset.  Those with a fixed mindset view their talent and ability as fixed, tied to their innate ability, something they are born with or gifted by nature.  With their Readers’ Digest understanding of genetics, they view themselves as being governed by their genes.  They are in effect trapped by their biologic pre-determinism, which can be just as crippling as the more familiar religious pre-determinism.

            Those with a growth mindset on the other hand believe that their fate depends on their ability to adapt and learn from new challenges and environments.  They are not trapped or limited by whatever nature had endowed upon them.

            Leaders with a fixed mindset are the likes of Mahathir and Lee Kuan Yew, firm believers in their innate abilities.  Presidents Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan best exemplified leaders with a growth mindset.  Nixon was a staunch conservative and a firm supporter of Taiwan, but that did not stop him from opening up to China.  Reagan, like Nixon, was also staunchly conservative but had no difficulty working with the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

            The signal difference between those with fixed mindset versus those with growth mindset is their attitude towards failure.  Those with fixed mindset consider any failure as a reflection of their being, an affirmation of their inadequacies or lack of natural ability.  That failure not only reflects their individual shortcomings but also that of their race.  Their typical response to failure would be to retreat and never to emerge or challenge the situation again.

            Those with a growth mindset consider failure as part and parcel of the learning and adapting process.  They bounce right back.  In Silicon Valley, a failed entrepreneur wears his failure as a warrior would his battle scars, and then moves on.  Nixon and Reagan were both defeated on their first try at the presidency, but both went on to win with substantial majorities on subsequent attempts.

            Hamka encapsulates best the attitude of those with a fixed mindset with his saying, Takut gagal adalah gagal sejati.  The fear of failure is the real failure.

            Thus, to recap, the twin qualities needed to cope and indeed thrive in the open diverse world outside the coconut shell are a free mind and a growth mindset.

Next:   Avoiding Being Entrapped Mentally

[
Presented at the Fifth Annual Alif Ba Ta Conference at Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ, organized by UMNO Club of New York-New Jersey, January 29, 2011
.]

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 14 April 2011, 2:56 pm and is filed under
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On the Ubah campaign trail (6)

Tweets
@limkitsiang
 :

820am AA Sibu-Kch flt further delayed to 1020am. TQ @jeffccl1 Reminded of age – am feeling strain when in past took all stress in stride

9:40 AM Apr 13th

Met airport exPBB MP Bujang Ulis (78-90) n Taib’s nephew Azizan Manan who r campaigning 4 Salleh Jafaruddin in Balingian 2defeat Peh Moh.

10:10 AM Apr 13th

No more delays – flying off @ 1020am

10:11 AM Apr 13th

BN faltering on Taib factor (TMI) http://bit.ly/hnI3xi

2:04 PM Apr 13th

Cyberattacks – on SarawakReportPeh Moh must bear responsibility but on Malaysiakini Najib must bear responsibility as PM

2:07 PM Apr 13th

Wind of Change blowing strong hard – write “416” in golden letters add 2political lexicon of numbers – 520, 308, 516 http://bit.ly/hpKkNV

3:07 PM Apr 13th

Greatest political mystery of century – “phantom successor” groomed by Peh Moh 4 20yrs whom nobody knows – inc candidate n Peh Moh himself

about 23 hours ago

Peh Moh banned! Not person but term in print media. Cyberattacks! media clampdown, Photos of massive ceramahs “threat” 2national security?

about 22 hours ago

Two-thirds a bonus, says Najib http://bit.ly/haly3b

about 21 hours ago

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 14 April 2011, 3:20 pm and is filed under
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Sarawak Elections 2011 – Change or transformation?

by
Chris Anthony

Dawn of a new Sarawak for all

Come April 16,2011 our fellow Malaysians in Sarawak will go to the ballots to choose their state government for the next five years. This tenth state election is an important one for both BN and PR as the results may determine their fate at the next general elections predicted to be held soon. It is also of utmost importance to the people of Sarawak as their destiny would be decided on that day.It is also an important election for the rest of us as the results of this election will greatly determine the trend in the whole country in the next general elections.

The exceptionally huge crowds at the ceramah of opposition PR came as a great surprise to all. Even the opposition leaders who were pleasantly surprised were shocked at the huge turn outs. That gave them a great moral booster which was badly needed after successive losses in several by-elections lately.

On the other hand the BN leaders too were taken by surprise that the state which used to be referred as the safe ‘fixed deposit’ for them for over 30 years is suddenly changing. It is evident from the response of the people to the campaign so far that they want change. Large crowds at election ceramah may not be an accurate reflection of wins as many a time such massive response does not necessarily translate into votes.

However it is definitely an indication of the people’s sentiments and their yearning for political change. It is an indication that the people are not happy with incumbent rule and that they want change. It is also an indication that the ruling party has not listened to their plea and has lost touch with the needs of the ordinary man on the street who is struggling to make ends meet.

From the feedback of people on the ground we are clear that the main grouse of the people is with the policies of their Chief Minister of 30 years whom they feel have neglected them and they want him to leave which he bluntly rejects, despite being politely asked to do so by the Prime Minister.

This state election is not about not about the opposition Pakatan Rakyat; what it can do for them or is it about its capability to rule the state effectively. The people know that the PR may not be able to do much without the backing of the Federal Government but they know for certain that it cannot do anything worse than what it is now. To the people this election is about what has been going on for the last 30 years.

The major issues are corruption, unfair land policies, and indiscriminate destruction of natural resources, power abuse and curtailment of religious freedom. This election is a form of referendum on the BN Government of over 3 decades on these issues that the people feel so strongly about.

Distributing handouts in cash and kind just before the election may have worked before but is not going work anymore as the people expect their rights to be granted and respected all through the tenure of the government in power.

The fact the ceramah crowds largely consists of the younger generation is significant.It supports the speculation they have access to wider sources of information than available in the mainstream media which is which subservient to the ruling elite. The younger citizens have lost faith in the mainstream media and the government that have become mere propaganda tools of the ruling party. Truth, which could easily be hidden before are revealed more readily in the new cyber media for which the younger voters have much savvy.

It is undoubtedly because of this IT enlightened younger generation that for the first time in our history that a CM’s overstaying in office and his misdoings have become a pivotal issue in the state election and fortunately it is going to do so in the years to come as illustrated in the ongoing people uprisings in many Arab nations today. It should be lesson for future leaders that they cannot take the people for granted.

We have come to the final hours of the countdown when Sarawakians will have to choose between change advocated by Pakatan and transformation by BN.It is a choice they must make after very careful deliberation. What happens in Sarawak this 16 April will have a tremendous bearing on the destiny of the country as a whole come the 13GE.

Our fellow citizens in Sarawak are given a very vital task to lead the way by doing the right thing this April 16. They must let that day to go down in history as the day when Sarawakians rose above ethnic differences and voted for the dawn of a new Sarawak where all its citizens get to share its wealth equally among them without distinction.

Marking the ‘X’ in their ballot papers may take less than a minute but that solitary minute may well determine the destiny of their state now and the nation later. As we wait anxiously await the actions of fellow citizens in Sarawak, let us pray that the Almighty will guide them to act wisely for the well being of all.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 14 April 2011, 3:19 am and is filed under
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Will Mahathir be proven right that Taib could be another Wan Mohtar losing power in Sarawak because he refuses to step down after 30 years as Chief Minister?

Can former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad be proven right when he cryptically advised Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud to “learn from history” in deciding when to step down, citing the case of “one MB who insisted he should continue, and lost the whole state”?

Mahathir was of course referring to the case of Tan Sri Wan Mokhtar Ahmad who was Mentri Besar of Terengganu for 25 years from 1974 to 1999 and was ignominiously evicted from office when Barisan Nasional suffered an electoral  rout of 4 – 28 state assembly seats to PAS in the 1999 general elections.

Has Taib overstayed as Sarawak Chief Minister marking his 30th anniversary in office this year?

There can be no doubt that the question of getting Taib to step down as Chief Minister is the single most potent weapon and burning issue against the Barisan Nasional in the 10th Sarawak state general elections, uniting Sarawakians regardless of race or religion throughout the state not because of Taib’s age, the length of his  tenure as Chief Minister but because of the lack of accountability, transparency and good governance under Taib’s Chief Ministership  illustrated by the mountain of allegations on abuses of power and rampant corruption under his rule which he has not been able to rebut.

It is not that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is not aware of Sarawak Barisan Nasional’s Achilees heel but even he is impotent as far as getting Taib to step down as Chief Minister.

All Najib’s attempts to tie Taib down to an early date to step down had been fobbed off and foiled by the Chief Minister and there is nothing the Prime Minister could do about it.

For instance, when Najib “closed down” Putrajaya for six days and led his entire Cabinet to Sarawak to campaign in the Sarawak state general elections on Sunday, his first message was  to assure Sarawakians that a change in the state leadership was imminent.

But Taib refused to “play ball” and made it very clear in Najib’s presence the next day that he was not planning any “imminent” stepping down as Chief Minister, as his time frame is “in a few years’ time”.

“A few years’ time” is not one or two years but at least three years and could even be four or five years!

On Tuesday, Taib even said that he had identified his successor as Sarawak Chief Minister and that he had been grooming his successor for 20 years!

This must rank as the greatest political mystery of the century as no one  knows that Taib had been grooming his successor for 20 years – not even Taib or the candidate himself!

Yesterday, Taib vacillated talking at first about “two, three years”   and later “two years” as the timeframe of his stepping down after Saturday’s state general elections.

Clearly, it is still very elastic to Taib as to the timeframe of his stepping down as Sarawak Chief Minister and depending on the outcome of Saturday’s polls, it could still range from two, three to four and even five years!

Of course, there is no question of Taib’s remaining as Chief Minister if Mahathir’s warning come true on Saturday and Barisan Nasional loses power with Pakatan Rakyat winning over half of the 71 State Assembly seats.

There are those who believe that Barisan Nasional will be voted out of power in April 16 general elections.

I am more inclined to the second scenario of denying the Barisan Nasional two-thirds State Assembly majority – although the first scenario of Barisan Nasional losing power in Sarawak through the ballot box is no more an unthinkable and impossible objective.

To deny the Barisan Nasional two-thirds majority in the Sarawak State Assembly, Pakatan Rakyat must win at least 24 out of the total of  71 State Assembly seats in Sarawak.

From the ferment and effervescence in Sarawak, the air of freedom of liberation evident among the people during the campaign,  it is clear that something is in the works on Saturday affecting the political future of Sarawak and Malaysia.

The goal of denying the Barisan  Nasional two-thirds State Assembly majority is eminently achievable which would in fact be the worst defeat in the history of Barisan Nasional.

There is no way Taib could continue as Chief Minister if he loses two-thirds state assembly majority on Saturday as this would impact most adversely on Najib’s political future and in particular for the long-delayed 13th national elections.

Although the electoral prospects for the 15 seats contested by the DAP are ever optimistic and positive by the day, I want to warn and caution all  the 15 DAP candidates and election workers that we cannot be assured of victory in anyone of the seats until the votes are counted on Saturday evening and the results announced.

In the one-and-a-half days to polling, Barisan Nasional will go all out to “steal” the 10th Sarawak state general elections with  their department of “dirty tricks” working 24/7.

In Kuching, SUPP leaders have declared that they are confident  of winning in all the four state seats contested by DAP – Padungan, Pending, Kota Sentosa and Batu Kawah.

We must not take SUPP and Barisan Nasional boasts lightly and  I call on all the four DAP candidates in Kuching as well as all the 15 DAP candidates in Sarawak and all voters, supporters and well-wishers to adopt a common approach – that no victory in any constituency is assured until the votes are counted and victory declared, and till then, an all-out effort must be launched to get out every single available vote on Saturday to usher in political change in Sarawak and Malaysia.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 14 April 2011, 5:45 pm and is filed under
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“Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely” – Taib gives another illustration with entry ban of Bersih2 Chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan

“Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely.” Sarawak’s 30-year Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud has this morning given another illustration to prove the truism of this famous aphorism by British historian Lord Acton.

Bersih2 Chairperson Datuk Ambiga Sreenivasan was barred from entering Sarawak when she flew into Kuching from Subang in Firefly flight at 9 am and was forcibly repatriated to Kuala Lumpur by 10.40 am MAS flight as she is on Taib’s blacklist.

What has Taib to fear from Ambiga and Bersih2 when all she and Bersih2 wanted was to monitor the 10th Sarawak state general elections to ensure that the polls tomorrow are fair, free and clean.

Is Taib preparing for the dirtiest Sarawak state general elections tomorrow so that it will be the most fraudulent in the nation’s history to allow Taib to subvert, impede and defeat the greatest political awakening of Sarawakians of all ethnic groups since the formation of Malaysia in 1963 and in their demand for change?

Ambiga makes the trio of social activists denied entry into Sarawak in the election campaign – the other two being Wong Chin Huat and Haris Ibrahim.

I am reminded of the Greek saying: “Those whom the Gods wish to destroy they first make mad”.

Taib has again made Sarawak and Malaysia the laughting stock of the world.

The entry ban of the trio, Ambiga, Haris and Chin Huat is a grave violation of fundamental liberties and human rights guaranteed in the Malaysian Constitution.

It is also a most egregious abuse of power of the state immigration autonomy vested in Sarawak state government which is to protect the economic rights of Sarawakians from being swamped by West Malaysians in the jobs market and not to protect the abuses of power or corrupt practices of political leaders – which is why every Malaysian is guaranteed the right under the law to enter Sarawak “to pursue legitimate political activities”.

Even more serious, it is an open breaking of ranks by Taib and a public slap-in-the-face for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak particularly with regard to the latter’s 1Malaysia signature policy.

Where is 1Malaysia when Malaysians are not allowed to visit his or her own country to legally pursue “legitimate political activities”?

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who had rubbished Najib’s 1Malaysia by declaring that he is Malay first Malaysian second would delight at Taib’s show of open contempt of Najib’s 1Malaysia concept.

As Najib and his entire Federal Cabinet are in Sarawak – having closed down Putrajaya for six days in a federal takeover of the Sarawak BN election campaign – Najib and the Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein cannot continue to remain silent at such blatant and flagrant abuse of power by Taib as Sarawak Chief Minister.

Is Najib prepared to say that Taib is wrong and had abused his powers in banning Ambiga, Haris and Chin Huat for this is not the purpose of Sarawak state immigration autonomy?

                This entry was posted on Friday, 15 April 2011, 12:26 pm and is filed under
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Christians of Sarawak, be a Catalyst of Change!

by
Martin Jalleh

Christians of Sarawak, your hour has come! May you have the courage to respond to the clarion call of leading the charge of change in your State and country.

May your vote convince the PM that the religious freedom of Christians and other faiths cannot rest merely on his sudden goodwill conveyed at cordial, congenial and courteous close-door meetings.

May your choice reflect the earnest prayer of Christians that the government honor and respect our basic constitutional rights, and not subject them to changes according to political expediency of the moment.

May your courage bring to the fore the problems related to religious harmony which the BN Government has created or is complicit to, its conceited responses and ad-hoc solutions which contradict its very own policies!

The challenge before you goes far beyond that of the recent Bible controversy. It is to express distinctly to the PM the deep disappointment and discontent of Christians being discriminated against over the years.

May you covey very clearly to the PM the concern and consternation of Christians of being made victims of the frequent contravention (with impunity) of the constitutional guarantees of religious freedom.

May you echo the growing anguish and anger of Christians who refuse to be cowed by the constant taunts, threats and tirades of “Little Mullah Napoleons” in Umno, Perkasa, Pembela, the Home Ministry, etc.

May yours be a conscious stand against those who are a cog in Umno’s machine, a party which has politicised religion for its survival by creating unfounded insecurities and fear amongst Muslims and a distrust of other religions.

The PM was right. Change brings with it uncertainty. But God will see you through.  A vote for BN will bring you the “certainty” of continued racial and religious polarisation and compound the culture of corruption, cronyism and crippling fear.

May your concerns be not confined to the well-being of Christians alone but may they envelope, and embrace the struggles encountered by the peoples of all races and religions, yes, even the Muslims too.

May you champion the common good and be an answer to the longing and prayer of deliverance of the long-suffering people living in long-houses and languishing in abject poverty.

May you make it your Christian duty to stand up for the marginalised indigenous peoples of Sarawak who have been deceived, discriminated against, displaced, dislodged, dispossessed, deprived and disempowered.

May your Christian compassion move you to act justly for those who have become disillusioned, demoralised and dysfunctional by the divisive and diabolical designs of the powers that be.

May God free you from the “contamination” of Semenanjung. May your Christian conscience prompt you to chose the side which Jesus would — those who have no cash, credit, clout, cables or connection!

By the grace of God, may your response to the Christian call to the conversion of heart (especially as we come close to the climax of Lent) be a personal transformation from one of compromise to courage and from convenience and comfort to commitment to justice and peace.

May God be with you as you exercise you Christian duty of casting vote in this crucial moment of Sarawak’s history! May God bless Sarawak!

(15 April 2011)

                This entry was posted on Friday, 15 April 2011, 2:47 pm and is filed under
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DAP’s tilt at inclusiveness

By

Hafiz Noor Shams

April 15, 2011

APRIL 15 — There is a common denominator to any kind of respectable democratic system. The side with the most votes generally wins. There lies the importance of inclusive politics in a diverse society typical in Malaysia.

It is not enough to appeal to only one specific community in a competitive democracy as a whole. There is always an extra vote somewhere outside of the community that can make a difference. The communal divides have to be crossed just because those who fail will lose the democratic competition.

One of those divides in this country is language. There is no doubt that this divide exists in Kuching.

I have been in the Sarawak capital for nearly two weeks now and I have been trailing the state election campaigns of the DAP very closely. This gives me the opportunity to observe the party’s strategies and operations firsthand with respect to the election.

Kuching of the south bank — Padungan, Pending, Kota Sentosa and Batu Kawa — are Chinese-majority areas. In two of those areas, the Chinese make up no less than 90 per cent of the total voters.

At the same time, it is inevitable for an impartial observer to conclude that the DAP is primarily a Chinese-based party. It is ethnically more diverse than any other political parties in Malaysia, with the exception of its Pakatan Rakyat partner PKR.

That does not negate its Chinese characteristic, however. This statement cannot be any further than the truth in Kuching, where its active membership reflects the demography of the city.

The composition of Kuching makes it only natural for Chinese to function as the primary language in the city. It is not a wonder that the DAP had used only Chinese for its political communication here in the past. There were not too many reasons for the local chapter to change.

While Kuching is so, the overall situation in Malaysia is more diverse. For a party with national aspirations, it has to widen its appeal beyond the Chinese community. It has to face the Malaysian diversity.

Continued reliance of the DAP on a single community that is also shrinking in terms of percentages will have the party boxing itself in a corner and eventually lose the democratic game at the national level.

The DAP knows this and the party is addressing it. Kuching is a perfect example of the party’s try at inclusive politics.

The impression I get so far is that there is a remarkable swing against the Barisan Nasional government here in urban Kuching. Local reception to the DAP’s political rallies in the city has been impressive.

In Sibu and Miri, news of more impressive turnouts was reported. Donations to the DAP meanwhile skyrocketed.

In stark contrast, the rallies of the SUPP have yet to make a mark. It is no exaggeration that the SUPP is lagging badly. The BN component party that is an MCA of Sarawak — the DAP’s foremost rival in the state — faces the possibility of becoming as irrelevant as the MIC, Gerakan and PPP.

With the big swing, Chinese votes alone could possibly guarantee the DAP seats in Kuching’s south bank. Yet, the party is not merely focusing on Chinese votes. It is trying to be inclusive.

For the first time in Kuching, the political messages of the DAP are done in languages other than Chinese. The English, Malay and Iban languages are now being used more widely in its pamphlets and posters.

Concurrently, the party is penetrating Bidayuh and Malay villages on the outskirts of Kuching for the first time ever. These areas were hostile to the DAP previously. This hostility, or perceived hostility, is absent today. Taib Mahmud and his allies are such a lightning rod that there is no anger left for anybody else.

Quite clearly, the situation is just right to grease the advance of the DAP’s inclusive initiatives.

The level of support for the DAP in Kuching has been tremendous so far. Members and volunteers of the DAP are showing exuberant confidence. It is hard not to.

In some small pockets within the DAP, however, there is a call for caution. Whether those supports will translate into actual votes will only be known after the polls close tomorrow.

After a tiring day campaigning criss-crossing Kuching from the relatively modern Batu Kawa shops and to the ill-equipped Kampung Tematu, a high-ranking DAP member sighed with face in his hands, saying: “I hope these efforts with the Bidayuh work.”

It would be a shame for the DAP to lose. Even if it loses though, at least the act of reaching out itself is a brilliant beginning. It is not just a brilliant beginning for Kuching or Sarawak, and not just for the DAP itself. It is simply excellent for Malaysia.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 15 April 2011, 2:35 pm and is filed under
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Deny BN 2/3 majority in Sarawak polls to send powerful message to all Sarawakians and Malaysians – “Tomorrow can be better!”

Sarawak general elections eve of Polling Day message

Tomorrow is the polling day for the 10th Sarawak state general elections – the most important Sarawak general elections in 48 years since 1963.

It is also the first time that a state general elections will have a powerful, immediate and direct impact on national politics and policies – thanks to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak who “closed down” Putrajaya for six days and directed the entire Cabinet to campaign in Sarawak!

As a result, Najib has added a new dimension to the April 16 polls – giving Sarawakians the unprecedented opportunity to pass verdict not only on the performance and record of the Chief Minister and Sarawak Barisan Nasional but also on the Prime Minister and the Barisan Nasional Malaysia-wide.l

Sarawak voters tomorrow have a double-barrelled challenge – at minimum to deny the Barisan Nasional two-thirds majority in the Sarawak State Assembly majority to send two clear and unmistakable messages, viz:

•	firstly to Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud that he should step down as Chief Minister not “in a few years time” but by tomorrow itself; and

•	secondly to Najib that his signature policies of 1Malaysia,   Government Transformation Programme and New Economic Model have failed to pass the test as they are just empty slogans bereft of real substance of reforms.

Najib’s 1Malaysia has been reduced into a “1 T-Shirt, 1 Tupperware, 1 burger” circus, after Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had declared that he is Malay first, Malaysian second!

Today, Taib gave  Najib’s 1Malaysia one final cynical blow, abusing his powers of state immigration autonomy by denying one Indian, one Malay and one Chinese (Ambiga Sreenivasan, Haris Ibrahim and Wong Chin Huat) their fundamental right to enter Sarawak to “pursue legitimate political activity” to monitor the Sarawak elections tomorrow to ensure it is clean, free and fair!

Yesterday, the Prime Minister made a “passionate appeal to Sarawakians not to ‘ditch’ Barisan Nasional just because they are angry with weaknesses in the state and federal governments’ machinery or with Barisan parties or leaders”. (Star 15.4.11)

Clearly, the Prime Minister has admitted that the Barisan Nasional government and leaders, whether at state or federal levels, have gravely and greatly failed Sarawakians with their arrogance, unaccountability, misrule, abuses of power and corrupt practices.

All the more that the voters of Sarawak should at minimum tomorrow deny the Barisan Nasional two-thirds majority in the Sarawak state assembly to send out the powerful message to all Sarawakians and Malaysians – “Tomorrow Can Be Better!”

                This entry was posted on Friday, 15 April 2011, 6:10 pm and is filed under
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Epistle to the Church in Malaysia

By
Thomas Lee Seng Hock

Dear sisters and brothers in the faith,

Greetings in the Name of our beloved Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ. His love, grace, peace, joy and blessings be upon all of you who love, honour and obey him.

I write this open letter as a fellow believer and as a humble servant of the Almighty God to make a clarion call to my sisters and brothers in the faith to unite in solidarity of vision and mission to bring about a moral and spiritual transformation of our beloved nation, by our individual prayers and united corporate intercession, and through our vocal articulation and visible demonstration of our life and faith beyond the walls of our comfort zone within our churches. The time has come for us to wake up from our spiritual slumber, and stand up, without fear or favour, and be counted for the Lord Jesus.

Most, if not all, of you are surely aware and concerned that our beloved country is currently going through a very critical and uncertain time, during which various delicate and sensitive matters are being exploited and abused by the evil forces out to destroy the peaceful and harmonious co-existence of our multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-ideological and multi-lingual nation. It is during such a time as this that we as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ need to go on our knees before the throne of grace to seek forgiveness, mercy and divine intervention to save our nation from disintegration and destruction.

The Church and State

One of the most heretical deceptions that the Christian community has been infused with by misguided western missionaries is the so-called separation of the church and state, meaning that Christians should not be involved in matters of the state, or take any stand on political issues. This teaching is based on a distorted exegesis of the statement by the Lord Jesus on the issue of paying tax: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21).

The traditional church community has always used this statement to mark a demarcation between what is supposed to be “spiritual” or sacred, and what is considered “secular” or worldly. Hence, a broad boundary exists today between the church and the world outside its walls, with Christians having two distinct spheres of lifestyle.

Such a compartmentalization of life into “spiritual” and “secular” is certainly bad theology, and is, in fact, contrary to the biblical doctrine of man with its emphasis on the whole person, with the involvement in the whole of life in every area and sphere of life and thoughts. Unfortunately, many Malaysian pastors and church leaders still have such misconceived and mislaid socio-political conscience, and are even paranoid over anything political. Many are also living in fear and trembling of such harsh and draconian laws like the Internal Security Act (ISA), which provides for indiscriminate detention with trial.

Hence, there is much reluctance of the part of the pastors and church leaders to preach, teach and articulate on socio-economic and political matters, even though the Bible is full of such stories and teachings of social ethical values and practices. For example, the story of the Exodus in the Old Testament is a narration of a political liberation movement led by Moses to free the Hebrew slaves from the despostic Pharaoh of Egypt. In the New Testament, the beheading of John the Baptist was the result of the prophet’s moral-political campaign against the immorality in the high place. The Lord Jesus himself was crucified for his challenge to the corrupt religious leaders and the oppressive Roman authorities.

In the Malaysian Christian community, there are many, especially pastors and church leaders, who are sincere and anxious to preserve and protect the fundamental faith without compromise and condensation, and are faithful and obedient to strive for the fulfillment of the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus. However, due to the shallow theological education they received at the local seminaries, which are mere clones of the western seminaries, many of them have developed unbalanced and narrow views and attitudes, especially in relations to socio-economic and political matters. This is why many pastors and church leaders are perceived as docile and submissive, and are easily frightened, bullied or placated by the bureaucracy outside the church. This can also be observed when a VIP government personality visits their church. They dressed up in their formal best and get so excited like little children getting gifts from Santa Claus.

And over the years till even now, the pastors and church leaders who represent the Christian community in negotiations with the governmental authorities over matters of dispute have used the so-called soft diplomatic approach, meeting behind closed doors, without press coverage, although the issues are of public interest and concern. However, all these meetings seemed to end with meaningless conclusions, with the pastors and church leaders apparently at a loss over what had actually transpired, and what had been pledged, since all the so-called agreements never ever implemented.

I expect the so-called instant 10-point plan proposed by the federal government to resolve the current controversy over the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible to similarly become a political mirage that will disappear as soon as the current Sarawak state election and the impending 13th general election are over. Basically the 10-point plan, amazingly formulated instantly within a few days, is an expedient tool to deal with the impounding of the Bahasa Malaysia Bible, to provide a convenient political diversion for the Sarawak state election. The pastors and church leaders who agree to endorse such an illusive and delusive “solution” to the Bahasa Malaysia Bible controversy certainly lack wisdom and are short-sighted. Thankfully, the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) chairman Bishop Ng Moon Hing is a wise leader who is able to discern the real situation. He made the following media statement on the issue:

“T10-point solution deals with the impounding of the Alkitab but not with the prohibition of publications containing the word ‘Allah’. The root cause of the problem of the impounding of the Alkitab lies in the following:

(a) The 1982 prohibition of the Alkitab and the 1983 prohibition of the Perjanjian Baru under the Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA) on the grounds that the Alkitab is prejudicial to national interest and the security of Malaysia.

(b) The 1986 administrative order prohibiting the use of the term ‘Allah’ in Christian publications on the grounds of public order and prevention of misunderstanding between Muslims and Christians.

(c) The Garis Panduan of the Bahagian Kawalan Penerbitan dan Teks Al-Quran of the Ministry of Home Affairs prohibiting the use of the word ‘Allah’.

In this regard we refer to item 9 of the 10-point solution which reiterates the Government’s commitment to address religious issues. The Government, therefore, should take immediate steps to remove the root causes by revoking the orders made under the ISA and the administrative order and to amend the Garis Panduan to remove the prohibition.

The ‘one country two policies’ approach is confusing and unacceptable. We look forward to working with the Government to address other long standing issues affecting the Christian community including the relevant provisions in the State Enactments.”

Syabas, Bishop Ng. We stand firmly in support of your stand.

Time to take a firm stand

At such a time as this when our nation is immersed in such serious controversies involving the question of human, civil and constitutional rights of Christians to freely profess, practise, promote, and propagate our faith without constraints and restraints, Christians of all denominations and differing theological inclinations should stand in solidarity to preserve and protect our rights from being diluted, deprived, and severely undermined.

There is also the increasingly dangerous moral decline infesting the soul of our nation, with corruption, cronyism, nepotism, and immorality fast becoming a way of life among some of the elites of the nation.

English historian Edward Gibbon in his famous six-volume “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire” has shown us that it was the immoral behaviour of the Roman emperors, politicians and rich people that led to the decay and eventual fall of the Roman Empire.

According to Gibbon, the Roman Empire succumbed to external invasions because of the gradual loss of moral values and virtue among its political leaders, who were enjoying the luxurious comfortable life and lifestyle, with nary a concern about the country, its future, and posterity. The emperors and the political leaders were immoral, corrupt, weak and lazy. They outsourced their responsibities and duties to develop and defend their nation to foreign migrants, who later became so numerous that they were able to overrun the country and take control of it.

If we are not to go the way of the Romans, surely we need to protect our children and progenies from the current onslaught of the destabilizing and destructive sensually self-indulgent hedonistic culture invading our nation from the West, transmitted directly to our homes via the globalwide cyber network connection and by satellite television.

The horror of such a moral incursion into our society should not be simply dismissed as scaremongering, or as spreading ominous reports or rumours of impending disaster.

The moral decay is fast descending upon us. Truth, righteousness, justice, fairness, love, equality and basic human rights are being compromised too. Then there are the racists with their insensitive, offensive and outrageous attitude and actions. The horror of .such a scenario cannot be ignore, and we need to act fast to arrest the increasingly fast moral decline in our nation.

Need for electoral revolution

Hence, we need to initiate an electoral revolution, by going all out to vote en bloc for candidates who have impeccable integrity, blameless character, irreproachable moral, and virtous immaculate lifestyle.

As Christians constitute 10% of the nation’s population, and nearly 45% of the Sarawak population, we are a formidable force with tremendous electoral clout to bring about a transformation of the political landscape in our nation. We should exercise our civil and constitutional right to vote for the best possible candidates to lead our state and nation.

The fate of our nation and the future of our children are in our hands. We must not waste this opportune kairos time to bring about a moral transformation in our nation, so that righteousness will exalt our nation (Proverb 14:34).

As we pray the Lord’s Prayer, saying “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:19), let us allow the Lord to do his will through us when we exercise our right to vote.

May God bless all you real good, and may he also look favourably upon our homeland and bless it with peace, harmony, and prosperity.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 15 April 2011, 3:46 pm and is filed under
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Final countdown in BN ‘fixed deposit’ state

By
Dr Bridget Welsh

A loss of its two-thirds majority in Sarawak was unthinkable less than 10 days ago, but now the focus centres around this key marker.

The last day of the campaign has started and for the past few days, it has been ratcheted up to fever pitch on both sides.

Larger crowds in the towns for the opposition have coincided with extensive, almost frenzied, visits by BN cabinet ministers far and wide throughout the state.’

Make no mistake about this – the stakes are high. This is a campaign that has national implications as BN’s hold on power is at stake. A loss of the two-thirds majority in Sarawak was unthinkable less than 10 days ago, and now the focus centres around this important marker.

It has been made clear that Sarawakians have the power to set the political direction for the country.

Three decisive groups

The situation on the ground remains very fluid with an unprecedented undecided voters, especially among the state’s largest group, the Dayak.

The range of possible outcomes moves from a minimum of 10 seats for the opposition to a maximum of 32, on the heels of a change in government. The reason for this wide range lies with the high degree of unknowns and the small swing needed to change results in tight seats.

The most important unknown is the impact of financial rewards, anger over land grabbing and religious freedom. The fate of Sarawak’s polls lies with all the communities, but especially the Dayaks.

The Orang Ulu, Bidayuh and Iban have more political power in this contest than they had had since the days of Stephen Kalong Ningkan and Tawi Sli Tini in the 1960s. And given the number of seats that have a large share of Dayak voters, over 30, they will determine the final outcome.

Ethnically, the other groups that will shape the margin of results is the Malay community, where fear and the racial card of possible displacement have played out in this campaign. The parallel has been made to Perak, where the BN has suggested that a vote for the opposition will be a vote for a non-Malay and DAP leadership.

Yet at the same time, they are asking the Malays to vote for a minority bumiputera chief minister, who it is claimed will not be able to hold Sarawak’s diverse groups together. Political displacement and instability have been touted in a not-so-subtle manner and conflicting manners as issues of corruption and livelihoods have received less priority.

It would seem that these messages of fear have been successful, but there is another unknown, the impact of the messenger. The campaign has been led by Najib Razak from peninsular Malaysia, and unlike the collaboration with locals that has been the pattern in the opposition, there is more unease.

Semenanjung leaders have sat in front of state leaders at meetings, and been portrayed more favourably in the campaign posters, causing the local Malays and Melanau to lose face. Many Malay Sarawakians feel a sense of displacement from Umno and Najib’s leadership, and with the call by Najib for Taib Mahmud to step down, even feel betrayed.

The tensions in the media between Najib and Taib has openly revealed differences in the BN leadership, which are not likely to be resolved easily, making for considerable uncertainty. Logistically, entertaining ministers from peninsular Malaysia has caused many a headache and distraction, allowing less concerted efforts in the campaign. This BN divide is affecting the campaign.

The third group that will shape the outcome is the young. While the change in loyalty among older voters is important, especially Chinese voters who were previously loyal to SUPP, the young will have a voice this time.

In 2006 and 2008, young voters voted more for the opposition than they did at any other times. Exposure to contrasting development models, lack of local job opportunities, and discontent with the older incumbents in the BN have had led to greater opposition allegiance.

The contrast in the choice of candidates is clear – the opposition candidates are much younger. Most are professionals who bring with them new ideas. In BN, there are only a handful of candidates less than 50 years old and even the impressive effort by SUPP to transform lacks a youthful face.

Younger voters have engaged with alternative media sources as well, especially Sarawak Report through blogs and Facebook. What is unknown is how many of them will vote. Many of the youth at the rallies are unregistered voters, but those who are there are experiencing a political awakening.

The young will play a crucial role this time round since they are less susceptible to vote buying and intimidation.

Conflicting campaign styles and messages

From the onset, the opposition has set the campaign and the BN has followed and responded, which is very different compare to the last few by-elections.

As the campaign has drawn to a close, it has become clear that Malaysia continues to embrace modern campaigning, even in Sarawak. Yet, they have done it in contrasting ways.

For the opposition, there has been the focus on alleged abuses of power, especially corruption and land grabbing. The campaign has centred around Taib Mahmud, with open calls for him to step down after 30 years in office. It has focused on ‘ubah‘ or change, with successful sales of tens of thousands the ‘Ubah’ toy bird, which is now only available on Ebay.

Despite early challenges with the seat allocations, the cooperation among Pakatan parties has been relatively smooth, which is not a surprise after 16 by-elections. The opposition has pointed to their governance records in peninsular Malaysia, especially Penang, to win support and illustrate that change is possible.

The criticisms against Taib and SUPP have been hard-hitting and personal as the opposition worked hard to draw attention to the problems of his lengthy tenure, with parallels to Egypt and the Middle East.

Sarawakian voters have been reminded that they can make a difference; and the feeling of empowerment has raised expectations. For the opposition to gain seats, they have to instill a sense of positive change and hope, not just aiming to discredit the current leadership.

The positive focus in the last few days of the opposition campaign has aimed to win the middle ground, to move the bar from 10 seats to 24.

For BN, the messages have also been both negative and positive. The use of fear and ethnic cards has been tried and tested. The BN has also gone after the opposition. They were attacked for violating Sarawak political culture through its hard-hitting messages, and there had been an appeal to the perceived conservative and reserved nature of Sarawakians to reject what has been called lies and intimidation.

The crowds have been linked to instability and provocation. They have argued that the opposition criticisms have lacked substantive evidence and crossed the line of civility. On some points, such as the comparison of the SUPP to orangutans, they may have a point.

Yet, there is a double standard as they themselves have engaged in campaigning that goes beyond fair play. Yesterday, there were widespread series of inaccurate SMSes on the opposition, such as the closure of the Batu Kawah service centers.

These inaccuracies do not go down with the local communities and look rather foolish. The main focus of the negative attacks remains on Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, from the sex video to RPK (blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin).

There is an obsession with discrediting the Pakatan leader. So far, it has had limited impact in Sarawak, given the disengagement with this style of Peninsular Malaysian politics. This effort misses the point – what many Sarawakians are concerned with are economic concerns and their families.

Rather than sex, the moral issue that has had the most salience is the issue of religious freedom. And while Najib and Taib should be credited for their efforts to reach out to the Christians, it remains to be seen whether the discussions will address the damage that has been done.

The movement in the BN campaign has been from more positive messages of development outlined in their manifesto and through more understanding statements on religion, to negative attacks and greater use of fear.

The contest for the middle ground is at stake, with the opposition focusing on the positive and the BN highlighting the negative. With the large degree of undecided voters, these strategies are indeed risky for both sides.

Integrity of the election process

Crucial however will be the actual conduct of the election. The signs of the integrity of the process being undermined are on the horizon and extremely worrying.

Postal voting was extended beyond the time allocated and polling agents were asked to be over 50 metres away, unable to do their jobs properly. This violated the whole spirit of fair play. Some polling agents are apparently being refused for polling day on spurious grounds of not coming from that community, again violating practices that suggest that the process is not professional and open.

There are concerns with the relocation of voters, with reports of up to 50,000 voters ‘moved’ or potentially ‘missing’. There are questions about additional voters being ‘found’. With the blatant denial of Bersih 2.0 leaders entry into Sarawak, who are involved in assuring and protecting a fair conduct of the polls, the international reputation of Malaysia has already been dented.

If the process lacks integrity, this will cause even more anger as was shown in Egypt recently and historically in neighbouring countries such as the Philippines in 1986. Any possible ‘fixing’ of the fixed deposit state may have short-term benefits, but will have long-term costs.

Sarawakians have power in their hands. Whoever Sarawakians support, it is important that they come out and vote. Their voice will be heard now more than ever. Whatever the outcome in the final results, this campaign has shown that the Malaysian elections are increasingly competitive, even in the areas where they are seen to be ‘secured’.

Irrespective of the final numbers, change has already come to Sarawak. How much of that is in the hands of the voters.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 15 April 2011, 4:32 pm and is filed under
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On the alleged ACS statement re closed door meeting with PR

By
Teresa Kok

I’m surprised that
The Star
reported yesterday that the Association of Churches Sarawak (ACS) has expressed regret at Pakatan Rakyat regarding our closed door meeting. The Star’s report is intentionally incomplete, and is politically-motivated to paint Pakatan Rakyat leaders in a negative light and a desperate last-ditch attempt to mislead the public for tomorrow’s Sarawak state elections.

I wish to clarify what happened.

ACS leaders had agreed to meet Pakatan Rakyat leaders in a closed door meeting with the requests that

a) they would not hold any press conference together with us, and that

b) we would not allow members of the media to come into the room to photograph our meeting, which Pakatan Rakyat fully complied with.

ACS leaders saw the presence of the media when they arrived at the venue.  They also saw Pakatan Rakyat not allowing the media to enter the room to take pictures of us.

ACS leaders were aware that the media were waiting outside the venue. They never forbade us from speaking to the media. And we Pakatan leaders could not have been expected to ignore the media after the closed door dialogue session when the media had been waiting outside all the while. It was understood that Pakatan would speak with the reporters after the meeting ended.

In fact, even if Pakatan had not had any meeting with ACS, everything that we said to the reporters was a reiteration of our stand on issues related to Christians and churches all this while. They were the same things things we have consistently been saying during our political rallies and meet-the-people sessions all this while, and even before the Sarawak state elections campaign ever began.

Pakatan Rakyat appreciates that ACS leaders agreed to meet with us. We understand their situation. I believe that they are under tremendous pressure and that is why they made such a statement.

** Please also refer to the latest
Malaysian Insider
report where Secretary-General of Association of Churches Sarawak said that he had been misquoted by Bernama and that’s he’s already contacted the Editor.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 15 April 2011, 4:17 pm and is filed under
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On the Ubah campaign trail (7)

Tweets
@limkitsiang
 :

DAP releases postal vote tampering video By Sheridan Mahavera http://ow.ly/4z8UW

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 6:16:44 PM

Another Najib-Peh Moh clash? PM not sure but Peh Moh very sure of 2/3 BN majority. Who is running the Swak BN election campaign?

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 6:18:05 PM

But more imp Q – can Najib give undertaking he will fully respect Swak BN defeat in polls n honour all pledges/projects anncd by PM DPM?

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 6:23:04 PM

Haris Ibrahim denied entry into Sarawak. Peh Moh sending him back 2KL

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 7:02:43 PM

Since both PM HomeMinister in Swak let them call immediate pc whth PehMor committed gross misuse of powers abuse state immigration autonomy

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 7:43:10 PM

History made in Sri Aman – 1st ceramah in this place formerly known as Simanggang since 150yrs ago.Good speech DAPcandidate LeonJimatDonald

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 8:04:31 PM

SriAman DAP ceramah great kickoff w some 2k expectant ppl. Also present w Leon r MPs ChongJianRen JeffOoi CharlesSantiago. Responsive crowd

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 8:10:42 PM

HarisIbrahim barred entry @Kuching airport n forced 2take 815pm plane back 2KL. Illegal unconstitutional n contrary 2Najib’s 1Msia policy

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 8:19:30 PM

@rchiu4jc Postal Vote Mystery in Wisma Sanyan Sibu (13th April 2011) http://bit.ly/epizGQ

Wednesday, April 13, 2011 8:44:00 PM

Total public donation @Sri Aman ceramah great sum of RM8,252.30. Another shocker 4Peh Moh n Najib Wednesday,

April 13, 2011 8:56:49 PM

Crowd @SriAman keeps growing- 1 of most responsive/expressive ceramahs in Swak g/e. There is air of freedom/ liberation in Simanggang n Swak Wednesday,

April 13, 2011 9:18:17 PM

Happy New Year n Vaisakhi 2Msian Indians/Sikhs. Sad Najib’s 1Msia failed 2achieve greater unity among Msians. Ordinary Msians must save Msia

Thursday, April 14, 2011 12:31:37 AM

Pakatan victory in Sarawak catalyst for future Putrajaya win, says Kit Siang (TMI) http://bit.ly/gJjsDK

Thursday, April 14, 2011 2:41:21 AM

Media told to play down opposition mega rallies (Mkini) http://bit.ly/fO4b4n

Thursday, April 14, 2011 2:47:30 AM

Najib’s 1M’sia now a 1Tupperware circus (Mkini) http://bit.ly/hjh3mR

Thursday, April 14, 2011 2:50 AM

PR leaders from PKR PAS DAP incl Azizah LGE Mustapha Teresa ChongJR Manuaty  have dialogue/fellowship with Sarawak Church leaders in Kuching

Thursday, April 14, 2011 10:25 AM

Not just tolerance but acceptance of multireligious Msia – says Najib’s 1Msia. But last 2yrs not only no acceptance but greater intolerance!

Thursday, April 14, 2011 12:30 PM

Another eg where Najib’s action x not match his 1Msia policy n words. That’s Y under Najib greater polarisation bcos extremists protected

Thursday, April 14, 2011 12:34 PM

Mahathir warns PehMoh not 2b WanMokhtar who refused 2step down after 25yrs as Terengganu MB n lost state in 1999 g/e. Will PehMoh learn?

Thursday, April 14, 2011 1:10 PM

Mahathir right PehMoh another Wan Mohtar losing power in Sarawak 4not stepping down after 30 years as CM? http://bit.ly/fv87TK

Thursday, April 14, 2011 6:12 PM

Another blow to 1Malaysia n slap in PM’s face by CM. Heard Ambiga denied entry into Sarawak making a trio after WongChinHuat n HarisIbrahim

Friday, April 15, 2011 9:49 AM

Reminded of Greek saying “Those whom the Gods wish to destroy they first make mad!” What has Peh Moh 2hide when afraid of Bersih2 Chair?

Friday, April 15, 2011 10:10 AM

Spoke 2Ambiga “in custody” @Kuching airport. Arr 9am Firefly but barred entry – 2b repatriated by MAS 1040am. Peh Moh- Y again abuse power?

Friday, April 15, 2011 10:35 AM

Entry ban Ambiga ominous Swak polls tmr going 2b dirtiest in history? R worst voting abuses 2b perpetrated so Bersih2 Chair must b banned?

Friday, April 15, 2011 10:39 AM

Entry ban on trio ChinHuat HarisIbrahim Ambiga must sound alarm 4all Swkians who thirst 4change – be on lookout 4dirtiest voting tricks tmr

Friday, April 15, 2011 10:44 AM

Cyberattacks in Swak g/e spreads – latest target Harakah Daily online. Peh Moh really desperate n terrible reflection on Najib’s ICT policy

Friday, April 15, 2011 1:46 PM

Najib Hishammuddin – why continue 2b quiet with latest PehMoh repudiation of 1Malaysia n abuse of power w Ambiga Haris ChinHuat entry ban?

Friday, April 15, 2011 11:14 AM

“Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely” – Taib gives another illustration with  Ambiga’s entry ban http://bit.ly/eNfmhy

Friday, April 15, 2011 12:30 PM

10th Swak elections have turned into Peh Moh vs Information Society! Who will win?

Friday, April 15, 2011 1:59 PM

Very true as highlighted by many of u – Peh Moh also got 1Msia policy 1Malay 1Chinese 1indian banned entry in2 Sarawak! Sigh

Friday, April 15, 2011 3:04 PM

Last nite 3rousing mega ceramahs in Kuching – 10th mile 7th mile BDC. Arrived in Sibu 4mega ceramahs in Meradong Repok with finale in 4Sibu

Friday, April 15, 2011 3:11 PM

Christians of Sarawak, be a Catalyst of Change! http://bit.ly/gyfzaU

Friday, April 15, 2011 4:36 PM

On the alleged ACS statement re closed door meeting with PR http://bit.ly/fiN2j4

Friday, April 15, 2011 4:38 PM

Final countdown in BN ‘fixed deposit’ state http://bit.ly/fsbrt0

Friday, April 15, 2011 4:40 PM

                This entry was posted on Friday, 15 April 2011, 6:04 pm and is filed under
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A Mickey Mouse of an Election?

By
Dr Francis Loh | Aliran

Dr Mahathir and other Malaysian political leaders have always claimed that Malaysia is a democracy on the basis that general elections are held regularly, every 4 to 5 years.  However, due to the fact that Malaysian leaders have regularly resorted to coercive laws like the Internal Security Act, the Official Secrets Act, the Trades Union Act, Printing Presses and Publications Act, the Police Act, the UUCA, etc, to curb the civil liberties of their own citizens, it is more appropriately described as a ‘semi-authoritarian, semi-democratic country’, a ‘quasi democracy’, a ‘bureaucratic-authoritarian state’, a ‘statist-democracy’ etc., as some researchers have done.

Such labelling of Malaysia’s political system takes into account that although elections are held regularly, invariably, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) always wins, as it has done on all previous 12 general elections.  It is well documented and proven that these elections are not ‘free and fair’. For apart from the gerrymandering of electoral boundaries every eight or so years to benefit the incumbent, the BN also resorts to the ‘3-Ms’ to guarantee its victory. The BN has control of the mainstream media. The BN has access to a huge amount of money for electoral purposes and outspends the Opposition every time. And the BN unashamedly utilises not only its own party machinery, but the government machinery – equipment, vehicles, halls, even staff – as well.

But the 3-Ms did not completely ensure the BN advantage over the Opposition in the March 2008 election when the Opposition denied the BN its usual two-thirds’ majority in Parliament, and defeated the BN in five states. One of the reasons for the political tsunami was the Opposition’s use of the alternative media to reach out to the rakyat.

The BN has learnt its lessons well. Judging by developments in Sarawak these past weeks and months, it appears that the BN is prepared to play very dirty to ensure its victory.

So, among others, the BN has resorted to cyber attacks on the websites of Sarawak Report, Radio Free Sarawak, malaysiakini.com to prevent Sarawakians accessing alternative information and news.

It has been splashing money, lots and lots, in urban and rural constituencies. The amounts offered are unprecedented.

Earlier in the year, the authorities had also detained Abun Sui Anyit in Miri airport. Abun, a Sarawak human rights cum land rights lawyer, was carrying CDs and leaflets from Radio Free Sarawak and TV Sarawak Bebas critical of the BN Sarawak government.  Although Abun has been released, the materials seized have been withheld, ‘pending investigation’.

And just last week, the authorities have prevented four peninsula-based Malaysians – activist Steven Ng, lawyer Harris Ibrahim (leader of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement), Dr Wong Chin Huat and Ambiga Sreenevasan (the last two leaders of the election monitoring body Bersih 2.0) – from entering Sarawak on the grounds of state security!.

It is clear that the BN is desperate and resorting to foul means to ensure its electoral victory. But the BN must remember, as was the case of recent events in the Middle-East, the whole world is watching.

We are showing to the world that our so-called democracy is indeed a sham. And that the Sarawak April 2011 election is a Mickey Mouse of an election. Shame on you BN!

—

Dr Francis Loh is Aliran Secretary and Professor of Politics in a local university.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 16 April 2011, 9:36 am and is filed under
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Federal govt contesting Sarawak polls – not BN

By
P Ramakrishnan | Aliran’s President

When power and position means everything, ethics can go to hell, every principle of the Rukun Negara can be totally discarded, pious religious edicts can be ignored with impunity – everything becomes subservient to greed and power.

We are witnessing the worst human behavior employed and deployed in the pursuit of political power. And to think that our national leaders are involved in this despicable conduct is really nauseating.

The Sarawak election should be a contest among political parties. This is the practice in mature democracies in the civilised world. What we are witnessing in Sarawak only confirms that we are not a democracy and our conduct is not civilised in keeping with the rule of law.

The high profile figures of the Barisan Nasional are not there as leaders of the BN. They are there as leaders of the federal government and cabinet ministers. It is in these capacities that they are campaigning.

As leaders of the BN, they can only make promises but cannot grant outright allocations for projects. In this capacity they will be equal in footing with the rest of the contesting political parties. Under such circumstance, the Sarawak election would be deemed as fair and free with equal opportunity for all political parties to contest fairly.

But this is not the case in this instance. The entire cabinet seems to have descended in Sarawak for this state election. Enticing promises are made, generous allocations are declared to seduce and win over the voters with such inducements. This is nothing but vote-buying; this is nothing but political corruption.

But how is it the Election Commission does not see this as corruption? What is their definition of corruption?

Free dinners and goodies during an election – what does one make of it? New projects announced and grants declared – what is the meaning of this?

During the intervening five years after the last Sarawak election in 2006, where was this concern? Where was this compassion for the impoverished people of Sarawak many of whom exist in abject poverty, without employment, piped water, electricity, proper roads, the much needed health clinics and schools to support the communities in their locality? There was so much indifference during these five years.

But now that the election is here, it is outrageously revolting that the BN should be so suddenly concerned with the welfare of the Sarawakians. So much so, even the weekly cabinet meeting had to be cancelled to allow for the prime minister, deputy prime minister and cabinet ministers to campaign, abandoning their ministerial duties in Putrajaya.

The coarse and vulgar campaign will only get even worse as polling day approaches. Already the porno video is available on Ipad in Sarawak. How is this possible when only the infamous Datuk Trio and the police were the ones in possession of this video? Who leaked or released this scandalous porno tape? Are they all responsible for this turn of events?

To be sure, on Friday it will be announced that the Omega watch that was stolen by the prostitute belongs to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. We can read the likely pattern that will follow in order to clinch the election for the BN – come what may.

Fellow Sarawakians, your destiny is beckoning you to put right what is clearly wrong. The time has arrived for you to set the example for the rest of the country to reject corrupt officials and political bribery. This is the moment to inject morality and bring back good behavior into public life. This sacred duty to bring about change is in your hands.

You cannot be silent or indifferent to your calling in this hour of opportunity.

Remember:

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.

–Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.—

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 16 April 2011, 9:33 am and is filed under
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Just a matter of Taib for Sarawak polls

By
Shannon Teoh

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 16, 2011

The election is a referendum on Taib’s 30-year rule. — File picANALYSIS, April 16 — Up to a million Sarawakians go to the polls today in what has become a referendum on Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud’s 30 years as chief minister of Malaysia’s largest state.

As the country’s longest-serving head of government, the 74-year-old has been accused of being a corrupt nepotist and lauded for developing a state once covered with the world’s oldest rainforest.

Results from what Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has called the stiffest contest in Sarawak’s history will tell us which narrative the Sarawak public really believes.

Seemingly, every issue — whether land grabs or corruption — that has been played up by the opposition over the 10-day campaign finds its final source in the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) president.

Even the seizure of Malay-language bibles is seen through the frame of an increasing racial divide between the Malay-Melanau Muslims that Taib’s administration is accused of favouring and the mostly Christian Dayak and Chinese population.

It has forced the man Sarawakians call “Pek Moh (white hair)” to label the federal government’s move to mark Malay-language bibles as “stupid”.

This is not the only clash between the federal and Sarawak BN.

BN chairman Najib, sensing the growing disaffection towards Taib, pleaded with Sarawakians to “believe him” that the chief minister would step down after the polls.

But Taib said almost immediately he would only step down in a few years and refused to set a timeline for his long-awaited retirement.

This was not lost on veteran politician Lim Kit Siang, whose DAP is the oldest Pakatan Rakyat (PR) party in Sarawak.

“It is not that the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is not aware of Sarawak Barisan Nasional’s Achilles heel but even he is impotent as far as getting Taib to step down as chief minister,” the DAP parliamentary leader said.

Najib clearly sees Taib as a liability in this election. Ironically, while he is expected to use today’s vote as a barometer for when to call federal polls, he has been forced to shelve his duties as prime minister to beef up BN’s campaign in Sarawak.

Camping out in the state, he has twice postponed new announcements for his much-hyped Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) that aims to double Malaysia’s per capita income by 2020, a key pillar of his strategy to hold onto Putrajaya.

In effect, the Umno president has put his own credibility and his 1 Malaysia concept on the line.

He has himself gone to meet church leaders to smooth out the Alkitab row, promising in his capacity as prime minister that no bibles would ever be seized by his administration.

As P. Ramakrishnan, president of civil rights group Aliran said yesterday, the federal government itself is campaigning in Sarawak.

Najib’s approval rating at the end of last year was still riding high at 69 per cent. The question is whether this can gloss over the anti-Taib sentiment on the ground.

If Taib falls — or even fails to retain two-thirds majority — then so too does Najib’s 1 Malaysia.

Any PR gains will likely see the Chinese backing the opposition while the Malay-Melanaus stick with BN.

Such a result would bring to the surface the kind of racial politics that already consumes the peninsula, a clear backward step for 1 Malaysia that Najib has promoted since taking office in 2009.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 16 April 2011, 8:02 am and is filed under
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Malaysia BN will keep Sarawak by a hair’s breadth, say analysts

The Malaysian Insider

Apr 16, 2011

KUCHING, April 16 — The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) will retain Sarawak today but will end the race with Pakatan Rakyat (PR) dangerously close at its heels, say analysts.

Their polls projections, which were cautious at first, have now grown significantly optimistic for the opposition force, which is contesting in its first-ever state election under the PR umbrella.

Three analysts told The Malaysian Insider yesterday that BN was likely en route to yet another electoral victory in the hornbill state but the contest for two-thirds majority was too close to call.

Such a prediction would have been laughed off at campaign kick-off last week but consistent reports of massive rally turnouts and talk of rising anger against the state’s powerful Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud have now drawn a question mark over BN’s ability to maintain its near-dominance in the 71-seat state assembly.

When at first even PR leaders admitted their goals would be impossible to achieve, the final day of campaigning yesterday saw Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim declaring that the newborn alliance would far surpass its targets.

“We are very confident we are going to go far beyond that, we are pushing to deny BN its monopoly of the state,” he said during a press conference yesterday afternoon.

According to sources, PR is now betting largely on victory in 34 state seats, with DAP winning in 13 of the 15 seats it is contesting, followed by PKR’s 19 of 49 seats and PAS’s two of five state seats.

PR needs to win in at least 24 state seats to deny BN its customary two-thirds majority, and 36 seats to form a new government in Sarawak.

The pact’s wins are expected to come largely from the urban and semi-urban state seats, particularly in constituencies within the main townships and city and their outskirts.

Analysts were similarly as optimistic over PR’s chances, pointing out that the usually conservative political culture in Sarawak had changed significantly in the past week.

Voters, they said, were now not only more politically aware but were also willing to unreservedly declare their grouses with the ruling administration, an uncharacteristic trait in the past.

Tonight’s outcome, said the analysts, would bank on how successful BN’s use of its entire state and federal government machinery has been in convincing voters to stick to the ruling pact.

When polling opens at 1,749 centres across the state this morning, 979,796 voters will face the crucial decision of whether to “vote for change” or vote for “transformation”, the two messages spread by PR and BN over the 10-day campaign period.

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak lecturer Dr Faisal Syam Hazis, who has been criss-crossing Sarawak to observe the heated campaign, said that over the past 10 days voters across all different communities had shared one major grouse — their disenchantment with Taib or “Pek Moh”.

“The message is very clear. People are echoing the call for change and I can see this even in the Dayak areas.

“Many are really disappointed with the BN… you can sense that sentiment. Promises were made to them to provide water and roads, to give them employment opportunities, but they were only made during elections,” he said.

Faisal said PR’s performance would bank heavily on the protest vote — constituents who were upset with BN but who did not necessarily subscribe to the opposition’s policies.

But the professor said this would not bear any similarity to the protest vote in the tsunami of 2008 as Sarawak’s voter dynamics and political situation were significantly different from those of states in the peninsula.

“The issues are different here so let me put it like this — I think the opposition will win more seats and could deny two-thirds but it is too close to call,” he said.

Faisal also noted that another major factor was the possibility of vote-rigging and election irregularities, which the opposition has predicted would likely occur today.

The pact has already complained of cash handouts allegedly given by BN agents to voters, ranging between RM100 for each voter and up to RM2,000. Villages in the interior areas, they claimed, were even given RM6,000 allocations.

“And look, PR is not only up against BN’s already massive election machinery, it is also up against the entire federal and state government machinery.

“You can observe how this has been constantly used in rural areas; Kemas, the Education Department, the police, all government departments and the deployment of the entire federal and state Cabinet ministers to help in the polls,” he said.

Faisal described this as the “politics of Panadol”, noting that this would likely cost PR many seats.

“This is when although people are unhappy, these instant-noodle projects and handouts will convince them to vote for BN but after the polls, the suffering continues,” he said.

He claimed that if PR and BN had entered the contest on a level-playing field, it was without a doubt that PR could deny BN its two-thirds majority and even have a fighting chance to win the state.

Universiti Putra Malaysia lecturer Professor Jayum Anak Jawan was less optimistic of PR’s chances but agreed with his fellow academic that the pact would perform significantly better than it had in 2006.

In the 2006 polls, the DAP won in only six seats and PKR in one.

Jayum admitted that the opposition force had put up a fierce fight in the polls and had made inroads in many areas, particularly among the urban and semi-urban communities.

“I see quite a lot of people who are excited about the polls, especially around the major towns like in Kuching, Sibu and Miri.

“But the Bidayuh seats and the Malay/Melanaus, are not so easy… although many areas are said to be volatile as their BN candidates are new faces,” he said.

But Jayum predicted that this would not translate into a resounding victory for PR and tonight’s results would bring no surprises.

He explained that many of the local communities like the Malay/Melanau, the Ibans and Bidayuhs were a sentimental and loyal lot and had an emotional attachment to their representatives in government.

“They may be unhappy and complain that their land had been stolen but at crunch time, they will vote for BN. Don’t ask me why, it is baffling to me too,” he said.

Jayum said more was needed to “shake” the Dayaks out from political complacency as they were not likely to “jump ship”.

“On that basis, I am not confident that they will abandon the ruling coalition completely,” he said.

Universiti Teknologi Mara Associate Professor Shaharudin Badaruddin agreed with his comrades, saying that this was by far the most heated state contest he had ever witnessed.

He explained that in the previous two state polls in 2001 and 2006, voters had generally stayed in the comfort of their homes and went about their daily businesses instead of joining in the campaign festivities by attending political events.

The professor expressed awe at the vast changes, describing it as a “strong undercurrent” sweeping the state.

“It is quite remarkable to see how accepting these people are… I have seen lorries driven by Chinese displaying PAS flags.

“I tried snapping pictures of PKR flags on display once and a Bidayuh woman scolded me, warning me against defacing the flags.

“And this is in the rural areas. There is also a protest even from the Malay community… so easily, they can get more than 19 seats, or perhaps, deny BN two-thirds,” he said.

Polling begins at 8am today and ends at 5pm.

The Election Commission expects the final vote tally to be announced by 11pm.

There are 979,796 registered voters in Sarawak, with the Chinese making up the largest community at 31.5 per cent, the Ibans 29 per cent, Malay/Melanaus at 27.5 per cent, Bidayuhs eight per cent, Orang Ulus 3.7 per cent and others 0.26 per cent.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 16 April 2011, 11:41 am and is filed under
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