Ini adalah agenda Ketua Mata Sepet yang mengidamkan dan sentiasa mimpikan bangunan dan logo di atas. Impiannya adalah untuk menawan Putrajaya. Ketua Mata Sepet ini akan melakukan apa sahaja termasuklah menjual Malaysia ataupun melelong maruah Malaysia di mata dunia bagi menunjukkan kepada dunia bahawa Malaysia adalah sebuah negara yang tidak berdaulat dan demokrasinya di penuhi oleh anarki, sistem kehakiman serta mahkamah syariahnya tidak ada kebebasan dalam perundangan dan berbagai tohmahan serta fitnah di lemparkan kepada kerajaan Dacing sekarang di luar negara. Dia tak boleh laksanakan di Malaysia serang dari luar sebab itu Si Kitul dan Raja Mandeliar di letakkan di luar takut kena cekup masuk dalam kem Kamunting langsung tak boleh berfungsi sebagai pembunuhan sendi dan saraf Mata Sepet. Almaklumlah selepas Si Kitul membuat dua akuan bersumpah yang berbeza dan Raja Mandeliar pulak menghasut dan menfitnah dengan mengaitkan isteri YAB PM dengan pembunuhan wanita Mongolia tersebut. Inilah dia contoh perpatah Melayu kata anak di rumah di tinggalkan kelaparan tapi monyet di hutan diberikan susu.
Anwar burukkan imej negara dalam wawancara bersama CNN
KUALA LUMPUR 7 Julai - Penasihat Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim terus bertindak memburuk-burukkan Malaysia di luar negara dalam usaha menjejaskan imej negara di mata dunia.
Terbaru, ketika beliau diwawancara dalam rancangan Connector of the Day terbitan CNN, minggu lalu.
Selain menuduh kerajaan dengan pelbagai dakwaan, Anwar dalam rancangan selama enam minit itu turut mempertikaikan kewibawaan sistem kehakiman negara apabila ditanya mengenai tuduhan liwat yang dihadapinya ketika ini.
Antara tuduhannya dalam rancangan itu, Anwar mendakwa pemerintahan negara yang ditunjang oleh UMNO mengamalkan sistem pentadbiran korup hingga menyebabkan jurang antara rakyat semakin jauh.
''Mereka juga mengamalkan polisi pemerolehan tanpa tender dan akhirnya yang mendapat faedah daripada corak pemerintahan ini ialah kroni-kroni mereka.
''Golongan ini yang mendapat habuan beratus juta ringgit. Kerajaan ini jugalah yang telah menggunakan Dasar Ekonomi Baru (DEB) untuk membantu orang Melayu yang miskin,'' katanya dalam rancangan tersebut.
Rakaman wawancara itu boleh dilayari http://edition.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/world/2010/07/02/ctw.cotd.anwar.ibrahim.cnn.html.
Ketika menjawab soalan mengenai tuduhan liwat ke atasnya, Anwar mendakwa yang beliau menjadi mangsa kepada rejim pemerintahan korup.
''Kerajaan ini telah menafikan hak saya. Anda bayangkan saya dituduh atas satu kesalahan jenayah tetapi saya tidak dibekalkan dokumen yang diperlukan.
''Mengenai laporan polis, pihak saya hanya dibenarkan melihat laporan itu enam bulan selepas ia dibuat. Jika benar-benar saya dituduh dalam satu sistem kehakiman yang adil mengapa ada cubaan untuk memburuk-burukkan peribadi saya dengan tuduhan ini?'' katanya.
Berhubung kenyataannya mempertikaikan sistem kehakiman di negara ini, beliau berkata, itu bukan pandangannya semata-mata tetapi ia disokong dengan pandangan oleh beberapa pihak.
Antaranya beliau berkata, Majlis Peguam, Suruhanjaya Keadilan Antarabangsa, Persatuan Peguam Antarabangsa, Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (PBB) berhubung kebebasan kehakiman.
''Mereka secara konsensus menyatakan ada yang tidak kena dalam keseluruhan proses kehakiman kita,'' ujarnya.
Anwar di dalam rancangan tersebut turut mengulas mengenai pelaksanaan hukuman syariah di Malaysia.
Soalan yang dikemukakan berkisar sama ada pelaksanaan dua sistem undang-undang di Malaysia iaitu sivil dan syariah yang kadang-kadang boleh menimbul kekeliruan.
''Dalam pelaksanaan undang-undang syariah, kita perlu pastikan ia adil dan dalam masa yang sama kita perlu membuat pembaharuan untuk memastikan sistem perundangan ini benar-benar memberi keadilan.
''Namun begitu, seperti mana ketetapan yang telah dibuat sebelum ini, undang-undang syariah tidak akan dilaksanakan kepada rakyat bukan Islam,'' katanya.
Anwar didakwa bankrap idea
KUALA LUMPUR 7 Julai - Tindakan Penasihat Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim menyerang kredibiliti individu-individu yang membuat dakwaan berkaitan hubungan parti itu dengan Raja Petra Kamaruddin merupakan taktik 'basi' beliau untuk mengalih tumpuan daripada isu berkenaan.
Bekas Setiausaha Sulitnya, Anuar Shaari berkata, sikap berdolak-dalik Anwar juga menunjukkan beliau bankrap idea dan gugup untuk berhadapan dengan isu dakwaan penglibatan PKR dalam menaja kehidupan Raja Petra dan penyiasat persendirian, P. Balasubramaniam di London.
"Saya sendiri dituduh Anwar menerima upah oleh pihak tertentu bagi mengeluarkan kenyataan berkaitan isu terbabit. Saya menafikan sekeras-kerasnya tuduhan itu.
"Sering kali Anwar mengambil langkah mengalih perhatian daripada menjawab isu pokok dengan menyerang kredibiliti mereka yang mendedahkan kepincangan beliau. Taktik itu sudah basi dan saya cabar beliau supaya memberi penjelasan mengenai perkara itu,'' katanya ketika dihubungi di sini hari ini.
Beliau mengulas mengenai sikap Anwar yang dilihat cuba berdolak-dalik mengenai dakwaan penglibatan PKR dalam menaja kehidupan Raja Petra yang juga pengendali portal Malaysia Today dan Balasubramaniam di London.
Menurut laporan akhbar hari ini, Anwar ketika ditanya mengenai tuduhan itu bagaimanapun tidak menjawabnya secara langsung sebaliknya mempersoalkan kredibiliti individu-individu yang membuat dakwaan tersebut.
Seperti mencabar pihak berkuasa, Anwar turut memperlekehkan keupayaan pihak polis dengan mengatakan beliau sendiri akan berjumpa dengan Raja Petra sekiranya berkesempatan ke London pada masa depan.
Baru-baru ini, gambar Pengerusi Majlis Pimpinan PKR Wilayah Persekutuan, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, Raja Petra, Balasubramaniam dan dua individu lain disiarkan di laman web Malaysia-instinct.com.
Dipercayai gambar itu dirakamkan di United Kingdom kerana kedua-dua individu berkenaan berada di negara tersebut. Pada 30 Jun lalu, laman web Malaysia Today menyiarkan gambar Raja Petra bersama Zaid.
Bekas Ketua Angkatan Muda PKR, Senator Ezam Mohd. Noor menjelaskan bahawa sandiwara Anwar telah sampai ke titik penamat dan pemimpin pembangkang itu tidak perlu berdolak-dalik lagi.
"Sudah cukup beliau membuang masa rakyat dan negara dengan berdolak-dalik dalam banyak perkara. Raja Petra dan Balasubramaniam tidak ada nafsu sebesar Anwar untuk rosakkan imej pemimpin negara," katanya.
Bagi Ketua Puteri UMNO, Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin, sikap berdolak-dalik Anwar jelas menunjukkan sikapnya yang selama ini suka berpura-pura dan tidak menghormati orang lain terutama pihak berkuasa negara ini.
Dalam hal kunjungan beliau ke Amerika Syarikat (AS) katanya, Anwar menyalahkan laporan Utusan Malaysia tetapi pada masa yang sama beliau langsung tidak menafikan telah meminta maaf kepada pemimpin Yahudi kerana kenyataannya yang dilihat anti-Yahudi.
"Begitu juga dalam kes Raja Petra dan Balasubramaniam, bukanlah perkara mustahil jika penempatan kedua-dua individu itu dirancang dan diketahui oleh Anwar lantaran peranan mereka untuk memburuk-burukkan imej negara serta bertindak sebagai pelobi Anwar.
"Oleh kerana kertas siasatan mengenai individu dan parti politik yang menaja Raja Petra telah dibuka, maka Puteri UMNO menggesa supaya siasatan segera dan menyeluruh dilaksanakan supaya pihak-pihak yang kurang ajar dan berlagak bijak itu dapat dihadapkan ke muka pengadilan,'' tambahnya.
Raja Petra menghilangkan diri selepas dua waran tangkap dikeluarkan terhadapnya kerana gagal hadir ke mahkamah bagi perbicaraan menerbitkan artikel berbaur hasutan dan memfitnah isteri Perdana Menteri, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor melalui Malaysia Today.
Balasubramaniam pula menghilangkan diri ke luar negara selepas memberi dua perakuan sumpah berbeza berhubung kes pembunuhan wanita Mongolia, Altantuya Shaariibuu.
Kadangkala saya suka melihat kelagat manusia yang sentiasa ingin sesuatu dalam kehidupan ini. Dalam bidang politik kelantangan dan keceluparan kadangkala boleh membawa kepadahan. Inilah yang sedang di hadapi oleh PERKASA yang terpaksa berpencak silat dengan MCA kerana sikap egoistik dan keceluparan mulut dengan mengutarakan Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran itu patut di tahan ISA. Pada saya kenyataan tersebut adalah satu kenyataan NGO bukannya satu desakan kepada kerajaan untuk menahan Timbalan Menteri tersebut. Timbalan Menteri tersebut mesti ada asasnya apabila membuat kenyataan beliau sedemikian tetapi kenyataan itu mestilah berlandaskan prinsip-prinsip setiakawan dalam linkungan Barisan Nasional. Kita tidak seharusnya mengeluarkan kenyataan sedemikian rupa kerana orang Melayu pasti akan marah macam juga kalau TPM mengeluarkan kenyataan apabila di tanya oleh Roket Lim Kid Siang konsep 1 Malaysia - Melayu 1 atau 1 Malaysia. TPM kata 1 Melayu kemudian 1 Malaysia. Besoknya bertabur akhbar-akhbar Cina kata TPM berkauman dan bertentangan dengan konsep 1 Malaysia YAB PM kita. Tapi dalam menegakkan identiti dan jati diri Melayu dan bergerak sebagai sebuah NGO kita tak perlulah terlalu celupar dan ego dengan mengatakan sebarangan kerana sensitiviti kaum-kaum lain perlu juga kita jaga. Sebaliknya, rakan-rakan (MCA & MIC) Keris kena juga jaga hati dan sensitiviti kaum Melayu jangan semberono cakap aje. Walaubagaimanapun saya mengucapkan tahniah kepada Dato' PERKASA kerana berani dan lantang menyuarakan hak-hak Melayu dan kedaulatan Melayu itu jangan di ganggu gugat oleh pertualang-petualang yang ingin melihat akan kehancuran pemrintahan Melayu di bumi Malaysia.
Perkasa dakwa Kim Sen menghasut
KUALA LUMPUR 7 Julai - Kenyataan Setiausaha Agung Pemuda MCA, Chai Kim Sen dalam laman web Merdeka Review bukan sahaja berbaur hasutan malah menimbulkan rasa tidak selamat di kalangan ahli Persatuan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) dan orang Melayu yang menyokong pertubuhan itu.
Timbalan Presiden Perkasa, Datuk Abdul Rahman Abu Bakar berkata, Kim Sen dalam kenyataan bertarikh 1 Julai lalu mengatakan bahawa Pemuda MCA akan menyerang balas dan sanggup melakukan apa sahaja untuk mempertahankan maruah MCA.
"Kenyataan Kim Sen itu dibuat ekoran tidak puas hati dengan artikel yang disiarkan dalam Suara Perkasa, lidah rasmi Perkasa yang menggesa Ketua Pemuda MCA, Datuk Dr. Wee Ka Siong ditahan di bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) kerana mempersoalkan hak orang Melayu,'' katanya dalam kenyataan akhbar di sini hari ini.
Abdul Rahman berkata, jika sekiranya ada ahli-ahli Perkasa yang tercedera atau berlaku sesuatu perkara yang tidak diingini akibat kenyataan berbaur hasutan itu, maka Kim Sen harus dipertanggungjawabkan.
"Perkasa berharap polis akan mengambil tindakan tegas terhadap kenyataan Kim Sen itu kerana ia boleh menimbulkan ketegangan kaum,'' katanya.
Tambahnya, Kim Sen juga turut menyebut "memang celaka betul" dalam kenyataan tersebut dan ia merupakan kenyataan paling biadab dan kurang ajar yang pernah dikeluarkan oleh ahli parti komponen Barisan Nasional (BN) kepada orang Melayu.
"Ia tidak sepatutnya dikeluarkan oleh ahli sebuah parti politik,'' katanya.
Menurutnya, Ka Siong yang juga Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran tidak sepatutnya mempertikaikan hak istimewa orang Melayu di dalam pemberian biasiswa Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) kerana ia bertentangan dengan konsep 1Malaysia.
"Perkasa berpendapat Ka Siong tidak layak memegang jawatan sekarang dan perlu dipecat kerana menimbulkan isu sensitif dan mengungkit Perkara 153 yang diperuntukkan di dalam Perlembagaan negara,'' katanya.
Malah jelasnya, kenyataan itu juga akan membuatkan Ka Siong dibenci pengundi Melayu serta pemimpin MCA lain, serta boleh menjadi antara punca orang Melayu enggan mengundi calon MCA pada Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 nanti.
"Perkasa ingin mengingatkan Ka Siong bahawa 60 peratus pengundi di Parlimen Air Hitam adalah orang Melayu dan mereka sebenarnya kecewa atas perbuatan beliau yang mempertikai hak istimewa orang Melayu,'' jelasnya.
Pemuda MCA selar PERKASA:
Ektremis celaka ini patut ditahan ISA!
"Jikalau PERKASA mahu Wee Ka Siong dipenjarakan kerana kenyataan Pemuda MCA yang membela keadilan, maka ekstremis yang celaka ini lebih patut dipenjarakan di bawah ISA," kata Ketua Pemuda Wilayah Persekutuan MCA, Chiew Lian Keng.
Demikianlah kemarahan daripada Pemuda MCA, berikutan laporan utama edisi sulung Suara PERKASA yang bertajuk "Tahan Ka Siong bawah ISA". Beberapa orang pemimpin Pemuda MCA tampil mempertahankan Ketua-nya, masing-masing menyasarkan serangan terhadap Presiden PERKASA (Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia), Ibrahim Ali.
Antaranya, Ketua Pemuda Wilayah Persekutuan MCA, Chiew Lian Keng menganggap Wee Ka Siong, Ketua Pemuda MCA merangkap Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran tidak bersalah, malah memberi amaran bahawa "jangan hina maruah Pemuda MCA!", kerana Pemuda MCA tidak akan bertolak ansur dengan provokasi yang biadap ini.
Malah, Pemuda Wilayah Persekutuan MCA mendesak agar kerajaan menyatakan sikapnya untuk mengasingkan diri daripada tindakan Ibrahim Ali yang biadap, mencelarukan sentimen perkauman, dan mencungkil saraf sensitif. Untuk Pemuda Wilayah Persekutuan MCA yang sanggup jadi benteng Wee Ka Siong, seandainya kerajaan berdiam diri dalam isu ini, maka ia adalah penghinaan terhadap MCA sebagai parti komponen kedua terbesar dalam BN.
Oleh itu, Ketua Pemuda Wilayah Persekutuan MCA (gambar kanan) mahu Kementerian Dalam Negeri melucutkan permit penerbitan PERKASA, sebagai amaran kepada kenyataannya yang ekstrem, malah berharap agar penjual akhbar mengambil inisiatif untuk memboikot akhbar ini, demi menjaga keamanan negara.
Akta Hasutan terhadap PERKASA dan Ibrahim Ali
Selain itu, Setiausaha Agung Pemuda MCA, Chai Kim Sen turut menggesa agar polis menangkap Ibrahim Ali dan mengambil tindakan terhadap Suara Perkasa, dengan menggunakan Akta Hasutan 1948.
"Artikel dalam Suara PERKASA yang menggesa untuk menangkap Wee Ka Siong dengan ISA ini telah mencungkil kemarahan Pemuda MCA. Seandainya kerajaan berpeluk tubuh dalam isu ini, Pemuda MCA akan menyerang balik sehabis-habisnya. Kami sanggup melakukan apa sahaja untuk mempertahankan maruah MCA," kata Chai Kim Sen (gambar kiri) dalam kenyataannya.
Malah, Setiausaha Agung Pemuda MCA ini menambah, "PERKASA langsung tidak masuk akal. Pertubuhan yang dipimpin Ibrahim Ali ini bukan sahaja ekstrem, malah satu pertubuhan yang mengada-ada. Memang celaka betul!"
Pemimpin Pemuda MCA bangkit menyerang
Di samping itu, terdapat beberapa orang pemimpin Pemuda MCA lain yang turut mengeluarkan kenyataan media untuk menyelar Ibrahim Ali, hari ini. Ketua Pasukan Pemuda Kebangsaan MCA, Yap Tian Hoi membidas Suara PERKASA kerana menggunakan propaganda "kelas rendah" untuk mencungkil sentimen perkauman.
Ketua Biro Kajian Strategik dan Perancangan Pemuda MCA, Foo Seck Chyn (gambar kanan) pula membidas bahawa kesabaran kerajaan untuk membenarkan hujah perkauman ini berleluasa telah mencungkil kemarahan rakyat.
Naib Setiausaha Agung Pemuda MCA, Loh Chew June pula mendesak agar kerajaan memisahkan diri dari PERKASA, untuk membuktikan bahawa kerajaan mendukung semangat 1Malaysia, dan tidak bersekutu dengan pertubuhan yang ekstrem dan berkelas rendah ini.
Mengapa Pakatan Rakyat terpaksa mencari sokongan di luar negara dengan menubuhkan Friends of Pakatan Rakyat. Adakah mereka ini faham akan apa yang berlaku di Malaysia dan apa agenda Pakatan Rakyat ini sebenarnya. Adakah ini yang dikatakan anak di rumah di biarkan monyet di hutan di susukan. Adakah sokongan kononnya sentimen rakyat Malaysia menunjukkan arus perubahan akan melanda Malaysia dan kemungkinan Putrjaya jatuh ke dalam tangan Pakatan Rakyat adalah cerah secerah Bulan Penuh walaupun kadang kala Mata Sepet memberi banyak onak dan duri tetapi Roket akan tetap bersama untuk membawa Mata Sepet naik ke Bulan Penuh menuju ke singgahsana Putrajaya... Kadang-kadang kita terfikir jugak kenapa sokongan di luar negara...mungkin jugak untuk membantu Mata Sepet memimpin Malaysia kerana Pakatan Rakyat kekurangan pemimpin-pemimpin berkaliber. Yang ada tidak boleh membantu kerana banyak politiking dan mentality pasar malam...
Kita dianugerahkan oleh Allah (SWT) akal fikiran dan hati yang suci bersih mengapa hendak dikotorkan seperti kenyataan oleh panglima Bulan Penuh Hasanhusaini yang menuduh seolah-olah kerajaan Dacing ini sengaja mengugut rakyat yang berulamak sebagai JI dan militan dan sengaja mengada-adakan cerita kemungkinan pergerakan JI dan militan telah meresap di dalam Malaysia...Inilah org kata kita menulis dengan menggunakan akal fikiran bukannya jari kerana jari akan mengikut nafsu amarah, hasad dengki dan tohmahan serta fitnah yang hendak kita lemparkan di dalam kenyatan kita...sedangkan kita tahu perkara-perkara itu memang dalam siasatan dan penyelidikan PDRM dan ATM kita....Inilah yang dinamakan kuman diseberang laut nampak tapi gajah didepan mata tak nampak...
Kita sekarang di sajikan pulak dengan siapa yang menjadi penaja Si Kitul dan Raja Mandeliar di UK? Si Kitul dan Raja Mandeliar dengan mendadik dada mengatakan bahawa kerajaan Malaysia memnag tidak boleh buat apa-apa terhadap mereka kerana PDRM dan SPRM telah mencuba untuk membawa balik Si Kitul dan Raja Mandeliar ini tetapi gagal walaupun kita mempunyai perjanjian ekstradisi dengan UK. Ini adalah kerana Si Kitul dan Raja Mandeliar ini tidak di anggap sebagai penjenayah ataupun pengganas tetapi adalah sebagai tetamu yang mempunyai pandang dari segi politik yang berbeza. Apa yang perlu di lakukan oleh pihak PDRM ialah membawa balik secara senyap macam arwah Tun Ismail Ali membeli Guthrie dan Sime Darby di Bursa London satu ketika dahulu. Pada saya selicik-licik cacing pasti akan tersangkut di mata kail satu har nanti. Masa saja akan menentukan kegembiraan Si Kitul dan Raja Mandeliar ini...
Sila baca nukilan Ketua Perhubungan Mata Sepet Wilayah Persekutuan yang menafikan cerita Utusan Malaysia mengenai penaja Si Kitul dan Raja Mandeliar di UK. Dia gelar Utusan Sebagai akhbar Gestapo. Saya merasa berbangga kerana Utusan berani menegakkan dan meletakkan Islam dan Melayu serta Negara itu dahulu berbanding dengan Mata Sepet. Adakah Mata Sepet ingin bermain sandirawa dengan rakyat dengan mengatakan bahawa Ketua Mata Sepet Wilayah Persekutuan ini pergi minum ais kacang. Ini adalah jenaka yang tak melucukan kerana gambar ini boleh membawa berbagai pengertian. Kita sebagai rakyat harus menilai dan mengambil perhatian akan kemungkinan ianya adalah betul dan kita pulak memberi mandat kepada Mata Sepet untuk mengisi kerusi Putrajaya. Bagaimana corak pemerintah Mata Sepet ini adakah untuk rakyat atau untuk individu tertentu seperti isu pasir di Kota Darul Ehsan, isu pelantikan peguam swasta untuk memberi nasihat kepada kerajaan Pakatan Pembangkang, isu geran kekal di Perak semasa Pakatan Pembangkang, isu JKKK, isu masjid, isu Allah, isu peguam syarie dan sebagainya....
Utusan dah start dah….
UMNO telah mula siar gambar saya. Lazimnya mereka takkan memberi apa-apa laporan tentang diri saya, apatah lagi nak masuk gambar. Bila mereka berbuat demikian ertinya; sudah sampai masa saya akan di pukul dan dibelasah. Kerja akhbar Gestapo. Lagi besar gambar itu maknanya lagi teruk mereka akan belasah saya, secara besar-besaran. Hari ini ada gambar saya dengan Raja Petra dan mereka membuat kesimpulan bahawa kerana hubungan ini maka PKR-lah atau parti Keadilanlah yang sponsor atau bantu Raja Petra dari segi Kewangan. Menteri Nazri kata dia ada bukti PKR beri wang kepada Raja Petra. Mengapa Utusan tak tunjuk bukti itu? Kita pun nak tahu kerana setahu saya parti saya ini tak ada duit, kais pagi makan pagi. Tak usah nak guna andaian untuk membuktikan sesuatu yang memang sudah ada bukti jelas dan kukuh. Lainlah kalau mereka tak ada bukti, lalu perlulah mereka membuat tohmahan dan dakwaan palsu.
Saya baru bertemu dan makan ais kacang dengan Petra dan Bala. Saya tanya mereka mengapa tidak mahu balik ke Malaysia. Mengapa mereka berada di luar negara. UMNO telah menuduh mereka buat kesalahan dan lari kerana takut kepada tindakan Mahkamah. Mereka menjawab serentak. Mereka akan balik ka Malaysia kalau mereka tidak akan kena ISA. Siapa boleh beri jaminan? Mereka takut mereka kena tahan dan diseksa sampai mati. Mereka takut kena bom C4. Mereka adalah dua insan kerdil yang takut kepada kerajaan yang ada sekarang. Saya amat faham ketakutan mereka. Saya sendiri berasa takut, entah apa pula yang boleh dilakukan oleh pihak berkuasa. Tetapi apa yang rakyat mesti ingat ialah: kedua-duanya, Petra dan Bala, tidak disabitkan dengan apa-apa kesalahan. Polis tidak pernah mengambil apa-apa tindakan untuk membawa mereka pulang. Jadi, jelas bagi saya mereka tidak bersalah. Jadi mengapa Utusan cuba mengelirukan Rakyat dan menimbulkan persoalan yang tidak relevan, mengenai hubungan saya dan mereka. Yang relevan dan perlu dipersoalkan ialah kenyataan mereka bahawa kes Altantuya itu ada kaitan dengan orang lain yang Maha Berkuasa dan perlu disiasat. Jadi usahlah kita kata Petra itu tidak boleh dipercayai, atau boleh percaya tetapi 40% sahaja. Sanggupkah Kerajaan mengadakan Siasatan Terbuka untuk menentukan betul atau salah Petra dan Bala ini? Dan sanggupkah Kerajaan memberi jaminan keselamatan ke atas mereka supaya mereka dapat pulang? Inilah yang sepatutnya menjadi persoalan dan perbincangan. Bukan mengapa saya jumpa Petra dan mengapa saya makan ais kacang dengan beliau.
Lagipun PM Najib kena ingat, pilihan raya akan datang akan berkisar kepada soalan mengenai watak dan sifat pemimpin yang macam mana yang rakyat perlukan. Cara PM Najib cuba menutup Bala dan Petra tidak akan menguntungkan dia. Rakyat mahu pembangunan, itu betul. Rakyat mahu kemudahan asas, betul. Tetapi Rakyat juga mahu pemimpin yang tidak terlibat dengan kekejaman, yang tidak memperlihatkan ciri menyalahgunakan kuasa, dan yang tidak mentadbir negara ala gestapo. Rakyat mahu Kerajaan dan pemimpin yang telus dan sederhana, dan yang tidak menakutkan mereka. Menteri Hishamuddin, cukuplah bermain wayang. Janganlah pula hendak menyalahkan Kerajaan Britain mengatakan ia tidak mahu bekerjasama. Di England ni, tangkapan hanya boleh dibuat kalau orang itu buat salah, bukan macam Malaysia. Kalau Britain tidak mahu extradite seperti yang Menteri kata, itu ertinya Raja Petra tidak melakukan apa-apa kesalahan. Janganlah pula kata Britain tidak memberi kerjasama.
Jangan porak-perandakan moral kerana gila kuasa
POLITIK, parti politik dan berpolitik serta berparti politik memerlukan kecerdikan dan tahap profesionalisme berskala besar, memerlukan lebih ramai penyokong daripada penentang supaya mendapat lebih majoriti dalam pilihan raya.
Hati dan perasaan semua pihak yang bertanggungjawab kepada pemberian mandat perlu dijaga dan dibelai seperti menatang minyak yang penuh. Membuat musuh dengan mereka bermakna menempah kecelakaan.
Pakatan pembangkang boleh menyerang, memperlekeh, membuat tohmahan, memberi persepsi buruk, memfitnah atau menidakkan kejayaan Barisan Nasional (BN) yang terus menerima mandat membentuk kerajaan yang sah.
Tetapi memfitnah agensi kerajaan, termasuk dengan melemparkan dakwaan palsu terhadap Felda yang dikatakan bankrap adalah satu tatacara berpolitik yang sangat tidak bijak, amat tidak profesional dan tidak bermoral.
Tindakan itu bukan sahaja akan melukakan hati para pegawai Felda tetapi ia merupakan satu penghinaan kepada golongan peneroka dan institusi yang banyak membangunkan masyarakat Melayu. Hakikatnya, nasib para peneroka Felda kini jauh lebih baik dari semasa mereka belum menjadi peneroka.
Berpolitiklah secara yang sepatutnya, jangan kerana gilakan kuasa dan kerusi perdana menteri dan kerusi menteri, maka apa yang diharamkan oleh Islam yakni memfitnah pun sanggup dijadikan senjata dalam perlumbaan meraih mandat.
Rakyat bukannya bodoh. Persepsi majoriti rakyat tidak mungkin seragam dengan persepsi pembangkang atau apa yang diharap rakyat terhadap persepsi kerajaan. Mengecam kerajaan dan mengajak rakyat membenci kerajaan sepanjang masa adalah tindakan yang tidak bermoral.
Masa untuk berhujah dan menarik sokongan rakyat selaku pemberi mandat adalah semasa pilihan raya. Selepas pilihan raya dan rakyat telah memilih parti untuk diberi mandat, maka keputusan rakyat mesti diterima dan dihormati.
Kalau masih dipertikaikan bermakna keputusan rakyatlah yang dipertikaikan, bukannya kerajaan yang telah dilanjutkan pemberian mandat, yakni amanah dan tanggungjawab untuk menjadi kerajaan.
Sementara menunggu tibanya pilihan raya akan datang, ia patut diisi dengan muhasabah dan kaji selidik kenapa pakatan pembangkang masih ditolak oleh rakyat dan kerajaan yang ada masih terus diberi mandat.
Baiki segala kelemahan supaya pada pilihan raya akan datang, rakyat akan melihat pembangkang ‘lebih baik’ dan ‘lebih berkemampuan’ untuk diberi mandat membentuk kerajaan bagi menggantikan kerajaan yang sedia ada, barulah nampak bestari dan profesional dalam berpolitik.
Kalau asyik mencerca kerajaan sebagai penerima mandat rakyat, lambat laun akan timbul rasa meluat di kalangan rakyat. Bila rakyat meluat, maka harapan untuk diberi mandat membentuk kerajaan akan tersekat.
Rakyat akan membuat penilaian tentang kualiti kerajaan memerintah. Keupayaan terus bertahan dalam keadaan sentiasa dikecam, diburukkan, diperlekeh, ditohmah, difitnah, diganggu dengan demonstrasi dan sebagainya tetapi masih mampu bertahan akan dilihat ada sesuatu yang luar biasa milik pimpinan kerajaan yang ada sekarang.
Sekali gus rakyat akan bertanya kepada diri sendiri iaitu dalam segelintir mereka mempertikaikan jasa dan bakti kerajaan yang memerintah lebih 50 tahun, apa pula jasa, bakti dan sumbangan pembangkang kepada negara selama tempoh yang sama, selain daripada mengisi masa setiap saat dengan memburukkan kerajaan.
Hakikat dan natijahnya menjadi kerajaan tidak semudah menjadi pembangkang. Rakyat sedang membuat penilaian apakah negeri-negeri yang diperintah pembangkang lebih baik daripada negeri-negeri yang diperintah oleh BN.
Kalau kerajaan pembangkang di negeri-negeri yang diperintah gagal dilebih-baikkan daripada negeri-negeri yang diperintah oleh BN, maka hasrat pakatan pembangkang untuk memerintah Malaysia tidak ubah seperti angan-angan katak puru.
Kononnya katak puru berkata, ‘badan berkerutu akan bertukar menjadi licin selepas bunyi guruh.’ Tetapi entah sudah berapa juta kali guruh berdentum, katak puru tetap kekal dalam keadaan asalnya, mimpi untuk menjadi licin lebih bersifat mimpi yang tidak mungkin menjadi realiti.
Dalam berpolitik, kena elakkan daripada berangan-angan macam katak puru atau sang pungguk yang mabuk air sejuk pada puteri bulan, sebaliknya orang politik kena pastikan diri sentiasa berada dalam realiti untuk mengelak daripada ‘perasan’ dijulang dan disayangi, walhal dibenci kerana sikap sendiri.
Hanya retorik Pas
PADA 12 November 2003, Presiden Pas, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang melancarkan dokumen negara Islam yang merangkumi semua aspek konsep negara Islam termasuk tasawur, dasar, ciri-ciri sehinggalah polisi umumnya.
Ketika itu, Pas berada dalam Barisan Alternatif (BA) bersama Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) dan Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM). Pada masa yang sama, kedua-dua parti itu turut mempunyai kerjasama dengan DAP yang memperjuangkan konsep 'Malaysian Malaysia'.
Malahan suatu ketika, Mursyidul Am Pas, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat memuji pemimpin-pemimpin DAP kerana dikatakan semakin menerima Islam. Ketika berucap di konvensyen pakatan pembangkang di Shah Alam tidak lama dulu, Nik Abdul Aziz berkata, di dada Lim Kit Siang dan Karpal Singh ada tanda bulan (lambang Pas).
Kini, pujian Nik Abdul Aziz kepada DAP terutamanya Karpal mungkin berubah apabila Pengerusi DAP tersebut secara terbuka mengulangi pendiriannya menolak untuk berkompromi terhadap konsep negara Islam yang diperjuangkan Pas sekiranya pembangkang mengambil alih negara.
Pendirian itu membuatkan Menteri Besar Kelantan mencabar Karpal membuktikan konsep negara Islam acuan Pas yang telah dilaksanakan di Kelantan selama 20 tahun adalah salah.
Nik Abdul Aziz turut menganggap kenyataan Karpal yang menolak gagasan pembentukan konsep negara Islam Pas jika pakatan pembangkang menguasai pentadbiran negara sebagai kenyataan peribadi.
Sebenarnya tidak timbul soal kenyataan peribadi kerana sejak dari awal lagi sama ada Karpal mahupun DAP tidak pernah memperakui secara terbuka menyokong gagasan negara Islam yang diperjuangkan oleh Pas.
Tambahan pula sejak berkawan rapat dengan PKR dan DAP, Pas sendiri bukan sahaja sudah lama tidak bercakap soal menubuhkan negara Islam, malah ada pemimpin menganggap gagasan itu tidak ada dalam Perlembagaan parti tersebut.
Dalam muktamar parti itu baru-baru ini, suara-suara mengenai perjuangan membentuk negara Islam langsung tidak kedengaran sama ada di kalangan pemimpin mahupun perwakilan Pas.
Nik Abdul Aziz hanya melenting apabila Karpal terus konsisten menolak penubuhan negara Islam. Kalau Karpal tidak bercakap maka sudah pasti isu negara Islam tidak disentuh oleh Pas.
Ini terbukti apabila dalam dua pilihan raya umum lalu, Pas dalam manifestonya tidak menyentuh soal negara Islam sehingga akhirnya memungkinkan konsep negara Islam yang mereka perkatakan hanya wujud dalam bentuk dokumen semata-mata tidak lebih daripada itu.
Konsep negara Islam hanya menjadi retorik politik kepada Pas kerana ia tidak bersungguh-sungguh hendak dilaksanakan oleh parti tersebut. Apa yang lebih penting bagi parti berkenaan ialah bersama-sama PKR dan DAP menggabungkan kekuatan bagi merebut tampuk kekuasaan negara dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang.
Atas sebab itulah, DAP dilihat tidak pernah menghormati dasar perjuangan Pas kerana mereka memahami bahawa Pas bersedia mengorbankan semua itu demi mencari kuasa politik.
Kita tidak harus lupa bahawa pada 25 Jun 1999, Nik Abdul Aziz sendiri pernah berkata, ''Pas sedia gugur slogan negara Islam, jadi untuk mencari perdamaian itu, setakat mana yang boleh kita hendak kepada Islam, tapi kalau nampak menyusahkan tak apa..."
Bagaimanapun seorang pemimpin Pas ketika dihubungi berkata, DAP sepatutnya menghormati dasar perjuangan Pas bukannya mengeluarkan kenyataan yang mengguris perasaan.
Katanya, Pas sentiasa bersedia bekerjasama dengan DAP selagi perasaan hormat-menghormati itu wujud.
''Selagi DAP hormati Pas, kita tidak ada masalah tetapi nampaknya DAP tidak mempunyai perasaan tersebut, sebab itulah Karpal sanggup mengeluarkan kenyataan itu,'' katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia.
Menurut pemimpin Pas berkenaan, semua rakan di dalam pakatan pembangkang telah bersetuju dan menghormati dasar perjuangan Pas.
''Justeru, tidak timbul soal penolakan oleh mana-mana pemimpin DAP termasuk Karpal sendiri. Bagi saya, itu pandangan peribadi beliau,'' katanya.
'Pandangan peribadi' - inilah istilah yang digunakan oleh hampir keseluruhan pemimpin Pas apabila diminta mengulas mengenai kenyataan terbaru Karpal itu.
Apa yang pasti Karpal bukanlah ahli biasa, tetapi Pengerusi DAP. Jadi, pandangan beliau sudah tentu dikongsi bersama oleh Setiausaha Agung DAP, Lim Guan Eng. Adakah kenyataan pemimpin Pas itu bermaksud Guan Eng akan membela Pas?
Sepatutnya Pas belajar terhadap apa yang berlaku di Selangor kerana biarpun Pas menyumbang kerusi kepada pembentukan kerajaan negeri tetapi suara Pas seolah-olah tidak didengari.
Beberapa usaha Pas untuk menerapkan nilai-nilai Islam ditentang hebat bukan sahaja oleh DAP tetapi juga pemimpin bukan Melayu dalam PKR.
Kini, Pas tidak boleh melenting dengan kenyataan Karpal kerana Pas tidak ada kuasa untuk melawan kekuatan politik DAP mahupun PKR.
Sepatutnya, Pas menghormati Karpal kerana sentiasa konsisten dalam membuat sesuatu kenyataan. Keadaan tersebut berbeza dengan pemimpin-pemimpin Pas yang tidak pernah konsisten dalam pendirian mereka.
Akibat sikap tidak konsisten inilah, ia memungkinkan Pas hanya menjadi 'kawan mainan politik' kepada PKR dan DAP.
Mungkin pujian boleh diberikan kepada Ketua Pemuda Pas, Nasruddin Hassan yang dengan tegas menyatakan Pas bersedia mengkaji semula hubungan dengan DAP pada masa depan jika DAP terus mengamalkan sikap menikam dari belakang.
Sebenarnya, DAP selama ini bukan sahaja sudah menikam dari belakang, malah boleh disifatkan 'sudah menetak' Pas dari hadapan apabila sering sahaja melakukan tindakan yang kadangkala dilihat tidak menghormati Pas. Tetapi apa yang Pas boleh buat?
Oleh itu, apa juga penegasan dan kenyataan yang dibuat oleh Pas dalam isu negara Islam boleh dianggap retorik semata-mata. Pemimpin Pas terpaksa bersuara apabila ia disentuh oleh Karpal bagi menunjukkan kononnya Pas tetap ingin memperjuangkan konsep berkenaan.
Namun, ia hanyalah mainan lidah politik Pas sahaja. Hakikatnya, langkah bagi memperjuangkan konsep negara Islam tersebut semakin ditinggalkan oleh parti itu demi mencari kuasa bersama PKR dan DAP.
Key political risks to watch in Malaysia
KUALA LUMPUR, May 31 —Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has reached a critical point after just over a year in office — will he enact economic reforms and cut subsidies and risk alienating his voter base, or will he back off?
Malaysian bonds have rallied this year, returning 4.99 per cent for dollar-based investors in the past three months, according to the industry benchmark JPMorgan Government Bond Index-Emerging Markets, outperforming the wider Asia index which rose 2.67 per cent. Malaysia’s outperformance is largely due to rate hikes and the ringgit’s proxy as a China revaluation play.
By contrast, Thailand is up 4.77 per cent and high-flying Indonesia scored a 6.81 per cent return in US dollars, although all markets are off their highs, roiled by global risk aversion.
Following is a summary of key Malaysia risks to watch:
POLITICAL CONFLICT
Political tensions spiked after the 2008 general election when unprecedented opposition gains transformed the political landscape. The Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition’s dominance through 52 years in power was dented as it lost control in five states and its once iron-clad two-thirds control of Parliament.
The ruling coalition has since lost in several by-elections including one last month in its own bastion state of Sarawak.
The political uncertainty has weighed on foreign investment with net portfolio and direct investment outflows reaching US$61 billion (RM201 billion) in 2008 and 2009 according to official data. While money has flowed into the bond market recently, according to central bank statistics, little has flowed into equities.
What to watch:
• Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial, which ends in late August. Anwar says the case is a political conspiracy, and a contentious verdict would anger his supporters. Any marked increase in political tensions could see more foreign money pulled from stocks, bonds and the ringgit. But with limited foreign portfolio investment still in the country, the impact will be muted.
• Elections in Sarawak which are expected by the end of this year. The BN’s shock defeat last month at a parliamentary by-election in Sarawak has raised doubts whether it can maintain its support levels in the state. A further weakening of Najib’s coalition in the coming Sarawak elections could spell more losses for the BN in the next general election which analysts say could be held as early as next year.
ECONOMIC REFORM
The government’s commitment to economic reform is being put to the test with a plan to cut subsidies presented to the public last month, with a decision expected in the coming months.
Malaysia spent 15.3 per cent of total federal government operating spending on subsidies in its 2009 budget when its deficit surged to a 20-year high of 7 per cent of GDP.
Key to investor confidence will be whether the government has the courage to significantly unwind the crippling subsidies amid a potential voter backlash. Najib’s political will to reform will also be tested by the “New Economic Model” (NEM), a blueprint to replace a four-decades-old Malay affirmative policy known as the New Economic Policy (NEP).
The controversial NEP was adopted after 1969 race riots and gave a wide array of economic benefits to ethnic Malays who make up 55 per cent of the population. Investors complain that abuse of the policy spawned a patronage-ridden economy, causing foreign investors to favour Indonesia and Thailand.
Najib has rolled back elements of the NEP, and axed the rule that companies must offer stakes to indigenous ethnic Malays. But his plans face growing opposition from conservative Malay rights groups who want the NEP preserved, including Perkasa which is backed by a significant number of people within Najib’s own Umno party.
What to watch:
• The phased rollout of the NEM and how far Najib will accommodate conservative Malay pressure groups. The NEM’s broad outline was released on March 30 and public reaction will be sought before the final measures are announced. Markets barely shifted when it was announced, reflecting scepticism over implementation after some key reforms were put on hold.
• Moves to reduce crippling fuel and food subsidies. Past fuel price hikes have drawn an intense public backlash which Najib appears wary of attracting. Malaysia was supposed to cut its fuel subsidy bill from May this year as part of the 2010 budget to tackle its budget deficit which hit a more than 20-year high of 7 per cent of GDP in 2009, but the measure was withdrawn.
• The 10th Malaysia Plan, a five-year economic masterplan. Set to be tabled in Parliament on June 10, the plan will contain Malaysia’s revised growth and budget deficit forecasts.
RACE AND RELIGION
Race and religion have always been explosive issues in Malaysian politics. Najib took power pledging a more inclusive approach to ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities, but his Umno party is beginning to cast this approach aside in a bid to woo conservative Malays. The caning of three women under strict Islamic laws in February for having illicit sex signalled the government’s increasing adoption of a stronger Islamic agenda, and this has worried some investors.
A heated row over the use of the word “Allah” by Catholics, which sparked attacks on religious establishments, is also threatening to prolong minority unhappiness with the government.
What to watch:
• Efforts to resolve religious disputes. The government has set up an interfaith committee to promote religious harmony and is trying to reach an out-of-court settlement with the Borneo Evangelical Church, which went to court over the “Allah” dispute.
• If the government tries to woo Muslim voters with more conservative policies based on Islam, investors may be spooked.
• A severe worsening of tensions could raise the spectre of sectarian unrest, but this is not regarded as likely for now.
CORRUPTION
Malaysia used to be regarded as one of the region’s more reliable countries, but worsening corruption and a perceived lack of judicial independence have damaged investment.
What to watch:
• Government efforts to deal with a scandal over a port trade zone close to Kuala Lumpur that exposed links between politics and business. False government guarantees given when the bonds were sold have triggered concerns among holders of US$1 billion of bonds that they might not be repaid."I have already written about that at great length. Umno can’t be brought down from the outside. But it can be brought down from the inside". (Apa yang dikatakan oleh Raja Kitul ini adalah benar kerana badai ataupun gelombang macam manapun UMNO tetap hidup segar dan terus hidup sehingga ke PM yang ke 6 dan seterusnya, insyaallah.)
"the opposition pact Pakatan Rakyat, was relying too much on Anwar for leadership. No man is indispensable. Every one can be replaced, Anwar included"...siapa akan mengantikan Anwar...Khalid Ibrahim...Zaid Ibrahim...Azmin Ali...Mahfuz...Sallehuddin Ayub.(Kalau ikut urutan nama ANWAR... Azmin Ali...akan naik tapi kita... tunggu!!!
Parti roket scud menggunakan isu agama (Isu Allah) untuk meraih undi di Sibu dan roket scud akan menggunakan isu ini untuk menumbangkan dacing di Sarawak dan Sabah. Roket scud memang terkenal dengan memutarbelitkan fakta dan isu yang boleh memenangkan calon mereka walaupun terpaksa menjilat perkara-perkara yang boleh mencetuskan perbalahan antara penganut agama di Malaysia. Kaum Cina terutama yang beragama Kristian dan begitu juga kaum ethnik yang lain akan cepat terperdaya dengan dakyah roket scud kononnya tiada tolenransi terhadap kebebasan beragama di Malaysia seperti yang di sajikan oleh dacing dengan menghalang penggunaan perkataan Allah. Isu Allah ini akan di mainkan berulang-ulang oleh roket scud di Sarawak dan di Sabah kerana roket scud tiada isu-isu yang boleh menumbangkan kerajaan dacing. Kita lihat dan tunggu!!!
Bulan penuh telah mengambil peluang daripada kekalutan mata sepet dengan membuka pintu gerbang bulan penuh kepada pengundi-pengundi bukan Islam untuk memasuki parti bulan penuh dengan tertubuhnya DHPP dan meminda perlembagaan bulan penuh untuk membolehkan bukan Islam mengundi dalam pemilihan bulan penuh dan menjadi calon pilihanraya bulan penuh. Siapa yang kafir dan dikafirkan, hanya Allah (SWT) sahaja yang tahu. Kita tunggu selepas ini apa lagi akan di buat oleh bulan penuh. Mungkin akan menjadi parti kedua seperti mata sepet yang membuka untuk semua bangsa di Malaysia tetapi perkara itu nampak macam mudah sebaliknya amat sukar untuk direalisasikan di Malaysia seperti apa yang berlaku pada mata sepet. Kita tunggu!!!
Najib had said that it is the public who will ultimately decides if expensive government subsidies should be cut after Idris revealed government proposals to cut subsidies for fuel, electricity and food or risk bankruptcy in the next nine years. The Johor Baru MP claimed that any immediate implementation would have no “redeeming feature” that would make it acceptable to Malaysians. “It is up to the people to decide. The lab was done in order to get feedback. If they are acceptable to slashing of subsidies, then the government will go ahead . If they are not agreeable, then the government won’t go ahead with it,” said Nur Jazlan. If they do it (cut subsidies) in a hasty manner and in an amount that will not be tolerated by the people...people will be angry,” Dr Hatta. Because they only won marginally in Selangor and they lost Sibu, I think they may not cut as extensively as they would have liked,” said the first-term Petaling Jaya Utara MP. don’t think he will dare go against (the) rakyat’s opinion...especially after Sibu,” said Dzulkefly.“What they are doing now is public consultation to get feedback. Based on that, they will make their decision, he added.
PKR Youth delegates unanimously voiced their discontent with the top leadership, including its own chief, saying grassroots support has been neglected by leaders who are more obsessed with Umno.
DAP leader Lim Kit Siang said it was not subsidies but BN’s corruption and abuse of power that has led the country to current financial crisis. “I cannot imagine if DAP, PKR or PAS had made the announcement that country will be bankrupt by 2019. If we did, Umno would have labelled us as anti-nationalist and traitors. We probably would have been locked up in ISA and given free food.
PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Umno’s misuse of state funds has forced the government to legalise gambling. Back then, they said that they cannot legalise gambling because it was against but today they are legalising because Umno has no money. Their excuse is that they need to legalise betting to help curb illegal gambling. Something must be wrong with their heads. “The world today is upside down, we have a Muslim government that wants to legalise betting but we have Chinese who are against it. They don’t understand that the poor people will suffer. This is why we are against Barisan Nasional. They have no principles.
PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat condemned the government for sanctioning betting because it was against Islam.“They say that they want to legalise betting so they can monitor gambling. How you can expect a man to supervise another man? It is like asking a cow to supervise another cow. Who can control man? Only Allah.
Najib said the public must recall the big lie made by Anwar when he spread the word that a new government was to be formed on Sept 16, 2008. He (Anwar) has made all kinds of promises, because he wants power. I hope the people will be wary about his promises. He was commenting on the latest promise by Anwar that he would create the post of Deputy Prime Minister II who would be chosen from among the DAP leaders if the opposition pact were to win in the next general election. The promise is perceived to be a political gimmick by Anwar in an effort to continue to get the support of the Chinese community.
The mandate given by the people for PKR to rule Selangor is also a sign that a mandate will also be given for Putrajaya. So every policy decided by the state government will be scrutinised by the electorate and they believe that what is done in Selangor will be repeated in Putrajaya. The mandate given by the people for PKR to rule Selangor is also a sign that a mandate will also be given for Putrajaya. So every policy decided by the state government will be scrutinised by the electorate and they believe that what is done in Selangor will be repeated in Putrajaya. Our biggest weakness is our communication and informing to the people what we have achieved in Selangor. The state can no longer give excuses because it has the fund and experts in communication to inform the people. If they are not qualified then we should replace them. Tan Sri Khalid is not indispensable. If he cannot perform then PKR can find other leaders that could replace him. We have yet to see any action and plan towards Felda in Selangor and we have yet to know the findings from the special state body chaired Datuk Zaid Ibrahim. We would like to ask Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to give his backing so that the Felda settlers will receive a fair treatment. “If Felda in Selangor gets better then it will be easier for us in other states with Felda settlements".
The Malay electorate is concerned due to incitement and propaganda from the mainstream media. We need to explain issue per issue. In my opinion, the party is very clear on the position of the Malays and the Bumiputeras while our common platform with Pakatan Rakyat openly upholds the special position of the Malays and Bumiputeras as enshrined in the federal Constitution. Umno’s racial polarisation is dangerous to the country. Malaysia urgently needs a political movement to value the contribution and involvement of all races. “Unfortunately, Umno’s answer to this new political culture is to make seditious and racist sentiments to continue to divide the people and increase racial polarisation. In fact, the concept of 1 Malaysia or concept related to it is hypocrisy. The Malays and the Bumiputeras have long been deceived by Umno. They want the Malays to rely solely on the government alone because Umno is aware that when the Malays begin to believe in their capabilities then they will no longer require the support of Umno politicians.
Judi Bola telah menjadi isu nasional akibat yang haram telah disensasikan untuk kepentingan politik masing-masing. Bulan Penuh dengan demo dan bantahanya, roket scud dengan kenyataan sanggup masuk masuk Mahkamah sekiranya arahannya melanggar sebarang peraturan dan undang-undang tetapi mata sepet Kebun Bunga assemblyman Jason Ong said "Gambling is discouraged in most religions. I am a Christian and I am not encouraged to gamble. Nonetheless, if people want to bet, we should ensure it is done legally with strict conditions imposed,” he said at the sidelines of the Sixth PKR National Congress yesterday. Penang municipal councillor Felix Ooi said the state should emulate Singapore, which took up to five years of consultation and engagement, before allowing a casino to set up operations on Sentosa island. “We should meet all the stakeholders first before we go ahead and ban it. Illegal gambling has become a top crime activity in Penang with international syndicates involved. Sekarang Pakatan Rakyat nak ikut yang mana inilah di namakan sandiwara, isu halal haram pun boleh di bawa dalam kancah politik untuk memancing undi orang Islam. Nampak sangat kita sebagai orang Islam telah di perlekehkan oleh sandiwara politik ini.
Ketua Umum Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mencabar Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak menuduhnya berbohong apabila berkata para wakil rakyat parti itu yang melompat parti mendapat habuan RM2 juta.
If someone asks me how to evaluate the performance of Tan Sri Khalid or Pakatan Rakyat (PR), what we will say is that the first thing that we promised is a clean and transparent government. With that, we defend that Khalid has been successful
Khalid stays safe despite Selangor quicksand
SHAH ALAM, May 31 — The PKR leadership has saved Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim’s job despite severe internal criticism over a sand-mining scandal that has marred the party’s integrity and Selangor’s financial performance.
Delegates at the party’s sixth annual congress in Kota Baru over the weekend tore at the Selangor mentri besar, suggesting he should make way for someone else to manage and defend the country’s most-industrialised state in the next general election.
But PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife, party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, stoutly defended the former corporate chief by saying some matters were beyond his control.
“If someone asks me how to evaluate the performance of Tan Sri Khalid or Pakatan Rakyat (PR), what we will say is that the first thing that we promised is a clean and transparent government. With that, we defend that Khalid has been successful,” Anwar said yesterday when closing the PKR annual congress.
But detractors say it was not clean in the lucrative but illegal sand-mining industry, and that this has tarnished the PR administration and was reportedly costing the state government some RM728,000 a month.
Over 30 illegal mines are believed to be extracting sand every month and the state seemed powerless to stop them.
The Khalid administration set up Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd (KSSB) in September 2008, soon after PR took over Selangor, to put stop to illegal sand-mining in the state by extracting 75 million tonnes of sand annually, or over six million tonnes a month.
But the state-owned sand-mining subsidiary was not the silver bullet Khalid had imagined it would be.
Under KSSB, which was the sole licensed concessionaire for sand-mining on land owned by the state and its subsidiaries, Selangor was forecasted to generate between RM100 million and RM300 million annually.
The Selangor mentri besar had announced that all proceeds from KSSB would be channelled to state welfare programmes.
However, state officials have admitted to The Malaysian Insider that the calculations in the forecast were grossly wrong.
Under Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo’s administration in 2007, the state earned RM17 million but believed it should have been receiving well over RM100 million in royalties.
KSSB’s profits were also forecast based on demand for sand that year.
But in the four months after KSSB was established in Sept 2008, the state only earned RM1.99 million.
For the whole of 2009, KSSB received RM9.40 million, and RM1.11 million between Jan and March this year.
Officially, the discrepancy has been attributed to poor demand because of the economic downturn.
But at the same time, KSSB has been plagued with claims of corruption and mismanagement.
While acknowledging there are problems, state officials said it was overly simplistic to solely blame the state subsidiary.
“Illegal sand-mining occurs throughout the country and was prevalent long before PR assumed the helm in Selangor,” said an official who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Sand-mining concessions were also frequently a form of largesse for the “politically connected.”
In Selangor, KSSB’s “control” of sand-mining was regarded as a hindrance to the old system of political patronage.
It is understood that Khalid was under fire both from those who no longer enjoy this source of easy revenue as well as those within PR who expect to be “rewarded”.
At the same time, the old problems of under-declaration of sand being mined and under-payment of royalties have not been solved.
While KSSB was established to overcome and streamline all sand-mining activities in the state, enforcement still falls under the jurisdiction of local, state and federal authorities.
KSSB may have been a noble intention on the part of Khalid, but the state subsidiary’s failures are an Achilles’ heel to his administration.
| Harakahdaily |
| KOTA BHARU, 30 Mei: Ketua Umum Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mencabar Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak menuduhnya berbohong apabila berkata para wakil rakyat parti itu yang melompat parti mendapat habuan RM2 juta.
"Ketika itu, saya akan dedahkan (bukti) yang saya ada," kata Anwar yang juga Ketua Pembangkang Parlimen Malaysia dalam ceramah perdana sempena Kongres PKR keenam di Padang Perdana malam tadi. Turut serta bersama beliau adalah Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang, Lim Guan Eng, Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim dan Exco Kerajaan Kelantan, Datuk Husam Musa. "Buat masa ini saya nak kata...ia ada..di mana, saya lupa mana tempat saya letak maklumat itu," kata Anwar disambut terukan gemuruh para hadirin. Dalam ucapan semasa merasmikan Kongres PKR keenam di Pusat Dagangan Kelantan (KTC) pagi semalam, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah juga membuat dakwaan yang sama, mereka yang meninggalkan parti itu dibayar RM2 juta. Dalam pada itu, Anwar memohon maaf kepada penyokong Pakatan Rakyat dengan apa yang berlaku kepada beberapa wakil rakyat PKR itu. "Saya minta maaf...yang akan datang saya jamin tidak akan berulang lagi...malaun betul mereka ini," kata Anwar. Beliau memberitahu, PKR akan mengadakan kursus untuk bakal-bakal calon mereka dan memastikan mereka berikrar untuk memberikan sokongan kepada parti dengan utuh dan taat kepada perjuangan. |
Beliau juga mahu menunggu wakil rakyat yang melompat parti itu menafikan dakwaan beliau itu.Last day of the PKR Congress, or last days of PKR?
Sunday, 30 May 2010 Super Admin
Will the last day of the PKR Congress turn out to be the last days of PKR? In a few hours more we shall know. The cauldron is boiling. The contents are spilling over. I doubt anyone can force the lid down and prevent the law of physics from taking over.
PM: Be wary of promises made by Anwar
Najib said the public must recall the big lie made by Anwar when he spread the word that a new government was to be formed on Sept 16, 2008.
“He (Anwar) has made all kinds of promises, because he wants power. I hope the people will be wary about his promises,” he said when met by reporters, here today.
He was commenting on the latest promise by Anwar that he would create the post of Deputy Prime Minister II who would be chosen from among the DAP leaders if the opposition pact were to win in the next general election.
The promise is perceived to be a political gimmick by Anwar in an effort to continue to get the support of the Chinese community.
Anwar’s latest promise was carried by a local Chinese newspaper on May 26.
Najib said: “The people must be careful because his promises may not be necessarily fulfilled. Sometimes he says something to the Malays, while telling the Chinese something else.
“It’s up to the people. What’s important is that the people cannot accept every promise wholesale because he (Anwar) knows that he cannot fulfil them,” said Najib.
He said the public should also realise that Anwar is losing influence among the opposition leaders.
“Even his secretary-general has resigned. So, there must be something that is not right transpiring within the PKR leadership. He has lost influence and his elected representatives.
“If they were satisfied, they would not have defected. The reason is that they are not happy,” said Najib.
The Prime Minister said that is why Anwar is seen to be making various political promises that he (Anwar) himself could not fulfil.
Earlier, Najib opened the 10th general meeting of the Malaysian Association of Driving Institutes (Pima), here. — Bernama
KOTA BARU, May 29 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders used dire forecasts of a gloomy future if there are no subsidy cuts to warn that voting for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the next general election would lead the country to bankruptcy.
A government minister this week had predicted Malaysia could be bankrupt by 2019 if it does not begin to cut subsidies for petrol, electricity, food and other staples, which cost RM74 billion last year. But the Najib administration is waiting for public feedback before deciding on actual cuts.
DAP leader Lim Kit Siang said it was not subsidies but BN’s corruption and abuse of power that has led the country to current financial crisis.
“I cannot imagine if DAP, PKR or PAS had made the announcement that country will be bankrupt by 2019. If we did, Umno would have labelled us as anti-nationalist and traitors. We probably would have been locked up in ISA and given free food.
“Remember Vision 2020? We were supposed to become a developed nation by 2020 but unfortunately one year before 2020, we are already bankrupt,” he told a crowd last night in Tanah Merah, a two-hour drive from the Kelantan state capital.
Lim was one of many PR leaders in the state speaking at ceramahs ahead of the PKR convention this weekend.
Thousands of people had slowly filled the football field in Tanah Merah to hear the PR leaders, with supporters of all ages coming with families and straw mats sitting in between the two goal posts across the field.
Surrounding the field were stalls bustling with people buying goods, from traditional medicine to perfume. There were also children zigzagging through the crowd selling peanuts and refreshments.
The bustling night bazaar proved to be an ironic backdrop to arguments that the country’s economy is broken and needs reforms.
Lim declared that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s New Economic Model (NEM) is an admission that the country has been in an economic stagnation for the past 10 years.
“Yes, we do believe that we must gradually reduce the country’s subsidies but how can we be certain that the proposed formula will solve the problem because these are only the symptoms. The core problem is the years of corruption practised by the Barsian Nasional government.
“Therefore, the first step is not to abolish subsidies but abolish all forms of corruption!” he said.
The government also announced that slashing subsidies for petrol, diesel, gas, electricity, sugar and flour, among other staples, would save the government RM103 billion over the next five years.
Lim also dared Najib to a “dollar to dollar” challenge.
“I challenge the prime minister and BN government that the country can save RM103 billion if the government abolishes all forms of corruption and misuse of powers. This is because a study has shown that the country has been losing RM10 billion to RM28 billion every year through corruption. So does Najib have the political will?” asked Lim.
PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Umno’s misuse of state funds has forced the government to legalise gambling.
“Back then, they said that they cannot legalise gambling because it was against but today they are legalising because Umno has no money. Their excuse is that they need to legalise betting to help curb illegal gambling. Something must be wrong with their heads.
“The world today is upside down, we have a Muslim government that wants to legalise betting but we have Chinese who are against it. They don’t understand that the poor people will suffer. This is why we are against Barisan Nasional. They have no principles,” he said.
Anwar also ridiculed Najib, saying that his political foe is misleading the public.
“Now they want to take back our subsidies because the country is heading towards bankruptcy. The prime minister had earlier announced that the economy was making a strong recovery but now our country is near bankrupt?
“They should fight against corruption but not take away the subsidies. They only know how to take. They take away land and seize oil away from Kelantan. They are just thieves,” he said.
He said the government must remove commissions and not subsidies.
“Every year the country loses RM20 billion from what? From commissions made from building houses, stadiums and buying submarines. Whose money is this? That is our money! We should eliminate commissions and not subsidies because subsidies affect the poor and not the rich,” he said.
PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat condemned the government for sanctioning betting because it was against Islam.
“They say that they want to legalise betting so they can monitor gambling. How you can expect a man to supervise another man? It is like asking a cow to supervise another cow. Who can control man? Only Allah,” said the Kelantan mentri besar.
PKR Youth to hold Malay congress
KOTA BARU, May 29 — PKR Youth will hold its inaugural Malay congress in its effort to attract more votes from the country’s dominant community.
PKR Youth chief Syamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin said the congress is an ideal platform to gauge its support from the Malay electorate.
“The Malay votes have decreased a bit so we must have specific programmes to ensure that the Malay voters understand the struggle of PKR. So of course we need to use channels such as the congress and forums to give a better understanding to the public especially the Malay community,” he told reporters here last night after the wing’s convention ended.
He added that a public debate will allow two-way communication between the party and its Malay supporters.
Syamsul stressed that holding a Malay congress will not alienate the party will other communities.
“We are not a party that will never neglect other communities and we will struggle for all races. However, the Malays need some kind of assurance so we will need a platform to debate in the open. Actually we do not know the reasons that are causing the Malays to be so scared of PKR.
“I don’t think the congress will alienate other communities because we can hold other programmes for the other races. We also need to know the response from the Malays because the Chinese are very supportive of PKR and PR. But we have problems with the Malay voters so we need to address it. So we do not want to run away from the problem,” he added.
PKR Youth vice-chief Khairul Anuar confirmed that the congress will be held in Selangor.
He emphasised that the party was trying to prove that it was pro-Malay.
“We want tell the Malays that we are concerned about them and we are Malays. A lot of Malays are in PKR. There is nothing wrong to talk about Malay issues in PKR.
“It is not about proving ourselves but I think it is time that we addressed some issues and maybe this type of issues we need to discuss in a congress. We are looking into issues like Malay reserve land and the working-class Malays, which I think is the main issue when it involves the Malays,” Khairul said.
He denied that PKR was dwelling into racial politics but was being pragmatic.
“Personally I don’t think that this is a racial politics. The reality is that the Malays are the most and biggest marginalised group in the country,” the PKR Youth No. 2 said.
PKR youths rap party, wing leadership
KOTA BARU, May 28 — PKR Youth delegates unanimously voiced their discontent with the top leadership, including its own chief, saying grassroots support has been neglected by leaders who are more obsessed with Umno.
Ironically, PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had used the term “obsession” when describing Umno’s interest in ending his political career.
Kedah delegate Azman Nasrudin spoke out against the leadership at the wing’s annual congress here, criticising the youth leaders for not standing up against Anwar and his party directives.
“When Anwar announced that the party plans to reduce the age limit for the Youth wing members from 40 to 35, the committee members just remained mute because they were scared of him.
“We don’t agree with Datuk Seri (Anwar Ibrahim) but we still love our party because if we limit to 35 then our party will collapse then we will have no successors,” he told the 500 delegates at the congress.
He also castigated PKR Youth chief Syamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin for his failure to provide proper training and course for its members but instead chose to indulge himself in a media spree.
“We can always say that Umno is evil but what has the party done for its members? Why are the training and course to help the burn the spirit of our youths? What programmes has our youth leader organised? I respect his need to have a media drive and bringing cows but what have we done to help strengthen our struggle?
Pahang’s delegate, P Saravanan, said that PKR was repeating the mistakes that BN has learned from the last general election.
“BN has learned its lesson and this was shown in the Hulu Selangor by-election. However we instead following what BN is doing in the 12th general election. We used all their resources to defend our candidate instead of fighting for the party’s struggle,” he during the debate on the PKR Youth Chief’s policy speech.
He was also disappointed that money politics has crept into the party.
“I have heard that one the criteria to become an candidate that he must have RM100, 000. Is this the new direction of the party? Do we want to follow BN? Do we want to repeat the same mistakes such as PKFZ or Maika?”asked Saravana.
Farhan Ibrahim stressed that leaders must not neglect the party worker that has worked for its struggle.
“We must not only appreciate political orators but also that have worked hard for the party. But recently we have seen that their fighting spirits are slowly dying out. That is why I ask every exco members here to come down to every state and help burn their spirit! If you want to remain as leaders then go down to every state,” he said.
Zulrisyah Noor pointed out to the lack of quality leaders in the party.
“If you look at DAP, they are lead by young leaders and appoint young leaders. The new generation is the future of the country because of that the party must be open to accept idea and criticism from the younger voters. AMK would not betray the oath. Look at the committee, will they betray us?” the Negeri Sembilan delegated said.
However the delegates cynically answered, “Not yet, the offer is not high yet.”
Defections, disorganization dog Malaysia's opposition party
Anwar and Parti Keadilan have come under constant criticism for the quality of the candidates they have fielded and for disorganisation and political infighting in the party itself. Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP national chairman Karpal Singh, among others, have urged Anwar to look into the weaknesses in his party that have caused the defections.
Asia Sentinel
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, under the stress of a long-running trial accusing him of sexual perversion, is under increasing strain as the point man for his Parti Keadilan Rakyat, or People's Justice Party as he continues to be harried politically as well.
"Some analysts would point out that Anwar has to get PKR's house in order," a think-tank analyst in Kuala Lumpur told Asia Sentinel. "There is growing frustration within Anwar's coalition and his own party." In particular, PKR has lost five members of parliament and five statehouse members to defections in the two years since the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition stunned the Barisan Nasional, or ruling national coalition by breaking its two-thirds hold on parliament. By contrast, Parti Islam se-Malaysia and the Democratic Action Party have only lost one each.
With a number of PKR state assemblymen now wavering and clearly considering defecting, it is possible that the opposition coalition could lose the states of Selangor and Kedah, which they won in the 2008 election. The state of Perak has already been reclaimed by the Barisan although critics say it was through skullduggery rather than legitimate political action.
"Because it is Anwar's party, Keadilan was supposed to be the anchor, but it has been weak from the very start," said a source in Kuala Lumpur. Parti Keadilan is largely made up of young, urban professional ethnic Malays.
"The problem is that Keadilan, like Anwar himself, are mostly ex-members of (the United Malays National Organization) and a lot of them are in there for a quick buck – like Umno itself, I guess. Anwar is bogged down with his legal sodomy case-but more importantly, there is a loss of confidence in his leadership."
What should have given a wakeup call to both Anwar and his colleagues in the opposition Democratic Action Party, which is largely ethnic Chinese, was an announcement earlier this week that Parti Islam se-Malaysia the fundamentalist Islamic party with its roots in the rural northeast, will take in non-Muslim members and even allow them to stand as PAS electoral candidates.
As Asia Sentinel first reported last November, it is PAS that is capitalizing on the situation, rather than the Barisan Nasional, or ruling national coalition. Despite defections, the opposition coalition has won eight of 11 by-elections since the March 2008 general election. The latest was in Sarawak on May 16 when, despite three visits by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and a cornucopia of educational goodies, voters again turned away from the Barisan, an indication that the Barisan and particularly UMNO continues to suffer from perceptions of corruption and political favoritism to cronies.
PAS's latest move, announced last week, was to allow members of its Supporters Club to become full members of the Islamic party, with the right to attend annual meetings as delegates. The Supporters Club has some 20,000 members, almost all of them Chinese, who have turned away from the Barisan Nasional. According to the think tank source in Kuala Lumpur, PAS may have more Chinese voters than the DAP
The Chinese, says the source, -- an ethnic Chinese as well -- are comfortable with PAS despite the Islamic party's emphasis on fundamentalist Islam because, unlike the Barisan and particularly UMNO, PAS has no designs on the Chinese business community's ownership of the economic sinews of the country. The country's New Economic Policy, in place for four decades, has been designed to transfer as much as 30 percent of the economic activity of the country to ethnic Malays.
"The proof is that we recognise supporters as our official party wing," PAS leader Abdul Hadi Awang told his party's newspaper Harakah Daily. The Islamic party has already placed a non-Muslim in a Terengganu constituency to contest as a PAS candidate.
"Whether this is for real or a political gambit, it is hard to say," the analyst said. "But it does suggest PAS is going after the Chinese vote."
That isn't to say there won't be tension. There are plenty of Islamic firebrands in PAS who detest Chinese dietary freedom – to eat pork and drink beer, for instance -- and lack of discretion in dress for women. There have been attempts by PAS to limit beer sales in some communities. Nonetheless, the source said, PAS may have even wider resonance among voters than the Chinese-oriented Democratic Action Party, another leg of the opposition coalition.
In the meantime, Anwar and Parti Keadilan have come under constant criticism for the quality of the candidates they have fielded and for disorganisation and political infighting in the party itself. Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP national chairman Karpal Singh, among others, have urged Anwar to look into the weaknesses in his party that have caused the defections. Anwar has repeatedly spoken of the need to find better candidates.
Anwar has been under a cloud since June of 2008, when a then-24-year-old former aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, filed charges accusing the 62-year-old opposition leader of forcible sodomy. Sodomy in Malaysia is punishable by caning and up to 20 years in prison. The charges have since been reduced from forcible rape to consensual sex, which is still illegal under Malaysian law. The trial has droned on in a Kuala Lumpur courtroom for months, with Anwar's lawyers seeking delay after delay that has frustrated his followers, a growing number of whom say the trial so far appears to have been conducted on its merits rather than the previous sodomy charges brought against him in 1998 that put him behind bars for six years.
BN, PR say subsidy cuts political suicide for Najib
KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — Lawmakers from both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) have agreed that an immediate implementation of any subsidy cuts would spell political suicide for the Najib administration with the next general elections within the next 34 months.
They believe that subsidy cuts will likely be implemented in stages, and that a full-fledged slashing would only be exercised in the future, or at least after the next general election. The last general election was in March 2008 where BN lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Idris Jala had disclosed proposed cuts that can save the government up to RM103 billion in the next five years but most critics say Datuk Seri Najib Razak must weed out corruption and leakages within his administration.
“With the elections coming soon, I don’t see the government cutting subsidies anytime soon. They are not going to implement it immediately,” said Selangor opposition leader Datuk Seri Dr. Mohamed Khir Toyo.
Khir told The Malaysian Insider that the the government will not risk angering the public by cutting off all subsidies.
“The word ‘cutting’ is in itself a negative connotation...The government is doing their best to get feedback from the public.”
The Umno man argued that instead of cutting subsidies the BN government should find alternative ways to “increase the country’s income”.
“For instance, education is important, (the government) must study carefully. They need to see implications of restructuring subsidy, not everyone will like this. The subsidies must go to target groups.
“Take fuel for instance. The government can cut off subsidies for RON97, but subsidise RON95,” said Khir.
Former Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Shahrir Abdul Samad echoed his Umno colleague’s points, and said that any implementation has to be in stages to be “political acceptable”.
“Even if it were to be implemented before the next general elections, it would be done in stages, It will be quite selective to be politically acceptable. I don’t think it will be implemented in total yet, there will be amendments,” he told The Malaysian Insider in a telephone interview.
The Johor Baru MP claimed that any immediate implementation would have no “redeeming feature” that would make it acceptable to Malaysians.
“If you were to implement it now, there will be no redeeming feature. It will still need some fine-tuning. That is why the government is still open on the issue. I don’t think the government will do it.”
He said that what was lacking right now was a comprehensive database to determine target groups who needed financial assistance.
“We must have a comprehensive database in order to determine targeted groups. There has to be a proper database which takes into consideration people’s income tax levels, KWSP (Employees’ Provident Fund), Welfare department and JPJ (Road Transport Department).
“As far as I know, we do not have a database which is compiled on income levels, that is comprehensive,” said Shahrir.
He stressed that slashing of subsidies would need to be done in many levels of restructuring, citing for example how the public transport system would need to be restructured so that the hardcore poor would be able to benefit from it.
The Umno MP agreed that wastage of money was also a reason why the country’s debts were at an all-time high, but claimed that the cost of subsidies were higher than wastage by the government.
“The RM28 billion figure, it was not announced in the Auditor-General’s report. While I do not deny that there is wastage of projects, the RM28 billion figure is not true. That figure was first reported in The Star newspaper some time ago,” he said.
Pulai MP Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said that ultimately it was up to Malaysians to decide on whether they were ready for subsidy cuts, as it was merely on a proposal stage.
“It is up to the people to decide. The lab was done in order to get feedback. If they are acceptable to slashing of subsidies, then the government will go ahead . If they are not agreeable, then the government won’t go ahead with it,” said Nur Jazlan.
Meanwhile, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders have agreed with their BN rivals that full-fledged subsidy cuts will not be executed anytime soon.
“Politically, I think it is suicidal for them,” PAS treasurer Dr Mohd Hatta Ramli told The Malaysian Insider today.
“If they do it (cut subsidies) in a hasty manner and in an amount that will not be tolerated by the people...people will be angry,” Dr Hatta added.
DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua agreed, saying that BN’s slim win of the Hulu Selangor by-election and their failure to retain the Sibu seat would likely stop the federal government from going all out in slashing subsidies.
“Because they only won marginally in Selangor and they lost Sibu, I think they may not cut as extensively as they would have liked,” said the first-term Petaling Jaya Utara MP
“I think there is no question that the vote bank of Barisan Nasional will be severely affected,” he answered when asked how subsidy cuts would affect public sentiment.
On whether BN would implement the drastic move before the next general elections are called, which may be held as early as next year, Kuala Selangor MP Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said that Najib would not risk going against public opinion.
“I don’t think he will dare go against (the) rakyat’s opinion...especially after Sibu,” said Dzulkefly.
“What they are doing now is public consultation to get feedback. Based on that, they will make their decision,” he added.
Najib had said that it is the public who will ultimately decides if expensive government subsidies should be cut after Idris revealed government proposals to cut subsidies for fuel, electricity and food or risk bankruptcy in the next nine years.
Idris, the CEO of Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu), had said that 61 per cent out of nearly 200,000 Malaysians in the think tank’s SMS poll favoured subsidy reductions and supported the government implementing it within the next three to five years.
However, Pua disputed the validity of the results, pointing out that Pemandu’s poll question was a loaded one.
“That question is loaded –not properly contextualised,” he said.
“It is like asking the question should the government cut subsidies first or corruption first,” he added. “It is not reflective of what people are thinking.”
Pemandu’s poll text message had said that subsidising various consumer goods resulted in an annual expenditure of RM 74 billion. The poll then asked whether the respondent agrees subsidies reductions.
Areas which have been identified include fuel, food and infrastructure as well as tolls.
Sibu result reflects growing Christian vote
KUALA LUMPUR, May 28 — DAP’s surprise win in the recent Sibu by-election was the latest message being sent to the Najib administration that it needs to buckle down and deal with the “Allah” issue sooner rather than later.
The party made a special appeal to the Christian voters, citing the need to prevent Putrajaya from regulating the ways and language of worship for non-Muslims, after a landmark court ruling on Dec 31 that allowed the word “Allah” to be used by all.
The rise in a conscious Christian vote came after churches in Muslim-majority Malaysia reported a growth spurt, and leading the pack was the 82-year-old Sidang Injil Borneo (SIB), an evangelical movement that worships mainly in Bahasa Malaysia, the national language.
CFM general secretary Tan Kong Beng credits SIB’s growing appeal to “cultural affinities” between the local indigenous community and those from the Borneo interior.
First set up in Sarawak in 1928 and regarded as a relatively young church, the SIB has been making inroads into Peninsular Malaysia in the last two decades.
Some 30 SIB congregations have been set up in the peninsula to date, with more on the way.
Tan sees the SIB evangelists from Sabah and Sarawak to be more empathetic with the Orang Asli groups and so better able to build a closer rapport with the locals.
“Urban West Malaysians are very different from the Orang Asli,” Tan told The Malaysian Insider.
He explained that English — commonly used in the city and town churches — proved a challenge to those living in the rural areas.
The Bumiputera generally speak in their own native tongues, or the national language with outsiders, he said.
The church has a dedicated Orang Asli ministry, made up mainly of young working adults and university students who visit the tribespeople and provide a range of social-welfare services, such as basic health checks and free tuition classes, making the indigenous more receptive towards the church.
But even as the church expands, so have its problems.
SIB church leaders from both sides of the South China Sea complained of the home ministry’s increasingly heavy-handed treatment towards the church and its members, prompting them to file several lawsuits against the government.
Earlier this year, a group of Orang Asli Christians in Pahang sued the government for refusing to supply water and electricity to their village church.
The Jahut from Kampung Kubang Pasu lost the case at the Temerloh High Court but were appealing the decision.
Next week, the High Court here will attend to a suit filed by Sarawakian SIB member, Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, who sued the home ministry for seizing her personal religious books and CDs, allegedly because they contained the word “Allah”, which may “confuse” Muslims.
Pastor Jerry Dusing, who heads the Sabah SIB, said the confiscation of Christian books remains a problem in Malaysia.
He, too, has filed a similar suit against the government for confiscating an imported shipment of Malay Bibles three years ago. The court will hear his case later next month.
His fellow SIB member, Alfred Tais, who also sits on the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship (NECF) committee, explained that the Bumiputera Christians were upset because they perceived the government’s restrictive policies as a violation of the Federal Constitution and the terms laid out in the agreements for the Borneo states to join the peninsula to form Malaysia.
The ruling Barisan Nasional government had tried to play down the issue, only to have it backfire on them, as seen by the way Sibu — where over half the electorate were Christian — voted earlier this month.
The secular DAP, which had been placed as the underdog in that by-election, had mounted an aggressive campaign, arguing the right of non-Muslims to use the “A” word.
“We’re not creating it to be a hot topic but… we can’t control public sentiment,” Dusing told The Malaysian Insider just before the polls, highlighting Sibu’s extraordinarily large Christian voter population.
“To us it is a hindrance to be able to practise our religion freely. The Christian community is concerned that our Bible is placed under internal security. Books that teach positive religious values placed under restrictions.
“We hope the government will take a sensible attitude towards this problem,” he said.
Sindrom penafian membelenggu MIC
KEMELUT yang berlaku dalam parti komponen ketiga terbesar dalam Barisan Nasional (BN), MIC kian memuncak ekoran kenyataan tidak bertanggungjawab yang dikeluarkan oleh S. Vell Paari. Sebelum ini, mungkin tidak ramai daripada kita kenal siapakah dia.
Namun, tuduhan liar beliau yang mendakwa UMNO melakukan 'pembunuhan politik' bagi menjatuhkan bapanya, Presiden MIC, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu mengejutkan banyak pihak. Kenyataan itu juga dilihat berjaya melonjakkan namanya dalam pentas politik negara. Ini kerana hanya selepas kenyataan itu dikeluarkan, barulah ramai daripada kita kenal siapakah Vell Paari. Sebelum ini, mungkin ada yang mengenalinya tetapi terhad dalam kalangan anggota MIC atau segelintir kaum India sahaja.
Mungkin itulah juga tujuan utama beliau mengeluarkan kenyataan tidak bertanggungjawab tersebut iaitu mahu cepat popular dan dianggap sebagai pejuang sejati atau hero kepada masyarakat India.
Jika itulah yang difikirkan olehnya, maka jelaslah bahawa beliau telah tersilap langkah. Bak kata orang - 'terlajak perahu boleh diundur, terlajak kata buruk padanya' sehinggakan Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin menyifatkan tindakan Vell Paari sebagai biadap dan tidak bertanggungjawab.
Tuduhan tidak berasas itu diluahkan oleh Vell Paari yang mengaitkan kewujudan Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu (GAS) dengan UMNO yang didakwanya menyokong serta memulakan tindakan mewujudkan gerakan tersebut.
Sebagai seorang anak, memanglah Vell Paari berasa cemas sehinggakan terlepas cakap. Memang benar dalam apa sahaja masalah yang menimpa, seorang anak akan sanggup melakukan apa sahaja untuk menyelamatkan kerjaya politik bapanya.
Itulah yang sedang dilakukan oleh Vell Paari walaupun beliau terpaksa mengorbankan kepentingan parti dan kaum India, asalkan bapanya terus berada di tempat teratas dalam menerajui MIC.
"Dia bercakap kerana dia anak presiden ...," kata Muhyiddin dalam satu laporan akhbar semalam.
Mengulas perkembangan terkini yang melanda MIC itu, Pensyarah Politik dan Pengajian Antarabangsa Universiti Utara Malaysia, Profesor Dr. Mohamed Mustafa Ishak berkata, MIC harus bermuhasabah diri dan segera melakukan transformasi jika tidak mahu menjadi 'dinasour politik'.
Menurutnya, sikap MIC yang tidak mahu berubah dan gagal menyelami kenapa orang India menolak parti itu dalam Pilihan Raya Umum (PRU) Ke-12 pada 2008 telah menjerumuskan parti itu ke dalam kancah masalah besar.
Dalam PRU 2008, MIC kehilangan enam kerusi Parlimen dan 12 kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri. Lebih memalukan apabila Samy Vellu kecundang di kawasannya sendiri, Parlimen Sungai Siput.
Mengulas lanjut, Mohamed Mustafa berkata, hasil post mortem keputusan PRU 2008 yang dilakukan telah membuka pintu hati UMNO dan MCA untuk melakukan transformasi besar-besaran.
"UMNO sanggup berubah. Banyak yang telah dilakukan untuk mengukuhkan akar umbi termasuk peralihan kuasa Presiden daripada Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi kepada Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak yang berjalan lancar.
Begitu juga MCA yang memilih Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek sebagai presiden barunya dalam pemilihan semula MCA pada Mac lalu.
"Soalnya, kenapa dua parti komponen terbesar dalam BN itu sanggup melakukan perubahan, MIC pula masih ditakuk lama," katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia.
Katanya, MIC seharusnya mencontohi UMNO yang sanggup mengakui kelemahan yang ada dan berusaha memperbaiki setiap kelemahan tersebut.
"Saya lihat MIC enggan mengkaji dan mengakui kelemahan yang wujud sekali gus terjebak dalam sindrom penafian.
"Selagi sindrom itu ada, maka MIC tidak akan boleh bangkit daripada kekalahan teruk dalam PRU 2008 dan ia tentu akan memberi kesan buruk dalam PRU Ke-13 kelak," ujarnya.
Menurutnya, apa yang perlu dilakukan oleh MIC sekarang adalah sanggup menerima kritikan, bersikap terbuka dan realistik serta sedia untuk berubah terutama di peringkat pucuk pimpinan.
"Hala tuju yang jelas untuk menjaga kepentingan kaum India dan berusaha ke arah itu serta pendemokrasian parti penting untuk membolehkan MIC bangkit semula daripada kealpaan yang lama," katanya.
Tambahnya, menuding jari kepada orang lain (UMNO) dalam menyelesaikan masalah yang melanda menunjukkan betapa lemahnya MIC dalam menangani masalah dalaman parti.
"Kena buat penambahbaikan di semua peringkat sama ada akar umbi atau peringkat tertinggi. Jika tidak, MIC akan terus mencari 'kambing hitam' untuk menutup kelemahan sendiri.
"Nasihat saya, jangan cari 'kambing hitam'. Kalau terus dicari maka MIC akan jadi 'dinasour politik', " katanya.
Banyak yang boleh MIC lakukan untuk memenangi semula hati kaum India yang kini semakin hilang kepercayaan terhadap parti tersebut dalam membela nasib mereka.
Antara yang boleh dilakukan adalah menghidupkan semula slogan MIC Care bagi meniupkan semangat keakraban sesama masyarakat India sekali gus mentransformasi parti agar nampak lebih inklusif.
RPK: Anwar dispensable, Khalid a failure
By K Kabilan
FMT EXCLUSIVE Opposition party PKR needs to wean itself off Anwar Ibrahim and start grooming a new batch of leaders to take it forward, said popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin who is now in exile in London.
He said that the party, and for that matter the opposition pact Pakatan Rakyat, was relying too much on Anwar for leadership.
“The problem with Anwar is that he does not have a good team. What if Anwar dies tomorrow? Do you mean that PKR or Pakatan Rakyat is also dead?
“No man is indispensable. Every one can be replaced, Anwar included,” he told FMT in an exclusive interview.
Raja Petra also disagreed with talks that Anwar was neglecting the opposition agenda as a result of his ongoing sodomy trial.
“The sodomy trial does not matter. What matters is that Anwar must have a good team.
“Even President Ronald Reagan was able to run the United States because he had a good team -- if you know what I mean,” he said.
He also said that while Anwar should remain the PKR and opposition leader, “his team must ensure continuity”.
“But this is what we do not have at the moment. Everything rests on Anwar’s shoulders. And that is bad.
“All they need to do is to send Anwar to jail or put a bullet in his head and we are all dead. How can we allow for that?” he added.
He stressed that the opposition's future should not be about Anwar. “Anwar can come or he can go,” he said.
Khalid has failed
Raja Petra also did not mince his words in criticising the leadership of Khalid Ibrahim as the Selangor menteri besar.
He said that Selangor is the flagship or jewel in Pakatan's crown and that therefore it has to perform better than Penang.
“But Penang is instead performing better than Selangor. Agreed, Khalid is facing a lot of obstacles. But so is (Penang CM) Lim Guan Eng, Azizan (Abdul Razak) in Kedah and Nik Aziz (Nik Mat) in Kelantan.
“But Guan Eng just plods on and takes these obstacles in his stride. He does not use them as an excuse on why he can’t perform the way he would like to,” he said.
He said Khalid failed to be “brutal” in attacking the remnants of Barisan Nasional in the state. He noted that there were “rats” happily nibbling away and plotting on how to bring Selangor down.
“But how many rats did Khalid burn? How many corrupt people did he line up against the wall and shoot dead?
“If Khalid can’t get rid of the rats, then he should go instead. Then let a new ‘Khomeini’ take over and clean up the state. That is the only way to save the state,” he said.
“If the fire is too hot, then get out of the kitchen. Don’t complain that you can't take the heat. There are others who can do your job if the job is too much for you to handle,” he added.
Performance of Pakatan states
Raja Petra then shared his views on the performance of the Pakatan states after the March 2008 general election.
He said that the people expected magic from the new Pakatan state governments and felt disappointed when they were not seeing any.
“They are only seeing some improvement. And they are not happy with this. But how much can the states do when a lot of things depend on the federal government and require federal government support or approval?
“They can’t even implement local council elections, which they promised the voters, unless the federal government agrees to it. And the federal government does not agree to local council elections. So the states are seen as breaking their promise to the voters,” he said.
He also said that it was important to have the backing of the state civil service for the Pakatan states to implement their policies.
“[But] many in the civil service in these states are Umno supporters and are working against Pakatan and are trying to bring down the Pakatan state governments.
“If we take into consideration the handicaps, acts of internal sabotage, and the thorns in the flesh from amongst the civil service, then I would say Penang and Selangor have done quite well.
“Let me put it another way. Penang and Selangor under Barisan Nasional would be far worse. So things can’t be any worse under Pakatan Rakyat,” he observed.
Excerpts from the interview:
Your views on the recent defections and do you think the Kedah and Selangor state governments are in danger?
I have already written about that at great length. Umno can’t be brought down from the outside. But it can be brought down from the inside. And if Kedah and Selangor fall, it will be because of the Trojan Horses in the opposition plus in the state civil service. And the Trojan Horses are in all the three opposition parties – PKR, DAP and PAS.
Kedah will dissolve the state assembly and call for fresh state election if there is just one more defection. Actually, they might as well dissolve the state assembly now because there may be more defections soon.
Why wait like Perak when it is already too late and you have already lost your majority in the state government? Then the Sultan can refuse your request to dissolve the state assembly since you no longer have the majority in the state assembly. Do it while you still have the majority, not after you have lost it.
How would you rate Pakatan's performance, especially in Penang and Selangor?
It depends whether you gauge their performance against the old regime or you look at their performance in isolation. Compared to the old Barisan Nasional government, Penang and Selangor under Pakatan Rakyat have done better.
But then we are comparing bad to worse and of course bad is better than worse. But people are not happy with just being better than worse. They want to see good - which is better than bad and far better that worse.
The SIHRG event in London on May 22 was your first formal public appearance since you left Malaysia in the middle of last year. What took you so long to come out in the open?
I was always in the open. I walked the streets and attended functions and met many people, Malaysians as well as non-Malaysians. Umno people, ex-ministers included, even came to my house for dinner.
One even asked for permission to give my phone number to Dr Mahathir Mohamad and the second time he came for dinner, he confirmed he had given my number to Mahathir.
I have been meeting more Barisan Nasional people here than when I was back in Malaysia. Maybe they feel safer meeting me here than back in Malaysia where someone might spot us together.
Do you know how many Malaysians (Malays, Chinese, as well Indians) own restaurants here in the UK (not only in London but in the other cities as well)?
I have been to almost all these restaurants and have met all the owners. I even signed the visitors’ book and many other Malaysians who signed the book after me have seen my name and one even took a photograph of that page and put it in his blog.
Can you give more details on your future plans?
I have no plans to speak of. I will just continue doing what I have been doing for more than 30 years since the 1970s and over the last 12 years since reformasi in 1998. And that is to write and speak on matters of social justice and fundamental human rights.
RPK: 1Malaysia will be Najib's downfall
Tue, 25 May 2010 14:17By K Kabilan
FMT EXCLUSIVE KUALA LUMPUR: Exiled blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin says that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak will be toppled by forces within Umno if he continues to press forward with his 1Malaysia concept at the expense of “Ketuanan Melayu”.
Saying that Najib faces a huge problem in selling the 1Malaysia concept to his Umno colleagues, Raja Petra said the Umno culture would not allow the premier to stray away from the party's politics of warlords and patronage and the need to protect the Malay interest.
“Umno knows that its future depends on Malay voters. So the Malays must come first. And 1Malaysia does not serve the Malay interest.
“If Najib tries to go against the flow, then Umno will kick him out like they did (former premier) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi,” Raja Petra told FMT in an exclusive interview.
The blogger, who left Malaysia in the middle of last year in the face of criminal charges against him, said while 1Malaysia was an attempt to bring change, many Umno people, however, had no understanding of the concept.
1Malaysia concept is Najib's brainchild to unite Malaysians and was introduced as soon as he became the prime minister last April.
“Even Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) does not understand it as well, as he admitted. Is 1Malaysia going to end up like Islam Hadhari -- a misunderstood concept that died a natural death and which no one speaks about any longer today?” asked Raja Petra.
He added that for Umno leaders, the Ketuanan Melayu concept was more important and that they (the Umno leaders) would go to the extent of urging the government to invoke preventive laws, such as the Internal Security Act, to protect the rights, privileges and interests of the Malays.
“We need to detain without trial anyone who questions Malay rights and privileges, but those in Kamunting are not Chinese who question Malay rights. Most of the detainees are Muslims. So how do we reconcile this statement?
“This means, to the Umno people, Ketuanan Melayu is more important. And 1Malaysia runs contra to Ketuanan Melayu. We can have only one or the other. We can’t have both. But Najib wants both,” he said.
He added that 1Malaysia has to fail for Ketuanan Melayu to succeed.
A challenge to Najib
Raja Petra, who for long had been writing on the alleged involvement of Najib and his wife Rosmah Mansor in the death of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, however, said he would give Najib due credit for trying to make the 1Malaysia concept work.
“I have to give credit to Najib in that he is trying very hard. But, just like Mahathir and Abdullah before him, Najib is faced with a huge Umno culture problem,” he 
said.
Adding that he was a supporter of the 1Malaysia concept, Raja Petra said he would gladly return to Malaysia to serve for the unity programme.
“If Najib is serious about his 1Malaysia, and if he invites me to serve his 1Malaysia programme, I am even prepared to return to Malaysia,” he said.
He said that he was willing to serve a jail sentence “as long as I can receive a guarantee that I will be allowed to continue writing and speaking from jail”.
He challenged Najib to accept this offer in the interest of his 1Malaysia.
“I am prepared to surrender myself and even go to jail for Najib’s 1Malaysia. But he must not silence me while I am in jail. I must be allowed to continue writing and speaking while supporting his 1Malaysia,” he said.
“How far is Najib prepared to go for his 1Malaysia?” he asked.
He further said that while he was detained under the ISA in Kamunting, the detention centre authorities did not allow him to write, and went to the extent of doing a body-check on his lawyers.
The authorities had also confiscated whatever he had written.
“They gave me no choice but to leave the country. Don’t prevent me from writing and we have a deal. They can have me back in jail.
“So, I support his 1Malaysia if he supports my freedom of expression -- freedom of expression even from prison.
“Just allow me my notebook computer in prison and I will happily write away from prison. Now they won’t even allow me pen and paper in prison,” he said.
Sumpah-sumpah yang cuba memperkecilkan kebolehan YAB PM yang mendapat konsep menang-menang dalam perundingan dengan Singapura mengenai berbagai isu yang tertangguh sekelian lamanya.
Anwar flays ‘submissive’ Najib in Singapore deal
KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim slammed today Malaysia’s deal with Singapore in settling the longstanding dispute over KTM Berhad’s Tanjong Pagar railway station in the island state.
Anwar said that the terms of agreement between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong were questionable as it was “shrouded in secrecy” and Malaysians were not aware of the real arrangement.
“But some of the terms are questionable and we feel Malaysian interests should be protected. This is as usual, most of Najib’s agreements are shrouded in secrecy.
“It’s (the agreements) not open. You always hide behind Khazanah but we dont know what’s the real arrangement,” Anwar told The Malaysian Insider in an interview today.
The Pakatan Rakyat defacto leader said that the agreement which was announced yesterday raised concerns that Malaysia is seen to be too “submissive” in catering to Singapore’s demands.
“There is a tendency that in the policy of Najib, like in the case of Barack Obama, he seems to be too submissive, agreeing, and there is a lot of concern.
“Why is it we have now a Prime Minister that surrenders too easily?” asked Anwar.
Following his meeting with Obama in April, the Najib administration had sided with Washington in its nuclear dispute with Iran.
After receiving domestic criticisms, Najib was also forced to deny cutting gasoline supplies to Teheran.
Najib and Lee agreed yesterday to relocate the 78-year-old Tanjong Pagar railway station operated by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) to Woodlands.
The relocation, to take place on July 1 next year, marks a major step in resolving a number of outstanding bilateral issues between the two countries, as first reported by The Malaysian Insider last September 29.
The two governments will also form a company to jointly develop parcels of land now owned by KTMB.
Malaysia will soon will co-locate its railway and Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) complex to the Woodlands train checkpoint.
Both countries also announced that a company, known as MS Pte Ltd, will be established no later than Dec 31 this year to jointly develop the parcels of land.
Malaysia is to hold a 60 per cent stake in this company under Khazanah Nasional Berhad, while Singapore will have a 40 per cent share held by Temasek Holdings.
The three parcels of land in Tanjong Pagar, Kranji and Woodlands, along with another three pieces of land in Bukit Timah, will be vested by MS Pte Ltd for joint development, which in turn could be swapped on the basis of equivalent value for pieces of land in Marina South and/or Ophir-Rochor.
The land swap has been contentious since the Malaysia-Singapore Points of Agreement (POA) was signed in 1990 over the issue of the future of the railway land. The POA was signed between former Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew and former Malaysian Finance Minister Tun Daim Zanuddin.
Under the agreement, KTM was to vacate its historic station at Tanjong Pagar and move to Bukit Timah while all of KTM’s land between Bukit Timah and Tanjong Pagar would revert to Singapore.
The land at Tanjong Pagar would be handed over to a private limited company for joint development — of which its equity would be split 60 per cent to Malaysia and 40 per cent to Singapore — as it is in the latest agreement.
But the key contention was the interpretation of the agreement as Singapore insisted the agreement meant KTM had to move its terminal from Tanjong Pagar to Bukit Timah within five years of its construction, when the republic moved its railway immigration in August 1998.
But Putrajaya said it would only be effective once it decided to move the station.
The railway land was acquired under a 1918 colonial ordinance specifically for use by Malayan Railway (Keretapi Tanah Melayu or KTM) for a period of 999 years. That same ordinance limits the use of this land. The land, which the main railway station is situated on, is considered prime land.
But Anwar stopped short of slamming Najib’s move in its entirety, and cautiously pointed out that he believed that bilateral ties with Singapore were of utmost importance.
“I am for and support strong bilateral relations with Singapore... I must again stress I represent the view (that) the relations with Singapore is of paramount importance to us as a country and also economic terms,” said the former Deputy and Finance Minister.
He explained that during his time as Finance Minister in the 1990s he had gone to Singapore to talk to then PM Goh Chok Tong about the terms of agreement, as it had not been cleared by the Cabinet or Attoney-General.
“I am [currently] working on my statement but basically [the] point of agreement was between Mahathir and Kuan Yew. At the time [when][ I was Minister of Finance, Tun Mahathir asked me to check [the terms of agreement]. I checked it was never cleared by the Cabinet or A-G so there was a problem .
“We had to go and explain to Goh Chok Tong that we will work [on the agreement].
“Although it is encouraging that we have major progress with negotiations with Singapore, [at the same time] these are prime economic and national interests and I think he [Najib] has to come out clean and explain details of the agreement,” said Anwar.
In a press statement issued a few hours later, Anwar reiterated his points and claimed that the newly-inked agreement woukd not be able to “generate domestic economic activity.”
“How many developers, contractors or Malaysian suppliers would be involved in the development of the M-S Pte Ltd?” Anwar said.
The Permatang Pauh MP also demanded that Najib present a report of the Points of Agreement (POA) along with the new terms in the upcoming Parliamentary session in June.
“We also want an explanation whether Najib had used the 1990 POA outlined by Tun Daim Zainuddin who was Finance Minister at the time, when it (the agreement) was not agreed by the Cabinet.
The government should also explain the real situation on the issue of water and to reassess the prices of raw water supply to Singapore.
“We urge Datuk Seri Najib to present a report in the next Parliamentary session in June,” said Anwar.
2010/05/25
Kini cabaran besar negara ialah menyatukan pelbagai kaum supaya kembali diwakili menerusi kelompok parti dalam gagasan parti pemerintah iaitu Barisan Nasional (BN). Inilah cabaran getir yang menjadi asas survival politik BN.
Seolah-olah berlaku ‘pertentangan’ dan secara hipotesisnya, ramai melihat BN kini boleh menang dengan undi orang Melayu dan pembangkang pula melihat undi orang Cina sebagai asas untuk menang. Ini memperlihatkan ‘pertentangan’ serius dalam hubungan etnik dan politik perwakilan etnik di negara ini.
Jika berterusan, dikhuatiri dilema baru gugatan politik berasaskan perkauman akan berlaku dan merosakkan struktur kestabilan geo politik negara. BN tidak boleh membiarkan saja pihak pembangkang, menganasirkan elemen majmuk di negara ini sebagai rangsangan bagi mereka untuk merosakkan keseimbangan formula politik asas seperti diamalkan Perikatan dan diteruskan BN semata-mata untuk membolehkan pembangkang berkuasa.
Lihat saja pembentukan sebuah blok pembangkang yang kelihatannya ganjil suatu ketika dulu, kini sudah menjadi satu fenomena pencorak kepada persekitaran politik negara. Pas yang berslogan negara Islam pada asas dan jiwanya sanggup mengetepikan aspek ‘batin’ parti itu yang dicanang pemimpin mereka melalui wadah pembentukan negara Islam tetapi sanggup bersekongkol bersama DAP.
DAP adalah peninggalan Parti Tindakan Rakyat (PAP) dari Singapura yang lantang memperjuangkan hak sama rata serta tidak serius dalam perjuangan pembentukan negara Malaysia yang sekular.
Bahkan dengan tertubuhnya Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) yang asasnya terbina untuk membela nasib Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, tidak bermatlamat dan berbeza-beza mengikut situasi sekali gus menampakkan perjuangannya tidak berob-jektif. Kombinasi Pas-DAP dan PKR kelihatan seperti parti blok berasaskan wadah yang dicanangkan Islam (Pas), sekular (DAP) dan liberal (PKR).
Justeru, pakatan yang dibina dilihat mempunyai tiga dimensi tuntutan yang memenuhi kehendak setiap penjuru sokongan iaitu Pas (Melayu), DAP (Cina) dan PKR menggabungkan semua kaum di negara ini. Inilah cabaran buat BN.
Secara sejarahnya, peranan inilah dulunya dimainkan BN, tetapi peranan dan corak serta wadah saja berbeza. Apakan daya kini peranan dimainkan BN, ditiru oleh pakatan pembangkang. Strategi dan format BN kini sudah tidak sulit dan sudah bocor cara gerak kerja serta modus operandi gerakkan BN itu sendiri.
Dengan itu, maka cabaran utama kepemimpinan negara ialah menghalang peniruan ini daripada terus berlaku iaitu dengan mengubah BN secara drastik dan bersungguh-sungguh. Kemerosotan undi kaum Cina serta India terhadap BN yang sangat drastik seperti pada Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-12 lalu dan diikuti oleh beberapa siri pilihan raya kecil, sepatutnya menjadi iktibar kepada BN untuk terus menjadi pilihan untuk diberikan mandat.
Maka perubahan menyeluruh perlu dilakukan parti pemerintah itu. Sebagai tindak balas kepada kewujudan dimensi platform baru politik negara dan demi survival BN, maka satu perubahan penting dari segi struktural dan fundamental parti pemerintah, harus dilakukan.
BN perlu menjadi ‘Barisan Nasional Bersatu’. Formulanya ialah dengan mengembalikan semula BN seperti mana komposisi parti ketika Perikatan dibina dulu. BN perlu kembali kepada format Perikatan yang dibina dengan gaya pemikiran dan tindakan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra ketika membentuk parti dan kerajaan perpaduan pelbagai kaum di negara ini.
Asasnya ialah mengambil kira aspek kaum, yakni Melayu, Cina dan India serta parti pemerintah di Sabah dan Sarawak. Gayanya mudah, iaitu kembalikan kepada formula Umno (Melayu), MCA (Cina) dan MIC (India).
Di mana Umno yang bertunjangkan dan mewakili komposisi sokongan umat Melayu yang hanya satu dalam BN harus terus kekal begitu, namun dikuatkan lagi dengan penyatuan kaum Cina yang kini diwakili pelbagai parti di dalam BN seperti Gerakan dan MCA yang sepatutnya digabungkan demi manfaat kaum Cina dan BN sendiri.
Mungkin UMCA (United Malaysian Chinese Association) patut dijanakan. Tidak kukuh BN jika hanya Umno saja bersatu dan menjadi pilihan, namun peranan komponen parti BN lainnya juga sangat signifikan dalam mencapai keseimbangan pentadbiran negara.
Cabaran pada kepemimpinan kerajaan BN kini bukan hanya mengubah dan menjadikan Umno sebagai pilihan rakyat, malah mengukuhkan komponen lain dalam BN juga adalah prasyarat penting bagi membolehkan sokongan berterusan pelbagai kaum terhadap parti berbilang bangsa itu.
Gabungkan saja semua parti berasaskan kaum dominan dalam satu kelompok parti besar demi mengukuhkan BN. Kaum India juga yang diwakili pelbagai parti seperti MIC, PPP, IPF serta Makkal Sakti dan juga Kimma amat perlu disatukan dan menjadikan ia sebagai United Malaysian Indian Congress (UMIC).
Bagi parti-parti di Sabah dan Sarawak, mungkin tiba masanya juga mereka bersatu dalam satu kelompok parti besar mewakili negeri masing-masing dalam BN.
Adakah Kedah akan jatuh kerana ketidakpuasan hati wakil-wakil rakyat mata sepet terhadap kepimpinan dan hala tuju mata sepet yang lebih beragan-angan untuk merampas kunci Putrajaya daripada agenda asal reformasi. Pentadbiran bulan penuh di Kedah juga dipertikaikan kerana tidak mengambil sebarang langkah yang sepatutnya untuk membendung penghijrahan tersebut daripada berlaku. Mungkin pada pandangan bulan penuh bukan parti aku yang mereka tinggalkan buat apa aku nak sibuk. Di mana letaknya permuafakatan tersebut?
Hint of trouble in Kedah PKR
ALOR SETAR, May 23 — Despite obtaining full attendance from all 20 state assemblymen at a rally to prove its solidarity last night, all may not be well for the Kedah Pakatan Rakyat government yet.
Kulim assemblyman Lim Soo Nee, one of the three Kedah PKR assemblymen who were touted as about to defect and topple the administration, raised doubts over the government’s stability when he openly voiced dissatisfaction against his party and the state leadership.
In his no-holds-barred speech during the rally, Lim, caused a stir when he expressed disappointment with his party’s and the government’s failures to study their many faults.
In one breath, Lim said he had no plans to defect, but in the next, hinted that all was not well with the PKR — especially in Kedah.
“I will be very frank here tonight. Perhaps what I may say may upset out mentri besar (Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak) but I will not let it stop me,” he told a crowd of thousands who fell into pin-drop silence at his words.
Lim said the recent spate of PKR defections had stemmed from two factors — push and pull factors.
“The pull factor is based on the disturbances coming from our opponents in the Barisan Nasional. We know their purpose is to topple the government.
“The push factor is even worse — it comes from those in our inner circle, spreading malicious lies and information that could cause us to fall,” he said.
Lim said that “he could not deny” that there were antagonists within PKR itself, working against the party and its members by spreading these rumours.
“I feel sad that we in Kedah have lost two of our assemblymen due to defections.
“Even more sad is that, until today, we have not even bothered to conduct post-mortems to discover the reasons behind their departures,” he said.
Lunas assemblyman Radzhi Salleh and Bakar Arang assemblyman Tan Wei Shu were the two PKR assemblymen who left the party to become BN-friendly independents.
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) presently has 20 seats in the 36-seat assembly, with PAS holding 16 seats; PKR, three; and the DAP, one.
“It is wrong for our people to just defect because they are unhappy for no matter how unhappy you are, we can still sit and discuss things. But still, we cannot ignore that they were not the only ones who had left the party,” he said.
Lim pointed out that if one man were to lock horns with nine others, he should realise it was unlikely that he alone was right while the nine others were wrong.
“If one person alone has left PKR, it is different. But we are talking about so many of them leaving, after Election 2008. Surely there must be some sound reason,” he pointed out.
He said that although PKR had lost so many lawmakers, its leadership and the Kedah state government had failed to take stock of the defections by attempting to discover its weaknesses and where it had gone wrong.
“We should sit down to find out why these people had left. What did we do that caused so many to leave.
“And if their departures were due to mistakes that we had made, then that means that we have to change. We do not want to just sit down and point fingers at others,” he said.
Lim, whose words raised many eyebrows in the crowd, then called on the PR government to learn from its past mistakes.
“It is true that I am not happy, with the party and with the government, but then again it is better that I speak it out here than keep it hidden in my heart.
“Perhaps my other two colleagues (from PKR) do not dare to speak this truth but it is true that we are all dissatisfied with the party and the government. We feel that we are not appreciated sometimes,” he said.
At this juncture, several in the crowd began to yell at Lim.
“What do you want? Speak it out? What are you saying?” said one angry-sounding man.
Noticing this, Lim quickly wrapped up his speech and said that despite his grievances, he had no plans to leave the PKR.
“We have to voice our unhappiness for if we fail to do this and we just sit back and keep quiet, we will be no different from the BN,” he said.
Lim added that his presence at the rally was enough proof that the PR government would not topple.
His two other colleagues in PKR, Sidam assemblyman Tan Show Kang and Bukit Selambau assemblyman S. Manikumar, had earlier also assured Kedah folk of their loyalty to the PR.
In a midnight press conference after the rally, Azizan pointed out to the media that the rally had proven the strength and solidarity of the Kedah government.
“Remember to get your numbers right when you write, OK? We have 20 assemblymen. We have the majority and we are stable.
“I would like to say here that we will not dissolve the assembly. I see no purpose,” he said.
When questioned on Lim’s speech and his call for the state government to hold a post-mortem to study the reasons why its assemblymen had left, Azizan said: “Yes, we did not conduct such a post-mortem. But the state government can study his proposal.”
Speaking to The Malaysian Insider later, Lim said he was satisfied with having been able to let loose some of his frustrations against his party and the government.
“We cannot deny that there are some problems. We must fight to make sure we stay strong,” he said.
Without revealing much, Lim admitted that the reasons used by the PKR defectors over dissatisfaction with the party’s dictatorial-style leadership were not totally untrue.
PKR has lost 10 lawmakers — five MPs and five assemblymen — since Election 2008, including one through sacking. It also lost the Hulu Selangor Parliamentary seat in a by-election last month, reducing its numbers in the Dewan Rakyat to 25 MPs, which includes a PSM member elected on its ticket.
Kita lihat di sini bahawa Pakatan memang bercita-cita dan bersungguh-sungguh untuk merampas kunci Putrajaya daripada Dacing. Persoalannya sekarang bolehkan Pakatan melaksanakan sistem pemerintahan yang lebih baik daripada Dacing contoh sudah ada di Selangor, Kelantan, Pulau Pinang dan Kedah?
To beat BN, we have to be together. If we work towards that, then we have a very good chance of toppling the government - all out towards Putrajaya."Barisan today is a party for the rich people, it is no longer a party for the rakyat. Pakatan Rakyat is the BN of the future. PAS and DAP have struggled for almost 50 years, PKR not so long, but we have also struggled. The BN, however, has stopped altogether, it has forgotten how to struggle, and it has forgotten the people. It now only knows money and power.
Zaid: Pakatan has 'good chance' of toppling BN
By Teoh El Sen
KLANG: Pakatan Rakyat has a very good chance of toppling the BN government if the coalition's components - the PKR, DAP and PAS - were to work together, Pakatan coordinator Zaid Ibrahim said yesterday.
Addressing a crowd of 1,400-odd DAP supporters at the Hokkien Association Hall last night, the former law minister urged for stronger cooperation among the three political parties.
"To beat BN, we have to be together. If we work towards that, then we have a very good chance of toppling the government," said Zaid at the fundraising dinner, with the slogan “all out towards Putrajaya”.
"Barisan today is a party for the rich people, it is no longer a party for the rakyat. Pakatan Rakyat is the BN of the future. PAS and DAP have struggled for almost 50 years, PKR not so long, but we have also struggled. The BN, however, has stopped altogether, it has forgotten how to struggle, and it has forgotten the people. It now only knows money and power."
Zaid said that to him, Sibu was a "very important decision" that has been made, and that it signals a change that may be reflected in the next general election.
"Both Hulu Selangor and Sibu were BN strongholds. And then even in Hulu Selangor, they almost lost," said Zaid, adding that he felt that the Muslim Melanau's votes were crucial for the Pakatan win.
"We must not be scared. They [BN leaders] say if you don't vote for them, they won't give us money. That's not true. Look at how much they need to spend because of the opposition. I say that if you want more money, vote for the opposition... there is nothing they can do to stop us."
Zaid condemned infighting but praised the Selangor Select Committee on Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) with its open inquiries, which he said is something not usually found.
Zaid was the third to speak at the dinner organised by DAP Klang Utara, Kapar, Mertajam and Kota Alam Shah.
'Toxins in the body'
The others speakers were Sekinchan state assemblyman Ng Suee Lin, Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching, Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua and Selangor state assembly speaker Teng Chang Khim, who was also Sungai Pinang state assemblyman.
Ng attacked former Selangor menteri besar Dr Khir Toyo as well as the recent "phenomenon" of defecting MPs, likening them to "toxins in the body" that should be cleansed.
Teo also criticised the ruling government and challenged Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to fulfil his recent "deal" of giving out RM5 million for flood mitigation for Rejang Park people during the Sibu by-election, saying:" If he was sincere, he could have given to schools all over Malaysia. If he does not fulfil his promise, then he is not fit to be the PM."
Meanwhile, Pua said that he had lost faith in Najib's New Economic Model as there have been too many instances where there were no open tenders to big projects, citing Naza TTDI's award to build Malaysia's largest exhibition and convention centre.
Pua also alleged cronyism in the decisions on the sports betting licence issued to Vincent Tan's company Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd, and the Defence Ministry's purchase of 257 units of 8x8 armoured-wheeled vehicle amounting to RM8 billion from DRB-Hicom Defence Technologies Sdn Bhd.
Selcat's inquiry
Speaking last, Teng compared Selangor government's free water policy to Syabas water privatisation.
Teng said: "BN says it can change, but change what? It never says. We have done in two years what the BN did not do for 50 years. I am confident we can be the next government".
When FMT asked Teng, who is the Selcat chairman, of its list of witnesses for the inquiry into the alleged corruption involving state-owned sand-mining company Kumpulan Semesta Sdn Bhd (KSSB), he said:"We will not disclose the details of the proceeding, including the witnesses so as to prevent any unnecessary side issues being raised. We also want to prevent the press from harrassing the witnesses."
He said the inquiry will focus on the administrative perspective of the issue, including whether procedures and policies were followed, and whether there are any loopholes.
He said the committee will then make suggestions to the government.
"In the course of the inquiry, we may unearth a person who may be guilty and at that point the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission or the police would have to move in."
Pakatan dispels shaky Kedah government image
ALOR SETAR, May 22 — Pakatan Rakyat tonight proved the Kedah government remained stable when all three of its PKR assemblymen spoke at a rally, dispelling the notion they planned to quit the coalition.
The three were touted to be among the next few from the party to defect, thus triggering the fall of the Kedah PAS-led government.
As promised and contrary to rumours that were spreading like wildfire this afternoon, the three turned up at the mammoth rally in Kota Sarang Semut here to address the crowd and quell all fears of their possible defections.
Sidam assemblyman Tan Show Kang led the charge and was the first speaker of the night when the rally started at 10pm.
Speaking in halting Bahasa Malaysia to the Malay-majority crowd of over 1,000 people, he expressed anger and dissatisfaction at the vicious rumours.
“I am tired and fed up and having to answer the same things over and over again. Let it end tonight,” Tan said.
He also said that he would no longer entertain the media’s requests for comments.
“How many times must I say I must not jump? I keep having to tell them the same thing — no. The media told me to hold a press conference so I told them ok, once and for all, we will end this.
“I will be here tonight on May 22 and this is the last time that I am going to say that no, I am not jumping and no, the Kedah government will not fall,” he said.
Tan stirred laughter in the crowd when he sighed and said, “This is not like a nice song which you can hear over and over again. If it were a song, I would not mind hearing it. This is the same silly question which I will give the same answer to. So why bother asking me so many times?”
An emotional-sounding Tan then declared to the crowd that his loyalty remained with PKR and the Pakatan Rakyat government.
“Tonight, I will answer all your questions.
“On March 8, 2008, I went around telling the people to vote us in, to support change, to support the PKR, PAS, DAP.
“Today, my message has not changed. Support us, we were stable then and we are stable now and we will be stable until the 13th general election,” he said, adding that he would put the phone down on the next reporter who questioned his allegiances.
Bukit Selambau assemblyman S. Manikumar echoed his colleague’s disappointment over the rumours of Kedah’s impending collapse, and called on all parties to stop speculating further.
“It is plain and simple that this was just the act of parties who want to twist the truth. They are trying to poison the people’s minds,” he said.
Manikumar said there were often disagreements among the PR assemblymen, occasionally even with Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak, but this did not mean the arguments would lead to defections.
“I have fought with some of our assemblymen many times. But we only differ in terms of skin colour. Our goals are still the same,” he said.
Manikumar added that he could not forget the thousands who had helped him clinch the Bukit Selambau seat during its by-election last year.
“They worked with me, helped me, how could I abandon them?” he said.
Manikumar then pledged to Kedah folk that he would continue PKR’s struggles, and stay loyal to the party and the PR.
“I will fight for PR, wearing the clothes of PKR which I love so much.
“All those offers of cash rewards — please put it aside. My mother taught me never to be a slave to money,” he said.
Kulim assemblyman Lim Soo Nee, however, cast a different light on the issue and raised eyebrows when he chastised his own colleagues for failing to take stock of the recent spate of defections from the PKR.
He said the defections could have come from one of two factors — the push or pull factor.
“The pull factor is based on the disturbances coming from our opponents in the BN. We know their purpose is to topple the government.
“The push factor is even worse — it comes from those in our inner circle, spreading malicious lies and information that could cause us to split,” he said.
He added that the PR government had failed to take stock of its weaknesses by studying the reasons behind the defections.
“We should have conducted post-mortems to study the real problems why they left us. I feel sad that till today, we have not conducted such post-mortems,” he said.
Looking forward, however, Lim said the PKR and PR needed to learn from its past failures.
“If truly it was our fault that these people left us, then it means we must change ourselves. We do not want to just here and point fingers,” he said.
Nevertheless, Lim disputed claims that he would defect.
“My loyalty remains with PKR. Tonight should explain it enough,” he said.
PKR has been rocked with resignations since Election 2008, losing a total of 10 lawmakers including one who was sacked.
The party also lost another seat when it failed to hold on to the Hulu Selangor in a by-election last month.
Bulan Penuh takut di pinggirkan di dalam Pakatan Rakyat mula mengorak langkah untuk menjadi juara parti berbagai bangsa menggantikan mata sepet. Dalam mana-mana PRK yang ditandingi oleh Pakatan, bulan penuh sentiasa di anggap sebagai sidekick kepada mata sepet dan roket scud. Mata sepet dan roket scud tahu bahawa tanpa bulan penuh cita-cita mereka untuk merampas kunci Putrajaya tidak akan tercapai. Oleh itu mereka ingin megekalkan status quo supaya bulan penuh menumpukan kepada agenda Islam mereka daripada membuka pintu kepada orang bukan Islam. One of the reasons why the Supporters congress made was to enable PAS to become multiracial. Although there are technical problems regarding full membership, with (the formation of the) congress there is strong, legal recognition for non-Muslims as opposed to a supporters’ club. This is the first step towards solidifying our role as a multiracial party, and hopefully in the near future we can open up party membership to non-Muslims. PKR MP Fuziah Salleh does not think that PAS will be able to step up as an alternative multiracial choice for voters. I think PAS has the ability to attract non-Muslim support. However, I do not see PAS as being the alternative multiracial party. Having a wing of supporters does not guarantee the supporters equal rights as real members as they are still not members of PAS. PAS can go to the middle ground.
PAS looks to fill PKR’s shoes
KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — PAS is slowly building its multiracial credentials within the Pakatan Rakyat while PKR struggles to rebuild itself following a string of party defections and internal strife.
The move to widen its appeal begins with the official formation of the PAS Supporters’ Congress (Dewan Himpunan PAS) tomorrow.The Islamist party is also mulling over the idea of fielding non-Muslim candidates in the next general election, leading to speculation that it wants to head the multiracial charge within PR.
“One of the reasons why the Supporters congress made was to enable PAS to become multiracial. Although there are technical problems regarding full membership, with (the formation of the) congress there is strong, legal recognition for non-Muslims as opposed to a supporters’ club,” PAS national unity chief Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa told The Malaysian Insider.
He said the Islamist party has more ambitions than just the supporters’ wing.
“The next move is that for the next general election we are thinking very seriously to put non-Muslim candidates for PAS,” he added.
“This is something new. We are heading to a multiracial future. There is strong support in the PAS central committee. [We] took [the] slow approach but we are getting there.
“This is the first step towards solidifying our role as a multiracial party, and hopefully in the near future we can open up party membership to non-Muslims,” said Mujahid.
The Parit Buntar MP said that the party needs to convince Malaysians that “PAS can lead the charge.”
“It’s time we take matters in our own hands but whatever we do, at the same time the PR strategy cannot be compromised,” said Mujahid.
Another PAS MP, Khalid Samad said that PAS had no intention to replace PKR as the leading multiracial party in PR but to instead “appeal to society at large.”
He dismissed the idea that any party in PR, let alone PAS, could be a single dominant force.
“The political reality is that PR will exist for many, many years to come. It’s going to be a long process for one party to become dominant.
“In the future, when society matures to a point where they choose a party based on ideologies, like social democracy versus Islamic principles, then maybe there might then be a question of which party leads the charge,” Khalid told The Malaysian Insider.
The Shah Alam MP claimed that in PR there was “no total control of one party, [and] where everyone had an even share of say and influence.”
In what is seen as a move to dispel fears among non-Muslims towards the Islamist party, PAS will hold the congress on May 23 to legitimise the congress as a separate wing and grant it powers to nominate a non-Muslim as candidate for the general elections.
But PKR MP Fuziah Salleh does not think that PAS will be able to step up as an alternative multiracial choice for voters.
“I think PAS has the ability to attract non-Muslim support. However, I do not see PAS as being the alternative multiracial party. Having a wing of supporters does not guarantee the supporters equal rights as real members as they are still not members of PAS,” said the PKR elections director.
Fuziah told The Malaysian Insider that each party within the PR coalition had its own attractions, but quickly added that it will be positive for the coalition if “PAS can go to the middle ground.”
Since Election 2008, five PKR MPs and an equal number of state lawmakers have turned independent.
The resignation of Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim ( Bayan Baru), Tan Tee Beng (Nibong Tebal), Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri (Bagan Serai), Wee Choo Keong (Wangsa Maju) and the sacking of Zulkifli Noordin (Kulim-Bandar Baharu) from the party has caused PKR to lose its status as the largest opposition party in parliament.
PR now controls 77 seats, with PKR having 24 MPs; DAP, 29; PAS, 23; and PSM, 1 in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat, which is dominated by Barisan Nasional’s (BN) 138 lawmakers. The Sabah-based SAPP has two seats.
There are six independents in the House.
PKR’s own upcoming party congress this May 29 and 30 will address issues on how to strengthen the party and to focus on its agenda of reform.
“PAS should only concentrate on Muslim community. It is not a very strategic move. PAS will not have a target audience.
“This might make PKR and DAP unhappy in the long run,” said UKM political scientist Dr Muhammad Agus Yusoff.
According to Agus, PAS need not resort to attracting non-Muslim support as non-Muslims already supported PAS by virtue of it being in PR.
“PAS is losing focus, might confuse people as to its party stand, regressing instead of progressing,” he claimed.
Meanwhile former Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamed Khir Toyo claimed that Malaysians in general are not yet ready to accept multiracial parties, and that “PAS should stick to their own principles and agendas.”
“I don’t think it will work, multiracial parties have never worked in Malaysia.
“PKR tries to be multiracial, and now look at the problems they are facing. I don’t see Malaysians being ready to accept a multiracial party,” Khir told The Malaysian Insider.
The Umno man’s reasoning was that race-based parties still won the hearts of Malaysians and used the example of ruling coalition BN’s ability to govern the country for such a long period.
“BN has the advantage because of its race-based parties. [For example] if you have Malay issues or problems concerning the Malay race, you discuss it with Umno,” said Khir.
Raja Mandeliar masih bernafas lagi tetapi bernafas di tempat orang sebab takut setelah menyebarkan fitnah dan pembohongan lari macam anjing yang telah dibaling batu ataupun telah disiram dengan air panas. Raja Mandeliar ini adalah ibarat anjing yang digunakan untuk menyalak untuk menakut-nakutkan rakyat Malaysia dengan cerita penglipur lara yang sedap di baca tetapi mengandungi racun yang akan memusnahkan rakyat Malaysia.
Inilah ajakan orang pengecut dan penakut kerana berani bermain api di dalam halaman orang (UK) tetapi untuk berhadapan dengan masyarakat Malaysia ianya jadi seperti hernia yang gagal merampas buruan binatang lain.
ISA only used as scare tactic, claims RPK
LONDON, May 23 — Twice-detained without charge or trial under the Internal Security Act (ISA), controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin said yesterday that the law had outlived its usefulness.
Describing how it was tabled by then-deputy prime minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein in 1960 to combat communist terrorists (CT), he added that it was now simply a political tool used by the Barisan Nasional government.
Raja Petra, who writes for the Malaysia Today web portal, insisted that the idea that the ISA was a relic of the British colonial government was a myth.
“The ruling party asks why we complain when it is the British who introduced the ISA. But it was tabled in 1960 and Malaya gained independence in 1957,” the blogger, known widely by his initials RPK, told a packed hall at the BPP Law School.
In his first public appearance since his self-imposed exile over a year ago, he described how even opposition MPs then had backed the bill after assurances from Abdul Razak, who was also home minister, that it would only be used to combat the communist insurgency.
“But after the 1989 treaty in Haadyai, the communist party no longer exists. The emergency situation no longer exists. But we are still officially under the emergency because the ISA is an emergency law and the government can still use it even though it violates the constitution,” he said, referring to clauses which provide for fair trials to Malaysian citizens.
Arguing that the ISA was now only used to silence dissent and keep secrets, he quoted then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed as stating that the terrorist attacks on Sept 11, 2001 would not have happened if the US had a law like the ISA as it would have prevented such a crime.
“You use it to detain people before they commit a crime. We detain them while they are thinking about it. So it prevents you from thinking.
“In the past, the ISA stopped you from shooting and bombing. Today, it stops you from having thoughts. So you have a nation of robots,” he added.
He described how when he talked to many Malaysians, they would say that the government was “terrible” but when asked to vote for the opposition, they would reply, “Nanti kena ISA (we’ll be arrested under ISA).”
The fugitive blogger, who absconded from sedition and criminal defamation trials as well as a government appeal against his ISA release, which he claims were not being heard fairly, said the ISA had effectively planted “the politics of fear” in Malaysians.
He added that even the courts in Malaysia had from time to time declared that the ISA had outlived its usefulness, including his successful writ of habeas corpus against his own detention in 2001.
Raja Petra further described how during the 60-day ISA detention, one would be made to confess to crimes to demonstrate co-operation and then undergo a process of torture to “turn you over” and “abandon your cause.”
“We confessed to everything — including the Kennedy assassination,” he joked, referring to the murder of the former US president John F. Kennedy in 1963.
He said that some of those who were converted would become Trojan horses, making specific mention of former PKR MP Zulkifli Noordin, who until he was recently sacked, was often at odds with other Pakatan Rakyat leaders.
“They are put there to create controversy and remain as thorns in the flesh of the opposition,” he said.
Hosted by the Solicitors’ International Human Rights Group (SIHRG), Raja Petra was greeted by a crowd of over 300 Malaysians, some of whom had to stand for the duration of the two-hour talk and question-and-answer session.
RPK dares Malaysia to fight him in UK
LONDON, May 23 — Fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin has thrown down the gauntlet to Malaysian authorities, challenging them to bring standing charges against him to the courts in the United Kingdom.
Swaggering into a packed hall in the UK capital yesterday and flanked by two burly men in dark glasses, the controversial Malaysia Today writer insisted that he would fight charges of criminal defamation and sedition as well as the appeal against his Internal Security Act (ISA) detention, given a level playing field.
“I will take on the government and I will fight them but I will do what Sun Tzu said, ‘Fight him in your territory.’
“So my territory is here in the UK,” he declared to applause from a largely partisan crowd of over 300, who had their bags searched before entering the hall at the BPP Law School.
Many had to stand for the two-hour talk by the blogger, who repeated what he had written over the years, in his first formal appearance after over a year in self-imposed exile.
Raja Petra wore his now signature beret and immediately refuted the notion that he should return home to prove his innocence of the charges levelled against him.
“A first year law student can tell you that it is not the job of the accused to prove his innocence. It is the job of the prosecution to prove guilt.
“There is the UK court here. There need not be phone call or phone call from someone’s wife,” he said in a thinly-veiled jibe against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, whom he has previously accused of interfering with institutions such as the judiciary.
Despite calls from various BN lawmakers to bring Raja Petra to justice, the government has so far not followed up on suggestions that they apply to extradite the runaway blogger who has made many claims, including the involvement of Najib and Rosmah in scandals such as the murder of Mongolian translator Altantuya Shariibuu.
Police have said they were looking into reports that he was seen in several countries, including the UK and Australia, after he absconded but have not reported any success.
Raja Petra, widely known by his initials RPK, also explained that Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is facing a sodomy charge which Pakatan Rakyat insists is trumped up, was in a different boat.
“Anwar has accepted the fact that he has to stay (in Malaysia) as he aspires to be the next prime minister. I have no political aspirations.
“I’ll probably be a free man longer than Anwar,” he quipped.
The member of the Selangor royal family referred to several incidences in his previous brushes with the law to back his claim that the Malaysian judiciary was not independent.
He questioned why the Federal Court had yet to decide on the government’s appeal against his release from the ISA, after more than a year.
He also said that he had tried to obtain a full bench of nine judges and “thought that maybe we will get seven but we ended up with just three.”
“We were told it was an administrative decision but nobody told us who made the decision or who were the judges until the day of the hearing.
“On the morning of the hearing, we found that one of them was Augustine Paul,” Raja Petra said, repeating what he had written about the hearing.
The late judge had in 2001 denied a habeas corpus application by Raja Petra to declare his first ISA detention illegal. Raja Petra had also written numerous articles criticising the judge who had also presided over Anwar’s first sodomy trial, which saw the sacked deputy prime minister being jailed for six years.
“I’ve written a lot of nasty things about him and called him all sorts of names. Even I would cite myself for contempt of court! How will he give me a fair trial?” Raja Petra said.
In BN, all roads lead to Umno
'But Mugilan better be aware that whatever support - direct or indirect - offered by Umno will just fade away once Samy Vellu steps down.'
Mugilan launches GAS against Samy Vellu
Shah Dali: Let me explain the whole chess game. BN sees no hope to win the 13th general elections without Indian votes. But Makkal Sakti has lost the 'sakti'. The only way to win the Indian vote is to rebrand MIC.
But for MIC to do well, party boss S Samy Vellu must go. Deputy president G Palanivel must also go because he is weak and Samy's puppet. So rebel leader V Mugilan is the white knight.
The only advice I have here is for ex-MIC members not to be naive and become their tools. Umno will only use you, and then will ignore you when they get 'checked mate'.
Yuvan: Mugilan could receive some substantial support from all those MIC leaders and members expelled by Samy Vellu. But Mugilan should know that Samy Vellu is an extremely seasoned veteran and in the dirty world of politics, he will make sure to wipe out the political ambitions of all his opponents before he steps down.
Some Umno leaders who have also been waiting too long to see Samy Vellu step down could boost Mugilan's ego and offer him some sort of tacit support. But Mugilan better be aware that whatever support - direct or indirect - offered by Umno will just fade away once Samy Vellu steps down.
Mugilan should not be naive in thinking that Umno will be there to support and fulfil whatever political ambition he has. He should ensure that he has the support of the MIC grassroots for his efforts to remove Samy Vellu.
Unless he has 'air tight' support from MIC and the Indian community, whatever he wants to do will be nothing more than just 'gas'.
Indra: Umno wants Samy to leave, but he is not willing. It will support anyone who oppose Samy Vellu. Later Umno will reward them with government positions. We will have a new leader with a different name but will do the same thing what Samy Vellu has done for the last 30 years.
The majority of MIC central working committee members are Samy Vellu supporters. If the CWC leaders are serious about helping the Indian community, they should do what the MCA leaders did - all resign and ask for an EGM to elect a new set of MIC national leaders.
During the EGM, they should vote for changes to the constitutional requirement which prohibits qualified and potential ordinary members from contesting the posts of vice-president, deputy president and president.
Kumara: Remember, Mugilan had strong backing from Umno for the Hulu Selangor by-election. Umno hates Samy Vellu so Mugilan might not be the small fry many assume him to be. He might be the proxy for Umno, and this Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu movement is Umno's way of getting rid of Samy.
Furthermore, the mainstream media has been giving a lot negative coverage on Samy lately. This could be the beginning of his end.
Kgen Removing Samy Vellu is not the medicine to bring back Indian votes to BN. The Indian discontent goes deeper than Samy Vellu. Umno only looks at the superficial not the real issues affecting the community.
Dood: Obviously some of the MIC members are clueless to realise that they serve at the pleasure of Umno/BN/Perkasa. Did they actually think they were even close to being an actual equal partner deserving of respect? No, that stopped being the case a long time ago.
They're now just there for show and are nothing but a puppet party to provide the naive public some (false) semblance of a multiracial, multi-religious coalition. Wake up and smell the teh tarik!
Firefly: UK's Gordon Brown, Australia's John Howard, New Zealand's Helen Clark - and there are many, many examples - lost elections for their parties, even though they won their own parliamentary seats.
But in their systems, you must have the grace and dignity to bow out when you have lost. They were prime ministers, they led by example, in defeat as well. You leave in the best interests of your own party, for it to recover from the loss and move on.
Here we have the president of a small and insignificant party claiming to represent his community when he cannot even win himself a seat to Parliament. Who exactly is he representing and what is the issue of his continued obstinacy in wanting to lead his party? What luminance does he think he has which is irreplaceable?
Wither the politics of hope?
Shah Dali: Let me explain the whole chess game. BN sees no hope to win the 13th general elections without Indian votes. But Makkal Sakti has lost the 'sakti'. The only way to win the Indian vote is to rebrand MIC.
But for MIC to do well, party boss S Samy Vellu must go. Deputy president G Palanivel must also go because he is weak and Samy's puppet. So rebel leader V Mugilan is the white knight.
The only advice I have here is for ex-MIC members not to be naive and become their tools. Umno will only use you, and then will ignore you when they get 'checked mate'.
Yuvan: Mugilan could receive some substantial support from all those MIC leaders and members expelled by Samy Vellu. But Mugilan should know that Samy Vellu is an extremely seasoned veteran and in the dirty world of politics, he will make sure to wipe out the political ambitions of all his opponents before he steps down.
Some Umno leaders who have also been waiting too long to see Samy Vellu step down could boost Mugilan's ego and offer him some sort of tacit support. But Mugilan better be aware that whatever support - direct or indirect - offered by Umno will just fade away once Samy Vellu steps down.
Mugilan should not be naive in thinking that Umno will be there to support and fulfil whatever political ambition he has. He should ensure that he has the support of the MIC grassroots for his efforts to remove Samy Vellu.
Unless he has 'air tight' support from MIC and the Indian community, whatever he wants to do will be nothing more than just 'gas'.
Indra: Umno wants Samy to leave, but he is not willing. It will support anyone who oppose Samy Vellu. Later Umno will reward them with government positions. We will have a new leader with a different name but will do the same thing what Samy Vellu has done for the last 30 years.
The majority of MIC central working committee members are Samy Vellu supporters. If the CWC leaders are serious about helping the Indian community, they should do what the MCA leaders did - all resign and ask for an EGM to elect a new set of MIC national leaders.
During the EGM, they should vote for changes to the constitutional requirement which prohibits qualified and potential ordinary members from contesting the posts of vice-president, deputy president and president.
Kumara: Remember, Mugilan had strong backing from Umno for the Hulu Selangor by-election. Umno hates Samy Vellu so Mugilan might not be the small fry many assume him to be. He might be the proxy for Umno, and this Gerakan Anti-Samy Vellu movement is Umno's way of getting rid of Samy.
Furthermore, the mainstream media has been giving a lot negative coverage on Samy lately. This could be the beginning of his end.
Kgen Removing Samy Vellu is not the medicine to bring back Indian votes to BN. The Indian discontent goes deeper than Samy Vellu. Umno only looks at the superficial not the real issues affecting the community.
Dood: Obviously some of the MIC members are clueless to realise that they serve at the pleasure of Umno/BN/Perkasa. Did they actually think they were even close to being an actual equal partner deserving of respect? No, that stopped being the case a long time ago.
They're now just there for show and are nothing but a puppet party to provide the naive public some (false) semblance of a multiracial, multi-religious coalition. Wake up and smell the teh tarik!
Firefly: UK's Gordon Brown, Australia's John Howard, New Zealand's Helen Clark - and there are many, many examples - lost elections for their parties, even though they won their own parliamentary seats.
But in their systems, you must have the grace and dignity to bow out when you have lost. They were prime ministers, they led by example, in defeat as well. You leave in the best interests of your own party, for it to recover from the loss and move on.
Here we have the president of a small and insignificant party claiming to represent his community when he cannot even win himself a seat to Parliament. Who exactly is he representing and what is the issue of his continued obstinacy in wanting to lead his party? What luminance does he think he has which is irreplaceable?
In recent by-elections, the many things promised and given did not seem to have any effect on them. In fact, the contrary happened. The millions in cash and development pledged did nothing as far their votes to BN were concerned.
This led some to suggest that they are indeed an ungrateful lot and should not be lavished with election largesse any more, until they mend their ways.
Many Chinese and Indians, far from the Merdeka generation of old or those who experienced racial strife long ago, feel they are somehow made to feel less of a Malaysian by the way things are being done. This, incidentally, is also shared by many Malays their age, too.
Race-based politics seems less interesting to them, and abuses in affirmative action make BN less appealing.
These, combined with a strategic campaign by PR delivering a common message demonising BN and Umno, serve as an effective rallying point for pent-up frustrations.
The older generation Chinese, with less economic battles these days, are also more likely to start looking at other issues beyond political stability.
These finally are helped by the rather unpleasant faux pas by politicians who continue to regard fellow citizens with suspicion with terms like pendatang or immigrant.
So we now have ungrateful pendatangs. A sure fire way to win their support!
But why is this trend emerging, foot-in-mouth politicians notwithstanding?
Could it merely be a rather more pronounced manifestation of a long-established phenomenon -- for decades seats in urban areas, which are largely Chinese in population, have been, except for rare occasions, won by the opposition?
The recent by-elections reaffirmed this trend. In predominantly Chinese areas, the votes mainly went to PR, while in the rural areas, they were largely for BN.
The worrying thing for BN, and good news for PR obviously, would be that there is now a rising number of Chinese affirming this trend.
But what does that mean actually? Are we seeing a Chinese swing towards PR, or a move away from BN? One involves a pull factor, while the other, a push.
Many said that in the last few by-elections that BN lost, victory margins suggest that a swing in a small number of Chinese would have given wins for BN.
Yet, since politics is a zero-sum game, parties take what they can regardless of the circumstances.
An in-depth study of this trend would help us fathom if indeed it was the ideals of PR, for example, that gave DAP the victory in the recent Sibu by-election. But it presumably requires a few more by-elections before a trend could be statistically proven, and I do not believe we want them.
Thus, while it may seem obvious -- that Chinese are moving away from BN -- all presumptions may yet be conjecture and speculation.
As much as the trend could suggest a growing affinity to PR, it could also suggest the manifestation of Chinese displeasure with BN. More important perhaps is their rising political clout, in spite of their minority status.
Could it be that the Chinese are coalescing into a political mass aimed at dictating politics and government? It is now tactical, and no longer political?
There has always been a sense of pragmatism in the way the Chinese are able to seemingly blur political lines on issues perceived as important to the community.
Hence, in instances such as Chinese education, there seem to be no material difference between Chinese-dominated DAP or Gerakan, and MCA stands.
While it is less so in the case of Indian voters, it does not happen at all within the Malay community, these days. They may make up the largest population group in the country, but the Malays are pulled in three different directions of BN via Umno, Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Pas.
Even on seemingly politically-neutral issues such as those related to religion, there are differing opinions that can often be traced back to political lines.
The differing stands on the use of the word Allah by non-Muslims as well as the recent prohibition of using mosques for politics are some examples of political posturing, rather than a religious coming together.
Similarly, opinions among Malays on affirmative action for the Malays, as well as their rights and privileges, are also drawn along political lines.
As a result, despite their superiority in numbers, ironically, the Malays as a collective voting political bloc is never a factor these days.
The rising popularity of Perkasa as the voice of the Malays is perhaps a manifestation of a feeling among the Malays that three parties that can represent their interests, are doing it in a manner that is not entirely satisfactory for them.
While BN should obviously be worried about declining Chinese support, PR should also be concerned that it is getting stronger with rising Chinese support. Statistics from recent by-elections seems to suggests that while its appeal among the Chinese is growing, among the Malays and Indians, it is declining.
Undoubtedly PR is made up of multiracial parties and gets its support from all racial groups.
Thus, to say that it is pandering and getting response from just the Chinese is wrong. Yet it must be acknowledged that Chinese votes get them through, when Malay votes are returning to BN.
Why is this bad? A Malay-driven BN versus a Chinese-powered PR surely is not good. It may be a simplistic presumption, but regardless, a philosophical question needs to be asked in this winner-takes-it-all battle for Putrajaya.
Is it all worth it?
We should be concerned that this quest for control of government could indeed be the thin edge of the wedge of further racial separation.
Already our schools are separating our children, and I am rather worried that none of us seem to worry about the fate of the nation.
It may pit our political system already inspired by race-based politics, into really race-based.
As much as BN could be worried by this trend, PR should also worry that its politics, inadvertently, is riding on Chinese dissatisfaction and fuelling distrust in the enemy.
This politics of destruction may be working, but in a Machiavellian end justifying the means kind of way. That will not be good, presumably.
Contrary to public perception, it is not the Chinese vote but the Malay vote which has seen the biggest shift to the opposition over the last five general elections.
Walau apapun penerangan dan statistik diberi kita memang tak boleh nafikan bahawa undi Kaum Cina memang telah berubah kepada roket scud kerana mereka tidak rugi. Yang rugi adalah kaum Melayu yang mereka lihat sebagai penghalang kepada mereka untuk mendapatkan hak-hak mereka sebagai the "power broker" di Malaysia. Mereka akan gunakan isu-isu basi sebagai agenda kononnya tiada keadilan, korupsi, hak mereka di langgari serta naka-anak mereka di hindar daripada mendapat tempat di universiti, jabatan kerajaan dan sebagainya...tapi semua mereka perolehi...yang rugi...Melayu juga.
ANYONE catching a flight out of Sibu the day after the by-election would have noticed the number of Malays wearing shirts and caps bearing the rocket logo of the DAP.
They were from Peninsular Malaysia and had been in Sibu to campaign for the DAP.
“It's just a logo. After all, they also carry our logo when we need their help,” said one Malay man, a PAS member who was waiting for the Air Asia flight to Johor Baru.
It was another sign of the shift taking place in Malaysian politics.
The Chinese electorate have made themselves heard loud and clear in the two recent by-elections and it has sent shock waves through political parties.
As a result, the rallying cry of right-wing Malay individuals and groups in recent weeks has been: “Apa lagi orang Cina mahu (what else do the Chinese want)?”
There is clearly a mismatch of awareness and perception between the more extreme ends of the two communities. Malays feel the Chinese are already ahead, economically, as least. The Chinese feel this country is as much their motherland as it is that of the Malays.
The Malay-Chinese debate will continue for a while more because it is one of those polemic issues where the proponents have made up their minds that they are the right, and the other side is wrong.
But are most of those indulging in the by-election post-mortem barking up the wrong tree?
According to Rita Sim of Insap, the MCA think-tank, Chinese support for the DAP has not changed much over the last 20 years.
Contrary to public perception, DAP's support from mainly the Chinese, and to a lesser extent the Indians, has hovered at around one million votes for each of the last five general elections.
But support for parties like PAS and PKR shot up by more than two million votes over the same period. The Barisan Nasional, on the other hand, saw its support increase by one million votes over the same period.
“The Malay vote has shifted the most. The Chinese vote has been quite constant in trend,” said Sim.
Issues like corruption, abuse of power and good governance cut across race lines. Malays are equally concerned about these issues and that may explain why they have taken their votes elsewhere.
But the significant number of Chinese voters in the last two by-elections made it seem as though the Chinese had swung or, as some would put it, are ungrateful.
Shift to PAS
PAS has been the chief beneficiary of the Malay shift. Its share of votes has increased three-fold from only about 376,000 in 1990 to 1.1 million in 2008.
PKR's support began with 774,000 votes in 1999, dipped to 578,000 in 2004 and surged to 1.5 million in 2008. Its support has been from primarily the Malays and Chinese who are not comfortable with the way DAP handles issues.
Politics, said Insap chairman Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan On, is also about convincing people to support you because you can guarantee their future and that of their children. It is not about whether people are ungrateful or disloyal to a political party.
“If they think we are not delivering what they want, they go elsewhere. That's the politics of voting and it's the same in every part of the world,” said Dr Fong.
He said the perception that the Chinese are content with immersing themselves in business and leaving politics to the Malays is also a myth in modern Malaysia.
Chinese make up only 25% of the population, but they have a high voter registration rate and make up about 32% of the electorate.
The implication here is that political awareness among the Chinese is high, and they keep in touch with issues, some more so than others. A large proportion of them are connected to the Internet.
“It's one of the arenas where they feel that they have equal rights and they want to exercise it to the fullest. This is where parties like MCA and Gerakan feel the brunt of Chinese frustration,” said Sim.
The Chinese stuff all their anger and dissatisfaction into the ballot box. The 2008 general election was the perfect example of that.
DAP's share of the vote in 2004 was only about 700,000 as the Chinese supported Barisan and gave Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a ringing victory.
But barely a year later, they were stunned when he sat back and allowed Umno leaders including his son-in-law to wave the keris and rant about Malay supremacy.
Four years later, they pulled back their support and DAP's share of the total votes increased to 1.1 million.
The Chinese are rather tactical with their vote and they look at issues. As such, DAP's share of the votes goes up and down each election depending on the issues of the day. Likewise, that of Barisan and PKR.
PAS alone has been going up like a comet since the 1990 elections.
In that sense, the Malay shift is not only significant, it is consistently on the upward trend, with PAS drawing them like a magnet.
“The writing is on the wall, the old way of doing things are no longer working, such as goodies in exchange for votes. People are more educated, information is transmitted so fast,” said Khaw Veon Szu, executive director of Sedar, the Gerakan think-tank.
The slogan “the people are the boss” became very popular among Chinese politicians several years ago. It was borrowed from the street politics of Taiwan, where it was the common folk's way of telling their political leaders that power lies in the hands of the people.
These days, the catch phrase among Chinese political activists is, “the people are not stupid.”
“You can't force people to buy into an idea, you've got to persuade and convince them,” said Khaw.
Equal partnership
The biggest challenge to the Barisan leadership today is that voters, whether Chinese, Malay or Indian, have choices.
“They look at the various Pakatan states, they see fundamental differences among the Pakatan Rakyat components like what is happening in the Barisan. But they can also see that parties in Pakatan have a more equal partnership. DAP does not allow PAS to bully it. PAS leaders dare to tell PKR off when they disagree,” said Khaw.
Many Chinese families, said Dr Fong, have been here for more than 100 years.
“To hear Malay politicians telling them to be grateful for their citizenship is hurtful and insulting,” he said.
He said they should not be made to feel they are at the mercy of the another community. They are looking for social acceptance and mutual respect and want to be regarded as meaningful partners in nation building.
The younger generation of voters have reached the stage where they feel they do not have to put up with differential treatment.
“Instances of Indonesians getting blue ICs after only two years here, that sort of thing does not sit well on people, including Malays. And giving citizenship to old Chinese grandmothers on the eve of elections, it backfires on the authorities,” said Dr Fong.
“The Prime Minister understands it very well but those below him are still struggling to come to terms with political reality,” said Dr Fong.
Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has provided strong leadership since taking over and he is sincere about wanting to fix what has gone wrong.
But he has also inherited a legacy that has its roots in the Mahathir years. Najib and his 1Malaysia vision are battling decades of Chinese unhappiness and frustrations. Such sentiments cannot be reversed overnight.
The Chinese vote cannot make or break the Government because of the way parliamentary seats are configured. But enough angry Chinese can help push the other parties across the finishing line.
Those who followed the recent Sibu campaign had the feeling that many of the Chinese in Sibu, like their counterparts in Hulu Selangor, had made up their minds about voting for change. Hence, the limited effect of all those generous gestures to Chinese schools and local infrastructure.
Does this mean that the majority of Chinese are a lost cause to the Barisan and that they have decided to throw their lot with Pakatan?
“The Chinese vote will definitely be hard to get in the next general election but if the PM keeps up the momentum and reaches out, it will cool the anger and stem the tide,” said Sim.
Media Statement by M. Kula Segaran in Ipoh on Friday, 21st May 2010:
All out preparation to begin for battle for Putrajaya in the next general election
DAP knew it was not easy to win Sibu. In fact, we knew it was so tough that we had asked the Sibuans to create a political miracle by electing the first Pakatan Rakyat Member of Parliament from Sarawak.
Barisan Nasional ( BN) leaders were so confident of retaining Sibu parliamentary seat that they had openly said that Sibu had always been a traditional BN stronghold. They had more than once said that Sarawak was BN's "fixed deposit"- strong and secure.
They were not being boastful as Sibu was indeed a traditional stronghold of BN. But the courageous Sibuans decided to send message to the BN leaders that they wanted change and the people power could make BN lose its "fixed deposit".
While the PR's defeat in the recent Hulu Selangor was a big disappointment for the opposition, the historic Sibu win by DAP's Wong Ho Leng was a booster to our battle for Putrajaya in the next general election.
With the Sibu result, it is unlikely that Najib will want to call for an early general election . But PR must begin all out preparation to do the great battle for Putrajaya.
Recent Hulu Selangor and the just concluded Sibu by election results have clearly shown that there has been increase of Chinese support for PR . But we had lost Hulu Selangor due to decreased support from the Malay and Indian voters.
Hence, special strategies and plans should be put in place to increase PR support, especially among the non Chinese voters.
Adakah perlu kita menjawab persoalan judi bola yang haram walaupun ianya berlesen. Dalam Islam judi, arak, main perempuan adalah dosa besar. Maka kita sebagai orang Islam jangan melibatkan diri dalam perkara-perkara mungkar tersebut. Mengelar UMNO ataupun orang UMNO sebagai tiada agama adalah suatu perbuatan fitnah dan pendusta - Surah Al-Qalam ada menyatakan perkara tersebut. Inilah satu fitnah yang akan disebarkan keseluruh Malaysia oleh bulan penuh kononya sebagai juara Islam untuk menabur racun dalam periuk UMNO dengan mengatakan bahawa UMNO dan orang-orang UMNO tidak Islam kerana membenarkan judi bola....Kitul dan Mandeliar sudah timbul....
Judi Bola: Umno mungkin dianggap tiada agama
| KUALA LUMPUR, 22 Mei: Umno tidak boleh menyalahkan rakyat jika mereka dilihat sebuah parti tiada agama kerana kerajaan pimpinan mereka meluluskan lesen judi disaat semua agama di negara ini membantah tindakan tersebut. |
Kita mesti kenal denyut dan nadi rakyat jelata barulah kita dapat sokongannya. Jangan kita duduk dalam bilik ataupun pejabat pusat pengaduan wakil rakyat ataupun pusat Adun dan Parlimen kawasan tersebut sahaja bila ada keramaian baru turun padang untuk melihat permasalahan rakyat. Saya syorkan Juara Rakyat ini dilaksanakan berterusan disetiap kawasan Parlimen dan Adun yang di menangi oleh BN bagi merapatkan lagi ikatan antara pengundi dan pemimpin.
Juara Rakyat Platform BN Selami Denyut Nadi Rakyat
May 22nd, 2010 | By alkamarul | Category: Berita LainKuala Lumpur, 22 Mei – Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin berkata Program Juara Rakyat anjuran Barisan Nasional (BN) menjadi salah satu platform penting kepada kerajaan untuk mendekati dan mendapat maklum balas masyarakat.
Ini menurutnya penting kerana apabila dapat bersama masyarakat kerajaan akan lebih mengenali lebih dekat apa jua permasalahan mereka.
“Program Juara Rakyat ialah untuk kita mendekati rakyat, kita nak tahu apakah aspirasi mereka, apakah perkara yang mereka mahu kita beri perhatian dan tumpuan dan bila kita sama-sama dapat bermesra ini, kita dapat tahulah apakah perasaan mereka.
“Walaupun pada umumnya mungkin situasi adalah baik tapi bila kita duduk semeja bercakap dan bertanya, saya dapat faham ada perkara-perkara tertentu yang perlukan perhatian daripada pimpinan tempatan dan juga pihak kerajaan,” katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian dalam satu siding media selepas menghadiri program Hari Keluarga Parlimen Setiawangsa di Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) Sungai Bonus di sini, hari ini.
Dalam jadual padat program Juara Rakyat peringkat Wilayah Persekutuan yang dihadiri, Muhyiddin yang juga Timbalan Presiden UMNO berkata segala maklum balas yang diterima daripada masyarakat akan dikumpul bagi mencari jalan penyelesaian yang terbaik.
Jelas beliau walaupun Wilayah Persekutuan adalah kawasan ibu kota yang dianggap sebagai kota meteropolitan namun ia bukanlah bermakna kawasan ini tidak ada masalah yang perlu diberi perhatian.
“Masalah isu bandar masih merupakan isu utama, baik soal tempat kediaman, kebersihan, peluang pekerjaan, pelesenan, soal-soal berkaitan dengan kebajikan dan rakyat miskin bandar,” katanya.
Selain program di PPR Sungai Bonus, beliau sebelum itu melancarkan program Hari Keluarga bersempena Program Juara Rakyat peringkat Wilayah Persekutuan di PPR Perkasa.
Ketika berucap di PPR Perkasa, beliau memberitahu kerajaan bersetuju untuk membiayai sebahagian kos penyelenggaraan prasarana rumah-rumah di bawah PPR di Wilayah Persekutuan.
Beliau berkata, keputusan tersebut dipersetujui Kabinet kerana tidak mahu kerosakan yang dialami di kawasan perumahan PPR itu semakin teruk.
“Kerosakan lif berlaku di mana-mana… bertahun-tahun rosak, tangga agak teruk. Jadi kerajaan menimbang dan Kabinet buat keputusan apa saja prasarana, soal pembaikan lif dan kos sebahagian akan ditanggung oleh kerajaan.
“Kita ada tabung dan Yayasan Wilayah Persekutuan yang kita gunakan bersama tabung yang lain supaya kemudahan di rumah pangsa terus dijaga, walaupun ‘management committee’ atau badan pengurusan bangunan rumah pangsa tidak dapat mengurusnya dengan baik,” ujarnya.
Selain berkunjung di PPR Perkasa dan PPR Sungai Bonus, beliau turut melaungkan masa berkunjung ke PPR Seri Melaka, Cheras bagi menghadiri majlis perkahwinan selain menyertai penduduk setempat bagi acara minum petang.
Apa yang lebih menarik kunjungan beliau di tempat terbabit adalah dengan menaiki bas bersama pemimpin-pemimpin BN yang lain.
Ada beberapa perkara yang ditakuti oleh Pakatan Rempuh iaitu UMNO yang kuat, Utusan Malaysia, PERKASA, Raja-Raja Melayu dan Agama Islam. Mana yang lebih perkauman Utusan Malaysia atau suratakhbar alternatif seperti Malaysiakini yang jelas lebih perkauman daripada Utusan Malaysia.
Mr PM you're wrong about Utusan:-
'It is not 'sensational views' but racist views aim to divide and sow hatred among the races - and all you can say is Utusan has to change? Do you have the gumption to discipline them?'
Najib raps Utusan: Not too much sensationalism, please
code168: I think this is the two-head snake strategy of Umno - on one hand, they talk about 1Malaysia, let's be brothers and sisters, on the other, Umno uses Utusan Malaysia to fan racialism, talk about Ketuanan Melayu and how the other races, especially the Chinese rob the Malays of all opportunities and all Malays must therefore unite and fight back.
Never mind if Malaysia is going down the drain so long as Umno remains in power and enjoys all the goodies with their cronies.
Yuvan: The PM said that "our goal is to bring the country success, not just through physical development, but through the development of the intellect and values". If the PM truly believes in what he has said and also in his '1Malaysia' propaganda, then he should know that Utusan is doing exactly the opposite.
The paper is destroying the intellect and values of the people through its racist stance. The government should have severely reprimanded Utusan many times in the past for its racist views and its lopsided reports about race relations in Malaysia.
If the government has a separate set of rules and guidelines for Utusan, and if Utusan is at liberty to do what it wants, then it is only fair that the government allows all other newspapers and media to have the same liberty and "develop intellect and values" according to how they see fit, i.e. include a "little bit" of sensationalism and conflict.
What's wrong in a "little bit" when Utusan can say "a lot" and get away with it?
Allan Kong: Mr PM, it is not 'sensational views' but racist views aim to divide and sow hatred among the races - and all you can say is Utusan has to change? Do you have the gumption to discipline them?
1Malaysia can never replace the original Malaysia:-
Petikan tulisan Richard Loh - Malaysiakini (21/5/2010)In order for Malaysia to become fully ai independent and developed country, all Malaysians must work together towards that goal. We got our independence from the British but instead of being truly independent and allowing the citizens to govern this country, we were just handed over by the British to another tyrannical master in the form and shape of Umno.After over 52 years of the tyrannical Umno rule, we are getting from bad to worse. You may disagree and claim that we have progressed and yes, we have progress. No doubt that what we see as in the roads and highways, super tall buildings, air shows, Formula 1 etc is progress. But this type of progress can be achieved by anyone as long as there is money and money is what we have for now.
We, however, have not progressed as a nation in terms of the people's welfare, harmony among all the races, meritocracy and equality. We are so divided among the different races. There are miles separating the rich and the poor. Billions have been lost through corruption. There is suppression of truth and a total breakdown of the rule of law.
The frequently used terms of racism, Ketuanan Melayu and religion are destroying and tearing this country apart. How many times and how much longer are all of you going to be deceived by Umno/BN in that they are still the best and most capable to run this country. On face value, they look capable but in reality, what do we see of their performance?
The newest prime minister, groomed in the ways and styles of Umno's expired methodology of governing, has came out with another slogan of '1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now' and now after nine months it is more talks and no action. We still see racism rearing its ugly head through Utusan Malaysia, Biro Tata Negara and Umno'.
The people are the last ones in mind when the prices of consumer goods keep rising while pay checks remain stagnant. What kind of 'Performance now' do we anticipate from his slogan? It does not indicate very much and we still see the police, MACC and judiciary doing the bidding of their master Umno.
Previously, a few goodies thrown out by the prime ministers was good enough to satisfy the rakyat and they were happy to return back to Umno/BN. But then after winning back the voters and triumphing in election after election, they always went back to their racist, arrogant and corrupt ways of governing.
Now after the March 8, 2008 tsunami, Umno knows that a few goodies alone are not enough to satisfy the voters.
Malaysia must remain Malaysia and whatever we do to help Malaysians, we must always maintain the country's name called 'Malaysia'. If you sincerely want to unite all Malaysians and treat all as equal, you still can use the original 'Malaysia' to get it done - why do you want to bring another unwarranted name called '1Malaysia'?
Fellow Malaysians, we have had enough of Umno/BN rule for over 50 years. We need to have a change, for better or for worse and we have to give it a try. There is nothing to be afraid of - do we fear a new government with no experience will destroy the country?
Let me take you back to 52 years ago. If the British were to think like what you are thinking, would the British have given up their rule and handed over the country to Umno which at that time did not have any experience whatsoever in governing?
Judi Bola mengapa dilesenkan...
Kita sebagai orang Islam kalau dah tahu judi itu haram nak terlibat buat apa. Ini tidak orang Islam yang lebih judi daripada orang bukan Islam. Heboh satu Malaysia bahawa orang Islam dilarang masuk premis 4 nombor ekor Sport Toto dan Cyber Jack Pot, tetapi larangan itu tinggal peringatan sahaja. Boleh dikatakan lebih ramai orang Islam daripada bukan Islam yang gilakan tikam ekor ini.
Kita bagi contoh Genting yang dilesenkan. Orang Islam di larang masuk kasino Genting tapi ada jugak orang Islam yang gi Genting main kasino. Kita bagi contoh lagi minum arak. Orang Islam tahu bahawa minum arak itu haram tetapi mengapa orang Islam masih mengambil minuman arak tersebut. Inipun diberikan lesen untuk menjual kepada pengusaha-pengusaha bukan Islam.
Kita bagi contoh lagi main perempuan. Orang Islam tahu bahawa main perempuan itu haram tetapi masih ramai yang main perempuan sebab apa syok punya pasai. Ini kadang kala tiada lesen yang terbaru dalam lori, dalam pub, hotel dan lain-lain tempat itu jangan ceritalah. Taman rimba celah pokok pun boleh berlaku, ini yang kita amat terkejut sekali.
Pokok pangkalnya diri sendiri dah tahu haram buat apa nak bangkitkan lagi. Ini tidak nak tunjuk kononnya kitalah jaguh usonglah kanak-kanak dan kaum hawa bersama-sama kita demo bantah konon nak tunjuk bahawa bulan penuh dan mata sepet ini prihatin terhadap halal dan haram. Kita rentikanlah sandiwara di bumi khayalan kembali kepada bumi nyata bahawa apa yang haram adalah haram tak payah nak tanya kenapa bagi lesen judi bola pulak.
Kita pernah dengar suatu ketika dahulu diriwayatkan oleh sang sapurba bahawa terdapatlah seorang pahlawan yang ingin menghapuskan minum keras di Kota Darul Ehsan. Cita-cita pahlawan tersebut cukup murni dan disanjung tinggi tetapi ada shoalin datang menerpa dengan mengatakan bahawa perkara tersebut adalah untuk bukan Islam. Kerajaan yang didukungi tidak mengendahkan pahlawan tersebut begitu juga dengan parti yang disanjungi tidak mengambil apa-apa tindakan untuk menghalang mengatakan bahawa pahlawan tersebut adalah benar kerana arak itu haram kita mesti batalkan semua lesen arak di Kota Darul Ehsan. Jangkaan kita meleset rupa-rupanya indah khabar dari berita sudah tahu tanya cendana paku dulang paku serpih mengatakan orang dia yang lebih. Inilah angkara bulan penuh yang kononnya memperjuangkan Islam untuk orang Islam di Malaysia.
Kita sebagai seorang Islam kita telah diajar bahawa ada tiga perkara yang membawa dosa besar iaitu arak, judi dan main perempuan. Maka kita hendaklah hindarkan daripada melaksanakan perkara-perkara mungkar tersebut.
Kekecewaan yang merugikan bukan sahaja diri sendiri tetapi negara kerana kelebihan yang ada pada diri kita itu kadang kala adalah aset yang amat penting kepada kemajuan agama, bangsa dan negara tetapi kita telah mempersia-siakannya dengan perkara-perkara yang tidak berfeadah. Sebaliknya kita gunakan kelebihan yang ada pada kita itu untuk memporak-perandakan lagi masalah perpecahan yang telah ujud di kalangan umat Islam di Malaysia dengan menyemarakan lagi bara api yang ada itu dengan petrol yang akan membakar segala jiwa dan raga umat Islam agar menentang UMNO kerana UMNO pengkhianat, pendusta, penipu, penfitnah, kroni, tiada keadilan, mentality low, tidak islamic dan banyak kemungkaran berlaku kerana UMNO. Inilah contoh-contoh selalu dikaitkan dengan UMNO oleh-oleh pembenci -pembenci UMNO dan BN.
Inilah selalu kita baca apabila kita buka blog-blog yang anti establishment, anti UMNO dan BN. Kadang kala sistem kehakiman dan PDRM pun boleh dijadikan topic atau isu tidak masuk akal langsung. Ini kerana golongan bawahan macam kita ini tidak mengetahui kedudukan sebenar seolah-olah sistem kehakiman dan kepolisian kita ini tidak adil tidak saksama dan tidak efektif untuk memberikan keadilan kepada rakyat Malaysia.
Contoh - gambar bogel seorang wanita yang diambil oleh anggota polis semasa soal-siasat dalam lokap. NGO dan pembangkang mendesak kononnya wanita tersebut berbangsa Cina. Kerajaan pun terpaksa memohon maaf kepada kerajaan Cina. Tetapi akhirnya, Allah (SWT) hendak menunjukkan kebenaran wanita tersebut adalah seorang perempuan Melayu. Alangkah malunya kita semua bukan sahaja rakyat tetapi kerajaan Malaysia pun malu kerana surat memohon maaf telah dihantar kepada kerajaan Cina. Inilah bahananya mencampuri hal-ehwal siasatan yang belum habis dilaksanakan akibatnya semua yang terlibat malu. Masing-masing nak tunujuk pandai dan jaguh sebagai pembela keadilan dan rakyat, akhirnya tahi terpalit balik kepada kita. Di sini nampak akan kebodohan dan kekurangan akal kita dalam mengawal dan membataskan emosi dan kemarahan kita yang telah mengabui mata kita sehinggakan kita tidak nampak mana yang benar dan mana yang salah, mana yang permata dan mana yang batu.
So kita mesti kembali kepada asal kewujudan kita di dunia ini oleh Allah (SWT) sebagai khalifah. Sebelum kita hendak merubah org kita kena merubah diri kita sendiri. Jangan kita cakap pung-pang pung pang tetapi kita sendiri pun macam itu macam mana org nak ikut. Kalau menghasut, menabur pembohongan dan dengki kitalah orgnya tetapi sekiranya kita duduk di tempat YAB PM dan KPN sekarang adakah kita boleh memberi yang lebih baik daripada YAB PM dan KPN ataupun ianya akan menjadi lebih teruk daripada yang dijangkakan. Inilah yang berlaku di Selangor dan Pulau Pinang serta Kedah dan Kelantan.
Sekiranya mereka-mereka yang tidak berpuashati dan ingin meninggalkan Malaysia tiada siapa yang menghalang kerana mereka-mereka ini bebas bergerak. Setengah-tengahnya pun ada dua kerakyatan satu di Australia atau New Zealand dan satu lagi Malaysia. Itu adalah lumrah manusia yang tidak akan puas selagi apa yang dihajati tidak diperolehinya. Kadangkala kita kena ingat bahawa Allah (SWT) itu hendak menduga kita samada apa yang telah diberikan kepada kita itu menyebabkan kita rasa bersyukur ataupun tidak. Sebaliknya apabila kita diduga dengan musibah kita akan tudung dan bersyukur kepadanya atau tidak. Tiap-tiap sesuatu kejadian itu ada pengajaranya seperti di dalam Al-Quran setiap surah di dalam Al-Quran ada menceritakan berbagai peristiwa dan ianya adalah pengajaran kepada kita supaya jangan mengulangi perbuatan dan mengikuti tingkahlaku org-org terdahulu daripada kita.
Inilah dipanggil kejadian Allah (SWT) tiap-tiap manusia itu dijadikan sebaik-baiknya selebihnya adalah kita yang mencorakkannya, sekiranya baik maka baiklah dia sekiranya jahat maka jahatlah dia. Tiap-tiap kehidupan atau tumbuhan mesti ada perosaknya maka di Malaysia inilah dinamakan perosaknya, merosakkan dan menghancur leburkan agama, bangsa dan negara kerana marahkan UMNO dan BN. Kita jangan jadi macam kata pepatah Melayu marahkan nyamuk kita bakar satu kelambu.
Mari kita baca petikan ini adakah ini betul di Malaysia atau penulis seorang yang kecewa dan mempunyai fahaman komunisma yang menyebabkan beliau dan keluarganya lari ke Australia....tanya diri sendiri di mana yang lebih baik Malaysia atau Australia.
MALAYS AND NATION BUILDING I believe it is no exaggeration to say that in the 53 years of Malaysia’s independence, there has not been any article written that truthfully analysed and sincerely critical of the path of Malaysian nation building and national development.
It is not difficult to understand why this is so; and it is no secret that fear of government reprisal; meaning that “UMNO” will strike down any criticism with an iron fist. I regret that it is for this reason that Malaysia has retarded the nations evolution towards a modern state; and I am saying this with the least of malice; MALAYSIA HAS NOT MATURED INTO A MODERN NATION STATE, and for the purpose of framing the progress of Malaysia metaphorically, I say if Malaysia is a human being, then at this particular point of our history, Malaysia is a child of 10 years old in a lifespan of 75 years old.
We are 53 years old as an independent nation but our maturity is that of a 10 year old. I regret that to this point in our history no one for fear of punishment under that ISA curse dared to criticise the Malays. It is utterly disgraceful that the Malays have no qualms about and careless about what their actions will unleash; quite apart from the occurrence of the many pogroms that took place in Penang, until in 1969, when Chinese memory is etched with the trauma of “516”; and if TIME MAGAZINE is correct 2,800 mostly Chinese Malaysians were killed by the fury of the Malays; and if the truth be told, no one has dared to mention this fact; and as events come to past, I dare say that 1969 was indeed an eye opener, and from my very own perspective I believe some good had come of it, in a very cynical sort of way.
I took stock of the situation after the riots of 519 and decided that it was better for my family to migrate to Australia. I can sincerely say that that was the best decision that I had ever made. I think most of you reading my response will say that I am a traitor, but that remark will be made and made unthinkingly! I am not any traitor because in the Malaysia environment when I was Malaysian, we Chinese were not ever respected as Malaysian citizen, so why say that those who, like me chose to leave Malaysia, TRAITORS?
By the same consideration, our fore-bares migrated to Malaya. We Chinese were born to withstand hardships; and you can almost say that Chinese are born with genes that carry the hardy DNA because the many waves of Chinese migrants came from the very bottom of China’s society. Our fore bares came with nothing but the cloths on their back, and they climbed up from zero. There is no reason for the Malays to grudge the Chinese for what many of us worked hard to achieve, At this point the issue that I want to raise is, “what can justify the Malays to discriminate against Chinese?
Are the Chinese not equal citizens as are the Malays or the Indians or whatever and wherever we had come to make Malaysia home? We all did it our own way and there are as many poor Chinese as there are poor Malays. I say to my Malay friends that we had not at any time while we lived in Malaysia derived any government support, nor did we at anytime grudged the government largess that for 53 years had all gone to the Malays. What is the difference between Ahmad (who works as a mata mata) and another “Shaffie” who gets rich from taking millions of Ringgit in bribes as a UMNO minister?
What is the difference between Ah fatt who works as car “DRIVER” and a Robert Kuok, the billionaire? The point that I want to make is that they are all “stand alone” one is not the same as the other; each is only worth as much as he can achieve, and not because one is Malay and the other is Chinese. In a population of 28 million, a Malay is not beholden to another Malay nor is a Malay beholden to a Chinese, and that is because we are only responsible for ourselves.
This therefore begs the question “IT IS UMNO POLICY TO BENEFIT ALL MALAYS” but there are 23 million Malays and as I said earlier how will UMNO share Malay privileges among the Malays? Even if there are 10,000 Malay scholarships given out per year, what about those Kampong Malays who have no political influence, how will UMNO reach out to them? Therefore we have to ask the question, IS UMNO’s SPECIAL PRIVILEGES FOR THE MALAYS REALLY FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE MALAYS ; or is it more in point for the preservation of UMNO and their power elite?
I argue that Malay special privileges is a construct of Mahatir’s to entrench his own megalomaniac power grab. I read 2 very well written articles in the Malaysian Insider.com, by Art Harun and the other by Muaz Omar “MAHATIR YOU ARE THE PROBLEM”; both articles are well argued, but what is more important is they are affirmation of Mao Tze Tung’s famous quote “TO CONQUER A CITY YOU NEED TO CONVINCE 2 BELIEVERS LIVING IN THAT CITY”. There is hope yet, because at last after 53 years of BLIND LEADING THE BLIND, we have at last 2 believers who can see that the KING WEARS NO CLOTHS AT ALL.
It is not too flattering at all to Mahatir, that while he is still living to read comments from Malays who has seen through him, NOT AS SAVIOUR OF THE MALAYS BUT AS A TROUBLEMAKER!
I always believe that better than to say a 1000 words, point a finger at a thriving example is the best argument. I ask the Malays, will you like Malaysia to remain backward and un-competitive or will you prefer a Malaysia that is like gleaming Singapore? You do not have to answer me, just ask yourself and answer to yourself. The solution to Malaysia’s problem is outright reform and remove the SPECIAL PRIVILEGES POLICY OF DISCRIMINATION!
The discriminatory policy of the present UMNO government is all about the politics of remaining in power. UMNO has never in true spirit protected the rights of the Malays. I refer you to the article of Mr. Muaz Omar and his listing of the total and dismal failure of all the projects that were launched by Mahatir while he was in office (Rm100 billion) IN OLD MONEY and in today’s terms a couple of USA$ easily a couple of trillions, when you take into account lost earnings from that Rm.100 billions over the long haul; just off the top of my head, the 1st loss of a couple of Rm.billion was in that CRAZY LONDON TIN SPECULATION, a totally amateurish effort, a total ignorance of the operation of the workings of the “COMMODY EXCHANGE” AND TRADING ON THE FUTURES MARKET.
Mamak Mahatir thought that since Malaysia at that time produced 75% of the world’s tin production, he cannot go wrong because he can always ‘deliver physical tin” that was what got his balls wrenched in a vise. Malaysia lost billion dollars or even more who knows?
Another glaring example was the loss of another billion or more dollars in the dealings with a Hong Kong’s notorious con-man,(forget his name) in short “the Perwaja” project. Anyway Mahatir’s many amateurish and frequent tilt at the windmills of world commerce ended with losses of Rm.100 billion and makes excellent reading of plain farce and for a belly full of laughs !
To sum it all, “MALAYSIA AT TIME OF INDEPENDENCE HAD EVERYTHING AND SINGAPORE HAD NOTHING; and today Singapore has everything and Malaysia is left “gaga”. However, depending on who you are, Malaysia can expect GOOD TIMES IN THE NEAR FUTURE! It is said that the percentage of Chinese remaining in Malaysia in the year 2020 will drop to 14% of population and I will say that that is good news for UMNO; on the other side of politics, there is every chance that the government of Malaysia will fall into the hands of Pakatan Rakyat and Dato Seri Anwar will become the next Prime Minister and that will be good news for the PEOPLE OF MALAYSIA! Good for UMNO equals bad for Pakatan Rakyat but good for Pakatan Rayat equals good for all the people of Malaysia.
Anwar, Kit & Hadi for Malaysian Idol
Forget about whatever that is being said about APCO. What is important is the fact that Najib's men are good at their job. They have embarked upon a massive public relations exercise of concept and branding focusing on his image and all that is (supposedly) good about him. And you have to give it to his boys.
This is real politics play. They are doing what a politician should be doing to win him votes and support. And you may have been affected by it without even realising. Some of the exercises are very direct such as, the obvious, 1Malaysia. (Understand it or not, every Malaysian knows this catch phrase - 1Malaysia. That itself speaks of success). Some are less obvious but seeks to plant thoughts in your minds such as the daily feature of Rosmah's picture in The Star. Others are even less direct but its effects are tremendous such as having Najib putting the Malaysian brand in the world map via Lotus in the Formula One.
What about Pakatan Rakyat?
Nothing much yet unfortunately.
DAP and PAS are very old school. They believe that their fight will be seen by the people. They believe that by being honest in running their states, they will be appreciated by the people. PKR on the other hand is just something else altogether of which I have no interest to talk about today.
Some of these seasoned politicians may turn techie with their blogs and tweets and all. But that is not good enough. The target audience is very limited. Ever wonder why most of us prefer Coke or Pepsi over some other 'nameless' sodas? Why McDonald's for burger? Why Budweiser? And notice that they are all Americans? That's because the Americans are the best in the world when it comes to advertising and branding. These PR gurus put things in our minds without us even realising it. And that is the power of branding.
And why is Pakatan not on it?
Speak to the older generation out there about voting the opposition. Chances are you will have them start talking in a low tone. Some even whispers. Apparently it is one of those things you don't talk about; or the government will find out. And I won't be surprised if even many of the younger generation practice this.
That got me thinking. Why is that so?
The very word "opposition". To the Chinese, the term "opposition" is almost that of a "rebel". The first thing that comes to mind will be the uprising of the rebels in China that caused the downfall of the emperors and dynasties. And China has a long history of such incidences. So, not many people would really like to come out in public to be called a "rebel" symphatiser. And closer to home, we have Chin Peng and his gang. Being with opposition makes it sound like you are with the commies. And you know how the Chinese have been labelled commie sympathisers. So such a thing sticks.
What about the party colours? PAS is green. DAP is red based. Green is fine. But look at this:
What impression does it give you? Personally, I get the feeling of old school, radical and (sorry) very Muslim. You can wear the trendiest shirt around but if you carry this flag with you, you are going to get labelled.I seriously think that PAS should work on their logo. Give the green a new zest. A lift. (Oh, spare us the highlighter green please). The moon is fine because that is what they stand for. What about giving the green something less imposing? Besides, the non-Malay public will accept PAS better if they see PAS making an effort to change.
Lets take a look at DAP.
This is so scary. A rocket! How offensive can you get? How more radical can you get? And the red! Oh my... That's so... so... communist? (Commie's are fine. It is just another political ideology. But the Americans have made it into a bad word. So, you wouldn't want to get associated with it, right?) It again brings out the Chinese-Supports-Communists ideology again. This logo is a serious big no-no. Even some Chinese get shit scared just by looking at it. And you want to attract the Malays? Again, rocket? Who are you going to kill? Are you waging a war, mate? Cina nak cabar Melayu? No wonder UMNO is having a field day.Some of you will think that this is all nonsense. But not everyone is as smart as you eh. And not everyone understands the policies and political fights. There are many Malaysians without internet too. Why don't you try talking politics, and the submarines, and the Perkasas to your granny. See if she comprehends. And it is not only granny. There are many out there who don't give a shit about politics and we want to convince these people to come out to vote. But if we allow the government to scare the shit out of them for voting "rebels", it is going to be darn hard for us to have a new government.
Remember, the battle for votes is not over your vote or mine. That is no battle at all - we have already decided. We need to convince the undecided and the I-don't-give-a damn. And when it comes to these people, you have got to really put in the effort. All aspects count. And I can bet you that a psyche war is very much one of the major determinant factors.
Back to the logo. Have a look at BN. They have a rather good one. Blue is a good colour. And they have a blue that gives you a certain level of calmness which suggests peace. And it gives you a stable impression. The dacing logo is also very... balanced. Think of this. Now think of the rocket. If I were a know nothing or don't want to know anything rakyat (and that's a huge number believe you me), I will vote this logo. It simply makes me feel better.I know politics should not be down to who has the nicer logo or flag, but this is the real world. Ever wondered why BN via the EC is so protective over the use of logos? We are talking about millions of humans here. And each one has a character of their own. The mind game wins wars. That has been proven over and over again in the history of mankind.
Ok. Done with the logo. Changing that alone is not going to be enough to be acceptable by the people. A PR exercise is massive. And you've got a lot of individuals to win over. But what is key is that the voter must be made comfortable to vote PKR, DAP or PAS. No more voting and shutting up like you've committed a big sin. If we can get the general public to openly discuss about them voting Pakatan, then we are on the right track. So, Malaysians must be made very comfortable with the 3 parties. As comfortable as you are in your pajamas. Pakatan is not going to get any help from the medias. But something has to be done. I don't expect people walking around town wearing a PKR t-shirt the way they happily don a Man U jersey (see, that's another brilliant branding), but if we can get that, wow... so excellent. But something to that effect.
And the street posters. Why must all posters related to politicians and politics be so boring? Many are in fact ugly. I dare say that most of our politically linked posters are an eye sore. Better just let the tree be on its own. And leave the lamp post alone too. Who gets attracted to boring and ugly posters anyway? And the portraits. You would have though that with all the photography talents in this country one good guy with a decent camera and computer can do our heroes some good appealing shots. Instead all of them queue for their turn at Kedai Gambar Subra. According to the popular Mr. Subra, his prized possession is a photo portrait of Parameswara taken using his Nikon (of course). You can find the picture hanging on the left wall of his front entrance.
So branding mate, branding. Image. The human mind is a funny thing. It has to be tweaked. And the good news is it can be tweaked. It is a matter of whether the people concerned are smart enough to do it. And to have the know-how to do it right. But you know, I suspect that dinosaurs still run wild in this country. For many, time stood still a long time ago; so something as modern and trendy as a Public Relations Team or branding or image may be seen as some young farts worshipping Starbucks while the best coffee in town is that at Kedai Kopi Meng Hin.
Anwar "Trojan Horse" Ibrahim
Another defection today. Regardless of how expected this defection is, still no action was taken although Pakatan knows that this is imminent.
PKR is truly out-smarted by UMNO. Or is what we are seeing now the plan after all?
Let us talk conspiracy theory. Yup. Everyone loves a good conspiracy theory.
And my theory is that there is a big trojan horse in Pakatan. And that trojan horse is none other than Anwar Ibrahim himself. (Ooooo... I can sense the heat of boiling blood out there already).
And you know what, if I were to write this 6 months ago, there will be not much of me left. But today, I actually think that there will be quite a bit of you out there who buy this.
But before we move any further, let’s address 2 common myths popular among Anwaristas.
First is that Najib and his aides are stupid and bumble their way through. The truth is they are not. Najib is a decently smart person. And his aides are definitely no idiots. These guys are way smarter than the average Joes we have out there. Chances are any of Najib boys are smarter than you. I don’t think too many of you score that high on MENSA or graduate from Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, MIT or Yale. Well most of them are. Every step taken would have been calculated with the next 5 in mind.
Myth number 2 is that Anwar is god’s gift to mankind. The truth is again a resounding no. Anwar is a politician. And last I checked, politicians are not very good people. Anwar is on a personal vendetta. And he is on a personal mission to be the Prime Minister of Malaysia. You are nothing but pawns that get him there.
Back to our conspiracy theory.
Look. Anwar in on trial for Sodomy II. If I were Anwar, I'd swear never to get back to prison again - at whatever cost. And I think that is his stand. Who do you think he is? Jesus? Remember how he ran for his life to the Turkish Embassy when news of Sodomy II first crept up? This guy fears the jail cell; and rightly so too.
Put yourself in Anwar's shoes. Do you go ahead with the trial knowing that anything can be done to convict you, wait for Pakatan to form government and then release you (a risky route) or do you strike a deal with UMNO to keep your ass out of prison (the guaranteed safe route)? Life is tough in there. The jail cell is no kids’ playground. If convicted, chances are Anwar will have to spend the last days of his life in there. With a really bad back. I would rather commit suicide eh. I sincerely doubt if Anwar can take even 3 months is jail.
I believe that everyone has a strong element of self-centredness within them (not too sure about Nelson Mandela and Mother Theresa; but am sure there are more than meets the eye with them). As such, I say that Anwar chose the latter of the above 2 options. How else can you explain the inaction by PKR on the frogs? That Anwar is sincere in cleaning up PKR for the next GE so much so that it is best to know who the bad blood are? Or that he is really hapless with all that is happenning? Or that he is too caught up with his court case? It takes a really naive person to believe that. It is easy to see that all is too smooth sailing for UMNO now. Way too smooth. It just looks too plain easy. No fight, no nothing.
And how does Najib fit into the picture above. Well we know that Najib is close to the end of his premiership if nothing is done. He has all to lose if he doesn't gamble big. Maybe to Muhyiddin or maybe to Anwar. So, why not go “all-in” and “convince” Anwar to play ball.
If Anwar plays ball and helps Najib, then Najib will let him go. If Anwar does not play ball, then lets take it to the wire. What more has Najib got to lose? Meanwhile, Anwar will be suffering like no tomorrow in jail. And will probably decide to pull his spine out with his fingers after 3 months.
So, I do not think that Anwar is going to jail.
Here’s the deal. Anwar allows for Najib to strengthen his position within UMNO. The crossovers will appease UMNO who is growing impatient with Najib. With UMNO now back as the driving force, the Muhyiddin problem is sorted out.
The 2/3 parliament majority is not important. If BN gets it, well the next GE will be a non-event with the gerrymandering as RPK wrote.
If BN does not get the 2/3 majority now, well all is still fine. When Najib frees Anwar, the war has already been won.
One, the international media will hail Najib as a true reformer and saviour of the new Malaysia. A complete departure from the style of his politicial guru, Tun M. And Najib gets to move away from his Tun M prodigy tag.
Two, the judiciary system gets an overnight thorough cleaning and starts afresh with renewed integrity. We know that is not true, but the perception of the court will be changed. With a perceived fair court, even RPK will lose credit for not coming home.
Three, Najib's image gets a new jest. Enough fence-sitting voters would have been won over to give him another chance in reforming the country. And these fence sitters are whom the vote fighting is all about. On top of that, Malays who have deserted UMNO and BN will be having second thoughts about voting Pakatan.
So all Najib needs to do is to convince Anwar that he cannot survive another jail term. Fight and get jailed or lose the fight and enjoy your freedom? Anwar cannot fight the system. We know and he knows that the system is controlled. BN has proven to be capable of showering themselves with mud so as to win and they are capable of doing it again. And Najib is at the end of his wits, mind you.
Oh and what about Anwar’s personal sexual preferences? I do not know if Anwar has a certain likeness to certain parts of the male anatomy but you can never ever discount that. Who are you to say that he is no Adam Lambert? There is also always the MCKK factor. And don't we all know of MCKK's dark little 'backyard' secret. But gay or bi or not, Anwar will go to jail if UMNO wants him to.
So, has Anwar sold us out?
Will Anwar go to jail?
My bet is that you will not see Anwar in jail. I am quite confident of that. And that is not because his lawyers will win him Sodomy II.
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