Will the 12th general election be held in March this year or next year?
This is the guessing game the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi tried to provoke from Spain yesterday, but it is a guessing-game initiated by any Prime Minister which must go down in the Guinness Book of Records as having the shortest life-span, expiring the moment it was ventilated – as nobody is biting!
Abdullah, in Madrid for the First Alliance of Civilisations Annual Forum, had announced that he would be in Senegal in March to hand over the chairmanship of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.
He raised the possibility of the next general election being held either this March or next March when asked if polls would be held before or after the OIC Summit. (The OIC website gave March 13-14, 2008 as the Islamic Summit Conference in Dakar, Senegal).
If Abdullah is serious that the next general election is not around the corner, then he should send out a clear and urgent message to the Cabinet and the whole administration to return to normalcy, as the whole government has ceased to operate normally but is on an election footing – making decisions and approvals “on-the-run” solely with voter support in mind although such decisions may only last for a few weeks until the next general election is over.
One good example is the announcement by the MCA President, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting which made Chinese front-page headline news today but totally ignored by all English and Bahasa-language media, of a new Finance Ministry guideline to open school and other government contracts for supplies from RM10,000 to RM50,000 to all Malaysians when previously, all such contracts for supplies below RM50,000 were reserved only for bumiputras.
This is one example of the sheaf of government decisions and approvals which are now being made “on-the-run” just because of the coming general election, which could be easily reversed or set aside after the general election by low-level bureaucrats!
Furthermore, at the implementation level, the so-called new Finance Ministry guideline could be easily circumvented or bypassed during the next few weeks until the general election by the army of “Little Napoleons” teeming in the various Ministries and departments who exercise real powers in the bureaucracy as compared to MCA Ministers.
Thus, if Abdullah has no intention to call general election in March, he should end the election frenzy in the country so that the Cabinet and the administration can get back to normal and serious work to provide efficient service to the people – and not at present be totally engrossed by how to string out a host of election promises which the Barisan Nasional government has no intention to honour after the polls.
The general election frenzy is too far advanced to be dispelled unless Abdullah is prepared to come out with a categorical statement that March polls are not on the cards.
In fact, it is an open secret that Abdullah’s feng shui master has recommended March 15, 2008 as an ideal polling day, with March 3 as dissolution of Parliament and March 7 as nomination day.
Although the OIC Summit is fixed for March 13-14 for Dakar, Senegal, either this date would be pushed off to later March, or Abdullah will have to miss it despite his announcement in Madrid yesterday that he would be attending the OIC Summit in Senegal.
Is Abdullah prepared to end the current election frenzy by a categorical statement that the next general election would not be held in March this year – so that the Cabinet and administration can get back to serious work such as to fight crime, control price increases, ensure quality education and improve Malaysia’s international competitiveness instead of posturing for the next general election to be held within 60 days?
//OKT’s new Finance Ministry guideline to open school and other government contracts for supplies from RM10,000 to RM50,000 to all Malaysians when previously, all such contracts for supplies below RM50,000 were reserved only for bumiputras…//
Tendering for a govt contract is one thing but being successful in getting the contract is a totally different kettle of fish because the awarding of such contracts is not transparent.
abdollah?lose in the upcoming election?
I don’t think so if the malaysian still believe in goverment lies.
Its time to unite as Malaysian.
what a crappy election system Malaysia has. Everything kautim within a week?
Apparently he is scared of losing everything. Currently he is sitting on the fence looking at the level of flood water before decided to go down and save the public. He can’t risk his precious prophet-like life can he? For the coming GE, there will be:
Abdullah vs Najib
BN vs BA
Not forgetting the internal conflicts within MCA and MIC and other BN component parties and between parties. With such a brittle BN, they will have a hard time scoring a perfect score.
Non-bumis will win contracts in below 50 K range because they are far more generous in pleasing the little Napoleons compared to the Bumis who are very stingy and will tip off ACA when they lose money on the contract.
“Abdullah, in Madrid for the First Alliance of Civilisations Annual Forum, had announced that he would be in Senegal in March to hand over the chairmanship of the Organisation of the Islamic Conference.”
Badawi is in Madrid to FAC – AF.
YB
How ridiculous. Election Day, the only democratic day in our Democratic country, every 4 or 5 years. Yet our BN crooks are playing hide + seek with the country.
More like a 100 meter dash between 2 sprinters, one know exactly when the race is gonna start, the other will have to just guess……….
What a group of cheat !!! How democratic !!!!
This sleepyhead who most likely has been bitten by the tsetse flies & so got sleeping sickness is most crafty when he is awake. One will associate him with Satan than anything else.
He is determined to bleed bolehland until it disintegrated into a million pieces. Since Satan there is no one so evil!
“I am thrilled to hear that everyone seems impatient for the general election,†he told reporters accompanying him on his visit to Spain.
Dodo resorting to cheap thrills now with the media massaging him.
Malays say that there are two types of bodoh. One is bodoh sepat — you pretend to be stupid but are actually very devious. Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would probably fit this bill. He pretends to be bodoh but is actually very crafty.
http://www.malaysia-today.net/2008/content/view/1252/46/
Because of this election “guessing game”, MCA President, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting speaks of “new Finance Ministry guideline to open school and other government contracts for supplies from RM10,000 to RM50,000 to all Malaysians when previously, all such contracts for supplies below RM50,000 were reserved only for bumiputras….”
Even though doubtful as to whether “Little Napoleons†teeming in the various Ministries and departments who exercise real powers in the bureaucracy as compared to MCA Ministers will actually implement it, its Ok what – this general election frenzy, let it continue until March thus year or even next year, no harm done, good for sentiments in our local bourse for time being in spite of the sub-prime problem & recession in the US. It should be no beef on our back, this “uncertainty” and guessing game. If he waits until March next year worsening bread and butter issues and fuel hike and issues relating to international economy as it affects us here adversely would only galvanise voters across the political spectrum against the BN, if he has it this March its also Ok because everyone’s prepared.
On the alleged benefit of settling with some certainty the issue of when is election so that ” the administration can get back to normal and serious work to provide efficient service to the people – and not at present be totally engrossed by how to string out a host of election promises which the Barisan Nasional government has no intention to honour after the polls”, it is not much of a benefit anyway since I doubt the administration has been engaged in “normal and serious work to provide efficient service to the people” all along whether or not there is an election fever. :) .
if ppl don like pak lah too much, why don’t keadilan/pas/dap field important candidate (husam, azizah, etc) to challenge at kepala batas. by field challenger like this i doubt pak lah will continue to hold his constituency since imho he’s a COWARD….. he will run to another constituent hence pak lah is timid, and bn should not have a timid leader, and opposition will have morale victory…. seriously i hope i can see anwar vs pak lah in kepala batas, if possible…
this is what happen when you have clowns in parliment. it shows, they do not have the professionalism as a leader.
He`s good at bribery n corruption isn`t he:
PM: Civil servants ‘will be rewarded at the appropriate time’
and today`s Star:
Cuepacs President Omar Osman said today that based on his recent meeting with the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan, he was confident that the government would pay the honorarium in lieu of bonus for civil servants.
Speaking to reporters here, he said that during the meeting, Sidek had assured Cuepacs that he would bring the matter to the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
then how about Rashid position…
his contract expired again…
should ABB call for another amendment of Constitutional again…? :-)
Yea 1st year after election the non-malays can get contract. AFter that they will revoke the deal and all back to Sq-1 and another 4 years to milk u guys dry.
I just heard this story from a friend who is into O&G. Can supply Petronas at rm100k but cant do so becos non bumi comp. So Petronas get bumi comp to do the trade. Bought from my friend at rm100k and resupply to Petronas at rm500k. So in the end we as rakyat lost out on RM400k. This is just one small deal. Imagine the billions of RM lossed thru this method which could hv been put to good use to benefit the rakyat instead of a few towering Msians and to me is not so towering becos what’s the big deal of just buying and selling ? Even my 9 year old can do that.
This guy is pathetic!
No doubt the most incompetent PM we ever have.
I believe he himself is clueless as to when the GE is. Maybe he is waiting for KJ to tell him when.
A leader should be firm and serious and not play guessing game. The fate of the nation is at his hand yet this pathetic nincompoop does not seem to give a d-a-m-n.
Come on Malaysians, you gotta open your eyes WIDE and see the real picture and please make a change in the coming GE. We need to kick this corrupt government OUT!!!
I have NO respect of whatsoever for such sukaria politician.
BODOWI you are not FIT to be our PM!!!
Sorry but why should OIC meeting mean election cannot be held in Mac? He can either do it before or after when he gets back at the end of Mac.
I am not so sure it matters that much. To me its sounds more like his way of doing a fake, the kind, no ones buy into…
He`s got serious problems already. Today the KLSE has dropped 52 points. Also over the last 2 days the CPO crude palm oil futures has dived from 3440 to 3270. Oil too has dropped from USD100 to USD90.
If it keeps going on like this, and it can, he`s going to have a lot of unhappy urban and rural folk voting against him. He may not be able to keep to the March date.
“BODOWI you are not FIT to be our PM!!!”
At this point i can’t see who really can be a better PM. (Assuming BN still won the election)
I am not comfortable with Najib.
Khairy – worse still.
Mahadir – too old
Mahadir son? Too young. (still under UMNO youth)
Hishammudin? Too young. (still under UMNO youth)
Sharir? MusaHitam – can consider.
“Today the KLSE has dropped 52 points. Also over the last 2 days the CPO crude palm oil futures has dived from 3440 to 3270. Oil too has dropped from USD100 to USD90.”
Aiya, KLSE already at overbought level few days ago so correction is normal (as said by analyst) But a bit too steep today. Technically sentiment is turned to very bearish now.
Anyway, those in KLSE and CPO are mostly urban people. it is the kampung people support (majority of vote) that matters most.
Even lingam tape, when i asked my friends (a sales manager), collegues (a salesman) – they are people in urban area, their reply is they don’t really follow up. But they do have vivid memory of Zakaria and Hindraf/ISA case.
That means DAP/PKR shd start educate people what is the significance of this Lingam tape event. Why rakyat should follow up and pay attention to this event.
Aiya, KLSE already at overbought…malaysian
Why do you avoid what I wrote next: If it keeps going on like this,..
In any event, wait for tomorrow when the forced selling comes into play that should be some fun.
While the KLSE and futures markets affect the urban people (for many it might well be a bleak CNY), the rural folk will not be too happy with the drop in CPO prices.
To add to all this, on Jan 23 the EU meets: EU considers banning the import of certain fuel crops
“The draft EU rules probably would have the biggest effect on growers of palm oil in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, according to Matt Drinkwater, a biofuels analyst with New Energy Finance in London.”
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/01/14/business/biofuels.php
Getting bread crumbs and leftovers for the Chinese in Malaysia is no big deal by MCA. So after so many years, MCA managed to “fight” for this little bit of leftovers when UMNO cronies are getting huge projects worth millions and billions? What is RM50K compared to these mega projects? And MCA has the guts to put it in the headlines of newspapers, claiming to have “fought” for such rights for the Chinese.