Posted on by Kit

Don’t repeat Deepavali insensitivity last year – let CNY festivities be over before dissolution of Parliament

Last Wednesday, the Cabinet spent three hours discussing the next general election – which is a failure of integrity of the Abdullah premiership as it is another example of the inability of government leaders to respect the important distinctions among the government, party and personal and the root cause of rampant corruption in Malaysia.

At the last Cabinet meeting, the least the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should have done is to issue a clear directive to all the Ministers that they should set an example of ethics and integrity once Parliament is dissolved, and should not abuse their “caretaker” responsibilities to misuse government positions, resources, manpower and funds for Barisan Nasional electioneering purposes.

Abdullah should have reminded all the Cabinet Ministers of the case in India, where a Prime Minister – Indira Gandhi – was disqualified as a Member of Parliament by the Indian court because she had misused government facilities in using a state aircraft for party electioneering purposes.

I am today instituting court proceeding asking for a declaration that when Parliament is dissolved, the concept of a caretaker government between dissolution of Parliament and the election of a new legislature and the formation of a new government must be honoured and upheld in Malaysia.

Under the caretaker government concept, which has become commonplace in first-world developed nations, Cabinet Ministers should not abuse government positions, machinery, resources and funds for any electioneering purpose for a political party or candidate.

A candidate who benefits unfairly from any “unhealthy” and dishonest practices, as campaigning assistance by the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister or Cabinet Minister through the abuse of their government positions or misuse of public funds and resources, should be subject to disqualification. Cabinet Ministers who abused their “caretaker” roles should also be penalized.

This case puts three important issues under test:

• Firstly, whether the National Integrity Plan launched by Abdullah in May 2004 is just all empty talk or whether he is serious about the principles of ethical and good governance and is prepared to set a personal example;

• Secondly, whether Malaysia is serious about the Vision 2020 objective to become a fully-developed first-world nation, by demonstrating the government has the mindset and mentality of a first-world developed nation in abiding by the concept of a “caretaker government” between dissolution of Parliament and the formation of a new government after election; and

• Thirdly, whether the judiciary can take the first step to restore national and international confidence as the bulwark of good and constitutional governance after nearly two-decades of a long series of one judicial crisis of confidence after another.

In this connection, I call on Abdullah to respect the forthcoming Chinese New Year celebrations beginning on Thursday and not to dissolve Parliament to launch the 12th general election campaign during CNY period.

This is because various dates had been bruited for the dissolution of Parliament, from the seventh day of the Chinese Year all the way to Chap Goh Mei.

The Umno general assembly was held during Deepavali in November last year, a shocking display of insensitivity of the diverse races, religions and cultures in plural Malaysia.

UMNO leaders, branches and members would be the first to take offense if MIC, MCA or Gerakan should hold their national delegates’ conferences on Hari Raya Haji for instance – underlining the insensitivity of Umno leaders in giving offence to Hindus and all right-thinking Malaysians in holding the Umno general assembly last year on Deepavali Day.

This insensitivity of the diverse and great cultures and religions which have found confluence in plural Malaysia should not be repeated by dissolving Parliament during the Chinese New Year.

The Chinese New Year spirit and mood should not be spoiled by the dissolution of Parliament and the formal start of the general election campaign. Let all Malaysian Chinese and Malaysians, regardless of political affiliation, complete their Chinese New Year celebrations before they go for the hustings!

If MCA and Gerakan Ministers and leaders are unable to persuade the Prime Minister to respect the Chinese New Year festivities, and let the CNY celebrations be over first before the dissolution of Parliament and the launch of the general election campaign, then Malaysians are entitled to ask as to what is their real influence, relevance and purpose in the highest policy-making circles in the Barisan Nasional government.

-> Link to ORIGINATING SUMMONS

-> Link to Affidavit

11 Replies to “Don’t repeat Deepavali insensitivity last year – let CNY festivities be over before dissolution of Parliament”

  1. Can anything ‘good’ or ‘decent’ be expected from PM, DPM, OKT, SAmy Vellu or BN? Forget it!

    BN is a spent force. They have sown enough wild oats in the last 3 decades or more and now, comes 2008, we must make sure BN can repent at leisure.

    I was just reading some of the headlines making the news in Malaysia. PM and DPM are such abject, pitiable creatures the way they first denounced and denied Hindraf’s claims. Now, everybody including MIC are making haste to mend the broken fences and make reparations for their past sins.

    To all Indian friends in MAlaysia – enough is enough! Those BN hands that now seek to salve the wounds are BIG hypocrites, INSINCERE bums, by and large, whose pretences and tears of repentance must surely make crocodile tears pallid in comparison.

    And if PM dares to dissolve Parliament within the CNY festival, it must surely signal their desperation, hoping that many Chinese would not suffer the inconvenience of voting whilst they are in a celebratory mood. Well, PM, sir, try your luck! We are all ready to unseat BN – and there is no 2 ways about it. To borrow, Tun M’s words, any expectation of a 2/3 rd majority – ha, ha, BN, “dream on.” We are praying you will lose your pants this time around!

  2. They thought they had the mandate from the people in the last GE, so they can continue to bulldoze their way by using government facilities to campaign for the coming GE.

    We must vote opposition to stop this BN bulldozer mentality.

  3. Saudara Lim,

    What’s your objective? To win for DAP or you want BN to continue win election? Ehy so nice teaching them all the right things. Like that means let BN continue to rule but Uncle Lim will be there to guide them all the time. I guess your are too honest for a politician. ;)

  4. UMNO is bribing the Indians, left right and center, and at the same time issuing a threat to the Indians. How to trust a party that bribes its citizens during election time and threaten / insult / discriminate them for the rest of the 5 years.

    Indians must never be taken in by false promises by UMNO and MIC.
    Change of government is the only hope for our future and for all Malaysians.

  5. Dear Fellow Malaysians,

    ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

    umno and gang must go. Now is the time to spread the word around and not just comment on this blog. Families and friends are coming home for the Chinese New Year, tell them to vote against the corrupted and racist umno gang.

    I am calling all Malaysians of all races. Satu Negara, Satu Bangsa.

    50 years is ENOUGH
    Vote For A Change
    Vote For Any Opposition
    Give Them A Chance To Change For A Better Malaysia
    Remember bn Is A Useless Grouping Of Self Serving, Corrupt, Dictator, Power Crazy, Racist, Kris waving, etc, etc type of parties.

  6. “Don’t repeat Deepavali insensitivity last year – let CNY festivities be over before dissolution of Parliament”

    Why so?

    The more they offend, the better it will be for the Opposition.

  7. My respectful bloggers,
    We must realise a fact and the only fact,we can change and we wanted to change but we will not be able to change,look, we only have a handful of us are blogging here and shouted for change.you can tell all your family members and friends who can listen to you and vision as you, to vote for change but what can we all do is still not much as we only make up the less than 30% of the population.(imagine the MCA member also vote for change)
    That’s why TDM can tell us to vote against BN to deny the 2/3 majority which is an mission impossible.He indeed so confident with the BN 2/3 majority and just make us a fool to believe his righteousness and masking other hidden devil trick within his benevolence.
    The change will only happen provided we are willing to have more childs,and started now to educate our children to be more political conscious,willingness to sacrify for our bangsa,more non malay to joint the armed force,and so on at least for the next 20 years then all of us can start to ask for change, but YB LKS don’t dishearten by all this facts,we always love you and will make sure we do the least for DAP is to vote for Rocket,we don,t care what slogan the MCA will shout,sentimen or emotional or not just wipe the MCA candidates out from this 2008 GE and we wanted to see if the respresentation of chinese lessen what will we have to lose since we lose all the way for the pass 50 years with the MCA respresentation.I am sure we will win many Chinese and Indian schools,many many more if there is no single MCA and/or candidate win in this coming GE.To ensure we get back our right as a malaysian we must vote out all the BN non umno parties since we can deny them from 2/3 majority for the time being.So the only change we can make here is to change all the cabinet to bumiputra and return the ketuanan back to them.we only need 60 opposition candidates which is the only changing possibility right now.Trust me this is the only boleh solution.Don’t you think putting MCA/Gerakan just to nego for few schools and no teacher ( BN put qualified mandarin teachers to sek.kebangsaan and sending malay teacher to teach mandarin in chinese school) is crazier than what I suggest,we don’t need those contract below 50k from the BN,it’s nut only,we can chose to work hard and still many more thing in malaysia that can look for even though is about to holpless.

  8. Yes this umnopultras talk about unity and respectfor religious sensitivities. During Deepavali they convened their meeting. Therefore, for CNY await for surprises from umnopultras, they have no respect for us and they are ONLY concerned for their agenda only!!!!!!!!!

  9. Does the utilization of the national TV networks for propaganda in the elections constitute abuse of power? I used to see these propaganda in the last few elections. BN top men and women used TV1 and TV2 to blare their propaganda, advertising themselves whereas the opposition is deprived of such an opportunity. Perhaps now that Astro is introduced, some of the stations can provide such equal service to the Opposition to balance the biased position?

  10. This appeal based on call to sensitivity to “ diverse and great cultures and religions which have found confluence in plural Malaysia” and to “let all Malaysian Chinese and Malaysians, regardless of political affiliation, complete their Chinese New Year celebrations” before dissolution of parliament is a clever strategic move to delay, if possible, the election by a little time more so that Anwar, who isn’t eligible for any political position until April 8, will have a chance to contest……

    So is likely the “instituting of court proceeding asking for a declaration that when Parliament is dissolved, the concept of a caretaker government between dissolution of Parliament and the election of a new legislature and the formation of a new government must be honoured and upheld in Malaysia” in the hope that by such a move, some legal or technical obstacles may be erected, once suit is filed, that could if necesary cause a postponement of the election a trifle later on grounds that issues raised by such proceedings for court’s deliberations are not prior prejudiced or pre-empted by BN’s proceeding the other way – their traditional way of campaigning, using resources of the state for such purposes.

    This is a deft move by DAP, which in this election game, is more experienced in complex calculations and sophisticated than PKR and PAS combined but something which BN strategists, I am sure, will recognize just as fully as well and will not be duped.

    This is what Kit said, “This is why DAP should focus on winning 30-40 parliamentary seats, while Parti Keadilan Rakyat and PAS on another batch of 40-50 parliamentary seats…If there is a 85% success rate in these 90 parliamentary constituencies targeted by the Opposition, then the 2008 general election will return a historic result where the Barisan Nasional will be deprived of its two-thirds parliamentary majority although it is still comfortably in power with a strong simple majority”.

    There is of course no expectation that BN will ever lose but depriving its 2/3 majority threshold is an important psychological milestone to deliver a significant blow to its self confidence which for last 50 years has turned into arrogance of power, dominance and control.

    On the other hand, if so called Opposition icon Anwar could, by virtue of some delay in dissolution of parliament, somehow make it to the dateline of April 8, it is calculated that it would be great psychological and morale boost to the Opposition in general and Parti Keadilan Rakyat and PAS in particular that could make the other “batch of 40-50 parliamentary seats” for PKR and PAS so much more attainable with the swing (hopefully) those of malay/muslim voters predisposed to these two parties and who otherwise would not give their votes to the DAP.

    The strategists in BN camp are no fools either : they will definitely have the PM dissolve the parliament during the Chinese New Year celebrations so that Anwar could not make it to contest.

    As I said before there is only but one remote possibility that elections may be deferred till April 8th for Anwar to contest, and it will not be for reasons of sensitivity to Malaysian Chinese celebrating CNY or the legal suit for Court Declaration of caretaker govt; it will be for reason that Anwar could be used by certain factions within UMNO/BN as a Trojan horse against other factions for certain factions within UMNO/BN.

    Whether it is for better or worse for the country, I am unable to say, though I am inclined to sense the former…

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