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BN retains two-thirds majority but Sarawak’s fixed deposit shattered

By Jahabar Sadiq
Editor
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 16, 2011

KUCHING, April 16 — The Barisan Nasional (BN) has managed to keep its two-thirds legislative majority in Sarawak but today’s results have shattered the coalition’s invincibility and the notion of a fixed deposit in future elections.

The DAP doubled its presence to 12 and PKR tripled its representation although the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lynchpin had contested in 49 seats. PAS lost in all five seats it contested while Independent George Lagong took one seat.

The number of state seats to the Opposition pact will spell danger for BN as it could help them win more parliamentary seats when the general election is called by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. PR now has 75 MPs but the Sarawak win could translate into more in the future. Continue reading “BN retains two-thirds majority but Sarawak’s fixed deposit shattered”

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Five things we learned in Sarawak

The Malaysia Insider
Apr 16, 2011

APRIL 16 — There are five things to be learned from today’s Sarawak election.

* The Najib factor

Even Pakatan Rakyat (PR) campaigners concede this fact grudgingly: till Datuk Seri Najib Razak camped in Sarawak, the Barisan Nasional (BN) machinery was rudderless and dispirited.

He cajoled, persuaded, pressed flesh and turned on the pipe of incentives and gifts when it appeared that the BN team was going to collapse under the incessant attacks on Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud.

PR basically got a taste of what it means to come up against a prime minister who will do pretty much anything to win an election. It is going to be pretty much the same at the next general election. Umno and BN will ride on the Najib brand.

There is no one else in Umno or BN with the pull of the prime minister. Definitely not Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. Or Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein. Or Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. Or Datuk G. Palanivel. Even Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad can’t work the ground effectively.

The main question in Kuala Lumpur at the onset of campaign was this: why is Najib spending so much time in Sarawak? The answer: without him, BN is just like a piece of driftwood. Continue reading “Five things we learned in Sarawak”

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DAP tells BN Sarawak no longer fixed deposit

by Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 16, 2011

KUCHING, April 16 — Flushed with its historic 12-seat victory in Malaysia’s biggest state tonight, the DAP has declared boldly that Sarawak is no longer the ruling Barisan Nasional’s (BN) fixed deposit as the prime minister mulls nationwide polls ahead of its 2013 expiry.

Despite failing to block the BN from winning back its traditional two-thirds control in the oil-rich state, the opposition Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) 16-seat haul in the 71-seat state legislative assembly has effectively denied Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak a much needed referendum to confidently call for the 13th general elections this year.

The party adviser and parliamentary chief, Lim Kit Siang, remarked that PR’s win marks the biggest defeat faced by the BN’s Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud in his 30-year career as Sarawak chief minister, cementing the widely-held view that he is a liability to the ruling coalition at the federal level.

“This is the biggest setback for the Barisan Nasional. Sarawak is no longer the fixed deposit for the Barisan Nasional,” Lim senior told a news conference here tonight. Continue reading “DAP tells BN Sarawak no longer fixed deposit”

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Malaysia BN will keep Sarawak by a hair’s breadth, say analysts

The Malaysian Insider
Apr 16, 2011

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

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

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

Such a prediction would have been laughed off at campaign kick-off last week but consistent reports of massive rally turnouts and talk of rising anger against the state’s powerful Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud have now drawn a question mark over BN’s ability to maintain its near-dominance in the 71-seat state assembly. Continue reading “Malaysia BN will keep Sarawak by a hair’s breadth, say analysts”

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Sarawakians! Give yourselves a chance. Free yourselves from 30 years of misery!

by Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 15, 2011

APRIL 15 — For once, the people of Sarawak must do themselves a favour. Give yourselves a chance. Not give others a chance. They have had 30 years. You only need this one chance. This is your hour. Let your progeny say in future, this was your finest hour.

This is your chance to regain your dignity and pride as a decent human being. Give yourselves the chance to determine your own destiny. Or, at the very least, show to those in power that you matter. There is nothing to fear except fear itself.

Show those in power they can’t scare you with the presence of coercive instruments of power. The police and the army guarding your longhouses are there protecting you. Those Rela people out there are only there for a brief time. What’s left is how you determined your life.

Throw out corruption. Throw out incompetence. Throw out a lifetime of neglect. Reject the bullies.

Give your children and grandchildren the chance. Say it’s enough. You gave Taib Mahmud 30 years of chance. He has taken everything. He has taken the most precious thing from you — your sense of self-worth. Will the Dayaks continue to be complicit in the charade of showing they are only good at performing the ngajat dance and, in that process, be regarded as nothing more than objects of cultural curiosity? Continue reading “Sarawakians! Give yourselves a chance. Free yourselves from 30 years of misery!”

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The last 10 days

By Zairil Khir Johari
April 16, 2011

APRIL 16 — It is now late at night on the final day of the Sarawak campaign. I am exhausted, as is everyone else on both sides of the divide.

It has been a gruelling campaign, especially for those of us who have had to criss-cross the vast state. Nevertheless, the tour is now over and in the evening of the morrow we will be met with either victory or defeat.

I will not attempt to predict the result as I will leave that to those more informed and capable. I would, however, be pleased to share my own personal observations of the mood, characters and happenings of the last 10 days.

The campaign, at least on our part, rocketed off (pardon the pun) to a flying start. Buoyed by a great sense of collective excitement, we went in with all guns blazing.

In Kuching, we chose to pit a young female newcomer against an incumbent assistant minister, thereby bringing the battle to the BN’s doorstep in a bid to wipe them clean in the south bank of the state capital.

To boost her campaign, her nomination was accompanied by none other than Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, with political secretary in tow.

Our posture was an offensive one as the constituency in question, Batu Kawah, has traditionally been a BN stronghold. We lined up our heavy artillery and proceeded to fire, night after night, entertaining Kuching with our well-choreographed ceramahs and our yellow-billed mascot that quickly became an overnight hit of mammoth proportions, far exceeding our expectations.
Continue reading “The last 10 days”

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Miracle if opposition forms simple govt

Joe Fernandez
Free Malaysia Today
April 16, 2011

The bottomline is that it must be about change and reform in the politics of the state.

Unless a miracle happens today at the polling booths, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) has virtually sown up this state election with at least 30 seats “in the bag” even before polling begins. This figure, less than the magical but easily obtainable majority of 36 seats for BN in the State Legislaive Assembly, is based on reading the harsh realities on the ground and comparisons with the line-up of candidates in the 71 seats at stake.

The opposition is “assured” so far of 16 seats, that is, 14 to DAP – Bukit Kota against Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) being its “sole” remaining battle – and two PKR seats, namely Batu Lintang wrested from the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and Kerian from the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP).

The Chinese and urban community in Sarawak continues to form a solid vote bank against the alleged abuses and excesses of the Taib regime. Much of these votes are unlikely to budge despite a mixture of a few carrots and mostly sticks from SUPP, Chief Minister Taib Mahmud and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Continue reading “Miracle if opposition forms simple govt”

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On the Ubah campaign trail (8)

Bersih 2.0 queries Sarawak for barring Ambiga’s visit (TMI) http://bit.ly/fG7j48
Friday, April 15, 2011 5:14 PM

Deny BN 2/3 majority in Sarawak polls 2send powerful message 2all Sarawakians n Malaysians – “Tomorrow can be better!” http://bit.ly/hE02j9
Friday, April 15, 2011 6:12 PM

On the Ubah campaign trail (7) http://bit.ly/evu3oH
Friday, April 15, 2011 6:14 PM

1k ppl Meradong ceramah Bintangor – all expressed support 4re-election of Ting Tze Fui as Assembly rep 2continue 2represent Swkians 4change
Friday, April 15, 2011 9:20 PM
Continue reading “On the Ubah campaign trail (8)”

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A Mickey Mouse of an Election?

By Dr Francis Loh | Aliran

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

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

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Federal govt contesting Sarawak polls – not BN

By P Ramakrishnan | Aliran’s President

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

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

The Sarawak election should be a contest among political parties. This is the practice in mature democracies in the civilised world. What we are witnessing in Sarawak only confirms that we are not a democracy and our conduct is not civilised in keeping with the rule of law. Continue reading “Federal govt contesting Sarawak polls – not BN”

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Just a matter of Taib for Sarawak polls

By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Apr 16, 2011

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

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

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

Seemingly, every issue — whether land grabs or corruption — that has been played up by the opposition over the 10-day campaign finds its final source in the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) president. Continue reading “Just a matter of Taib for Sarawak polls”

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UBAH SARAWAK – Good Luck!

Good evening Uncle Lim,

As a dawn of a new century will begin for Sarawak tomorrow and hopefully on Sunday, I would like to wish you Pakatan Rakyat members – DAP, PKR and PAS all the best and good luck to achieve another politcal tsunami. Although I’m in Australia studying, I’m still keeping track of news back home.

It’s good that all of you are being optimistic of the situation; again a word of caution – beware of the dirty tricks which are about to be played or are already in play. But by the end of the day, the kuasa rakyat or tsunami Part 2 will help to carry you to victory. I can see either the two happening; denying BN 2/3 majority in the assembly or taking over the Sarawak administration. Deep inside, I hope that PR will take both. Continue reading “UBAH SARAWAK – Good Luck!”

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Deny BN 2/3 majority in Sarawak polls to send powerful message to all Sarawakians and Malaysians – “Tomorrow can be better!”

Sarawak general elections eve of Polling Day message

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

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

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

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

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

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

Continue reading “Deny BN 2/3 majority in Sarawak polls to send powerful message to all Sarawakians and Malaysians – “Tomorrow can be better!””

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On the Ubah campaign trail (7)

Tweets @limkitsiang :

DAP releases postal vote tampering video By Sheridan Mahavera http://ow.ly/4z8UW
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 6:16:44 PM

Another Najib-Peh Moh clash? PM not sure but Peh Moh very sure of 2/3 BN majority. Who is running the Swak BN election campaign?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 6:18:05 PM

But more imp Q – can Najib give undertaking he will fully respect Swak BN defeat in polls n honour all pledges/projects anncd by PM DPM?
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 6:23:04 PM

Haris Ibrahim denied entry into Sarawak. Peh Moh sending him back 2KL
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 7:02:43 PM
Continue reading “On the Ubah campaign trail (7)”

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Final countdown in BN ‘fixed deposit’ state

By Dr Bridget Welsh

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

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

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

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

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

Three decisive groups

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

The range of possible outcomes moves from a minimum of 10 seats for the opposition to a maximum of 32, on the heels of a change in government. The reason for this wide range lies with the high degree of unknowns and the small swing needed to change results in tight seats. Continue reading “Final countdown in BN ‘fixed deposit’ state”

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On the alleged ACS statement re closed door meeting with PR

By Teresa Kok

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

I wish to clarify what happened.

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

a) they would not hold any press conference together with us, and that
b) we would not allow members of the media to come into the room to photograph our meeting, which Pakatan Rakyat fully complied with.

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

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

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Epistle to the Church in Malaysia

By Thomas Lee Seng Hock

Dear sisters and brothers in the faith,

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

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

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

The Church and State

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

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Christians of Sarawak, be a Catalyst of Change!

by Martin Jalleh

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

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

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

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

The challenge before you goes far beyond that of the recent Bible controversy. It is to express distinctly to the PM the deep disappointment and discontent of Christians being discriminated against over the years. Continue reading “Christians of Sarawak, be a Catalyst of Change!”

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DAP’s tilt at inclusiveness

By Hafiz Noor Shams
April 15, 2011

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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“Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely” – Taib gives another illustration with entry ban of Bersih2 Chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan

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

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

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

Is Taib preparing for the dirtiest Sarawak state general elections tomorrow so that it will be the most fraudulent in the nation’s history to allow Taib to subvert, impede and defeat the greatest political awakening of Sarawakians of all ethnic groups since the formation of Malaysia in 1963 and in their demand for change? Continue reading ““Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely” – Taib gives another illustration with entry ban of Bersih2 Chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan”