Day: March 26, 2013

by Allan CF Goh

Should the Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states of Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Selangor dissolve ahead of Parliament if the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak continues to be indecisive despite the automatic dissolution of the Negri Sembilan State Assembly?

There are respective pros and cons but on the balance, I do not think there is any need for the Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states of Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Selangor to dissolve ahead of Parliament as the 13th General Elections must be held latest by May 25 if there is going to be simultaneous Parliament/State general elections. Continue reading “No need for Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states of Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Selangor to dissolve ahead of Parliament – as 13GE must be held latest by May 25 if there is going to be simultaneous Parliament/State GE”

By 12 midnight in 16 hours time, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would have created double “history” – firstly, first time in nation’s 56-year history, allowing a State Assembly (Negri Sembilan) to be automatically dissolved before Parliament; and secondly, establishing a record of “indecisiveness” as Prime Minister, even putting the fifth Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Abdullah to shame, while he continues to agonise on when to dissolve Parliament for the 13th General Elections!

There are no signs that Najib would dissolve Parliament before midnight tonight, ahead of the automatic dissolution of the Negri Sembilan State Assembly.

In fact, it now looks likely that another State Assembly, Pahang, will automatically dissolve on Apri 5, 2013 before the dissolution of Parliament.

This raises the question whether Najib will allow six other State Assemblies to be dissolved before the automatic dissolution of Parliament on midnight on 27th April 2013 – namely Johore and Malacca (19th April), Selangor (20th April), Perak, Perlis and Kelantan (26th April).

Already, Najib has chalked up many dubious “records”, including:

*the longest unelected Prime Minister without a mandate from the voters;

*leading an “expired” Cabinet and Government, as the present 12th Parliament is 18 days past its five-year natural life, as it was elected on March 8, 2008; and

*a Prime Minister who has been on election campaigning mode for the longest period in history – four years in a week’s time when it will be the fourth anniversary of Najib’s becoming the sixth Prime Minister on 3rd April 2009.

Continue reading “16-Day Countdown to 13GE – Najib has become a “kiasu” and “kiasi” Prime Minister, mortally afraid that the most famous political prophecy of RAHMAN in Malaysia will come true with him as the last UMNO/Barisan Nasional Prime Minister!”

― Jimi Huang
The Malaysian Insider
March 25, 2013

MARCH 25 ― In the past few weeks, there have been many luminaries who have been promoting the continued rule of Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN). Of course, all of them come from Umno.

Let’s see, we have had Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, of course. The wise man who says Malays have to save Selangor in order to save the Malays themselves. He would say that because he has never read the Federal Constitution, which talks of the special position of the Malays.

And Tun Daim Zainuddin, Datuk Ibrahim Ali, Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar. They all owe their positions and influence to Umno and BN. Why would they say different?

These “class acts” also all have something in common: They are part of a political system that promoted and celebrated excesses in power.

Now that they are no longer at the pinnacle of power, they have turned to advising Malaysians on what choices to make.

You can’t expect any of them to say anything different except that Umno and BN are the best for the country. Continue reading “The ‘class acts’ promoting Umno/BN”

Anisah Shukri| March 25, 2013
Free Malaysia Today

The prime minister announces four changes to the 40,000 staff of seven statutory bodies ahead of the polls.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak today announced sweeping benefits for the 40,000 staff of seven government statutory bodies, ahead of the general election which must be held within weeks.

The benefits to be given to LTAT (Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera), LHDN (Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri), EPF (Employees Provident Fund), Tabung Haji, Perkeso, Perhebat (Armed Forces Veteran Affairs Corporation), and Bank Simpanan Nasional are:

*a pension fund set up for all personnel;

*fixed housing allowances equivalent to that of civil servants;

*gratituities for retirees; and

*streamlining employer contribution towards the EPF.

The benefits come in the wake of Najib’s announcement yesterday that the government would award 10,000 individual permits to taxi drivers, in what can be seen as a last-minute attempt to woo voters before polls are held.
Continue reading “Najib throws more election goodies”

― Fikry Osman
The Malaysian Insider
March 25, 2013

MARCH 25 ― Yes, we know it’s silly season in Malaysia. You can tell by reading what the politicians are saying these days in the run-up to the 13th general election (GE13) that could happen in the next few weeks.

These politicians sometimes say the dumbest and most obvious things. Tan Sri Shahrir Samad said today that the DAP is out to destroy MCA by sending its big guns to Johor.

Wow, this is really brilliant deduction.

I guess he could not have said the DAP is focussing on Johor because of the number of urban seat there, the number of Chinese voters, and that the abysmal record of Datuk Ghani Othman and hangers-on like Shahrir and others make the southern state a good target.
Continue reading “Stupid things politicians say”