Day: April 7, 2013

When launching the Barisan Nasional election manifesto for the 13th General Elections at the carefully orchestrated rally of 15,000 Barisan Nasional supporters at the Stadium Putra in Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur last night, Datuk Seri Najib Razak posed the question: Who do you trust to lead Malaysia? BN chief Najib Razak, PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim or PAS President Hadi Awang?

As expected, the BN crowd of 15,000 roared back: ”Najib”.

When I posed the question whether the people trust Najib or Anwar as the Prime Minister at the DAP Taman Molek ceramah at Johore Jaya close to midnight, the response from the thousands of Malaysians who have spent more than four hours at the DAP ceramah was a spontaneous, ringing, categorical and thunderous support for Anwar and not Najib!

I believe that the spontaneous response of the Malaysian public at the DAP Taman Molek ceramah last night is more reflective of the real mood and aspirations of ordinary Malaysians in the country than the synthetic and even mercenary response of the BN rent-a-crowd gathering at Bukit Jalil Stadium last night.

Although Najib expressed glee and satisfaction at the positive answer from the 15,000-strong BN crowd at Bukit Jalil Stadium last night, I do not think it had fully removed the hurt and humiliation he suffered when tens of thousands of people at the Barisan Nasional Chinese New Year Open House in Penang shouted in unison three times each that they were “Ready” for the South Korean global K-pop star, Psy, but “No, No, No” and therefore “Not Ready” for the Barisan Nasional!

In the past 54 days, the cries that Malaysians were “ready” for Psy but “No, No, No” for Barisan Nasional had reveberrated throughout the country almost every night of Pakatan Rakyat gatherings, and it is no exaggeration to say that some 500,000 Malaysians would have taken part in this unique “public opinion” poll of saying “No, No, No” to Barisan Nasional since the second day of the Chinese New Year on Feb. 11. Continue reading “4-Day Countdown to 13GE – Call for ushering of new politics in Malaysia of good governance in 13GE and the beginning of the end of politics of race which had haunted the country for 56 years”

By Ali Kadir | APRIL 06, 2013
The Malaysian Insider

APRIL 6 — How nice? Ibrahim Ali says that he will drop bombshells on Pakatan Rakyat’s leaders and shock the nation.

And what is he waiting for: the go-ahead from none other than Prime Minister Najib Razak.

So now the Umno gang can drop all the wayang and confirm what the rest of Malaysia have known all along: that Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa are just an extension of Umno, a nauseating and disgusting extension of a politics which has outsourced its dirty work.

But then again, nothing should shock us anymore.

This is a political party and NGO nexus which has brought us political violence on a scale never before seen in Malaysia; a partnership that has promoted racism and chauvinism like never before and political strategies rooted in the bowel thinking.
Continue reading “Umno and its lackey Perkasa”

By Martin Jalleh

By Martin Jalleh

By Clive Kessler | APRIL 07, 2013
The Malaysian Insider

APRIL 7 ― We are in uncharted political waters.

Parliament has been dissolved, already days ago, but the election has yet to be called.

The dates for nomination of candidates and for “going to the polls” to vote have yet to be declared.

The nation now finds itself stalled. It can do nothing but wait. We are caught in a strange interlude, a moment of suspended political animation.

And we are already in new political territory.

Where exactly we are, and what the political “lie of the land” is, remain unclear.
Continue reading “In uncharted waters”

— Zaid Ibrahim
The Malaysian Insider
April 06, 2013

APRIL 6 — So at last we are going to have a general election after all. The months of waiting have taken its toll on most people, but it’s important that they continue to have energy and spirit and to work hard to make this GE a meaningful one.

This week I want to talk to the Malays. They form the biggest block of voters and to them I say, this is your chance to have a new government. A new government will enable you to make a comparison with the one we have now. You have been told time and again that no one besides Umno/BN can govern and protect you, but wouldn’t it be better for you to try to find out for yourself? How can we know if Pakatan would be worse than Umno if we do not give them a chance?

You have to be brave and not let others bully you with fear and intimidation. The opposition parties have more Malays than BN so they will not harm you. They have worked hard and deserve a chance. For all you know, you may get better schools, better teachers for your children (as they may devote more time to teaching than politicking) and better security from the police and the army. Even your household income may improve as there will be more for the government to share with less corrupt leaders at the helm.

You will not lose if you vote for the opposition. If the opposition gets stronger because of your support but BN still wins, then you will get more cash handouts than they had promised. Money and projects have only been given to you because the opposition was strong — if the opposition had been weak, you wouldn’t have gotten the BR1M 1.0 and BR1M 2.0. It makes sense to vote for the opposition if you want more from the BN. Learn to value your votes to improve your livelihood. Continue reading “Talking to the Malays”

by Koh Jun Lin
Malaysiakini
Apr 6, 2013

The country would be saved if there were more people like Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali, said former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

The patron of the Malay supremacist group said this today when endorsing Ibrahim to contest the Pasir Mas parliamentary seat under BN’s ticket.

“This is repayment, because in BN we repay good deeds… God willing if he is made a candidate, I would go to Pasir Mas to campaign.

“Perkasa is no small ‘party’, it has 400,000 members. It is probably bigger than PAS, but is not greedy.

“If there are many people like Ibrahim, this country is saved,” he said amid the cheers of a 3,000-strong audience.

Mahathir was speaking at Perkasa’s ‘Save Selangor Rally’ today held on a waterlogged field in Shah Alam. Continue reading “Malaysia needs more Ibrahim Alis, says Dr M”