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In Ipoh, a lingering loyalty for Pakatan among the Chinese

By Emily Ding | April 11, 2013
The Malaysian Insider

IPOH, April 11 — The city’s traditionally pro-opposition Chinese appear unlikely to budge this May 5 when they face the ballot box again, many still strong in their conviction that a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government will care for their rights better than Barisan Nasional (BN).

Last weekend’s luncheon with Perak’s Chinese guilds and associations and Datuk Seri Najib Razak seemed to reflect this trend as even though the crowd appeared in droves at the Tow Boo Keong Taoist temple here, many still expressed disdain at the ruling pact.

When approached by The Malaysian Insider, some were very generous with their criticisms and even openly admitted that they were only there because they were invited and wanted the free food.

“We are just here to eat,” a 36-year-old civil engineer who prefers to be known only as Kevin told The Malaysian Insider.

He glanced over at his friend, a 42-year-old civil contractor who prefers to go by the name Tiger, and an elderly retiree they had just met, who both nodded and laughed.
Continue reading “In Ipoh, a lingering loyalty for Pakatan among the Chinese”

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Najib has done a great injustice in not allowing MCA President Chua Soi Lek to stand as a Barisan Nasional candidate in the 13GE

I have greatest sympathy and even pity for the MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek, who had to declare today that he will not be contesting in the 13th general election, thus becoming the first MCA President not to be fielded.

It is so embarrassing and humiliating an event that Chua had to come out with a statement which will make history as utterly without credibility, claiming that he is opting out of contesting in the 13GE because he is “walking the talk in allowing new and young leaders in the rejuvenation process so that the party will continue to remain relevant”.

In actual fact, having a MCA President who is not allowed to contest in the 13GE by the Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman and UMNO President, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, is in fact the latest and most powerful evidence of the utter irrelevance of MCA not only in the new Malaysian political landscape but in post-2008 Barisan Nasional politics.

Chua possesses a special illogic when he claimed that his not contesting in the 13GE is to allow him “to prove a point that I am fighting for a cause, that MCA remains relevant”, when the “point” all Malaysians see from the episode is a MCA President who is so irrelevant , unqualified and unsuitable that the UMNO President does not allow him to stand as a BN candidate in the 13GE, as he will not only become a liability for MCA candidates but also to all UMNO and BN candidates as well! Continue reading “Najib has done a great injustice in not allowing MCA President Chua Soi Lek to stand as a Barisan Nasional candidate in the 13GE”

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24-Day Countdown to 13GE Polling Day – Vision 2050 for Malaysians

Yesterday I completed the series of 100-day countdown of daily statements to the 13GE which I started on 1st January 2013, not expecting to have to complete it as it was then generally expected that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak would have dissolved Parliament after the Chinese New year holidays in February for the long-awaited 13th General Elections to be held.

The 100th-Day Countdown to 13GE statement yesterday, in which I challenged Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad to a series of seven public debates on his 22-year premiership as Mahathir has made the 13GE a double referendum on both the Najib and Mahathir premierships, coincided with the announcement by the Election Commission of 20th April as Nomination Day and 5th May as Polling Day for the historic 13GE.

I am therefore beginning today a new series of 24-Day Countdown to 13GE Polling Day statements.

I have said that the Battle of Gelang Patah is to kick off the Battle of Johore and the larger Battle of Malaysia for two reasons:

Firstly, to launch off a political tsunami from the south in the 13GE to complete the partial 2008 political tsunami, including winning over one-third of the total of 83 parliamentary seats in the three fixed deposit states of Johor, Sabah and Sarawak (ideally, 33 seats from Johor, Sabah and Sarawak) to complete the partial 2008 political tsunami towards the establishment of a Pakatan Rakyat federal government in Putrajaya.
Continue reading “24-Day Countdown to 13GE Polling Day – Vision 2050 for Malaysians”

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Malaysian Police Ready Two Election Plans

By John Berthelsen | TUESDAY, 09 APRIL 2013
Asia Sentinel
One if Anwar wins, the other if Najib does

For the first time ever, according to sources in Kuala Lumpur, the Royal Police have formulated two contingency plans for the night of Malaysia’s 13th general election, expected to be on April 27 or after.

The first, a source said, is “how to whisk the Prime Minister from the Putra World Trade Center where the Barisan Nasional is holding its election night celebration, back to Sri Perdana, the Prime Minister’s residence, safely in the event that the Barisan Nasional loses, or if there is trouble.” The second, the source said, is how to bring Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim from his home to the palace to be sworn in if the opposition were to win.

Implicit in both of those plans are questions whether there will be violence started by the losing side.

Both plans are unprecedented because there has never been a time in the 57-year history of the country when anybody thought the opposition might actually win. It still may not. But the fact that the plans are in place is an indication that even the police think the election is too close to call.
Continue reading “Malaysian Police Ready Two Election Plans”

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Season of quotes

Aliran | 3 April 2013

Mahathir once wrote that “only the most capable and experienced should be made Ministers and be in the Cabinet”. Tota asks him what he thinks of the present Cabinet line-up.

In their utter desperation to retain political power, the Umno–dominated BN is resorting, as always, to all kinds of unfair, indeed dirty tactics to demonise Pakatan Rakyat and its leaders.

The mainstream print and electronic media is littered with quotes from opposition leaders with the aim of poisoning the rakyat’s minds.

Below is an excerpt from Mahathir’s The Malay Dilemma which amply reveals the Machiavellian character of the writer:

It is obvious that only the most capable and experienced should be made Ministers and be in the Cabinet. But independent Malaya chose to treat membership of the cabinet as a reward for loyalty to party chiefs and acceptability to the Prime Minister. Once appointed, no amount of dereliction of duty could affect the position of a Minister. On the other hand, even if the Minister performed well, failure to remain on good terms with the Prime Minister meant removal from the Ministry.
Continue reading “Season of quotes”

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Why Rais Yatim shouldn’t drive the Information Department vans around the bend

by Dr Mustafa K Anuar
Honorary Secretary, Aliran | 10 April 2013

Aliran roundly condemns Information, Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim’s recent indefensible justification for the Barisan Nasional’s blatant use of government machinery for its election campaigning in the run-up to the general election.

What was done had nothing to do with the functions of the caretaker government. The three Information Department vans were there to assist the BN coalition to prepare for the opening of the BN’s election command centre for the Batu parliamentary constituency on Sunday. Government machinery was definitely used for party purposes.

It is crucial that all parties concerned must acknowledge and respect the demarcation line between party and government use to prevent abuse of power and to ensure a level playing field between the incumbent coalition and its contenders.

Surely, it doesn’t take a legally trained person to realise that it is immoral for a caretaker government to take undue advantage of its incumbency in this callous manner.
Continue reading “Why Rais Yatim shouldn’t drive the Information Department vans around the bend”

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Kit Siang will lose in Gelang Patah unless ….

The Pirates of Putra Jaya
20130407

Gelang Patah is one of the hottest seats right now in the country. UMNO is in full alert after the introduction of Lim Kit Siang into this area. After conducting a situation analysis on the ground, the Pirates is coming to the following conclusion

Situation Analysis

The results in 2008 should give UMNO a cause to worry. In N48 Skudai, DAP led by Dr Boo managed to overturn a 2,193 majority for BN obtained in 2004 into a landslide 12,854 majority. This was a net shift of over 14,000 votes in 4 years that indicates the GE 12 tsunami did reach the shores of Johor. Dr Boo’s giant killing feat in this regard should not be underestimated as well.

Elsewhere, in N49 Nusajaya, BN managed to hold the seat. BN’s candidate YB Aziz Sapian managed to beat out PAS’s Mohd. Shah Lamat with an over 7,000 majority. This however was still a far cry from the 14,000 majority BN obtained in 2004, to which people attribute it as being caused by Pak Lah.

Now here comes the interesting bit. If you add the number of votes obtained by PR component parties, namely DAP and PAS, it should add to 32,383. This would have allowed PR to gain a comfortable 5,000+ majority and take Gelang Patah away from BN.

However, it did not turn out that way. Instead MCA’s Tan Ah Eng beat out Dr Zaleha Mustafa comfortably, obtaining 33,630 votes compared to the 24,779 votes obtained by Dr Zaleha’s. Continue reading “Kit Siang will lose in Gelang Patah unless ….”

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Soi Lek: Don’t ask me about MCA seats, all up to PM

By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
April 10, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 — Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek berated the media today for constantly pushing him to answer questions on his or his MCA’s contest in the polls, pointing out that the final decision lies solely in the hands of Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Met on the sidelines of the Barisan Nasional (BN) divisional meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) this afternoon, the MCA president refused to entertain the questions and turned around instead to question the motive behind them.

“PM already told you people that there is no final decision. Why must we keep repeating the same thing again and again?” he said.

“You all must understand. The PM already has the final say. No final decision (has been made). So you don’t need to sibuk-sibuk (be busybodies), hoping that I say something different from the PM.

“And then you can create another crisis – (that MCA has) differing views. What’s the purpose? No purpose,” Dr Chua added.

Dr Chua was asked at first to reveal if he would be entering the coming polls contest and to state his chosen seat, to which he replied, “Don’t talk about myself. Talk about BN first.” Continue reading “Soi Lek: Don’t ask me about MCA seats, all up to PM”

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Regardless of whether the BN candidate is Ghani Othman or other UMNO heavyweight, the Battle of Gelang Patah for a Malaysian Dream and to kick off a political tsunami from the south to complete the 2008 political tsunami is definitely on

Deputy Barisan Nasional (BN) Chairman and Deputy UMNO President, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin predicted that I would be defeated in the BN fortress of Gelang Patah.

Muhyiddin said the BN is looking into the possibility of fielding Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Abdul Ghani Othman in Gelang Patah and that I am “trapped” as I had not anticipated an UMNO big-gun being deployed to contest in the constituency.

I admit that I had not anticipated an UMNO big-gun being deployed to contest in Gelang Patah, as who would have thought that MCA leadership could so openly admit that they don’t have a single MCA “big-gun” left for Gelang Patah or that MCA would have a President for the first time in MCA history who is prepared to give away parliamentary and state assembly seats to be contested by other BN parties, like Gelang Patah, Kuantan, Wangsa Maju and Tronoh as if conducting a “fire sale” of MCA assets. Continue reading “Regardless of whether the BN candidate is Ghani Othman or other UMNO heavyweight, the Battle of Gelang Patah for a Malaysian Dream and to kick off a political tsunami from the south to complete the 2008 political tsunami is definitely on”

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The hidden hand of underhanded tricks in GE13

By Jimmy Wong | APRIL 09, 2013
The Malaysian Insider

APRIL 9 — When did politics get so sneaky that Malaysian political parties start putting up fake banners of their foes or sending emails using fake identities?

Who are these hidden hands? The ones who put up banners and buntings using DAP and PAS leaders’ faces. The ones who keep flooding my inbox with lousy arguments against Pakatan Rakyat (PR)?

Why do political parties resort to such play instead of confronting each other on issues of the day? Instead, they resort to sneaky dirty tricks to make the other side look bad. Does it work? No.

What do they hope to achieve with such tricks? That we will believe how bad these parties are? Isn’t that stupid?

In the United States, both the Democrats and the Republicans regularly take out advertisements picking on and criticising each other’s policy points. Why don’t Malaysian political parties do this instead of anonymous attacks?
Continue reading “The hidden hand of underhanded tricks in GE13”

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Umno mulls straight fights with DAP, banks on Malay vote

BY JAHABAR SADIQ, EDITOR | APRIL 10, 2013
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, April 10 ― Umno plans on fielding their candidates either in all of the DAP seats or most of them as the Malay vote is more dependable than Chinese support, say strategists.

The Malaysian Insider understands the Barisan Nasional (BN) war room believes Umno candidates can beat back the DAP attack in Johor and other Malay-majority states rather than MCA hopefuls.

“Umno candidates have a better chance of keeping BN seats than the MCA, so we’re looking into pushing more Malay candidates,” a ruling coalition source told The Malaysian Insider.

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang is spearheading the move into traditional MCA seat Gelang Patah while party strategist Liew Chin Tong is eyeing the Kluang seat. Johor PKR chief Datuk Seri Chua Jui Meng has also been named for the Segamat seat held by MIC.
Continue reading “Umno mulls straight fights with DAP, banks on Malay vote”

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From fixed deposits to kingmakers

By Oh Ei Sun | APRIL 09, 2013
The Malaysian Insider

APRIL 9 — Malaysia’s coming general election, widely characterised as a potential “watershed” event, will see many first-time voters play a decisive role in determining which way the country will go. Will they vote to retain the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition or opt for the opposition alliance, Pakatan Rakyat?

Carrying a critical weight in the outcome will be the east Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak.

Out of the 222 seats in Parliament, more than a quarter are in Sabah (with 25 seats) and Sarawak (31), leading some to label these states as kingmakers in the polls that are expected to be closely contested.

In Peninsular Malaysia, any potential loss by BN of its predominantly non-Bumiputera seats can be counterbalanced by gains in predominantly Bumiputera seats. This would give a net election result in Peninsular Malaysia like that in 2008, when BN only narrowly surpassed Pakatan. Had Sabah and Sarawak not brought in the 56 seats then, there could have been a change of government in Putrajaya.

THE SWING PHENOMENON
Continue reading “From fixed deposits to kingmakers”

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1Day Countdown to 13GE: Challenge to Mahathir to a series of seven public debates on his 22 years as fourth Prime Minister as Mahathir has made 13GE a double referendum on Najib as well as Mahathir premierships

When I started the 100-day countdown daily statements to the 13GE on 1st January 2013, I had not expected that I would have to complete the 100-day series as it was generally expected that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak would have mustered the courage to end his real-life Hamlet agonizing “To Be or Not To Be” during the Chinese New Year in February as to dissolve Parliament for the long-awaited 13th general elections to be held.

But his carefully-planned RM3.5 million Psy and Gangnam Style appearance for the Penang Barisan Nasional Chinese New Year Open House on Feb. 11 went kaput when it proved to be a political and public relations disaster of the first magnitude with tens of thousands of people shouting “Yes, Yes, Yes” to Najib’s first question of “Are You Ready for Psy?” followed by the thunderous and categorical “No, No, No” to Najib’s second question of “Are You Ready for BN?”.

This “No, No, No” episode has captured the imagination of Malaysians and entered the Malaysian political history and folklore – not to mention Najib’s other Psy embarrassments in Penang, like the five-minute futile wait by the Prime Minister and former Prime Minister of the country for Psy to join them to “Loh Yee San” or Psy’s refusal to dance with Najib, Rosmah and Ng Yen Yen for a premier rendition of “Gangnam 1Malaysia Style”.

Today is exactly the 100th Day of the “100-Day Countdown to 13GE” series, the day the Election Commission is to meet to announce the dates for nomination and polling for the 13GE – an acid test whether Najib will honour the Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M)’s Election Integrity Pledge to hold free, fair and clean elections! Continue reading “1Day Countdown to 13GE: Challenge to Mahathir to a series of seven public debates on his 22 years as fourth Prime Minister as Mahathir has made 13GE a double referendum on Najib as well as Mahathir premierships”

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Let’s Ubah!

By Allan CF Goh

For well over fifty years,
Parents have wept silent tears,
Over their children’s great dreams,
Wreaked by those foul racist screams.
Theirs is not to question why
To share not an equal sky!
They stand under the same sun,
But only as lesser sons.
Their destined education
Failed to come to real fruition,
Their abilities denied,
Their hopes promised, never neigh,
Because of vile racism,
And racial extremism.
Let’s ubah the sick regime.
Make Malaysia shine and glean!

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The favor has to be returned one day and the time is now, GE 13

By Richard Loh

Millions meant nothing to them when they can easily recoup billions just as fast.

Presenting Psy at a Chinese New Year function in Penang recently was a great success that brought joys to Penangnites but a total disaster for umno perkasa bn.

Millions were spent on Psy and it failed miserably to gain any traction for Najib. Are they disheartened, of course YES, what a great shame they faced but not a bit saddened on the humongous sum of money spent because they have a mountain support from behind, Hokkien call it ‘Aw Soew’.

The failure of Psy does not stop them from trying to bring more cheers to Penangnites and shame to umno perkasa bn.

Businessmen sleeping with the devil and making billions of evil dollars are very afraid that the devil may have to be kicked out of power at the federal level where their billions came from.

They can deny however they want, claiming that they are doing charity works by bringing in more celebrities to Penang.
Continue reading “The favor has to be returned one day and the time is now, GE 13”

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Mahathir should be a responsible “elder statesman” and stop race-baiting and inciting communal sentiments which is completely antithetical to his concept of Bangsa Malaysia in Vision 2020

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has become the No. 1 campaigner for Umno/Barisan Nasional in the 13GE, even putting the Prime Minister/Umno President Datuk Seri Najib Razak in the shadows, as if Mahathir is fighting for his own political life.

This may in fact be the true picture, as the 13GE is not only a “life-and-death” battle for the Najib premiership, it is shaping up to be a “life-and-death” struggle for the 22-year Mahathir legacy.

This is why Mahathir has become the “campaigner extraordinaire” in the 13GE, and I don’t think he has ever campaigned as hard for Umno/BN even in the five general elections he had led as Prime Minister, namely the 1982, 1986, 1990, 1995 and 1999 general elections, spanning two decades.

Mahathir is fully within his rights to campaign all-out to protect the 22-year Mahathir legacy, but he must always act as a responsible “elder statesman” and not succumb to cheap and irresponsible tactics as race-baiting and inciting communal sentiments which is completely antithetical to his concept of Bangsa Malaysia in Vision 2020. Continue reading “Mahathir should be a responsible “elder statesman” and stop race-baiting and inciting communal sentiments which is completely antithetical to his concept of Bangsa Malaysia in Vision 2020″

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DAP’s agreement to let PKR contest Segamat parliamentary seat contingent on settlement of all DAP-PKR disputes on all seat allocations in Johore – DAP contesting seven parliamentary seats as well as contesting in 15 state assembly seats including Johor Jaya

On the announcement by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim last night that PKR Johor Chairman, Datuk Chua Jui Meng is the PKR candidate in the Segamat parliamentry constituency, I wish to clarify the following:

1. The decision for my contesting in Gelang Patah parliamentary seat to kick off a political tsunami from Johore in the south in the 13GE so as to complete the 2008 “political tsunami” all the way to Putrajaya is a stand-alone decision and not made in exchange of any parliamentary seat between the DAP and PKR. Consequently, Segamat is a seat to be contested by DAP at that point in time.

2. DAP’s agreement to let PKR contest in Segamat parliamentary seat is contingent on the settlement of all DAP-PKR disputes on all seat allocations in Johore – DAP contesting seven parliamentary seats out of a total of 26 parliamentary seats as well as contesting in 15 state assembly seats (including Johor Jaya) out of a total of 56 state assembly seats. In both cases, DAP will be contesting in less than one-third of the total parliamentary and state assembly seats in Johor.

3. With Anwar’s announcement, it can be taken that the contingent conditions for the DAP’s agreement to let PKR contest in the Segamat parliamentary seat has been agreed upon by the PKR leadership, i.e. DAP will be contesting in seven parliamentary seats and 15 State Assembly seats (including Johor Jaya).
Continue reading “DAP’s agreement to let PKR contest Segamat parliamentary seat contingent on settlement of all DAP-PKR disputes on all seat allocations in Johore – DAP contesting seven parliamentary seats as well as contesting in 15 state assembly seats including Johor Jaya”