Day: May 6, 2013

by Koh Jun Lin
Malaysiakini
May 6, 2013

DAP’s newly-crowned Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang has condemned BN head Najib Abdul Razak for attributing the coalition’s worst showing in a general election to a “Chinese tsunami”.

He said it was in fact a “Malaysian tsunami”, and that Pakatan Rakyat could not have achieved its results without the backing of Malaysians of other races.

“In many parts of the country, Pakatan won seats in areas that were previously considered as BN strongholds and took down many big BN guns in Malay-majority areas,” he told a press conference today.

To back his claims, Lim listed several Malay or bumiputera-majority seats that Pakatan had won, or retained with an increased majority. Continue reading “It was a M’sian tsunami, Kit Siang tells Najib”

The Malaysian Insider
May 06, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 ― Barisan Nasional’s (BN) weaker showing in Election 2013 points to a strong wave of rejection from all Malaysians and not just from the minority Chinese, a former editor of the Umno-owned New Straits Times said today.

Datuk A. Kadir Jasin observed that the 13-party coalition not only drew fewer seats in the 222-member Dewan Rakyat and 12 state assemblies in yesterday’s general election compared to 2008, but also lost the popular vote for the first time since polls in 1969.

“Is it not possible that this is not a Chinese tsunami or racial chauvinism but a Malaysian tsunami that is centred on the aspiration and new reality, especially among young voters?” the man who had been group editor-in-chief of the public-listed News Strait Times Press during the Mahathir administration wrote in his blog.

BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak had alluded to a “Chinese tsunami” in an immediate speech just after midnight when the Election Commission announced the BN as winners by a simple majority, but the veteran journalist today brushed aside the perception as unlikely. Continue reading “Malaysia BN’s polls slump a ‘Malaysian tsunami’, ex-NSTP boss says”

While Pakatan may not have achieved its goal of winning a majority of parliament seats to form the next government in Putrajaya, it cannot be denied that we have made significant strides as a coalition in this 13th General Election. It was a “Malaysian tsunami” and not a “Chinese tsunami” which increased Pakatan’s parliament seats from 82 in 2008 to 89 in 2013 and which increased Pakatan’s state seats from 197 in 2008 to 230 in 2013. The fact that Pakatan managed to increase its share of parliament and state seats is commendable given the hundreds of millions of Ringgit that were spent by the Barisan Nasional (BN) on free dinners and goodies and to print lies and falsehoods in the mainstream press in order to propagate a disgusting and morally reprehensible politics based on fear.

In many parts of the country, Pakatan won seats in areas that were previously considered as BN strongholds and took down many big BN guns in Malay majority areas.

In P36 Kuala Terengganu (89% Malay), PAS won this seat with an increased majority of 10785 votes compared to a majority of 2631 for the 2009 by-elections.

In P9 Alor Setar (61% Malay), PKR won this seat with a majority of 1873 and defeated former Minister of Housing and Local Government, Chor Chee Heung.

In P74 Lumut (51% Malay) which includes over 10,000 navy voters, PKR won this seat with a thumping majority of 8168 after narrowly losing this seat by 298 votes in 2008 and defeated former Minister of Transport, Kong Cho Ha.
Continue reading “Strongly condemn Chua Soi Lek’s ‘Two Race System’ and Najib’s ‘Chinese Tsunami’ statements as factually inaccurate, politically irresponsible and represents a great disservice to the almost 11 million voters who came out to participate in the 13th general election in record numbers”

By Tracy Quek In Gelang Patah (johor)
The Straits Times

DAP veteran beats Johor Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani by 14,000 votes
Published on May 06, 2013

VETERAN opposition leader Lim Kit Siang beat outgoing Johor Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani Othman by a huge margin of more than 14,000 votes in the hotly contested Gelang Patah parliamentary seat.

It was as much a symbolic victory for the Democratic Action Party (DAP) in the Umno-led Barisan Nasional’s stronghold as it was a personal one for 72-year- old Mr Lim. He announced he would quit his nearly five-decade political career if he lost here.

“Now that I have been given a new lease of life, it is a heavy responsibility,” he said last night, adding that he was awed by the winning margin.
Continue reading “Lim Kit Siang wins Gelang Patah seat”

BY CLARA CHOOI
ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR
May 06, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — Barisan Nasional may have lost the popular vote in Election 2013, despite being returned to power with 133 seats from the 222-seat Parliament.

With all results in, BN polled 5.220 million votes to Pakatan Rakyat’s 5.489 million, for a deficit of 269,130 votes based on calculations by The Malaysian Insider. The Election Commission has yet to release the official results.

This was proportionally down from the 4.082 million votes the coalition polled in Election 2008, against the 3.796 million that the parties of PKR, DAP, and PAS collected then.

The last time an Umno-led coalition lost the popular vote was in 1969, then contested by BN’s predecessor, the Alliance Party.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s BN survived a hard-fought polls battle in face of “Chinese tsunami” yesterday, but rival Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has vowed to fight the result following allegations of widespread fraud. Continue reading “Triumphant BN seen losing popular vote”

Anisah Shukry| May 6, 2013
Free Malaysia Today
Anisah Shukry| May
Many prominent BN leaders were positively decimated in the 2013 general election, paving the way for a fresh lineup in the cabinet.

PETALING JAYA: Despite retaining Putrajaya, Barisan Nasional yesterday suffered heavy blows when it saw several prominent leaders fall at the hands of Pakatan Rakyat.

Most notable are Federal Territories and Urban Well-being minister Raja Nong Chik Zainal, Transport minister Kong Cho Ha, and Plantation Industries and Commodities minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok.

Despite his vast financial resources and position in the cabinet, Raja Nong Chik lost Lembah Pantai by 1,847 votes to incumbent MP Nurul Izzah Anwar.

Kong lost by an overwhelming 8,168 votes in Lumut to PKR’s Mohamad Imran Abd Hamid, while PKR’ newcomer Ignatius Dorell Leiking slaughtered Bernard in Penampang by a majority of 10,216 votes. Continue reading “GE13: Big BN names defeated”

FMT Staff| May 6, 2013 FMT
Free Malaysia Today

Pakatan Rakyat candidates slayed four federal ministers – three in Sabah and one in Sarawak.

KOTA KINABALU: Pakatan Rakyat made impressive inroads in Sabah and Sarawak in the 13th general election which ended yesterday.

In 2008, Pakatan was hardly visible in these states.

As at 2am this morning, Pakatan candidates had slayed four federal ministers – three in Sabah and one in Sarawak.

They were VK Liew, Bernard Dompok and Joseph Kurup from Sabah and Yong Koon Seng from Sarawak. Continue reading “Pakatan makes ‘big’ inroads in Borneo”

FMT Staff| May 5,2013 FMT
Free Malaysia Today

Pakatan Rakyat says that it would not accept the results, blaming the EC for manipulating the polls to ensure a BN victory.

FULL REPORT

PETALING JAYA: Barisan Nasional has formed the federal government by winning 134 out of 222 seats. In 2008, it won 140 seats.

Pakatan Rakyat meanwhile won 88 seats – six more than their total in 2008.

DAP emerged as the biggest winner among Pakatan parties, romping home to win 38 seats. PKR won 29 seats while PAS brought home 21 seats.

In 2008, PKR was the biggest winner with its 31 seats, followed by DAP (28) and PAS (23). Continue reading “Final tally: BN 134, Pakatan 88”

Kuek Ser Kuang Keng
Malaysiakini
May 6, 2013

Refuting MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek’s remark that the electoral result has formed a two-race system, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang urged him not to racialise the choice of the people.

He said the labelling of the result as a “victory of the Chinese against the Malays” by Chua is a betrayal to the vision of Malaysians as well as the 1Malaysia spirit touted by BN.

NONE”It is a great disservice to the country,” he said, while asking Chua to stop his race-baiting.

Lim, who defeated former Johor Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani Othman in Gelang Patah by a whopping majority of 14,762, called a press conference after being officially announced as the winner at the tally centre in Skudai.

To back his argument, Lim said he could not obtain such a high majority without the substantial support of the Malay voters, who form 34 percent of the total voters. Continue reading “Kit Siang: don’t racialise electoral results”