Day: June 9, 2013

— The Malaysian Insider
Jun 09, 2013

JUNE 9 — Compromised. Insulting. Dangerous.

These three words describe aptly members of the Malaysian Cabinet formed following GE13.

* Compromised

Tengku Adnan Mansor is the least qualified to speak about the rule of law and following the law. This politician was found guilty by the Royal Commission of Inquiry of subverting the course of justice by trying to fix the appointment of judges.

The RCI recommended action against Tengku Adnan and five others for offences under the Sedition Act, Official Secrets Acts, Penal Code and the Legal Profession Act. The government disregarded the findings of the RCI, allowing Tengku Adnan to continue his political career. So today, he is a minister, giving him the platform to preach and lecture Malaysians, as he did when he chastised the Opposition for continuing its mass rallies.

“I would like to advise that we live in a place with law and order…we do not follow the laws of the jungle, “ he said, explaining why the police refused to grant a permit for the Opposition rally in Padang Merbok.

Can someone found guilty of subverting the rule of law talk about law and order? Can a compromised individual take the moral high ground? Continue reading “A ‘C.I.D’ Cabinet”

The 13th General Election has highlighted that the country has a very ineffective and inefficient election system which is incapable of conducting a clean, free, fair or democratic elections in the country, resulting for the first time in the nation’s 56-year history in a Prime Minister and a government whose legitimacy is under widespread doubt.

The time has come for a total revamp of the election system and the Election Commission, whose three functions should be carried out by three separate bodies.

Under the Constitution, the Election Commission has three functions, viz:

(i) To conduct elections to Parliament and the State Assemblies;
(ii) To register voters and prepare and revise electoral rolls;
(iii) To delimit constituencies.

In other democratic countries, these three functions are carried out by separate bodies and this is something we can emulate if it will lead to a cleaner, more just and fairer electoral system. Continue reading “There should be total revamp of the election system and the Election Commission, whose three functions should be carried out by three separate bodies”

Former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has shocked and outraged many Malaysians with his recent conduct where both during and after the 13GE, he had been one of the most extremist and racist voices in the country.

In the evening of his days, Mahathir should be a model Malaysian instead of being a stereotypical racist, seeking to pit the Malays against the Chinese.

Immediately after the May 5 general election results, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak talked about the need for a programme of “national reconciliation” but if there is an independent study and investigation into the speeches and statements made during and after the 13th General Elections, I have no doubt that it would be found that all the racist and chauvinist utterances, inciting racial conflict and hatred, emanate from the Umno/Barisan Nasional side whether from the UMNO/BN leaders or from their mouthpieces whether official or unofficial, like Mahathir himself.

If all the racist and chauvinistic appeals, trying to incite communal distrust and discord, whether during or after the 13GE, emanate from the UMNO/BN side, how can the UMNO/BN leaders have the temerity of trying to put the blame of worsening racial relations on Pakatan Rakyat?

In the 1999 general elections, it was the Chinese voters who saved Mahathir and UMNO from the Barisan Alternative comprising DAP, Parti Keadilan, Parti Rakyat Malaysia and PAS when Anwar was first sacked as Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister and jailed in Sungai Buloh prison. Continue reading “Mahathir should be a model Malaysian and not be a stereotypical racist in the evening of his days”

Sabah did not achieve our Pakatan Rakyat objectives of winning at least one third of the 26 parliamentary seats in Sabah so that in the three “fixed deposit” states of Sabah, Sarawak and Johore, PR can win 33 parliamentary seats to help Pakatan Rakyat to provide the final cluster of parliamentary seats to win Putrajaya for Pakatan Rakyat.

In the event, the three “fixed deposit” states of Sabah, Sarawak and Johore won for Pakatan Rakyat a total of 14 Parliamentary seats (Sabah 3, Sarawak 6 and Johore 5), out of a total of 83 seats, i.e. 16.9% instead of the 33.3% targetted.

Although this target for the three “fixed deposit” states of Sabah, Sarawak and Johore to achieve a total of 33 parliamentary seats for Pakatan Rakyat had not been realised, one ineluctable fact to emerge from the 13GE is that none of the three states of Sabah, Sarawak and Johore can now be regarded as a “fixed deposit” state for Barisan Nasional and the contest and competition for the hearts and minds of the people of Sabah, Sarawak and Johore are now fully out in the open arena.

For Sabah, a lively and strong Opposition presence has now been restored to the Sabah State Assembly after an absence of two decades, with 11 State Assemblymen (DAP 4 and PKR 7) from Pakatan Rakyat and one from Star. Continue reading “DAP leaders and members to start preparing for the 14th General Elections with two-fold objective – to effect change both at the Federal and Sabah state government levels”