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CHANGE – (a short story)

by S.R.

It was an undisputed fact that Cikgu Wong and Cikgu Wahab were the best teachers of Sekolah Kebangsaan Kampung Senik. It was also a fact that neither of them would ever be promoted to the coveted post of a headmaster. For the two scholarly gentlemen, who had taught with unwavering dedication for more than two decades, were unschooled in the art of politicking. To put it simply, Cikgu Wong and Cikgu Wahab were first class educationists and rotten bureaucrats.

Lesser individuals would have become embittered by the humiliation of being constantly passed over for promotions. Not Cikgu Wong and Cikgu Wahab. Continue reading “CHANGE – (a short story)”

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Education ministry’s tacit approval of racism in schools

— Ravinder Singh
The Malay Mail Online
November 9, 2013

The stand taken by Hashim Adnan, president of the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) and Datuk Mohd Ali Hassan, President of the National Parent-Teacher Association Collaborative Council that the Ministry of Education must issue circulars on racial issues to schools is correct and should be supported by all anti-racism persons.

They were responding to Education Minister II Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh’s defence of the racist things going on in schools by saying that school authorities should rely on their “conscience and moral realisation to know the sensitivities of other races”.

So has he let the cat out of the bag? Does he mean to say that the Education Ministry has all along been in full and tacit support of head-teachers who have been telling non-Malay students to “balik India, balik Cina”; hiding non-Malay children in toilet cafeterias during Ramadan; slaughtering cattle in school compounds in the name of Korban, etc. for these actions (and maybe more) were carried out with full “conscience and moral realisation knowing the sensitivities of other races”.

The two NGO leaders, who happen to be Malay Muslims, are rational enough to see the harm and damage that racism in schools is doing not just to the children, but to the nation itself. Instead of building good, ethnic relationships across the races, the schools that are practicing racism are building walls between the races. Is this what the government wants? Is this the much touted 1Malaysia? Continue reading “Education ministry’s tacit approval of racism in schools”

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Worst Educational Measure Ever? Making History a Compulsory Pass Subject

Koon Yew Yin
8.11.2013

The recent policy decision to make history a compulsory pass for SPM students ranks as one of the most ill-conceived and irresponsible measure ever introduced into the Malaysian educational system since we gained our independence.

According to the Second Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, the move is an effort toward teaching students to become good citizens.

“It is not our intention to fail them. We intend to pass them, but at least let them know the basic history of our country. He also said that if history is not made a compulsory-pass, many treat the subject as unimportant and they don’t want to know our history, what happened in the past and will not appreciate what we have now,” he said.

Everyone knows what a bad state Malaysian education is in. At the secondary school level standards of mathematics and science are low; fluency of Bahasa and English is poor; and knowledge of ICT and technology is limited. At the same time competence in skills such as analysis, problem solving, reasoning and communication are lacking. Continue reading “Worst Educational Measure Ever? Making History a Compulsory Pass Subject”

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Mahathir wants me dead but I pray that Mahathir will live to 100 years to see the decline and end of Mahathirism

Mahathir wants me dead and that is why he embarked on his mission in the 13th General Election to campaign in Gelang Patah to turn it into my political “burial ground”.

Before the 13th general election, Mahathir called on the people of Johore to pool their energy to ensure that the state of Johore will be my “kubur”, which elicited rapturous response from the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who declared that I was “trapped” in Gelang Patah and that I was “finished” politically.

Gelang Patah in the 13GE was my “life-and-death” political battle as I fought not just the popular four-term Johore Mentri Besar, Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, but another three UMNO stalwarts – Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Deputy Prime Minister, Muhyiddin and Malaysia’s longest-serving Prime Minister Tun Mahathir himself.

But I was prepared to put my head on the chopping block, leaving the safe parliamentary seat of Ipoh Timor which I had won in 2008 with more than 21,000-vote majority to a high-risk Gelang Patah where the MCA/BN had won with nearly 9,000-vote majority in 2008 and a humongous majority of 21,666-vote in 2004.

I want to thank members, supporters and well-wishers for their support and prayers on the night of May 5, 2013, as I have learnt from my travels throughout the country in the past half-year that they were very worried about the outcome of the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat as, just like me that night, I have no idea of the outcome and I left my political fate completely in the hands of the voters of Gelang Patah.

On that night of May 5, 2013, Mahathir lost and I won. Continue reading “Mahathir wants me dead but I pray that Mahathir will live to 100 years to see the decline and end of Mahathirism”

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Dr M: Will Kit Siang only retire when he’s dead?

By Zurairi AR
The Malay Mail Online
November 8, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — Age has not dulled his acerbic tongue as Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad continued to trade barbs with political foe Lim Kit Siang, asking the DAP adviser if he was still fearful of the shadow of a man who had retired from government a decade ago.

The former prime minister, who has repeatedly crossed swords with Lim in Parliament between 1981 and 2003, hit out at the opposition leader in his latest entry on his Chedet.cc blog yesterday, in exchange for the blows rained upon him in the run-up to the Sungai Limau by-election on Monday and immediately after the results were announced.

“Kit Siang also campaigned but it was as if DAP is still afraid of my shadows. The focus of Kit Siang was to run me down, as if I was the one contesting. Kit Siang was uncomfortable that I am still active even after my retirement,” Dr Mahathir said.

In his blog rebuttal, Dr Mahathir said he had not planned to campaign for the BN in Sungai Limau, but had decided to hit the ground for certain reasons—which he did not elaborate—and that the state seat had been part of the Kota Setar Selatan parliamentary constituency that he had represented as an MP between 1964 and 1969.

The 88-year-old Kedah-born said both he and Lim had cut their teeth on politics in 1964 but while he had passed on the government’s reins to another 10 years ago, his former parliamentary opponent chose to stay on the political battlefield.

“When will Kit Siang retire? When he is dead? Even if he retires, will he remain the DAP’s Senior Leader?” Dr Mahathir asked. Continue reading “Dr M: Will Kit Siang only retire when he’s dead?”

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Election Commission chairman doesn’t see facts!

P Ramakrishnan
Aliran
7 November 2013

It is incredulous that Election Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof is totally blind to facts. But that seems to be his speciality.

A crowd jostles for cheap essential foodstuff being sold at a BN carnival in Sungai Limau on 3 November 2013 – The Malaysian Insider pic by Zulkifli Sulong

He is unable to see the various election abuses and offences blatantly committed by the Barisan Nasional in their true perspective. He seems to be an expert in explaining away these abuses as non-electoral offences. Continue reading “Election Commission chairman doesn’t see facts!”

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Racial extremism bad for economy, warns ex-diplomat

Lawrence Yong
Malaysiakini
Nov 7, 2013

Malaysia will lose its competitive economic edge if its politics continue to cater to racial and religious extremes, a former senior diplomat warned today.

Razali Ismail, who was a diplomat for 35 years before retiring in 1998, warned that although polemics – the practise of one-sided political arguments – was inescapable in multi-racial, multi-religious Malaysia, it must not translate into a welfare state.

“If you just want to be a backwater country somewhere, that’s a different story.

“But we are in a strategic position (for economic growth) …all the differences between us have to be worked out,” Razali said at the Prime Lecture on Culture 2013, where he was invited to speak on “polemical politics” by the Tourism and Culture Ministry.

To emphasise his point, Razali cited that Malaysia’s rivals, such as Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, already woke up to global realities and are well on their way to fortifying their own economies to attract foreign investments.

During his years as a diplomat, including as ambasadors to several European counctries, he saw almost all countries he served in as seeing Malaysia as a stable country.

However, Razali added, his international friends have of late started to question the divisive goings-on in the country. Continue reading “Racial extremism bad for economy, warns ex-diplomat”

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Why did Norazita die?

– Liew Chin Tong
The Malaysian Insider
November 07, 2013

The murder robbery of Norazita Abu Talib shocked the nation. She was brutally shot in the face by a security guard who was said to possess a fake identity card. The senseless death of the Ambank officer late last month has opened yet another can of worms pertaining to our worsening crime situation.

Why did Norazita have to die like that? Let me be blunt here; yes, we can blame Umno leadership – for refusing to reform the police and for allowing cronies to run security firms.

There’s no need to cringe or get upset. Please bear with me. The facts are all there. Continue reading “Why did Norazita die?”

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Business confidence in local economy dropping, survey shows

The Malaysian Insider
November 07, 2013

Business confidence in Malaysia plummeted in the third quarter of this year as the post-election boost has vanished, according to the Global Economic Condition Survey.

In a statement issued today, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) said the survey revealed that 65% of the respondents believed conditions in the Malaysian economy were stagnating in the third quarter of this year.

This is an increase from the 55% of respondents who felt business conditions in Malaysia were deteriorating or stagnating in the second quarter of the year. Only 13% of businesses reported confidence gains in the third quarter, down from 28% in the second quarter. Continue reading “Business confidence in local economy dropping, survey shows”

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Laugh, Perkasa, and Be Effing Happy!

By Kee Thuan Chye
Yahoo! News
5/11/2013

The disclaimer at the beginning of the show tells it all: “This programme is intended for immature audiences only. This programme is NOT intended for educational purposes, merely to stimulate FUN. If you are easily offended, mudah tersinggung or terkeliru, probably best to close the window right now.”

This is That Effing Show, described by its producers as “a satirical news show that laughs, pokes fun and points out the (often) obvious and not-so-obvious absurdities of Malaysian socio-political life”. Created by a bunch of clever, creative and concerned young people, it has been coming out regularly on the web TV network PopTeeVee since 2010.

By its own description, the show is a parody of Malaysian life, done in good humour, which means it is not to be taken seriously. Those who are easily offended or confused are warned not to watch it. This being clear, the show should therefore not expect any complaints against it except aesthetic ones – like perhaps it failed to generate fun or to entertain, or that the technical production was sub-standard, or that its actors performed badly.

Perkasa, however, is taking it very seriously. The Malay rights organisation has taken exception particularly to the series’ recent segment, ‘That Effing Show #95: Allah, Apa Lagi?’, and its complaint is not on aesthetic grounds. Perkasa has even made not just one but nine police reports against it! Continue reading “Laugh, Perkasa, and Be Effing Happy!”

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Jaga-jaga, ada usaha untuk hancurkan kesepaduan Pakatan Rakyat. Karpal tidak menyeru supaya batalkan pendaftaran PAS.

Semua orang mesti berjaga-jaga memandangkan ada pihak yang sedang cuba merosakkan kesepaduan Pakatan Rakyat.

Terbaru ialah dakwaan bahawa Pengerusi Kebangsaan DAP merangkap Ahli Parlimen Bukit Gelurgor, Karpal Singh mahu pendaftaran PAS dibatalkan.

Saya telah bercakap dengan Karpal dan beliau telah menjelaskan bahawa beliau tidak langsung menyeru supaya pendaftaran PAS dibatalkan.

Beliau mengkritik Persatuan Peguam Persatuan Peguam Peguam Muslim Malaysia (PPMM) kerana mengugut Majlis Peguam lantaran sokongan yang diberikan badan tersebut terhadap akhbar mingguan Katolik, Herald; sambil menekankan bahawa demi kepentingan perpaduan nasional, badan-badan politik atau preofesional tidak wajar beroperasi dalam kerangka perkauman atau keagamaan.

Rakyat Malaysia yang rasional dan patriotik kian bertambah runsing dengan melonjaknya kadar retorika perkauman, kurangnya toleransi agama serta kebencian di negara ini. Kerisauan sebegini tidak wajar dibiar terpinggir dan diputarbelitkan dengan dakwaan-dakwaan tidak berasas kononnya Karpal mahu PAS dibatalkan pendaftarannya.
Continue reading “Jaga-jaga, ada usaha untuk hancurkan kesepaduan Pakatan Rakyat. Karpal tidak menyeru supaya batalkan pendaftaran PAS.”

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Lessons from the Chinese vote in Sungai Limau

NEWS ANALYSIS BY THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER
November 06, 2013

One of the takeaways from the Sungai Limau by-election on Monday was that some of the Chinese votes went back to Barisan Nasional (BN) although it was not enough to capture the state seat.

Politicians and analysts also noted that most of the Chinese stayed away from the by-election, presumably because most did not return for the Monday vote as it would not affect the state or federal administration.

For the record, PAS’s Mohd Azam Abdul Samat polled 12,069 votes to BN’s Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim who got 10,985. There were 27,222 registered voters but turnout was only 85.5%.

For BN, the slight increase in Chinese votes is a lifeline for parties like MCA and Gerakan which descended to the state seat to prove their vigour after the major setback of Election 2013. Continue reading “Lessons from the Chinese vote in Sungai Limau”

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Umno kalah teruk dan MCA menang besar dalam pilihanraya kecil Sungai Limau?

Jika kita berpegang dengan dakwaan pemimpin MCA, Umno telah kalah teruk dan MCA pula menang besar dalam pilihanraya kecil Sungai Limau Isnin lalu.

Namun apakah kita boleh percaya kepada dakwaan para pemimpin MCA?

Pimpinan MCA, termasuk Dr. Leong Yong Kong yang disebut-sebut akan dilantik sebagai Exco Kerajaan Negeri Kedah, telah memberitahu media berbahasa Cina bahawa Barisan Nasional berjaya meraih 75.27% undi kaum Cina, iaitu 892 dari 1,185 undi daripada kaum Cina dan bahawa BN gagal meraih walau satu undi tambahan daripada Melayu dalam pilihanraya kecil tersebut.

Ini bererti terdapat peningkatan 732 undi Cina untuk BN berbanding dalam pilihanraya umum ke-13, memandangkan sebelum ini MCA mendakwa BN mendapat hanya 10% dari 1,600 undi Cina pada 5 Mei 2013, iaitu hanya sekitar 892 hingga 160 undi.

Walaupun BN telah berbelanja lebih RM15 juta, calon Barisan Nasional Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim hanya berjaya menambah 465 undi untuk BN dalam pilihanraya kecil kali ini berbanding piihanraya umum yang lalu, iaitu 10,985 undi dalam pilihanraya kecil, berbanding 10,520 undi dalam PRU13.

Jika kita berpegang dengan dakwaan pemimpin MCA yang menyebut bahawa BN mendapat tambahan lebih 732 undi Cina dalam pilihanraya kecil kali ini berbanding PRU13, ertinya BN kehilangan sekurang-kurangnya 267 undi Melayu.
Continue reading “Umno kalah teruk dan MCA menang besar dalam pilihanraya kecil Sungai Limau?”

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Beware of people trying to wreck unity of Pakatan Rakyat as Karpal did not call for the deregistration of PAS

All should beware of people trying to wreck the unity of Pakatan Rakyat.

The latest is the allegation that DAP National Chairman and MP for Bukit Gelugor Karpal Singh wants PAS to be deregistered.

I spoke to Karpal and he made it clear that he did not call for the deregistration of PAS.

He was criticising the Muslim Lawyers’ Association (MLA) for threatening the Bar Council over its support for Catholic weekly Herald, stressing that in the interests of national unity, political or professional bodies should not operate along racial and religious lines.

Rational and patriotic Malaysians have been increasingly concerned by the escalation of the rhetoric of racial and religious intolerance and hatred in the country, and this concern should not be allowed to be sidelined and distorted by baseless allegations like Karpal calling for the deregistration of PAS. Continue reading “Beware of people trying to wreck unity of Pakatan Rakyat as Karpal did not call for the deregistration of PAS”

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UMNO biggest loser and MCA biggest winner in Sungai Limau by-election?

If MCA leaders are to be believed, UMNO is the biggest loser and MCA the biggest winner in the Sungai Limau by-election on Monday.

Are MCA leaders to be believed?

MCA leaders, including the Kedah State Exco-designate Dr. Leong Yong Kong had told Chinese media that Barisan Nasional secured 75.27% of the Chinese votes, i.e. 892 out of 1,185 Chinese votes cast and that BN did not win a single extra Malay vote in the by-election.

This is an increase of over 732 Chinese votes cast for the BN in the 13th general elections, as MCA claims that BN did not secure more than 10% of the 1,600 Chinese votes on May 5, 2013, i.e. from 892 – 160.

But the Barisan Nasional candidate, Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim, despite BN’s expenditure of over RM15 million, only managed to get an additional 465 votes in the by-election as compared to the general elections. i.e. 10,985 votes in the by-election as compared to RM10,520 votes in the 13GE. Continue reading “UMNO biggest loser and MCA biggest winner in Sungai Limau by-election?”

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A critique of the 2014 Budget Speech

by Budget analyst

A careful analysis of the 2014 Budget Speech by the Prime Minister-cum-Finance Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is most revealing and disappointing as there is little by way of an exposition of the challenges the economy faces.

The customary presentation of data on the performance, in the current year and prospects in the year ahead, are matters that are dismissed in a few perfunctory sentences.

The speech gives little information on basic macro-economic assumptions used in basing the revenue and expenditure forecasts that make up the Budget.

The speech gives no hint of how the Government proposes to deal with the less than robust external environment in which the key Malaysian export markets – China, US, the EURO zone – will continue to record sluggish demand.

The price for Malaysian oil and gas are likely to be weaker because of increasing supply from US shale oil and the re-entry of Iranian oil into global markets. With greater supply and lower demand, prices are likely to be lower. Malaysian oil and gas exports will undoubtedly feel the impact. Continue reading “A critique of the 2014 Budget Speech”

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Sungai Limau: Winners and losers

by Zulkifli Sulong, Features and Analysis Editor
The Malaysian Insider
November 05, 2013

Datuk Mahfuz Omar must have been the happiest man in Kedah last night. Yesterday’s by-election which saw PAS retaining the Sungai Limau state seat was Mahfuz’s first since being appointed the Kedah PAS commissioner. On the other hand, Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir is a man in grief. He led the Barisan Nasional charge and lost, the second blow for him after losing the Umno vice-presidential race weeks earlier.

The following are the winners and losers of the Sungai Limau by-election.

Winners

1. PAS

PAS leaders and supporters in the country are certainly delighted with the win. It goes without saying that numerous parties and functions will be held to celebrate the win. The win may have helped alleviate tensions within the PAS leadership ahead of the upcoming PAS Muktamar from November 22 to 24, 2013.

2. Datuk Mahfuz Omar

The newly-minted state commissioner is a big winner. He had just taken over the position after the 13th general election when the late Tan Sri Azizan Razak was undergoing treatment in Penang.

The win will cement his role in Kedah and also boost his chances at the PAS Muktamar as he defends his vice-presidency. Despite earlier talks that Mahfuz was in danger of losing, Mahfuz’s win at the party polls looks like a sure bet. Continue reading “Sungai Limau: Winners and losers”

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Sungai Limau by-election results: Is this the end of Mahathirism?

by Sheridan Mahavera
The Malaysian Insider
November 05, 2013

Analysts say he might have played a role in swaying voters who were still undecided on voting day. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Najjua Zulkefli, November 5, 2013.

When Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad descended on Sungai Limau during the last hours of campaigning on November 3, one longtime PAS activist from Alor Star described it as a “relief”.

“Many people in Sungai Limau come from a religious education background,” said the activist, referring to the community of teachers, students and parents involved in the area’s clutch of private and public Islamic schools, which are nationally renowned.

“They still remember how Mahathir used to run down PAS and our Islamic state concept,” said the activist of the former prime minister’s endless tirades against PAS in the few years before he resigned in 2003.

PAS and its Islamist credentials were a regular target of Dr Mahathir’s biting criticism especially after the party gained control of the Terengganu government and made major inroads into Kedah in the 1999 general election.

So it was almost like poetic justice when Dr Mahathir came down to canvass votes for Barisan Nasional from the people he had once slighted. Continue reading “Sungai Limau by-election results: Is this the end of Mahathirism?”

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BN loss in Sungai Limau signals Dr M’s waning influence, says DAP

By Opalyn Mok
The Malay Mail Online
November 5, 2013

YAN, Nov 5 — PAS’s reduced majority in yesterday’s Sungai Limau by-election took no skin off the Islamist party but spells a setback for the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) that had been banking on Kedah-born Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s name and his scion to sail through the polls, DAP leaders have said.

DAP Kedah interim chief Zairil Khir Johari and the opposition party’s adviser Lim Kit Siang insisted that PAS’s success in keeping the Kedah state seat was a major blow to the BN’s mighty machinery under the leadership of its Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, son of Malaysia’s longest-serving former prime minister, whom they claimed had followed his father’s style and pulled out all the stops in his bid to wrest Sungai Limau.

“It is clear that Mahathir’s influence has receded with this win,” Zairil, the son of a former Umno minister, told The Malay Mail Online last night after the official results announced a PAS victory by a lowered 1,084-vote margin. Continue reading “BN loss in Sungai Limau signals Dr M’s waning influence, says DAP”

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Tweets on Sg Limau by-election

@limkitsiang

Nov 04, 6:05pm
85.5 per cent voter turnout in Sg Limau (23,249 voters) goo.gl/LpNMeR Sg Limau: Polling centres closed, high voter turnout (FMT)

Nov 04, 7:57pm
Latest report: PAS has won hard-fought Sungai Limau. Zairil said Counting Centre full of PR/PAS ppl with none from BN. Best indication

Nov 04, 8:04pm
Indications are PAS has won with reduced majority but more than the 500-vote majority Mahfuz had estimated. Significant victory nonetheless.

Nov 04, 8:17pm
Unofficial 1,201-vote PAS majority in Sungai Limau by-election

Nov 04, 8:32pm
Final off majority may be slightly less. Congrats 2all PAS/PR leaders 4the victory, in particular Hadi/Sabu/Mahfuz/Hatta n new SA Mohd Azam

Nov 04, 8:55pm
Zairil reports official results of Sungai Limau by-election – PAS wins with 1,084 majority. PAS secures 12,069 votes. BN gets 10,985 votes.

Nov 04, 9:03pm
Phoned Mahfuz 2congratulate PAS 4significant PR victory in Sg Limau by-election. Must be 1st PAS by-election win hailed by all races in Msia

Nov 04, 9:07pm
PAS/PR victory agnst might of BN Fed/State govt machinery n money politics great inspiration 4″From Sg Limau to Putrajaya” campaign in 14GE

Nov 04, 9:16pm
But person who suffered greatest blow in by-election is none other than Dr Mahathir – 3rd setback in 6 mths after 13GE and UMNO party polls.