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Malaysia in second day of protests against PM Najib Razak

BBC
30th August 2015

Tens of thousands of Malaysians are expected to protest for a second day in Kuala Lumpur, calling for PM Najib Razak to quit over a financial scandal.
On Saturday, crowds were undeterred by a heavy presence of police who had called the protests illegal.

Protesters are angered by a $700m (£455m) payment made to Mr Razak’s bank account from unnamed foreign donors.

He has denied any wrongdoing. He said protesters were tarnishing Malaysia’s image.

Police estimated 25,000 people participated in Saturday’s demonstration, while Bersih – the pro-democracy group behind the rally – said 200,000 took part at the peak. Continue reading “Malaysia in second day of protests against PM Najib Razak”

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Five things different in Day One of Bersih 4

COMMENTARY BY THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER
30 August 2015

Thousands gathered at five points in Kuala Lumpur yesterday to converge around Dataran Merdeka, the iconic field that first witnessed Malaya’s new flag in 1957 and now home to the National Day parade.

It was Day One of Bersih 4, or the fourth rally organised by the coalition for free and fair elections Bersih 2.0. Most turned up in the familiar yellow T-shirt with the words Bersih on it, some with the numbers 3 from the previous rally in 2012, but most with 4 for the current one.

They bravely wore it, although the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) had banned the combination of yellow clothing with the words Bersih 4.

After all, the government had done the same in 2011 for Bersih 2.

Unlike previous rallies, Bersih 4 has been quite different. It was planned for 34 hours and held in at least three Malaysian cities – capital city Kuala Lumpur and state capitals Kota Kinabalu in Sabah and Kuching in Sarawak.

Here are five things that are different in Day One of Bersih 4 from previous rallies. Continue reading “Five things different in Day One of Bersih 4”

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At least five Tuns think Najib should step down as Prime Minister – how many Tan Sris are of such thinking?

Yesterday, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said Umno needs more leaders and prospective leaders who are likeable and adaptable so that they can suit themselves to the environment and the people to ensure the party’s victory in the next general election.

As a result, I specially went through the 19 UMNO leaders in the 37-strong Najib Cabinet, and it is difficult to find more than one person who might qualify to be “likeable and adaptable” who can save UMNO from doom in the 14GE – the Minister for International Trade and Industry Datuk Mustapha Mohamad, but who is so sidelined from the centre of UMNO power politics that he cannot even save UMNO from PAS in Kelantan state general elections.

Until three months ago, second Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah might have qualified to be a “likeable and adaptable” UMNO leader to win back UMNO support, but he has proved to be so malleable as Cabinet spokeman for the RM50 billion 1MDB scandal (according to Tan Sri Muhyiddin in his last speech as Deputy Prime Minister to the UMNO Cheras Division on July 26, 2015) that he blotted his copybook and his credibility as a honest and trustworthy politician is in tatters.

It is indeed ironic that Najib is now talking about the need to have “likeable and adaptable” UMNO leaders to win back popular support for UMNO in 14GE when in his recent Cabinet reshuffle after sacking Muhyiddin as DPM and Shafie Apdal as Rural and Regional Development Minister, he promoted into the Cabinet or increased their public profile and importance in the Najib government people who are the very antithesis of his definition of “likeable and adaptable” leaders who can win back lost popular support for UMNO. Continue reading “At least five Tuns think Najib should step down as Prime Minister – how many Tan Sris are of such thinking?”