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Malaysia PM tightens grip on ruling party after critic toppled

Michael Peel in Bangkok
Financial Times
February 3, 2016

Najib Razak, Malaysia’s prime minister, tightened his grip on the country’s ruling party on Wednesday after the son of his predecessor, was toppled for what he claimed was criticism of the premier’s involvement in a financial scandal.

Mukhriz Mahathir, son of Mr Razak’s most high-profile critic Mahathir Mohamad, quit as chief minister of the northern state of Kedah after losing the support of his state assembly.

Analysts see Mr Mukhriz’s removal as another sign of Mr Najib’s political strength, despite the efforts of a clutch of senior figures and opposition parties to unseat him.

“It’s revenge for Mahathir Mohamad going against Najib,” said James Chin, director of the Asia institute at the University of Tasmania, who added that Mr Mukhriz was also seen as having performed badly during his three years in office. “Mukhriz had supported his father against the prime minister.” Continue reading “Malaysia PM tightens grip on ruling party after critic toppled”

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PM left red nosed by censorship protest

BBC Trending
Blog by : Tse Yin Lee , BBC Monitoring

A portrait that probably won’t grace the walls of the prime minister’s office

When Malaysian police warned activist and graphic designer Fahmi Reza that his Twitter account was under surveillance after he posted an image of the prime minister, Najib Razak, as a clown, they probably hoped such behaviour would stop.

But then members of an art collective, Grupa posted even more clownish images of the premier to express their solidarity with him and to champion the ideal of free speech.

The pictures have spread across social media with the hashtag #KitaSemuaPenghasut which translates as “we are all seditious”.

Fahmi’s mockery of the prime minister was part of a wider reaction to news last week, when the country’s attorney-general cleared Mr Najib of any corruption relating to a long-running financial scandal.
Continue reading “PM left red nosed by censorship protest”

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Is Najib getting stronger and stronger with scandal after scandal?

The embattled Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib has won another victory with the toppling of Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir as Kedah Mentri Besar and his replacement by Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah.

With a State Assembly of 36 State Assembly representatives, 21 from Barisan Nasional and 15 from the Opposition comprising PAS 8, PKR 4, DAP 2 and Amanah 1, Mukhriz’s position as Kedah Mentri Besar would be untouchable if he could secure the support of at least four UMNO/BN Assembly representatives (including himself).

This is because with 17 out of 36 State Assembly votes, the Bashah faction would not be able to muster the necessary majority to force a change of the Mentri Besar without convening a State Assembly meeting for a vote-of-confidence vote.

The UMNO/BN machination to get rid of Mukhriz as Kedah Mentri Besar must ensure that it collectively commands 18 votes, as in a 18-18 tie, the un-elected Speaker would be able to cast his vote on the side of the Bashah group to topple Mukhriz.

Any other scenario would be unthinkable, as it would mean that Mukhriz had been forced to step down as Mentri Besar by a minority of UMNO/BN Assembly representatives.

It is indeed a great paradox in Malaysian politics, that Najib seems to be getting stronger and stronger despite “scandal after scandal”. Continue reading “Is Najib getting stronger and stronger with scandal after scandal?”

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Najib, Malaysia’s Teflon PM

– James Chin
The Malaysian Insider
3 February 2016

For the past three years, every political pundit in Malaysia has been asked a simple question: when will Datuk Seri Najib Razak be replaced?

A year ago, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the fourth and longest-serving prime minister, in power from 1981 to 2003, was gung-ho about his ability to get rid of Najib.

After all, it is on the public record that Dr Mahathir was largely responsible for the political demise of the first and fifth prime ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. There was no reason to think that he could not secure the trifecta, so to speak. Continue reading “Najib, Malaysia’s Teflon PM”

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Bashah should produce his SPM certificate before the swearing-in ceremony to end once-and-for-all the rigmarole about whether he has SRP or SPM qualification

I am really baffled.

Is the Department of Special Affairs (Jasa) official, Lokman Noor Adam helping or hindering Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah, the Kedah Mentri Besar-designate, when raising the controversy whether the latter only has Sijil Rendah Pelajaran (SRP) or Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) qualification?

Bashah should produce his SPM certificate before the swearing-in ceremony today to end once-and-for-all the rather undignified rigmarole about whether he has SRP or SPM qualifications.

Unless Bashah could not produce any SPM certificate at all! Continue reading “Bashah should produce his SPM certificate before the swearing-in ceremony to end once-and-for-all the rigmarole about whether he has SRP or SPM qualification”