Will Mahathir be proven right that Taib could be another Wan Mohtar losing power in Sarawak because he refuses to step down after 30 years as Chief Minister?

Can former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad be proven right when he cryptically advised Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud to “learn from history” in deciding when to step down, citing the case of “one MB who insisted he should continue, and lost the whole state”?

Mahathir was of course referring to the case of Tan Sri Wan Mokhtar Ahmad who was Mentri Besar of Terengganu for 25 years from 1974 to 1999 and was ignominiously evicted from office when Barisan Nasional suffered an electoral rout of 4 – 28 state assembly seats to PAS in the 1999 general elections.

Has Taib overstayed as Sarawak Chief Minister marking his 30th anniversary in office this year?

There can be no doubt that the question of getting Taib to step down as Chief Minister is the single most potent weapon and burning issue against the Barisan Nasional in the 10th Sarawak state general elections, uniting Sarawakians regardless of race or religion throughout the state not because of Taib’s age, the length of his tenure as Chief Minister but because of the lack of accountability, transparency and good governance under Taib’s Chief Ministership illustrated by the mountain of allegations on abuses of power and rampant corruption under his rule which he has not been able to rebut.

It is not that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is not aware of Sarawak Barisan Nasional’s Achilees heel but even he is impotent as far as getting Taib to step down as Chief Minister.

All Najib’s attempts to tie Taib down to an early date to step down had been fobbed off and foiled by the Chief Minister and there is nothing the Prime Minister could do about it.

For instance, when Najib “closed down” Putrajaya for six days and led his entire Cabinet to Sarawak to campaign in the Sarawak state general elections on Sunday, his first message was to assure Sarawakians that a change in the state leadership was imminent.

But Taib refused to “play ball” and made it very clear in Najib’s presence the next day that he was not planning any “imminent” stepping down as Chief Minister, as his time frame is “in a few years’ time”.

“A few years’ time” is not one or two years but at least three years and could even be four or five years!

On Tuesday, Taib even said that he had identified his successor as Sarawak Chief Minister and that he had been grooming his successor for 20 years!

This must rank as the greatest political mystery of the century as no one knows that Taib had been grooming his successor for 20 years – not even Taib or the candidate himself!

Yesterday, Taib vacillated talking at first about “two, three years” and later “two years” as the timeframe of his stepping down after Saturday’s state general elections.

Clearly, it is still very elastic to Taib as to the timeframe of his stepping down as Sarawak Chief Minister and depending on the outcome of Saturday’s polls, it could still range from two, three to four and even five years!

Of course, there is no question of Taib’s remaining as Chief Minister if Mahathir’s warning come true on Saturday and Barisan Nasional loses power with Pakatan Rakyat winning over half of the 71 State Assembly seats.

There are those who believe that Barisan Nasional will be voted out of power in April 16 general elections.

I am more inclined to the second scenario of denying the Barisan Nasional two-thirds State Assembly majority – although the first scenario of Barisan Nasional losing power in Sarawak through the ballot box is no more an unthinkable and impossible objective.

To deny the Barisan Nasional two-thirds majority in the Sarawak State Assembly, Pakatan Rakyat must win at least 24 out of the total of 71 State Assembly seats in Sarawak.

From the ferment and effervescence in Sarawak, the air of freedom of liberation evident among the people during the campaign, it is clear that something is in the works on Saturday affecting the political future of Sarawak and Malaysia.

The goal of denying the Barisan Nasional two-thirds State Assembly majority is eminently achievable which would in fact be the worst defeat in the history of Barisan Nasional.

There is no way Taib could continue as Chief Minister if he loses two-thirds state assembly majority on Saturday as this would impact most adversely on Najib’s political future and in particular for the long-delayed 13th national elections.

Although the electoral prospects for the 15 seats contested by the DAP are ever optimistic and positive by the day, I want to warn and caution all the 15 DAP candidates and election workers that we cannot be assured of victory in anyone of the seats until the votes are counted on Saturday evening and the results announced.

In the one-and-a-half days to polling, Barisan Nasional will go all out to “steal” the 10th Sarawak state general elections with their department of “dirty tricks” working 24/7.

In Kuching, SUPP leaders have declared that they are confident of winning in all the four state seats contested by DAP – Padungan, Pending, Kota Sentosa and Batu Kawah.

We must not take SUPP and Barisan Nasional boasts lightly and I call on all the four DAP candidates in Kuching as well as all the 15 DAP candidates in Sarawak and all voters, supporters and well-wishers to adopt a common approach – that no victory in any constituency is assured until the votes are counted and victory declared, and till then, an all-out effort must be launched to get out every single available vote on Saturday to usher in political change in Sarawak and Malaysia.

45 Replies to “Will Mahathir be proven right that Taib could be another Wan Mohtar losing power in Sarawak because he refuses to step down after 30 years as Chief Minister?”

  1. The moments have come

    For those Justice, Righteous, people out there in Sarawak

    We must believe Malaysia should be a land of JUSTICE and RIGHTEOUS, FREEDOM OF RELIGIONS

    For the first time the moment of glory CHANGE / UBAH have waited over 30 years, have come to the shore of SARAWAK, people of SARAWAK have a chance to make into MALAYSIA History to turn the VOTE into JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUS, to stop the Injustice in our land from the corrupted politicians, continue to rob our native lands, continue to steal our tax money, continue to cheat us into believing their empty promises LIES

    We must stretch across all the corners from far to near, from sea to mountains VOICE OF JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUS, your family, your friends, your brothers and sisters, from young to old

    To send a message across all the corners we are already to UBAH VOTE FOR CHANGE

    OUR LAND MALAYSIA will always be JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUS, FREEDOM OF RELIGIONS

    It is the dream of all righteous Malaysians for so long over 50 years who have been cheated by so many corrupted politician liars

    On 16 April, we can achieve to put our hands on the MALAYSIA HISTORY and make a brighter future for all MALAYSIANS

    They have waited LONG TIME, on the 16 April because of your determined of JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUS, what you did VOTE FOR CHANGE, the moment of CHANGE have come to Malaysia for a brighter future

    We have seen the CHANGE in our industrial states SELANGOR and PENANG, these two states are our most advance industrial states in Malaysia, the people out there are highly educated and high income, they were brave to elected the PAKATAN RAKYAT (opposition) to rendered their leaders courage, justice and selfless government administration

    We should thank to PAKATAN RAKYAT (opposition) leaders their brave, tireless, selfless to campaigned from their hearts, spoken to Sarawak people from urban to rural, for the love of JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUS, for the crying voices of helpless poor natives in loss of their ancestor lands, we should grateful to them

    The Malaysia History of CHANGE would not be happen without the SARAWAK people love of JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUS

    All Malaysians will never forget, the victory of CHANGE of Malaysia History will belong to SARAWAK people, UBAH VOTE FOR CHANGE

    And we Malaysians know you did it not just to win a state election, you did it because you want to bring JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUS to all Malaysians

    You did it because you understand Malaysia is urgently need a justice, selfless and fairness government administrators

    There are people in rural lives without water and electricity without job, without income and wonder how they going to feed their children tomorrow and worst their ancestor land have robbed by corrupted politicians

    There are new jobs need to be created, there are new roads need to build, there are new schools need to build

    The job ahead will be long not within a year or a term, but the PAKATAN RAKYAT (opposition) promise to get you there

    They (PAKATAN RAKYAT) will be honest along the road ahead, and listen to you when you disagree.

    They (PAKATAN RAKYAT) will be fairness, justice and selfless to work with you, ask you to build with them the works of the state, roads by roads, bricks by bricks, hands by hands

    The UBAH/VOTE FOR CHANGE is the only chance to offer us to bring a HOPE of JUSTICE, SELFLESS government administrators to Malaysia

    It will NOT happen if we continue vote the corrupted politicians as the government administrators

    It will not happen without you, without your brave, without your courage, without your VOTE FOR CHANGE

    Let call up patriotism love of JUSTICE and RIGHTEOUS among the people near you and friends, from the sea to mountain, not for just to vote ourselves but VOTE for a BRIGHTER FUTURE for each other for a JUSTICE, SELFLESS governors

    Let’s us resist the temptation of the CORRUPTED POLITICIANS empty promises to fall back with their lies that has poisoned us for over 30 years

    Let’s the Malaysia History remember, it was the people of SARAWAK carried UBAH VOTE FOR CHANGE as the voice raised against the corrupted politicians, it will be the VOICE called out to free Malaysians from the corrupted politicians

    Make the world believe that Malaysia can UBAH/CHANGE, can be perfect.

    What we UBAH VOTE FOR CHANGE can give us HOPE of the BRIGHTER FUTURE for many generations to come in Sarawak and Malaysia.

    Let’s the 10th Sarawak election will be told for many generations to come that the people of SARAWAK cast their ballot in 16 April 2011 they stood up as one voice to make their voices in this election to be heard for one thing UBAH VOTE FOR CHANGE

    The voice of JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUS was silence and dismissed by the corrupted politicians many years. We shall stand up let the voice to speak out and reach for the ballot.

    Yes, we can UBAH VOTE FOR CHANGE

    The world saw the people of SARAWAK conquer FEAR and TEMPTATION from corrupted poltician governors for a new bright future of UBAH VOTE FOR CHANGE for a JUSTICE, SELFLESS governors PAKATAN RAKYAT(opposition)

    On 16 April, when you are casting you vote, you know you can UBAH VOTE FOR CHANGE for a JUSTICE and RIGTHEOUS a BRIGHTER FUTURE for your children, your family, your friends and all the people in Malaysia,

    On 16 April, will be our chance to answer that call voice of JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUS,

    It will be our moment to cast our vote to answer our dream of a land for Malaysia JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUS, FREEDOM OF RELIGIONS, for a JUSTICE, SELFLESS government administrators.

    To free ourselves from the corrupted politicians, open the doors of JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUS for our children, to reclaim our ancestor dream of PEACE, JUSTICE AND RIGHTEOUS for SARAWAK and MALAYSIA.

    Yes. We can UBAH … VOTE FOR CHANGE

    —————————-
    Hope this voice can reach from shore to mountain
    Help / Feel free to spread this voice

  2. One day Najib praised Taib as UMNO B security blanket.
    Next day blame him…if Sarawak falls.
    White Hair Bomoh must be hopping mad….to see Mamak teaching him.
    Yes…these weird bed fellas are blaming each other.
    Their false titles and billions stolen to make family filthy rich..made these three like incurable drug addicts.

  3. Dear Sarawakians – Please vote wisely otherwise there will not be another chance – 30 years of hardships is too long a time to bear – make 416 a historical day in east malaysia – the day most of our fellow malaysians hope to see Pakatan forms the state govt after this election

  4. ///I am more inclined to the second scenario of denying the Barisan Nasional two-thirds State Assembly majority///

    We are unsure how BN vote-buying will affect the voting result. It was reported that a vote can be bought at RM1,000!

  5. Yo man!Sarawakian,this 416 will be your and our precious moment to decide a better future for us.I don’t care if you have to walk,crawl,swim or probably ride on the hornbill,’JUST’ ‘JUST’ make sure you be there to punish BN by rejecting it without the slightest doubt in your head.We must unite against the tyrant and corrupted leaders.Show them we have more power by voting them out.And lastly say hallo for me to soiled leg.Wonder if his next series of the infamous cd is out already?-don’t mind ask this for me as well.

  6. We have been fooled far too long by this idiotic and sickening racist leaders.They love fool.Now it’s time we wake up and make fool of them.Fart them hard on their faces and don’t forget to say bye-bye to them for good.Go for CHANGE by voting PR!

  7. If what Mamakthir said turns out to be true then we should thank Taib for his stand. It is BN that is more dangerous, and Taib should help BN lose Putrajaya for a rebirth of Malaysia including Sarawak.

  8. -RPK: Anwar has lost credibility
    -PM thankful truth revealed over Altantuya murder allegations
    -Police have identified man in sex video, says IGP
    -Khalid is new Deputy IGP

    Just look at the headlines today. It’s just so sickening to see how the whole country is going down the gutter through UMNO’s manipulation of the police, judiciary, EC and people who are willing to betray others because of monetary gain.

  9. UmnoBN’s “secret weapon” finally revealed!
    RPK finally got trapped by Deepak and caught by the balls.
    No choice except to join Umno gang to betray Anwar.
    Police finally revealed the actor in the sex video and taken statement from china doll as well.
    Will finally reveal the identity as, you know who!
    In her statement to the police, china doll will also admit that it was, you know who!
    And finally, omega watch will also be trace to, you know who!
    Such a good timing indeed!
    Anyway, there’s nothing much to panic about because, as I’ve always said, everything will backfire.
    Who knows whether the photo of Najib and Razak Baginda with Altantuya will suddenly pop up at any time.
    In this country, anything is possible!

  10. UmnoBN’s “secret weapon” finally revealed!
    RPK finally got trapped by Deepak and caught by the b@lls.
    No choice except to join Umno gang to betray Anwar.
    Police finally revealed the actor in the sex video and taken statement from china doll as well.
    Will finally reveal the identity as, you know who!
    In her statement to the police, china doll will also admit that it was, you know who!
    And finally, omega watch will also be trace to, you know who!
    Such a good timing indeed!
    Anyway, there’s nothing much to panic about because, as I’ve always said, everything will backfire.
    Who knows whether the photo of Najib and Razak Baginda with Altantuya will suddenly pop up at any time.
    In this country, anything is possible!

  11. See how RPK spinned his storeys in Mk from one stage to 100 storey stages(mega towel),next onto and above twin-towel,Dr.Spin’s signature towel.Bravo..mama mia.If that’s the right stated statement,60 % truth,40 % lies contrary to the previous perception of ruling government,then ask him to explain all those contrary to to judge himself and be judged by all at public.Don’t shame yourself further!!!

  12. after election is over in sarawak.
    do have a look at malaysian indian problems in peninsular. seems many are not happy after voting “pr”. poison words have been spreading around to confused them.

    salam…

  13. And White Hair said he have been grooming his successor for 20 years.
    I guess from Std One….waiting to pass off from U in few years time.
    Who is that lucky fellow getting so much attentions?
    Maybe a clone..like AVATAR…not yet felly developed.
    20 years…and not one Sarawakian or his party members know who he is.
    WOW…need such a long time to train a replacement.
    When nature demands him to stop fooling Malaysians and forced to retire because turning to be a vegetable….he will say his student proven to be useless….and now leave it to his party to choose a successor….to be the best Opposition party leader.
    Yes…after 16th April….no 2/3 or loose control totally.
    Which ever way…he will become a show piece like Najib.

  14. Are camera phones allowed by law in polling booths? Voters are using them to record whom they vote for by snapping an image of the ballot slip and then show it as proof to claim their RM1,000 from BN. Gaddafi and Kim Jong-il will soon allow direct elections in North Korea because camera phones would allow them to know exactly oppose their regimes. What a mockery of democracy!

  15. Taib is raising himself as the next successor. Or like mamak, is keen to get one of his son to be cm. Wonder what his 30-40 years old siblings will call taib’s new 27 years old wife? mommy? this is like keluarga 69 p ramlee’s movie.

  16. You say (1) denying BN 2/3 is more achievable than dislodging it (2) “lack of accountability, transparency and good governance under Taib’s Chief Ministership” is “single most potent weapon and burning issue against the BN in the 10th Sarawak state elections uniting all Sarawakians and (3) even PM is “impotent as far as getting Taib to step down as Chief Minister”
    Statement (3) is correct. Statement (1) is Ok but it also depends on the extent by which statement (2) is true or not true. Long tenure of bad governance unites (perhaps) Sarawak urban constituents that afford best electoral chances to Opposition and DAP in particular. But does that extend to a burning issue for all Sarawakians (including rural Chinese minority constituencies)?
    Abuse of power & lack of good governance, though on a standalone basis is a supposedly relevant consideration against Taib’s administration, may not be the factor most powerfully uniting of Sarawakians on emotional or unconscious sublimal level.

  17. The overarching uniting factor is actually keeping West Malaysians (whether from BN – and especially UMNO or even PR) out of Sarawak. They don’t want to follow fate of Sabah, inundated by “foreigner” due to Project IC, or more pointedly Project M or whatever name called.

    If statement (3) is correct, the independence of ‘Pek Moh’ from UMNO president/PM, and by extension the independence from Semenanjung’s politics based on race/religion. This means unlike Sabah there will neither be Project IC, M or whatever to corrupt the Sarawak’s cultural/socio economic status quo.

    As a trade off many Sarawakian voters might just turn a blind eye to corruption/abuse of power provided it is corruption and abuse of power by their very own Sarawakian political elites (in name connected BN but actually “independent”) – as long as the abuser and ruler is not a Semenanjung politician, whether he is from BN or Opposition – and as long as they get distributed some of the spoils of corruption during election time!

  18. Democracy is not something that will just happen – and presto Change for the Better comes – just because of a few riveting speeches during election time by an orator like Anwar or Kit Siang on abuse /corruption of the Ruling Coalition!

    Even if the mood for change in Middle East may awaken some of us it does not mean that many of us so awakened will not just as easily slip back to sleep and comatose….!

  19. Democracy and a feeling of anathema against Corruption and power abuse can sustain itself if it were an ongoing building process involving collaborative participation of not only rakyat but also certain elites placing overarching cultural value on the principle of integrity above money allurements.

    Unfortunately for us – as Negarawan above pointed out – “people are willing to betray others because of monetary gain”.

    If our priority were always (culturally) Money/Power – and we keep embracing the parochialism of race religion and also geography (in respect of East/West Malaysian divide) as an expedience to obtain sustain and justify the ends of Money/Power, we will always sleep, and not get out of this dark tunnel to see the light of day!

  20. “Just like there are Natural Laws that govern nature (such as gravity), there are other Laws which govern all that happens in the universe. From the spiritual to the physical to the mental, everything that happens does so according to Law.”

  21. One cannot love integrity as a principle unless one also loves truth above lies and hypocrisy which are essential tools of corruption, power abuse and oppression of others ….

    And yes I agree that what RPK aboutface turn in Down Under has done is to deal a fatal blow to his own integrity, and wiped out and canceled all the good he has done for the Malaysian Cause, or or that matter the Cause of Truth. This is very sad. He has given up the fight. It is not easy to kowtim the guy. Kudod to Najib. Maybe RPK also does it for his son (in incarceration).

  22. In MalaysiaToday RPK says that his remarks in RTM3 won’t affect Sarawak elections…What he does not address is this crucial point: MalaysiaToday is a citizen blog/journalism. It is first principle of journalism – in mission to ferret out truth – is never compromise your sources, and people are willing to go to jail (in WaterGate) than to disclose sources. Here he has disclosed and pointed his finger at, nay implicated, with alacrity Din Merican and others connected to Anwar. If you are not confident of the veracity of what your informers say, why the hell you post it in an infleuntial blog? Is it an act of utter irresponsbility to post defamatory contents without caring if they were true, and after that implicate your informers/sources? Bloody stupid excuse!

  23. After casting their votes in favour of Taib, the Dayaks find to their astonishment that they had been given “new” currency notes(worth billions but can only be used in the hereafter)–http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/cartoon-20110412.jpg

  24. A lot of deals have been struck and a lot more are in the pipeline. All of these were arranged of course on the blind confidence that his time in office is infinitely stretchable. That is the only sensible explanation on why he is not able to up himself and go. Needless to say those deals, whether already struck or in the pipeline, are worth billions and billions of dollars.

  25. Honestly, the simple answer is NO. Wan Mohtar did overstay but he was swept by reformasi/anti-Mahathir wave. Terengganu politics is different, its hugely feudal with no one dominating the way Taib has.

    Its more accurate to compare Taib with Mahathir. If Mahathir could not be rid off by reformasi wave in 1999, Taib is likely to have the same upper hand. But it did result in Mahathir stepping down by 2004. Taib will go and Sarawakians decided it.

    However, since we are on the subject of similarities to Mahathir, Taib like Mahathir, will continue to be the string pulling behind even if he leaves on his own accord. This could be different for Sarawakians if they get enough votes i.e., the more vote against BN, the more likely Taib influence will be ended quicker. Unlike UMNO, PBB is not that dominating in Sarawak and within PBB, its easier to fracture the warlords. Taib is what holds the warlords together. If Taib’s popularity is damage, the warlords will depend less on him and he can’t pull the strings.

    So, no. Sarawakians should be warned about Mahathir and Taib, not Wan Mohtar.

  26. We can’t just deny BN of 2/3rd majority!!!
    We have to deny them completely!
    The “secret weapon” that Umno revealed are just a tactic to weaken our hope and spiritual mind.
    Using RPK to betray us in the last minute are Umno’s desperate last attempt.
    These buggers are using “psychological warfare” to confuse our thinking and altering our mind pattern.
    They’re trying to make us believe what is not real to be real.
    Some called it mind programming!
    We’re not zombies and we’ve to be strong and stick to our principles.
    We’ve one more day to create history and let’s not ruin our entire effort.
    Concentrate on our main course and let’s not get distracted ‘cos with all our mind power teaming up, the force are with us!
    Just believe me for there’s nothing to lose.
    No amount of mind control or Taib’s bomoh magick can penetrate our “shield” as long as we continue to bombard them with our “waves”.
    One more day to go!!!

  27. Jeffrey :
    In MalaysiaToday RPK says that his remarks in RTM3 won’t affect Sarawak elections…What he does not address is this crucial point: MalaysiaToday is a citizen blog/journalism. It is first principle of journalism – in mission to ferret out truth – is never compromise your sources, and people are willing to go to jail (in WaterGate) than to disclose sources. Here he has disclosed and pointed his finger at, nay implicated, with alacrity Din Merican and others connected to Anwar. If you are not confident of the veracity of what your informers say, why the hell you post it in an infleuntial blog? Is it an act of utter irresponsbility to post defamatory contents without caring if they were true, and after that implicate your informers/sources? Bloody stupid excuse!

    I wonder why Najib should be so happy about what RPK said. RPK gave only his personal opinion that he did not believe that the ‘First lady’ would go to the jungle at midnight to witness the detonation. Well many people could doubt the actual action. It can even be true that the intention was to give Najib bad name by exposing the link to Najib of the action of his aides. But RPK had not denied other detail beyond revealing the interest of other parties in seeing that the reports got out.

    The French says that the company in France did not pay the RM 400 million commission in connection with the two scorpene submarines but the deputy Minister of defense told the parliament a different story. Altantuja Shariibuu was an interpreter for the submarine deal. That is not denied. She was killed by two persons who had no motives beyond earning for the job of killing.

    Najib is happy that he is cleared. He should now ask for RCI on the death of Altantuya Shariibuu.

  28. Najib got the chance to announce that Pek Moh would leave soon and he wanted voters to trust him. If Najib was so scared of Perkasa and was willing to expose himself as the about-turn PM who had to retract his NEM, how sure are Malaysians that Najib could actually ask Pek Moh to leave the position of CM of Sarawak? Pek Moh if returned as CM would have control of MPs from Sarawak. Those Sarawak MPs can really change Najib from being a PM to be an opposition leader if Pek Moh did not like being pestered to vacate the CM post. Najib would clearly fear Pek Moh more than he feared Mamakthir, the patron of Perkasa. Najib showed that he capitulated to Perkasa for a much lower stake, he certainly would go along with Pek Moh doing his couple of years, when Pek Moh’s year could be 48 months.

    Najib shiok sendiri announcing that Pek Moh would leave the post of CM soon. But Najib has lost his credibility. Sarawak voters should help Najib to put Pakatan Rakyat in power tomorrow.

  29. With 360 degree turning of RPK, this shows that RPK will be permitted to return to our Bolehland soon without any charges against.

    Apparently, this is one of the secret weapons on deal with RPK to suck and cheat the this Sarawak election and the coming GE. Those who supported RPK should regret for their entire life. This is what we call our Bolehland is full of “Boleh” in everything…

  30. MalaysiaToday (“MT”) describes itself “On Line News”. The premise is that Malaysians can rely on MT for alternative news for truth where Mainstream Media (MM) is manacled by the powers-that-be to spin propganda & untruth. How can MT maintain its journalistic pretensions of getting sources of truth upon which Malaysians can rely when RPK compromises his sources and names those who provided him information or egged him to disclose in MT, such as Din Merican or military intelligence officer Azmi Zainal, who are now all in trouble due to RPK’s disclosure and are being investigated by authorities??? Do will dare to provide information to MT now? By his actions he effectively neutralises MT’s credibility to signal (obliquely) the fight for truth is over! In anywhere else it is a point of journalistic integrity to protect sources of information and journalists are prepared to go to jail than to be forced by law to disclose in court. Even here I am sure Gan of Malaysiakini would be prepared to do that – but RPK discloses to show what his sources believe – not what he believe. Am I supposed to believe this? The accusations in the SD are serious against top leader: how can a responsible blog owner like RPK simply uplifted such allegations just because some informers believe so (with him being indifferent bton the truth)? You think Kit does a thing like this here? What spin is this?

  31. If RPK listened to roadside whisper and wrote his article, he should at least convince himself that the story was plausible; but sometimes facts are stranger than fiction.

    RPK trusted his source and he could write without having to be totally convinced such as whether a person was willing to be at some uncomfortable place when the presence is not needed. Now he identified what he did not believe, and that was it. RPK has not come out to refute other details of the story. The persons who provided information to RPK and wanted him to release them chose the impact of those release. They need not necessarily have worried to be known that they gave the information. In fact giving information needs not be a crime, and Dim Merican and Azmi Zainal cannot be hauled up to answer stories written by RPK. Yes, the authority could be hard on them, and they know how to fight their battle. Indeed ordinary persons who dare not face up to the authority usually do not have access to interesting stories.

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