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Too soon to write off DAP’s Teluk Intan wager, analysts say

by Pathma Subramaniam
The Malay Mail Online
June 2, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 — By going against the current, the DAP challenged a pattern of communal voting that has been ingrained for decades.

It lost the contest for Teluk Intan, but it remains to be seen if the gambit of fielding the likes of 26-year-old Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud will work out in the next general election in which political analysts say the makeup of voters and issues will vary.

“It is work in progress and DAP has taken the lead,” said Ibrahim Suffian who heads Merdeka Center. “I’m confident that in the long run people will vote for policies and no longer just for one’s skin colour.”

The head of the independent pollster noted that while it is tempting to blame DAP’s loss on racial silos, the result may also be skewed as by-elections are generally “tougher” for the opposition as it cannot match the might of Barisan Nasional’s (BN) federal strength.

“[By-elections are] unlike in a general election, [where] the resources of both sides are spread out thinly so that allows a smaller party to ride on the national sentiments and issues,” said Ibrahim who heads independent pollster Merdeka Center. Continue reading “Too soon to write off DAP’s Teluk Intan wager, analysts say”

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‘Malaysian seats’ are the future of DAP and Pakatan

Lam Choong Wah
Malaysiakini
Jun 2, 2014

COMMENT In the 13th general election (GE13), DAP achieved its best ever electoral results by winning 38 parliamentary seats and 95 state assembly seats out of the 51 parliamentary and 103 state seats contested, becoming the second biggest party after Umno in terms of seats in the new parliamentary term.

After GE13, Utusan Malaysia, the mouthpiece of Umno, immediately pinned the blame for Najib Abdul Razak’s electoral disaster on the Chinese, accusing the Chinese voters of causing the political tsunami that saw BN being rejected in terms of popular votes. In the process, MCA and the other non-Malay BN component parties suffered major defeats.

Utusan’s intention was to link BN’s poor electoral results with racial conflict arguments and provoke racial protests to divert the attention away from people’s rejection and aversion of Umno.

“Apa lagi Cina mahu” (What more do the Chinese want?) became the prologue to start Umno’s ethnic confrontation tricks after GE13. However with news of the impending goods and services tax (GST) implementation, the hasty passing of the Prevention of Crime Act in Parliament and the surfacing of numerous electoral fraud cases during the 13GE, the provocation failed to materialise.

The tried and tested racial card played by Umno, MCA and MIC in the last 50 years has begun to flounder. There are many complex reasons for that, but one of the significant causes for deflecting the racial provocation by BN is the Chinese-based DAP’s refusal to fall into BN’s race-baiting rhetoric.
Continue reading “‘Malaysian seats’ are the future of DAP and Pakatan”

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Kalah Tapi Permulaan Yang Baik Bagi Dyana

oleh Shahbudin Husin
The Malaysian Insider
1st June 2014

Sebagaimana yang sudah diketahui umum, BN berjaya merampas kembali kerusi Teluk Intan yang kali terakhir pernah dimenanginya pada 2004 dahulu. Dalam keputusan yang diumumkan tadi, calon BN, Mah Siew Keong berjaya menewaskan calon DAP, Dyana Sofya dengan majoriti 238 undi.

Dengan peratusan keluar mengundi begitu menurun iaitu hanya sebanyak 66.5 peratus, Mah memperolehi undi sebanyak 20,157 manakala Dyana Sofya meraih sebanyak 19,919 undi. Undi rosak pula sebanyak 550.

Walaupun tewas dan percubaan DAP meneroka aliran politik yang merentasi batas perkauman ditolak oleh pengundi Teluk Intan, tetapi haruslah juga diakui bahawa ini merupakan permulaan yang baik bagi Dyana untuk mengembangkan lagi potensinya sebagai ahli politik masa depan.

Kalah kali pertama tidak bererti akan kalah selamanya.

Beliau secara umumnya diterima sebagai ikon orang muda dan percubaan kali pertama dalam usia 27 tahun ini tentunya memberi banyak pengajaran dan pengalaman kepadanya. Namun sebagai orang luar Teluk Intan yang kali pertama bertanding dan lawannya pula merupakan presiden parti keempat terbesar dalam BN, kejayaan memberi cabaran sengit kepada BN masih boleh dikira membanggakan. Continue reading “Kalah Tapi Permulaan Yang Baik Bagi Dyana”

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Siapa yang tidak mengundi Dyana?

Timmy Say
The Malaysian Insider
2 June 2014

Di PRU13, Mah Siew Keong mendapat 20,086 undi di Teluk Intan. Di PRK Teluk Intan baru-baru ini, Mah mendapat lebihan 71 undi kepada 20,157 undi.

Lebihan 71 undi membawa nasib berbeza untuk Mah, di mana beliau berjaya mengalahkan calon popular, Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud daripada DAP dan menguasai semula kerusi Parlimen Teluk Intan yang pernah dimilikinya sebelum 2008.

Jadi, di mana 7,242 undi (mantan ahli Parlimen Teluk Intan Seah Leong Peng menang dengan 7,313 majoriti, dan penulis menganggap terdapat 71 undi yang berpaling tadah ke Mah) yang sepatutnya memenangkan Dyana Sofya di Teluk Intan?

DAP berusaha habis-habisan untuk memenangkan Dyana. Tetapi mengapa penyokong mereka tidak kembali untuk mengundi? Continue reading “Siapa yang tidak mengundi Dyana?”

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Teluk Intan: A Battle Lost but a War to be Won

by Tony Pua
The Malaysian Insider
2nd June 2014

I spent 17 consecutive days camped in Teluk Intan as the Campaign Director for the recently concluded by-elections where DAP’s candidate, Dyana Sofya lost by a fractional 238 votes.

Understandably, the analysis and criticisms has been published hard and fast, and more will come over the next few days. Many were surprised we lost. Some argued that we have been complacent and arrogant. Of course, some believed that we made strategic mistakes.

There is no question that the campaign execution has plenty of room for improvement, and the team will certainly be carrying out our postmortem over the next few days to ensure that future campaigns can be even better.

However, we certainly never expected an easy campaign. The very fact that it took the party leadership “forever” to decide on the candidate was precisely because we knew that the risk of losing the seat was extremely high.

Regardless of the candidate, the Teluk Intan by-election was never going to be a walk in the park like Bukit Gelugor, where Barisan Nasional did not even have the courage to put up a fight.

Even before the candidate decision, the Party was well briefed by our grassroots that the word on the street was that many in the Chinese community will give their vote to Gerakan President, Mah Siew Keong. The argument was compelling. Continue reading “Teluk Intan: A Battle Lost but a War to be Won”

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Dyana wins our hearts

– Amar Singh & Lim Swee Im
The Malaysian Insider
June 01, 2014

Dear Dyana Sofya,

You may have lost this small election but you have won the hearts of many, many Malaysians. Despite the ugly ways and attempts to shame or demonise you, we are pleased you did not sink down to the level of those who were shameless in their behaviour.

We know you are ethnically Malay, but throughout this campaign it was clear you are first a Malaysian and stand for all Malaysians. So we seldom think or see you as a Malay, but more as our fellow sister and Malaysian.

It is vital that all of us move away from any form of ethnic politics, ethnic decision-making, ethnic criteria in selection, etc., as this just divides us further. So we are delighted with your stand of inclusiveness.

We want to assure you that you did not lose but won many heart. Continue reading “Dyana wins our hearts”

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Lose the battle, win the war in Teluk Intan

– Raymond Lim
The Malaysian Insider
June 01, 2014

This phrase was written in one of the most popular war strategy book used by global top management schools for business strategies classes and it is called “The Art of War” by General Sun Tzu in 600BC. Yes, Dyana lose in the battle but the result and experiences will definitely be crucial in moulding future political strategies particularly in the next GE14, the war. Why is this so?

To me, the final result should be more devastating to Mah/BN even though Dyana/Pakatan had lost. For Dyana, a non-resident and a political novice to have such close fight (losing only 238 votes compare with a political heavyweight, the number one from Gerakan, born and was well known in Teluk Intan) also reinforces BN’s initial fear that there is now an undercurrent of fast changing political scenario that will not be easily controllable by any political parties in the next GE.

Yes, the Chinese may still support the Chinese or the Malay may still support the Malay and so forth. But, for this young Malay lady, who was given the opportunity to stand with a party such as the well-known Chinese chauvinist-dominated party, DAP, it had without doubt help to open up an era of endless possibilities for those progressive modern Malay who are fearless in their pursuit of what Malaysia should be. Continue reading “Lose the battle, win the war in Teluk Intan”

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Dyana Sofya tewas di Teluk Intan, tetapi DAP menang

Amin Iskandar
The Malaysian Insider
June 01, 2014

Kekalahan Dyana Sofya dalam Pilihan Raya Kecil (PRK)‎ Teluk Intan kepada Presiden Gerakan, Datuk Mah Siew Keong dengan majoriti tipis 238 undi membuktikan ramalan Ketua Parlimen DAP, Lim Kit Siang minggu lalu ada benarnya.

Lim sebelum ini menghantar mesej kecemasan (SOS) kepada semua pengundi luar PRK Teluk Intan agar pulang bagi membantu kemenangan setiausaha politiknya.

Lim juga menyeru agar pengguna Internet datang ke Teluk Intan membantu kempen ‎Dyana Sofya sehingga menang.

Sebagai orang lama dalam politik, sudah tentu mudah bagi Lim untuk membaca sentimen di Teluk Intan.

Satu dua lawatan bertemu dengan rakyat Teluk Intan sudah cukup bagi Lim untuk mengetahui sama ada DAP mendapat sokongan atau tidak. Continue reading “Dyana Sofya tewas di Teluk Intan, tetapi DAP menang”

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Dyana Sofya’s real victory: Unmasking political hypocrisy

Zurairi AR
The Malay Mail Online
June 1, 2014

JUNE 1 — By the time you read this, the result for the Teluk Intan by-election is already known and to whoever won it, I only have this to say: “I told you so.”

Meanwhile, at the time of writing, it is at the final hours of campaigning. Two weeks of an exhilarating ride that a lot of us did not really expect.

Despite that, the Teluk Intan by-election must have been a horrible nightmare for conservative Malay-Muslims.

On one side is Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud. A seemingly “liberal” Malay woman who had joined, of all parties, the opposition DAP: usually seen as synonymous with anti-Malay and anti-Islam. Undeservingly so but that is another story.

On the other side, an infidelic non-Malay: Mah Siew Keong.

Whether Dyana did win or lose yesterday — or tomorrow for me — her biggest victory might have been this: unmasking political hypocrisy on both sides of the political divide. Continue reading “Dyana Sofya’s real victory: Unmasking political hypocrisy”

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If 400 outstation voters, or one per cent of the voter turn-out, had returned to Teluk Intan to vote, Dyana Sofya would today be the MP for Teluk Intan

If 400 outstation voters, or one per cent of the 40,236 voter-turnout in the Teluk Intan by-election (66.7%) yesterday, had returned to Teluk Intan to vote, Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud would today be the Member of Parliament for Teluk Intan.

Or if the Teluk Intan by-election polling had been held today, a Sunday, which would enable more outstation voters to make the journey back to Teluk Intan to vote, the result would have been very different.

But these are all water under the bridge.

We must learn from the lessons of the by-election and move on.

I congratulate Datuk Mah Siew Keong as the new MP for Teluk Intan. Continue reading “If 400 outstation voters, or one per cent of the voter turn-out, had returned to Teluk Intan to vote, Dyana Sofya would today be the MP for Teluk Intan”

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Victory in defeat

– Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud
DAP candidate for Teluk Intan

So near, yet so far. It has been a whirlwind campaign over the last two weeks, and although we may not have achieved our ultimate goal of winning this by-election, I don’t think anyone can deny that we have given our all against the might of the entire Federal government machinery.

Despite the negative and malicious campaigning, the people of Teluk Intan have shown their strong support for the ideas, struggles and principles that my party and I stand for.

Nonetheless, I congratulate Dato’ Mah Siew Keong on his victory.

I believe that this result is a great achievement for me personally, as well as a progressive step forward for the party. In spite of the tremendous odds stacked against us, we managed to knock down barriers previously thought impossible, and that is the real victory. Continue reading “Victory in defeat”

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Teluk Intan’s diamond in the rough

— Fui K. Soong
The Malay Mail Online
May 30, 2014

Driving through the main thoroughfare of Teluk Intan is hardly pleasant as traffic jams are seen as a curse of development in small towns. However, of late, this monotony is interspersed with sultry posters of Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, the DAP candidate. And you can’t help but wonder how the Opposition always gets to pick these yummy-looking princes and princesses of politics to parade their diamonds for them.

In contrast with the dreariness of the old establishment posters that almost always feature leaders lined up like pastry layers according to their seniority in the government or party — federal, state, candidate, or, party president, deputy president followed by the candidate. Sometimes, the size of the photo will indicate the said protocol is in accordance. No guesses who always gets the biggest photo on the posters!

While the BN candidate is always the last and smallest, nowhere in Dyana Sofya’s poster screams Lim Kit Siang or Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim or Datuk Nik Aziz. Her posters literally say, I am my own woman. And that message alone is no doubt a real hit with the younger voters.

According to Centre for Strategic Engagement (CENSE) survey, 42.1 per cent of the respondents among Teluk Intan’s registered voters think she has the qualities of being a good MP and that she is politically ambitious. Although, another good 40 per cent don’t really know her but there are no abhorrence or maliciousness towards her either. Continue reading “Teluk Intan’s diamond in the rough”

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Open letter to the people of Teluk Intan

By Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud | MalayMailOnline
May 29, 2014

To the good people of Teluk Intan,

It has been an exhausting but exhilarating two weeks since I was nominated by my party to be the candidate for the Teluk Intan by-election. I have experienced more in the last two weeks than any time in my 27 years of age.

Suddenly, I became the centre of attention of UMNO Ministers who could not resist taking digs at my looks. Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan asked voters not to support me just because I put on “lipstick”. Datuk Zahid Hamidi remarked that I am “not so pretty in person”. Datuk Ahmad Maslan stressed that even his wife, or Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman’s, would win if it were a beauty contest.

My looks and appearance are not important at all in this very important by-election. I did not sign up with DAP to take part in beauty pageants. I call upon the voters of Teluk Intan to judge me for my ideals, my principles and my dreams for a better Malaysia. I want to win this election not because of my appearance, but because of my ability to make a difference in the Malaysian political landscape in the highest legislative institution of the country.

My opponents have attacked me viciously behind nameless blogs aligned to Barisan Nasional (BN), as well as anonymous leaflets denigrating me with fake pictures and spurious allegations of my moral ethics. During the visits to some evening markets, there were UMNO bullies who heckled, disrupted and attempted to block the campaign trail. Continue reading “Open letter to the people of Teluk Intan”

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Vote for Mah? Uhmmm no!

By Gayatri Unsworth | The Malaysian Insider
MAY 30, 2014

Just a little over a year ago, Malaysia stood quivering at the prospects of a new dawn. Millions thronged to the polling booths, to have their fingers stained with special ink that was about as ineffectual as Ridhuan Tee’s sense of logic.

Anyhow, this not-so-indelible ink, which we paid a fortune for by the way, because as a country we are so exceedingly wealthy that we can afford to spend gazillions on things which don’t really work such as non-sinking submarines and 1Malaysia campaigns, was only the first in a very long list of vexations to come out of last year’s general election.

Though a record number of Malaysians turned up to give the Election Commission the finger (I only meant for the applying of the ink of course) and to make our downtrodden voices audible, our collective despondency was no match for a system so skewed, that I’m really beginning to suspect that somewhere along the way, we simply got terribly confused and started mistakenly spelling D-E-M-O-C-R-A-C-Y for D-I-C-T-A-T-O-R-S-H-I-P.

And truth be told, that would be perfectly understandable, considering our stellar record as far as English language education goes. Continue reading “Vote for Mah? Uhmmm no!”

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UMNO/BN pulling out all the stops to launch the dirtiest last 24 hours of a by-election campaign in Teluk Intan

(Media Statement in Teluk Intan on Friday, 30th May 2014)

The Gerakan President and Barisan Nasional candidate for Teluk Intan by-election, Datuk Mah Siew Keong, hit the nail on the head yesterday when he described the Teluk Intan by-election as the dirtiest in Teluk Intan.

He is right except that it is UMNO/BN “hired guns” who are responsible for making the Teluk Intan by-election the dirtiest in history.

In fact, Mah must accept responsibility for this deplorable state of affairs as all the dirt of lies, falsehoods, personal attacks and character assassination especially on the DAP/PR candidate Dyana Sofya emanate from the UMNO/BN quarter, and it is just not acceptable for Mak to disclaim responsibility or pretend ignorance about such a major political and electoral scam.

When asked by reporters, Mah has struck a pose of ignorance and innocence, claiming ignorance of the various election promises made by UMNO Ministers and Deputy Ministers (which are violations of the election laws) or the massive vote-buying whether through money or the free distribution of hampers.

But how long can Mah keep this stance of ignorance when he should bear responsibility for the entire UMNO/BN by-election campaign as the candidate, instead of pretending innocence on the ground that he did not hear or was not present when Umno Ministers and Deputy Ministers violate the election laws making promises to induce voters to vote for him tomorrow. Continue reading “UMNO/BN pulling out all the stops to launch the dirtiest last 24 hours of a by-election campaign in Teluk Intan”

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Teluk Intan by-election has created many firsts – most sexist attacks, most bloopers, most lies and calumnies and most number of UMNO Ministers and Deputy Ministers to appear for a candidate who is not from UMNO

(Media Statement in Teluk Intan on Thursday, May 29, 2014)

The 10-day Teluk Intan by-election campaign since Nomination Day on May 19 has produced many firsts in the history of by-elections in Malaysia – like the most sexist attacks, most political bloopers including blatant political gangsterism against a woman candidate, most lies and calumnies and the most number of UMNO Ministers and deputy Ministers to appear at a by-election not contested by an UMNO candidate.

The baseless, vicious and slanderous attacks on the DAP/PR candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud were just gross and simply unimaginable, highlighting the total lack of chilvary of male political leaders in UMNO/BN but also the pettiness of women UMNO/BN political leaders who also indulged in such personal attacks on Dyana, and the failure and cowardice of all women UMNO/BN politicians who dare not raise a single protest against such sexist attacks on Dyana.

From the dastardly posting of fake swim-suit photogragh of Dyana (actually of Filipino actress Pauleen Luna) first on social media and then distributed in the Malay kampongs including a mosque in the constituency; the “lip-stick” fantasy of UMNO Housing Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan; the puerile attacks by the Home Minister, Datuk Zahid Hamidi; the boast by the Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan that his wife or the wife of Deputy Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman would win in a beauty contest against Dyana; Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir’s obsession with Dyana’s different clothes; the UMNO/BN leadership have been stripped completely naked as belonging to a shockingly low-class political genre.

Neither the UMNO/BN leadership nor the BN candidate for Teluk Intan, Datuk Mah Siew Keong, wanted to engage Dyana in a debate on the national political issues highlighted in her manifesto, as they only wanted to unleash a systematic and unethical campaign of character assassination and personal attacks to break her political will and fighting spirit, hoping that she will fly the “white flag” of surrender even before polling day of May 31. Continue reading “Teluk Intan by-election has created many firsts – most sexist attacks, most bloopers, most lies and calumnies and most number of UMNO Ministers and Deputy Ministers to appear for a candidate who is not from UMNO”

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Former UMNO Minister and just sacked Bank Rakyat chairman Sabbaruddin Chik would have voted for Dyana Sofya if he is a voter in Teluk Intan as there are no signs that Umno/BN have the political will either for reform or to launch an all-out war against corruption and abuses of power and win over young Malaysians

(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, 29th May 2014)

I have no doubt that my old friend, Tan Sri Sabbaruddin Chik would have voted for Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud as Member of Parliament for Teluk Intan if he is a voter in the Teluk Intan by-election on Saturday, May 31, as there are no signs that the present UMNO/Barisan Nastional (BN) have the political will either for reform or to launch an all-out war against corruption, cronyism and abuses of power to win over the young generation of Malaysians.

Sabbaruddin has just been sacked as Bank Rakyat Chairman by the Minister for Domestic Trade, Co-operative and Consumerism Datuk Seri Hasan Malek because Sabbarruddin and the bank’s board of directors refused to comply with the Minister’s directive to approve the settlement of a RM32 million loan without calculation of any interest, but on a 120 post-dated cheques to be cashed in by the bank over a 10-year period.

Today, Sabbaruddin warned that Barisan will lose Putrajaya in the 14th general election (GE14) if young voters remain unimpressed with the coalition and its handling of issues such as corruption and transparency.

He said the younger generation was no longer stupid, and Umno and BN were in for an unprecedented nightmare should Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his administration carry on without any meaningful reforms. Continue reading “Former UMNO Minister and just sacked Bank Rakyat chairman Sabbaruddin Chik would have voted for Dyana Sofya if he is a voter in Teluk Intan as there are no signs that Umno/BN have the political will either for reform or to launch an all-out war against corruption and abuses of power and win over young Malaysians”

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Liar – Gerakan pot calling DAP kettle black

YourSay
Malaysiakini
May 29, 2014

YOURSAY ‘Gerakan, don’t push your luck too far. It may backfire on you.’

Gerakan calls Dyana ‘liar’ on Perkasa issue

Basically: You are running for election, Mah Siew Keong, so whatever BN does in your campaign is your business. Unless you are saying you are not in charge. Which is evident, and we have always known that.

And that means even if you do get elected and is given a ministership, you will still not be in charge. That would be simply a waste of the Teluk Intan seat.

As for Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, if she wanted to measure up to Mah’s ‘experience’ and worth, she’ll need to add some ‘longkangs’ and buildings into her manifesto.

I guess she’s too new and naive to think cost of living and good governance matters to voters. Continue reading “Liar – Gerakan pot calling DAP kettle black”

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Beware of Princess Dyana

Iskandar Dzulkarnain | May 29, 2014
Free Malaysia Today

In this satirical piece, the writer nails home some home truths in a humourous way.

COMMENT

Dyana SofyaThe antics of Umno Youth who seemed to act like organised thugs in the storming of the Penang State Assembly should not be blamed on Umno and BN for no apparent reason.

Neither should they be blamed for the manifestation of unmitigated gangsterism, racism, hooliganism, foul language, threats, destruction of property, the baying for blood, sexism, fake photographs, rowdiness and mob violence by motorbike gangs plaguing the current Teluk Intan by-election campaign.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has issued a statement that BN does not condone violence or sabotage. Umno is very neutral since it not contesting any seats and therefore have no reason whatsoever to cause any ruckus. More likely the outbreak of violence should be attributed to Independents or sympathetic BN supporters.

Unlike DAP who wants to conquer every seat, Umno is more ‘inclusive’ to allow other coalition parties and even Independents a fighting chance to contest.
Is it a wonder why more and more NGO’s, Independents and other mosquito parties are starting to support BN? Continue reading “Beware of Princess Dyana”

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Malaysia is ready for Dyana

Aerie Rahman
The Malay Mail Online
MAY 29, 2014

MAY 29 — It seems that nothing can stop Dyana Sofya’s meteoric rise. The cynic could cast aspersions that she is merely a DAP token. After all, the DAP is a predominantly Chinese party which has been trying to shake off this description.

The DAP needs to widen its support base in order to hold real power and not rely on the atavistic PAS or the fractious PKR. Dyana is Malay, young and from the affirmative action university, UiTM. It all fits the bill for the cosmetic change that DAP appears to desire.

But look deeper and one can see that Dyana’s story is something that most post-NEP Malaysians can relate to and identify with. And that makes her worth more tokens than one can spend at Genting. Continue reading “Malaysia is ready for Dyana”