Posted on

Bring it on, Pakatan tells Umno

by Nigel Aw
Malaysiakini
Dec 5, 2011

A day after the Umno general assembly concluded with the beating of war drums and vows to wrest back Pakatan Rakyat-held states, the federal opposition went on the offensive as well.

PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim, the star at a rally of 5,000 in Shah Alam last night, said Pakatan will not only defend Selangor, but improve its electoral performance in the state.

“(Prime Minister) Najib Abdul Razak said he wants to recapture Selangor (but) we tell him that he can keep dreaming about Selangor – and that we will capture Putrajaya,” declared Anwar.

He picked apart Umno’s Malay credentials which the party has attempted to project in the run-up to a looming general election.

“Do you believe that Umno defends the Malays? If they defend the Malays they would not sell Malay land.

“The last bastion of Malay land in Kuala Lumpur (is Kampung Baru). They (the government) wants to hand it over to (Federal Territories Minister) Raja Nong Chik under the Kampung Baru Development Act.”

Also present was DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang who moved to deflect Umno’s relentless attacks on his party during the general assembly. Continue reading “Bring it on, Pakatan tells Umno”

Posted on

Challenge to Muhyiddin – substantiate his UMNO General Assembly speech that DAP wants to set up a Republic or apologise for the lie

I challenge Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to substantiate his UMNO General Assembly speech that DAP wants to abolish the system of Malay sultanates and set up a republic or he should apologise for the lie.

In his speech opening UMNO’s Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings’ annual general assemblies on Tuesday, Muhyiddin appeared to substantiate his allegation of a DAP agenda to form a republic when he followed up with a rhetorical question:

“If not, do they dare suggest the prime minister’s position be selected based solely on elections and without being chosen by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong? What is the meaning of this?

“It means that the democratic parliamentary system and the constitutional monarchy which we have been practising thus far no longer suit their interest to seize power.”

But this is a downright lie as no DAP leader had ever made such a statement. Continue reading “Challenge to Muhyiddin – substantiate his UMNO General Assembly speech that DAP wants to set up a Republic or apologise for the lie”

Posted on

Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek? Or all three?

The 65th UMNO General Assembly closed yesterday with one big question among thinking and patriotic Malaysians, regardless of political affiliation: – “Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek? Or all three?”

At first the lies and poison were only told and used at closed-door UMNO meetings. Then they were spread by anonymous UMNO blogs and cybertroopers on the Internet, followed by the UMNO media.

When these lies and poison failed to achieve the desired public and political impact with the approach of the 13th General Elections, UMNO strategists became more irresponsible, reckless and desperate.

In the past week, these lies and poison became the staple diet of UMNO leaders in the meetings preparatory to and during the sessions proper of the 65th UMNO General Assembly, with the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, in their capacities as UMNO President and UMNO Deputy President giving their personal stamp of approval by adopting and retailing these lies and poison to sway votes in favour of UMNO in the coming polls.

Culminating in Muhyiddin and Najib, one UMNO leader after another in the past week have taken to the public pulpit in a carefully-orchestrated campaign to demonise the DAP and frighten Malay voters with the lies that the Malays will lose their rights and power should Pakatan Rakyat win more federal seats in the next general election, or in the words of the UMNO information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan, “the Malay language will be lost, say goodbye to the Malay Sultans, Say goodbye to Islam because they (DAP) are agents of Christianisation”.

Muhyiddin was completely unabashed in playing the race card when he falsely accused the DAP of being anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers, even telling the lie that the DAP’s agenda is to establish a Republic in Malaysia.

Muhyiddin made history as the only Deputy Prime Minister in the world who was caught out telling a bare-faced lie, for he had been completely silent to my challenge to him to substantiate his allegation that the DAP wanted to abolish the constitutional monarchy and establish a Republic. Continue reading “Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek? Or all three?”

Posted on

200 brave water sprinklers to protest Assembly Bill

Nigel Aw | Dec 3, 2011
Malaysiakini

Despite what appeared to be attempts by the KLCC management to cause inconveniences, some 200 people converged at its park off Jalan Ampang in a carnival-like gathering to oppose the Peaceful Assembly Bill.

Instead of being met by police batons and water cannons on its second Saturday afternoon protest, the group of about 200, clad in yellow, were met with water sprinklers.

The group moved close to some trees in the park after the KLCC management, again, cordoned off its compound for a cleaning operation, including the area the protesters used last week.

There, they stood around national laureate A Samad Said, who is popularly known as Pak Samad, as he recited his poems. Then, the complex management turned on water sprinklers on the ground where they stood.

Undaunted, those who were caught in the sprays shielded themselves with umbrellas and continued to listen to Pak Samad, who recited his latest poem in tribute to the occupy movement, Merindu Ruang (Missing Space) after reciting his Bersih poem, ‘Unggun Bersih’. Continue reading “200 brave water sprinklers to protest Assembly Bill”

Posted on

Others are 100 times more racist, claims Muhyiddin

Abdul Rahim Sabri | Dec 1, 2011
Malaysiakini

Defending an earlier speech which accused DAP of being anti-Malay and anti-Islam, Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin denied it was racist and hit back at his critics, describing them as being “100 times more racist”.

According to the deputy prime minister, what he had said was not something different from the historical facts, and instead it could “consolidate the new awareness” among the Malays about the party’s struggle.

“Only someone who is too racist (would think it is racist). When some quarters say something about their own race, he will say it is racist.

“They don’t realise that they are 100 times more racist than us,” he told the media, without mentioning any names, during a press conference today at the Umno annual general meeting (AGM).

During his opening address for the AGMs of Umno Wanita, Youth and Puteri on Tuesday, Muhyiddin accused DAP as an anti-Islam and anti-Malay party which attempted to turn Malaysia into a republic. Continue reading “Others are 100 times more racist, claims Muhyiddin”

Posted on

Kit Siang wants Cabinet, EC to implement polls reforms by Jan 1

By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 01, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — Lim Kit Siang called today for Parliament to compel the government to implement the 10 recommendations put forward by the parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms by January 1.

Polls panel chief Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili filed a motion today for Parliament to adopt the reforms which include the use of indelible ink, allowing overseas Malaysians to vote and forming a royal commission to look into foreigners being given the right to vote in Sabah.

But DAP parliamentary leader Lim asked to amend the motion to compel “the Cabinet, Election Commission and related government agencies” to implement the recommendations effective January 1.

“The question is whether there is any guarantee they will be implemented by the 13th general election.

“This will ensure our debate will have meaning and action will be taken,” the Ipoh Timor MP said in Parliament. Continue reading “Kit Siang wants Cabinet, EC to implement polls reforms by Jan 1”

Posted on

Rough politics in 1 Malaysia

— The Malaysian Insider
Nov 30, 2011

NOV 30 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak wants a high-income and united nation under his 1 Malaysia concept, which is a continuation of the Vision 2020 idea and going back as far as 1971, the Rukun Negara or National Principles.

The Rukun Negara has five principles, namely 1) Belief in God 2) Loyalty to King and Country 3) Upholding the Constitution 4) Sovereignty of the Law and 5) Good Behaviour and Morality.

Number 5 is the basis of what is expected of all Malaysians, more so politicians.

But not today.

Today, Umno state youth chiefs took turns attacking Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties with a specific focus on DAP, using foul language to accuse the party of systematically eroding the rights of Malays in states like Penang and Kedah. Continue reading “Rough politics in 1 Malaysia”

Posted on

Muhyiddin! Kalau panik pun janganlah tunjuk sangat

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 30, 2011

30 NOV — Muhyiddin Yassin semasa meresmikan perhimpunan 3 sayap Umno, Wanita, Pemuda dan Putri semalam menggunakan isu sensitif yang tidak masuk akal semata-mata kerana desperate mendapat sokongan orang Melayu yang tidak mungkin mahu bersatu lagi di bawah payung Umno.

Ramai yang menghubungi saya bertanyakan kenapa Timbalan Presiden Umno itu menunjukkan sangat rasa desperado beliau dengan membidas parti-parti lawan dan individu yang tidak sealiran dengan Umno dengan tuduhan yang bukan-bukan.

Orang ramai tahu yang Umno sedang desperate tetapi sebagai pemimpin besar kepada parti yang buat sementara ini masih memerintah, elok jangan tunjukan rasa tertekan itu terang-terangan. Jika rakyat nampak serta membuat penilaian terhadap roh ucapan Muhyiddin itu ia tidak lari dari rasa desperate untuk terus berkuasa dan boleh di kira sebagai ucapan yang tidak setimpal dengan jawatan besar yang beliau pegang itu.

Apa yang di katakan oleh Muhyiddin itu boleh di baca dengan tepat. Kita boleh “menyelam air dalam tunggak” tentang apa sebenarnya dirasakan oleh Timbalan Presiden Umno itu. Agaknya sudah puas memendam rasa desperate itu, maka ianya terluah semasa ucapan perasmian pergerakan wanita, pemuda dan putri semalam. Continue reading “Muhyiddin! Kalau panik pun janganlah tunjuk sangat”

Posted on

Muhyiddin’s speech at UMNO General Assembly “the mother of all lies, falsehoods and racism”

The speech by Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at the UMNO General Assembly last night to UMNO Youth, Wanita and Putri wings is the “mother of all lies, falsehoods and racism”.

It qualifies as the worst and most irresponsible speech ever delivered by a Deputy Prime Minister and Deputy UMNO President and I challenge any UMNO leader to cite any speech made by any Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO Deputy President at previous UMNO General Assemblies which is worse, more racist and tell more lies than Muhyiddin’s rants last night.

Muhyhiddin accusations against the DAP as anti-Islam and anti-Malay are false, baseless and pure unadulterated lies.

DAP is a fully patriotic Malaysian party wholly committed to the betterment of all races, whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans or Ibans and all religious, whether Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikkhism or Taoism.

What is most despicable are Muhyiddin’s irresponsible, incendiary and seditious allegations, as for instance, that the DAP’s agenda is to form a republic, with the rhetorical question founded on the lie: Continue reading “Muhyiddin’s speech at UMNO General Assembly “the mother of all lies, falsehoods and racism””

Posted on

Standing up to bullies

— Jacob Sinnathamby
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 29, 2011

NOV 29 — It may sound simplistic but the choice before Malaysians in the coming general election boils down to either good or evil.

And we don’t have to fear evil because evil can never prevail against goodness. You do not have to take my word for this. Hosni Mubarak and Muammar Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein believed that they could rule forever with an iron fist. They subjugated their own people, threatened them, killed them and struck fear into their hearts with secret police.

But when their time came, they were hunted down like animals and treated with utter contempt, treated nothing more than common criminals. They will be remembered with contempt in history. Contrast that with meek and humble people like Gandhi, Mother Theresa and others who are remembered fondly because of the good works they did and because they carved goodness in the hearts of everyone they met.

These people may not have been rich, backed by the state apparatus or holding senior positions in government but they were men and women of virtue and had goodness in their hearts.

Contrast that with people like Ahmad Maslan, the Umno information chief who today sought to create more division in a country polarised along racial and religious lines. Contrast that also with the state-sponsored demonstrators who were allowed to disturb a peaceful march by lawyers who disagreed with the Peaceful Assembly Bill. Continue reading “Standing up to bullies”

Posted on

The 13th GE: It’s an open field

— Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Nov 24, 2011

NOV 24 — Rahim Tamby Chik (RTC) says there are attempts by the opposition parties to invite Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to become PM. This will happen, Rahim says, if there is a hung Parliament. Such a situation is untenable, says Rahim, because it will create political instability. So Umno must work hard to get a two-thirds majority.

Those were the observations and musings by RTC on the political possibilities after the GE13. What is intriguing was his warning that a hung Parliament will create instability. I hope we will not be in such a situation. Malaysians would prefer a clear-cut victory one way or the other.

I am not going to respond to his nervous prognosis, being more interested on how such a scenario can possibly happen and what are the implications if it does. I don’t think we are going to have a hung Parliament. It will be clear-cut either way. I am also bemused at his attempt to involve Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in such a scenario. To qualify as a participant in any future negotiations should a hung Parliament comes into being, TRH must be head of a political party. Right now, TRH is in Umno and doesn’t head a party nor is he a leader of any faction in Umno. Could Rahim’s advice be another attempt to isolate TRH from Umno? Continue reading “The 13th GE: It’s an open field”

Posted on

Pakatan’s alternative budget ‘empowers’ Dayaks

Joseph Tawie | November 11, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

Dayaks who have been ‘deprived of convenience’ by the ruling Barisan Nasional regime can expect to be prioritized under a Pakatan Rakyat rule.

KUCHING: Should the opposition, Pakatan Rakyat, be elected to power, the Dayak community in Sarawak can expect to see RM1 billion set aside to specifically look into their needs.

From this amount, some RM100 million will be channelled towards the Dayak Welfare Fund.

The RM100 million fund will look to providing medical aid and care for the poor and infirm Dayaks, help facilitate the supply of water tanks, pumps and pipes to longhouses and to repair and rebuild dilapidated houses or those destroyed by fire and other natural disasters.

Announcing this today, Pakatan’s shadow finance minister Chong Chien Jen said the Dayak Welfare Fund will be parked at the Ministry of Social Development and Urbanisation.

“The fund aims to reduce and mitigate some of the problems faced by the Dayaks.

“We must not shut our eyes to the plight of the Dayaks like what the BN (Barisan Nasional) ministers have done.

“The Dayaks have all along been marginalised and left out from the main stream of development in our country.

“As such, Pakatan must take action to help the Dayaks in terms of their education, and cultural and social levels,” he said. Continue reading “Pakatan’s alternative budget ‘empowers’ Dayaks”

Posted on

Poetic justice for Guan Eng

by Jeswan Kaur
Free Malaysia Today
November 3, 2011

The glowing words of praise heaped by the auditor-general in his latest report stand as proof that DAP is no fluke and has what it takes to turn Penang around.

COMMENT

The recently released Auditor-General’s Report comes as poetic justice for Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in particular and Barisan Nasional’s nemesis, Pakatan Rakyat in general. The report is full of praises as to how the state has successfully improved its financial position.

According to the report, Penang last year improved its financial position over 2009.

“The audit analysis found that consolidated funds of 2010 had improved compared to previous years and is at the highest level compared to the previous five years,” the report stated.

Lim took over the state’s top post in 2008 after DAP, a member of the Pakatan coalition, nudged Gerakan out in the 12th general election and took charge of Penang.

In the three years, despite all brickbats from his BN counterparts, Lim remains steadfastly focused on improving the state’s performance. The result? Words of praise by the auditor-general.

Still, like all hardworking people, Lim faced and continues to experience stinging criticism from Umno and BN which have left no stone unturned in belittling and condemning his efforts in transforming Penang for the better. Continue reading “Poetic justice for Guan Eng”

Posted on

MCA and hudud: Part 1

Stanley Koh | October 18, 2011 Free Malaysia Today

The party can’t hold a candle to DAP when it comes to principled opposition to Islamic state ambitions.

COMMENT

Two questions arise from MCA’s recent call on DAP to abandon the Pakatan Rakyat coalition because PAS is pushing for hudud punishments and, ultimately, an Islamic state.

First: Why did former MCA president Dr Ling Liong Sik fail to protest when former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad declared Malaysia an Islamic state in 2001?

MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong’s recent defence of Ling’s silence does not hold water. He said Mahathir’s declaration did not include a threat to change the Federal Constitution. Neither has Pakatan said it would change the constitution to suit PAS’s ambition.

Second: Since MCA is questioning DAP’s commitment to principles, what has happened to its own principles in the face of Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s recent remark that Malaysia was merely “not ready” for hudud?

Muhyiddin’s statement seemed to suggest that Umno, like PAS, longs to turn Malaysia into an Islamic state. Continue reading “MCA and hudud: Part 1”

Posted on

Lim Guan Eng on alleged criminal wrongdoing involving his son

Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 18.10.2011.
 
UMNO Should Act Against Those Trying To Wreck The Life Of My Young Son With Cruel And Barbaric Lies Just To Finish Me Off Politically To Prove That UMNO Is Not A 3D Party That Employs Desperate Dangerous And Dirty Tactics

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had declared during the Gerakan National Delegates Conference two days ago that BN had not given up on Penang and will go all out to recapture the state from Pakatan Rakyat. Following those Najib’s declaration of intent, we see pro-UMNO blogs and some UMNO leaders carrying out a serial campaign in the internet to systematically not only character assasinate me but also cruelly dragging in my young 16 year old son with their lies.
 
My wife and I are furious that pro-UMNO blogs and some UMNO leaders have made or perpetuated false allegations against my young son of criminal wrongdoing. My family and I deplore these lies and fabrications against my young son as morally despicable and barbaric. UMNO should act against those trying to wreck the life of my young son with cruel and barbaric lies just to finish me off politically to prove that UMNO is not a 3D party that employs desperate, dangerous and dirty tactics just to cling on and retain power at any cost.
 
My son had transferred to St Xavier Institution in Penang from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Cina Heng Yee because I had promised him that he could transfer to the school of his choice if he scored at least 6As in his PMR. When he achieved that, he was transferred at the beginning of the school term this year in January 2011. My son wanted to go to St Xavier because he did not want to have his hair crew-cut as is required for Heng Yee students but wanted to keep his hair longer. Continue reading “Lim Guan Eng on alleged criminal wrongdoing involving his son”

Posted on

Why the hudud controversy will not die

by Pak Sako
CPI
14 October 2011

PAS and DAP’s decision to ‘agree to disagree’ on hudud must be taken for what it really is: a politically-motivated temporary ceasefire.

It does not resolve the hudud controversy.

The controversy can never be resolved as long as the fundamental questions of the hudud debate continue to be avoided. The questions are:

1. What goals are hudud meant to achieve?

2. What are the pluses and minuses of hudud?

3. Do all Malaysian Muslims as well as non-Muslims want hudud?

A national dialogue on implementing hudud must exhaustively probe these questions before anything else. Continue reading “Why the hudud controversy will not die”

Posted on

DAP supports PSC on Electoral Reforms with reservations

The DAP welcomes the setting up of this Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms though we have many doubts and reservations.

Since 70s in Parliament, DAP MPs had been calling for free, fair and clean general elections, making proposals such as the following:

• a clean, honest and comprehensive electoral list where every eligible voter is on the list which could be simply achieved with an automatic voters registration system for every citizen who comes of voting age and the cleansing of phantom and illegal voters;

• eradication of postal vote abuses;

• Reduction of eligible voting age from 21 to 18 years;

• fair campaign period to allow voters adequate time to make informed decisions on their choice from competing candidates and political parties.

• eradication of electoral offences and corrupt practices, as money politics to buy votes;

• introduction of the concept of caretaker government to carry out day-to-day administration of the country between dissolution of Parliament and polling day where the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers are legally barred from abusing and misusing their public offices, resources or funds for any party electioneering campaigning on pain of disqualification despite election – like the case of former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi whose election to Parliament was declared null and void in 1975 on grounds of electoral malpractices because she had used government resources including helicopter for campaigning.

• An independent, credible and professional Elections Commission to carry out the constitutional duty to conduct free and fair elections, and not one which claims that its responsibility is to conduct elections with no powers to ensure it is clean, free and fair.

• Free and fair access to media;

• Fair and democratic redelineation of constituencies to give meaning to the principle of “one man, one vote, one value”.

For four decades these calls for a free, fair and clean electoral system had been ignored by UMNO and Barisan Nasional because they have been able to perpetuate their political power through such an undemocratic, unfair and even corrupt electoral system.

Is there now a genuine “change of heart” by the Prime Minister, UMNO and BN represented by the formation of the PSC for electoral reforms before Parliament today? Continue reading “DAP supports PSC on Electoral Reforms with reservations”

Posted on

DAP lawmaker claims offered RM150,000 to run for BN in GE13

By Debra Chong
Oct 01, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 1 — A suspended Johor DAP assemblyman today revealed he had been offered RM150,000 and 50 acres of land to quit his party and stand as an independent candidate aligned to rival Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming national polls.

First-term Bentayan state lawmaker Gwee Tong Hiang said he was approached last Tuesday by a Chinese man claiming to be a representative from the Prime Minister’s Department who caught him while he was feeling down over his six-month suspension for alleged power abuse. Continue reading “DAP lawmaker claims offered RM150,000 to run for BN in GE13”

Posted on

DAP accuses The Star of misreporting hudud quit vow

By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 27, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — The DAP accused The Star today of falsely reporting that Lim Guan Eng had threatened to pull the party out of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) if hudud became part of the pact’s joint policy.

Zairil Khir Johari, Lim’s political secretary, wrote in an open letter to the English daily that the party secretary-general had merely promised that “the entire central executive committee (CEC) would resign to take full responsibility if hudud” became PR policy.

“An initially correct report had come to be replaced by one that was imaginatively concocted,” Zairil (picture) wrote.

He said that a correct version of the article was uploaded on thestar.com.my on September 25 in which the reporter quoted Lim as saying that the party’s CEC would resign if anyone could prove that hudud law was in the Common Policy Framework (CPF) or Buku Jingga.

But a second version was uploaded the next day which changed the headline from “Guan Eng: DAP top leadership will quit if hudud law included in Pakatan policy” to “DAP leaders threaten to quit Pakatan council”.

Zairil said the second article “implied wrongly and falsely that Lim had threatened the resignation of the party’s top leadership” from PR. Continue reading “DAP accuses The Star of misreporting hudud quit vow”

Posted on

DAP causing a ‘Riot’ in Serian

Joseph Tawie | September 12, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

The five-term incumbent MP Richard Riot is having sleepless nights because of the opposition party’s attack on his constituency.

KUCHING: The centre set up by Sarawak DAP in Serian has not only set in motion its determination to wrest the parliamentary seat from the Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) in the coming general election but also caused ripples among the Bidayuh community as well as in the Barisan Nasional camp.

Weekly education programmes are organised by the party to instil political awareness among the Bidayuh community, so that they know their rights as voters as well as their rights and privileges to development, scholarships, business opportunities and so on.

With all these activities going on, Michael Manyin, the state assemblyman for Tebedu and state minister as well as Martin Ben, state assemblyman for Kedup, have expressed concern. Continue reading “DAP causing a ‘Riot’ in Serian”