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Janji ditepikan

by Tota
ALIRAN

Najib’s ‘janji ditepati’ is a big lie: it has fallen flat like capati, writes Tota.

Najib and the other BN leaders have been going round the country crowing about the so-called ‘janji ditepati’.

This BN slogan is a great lie, confirming that we have a BN government that has inexplicably survived through misinformation, outright lies and shameless deceit. This has been made possible by the BN-owned newspapers like Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian, NST, The Star and the vernacular papers which spin pro-BN stories on a daily basis. The government-controlled RTM is nothing but a tool for BN religious and political propaganda.

If one examines BN’s track record over their long spell of 56 years as the government, it will be obvious the track is littered with a long catalogue of broken promises. Below is an analysis of the broken promises by the Alliance/BN government. Continue reading “Janji ditepikan”

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If you are afraid to vote Pakatan, what can you do?

by P Ramakrishnan
ALIRAN

P Ramakrishnan advises pensioners what they should do if they are worried that their votes won’t be secret.

There are civil servants and pensioners who are fearful of voting for Pakatan. They would very much like to do so but they are afraid.

The civil servants are scared that if they are found out for supporting the opposition their promotion prospects may be affected. They think they may even be dismissed from service.

The pensioners are apprehensive that their pension may be stopped if they do not support the BN. They believe that it is the BN that is giving them their pension. Continue reading “If you are afraid to vote Pakatan, what can you do?”

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The Malaysian Trojan Horse

by Thomas Fann

In Virgil’s epic poem Aeneid, he told the tale of how the Greeks overcame the fortress city of Troy after laying siege to it for ten years. The Greeks built a giant wooden horse and hid a select team of warriors in it to deceive the Trojans that they have abandoned their battle and presented the city of Troy with a gift – the wooden horse.

Elated with the gift, the Trojans brought the wooden horse into the city to celebrate their victory. That night itself, while the city slept, the Greek warriors came out of the horse, opened the city gate for the Greek army who had returned and they overran the city of Troy. What they failed to achieve through military might in 10 years, they did it in one night through trickery. Continue reading “The Malaysian Trojan Horse”

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Deciding Who To Vote For In the Next Election

by M. Bakri Musa

Downstream Analysis: Hung Parliament Not Necessarily Bad
(Last of Four Parts)

Many fear a hung parliament as they think that would lead to chaos and uncertainty. Yes, there may be both but neither is inevitable. On the contrary I see many potentially redeeming aspects that could benefit citizens, the permanent establishment, and yes, even those politicians.

For citizens, seeing these freshly-victorious politicians brazenly jockeying for positions would be both instructive and revealing. It would be quite a sight to watch them behave worse than hookers. At least hookers are consumed with satisfying their present customers first, and would solicit new ones only after they have done that. More importantly, they do both discreetly. Those politicians on the other hand would be openly and lustily auctioning themselves to the highest bidder without even a promise of satisfactory performance to their current customers – citizens who had only recently voted for them. Those politicians would whore themselves brazenly. What matters to them would only be the price their new customers would be willing to pay, regardless how filthy and disease-ridden they are. Damn the consequences, for them or the nation. Continue reading “Deciding Who To Vote For In the Next Election”

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Who’s the racist these days?

The Malaysian Insider
April 28, 2013

APRIL 28 – Going into Malaysia’s 56th year of independence, one would assume that racism would not rear its ugly head especially among its leaders – young or old.

There is Barisan Nasional (BN) and its predecessor Alliance that has always put cooperation as one of its pillars. And there is Pakatan Rakyat (PR), all three multi-racial parties that have eschewed racism.

Then, there is Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who once spoke of a Bangsa Malaysia when he was Malaysia’s prime minister but for some time now, has resorted to racism and accusing others of racism in his speeches and writings.

Today, the New Sunday Times had him accuse the DAP of racism in going for the Gelang Patah federal seat due to its sizeable Chinese majority.

“If DAP does not play on its Chinese-ness, it cannot win. That is why Kit Siang chose Gelang Patah where 53 per cent of the voters are Chinese,” the weekly quoted Dr Mahathir.

This isn’t the first time Dr Mahathir has gone on this tangent. Earlier this year, he blamed Tunku for granting citizenship to Indians and Chinese at the advent of independence. Continue reading “Who’s the racist these days?”

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A passionate call for every Malaysian to vote

– David Quek
The Malaysian Insider
April 28, 2013

APRIL 28 – Malaysians, friends and colleagues!

First, I want to state that I am not a politician, and do not belong to any political party, by choice. But this does not mean that I do not support a better choice for a better renewed Malaysia!

I am but a simple professional, a doctor, who has had to fortune to rise up in society, because of good school grades, good parents/family who’d worked multiple jobs, great dedicated teachers of the past, to get to where I am today, although I hail from a poor background. I worry that for the next generation however, the future may not be as rosy and challenges would be aplenty!

I am using this platform for addressing as many Malaysians as possible to rethink our common future, to become more involved and concerned, as many other concerned citizens have tried to do so too, recently. Yes, I admit that I have gained some traction, some gravitas, to head the Malaysian Medical Association, a few years back, as national president. So I might have some qualified voice to humbly share a little more.

Then even as of now, I have been vocal and ardent that as concerned citizens, we have the duty to clarify and comment on what ails society, and that everyone of us can help make our society, our nation, better. Often this means not being in agreement with the authorities that be, that we do not see eye-to-eye with them, nor their discretionary powers and dictates. The right to dissent and disagree is an internationally enshrined human right. Continue reading “A passionate call for every Malaysian to vote”

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BN has lost ‘nambikei’ for nominating Zul Noordin

by Ragesh Kumar Lingam
Malaysiakini
Apr 24, 2013

Malaysia is known as a multi-racial country and we have been promoting that ever since independence.

The current prime minister has long called for nambikei (trust) from the Indian community for BN.

My question is on BN’s decision to field Zulkifli Noordin as BN’s candidate for the Shah Alam Parliament seat.

Zulkifli is well known for his racist remarks towards Indians especially to the Hindus in Malaysia.

This has been proven and everyone is well aware of this. Although we understand he has apologised, what does it matter now. Continue reading “BN has lost ‘nambikei’ for nominating Zul Noordin”

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Umno must pay the price in the next elections

by P Ramakrishnan
ALIRAN

Only then will it be able to shed its arrogance and look beyond the narrow politics of race and ethnicity, says P Ramakrishnan.

I have never felt as optimistic as I do today. Tonight’s forum has a great significance for me and for all those rooting for change. Five years ago, on this day, Malaysians shed their fear and stood up for their rights. As a result, we had the tsunami of 8 March 2008!

That tsunami would have brought about a change at the federal level as well if the GE12 had been free and fair. We were robbed of a well-deserved victory because the Barisan Nasional, the National Registration Department and the Election Commission colluded and plotted together to frustrate the aspirations of the people. Continue reading “Umno must pay the price in the next elections”

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BN’s femme fatale – the power of women

by Bridget Welsh
Malaysiakini
6:19PM Apr 27, 2013

GE13 SPECIAL Apart from civil servants, another decisive group in GE13 are women. They comprise 51.7 percent of the electorate and regularly turn out in high numbers, especially in semi and rural areas.

In close races, how women vote can make the difference. Numerically, women are largely in the urban areas, but disproportionately they are more influential politically in the more rural areas, as men are often outstation for employment.

Let’s take a look at how women can shape and have shaped the election so far, recognising that they will make an important impact this election and the trends are moving against the BN. Continue reading “BN’s femme fatale – the power of women”

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Malaysia is no Egypt

by Tricia Yeoh
theSun
25 April 2013 – 07:54pm

NEGATIVE advertisements are flooding mainstream newspapers in this very electric season of the 13th general election campaign, but many fail to convince. One full-page advertisement caught my attention, paid for by the MCA, a component party of the Barisan Nasional.

Its title reads “Ubah (Change) for the worst? What can we learn from the Egypt, Tunisia, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain free fall?” and describes what it imagines to have taken place in these countries during and after the Arab Spring.

The advertisement outlines the following series of events: “People get fed up with the government; Ruling party is forced to step down; Civil war in the streets and chaos in the country; Political instability, economic turmoil; Economy goes down, unemployment goes up; People get fed up with new government; Want to go back to the previous government.” Continue reading “Malaysia is no Egypt”

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What voting for BN means

by Tota
ALIRAN

We have seen the BN ads in the mass media portraying the opposition parties in a sinister light. Tota now shares with us his thoughts on what the BN stands for.

I have been sickened by the anti-Pakatan Rakyat advertisements in the BN controlled mainstream print media (see above). BN tactics are downright dirty. For a change, let me tell the rakyat what voting for BN portends.

A vote for BN is a vote to:

  1. Maintain a throughly corrupt regime to plunder the country’s wealth.
  2. Allow Umno to continue to exploit and manipulate mercilessly the poor Malays using religion and political propaganda.
  3. Encourage government that lies, cheats and deceives.

    4. Continue reading “What voting for BN means”

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8-Day to 13GE Polling Day – Tsu Koon invited to Gelang Patah daily press conference at 11.30 am tomorrow and I will explain to him my stand on hudud

New Straits Times today carried the following report: “Tsu Koon throws challenge to Kit Siang and Guan Eng on hudud”.

Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, who is Gerakan President, “threw a challenge” to me and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng “to make a formal stand on hudud, the Islamic law”.

Koh said both DAP leaders “had not made it clear whether they supported or opposed PAS’ stand on hudud or left the matter to the party’s national chairman, Karpal Singh”.

I am surprised by Koh’s statement, as he has got a Ph.D and having been Penang Chief Minister for nearly two decades, he should be more knowledgeable and literate than ordinary Gerakan and Barisan Nasional leaders and members. Continue reading “8-Day to 13GE Polling Day – Tsu Koon invited to Gelang Patah daily press conference at 11.30 am tomorrow and I will explain to him my stand on hudud”

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DAP parti pelbagai kaum, sentiasa membuka pintu dan peluang kepada orang Melayu

Oleh kerana masih ada pemimpin politik UMNO dan BN serta cybertroopers upahan mereka yang masih menyebarkan fitnah tentang DAP, saya ingin menjelaskan bahawa DAP adalah sebuah parti politik yang sah yang terbuka kepada semua bangsa dan kaum. Jika DAP bertindak di luar undang-undang atau melanggar Perlembagaan Persekutuan, tentu DAP sudah lama diharamkan.

DAP adalah parti pelbagai kaum, sentiasa membuka pintu dan peluang adil kepada orang Melayu. Yang menjadi masalah kepada DAP ialah UMNO dan BN telah lama menggunakan media dan alat-alat kerajaan untuk menyebarkan fitnah kononnya DAP adalah parti cauvinis Cina dan bersifat perkauman.

Fitnah ini diulang-ulang sehingga ada orang keliru dan tidak sedar bahawa UMNO lah yang menutup pintu kepada orang bukan Melayu menyertainya, MCA pula tidak membenarkan orang bukan Cina menyertai dan MIC tidak membuka pintu kepada orang Melayu atau Cina. Jadi BN yang mengamalkan politik berasaskan kaum.

Namun, saya lega sekarang kerana semakin ramai orang Melayu sudah sedar tentang fitnah UMNO dan BN yang disiarkan melalui media. Semakin ramai orang Melayu tidak percayakan laporan oleh Utusan Malaysia, TV3, Berita Harian dan lain-lain media yang dikawal ketat oleh UMNO dan BN.
Continue reading “DAP parti pelbagai kaum, sentiasa membuka pintu dan peluang kepada orang Melayu”

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Winds of change

by Mark Baker
Editor-at-Large, The Age

Anwar Ibrahim once seemed a certainty to rule Malaysia. Then came his arrest and imprisonment. Now, with his party shaking up the establishment, is he set to finally fulfil his ambition? By Mark Baker.

It’s nearing midnight in Penang. In a park surrounded by decaying concrete apartment blocks, a swelling crowd waits patiently amid the sticky heat and pungent aromas of food stalls, traffic fumes and open drains. This is a poor Malay neighbourhood, but there are Chinese and Indians here, too, a representative cross-section of multiracial Malaysia.

Suddenly a slim figure in dark trousers and white shirt emerges from the darkness through a side gate and the crowd erupts in jubilation, clapping, cheering and sounding horns. A squad of armed security men guides him through the crush and up towards the fluorescent glare of a makeshift stage. “There have been attacks by provocateurs at other meetings. We have to be careful,” says a senior aide. Continue reading “Winds of change”

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Can you smell the elephant in the room?

by Stan CH Lee

elephant2

Recently DPM Muhyiddin Yassin proudly announced that Malaysia’ branding is something that is real, rooted in reality. Not something that it aspires to be.

1Malaysia?

I guess he has to justify the staggering amounts paid to some Israeli PR firm for massaging the image. He obviously believes the guy who said “Get a good creative person and he can make a stinking dead elephant smell like perfume.” To be sure, good creative work can even wipe a dark past clean, but for this to work, the subject must have already started on the road to redemption. You could have been a scoundrel in your younger days, but are now a responsible member of society. If you continue in your merry old ways, it shows up jarringly against the branding.

Bikin tak serupa cakap, they say. Continue reading “Can you smell the elephant in the room?”

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People or party? Wooing civil servants

by Bridget Welsh
Malaysiakini
2:08PM Apr 25, 2013

GE13 SPECIAL In caretaker Premier Najib Abdul Razak’s political targeting, one group has received special attention – civil servants. Why would those in the heart of government garner such special focus for an election? The reality is that in Malaysia’s close electoral races, civil servants can be decisive in shaping the final tallies. This is one of the groups that I will be highlighting as decisive in this campaign.

Over the past few years Najib’s administration has worked to stem the erosion of support from his traditional base of government employees with mixed results.

A decisive constituency

Civil servants make up 1.4 million voters, or 10.5 percent of the electorate. The civil service is made up of senior appointments, the police, army personnel, teachers, and a variety of industrial and manual (IMG) groups. There are also an estimated 657,000 government pensioners. Continue reading “People or party? Wooing civil servants”

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GE 13: Vote with anger, wipe away corruptions, racism, religious intolerance and FEAR

by Richard Loh

Are they trying to share their FEAR of losing power by orchestrating the many violence we are seeing lately?

Umno perkasa bn have been telling people that CHANGE will lead to chaos and violence and only by staying with them will we see peace and stability.

But what are we observing today, daily reports of violence going on and they are still the caretaker government yet they are not doing anything to curb nor condemn the ongoing violence.

Have you heard the caretaker PM ordering the violence to stop or the police to take drastic action against whomever are perpetuating these violence? NO and WHY? Continue reading “GE 13: Vote with anger, wipe away corruptions, racism, religious intolerance and FEAR”

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9-Day Countdown to 13GE Polling Day: Sarawak BN has conceded that 11 parliamentary seats in the state are in danger – a step closer to Putrajaya

I have just returned from a 42-hour whistle-stop visit to Sarawak and Sabah, where I challenged voters in the three Barisan Nasional “fixed deposit states” of Sarawak, Sabah and Johor to rise up to the historic challenge to achieve the target of winning a total of 33 Parliamentary seats in the 13GE from the three states – which is an important precondition for Malaysians to effect change in Putrajaya with Pakatan Rakyat replacing Barisan Nasional as the new Federal Government of Malaysia.

It is a tall order for the three BN “fixed deposit” states of Sarawak, Sabah and Johore to win for Pakatan Rakyat 33 out of the total of 83 parliamentary seats in these three states on 13GE Polling Day on May 5, as PR only won three or one in each state in the 2008 general elections – namely Bandar Kuching in Sarawak, Kota Kinabalu in Sabah and Bakri in Johore – but it is not an impossible target as it would have been five years ago.

I am encouraged from my lightning visits to Sabah (Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu) on Wednesday and Sarawak (Kuching, Mas Gading where our parliamentary candidate is Mordi Bimol and Serian where our parliamentary candidate is Edward Andrew Luat) yesterday that the winds of change are blowing strong and hard in these two states.

It was in Sabah that the catchcry “Ini Kalilah” and in Sarawak where the other catchcry “UBAH” first rang out loud and clear and which have now been joined as “Ini Kalilah – UBAH” to become the common cry and inspiration of all Malaysians in the country who want change to embrace the Malaysian Dream and an end to the politics of race, corruption, cronyism, abuses of power, violation of democratic and human rights, injustices and lack of good governance!
Continue reading “9-Day Countdown to 13GE Polling Day: Sarawak BN has conceded that 11 parliamentary seats in the state are in danger – a step closer to Putrajaya”

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Why I’m Flying Back to Malaysia to Vote

BY HUI MEI LIEW KAISER | APRIL 18, 2013
Foreign Policy

I’m a Malaysian citizen who’s been living in Switzerland since I married my German husband two and a half years ago. Ever since I made the move to Europe, though, I’ve been keeping an eye on the political situation back in my native country. Earlier this year, when it became apparent that a general election was imminent, I flew back to Malaysia — 6,200 miles away — just so that I could vote.

Unfortunately, after my arrival, the government decided to hold off on calling the new election, so when I couldn’t wait any longer I flew back to Zurich — only to hear the news that Prime Minister Najib Razak had dissolved parliament. Soon after that the date of the new election was set: May 5.

So I turned around and flew back to Malaysia. Continue reading “Why I’m Flying Back to Malaysia to Vote”

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Ghani should change his political advisers in the Gelang Patah contest as he is made to say things which undermines his reputation as a sober, rational and level-headed classic Malay gentleman

I am really flabbergasted. I am accused by the Johor Mentri Besar and Barisan Nasional candidate for Gelang Patah Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman of saying things about him which I had never done.

For instance, in an interview today with the UMNO-owned and controlled New Straits Times, which claims to be a newspaper when it is in fact a “lies-paper”, the Johor Mentri Besar was asked a loaded and completely untruthful question and Ghani gave an equally baseless and untruth answer because it was founded on lies and falsehoods.

This is the Q and A I am referring to:

“Question: Your opponent had tried to paint a picture of you being a Malay chauvinist. Do you think it will influence the Chinese electorate, who make up the majority of voters in Gelang Patah?

“Answer: It is cruel. I’m quite sad about the attempts to label me a racist. But Johoreans know me.

“I have been here for the past 18 years and the Chinese community here knows that I have always engaged them. I work with them directly on community issues as well as on education, culture and welfare.

“Since (Lim) Kit Siang decided to come here to contest (Gelang Patah), he has been provoking the Chinese.”

Continue reading “Ghani should change his political advisers in the Gelang Patah contest as he is made to say things which undermines his reputation as a sober, rational and level-headed classic Malay gentleman”