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15-Day Countdown to 13GE – Unprecedented automatic dissolution of Negri Sembilan State Assembly at midnight tonight further highlights the “illegitimacy” of the Najib premiership particularly after the fifth anniversary of the “political tsunami” on 8th March

The unprecedented automatic dissolution of Negri Sembilan State Assembly at midnight tonight further highlights the “illegitimacy” of the Najib premiership particularly after the fifth anniversary of the “political tsunami” on 8th March nineteen days ago, giving his Cabinet and Government an “expired” character.

Is Najib really heading for the automatic dissolution of Parliament, now claimed to be April 30 and not April 27, 2013, after the further “automatic dissolution” of the State Assemblies of Pahang, Johore, Malacca, Selangor, Perak, Perlis and Kelantan before Parliament’s “automatic dissolution”, to be followed by the other states of Sabah, Penang and Terengganu?

It is not only a supreme irony, but most pathetic, that after almost four years as the country’s longest unelected Prime Minister and on permanent campaign mode, Najib is still trying to scrape the bottom of the barrel to eke out as many days as possible before he faces the ultimate and unavoidable “tryst with destiny”, the dissolution of the 12th Parliament for the holding of the 13th general elections in the country.

I agree with the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz that it is within Najib’s power to allow Parliament to be automatically dissolved before the holding of the 13GE, but he surely knows that this is an act which raises the most eloquent question about Najib’s credibility and legitimacy as Prime Minister of Malaysia. Continue reading “15-Day Countdown to 13GE – Unprecedented automatic dissolution of Negri Sembilan State Assembly at midnight tonight further highlights the “illegitimacy” of the Najib premiership particularly after the fifth anniversary of the “political tsunami” on 8th March”

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Hisham is endorsing political violence, says Pakatan

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid
The Malaysian Insider
Mar 26, 2013

PETALING JAYA, March 26 — Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein’s recent remarks that he expects more disruption of opposition events soon is tantamount to endorsing political violence, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders alleged today.

The federal opposition coalition said that since the home minister had failed to give his assurance that the authorities will do its bit to protect them, PR is bracing for more political violence prior to and during Election 2013.

“The politics of slander and violence is definitely on the rise and we the leadership of PR is bracing for this,” Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told reporters after chairing the pact’s leaders council meeting at PKR’s headquarters here.

Anwar, the de facto leader of PR’s anchor party PKR, said the anticipation comes amid the pact’s preparation to launch its polls campaign nationwide.

Speaking at the same press conference, DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang blasted Hishammuddin’s statement as unbecoming of a minister tasked to protect internal security.

“This will make it the dirtiest elections. This trend must be checked and stopped. We are becoming the laughing stock of the world,” Lim said.

The Ipoh Timur lawmaker added that Hishammuddin had also indirectly supported violence against the opposition by inciting hatred among government supporters in his speech on Sunday.

Party workers had shouted “Kill Tian Chua” when the Umno vice-president urged them to rally behind Barisan Nasional (BN) and “eliminate traitors” like PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang, better known as Tian Chua, whose allies in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) have been accused of instigating the Sulu invasion of Sabah. Continue reading “Hisham is endorsing political violence, says Pakatan”

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No need for Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states of Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Selangor to dissolve ahead of Parliament – as 13GE must be held latest by May 25 if there is going to be simultaneous Parliament/State GE

Should the Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states of Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Selangor dissolve ahead of Parliament if the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak continues to be indecisive despite the automatic dissolution of the Negri Sembilan State Assembly?

There are respective pros and cons but on the balance, I do not think there is any need for the Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states of Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Selangor to dissolve ahead of Parliament as the 13th General Elections must be held latest by May 25 if there is going to be simultaneous Parliament/State general elections. Continue reading “No need for Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states of Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Selangor to dissolve ahead of Parliament – as 13GE must be held latest by May 25 if there is going to be simultaneous Parliament/State GE”

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16-Day Countdown to 13GE – Najib has become a “kiasu” and “kiasi” Prime Minister, mortally afraid that the most famous political prophecy of RAHMAN in Malaysia will come true with him as the last UMNO/Barisan Nasional Prime Minister!

By 12 midnight in 16 hours time, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak would have created double “history” – firstly, first time in nation’s 56-year history, allowing a State Assembly (Negri Sembilan) to be automatically dissolved before Parliament; and secondly, establishing a record of “indecisiveness” as Prime Minister, even putting the fifth Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Abdullah to shame, while he continues to agonise on when to dissolve Parliament for the 13th General Elections!

There are no signs that Najib would dissolve Parliament before midnight tonight, ahead of the automatic dissolution of the Negri Sembilan State Assembly.

In fact, it now looks likely that another State Assembly, Pahang, will automatically dissolve on Apri 5, 2013 before the dissolution of Parliament.

This raises the question whether Najib will allow six other State Assemblies to be dissolved before the automatic dissolution of Parliament on midnight on 27th April 2013 – namely Johore and Malacca (19th April), Selangor (20th April), Perak, Perlis and Kelantan (26th April).

Already, Najib has chalked up many dubious “records”, including:

*the longest unelected Prime Minister without a mandate from the voters;

*leading an “expired” Cabinet and Government, as the present 12th Parliament is 18 days past its five-year natural life, as it was elected on March 8, 2008; and

*a Prime Minister who has been on election campaigning mode for the longest period in history – four years in a week’s time when it will be the fourth anniversary of Najib’s becoming the sixth Prime Minister on 3rd April 2009.

Continue reading “16-Day Countdown to 13GE – Najib has become a “kiasu” and “kiasi” Prime Minister, mortally afraid that the most famous political prophecy of RAHMAN in Malaysia will come true with him as the last UMNO/Barisan Nasional Prime Minister!”

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The ‘class acts’ promoting Umno/BN

― Jimi Huang
The Malaysian Insider
March 25, 2013

MARCH 25 ― In the past few weeks, there have been many luminaries who have been promoting the continued rule of Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN). Of course, all of them come from Umno.

Let’s see, we have had Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, of course. The wise man who says Malays have to save Selangor in order to save the Malays themselves. He would say that because he has never read the Federal Constitution, which talks of the special position of the Malays.

And Tun Daim Zainuddin, Datuk Ibrahim Ali, Tan Sri Syed Hamid Albar. They all owe their positions and influence to Umno and BN. Why would they say different?

These “class acts” also all have something in common: They are part of a political system that promoted and celebrated excesses in power.

Now that they are no longer at the pinnacle of power, they have turned to advising Malaysians on what choices to make.

You can’t expect any of them to say anything different except that Umno and BN are the best for the country. Continue reading “The ‘class acts’ promoting Umno/BN”

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Najib throws more election goodies

Anisah Shukri| March 25, 2013
Free Malaysia Today

The prime minister announces four changes to the 40,000 staff of seven statutory bodies ahead of the polls.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak today announced sweeping benefits for the 40,000 staff of seven government statutory bodies, ahead of the general election which must be held within weeks.

The benefits to be given to LTAT (Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera), LHDN (Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri), EPF (Employees Provident Fund), Tabung Haji, Perkeso, Perhebat (Armed Forces Veteran Affairs Corporation), and Bank Simpanan Nasional are:

*a pension fund set up for all personnel;

*fixed housing allowances equivalent to that of civil servants;

*gratituities for retirees; and

*streamlining employer contribution towards the EPF.

The benefits come in the wake of Najib’s announcement yesterday that the government would award 10,000 individual permits to taxi drivers, in what can be seen as a last-minute attempt to woo voters before polls are held.
Continue reading “Najib throws more election goodies”

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Stupid things politicians say

― Fikry Osman
The Malaysian Insider
March 25, 2013

MARCH 25 ― Yes, we know it’s silly season in Malaysia. You can tell by reading what the politicians are saying these days in the run-up to the 13th general election (GE13) that could happen in the next few weeks.

These politicians sometimes say the dumbest and most obvious things. Tan Sri Shahrir Samad said today that the DAP is out to destroy MCA by sending its big guns to Johor.

Wow, this is really brilliant deduction.

I guess he could not have said the DAP is focussing on Johor because of the number of urban seat there, the number of Chinese voters, and that the abysmal record of Datuk Ghani Othman and hangers-on like Shahrir and others make the southern state a good target.
Continue reading “Stupid things politicians say”

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Clash of heavyweights in Gelang Patah?

— Lim Mun Fah
The Malaysian Insider
March 25, 2013

MARCH 25 — The MCA had never strategically anticipated that DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang would contest the Gelang Patah constituency. Initially, the MCA thought the proposed move was nothing more than a smokescreen, but to their surprise it turned out to be true. Having been caught on the hop, the MCA subsequently has to review it strategy.

If you go through past records of national elections, you will find that the Gelang Patah constituency is one of the most invulnerable bastions of the MCA. Both the MCA’s Chang See Ten @ Teu Si and Tan Ah Eng were elected as they are earnest service-oriented figures. Theoretically, Gelang Patah ought to be a safe constituency for the MCA. But the cruel fact is that Gelang Patah has been restive due to internal factional conflicts over the past 10 or more years: Chang fell in the conflicts, and so did Tan.

The MCA’s optimal contestant for the Gelang Patah constituency is Teoh Sew Hock, who started out as a grassroots member and rose all the way up to Gelang Patah MCA division chairman. Initially, the MCA thought that Teoh’s opponent would either be PKR’s Chua Jui Meng, or the DAP’s Liew Chin Tong or Dr Boo Cheng Hau. Now, the MCA has to change it strategy, I believe.

Talk that the MCA will assign somebody else, say, a heavyweight figure to replace Teoh, is rife nowadays. Who will that be? Chua Soi Lek or Wee Ka Siong? Continue reading “Clash of heavyweights in Gelang Patah?”

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17-Day Countdown to 13GE – People of Sabah and Sarawak can make history by making this 50th Golden Jubilee year of the creation of Malaysia, the year when Malaysia joins the ranks of democratic countries in the world

This year is a year of tremendous historical importance to our young nation.

Fifty years ago, in 1963, the nation of Malaysia was created with the merging of Malaya, Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore.

This year, 2013, is the 50th anniversary for the creation of Malaysia.

And in this year of our Golden Jubilee, Malaysians have a golden opportunity to create yet another historical moment in our country’s history by ushering in a new era of democracy and freedom for our nation by voting for a peaceful transition to a new government that is clean, competent, transparent and fully accountable to the citizens of Malaysia. Continue reading “17-Day Countdown to 13GE – People of Sabah and Sarawak can make history by making this 50th Golden Jubilee year of the creation of Malaysia, the year when Malaysia joins the ranks of democratic countries in the world”

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Kit Siang in Johor will be as earth-shaking as 308

K Temoc
Malaysiakini
Mar 22, 2013

I refer to your news article ‘Guan Eng sends Liew on mission to ‘K’ seat in Johor’ which informs us of the Democratic Action Party (DAP) election strategy to breach the Barisan Nasional (BN) stronghold in Johor. By now, everyone knows that veteran politician Lim Kit Siang will not stand in his current blue ribbon seat in Ipoh Timor in order to offer himself as an election candidate to the people of Gelang Patah in Johor to represent them in the next federal parliament.

His intention has struck terror in the BN camp, which has even drawn out former PM and Umno icon Dr Mahathir Mohamad to make what I see as a half-hearted but obligatory dismissal of the DAP man’s candidature in Gelang Patah.

Lim KS standing in and winning that Johor federal constituency will be as earth-shaking as the 2008 political tsunami. More than the BN’s fear of losing a federal seat, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) knows that such an occurrence will virtually be its death knell, for a Lim KS victory will not only defeat Tan Ah Eng, its candidate in Gelang Patah, but will effectively strike right into its political heart.

So much is at stake for BN but no more than that for Lim KS. Continue reading “Kit Siang in Johor will be as earth-shaking as 308”

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19-Day Countdown to 13GE – Najib will commit supreme abuse of power if he toys with the UMNO/BN “Dirty Tricks” department with the ploy of illegally banning DAP to exclude Rocket symbol in 13GE as it will be the “last straw that break’s the camel’s back”

In response to a question from a reporter after visiting Taman University market in Gelang Patah yesterday morning, I stressed that there is absolutely no legal, constitutional or any legitimate ground for any punitive action by the Registrar of Societies against the DAP, whether suspension or deregistration.

The DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) elections last December had been above-board and a transparent and democratic process although there was an honest mistake from a computer glitch when announcing the results.

The DAP CEC has no doubt that there can be no justification whatsoever for the Registrar of Societies to take any action against the DAP for the party elections, especially as the DAP leadership had not received any complaint from party delegates on the CEC elections while the DAP had fully co-operated with the Registrar of Societies with regard to queries and requests for clarification.

This is why I am baffled how the Utusan Malaysia today could carry a front-page headline report that the ROS were facing “difficulties in its probe” on the DAP CEC elections last December. Continue reading “19-Day Countdown to 13GE – Najib will commit supreme abuse of power if he toys with the UMNO/BN “Dirty Tricks” department with the ploy of illegally banning DAP to exclude Rocket symbol in 13GE as it will be the “last straw that break’s the camel’s back””

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‘Probe red and green ICs on electoral roll’

Malaysiakini
12:39PM Mar 22, 2013

DAP election strategist Ong Kian Ming has urged the Election Commission (EC) to investigate the existence of old red and green identity card numbers in the electoral roll.

While acknowledging that the holders of these old identity card (IC) numbers may have since gained citizenship, Ong pointed out the fact that they were found in constituencies with large numbers of IC numbers deemed “problematic” by the National Registration Department (NRD) was a cause for concern.

200x259xdb6a0313d2de0a598a416b8a282dff87.jpg.pagespeed.ic.i_36tgWy82 “When we investigated the latest electoral roll of the fourth quarter of 2012, we found that there were 7,029 voters with old identity card numbers belonging to the red IC range and 446 voters with old IC numbers belonging to the green IC range.

“This means that there could potentially be 7,475 people who are non-Malaysian residents and not eligible to register to vote but who have been put on the electoral roll,” Ong (left) said.

His checked the electoral roll for old red identity card numbers from H6000000 to H6040000 and old green identity card numbers H8000000 to H8040000, which were provided by Sabah and Sarawak NRD IC division chief Ruslan Alias during the royal commission of inquiry on illegal immigrants in Sabah. Continue reading “‘Probe red and green ICs on electoral roll’”

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Malaysia’s looming election – Video nasties

Economist
Mar 23rd 2013 | KUALA LUMPUR

– A two-year election campaign nears its climax

WITH a tight election coming up, it is politics as usual in Malaysia—only more so. This month alone has seen the opposition accused of colluding in a foreign invasion of the state of Sabah in Borneo; the death of a private investigator, reviving stories of the grisly murder in 2006 of a beautiful Mongolian woman linked to a friend of the prime minister, Najib Razak; the leader of the opposition, Anwar Ibrahim, denying that he was one of two men appearing in grainy pictures online in an affectionate clinch; and a film shot on hidden cameras that appears to show large-scale corruption in the government of the other Malaysian state in Borneo, Sarawak.

Sailing blithely above the mud and filth that make Malaysian political waters so murky, Mr Najib went on national television on March 19th to deliver the scorecard on the “transformation programme” his government has implemented. He had a good story to tell, of robust economic growth of 5.6% in 2012, poverty virtually eliminated, inequality reduced and 400 legal cases against corruption initiated. And he was able to announce that a scheme to give cash handouts to poorer households will become an annual event.

All should be set fair, you might think, for Mr Najib’s ruling coalition, the Barisan Nasional (BN), to romp home again at the election, as it has done in every ballot since independence in 1957. Mr Najib is expected to dissolve parliament any day now, with the voting to follow in mid-April after a brief official campaign period (the unofficial one has now lasted two years or more). If he does not dissolve parliament, its term will expire at the end of April, and the election must then be held by the end of June.

In fact, the outcome is in doubt, for the first time in Malaysia’s history. Continue reading “Malaysia’s looming election – Video nasties”

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Salute Kit Siang for going for broke

by Dr Chris Anthony
Malaysiakini
Mar 20, 2013

The decision by Lim Kit Siang, the DAP adviser and veteran opposition leader, comes as no surprise from a politician of his calibre.

This is not the first time he has chosen to take such risks but this is the first time his risk is most significant in changing the political landscape of the country.

His willingness to contest in the high-risk Gelang Patah seat in Johor may well initiate a political tsunami from the south that could result in a win for Pakatan Rakyat for the first time in the history of the nation.

We salute Kit Siang for his boldness to take that risk not many politicians will be willing to undertake. Continue reading “Salute Kit Siang for going for broke”

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Political rivals in a strategic battle

— Lim Sue Goan
The Malaysian Insider
March 22, 2013

MARCH 22 — BN has made an all-out effort to create a feel-good atmosphere but its political strategy is not as flexible as Pakatan Rakyat’s.

Pakatan Rakyat has started to unveil its candidates and display its strength. BN, meanwhile, is still carefully selecting candidates and considering constituency exchanges, causing election campaign activities in some constituencies to now lag behind.

Take the DAP as an example. Some candidates have been decided such as Negri Sembilan DAP chairman and Lobak state assemblymen Anthony Loke, who will be contesting the Chennah state seat, party parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang will contest the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat and Himpunan Hijau chairman Wong Tack will contest the Bentong parliamentary seat.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had also announced on Wednesday some PKR parliamentary candidates. His daughter Nurul Izzah will seek re-election in Lembah Pantai and PKR strategic director Mohd Rafizi Ramli will contest the Pandan parliamentary seat. Also, five Sarawak parliamentary candidates have also been decided.

There are also some signs showing the deployment of PAS candidates, including party vice-president Salahuddin Ayub who will be contesting in Johor while former Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin will be contesting the Changkat Jering state seat. Continue reading “Political rivals in a strategic battle”

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One Small stride by Kit Siang, One Giant Step nearer to Putrajaya

by Sakmongkol AK47
Thursday, 21 March 2013

The return of Lim Kit Siang to Johor should not matter to UMNO and BN. Why should it cause worry? Isn’t it mathematically impossible for PR to go from 1 seat to 15 parliamentary seats? The Johor Chinese are different. They have an unshakeable allegiance to the state. So the Johor Chinese are by definition, naturally indifferent to what is happening around in the country.

The Chinese are a very practical people says Chua Soi Lek. Soi lek must of course be referring to the Chinese apparent indifference to his sexual escapades. By that reasoning, the Chinese must also be indifferent to whatever stories are said of Anwar Ibrahim and they should be indifferent to Najib’s overextended and boring self-praising assessment of his Alphabet Soup vision. Ah Jib Gor does what Ah Jib Gor does best-tell tall stories mostly about himself.

Being practical they want to know, whether we can establish a good government. Which will practise good governance. Consists of good, selfless and dedicated people. They want to go about making wealth under a government that upholds the rule of law. Which in turn require that the institutions that safeguard the rule and implementation of law be strong and independent and are established on principles of integrity. The Chinese want to live peacefully with the other major races in Malaysia. These are hallmarks of practical people.

I don’t think being practical means, they accept corruption, wheeling and dealing with the powers that be, accepting hegemony from others. If they are like that- that’s not being practical but being sly and acting like hustlers. The ‘thing’ that made the Chinese practical is economic independence. So being practical as in economically independent, the Chinese can exercise wider choices. They will chose to side with PRakyat. That’s practical and acknowledging reality. Continue reading “One Small stride by Kit Siang, One Giant Step nearer to Putrajaya”

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Kit Siang’s ambition

by Tay Tian Yan
The Malaysian Insider
March 21, 2013

MARCH 21 — DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang has, after all, engaged in politics for half a century. He is indeed a daring veteran politician of Malaysia, just like Lian Po, a prominent military general of Zhao during the Warring States period of China.

Reputable Lian Po was an outstanding general who had fought in battles for decades. He was still ambitious even in his old age.

He was a semi-retired general when he was 70 years old. However, since there was no general to lead the troops to fight against Qin, someone actually suggested Lian Po. The emperor of Zhao frowned and asked: “Is the old Lian Po still able to eat?”

He then sent someone to find it out.

Lian Po knew that the emperor was trying to find out his condition, he thus invited the scout to stay for a meal. He ate a bucket of rice and 10 pounds of meat in front of the scout and gave a horse-riding performance to prove that he was still very strong.

However, the scout was bribed by his political enemy. He told the emperor that Lian Po could still eat, but he went to release himself three times during the meal.

The emperor then thought Lian Po was no longer capable and thus he dared not field him for the battle. Zhao was later defeated by Qin in the Battle of Changping. Continue reading “Kit Siang’s ambition”

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A sure win for Lim Kit Siang?

by Lim Mun Fah
The Malaysian Insider
March 22, 2013

MARCH 22 — Many Pakatan Rakyat supporters were filled with a wild ecstatic happiness and believed that it would be a sure-win battle when Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim made the announcement that DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang will contest in Gelang Patah, Johor. Most members of public also believe that his odds of winning are extremely high.

If we analyse calmly, however, the MCA might not necessarily lose the battle. Nothing is impossible in politics. Moreover, Lim is not God, he has suffered five defeats in his political career over the past nearly half a century, including the Serdang state seat in the 1968 by-election, the Bandar Hilir state seat in 1982, the Tanjung Bungah state seat in 1995, and the Bukit Bendara parliamentary seat, as well as the Kebun Bunga state seat in 1999, plunging his political career into a trough.

There is a certain risk for Lim to contest in Gelang Patah, the MCA’s turf. If we look at the election records of Gelang Patah, the MCA’s Chang See Ten @ Teu Si won the seat with 24,219-vote majority in 1995 and 26,405-vote majority in 1999. In 2004, the MCA’s then fresh candidate Tan Ah Eng achieved a peak by winning the seat with a 31,666-vote majority, and given the anti-ruling party sentiment in 2008, Tan still won the seat with 8,851-vote majority. The record shows that Gelang Patah has been a stronghold of the MCA and it is not that easy to pull it down. Continue reading “A sure win for Lim Kit Siang?”

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The Coming Tsunami

by Allan CF Goh

The Coming Tsunami

Nobody saw the storm coming,
But it did, with people’s blessing.
Up North, there was a tsunami,
Which united folks, just like me.
It brought renewed hopes to people,
Held high as the highest steeple.
Now the tsunami is spreading;
Johoreans are now expecting,
A new dawning for their belief,
To realize their hope, relief.
Let the wind of change start to blow,
Let our dear nation grow and glow.
Continue reading “The Coming Tsunami”

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21-Day Countdown to 13GE – The empty drumbeats from Pemandu (Part 1)

The EPT Annual Report for 2012 prepared by PEMANDU and launched by the Prime Minister with great fanfare is nothing more than a public relations effort.

The report has been written and delivered as part of the electioneering effort mounted by a Government that is desperately attempting to convey to a disbelieving electorate a picture of progress and achievements together with promises of attaining the promised land of a High Income country by 2020.

Taken as a whole, the Report is a document that attempts to project illusions, highly massaged selective facts to lull the electorate. The primary objective is to gain a return to power at all costs.

The Report contains glossy charts and graphs and statements that cannot be substantiated.

It fails dismally by not providing a true and candid assessment of the challenges the nation faces because of squandered opportunities for mounting genuine economic reforms particularly needed in view of the uncertainties linked with weaknesses in the global economy that emerged in 2007. Continue reading “21-Day Countdown to 13GE – The empty drumbeats from Pemandu (Part 1)”