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95-Day Countdown to 13GE – If Deepak had made only 10% of allegations against DAP/PR leaders he made against Najib and UMNO/BN leadership, he would be crawling all over BN MSM in past six weeks instead of total blackout

The past three days have been the most difficult days for DAP leaders, members and supporters in the 47-year history of the party, testified by the fact that the DAP had dominated the front-pages of the Barisan Nasional mainstream media (MSM) in the past two days and hogged the Barisan Nasional-controlled air waves.

The following are the screaming front-page headlines in the BN MSM in the past two days:

DAP silap kira undi? – Pengarah pilihan raya parti itu letak jawatan (Utusan Malaysia 5.1.13)

Drama DAP – Lagi persoal isu silap kira undi (Mingguan Malaysia 5.1.13)

DAP election FIASCO – Error raises doubts about party’s ability to rule country (New Straits Times 5.1.13)

‘Embarrassing glitch’ – (New Sunday Times 6.1.13)

Sandiwara DAP pujuk Melayu – Ambil masa tiga minggua akui kesilapan pemilihan CEC (Berita Harian 5.1.13)

Tindakan DAP ‘luar biasa’ – Pinda keputusan pemilihan janggal, timbul banyak persoalan: Muhyiddin (Berita Harian t6.1.13)

It doesn’t add up (Star 5.1.13)

When DAP appears in the BN MSM, especially on their front-pages, it is not good news. In fact, often they are about lies – as in the infamous case on May 7, 2011 when Utusan Malaysia carried a front-page article headlined “Kristian agama rasmi?” (“Christianity the official religion?”), claiming that DAP was conspiring with Christian leaders to instal Christianity as the religion of the federation instead of Islam and the other infamous case on July 9, 2012 on the Utusan Malaysia front-page about the falsehood that the DAP would contest 90 of the 222 parliamentary seats to dominate Pakatan Rakyat and appoint the Prime Minister in the 13th general election. Continue reading “95-Day Countdown to 13GE – If Deepak had made only 10% of allegations against DAP/PR leaders he made against Najib and UMNO/BN leadership, he would be crawling all over BN MSM in past six weeks instead of total blackout”

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Umno-BN, stop the lies against Selangor

Abdul Khalid Ibrahim
Malaysiakini
11:20AM Jan 5, 2013

COMMENT

2012 has been a productive year for the Selangor state government, and I along with other state leaders begin 2013 with the firm intent of redoubling our efforts to serve the rakyat.

It is saddening to see the deputy prime minister, on the other hand, begin the new year with low class politicking, stating that the people of Selangor have been fooled for four years under Pakatan Rakyat.

In reality, it is Barisan Nasional that has fooled the people of both Selangor and Malaysia for 55 years.

This article intends not to rely on rhetoric, but to provide conclusive evidence regarding the priority given by Pakatan Rakyat and the Selangor government to the welfare of the people as well as our commitment to the highest standards of good governance.

We are confident that comparable evidence cannot be shown by any state administered by BN, including in Selangor before 2008.

In terms of financial management and allocation of funds for welfare programmes, Selangor under Pakatan Rakyat by far outperforms any other Barisan Nasional state, as well as the federal government itself. Continue reading “Umno-BN, stop the lies against Selangor”

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97-Day Countdown to 13GE – will the truth about the C4 murder of Mongolian Altantuya, Balasubramaniam’s second SD and Deepak’s serious allegations against Najib and Rosmah only be known if there is a change of government in Putrajaya?

For over a month, the country had been convulsed by a series of exposes revolving around the murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu relating to the second Statutory Declaration of Private Investigator P. Balasubramaniam and very serious allegations against the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his family by carpet businessman Deepak Jaikiishan.

The question many Malaysians are asking is whether the truth about the C4 murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, the mystery surrounding Balasubramaniam’s second Statutory Declaration and the very serious allegations by Deepak against Najib and his family would only be known if there is a change of government in Putrajaya in the 13th general elections.

Although the Defence Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi had said that he would respond to Deepak’s allegations against Najib at the winding-up of the 66th UMNO General Assembly, he conspicuously failed to do so, although it was not Zahid but Najib himself who should be responding to Deepak’s allegations. Continue reading “97-Day Countdown to 13GE – will the truth about the C4 murder of Mongolian Altantuya, Balasubramaniam’s second SD and Deepak’s serious allegations against Najib and Rosmah only be known if there is a change of government in Putrajaya?”

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Malaysian Businessman Continues Attacks on Premier

Written by John Berthelsen
Asia Sentinel
03 January 2013

Prime Minister Najib, his wife and UMNO leaders remain silent in the face of charges

Disaffected Malaysian businessman Deepak Jaikishan is continuing to rain accusations of bribery, political favoritism, murder cover-up and other scandals against Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, his wife, family and top UMNO figures despite apparent attempts to shut him up by arranging for a quasi-government agency to buy his company.

He has now written – apparently at lightning speed – a book called “Black Rose” which is billed as a tell-all about his relationship with Rosmah Mansor, Najib’s wife, and deals with allegations of the cover-up of details of the murder of the 28-year-old Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu in 2006. The book was to be issued today but he told local media that the publisher couldn’t get it to him in time, so he would issue an e-book which so far hasn’t appeared.

Deepak, who once said he was close enough to Rosmah to call her his “big sister,” has continued to cause embarrassment to the prime minister and his wife, who so far have maintained an awkward silence in the face of his charges.

He has vowed to detail – or re-detail, since he has already made the information public to a flock of internet sites over recent weeks – RM3 million in payments to a private investigator, Perumal Balasubramaniam, in 2008 in an effort to shut up the investigator. Balasubramaniam had made public sworn allegations that Najib himself had had an affair with the jet-setting beauty, who was killed by two of Nabob’s personal bodyguards. The two were later convicted of murder in a trial regarded by many as designed to keep secret the names of those who had paid them to carry out the crime. Continue reading “Malaysian Businessman Continues Attacks on Premier”

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Out with the old, in with the new

by Mariam Mokhtar
Malaysiakini
Dec 31, 2012

Puppet shows, ‘Punch and Judy’ politics, farcical presentations, tragicomedies, drama queens, flip-flops, U-turns, dress rehearsals and of course, pornographic productions can be used to sum up current Malaysian politics.

It is amazing what the subconscious reveals. When MCA keeps asking if Hadi Awang or Anwar Ibrahim would make the better prime minister, you know what the ruling coalition are thinking – that BN is doomed.

Why would one of the main component parties in BN talk about opposition candidates for the post of prime minister? If they thought they stood any chance of winning GE13, they would be discussing which BN candidate should lead the country, rather than which opposition politician would make the best PM.

In November 2011, the Umno information chief, Ahmad Maslan, talked about a hung parliament: “If there is a hung Parliament scenario like Australia, let’s say 112 government seats to 110 opposition seats, it is the worst thing that could happen.”

This showed that Umno had no confidence of victory at the polls. Continue reading “Out with the old, in with the new”

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98-Day Countdown to 13GE – Malaysia deserves higher ranking than No. 36 placing in the EIU “Best country to be born” index

On the 98-Day Countdown to the 13th General Elections, Malaysians are reminded that the nation deserves better on all fronts of national life, whether political, economic, educational, social, cultural or environmental.

Malaysia definitely deserves higher ranking than No. 36 out of 80 nations in the “Best country to born in 2013” index by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) attempting to measure which country provides the best opportunities for a healthy, safe and prosperous life.

The 10 top-ranking nations in the EIU “Best country to be born in 2013” index are:

1. Switzerland
2. Australia
3. Norway
4. Sweden
5. Denmark
6. Singapore
7. New Zealand
8. Netherlands
9. Canada
10. Hong Kong

Malaysia is outranked by Taiwan (No. 14), United States (No. 16), UAE (No. 18), South Korea (No. 19), Kuwait (No. 22), Japan (No. 25) and Britain (No. 27). Continue reading “98-Day Countdown to 13GE – Malaysia deserves higher ranking than No. 36 placing in the EIU “Best country to be born” index”

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Let 2013 end the national deformations and usher in an era of genuine national transformation by electing a new Pakatan Rakyat Malaysian government for the first time in 55 years

For nearly four years, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had been promising one transformation programme after another – government, economic, political, educational, social, etc all under an overarching slogan of 1Malaysia under one agency or another.

All these pronouncements and initiatives have achieved is to earn the nation the epithet of “The Acronym Nation” while national deformations in all aspects of national life have proceeded unchecked.

Najib’s four-year premiership will be remembered by Malaysians as an administration of plunging global indices, and this unpleasant fact has been underlined by three international reports in the last month of this year, viz: Continue reading “Let 2013 end the national deformations and usher in an era of genuine national transformation by electing a new Pakatan Rakyat Malaysian government for the first time in 55 years”

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Foreign interference in Malaysian politics?

— Clive Kessler
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 30, 2012

DEC 30 — The New Straits Times (Sunday December 30) contains a long analysis and commentary entitled “Dubious Backers of Regime Change”.

Its author, Nile Bowie, warns of the menace of foreign interference and covert involvement and influence in Malaysian politics.

As well he might.

This lengthy article, now recycled in the BN government’s leading newspaper here, made its first appearance in RT.

RT? What is that? Continue reading “Foreign interference in Malaysian politics?”

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BN confident of wresting 20 Opposition seats

The Malaysian Insider
Dec 24, 2012

MALACCA, Dec 24 – Barisan Nasional (BN) is capable of wresting back 20 opposition-held seats to help secure two-thirds majority in the coming 13th general election, says Umno information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan.

He is confident that BN can retain the 140 parliamentary seats it won and capture five of 23 seats held by PAS, five of 29 held by DAP and 10 of the 31 Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) seats.

He said the confidence was based on various factors including the problems faced by the opposition in several seats that it had won.

“It’s logical because, for example, seven of the PKR seats are already problematic for the opposition as six as the incumbents left the party to become independents while it lost the Hulu Selangor seat.” Continue reading “BN confident of wresting 20 Opposition seats”

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We don’t need Santa Claus

— Christopher Kannan
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 25, 2012

DEC 25 — The prime minister has not forgotten the Christians, and that is why we can now travel to Jerusalem.

Should I be grateful?

I tell you what. I would be really grateful if my leader shuts up Perkasa, Utusan and Umno types who bash Christians all year round.

I am still upset that the PM has not clobbered Ibrahim Ali or his ilk. The only consolation is some two-bit politician saying we all have to be tolerant and respect the majority of people. It makes us feel like children of a lesser god, and sometimes, being told we are “pendatang”, “kafir” and whatever that might not pass as an outright insult.

And then once a year, the PM comes around like Santa Claus and says that he has not forgotten Christians!

I do think the country will be better served if leaders protect minorities 24/7 365 days a year, not just on Christmas Day. Continue reading “We don’t need Santa Claus”

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Empowered citizenry means ‘The End of Days for Umno’

– Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 22, 2012

DEC 22 – I have to repeat some of the issues and themes that I have done in the past. Most Malays are at the stage where issues such as corruption, abuse of power, the rottenness of the system that UMNO upholds feature less in importance than the overriding issue – will Malays be all right?

They know the government is bad, deceiving, incompetent, and dishonest – but rationalize it anyway by saying, if others take over, they will do the same. No, it will never be the same, because last time UMNO did all the evils when people are less empowered. Any government straying from the straight path now will be neutralized by an empowered citizenry. That is why UMNO is finding it hard to earn legitimacy at the moment.

So, it does what rogues do – take refuge behind xenophobic and prejudiced worldviews. Suddenly, once again, everything seems to be measured in terms of them doing something to us. Chinese taking over the government from us Malays; Chinese dominating the economy and marginalizing us which is in fact the order of things since UMNO ruled this country. Non-Malays taking over this country and establishing a new national religion replacing Islam; non-Malays especially Chinese taking over and kicking out our Malay rulers.

Even the educated ones fall prey to the xenophobic fears created by a parasitic band of people, bent on staying in power at all costs. Why? Because if they lose, it will the end of days for them – life as they know it – a life founded on corruption, deception and leeching on the majority, will end.

Of course the issues that affect all of us are also important, but to Malays right now, nothing is more important than worrying about their survival and of things dear to them such as race, religion, rulers (occupying a very distant third). Continue reading “Empowered citizenry means ‘The End of Days for Umno’”

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Malaysia poised for pivotal polls

By Simon Roughneen
Asia Times
21st December 2012

Ahead of what reform campaigners believe will be Malaysia’s “dirtiest ever elections”, the long-ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) has engineered something of a clean-up. In recent months, it has reformed some old and oft-derided laws, such as allowing indefinite detention without trial and forcing local newspapers to apply each year for a publication permit, a stipulation that encouraged self-censorship.

UMNO and its allies have governed Malaysia consecutively since achieving independence from colonial rule, a longevity not usually associated with electoral democracies. UMNO and its Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition survived the last election in 2008, though it ceded its two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time and lost five out of 13 federal states to the opposition, a coalition of three parties led by controversial former UMNO firebrand Anwar Ibrahim that includes the Islamic party PAS and the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP).

While some in the Malaysian opposition and rights groups have criticized the recent reforms as piecemeal electioneering for next year’s vote, there are indications that the government has made some real positive changes, particularly regarding the overhaul of certain emergency laws and repealing the old Internal Security Act, a law which has in the past been used against the government’s political opponents. Continue reading “Malaysia poised for pivotal polls”

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Down to the wire

Malaysia’s elections
Banyan Asia
by R.C. | KUALA LUMPUR
The Economist
Dec 19th 2012

ALL year, it seems, Malaysia has been on a war footing. For elections, that is—and thankfully, rather than anything more martial. The country operates on a Westminster-style parliamentary system, so the prime ministers’ five-year term does not officially end until early next summer. Nonetheless, Najib Razak and his people have been talking up the chances of going to the polls before then pretty well continuously over the past 18 months or so, which keeps everyone guessing.

Now, with the end of the year in sight and no further announcements, it seems that Mr Najib will take this down to the wire. Given that he can only go to the country after Chinese New Year next February, most people expect him to plump for the latest date he can in the electoral calendar, which would be about late March or early April.

His supporters say, why rush? With a generally favourable economic outlook, tame state media and all the advantages of incumbency, there is no reason why Mr Najib can’t enjoy the rest of his term of office without worrying about the 13th general election. After all, he has a bit of history on his side, to put it mildly—the ruling political alliance, Barisan Nasional (BN), has never lost a general election since independence in 1957. Continue reading “Down to the wire”

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Latest GFI report on RM196.8 billion dirty money siphoned out of Malaysia in 2010 is the third warning of adverse international reports in the last month of the year that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” as far as Malaysia is concerned

The latest Global Financial Integrity (GFI) report on the astronomical RM196.8 billion in dirty money siphoned out of Malaysia in 2010, resulting in a mind-boggling total of RM871 billion in illegal capital flight from the country over the last 10 years (2001-2010), is the third warning of adverse international reports in the last month of the year that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” as far as Malaysia is concerned.

The GFI report marks a trio of adverse international reports about Malaysia in the last month of this year to warn Malaysians why the time has come for a change of Federal government in Putrajaya in the forthcoming 13th General Elections.

There are still 11 days before the end of the month of December for the year 2012. Will there be another adverse international report about Malaysia to make it a quartet of adverse international reports in the last month of this year?

The other two adverse international reports for Malaysia which were published this month are:

• Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2012 – Despite a change of methodology for the TI CPI score and ranking, the ineluctable fact is that corruption under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak from 2009-2012 is even worse than corruption under the previous five Prime Ministers, including Tun Abdullah and Tun Mahathir; Continue reading “Latest GFI report on RM196.8 billion dirty money siphoned out of Malaysia in 2010 is the third warning of adverse international reports in the last month of the year that “something is rotten in the state of Denmark” as far as Malaysia is concerned”

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Perkasa Chief Insults the Malays

By Kee Thuan Chye
Malaysian Digest
19 December 2012

To say that Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali has little between his ears because of his recent pronouncements is to say something too obvious. And yet one might be tempted to do it to dispel the misinformation he seems to be spreading.

His point about the Malays being unable to compete with the non-Malays because Islam forbids the former to participate in businesses involving gambling, liquor and entertainment outlets is, to put it mildly, moronic. And terribly misleading.

What’s more inexcusable is his statement that the Chinese will become a national security threat if they acquire more political and economic power. It could lead, he warned, to another bloody racial conflict like the May 13 riots. This, I have to say, insults not only the Chinese but the Malays as well.

But there’s surely more to Ibrahim’s antic than what’s on the surface. He has not been in politics this long to appear so simple-minded. His agenda was to strike terror into the hearts of voters. He was employing the scare tactics that Prime Minister Najib Razak and Barisan Nasional (BN) have been resorting to of late as the general election draws near. Coincidentally, at the Umno general assembly last month, Wanita Umno President Shahrizat Abdul Jalil also irresponsibly raised the bogey of May 13.

Ironically, such scare tactics betray a lack of self-confidence on the part of Najib and BN. Ibrahim must have caught on to it and sensed that BN may even lose the elections for the first time. But this does not exonerate him from saying things that are insulting, that could engender hatred. Based neither on fact nor reasoned argument. Continue reading “Perkasa Chief Insults the Malays”

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Muhyiddin’s got it all wrong

G Vinod | December 19, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

I did not attribute corruption to the Malays, says DAP senator Ariffin Omar.

PETALING JAYA: DAP Senator Ariffin Omar today denied claims that he had attributed corruption in the civil service to the fact that the institution is dominated by one race only.

“I did not make such statement. It’s pure slander. The reason why there are more Malays in the civil service is due to the fact that they form 60% of our population.

“All I did was to suggest that the civil service offer more opportunities to non Malays to join the institution,” said Ariffin.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin criticised Ariffin, 63, who was alleged to have attributed the monopoly of civil service by the Malays as a source of corruption. Continue reading “Muhyiddin’s got it all wrong”

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Congress marks the coming of age of the DAP

Ong Kian Ming
Malaysiakini
Dec 17, 2012

COMMENT

The recently concluded 16th DAP Congress held at the Penang International Sports Arena (Pisa) was my first as a DAP member. It was also my first time seeing a DAP national election up close. The following are some of my observations which may not have received the necessary attention in the media, whether mainstream or online.

DAP as a national party

With 2,576 delegates (an increase from 948 in 2008), 150,000 members (from 84,000) and 1,128 branches (from 311) and with representatives from all 13 states in Malaysia, this congress represented the coming of age of the DAP by firmly cementing its status as a national party and a significant political player on the national stage.

The 29 parliamentarians and 82 state representatives from 10 states and the Federal Territories makes DAP the 2nd largest political party in the country in terms of elected representatives. The capacity crowd at the congress venue, which included 700 observers, was the largest in party history.

With greater political influence comes greater scrutiny, which is probably why this congress was covered by approximately 100 members of the press core. And with this scrutiny, also came more discussion and headlines, including critiques against the DAP’s election system and the subsequent results.

In a sense, this kind of spotlight and scrutiny should be welcomed since it means that the party matters in the public’s eye and is an important part of the larger political landscape. Continue reading “Congress marks the coming of age of the DAP”

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UMNO/BN must renounce the tactics and ideology of extremist politics including Ketuanan Melayu and the four hate politics of race, religion, lies and fear if they want to compete for the support of Middle Malaysia

The unity, solidarity and commitment of DAP and reaffirmation of the Middle Malaysia concept by the just-concluded 16th DAP National Congress in Penang have struck fear in UMNO/BN and reverberated throughout the country, ringing alarm bells in UMNO/Barisan Nasional, as they realize that the agenda has been set for the crucial and critical battle in the 13th General Elections in the next 100 days to decide for the first time in the nation’s 55-year history whether there shoud be a change of federal government in Putrajay.

It jolted UMNO leaders including the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak into quick reaction, claiming that it was the Barisan Nasional and not the DAP that represents “Middle Malaysia”.

If Najib is confident that it is UMNO/BN which represents Middle Malaysia, and has overwhelming support of the four million middle ground voters in the 13 General Elections – the three million new voters and the one million swing voters from the 12GE in 2008 – Najib would have dissolved Parliament and the 13GE would have been held already.

Furthermore, Najib would not have to suffer the “To Be or Not To Be” agony in the past two years to decide on the dissolution of Parliament (an agony which he is still undergoing despite Parliament having only some four months’ tenure before it is automatically dissolved under the Constitution on April 28, 2013) and the ignominy of being the longest unelected Prime Minister in Malaysia without his own mandate from the people.

The former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah was also awakened to describe the 16th DAP National Congress as an unhealthy phenomenon on the ground that it showed that DAP is monopolised by a particular race.

But the most laughable comment must go to the Gerakan President and former Penang Chief Minister, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon who described the non-election of any Malays in the DAP central executive committee as against the 1Malaysia spirit. Continue reading “UMNO/BN must renounce the tactics and ideology of extremist politics including Ketuanan Melayu and the four hate politics of race, religion, lies and fear if they want to compete for the support of Middle Malaysia”

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How Our Democracy is Damaged

By Kee Thuan Chye
Penang Monthly
December 2012

We often hear of electoral fraud and unfair election practices but what do they really mean? What forms does electoral fraud usually take? What constitute unfair practices and how have they surfaced?

Beyond that, what are the measures that need to be taken to ensure that Malaysian elections are free and fair so that this vital aspect of our democracy is truly well-served and our vote for the candidate or party we support is not made a mockery of?

A new book called Democracy at Stake?: Examining 16 By-elections in Malaysia, 2008-2011, published by Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, answers our questions and collates our concerns into a handy and comprehensive compact.

Edited by Wong Chin Huat and Soon Li Tsin, it analyses the 16 by-elections that have been held since the 12th general election according to such relevant categories as how free, fair and clean they were; the freedom and quality of the campaigning; the political parties’ access to media; corrupt practices that were perpetrated; how impartial or otherwise the public institutions were; the amount of campaign money spent; the electoral roll; and the polling process. Continue reading “How Our Democracy is Damaged”

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16th DAP national congress crucial for party: Lim

The Sun
14th December 2012

GEORGE TOWN (Dec 14, 2012): DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has described tomorrow’s 16th DAP National Congress as crucial, “both internally and externally”, to select a new party leadership line-up, as well as begin the 100-day countdown before the 13th General Election.

He said, this time around, the selection of the leadership line-up was a record by itself, as 2,576 delegates were eligible to vote in the party’s election.

“This DAP party congress will select the new leadership for the next three years. As such, the congress is important both internally and externally. Continue reading “16th DAP national congress crucial for party: Lim”