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Gov’t withdraws Election Offences Amendment Bill

By Aidila Razak | May 9, 2012
Malaysiakini

In a rare move, the Election Offences Amendment Bill will be withdrawn from the Dewan Negara tomorrow following “a lot of resistance”.

According to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz, the decision to abort the Bill was arrived at today after a 10-minute meeting between the government, the opposition and the Election Commission (EC).

“I will table the motion in the Dewan Negara tomorrow,” he told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

The means that the Election Offences Act remains at status quo for the next general election.
Continue reading “Gov’t withdraws Election Offences Amendment Bill”

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Police brutality unacceptable

KJ John
Malaysiakini
May 8, 2012

I am boiling mad! I am really angry with the police force, that they willingly and voluntarily inflicted wanton abuse and injury to so many civilians.

One does not need more evidence. Just scan the YouTube uploads and it will become evident to any observer.

Abuse is abuse of the law and the special privilege and the concomitant responsibility of being in a uniform which we are called to, and demanded to respect.

In fact, the uniform even carries the insignia of the royal emblem of Malaysia.

Surely therefore there must be standard operating procedures related to “under what conditions are the Public Order and Preservation Ordinations motions can be called upon” and applied towards violators.

If one is unsure, please go also on the net and find out for yourself, as an ex-military officer has already described and qualified for such “approved procedures of relevant actions”.

If the IGP cannot explain all the obvious abuse by the police upon innocent civilians who simply want a peaceful assembly, then I would like the IGP to resign.

I recognise that his deputy is a worse off character based on his history of public statements and moreover the IGP is a much more sincere and simpler man, but I think the Rupert Murdoch Principle set by the British Parliament must apply. Continue reading “Police brutality unacceptable”

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Say no to foreign interference

— Ali Kadir
The Malaysian Insider
May 08, 2012

MAY 8 — No matter who finally rules Putrajaya, one principle must remain sacred: that foreigners should not interfere with the internal affairs of this country.

This rule would apply to the United States, Australia, Singapore, China and even Saudi Arabia.

It is a most natural part of international relations that countries want to have leverage over each other, mostly through trade, financial aid, access to markets, visas, etc. Some try and interfere in more subtle ways like cutting down scholarships and quotas.

According to Jamil Khir (the same chap who used zakat money for his legal expenses), a Saudi Arabian diplomat in KL said that his government was considering cutting haj visas because of disturbance caused by Bersih 3.0. That is the prerogative of the kingdom and it would be perfectly understandable because Saudi Arabia opposes any expression of freedom of assembly or for that matter any other democratic right.

These are the people who shudder at the thought of the Arab Spring. So we should expect the Saudi government to react in this threatening manner. Continue reading “Say no to foreign interference”

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Bersih: Putrajaya urging foreign governments to crack down on Bersih protesters

By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
May 08, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — Bersih alleged today that the Najib administration has requested that the governments of other countries crack down on Malaysians who participated in Bersih 3.0 rallies overseas.

In a statement here, the election watchdog said such action should be “deplored” and urged Malaysians across the globe to support the safety of their fellow citizens living outside the country.

“We express concern that the Malaysian government appears to be requesting governments not disposed to democratic reforms to launch a crackdown on Malaysians living in their countries who participated in the global Bersih 3.0 event on April 2012.

“If these reports are true, it is a negative development that must be deplored, and we urge all Malaysians to unite in support of the safety of our fellow citizens,” the group said in the statement.

Bersih 3.0 was said to have been attended by tens of thousands of Malaysians not merely within the country but across the globe, where similar rallies for free and fair elections were held in 85 cities across 35 countries. Continue reading “Bersih: Putrajaya urging foreign governments to crack down on Bersih protesters”

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Umno’s perfect game plan

by Amran Ariffin
Free Malaysia Today
May 8, 2012

“If you tell a lie and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the state can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its power to repress dissent, for truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension the truth is the greatest enemy of the State” – Joseph Goebbels

Before 428

There was no news on Bersih 3.0 on national (read: BN’s owned) TV, radio and newspapers. Something amiss here! There was no banning of anything yellow from the men in blue! It can’t be right! There was no restriction order for certain personalities from entering KL on 428. Something fishy here! And for Utusan Malaysia not demonising Bersih3.0, it was too good to be true!

Ultimately, the big-mouthed son of Umno’s founder declared Bersih 3.0 had no traction and was not a threat at all. When discussing these rather seemingly unlikely reactions from the establishment with like minded friends, they tended to believe that government had learnt the lesson from Bersih2.0 and will allow Bersih3.0 to proceed without disturbance as with Hijau 2.0 last month. I did not buy into this for one second because a leopard does not change its spots overnight. I strongly believed Umno had sinister plan in place but I was more than happy to be proven wrong. Continue reading “Umno’s perfect game plan”

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Expert: Fatwa not final

Tarani Palani | May 8, 2012
Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Although the fatwa prohibiting Muslims from participating in illegal assemblies cannot be challenged in court, there is room for discussion to reconsider the edict, according to an expert.

An official of the Malaysian Muslim Lawyers Association said the National Fatwa Council could issue another fatwa to clarify the current one although it was unlikely to reverse its decision.

“Remember the indelible ink episode? It first said that it was haram. Later, after much consultation and deliberation with various parties, it put up a clarification that only inks with a certain percentage of chemicals is haram,” said Abdul Rahim Sinwan, the association’s deputy president.

He said parties disagreeing with the council could still approach it to present their points of view.

Since the fatwa was issued last Sunday, many Islamic scholars have argued that a person’s intention of participating in any such rally should be taken into consideration.

They argue that it would not be sinful for Muslims to join a rally calling for clean elections and good governance because Islam champions such causes.

According to Abdul Rahim, a fatwa is not legally binding until gazetted as law at the state level. Continue reading “Expert: Fatwa not final”

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‘No one was provocative during Bersih rally’

by Stephanie Sta Maria
Free Malaysia Today
May 8, 2012

PETALING JAYA: Social activist Marina Mahathir has said that she hadn’t witnessed any provocation from Bersih 3.0 supporters during the massive rally on April 28.

The rally, which turned ugly an hour after it officially began, saw police shooting tear gas canisters and water cannons into the 80,000-strong crowd after a group of protesters breached the barricades surrounding Dataran Merdeka.

In the aftermath, videos and pictures of violence from police as well as protesters surfaced with both sides insisting that the other take responsibility for the rally’s outcome.

In a recent interview on business radio station BFM, Marina recounted walking up to the barricades at Jalan Lebuh Pasar where the police were gathered.

“No one was being provocative,” she said. “There were high spirits, many young people and the police was being very patient.”

“But having said that they suddenly brought out the trucks, and the guys in helmets and shields. We didn’t really understand why. I thought it was an intimidation factor, to just have them standing there.”

Marina added that while word of Bersih 3.0 co-chairperson, S Ambiga’s, directive for the crowd to disperse had spread, many “rally tourists” still wanted to get closer to the barricades for snapshots. Continue reading “‘No one was provocative during Bersih rally’”

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Will Najib live up to his pledge to make Malaysia “best democracy in the world” and concede defeat in a gentlemanly fashion like Sarkozy?

In the recent French presidential elections on Sunday, the incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy conceded defeat minutes after the polls closed, announcing that he had called the Socialist candidate Francois Hollande to wish him “good luck” as the country’s new leader.

The question that immediately occurred to Malaysians is whether Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who had declared that he wanted to make Malaysia “the best democracy in the world”, would concede defeat in a gentlemanly fashion like Sarkozy if this is the verdict of the voters in the next general elections.

Or will Najib stand by his deplorable speech at the UMNO General Assembly two years ago when he used the language of “crushed bodies, lives lost” for Umno to defend power at any cost in Putrajaya?

It is most deplorable that Najib has come out with the wild, irresponsible and baseless allegation that the Bersih 3.0 “sit-in” at Dataran Merdeka on April 28 was a coup attempt by the Opposition to topple the government.
Continue reading “Will Najib live up to his pledge to make Malaysia “best democracy in the world” and concede defeat in a gentlemanly fashion like Sarkozy?”

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EC has not been honest in its rebuttals

By Ong Kian Ming | May 7, 2012
Malaysiakini

COMMENT Bersih 3.0 may have been a success in terms of its ability to attract more than 100,000 Malaysians from all walks of life to come out in support of clean and fair elections but the hard work of ensuring that this aspiration is translated into reality needs to continue.

All the more so when the Election Commission continues to ignore the many problems highlighted by the Malaysian Electoral Roll Analysis Project (Merap) with regard to the electoral roll.

The EC has recently published a booklet with 12 points of rebuttal against allegations that the electoral roll is full of problematic registrations and that the EC has been complicit in not cleaning up the electoral roll.

In this article, I want to highlight two of the rebuttals to illustrate that the EC has not been honest in its responses which reflects its inconsistent policies in managing the electoral roll and electoral boundaries.
Continue reading “EC has not been honest in its rebuttals”

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Dataran Merdeka is not Tahrir Square: Malaysia is not Eygpt

— Tommy Thomas
The Malaysian Insider
May 07, 2012

MAY 7 — The Prime Minister’s recent statement that Bersih supporters intended to occupy Dataran Merdeka and stay there for days with the objective of overthrowing his government must be answered.

Two broad groups made up Bersih’s massive crowd in Kuala Lumpur on

April 28, 2012. First, genuine Bersih supporters who were calling for clean elections. The second group comprised those who support the Pakatan Coalition. No doubt, thousands of marchers did not belong to either faction (while some straddled both), but this broad division is not inaccurate.

The Bersih supporters just cannot understand how any political party would oppose clean elections. For them, Barisan Nasional’s vigorous opposition, coupled with police brutality that day, indicates that Barisan Nasional has a vested interest with the “status quo”, that it will benefit from the present set-up, with substantial help from the Election Commission.

For this group, Barisan Nasional’s conduct will be punished at the ballot box.

For Pakatan supporters, the decision was already made. They are partisan, just as UMNO supporters are partisan. Nothing that could have occurred on April 28 would change their vote.

But in each case, change was only going to come at the ballot box, when general elections are held. Continue reading “Dataran Merdeka is not Tahrir Square: Malaysia is not Eygpt”

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Najib should produce proof or retract and apologise for his wild and irresponsible allegation that Bersih 3.0 “sit-in” was a coup attempt by the Opposition to topple the government

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has belatedly realized that he is losing out in the public relations war over the government’s mishandling of the Bersih 3.0 “sit-in” at Dataran Merdeka on April 28, 2012, as evidenced by the following recent developments:

  • Najib upping the ante in the public relations battle with his wild and irresponsible allegation in Gua Musang on Friday that the Bersih 3.0 rally was a coup attempt by the Opposition to topple the government;

  • the desperate roping in of three former Inspector-Generals of Police , Tun Haniff Omar, Tan Sri Rahim Noor and Tan Sri Musa Hassan to lend credence to Najib’s wild claim although there is not one iota of evidence that Bersih 3.0 was a coup attempt by the Opposition to topple the government (in fact, all evidence point to the contrary, with hundreds of thousands of Malaysians regardless of race, religion, class, region, age or gender gathering peacefully in the best manifestation of “1Malaysia” for a common cause for clean elections and armed at most with salt and water bottles to protect themselves from tear-gas attacks);

  • The recycling of the Economist commentary “It’s that time of year” in the local media almost a week after its first appearance on the Economist website on May 1.

One lesson Najib’s “image” handlers have learnt from the government’s disastrous mishandling of the Bersih 2.0 rally of July 9, 2011 was to better manage the foreign media – and as a result, the Najib administration had a better foreign media perception and coverage on the night of Bersih 3.0 as compared to the night of Bersih 2.0, as illustrated by the Economist commentary of 1ST May. Continue reading “Najib should produce proof or retract and apologise for his wild and irresponsible allegation that Bersih 3.0 “sit-in” was a coup attempt by the Opposition to topple the government”

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An exhilarating experience – being tear gassed

By LK
Free Malaysia Today
May 7, 2012

After reading so many touching My Bersih 2.0 stories last July, most of which moved me to tears, I decided that I would definitely stand up for our rights as a civic-minded citizen.. As the ancient Chinese saying goes: “Guo jia xing wang, pi fu you zhe”. It means – If my beloved country is in trouble, everyone is responsible.

After checking out the “situation” on the alternative media on-line, I started to pack two sets of “Bersih” kits with the recommended “must-haves” like salt, mask, wet towel, a bottle of water, identity card and, of course, hand-phone and camera.

My son and I proceeded to a bus-stop at the edge of our housing estate. “Tak p’gi Masjid Jamek, Titiwangsa saja”, said the bus driver to my son. “Never mind”, my son told me, “we can take the LRT from there.” When we reached the Titiwangsa LRT station at around 10.30 am, a crowd of “yellow warriors” was already there. In the train, we were in a jovial mood; everyone was smiling and chattered cheerfully, like a bunch of excited school children going on an excursion.

As the train was approaching Masjid Jamek station, from the overhead bridge, I saw many were already there.

As we alighted from the station, we quickly went to the washroom to change into our yellow t-shirts. (My son’s advice: Don’t wear yellow, to avoid being arrested as in Bersih 2.0 previously) When we stepped out of the station, merging into the sea of yellow and green, loud chants of “Bersih” and “Hidup Rakyat” were heard. Continue reading “An exhilarating experience – being tear gassed”

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Post-Bersih 3.0: A time for healing

— Azlina Aziz
The Malaysian Insider
May 07, 2012

MAY 7 — On the eve of Bersih 3.0, my husband Nazir and I visited the surroundings of Dataran Merdeka to see for ourselves preparations for the rally. Although it was only 10.30pm on Friday night, a large crowd of protestors was rapidly building up, with police officers lining up around Dataran. We were shocked, to say the least, by the expanse of barbed wire encircling the square. The vision of protestors on one side and the police on the other, separated by barricades and sharp steel, seems to symbolise division, confrontation, aggression. We both went home that evening with a deep sense of foreboding and unease.

The events that unfolded the next day are too familiar now to recount. But whether you attended the rally or observed from the sidelines; whether you supported the cause or condemned it; whether you countenanced public assemblies or disapproved of them altogether; I think it’s fair to say that most of us have been deeply disturbed by the events that played out in our capital that Saturday. The scenes of mayhem — attacks on police motor vehicles, protestors facing tear gas, a pistol allegedly being drawn in a crowded area, physical assaults on members of the public, police force and press — are not ones familiar nor palatable to us Malaysians who value security and order.

It is a sad state of affairs when the actions of a few who resort to violence and aggression result in suffering and trauma for scores of people, and the aftershocks of the event continue to roll on. In coffeeshops, offices, newspapers, web forums and blogs are heated debates on the “rights” and “wrongs” and repercussions of what happened that day. Many are angry. Some are fearful, and anger often goes hand in hand with fear. Others are eager to find someone to blame for the turn of events. The violence and confrontation that played out that day have intensified the gulf and fissures in our society. A vision of unity for Malaysia seems further away than ever. Sadly, recent public statements by social and political leaders have only accentuated division and dissent. Continue reading “Post-Bersih 3.0: A time for healing”

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Menyelenggara kereta tua terlalu mahal. Beli kereta baru!

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
May 06, 2012

6 MEI — Memandu kereta tua sangat mahal harganya. Kereta tua walau bagaimana hebat pun jenamanya, ia tetap memakan perbelanjaan penyaraannya yang tinggi jika dibandingkan kos penyelenggaraan semasa kereta itu masih baru.

Sesebuah kereta lama akan mengeluarkan asap hitam dan akan tidak lagi “environmentally friendly” kerana asap hitam itu akan menjadikan alam sekeliling kita menjadi kotor dan “toxic”.

Itulah sebabnya kita menukar kereta baru setelah kereta yang kita pandu itu sudah berumur banyak tahun. Jika kita tukar kereta baru setidak-tidaknya setakat empat atau lima tahun ia tidak akan memberikan banyak masalah kepada tuan punya kereta itu.

Lagi pula apabila kita masih mengekalkan kereta lama itu “petrol consumption”nya akan menjadi tinggi dan terpaksa berbelanja lebih untuk minyak kereta tersebut. Penghawa dingin kereta itu pun akan memakan belanja besar kerana terpaksa di “service” dan ditukar banyak alat ganti kepada penghawa dingin dan kereta itu keseluruhannya. Yang membuat untung hanyalah mekanik-mekanik yang mengambil kesempatan diatas segala masalah yang dihadapi oleh kereta itu.

Yang selalu kita lihat kereta yang sudah terlalu lama itu akan dibeli oleh syarikat pemotong kereta untuk menggunakan bahagian-bahagian kereta itu sebagai “spare parts” terpakai. Kereta-kereta lama ini selalunya tidak dibuang kesemuanya kerana masih ada sedikit sebanyak bahagian bahagian yang boleh digunakan untuk alat ganti terpakai oleh mekanik-mekanik untuk kegunaan mereka memperbaiki kereta-kereta pelanggan mereka.

Umno pun nampaknya begitu juga. Dengarnya minggu hadapan Umno akan merayakan ulang tahun ke 66. Bagaimana mereka mengira pun kita tidak tahu kerana pada perkiraan saya, Umno baru berusia 24 tahun sahaja. Tetapi tidak mengapa. Continue reading “Menyelenggara kereta tua terlalu mahal. Beli kereta baru!”

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BERSIH 3.0 Broke Many Glasses (Including A Few Glass Ceilings)

by Bakri Musa

First of Two Parts: Seeing The Bright Side
(Next Week: Part Two: Lessons To Be Learned)

In the aftermath of the largest public demonstrations against the Barisan government, the officials’ obsession now turns to the exercise of apportioning blame and the associated inflicting of vengeance. Both are raw human reactions, but hardly enlightening, sophisticated, or even fruitful. Besides, there is plenty of blame to go around. I prefer to look at the bright side and on the lessons that can be learned.

BERSIH 3.0 clearly demonstrates that Malaysians no longer fear the state. In that regard we are a quantum leap ahead of the Egyptians under Mubarak, the Iraqis under Saddam, or the Chinese under Mao (or even today). When citizens are no longer afraid of the state, many wonderful things would follow. BERSIH is also the first successful multiracial mass movement in Malaysia. In a nation obsessed with and where every facet is defined by race, that is an achievement worthy of note. Another significant milestone, again not widely acknowledged, is that the movement is led by a woman who is neither Malay nor a Muslim. Ambiga Sreenevasan broke not one but three Malaysian glass ceilings!

On a sour note, BERSIH 3.0 revealed that Barisan leaders (and a few from the opposition) have yet to learn and accept the fundamental premise that dissent is an integral part of the democratic process, and expressing it through peaceful assembly a basic human right. At a more mundane level though no less important, the authorities’ performance in BERSIH 3.0 also exposed their woeful incompetence and negligence in basic crowd control. Continue reading “BERSIH 3.0 Broke Many Glasses (Including A Few Glass Ceilings)”

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Dr Lim Teck Ghee’s reply to Dr Chandra Muzaffar’s invitation

by Dr Lim Teck Ghee
CPISunday, 06 May 2012
Commentary

I thank Chandra for responding to my commentary on his lambasting of Bersih 3.0.

Although the Center for Policy Initiatives (CPI) is reproducing his response in full, there is really very little new in the engagement.

Basically Chandra has rehashed his arguments on the far-reaching changes to human rights and political and civil liberties that he sees taking place in the country.

In his initial article he was very emphatic on these changes maintaining that

“[I]t is an irrefutable fact that through these legislative reforms [Peaceful Assembly Act, ISA repeal, etc] the space and scope for the expression and articulation of human rights has been expanded and enhanced as never before.” Continue reading “Dr Lim Teck Ghee’s reply to Dr Chandra Muzaffar’s invitation”

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Blind baseless support by 3 ex IGPs for Najib’s wild allegation that Bersih 3.0 “sit-in” was Opposition bid to topple the government latest proof there is no level playing field for free and fair elections

Almost every day, Malaysians are provided with fresh proof that there is just no level playing field for free and fair elections in Malaysia and that the Barisan Nasional government is still a very long way off from fulfilling Bersih 2.0 Eight Demands for free and fair elections highlighted in the July 9, 2011 rally, let alone the Further Three Demands of the Bersih 3.0 “sit-in” on April 28 last month.

The Eight Demands of the Bersih 2.0 rally were: Continue reading “Blind baseless support by 3 ex IGPs for Najib’s wild allegation that Bersih 3.0 “sit-in” was Opposition bid to topple the government latest proof there is no level playing field for free and fair elections”

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Keberangkalian Umno menjadi pembangkang adalah tinggi

— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
May 06, 2012

6 MEI — Kali ini saya teruskan lagi tentang perlunya kerajaan diubah, dianjak dan di alih, kalau boleh sebelum pilihanraya umum. Sambutan himpunan Bersih menunjukkan sokongan kepada perubahan dan rakyat tidak lagi mahu menerima pujukan kerajaan dan pimpinan hari ini agar mereka diberikan sekali lagi sambungan untuk memerintah negara kita yang kaya raya tetapi disalah tadbir ini.

Apa pun kata pihak media massa arus perdana jumlah peserta himpunan Bersih 3.0 tetap jauh melebihi 200,000 orang. Siapa pun boleh nafikan angka ini, tetapi itulah angka yang sebenarnya. Tetapi angka itu tidak penting. Yang penting dalam pilihanraya kali ini BN akan sampai penghujung hayatnya untuk mentadbir negara kita setelah memerintah begitu lama yang membuatkan pemimpin-pemimpin mereka menjadi seperti orang yang kufur nikmat.

Mahu tidak mahu kita mesti terima hakikat yang Bersih 3.0 telah berjaya besar yang tidak disangka-sangka. Pihak BN boleh berkata mengikut apa yang mereka mahu dengar tetapi hakikatnya rakyat telah membuat keputusan yang ‘conclusive’; iaitu, untuk menggantikan BN, justru rakyat akan ditadbir oleh kerajaan baru. Seperti yang saya sebut dalam posting saya beberapa hari yang lalu sokongan terhadap Bersih 3.0 Sabtu lepas memberikan ‘signal’ yang rakyat akan diperintah oleh pihak ‘alternative’.

Sesungguhnya, apa pun yang dilakukan oleh Najib dan barisan pimpinan negara, majoriti rakyat Malaysia sudah kehilangan keyakinan terhadap BN. Persepsi majoriti rakyat terhadap BN sudah sampai keperingkat optima dan tidak ada jalan lagi untuk BN diyakini oleh rakyat yang ramai ini. Semalam saya berada di Terengganu dan sebahagian yang mendengar ceramah yang saya sampaikan itu adalah dari mereka yang baru pulang dari Kota Baru kerana mereka diberikan bas dan berbagai-bagai kemudahan untuk menyambut PM Najib di sana. Continue reading “Keberangkalian Umno menjadi pembangkang adalah tinggi”

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Road to Malaysia’s day of destiny

Bridget Welsh | May 6, 2012
Malaysiakini

COMMENT

With well over 100,000 people gathering last week for electoral reform in the largest street protest in the nation’s history – and the event marred by violence by both state and non-state actors alike – Malaysian politics has reached an important impasse.

The Bersih 3.0 rally and its aftermath reveal that the path ahead for Malaysian politics will grow even more contentious and complex. As the different ‘Bersih stories’ pour in, ranging from ‘ordinary’ heroism to the darker accounts of beatings and abuse of power, the move of Malaysian politics outside of the realm of elite to the streets and social media is both empowering and scary.

Prime Minister Najib Razak’s decision not to accommodate the concerns of the protesters last week, and even to demonise their actions, now prods Malaysia further along the road to its day of destiny, where the political fate of Malaysia’s 54-year government will be determined. So far, the routes chosen are one of confrontation rather than compromise, making resolution to differences even more difficult. Continue reading “Road to Malaysia’s day of destiny”

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BN on track for snap poll, looking at July date

By Jahabar Sadiq
Editor
The Malaysian Insider
May 06, 2012

KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 — A general election could be called as early as July, before the Ramadan fasting month begins, as the Bersih 3.0 rally has not affected support for the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, sources say.

The Malaysian Insider understands that a June election has been ruled out as Datuk Seri Najib Razak will be away on holiday for nearly two weeks from the middle of May, although he will attend a “Friends of BN” gathering in London on May 14.

“After Umno anniversary celebrations on May 11, the prime minister will go for an event in London, then he will attend his son’s graduation before going off to Spain for a vacation,” a source told The Malaysian Insider.

“So, it isn’t likely in June. July looks good as most BN warlords are ready for a general election,” he added, saying it could be held before July 19 when the fasting month is expected to begin. More than 60 per cent of Malaysians are Muslims who generally refrain from political activity during the fasting month. Continue reading “BN on track for snap poll, looking at July date”