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Kajang by-election result – MCA crushed while UMNO losing ground in Malay electorate

PKR President Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail is to be congratulated for a sterling result in the Kajang by-election yesterday.

Despite a massive 16.3% in reduction in the voter turn-out from 88.4 per cent in the 13th general elections last May to 72.1% yesterday, Azizah has established two results in the by-election: MCA remain crushed while UMNO is losing ground in the Malay electorate.

The new MCA national leadership deserves commendation that they can see winning at most 25% of the Chinese votes in Kajang as a “surge in support” among the Chinese voters.

If winning at most 25% of the Chinese votes is not a political phenomenon of the MCA remaining “crushed”, then there is a new definition of the word.

In fact, MCA leaders are demonstrating that they are the new “Ah Q” at the most superlative in the Malaysian political landscape!

There can be no doubt that if the turnout of the Chinese voters had not dropped by a massive 20%, exceeding 3,000 voters, the BN/MCA candidate would have lost by a bigger majority than the 6,824-vote majority last year.

This is especially the case when Azizah’s breakthrough among the Malay electorate is taken into account, raising the estimated Malay voter support from 35% last year to some 44% in the by-election yesterday.

The message in yesterday’s Kajang by-election is that Pakatan Rakyat stands for the future of Malaysian politics, while MCA and Barisan Nasional represent the past.

(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Monday, 24th March 2014)

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When Zahid derided the dream of having a woman Prime Minister in Malaysia, he trampled on this year’s International Women’s Day theme “Equality for Women is Progress for All”

Barely two weeks after Malaysia joined the world to celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8, the Najib administration through the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi trampled on this year’s International Women’s Day theme “Equality for Women is Progress for All”.

With such mentality by those who wield power in the Najib premiership, it is no wonder that Malaysia’s gender equality index ranks so lowly as compared even with neighbouring countries in Southeast Asia.

The 2013 Global Gender Gap Index published by the World Economic Forum (WEF) ranked Malaysia 102 out of 136 countries, with other Asean countries besting Malaysia save for Cambodia (104) and Myanmar, which was not listed.

In the 2013 Global Gender Gap Index, Philippines was placed 5th in the world above Singapore at 58, Thailand at 65, Laos at 60, Vietnam at 73 and Indonesia at 95.

The index measures gender equality across four areas of health, education, economics and politics, covering 90% of the world’s population. Continue reading “When Zahid derided the dream of having a woman Prime Minister in Malaysia, he trampled on this year’s International Women’s Day theme “Equality for Women is Progress for All””

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Kajang voters, Malaysia’s destiny is in your hands!

P Ramakrishan
Aliran
The Malay Mail Online
March 22, 2014

MARCH 22 — As you go to the polling booth on Sunday, 23 March 2014, remember that in your hands lies the destiny of this nation.

When you hold the ballot paper in your hand, remember that you are going to determine the future of our country. It is a heavy responsibility that you have been entrusted with but no generation of voters has ever been tasked with such a duty or been given such an opportunity.

What you do on 23 March must surely be the beginning of a new change that will provide the impetus for a new government.

It is not so much as casting your vote in favour of Pakatan or Barisan Nasional. You cast your vote in favour of fairness, justice, rule of law and democracy.

You are casting your vote to determine how this nation should be governed. You are going to express yourself very diligently and bravely, and let it be known in no uncertain terms what is best for this country.

The present government has failed to curb corruption which is the scourge of this nation. Corruption has become so rooted in our everyday life that it flourishes rampantly without any serious attempt to curb it. Continue reading “Kajang voters, Malaysia’s destiny is in your hands!”

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Manifesto vs Moneyfesto in Kajang

– Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
March 22, 2014

Last night, I attended the launching of Reformasi 2 at Kajang stadium. The stadium was filled to the brim. It was a huge crowd. As usual, this morning, after waking up with arithmetitis, mainstream media will downplay the size of the huge crowd. Maybe 232 attended.

There were so many speakers. So we ended up mostly making rallying calls. The political platform has been explained widely throughout the campaign period.
That Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail shall go on to win this by-election is just a formality. The question is how big will her majority be.

How big will depend on the voter turnout. I believe the voter turnout will not be as large as it was during the general election in May 2013. Be that as it may, Wan Azizah’s majority will be bigger than that one obtained by CC Lee.

The non-Malays will come out in big numbers to vote Wan Azizah. They are motivated by one reason only. The Umno people can challenge them to explain their conduct and ask once again what the Chinese want, that will be an irrelevant question. The question will be simply ignored. The basic desire and motivation is just to see BN get its butt kicked. They don’t like BN and its a subjective choice. Nothing much to explain.

Malays, on the other hand, complicate their own decision making and will be motivated by multiple considerations. They face a tougher decision but their difficulty is caused by mixed emotions. The Malays who did not vote Pakatan the last time because they didn’t want to vote a CC Lee, will come out to vote this time. They will vote Wan Azizah. Continue reading “Manifesto vs Moneyfesto in Kajang”

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Third Call to Kajang voters – unite solidly to vote for Wan Azizah in Sunday’s by-election on behalf of 30 million Malaysians as vote of confidence in her becoming the first woman Prime Minister of Malaysia

Open Letter to the Voters of Kajang on the Kajang by-election on Friday, 21st March 2014:

I had expressed two hopes in the Kajang by-election on Sunday.

Firstly, that the Kajang voters could perform the impossible to make the Barisan Nasional candidate lose the deposit on polling day on March 23.

But this is just an “impossibly tall order” which is unlikely to be achieved on Sunday, as we will then not be talking about the Pakatan Rakyat/PKR candidate Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail winning the Kajang by-election or securing a bigger majority than the 6,824 votes won by former PKR Assemblyman Lee Chin Chen in the 13 General Election last May, but a humongous, unprecedented and unimaginable majority of some 24,000 votes.

This is because if the BN candidate is to lose deposit in Sunday’s by-election, the BN must be denied one-eighth of the votes cast. Assuming a voter turn-out of 80% of the 40,000 voters in Kajang, this means that the BN must not win more than one-eighth of the votes cast or not more than 4,000 votes – which will give Azizah 28,000 votes and BN 4,000 votes from the 32,000 votes or a majority of some 24,000 votes! Continue reading “Third Call to Kajang voters – unite solidly to vote for Wan Azizah in Sunday’s by-election on behalf of 30 million Malaysians as vote of confidence in her becoming the first woman Prime Minister of Malaysia”

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Denying BN deposit in Kajang by-election an “impossibly tall order” but there is no other more appropriate occasion than Kajang by-election for voters to forfeit BN of election deposit

(Speech at the DAPSY Ceramah for the Kajang by-election held at the Sungei Chua BasketBall Court, Kajang on Sunday, 16th March 2014 at 9.30 pm)

When I first suggested at the fifth Pakatan Rakyat Convention in Shah Alam the previous Saturday (8th March) that the Kajang voters should do the impossible in the by-election by making the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate lose deposit, I had said that this was a “very tall order” but the occasion warranted going for such an extraordinary result.

I want to repeat my call tonight to the Kajang voters in the by-election to perform the impossible to make the Barisan Nasional candidate lose the deposit on polling day on March 23.

I would describe this not just a “very tall order” but an “impossibly tall order”, which is not going to be easily achieved as it would need a super-herculean effort by the Kajang voters on polling day.

There are some 40,000 voters in Kajang state assembly seat. In the 13GE in May last year, the voter turnout for the constituency, comprising 48% Malay voters, Chinese 41%, Indian 10% and others 1%, was as high as 87.9%. Continue reading “Denying BN deposit in Kajang by-election an “impossibly tall order” but there is no other more appropriate occasion than Kajang by-election for voters to forfeit BN of election deposit”

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Highly regrettable on 6th day of MH 370 tragedy, while Malaysians prayed hard for safety of 239 passengers and crew members on board, Mahathir was only interested in spewing lies and communal poison

This is the ninth day of the MHI 370 tragedy.

It is highly regrettable that while Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or politics, are praying hard for the safety of the 239 passengers and crew members on board the Malaysian airline, there are people like the former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir who seemed more interested in continuing to spew lies and communal poison to pit race against race and religion against religion in Malaysia to further their petty political agenda.

This is what Mahathir did on Thursday, 13th March, the sixth day of the MH 370 tragedy, in his blog campaigning for the MCA candidate in the Kajang by-election – a most irresponsible and reckless act as it is such incessant spewing of lies and communal poison which had been the major cause of the worst racial and religious polarization in the nation’s history.

In his blog-post on Thursday, Mahathir continued to make baseless accusations against the DAP and the Pakatan Rakyat, alleging that DAP wanted “complete” Chinese political and economic dominance in Malaysia. Continue reading “Highly regrettable on 6th day of MH 370 tragedy, while Malaysians prayed hard for safety of 239 passengers and crew members on board, Mahathir was only interested in spewing lies and communal poison”

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If DAP or any of Pakatan Rakyat parties had done what Perkasa had done in going against the King’s Speech on the National Unity Consultative Council, we would have been accused of being anti-national, anti-Agong and traitors

In his royal address opening Parliament on Monday, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong not only endorsed the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) set up by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to preserve the country’s harmony and seek a common ground on various religious and ethnic matters, he “called on all parties to refrain from making any statement or action that might be deemed provocative or sensitive”.

The Yang di Pertuan Agong said: “Be mindful that when unity disintegrates, the country will head towards destruction. Therefore, we should reinforce unity by cultivating mutual respect and moderation in life.”

But the Yang di Pertuan Agong has been openly challenged and defied by the provocative and insensitive statements and actions of extremist organization Perkasa and other NGOs, led by Ibrahim Ali, which rejected “wholesale” the NUCC and have set up the National Unity Front (NUF) as an alternative to the NUCC.

Yesterday, former Chief Justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamed was announced as the first chief of the Perkasa-backed NUF to challenge what the Yang di Pertuan Agong said in his Royal Address to Parliament on Monday. Continue reading “If DAP or any of Pakatan Rakyat parties had done what Perkasa had done in going against the King’s Speech on the National Unity Consultative Council, we would have been accused of being anti-national, anti-Agong and traitors”

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Anwar will miss the June meeting of Parliament if he is jailed in two months, which means Permatang Pauh by-election will have to be held in June or July

If Anwar Ibrahim is right in his winding-up speech at the Pakatan Rakyat 5th Convention in Shah Alam yesterday that he might be imprisoned within two months, it would mean another “rush to judgment” to dispose of Anwar’s Federal Court appeal to uphold his five-year jail conviction by the Court of Appeal on Friday.

This is because Anwar would have exhausted his legal remedies and once his 5-year jail conviction is upheld by the Federal Court in two months, Anwar will have to start his second jail incarceration.

It would also mean that Anwar will not be able to attend the June meeting of Parliament, and the forthcoming parliamentary meeting beginning tomorrow will be Anwar’s last parliamentary meeting.

Furthermore, it would also mean that Anwar would be disqualified as MP and the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election would have to be held in June or July. Continue reading “Anwar will miss the June meeting of Parliament if he is jailed in two months, which means Permatang Pauh by-election will have to be held in June or July”

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Call on Kajang voters to do the impossible in the by-election by making the Barisan Nasional candidate lose deposit

[Speech (Part 2) at the 5th Pakatan Rakyat Convention at Setia City Convention Centre, Shah Alam on Saturday, 8th March 2014 at 4.30 pm]

The Kajang voters should do the impossible in the by-election on March 23 by making the Barisan Nasional candidate lose deposit.

It is not enough for the Pakatan Rakyat/PKR candidate just to win, or even to win with a bigger majority than last year during the 13th general election.

Pakatan Rakyat should set out to ensure the achievement of the impossible in the Kajang by-election by getting the Barisan Nasional candidate to lose the deposit.

This is a very “tall order” but the occasion warrants going for such an extraordinary result.

This will a clear and unmistakable verdict that the people disapproves of any return to authoritarian rule or reversion to blatant and flagrant subversion of the independence, impartiality and integrity of the judiciary and other important national institutions to serve the political interests of the powers-that-be, as is clearly evident in the five-year jail conviction of Anwar Ibrahim yesterday. Continue reading “Call on Kajang voters to do the impossible in the by-election by making the Barisan Nasional candidate lose deposit”

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Sodomy 2 Ruling Creates New Excitement

By Kee Thuan Chye
Yahoo! News
8th March 2014

The buzz is all over town. And most probably outside of the country too. Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has been found guilty by the Court of Appeal of sodomising Saiful Bukhari Azlan in 2008.

The High Court acquitted him of the charge in January 2012, but the Attorney-General appealed. Now it looks like Anwar’s luck has run out. The famous Sodomy 2 case has caught up with him this time.

The judge has sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment. Although Anwar’s lawyers have straight away filed notice of appeal to the Federal Court, his conviction should disqualify him from standing in the upcoming Kajang by-election, which had come about when the incumbent state assemblyman, Lee Chin Cheh, stepped down to actually pave the way for Anwar to contest – as part of the so-called Kajang Move engineered by PKR strategist Rafizi Ramli with the long-term view of possibly making Anwar menteri besar in order to prepare Selangor as the launchpad for Pakatan Rakyat to take Putrajaya.

What happens to that now? Continue reading “Sodomy 2 Ruling Creates New Excitement”

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Imperative that PR and component parties demonstrate an unprecedented unity, resolve and commitment to score a historic victory in Kajang by-election especially as UMNO/BN plotting to sabotage Anwar’s candidature on March 11

This morning I was in Kajang together with the PKR National Vice Chairman MP Nurul Izzah and the PAS election director MP Dr. Hatta Ramli to launch the DAP operations centre for the Kajang by-election on March 23.

It is imperative that Pakatan Rakyat and the component parties, whether PKR, PAS or DAP demonstrate an unprecedented unity, resolve and commitment to score a resounding and historic victory in Kajang by-election for two reasons:

· *Firstly, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is the Pakatan Rakyat candidate for the Kajang by-election, which must be fought as an important PR milestone to Putrajaya in the 14th General Elections which must be held by 2018 but which could be held in 2016 or 2017; and

· *Secondly, there is a serious UMNO/BN plot afoot to sabotage Anwar’s candidature for the Kajang by-election on March 11.

This is why I spoke up three days ago with the reminder that “A House divided cannot stand” and that Anwar’s real enemies in Kajang by-election are not independents, MCA or even UMNO, but PR/PKR internal feuds and infighting. Continue reading “Imperative that PR and component parties demonstrate an unprecedented unity, resolve and commitment to score a historic victory in Kajang by-election especially as UMNO/BN plotting to sabotage Anwar’s candidature on March 11”

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House divided cannot stand – Anwar’s real enemies in Kajang by-election are not independents, MCA or even UMNO but PR/PKR internal feuds and infighting

It is now one full month since the announcement by the Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be the Pakatan Rakyat candidate in the Kajang by-election which will be held in three weeks’ time on March 23, 2014.

In the past 31 days, political temperatures and election fervor had steadily mounted, with a whole slate of issues, national, state and local, being canvassed.

The Kajang by-election promises to be the “by-election of the century” in Malaysia, deciding not only on who will be the elected representative of the Selangor state assembly seat of Kajang, the political leadership in Selangor but most important of all, the political configuration of the federal centre of power in Putrajaya in the immediate future.

The by-election on March 23 will not only determine the future of Kajang and Selangor, but the future of Malaysia and her 30 million people – not only for 2014 but for the coming years and decades.

All the three Pakatan Rakyat parties of PKR, PAS and DAP must be fully united and inspired by the common goal of creating a new Malaysia where all her citizenry, regardless of race, religion or region, are united with one common vision for an united, harmonious, free, democratic, just, competitive, progressive and prosperous Malaysia. Continue reading “House divided cannot stand – Anwar’s real enemies in Kajang by-election are not independents, MCA or even UMNO but PR/PKR internal feuds and infighting”

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Kajang is on the way to Putrajaya

– Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
February 27, 2014

Why has Anwar’s decision to contest in Kajang caused so much upheaval inside the BN camp? More so in Umno? This is just a DUN seat. As Muhyidin says, when Anwar wins, at the most he can only be MB. Najib is still the PM.

Yes, why?

Umno says it’s protecting the people of Selangor. From what? Mahathir says no one is safe if Anwar is MB.

Hmmm – maybe. Perhaps there’s some truth in what Mahathir said. I did feel shivers down my spine when I participate in a talk with Anwar especially with my back facing him. Haha. I must remember to wear an iron chastity belt the next time. Umno people – please remember that too.

No one who has stolen from the state, no one who is corrupt, and no one who has emptied the treasury will be safe. My own uneasiness dissipates when I think that no treasury, no money is safe when Umno people are around. No public works are safe with Umno people around. These are dangerous people to be around, these Umno people. Continue reading “Kajang is on the way to Putrajaya”

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In deriding Anwar, Daim shows Umno fear of losing Putrajaya sooner than later

The Malaysian Insider
February 26, 2014

So why is Tun Daim Zainuddin quaking?

Make no mistake, the former finance minister is worried. Worried enough that he keeps talking incessantly about Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Publicly, he dismisses the PKR de facto leader as a publicity hound, a man who craves the limelight and loves the next headline.

Publicly, he runs the opposition leader down as someone who has never been able to solve any problem.

Publicly, he says that Anwar’s move to contest a by-election in Kajang is a complete waste of public funds.

Apparently Daim’s fixation with Anwar continues in private discussions but behind closed doors, the tone is less dismissive, less condescending. Continue reading “In deriding Anwar, Daim shows Umno fear of losing Putrajaya sooner than later”

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Kajang and the Anwar-Mahathir showdown

– Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
February 25, 2014

When Anwar Ibrahim announces he wants to contest in Kajang, the whole country erupted into a fit. Most affected is the BN side. They don’t know what to do and say. So they shoot at each other.

Ahmad Maslan, the 3.85 CGPA-man, announced that Umno will use Anwar’s sex issue as the main issue. I am sure at the very moment, Kajang inhabitants wake up in the morning to find packages containing various CDs on Anwar’s sexual encounters enclosed. That’s how Umno educate Malays.

Even Dr Mahathir has entered the fray; first by saying that Anwar is only fit to become the menteri besar. As usual his initial response developed into the typical Mahathir vitriol on his onetime protégé turned nemesis.

The whole political saga involving Anwar which sets the country into political turmoil was created in the first place by Mahathir. That is why Mahathir is attacking Anwar. Mahathir knows Anwar will eventually win. So he tries to delay the inevitable. Continue reading “Kajang and the Anwar-Mahathir showdown”

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Fatal mistake for Pakatan Rakyat parties to assume that the Kajang by-election is a walkover with Anwar as candidate

The Prime Minister and the Barisan Nasional Chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday that the Barisan Nasional (BN) is going into the Kajang by-election as the underdog but pledges to work doubly hard to ensure the best possible outcome.

It will be a fatal mistake for Pakatan Rakyat parties to assume that the Kajang by-election is a walkover with Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as the candidate.

It is imperative that the Pakatan Rakyat parties of PKR, PAS and DAP speak with one voice and act as one unit not only to secure victory for Anwar in the by-election on March 23, but with a convincing majority greater than the majority won in the 13th general elections on May 5, 2013.

Every vote in the Kajang by-election must be fought and won and not taken for granted. Continue reading “Fatal mistake for Pakatan Rakyat parties to assume that the Kajang by-election is a walkover with Anwar as candidate”

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When the Opposition starts serving up déjà vu

Erna Mahyuni
The Malay Mail Online
February 19, 2014

FEB 19 — Wouldn’t want to be a PKR supporter right now. The “Who gets to be Selangor MB” game is getting pretty old and rather symptomatic of the prevailing malady permeating our country — having the wrong priorities.

Umno’s culture of selfishness and infighting with poison pen letters and hidden knives in the dark is well-documented. But to see the same culture of factionalism and infighting in PKR makes you wonder if the party is just a rebadged Umno. Same crap, same people (stop recruiting ex-Umno people already, Anwar) but just a different party name.

I can’t comment on the merits of Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim versus Azmin Ali versus Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim because I frankly do not give a rat’s behind.

What is certain is that it is entirely possible for Pakatan Rakyat to lose Selangor, without even waiting for the next general election. Continue reading “When the Opposition starts serving up déjà vu”

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With a ‘Supporter’ Like Zaid, Pakatan Needs No Enemies

By Kee Thuan Chye
Yahoo! News
18 Feb 2014

What the hell is Zaid Ibrahim doing? He claims, in a Q&A with theSun, that he’s a Pakatan Rakyat supporter and yet he has declared his intention to stand in the upcoming Kajang by-election against Pakatan’s de facto leader, Anwar Ibrahim.

This is downright contradictory. It also gives the impression that he might be trying to settle an old score with Anwar’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), and even Anwar himself.

Many of us would remember that in 2010, while he himself was a member of PKR, Zaid publicly criticised the party and sullied its image. He displayed his egotism by brazenly calling on Anwar to step down as PKR’s leader and offering himself as successor. “I’ll be a good leader,” he boasted. But the party didn’t entertain him and he quit, with much bile and fanfare, to start his own mosquito party, Kita (Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air).

He didn’t last long as Kita’s chief, quitting less than two years after he had founded it. During that time, he had a falling-out with his fellow party leaders and even announced disbanding the party but later changed his mind. This prompted his party chiefs to declare that they wanted him out. Continue reading “With a ‘Supporter’ Like Zaid, Pakatan Needs No Enemies”